Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You didn’t believe in coincidences. Leaving fate to gamble away everyone’s lives? A whole universe that was nothing but chaos without any sense or structure, just pure unadulterated mayhem? No way.

You did believe in fate, however.

At least you chose to believe, that there was something akin to that. One little mishap was just a slipup. Many little mishaps? Yeah, that was something bigger going on.

The ceiling was blue. The first thing you saw upon opening your eyes, was a light blue. Furrowing your brow, you kept staring, as if the colour would suddenly change to something… familiar.

It didn’t.

That just made you furrow your brow even more. The walls at the place you were living were never blue, much less the ceiling. There was a hand-shaped greasespot on it and a sticky hand that was semi-attached to the ceiling, just a few inches away. It would probably fall within the next few hours. You had one as a child. It detached and hit you in smack dab the face while sleeping back then.
There was a crack near one of the corners. There was a selfmade lamp shaped like a cloud dangling and cheap dollar store glow-in-the-dark stars. The ceiling was tacky. It was imperfect.

Somehow, you loved it.

Still didn`t explain how you came to stare at it now.

Wrecking your brain, you sift through your memories of the past 24 hours, hoping to remember.

You woke up. Showered. Put concealer on the dark spots on your face and foundation on the white ones. Made breakfast for your fiancé and listened to his ramblings. He asked you to go fetch some stuff for him from a potential client-seeing a pretty lady was always an incentive, he said. Of course you agreed. You always agreed with him. Kissed him goodbye and went to brush your teeth for twenty minutes to get the awful taste out of your mouth. It never goes away. After doing the chores, you left the house, on your way to the MTT Network Corporation downtown to meet the mystery client. You hoped that they wouldn’t be like the last one. It took so many showers to feel clean again. You walked in silence, as your phone was still broken from when it hit the wall, and took the shortcut through the backroads. You didn’t wanna be late, just because they were a bit dank and spooky. Looking back, you were glad. If neither of that happened, you wouldn’t have heard the voices from one of the alley ways. You’ve always been a nosey bitch, so naturally, you investigated. What was there to lose after all?

And then? Then…. you jump up, swearing up a storm because you were getting tangled up in the blankets and falling out of the bed. The world was spinning.

Concussion, you think bitterly. You didn’t know what was worse, the concussion or that you could identify it so easily.

Frustrated, you wrangle the blanket cocoon, as a gentle hand comes to rest on your shoulder.

“Everything is alright, my dear.” The voice spoke just as gently as the corresponding hand felt, but it still made you flinch and scamper away. Your back met the bedframe, which was very inconveniently shaped, and made it less than ideal for scampering.

A concussion was also less than ideal for scampering because your vison went all blurry and your stomach rose dangerously. You hid your face in your hands, the cool skin meeting flushed one feeling so good.

Really, one would think that you would be used to that by now, but alas.

“Oh dear! Please calm down, little one. It is alright, you are safe now.” Your Aunt baking cookies with you and Mer on a cold winter day flashed behind your eyes upon the kind voice again, but you pushed it back down quickly.

“The Kid…” Your words ware mumbled and barely audible, so you cleared your throat before trying again. “There was a kid, in… in an alleyway. Are they okay?”

Your vision finally cleared up enough to take in your surroundings. It was a kid’s room, obviously. You already guessed so from the ceiling décor, but the many action figures and the car shaped bed really drove the point home. Someone painted a sunset on one of the walls and the carpet imitated a field of flowers.

Whoever lives here, must be so loved.

You choked back the intrusive thought and instead focused on the other person in the room. A kindly faced woman stood across from where you were sitting, showing you an inviting smile on her face, warmth in her eyes and she wore a lovely, lilac knit cardigan. There was a tiny handprint made with flower on her grey skirt.

She also happened to be a monster, but that wasn’t what made you recoil a bit on the inside.

Monsters have been on the surface for almost five years now and you really didn’t mind them at all. They were just people trying to survive like everyone else. It was the distant feeling of remembrance that stung like a slap across the face.

“My child is alright, thanks to you. I must extend my gratitude.” Her smile seemed genuine. You just let out a breath you didn’t know you held and slumped a bit.

“Oh, thank god.” You rubbed your face again.

“Are you alright, dear?” She asked, her brows furrowed. You had the urge to reassure her, to wipe all worry from the soft goat like face, get her to stop worrying so much. You frowned for just barely a moment, shushing the voice inside you. “You took quite a hit to your head; you’ve been out for quite a while.”

“Yes, I am fine. Everything’s good.” You gave her a tiny smile. “What happened? Where am I? What time is it?”

The kind woman-the mother of the kid, your brain provided-sat down on the floor with you. She still towered over your small frame, but you didn’t feel any fear.

“You got hit in the head when you stepped in as my child got harassed by some… less than kind people. They ran off pretty quickly, clearly they were not looking to deal with a knocked-out human.” The slight distaste in her voice was apparent, but you couldn’t blame her. Humans haven’t managed to be nice to each other for millennia. Throw some monsters into the picture and yeah, that could obviously only go so well. “Anyways, they called their uncles and they helped bring you here. You’ve been asleep since then.”

Her smile seemed to turn apprehensible and kind of weary for just the slightest second, but once again, you got it. An unconscious human in a monster’s house? That would surely go over well with the highly unbiased authorities. Chances are high that they would simply arrest the monsters and not even look into the real assailants. Or they just didn’t care at all.

You smiled at her and leaned over to put a hand on her arm.

“That was very kind of them. Thank you for helping me out.” You stressed the words and the fur around her eyes crinkled a bit more as her smile reached them again. “Anyways, you said that I was asleep? How long has it been?”

“It is late at night, dear.” She looked a bit uncomfortable. “We… didn’t know who to contact, your phone was smashed. It must have happened in the-“

“No, it’s fine, I broke that myself” you interrupted her quickly, your stomach lurching again. “You said late? Are you sure? How late?”

Your sudden frenzy seemed to surprise her, especially after your calm demeanour so far.

“Uhm, I believe somewhere around 10pm? I just rushed in here when we heard you fall. We didn’t want to let you wake up on your own and…” And I was the most approachable. The unsaid words hung in the air, but you were dealing with a different panic, all of your own. Smiling, you stood up quickly, nervously starting to braid the longer strand of brown hair, falling into your face.

“Oh, damn, I really don’t wanna seem ungrateful, Miss…?”

“Toriel?” she offered, with slight confusion, also getting up. The name rang a bell, but you couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Miss Toriel, “you continued, “But I really need to get going. I am so late and my…” You swallowed hard and knitted your brows together. “He will be very mad that I am gone so long. I am glad your kid is okay and thank you for taking care of me. I must have been such an inconvenience.”

“Are you sure, you could be hurt, my child.”

“Yes, of course.” You smiled at her “I’m fine!”  

You didn’t even make it two steps before you found yourself face down with a mouth full of carpet. Groaning, you push yourself up again, Toriel already hurrying over, muttering a chorus of “Oh dear, oh dear’s”.

“Okay, I take it back. I’m not fine…”

“MISS TORIEL? IS THE TINY HUMAN OKAY?” The loud shouting outside made your ears ring and you squeezed your eyes shut. Toriels gentle hands were on your arm, as she helped you up. Her soft fur tickled the bit of exposed skin on your forearm. She spoke in a low tone, obviously aware of your discomfort.

“You must excuse Papyrus, he’s a bit…”

“Enthusiastic?” you offered with a tiny smile, and she giggled.

“Well, that is for certain.”

She had to stay a bit crouched, since she was easily three feet taller than you. Admittedly, that wasn’t a hard thing. A middle schooler could tower over your 5”1 body.

“DID THE HUMAN BREAK?” You were still looking at the floor, so when you looked up, your brows shot up as you were forced to face a literal skeleton in the door, nervously hopping from one foot to the other and wringing his hands. You assumed that this must be Papyrus. Your brows climbed even higher when a second, much shorter and stockier one appeared behind him, a big smile plastered onto his skull. His eyes found yours and you began to instinctively rub the space just under your left clavicle, cocking your head slightly. He mirrored the gesture, and you shrank back, your face flushing hotly.

“HUMAN! DO NOT BE AFRAID! IT WAS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS THAT BROUGHT YOU BACK TO OUR HUMBLE-“ You turned your gaze upon the taller one of the two, quickly. You could feel the back of your neck tingle. Papyrus’ browbone furrowed as he stared at you, before leaning towards the other in a comical “Subtly trying to talk” way, his voice not lowering at all. “SANS? DO HUMANS NORMALLY HAVE RED EYES?”

The second skeleton-Sans, apparently-shrugged.

“Nope. Don’t think so, bro.” He had a deep, rumbly voice, that you could have gladly listened to for hours.  

“DO YOU THINK THEY ARE BROKEN?” Papyrus mock-whispered again. Or maybe that just how he talked.

“Maybe they are just a special kind of hueman, Paps?”

“SANS!” Papyrus let out an indignant screech at the awful pun, but you couldn’t help but let out a snort, your hand covering your face. The brothers stopped their bickering and turned to look at you like you were insane.

“DO NOT. ENCOURAGE HIM!” You shrug and pat Toriels arm.

“Thank you for your help, but I really need to get going now!” You smiled at her; a bit uncomfortable with all the attention.

“BUT HUMAN! I HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN A CHANCE TO PRESENT YOU THE CELEBATORY SPAGHETTI OF GRATITUDE!” Papyrus protested. You crinkled your nose at him sweetly.

“Maybe another time, Papyrus.” You started to get a bit antsy, you wasted enough time already, even if this was… nice. You didn’t like that this was nice. Nice was for other people.

“It’s okay, bud, I don’t have the stomach for it either” Sans winked at you, and you giggled involuntarily.

“YOU MUST HAVE HIT YOUR HEAD REALLY BADLY, IF YOU THINK THAT MY BROTHER IS FUNNY!” Papyrus sighed, “IF YOU MUST GO, LET ME SAY THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY DEAR FRIEND THOUGH!”

“It’s no big deal, really!”, you tried to protest, but it was futile.

“OF COURSE, IT WAS! PLEASE, HUMAN, TELL ME YOUR NAME SO I CAN BESTOW YOU WITH THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL! MY FRIENDSHIP!”

Just as you were about to open your mouth to tell them, something inside of you went rigid, almost panicked.

Lie, the little voice inside you whispered. Lie!

Papyrus looked at you expectantly with a smile. It could break your heart.

“I’m.. Uh… I’m…” Gosh, why were you so nervous? “E…Elaine. My name’s… Elaine. Winters”

You managed to put a tiny smile on your face before looking back at the floor. Noticing your discomfort, Toriel gently started to lead you out of the room and to the door.

“Well, I fear that this means goodbye, my child. Are you sure that you will be alright?” Her eyes were full of open worry, and it make your stomach churn.

“YES, YOU DID GET HIT QUITE BADLY!”

“Its fine, guys.” You assured them with another smile. “I’ve got worse before, don’t worry” The white pinpricks in Sans’ eyesockets flitted over you, his smile still plastered on but less sincere now.

“That’s… not doin’ a good job of convincing us, Kid” Your smile turned sad for a moment, before turning bright again.

“Well. I’m off again.” You couldn’t help yourself, but your eyes found Sans’ again. “I hope that we may meet again.”

It was nearly 1am when you returned to the house. The lights were out, and you shivered. As you came up to the door, you finally saw the state of distress you were in. Your Lipstick was smudged a bit and your mascara runny and smeared around your eyes from when you rubbed them. Quickly, you wiped away as much as you could with your sleeve. You knew he wouldn’t be happy with anything less than perfection. You weren’t happy, since your eyes were so much more prominent now, but you were never happy with your eyes, you thought bitterly. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself before entering your house. He was waiting for you in the study, because of course he was.

Smoke curled around his face and made your lungs burn, but you didn’t complain. You never complained or even spoke out of turn. Eyes downcast, you clasp your hands together, awaiting what was sure to come.

Finally, he looked at you, and when his eyes met yours, you shivered.

“You are late” His voice was hard, his face stern. He terrified you.

Chapter Text

Over the years, you’ve managed to get quite good at makeup. You wouldn’t call yourself the next MUA Influencer, but you would really use that concealer and colour correcting palate like it was nobody’s business. The bruise on your temple that you’ve gotten from being knocked out disappeared faster than candy on Halloween and you only flinched lightly. The one on your jawline proved to be a bit more difficult, as it was a moving part. You were lucky that your lip wasn’t split, no concealer could help you with that. The last time that happened, you had to deal with that for half a year, because you kept picking at it.

You hated doing this. Most days, you didn’t bother because you rarely left the house as is, but you had things to do that you’ve wasted makeup on yesterday. Besides, you were expecting guests tonight, so it had to be done anyways.

The door creaked open behind you, and you lowered the mascara wand cautiously. Hugh was leaning against the doorframe, a cocky smile on his face.

You wanted to vomit at the sight of it.

You didn’t, of course. Instead, you plastered a smile on your lips that never reached your eyes. Your fiancé sauntered over, grabbing your jaw a bit too roughly, inspecting your work.

“Hmh. I like your face better like this, dove”

Then don’t paint it blue, you ass, you thought but instead, you just bit your tongue and smiled a bit brighter instead.

“Of course. Whatever you want, beloved” He grinned at you, dropping your chin again.

“That’s my good little birdie. Steve and Kitty will be here around five, I expect you to act accordingly?” You nodded and turned back to the armoire, finishing your mascara.

“Of course, beloved”

“I’m gonna take you grocery shopping later,” he said, before leaning in closely. “Don’t want another accident to happen to you, right?” You shivered, as his warm breath brushed across your ears in the most unpleasant way. You just wanted to curl up and hide yourself away somewhere.

Ramming the brush in your hand into his eyesocket was also tempting.

You were comparing the pros and cos of sour cream and crème fraiche in the dairy isle, just happy that Hugh was more interested in the alcoholic assortment than the complexities of creams, when your ears perked up at a familiar voice.

“WHERE ARE YOU LEADING ME, HUMAN? WE ALREADY CONQUERED THE MILK MAVENS TODAY!” You couldn’t help but smile as you turned around, facing a rather perplexed skeleton, lead straight to you by a kid that couldn’t be older than maybe ten or twelve years old.

“Greetings, little one” you smiled at them as they stopped in front of you, wildly gesturing between you and Papyrus. “And a warm hello to you as well, Papyrus.”

“TINY HUMAN!” he exclaimed overjoyed.

“I didn’t think we would see each other again this soon?”

“WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE! DID YOU GET HOME WELL?” His joy was infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile a little bit brighter.

“Why yes, thank you for asking.” Not wanting to be rude, you turned towards the child. “You must be Miss Toriels kid, right? I remember your face”

They grinned up brightly at you, starting to move their hands in what you were surprised to recognise as sign language.

“THEY ARE SAYING…” Papyrus began, obviously used to interpreting for the child but you crouched in front of the kid, waving off the skeleton.

“That they are happy to see me again, I know. Thank you though” You glanced up at him shortly, before giving the child your undivided attention. Your signing was a little bit rusted, so you were slower that someone who was proficient, but you could make do.

Slowly, you repeated your previous statement and when they realised that you could actually hold a conversation, they nearly exploded with joy.

Yeah, name’s Frisk! I was in bed last night when you left, so I couldn’t say thank you!

“No problem, Frisk. Your mom’s right, sleep is important.”

How do you know how to talk to me?

“My mom… thought that it was important to learn it so we can speak to the people that have lots to say but nobody will listen to. It’s also really good for gossiping in front of rude people at the family gathering. I haven’t used it in a while though, so I may be a bit slow” They stare at you for a while, reading the pain in your eyes before patting your elbow.

I’m sorry that you lost your mom. You were surprised that they could read you like an open book, you were expecting something more like….

“I AM SORRY TOO, TINY HUMAN! I HOPE YOU CAN FIND YOUR MOTHER SOON!” yeah, that.

“Thanks Papyrus.” You didn’t have in in you to tell him. “I’ll keep looking.”

“Frisk, Paps, are ya badgering people again? We talked about that.” Your smile grew a bit in size suddenly, and you got back up, your knees just slightly cracking.

“Sans. It’s good to see you again.” The skeleton joined his brother and smiled at you. He always had a smile, being a skeleton and all, but this one felt genuine, at least.

“Elaine, right? Whatcha doing here?” Your lips curled, as you grabbed your dairy products, showing them off with a tiny wave.

“Contemplating the differences between different kinds of cream that happen to be sour.” He barked out a laugh, that you found oddly endearing.

“Ah! Any conclusions reached?”

“Yes, they are exactly the same, but one is French, so obviously its more expensive.”

Papyrus let out an indignant yelp, while Sans couldn’t help but laugh wholeheartedly.

This was nice. You enjoyed the conversation. It just flowed so easily, you didn’t feel like you had to watch your every word and Sans never failed to make you giggle, to poor Papyrus’ demise. But nice didn’t last. It never did.

You felt an arm curl around your waist, seemingly gently but the fingers were digging into your skin.

“Little Dove. These people bothering you?” Hugh’s voice had a certain edge to it, that made the hairs at the back of your neck stand up. Sans seemingly picked up on the sudden mood change, his eyesockets narrowing at you suddenly shrinking in size, the joy of the conversation sucked out of you. Whereas your face seemed animated and full of life before, it suddenly turned almost blank and doll like. It creeped him the hell out.

You shook your head, not sure if you meant your fiancé or the skeleton. Your eyes were suddenly glued to the floor.

“No, its fine.” Your voice was barely a whisper. You hated the effect he had on you. Nervously, you started to braid the strand framing your face again.

You mumbled a quick and apologetic “I’m sorry, I gotta go” before hurrying off, pulling your fiancé with you. You really didn’t wanna cause a scene.

“Gee, I didn’t think they would let their kind into a store like this…” Hugh mumbled, and for some reason, that made you seethe.

“I actually found them quite lovely. And why shouldn’t they be here, they are just people, like us.” you gritted out between your teeth. You stopped and stared at each other. For once, you held his gaze. He seemed surprised by this and turning away with a disregarding “psh”.

“Whatever…” You knew that you would probably get into serious trouble at home, but this felt like an immense victory for you. Revelling in the small win, you didn’t notice the two white pinpricks of light follow you, browbone slightly furrowed.

“…Quantum electromagnetism is not supersymmetric, but it has supersymmetric extensions. We throw in more particles, both bosons and fermions, so that the resulting theory exhibits supersymmetry.” You quietly read from your textbook, the faint beeping of the EEG in your ear.

Looking at the time, you quietly sigh and close the book, stuffing it back in your pocket. You knew that Hugh hated it when you read “smart” books, especially the Quantum Physics ones. It made him feel inferior, you guessed.

A smile graced your lips as you looked at your mother in the hospital bed and you brushed some of her dark hair out of her face. You must have missed it when you were braiding it before. You’d have to redo it better tomorrow. Her skin looked ashen, and she seemed so frail and fragile in the bed, surrounded by all those machines. At least her heartrate was calm. But it was always calm and steady after you’ve read to her.

You pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, as if you didn’t want to disturb her. She didn’t react anyways.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, Ma. You smiled again, brighter this time to hide away the prickling in your eyes.

You carefully slid into the passenger seat of Hugh’s car, closing the door as quietly, as you could. His mood was clearly sour, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel.

“You took too long,” he grumbled.

“I took exactly 34 minutes!” You protested, rolling your eyes but he just clicked his tongue.

“Deal was 30 minutes!” You flinched as he punched the wheel, accentuating his words.

“Yes, and I missed my 30 minutes yesterday, so I am sorry that I took an extra four today!” You didn’t know where you’ve got the bravery to talk back suddenly. Clearly, he wasn’t happy about it either.

“And whose fault is that, dove?” As fast as your newfound bravery came, it left again. You tried to make yourself as small as possible, but it was too late. “Don’t forget who’s paying the hospital bills.”

Steve and his wife arrived at 7 o’clock sharp. You opened the door after the first ring, dressed up nicely in your fancy housewife garb. Face painted and hair coiffed. Kisses were exchanged left and right. Hugh and Steve shook hands. They knew each other from university and worked together. Rebecca-or Kitty, as your fiancé seemed to prefer-was everything you could never be. She was tall, curvy, and always perfect. She never talked back and her house immaculate. The kids well behaved and her food incredible. My god, you hated her.
Upon closer inspection, you managed to see some fine wrinkles appear around her eyes when she laughed at Hugh’s jokes a bit too hard, her hand lingering on his arm a moment too long, their eyes meeting too much.

Suddenly your smile was that much brighter, thinking that the 5 years everyone had on you were finally starting to show.

“I’ve heard that you have been attacked by monsters last night, Muffin” You almost choked on the food, surprised by Rebecca’s words. You managed to cough out an undignified “What?” that earned you a short glare from Hugh.

“Yes, Hughey here told us all about it!” She grasped your hands between hers and you noted that the nail polish on her ring finger was slightly chipped. “That must have been terrifying!” Her husband nodded solemnly, and she powered on. “Ever since these… creatures came up to the surface, more and more attacks have been happening, it’s- “

“Actually, Becky, it was humans that attacked me.” You carefully wiped your mouth with the expensive white fabric napkins, purposely smearing the lipstick in it, like always. “You must have misheard, because a group of very sweet monsters helped me afterwards, I would not have known what would have happened, if I just laid in that alleyway for hours. At these temperatures and bleeding?” Your smile was dripping sugar and spite. “I count myself very lucky.”

Rebecca hesitated, quickly sending an unsure glance at her husband and Hugh. The latter was silently seething in his chair.

“Well, I-“

“You must forgive my fiancée, she hit her head very hard yesterday.” Hugh hissed at you, and you glared back. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her all of a sudden.”

Neither did you, but you felt suddenly embolded, the tiny voice inside you roaring with pride and rage. The chair squeaked as you stood up, the wooden legs probably scratching the hardwood floors.

“Yes. I should probably go lie down. We don’t want my head to get worse, right, Honey?” You didn’t even wait for permission, just strutting into your room, the lock gently clicking as you turned it.

Frustrated, you ripped out the expensive diamond and pearl earrings, you’ve gotten for your third anniversary and threw them across the room. Panting heavily, the full weight of your tantrum just hit you and your legs gave out, your back sliding down the door.

You couldn’t believe what you did. Why couldn’t you keep it together just once? Good god, the repercussions of this would be so bad.

Wasn’t it worth it though?, the tiny traitorous voice whispered again, We should do that again sometime.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know what came over me!” you grumbled and slumped your face against the palm of your hand. If she would be awake, your mother would surely scold you for slouching like that. “I just… couldn’t hold it in anymore! Five years. I’ve had to listen their bullshit for almost five years now!”

She said nothing, of course. Just the rhythmic beating of the machines.

“Yeah you’re right, I should have kept my mouth shut. Grin and bear it, the usual things” You turned in your chair, draping your legs over the rest and letting your head dangle upside down. “It’s not fair that I throw a tantrum when there’s more at stake than just me. He just… pisses me off. But it’s not about me.”

Grabbing your bag by the handle and dragging it closer to you, you smiled faintly.

“Anyways, I brought you the book again, maybe we can actually get through the chapter today!” You cleared your throat before opening your book where you’ve left off yesterday. “I think we were talking about supersymmetry?”

The machines just kept beeping.

Leaving her every day was so hard, but you couldn’t live at the hospital. Doris, the head nurse would kick you out eventually, anyways. Maybe you should bring her some Muffins tomorrow. Working at the hospital must be exhausting and there was this new bakery downtown that was supposedly amazing. Hugh never let you go, since it was owned by monsters, but he wasn’t here now. He was stuck at work, which then in turn meant you were free to roam. Oh, how you valued these days. There was a bit of an extra bounce in your step on your way, a smile on your lips. They were chapped and split open today, but you didn’t care.

Muffet’s bakery had a bit of a line, but you didn’t expect anything else, considering the glowing reviews you’ve heard so far. You didn’t mind though because you had time today. Nothing could stop you.

Not even the body that propelled itself into yours. Grunting, you tried not to fall, choking on your spit from the shock against your strained ribs.

“FRISK! NO, bad human, down!” Ah, new voice, familiar name!

Grinning, you looked down at the child, you just caught, dangling in the air, and holding on to you.

“Greetings, little one!”

“Oh my god, I am so sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into the feral little beast!” You looked up to see a gorgeous blue Monster sprint at you. She was everything you would imagine in a mermaid and a bodybuilder barbie. “Frisk! Don’t make me get the spray bottle!”

“Ah, please don’t worry, dear, they are my friend!” you reassured, and Frisk beamed that much brighter at you, when you call them friend. You gently put them back down, making sure they are fit on their feet.

“Well, if you are a friend of the little twerp, you are a friend of mine too!” She gave you a toothy grin that was all spikes and needles and held out a webbed hand for you. You grabbed it with no hesitation, smiling back at her. “Name’s Undyne, and I am this little menace’ Babysitter today.” She gave Frisk a loving noogie.

Undyne noooooo, stop! They giggled. Their good mood was infectious.

“Elaine.” You felt a pang of guilt but chose to ignore it. “What brings you guys here?”

Frisk excitedly started digging through their pockets before showing you a flyer.

“Muffet has this INCREDIBLE bake sale on spider donuts today! Everyone and their grandma are here to get their grubby little fingers on some!”

“Oh, I didn’t know! I just… felt in the mood to get some sweets!” You laughed freely. It felt like you could breathe again for the first time in ages.

“Woah, it’s your first time here, nerd?!” The one eye that wasn’t hidden under her eyepatch got huge and she struck a pose, flexing her arms at you. She and Papyrus must be getting along VERY well. “Since we are friends now and the twerp is clearly a fan of yours, your order is on ME today!”

“Oh, wow, I…. I don’t know what to say? Are you sure that’s fine?”

“DON’T INSULT ME, NERD!” She laughed again.

Don’t bother, Undyne NEVER gives up!

You let out an exaggerated sigh, rising your hands in a defeated gesture.

“Oh no, woe is me! I’m afraid that I’m going to have to accept your kindness” Frisk started to tug on the sleeve of your coat, and you crouched down to be eye level with them, smiling encouraging as you sign slowly, just praying that you didn’t make any mistakes.

“Yes, little one?”

You should come join us for lunch! I never got to say thank you and Mom always says that food is the best way to say what you mean!

You hesitate for a moment, worrying your lip between your teeth. You shouldn’t. You really, really shouldn’t. You’ve already tested your luck today, so this was stupid. Of course you wanted to, but you couldn’t imagine Hugh’s anger when he-

“We would love to join, Frisk!” Well, that wasn’t part of the deal.

Lucky for you, neither of the two seemed to realise your slight internal struggle as the line moved slowly. The kid wouldn’t let go of your hand the entire time until the three of you arrived back at their home. It was a beautiful, cosy little house in the suburbs. White Picket fence and all.

“TORIEL!” Undyne just busted through the door, announcing to the world that they are ready to bless them with her presence. “WE’RE BACK AND BROUGHT A FRIEND ALONG!”

“Is it really okay that I am here? Your mom probably didn’t expect me, and I would hate to impose.” You whispered to Frisk, who just pulled a face.

Nah, it’s fine. Mom always makes too much food anyways and then I have to eat leftovers for two weeks! You giggled at their shenanigans, still unsure if this was a good idea or not.

“Frisk! Don’t lie, you love the leftovers!” Their mother scolded, whipping her hands on a dishrag that she had pushed into the waistband of her skirt. Her face lit up as she saw you, hurrying over. “Oh dear!” To your surprise she gently grasped your face in her hands, inspecting it with the mindful eyes of a mother. The clicking of her tongue probably said that she wasn’t happy.  “Look at you, dearie, you bruised up quite badly over night!” A deep flush creeped up your face and you began to splutter.

“I-What, no?? Im… Makeup?” She gave you a gentle, yet knowing smile.

“Oh sweetheart, don’t worry! I’ll serve you a big plate of pie, that’ll fix you up in no time!” She hurried back into the kitchen, leaving you confused and quite frankly, unsettled.

“TINY HUMAN! YOU BROUGHT THE SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN WITH YOU!” You flinched from the voices behind you, not expecting the skeleton brother to join the lunch as well. Then again, they were the uncles. You still hated that someone was able to sneak up on you so quietly. Especially someone so… not quiet.

Papyrus scooped Frisk up into a huge hug, spinning them in circles. A deep ache in your chest opens suddenly as you remember being spun around like that. Which confused you even more because your dad never did that either. He was far too scared of possibly hurting his fragile little baby.

Weird

Your eyes find the deep eyesockets of Sans again, the white pinpricks borderline scrutinizing. Almost subconsciously, you start to rub the place under your left clavicle again and flush deeply, looking away quickly.

“What is wrong with you? Get a grip!” you scolded yourself internally.

“Undyne, I asked you to set the table, not supplex it!” You heard Toriels stern voice from the inside.

“BUT TORIEL!” she whined. “That’s like HALF of the fun!”

“UNDYNE, DON’T REARRANGE THE LIVING ROOM WITHOUT ME!” Papyrus yelped, striding inside, Frisk dangling from his arms like they are monkey bars.

“Heh, sorry, this must be a bit much” You turned towards Sans, who was rubbing his head awkwardly. You gave him a tiny smile, shaking your head.

“No, no, its great, really! It’s so... lively!” You have to bite your lip, so your grin doesn’t get too out of hand, looking at him through your lashes from the side. You look away just soon enough, so you don’t notice the short, blue flush on Sans’ face. Then again, neither does he with yours, as he follows behind.

Trying to not be in the way, you sit down at the table-having to change seats three times because they were already assigned, apparently, before someone had mercy on you- and before you knew how it happened, you found yourself nestled between Frisk and Undyne, watching people trade different kinds of food over the table and just generally talking over each other. Undyne even participated in multiple conversations at the same time, it was fascinating to watch. When you only take a little bit of food, she put some more potatoes on your plate without even looking at you.

“Yeah Toriel, sorry that Alphy couldn’t come, they have some kind of smart people conference at the university. She’s sending you love though!”

“U-Undyne, I think that’s enough.” You protested weakly, but she just dismissively waved in your direction.

“Nah, you’re too skinny. We need to get some meat on that body!”

“But Undyne!” Even though you whined at her, unsure if you could even eat that much, you still smiled. A tug on your sleeve made you turn the other way, happy to be distracted from your potato plight. You could feel your gaelic ancestors cry in the afterlife. “Yes, little one, what is it?” Frisk seemed to be bouncing on their chair, cheeks stuffed with casserole already.

Why do you have red eyes?

Toriel gasps from the other side of the table. “Frisk, that is Rude!”

Not at all bothered by the question, you just laugh it off. “Oh, no, don’t be mad, that’s a valid question” You crinkled your nose at Frisk again cutely. “Uhm, so, I’m sick.” The child was already reaching out towards the pie, but you just shook your head, laughing. “No, not that kind of sick. Magic isn’t going to help with it. Let me put it this way. You know that stuff humans have that colours their skin and hair and stuff?”

Yeah?

“Well, some people have a lot of it and some people don’t. I just happen to have… very little in some places. There are people like me that have it all over and some that just have brighter patches. For me, it mostly affects my eyes. They just have very little colour, so they look red. It doesn’t really hurt me either. I’m just… a bit sensitive with light and need glasses if I try to read very small things. I also have white freckles, look.” You pointed to your face and Frisk squinted at it real hard.

I dun see any?

“Oh yeah, sorry, makeup, duh!” you laughed, before twisting in your chair a bit, pulling your dress down one shoulder, exposing the tiny white dots as you crane your neck. You shiver as tiny hands brush over the skin, tickling you. Your eyes find Sans, who seemed to be staring at your collarbone, a slight blue flush on his face again. His eyes snapped up, looking a bit guilty and both of you blush a bit more.

“That’s so cool, Nerd!” Undyne shouted and gently punched your shoulder. The action caught you unexpectedly and embarrassed of your state of undress, and maybe also with a hint of panic from the punch, you flinch back, knocking over Frisk’s glass and spilling it on the coat, you had next to your chair and over your bag. You swore under your breath, trying to save the expensive coat. With a sigh you inspected the damage of the red spillage from the raspberry soda on the delicate fibres of the camel hair. “God damn it, that was the only coat I actually liked.”

“Aw shucks! Sorry for scaring you, nerd!” Undyne seemed bashful but you smiled at her.

“Ah, don’t worry, it was my fault anyways.” Sucking your teeth, you gently dab a napkin on the spillage on the table. “I’m sorry guys, I guess I’m a bit awkward.”

“Oh please, child, do not apologise! Family lunches usually end in a mess, I should have warned you!” Toriel apologised.

“YES, BUT USUALLY IT IS MINE OR UNDYNE’S FAULT!” You warmly smiled at them and looked at the phone you’ve fished out of the coat, so it won’t get soaked again. You couldn’t lose two phones in one week. Confused, you notice 12 missed calls in your List. Nobody usually called you except Hugh and you’ve made sure that he has a special, extremely obnoxious ringtone, you could never miss.

“Hey, guys, I have to call someone back. This seems like its important, just give me a minute.” Furrowing your brow, you get up into the hallway, already dialling back the number. Someone on the other side picked up after the fourth ring.

“Hello? Mrs. Winters?”

“Miss… but yes, who am I speaking with?”

“This is Doris speaking.” Her tone seemed sombre, but she always did.

“Oh, hi Doris, I was just thinking about you earlier! Did I forget something in the hospital?”

“No Sugar…” She let out a deep sigh. “Maybe you should sit down. It’s about your mother.”

It was quiet in the hospital room. It was never quiet, there was supposed to be beeping. Noises. Just… something. Anything. Anything that wasn’t the deafening silence of… this. You stood there, gripping the box from the bakery so hard that your knuckles turned white. Your mothers face also seemed white. Almost grey perhaps. She didn’t move. You never saw her as moving before but the difference to what was just a few hours before to this was stark, in hindsight. The head nurse came over, her face painted in professional empathy.

“I am so sorry, Sugar.” You couldn’t stop staring at your mother. She was just laying there.

“I- … I brought you pastries. The… whole station.” She looked confused. “I went downtown when I left this morning, I-… I thought you would appreciate it; you work so hard.”

“Surgar, you didn’t-“ You didn’t let her finish, barely even registering her words.

“I was reading her a book, we didn’t finish the chapter. I promised I’d come over so we could finish it. I braided her hair again and told her about my day. I told her that there was this new surgery, that could fuse the nerves of the spinal column back together, to help people with paralysis. I told her that we could try that so she- so she could walk when she wakes up again.” You didn’t know when your hand covered the lower part of your face, but you didn’t care. You didn’t care for much now. “She was supposed to wake up again.”

“Is there someone we can call for you? Maybe your fiancé?”

“No.” Doris flinched at your sharp words. “He’s the last person I wanna see right now.”

Sans was stewing over his morning coffee, lost in thought. He hadn’t flipped the page on his book in over half an hour, repeatedly going over the same paragraph without really taking in any of the words. His mind kept wandering to the human all the time. The way she looked at him through her lashes while craning her neck for Frisk just stuck with him. He preferred seeing her like that instead of the way she completely folded after her phone call. He knew that she was tiny, barely taller than Frisk, but she always held herself high, almost rigid. And suddenly, she... felt small. Frail, almost. He hated seeing her like that, for whatever reason. He never wanted to see her like that again.

So yeah, forgive a guy for rather thinking of deep eyes beneath thick lashes and an almost delectable neck.

He would never act on this anyways, she was a taken woman. And he doubted that she would find him attractive. Her fiancé was talk dark and handsome if he’s ever seen one. Rich too, if he had to guess from his clothes and just the general aura of superiority.

And yet, he couldn’t shut the tiny voice in his head up, that she seemed unhappy with him. Frightened even. Whenever she talked about him or he was nearby, she turned quiet and meek and like she tried to disappear. She never showed signs of his snobby attitude or clear distaste of monsters. She was all smiles and soft-spoken words and kindness when she talked to Papyrus or Frisk. There was no hesitation when Tori offered her food and no fear on her face when Undyne suplexed a table or called her Nerd. 

He wondered why she was staying with her fiancé.

“SANS?” Papyrus called and he flinched, cursing himself for going down the rabbit hole again. He really had to get it together. This was not a good path to go down.

“Yeah, bro?” Sans sleepily blinked at his brother. He normally wasn’t up this early, but something kept him up all night. He’d rather not think about that.

“I AM SORRY TO BOTHER YOU SO EARLY AND WHILE YOU ARE READING BUT…” He perked up at that, since Papyrus didn’t sound so apologetic or unsure normally.

“No, its fine. I wasn’t paying attention anyways. What’s up, Paps?”

“I AM AFRAID THAT I MUST TELL YOU SOMETHING…” he started, not quite sure how to say what’s on his mind. “SANS, I WORRY ABOUT THE TINY HUMAN!”

“Frisk? Yeah, no, I am sure they are fine? Im sure Tori takes great care of-“

NO, NOT THAT TINY HUMAN! THE… OTHER TINY HUMAN.”

“Ah” He’d rather not talk about her again; his mind was doing a good enough job of distracting him anyways. He didn’t need Papyrus to lecture him for staring at her the entire time either. “I know, they were a bit distressed yesterday, but you heard her, t’wasn’t our fault.”

“I KNOW, THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT!”

Sans sat up a bit straighter. If his brother was this worried, it must be more serious than he previously thought. “Yeah, what’s going on then?”

“I DON’T KNOW, I AM NOT QUITE SURE.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m following ya?”

“THEY APPEAR TO BE…. NAPPING”

“Napping?”

“YES, BUT HOW COULD ANYONE NAP UNDER THESE CONDITIONS! IT IS FREEZING AND THEY DON’T HAVE A JACKET” Now that was ringing every alarm bell in his head. He got off his chair, staring at Papyrus intensely.

“Are you sayin’…?” He didn’t wait for his brother to answer and hurried over to the door

“SANS BE CAREFUL! I DON’T THINK THEY ARE WELL!” The words not well kept echoing in his mind as he opened the door. He wished that she would stand in front of the door, just giving him one of her warm smiles or that cute crinkle of her nose that seemed to be reserved only for Frisk. But there was no smile to greet him, no pale freckles, and no eyes the colour of determination, filled with warmth. If he didn’t know better, he could have almost thought that Papyrus was pulling an elaborate prank on him. But he did know better, and that was the only reason, he didn’t completely overlook her.

And there she was.

Curled up in a ball, face hidden against her knees. She was wearing a white hoodie with some brown dirt stains, that seemed at least 4 sizes too big on her. Her face was hidden under the comically oversized hood. There was a strand of hair that slipped out of it and seemed to be caked with mud.

Maybe she tripped into a puddle?, he wondered as he crouched down next to her gently. Didn’t explain how she ended up on their doorstep though.

 Careful as not to startle her, he started to shake her shoulder, his voice low and quiet. “Hey kiddo. Time to wake up, this isn’t a great space to nap.” She finally started to rouse and shift a bit, her movement sharp and a bit uncoordinated from waking up probably. He was, however, proven wrong quickly, as she turned her head towards him, her cheek resting on her knee.

“Shit!” Sans couldn’t stop himself from swearing at what he saw, even though Papyrus was around, and flinching back, almost falling over onto his bony butt.

“SANS! IS EVERYTHING OKAY? IS THE TINY HUMAN OKAY?”

Just like the pictures in his head he wished to experience again, there were red eyes staring at him from under thick lashes, her neck craned and exposed, as her hair slid over her shoulder, a tiny smile on those lips. He wished he didn’t have to see you like this. There was a necklace of bruises around her neck, a nasty gash on her nose and more splotching and angry welts on her cheek. On closer inspection, what he previously thought was mud, was clearly dried blood.

“I’m sorry…” Her voice was quiet and a bit raspy. He didn’t want to think as to why. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Chapter Text

“Thanks for coming so quickly Tori” Sans had his voice lowered, as to not disturb you from where you were curled up on one of the kitchen chairs, trying to take up as little space as possible. Your muscles where aching and stiff and while your eyelids had started to droop just shortly before Sans found you on their doorstep, they felt like led now. You didn’t want to sleep though, scared of the images that kept flashing whenever you closed your eyes.  

“Of course, Sans, you sounded like it was urgent.” Toriels voice sounded calm and gentle, like always but you only registered it from far away. Your eyes wandered around the room and lingered on Papyrus, who tried to subtly watch you from the living room, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other. You looked away quickly again.

“You didn’t bring the kid, right?”

“No, they are at school. Why don’t you tell me what is going on and we’ll go from there?” Toriel sounded more concerned by the second and you hated that you were bothering her with your issues as well. Wasn’t it bad enough, that you already inconvenienced the brothers?

“Yeah, sorry, ‘s just that I didn’t want them to see this. It’s bad enough that Papyrus is here for it…”

He’s right, you thought, pulling the hood deeper into your face and curling up just a bit tighter. It was getting hard to breathe. I shouldn’t have come, I shouldn’t have bothered them, they’re gonna know, they are going to think I’m weak and stupid, I should have just stayed and-

No .

The intensity of this made you flinch, not expecting to be ripped from your intrusive thoughts like that. You could hear footsteps coming into the room and heard an all too familiar “Oh dear” whispered.

“Boys, could you maybe… give us the room?” The goatmonster asked gently.

“Sure just… be gentle okay, Tori?” The concern in Sans’ voice made you blush the tiniest bit, warming your heart.

“I am always gentle, Sans.”

“I know..” He mumbled. “C’mon Paps, let’s give ‘em a bit of space…”

“DO YOU THINK THE HUMAN WILL BE OKAY?”

“I hope so, buddy.” Oh no, don’t worry, please, I’m not worth the worry… You shrank back a bit more, lost in your depreciating thoughts. I am just trouble, please, I’m not good, I shouldn’t have come, this is wrong, this is-

“Are you alright, my child?” Once again ripped from your thought, you stared at Toriel, hoping to cover as much of your body as possible. For a moment, you just stare at each other. The longer the silence drags on, the more you just want to hide. She crouched down to eyelevel with a sigh and you could feel your heart sink. Oh no, I’ve upset her…

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” She surprised you by offering you a kind smile. “Sans called me because he thought you may be in need of.. assistance, if I’ve heard correctly?” You just kept staring at her, unable to get a single word out. “Please, my dear, there is nothing to be afraid of. You can trust me. I will help you.” She held out a hand for you.  You were tempted to take her hand, already reaching out hesitantly, when the front door of the house suddenly opened with a loud bang.

“PAPYRUS! YOU’VE MISSED TRAINING THIS MORNING! DID SANS INFECT YOU WITH HIS LAZYNESS? YOU DIDN’T EVEN CALL!” Undyne barged into the apartment, letting the door bang against the wall. Terrified, you stumbled from your place, scrambling away until your back hit a wall, desperately grabbing for something to defend yourself. Unfortunately, in your case, that would be Sans’ half empty cup of Coffee, completely spilling it on yourself and the floor.

“No…” you breathed out, feeling like your lungs were constricted. There wasn’t enough air. There just wasn’t. The world started to single in on the loud bang, fear gripping your heart. He’s back. He found you, he’s gonna kill you, you’re dying, this is what dying feels like

Someone was crouching in front of you, but you couldn’t focus. All you could focus on was the desperate of struggle for air again.

“-eed you to look at me, buddy. It’s all good, I promise. Can you look at me please?” A voice was reaching you from so far away and you had to force yourself and look up, desperately trying to focus on the two white pinpricks that held your gaze. “That’s it, now take a deep breath-yeah just like that. In-and out again. You’re doing great.” The deep rumble of the voice was comforting to you, something to hold on to.

“Don’t-Don’t let him hurt me-please.” The desperate whisper came over your lips before you could stop yourself. “Please, he’s- he’s going to kill me.” You heard movement and instinctively held out your improvised weapon in front of you. “I did something bad and he’s-he’s here to punish me again. Don’t let him take me! If he gets me, I’m dead” Your hands were shaking, barely able to hold onto the handle of the stained coffee mug.

“No, no, no, it’s fine. That’s just Undyne.” The voice assured you. You finally recognised it as Sans’. His hand brushed against yours, as he carefully finessed the mug out of your shaking fingers. Sensing your distress over the loss of your defence, he threaded his phalanges through yours. “Here, hold on.” The smooth bone felt cool against your skin and gave you something physical to grip and touch. Desperate for some form of stimulation, you let your fingers wander over his, not noticing his shiver. Focusing on every little ridge and bump, you were surprised to find yourself wondering how his bones stayed together without any form of muscle or tendons to keep the twenty-seven bones connected and moving. Must be magic… “Yeah, you’re doing great. Now, can you breathe with me again?” You followed his order for a whole two breaths, before knitting your brows together.

“You don’t have lungs.” His laugh was a warm rumble, deep from his chest.

“There you are. You with us again?” You couldn’t help but nod dumbly.

“I-I’m sorry, I made a mess and-“

“Don’t worry about the mess, please, dear.” Toriel interjected from the doorway, Papyrus and Undyne behind her, clearly in the middle of a stern scolding. “Sans, can you please get them something fresh to wear? Those wet clothes must not be helping. And maybe a bit more privacy?” She glared at Undyne again, who just raised her hands in defence.

“Toriel, I’m sorry, I didn’t know!” she mumbled as the skeleton in front of you carefully pull you up to your feet.

“Can you walk, or do you need help?” Once again, you could do nothing but shake your head. He led you back into the room you woke up the first time you’ve met them all, a gentle smile and featherlight touches. “I’ll be right back with something to change. Just… stay here, okay?” You just stared at him, as he left, swallowing hard. It was difficult for you to accept all this kindness and help. You were sure that Toriel would be with you any minute, no doubt that she was planning on helping you out of the soiled clothes. You could feel the wet fabric of the sweater cling to your skin, stained with more than coffee, and suddenly it was hard to breathe again. You just wanted it gone. You didn’t wanna feel the blood caked on your skin. You wanted to stand under boiling water and scrub your skin off until it was red and raw and blistering. You couldn’t stand wearing these clothes for one more second.

Desperately, you tore the hoodie off your body, not caring, that you ripped open some wounds, that had crusted over and stuck to the fabric, throwing it as far away as your aching and stiff muscles allowed you. Heaving heavily, you just stood there, not sure what to do now. Finally, after what felt like ages of just standing there, a knock on the doorframe ripped you out of your thoughts.

“Is- Is everything okay? Can I come in?” Swearing, you gripped the first thing you could find to cover yourself, wrapping your shivering and aching body in the duvet on the bed, wincing at the thought of ruining it.

“Y-Yes, you can come in.” When Sans came in, you could do nothing but stare at each other for a second, both of you flushing slightly. This all seemed more intimate than you expected. He pat the fabric pile in his hands with a slight cough and it was as if the spell was broken.

“I-uh… brought you some stuff to wear.” He cleared his voice again, which made the corners of your mouth twitch the slightest bit. “They are some of my shorts and an old shirt. I was afraid that Papyrus’ things would be way too big for you, but they may still be a bit loose on ya.” Your hands brushed his, as you carefully took the pile and you flushed again, deeper this time. You whispered a small sorry, that was barely more than a breath and he just shook his hands. “Don’t apologise, didn’t mean to rattle your bones so much” You giggled a bit, covering the lower half of your face again. “Ah, damn it…” He seemed embarrassed, to your delight. You were glad that you weren’t the only awkward one. 

“No, please, go on, I’m just glad you guys weren’t showing me the cold shoulder, t-tibia honest.” You turned beet red at your awful pun, chastising yourself. The skeleton surprised you once again though, by chuckling at it.

“That was a good one!”

“Y-Yeah, because you know… you’re skeletons and… it’s cold outside, so…. Yeah…” Embarrassed you bit your lip. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny if you have to explain it.”

He just shook his head quickly. “No, really, that was good. You have a real funny bone, kid.”

You snorted again and looked at him bashfully. “I have a name, you know?” You whispered, a smile on your lips. He smiled back, just looking for a second.

“Elaine, then.” Oh- Oh, that wasn’t- - It hit you harder than you expected, and for just a moment, it took your breath away before you could pack that feeling away into a neat little box, ready to be dealt with later.

“Elaine.” You whispered back instead, a smile on your lips.

“May I enter?” Toriels voice startled you, and you instinctively straightened.

“Yes! Please, Yeah, I am sorry!” She smiled at you, taking Sans’ place in front of you. A hand came up to cradle your face motherly. You couldn’t help but close your eyes and indulge for a moment.

“Oh, poor thing. We should get you fixed up now.” She gave Sans a short glance. “May I have the room? Without any disturbance now? And please tell Undyne to bring me some bandages and painkillers. The pink ones please. Quietly” She clicked her tongue in mild displeasure. “I doubt that we will be able to fix all of that with just magic today, sadly” He nodded, and you watched him go, an unfamiliar ache in your chest, before turning back to the goatmonster. “I know this may be too much, but I have to see what we are working with. The damage isn’t just on your face, isn’t it?” Considering for a second, you shake your head before dropping the blanket with a sigh. Insecure, you try to cover yourself up again, unwilling to meet her eyes. Suddenly, you found yourself in her arms, your face pressed against her soft cardigan. “I am sorry my child.” She whispered in your hair. “You must have endured terrible.” Your hands curled into the fabric of her clothes, as she gently pet your back. “It’s okay now. We’re here for you” You didn’t know when you started to cry.

Sans sat on the couch with Papyrus, barely listening to his ramblings. His thoughts were going a million miles per hour. He didn’t mean to peep on you, he honestly just didn’t expect to just stand there, so desperate to get out of the dirty sweater. Neither did he expect you to not wear anything underneath. Nothing except for the handprints at least. He couldn’t get them out of his head. It was so easy to see where someone had gripped you too harshly. He hated every single bruise and hated the story they were telling even more so. He never understood how humans could be so cruel to each other. And for a second, he just stood there, staring at your back, at the two handprints on your hips, one where they met your waist and one only partially visible, peaking out under the waistband of the pants, before pressing himself against the wall in the hallway, taking a deep breath. He had to force himself to calm down, no matter the atrocities before him. He just knocked and of course, she had let him in with a smile. It even seemed real. At least most of it.

And now, he was forced to sit out here, a beacon of calmness, while he had to hear the muffled conversation from Papyrus’ room, Undyne’s rustling in the bathroom and his brothers nervous talking.

“Hey Toriel, I couldn’t find the pills you wanted so I just brough you EVERYTHING!” Undyne was just barging into the room and he could hear the distinctive sound of pill bottles clattering on the floor. “Oh, What the f-”

“Undyne! Language!”

“-udge!” It was quiet again for a few minutes before Undyne came and let herself fall on the couch. She let out a deep sigh.

“What a mess…” Sans just nodded. “I’m gonna murder him.” She ground out quietly, leaning back and throwing an arm over her eyes.

“You and me both, buddy.” He answered dryly. Papyrus looked between the two, his browbone furrowed.

“I HAVE THE FEELING THAT I AM MISSING SOME VITAL INFORMATION HERE”

You look at yourself in the mirror. Most of the welts on it were gone, the bruises a splotchy yellow and green instead of the angry purples and reds. The cut on the bridge of your nose was almost gone but just to make sure, Toriel had put a tiny band aid on it-she had called it a steri-strip. Your lip wasn’t split either, which you were thankful for. That one always took the longest to heal. The burn marks on your arms would probably scar, but you expected that. They always did and the white of the scar blended in with the white of your freckles anyways, so you didn’t care much. You never cared much. There wasn’t much to care for.

You didn’t recognise the face in the mirror as yours, but you were used to that as well, so you just smiled, putting your head against the cool surface with a relieved sigh.

We’re safe now .

Safe, you thought. That was an unfamiliar sensation for you.  You hadn’t felt safe in years now. There was an ache in your chest just from that thought. You swallowed it down, as usual. With a last glance, your fingertips grazed the mirror, the image grazing back. It made you smile as you turned away, grabbing the moist towel, and rubbing whatever was left of the moisture of the shower out of your hair. Sans’ clothes were soft and hung on your body loosely, but not in a suffocating way. You really had to go out and get some stuff of your own now. Maybe even a job, if you could explain away that 4 year gap on your resumé.

Braiding the long, brown hair, you pushed the bathroom door open with your hip-which hurt considerably less now. “I’m sorry, I know I took forever and wasted probably all of your hot wa…ter…”

It was dark in the room. Smoke curled through the air, and you had to cough. Your chest felt tight, and when you looked down again, you were wearing the lavender dress you were wearing the day before.

“Oh no…” When you looked up again, the room had changed once again. Desperate to escape the dreadful mansion, you tried to run back into the brightly lit bathroom, but the door swung close with a loud bang. You grabbed the handle, pulling as hard as you can. “No, please, please, let me in, I can’t do this again, please!” Tears were gathering in your eyes, threatening to spill.

“You’re finally home, little dove.” Every hair on your body was standing up, as you turned around, looking Hugh into the eyes. His smile seemed more threatening now than it ever did before. He reached out and his fingers brushed across your jawline, and you could do nothing but squeeze your eyes shut, frozen in fear. Suddenly, his fingers close around your throat, and you try to gasp, but nothing comes out. Trapped between a wall and Hugh’s body, there was no room to struggle. You can feel his hot breath on your face and try to turn your head away, but he easily forces you back.

“I know what you did, little dove” His thumb roughly caressed your lips, while still choking you. Tears were running down your face and it was getting harder and harder to stay conscious. “Maybe it’s time to clip the little birdies wing, what do you say, hmh?”

Chapter Text

You couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream or fight back.

Paralyzed by fear, there was nothing you could do, as your fiancé dug his hands into your neck, about to choke the life out of you. Something was different about him this time. His eyes were cold and hard without any kind of emotion behind it. To him, you were just another plaything. You’ve always been just a plaything.

A sick man’s replacement for something he could never have and now never will.

In his eyes, you were nothing and somehow, he had you convinced that this was true for the entire world. So why even struggle or fight against him?

No

Filled with anger and grief, you push him away, ducking under his arm.

“That is enough. I am not going to play your stupid games today, Hugh!” You tried to walk away briskly, but he managed to snake an arm around your waist, pulling you against his chest.

“Don’t fight me, little bird. You know, when you fight me, I have to punish you.” His mouth was so close to your ear, that you could feel his hot breath on your cheek. When you feel the hot end of his cigarette press against your arm for the first time, you gasp from the shock. “When you lie to me, I have to punish you.” His grip turned painful as you began to struggle against his hold, and he just pressed his cigarette into another spot. This time you scream. These would scar. He had never left permanent visible marks on you before. This is different. It is wrong “When you go behind my back, I have to punish you.” Finally able to rip yourself from him as he presses another mark claiming you as his into your skin, you glare at his towering form, breathing heavily.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” You huffed. “I have done nothing wrong. For years, I do whatever you tell me. I am allowed one day, to grief my mother and not deal with your bullshit on top of it!” You didn’t know where you got that bravery from, but Hugh didn’t seem happy either. There was murder painted on his face.

Suddenly, he pushed you. Hard. Not expecting it, you stumble.

“Don’t act coy with me! I have seen you! You dirty little monster fucker!” he screamed, leaving you confused.

“What are you talking about?” you screamed back but he just pushed you again.

“Don’t lie to me, you cheating whore! I followed you from the hospital and saw you with those… those things.” He pushed you hard enough, that you fell down, landing on your wrist with a crack. Your scream died in your throat as you tried to fight back, but he was on top of you, pinning you down.

“Let go of me! I have no idea what you are talking about!”

“You have no right to go out and just screw around. You are mine. You are my property! Fucking act like it!” Hugh was shaking you, your head connecting with the floor and making an ugly sound. He gave you no chance to defend yourself or speak up, except for your sounds of pain. “I’d rather have you fucked by an animal than one of those… lowlifes! You are mine; do you hear me?” You could only mumble something non-committal before his backhand hits you on the mouth and nose. You could feel your lip split and his ring cut your skin. And insane smile grazed his lips as he leaned down to you. “I had to punish you. You get that, right? I love you, little dove, and that’s why I’m punishing you. You need to learn to just accept my love. I know what’s best. I alone do!” He didn’t make any sense, at least to you. He was just terrifying.

“You were a bad little girl. And you were getting attached. All your love should be for me. You get it, right? And if you really want a child, I can give you one. I’d love to put a little one inside of you. Can’t leave me if you’re a mother.” Assuming that his touch was supposed to be tender, almost caring, you could seriously consider yourself freaked out as of now. “I am sorry that I hurt you, but this was necessary. This is what happens to people that try to steal you. You know? This was a good thing. You’re not gonna be mad. She wasn’t really alive anyways and now we can spend so much more time together and-“

Suddenly all of his words started to make sense and you were gripped by an ice-cold anger.

“You killed my mother?” you could only stare at him dumbly and he began to laugh.

“I didn’t kill her. I just…turned off her machines. It was a fast thing, I promise. She barely even suffered, I’m sure. Besides, I had every legal right to it.”

“You killed my mother!” You said again, this time with more force and he hit you again.

“Oh, will you shut up! I am trying to tell you that this is a good thing, you useless- “You cracked your face against his skull with a deafening roar, flipping the two of you.

“YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!” Your punches may not do a lot of damage, but you felt relief, letting it all out, until he swished your leg, getting you off balance and rolling you across the floor again.

“SHUT UP!” Your head smashed on the floor again, leaving you dazed. He was breathing heavily. “I said, this is a good thing, why won’t you just listen?” His hand gripped your face again, giggling. “You look so hot when you bleed, dove. It always gets me hot.” His hands gripped your hips, pulling you towards him in a motion that was all too familiar, sadly.

“Don’t touch me, you psycho!” you wheezed, nothing but disgust on your face, but he didn’t listen to you. He pushed your dress up and one hand hooking under the waistband of your leggings. When you struggle, he just rips the front of the delicate fabric. “Stop it…” Weakened, you tried to push him off, his hands were digging into your skin though, turning it blue. “I hate you.” You spat, tears spilling over. Hugh snarled, slapping you across the face again, one of his hands closing around your throat, crushing your windpipe.

“Shut up! I don’t wanna hear a single word from you ever again! Or I’ll kill everyone you love and make you watch!” His grip tightened, no matter how much you kicked and struggled. Your vision started to go fuzzy, your heart beating so fast that it was deafening.

This is how we die, you drily though, ready to surrender to your fate.

Something inside you, wasn’t so willing though.

With newfound strength and no ability to control your own actions, you gripped Hugh’s hand from your hip, twisting it backwards with a sharp motion, revelling in the sound of bones breaking and the agonised scream. It brought a smile to your lips as you sat up from the marble floor that was splattered with blood. He looked at you in horror and anger, ready to lash out like a wild beast but you shushed him quickly.

“Greetings, Human.”

There was a weight crushing you, and you started to struggle in the darkness. Your throat still felt sore and raw, turning the primal scream inside you into nothing more than a rough croak. The room was shrouded in darkness, which made it extra hard to escape your prison. After what felt like hours, you managed to kick the weight off of you, chest heaving. It takes another eternity for your eyes to get accustomed to the low light, so you can identify your assailant as a set of heavy blankets.

All fight left you like a deflating balloon, your shoulders slouching. Tears stung in your eyes, and you angrily wipe them away, feeling incredibly silly for reacting so badly to a simple nightmare.

Well, maybe not nightmares, but bad memories haunting your sleep was exhausting to think of and also say. So nightmares they were.

“HUMAN?” Startled, you look up, like a deer caught in headlights. You face a tired Papyrus, his eyesockets hooded from sleep and worry.

“Papyrus. I’m sorry, I probably woke you and-“

“I’VE BEEN AWAKE TO STAND GUARD OVER YOU, PLEASE DON’T APOLOGISE” The guilt felt like an ice-cold knife right into your soul, and your knees buckle, falling back on what you know realise was the well-worn couch in the living room. You could do nothing but stare at your hands, barely able to even breathe. The springs groan a bit, as he sits down next to you.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” His voice was gentle, like speaking to a kitten and you sigh.

“Yes, I’ll be fine, I just had a…” You felt at a less for words suddenly, incredibly frustrated with yourself.

“A NIGHTMARE?” he finished for you, and you nodded quietly. He leaned back on his arms, clearly lost in thought. “MY BROTHER HAS NIGHTMARES TOO, YOU KNOW?” Caught off guard by this surprisingly tender admission, you look at him, but his eyes are cast up to the ceiling. “HE THINKS THAT I DON’T KNOW. OR THAT I WON’T NOTICE THE LOOK IN HIS EYES HE STILL GETS SOMETIMES. IT’S THE SAME ONE I SEE IN YOUR EYES, HUMAN. HE HAD THAT ONE A LOT WHEN WE WERE STILL UNDERGROUND AND IT MADE ME WORRY A LOT ABOUT HIM. HE TRIES VERY HARD AND DOESN’T WANT TO SHOW IT. SO I PLAY ALONG, TO KEEP HIM HAPPY.” He throws you a sidewards glance, a smile on his lips. “I LOVE MY BROTHER A LOT. THAT’S WHY I TRY TO BE THE BEST BROTHER I CAN BE FOR HIM. HE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY. WE ALL DO.” His look turned a bit more knowing and mischievous. “DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY, HUMAN?”

Taking a deep breath, you just nod again, too many thoughts into your head right now.

“YOU SHOULD TRY TO SLEEP AGAIN. SANS AND UNDYNE WENT TO BED AN HOUR AGO BECAUSE THEY WOULDN’T MOVE FROM YOUR SIDE. I AM SURE THEY WOULD BE UPSET, TO SEE THEIR EFFORTS OF KEEPING YOU SAFE WASTED.” There was that sense of guilt again, but you hide it behind a smile.

“Yeah, of course….” Clearing your throat again, you smile at him shily. “Sorry if I’m bothering you again, but could I maybe have some tea?”

“OF COURSE, TINY HUMAN. I SHALL PREPARE YOU SOME. AND THEN WE SLEEP?”

“Then we sleep” you echo. He nods at you, getting up again to make the aforementioned Tea. It’s still hard to breathe and you can hear the sound of your bare feet slapping on the floor, as you walk over to the balcony. The cold air from outside hits your face in the best way and helps to lighten that weight on your chest a bit. The view from the apartment complex wasn’t anything to sing praises about but it was something different and right now different was good. Shivering, you hug your torso with only a slight ache in your muscles. Taking a deep breath, you keep staring into the distance, leaning against the railing. You desperately try not to think about the oh so tempting abyss opening up below. Your eyes shift downwards ever so often anyways, and you hate yourself for that. Hate yourself for considering it. But sometimes the intrusive thought became a bit too loud to ignore.

Just being here endangers everyone. People around me have suffered for less. Maybe it would be better. Dead people can’t endanger anyone. I am just abusing these people’s kindness because I’m scared.

Despondent, you double over, your forehead resting on the metal railing, eyes pressed together.

You need to breathe, another, much more calm voice inside you pipes up. It’s always been the more rational side of your brain. Following their advice, you breathe in until you can’t take in anymore, while crouching down fully now, your hands holding on to the railing above your head. Breathing out, you open your eyes, looking below.

It would be so easy.

Your knuckles turned white from the hard grip you had around the freezing metal pipe.

“Nobody would even miss me” You let the tiny whisper be carried away by the cold autumn air.

That’s not true, and you know that. Someone would grieve you

You could hear faint steps behind you and felt a familiar tingle of being watched on your neck and you shivered. Probably just Papyrus with the tea, you thought with a sigh. There was a rustling accompanying the steps and something warm was draped over your shoulders. Startled, you looked up, meeting Sans’ sleepy eyes. His browbone was furrowed just the tiniest bit and the dark pit of guilt in your stomach grew heavier once more.

“Why don’t you step away from the edge there, buddy, hmh?” he whispered, and you could feel yourself pale, quickly looking away.

“Y-You got it wrong” you tried to defend yourself weakly, but your voice betrayed you. Letting go of the railing, your fingers curl into the sift material of the jacket that almost swallowed you. It was still warm from his body heat probably and you could catch a slight waft of his smell on it too. “I just needed to breathe.”

“Mhm…” It was clear from his voice that he didn’t really believe you, but he sat down on the ground with you.

“Why are you awake, Sans?” It was a feeble attempt to change the topic, but he went along with it anyways.

“I heard the door open and got worried when you didn’t come in again.” He paused for a moment, before continuing. “It’s uh… been a while?” Confused, you furrow your brow before turning your head to stare at him.

“That doesn’t make sense”

“What? It’s been like 20 minutes”

“No, not that… I mean, you worrying. It doesn’t make sense. I… You barely know me and you show me so much kindness. Why?” You shook your head, looking away again. “I’m not worth all the effort. I don’t… I don’t matter so why do y’all act like I do?” 

“Why would you say that?” His voice sounded genuinely hurt and upset. You think it over for a moment, worrying your lip between your teeth. Unable to come up with a satisfying answer, you just shrug, hugging yourself again.

Maybe you should tell him

“Hey, look at me…” You shot him the shortest glance ever and he sighed, trying again. “Elaine. Look at me. Please?” Reluctantly, you follow his request, surprised by the hurt in his eyes. “Listen, I know it’s hard to believe but we actually want you here. The kid seems to be really attached to you already, and maybe it’s good for them to have another human around. My brother and Undyne really like you as well. Tori pretty much adopted you on the spot.”

“You don’t even know me. I could be an insane person. I could be an axe murderer for all you know.” He just shrugged.

“Between you and me, I trust the kids gut. They are… They are pretty special. And if they see something worth saving in you, it’s probably true. Besides, do you really think we could kick you out when you come to us looking like that?”

Your eyes started to sting again, and you angrily wipe them. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go” He scootched a bit closer to you, hesitantly putting an arm around your shoulders.

“I know buddy.” Your eyes still stung, no matter how hard you rubbed them.

It’s okay. You can tell him. Please… Tell him. You need to tell someone

“I…I am lonely, Sans…” Your voice betrays you by cracking hard. “It’s just ben me, stuck in this nightmare for so long now and I don’t know what to do. Every time I close my eyes, I’m either back in… in that place or I see my mother’s face or… him.” Tired of fighting it, your tears spill over, which is so embarrassing. You’ve always been an ugly crier.

“Hey, it’s okay…” The skeleton next to you murmurs, and you lean against him, exhausted.

“It’s not. He… He killed my mother because I disobeyed him and there is nothing I can do because he had legal rights of body because he forced me to give it to him, since he was paying the bills and I feel so stupid, but I was just a kid, I… When I woke up everyone was gone and it was just him and I and if I didn’t do what he wanted my mom would die and I’ve held out so long and then it happened anyways and-“

“Hey, Laney, slow down, you’re hyperventilating” Ripped from your thoughts, you shudder again. He held out his hand again, offering you his bones to play with again, since that worked for you the last time. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?” His smile is open and inviting and you just wanna spill it all.

Please

“When… When I was barely in college, I was involved in a car accident with my family. We were on our way back from…. Something. I don’t remember what exactly. The details are incredibly fuzzy but… We got hit. I don’t remember a lot of it. I remember that I annoyed my sister and she turned back to tease me, and suddenly there was this… thing stuck inside me….and… I was in that car for hours until they found us, and I stared into her eyes but there was no light in them. It hurt so much. It felt like my heart was shattering into a million pieces. And I woke up and they were gone. I was stuck in a coma for a bit more than four months, stuck in this…. Horrible, horrible dark place. It was just darkness. And I ran and ran until I couldn’t run anymore and screamed until my screams were shouting back at me. It felt like being torn apart and being pieced together. Again, and again. I saw flashes of things that should have been but never would and I called for help, but nobody came. until I found…”

No. Not this.

“Found my way out.”

Liar.

“But I woke up and they didn’t. And then I find out that my moms still alive but… the chances of her waking up weren’t good. She…”

“She fell down.” You looked at Sans questioningly and he cleared his throat. “It’s… what we monsters call that. Falling down.”  Giving him a small smile, you continue.

“Falling down then. It broke my heart when I heard that my sister and Dad didn’t make it. I was… I was very close with my sister. She’s been a bit older than me, but she was very doting. Overprotective even. In school, people weren’t always the nicest to me because, well…” You vaguely gestured to your face, as if it explained things. “There were times where she was my only friend, but she never complained. Mer was the most popular girl but always made time for her weird, creepy little sister. And then I woke up and I was… alone. The friends I did make, had moved on already, and I didn’t have any other relatives, except for an aunt who’s been MIA for a while. I’ve never seen her again either. And then…” You took a deep breath. “And then Mer’s ex-boyfriend came to see me- He… he offered that he would pay for Mom’s hospital bills and that I could stay with him for a while. I.. I was always terrified of him but…” Shivering, you snuggle deeper into the jacket. “What was I supposed to do? I had no money, since my mom was still alive, there was no inheritance, I had no job, no degree, nothing. By the time, they probably took the house and everything.”

“So, you said yes. Of course, you said yes.” Sans’ voice sounded so sad, but you just shrugged.

“I couldn’t let her die. I… I didn’t care what would happen to me, I just… I just wanted to do what’s right. He managed to keep the act up for like a week before he started coming onto me. I rejected him but… He’s not one to accept a “no”. He said he wanted me because he was special. And he deserves special things other people couldn’t have. And I was the girl with the weird red eyes and birth defect and died and came back to life and that was a sign that I was meant to be his. God, he scared me so much, but I was afraid that he’d go back on his word, and he made me feel like I was in debt to him.”

“What about you though?”

“I told myself I’d be fine. And it was, in the beginning. He... He gave me space. I was so skittish; I didn’t let him touch me, I refused to kiss him, and I didn’t even sleep in the same room as him. If I slept at all. He said he’d be patient, but you can imagine how well that went.”

“Elaine, you don’t have to-“

“No, it’s fine.” You could feel the bile in your mouth, but you swallowed it down. “I-I haven’t told this to anyone before. I mean, I tried but…. The only people I was allowed to see were Hugh’s friends, who are just as bad as him. Every time he hurt me, he was very keen on not leaving a mark. So I started to hurt myself in ways that would. Just to make him angry.” With shaking hands, you shove up the sleeve to your elbow, not looking at the skeleton, as he gently grips your arm. You shiver, as he touches one of the ugly, jagged scars, now just a faded white line.

“What did you do?” The horror in his voice was apparent and you felt ashamed. He was probably disgusted by you.

“I got that one when he hit me hard enough to pass out for the first time. I cut my arm on a piece of glass and he was so mad. It gave me the idea…” His fingers brushed a bit higher, sending a tingle down your spine.

“And here?”

“He locked my in the bedroom for three days when I said I wanted to switch majors from arts to quantum majors. He called me stupid for thinking he’d let me study anything. I was just there to be pretty.”

“This one?” He had switched sides, his fingers barely even a gentle whisper of a touch.

“He didn’t let me eat for a week because I was getting fat. I barely even had 95Ibs. The one above was when he first started to threaten to stop paying. That one was an accident. He threw a vase at me.” You took a deep breath when he reached the one scare that went with the veins, instead of perpendicular to them. He seemed to notice and looked up, meeting your eyes.

“This one’s different?”

“Yeah… I.. I got that one when he first started raping me.” Shocked, his shoulders slumped, and you couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. You felt dirty.

“Elaine…”

“I wouldn’t let him touch me.” You interrupted him quickly. “So he just took what he wanted. I was so weak, that I couldn’t fight him. It… It hurt a lot. I tried talking to someone but they just… congratulated me. Apparently, it was a miracle that he waited so long. And that’s just how relationships were meant to be, so I should stop complaining. And then it happened again. And again. I prayed that he would just accidentally kill me, but he was so careful, not to. One night I got desperate. I… I don’t know what happened afterwards. I must have disassociated because the next thing I remember was a few days later. I never tried something like that again after that.” You could feel your heart warm, almost like a gentle hug from behind.

Oh little one…

“Anyways… I met Frisk. And you guys. He saw that as an act of rebellion, so he lashed out. I think he actually tried to kill me. So I ran. And now I’m here… I am afraid that he’ll find me again and this time he will hurt someone else, and it will all be my fault. I- oof” Caught off guard, you almost fall over, as you are embraced in an almost crushing hug. “S-Sans?”

“Why do you always worry about everyone else before yourself?” he mumbled into your hair. When he pulls back, he seemed embarrassed, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry, I should have asked before.”

“N-No, it’s fine, I… Enjoyed it?” You could feel yourself flush the same colour as your eyes.

“I’m glad.” He leaned closer again, wiping a tear from your cheek. “I promise you, he will never touch you again.”

“I want to believe you, I really do. It’s just hard.”

“I know” You smiled at him again, and the warm feeling around your heart returned.

I told you that I would bring us somewhere safe

Chapter Text

He will be mad!

I know

He will hurt you again

I know

I hate it when he hurts you

….

He is back

….

And angry

….

He is tearing you apart!

….

You are scared

….

You are marred

….

I hate him

….

I hate him so much

….

He is hurting you

….

Again. And again. And again….

….

I won’t let him do this anymore!

I know

You woke up a lot gentler this time around. No nightmares gripping your soul, no suffocating weight, no fighting. Just a soft warmth enveloping you, the quiet noise from the TV helping to dispel the suffocating silence. For a while, you just lay there, before turning your head to stare at Frisk, who was nestled between your legs and the backrest. For a brief moment, you wonder how they managed to sneak in without waking you. They seem to engrossed by their show, to notice you stirring. They had a bowl of snacks in their lap, plopping the candy into their mouth ever so often.

“Does your Mom know you’re watching stuff like that?” you ask with a smirk, resting your head on your palm. You expected the kid to flinch or at least be startled but they just grin at back at you, clearly unbothered.

That’s why I’m watching it when I’m here. You’re not gonna rat me out, right? You laugh at their antics, turning back to the TV. Meanwhile, Frisk stretched their short legs, draping them over yours, just like you used to do with your sister. There was only a slight ache in your chest, that was clearly getting overshadowed by content.

“Naw, then I’d have to stop watching too, and I actually love this series. I binged it so many times when I was in college, you have no idea.”

You know this?

“Yes, because I’m old?” You roll your eyes. “Who doesn’t know Bones? It was legit the shit. I cried honest tears of betrayal when Zach turned out to be the Gorgammon Apprentice.” They stare at you for a second before wildly starting to gesture.

RIGHT??? And don’t get me started on Sweets? I had to lie to mom and tell her I stubbed my toe because I was so upset.  You laugh at them again, crinkling your nose. For a while, you watch in comfortable silence, only commenting on what’s happening on the TV here and there sometimes.

“Say, little one, how exactly did you end up here? Not that I’m complaining but… you know?” They just shrug, popping more M&M’s into their mouth, offering you some too.

Mom drops me off here sometimes when she has some important “grown up stuff” to do. I have a Key, so I just let myself in. Sans’ probably asleep somewhere. He always is. And you didn’t seem to care.  Nodding, you turn back to the series, sucking on the chocolate. The flavour delighted you and brought you a feeling of remembrance and home. The two of you probably watch like three more episodes. When you see the main character interact with her daughter, you smile gently.

“You know, this is why I love this series.”

What do you mean?

“Usually, autistic people are always portrayed as uncaring and unfeeling, but here, she still has so much love and empathy for people, she just… works a bit differently. And they don’t treat her becoming a mom as a miraculous “fix” for it either. She can be a doting mom and autistic at the same time. It meant a lot for younger me to see this and that it’s so normalised, not something that needs to be fixed. They were way ahead of its time. Not many shows were portraying so many different kinds of people in such a positive light.” Frisk just stares at you, biting their lip, and you flush, feeling stupid for rambling like this to a child. You probably don’t even make sense.

Did your mom love you?  Surprised, you blink at them, sitting up a bit straighter.

“Where’s that coming from?” They just shrug and look away.

I dunno…

“Little one…” You sigh deeply, thinking over your words. “I know my mom loved me more than anything in the world.”

I don’t think my mom loved me. That’s why I like this show. People still love you, even though you are damaged.

“Toriel not loving you? That doesn’t seem right…”

No, not her… My… My real Mom.  Frisk sighs and you sit up, holding out your arms for them to crawl into.

“C’mere…” They nestle between your legs, and you start to braid the short sections of their hair into a tiny braid, waiting for them to continue.

My mom called me damaged goods all the time because I wouldn’t speak. She got mad because I could I just… couldn’t. She was always mad at me. She didn’t even care that I was gone.

“You know, humans suck, sometimes. But that doesn’t mean it always has to be like that.” They twist around, their tiny hands reaching out for your face, brows knitted together. The fingers brushing against the white spots on your face, your eyebrows and lashes are gentle, yet hesitant. Usually, you dislike someone touching them, but this wasn’t about you, so you kept quiet.

You are damaged too. Didn’t your parents get disappointed?

“No, they were so happy to have me. But that’s not important. What’s important, is that just because someone brought you into this world, doesn’t mean that they are your Mom. Being a Mom or Dad is more than just genetics. Its about love. Anyone can make a baby but that doesn’t mean they are a parent. Actions speak so much louder than words and Toriel is basically screaming her love for you into the world. That is a mother.” You move on to another braid, on the other side of their face, your fingers as gentle as can be. “You aren’t broken, just because you communicate differently. Your family still loves you. You are perfect, just the way you are.” You finish your braid and pull the two back to the back of their head, twisting them together. Frisk was leaning back against you, looking up at you with a smile.

Thanks… Your Mom sounded awesome. I’m sorry about her…. Undyne told me what happened.

“t’s okay, little one.” You smile, and its only mostly faked. You needed to have a word with Undyne about being a blabbermouth.

What was she like?

What was your mother like? That was a loaded question.

“She was… kind. Patient. Taught me to always think of others and be grateful for the little things in life. She always called me her little blessing. A gift of the fae, she said.

Fae?

“Mom was a believer of the old gods, the fae, magic and little wonders. Her side of the family came from generations of witches, healers… People of nature and magic. They fled here because they used to be prosecuted and hunted for it”

Like monsters?  They seemed excited by the thought, and you smiled, grabbing another section of their hair to braid into the others.

“Well, come to think of it, that’s what the old stories were probably referring too but over generations, legends get twisted and change. Do you wanna hear the story about how she named me?”

Is it a nice one?

“Yes, it’s one of my favourites!”

Then yes, please! Smiling softly, you clear your throat before starting to tell a story you knew by heart, having heard it a million times already.

“My parents didn’t expect to be expecting, since they already had a child. That didn’t stop them from loving me the moment they knew. They were so excited to meet me. Everything seemed perfect, but they couldn’t agree on a name. My dad was really set on Ruth, and my mom threated divorce if he was serious. My sister Mercy wanted Rosemary if she had a little sister, and Sage, if it was a little brother. My mom really wanted Diphylleia. I'm still mad that they didn't choose that one! In the end, they settled on Krissandra. Or Kris, short. It’s an old name in our family. Everything was perfect…. I was supposed to be born in the snow, at the end of the year. And then came Mabon… “

Mabon?

“It’s the fall equinox. The day where dark and light are in perfect equilibrium. Anyways, Mabon came, and my Mother suddenly went into labour. She knew that something was wrong, I was too soon, too small. And when she finally gave birth, I came out blue, neither screaming nor crying. I didn’t draw my first breath and I was too little to even have a fighting chance. The doctors tried so hard for me, but it was all for naught.
My mother begged them to be able to hold me, just once. And when she did, I was cold and not at all what she was dreaming of. So she cried and cried and begged to old gods not to take me away.
“Please, give her back to me, just for a little bit!” she prayed, and something must have heard her because suddenly I gasped for air and I opened my eyes and when I looked her they were red like the blood that was flowing through our veins and she knew in that moment, that I was destined for great things. Grateful and faithful as she was, she knew not to squander the blessings of the ancient ones and she knew, that she had no choice but devote something to the great goddess herself. And she looked at me and just knew my name. She hadn’t heard it before, but it just resonated so hard inside her, that this was the one for her little girl.”  

And that’s why you are called Elaine?

So engrossed in your story, you stumbled over your own words, biting your tongue so hard that you could taste blood. Frisk turned to look back at you with a smile and it takes you a second before you can return it.

“That’s right little one” Guilt settles into your stomach but you push through, picking up your braiding where you had abandoned it.

Hmmmh… I like that story. Is it true?

“It’s just a story, I’ve been told. So, who knows…”

I hope it’s true. There was a finality in their statement, that you didn’t wanna fight, so you just hummed, as you finished your braiding.

“There. All done.” They turned around, looking up at you with huge, round eyes.

How does it look?

“Perfect. You look perfect” Their smile could have outshined a hundred suns.

For a while, you continue your show, until Frisk’s tummy started to rumble.

“You hungry?” They nod and you grab the remote, pausing the series and getting off the couch, stretching your stiff joints. “C’mon, I’ll make you something. Why don’t you call Undyne and Papyrus and ask them if they wanna have a movie night while I’m busy? Make it a fun day, yeah?”

Awesome! They grin, already pulling out their phone as you walk into the kitchen. You open up the fridge and drawers but find nothing but various shapes of noodles and tomato sauce.

“It’s just tomato sauce. Not even meat or a carrot…. God knows there isn’t a drop of seasoning in this!” You mumble, exasperated, before grabbing a post it and pen to scribble down a grocery list. “Almost four years on the surface and not a single ounce of flavour discovered! Little one, what do you usually eat when you are here?” Frisk came into the room, climbing onto the counter, their short legs dangling.

Spaghetti, why?

“Just Pasta?”

No, Spaghetti. You squint at them, not quite believing the mischievous grin.

“Please tell me your mom feeds you a vegetable from time to time, at least” you mutter, as you are busy writing your list, not expecting an answer. The doorbell suddenly rang, making you look up. Your eyebrows knitting together. “Well, that was fast…”

I got it! Frisk signed excitedly as they run to the door, but you followed them anyways. In the hallway, you suddenly freeze, your throat closing up. You aren’t Undyne! Who are you?

“Little one, come here” You reached out for them, putting yourself between the child and the door. “Go wake up your uncle please. The others must be here any minute. You don’t want him to miss the party, right? I got this, okay?” Confused, they follow your order, your tone not allowing any argument. You took a deep breath before walking up to the door.

“Hello, Rebecca.” You found great joy in the fact that she didn’t look perfect for once. She wasn’t wearing makeup and there were dark shadows under her eyes. Her hair was brushed but not pinned up and the top button of her blouse was a bit loose. She’d probably have to stitch it back on or she’d lose it soon. Her lips were stained from the lipstick she usually worse and they were dry. “How did you find me?”

“It was easy.” She smirked, putting a hand on her hips, jutting it out a bit. “You know how nosey I can be” Grinding your teeth together, you set your jaw harshly. “You look awful, by the way.”

“So do you. Now, what do you want?” When she reached out to pat your cheek, you try to move away, but she clicked with her tongue like he always did and you froze up mid movement.

“Good girl…. I came to tell you that he is looking for you.” Pure horror hit you like a shock of electricity, rooting you in place. Of course he’d come for you. There was nothing you could do, you were helpless. You shouldn’t have tried to-

Enough

“So what now? You are gonna drag me out of here against my will?” You knew that your voice betrayed you, barely above a whisper and shaking.

“Good god, no, love.” She laughed in your face. “Don’t be stupid, you silly girl. With you gone, I can finally upgrade from my meek little pharmacist. I am here to warn you so you will never come back. I’d be stupid to bring you with me.”

“I knew you were sleeping with him” you sighed. “You can have him, for all I care…. You deserve each other.”

“Sure, you say that now, but we both know that you are gonna come crawling back, as soon as you get bored of this….” She vaguely gestured to the area around. “quaint little abode. Or when the novelty of screwing monsters wears off. You don’t have any money.” Rebecca mock pouted. “Or an education. Poor little girl, no hopes for any future.”

“If you really think, I was just in it for the money…” you hissed but she shushed you quickly.

“Of course you were. Everyone is just in it for money. That’s what keeps the world turning. Maybe you can make some money with those new little… pets of yours? Open a zoo or a freakshow, for all I care.”

“They are people.” You hiss again, stepping closer as anger flared up. “You should treat them with respect.” She didn’t seem threatened by you, but then again, you were almost a full head and a half smaller than her. Nobody ever took you seriously.

“If you say so. Maybe it’s better like this anyways. You are among your own now” Disgusted, she gave you a once over, before stepping back.

You hesitate, before calling after her. “He doesn’t love you” Rebecca just stares at you like you’re insane. Maybe you are, but that hasn’t stopped you so far.

“He doesn’t have to love me, he just has to pay me. Stupid.”

“I’m just warning you, Rebecca. He beat me. For years. And much worse. There is no guarantee that he won’t do the same to you.” The human hesitates, clearly thrown off by this. “Just because I don’t like you and you are a horrible, horrible, racist bitch, with the compassion of a wet towel doesn’t mean that I want you to suffer through what I have.”

“I won’t. Because I will be perfect for him.” Her mock confidence returned in the form of a dazzling smile, but you saw that it wasn’t as stable as she wanted you to think.

“Nobody will ever be good enough for him”

“Well, maybe you just suck!” There was pure malice in her voice, but it didn’t shake you. You just felt bad for the poor woman.

“I think that’s enough now” Both of you turn around at the low rumble of Sans’ voice. You could feal some of the tension leave your shoulders and it seems that you gave it to Rebecca, because hers suddenly square up.

“And I think that I didn’t ask one of you to interrupt our conversation. Didn’t you learn any manners in that hole of yours?”

“Probably just as many as you, lady.” She bristled at the accusation, a red flush of anger staining her face. “I think my friend here has made herself pretty clear, so you should leave.” It would have been funny to see her huff and puff and put her oversized purse between her and Sans as if it could protect her, if it wasn’t so pathetic.

“Fine.” she spat, throwing her hair back. “Don’t forget what I told you, Mofu! Have fun with the petting zoo.”

“I’d rather be a Mofu than a stuck-up, old cunt like you anyways!” you hissed, and Sans had to physically hold you back, before you broke her nose. The door closed with a loud slam and felt like you were about to scream out of frustration.

“What the hell was that about?” Panting out of fury you turn to the skeleton, meeting his eyelights.

“It’s.. Uh… It’s a slur. For people that associate with monsters.”

“I know that much. I was talking about all of the other stuff. What did that old leather couch want from you?”

“Leather couch?” you snorted. “That was Rebecca. She’s… She’s Hugh’s.. I think underling is fair..” Alarmed, he seemed to stiffen up, the sockets in his eyes darkening. “She’s just a stupid woman who thinks the world revolves around her and her… stupid ideologies. I’m sorry about the screaming, but she just makes me so…. Angry!”

The doorbell rang again, and you threw your arms up, frustrated.

“God damn it, does this woman know no end! I’m gonna strangle her with her eighty-dollar weave, I swear!” You didn’t have to open the door with so much vigour but there was a lot of anger for such a tiny body. “WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT?” The scream dies in your throat, your face instantly turning beet red.

In front of you wasn’t the human you expected. In fact, there wasn’t a human at all.

“Oh my~” The monster in front almost purrs and you just wanna die on the spot. This was mortifying.

Tonton! Frisk cheered as they sprinted at him, basically throwing themselves at him. Of course, he caught the child with ease.

You just screamed at the most famous monster and the number one super star out there. It wasn’t like you watched all of his movies religiously and secretly listened to all of his songs on spotify.

Way to make a good first impression….

 You shut the fuck up right now.

Ready to just go die in a hole out of embarrassment, you decided that the best course of action was to flee to the kitchen, hiding behind the excuse of trying to somehow whip up a meal for like eight people. There weren’t enough ingredients, of course-and you refused to serve the Mettaton plain noodles with tomatoes-but goodness gravy, it was a good distraction. You just had to find a delivery service that would get food here like, five minutes ago. Rubbing your face with a frustrated groan, you decided that you really had to go get groceries as soon as possible. A pang of guilt flared up in your chest, worried that you were just abusing Sans’ and Papyrus’ kindness, but it was quickly smothered by embarrassment as you heard the bell like laugh coming from the other room.

“Hey, you good?” You get startled by the carful whisper behind you, almost banging your head on the overhead cupboard.

“Jesus Christ!” You glare at Sans. “I didn’t hear you come in here!”

“Heh, sorry, didn’t mean to rattle you bones” Your glare turns flat as you fight to keep the snort in. You didn’t wanna give him the satisfaction of a laugh. “No, but for real, you good? I know that that lady got under your skin.” This time you allowed the tiny snort to escape.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just…” you didn’t know how to get your feelings across, so you just shook your head. “It’s fine. It’s whatever, really.”

“Penne for your thoughts?”

