Snowdin's crisp air bit at Frisk's cheeks as she followed the snowy path toward a familiar house with a massive bone-shaped mailbox. One side read "Sans." The other? Overflowing with unopened letters. Frisk hesitated at the door, hand raised.
Before she could knock, the door burst open with dramatic flair.
"YOU'RE HERE!" Papyrus declared, standing tall in his battle body, scarf fluttering despite the still air. "HUMAN! I HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY FOR OUR MOST IMPORTANT EVENT!"
Frisk blinked, taken aback by the volume. "You mean… the date?"
"YES! THE DATE OF DATES! FOLLOW ME INTO MY EPIC DOMICILE!"
He ushered her inside with a flourish. Frisk stepped into the cozy chaos of Papyrus's home. The living room was cartoonish, like a child's drawing come to life—mismatched furniture, a bone-patterned rug, and a bookshelf containing mostly spaghetti-related material. A worn couch sat under a painting of a smiling dog. The scent of spaghetti lingered in the air like a declaration of pride.
"ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU THE GRAND TOUR!"
Papyrus pointed dramatically at each section.
"THIS IS MY KITCHEN! HERE IS THE STOVE—I SOMETIMES USE IT TO BURN SPAGHETTI!"
Frisk smiled politely.
"THAT IS THE SINK! MY BROTHER'S SANS SOMETIMES HIDES THINGS IN THERE. SUSPICIOUS, I KNOW."
A squeaky chew toy barked from inside.
Papyrus strutted past the table and gestured at a box of bones in the corner. "AND THIS! THIS IS MY BONE COLLECTION—PLEASE, NO TOUCHING."
Frisk tilted her head. "Is this… part of the date?"
"BUT OF COURSE! A TOUR IS ESSENTIAL TO ANY GREAT DATE EXPERIENCE."
Papyrus led her to the red couch, motioning for her to sit. He sat across from her stiffly, like a soldier reporting to command.
"NOW! IT IS TIME FOR THE DATE… ACTIVITIES!"
There was a pause.
"I—I MUST CONFESS, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A DATE. I READ SOME DATING GUIDES. AND WATCHED A VIDEO. IT WAS… SLIGHTLY INACCURATE."
Frisk giggled. "We don't need to follow any rules. We can just talk."
Papyrus's sockets widened. "TALKING? HMMM. YES. THAT IS VERY FRIENDLY."
He cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting in place. "HUMAN… I WANTED TO CAPTURE YOU AT FIRST. TO PROVE MY WORTH TO THE ROYAL GUARD. BUT… AFTER ALL THIS… I DON'T THINK I CAN."
Frisk tilted her head. "Why?"
"BECAUSE YOU… YOU'RE KIND. YOU WALKED THROUGH MY PUZZLES. YOU DIDN'T EVEN LAUGH AT MY JUNIOR JOKE TRAP! WELL, NOT OUT LOUD, AT LEAST…"
Frisk grinned faintly. "You're a good skeleton, Papyrus."
A beat passed. Papyrus fidgeted, his usually bold tone quieting.
"CAN… CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS?"
Frisk nodded immediately. "Of course."
Papyrus beamed, practically vibrating. "NYEH HEH HEH! THEN THIS DATE WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS! I HAVE MADE A NEW FRIEND! I WILL INFORM THE ROYAL GUARD IMMEDIATELY. WAIT… NO. THIS IS OFF THE RECORD."
From the stairs, Sans peeked down lazily, flashing a wide grin.
"heya. looks like things went well."
Papyrus jumped. "SANS! WERE YOU EAVESDROPPING?"
Sans shrugged. "nah. just happened to be standing here for the past hour."
Papyrus groaned. "GO BACK TO SLEEP, SANS."
As Frisk stood up to leave, Papyrus walked her to the door.
"THANK YOU, HUMAN. THIS WAS… FUN. EVEN IF I DIDN'T CAPTURE YOU."
Frisk turned back and smiled. "I'm glad we met, Papyrus."