Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful day outside. 

He didn’t even need to open his eyes to see it, he could just feel it. Birds were chirping outside, the flowers on the windowsill danced lightly with a gentle breeze. The warming rays of the sun fell across his face as he rolled over, and tempted him into simply staying in bed a little bit longer. Beautiful days were not so common here, and they had to be cherished and appreciated. 

“I mean it, bonebag!”

“c’mon pal, you’ve goat this.”

“Yeah Asgore, what are ‘ya, scared? Fight me!”

“NYEH HEH HEH! CHECK IT!”

Of course, it was difficult to take the time and appreciate a beautiful day when he had other, smaller yet infinitely much more complex, things to...appreciate. 

Wingdings Gaster was vaguely aware that the sound of voices from down below was his cue to roll out of bed, and probably make haste to the kitchen, but it wasn’t until the sound of magical blue spears impaling themselves on furniture reaching his ears did his sleep-addled mind actually jump start. “Not inside the house!” he cried out on reflex as he threw off the sheets, promptly became entangled and fell off the side of the bed, before finally, finally throwing open his door and taking the steps downstairs two at a time. 

To find the living room exactly how he had pictured it.

Undyne’s spears still lingered, embedded in the rug, in the shelves, one in the fireplace, and one, inexplicably, balanced perfectly horizontal on Papyrus’ head. The skeleton and his brother were on opposite sides of the room, the first with his arms raised high and a bone attack clutched in one hand - the other, slumped against the side of the armchair, wide grin belaying the stiffness in his frame as a yellow head and rounded glasses nervously peaked out from behind the same chair. Nearby, the two goat monsters were locked in a one-sided embrace, Asgore feebly grasping the arm Toriel had locked around his neck while his other hand held his signature red trident. Undyne herself had frozen in the middle of patting out the magical fire that was still nipping at the hem of her skirt, eyes wide and expressly guilty.

Looking straight at him, as all of them were.

Taking in the entire scene in one fell swoop, Gaster did what any sane monster would do - slowly and deliberately pivoted himself around, and went off into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. 

After all, he needed ample preparation for another day at The Underground.

“But she was literally asking for it,” Asgore protested, with a doe-eyed expression that could make even a human heart melt in compassion. The goat child wasn’t quite wringing his paws, but Gaster seriously doubted it would take much to make him start groveling. Powerful as the young monster was, Asgore was about the biggest pushover to have ever come through The Underground. 

Especially when it came to a certain other goat monster.

“And you did it anyways?” said child scoffed, and poured herself some syrup with the air of someone pointedly ignoring a pouting and doe-eyed goat monster. Despite the sudden fight that had woken him up from slumber, Gaster had to refrain himself from chuckling. While Toriel could be cutting, she was rarely deliberately vindictive, and the indoor fight would be forgotten within the hour. 

Luckily for Asgore. The poor monster child could hardly even function whenever Toriel was mad at him, prone to simply moping in front of his flowers.

Much like he was doing now, and Gaster shook his head, sliding another pancake onto Asgore’s plate. “There is no FIGHTing inside the house, you know this,” he chided, causing the goat monster to slink further into his seat while Toriel nodded decisively across the table. And before a certain fish monster could get comfortable - “And so do you,” he added, with an unimpressed stare at the seat to his left.

Undyne was a bit burnt looking, but looked otherwise not much worse for wear as she took a break from shoveling the pancakes in her mouth. “Buh ah ‘ave ooh!” she declared - swallowed, then tried again. “I have to train! Then I can fight like those humans do, right Alphys?!” Undyne swiveled dangerously in her seat to face her own left, where the introverted yellow lizard flinched, dropping her fork to the ground.

A litany of “o-oh!”s and “um”s were Alphys answer as she ducked beneath the table to retrieve her fallen fork - and took an inordinately long time doing so. So much so that Undyne bent down under the table as well, which promptly had Alphys shooting back up in her seat, face flushed as if she’d just gotten done running a marathon. “R-right!” she finally confirmed, but Gaster glanced down to where her claws fiddled with her eating utensil. “It’s not that h-hard, you just need to...t-to train...”

Satisfied, Undyne whipped back around to Gaster, arms folding across her chest. “See?” she said, with the righteous indignation that all kids seemed to possess when they were convinced of their superior knowledge and life experiences. “I need to train a whole lot, so I can fight like a human! We’re totally grown up now, we should get to train inside the house too, not just outside!”

“that sounds like a train wreck just waiting to happen.”

“SANS PLEASE, WE ARE TRYING TO EAT HERE!”