“You are im-pasta-ble, Sans” When you see his smile get a bit wider, you can’t help but feel a bit giddy yourself. “But seriously, I’m fine. Maybe absolutely terrified because I behaved like an ass in front of a literal Idol but other than that, I am a-okay.”

“Eh, don’t worry about the tin can, its hard to push his buttons.”

“Because he’s a robot? Haha, very funny” It was funny, but you didn’t wanna admit it, so you turn away from him to hide your smile. “Say, why is there absolutely nothing in this house except noodles?”

“Because that’s what’s not getting the house burnt down” The skeleton just shrugged, like that would explain anything.

“I feel like I am missing some crucial information on spaghetti-gate here.” Even when you narrow your eyes at him, he refuses to elaborate so you just sigh, exasperated. “A whole world of flavours and you choose the most bland variation of it.”

“Oh, you butter believe, there are plainer noodles out there”

“I feel so sorry for you guys. Udon even know the beauty of Asian food, apparently!” He just laughs, clearly happy to have someone to join his antics.

“I’m sure we are all gonna farfalle for it” Snorting, you roll your eyes good heartedly at him, biting your lips to stop the huge grin on your face. You probably just imagined it, but you could have sworn, that Sans eyes glanced at your lips for just a moment, but it made your cheeks heat up anyway, which was confusing in itself.

“Knock knock, you two lovebirds, royalty is speaking~” Startled, you jump a bit, clutching Sans’ hand.

“Oh my god, why is everyone here so insistent on giving me a goddamn heart attack all the time?” muttering under your breath, you face Mettaton, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Sans, dear, would you be a doll and give us the room for a minute?” Every word that came over his probably very highly insured lips sounded like a seductive purr, but you didn’t expect anything else from him. The skeleton monster just gave you a sidewards glance, clearly unwilling to leave you alone with him but you give him an encouraging smile and nod, squeezing his hand where you are still holding on a bit.

“I’ll be okay. I’ll call if I get cannellonely” He just sighs, before walking out, his hand lingering on yours for just a second. You can’t help but follow him with your eyes before directing your attention back to Mettaton, who is still as dazzling and intimidating as ever. “I am sorry that I was rude to you, it wasn’t-“ you started but he just interrupted you with an easy going hand gesture, sauntering over to you.

“That’s not why I wanted to talk to you. Or come over, in general.” Confused, your eyebrows knit together, and you begin to braid a small section of your hair again.

“O-oh?” He saunters over and you realise how truly tall he is, absolutely towering over you.

“Actually, I was hoping to catch you, my darling dearest.” His hands were cold as he took one of yours, guiding you over to the table, to sit down across from you. “I spoke with Frisk. They told me all about your bravery and how you defended them in their time of need. They really didn’t skimp on the details of your heroisms. A little birdie also told me that you were on your way to see little ole’ moi, is that true?” Unable to muster up the courage to look at him directly, you just nod.

“Y-Yes, my… ex.. tried to get a business deal with you and your company. He thought that… I could persuade you.” Your voice was quiet, and you could taste bile. A once in a lifetime chance to speak to a real star and it had to be tainted by others again. 

Mettaton’s fingers were gentle, when they pushed up your chin, so you could look at him. His eyes scan over your face and you were a bit uncomfortable, feeling scrutinised.

“I will never work with someone like that. Please, do not worry. I do not condone such behaviour. I will stand with you, darling.” Exhaling a breath, you didn’t know you held, you relaxed a bit.

“Thank you”

“Don’t thank me for performing the bare minimum please.” This time, his smile was softer, less dazzle and more real. You liked this Mettaton a lot better, you decided. “However, I know that your situation is… less than ideal right now, and as a thank you for helping out my dearest friend, I would love to maybe offer you a job? Or an internship if that’s more up your alley?”

Stunned, you didn’t know what to say. All that leaves your mouth is a surprised “Uh”. You must have heard wrong.

“We all know how hard it is to get a foot ahead on the surface and I think your bravery and kindness should be rewarded. I wish more people had the integrity to stand up to injustice.”

“I don’t have a good resume. Or any finished higher educations. What would you even do with me?” You couldn’t help but wonder. He just laughs and cocks his head.

“Well, are you good at something?”

“Excuse me?” you answered, taken aback but he just kept smiling, crossing his legs. The Intrusive thoughts in your head couldn’t help but admire his incredible boots. They were probably custom made.

“If you tell me something you are good at, I’m sure I’ll find a place for you, sweetie. Or at least something you won’t hate?”

“Uh… I’m organised? I know how to plan a mean schedule?” It was true, maybe because you had learned to construct your entire day around someone else, figuring out their plans and schedules and acting accordingly. Who would have thought that that would help you one day?

“Perfect!” He purred, clapping his hand. “I was in desperate need of a personal assistant anyways!”

“Really?”

“Gosh, no, but it’ll be nice, not to have to look at my planner every five minutes and gossip with someone at the office!” Plucking one of the post-its and pens from the counter, he scribbled something on it before pushing it to you, so you could read it. “I think that salary should be adequate to cover your expenses for now, hmh?” Seeing the number, you balk, not believing your eyes.

“Uh, you forgot a comma there”

“Nope” he really popped the last syllable on that one, checking out his own nails. “It’s what I think someone working for me should deserve. Or do you think you are worth more?” His side-glance was a clear challenge and you swallowed hard.

“I-uh-actually thought less, I mean, I am-“ He interrupted you with a clap and got up from his chair elegantly.

“Great, now that we got that, why don’t you come by the office tomorrow? Just tell Glinda at the front desk who you are, and she will send you right up.” Once again, his fingers brush against your face, this time to push a rogue strand of your reddish-brown hair back behind your ears. “Hmh, I can see why Sans’ like to stare at you” His voice was so quiet that you couldn’t really hear it, but your guess made you blush furiously.

“What?!” He just smiles mysteriously, patting your cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow! Toodles!”

As fast as he came, he was gone again, and you were left confused and with a business card on the table.

It was baby pink and had a scratch and sniff scent to it. Because of course it did.

Hmh…. Smells like cherry blossoms… and sequins?

Chapter Text

“Undyne, I can’t wear a tanktop to my first day of work with Mettaton!” you whined.

“Well, maybe with those noodely arms you can’t” she fired back and gave you her best flex, showing off her arm and back muscles.

“Not all of us have the capabilities to look like the Greek goddess of hunt!” you pouted, and she just snickered.

“Awww, you think I’m hot, nerd?” she bats her eyelashes at you, a wolfish grin on her face but you just gave her a flat look, clearly not impressed with her teasing.

“Undyne, if you weren’t a taken woman, I would climb you like a tree.” That shut up her cackling real quick, flushing her blue skin a pretty purple. “Let’s be real, both wonder woman and Kameron Michaels have a poster of you on their wall with “Body goals” in big, bold letters underneath.”

“I… have no idea who those people are, I’m gonna be honest. Was that a compliment? Please tell me you didn’t just insult me” You just grinned at her, wriggling your eyebrows.

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” She punched your shoulder gently and you just laugh at her. “Okay, but for real, I have to be at MTTN I like two hours and I have nothing to wear. And that’s not just me being a girl in front of a full closet, I literally don’t own any clothes. I really need your help!”

“I get that but why are you asking me of all people, nerd?”

“You being literally the most gorgeous creature I’ve walked across on this planet aside, who else am I gonna ask? Sans? Papyrus? Frisk?”

“At least the kid is your size, probably” She shrugged, and you clutched at your pearls in mock indignance.

“That was uncalled for! I am at least…. Half a head taller than them!” Now it was Undyne’s turn to give you a flat look, putting her hands on her hips.

“The kid is twelve. Give it another week or two.” Crossing your arms, you let yourself fall on the bed, pouting. She sighed and sat next to you, rolling her eye. “Why are you so stressed out anyways. It’s not like he’s gonna fire you over a jacket. And I doubt that you are gonna do more than bring him coffee or fan him with a palm leaf.” It was a fair question but how could you possibly answer this in a way that would bring your feelings across without instantly dumping everything on her?

“Look, it’s… hard for me to ask for help. It took me the whole night to get off my ass to just come and ask you for a nice pair of pants and a blouse. Everyone has been so nice to me, and I don’t wanna seem ungrateful. I don’t want to waltz into the building like I own it and don’t need to work hard because nepotism, I actually want to be good at what I am doing. I want to get my life back together. This is the one chance I have of just… doing something. I hate that things just always happen, I need to actually do something. We’re tired of being passive, it’s time to take things in our own hands.”

Undyne’s eye softened a bit, and she sighed. “I think I have a dress that’s short enough that you won’t trip over it.” You beamed up at her, but she just shook her head. “But I will take you shopping sometime this week, you can’t run around in sweats all day!”

“You are the best, Undyne!” Smiling, she pet your arm.

“Yeah, just don’t tell anyone that I’m being nice to you. I have a reputation to uphold!”

Your hand was shaking as you stood in front of the massive building of MTT Network Inc. It took you a few minutes to calm down enough that you thought you can enter without your knees buckling.

It’s okay. It’s no big deal. You are just going to talk with him. He’s just a normal guy with normal interests. He probably collects pennies in his free time and likes to do sudokus.

Yeah, it’s not like he’s the most beloved Star on this planet right now

Not helping! You scolded your intrusive thoughts again, grinding your teeth and setting your jaw.

With a last deep breath, you pushed open the ornate double doors and enter the foyer. There was a bunny monster sitting behind the reception desk and you couldn’t help but admire how well the navy silk blouse goes with her fur. She looks kind and inviting.

“H-Hi, my name is Aaaaaa… Elaine Winters. I think Mettaton is expecting me?” You gave her a thin-lipped smile, waving the cherry pink card a bit so she can see. She answered with a warm smile as she typed away on her keyboard.

“Yes, he mentioned you!” You weren’t surprised that her voice was soft and airy, a peak performance of professional elegance. “He and Mr. Blook are in a meeting right now, but you can just go up to the top floor in that elevator over there and wait there. I’m sure they will be with you shortly.” Smiling again, you thanked her before you rode the elevator up. It took forever, in your opinion, but at least the music was good, making you wanna bop your head along to it. You refrained from it, however, not wanting to make a fool of yourself.

The doors opened with a ding, and you stepped into the hallway. The carpet is soft enough that you could feel it even through your shoes. The walls were showing off pictures of various events or Mettaton shaking hands with some famous people as well as a few platinum records. You couldn’t help but gulp as you felt intimidated and used one of the polished frames as a mirror to check your hair again. It was still in the loose plaid wrapped around your head where you had put it this morning. You kinda regretted the milkmaid braid now, it made you look like a vintage ad and put focus on your eyes. You squinting all the time because you didn’t have glasses again yet, wasn’t helping you look more sophisticated and less plebeian either.

“Darling, there you are!” Trying your best not to jump to the ceiling, you turned around with a racing heart. The carpet was doing a fantastic job of muffling any steps, even the clacking of the pencil thin heels Mettaton was wearing. He was dressed in a very stylish high waisted pair of pants and a white, ruffly blouse that reminded you of a model you’ve seen on a cover of Vogue a while back. It looked gorgeous on her already, but they looked even better on the superstar in front of you. Thankfully, he was still a few steps away, so you didn’t have to crane your neck up at him. That certainly helped your poised façade and you put on a practiced smile, even though you were screaming inside.

“Mettaton, it’s lovely to meet you again. Thank you so much for inviting me.” His eyes were scanning over you, but you tried your best to remain neutral and friendly. The screaming inside you got louder.

“Darling, you look beautiful. I could swear that I gave Undyne a similar dress for her birthday last year, you have very good taste.” The screaming turned into screeching, but you just smiled a bit wider and thanked him, despite the knowing twinkle in his eyes. “Anyways, I’m so glad that you are here. I just talked to my lovely cousin Blooky about what to do with you for now. He’s my producer and Co-CEO, so you will probably work with him as well. We decided that for the first week you will follow around one of us at all times to get a feel for the whole schedule and everything and after that, you will be in charge of planning my and Blooky’s schedule and accompany us too meetings, the usual PA stuff. Is that something you could see yourself doing?” So scheduling, bringing coffee to him and placating clients because they had to wait for more than 2 minutes, making sure everyone is on time and doing what they were supposed to be doing? You could do that. Hopefully.

The rest of your day passes in a whirlwind of meeting people, trying to remember everything you’ve been told, taking pictures for your security badge to get in and out of the building, trying on clothes for your uniform-you suspect that being equipped with multiple Armani pencil skirts and Ferragamo shoes and Prada blazers wasn’t company policy and he just felt bad for you, but you didn’t wanna be rude-and learning the ins and outs of the building. You got to see more of the charming and soft spoken Mettaton after an hour of two, when he sensed that you were on the verge of being overwhelmed and you were grateful for that. Your favourite was when he introduced you to his cousin Napstablook-Blooky-who was in the middle of trying out some new baselines for a new song they were producing. It was still very bare and in its skeleton phase, but you could already tell that it would be a hit. He was very shy and seemed a bit insecure, even though he was shining with raw talent. You already knew that working with him would be nice and quiet enough. At the end of the day, your nerves had settled enough to relax a bit. This was something you could do.

Though tired, there was a spring in your step as you walk back home-careful not to take any backroads this time.
The sun was already setting, painting the sky in beautiful shades of oranges and magentas. Plucking your phone from your pocket, you couldn’t help but smile at the array of messages you’ve gotten. Most of them were words of encouragement from Undyne or Papyrus, Frisk had sent you a picture of them with Toriel in the background. Her back was turned, and it looked like she was baking something. Frisk had flour on their face and sweater, and they had one hand outstretched in a good luck sign. You couldn’t help but mark it as a favourite.

 Sans just sent you a thumbs up, but it made you smile anyways. It was nice having people that were rooting for you.

The last message was from an unsaved number. Normally, that would ring some bells in your head, but you still hadn’t transferred all numbers from the new phone before you fled the house, and you hadn’t made time for it yet. Most numbers were of little interest to you anyways. When you opened it, you could feel your blood run cold in your veins.

It was a picture, not unlike the one you’ve gotten from Frisk. The difference was that this one showed you. Considering the background, someone must have taken it when you were still waiting in front of the company and it was very grainy, almost like it was shot from far away and zoomed in. The message attached to it read ‘You look beautiful in red’

What. The hell.

It should freak you out, more than anything but instead, you just feel disgusted and angry. You don’t know how long you stood there on that bridge, just staring at the photo. Your knuckles turned white from the strong grip you had on the cell phone. Someone bumped into your shoulder as they walked by, but you weren’t bothered by it, it didn’t concern you a bit. Your thoughts were going a million miles an hour. Suddenly, the phone started ringing. The caller ID showed off the same number that sent you the message.

Don’t pick up.

You picked up, raising the cell to your ear, your face completely blank.

“Hello, dove.” The voice sent a shiver down your spine. “Turn around…” You follow the order with a pit in your stomach. “No, the other way, dummy.” He sounded angry, and that made you smile. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of causing any more positive feelings in him. Turning the other way, you lock eyes with him. He’s on another bridge, parallel to the one you stood on. His eye was covered by a medical patch and his arm in a cast. Good. “There we go, pretty. Did you like my message?” You didn’t answer, just stared at him. Even from this far away, you could see his expression sour. “You can answer me, you know? I went through a lot of trouble to come and- “ You didn’t let him finish, reacting purely from instinct, as you fling your phone over the edge of the bridge with all your might. You don’t see it shatter but it’s hard to imagine how it could have survived, especially when you hear the tell-tale rattling of a train approaching on the tracks below. Stunned, he just stares at you, slowly lowering his own phone. With a last sarcastic smile, you give him a tiny curtsy, ignoring all of the weird looks you are getting from the people around you, before you disappear into the crowd and from his sight. Your pace quickens and before you know it, you are full on sprinting, your breaths coming out in short huffs. You didn’t know if he was following you, but the chances were high. The thought that he could stalk you like that hasn’t crossed your mind but in hindsight, it was the obvious reaction to his obsession. Your heart was hammering against your chest, like it wanted to break out.

Why did you do that?

Taking a deep breath, you think for a moment. I dunno…

When the human returned from her meeting with Mettaton, there were bags under her eyes and a certain strain on her shoulders, even if she tried to hide it behind a soft smile. She had told Frisk and Papyrus that she had a great day at the office, but something still wasn’t sitting right with Sans. There was no chance of prying any information, that she didn’t wanna share, out of her. He really had to admit, for someone that had the single most expressionate face he’s ever seen in a human, she was damn good at hiding things. Maybe it was a bit of his fault too. He swore that he would ask her, pry a bit but all it took was her leaning over the table to help Frisk with some homework, exposing one shoulder as her hair slid off of it, just like the sleeve of the oversized shirt she put on, and he forgot all coherent train of thought.

“No, little one, I don’t care that your physics teacher said friction can be ignored, it’s still wrong.” Elaine gave Frisk that cute crinkle of her nose again. “The car is driving across asphalt, not ice. It would slide all over the place!” Her hands were gesturing wildly, and Frisk giggled, signing at her. “Do you want me to have a stern talking with him? Because I will! I can be very intimidating if I want to!”

“You are about as intimidating as a pink sparkly butterfly stuck on a marshmallow, nerd, don’t act like it!” Undyne called from the other room and Elaine gasped in fake indignance. Sans couldn’t help but put his chin on one bony hand, just watching her with a smile. He really hoped that it looked like his normal, day to day smile and not extra goofy. Frisk, of course caught him and gave an evil smirk, which made him in turn, blush slightly.

“Betrayal!” Elaine cried in fake indignance, pretending to swoon on Frisk, who can’t stop giggling. Upon hearing the childish laughter, she can’t help but smile as well, biting her lip to stop the huge grin. It doesn’t really work but what it does work on, is Sans, who can’t stop staring at her lips again. Scolding himself, he forces himself to snap his eyes up again and recoils, when he finds that he has been caught staring by none other than the human herself. She had a tiny flush on her face and ducks her head shyly, brushing a strand of dark auburn hair behind her ear. She doesn’t flinch away, how he expected, but rather gave him a rather coy smile, stretching her neck a bit more. Stunned, he couldn’t help himself but stare even more before he turned his head away sharply.

That little minx.

“C’mon, give me that, I cannot let this slide. Not on my watch.” She grabbed Frisk’s book and a pen, pulling it towards her. “So our friction is 0.02 since its asphalt and our tire pressure is 2.9 bar and at a velocity of 90kmh, we get a rolling coefficient of 0.011. But if we raise the bar to, let’s say, 3.5 bar, we get the rc of 0.010. Which doesn’t seem like a lot but if we pretend that there isn’t any friction, do you see how that would drastically effect our driving?” Frisk just gave her a blank stare and she sighed, biting the butt of the pen. “Just take it buddy, it’s the right answer.” Grinning, the kid scribbles on their book and Sans can’t help but rolling his eyes. Seems like Frisk finally found a way to scam someone into doing their homework.

Elaine got up from the chair, stretching with a tiny noise, that would haunt Sans for the next few nights.

“Imma grab something to drink real quick, do you want something too, little one?”

Yesss, some nice cream please! They signed, already bouncing in their seat. Elaine just laughed and ruffled their hair before she went into the kitchen. Frisk watched them go, before they suddenly whip around to Sans, the shiteating grin back on their face. Go after her!

“What?” he hissed, the flush returning full force.

You think she’s pretty! So go after her! She’s tiny, she probably can’t even reach the glasses! So you go in and you’re all like, I got it babe, harharhar, and then she swoons and you KISS!

“Frisk, did you get into Alphys’ mangas again? That’s not how that works!”

But you do think she’s pretty!

“That has nothing to do with this!” he protested, before getting up, stalking to the kitchen, before he turned around one more time. “And me going to the kitchen has nothing to do with this either. I just need to get away from your nosey little hands, you menace!” They stick their tongue out towards him, before returning to their textbook. As he pushed open the door, he stops-heh-dead in his tracks as he took in the scene in front on him.

Jesus Christ, Frisk was right, she is too small to reach the top shelf, he thought, head slightly tilted.

Elaine had climbed up onto the kitchen counter, stretching up for the top cupboard to get to the glasses, swearing up a storm like a tiny, adorable sailor. Lucky-or Unlucky, depending on how you looked at it-for him, it made her shirt ride up just enough to give him a full view of her in those tiny, tiny shorts Undyne had brought her this morning.

“God what a nice butt…” he muttered on accident and Elaine’s head whipped around. Her eyes were huge and her face beet red-not that his was any different, probably-and he could see her knee slipping on the counter. He heard her mutter another curse under her breath, already bracing herself for the inevitable bruising. She didn’t calculate on Sans’ magic though, and he could feel the ice cold feeling rushing through him, as he took a hold of her soul, stopping her fall mid-air. He could feel her struggling and straining against his hold but chalked it up to the unfamiliarity of magic.

 Grinning, he sauntered up to her as she just stared at him, slack jawed, and doe eyed. He pulled his magic back, releasing her from his grasp, and she landed in his outstretched arm with a little ouff.

“Heh, looks like you fell for me” Once again, she huffed before good-heartedly slapping his chest.

“Bonehead!” she reprimanded him, but not without a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You scared me half to death!”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to shake you to the bone” She laughed one of those lovely, unfiltered laughs he liked so much before turning serious again.

“You used magic on me!” Elaine’s voice seemed hushed, like she didn’t want anyone to overhear them. “Isn’t that illegal?”

“What, you’re gonna call the police on me?” Once again, she flushed and this time, he was close enough to notice that her white spots didn’t take the colour. It was oddly endearing.

“Of course not!” Starting to twist in his grip, he made sure that she wouldn’t stumble again, before he let go of her, his fingers lingering just a breath too long on the skin under her shirt. She didn’t seem to mind, as she didn’t step back, keeping their close distance. “I just don’t want you to get in trouble, Sans.”

Oh dear, that husky voice of concern paired with the look from under her lashes she gave him would haunt him for a long time. She clearly knew how to push his buttons and he couldn’t help himself and pushed that unruly strand of hair back behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cheek. It gave him some satisfaction to see the tiny shiver and fluttering of lashes, that he gave her.

“Don’t worry, they’d have to catch me first” Confusion clouded her face at his smug tone, and she furrowed her brows. She looked at him like he was an especially difficult puzzle she couldn’t crack, and it frustrated her. Just a split second, her eyes glazed over, but it was gone too quickly, replaced by a flush again. He wondered what she was thinking.

Stepping back, he broke the moment between them, jutting his thumb towards the fridge.

“The kid wanted Nice cream?” he just reminded, and Elaine seemed thankful for the sudden change of subject, nodding enthusiastically. She grabbed two, unwrapping them and putting one in her mouth to get her hands free to throw the wrappers away and pushing the door open to joining the others. Frisk had already abandoned their homework, snuggling in with Undyne and Papyrus, that were deeply engrossed in a documentary about penguins.

“SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN! DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE 17 KINDS OF PENGUINS!” Elaine carefully sat down on the armrest of the couch, handing Frisk one of the Pops with a gentle smile and pat on the head.

“There you go, little one.” She said, taking her own Nice cream out of her mouth and turning to his brother. “No, I didn’t! I thought it was more. I read 19 somewhere”

“Google said its 18?” Undyne piped up, staring at her own phone. The human grimaced as they stare at the phone, before looking away quickly, the gloss over their eyes returning.

“Snow way there are so many, Paps!” Sans just grinned, delighted by the various stages of groans among one snicker.

“SANS, YOUR JOKES AREN’T FUNNY!”

Elaine nudged his ribs with her elbow, leaning over to mumble with a low voice “Hey, Sans, what does a penguin say during a robbery? Peng Peng” He couldn’t help himself but snort loudly and she giggled along with him. Papyrus seemed less delighted though, throwing his arms up.

“SANS, YOU ARE A HORRIBLE INFLUENCE ON THE HUMAN!”

“Awww, Paps, don’t be like that. Sans isn’t the only one with a funny bone”

“I TAKE IT BACK, YOU ARE JUST AS AWFUL AS MY BROTHER!” She laughed sweetly at him as she got up again, throwing him the remote.

“Don’t worry, we’ll stop pressing your buttons now” Sans offered and pulled Elaine with him to the next room to clean up the absolute mess Frisk always left when they did homework. It took his brother a few moments but when he got it, the absolutely outraged “NYEH!” didn’t really reach them anymore.  The two of you shared a laugh behind closed doors. “I didn’t know you could be so humerus, Elaine.”

Still giggling, she bit her lip and wow, he really had to get himself under control because that did something to him. She didn’t seem to mind though, still acting coy with him as she grabbed loose papers and open books strewn about the place.

“Say, how come you didn’t get scared when you saw magic earlier?” he asked and for just a moment, she went rigid.

“What do you mean?” Sans just shrugged noncommittally.

“Dunno, normally when humans see magic, they freak” The rouge strand of hair was in her eyes again and she huffed out a short breath to possibly get it under control again. It could very well just be another puff of annoyance, but he doubted it.

“Well, you didn’t do anything to hurt me. So why would I be scared of you. I mean yeah, being stuck in the air like that was weird but let’s be real, I am talking to a walking skeleton, mermaid Xena is sitting in the living room, and I once got kicked out of religions class and called “Satan” because I have red eyes and argued for women’s rights... Its safe to say that at this point, there aren’t many things that could weird me out. Magic certainly isn’t one of them”

Huh. Interesting.

“Really? Nothing could weird you out?” he teased with a smile, and Elaine answered with a pointed “Nope”, popping her lips at the end there. “Your Nice-Cream’s melting” Sans nodded at her hand, where the chocolate had started to drip down and while she was distracted-once again swearing, he stepped into her personal space, conjuring up his magic again. Boldened by… something… he licked one of the drips of the cream from the popsicle, barely making eye contact. Elaine was just staring at him, wide eyed and mouth agape.

Then she dropped the popsicle she held.

Sans’ confidence disappeared pretty much instantly. God, he had overstepped completely. There was no way she wasn’t furious with him and-

Suddenly there were hands probing at his face, a finger hooked between fangs and red eyes staring into the void of his skull. “Fascinating!”

“Uh…” It was his turn to be stunned speechless, as Elaine was clearly studying him.

“I knew that magic was capable of incredible things, but I didn’t think you’d be able to conjure up whole body parts!” There was no disgust in her voice, just a scientific curiosity that he knew way too well from ages past. He flushed deeply when she stared up at him, inquiring and with a smile. “What else can you do, Sans?”

“Uh…” He muttered again, and her eyes glossed over for a moment before she suddenly turned fire red, pulling her hand back like she burned it, slapping it over her mouth.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!”

“What?”

“That was so inappropriate of me, god, I’m so sorry, I.. I should have asked.” Sans couldn’t help himself but laugh. It was a deep bellow, coming from deep within his chest. Elaine just stared at him like he’d lost his mind and, in a way, he probably did. He had expected her to be freaked out or scared but clearly, he hadn’t accounted for that sharp and curious brain of hers.  

It was kind of endearing.

Chapter Text

September came and slowly passed into October, and with it, your birthday. You didn’t tell anyone, unwilling to spend any more thought on it than you had to. You did treat yourself to a birthday cookie before work but that was that. The chilly air outside slowly turned colder as the leaves outside turned from golden to brown and then finally fell.

You enjoyed your work and slowly, but surely, you started to relax, just the tiniest bit. Maybe things really would get better, you thought, as your hands deftly worked your hair into two, tight dutch braids. A strand slipped from your grasp, and you click your tongue in annoyance, as you had to redo it now. You could see Papyrus hover in the doorway between the hallway and kitchen, watching you loosen the braid. A smile tugged on your lips, and you look at his mirror image.

“I can see you staring, Papyrus, care to share with the class?” Startled, he straightens up a bit.

“NO, I WAS JUST WATCHING YOU DO THE HAIR THING! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS BUT IT LOOKS FASCINATING!” he admitted, and you turn away from the mirror, the image lingering just a breath longer.

“Do you want me to show you, Papy?” you ask with a smile, also opening up the second braid.

“I DON’T WANNA IMPOSE, SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN! YOU NEED TO GET TO WORK!”

“Eh, it’s fine, I’m early anyways. If you want, you can drive me there, that should win us another 40 minutes, how’s that?”

“REALLY? WOWIE, THEN YES, I’D GLADLY LEARN YOUR HAIR MAGIC!” He only needed like two long strides to walk over to the hallway mirror to you, and you were only the tiniest bit jealous. “MAYBE UNDYNE WILL LET ME BRAID HERS TOO! SHE HAS PRETTY AND LONG HAIR LIKE YOU DO HUMAN!” He sighed dramatically, shrugging. “SADLY, I DON’T HAVE ANY OF MY OWN TO PRACTICE ON OR LOOK AS MAJESTIC.”

“Awww, don’t say that” You gently pat his arm, giving him a smile, as he towered behind you. “I think you are very majestic. And you can always practice on me. I’ll be happy to be your model!”

“THAT…. IS VERY KIND OF YOU, HUMAN!” He admitted, and you just smiled at him, before you grab your brush.

“Okay, so I was gonna do Dutch braids today, but they are a bit tricky. Normally you part the braid into three sections and twist them over each other like this, to make a braid. If you want fluffy, pretty braids, don’t forget to pull them to give them a bit of volume.” You showed, working your magic with deft fingers. The tall skeleton was watching your movements with great interest. “I prefer them to be tighter, because the braid holds longer that way and it’s just a bit more secure, but that’s a me thing.” You quickly shake the hair open again. “Here, you try now.” His fingers were gentle, and you were surprised to find that your hair didn’t get tangled in the ridges of his metacarpals. When he finished, you can’t help but admire his work, clearly impressed. “Not bad, that looks really good!”

“OF COURSE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A NATURAL AT ALL THINGS!” he grinned, and you can do nothing but nod.

“I’ll be damned, you may be right…” You were almost sad to see his work go, but you shook your hair open anyways. It was so long and thick by now, that it reached down to your waist. For a moment, you just look at it, half spilled over your shoulders. It gave your heart a sharp twang, so you had to look away quickly.

“WOWIE, HUMAN, YOUR HAIR IS SO LONG! YOU CAN’T EVEN NOTICE BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WEAR IT UP!”

“Can’t be grabbed if your hair is tight” you mutter before you can think, stiffening a bit.

“HMMH, WHAT WAS THAT?”

“Nothing, Papy, let’s do another one, yeah?” There was only a slight strain in your smile this time, and you really hoped, that he wouldn’t notice. “If you do the same thing but twist under and away while you grab new strands, you get dutch braids. I usually do two and then pin them up in the back like this.” You worked as you spoke, showing him a quick and dirty version of what you were explaining. He followed your instructions, once again extremely gently and with an uncanny precision.

“THERE, HOW DOES THIS LOOK?”

“Wow, Papyrus, I didn’t know that you knew how to do hair!” Undyne called, as she came out of the bathroom, her own hair still moist from the shower she had taken after her and Papyrus’ morning training.

“THE HUMAN IS TEACHING ME! SHE SAYS I AM A NATURAL!” He proudly declared and you smiled up at him.

“You really are, buddy. This looks great!  I’m gonna have to ask you to do my hair more from now on!” There was a glimmer in Undyne’s eye, something akin to a parent watching their kid succeed.

“Yeah, you’re awesome, Papyrus!” You could almost feel his chest swell at the compliments, and you smile at him again. “Where’d you learn to do hair, nerd? I’ve been trying to find some good tutorials for ages but none of them account for finger webbing!” she complained.

“I-uh… ‘s not important” you mutter, flushing deeply.

“C’mon, it can’t be that embarrassing, Fufufu” Undyne teased, and suddenly, you can’t look at the anymore.

“It’s not embarrassing!” you protest quietly. “I had this friend who loved playing with my hair. I would always watch her, when she would spend literal hours on some crazy new idea she had. We used to be inseparable.” Frustrated at the wetness gathering at your eyes, you furrow your brows, frowning. “I miss her sometimes… loads”

“Well, why don’t you just call her, hang out again?” It was easy to say for Undyne, and she probably didn’t mean any harm, but in that moment, it just seemed a bit cruel to you.

“I don’t know. She probably moved on with her life. I doubt that she even thinks about me anymore. It’s been years after all…”

“So? You won’t know that for sure until you’ve tried it at least!” she protested, but you just shook your head.

“It’s fine, really… She probably changed her number by now anyways.”

“But…” She tried, but you interrupted her, by turning towards Papyrus, with a smile.

“Are you ready to go, Papyrus? You promised that you’d drive me, and I don’t wanna be late”

“YES, OF COURSE.” He answered hesitantly, giving you a scrutinizing glance.

“Hey, wait a second, I wasn’t finished!” Undyne protested, but you just walked over to grab your coat and bag, putting a hand on her arm, and giving her a pleading glance, your voice barely more than a hush.

“Please… let it rest. For me, Undyne?” Clearly distraught, she just huffed and crossed her arms.

“Ugh, fine, nerd!”

“Thank you…” you couldn’t help but give her a tiny smile, but she just rolled her eyes. “I’ll think it over, okay?”

Sans checked his watch for the third time already in the past twenty minutes. Elaine usually came home around seven and it was already an hour past that. Usually, when she was staying longer, she’d call or at least send a text. This time, however, there was nothing.

He had half a mind to just shortcut over and check on her, but he didn’t wanna overstep or come off as creepy. His brother had told him everything about his impromptu hair session this morning, including the way the human kept blocking off Undyne and dropping some weird hints.

They all worried about her, not even gonna lie. She was trying so hard to come off as alright and strong, but they could all see the strain on her shoulders, the deep blue shadow under her eyes and the way she kept flinching for every tiny noise.

He knew the signs from some first-hand experience and at this point, she must have been so exhausted. There was no way that she wasn’t.

Though she didn’t talk about it, sometimes the things we don’t say are the loudest and her silence and fake optimism were screaming.

The skeleton spent so much time looking at his phone for any sign that didn’t come, that it took him by surprise, when it suddenly started ringing. Swearing under his breath, he almost dropped the damned thing, before picking up, hoping it was her.

“Elaine?”

God, he really had to get a grip and not act like a lovesick puppy all the time.

“No, darling, it’s me, Mettaton” Sans wasn’t the biggest fan on the robot on his best days but right now, he really couldn’t stand the obnoxious purr of his voice.

“Ah. What do you want?”

“My, so brisk… And here I was calling because I thought you would be worried about your human. Well, if you aren’t, I’ll just take care of it then. Toodles~” He gripped the phone harder, desperation seeping into his voice against his will.

“No wait, don’t hang up!” He called but it was already too late, all h could hear was the soft toot of the dead line.

A second later, Sans stepped into Mettaton’s office, grumbling, and cursing the oversized Roomba. He was perched on his desk, legs crossed and inspecting his nails.

“I’m here, what do you want?”

“Took you long enough, lover boy” he purred, his lips twisted in a teasing smile. Sans just rolled his eyes again, burying his hands in his pockets. He was way too on edge to cater to him.

“Mettaton, why did you call?” Suddenly, the robots face grew sombre, the corners of his mouth dropping dangerously.

“She’s in the other room. I found her earlier, asleep on her desk” He relented, and Sans just gave him a sharp nod before turning on his heel to stalk into the other room. “Sans, wait…” The robot called after him and he stopped with a sigh.

“What?” He seemed to mull over his words for a moment, gripping the edge of his desk.

“Did you two make up already?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, she threw away your roses this week. I assumed that you two were fighting?” Now both of them were confused, staring at each other.

“What roses?”

“Wait, you didn’t send them?” They spoke over each other. “Well, that surely complicates things” Mettaton frowned at him.

“No, I need you to tell me what you are talking about right now!”

“Calm down” He said and raised his hands defensively. “She received an order of red flowers earlier this week. My receptionist told me that she found them in the trash later. I assumed that she must have gotten them from you, you two seemed pretty friendly so far.”

“Wasn’t me, buddy” Sans grumbled, already picturing the worst scenarios. Suddenly it made a lot of sense why you seemed so tired. “Imma take her home now, okay?” The robot just nodded, lost in thought himself. “You’re gonna keep an eye on her, right?”

“Of course!” he gasped indignant. When Sans walked over to the next room, he saw her, slumped over her desk, and could feel some tension, that he hadn’t noticed, leave his body. She was okay, unharmed. Her head was cushioned on her arms and Mettaton had put his jacket over her shoulders in lieu of a blanket. There was a loose strand of hair that she had twisted around a finger, something he had noticed before, but he had yet to figure out what it meant. The usual tension was wiped from her face, and she looked calm and relaxed. For just a moment he hoped to see her like this more often before he banished the thought.

 As he stepped closer, she suddenly let out a deep sigh, brows furrowing. Scared of waking her up, he held his breath, waiting for her to settle down again, before getting closer again. He contemplated waking her up, but he really didn’t wanna disturb her clearly needed sleep. He slid his hands underneath her head and legs as carefully as possible, lifting her up from the chair.

She’s so light in my arms, he noticed, slightly unsettled.

Elaine made another little noise, as she settled into his arms, her head resting against his clavicle. He had to hold back a shiver as her warm breath tickled his vertebrae.

“She looks so small like this” Mettaton whispered from the doorway, his brows furrowed and worry clearly visible in his eyes. “Make sure that she gets some sleep. Tomorrow’s a Saturday, so she doesn’t have to come in.” Sans just gave him a curt nod, but that was apparently enough to make her shift in his arms again. Her brows furrowed deeply, and she said something, too quietly for them to hear. The second time, they could hear it clear as day.

“Mmm… No… Mercy… Please, Mercy…” The tiny whisper ripped Sans’ soul apart and Mettaton wasn’t feeling much different from the looks of it. He had to swallow hard, and his voice was strained as he locked eyes with the Skeleton.

“Get her home safely for me, will you?”

“No… Mercy! Please, Mercy!” you begged, and your sisters smile came into view from the couch above you. “You can’t keep kicking me to the floor, you doodoo-head!”

Mercy just giggled and pulled you back up, wrapping you tightly in a blanket. Her blue eyes were shining with mirth. You’ve always been jelly of her.

“I didn’t kick you out, Rea, you are just too wiggly!”

“I am not wiggly, I’m just into the game! I wanna win at least once!” You pouted, before picking up the N64 controller. The image of Mario and gang flickered over the old Tube TV.

“C’mon, how am I still kicking your ass? you got to play Double Dash since it came out because you were sick, I had to go to school!” You gasped at her, eyes as big as dinner plates.

“You said a bad word!”

“No, I didn’t!”

“MA, MER SAID A BAD WORD!” you screeched in absolute glee, racing to the kitchen, your sister hot on your heels.

“DON’T LISTEN TO HER, SHE’S JUST A SORE LOOSER, MA!”

“Did you steal my shirt? The silver one with the Sequins?” Mercy poked her head into your room, a waterfall of raven curls cascading over her shoulders.

“Ugh, no? Do I look like I would take it?” you said, wrapping your jacket around you a bit tighter, so she couldn’t see the silver shine of your top.

“I can see you wearing it, you bum!” she giggled as she pranced into the room.

“No, that’s mine!”

“Liar!”

“Am not!”

“Yuh-uh you are! I wanted to wear that to school today!”

“You can wear it tomorrow” you protested, and she rolled her eyes at you.

“But then everyone will know that you wore it first!”

“Mer, we don’t go to the same school anymore, you are in high school now!” You were still bummed that you didn’t have the same way to school anymore, but you tried your best to hide it. It was scary to be in school without your big sister now.

“It doesn’t matter when all of my friends are coming over and see you wearing it”

“It’s not like I’m gonna hang out with you” She just snorted, as she walked over and grabbed a brush to get a grip on your unruly, short hair. It never worked, of course, but it was sweet of her to try.

“Of course, you are! I’m not gonna go anywhere without my partner in crime?”

“Isn’t it uncool to drag your weird little sister along all the time?” You ask her quietly and she just hummed as if in thought.

“Nope.” She popped the p harshly, grinning at you through the mirror before she planted a kiss on your cheek. “If they don’t like my weird little sister, they aren’t worth it anyways.”

“Bah! Mercy, you ass, you’re wearing lipstick!” You laugh, trying to wipe it off.

“I know, and now take off my shirt! I’ll trade you the green one instead, okay? It goes better with your eyes anyways.” There was just the slightest sting in your heart when she mentioned your eyes. You wished that you could be like her.

There was a knock on the bathroom door, but you just kept sobbing.

“Go away, Mercy!” you hiccup, and the knob started jiggling.

“No way in hell I’m gonna let you cry alone!” she yelled through the door before she twisted the lock open from the outside with a coin. She is so much taller than you when she comes in, the definition of beauty and wrath. She sits down on the edge of the bathtub, sighing. “What happened?”

Sniffling, you rub your eyes. “They made fun of me in school again. B-Because of my eyes and because I am small and-“

“And?” she asked gently.

“And then Joe said I’ll never be as good as you and that you must be so embarrassed to have a freak sister like me that you have to drag along everywhere!”

“Oh hell no!” she yelled and pulled out her phone, the new Razor one.

“What are you doing?” you ask, rubbing your eyes.

“I’m texting the group chat! Let’s see him be this tough when he gets shunned by the entire cheerleading squad and football team!” A small smile threatened to tug on your lips, even through the tears.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know?” Your voice is quiet and a bit shy, but Mercy envelops you in a big hug.

“Of course, I did. Nobody picks on my little demon gremlin, except me! You’re my partner in crime!”

Mercy was laying on your bed, her head hanging over the edge, as she was reading the newest volume of the Seventeen. You watched her from your desk, legs crossed on the chair. For a moment, you think, that God must really hate you, if they made someone so perfect like her, and then for you, they just got lazy and used whatever leftover parts they still had.

“I really think you should go” your sister said, and you were grateful to be ripped from your thoughts,

“I dunno… What if I suck?” You shrug, rubbing your arms.

“Like you could suck.” She snorted, her eyes moving from the newest Dr. Sommer column to you. Her lashes were so incredibly long and dark and you wished that you could do the same but every time you tried out her mascara, it just left you with messy, clumpy racoon eyes.

“No, I’m being serious. Why would I audition? I’m not even good. There is no chance they would take the red eyed little demon gremlin.” Once again, she just shrugged.

“It’s theatre. Everyone is weird there. And it’s the one place where you can wear contacts or anything. You could be a whole different person, just a few hours a day.” She rolled over with a wide grin. “Imagine, you could be… Goddess Astrea, or, I don’t know, queen of the universe! Or serious outlaw Sue McLarren!” She made some finger guns in your direction, accompanied by the appropriately ridiculous pew pew noises.

“Yeah, would be nice to be someone I didn’t hate” you mutter under your breath, and she groaned again.

“C’mon, there is nothing to hate about you!” She tried but you just scoff at her. “No, I’m being serious here! You shouldn’t do that to yourself yourself. That’s not nice”

“It’s easy to say that, when you are flawless.” You roll your eyes at your sister, turning away again to look over the flyer on your desk, and she stares at you before sighing deeply.

“That’s not true and you know it!” The whisper barely reaches you and when you don’t react, she gets up, to hug you from behind. “I think you are very great. And you have a great voice.” She tapped the sheet of paper. “Please, audition? For me?”

“Mer!” You bust through her room, ignoring the boy with the beet red face that’s on her bed, you tackle your sister in a crushing hug. “Mercy, I got in! They want me to be one of their leads!” Screeching, she hugs you back, her date wiped from her mind.

“Oh my god, I knew it! I knew you could do it! I am so proud of you, little one!” She planted another big smootch on your forehead. You beam up at her, happy as you could be, until you hear the scoff next to you. Two pairs of eyes whip around to stare at the boy. You already forgot his name. “What?”

“Like anyone wants to see the freak” You shrink back into yourself, suddenly uncomfortable, but Mercy set her jaw, fire in her eyes.

“I really think you should go.” Your sister hissed; an arm wrapped around you protectively.

“I kissed Sybil.” You whispered and Mercy dropped the Wii remote in the middle of her Just Dance routine.

“No way!” You just nod, a deep flush spreading across your cheeks. “Did you like it?” Another nod. “Are you… coming out to me?” You just shrug, rubbing your arms uncomfortably.

“I dunno. She kissed me back and it was nice. But I kissed Sam last year and that also felt nice. I’m confused….”

“Awwww, little one” She cooed, before wrapping you up in a tight hug. “It’s okay…. You can like boys and girls, if that’s what you want!”

“What I want is for you to not suffocate me!” you mumble, and she lets go of you. “Seriously, why did you get the boobs for both of us! That’s so unfair. You get all the good genes!” you pout and she just snickers.

“Well, didn’t stop you from being the hottest thing since sliced bread.”

“MERCY!”

“I started seeing someone” Mercy admitted with a slight blush. You stare at her, wild eyed over the dinner table.

“No way! You are away for college for five minutes and you already got a boyfriend?” It didn’t surprise you at all if we are being honest here. Who wouldn’t wanna date her? She really did get all of the good genes.

“Eh, it’s not that serious, really… Hugh asked me out a lot and I thought, why not try it? We’ll see how it goes. Best case he’s actually a chill guy, worst case I get a free meal and something to fuel the group chat with.”

“Man, I hope this guy is nice to you” You did. You really did. Mercy deserved nothing less but the moon and stars itself, but you didn’t tell her that.

You didn’t like Mercy’s new friend, but you kept it to yourself. You knew that she would break up with him instantly if you only as much as looked at him funnily. So whenever he came over, you hid in your room, trying to avoid his snarky words and eyes that lingered a bit too long. You didn’t like how he looked at her like she was a a free meal, like he interrupted her and made her feel stupid.

Mercy Winters was a lot, but not stupid.

She was the current valedictorian in her field of biomedical engineering, she got a full scholarship, she worked as a model on the side. She was kind and fierce and loyal and everything you wished to be but never could. There was barely a flaw in her and you loved her with every fibre. So you kept quiet, so that your sister could choose something for herself, just this once, without having to cater to her weird little sister.

In retrospect, you probably should have said something.

“I call shotgun!” Mercy cried as she bound over to the car, and you start after her.

“Mercy, you ass, I sit up front!” She quickly slipped into the car seat and closed to door, sticking out her tongue. You both ignore your mother’s stern talking about appropriate language.

“Not today! It’s my graduation, so I sit up front!” She laughs at your sour face.

“Ugh, fine! But only because it’s a big day and because I feel bad for you!”

“Awww, why?” she giggles. “Because I dumped my dickhead boyfriend because he decided shagging his lab partner was an appropriate reaction to me being busy with finals?” she seemed way too happy for someone that just dumped her long-term boyfriend and you felt guilty for not feeling bad. You never liked the guy, and you were happy that he would be gone now. Mercy deserved better anyways. She probably knew it too, or she would be a mess. Or maybe she was, and just didn’t show it.

You slid into the seat behind your dad, complaining about the lack of space. Mercy just teased you that there can’t bee too little space, your legs weren’t long enough. You kick her seat across the car, and she laughs. You can’t help but join.

“So, I heard that you got the lead for your final performance? You should have said something!” your sister grinned at you through the rear-view mirror, and you couldn’t help but grin back, even as you bite your lip hard enough, that it would probably leave marks.

“Yeah, you’re never gonna guess as what!” you were so giddy as you dig through your purse, to get the headline poster, you had crammed in there as a last-minute decision before leaving for home the day before. Mercy gasped and turned around in the seat, reaching for it and then-

Then your world turned upside down.

You woke up with a start, struggling against your binds. You heard a grunt and suddenly, your ass met the floor way too harshly.

It took you a second to realise where you are, and it only hits you fully, when you found yourself across from Sans on the floor, who was rubbing his head as if in pain. You realised that you must have hit him in your frantic state. Your chest was still heaving as he mutters your name, but suddenly your stomach lurched dangerously and you scramble up and run to the bathroom as fast as possible, slamming the door behind you shut. You managed to get yourself in front of the toilet not a second too soon, as you felt yourself retch and vomit up everything you’ve eaten that day.

To be fair, it wasn’t much to begin with, which didn’t help, as it just caused your stomach to cramp up painfully.

When the worst was over you place your cheek against the cool porcelain. The stark contrast of temperature felt so nice on your heated skin.

There was a knock on the door, but you didn’t have it in you to react, so you just stayed where you were. Every little move made you feel dizzy and uncoordinated. You could hear the door open and another tiny knock on the frame.

“Elaine? Can I come in?” Sans asked carefully, and you just groan. He must have taken it as a yes because the next thing you knew, was a bony hand rubbing circles on your back. “I brought you some water, if you want to” You accept the glass with a grateful look, taking a careful sip. “Better?” he asked with a smile, and you found yourself nodding.

“Yeah, loads…” Wiping your mouth, you sit up, leaning against the wall. Sans didn’t say anything, his eyes just followed your stiff movements. “What, no puns? I am disappointed, I was so sure you’d be spewing some” His laughter wasn’t as booming as it could have been, but it made the corners of your mouth twitch anyways.

“Eh, figured you’d be hurling em enough right now” Once again, you were surprised how easily he could make you smile.

“That was terrible.”

“I know, t’was kind of a long shot.” He shrugged and you roll your eyes good heartedly.

“You are terrible” 

“You love it” You just shrugged in a “Can’t argue with that” way, before letting your head fall back against the wall, rubbing the spot under your clavicle again. “You good?” Surprised by the sharp undertone in his voice, you open your eyes again to look at him, confusion painted on your face.

“Yeah? Why, what’s going on? I mean, besides the fact that I am currently hugging the porcelain throne?” Sans browbone furrowed even more and it left you uneasy. It seemed like he tried to stare through you. “Sans?”

“Sorry!” his gaze snapped up to your face again and he flushed just the tiniest bit.

“What is it?” you ask carefully.

“Is your soul okay?”

“My soul?” you question in a flat voice, and he just shrugged.

“Yeah, you keep rubbing the spot where it’s s’posed to be, like its hurting. And I tried looking for it, but I can’t find it”

“Is that supposed to be a joke about gingers?” Apprehension laced your voice and you felt uncomfortable with the knowledge that monsters apparently had the capability to just look at souls. “Because I can promise you, I’ve heard that one a million times before”

“Nonono, it’s there, I can feel it, it just…” frustrated, he shook his head. “It’s like your soul is hiding! I’ve never seen something like that before.”

“Hiding?”

“Yeah, I can’t describe it better. I mean, I figured that it may be fragile with all the emotional damage and all…”

“Emotional damage?” you question again, and he just shrugged.

“You know what I mean.”

“Okay, so now what? You’re gonna… what?” Once more, he stared at the spot, eyes squinting hard.

“I dunno. I could always just draw it out, so we can check on it?”

“Draw it… out?” A shiver went through you, and you wrapped your arms around your torso. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“No, it shouldn’t be.” He insisted. “You can draw out a soul for a lot of things, not just fighting. Healing for example. It’s also a big part in monster marriage and uhm… you know” A slight flush crept over his face, and you just raise an eyebrow, as if you didn’t turn 50 shades of red yourself.

“Do I?” you teased, biting your lips gently. You could have sworn that Sans eyes flew over you for a moment and you blushed even more. Okay, maybe this was awkward.

“I’m pretty sure you do…” He purred and the air between you became just a bit more charged. Another shiver racked through you, and you let your head fall to the side.

Okay, this time you were sure that Sans was checking you out.

“Anyways…” he cleared his throat, ripping his eyes away from you.

“Anyways” you agree, sitting up straighter. “Let’s do this, I guess?”

“We don’t have to, if it makes you uncomfortable.” He reassured you quickly, and you shake your head. “I’d just sleep better, if I knew that you aren’t on the verge of falling down.”

Sighing, you gave him a tiny smile before you straighten yourself.

“If you say that it’s safe, there is no harm done in checking, I guess…”

“Okay…” he mutters, before stretching out his hand, stopping before your chest and making a fist. He seemed concentrated and just as he opened his fist, twisting his palm upwards, you could feel pure terror ripple through you.

Don’t!

Wait, what?

“S-Sans, wait, I changed my m-“

Too late.

Pull.

Twang.

Snap.

Puke.

You could feel the moment Sans began pulling on your soul and suddenly there was this sharp, twisting pain in your chest, that took away your breath. Like a rubber band snapping, you lurch forward, to say goodbye to whatever was left in your stomach. Groaning, you leaned back to wipe your mouth.

“Okay, so let’s not do that again…” you glare at Sans, but he wasn’t looking at you. There was sweat beading on his forehead, and he seemed confused, almost contemplating. “Sans…? What just happened?” You ask, careful to not let your discomfort and twang of fear shine through.

“I… I don’t know… I’ve never heard of something like that happening…”

“Like what?”

“I tried to draw out your soul but it…” He paused again, and this time, you couldn’t stop your frustration from seeping into your voice.

“It what, Sans? Just tell me what’s going on” White lights found your eyes and suddenly you weren’t so sure if you wanted to know.

“It refused”

You sat down in Muffets bakery, the late autumn sun hitting your face. You hadn’t planned on taking the time today, but you couldn’t stand staying in the empty apartment for a moment longer. Papyrus was hanging out with Alphys and Undyne again today and Sans was dead set on finding out what was wrong with your soul and every time it gave your chest-or rather your soul, as you now knew-a sharp stab of guilt, as if ice was burrowing into. So you were glad when he announced that he’d go over to meet with Toriel, in hopes of finding an answer with her. Honestly, you doubted it, there was nobody in the entire underground that knew more about souls than Sans. Well, maybe there was one but… every time you tried to grab the thought, it seemed to slip between your fingers.

Left to your own devices, you felt like you were choking in the apartment, you had to get out. With no idea where to go, you ended up at the Café, mulling over a cup of hot Spider Cider.

There was a tiny voice inside of you, wondering if you were really okay, but you chose not to answer.

A gaggle of schoolgirls entered the Bakery and you watched them carefully. They didn’t wear the uniform of your High school, but it reminded you of it anyways. Maybe because of your dream last night and once more, you kept getting lost in the past. Frustrated, you sip on your cider. It was delicious, of course. Without thinking, you grab your new phone, a sznazzy little Android you wouldn’t mind losing or breaking again, and open up social media to mindlessly browse memes, in hopes of getting out of your rut.

In a spur of the moment decision, you click on your keyboard and type in an old and familiar number, something you’ve done a lot of times in the past years, but you never dad the courage to actually press the call button.

This is getting ridiculous, something inside you thinks frustrated, and suddenly, you find yourself pressing the little green button.

Wait, no!

Thank me later

You just huff, now even more frustrated. There was no way anyone would pick up. It’s been ages. She must have changed her number a million times by now and probably didn’t even spare a thought on you. There was no chance in hell that-

“’Ello?” Your breath got caught in your throat at the sound of a thick, familiar accent. Flooded with a whole array of emotions, you couldn’t get out a word. “Who am I speaking with?” Your knuckles must have turned white from how hard you were holding on. “This isn’t funny” the other voice huffed, clearly chuffed and ready to hang up.

“W-Wait!” you choke, not sure what to say but also unwilling to hang up. It got so quiet, that for a moment you thought that the line must have gone dead. “I-I…”

Suddenly, with unexpected urgency, the other person called your name.

“Is it you? Where are you right now?”

“I-yes, it’s me, I’m… I’m in a Café?”

“Which one?” she seemed in a rush, and you could hear a lot of clattering in the background.

“Muffets bakery, I don’t know if you’ve-“

“I know it. Stay where you are”

“Cam, wait, what are you-“ The line goes dead before you can finish your sentence and you are left wondering what the hell just happened. You didn’t get the chance to mull over it for long though, literally 8 minutes later the door of the Café opened with a bit too much force, the bell ringing aggressively. There was a woman standing in the door, her dark skin shining golden in the autumn sun and beautiful thick curls tied back in a sloppy bun. She was wearing a lab coat that was open in the front, showing a black knit dress underneath. Her eyes frantically scanned the room before they rest on you and suddenly, her shoulders slumped. You didn’t even have the time to get up from your chair before you are pulled up into a crushing embrace.

No idea what was going on, you just wrap your hands around her middle as she was shaking, wrecked with quiet sobs, leaving the part of your hair she had her face buried in moist.

It took her almost ten minutes to calm down again, and you felt slightly uncomfortable with all the attention that was on you now.

Golly, you’d have to leave Muffet a hefty sum of tips to make up for the ruckus you’d caused.

The waitress came over to ask if you needed anything else, but you declined politely and Carmen ordered a Coffee and some cake.

While she was ordering, you took a moment to study her. She’d surely grown up since last time you’ve seen her. She was never one to be shy, but instead of a young girl, eager to prove her place and a bit of airhead bimbo-in the nicest way possible, this was a confident woman, that knew her own worth. She must have hit another late growth spurt, you couldn’t remember her being this tall, but it suited her. Everything about her screamed powerful and feminine. You’ve always been jealous of her effortless grace but then again, you’ve been jealous of the people around you since the day you were born.

“You look good, Cam” you admit quietly, and she beams at you with perfect rows of perfect teeth.

“You flatter me, cariño.” Her voice was warm and gentle and my god, how much you’ve missed it. You smiled at her, gently, and she reached over to grab your hand, whispering your name again, as if she couldn’t believe that you were really here. Uncomfortable, you shift in your seat, clearing your throat.

“Actually, I go by Elaine now…” you admit, grimacing. As expected, her eyebrows just slowly went up so far that they almost disappeared in her hair.

“Oh? Like…?”

“Yeah. Just… gotta trust me on that one, okay?” For a moment, you feared that she wouldn’t comply with you, but then she just gave you another dazzling smile, squeezing your hand.

“Whatever you need, okay.” There was something stuck in your throat, and you just nod at her, eyes moist.

“I’m glad you picked up…”

“I kept my number, in case you’d…” she admitted, before shaking her head. “Unimportant. Just be honest, are you safe?” Another nod from you, chewing your lip.

“I’m… great, really. Listen, I am sorry that I never called.”

“It is alright, love. I am just glad that you are still in one piece…” You gave her a tight-lipped smile, unable to look her into the eyes. “Are you someplace safe too?” she whispered after a while, her voice hushed and the grip on your hand tight. “If you need somewhere to stay, my door’s always open.”

“That is so sweet of you but… no. I’m somewhere really good right now. I think it’s literally the safest place we could be.”

For now at least, the more cynical part of you reminds you. Your old friend just narrowed her eyes, lips pressed together. You were a bit uncomfortable under her scrutinizing look. You’ve gotten that look way too many times lately, like you were a puzzle that needed solving.

“Anyways, what have you been up to in the past years?” you try to change the topic awkwardly. For a moment, you think that she won’t answer but thankfully, her lips turned up into a bright smile.

“It’s been… good. Really good.” A flush grazed her cheeks, and you couldn’t help but notice how good that looked on her. Contrary to you, she didn’t just turn a red, splotchy mess, and instead looked like one of those air brushed beauty influencers. Her skincare must be amazing. And very expensive. “I’m married actually.” She confessed, and suddenly you had a hard time picking up your jaw.

“No way! Carmen Cantabella, the wildest partygirl I’ve ever seen. Settled down. I don’t believe it. Next thing you’re gonna tell me, you have a child too?”

“Two, actually!” she corrected and where you had thought your mouth was hanging open, you borderline dislocated it now.

“Shuddup!” Cam just giggled, but you were still to shocked. “Kids! I mean… wow, but… Kids. Yay! I don’t know what to say!”

“Congrats, maybe?”

“I- yes! Of course! That’s wonderful news! And you look great for surviving two para-pregnancies!” Thankfully, she grazed your slight slip up with only a raised eyebrow, but she always knew your stance on babies.

“I adopted them.” She simply said. “You know, since Monsters and humans can’t reproduce naturally.”

“This day is full of surprises” you tell her, and she laughs. The biggest surprise for you though, was how easily the conversation between the two of you picked up again, almost like no time had passed at all. “You still in med school?” Your phone on the table started to vibrate from an incoming call, but you chose to ignore it.

“No, I finished a while ago. I have a small clinic in the suburbs now, together with some friends from university. I am in the paediatric department.”

“Wow! You’ve always been an overachiever! I’m glad you are doing well.”

“What about you? You still planning to end up on Broadway?” Her tone was soft and gentle, almost like she was speaking with a child, but you just shake your head.

“No, I’m actually trying my hand at quantum physics right now.”

“Physics? You?” Cam wondered, genuinely confused. “I mean, not to be rude, you are one of the smartest people I probably know, but… you never showed an interest in anything remotely like that. Science was always Cissi's thing. What changed?” She just got another noncommittal shrug from you.

“I dunno. There’s… some stuff I need to figure out.”

She tried to pry for more answers, but you gently refuse her, and she got the memo pretty quickly.

Another call made your phone go crazy, and you reach over to send the caller to voicemail, but Cam stopped you.

“Go on, pick up. It might be important; I won’t run away.” You hesitated for a moment, your hand hovering over the phone, that slowly vibrated across the table.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course!” she promised, and you give her a court nod before picking up. You didn’t say anything, still wary from the incident a few weeks ago.

“Elaine?” It was Sans, and you let out a breath you were holding, but at the same time, you could feel some muscles in your back tense up slightly.

“Yeah, hi, what’s up?”

“Where are you?”

“Not the first person to ask that today.” You laugh, glancing at your friend. She had taken off her lab coat and only now you realise that she must have come her directly from her clinic. You instantly felt guilty. “I’m at Muffet’s. Why?”

“You weren’t at home and- After last night I was worried that you’d- I was just worried. That’s all.” He sounded a bit awkward, and you can’t stop the soft smile, even when Cam gave you the infamous raised eyebrow of hot gossip.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I was sure that I left a note?”

“A note? Where?”

“On the fridge, the purple post it, left and slightly below the orange one with Papy’s monthly Spaghetti ratings. And the yellow one on the hallway mirror that tells you where the first one is.” You could hear shuffling in the background and your smile got just a tad wider.

“Ah! True.” He admitted, clearly feeling a bit silly. “So-uh… I guess I’ll hang up now?” From the corner of your eyes, you could see Cam gesture wildly, and only thanks to years of game nights and charade, you piece together what she’s trying to tell you.

“You know, if you come here.. you can… uh.. walk me back home?” You prayed to god, that you didn’t just turn into a tomato and swat Cam, who gave you two thumbs up. There was a static noise on the phone.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure Cam would love to stick her nosey butt more in my business anyways” you hiss at her, with a slight laugh.

“Alright then… I’m not that far away anyways, so I guess I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah, see you in a jiffy.” You end the call and find your friend giving you a look. “What?”

“So… I guess you are staying with that new boyfriend of yours?” she drawled, and you throw a napkin at her. “Hey, what was that for?”

“You now exactly what that was for, you… you…”

“Nosey butt” she supplied, and you swat her again.

“I was thinking something way less child appropriate!” there was clear indignation in your voice, especially when her smile got a bit sleazier.

“You didn’t deny the boyfriend though”

“Ugh, because I shouldn’t have to! Of course he isn’t my boyfriend! There is absolutely nothing going on!” you insist and Cam just snorts.

“Yeah, and that’s why you are turning into a fire hydrant right now.”

Yeah, nobody believes that.

“Oh hush!” you cry out, not sure who you were shushing, earning a stern look from Muffet behind the counter. Oh Jesus, your purse was already crying.

The bell rang again as the door opened again a while later, and like second nature, your eyes find Sans’. You can practically see the tension in his shoulders and around his eyesockets melt away, as he saunters over.

“Hey, there you are!” he greeted, and you smile at him.

“Here I am!” you offer weakly, but he doesn’t seem to notice. His eyes move over from you to Cam, who was looking at him with great interest as well. He holds out a hand for her to shake and she takes if with all the grace and elegance you never had. “Hi, name’s Sans.”

“Carmen, the pleasure is all mine. You can call me Cam.” She purred and oh… oh no.  There was this ugly feeling inside your chest again, and it was just a bit harder to breathe.

“And you can call me Sans” he answered easily, making her laugh prettily.

“Like the font?” Cam asked.

“Yeah, like the font Sans, just like his brother Papyrus.” You answered absentmindedly, faster than you could think. “They also speak in their respectively fonts”

“What?”

“What?”

When you don’t answer her, she turns back to Sans, still smiling. “Are you aware, that you are in fact, a skeleton?” she questioned, and oh, how you wanna smack her across the head right now, but instead you just sit there, motionless, as Sans just goes along with it, staring at his hands in horror, like it’s the first time he’s ever seen them.

“Oh my god! No! How did I never realise that I am, in fact, a skeleton?” it makes you snort a bit, you gotta admit that.

“Just ignore him, he is also a sarcastic little twat, apparently” you tease, and he looks at you in mock betrayal.

“Did you know? The entire time and you never told me! How could you?”

“Good golly, since when are you so dramatic?”

“Don’t act like you don’t love it, Shorty.” You swat at him too and Cam laughed at you. 

“Don’t take it seriously, she’s been swatting me like a fly all day!” you noticed her hand brush against Sans’ arm for a moment and the tightness in your chest returned at full force. He smiled at her and suddenly, it’s all too much to handle.

You stand up from your chair abruptly, and two pairs of-uh-eyes, follow you. You are at a loss for words, before you stammer “I-uh… I’ll be right back. I need to pee”

Graceful, really.

Without waiting for someone to answer, you walk away as quickly as you can without seeming suspicious. You hear Sans whisper to Cam, to leave you be, and chose to ignore the worried edge to his tone.

He was right. You were fine. You just needed a moment to breathe. Finally in the bathroom, you lock the doors behind you and turn on the water, waiting for it to turn ice cold before you splash your face with it. When you look back in the mirror, your image looks back at you, a hint of pity in those red eyes, so you turn away quickly. Even after taking a few deep breaths, you could still feel your heartbeat louder than it had any right to. You were just being silly and jealous and there was absolutely nothing going on and guilt was eating you up inside, like the rotten, empty little wench you were.

“What am I gonna do?” you whisper, and your reflection just stares at you.

What we always do. Survive.

“We can’t let anyone find out. You know what will happen if they do. If he does. I don’t wanna lose my home again.”

You didn’t get an answer, but you hadn’t really expected it, anyways. Splashing yourself once more, you finally feel brave enough, to face the outside world again.

When you walk over to the table again however, you freeze up completely. Not because Sans and Cam were sitting uncomfortably close for your taste, or because he seemed to be leaning towards her. No, you got all of that. You’d do the same thing if you were in his shoes.

No, you froze up, because Cam had somehow materialized an old picture out of thin air. You didn’t see what was on it from that far away, but you didn’t have to. You knew that old, folded picture by every crease. You recognised the horrible doodle of a cat on the back, that looked more like a peanut with a staph infection than anything else. Mercy hat put it there the day of your ninth birthday, when it was shot.

You knew exactly what Sans was looking at, and you felt like vomiting. Time seemed to stop and when his eyes slowly meet yours, yet there was no excited little flutter in your heart this time.

No, just the ice-cold hands of terror threatening to crush your fragile little soul.

Fuck.

For once, you and the little voice in your head were on the same page. Fuck, indeed.

Chapter Text

As soon as she had told him to come, Sans was across the street from Muffet’s bakery and Café. He could see her through a window, facing another woman with dark skin and a plain black dress. Elaine was smiling at the other woman before throwing a napkin at her. Her hair was in a simple braid today, but a few strands had loosened already, framing her face. He could have watched her for hours, all smiles and a reminder of a lazy, warm autumn day, but he already felt creepy for staring so long already. Once more, he squinted in a vain attempt to find her soul, but just like yesterday, it was nowhere to be found. He could see a wild array of colours and varying stages of brightness all around him and then suddenly, there was this empty spot where it shouldn’t be. He knew that she had one- both he and Toriel used magic on her in the past, after all, on multiple occasions-but it frustrated him to no end, that it appeared to be stubbornly hidden from his sight.

When asked, Toriel was just as confused as he was, but she promised to go and find her old books in the hopes of finding some answers in the ancient texts or magic. He seriously doubted it, but it couldn’t hurt. He must have missed something; this was unprecedented, and he hated not knowing.

The bell on the door chimed as he finally got over himself to enter and almost immediately red eyes found his. There wasn’t a day where it didn’t catch him off guard, just how intense her gaze could be, and it was almost impossible to look away.

“There you are” he said, hoping that he was hiding his relief. Apparently, he was doing a great job, because she was offering a gentle “Here I am”.

Not wanting to be rude, he finally turned to her company with an outstretched hand. “Hi, name’s Sans!” She gave him a polite smile herself as she introduced herself as Cam with a nasal voice, shaking his hand just long enough that it was polite. She had a strong grip, and he could smell the scent of hand sanitizer from where he was standing. Judging from that and the coat draped over the back of her chair, she was probably a doctor or scientist. She was wearing heels, so he guessed doctor. No self-respecting scientist would willingly wear shoes like that. At least none that he knew, and he knew a lot now, thanks to his job.

He felt a bit awkward while bantering with Cam and he kept glancing towards Elaine, who was watching with the slightest hint of a furrow in her brow. Sans had the urge to reach out and wipe the wrinkles from her face, but he didn’t get the chance to, before she abruptly stood up, muttering that she had to use the restroom. There was a slight flicker of that glazed over expression in her eyes, that seemed to happen more and more often lately, before she pretty much ran off.

He remembered that she had mentioned her somewhat poor eyesight and wondered if that was the reason for it, but someone tickled at the back of his mind. It seemed too easy of an explanation.

Cam made a move to follow her, but Sans put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

“Leave her be” he couldn’t hide the slight edge to his voice as much as he wanted. “She had a rough night, I’m sure she will be right back.” She made a low noise, staring after her.

“She probably doesn’t sleep enough. She always refuses to sleep when something is bothering her. I’m sure that hasn’t changed.” She mulled and Sans could do nothing but shrug, taking Elaine’s chair while she was gone. “Just do this here, and it usually puts her right to sleep.” She gently stroked her own nose from tip to brow with her pinkie ”Oh, and watch out for the food pouches, that’s when things are getting really bad for her”

“Food pouches?” he laughed, and Cam just shrugged.

“What can I say, she likes gloopy food for whatever reason. Baby food, Fruit pouches, Apple sauce, every variation of chocolate pudding. I know it’s weird, but don’t judge her.” Really, Sans had no right-or intention-to judge, as someone that mainly lived off of condiments. “It’s probably because her stomach is really sensitive. Her teeth used to as well, but she got most of them replaced in High school already” Sans just gave her a questioning look and she shrugged. “I’m sure that she told you that she was stillborn as a baby. It left some pretty big health issues, along with the whole melanin thing. Horrible teeth, pretty much non-existent immune system, stunted growth et cetera. It’s fascinating, really. I wrote a paper on her condition in my second year!”

“Are you sure that you should tell me all of that? That seems pretty private”

“Well, it’s better you know now, so you know what to look out for when she’s trying to be tough again. I swear to god, you have to force that woman to look after herself sometimes.”

“Always worried about everyone else” he agreed, smiling. “You’ve known her a long time, haven’t you?”

“Since we were kids really. Our moms worked together and were pretty close knit. It was natural for us to grow up together. I mean, it’s nothing like her and Cissi, but we were best friends.”

“Who’s Cissi?” Sans asked, genuinely wondering.

“Oh, that was her sister. She died in the car accident. Horrible thing, really. Some hit and run, I’ve heard. Wait, lemme see if I still have that old photograph of ours”

“You’ve heard?” Sans said, incapable to hide his annoyance. “Why didn’t you come for her? Did you know what she had to do?” Cam hesitated, her back turned to him, as she was looking through her bag. “Didn’t you know who she was with?”

“I came to see her at the hospital when she woke up. And I sent her a letter, every year. I tried so hard, to get into contact with her and one day, when I called… he picked up. He… he said I should really stop, or he would start hurting her. I-I was scared that something really bad was gonna happen. He has so much money and power and when I tried the police, they didn’t believe me because his dad is the Chief Commander. There was nothing I could do.” The hurt in her voice was clear, and suddenly Sans felt bad for snapping at her like this. She must have suffered in fear, as well.

Cam just sniffed, continuing to dig in her purse.

“Ah-hah! I knew I still had it! Here, look at this! It was Rea’s ninth birthday! My mum took it of us three!” Under normal circumstances, he would have picked up on the slip, but he was too focused on the old, faded picture. It was fairly creased, with two big folds in the middle. It showed three girls, Cam, a fairly tall one with black hair and the bluest eyes he’s ever seen-that must have been Cissi- and…

Frisk? He wondered. No, it wasn’t, but he had to admit that there was an incredible uncanny similarity between the two. It must have been Elaine.

She wore her hair shorter than now, in a clean-cut bob and there were yellow flower petals in her hair, as well as a huge green grass stain on her shirt. He noticed the red from her eyes matched her scraped knees. She happily grinned into the camera, clinging to the other girls.

It was such a cute and happy little picture, but he couldn’t help but feel… unnerved. Like it was wrong.

Leaning back, his eyes once again met glazed over red ones, and he could have sworn that there was a flicker of panic in them, before Elaine put on a mask of unbothered relaxation, as she walked over.

“Cam, you don’t have that old thing, still?” she questioned, plucking the photo from her hands. “Oh, what a mess I was! Ma was so mad because Mer pushed me into her flowerbed” The two women laughed, and it was like watching from afar. His chest constricted even though he didn’t know why.

But something felt very, very wrong all of a sudden.

Back in the apartment, you barely even register that Undyne and Frisk are hanging out with Papyrus in the living room, or that they are calling after you, when you just throw your stuff on the kitchen table before locking yourself in the bathroom. You turn on the sink to make some noise and after a moment of consideration, you also tun on the shower. Frantic, you ruffle your hair, as you started pacing the room.

Were fucked.

You don’t know that

I do, in fact, know that.

You need to calm down

And you need to take this more seriously!

Maybe he didn’t notice

Just because the man doesn’t have eyes, means he’s blind. There is no way.

If he did, we wouldn’t be here.

You don’t know that

I do, in fact, know that.  Unhappy with having your own words thrown in your face, you hunker down on the floor, pouting. Don’t sulk

I am not sulking.

You are. Stop it.

This isn’t fair!  You huffed, while throwing your arms up in exasperation, before stopping mid-motion. For just a moment, your internal monologue seized, and it was quiet, except for the sound of a raising water bill.

Did.. you just…?

Yeah.

Yeah…

“Let’s not do that again” you decided with a certain finality, though freaked out. Uncomfortable, you rub your arms.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and you muttered a curse under your breath that was definitely not meant to be heard by anything under the age of twenty-one.

“Uh- I… Y-Yeah?” you called, cursing your inability to speak.

“Hey, you okay in there, nerd?” Undyne called.

“I- yes, why?”

“You seemed frazzled. Can I come in?” the door nob jiggled, and once more, you swear.

“No! I- Uh- I’m naked! I’m taking a shower!” you insist with an urgency in your voice that you couldn’t hide, desperately wiggling out of your pants and getting stuck.

What kind of bullshit excuse?

I panicked! Don’t judge me! You think, while hopping on one leg, as you try to remove your sock and shirt at the same time.

“Eh, ‘s just me, modesty is for people that aren’t besties!” The doorknob jiggled some more and swearing, you throw your bra into a corner and jump under the shower, gasping when the cold-water surprises you.

“Undyne!” you screeched, as she finally makes it in the room, quickly closing the door behind her again.

“Stop screaming, it’s just me” she rolled her eye at you, and you try to cover yourself with the shower curtain, peeking at her.

“You can’t just come in here!” you hissed and once more she rolled her eyes, but this time with a grin.

“I’m not shy.”

“Well, maybe I am!” Undyne just blinked at you before very pointedly turning her back towards you. Shivering, you reach back to fiddle with the temperature. Why the hell does Papyrus shower with what feels like liquid nitrogen?

He probably misses Snowdin

Wow, now you felt guilty for cursing him in your head. A+ grade dick.

“What do you want Undyne? I was kinda busy here?” you distract yourself from going down that path.

“Well, I came to check on you because you basically sprinted in here and Sans is acting weird and then Frisk saw that picture and basically freaked out and-“

“Wait what picture?” you interrupt her, frozen in motion.

“Ugh, the one you threw on the table with all of your other stuff?” she explained, like it was the most natural thing in the world and suddenly, the liquid nitrogen Papyrus used to shower was a hot spring bath compared to the iced grip that took ahold of your soul again. You’d stuffed the picture in the bag in a haste when you left, and it must have fallen out when you threw it on the table, basically spilling all of the contents on the table.

 “Frisk has seen it?” you gasped, and rip open the curtain, staring at Undyne. She stares back you would have loved to say that her glance shifted downwards for just a second, but that would have been polite and if there was one thing, Undyne wasn’t, it’s polite.

So she just openly stared, wolf whistling you. You throw a towel at her, flushing deeply.

“Undyne!”

“What? I’m looking respectfully!”

“What would Alphys say?”

“Hey, just because I can’t order, doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu!” she defended herself, raising her hands. “It’s not like Alphy doesn’t look at naked girls sometimes either! Sometimes we do it together, even”

“Blergh!” you fake gag. “I did not need to know that!” Shaking the mental image off, you take another deep breath. “But seriously, Frisk saw?”

“Uh, yeah, they are a nosey kid? Of course they are gonna look! What, was it like a nude or something? Is that why everyone is freaking out?” She gasped with a huge grin, clearly giddy with anticipation and joy. “Was it for Sans? Did you take it for him! Oh, you gotta tell me everything! Alph is gonna love this!”

“OH MY GOD, NO!” you shrieked, turning beet red.

“What, did he not find it good? I mean, from what I’ve seen it would be a very tasteful nu-“

“It’s not a nude!” it took almost everything in you to not scream again, but you really didn’t wanna have to explain the concept of a nude to Papyrus of all people. “And even if, it wouldn’t be for Sans!”

“Why not?” she asked with a furrowed brow, clearly confused. “You two are all over each other.”

“You are aware that we aren’t..”

“Wait, you two haven’t-?” Undyne gasped, practically bug eyed.

“Haven’t what? Wait, you mean? Ugh, No! Of course not! Wait, you think me and Sans are sleeping together?”

“So you are telling me you aren’t?” she jumped up, staring at you from above and you could do nothing but gape at her.

“Undyne, me and Sans aren’t together!” You could see the cogs in her head turn to process this information, a myriad of expressions crossing her face.

“But- Why?” she whined, and you smack the open palm of your hand against your forehead.

“Undyne…” you growl at her warningly.

“No, really!” she interrupted once more, her voice gentler this time around, not teasing. “Listen, there is clearly something between you and Sans. You two would be great together. I waited years for Alphys, and if I would have just gotten my head out of my own ass ages ago, I could have saved us both ages of pain and pining. Don’t do this to yourself, Tiny.”

“Okay, first of all, I am not that tiny and-stop laughing at me, I am serious! Second, whatever’s between me and Sans is exactly that. Between me and Sans. Nobody else. But if you really wanna know, no we aren’t sleeping together, we aren’t dating and we sure as hell aren’t sharing freaking nudes! I get where you are coming from, and it’s nice that you want us to be happy, I guess, but please. For now, this is good. I like this. The flirting is nice. Let me take it slow and figure this out at my own pace.” The two of you stare at each other before Undyne huffed out a defeated sigh, shrugging with one of her shoulders.

“Fine, fine! No more teasing… for now!” she relented, before powering on. “Okay, but for real, why is everyone freaking out over an old picture, if it isn’t something raunchy?”

“I-“ the words died in your throat and you really had no way to get yourself out of the corner you backed yourself into. “It’s an old picture of my sister. I just… haven’t seen her in ages, so I freaked. And then Sans freaked because I freaked.” You explained, hoping that it would be a good enough excuse. It wasn’t even a full lie, just… mostly.

You watched Frisk from the doorway to the kitchen as they just kept staring at the old photograph and for a moment, the thought of burning the wretched old thing crossed your mind, but you wouldn’t. You couldn’t. So you just stared.

Taking a deep breath, you put on a smile and walk over to the child, sitting down next to them.

“Heya little one. Whatcha got there?”

Wo is that? They ask, pointing their chubby little babyfingers at the picture. Swallowing, you remind yourself not to panic, and lean over to them.

“Oh, that’s Cam. We went to school together. She used to be my best friend” you explain, pointing at Carmen. “Our Mom’s were friends, they worked at the same News agency. She’s a bit older that me, maybe… three or four months. It was natural that we grew up together. The pretty one here is Mer, my sister.” It felt like something was stuck in your throat and you tried to clear it away.

Do you miss her?

“Every day, little one” you admitted with a sad smile and Frisk furrowed their brows a bit, squinting at the faded ink.

I miss someone like that too… In that moment, they truly seemed like a small child, vulnerable and open. Sometimes, you remind me of them... especially here. Same laugh. Clicking your tongue, you wrapped an arm around them, and you weren’t even mad when they stiffen for a moment before relaxing into the embrace.

 “I’m sorry this old thing made you sad”

It’s fine. I try not to think about it too much…

“What do you say, if we stop by the ice cream shop when me and your Auntie and Uncles take you home later, hmmh?” you offered with a bright smile, trying your best to cheer them up.

Isn’t it to cold to have ice cream? Mom said its only for the summer!

“We don’t have to tell your mom, don’t we?” you whispered with a mischievous twinkle in your eyes. Almost instantly, they matched your energy with a similarly devious grin, before jumping off the chair, racing into the living room.

Papyrus, Laney said we could get ice-cream on our way! We have to try the bubble gum deluxe surprise buster!

“OH, WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA, TINY HUMAN! DO YOU THINK THEY STILL HAVE THE UNICORN BIRTHDAY PARTY FLAVOUR? IT HAD GLITTER IN IT AND MADE MY FACE SPARKLE LIKE ONE OF THOSE VAMPIRE PEOPLE FROM THAT MOVIE THE SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN SECRETLY KEEPS WATCHING LATE AT NIGHT!” Gasping, you chased after Frisk, hurt clearly written in your face.

“Papyrus, you olm, you swore not to tell anyone!”

You loved watching Frisk and Papyrus. There was such a childlike innocence to them, that made your heart swell up and like all of your problems were unimportant. All that counted was seeing them and the people around you as happy as they were, when Frisk sat on Paps shoulders, wildly gesturing as they sign with reckless abandon and unbridled enthusiasm.

Watching them, made you remember what was important and that you would literally do anything to keep them safe from any harm. Moments like these, you wondered if Mer had looked at you the same way.

The crisp autumn leaves crunched under your shoes with a satisfying sound and the golden light of the still beautiful day made the streets of the town dreamier than they really were.

A second set of crunching steps fell in line with yours and you didn’t even have to glance over to know that it was Sans. Normally, you would have thought that there was a comfortable silence between the two of you, but today, it just felt tense and a little bit awkward. You glanced at him from the side, admiring how the sun reflected off his cheek bones. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets and almost subconsciously, you wanted to mirror him. You didn’t and instead, just kept walking.

“So…” he offered to break the silence after a minute or so. You swallowed hard, before answering.

“So?”

“I have been thinking…”

“Dangerous!” you teased, and he gently pushed you with his elbow.

“No, for real, you smartass.”

“Okay, fine, what thoughts did your brain spit out?”

“Well, it’s about your accident…” his voice was quiet and careful and there was a calculating edge to it, like he wanted to gage your reaction. Quite obviously, you shiver, wrapping your arms around yourself.

“Do we have to talk about that? I- I don’t like thinking about it”

“Hey, I get it! I just thought…” Sans said quickly, before huffing quietly. “I’m going at this the wrong way, I’m sorry. I know its hard for you, but I remembered something you said to me when we were sitting on the balcony that first night, and I just have to ask. It may have to do with your soul”

You stop and turn to look at him, and his eyes are earnest and there wasn’t the malice hidden in it, that you expected. It was hard to say no to him, but you really should.

“Fine…” you relented instead, leaving your head hanging for a moment. You really were the spinal equivalent of a chocolate éclair. “Just.. Don’t be too harsh. I don’t remember a lot of it.”

“Yes, of course!” he agreed eagerly. “Okay so…” Furrowing his brow, Sans stopped again, as if lost in thought.

“Yeah?” you smile again, and he just awkwardly scratched at his skull.

“Okay, I didn’t think that I’d get that far, lemme get my thoughts sorted.” Giggling, you roll your eyes before starting to walk again. He hurried after you before falling in line again. “Do you remember what happened, after you fell down?”

“I…” you start, actively trying to think but every time you are close to remembering something concrete, it escaped you. “No, not really. I just remember that it was dark. Just so dark. I could run for what felt like hours and there was nothing but darkness. I know it sounds silly, but it didn’t feel like just normal darkness either” It was a desperate and futile attempt to sort your thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know… Closest I could describe it that when it’s dark here, it’s the absence of light but this felt like light had never existed there in the first place. It was just. Nothing. It was empty. I know it sounds stupid and ridiculous and the doctors said so too when I told them. They thought I had brain damage or something like an out of body experience triggered by the trauma and coma and everything, but I know what I felt. This was something different.” Suddenly, he grabbed your arm, staring intensely at you.

“I believe you!” Sans asserted vehemently. “And… I think I know what it was”

“What?” you gasp loudly, grabbing his arm back in return.

“Yeah.” His smile twitched upwards while you just gaped at him, and you quickly realised that he seemed to revel in the thought of finally figuring out something. “I think you’ve been to the void”

“The… void? What’s that?”

“Yeah… It’s-uh-it’s the space between?”

“Between what?” you ask carful and he just shrugged

“Everything, really?”

“Like between like protons and electrons and stuff or even smaller. Or like quarks and neutrinos?”  

“I- Yes?” Sans said with glee. “Someone back in the underground figured out how to access the stuff and-“ his browbone furrowed. “I don’t remember what happened to him, but I think he showed me. That’s how I make all my shortcuts. I just… gently push the nothing aside”

“Because you are to lazy to walk across a waste of space?” you ask with a hint of a smile, and he just awkwardly laughed.

“Something like that. But yeah. I- I’ve seen the void before, and it looks exactly like you’ve described it.”

“So what? My consciousness was just floating through nothing?”

“No, I think your soul may have been. It’s really hard to get out of it though, technically, I have no idea how you could have done it, but maybe that’s why your soul is doing whatever it’s doing.”

“I mean, yeah, that’s a neat theory but it’s not something we could prove, right? And you are taking in some mighty fight hypotheses there so I figure you don’t know much about it either or how it can be fixed.” Shrugging, you start to pull him with you as you start walking again. “I don’t know if I even want it fixed. It’s not hurting me, and I am not really keen of fucking it up even more.”

But-what if it gets worse? We don’t know what the void can do to a human soul, so this could kill you” he protested, but you just gave him a thin-lipped smile.

“Hasn’t so far.”

“But-“

“Sans. Please…” you interrupted him, and he instantly returned the favour.

“No, really. I don’t want to see you hurt. I promise that I wont mess it up further, but please, let me try to figure out what could have happened, at least”

“Fine” your chocolate éclair spine agreed again with a huff, though really unhappy with the outcome.

“Thank you, Elaine.” Mhm, you really started to despise that little stabbing pain in your soul. “Do you remember anything else? Anything?”

“No. Nothing. Just darkness” you answer quickly, looking away too fast to see his eyes narrow in suspicion. The stabbing pain seemed to get worse again.

“Are you sure? Maybe you remember meeting someone there?” Terror rippled through your entire body and then some when you heard that.

“What? No. Of course not. I thought you said it’s incredibly hard to get in and out, what are you talking about? Who else could have been there?”

“I know, I know, and it doesn’t really make sense, but I keep thinking that there is… someone in the void. Someone really important. I just can’t…” remember it. You finished his thought while your own was going in circles. “I’m sorry, I just thought...” Sans let out a frustrated puff of air and you could feal your hand brush against his.

You wanted to take it, but fear made you pull away instead.

“Sans. It’s okay, I get it. This… void, clearly messes with your brain more than anything. Maybe we aren’t meant to perceive just nothing. But I promise. I didn’t see anyone.”

Liar.

Please, not now.

You are still a liar.

Would you’ve rather I told him the truth?

It was quiet in your head, and you had to take another deep breath to get the stinging in your soul under control. You couldn’t hold back a heavy shiver going down your spine at the thought of just putting your cards on the table. A memory flooded your brain, just a burning hot sensation and you pushed it aside as quickly as you could. Good grief, you hated when that happened.

“It’s okay, kiddo” Sans said, tearing you away from that train of thought, and awkwardly rubbed his head. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, sorry.” He reached out and even though you saw it coming, you instinctively flinched when his hand touched your arm. You felt horrible the moment it happened. “Woah, hey, ‘s okay. Just me.” You knew that his smile was just a brave face he put on, but his feelings must be hurt. “Not gonna hurt you, promise. Ever..” The skeleton assured you.

