Chapter Text
It took a long while for any of the trio to finally muster up the will to get up. Almost surprisingly, Sans was the first one to scoot off the bed. He turned back confused when he heard a small noise from Hope. She was covering a very red face.
“Frisk’s room was right next to this one. You should use some of their clothes.” Hope said, pointing in the direction of the room. A quick glance at his own clothes showed Sans that although they had survived his re-growth, the magic overload had torn them to shreds. He rushed out of the room, face blue.
Hope went to the living room to wait for Sans. She put a quiet Papyrus on the couch next to her.
“Can’t you talk now?” Hope asked gently.
“Hurts.”
Hope’s heart sank. “Oh Papyrus.” She muttered sadly, scooping him up and holding him close to her heart. She felt his chest hitch, and little wet spots on her chest. She brought her knees up and surrounded Papyrus, as if by doing so she could push away the pain.
It was like this that Sans found them. Hope curled up with Papyrus cradled in her hands, tears streaking down her face.
“What’s wrong?” Sans asked, concern in his now deep voice.
“His throat... He said it hurts to talk.” The lights in Sans’ eyes disappeared. He sighed, going to sit next to Hope. He leaned into her, placing his own hand over hers. She turned, shifting so that she was laying with Papyrus on her chest, and her head on Sans’ lap.
They were like that for a few minutes, then startled by banging on the door. Hope startled up, and Sans put a protective arm in front of her. The door was knocked down in moments.
Three men crowded into the house, guns raised. Sans’ eye lit up blue, and he flung bones at the men the moment that he realized that the guns were pointed at Hope.
He would not let her be hurt.
Two shots rung through the air, leaving holes in the walls behind him. His magic pinned the two that shot down within moments. The third had dropped his gun almost as soon as he had entered the house. The remaining man knocked the other two out with quick blows to the head, before hefting them onto his shoulders.
“If they think I’m going to just sit by while innocents are hurt, those higher ups sure have another thing coming to them.” He muttered as he dumped his colleagues outside, pulling out a phone and calling the cops. “Stinking murderers.”
When the man responded to dispatch, Sans sagged. He stumbled back to the couch, lifting the striped shirt he wore to reveal red oozing out of his lower rib.
“Heh. Looks like one of them grazed me. Sorry Hope. Looks like I won’t be around much longer.” Sans closed his eyes, pained.
“What do you mean?” Hope’s voice wavered. “It’s just a small graze.”
“I’ve always had low HP. And for a monster, that’s everything. Run outta HP, run outta life. And I’m out.” He sounded tired, looking up at Hope with tears at the edge of his eyes.
“N-no! We just got you back to normal! W-we were going be able to figure this out. I-I can’t lose you. I love you.” She would have hugged him, instead hovering her hands above him.
“Sans...” A small voice came from the couch. The sight of Papyrus sent a fresh pang through Hope’s heart. He looked like the world had been torn from underneath him. She gently picked him up, setting him on the ground by his dying brother’s knees.
It was too much. Sans had so much taken from him. And now his own life? No. NO! She would not accept it. She could not!
Sans looked up at her with amazement. “Your eyes... They are so bright.” He reached a hand up to touch her cheek. A soft magenta glow seemed to light his bones. In return, a soft red glow came from his chest.
Both souls were out, Hope’s a deep magenta, Sans’ shadowed by the red of the soul he had absorbed. When Sans noticed, his eye sockets widened. Then, slowly, the souls reached for each other.
Sans’ soul, edges fading as he started to turn to dust, was cradled by Hope’s. The magenta soul stayed there for a moment, before slowly fading back to Hope. It left behind a streak of color, filling a deep hole.
Sans looked up at Hope with astonishment. “You saved me. You saved me. ”
She simply responded with a gentle hug. Her chest hitched with relieved tears. She placed her hand on his shoulders, before drawing him back a bit. She crashed her lips on his teeth with a relieved abandon. He was surprised at first, before relaxing into her. She pulled him back again, before holding him close to her chest like the most precious thing in the world.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
Words could barely describe the relief that the three felt.
Safe.
Safe. Alive.
The police came later. They were shocked to see Sans in all his full sized glory. However, they took their statements and left with the three men in tow, two arrested and one in protective custody.
Hope decided afterwards to go back to her apartment. She would feel safer there.
Sans sat in the passenger seat of the car, Papyrus on his lap and his hand in Hope’s when she didn’t need it to drive.
She made it to the couch before completely breaking down.
“Oh Hope... It’s alright.” Sans soothed, sitting next to her.
“Yeah...” She turned and buried her head into his chest, relaxing into him.
“I love you.” He said, stroking her hair.
“I love you too.” Sans’ breath hitched, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.
“I guess, if it’s for you, I can Dare to Hope for a good future.”