#cuptale

Retcons/Patch Notes:

Chapter 2 “Tu-Toriel”

Changed: “Duh I’m an A-student, and I help ya with her math homework” “Well, I ain’t an A-student, but I still help ya with yer math homework.” Mugman booped his brother’s jellybean nose. 

– Reason: It doesn’t feel right that Mugman would be ‘really’ smart. Cuphead and Mugman are two cups of the same idiot. If Mugman is too smart, it would probably cause a rift between their relationship (which I don’t want). And Mugman’s core quality in my opinion is empathy and kindness instead of intelligence.

Chapter 7

Changed: “AH! FOUL HEY! YOU DON’T KICK ME IN THE FACE YA MUGHEAD!” Reason: Just sounds better. And ‘Foul’ is too strong.

Chapter 9

Changed: They looked down and gasped to see that their necks were wrapped with scarves, blue and red with respective colors both which are green with yellow stripes.

Reason: Won’t tell.

Changed: “I thought I was the only one…” Flowey rolled its eyes playfully. “But you!” Its eyes turned pale white, and it smiled with sharp teeth again. “It’s because of you I can’t do it anymore!” It chuckled with its triple-pitched menacing voice. “On top of that…” It stared smug at the boys. “Looks like you’ve done a little twist to it!” (Read this part on Chapter 9 for more). – Reason: Flowey was supposed to notice this change in how ‘Saving’ was done.

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Chapter 10 (Sans and Papyrus)

Howling-blizzard wind blew through the boys as a narrow gap slowly opened between the doors, which scraped against the stone floor. The wind blew against their flapping straws, their yellow and green striped scarves, and their clothes. Teeth chattered and they shivered as the chill enveloped them… until a great warmth, starting from their necks, shielded their entire bodies. Gasping, they looked down their necks to see orange flames flickering from their scarves, but nothing was burning them… they were more like warm hugs… like Toriel’s. They looked at each other to see that they had the same scarves of burning fire, and then looked up to each other’s eyes that were starting to water.

Through the tiny gap in the middle (of the doors), a blue gray sky was above and a long stretch of icy silver and white carpeted the ground. With grunting effort, they pushed the heavy doors on ‘til it was wide enough to get out, and the long lines of pine trees on the flanks started to show.

Altogether, they ran to the snow, crunching with each step, but with each lift of their feet, their soles dripped with water that steamed away as the flame tongues touched and shielded them — leaving trails of footstep-shaped puddles behind. On and on they ran without looking back, her voice echoed in their heads…

“The puzzlezz are waiting for you my childrenzz.” She greeted with her smile as she leaned towards them, after helping them up from the creek.

“Well as long as you take care of each other, you’ll be fine.” She said, back in the hallway, when she reminded the boys of Elder Kettle.

“Please don’t hurt yourselves after I’ve just healed you my children.” She looked at them strictly. “This is exactly why I told you to stay in that room! So that you wouldn’t get hurt! Why didn’t you listen?!” She said after healing them with a green-colored aura of magic.

“Be good… and be good to each other… won’t you?” She then placed her hands on top of their heads and gave soft rubs to both while they watched her body turn to dust. “M y …. c h I l d r e-! If you truly wish to leave the ruins… I won’t try to stop you any longer…” Her right hand grasped the chest of her toga tightly. “And if you do…” She showed the right side of her face to them, where a tear streamed from that closed eye. “Please… don’t come back.”

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“We changed what was… right?” Cuphead thought as he smiled a little nervous.

“Did we really change what was… did we?” Mugman kept running, frowning anxiously in thought.

A large twig snapped beneath their feet — first Mugman’s, then Cuphead’s — and it split into three sharp branches. Amidst their on and on running footsteps on the snow, a big thump of snow thudded from behind, like feet landing on the snow from some height.

The boys’ straws turned into exclamation points.

“W-wha-!” Mugman’s shaking eyes side-looked at Cuphead. “What was that?!” Mugman looked at Cuphead with terrified eyes.

“Do ya really wanna know?!” With a raised eyebrow Cuphead side-looked at Mugman with the same terrified eyes and a squeaky voice.

“Nooo!!!” Mugman’s voice squeaked a little higher than Cuphead’s, as if he were either competing with him again or endearingly imitating him… or both.

In sync, they both hopped into the air, their feet spinning like pinwheels. Then — poof! — they dashed off like gunshots, leaving behind a white cloud of snow-dust.

Eyes closed and while in the air, the boys kept running and running and running… but as they opened their eyes, they screamed with eyes popping out of their sockets as they saw they were heading towards the narrow horizontal ravine, instead of the boardwalk bridge in the middle.

Like airplanes releasing their wheels, the boys stomped their heels screeching in the snow. They gritted their teeth and grunted in effort to stop themselves, and just by the edge of the ravine they stopped. They both peeked one eye open, and then panic-stumbled backwards realizing they were almost over the edge. Huffing and puffing breaths slowed down into big sighs of relief. They both smiled at each other and gave each other a thumbs-up. Then…

Bones rattled from behind, accompanied by the sound of snow-crunching footsteps approaching very slowly. Sitting on the snow, Cuphead and Mugman shivered in fear, their skin vibrate from their shoes (yes, shoes) up to their necks, their teeth chattered cartoonishly loud and fast, and their straws straightened into exclamation points.

Feet and hands on the ground, the boys leaned forward about to get up and scram until-

“I  w o u l d n ‘ t  r u n  i f  I  w e r e  y a.” The deep voice spoke slow and sinister.

The boys froze… and they turned their shivering heads behind them (with just their heads alone).

“Y o u  c o u l d  s l i p  i n  t h i s  w e a t h e r.” The shadow figure stood, it was relatively their size, and looks like it wore a hooded cloak. “A n d  y o u  c o u l d  r u n  i n t o  m o r e  t r o u b l e.” It tilted its head to the left (its right).

“W-we, we dun’-!” Mugman gulped. “We dun’ want a-anymoh t-trouble!”

“Y-yeah!” Cuphead gulped. “Not for now at least.” He slyly nervously smiled while looking down the corner of his eyes

“Cuphead!” Mugman hissed, eyes staring at him.

“T h e n , l e t ‘ s  b e  p a l s!” The shadowy figure grinned, a pearly white smile from the pitch-black figure.

From shoes to head, the boys shivered at the creepy grin.

It stretched out its hand. “C o m e   o n.  S h a k e  m y  h a n d.”

The boys squinted, leaning forward with their eyes—though their bodies (facing the opposite opposite of their heads) leaned as far back as possible. The hand was white… and all bones! The boys shivered, their butts (below their faces) shaking a bit more now, and they both patted their own to a steady stop.

The figure chuckled. “G o  o n, p a l.” Once pitch-black, two eyes flashed open in the dark — yellow irises, light blue pupils. “L e t ‘ s  m a k e  i t  o f f i c i a l. S h a k e  o n  i t. O n e  o f  y a  w i l l  d o.”

With just their heads turning, the boys gave nervous looks to each other.

Mugman chuckled nervously, and only his right lip squiggly smiled.  “Y-yer Big bro. Remembah?” He winked his right eye, and he gave a right thumbs-up.

Fumes puffing from his tiny nostrils and his straw, Cuphead growled and stared him down. Cuphead then looked back at the bone hand. Looking at the glowing eyes, he smiled, crooked and squiggly with the heeby jeebies and then reached out his trembling hand… but then realized that his right hand was reaching the opposite direction. After a quick glance down, he panic-rotated his body, feet knee-high hopping while at it, til his front was facing the right direction. He chuckled apologetically, and then once again, he reached out his shivering hand to the bony hand, slowly… slowly… and then clasped-

*PFFFFFFFGGFFFFFFFFHHHHHHFFFFTTTTTsssssss… *squeaky baloon fart noises*!

Cuphead and Mugman’s eyes widened to the sudden sound of fart of different pitches lasted for about 10 seconds.

The pitch-black shadowy figure let out a snicker, and then let out a dorky low-pitched “Ehehehehe!” laugh, his head leaned back, and the shadows obscuring his entire figure faded, revealing a skeleton with his eye sockets ‘closed’ (as if they were his eyelids) and a cheekbone to cheekbone smile.

“The old whoopie-cushion-in-the-hand trick.” The skeleton opened its eye sockets, raised its left hand to reveal a pink whoopie cushion taped to the palm.

“Can’t believe this has EVERY time a-“ The skeleton’s gaze fixated onto the boys; the skeleton was wearing a blue winter coat zipped open, with a plain white T shirt underneath it, then black cotton shorts with a white stripe on each leg and pink sleeping sandals on its feet.

The boys on the other hand, were fixated with the whoopie cushion.

The skeleton lowered its right hand. “A… ‘cupple’ o complete strangers… come around he— “

“PBBBBFFT!” The sound of fart erupted. Cuphead giggled in excitement after pressing the whoopie cushion on the right hand, followed by Mugman (body now facing the right direction) who just giggled and danced his feet in place excitedly.

Cuphead pressed the whoopie cushion again making a short fart noise, and they both laughed so loud that they hugged their stomachs leaning back (Cuphead) and forth (Mugman).

“Oh!” Cuphead looked to the skeleton. “Hey!” Cuphead reached out to the skeleton’s hand. “It’s nice tuh-!”

*PBFFFFT!* as Cuphead clasped the skeleton’s hand.

“Ooooh!” Cuphead raised his rear high, acting as if he farted. “Ohh yeah, ‘bettah out than in’ I always say!” He smiled, eyes half-closed, and in confident teeth-sparkling pleasure.

“Eeeehehehehew!” Mugman leaned away and swished his right hand in front of his nose as if he were swishing away the scent of fart.

Mugman then turned to the skeleton, walked closer, and reached out his hand. “Heya pal, I’m-!” He clasped the same hand.

*PBFFFFFFT!*

“Oh!” Mugman raised his rear to the air. He pretend nervous-laughed. “S-sorry, must’ve been the jellybeans.” He rubbed his head handle behind, and smiled sheepishly.

Cuphead laughed so loud his mouth opened wide and unleashed it to the sky, while hugging his stomach and raising his right foot. Mugman giggled and peeked at Cuphead’s direction.

“THO-THOSE ARE-!” Cuphead laughed and then heaved. “THOSE ARE SOME STINKY JELLYBEANS!” He gave a light slap to Mugman’s raised behind.

Mugman squeaked, his body stood stiff & vibrated in shock, and he winced (eyes shrunk, fists stiffened at his hips, his teeth gritted and he blushed in embarrassment).

Mugman glared so furiously that steam puffed out of his straw, while the latter was laughing loudly while hugging his stomach leaning forward, with his behind pointing towards the former.

Mugman huffed. “Well, it’s like ya said.” He smirked, rolling his right sleeve. “Bettah-“ He slapped Cuphead’s raised behind a little hard.

Cuphead, like Mugman earlier, squeaked, body and fists stiffened (at the hips), eyes shrank, and winced.

“OWWWWW-ut!” Mugman growled furiously at Cuphead. “Than in!”

Cuphead turned around and glared furiously at Mugman, straw puffing with steam while at it. They stared and growled at each other for a good few seconds… then they smirked, then grabbed each other’s hands and started pushing and wrestling each other with just their arms and stepping back forth trying to overpower each other, all while growling battle cries while at it. They then locked noses and clinked foreheads, and then they started pushing those foreheads trying to overpower each other. But abruptly, they stopped as they remembered the skeleton was there watching them. Without breaking head contact, they both slowly turned their glances towards the skeleton.

It was staring with a slightly bigger smile to the point that its cheekbones were creasing under his eyesockets, like a real smile would. The skeleton sighed, closed its eyes and then let out a chuckle.

“And it hasn’t even been five minutes.” It then opened them again. “So, you’re brothers right?”

Heads still in contact, they side-eyed each other, and then smirked. They then stood like gentlemen, buddy-hugged each other, and pulled each other in for a clink. “Yeah?” They both smiled at the skeleton, Cuphead was more confident and teasing (as if saying ‘ya jealous?’) and Mugman was more proud and happy (as if saying ‘by golly I do!’).

“Now, that’s…” The skeleton winked and pointed a phalange gun at them. “Hilarious.” It chuckled. “Trust me, I’d know.” It reached out its right hand, the one with the whoopie cushion. “I’m Sans by the way, Sans the skeleton.”

“Cuphead.” The cup with the red shorts reached for Sans’ bony hand, and squeezed it that the whoopie cushion made fart sounds, and they both shook on it making the sound pitch high and low at every movement.

Mugman giggled. “Mugman.” The mug with the blue shorts reached for Sans’ hand and, after the latter released Cuphead’s hand, he (Mugman) squeezed the whoopie cushion and gave each other a good shake.

“Aaaand, how’d you know we…” Cuphead buddy hugged Mugman and clinked the latter’s head, making the latter laugh, and they both locked eyes with brotherly endearment. “Were brothahs?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked at Sans.

“I mean…” Sans placed his hands in the pockets of his winter jacket. “Takes one to know one right?”

“Meaning…?” Cuphead raised that eyebrow higher while pressing the other into a deeper scrunch.

Mugman gasped. “YOU’RE A BROTHAH?!” Using Cuphead’s shoulders, he boosted himself above Cuphead’s head and looked at Sans with big sparkly eyes, while Cuphead was shock-annoyed to have his shoulders suddenly pushed down.

“Eyy!” Sans winked. “You win a prize!”

With Mugman still boosting himself from Cuphead’s shoulders, the boys gasped, and then squealed in excitement while looking into each other’s reverse starry eyes. “HE’S A BROTHAAAAH!” They both squealed behind their smiles.

“In fact…” He placed his hand above his eyesockets and squinted towards the direction behind the boys. “I think that’s him right there!”

Cuphead and Mugman looked at the direction behind them, and couldn’t see anyone in the snow.

“Ya see that tall bug hunk a’ muscle running towards us like some marching superhero?”

As Sans said it, From the hazy white air in the center of the forest, a tall figure with a tall skull-shaped head and a jacked upper body but thin legs, was running towards them; his arms were jog-swinging so exaggeratedly to his head-level back and forth, his steps were too springy that he was practically flying as he ran with what looked like boots, and his cape flapped behind him up and down with every springy march.

“That’s Papyrus. He’s the cool guy.” From his forehead, Sans placed his hand to his right jacket pocket.