Gaster didn’t even have time to brace himself for the inevitable exclamation from his younger son, which - despite having an inherently loud voice to begin with - was always loudest after a pun from his brother. In all honesty, Gaster had no idea where Papyrus’ extreme aversion to Sans’ jokes had originated from. Perhaps simply because of the young skeleton’s overuse of them?

Which was another mystery, in and of itself, one that caused Gaster to frown slightly as he watched his eldest wink and shrug at Papyrus’ bug-eyed glare. It was a testament to his role as a father - and not a positive one, either - that he couldn’t place a time or event to Sans’ shift in personality. He’d always been a laid-back child - lazybones, as Papyrus would often say - but Gaster knew for a fact that Sans hadn’t started like that. Somewhere along the way something had happened, and it was only after the fact that Gaster had taken notice, and set in motion the events that had led him and his family to the Underground. 

Humans had a saying. Better late than never. Better to arrive somewhere, come to a conclusion, better to do something at a later date than never at all.

He wondered if there could be a too late, a point of no return.  

Sans hadn’t stopped with the puns in the midst of his musings, much to Papyrus’ chagrin and Toriel’s amusement. “i’m just saying,” the skeleton said, eyes upturned in mirth as his youngest son gripped the table cloth, seemingly ready to flip the entire table over at a moment’s notice. “gaster already has a lot on his plate.” 

And indeed, seven more pancakes had magically found their way to his plate, courtesy of Sans’ magic. 

An incomprehensible noise of rage wormed its way out of Papyrus’ mouth, one joke too many for the skeleton as he pushed back from the table. “IT’S WAY TOO EARLY FOR THIS,” he cried, “I’M GOING TO PAPYLAND, WHERE PUNS DON’T EXIST AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN RULE IN PEACE! NYEH!” So saying, the skeleton stalked out of the kitchen and off to the pillow fort he had helped construct in the playroom the day previous.

Which had been a mistake on his part, seeing how pillows were one of Sans’ favorite things. 

“Hey, wait for me!” Undyne cried out, grabbing one last pancake as she scrambled down from her seat, “I bet we can make Papyland even bigger than yesterday! Let’s go find some boulders and!...” The rest of Undyne’s disturbing construction plans faded into the distance as the fish monster receded further into the house, and her exit seemed to signal the end of breakfast as Toriel and Alphys climbed down from their seats, scraping the remains of their dishes into the trash can then bringing them to the sink, because they were little angels who made Gaster’s days just a little bit less hectic. Asgore followed suit, albeit a bit behind and carefully skirting around Toriel as he brought his plate and glass to the sink, exiting the kitchen afterwards.

Sans had already managed to slip out undetected, unsurprisingly. 

There was always a moment of disorientation, surrounded by noise and confusion and childlike curiosity and energy, to suddenly having a moment of peace. Gaster relished it, taking the time to finish out his coffee, before gathering the remaining dishes and pancakes. The food he kept in the fridge - not the most appetizing, reheating pancakes, but certainly more appealing than simply wasting food. 

They didn’t have the money for that. 

And so, Gaster took his time neatly packing away the leftovers, loading the dishwasher and setting everything to rights. By the time he was finished, the house was suspiciously quiet, and the amorphous monster with the skeletal face and hands returned to the living room. Magical expression didn’t leave a physical scar - otherwise this building would have been torn apart by spears and bones and fire a long time ago - and the living room was mostly the same as it had always been, save a rumpled rug that had probably served as the main battling ground. Gaster took the time to straighten it out, before heading deeper into the large house.

The playroom was nearest, stacked with all manner of toys and games and harmless parts - most of them missing pieces or sections, or broken beyond most use. But The Underground took what it could get, and the children seemed to find use out of most anything, usually by using them in ways completely different from their intended purpose. 

“I don’t t-think that will work here.” Alphys’ voice, normally unsure and soft-spoken, rang with rare conviction despite the stammering, a clear sign that she was in her element. Gaster had a guess who she was speaking with, just about the only other child that could keep up with her knowledge of the sciences, and wasn’t surprised to her Sans’ voice answer in the affirmative as he peered around the doorway.

As he’d suspected, the two of them were in “Alphys’ Lab”, the so-named corner of the playroom that the lizard monster had, at some point, section off for her tinkering projects. Sans was with her, the two of them crouched above what looked like a metal box, while the remains of a human light-up toy - something called a Bop-It, if Gaster remembered correctly - lay littered around the pair of them, in complete disrepair. When he’d first started this job, Gaster would have bemoaned and scolded the two of them for breaking the hard-earned toys. 

