30 Day OTP Challenge: Template x Pale

Day 22: In Battle, Side by Side

Please excuse this rushed part, this is a bit new to me and I didn't give myself enough time-

     Hand-in-hand as the bitter air tried and failed to separate the heat circling between them, step after step with each of them crunching imprints into the pure white snow, a talkative mouth and a nonexistent yet listening ear.

     It was like every other stroll, a simplistic yet peaceful type of date! They were both walking around in the Snowdin of an Underswap. People were giving them both some looks rather odd or welcoming, which was normal for people thinking they were newcomers or visiting. But there was always some occasions where people didn’t react… civil…

     In the middle of what seemed like every other stroll they usually have, a figure, a few heads taller than Template yet was slouched over a bit due to its bad posture so who knew how tall the figure could be. With a baggy orange sweater, some shorts that went to his knees, and a lit cigarette hanging loosely between his teeth. A Papyrus, Stretch, eyeing the strange couple before he casually walked towards them. Template stopped them both, smiling up at the tall skeleton.

     “Hey,” the Papyrus greeted. Pale gazed up at him with his blank and hollow sockets staring into his soul. He let go of Template’s and hugged his arm. Template laughed awkwardly.

     “Hey! Sorry about him, he doesn’t really like talking much. But he’s such a sweetheart and wouldn’t hurt anyone without reason!” Template assured, waving his gloved hand to try to brush away any worries. Stretch still looked at the two, and despite his casual stature and with his cigarette lazily hanging from his lips, the glimpse in his eye showing contempt and disdain and just looked down at the two. Template avoided his stare and focused his attention on the snowy floor, fidgeting and pursing his lips. The hold on his arm has only gotten tighter.

     “Oh, that’s… reassuring.” The words he spoke only seemed to fill in what silence needed to be filled, whether or not it made things more suspenseful was left to question. “Y’know, you two… You look really familiar,” Stretch commented, leaning back a bit while stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket. Template started to sweat a little.

     “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.” Template brought out his hand and looked back at the swap Papyrus with a decent smile. “I’m Template, and this is Pale. I’m sure you know that we aren’t from here, so please understand we aren't here for any trouble and hopefully there is no conflict between us?” Stretch didn’t shake the extended hand, only taking a hand out his pocket to hold the smoke and take a long drag out of it before flicking the bud and smothering whatever heat was left out with his foot. He stepped closer to them, bending close to the glitchy skeleton before puffing nearly opaque grey smoke into his face. He coughed, swiping at the air to rid of the stench of smoke and tobacco of the odd Papyrus standing close to him. Pixeling start accumulating and Pale tried pulling him back, only to be fruitless at Template frozen still.

     “Look, I am not here to screw around. I do not want any of you near my brother. He had already been through enough, he shouldn’t be risking his life with any more adventures or scandals.” Template was miffed, forcing his gaze to the ground to hide his annoyance. “So you two have three seconds to get your ass out of here.” Template looked right back up at him, quickly trying to conjure up enough words to scramble up a reasonable excuse.

      “We aren’t here for Blue! We are both here ju-” Template was forcefully cut off, stumbling back by a forceful harsh punch hitting directly into his chest. The only thing that didn’t fall back on the snow below was Pale’s tight hold on his arm; by the time Template got back on his feet Pale already let go and took a swing at Papyrus. He missed, but it didn’t stop Pale from continuing to make attacks towards him, magic-related or otherwise, and it didn’t stop Stretch from combat in the same way.  

     A fight broke out on the main street of Snowdin, people’s once welcoming and confused glances changed horrifically into piercing stares of fear and judgment. Template’s hand was on his own chest, pixels and static buzzing as he rubbed his own aching ribs. Cringing, he opened a small portal and grabbing his pen, quickly joining Pale’s side notwithstanding the several glares aimed at him.

     A stream of ink trailed from Pale’s expressionless lips as globs of ink was thrown over at the laid-back skeleton, with every attack missing its target with every step almost like a waltz in sync with life and death. Bones rained down onto them soon after. Template grabbed Pale’s arm and pulled him close before summoning a grid-shield, hearing the tinks of the bones getting ricocheted from within the decently small dome. Once the shower of bones ceased, Template unsummoned the shield and getting a normal grid in front of him. With a few quick scribbles of his pen, he made a Gaster-Blaster, aiming it at Stretch and firing it at him.

     As expected, Paps deflected it, his own Gaster-Blaster appearing in front of him and taking cover from the blast before firing similarly. Both Template and Pale quickly split to avoid its blast, with the guardian rushing upward and having a firm grip on his pen. Before Stretch’s attack ended, Template dipped the tip of his stylus in a puddle of previously thrown ink that had been on the ground prior to going over to him and drawing a circle in the ground, the rainbow and black mixing into the color of oil chrome on the snow. And as Template just finished the circle on the snow as bone went through one of his legs, chipping it and causing many fractures. He fell to his knees, digging his teeth into a tongue to withhold the irresistible urge to scream.

     But before Template was harmed any more, the ink from the circle flowed upward, quickly clasping around Stretch’s body and immobilizing him. Pale sauntered over to the injured Template, going down and picking him up by tossing him over his shoulder. And before any more problems can spring up from just a simple stroll, they both immediately left.