“Aww!” Cuddling his hands together at his face, Mugman smiled at Sans (while Cuphead raised an eyebrow at Sans). “He called his brothah ‘cool!’… wait what?” He raised an eyebrow and stared into space.

“Are ya shuuh (sure) that’s yer brothah?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow and turned his face that his squinted eye was the one facing Sans.

“Oh! Well, in your language…” Sans looked to his right in thought. “He can sometimes be a… pain in the butt?” He winked (his right eyesocket closed like a regular eye would).

In beaming smiles biting their lower lips, the boys snickered and blushed at the joke. Mugman facpalmed himself and then bursted into laughter, while Cuphead laughed to the sky while pointing at Mugman.

“Yyep!” Cuphead laughed as he buddy hugged Mugman. “He’s a brothah alright!”

“Shut up Cuphead.” Mugman playfully pushed Cuphead’s head, and the latter just took it proudly.

“Wanna meet ‘im anyway?” Sans peeked his winked eyesocket open and then raised the ‘eyebrow’ of the other one.

“Yyyeah!!” The boys leaned forward; Mugman had his hands gliding backwards, while Cuphead put his fist on his hip; their voices were enthusiastic and had a mixed tone of ‘ya betcha!’ and ‘duh!’

“Welp, let’s go then! Through this gate thingy that Papyrus made.” Sans said lazily (instead of being showman-like) while he presented his right hand to the direction behind the boys.

The boys turned around, and only now noticed there was a tall fence that was about three times taller than the three of them; it was about 12-15 feet vs. their 4-ft height.

“Yyyep!” That’s the one!” Sans said, smiling with his eyes half-closed as he placed his hands in his jacket pockets.

“It’s supposed to be a gate intended to keep humans out, but he built it too high, and made the gaps too wide, eh!” Sans shrugged his shoulders and walked circling past the boys and stepped on the boardwalk. “Said somethin’ about making the ‘Greatest Fence’ of ‘The Great Papyrus!’”

Sans chuckled, then looked back at the boys. “Come on, let’s go see ‘im.” He nudged his head a bit, inviting them to come over.

For a moment, Cuphead and Mugman smirked at each other, and then Mugman playfully pushed Cuphead away but he countered by pushing Mugman away, and then Cuphead took the head start and ran up to Sans. Cuphead danced his feet victoriously as he was first, and then Mugman caught up and gave his brother a light punch to the shoulder.

As they crossed the large fence, they looked up at the fence architecture in wonder curious about how the fence this tall was built in the first place.

Stepping off the boardwalk, they entered a large space of snow where less forest covered it.

On the far left was a light brown wooden booth, with the roof only covered in snow. Slightly closer to them was a lamp about the same height and size as the three of them; it had a purple body, and an aqua colored shade with dark aqua colored stripes.

Sans hummed as he tapped his jawbone. “I got an idea.” He looked back at the Cups. “I wanna prank my bro a bit.” He winked at ‘prank’, and the boys chuckled (Mugman covered his mouth, while Cuphead just folded his arms listening). “Could you hide behind that lamp for me?” He pointed his bony phalange at the purple lamp.

The boys briefly smiled at each other, then ran over to the back of the lamp. From the shade, thanks to the downward-trapezoid shape, the edges of their porcelain heads stuck out from the upper left and right, and their straws were taller than the lamp.

Eyes closed, Sans chuckled and shook his head. “Figures. Not so conveniently shaped this time.”

Mugman peeked his head out and took a curious look at the shade. Clap-placing his hands on the sides of his ‘mug head’, he twisted it left and right and then ‘popped!’ it out from his neck. Cuphead peeked out, curious, to see what his brother was doing. Holding his head away, Mugman’s body then stepped into the cover of the lamp, and smiled as his body was completely hidden.

Sans’ eyes relaxed, half-closed. “Grats’ you figured out one part of the solution.” He chuckled, and then tapped his jawbone in thought. Then, he closed his eyes and snapped his right phalanges. “I got it. Hey Cuphead.” He looked at the cup, who then raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Pop your head out too, then bring both of yer heads here.” He splayed his hands out.

Cuphead snickered. Imitating Mugman, he clap-placed his hands on his head, twisted it left and right, and then ‘popped!’ it out from his neck.

The boys readied their fists to their side, and in a blink of an eye, dashed to the front of Sans (who just calmly looked at them), and then handed their ‘cup heads’ to him. As they dashed back, they tripped over each other.

“Ow!” Their heads, on Sans’ hands, squeezed their eyes shut due to the hurt.

“Uhh, could ya turn us around?” Mugman peeked an eye open.

Using his arms, Sans held the cups close to his chest, then got a hold of their handles from alternating hands, and then held them facing their bodies.

Gritting their teeth, Cuphead and Mugman shivered.

“Man, being held by bones feels weird.” Cuphead side-eyed at Mugman.

Mugman just nodded in response.

The two headless bodies wearing black turtlenecks got up from the snow, and then hid behind the lamp.

From Sans’ right, jog-marching footsteps crunched to a stop on the snow.

“Brother…” A nasally high, squeaky, and peculiar voice spoke; somewhat like a squeaky unoiled door with a personality.

The boys froze into their smiling faces.

Sans turned to the direction of the tall skeleton, glaring down at him with his fists on his hips. He had a tall skull, thin oval eye sockets with lines crossing their tops like eyelids, an upside-down heart-shaped nasal cavity, and teeth that inherently smiled even if he was supposed to look annoyed.

He was wearing a white football jersey with red spherical shoulder pads, a red cape slightly torn on the center of the v-shape on his collar, blue shorts the size of an underwear so tight that his abdominal spine, upper pelvis, and his entire bony legs were exposed, and finally red boots with 3 horizontal black laces at the front.

“Why are you looking at that lamp?” He raised an eyebrow (in this case, his upper ‘eyesocket lid’).

“Oh! Hey Pap!” Sans turned his body to face his taller brother. “I was just thinkin! If a human had the exact size as that lamp…” He side glanced the lamp and nudged Mugman’s still-as-a-statue smiling head towards its direction. “Would that be called a conveniently-shaped lamp for the human? Or would the human be a conveniently-shaped human for the lamp?” Sans shrugged his shoulders, raising the two cups he was holding a bit.

Still in the same posture, Papyrus’ right eye socket (Sans’ left) began to twitch, and so did the right end of his smile. “And… what are you holding?” His stare narrowed at the cups.

Sans made quick glances at the two cups. “Oh these? I found a… ‘cupple’” He raised the two cups to his head-level and lightly shook them; meanwhile Cuphead and Mugman couldn’t help but snicker and giggle while still trying to maintain their still-as-a-statue faces. “Of happy cups.”

A ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played somewhere, and Sans winked to the fourth wall, while Cuphead giggled and snickered louder, their faces becoming more noticeably moving.

Sans turned back to Papyrus. “You want one?” He extended Cuphead’s head to Papyrus, and it earned a nervous squeak and a squirt of milk from each of the boys’ straws. “You can take the red one, it goes with your cape and boots.”

Papyrus bowed down to Sans’ head level. “You know what would make me really happy?” His eyes half-closed and he smiled with endearment.

“Oh! What would that be Pap?” Sans just smiled his usual self.

“If you…” Papyrus recoiled, raised his right foot, and took a suction of air from above. “STOPPED SLACKING OFF AND GOT BACK TO WORK!!!” Stomping the ground, he launched himself to the air and began trembling with fury while standing stiffly straight, his eye sockets grew bloodshot eyeballs that looked at opposite directions.

As Papyrus shouted, Sans also shook in the air, and Cuphead and Mugman’s faces broke into shock and nervousness.

Papyrus landed on his feet, while Sans landed sitting on the snow just carefree smiling at his brother, and the cups began to tremble as they resumed their still-as-a-statue smiles act.

Eyeballs disappearing back inside their sockets, Papyrus pointed his thumb behind him. “I’ve been doing my rounds checking if my setups have been functioning properly, and that also included yours!!” He booped Sans’ forehead.

“Aww Pap!” Sans took a glance at each cup he held. “Now they’re a cupple of ‘scaredy cups’.”

Another ba-dum-tss track played, and Sans winked at the fourth-wall again, and the cups, from nervous trembles, began to snicker and giggle again.

“Saaaaans!” Papyrus stomped his right foot the crunching snow.

At the back of the lamp, the one with the red shorts grabbed the hand of the other. Back At Sans, Mugman’s head’s eyes widened a little and side-peeked at Cuphead only for an instant, then resumed his still-as-a-statue smile.

Letters was being finger-drawn on Mugman’s palm. ‘SO.” There was a momentary pause. ‘BA-!’

Mugman’s head snickered. Before Cuphead finished, Mugman’s body then turned Cuphead’s hand and then drew on its palm. ‘I. NO. à’

“Not only have you not: recalibrated your puzzles…” He extended a left index phalange while his right touch-counted it. “But you’ve also been neglecting! Your! Responsi-bilities!” He extended a phalange on each word, extended a phalange on ‘responsi-‘ and another on ‘bilities’, making a total of four extended phalanges. “I mean look!” He stomped left, right, left — punching the air down with each furious beat. “You’re not EVEN at your station!” He pointed both hands towards the wooden booth with a mound of snow on the roof.

“And it’s already covered in snow…” He put his gloved hands on both sides of his face as looked at it pitifully (his dark eye sockets turned glossy, as if they were his actual eyes). He sniffled and wiped a tear that streamed from his right eye.

Still sitting down, Sans also looked at the stand. “Welp, I guess that’s what you call a…” He looked at Papyrus. “Snowed-in, Outpost!”

Papyrus growled. “Saaans!” He stomped his foot down and faced Sans, his eyesockets grew eyeballs again.

The cups snickered again, but then Mugman made an ‘eh’ sound.

Cuphead’s finger-drew on Mugman’s palm. ‘I. DUN. GET. -!’

Mugman’s hand gently the wrist of Cuphead’s drawing arm, turned it palm facing-up, then drew on it with his index finger. ‘ME. 2.’

“Aww, c’mon Pap.” Sans winked to Papyrus and then pointed to his brother with his left index phalange (the hand holding Mugman). “You’re…” He tinked that index phalange on the side of Mugman’s mouth. “Smilin’!”

The cups snickered again.

Papyrus growled and then folded his arms. “I am! And I hate it!” He pouted looking away from Sans.

As they heard the exchange, Cuphead and Mugman then gasped.

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“Aw come on!” With a sly and confident smile, Cuphead wrapped his arm around Mugman’s shoulders while clinking his head on Mugman. “I know how much you love punny puns.”

A few seconds of pausing happened with happy Cuphead and irritated Mugman staring at each other... until Mugman’s mouth broke into a few giggles but more tears came out of his eyes.

“Ahh! You giggled bro.” Cuphead winked and pointed his finger while he pressed his cheek against his giggling brother’s.

“I-hi did! I did!” Mugman giggled, and then grunted in regret. “And I hate it when ya do that when I’m still mad.”

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The boys’ eyes glossened and the smiled very wide, with their dirty teeth showing, their eyebags creasing up, and their giddy ‘Eeeeeeee!’ voices cheering.

Papyrus sighed and held his forehead. “Why does someone as great as me… have to do so much just to get some recognition.”

“Wow…” Sans said sarcastically, then he stood up. “Sounds like you’re working yourself… down to the bone!”

Another ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played, and Sans looked to the 4th wall, while the two cups giggled, not even trying to maintain their statue faces anymore.

“Arrrgh!” He stomped his foot. “I will go back, and keep thinking of ways to make my puzzles brillianter!” He pointed a thumb to himself. “And as for your work…” he pointed a phalange at Sans. “Put a little more…” He snickered. “Backbone into it!”

A ‘ba-dum-tss’ sound played from somewhere, and Papyrus looked to the 4th wall and winked at it.

“NYE-HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!!” Papyrus cackled as he ran back to where he appeared from… but then he ran back a bit and looked at Sans. “EH! Eat that brother, I can do your 4th wall looking too!”

Papyrus then ran off.

Sans chuckled. “So he can.” He then looked at the cups. “Alright. You two can speak now.”

The boys began in snickers, and then they burst out laughing.

“Told ya, he’s the cool one.” Sans winked at the cups he was holding.

Cuphead suddenly started growling, and Mugman squealed in surprise.

“CUPHEAD!” Mugman laughed. “WHAT’RE YA DOIN!”

“THUMB WRESTLIN’!” 

Mugman grunted. “WHY IS IT EVERY TIME!”

The cups’ bodies stepped out of the lamp and then begin pushing and wrestling each other, both their bodies and their thumbs, which were just pressing and pressing but missing and dodging.

“Aaaand we’re back in business.” Sans just watched calmly with his eyes half-closed.

The cups just stuck their tongues out as they concentrated and watched their bodies go at it from a distance. Eventually, their bodies fell into the snow, with their hands still locked on. Back forth back forth, their thumbs were pressing and missing each other, until one thumb dove in and then the other pressed down and caught it.

“YEAH! I WIN!” Mugman beamed with his eyes closed. The body with the blue shorts punched high into the air.

“HEY!” Cuphead yelled at Mugman’s head with a smile.

“Oh ya wanted it, ya really wanted it!” Mugman looked at his brother teasingly.

Sans chuckled. “Good job kid.” He looked at Mugman. Then, he tossed their heads towards their bodies.

“WHOA!” The boys’ heads screamed, and their straws turned into exclamation points.

With thuds, their heads landed on their backs.

“Hey!” Cuphead and Mugman’s heads stared at Sans.

“Whoops! Should’ve said…” Sans pocketed his hands into his jacket. “’Heads up!’” He gave a wink.

Another ‘ba-dum-tss’ track played he winked at the 4th wall again; the 4th wall zoomed-in on his face.

Cuphead snickered, while Mugman gave a disapproving grunt and stare.

“Now you two better get goin’.” Sans’ eyes rolled to the direction Papyrus went to. “He might come back. And if he does… Ya might have to listen to more of my funny jokes.” He winked at the cups.

They both screwed their heads into their necks, though the last twist was more like they were cracking their necks to correct them.

Cuphead giggled. “No thanks! Wouldn’t want that anymore, right Mugs?” He buddy-hugged his brother.

Mugman huffed. “It wouldn’t be funny anyway, ‘specially since we’d be smashed tuh peesus!” He folded his arms, as they walked away.

“Relaaax!” Cuphead held his buddy-hug tighter. “We’re both in one piece ain’t we!”

