Hey, all! Finally sort-of-back from my school-induced hiatus, and with a brand new obsession to flaunt about! Let me tell ya, I freaking LOVE this game. It's just... *flails* I could nerd about it for hours!

This fic is the result of angst-y headcanons and an RP between a friend and I. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get to finish it, so the last paragraph or two were tacked on for the sake of closure. Sorry if it seems skippy or swaps perspective at all - all but the last bit I mentioned were pretty much a copy/paste of our replies to one another.

Anyways, I hope you like it! God, this game and this fandom really gets my creative juices flowing!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, nor Undertale (that immense honor goes to Toby Fox), nor is any of this story strictly canon. This one-shot does contain TRIGGER WARNINGS, for implied/referenced self-harm and an implied/referenced suicide attempt. You have been warned.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy the one-shot!

~ Support

Excited steps set off at a brisk pace through the main foyer of MTT Resort. Frisk found themselves unable to resist gazing around at the grandeur of Mettaton's hotel-slash-housing complex, and even found their eyes drawn over towards the (ruined) fountain to stare at it for a moment. They contemplated taking a moment to splash around in the spray landing on the fancy tile around it, but decided not to.

They didn't want to get their favorite sweater all wet!

Bypassing the temptation, Frisk approached the counter of the resort's... convenience store, if you will. Peering over the edge, standing on their tip-toes, they looked in the space behind shelves of merchandise for a familiar, cigarette-smoking feline.

Burgerpants sat behind the counter playing on his 3DS. It was how he spent most of his time, which he had too much of. He was playing an online game with some people - he barely knew them. He saw in his peripheral vision a child peeking over the counter. He looked away from his game and realized it was Frisk.

"Hey, Frisk, how are ya'? He asked happily. "I haven't seen you in a while." He smiled and gestured for them to sit on a stool.

Frisk's face lit up in a grin as they quickly slipped behind the counter to join Burgerpants. They found themselves watching the screen of the handheld.

Curiously, they looked up at him and pointed to the 3DS, head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side - not unlike a puppy - as if they were asking what he was doing.

"I'm playing an online game called Triforce Heroes," he replied. "It's like where you have to use teamwork to beat the levels and you only can communicate through a set of little stickers that tell the others what to do. Pretty cool, huh?" He rapidly pressed the buttons, demonstrating everything as he gave the speech.

They gave a vehement nod in response, and watched his actions with extreme interest. Toriel didn't like them playing these sorts of games very much, since there was always the better choice of playing outside or doing something more constructive (like cooking, for instance).

They weren't really complaining though - they couldn't hold still long enough to focus on these sorts of things. There was a small pause, with Frisk watching Burgerpants play, before they quietly spoke up.

"How... how is work today?" they asked, almost sounding shy. They didn't really like talking all that much, but BP was a friend. So it wasn't as bad.

"Boring. That's a code word for 'good', though. Mettaton hasn't been mad at me all day!" He smiled and laughed a bit. "Now isn't that a surprise?" He had heard how they sounded shy and felt bad for making them feel that way.

Frisk giggled at that - he had a point. Mettaton could be nice in an unprofessional setting, but when he was at work, everything was strictly business, and that airy persona of his was gone in a heartbeat.

Almost absently, Frisk found themselves leaning up against Burgerpants' arm, both to get a better look at the screen, and to just be closer to their friend. They'd always had... a sort of... odd feeling, about the catty monster. He always seemed so stressed out, even borderline hopeless, at times. And he was only.. what? Nineteen?

That was one of the main reasons why they'd stayed behind to talk to Burgerpants, back when they first met. Something about him made Frisk want to help. With what, they weren't sure. But they knew there was something to help.

"How... how are you?" they asked after another moment, putting a little extra emphasis on 'you'.

"Me?" He asked curiously. "I'm fine. Just... wastin' my life with video games and work! But, that's my idea of a good life..." He chuckled.

He knew something was up - they were acting suspicious of him. He pulled his sleeves down cautiously and smiled.

"So, how about you, Little Buddy? You alright? Have you gone on any adventures lately?" He asked quietly.