But now? Now, it was something of a marvel, seeing what the two prodigies could come up with. Alphys in particular had a way with machinery and robotics - she’d even once managed to slap together a toaster for The Underground, one that had rolled around to different areas of the house offering fresh toast to inhabitants. 

It had also spoken entirely in a foreign language, sounding suspiciously like those cartoons she loved so much. He hadn’t questioned the butler suit.

Sans, on the other hand, didn’t show a particular interest in either subject, but he was brilliant enough to both help Alphys with her projects when requested, and debate the pros and cons of her blueprints. Sans’ interest leaned more towards the natural sciences rather than engineering, but their differing areas of interest didn’t stop the two of them from teaming up over a shared project every now and again. 

“how’re you gonna control it, though?” Sans was asking, dressed in only his turtleneck and pants - the hoodie lay over a nearby cushion. The near constant grin on the small skeleton’s face was aimed at the same junk of metal that Gaster had surmised was Alphys’ current project, further confirmed as the lizard monster in question brightened, face shining with pure and unfiltered joy as it only did when she was indulging in her passions.

“With this!”

This turned out to be a remote control of some sort, seemingly made of the same metal as the box-like object the two of them were studying. Alphys fiddled with a dial on the remote, and at the same time, multi panels on the box lit up, each one changing different colors in differing rhythms. In front of the watching duo and the unnoticed Gaster, the panels eventually formed the shape of a red heart.

“cool,” Sans praised, slumping forward onto his belly with his head held up by his hands, apparently unconcerned with the reasoning behind the construct - that, or he already knew why Alphys had built it. 

The lizard monster blushed modestly at the compliment, but even her shyness did little to stop Alphys in her element. “A-and that’s not even the best part!” she said excitedly, mimicking Sans’ pose to get closer to her contraption. “Once he’s finished he’s going to be s-so fun to play with! I just havta find enough parts, a-and wires, and - ”

“you just gotta put your heart into it, pal.”

Gaster left them to it then, missing whatever response Alphys gave in favor of continuing onward. Papyrus and Undyne were being particularly quiet, but their silence became all too apparent a moment later, as he nearly tripped over them tiptoeing up the hallway. “Children, where - ”

“SHHH!”

“Shhh!”

“DAD, BE QUIET!” Papyrus reprimanded with a finger to his teeth, after the dual shushing he’d gotten from both children simultaneously. 

“Yeah Gaster, don’t blow our cover!” Undyne was quick to add on, plastered against the wall of the hallway right next to Papyrus. 

Gaster obligingly stepped out of the way as the two of them crept past, never mind the volume of their shushing that had undoubtedly already carried into the playroom. “WE’RE SNEAKING RIGHT NOW!” his youngest son clarified loudly, tugging his scarf up his chin. “BECAUSE ONLY GOOD FRIENDS SNEAK UP ON EACH OTHER!”

“We’re gonna see what they’re playing without us,” Undyne said with all the justification of a determined fish monster, “because we should get to play to!”

So justified, the two of them continued their perfectly stealthy approach to the playroom, Undyne skittering against the wall while Papyrus took to crawling along the carpeting. Gaster watched them go, hands folded behind his back as his eyes tracked their movements. 

He could still remember the time when the two of them had first met, first been introduced, and there had been some friction - mostly on the side of Undyne. It had been so unexpected, so soul-wrenching, that Gaster’s first thought had been whether or not he had the money to relocate his family again.

That friction, however, had turned out not to be friction at all, simply the young fish monster’s abrasive and blunt personality that was shared with everyone. Papyrus had found her immensely ‘cool’, something Undyne had revealed in, and she in turn had been impressed by the skeleton’s dedication to becoming ‘cool’ in turn. It hadn’t taken long for Undyne to essentially take Papyrus under her wing, and the two of them always seemed to be first in line to showcase their fighting talents and magical expressions...much to his chagrin. 

Still, mock FIGHTs inside the house were leagues better than the emotional abuse that had been inflicted on Papyrus. And on Sans.

The two monsters fully disappeared around the corner, apparently still having faith in their stealth attempt. He’d probably have to return and mitigate that brewing situation, but for the moment, Gaster continued on towards one of the hallway windows, one that afforded a modest view of the garden outside.

Yes, there was Asgore, tending to his flowers - and surprisingly, Toriel was with him. Well, nearby at least, playing with some of Froggits that liked to inhabit the garden area. Even as Gaster watched however, the litereal and figurative distance between the two goat monsters became smaller, as Asgore carefully plucked one of his meticulously cultivated flowers and edged towards the other, head bowed and arm outstretched. 