“Still, it was joirk move!” Mugman’s straw puffed steam. “Couldn’t ‘e ‘ave handed us ah ‘eads instead?!”

“Heh.” From behind the boys, Sans chuckled. “Sorry pal. I woulda but… I was too lazy to do it.”

“WELL GROW A BACKBONE!” Mugman turned around and lunged towards Sans.

Cuphead gasped, and his eyes widened as he smiled. “MUUUGS!” He held his brother’s shoulder.

“WHAT?!” He snapped a look at Cuphead. “If anythin’ ‘appened to yuh I oughta-!” He caught his punching right fist with his left hand.

Cuphead snickered. “You made a bone joke!”

Mugman’s eyes widened and then his mouth squiggled. “N-no-!!” He snickered. “I’m still mad-!” A laugh escaped from his mouth. “Don’t do this to me again!” He shook his brother’s shoulders.

“Ahhhh!” Cuphead smiled very cheekily. “Yer smilin’!” He booped Mugman’s nose.

Suddenly Mugman burst out laughing to the sky. “I haahaha-hi-, Hh-hate youhuhuhuahahaha!” He pushed Cuphead away.

Cuphead laughed. “Hey! Hey Sans! Ya bettah apolo-“ As he turned around, his smile disappeared.

Noticing Cuphead’s voice trail off, Mugman turned around — and his eyes widened as…

Far in the distance, a tiny yellow flower peeked up — just for a moment — then ducked back into the earth.Sans was nowhere to be found.

Cuphead formed a fist. “What is that Flowah-!” He growled, and steam puffed from his straw.

“He…” Mugman’s eyes began to shiver. “He’s still following us?...” He put his fist to cover his mouth.

Altogether, the both of them gave a deep inhale, then an exhale to the mouth; Cuphead’s was strong as if letting out his frustration, while Mugman’s was more shuddering as if trying to relax.

“Mugman!” Cuphead raised his voice.

Mugman’s chest jolted and he looked to his brother, who marched to the front of him and clasped his shoulders.

“That stupid flowah ain’t seen nuthin’ of what we can do!” Cuphead smiled with confidence.

“B-but-“ Mugman rubbed his nose as he sniffled, and he wiped his watery eyes with his backhand. “We just fought ‘im and we almost died!”

“Uh-uh!” Cuphead shook his head. “We gonna win! Ya know why?” He leaned closer to Mugman, to the point they were one centimeter from being nose-to-nose.

Mugman blinked, confused. “Wh-why?!”

“We’ve got bro powah!” Cuphead gently firmed his grasp onto Mugman’s shoulders and he beamed his smile.

Mugman blinked. “B…bro powah?” He repeated, slowly smiling.

“Yeah bro!” Cuphead’s eyes crunched, more confident. “As long as we stick togethah, we can do anythin’! That’s bro powah!”

Hearing those words, Mugman’s eyes glistened  “Yeah bro… I like that.”

Cuphead let go of Mugman’s shoulders, and altogether, the both of them clap-grabbed each other’s hands, interlacing fingers, and they let out playful giggles.

At that moment, a yellow star shone brightly between them, and they both gasped. It shined and twinkled on and on, and the boys stared into it with caution and curiosity.

-End of Chapter 10-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 (End Notes)

Hello! Hisashiburi, long time no see!

Just please enjoy this chapter I dropped.

Leave a comment, let me know you're there.

You can also ask questions to any of the characters.

(cuphead/undertale)

I had the desire to draw videogame kids crossovers.

Author’s Note:

Finally got this done after a half-year hiatus! This fic is still in hiatus sadly, but it’s slowly progressing. It’s my birthday today! And soon it will be my Japanese test on Sunday. Thank you so much for sticking around, even if it’s really taking this long. Enjoy!

Music box melody playing. The peaceful darkness. A cushy pillow on the back of your head… well, half of it for Cuphead at least. The other half was taken by a baby cooing and moaning Mugman, and Cuphead felt his brother snuggling on his right face, as if he was a pillow.

 Opening his eyes, Cuphead glared annoyed at his brother’s big and goofy smile, and his rubbing snuggles on his face… but he also felt the end of his lip curl into a smile and felt a heartfelt stiffness on his right arm that is stopping him moving away from Mugman’s shoulders. Looking down and realizing he smiled, his eyes widened, then he shook himself and growled at Mugman for making him feel like this. They weren’t flexing. They weren’t wrestling. They weren’t chest bumping, fist bumping, butt bumping, or clinking… They weren’t manly at all.

 Closed eyes, Mugman moaned and squeezed his hug a little. “Cuphead is red… Mugman is blue…”

 Cuphead couldn’t help but chuckle. “Flowers are stupid. So Cagney is too!” He continued to giggle which got a little louder and then ended with a sigh mixed with fun and disappointment. Annoyed, he glared at Mugman who was still on his face. “Ya awake yet?!” He said with a hiss on his voice.

  “Nope.” Mugman said jokingly.

 Cuphead grunted. “Well, when are ya awake?” His right hand on Mugman’s shoulder splayed.

 Mugman opened his eyes and smirked. “When I open my eyes.” And then he closed his eyes again.

 Cuphead moaned and rolled his eyes. “How long will that be?”

 Mugman squeezed his hug a little more. “Few more minutes.”

 Cuphead grumbled and pounded his left fist on the bed, causing the mattress to shake. “That’s gonna take ferever!” And then looked at the ceiling, waiting for that forever to finish… but then his eyes widened. “Wait a minute…”

 Mugman started to snicker, then bubbly giggle, then bubbly laugh. “Yer such a dum dum bro.”

 Cuphead growled. “Get off!” He pushed Mugman but he didn’t move.

 “N-ho!” Mugman giggled and tightened his hug.

 “You’re being super icky right now!” With his hands, Cuphead pushed his face off.

 “Aww come on!” Mugman pushed his head through Cuphead’s hands and clinked the head of his brother, who squeaked startled in reaction. “You like this ickiness!”

 Milk boiling, straw steaming and whistling like a kettle, Cuphead readied his hands. “I. DO. NOT!!!” At the last word, Cuphead pushed Mugman’s face away very very hard.

 “OW! HEEEY!” Mugman swatted Cuphead’s hands. “YA DIDN’T HAVTUH PUSH SO HARD!”

 “THEN GET OFF ME!” Cuphead pushed Mugman’s chest.

 “NO!” Mugman pushed Cuphead’s chest back. “I’M NOT DONE!” He placed his hands on Cuphead’s shoulders and hit his forehead onto Cuphead’s.

 Cuphead’s furious eyes glared straight into Mugman’s. “YES!” He put his foot on Mugman’s stomach. “YOU-“

 A wisp of brown creamy curly air waved and seeped into the nostrils of Cuphead and Mugman who then sniffed, sniffed, closed their eyes, and then followed the scent with their sniffing noses. The trail led to the floor behind Mugman and they both leaned their noses towards it while sucking the scent with their giant nostrils at the same time. They opened their eyes and gasped.

 Two creamy brown pies (with golden brown crust and creamy brown filling) were set on the floor in the middle of the rug blessed by the warm white light peeking from the narrow open doorway.

 Dog-like tongues dripping with drool stuck out of the brothers’ mouths and they used them to lick their own entire faces. They looked at each other, cheekily grinned at each other, and then scrambled out of bed while growling, laughing, and playfully pushing each other, to get to the pie. Along the way, they pushed each other so hard they crashed sitting and laughing on the floor next to the closest pie they each had.

 They both looked at the pie with their black pupils reflecting the pie’s image… but then Mugman raised an eyebrow confused.

 “Huh…” Mugman continued to stare. “No forks.”

 “Heh!” Cuphead elbowed Mugman. “Relax, we can eat it on the floor.”

 Mugman glared at Cuphead. “On the floor?! Like animals?!” Then suddenly Mugman’s eyes widened. “Ohhhh…” He said in realization, picked up his plate of pie and smiled at it. “Toriel-! THAT’S WHY THERE’S NO FORKS!” He held up the pie like it was gold.

 Cuphead glared confused at Mugman “Uhh, yeah!” He smiled. “Forks are borin’ anyway.” He motioned his right hand to pick up the pie until-

 “HEY HEY HEY!” Mugman swatted Cuphead’s hand.

 “Hey!” Cuphead glared surprised at Mugman.

 “Didja wash yer hands?” Mugman pointed his right finger at Cuphead while looking at him with his squinted right eye.

 Cuphead snickered and then swatted Mugman’s right index finger away. “Who cares?” He splayed his carefree hands, while Mugman just looked at him annoyed. “We’ve got gloves.” He presented his hands wiggled his fingers.

 Mugman scoffed and rolled his eyes. “The same gloves you drooled on and fell on the dirty creek! You’ll wind up buzzed by germsville! I’ll go find the bathroom.” He placed his right foot down, ready to stand.  

“Mmmmokay!” Cuphead smiled smug and picked up his pie. “I hope ya don’t mind if I eat that other slice if yer not havin’ it!”

 After a moment of staring cautiously at Cuphead, Mugman picked up his plate and moved the pie away. “No way! I just need clean hands!”

 Cuphead shrugged his shoulders. “Alrighty!” He offered his hand. “I’ll just hold onto yer plate while ya go wash yer hands!”

 Mugman gasped and beamed. “Thanks buddy!” He was about to lend his plate to Cuphead. “Hey wait a minute…” He pulled back his plate to the middle and squinted his eyes at Cuphead. “Ya tryna pull a fast one on me?”

 Cuphead snickered while biting his teeth together and holding back tears. “Whaddya mean bro?”

  “Yer gonna wait until I’m outta sight.” Mugman pointed his left finger at the door. “And then when I come back” He pointed his finger to the floor. “Both pies’ll be gone and in yer stomach!” Mugman stretched his left arm two times its size to poke Cuphead’s stomach, causing him to squeak in laughter.

 Still giggling, Cuphead swatted his brother’s left hand away. “Soooo… Let’s eat em togethah!” He presented his plate to Mugman. “Come on!” He smirked and raised an eyebrow at Mugman. “Don’t leave me hangin’ pal, or I’m getting that slice!” He winked and pointed at Mugman’s pie.

 Mugman grumbled at Cuphead for this idea… but then he rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He laid his right foot to a sit, and (together with Cuphead) picked up his pie with his right hand while his left held the plate.

 They lifted their pies to the middle between them. “Cheers!” Then bumped them together “Clink!”

 Both with their biggest open mouths, they chomped their pies almost finishing it with one bite leaving only the crust they held on their fingers. They both chewed the pie with their cheeks puffy and lumpy.

 Cuphead elbowed Mugman. “Hnn Mhhgmhhn!” He talked with his mouth full.

 Closed eyes, enjoying the pie, Mugman peeked his right eye to Cuphead.

 “Thish ish howsh ya eatsh yush candish!” Cuphead spoke with salivary crumbs spitting out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and then vocalized “NGAM NGAM NGAM NGAM!” as he made very big chews with his teeth showing, saliva spitting everywhere, and the gooey pie in his mouth breaking down to pieces as it was being tossed around his mouth.

 “EEEEEHHEEHEHEHEEEEEEWWW!” Mugman giggled as he smiled disgusted and intrigued at his brother. He then gulped down his pie. “I love ya buddy.” He then bit off a part of the crust.

 Eyes popped out open, chewing stopped, and mouth scrunched at the same time. The words of the last phrase echoing in his mind. Cuphead’s horrified eyes slid towards his right looking at his innocently smiling brother who locked eyes with him for a few seconds.

 “LEAUGH!” Cuphead let his ball of pie roll out of his tongue down to his plate like a ball rolling down a red carpet.

 “EEEEHEHEHEHEEEEWW!!” Mugman laughed and pointed at the ball of masticated pie.

 “Mugs!” Cuphead said disgustedly. “I know!” He splayed his right hand. “Ya literally just told me the day yester!”

 Mugman giggled. “You mean yesterday. Wait was that yesterday?!” His eyes scrunched in surprise and then his eyes looked left and right as he tapped his chin in thought. “I thought it was a few hours ago.”

 Cuphead grumbled. “Mugs, you were literally on my face fer like ferever!”

 “Really?” Mugman raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was just a nap.”

 Cuphead uttered a sound but then stopped to look left and right, thinking about how long they slept, but then he shook his head. “It doesn’t mattah ya literally tell me that gross L-word more often than not, it’s like ya think I don’t know.”

 Mugman smirked. “Aww come on, I know ya like it!” He winked at him.

 Cuphead’s eyes twitched, his milk boiled, he blushed and even the beating brotherly heart on his chest glared annoyed at Mugman. “NOO I HATE IT!”  He he stood up at the same time.

 Mugman’s smile faded into a disbelieving frown. “Wh-what?!”

 “YEAH!” Cuphead stomped his foot down. “Y-YEAH Y-YA HEARD ME! I-I H-HATE IT WHEN YA USE THAT GROSS L-WORD A LOT!”

 Tears started to form on Mugman’s eyes, but then he scrunched them angrily. “I DON’T BELIEVE THAT ONE BIT!”

 “YOU SHOULD TOO!” Cuphead pointed his finger at Mugman.

 “OH YEAH?!” Tears welling on his eyes, Mugman splayed his arms. “WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT?!”

 “WHAT’S WRONG IS THAT YER ACTIN’ LIKE A BABY BRO!” Cuphead jabbed his finger once at Mugman.

 “WELL I LIKE ACTIN LIKE A BABY BRO! IT’S WHAT WE DO!” Tears fell from Mugman’s face as he spread his arms.

 “NO IT’S NOT! YA SEE THIS?!” Cuphead flexed his left arm, and a lump of muscle appeared. “AND THIS?!” He flexed his right arm. “THESE…” He alternately flexed his arms left, right, left, then right. “ARE WHAT REAL MEN DO! THEY ACT TOUGH! THEY ARM WRESTLE!” He arm wrestled both his hands together. “THEY BURP!” He puffed his cheeks and unleashed a loud trembling burp to the ceiling while spreading his arms wide like he used inner power to do so. “AND THEY DO…” His eyes looked left and right at his hands. “OTHER MANLY STUFF!”

 “I DO THAT!” Mugman pointed his thumb at himself.

 “NO, YA DON’T! YER ALL-“ Cuphead formed two fists that were cuddling his chin. “’Hee hee, I’m a baby bro, I like tuh cuddle with my brothah and get lotsa tickles all day!’” He grunted and dropped his fists into demanding open hands. “Come on ya gotta man up bro!” He smirked and folded his arms. “Or we might as well start callin’ ya Mugbaby!”