Well, that made both of you filthy liars, but it also made you feel a bit better, at least for now.

The smile on your face when you open your mouth to answer him could almost pass as real, but you didn’t get as far as to actually answer him before Papyrus suddenly called Sans’ name from upfront.

He seemed distressed and you and Sans exchange a worried look, before he tried to catch up to the rest of the group upfront, you hot on his heels.

“What’s wrong?” he asked them, once you actually reach them, and you noticed that Undyne’s back seemed incredibly tense, her fingers flexing and unflexing.

Uh-oh…

“Trouble’s ahead” she just said with a low voice, jutting her chin towards something you couldn’t see because she and Papyrus were blocking it.

“What’s going on?” you ask, trying to squeeze yourself between them, to get a better view. Neither of them moved away, so it’s quite the arduous task, but once you manage, you saw a group of humans surrounding two monster girls-a purple one and a green fire elemental-shouting slurs at them.  “Oh god…”

“WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO, UNDYNE?” Papyrus mock whispers obviously concerned. He had taken Frisk off his shoulders by now, cradling them against his ribcage protectively.

“Kick their butts, obviously.” She hissed and you could feel a way to familiar crackle of magic in the air.

“What?” you gasp.

“Seems like we gotta.” Sans agreed with her, the sockets of his eyes pitch black and devoid of any light.

“No! You can’t” You protested, getting in their way. Really, you’ve made for a pitiful barricade but at least you tried.

“Human, step aside. We’re not gonna let a bunch of di-“

“LANGUAGE!”

“Sorry, Paps. Dingbats harass some innocent monsters!” there was a disappointed look in her eye, like she expected better from you, but you were firm on standing your ground.

“Undyne, listen to me. They are humans. You aren’t. I know, it’s horribly unfair, but it doesn’t matter what they did, as soon as you bring magic into it, you are the bad guys. There will be no hearing you out, no justice no nothing. They are gonna walk away and keep doing this while you rot in prison because you did the right thing. Hell, you don’t even need the magic, they could just say you used it, and it’s over. Please.”

Undyne visibly deflated, the look on her eyes conflicted. “Then what do you suppose we do. We can’t just watch”

“You let the human handle this.” You said sternly, before walking away backwards, giving them a hard look. “That’s what the token privileged person does. We handle shi-stuff so you don’t go to prison.”

“HUMAN, WAIT!” You didn’t listen to them as you stalked over to the group, calling a sharp “Hey” in their direction to get their attention. When they turned towards you, they gave away the view to the girls they were harassing, and when you saw the terror on their face, you clenched your fist in anger.

“Why don’t you guys get someone your own size to harass?” you hissed, having a hard time to wrangle back the part of you that just wanted to gouge out their eyes, screaming to see their blood dye the streets the colour of your eyes.

“What, like you, little girl?” one of them mocked, easily two heads taller than you. Mer once described you as a bloodthirsty little Pomeranian when you were twelve and repeatedly dunked Josh’s head into a mud puddle when he stole some girls limited edition Lagoona Doll and right now, you really had that anklebiter-urge again.

“Yeah, you wanna fuck around and find out?” You hissed at the men, while reaching out a hand for the girls. The fire elemental didn’t grab it for obvious reasons, but her friend did, and you pulled the two of them behind you. “Is your self esteem really so low, that you have to harass children? Do you now how creepy that is?”

“We didn’t harass no children, sweetie, just some bottom dwellers.” Another one of the men drawls, stepping closer to you, and hoo-boy, these men were bigger from here than over there. “No why don’t you stop chirping and step aside, dove”

And then you saw red-pun not intended.

Chapter Text

“Miss Winters? Dr. Csernay will be with you any moment” the nurse signed for you after walking into the room, a stern look on her face as she scrutinized your file. You gave her an exhausted, yet grateful smile and nodded gently. You’ve been at the office for what felt like hours now, examination after examination, without actually seeing the good doctor once. At this point, you’ve grown quite tired, for more reason than one. “Oh, you are the little girl that got into the kerfuffle with the human pricks, right?” Her face softened considerably, the black nose of her puppy face scrunching slightly. She was a dog monster-a Samoyed, if you had to guess-and a glance to her name plate told you that she was called Dogaressa. You give her another curt nod, yet quite unable to hide the flush creeping up the back of your neck. “My boy told me all about it! He’s in Frisk’s class!”

“Oh, you must be Cal’s mom! The little one told me about him!” It was still weird to be unable to hear your own voice when speaking, not even gonna lie, but that’s what you were here for.

“Yeah, that’s my little boy!” she seemed so proud of her son and this time, your smile was a bit more earnest. “How do you know Frisk? They don’t hang with humans too often and you really must have made an impression on them if they won’t shut up about the human that got into a fight with other humans because they can’t behave” She must be laughing, but you weren’t too sure. All you heard was a faint ringing in your ears and some muffled sounds.  

“I-uh… I am staying with their uncles? I don’t know if you know them, the Serif brothers?”

“No way! Of course, I know the skeletons, we used to hang out all the time with Sans down under! He used to feed us scraps from the table and then his brother got mad at him. They are quite the strange pair” You couldn’t help but snicker a bit. That sounded like Sans and his big heart, even though he tried to hide it with his aloofness. “Well, now it makes sense why almost every monster and their mom hounded us for an appointment for you.” She noted, and you ducked your head a bit, unable to stop your face from turning a deep crimson shade. “Don’t worry, little human, Dr Csernay will get you fixed up in no time.”

“Is the doctor… like you?” you asked her a bit hesitantly and for a moment she considered you, her face growing gentler.

“No, but he’s a good guy. There is nothing to be afraid of, pup.”

“Will you stay?” your voice must have been quiet, and you felt so small and lost in the cold plastic chair.

“Of course. The doctor knows how to sign too, if you are worried, but just in case that he’ll need his hands, I’ll be right here to keep you in the loop.” Your gratefulness must have been apparent to her, because she gave you a tiny pat on the head. You held her gaze and only broke it, when you could see her brows furrow, and a flicker of something akin to remembrance flash across them. She must have been old enough to remember but thankfully, she didn’t seem to make the connection.

Just when you were about to open your mouth to say something, you saw the door open from your peripheral vision. An older gentlemen entered the room, looking at a chart over the rim of his glasses. He said something but all you heard was the high-pitched sound. Glancing over to Dogaressa, she wasted no time to start interpreting.

“Hello Miss Winters. I’m Dr. Csernay, but you can call me Sean, if you would like.” You gave him a curt nod, but he was so into his notes, that he probably didn’t even see it. “I see here that you’ve gotten into a little scuffle with some humans a few days ago, am I correct?”

“Yes, I tried to diffuse the situation because they were harassing some monster kids. The argument turned nasty pretty quickly and one of them hit me quite badly.” You explained, while pointing to the bruises on the left side of your face.

“I assume that you’ve pressed charges, yes?”

“Sadly not. The police… didn’t find them” There was a bitterness in your voice, that was hard to hide. You didn’t have to tell him that the police didn’t even try since this was a hatecrime against monsters, really. And in the eyes of the police, you weren’t much better either, a traitor to your own species.

“Shame. Aggravated assault should not be taken lightly.” You just gave him a soft shrug and he leaned back in his chair. “If I am right to understand, your hearing has been impaired since the incident?”

“Yes, its all just a muffled ringing. I also bled from the side where he hit me if that helps? But I’ve already told your assistant that earlier?”

“True, true, it’s all noted here but it’s always good to hear it straight from the source.” He smiled gently before looking at the screen of his computer. “Well, this shouldn’t be a hard fix, if I look at your x-rays here. Your right side is fine, the ringing should go away in a few days, but it seems like the left side has taken some damage. There are some old scars too, roughly five years old”

“Yes, I was in a car crash back then.”

“Ah yes, I see. It appears that you have something called tympanic membrane perforation. Basically, you’ve ruptured an eardrum from the impact.” He smiled at you again, widely. “Thanks to our friends from the underground, that’s an easy fix though. I am surprised that your majesty hasn’t fixed it for you, she went out of her way to call us multiple times to make sure that you’d receive the best case as soon as possible. Along with a high number of high-ranking officials as well.” There was a glint in his eye, that made you uncomfortable. “You have good connection, Miss Winters.” He turned towards the nurse, who was still busy signing for you “Dogaressa, would you be so kind and draw out the patient’s soul and heal her for me?”

“What?” you yelped, obviously paling at the thought. The doctor turned towards you, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s quite painless. Dogaressa here has the gentlest paws in the entire building. It should only take a second and then you are as good as new” Dogaressa gave you an encouraging smile as well, hoping to calm you down since the terror must be clearly written on your face.

“No!” you insisted vehemently. “You can’t!” They both looked at you in confusion now. “Is there any other way? I- I’ve never seen my soul! I was hoping that…” you didn’t know where you were going with the lie, but you were really just hoping to find the end of the sentence somewhere across the road. Sadly, the road seemed to be closed down for construction or something.

“Well, I cannot say that I approve but you seem very much against it. I must inform you that if you don’t let us heal you like this, you will need a hearing aid on your left side. Probably for the rest of your life.” This time, the doctor signed himself, his gestures slow and deliberate.

“That’s okay.” You agreed easily, maybe a bit too eagerly. “I’m fine with that.” Anything but your soul.

He sighed deeply enough that you could see it, and from the corner of your eye, you could see Dogaressa squint at you, before her eyebrows suddenly shot up, her mouth a perfect little “o” shape.

“Well, let’s get you fitted for one then. You are quite small, so we may be able to use a children’s size. We do still have a few of them in the office.”

Roughly an hour later, you stepped outside the doctor’s office, blinking against the sunlight. The new weight of the BTEP aid on your left side was still unfamiliar to you, but at least the ringing was better now. This wasn’t an ideal solution but the best you could do for now.

Suppressing the urge to touch it the entire time, you instead started to dig through your purse, to grab your phone. If you were lucky, Sans would be done at work already and could pick you up. If you weren’t you’d probably call Undyne or someone, even if it was to just keep you company on the phone.

As usual, you were horrible at answering the 52 textmessages in your inbox-twenty-three from Undyne, three from Cam, twelve from Papyrus, eight from Frisk, one you blocked and deleted and five from Sans-and just as you were about to text someone, a pair of shoes, that was more expensive that your monthly wages entered your field of vision.

“Mettaton, hi!” Smiling, you looked up at your boss, clad in a well fitted pair of maroon slacks, white blouse and a black waspie, that had no right to be this snatched. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to pick up my brave little PA so she won’t get into trouble again” he signed, and your smile got a bit brighter as you tapped your ear gently.

“Can hear again, they got me a jaunty little thing here to help for now”

Clicking his tongue, his hand brushed your hear aside to look at the piece, before he gently turned your head, staring at the bruise on your cheek and corner of your mouth.

“Oh, you poor little thing. I guess Magic didn’t work?”

“No, it didn’t. Tori can heal the worst bruises, if it comes down to it, but I didn’t wanna bother anyone. Makeup works fine for it too.”  He hummed again, clearly lost in thought. “Thank you for coming though. How did you know?”

“I called Papyrus and asked him. He seemed quite delighted at the prospect of knowing that you wouldn’t wander around on your own, especially now” There was a knowing twinkle in his eyes, and you flushed.

“C’mon, you get into one argument with some racist buttheads that maybe escalates a little bit, and everyone thinks I’m incapable all of a sudden” you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“Darling, a man twice your size hit you hard enough to take away your hearing.”

“And I bit his hand hard enough that he bled, I think we are even.”

“Permanent hearing loss”

“Permanent damage to his ligaments and incapable of whacking it for at least three months.” Your boss just casually raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow in silent judgment and you answered it with a grimace of your own. “Really, the most important thing is that the girls are safe. I don’t care about all of this”

“Well, I care.” He huffed, crossing his arms like a disappointed mother. He’d make a great parent one day, really. “I am sure many more people care as well.”

“Ugh, fine. I am sorry I got into a fight with some dicks and made you worry.”

“And?”

“And I shouldn’t have called them shrimp dicked little incel boys that look like the missing link and probably complain on reddit about how women are the devil because they have never seen one up close out of her own volition because they smell like mozzarella you’ve left out in the sun for a week. I also shouldn’t have said that they dress like they are about to investigate the murders they committed. Or that they are what happens when a rabid coyote has hate filled sex with a Klingon in a tumble dryer running on the highest speed setting and the mangled, nine-months-premature foetus climbed out. The last bit was probably a tad too far. Even if it was true.”

“Good girl.” He pat your cheek again, carefully, but even though he tried to keep a stern face, you could see the corners of his mouth twitch. “Now get in the car, so I can take you home. Sans will have my head if you return with one more scratch.”

“C’mon, he’s not that bad” you laugh, as you walk around the shiny red car, that probably costs more than some people earn in their lifetime.

“Darling, you have no idea” Mettaton huffed, as he slid behind the wheel. The ride was comfortable, even though you kept fidgeting and he shot you worried glances the entire time. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” he asked you gently, and you shrunk back a bit, embarrassed.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” You sighed. “Actually, I know I’m asking a lot, but could I ask you for a favour?”

“Of course, whatever do you need?”

“Can you cut off my hair?”

Mettaton’s mansion wasn’t as grand and over the top as you expected. You kind of assumed that it would be a Jeffree Star-esque, grand Barbie Dreamhouse that was nothing short of ridiculous, but this was… nice. Quaint, almost.

To be fair, it was still lavish and probably cost way more that it should have, but it seemed almost normal, really. The waterslide by the pool aside, but you were almost 99.9% sure that that was actually for Frisk and Papyrus. You couldn’t imagine your boss actually using it, like… ever.

The inside was clean and chique, without seeming cold and soulless, like many of the celebrity houses you’d see in movies or various gossip magazines. It reminded you of your aunts’ house whenever your parents dumped you and your sister with her for the weekend to get a well-deserved break from you two. Thinking about it was only a little painful.

“Your house is gorgeous, Mettaton” you marvelled, and he made a dismissive hand gesture, before taking off his black lace gloves.

“Oh, it’s just something small. You should see my holiday home by the sea down in L.A. Now that is a grand mansion.”

“I am sure it is” you laugh as you followed him up the stairs, your hand gliding along the gold baluster, careful not to scratch anything.

“You can go sit down in the winter garden while I go get my styling kit, darling. It should only take a minute.” Smiling, you nodded at him, before following his direction. The winter garden on the upstairs floor had an excellent view to the mountain as well as overlooking the small bay nearby. With a bit of imagination, you could almost see the plateau that opened up on the mountain behind the barrier. Closing your eyes, you try to imagine the first time that sunlight would hit your face after a lifetime of imprisonment underground, while you take down the tightly wrapped braids around your head. The metal bobbypins made a soft sound when you dropped them on the coffee table.

Shaking your hair open was always a relief, the tension always gave you a bit of a headache.

“A shame that you want to cut them off” Mettaton’s voice called from the doorway and you turned with a smile.

“A little bit. Papyrus was just about to get the hang with updos. He really has a talent for hairstyles.” The robot just hummed in agreement, as he stepped behind you, letting the long strands flow through his fingers. Just knowing that all he had to was grab it made you shiver. Just wrap his hands around it and-

Don’t do that to yourself.

Swallowing the bitter acid that was rising up your throat, you forced yourself to abandon that line of thought.

“May I ask why you wish to cut it short?” he asked, his voice gentle, and you had to grasp your own hands to stop them from shaking.

“Don’t laugh at me, okay?”

“I would never!” he huffed with indignance.

“Back when I still lived with Hugh, he made me grow out my hair because my sister always wore it long as well. And over time, he started grabbing it, when I misbehaved. The night I-I escaped, he actually dragged me across the floor with it. So I started wearing it up or in braids so it couldn’t happen again.” Your voice was quiet, and your eyes cast downward, so you didn’t have to face the inevitable pity that would be in Mettaton’s eyes. “I thought that would fix it but…”

“One of the men grabbed your braid. Undyne told me” he answered for you and you shrugged weakly.

“I’m tired of being scared all the time.” When you looked up, there wasn’t pity on his face like you expected, but instead a warm adoration.

“I think you are being very brave, darling. I am honoured that I get to help you with gaining some confidence.” Gently, he took one of your hands, guiding you over to a chair that he dragged into the middle of the room. “Here, sit down, and let your fairy godparent transform you” This time, your smile was genuine.

Mettaton was gentle when he put one of those black hairdressers capelets around your neck and even more so when he brushed through your hair with his fingers. “So soft” he marvelled.

“I use silicon free conditioner and a deep cleaning shampoo in hopes of getting some curls. Sadly, my hair’s always been pinstraight and I’ve never been able to hold a single curl. You should have seen my sister though. She had this gorgeous jet-black mane of curls. I swear, it was purple and blue in the right lighting, and it was even longer than mine. She would get booked by agencies just for her eyes and hair, it was fantastic.”

“Good hair seems to be in your family. I can see why Sans keeps touching it.” You swatted him good heartedly.

“He does not!”

“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t notice that every time you sit in front of the TV, he puts his arm around you and plays with your hair.” You open up your mouth to deny everything and quickly close it again with an audible snap.

“What? Where did you hear that nonsense?” Your face was burning when you finally studder out the words.

“Well, both Undyne and Papyrus cannot shut up about it and Frisk actually painted a picture for me, so I won’t miss out”

“Traitors!” you huffed, and he just laughed at you softly. “It’s so unfair, I can’t tease Undyne or Frisk at all because they just fire back twice fold and it’s impossible to be mean to Papyrus! Why am I the only one that gets teased just because I have a teeny tiny crush.” Shocked by your slipup, you slap your hands over your mouth before turning to face Mettaton, who threw his head back in a laugh that was all bells and whistles. “Don’t tell anyone! I swear! I will pack your schedule so fully that you won’t have time for a single coffee break! Undyne will never let me hear the end of it!”

“Don’t worry, no word will cross these lips!” he promised, and you glared at him for a moment before he pushed your head back away from him. “Stay still, I am going to cut now. I won’t go shorter than your shoulders though, so you can see if it’s enough or more.” Pouting, you crossed your arms.

“It’s easy for you to laugh, they aren’t bullying you!”

“That’s because I don’t make my crushes obvious.” he had the audacity to sound completely calm, like he didn’t just drop a bombshell. You were about to whip your head around to gape at him but don’t even make it halfway before he takes your head to look back ahead. “Stay still!” he just reprimanded calmly.

“How am I supposed to stay still after that?”

“You just try a bit harder.”

“Metta…” you whined, but he just laughed softly. The right side of your head became a bit lighter all of a sudden and you could follow a long stand fall to the floor with your eyes. For absolutely no good reason, your throat constricted at the sight. “Who is it? Do I know them?” you distract yourself instead.

“Mmmmm… Maybe” your boss evaded, and you bit your lip, in the hopes of a follow up. “It’s nothing serious. I doubt that he would see me in the same light anyways.”

“Oh, so it’s a he, that already rules out some suspects.”

“You aren’t going to drop this, aren’t you?” he sighed, and you just grinned at him wolfishly, before he took your head between his hands, turning it again, this time with a bit more force behind it. “Hold still, I don’t want to cut you”

“Of course, I’m not gonna drop it! How could I?”

“I see now why you complain about Undyne so much. You two really are two birds of a feather.”

“You wound me, Mettaton!” you grin but he just clicked his tongue.

He seemed quiet while lifting a strand he had already cut to feather the ends a bit and make them less blunt.

“You cannot tell Sans.” He finally spoke up, and your grin grew tenfold.

“Pinkie promise!” you swear, holing your hand back with the pinkie outstretched. He took it, still a bit weary.

“It’s Papyrus.” He finally admitted with somewhat clenched teeth, and you gasp loudly.

“That is… actually not that surprising.” You mull and he just huffed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, he is an absolute sweetheart, and you just seem like you could need someone that is genuinely nice to you. Not just because you are a world-famous star or for the money or anything. And he’s good at giving praise and you like praise. Plus, he is one of the only people that could match your energy”

“You really think so?” He seemed quiet and you want to turn to face him but catch yourself in the last second. You really know better than that at this point.

“Yeah, you’d be good for each other.”

“You are very kind, you know that?” Guilt-ridden, you don’t answer him. There was a sting in your soul, though fainter this time around. It was quiet, either of you clearly lost to their own thoughts. “You know, I am actually glad that we get this moment together outside of work.”

“Yeah?” your throat was scratchy for some reason.

“Yeah. There was something I need to talk to you. And I’d rather do it when it’s just the two of us”

Uh-oh. That sounds dangerous.

Uncomfortable, you shifted in your seat, until he held you still again before taking another strand of hair to cut it.

“A while back, I noticed that someone kept sending you flowers, that you wouldn’t accept. Or that you seem to be reluctant to leave the building on your own. So, I got a bit worried and did some snooping. You can imagine my surprise when I go into our employee system and see that there is no Elaine Winters.”

“Maybe it’s a bug” you offered him meekly, your hands balled to fists.

“I highly doubt it, because I did find someone with the name Winters in there.” Terror rippled through you, gripping your chest. “Obviously, I did more snooping, and I came across the obituary of an Elaine Winters that died September third this year.” His hands in your hair stilled but when he continued, his voice wasn’t angry or disgusted at all. It was kind and understanding, which was oh, so much worse. “It was your mother, wasn’t it, darling?” You already have half a mind to just jump up from the chair and run, your fight or flight instincts kicking in full gear, if it wasn’t for his hands gently pressing your shoulders into the chair. So you could do nothing but nod dumbly. “Why did you lie about your name?” When one of his hands gently pat your hair, it hurt more than any strike could have.

“Don’t fire me!” you begged, the first thing that crossed your mind. “Please don’t fire me”

“Darling, why would I fire you?” He assured you and when you shift again, he doesn't correct your posture this time. “I am worried about you. Something is clearly wearing you down and I don’t want to see you break under the burden. You can barely conceal the shadows under your eyes or the strain on your shoulders. I just want to help you, but I can’t do that, if you aren’t honest with me.”

“I-I could lie to you now… And tell you this story that I was scared when I met Toriel and the little one for the first time because I knew that Hugh was… well Hugh. And I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, so I’d rather lie because I never expected to see any of you again and there was never a good moment to come clear and with every passing minute it gets more and more awkward but…” Your eyes started to sting a bit, so you angrily rubbed them with a huff. “We both know that’s not true.” Mettaton didn’t say anything but his hands in your hair stilled in the middle of cutting. “I want to tell you, I really do, but I can’t. I know I am asking a lot, but I need you to trust me.” Wiping the tears that were threatening to spill over, you took a deep breath, in hopes of not breaking down completely. “I promise you, I never wanted to hurt anyone. You have to believe me.”

“Oh darling” he whispered, before carefully hugging you against his chest, like you were a raw egg. “Of course, I believe you. How could I not. This is clearly hurting you more than anyone else and I don’t want to see you break under whatever weight you are wearing. I will never judge you.”

Still wiping your tears, you lean back into the hug, sobbing pathetically.

“You know, sometimes, we think that the people around us wouldn’t be able to handle the truth and so we hide away who we really are. I did the same thing with my cousin Blooky because I was foolish and though he wouldn’t understand who I really was and wanted to be. And when I finally took my true name, I was ashamed. It’s only thanks to Frisk that I got the courage to open up and work on our relationship. I don’t think that hiding myself away would have been good for anyone. Maybe opening up would help you too?” The gentle way he spoke to you reminded you of your aunt, and you really valued that in that moment, but that was a whole different issue to unpack later.

“I know, but this isn’t just about me. I-People wouldn’t understand. I-He-I couldn’t”

“Darling… Is this about Sans again?” Caught like a deer in headlights, you flinched harshly, almost receding into yourself. “Sweetheart, he is head over heels for you. I doubt that something like a name could put him off.”

“Metta, please… It’s just… harmless flirting” you rolled your eyes. “I doubt that think that he really means it either. There is no way…”

At least if he knew the truth, you thought to yourself and a wave of guilt over your own selfishness and greed washed over you.

Mettaton just gave you a knowing glance.

It was already dark outside when Mettaton finally dropped you off back at the apartment. There was some slight apprehension in your movement, as you fumbled with your keys to open the front door. You tried your best to be as quiet as possible, since it was already way past Papyrus’ normal bedtime and you couldn’t see light coming from the hallway, so Sans was probably also already in bed. A cold breeze tickled your neck, and you shivered, not used to the short hair yet. Mettaton had left it long enough to still put up in a short little ponytail-or wolftail, as he explained-and do simple hairstyles, which you were grateful for. After wearing your hair up pretty much every minute, being forced to wear it as it was all of a sudden, would be quite the shock. It would take you some time to get used to, but all in all, you felt pretty content with your decision.

As you’ve suspected, the light was out in the apartment as you took off your shoes and coat. Your bag was haphazardly thrown onto the small table there as well and you anxiously fiddled with your new hearing aid. A lot of changes in a day, you had to admit, but nothing you wouldn’t get used to soon.

“HUMAN?” Startled, you yelped, almost jumping out of your skin, as a bleary-eyed Papyrus came toddling along the hallway, rubbing his eyesocket.

“Jesus Christ, Papy, you almost gave me a heartattack!” you yelped, your heart beating almost out of your chest. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I WAS WAITING FOR YOU, HUMAN!” he said while stifling a yawn. “SANS IS STILL AT WORK SO I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY DUTY TO STAY UP AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE BACK SAFELY!”

“Awww, that is very sweet of you.”

“YES, I KNOW! IT’S TOTALLY NOT BECAUSE SANS WASN’T HERE TO READ ME MY STORY!” You gave him a relieved laugh as you closed the door behind you, locking it tightly. Sans had his ways to get in anyways, so you weren’t worried about locking him out.

“I would have never assumed, Papy.” You assured him. “Should I take you to bed, now that you’ve fulfilled your duty of making sure that I would come back unharmed.”

“OH, THAT WOULD BE MOST KIND OF YOU, TINY HUMAN!” he seemed genuinely excited, a new bounce in his step.

“It’s no big deal, really. C’mon, let’s go.”

“I NOTICED THAT YOU CUT OF YOUR HAIR, TINY HUMAN!” You smiled at him as brightly as you could, scrunching your nose a bit.

“Yeah? Mettaton did it for me. What do you think?”

“IT LOOK VERY PRACTICAL! HE IS VERY TALENTED! BUT I AM SAD BECAUSE PLAYING WITH YOUR HAIR WAS FUN”

“Don’t worry, there is still enough hair for you to braid. And that way it’s a new challenge as well. Everyone can make long her look pretty, but only the Great Papyrus could make short one look wonderful, I am sure.”

“YOU ARE RIGHT, OF COURSE! I SHALL GO AND LOOK UP TEACHING VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE THE FIST THING IN THE MORNING! NYEHEHE!” Still smiling, you pet his arm as he slid into his bed and under the covers. He shuffled a bit to get comfortable and it reminded you of a cat wiggling into the most comfortable position in front of a warm fireplace. “THE BOOK IS ON THE NIGHTSTAND! WE ARE ALMOST THROUGH CHAPTER 4!” he proudly declared, and you look at the cover of it. Apparently, they were reading through the Percy Jackson Series.

“Well, we wouldn’t want your brother to miss some important Info, do we? How about a lullaby instead?”

“WOWIE, A LULLABY? THAT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE!” He smiled up at you. “WHAT’S A LULLABY?”

“Oh, uhm, you know when you go to bed and your mom or dad sing you a song to help fall asleep?”

“NO! I NEVER HAD A MOM!” He was still smiling at you, full of innocence and joy. “JUST A DAD, BUT HE NEVER SUNG ANY SONGS FOR ME! HE WASN’T A VERY GREAT DAD” He seemed entirely too chipper for that kind of conversation, and you had to force your smile to stay bright and warm.

“Then who took care of you when you were little? You turned out great, so someone must have done some great work.”

“IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ME AND SANS. BUT HE DIDN’T SING ME ANY SONGS EITHER”

“Well…” you blinked at him. “I guess then I’ll sing the first one for you” He looked up at you with huge puppy eyes-well, the skeletal version of it at least-and you nestled a bit closer as you started to hum a gentle melody before striking up into your favourite French Lullaby. You tried your best to keep it gentle and as quiet as possible. At first, it seemed like Papyrus was fighting his own heavy eyes to keep listening, but when you reached over and gently stroked from his nose ridge up to his browbone with your pinkie like Mer used to do with you, he slowly succumbed to his own exhaustion. You stayed with him anyways, quietly singing and humming more to yourself than him, you found yourself incredibly content all of a sudden.

A quiet, little “hey” from the doorway made you stop, and you looked over to find Sans standing there, just looking at you with the gentlest little smile.

“Hey” you whispered back with a smile.

Chapter Text

Yeah, Sans thought that the human was pretty, there was no denying that. Frisk teased him about it often enough that any form of protesting would be a futile attempt of a lie at this point. He stared too much for it not to be true. There was nothing wrong with that, he just liked how her eyes would sparkle with mischief just before she drove Papyrus insane with another pointed pun, or the way she was always smiling a little bit and how the smile turned into a wolfish grin when teasing Undine or a little bit softer than it had to be when she was talking to Frisk, paired with the cute little nose twitch that was for them and nobody else. He was especially fond of doing his gosh darn best to make her flush deep enough to really bring out all of those white freckles on her cheeks and neck. And yeah, here and there the thought of tangling his hand into her hair crossed his mind, but only ever since she let Papyrus play with it pretty much every day. He wasn’t jealous, really, you have to believe him, but the urge was there anyways.

But the moment he saw her sitting on Papyrus’ bed, softly singing him to sleep with the voice of an angel and the softest look he’s ever seen on her face, was the first time, the word beautiful crossed his mind to describe her. For the first time, he felt like he really saw her. Not just with his eyes, but really saw her. It didn’t make sense to him at all, but the war her delicate nose scrunched when she smiled, the way her lashes fluttered against her cheek every time she blinked, how she managed to make Papyrus feel so secure that she could coax him to sleep with just some words and a gentle touch to the nose…

It hit him like a wave and for a brief moment, he couldn’t breathe, and his knees buckled and all he saw was her and she was beautiful, and he just had to say something, even if it was something stupid like a simple hi.   

He had to lean against the doorframe in order to not fall over and he tries to tell himself that it’s because he had a gruelling day at work and Paul had kept annoying him all day with unimportant shit and Betty lost hey keys again and Alphys was busy with board meetings the entire day so he had to suffer through lunch on his own and its totally not because Elaine had heard him and suddenly those red eyes were looking at him and she bit the inside of her lip as she smiled at him.

The time it took her to get up and walk over to him, closing the door behind her with a quiet click, was barely enough to gather his composure. She was so close to him, but he felt rooted in place, and she didn’t seem to mind it either, so he did nothing but stare at her dumbly.

“You’re back” she said, the corners of her mouth still tugged up.

“Yeah, sorry, it got a bit crazy today.” Sans rubbed the back of his skull a bit awkwardly. “Thanks for taking Paps to bed. I know he can be a bit... much... sometimes. You didn’t have to”

“Don’t mention it” she said, her eyebrows furrowed the slightest bit in confusion. “It was no big deal, really. Papyrus is awesome”

“He’s the best. Most people just… don’t get him.” He still feared that you wouldn’t, that he would get too much and that it was weird that he still had to tuck his little brother in every night and-

“If they don’t get him, then they don’t deserve him. Their loss, really. He’s the greatest and a total cinnamon bun. It’s in the name, after all!” Elaine said with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world and suddenly, his knees were weak again.

His brother has always been his weak spot, his number one priority and the most important thing in his life. It was true, most people really didn’t get him. They either took one glance at him, tall and essentially built to eliminate obstacles, like…someone… once said, and got frightened, like he was their worst nightmare, when really, it was Sans they should be afraid of, or they took a moment to wait until Papyrus opened his mouth and thought him annoying, too much, or stupid. Sans knew that none of that was true, their friends knew it, but still, he harboured that fear of judgement and rejection inside of him. He had suffered through enough resets to have learned that lesson.

“Sorry for taking your bro time, by the way. He was still awake when Metta dropped me off and the poor guy was so tired, he tried his best to stay up and wait for us.” Her voice was earnest and a little bit vulnerable even. “I didn’t read him from your book though. He seemed so happy that you did that together and I didn’t wanna steal that typa bonding from you, you know. I guess a lullaby worked too? At least he didn’t seem to mind”

But just like that, you disarmed his all fears and knocked the air out of his proverbial lungs.

“No, you’re great.” He promised her and she blushed at the praise. There was a bit on awkward pause between the two of you, until Sans cleared his throat before speaking up again. “You-uh-Did you cut your hair?”

He instantly flushed deeply and could have slapped himself for tripping over his words so ineloquently, but Elaine didn’t seem to mind, judging from her slight chuckle, before reaching up and tugging at a strand that had come loose from her-now considerably shorter-ponytail.

“Yeah, Metta helped me. I still have to get used to it. In hindsight, I’m a bit worried that it will get tangled in the hearing aid, or that I’ll look silly with it. I haven’t worn it any other way than long in over half a decade, so I’m quite unsure.” Her voice had a slight joking undertone but there was a certain vulnerability in her eyes, that was impossible for him to miss. “What do you say? How do I look?”

Beautiful, is the first thing that comes to mind again, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with her now shorter hair. So instead, he answers with a “Looks practical” which made her laugh.

“Papy said the same thing! He really does come after you”

“Well, someone had to raise the boy” Sans simply shrugged, and she smiled at him. Another piece of her hair loosened and before he could think about it, he had reached out to brush it back.

And when his fingers caressed her jawline, mindful of the bruise on her cheek and corner of her mouth that was already turning a nasty shade of yellow and green with just barely a hint of purple in the centre, she didn’t flinch away like he expected but rather leaned into the touch, eyelids fluttering closed for a brief moment, like she was revelling in the gesture. Emboldened by the lack of rejection and a healthy dose of lacking restraint, he let his thumb wander down to her mouth, brushing against her bottom lip. She gasped quietly, too quiet for him to hear, but rather feel, but still no rejection.

Whereas her eyes had held his gaze so far, he felt quite smug when they quickly glanced down to his smile before she turned that quite pretty shade of red, he was always on the hunt for.

He wondered what exactly she was thinking about, but he could make a good, educated guess. And when she whispered his name into the dark apartment, he shivered.

Funnily enough, Elaine was the first one to move in a bit, and he was just about to follow her movement, as her eyes suddenly glazed over again, just for a second, but it was long enough for him to notice.

Rapidly blinking, she reached up, grabbing his hand and there was a pit in his stomach. He must have done something wrong and ruined it. He didn’t know what and his thoughts were spiralling down but then she looked at him again, eyes bright and a mischievous twinkle in them before she pressed her lips against the metacarpals of his fingers in a soft kiss that could make any man just melt into a puddle.  

Though her lips were a bit chapped, they were still soft and her warm breath against his bones made him shiver and he wants nothing more but to be closer, but he couldn’t get a word out. Why couldn’t he get a word out now? Just something… anything.

But instead, it’s her again.

“Good night, Sans.” Her words were barely above a hushed whisper, but he hears it anyways before she slips away from his grasp with a giggle that couldn’t be described as anything else but teasing.

Sans wants to curse her, but he also wants to do some other things, that were inherently less innocent.

Saturdays at Toriels were always a bit of a mess, you’ve been told the first time you joined them for the tradition, but unlike your first time there, you could finally relax a little. Toriels incessive mothering landed you on her sage green and clearly well loved couch with the throw blanket with the daisies draped over your legs as you curled up in a corner, as if you wanted to take up as little space as possible, hands wrapped around a cup of tea that was more akin to a bowl with a handle. There was no way in hell that you would be able to finish the literal boatload and still have space for lunch but at least the mug was a great way to warm your fingers.

Around the middle of October, temperatures had started to fall drastically and by now, it was pretty certain that autumn was ending and winter creeping in. There was no snow outside yet but the trees in the little woods behind Toriels house looked barren and dead, the leaves on the ground more slippery than anything else from the frequent rains. The fog that had rolled over the city last night still hadn’t dissipated but you didn’t mind. You liked this kind of weather. You weren’t quite sure why, the only real memory you associated with the fog and wet leaves was a long trek up Mt. Ebbot, shivering in the cold night as you ran as fast as your little legs could take you, to escape the voices shouting behind you.

Right now, you weren’t outside though, it wasn’t dark, and you were warm and cosy, and Frisk was waving at you from the kitchen with a whisk in hand, splattering chocolate batter everywhere before they can get reprimanded by their mother for making a mess.

You gave them a small wave back, and they disappeared from your field of vision as Undyne plops down next to you, handing you a pile of napkins to fold.

She hated doing it, called it an arduous, boring task that was fit for wives, and she was a warrior in her prime days, she needed some action. So, like every Saturday, you sat beside her as she recounted her adventures as you folded your tiny paper swans. The first time you did it, they were more like ugly ducklings, but every week, they grew to be prettier. A few of them still had a broken wing or a deformed beak and one of them was definitely cross-eyed, but you were okay with that.

Alphys and Sans were sitting on the floor in front of the stereo, surrounded by a sea of cables as they tried to fix the damage of Papyrus spilling a whole pitcher of juice on the sound system while Frisk was weaving through his legs. Honestly, the poor boy felt horrible about it, but it wasn’t really his fault that there were mobile tripwires loose in the building.

A huge chunk of hair loosened from your messy bun as you threw your hair back to laugh at something Undyne said and Papyrus was almost instantly behind you, phalanges tangled in the auburn mess to try and make it look a bit more presentable again.

You doubted that there was anyone of sound mind that wouldn’t love being here. Honestly, you never wanted it to end. Days like these, you just wished that time would stand still, and you could take these moments with you.

It was a very selfish wish, and late at night, when it was just you and your thoughts, you hated yourself for how greedy you were while staring at the ceiling for hours. It was easier to ignore when people were around though.

It didn’t take much longer for the table to be prepared and you allowed Undyne to drag you up with an unnecessarily dramatic groan, only a little bit unwilling to get up from your pre-warmed corner spot under the duvet.

Smelling Toriels casserole did make it worlds easier though, so it was mostly for show.

“TINY HUMAN, WILL YOU JOIN OUR ADVANTURES IN THE WOODS AFTER LUNCH?” Papyrus leaned over to Frisk, a mischievous grin on his face. The child in question, bounced excited on their chair next to you and you giggled. “WHY, YES OF COURSE THE SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN IS ALSO INVITED! MAYBE MY LAZY BROTHER WILL JOIN US AS WELL THIS TIME!” he gave his brother a hopeful glance, but Sans just shrugged.

“Nah, sorry Paps, but you know me. Got a tight schedule. There are naps I can’t miss. I can’t keep up with you three anyways. I doubt Elaine will be able either” You kicked him under the table and mouthed a quiet “Be nice” at him, but he just grinned a little bit wider.

“Eh, he’s probably right. Doubt you’ll be fast with those short legs of yours” Undyne agreed, and you tried to kick her as well, but you couldn’t reach. She clearly noticed because she threw her head back in a roaring laughter. “What did I say. Short little Pomeranian legs”

“I will bite your ankles, Undyne” you fired back, trying to kick her again. Papyrus next to her yelped a bit.

“PST, HUMAN!” He mock whispered and leaned towards you across the table. “I THINK YOU MISSED” You mirrored him, answering in a conspiratory voice.

“Just pass it along, will you” Enthusiastically, he nodded and just a moment later, the whole table was shaking from his kick to Undyne’s shin.

“OW! Not fair, you can’t rope Papyrus into your scheme!”

“Awwww, are you mad that the tiny little Pomeranian asked the great Dane for help” you mock pouted at her, drawing a fake tear rolling over your cheek.

“You cheated!”

“Nu-uh, I cheaten’t!”

“Yu-huh, you sure did!”

“Oh, hush you two” Toriel intervened but you and Undyne just shared a little goodwilled giggle.

Next to you, Sans’ hand brushed against yours under the table and when you glanced at him from the side, he was deep in conversation with Alphys about something… very technological that you barely understood. Honestly, you weren’t very skilled with tech, anyone that had an inkling of an idea would probably get a heart attack if they looked at the 45 open tabs on your work laptop that’s been running nonstop for the past month or so. You should probably do something about that.

Honestly, you would have brushed it off as an accident if it didn’t happen again just a moment later. He still wasn’t looking but the gesture still felt so intimate, that you inevitably flushed.

You reached out to link your pinkie with his anyways.

When you glanced at him again while being questioned by the supreme Mom herself about your job, you noticed the softest blue tint to his cheekbones, and the way his smile seemed just the tiniest bit softer.

You got to enjoy this for a whole three minutes, before Frisk excitedly gasped at something Papyrus said, gesturing wildly enough, to knock over the entire pitcher the taller skeleton had brought in in replacement of the one he himself had spilled earlier.

Gasping, you jump up from your chair, your front absolutely drenched and dripping. “Awww, shucks!”

“Frisk!” Toriel scolded “What did I tell you about using your indoors hands at the table!” The kid in question somehow flushed deeply enough to rival your freshly dyed red shirt.

“Ah, Miss Toriel, please, it’s no issue!” you tried to laugh it off, using your sad looking swan to dab up the liquid.

“Oh, please, you look like you are freezing!” she said, getting up herself. “Let me take you upstairs so you can clean up a bit”

“No, really, it’s fine! I don’t have any clothes to change anyways” From the corner of your eyes you could see Undyne whisper to Sans, that he should offer you his jacket.

The table shook one more time from a kick.

“Oh, nonsense! I will not have you get sick under my watch. I shall hand you something you can wear in the meantime, do not fret. Please, come with me.” She turned around and pointed at Frisk, her eyes squinted into a look only a mother could give her child. “And you, young human, are gonna apologise later and you will do the dishes as punishment. Only then you may join your friends to play outside”

But Moooooooooooom! They whined and you felt bad for them. But Toriel was too scary to risk drawing her righteous fury to you, so you just ducked your head and gave Frisk a sympathetic grimace.

“No ifs and buts! We talked about this” Huffing to get her composure back, she turned towards you. “Please, follow me, I think we were just about finished here anyways. And after everyone has returned, we may all enjoy a big slice of cake together! Maybe even with some whipped cream. Hmh, wouldn’t that be nice!” Not knowing what to say, you could do nothing but to agree and follow her from the room.

Following Toriel upstairs, you wrapped your arms around you with a slight shiver. You were always prone to freezing easily and being absolutely drenched didn’t help, no matter how high the thermostat was.

You’ve been in the house many times before, but you’ve never entered the room Toriel was leading you right now. You’ve always assumed that it must have been like a closet of cupboard, but this was a fully furbished room. The sight of it, made you gasp and freeze in the doorway.

You’ve been here before.

There were two twin beds, a closet and a little white dresser that seemed grey from the thick layer of dust. A toybox sat before one of the beds and the mere sight of it made your throat constrict.

A ray of light broke through the curtains of the window, and you could see the dust particles float in the air, as if frozen. It was all too apparent that nobody hat entered the room in quite a while.

“Miss Toriel, what.. is this?” you asked her carefully, and her back tensed just the slightest bit.

“I know you are quite small, but I am afraid that you wouldn’t fit any of Frisk’s clothes, my child” she whispered, like that explained anything, so you just stood there, staring at her, while your heart almost beat out of your chest. “I-I think there may some things here that I brought with me from the Underground that might fit you” she croaked, her voice quite hoarse, as she walked over to the dresser, rummaging through it. When she turned back at you, she had a new set of clothes for you in her hands but all you could do was stare at it dumbly. Even the tiny voice in your head that just loved to talk their ass off was silent.

Not wanting to be insanely rude and insensitive, you took the bundle from her hands, red eyes meeting warm, black ones.

“Whose are this?” you couldn’t help but ask and a shadow passed over Toriels face, before a softly padded hand came to rest on your head for a moment.

“Frisk isn’t the only child I boar into this world, my dear.” She smiled, once again refusing to say anymore. She didn’t have to, the lump in your throat already told you everything you needed to know.

“I am sorry, Miss Toriel. They must have caused you a lot of grief.” You tried to offer your condolences, but she just shook her head.

“No, please. While their absence does cause me great pain sometimes, there is no doubt that my children were the greatest gift I have ever gotten and my greatest joy. All three of them were such wonderful little souls. The worlds light will forever be dimmed by the loss of their shine”

You nodded at her, not quite sure what to make of it. “Yes, I get that. I think nobody understands it better than I do, Miss Toriel. My heart still bleeds for your suffering.” Huffing out a little laugh, she nuzzled your cheek with a paw.

“You remind me of my oldest sometimes. I am sure they would have loved you”

“As I would them” you say in all earnest and for once, it wasn’t a lie.

The boss monster smiled at you again, a little less sad this time, before clapping her hands after a few seconds of silence.

“Well, I will leave you to change now, my child. Maybe should also take a hot shower before though. You’ve been shivering a lot. I don’t want to see you sick. I shall prepare a cup of hot tea for you when you will join us again downstairs, feel free to move freely and make sure that you will be alright, yes?” You smile at her, as she leaves, trying your gosh dang darnest to make it seem like it reached your eyes, purposely crinkling and narrowing them.

When the lock on the door clicks as it closes, and you are sure that it’s just you, you gasp, falling to your knees, pressing the soft fabric of an ancient sweater to your chest. Every emotion you were experiencing right now bordered on painful and too much, too hard, to intense, which was weird, when you also feel so dejected and distant from it. A tear rolled over your cheek, and you caught it with your finger, looking at it in confusion as it shimmered in the light. Yeah, you felt bad for Toriel, but this crushing wave of grief seemed a bit much, didn’t it? Were the tears really necessary?

They aren’t yours

Oh

There was this terrible sting in your soul again.

Sans had never noticed before just how loud the steps were echoing through judgment hall as the human approached him. This was not the first time this has happened, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last one.

Waking up just to see everything reset again, over, and over and over had made him tired, oh so tired.

He’s seen it countless times, a human would come down here and things… were getting weird. Sometimes they didn’t kill, sometimes they did it to defend themselves, other times it’s just because they get tired of dying over and over again. But there are a few occasions, where they just…

 Kill.

Kill everything they see and more often than not, deliberately seek out for their victims until no one is left, except for Sans. They always ended up right here across from him, in judgment hall.

This time has been especially cruel. Not only did they kill everyone, but they managed to pander to them, fool them, and when their victim would be at their weakest, willing to spare the silly little, tiny human, they would strike for a betrayal kill.

The echo suddenly stopped, as the human stopped right in front of him. It was so weird, seeing Frisk with those red, gleaming eyes, devoid of all emotion. Their periwinkle sweater was stained with ash, turning it into a dull mockery of what it once was.

“Heya. You've been busy, huh?... So, i've got a question for ya. Do you think even the worst person can change...? That everyone can be a good person, if they just try?” Sans asked them, with a dry lough. “All right. Well, here's a better question. Do you wanna have a bad time? Cause if you take another step forward... you are REALLY not going to like what happens next.”

He knew that they’d still walk towards him, eager to just get it over with and try to stain the floor with the last person that could still put up a fight in here.

“Welp. Sorry, old lady. This is why I never make promises.”

They started to do the same dance as they did before, over and over and over, so perfectly practised, without a single flaw. Even his lines, his text, so carefully repeated…

“it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming... on days like these, kids like you...

S h o u l d   b e   b u r n i n g   i n   h e l l .”

It would end. Sometime in the future… It would end. It always ended, somehow.

Either of them would die for good and they’d just reset. It was just a waiting game, be patient, he told himself. One of them would die and it would be over. He’d see his brother again, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, Toriel and Frisk, the real Frisk. And maybe, next time, they could have a happy end, where no one had to die, and they could get out of this rotten place for good.

The thought alone gave him enough strength to finally push one of his attacks, a sharpened bone right through the humans’ chest. They fell back over, an insane grin spread across their face, and he landed on top of them, straddling the small frame. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Maybe it would be over already. Maybe they wouldn’t come back but rather reset immediately.

“I thought… You’d protect me…” The rough cough of a way too familiar voice made him snap back into the reality that was going right now and not what could have been. Red eyes were still staring at him from a beaten, bruised face, covered in blood but it wasn’t the human he had fought previously. Auburn hair was spread around your head like some kind of reversed halo, your chest barely moving anymore as she took a rattling wheeze.

 Disbelief crossed his mind, bleeding into absolute terror and despair. Nononono, this couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be her. He was just fighting Frisk, a possessed Frisk, trying to kill everyone. She’d never… He’d never…

And yet, here she was, impaled by-what was unmistakably-his projectile, the very bone he had sharpened to ram right through the human’s soul.

But not hers, never hers.

Her oh so fragile soul, not even strong enough to be drawn out without hurting her. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t…

He never wanted to hurt her, not when he…

A pale hand slowly reached out for him, touching his cheekbone. He could feel the blood on it, smearing his cheek, the red in a stark contrast of the bone white of his skull.

“Sans…. Why…?” Her voice was so pained and full of betrayal and with a last final choking pant, the shaking hand fell back to the ground, eyes now empty and devoid of all life.

“Elaine..?” he finally managed to whisper, carefully touching her shoulder. When she didn’t react, he tried to shake you a bit more, calling her name louder but still, she didn’t stir. His anguish grew by the second, desperately trying to get her to wake her up, clutching her lifeless, dead corpse to his chest, frantically sobbing. “Nonono, why are you here, please wake up, please…” But she’d never wake up again.

And it was his fault.

And with a jolt, he woke up, staring at Toriels Ceiling.

“Aw, fuck” you muttered, your now ripped hair tie between your clenched teeth, your hands still raised in a now vain attempt to tame the unruly, still moist from the shower, mop of hair. The shower Toriel had ordered you to take had done wonders against the freezing. Frustrated, you let your head fall back with a groan. Looking back into the mirror hurt, you weren’t even gonna lie.

The green sweater with the yellow stripes fit like a glove, but of course it did. It was a little bit tighter on you that it was probably supposed to be but then again, you had almost ten years on your predecessor. Small or not, you were still a grown up, god damn it.

Being unable to get your hair out of your face wasn’t helping with the stupid reminiscing either, and for a moment you entertained the thought of grabbing some bleach and developer and whatever the most outrageous colour was they had in store downtown. Maybe a nice dark emerald, cut yourself some blunt bangs instead of the side swept pieces hanging in your face right now and live out your rebellious years again. Or a pretty pastel pink. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

The combination of your auburn hair with the new cut may look flattering on whatever influencer was hot on social media right now, but in your eyes, all you could see was Frisk’s older sister. Or mom but the thought of motherhood alone made you gag. Okay, Sister. You gagged again. Definitely sister.

It was quiet downstairs, so you just assumed that everyone had already moved on with their afternoon activities. From the window upstairs, you had a perfect view of the woods behind the house that were still part of Toriel’s property. Being Queen of the Monsters had some perks after all, even if she spent most of her days working at a teacher.

A leopard doesn’t change his spots after all, I guess.

After walking down the flight of stairs, still highly uncomfortable and wrapping your arms around your torso, you spotted Sans on the couch, in the exact spot you had taken up earlier. He seemed to be sound asleep, and you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. He looked really cute like this, slack faced and relaxed. Sneaking in on your tip toes, you grabbed the soft, fuzzy blanket that was draped over the back of the sofa and put it over Sans’s huddled form, careful not to wake him. He had seemed extra tired today and you would hate to cut his nap time short.

When he scrunched his browbone, you held your breath, unmoving, until he stopped muttering in his sleep and relaxed again. As quietly as possible, you backed out of the room again, only allowing yourself the relieved exhale that you held in until now when you reached the kitchen.

Frisk was still busy with the dishes, clearly pouting.

“Hey, little one. Where’s your mom?” Shaking their hands clean from the soapy water, they huff out a dramatic sigh, still pouting.

In the cellar with Alphys. Updating the alarm system or something. They all left me to suffer in isolation!

“Eh, what a bunch of Dopes. But it’s good for us, I guess” you grin, as you bump them with your hip to encourage them to move aside. “Means your mom can’t see that I’m helping you do your chores”

When they whip around to beam at you, you couldn’t help but smile brightly at the child in front of you as you grabbed the Teflon pan and a sponge to clean off the grease after shoving the sleeves of your sweater up to your elbows unceremoniously.

“C’mon, I do the washing and you dry them. That way we are twice as fast, and you can go join Papy and Undyne outside.” They nodded a bit too enthusiastically, but you kept smiling and pretending that you didn’t see the slight hesitation with every stolen glance they gave you.

I don’t get why we can’t just put everything in the dishwasher. It’s so much faster! They complained and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well, my dad always said that if you put knives in the washer, they will go blunt. And the pan won’t be non-stick after a few cycles, which is just as bad as using a metal spoon in it”

Why? I do it all the time Frisk shrugged, and you gasped loudly.

“And your mom didn’t throw a sandal at you?”

Uh, no? Did yours?

“No, but my Auntie sure as hell almost did. Said I killed her Wok Hay if I scratched her pan. Haiyaah, she got so mad. Kitchen utensils were sacred to her, I swear. I swear, she almost killed a man once because she saw him strain half cooked, soggy rice with a colander.”

Your Aunt sounds weird

“Well, you aren’t wrong. She sure was, but I really valued my time with her. She was one of the few people that didn’t treat me any different because of my sickness.” Your smile faltered, and motion stilled in the middle of cleaning the big mixing bowl you had just grabbed, your eyes just staring into the middle distance, lost in memory. “With her, I was just a normal kid.”  

 What happened to her? It was a careful question and a very valid one, considering your reaction.

“I don’t know” you answered truthfully, picking up your ministrations with the sponge again. “I was in my senior year when she disappeared. She was away for work and just… vanished. My parents didn’t seem to be too worried, so I think they knew what happened, but they never told me. I don’t think Mer knew either. She was the biggest gossip and would have told me within seconds. So I never found out where she went. But I think she’s still somewhere out there. Auntie Hel was the toughest cookie I’ve ever known. My sister was a lot like her in that regard” you smiled at Frisk again, handing them the bowl and they flinched the tiniest bit when your fingers brushed. “You okay, little one?”

They grimaced, clearly refusing to look at you. Mom gave you Asriel’s sweater

Stunned, you looked down at yourself, pursing your lips. You had thought that the white fur stuck to it was Toriels but maybe you’ve been wrong. Right… two stripes, not one.

Clearing your throat quickly, you tugged at the hem uncomfortably. “Yeah. It was the only thing I’d fit in. You still need like a month or two to overtake me, little one” 

Can’t call me little anymore then

“Eh” you shrugged with one shoulder, grabbing the big kitchen knife stained with the remnants of a tomato. “You’ll always be my little one to me” you teased, and Frisk stuck their tiny tongue out at you.

They already had their hands raised to argue back with you as their face suddenly went blank.

Beware

“Little one?” you asked carefully but suddenly it hit you as well. Both of you shivered simultaneously as a wave of pure dread crashed into you.  Frisk gasped at the feeling of magic crackling in the air. It was all too familiar, and you whipped around, putting yourself between the child and whatever it was. “Get behind me” you hissed in a tone that allowed for no argument.

For a moment it was quiet, the electric sensation almost dying down again, and you could have almost thought that it was all in your head. Maybe Alphys just did something downstairs that charged up the air, but no-

“Papyrus!” Sans called from the living room, breaking the silence and suddenly the feeling returned, making you gasp. It felt like being thrown into a frozen lake against your will, breathing suddenly felt impossible and a memory of a bright flash and a sharp, burning hot sensation paired with the smell of burnt flesh and hair crossed your mind. Licking your lips, you adjusted the somewhat clumsy grip on the knife in front of you a bit, as Frisk whimpered behind you, their tiny fingers curled into the fabric of your sweater. Sans called out for his brother again in a strained, hurt voice, barely above a pained groan. You could hear steps nearing and suddenly your hands felt clammy, and your heart was racing.

All you could think about was the child behind you, how small they were and oh god, they had to face this terror before, the smell of rotten glass and ozone.

The lightbulb in the hallway between rooms exploded and you grabbed the handle with more purpose now.

Never again would you let Frisk get hurt again.

Swearing under your breath, you grabbed Frisk behind you, trying to back off into the adjacent dining room and maybe outside. If you were lucky, you could call for help, maybe Undyne and Papyrus would still hear you, and even if they didn’t, Toriel and Alphys just had to, right? Right?

Another lightbulb exploded and you cursed again. Your heart was beating way too fast for your liking, and you were shivering. The nearing steps halted, and you just stared into the darkness of the kitchen, your breathing really actually tiny pants.

Your weariness laced with fear turned into absolute horror and terror as you saw Sans’ face in the kitchen, suddenly illuminated by the light of his left eye, a bright blue flame with flickers of yellow where the iris would usually be. The other eyesocket was completely empty.

Be careful

Yeah, NO SHIT SHERLOCK, thanks for nothing!

“You!” he hissed, and it broke your heart to hear him address you with nothing but disgust and hatred in his voice. You desperately wanted to let go of the knife, just let it clutter to the floor and cross the distance between you to hold him close to you, assuring him that it will be okay, it is fine. He was safe. But you couldn’t, almost like an invisible force kept your fingers curled up in a bruising grip, fisted around the grip of your only defence. “What have you done with my brother”

“N-Nothing” you mumbled, shaking your head frantically. “He’s fine, it’s okay, you’ll see him again any minute now. He’s just gone on with Undyne and-“ a wail of pure anguish left his mouth, interrupting you and once again, you shivered.

He isn’t himself right now. Something whispered into your ear.

“What have you done!” he cried, and your eyes were stinging just the tiniest bit.

He is confused… So confused.

“Sans, please, I need you to listen.” You really tried to reason with him, but suddenly, blue magic cackled alive around his hand, and it felt like particles were constantly shifting around him. It was hard to keep looking at him, but you also couldn’t look away. Your throat was so dry.

He mistakes you for another he has met before. Different timelines. Different resets.

“I don’t need to do anything” Sans growled, stepping closer. You took a step back, shoving Frisk with you, their fists still curled into you. They whimpered and suddenly you weren’t afraid anymore. Just filled with the burning determination that no matter what, you would keep this child safe. “Maybe if I take that rotten soul of yours and crush it into tiny pieces, you’ll finally leave us alone. Maybe you’ll learn your lesson”

Undyne…. I need Undyne

“Fine” you retort, your voice dry and flat and full of stolen confidence. “You wanna fight me so bad, Sans, fine. I’ll fight you”

You can’t! Frisk gasped; their hands finally free, desperate to get you to understand. You can’t fight him alone. He’ll rip you apart.

You just smiled at them and Sans.

“It’s alright, little one” you assured them, raising your hand up in a fist in front of your own chest. Every hair on your neck suddenly stood up and tension rippled through you as you twisted your hand open, palm up, mirroring the way Sans had tried to summon your soul. It hurt, but only for a moment, almost like ripping off a band aid too slowly. And then, there it was, the little heart shaped soul sat atop the palm of your hand. You’ve seen it before, once, but back then, it looked very different and still had its original red colour.

The soul in front of you now was a pitch-black mockery of what it used to be, its own personal little void.

You couldn’t help but smile a wicked little smile, biting your own lip. “I’m never really alone.”

You didn’t have to look at Frisk to know that their face must be absolutely filled with terror, after all, you know what they must be seeing. A looming figure behind you, the arms lazily draped over your shoulders, hands around your soul. They seemed so ethereal, not really there, something akin to a ghost or a mirage. so clearly visible, so similar looking to you, as if you’ve had your own mirror image stuck to you, yet so far away and if you blinked, it almost seemed like you could have imagined it, or that your eyes just went cross for a moment.

And then something happened, that neither of you could have expected.

“Chara…” Frisk whispered, their voice raspy and trembling.

Chapter Text

The second Frisk spoke up, Sans looming glance shifted from you towards the child, murderous intent written all over his face. He took a step towards them, and you took one back, pressing the arm that was currently not in possession of your soul against Frisk’s chest to push them with you.

“Sans…” you called, your voice a bit more sing-songy that you would have preferred but your soul always brought out the worst in you, apparently.

Sans. 1 ATK 1DEF. The easiest enemy. Can only deal 1 damage., a voice whispered into your ear, and your eyebrow twitched. Only one damage? That seemed highly unlikely. You knew that your memory was the textbook definition of an unreliable narrator but there were some things, you could still depend on.

Dying over and over was one of them.

The skeleton in question stared back at you with a snarl, and you couldn’t help but teasingly jerk your soul in a mock wave. “You’re looking for this, aren’t you?” A growl escaped his throat as he stared at the black void in your hand, and you couldn’t help but glance at it yourself, even though you tried your best to tear your eyes away from it. You would have loved to say that it was a pretty soul-nevermind the colour-like a polished gem or carved from obsidian, but the ugly truth was, that it wasn’t. It could barely even be considered a soul anymore, the colour completely drained from it like someone painted it with Black 3.0 and the stats for LV and HP still a glitched, unreadable mess. Clicking your tongue, you refused to look at it again. Secretly, you had hoped that it would be different, but some things can’t be reversed, apparently.

Sans’ gaze seemed to be fixed on it as well, which was understandable.

“Looks like I was right. Your soul is just as rotten as you are, demon” Mhhhm, yeah, that one hit a bit too close to home.

“Yeah, I know. No need to get personal.” You pouted at him, raising the still dirty kitchen knife in front of you.

“Oh, I’ll show you personal when I gouge out your eyes” he hissed as he took a step closer, and you couldn’t help but rolling your eyes.

“Gotta catch me first, pretty boy” you teased, before you hurled the knife across the room, away from both you and Sans. Just as expected, his head whipped around, startled by the throw and you used the moment of distraction to push Frisk away to safety before breaking out in a sprint. With more capabilities than you would usually possess, you slid over the table, over to the patio door. Sans behind you cursed you out in a very colourful manner as you fiddled with the door, ripping it open and keeping up your sprint.

The forest in front seemed less than inviting and the cold air outside stung on your cold skin, but you made a beeline for it anyways.

“Chara, some help with the fence please” you panted and for a brief moment, you weren’t in control of your limbs as you scaled the white picket fence, jumping off on the other side with a tuck and roll you were not informed that you were capable of doing.

Then again, you weren’t the dodging pro here.

When you could feel your legs again, you stumbled, but lucky for you, it made you dodge a bone being shot directly at you by the width of a hair as it whirred right past you. Can only deal one damage my ass.

Do not stop running. He is fast and can teleport, but he doesn’t have endless stamina. Never stop running.

You say it like I have any stamina at all, you grumbled to yourself, as you dashed through the closely spaced rows of trees. There was no fresh foliage you could hide in at this time of the year.

You don’t have to outrun him, buttercup, just far enough to find Undyne. She can handle him.

Panting, you zigzagged between the firs around you, doing your best to dodge the oncoming onslaught of projectiles being thrown at you with murderous intent.

“UNDYNE!” you screeched, your shrill voice echoing through the forest. You couldn’t hear anything except for your panting and sound of footsteps on the slippery leaves under your feet. Another bone fizzed past your face, impaling itself in a tree right in front of you, and you yelped loudly.

“Get back here, you coward!” With the echo, you couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. Trying your best to stay calm, you turned in a circle, hoping to catch a glimpse of white between the grey scenery.

When you finally saw it, you had to press your hand against your mouth, to stop yourself from giving away your position with a startled scream. Panting heavily, you pressed your back against the rough bark of a tree, as if you wanted to disappear in it, your eyes stinging slightly.

“I know you are here. You can’t run from me, kid. I’ll catch you eventually. I always do. Remember the last time you tried to run? You screamed so much, it was almost fun” Supressing a shiver, you pushed yourself off of the tree to keep running, though you didn’t dare to call for Undyne again.

It was so cold outside but sweat was pooling on your forehead anyways.

Duck.

Suddenly, a white blur in front of you, as Sans stepped through one of his shortcuts, a wicket grin on his face. The blue light in his eyes reflected off of his cheekbones in the most haunting way, and he reached out for you.

“Gotcha” To your own horror and embarrassment, when you saw Fangs in his dentition, you blushed shamefully.

You were still in the middle of a sprint, there was no way you could stop in time, oh god, that was it, wasn’t it?

“Hurks” you gagged, as the vertigo got to you, when your soul all but slammed to the ground, dragging you with it. Your pre-existing speed made you slide under Sans’ arm, and we are totally gonna ignore that you absolutely ate some dirt and dead leaves. Frustrated, he growled and while he was still turning, ghostly arms grabbed yours, pulling you on your feet again.

C’mon, this does not end here!

Looking back at Sans, you could see sweat beading on his face as he snarled at you. The blue light in his eye somehow seemed to get brighter and only when you felt the sharp tug on your hand, did you manage to look away.

“Sans…” you whispered and when you pick up running speed again, it is a bit more stumbly than before. Your lungs were burning at this point, you weren’t kidding about that non-existent stamina.

God damnit, where is Undyne?! Chara called, their voice not any less frazzled than what you felt like.

“Fucking hell, you little brat, now you’ve made me really mad!” he hissed, and his hand started glowing that fuzzy blue again.

“Something is happening” you warned, and you could basically feel a whole litany of swearwords already.

Suddenly, you could feel all your sins crawling your back, as a gigantic canine skull materialised out of thin air.

“What in the eldritch fucking abomination is that thing?” The smell of ozone permeated the air again and your hair stood up from the static electricity.

Gaster Blaster. Keep running.  

 Running sounds good right now, great even! You think to yourself as you scramble for purchase, trying your best to get out of the way as the ungodly thing charged up. “I don’t remember any of those things!” you pant.

Yes you do

“No, I am pretty sure I would know, that’s not a face you could forget”

Remember that white burning and the smell of hair and flesh?

“Yeah?”

Yeah

“Fucking hell” you muttered, your vision going pretty much white as the thing tried to attack. There was no way in hell, you could escape it, not this time.

Once again, you felt your soul being tugged out of the way, you along with it, but too little, too late.

An anguished scream rips from your throat as the beam hit your right leg, disturbing the relative quiet. It buckled under you, incapable of holding up your weight anymore. A murder of crows screeched as they fled from the trees.

Buttercup! The worry in Chara’s voice was real and when red eyes meet their mirror image, faintly flickering and only really visible when you really strained your eyes, new determination ripples through you, like a heartbeat.

“How are you still alive?” Sans called and swallowing your pain-and the little bit of vomit in your mouth-you managed to push yourself up on your elbows and back on your feet. Your leg wobbled dangerously, and your breath came out in little puffs of white condensation. Now definitely drenched in sweat and blood and covered in scrapes and bruises, you look back and meet Sans’ eyes and you could have sworn that for just a moment, recognition flickered in his eyes before it’s gone again.

He is still in there, you hoped and prayed as you started to run again. Your limp seriously affected your speed and every time you blinked, it felt like you were reset like five steps or so. At this rate, you’d never get out of this forest alive again. That’s gonna kill him when he snaps out of it.

The thought alone broke your heart, and your eyes were stinging a bit harder.

Suddenly, a blue hand grabbed your arm and pulled you behind the thick trunk of an oak tree. You wanted to scream, but a webbed hand slapped over your mouth as you were pressed into an overly muscular chest.

“Shuddup, or he’ll find us!” Undyne hushed you and you sobbed into her hand, grabbing onto her arm, the tears stinging in your eyes threatening to overflow. Another beam from a Gaster blaster shook the ground and you had to close your eyes to suppress the urge to run.

“You can’t keep running like this forever. I know you are hurt” Sans taunted, and your hand instinctively flew down to your leg. Quiet sobs were wrecking through your body, but Undyne kept you pressed against her, hidden behind the tree, as she listened for oncoming steps. You could hear him walk around and when his steps finally seemed to leave into another direction, her grip loosened, and she sank to the ground with you.

Worry was painted all over her face along with something you could only describe as the stern determination of a soldier about to go into battle.

Probably because she was about to, you realised with horror and your hands clutched the lapels of her jacket even harder so she couldn’t leave you.

“What happened?” she whispered in the most hushed tone you’ve ever heard of her, a dangerous edge mixed into it.

“I-I dunno. He was napping on the couch while I did dishes with the kid. He-He woke up and called for Papyrus and I-I smelled the magic, I-I don’t- I never!”

“Ah, fuck, not again Sans!” she cursed, and your eyes turned as big as sauceplates.

“Again? Undyne, has this happened before?”

“When we first got out, yes.” She explained, sighing deeply. “Never this bad though, he hasn’t attacked someone before”

The guilt was almost unbearable and your lip quivered.

“It’s a miracle you even got this far” she pressed on. “He really means business, normally you wouldn’t have made it out of the house” Almost subconsciously, you hid your soul from her hawklike eye, unwilling to garner the wrath of another unbeatable monster.

“He couldn’t use blue magic on me. So, I ran to find you” It sounded more like begging than an explanation and Undyne narrowed her eye the slightest bit.

“What do you mean, he couldn’t use blue magic on you. Only way that wouldn’t work if another was already cast” You knew that she expected an explanation, but you just stared at her with pleading eyes, unable to give her the answers she wanted. When her staring got too intense, you had to look away, biting your lip to stop another pathetic sob to escape. The monster heroine just sighed deeply, rubbing her face. “You’ll have to give up your secrets eventually, Laney. But first, I gotta get you out of here and knock Sans out cold”

“Knock him out?” you gasped, and she just shrugged.

“S the only way that worked so far to snap him out of it. Normally when he wakes up, he’s back to normal again. Sulking for a few weeks, but normal. It’s all I can do right now. It’s never been this bad”

“Can’t we just wait until he tires himself out? I don’t want to hurt him!”

“Laney, he almost took off your leg, and you are still worried about fighting back?” she called incredulously.

“I don’t care. It’s not his fault. He has one HP, knocking him out can’t be good for him!”

“How does a twerp like you know his HP status?” she huffed, clearly suspicious, and you just shrugged.

“Flavour text.” You explained weakly and her eyebrows knitted together.

“Like the kid?” Undyne asked and you just nodded. “I swear by everything that’s holy to me, we are going to have a talk when this is over!”

“Undyne please. I just want him to be okay” Your fists curled into the flimsy fabric of your pants, and you shivered from the cold. “He was already sweating; he must be getting tired. There must be something we could-“ Cold  hands gripped your upper arms and suddenly, Undyne was mere inches away from your face.

“Did you say sweating? Are you sure”

“Y-Yes” you nodded. “I saw while I was running. I thought it’s weird that skeletons can sweat, so I’m sure.” Undyne cursed again, louder this time. “Why, what’s wrong? What does that mean?”

Skeletons don’t sweat a knowing whisper breathed into your ears.

“It means that he’s using too much magic. He’s overflowing with it and determination. I gotta find him, quickly”

Another memory hit you, a vision of Undyne in full armour, melting right before your eyes, until nothing was left of her except a puddle of ashy liquid. A pained whimper left your lips as you pressed the balls of your hands so hard against your eyes, that lights exploded behind your lids, displacing the horrible, horrible images in your head. I don’t wanna see this. Not again.

“He is dying” you wailed quietly. A strong hand plopped on your head, and you knew fake confidence when you saw it and Undyne was basically basking in the glow of it.

“Not if I can get to him first.”

If fighting him before was already dangerous, doing it in this state was sure to have disastrous results and Undyne knew it. She was hiding it well, but there was a slight tremor in her left biceps.

Too much magic, you thought to yourself, and as you lowered your eyes, they fall upon your soul, still hidden from sight. He’s got too much. For the second time today, determination rippled through you, steeling your resolve.

I know what you are thinking. It probably won’t work

I can still try. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Taking a deep breath, you knew what you had to do.

Carefully, you grabbed Undyne’s shoulders, putting your forehead against hers with a pained expression.

“W-Wha-? Human?” she stuttered, clearly put off her stride.

“Thank you for being my friend, Undyne” you whispered with a smile, and a single tear finally managed to escape, before you swallowed the pain of your aching body, running from your hiding spot, ignoring the heroine’s confused calls.

This time, the tears were yours.

White hot pain rippled through your body from your singed leg with every step you took but the only thing you could think off, was Sans. You could still hear Undyne’s calls behind you, but you had to push that aside too right now.

It’s been years that you’ve last talked to the great goddess your mother revered, but right now, you’ve sent prayer after prayer to her, begging her to spare his life like she once spared yours.

Goddess Astrea, please, don’t take him from me. I have lost so much already, please, not him as well…

Your breath came out in tiny puffs and your cheeks, and the tip of your nose burned red from the icy air. By now, you were sure that you couldn’t feel your fingers anymore but none of that mattered right now. All you could think about was that Sans was using too much magic, he was way to determined to just eradicate you from this world and make sure to wipe the timeline clear of every trace of your existence and you couldn’t even blame him. He had every right and if he could remember this tomorrow, he would probably hate you, but as long as he was still here to hate you, you were fine with that. He just had too much and there you were, practically an empty vessel and he was practically overflowing and ready to kill himself. What else were you supposed to do?

You still look like me. It’s not gonna work. Chara huffed, and you dismissively clicked your tongue. You didn’t wanna admit, but they were right. Frustrated, you pulled the dirt and blood-stained sweater over your head, throwing it behind you and ignoring the pointedly raised eyebrow towards you. Whereas you felt cold before in the chilly autumn air, now you could feel your skin ripple from the low temperatures, goosebumps breaking out all over your skin, now that you had nothing except a black bra to shield you from the weather and an oncoming pneumonia.

“There, problem solved” you huffed.

You’re gonna freeze to death. It was a matter-of-fact statement, but you just rolled your eyes.

“Well, let’s see what gets us first then”

Panting, you stopped just before a meadow. You could see him standing there, his chest heaving and more of the ‘sweat’-you refused to call it by what it was-pooling on his forehead.

Blue magic curled around his hand as well as illuminating his joints from within, and he appeared positively feral, fangs barred, and glowing eye filled with murderous intent.

None of that mattered to you because it meant that he was still here. There was still time.  

“Sans…” you whispered, and his head swivelled around, regarding you with a low growl, that under different circumstances, would have been illegally attractive, but now, it just made your eyes sting and your soul ache.

“There you are, you little wench” His words were filled with so much hatred, but you gently smiled at him anyways.

“Sans, you need to stop”

You took another step towards him, which seemed to confuse him, since your fight or flight instinct so far had definitely been strongly sided with the flight side of it all.

“Yeah, I need to stop you” Shaking your head, you reached out your hands towards him, you soul in front of your chest.

“No… Come back to me, please.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he hissed, taking a step back but you took yours forward still, no fear left inside of you. Just this primal urge to protect.

“Papyrus needs you. Frisk fought so hard to keep all of you safe. Alphys needs someone to talk and Toriel wouldn’t have anyone to make puns with anymore. Please, don’t leave.”

“Shuddup” he shouted at you, narrowing his eyesockets and you hesitated for a moment “You have no right to talk about them. Don’t talk about them. Don’t talk about them like you know them. Stop talking right now, or I’ll kill you.”

“I know.” You smiled, and you managed to come close enough that you could almost reach out to him. Clearly, he was thrown off by your change in demeanour. Could also be your bare chest, you could have sworn that his eye flickered down for a spare moment, but that could also have been wishful thinking.

“I’ll kill you”

“I know. You are hurting, Sans.” your voice was dripping in sadness, but there was no deceit in your eyes. You take another step forward. “You are in so much pain. But it’s okay. I’ll… I’ll take care of it.” You couldn’t help but gulp down the lump stuck in your throat at the sight of him. “I’ll take all of that grief and suffering from you. You can give it to me. Just come back. Please Sans… Please come back to me.”

“I’m going to kill you” he spat at you, and you felt him summon his Gaster Blasters again-more this time-as they surrounded you. Hesitantly, you reached out to grab his hand and something flickered in his eyes, because he allowed you to do it.

“I know. And that’s okay” you whisper, close enough to touch his forehead with yours, in a similar manner to what you did to Undyne before, just that this felt very differently. Being so close to him, you could feel his body vibrate from the inside, like his bones were creaking and giving away under the sheer force he had contained in his body. “Just come back”

White noise filled your ears as the canine skulls almost unhinged their jaws, the light of the blasters filling your sight. The air cackled and just being this close felt like burning alive. You could hear Undyne call your name from far away, distress and panic in her voice and for a second you felt guilty for causing her pain like this.

Sans’ eyes were so conflicted, the blue light in it flickering like a broken LED lamp.

“I hate you.” He whispered, but he didn’t let go of your hands that were laced between his. You nodded once more, ready to accept whatever would happen now. “It hurts”

You are going to die.

“I know… It’s okay. I’ll take your pain. I’ll make it stop.” you whisper against him before you gently press your lips against his mouth, instinctively reaching out for his soul with yours.

The last thing you hear before the world goes white with a deep, dull Thwump is Undyne screaming your name.

And then, it suddenly was over.

Your knees buckled and Sans crumbled to the floor like a puppet that had its strings cut. Frantically, you scrambled over, pressing your working ear against his chest, to listen for that tell-tale strum of magic, that kept him alive. For a moment, you wait, with bated breath, until you hear it, faintly.

Sans. 1 ATK 1DEF. The easiest enemy. Still alive. Chara whispered, their voice getting quieter and quieter until all you can hear is in your head.

Relieved, you exhaled deeply before sitting back on your heels. With shaking fingers, you raised your soul to look at it, swallowing deeply. It was still a deep black shade, but now, there were blue cracks all over, like a Lichtenberg figure. The fine veins glowed in a faint, ghostly blue glow and tears filled your eyes. God, you were so tired.

“What did you do?” Undyne whispered in horror, having stopped just before you, her eye fixed on the tiny, broken heart in front of you, that disappeared back into your chest again as she spoke. You just smiled at her sadly, but there was no way you could move from where you were right now. Not with your arms and legs feeling like they were made of lead.

“What I had to” You had tried to sound confident but what came out was a broken little whimper. “I-I’m gonna faint now, okay?”

The last thing you saw before your eyes fluttered close was Undyne breaking into a full sprint, trying to catch you. She was saying something, but you were too far gone to hear her.

Waking up was a miserable and painful affair for Sans. His whole body was aching, and his brain felt like it was wrapped in cotton and his tongue was slow and thick, like he had a hangover.

Only difference was that while a hangover made him feel like his joints were stiff and cranky and every movement took five times the effort, and right now, he may be in pain, but he also felt… light. Like a heavy weight that got lifted off his chest and left him feeling like a feather floating in the wind.

Furthermore, he had absolutely no idea what had happened. His mind just drew a complete blank.

Well, not completely, but mostly, really. He remembered going to nap on Toriels couch after lunch and he remembered the nightmare, clutching Elaine’s dead, lifeless body-a memory, that made an unpleasant shiver run down his spine-and then… Chara.

Why the hell did he remember that cursed hellspawn so vividly, like they just appeared in front of him, solid enough for him to be able to grasp them? Why did he remember fighting them for tooth and nail?

A tiny moan escaped him, as he tried to sit up on the mattress. God, why was this so much work?

To his surprise, an exceptionally cold, yet familiar hand shoved its way under his back and on his spine, helping him straighten up.

“Undyne?” he groaned, and she gave him a confirming hum. Looking around, he found himself in Frisk’s room which opened up a whole new world of confusion. Undyne was perched on the edge of the mattress next to him, her jacket off so he had a good view of her muscular upper arms, that were clearly tensed up. The teal spear just within her reach didn’t escape him either.

“Hey big man, you back with us?” she asked, and while it was clearly meant as a joke, he didn’t miss the seriousness of the statement.

“What happened?”

“Nightmare again” she answered and Sans hat to break eye contact. He couldn’t stand looking at her. “I’ve never seen it that bad before. And it’s been a while”

“Did I hurt anyone?” his voice was quiet and restrained, his hands clenched next to his legs.

“Well…” Undyne answered in that tone that told him that yes, he had indeed fucked up something. “Tori’s flowerbeds are totally messed up. And you just went berserk in the woods, but they are part of Tori’s property, so nobody saw and called the police, so you should be good”

“That’s not what I asked, Undyne. I didn’t hurt Paps or the kid, right”

“Nooooo…” she said carefully, biting her lip. “Don’t worry, Papyrus and Frisk are totally okay. Frisk is a bit shaken up, you gave them a bit of a fright, but nothing they aren’t used to.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked quietly.

“I didn’t wanna tell you, until I was sure that you were okay and back with us again.” Undyne sighed and fear gripped Sans’ soul. Oh god, what had he done? “Nobody is dead” she quickly assured him, before taking a deep breath. “I know that something…. Happened to you. Down there. Something is still haunting you, Sans, and keeps you trapped.”

“Chara…” he mumbled, remembering the horrible nightmare he had earlier. It wouldn’t be the first time that one triggered one of his PTSD episodes.

“Yeah… You know they are dead, right? They aren’t here anymore?”

“I-Yes? Why are you asking this?” Chara had abandoned Frisk the second they crossed the barrier and Sans sincerely hoped that they were stuck somewhere in hell, burning for their sins.

Undyne chewed the inside of her cheek, her eye shortly flickering over to her spear. He knew that she was with him because she was the only one capable enough to kick his ass, should the need arise. Neither did he miss that the need for some ass kicking was clearly very apparent. “Okay so, don’t freak out!”

“If you tell me not to freak out before telling me bad news, I am going to freak out, you know that?” he asked her dryly and Undyne just grimaced at him.

“So, Elaine is fine! She’s alive!” she said quickly, and Sans instantly knew why she gave him the warning.

Surging up a bit straighter, he felt his eyes go dark.

“You’re freaking out. I told you not to freak out!”

“How am I not supposed to freak out. What did I do to her?”

“You mistook her for Chara” Undyne sighed, and Sans made a noise somewhere between choking and a whine. “I get where the confusion came from, really, it was just… awful timing. You know, the eyes and the short hair… Tori gave her an old sweater and I swear, the first time I saw them out there in the woods, I damn near had a fit too, I thought I’ve seen a fucking ghost. I mean, I didn’t know the kid very well, but sheesh, they could have fooled me in the first moment.” Undyne rubbed her face tiredly. “She managed to run from you, so she’s fine, but damn, you almost hunted her down like prey, dude. You sicced your blasters on her.” If Sans could pale, he would right now. God, she must be so terrified of him now. If he was in her shoes, he’d never look at him again. And that’s without all of the previous trauma. He didn’t wanna know what memories of her ex that must have shaken up. Welp, there went all of his chances, right down the drain. He could have slapped himself.

“Did you knock me out? Please tell me you knocked me out.” Please tell me it was painful.

“Actually, no…” she sounded just as surprised as he felt.

“How…?”

“You used so much magic and determination, you almost offed yourself.” God, a tiny part of him wished that it did. “Your magic damn near overtook you. You were completely out of control and feral. You know, like when I…” she vaguely gestured towards her eyepatch and Sands heart sank a bit. Elaine had to see that. Nobody should have to see that. “Anyways, and I know this sounds batshit insane, but I swear, on Asgore’s bunny undies, the human fixed you”

“That’s impossible.”

“Yeah, that was my first reaction too, but she… Man, you should have seen it. She just reached out for you with her soul and took all that excess magic and just… poff.  I have no idea how she managed that.” There was genuine admiration in Undyne’s voice, so it must have been pretty impressive.

“How the fuck did she do that? Humans aren’t built to hold magic. That should have killed her” he cried out and Undyne put up her hands defensively.

“Don’t look at me, you are the soul pro!”

“That’s the thing, I am telling you, there is no way she could have survived! The magic would have absolutely ripped her apart”

“If that already boggles your mind, I’m not even gonna tell you how she did it. You’re gonna blow a fuse, man” Undyne teased, shrugging her shoulders defensively.

“C’mon, what’s that supposed to mean again?” She just wriggled her eyebrows, a big grin plastered on her face. That was never a good sign.

“Dude, she totally kissed you! Fufufufufu!” His cheeks must have been just as blue as Undyne’s.

Chapter Text

It was dark when the human woke up for the first time. She was confused, but that was to be expected. She had tried calling for help and the void had swallowed up any noise like it always did. Then she tried running, until her legs gave out from exhaustion. And lastly, she sat on the floor, just as inky black as everything else, her face hidden in her knees as she succumbed to the despair clinging to the dimly flickering vermillion soul.

“Oh my..  “ A shadow loomed over her and she looked up at it, her face puffy and red from crying. “That won’t do, dear.”  

“Sooooo~” Undyne exclaimed, slamming her hands on the counter hard enough to make your bowl jump a bit. You only dignified it with a tiny glance from the corner of your eye, before you resumed to knead the still hot dough. She just kept staring at you, her eye huge and chest practically heaving.

“So?” you finally relent, with the tiniest of sighs, and trying to keep your voice as calm and unbothered as it possibly could be.

“SO, YOU’VE KISSED SANS!” Her slightly teasing grin turned big enough that it could have split her head in two. You just rolled your eyes and gave her a peeved look.

“I didn’t kiss Sans, I just… tried to distract him. So he can snap out of it.” As much as you wanted to seem unbothered and aloof, you still couldn’t stop the tiniest hint of a blush to spread around the face. Obviously, she noticed and poked your cheek teasingly. You just pulled your head away from her, sucking on your teeth as you cursed your pale skin for betraying you like this.

“Yeah??? And you did it by kissing him!”

“It wasn’t a kiss”

“Uh, it TOTALLY was!  I’ve seen it with me own eye!”

“Then you are blind as a bat” Warmth spread down your neck, and you punched the dough a little bit harder than you had to.

“Ah, sure, yeah, I totally missaw. That’s why you are so flustered and currently punching the everlasting shit out of an innocent pastry.”

“I could punch the everlasting shit out of you instead” you muttered under your breath but clearly, she didn’t take you seriously. No, instead the cow was laughing at you.

Undyne wasn’t a cow, but like hell you’d admit it. And like HELL you’d admit that you actually kinda liked the teasing. She and Mercy would have been best friends the seconds they laid eyes on each other.

“Aw, c’mon we all know that you are all bark and no bite, tiny.” 

“We’ll see if you are still laughing when I’m lodging my teeth into your calf” you muttered under your breath, and she just barked out another laugh.

“Oh, yeah, sure, because that’s what you wanna sink your teeth into” Your face was burning like the unholy fires of hell at this point, but you knew that dignifying it with an answer, would just lead to more teasing. Then again, not saying anything would also lead to more teasing.

No matter what, there was no winning for you in this.

“Undyne, can you give me the Custard from the fridge please?” You tried to change the subject and she just rolled her eye, complying with your request anyways.

“There. What are you making anyways?”

“Mooncakes” you answered simply. “There is nothing in this house for me to eat because I not a single texture is right and I need goopy stuff right now, or god have mercy with each and every one of you, so I am making snowskin mooncakes because they are the only thing that can satisfy my weird cravings and sensory issues right now. I don’t have any presses here, so they are just gonna be little balls, but I don’t care” You cared immensely.

“Ah.” Undyne huffed, leaning against the counter as you started to portion your custard and dough. “Is that a side effect from your fight? The… texture thing?”

“No, it’s a side effect from being stressed because someone keeps badgering me!” And the stress of guilt and a possibly soon-to-be broken heart and of working through some stuff and just… stress in general. You’ve always been a stress baker. And it’s easier to focus on your tiny pastries instead of the ever-encapsulating dread of having to face people.

“Soooo…. No side effects?” it may have seemed like an innocent question but the way she looked at you was anything but.

“Yes, Undyne, I am fine” you huffed. Her eye narrowed a bit.

“You’re really not gonna tell me anything, are you?” Oh great, here we go.

“There is nothing to tell” you insisted, though weakly.

“Yeah, suuuuure, it’s not like you managed to outrun your feral boyfriend or that you somehow survived literally draining him of magic. Oh, or that apparently, magic doesn’t work on you anymore, care to explain that?”

“He’s not my boyfriend”

“Because that is the drastic flaw in logic here” she turned to put her elbows on the counter, watching you like a hawk. Biting the inside of your cheek, you handed her a mooncake. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

“If you have time to talk, you have time to help me shape this. Now roll.” Naturally, she rolled her eye but followed instructions anyways.

“You can’t keep doing this, Elaine. You can trust me. I’m not gonna hurt a tiny human just because you have a few secrets.”

“Yeah, tell that to Immogen…” you mumbled and Undyne dropped her mooncake. Your eyes widened and you slapped a hand over your mouth, leaving a floury print on your face.

“How the hell do you know about the blue soul?”

“I don’t!” you insisted, though futile.

