“another- who?” Sans asked in intrigue as he examined the book. He was pleased to say the least. And when he opened to the first page, he nearly barked with laughter. “oh yeah. definitely reading that later.” Papyrus groaned.

“NOT MORE HORRIBLE PUNS, BROTHER!” Pap whined.

Dianna chuckled. "I see this happens often?" She and Lottie were trying to contain their giggles.

“all the better to torture him with.” Sans replied with a wink. 

Papyrus groaned again. “WAY TOO MUCH.”

“don’t worry bud, this isn’t just any old joke book.” Sans decided to give Papyrus the benefit of the doubt. “it’s a quantum physics joke book.” 

Papyrus dropped him at this. “SCIENCE AND PUNS! WHY?!” He marched over to the couch and plopped down, done.

Lottie cackled at this but went over to Papyrus to give him a hug. “It’s ok Papyrus, I’m not a fan of puns either.”

Papyrus happily, if his tail was anything to go by, accepted and returned the hug with one of his own. “THANK YOU KINDLY HUMAN, I’M GLAD THAT NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE MY DAD AND SANS!”

“It’s no biggie, Pap. We are going to be partners after all.” Lottie brushed it off. 

Sans had landed on his feet and tucked the book away as he watched the two for a second. Then he turned to Dianna. “so what else is in your bag of tricks?”

Dianna giggled. "Well this is what was also recommended to me. Though… it's a bit unique and something from your realm." Sans tilted his head curiously till his sockets widened when she pulled out the crystal.

"The seller said that this was from a place called Waterfall? But I think it's absolutely gorgeous and thought of it as more of something for both of us since it's like an Alexa." Dianna said as she channeled her magic into it. It repeated back her thoughts.

"Do you like it? It's CRYSTAL clear that I do." She snickered as Lottie and Papyrus groaned.

He chuckled and touched it as well, his phalanges ghosting over her fingers as he moved to do so. He channeled his own magic into it and it echoed,

“I don’t like it… I LOVE it! Of quartz, I would, Waterfall is the most amazing place in my realm… maybe I could take you there someday?” He eagerly awaited her answer.

She beamed in confusion but delight. "That would be awesome! Only… I'm not a spirit. How do I…?"

He chuckled. “it’s like… reverse summoning. Instead of you summoning me here, i could summon you there. only when our partnership is strong enough though, could be dangerous otherwise.” He explained.

She was amazed at that information. She didn't know it worked that way. Neither did Lottie, because she was buzzing with excitement and the little thing was practically shaking Papyrus with excitement in her eyes.

“Oh my STARS! Can I go too Pap? Can I?!”

Papyrus petted her and laughed. “NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE I’LL TAKE YOU SOMEDAY! AFTER OUR PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENS. I WOULDN’T WANT TO LOSE YOU TO WHATEVER LIES BETWEEN OUR WORLDS, AFTER ALL!”

She squealed with delight and hugged him in a crushing hug. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!!!”

Papyrus laughed again, enjoying the crushing snuggles.

Dianna smiled at their interactions. "Okay, so… according to the seller, she said this is pretty popular amongst the spirits in your realm…" she said as she brought out a smaller box and then handed it to Sans.

However, the reaction that Dianna and Lottie were waiting for wasn't what they expected when Sans opened the box. His eye lights went out while Papyrus looked like he grew comedic human eyes, both of them with furrowed brows. Dianna wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. But Lottie took a picture with her phone about their reactions anyways. Trying to hold in her giggles.

“Pft- I’m so sending this to the others!” She typed away furiously on her phone while Sans tried to regain himself, so to speak. This was honestly the last thing he was expecting on his second day in the mortal realm, but it made him… happy. 

“heh… thanks dianna… this is really sweet of you.”

"Really…? Cuz you look a bit uncomfortable… the seller told me it was a Bonding Stone and that depending on who carved it, it can mean a variety of things to others. I thought, I could get this for someone you thought was special. Like Pap!" She beamed while the brothers seemed to choke on air at the same time.

“heh heh… right… i, uh, think i know who your seller is now..” Sans muttered the last bit.