 Fists clenched. Mouth trembling. Tears falling from his furious eyes. Mugman took a sobbing breath. “NOOOOOOOOOO!” Shutting his eyes, Mugman stomped his foot forward, and punched his fists behind him as he screamed as loud as he could in front of him.

 Cuphead gasped and trembled at his brother’s sudden scream; his straw turned into an exclamation point. He took a step back and raised his hands in caution.

 Fists lowering. Eyes open and glaring at his brother. Breaths shuddering and turning into sobs. Mugman pointed his finger at him. “I LIKE WHAT WE-! NO!” He stomped his foot again, making Cuphead shiver. “I LOOVE WHAT WE DO!” His sobbing became louder. “YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND AND MY BROTHER!” He pointed his finger at Cuphead, whose eyes started to crease in sadness. “I-I-I COULD BUILD A BLANKET FOHRT WITH YAH A-AND-AND READ OUR FAVORITE COMIC BOOK ALL NIGHT! I-I COULD WRESTLE ON THE BED WITH YA ‘TIL ELDER KETTLE COMES! A-A-AND I COULD CUDDLE UP TUH YA I-IF THERE WAS LIGHTNIN’ OR I-I HAD A BAD DREAM OR-!”

 Mugman grabbed his head grunted in frustration, and Cuphead took a step forward reaching out his hand.

 “ANYTHIN’ CUPHEAD!” Mugman spread his open ‘crying out’ hands. “ANYTHIN! I-I-ITS LIKE EVERY DAY’S A SLEEPOVER W-WITH MY BEST BUD AND-AND I-I DON’T HAVETUH INVITE YA OVAH CUZ WE’RE BROTHAHS! WE LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE! I-IT’S LIKE MAC N CHEESE” Mugman brought out two index fingers representing each food. “A-AND CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA” He pumped each of those two fingers each again. “O-OO-OR SUGAR N SPICE TOGETHAH! TWO OF OUR FAVORITES IN ONE! WE COULD DO ANYTHIN CUPHEAD! ANYTHIN’! WHY WOULD YA WANNA MAN UP FROM THAT?!”

 Eyes creased. Pupils trembling. Cuphead started with a stammer. “B-because…” His eyes looked down in defeat. “B-because…”

 Sobbing turned into open-wide loud wailing and the tears fell like rushing waterfalls from Mugman’s eyes. Cuphead’s creased eyes looked up apologetically at Mugman, he reached his hand and opened his mouth to try talk to him, but then Mugman covered his eyes, turned around, and ran while pulling the door open.

Cuphead gripped the hem of his shorts, and grunted while kicking his plate, which flipped over and then spun on its rim on the floor to a noisy shaking stop. Closing his eyes, He slapped his own forehead with both hands, grunted as he looked up at the ceiling, and roughly wiped his face down with his hands.

 “WhydoeshehavtuhbelikethisIcan’tbelieveit!” He gave big heavy sigh and opened his air-patting ‘calm down’ hands. “Alright. All I gotta say is…” He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes pretending he was there. “Mugs… I’m…” His mouth shut uncomfortably, it gradually puffed up, and it struggled to open to say something... but then he unleashed a loud raspy whine as he stomped his feet left right left then right. “WhydoIhaftuhsaythes-word” He walked towards the door and yanked it very aggressively that it banged onto the wall. “AllIevahwantedwasfuhMugstuhmanupforonceandnotbesoickyandsobabyishandsoftandstuff.” He kept grumbling other jibber jabbers while walking towards Toriel’s living room/dining room. “Whydoeshehavtuhbesuchababywhycan’themanup.”

 “Why couldn’t he just go with it and have fun?” The sound of Mugman’s sniffling being wiped could be heard. “It’s not like I’m hurtin him or nothin.”

 Toriel hummed endearingly. “Well, if I may suggest, based from experience, maybe you’re giving him too much love.”

 “Too much?!” Mugman exclaimed.

 As Mugman ranted, Cuphead entered the mouth of the room and saw Toriel wearing her eyeglasses while sitting on her couch by the fireplace and Mugman sitting on Toriel’s left knee by the crackling fireplace.

 “Well, what did you do with your brother yesterday?” Toriel rubbed Mugman’s back handle endearingly.

 “Well, we went lookin’ for ya.” Mugman said as he was touching his index fingers together.

 “And… did the search, by any chance, involve lots of hugging?” Toriel teased and raised an eyebrow.

 “What?!” Mugman started counting with his fingers on his right hand. “Noo, there was running, and parrying, and we played tag n’ uhh… ghosts, and spiders and…” He counted his left fingers while looking at them nervously and a curled mouth. His left fingers unfolded one by one, ‘til all four of them were splayed.  “S-sure… there were some hugs here n there but… they weren’t too much!”

 “Uhh, yeah they were!” Cuphead interjected.

 Mugman’s chest jumped, and looked his under right to see Cuphead with his arms folded and blankly staring at him at the foot of the couch.

 “Ah!” Toriel smiled. “Good morning Cuphead!”

 “NUH-UH!” Mugman furiously leaned in closer to Cuphead and stared him down.

 “UH-HUH!” Cuphead stood on his toes closer to Mugman and stared him down... or up rather.

 “NUH-UH!” Mugman leaned in very close to Cuphead.

 “UH-HUH!” Cuphead stood even taller and pushed his nose against Mugman’s as he stared straight into his eyes.

 “AW COME ON YOU STARTED MOST OF ‘EM!” Mugman poked a finger on Cuphead’s chest.

 “I-!” Cuphead blushed from embarrassment, and then swatted his hand off furiously. “THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”

 “HA!” Mugman poked that same finger on Cuphead’s chest, while pushing his nose forward. “SO YOU DO ADMIT IT!” He poked his chest a second time.

 “DON’T YA ‘HA’ ME OR I WILL ‘HA HA’ YOU!” Furious-eyed Cuphead pushed back with his nose and poked Mugman’s chest.

 “WELL DON’T YA ‘HA HA’ ME OR I WILL ‘HA HA HA’ YOU!” Furious-eyed Mugman with steam erupting out of his straw pushed back with his nose and this time he pressed hard Cuphead’s chest with his finger.

 “WELL DON’T YOU ‘HA HA HA’ ME OR I WIL ‘HA HA HA HA’ YOU!” Furious-eyed Cuphead with steam erupting out of his straightened straw pushed back with his nose as he pressed Mugman’s chest back as hard.

 Growling Cuphead and Mugman pushed each other by their noses in some sort of push-o-war with an intense stare down.

 “CHILDREN!” Toriel yelled, and then sighed. “Please! No yelling!” Without breaking their nose connection, she picked up Cuphead and sat him on her left knee. “And…” Toriel giggled. “Do you have to literally be at each other’s noses when you argue?”

 As they broke apart, Cuphead and Mugman blinked and they both looked at Toriel unamused and confused respectively.

 “Uhh…” Mugman scratched the side of his head. “What’s wrong with that?” He said while briefly stealing a peek at Cuphead.

 “She doesn’t have a brother.” Cuphead spoke to Mugman while his backhand was hiding his sidemouth

 Toriel’s eyes widened, she frowned, her eyes stared in anger and her head pulled back pushing against the couch.

 Mugman gasped and covered his mouth with his right hand. “Aww… that’s so sad.”

 Snapping at Mugman, Toriel made a loud flaring inhale, and gritted her teeth under her closed mouth.

 Cuphead giggled. “I know right.” He winked at him.

 Mugman giggled in response. “Yeah, she don’t get what we do.”

 “Yeah. Only we do buddy.” Cuphead buddy hugged Mugman and they both shared a moment to giggle.

 Cuphead ended with a sigh. “Now… where was I?” He raised an eyebrow.

 “Ha ha ha.” Mugman said casually as he tilted his head three times, one on each ‘ha.’

 “No no, what’re we beefin’ about?” Cuphead swished his free hand on front of him.

 “Oh! Uhh…” Mugman tapped his chin twice. “My hugs are too much. Which THEY’RE NOT BY THE WAY!” Mugman bumped his forehead and pressed his nose onto Cuphead’s, who stared back furiously.

 “YA THEY ARE!” Cuphead pushed back with his nose.

 “NO! THEY’RE! NOT!” Mugman pushed forward with his nose and forehead on each syllable.

 “YA! THEY! ARE!” Cuphead pushed forward with his nose and forehead on each syllable.

 They both grumbled as they kept pushing in this nose push-o-war again.

 “Toriel!” Cuphead and Mugman turned to her they pointed their fingers at each other.

 Then, they gasped in shock.

 Before them were two crimson-piercing eyes looming and staring back at them furiously. Toriel’s mouth scrunched and she took one fiery fuming breath.

 “Apologize… Now. “ Her irises burned with fire within them.

 “W-we’re…” Cuphead and Mugman hugged each other very tightly as they shivered. “W-we’re-!”

 “Say. It.” She hissed with every word.

 “WE’RE SORRY!” Cuphead and Mugman yelled as they kept shivering and hugging each other.

 She glared at them, turning her eyes slowly to Mugman, then Cuphead, then Mugman, and then Cuphead.

 Then, she sighed in relief, and chuckled. “I guess it’s not too much when you are taking care of each other!”

 Cuphead and Mugman’s eyebrows creased with confusion, and then they habitually slid their eyes to each other to check if the other understood… but then those same eyes widened and they gasped in shock. They were hugging each other, and Mugman quickly pushed Cuphead away.

 “WHA-! HEY!” Cuphead splayed his palms open.

 Mugman folded his arms and looked away. “I don’t wanna hug you anymore. You ruined everything!”

 “I-!” Cuphead growled, gritted his teeth, squeezed his fists, and his milk boiled. “FINE!” He turned away and folded his arms, mirroring Mugman’s posture.

 “Oh children…” Toriel gently placed her hands on their heads, covering their milk completely, but not the straws. “This is all a misunderstanding. Can’t we talk it out?”

 “No!“ They both said as they bumped their folded arms onto their chests and stuck their noses higher to the air.

 “But… you’re both right!” Toriel smiled.

 Cuphead and Mugman’s eyes opened, and they looked at her confused. “What?!”

 Toriel’s smile showed teeth as she chuckled. “Yes! You’re both right!...” She raised and index finger as she explained, but she tapped that same finger on her lips thinking for a few seconds. “But you’re also both wrong.” She giggled. “Does that make sense?” She looked at them with a kind and patient smile.

 Cuphead and Mugman kept staring at her with their silent speechless mouths open. “Nnno!”

 Toriel chuckled. “Alright, I’ll explain.” She cleared her throat. “Cuphead. Don’t be so harsh on your brother. Just tell ‘im.”

 “I did!” Cuphead thrusted his showing hands towards Mugman. He then glared at him. “But he wouldn’t gimme a break!”

 Mugman spit raspberry sounds at towards Cuphead.

 “Well in that case, Mugman.” She looked at the blue mug with a gentle smile. “Don’t blame your brother. You fed him too much pie.”

 Eyebrows creasing more confused, Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other for a moment, and then back at Toriel.

 “But… I didn’t feed him any pie!” Mugman raised right eyebrow.

 “Yeah!” Cuphead raised his left eyebrow, mirroring Mugman.

 Toriel chuckled, with her hand politely covering her mouth. “Your hugs ARE the pies.” She endearingly booped Mugman’s nose.

 “Hey!” Mugman’s eyes looked at Toriel’s finger booping the middle of his nose, earning a slight chuckle from Cuphead who thought Mugman’s crisscross pupils were funny.

 “Yeah, I still don’t get it.” Cuphead scratched the top of his bendy straw.

 “Yeah!” Mugman looked up at Toriel. “Why would anyone get tired of your pie? It’s delicious!” He smiled and began moving in some forward kicking-like action alternatively with his left foot, then right, then left, and then right.

 Cuphead stared with a confused raised brow at Mugman. “Uhh… that’s not it, but he’s not wrong though.”

 “Aww, that’s very sweet of you!” Toriel smiled with his hands together with thumbs touching her mouth. “Come here my child!” She opened her arms wide enough for Mugman to enter.

 A big smile spread on Mugman’s face and he made a quick tackling hug on Toriel’s stomach earning a surprised “Oh!” from her. She chuckled, and then hugged Mugman very fondly, and Mugman stuck his tongue out with a loud “LLLLLLHH!!!” at Cuphead who growled and folded his arms in reaction… until Toriel tightened her hug that it caused Mugman to squeak at the sudden tightness.

 “Ughh-!” T-Toriel!” Mugman made a grumbling sound as he pushed Toriel’s stomach away trying to free himself of the tight space. “Too tight!”

 “Oh?” Toriel chuckled. “I thought you said you wouldn’t get tired of my pie!” She maintained her tight hug on Mugman.

 As he watched Mugman struggle, Cuphead’s mouth turned from a curious ‘o’ into a right-lipped giggling smirk.

 “Wait!” Mugman grumbled louder and pushed harder. “I get it!” He brought his feet to her stomach and pushed. “TORIEL!”

 Cuphead laughed and pointed his right finger towards Mugman, who then growled at Cuphead.

 Toriel chuckled and let go, but it made Mugman push himself too far that he wobbled with a “WOAHOAHOAH!” and he spun and spread his arms trying stop himself from falling over her knee.

 With a sly smile, Cuphead leaned over to Mugman and tapped the back of his head with a “Boop!”

 “WOAH!” Mugman wobbled forward and was finally balanced sitting on Toriel’s knee.

 Mugman looked at Cuphead to see that he was smug smiling.

 “You’re welcome.” He showed a cocky white-teeth sparkly smile.

 Eyebrows scrunched, Mugman gave a slightly hard pat on Cuphead’s face.

 “Ow!” Cuphead covered his nose with his right hand as he recoiled backwards.

 “Mugman!” Toriel glared shocked. “He just saved you!”

 Mugman’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh yeah…”  His eyes looked down in regret.

 “Yeah…” Minorly grumpy Cuphead rubbed his nose with his index finger. “No thanks buddy.”

 Mugman’s eyes began to water, and he rubbed his sniffing nose with his right back wrist.

 “Aww… Mugman.” Warm smiling Toriel opened her arms wide enough for Mugman like before. “Come here.”

 “Not…” Mugman sniffled and a tear dropped as he blinked. “Not too tight.”