“No, you do. You said a name. That is knowing something.” She hissed in a suddenly conspiratory voice, getting closer to you. “Whatever you know, don’t let the king or queen find out. They made sure to bury all of that 6 feet underground where nobody can find it. If they figure out that you somehow dug up all of their royal little secrets... Jesus Christ, how do you even know? Who else does?”

“Calm down” you hissed, just as conspiratory. “I… Someone told me, okay. They aren’t going to blab about it. And neither am I. So shuddup.”

“No, you shuddup!” she hissed.

“OH! SECRETS! WHAT ARE WE SHUTTING UP ABOUT?” Papyrus crowed, sticking his head into the kitchen. He was like a magpie when it came to that.

“Nothing!” Both you and Undyne said concurrently.

“RUDE!” he huffed, before leaving again. “NOBODY EVER TELLS ME TO SHUDDUP” Both of you look after him, baffled and a bit at a loss

“Does he know that we are just being nice to him?”

“C’mon, he just wants to be included”

“Oh, yeah, sure, lemme run after him and tell him he’s my nosey little bitch”

“Awwww, tiny, you think that I’m your bitch?” Undyne seemed genuinely moved and you roll your eyes harder than your mooncakes.

“Undyne, you are my main bitch. Don’t act like you don’t know that”

“Ugh, I love you too” Smiling, you pet her cheek, smearing it with rice flour and chocolate custard without her noticing.

“I know. But if you keep being mean, I’m not gonna let you visit me at the new apartment” Thwap. “Undyne, that is the second mooncake you’ve dropped. What the fuck, dude?”

“What the fuck? What the fuck?” She shrieked, just loud enough for the kitchen. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?”

“New apartment? What am I missing here?” Confused, you blinked at her.

“What did you expect, that I’m gonna smooch off of the boys forever?”

“Uh, yes?” she answered honestly, and you blew up your cheeks in frustration.

“Undyne, love, darling, sweetie pie, smoochums, I am a big girl with a big girl job now. Metta pays me good big girl money. I can afford my own big girl place and not constantly cause every living being in a five-meter radius around me to go batshit insane or getting ran over by a car. And it’s not like I’m gonna disappear into the void-“Too soon “forever. You can still come over and hang out whenever you want. You can have a key if it makes you feel better? Well, if you’re nice to me” The fish monster just kept staring at you, her eye wandering all over your face.

“Are you insane?”

“Excuse me?” you bristled.

“No, you’ve heard correctly. Have you gone mad? Are you mental?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you huffed, crossing your arms in front of your chest, red eyes drilling into a yellow one.

“Okay, let me break it down for you, big girl.”Okay, now that was just condescending! ” You have a psychopathic, murderous Ex that is probably just waiting for a chance to snatch you off of the streets, his equally insane mistress came to your house and her husband that works with the police or whatever other corrupt company. I don’t know. One of them works for the police, I can’t remember if it was Tweddle Dee or Tweddle Dum. You have fought not once but twice with a group of beefcake racists that were easily double your size, one of them knocked you out and the other one took away your hearing, because apparently, you have a death wish. And oh, wait, let’s not forget, you literally pushed yourself between Frisk and a bloodhungry, feral monster, that wanted to kill you. And instead of making sure that you get out of that unscathed, you, my pretty little idiot, decided that the best course of action was to make out with him.  Did I forget anything? No? Great.” She recounted on her fingers. “So no. No moving out and living on your own until you manage to grow some god damn self-preservation instincts.” Not sure if you should be mad at her or be impressed that she cared so much, you gaped at her. Unable to actually defend yourself, because yeah, maybe you had no regard for your own wellbeing, you snapped your mouth shut with an audible click. “New apartment my ass…” she huffed. “You would be ripped into tiny little shreds by next Tuesday! I can’t come to your funeral, I have actual plans, nerd” 

Hurt in your pride, you stumbled over your words, pouting at her. “Yeah-Well-uh. You wouldn’t be invited anyways!”

“As if. We both know that I’d be hosting it” she rolled her eye, snatching another cake from you. “But really, if you wanna move out so bad, just come live with me and Alph. We got a sweet deal since she works for the University, like Sans. I’m sure Tori would love to have you too, she basically adopted you already. She really collects your type like Pokémon cards. Or even Mettaton. I’m sure there is a single, free room in that gigantic mansion of his that you can occupy. Maybe sleep on something with better lumbar support than a couch for once. Just because you are scared of Sans doesn’t mean-“

“Woah, hold on there” you interrupted her tangent, your confusion open to see for everyone. “What’s that supposed to mean” Equally as confused, she lets her arms fall to her side.

“Isn’t that what this is all about?”

“Uh, no?” you choked out with a laughter. “Oh my god, you think I am scared of Sans?”

“You aren’t?”

“What? No!” you cried, and her eyebrows shot up. “Weren’t you just teasing me about “making out” with him?”

“Hey, don’t look at me like that, I just marked you down as horny and scared!”

“Well, you better get some Tipp-ex to unmark me because I am neither, where the hell did you get that crazy idea from?”

“Uhm, maybe because he went feral and almost murdered you and you suddenly want to move out? What did you expect from me? It’s the logical conclusion” Undyne huffed.

“Okay, first of all, we just agreed that I have no sense of self preservation, so that reasoning-“ you blew a raspberry at her “-right down the drain. And second, this isn’t a sudden idea?”

“Awww, is this one of your weird guilt things again?” She clicked her tongue and you almost choked.

“No!” yes. “That’s a stupid idea.” She was right. “I am still not over the fact that you think I am scared of Sans!” you huffed, shaking your head.

“I mean, according to Frisk he did promise to gouge out your eyes. Buddy, I’m kinda freaked out by that.”

“Undyne, he didn’t mean it. He’s a good guy, it’s not his fault that he has PTSD. Fucked up things happened to him, and nobody expects him to just magically be okay. I don’t, at least. Healing isn’t a linear experience, sometimes there will be setbacks. It doesn’t change my opinion of him, if anything, I kind of admire him for making such great progress and I respect that. He still respects me as well, even though I clearly have more issues than the New York fucking Times.” Apparently, you finally managed to get through to her, because she was quiet for a few moments, rolling mooncakes with you. When she spoke up again, her voice was quiet and a bit strained.

“You really are too good for your own good, you know.”

“Is that so bad?”

“It is, when it’s gonna be your downfall one day.”

“You don’t know that Undyne” you told her quietly, well aware that she was so bloody right.

“But I do. I am worried about you. I think we all are. You barely really eat or sleep and if you do, you… make weird textured pies and keep on mumbling and don’t tell Papyrus that I ratted him out, but he hears you sometimes, at night. I mean… who shows up as a stranger’s house, practically beaten ‘nto a pulp? Don’t know what happened to you exactly, but I have seen the scars and bruises and that gives me at least some idea. And the worst scars are usually on the inside. You try to hide away all of the bad stuff, but its- it’s like an infection, eating you up inside. Sometimes, the best we can do is to get rid of the infected and rotted stuff and just… get a clean start. It’s not to late.” Her hand grasped yours and gave it a tight squeeze. “I don’t wanna have to bury another friend down the line again. Or find your corpse in a dumpster because you went out to do something stupid.” When you don’t answer her, she tries to let go of your hand, but you refused, holding on tighter to her, yet still unable to answer her.

Your hair hangs in your face like a curtain, preventing you from giving away the emotions flashing over it. Mainly, the absolute crushing guilt that once again wrapped its ugly claws around your soul, squeezing hard enough that it felt like it was about to pop.

“I just don’t wanna be a bother to anyone.” you finally whispered and Undyne clicks her tongue, cooing slightly at you before she wraps you up in a tight hug, lifting you off of the ground.

“Oh, you big, mushy idiot. Why can’t you see that we all love you?”

“Ow, Undyne, ribs!” you wheezed, and she put you back down as gentle as possible. In the first moment, you wobble a bit until you regain your composure again, holding on to the counter.

There was a sharp, yet unfamiliar pang in your soul. New kind of pain, great. Let’s put it with the others, shall we?

“Sorry, tweep. You just…. Made me feel emotions and stuff!” Gently, she punched your shoulder with a wide grin. “How dare you!”

You didn’t get to answer her, still rubbing the spot she punched, before someone behind you cleared their throat to get your attention.

Undyne’s broad back basically covered your entire view as she turned around and you had to duck around her waist and under her arm to see anything.

“Oh, it’s you” she said, weariness in her voice. Sans was leaning against the doorframe for support, his usual grin a bit strained and you could have sworn that his eyesockets cast a bigger shadow than usually. Then again, you didn’t just get sucked dry like a magical Capri-sun, so really, you had no right to judge. He probably felt awful, both physically and mentally and your soul made that little, new pang again.

“Sans! You’re awake!” you breathed, relief in your voice. He blushed the tiniest bit, coughing again.

“Yeah, uh-Sorry for interrupting whatever you two had going on there, but… Can I steal Elaine for a moment?”

You looked up at Undyne and Undyne looked down at you and you had a whole conversation packed into a single shared look and her face went from displeased to suddenly very pleased, a sly grin spreading over her face.

“Oh-OH! YES! SURE! I’LL BE…. DOING STUFF! WITH PAPYRUS!” she bellowed a laugh and you tried to subtly kick her, but she doesn’t even register. “YEAH! YEAH, I’LL GO! SO YOU TWO CAN TALK! ALONE! HERE. JUST THE TWO OF YOU!”

“Oh fuck off already” you mouthed off at her while she just cackled.

“SURE! And don’t forget to tell me if I have to tipp-ex that tipp-ex!” she teased before you practically pushed her out of the kitchen. You both stare after her and it doesn’t take her even a second before she crows through the entire house. “BABE, PAPS, GET THE CRAYONS, IT’S HAPPENING!”

Sighing deeply, you pinched the bridge of your nose.

“Uhhhh, what was that about?” Sans asked, jutting his thumb towards the general direction your own personal punishment in humanoid mermaid shape just left.

“Nothing.” You ground out between clenched teeth. “Just ignore her. She’s being stupid.”

“Ooookay?” Carefully, he pushed himself off of the doorframe to walk over to you, stopping with ample space between you. He could barely stand to look at you and you had to take a deep breath to calm down. God, this would be it. You knew that the day would come but you had hoped for more time.

“I’m sorry”

“I get why you hate me”

Both of you spoke at the same time, similarly, taken aback.

“What?” he asked, browbone furrowed in confusion and you mirrored him.

“What?”

“Why would I hate you?” Oh, poor guy seemed genuinely confused, but you were too.

“I triggered a PTSD episode that almost killed you. How could you not? Counter question, what are you sorry for?”

“Uhm. Undyne said I… did some pretty nasty stuff to you. I get if you never wanna look at me again” He averted his eyes and for a moment you are so shocked that you didn’t know what to say. Shouldn’t this be the other was around? Jesus, you halfway expected him to just lunge at you and choke the daylight out of you but here he stood, clearly no recollection of anything that had transpired and apologising for your own mistakes.

What a truly fucked up situation.

“But you’re so pretty to look at” you finally burst out, instantly clamping a hand over your mouth and your soul just positively soared. “Shit, ignore that, please.” You could see the tiniest hint of blue on his cheeks. “Anyways, uhm. There is nothing to apologise for. You’re good. We’re good.” Pondering, he wandered closer and now you were the one blushing.

“Why aren’t you scared? You should be” There was something in his eyes, as he stared at you, that you couldn’t quite describe, but the closest thing would be just… hunger.

“Stop trying to intimidate me, Sans.” You gulped, holding on to the counter behind you. “You’re not gonna hurt me.”

“I could have killed you.” He retorted in a deep, gravelly voice.

“If you really wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here. You’ve had ample opportunity.” Taken aback, he blinked a few times, considering your words.

“Yeah, but….”

“I rest my case. I trust you” He took another step closer, and you took one back, not having anticipated to be so close to him and of course, your leg just absolutely fucking betrayed your trust like the little bitch it was and buckled underneath you.

Yelping, you were about to fall, before strong yet gentle fingers grasped your waist.

“Woah there.” He grunted as you held onto him for dear life, and he was so close. Just a split second, your eyes flickered to his mouth, and you absolutely burn up, so you keep your eyes wandering until you meet his gaze but oh, that is so much more intimate for some reason and the burning wanders from your face down your neck and chest. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. Just a bit weak in the knees” It was a lame joke, but he still had the decency to laugh at it. “Well, lemme help you then” he offered, reaching over to the counter, and unceremoniously pushing some of the mess you’ve made there to the side before his fingers curl around your waist again. He lifts you up like you weigh nothing, sitting you down in the space he just crated. Your heart was beating so fast, it was impossible that he didn’t hear.

God, he was so close, standing between your legs and his hands still around you. When he lingers a moment longer than it was polite and decent, you aren’t mad at him. Quite the opposite, the moment his fingers leave you, you feel cold and empty and all you wanna do is reach out for him and pull him closer and-

Okay, that’s weird.  Yeah, you probably had a crush on the man, but never before had you felt such a primal need to have him close, the thought of being unable to feel his touch leaving you desperate.

Yeah, that’s definitely not normal.

Clearing his throat, Sans stepped like half a step away from you, not enough to close your legs, but just about that it didn’t seem completely indecent.

The muscle in your leg twitched again and you couldn’t help but grimace slightly. The white light in Sans’ eyesocket flickered down to your right leg and he hesitantly reached out for it. He met your eyes, looking for permission and you just bite your lip, nodding slightly. How could you deny him anything?

His fingers were shaking, you noticed, as he peeled the leg of your borrowed sweatpants up ever so slowly, revealing the ugly mess that was your leg. He went rigid at the sight of what looked like another Lichtenberg Figure-a lightning scar - that wound itself around your leg like a perversion of Ivy on an old building, almost mirroring the faint cracks in your soul, now laced with a blue tinge. The white lines of it were stark and ugly against the freshly healed skin, that was still sensitive and pink and the purple mess of a gigantic bruise.

“I did that?” you didn’t answer him, unable to get a sound out so you just bite your lip even harder. That’s an answer in itself too, you figured. “Why didn’t Tori heal you?” His voice was quiet, and he had to press the words out between his teeth. His hand was clenched into a tight fist by your leg. The reaction made you gulp, and your fingers curled into his jacket around his shoulders. He probably hated the touch, but you really needed something to hold on.

“She-uh-she did the best she could. But after I passed out, she couldn’t find my soul again… So, business as usual. You can only heal so much then…”

“I wish I could remember seeing your soul…” he lamented and his hand slowly unfurled. He hesitated a moment before resting it on your thigh. The touch alone made you shiver.

“It’s not a very memorable one, you didn’t miss anything, don’t worry” you mutter, shrugging it off.

“Still, I wish I could remember. I promised to keep you safe, and I broke it, and I can’t even remember it.”

Good, you think to yourself. You don’t wanna remember that.

“Sans… You didn’t break anything, this wasn’t your fault” carefully, you loosen one hand from his jacket, letting it rest against his cheek to make him look at you. He looked so broken and that in turn, made you feel just as broken.

“I broke you.” He whispered and you quickly shook your head.

“No. I’m fine. It’s just… skin. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine in a day or too, and then it’s like this never happened. Don’t do this to yourself, please.”

“Why are you still so nice to me? I don’t get it…” He shook his head. “You could have died”

Acting on pure instinct again, you put your forehead against his, similar to what you did in the meadow, closing your eyes. “Dying is easy if it meant keeping you safe”  

He made a pained little noise, his hand curling into the bunched fabric around your thigh.

“Not if it means losing you” he whispered against your mouth and suddenly you are alone in the kitchen, your soul aching painfully.

God. Damn it.

The cowardly bastard had teleported away and just left you there all hot and bothered.

“How the fuck am I supposed to get down from here alone, Sans!” you called after him, the flush on your face more that of anger this time.

Frisk was playing in their room, their tiny hands fisted around a yellow crayon as they scribbled away on a piece of paper. They were already in their PJ’s, their hair still damp from their bath. They stuck out their tiny pink tongue as they created their masterwork. You watched them from the door, leaning against the frame in a similar manner to the teasing little asshole earlier.

I don’t wanna do this

I know but we gotta.

There is no way around this?

They saw. Gotta get rid of the problem now, I guess.

With a sigh, you rapped your knuckles against the frame and when the kid turns around, they freeze in their step, not quite sure where to look at.

Great.

Great.

Swallowing hardly, you push yourself off of the door, closing it behind you as you walk into the room.

“Frisk…. I think we gotta talk”

Chapter Text

So… You call this place… The void? She asked, her fingers stiffly signing. She was a quick one, you had to give her that.

Yes, that is right dear The looming man had his hands clasped behind his back, practically blending in with the darkness around him.

And you are telling me I am stuck in a Bohr Radius?  That is con CERN ing. He couldn’t help himself but chuckle.

You know, I have a son you would get along with swimmingly.

Sans was a dick. There was no way around that, he was being a huge dick.

Well, actually, he wasn’t really a dick to you, per say. That would require for him to actually talk to you. Or even stay in the same room for more than two seconds, God damn it. You desperately tried to just get even a second with him after he left you in Toriels kitchen, but the man evaded you like nobody’s business ever since. It was nothing if not frustrating, especially since you could physically feel your soul getting heavier and heavier with every rejected minute.

“Ungrateful, self-centred, righteous little dickweed of a man” you muttered as you stomped across the sidewalk, your hands deeply buried into your blazer pockets and desperately trying to ignore the cackling coming from that other ungrateful, self-centred, righteous little dickweed you had to deal with that just absolutely loved to tease you as you steeped in your own dejected anger. “I swear to god, if you don’t shut up right now…” you hissed as you rounded the corner to Frisks school.

Toriel had called you last minute because she was stuck in a queenly meeting and there was no way she would get out in time to get her child from school and you were the only one that picked up their phone because Papyrus and Undyne were somewhere together so the chances of them hearing anything else except their own delicate voices, were slim to none; Alphys was of course at work and so was Sans-probably at least but what did you know. He could have teleported to fucking Italy in the meantime and you wouldn’t be none the wiser.

Hope he bleaches his bones in really weird places there.

So yeah, that’s how you found yourself at a breeding ground for your inferiority complex. The first time you saw a child that was taller than you there, you almost cried. A thirteen-year-old should not have to look down at you. At this rate, some weirdo teacher would probably give you detention for skipping class or some other bullshit. This was humiliating and doing absolutely nothing to help with your already foul mood. But it had to be done, so you just stuck outside the school, mindlessly scrolling memes as you waited for Frisk to either show up or text you back. It shouldn’t be long now anyways; you were already running a bit late to begin with. Thankfully, you’ve had an understanding boss that would do anything for his tiny human friend, even if it meant sending his favourite-ehem, only-PA out into the world. Eh, he was old enough to survive like an hour or two without you…. Probably. Hopefully.

A few minutes passed before your soul gave you a tiny nudge, not enough to make you stumble but sufficiently enough to make alert you.

Look. Something’s happening over there

It took you a moment to find what they meant, a little gathering of people with not a single adult in sight.

Well, that’s always a good sign… You think to yourself, huffing. Time to be the responsible one, I guess.

The pencil thin heels of your shoes weren’t really made for the way you were stalking over there, but at least they did announce your arrival in the most menacing way possible. A gaggle of children parted in front of you like the red sea, as you tried to make your way to the centre of the commotion.

 It took you at least three more steps before you could get a clear picture and suddenly your slightly menacing walk turned into an almost murderous sprint.

“What in the name of the seven gods in going on in here?” you called, grabbing a both Frisk and a young human boy by the shirt collar respectively, getting some distance between the two.

“Hey, watch it, lady!” the boy grumbled, struggling against your hold and you let go of them.

“Explanation. Now. Both of you!” you demanded, crossing your arms.

“None of your business!” he grumbled, and you simply raised one eyebrow. “We were just roughhousing” Clicking your tongue you looked over to Frisk, who still seemed quite in a huff.

Billy called MK a freak. The child reluctantly signed. I tried to get him to shut up and he started pulling my hair.  You looked back to the boy-apparently called Billy-with your second eyebrow now joining the first. He wasn’t looking at you though and instead just scoffed at Frisk’s hands.

“Is that true what they are saying?” you tried to get his attention but no dice.

“What? I couldn’t hear the freak!” he teased Frisk and suddenly you had one more person to wrangle down apparently. Your cheeks flushed hot from the anger. “Had call for another monster? Yeah, I bet! They only hang out with you because humans don’t want a defect like you”

Let me at him!

You noticed that Frisk’s eyes seemed a bit more damp before, their tiny fists balled next to their body. Grumbling, you pushed yourself between the children, basically shielding Frisk, as you pushed your finger into the little bully’s chest, making him stumble.

“Now listen here you little Pox bottle, I will only warn you once to stay away from my child or I will bring a whole world of wrath upon your scrawny little ass. If you have something mean to say, say it to my face. And then we can talk. Do you understand?” Huge brown doe eyes just looked up at you, stunned that apparently for the first time in his life, someone said something akin to a no to him. “I asked you, if you could understand me”

“Y-Y-Yes, Ma’am” he stuttered, and your smile was more than just a little pleased.

“Good, and now-“

“BILLY? OH MY GOD; WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BOY!” a shrill voice pierced your ears and made your hearing aid fweep for a second. Frisk behind you chose to press their tiny face into your jacket and wasn’t that just Fan-Fucking-Tastic?

A rather tall woman-at least for a human-with absolutely fried blonde hair pushed her way through the children, seemingly with no care for their wellbeing. You were pretty sure you’ve seen one of the kids fall over. She had a face that may have been pretty twenty years ago but now looked dry and leathery from too many tans and her lips were pursed in a sour expression as if she’d just bitten into a lemon.

She practically flung her son-you hoped, it was her son at least-into herself, wailing like a deranged banshee. Pretty sure that they were still around so who knows, maybe she had one in her bloodline.

“Oh, my poor little pumkin! Look at you, you are all dirty!” Her glare hit you and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes at her theatrics. “You! What did you do to my perfect little angel!”

Did you say Fan-Fucking-Tastic before? Because Jesus Christ.

“You perfect little angel decided to bully my little one here, so why don’t you go so I’d appreciate if you could teach your little hellspawn here some manners until next week or I’m gonna have to do it for you”

“Little one?” she huffed, here eyes going back and forth between you and Frisk before she let out a somewhat relieved little laugh.

The fuck?

“Oh, I see they finally took the child back from that… abomination and gave it back to their real parents.” She held out a hand for you. “Pleased to meet a real person responsible for Frisk, finally! I’m Linda.”

You stared at her hand for a moment, actually quite speechless.

Let me have at her. I will kick her ass.

“Bestie, how much paint did you guzzle down this morning?” you could only laugh at her and she pulled her hand back, seemingly offended, and embarrassed.

“Well- you-it-ugh” you stammered, and you just gave her a flat look. “You look just like the brat! You can’t fault me for assuming the best! It’s about damn time someone should have done something. A human living with… them. You can see how good that worked out. That… thing is a horrible excuse of a mother, clearly.” Linda vaguely gestured towards the child in question, and you damn near got an aneurysm.

Let me out. I’ll strangle her with her own cheap extensions. Nobody insults my mom.

“Okay, now I see where the boy gets it from, Karen.”

“My name isn’t-“

“I don’t give half a shit about what your name it, you are going to shut up and listen to me now. Are we clear.”

“You can’t-“

“I said are we clear? Even your crotch goblin got that, so shut up, I am in an awful mood right now and have no problem with raining hellfire upon you. So fuck around and find out.” Taking a deep breath, you tried to calm down at least a little bit so neither of you would strangle her with her own fake pearl necklace. “Miss Toriel is a wonderful person and a greater mother than you could ever wish to be but I. am. not. I may look like a nice, respectable business lady right now but if I ever hear you talk to anyone-not just the little one here-like that ever again, I will put these four-thousand-dollar shoes so far up your ass that it'll count as spinal surgery and send you the bill for my services afterwards. You and your child are a fucking menace, unlike what you think monsters are. So I’d advice to grab your little garden gnome of a son and go home and really think about why you are such a miserable, bitter, hate-filled hag. And if I ever hear that your son so far as glances at Frisk the wrong way, you are going to have a bad time, do you understand?”

She was gulping for air like a fish on dry land, clearly unsure if she was supposed to turn red or pale.

“Who the hell do you think you are that you can speak to me like that?”

“Honey, I am going to be worst nightmare if you don’t shut up. I will literally spend every waking hour of my life to make you miserable. You don’t want me to be that. You want me to be your friend. So please, friend, go home. Go in yourself. Think. And maybe, if you managed to coerce a singular thought out of the remaining two braincells in that empty bobble, we can talk like grownups.” Your cheeks were practically burning as you leaned closer to her, hissing at her. “Now fuck off before I make you”

It was insanely satisfying to see her scamper away with her tail between her legs and let’s be real, you needed this today.

Smiling to yourself, you finally looked down at Frisk with a stern look that was probably only a fractal as effective as Toriels. The child blinked up at you with huge eyes.

That… was awesome! Nobody talks back to Linda!

“Well, be glad that it was just me.” You said with a little wink in your eye. “You don’t wanna know what the other one would have done”

Eh… I think I can imagine.

“Well…” you huffed. “Probably.” Bending over, you picked up Frisks backpack, brushing off the dirt. “You can’t go and just start a fight with everyone that’s a bit of a dingbat, little one”

Why not? You do the same! They defended themselves and for a moment you were speechless. The hypocrisy kinda stung, you hated to admit it.

“Well. Yeah. But I am taller than you!”

Give it a week. Frisk shrugged.

“Okay, rude!” Chara just cackled at you.

Grunting, you pushed the door open with your hip, struggling slightly not to drop anything. Mettaton looked up from his computer, the monotonous yet satisfying clicking of perfectly manicured nails on a mechanical keyboard halting.

“My, my, what is this~” he questions, raising one perfectly groomed eyebrow.

“Shish Ish-“you mumbled between the handles of the paper bag from the take-out between your teeth before dropping it on his desk. “Your lunch. Two 4 course menus for you and your favourite little human. “you handed him a giggling Frisk, that was still perched on one of your hips with your free arm, along with a huge keyring. “And these are the keys to your house. You forgot them in the car again. Along with your bag.” Taking a deep breath you handed him the Cup in your other hand while Frisk was still climbing him like a jungle gym. “And here is your Offey-Coffee”

“Oh, you got me coffee? You shouldn’t have, I am very particular and-“

“It’s a venti coconut chai latte with one pump vanilla, three pumps of pumpkin spice latte and seven pumps of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic Engine Oil. I carry it in my bag just for you. And yes, I made sure that they brewed it hot enough that it would be exactly 137° when I got here.” You jutted your chin at the drink. “Now hurry and drink it or you won’t like it because it gets under 124° and throw another fit.” He took a sip of it, and you just looked at him expectantly.

“It’s… perfect?” he seemed genuinely surprised, and you gave him a curt smile and nod.

“Of course it is.” You slid Frisks bag off of your shoulder, placing it next to his desk. “The little one has an English essay due on Friday, it’s about modern pop culture, so I expect that you will be quite helpful with it as well as a few math problems. I know you have Wolfram Alpha on your IOS, so it shouldn’t take too long for you either. Toriel will pick them up at 7:30 allegedly, I expect it to be closer to 8 o’clock though, she was hiding in a broom closet when I called her to avoid talking to her Ex-Husband. Your schedule for today has already been cleared.” You gave him another pressed smile to counter his quite stunned expression. “I will join Mister Blook in-“ a quick glance on your watch “thirteen minutes to take your place in todays meetings. If you two need anything, I will be in room 25b3ca7 for now. If there is anything you need, I have you on call. Is that everything?” The strain on your smile seemed more obvious now that you were finished with your ramblings and Mettaton shared a somewhat questioning glance with the child he still carried.

“Well, she’s efficient today, isn’t she my little darling?”

She’s in a bad mood. Sans is being a bum again. Frisk explained knowingly and you rolled your eyes. You were not in a bad mood because of Sans.

You were in a bad mood, and it was only 74% of Sans’ fault.

He had facetimed Frisk during his lunch break while you picked up the coffee and they seemed to have a really great time but the second you wandered back into the camera, he suddenly had a million things to do and hung up.

The audacity, Chara had lamented, and you steeped as hot as the beverage burning your hands.

The other 26% could be chalked up to your encounter with Linda, awful traffic, your shoes, today’s schedule, and an empty stomach. The last one took up most of that percentage.

“Of course I am efficient, I actually take my job seriously.” You just sulked, crossing your arms, and tapping your foot. Mettaton glanced at you, before taking a double take, staring at your feet.

“What-“ he asked pointedly. “are those?” Confused, you looked down yourself, inspecting your shoes. Oh no, did you do something wrong?

“Uhm? The new Ferragamo’s you sent me two weeks ago? Is there something wrong with them?”

“Why in goodness heaven are you wearing six-inch heels?” He was clutching his pearls and Frisk mirrored his dramatics.

“Because it’s part of my uniform? Or at least what you consider uniform, Boss?” you tried to remind him kindly, but it came out more pointedly than anything else.

“Take them off, right now.” The robot demanded and your eyebrows shot up so fast that they almost disappeared in your hair.

“Uhm, no? I’m not gonna run around barefoot?”

“I said take them off. I sent flats to your office yesterday. Go wear those.” He clicked his tongue before walking over to you, petting your cheek. “Papyrus, bless his heart, told me all about your injury. You really shouldn’t put any strain on that leg of yours. Take off the heels and go put on something more sensible.”

“Aren’t you the person that denied a news station an interview because the announcer wore kitten heels once two years ago and you still haven’t forgiven her?” Mettaton withdrew his hand like he burned it and almost flushed a bit.

“Well, that was different! You know what they say about a biscuit basket! Black stockings and white shoes shouldn’t be allowed in the church! She had no excuse. But you my darling dear, are hell's favourite secretary, so you get extra rights. Now don’t argue and be a good girl.”

Oh, that just did something to you.  

Mhm, shouldn’t have said that… Chara rolled their proverbial eyes, and you straightened up considerably, biting the inside of your cheek. Does nobody here know that this woman currently runs purely on spite?

Frisk giggled and you narrowed your eyes at them for just a split second to shut them up.  Giving your boss a strained little smile, you pushed the handles of your own bag back up your shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me. I know what I can handle.”

“But-“

“If you two excuse me, I have a meeting to attend” you interrupted him rather rudely, before pretty much storming off, making sure that the heels clicked extra loudly on the hardwood floors of the office before the carpet in the hallway muffled it.

He just wanted to be nice to you, you know. You didn’t have to snap at him like that. The voice breathed right into your ear, and you whip around to look at your mirror image in one of the polished frames on the wall, the reflection moving a bit too delayed than physics would usually allow.

“I am not a child. I don’t need to be coddled. Contrary to popular belief, I know what I am doing. And if everyone could just stop treating me like I don’t, it would really make my day. That includes you”

The reflection blinked at you, clearly not expecting your outburst and you instantly felt guilty. You were about to apologise when your soul let out another one of those pathetic little pangs and you just set your jaw before marching away.

To be fair, you didn’t really have to apologise to Chara.

The advantage of sharing every single thought with a cosmic entity, you guessed. 

Four hours later, it was already dark outside, and you had your head against the messy surface of your desk, groaning loudly.

You hated meetings. Really, you did. As a measly PA-and one that looked like a summer intern on top of it- none of the big bag humans took you seriously and it was a huge pain in the ass to get them to listen to you. Not that would have listened to Napstablook either, he was rather shy and usually left the talking to his cousin, so really, it was like talking to a wall while the silly little humans just screamed over each other. If this wasn’t for the fact that you were already knee deep in preparations for the New Years Gala and Spring Equinox Festival, you would have loved to just tell each and everyone of them to go to hell. Not really the smart decision but you weren’t really good at keeping your big mouth shut lately, as it seemed.

And to make matters even worse, now you were left with a folder full of papers that needed sorting and filing and accountants’ math and why did it have to be accountants’ math. This wasn’t even your department!

Give me a Rydbeck-Formula and I’ll solve it in like five minutes but ask me to do simple double-entry accounting and I’d rather pass a kidney stone. you whined but no answer came. Chara still gave you the silent treatment, but you did kinda deserve that one. Looking over your files again for even a second caused you to let your head drop onto your arms, muffling the frustrated scream leaving your throat.

You were the last one on the floor, so nobody would hear you anyways.

Contemplating to fling yourself out of one of the windows, you pull your legs up to the chair, the shoes you had toed off hours ago already lay forgotten on the floor.

And when your phone suddenly dinged with a new message, you almost threw it against the wall. Who in their right mind would text you right now? And by god, if it was that creepy number again-

[Cammie] 20:17

Hey girly, you free?

[Ass] 20:17

Idk, abt to shoot myself, lol.

[Ass] 20:17

Y? U good?

[Cammie] 20:18

Please learn how to spell

[Ass] 20:18

Nah.

[Cammie] 20:19

Ugh, fine. I’ll just go bother someone else with my alcohol

[Ass] 20:19

NO COME BACK PLS!

[Ass] 20:19

Please*

[Ass] 20:20

There, I even spelled it right for u :*

[Ass] 20:21

Now, I’ve been promised alcohol?

[Ass] 20:25

:(

[Cammie] 20:26

Sorry, Robin threw up on the carpet

[Ass] 20:26

Ewwww :(

[Cammie] 20:27

I am going to ignore that you just called my child disgusting and will instead point out your name again. It still fits.

[Ass] 20:30

R00de

[Ass] 20:31

I’m sure your child is perfectly cute.

[Ass] 20:31

 children in general are just gross.

[Ass] 20:31

No offense.

[Cammie] 20:32

I’ll just reference my previous message.

[Ass] 20:32

Fair.

[Ass] 20:35

Anyways.

[Ass] 20:35

You mentioned alcohol. And still haven’t elaborated.

[Ass] 20:35

Elaborate.

[Cammie] 20:35

Felix said he’d take the kids over to his mom tonight, and I don’t have work tomorrow or the nightshift. I wanna do something. Preferably with lots of alcohol.

[Cammie] 20:36

It’s been a week.

[Ass] 20:36

Eyo, who r u telloing. 

[Cammie] 20:37

Telling*

[Ass] 20:38

tElLiNg

[Ass] 20:39

Where u wanna go?

[Ass] 20:39

I could really need a good tequila night.

[Ass] 20:40

Ye ole faithful?

[Cammie] 20:40

As long as there are no children and I won’t remember my name by midnight, I am open for anything.

[Ass] 20:41

Should I invite Undyne and Alphys? Make it a 2x date?

[Cammie] 20:43

Sure. Undyne sounds like someone that can finally keep up with this bottomless barrel

[Ass] 20:45

Yeah, and if ur there, Alphy has someone to talk shop with, you nerds

[Ass] 20:45

<3

[Cammie] 20:45

Don’t make me regret this.

[Ass] 20:45

Don’t forget to bring some bimboclothes 

[Cammie] 20:45

I am a married woman

[Ass] 20:46

I’m not.

[Cammie] 20:46

You have a boyfiend (?)

[Cammie] 20:46

Friend*

[Ass] 20:46

No, that typo was right.

[Ass] 20:48

Not sure that I have even that anymore

[Cammie] 20:48

Oof

[Cammie] 21:12

I’m outside.

[Ass] 21:12

OMW!

[Ass] 21:12

U got the goods?

[Cammie] 21: 12

It’s better than the secretary gittup.

[Cammie] 21:12

That would be a different kinda kinky.

[Ass] 21:13

GASP

[Ass] 21:13

You do have a sense of humour!

The human wasn’t the only one that had a shit day so far. Sans had been miserable all day long, practically incapable of focussing on anything. It had gotten so bad, that Alphys had to use her Head of the Department authority and send him home for the day, since he was clearly in no shape or form to do his job.

Which was frustrating, because Sans liked his job, against all odds. He liked working at the University and teaching people but lately he has been… distracted, to say the least.

He was either getting eaten up by the ever so crushing guilt and repercussions of letting his magic run rampant, his bones were still creaky and ached in the joints and his soul felt heavy still, or absolutely consumed by thoughts about his-no, the-human that he wished he could just stop. It was a conflicting feeling, wanting to go bury himself out of shame but also never let go of her hand.

And even if he suddenly decided that, yeah, he was done sulking and punishing himself, he was pretty sure that whatever chances he had with her, were absolutely shattered after his pathetically coward move in Toriels kitchen.

Every time he saw her, her brows instantly furrowed, and she set her jaw, which isn’t a really good sign when seeing someone that you liked. It wasn’t a general thing because when Papyrus was around, she was sweet as ever. And don’t get him started how she and Frisk suddenly seemed to be best friends, heads always stuck together and whispering and giggling with each other. At least the kid didn’t hate him, but they were a real tough cookie. But what could you expect of someone whose preferred method of befriending was getting in copious amounts of fights and relentless flirting?

They had facetimed him during his lunch break and they seemed as bubbly and bright as every other day as well. Maybe even a bit more, their hands were a blur as they tried to sign him something about Linda getting dunked on, but the connection was too poor for him to catch everything. He hoped that someone had just accidentally dropped their coffee on that awful woman’s head. He’s heard enough from Tori and the PTA to know that she was a stain upon this planet.

But hey, the kid even managed to get a smile out of him that wasn’t completely fake. That was something, wasn’t it?

And then, Elaine showed up behind Frisk with a coffee in hand, squishing their cheeks together fiercely. Frisk of course squealed in absolute delight and Sans almost melted at the soft display, his eyes drawn to Elaine’s huge grin and her freckles and the loose pieces of hair that framed her face and absolutely not how the top button of her blouse was open and that she wore her hair up and that gave him a perfect view of her mastoideus and clavicle.

He probably stared a bit too long because when he finally managed to tear his eyes away, he was met with hard, red eyes and slightly furrowed brows.

Just seeing the tiny little frown made him feel uncomfortable and caused his soul to ache painfully.

Ugh, he hated this guilt. She had told him it was okay; they were okay. So why did he go and ruin it? Why did his soul feel so heavy and almost broken, whenever he thought of it?

He made up an excuse to hang up anyways.

Groaning, he rubbed his hand across his face anyways. All he could think about was that angry flush spreading on Elaine’s cheeks and neck again and just like that, his day had been thrown completely off.

Frustrated, he teleported right from his office onto his favourite place on the couch, throwing his phone to the other end before propping his legs up. He didn’t really wanna anything but sitting in the dark in complete silence was a bit pathetic.

Then again, he was also a bit pathetic.

In the end, he found a random rerun of some older crime show that Frisk loved to watch. It provided a good white noise in the background that slowly lulled him into a restless sleep.

“-AKE UP, LAZY BONES!” Papyrus crowed and Sans scrunched his face up, grumbling as he woke up from his nap. His brother was in front of the couch, glowering at him. “HAVE YOU BEEN HERE THE ENTIRE DAY?”

“Nah bro, I finished work around three, so Alph sent me home.”

“NYEH! AT LEAST SOMETHING!” It wasn’t a complete lie but he had no intention to tell his little brother that Alphys actually sent him home because he was too much of an idiot.

His joints cracked uncomfortably when he stretched, rubbing his eyesocket.

“Why are you home so early, buddy? Weren’t you hanging out with Undyne?”

“SANS, IT IS ALMOST TEN PM! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU’VE BEEN ASLEEP SINCE YOU CAME HOME?”

“Eh, guess I’ve been bone tired, Paps” Sans joked to Papyrus’ dismay.

“SANS!” Ah, here comes the old lecture. He loved playing that game with his brother. “THAT MEANS YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T EATEN ALL DAY! YOU SILLY GOOSE!” That wasn’t quite the lecture he expected, gotta be honest.

“Well…” Sans admitted, rubbing the base of his skull awkwardly.

“OH SANS” his brother sighed, before stalking over to the kitchen. “WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITHOUT ME?”

“Starve, probably”

“YES; YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A BROTHER LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“Yeah, I am” Sans agreed easily with him. He loved his brother and it’s been them since he could remember.  “You had fun with Undyne?” Sans called after him, when he heard the sizzling of the pan in the kitchen.

“YES, GREATLY! WE TRIED OUT A NEW GAME ALPHYS INSTALLED ON THEIR LITTLE SWITCH CONSOLE. IT WAS GREAT FUN! I WOULD HAVE STAYED OVERNIGHT, BUT THEN THE SLIGHTLY LESS TINY HUMAN CALLED THE TO INVITE THEM OUT!”

“They didn’t take you with them? Shucks!” His brother walked out with a plate of fried eggs with Ketchup and bacon, his favourite, and doesn’t that just warm your heart? It sure did Sans’.

“YES, I KNOW! BUT UNDYNE SAID THAT I HAD TO BE AT LEAST 21 TO GET INTO THE BAR, SO I HAD TO GO HOME! SHE DID PROMISE ME THAT WE WOULD GO THERE FOR MY BIRTHDAY THOUGH!”

“Wow, sounds egg-celent” Sans winked at him and Papyrus just gave him a flat look.

“I’LL LET THAT ONE SLIDE BECAUSE YOU JUST WOKE UP.” He shrugged and took the plate off his hands anyways.

“Man, you are the best Paps.”

“I KNOW. NOW EAT. I SHALL GO PREP FOR BED IN THE MEANTIME!”

“Sure, go ahead.”

The food was pretty good, Papyrus made some leaps in his cooking since they went above ground and he hasn’t set something on fire for a year now.

Tucking him in went smoothly as well and when Sans found himself back at the couch, he felt a bit drowsy, even though he’s been asleep for most of the day.

He was just about to doze off, as his phone dinged and groaning, he reached over to grab it.

He had seven unread messages, two from his brother and five from Alphys.

[Alpha] 21:17

Hey, if you feel better, me and Undyne are hanging with Laney and her friend at McNamara’s tonight. You should join us (＠＾◡＾)

[Alpha] 22:02

HEY NERD, U SHOUL JOIN US!!!! IS FUN! !!1”!!!

[Alpha] 22:02

-1 video file attached-

LOOK AT ME BEET AARON AR ARMWRESLING!!

[Alpha] 22:02

Did Paps get home safely btw?!?!? Sorry we had to ditch him, but we were promised copious amounts of tequila! !!!”!!”°

[Alpha] 22:06

SORYY! Undy got into m Textmessages! (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄) She’S a bit drunk (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

[Snas] 22:51

hey sorry for not texting just took paps to bed hes well dw

[Snas] 22:51

i think imma stay in tnight

[Snas] 22:51

take care of the humans for me and have fun u 2

[Alpha] 22:56

They are all pretty drunk by now, haha.

[Alpha] 23:00

Did you see the video? (｡・//ε//・｡) Undy danced on a table when she won! ♬♫♪◖(● o ●)◗♪♫♬

[Snas] 23:00

nah ill watch it now but im pretty beat have fun you guys im goin to bed

[Alpha] 23:02

Okay, sleep tight! ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu

Sans really didn’t wanna get up from the couch, it was way to comfortable, but he knew that he had to move his bony ass into bed eventually, if he didn’t want Elaine to sleep on the floor when she came back. Then again, reading the conversation with Alphys he just head lead him to believe that they were all probably shitfaced by now, and if he knew his buddies, Undyne would either drag her home with her or the human would be so out of it, that she would take the floor. She didn’t seem very picky where she slept.

For a brief moment he remembered that she mentioned that she would hide from her ex and stay as far away as possible as she could, and he wondered if that would include sleeping. Probably, not that he thought that it was obvious but back then he hadn’t even considered it. He tried not to imagine her small form huddled into a bathroom corner but didn’t quite succeed.

If he was right though, it would explain how this girl could fall asleep literally anywhere.

Oh yeah, and there we go again, right back to the human. He thought, annoyed with himself. You really gotta stop acting like a kicked dog, you whimp.

Frustrated, he scrolled back up to click on the video Undyne had sent him to distract himself before dragging himself to bed. It took a minute or so to buffer and when it started, he almost instantly had to smile.

One half of the screen showed Undyne making kissy faces at the camera, and the other one was covered by a yellow finger. The video was a bit shakier that he expected, but nothing too big.

“This one’s for you, babe!” Undyne crowed, showing off her impressive flex. Alphys behind the phone squeaked loudly.

“U-U-Undyne!” Her girlfriend just laughed before cracking her fingers. Across from her sat Aaron, blatantly flirting with one of the servers, seemingly unimpressed that he was about to be absolutely annihilated. Sober Undyne was already a force to recon with, but Drunk Undyne didn’t even have what little filter the sober one possessed. There were at least 6 bottles scattered on the table along with some drinks. And it was loud in the bar. Not just because drunk people generally tended to be less than quiet but there was also music. He wasn’t sure if it was from a live band or just a jukebox, but something was clearly lightening up the already lively mood. There was a group of people dancing in the back and he could have sworn that Elaine’s friend-what was her name again? -was one of them.

Sans couldn’t help himself but smile a little bit. This seemed like a really fun night for them, and he felt almost sad that he declined the invitation.

In the forefront, Undyne and her opponent were already going at it full force and a small group of people gathered around them, placing bets. Stupidly, most of the humans bet on Aaron. Well, they would be in for a rude awakening.

The music changed to a more uptempo irish jig and for a moment he could have sworn that he saw a flash of green in the group of dancers back there. Frowning slightly, he rewound a bit, focusing more on the back, and yes, there it was again. The twirl of an emerald skirt and bright red eyes grinning from a flushed face.

Sans knew almost instantly that his face must have been bright blue and it was embarrassing how hard he was clutching his phone to stare at Elaine as she twirled with her friend in the back, really making the best out of the wide skirt. He hadn’t seen her wear that one before and it was definitely not the outfit she had left the house in this morning. It really wasn’t Mettaton’s style and C3PO was nothing but obsessed with style.

And Sans knew very well that he shouldn’t stare, and he was almost ready to focus back on Undyne again when he saw Cam-that was it, right? – grab his human’s hand and spin her around and he had never seen her laugh so beautifully, head thrown back and eyes squinting and her face flushed and oh god, what did he have to do to make her smile at him like that. Almost subconsciously, he took a screenshot.

Just the sight of it alone made him feel so much more relaxed. He’d have to thank Alphys for this tomorrow, he decided, even if she wouldn’t get why.

Undyne seemingly defeated Aaron, the desk bouncing from the force of the slam dunk and the room exploded in cheer.

Good for her!

He was about to put the phone away, stealing one last glance at Elaine and suddenly his good mood was gone. He rewound again, zooming into the background and jealousy immediately gnawed at every bone inside of him, as he watched some guy twirl Elaine around, leading her in a circle as she still danced, no inhibitions barred. His phone creaked slightly from his tight grip and when he checked the time- sent over an hour ago-he couldn’t help himself but growl.

Who was the piece of shit human that had the audacity to put his hands on his human, grabbing her waist and touch her like it was his god given right?

Never before had Sans found a shortcut this quickly.

Chapter Text

Okay, and why do I have to learn this again? she asked him, clearly tired. The void had a tendency to just take whatever it could, swallowing her whines up whole. Why can’t I just sign?

Well, this is much more efficient, isn’t it? the looming man chuckled at her and she rolled her eyes, though he could see some good-willed mirth twinkle in her eyes. And it’s not like we have anything else to do. Learning new things is a wonderful thing. You should embrace it.

Fair enough she sighed, though her words were still clumsy and heavy, the only thing able to echo through the silence. It’s just us here.

Another mystery for another day, I suspect. he agreed carefully. It shouldn’t even have been you two. But he has always been a curious mind.

Sans has never been to McNamara’s before, but he found a shortcut leading there in less than half a second, zeroing in with almost surgical precision. Jealousy was bubbling up inside of him, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he chose to convince himself that he was just worried. Elaine had seemed drunk. And Undyne sure as hell wasn’t in any condition to check on her. He just wanted to make sure she’s okay. Just a tiny glance to sate his worries. Of course, a glance wouldn’t be enough, but he wasn’t about to admit that.

Neither was he about to admit that he was ready to send a man to meet his forefathers.

Sans had expected people to be drunk, it was a bar after all. And whenever Undyne was involved, there was chaos to be anticipated. Especially when she was drunk. And it wasn’t like Alphys would reign her in, she was usually to busy oogling her girlfriend all night anyways. So yeah, he braced himself for shenanigans. Maybe even a chair being thrown out of a window-wouldn’t be the first time that happened. What he didn’t expect was the absolute agent of chaos that a drunk Elaine would apparently transform into.

So you can imagine his surprise when he enters the bar, to find pretty much everyone gathered around a chair and a way too familiar voice wafting over to him, even over the blaring music. It was raspier than he remembered and definitely a bit off key, but that was to be expected from a bar song.

“-an’t use a pencil, canny use a pen. The only way is with a knife when danger is your friend. And some may call it stupid, and some may call it dumb, but all the same we play this game cause it’s so damn fun”

The pure mention of a knife already sent him spiralling, and he squeezed himself up to reach the front, finding himself next to Alphys and Cam about halfway through, both of them watching Elaine in awe as she-and god have mercy on his poor, non-existent heart, he was gonna get a cardiac arrest-had her hand spread out on the old, used table, stabbing the spaces between with a pocketknife that had no business being in someone’s hands that was clearly not very sober anymore. He would have been impressed by the speed and accuracy, despite the glazed over look and wide smile spread over her flushed face if he wasn’t about to just keel over.

“S-Sans! I though you wouldn’t come?” He jumped a bit, ripping his eyes away to look over to Alphys. There was a deep orange flush on her face, and she had a glass with a suspiciously clear liquid in her hand.

“Uh, yeah, I saw the video you sent, it looked… fun?” he pressed between his teeth and Alphys snickered.

“Y-Yeah! I thought that the human’s friend would be one to m-match Undyne’s energy, but t-this is s-so much more fun! Look, s-she’s so good!” she giggled, taking a sip from her drink. Sans glanced back to Elaine and their eyes met for a moment, like she didn’t care about the wellbeing of her hand at all. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem to impact her skills at all.

Her blush deepened drastically, and her lips curled up into a bright smile, making her eyes crinkle and sparkle.

“Oh my gooood, Alphy, I take great offense to that!” Cam complained in a lull, throwing her arm around Sans shoulder so she wouldn’t fall over. “I thought we were friends! We had a bonding moment!” She pouted and it was almost funny, seeing the well put together doctor being such a messy drunk.

Alphys squeaked and blushed even more.

“Ack! I-I’m sorry, Cam!”

“I told you to call me Cammie!” she slurred, putting more weight on Sans, who had to prevent her from completely falling over.

“Christ, how much did you guys’ drink?” Sans rolled his eyes and the girls giggled conspiratory.

“Sssssss a secret!” Cam mock whispered with the same effectivity as Papyrus, pressing her finger against his smile.

Sans suddenly dreaded the moment his brother would turn twenty-one.

A loud thump followed by a cheer from the surrounding patrons made both him and Alphys jump.

Apparently, Elaine had finished her knife game, ending it by putting the knife into the table that it would get stuck in the wood. She leaned back with crossed arms, her now cleared up eyes narrowed, and lips pressed into a thin line as she glared at him and Cam.

Uff, she’s probably mad that I crashed her girl’s night… Sans reprimanded himself.

Sighing, he heaved Cam off his shoulder, practically handing her to Alphys.

“Here, watch her for a bit, I’m gonna try to find Undyne, I think it’s time to get you guys’ home”

“Nuuuuuu, iss barely even midnight!” Cam whined, pouting like a little kid.

“And you can barely walk, human. Stay here while I go pick up your partner in wine.” he answered dryly but she just giggled wetly. Kinda gross.  

“Oh, you are funny.” She wheezed. “Me n Rea have done way worse before, this is nothing!”

“W-Why do you call her Rea?” Alphys piped up, clearly struggling to keep her upright. Sans had been wondering that himself, to be fair.

“Pfff, because it’s her name?” Cam laughed. “Well, nickname! But I’ve always called her that. Always been jealous. Such a pretty name, like one of her heathen gods. Well, shortened… Her mum was didn’t wanna get cruzi- Crci-Crzified- for complete blasphemy.” She nodded wisely. “Tha’s a big word when your tongue feels like liquorish rope.” Smacking her lips a few times, she leaned more on Alphys, who was already groaning. “You know, you are all so hot. That’s really unfair. If I wasn’t married, I’d tots make a move on every one of you!” Alphys squeaked in embarrassment, practically dropping the human. Sans managed to pull a chair under her just in time, so she wouldn’t completely bust her ass.

“Stay here. I’ll go grab you some water and the rest of the slobs.” He rolled his eyes before squeezing himself through the mass of people, following the instinctive pull to the bar. The crowd parted and he saw an unruly mop of auburn hair, so very different than her normally a bit stern disposition. Elaine’s face was flushed, and he could feel the magic in his bones stutter, almost like a human’s heartbeat would, when he saw her smile at Undyne.

She has dimples, he noticed for the first time. She wouldn’t usually laugh as openly as this. At least not enough so it would be noticeable. She also wasn’t wearing her work clothes, at least not the ones she had left the house in. She had traded her sleek pencil skirt and dark blue blouse for a ruffly white one and an emerald skirt that shifted black with the light. It was a bit to big on her and had to be belted at the waist and the sleeves of the blouse were falling off of her shoulders, showing off her white freckles. It took considerable effort on his part not to stare at them like an absolute creep.

Make no mistake, he still felt like an absolute creep, but there was no reason to just display that out in the open.

His incessive habit of staring at his human was really starting to become a problem, but every time he looked at her, his soul absolutely sang. Normally he would have immediately noticed Undyne spotting him first, giving him a toothy grin, but he was so distracted that he only noticed, when she slung an arm around his shoulders, harshly patting him on the back.

“Sans! Buddy, you made it!” she roared with absolute glee, throwing her head back to laugh. Her cheeks were tinted slightly purple, but she was clearly still in high spirits. Heh.

“Undyne, hey. You holding up well?”

“Me? Yeah! Totally!” she snorted. “You should see the humans though! Completely shitfaced! It’s hilarious! Humans really can’t handle anything, Fufufufu!”

“Uh, yeah, I already met one of them. Left her over with Alph. If the other one is in half a bad of a condition, I think it’s time we take them home”

“Ehhhh, they are fiiiiiine!” Undyne reassured him-which wasn’t reassuring at all-before she turned back towards the bar. “Hey nerd! Hey! NERD! YEAH, YOU!” she bellowed, and Elaine turned towards them, her hand still reaching out for the shotglass someone had offered her. He noticed that she had tied a white ribbon around a strand of hair in the frond, which looked absolutely precious.

“WHAT?” she shouted back just as enthusiastically.

“YOU GOOD?”

“Uh, yeah?” she laughed. “I just got offered a metre of strawberry shots! Wanna help me?”

“Ohhhh, just a moment, be right there!” Undyne crowed in glee, bouncing on her heels. Elaine’s eyes flickered over to his for a brief moment and turned into a glare before she whipped back around with a clearly visible huff.

“A metre of shots?” Sans asked incredulous.

“Uh, yeah? It’s a metre of shots lined up right next to each other! And it’s a Thursday so every shot is a two for one fifty cent special!”

“That sounds dangerous”

“Uh, no, it sounds fun?” Undyne rolled her eyes.

“UNDYNE!” Elaine impatiently called again, with a laugh and Sans looked past the fish just in time to get a good look of some dude trying to sling an arm around Elaine’s waist.

“Gee, your face suddenly turned sour” Undyne teased and he glared up at her. “Don’t gimme that look. You’re the one that chose to act like an ass. Can’t fault her for trying to let off some steam.”

“Okay, fair.” He had to admit, rubbing his skull uncomfortably.

“Yeah, and you shouldn’t have flirted with her friend. Not cool dude!”

“I did what now?” Sans balked, staring at Undyne as she rolled her eye.

“Uh yeah? She’s been all over you the entire time since you arrived apparently. No wonder Laney is pissed at you. I’d be too if someone tried to steal my girl.” Stunned, Sans turned back to Alphys and Cam, who were currently lost in a discussion about… something. Cam saw him and gave him a small wave and he turned back to Undyne so fast that he almost got whiplash.

“Yikes.”

“Yikes indeed, buddy!” she agreed with a little laugh. “You really didn’t notice?”

“No. I just thought she couldn’t stand anymore because she’s obviously drunk.” He tried to defend himself kinda miserably.

 “Listen Sans, I don’t know what kind of cold war you two are currently in, but don’t fuck this up, dude! This girl was willing to go through hell and back for you-literally willing to die-and she still looks at you like you are her moon and stars! You gotta get over yourself and just make a goddamn move already. She’s not gonna wait forever.” He hated that Undyne looked at him with pity. Pity didn’t suit her, and he hated even more that his actions apparently required pity.

And yeah, sure, his soul ached and yearned for Elaine almost every waking hour, but this wasn’t about him. All he wanted was to keep her safe and unharmed and he couldn’t even do that right.

“Look, Undyne-“ he started, but she just shook her head.

“Don’t explain yourself to me, dude. Barking up the wrong tree here.” She sighed, letting a hand fall on his shoulder with a bit too much force, dragging him with her to the bar. “C’mon, let’s just have fun, get drunk and totally ignore that we all have work tomorrow and are gonna be absolutely hungov-Where is the human?” Stunned, both of them stared at the spot Elaine had just been standing not even a minute ago, about 2/3 of the shot line emptied.

They looked at each other, back to the bar, at each other, back to Alphys and Cam-who was now asleep on the table, back at each other and the bar and to the barkeeper.

But still, no sign of the lost human.

“She left out the front door after gunning her shots.” The barman told them, completely unbothered and still wiping the same glass he had been for the past two hours, judging from the smudging.

“ALPHYS!” Undyne crowed, startling her girlfriend. Sans just sighed deeply. Of course Elaine would be a runner. There was always one drunk person in the group that would be a runner, going on an adventure. Following the tug on his soul, he disappeared from the bar.

“Y-Yes?” Undyne stalked over to her girlfriend, hands buried in her pockets.

“Who was on human duty again?”

“I-I’m watching the tall one! W-Why?”

“I lost the little one! I thought my shift was over!”

“Y-You lost the little one? H-How do you lose a human?”

“I don’t know, she lured me in with alcohol!” Undyne whined and Cam next to Alphys groaned.

“Don’t worry, she always comes back”

“T-This happens a-a lot?” Alphys yelped and the sleepy human just snorted.

“Yuh-huh, she always disappears. S’ fine. S’ normal!” she insisted, her head lolling back over and hitting the table with a loud noise.

“Wow. You’re kind of a shit friend!” Undyne huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

“Naaaaaah” Cam groaned, face down. “’m just what she needs!”

“OH, LET GO OF ME, YOU FIEND!” Elaine screeched as Sans materialized back in the bar, having her slung over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She was clearly trying to wiggle out of his hold, but he had a pretty good grip on her.

“Found her.” He huffed. “She tried to steal a stop sign!”

“Told ya she’s fine” Cam mumbled; a wide grin spread on her face. “She’s done that before!”

“Obvioulsy a am, ya focking reprobate” she huffed, still trying to get back down. Sans couldn’t help but smile a bit. He hadn’t noticed before, but her slight accent came out stronger when she was drunk. It was really cute. “Now put me back down, ya numb skull!” Sans just barked out a laugh and gave her a light tap to the back of her thighs.

“Okay, so I think I’m gonna take her back home.” Undyne rolled her eye, groaning.

“Ugh, fine, guess we’ll handle the other one.”

“ M fine!” Cam protested.

“Sure.” The fish monster huffed, reaching over to grab the slouched over figure. “You two get home safely. Text me, okay? Or Alphy, doesn’t really matter.”

“Yeah, will do.” He assured them before adjusting Elaine’s position on his shoulder a bit better. She had stopped struggling at this point and while she wasn’t asleep yet, she hung like a limp noodle, quietly muttering curses under her breath. “Hold on tight, we’ll be right home” he promised and when he heard a quiet “fuck off” he had to chuckle a bit.

The trip back home barely took him a second and when they appeared in the living room, Elaine groaned loudly.

“I’m going to throw up…” she pressed out and he rubbed her back-or what he could reach of it, at least-in a somewhat comforting manner.

“Yeah, I know, you’ll get used to it eventually. Let’s get you to bed.”

“You’re awful” she muttered, and he clicked his jaw.

“I know, love, don’t worry.” For a moment, he considered just putting her on the couch, but that couldn’t be comfortable for her at all at the moment, and so he relented, and walked over to his own room as quickly yet carefully as possible.

“I hate you” Elaine sounded absolutely miserable, and it almost broke his heart. This wasn’t just the alcohol speaking, that was real pain in her voice.

“Yeah, I know that too.” He just huffed, stopping before his own bed to let her roll off of him as carefully as possible. Jesus, he’d have to get a bucket for her, just in case.

She landed in his bed with a slight “ouff”, her clothes a little bit rumpled and her hair spread out on the pillow in a messy halo. Sans could feel his cheek heat up and then get even hotter when she turned to look at him, face flushed and lips slightly parted.

“I knew you would come…” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he cocked his head.

“How come?” God, had she noticed that he was just a jealous mess? How he was looking at her? That would make things extra awkward.

As it turns out, nothing of the sort. Instead, she just huffed out a small laugh, tapping the centre of her chest.

“Felt it. Right here…” A sad smile tugged on her lips, and he just about melted. “Always feel you. S’ why I’m mad. Hurts when you’re away. Hurts when you’re mad at me. Hurt even worse when you were eyebanging Cam.” Her tone turned bitter. “I know she’s prettier and better, but it made me all ouchie in here…” her words were barely audible by now, just a slight slurring as she started to drift off.

Sighing, Sans sat down on the bed next to her, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Don’t worry, I think you are so much prettier than any other human.” He admitted quietly and she let out a little whine.

“Don’t lie to me…”

“I would never lie to you” he promised easily, his fingers still grazing the soft skin around her jawline.

“I hate how you make me feel…” It was barely a breath, but he had heard it anyways, and to him it was comparable to a punch in the gut.

“How do I make you feel?” he asked, but she didn’t answer him anymore, finally asleep.

He sat with her for a few more minutes, before he made a move to get up.

“Mmmm, Sans…” she mumbled, her hand finding his almost instantly. It was like a rush of endorphins, a small joy he hadn’t really allowed himself so far.

“What is it?” he whispered with a hoarse voice.

“Don’t leave me yet, please…” She sounded so broken, so hurt and before he could think about it, he had leaned forward, pressing his mouth against her forehead in a featherlight kiss.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be here” the skeleton told her, his cheeks burning bright blue by now.

Satisfied with his answer, she sighed deeply, sinking more into his pillow and her head flopping over, so he had a perfect view of her neck and shoulders. God, she would be his downfall one day.

And then, something changed.

Sans’s mind clouded for a second, his soul pushing forward as if it tried to reach out, as he stared at Elaine’s neck, wondering if she would enjoy being touched there. Wait, no, he already knew that. She hadn’t refused his touch before, but rather leaned into it. What if he would go further and kiss her there, be able to feel her pulse quicken under his lips and see that lovely deep flush crawl down from her face to her chest. Being so close, he could probably easily count every single freckle on her skin. How would she react if he bit her? Clearly, she had admired his fangs before, and he wondered if it really was just purely scientific interest or more. His mind was reeling with the possibilities and mental images. Would she taste as delectable as he imagined? Would she be loud, or make more of those tiny little noises he had gotten glimpses of before? Probably the former if he would have to guess.

Without him even noticing, he had bared his fangs, licking over them with his tongue, slightly illuminating the dark room.

And then it was over again.

The fog lifted again, and he stopped the second it did, trying his best not to let out the multitude of swears that threatened to tumble from his proverbial lips. Normally, he would have beat himself up for being a creep and trying to squash all of those nasty little thoughts down but right now, there was only one thing occupying his own horrified mind.

I have to get away from her.

Your hands were a bit shaky in the morning and you groaned quietly as you tried to tie your hair up for the third time now, but it wasn’t cooperating with you at all. Your head was absolutely pounding, and you had no idea how you even got home or what happened after you stupidly decided to just stupidly drown a stupid metre of stupid liquor down your stupid gullet. Stupid.

All you knew was that you woke up in a bed instead of a couch in an absolute panic and Sans was gone and you would be late, and your head was pounding, and Chara was an absolute dick, heckling you for the stupid decisions both of you took last night. But of course, only one of you had a corporeal body and had to deal with the repercussions. The Germans-well, their crackhead little sibling Austria, at least, but you were also a crackhead little sibling-had a word for it, because of course they did. Restfett they called it and the vibe just really hit the ball out of the park.

“You know, instead of hounding me, you could help?” you hissed at your reflection in the full-length mirror in the hallway. At this point you were just seriously considering to leave your hair down, if it wasn’t for that big meeting for the Spring Festival today as well as some more errands you and Mettaton had to run for the New Years Gala as well as overseeing his new single and oh my god, thinking hurt.

Don’t look at me, I know nothing about hair. your reflection chuckled and you stuck out your tongue at them.

“I should have let you on that streetcorner I found you, you gremlin” You tried to roll your eyes, but that was already too much, and you groaned. Jesus, you’d need some Advil and hashbrowns before work or this day would end in disaster. Your stomach churned dangerously at the thought of solid food, and you groaned. Okay, so much for that. Baby food and fruit pouches it is.  

Eh, you love me too much for that. Your reflection shrugged and you glared a bit harder. Damn it. They were right.

Do you sometimes regret this here? That we are stuck together? They asked after a minute or so of you desperately trying to fix your hair. Surprised, you lower your hairbrush, blinking a few times. Chara didn’t even try to mimic you this time.

“Where’s that coming from?”

I don’t know they shrugged, refusing to look you in the eye. It would make things a lot easier for you if I wasn’t here. You can’t even use a mirror properly without me interrupting the reflection. And let’s not get started on your private life.

“Don’t say that” you interrupt them gently. “I chose this.”

There wasn’t really a choice.

“You don’t know that”

Neither do you Chara huffed. Neither of us remembers what exactly happened that day.

You took a shaky breath, incapable of meeting their eyes. There was something stuck in your throat, and you furrowed your eyebrows harshly. Something flickered at the edge of your mind, but you couldn’t grab for it. Every time you tried, it slipped through your fingers, like trying to catch pitch black smoke.

“I know that I had a choice. I made it. And I don’t regret it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” Smiling, you put your fingertips against the cool surface of the mirror. Your reflection mirrored the gesture, their smile less sweet and more bitter.

What are you gonna do when they find out? You are going to have to make a choice again.  You just smiled a bit bigger to hide the fact that yeah, you didn’t know what you would do.

“I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it” you just answered cheerfully instead. This time, your reflections smile burned a bit brighter.

You stared at them for a moment, wondering if they hated being stuck with you and that’s what prompted their question. They must be miserable, being stuck in a frail, broken body like yours, the bags under your eyes deepening every day, your lips chapped and a tendency to no eat properly left you a bit skinnier than you would have liked. And yeah, you two looked almost uncannily alike at first glance, but there were still differences. Their hair was cut differently, a bit sleeker. Their eyes were bigger, the red a prettier shade and their smile brighter. They had more of an androgynous, fitter form and you were just a little slinky girly girl.

It must really fuck with your brain to have your very own uncanny valley version of yourself sitting in front of you. Would they be happier if they were in control? If they could hug their mother and go and enjoy the sun in their face? Instead of having to babysit someone that barely even qualifies as human. It must hurt them to see you grow up when they never even got the chance to grow out of their late teens.

“Chara…” you beathed out quietly, chewing on your lip. You could even look them in the eyes. They must resent you so much. “Do you regret-“

“HUMAN, GOOD MORNING!” Papyrus greeted from his room, and you almost jumped to the ceiling. You hadn’t known that he was still here, it was so quiet in the apartment that you just assumed you woke up alone. “HELLO TO YOU TOO, HUMAN REFLECTION!” His voice was slightly too loud for you today, making your brain just a tad fuzzier and wobblier. You couldn’t be mad at the guy though.

“Jesus Christ, Papy, you almost gave me a heartattack! I thought you were out for the day” you huffed, his words not registering in your brain, as adrenaline still rushed through you.

“I WAS IN MY ROOM PLAYING THAT PUZZLE GAME WITH THE PROFFESSOR YOU GAVE ME A WHILE BACK!” he happily announced. “I AM SO INTRIGUED WITH THE STORY ABOUT THE TWO LUKES! I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS ONE ENDS!”

Smiling you pat his arm, your face falling when you noticed your reflection staring at you slack jawed and eyes wide. Weird, what’s that about? They usually kept up appearances pretty-Wait!

Gasping, you rewound the whole conversation in your head.

“Wait, Papy you know?” you hissed at him, and he gave you a puzzled look.

“KNOW WHAT?” he inquired, and you just wildly gestured between you and the mirror, gasping for air and sputtering. “OH, THAT!” he mused, before grinning brightly. “OF COURSE I KNEW! YOU ARENT AS SNEAKY AS YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUMAN!”

“And you aren’t mad?”

“WHY WOULD I BE MAD BECAUSE YOU TALK TO YOUR REFLECTION?” relieved, you let out a breath. Okay, so he doesn’t know know. “AND IT WOULD BE RUDE IF IT DIDN’T ANSWER!”

ABORT, HE DOES KNOW!

“Papy, buddy, you are killing me here!” you wheezed, clutching your pearls. He just barked out a laugh before turning you to face the mirror, his hands already in your hair.

“NO DYING TODAY, HUMAN! METTATON NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE! AND I WOULD BE VERY SAD IF YOU WERE SUDDENLY GONE. HAND ME THE HAIRBRUSH PLEASE” you followed his instructions blindly, you and Chara sharing a sneaky glance. “I SAW THAT!” okay, maybe not as sneaky as you thought.

“Does… Does someone else know?” you asked him quietly.

“WHAT? HMMH, NO, I DON’T THINK SO. BUT MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO LOOK AT YOUR REFLECTION FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. THEY ALSO ARENT AS SMART AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NYEHEHEH!”  

“Wow, you really must be great if you figured it all out so quickly!” you smiled at him as he styled your hair in record time.

“YES, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNISING THAT, HUMAN!” he grinned.

“Can we maybe keep it between us for now?” you asked him with a slight smile. Your knee twitched involuntary as if it was reeling to just run and kick and you bit the inside of your cheek until you could taste blood in retaliation.

“AH, YES, YOU WANT TO LEAVE THE MYSTERY FOR OTHERS TO SOLVE AS WELL! THAT IS VERY CONSIDERATE OF YOU, TINY HUMAN!” Your smile became just the slightest bit more strained, and you pinched the bridge of your nose as your head pounded away. “I DOUBT THAT MY BROTHER OR THE OTHERS COULD FIGURE IT OUT THOUGH. THEY AREN’T VERY GOOD WITH CONTEXT CLUES!”

“Yes. You are so right, dear.” You relented, just happy that you got to live another day. Let’s hope and pray that the big guy was right.

Even after taking two painkillers and gulping down what felt like roughly fifty litres of water, your head was still pounding. Having to listen to a group of rich, old, white men scream at each other over absolutely nothing for an hour and fourteen minutes wasn’t really helping either. Poor Napstablook was already in shambles and even Mettaton had a slightly enraged flush staining his faceplate. It was a lovely shade of bubblegum pink. Since he didn’t have any blood unlike Undyne for example, it had to be his magic, similar to Sans flushing blue or Papyrus’ lovely shade of orange sherbet. Monsters were truly fascinating, in your opinion, but sadly, apparently not everyone thought so. Especially not those moneybag idiots in the room with you right now. They initially scheduled the appointment to go over some major things for the Spring Equinox Festival they were planning to hold and clearly, they wanted to use Mettaton’s good name and preferably his good money but they also held no interest of getting his input. They made that very clear.

So now, instead of having a civilized, productive conference, they were all screaming over each other, trying to prove that they had the biggest, bestest and strongest dick in the business, since they were so much better than anyone else.

It was starting to seriously piss you off.

Your boss had tried for at least half an hour now to get a word in, with no luck and had resigned himself to just steam in anger now. The currently insulting subject was if it was acceptable to even have a monster there to perform since children would be there.

The muscle under your right eye started to twitch slightly and the clipboard in your arms creaked from the tight grip you had on it as you pressed it against your chest.

It wasn’t like anyone paid any mind to the scrawny little assistant in the corner anyways.

“See, I don’t even know if we should do more than one show! It’s just a waste of money. People will be there anyways so we can get the maximum profit!”

“We should also raise the prices in the stalls three percent”

“Why just three? I say we go up to eight!”

“Great thinking! Let’s also make the portions smaller, it’s not like anyone would notice anyways”  

“I still don’t get why we don’t just charge an entrance fee? I mean, yeah, it’s all over the city, so people will have to buy, no matter what we charge!”

Fucking Capitalism.

“Now, please, can we stay on topic?” Mettaton tried to reign them in again. “This festival is supposed to be about the people and show unity between humans and monsters. You can’t all just be after money! That is completely against everything I stand for!” he seemed flustered and was huffing up a storm. One of the men-you hadn’t remembered his name; they all looked the same to you anyways-let out a harsh, short belly laugh that sounded more like a bark than anything else.

“Don’t act so high and mighty. You have a company as well; you know that it’s all about the money. Don’t pretend like you actually care.”

That’s it. That’s the day I will break our pacifist streak. I am going to murder someone.

Don’t. We aren’t here to murder Jeff Bezos evil twin. Besides, you have actually caused someone harm before. Not very pacifistic.

I didn’t kill anyone. Our LV never changed, which is the intended purpose. So it still counts as pacifist.

“They are people.” Mettaton gasped appalled. “They deserve to be treated fairly and with kindness.”

“They are just walking checks. You didn’t earn your millions without selling at least a few grandmas down the line.” The bubblegum tint in his cheeks turned a bright hot pink and you started to grind your teeth. “You’re just here to look pretty and sell us some tickets. So maybe stay in your lane and let the real professionals handle the money while you go twirl and karaoke a bit.”

How about now? Chara practically whispered in your ear, all malicious and overprotective intent. You had half a mind to smack a bitch around the house yourself.

“Excuse me, Mister Mettaton, Sir, if I may interrupt for a second?” You piped up, stepping forward. The clicking of your heels was uncomfortably loud in the suddenly silent room as every eye turned towards you.

“Yes, darling?” he answered, clearly surprised.

“What is your current net worth again?” Your voice was all sugar and spice and your smile dripping in professional sweetness. The man with the beige linen vest barked out a laugh again. It was probably a different one than before but who cares.

“A fine Assistant you have there. Can’t even remember basic shit!” he heckled, and a few others laughed with him. Your smile didn’t falter a bit, which made Mettaton’s eyebrow raise slightly. He knew that smile by now, and it usually never bode well for whomever caused it.

“540 million currently, why do you ask, dear?”

“Yeah, dear.” Another mocked and you could see Napstablook slump down in his chair like he wanted to disappear. Still smiling, you turned towards him, staring him down.

“Sorry for the interruption, Sir. I was just trying to calculate the amount for the invoice I will be sending you. I thought it was fine to ask since you weren’t including my boss in the conversation anyways.”

“What invoice?” he gasped, doublechin jiggling slightly. “What are you talking about?” he demanded to know. You just gave him a sweet little laugh.

“Oh, I am sure you are familiar with the phrase “Time is money”? I am trying to figure out how much money we are losing to you right now, Sir. Mettaton’s time is very valuable and since you insisted on wasting it during a meeting you all requested, just to come here and insult him, I will have to bill you for the time lost. You still have thirteen minutes left to finalize your points before I have to whisk him away from you, I am afraid. He already has another meeting scheduled.”

“Thirteen minutes? We’ll never get through all of this in thirteen minutes” he complained but you just slightly cocked your head at him, your red eyes fixing him in his chair, staring him down.

“Well, then I am afraid that you will have to schedule another appointment in the future.” Quickly, you flipped through the sheets on your clipboard without really looking at the sheets. “The earliest available date would be February 26^th, would that be alright with you?”

“February?” another cried, and you just gave him a sideglance, crinkling your nose at him. “That’s way too close to the festival already! It’s the beginning of march!”

“Well, as you just heard, MTT Network Inc. is a very high value company with lots of interests and value right now. So you can imagine that our schedule is always a little packed. So you can use your remaining eleven minutes properly or wait until February.”

“It’s not enough time!”

“Then I would advice you to not waste any more and use what you have remaining well. And from now on, I think all future correspondence will go through me, so you don’t have to bother with talking to our CEO’s anymore, since you clearly don’t value their input”

“Who do you think you are?” beige vest guy growled again; his knuckles white from gripping the arm rests. You simply turned towards him, trying your best to imitate Chara’s absolutely terrifying aura.

“I am the Personal Assistant. I will send you the invoice as soon as possible. Nine minutes remain”

“You can be so terrifying, do you know that?” Mettaton huffed later, perched on his purple velvet couch, when it’s just the two of you in the office again and you chuckled softly, back turned towards him, as you sort through some papers on his desk.

“I was just doing my job. They didn’t listen, so I assisted. That’s what an assistant does, right?”

“You didn’t have to put the absolute fear of god into the man” it may have sounded like a reprimand, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitch from the corner of your eyes.

“I kinda did. He would have taken you seriously. They never do.” there was a bit of an edge to your voice and a sour taste filled your mouth.

Mettaton’s voice softened considerably, and you can hear the soft click of him putting down his cup on the metal coffee table. “You can’t say that for sure, darling.”

“I had to deal with his kind my whole life. They are all the same. So yes, I do know. People like him never take people us for real.”

“People like us?”

“Mettaton, you are a queer monster working in a creative and competitive field with no nepotism in place and I am a biracial, bisexual disabled woman. Even before monsters were a thing up here, humans were dicks. They will always be dicks. Especially when it comes to money and power. Our whole society is built upon hating one another and pushing them under the bus for our own gain. I know it’s hard to grasp because you are a monster. You are good, your souls are good. You are made with… With magic and love and stardust and humans are cruel and greedy and selfish. And if I have to be an asshole so you can keep your kind heart, I will always do it and step up.” From where he was standing, he could see your shoulders shake slightly and he hesitated to get up and touch you.

“Darling, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You rasped out. “Just have a pretty bad hangover and I am heartbroken and mad at the entire world, and someone sent me those stupid flowers again and they were red and I am so tired. I guess I’ve just been in a really bad mood and had to let off some steam.” Swallowing hard and steeling yourself, you turn around to face him, a neutral and pleasant smile painted on your face. “I am sorry, I should not have gotten involved. It won’t happen again.” Confused, he furrowed his brows, considering you. You just kept smiling at him, ignoring the ache in your chest. “I already sorted through all of your files for tomorrow, they are on your desk. I think I will call it a day for now. I have to be at Undyne’s later. We are going to watch the new episode of Drag Race and Untucked.”

“Darling…” he stuttered; a bit unsure as to what to say. Very atypical for the suave robot.

“I would be happy if you would watch it to, so we can discuss it tomorrow at lunch. I wonder if someone will finally pull the golden chocolate bar.”

Chapter Text

“Did I do that right?” she asked, wiping some sweat from her forehead as she leaned back. The looming man leaned over her shoulder to inspect her work on the ground. It was a series of handprints in different positions and arrangements.

“Your spacing is off here. Do it again.” he contemplated, pointing out the slight mistake to her and she whined.

“This is the thirty-fourth time I’ve been doing this. Please, a break?” He chuckled at her.

“You remind me of my son.”

“The funny one?” she asked with a crooked smile, coating her hands to try once more.

“No, the sweet one.” He smiled fondly. “Now, try the spell again. You almost got it. Thirty-fifth will be the one, I think”

“Okay, so we are sitting at the bus stop, like an hour too soon and still so drunk, which is so not good because I have a test that day and Mer has practice, but it was so worth it to see the chaos unfold.” You took a sip from your bottle of spider cider, Undyne and Alphys absolutely glued to your lips.
“At this point, the fountain is spewing lime green foam absolutely everywhere, it’s so much, you wouldn’t believe it. Police and Firefighters have the whole perimeter locked down because there is foam everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It’s a lime green dawn dish soap emerald isle in there, cars are not getting through because its on the street at this point and making it all slippery, it got into the tramtracks, so everything is just shut off and we are still sitting there, not believing that we get to see the fruits of our labour of this cloak and dagger operation.” At this point you were so into the story, that you started to gesture wildly to empathise your words.
“And suddenly, this itty-bitty grandma with her crusty white dog enters and just waddles through the foam like she’s about to tell her kids that this was her way to school every day, completely ignoring the batshit insane situation because she walks this path every morning and nothing could stop Nanny. A policeman comes over and tries to escort her away, but she just starts screaming about her rights and everything, so he grabs her to get her out of there, and we can’t help but stare as she grabs her handbag and starts to beat the shit out of this man. They both go down because it’s slippery and the leash goes flying, and so does her purse, and they all disappear in the foam and suddenly there is twelve more officers trying to restrain Granny Smith, who is screaming some wild shit about terrorism and police brutality while her dog-this tiny white dog-starts to eat the foam and another lady is starting to chase him so he wont die but he thinks its so funny because that’s the first time someone has ever played with him like this so he’s running circles around her and keeps rolling in the lime foam and he gets dyed a poisonous shade of green because we used the good food dye for this and granny is screaming that she is gonna sue everyone because her dog looks like a mouldy lime.
It’s absolute pandemonium and we still sit at the bus stop-knowing fully well that there wont be a bus to pick us up-and we absolutely lose our shit.
They never managed to catch us because there were no cameras back then because why would they have that on a fountain, nobody would steal a fountain, but they couldn’t imagine two shitfaced teens on St. Paddy’s accidentally completely frying the entire traffic system of Mt. Ebbot for three days.” Undyne next to you was absolutely howling with glee, almost spilling her beer bottle and Alphys just blinked a few times, eyes huge and disbelieving.
“I still can’t believe that we got away with that! Or the drinking! I mean, yeah, you can drink when you turn 16 here because we aren’t wussies like the states but still, going to school drunk is usually a big nono. I don’t even know anymore how we got there, just that I arrived for my test, wrote whatever fever dream my brain concocted there and left immediately afterwards again.” Grinning you took another swig from your bottle. “I remembered absolutely nothing during that test, all I could think about was that tiny, green dog and that the Gaston Song from beauty and the beast was playing on loop in my head. It wasn’t even the normal one but the one that has random words replaced with “dick”, it’s a fucking donnybrook of a banger, but I never want to hear it again because I immediately have to think how to calculate the limit of a derivative function and it gives me nightmares.”

“Man, you and your sister sounded like an absolute riot” Undyne cackled, and you grinned a bit more. This evening was just what you needed after the absolute shit week you’ve had.

“Oh, yeah, buddy, we were a blight upon this cursed world. If I had to describe s best, it would be Ethan and Mark from Unus Annus? I don’t know if you watched that, but man, that channel was one of the only things that kept me floating every day after I woke up. Mer and I were the definition of a himbo-gremlin partnership.”

“Yo-You must have l-loved her very much” Alphys said, still a bit shy and you smiled a private little smile to yourself.

“Immensely. I wish she was still here sometimes, at least to get advice from her. I was always able to just… run things by her and she just knew what to do. It’s a lot harder, being on your own, you know?” Undyne gave you a one-sided shrug, emptying her bottle and putting it on the table, next to the coasters. Alphys leaned forward and put it on it, muttering something about condensation rings in the wood and you had to smile.

“Eh, I’ve been an only child, so I can’t really relate to that!”

“So you’ve never been a silly goose when you grew up?” you teased her, elbowing her in the side.

“No! Never! I was the head of the royal guard; I had a reputation to uphold!” she insisted, and you snickered with Alphys.

“W-What about the time y-you and Frisk burnt d-down your h-house?” her girlfriend teased.

“Babe! Why do you betray me like this!” she whined “Besides, that doesn’t count! I was already grown up by then!”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” you assured her, your face a clearly sarcastic grimace. “You’ve always been an outstanding and stern member of society, Undyne! Like the one time you fell into the punch bowl at the royal ball?”

“Hey, I was like ten! And the Kings kid pushed me!” she insisted, flushing deeply while you snickered to yourself. “Besides, how do you know about that!” she spluttered and now it was your turn to flush deeply, hiding in your Cider.

“Mo-The Queen talks sometimes, you know? She’s a bit of a gossip!” it was a weak defence at best, to be fair. Undyne seemed to think so as well, as she narrowed her eye at you.

“She never talks about her children, are you sure?”

“I-Yes, of course!” Indignant, you bristled. “She never talked about them, just that you tried to take a swim in the bowl as a little tadpole.”

“Hmmh, she never did believe me that the kid pushed me!”

“Well, maybe they didn’t?” you teased her.

Oh, I did.

Like… as an accident?

No. She ate the last chocolate tart.

…….Fair enough.

“Oh, so like you didn’t kiss Sans?” Undyne teased back and you inhaled your cider, choking on it.

“U-Undyne, you broke her!” Alphys scolded her and gently pat your back to help you cough it up again. Jesus Christ, your oesophagus felt like it was on fire.

“Golly, come here, short stack, didn’t know it would throw you that much for a loop.”

“You’re a dick” you rasped, and she just barked out a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, and a meddler on top of it!” Sunovabitch didn’t even deny it.

“Alphys, help me?” you turned towards the lizard, pleading eyes and all but she just ducked her head. “No, not you too!”

“Wahahaha! You didn’t believe for a second that my girl wasn’t ten times as nosy as me, right? I’m just way more open about it!”

“Jesus Christ on a bicycle, why is everyone and their girlfriend apparently so interested in my love life?” you complained, throwing your hands up in the air. “Nothing is going on. Nothing is happening. Sans isn’t into me, he’s acting like I have the plague and flees the room as soon as I enter it, and clearly, he likes to flirt with everything that has two legs and walks.” you muttered. Your soul was aching again and Alphys regarded you with a scrutinizing gaze.

“H-Human…”

“Oh, come on!” Undyne butted in, rolling her eye and putting an arm around her girlfriend. “You don’t really believe that do you?”

“What, that I have the plague or that he’s just a big flirt?”

“Uh, both?” she huffed, and you crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow.

“Undyne…” you warned her, but she just clicked her tongue impatiently.

“Don’t Undyne me while you are sitting there and letting your insecurities get in the way of doing something that could make you happy. Clearly, he’s into you. He’s not flirting with anyone except you.”

“Sure.” You rolled your eyes, finishing off your cider and putting in on a coaster as to not upset Alphys. “He can’t even look me in the eye anymore or hold a conversation, but sure, let’s pretend like that is a sure-fire thing to tell you that a guy has the hots for you. He looks at me like he’s afraid of me, for goodness’ sake.”  

“Oh, don’t be like that!”

“What do you want me to be like, then?”

“Uh, less bitter, maybe? Show initiative! Try to, I don’t know, corner him, and force him to tell you what’s going on. You are a big girl, you told me that yourself, so go and get your man. What’s the worst that could happen?” Low blow, Undyne, throwing a lady's own words back into her face. Low. Fucking. Blow.

“Uh, he could reject me?” The thought alone made your soul sting again, and you rubbed the spot under your clavicle harder.

“Well, at least you know then. Isn’t that better than that… purgatory of horniness you are stuck in right now”

“I am not horny!” you insisted, blushing furiously.

“Oh come on, you turn red from the slightest innuendo.”

“That just makes me a prude!” you spluttered again, flushing deeply, and immediately proving her point. Curse your paper-thin skin!

“S-Sorry to interrupt you two but-uh- H-Human….” Alphys butted in a bit shyly, wringing her hands. “S-since when have you been doing that?”

“Do what?” both you and Undyne answered at the same time.

“Rub that spot there?” she nodded at your fingers, and you pulled them from your chest like you burnt yourself. Undyne just stared at it as well, her brows suddenly furrowed.

“H-Hey, stop looking down my shirt!” you scold her, flushing even deeper.

“Not looking at your tits right now, Laney.” Her earlier cheerful tone was completely gone, swapped for a more stern one. You gulped and crossed your arms in front of your chest, kinda insecure all of a sudden.

“What’s up with you two all of a sudden?”  

“Y-You’ve been rubbing the spot over your soul every time you are g-getting upset.” Alphys noted, while Undyne squinted harder. “A-Are you in pain?”

“What? No!” Yes. Yes, everything ached and groaned, but you couldn’t admit that. Lest they would wanna take a look and that was a strict nope. “I’m fine, I’ve just… always done that when upset!” you huffed. “And stop staring at my boob, it’s not gonna jump out of the bra to greet you” you slapped Undyne with a pillow, breaking her concentration.

