Secrets Are Ba(n)d

Chapter 15: They Didnt Know, or, Did They?

"well why else, why else would he run away?" The lowercase skeleton shouted with a shaking voice, his tears dripping onto his phone as the monster on the other end sighed.

"He hurt somebody and ran away so he wouldn't get in trouble," the head guards-monster growled, hardly believing her own best friend would betray her–betray everyone like this. Maybe something in her didn't believe it, but she had a duty, a king to protect, a kingdom. Her emotions just got in the way of her judgement, that's how they got in this mess, and she wouldn't be making the same mistake anytime soon.

"he.. he believed in you, and- you don't even have the guts to do the same," he sniffled, clutching the collar of Papyrus's sweater. It was too big on him, and smelled of oregano and cheap MTT cologne, but it was Papyrus's.

"I.." Undyne started quietly, but stopped as the phone held the long tone that meant he'd hung up on her.

Again, Sans cried.

Of all the things to happen, he never thought Papyrus would hurt someone, or that the underground would so easily believe something like that. That he believed something like that, over his own family.
The skeleton that obsessed over puzzles to protect monsters, had practiced a cool laugh just to be liked, they turned against him on a dime.
Sans couldn't handle spiraling in his thoughts again, he could handle the numb, the dust, the blood, but a scar so fresh just kept bleeding.

He tossed his phone to the side, it falling to the floor with a small clunk as he grabbed the TV remote. Before he even knew it he was turning to the first channel that played something mind-numbing enough to distract him from the cold of the tear stained sweater.

"And without further delay... we have a previously unnamed fan favorite! Give a Hotland welcome to: the Cold Souls!"

'the new mtt show, papyrus would love this' he mumbled to himself, though with a bitter aftertaste. He only saw a few minutes of the last episode, though he recognized the singer. He'd sang a cheesy love song before, not really his style.

But before he could press another button, the guitar pulled him in. Something about the two, it was familiar, the lyrics slowly setting in and weighing on his soul.

"You tried to rationalize your fragile disguise. Why?"

The words hit like bullets through his mental walls, it was like he was being spoken to directly.

'it was to protect him.'

"..Is finally going to force your review of the shit that you do."

'it was one lie. if he knew, he'd be heartbroken.'

"One will turn to two, will turn to five, until your truths and your lies come undone."

The blaring speakers and bright lights became all too much as Sans fiddled with the buttons, hardly able to tell between them through the tears, his finger slipping on the pause button. The room was silent, the TV frozen on a still frame, the masked stranger staring into the crowd with a broken gaze. You could hardly make out the shine of tears behind his mask, the holes only showing the dark pits behind them.

"what have i done?" he whispered as he held his skull in his arms.

"I.." She started, before being interrupted by the long beep of an ended phone call. She could have broken the screen with her death grip, probably would if it stayed in her webbed hands much longer.

"how.. DARE HE," she shouted to no one, throwing the phone at the wall as hard as she could with a scowl, her pointed teeth grinding. Of course he wouldn't cooperate this one time! Oh, he was so fired. She shouldn't have hired him in the first place. She only ever did it for Papyrus-

'No, stop thinking about him. He's a criminal.'

She repeated it to herself once again, her eyes still puffy from the last update on how the guards still couldn't find him. She hated being so soft, so vulnerable, when someone so dangerous was out there. Someone who could manipulate so strongly, could put on such a persona.

That was what happened, end of story.

'That's just what you were told.'

God, she hated that voice. The little voice in the back of her soul, a weak little monster telling her that she knew better, that she still needed her best friend. Undyne knew what she was doing. She had to, too many monsters relied on her for her to be soft.

'He relied on you, too.'

Eventually, she couldn't escape her thoughts in the quiet, sitting on her torn and tattered couch with a huff as she turned on the first channel.

"You made a choice to resume, and bid your sense adieu.." The unfamiliar monster sang, surrounded by lights.

'I had to make the decision, to protect them,' she thought, feeling rather silly about talking to the TV.

"The importance of regret is how you deal with it. The bruise you feel inside your chest won't let you forget."

'I can't regret this, it's too late now.'

"Don't play the part."

The lyrics hit her harder than she hit the screen with the tossed remote, the cracks in it only freezing the frame on the masked musicians.

"..I'm sorry. I have to." She mumbled barely over a whisper, her cheeks now wet with tears. Burning, angry, sorry tears.

946 words
(Kinda short chapter, but a neat reaction to the song! I really like chapters like these, I hope you all do too! Happiest of reading, folks.)