Chapter Text
Frisk popped a random disc into the player, and the screen flickered before filling with the opening credits. The four of them settled onto the couches: Kanako curled up against a cushion, Frisk plopped down on the other end, and Clover leaned back slightly, listening to the movie's soundtrack more than paying attention to the plot.
After a while, Kanako's sighs became regular and soft; she had fallen asleep with her head tilted to one side. Not long after, Frisk yawned and ended up following her example.
Clover smiled faintly, shaking their head. Careful not to make a sound, they stood up and began walking toward the kitchen, guided by memorized footsteps and the soft echoes of the house.
They didn't notice that, a few feet behind them, Chara had also stood up. they moved silently, almost like a shadow, following them without announcing their presence, observing every movement and the way their hands brushed against the furniture to orient themself.
Clover reached the kitchen, feeling the cold edge of the counter beneath their hands. They let out a heavy sigh. “Watch a movie?” they murmured with a short laugh. “I can’t see, and you guys fainted halfway through.”
On the other side, Chara leaned around the door frame, leaning a shoulder against it. She said nothing; they simply watched as Clover carefully felt around in the cupboards until they found a glass.
The swish of water filling the glass broke the silence. Clover, believing they was alone, let their thoughts escape quietly. “Now then… I do remember Spanish class…” they said, almost as if talking to themself. “they said something about a prize… Why do you keep thinking about that?… it was probably nothing.” They took a sip of water.
“I just hope it wasn't anything bad…” Clover lowered their head slightly, their mind lost in a distant memory, one of their hands gently touching their bandana. “I'd hate for them to be like the others…”
“Are you still thinking about what I said?” Chara suddenly asked, making Clover almost choke. Clover turned slightly toward the voice, clutching the glass in their hands. “Chara… I didn't know you were there” they said, their tone a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.
Chara approached slowly, their footsteps muffled by the floor. “For someone with such keen hearing…” they commented with a small, crooked smile, “you didn't hear my footsteps.”
Clover tried to smile back, but it fell short. “I guess I was just… distracted.”
Chara tilted their head, looking at them. “What happened? You look a little upset” they said, their tone more serious now. “If you're still thinking about what I said, don't worry about it. It was a good thing.”
Clover drank the last sip of water and placed the glass on the table, letting out a sigh.
“That relieves me a little” they said calmly, though their voice carried an obvious weight. “And, well, I was a little worried… You know, you wouldn't have been the first to say something cruel.”
Chara frowned slightly. “Something cruel?”
“Well… I don't think you know, but my good hearing also has its drawbacks. I hear things I shouldn't hear…” they explained in a dejected tone. “It seems like everyone feels sorry for me around me, but… I hear everything they say about me behind my back, and it's not nice… It's not that it makes me angry, but… it tires me out.”
“Sometimes I feel like they can't see me as normal and they look down on me for it” they added, in a lower tone. “And that… really bothers me.”
Chara remained silent for a few seconds, watching them as if trying to measure every word. “I didn't think it would weigh on you so much. I'm surprised you never lash out at those people. I heard those comments too, and… I honestly can't help but get angry. It's unfair that everyone sees you like that.”
A small smile formed on Clover's lips. "Well, thanks for worrying about me... now, can you tell me what you wanted to say before?"
Chara tilted their head slightly, their half-smile barely perceptible. “Well… I said maybe your bandana would be a perfect prize for me…” they commented, voice soft and sincere. “And maybe… you could take it off.”
Clover tensed instantly, as if the words had hit their directly. “No…” they replied almost in a whisper, bringing a hand to their bandana as if to make sure it was still in place. “This… this bandana is my shield.”
“Your shield?” Chara repeated, softening their tone.
Clover nodded, albeit somewhat stiffly. “Underneath it are only the marks… from that day.”
Chara said nothing for a few seconds, but their gaze, a mixture of curiosity and respect, remained fixed on them.
Chara remained silent for a few more seconds, as if considering their words carefully before speaking. “You know… I once heard that the sum of all the events in life is what makes us who we are” They finally said, voice low but firm. “You… shouldn’t hide the marks that formed the Clover I know today.”
Clover raised the head slightly, surprised by the seriousness in their tone. "And who is this Clover you know?" they asked, curious.
Chara gave a small smile, though their gaze remained fixed on them. “Someone brave… intelligent…” they paused briefly, lowering their voice slightly “y… tal vez alguien lindo.”
It took Clover a few seconds to understand, but when they did they felt heat rise to their cheeks and turned their head away, thankful that the bandana still hid part of their expression.