“Ouch, stop it, I’m just trying to find it!” she whined, and you smacked her again.

“Well, quit it! You won’t find it! It’s always been hiding, so fat chance!” She whined again and you gave her another whack.

“I was so close!” so complained. “I swear, I could see something blue in there!”

“Blue?” you gasped, slightly lowering your pillow.

“Yeh, I don’t know. Could also have been teal or white or something. I haven’t gotten a good look on it. You know what kind of soul it’s supposed to be? I know you had it out in your quarrel with Sans, but I didn’t really get a look on it. You’re kind of sneaky with that” Uh, I don’t know, a fucked up one?

“No, I was too busy not dying, thank you very much” you just huffed instead, looking back to Alphys. “Okay, what’s gotten your knickers in a twist now?”

“N-Nothing, I-I’m just worried!” she insisted. “A hurting soul is never good! It could b-be really bad! Like… I don’t know, what if someone tempered with your soul!”

uh

“Souls are super fragile so if someone messed with one, you could muck up a lot!”

Uh

“Like accidentally bonding or breaking or corrupting one.”

UH

“I-I was just worried.” She ducked her head a bit, and you gave a little smile, ignoring the screaming inside you. “B-But Sans and Toriel b-both mentioned your soul is very fragile anyways. So it’s probably nothing!” Her cheeks turned a deep orange blush again. “S-Sorry, I’m just a worry wart! I-Uh-I worked with someone underground that messed with souls once.” Furrowing your brows, you cocked your head at her, yet still smiling.  “It… didn’t turn out so well. So now I’m just a bit… well… a worry wart, haha” A shiver ran down your spine. Somehow, that sounded familiar, but it shouldn’t. God damn it, having two sets of memories was kind of a pain in the ass sometimes.

Not wanting to freak out Alphys more, you pushed it aside and grabbed her hands, smiling a bit wider.

“It’s very sweet of you to worry. But I promise you, I am fine. My soul is where it’s supposed to be and how it’s supposed to be. I’m just rubbing that spot because it’s a nervous tick of mine. It’s always been, ever since I’ve been a child. You have good instincts. And I really do think that it’s very sweet of you to worry.” Shyly, she gave you another smile.

“Th-Thanks, Elaine”

Undyne clapped a hand on your shoulder, bellowing a laugh.

“Awww, look at you, you big softie!” You glared a bit at her, though with a lot of good will.

“Undyne, I’m gonna need a new spine if you keep doing that” you reprimanded her softly and she just laughed again, leaning back on the sofa.

Suddenly, a tingly shiver went down your spine and you could feel your soul jump a bit.

“What the-?”

“Hey Alphys, Papyrus sent me to ask if you have that puzzle game with the two slightly homoerotic lawyers trying to solve crime in a kangaroo court? He couldn’t find it in any store and-Oh” Sans had materialized in the doorway behind the sofa, phone still in hand. Your eyes met and suddenly it was hard to breathe again. You didn’t even notice the stealthy little glance the girls exchanged. “It’s you”

“Yeah, it’s me” you offered a bit weakly, and his mouth twitched.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you’d be over.”

“It’s Friday” pathetic. God, you sounded so pathetic. “It’s drag race day” He leaned against the doorframe and Jesus, he was so close, you could have just reached out for him to touch him from where you were sitting.

“Ah”

For a moment it was quiet, but the silence felt anything but comfortably. It was a heavy, loaded, and anxious blanket suffocating you.

“Soooo….” Alphys finally broke it, and you could have kissed her right then and there. “I-I have the Remake on my-my Switch Lite… Y-you can borrow it, if you want?” she offered, waving her handheld at him.

“Uh… Yeah, sure, if it’s no problem?” Sans cleared his throat gently, trying his best to hide that his eyes kept shifting over to you and for a moment, you could have sworn, that his cheek turned a dusty blue. It was gone again almost instantly, so you weren’t sure if it was really there of just wishful thinking.

“Y-Yeah, no problem!” Alphys coughed. “We still have the Oled one if we wanna play.”

“Ah, you’re a life saver, Alph!” he seemed more relived as soon as he got his fingers on the console. “I guess I’ll get out of your hair then. Have fun with you… racing, I guess?” It was a bit clumsy, but you tried your best to force a smile.

“You know, you can join us if you want? It’s a good show, pretty fun.” C’mon, take the weak excuse for holding out an olive branch, you thick skulled stubborn man.

“Eh, maybe next time” he just shrugged you off and your face turned dark. “Wouldn’t wanna ruin your cosy meet-cute. ‘Sides, gotta get this to Paps” Annoyed, you rolled your eyes at Undyne, as if you wanted to say “See, I told you” and she answered equally with her eyes.

 Blessed be that skill girls have where they can have an entire conversation with just a glance. For an outsider, it would have been just a simple look exchanged between friends, but for you two, it was more like this:

-C’mon, do something

-I tried!

-Try again.

-Oh, what do you want me to do? Vault over the couch and just grab him?

-Uh, yes?

-Fine.

-Wait, no, that was a joke

-Imma do it

-don’t do it!

-IMMA DO IT!

-Ugh, fine. But I want details afterwards.

So of course you did just that, because you were angry and that always made you reckless and the second you gained too much momentum to stop again, your soul feebly twitched again, and you were close enough to smell the short spurt of ozone and hear the cackle of magic in the air that made your hair stand up on it’s ends.

“Shit.”

Shock was written plainly across both yours and Sans’ faces, your hand grabbing his arm just in time for your stomach to lurch dangerously. It was the first time that he took you with him for a shortcut where you were fully conscious and my god, you really didn’t like the experience.

The world was spinning and there was a weight on your chest, like an iron grip that made it absolutely impossible to breathe. For a moment your field of vision turned an empty, eerie black that you were way too familiar with and then it cleared again, and you were in Sans’ room, but your stomach was still rising, your head still spinning. Your knees-the traitorous bitches-buckled and you had to press a hand against your mouth to stop you from gagging as you crouched on the fuzzy pastel blue carpet.

Distantly, you noticed that Sans was calling your name, but you were too busy focussing on a stain in the soft fibres in a weak attempt to control your gag reflex to really notice. It took you a good two or three more deep breathe before your eyes managed to shift towards the skeleton, but you weren’t out of the woods yet.

His face was full on concern, and he hesitantly reached out for you, but couldn’t seem to get himself to really touch you, his fingers curling into a lazy fist before making contact.

“Elaine, Jesus, are you alright?” You held out a finger for him to stop him-still heaving-and his face contorted from concern into full blown panic.

“Shut up for a second or I will literally puke on your floor. And then on you. And then on everything you’ve ever loved” you managed to force out between ground teeth and took a few more deep breaths through your nose until your stomach finally settled. I don’t know how he does that all the time… you thought bitterly, as you finally managed to get up on your feet again. That was a really pathetic display. You were still glaring. “Okay, now you may scream at me all you want.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, both vary and worried, which made you just all the more angry.

“Yes, of course I am.” You huffed, crossing your arms. C’mon boy, give it to me

“Then what the hell is wrong with you!” he exploded. There we go. “You can’t just do this; do you know how dangerous it is to pull a stunt like that?” He raged like a storm, but it just brought you some grim sort of satisfaction to finally see him crack and get some for of emotion out of him. Anything was better that the running away and nasty glances and indifference. “You could have gotten seriously hurt or lost who knows where! You could have gotten stuck in the void, and I promise you, that is not a place you want to be!” he continued on, throwing his hands up.

Don’t have to tell us that .

Not now. Go away.

“Oh yeah, because I can smell when you are about to make off again” you snapped back sarcastically. “I’m not the one that keeps running away all the time. Am I that repulsive to you, or what is going on with you?”

“That is none of your concern” he ground out and you could feel your cheeks stain red from anger.

“None of my concern?” you shrieked. “None of my concern?” Taking a deep breath and pressing your lips together, you huffed at him. “You know what, fine! Lemme go get my stuff so I can be none of your concern then if I am such a bother to you!” you spat at him, ready to stomp away, blatantly ignoring that sharp stabbing pain in your soul. A surprisingly strong hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you dead in your tracks.

“Don’t go!” he insisted, and you glared daggers at him. Oh, if looks could have killed.

“Why not? Clearly, I am nothing but a nuisance to you.” Your cheeks were burning, and you had to blink away the moisture in your eyes. “God, I have no idea what Undyne was talking about, because its so obvious now. Damn, why didn’t I see it before, you hold nothing but contempt for me. Look at you, you can’t even look at me right now” Almost desperate, you tried to shake off his hand, but his iron grip was unrelenting. His cheeks were tinted blue in anger as well and you could already feel your wrist bruise under his hold. “Sans, just look at me, for fucks sake” you screamed, and his eyes snapped up whereas they were stubbornly fixed on the floor before.

“I am just trying to keep you safe, god damn it!” he roared back, pulling you closer to him. “Why don’t you understand that?”

“Oh, yeah, I can totally see that!” Sarcasm was dripping from your voice, and you could feel the heat travel down your neck. “Ever since I dragged your sorry ass back from your own magic, you’ve been treatin’ me really well, avoiding me like I have cooties, flirting with my friends and all. How could I have not seen that you are just trying to protect me? What kind of buckfuck backwards logic is that? There is nothing out there that I would have to be terrified of right now, so If you would be oh so kindly inform me, what the fuck you are so afraid of that could rip me to little shreds, I’d be ever so grateful”  You gave him a little mock curtsy, breathing heavily.

“I am!” he roared into your face, and you flinched back involuntarily, your mouth hanging open just the slightest bit. “I am afraid of what I could do to you! What I want to do to you! And- Ugh!” frustrated, he threw his hands up, finally letting go and turning away from you. “I almost killed you and my god, the things I wanna do to you sometimes, you have no idea!”

“Sans…” you began, softer this time, but he just powered on.

“It could happen again. Any second, I could just snap and… and there wont be anyone to help you, or you won’t be able to pull me back the next time. You are so soft, so... easily breakable.” He gave you a torn look over his shoulder, that made your breath stutter in your throat. “I still have those nightmares. And they are so much worse since you are in them. Can you even imagine, how awful it is to see you die over and over again every night, because of me?”

“Sans.” You tried again, firmer this time but once again, you were ignored.

“One day, something will happen. And then there won’t be any resets, no spell or magic to bring you back and you will be gone and it’s all my fault!”

“Sans Serif, will you listen to me?!” That got his attention. “You are not going to hurt me!” you insisted, and his eyes turned hard and unyielding.

Suddenly, his hands wrapped around your upper arms, and you let out a little grunt as he pushed you a bit too hard against the wall. He was just a fraction taller than you, so you found yourself pretty much eye to eye as he growled “You can’t say that. How could I stand there and promise you to protect you, if I am the thing that endangers you?”

“Oh, so you think you are oh so special? Thinking you could kill me?” you spat with venom. “Congratulations, so could another human. Or monster. Or a rabid dog. Or a very dedicated goose. You aren’t as special as you think.”

“You have no idea what I could do” he hissed back, and you just rolled your eyes.

“Oh, I know plenty of what you can bring to the table, and I have kicked your feral ass before” Enraged, you grabbed one of his hands, pressing his fingers against your throat. “Do you feel that? That is my pulse. I am alive. I am pretty sure I should be dead ten times over already and only one is even closely related to you, so stop acting like you are the worst thing I’ve ever come across, because you aren’t” Insistent on ignoring that pleased little jump from your treacherous little soul upon his touch, you swallowed hard. Sans must have felt it because his thumb traced a muscle there.

“I could kill you.” His voice was low and gravely, his eyes transfixed on your jugular and bony fingers still wrapped around your throat. “I could do it right now and there was nothing you could do against it”

“You wouldn’t” you insisted but a shiver went down your spine anyways and he laughed lowly.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know you. You would never hurt me.”

And I’d kick his ass.

I said fuck off. Not now.

“I don’t get you” he rasped. “Why aren’t you running?”

“I am not scared of you, Sans.” You whispered strongly, jutting your chin up in defiance.

“You should be” he growled, and another shiver wrecked through you.

“There are a lot of things I should and shouldn’t do” A few moments passed, the only thing breaking the silence was both your heavy breathing. So many unsaid things still lingered in the air, hurt and anger still bubbled inside you, now mixed with something else, something… new.

If asked, you could not have said which one of you two moved first, but suddenly both of you surged forward to meet in the middle, soft, chapped lips meeting bone in a rough kiss. You felt his teeth for just a moment, before suddenly, the air slightly crackled, and it felt… softer. Almost like lips.  You knew that he could make a tongue with his magic, but this was certainly new.

One of his hands tangled in your hair, the other one wandered down to your waist, gripping it harshly, pulling you into him. Overcome by an inexplicable desperation, you clung to him like your life depended on it, grabbing the fur lining his hood as hard as you dared.

A sharp tooth grazed your lips and you gasped softly. As your lips parted gently, you could feel something wet lick across them and hot damn.

There was that tongue again you’ve been lusting over before.

And hooo boy, what a tongue it was. Your lashes fluttered as you just let yourself fall completely in the kiss, fighting against that sinful, blue tongue that tasted suspiciously of taffy. Completely at Sans’ mercy and there wasn’t a lick-heh-of complaint in your mind as you tried to get more.

You needed more, right this instant. Your soul was soaring, your heart was beating so fast that it almost exploded and there wasn’t enough air. God damn it, just one kiss and you could already feel your head spin. If this was how he intended to kill you, you were fine with it. There were worse ways to die.

Eventually, survival instincts kicked in and you had to rip yourself away to breathe though. Shuddering, you gasped for air, letting your head fall back against the wall. You looked at Sans through half lidded eyes, your lips puffy and pink and he growled deeply. His magic cackled around you, making the hair on your arms and neck stand up and fill you with a pleasant tingle. His teeth were parted, sharp fangs clearly pronounced and the blue glow of his tongue illuminating both of you in the room. His eyes snapped down to your neck and he growled before pressing his mouth against your pulse point, licking a cool stripe against the hot skin. His teeth grazed the delicate skin there and oh man, that should not have been this hot.

His hands wandered down from your waist to your thighs and suddenly you felt yourself being hoisted up in the air, your weight rested against the wall and instinctively, you wrapped your legs around his middle, which caused his hands to slip from your pastel pink silk satin shorts to grip the soft skin underneath. He growled again and you let out an almost breathless whine. You shivered again and he chuckled darkly, his face still hidden in the crook of your neck.

“You are playing a dangerous game here, love… Are you sure you aren’t scared of me?”

“I’m not-ah-running away, Sans!” you insisted quietly, pressing a kiss against his temple while he sucked on your neck. Not that you could even run away if you wanted, not with the way he made your legs shake right now.

“Can’t see how you would” he mumbled, and his mouth crashed into yours again. You whispered his name and he repaid you the favour with a low growl of yours.

When you finally feel him grind against you, you can’t help but throw your head back with a shuddering gasp.

“Tell me to stop and I will” he promised with a strained voice, his teeth grazing the side of your neck again, wandering down to your shoulder. You didn’t answer him and instead chose to bear down on him to grind your ass against that hot bulge in his pants. Seeing how he already created lips and a tongue for you, you didn’t need much to imagine what was waiting there for you.

He growled again and snapped his hips up the same moment he sank his fangs into your shoulder. Not enough to break skin, but so much that it made you whimper softly. His touch felt searing, and you met every thrust of his with one of your own.

There was a sense of urgence between you two, and when you started to let your hands wander, he did the same. Your fingers slipped under his dark shirt, softly gliding over the smooth bone, stumbling here and there from an especially good thrust, or pointed lick on your neck. When his thumb grazed over your left boob, making the nub pebble under your shirt almost instantly, you grabbed one of his ribs on accident and he let out a low moan, that reverberated through you and went straight to your loins. You could feel how wet you were getting, and you were already so sensitive. Jesus, you could already feel yourself climbing up for a peak. I’m not gonna come from some dryhumping against the wall like a fifteen-year-old, you promised yourself and then Sans bit you again and paired with a sharp twist of your hips, it almost made you choke on those words.

“You look so good like this” Sans told you and you could do nothing but mewl lightly and hold on tighter as you rutted against each other. “So beautiful… You are quiet…” he panted, and you shivered, letting out another pleased sigh, offering up the other side of your neck and he took it gladly. “I want you so bad, gonna make you feel so good, until you’re begging for more, gonna make you be loud. You’re gonna look so pretty on my cock –” The hand that helped keeping you up still grabbed you harder, and you were sure that he was leaving bruises on you.

“Oh my god.” Not aware that you could turn any more red, you gasped sharply, whispering his name as you met each and every one of his movements with one of your own. “Sans, please, don’t stop, please, I-I’m…”

“Don’t worry, I got you” he promised. “Not gonna let go of you” It was a sinful promise, and you grabbed his cheekbones to force him up to meet you in another kiss, practically panting against his mouth. He wasn’t in any better condition, his face flushed blue and eyes dark, apart from that bright blue flame in one, meeting your red ones. He was looking for even a spark of fear but all he found was need and pleasure.

“God, please…” you begged against his mouth, your voice so breathless that it was barely even a whisper and he laughed darkly, making your lips tingle.

You were so close; you could already feel the first shockwaves of pleasure making your legs twitch. Sans was right behind you, his grinding getting shorter and sharper, his bites a bit more ferocious.

“SANS, HAVE YOU RETURNED FROM YOUR QUEST TO RETRIEVE THE PUZZLE GAME YET?” Papyrus suddenly called out loudly and both of you snapped out of your haze so instantly that Sans actually dropped you when he moved back as if burned. You fell flat on your ass with a sharp yelp.

“Oh shit, sorry, are you okay?” Sans immediately asked, reaching out to help you up.

“Real smooth, bonehead.” You grumbled and when you grabbed his hand, a pleasant tingle ran through you and your eyes met. Burgundy eyes stared into white lights for a hair too long and only now it dawned on you what just happened, and your face lit up crimson again. Sans was equally flushed, and you jumped away from each other as if electrocuted. “What the fuck just happened?”

“I don’t know!”

“You kissed me!”

“You kissed me back!”

“Fuck yeah I did!” You buried your face in your hands. You had done more than just kiss him. Way. More. “Fuck I did. And you almost did me!” Ohhhh, I’m never gonna hear the end of that” The doorknob started to jiggle, and your head whipped around to stare at it. In the meantime, Sans muttered a curse under his breath, staring at your neck with dark eyesockets, the light completely snuffed out.

“Elaine, your ne-“

“AH, THERE YOU ARE, BROTHER!” Papyrus burst through the door, and you just stared at him dumbly with huge eyes. God, this was so embarrassing, why couldn’t the floor just open up and swallow you whole right now. “OH, HUMAN, I WASN’T AWARE THAT YOU WERE HOME AS WELL!” A big grin spread on his skull, and bless his heart, he didn’t even notice the tension in the room. “I SEE THAT YOU TWO ARE TALKING AGAIN! WHAT A RELIEF! I DON’T LIKE IT WHEN YOU FIGHT!” Sans seemed a bit overwhelmed, just standing there unmoving, stiff as a board, his eyes dark and empty.

You weren’t particularly proud of what followed now, but in your defence, your fight-or-flight responses kicked in.

“I’m sorry Papy, I-I was just-grabbing something I forgot!” you rattled down quickly, squeezing yourself past him. “I’m actually on my way back to Undyne. I’ll see you later.”

“BUT HUMAN, IT’S FREEZING OUTSIDE!” he insisted, and you smiled curtly.

“I have a long coat and it’s only a ten-minute walk!”

If you had looked back, you would have seen Sans’ eyes follow you, his teeth clenched and fists balled, but you didn’t.

No, you ran.

It was indeed a ten minute walk of shame to the house but you made it in four, the front of your coat still opened as you sprinted through the dark. Your breath came out as little clouds and you were absolutely soaked from the rain. Nobody had warned you about the rain.

Every drop felt like needles stabbing your still burning skin and your hair was plastered to your head when you finally make it to the front door.

It took Undyne and Alphys not even fifteen seconds to rip open their door, huge eyes staring at you.

“It’s cold, let me in” you offered as an explanation, staring at your soaked socks.

This was so stupid

You are stupid

Look in a mirror, idiot

Still just gonna see you

“Wh-What happened?” Alphys squeaked and you grimaced when your cheeks turned to fire again.

“Nothing. I’m gonna have to crash here for a while.” You pushed past them, uncaring that you dripped on the hardwood floors. They both stared at you, mouth agape, and it started to tick you off slightly.

“W-What? W-Why?”

“Yes! And a shower. Maybe some Pj’s as well” you huffed, wrapping your arms around yourself as you shivered from the cold.

“Laney, Babe, me and Alphy are gonna need a detailed recount of everything that just happened in the last hour or so” Undyne said very slowly and deliberately. She nudged Alphys in the side, wiggling her eyebrows towards you.

Not you, you realized, as Alphys’ eyes followed her girlfriends, not to your face but just… a tad lower and she gasped loudly.

“L-Laney, your n-neck!” you crowed in absolute glee, and you weren’t sure whether to turn redder or pale as a sheet.

“What?” you squealed with panic in your voice. Undyne’s face of disbelief slowly turned into the biggest grin you’ve ever seen, until it almost split her skull. “What?!” you demanded again but didn’t get an answer apart from some excited giggles. Understanding dawned and you dashed into the bathroom, making a beeline to the mirror. Almost ripping the fabric as you tried to get a good view on the mess of bites and bruises on your skin, forming a necklace of proof of your sinful activities, you couldn’t help but wail.

“Elaine, is that a hickey?” Undyne’s scream of absolute joy followed you. Oh lord, please no.

I am going to kill Sans.

 If you didn’t die of embarrassment right here, right now, that was.

Chapter Text

Whenever there was time, she liked to wander through the void. There wasn’t any change of scenery, but the repetitive motion of her feet helped her to clear her mind, keep it sharp. So she walked a lot. 

It was on one of those walks, that she noticed something. Something that wasn’t black nor white.

Odd.

Walking closer, her eyebrows furrowed and suddenly she faced… herself? Weird.

Smiling, she leaned over the sprawled out figure on the floor.

“Who are you?” she asked, and vermillion eyes met their pendant. “Are you okay?” For a long time, they don’t say anything. And when they finally tried, the void just swallowed the words up, feeding on them. Giggling softly, she raised her hands to repeat her questions in sign language and a spark of familiarity bloomed in their eyes.

“Greetings, I am Chara.” They signed in a way that she could only describe as regal and elegant whereas she always felt a bit clumsy and plump. Maybe they weren’t the same after all?

Smiling, she held out her hand to help them up and they grip each other’s forearms.

“Hi Chara. My name’s-“

Muttering under your breath, you tried to wring out whatever leftover moisture was still clinging to your hair. The towel around you started to slip slightly and you adjusted it again, your eyes moving over to the heap of your clothes you had balled up and thrown there with a wet “thwap”.

“Okay, can you please repeat what you just said?” Undyne crowed. She was seated in the doorway of the bathroom, her back against the wood on one side and her legs up in the air against the others, making it impossible to flee. Damn woman knew that you were a runner.

Alphys sat on the floor with her, her back against her girlfriend and a wide array of alcoholics in front of her. Homegirl knew that you’d need it apparently.

Instigators.

Neither of them seemed to be affected by nudity and your modesty be damned, they would not leave you out of their eyes anymore until their curiosity has been satisfied.

“I said-“ you ground out. “That we kissed.”

“And-“

“And also made out.”

“AND-“

“And also, I owe you an apology. I was obviously wrong when I said that I am not horny.”

“Because….?” This was becoming ridiculous. Undyne knew exactly what she was doing, judging from her shiteating grin.

“Because I just spent the better part of an hour almost having sex against a wall.”

“With?” she giggled, and you threw the moist towel at her with a huff.

You know exactly with whom, you- you- You blobfish!” Your cheeks were burning again but she just cackled, returning the favour with a bottle of Klopfer shots. Rolling your eyes, you looked at the number at the bottom of the bottle-a 29-after snatching it out of the air and started to shake them against the palm of your hand before drinking it. It was good, but the sour mix had nothing but good flavours, all things considered.

“Okay, but c’mon, none of us could have expected things to go like this! Let a girl in on your dirty little secrets”

“You don’t go around and blabber about your sex life either” you muttered while rolling your eyes.

“Oh, do you want me to?” Undyne grinned and you instantly regretted your big ass blabber mouth. “You know last night me and Alphys-“

“Eep, Undyne!” the girl in question squeaked and pressed both of her hands against her girlfriend’s mouth.

At least one person with some decency.

“D-Don’t interrupt her! I-I wanna h-have m-more details first.”

Nevermind.

“Pot, meet kettle.” You just replied dryly. “Alph, another shot please, I cannot do this sober while you guys’ stare at my ass. The purple one please, it’s better than mango”

“I-It’s Black currant.” Alphys offered kindly and you gave her a crooked smile. “A-And we’re not looking at you a-ass”

“Yeah, we are looking at the handprint there” Cursing, you started to twist around, the opened bottle gripped between your teeth. “No, other side, on your thigh”

Ugh, of course. You always bruised easy as peach.

Groaning, you threw your head back to take the shot. It was just a mild 17% vol alcopop, so nothing to really get hammered on.

“Soooo….” Undyne drawled, while you wiggled your legs into the way to long sweatpants Undyne gave you.

“Don’t do that sooooo crap with me again, please, just say what you want” Rolling your eyes, you turned your back towards them before dropping the big towel and slipping into the oversized sweatshirt. Obviously, it was just as much too big than the pants, so it practically fell off your shoulders, conveniently framing the bitemarks. For a moment you considered asking for some healing magic to get rid of them but somehow, you uh- hesitated.

Your eyes met similar ones in the mirror, displeasure and disappointment glazing them over and you had to turn away quickly, your mothers voice in your head for some reason.

I am not mad, just disappointed.

“More alcohol please” you quickly demanded, sitting down on the carpet as well.

Alphys handed you a different bottle-without a label this time, which was suspicious but upon opening, it did smell inviting. There was glitter swirling I the icy coloured drink, making it look like something that belonged on a DnD table and the minty fresh smell did remind you of arctic candy.

“Okay, fine, straight to the point then” Undyne rolled her eyes. “Was it good?”

“I am not even gonna dignify that with an answer” you smiled overly sweetly, batting your lashes at her and she groaned. “Okay, fine.” You relented, taking a sip of the mystery bottle. This time the burn was less warming and more searing. It made your skin tingle softly. “Yes, it was good. Great even. If Papyrus wasn’t blessed with the worlds worst timing, it would have been even better, I guess”

“S-so you didn’t-“

“No.” you just growled and Undyne snickered.

“Okay, I’d be in a bad mood as well then.” Trying to hide your smile, you gently smacked her leg, but she just kept cackling

“Shut up, you sound like a deranged chicken!” Yeah, that second bottle definitely did the trick. Alcohol always loosened your tongue, no point in denying that.

“Awww, is someone a bit cranky because she almost had sex with her crush but got cold feet last second?” she teased, mock pouting. “Who’s the chicken now?”

“I did not chicken out! And it wasn’t sex! We were still fully clothed and just… very into the kiss!” No need to tell them that Sans was apparently a fantastic dirty talker.

“Th-the lady doth protest too m-much, methinks”

“Oh, come on, not you too, Alph!” you whined, nursing the bottle

“You just make it so easy, shorty” You stuck your tongue out at her-it was dyed blue from the alcohol (you hoped)-and she did the same.

“It’s not my fault that every time I’m close to the guy, my soul goes all haywire and I just wanna jump his bones and ugh. I don’t need the teasing from you, I get enough of that from Ch-outch” you yelped, as your hand hit you smack dab on the forehead with an open palm.

What was that for?

You are drunk.

That is no excuse to smack me!

No, but you almost blurting out my name is. Good god, I know you are feeling a certain type of way but pull yourself together please.

“D-Did you just smack yourself?” Alphys asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yeah” you grumbled, crossing your arms. “Just a natural reaction to my own stupidity. Please proceed with the teasing. I deserve it. I’m an idiot”

“Okay, now you are just being mean to yourself.”

“No, still an idiot.” You huffed, while rubbing your face. “God, what am I gonna do now?”

“Y-You know, y-you could talk to Sans?”

“Alphys, the last time I tried to talk to the man, I ended up with his tongue down my throat”

“Well, maybe next time his tongue will end up down your-“

“Undyne!” you hissed, your cheeks back aflame and she just cackled.

“Okay, yeah, I get it, but come on, maybe now that the proverbial ice has been broken, things will work out for you? I mean, Alphy and I spent YEARS as friends but once Frisk kinda gave us that little push, it all fell into line pretty quickly. And look at us now, soulmates and everything.”

“Almost f-four good years” Alphys replied just as dreamily as her girlfriend and they both shared a little glance. God, they were disgustingly cute. You fake gagged and turned your attention back to the bottle.

“God, you two are disgustingly cute. You’re gonna end up giving me diabetes if you keep doing this shit.” They just smiled at each other; their love still openly displayed on their face. Mulling over your bottle, you traced the opening with your finger while sucking your teeth. “How does it feel?”

“H-How does what feel?”

“The soulmate thing?” you asked quietly, refusing to look at them.

“It’s the best feeling in the world really.” Undyne supplied unhelpfully, nuzzling her face into Alphys’ cheek.

“U-Undyne! I-I don’t think that’s what she meant!” said girlfriend squeaked, blushing fiercely. “It’s uh-It’s this… push. In your soul. And when you kiss, it goes it all fluttery and looking at them makes you feel warm and y-you just wanna see them happy and give t-them the whole world”  Smiling softly to yourself, you mulled over her words.

You know, that sounds like-

Don’t even say it.

Buttercup, there is a real possibility that he-

I said don’t.

“Say, should you be drinking so much of that?” Undyne interrupted your thoughts and you blinked at her.

“Excuse me?” She just jutted her chin at the bottle you had been nursing and you shook it slightly, considering. “What, there is still like half of it left? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna empty out your stock and-“ For a moment, your vision went dark and the hairs on your arm rippled. You could have sworn that you could taste electricity and catch a whiff of ozone in the air. “You need to go.”

“Excuse me?” Undyne echoed you, putting her feet down in surprise.

“Sans is coming, you need to get out of the bathroom and distract him” So I can climb out the window or some other bullshit.

Coward.

YEAH, AND WHAT IF I AM A COWARD, HUH?

“H-How would you know that?” Alphys stuttered and you shrugged lazily, as you shoved them out the door.

“I just do, okay? Now go save my ass and I promise, I’ll spill some tea I haven’t yet!”

“Wait, human-“ Undyne protested but you slammed the door shut in her face, considering your options. Leaning against the door, your eyes met with Chara’s in the mirror, who was raising a judgemental eyebrow at you, clicking their tongue.

“What do I do?” you whispered at them, and they rolled their eyes.

You hold a normal conversation, like a functioning adult Frustrated, you took a step forward, gripping the sink with both hands.

“I can’t” you insisted, shaking your head. There were voices outside the door, and you swallowed harshly.

Why not?

“Because every time I am around him, I wanna jump his bones.”

I fail to see your problem. Their voice was flat and unimpressed. I can’t say that I agree with your taste, but the heart wants what it wants, I guess.

“I can’t have what I want, you know that” There was a knock on the door, and you looked at it for a moment before turning back to the mirror. “You talk to him.”

Excuse me? The second eyebrow joined the first one up high.

“You talk to him.”

You are a coward they sighed, and you had nothing to say to that. They were kinda right.

Sans knuckles rapped against Alphys’ bathroom door, and he gave the house owners a little glare, as they lurked behind a corner to spy.

“Did your parents never tell you that lurking is a pervert’s sport?” he asked them, and they shook their head in unison.

“No, but Papyrus does once a week” Undyne grinned at him, and he had to turn away from them again.

“And yet, you two are still going for Olympic gold” he said more to himself than anything, before knocking again. “Elaine, I know you are in there. Open the door”

“Uhm-No, I” she cleared her throat on the inside and he furrowed his brow in confusion. “Not now.”

“Does she sound weird to you as well?” he asked the tweedles but they just shrugged.

“I dunno, she had a lot of the glacier water”

“Glacier?” he gasped. “How much did you give her?”

“She had like… half a bottle. Maybe ¾?” Undyne shrugged. “She’ll be fine”

“¾? Undyne, she is tiny! That much magic liquor can knock her out!”

“Fuck you, I’m not tiny!” she called from the inside, followed by… her reprimanding herself? “Shut up, you idiot.”

Slowly, he turned back to the peanut gallery, pointing to the door. “You call this fine?”

“She’s not throwing up, is she?” He just gave her a flat look. “C’mon, she’s just… awkward.”

“She locked herself in a bathroom.”

“Oh, y-yeah, but that g-got nothing to d-do with the alcohol!” Alphys piped up and his stern glare turned to her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, we’ve been in there before until she kicked us out” Undyne explained before Alphys kept going.

“Y-Yeah, she knew you w-would be coming, Sans”

“Impossible, I was teleporting here” The skeleton crossed his arms, slightly miffed.

“Well, believe it or not, she did”

“Y-Yeah, s-she seems very fine tuned t-to magic.” Alphys ducked her head slightly. “S-she might even be an Innate l-like Frisk”
Jesus, an Innate Mage?  That would just what he needed. He really hoped that it wasn’t the case and she was just really good at guessing.

Shuddering, he knocked a last time against the door. “Elaine, don’t make me come in there”

“There is a door between us”

“Fine, don’t make me teleport then, smartass”

“Smartass” she mocked him, and he growled. A second later, he was in the room and my god, she looked radiant, even under the harsh bathroom lighting. Her cheeks were still sightly flushed, and he felt a weird kind of satisfaction from seeing the bruises on her neck. The sweatshirt bared her shoulders for him and suddenly there was so much more space to paint his colours on. Get a grip, horndog, he reprimanded himself.

He opened his mouth but didn’t quite know what to say. So, instead, he held out his hand for her to take.

“Please, come home with me?”

“I’m not gonna have sex with you!” she bust out, her cheeks flushing even brighter and her eyes glazing over slightly. “Oh golly, why did you say it like that?”

Sans just smiled at her. “I never said that. I just… want to talk. That’s what you wanted, right? For us to talk?”

“Not when I am drunk and can’t make right of my head” Something about her tone threw him off slightly and he cursed Alphys’ Moonshine Glacier Water. That thing was a danger in itself.

“Okay, fine. Tomorrow then, Just please. Come out of the bathroom with me. You can sleep it off and we have all weekend to figure stuff out. You don’t even have to come home; we can stay in their spare guestroom if that makes you feel better. Just no more running please.” He looked at her in all earnest and he saw the tiny struggle in her eyes, before she took a deep breath, closing them.

When she opened them again, they were much clearer than before, but she still hesitated upon taking his hand. Almost shakily, she laced her fingers between his and he slightly shivered upon the touch, his soul fluttering like the wigs of a hummingbird.

“Alright. For now, no more running.” Her shaking smile made him feel as weak as a tower of wet paper towels. “I’ll be weak for a night”

Chapter Text

“How long have you been here?” They ask her, their hands painting the feather light words in the air to accompany the still unsure words and she smiles at them from where she is laying, her head resting against their legs. A lot of the tension the looming man had noticed in her shoulders had left since she wasn’t so alone anymore. Sometimes, her smiles even seemed real.

“It’s been a minute. I don’t know exactly. Could be days. Could be months, or years. Time is weird here. It’s been harder to keep track lately”They just nod, lost in thought. “So you’ve freed the monsters under a mountain with a child?”She seemed determined to fill the silence with words.

“Mhmm… We broke the barrier and suddenly I was here. I guess that’s what I get for my sins”

Her smile seemed to burn a little brighter as she got up from her space, brushing some non-existent dirt from her clothes.

“In the end, you did what’s right, and that’s all that counts.” She left them speechless as she bound over to from where he was watching them. “I know that look. It usually means more work for me”

“No, just contemplating another mystery.” He chuckled and she smiled brightly at him, while looking back at the sitting form of their new companion. The two of them really looked very much alike. Bit of a weird coincidence for someone that didn’t believe in coincidences.

“It’s okay. I was wondering too. But I think I got it.” A breeze shifted her hair and he frowned.

The back of your sweater was damp from the stone, but you didn’t mind at all. It was cool against your skin as you stared up at the cavern ceiling, illuminated by a vein of bioluminescent stone.

Bioluminescent.

It was a good word; you’ve read about it in a book that got flushed down here a while ago. Humans were stupid to not value books. Over time, you’ve managed to get a good collection of different volumes, nestled on the nightstand, and piled under your bed, so you could sneak in a reading after Mom and Dad had already put you to bed.

You’ve never owned any books up top. Your stepdad though it was a waste of time and the one time you borrowed one that wasn’t strictly for school from the library, he found it tucked under your pillow and beat you with it until you felt like you couldn’t walk anymore. Mother didn’t say anything about it but then again, she never did. Smart woman, kept her mouth shut so she wouldn’t get a beating as well. Better you than me, she had whispered to you one time in a dark kitchen, the only light source being the flickering light of the old, smelly fridge. You’re gonna be brave for Mommy, right?

In the end, it didn’t prevent her from ending up at the wrong end of his rage. He had made you watch, as he pulled out a hacksaw and went to work. Deterring the little shit from mouthing off like her, he had promised darkly. That night you found out how good you really were with a knife and also that running up a mountain with a broken ankle hurt like shit.

You were still eleven when you fell down a hole and twelve when you finally found a home.

You were sixteen now, laying on the floor in the starlight cavern in waterfall and staring up, counting stars.

Asriel always said that he was sad that he couldn’t watch the stars with you. These rocks must be just a poor imitation of the real thing, a cruel reminder of what they could never have down here. And every time he looked up, his eyes full of longing, you smiled at him, reminding him that this was so much better. The crystals were beautiful, unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Stars were just tiny specs of light on a dark blanket, millions of miles with no care in the world. This here, this was close and beautiful and ethereal and right here. You wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

“Hey Chara?” Asriel next to you spoke in a hushed tone and you looked over to him.

“Yeah, Ree?” you answered him, just as hushed.

“Tell me about the surface again?”

“It’s nothing to sing praise about” you just shrugged. It was no secret that you hated the world up top. “It used to be really pretty, with endless seas of green forests and mountains that were so high, that you couldn’t even see the tops. There is an ocean so vast, that it just spreads all across the world and more animals than you can imagine, in all shapes and forms. But humans have pretty much ruined it all. Wherever they go, they rip up nature and leave their trash and cold concrete graveyards and they hurt each other over greed and jealousy.”

“What about the stars?”

“What about them?”

“Tell me about the stars again, please.” He begged and you rolled onto your side to face him, bracing your head on a hand.

“Well, they are these tiny flickers of light on the nightsky. They used to be really pretty, years ago, but light pollution made then very dull in the city. They are giant balls of gas and fire and even though they look super close, they are actually pretty far away. ´” His dark eyes were glued to your lips you flushed a bit. “There are a million and a half stories about the stars all around the world. The Paiute of North America describe the stars as the children of the sun and moon. Because the sun loves to eat his children, the stars disappear whenever he rises above the horizon. However, the moon, their mother, often dances happily across the sky with the stars. To the Yakut of Siberia, the stars are crystal windows that allow the gods to look down at earth and humans in Central Asia picture the sky as a large tent over the earth, with the stars as tiny holes in the tent. The Maya considered the Milky Way to be the road to Xibalba, the underworld and many Native Americans regard the Milky Way as the path followed by the souls of the dead. According to the Zulu and Ndebele people of southern Africa, the stars are the eyes of dead ancestors, keeping watch on the living from above.”

Your smile grew even wider as you kept talking and you crinkled your nose at him.

“You know, you could just read the book I found?”

“I know, but I like it better when you tell me” he said without a single care in the world and your pale skin flushed even deeper, showing off some dark freckles.

“Golly, Ree, you’re such a sap.” You murmured, pushing him slightly, but he just laughed softly.

“What do you believe in, Chara?” For a moment, you thought about the question. You want to tell him that you believed in what science told you, but somewhere in the back of your mind, you remembered a story your Mother had told you when you were little, and things were still okay.

“You know, where I am from, there is an old legend about seven gods. They were siblings and had split the realm amongst them. But one of them grew greedy and one day, he betrayed his kin, slaughtering them to take what he thought was rightfully his. The youngest, Astrea, found out and came to best him. Her beloved brother had been so corrupted by greed, that she saw no other way but to cast him out of the heavens and to earth, striping him of his powers and titles. He screamed and raged like a storm, but in the end, he had to admit defeat. He wandered alone, on earth for ages, suffering in loneliness. And up above, the great goddess Astrea looked down at him with pity. He was still her brother and no matter what he did, she still held love for him. So, in order to keep him company, she created monsters. Mistaking her kindness for an act of cruelty, he cursed her upon the heavens and used what little power he still had to make something to rival her own creation. Humans were born out of greed and spite and hatred and that’s something they carry with them until today.”

“What happened with Astrea and her brother?” Asriel asked, quietly and you gave him a sad smile.

“It is said that she fell in love with one of her brothers’ creations, despite all of their flaws. He was furious when he found out and murdered them in front of her eyes, to remind her of the horrible deed he had done years ago and that he would never forgive her for her cruelty. So she returned to her home, where she is still today, crying every night and filling the nightsky with her tears.”

“That’s a very sad story.” Asriel mulled over and you cant help but let out a little giggle.

“It’s just a story. There are many versions of it out there. I’m sure that there is a happy one somewhere too…”

“I don’t like that it says that humans are bad” he pouted.

“Well, they are” you simply shrugged with one shoulder.

“You aren’t” The way he looked at you so full of trust made you feel guilty. “I think you are great”

Sputtering, you rolled back on your back, hiding your face in the sleeves of your sweatshirt. It was a newer one, so the sleeves and hem were a bit longer to keep up with your recent growth spurts. You still weren’t the tallest and nowhere near to rival your parents or Asriel, but 5”1 was still taller than the 4”8 you’ve been for the most part over the past years. Mom said you were just a late bloomer.

The two of you are quiet for a moment, until you cleared your threat a bit awkwardly.

“Do you know what you want for your birthday?” you asked him quietly and he smiled brightly at you.

“The same thing I want every year. I wanna go see the stars with you. The real ones” He seemed so happy, and you smiled at him, gently grabbing his fuzzy pawpad.

“One day, we’re gonna leave and then we will look at the stars, Ree.”

“You’re the best, Chara” He squeezed your hand and you squeezed back gently.

“That’s what a best friend is for”

It was the same spiel every year, ever since you’ve found that book and he saw a picture of the Ursa Major Constellation. Every year he asked to see the stars and every year you’ve promised to take him with you, one day.

“Ree?” you whisper to him and this time, he turns to look at you. You can’t bring yourself to face him and instead, just stare straight ahead.

“What is it?”

“I think I’m going to break the barrier for you.” Surprised, he blinked at you and subconsciously, you mirrored him.

And the next time you open your eyes, you are looking at your own body… You think. It’s a very pale, almost blue, version and your chest wasn’t rising anymore. You felt tight and blood was rushing in your ears.

What have I done?

Fuzzy, white hands were cradling your body to their-no, your-chest and a teardrop landed on your body’s cheek. Gently, your corpse-oh god, this was your corpse!-was placed upon a field of yellow flowers. Ranunculaceae, your mind provided through the shock.

Every book you’ve read said that corpses looked calm, at peace, but they were lying. There was no peace, no joy, no relief. Just a wiped face that might as well have belonged to a mannequin and fale, greyish skin.

Another tear joined the first and you can’t help but look at the white fur and realisation struck the same moment, that they started to turn to dust. Desperately wailing, you could do nothing but keep looking at Asriel’s body slowly faded away, carried by the wind, and with the last bit of his strength, he turned his face upwards, looking into the nightsky, clutching your combined soul.

“Look Chara… Stars.”

The human woke up with a start, gasping for air in the dark room. It took her a while to realise where and who she was, her flushed and heated skin turning clammy from the sweat. Desperately gulping for air, she pulled her knees up to chest, hiding her face in them to hide the tears running down her face.

When Sans woke up, light was already filtering into the room through the flimsy curtains. He never understood why someone would hang up the equivalent of a napkin if it didn’t even keep out the light. That was the whole purpose of the damned thing to begin with.

Groaning he rolled over, letting his phalanges ghost over the bed. To his disappointment, it was empty and judging from the cool temperature, it’s been like that for a while.

He threw a hand over his eyes with a deep sigh, unsure how to deal with this mess.

“-ow are you not hungover right now?” Undyne’s distant whining echoed through the halls, followed by another familiar voice.

“Oh, trust me, I am, I just have other things to do so I have neither the time nor energy to waste it on cowering in bed all day.” Elaine explained sternly. God, just hearing her voice again made him flush and his soul roar. He doubted that he’s ever gotten out of bed faster before.

Seeing Elaine in the kitchen wrenched his heart just the tiniest bit. Compared to Undyne of all people, she just seemed so small and frail, the corners of her mouth slightly downturned. She wasn’t wearing any makeup this morning, so the bags under her eyes were deeper and darker than he remembered. Compared to her unusually washed out skin, the bruises around her neck seemed stark and harsh. He didn’t regret putting them there, but he wished that he had been more careful. He also couldn’t help but notice that her eyes seemed dull this morning and her hair wasn’t looking much better. Instead of her normally so tidy styles, she sported an extremely messy ponytail, with most of the pieces in the front having slipped out already.

If he didn’t know better, he would have said that she was sick.

He cleared his throat and two sets-well, one and a half, really-swivelled around to look at him.

“Buddy, you’re awake early!” Undyne called and Elaine subtly rubbed her temple from the noise.

“Yeah, your curtains aren’t doing much to keep out the sun”

“Uh, yeah, because they are decorative?” she laughed before waving him over to sit down at her kitchen table with her. “Sit down, Short Stack’s making breakfast” she explained, and he glanced over to Elaine for a moment, who just gave him a shy smile and wave with a spatula.

“Was in the mood for pancakes. You can drown them in Maple Syrup. That’s a condiment, right?” she offered weakly, and he just gave her a bright smile. Instead of smiling back like usually, she ducked her head shyly, and turned back to the oven.

Still smiling, Undyne leaned over to him and whispered conspiratorially “She’s been awake since before me. Which is weird” Furrowing his browbone, he nodded quietly. Undyne had the annoying tendency to get up at the crack of dawn. The human yawned quietly, hiding behind her free hand.

“Soooo, how did you sleep?” Undyne asked innocently and he could see that the muscles in Elaine’s back tensed ever so slightly, the grip on the greasy spatula tightening.

“Do you want blueberries with your pancakes or chocolate chips?” it was pretty obvious that she quietly tried to evade the question, not even daring to turn around. Undyne already opened her mouth to argue back but Sans nudged her under the table, interrupting her and cleared his throat pointedly.

“Blueberries please” The human just nodded, and another strand of hair came loose, curtaining her face. For a while, it was quiet in the kitchen except for the sizzling of the pan and Sans exchanged a worried glance with his friend.

The pancakes were pretty good, there was no denying that, but he didn’t get much of it down, most of it disappeared behind Undyne’s fangs anyways. Elaine didn’t eat any at all, instead she had procured a fruit pouch from wherever and oh lord, didn’t her friend warn him of the fruit pouches?

“Hey… are you alright?” he asked her with a lowered voice, putting his hand on her arm without thinking and he could feel the little sparks from the touch. Elaine’s gasp was quiet and almost pained. “What’s going on?”

“N-Nothing.” She mumbled, pulling her hand back. He gave a disapproving click with his tongue, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Yeah, try again and maybe I’ll believe it that time” he told her dryly and her face gained just a hint of colour. Undyne’s eye kept looking between the Skeleton and the human, fork still between her teeth.

“I’m telling you, it’s nothing!”

“And I’m telling you that you are lying” More colour rose on Elaine’s cheeks, wandering down her neck.

With a loud screech, Undyne pushed her plate away from her the same time she got up.

“OH, WOW, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME, IT’S ALREADY FIVE MINUTES PAST MY SCHEDULE, I GOTTA GO!” she called loudly, strutting out of the kitchen, and fleeing the scene, before popping her head back in, quieter this time. “So, if you two are gonna fight again, uh, please try not to break anything. We just paid the last lease on the house. Great, thanks, gotta go now”

Confused, Elaine looked after her. “What was that about?” she inquired, but instead of answering, Sans just took her hand again.

“What is going on with you?” he demanded, and she just swallowed harshly.

“Nothing, I am telling you.” She insisted.

“Bullshit. I know you. I can practically feel the pain radiation off of you. You aren’t as good of an actor as you want to believe.” Sighing, he rubbed his hands over his face. “Do you regret what happened?”

Judging from her blush, he hit the nail right on the head. He had feared it, but it still hurt him.

“No. I don’t” she finally answered him quietly. “But it cannot happen again, Sans.”

“Last night, you asked me what I am so afraid of. I guess it’s time to return the favour now”

“Sans- please.” She seemed so tired, and he almost took pity on her but at the same time, he knew that if this wasn’t getting resolved now, it never would.

“No, because you were so insistent that you aren’t scared of me, that you are not running away from me just to turn around and do exactly that and I just don’t get what I did wrong.” Frustrated, he got up from his chair, starting to pace through the kitchen as vermillion eyes kept following him.

“Sans, you didn’t do anything wrong”

“Then what is it?” he practically begged, and his soul gave another one of those pitiful little winces. “Please, just talk to me, god damn it.”

“I’m not scared of you, Sans. I never was and never will be.” She promised. “You are not the problem”

“Then tell me what is!”

“It’s me, god damn it!” she raised her voice slightly, jumping up from her chair, hands balled up and her eyes slightly damp. “God fucking damn it, Sans. I’m terrified of what I am going to do to you, not the other way round. I-I am broken and wrong and I don’t know a lick about what I am doing, and you don’t deserve this.”

“C’mon, you know that’s a load of bullshit.”

“My entire life, I’ve always lived for others” she basically screamed at him. “I never allowed myself to do what I wanted, and everyone always had to come first and then you come along and god, I want you. I want you so badly.” Angrily, she swiped by her eyes.

“You want me?” Sans just asked incredulous, and Elaine groaned frustrated, crossing the distance between them in less than a second, fisting the front of his shirt roughly and planting a kiss square on his smile than caused the magic inside of him to flare up like a forest fire.

“You have no idea how badly I want you, but I can’t have you, god damn it.” She whispered against his mouth ”It feels like it’s killing me, but some people just don’t get what they want.” Breathing heavily, she started to pull away again and for a moment, he panicked, grabbing her waist, and following after her, chasing her lips with his own.

“Don’t. Don’t pull away.” He begged but she just shook her head hard enough to send tears flying.

“I’m broken. I don’t wanna break you too”

“I’m already broken.” His fingers flexed against her body, and she bit her lip, clearly fighting herself.

“You don’t get it. I can’t do this to you.”

“Then talk to me” he begged against her lips, their kiss turning slightly salty from her tears, but he didn’t mind the taste. Instead, he just reached up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

“Sans, I’m-“ and for a moment, he saw that she was about to spill it open for him, causing his breath to catch. “I’m sorry.” God damn it, so close, he cursed inwardly. “I never intended to be this cruel” she mumbled against his lips before tearing herself away from him, turning so her back was facing him.

“Elaine-“

“Don’t say that name, please” the sharp words hit him harder than a slap and he flinched. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I-I think I should leave. I am sorry” she whispered, before she fled the kitchen.

“Wait, come back!” he called after her, following close behind, but she was gone too quickly for him. Sagging against the doorframe, Sans took a shuddering breath.

“That could have gone better” Undyne muttered dryly, leaning against a wall a bit down the hallway, phone in hand.

“I don’t get it. Why does she keep running?” he complained to her and Undyne snorted dryly.

“Sans, you are the dumbest genius I’ve ever met.”

Your office smelled clean, sterile almost. They cleaned it over the weekends and usually the chemical smell would dissipate until Monday. But it wasn’t Monday. It was Saturday noon and you sat in your office, helplessly trying not to breathe in the smell of Windex and Febreeze as you slugged through some papers on your desk, reviewing new orders, offers for Mettaton and potential new clients on top of finalizing some details for the New Years Gala.

Stupid event wasn’t even on New Year’s Eve but calling it the “Limbo between Christmas and New Year where everyone just lounges on the couch and eats leftovers and cookies” Gala was a bit redundant.

You didn’t mind working on a weekend, to be fair. Quite the contrary, actually, at least it took your mind off of spiralling down a very dark hole. The only thing that ticked you off was the smell. You should really invest in some good incense or a perfume.

Your aunt always wore one, a custom blend of her own creation. She was very adamant about that; but Auntie Hel has always been quite the eccentric and expensive lady. So of course, she’s gonna make her own perfume if nobody else can match her taste. Most people didn’t like the weird mixture of Tomato leaf, liquorice root,  pepper, pimento, oakmoss, peppermint and black walnut, but she called it her memento of Aqua Tofana, whatever that was.

She’d probably know how to get the smell of Windex and Febreze out of your nose. You hoped that she was doing well, while also just knowing that she would be so disappointed in you. She definitely would not approve of your behaviour and if she was here right now you would certainly receive quite the stern talking.

You knew that you were acting the fool right now, letting your emotions getting the best of you, when you should really just keep it together.

Yeah, you wanted to make up with Sans again, but that was it. Make up, not make out.

Friends was safe. It was good and brought you joy and ultimately, when he found out that you were actually his worst nightmare, the inevitable pain would have been yours to bear but no, your dumb ass had to go and fall for him. And apparently, so did he. What a great cosmic joke. Really, fantastic humour. Really rile those two up so it hurts twice as bad when he will come for your head.

You should have just left Ebbot City as a whole when you still had the chance. Your big heart would be your downfall eventually, that much was certain.

Disappearing is always easier when people don’t know or care about you.

A tear landed on one of your papers and you cursed quietly, wiping it away with a corner of your sweater. A second one joined its lost brother and you snivelled angrily, trying to ignore the ever growing ache turning sharp pain in your chest.

“Knock knock, Darling”

The corner of your mouth twitched as you looked up, drawing your knees up under you on the chair. Mettaton was as radiant as ever in what you could only describe as his version of loungewear while you looked like a homeless little trashgobblin. You didn’t expect to meet anyone, so you were seated here in your sweatpants and hoodie, hair messy and yesterday’s mascara still clinging to your lashes, slightly smeared. Truly, the face of the company.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” you rasped, unsure if you should try to straighten out the mess on your table or the mess that was you.

“I got a notification on my system that you logged into work. So I came to check on you. It’s Saturday you know?”

“Aha? In your Pj’s?” you raised an eyebrow in scepticism, and he chuckled awkwardly.

“Okay, guilty as charged.” He admitted. “Undyne texted me that you had… a slight argument with your boy candy. Or you two made out.” He taped his chin thoughtfully. “Her message wasn’t very cohesive, lot’s of screaming and Caps lock and parenthesis.” You shrugged your shoulders in admittance and made a face. “Anyways, since you are now here, I figured that you may… require some TLC, so I sped here as quickly as I could. Look at me, I didn’t even change out of my nightwear!”

He was indeed still covered in a pair of vintage velvet P’s and an elegant Catherine  “Oh, no officer, I do not know what happened to my husband!” D'lish robe on top of it.

“You do not want to know what kinds of looks I’ve gotten at the store when I picked up Ice Cream for us!” Sniffing slightly, you couldn’t help but to let out a wet laugh at the thought.

“You got us Ice Cream? At a store?” You couldn’t even entertain the thought of Mettaton at a 7/11 in his 600$ robe in front of the Freezer, trying to figure out what an appropriately priced tub of Ice-cream was. Lord knows the clerk probably just charged him a hundred bucks and he thought that’s a perfectly normal price to pay. He did once say that five bucks were acceptable for a single banana. “It’s an exotic fruit after all!” he had claimed.

“Of course. All the movies say that if you have boy troubles, you need to be bundled up on a couch in front of a TV with your friends and eat gratuitous amounts of Ice Cream. I got you Mint Chocolate Chip”

“You remembered my favourite” you sniffed again, and he cooed slightly.

“Of course, darling.” Striding over he came to wipe your tears again. “Come with me, I have a couch and a TV in my office we can sit in all day if you want.” You didn’t even resist, and you found yourself on his velvet sofa that probably cost more than some peoples rent, bundled up in a fuzzy blanket, feet across Mettaton’s lap and a tub of ice cream on your own. “Cosy? Yes? Great, now please, pour out your little heart to your Aunt Metta.”

“There is nothing to pour really, I’ve just been stupid and ruined my friendship with Sans and that makes me sad and like my heart is about to shatter.”

“So I gather that you did kiss him? And he didn’t reciprocate your feelings?”

“Oh no, feelings were definitely reciprocated. Probably a bit too much reciprocation on both sides”

“Then I fail to see where the issue lies. Is this not the intended outcome?”

“No, not really” you whined, puzzling him further. “All I wanted was for him to just treat me normally again, not to end up in bed with him-put those eyebrows back down, it’s just a proverb, no bedding actually happened” Well, almost. “It-It doesn’t matter how much reciprocation is going on “ you said with a deep flush, taking a huge spoonful of Ice cream. “In the end, we just wouldn’t work out. And I would much rather keep him as a friend than just lose him completely.”

“Sweetie pie, why wouldn’t it work out? You two seem very compatible to me.”

Well, maybe because she’s a big hearted idiot that is stuck with the one entity that happened to kill everyone he has ever loved multiple times. Including him.

I think it’s less the fact that we are stuck together and more that I am lying to everyone to keep you safe from their wrath. That, and that you are a part of me. That one's also kinda problematic.

You are a part of me as well.

My silence is necessary to keep you safe. He wouldn’t understand. Nobody would.

I never meant for you to get hurt

I am not going to abandon you.

I am sorry

I am not.

Mettaton was regarding you from the side, studying you closely as you were still lost in thought, pushing the frozen treat around your mouth to help it melt quicker.

“We are too… different.”

“Differences can be overcome, dear” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from your face.

“Not when your goals are opposed.” You answered just as softly, leaning against his metal frame. “He wouldn’t understand. I want to spare him that pain.” Again, you felt something wet drip onto your hand accompanied with a sharp stabbing pain that remembered you of that day on the bathroom floor and you gasped.

“Darling…” Mettaton seemed to be alarmed and you turned to face him. “You are bleeding.” Worry crossed his face and confused you reached up, wiping your nose. When you brought it back down, it was smeared red.

Oh, great.

“Can you please repeat what you just said, Tori. I think I just had a stroke” Sans huffed, blinking at the Queen. She gave him an apologetic smile, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

“I said that your souls are bonded.” She gave him an empathetic smile and he could feel his knees grow weak.

Oh, great.

Chapter Text

Her chin collided with the floor in a hard crash, squeezing the air out of her lungs. Tight, blue strings had wrapped around her ankle, dragging her backwards as she screamed loud enough that even the void couldn’t keep up.

“Chara, help me!” With no hesitation, pale hands gripped hers, trying to help her get up, though unsuccessfully. Never in their life had either of them experienced true horror like this before.

“I got you, buttercup! I’ll always have your back”

Another tug on the strings made her jerk back again, the sharp tug combined with the tightness causing the bones inside her to crack and groan dangerouslyf. If it wasn’t for the looming man to step behind them, cutting them with a swift hand motion, she was sure that they would have splintered soon. He wasn’t looking at them but rather straight ahead, eyes fixed on the darkness behind them. At the beginning, she had felt scared by the shadows. Then she got used to them and started to appreciate the void looming all around her. Now, where she was clinging to her doppelganger beside her, panting hard and limping severely, she grew to be terrified of what was lurking in the darkness again.

“You two need to run. I cannot hold him off forever. Stay together, you will need each other.” He told them and one of them nodded sternly, starting to run off.

“Wait, no!” she protested, while being dragged along, her red soul pulsing in unison with the shadows curling all around him. He was just as terrifying as the void surrounding him and for the first time she realised that he may be part of it as a whole.

“You know how I said that I believe that the thirty fifth time may be the one? Prove me right.” He smiled at her while they just kept running, dragging her along with them. The hairs on her arm started to ripple and the smell of ozone filled the air.

“Gaster!”

Sans had to sit down, or he would pass out right this second. There was nothing he could do in this moment except stare at Toriel like she’s grown a second head. The queen gave him a sympathetic smile and offered him a cup of tea again. When he didn’t react to it, she just poured him a cup and waited patiently for his brain to boot up again, sipping her own in the meantime, listening to Papyrus and Frisk play in the child’s room upstairs with a private, little smile.

It took the skeleton almost a full minute to stop his synapses from short-circuiting, blinking up at Toriel.

“I may need something stronger than a tea” he mumbled to himself but grabbing the mug anyways. “I think my brain just broke… What the hell do you mean we bonded? I’ve never even heard of that before”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to, to be fair” she cleared her throat, pulling a book that looked positively ancient with a bunch of sticky notes between the pages closer to her across the table. Some of them looked pretty fresh and others were… older. “I started to dig through some old books that are dated pre-war when you asked me to look into why the human’s soul refuses to be drawn out and causes her physical pain upon trying so and stumbled upon this one here”

“And it’s because… we bonded?” he asked with a flat voice, raising a browbone. Toriel gave a contemplating hum as she started to flip through the pages.

“No, I still haven’t found the answer for that one, I am afraid that many scriptures have been lost during the war, so I may just have to look harder. I did, however remember, what the human told me, after your fight”

“Our.. fight? What’s that to do with anything?” Clearing her throat again, she adjusted the delicate rim of her glasses balancing on her nose.

“I don’t know what happened. He had too much and I just… made space I guess. It did look pretty though, like a Lichtenberg scar of magic.” She quoted. “The way she described what happened kinda struck a nerve with me and I thought of this book here. You should remember it?” He glanced at the cover and something in the back of his head started to tingle.

“I-No, I don’t think I’ve seen it?” he mumbled, shaking his skull like he wanted to red rid of an annoying fly. “Why, what’s so special about it? It feels… weird. Old”

Surprise or maybe even confusion crossed her face for a moment, and she pursed her lips, flipping to the very front of it.

“It belonged to your father, Sans. He wrote it.”

Property of W.D. Gaster was written in elegant cursive and suddenly, he felt like someone had ripped away the floor underneath him. Shaking, his fingers hovered over the fine letters.

“Gaster…. I haven’t seen- I haven’t remembered that name in ages” he mumbled. Of course he knew about his dad, it was his dad, of course but every time he thought about him, more and more memories seemed to slip away.

So he had stopped trying to preserve what little there was left.

“I was surprised to find the name too, I haven’t thought of him in a while, not since-“ Toriel furrowed her brow. “I can’t seem to remember since when. That’s odd, I usually pride myself on my memory”

“Yeah, it’s uh, a thing. Since he disappeared. Don’t try to think about it or it’ll just vanish more. ‘s like trying to grasp smoke” His voice was rough, and an old pain lingered in his chest. “Anyways, what’s that book sayin’?”

“What? Oh, yes, of course!” She took another sip of her tea to stall for another moment. The porcelain made a soft clink on the saucer. “Before the war, when human mages were still more prevalent, magic was handled a lot differently than today. Almost nobody will remember, except a few people from ancient races, like me and my husband, your friend Grillby-fire elementals are one of the oldest classes of monsters-among others, and of course, your father. He must have known a lot of ancient spells. Magic wasn’t as intuitive as it is now back then. If you flip by the note on the subject of teleportation spells, you will see the chapter on souls. Yes, right there-no, that is on souls’ propriety, the next page, yes exactly-it talks about an ancient ritual. Sadly, I can’t read all of it, a lot of it is written in an ancient language, it’s-“

“It’s Wingdings” Sans finished for her, following the strangely written symbols on the page with a finger.

“Yes, exactly. What wasn’t written in it however, told of an ancient ritual that monsters-generally couples-used to do. The illustration right here shows two monsters reaching out for each other and it speaks of a blinding light and a dull thumping as it happened, similar to what Undyne described to me after your… dispute.. in the woods. And look, that picture here, doesn’t it look like what Elaine described?”

“If twice souls felt especiallie connected, theie wouldst evoketh the rituall of binding. Shouldst oneth of them e'er be hurt, theie couldst draw upon thy others magick as to naught perish nor fall down. It be the highest form of trust two lovers couldst barr each othereth. It cannot be broken unless oneth of them shall perishes and two hearth’s shalt beat as oneth” Sans translated slowly, shaking his head. “Man, dad, could you have written this more cryptically? This is some old, old Shakespearean typa stuff.”  Muttering, he read through the pages again, his knowledge of what was essentially his mother tongue not as rusty as he expected it to be. Toriel just looked at him expectantly, sipping her tea and secretly just as nosey as everyone else in their little friend group. “Jesus, this is hella convoluted and half of it doesn’t make sense or just flat out contradicts itself. That’s some real spotty and dodgy work, definitely one of his earlier ones, but I think I’ve gotten the gist of it.”

“Well, are you going to tell me too?” Toriel curiously smiled at him, and he nervously rubbed his skull.

“It’s-uh-wow, this is embarrassing, but it was an ancient form of what we would now consider marriage? As in it cannot be broken. It’s way more extreme though and had a very low success rate because the souls had to be a really good match, I think? You basically each take a piece of each other’s soul and- shit!” he swore, grabbing at his own chest, staring at Toriels eyes that suddenly got huge. She must have had the same thought as him.

“Well, don’t just look at me, draw it out and let’s see!” she urged him, her tea completely forgotten.

Nodding, Sans curled his hand in front of his own chest in a lazy fist before twisting the palm of his hand upwards to draw out his own soul. What was usually just a small plop now suddenly felt like someone had rammed a knife right into his chest, determined to carve his soul out himself.

A pained groan left him, and he was swaying in his chair, vision fuzzy. Was this was Elaine had felt when he tried to draw her soul out? If yes, he really owed her an apology because this was absolutely awful.  

Toriel had a hand on his shoulder, steading him and he was thankful for it.

“Oh. Well. That’s not what you’d wanna see, ideally” she huffed, staring at his soul.

The upside down cyan heart used to be quite dull but had grown more and more lustre again in the past few years.

Both of them leaned towards it, squinting at the faint black lines in his soul. The pattern of them reminded Sans of the scar he had left on Elaine’s leg though oddly enough even more light than that.

Almost pulsing in time with the strumming of magic in his bones, they seemed to fade in and out of existence, running through his soul like veins on a crystal.

It was getting more uncomfortable and painful by the second, he had to admit.

“Black?” he wondered out loud and Toriel shrugged slightly.

“I’ve never seen a black soul. Maybe it’s just a very, very deep burgundy or blue? Green can look black in the right light?” she wondered, and he let his soul dissipate again to where it was before, vanishing from his palm. Almost immediately the pressure on his chest let up again, though the stinging was still prevalent.

“I dunno, but I think it’s safe to say that uh-something definitely happened here.” He desperately tried to hide the blush from his face, though only mildly successful.

“Now we just have to find out how?” His magic was rushing in his ear as his mind practically tripped over itself, overthinking every little detail.

“I-I remember.” He mumbled. “I remember that she told me.. that she would take all my pain and suffering. That she’d make it better. I just thought she took my magic, but maybe it was more. Maybe the kiss…” It was a weak and spotty theory at best, but give the guy a break, he was grasping at straws here.

His fingers grazed his teeth, flickering down at the book again.

“But Sans, how could she have possibly done this?”

“She-uhm. Alph.. I talked to Alph yesterday and she ‘spects Elaine to be an Innate. It’s possible that she did take my magic in that moment, like I thought and then used it, instinctively. I know, it’s shoddy at best, but that’s all I have right now.”

“No, Sans, that’s not what I am talking about-though also a very concerning thought if Doctor Alphys is right, Innate Mages are practically unheard of nowadays. Sans, she is human. Her soul is human. She has no magic your soul could feed on, per say. Even if we go along with your theory, and she did indeed accidentally cast this, it should have never worked. She was never made for this. The book explicitly stated that this was a thing between monsters. And from what I can gather from Undyne’s text messages this morning-“

“What text messages?” Sans’ soul gave another pitiful twitch.

“Oh, she texted me that you were making out. Or fighting, I’m not sure. There was quite a bit of screaming.” For a moment, a smile twitched across her face before she grew serious again. “Sans, whatever tensions are between you and the human, you have to go and resolve them. Their soul is already under such immense strain, I doubt that their body will be able to keep up any longer. I know she did what she did out of the kindness of her own heart, trying to help you, but if she was accidentally using ancient magic… You know how much it hurt Frisk when they broke the barrier. And they are strong. But this… it’s like a suicide mission. If she refuses to acknowledge whatever is going on between you, I am afraid that it will have dire consequences on her wellbeing.”  

God, she was right.

She had looked horrible this morning. Sick, he had thought, because she was trying to rip herself apart-literally-and shut everyone out because she was scared to let anyone in, afraid that they could see what was hiding underneath.

Stupid human with their stupid lack of self-regard. She was ready to die for him once before because he couldn’t reign it in and now she had to suffer the consequences for it.

Quietly, he got up from his chair, gathering the book with him.

“Tori, I’m gonna borrow this for a while, okay?” she just gave him a curt nod, and he returned the favour with a tight smile, before walking out, free hand buried in his pocket.

As he passed the staircase, a tiny hand tugged on his sleeve, and he turned his skull upwards to face a tiny, sleazy grin.

Undyne texted me, Frisky signed with wriggling eyebrows and he really had to hold back a deep sigh.

“Oh let me guess, this is about me and the human?”

Mhh-hmm! They regarded him closely. Did you really kiss her? Another deep sigh from him, before he shrugged slightly.

“Yeah.”

And they let you? Surprised Frisk cocked their head. Wow, you’re lucky!

The apartment was dark when Mettaton dropped you off, worry basically dripping from his face, especially when your hands start to shake hard enough to make it almost impossible for you to turn the keys in the lock. It took you like four tries and a gentle nudge from Chara to get it.

“Are you sure that you will be fine? I’ll be glad to stay with you to make sure that you won’t pass out. Or we can go to my place, get you in a real bed.”

Pale lips smiled up at him, as you pat his arm.

“That’s really sweet of you, but I really think that I just need to sleep it off. I’ve been stupid enough to get drunk two days in a row and I am just hungover. The boys are out right now because Paps has a playdate with Frisk, so I can just… plop down and nap for a while. I’ll be fine. Come Monday, I will be at work bright and early, I promise.” Gently, he brushed a hair out of your face, clicking his tongue.

“What about the nose bleeding?”

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s just a human thing. We bleed all the time, for stupid reasons really. And I’m a girl so I’m used to bleeding anyways.” You assured him, and maybe even yourself a bit. “Probably just blew my nose too much from crying. I have kinda thin skin anyways, so it’s nothing. I am fine now. If anything happens, I have you on speed dial, and I promise, you are the first one to call.”

“Well, if you say so, Darling dear” he finally relented, and you let out a tiny breath. You really just wanted to be alone for a while and sleep off the terrible, terrible pain in your chest.

Was this what heartbreak felt like?

You gave your boss-no, your friend-a quick kiss on the cheek before closing the door and stumbling into the living room, not even bothering to take off your shoes-your father was probably livid with you, wherever his soul was resting-before you faceplanted right onto the couch. It faintly smelled like spice and firewood and a hint of ketchup and just so home that you couldn’t help but to press your face into a pillow and inhale deeply. The faint beating of your heart was soothing and you were just so ready to sleep. Sleeping for a million years sounded so good right now. Just let the sleep carry away all of your pain and aches, ignore that wrenching tug on your soul and the smell of ozone and the way the hair on your arms stood up and-

“Elaine?” Sans called from the hallway, and you practically shot up from the couch, every ache in your body suddenly both dissipating and doubling.

“Sans?” your eyes were bleary from the sudden movement, just blindly reaching out for the blue and white blob coming closer.

Strong hands gripped you ever so gently and pressed you against a warm body that smelled like the couch just a million times better.

“Gods, you are clammy” he mumbled into your shoulder, a hand tangled into your hair, and you knew that you should pull away. You had to pull away, but in that moment, you were in his arms and the pain wasn’t debilitating and he smelled so good and if you listened closely, you could hear the magic in his bones strum lightly, like a high voltage line.

When you don’t answer him and instead just melt further into his touch, he jostled you gently until you hummed lightly. “Are you okay?”

“Why does it hurt… to be away from you?” you whispered into the hood of his jacket, and you could feel him bristle. Oh, so he knew what was up.

“We… There is something you need to know” he seemed apprehensive to let go of you, so you had to do it for him, gently pulling back. Thankfully, your vision had cleared up again by now and when you look at yourself in the balcony window over his shoulder, Chara is staring back at you, eyebrows knitted in worry.
Right, not about me. Never was about me. So you pulled away further, and suddenly, something wet was dripping again. “Shit.” Sans swore, grabbing your face ever so gently between his hands. “You’re bleeding. Tori was right” Confused, you reached up and yes, your fingertips came back bloodied. God damn it.

“It’s nothing. Really, no need to get worried over” you tried to reassure him, but his browbone stayed knitted together, his usual smile almost completely gone.

“No, this is a lot to worry about. I-I drew out my soul earlier and I could feel your pain all the way from here.” Wincing, you turned to look at the floor, as you couldn’t stand to face him. “Is that what you felt when I tried to draw out your soul? Like being butchered alive? Is the pain I feel right now, what you are feeling all the time?” His voice was gentle, and he wished that it wasn’t. If he screamed at you, you could have handled it better instead of this kind worry, where every word felt like being whipped.

“Elaine…” he whispered, his fingers grabbing your chin and turning it, so you had to look at him. “Please, answer me”

“Don’t say that name, please. Hurts too much when you say it like that.” you mumbled before you could hold yourself back and you flushed deeply. Careless, you chastised yourself. Stupid and careless.

“Okay. No name then.” His mouth twitched and you had to urge to put your forehead against his.

“It hurts.” You just mumble instead, and he took a shuddering breath that made you fall even deeper into despair. “Please, don’t be mad at me”

“How could I be mad at you, love?” Oh. That was- That was even worse.

“I-I can’t-“ you mumble, starting to twist in his grip, ready to leave once again, like the stupid bitch you were, completely ignoring your poor heart almost breaking.

“No” Sans growled in a tone that allowed no talking back, wrapping his arms around you from the back, pressing you against his chest. “No more running. You are going to listen to me” You try to free yourself anyways, only halting when he presses a toothy kiss against your neck. “Please, don’t make me use magic on you. I’d rather not.”

Shuddering, you can do nothing but succumb to his gentle hold, your head falling back against his shoulder. If it wasn’t for his strong arms around you, your legs may have given out under you.

“Fine.” You huff, trying to keep any resemblance of willpower alive and you just huffed out a tiny lough.

“Stubborn woman.”

“Got a thick skull” you joke weakly and this time, his laugh seems a bit more genuine. The raspy sound made you shiver, and your arms limply dropped to your side. It was quiet in the room, all you could hear was your own beating heart as you waited for Sans to speak up again, but he seemed busy burying his nose against your pulse. And honestly, you were enjoying the touch too much for it to end so quickly again anyways.

Almost instinctively, you craned your head to look at him, his eyes meeting yours and your heart stuttered. His gaze was so intense that it was impossible for you to look away, like he was trying to read you like one of his books from work.

There was a tiny noise as your lips parted ever so slightly, your cheeks flushing. When you lean in just the slightest bit, your cold lips meeting his like it was the most natural thing in the world, the ache in your chest subsided. It was a chaste kiss, barely above a fluttering touch, but it stole your breath, nonetheless. His grip around your waist tightened ever so slightly, telling you that this was affecting him just as much as it did you.

This time, it was him pulling away from you and you finally understood why he was so adamant to chase after your lips that time in the kitchen. You had half a mind to do so yourself, but fear and anxiety kept you rooted in place, stuck in your fawn response, so you did nothing but stare at him with huge eyes, laced in a bit of sadness. You could feel the magic rush through him against your back, similar to your own blood and it lulls you into a certain sense of comfort. Shoulders slumping, you sag against him, but he takes the extra weight without complain.

“I don’t understand what’s happening to me…” you mumble, and he buried his face in your neck again, the soft breath tickling you gently.

“We have to stop fighting like this all the time” The way his voice sounded so rough right now made you shiver and hesitantly, you reach up to put your hand over his still on your waist and he didn’t waste a moment to intertwine your fingers together. “It’s gonna kill you in the end.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” With a deep sigh he started to tell you to explain everything he just found out over the past hours after dropping Papyrus off with Toriel. Quietly, you listened to him, but unable to stop a tear or two from slipping out.

I’ve doomed him. I’ve doomed us all.

“Sans… I am so sorry” you finally say after he finished. “I-I thought I was helping you, but I just made everything worse and now some strange, weird stuff I did forces you to feel-“

“Nothing is forcing me to hold you like this” he interrupted you, his grip tightening ever so slightly, and you gulped. “No magic is forcing me to look at you and wanting to kiss you. It’s not forcing me to want you.”

“B-But- Every time I’m near you, I can’t hold it together.”

“Did you want me before the kiss?” he asks and you blushed deeply, unable to look him in the eyes, nodding. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you the first time. And I wanted you when I saw you in that stupid supermarket again and you smiled at Frisk, talking to them with an ease that humans normally don’t possess. I never wanted you more than when I came home and saw you sing my brother to sleep. I almost kissed you that night. All of that before you kissed me in the woods. So no. It’s no magic that makes me do any of this.” Taken aback, you flushed deeply, trying to find any hint of a lie in his eyes but there were none.

“I don’t know what’s making you pull away all the time, but please. I can’t just stand by and watch as you are slowly break yourself apart anymore.”

“It feels like I’m just using you”

“You aren’t.” Oh, but weren’t you? Weren’t you just blatantly deceiving him? Maybe this was punishment, and you deserved it because you were so, so selfish. “You’ve tried this your way and clearly, it’s not working out. Let me have a try.” He wasn’t begging but it was damn close. “Let me try loving you.”

“I don’t know anything about love. All I know is pain. I don’t feel like I deserve it” This time, his chuckle was a bit darker, and he pressed another kiss to your shoulder.  

“That’s not true. You love Frisk and you show it every time when you do that little crinkle of your nose and you love Undyne every time she calls you a loving insult and your job even though some old farts scream at you because you get to spend time with Mettaton and every living creature you come across, you treat them with kindness. You sing Papyrus to sleep and don’t even complain when he makes you try a new dish and mixes up sugar and salt. You love your family, even if they are gone, you just hold so much love for them in your heart. Just because people hurt you in the past and told you that you aren’t worthy of being loved, doesn’t mean it’s true.” He started to knead the softness around your waist with your conjoined hands and the feeling was so nice that a content hum slipped through your lips. “One date. Just dinner. That’s all I’m asking. If you still feel like this is all wrong, then I wont badger you anymore. We can stop fighting and return to being friends and all of this…won’t kill you anymore. But I really, really want this to work. And I think you do too, even if you’re scared.”

Your mind was going a million miles an hour and your heart was thumping. Could he be right? Could this work out? Or would it be even worse for you in the long run?

He’s going to kill me anyways when he finds out. Why not try to make the most of what little time remains?  

“Okay… one dinner.” You could feel his grin widen against your skin and it sent a pleasant tingle down your chocolate eclair spine and set your soul aflutter like never before.

Chapter Text

“There is no reason for me to go back, Chara” she whispered, and their heavy breathing stopped as she presented them her vibrant, red soul. Her hand was outstretched, blood pooling on the other palm. They noticed that she was shaking in her boots. “Go”

“I can’t take that” they denied vehemently, shaking their head.

“You aren’t taking anything; I am giving it. Willingly. I choose this.” Her voice was calm and steady, though rushed. Thunder was rolling through the void and blue lightning struck in the back.

“I’ll find a reason.” They whispered hurriedly and a sad smile appeared on her lips. “I’ll find a reason for you. Somewhere you can be safe and loved. As long as we stay together, I won’t let anything happen to you” For a moment, she studied their face and suddenly, realisation cleared in her eyes before she gave them another sad smile.

“Okay. I trust you.” Returning the smile, they grab her hand, blood smearing on both of their palms. She swore that she could see a figure near and swallowed thickly. “Ready?”

“Yes. Let’s hope this works.” She nods at them, their hand around hers keeping her from just breaking apart into a million pieces because she was shaking so hard.

“Bound by blood and shan’t be spoken; what’s mine is yours and can’t be broken”

The last thing she saw before the darkness swallowed both of them completely was a pair of red eyes with blue and yellow irises, his grab nearly missing them.

When she woke up to stare at an off white tiled ceiling, his scream was still echoing in her ears and she couldn’t help but let the tears roll over her cheeks, the distant sound of beeping intensifying rapidly.

If asked, Sans would probably not be able to tell when he’s been this content the last time. Light filtered through the window into his room, drenching it in a honeyed, golden shimmer. The noises from the outside were calm and barely filtered into the apartment, just enough to act as a subtle white noise in the background. He was nestled onto his bed, laying on his side and head propped up on his free arm. The other was slung around Elaine’s waist, who was curled into his chest, facing away from him. Her breathing had evened out by now and her skin regained some of its colour.

She didn’t look miserable anymore, at least.

She wasn’t asleep, refusing to give into the urge but she sure as hell seemed drowsy and was so soft and pliable under his hands as he moved her into the bed to snuggle up a bit. It wasn’t even for selfish reasons; he was genuinely worried that she would just collapse at any moment. And as comfy as the couch was-per her insistence-it couldn’t beat a proper bed in his eyes. Seeing as she didn’t complain too much, she probably agreed with him. Or there just wasn’t much fight left in her anymore.

“What do you want?” he mumbled against her hair, and she gave a contemplating hum, that he could feel against his chest.

“I want to go swimming.” She said after a while. “I haven’t been at the ocean in years. We could take Papyrus or the little one with us. The last time I’ve been seen the beach was a few weeks before the accident. Mer took me there during the easter holidays. She said I was way too holed up during finals, so she had to physically drag me out of my dorms. My roommate almost called the police because she thought I was getting kidnapped.” She laughed lightly. “It was still a bit too cold to swim that day, but we went into the water anyways. I’ve been sick for a week afterwards and Mom gave her such an earful.” Absentmindedly, she started to draw circles on his hand with her thumb and he squeezed her lightly.

“Why didn’t you go again?”

“I don’t know. I guess in the beginning, it hurt too much and then Hugh never really allowed me to be away for too long. He only started to slip up like… a year ago or so. Gave me more reasons to misbehave and then retaliated tenfold. He probably grew a bit overconfident that I wouldn’t run away and still got to act out his, I don’t know, sadistic tendencies I guess. So I just never got the chance.” There was a sadness in her voice that wrenched at his heart, but she seemed so accustomed that she just shrugged her shoulders lightly. “It doesn’t even really matter. You shouldn’t cry over spilled salt or some other proverb like that. I always mess those up”

“Hey, don’t say that” He gently nudged her with his nose, and she smiled softly. “Don’t trivialise these things.”

“It’s in the past now.”

“Yeah, but they still happened, and you get to be sad and hurt.” She hummed again, snuggling in a bit deeper. If purposely or instinctively, he did not know. Or care.

“What do you want? Anything on your bucket list?”

“Don’t really know. After we got out, I did a lot of things with Paps. Got him the shiny red sports car he always wanted, learned how to use a bike, we went to see the stars a lot. Tried all kinds of food. I baked a cake once.”

“What flavour?” There was genuine interest in her voice as she turned her head slightly to look at him and he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“It was-uh-one of those fancy Japanese cooking channels, I think Nino’s Home or something like that? I found the channel at like 4am one night, and I just got one of his videos on my recommended page and went down a complete rabbit hole. I watched every video instead of sleeping and the next morning I got out and tried to make one of his recipes. I think it was like a no-bake mango cheesecake.” Embarrassed, he turned to hide his face again, not really willing to get mocked but the ridicule didn’t come.

“Well, was it any good?”

“Frisk said yes but they eat anything really. Did you know that the ate some of Mettaton’s stuff underground that had like glue and sequins in it? Paps got mad at me because he said cheese belongs in food and not bakery. It wasn’t the prettiest per say but I think it would qualify as edible.”

“Hmmmmh.” She hummed again, the corners of her mouth twitching. “You should make it for me again. I love cheesecake. ‘s kinda gooey texture.”

“I-Yeah. Sure. I’ll bake ya something.” He couldn’t stop giggling at the absurdity of their conversation. He didn’t know how it managed to derail like this, but he really didn’t mind at all. It felt natural. And kinda fun.

“I didn’t know you could drive a bike.” A blush crept over her cheeks for a moment, showing of the white spots on her face. He was close enough to count them and if he really used his imagination, he could see constellations in them.

“Yeah, I mean not like the heaviest machines but enough to get around. Why?”

“I don’t know. You shortcut basically anywhere, so I never even thought that you’d bother to get a licence for anything” the human shrugged. “Just seems like a lot of work for nothing really?”

“Well, it’s fun.” He said like it explained everything, and she just stared at him.

“I mean, I haven’t tried it yet, but I don’t see the appeal, apart from the bad boy vibes. To me it just seems dangerous and kinda… cold.”

“Cold?”

“Yeah, just fucking windy and cold” she shrugged again, and he rolled his eyes a bit.

“I mean, I guess, but I don’t really mind the cold. Back underground we lived in an Ice Cave, so I’m used to it.”

“Fair enough. I always faired better in cold weather too, heat always gave me headaches. The wind, I really can’t deal with though. Feels like daggers in my skin. Hate when it’s windy. And it still seems dangerous.”

“I’m a good driver” Sans assured her.

“You can be as good as you want, if the other one is a drunk asshole, there’s not much you can do. And a motorcycle has a lot less buffer than a car.” A shiver went down her spine and Sans was gripped by a tinge of guilt and pity for her. She seemed so sad again all of a sudden and he could feel a tiny pang in his soul, which he now just associated with her pain.

“Is that what happened?” he asked quietly, and Elaine raised her shoulders lightly, gripping his arm tighter.

“I don’t know. Can’t really remember but that’s what the nurses told me. Drunk hit and run, there was nothing anyone in our car could have done to prevent it. Drivin’ in a car is still kinda shit for me and I really don’t do well sitting in the back right. But it’s whatever.” He tightened his hold on her, pressing his mouth against her neck, and this time her shivers were hopefully of a better nature.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. You must have been so scared and lonely when you woke up again.”

“I was just mainly confused, like I shouldn’t be there. The fear and everything else came later when I found out that I was the one that woke up again.”

“I couldn’t imagine losing Paps like that. He’s the only family I got left.”

“What about your dad? Papy mentions him sometimes. And he did write that book you told me about.” Another flush crept over her skin and she turned away again in hopes of not being to obvious. He had noticed it almost immediately of course, but he shouldn’t tease her about it.

“Eh, he wasn’t really a good dad. Always busy doing… something. So I had to raise Paps on my own because he sure as hell wouldn’t do it. I don’t remember a lot about him because he messed up an experiment and vanished. Did something to everyone’s memories after that. More you think about ‘em, the more you forget” She stiffened in his grasp.

“That sounds horrible.”

“Eh, it just is. Don’t have much left at this point, I tried to get him back for a while. Most of the time, I don’t even remember his name. If Tori hadn’t shown me, I wouldn’t even have recognised it.”

“I’m sorry. Even if he was a bit neglectful, I’m sure he loved you. It must be very hard not to be able to remember him. At least I still have my memories.”

“It is what it is. Losing Paps would have been much worse. It’s always been my biggest fear.” He confessed and Elaine squeezed his hand comfortingly. “You know, back Underground he tried so hard to get into the Royal Guard and I would have shat bricks if it ever happened. Could you imagine him fighting anything? I mean, yeah, he is probably one of the strongest and smartest monsters out there, even if the guy doesn’t look like it, but I made sure that he wouldn’t turn into a menace. Maybe a bit too much, buddy doesn’t have the capabilities to even form a mean thought. The day he fought Frisk, I-“ It was hard for him to think of it.
Too many times was he forced to see a knife cleave off his little brother’s head like it was nothing.
Too many times had he found a blood red scarf in the snow, dust sprinkled on it.

“I still have nightmares of him losing that fight.”

“To the little one? They don’t seem like they could hurt a fly!”

“Yeah, now, but the child was an effing beast underground. We’re all just lucky that they are a lover, not a fighter, or it would have been a real problem for everyone involved. I’ve never seen someone go on that many dates. Even Paps got scammed into one.”