 Toriel nodded and gave an endearing hum. “I think you’ve already learned your lesson.”

 After one last sad look, Mugman let himself fall towards Toriel’s stomach, and they shared a tender hug.

 “MMm Sorrrmmm.” Mugman said, muffled by her stomach.

 Toriel chuckled. “Not to me my child.” She gently turned Mugman’s handle ‘til he faced Cuphead who was just pouting.

 Mugman took a breath and sighed, realizing the hassle he must go through.

 “Oh.” Toriel stroked Mugman’s handle with her right hand. “It’s alright my child.” She gave a gentle smile to Mugman, and he looked back with his frown turning into a hopeful smile. “Nothing wrong with trying to fix something… especially if it’s with your best friend.”

 Grumpy Cuphead looked away for a moment of thought, and then looked back at Mugman.

 Smiling more hopeful, Mugman let go of Toriel and placed his hands on his knees. “Hey. Bro…” He looked at the corner of his eyes and scratched the back of his head. “I-I’m…” He took a breath, closed his eyes, exhaled, opened his eyes again and then faced his brother properly. “I’m sorry.”

 Cuphead’s right lip smirked. “Heh. No biggie.” He closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. “It’ll just gimme more reason to get back at ya later.” As he spoke, He opened his eyes and punched his right fist onto his own left hand at ‘get back’.

 Mugman’s smile curled, nervous about the anticipated revenge.

 “See!” Toriel gently placed a hand on Mugman’s left shoulder, and Mugman’s nerves calmed to a genuine smile. “Even after all that fuss, he still loves you!” She playfully tapped Mugman’s nose, causing him to giggle.

 Eyes bugged out. Chest jumped. Bendy straw turning into an exclamation point. “WHAT?! NO!!” Cuphead glared at Toriel.

 With a big smile, Mugman gasped. “AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!” His glossy eyes sparkled and shimmered as he looked at Cuphead.

 “SHADDUP!!” Cuphead lunged his nose against Mugman’s, earning a surprised squeal that soon turned into a snorty bubbly laugh.

 “Aw-!” Mugman snorted.  “Come on buddy!” He snorted and giggled some more. “Embrace the brotherly love!” He snorted with a giggle as he opened his arms. “Get it? Embrace!” His smile got bigger as he laughed, even as Cuphead continued to glare at him annoyed.

 “Oh I’ll show ya some BROTHERLY LOVE in a minute!” Cuphead rolled up his right sleeve, showing his white arm, and he pulled back ready to punch.

 Mugman’s pure smile turned forceful as he stared with a sweat drop back at Cuphead… but then the latter’s right lip trembled as he snickered, and then he threw his head backwards as he made a loud laugh.

 “I HA-HA-HA-HATE YOUHUHUHUHUHU!” Cuphead playfully pushed Mugman, who just closed one eye as he was pushed, and he laughed with his brother.

 “No you don’t.” Mugman folded his arms and he smirked at Cuphead as he danced his head left and right sassily.

 The three of them threw laughing fits. Toriel laughed while hugging her stomach, and then eventually placed her hands on Cuphead and Mugman’s shoulders. Cuphead hugged his stomach, Mugman accidentally rested his hands on Cuphead’s knees instead of his own, but Cuphead placed his left hand on the back of Mugman’s right hand, and then playfully pushed it away starting a small pushing of hands game as they laughed.  

 Finally, Toriel sighed. She turned to both each. “You two remind me so much of…” She looked at the corners of her eyes in thought. “a couple of… faces I used to know.”

 With curious big eyes, Cuphead and Mugman looked at her, then at each other for a moment, then back.

 Turning to the right, Toriel looked at the dining table behind her. “They made me so happy.”

 Mugman turned to his left, while Cuphead leaned forward to look past Toriel.

 Three chairs were arranged on the long table; one was the smallest about the size of the Cups by the far head of the table, next was the biggest on the right side, and lastly across the smallest was just the size of Toriel’s.

 “Who were they?” Mugman kept looking at the table with his brother.

 Toriel looked at Cuphead and Mugman’s hands, held them each with her own hands, and softly clasped them together. “Two best friends.” She looked at both, who then looked back at her with curiosity. “Just like the two of you.” She turned back with a proud smile at their holding hands.

 They smiled at each other; Cuphead had an excited and big smile while Mugman had a warm, endearing, and awestruck smile.

 Still excited, Cuphead looked at Toriel. “Where are they?”

 Her smile turned into a sad and longing one. “I...” She slowly turned to the fire on her left. “I will tell you… another time…”

 “Aw come on!” Cuphead gave a light tug on their held hands, earning a smile from Mugman. “Tell us!” He smiled with his white teeth at Toriel.

 “Not now my child!” Toriel snapped a glare at Cuphead, and they both gasped in reaction. She then returned her gaze to the fire and then let of their hands. “Not now.”

 Still holding hands, Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other, and then shrugged their shoulders.

 “What about you two?” Toriel smiled at them. “I’ll be honest, you’re a cupple of unexpectedly delightful surprises that dropped-in!”

 “Hey!” Cuphead smirked.

 Cuphead and Mugman laughed in reaction to the puns Toriel made.

 “Well, thanks a bunch for taking care of us Ms-! I mean!” Mugman shook his head so hard, it splashed tiny droplets of milk in different directions (Cuphead chuckled as he covered his face) and shook his head straw. “Toriel.” He finished smiled.

 Toriel chuckled with her hand elegantly covering her mouth. “You’re a very sweet gentleman you are Mugman.”

 “Or should I say…” Cuphead smirked as he leaned towards his brother. “Muggentleman?” He winked at Mugman, earning a snicker from him.

 They all laughed together.

 “So…” Toriel leaned in with a curious enthusiastic smile. “is everyone a cup or mug in your world?”

 “Nah!” Cuphead and Mugman said in sync. They gasped at each other. “Jinx!” They booped each other’s noses and laughed.

 “We’ve got all sortsa fellas!” Mugman explained with his right hand splayed open.

 “Yeah!” Cuphead raised his index finger. “We’ve got Beppi!”

 “A, uhh…” Mugman tapped his chin repeatedly, then widened his eyes with an ‘aha!’ expression. “A balloon clown!” He smiled.

 Toriel’s eyebrows creased confused. “A… balloon clown?”

 “Yeah!” Cuphead and Mugman said in sync. “Jinx!” They both booped each other’s noses.

 “But I said that.” Mugman smirked with his eyes closed and arms folded,

 “Yeah!” Cuphead winked and nudged Mugman with his elbow.  “That’s what I said.”

 “No! I said that!” Annoyed Mugman pointed his thumb to himself.

 “Yeah!” Cuphead glared at him annoyed. “That’s what I said!”

 “No!” Mugman bumped his nose against Cuphead’s nose again while he stared him down. “You are stealin’ what I’m sayin’!” He poked Cuphead’s chest.

 “No! I’m sayin-“ Cuphead pointed his thumb to himself. “What ya said-“ He poked Mugman’s chest. “Is exactly what she’s ask sayin!” He splayed his hands to Toriel as he explained.

 Mugman uttered a retaliating tone, but then tapped his chin and hummed in thought. “So what you’re sayin’ is-“ He poked Cuphead’s chest. “What I was sayin’-“ He pointed his thumb to himself. “Was exactly what she was askin fer?” He pointed to Toriel.

 “Yes!” He pressed his clinking forehead forward as he pressed his point, regardless of how ‘in-your-face’ he was with Mugman.

 “And in addition to what you’re sayin’-“ Mugman poked Cuphead’s chest again. “Yer not tryinna snatch my sayin’-“ He snatched the air to demonstrate. “And yer actually sayin is-“ He poked Cuphead’s chest again. “What I was sayin-“ He pointed his thumb to himself. “Is exactly what she was sayin’?” He pointed to Toriel.

 “YES!” Smiling Cuphead pressed his forehead even further, goofily making Mugman lean backwards (which he didn’t mind), and he spread his happy exclaiming hands high to the air. “OH MAN!” Placing his head on Mugman’s shoulder, he used those same hands to hug Mugman tightly. “It feels so good to be on the same page again buddy!”

 Mugman’s mouth scrunched smiling. “Awww! You’re huggin’ me again!”

 Cuphead’s eyes bugged out. “LEAUGH!” He spit his long tongue out as he pushed himself off of Mugman, earning a bubbly laugh from him, and he panic-wiped his shirt off like he was cleaning off a disgusting infection, and then he folded his arms. “Hmph!”

Toriel joined in on Mugman’s snorty bubbly laughter with her own endearing and gentle laughter.

 “See my child?” Toriel raised a finger in front of Mugman’s nose, and he looked at it with his crisscross eyes. “All you need… is patience.” She booped Mugman’s nose.

 Mugman giggled, his shoulders excitedly tensed as he was booped, and then he nodded.

 “Now…” Toriel looked at Cuphead. “You were talking about balloon clowns? These are humans who are clowns, who sell balloons right?”

 Cuphead glared confused at Toriel. “Uhh… No. He’s walkin’ n talkin’ balloon… human. Right Mugs?” He looked at his brother.

 Mugman giggled. “Yeah!” He nodded. “Uhh, Then we’ve uhh…” He tapped his tinking chin. “Baroness Von Bon Von.” His eyes shrunk and his straw turned into an exclamation point (Cuphead giggled in reaction). “No no!” He shook his head. “I mean uhh, Baroness Bon Von Von! NO I MEAN-!” He grunted to the sky.

 Cuphead laughed. “No it’s Baroness Von Bon Von Bon Bon Von Bon!”

 Mugman laughed, in chorus with Cuphead’s. “No it’s Bon Bon Von Von Bon Von!”

 The brothers laughed together with their respective squeaky hiccup sounds and snorts.

 Amused, Toriel watched them as they laughed. “And, what kind of person is this Baroness?”

 “She’s a candy-! No, I mean… a cake human?” Mugman looked to Cuphead.

 Cuphead shrugged his shoulders. “She’s got the candy cane though so you’re not wrong.”

 Mugman smiled and held his hand high, and Cuphead high-fived it casually.

 Smiling Toriel raised an eyebrow intrigued.

 “Then there’s Djimmi!” Cuphead raised his index finger.

 “He’s a ghost human!” Mugman raised his index finger in imitation.

 “Uhh…” Cuphead raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that ghost train thingy-!”

 “The Phantom Express?” Mugman raised an eyebrow too as he smiled.

 “Yeah the phantom train thingy! That one!” Cuphead pointed to Mugman as he smiled. “Isn’t that ride full of ghosts?”

 Mugman gasped. “Oh yeah! That mean’s Djimmi’s uhhh, uhhh…” He stirred his head milk with his own straw as he tapped his chin; his eyes went whirly as he stirred.

 “A djinni?” Toriel raised an eyebrow.

 Stopping his stirring, Mugman snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah! A Djinni!”

 “Yeah, like that one story Elder Kettle tells us about?” Cuphead was wagging his pointing finger.

 Mugman giggled and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t remember which one, there are so many!”

 “Pfft!” Cuphead flicked his hand down. “Yeah, until he-“ He pretended to snore with his head tilted down and his bendy straw inflating a big bubble at the tip of it.

 Mugman laughed loudly and bubbly. “He’s the best!” He spread his hands in the air.

 “Yeah!” Cuphead also spread his hands in imitation… but then he looked at the lower corner of his eyes. “Yeah…” His smile started to fade.

 Mugman noticed his fading smile, making his own smile start to frown as well.

 They looked down to their laps, and felt a peculiar familiarity. Sitting down on the knees of someone else. Fire crackling from the fireplace. If they looked up, they could probably see Elder Kettle smiling with wonder with his right hand in the air wiggling with magic wizard fingers and his left hand holding a book picked from a shelf of dozens of storybooks arranged on the shelf above the fire. If not stories, then they listened to the radio, and would sing a hippy happy song they would know.  

 Their minds raced. Elder Kettle giving them the blue potion of their powers… them training in Kettle’s magic drawing board with Elder Kettle himself gently guiding them from above.… Him catching up to Inkwell Isle II to give them hope of defeating The Devil… and finally celebrating in a hippity hoppity group hug after everything was over… with a few back breaks from Elder Kettle that they had to take him to the hospital.

 They both looked up to the headrest of the chair, but Toriel, instead of their beloved guardian, rested her head on it while watching them with curiosity. They both looked at each other, and gave a sad smile and a sigh of longing.

 “Toriel…” Mugman slowly looked to her, who just blinked. “It’s been a real slice…”

 “Literally!” Cuphead raised his index finger and giggled. “That pie was the bee’s knees!”

 Mugman gasped. “Aw man no fair!” He pushed Cuphead a little roughly.

 Cuphead and Toriel just laughed.

 Cuphead put his hands on his hips. “Ya gotta be faster buddy!” He winked.

 Mugman rolled his eyes. “Anyway, yeah it’s been a real-“ He paused, and then slid his glaring eyes at Cuphead who was just smirking at him. “Real.” Mugman said smug.”

 Cuphead snickered. “Jealous.”

 Mugman rolled his eyes again. “Toriel, when can we go home?”

 Cuphead smiled at Toriel.

 Toriel blinked confused. “Home?”

 “Yeah! Ya know, our reeaal home!” Cuphead he spread his arms as if he was demonstrating a huge place.

 Mugman chuckled apologetically. “Yeah! Elder Kettle might steam his spout if we’re gone for too long.”

 Eyes shut, Cuphead shuddered. “Wouldn’t wanna see that.”

 Toriel chuckled. “You’re very thoughtful to think about your grandfather like that.”

 Mugman raised his finger. “Well technically he’s-!”

 “Don’t.” Cuphead put his index finger on Mugman’s mouth. “Just don’t.”

 Mugman just nodded.

 “But first…” Toriel raised her finger. “You mentioned you had… cake humans…” She started counted with her fingers. “balloon humans, djinnis, ghost humans, and Elder Kettle, which I think is a walking kettle or… a kettle human?

 “With a cane and a jolly good ‘ol sense of humor.” Cuphead made a hook punch in front of him.

 Toriel hummed in amusement. “I see. I suppose there are other cup humans in your world too!”

 From smiling, Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other, and then frowned looking down.

 “We… um…” Cuphead started.

 “We don’t know.” Mugman finished.

 “Oh…” Toriel put her hands on their heads. “I’m sure there are my children.”

 Cuphead and Mugman looked at her and smiled.

