Memoirs of a Murderer

12 - Jacket

I was nine years old. I knew more than I should have at this point; time was..meaningless. I didn't know how long the resets had occurred; I had stopped keeping track after sixty years, and that had been at least thirty years ago. No one else could remember, except the one who was doing it; I didn't want to think about him. I hadn't seen him since our first meeting. I knew everyone in town; I knew what they were thinking, and I knew how they thought. I knew everything about my brother, and I could read any face..any expression. I couldn't die..it was scary! I wanted everything to go back to normal..back when resets didn't exist..back when I could live my life normally! I never knew what day it was anymore..I couldn't remember Papyrus's birthday because all the days were one giant nightmare! I couldn't keep track of the things I had to do on certain days because I had different duties every day, and when a reset occurred, I had no clue what I had last been doing! That had been a problem for about twenty years, before I had begun to write myself notes. Whenever a reset took place, I reached into my pocket, and I found a date and a list of duties.

"Brother?" Papyrus was blissfully unaware..I preferred it that way. "Sans!"

"Yeah, Paps?" I had taken to Papyrus's nickname.

"You seem sad." 

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I was simply lamenting the fact that this was a new day..it was going to be taken away soon.

"Then why aren't you smiling?"

"..A person doesn't have to smile to be happy, Paps."

"How can I make you feel better?"

"..." If I said nothing, Papyrus would have been sad. "Make me something to remind me of you. I'll be happy with that."

"Okay!" Papyrus ran off, smiling happily.

Papyrus was good at making things; over the years, I had shown him how to do anything he had asked for help with, and if I had been unaware, I knew it the next time he asked. All I wanted was for him to be happy; if he wanted anything..I would get it for him. Part of our money was for food, and part was for saving; the rest of it was to make him happy. If I couldn't make myself happy, I would make him happy. I wondered what he would make. It took several days for him to finish..but it had been months for me. When the day finally came, Papyrus had blindfolded me, and he had made me sit down in our tent.

"Are you peeking?" He asked.

"Nope." I shook my skull.

"Good! Now don't look yet!" He rummaged a bit in his box of personal belongings. "Okay, look!"

I took the blindfold off, and I looked at what he had made; it was..a jacket. I had known that he could sew, but..I hadn't thought he could have done it so well..it was amazing! 

"Why are you crying?" Papyrus frowned in confusion. "Do you..not like it?" 

"I-I.." I hugged my little brother tightly. "I love it..thank you so much.."

"Wowie!" Papyrus hugged me back. "I didn't think you'd like it that much!"

"I love you, Papyrus."

"I love you, too, Sans!"

I resolved to make something in return. It was hard, but over the course of a few weeks, I had managed to create a scarf for Papyrus. I would have made something more extravagant, but..I didn't know how long it would be before I could present it to Papyrus. Years in real time would have been decades to me, and I didn't want to wait decades before presenting the gift to my brother! I was lucky it only took weeks. I received the jacket dozens of times from my little brother, but it never failed to make me cry out of joy; it made me realize that I had someone looking out for me. It made me feel safe. I never wanted to take it off. 

"So, Papyrus.." I began a simple conversation.

"Yes?" Papyrus looked up to me.

"You know how you gave me this amazing jacket?"

"Yep!"

"I..made you something, too."

"You did?!" Papyrus grinned.

"Here." I held out a box.

"What is it?" Papyrus looked at the box curiously.

"Open it."

"Okay!"

Papyrus opened the box, and he pulled out the scarf; it was a simple, plain thing..but he seemed to like it. I thought. Hopefully.

"Do you like it?" I hoped he did..if he didn't, I would do better next time! 

"I.." Papyrus held the fabric out. "What..is it?"

"It's a scarf...you put it around your neck in the cold..and it keeps you warm."

All was silent for a few minutes. Papyrus fiddled with the fabric, stretching it out to see how long it was and picking up snow with it..I began to realize that he didn't like it. 

"I.." I broke the silence; I shouldn't have been too hasty to give it to him..I should have made something better..my brother deserved only the best, and that stupid piece of fabric was not the best.. "I-I'm sorry..I-I can try a-again..I w-won't mess u-up.."

"Nope!" He lifted a finger to my eyesocket, wiping away a tear. "I love it!"

"Y-you do..?" I..he did?!

"Yes!" He hugged me. "I'm going to love it forever, just like I love you!"

"...How did I end up with the best brother in the world?" I wondered. 

"I think the question is how I ended up with him." Papyrus whispered softly.

I loved my little brother.

~~~

I smiled as the screen faded to the timer, and I held my jacket tightly; I had never outgrown it.

"That was a nice one." Killer approved. 

"You were an old nine year old." Ink commented.

"I've lived longer than I would have preferred.." I sighed; skeletons were supposed to be able to grow older than many monsters, but not reset old. "Thank you again for the jacket, Paps.."

"Thank you for the scarf!" Papyrus grinned, hugging me. "I did not know you valued my gift so highly."

"It was the best gift I'd ever gotten."

"It's unfortunate that your resets plagued your life like that.." Error sighed. "I don't think I could imagine something like that.."

"It's fine." I assured. "It's over now..no more resets."

No more loads, saves, or genocides..no more pain within my universe.

I was safe.

~~~chapter end woot ~~~

Brothers are fluffy.

Dusty is the oldest nine year old though. Probably.

Also, ATE Extras 7 is nearing its end, and I made more fluff than usual ;3 requests are open.

Thanks for reading my fluffy writing!

Bye!