Even through the glass pane, Asgore’s embarrassment was palpable. But the little monster needn’t have worried, Gaster could have told him that. Toriel was a forgiving monster, and from his viewpoint, Gaster watched as she took the flower from his paw, smelled it, then grabbed the other monster in a hug. 

Asgore’s face may as well have been painted red, at this point.

Both the goat monsters had come to The Underground together, sometime ago - good for them, but nonetheless depressing when the tragedies surrounding their dual appearance were considered. Gastor was not privy to much of their lives before they’d come here, but from what he knew, they had basically grown up next door to each other.  In a way, it was almost inevitable that they would both find their way here. 

They were a pair, the two of them. Steadfast but meek, merciful but fierce. Poor Asgore’s crush on the other goat monster was painfully obvious to all in The Underground, except perhaps Toriel herself. 

Despite the rough start to the day, Gaster felt himself smile, his amorphous body deflating in a full-body sigh. Things weren’t always easy in The Underground, nor on the Surface, nor in the world...but seeing the children of monsterkind as they were, despite the hardships and the heartaches and the heavy tolling on their souls...

Well. It gave him HoPe.

“NYEH HEH HEH!”

“We wanna play too!”

“W-wait, don’t flip that - “

Wingdings Gaster was vaguely aware that the flash of light emanating from behind him was his cue to run back to the playroom, possibly panic, and most certainly issue some punishments that may or may not involve lack of butterscotch pie for dessert.

But he couldn’t help but linger just a little bit longer, staring out into the garden and simply admiring the beautiful day outside.

Yes. Just another day at The Underground.

Chapter Text

Sans’ unique magic could have easily gotten the job done more quickly. Instead, his son was busy rummaging around one of the boxes with Papyrus, undoubtedly looking for the package of hotdog supplies he had requested, and Gaster finished shoving the last box to the side, groaning as he stretched his body back up.

Amorphous existence or not, he was getting too old for this.

Still, supply drops such as these were far easier to manage than scrounging up the resources himself, and Gerson took on the responsibility more often than not, despite the greater number of charges in his care. To the tortoise monster, it was a small thing, but not to Gaster. 

“Thank you, Gerson,” he said, turning to the wizened monster, “these should last us for a while.”

“Wah ha ha, you’ve got it,” Gerson replied with that wheezing laugh of his, gap-toothed smile wide and leering, “we got plenty more back on our side. All’s we need is to set up a gift shop and get some more beds - we’ll be a resort in no time, wah ha ha!”

Gaster chuckled, humoring the elderly monster, but his eyes drifted over to the closed door that led down to the basement...and the tunnel. He had never gotten too much information on the previous owner of the house - had been too desperate and grateful to have received the offer in the first place, despite his initial hesitance - but whoever it was had certainly been...eccentric. Part of the house had been built at the base of Mt. Ebott, while the larger half was off to the side of the mountain, with an underground tunnel linking the two areas. Not to mention the storm cellar directly in the middle of the tunnel, filled with emergency supplies. No more than a ten minute walk through the tunnel to get to the other home - maybe thirty minutes traversing the base of the mountain - but still, a strange enough design choice, even for a Human. 

It was one of the reasons, he believed, the house had been allowed to fall into such a poor state of repair. Gerson’s side, larger and with a more compelling location facing the town, had been mostly well-maintained, but Gaster’s side...well, there was a reason the children of the orphanage had taken to naming different sections of the house as if they were entirely different regions. The malfunctioning heating, cooling, and piping systems had long since rendered certain areas with different temperatures and damp conditions, even sporting torn down walls or falling ceiling pieces in some places. The necessity of maintaining the tunnel structure and the storm cellar would have probably complicated reconstruction efforts, too, even if he’d had the money to consider repairs.

Which he hadn’t. There was a reason he’d picked up this halfway decrepit home in the first place.

Still, even in its rundown state, the more uncomfortable areas were not dangerous to the monster children - simply uncomfortable. No one wanted to take a nap in the equivalent of a sauna, after all. Thus, it wasn’t uncommon for the kids to explore the lesser maintained areas from time to time...and to also give them very appropriate names.

“NYEH?! WHAT’S THIS?”

Papyrus’ exclamation broke Gaster from his thoughts and drew Gerson’s attention - even Sans wandered over for a look. The young skeleton was holding a box-like contraption in his hand, and despite having used such a device several times, it took Gaster a moment to recognize it for what it was.

“That, my young skele-boy, is a human camera!” Gerson was the one to answer, crouching down and holding out one hand for Papyrus to hand it over. “You know what a camera is, don’t you? Wah ha ha!”

“I KNOW!” Papyrus insisted, but shouldered in next to Sans, who’d drawn up to Gerson’s side to better inspect the camera. “BUT WHY IS IT SO BIG?”

