The silence that hung in the air made Frisk uncomfortable. Deep down, she knew she had no reason to fear Papyrus. In all her years and timelines, she had never managed to actually get on his bad side. She'd playfully tease him until he got annoyed, but it was always in good fun. She couldn't recall a single time that Paps had gotten angry with her, or gave her any reason to fear him - aside from the first time she met him. She dreaded fighting him, up until she realized he stopped every time he got close to crushing her soul. 

Papyrus was all that was good in the Underground. There was no need to worry about him. Still, she was relieved when there came the knock at the door. Knowing it must be Alphys, Frisk reluctantly released Sans' hand and scrambled to get up and out of the way. She gave the royal scientist a smile, though it wasn't as warm as she hoped it was. 

Her thoughts went back to Sans. She was quiet, watching with some interest as Alphys began to remove her friend's jacket and shirt. She couldn't keep herself from blushing, suddenly curious though trying not to blatantly stare. Despite all her time spent around monsters, Frisk still had a hard time remembering some of their etiquette. Souls were still so foreign to her, she found it hard to look away when one was within view. That, and it wasn't at all often that she saw Sans like that...if ever. She tensed.

Papyrus tapping her was another welcome relief. Frisk nodded and followed him without a word. She sat down and stared at the table while Paps got the hot chocolate ready. She tried to think of something else to say, something that would lighten the atmosphere a little. But everything she thought of would be ineffective at best, and hollow at worst. So, she stayed quiet. 

The hot chocolate tasted wonderful, as it always did, yet Frisk had a hard time focusing on it. She glanced up at Papyrus every other moment, wishing she had better communication skills. She took another sip of her hot chocolate. It made for a good distraction, yet she finished it much sooner than expected. She went to take another drink, only to find the mug empty. She stood and placed it in the sink.

While she was up, Frisk looked over her shoulder at Alphys and smiled at the good news. She allowed herself to let out a long breath and relax, glad to know that Sans hadn't pushed himself past the point of no return. She finished up at the sink and came into the living room just as the door shut behind Alphys. Her eyes were on Sans, yet quickly moved to Papyrus when he spoke her name. That alone got her attention, and she smiled as she heard what he had to say. She shouldn't have expected anything else from him, even if she still didn't think she really deserved it. 

She hugged him back tight, finding so much comfort in the embrace. She tensed a bit when he said he still believed in her - the memories of those very same words stung like hell, and it took her a moment to relax and come back to the current timeline. 

"Thank you, Papyrus. You're the greatest."

She stood like that for a moment. To her, Sans' hugs were always so firm and protective, while Papyrus' were gentle. It never ceased to amaze her how different they were - the only thing they had in common was being skeletons. She wondered that for a moment, cherished the hug for a second longer, then finally backed away. 

Despite Pap's insistence for her to sleep in his room, or perhaps take Sans' despite the mess, Frisk chose to curl up on the other side of the couch. She told Pap it was to keep an eye on Sans, both for his health and in case he had a nightmare - and she wasn't lying. But she also didn't want to disturb the tall skeleton's rest. It had been a trying day, and Pap had training with Undyne in the morning. With a smile, she gratefully accepted a blanket from his room.

"Good night, Paps," she whispered before settling down on the couch. Careful to not disturb Sans, she curled into the corner and drapped the blanket over herself and him. She knew he couldn't really feel the cold, and he had his jacket, but...well, that was just another weird human thing she did. Satisfied, she got as comfortable as she could before shutting her eyes.

Morning came quickly. Frisk slept soundly, her mind too exhausted to conjure up nightmares. She still seemed comfortable enough, despite how twisted her body was from the strange angle. Her arm was draped over the side of the couch, while her face was buried against the arm of it.