“Papyrus and Frisk had a Date? Like Date Date or Play Date?”

“Ehhh” He made a vague so-so gesture with his hand. “Jury’s still out on that one. Tried to let the kid down gently though, he thought they were being serious and not just a little shit.”

“Awww, he’s a big softie. Let me guess, he said something like ‘Don’t be sad that I won’t kiss you, because I don’t even have lips!’” Sans couldn’t help himself but narrow their eyes at the back of Elaine’s head as she snickered at her own rather awful impression. Sometimes, she seemed eerily good at guessing things. Almost too good.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” Clearing his throat, he shook off any uneasiness. “Honestly, I’m just glad that they chose to flirt their way back up instead of… more drastic measures. They are more than capable, but deep down, they are a good kid. Just, man, sometimes, it felt like someone else was controlling their limbs and there was this empty glare in their eyes but being above ground made it a lot better. Kid had to be way too adult down there. Up here, they are just a kid.”

Uncomfortably, she shifted in his arms, rubbing her face.

“Jesus.”

“Hmmmh?” He questioned, and she flinched a bit.

“Oh, uh, nothing! Just… I’d be so scared to muck it up. If I was in their shoes. I don’t know how they did it, all alone in a scary new place where every second person throws something at you.”

“I think you would have done just fine. You are way too nice anyways; you wouldn’t have hurt anyone”

“I’m not as good of a person as you think.” Her voice was quiet and laced with so much sadness.

“No, you’re a great person.” He tried to reassure her, but she just huffed.

“See, this is what I mean. I’m really not. And one day you’re gonna see it because I’m going to muck this up because I always muck up.”

“Is that what you are so afraid of?” He pressed closer to her, burying his nose in her hair. She smelled so good to him, like cherry blossoms and chocolate tarts. It was such a weird combination but to him, it smelled fucking fantastic.

“I mean, duh? It’s just a matter of time. And you’ll see that I am just an awful, selfish little girl and you’ll feel so betrayed and scammed and you really deserve better. I mean, you can’t even leave anymore now, apparently. I essentially trapped and guilt tripped you.” Rolling her eyes, she scoffed a herself. “What if you want to leave but can’t? What if you find someone better, someone as great as you guys, and I just ruined every chance of happiness for you?” The human sniffed and he reached over, finding her cheeks to be wet again. Shushing her quietly, he tried to wipe away the moisture while also pulling her more into his arms.

“Hey, don’t say that about yourself. I don’t want anyone else.”

“Yeah, because I took your choice from you.”

Pressing a chaste kiss under her ear, he rumbled deeply “Don’t be so harsh on yourself. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here. You did what felt right in the moment and somehow it worked all out in the end. Playing the what if? game just leads to pain in the end. I’ve been there often enough.” Groaning, she twisted in his hold, flopping onto her back, one arm thrown over her eyes.

“See, this is what I am talking about. You think I did this out of the goodness of my own heart or some other bullshit, but honestly, I just acted purely on instinct, because I was selfish. I didn’t wanna lose you or be the one that had to explain Papyrus why his brother won’t come home. I spooked you into this situation in the first place, so it was only right.”

“There is no sin for you to atone for.” He rumbled deeply, smiling down at her where she was nestled in comfortably. Red eyes kept sizing him up, brows knit together lightly, and the corners of her mouth turns down just the slightest bit. He was relieved to see that the shadows under her eyes had mostly disappeared by now.

“You have no idea what kind of sins are crawling down my spine or what Karma flows through my veins.” She mumbled while reaching out to brush across his cheek with her thumb. The touch was so light, that he would have missed it, were his eyes closed. A shiver went through him, and he could feel some of that urge to kiss her again soak through him again, his soul twitching in his chest.

Likewise, a blush had spread across her cheeks and neck again and she swallowed hard.

“So, uhm… Do you feel that too?”

“Yeah” he answered with a rough voice.

“Cool. So that weird magic thing makes us-“

“unbelievably horny?”  Elaine just snorted, rolling her eyes before she reached up, looping both arms around his neck.

“I would have said needy, but yeah. Bit blunt but yeah.” Smiling brightly, he leaned down the same moment she started to tug, and their lips met in another light touch. It was shy and a bit hesitant, both of them unsure where to go from here, but Sans’ soul felt aflutter, nonetheless.

To be honest, he would have loved to just keep going like this, but they got interrupted by Elaine’s stomach loudly demanding some attention. Laughing, Sans dropped his forehead against her, noticing her bright blush.

“Hungry?” he teased, and she grumbled out a no as a reply, promptly being caught in the lie when it grumbled again. “You sure?”

“Okay, maybe I am a tad peckish.” It was cute how she pouted at him.

“C’mon, let’s get you something to eat. I know a great place, you’ll love it!”

“Can’t we just order take-out? It’s so comfy!”

“No, I promised you a dinner, so you’ll get it. Get up, lazy bones, you barely eat as it is, but not on my watch.”

“Gri-two-by’s?” you chuckled, still trying to qualm your slightly lurching stomach from the shortcut. “That’s an odd name.”

I don’t remember that one.

Yeah, dumbass, because you can’t read! Chara mocked you, heckling.

“It’s-uh-“ Sans stifled a laugh behind the hand that wasn’t grasping yours. “It’s Grillby’s two. The l’s are roman numerals.” Embarrassed, you could feel your face explode with heat and you groaned loudly.

“Forget I said anything. I’m-that was so stupid.”

“No, it’s cute” he reassured you, his thumb shyly grazing the back of your hand.

It was one thing to be all over him behind closed doors and another to openly show it in public, so you were a bit anxious. The last time you had to do PDA with someone in the open, he killed your mother and tried to strangle you, so naturally, you were still a bit apprehensive about this whole date thing.

Especially since there was a good chance that this one might strangle you as well. Which was fair but naturally, you weren’t very excited for it.

“C’mon, let’s go in, before I say more stupid stuff and embarrass myself even further.” You gave him a hesitant smile as you tugged on his hand. He gave you another one of those lopsided grins that you really came to appreciate, and you ducked your head enough to almost disappear underneath the gigantic scarf he had made you wear. You insisted that you’d be fine, it wasn’t that cold but who knew. November wasn’t very kind, temperature wise. Weather Forecast said it may even snow later, but what did those metorologists know. Nothing.

It's called meteorologists.

Stop interrupting my inner monologue, please, I am trying to tell a story here.

Ugh, you are always so dramatic.

Anyways, the two of you entered the restaurant and for a moment, you were stunned to find a 1:1 replica of Snowdin’s Bar on the surface. Even the patrons were largely the same.

“Grillby’s an old friend. He owned one of these in the Underground. Got lucky with his property and managed to open up shop here too. He’s a pretty damn good cook, so he’s making real bank. Used the loophole that permits the usage of magic as a healing device to spice up his food. Gives it a real kick.” He praised and nodded at his friend. Grillby himself was a fire elemental, and he really hadn’t aged a day from when Chara had faced him first, getting a stern talking about stealing the chocolate tartes out of the royal kitchen.

The memory came over you so quickly, that it gave you a sharp headache for a moment, but it was gone just as fast.

Jesus, you two really had to get this thing under control where your memories would sometimes bled together, it was getting kinda tedious to make sense which one belonged to which.

Not wanting to be rude, you gave the owner a shy little wave. He glanced at you for just a moment, before doing a double take, pausing to wipe down the glass in his hand.

“Hey Grillbs, this is my friend Elaine. We’re gonna take the booth in the back there, yeah?” Sans called over and the fire elemental said something back, that you couldn’t understand. To your ears, it just sounded like the cracking and sizzling of a bonfire as the two of them talked.

Do you know what they are saying?

No, Mom always wanted me to learn fire speech, but human vocal cords aren’t really made for it, so I was kinda dragging my feet. I understand a few pleasantries but nothing substantial.

God damn it, I would love to know what he said that’s making Sans laugh so much

Or blush.

Smiling to yourself, you watched said blue blush creep over the skeletons cheekbones and you once again noticed just how lovely those cheekbones were.

He pulled you with him to one of the booths and you slid onto the seat across from him.

“Seems like you’re pretty popular here” you smiled, and he chuckled a bit.

“Uh, yeah, ‘s my favourite place, really. Has always been, even underground.” You cocked your head at him, letting your hair fall over your shoulder while you shimmied out of the warm jacket. Man, Grillby probably saved a good chunk of money on heating, since he emitted enough of it for the whole building himself apparently.

“Yeah? I can see why. It’s pretty lit.”

“Heh, yeah, it was a bone-fire place to hang out. I came here a lot to study while getting my doctorates.”

“Doctorates? As in plural?” you wondered and now it was up to him to duck his head a bit.

“Uh, yeah, five actually.”

“Five? Jesus, what did you graduate in? When did you have time for all of that?”

“Quantum physics, technical mathematics, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and political sciences. Dad’s been pretty damn adamant to give me the best education there is. Really wanted me to take over for him, apparently.”

“Well.” You were stunned, actually. “One of those things is not like the other!”

“Heh, yeah, I know, but he worked pretty closely with the King and Queen, so I had to have at least some degree of knowledge on how to navigate the political jungle.”

“Some degree, he says, like a doctorate’s so easy to get” you mumbled more to yourself than anyone else.

“Okay, okay, I get it” he relented, laughing. “But to be fair, I didn’t do much else except collect degrees and raise Paps.”

“Why didn’t you ever become the royal scientist? As far as I know, Alphys took over, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, true. After it was just us, it got kinda… hard. My brain was a mess because memories kept just slipping away and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what happened and how to get him back. Capital wasn’t good for Paps either, so we packed up shop and moved to Snowdin. He always liked it there, felt kinda drawn to it I guess. I had to work a few odd jobs to keep us afloat, but it was nice. Gave me loads of time to just laze around. Never got around to do that before and I was catching up on a lot of it” You put your chin on one hand as you listened to him, incapable of hiding your smile. “When we came up top, they didn’t recognise my titles at first either, but Undyne of all people made quite a stink. So when they accepted Alphys’ titles, they had to do the same with everyone else too. At least I have a pretty cushy job at the University now.”

“Well, that’s quite a feat for someone of your.. well, age? I guess..?” You gave a contemplating hum. “Actually, I have no idea how old you are. How old anyone is, really! I never came around to ask. Hmh” Sans snorted, and you had to hide your smile behind a hand.

“That’s such a first date question.”

“Well, this is a first date, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but it’s not like we’ve lived together for three months already.” he mused, and you smiled a bit brighter.

“Humour me, okay?”

“Okay, fine, fine. I’m technically like twenty five, birthday’s coming up soon though in January.”

“Awww, we’re almost the same age! I’m a bit older.” you grinned at him.

“Well, technically, yes, but it’s a bit more nuanced than that.”

“If you have to start with technically, that usually means trouble.”

“It’s kinda complicated.” He shrugged. “Paps and I aren’t, well, traditional monsters.”

“Ohh, sounds dangerous” you grinned, putting both hands under your chin this time. “Go on. Talk science to me.”

“Well, normally, monsters get created similarly to humans, with their parents working together to make a child. And yeah, the methods are a bit different since monsters really need to mean to make a monster. Humans are a bit more…. Accidental.”

“Uh, yeah, you could say that. I’m pretty sure there are more unwanted pregnancies than wanted ones around.”

“Yeah, with monsters, there aren’t any unwanted babies at all.”

“That’s really sweet. That each and everyone of you was wanted and loved.” A tiny smile danced across your face, softening it. Sans blushed a bit, which in turn made you giggle again.

“A-Anyways! Paps and I weren’t really made like that. We don’t have a set of parents.”

“Just a dad. Papy has mentioned that”

“Yeah. I don’t really know how he did it, I never found his logs on that, but somehow the old mad managed to create two bone-a fide kids out of thin air. When we-uh-came to be, I guess, neither of us was really a baby either.”

“Awwww, so there aren’t any embarrassing baby pictures of you? Shame” you mock pouted, and he shot you a warning glance, that was mostly teasing.

“No, not really. I was created twenty six years ago, but I was roughly a child when that happened already. Maybe six or seven?”

“Gee, wasn’t that weird? Like one day you just plopped into existence, with a fully formed brain and conscious?” A shiver went through you.

“I didn’t know any different, so I couldn’t tell you. Same thing happened with Paps, but I wasn’t allowed to see how he did it. Said I had to get my doctorate first.”

“At least you got an education?” you offered weakly, and the skeleton laughed at you.

“I mean, I guess.” Smiling, he mirrored your position, putting his chin on one of his hands. “You mentioned that you were in college too? What were you in for? I guess something with physics? I saw a few books laying around.”

“Oh, Jesus, no! That’s more of a newer hobby, to be fair!” you admitted, laughing. “My sister was more of the overachiever between the two of us. She got a full ride for BME-“

“Biomedical Engineering?”

“Mhmmm” you hummed in agreement, pride of your sister’s achievement making your chest swell. “She graduated as valedictorian. And the year prior she decided to add law to it as well. And she worked as a model on the side. I have no idea where she got all of that energy from.”

“Nice. But not what I asked.” Caught, you blushes slightly. “Do you always deflect from yourself?”

“Well, yeah, I never did anything great. I didn’t know what to do after school, so I chose the one thing that was fun in high school.”

“That was?”

“Ugh, don’t laugh, okay? It’s kinda embarrassing” Only after he promised that he wouldn’t, would you continue. “I technically have a BA in acting. I finished it, but never got to graduate because yeah... Anyways, technically I do? Specifically musicals and theatre. I wasn’t that good, but I would land some decent roles and the occasional main and-stop laughing, you promised, Sans!” you complained, kicking him slightly under the table.

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise, I just can’t see that at all. You’re so shy usually, it’s hard to see you on a stage” Your deep flush was creeping down your chest at this point and you groaned heavily.

“See, this is why I didn’t tell anyone.” You huffed, crossing your arms.

“No, no, you’re fine, really!” Sans was still chuckling, and you pouted at him. “I’m sure you were great. Do you still have any of your performances?”

“Oh, ew, no! I can’t stand watching myself, I’d just cringe myself into next week. Cam has recordings of everyone, and I tried to get my hands on those forever so I can burn them. If someone would see them, I’d simply pass away. Yuck! Nobody needs to see tree number five forgetting her line in the back there.”

“C’mon, I don’t beleaf for a second that any directree would put someone as lovely as you in the back”

“That was acorn-y joke.”

“Eh, I’m just pollen your leg”

“You’re unbeleafable.” You laughed at him, while he just kept staring at you, his own grin kinda sappy. Haha…

The silence between the two of you was comfortable instead of awkward as Grillby walked over with a tablet. He put down two servings of burgers and a mystery drink in a funky looking cup you would definitely steal if this wasn’t Sans’ usual place. You thanked the elemental quietly and he gave you an understanding nod.

Man, you should have really paid more attention Chara, I feel so rude for not being able to even say thank you properly. You chastised and when you looked at Grillby again, you could see your reflection in his glasses, giving you a flat and unimpressed look.

Pride swelled inside you for not flinching back.

“Uhm, d-did you order these?” you just asked Sans with a slightly shaky voice that could easily be chalked up to nerves.

“Yup.” He liked to pop the p at the end. “Right when we came in, it’s my usual. Just put it on my tab. You should really try it; nobody makes better food.”

“I don’t know, ‘s not quite…. Gloopy enough” you hesitated, torn between your weird texture thing, and not wanting to be rude.

“I know, I know, but trust me. This is worth the non-gloopy consistency.” He seemed so excited, that you didn’t have another chance, really. Sighing, you eyed the burger carefully. It looked greasy and just like a normal Hamburger. At least it didn’t have cheese. You really didn’t do well with cheese, for some reason.

“Fine, I’ll try it, but if this turns out to be a bust, I’ll say ‘I told you so’ and you cannot complain”

“Go ahead” he grinned, and you carefully took a small bite out of it, chewing longer than you had to before swallowing.

There was no shame in you when you quickly took a second, third and fourth one in rapid succession.

“I take it that I didn’t promise too much?” the skeleton gloated, and you couldn’t even be mad at the smug little bastard. You wanted to answer him, but all that left your mouth was a pleased little moan. “That’s a good sound, right?” Oh. Oh, he was actually concerned. How sweet?

“Jesus, Sans, that is absolutely divine!” you raved, wiping at the corner of your mouth. “I should be mad at you!” you huffed between another bite.

Mmmh, attractive.

“What? Why?”

“How could you have kept this from me? This is possibly heavenly food. How dare you!” He hadn’t even touched his food, apparently content to watch yours disappear almost instantly.

“Maybe I was keeping it for a moment like this?” he smiled a bit brighter, and you huffed, snatching a fry from his plate, even though you had your own.

“Well, you should have asked me out ages ago, then!” At first, you didn’t even realise what you had said, until Chara snorted at you, and you turned as red as your eyes almost instantly. ““I-I mean! Yeah! Uh! It’s good! And… Uh! It’s a nice date! Really nice! I enjoy myself a lot! I mean, not enjoy enjoy myself, that would be weird, but… I’m having fun! Like a lot! This is nice! Really! We should do it more often! Like… Uhm! Not date, not if you don’t wanna, but you know… Hang out or something. I mean, like friends. Or not like friends. I don’t know, if you don’t mind, I don’t but yeah, If you wanna stay like… You know what I mean? No you don’t. I don’t! I’m rambling, aren’t I? I definitely am. I am gonna stop now!”

God, why am I such an awkward, embarrassing mess?

Groaning, you hid in your hands.

“Sorry, I’m being so weird.” Sans just chuckled lowly before reaching across the table to grab one of your hands.

“You’re not weird, don’t worry. Maybe a bit nervous, but it’s cute. I’d like to get you flustered more often” he teased, and your cheeks were burning again.

“C’mon, don’t tease me!” you pouted. “This is my first date; you aren’t allowed to be mean at me!”

“It’s not like I’ve dated you before” the goddamn bastard shrugged. He had no right to be so suave, really.

“No, ugh. It’s my very first date. I have no idea what to do!” you explained yourself, looking everywhere but at him. “I know that we hung out before, but this is different! How am I supposed to act? You even took me to your favourite spot and-“ he cut you off by leaning across the table to press his magic lips against yours, effectively silencing you. He didn’t even seem to care about the catcalls in the back, not with the way his lips moved against yours. Your heart stuttered but your soul made up for it tenfold.

“You’re rambling again” he whispered against your mouth in that sinful, low tone you’ve heard before and suddenly, the fire didn’t just burn in your face.

“Fuck, you’re hot.” Slipped out, and he laughed into the kiss before pulling away. Even though he was a skeleton, and his eyes were just two lights illuminating the sockets, he managed to covey them darkening in a hunger you’ve seen before. Last time, you were pressed against a wall in a very compromising way.  

“You’re one to talk.” He rumbled, giving you a wolfish grin that made his canines look more pronounced than usually. You should really stop staring at them now, or you would give the man the wrong-or right!- idea. “You should have told me it’s your first date.”

“Well, I wasn’t a popular child, so people didn’t really fight for a chance to take me out.” You shrugged. And after that, you were with Hugh, who would never take you on dates. And even if, you wouldn’t even consider them as dates.

“Shame. You make a pretty good date.”

“Since when are you so smooth, Jesus!” you spluttered, grabbing your mug to gulp down your drink in hopes of quenching that fire inside of you, but it was very insistent on burning you up alive.

“You just make it so easy.” Clearing your throat, you look at him through lowered lashes, craning your neck a bit and just like you expected, his cheeks turned a dusty blue shade.

It was already dark outside when you walked back home-you were quite unwilling to shortcut after the dinner you just had. Throwing up was certainly not on your to-do list today.

Like the forecast had predicted, snowflakes were drifting from the sky, and Sans had draped his jacket around your shoulders. Conversation was flowing pretty easily between you like it had all evening and you were finally starting get a bit optimistic. Maybe Sans was right.

You walked shoulder against shoulder, and you noticed that even though you’ve always assumed to be roughly the same height, he still had a few inches on you. It was just a bit less noticeable, since he tended to slouch a lot. Right now, however, he walked confidently and relaxed next to you, and you weren’t sure if you liked the height difference or not. You were just so used to being eye to eye with him, that it was a little bit jarring. About a few inches of jarring, actually.

“Sorry, come again?” Sans laughed incredulous and you but your lip in a mischievous grin.

Well, wasn’t that one hell of an offer?

“Oh, you heard me! I said it is possible that there are vegan cannibals out there.”

“I don’t think that those two things are working together like you think they do”

“No, but listen!” you insisted. “I’ve had vegan friends before and most of them agreed, that as long as it’s consensual, it counts as vegan. Hence why milk or meat can’t be since you can’t get consent from a cow whereas a blowjob for example would very much be vegan. It’s quite the loophole!”

“And what does that have to do with your vegan cannibals?”

“Okay, so, technically-I say technically!-if someone would give you consent to eat them, wouldn’t it be vegan?” Sans snorted as you beamed up at him, a certain bounce in your step he hasn’t seen in a while. You made two loops with your fingers, overlapping them slightly. “Tiny intersection, right here!”

“I mean, I guess, but that’s based on a technicality”

“Ah-hah! That’s where you are wrong!” you gloated. “You see, in 2003, there was this German website called Cannibal Café where people could meet up and willingly let themselves get eaten. That’s consent! And that makes it vegan.” You made the intersecting circles again, giving him a Cheshire grin. “Slight intersection”

His laugh was quite booming as you walked through the park. The small walkway was illuminated by a bunch of lanterns. Nobody was really out at this hour anymore, so it was quiet except for your voices.

“Oh, so it’s like the 5-hour energy argument”

“The what now?”

“If you drink half of a 5-hour energy shot, do you get full energy for two and a half hours or half energy for five? I say you get full energy for two and a half.”

“No, it’s gotta be the other way. You can’t get the full boost from just half, it’s like antibiotics.” Your hand brushed against his ever so slightly, and a slight blush rose on your cheeks that wasn’t just from the cold.

“Yeah, but what if it’s like a battery? Battery doesn’t give out less energy just because it’s not completely full.” Sans didn’t hesitate to grasp your hand in his, but you could have sworn that his face was tinged slightly blue in the dingy light.

“Fair enough” you relented easily enough. “Like asking what the opposite of 4 is. Is it -4? ¼? 2? 0? 4i? 1? Arguments can be made for all of the above.” The skeleton gave you a contemplating hum before shrugging.

“In the group over Q and addition and multiplication as operations it's clearly ¼. Otherwise it depends on your frame of reference”

“Oh, okay, sure, go dangle that doctorate in maths over my head again, Professor.” You rolled your eyes good-heartedly at him, bumping him slightly with your shoulder.

“Ohhh, already at it with the pet names? You shouldn’t tease, love” You couldn’t really stop the tiny gasp slipping out between your lips and when you glance over at Sans, you met his eyes already on you.

“S-Sans…” you managed to whisper before his mouth was on you. He felt hot compared to the cold air and your lashes fluttered shut as you leaned into him. You tried to grab the hood of his jacket, completely forgetting that he had draped it over you earlier. Laughing against your lips over the slightly frustrated noise you made, he grabbed your hands to place them against his chest, not breaking the kiss. Needily, you curled your fingers into the fabric of his shirt, trying to step closer to him.

His tongue swiped over your lips, and you opened them slightly to grant him entrance. The magic he used felt like a slight buzz and made your lips tingle. And good god, the man was really skilled at kissing, making your knees weak and sending shivers over your spine.

You were so lost in your kiss, that you didn’t even notice the heavy steps nearing.

That should have been your first warning.

The second one was a heavy click and a scruff voice clearing their throat.

“S-Step away from him, please.” Startled, you pulled away, breathing heavily. God, you must look like a mess right now, hair mussed, lips swollen from kissing and pupils blown out.

Across from you was a man in his mid-thirties, hair already greying. You knew the face. It used to be a handsome one, like one of those sultry perfume ads, or smutty romance novel covers you’d find in the supermarket isle. He used to be so clean shaven all the time, but as of now, stubble decorated his chin, and his clothes were messier than you remembered them. He reeked of alcohol. Worst of all, he had a gun pointed directly at you, albeit with shaking hands.

Sans let out a rough curse, pushing you behind him with an arm, the sockets of his eye devoid of all light. You could feel the crackle in the air and a light blue tinge between his joints. Uh-oh.

“Wait. Steve? Is that you?” Pity wrecked through you, and you tried to dive under Sans’ arm, but he was quick to put it around you to hold you back.

“You know the guy?” You ignored Sans growl, your brows knitting together.

“Steve, what happened to you? You look like a mess!” He swallowed hard, fiddling with the gun again.

“I asked you to step away from the monster.” He repeated, his voice still shaking. "Please?"

"You're not just gonna shoot him, you know that” You tried to reason with him, softly. “You’re better than that, Steevie.”

“He’s not here for me” Sans growled, flexing his fingers and you looked at him in confusion before your gaze swivelled back over and down to the gun-which was pointed at your chest. Anger shot through you like a raging forest fire, your face reddening immediately.

“Are you insane?” you hissed, and Hughes old college friend reached out to grab your arm, ignoring the angry growl coming from Sans. The man really had a death wish. “You touch me and you’re gonna lose the hand.” You hissed at him, and he flinched.

“You really shouldn’t threaten me when I have a gun pointed at you.”

“I am not threatening you with anything. I am just telling you that, as a matter of fact, you will lose the hand.”

“Fucking hell.” He cursed and once more, you felt magic cackle in the air as Sans eye exploded in blue fire. A shiver ran through you, steeling your nerves as you stepped between the two men.

“Buddy, you are in for a real bad time, if you don’t scram right now.”

“Sans, calm down, he’s not gonna do anything. He’s a coward and not worth going to jail over” you tried to deescalate the situation.

“You don’t get it!” Steve hissed, making you look, eyebrows shot up so high that they almost disappeared in your hairline. “He’s making me do it” You shivered again, this time out of fear. Of course. Of course this was Hugh’s work, again. He didn’t get anywhere with his stupid calls and flowers, and he’s never been above violence. “He said if I don’t take you back, he’s gonna hurt Becca. I can’t let him hurt my wife!” His hand was shaking again, and you swallowed hard. Poor sod was pretty as a peach in May but had the personality of a moist towel. How someone so dim witted could become a big shot pharmacist would always be a mystery to you, but money can do a lot of things.

“I’m not gonna let you just shoot anyone. You can always-ack!” he didn’t even let you finish before a searing pain rippled through your left shoulder, knocking the breath out of your lungs. Something warm dripped down your front, and every nerve in your body screamed for help, but the shock left you almost speechless.

Why was it always the left side?  

“Motherfucker, you shot me!” you breathed out, gripping your shoulder. Hissing in pain, you staggered against Sans, splattering blood on his white shirt.

I’m going to have to buy him a new jacket, Jesus. This one’s probably ruined, you thought. If it wasn’t so fucked up, the absurdity of it all would have made you laugh. Probably a panic response.

“Shit, Elaine, are you okay?” the skeleton called. The lights over your head exploded and the smell of ozone was in the air. Oh, great.

“Yeah, sure, t’is but a flesh wound-OF COURSE I’M NOT OKAY, I JUST GOT SHOT! WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?” To be fair, you hadn’t meant to scream at him, but you were having a real hard time between bleeding out, making sure that Sans didn’t go full on berserk again, wanting to strangle Steve and also wrangling down Chara, who was begging to be let out to rip off someone’s head and piss in their neck right now. T’was a bit much. Stars danced in front of your eyes as you sank on your knees into the snow. Why was your mouth so dry all of a sudden?

Steve just stood there with huge eyes and mouth aghast like he couldn’t believe what he just did. He tried his best to swallow hard and gather his wits.

“I-I mean it! C-Come with me and I’ll let the monster live. Hugh never has to find out. I just want my wife back.”

“Buddy, where I’m sending you, you don’t have to worry about anything but your own scrawny ass.” The skeleton promised darkly. He was breathing heavily and now that you were practically in the dark, you could really see that bright light from within his joints. Oh, that wasn’t good. “I am going to make you regret the day you were born.”

You knew that Sans was good at dodging, fantastic even, but even he wasn’t fast enough to step out of a bullet’s way. Blue magic cackled around his hand, and you couldn’t do anything but watch from your place on the floor while the humans hand twitched against the trigger.

And then, suddenly, you gasped, your soul giving an awful little tug as you heard another loud bang from the pistol, making your ear ring and the hearing aid on the other one clip out in a high pitched whine.

For a moment, you thought that Sans hat gotten hit, from the way his magic immediately snuffed out, just like the lights in his eyes. Tears sprung to your eyes as you scampered up quickly, only to freeze in the middle of the motion.

Yes, Steve had fired the gun, but a pale hand covered with freckles was wrapped around his wrist, wrenching it upwards. The figure was flickering, like they weren’t really there, a lopsided grin on their face that seemed cold and cruel to you. The shot must have passed through their head, which wasn’t a problem since they weren’t really corporeal anyways.

“I wouldn’t do that again if I was you. You see, my little one here’s really font of the sack of bones for whatever reason so I can’t let you do that.” Steve screeched as the bones in his wrist cracked from the ever tightening grip, breaking the skin. The pistol cluttered to the ground and the pharmacist sobbed pathetically, pressing his hand to his chest, babbling something unintelligible. “And I did promise you, that you’d lose the hand. Should have listened.”

In an unexpected turn of events, Chara had saved Sans.

Ah Shit.

“Elaine…. What is that…. Thing doing here?” said skeleton growled, sounding angrier than ever before. Another light exploded and the smell of ozone got stronger. And then another, casting darkness over the whole vicinity of the park, except for a faint, blue cackling that just started to flare up.

You could already feel the heartache inside of you, your soul crying out in despair, knowing fully well what was about to happen.

I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it, you had thought a while back, unsure what you would do, should the moment ever come

Well, now it was here, and you had the tinder in your hand.

I’m sorry, Sans, you thought to yourself, before you gathered what little strength you had to do what you always did when things turned sour.

Your grabbed Chara’s hand and ran.

Chapter Text

When Sans teleported into Toriel’s living room, the world was quiet for him. He knew that he looked a mess, blood splattered across his front, the sockets in his face seemingly unable to stop flickering between darkness and the bright blue flame tinged with yellow. His hands kept clenching and unclenching, and he was twitching like he just stuck his fingers into an electrical outlet.

People were shouting, but all he could focus on was his brother. Papyrus sat on the floor with Frisk, action figures in hand and his browbone knitted in confusion and worry. He was safe. Unharmed.

Thank god, she-no, they-hadn’t gotten to him yet.

The betrayal sat so deeply, shaking him to his core. It hurt, more than any physical harm ever could. Almost as if he was caught in a desperate trance, he stumbled forward, grabbing his brothers arm to make sure that he was really there and alright. And if he knocked over the couch table in the process, he really didn’t care. All that mattered was that his brother was safe and kept away from any sharp bladed objects.

“BROTHER? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? IS THAT…BLOOD?” Papyrus’ voice was the first thing that finally managed to get through to he and he took a shuddering breath. “SANS, WHERE IS THE HUMAN?” apprehension was in Paps’ voice.

“I-We were at Grillby’s. On our way back… Someone attacked her. She-They called him Steevie.” Suddenly, Frisks eyes gut huge at the switch of pronouns and they stared at him with something in their face that he couldn’t read. “He shot her. Tried to shoot me too but Chara-that god damned demonic spawn of hell-“ The sunovabitch had saved his life. How dare they?

“Excuse me, are you telling me that Elaine got shot and you just left them?” Undyne growled. “What about the dude?”

“You don’t gotta worry about him anymore, he’s currently enjoying a trip to the Peruvian mountains” Sans huffed frustrated. “You aren’t listening to me though! Chara-“

“Sans, you need to calm down! Is this one of your Episodes again? Chara has been dead for twenty six years. Ask the queen. You are frantic.” The air around her simmered for a moment as if she was about to summon one of her spears. God, why weren’t they listening?

Infuriated, Sans grabbed his head with a groan. “Undyne, please, I know what I saw! The cursed thing stood right in front of me, clear as day. I could hear their voice. This was not a hallucination or anything. If it wasn’t them it wouldn’t have taken Elaine and- Oh god.” And just like that, the penny dropped for Sans. Horror rippled through him and snuffed out whatever light has forced its way through his body. A spear appeared in Undyne’s hands; her eye narrowed in caution. He only now realized that they had placed herself between him and the child.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I think Elaine is Chara.”

“C’mon, we’re almost there, just hold on a bit longer, buttercup” Chara was huffing from the added weight of your body on their body. They should not have been able to function in such a corporeal way, but it appeared that there were a lot of things that were happening that should not have.

You shivered, despite the warmth running down your front and everything blurring together into one, big, white blob.

There was a deep ache inside your chest that hurt so bad. Worse than anything you’ve ever felt, second only to that one time in the car where-

Suddenly, your face was stinging from the cold, as you face planted right into the snow, your knees being incapable of carrying you any further.

“Damn it, no, please, get up again. You can’t sleep now, you won’t wake up again. I don’t know how much longer I can keep your soul together. Wake up!” Desperation laced so deeply through Chara’s voice, that it threatened to break your own heart if it wasn’t just about to shatter anyways.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re dead anyways. He knows. And he’ll find us. I don’t even know why I tried anymore..” you just mumbled. Something warm dribbled from the side of your mouth but you didn’t have the energy to wipe it away. Your lashes fluttered as you heard them curse up a storm. A distant light illuminated the snow and even through the haze you saw a trail of red.

It was a perverse and cruel reminder of a red scarf in the snow, softly blowing in the wind.

Another shiver went down your spine. “’m sorry, Chara. I promised to keep you safe. Turns out I’m just as incapable as always.”

“Sans, your obsession with my child has to end.” Toriel gently whispered and a harsh growl left him.

“It is not an obsession. I know what happened. Even if nobody believes me.” The tension in the room was thick enough to cut. “I have to find them. I have to end this, once and for all.”

“Dude. I’m not letting you go on another senseless witch-hunt on an innocent human.” Undyne stepped in his way, her features harsh and steeled as he expected from the Captain.

“Undyne, Chara is no innocent human. I will not let them come here and hurt my family again”

“Chara is dead.”

“You are wrong” The two of them faced off, the air around them cackling like a thunderstorm. “They got you all fooled. God, they even told me that they are an actress, of course they are good at playing the part.”

“SANS. I UNDERSTAND YOU! BUT THE HUMAN IS PROBABLY VERY SCARED RIGHT NOW. THEY GOT SHOT SO THEY MUST BE IN A LOT OF PAIN. THEY ARE ALONE AND PROBABLY FRIGHTENED. THEY ARE HURTING. WE HAVE TO HELP THEM!”

“Say their name, bro.” Sans huffed. “Chara. They are the one behind all those resets that keep plaguing me. They are the one that went around all willy nilly killing everyone they could come across.”

“Chara is dead. I buried them myself. I have no idea what kind of resets are haunting you, but not in this lifetime. You have to let go of this silly notion” Toriel interjected softly. However, before Sans could even think about replying, he suddenly got backup from the one person he should have expected to be on his side from the beginning. They were the only other person that could possibly understand his pain.

No. Sans is right. Frisk signed, shoulders sagging.

The next time you opened your eyes, the darkness outside had already deepened. You didn’t know how much time had passed but it must have been at least a few hours. You tried to look around as calmly as possibly, not feeling as faint as you had before. Without moving an inch, just let your eyes roam over what looked like the hollowed inside of a decrepit, old department store. There was blood around where you were seated and a few utensils that you couldn’t make out under a lot of used up, dirty gauze. Huh. Lastly, your eyes landed on a broken mirror. Chara looked worse for wear, which surprised you. They were always so poised and put together, shoulders back and spine straightened but now, they seemed nothing short of frazzled.

“You almost died.” They whispered hoarsely and all words left you. “I had to take over your body for a while to be able to get you somewhere safe and get the bullet out and try to stop the bleeding.” Ah, that explained the blood and gauze. A short glance cast downwards revealed a crudely done job of trying to patch up your shoulder. The fabric was already stained red again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t do a very good job with the stitches. My hands were shaking a lot. It’s probably gonna scar and turn ugly.”

A disbelieving short laugh got stuck in your throat and came out as a curt wheeze. Of all the things, that was what they were worried again? Ugly scaring?

“None of that matters. Scars don’t matter as long as you are alive.”

“You mean we are alive?”

“I said what I said. I don’t matter. I never did.” Pain flashed across their face.

“Buttercup…”

“We don’t have a lot of time. We need to stay on the move. Thanks to my stupidity, Sans can find us wherever we go.” Groaning, you got up again, feeling faint hands grab you gently to help stabilizing you on your feet.

“Careful.” You smiled gently, feeling the dry skin on your lips crack.

Your eyes met Chara’s in the mirror, and they tried their best to put on a brave smile for you.

“You should rest. I can keep us safe for the time. You’ll need the energy” the reassured and you didn’t have it in you to fight them anymore, so you just nodded faintly. Darkness was already claiming the edges of your vision and your reflection turned back into itself, the phantom haunting you disappearing, ready to take control. “It’s okay. You can let go. I’ll keep you safe, no matter what.”

You believed them.

Surprised, Sans turned to face Frisk, who was stubbornly facing the carpet, refusing to meet his eyes and their tiny fists were balled up so hard that their knuckles turned white. Sans narrowed his eyes at the child, clicking his tongue.

“You know something. Spit it out!” he demanded but the child just shook their head.

“You are already spitting in the face of one of my children, Sans, I will not allow you to hound another one!” Toriel insisted, her usually soft fur bristling.

“Tori, look at them!” the skeleton tried to defend himself. They were just wasting time with this stupid argument. Who knew what that demon could do in the meantime? “They are obviously hiding something.” Toriel wanted to say something, but a tiny hand gently landed on her leg.

It doesn’t matter. Frisk signed with an expression he hadn’t seen on them above ground yet. We have to find them, Nothing else matters right now. They need our help.

Frustrated, Sans stared into Frisk’s dark eyes. Were they not on his side? Did they already forget what Chara had put them through? They had to understand what he was feeling right now.

“My child is right. We can’t waste any more time!”

Oh c’mon, are they kidding me!?

Your eyes snapped up both violently and abruptly and you took a shuddering breath that echoed loudly in the empty building. It was a different one this time, but you didn’t concern yourself with that.

All you could focus on was Chara’s desperate sobs, their hands disappearing inside your chest, and you felt them wrapped around your soul, as usually. This felt different though. Usually, Chara didn’t cry. And they didn’t beg you to stay with them, not to leave.

“It’s fine” you smiled at them; head turned ever so slightly. There was another ache inside you that felt like a crack and made Chara yelp. “It’s your turn now. I already cheated you out of it once. You should be happy” Confusion rippled across their face, hands gripping tighter.

“What do you mean?” You didn’t get to answer them anymore, as darkness claimed you once again.

Sans stayed with Undyne and Toriel, sending Frisk and Papyrus away with Alphys and Mettaton. They would be able to keep them safe and far, far away from any harm. Far. Away.

They appeared in the park and Toriel gasped at the blood in shock. Undyne didn’t seem too fazed, but that could just have been age old professionalism. She kneeled in the snow, her hand still grasping a spear. Good, they may need it soon.

They followed the trail to an old department store. The windows were already smashed, and graffiti plastered the walls on the inside. It was a good hiding spot, he had to admit it. Just a shame that they left a cherry red trail of sins behind them for them or any other predator to find.

He stepped over glass and a toppled over broken mirror to get to the back of it.

This time, even Undyne had to gasp the slightest bit. There was so much blood on the floor and even the walls. How did it get on the ceiling?

There was a pile of bloodied rags amidst a makeshift set of surgery equipment.

“No way. Did she… operate on herself?” A shudder went through him at the thought of Elaine having to cut out a bullet of her own shoulder and he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had no time to get sentimental.

Besides, the human he knew, was probably long gone or not even real to begin with, so he wouldn’t cry over it. Not now. Not ever. No matter how hard his own soul was crying out and twitching.

“Look a all of that blood! Toriel mumbled, kneeling next to the “surgery” station. “How are they still walking?”

A harsh slap across the face made you wake up with a start. You didn’t know your up from your down, nor left from right. Everything felt hazy and thick.

“Don’t you dare leave me. I am not letting you go now! I will hold your soul together, no matter if you are ready to give up or not! You will live. I refuse.”

You were too tired to fight, so you let darkness wash over you again.

“Where do we go now!” Toriel seemed frazzled and Undyne was pacing up and down, worrying her lip between sharp teeth. If she’d keep going, she’d grind it down to the bone.

Sans could do nothing but watch them from the distance. He could feel something inside him twitch pathetically again, towards the soon to be rising sun. The first rays already started to peak through and once more he had to thought of a warm smile and creamy skin and his soul twitched again, though weaker. The feeling felt stronger though, which was odd.

And then, suddenly, realisation slammed into him like an oncoming train.

He spun around, staring at the women with him, a slightly insane sparkle in his eyes.

“I know how to find her”

Home. This is what this felt like when you awoke. A hollowed, empty grave of what you used to consider home. It was almost cruel that Chara had lead you here, but it was a fitting place to spend your last moments at and a fitting place to be killed at.

It was here that Mercy had put orange juice onto the scrape on your knee to disinfect it when you fell, riding your bicycle at like six years old.

It was here that your parents kissed hello and goodbye almost every day. A relationship like they had was envied by most people that came across them.

It was here, that you’ve made the decision to sell your soul to the literal devil upon waking up alone-or so you had thought.

Maybe you should have been grateful instead, you pondered, staring at Chara in the window. The sun was rising, and it was a beautiful spectacle. One you’d probably never see again.

“I am tired, Chara…” you whispered, and your reflection sighed slightly. “So tired.”

I know. I am tired too. You nodded, knowingly. If you concentrated hard enough, you could feel your soul twitch and whine and rave pathetically, but you had to ignore it.

So the two of you just sat there, watching the sunrise.

Waiting.

Sans stood in front of an old house on the outskirts of town. Next to the letterbox was an array of dried out flowers and burnt down candles, like one of the markers he had seen on roads where car accidents had happened. The house itself was inconspicuous. Almost bland in its appearance. Two stories, faded, white paint on the outside and a cliché, red shingled roof. It even had a white picket fence. It somewhat reminded him of the house he had with his brother when they still lived underground.

“Are you sure that this is it?” Undyne seemed unsure. Taking a deep breath, Sans tried to focus on the pull his soul experienced.

“Yeah. Points right at this one.” He ground out, stomping towards the front door. It was leaned against the frame and opened with the slightest push.

“Sans, wait!” she called after him, catching up quickly. Which wasn’t too hard, as he stopped right in his track after a few steps. His soul gave a sharp twist upon seeing the small figure curled up on the floor of what he thought must have been the living room, head cushioned under the arm that wasn’t covered in a heap of dirty rags. Their face was turned towards the ceiling to floor windows on the side, empty, glazed over eyes watching the rising sun.

Their chest was barely rising and falling and the pale skin ashen. If he didn’t know better, he could have mistaken them for dead.

He did know better though, which didn’t stop him from worrying for a split second upon seeing the pathetic form. Was this really the same person that managed to wipe out the entire underground?

He hadn’t even realised that he took a shaky step towards them until Toriel grabbed his arm, hissing lowly. “You take another step towards them to cause more harm and I will personally charr your bones, Sans.”

“You don’t know what we are dealing with. They could go for our necks any moment” he hissed back.

A light chuckle came from the human on the floor, their voice oh so differently than he was used to. Gone was the gentle warmth to it, the slight yet endearing accent he wasn’t really able to place, and the teasing edge it always had practically wiped. No, this one was hard and stern, every word perfectly enunciated and cold. Red eyes shifted from the sun to them, and a shiver ran down his spine. Even their eyes were harder, colder. Next to him, Undyne’s spear cluttered to the floor in a loud bang before dissipating.

“No need to worry, I’m not gonna fight any of you” they replied coldly. “I’m too tired for it and I have better things to do. I can barely keep her heart from stopping and her soul from shattering. You have nothing to fear.” He didn’t understand what they were saying. None of it made sense. “Besides, she’d kick my ass if she found out later. Horribly attached, that girl” Sans bristled at the words, and he felt Undyne’s hand wrap around his, if in warning or support, he did not know.

“Is she even still in there? Or are you just completely possessing her like you did with Frisk?” Another snort left their mouth, but he did not miss the tear rolling down their face. Groaning, they did their best to sit up. None of them moved and from the looks of it, the act alone took a considerable amount of energy.

“You still don’t get it, do you? There is no her just like there is no me. There’s just… us. We just are. No possession or anything.”

“You’re making no sense.” The grip on his hand tightened considerably, holding him back.

“And you’re supposed to be the smart one.” Chara rolled their eyes, opening their mouth to keep talking as their body suddenly seized up in a painful looking cramp.

“My child..” the queen mumbled with a shaky voice; her hands pressed to her face to keep back the sobs. “How’s this possible. I saw you and your brother die. I grieved for you. I buried you.” Deep red eyes met hers and another shiver wrecked their body.

“Mom…” the demon whispered. “She’s dying. Please, it’s not her fault. Help her”

Yet another cramp wrecked their body, making them double over. They were gritting their teeth to keep the pained noises in, though not quite as successfully as they thought. The next time they looked up, something changed.

Huge, warm eyes stared up at them instead of the hard ones and a whimper came over their-her? Was this his human now or still the demon inside of her?-lips and she tried to crawl away.

“Fuck!” the accent was back too. “Shit, no, get away from me” Sans was sure that this was who he knew before and another painful jolt hit his soul, making him gasp. “Need to run… Need to.. protect.” Her eyes fluttered slightly, and a semi translucent hand came to rest on her back as the incorporeal form of Chara kneeled behind her, a sad smile on their face as they hushed Elaine quietly.

“Shhht, it’s fine buttercup. Don’t move. Moving’s bad.”

“But-“

“They’re gonna help us”

“They’re gonna kill us.” She wobbled slightly and a drop of blood fell from her nose.

“Oh for gods sake” Undyne growled, dropping Sans hand, and stalking over to the rather pathetic form and dropping to her knees on the other side of where Chara was currently at. They gave the fish monster a look that could almost be counted as grateful, if Sans wasn’t so sure that this thing wasn’t even capable of forming emotions. “Come here, pipsqueak”

“Undyne…” Elaine whispered. “I’m sorry, I never meant-“

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. You’ll be okay” her eyelashes fluttered again, and she sagged against the blue, scaley chest and Chara let out a cut off swear, scrambling over, before they disappeared.

With a lout inhale, they opened up their eyes again. Anger flared inside of Sans as he saw how easily they possessed the humans body.

“Shit, no, c’mon, wake up again.” They mumbled, pressing their hand over their eyes.

“Stop it.” The skeleton growled and Chara glared at him. “Stop possessing her.”

“If you think I like doing this, you really must be stupid. They are dying and I am the only thing that keeps them alive. So shut up. I’m not possessing anyone. That’s what ghosts do and if you remember, those need a soul. I don’t have one of those, so I’m-“

“A bloodhungry little leech of a demon?” Sans fired back, enjoying the angry red rise to their cheeks.

“She has nothing to fear from me, unlike you. If it wasn’t for your escort here, you wouldn’t have even waited for a second before striking. Who’s the one causing her harm now, huh, comedian?” They spat at him, and Sans flinched, as if struck before taking a step closer, growling.

“I should have murdered you when I still had the chance. Burn every last bit of you out of Frisks body, you godforsaken, little-“ Chara squeezed their eyes shut, groaning lightly before suddenly going rigid and a different set of red eyes suddenly glared at him, burning with rage and hatred he couldn’t understand.

“That is enough!” Elaine growled and Sans felt a sharp pain inside of his chest. “Chara has done nothing wrong, and I will not stand for the slander for one more second. If you wish to blame someone, blame me, Sans.”

“Are you at fault for their actions in the underground too? Every time they murdered everyone I loved and knew just because they could? Because it was fun?”

“Oh god, Sans, not again!” Undyne groaned. “We talked about this. None of that ever happened. What are you babbling on about?”

“None of that was their fault either” Elaine ignored Undyne, who snapped over to stare at them incredulous too. “You all forgave Asriel so easily when he stole everyone’s soul and tortured Frisk because he was without a soul, but for Chara it suddenly is an unforgivable deed, even when they made sure to erase every timeline in happened in!”

“Buttercup, don’t…” Chara murmured behind her, but she whipped around to glare at them.

“No, you are going to shut up as well. I had to listen to you beating up yourself for the better part of five years now as well. You are not evil.”

“You have no right.” Sans growled taking a step towards her and she retaliated by trying to get on her own, rather wobbly feet. “You have no idea what they have or haven’t done. You haven’t been there. You don’t remember because nobody does but I do. I remember every time I had to watch Papyrus get murdered and Undyne sacrifice herself, so others had a chance. You jump to their defence so easily when you have no idea what sins they carry. But I have to live with that knowledge every day. Every time I go to bed, I am forced to live through it again and think I am insane because nobody else remembers but I do. So don’t tell me that my anger isn’t justified. You have no right.”

“Sans, stop. We can still discuss this when the human isn’t currently dying!” Toriel tried to interject, but the damage was already done. He stared into Elaine’s eyes, his hands clenched, and jaw squared in anger. He knew that his left eye was flared up again, illuminating her face from across him, which was twisted with just as much rage.

“It’s a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. . . On days like these, kids like you. . . Should be burning in hell.” A cold smile flashed across her face as she leaned in, voice dropping dangerously quiet, but it was enough to send a shiver down his spine. His magic almost forcibly snuffed out from the shock of having his own words thrown into his face.

“Sans, what is she talking about?” Undyne demanded, but judging from the expression on her face, she already knew. Despite all of that, the human kept going, adding insult to injury, even when more blood started to drip down her face.

“Listen. I know you didn't answer me before, but. . . Somewhere in there. I can feel it. There's a glimmer of a good person inside of you. The memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. Someone who, in another time, might have even been. . . A friend? C'mon, buddy. Do you remember me? Please, if you're listening. . . Let's forget all this, ok?  Just lay down your weapon, and . . .”

“That is enough!” Chara had stepped in between the two of them, grasping Elaine’s cheeks harshly. “We talked about this. Don’t go down that path again, it is not good for you. You are going to lose yourself again. I can only do so much, but I will not be able to bring you back from this too.”

Elaine gave Chara a soft smile, putting her hand over theirs.

“Since when?” Sans asked quietly, something more than anger and betrayal laced through his voice.

“What?” she huffed.

“I asked since when you remember!” he roared, making everyone in the room except the human flinch. Instead, she just took a deep breath.

“The night Hugh attacked me, something inside me snapped. Chara’s been there even longer than that, but pretty much dormant. They woke up that night and from then on, I started to.. remember things. After we had our fight in the woods, I suddenly had to deal with two complete sets of memories. That’s why I’ve been so distant as well. I knew you’d kill me when you found out. It was just a matter of time.”  

“So you know that they are a killer and yet you still chose to protect them?” he asked, stunned by this. Elaine cocked her head at him, her brows twitching slightly.

“So are you.” She answered him bluntly and once again, her words hurt more than if she would have lashed out physically. “Or Undyne. Or Asgore, really. You have all done things that aren’t pretty. But I know Chara. I know their pain and their suffering and… and how much they had to struggle. I have felt their feelings.
Felt them wish for death when they jumped down that mountain because everything was better than their father catch them again. Not after what he had done to their mother. I felt their pain when they broke both legs after the fall and the even bigger pain of still being alive. Felt the guilt when Toriel planted the flowerbed afterwards so it won’t happen to the next human that would fall.
I felt their hurt over the misery humans caused them and the pain of dying, having their soul ripped out of their chest and being reduced to nothing but lingering anger and pain. I have felt them die every time you made them. I know them and you never will.
And they are still dead. Like all those tiny little humans in their tiny little coffins that you still hide away under the castle because you can’t look your own sins into the face. I know what it took for you to break the barrier. They are all dead. And you are alive. All of you.”

Toriel gasped loudly and Undyne looked like she was about to vomit.

“You say I have no right, but Sans, I alone hold the right. I do not judge or condemn for what you have done. I do not judge Chara. And I certainly won’t let you get rid of them. I will not give up on them. Everyone, their entire existence has given up on them. Even Asriel called them a bad person, and that shit really hurt. But I will not. I will not let this happen anymore.
If I have to give my life to keep them safe, then so be it. They have saved my life more times than you could imagine, no matter what they have been through, they showed me nothing but kindness. They were the one that were always there for me when I was completely alone. I’ve lost my family once already, and I am not going to let it happen again.”

“Elaine..” he whispered and more red covered her cheeks.

“I told you not to call me that!” she hissed. “You just think that I am some tiny, fragile, stupid human that just happened to get stuck with a very powerful being because you assume. You think you are so smart, but really, you are just like a bag full of other bags.” Confused he blinked at her. “Full of yourself.”

Shaking her head slowly, she continued on. “I can promise you; you have nothing to fear from Chara. I am the one you should be afraid of. Because if you want to hurt them, you will have to go through me first. And I won’t lose. I am more than determined to keep them save. If you make me chose between you and them, you won’t win this. You can’t. I will make it my job to keep them as far away from you as possible.”

Her breathing evened out a bit more and her stance became steadier like she was pushing the pain away. It reminded him of Frisk, using their determination to keep them going.

“For someone so smart, I really thought you’d be able to think a bit more. If either of us had wanted you dead, you would be. But you aren’t. None of you are, even if there was ample opportunity. No, but instead I tried my very best to keep you save and happy. This however crosses the line. If you are trying to get rid of them, you might as well get rid of me. Because I won’t lose the one person that stayed with me through it all. I’d rather be dead. I’d rather go back to the void and face who is waiting for me there. I’d rather go back to Hugh!” she spat in his face and Sans gripped his chest from the pain.

“Asra.” Chara softly interjected and the human flinched harshly. She was still breathing heavily, even when they placed one translucent hand on her chest right over their soul. “You need to stop. Your soul is burning up with determination. It can’t handle it; it’ll break if you keep going” Shivering, she took the hand from Chara, smiling gently.

“If I have to burn for you, I’ll burn gladly.” More blood kept dripping from her

“Wait.” Undyne interrupted, asking the question that burned on everyone’s tongue. “Who’s Asra?”

The answer, however, would have to wait as suddenly, the front door slammed open, showing a distraught and frazzled Mettaton.

“What are you doing here?” The human asked, clearly taken aback.

“Alphys texted me, she was in contact with Undyne!” Sans shot said a deadly glare, but she just shrugged innocently.

“She’s my girlfriend, what did you expect?” she tried to defend herself. The robot didn’t seem to be concerned with any of that and instead marched up into the living room, his long strides helping to cross the distance in no time. Before Sans had time to interject, he swooped the human up in a tight hug, sinking to the floor with them.

“I have been so worried about you!” the oversized tincan muttered, nodding towards Chara. “I guess this is your good reason?”

“I’m sorry, Metta!” she mumbled.

“Hey, Optimus Prime, I’d step back a bit, or you might get stabbed” Sans tried to warn but instead was punished with a searingly hot stare of anger.

“I don’t care, Sans. All I'm concerned about is that my friend is hurt and that they are safe now.” Huffing, he pressed his lips into a thin line. “What is wrong with you, that you aren’t?”

Chapter Text

Three days.

You’ve locked yourself into the lavish guest room Mettaton had provided you with for three days at this point now. You had no interest-or strength, really-to leave the four walls at the moment, seeing it as somewhat of a safe haven for you as you tried your best to make sense of your head. Your shoulder was still aching, and you’d probably have to take the antibiotics Cam brought you to starve off any infection-curtesy of using some less than sterile bandages-but at least there wouldn’t be any lasting damage. Just the ugly scaring you were promised. At least the Monster food and some healing magic from Toriel, you were ordered to accept, helped knitting your skin back together quicker than it would have on its own.

Sometimes, people would come in and try to get you to talk, but you didn’t have any interest in holding a conversation either. If there was anything important, they could talk to Chara, who was still hovering protectively around you.

Sans was the only one that hadn’t visited yet, but maybe that was for the best.

Just thinking about him made you wanna throw something and at the same time burst out in tears. And yet, you couldn’t stop the thoughts in your head. Once again, you cursed your horrid ex. You were broken up and yet he still managed to ruin everything in your life. Would you ever be completely free of his control over you?

If he hadn’t sent his flying monkey again, would you be with Sans right now? For a moment, you imagined being curled up on the couch and watching a horrible movie. He would enjoy the Ace Attorney one, it was awful, nonsensical humour and probably one of your favourites of all time. He would laugh at Nick being a silly goose and get annoyed over the updated autopsy report like everyone and you’d steal some glances at him from the side with a gentle smile, before you’d press a kiss against his cheek and-

And a gentle hand caught one of the tears that managed to slip out. Chara was crouched in front of the bed, their eyebrows slightly knit together. You could see in their face that they hated seeing you like this. You were almost tempted to swallow it back down and give them a reassuring smile, but decided against it. They could feel the pain in your chest, the hollow ache of heartbreak and the even deeper seething anger.

“I’m sorry” they whispered, even though the room was all yours. You answered with a half-heartedly, short shrug of one shoulder, your fingers curling harder into the soft blue fabric you had grasped between your fingers, not lowering the needle and thread.

A hesitant knock on the door made both of you look before Chara walked over and right through it to check who it was. The advantages of not having a body, I guess…

A moment later the door opened again, and Frisk came in, carrying a laptop that was probably way too big for them. It was kinda cute to see and you couldn’t help but give them a shy smile as you pet the bed next to you. Grinning, they threw the laptop on the bed before climbing up to join you.

“Whatcha got there, little one?” Your voice was a bit hoarse, and you had to clear your throat.

Stole TonTons laptop so we can watch Bones.

“What, couldn’t find anyone else to sit through 246 hours of gruesome crime?” you joked with them as they snuggled in tightly, wiggling their tiny toes under the blanket. It made you shriek a bit when the little icicles grazed your shins and you nudged them good-heartedly.

No, I’m pretty sure Alphys has watched it, She’s seen everything. And I think TonTon guest starred on Season 12. The kid shrugged, seemingly unaffected. I just missed hanging out with you.

“Awww, you do care me” you said with moist eyes and a bit of a scratchy voice. The kid just grinned at you over the meme reference.

Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?

“Because she still thinks that everyone is mad at her.” Chara rolled their eyes before sitting on the bed with the two of you, legs crossed under them.

That’s stupid. Frisk crinkled their nose I’m not mad at you. Mom’s upset with Chara, but only because they didn’t say hi, but that’s just her being a mom.

“You’re a good kid” you mumbled before pulling the laptop closer, opening it up. It already had the series pulled up and seeing Sans’ name up in the corner under profiles made your heart sting again.

The kid must have noticed because they gave your knee a little pat.

Don’t worry about Uncle Sans. He’ll get over it. He knows you didn’t mean any harm. He has seen some bad stuff, so he’s angry right now. But he’ll come around. He’s not stupid.

“I’m not so sure. You saw just as much underground-don’t even deny it-and you don’t have a problem.”

T’was different for me. They shrugged. Chara was my friend. The way those two smiled at each other stole your breath away for a moment. It reminded you so much of you and Mercy when you were young, this kind of sibling relationship.

“He deserves better. All three of you did.” You snuggled a bit closer to the kid, pressing the spacebar to start the episode. You were quietly watching for several minutes, not trusting the contentment settling inside of you.

I missed this.

“So did I, little one.”

Sans was glowering on an uncomfortably stiff velvet sofa that was all aesthetics and zero comfort.

Anger had snuffed the lights from his sockets over the past few days and the fact that he knew that Undyne and the Toaster oven always kept an eye on him drove him insane. He wasn’t the one they should watch out for, he hadn’t murdered them in timelines past and he certainly wasn’t the one that kept lying to them since the day they’ve met.

They weren’t the ones developing feelings for said liar. They weren’t the ones that got betrayed just moments after kissing soft lips and getting lost in those eyes. They hadn’t laughed at the silly debates between them that never went anywhere except right to his heart and they weren’t the ones that still longed for the backstabbing traitor, even now.

So yeah, he had every right to sulk right now. And sulk he would.

Not even seeing his brother would lighten his mood. No, quite the opposite. He would have preferred if Papyrus would have stayed far, far away from the intangible form that haunted these floors.

Where were the ghostbusters when you needed them?

“SANS, ARE YOU STILL MOPING?” He gave a nondescriptive grunt and his brother sighed deeply. “YOU CAN’T BE ANGRY FOREVER”

“Watch me, bro” he grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“YOU CAN BE VERY STUBBORN SOMETIMES; DO YOU KNOW THAT?” he sighed dramatically. “HOLDING ON TO YOUR GRUDGES WON’T BE GOOD FOR YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HURT AND THAT IS OKAY. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BE HURT, BUT YOU SHOULDN’T ALLOW YOUR ANGER AND RAGE TO CONSUME YOU.”

“I’m not letting it consume me” It was a weak defence, and he knew it, but still couldn’t help it.

“YES, YOU ARE. I KNOW THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED UNDERGROUND AND THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THEM, BUT MAYBE YOU SHOULD. IF YOU CAN MANAGE TO GET OVER YOUR FRUSTRATION, I THINK YOU SHOULD GO AN TALK TO YOUR HUMAN FRIEND. YOU TWO SEEM TO SHARE EXPERIENCES. IT COULD HELP YOU TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN UNDERSTAND YOU, FOR ONCE.”

“Bro, I’m not gonna talk to them about my anger if they made me angry.”

“WELL, SOMETIMES IT’S BETTER TO RIP OFF THE BANDAID AND GET IT OVER WITH AND HAVE EVERYTHING OUT IN THE OPEN. IT MAY HURT NOW, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, IT’LL HELP YOU GROW AND BE BETTER.”

Who gave his sweet little baby brother the right to be so insightful and wise all of a sudden?

“IT MAY ALSO HELP THAT YOU STILL WANT TO SNOGG THE HUMAN!”

“Paps, buddy, don’t say that.” A blue blush dusted his cheeks and he cursed himself for a moment. “’s got nothing to do with anything.”

“OF COURSE IT DOES, BUT I HAVE FAR SUPERIOR DATING TECHNIQUES THAN YOU, SO I DON’T JUDGE YOU FOR NOT KNOWING!” Sans spluttered a bit, not sure to react, when a little “uh” interrupted them.

Whipping around on the sofa, he found himself staring at red eyes above even redder cheeks. The human in question looked like a deer caught in headlights, frozen mid step.

“Sorry, uh, Frisk wanted some snacks.” She tried to explain herself and something inside Sans was writhing at the broken little voice. “Don’t mind me please, I’ll-uh-leave”

“Sure” he scoffed. “Wouldn’t be anything new. More surprised to see you without the murderous brat”

The door loudly slammed behind you, the cold air stinging your cheeks as you stomped outside into Mettatons garden. It was right by the ocean and if you’d walk about yay miles that direction you’d probably end up by the beach.

Anger made your cheeks flush hotly instead of the shame you’ve experienced when you first stumbled upon Papyrus and his brother on the chaiselounge in the kitchen adjacent room. You didn’t have to look to know that Sans was following you hot on the heels, no, your traitorous little bitch of a soul was doing a fine enough job of screaming “hey hey hey, here he is, go, go and throw yourself at him” at you. Dumb cunt could go die in a hole and still wouldn’t get her way, not while the two of you were currently busy screaming at full volume at each other.  

“For the last time, I don’t care what you say about me, but keep Chara’s name out of your fucking mouth Sans!”

“Oh, sure, because it’s so easy to get over the fact that the backstabbing little muppet murdered my brother.” Angry, you turned on the spot and jammed your finger into his chest.

“You are the reason why God invented the middle finger!” you spat, and he replied with just as much venom.

“Oh, my bad, I thought I was talking to an adult”

“Why don’t you try again, I’ve been called worse by better men.” That made him recoil and you huffed with satisfaction before stomping away again.

Suddenly, you were yanked back by a surprisingly cold, skeletal hand around your wrist. You had to stifle a yelp that quickly turned into a pained moan as you slipped on the snow covered grass, having to use your second arm to keep your balance.

Where do you think you are going? We are not done here!” Sans hissed and you tried to break free of his grasp. Surprisingly, he actually let go of you like the sheer contact with you alone burned him to the core. He didn’t have to know that you were feeling exactly that, though the burn wasn’t fully anger.

“As far away from you as possible, obviously. I am done with this shit.” You snapped, your soul stinging at the words but you didn’t care much for it. If you had to choose between your own stupid desire to just fling yourself at him or Chara’s safety and wellbeing, you didn’t even need to think about it. Stupid, senseless-heh, Sansless-question, really.

“And you really think I’d let you off this quickly. Are you really this blunt or just naïve?”

“I may not be the sharpest knife in the Caesar, Mister five doctorates, but in case you haven’t managed you get your head out of your own arse, I am running away from you. And I am taking Chara with me, so you can stop being afraid that I’ll slay whatever hopes or dreams you’ve made up in that little coconut head of yours. And if I have to cross the entire country to get you off of my ass.” Tears were building up in your eyes, ready to spill over.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

“All I wanted was to just live in peace but since that is apparently out of the question, I am going to take Chara as far away from here as possible, so no one can hurt them ever again. Not you, not Hugh and his minions, no weird ass prejudiced humans.” Once again you were screaming on top of your lungs. You’d have to send an apology letter to Mettaton and pay for his fine for disturbing the peace. You were just glad that his house was pretty secluded with top of the line security, or else the press would have a field day with this. No, that would have been a PR nightmare that you were not ready to deal with.

“Can you really fault me for not trusting you?” the skeleton growled. “Every word out of your mouth has been a lie as far as I know! I don’t even know what your name is! Was any of it real?” There was something else in his tone besides the anger. Maybe desperation. “Or was it all just a deception? Every time you joked with me or were nice to Papyrus or spent time with the kid or the girls, were you really just lying?” He took another step forward and suddenly he was so close, that it took your breath away. You inhaled deeply and had to ball your hands into fists, to stop yourself from reaching out to him. “When you kissed me, was that just a cruel ploy to get what-“

The sound of the slap across his face echoed across the perfectly cultivated garden, ringing in your ears. Sans seemed stunned, though you weren’t sure if it was from the action or the tears that fell from your face. You didn’t slap him hard enough to do any damage, still mindful of his low HP but your hand had moved before you could have stopped it.

Almost numbly, he reached up to touch his face and you could feel something else drip from your face that was considerably hotter than just the tears that kept running like a faucet.

“I hate you” you breathed out, nothing but pain in your voice.

“I hate you” The second the words left her lips; the human took a shuddering breath before promptly collapsing like a puppet that had its strings cut. Instinctively, he caught her crumpled form in his arms, panic griping his soul harshly.

“Shit.” He cursed, slightly slapping her cheeks to see if she would react, but no movement was to be seen except for some shallow little breaths. Grinding his teeth, he realised that his own soul was writhing in agony right now. “Hey, wake up, please. Please, I didn’t mean it.” he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. He was just so angry, wilfully lashing out like a wild animal blinded by rage.

“What did you do, you idiot!?” Chara roared, storming right through the door and towards him, getting right up in his face.

Almost an hour later, he entered the room he was staying in, still numb. The human was still passed out, though asleep. She had looked so small and frail, nothing like the vision of fury he had encountered in the garden, and it was his fault. He knew that her soul was fragile and with every passing fight, it would cause her physical harm. And yet he still insisted on continuing this pathetic display.

He glanced around the room and when his eyes fell onto the bed, a strange noise left his mouth as he saw his jacket there. The same blue jacket with the soft fur he had draped around her when she had started to shiver on their way home. He hadn’t expected to see it again, assuming that she would have thrown it out but there it was.

His steps were hesitant and his fingers shaking as he grabbed it. It smelled like soap and hydrogen peroxide. It was surprisingly clean, which stunned him. There was a good amount of blood on it before so it must have taken a good scrubbing to get all of it out.

There should have been a hole in the front where the bullet must have ripped it but instead he just found a little embroidered patch there. The likeness of one of his gasterblasters was rather cute, surrounded by a bunch of 3d flowers, that made it look graceful and vintage.

Mettaton must have borrowed her some thread to keep her busy.

Clearly this was supposed to be a peace offering she had snuck in before everything; before he went and had to pick another fight.

Papyrus was right, he had to get over himself.  

Chapter Text

The blinds in the room were drawn, filtering out some of the light that tried to creep in. Chara was sitting on the bed, eyes glued upon the sleeping form of their human companion, never leaving her. Said human in question was bundled and curled up, making her appear even smaller than normally. The skin on her face was ashen and there was still a bit of crusted blood on her nose. Like this, the constellations of white on her skin almost completely vanished. Even her lips seemed fale and colourless. At least her breaths had started to even out by now.

A strand of hair fell into her face, slightly moving when it was caught in the faint breath. Gently and with a sad smile on their face, Chara brushed it away, their hand lingering on her cheek.

“Have you come to finish what you’ve set out to do?” Chara asked into the room and Sans took a step out of the corner dipped in darkness that he had lurked in. His hands were buried in the pockets of his jacket, the newly added weight of threaded flowers weighing hard on his consciousness.

“No” he shook his head, sighing slightly. “I just want the truth.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Sans.”

They didn’t have to tell him, he was well aware of that. But he had to at least try to make sense of everything that he didn’t understand.
He hated Chara, with every fibre of his being and he hated her for choosing the demon over everyone else, protecting them, even though it brought upon her own ruin. He just wanted to keep his friends and family protected and yet, people were mad at him for it. The microwave just about banned him from his house for his admitably shitty behaviour. It was like they all knew something he was too blind to see.

And yet, now that he had watched Chara cry over her motionless form, he was confused. They weren’t supposed to be able to feel. They were an emotionless killer but here they were, grieving over someone else’s pain. They cared about her, protected her, spilled tears for her.

This wasn’t the Chara he knew, and it was messing with him.

And on the other side, the human still showed signs of the person he had known before. Almost aggressively taking care of Frisk, coddling Papyrus, and making sure to keep any swears away from his delicate ears, sassing Sans yet sharing shy smiles.

You can see how it would mess with a guy’s brain to find out that he didn’t know the person he thought he did but the one he thought to be nothing, but a lie was still there.

“Why her?” he questioned, and he could see Chara’s back stiffen-even more so than their usual, rigid posture.

“What are you talking about?”

“Why did you choose her? You stuck with Frisk the entire way through the underground and there are literally 7,953,952,567 people in the world you could have chosen. So why her?”

“I didn’t… choose. It just happened. I think” they explained, jutting their chin towards her. She made a tiny noise and curled up further, as if she had a bad dream. Sans didn’t press further, instead waiting for them to continue on their own. “When Frisk crossed the barrier to face Asriel and free monsterkind, they severed the connection between us. Frisk and I were partners. Friends even, but I’ve never been tethered to them. So when they crossed over, it left me someplace… dark. It was suffocating almost.” They shivered.
“On the other hand, for the first time since I have lost my soul, I could… feel again, instead of just being a narrator for everyone else’s emotions. It was quite the jarring experience. It took me a while of just laying there and sorting through emotions. I remember…” their face scrunched up like they were trying to dig up some lost memories. “I remember her face, smiling at me. She said something I couldn’t understand back then. And… someone else. From that point on, it’s all a blur. The next thing I remember is being in a hospital.”
Sans bristled, frowning at them. The void seemed to have the memory loss effect on both of them, but it was weird that they seemed to remember, up until the moment they met someone. He didn’t have any proof, but a hypothesis was forming in his head.

“What happened then?”

“It was like dreaming. Where you are watching a movie run and you can’t do anything, except maybe whisper some words. I was helpless when I watched her suffer through the news of her family’s passing and it killed me, when she walked into her home, just to encounter… him. I’ve hated the slimy little prick since day one and I begged her not to take the deal, but it was like talking to a wall. Her pain and grief was shielding her from the outside world, so I had to watch her go into his house, knowing fully well that she may not come out again.”
 They gave him a wiry smile. “Evil recognises evil, you would say. Over time, when he started hitting her, some of my words managed to get through to her, but she mustn’t have realised that it was more than just her inner monologue. And then came the day where she stepped into the bathroom with the broken mirror in hand and I was screaming and shouting and banging against the walls she had built around herself while I had to watch her bleed out slowly. And suddenly-I was in control. I patched up her wounds and took care of her body as well as I could and for a few days, I wasn’t sure if she would come back or not.
She did, of course, and was none the wiser that I was the one that made sure that she didn’t bleed out on the floor. After that… communication started to get… easier. She could see glimpses of me in mirrors. And after she stumbled upon Frisk I kinda made sure to keep her close. I knew that you were strong and could keep watch over her.”

“So what? You haunt her? Do I call an exorcist for that? The pope? Jesus? And old lady with some pots and pans?”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“Explain” He demanded, and Chara sighed deeply, before putting a hand on the human’s chest. As they pulled it away, a shudder went through him, though not as painful. A small sigh came over her lips, before she settled in again and Sans stared at the pitch black soul in the demon’s hands, blue veins like on a marble slab fading in and out, mirroring his own soul. “You shouldn’t be able to do that. It hurts her to draw her soul out”

“It hurts because you are doing it. Works just fine when one of us does it”

“Why is it black? I know, the blue is me, but what about the rest of it?”

“I don’t know. It used to be red. I remember it being red before… this.”

“Then why isn’t it now?”

“Look closer” they offered, and almost hesitantly, he leaned in closer. At first glance, it seemed like nothing changed. He kept looking though and when he squinted, he couldn’t help but to think that the blue lines on the dark surface followed a deeper pattern, almost like-

“It’s shattered” he gasped, a shudder running through him. Chara gave him a sad smile, cradling the fragile heart closer. “What happened.”

“Escaping the void is almost impossible, no matter what you do. She thinks that we were stuck there because she was just… lacking the will to live and I didn’t have a soul. So if we tried together.” Another small headshake, like there was more but they couldn’t grasp it. He knew the feeling all too well. “It didn’t work. Her soul shattered in the process, but I reached out and-“ they made a gesture like they were squeezing something.

“You’re holding it together. That’s why you keep saying that you are holding it together. That wasn’t a bullshit metaphor, you are literally holding her soul together. That’s the black. It’s black magic.”

Black magic was one of the oldest forms of soul magic, like his blue one. He read about it once and he was sure that he knew of someone that could do it, but not anymore. The knowledge was lost to time now.

“No, the black isn’t me.” Chara shook their head, frowning slightly. “It’s been like that since we left the void, just like her stats, but I have nothing to do with that. I never had magic. Still don’t. But yes, I am keeping her soul together. That’s what’s binding us together.” Humming slightly, Sans leaned in closer again, staring at the almost void like heart.

“It looks like my magic is seeping into the cracks. Could it fix her?”

“And get rid of me?” Chara shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. You are the soul pro here. I can only tell you what I know about what’s happening right now.” And she wouldn’t want that anyways. The unsaid words hung heavily in the room and Sans set his jaws tightly. She had made it very clearly that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, that her sole purpose was to keep the hellspawn happy and content. No matter who would get hurt in the process, lest of all her.

A nasty little voice at the back of his head whispered to him, that she only liked him for his strength. His ability to keep them protected. See where that got her. Another, slightly bigger part of him remembered the hurt of being slapped and the pain in those red eyes.

“I know what you are thinking”

“What, you a mind reader as well?” He rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets.

“No, you just have a very expressionate face for someone with no features.” They gave him a crooked, slightly contempt smile while still cradling the delicate little soul like it was a child. One could almost asume that there was a glimmer of parental care in the little smile. “She didn’t lie to you. The only lies she told were the ones concerning me, and her name. That one’s my fault too though. Everything else has been real. I don’t know why she would have the hots for someone like you, trust me, I do not agree with that one and I would never put her up to that, but none of that was fake. Besides, you have all the proof you need.” They jutted their chin towards his chest and back to the soul.

“What, the- the bonding thing?”

“Mhm.” They hummed. “It wouldn’t have worked if there wasn’t at least a little bit of attraction there. That thing is nothing that could be faked.”

“How would you know?”

“I read the book? Well. We did. It says so on the third paragraph, how did you-woah!” Suddenly, he was right up in their face, and they protectively curled around the soul. “What’s up with you?”

“You can read that?” he demanded, and they knitted their eyebrows.

“Yes, of course”

“How.” He insisted with a bit more force and they opened their mouth to answer, before snapping it shut again. Genuine confusion knitted their brows together.

“I-uh-I don’t know. I can’t remember. Maybe Mom made me learn it. She had a-uhm-“ They paused, pressing their lips together in a thin line. “She was keen on me learning a lot of languages. Ree was better at that, though. That must be it, yeah” they insisted vehemently.

“Fine.” Sans clicked his tongue, stepping back a bit. “Do you know why it worked? Because it really shouldn’t have. A human soul wasn’t made for it, by all means, it should have shattered right then and there. Or was that you as well?” A sudden intrusive thought crossed his mind. “I’m not bonded to you, aren’t I?”

“Oh, ew, no!” they fake gagged. “Yuck!”

“Right back atcha.” He shuddered, trying to shake the feeling. “So it’s just you holding it back from breaking ?”

“Yes.” They answered way too quickly, and he narrowed his eyes at the ethereal form. They refused to meet his eyes, worrying their lip between their teeth.

“You are lying.” Sans hissed, and a guilty flush crept up their cheeks. They stayed stubbornly silent though. “What are you hiding from me?”

“I’m not hiding it from you!” they hissed before their eyes went wide and they slapped a hand over their mouth. Taken aback, Sans regarded them closely, before his eyes wandered over to the sleeping form, still undisturbed in bed.

“You’re hiding it from her. She doesn’t know.”

“You can never tell her, Sans. If you want the truth, I need you to swear that you won't tell her. If you can't do that, I'll make sure that you'll die stupid. Well, stupider”

“Why?”

“It would kill her. She already thinks that she has no right to still be here and if she knew, it would absolutely destroy her. You cannot tell a single soul.” They hissed, grimacing.  

“Why should I trust you?” He questioned apprehensively. “Why would you trust me?”

“Because you love her.” Chara stated as a matter of fact, not even caring that it made him recoil. “Or you want to, at least. You are angry with her right now, and that’s more than fair, but deep down, you still want her. And I can’t change that. BUt just like me, you care deeply for her, so you wouldn't hurt her like this." 

He didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just stared blankly. They held out their free hand for him like they expected him to grab it.

“Promise me.” Contemplating, he mulled it over before grabbing it. He half expected his hand to go right through it, but it was surprisingly solid for someone not there. Nothing real, but somewhat tangible. Like grabbing water or mist. It felt weird.

“Fine.” He relented and Chara seemed satisfied with that.

“Do you know what happened September 20^th twenty six years ago?”

“Uh, yeah? Every monster knows the story. That’s the day you and the prince crossed the barrier during the fall equinox and died. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“It’s her birthday” They gave him a wiry, thin lipped smile, just staring at him for the solid minute it took him to connect the dots.

But boy oh boy, once the penny dropped, it ripped the floor out from underneath.

“No” he whispered, not quite believing it. “No way.”

“I’ve done a lot of things wrong in my life, as short as it may have been. And even more so after I died. I inflicted so much pain on others, gained more LOVE than you could imagine and eventually lost myself to the darkness within. But when I was still alive, there must have been something good inside me. Something that Asriel and my Parents must have seen, even when I couldn’t. That part of me has been lost together with my soul. From the moment I ate those flowers, I brought so much pain to those around me. Most of all Ree. I never intended for him to die as well, I just wanted to give him the chance to get the six souls and break the barrier. But of course, humans did what they always do. Now, both of us may have died that day, but we didn’t... disappear. Though soulless, both of us still managed to linger on. The soul we crated together, a human and a boss monster, hadn’t shattered. That thing was durable, I'm telling you.”

Smiling softly, they smoothed out some frown lines from the human’s forehead, getting her to relax more into the pillows.

“Did Frisk tell you the story of how she was named?” Chara didn’t wait for an answer, but it wasn’t like Sans was really capable of picking his jaw up from the floor right now. “She came too soon and ended up dying, strangling herself with her own umbilical cord. Her mother begged and cried to give her her daughter back and when the miracle finally happened, and a little bright red soul filled the empty space left behind at the right moment, her mother took one glance at her and knew what her name would be.”

Of course. Of course Chara wouldn’t get tethered to just any random soul. And it finally made sense that they would have met in the void. The one place someone with neither human nor monster soul could end up. And of course, Chara would land there, looking for a piece of what they had once lost. Now the somewhat parental feeling of some of the glances made sense too.

“She survived all this magic crap because he has magic. Her soul is magic. How could it not be. It's half monster.”

“I always thought Asra was a way better name than Chariel anyways”

You were standing in the throne room of the Castle in New Home. Grass covered the floor and moss and ivy snaked their way up the many columns. There were flowers, little yellow ones. Buttercups, like Chara always called you. Distantly, you remembered that the little seeds covered Asriel’s robe as he staggered back into castle, body already halfway gone and clutching the motionless corpse of his sibling and when he collapsed, they would spread all over the garden along with his dust.

It was quiet, not even a bird was singing. The silence was eerily frightening, sending shivers down your arms. At the far end, you could see someone kneel in front of an old memorial, hands clasped together. The backlight prevented you from making out any concernable features, just a vague silhouette. Looking around, you noticed that there was a slightly dusty trail leading from the figure back into Justice Hall and you wanted to jump away. However, you felt yourself almost rooted in place, unable to step away from where you were this exact moment.

Bile was rising in your stomach, and you started shaking. Desperately trying to calm yourself, you tried to clutch your hands just to find out that you didn’t have any. In fact, you didn’t have a body at all. It was like you just existed as a spectre, forced to watch. It was a vile feeling, not even gonna lie and in retrospect, that should have been your first warning.

The figure in front of the memorial shifted, getting their legs underneath them to rise. Still, you couldn’t make out anything due to the bright light, but on the other hand, you weren’t sure if you really wanted to. Maybe staying hidden in this case wasn’t so bad.

“I know you are there. Why do you insist on lurking in the shadows?”

Fear rippled through you, and you tried your best not to gasp. How could they notice you when you couldn’t even see yourself? You didn’t recognise the person and something inside you-was this the moment something called self-preservation kicked in?-made it very clear that you didn’t want to know them.

“C’mon love, you know how this goes. We’ve danced this dance a million times before.” Another voice behind you said, slipping from the shadows beneath one of the columns. They didn’t fully step into the light, just enough so you could make out black sneakers and bony shins, stained a deep red. The new voice felt familiar, but somehow, it also sounded like two voices were laid on top of each other, distorting into unrecognisable territory.

“Then you should already know how this ends.” The first one laughed that sounded like bells and whistles just before getting tazed in the taint.

“We fight. It’s a draw. You run away with your tail tucked between your legs and try another one of your silly plans only to realise that you are too late again and it won't work. So you get angry. So Icome after you to kill you."

“You left out the part where you try to kiss me.” They teased. The second voice dropped down into a dangerous purr.

“Only if you don’t forget how you try to jump my bones afterwards.” Gasping you tried to close your eyes. Like hell you were gonna peep on some guys in your dream getting it on. What the absolute fuck, brain?

Can’t we just dream up something nice for once?

“Shhht!” the first voice suddenly hushed the second one. You could almost hear the wolfish grin. “Did you hear that?”

Leaves were crunching under the second one’s sneakers, and you started to panic, trying to find any part of you to pinch you awake.

“Don't tell me you've finally found her?" they chuckled lowly. "How'd you do that? She's been hidden away so well." 

"Ahh, I knew she'd come eventually. She's drawn to it." 

"Well, colour me impressed. But it won't change things. Just means that I'm going to come for both of you now." 

“Bet you I can get to her quicker than you, lover boy.”

“Hah!” they bellowed, and you shivered. They knew you were here. “Over my dead, cold bones, love.”

“Eh, I’ve killed you before.” The shadow figure shrugged loosely as they drew a knife from their whatever they were wearing. “You just don’t like to stay dead.”

“Right back attcha, little red. Guess that’s our curse” They both chuckled.

“I guess I’ll see you on the flip side, lover boy?”

“Eh, we have time for a quickie. 's not like we don't have her scent now.”

“Hmmmhm. You know that I do love to make time for you before I get to play.” The first one gave her lover (?) a contemplating hum. “But I like getting what I want more.”

“Well, game on then.” The shadowy figure you’ve seen first dismissively waved in your general direction and suddenly, you’ve lost the floor under your feet. Your stomach was lurching dangerously, and the throne room vanished from your sight as you fell.

A stained gasp left your lips and you sat up straight in bed, finally back in what was hopefully your real body. God, how you hated lucid dreaming. They were the absolute worst!

Your hair was plastered against your forehead from sweat, and you really needed a shower like yesterday. Grunting slightly, you threw back the blanket, grimacing as your shoulder gave a painful twinge.

Oh right. You’ve been shot.

With shaking fingers, you’ve rubbed the spot under your left clavicle. You didn’t really remember how you got back to bed-and Metta was right, a good bed with proper back support was worth it’s weight in gold!-all you knew was trying to get some snacks for Frisk after you’ve watched maybe four or five episodes-possibly to avoid cringing over a scene in the series that you really didn’t like and always brought new meaning to the term Fremdschämen-and then running into Sans. You remembered the way the two of you ripped into each other, the anger boiling over. Shame and embarrassment flooded you-and your eyes-as you had to remember that you actually hit him. And yeah, maybe he did deserve the slap, but it still didn’t give you the right.

I really am no better than Hugh.

The hardwood floors were cold underneath your bare toes, but the bed frame was so high, that that was all you could reach while sitting. No wonder it had taken Frisk almost a minute to climb up to you. The curtains were almost fully drawn but there was a tiny gap right in the middle, that allowed moonlight to filter into the room.
Mettaton had one of those fancy crystal suncatcher foils on his windows, so the light projected in tiny rainbow fractals all over the floor.

You had no idea how long you’ve been out, but it must have been a while. Just as you were about to get off your lazy ass, your gaze fell upon the nightstand.
And just like that, you could feel thick teardrops roll down your face, though we were too stunned to even move a muscle, so you just sat there, crying with an expressionless face.

Staring at the slice of no bake mango cheesecake waiting for you.

Chapter Text

The cold air stung on your cheek as you ripped open the windows and it burned oh so wonderfully in your lungs. Goosebumps mottled your skin, but you welcomed them. At least you had skin right now.

The earlier nightmare was still clinging to your bones, even if you tried to shake it.

“Buttercup, what are you doing?” Chara grumbled tiredly, as they walked through the wall. They must have felt your inner turmoil. It was hard hiding something from them if you didn’t exactly plan on slamming down a hefty amount of emotional walls around you.

“I need to calm down. I-This room is suffocating me. It’s like I can’t breathe and there are a million eyes watching me every second.” You muttered, before leaning out of the window, looking down at the ground.

Your hair was falling over your shoulders and into your eyes so you pushed it back roughly.

“You aren’t going to jump out of the window.” They replied dryly. “We are on the fourth floor; all you are going to achieve is breaking your ankles. And trust me, that’s not really that much fun.”

Humming, you turned your gaze from down to up instead. They are right. You could try to use the duvet as a rope but it’s not long enough and a fall from the second or third floor hurts just as much.

Grunting, you pushed yourself to sit on the windowsill and reached up. There was a small ledge above the window that connected to the main roof. You knew that because the roofing on your house was pretty much the same. Advantage of standardised building regulations. Vivé la bureaucracy and all that jazz.

“What are you doing? You’re gonna break your neck” You could almost hear the little eyeroll as you tried to heave yourself up, kicking your legs in a weak attempt to get some more momentum. Your shoulder was stinging like a bitch and Undyne would probably smack you silly later if Toriel didn’t whack you with a broom first.

The fact that there was a light coating of snow of the shingled roof didn’t particularly help with trying to grab for purchase, but you knew that you wouldn’t slip.

Year long experience of living under the same roof as your slightly overbearing parents had trained you in the fine arts of sneaking out of the house and unto the roof on a many occasion. Though it was a bit more difficult to do on your own now that there wasn’t a partner in crime to help you up.

Somehow, while you were struggling to climb up on the roof of the most popular TV star in Ebbot City and swearing up a storm, you started to feel… Calm. Well, calmer, at least.

There’s been a lot happening in the past few… days? Hours? You weren’t sure how much time has passed but let’s just say you’ve been through a lot lately. Then again, that could have been said about the last few years in general if we’re gonna review back.

