Sans always felt a little bad for their parents. Not only did they have to deal with being the Royal Scientist and Captain of the Royal Guard, the two highest positions in the underground, they had to deal with two crazy children they always caused chaos. Sans did manage to bring Papyrus down in his antics, but when Sans caused chaos himself, it was much worse.

He was suspended for an entire month, and the school had to release early because they didn't want the students to see the cleaning of blood. Sans' own knuckles were bloody, but that was from beating her until he bled. That was the least of his concern, though.

Gosh, he felt terrible. Not for him, but for the others included. Poor Catty had to watch him beat up her best friend until she needed to be hospitalized. Bratty was beaten up, to the point where her face was nothing but blood and a broken nose. He was a skeleton with sharp bone joints, his knuckles had torn open her face when he had attached her. It took two teachers to pry him from her, while Sans had been flailing and trying to return to beating her in his fit of rage. And his parents had to deal with the school dragging them out of their important jobs.

Sans felt terrible. Anger wasn't a new emotion to him, but it came rarely, and he always had a sense of control over it. Sans never was one to lash out with emotions, he was always the calm and collected one. Yet there he was, his Mom angrily scrubbing the blood from his hands.

"Four weeks, Sans, four weeks!" She said, "I know you aren't missing anything, but the whole reason we have you go is to be social! Not to beat up other teenagers! What's even the point of going to high school is you're going to act like this?"

"I'm sorry," Sans mumbled.

"You're as smart as your Father, and as witty as me, no need to start beating up kids!" She mumbled, angrily digging the rag into his hand, causing Sans to wince.

"Sorry sweetie, I'm just... are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Sans said, "I'm really sorry."

Jandel threw the blood covered rag into the bathroom sink, running a hand down her face with a sigh. Other than them, the house remained silent. Sans hadn't seen Papyrus since he got home. Their Mom probably sent him out after school was released early so he wouldn't hear Sans get a punishment.

"You and I both know you never hated that girl, what happened?" Janel asked.

"I don't know," Sans said, looking away from her. "I feel real bad Mom, I really do. Is she okay?"

"She has a broken nose, and you chipped a few of her teeth. She'll be fine, but you really did tear her up. Which I would be proud of if she had been the one to start the fight, but she didn't. You did. Sans, I have nothing against defending yourself from a bully, but she hadn't attacked you. You attacked a defenseless girl."

"I know, I know! I didn't mean to! I mean- I was just walking with them and then they started talking about Papyrus, and I just-"

Jandle held out her hand, silencing him. "Is that why you attacked her? Was she bullying Papyrus."

"Yeah," Sans admitted, "She was saying mean stuff about him. Really rude stuff, and I dunno, I just lost it. I get I haven't been hanging out with Paps much, but that doesn't mean she can go and just mock him and expect me to join in! I tried to argue, but then Bratty just kept insulting him and I just... saw red, I guess."

Sans huffed and threw himself onto the couch, burying his skull into his hands from shame. Crap, he really screwed up. He didn't need his Mom to remind him about that.

That was the cool thing about his mom, she knew that. She understood Sans regretted it, and that yelling more wouldn't do anything. Instead, she sat down next to him, and rubbed his back.

"I'm not going to ground you, I think the suspension is punishment enough. But you won't be seeing either Catty or Bratty anymore, they're a bad influence. Alphys is fine, but if she hangs out with them and invites you, you can't go," Jandle said, "But I'm proud you stood up for your brother. That's important, and it makes more sense to why you'd suddenly lash out. That doesn't make you right, but it explains why my lazy son would suddenly attack someone. You've always needed an outside source to give you reasons, and Papyrus has always been that source for you."

She was right, really. His Mom was always right. Sans never really could get himself motivated without an outside source, without someone else involved to give him a reason to care. Papyrus was usually why he ever did things, for his cool brother. There was no reason to do homework, Sans was created in a lab, he knew all of that stuff. He didn't like making friends with many people, as they were mostly comprised of people who didn't like Papyrus. They tried to reach out to Sans, and Sans had always turned them down. Either they hung out with both him and his bro, or neither.