 “And I also suppose that… in your world, there are other kinds of ‘humans’” She wiggled her fingers to make quotation marks. “Not just candies, balloons, and ghosts?”

 “Oh yeah!” Cuphead and Mugman said. “Jinx!” They pointed at each other.

 “There are plant humans!” Cuphead raised a finger.

 Mugman raised an eyebrow to Cuphead. “Are those humans?”

 Cuphead blinked confused for a moment. “Well.. there are human humans.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled with uncertainty.

 “Yeah but… plant humans?” Mugman smiled with cringe.

 “Well… there’s Goopy.” Cuphead pointed to Mugman.

 Mugman stared in space, thinking about what he said. “Good point.” He then smiled at Toriel. “There are mermaids and fish too!”

 “Fish in the water?” Toriel smiled with curiosity, though her tone sounded more suggestive than surprised.

 “Nah! Fish walkin!” Cuphead smiled. “And fish… fishin’….” He cringed in realization.

 Mugman cringed in realization too, and their eyes met.

 Toriel chuckled. “Are you sure you know what a human is?”

 Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other confused. “Yes?” They then looked back at Toriel.

 Toriel chuckled. “Only one way to find out.”

 She carried Cuphead by his body and put him down and did the same with Mugman. She stood up, held their hands, and walked towards the dining table.

 “Wait here please.” Toriel let go of their hands and walked towards the kitchen.

 Cuphead looked to Mugman confused but the latter just shrugged his shoulders with the same confusion as his brother.

 As the big soft footsteps approached, Cuphead and Mugman turned to see Toriel carrying in her hands paper and a box of crayons which the two brothers cringed at the sight of.

 Mugman leaned to Cuphead. “What’re we babies?” He whispered with his sidemouth.

 Cuphead spoke back with his side mouth. “I’m not, but you are.” He smirked

 Mugman’s eyes widened for a moment, then he glared at him sideways, and then pushed him. “Stop it!”

 Cuphead laughed as he was pushed.

 Toriel went to the table and laid down the paper and the box of crayons she carried onto the table.

 Cuphead and Mugman cringe-smiled. “Yay…” They said unenthusiastically.

 Toriel sighed. “I’m terribly sorry my children, these are the only arts and crafts supplies I could find.” She hummed and tapped her chin to herself. “Maybe I could find or buy more once you get settled in.”

 Mugman blinked and stared at her cautiously. “Once we what?”

 Toriel’s eyes widened. “Oh! I mean, I have a favor to ask both of you.”

 “Oh! What is it?” Cuphead smiled while gliding his hands backwards.

 Taking a sheet from the stack on the table, Toriel placed a piece of paper to her left in front of Mugman, and placed another to her right in front of Cuphead.

 “Could you draw yourselves…” Toriel opened the box of crayons, and rolled the crayons in the middle. “But with your own hearts?”

 Cuphead and Mugman raised an eyebrow confused and looked at each other. “Hearts?!”

 “Yes! You know…” Toriel picked up a black crayon and drew an upside-down heart on the paper. “Like that!”

 Cuphead and Mugman kept staring at the heart example with their raised eyebrows.

 “Uhh…” Cuphead looked at Toriel as he pointed at the heart. “I think ya got it upside down.”

 Toriel’s enthusiastic smile turned into a shocked eyes widened frown.

 “Yeah!” Mugman then smirked. “Wow Cuphead you’re not so dum dum after all.”

 Cuphead playfully pushed him. “Shut up.”

 Mugman giggled and rotated the heart right-side up. “And his heart is pink!” He grabbed a pink crayon and colored the once black-lined heart.

 Toriel’s shock slowly turned into despair.

 “Ew!” Cuphead glared at Mugman. “Ya make it sound like I have a gal’s heart!”

 “Wha-!” Mugman glared at Cuphead confused. “No! It’s the same color as mine!”

 “EW WE BOTH HAVE GIRL HEARTS!” With a playful smile, Cuphead leaned away from Mugman.

 “EW CUPHEAD!” Mugman playfully pushed Cuphead and they both laughed.

 Amidst their laughter, Toriel slowly became numb and it turned into a frown of indifference.

 “You have a stupid tiny nose.” Giggly Mugman drew a cup for a head with a black crayon and put a red dot on it.

 “Oh-ho yeah?”  Cuphead confidently raised an eyebrow. He snatched the black crayon from Mugman. “Well you have a giant nose the size of a football!” He drew a mug for a head and then picked up a blue crayon and drew a huge oval that covered most of the mug.

 “Hey!” Mugman snatched the blue crayon from Cuphead, who then was surprised at first but then glared back at him annoyed. “It’s not that big!”

“And my nose ain’t that small!” Cuphead pointed his thumb to himself. “Ya started it!” He tapped his brother’s chest.

 “Okay okay!” Mugman raised his ‘stop’ hands. “No nose jokes.” He wagged his finger.

 Cuphead smiled. “Deal!”

 They bumped their backhands to each other.

 “Excuse me for a moment.”  Toriel said with an empty voice.

 “Okay!” Cuphead and Mugman said together as they continued to finish their drawings of each other; Cuphead grabbed a sheet and started a new Mugman drawing, while Mugman just normalized the size of Cuphead’s nose on the drawing.

 -End of Part 1-

  (Cutscene)

 Once they were done, they ran out to the main hall and looked around to find her.

 “I think… she went to her room?” Mugman pointed towards the hallway.

 Cuphead smiled. “Come on!” He grabbed Mugman’s hand and they happily ran to the end of the hallway to the last room on the left.

 They opened the door, but Mugman screamed, jumped towards Cuphead and hugged him, while the latter then caught his brother by his back on one and his back knees on the other.

 “F-f-fl-! F-F-F-Flowey!!” Mugman pointed above ahead.

 A bunch of bright yellow flowers in a vase glowed in the upper part of the dark space.

 Cuphead snickered at Mugman who just blushed and looked away.

 “Hey, flowers can be horrible. Like Cagney for one!” Mugman looked at his brother, hoping the explanation was enough.

 Cuphead put his mouth closer to Mugman’s ear side. “Baby br-!”

 “AM NOT!!!!!!” Mugman yelled with his mouth opened three times larger than its actual size, showing its sharp shark-like teeth, and unleashing a strong wind that blew onto Cuphead’s smug face.

 Cuphead laughed and began to sing. “Rock a bye baby on the tree top!” He began to sway Mugman left and right.

 Mugman growled and wrestled Cuphead down to the floor, who laughed in reaction, and then laughed louder as evil-smiling Mugman was wiggling his stomach.

 “OKAY!” Cuphead kicked the ground repeatedly with his heels as he laughed. “OKAY OKAY YOU’RE BIG BRO!”

 Mugman held his fists on his hips. “That’s right, and dontcha forget it.”

 Mugman looked to the room, leaving Cuphead to just laugh the tickles off.

 It was a mostly dark room, save for the things lit by the hallway light. On the dark parts (after his eyes adjusted) there was a bed on the far left corner, a tall flower vase on the right of it, a four-space bookshelf full of books right of it, on top of the book case was the yellow glowing bunch of flowers on the left side and a tall cactus in a pot on the right, on the right of the bookcase was a two-drawer dresser with a lamp standing on its left-side on top, and a mirror on the wall behind the dresser.

 In the lit parts of the room, closest to Mugman who stepped in, was a desk with an unlit lamp on the upper right, some scratch papers below it, below that off the desk was a pulled-out seat, and to the left of the scratch paper was an open written journal with one paragraph encircled in red. Mugman tiptoed to read the journal.

 ‘Why did the skeleton want a friend?’ Mugman read in Toriel’s voice. ‘Because she was feeling BONELY…’

 Mugman raised an eyebrow and smiled in reaction.

 “What’cha readin’?” Cuphead approached Mugman.

 “Eh, just some of Toriel’s jokes.” Mugman shrugged his shoulders.

 Cuphead tiptoed to read, and just snickered. “Where does she get these bad jokes?”

 “Speaking of who, where is she?”

Chapter 7 “Home”

The ruins seemed to go on and on endlessly and were beginning to be a little monotonous for Cuphead and Mugman, but what always distracted them were some of the new sights and new things they would see. Such was this…

A dark brown leafless tree stood far ahead beyond the mouth of the narrow corridor, and the boys’ eyes glimmered to see such an enchanting tree that they ran to it. As they exited the hallway mouth, they stopped and watched the tree from top to bottom with their glimmering eyes while their hands glided behind them.

The tree had about eight branches radiating from the center and there were barely any leaves on them, just some tiny ones and some big ones which would eventually fall off swaying down to the bed of vibrant and healthy-looking red leaves on its roots.

Cuphead and Mugman took an awe-inspired deep breath. “Wwoooowww…” They smiled in awe as their glossy eyes reflected the image of the tree.

“Oh dear…. That took longer than I thought it would…“ Toriel’s distant worried voice said.

Cuphead and Mugman blinked, noticing Toriel’s voice was in earshot. They peeked to the right, looking beyond the tree, and saw worried Toriel walking hurriedly from a castle doorway towards a spot on the right side of the tree. Cuphead snickered while Mugman smiled warmly. She stopped there, picked up her phone from her right pocket, pushed a button with her left index finger, and then placed the phone under her fluffy right ear.

“Oh… I hope you are alright my children…” Toriel said worriedly to herself.

She then looked to her right… then her eyes widened as she saw Mugman and Cuphead, leaning on their right watching her, and as they were noticed, they stood normally, smiled, and waved.

“Children!!” She raised her voice as she ran towards the boys and put her phone back in her pocket.

Toriel and Mugman & Cuphead ran towards each other. She knelt down and placed her hands on their shoulders, and they smiled comfortably in return.

“You’re okay!!” Mugman looked up at Toriel with his kind eyes while gliding his hands backward.

Eyes closed, Toriel chuckled, then she opened her eyes. “Of course, I am alright my child! How about you? How did you get here?”

“Duh, we walked.” Cuphead snarkily smiled as he folded his arms.

An irritated exhale puffed from Toriel’s nostrils as she looked annoyed at Cuphead. “I mean, how did you get here in one piece? Are you hurt?”

Cuphead tsked. “Nah!” He flicked his hand down. “We’re A-okay. Right Mugsy?” He looked at his brother but then gasped as he noticed a few cracks on the side of his head right and a few bite holes on Mugman's black turtleneck before Mugman turned to look back at him. Mugman gasped and saw some cracks on Cuphead’s head and bite marks on his turtleneck as well.

Mugman nervously chuckled, touched his index fingers repeatedly, and looked at Toriel. “Just a few cracks here and there.”

“Oh you poor boys. Come here and let me heal you.” Toriel showed her hands which both glowed leaf green.

After a momentary look at each other, and then a smile each, Cuphead and Mugman stepped forward and let Toriel’s embrace wrap around them, and Toriel’s glowing leaf green hands glowed brighter accompanied by a low humming of power. The leaf green aura wisped and chimed from her hands, they twirled around the air like ribbons, and then the aura wrapped around the two brothers starting from their heads down to their arms, to their fingertips, bodies, stomachs, hips, legs, and finally to their feet inside their shoes. Soon, the pain on Cuphead and Mugman’s heads was receding, making them sigh in relief, and they watched the cracks on each other's heads fade and recede ‘til it was just smooth and shiny porcelain, and the holes on their clothes repair and weave together, all while their full bodies were layered within a green aura. Toriel let go of her embrace, and the last leaf green aurorean light ribbons of the green aura seeped into the bodies of Cuphead and Mugman ‘til there was nothing but two clean and shiny good-looking boys. Cuphead and Mugman began to pat, rub and turn each other’s squeaky clean heads as they inspected them with such curiosity… and they smiled, but then Cuphead roughly and playfully hit Mugman’s head with his hand.

“Hey!!” With a playful smile, and with his right hand, Mugman hit back on Cuphead’s head, and the latter just bubbly laughed.

Toriel groaned and rolled her eyes. “Please don’t hurt yourselves after I’ve just healed you my children.” She looked at them strictly. “This is exactly why I told you to stay in that room! So that you wouldn’t get hurt! Why didn’t you listen?!”

Mugman frowned, looked at Toriel, started to shiver, and started to touch his index fingers. “I-I-!”

“Hey!” Cuphead put his hands on his hips as he looked defensively at Toriel. “We heard you were in trouble so we went lookin’ for ya. It was Mugs’ idea!” He splayed his showing hand at Mugman who gasped.

“Oh my…” Toriel covered her mouth, and then looked at Mugman. “Did you now my child?”

“Oh! Y-yeah! I did!” Mugman beamed as he placed his fists on his hips proudly like a hero.

“And even if we stayed put, brawls were brewin’ once them monsters started comin’” Cuphead jabbed the air with his fists a few times. “So we figyad, since ya said you were comin’, we’d meet ya halfway!” He splayed his hands in explanation.

“Oh I see…” Toriel said as she bit her lower lip and held her right fist close to her chin. “And… what about the puzzles?”

Cuphead made raspberry sounds (which Mugman giggled to) as he flicked his hand down. “Pisacake.”

Mugman looked at Cuphead in shock. “Wh-what didja just say?” He giggled.

Cuphead held his hands on his hips proudly. “Pisacake.”

Looking away, Mugman squiggled a very big smile and he bit his lower lip trying to hold back laughter, while Cuphead raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Toriel glared strictly… but also clamped her mouth shut, trembling and fighting to hold back her laughter. “Mugman no!”

With one last snicker, Mugman gulped down his laughter and then rested his left hand on Cuphead’s right shoulder. “It’s piece of cake.” He giggled. “And hey! I’m the one who solved em!” He pointed his thumb at himself.

Cuphead snickered. “Bro, some of em we just had to push rocks.” He folded his arms.

“Oh yeah…” Mugman put the knuckle of his finger on his mouth in thought.

Toriel sighed. “I suppose… none of this would’ve happened if I was a lot more responsible… instead of making you wait for so long while I prepared this surprise…” She looked at the corner of her eyes in thought.

Cuphead and Mugman gasped. “Surprise?!” Their eyes glimmered in excitement.

“Wait let me guess…” Cuphead tapped his tinking chin three times. “Does the surprise have a bag of flour?” He raised an eyebrow and looked at Mugman.

“Butterscotch?” Mugman giggled and looked at Cuphead.

“AND Cinnamon?!” They both said in sync as they looked at Toriel. Without looking, they both bumped their closest fists at each other.