 Been in a car crash, stabbed, in a coma, stuck in the void, hunted, woken up to a dead family, hounded into an abusive relationship that ended in at least one attempt on your life from each participant, hunted again but this time by an out of control monster with PTSD-still no blame here, just a matter of fact statement-almost succumbing to some unresolved sexual tension and then finally getting shot and almost bleeding out. Oh, and lets not forget that you managed to knock yourself out again by being an abusive little irrational bitch because the guy you liked was genuinely upset that you were hiding something that has been the cause for his PTSD.

Dangling off the side of a roof for what felt like at least fifteen minutes was still somehow the most familiar and normal thing among all this craziness. It was familiar, something you’ve done a lot since you were old enough to reach upwards.

By the time you finally managed to roll onto your back on the red roofing, you were soaked in sweat, your shoulder was stinging, and you were out of breath. But as you lay up here, still heaving and snow slowly starting to cover you, you watched the heavy, grey clouds gently drift across the sky, stars showing far and few in between, you could feel a weight getting lifted from your chest. This time, the shiver that went through you was comforting.

“Well, that was quite the spectacle to witness” Chara crouched down next to you, and you tried to laugh but all that cam out was a breathless wheeze. “Truly the pinnacle of human sportsmanship and fitness. You should go and play in the Olympics.”

“You could have helped me, you know? For a fella that’s so concerned about me breaking my neck, you did astonishingly little to prevent it, you sarcastic little…” you trailed off.

“Would you have accepted my help?” they cocked their head to the side, and you grimaced before rolling over to your tummy to sit up.

“No, probably not.” You admitted. Gently, you started to massage your aching shoulder to help the muscles to relax a bit. Chara sat down next to you, a vision of elegance and poise as usually in contrast to your clumsy and plopped down form. They may not realise it, but they really came after their Mom.

Then again, so did you.

For a while, you were content to just sit there and watch the snow softly fall down, glimmering ever so slightly in the lights of the city by night. Your pants were probably soaked by now and you were almost certain that you’d get a UTI from sitting on the cold surface, but it was worth for getting to enjoy the quiet a little bit before everything would inevitably go to shit again.

“And now?” Chara questioned and you huffed, pulling your knees up to your chest.

“Now we sit here and watch the god damn weather while I think about how to get out of this mess I’ve created.”

“What do you mean?”

You shrugged slightly with your good side only. “Clearly, staying here isn’t gonna do anyone any good, lest of all you, but I doubt that’ll go smoothly if I just roll up and say “sup bitches, I’m out!” That would just be rude. And I don’t have my purse with me so I can’t just go buy a bus ticket or anything because that’s where all my money is.” Groaning slightly, you put your forehead against your knees. “I don’t even know where I’ve left the damn thing. Someone probably found it and drained all of my credit cards. Ugh, I’m gonna be in so much debt. I was just about to save up for a switch so I can play Breath of the Wild!”

“Is a switch really the biggest one of your problems right now?”

“Uh, no, but it’s easier to complain about than anything else. Besides, BOTW is a fantastic game and I’m tired of just watching lets plays of it.”

“That’s stupid.”

“You’re stupid!” You fired back and for a moment you blink at each other before dissolving into tiny little snickers. The whole thing was too abstruse, even for you. Wiping away some of the tears of laughter, you leaned back on your arms, flinching slightly when you forget once again that your left shoulder is still kinda fucked before putting the brute of your weight on the other one.

“You know… We don’t have to leave.”

“Of course we do!” you scoffed slightly. “There is no way to ensure your safety here. Besides, after the stunt I pulled- how long have I been unconscious?”

“About a day and a half”

“-a day and a half ago, I don’t think that I could even look anyone in the eye still.” Least of all Sans, your brain provided unhelpfully.

“Do you not harbour any love for these people?” Chara asked slightly surprised and once more, you shrug slightly.

“Yeah, of course I do. But just because you love them, doesn’t mean you can trust them.” Something inside you writhes a bit at that statement, like you should remember it for later. Weird. “You can’t just go around and destroy yourself just to please everyone or it will leave nothing but ashes.”

“And yet, isn’t that what you are doing?” Their voice is soft and yet it felt like the crack of a whip.

“I-no! What-No, I am not!” you spluttered, feeling your cheeks redden. “I’m just. You know. Watching out for you.”

“Sweetie, you are literally choosing a lonely life for somebody else. Where is the difference?”

“The difference is that you should shut up before you make any more sense” you grumble into your knees. “Besides, I wouldn’t be alone. I have you.” The look Chara was giving you couldn’t be described as anything less than pitiful, and you hated it. You hated it so much.
“Listen, I know that sounds corny, but for the longest time, I’ve been.. lonely. I woke up in a hospital room when I really shouldn’t have, and I thought I was alone just to find out like five minutes later how alone I’d really be now. That’s why I took Hugh’s offer in the first place because in my head, that was all I was good for anymore. At least I could do a little bit to help my mother. And then suddenly, I wasn’t so lonely anymore. So of course I’m not gonna sit here and watch others rip into you again. For years, my sole purpose was to protect, and it still is.
Yes, I am mourning the loss of my friendships and yes, I thought that maybe, I finally found a place to be safe at, but I was wrong, because I always am. So now I have to adapt and try to be better. That’s okay. That happens. Like a very wise man-“ that drank his own urine that one time “-once said. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.”

Chara gave you a rather flat look and you had to press your lips into a thin line as to not start laughing in their face, before turning serious again.

“Besides, I basically assaulted Sans. I highly doubt that I’m still wanted around after that.”

“I still think he deserved that one. He was being a major dick.” They shrugged, clearly not affected.

“See, this is why people say that you are an emotionless killer. It’s because your jokes always come off as so deadpan that everyone’s bound to take you seriously”

“That wasn’t a joke”

“It was like thirty-eight percent of a joke.” You squinted at them with a knowing smile, and you could see their mouth twitch slightly.

“Mmm, Twelve maybe.”

“Twenty three!” you haggled, and they finally relented, dropping their head as if they wanted to hide their huge smile.

“Fiiiine, you win.” They huffed before leaning back on their forearms as well. “But seriously, even if you want some distance, you don’t have to give up everything. You could get your own apartment if you wanted to. Or we could go visit Dad, he’s always been horrible at saying no to me! Or we can go and stay with your friend Carmen. Nobody is scarier than a Mom of two toddlers that still works full time.”

“Yeah, what the fuck is up with that?” you mumbled slightly. You barely worked part time-though your overtime would gladly make up for that-and you were exhausted most days. You couldn’t imagine doing that with two nasty little poop goblins in tow. On top of all the other poop goblins you’d have to deal with at the clinic. Y I K E S.

“You do not have to sacrifice your wellbeing for other sake, buttercup. Where would that leave you?” They smiled gently at you before pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear again. As cute as Mettaton’s haircut was, in retrospect, it was a bit impractical since some of the strands were barely long enough to be tucked out of the way. The fact that your hair was just notoriously so straight and smooth that they just kept slipping everywhere.

“I’ve never really existed for myself. How am I supposed to know?”

“Well, maybe it’s time for you to figure out what it is that you want.”

“You’re so weird” You sniffled, trying to blink away the tears that were gathering in your eyes. “One moment you act like you are sixteen and the next one like you are a thousand year old wise sage.”

“Well, I did die at sixteen, but you know that. And on the other hand, I have lived through enough lifetimes that it made me see things… differently. It definitely helps having someone you can wisecrack over.” Once again, they gave you a soft smile before reaching over to wipe away some of the moisture around your eyes. “It’s okay to cry. You don’t have to try to be strong when really, you are sad and hurt.”

“’S stupid” you turned away slightly. “Makes me feel weak and manipulative and… human.”

“Well, of course. You are human after all.” Chara slightly nudged you, though you could recognise the somewhat guilty undertones in their voice. “And that’s okay. Humans have emotions. And sometimes they don’t make sense. Very complex creatures with sometimes very conflicting feelings. And don’t get me started on hormones.” Their smile turned a bit more teasingly and sly and you couldn’t help but flush.

“I don’t know what you are talking about!”

“Well, you see, I can’t happen to notice that you and the silly comedian keep bickering and fighting but the second you lay eyes upon each other you just wanna fu-“

“We do not!” you interrupted them swiftly and with insistence, your face now resembling a tomato.

“Well, one of you does.” They chuckled.

“That is a lie!”

“It’s twenty three percent of a lie” They crinkle their nose at your pouty face. “You aren’t subtle.”

“Well, even if-Stop cackling like a deranged witch hovering over their cauldron, you asshole!- even if there happened to be some kind of attraction. It’s gone. He’s an asshole and I am a backstabbing little bitch.”

“You call me an asshole all the time and yet you still love me.”

“Well, that’s different!” you spluttered.

“How?”

“Okay, first of all, smartass, I have to like you. I am contractually obligated!”

“I never signed any contract.” Taken aback, you stared at them for a moment before pushing them gently.

“You so did and also you know how I meant that.”

“Yeah, I do.” They sighed deeply. “I know how you must feel. I am sure that thanks to my actions, I have pushed away my best friend as well. Any positive feelings Asriel must have held for me once must be completely gone by now. I can only hope that he is doing well, wherever he is right now.”

“I don’t think he hates you, Chara.”

“You always assume the best in other people, sweetie.” They ruffled your hair and you huffed slightly. “I think it’s too late for me, but you can still figure things out.”

“I am trying” you mumbled before plotting your chin on your knees.

For a very long time, the two of you just sat there in silence, watching the snow drift down to the ground. You didn’t wanna move from your spot, even when a faint static electricity in the air made your hair stand on ends and the smell of ozone wafted through the air. In fact, you didn’t move when you could hear some crunching steps on the snow covered roof either or when you felt someone sit down next to you on your free side. You just hoped that Mettaton had invested in some really good support beams in his roofing.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you could see that he was wearing his blue jacket and you flushed deeply. You weren’t completely sure why you had mended what was broken-maybe wishful thinking-but it made your soul flutter that he was willing to wear it so easily. Even if you added those cute little vintage ribbon thread flowers that were absolutely not his style but oh so yours.

“I don’t actually hate you, you know” you whispered with a small voice, hugging your knees very tightly.

“I know” Sans rumbled.

“I shouldn’t have slapped you. That was way not okay of me, no matter how mad I was.”

“No, I was overstepping and tried to hurt you. I deserved that one.”

“Still. There is a difference between hurting each other with words and actually turning to violence. You have every right to be mad at me. I must have proven you right with everything you must have been thinking about me.”

“I don’t think that you are a bad person. Just someone that made some… questionable choices” You saw his eyes flicker over to Chara, who was watching the interaction with raised eyebrows. They must have expected more… yelling.

“Why are you here, then? If not to scream at me? How’d you find me?”

“Papyrus wanted to check on you and noticed you were gone. He’s a bit of a mess right now because he was ‘on guard duty’ and ‘lost the tiny human’” He gave you a flat look while drawing little crow’s feet in the air. “Your window was still open, Special Ops. Besides..” He gave his chest a very clear tap, right on top where his soul would sit.

“Oh.” You bit your lip. “Well, I promise, I’m not gonna hurt anyone else. I won’t. Besides, I’m too tired anyways. So you can go back home, worry free.” The skeleton gave you a funny look that you couldn’t quite make out.

“It’s not really others I am worried about” he admitted begrudgingly, and you could feel your face heat up again. “Everyone’s really worried about you. Your friends want to see you okay. I think Undyne just broke, and the Walking WiFi is this close to call the national guard.”

Wait, was that why you always had stellar WiFi when Metta was around? Wait, no, concentrate, not the point!

“Well.” You gave him a wryly little smile, clearing your throat. “Here I am. You found me. I’ll be down in a minute.” The smile turned slightly sad. “No more running. Promise.” He’d finally get his wish.

For a moment he regarded you with an unreadable expression before his eyes fell upon your hands. His face turned sour, and you tried to hide the tips that were already starting to turn slightly blue. Too late though, as he caught one of them between his own. The touch alone felt blisteringly hot, almost singeing you.

“Gee, how long have you been out here?” he mumbled. You scoffed, doubting that he really cared, but he was already shucking off his jacket. The way your soul constricted was borderline painful and you had to bite your lip as warmth engulfed you.

“I’ll give you two a minute” Chara mumbled before simply vanishing through the roof.

Traitor!, you cursed them mentally before turning your attention back to Sans.

His jacket was just as soft as you remembered, and he must have been wearing it a lot because you couldn’t even catch a trace of the heavy peroxide you had used on it. Instead you were surrounded by the familiar, musky scent that reminded you of Palo Santo Wood and some other spices you couldn’t pinpoint.

“I’m fine, really. No need to fake worry” you chattered, only now realising how cold you really were that some contrasting heat was hitting you. About that UTI…

"Do you really think that I don’t care at all?” He asked very carefully with a weird look on his face. 

"Well, you're angry and-" Once again you shrugged but you couldn’t help but curl your fingers into the soft, blue fabric insecurely.

He sighed deeply, his head hanging slightly and for a moment you could have almost guessed that he was at a loss for words. “You’re right, I am furious with you.” He admitted and when you swallowed, it felt like there was something stuck in your throat. “But not for the reason you think!” he quickly added and once again, you could do nothing but stare at him dumbly. “I am angry because I care, not in spite of it.”

“That makes no sense.” You blurted out and he groaned quietly.

“Look. I want to hate you.” He tried again, very quietly and you had to bite your lip again to stop it from quivering. Weak little bitch. “I want to hate you both so much but somehow I just… cant. Don’t get me wrong, the other one, very easy to hate. Quite the punchable face.” You snickered.

“We have the same face, Sans.” The skeleton just chuckled while shaking his head slightly.

“You don’t” he smiled while pushing a strand of your unruly hair back, though his hands lingered a bit too long.. How the hell Papyrus managed to tame that Mop was above you. “You’re… softer. Less sharp angles and more curves. Feminine. You have freckles that look like constellations all over you and one day I'm gonna catalogue them all. Your eyes are different too. Can really see your heritage there. Chara’s don’t disappear behind their smile because damn… it’s so bright. Like the sun. They are cold in comparison with you.” Oh, they sure were cold in comparison with the absolute fiery pits of hell that put up camp beneath your skin right now. And against all odds, you managed to flush even more when his still lingering fingers traced your jawline. The touch was light as a feather, but it managed to take your breath away anyways. “I couldn’t hate you if I tried. And trust me, I have.” His voice sounded strained and laced with underlying pain. “But every time I see you, my heart aches when I notice how broken you look. Every harsh word slices me right down to the bone and in every little movement, I still see the human I’ve gotten to know and l..ike.”

Jesus, the man sounded absolutely wrecked and all you could do was to gape at him like a fish.

“Do you know how hard it is to reconcile the gentle, sweet ray of sunshine with the potential killer? I don’t wanna look at you and get those flashbacks of dust and blood, but they are there anyways.”

“Sans… I don’t want to hurt anyone. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Least of all you. All I want is to keep people safe.”

“I know, sweetness.” He relented with a deep sigh. “Can’t say that I agree with your methods but like you said. Once I got my own head out of my arse, I could see that.”

You couldn’t help yourself but put your head on his shoulder. Giving into temptation, you glanced up through your lashes, just to see his cheeks dusted in a light blue blush.

At least you weren’t the only one affected.

Your heart was beating so fast that it might just jump out of your chest at any moment, and you were scared of moving right now in fear of all of this just disappearing.

Was there really a chance that you could still fix this? To satisfy that deep sated craving inside of you? It was almost too good to be true. There was no way in heaven that you could just… get good things. Where was the catch? The inevitable pain? That shameful voice inside you that kept reminding you that nobody could actually like you? They were just using you. Wanted to hurt you and-

And Sans snuck a hand down, lacing it with your own. The gesture was so small and yet it instantly caused all of your thoughts to grind into a sudden halt.

“I missed this.” He mumbled into your hair and your soul felt oh so heavy. You didn’t have the strength to answer him right now, your throat just closed up. So instead, you squeezed his hand tightly and watched that blue blush deepen a shade.

You could have sat like this forever, to be fair. Like your very own bubble where you didn’t have to face the world and didn’t have to address these feelings that were so raw and left you feeling open, like an exposed nerve.

But you knew that you couldn’t.

“I don’t want to leave.” You whispered, unable to keep the fear out of your voice.

“I don’t want you to leave either.” Sans admitted and it slammed into you like a train at full speed. God, why was this so hard.

“Do you think we will be okay again?”

“I don’t know” he answered honestly, shrugging slightly. “It’ll take time. And some work. It definitely won’t be like it used to be but yeah… I think we’ll be just fine. Eventually.”

Hard work, hmh?

Clearing your throat, you sat up quite suddenly, startling the skeleton. He looked at you apprehensively as you straightened up, squaring your shoulders.

“Wha-?” You interrupted him by holding your hand out to him in a handshake.

“Hi. My name’s Asra Winters. I’m twenty six years old and I’m a Virgo Sun and both Leo Rising and Moon.”

“What are you doing?” he laughed in disbelief, and you flushed again, down to your chest.

“I am introducing myself. No more lies. No more secrets. Just me.” It was stupid, wasn’t it? Why would he like “Just you”? This was silly. Who introduces themselves with their zodiac? God, why did you do that, that was such a dumb ass move, there was no way in heaven-

“Sans. Sans the skeleton” he rumbled while still chuckling lightly, grabbing your hand to shake it. “Last name’s Serif. ‘m twenty five, twenty six in January. Think that makes me a Capricorn.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at him, slightly wet though because you couldn’t keep your emotions in check.

“It’s okay” He whispered as you pulled him into a tight hug, finally letting the tears fall freely “I got you, it’s okay, love. Everything’s going to be okay. Just come home with me please.”

“Okay” you sobbed so quietly, that he almost missed it.

“Okay?”

“Okay” you stressed again and suddenly he grabbed you so much harder, burying his face in your hair.

“You have no idea how glad I am. Thought I fucked up completely” He mumbled, and you buried your face in his shirt for a moment. He smelled so good; it could make you dizzy.

“No, you couldn’t. ‘twas all me” you mumbled, and he barked out a laugh before grabbing your chin. Ever so gently, he encouraged you to look him in the face. The lights in his eyes flickered down to your lips for a moment, and you couldn’t help but lick the inside of them.

“I’m going to kiss you now, okay?” A shiver ran down your spine, like fingers tracing along the vertebrae.

“I’m going to let you” you whispered against his mouth. And for a moment, it’s so easy to forget everything around you except this tiny, perfect bubble you have created for yourself in this exact moment where your lips met with magical ones.

Chapter Text

The moment you found yourself back at the house, the heat almost killed you. You were so chilled by now that simple room temperature felt like a goddamn sauna.

The fact that your face felt like it was on fire probably didn’t help either. Neither was you still clutching Sans’ hands like your life depended on it.

You kept up appearances for a moment longer, staring at him with a gentle smile before the shortcut caught up with you and you folded over, putting your hands on your knees.

“Hurks.” Your poor stomach was making some very unhappy noises. “How do you do this all the time? This is horrible! You said it’ll get better over time. It did not get better over time!”

“Eh, guess I don’t have the stomach for it” he shrugged, and you glared at him from below.

“You are a horrible, horrible person and they should lock you up and throw away the- Oof!” The wind got knocked out of your lungs as you were practically tackled into the ground by a blue figure. “Undyne what-?” You tried to ask but quickly got interrupted by her basically whacking you into next week with a pillow, the remainder of tears still streaking down her face.

“Don’t” whap “fucking” whap “do” whap “that” whap “to” whap “me” whap “ever” whap “again”

“Ow, Undyne, stop, ow, that hurts.” You couldn’t help but laugh as you tried to block her rather limp smacks. “What’s going on with you!”

“HUMAN! MY BROTHER HAS SUCESSFULLY CAPTURED YOU AGAIN!” Papyrus crowed before launching himself into the dogpile as well. You slightly wheezed before staring up at Sans.

“Help?” you whispered but he just held his hands up defensively like he wanted to say “Hey, you’ve brought this upon yourself buddy!” Which wasn’t wrong but he didn’t have to say it!

“Uh-uh, nerd, you’re staying right here where I can watch you!” You could have sworn that Undyne’s voice sounded kinda husky as she squeezed you closer. “Aint no way in hell that you are going to leave this property again!”

“Undyne, breathing! Humans need breathing!” you reminded her, and she let up slightly. “Besides, I’ve never technically left the property! Or the house!”

“BUT HUMAN, WE LOOKED EVERYWHERE!” Papyrus complained. “AND YOU ARE RATHER…. MOIST” He added with some distain in his voice upon noticing that your clothes were pretty much soaked from the snow. “WHERE COULD YOU HAVE HIDDEN?”

Rolling your eyes, you wiggled an arm free to point up, wheezing slightly. "Up" 

“No way, José” Undyne snorted. “ When Paps says everywhere, he means everywhere. No way you were just upstairs!”

“No, not upstairs. Up!”

“WHAT, LIKE IN THE ATTIC?” Okay, maybe it was a bit mean to tease them so much, but you couldn’t help it. A slightly manic grin spread across your face as you let your head fall back at the floor. “SANS?”

“Found her on the roof, bro” he explained his brother, who was looking at him questioningly. “Technically still part of the house.”

“Oh, that’s such a nitpicky little- get here you nerd!” Undyne once again grabbed you, giving you a hefty noogie. “What kind of person just climbs onto a roof! Are you insane!? We’ve been worried sick!”

“Ow, Undyne, again, stop, OW!” you giggled, pushing her slightly. “I’m sorry that I worried you! I didn’t think that someone would come into the room! It was the middle of the night and I needed to get some air!”

“Oh, I am sorry, was the air on the ground not good enough for your majesty?”

“Eh, I would have been fine. Air’s good up high, I sit up high” You grinned at her as she snorted. "I like to feel tall sometimes"

“How did you even get up there? There was no ladder anywhere!”

“I-uh-I climbed?” you blinked at her dumbly before the pillow hit you square in the face again. “PHUA-Undyne, what the hell?”

“You climbed? With that arm? Are you suicidal? See this is why you can’t have an apartment! This is why I have to babysit you”

“Ow, yes, but that’s different! A roof isn’t-can you stop hitting me please!” you laughed, and another whack made you almost lose balance.

“NO! Maybe I can rattle some braincells loose!”

“That’s not how brains work!”

“Well, apparently yours doesn’t work at all!” She growled before clutching you to her chest again. “Don’t do this to me!”

“Undyne, I’m sorry” you mumbled against her scaly skin, hugging her back tightly.

“S fine, just please, for the love of everything that’s good. Stop. Running!” You felt a little bit guilty for giving her so much grief. She wasn’t the first one to tell you but at least she seemed more than content to just cradle you like a small child right now. “I’ll put a baby leash on you and GPS track you from now on. Gonna make Alphy chip you.” She mumbled against your hair, and you snorted.

“What?”

“Nothing, pretend you didn’t hear that” she sighed before letting go of you. “Are you sure that you are okay? You look… chilly.”

“Yes, mom, I am fine” you rolled your eyes good heartedly.  “But seriously, did none of you ever sneak up on the roof as kids?”

“No.” all three monsters answered practically in unison.

“Oh, sure and next you’re gonna tell me that none of you ever snuck out of the house because you forgot to do the dishes that one time two months ago so of course your mom decided to ground you that exact day that Jessica is throwing her seventeenth birthday so you’d “learn something” but there is nothing that can stop you because you will go to the theatre kid party even if there was a two story drop between you and the hottest party of the year and also Sybil asked you to come so of course you had to go because she’s just so nice and has pretty blonde hair and green eyes and you are in theatre together so of course you snuck out even if your dad catches you when you come back home at 3am shitfaced and he has to lie to your mom or else she’d throw a sandal at you and-“

Sans interrupted your word vomit by pressing a kiss on top of your head, causing you to turn fire engine red in an instant and snapping your jaw shut with a loud click.

“You’re rambling again, love” he whispered in your ear, just quiet enough for you to hear-and maybe Undyne, who was giving you a sly grin, so you blushed an even deeper shade.

“WELL. THAT WAS ODDLY SPECIFIC, SO I CAN’T SAY I HAVE!” Papyrus grinned at you with his usual enthusiasm. “I AM HOWEVER GLAD THAT YOU TWO SEEMED TO FINALLY MANAGE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR ISSUES! I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!” groaning, you dropped your head into your hands.

“Guys, can we please not talk about the fact that I am a huge idiot and managed to make an even huger mess? I feel bad enough about this as is.” You mumbled and Undyne nudged you in the side, though gentler this time.

“C’mon you big softie. Get over here before you start crying again.”

“Ow, don’t noogie the human please!” you whined, your laugh a bit wetter than you were comfortable with.

“That’s what you get for scaring the soul out of us!”

“UNDYNE IS RIGHT, TINY HUMAN. WE WERE ALL VERY WORRIED ABOUT YOU!” Papyrus was ringing his hands nervously and guilt started to gnaw at you again.

“I am sorry. I owe you guys a huge apology, and I really don’t deserve your kindness and love and I just majorly f-ehem-mucked up, so I get if you guys are angry with me. I really owe you big time to make up for all of this.”

“HUMAN, PLEASE. CEASE YOUR FRETTING!” Papyrus kneeled in front of you, gently grasping your shoulders. You gulped at his grave tone and face, you weren’t used to the epitome of sunshine and rainbows to be so serious. “LOVE IS NOTHING THAT YOU OWE. EVERYONE IS DESERVING OF KINDNESS, EVEN YOU.”

Tears were prickling at your eyes again and you made a weird face in order to not completely dissolve into a crying mess. You were so embarrassed already, didn’t have to add the fact that you were quite the ugly crier into the mix.

“Awww, Paps, you made the human cry” Undyne teased, and you scrunched up your face up even more in defiance.

“No, I am not, these tears are staying where they are.” It wasn’t a particularly good argument, considering that you were borderline sobbing.

“Oh, good, you found her” Chara casually deadpanned as they walked in, their expression less than thrilled themselves. Which might have something to do with their clearly very unhappy mother that was right behind them, arms crossed and foot tapping on the floor.

The display made you gulp a bit, having grown up with overbearing parents yourself.

“Chara, do not use this kind of tone, that is rude!” Toriel scolded them and they sighed a bit.

“Sorry Mom.”

“You should also apologise for causing all of your little friend’s grievance as well. Really, I raised you better than that, you could have at least left a note if you had to sneak out. Besides, you had no business sneaking out anyways, the human wasn’t well and yet-“ you listened to Toriels rambling and all you could think of was “Aw, yiss, I’m the favourite, I’ve never been the favourite! “I swear, and when have you fed them the last time? Look how skinny they are, really, you should go and take better care of them.”

 Chara gave you a look that pretty much translated as “I’ve been dead for well over twenty years and she still treats me like I’m seven. Can you believe this?”

You had to press your lips together in a tight line in order not to laugh out loud.

“Miss- Miss Toriel, please” you tried to speak up, really trying your best to keep your shoulders from shaking. “It wasn’t their fault, they tried to talk me out of it, but I am notoriously stubborn.” Sans made some kind of agreeing noise, to quiet for anyone to hear really, and you nudged your elbow in his ribs as subtly as you could.

“Oh, don’t think that you are off the hook yet, young lady, I have some choice words for you as well!” The queen threatened, squinting at you. “If you would live at my house, I would ground you for a week!”

“But I have work!” you whined and Toriel gave you a look that reminded you too much of BenDeLa Crème glaring at Trixie at the Pit stop.

“I can have a word with your boss, if you want to?” Well, she was kind of your bosses boss’ wife, so the chances of her getting her way were pretty much astronomical.

Speaking of your boss, he practically floated into the room, hand pressed against his forehead in a more than dramatic gesture and you were pretty sure that there was smudged mascara running down his cheeks.

The god damn drama queen had put on his best Charlotte LaBouff crying makeup, could you believe it?

“Darling, there you are!” he gasped before snatching you from the dogpile still on the floor.

You were pretty sure that some of the black smudges were rubbing off on your cheek as he squished his against yours like a very needy kitten, crying dramatically.

“I would have never forgiven myself if something would have happened to you, Asra, dear!”

“Can we please finally talk about who this Asra person is?” Undyne bemoaned. “Because somehow I must have missed that memo.”

“That’s uh-“ you stuttered as good as you could while your face was getting smushed, raising your hand slightly. “’s me. I think I have some explaining to do”

“Yeah, sorry guys, she didn’t do that off her own bat.”

For a moment your eyes met Sans, who seemed more than content to just let the scene unfold. You couldn’t help but huff out a small smile.

Things weren’t okay yet, but they would be.

Until a pillow hit you in the face again. Then you were sure of it.

Chapter Text

You groaned a bit as your first alarm blaringly screamed into your ear. Refusing to move, you just pressed your face deeper into the pillow, inhaling the by now familiar and comforting smell of Palo Santo and Ketchup spices slowly mixing with your own. If you tried hard enough, the annoying ringing would stop by itself, and you could maybe get some more sleep in. Of course it didn’t stop, even when you pulled the thick blanket over your head to muffle the sounds.

Next to you, rustling sounds were accompanied by an even grumpier rumble than your own before a considerably strong and bony hand reached over you. The wailing of your phone stopped abruptly and all that was left was the clicking of bones on a screen.

Sans dropped the phone next to you before snaking his arm around your middle, pulling your warm and pliable body into his, humming slightly. He pressed his teeth against your shoulder in lieu of a kiss, still to sleepy to bother with lips. Lazy bones.

“Why do you have sixteen alarms in the morning? It’s way too early for a Saturday.”

“Gotta get to work.” The pillow muffed your words, but you made sure to make your comfort known by stretching languidly against him.

Among all the changes that happened over the past two weeks, being able to wake up next to Sans was probably your favourite. You tried-tried-to take things slow but after that horrible first night back in the appartement where you woke up screaming from another nightmare, your chest heaving and desperately clawing at you shoulder, trying to get the bullet out but there was so much blood making everything so slippery and a hole the size of your fist spreading out and threatening to eat you up alive like a void opening up inside you, threatening to swallow you whole before gentle hands managed to restrain yours to prevent you from scratching more deep grooves into the freshly healed skin there, he had made it a point to drag you to bed with him every night to make sure that you’d be okay and wouldn’t hurt yourself again.

Much to Chara’s dismay, but they didn’t really have a say in it anyways. Most of the time they preferred to fluidly switch being semi-corporeal ghost haunting these halls or being dormant again. There wasn’t really an in between. Even after the adrenaline of everything had drained away after a day or two, leaving you exhausted and weary, you were still rather jumpy at the tiniest things, even if you were trying your best to hide it away. Behind every shadow lurked a man with a gun and every slight change in tone from your friends left you recoiling, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But this, this you could do. The lazy mornings, waking up next to someone that seemed genuinely happy to have you there and made you feel all mushy and fuzzy, his body twisted around yours as if he tried to shield you even in your dreams. Legs tangled together in a mess, soft and warm and gentle.

“S the weekend. You should have the day off” Sans complained, voice still thick with sleep. The first time you had heard the deep and husky rumble, you had flushed deeply from head to toe but now… now you still did, and you doubted that there would ever be a time where it wouldn’t affect you anymore.

“I know, but Metta is getting antsy because of the gala. He flew in like seven designers to choose an outfit and he cant decide between the pink one or the nude illusion with the black lace over top of it. And I have no idea which one’s he’s talking about because there was neither in his sketches he sent out.”

“When do you have to be in?”

“Nine” you mumble, humming slightly as he peppered more kisses against your shoulder.

“Then why do you have an alarm set for six thirty?”

“’s just my first alarm. I need like five hundred to get up. You know that. You know that I snooze them all until the very last minute” The skeleton just gave you a confirming hum and his fingers tightened against your stomach.

“Let’s stay in today. He doesn’t need you to choose a pretty dress for him.” His argument wasn’t flawed and the way his chest felt against your back almost convinced you. Almost.

“I can’t” you whined. “I already missed so much work thanks to the stupid stunt I pulled”

“Can make it up on Monday.” Sans rumbled. “Weekends are for being lazy.”

“Don’t tempt me. I’m trying to be a responsible adult.”

“You can be a responsible adult on Monday too.”

Huffing out a laugh, you finally shifted a bit to face him.

“You are a bad influence, Mister.”  His eyesockets were still lidded and his smile lazy and content as he reached up to brush your frankly messy hair out of your face. Sighing deeply, you scootched a bit closer, tucking your head under his chin and you could practically feel the self-satisfaction drip from his smile. “Just five more minutes.” You relented and you could feel his ribs shake slightly from barely contained laughter.

“Thirty” He pressed his face into your hair, inhaling deeply and a soft warmth spread through your soul, making you flush.

“I’ll be late then”

“I’ll shortcut you over”

“I’ll throw up”

“I’ll show you how to do it without getting sick” he rumbled, and you pushed him slightly, huffing with indignance.

“You said there wasn’t a trick to it, you bum!”

“Well, not for me. Been doing it like that forever. Just showing you how to do it right” He chuckled, and you gave him one of those pouts that he liked to call cute when he thought you couldn’t hear him anymore.

Sans just leaned forward a bit, pressing his lips against yours. Oh, now he could be bothered to make lips, okay.

The soft touch never failed to make your heart flutter and set your whole body ablaze. For a moment you cursed yourself for wanting to take it slow but on the other, you rather cherished the fleeting little touches and chaste kisses in the morning, where it was just the two of you in the warm rays of the morning sun.

Sometimes, when the beams hit just right, you noticed, Sans' bones tended to almost shine golden.
The soft glow shouldn’t have surprised you, his magic often manifested in quite a lightshow, but the ethereal, soft golden touch managed to take away your breath every time anyways. He looked beautiful and almost angelic, and you still didn’t understand what he saw in you, not when he looked like this, and his lips were oh so talented when they moved against yours in that slow but deliberate way that always made your brain just short circuit, and his magic left your lips slightly tingly in the best way and your soul was light and warm and just happy to be able to have this.

A wanton breath escaped your lips as you wound your arms around his neck and in turn, his hand tightened around your waist. You knew that he must have felt much of the same need that you were experiencing yourself and just as the kiss was starting to deepen, a loud and quite insistent knock on the door ruined the moment.

“HUMAN, I KNOW THAT YOUR ALARM HAS RUNG ALREADY! DO YOU STILL WANT ME TO DO YOUR HAIR TODAY BEFORE UNDYNE AND DOCTOR ALPHYS COME OVER LATER?”

Groaning, Sans let his head fall against your shoulder and you had to repress a little laugh at his misery. You weren’t faring much better if you had to guess.

“Y-Yeah Papy, I’ll be out in a moment” you called, quite proud of being able to keep your voice so stable. “Sorry, I guess the mood’s kinda ruined?” you apologised quietly to your current company “Let’s.. uhm.. continue later?”

Sans just glanced up to get you a look that made you shiver. “Don’t say stuff like that. It’ll just get me going again. And apparently we don’t have time for all the things I wanna do to you.” he rasped with a voice that was husky again but for very different reasons this time. You gulped and the motion wasn’t lost on Sans, who just ducked his head against your neck again. Your eyes bulged and you had to stifle another gasp when you could feel his teeth graze the skin between neck and shoulder.

“I’LL WAIT IN THE BATHROOM IF YOU WANNA JOIN WHEN YOU TWO ARE DONE CANOODLING!” Oh lord, you were gonna get an aneurysm.

By the time Sans finally crawled out of bed the covers he had been clutching too were cold again and the sun was high up in the sky. This wasn’t really how he wanted this morning to go, but that was the lot you’d draw for being an adult. Things were easier when he was still underground and the only responsibilities he had were Papyrus and studying all day. And later, adding a hefty schedule of naps to his daily plate when he took all those jobs to get Paps the life he truly deserved.

Above ground was beautiful, it provided him with so many things that helped his soul revert back from the dullness that had overtaken him for so long back into it’s shiny blue-well and now also black-self. But it also brought it’s downsides like racism and taxes and early mornings and cyclists that liked to drive on the street like the laws didn’t apply to them and going two miles in a seventy was totally fine. He had a personal vendetta against cyclists since that one time he was on his way to Frisk’s school play and wanted to take his bike and then he got stuck behind that old guy on his cycle with no way to overtake on the narrow road. And when the old mummy got off his bike on a roundabout to fucking push it, he was this close to commit an act of wrath. Ever since that day, he cursed every single cyclist.

Rubbing his eyes, he shuffled into the living room, where he could already hear the TV softly blare the selection screen theme in the background of his brother and Undyne bickering while Alphys was muttering about all the different stats of her car in Mario Kart.

“I’m just saying, Paps, Bowser is SO MUCH COOLER than Drybones! He gets way more speed and besides, his car is on fire and he has all of those spikey bracelets!”

“BUT UNDYNE, IT’S A LITTLE SKELETON! SO NATURALLY, HE HAS TO BE FLAWLESS, LIKE ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“Yeah, buddy, but nobody’s as great as you and I am telling you! You should go with a high weight! What about pinkgold peach?”

“Were p-p-playing 200cc so I need a light driver. Baby Luigi i-i-is f-f-fast but Isabelle h-has better handling-“

“NO! THAT IS THE HUMAN’S FAVOURITE! I CAN’T TAKE THAT ONE!”

“Paps, buddy, she isn’t here, she’s not gonna be mad” Undyne sighed but papyrus bristled.

“The Blue Falcon i-is the obvious choice but i-if I choose the w-wrong wheels-“

“IT’S ABOUT TRUST!” he complained, bristling so much that he almost spilled his coffee and oh hell no, not this early in the morning.

“Morning” Sans greeted before expertly stealing his brothers cup, taking a sip.

“THAT WAS MINE! GET YOUR OWN, LAZY BONES!” he complained, and Sans shrugged.

“You know the rules buddy, no coffee before you’re twenty one” He’d have to get a different excuse in a few months, but as of now, it still worked flawlessly, though it left his brother pouty and grumbly on the couch.

“The C-C-Crimson Slims will give me the best handling, b-b-but if we drive Rainbow Road, m-maybe the Triforce Tires would be better-“

“BUT THE HUMAN LETS ME HAVE A CUP EVERY MORNING TOO!” Sans stiffened “AND HERS IS WAY BETTER THAN THIS ANYWAYS”

“Don’t worry, it’s hot chocolate, she just tells him it’s a mocha” Undyne whispered to him as he sat down, and Sans relaxed again immediately.

“Buddy, why don’t you play Dry Bowser, it’s the best of both worlds?” he quickly changed the subject and Undyne snorted while handing him a controller.

“We haven’t unlocked him yet, working on it right now. And that’s why you need a good driver, so OBVIOUSLY, Bowser is the best choice! PAPYRUS” Undyne fiddled with her own controller, making Link in his car spin. Sans chose his usual Toad setup, something he had perfected with Alphys over the course of many, many late nights by now. She was still trying to improve her own as if she didn’t have the perfect one already and generally freaking wrecked the game.

“I STILL SAY THAT THE LITTLE BONE MAN IS BETTER!”

A knock on the door made all four groan collectively, none of them really willing to get up. If it was those pesky Jehovah’s Witnesses again, Sans would blow a fuse. And Asra-it was still weird to him to use that name now-wasn’t here to just ramble them down until they wanted to flee.

“Okay, who’s going?” Undyne asked after it knocked again, now accompanied by the doorbell. “Not it.”

“NOT IT!”

“N-Not it”

“Not i-aw, guys, c’mon, I just sat down!” Sans whined but ultimately got off his ass anyways, though not without an adequate amount of complaining. He didn't even bother to pick up his feet while walking.

“Good morning! Well, noon already!” Cam blared at him from the door, a heavy looking bag slung over her shoulder when he opened the door before she pulled him in a bit too friendly of a hug before he could bring some distance between them again. Ugh, who had invited her?

“Hey, sorry Cam, Asra’s at work” he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and he had to stifle a yawn.

“Ugh, yeah? I know? That’s why I’m here?” she laughed and for a moment he had to think of that one character in the Barbie movie with the swans Paps and the human had watched a few nights ago, when she couldn’t sleep again. The one with the dolphin laugh, yeah.

Not like he was gonna say it, that would be a bit uncalled for, but the thought was still there.

“Whatcha mean?” he asked instead, and she rolled her eyes as she pushed past him into the apartment. “Oh, sure, come in, no problem, you’re welcome” he muttered as he followed her.

“Heya guys!” she greeted everyone, throwing her bag next to the couch. “Alphy, Undy, I have great news you two!” A big smile was plastered onto her face and Sans took another, big sip from his Coffee after he had settled back in on the couch. “I was cleaning the house a few days ago because Philly and Robin made a huge mess and knocked over one of the bins in the Cupboard and guess what I found in there! I know I promised you that I’d bring them over and when Rea texted me to complain about having to work today, I just knew that I had to come over because there is no way in hell that she’s let us watch these if she was here and-“

“Wait, what’s going on?” Sans asked, not getting the ever growing excitement of the girls. Alphys and Undyne seemed positively giddy for reasons you weren’t quite sure of until he spotted Cam turning over the large bag and a couple of older, nondescriptive DVD’s spilled out. The cases were solid black with sticky notes stuck behind the clear cover to mark them. He picked one of them up, looking at the little note saying “ANSASATSIA ANASTASIA",  which in turn did not ring a bell for him.  “Wait, what’s that?”

“OH, I THINK I KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE!” Papyrus crowed. “THOSE ARE RECORDINGS OF THE TINY HUMAN, RIGHT? UNDYNE, YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THEM!”

“Great deduction there, big guy!” Cam grinned at him and now Sans perked up a bit. “If we hurry we can get through a bunch of them before she comes back and she will be none the wiser! She’s always been so shy about these.”

“Woah, you sure that we should watch these then? I don’t wanna make her uncomfy or anything?” The skeleton shifted awkwardly in his seat. He really didn’t wanna do anything that would make his human-was the term girlfriend appropriate by now? He wasn’t sure-upset, not when everything still felt so raw and new for them.

“Oh, yeah, totally” Cam made a face. “She’s just shy because she’s embarrassed, I mean, she performed these for hundreds of people before. And it’s just us, it’s not like were gonna think any worse of her just because she’s played the villain a bunch of times.”

“The villain? What?” he questioned, as Cam picked out one specific case, a strange glint in her eyes. “She told me she was just messing up lines as Back three number four or something. I’d be embarrassed too if my friends saw that.”

“Back tree number three?” The human threw her head back as she laughed a deep belly laugh. “Oh, you are funny, she was right. Buddy, no, she was usually always the villain. Totally horrifying!” She leaned towards Papyrus in a conspiratory way, her eyes shining with mirth. “Total typecasting if you ask me, eyes and stuff” Still snorting she got up to switch channels and put the Disk into the player. “Let’s start with The Little Mermaid, she’s a great Ursula!”

Sans wasn’t too sure about that.

You stepped into your office at exactly 9:05, swiping your card at the check-in panel quickly with a slight curse. You could already here the dramatic wailing from the conference room across the hall and you were doing your best to slip into the high heels as you made your way down the hall as quickly as possible without spilling your bosses’ drink. God fucking damn tight ass pencil skirts.

Of course, public transportation had been late today after you already missed one bus because you dallied all morning, and then the barista messed up your order twice, effectively causing you to be late.

“I am so sorry, it was not my fault” you said out of breath as you burst through the door, taking in all of the different Mettaton shaped Mannequins around the room. Each one wore a dress that was more lavish than the last one and you didn’t know where to look at first. Chara was already seated on the big main table, nodding empathetically-and totally not fake at all, noooo-as Mettaton whined and rambled. You shot them a glare for sneaking in here why you still struggled to put on proper shoes. “Oh golly. What’s going on?”

“Darling! There you are, goodness grievance, you simply must help me out!”

“Deep breaths, Metta.” You tried to calm him down, dropping your purse by the door. “Here, take a sip, you’re unbearable without coffee and it’s Saturday morning so I will have to bear you.”

Gratefully, he took the cup from you, taking a big gulp.

“Ah, much better!”

“Great, then tell me what’s going on. Did Chara say that fuchsia and magenta are the same again?”

“Don’t blame me, they look exactly the same.” You shot them a glare and they just shrugged, unbothered before crossing their legs. If their mother could see them, she would probably give them a lecture about proper etiquette.

“They do not so shut up!” you snapped, though the corners of your mouth twitched slightly. “Okay, honey, why don’t you tell me what’s making you upset” you said to Mettaton, using that special voice you usually only pulled out for Frisk or small children, rubbing his back.

“Oh, it is awful! The New Years Gala is coming up on the twenty sixth, as well as the Met right after and I have the appointment to guest judge on Drag Race’ finale in two weeks and then the starring on that talk show to promote my new album and I’ve just been informed that she-who-shall-not-be-named will host it, which is awful and I commissioned all these looks and I look like an ugly frumpy sack of potatoes in each and every single one, what do I do?”

“Sweetie, you look beautiful, even in an ugly, frumpy sack of potatoes” you hushed him.

“I know that I am always beautiful!” he huffed, though refusing to meet your eyes. “It’s the clothes that are ugly!”

“They are not ugly; you are just stressed because you have a million projects on at the same time and you want to be perfect for everyone because there are a lot of people watching you. We’ve been over that.” Pulling a chair towards you, you huffed slightly. “Now go and try on the dresses so I can tell you what to wear when, you big drama queen.”

“I vote for the burlap instead of the tarp.”

“Chara shut up, just because you hated dressing up for royal events doesn’t mean everyone does. And it’s not a tarp, it’s an oil spill vinyl! It’s modern!”

“Your highness is right, this is a tarp! I have to throw it out! What was I thinking?”

“Okay, so I could wear this with the blood orange chanel jacket or the orange sherbet one I got from this cute little designer here. What pairs better with this?”

“I don’t know, they look exactly the same.”

“THEY DO NOT, ONE IS PASTEL AND ONE IS NEON?”

“What are we thinking about this cute nude illusion? Lovely, isn’t it? This absolutely stunning girl sent it to my PO box! Isn’t it gorgeous?”

“Why is it called nude illusion if it’s a tan fabric? Shouldn’t it be silver and black? You know, to match your body?”

“If I’d do what I wanna do right now, that would include a lot of stabbing. So I’m skipping all of that. Metta, I love that one, you look very French. Wear that one for Drag Race, it’s the perfect finale look!”

“As long as you don’t call it Nude Illusion there, or Michelle will skin you alive”

“I will skin you alive, if you say one more word!”

This would be a long day.

“Well.” Undyne huffed, leaning against Alphys legs. “You can mark me down as Horny and Scared!” Sans had to agree with her on that one, even if he didn’t want to say it flat out.

“THAT DRESS IS GREAT! I LIKED HOW THE TENTACLES MOVED!”

“Oh, yeah, that was so cool! They had like three people with her under there that puppeteered them” Cam popped in some popcorn, happily munching away. “They have Rea strapped on a pedestal on wheels there to make her taller too.”

“I-I love the synthesizer for her v-voice. M-Makes it extra s-spooky” Alphys remarked after taking a sip of the drink Undyne offered her. “B-But is it just me o-or is there some—uh-“ she shot a quick glance towards Papyrus before clearing her throat. “tension between Ursula and Ariel?”

“Uh, obviously?” Cam snorted. “That’s Sybil, her girlfriend at the time. They were the couple in the theatre department for a while at the end of high school and they kept it going for a while in college. Man, you should totally see Rea’s performance as JD from Heathers, if I would have been Sybil, that door would have been open like that” she accentuated her words with a sharp snap and Sans started to shift uncomfortably. “I have the recording somewhere still in there if you wanna.”

“WHAT IS A “HEATHERS”?”

“Uuuuuuh. I-I-I don’t think we should w-watch Heathers.” Alphys coughed into her hand and if Alphys said that it was pretty obvious why everyone agreed pretty quickly to that.

Groaning, you put your head on the table, glaring at Chara when they tried to give you sympathetic pat.

“This would have been so much easier if you didn’t blurt out all of those unfiltered comments, I hope that you know that.”

“Aww, c’mon, I was just giving my honest opinion.” They grinned unapologetically and you glared a bit harder.

“If you want my honest opinion, you are getting banned from the office. Banned, you hear? This was a disaster!”

“It wasn’t that bad! I had fun!”

“I am going to tell you mother.”

“You wouldn’t” they gasped, and you practically dissolved into giggles at their offended face.

“Now you two, I just spoke to the delivery service and food should be here soon!” Metta strutted into the room, seemingly unaffected from his earlier fit. “I’m sorry, your highness, I assume you don’t eat so I didn’t include you in the order.” Chara just shrugged unbothered.

“That’s perfect. Thanks for caling Metta, I don’t think that I could handle-“ you interrupted yourself for a drawn out yawn. “Sorry-handle that call right now. Gee, sorry, I’m tired.”

“Aww, darling, are you still having trouble sleeping?”

“Yeah.” You admitted, resting your head against your arms. “Still have those nightmares, but don’t worry, it’s getting better. Just… exhausted. Healing is exhausting”

The robot put a gentle hand on your arms, giving you a soft smile.

“You know, I’m always here for you. Maybe you can look into therapy or something if it gets worse again?”

“Oh, yeah sure.” You snorted. “Sorry doc, just me and that weird ghost-but-not-really-thing tethered to me. Yeah, sure we met in the void, that magical place and also I got shot which keeps triggering my PTSD from being in a kinda shit relationship before.” You gave him your best ditzy voice. “Wait, why are you pulling out the grippy socks, I swear I’m not insane!”

“Well, if you put it like that.” He pursed his lips, and you couldn’t help but to admire his lipstick. The thing was totally smudge proof. “No need to be so sarcastic” There was mirth in his tone, so you chose to give him a chuckle instead of apologising again. Even if you still felt like you constantly had to apologise to everyone for everything. That would probably stay with you for a while.

You pulled out your phone, swiping it open and gave him a nudge to come closer.

“C’mere, Undyne sent me like a million TikToks if you wanna watch them with me while we wait.”

“Are they any good?”

“Mmhm… They are a good distraction.” you agreed easily and he scootched his chair closer to watch over your shoulder. “You know, you should get a TikTok as well. You’d be so popular there. And it’s practically free advertisement.”

“Ugh, but then I’d have to hire yet another social media manager and those are so hard to come by.”

“Don’t bother.” You yawned again. You should not have gotten up so early, Sans was right. “TikTok doesn’t operate like that. Just being yourself there and maybe a bit of a crackhead will get you waaaay mor engagement than any flawless social media rep ever could. It’s not about being a picture perfect celeb, it’s about showing people the real you and maybe just have fun.”

“You really think so?” he mused, lips pursed, and you pulled up the search bar.

“Yeah, I mean look at the Duolingo Owl for example or the Jonas Brothers. Totally unhinged content but people eat that shit up. It’s hilarious.”

“Did you just say the Duolingo Owl has a TikTok account?”

“ Uh, yeah?” you had to laugh. “And there is so much lore! It’s great. It’s a whole new form of marketing and getting yourself out there that also leaves you way more approachable and just… real.”

“And you are sure.. that I would fit in there?” he seemed a bit unsure, though contemplating. A huge grin spread on your face, pushing away some of that sleepiness.

“Totally! You were practically made for this! You have the personality and everything!” He hummed slightly, just watching your phone screen for a few more minutes before speaking up again.

“Say, how would one get started on this app?”

“Oh my god!” you gasped, practically shooting up from your chair. “Have you seen Phineas and Ferb? There’s this fabulous audio that’s practically made for you!”

“-Men with pointy teeth, and stop, no more, you'll just upset me!” The musical was good, Sans had to admit, and he was really enjoying seeing a younger Asra. Back before everything, back when she seemed so full of life the second she stepped on stage with that joyous little sparkle in her eye she just couldn’t hide, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe that’s why she was so good in those roles, because she was having so much fun, and who didn’t enjoy an absolute unhinged musical villain?

Though he still wasn’t fully comfortable with the whole thing, like he was intruding on something private, something secret that shouldn’t have been shared but every time he tried to bring it up, he got shot down again, so maybe he was just worrying too much over nothing.

She was great. But in Sans’ eyes, this could be child’s play and he’d still think that it was great. Which wasn’t a thing just reserved for her, but she was especially great right now. Not even joking, he once went to one of Frisks Rehearsals for school and he’s never seen a better Dandelion Dancer.

“Mother knows best, take it from your Mumsy!”

“SANS, WHY IS THE MOTHER TRYING TO GASLIGHT HER CHILD?”

“Why do you know about gaslighting, Papyrus?” Undyne questioned, throwing a piece of popcorn at him.

“I LIKE TO LISTEN TO TRUE CRIME TO RELAX!” he crowed happily.

“Do you not have parental guidance on your phone, Jesus Christ.”

“IT’S LIKE A PUZZLE! I ACTUALLY SOLVED EIGHT CASES ALREADY!”

“Excuse me?”

“YES, SOMEONE CALLED FBI SENT ME A GIFT BASKET WITH A FIFTEEN DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR BARNES AND NOBELS A FEW WEEKS AGO!” It was kinda funny to see Undyne so distraught for a moment, like her whole life was a lie.

“Maybe I should have let the guy into the royal guard.” She mumbled quietly and Sans had to fake a cough so she wouldn’t notice his laugh. “Our crime rate would have been so low.” Yeah, that’s what you get for underestimating my bro, he just thought smugly.

“Guys, you’re not even looking!” Cam complained and Sans couldn’t help but roll his eyes, slightly annoyed.

“SHHHHt, HUMAN, I AM TRYING TO WATCH A MOVIE!” Paps shushed her and the look on her face was priceless.

“You started talking!” she just huffed, crossing her arms before looking at her wristwatch. It was getting fairly late into the afternoon by now, they had substituted lunch for copious amounts of sweets and snacks.

“G-Guys, look! T-The whole stage is moving!” Alphys hushed while slapping Undyne’s arm. She’s been way too into the whole tech aspect of it all, it was hella endearing to him.

“WOWIE! DO YOU THINK THEY USED MAGIC?”

“Nah bro, way before magic” Sans smiled at him. “Just technology and stuff”

“WOWIE!” Papyrus marvelled and just seeing his brother so happy warmed his heart.

Until the movie just froze, a big pause button displayed on the screen.

“What? Are you guys doing?” Sans turned at the demanding voice of his favourite human, almost in unison with everyone else in the living room.

Asra he was standing by the doorway, desperately holding onto the remote they had haphazardly thrown onto the little adjacent coffee table. Her face was a splotchy red colour and her eyes huge in disbelief.

“Ohhhh, someone’s in trouble” Chara singsonged right into his ear, draping themselves over the back of the couch, a huge grin almost splitting their face in half and Sans swatted at the annoying little pest.

“HUMAN! YOU HAVE RETURNED!” Oh bless his heart, but Paps, don’t. “WE ARE WATCHING A MOVIE YOU ARE STARRING IN THAT IS PERFORMED ON STAGE! YOU ARE QUITE TERRIFIC!”

Flushing even deeper, she desperately smashed some buttons until the Disk was ejected.

“I think that’s enough of that!” she hissed, clearly embarrassed, before glaring daggers at her fellow human. “What have you been showing them?”

“Just some of your old tapes.” Cam shrugged.

“Oh, just get out of here. Don’t you have children to take care of, you meddler!” Laughing, she got up from the couch, to administer a somewhat apologetic hug.

“Fine, fine, I get it, you are mopey because I embarrassed you in front of your friends” she admitted before pressing a kiss on her cheek, leaving a lipstick stain there.

“Ugh!” Asra tried to wipe it off, which only resulted in it smearing. “Go home, I’ll call you on Monday for lunch.”

Cam turned towards the rest on the couch, sighing deeply.

“Welp, I guess that’s it. You can keep the recordings, yeah?”

“Oh, I am going to burn these beyond recognition!” Asra mumbled, tapping her foot slightly as she watched her friend leave, before she allowed herself to fall next to Sans on the couch. “Oh my god, how many are there? What did you guys see, this is so awkward?”

“Uhhh, what?” Undyne teased, poking her in the side. “No it’s not? You’re a great villain!”

“Ugh. No, I hated playing the villain roles!” rolling her eyes, she leaned forward to steal some of the popcorn.

“REALLY? BUT THEN WHY DID YOU PLAY ON STAGE AT ALL?”

“Because sometimes you get a bummy role and next time will be better. And sometimes being ensamble is just a nice break too”

“BUT THE TALL HUMAN TOLD US YOU ONLY PLAYED BAD GUYS! ALL THE RECORDINGS WE WATCHED TOO!”

“Papy, dearie, I’ve been on stage all of highschool and four years for the BA that’s collecting dust at the back of my closet. That’s eight years with at least two musicals per semester. Your brother here can probably use his fancy doctorates to tell you how many that makes, and I promise you, I barely played any bad guys. A 5 foot villain is not very intimidating. I only ever played like four, and you’ve probably seen all of them judging from your reaction and I promise, none of them were my faves really.”  Grumbling, she continued by muttering under her breath. “It’s like she wants me to look bad.”

“Well. W-What are your favourites t-then?” Alphys piped up and the human sighed, probably regretting the entire conversation.

“It’s Elsa or Elphaba. Maybe Six too, but only because that’s the last one she did” Chara deadpanned, and Asra threw her popcorn at them. Her flush was spreading down her neck and chest by now.

“God, get out of my head you piece of moldy bread!” Huffing, she leaned back and right against Sans, who couldn’t help but blush a bit himself, thrown off by the relative ease at which she came to look for his proximity. He didn’t hesitate to put an arm around her, and he didn’t miss how her lips quirked up, making his soul flutter, and he could practically feel hers do the same. “Listen, I’ll let you choose one more and then I’m going to bed. And when I wake up tomorrow, I am going to make sure that none of these will ever see the light of day again, so you better choose wisely.”

Music was blaring from the little stage of the speakeasy where a small band was playing sultry jazz. A woman that was well past her late twenties stood on stage, crowing into a vintage looking ribbon microphone. There were posters on the wall in the style of Art Noveau, depicting scantally clad women bathing in giant champagne glasses, promoting giggle water as well as some cigarettes.

Even though this time you felt capable of moving, when you looked down, there still wasn’t a body in sight. Which was probably for the best, your sleep wear was definitely neither well suited nor appropriate among the people here. Men in fancy suits and women in flapper dresses, the beads and sequins of the fabrics catching the dingy light and reflecting brightly. Smoke curled through the air as you spied a flash of green from the bar and as if drawn to it, you made your way through the writhing mass of dancers.

You were careful not to touch anyone but roughly halfway through, the elbow of an exceptionally avid dancer went right through your torso. A bit far off of the scar on your left shoulder but still close enough to make you shiver and gasp. Shuddering, you wrapped your arms around your body-could it still be called that if it was neither there nor visible? Like an amputee’s phantom limb just… all over?-as you continued over. Behind the bar, you spied a somewhat familiar face of your suddenly favourite fire elemental. Grillby didn’t look much different, still clad in a sharp looking pair of dark slacks and a matching vest on top of a white dress shirt. Only difference was that the sleeves of said shirt were rolled up to his elbows and a pair of suspenders hung loosely by his side.

A woman sat on the bar; her short auburn hair neatly styled into the little water waves the 1920ties were so famous for. Her back was to you, showing off an almost scandalously low dip on her emerald dress. Rows and rows of expensive beads were spilling over the barstool almost to the floor and she was laughing like there was no care in the world. You spotted a beautiful, though way too huge and extravagant diamond ring on her hand as she coyly played with her rope length pearl necklace. Her other one was clutching a glass with a rosé coloured liquid in it that bubbled and fizzed like expensive champagne. Probably the aforementioned giggle water. Wouldn’t be your brain if it came up with a single creative thought.

Well, that’s against prohibition rules! That little annoying voice in your head, that sadly wasn’t Chara, provided.

“Well, what do we have here?” a somewhat familiar voice growled behind you and before you could turn around, the owner of said voice just stepped right through your body. Gasping, a quite uncomfortable shudder ran through your entire phantom body. That was not an experience you were keen on repeating. The man paused for the tiniest moment, cocking his head for just a split second and the white, polished skull shone like the sun underneath the expensive fedora before shaking off the feeling and stepping up next to the woman.

Skeletal fingers wrapped around her waist to twist her barstool around, so she was facing him.

A loud gasp you couldn’t suppress echoed as much as it could in a place like this, as you stared at your own face, decked out in smokey eye makeup and the brightest, reddest lipstick you’ve ever seen. That wasn’t even typical of the period! They were wearing dark colours, almost plums back then, so where did your imposter over there get the gall from to wear a colour that almost perfectly matched your eyes?

Said red eyes glanced over to where you were standing, arms still slung around yourself in discomfort and the hussy had the audacity to smile and wink at you. She winked at you, and you weren’t sure if you should pale or flush. “Ain’t you a vision decked out in ya glad rags t’night, little songbird” the man-you knew that this was a dream version of Sans you were making up-almost growled. An unpleasant shiver wrecked your body at the nickname, bringing up some bad memories. You had to actively take some deep breaths in order to calm yourself down again. “What’s a pretty little jane like you doin in a swanky tin pan alley like this? Especially lookin’ like tis, ya pretty lil Sheba. One may mistake ya for a little Moll” You understood some of that. Not a lot but hey, some part of you must have been real into the 1920’s slang because that sure as hell wasn’t what normal people nowadays talked like so how else would you come up with this?

He pressed a kiss against Flapper-You’s jawline, and she giggled sweetly.

“Oh, aren’t you the Cat’s Pyjamas tonight, you old charmer!” she smiled at him, letting her fingers run over the perfectly pressed, grey pinstripe suit. “Felt like putting on the Ritz tonight and come see my favourite carper at the joint. Even rouged my knees for you, Big Boss.”

Electricity made the air cackle as he pulled you out of your chair to twirl you in the air, his eyes never leaving you.

“Ah, yar perfect, doll! Can’t wait to go the middle aisle with ya, gonna make ya all mine!” Flapper-You shrieked in joy like she didn’t have a care in the world, everyone around them be damned.

On closer inspection, you did notice that people shot the seemingly happy couple some weary glances and ever since the old timey mobster looking Sans had stepped up, the air felt rather charged.

“’m already all yours” the woman obviously flirted, taping his sternum while biting her lip. “Or did ’cha forget this here’s mine by law that’s older than any man or monster?”

“Oh, never.” He rasped again, the lights in his eyes flaring as he still held her up, hands clasped underneath her butt that was definitely rounder and better than yours and focus Rea, there was no reason to get insecure over dream you, of course you’d picture her in an idealized form!

Just before she could lean down and press those sinful, red lips against his, he turned his head, so she missed and left a fiery imprint on his cheekbone. Pouting she huffed at him, but he didn’t pay her much attention.

“What’s the Mrs. Grundy doing here?” he rolled his eyes.

“What?”

“I’m here to get my little sister back home, Serif” someone else huffed and this time, you managed to jump out of the way before someone could step through your metaphysical form again. This time, it was a woman, at least two heads taller than you, dressed in a spiffy little pantsuit-oh god, not you starting with the slang too-and sporting a sleek, black bobcut. You only saw her from the back but paired with the voice, it hit you so hard, that you fell on your knees.

Flapper-You’s eyebrows knit together ever so slightly, her glance flickering over to you for just a split second before falling back on her sister.

Mercy.

“Didn’t know the coppers would join us here. Tryna get an invitation for the big event?” Sans goaded and Mercy crossed her arms.

Scrambling up, you walked around her, staring at her face and oh god, it’s been so long, you’ve almost forgotten what she looked and sounded like, not just the idealised memories in your head with the nostalgia filter. Was this really a dream? Could your brain really be so cruel?

“’m out of the line here, I just wanna see my sister. Take her home.She's all I have" she spoke clearly and obviously trying to keep her vocabulary elevated, which you were quite thankful for because Good Golly, Miss Molly, you barely understood a lick of what was going on.

“Don’t look like ya lil sister wants to come home though. She seems pretty happy here with me.”

Rolling her eyes, Mercy turned towards you.

“You couldn’t just get a normal job, ReeRee? I told you I’d getcha one at the office as a secretary. ‘s good pay too for a woman. Maybe you’d find a nice man to settle down there. Or the radium factory. You like painting. But c’mon, really? A Mobster Wife?” Rubbing her face, she took a step towards Flapper-You and-apparently your assessment of Mobster was correct-Sans turned her away from her sister. Though she didn’t complain and rather chose to pout at her, still clutching at Sans.

“’s got nothing to do with you, Cissy!” A shiver went down your spine and apprehension locked up all your joints. You never called your sister Cissy. Not even once. That was your second warning “Nothing wrong with having a whoopie with a handsome fella like this one.” Smiling, she ran a finger down Sans face who in turn looked at her like she was the most precious thing on earth. “’sides I enjoy the danger”

Almost made you coo a bit if this wasn’t one of your absolute fucked up lucid dreams again.

“C’mon, you know that this isn’t gonna end well for you. I’m gonna have to bust your fiancé eventually and I don’t wanna see you hurt. Would Ma or Pa like to see you chained to a Mob Boss?”

“Well, s too late anyways. He’s mine already” Ruby lips smiled a dopey little smile at the Mobster, eyes full of what you could only describe lovey dovey feelings and she pressed her own hand on his chest. He repeated the gesture and for a moment you swore that you could see a bright blue flame flicker into view from where her soul should sit, like the deepest part of the sea where two oceans would meet, and- “Hold on a minute, that’s not right” you mumble out loud and suddenly, both of their heads snapped up to where you were standing. Panic grabbed at your own soul, and you weren’t sure if you should run or watch this play out. Mercy turned to where they were looking and eyes the same colour of the ocean or polished sapphires stared right through you.

Sans put his fiancée-fiancée!-down, pushing her slightly behind him, before taking a step in your direction. Oh god, what was happening?

“COPPERS!” someone behind the tense formation around the bar screamed, supported by the sound of a bottle of glass smashing against the floor and Flapper-You turned towards her sister, fury twisting her face into a mask of pure rage.

“You sicced your dogs on us?” she hissed, and Mercy put up her hands.

“Wasn’t me, ReeRee! I swear” she insisted but she sneered at her.

“Oh sure, it’s not like getting rid of Sans here wouldn’t be the Bees Knees for ya!” with a last look of betrayal she turned from her, letting Sans pull her with him towards the bar with one hand, the other one inside his jacket, already on the butt of a gun.

Confused, you tried to push yourself through the masses of people that were trying to leave as well as the newly added ones to follow the two of them into the back room.

“Chara here’s gonna take ya to the Orchid ta meet Paps, don’t worry, we’ll take care of the Chopper squad so you can make a clean sneak, songbird.”

A figure in the backroom raised from their place at a table, lowering their poker cards. They were wearing a suit that would make Marvel’s Loki green-haha-with envy, the sakko of the jacket lazily draped over their shoulder. She nodded at Sans, and they shared a last lingering kiss before he left her there. You weren’t sure if you should follow him or stay with the Imposter You and Dapper Chara.

The choice was made for you, as a warm hand wrapped around the nothing where your wrist was, and it felt solid and real, and you had to suppress a swear.

“C’mon, we gotta go” she mumbled, and Chara raised an eyebrow.

“Whatcha got there, princess?” they inquired, and she gave them a flat look.

“Whatcha think, Chiv?” Nodding knowingly-because apparently everyone except you knew what was going on-they lead her to the back door out of the speakeasy, ignoring the shouts and gunshots like they were used to it. Oh god, they probably were, you realised as you were tugged along.

“Wait, what is going on?” you tried, and fire red lips quirked up slightly.

“We don’t have much time. Gonna explain everything in the car, but ya shouldn’t be here. If they find’cha-“ the door swung open and revealed darkness beyond anything that you were expecting. Chara jumped in front of the two of you, but it was already too late, as blue strings wrapped around Flapper-You’s torso.

A tug made her fly and the last thing you heard before your eyes sprung up and you were suddenly forced back into a body that was completely there and physical was a gut-wrenching scream and the sound of something shattering.

Once again you were drenched in sweat, incapable of moving so you were forced to look up at the ceiling back in the real world, back in Sans’ room.

He had constellations painted on his ceiling with glow in the dark paint and you forced your heartbeat back down by tracing the stars with your eyes, trying to remember the names of each constellation. You didn’t know many of them, but the act alone managed to calm you down enough, that you could calmly sit up in bed. The blanket fell down to your legs and Sans grumbled a bit, his hold on you tightening ever so slightly.

Your throat was dry and burning and you could feel a headache coming already. Hissing, you pinched the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut. There was no way in hell that you could fall asleep again tonight, so you tried to extract yourself from the octopus in your -his, sorry, his-bed without waking the kraken.

Your bare feet made a slight sound on the haardwood floors as you walked into the kitchen. You closed the door before flicking on the light. You stood there for almost a whole minute, contemplating if you could excuse pouring yourself a glass of wine or not. In the end, you decided against it and went for some tea instead.

Peppermint with loads of sugar and even more lemon, just like your Dad used to make you when you were upset as a child. Sans had left one of his textbooks on the kitchen table and you picked it up, looking at the cover.

Something something chemistry, so nothing that was really up your alley, but you flipped through the pages anyways as you sat on the kitchen counter, one leg drawn up underneath you, the other one still dangling down.

The tea was hot enough to burn your tongue, but you welcomed the pain. It was a reminder of being real and alive.

It was still the middle of the night when Sans woke up. The spot next to him in bed was still slightly warm, so he knew that Asra couldn’t have left long ago. It wasn’t unusual for her to wake up at night, though usually it was more… violent. So her absence worried him slightly.

Sighing, he pushed himself off the mattress, already missing the comfortable feeling of the cloud. It was one of the first things he had bought above ground. A good mattress.

For someone that was planning to spend most of his free time in bed napping, it was practically a given. A luxury he hadn’t allowed himself underground but now that he was up on the surface, he made a point to indulge in all the things he had missed out.

He smiled at himself as he heard Undyne and Papyrus snore, seemingly rivalling each other. They pretty much all fell asleep in the living room and if it wasn’t for his human to gently shake him awake to get to a real bed, he would have probably joined them.

Light was shining underneath the door to the kitchen, and he exhaled, trying to calm a bit of the nerves that kept creeping up. He knew that she was fine, probably, but the image of her waking up and clawing at her own skin until blood gathered at her fingertips, trapped in her own head, wouldn’t leave him. He had noticed how she flinched at every sharp movement and tended to look like a kicked puppy whenever someone sounded even mildly disappointed in her vicinity before she hid it behind a bright smile and it broke his heart but also, could he really expect her to just be fine already?

Pushing the door open just enough for him to slip though, he entered the kitchen and all logic thought left him right then and there.

She sat on the counter, a leg underneath her and the other one dangling off like a content little cat bathing in sunlight and she was wearing one of his shirts. It was way too big on her, going down to her mid thighs and falling off of one shoulder. He knew that she was wearing those cursed pink silk shorts underneath, he had seen them before but as she was seated, they were completely covered by the hem of his shirt and boy, he did not expect that to do the things to him that it did.

Next thing he noticed was hair up in a messy bun and had she stolen his reading glasses? Together with his book, yeah.

She seemed sleepy and soft and so serene in this moment, he wished that he had his phone with him to snap a picture of this. She was pretty enough when she made an effort but this, this careless and almost domestic display was when he thought her most beautiful.

And then she looked up at him, smiling gently and his soul was practically melting.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you” she whispered, as if she was cautious of the others, even though the door to the other rooms was closed.

“Just noticed you were gone. Got worried.” He rasped, voice still a bit rough from sleeping.

“Sorry, I just needed a drink. I’ll be right back if you wanna go on ahead.” He had noticed the steaming mug next to her, but she had yet to take a sip, so he wasn’t sure how much of that was just an excuse. She gave him one of those crooked smiles again and suddenly, he couldn’t get over there fast enough, crowing into her personal space like nobody’s business but he had yet to hear a complaint from her. His hands ended up on her hips, the touch still light and chaste.

“You sure? Wasn’t the nightmare again?”

“No.” she shook her head, though frowning. “I mean, yeah, it was a weird dream. But not the bad one. Just a… weird one?”

“Tell me about it, love?” he asked, and he could have sworn that for a moment, redness bloomed on her cheeks.

“It was nothing, really. Just.. a weird 1920ies hodgepotch of weirdness.” She smiled gently, running a finger against his sternum over his own loose shirt. “You do look great in a suit though, I know that much”

“Oh?” he purred, stepping closer and suddenly the touch on her hips wasn’t as innocent anymore. “Should I get one of those fancy penguin outfits for you?”

Asra huffed out a laugh through her nose before tugging more so on his shirt.

“No, I prefer this. The real you. Sweatpants and all” He had to kiss her. He simply had to, there was no other option.

Apparently, she agreed with him, because she leaned it pretty much at the same time, pressing her lips against the ones he magically conjured up. They were slightly chapped, like always but so plush and warm and she tasted like peppermint and something deeper as he couldn’t help himself but lick into her mouth. She let him, so open and vulnerable with him, something he hadn’t expected of her but was very welcome.

He would have missed that slight sigh between kisses if he wasn’t so keen on catching each sound she made. His human was exceptionally quiet usually, so he had nothing more to go off on than a few breathless gasps and sighs. Sans wanted to make her scream his name.

He had to be patient though, he knew that. There was still a slight hesitation between them, a sort of limbo they were suspended in where they weren’t quite sure where they stood and where to go from here. It was all tentative touches and chaste kisses one moment and the next, they could both feel the fire burning them up if they couldn’t get their hands on each other right this instance.  

When he finally pulls away, they were both breathing rather heavily. A few strands of hair have loosened from her messy updo, and she blew them away from her face, before giving him a sly grin.

“You know, I think I’m having a Déjà vu.” Almost reflexively, his hand flew down to her leg, tracing the fine white lines on the skin he had left there, and a shudder ran down her spine. “Are you gonna leave me here again?” she teased, and Sans rolled his eyes, following the spiderwebs up over her knee to the last offshoots on her thigh.

“No, not this time” he chuckled, before pressing a kiss against her pulsepoint, not missing the startled little ah! escaping her. “What, you scared that I’ll bite you?” Snorting, she pulled his face up again, pressing a lingering kiss against his cheek.

“Your fangs don’t scare me, Sans.” Oh he knew that, and he didn’t even have to look at her to know that her eyes were just filled with an almost insatiable hunger. “Neither do you.”

“Mmmh, don’t tempt me, sweetheart.” It was more of a teasing growl than anything else, but she licked the inside of her lip anyways, eyes fixed on his fangs.

“I am not tempting, I am insisting.”

Happily, Sans let their lips brush together once, and then again, waiting for Asra’s yielding sigh before sinking into something firmer. Anytime she wanted to insist, per her words, he would happily oblige. Anytime, anywhere.

She lifted her hand to wrap it around his arm, clearly enjoying the spark of his magic fizzing against her skin like tiny electrical shocks, imperceptibly powerful in ways not even they could fully understand. He tentatively brushed his tongue along her bottom lip, basically mirroring her earlier movement.

She parted them almost immediately with no hesitation and Sans carefully coaxed her tongue into his mouth with little kitten licks that were driving her insane. He lifted one of his hands to her hair, completely ruining her bun as auburn hair fell to her shoulders and got tangled in his phalanges while their kiss deepened.  

A small sound, almost like a whimper, but not quite left her lips and Sans was suddenly very proud of himself, especially when her hand twisted into the fabric of his shirt as her grip tightened.  She pressed even closer to a point where her nose must have been crushed against his nasal ridge rather uncomfortably, but she didn’t seem to care. The rims of his glasses pushed against his cheekbones.

Sans groaned, angling his head to save her nose and swiped his glasses off of her face, throwing them on the counter without any care before he pressed the hand not gripping her hair against the small of her back to push her even closer, the smooth surface of the counter making it almost too easy for him. He broke the kiss to let her steal a breath, which was probably for the better, considering the way her chest was almost heaving and her pupils seemed impossibly dilated, swallowing almost all of that red. “Your taste, fuck” he rasped and then he fell back into the kiss, sinking into the sensation, loving the way he could feel warmth in his soul but also this urge for… more.

Apparently, she was feeling much of the same, considering that she literally whispered “more” against his mouth, shifting slightly to get her leg out of the way to give him space to step closer.

Grinning, he did just that and almost like she could feel the smugness radiating off of him, she huffed before cupping his face to pull him into another deep kiss. Their movements got more hurried, almost feverish and when Sans’s hand slipped underneath the oversized shirt, the tips of his fingers grazing against the soft skin on her waist he practically moaned into the kiss. Asra let out another one of those tiny gasps, panting against his mouth and he took pity on her, giving her a chance to catch her breath while he ducked his head under her chin again, tracing her pulse with his tongue. The skin on her neck was so soft, so sensitive and it was a shame that it was still so perfect.

He'd have to rectify that.

When he sucked sharply at the junction between her shoulder and neck, he could feel her legs twitch, squeezing him slightly and he laughed smugly, even when she swatted him for it. She didn’t complain about it though, not even when he let his hands wander. No, instead she preferred to arch into his touch, shivering and panting, her eyes lidded, and face flushed. His fingers grazed the underside of her boob and his brain just stopped working for a moment. Of course he knew that she didn’t wear a bra to bed, but it was different feeling it with no barrier. He gave her a moment to stop him and when she didn’t he let his fingers trail even higher.

Just as he was about to gently trace her nipple, a loud crash in the living room, followed by a rough curse startled him hard enough to accidentally pinch the little nub.

“Sans!” she gasped, louder than he has ever heard her but still barely above a whisper, arching into his hand and Oh my god, he was going to kill Undyne right now!

“Damn it, Papyrus, why do you have such long limbs! I Just wanted to go pee and get some water!” Undyne crowed from the living room. “Oh god, I stepped into the Queens kid, ew, I’m sorry your highness, but EW, does that leave ectoplasm on my foot, what the hell!”

“S-Sans- She’s-ah-Babe, she’s coming this way!” Asra whispered, her entire face and chest resembling a tomato except for some freshly placed bruises on that openly displayed shoulder. Sans moaned lowly at the pet name, his teeth scraping along her skin, not enough to break it. “Hhhh-elp me down or we’re gonna give her a show!” 

“Don’t care” the skeleton roughed, “’S long as I can get more of those sounds from you, I don’t care who wants to interrupt” but he removed his hand from underneath her shirt anyways. He wasn’t a complete dick.

Chapter Text

“I’m here, I’m here” you huffed, the heels of your pumps clacking loudly on the tiles of the school office, as you rushed in. The woman behind the desk pursed her lips, deepening the already existing lines on her ageing face. “I’m here to pick up Frisk Dreemurr.” Though you gave her your sweetest smile, but she seemed unimpressed with you.

“Aren’t you a bit young to have a child?” she asked rather rudely and while you certainly had to urge to roll your eyes, you just kept on smiling at her.

“Oh, they aren’t mine. I’m their-uh-aunt?” you sounded a bit unsure about the moniker, but their dead siblings host was a bit out of there, eh? “I-uh, well-live with their uncles. Anyways, Toriel called to make sure that I have permission to pick them up. They are held up, you know, queen stuff and all that. I came as quickly as I could when I got the call. Is everything alright?”

“Oh. Yeah. The queen’s kid” she mused, and her nails clicked on the keyboard. “Okay, I got your permission slip right here, dearie.” She handed you a visitors pass, the sour expression on her face softening up ever so slightly. “Just down the hall by the principals office. The kids should be in there and you can take yours after the talk.”

“Wait, talk? Principals office?” an awkward laugh got stuck in your throat. “What’s going on?”

“I’m afraid you will have to discuss that directly with Mr. Harrow.” Giving her a thin lipped smile, you snatched your pass before stalking away-though not without thanking her. You weren’t a complete asshole.

The principals office was right down the hallway, like the lady had said and two kids were sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chairs by the door.

“Frisk.” You gently called and their head whipped around to find you. As soon as they spotted you, they scrambled from their chair, crashing into you, and hiding their little face in your blouse and wrapping their arms around your waist. Frowning, you couldn’t help but notice that they were shaking. “Hey buddy, what’s going on” you said gently, hoisting them up to sit down on the chair, cradling them on your lap. They stayed stubbornly silent, but you could see their lip wobble and their eyes were glassy. “Awww, sweetie, come here.” You hugged them close and once again, they hid their face. “You’re the awful garden gnome boy with the horrible mother, I remember your face. Billy, right?” you turned towards the second child, and he grinned up at you, showing off a missing tooth you hadn’t noticed last time.

“Yessir! I mean Ma’am!”

“You didn’t bully my child again, did you?”

“No! They are totally my buddy now!”

“Is that right, little one?” you asked, and Frisk nodded shyly, still hiding.

“I’m here to keep Frisk company until my Mom’s done screaming!” he seemed way too proud about that, jutting his thumb against his own chest.

“Ah, I can hear that she still hasn’t ceased her incessant wailing. Really going for that Banshee vibe.” The boy laughed at you and even Frisk gave you a little hiccup of a laugh. “Why’s she even here?”

“Well, Mom’s a chaperone. So she came with us for our trip to the museum.” Oh lord, who made the horrible decision to put that woman into any position of power?

“Billy, honey, I’m sure you can tell me what you mother has done this time, right?” The boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, if at your stern tone or his mothers actions wasn’t quite obvious.

“Well, you see… Mom made Frisk go quiet hands.” He mumbled and for a moment you could do nothing but blink at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah, uhm. She said Frisk was disturbing the others and distracting them. So she grabbed their hands and kinda forced them down.” He scrunched his nose in disgust, very obviously disapproving of his mothers actions.

“Frisk?” you turned towards the child perched on your lap, tone very serious. “Did that woman touch you inappropriately?”

Which one of you’s asking? They signed almost shily and you smiled gently.

“The fact that I am asking you and not already in there, dragging her out by the hair should tell you more than enough. So, please. Be honest with me, pumpkin.”

Sniffling, Frisk shoved back the arms of their sweater, to show you some faint bruising already appearing around their wrists. It took you a lot to just take a deep breath and not turn into a rage filled fury right then and there, but you were proud of not losing your cool-yet.

Gently, your hoisted the kid up as you got off the chair to sit them back down, your face a perfectly blank mask of oncoming calamity.

“Chara, please stay with Frisk and make sure that they will be fine while I go and… handle the situation.”

“Who’s Cha-WOAH!” Billy almost jumped as Chara stepped into view out of thin air, their forehead wrinkled.

“We’re in public.” They just stated dryly.

“I don’t give a rats ass, you go in there with me, and we got an orphan on our hands. That wasn’t a question. Nobody is gonna come by anyways, it’s the middle of the afternoon.”

“Frisk, you didn’t tell me your aunt’s magic too!” Billy crowed and two sets of red eyes gave him a quieting look.

“Don’t go blabbing about it, kid.” You turned away from them, knowing that they got it handled and stalked over to the door, not even bothering to knock.

Inside was, of course, Linda and her sweet demure voice, as well as a middle aged man with a horrible comb over and a general aura of I-am-better-than-you. Must be the headmaster, Alexander Harrow.

You hated the man almost instantly.

“Who are you?” he just about sneered, and you slid into the chair in front of him, putting your folded hands into your lap, staring at him.

“I am here for Frisk.” You simply stated and Linda bristled visibly.

“Well.” Harrow seemed taken aback. “I have to be afraid, you aren’t who we were expecting. I was sure that we called the kid’s mother. How did we get the honour to meet you today?” You didn’t miss how his eyes raked down for a lingering moment, focussed on the button of your blouse that was open. Clearing your throat, they snapped back up, though completely unapologetic.

“I am more than capable of handling this, I can assure you.”

“Well, I am sure, it’s just that-“

“Just what?” you interrupted him. “You want their mother present to see if we are going ahead with pressing charges, right?” The man bristled visibly, and Linda gasped loudly.

“Pressing charges?” she screeched. “Why would you press charges.”

“Ah, Linda, my beloathed, I was waiting for you to open your big mouth.” you smiled, turning your gaze towards her. “I was talking about the charges that I will be pressing against you as well as the school district for abuse of a minor, abuse of a disabled person, acts of bodily harm caused by a chaperone during a field trip and oh well, let’s throw negligence and emotional distress into the ring as well. Well, knowing you there’s probably littering and some other shit on the list as well.”

“Mrs…”

“Winters. And it’s Miss.” you supplied icily.

“Miss Winters, I don’t think that all of that is necessary.” Harrow backpedalled faster than a team at the Olympic rowing. “I-I think there has been a misunderstanding.”

“I don’t know what the little degenerate has told you, but-“

“Ah, ah, ah, Linda! You wouldn’t wanna add libel to the list, right? So shut it!”

“But-“

“Linda.” The principal hissed. “Listen, I really don’t know what you think has happened, but this has to be a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, so Walmart Duchess Camilla over there didn’t force Frisk to use something called Quiet hands and forcibly restrained their arms to a point where there is bruising on their wrists?”

“They were misbehaving and interrupting the group!” Linda snapped. “I was just disciplining a child that clearly has not learned any manners at home. I mean, not that I’m surprised, look what kind of creatures they surround themselves with.”

“Ooooh, hate speech! You are on a roll!”

“God, do we have to listen to this, Alexander! You should just expel the little brat! This is the third incident now! We all know they can speak, they just want the attention” Alexander? Interesting. “They couldn’t even bother coming down here themselves and had to send… her.” Linda sneered and you quipped and eyebrow.

“Oh, not the dollar tree version of Regina George thinking that she can give me attitude.” You laughed into her face, which was turning bright red from anger.

“You are making a huge deal out of this, Miss Winters, I think it’s time for all of us to calm down now.” Principal Harrow tried to calm you down, but it actually achieved quite the opposite of the desired effect.

“Sorry, do you know how it feels to have your mouth sewn shut?” You smiled at him, putting your chin on your hand as you leaned forward.

“W-What’s that got to do with anything? I don’t think that this like of questions is appropriate for the subject matter.”

“Oh, it actually is though. It feels painful. You know what is even worse. Being forced to speak while feeling like your throat is being shred to pieces” You leaned closer, a threatening look on your face. “This is what you are doing by forcing these so called quiet hands upon them. You are making them incapable to communicate and if, it is basically painful to them. You are punishing them for not speaking while taking the ability to speak from them.”

“Oh, boo hoo, it’s not that deep” Linda rolled her eyes, and you directed your stern gaze on her.

“Linda, just because your husband hits you and your child doesn’t mean that I will allow you to go and put your hands on mine.”

“That is a bold presumption!”

“You have a bruise, right here, that you didn’t cover up completely.” You told her, tapping the space under your chin lightly. “And Billy’s missing a tooth. I’m not stupid, you hag. I told you before, you want me to be your friend, but you didn’t believe me. Oh, and trust me, you want me to be here. Do you know what kind of a mess you’ve gotten yourself in? That is a diplomatic ambassador you assaulted. Do you know what their mother would do to you right now? Honestly, whatever she wants because the woman has diplomatic immunity. So be glad that it’s just me promising to sue your crusty ass.” She clearly hadn’t thought about that, judging from the sudden panic in her eyes.

“N-No lawyer would take on a case like that! There are laws in place against-!”

“Against what? Monsters? Yeah, fair, but guess what, I am still not a monster. Neither is Frisk. And would you look at that, I seem to be working for MMT Inc., a corporation that just happens to have lots and lots of very skilled lawyers that would literally fight to be able to take on a high profile case like that, especially since Frisk is literally Mettaton’s favourite person on the entire planet, you absolute fucking walnut.”

“Miss Winters, please, be reasonable. Linda here has made an honest mistake. There must be something we can do to resolve this peacefully.” Harrow was sweating heavily, fiddling with his tie nervously. For a moment, you gave them contemplation before getting up from your chair and putting your head back outside, smiling at the kids.

“Frisk, sweetie, how hard do you want me to dunk on Linda? From a level of Papyrus to Sans or Chara.”

Mmmmmmm, Muffet probably. They shrugged. Why?

“Good, thanks sweetie. I’ll be out with you in a moment, and we can get some Ice Cream before I’m taking you home.” You gave them one last smile before turning back to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. “Linda will not chaperone anymore, and she is forbidden to go anywhere near Frisk again. She’ll also give up her spot in the PTA and both of you will pay a hefty sum to a monster charity of Toriels choice. Who will be called so both of you can give her and her kid an honest apology. Oh, and Linda has to leave her husband so her child can grow up without having to fear for his life. I can give you the number of some afe houses and recources so you can make sure to be safe. But I will not stand by and watch some asshat destroy another life. I'm done with that”

“What?” Linda yelped, glaring at you.