Until Sans had decided to hang out with the two, knowing neither wanted to hang out with Papyrus. All because he was stupid and couldn't control his own emotions.

"Um... thanks Mom, for this..." Sans said, "I really don't know what's going on with me anymore."

She looked him down for a few moments, leaning over to kiss the top of his skull. Sans leaned into her embrace, really needing a hug in the confusing part of his life.

"Everythings confusing, I know. Being a teenager is the worst part of your life, trust me, I've been there. Gaster and I had been so confused when we were your age. I remember he used to cry in the shower because he didn't understand his emotions, it was the worst. But he had me, and you have Papyrus. Don't go screwing that up by attacking people and hanging out with people who make fun of your brother. Find good friends, and instead of punching kids who make fun of Papyrus, you should be there when he needs you."

After the talk, Sans didn't want to face Papyrus when he got home. Jandle had told Sans she sent out her other son out for some food so he wouldn't hear Jandle picking out Sans for his actions, which he had suspected. The most he could do was send Papyrus a funny meme he found that day and hope he could pretend none of this happened tomorrow with his brother.

His own room was bleak and cold, and his bed felt too big and empty. Sans hunched himself against his blankets, looking at his brothers contact on his phone. Papyrus left him on read.

There wasn't much to do but watch videos online, with no homework or much else to do. He was such an idiot, attacking Bratty like that. Why didn't he just walk away? Or talk back? He was witty, he could have won any argument with her. And a fight too, apparently. His knuckles still ached a bit, and looking at them he could see some marks, symbols of how overprotection could get too far.

Sans really did need to get more friends. Good friends, like Alphys. If he didn't have many people to care about, he would end up focusing all of his attention on Papyrus, which would lead to this. To him having a disgusting crush, one that would send his family running to the hills to abandon him. Maybe he could try to hook up with that Grillby guy, the one that was visiting the capital for a little while. That could work.

"Um, Sans."

Oh, no. There was Papyrus, standing in his doorway, A bag of fast food was in his hand, evidence of what he did with his free time in town.

"Oh, heya Paps," Sans said, pausing the video. "You got fast food? I thought you hated grease."

"I do," Papyrus said, holding out the bag. "But it's for you. I figured I'd get you some lunch, since you missed it."

"Ah... thanks," Sans replied, "You... you didn't have to."

Without any reply, Papyrus approached, settling the bag onto Sans' table next to his bed. Sans grabbed the top of his laptop and closed it, unsure of what else to say.

"Are your hands okay?"

Darn it, Papyrus must have noticed his knuckles. Sans looked down at them, flexing his digits a bit.

"It's nothing bro," Sans said.

Papyrus ignored him and gently took his hand into his own, looking at the damage gently. He tilted his hand to the side, running his own fingers lightly across Sans' knuckles.

"Really, it's nothing Paps."

Sans tilted his skull to the side, looking at Papyrus. Papyrus looked back up at him, the two brothers staring in silence at one another for a second. Then two. Then three.

"Dad told me why you and Bratty got into a fight," Papyrus mumbled softly.

It wasn't a fight, the other girl hadn't even attacked once. Sans' injuries were from how hard he hit her, the poor monster hadn't had a chance to attack back. He felt really bad. If he could rewind time and stop himself from doing that, he would.

"Dad said you were defending me, I..."

Papyrus looked intently at Sans for a moment then leaned in, words lost as he did something Sans had been wishing would happen.

They were kissing.

It was awkward, being skeletons and all, but the passion was there with the soft teeth clank. The care, the love, it was there. That's why Sans leaned into it, gently giving back into the awkward kiss. It didn't last long, but it was good enough for the two, who chose to simply end it with a breath and lean against one another with silence as they looked towards the door, both anxious of someone barging in and prying them apart.

But no one came.