Smiling, sighing, and rolling her eyes, Toriel looked at the boys. "Why don’t you boys come inside and see for yourself… before any one of you begin to spoil it.” She chuckled.

Toriel stood up. “Come along children.” She turned around and walked towards the direction she came from behind the tree.

The boys watched her go, then they looked at each other smiling, but then Cuphead raised an eyebrow.

“Uhh, what did I say?” Cuphead held his hands on his hips.

Mugman cupped his right hand on his own mouth and leaned closer to Cuphead’s right imaginary ear to whisper. Cuphead’s eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped with a big smile on his face at what he understood. Tears started to form on Cuphead’s face and he started to wheeze in laughter, while Mugman just covered his big smile with his two hands and he looked back at Cuphead with teary eyes as well.

Still with the jaw of his big teary smile dropped, Cuphead pointed his finger at Mugman and he spoke in a wheezing voice. “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” He cackled.

Mugman wheezed a few laughs of his own. “No they ain’t bro! Even Toriel-!” He pointed his left thumb at the direction Toriel went… but then…

Cuphead and Mugman bit their lower lips as they tried to contain their big laughs within their bloated cheeks, realizing that even Toriel knew what they were talking about. They looked at each other, saw their goofy bloated faces, and finally unleashed their loudest laughter bottled up from their diaphragms all erupting to the ceiling. The laughter bounced and echoed across the halls making the laugh louder than it was supposed to be, and the boys didn’t care. They both buddy hugged, leaned on each other for support, and let their arms and legs fall like jelly as they cried in laughter; they looked like a goofy upside-down V of two idiots slumped together with three waterfalls of tears (two waterfalls from their closest eyes mixed into one) and two gaped-open mouths twice the size of their face and the equal force of their leans balanced each other that they were able to keep standing. During this laugh, a yellow star glowed between their cheeks.

They laughed and laughed even as their stomachs started to hurt, then they started to cough and then breathe in between laughter ‘til they could not laugh anymore and instead cough and cough while crying with tears. For a good few minutes this mix of coughing, breathing, panting, crying, and a few bits of laughing went on… until finally they both sighed with satisfaction and opened their eyes.

They both looked at each other with satisfied smiles, and then suddenly with closed eyes, Cuphead raised his right hand for a high-five.

“What?” Mugman raised an eyebrow.

“Yer not in trouble.” Cuphead opened his eyes and grinned with his sparkly smile. “Yer welcome.” He closed his eyes again, waiting for his high-five.

Mugman’s eyes widened in realization, and then he smirked with a mischievous idea. He high-fived Cuphead’s face, and the latter recoiled, widened his eyes, and gaped his mouth open in amused shock.

Mugman began bubbly giggling and started to run towards the direction Toriel went to, but Cuphead, as he fell forward due to Mugman leaving, caught Mugman’s head handle, yanked bubbly squealing Mugman back to him (which also helped pull himself to a stand) and he sandwiched Mugman between a noogie on his right cheek, and a cheek-to-cheek rub cuddle on the other.

“Who’s the best bro?” Cuphead teased.

“YOU! YOUUHUHUHAHA!” Mugman squealed as he kept laughing and struggling.

Cuphead giggled. “Nah.” He turned his noogie into a hug that had one arm each buddy hugging the other and the other hand holding the other’s hand. “You’re the best bro.”

“Awwww…” Mugman smiled warmly, closed his eyes, and folded his fingers on Cuphead’s backhand. With a deep breath, Mugman took his time to enjoy the hug… but then he snickered at an idea. “Well duh, I’m still the one who solved most of ‘em puzzles.” He opened one eye to Cuphead and pointed his thumb at himself.

Cuphead’s mouth gaped open. “Ohoho you wanna RUB it in?!” He began to give Mugman a noogie again as he said ‘RUB’, and the latter began laughing and squealing again. “You wanna RUB it in?!” He pressed his noogie even harder and then carried him with that noogie.

Mugman squealed in laughter and failed his arms around as he was carried. “CUPHEAD! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Giggling, Cuphead continued to happily noogie hysterically laughing Mugman while he walked around the tree towards the direction Toriel went… but then Cuphead stopped to a standstill, and curious Mugman gently stopped laughing and opened his eyes.

A small rectangular castle-like house stood in front of them; It had a doorless castle doorway with large cubes of rocks lining the arch, crenels lining the borders of the roof, and two long red beds of leaves flanking the left and right of the doorway.

“Is that Toriel’s home?” Smiling Mugman looked at Cuphead as he pointed to the house.

“Oh wouldn’t YOU like to know!” Cuphead smirked and noogied Mugman a little faster while he walked to the entrance.

“HEY-! HAAHAHA!” Mugman tried to push Cuphead away.

“Wouldn’t YOU like to know!” Cuphead carried Mugman higher as he noogied him harder.

“STAHAHAHAHAP! CUPHEAHAHAHAHA!” Mugman tried to push himself away from Cuphead but he was being pushed back by the noogie on the other side of his face that pressed on him mildly painfully. “OW!”

Cuphead laughed. “That’s what happens when you fight the looove bro.” He said as he entered the castle doorway that had a wooden door being held open by patiently-waiting Toriel.

“NO!” Mugman continued to laugh while trying to get away from Cuphead. "I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS IS LO-...." But then…

As they passed through the door, Mugman began to sniff something sweet and buttery (and Cuphead watched curiously). Soon after, Cuphead was sniffing the air too. As they took a synchronized deep breath, there were two strings of brown buttery air that entered both their big nostrils. With their backs goofily bent backward (with their butts pointing up), they began floating in the air as they were sniffing and their floating bodies followed the scent trail.

Toriel giggled. “I am glad you loooove the surprise my children! Oh that reminds me!” She closed the front door, closed her eyes, turned towards Cuphead and Mugman, and then spread her hands. “SURPRISE!”

A few seconds of silence went on with no response.

Toriel opened her eyes, and they widened in shock as she saw they were not there. She ran to the hall to the left, where the dining room/living room was, and she saw Cuphead and Mugman floating side by side in the middle of the room; the room had a long rectangular table on the left with three chairs of varying sizes, a big brown sofa (one as big as Toriel), next to it a fireplace, a small two-foot tall bookshelf to the right of the fireplace, and a fireplace tool stand with four tools hanging in a circle (one tool resembled a shovel, one resembled a pike pole, and the other two were being shadowed by the aforementioned two at the front).

Dreamily sighing and sniffing, Cuphead and Mugman floated and followed the two strings of brown buttery scents which formed into two very thin gas hands that were flirtatiously rubbing the middle underside of their small and big noses respectively with their gaseous index fingers. The scent trail led to a hallway to the right… to a kitchen.

It had a light brown refrigerator on the leftmost, then a sink next to it, then a counter with a white chopping board, then the pie… Mmmm the pie.

The boys floated closer to the pie and as they were next to it, their sniffing sniffed faster. They opened their eyes, and they each made a big smile while their eyes reflected the image of the pie… but then, because they were conscious already, they fell down facedown to the floor. They pulled themselves up with the help of the counter ledge, stared at the pie with their butterscotch pie-shaped eyes and salivary tongues dangling and dripping from their mouths, and then licked one full clockwise round of their faces each like dogs. One more time, they sniffed the pie, and the brown buttery scent was then vacuumed into both their big nostrils.

With a big smile, Cuphead grabbed Mugman’s blue tennis ball of a nose with his right hand and pulled it off of his face with a ‘pop’, and Mugman was surprised.

“Nhey!” Mugman glared at Cuphead annoyed, his voice changed as if his nose was being pinched.

Cuphead pinch-pulled off his own tiny nose and then pinned it to Mugman’s face like it was a corkboard, while the latter reacted in surprise, but then smiled at the idea his brother was getting. Cuphead attached the big blue nose to his own face and Mugman giggled as he watched. In sync, they sniffed the pie once more, and the brown buttery scent was vacuumed to their nostrils.

“Ya know…” Mugman smirked; his voice turned squeaky and high-pitched, slightly like Cuphead’s, but he still had his signature low voice. “Ya could’ve asked before ya yanked my snoot off.”

“Aw come on pal!” Cuphead winked and gently elbowed Mugman’s closest elbow; his voice turned nasally and slightly lower-pitched, but he still had his evidently squeaky voice. “Ya were thinkin’ the same thing.”

Mugman giggled. “Ya thinkin’ what I’m thinkin?” He buddy hugged Cuphead while raising an eyebrow to him in suggestion.

“OHHH YEAH!” Cuphead firmly buddy hugged Mugman

They each reached out a free hand towards the pie.

“CHILDREN!” Toriel yelled from behind.

Toriel rushed in and gently caught Cuphead and Mugman’s reaching hands.

Toriel sighed in relief. “That was close! Better to wait for it to cool my chi…” Slowly, Her eyes grew shocked and confused.

Cuphead with a big blue nose and Mugman with a tiny red nose were looking back at her attentively as if there was nothing wrong.

“Oh my! What happened to your noses?!” Toriel backed off slowly a bit.

Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other and then gasped. “Ohhh!” They giggled, detached their noses, and put them back to their appropriate faces.

“We just did the old switcheroo!” Cuphead switched the positions of his pointed-up index fingers.

“More like a-!” Mugman snickered. “Switch-a-snoot!” He goofily booped his own nose.

Cuphead gasped and his eyes turned into stars. “EYY! OKAY WE’RE OFFICIALLY CALLING IT THAT!” He tightened his buddy hug that they clinked.

They shared a laugh together mixed with Cuphead's squeaky hiccups and Mugman's pig snorts.

Toriel continued to stare at them shocked and confused. Cuphead and Mugman looked at her and noticed.

“Oh! Before ya blow your wig…” Mugman raised his right index finger in explanation.

In sync, they grasped their head handles with their left hands, looked at each other with a smile, then nodded.

“Blow my...” Toriel glared at them offended and covered her ears. “THIS NOT A WI-!”

Suddenly they pulled their heads up 'popping' them from their necks.

“OH MY GOODNESS!” Toriel backed off, hands clinging to the walls.

Cuphead cackled and slapped his left knee. “That prank never gets old!”

They clinked their heads together happily like a drinking toast.

Mugman giggled. “We’re okay by the way. It’s just a thing me and my bro could do.” Mugman shrugged his shoulders as he smiled apologetically at Toriel.

“It’s great for stacking too!” Cuphead scooped up Mugman’s head with his own, causing the latter to squeal.

They laughed together as they enjoyed a moment of being stacked together.

Toriel was holding her chest as she panted, but then she let out a big exhale to relax and then smiled intrigued at what she had learned.

“Well… You certainly did surprise me.” Toriel chuckled nervously, but then covered her head and looked at the corner of her eyes. “I do not have a wig…” She said to herself saddened.

“No no!” Cuphead wiped his free right hand left and right as if he was erasing something. “’Blow your wig’ meaning ya… ya just… uhh, what does it mean?” He looked above him where Mugman’s stacked head was smirking back at him.

Mugman giggled. “Get excited.”

“Yeah, what he said.” Cuphead smiled in relaxation.

“He has bad comblahblahsion.” Mugman grinned cheekily while his body pointed its thumb to Cuphead.

“Gee!” Cuphead folded his arms and glared annoyed at Mugman. “You wanna announce that on the radio pal?”

Mugman cleared his throat, then stretched out his straw which turned into a gloved hand, and turned the mouth of Cuphead’s red-striped bendy straw towards him. “Stay tuned to Cuphead radio for more dum-dum comblahblahsion of my best friend.” He said in his radio announcer voice.

Smirking, Cuphead hit Mugman’s side head with his right palm, causing him to laugh bubbly. “Get outta here!”

Playfully and roughly, Cuphead lifted bubbly laughing Mugman’s head from his own and tried to shove him back onto Mugman’s neck, but then Mugman’s straw gloved hand gripped hard onto Cuphead’s bendy straw.

“REMEMBER ME FANS!” Squeaky and bubbly Mugman spoke to Cuphead’s straw like it was a mic that his bendy straw desperately clung to. “REMEMBER WHO TOLD YOU OF THE TRUTH ABOUT CUPHEAD!”

Cuphead giggled. “LET GO!” He tried to yank Mugman’s head away.

“NO!” Mugman giggled as he continued to cling to Cuphead’s bendy straw.

Toriel's gentle smile widened with her left side teeth showing as she watched snarky Cuphead try to pull Mugman off of his straw while teasing him, and Mugman kept squealing and laughing with such thrill while continuously talking about Cuphead being a dum dum, and then soon Cuphead challenges about how much of a dum dum Mugman is as well.

“They’re definitely not them… but…” Toriel’s smile closed and tears began to form in her eyes.

Finally, Mugman’s grip on Cuphead’s straw slipped through, and the former’s head was put back on his respective neck. Cuphead wrapped his arm around Mugman’s neck trapping the latter, grabbed the latter’s blue straw, and, like it was a mic, spoke through it repeatedly “Mugman is a dum dum! Mugman is a dum dum!” all while Mugman struggled and whined “Cuphead stop! Quit it already!”

“Children!” Toriel gently called.

Cuphead and Mugman looked at Toriel in a pose of Cuphead pausing from talking to Mugman’s straw and the latter pushing Cuphead’s face away to the point he was squishing his face.

“I have another surprise for you.” Toriel tilted her head to the right, raised her eyebrow, and smiled. “If you become best friends again that is.”

The boys both gasped and smiled at the same time. They let go of each other, and Cuphead held out his hand for a handshake.

“Let’s call it a dum-dum truce!” Cuphead said, closed eyes and smiling.

Mugman giggled. “Yeah!” He takes Cuphead’s hand. “Dum-dum truce!”

They shook their hands once… but then, with those same hands, they high-fived each other, then low-fived, high-fived their straw hands together, and then clinked their heads together.

“Bro!” They said as they winked at each other.

Cuphead and Mugman both shared a moment of laughter, and soon Toriel laughed along. She took both their hands, walked them out of the kitchen, then back to the main entrance hall, and then towards an unfamiliar long hallway where three doors about three-four feet apart stood on the left wall; the hallway in order was a light torch, the first room door, a tall flower vase with reeds, a side table with a small flower vase with a six-petalled red flower, and an empty long frame behind the red flower (Cuphead and Mugman could not see clearly what the rest of the hallway comprised of). They approached the first door on the left.

“Well… This is it!” Toriel said happily as they approached the first door on the left.