“and bulky?” Sans added.

“It’s a special kind of camera,” Gaster put in, placing a hand on each of his son’s shoulders, “Humans use these cameras to take pictures, and instantly print them out.”

“REALLY?” the youngest skeleton perked up, making grabby hands at the camera. “LET ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, TRY!”

“Sorry skele-lad - no film!” The back port of the camera was opened, revealing - as Gerson had claimed - nothing.

“A shame,” Gaster sighed, and felt Papyrus’ shoulders fall underneath his hand, “I would have loved some newer pictures. I believe I only have baby photos of you two.”

“you still have those?” Sans questioned, with a decidedly surprised air.

“Why - yes, of course,” he said, and felt a surge of fatherhood pleasure at the sight of Sans’ normally unflappable grin faltering. “Do you remember?” he added slyly, just for the enjoyment of seeing his cool-headed and sharp-witted son squirm, “the one I took of you as an infant, just barely born, crawling out of your diaper and waving your pacifier all over the - ”

“okay okay Gaster, we get it,” his oldest interrupted, and Gaster could tell Sans was struggling not to draw up his hood the way he did whenever he felt embarrassed about something. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to hide the tinge of blue on his cheekbones. 

“Are you sure?” he continued mercilessly, “because I don’t think Papyrus has ever seen them. Papyrus?”

“I WANT TO SEE MY BABY BONES BROTHER!” Papyrus demanded. “COULD HE HAVE POSSIBLY MATCHED ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, IN BABY CUTENESS?”

“Indeed he did, Papyrus. Why, I think I still have his first costume picture. He was the cutest skeleton monster, with his fuzzy little - ”

“dad, oh my god!” Sans exploded, and the blue tinge on his cheeks had spread into a full blown blush as the young skeleton grabbed one of Papayrus’ hands. “c’mon pap, we told tori we’d help herd the froggits today.”

“BUT SANS, SHE SAID SHE WOULDN’T NEED HELP ‘TIL LATER!”

“nope, she needs help right now, ‘cause I herd her say so.”

“NYEEEEEH!”

“Wah ha ha!” Gerson guffawed as the sounds of the two skeletons disappeared into the gardens, “they’re as spirited as ever.” The old tortoise monster’s grin never left his face, but he paused anyways, the corner of his eyes scrunched upwards. “That boy, especially.” 

Gaster didn’t need to ask for clarification as to which of his sons the monster was referring to. 

“That boy...well, I’m no fool! He’s doing much better!”

Gerson’s wheezing laughter followed the path the two skeletons had taken, leading out to the gardens to watch over the monster kids as they enjoyed the sunshine and the fresh air. Gaster was left to begin lugging the boxes through the overheated and over-chilled rooms, back to the main house, but Gerson’s words refused to leave his mind, echoing around his skull with ringing finality. 

Yes...his son was doing much better here. 

Otherwise -

Otherwise, this whole thing had been for nothing.

It was a privilege, an honor, even - a feat that no other Monster on the surface had ever even come close to achieving, and he should have been proud. He was proud.

And that pride kept his head high and eyes forward on his first day at work, as the stares crawled along his back and the whispers followed him wherever he went. He felt and heard them throughout the day, through lunch, from his office and in the break room. Even during the new employee tour, they were floating through the air, sitting amongst the other new Human employees.

Let them stare. Let them whisper. No matter what Humans thought of Monsterkind, he couldn’t be denied. His brilliance and his ingenuity, no matter how little humans thought of either, were so great and so paramount that they hadn’t been able to do anything but offer him this position. That was why he had a right to be here, even if others despaired and withdrew at his presence. 

It had been unheard of, up to this point, and Gaster knew he was playing with fire. Monsters and Humans lived separated, apart from one another - they didn’t work together, they didn’t socialize together, and they most certainly didn’t go to daycare together, because despite recent efforts on the part of the nations of the world, tensions still ran high amongst them all. 

Much as they’d always done, ever since that first recorded incident in Human and Monster history. The first death of a human child, by a monster’s hand.

They were just too different. Monsters expressed themselves in ways that were indecipherable to most humans, completely foreign to all of them, and most importantly, harmful in nearly all circumstances. It didn’t matter that Monsters rarely had intent to cause harm, that Soul damage hardly ever caused physical harm to a human. Humans did not wear their Souls on the outside, didn’t use them to express themselves, and it had never sat right with Humans, the infliction of a Monster’s expression on their Souls. It was a foreign feeling to them, and whether or not actual physical harm was caused, it was disliked.

Monster history said the first death had been an accident. Human history said the first death had been a malicious attack. 