“AH THE HUMAN LADY THAT COMES WITH THAT SKELETON ON OCCASION, RIGHT?” Pap asked, to which Sans nodded. 

“dream.”

“RIGHT. HE’S AN INTERESTING… SPIRIT? MORTAL? WHAT IS HE?” Sans shrugged.

"Oh… did she give me the wrong information? And how is she able to get there if even you don't know who the other skeleton is?" Dianna asked carefully.

“it’s true that we don’t know what dream is, his abilities are unique though. he can cross realms with ease, and raven is usually with. ‘parently they are mates. as for the info… heh… uh, her information was correct… to an extent.” He paused as he tried to find the right words for this. “for kids a bonding stone can be for starting friendships, brotherhood, you know the non… romantic bonds… but for adults…” He trailed off, blushing. “it’s like an… engagement gift..”

Lottie burst out laughing to the point where she fell over. While Dianna… Dianna blushed but paled at the same time. "WHAAAAA—!!!" She screeched. She was stumbling over her words till a thought occurred. "B-but! She said t-that it depends on the carvings on the stone? What does it mean when it's blank…? Cuz I'm pretty sure it's blank and has no other beads and such for decoration…" 

He coughed. “traditionally if the submissive male or female gives a blank, it means they desire engagement to which the dominant male or female will carve it for them to their liking..” He replied, rubbing the back of his skull.

Her eyes practically had swirls of distress and embarrassment. And her face turned into a tomato. 'WHAT?! She didn't tell me that?! And SUBMISSIVE?! ME?! I AS HELL AM NOT SUBMISSIVE!!! IF ANYTHING! I'M– NO! I AM NOT GOING THERE! THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A NEW FETISH OF MINE! NOPE!!!!'

Sans cringed as if reading her mind. “i didn’t mean it that way! i- you- ugh! i didn’t mean to offend you, dianna. and it’s not like you knew. so i’ll keep it as a sign of our friendship, k?”

She visibly relaxed but her blush was still very much present. As well as Lottie's laughter. At this point, she was in tears.

"W-well, just l-let me know how it comes o-out." Dianna all but whispered.

He nodded feeling oddly put out- not that he’d show it. “i will.”

After a half hour of giggling and awkward silence of talking and getting to know each other. The Skelebros had to leave to take care of things on their side. Meanwhile the girls cleaned everything up in the living room. But Lottie decided to tease Dianna a little.

“Sans and Dianna sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~”

Dianna narrowed her eyes at the short blonde. "Really? You want to go there? Okay then, we BOTH can play this game." She marched up to a finching and slightly intimidated Lottie. She bent down to her ears and whispered, "So I see Papyrus is pretty tall and dominating looking… though I have the feeling when it comes to knowledge of other techniques, I'm pretty sure you'll come up on TOP."

She squeaked and hid her face. “I-I don’t know w-what you’re t-talking a-about-”

Dianna rolled her eyes. "Oh sure. Let's go with that. Like I didn't see that hungry look of a predator wanting to jump his bones while we were talking."

“W-WHAT- I WAS NOT! BESIDES, I wasn’t the one who got engaged with her Spirit Guide on her second day of partnering with him.” She tried to flip it back over to Dianna. Emphasis on tried.

"Oh, no no, no… don't even start. You know very well it was just a mistake… or a setup, and I'm pretty sure you wanted one when we were back at the shop!" Dianna countered.

“NU-UH!” She denied it immediately.

Dianna stared her down with a look that can rival the toughest of court judges. She began to sweat nervously. And slowly but surely she broke down.

“OK OK FINE, but it’s not like I knew it was like… that…” 

"... Exactly. And it's the same with me…" Dianna muttered with a blush. Both girls that were crushing hard that were in serious denial.

Meanwhile in the Spirit Realm

The brothers walked quietly through the streets of the Spirit Animal Kingdom. Not one of them saying a word till they heard the familiar call of the market street bunny that traded, bought, and sold things for items and money. 