“Shut up Linda!” the principal hissed. “Do you wanna go to jail? Because that’s the alternative!”

“Yeah Linda? You wanna go to jail.” Scrunching your nose at her, you walked over to give her a friendly pat on the cheek, leaning in to whisper at her. “Eat a giant pile of shut the fuck up, Linda.”

By the time you managed to get back into work, the sun had already started to set, which wasn’t really that late because it was the beginning of December, but you made a face anyways. You hated working overtime, but at least nobody would wait at you at home tonight. Papyrus was having a sleepover with Undyne and the Kid, since Alphys and Sans had to be at a function at the University tonight. It wasn’t anything serious, just a department meeting, at least as far as you knew.

Besides, there was enough work that had piled up for you that you were currently sorting through, as a rather stern knock ripped you from your thoughts.

“Knock knock, Hell’s favourite is here and-who the hell are you?” You looked up and briefly forgot how lungs were working as you gaped at what looked like someone being straight up ripped from an anime. She had bright bubblegum pink hair and an equally obnoxious pink ruffly dress. Judging from the catlike features she was a monster too. And a famous one to boot. “Don’t gape like that, you aren’t a carp, right?”

“Y-You are Mad Mew Mew!” you gasped. “Oh my god, I follow you on TikTok, you have like 7.1 Million followers just roasting awful people! Your laugh before you destroy someone is absolutely Iconic!”

“Well, I didn’t know I’d run into a fan here.” She mused, though seemingly pleased. “Still doesn’t explain who you are and what you are doing in my cousins office”

“Your cousin-? Oh!” you flushed, getting up from the chair and smoothing out the wrinkles of your skirt. “I am Mettatons PA, it’s lovely too meet you.”

“You are the little girl that finally got my cousin into using social media, aren’t you?” Her mouth curled up in a pleased smile. “His Fabulous video got almost 1.5M views, I’m almost a bit jealous.”

“Oh, don’t be, you get millions of views on every upload. You basically own the app! I didn’t know you two were cousins.”

“Well, I don’t need to flaunt my good contacts everywhere and sweet little Metta certainly won’t go around announcing that he did not get the good genes in the family.” She flipped one of her pigtails dramatically and you had to hold back a snort. Dramatics were certainly common in the family.

“Aren’t you all just ghosts? And well, robots now. How would that work with genetics?”

“Oh, aren’t you a sassy little one.” Mew Mew huffed, though you could see her lips twitch. “But really, have you seen my cousin? I’m here to because he asked me to pick something up for him while I was down in Vegas before I got back here for the family brunch.”

“I uh, no, he’s been running around like a headless chicken all day and I’ve been busy for the last hour with finalizing the last details for the Gala at the end of the month. Will you be in attendance as well?”

“Oh, absolutely. No way in hell am I gonna miss the chance to upstage my little cousin.”

“Don’t tell him that, he’ll be furious!” you advised with a bright grin.

“That’s a reason, not a hindrance” she giggled loudly. “Say, you look strangely familiar…. Have me met before?” Not quite sure how to react, you stumbled over your words until a deep sigh came to your rescue.

“Maddy, stop badgering my assistant” Metta huffed, towering over the Influencer, who just cackled.

“Hey, let me have some fun!” she pouted, and her cousin just gave her a flat look. “Ugh, you are a stick in the mud. I’m going to annoy Blooky”

“I am not a stick in the mud, you ungrateful wench!” Mettaton called after her, as she left without even saying bye to you. Kinda rude, if you ask me. “Ugh, can you believe that” your boss huffed, hands on his hips as he stalked over to you. “And after I got her a Maserati for her birthday. The level of disrespect”

“You love her though.” You mused with a smile while signing off on another document for the catering.

“And how would you know that?” The robot pouted and your smile widened a smidgen.

“Because she is your cousin and also you bought her a Maserati for her birthday.”

“I’ll buy you two Maserati's for yours.” He grumbled. “I’ll buy everyone a Maserati.”

“You didn’t get me shit for my birthday, Metta.” You reminded him softly as you handed him the catering contract to sign. He snatched it, clicking his pen aggressively.

“I did not miss your birthday, darling, that is impossible. My system here says it’s in May.”

“You did because I made sure that nobody would. It’s in September.” you explained calmly, and he gasped loudly, clutching his pearls.

“You lied to me? The disrespect!”

“Mettaton, I did not lie to you” you tried to keep your voice as neutral as possible and grabbed your cup of tea to hide the small smile, before answering offhandedly “But Chara did”

“Don’t drag me into this!” they complained, finally moving from their place on the couch where they had been quietly resting so far. “Jesus Christ-“

“Is our lord and saviour, blessed be, what the fuck do you wanna hear from me, I am pagan?” you retorted and they glared at you.

“I wish I could throw something at you.”

“Lucky for me that you can’t then.”

“I could throw Mettaton. I can throw people.”

“Do not throw me, your majesty!” said people bristled and both of you snickered at him. “Ugh, you two are the worst. And after I came over here to give you a surprise too!”

“Ooooh, surprise!” you clapped your hands in delight. “Is it chocolate? Please tell me it’s chocolate!”

“Maybe he’s installing a chocolate fountain in the lobby instead of the one that’s there already!”

“Oh, good thinking! Or some more of that chocolate jello mousse we had last week, you remember?”

“Ugh, yeah, so good!”

“It’s not chocolate, you two!” Metta sounded exasperated, pouting heavily before taking a deep breath. His heels clicked on the floor as he walked over to you, gently grabbing your hands to pull you up from your chair. “I worked so hard on this, and I cannot wait to see your face when I show you!” You softened up at this, cooing slightly before wrapping your arms around his waist.

“Metta, you don’t have to give me lavish gifts or surprises like this. I like you without you throwing money at me. You don’t have to buy my love.”

“Aw, darling, aren’t you the sweetest little muffin in the basket!” he cooed while simultaneously almost crushing you. “But come with me, I still wanna show you!”

“Fine, fine, lead the way, boss!” you laughed as he took you by the hand, dragging you to the adjacent room where he was currently storing all of his expensive outfits. They were still draped elegantly draped on the mannequins but now, there was a new one amongst them, a smaller and shorter one “Ta-daaaah!” Mettaton singsonged, presenting what was undoubtably a gorgeous evening gown, probably one of the prettiest designs you’ve seen in a while. It was a simple, yet classic Dior Silhouette, made of miles and miles or tulle that was cut off right under the knee and jutting out at the waist underneath a perfectly structured, long sleeved satin bodice. Each one of the tiny pearl buttons that ran down from the collar to the little peplum at the waist were probably worth more than your prom dress back in high school. There was no doubt that it was absolutely gorgeous and knowing Mettaton, it would fit you like a glove too.

“What do you say? It’s your dress for the New Year’s Gala.”

All you could do was stand there, slightly slack jawed and suddenly unable to breathe. Your chest felt incredibly tight, and it was like someone had pulled the rug out underneath you. Starstruck, you felt frozen in place as blood was rushing in your ears. The knuckles on your hands slowly turned white while you dug your nails into the palms of your hands, hard enough for some wetness to gather at the tips and cause the fragile skin there to bruise like a peach.

“Oh Mettaton…” Chara gasped quietly as they came up behind you.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It matches mine and Blookies outfits perfectly. I made sure that the shades would harmonise perfectly. I know that you put so much work into the event and I really wanted to make sure that you would feel as beautiful as I and everyone else sees you.” His words were gentle, and you knew that he probably meant well, but right now, they just felt like a slap to the face. You still couldn’t say anything, just stare at the dress as you slightly trembled.

Chara’s ghostly hand found your shoulder, squeezing it slightly. They must know how you felt right now.

“Mettaton, the dress is absolutely stunning.” Chara’s words felt so far away, all that you could zone into was the vision of the dress on the mannequin right now and the feeling of free falling. “But do you have another dress? Any other dress?”

“What? Is this one of your horrible fashion opinions again, your majesty?” He scoffed. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s… red.” You mumbled, as if far away. The words stuck to your tongue like old caramel.

“Yes, of course it’s red. So we can all match.” He seemed genuinely confused and the pressure on your shoulder increased slightly while simultaneously, it felt like a pair of hands was suddenly around your throat again, making it hard to breathe. Somewhere, at the back of your head, you remembered a hot breath smelling of cigar smoke wetly against your ear. You look beautiful in red

“Look at her face” you could hear distantly as well as a small little oh, coming from the robot as he seemed to realise something. “She can’t wear that. It’s red.”

“I-I think I could rush the Spring Equinox Dress. It’s less elegant and more towards the fairy queen vibes we were going for the new season. But it’s green.”

“I don’t care. As long as it’s not red” There was a pain inside of you, that you could hardly describe, that just filled you with dread. Your eyes were burning, though you didn’t want to cry. You’ve sworn yourself that you wouldn’t cry over this anymore and yet here you were. “Buttercup?” Gentle, yet cold hands cupped your face and a thumb wiped away a tear that managed to slip out despite your best efforts. Snapping out of your fawn response felt like being pushed into a frozen lake. The cold stung like a thousand needles and liquid ice filled your lungs through a shuddering breath as you turned away from the mannequin, empty eyes glancing up at Mettaton, who looked positively horrified with the entire situation.

“I think I’d like to go home now. I’m sorry.” You whispered, unable to say much more. You just needed to get away from here, get outside and take a breath of air that maybe burned better than the cold edge of fear inside of you.

“Should I drive you, darling?” the robot offered softly, but you stiffly shook your head.

“No. I think I’d prefer to walk. I am sorry.” You still couldn’t look him into the eyes as you managed to leave the room, though your walk was rather wooden. With every step you took, the chokehold of the dress in the colour of freshly spilled blood on a marble floor lessened.

You stood in front of one of the auditoriums inside the University, looking inside through the glass window on the door. You didn't remember walking to the old building, but you remembered asking Chara to get you there, begged them to take control and make sure to get there safely because you didn't trust yourself right now, but you needed to be there because that’s where Sans was and you were selfish and needed him to comfort you right now, even though he was busy with his department meeting, he had complained about it all week and yet you still walked into the building because of your own needs like the selfish little brat that you were. At this point you should really be able to hold it together better than this instead of dissolving into a mess at the slightest hint of a primary colour, it’s been so long now, months, really, almost half a year, and yet you still felt like that vulnerable, hurt little girl, like a sore, open wound.

It was pathetic, really.

And yet, right now, as you looked through the little window, your vision went white for a moment, static noise filling your ears before coming to again.

Suddenly, you could hear sobs from inside the room and you actually managed to look past your own flawed issues, to go look for whoever seemed to be in distress. When you tried to push the door open, your hands just phased through the old wood, to your surprise. Startled, you pulled them back, looking down yourself and oh-you didn’t have a body again all of a sudden. Just the phantom sensation again.

It would have been concerning, experiencing this again now that you were clearly awake instead of dreaming, but the ache inside your chest had yet to subside and you weren’t thinking clearly.

Taking a hesitant step ahead, you went straight through the door and came to face with a woman with auburn hair, once again. It was longer than what you recently sported, although not as long as it used to be. It was, however, brained rather elaborately, with beads and pearls woven into the complicated knots. Upon further inspection, they may have even been sewn into it and the longer you looked, the more it reminded you of the hairstyle your aunt had worn for her wedding. Though hers had been a lot tighter and in an updo, whereas this cascated down Your shoulders. 

At this point, you were familiar with how this was going, and you quietly regarded yet another Dream-You, as she buried her face in her knees, curled up into a ball and leaning against the teachers desk at the front. Her crying was soft, and heart-breaking and you wished that you could embrace her right now. You knew all too well the ever encompassing despair that could linger inside you.

You were close to breaking, hands already reaching out for her as you kneeled down, when someone sat down next to her. Deep down, you knew that this was Sans, but just like last time, he looked different. Through to a higher degree. He seemed taller, less compact and there were faint cracks coming from his eye sockets, one down and one up, splitting into two at the temple. In contrast to what you were so familiar with, his eye was a brilliant golden colour, like the sun before it dipped beyond the horizon. The other one was dark.

He was wearing a white turtleneck and a black jacket similar to the one your Sans was wearing, but like it was dipped in tar. It even had a little patch of his Gaster Blasters, like the one you’ve made him. These seemed more professional though.

This… weird, new Sans sighed deeply, bringing one hand up to take a drag of a cigarette you haven’t noticed and oh… there were holes in his hand. Just… a circular piece missing. Weird. Why was that of all things familiar to you?

“What did they do this time, sweetheart?” he rumbled with a deep voice that was quite reminiscent of Dan Phantom in that old cartoon you had loved to watch as a child. Your first crush, really, and just like back then, as well as every time your own lovely skeleton opened his mouth, you still had quite a thing for voices like that.

“Nothing, really.” Dream-You sniffled. “Just.. Hormones. You know. Had another fight with my parents. Mom's been awful since Cissy's wedding and I just can't handle it at the moment.”

Sans wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into it. He offered her his cigarette, and she reached out for a drag from it without complaining, like she was familiar with the gesture. At the last second, she seemed to change her mind though and handed it back with a little headshake and stern glance. You noticed that there were long shadows under her eyes and she was pale. Not the normal kind of pale, but almost a sicklish colour.

“She hit you before and you haven’t cried about it. What changed?” he questioned gently, and she shrugged.

“She brought my sister into it. Said I should be more like her instead of wasting my time being the family disappointment. Said all of my choices are awful and it would probably be best to cut me of and drag my dumb ass back home so I can't embarass my poor parents any more, not after all the sacrifices I've made. Especially after the wedding drama." 

“That’s all? We've heard it before.” Sans questioned and she sighed again, shaking her head.

"No. She said... I'm throwing away what little future I had and that I should be grateful that someone as dumb and disabled as me has an ounce of a chance in this world. I shouldn't rely on my poor husband to provide for me because one day he will see me for what I am, and what I can't give, and then where would that leave me?" 

“She called you disabled? And that I'd leave you for it?” Sans seemed taken aback and only now you realised that he was stewing in some well hidden anger all along. "Well, her head's gonna explode when she finds out." 

“No, she used a way worse word that I don’t wanna repeat right now.” She gave him a tight lipped smile. “I don’t wanna ruin your innocence.”

“Oh, trust me, sugar, my innocence has been ruined many a times. You’ve seen to that plenty of times” he smirked, and you were happy to report that even here, you were still an avid blusher.

Smiling through the deep flush, she leaned up to press a gently kiss against his smile and he returned the gesture with so much care that it almost caused you anguish. He treated her like a precious glass figurine, that was worth millions.

“I wish I could take you away from there. Your family is horrible.” He sighed against her lips, and you just sat there, watching this small intimate moment between two broken people in a broken world that had found each other.

“I’d probably let you, G!” she sighed, nuzzling deeper into him and he put a bit of his jacket around her, so she could come closer.

“We should run. I hate seeing you being bullied.” For the first time, a real smile ghosted across her lips as she looked up at him. "Especially for being married to me. I feel like they would be happier if you'd chosen Tommy from the Lacrosse team."

"Lacrosse is a stupid sport anyways and Tommy smells like old socks. Especially now" She grumbled. “I don’t regret loving you, I could never regret loving you. You are the only good constant in my life, G, and I am glad that I am able to call myself your wife. I just… wish I could.”

“You’ve been so patient with them. There is nothing to keep you there anymore, aside from some ancient familial guilt. You don't owe them anything. They don't deserve to be in our family's life, not after what they've done to you. Just you and me, we can run away and... be happy. I don’t need much as long as I have you.”

"Where would we even go?" 

"I don't know. We could travel the world. Visit my brother and any country we always wanted to see. I could apply for a science program in Cern and you can write music. Pick up the violin and piano again. We could get a little cottage by the sea in Bali where the ocean is as pretty as your soul and the brunches bottomless. We can do whatever we want." 

"That sounds lovely." She sighed and he pulled her closer so she could huddle for some warmth. For a brief moment, you could have sworn that there was a flicker of a cyan flame in her chest, the the blue that was winding throughout a candle, distroting the air around it as it flickered. That tiny hint of Cyan should have been another warning, that that things were... not as they seemed. "But I could never ask that of you." 

“You aren’t. I am offering.” She looked at him for a long time before taking a deep breath.

"We can't." 

"Why not, Sunshine?" 

"You know why." She smiled, patiently folding her hands over her stomach. "Not yet at least." 

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

"Yes, alright." he grumbled and burried his face in her hair. "But you don't get to complain when I start coddling you instead." 

"Nooooo." she whined playfully and pushed against his chest. "I'm the coddler! Stop stealing my job!"  

"Nah." He said. "Nah. My turn. This is hard enough on you and your health as it is."

"I'm not a frail old lady. I'm not with one foot in the grave yet."

"You know what the doctor said." He tutted and covered her hands with his. "And if your old family wants to suck ass, then I guess I'll have to work twice as hard to make this one even better."

"Don't let Wyatt find out how much of a sap you are. He's just gonna bully you in the group chat for it again."

"Only for you, Sunshine."  Ever so gently, he intertwined their fingers and a weird sense of melancholy and dread washed over you. Whatever sickness was plaguing her, you had a feeling that it wouldn't end well for her. 

This time, returning was easier, gentle almost. You weren’t thrown back into your body violently and instead it was like blinking after spacing out a few times and you found yourself staring at your very own Sans, brows furrowed in worry as he regarded you. You hadn’t even noticed his hand on your arm, way to engrossed in your strange little daydream.

“Rea?” he asked carefully when you still don’t say anything. It was still weird that he now called you by your own name but at least you didn’t hurt from hearing him call you anymore. “I could feel you. I came as soon as I felt your distress and you've been standing there just staring off into the distance. Are you alright?” he seemed so worried but still, no word came over your lips. Instead, you chose to step closer, invading his personal space and pressing yourself against his front, hiding your face in his shoulder. In moments like this, you were glad that he was a little bit taller, it made hugging him like this way easier. After a moment of confusion, he wrapped his arms around you, gently petting your head. “Hey, it’s okay. No matter what happened, it’ll be okay” he promised, his words getting slightly slurred as he mumbled into your hair, but you didn’t care.

All you cared about was being able to get just a little bit of comfort. Even if you weren’t able to communicate what had set you off.

All that mattered was that you were in Sans’ arms right now and the way he made you feel like nothing could ever hurt you, while he held you like this.

Chapter Text

“Are you hungry?” Sans asked carefully after flicking on the lights in the apartment and you nodded almost hesitantly while putting the shoes you’ve been carrying in your hands since you’ve entered the building away. You probably would have taken them off like six blocks ago already if there wasn’t snow laying on the ground outside.

“Yeah, I’ll go make something in a minute, just lemme get out of this tight ass skirt.” You mumbled, pushing the words around in your mouth.

“If you tell me what you want, I’ll get it started for you.” He offered while toeing off his own shoes in the hall.

“Actually, I’d like to do it, If you don’t mind.” You looked back at him to give him a small smile and he returned it easily.

“Sure. Can I watch?” there was a bit of a playful edge to his voice and your smile brightened a smidgen.

“If you can behave, sure” still smiling, you walked into his bedroom to change and put your hair up real quick. A short glance into the mirror made you frown. There were dark circles under your eyes, even through the concealer and some of your mascara was smudged on your lower lashes. Your lipstick was long gone but your lips were still stained a bit, the edges slightly fuzzy. You’d probably have to scrub it off later.

Sans was already sitting at the kitchen table when you came back and you didn’t miss the way his eyes roamed over you for a second when he noticed that you had stolen another one of his shirts, before coming up to more respectful levels. You gave him a quick kiss on the crown of his skull before getting out some pots and ingredients.

“What’cha making, sweetness?” he asked, when you got out some noodles.

“I’m making ramyeon. I just crave something nostalgic.”

“Oh, like fancy ramen or cup ones? Alphys and I have tried pretty much every brand on the market during some late office nights.” He smiled at the fond memories, but you shook your head with a smile.

“No, not ramen, silly, ramyeon. It’s the Korean pendant. My aunt used to make them for us all the time and it’s one of the only things where I can handle an ounce of spiciness, though not much either.”

“I didn’t know there was that much of a difference.” He mused.

“Yeah, you’d be surprised. Korean ones are usually more spicy and have different toppings and the noodles aren’t the wavy ones from the instant packets you know but rather somen. At least we always used those. My Auntie Hel usually used a Miso Tare instead of a Kimchi or chicken broth, so I won’t writhe in pain for the next three weeks after eating them, it has a bit more of a mild flavour. Making a good broth can take days though, so I usually just pick up some from the Asian supermarket around the block. I should also have some enoki and shimeji in the fridge from when I showed Papyrus that mushroom risotto a few days ago. Maybe I’ll add an egg or carrots too, it’s a great way to use up leftovers.”

“You talk about your aunt a lot.”

“Well, I spent a lot of time at her house when I was small-well, smaller. Dad always worked late, and Ma was generally busy at the agency. Naturally, her schedule was a bit… unpredictable, so we got dumped at our aunties house quite a bit. She was also the one that made me feel like an actual person instead of just a weak little porcelain doll that could break at any moment. Mercy was like a little mini-me of her, but considering that she and Dad were twins, and the genes are super strong apparently, I am not surprised. She was very big on her culture as well, so maybe that’s where I picked up a lot of it.” You shrugged as you dropped the noodles into the boiling water before switching over to chopping the veggies. “Dad never talked about it, he was more the quiet type, so I had to rely on her and Ma to learn about it. Auntie Hel was a lot more direct than Mom though, but somehow, the only thing that stuck with me was the food” You gave him a big smile over your shoulder. “There’s this saying that a way to a man’s heart goes through his stomach, but I think it’s more of a universal thing. Food and love do kinda go hand in hand.”

“I get it though, Pap’s very big on food too.”

“I know, and he’s been so sweet whenever I tried to show him some stuff. You should have seen his face the first time I showed him how to make japchae.”

“Don’t worry, he could not stop talking about it for days.” Sans chuckled. “You’ve opened up a whole different world of pasta for the guy that day”

“I’m glad. There are so many amazing dishes out there that can be explored. Just wait until he figures out spanish or south american food. I think his head’s gonna explode!”

“Hopefully not. I kinda like my brothers head where it is.” He replied dryly and you winced heavily before turning around to him, wiping your hands on your sweatpants.

“Oh god, that was so insensitive of me.” You apologised, cringing inwards. “I shouldn’t joke about that. I swear, I didn’t do that on purpose. Ugh, I’m sorry Sans, I swear.” Though his smile was a smidgen more strained, he reached for you to pull you towards him and into his lap.

“I know you didn’t mean any harm” he pressed a kiss against your nape, and you flushed deeply. “You aren’t a cruel person.”

“Still, I should have minded my words better. I’m not… Ugh, I don’t think sometimes.” Sans’ chuckle vibrated even through you.

“It’s all good.”

“Is it weird to you?” you asked, intertwining your fingers with his to play with the little bones that made up his palm.  “To have someone that kinda… shares your experiences?”

“Well, sometimes.” He admitted, turning over his hand so you could access his bones better. “It was hard to wrap my head around it in the beginning. I have to admit though, it’s almost nice to be able to talk about it without having to overexplain every little thing.”

“I get it. It was so weird to just wake up one day and have a whole set of memories that I wasn’t even present for. It makes me uncomfortable to think about it, like I’m intruding on something that I have no business in. I find it reassuring, that someone gets it though. Makes me feel like I’m not fully going insane.”

“Yeah, that must have been pretty bad.”

“I mean, yeah, I had a headache for a few days, but I can’t really complain. I’m just a spectator, you actually had to live through all of that horrible stuff.”

“’s whatever, really. It all happened a long time ago and I should be able to handle it. Sucks that I wimp out sometimes because I can’t keep it together. Bit weak if you ask me.” He shrugged slightly and you twisted around to look him in the eyes. The lights have dimmed considerably, and you wanted to kick yourself again for bringing up such a bummer of a topic.

“Oh, Sans, honey, no…” you cooed slightly, reaching up to trace his cheekbone. “You aren’t weak at all. You are… the strongest person I’ve ever met. I don’t think anyone could just roll with the p-mmmmmh, nevermind-could handle it any better. You have been confronted with indescribable horror nobody should ever have and I cannot tell you how proud I am of you, babe.” He turned that lovely shade of blue again that was quickly becoming your favourite colour and you weren’t sure if it was from the praise or the pet name. “You are so strong. A lesser man would have snapped ages ago, but look at you. You are here and always taking care of everyone around you, and you have a job and an apartment, and you are so kind and funny. And I’ve never met someone that is so smart and witty before and I’m pretty sure that I was born into a family of the biggest smartasses on this planet. Of course there are bad days, but you can’t blame yourself for that. I certainly don’t.”

The way he was looking at you right now was seriously tugging at your heartstrings in a way that had you so enamoured, that you even forgot to blush.

“Trauma is not something you just… get over. It takes work and never really leaves you. You just learn to live with it. And you are doing fantastic, honey.” You promised him, before pressing a short but sweet kiss against his teeth. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated it or else you would have met with cushy lips instead of hard bones, but you didn’t mind at all.

“Honey?” he questioned when you pulled away again and your smile deepened considerably.

“Because you are the sweetest.” You teased and the skeleton snorted loudly.

“Knock knock” he asked, jostling you a bit and you rolled your eyes good heartedly.

“Who’s there?” you went along with, and he practically beamed at you.

“Anita.”

“Anita who?”

“Anita ‘nother kiss, please!” The skeleton seemed so proud of is cheesy joke, that you couldn’t help but laugh, giving him a beaming smile that you would usually be very insecure for, before leaning down to slot your mouth over his. This time, he was anticipating it and you met his lips in a kiss that was as sweet as ever. Humming lightly, he wrapped his hands around your middle, and you reciprocated by winding yours around his neck.

You could have done this for the rest of your life, if it wouldn’t have been for the loud sizzling on the stovetop, that made you pull away quickly with a loud whine.

“My soup!” you gasped with a muttered curse, jumping off his lap to save your dinner, that was currently boiling over the edge of the pot.

After dinner-and a rather heated discussion if a straw has one hole or two

(“Ugh, Sans, listen, it definitely has one hole, the top and the bottom are the same hole!”

“No, you go in one side and out the other. If an animal dug a hole into the ground and came up somewhere, you’d say there are two holes in the ground. And if you’d bury one of them, you would say that there is only one hole left. So, two separate holes.”

“Okay, but if you pierce your ears, the earring goes in one side and out the other. Does that count as two separate holes? By that logic, a pair of scissors has four holes in it.”

“No, a hole has to be long enough for it to count as two separate holes.”

“How long?”

“How long do you want?”

“Okay, but what if it has actually zero holes in it? If it had a hole in the side, you wouldn’t be able to drink out of it properly. You’d say, I want a new straw, this one has a hole in it. Therefore an unpunctured straw would have zero holes in it.”

“No, a straw with one extra hole in the side, you could form that into a Y-shaped straw. So like a pair of pants.”

“And that’s obviously three holes. Remove one of them, and you get two holes”

“No, a straw has one hole, a pair of pants has two holes.”

“Well, you’re wrong!”

“Well, I have the degree in topology. And I say it’s like a sheet of paper that’s very curved.”

“Now you are just being nitpicky!” )

-the two of you had settled on the couch. Sans was sprawled out underneath you, and you were resting your head on his chest as he fiddled with the remote.

“What are we gonna watch?” you questioned, shuffling to grab a blanket to drape it over you.

“Sonic Boom?” he grunted, slapping the back of the remote when it refused to cooperate. None of you were willing to replace the batteries for a good month or so now.

“Oh, I didn’t know you liked that one.”

“Haven’t watched it.” He admitted, making you look up at him. “I just know you do when I’m not home.”

“Listen, Knuckles is my emotional support himbo!” you mumbled against his chest, so he couldn’t see you turn fire truck red again. He just barked out a laugh.

“It’s fine. It’s cute. M’ not gonna judge you, you have no idea what I suffered through with Alph already.”

“It’s a good show!” you defended yourself before settling down against him again, still pouting slightly.

“I’m sure it is, love.” You didn’t dignify it with an answer, choosing to turn your head towards the TV to watch your stupid, silly show that never failed to make you laugh. Sans finger were raking through your hair, playing with the silky strands. Here and there he even laughed at an especially good joke, not like there were any bad ones in it though.

You got through a couple of episodes, draping you in a sense of security and comfort, almost forgetting the events of the day already before Sans suddenly cleared his throat in a way that let you know that a talking would follow.

“You know… If there is anything on your mind, you can always talk to me” he whispered and you grumbled, nestling closer against his chest.

“I know.” He waited patiently for you to continue, as you mulled over your words. “I don’t think I’m ready for it. I was just being silly. Metta tried to do something nice for me and I got all huffy and stormed out and now I feel like crap because I’ve been hella rude to him and I made you leave your thing early.”

“Hey, you need me, and I’ll help you.” He gave you a short but sweet smile. “You’d do the same, right?”

“Yeah…” you admitted, hesitantly. Obviously, you’d come running if he’d feel bad, but you still felt silly to get your knickers in a twist over such a stupid thing.

“See? And I’m sure Mettaton won’t be mad either.”

“You know him. He’s so dramatic! Nobody holds a grudge like him. He still refuses to talk to she-who-shall-not-be-named over the kitten heel incident!”

“Well, then you can always go apologise to him tomorrow.” He smiled and you reluctantly agreed with him, before groaning loudly and burying your face in his chest again.

“Ughhhhh, I hate that I’m so emotional all the time, it fucking sucks.” You pouted. “Can we stop talking about this? I was in such a good mood before.”

“Of course, sweetness.” The skeleton promised, pressing a kiss to your hair.

“I just wanna watch my silly cartoon and cuddle with you” He chuckled again, a bit louder this time and wrapped his arms around you in compliance to your incessant whining. You shouldn’t be surprised, that his arms felt strong and secure around you.

“Well, lucky for you, I’m a total Teddy Bear. C’mere.” Humming contently, you wiggled a bit to get closer to him, tucking your head underneath his chin and your bad ear was pressed against his chest, the hearing air lay forgotten on the couch table. “How’s this feeling?”

“Safe.” You sighed deeply, closing your eyes to enjoy the feeling of total security for just a bit longer. You didn’t have to look at him to know that there is a soft and sincere smile on his face, not when you were so close, and you could feel his contentment in your own soul.

Being so close to him, your breathing eventually evened out and you could feel yourself get drowsy. Underneath your cheek, you could feel his magic flow trough him. It wasn’t as electrifying as usual and more comparable to a slow and gentle stream. You were so close, that you could hear it, even with your messed up ear. Or maybe even despite that, you had noticed that your bad side was better at picking up the sounds of magic strumming inside your monster friends better than the other one.

Maybe Frisk experienced something similar? You’d have to ask them one day.
 
Smiling gently, you began tracing circles against his sternum, which made him in turn perk up again.

“Whatcha doing there, angel?” he rumbled, sleepiness deepening his voice and slurring it ever so slightly. He must have had a long day as well.

“Listening to your magic?” you mumbled. “S very calming…”

“You can hear it?” he questioned, and you hummed in agreeance.

“It’s like a heartbeat…” you tried to explain. “S beautiful… Almost like music.” He was rubbing your back gently and smiling a bit brighter, you quietly hummed along with it for maybe three or four bars, before nodding off completely, cheek smushed against his sternum and hand fisted in his shirt.

It was still the dead of night when Sans woke up again. They were still laying on the couch, though the human had slipped from laying fully on him to huddling closely beside him, nestled between his body and the backrest. Her face was relaxed, even though her cheek was slightly squished and her breaths even, but she still had one hand fisted into his shirt, unwilling to let go of him. As usually, her hair was a bit of a mess and he knew very well that she secretly hated it, rather fixated on keeping it neat and tidy but he loved it when it was a bit more rumpled and fluffy, with some strands sticking out here and there.

The way she was pressed against him right now, he could feel her heartbeat against his ribs, slow and steady and so strong. He kept watching her for a few minutes, relieved that the nightmares seemed to have spared her tonight. She did get better lately, but he was always there, waiting with bated breath for the nightmares to slip back in and rip her apart from the inside. He knew that he didn’t have to but there was still this sliver of guilt inside him too, knowing fully well that he was at least partly responsible for the way things had played out in the end. And maybe, he just enjoyed watching his little human sleep sometimes, the way the strain on her shoulders seemed to melt away and her nose scrunched up like a little bunny sometimes.

As comfy as the couch was, it was still a bit cramped, especially next to each other, so after a few more indulgent minutes, he managed to wiggle out underneath her. His joints cracked a bit as he stretched, and an unhappy grumble came from Asra. Groggy, red eyes blinked up at him and he made a face.

“Hey, go back to sleep, it’s still dark out. I’ll take you to bed in a second, let me just grab my book and I’ll be right there.” Her lips turned into a pout as she sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“Can walk. Go get your stupid chem book so we can cuddle more.” She huffed, pushing herself up. Even now, she was beautiful to him as he watched her stumble towards bed, even despite the scowling.

Sans hurried to get his book with the millions of little notes sticking out from the pages from his bag-it was actually astrophysics, not chem, thank you very much-before walking into his room. That his slowly started to bleed over into a their but he hadn’t dared to go there yet.

A choked noise left his throat upon entering, as he saw her bent over, taking off her sweats to get more comfy for bed-her bra already haphazardly flung on the floor. His shirt was riding up over her thighs and gave him a perfect view of her butt in those cute little black boy shorts with the glow in the dark ghosts on it, along with the occasional boo mixed in between.

God-fucking-damn it, she hadn’t even noticed that he walked in-or she didn’t care, but he doubted it, and suddenly, just walking over there took too long for him, so he took a shortcut.

Now that, she did notice, a little gasp coming over her lips as she shivered, turning her head to face him just in time for him to slot himself against her backside. He pressed a strong kiss behind her ear, and her knees almost seemed to buckle.

“You’re such a goddamn tease sometimes” he all but growled into her ear and he didn’t have to look at her face to notice that she was blushing. He just knew her like that by now.

“Sans-ah, what-?” a shiver went down her spine, enough that he could feel it. Sans let his hand wander along the outside of her thigh, and she sighed, leaning against him. Her own hand came up to grab his neck from behind to steady herself, clearly not noticing how it caused her to arch against him.

“Do you know, what you do to me?” His voice sounded rough, and husky and the tiniest whine left her.

“Of course, idiot.” She huffed and he chuckled darkly. “You do the same to me.” With shaking hands, she took one of his hands, placing it over her chest. Her heart was beating hard and fast right now. “I feel it here. Like it burns me up from the inside and-mmmh, fuck” He knew exactly what she was talking about, feeling much of the same as the fire inside him burned brightly, threatening to consume him if he didn’t--- well, consume her. With a surge of magic, he opened his mouth to lap at her neck, letting his teeth slide against the skin. God, how much he wanted to just sink his fangs into her, marking her until she was bruised all over and writhing under him in pleasure.

“S-Sans, I-I need-“ she whispered, already loosing the ability to speak again. His shorts got really tight at the sound of that.

“Yeah?” he sucked on her neck, and she gasped again, the grip on his head tightening as she whispered his name again in a very very sinful way. “Shit, stop moaning my name like that.” He cursed. “It already takes all my self-control to not just throw you on the bed and fuck you into next week.”

“Well…” Asra licked her lips, and when she looked at him, her eyes were blown out, the red almost entirely gone. “Papyrus is still with Undyne. Who knows when we’ll get a chance like this again?” Growling, Sans grabbed one of her boobs rather roughly, though she didn’t seem to mind, judging from the tiny gasp. He could feel her nipple pebble underneath his fingertips, even through his shirt that she was still wearing. His other hand was kneading her waist roughly and she was panting, head still thrown back to lean on his shoulder.

“God, I’m gonna make you feel so good.” He promised darkly. “Not gonna stop until I’ve made you cum so many times that you forgot everything ‘cept my name.”

The blush on her face deepened into an almost cherry red at the words and she ground her ass against the bulge in his pants, drawing a moan from him.

“Fuck, do that again, love” he demanded, and she followed suit almost immediately. Grunting, he lapped at her skin again, his hands teasing her. “Fuck” he breathed in a hot pant against the juncture of her shoulder and the base of her neck. "so damn good. You’re addicting." His human muttered something he couldn’t quite make out, but it sounded suspiciously like “tease”, and he had to stifle a chuckle. He hadn’t even started to tease yet. “Can’t wait to taste all of you. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop if it’s anything like that.” His fingers were toying with the edge of those cursed ghost panties that kept haunting him and with a gasp, she had to hold onto his arm, her head falling forward, auburn hair veiling her face from him. He chased after her, kissing her neck again that was sporting much of the same colour as her face, and god, he loved seeing it, loved tracing it with his free hand. Feeling daring, he slipped his fingertips underneath the elastic while huskily breathing into her ear. “You are so beautiful right now, do you know that? Love it when you turn red like that for me, such a gorgeous colour. Means I’m doing a great job. Love the red on you.” His smile deepened for a moment until he realised that Asra had stiffened up all of a sudden.

Had he done anything wrong? Was he going too fast?

Withdrawing his hand to safer places, he cleared his throat.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yes.” She answered way too quickly and with a somewhat watery voice. “Keep going, I’m fine.” She didn’t sound fine.

“Are you sure?” he asked carefully, and she nodded sharply. “Rea..” he tried, stopping when something wet dripped onto his arm. For one horrifying moment, he thought it may have been blood again, but when he looked down, it wasn’t red or anything. Instead it almost looked like…

Horrified, he let go of her, stepping around her to cup her face, but she evaded his touch ever so lightly. “Please?” he almost begged and of course she relented. With shaking fingers, he brushed away the hair. For a moment the two of them just looked at each other, before Sans pulled her into a gentle hug, hiding her tears from the world.

You didn’t know what went wrong. This had felt so good, the way Sans’ husky voice kept rasping unholy things into your ear, combined with the way his hands moved against you, was so good. You were so ready for him to make good on his words and enjoy every last second. Hell, your soul was already about to burst from the sheer excitement.

So what went wrong? You weren’t sure.

Actually, scrap that, you knew exactly what went wrong, but honestly, by all means, it shouldn’t have. You knew the man behind you, knew the way his fingers moved against you like you were something precious and knew him to be one of the kindest and gentlest people you have ever met. You knew him.

So then why did his bony fingers turn into calloused, human ones at the mention of a simple colour? One second you were clearly enjoying yourself very much, thank you for asking, and the next one, human hands were wrapped around your throat and husky little private words turned into the hate filled murderous whisper of an insane man, haunting you with his words for months. It wasn’t even word for word, but the little gasp was close enough, to cause you to stiffen up.

 Love the red on you.

You look beautiful in red.

Tears sprung to your eyes, and you were back at the house, unable to say no, to do anything except just take it, do whatever you’ve been told and-

You were pulled into a hug, the pressure surprising yet welcome and you curled your fingers into the soft cotton of Sans’ shirt, trying to catch your breath but all that came out was some aborted little gasps that seemed to slowly morph into breathless sobs wrecking your body. Your limbs started to turn numb, and it felt like there were boulders piled onto your chest and you couldn’t get up.

You didn’t even notice that the skeleton scooped you up, curling around you in bed because your legs were about to give out. He was whispering to you, but all you could hear was the rushing of your own blood and the faint ringing in your left ear.

“Please, love, breathe.” He mumbled into your hair. You tried, you really did, but no air actually made it into your lungs. Desperate to feel something, you raked your nails down your arms, and then again, until gentle but strong hands caught yours, stopping you from further harm. Still, the tears kept flowing.

This was horrible. It felt, for a lack of better term, like you were dying. You couldn’t breathe, your heart was racing, and you were shaking, hardly capable to even hold yourself up. Your mind was going a million miles an hour, trying to form a cohesive thought but only finding more pain.                                                                                                                        

You were reaching, grasping for something that will make it go away and never being able to find it.

Why am I so afraid? Why is this happening to me? Then, the fear turned into a red-hot feeling, it burned, and it spread down your neck, around your neck, deep into your chest, just holding and squeezing your whole body and soul. It was hard to breathe now. I am so much more afraid than I was a few moments ago. I can't catch my breath. I'm starting to sweat. My vision is getting blurry. Am I gonna pass out? Oh, God, I've lost control. I'm going to die right here. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.  

All you could do was wait until the feeling subsided on its own after a while. When your vision finally cleared again, you found yourself curled up on bed, your head resting on Sans’ lap-oh god, his pant leg was so wet from your crying-and shaking hands were threaded through your hair, gently scraping against your scalp. Your sobs had finally subsided into tiny little hiccups and while your limbs still felt numb, at least you could move them.

“Hey, are you back with me?” The skeleton’s voice was raspy for all the wrong reasons and guilt was coiling inside you again, writhing like snake. You weren’t sure if you could trust your voice, so you just gave him an exhausted little nod. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t wanna talk about it.” You whispered, balling up a bit more.

“I know you don’t, sweetness, but please. I did something to make you spiral so hard that you have been crying for almost two hours. There was nothing I could do to get through to you. I never want to be the one to do this to you ever again. So please, I know that it’s hard, but I have to know… What did I do?” He sounded so distraught, and when you glanced up to him, the lights in his eyes are almost completely gone and there were shadows cast deeply on his face.

Worrying your lip, you tried to make sense of your head, curling up even deeper. He was right. Of course he was.

“Do you remember the day I came to your house?” you whispered, still unsure.

“Yes. I don’t think I could forget. I wanted to murder someone that day.” He confessed and the irony was not lost on you.

“Well, you weren’t the only one” a dry smile tugged on a corner of your mouth for a second before disappearing again. “I’m pretty sure if Chara hadn’t intervened, Hugh would have killed me that day. He completely snapped. He was choking me and beating the shit out of me until I was covered in blood and could barely move anymore. I-I don’t remember if he actually r..” your throat tightened considerably, and gentle hands were rubbing your back. “I don’t actually remember if I got.. assaulted… that night. But he tried. And when he did, he kept saying how much it turned him on to see me covered in blood. How pretty I looked in red.” Sans hand on your back stilled and you squeezed your eyes shut for a moment to stop the tears from slipping out. “Ever since I cannot even.. stand to see the colour and you have no idea how much it pains me whenever I look in the mirror and just wanna gouge my eyes out because they are red. A-And anytime someone mentions it, or I see red flowers or a red dress, I feel like I am tethered to him and there is no way to escape.”

“Oh god, and I said…” he sounded horrified, but you couldn’t stand to look at him.

“Yeah. I-you didn’t know.” You tried “And you were standing behind me and-“

“Wait, what’s standing behind you got to do with it?” he sounded so distressed, it could break your heart. Oh god, the things you put this man through.

“Because whenever Hugh raped me… he did it like that.” You explained, as matter of fact as you could. “He never wanted to see my face, the tears were kind of a turn off for him. So I got bent over and restrained whenever he- you know. There was no way of fighting back, he is so much taller and stronger than me and I’m just… I know I am small and weak, but he made me feel powerless and like I was being crushed.” Another tear made it’s way down and you aggressively scrubbed it away before twisting around to be able to look into his face. “I know you are not like him. Just… know that… okay?” you tried to reassure him.

“I am so sorry.” He mumbled. “I-everything has been happening so fast. We should have talked about things that are off limits earlier.”

“Maybe, but I am just as much to blame for as you are. You never meant to trigger me like this, and it’s my own damn fault for never opening up.”

“What else can’t I do?”

“Don't call me Dove or anything bird related. Thats a big nonono. And just treat me like a person, I guess. Other than that, I don’t know. I-I like the kissing and the cuddling and everything in between but as soon as things get serious, I freeze up because I don’t know what I’m supposed to do? Everything sex related has just been painful so far. I wasn’t allowed to make noises or enjoy it or anything and whenever you touch me, it just feels so good and then I panic because I don’t know if it’s supposed or not and what if I am being greedy and what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Isn’t your pleasure worth just as much if not more? For years, I’ve been reduced down to nothing more than a pretty little thing that’s just meant to be used. It’s hard to… unlearn that, I guess”

Carefully, Sans scooped you up from where you were laying so he could hold you gently as you were facing him, your legs draped next to each other’s body respectively.

“You are worth so much more than that” he mumbled. “You deserve to enjoy it and feel good too. Sex isn’t fun if it’s just about me. I want you to have fun too. You are allowed to make noises and tell me what you like or don’t like. Relationships are a balance of give and take.”

Stunned, you pulled away slightly, trying to find some form of deception in his face but there was none.

“I don’t even know what kind of relationship we have right now.” You admitted, but yeah, this was a fair assessment.

“Well..” the skeleton cleared his throat. “I’m not so sure myself. It’s a bit.. messy, to be fair. According to ancient monster laws, we would be considered married, due to our souls being bonded.” He flushed a lovely shade of blue and you followed suit almost immediately. “But by modern standards, we are barely done courting. And if we throw your human customs into the ring, I’m not sure if I could call you my girlfriend. I think it's up to us to define it like we want.”

“I want something real, Sans. Not just an easy fling because we are drawn to each other because of some stupid magic. I don’t want you to secretly resent me because I forced your hand or because I chose to harbour your worst enemy.”

“I can give you real.. If you can do the same thing for me.” Blushing furiously, you nodded, unable to meet his eyes. Instead, you chose to lace your hands together.

“Of course.” You shared a hesitant smile. You weren’t quite comfortable with kissing right now, but you felt like you should do… something at least. So you opted out to just put your forehead against his for the time being. “Does that mean I get to call you my boyfriend?”

“If that’s what you want” he confirmed, and your smile deepened.

“Good. Maybe now Cam will stop flirting with you. I mean, not like it’s gonna stop her, the woman is married but you know… It’s like a piece of cake you lick so your siblings wont steal it.”

“God, don’t remind me.” He chuckled, though a bit uncomfortable. “Just to clear the air, I never wanted her. All I want is you.”

“Good. Great even. I also want you.”

Chapter Text

Looking down yourself, you sighed deeply. No body, once again. This was getting absolutely ridiculous, but there was nothing you could do.

The scene seemed different than usually too, it was a dark and dingy street in a dark and dingy part of a dark and dingy town you didn’t know. Pretty sure that this was not the Ebbot City you grew up in.

There was garbage piled on the streets, snow partially covering them, dripping down to the ground where it had started to melt already, forming a brown sludge. The buildings looked decrepit, doors and windows either kicked in or boarded up with some rotting plywood. Graffiti was smeared on the walls.

BACK WHERE THEY BELONG

Well. At least some things were still the same, as unpleasant as they may be.

At the far back of the road, you noticed a bundle just laying on the ground, dying the muddy snow a deep maroon colour. That should probably be concerning, and you would like to go check it out, but your limbs were a bit… well, stiff and rooted in place.

Turns out that moving a body that didn’t even exist was harder that you would think. Which was frustrating because you’ve done it before, but okay. Fine. You’d just keep standing here like a useless little salt pillar while someone was bleeding out there in the snow. Fine. Great even. It wasn’t like you had better things to do, but okay. Let’s see how this one’s gonna play out.

Let me guess. Someone like me will show up. They won’t be me though. And I meet someone that could be mistaken for Sans. But he too, isn’t Sans. And then I die.

These nightmares were getting kinda predictable, so noticeably, you were getting a bit annoyed and maybe even frustrated. Especially when you still. Couldn’t. move.

Then again, neither could the bundle laying on the street. Wait, was that maybe you? Well the Dream-you.
Did you miss the dying this time?

No. That would be boring.

So you just stood there, for who knows how long, until something started to move. At first, it wasn’t very clear to you, since almost all the light were broken and busted, but it sure sounded like snow crunching under some boots. And then you could see it.

The single most brightest soul you’ve ever encountered. Which wasn’t saying a lot, since you haven’t seen any other than yourself and that piece of shit looked like something you’d find in a Christmas stocking that belonged to a war criminal.

Anyways, this soul was such a bright and gorgeous spring green, that you could see it illuminate the person from within even. And Jesus Christ Almighty, whoever found themselves unlucky enough to have a construction light strapped to their chest should get a license for the thing, it was practically burning your retinas.

When they were roughly at the same hight as you on the road, you could hear them gasp loudly and that’s when you knew that you finally met with the Dream-You again. You watched her break into a slight sprint to get to the bundle, and finally-finally-you felt capable of moving your little ghostly phantom legs, as you followed her quietly. She was wearing a blood stained nurses uniform, which was your pretty big fourth hint, because that was definitely not up to regulations. Cross contamination and stuff but this town didn’t seem too hung up on any of that, from the looks of it.

Her hair was also longer than yours, probably the longest you’ve ever seen on yourself, and tied up in a ponytail with a pale pink ribbon. If you went ahead and dyed her a bright fuchsia colour, she could have easily passed as a pretty decent Persephone Cosplay.

Dream-You dropped on her knees next to the bundle and a shiver was running through you. Normally, you were the one to die in all of these-or at least it was implied-so naturally, seeing the crumpled form of Sans there, his skull cracked open on one side and blood dyeing his bones an awkward rosy colour, was understandably a bit freaky.

Mumbling, she tried to roll him over and you huffed lightly.

“Hey, Wanna-be Persephone, I don’t think you can help this one” you called numbly, not really expecting an answer but what would this dream be if not surprising.

“He’s not dust yet, so I can still save him. Smartass.” She hissed, without even staring at you. You just shut your jaw with a click and tried to burry your hands in your pockets.

You quickly find out that you don’t have pockets.

So instead, you opted out to just watch her, as she turned him over and well, I’ll be damned, while one eye was completely blacked out, the other one was filled with a flickering, red light, though it seemed affixed to a point that was far, far away. Blood was dripping from his maw, filled with nothing but sharp teeth, like a shark jaw, staining the bright blue jacket with the white fur. The visual alone brought tears to your eyes and you had to look away. Instead, you focussed your eyes on the axe laying next to him, though it still left you feeling queasy.

“Axe? Can you hear me?” She whispered, and you furrowed your brow a bit. “I came as quickly as I could. I’m gonna help you”

“You know him?” you questioned, and Dream-you you turned her face towards you. Not obstructed by the light of her soul anymore, you got a good look at her and holy shit.

One of her eyes was red, like yours, but the other one was a milky white, with a scar running from her temple down her neck and disappearing underneath her shirt.

“Of course I know him. He’s mine.” She said like that explained anything.

The unsettling, white one seemed transfixed on you, and you shivered.

“You can see me? The other dreams couldn’t. They just relied on instinct.” Smiling, she tapped her eye.

“They looked at you with their eyes. I’m beyond that already. But you shouldn’t even be here. You still think that these are dreams. You don’t even know what you are. You don't know what kind of danger you are in and what you are bringing upon us.”

Before you get the chance to snap back at her, a skeletal hand shot up, wrapping around her wrist.

“My Lady, you came” he rasped, “She’s here. You need to run.” His words were startling enough, that you flinched back with a yelp.

“Wait, no!” Dream-You called after you, but you already felt like the floor under you crumbled and one second, you were falling and the next one you were back in your body, blinking rapidly.

A warm, deep coloured hand was on your arm and surprised, you turned towards it. Cam was standing next to you in your office right next to Mettaton’s and you frowned at her. She didn’t seem deterred by it though, seemingly smiling through it in complete oblivion.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I knocked but you didn’t react.” Her smile brightened a bit and once again you were a bit jealous of those perfect teeth. She was like a perfect doll, one of those expensive Barbie Collectors Dolls that cost like 3.000 bucks and wore the most outlandish outfits. You’d totally sell your left leg for the Marie Antoinette Silkstone Barbie, though. “Are you okay, you were just staring out of the window.”

“What?” Oh, right, you were at work because that’s where you hid all of your Christmas Presents so Frisk and Papyrus wouldn’t have an early blast. Quickly, your eyebrows knit together again. This wasn’t the first time something like this happened, far from it, but this one seemed so weird and there was absolutely nothing that seemed to connect back to you. Normally, you could at least find something that could have triggered the Maladaptive Daydreaming. “Sorry, yeah, just… got a bit of a headache.” You remembered that you were still in the middle of a conversation, faking a quick smile.

The headache wasn’t even a lie.

“Oh, you need an ibuprofen? I have some in my bag!” Cam offered, putting her bags down to dig through her purse.

“Yeah, an ibu would be awesome, Cammie” you gave her a flat smile, pinching the bridge of your nose slightly.

She handed you a pink pill and you dry swallowed it, thanking her before walking over to your desk to grab your own bags.

“Thanks for picking me up, by the way.”

“Oh, don’t mention it, I was on my way home from shopping anyways. It’s so cruel that Mettaton is making you work on the 24^th. Is he still in the house? I would love to give him a stern talking.” Her eyebrows wiggled spectacularly, causing your eyes to almost get stuck from rolling so hard.

“Cam, you are married, stop hitting on all of my friends. And no, he’s not making me work, I was hiding all of my presents here.”  

“Oh boo, you whore” she giggled, rolling her eyes at you in a weak mimicry of yours. “I’m not trying to sleep with them, I just want the attention. Besides, Felix is very secure in our relationship.”

“Ugh, you are insatiable when it comes to attention. You really gotta stop playing with other peoples emotions like that.”

“Oh, let me have some fun, I have to be a responsible adult like 99% of the day.”

“See, this is why you aren’t invited to Christmas Dinner.”

“That and because I have a loyal husband and two toddlers sitting at home that are waiting for Mummy to come home with plenty of gifts for everyone. So lets move before we turn into statues.” She gave you a little spank on the small of your back-you suspected that she was aiming even lower-to usher you out of the room, while you balanced your bags and packets.  

“You also gotta stop pretending you are Bayonetta.”

“Oh sure, right after you stop simping for Bayonetta.”

Sans has been watching Undyne try to teach Papyrus how to Walz for at least two hours now when Asra finally walked through the front door of Toriel’s house. She was laughing and calling to her friend Cam, who was still seated in the car, waving goodbye.

Smiling, he walked over, reaching out for the pile of presents in her arms.

“Hey, let me take that for you” he offered, and she gave him one of those warm smiles.

“Ah, thanks babe, you are the sweetest.” He only flushed the tiniest bit, and maybe a bit more when she took off her gloves with her teeth, since one of her arms was still full. “Phua, wool does not taste good.”

“Wool, love, no need to be sheepish about it then, I guess.” Her already flushed face from the cold deepened another shade as she snorted at the puns, but it warmed his soul.

“Oh, I wool remember that one.”

“Someone seams chipper”

“Yeah, well, duh” she beamed at him. “Tomorrow’s Christmas! It’s my first Christmas in almost six years. I bought so many gifts for everyone!”

“Uh.” Sans gaze wandered over the pile in his hands as well as the leftover ones she was still carrying. “I can see that.”

“Uh, yeah, sorry. Maybe I went a bit overboard.” She laughed brightly and not at all sorry. “Say, why do I hear cursing with an underlaying Walz?” his girlfriend-girlfriend! They were girlfriend and boyfriend now!-asked as she shimmied out of the thigh length coat with the yellow and pink tartan pattern.

“Oh, Undyne’s trying to teach Papyrus how to dance, because he got jittery that he will embarrass himself in front of the Sega Mega Drive.”

“Not the Sega Mega Drive, Sans. At least call him like an N64 or something.” She snorted and he gave her another crooked grin. He loved making her laugh like that, when it was all free and unrestrained and yeah, even the snorts she thought were embarrassing and a bit unattractive. Especially those.

“I will compromise and call him an Atari.”

“That’s even worse!”

“Yeah, but it makes ya laugh like that” he shrugged, and Asra just rolled her eyes before pressing a kiss against his cheek.

“Oh, you old goober. C’mon, I wanna see the dumpsterfire!” she pulled him along into the living room, to put the gifts under the tree that was already there.

Undyne and Papyrus had rearranged the furniture to get a good amount of space for their endeavour and Alphys had tried to help by putting sheets of paper on the floor with the steps combo.

“No, Papyrus, it’s One, two three, one two three. Not one, two, three, one, two, three.”

“THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME! YOU CANT JUST COUNT TO THREE AND SAY IT’S DIFFERENT!”

“Yeah, and also, it’s one, two, three, one, two, three.” Asra teased, rolling her eyes. “The beat is on the first one, it’s a ¾ beat, not 4/4”

“Oh, who died and made you dance master” Undyne huffed, crossing her arms, while poor Paps still tried to follow the manual on the floor. His long limbs didn’t exactly help.

“Technically, Chara.”

“Rude!” They called from the kitchen, having joined their mother almost immediately. Asra just rolled her eyes, calling back.

“Shuddup, it’s not rude if it’s true!” Shrugging, she turned back again. “Royals and all, you know balls and functions. But I did have dancing classes in Highschool and College, since some musicals require you to dance, you know? Especially Anastasia. God, I still have nightmares from that.” She shivered dramatically. “Which brings me to my next point, you should not use that music, it is for a Linkswalzer. He’s already overwhelmed with a classic Walz, don’t try to confuse him with stepping right while turning left, Undyne.”

Sans had to smile, as he watched her walk over and bump Undyne’s hip to get her to move out of the way. Of course, the Captain complained not very quietly and the two of them started to bicker like an old couple again until Undyne cleared the field, clearly still pouting.

“This is the thanks for all of my efforts!”

“Your efforts were great, but still wrong, so stop moping like a little tadpole.” Shooting the blue monster a short, yet playful glare, she turned back to Papyrus. “Okay, let’s try this again. And this time, you’ll lead, okay Papy?”

“OH, YES, WONDERFUL! WHAT IS LEADING?”

“It means one partner is leading where to go. It’s usually the man and the person who takes a step forward. But it’s not a must. Undyne was definitely leading you.”

“WOWIE! HOW DO I DO THAT!?”

“Wait, lemme just take your hand-and-hmh, can you put yours on my hip and I’ll just.. put mine on your…” Undyne snorted loudly, and Sans had to nudge her with an elbow-though he was stifling a laugh himself-when Asra tried her gosh darn best to reach Papyrus’ shoulder. Even with her arm fully outstretched she couldn’t reach. “Well. This isn’t gonna work.” She huffed, before turning to the peanut gallery. “Wingus, Dingus, join me on the stage please.”

The skeleton pointed towards himself, while Undyne was already bounding over. His girlfriend-he loved how that sounded-called him over again and groaning, and moaning and bitching all the way through, he eventually resigned to his fate, though not without dragging his feet.

“Oh c’mon you big baby, it’s gonna be fun!” Undyne teased and he grimaced towards her.

“No, Undyne is right. This is gonna be fun.” Asra promised, gently taking his hand, and putting it on her lower back, stepping close enough that there was barely any space between them before dragging her fingers across his ulna and radius to slot them between his. “See? Already fun” Her tone had dropped a bit and she looked at him through her lashes. “And now you step forward with the right foot and I step back with the left-yes, exactly like that. And then the same thing with the other and to the side, until we step in a square. Yes, you can push a bit more Sans, you are leading me, not the other way around. Can you two follow that?” she looked over to Undyne and Papyrus, who were now in the proper position but did seem to have trouble with their long limbs getting tangled. “No, your legs shouldn’t touch. Try evading them, like uhm… Like you are trying to dodge an attack or fight. Undyne, lean a bit more back in Papy's hold, yes, like this” she demonstrated by arching her own back and god damn it, this was a very bad moment for Sans’ soul to get all fluttery again at the sight. It didn’t help when Asra turned to him, giving him a big smile. “Do you wanna try turning?”

“Turning?” he questioned, and she snickered.

“Yes, turning. Every time you take a step, try turning a bit-oh my god, yes, you are a natural!” she praised as he tried to follow her directions, turning them to the beat of the music. It almost was like a monster fight underground, just less… bloody.

Sans has always been good at dodging and attacking, even if he didn’t look like it.

Who would have thought that that would come in handy now that he was dancing literal circles around his brother and the former Captain of the Royal Guard?

Asra was right, this was fun.

“Oh my god, can you two lovenerds stop showing off?” Undyne complained before yelping when Papyrus kicked her in the shin again. “We get it, you are cute and look like graceful angels and we suck.”

“UNDYNE, DO NOT BE JEALOUS! I AM SURE WE WILL SURPASS THEM ANY MOMENT!” Papyrus tried to appease her, but Sans just swished past them in a flashy spin, Asra playing along beautifully and showing off an almost exceptional arch.

“Nah Bro. Look at us go!”

“WELL, YES. YOU TWO DO LOOK VERY CUTE.” He relented and Sans’ little human threw her head back to laugh and oh my god, that was the first time since the night at McNamara’s that he could see her dimples and this time they were for him.

“You are right, we are absolutely radiant!” she agreed, meeting his eyes and suddenly he lost his rhythm, stumbling quite harshly and probably bruising her shins. “Oop! Spoke too soon!” she teased. He gave her a slightly wobbly smile, ending the dance by twirling her ever so gently. “Oh, aren’t you charming, honey” she cooed, blushing fiercely. She even had to turn away from him.

“I feel like I’m watching a period drama seeing you two.” Undyne drawled and Sans snorted.

“Oh, hush!” Asra huffed. “Well, you two just can’t find your rhythm. Let me try something!” she offered.

“WHY, YES, WHAT IS IT?!” Papyrus smiled down at her and she furrowed her brow.

“It’s uh. Okay, don’t judge me.”

“I WOULD NEVER, TINY-SANS, WHY IS YOUR DATEMATE PRESSING HER FACE IN MY CHEST?”

“No idea bro. Uh, whatcha doing there love?”

“Oh, will you two be quiet? I’m uh… trying that thing I did on the couch a while back?” she explained, blushing furiously.

“That sounds kinky. Is that kinky? You should not drag Papyrus into your kinks, shorty.”

“It’s not kinky!” Sans huffed. “I think she’s uh-trying to listen to his magic.”

“SHE CAN DO THAT?” Undyne balked, almost choking on her spit when she was getting hushed again. “She can do that?” She repeated, quieter this time.

“Uh, apparently?”

“Is that one of your freaky mumbo jumbo bonding things?”

“I don’t think so?” Sans just shrugged.

“Well.” Asra sighed, stepping back from Papyrus. “No wonder you are having a hard time, big guy!” A smile stretched across her face.

“OH, WHY?”

“Well, your soul’s rhythm is like… well, like a polka. So it’s no wonder you are not getting it!”

“WHAT’S A POLKA?”

“It’s another dance. It’s way more fun because it’s less stiff and with a lot more energy. C’mon I show you, just give me your hands and here, you do one step and a half step and just switch and then you basically do what feels right.” She quickly switched the music and yeah, this was may more fitting for his brother. Already after two or three steps he could see the joy in his eyes as they lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Oh my god, that looks so fun!” Undyne crowed. “Look at your skirt, that is such a good skirt to twirl in!”

“C’mon, join us then!” Asra offered, switching to hold out her hands for Undyne and suddenly she was getting passed around between the two taller monsters, her eyes bright and smile unwavering and Undyne was right, her skirt was perfect for the wide and open twirls.

And of course, she reached out for Sans, and like a sirens call, he followed suit, drawn to her like the moth to the flame.

“What the-“

Just as his fingers touched hers, her face went blank for a moment, and she sagged against him for one heartbeat and then another. Confused and worried, he whispered her name and when she looked up, soft, red eyes were suddenly harsh vermillion ones, with a cold edge in it that made him shiver.

“-fuck?” Chara finished their sentence, though not from the kitchen anymore.

Confused they stared down the body, kitting their brows together. Papyrus gasped loudly.

“LANGUAGE! PUT SOME MONEY IN THE SWEAR JAR!”

“Why am I in a body? I was just in the kitchen? And eww, is that a skirt? Ugh, what?”

“What are you doing, Chara?” Sans hissed. “Where’s Asra?”

“I don’t know, you tell me? I’ve been in the kitchen and suddenly I am in here and I am wearing a dress and-urks.” As fast as it happened, Chara’s ethereal form stumbled forward, leaving Asra behind, back in her own body, swaying back and forth.

Undyne was there first, grabbing her arm to steady her.

“Ow, I- OW! What just happened?” she mumbled.

“You tell me, buttercup, I don’t have an inkling on what you just did!” Chara was practically foaming at the mouth, roughly grabbing their hosts’ cheeks, squishing them. “Are you alright? Not hurt or anything?”

“Ow, Chara, yes, I’m fine, I don’t know what happened!” she insisted, yet refusing to meet their eyes. The two of them stared at each other, both narrowing their eyes, before the human one managed to free themselves, looking away quickly. “I said I’m fine, Chara. Don’t worry” With a last huff, she crossed her arms, stalking away. Sans didn’t miss the uncomfortable goosebumps on her arms that she desperately tried to rub away. “I’ll go grab a glass of water. I think I just didn’t drink enough today.” And with that, she was gone, leaving everyone to stare after her.

“OKAY, SO WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT WAS WEIRD, RIGHT?” Papyrus broke the silence.

Cursing under your breath, you splashed your face with water, as cold as it could possibly go.

That was the second time that something like this happened in a single day. And it was hard to just chalk it off as dreams at this point. It was hard before but now it was borderline impossible.

Something was very, very wrong but you still had no idea what. All you knew was that one moment, you were having fun, learning how to dance with your friends and the next one, you were falling.

The world was dark for a moment until your back hit the wooden planks of a stage rather roughly. Music was playing in the background, and you heard a rather stern voice count out numbers, along with a rhythmic kind of thumping.

Confused, you stared at your hands and yup. Gone again.

For more than a few moment you just laid there on the ground before a frustrated scream tore from you.

“God-fucking-damn it! Why does this keep happening!?” You didn’t get an answer of course because the universe never answered to your pleas, but instead someone behind you gasped, the thumping stumbling in their synchronicity.

“Concentrate, Winters!” the stern voice chastised. “If you always stumble like that, how do you ever expect to step out of our mothers shadow?”

“Yes, of course, Madame” Your voice echoed, and you sat up with a groan. Another Dream-You was on a stage, clad in the single most ridiculous tutu you’ve ever seen. One of those pancake looking things that was probably more yardage of tulle than an entire MET Gala dress for Ariana Grande.

“Good, so let’s try again.” The other voice said and uff, our mother? Guess this Mercy here was a strenuous little bitch. “Follow my directions this time. Tendu, plié, tendu, plié, rond de jambe, retiré.pas de chat, pas de chat.  Ecarté, plié, rond de jambe, Tendu, plié, demi bras, second, en croix, fondue, developé”

You had no idea what any of that meant. If there was one language you’ve always sucked at, it was French. You barely passed the required classes in school and even those grades were only achieved through some very good cheating at exams, no matter how much Uncle Ed tried to teach you. So the fact that there was so much French being thrown around was yet another hint. Which one was that now? The fifth or so?

The ballerina on stage followed the instructions to a tee-at least in your humble opinion-though her eyes kept flitting over from where you had stood-well, flopped down. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint you, but she at least had heard your incessant screeching.

“Oh for goodness sake, you are so sloppy!” Mercy frowned again, crossing her arms. “I can’t believe you are the one that’s supposed to become Mamant’s successor?” Bitterness was clouding her voice and the fine frown lines around her mouth deepened.

“I never wanted to succeed her!” You complained, lowering her arms, and matching her sisters frown. “It’s not my fault. I never asked for any of this!”

“That’s even worse. You’ve been blessed with success at the cradle, and you just go and squander away all your talents and gifts.” With a deep huff, she turned away from You. “I think we are done for today.”

“Mercy, wait!” She didn’t listen though, and you watched her walk away with a heavy limp, clutching a polished walking stick you haven’t noticed before. “Mercy!”

Now it was her turn to let out a frustrated scream, before hunkering down on the floor. You couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“You know she’s wrong, right?” A figure slid from the shadows and who else, but your favourite skeleton. At least this one didn’t look like an absolute horror show. This one was probably closest to the one you knew. The only difference was that his jacket seemed lighter in weight and that he had the grey hood pulled over his head.

“Of course I know she’s wrong.” You huffed at him, pouting. He tried to sit down next to you, but the stupid tutu was in the way. “She’s just frustrated because she’s trying to live vicariously through me. It’s not my fault that she almost lost her leg in the accident.”

“She has to stop blaming you for everything. You’re a fantastic dancer” His smile grew, and he lazily crossed his legs in front of him. “Couldn’t imagine a better partner.”

“You can stop buttering me up, I am already sleeping with you, Astaire.” She sounded indignant but her smile gave her away.

“Oh, do you now?” Sans teased and she snickered, blushing softly. God, even this weird messed up dream version of you blushed prettily. You just turned splotchy.

“Not for much longer if you keep this up, pretty boy” Her smile grew a bit sadder. "But I don't think we have that much time."

“She’s here.” The ballerina jutted her chin in the general direction of where you were sitting. Two white pinpricks followed the line of sight and they almost landed on you.

“It’s earlier than we expected.”

“I know. Means the other ones will be here soon.” Sighing deeply, he leaned back on his elbows. 

“I thought we’d had more time. At least a few years. I wish your aunt's visions would provide us with a better timeframe.” 

“Me too.” Gently, she put her hand over his with the softest little look. “Be nice to her when she comes back. She’ll be so confused, and she’ll need some friends.”

“Of course, Sugar Plum.” Confused, yet intrigued, you scooched a bit closer, just in time to see the other You draw out her soul in one fluid, practiced motion. It was the most gorgeous purple shade, like a bush of lilacs in full bloom. This was probably the most beautiful rendition of a soul you’ve seen so far. Sans looked at it with nothing but love in his face, cradling the little heart oh so gently.

“I’ll take care of it.” He promised and she smiled gently. 

“I know you will. Just promise me, that you will kill me for real this time.” Laughing, he leaned forward to press a kiss against her forehead. Alarmed you tried to get closer still, but a familiar pull made it hard.

“I know, deal’s a deal. There’s no way these two will get their hands on you.” You could feel the floor underneath you crack slowly. Sans eyes slowly panned the auditorium again, once again almost landing on you, his smile widening. “I’ll see you on the other side.” You weren’t sure if he was talking to you or You and there was no way for you to check now, as the floor gave way completely, leaving you to fall through the darkness once more, violently jerking back into your body, forcing Chara out.

Well, there was no denying it anymore. This was a fucking problem.

And that meant, you’d have to come clean.

Boah, double fuck.

Chapter Text

In the end, you didn’t fess up after all. The temptation of Christmas proved to be too much for you, so you held your tongue. How bad could it be? It would be fine, right? What’s the worst that could happen?

It’s gonna be fine.

Admittedly, you were a bit jittery, but let’s be real. How am I supposed to live laugh love under these conditions? I am neither living, laughing, or loving. I am Die. Cry. Hating. Which, yeah, sounds dramatic, but you were a smithereene bit stressed out as you left the bathroom. How were you even supposed to start that conversation? “Hey guys, sorry, just freaked out because sometimes I literally fall out of my own body and start seeing weird shit. I’m sure it’s nothing though, it just keeps happening and I have no idea and what’s going on. Merry Christmas, by the way, here, enjoy some gingerbread shapes. I didn’t have proper cookie cutters, so I had to use the open end of a shotglass.” Yeah, because that would go over so well.  

Especially when the first thing you run into is Frisk, and they are giving you those huge puppy dog eyes that you were just so weak to and they are asking when they can unwrap their presents because they are so excited and, like, ugh, child, please, go easy. That must count as some sort of psychological warfare or something. So obviously, you let them drag you with them to the living room where people were gathering. Mettaton had just arrived and snow was still caught in his hair, sparkling in the warm glow from the fireplace and Undyne was handing Alphys some eggnog-and we are totally gonna ignore that little flask they were using to spike that shit-and Toriel was just finishing up the table while Chara was keeping her company. Even Sans was having a great time with his brother, how could you be the bitch to ruin this.

It would be fine. You could wait another day or two. It would be fine.

Probably.

Yeah.

You were fine.

“Darling! It’s good to see you! You look wonderful!” Mettaton greeted you with a million watt smile, kissing the air by your cheeks and you swallowed all of you thoughts down to repay the favour.

“Thank you Metta. You look stunning yourself. Merry Christmas. Or Happy Holidays. I don’t know what you celebrate.”

“OH, UNDERGROUND WE CELEBRATED SOMETHING CALLED GYFTMAS!” Papyrus was happy to explain from across the room. Yeah, that rang a bell. Something with a Giftrot… Gift-rot-trot-something punny. You weren’t in the best headspace right now and even you could forget minute details sometimes. Chara was better at retaining all kinds of information. They were like some kind of supercomputer that never forgot anything. 

“Merry Gyftmas then.” You smiled at them, making sure to reach your eyes. “I actually didn’t grow up with Christmas either. We celebrated Mean Geimhreadh and Alban Arthan, which is basically the same thing as Christmas because colonialisation and all but ya know. Gotta keep ya old timey pagan roots, as Ma always said.”

“I-Isn’t that Yule?” Alphys shyly asked and you quickly shook your head.

“No. I mean, yes, kinda, but also no. Paganism is kinda a hodgepodge of all kinds of old heathen religions. Yule is more for the Nordic ones. Gaelic ones have the Winter Solstice and Midwinter, but in the end it all kinda falls around the same time and the traditions are roughly the same, so really, it doesn’t matter that much to me. And these TikTok witches are just saying whatever nowadays. Just do what makes you happy and what feels right for you.” You shrugged with one shoulder, before pointing at her cup. “I want some of that by the way.”

“Awww yeah, shorty, we are getting TURNT!” Undyne bellowed, handing you her cup with a huge smile before grabbing herself a new one. The vapours alone could melt off your eyebrows. Let’s pray it wasn’t some of that magical liquor stuff again. Ah, who are you kidding, it absolutely would be.

“WHAT DOES TURNT MEAN?” Papyrus asked innocently, trying to swipe your cup before you could give him a swat on the fingers.

“Means happy.” You replied maybe a bit too fast, trying your best to stay stone faced. Alphys politely hid her laugh behind a cough, and you glared at her for a moment.

“WOWIE! LET’S GET TURNT EVERYONE THEN!” Undyne had to turn away for a moment, to hide her laughter. Biting your lip, you hissed a quiet “Undyne, Shut the fuck up, I hate you so much” between pressed teeth as you were having a hard time keeping it in yourself, your shoulders already shaking from the restrained laughter.

“You two are a bad influence and should be separated.” Sans huffed as he came over, snaking one hand around your waist and the other one between you and your cup.

“Hey, I was drinking that!” you complained, and he just gave you a flat look, that was telling you “Do you remember the last time you had magic alcohol? Because I do” Which was fair.

Can we do presents now? Frisk complained, pouting at you.

“Frisk, please, we haven’t even eaten yet!” Toriel chastised gently, causing her child to groan and pout even more.

“I’d be up for presents now as well” you tried to defend them, giving the kid a short wink. “I always get so sleepy after a big meal.”

“Awww, does the baby have bedtime?” Undyne teased and you pinched her elbow. “Ouch! Okay, fine, presents, you greedy human goblins!” She was still rubbing her elbow as Frisk happily grabbed onto her middle, dragging her along with them.

Unsurprisingly, Frisk and Papyrus were the first ones to tear into the pile of presents around. Smiling softly, you sat down on the carpet as elegantly as you could, just to be shown up by Chara, who did the same but with an effortless grace that made you feel like a seal trying to hunt a goose on dry land.

Ugh, why even try? You were a peasant amongst royalty.

Said royalty regarded you with a somewhat strange look and you wrinkled your nose in their direction.

“What?”

“You are alright, yes?” they questioned, and you were so proud of yourself for not flinching even the tiniest bit. Not even your eyes widening!

“Oh, yeah, tots! I’m fine. Why?”

“Nothing, you just… looked funny?” They frowned slightly, seemingly annoyed that they couldn’t find the right words.

“Oh, yeah, that’s because I have the natural grace of a baby ostrich while you are a graceful swan descending on water.”

“I have no idea what you want to tell me with this.”  They blinked slowly and you just pinched the bridge of your nose. “You aren’t too tired yet, right?”

“What? No, I’m fine. I haven’t even eaten yet. You did hear when I said I get tired after eating a big meal, right?”

“Obviously” The ghostly mirror of yourself rolled their eyes. “I meant because I’ve been semi corporeal for a while now. I don’t wanna exhaust you too much.”

“Oh, no, it’s all good. After the last time I know when it gets too much. Don’t worry. If it gets too bad we’ll just.. share a body again.” You smiled at them.

Sans sat down on your free side, and you didn’t hesitate to lean against him.

“Whatcha talking about, love?”

“Oh, Chara is worried that I am overexerting myself by letting them roam around so much.”

“I just don’t want a repeat of last time!” they grumbled, and you rolled your eyes.

“A girl takes the devils nap one time and suddenly everyone freaks out!”

“You slept for thirteen hours!” they reminded you. Exasperated, you turned to Sans, trying to get help from him.

“They are kinda right, as much as I hate to admit it” he shrugged instead. “That devils nap turned into the devils rest pretty quickly. “

“I slept! Because I am not used to sustain a lifeform other than myself!” you protested. “You guys are overreacting! Pregnant women do it all the time!”

“But you aren’t pregnant!”

“And I never will be because the land is barren and dry and also, I am dating a monster. As far as I know, not much compatibility between humans and monsters on a fertile level anyways. So, your point being?” If you weren’t so busy being huffy, you probably wouldn’t have missed the small glance Sans and Chara exchanged, but you were huffy, so you did. “I am not gonna dignify this any longer. I am fine. You two do not need to gang up on me. So let’s unpack some ridiculous gifts, I really put some good effort into all of this and I wanna see your faces when you open them.”

“Alright, alright” Sans tried to appease you, even when you still glared at him.

“Oooh, ohh, oooh, mine first!” Undyne crowed, throwing you a little envelope.

You desperately tried to catch it, flailing like an elderly cat just to miss it entirely. It hit you smack dab in the face.

“Wow, you suck!” the fish monster snorted, and you just gave her a flat look. Undyne knew very well, that you weren’t exactly a master dodger. That title went right to Chara. You were suffering more of a movement-dyslexia when it came to that stuff.

“Ugh, shuddup! I tried!” you pouted before finagling the flap of the envelope open. Inside was a ticket with a familiar lettering and in turn, a huge grin spread across yours. “Waaaaaaaait a minute!”

“Oh yeah!”

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Oh yeah!”

“You guys did not get me tickets for the finale of Drag Race!”

“OH YEAH!”

“Oh my god, I can’t breathe!” you gasped. “How the everloving fudge muffin did you do that?”

“M-M-Mettaton has some connections! A-And I had t-the idea since I-I-I really enjoy our watchparties!” Alphys shyly admitted, ducking her head.

“Yeah, and I paid!” Undyne giggled boastfully.

“Guuuuuuuys!” you whimpered, pressing the envelope to your chest. Undyne pulled you into a crushing hug and you didn’t even bother to hide the moisture in your eyes. “My gifts sucks in comparison!” you laughed wetly.

“Oh, don’t worry, we love you anyways!” the Captain promised, digging into her own. Alphys was doing the same, but she didn’t get far, before just freezing up. “Oh my god, you got me new boxing gloves!” On closer inspection, Alphys kinda made a sound like a balloon deflating very slowly.

“Yeah, they are specially made with your webbing in mind so your finger membrane has a bit of extra cushioning, and the knuckles have your face on them so you can pommel someone in the face. With your face!”

“Oh my god, that’s so metal!” she giggled, slipping them on. “Ooooh, soft and velvety!” Her grin was huge at this point and yours wasn’t much smaller if you had to guess. “You should come to my classes, I could teach you how to throw a proper punch, nerd!”

“Eh, I’m fine. You saw how-uh-naturally gifted I am. If the push comes to fan, I still have Chara.”

“Man, you can’t always rely on them. What if they can’t come to your rescue one day?”

“Uh, Undyne, that’s like… the whole deal?” you laughed, rolling your eyes. “I can always rely on them. No separating, remember?”

“Oh, c’mon, s’gotta do you some good and-you okay there, babe?” Gradually, Alphys low balloon deflating had turned into a high pitched whine, which caused your smug grin to spread into more dangerous territory.

“I almost had to punch a grandma for that at a flea market, Alph. You better be grateful!” you boasted and Undyne tucked her chin over her girlfriends shoulder.

“Wait, is that-?”

“A still originally boxed version of the super rare, misprinted mint coloured 30^th anniversary statue of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie the threequel, Kiss out of Water? Hell yeah it is, and me and Sans found it at a garage sale for twelve bucks and an old ladies dentures three months ago.”

“Awww, shit, you broke my girlfriend!” You laughed at that, high fiving Sans next to you.

“Told you she’d love it.” You didn’t even try to argue with him, you didn’t even know the kind of stuff you had found that day if it wasn’t for Sans almost freaking out when he saw the dusty old box at the bottom of a bin. Your boyfriend was a total nerd and goober, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Me next, me next!” Mettaton called, his voice a little trill of bells and whistles. He handed you a rather small little packet, which surprised you, considering that he had gotten Frisk a pimped up Barbie Jeep. He had called it the Mini-Maseratti, simply to tease you. Just to give you an idea what kind of scale of present giving we are talking here.

“Sure, you’ll get yours on the 26^th, Metta.” Grinning widely, you took the little box, completely ignoring the indignant spluttering.

Opening the perfectly wrapped box with a ridiculously big, sparkly bow that you yourself had put on the box just days prior because yeah, you were his gofer. At least he had the decency to put something in it himself.

“Oh, wow, it’s… A DVD?” you tried to say as carefully as possible. You and Sans shared a look, knowing fully well that you already had watched Venom one and two just days prior on your preferred Pirating Site.

“It’s not just a DVD, silly!” Your boss laughed. “Nobody uses DVD’s anymore. Open it up, it’s on the inside that counts.” Confused you did what he had told you and promptly let go of it, stunned. If Sans didn’t catch it last minute, it would have probably clattered on the floor. “SHUT. UP!”

“Uh, who is Tom Hardy and why is he sending you kisses, love?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe only the hottest human next to Oscar Isaac and Henry Cavil as Geralt?” you chocked out a laugh. “He plays Eddie and Venom. You know… Venom.” You gave Sans a rather poignant look that reminded him of a rather naughty discussion you two had after watching the movie that may or may not have included a certain alien tongue and some rather embarrassing confessions.

“Oh… OH! Ooooooh!”

“Yes, it is a wonderful gift, because our friend gave me a personalised autograph!” you reminded the sly horndog, trying your best not to blush yourself. “Thank you Mettaton!” you put on your sweetest smile knowing fully well that that glint in said friends eyes was more than dangerous. Oh, you’d so get back at him later.

Meanwhile, Frisk had already buried their nose in the old book you had gotten them. It was your favourite as a child, and you had a feeling that they’d be appreciative of it as well. Toriel was raving on about the soft cashmere sweater you had gotten her and seemed head over heels with the little lilacs you embroidered along the hem.

“Buttercup, c’mere for a second. Mom has something for us” Chara called, and you waddled over to them on your knees.

“Oh, what is it?” Toriel smiled brightly. Though it took you a second to realise, not at you. There was a slightly painful pang in your soul you didn’t expect.

“My child, I have held on to this for you for so many years. I never dared to hope that it may one day be reunited but… here. It is a lousy excuse for a gift since it was yours already, but I thought you may want this back.” Toriels voice was sweet as ever and could make your heart melt. If only she was talking to you.

She handed you-you know, the actually corporeal one-a little black box and when you opened it, a golden locket was nestled in cushy velvet. Embossed vines were ranking itself all around the heart shaped pendant. You didn’t have to open it to know the picture inside, but you did so anyways, holding it over to Chara, who seemed at a loos for words. Ever so gently, their intangible fingers ghosted-get it?-over the old, slightly faded picture.

“Mom, this is-“

“Yours. I was just keeping it safe.” Toriel smiled, her eyes more than just a bit watery and even Chara’s voice was a bit unstable. You didn’t know what to say, so you chose to be quiet, simply putting on the gold chain. It hung low on your chest, and you really had to fight the urge to tuck it away underneath your shirt. You knew how much this meant to Chara and you didn’t have to imagine how happy they must be right now. There was no greater joy than knowing that you could provide them with just a few more chances with their family.

So then why did your chest suddenly hurt?

Sans must have noticed too, sending you a quick, worried glance, but you just shook your head slightly, trying to smile. Somehow, you were almost relived when Papyrus had reached over to gather you up in a crushing hug after opening up the little notebook you had gotten him, the first few pages already filled with some of your favourite recipes you had cooked together as well as little notes and remarks that you had remembered and were especially fond-wait, no, font, haha-of.

“WOWIE, HUMAN! I REMEMBER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE!” Aww, sweet little Papyrus looked so happy when he clutched the book against his chest like it was something overly precious. “I SHALL CHERISH THIS FOREVER!”

“You can add more recipes in the back. You know, whenever we come up with something new.” You grinned, scratching your head a bit embarrassed. You hadn’t expected that big of an emotional reaction, to be fair.

A bead from the new friendship bracelet Frisk had made you-
(“Wow? A bracelet!”

If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to Undyne!

“No, it’s mine! It says Best Friends right here. So hush! I’ll never take it off again!”)
-got tangled in your hair. Hissing at the sharp pain from the tug, your tried to untangle it without making it any worse before familiar, bony hands chased yours away.

“Here, let me help you.” He offered with a surprisingly soft voice, and you could feel your cheeks darken already. God damn it, you should be used to this by now, but no. Your face would never stop reddening apparently.

“Thanks honey.” You returned the smile, holding still for him until he got the strands of hair untied.

“You good?” he questioned, and it sounded a bit more loaded than just asking about your hair getting tangled.

“Yeah. Fine.” You muttered, rubbing the spot under your left clavicle a little bit. “Nothing major just…” Your eyes flickered over to Toriel, who was snuggled up with her children and another stabbing pain in your chest. “Feelings”

“Feelings, huh?” Sans questioned, not nearly as oblivious to the mixture of jealousy and longing as well as a bit of pain in your face as you were hoping.

“Feelings.” You reiterated. “Nothing important, I swear.” You appreciated the way his fingers threaded between yours anyways. Smiling, you gave them a little squeeze before clearing your throat. “Anyways, I still owe you a gift.”

“You don’t owe me anything” His voice was soft, but he was even softer for you, especially when you pouted at him with those big eyes, and you knew that. That was why you liked to use it sometimes. “Okay, fine, show me what you’ve got.”

Grinning a bit too widely, you revelled in the small victory before grabbing the framed piece you had picked up just a few days ago. A slight blush spread across your face.

“Here. I-uh-I didn’t bother wrapping it, I know it’s a pointless task because you’d just unpack it again and you hate those. I did put a bow on it though. It’s uh. It’s blue so it remined me of you and I didn’t wanna leave it completely bare. That would be weird. I don’t know. This whole thing is weird. Anyways. I uh. I wanted to show you what you.. ugh. No. Uhm.. Blooky helped me. He actually wrote it down and I just had to make it a pretty thing. He’s uh- he has a perfect pitch and I kinda struggle with that but I- I really tried, I think I had to redo it like five times because my calligraphy kinda sucks. And-“ Sans smile had gotten exponentially bigger over the course of your ramblings, which did not help your nerves. Nor did it help with your face betraying you by turning a deep, deep red colour.

“You are rambling, love. Just show me what it is.” Taking a deep breath, you thrust the little frame towards him.

“Here.” Gently, he took it from you, his fingers brushing against yours. For a moment, he regarded it, head tilted slightly to the right.

“What am I looking at?” he questioned, and you ducked your head a bit.

“Awwwww, Sans, she wrote you a little song!” Undyne cooed and you tried to hide your head in your hands as she started to hum the melody.

“I didn’t write it!” you insisted. “It’s-uhm.”

“It’s what your magic sounds to her.” Chara explained, rolling their eyes as if fed up with your stumbling. “She sang it to Napstablook, and he wrote down the notes. She made the fair copy of the sheet music and got it framed.”

“Chara!” you squawked very much undignified. The haunt just shrugged slightly. They weren’t supposed to blab about that!

Sans didn’t seem to mind though, his eyes affixed on the maybe a bit messier lines and notes than you would have liked, his phalanges ghosting along each bar. He didn’t say anything for a long time, and you were getting nervous.

“Sans?”

“Is this… how you see me?” he asked quietly, and you just bit your lip before nodding. Finally, his eyes moved up to face you and the way he looked at you, certainly made you flush even deeper. You were pretty dang sure that if it would have been just the two of you, he would have pounced you.

“I guess, you like i-hnf!” You didn’t get to finish your sentence as his mouth crashed into yours, surprising you. Nevertheless, did you sink into the kiss, gently cupping his cheeks.