The snow crunched beneath Frisk's boots as she followed the tall skeleton down the path, his cape billowing behind him with every theatrical stride.
"WELCOME TO THE COOL ZONE!" Papyrus declared, stopping abruptly to gesture at a small, cozy house ahead. "AND BY COOL, I MEAN WARM! BUT IN A COOL WAY!"
Frisk gave a soft chuckle, quietly amused.
Sans was already leaning against the side of the house, hands in his hoodie pocket. "heya, kid. you survived the great papyrus, huh?" He winked. "guess you're bone-afide tough."
Papyrus puffed his chest. "OF COURSE THEY SURVIVED! I WAS GOING EASY ON THEM, BROTHER! I HAVE BIGGER PLANS FOR THIS HUMAN!"
Frisk tilted her head slightly.
"A DATE! A BONE-AFIDE DATE!"
Sans let out a groan. "you've been waiting all week to use that one, haven't ya."
"INDEED I HAVE."
Inside the house, Frisk looked around curiously. It was warm. Lived-in. A strange mix of chaos and charm. Socks on the floor. A stove suspiciously labeled with spaghetti instructions. A race car bed.
"PLEASE, SIT ANYWHERE! …EXCEPT THE COUCH. IT'S COVERED IN SANS."
Frisk quietly settled into a chair while Papyrus rushed to the kitchen. Clangs and metallic shuffling echoed.
"AHEM! AS ROYAL DATE MASTER, I SHALL NOW COOK FOR YOU!"
Frisk nodded politely, though her expression was unreadable.
Papyrus emerged with a pot. "I CALL IT… 'PAPYRUS'S PERFECTLY PRECIOUS PASTA!'"
He set it on the table. Steam rose. It was… certainly spaghetti. Technically.
Frisk poked it with her fork. It made a solid clink.
Papyrus leaned in. "WELL? DO YOU… LOVE IT?"
Frisk smiled softly. "It's... unique."
The skeleton gasped, hand to his skull. "UNIQUE? THEN THIS DATE… IT'S GOING WELL?"
Frisk tilted her head, then nodded once more.
Papyrus's eyes sparkled with delight. "I KNEW IT! LOVE HAS BLOOMED ON THE BATTLEFIELD!"
In the corner, Sans mumbled, "yikes..."
Papyrus turned to Frisk again. "BUT I MUST CONFESS… I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT DATING IS."
Frisk offered a gentle shrug.
"BUT THAT'S OKAY!" he declared. "FRIENDSHIP IS EVEN BETTER! AND YOU… YOU'RE A REALLY COOL HUMAN!"
Frisk smiled for real this time.