“What if I took it off?” They asked in a low voice, almost as if they was afraid to hear the answer. “Wouldn’t you laugh or look at me strangely?”
Chara watched them calmly, still smiling and took a small step toward them. "I would never do that" they replied with complete certainty.
Their words hung in the air, so clear and sincere that Clover didn't know whether to believe them immediately or let them wash over a few moments.
Clover slowly moved a hand to the back of their head, where the knot of the bandana lay firmly. their fingers trembled slightly as they untied it, as if each twist of fabric were a crumbling wall. It took a few seconds, and when they finally had it free, they held it tightly in their hand, hesitating.
In the end, they let it rest in one of their pockets. The two scars, marking a path from their cheekbones to the forehead, became visible. Clover opened their eyes, revealing the milky whites they rarely showed to anyone, and unwittingly, their dead pupils aligned with Chara's gaze.
Chara froze, slightly surprised. Their expression changed, as if they were discovering something they hadn't expected. "Son hermosos." whispered without thinking.
Clover blinked, somewhat confused, and an uncomfortable warmth began to creep across their face.
Chara realized what they'd just said and, with a slight start, looked away. A growing blush crept onto their cheeks.
"It's just... I've never seen eyes like that" they murmured, almost in a whisper.
Clover let out a low laugh. “Do you want to see them closer?” they asked, tone hinting at shyness.
“Yes…” Chara replied without thinking twice.
Chara took a step closer and raised a hand, gently placing it on their cheek. Clover flinched at their touch, their fingers slowly tracing the outline of one of the scars, lingering for a moment on the marked skin.
"Does it still hurt?" they asked, their voice sounding more concerned than curious.
“It just lingers sometimes… like a trace of phantom pain” Clover replied, with a half-smile that attempted to downplay the situation. “But it’s nothing to worry about.”
A new heat surged across her cheeks. They hesitated for a second, but finally dared: “Hey… could I… touch your face?” they asked softly, feeling embarrassment take over them.
Chara blinked, somewhat confused by the request “Touch my face?” they asked, tilting their head slightly.
Clover nodded, with a slight, nervous smile. “If you could see my eyes… I want to get a picture of what you look like, too.”
Chara looked at them for a few seconds in silence before smiling slightly. “It’s okay…” they whispered. They gently took one of Clover’s hands and guided it to rest their palm on their cheek.
They ran their fingers gently over them, noticing the slight warmth of their skin. “You’re… warm” they murmured, almost to themself. Their fingers moved gently upward, tracing the bridge of their nose. “Straight nose…”
Their hands moved up to their eyebrows, delicately touching their eyelids and the shape of the eyes. "And here..." they smiled faintly. "Steady, attentive eyes."
Finally, their fingers descended to touch their lips. they lingered there for a moment, feeling the soft texture beneath their touch. "And... so soft..." they said in a lower tone, their blush evident.
Chara was silently thankful that Clover couldn't see how red their face was at that moment.
Clover let their hand rest on their cheek, and Chara, without thinking much about it, leaned slightly into their touch, closing the eyes.
“You are… just as beautiful as I remembered” Clover murmured, their voice soft and tingling.
Chara felt their heart skip a beat. They didn't dare respond immediately; they simply let the warmth of their hand and the sincerity of their words sink in.
Chara placed one of their hands on Clover's cheek again, carefully stroking the line of one of the scars.
"If I'm honest... I think these scars make you look really tough" they said with a media-friendly smile, although their voice trembled slightly.
Clover let out a low, almost incredulous laugh and leaned a little closer, closing the distance between them. Chara could feel the faint touch of their breath, and it made their heart beat faster.
Chara frowned slightly, though they kept their hand on their cheek. “What are you laughing at?” they asked, tilting the head slightly.
“From you…” Clover replied with a barely formed smile.
“Well, you know I mean it” Chara replied, staring at them. “Your scars make you look like a real vaquero.”
Clover let out a short, amused exhalation. “Then I guess that’s a compliment.”
“Of course it is” Chara said, a mischievous glint in their eyes.
Clover lowered their voice slightly, almost as if afraid to break the moment. “You’re the first person outside of my family to see my scars… and I couldn’t be happier it’s you.”
For a moment, Chara watched them silently, processing every word. A soft smile spread across their lips, and their gaze grew warmer than ever. Without taking their hand off their face, they closed the distance between them, and suddenly, a third voice interrupted the moment with a clearly purposeful cough. They both turned their heads, and Chara felt the blood rush to their face when they saw Kanako standing in the doorway, wearing a faint smile that seemed to say "Gotcha."