Frisk's eyes caught the adjustment, but although they were curious, they didn't make any indication that they had seen.

Instead, they gave him a small smile, and nodded. "Trained with Undyne and Papyrus," they murmured, before giggling under their breath. They had always loved Waterfall - from the ambient beauty of glowing water and flora, to the crystal room that looked like it was covered in stars, to the statue that held a music box, that played with the help of a well-placed umbrella. The training was a little intense, but it was interesting and fun. If a little hectic.

"Slipped into the river and almost fell down the waterfall," they added, looking amused.

"Oh my god! Good thing you're alright..." Burgerpants' face shifted from joy to concern. "They should've watched you closer..! You could've gotten seriously hurt, or even... died!" He said the final word carefully as to not scare them or anything. "So, what was the training for? What did you do? What did you see?"

Burgerpants kept the focus on Frisk. He never had been one for bragging or even talking about himself. He was more fond of learning about others.

Frisk just shrugged in response - in all reality, they should've been terrified by the idea of dying. But to be honest, it didn't bother them so much anymore. They'd experienced enough death to cover dozens of timelines (not that Burgerpants knew about those, but that was beside the point), and the feeling of their soul shattering was not a foreign concept.

Thank God for their ability to SAVE. Even if it made them a little reckless.

They flexed their arms playfully at his questions. "To be stronger! It's fun!" A small pause. "Well... except for running into the river."

Frisk conveniently left out the parts about Green magic and flying spears - which had been the entire reason why they'd been running in the first place. When they'd first told Undyne to 'not hold back' on them and Papyrus, they hadn't expected that to be a part of the equation (although, by this point, they really should have seen it coming).

"Pap pulled me out before I could fall, anyways. No big deal." They finished the statement with a shrug.

"Okay, good. Well, it sounded like fun! Except for the river part. That probably wasn't a big fun party. Anyways..." He tried to think up a new topic, and realized his character was sitting still on the 3DS. He left the game and closed it. He didn't want to talk about Frisk anymore; not because he didn't want to hear about them and everything, but because it may seem odd talking about only one person. "I've never met Undyne and Papyrus, but from what you tell me Undyne reminds me of an old friend from high school." He smiled. "Weird."

Again, Frisk shrugged. It was just a little water. And a raging current. And the potential of falling onto rocks at the bottom of the falls. Either way, they'd been through worse.

Wow... they really shouldn't be so laid-back about the concept of death.

They smiled back at Burgerpants, and asked, "What were they like? How did they act?" Who knew? Maybe there was some crazy chance their two friends had known each other! Plus, Frisk was excited about the concept of hearing a little more about him before they'd met!

Although it was only two questions, Burgerpants didn't enjoy going into detail about his own life or even talk at all, but he brought himself to. "They were very... prideful, as you said Undyne was. They were strong, and protected all of us. They... protected a lot of people..." His voice trailed off and he stared at the floor, then jolted up suddenly and played it cool. "They were pretty awesome."

...

That... did sound a lot like Undyne.

When he trailed off, Frisk looked a little confused at the reaction, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of their stomach. Did they just dig up some bad memories by accident? They hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable!

Not really able to think of what else to do, they (gently) grabbed the nearest part of Burgerpants that they could reach (namely, his arm), and hugged it in a silent way of apology for possibly making him uncomfortable.

Burgerpants tensed up and pulled his arm away, his eyes widening in shock. "Oh, uh... sorry, you surprised me..." He looked at them in a worried fashion, then an apologetic one. He let Frisk have his arm back, which was shaking from fear, after pulling the sleeve up. "He-here..."

Frisk looked pretty taken aback by the reaction - and wait, there he went again, pulling at the sleeve! Was the shirt just too small, and it bothered him with the fabric rode up? An odd feeling filled them when he brought the limb back into their reach.

Instead of hugging it again, they slowly - carefully, even - placed their hands on Burgerpants' forearm, one hand by the bend of his elbow, the other setting next to his wrist. It was a little unsettling, seeing him act this way. Was there something... wrong? Something he wasn't telling them about?