All three of them, Cuphead, Toriel, and Mugman, stood looking at the door.

“It’s a room for the both of you!” Toriel rubbed her hands on the front rims of their heads. “I hope you like it.”

Mugman and Cuphead gasped, looked at each other with smiles, and they both opened the door together (Mugman twisted the handle while Cuphead pushed the door).

The walls were painted cozy red, and the floors were lined with light brown planks with lots of perpendicular crosses. There was a large lamp on the left, a flower crayon drawing attached to the wall, a chest, a shelf full of shoes with some papers and an empty photo frame on top of the shelf, a wardrobe, a bed, two goat-shaped stuffed animals on the right of the bed, and an open chest full of toys down of the bed.

“Wwwowww…” Cuphead and Mugman said as they scanned the room, but then frowned at the bed which looked fit for only one.

Toriel gasped. “Oh my!” She covered her mouth and shook her head. “I’m terribly sorry, I only prepared a room for one!” She facepalmed herself and breathed through her teeth. “I’ll be right back, I’ll see if I can find another bed.”

Toriel rushed to the right along the long hallway, and Cuphead and Mugman smiled gratefully as they watched her go.

“So…” Cuphead placed his hands on his hips and smirked at Mugman. “Wanna call the truce off and wrestle? Winnah gets the beeed!” He sang a tune as he said 'beeed', held his hands up and wiggled his fingers at the ready.

Mugman squiggle-smiled in excitement and reflexively covered his side stomachs with his hands at what those wiggly fingers meant... but then shyly looked at the lower left corners of his eyes and began touching his index fingers together. “I-I was thinkin'…. I was thinkin' that we could…” He smiled sheepishly, looked at Cuphead, and raised his palms face-up. “Share it?”

“Share it?!” Cuphead snickered. “We’d hardly fit!” He raised an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips.

Frowning, Mugman rubbed his left elbow and looked away shyly. “M-mmoow waisins tu mmmmdlllee.”

Cuphead blinked confused but then smirked. “Speak up bro.”

Mugman let out a big sigh. “You’d laugh…” Head-turned to his left, He looked at Cuphead by the upper right corners of his eyes.

“Yeah, so?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. “I still wanna hear ya, don’t leave me hangin’.”

Head still left-turned, Mugman glared. “Now that’s just mean…”

“What?!” Cuphead stared shocked but then sighed as he dropped his arms. “Well... I can’t promise I won’t laugh…” He walked towards Mugman and held his shoulders. “But I’ll be honest.“

Mugman grunted and turned his eyes away towards the left. “I know, that’s why you’re the worst.”

“Aw come on! You’re my best pal!” Cuphead gave a big grin and raised his shoulders for a moment. “Whatever it is I’ll lend ear to ya… if I had one that is.” He giggled at his own pun.

Mugman smiled, turned his head to Cuphead, and then shyly rubbed his arm. “I said…” He looked at the lower left corner of his eyes. “…more reasons to… to cuddle?” He tilted his head to normal and grinned.

Cuphead glared in shocked confusion and let go of Mugman’s shoulders… and then his eyes turned bored and unamused.

Mugman’s smile grew forceful and bigger. “I-it’s a good ol’ manly brotherly cuddle o ‘course!” He chuckled nervously as he raised his shy and shivering left index finger in explanation. “Y-ya know… the brawlin’…” He gently punched the air twice. “The wrestlin’” He lunged his chest forward like he was doing a body slam. “The huggin’” He hugged and swayed himself twice. “And uhh Elder Kettle singin’ ‘til we’re snoozin’…” He looked at the ceiling with a dreamy smile… but then shook himself awake. “B-but I-I can do the singin’ ‘stead!” He looked at Cuphead… but was surprised to see he wasn’t there anymore.

Mugman looked to the right and saw Cuphead was already climbing up the bed.

As he watched, Mugman’s eyes became glossy and watery, and he closed his eyes as he sighed in disappointment. “I-it….”  He sniffed and wiped a tear. “I-it’s okay… y-you can take it, I-I’ll j-just…” He started walking toward the right.

“Hey! Where’re ya goin'?” Cuphead called out.

Mugman stopped, confused about why he was called, and then he turned to look at Cuphead.

Cuphead was sitting on the bed, smiling warmly and spreading his arms wide. “I thought ya said ya wanna cuddle?” He raised an eyebrow… But then he widened his eyes realizing what he said, and then cleared his throat loudly. “I MEAN-!” He cleared it again loudly. “Manly bro cuddle?” He warmly smiled and spread his arms again.

(Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IotSCSLOKnc)

From a devastated frown, Mugman slow-gasped ‘til his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped surprised… and then… he slow-exhaled with a dreamy “Haaaaaaa…” accompanied with the happiest and purest open-mouth smile, knuckles squeezing his base (chin), and twinkling eyes of a wish coming true.

Cuphead blushed, surprised at how cute Mugman looked. He quickly shut his eyes and looked away “MUGS!” He sighed. “Oh brother…” He thought as he opened and rolled his eyes, and smiled on his hidden left lip. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Starting with a bubbly giggle, arms forward and open for a hug, Mugman jumped to the air, pedalled his legs as if they were windmills, laughed louder as he looked at Cuphead (who smiled and kept his arms open at the ready) and tackled him with a big bubbly laugh. Cuphead caught Mugman, and they giggled together as they crashed onto the soft cushy pillow on their heads.

Cuphead closed his eyes and sighed half-dreamily and half-wishful of something manlier. “You are such a baby bro.”

From his closed-eyes wish come true indulging the cuddle, Mugman’s eyes burst open. “BABY BRO?!” He glared confidently at Cuphead.

With one big battle grunt, Mugman rolled Cuphead over behind him, spun him to his back, and kicked his butt off the bed.

Upon landing his bum on the floor, Cuphead’s eyes widened in surprise at what just happened.

Meanwhile, Mugman was bubbly giggling, kicking off his shoes, and then digging his feet under the covers of the soft blanket until…

“HEY!” Cuphead sprung standing, glaring with his big villainous smile at Mugman who jolted bubbly screaming, and cowering while trying to sink his body as far as the bed can sink.

“NGGAAH!” Cuphead grabbed hold of Mugman’s body and tried to yank him out, but Mugman had his fingers and toes clawed to the sides of the bed that he was clinging to it with bubbly screaming and laughter.

“NOOOOHOHOHO!! NOOOOOHAHAHOHOHO!” Mugman screamed with tears splashing out of his eyes each time he was being pulled from the bed but it was failing.

“YA DON’T WANNA LET GO?!” As he yanked, Cuphead towered his face over Mugman’s squiggly smiling, shivering, and thrilled face.

“NOOOHOHOHOHO!” Mugman shook his head more intensely.

Cuphead let go of Mugman, raised his wiggly fingers high “YA DON’T WANNA LET GO?!” AND DARTED HIS FINGERS TO MUGMAN’S SIDE STOMACHS.

Bursting out in the loudest laughter and the loudest snorts, Mugman buckled his arms and legs and wiggled his body all over the bed trying to avoid the tickly wiggly fingers drabbling on his side stomachs. Cuphead giggled and moved his wiggly tickly fingers up to Mugman’s armpits, and back down to his side stomachs, and Mugman’s laughter loudened and softened depending on Cuphead's finger pressure. Cuphead kept wiggling his fingers, reveling at Mugman’s bubbly laughter with evil laughter of his own… until Mugman started to kick the air.

“AH! FOUL, YOU DON’T KICK ME IN THE FACE!” With that, Cuphead rolled up Mugman with the blanket he was under, and carried him above his head as if he was about to throw him.

“NOOOO!” Mugman said joyfully screaming, laughing, snorting, and wriggling to break free of his cocoon blanket. “NOOOHOHOHOHAHAHA!”

Cuphead threw Mugman down the bed and he bounced up to the wall, which then bounced back to Cuphead and he caught hysterically laughing Mugman with his hands like a ball (Mugman didn’t feel pain because the blanket cushioned the hits). He threw Mugman down to the bed again, and he bounced up to the wall and then bounced back to Cuphead who then caught Mugman on his chest, and then, on the floor behind him, body slammed him down like a wrestler, causing the room to shake. Mugman kept laughing hysterically while snorting and crying his bubbly heart out. Cuphead grabbed the blanket and pulled it sending Mugman spinning so fast like a top that it caused the latter’s laughter to spin as well like he was in a spinning ride. After like 10 super-fast spins, Mugman landed face down on the floor pounding and kicking the floor with his fists and feet while his eyes were spinning and he was still laughing.

Meanwhile, Cuphead got on the bed, kicked off his shoes, whipped the blanket in the air, and held his hands open as he let the blanket fall gently onto his body… and then suddenly Mugman playfully snarled like a monster with his ‘RAAAR!’ and tried to pounce on Cuphead, but Cuphead’s reflexes caught Mugman’s wrists before the latter’s fingers could touch him. They bubbly laughed as Cuphead struggled to keep the latter at bay while Mugman kept pressing his hands forward to get a hold of him.

“IIIII’M GONNA GET YA!” Mugman said playfully as he tried to push his hands towards Cuphead.

Cuphead giggled. “Huh? Whatcha say Mugsy?” He raised an eyebrow

“IIII’M GONNA GET YA!” Mugman said louder and pushed his hands harder, but Cuphead’s grip was too strong.

Cuphead giggled. “Oh? How are ya gonna get me?” He said as he drabbled his fingers teasingly onto Mugman’s hands he caught.

Mugman leaned back as far as he could, and then bumped his forehead onto Cuphead’s forehead with a loud clink and an "EGH!”.

Cuphead laughed out loud at the silly forehead clink. Mugman pushed his forehead and nose against Cuphead’s forehead and nose, and the latter pushed back as they play some sort of face forehead-nose push-o-war. They were squishing their noses against each other, pushing their foreheads so hard it hurt, and playfully growling their voices out…

“I’M GONNA GET YAAAAAAAAAA…….!!!!!!” Mugman kept yelling his battle cry on and on

“NO YOU’RE NAAAHAHAHAHAAAA……!!!!” Cuphead yelled his own battle cry on and on.

Their voices clashed and they kept yelling on and on and on as if it was a contest on whose voice would tire out first, all while Mugman kept pressing his hands forward while Cuphead kept holding them back, and they pressed their foreheads and noses together with all their strength… until Cuphead broke into laughter with harmless ticklish squeaky hiccups in between because of such fun he had, and it caused his grip on Mugman’s wrists to loosen.

Mugman laughed as well at the victory he won, feeling a bit ticklish as Cuphead’s nose was wiggling on his nose... and remembered how Elder Kettle used to wiggle his nose spout onto Mugman’s big baby nose years ago… but also because of Cuphead’s infectious laughter. His evil smile grew as he looked at Cuphead who was just laughing there wide-open for him to be tickled back… but then his evil eyes gently melted into

warm endearing ones.

Cuphead kept laughing and laughing, not caring about what was gonna happen anymore nor about his in-between squeaky hiccups that he found slightly annoying, he knew he had lost and was okay with it… but then he was hugged and clinked on his right face, and he gasped and stopped laughing in surprise. When Cuphead looked, it was closed-eyes Mugman smiling and snuggling on his face like he was his favorite teddy bear.

“Good night buddy.” Mugman gently said as he squeezed his hug a little.

Cuphead’s heart melted so much that he just smiled, but that smile smirked a bit, half-wishing he got some tickles as well. He one arm hugged Mugman closer to him, gently laid him to the right on the bed, and closed his eyes. “Good night pal.”

They both moved and wiggled their bodies ‘til they were both under the cover of their one blanket, and both within the tiny bed they were sleeping on, without breaking their hug. In sync, they took a deep breath each and sighed it out dreamily as they slept into their own dreams.

From outside the room, Toriel sighed. “I suppose I will just have to sleep on the couch for… a very long time.” She entered the open room and smiled. “Good news! I found an extra b-“

Mugman and Cuphead were peacefully snuggled in the tiny bed for one; Mugman was tightly hugging Cuphead, while the latter was one-arm buddy hugging him, but soon he hugged Mugman with his other arm as well, mimicking Mugman's teddy bear hug. Bubbles soon floated up from their heads as they entered into dreaming.

Toriel smiled warmly and chuckled to herself. She walked over to the lamp and switched it off with a ‘CLICK!’. Then, the sound of clockwork being winded up turned once... twice... thrice… frice (four times)… five times… then it paused… then played into a gentle music box melody.

Music Box Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyT-EqLNJ_M

Toriel walked back to the door… but stopped halfway to the center of the room. She smiled, letting her tears fall on her face… and after a moment’s thought, she turned to the boys.

She walked over to them, gazed at their gentle and pure sleeping smiles, then kissed Mugman’s forehead, and then kissed Cuphead’s.

Toriel stood there, watching them. “A second chance… thank you.”

She walked to the door, leaving Cuphead and Mugman to sleep with the music box melody.

To the boys, it was a sweet gentle melody… to Toriel… she smiled very wide, as it reminded her of…

“Home…” Toriel turned to the boys from the half-closed door (tears whipped from her eyes as she turned). “Welcome home… my children.”

With that, she closed the door, and the room was dark.

-End of Chapter 7-

Speaking of music, I forgot to add this in Chapter 4 “Not Feeling Up to It right now sorry”

Napstablook Music (Recommended: Play 2x Speed):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeJx04_47Lc

Will be pasting it on the chapter, but in case I do not, just play it as soon as the Napstablook fight starts.

This was absolutely heart-warming and fluffy to write, I couldn’t stop smiling every time I kept on fiddling and editing this chapter. I hope you love it as much as I do! I’m going to be posting my September plans this weekend. I’ll leave in fluffy heaven for now. Please enjoy this picture as I close the story.

Synopsis: Mt Abott suddenly appears out of nowhere and Cuphead, dragging Mugman along, runs to the mountain to investigate. Soon they fall into the chasm and are attacked by the monsters of the underground. As they explore, they discover a tragedy that befell the underground, make friends along the way, and have a bro jolly fun adventure of a lifetime.

Read the fanfic Now! (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/cuptalecupheadxundertale/665197697031192576?source=share)

Table of Contents (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/cuptalecupheadxundertale/683556798922358784?source=share) 

This has taken me weeks to finish but I'm finally done! Please enjoy this eye candy while you wait for the next chapter. (But please don't devour it like Mugman and Cuphead did).

Will post something on Thursday again (I think).