Had it mattered in the end? Had it really mattered?

Monsters and Humans did not co-exist, it simply was not done. When they tried, skirmishes happened, unsanctioned attacks from either side, with nothing to show for the violence except death and destruction, and the mourning of innocents caught in the crossfire. Monsters and Humans did not co-exist.

And yet...

And yet, here he was, working with some of the greatest Human minds of the century, because despite everything, they could not deny his unparalleled expertise on Soul research. This was his chance - the chance of Monsters everywhere - to show Humans their value, that they could function together as a society. With his influence in this position, he could slowly teach Humans the workings of Monsters, how to properly deal with a monster’s expression of self, that intent to harm was more meaningful than perceived harm. He could be the first Monster to pave a way forward - he could take the risk.

And he knew, oh, Gaster knew, what a risk he was taking. Moving straight into the heart of the Human city, away from the entirely Monster populated town he’d been living in before. 

And bringing his two sons with him. He’d tried, at first, tried leaving them behind, in the care of close and trusted friends. They had been distraught, inconsolable, and he not much better off. He had caved in the end, and now, as he sat in his new office, the two of them sat in a Human daycare center, the only Monsters surrounded by Human children. 

What were they feeling, right now? What were they thinking? Were they alright?

When would the day end?

It did. Slowly but surely, the work day ended. His head was whirling with new information, but he was settled into his office and his new responsibilities, and despite the stares and the whispers, there had been no open hostility. No disdainful comments. Some turned heads and averted eyes, but that was to be expected. 

His first day had gone better than he’d ever hoped. 

And the daycare, only a few blocks away from his workplace - Gaster nearly flew him there, careful not to appear hurried or purposeful as startled Humans moved out of his way, scurried to the opposite side of the street. Gaster ignored them, Soul pounding in his chest as he was buzzed through the doors of the daycare center, wishing optimism but fearing the worst, because children could be cruel, so very cruel - 

He didn’t even have to get past the first room. There they were, the both of them, with a pile of letter blocks spread across the floor and stacked in front. And across from them...

Across from them, the human child looked up, short brown hair swaying with the movement. 

“dad!” Sans exclaimed, the first to notice him between his two sons. Reactively, Gaster bent down, allowing his eldest into his arms as Papyrus, alerted by his brother, soon followed. Gaster couldn’t help but hug them close to his body, holding on tight as his Soul calmed down, because -

Because he hadn’t know what to expect. Rips in their clothing? Dirt rubbed into their skulls? Sans comforting a sobbing Papyrus in a corner? Anything that a parent might have expected his children to go through on their first day at daycare, surrounded by an entirely different species, but...they were fine.

They were...happy.

“DAD, DAD LOOK!” Papyrus cried excitedly, squirming free of his arms and running back to their playing blocks. The human child had gotten up at this point, and was smiling kindly, politely stepping out of the way as Papyrus proudly showed off their creation. “WE MADE A CASTLE DAD! AND SEE? THIS HUMAN HAS ACCEPTED MY OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP!”

Papyrus had always wanted more friends. 

“yeah, she’s pretty cool,” Sans said, also wriggling out of his grasp to settle back down next to Papyrus, as if the two of them had no intention of leaving anytime soon. “even though she’s kind of a blockhead,” he snickered, and indeed, one of the letter blocks had managed to find its way onto the human child’s head, surrounded by a familiar blue glow.

Gaster forgot how to breathe. He’d told them no magic, Humans didn’t understand, Humans didn’t know, whatever you do don’t use any magic -

But the human -

She giggled.

“Oh Sans,” she laughed, plucking one of the letter blocks off the ground, “I bet your jokes square away all your friends.” She flicked the cube towards the grinning skeleton, smile widening as it was caught mid-air. 

“SANS, WE’VE ONLY BEEN FRIENDED FOR ONE DAY AND YOU’RE ALREADY CORRUPTING THE HUMAN!”

Both Sans and the human laughed good-naturedly at Papyrus’ irate expression, Gaster seemingly forgotten as he silently watched. It’s true that his imagination had perhaps gone a little wild, but this was...

This was better than he could have ever hoped for. 

“That is,” he started, then had to stop and clear his throat. His Soul felt nearly ready to burst through his chest, but for a completely different reason than before, and Gaster knelt down by the constructed castle. “That is marvelous, my children. I am glad you have made a kind friend.”