A deep concern filled Frisk's eyes when a certain possibility came to mind, and it showed.

"What..?" Burgerpants asked, bracing for the worst. He so badly wanted to pull his arm away again. "What's wrong, Frisk..?"

He was terrified. He didn't want them to find out. He could never be the same around them again. He hoped he wasn't showing it.

The concern in their eyes was like a guilt trip itself and he wished he wasn't here.

God, if he was scared, then so was Frisk. He was acting weird. They could see the nuances of anxiety starting to show in every last hair on his pelt. But there was no way... Was there?

They didn't want to push their friend, but what if this was serious? What if he was in danger? They wouldn't be able to live with themselves if anything... h-happened, to him. When they could have done something to help.

Frisk looked down at their lap, almost shyly. The took away the hand near his elbow, but the other began to fiddle with the end of his sleeve. Almost delicately. They didn't try to pull it up - mostly out of respect for Burgerpants, but a little bit out of fear for what they might see, if they did.

Burgerpants flinched, but didn't pull away, He started thinking up an excuse. Fell down and got scratched? Accidentally cut himself in the kitchen?

...Wanted to die?

Burgerpants quickly decided it would be most believable if he made the kitchen excuse.

Frisk still didn't make any move to look, surprising even themselves. Instead, they carefully took Burgerpants' hand in their own, and - still moving slowly, making sure he could pull away if he wanted - held it against their chest. They looked up, giving him a tiny, watery smile. "Did you know that..." Frisk swallowed, feeling a little antsy themselves, "th-that on the Surface, th-there are s-stories about Mt. Ebott?"

A tiny, shuddering sigh left their lips. "Stories about... h-how people that climb the mountain... don't... come back...?" They felt their eyes start to sting a little with moisture.

"Yeah..? What is it..?" Burgerpants probed, feeling concerned for the small child he felt so close to.

Burgerpants wondered secretly if they could be hinting they came from there.

No, it couldn't be... could it..?

Frisk laughed a little, but it was devoid of humor. Glancing away, they wiped an eye with their sweater sleeve. "So... why do you think a human child w... would climb up the mountain anyways? D-Despite all the stories about... people disappearing?"

Their grip on Burgerpants' hand grew a little more firm. "You... if you're... feeling like you're a-alone... you aren't." They ducked their head, letting hair hide their watering eyes away. "A-and if you aren't feeling like that... I guess I just... m-messed up, h-huh?"

Maybe that was the reason they were so... nonchalant about death.

Burgerpants was silent. A part of him was still scared - he wanted to pull his arm away and focus on lighter topics, but he knew that Frisk and himself both needed to talk. They could help each other.

Did he want help? He surely needed it. But he didn't want it. He wanted to be left alone.

Did Frisk need help? Burgerpants wasn't sure, but he knew he should at least try.

Without saying a word, he wrapped his free arm around Frisk in a comforting hug.

Frisk tensed up at first - if only for a second - before returning the gesture. They hid their face in his shirt, shivering, trying their best to not cry. They were scared - for Burgerpants, and his wellbeing, for finally admitting the truth to someone, for fear of what he thought of them now.

"Do... are you... h-have you ever..?" Frisk couldn't really find it in them to complete the sentence. "I-I know... you don't like t-talking about things... that are about you, but..." They hugged him tighter, as if scared that he'd disappear. "I-I just... want to make sure you're g-going to be okay. You're my friend. I don't want to..."

They just shook their head, as if the thought was too horrible to finish.

"D-Don't want to what..?" He asked. He was overwhelmed by the amount of emotion Frisk showed - he hadn't seen anything like it. He hugged and attempted to comfort them but he didn't do as well as he wished he could.

Frisk heaved a little half-sob. "I don't want you to turn to dust too!"

God, they'd already seen it happen so many times. Even if Burgerpants didn't remember, Frisk did. Sans did too, they knew, but he didn't like to talk about it. They didn't blame him.

They'd had a friend in Snowdin, as well - one of the many rabbit-like monsters there, if they remembered right. But they had been doing the same things Burgerpants was. Hiding away, not talking to anyone, brushing everyone off. Fiddling with their sleeves all the time.

