Royal Blue

Equal and Opposite Reaction (Chapter Twenty Eight)

"Brother?" Papyrus whispered, his voice hoarse from his long an unwitting slumber he had been lovingly been sent into; the grogginess still deep in his bones. Still soothed by the familiarity of his brother's nearby soul.

"Yeah Pap? I'm here," Sans hummed assuringly, his hands still caressing the simple curves of his brother's skull and neck, gently reminding himself, and his brother, with every touch that they were Alive.

They were here. Together.
And no matter what questions would come... that would have to be enough.

"Why..." Papyrus paused, but after a second he seemed to abandon that question. Simply settling on a quiet:
"Who was he?" Papyrus asked. Blinking awkwardly into the soft light that morning brought.

There was no question about who they were talking about.

And Sans said nothing for a moment.

Gaster had left a little while ago; saying he had 'business to attend to'. Whatever that could mean. Sans didn't much care. Though it was odd to have him separated... Sans could still feel him. Feel the echo of whatever he was feeling. Whatever he was doing.

What was left of Gaster's soul was linked to Sans', after all.
Only now, with him not in the same space, it was more... distant.

Like hearing someone humming a song at the far end of a cave; there is barely any way to discern a melody, the overlapping echoes and muffled sound making the task harder... but still; a part deep within his soul can still feel it.

Like a ripple on the water's edge; lapping gently at the shore.

But here. Now. The sheets were warm beneath them. The feeling of being comforted by someone so familiar... it was good.

Peaceful.

Papyrus shifted, sitting up, but still keeping close as he faced his brother, softly imploring.

 "He's... an old friend," Sans finally answered, "someone who wants to help."

 "...Alright brother," Papyrus muttered, just seeming happy to have his brother in his arms. Too timid to break the fragile peace between just the two of them.

A feeling then came, with no sound to follow it, but more like an easy change in the air pressure; like a door or a window opening nearby.
Sans looked up.

Gaster stood at the edge of the bed again. And Papyrus didn't react — of course he didn't, he couldn't see Gaster... but it still felt good to make sure.

Gaster tilted his head toward the door.
"⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎ ♍︎□︎❍︎◻︎♋︎■︎⍓︎."
You have company.

Sans looked at Papyrus again; his brother was, of course, totally unaware of the third monster in the room. Currently; Sans was the only one who could see or interact with Gaster. And in turn, Gaster could feel what it was like to be... real, through Sans. Which gave him a limited ability to interact with real things, and, presumably, to summon attacks.

Sans closed his eyes and focused for a moment; he could sense the two souls at the door. Yellow and Green.
And a second later, a knock rapped at the door.

 "P-Papyrus...?" Alphys's voice said, hushed and unsteady, "a-are you... a-awake?"

The haze over Papyrus's vision faded slightly, his eyes lighting up a little bit more. As if being pulled into a stronger field of reality. Out from the comfortable, culpable oasis created by the light manipulative field of Gaster's magic.

 "What is it Alphys?" Sans muttered, not really wanting to actually have either of them have to get up and answer the door.

There was a rigid silence.