The human child smiled brightly, lips stretched so wide that her eyes slanted upwards with the movement. Her face was light and innocent, filled with none of the judgement and hatred he had been expecting, and as Gaster noticed what the letters in the makeshift castle spelled, he felt himself swell with hope, knowing that this decision he had made would work out for the best. For everyone.

i l u v m o n s t e r s

He was so busy at work, so entrenched in his research and his efforts to prove Monsterkind to Humanity, that he didn’t notice.

Not at first. 

“so...how was work, dad?”

“Hmm?” Gaster answered absently, currently attempting to ascertain the quality of the tomato he was inspecting. The humans around them gave a wide berth, which he honestly preferred over the alternative. 

“work? how was work? are you...do you like it?” Sans questioned. 

“Oh yes, my work is going very well.” And it was true, for the most part. There were still tensions, awkwardness, between him and some of his coworkers. As to be expected. But for the most part, the research he put in and the expertise he contributed had set the institute on an almost entirely new path, and the Humans there were well aware of who was leading their charge forward. Things were not perfect, but they were good. “It is quite enjoyable.”

“so...” his eldest continued after a pause, “so...you think we’ll be here, like. forever?”

“I HOPE SO!” Papyrus chimed in, limbs flailing from inside the shopping cart seat. “I’M HAVING SO MUCH FUN AT DAYCARE! I’VE NEVER HAD A HUMAN FRIEND BEFORE, AND SHE HAS NEVER HAD A FRIEND AS GREAT AS I, PAPYRUS!”

“I’m glad you two are enjoying yourselves,” Gaster said, and indeed, felt genuine joy. The decision to take this job could have had disastrous results, but things really were working themselves out for the best.

“NYEH HEH HEH!”

“yup...”

Smiling, Gaster pushed the cart down the next aisle, and waited for Sans to catch up.

Not a little.

“we should get a babysitter.”

“...What?” Gaster asked from over the top of the newspaper, because really, that had come out of nowhere. And Sans should have been getting ready to go to daycare like his brother, currently upstairs and probably struggling to set his sweater to rights. “Sans, what brought this on?”

Sans shrugged, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, but the frown on his face was telling. “iunno. i just think...it’d be better? we can just stay here and you go to work.”

“But,” he started, “I thought you and Papyrus liked going to daycare?”

A curiosity - Sans jerked as if he’d suddenly been stung, and his eyes darted up towards the staircase and the door of his shared bedroom with Papyrus. Gaster had been a father long enough to recognize a guilty look when he saw one, and that was distinctly guilt on his son’s face.

“i...i don’t...”

Mood swings were common in young children - both of his were guilty of that. But there was something there...Gaster couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Sans?”

“i don’t like her.”

He’d been excepting something about being the only two Monsters at the daycare, or perhaps feeling awkward about all the staring and pointing. He hadn’t been anticipating something so innocuous as that.

But that single statement seemed to have opened the floodgates. “she’s always hanging around,” Sans cried, and his hands were no longer resting idly in his pockets, but waving through the air, punctuating his words and his statements with wild gestures. “and she pretends she’s not doing anything, but i know, and she knows it to! and she doesn’t - she just pretends so that no one else sees it and i feel like i’m going crazy, and one day it’s gonna be too late, and papy is - “

“SANS!”

Both of them started, caught completely off guard by Papyrus’ loud voice as the skeleton monster came bounding down the stairs. “SANS, AREN’T YOU READY YET?” the youngest monster scolded, hands on his hips, “WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE! WE MUST SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR ALL OUR FUTURE HUMAN FRIENDS!”

Papyrus didn’t wait for a response, already bustling off to the kitchen to rummage through the fridge for his lunch, but Gaster was still focused on Sans - who had seemingly come back to himself after his outburst, hands once again settled in his coat and his head drawn inward as if he could pull it underneath the collar of his turtleneck. 

Who was...she?

For obvious reasons, Gaster’s first thoughts went to dark places. One of the daycare guardians? Someone who treated Sans and Papyrus with contempt and disgust? Or one of the other children? A ringleader perhaps, who had turned the rest of the daycare against them?

The human child? Their friend?

But...how? Sans and Papyrus were inseparable, and deeply attuned to each other. How could Sans have such a terrible problem with someone at the daycare, yet Papyrus be completely unaware of it? Gaster refused to believe Papyrus knew of Sans’ troubles and simply didn’t care, it was too uncharacteristic of his kind son. What sort of issue could his son be experiencing that only he of the pair experienced, something about this girl that drove him crazy and -

...Oh?

Oh.

Gaster tried very hard not to chuckle, but his amusement must have been apparent all the same as Sans’ eyebrows shot up, only to come back down in a confused burrow over his eyes. “w-what?”

