Secrets Are Ba(n)d

Chapter 2: (W)owie

The last thing he could remember after that was the cold, damp mud. All he could smell was dirt and filth, laying sprawled on the ground where he'd unceremoniously landed. He could only really smell actually, the rest of his senses seemed to still be catching up.

The light felt too bright in his skull as he tried to move, a sudden pain hitting him like a racecar as his shoulder made a horrible popping sound.

He calmed his quickened breathing and, after some time, he tried again. Holding his shoulder in place with his other arm, he finally was able to look around, seeing his familiar pirate flag staring back at him. Leaning against the wall, he turned a bit to see a note propped against his favourite action figure.

' hey bro, undyne brought you here with a dislocated shoulder, so we fixed you up. try not to use your arm for a while, k? i'm at grilbs' if ya need anythin, there's spaghetti in the microwave

love, sans '

The note had a stain on it, and squinting against the light, Papyrus realized it was an old Grillby's napkin.

With a huff, he shuffled so his legs were off the bed, avoiding the splitting headache he felt coming on the best he could. With some mumbled curses and groans, he slowly let go of his arm and used the table to pull himself to a standing position, his death grip leaving a mark in the wood.

Once finally sturdy enough, he pulled up his sleeves with a cautionary glance.

'Did they have to change me?'  he thought after, though moving on quickly. It was probably Sans, and the outfit he'd picked was at least comfortable.

He was surprised with how minimal the damage looked, having to squint to see the new scratches and grooves left on his arms. Carefully making his way to the bathroom, he grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet, and made a makeshift sling for himself.

'Much better!' He chirped, admiring his excellent job with short-lived pride. After tidying the leftover bandages and fabric, he took a look at the state of his home from the banister. Mud tracks got dragged into the house, and all the way up the stairs it seemed.

With a sigh, he went to get the cleaning supplies from his closet.

After a few minutes that felt like ages thanks to his incidental injury, he got the place to look as he had left it. Sans would probably scold him for working so hard, but he had a reputation to keep.

With nothing else to do, he reluctantly grabbed his phone to check his messages.

6 messages from 'UNDYNE!!1'
7 missed calls
2 messages from 'BROTHER!!'

Propping his arm on a pillow as he sat on the couch, he slowly went through every message and voice-mail, holding the phone a bit away from his head to muffle the screaming from his semi-aquatic pal.

After answering every text, which took far too long in his opinion, he finally sat back and relaxed. He wasn't a lazybones like his brother, but he had to admit the rest felt nice.

Until he started thinking of course. His own head could sometimes become his worst enemy.

'You should have been more careful.'

'how can you be a guard if you cant even climb a rock?'

'i thought i said to keep your battle body clean, how can i trust you with more responsibility if you can't even do that?'

Before he got even farther into his skull, he turned on the TV, the latest episode of Mettaton's new show attempt starting only a few minutes in.

It was popular amongst almost everyone of course, but Papyrus was quite overjoyed that he could actually watch the show live today, usually being too busy with training or cleaning. The only thing stopping him from jumping up and down being his arm, he instead squealed while the intro commercials came to an end.

"Hello Darlings, and welcome back to 'Hotlands Hot Talent'! Last episode we had some great performances, but remember! Auditions are open to any and all with something to share until this weekend, so get off that couch and get your act together! I'll be waiting for you~."

The attractive rectangle continued, but Papyrus couldn't help get lost in sudden ideas. Silly ones, unlikely ones, but..

..he could try that, right?

He'd need an act, lots of time, and the courage to actually do it, but that's only three things!

Finally, after some time pacing and half assed planning, he'd decided.

"I, The Great Papyrus, shall become the best singer in the Underground!"

His voice echoed quietly in the space as he was drowned out by a mediocre display of guitar by an unfamiliar monster.

'That's right, I'll need a band!' He spoke again to himself. Going through all the possible candidates for band mates, he started on a list:

FRIENDS FOR MY BAND!!
Sans - Too lazy.
Flowey - Doesn't like crowds
Me - Perfect lead singer!!!
Undyne - ...

'perfect.'

3 frantic calls later, he finally got an answer.

"PAPS WHAT'S HAPPENING ARE YOU OK?" She said out of breath, this was about the time she went for her runs. She sounded worried, which was understandable, though it made Papyrus cringe in embarrassment.

"Hello Undyne! Everything is good here, if a little sore, but I had a question!" He asked with as much excitement as he could usually muster, which was an impressive amount.

Some seconds passed before she replied, only fueling the nerves growing in his ribcage.

"..If it's about being a guardian, Papyrus, you know I can't let you in yet. And- especially now that you have an injury! You'll just have to be patient, punk. I know you can do it.. eventually."

Her tone sounded almost annoyed, and her words premeditated. She'd stopped running to break the news gently. Or, as gently as she was capable of.

It didn't help the spiraling.

"..I see," was all he could muster.

"You alright bud? It's nothing personal, once you're better we can train until you're ready! With how hard you've been working, I'm sure it'll be in no time!"

The pity laced in her voice only added to the lump in his throat as he tried to speak without a wavering voice.

"Yes, that sounds good! Goodbye, Undyne," he said quickly before hanging up. Dark tears threatened his sockets, he knew if he'd said anything more he'd surely break.

FRIENDS FOR MY BAND!!
Sans - Too lazy.
Flowey - Doesn't like crowds
Me - Perfect lead singer!!!
////// -

Crossing off her name he wiped his face, he didn't know what to feel. So, being ever productive, he decided to distract himself. Grabbing some spare paper and glitter glue, he started on his song.

1160 words
(woohoo! I'm trying to make longer chapters, but they'll all probably remain ~1000 words. See you all next chapter, happy reading!)