And then one day, well, they must have Fallen Down. Because then - poof - just a pile of dust next to a kitchen knife. Their poor soul hadn't been able to stand it. They hadn't had enough HP to keep it together.

"Please don't... do that... okay? Please..."

Burgerpants was silent. He looked at them for a couple seconds then put his head down on the counter.

It was different.

There's a difference between killing yourself and liking the feel of pain.

Burgerpants wasn't killing himself, right? Surely it wasn't so. He stayed silent and thought about this. He didn't know if he should keep making excuses or just come clean.

Frisk pulled away when his head met the counter-top, wiping their face and eyes with their sleeves, never feeling more thankful for the resort's high vacancy rates more than they were now. They hiccuped.

"I'm sorry, BP..." they mumbled, sniffling, "I'm... I'm scared. I just want you to b-be okay... even a little bit is fine. But I-I don't know how I can h-help..."

"I don't need help, Frisk." Burgerpants mumbled. "I just need to get my life together." He put his arms in his lap and slipped his right hand into the sleeve of his left arm. He felt how rough his skin was and he sighed. He didn't really care if Frisk saw. They knew already.

They swallowed the knot forming in their throat, and leaned their head forward to rest against their friend's arm. They moved their hand, hesitantly, almost, to rest on the back of Burgerpants' left one. "S-Sorry..." they murmured again, under their breath.

Burgerpants sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be this aggressive to someone trying to help me." He mumbled. "It.. It's an addiction, and w-when someone tells me to st-stop... I just..." he paused. "Can't."

They gave a little nod, trying to wrap their head around the idea. "Sorry for making you so... uncomfortable..." They started playing with his sleeve again. "You... y-you don't have to stop, if you really don't want to, but... could you maybe try... something else, first? Before you do that? I-If you still do.

"You could... draw on yourself, or write something down, or... break something. Or you could..." Another, almost hesitant pause, "You could... t-talk to me, if you ever wanted to... just to get your mind off things..."

They didn't understand how Burgerpants felt, or why he found merit out of causing himself pain. And they accepted that. They knew their suggestions may seem insensitive and far-fetched but... it was better than just sitting there in silence... wasn't it?

"A-Alright..." He mumbled, lifting his head slightly to get a better view of the child. "S-sure..." He thought about how pathetic he must seem. He didn't just seem pathetic... He was pathetic. He knew it.

Burgerpants scolded himself internally. He wouldn't allow any more negativity.

A small smile finally made its way back onto Frisk's face, and a little smidgen of relief lessened the knot in their chest. It wasn't much, by any sense of the word... but it was something. And every little thing mattered. Just like Burgerpants mattered.

They made a mental note to make sure he was aware of that, if he wasn't already. "Alright..." they echoed quietly. "Th... thank you."

"No.. thank you..." He lay the side of his head on the counter so he could see Frisk. "Really..." He smiled and showed that there were tears running down his cheeks.

Frisk smiled despite feeling their own tears build up again, and bunched the edge of one sleeve into their gentle hand. And with that, they reached over, and dabbed some of the moisture away from his face. "What are friends for... right?" they murmured with a wet laugh. It was kind of calming, seeing him smile again.

"Ye-Yeah... I guess so..." He whispered. He smiled even brighter when they laughed, because he liked to hear them laugh.

The young human just smiled back in response, and wrapped their little arms around him in a firm, caring embrace. Mentally, they thanked the fact that they were more or less hidden by the counter of the shop - it wouldn't be fun to explain to a patron or - God forbid - Mettaton why they and one of his employees were a hugging, teary-eyed mess. Frisk loved the television star to death, but sometimes he could be rather... insensitive. Especially when Burgerpants was involved.

They sighed quietly into the fabric of their sweater, and moved their head to rest a little closer to Burgerpants' shoulder. After a moment, the murmured, "...BP?" They didn't wait for a response before continuing. "I'm glad you're my friend."

The cat-like monster stiffened a little, before he returned the hug full-force, making Frisk laugh quietly under their breath.

"Yeah... me too, Little Buddy."