“The movie’s over,” Kanako commented casually, though her voice tinged with amusement. “I came for a glass of water… but it seems you were already… busy.”
The couple immediately separated, both flushed, trying to compose themselves. Kanako looked from one to the other until she stopped at her sibling; it was then that she noticed the absence of the bandana they always carried.
Her gaze softened. She looked back at Chara, and her smile lost its mocking tone and became warmer, almost nostalgic.
“I haven’t seen your eyes in a while, Clover…” she said in a much more sincere tone.
Clover remained silent for a few seconds before answering, with a calm that seemed newly acquired. “Maybe… I shouldn't hide the marks that made me who I am today.”
Chara looked at them with a smile that spoke louder than any words, and Kanako let out a short laugh, amused but proud.
“You have my blessing” she said, winking at them. “But it’s a little late… we’d better go because it looks like it’s going to rain.”
“I’ll walk you to the door” Chara said, still smiling slightly.
“Perfect” Kanako replied, accepting without hesitation. She headed down the hallway, exiting the kitchen with a light step. She knew she was leaving her sibling in good hands.
Clover took a couple of steps, but stopped when they felt a hand join theirs. They didn't need to ask whose it was; simply smiled, instantly recognizing the warm touch.
Together, Clover and Chara walked out of the kitchen, interlacing their fingers in a gesture that needed no explanation. Before reaching the entrance, they paused for a moment as they passed the couch, where Frisk was still fast asleep, their head tilted and a blanket half-fallen.
Chara let out a short, almost amused sigh before continuing their way to the door, gently guiding Clover.
The three of them reached the door. Chara was just ready to say goodbye when Kanako stopped dead in her tracks.
“Oh, I forgot something inside” she commented, and before anyone could respond, she had turned on her heel and gone back into the house.
A sigh came from Clover and they raised thehead slightly, putting one of their hands in their pocket and taking out the bandana. "Look, it seems you forgot to ask me for it before, although I don't think it's such a good prize, it's a little worn."
Chara looked at the bandana and then back at Clover with a smile on their face. “For me, this is the perfect prize.” They carefully grabbed the bandana and placed it around their neck. “I put it around my neck. How do you think it looks?”
Clover laughed and put a hand to their chin, thinking for a moment. "I'm sure it looks perfect on you. Well, I don't think there's anything that won't look good on you."
Chara laughed at the comment too, feeling a small blush form on their face. “You’re an idiot, don’t say things like that…”
Silence hung for a moment. Clover swallowed, their fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of their cane as they kept their face tilted slightly toward them.
“Hey…” they began, hesitating for a second, “would you like to… go out with me sometime? I mean… on a date.”
Chara looked at them in surprise, but soon smiled. A soft laugh escaped their lips.
"I thought you'd never ask," they replied warmly, leaning closer. their hand returned to rest on Clover's cheek, gently caressing it.
At that moment, the door opened again and Kanako appeared with a bottle of water in her hand.
"Now then, everything's ready," she announced, glancing sideways at them both with an expression that mixed mischief and complicity.
Kanako approached Chara with a friendly smile and said goodbye. The pair said goodnight, and eventually, Clover and Kanako began walking down the path together, while Chara watched from the doorway.
The siblings walked in silence, listening only to the crunch of gravel under their shoes and the distant chirping of a cricket. The cool night air enveloped them, and Frisk's house was already behind them, hidden around the corner.
That's when Kanako couldn't take it anymore. "Well…" she said with a sharp smile, "are you going to tell me what the hell happened before I burst into the kitchen? And I want every detail."
Clover raised an eyebrow, though the blush on their cheeks already gave it away. “Nothing important happened,” they replied, trying to sound convincing.
Kanako clicked her tongue. “Please… I know you too well. And, by the way, that bandana Chara had around their neck looked familiar. So spill the beans.”
Clover gave a short, resigned laugh. “I guess… we talked. And maybe… something happened.”
“Something?” Kanako looked at them with mock indignation. “Don’t give me any mysteries, cowpoke!”
Clover looked away, clearly avoiding the question. “Well…” they murmured. “I had to give them something as a prize for beating me.”
Kanako glanced at Clover.
“So you gave them what's most important to you?” she asked, a mischievous tone in her voice. “I knew I should give you two some time alone.”
Clover shook their head, suppressing a laugh. “You planned the whole thing, didn’t you?”
“It’s your sister’s sixth sense,” Kanako said, shrugging. “But now you’re going to tell me… everything.”