"Hey there boys. What's gotten you two so quiet. Usually it's Sans making the puns while Paps is ranting. What's got ya by the throat?" She called over with a gesture to come hither.

“eh, nothing much. pap got his partner today.” Sans replied as he nudged the taller skeleton.

“OH YES I DID! SHE IS VERY NICE AND DISLIKES PUNS AS MUCH AS I DO!!” Papyrus boasted as his tail wagged. “I CAN TELL WE WILL BE THE BEST OF FRIENDS!!!”

Sans gave him a side glance but said nothing.

The bunny lady smiled cheekily. "Is she cute~? And Sans, I heard from Grillby that you also got one too. She cute too~?" She playfully teased.

“OH YES, SHE IS VERY PRETTY AND SHE LIKES PETS LIKE I DO! OH- AND SANS GOT ENGAGED, WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT?!” 

“pap–!” Sans was quick to pull up his hood to hide behind. “she didn’t know..”

“BUT SURELY EVEN A LAZY BONES LIKE YOU CAN FOLLOW THROUGH? THIS IS IMPORTANT SANS, EVEN DAD WILL AGREE WITH ME ON THIS!” Papyrus argued. 

The bunny lady was very surprised. "Engaged?! Now how on Earth did this happen? And she didn't know?"

“she wanted to get me some gifts to welcome me to the mortal realm, housewarming gifts and she got a blank bonding stone. was told it was used for all sorts of different bonds, depending on the carvings.” Sans explained.

"Uh…huh… And how did she find one?"

“SHE GOT IT FROM RAVEN AND DREAM!” Papyrus informed.

The bunny lady blinked a few times then facepalmed. "Aww heaven and hell…!"

“yeah. see what i’m going through?” Sans sighed.

"Well… it's… not just that… I might've… sold the bonding stone to them for them. They said it was for "personal advertising" for their business. I thought they were going to get married in this realm and then show it off to their friends and family… Didn't expect them to sell it in the mortal realm…" she muttered the last part to herself.

“... bonnie… why…” Sans groaned.

“UNEXPECTED… BUT ALL THE MORE REASON FOR YOU TO CARVE IT!!! I KNOW YOU LIKE THE HUMAN SANS, WHY NOT “GO WITH IT” AS YOU SAY?” Papyrus had this oddly smug look on his face while Sans tried to make himself disappear via hoodie. 

The bunny lady, or "Bonnie" in this case, smirked. "Well if you do go through with it, then this'll be the first marriage between our realm and the mortal realm since the ancient times. And we're not talkin' Asgore and Toriel's prime days, we're talkin' BEFORE they were even BORN. I'm talkin' Asgore's grandfather's prime days. Why do you think Asgore's father and himself had blonde hair even though he's a goat?" She pointed out.

Sans peaked out of his jacket. “... really..?”

Papyrus was making a rather dramatized gawking face, Mettaton would be proud, though it was completely natural for the skeleton dog spirit. “WOWIE I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT!!”

She raised a curious brow. "You sure you boys studied at the university enough? I'm pretty sure that in the history classes they teach this when you obtain your second form. Your father should even know about this. If neither of you boneheads know, just ask Asgore. I'm sure he'll tell a few stories from his young days, spending it with his grandparents." She said with a credulous tone. To which the brothers squirmed in place.

“i-i don’t… maybe they took it out of the curriculum, no that’s pretty big to just be taken out, um…” Sans was trying to figure it out while Papyrus gave a nervous shrug. 

“M-MAYBE THEY WERE REPLACING THE BOOKS FOR MORE UPDATED VERSIONS AT THE TIME?” Papyrus offered.

The woman gave them a deadpanned look and then sighed. "Look in your father's library. I'm sure that bonehead forgot to put back some important books that he borrowed for some forgotten project of his." She sighed tiredly. She looked like she was getting a migraine. "Now both of you, scoot! Go back home! I heard your father is looking for you two." She shooed them playfully.

“m’k, thanks for the info bonnie.” Sans waved as he pivoted on a foot.

“GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SELLING! HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY!!” Papyrus joined his brother in order to nag at him some more.