Who Says You're the One in Control?

The Day that Changed Everything

Sans had no idea what was going on. Dad was talking to the man at the door, but the child had never heard him talk in this tone before.

Dropping his book, he jumped up from his spot on the floor and ran to the door. Dad immediately shooed him away.

Sans pouted in his room till the stranger had gone. Once he heard the door shut, he ran out to peek between the banister bars.

Dad gave a big sigh before looking up to see Sans watching him. He motioned for the seven year old to follow him into the living room. Sans obeyed.

"Your mother..." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. His normal sign of stress. "What do you remember about her?"

That question alone was weird enough. Dad never talked about mom. Every time Sans asked about her, dad would push the thought away. Sans hadn't seen, or even heard from her, since he was three.

"um.. i don't know." Sans replied, guarded.

Dad just nodded and stood. He went to the window to look at the yard. In the sunlight he looked older than he was. Sans wondered how much sleep his father had gotten this week. Dad always seemed to be working, so food and sleep were low on his priorities.

"She died."

It took Sans a second to register what dad had said. As soon as it hit him, his heart dropped.

Mom was a mystery to him. He had only a vague memory of what she looked like. He wondered what would have happened if mom and dad hadn't split.

Now she was dead? He felt loss, even though he knew nothing about her. He was motherless. He wouldn't ever get to see her.

"How does that make you feel?" Dad asked. Impatient as always to get the conversation over.

"i... i don't know." Sans took a step back. the back of his shorts brushed against a chair, so he sat down. "how'd she die?"

"She was killed by a human."

Sans flinched. The unrest between humans and monsters was growing more and more. Humans were scared of monsters. After all, all a monster would need is a human soul, and they could easily be stronger than the humans.

"so... she's dead..." Sans stood to leave. "thanks for telling me, i guess." Pretending to be okay was the only way to keep dad from getting annoyed. There was no time for feelings in a conversation with him.

"Sans, that's not what I need to tell you." Dad turned away from the window and looked at Sans. "Your mother was pregnant when we split up. The child is coming here to live with us."

That was it. Sans had wondered why mom's death had caused dad so much stress. There was another kid. Sans had a sibling.

Sans had a sibling.

Sans had a little brother or sister, and dad had never said anything. He had had four years to say anything, but he hadn't. Sans just frowned at his father.

"You have nothing to say?" Dad saw his discomfort. He knew why, too. Sans knew it would be best to let it slide.

"i don't want some crybaby sleeping in my room." Sans muttered. He didn't wait for dad to speak, he just grabbed his book and headed upstairs.

~

Sans watched from his favorite spot at the balcony as dad brought suitcases and other luggage into the house. He could hear yelling from outside. It must be his new sibling.

Dad sighed. "Come in here, child." He ordered.

"You can't catch me!" Sans heard from outside. Followed by "Nyeh heh heh!!!"

Dad groaned and stomped outside. "I don't have time for this! I have several projects I have to work on."

Sans ran down the stairs and watched as dad chased a small skeleton boy across the yard. It cracked Sans up to watch someone as serious as his father running around.

Finally, the kid was caught, and dragged into the house. Dad was grumbling under his breath as he closed the door. "Now behave!"

"Sorry, dad Gaster." The child looked at the floor in guilt.

Dad had no room for pity when he was already at the edge of his patience. "I told you, just call me dad." He snapped.

"you could try calling him dadster." Sans threw in. Both stared at him as if they hadn't noticed he was there.

"Sans don't make up rediculous words." Dad calmly ordered. Sans knew this was just the quiet before the storm. Dad always took this tone when he was stressed. Sans had learned to keep away when he heard it.

He turned his attention to his sibling. The smaller skeleton was grinning with unchecked curiosity painted across his face. When Sans looked at him, he blinked it away and waved like a dork. "Hello! I'm Papyrus!"

Sans didn't like the kid. He was loud, obnoxiously happy, and annoying. The kid was wearing a cape over his tee shirt, and heavy boots. His baseball cap was on backwards, too. As if he was trying to look cool. He looked rediculous.

Dad saw his disdain and snorted. "You two have fun." Dad threw back at them as he left.

Sans looked Papyrus over once more before heading to his room. "You're Sans, right?" Papyrus bounced up the stairs after him. "I've never had a big brother before!"

"actually," Sans turned to look at the squirt behind him. "you've had a big brother your whole life."

The blank stare of information processing he got as a reply was good enough for him. He walked to his room and shut the door.

"It's alright, brother!" Papyrus yelled through the door. "I can wait out here!"

Sans fell into his bed and grabbed his book. He had no intention of going back out until dinner time. It took three minutes before Sans could hear sniffling from the other side of the door.

Groaning, he rolled to his feet. He opened the door, and saw Papyrus jump in surprise. The child looked up at him with tear streaked embarrassment.

"what are you doing?" Sans asked. He realized afterwards how heartless he sounded. Dad was to blame for that.

"I... er.. I just t-tripped!" The kid replied bravely.

"where does it hurt?" Sans didn't make a move to be comforting. He didn't know how to do something like that.

"My soul!" Papyrus burst into tears again.

Sans jumped a little. He had no idea how to deal with crying. He knew what his dad would do. He would order Papyrus to stop crying. Crying was a waste of time and energy. It accomplished nothing. Sans wasn't going to be that kind of brother, no matter how annoying Papyrus was.

"uh... it's okay..." He pat the smaller skeleton's shoulder. This invoked a hug from the sobbing child. Sans tensed immediately. How long had it been since he had been hugged by anyone? "uh.. Paps, you're getting my shirt wet..."

Papyrus only hugged tighter and sobbed more. Sans sighed. Awkwardly, he tried hugging back. For better or for worse, this was what he was going to have to put up with from now on. He might as well get used to it.