“Sans,” he said, and fully set down the newspaper he had been unconsciously gripping this entire time so he could be as gentle about this as possible. “These feelings you are having...it’s alright to have them. It’s common for boys and girls to experience a little...crush, on one another.”

“cru -” the skeleton monster said, and Gaster had to try doubly hard not to laugh out loud at Sans’ expression. An expression that soon changed to outrage as the meaning of his words fully sunk in. “dad!” he exploded, and his hands were once again outside the hoodie pockets, clenched at his side. “that’s not what - that’s not even close! i don’t have a crush!”

“You should try some flowers,” Gaster teased, rather impressed that his son hadn’t started blushing yet. In fact, he looked paler than normal - or as pale as a bone-white skeleton monster could get. “Most girls like them, and they can express your intentions very well.”

“dad, listen to me,” Sans cried, “i don’t have a crush! i’m trying to say that she’s - “

“LATE!” Papyrus yelled, zipping past the two of them towards the coat rack, two lunches gripped in his hand. “LATE, YOU LAZYBONES! AND YOU LAZY DAD! NYEH!”

“I suppose so,” Gaster agreed, still feeling mirth at this recent development in his son. All that fuss over a daycare crush, was it? That being said, he found it a little odd for his son to have developed a fixation with a human child...but in a way, he supposed it wasn’t that surprising. After learning for all their lives how Humans mistrusted Monsters and how they couldn’t understand their Soul expression, he supposed it made sense for one or both of his sons to be drawn to the first human to have ever shown them an inkling of love.

“Come on,” he ordered, helping Papyrus shrug on his backpack and taking the burden of the two lunches from him, “we are a little bit behind schedule. Ah - wait for me, Papyrus.” Said skeleton moaned but refrained from sprinting out the front door as Gaster looked back towards his eldest, who was still standing in front of the couch. “Sans?”

“...yeah. okay, dad.”

Not even a tiny bit.

He arrived at the daycare about an hour earlier than normal that day, thanks to the human holiday weekend prompting the higher-ups to dismiss everyone home to their families for an early celebration. The daycare was as quaint as ever as he was buzzed in, and Mrs. C’ter smiled at him in recognition over the half-door that led to the main playroom. 

“Dr. Gaster, you’re here early today!”

“Yes, I finally find myself with some time to spend with my sons,” he half-joked, and the daycare owner laughed and nodded genially. 

“Oh, I’m not surprised there. My husband is a geneticist you know, and I swear, you science types would sleep in your labs if you were able to!” she guffawed, loudly and unabashedly. Gaster liked her laugh. Some human women, he had come to notice, laughed quietly and with restraint - demure giggles more than laughter. Deborah C’ter always laughed with her head thrown back and her voice filling the room. It wasn’t a beautiful sounding laugh, but it warmed him all the same.

“I think your boys are actually taking a nap right now, Doctor,” she continued, moving away from the doorway, “let me just go get their stuff ready and I’ll be right back.”

“I thank you, Deborah...ah!” he called out, and the woman returned with a raised eyebrow. “Deborah, if you would please tell me,” he asked, then hesitated, wondering exactly how he could phrase his question without offending. “Are things...well? I mean to say, have you noticed anything or...anyone acting...strange, around my boys?”

Because that conversation the other day with Sans still sat on his mind, for some reason. He’d simply chalked it up to a young monster’s crush on someone new and loving back then, but he’d replayed it over and over again in his mind. Sans had...not seemed embarrassed at the assumption, merely outraged. Which, for a young boy, still wasn’t that unusual...but still.

To her credit, the daycare owner did not play coy or confused, immediately understanding what he was hinting at. “Oh dear,” she sighed, and his Soul dropped, “well, I can’t say for certain Doctor. We all love your boys, they’re so well behaved - and funny.” Here she giggled, undoubtedly thinking back to one of Sans’ or Papyrus’ many shenanigans. “They’re darling. But some of the children...well, you know how kids are. We haven’t noticed any sort of bullying or anything like that, but most of them...they tend to keep their distance.”

It wasn’t information he’d necessarily been hoping for, but it was nonetheless comforting, and Gaster relaxed some. It was, after all, what he’d expected in the first place, that the Human children of this establishment wouldn’t try interacting all that much with his own sons. Of course, there was the possibility of Deborah simply lying about their interactions with his children, but she had a warm and kind Soul, palatable even without CHECKing. She was a good sort. 

With his thanks, the human woman left to ready his sons things and gather his boys, and Gaster was left at the half-door, its open top half making it more like a gate. There were only a handle of children in this particular playroom, and predictably, they were all bunched up near the opposing corner, wearing varying levels of fear, disgust, and curiosity. 

All except one.

Gaster almost didn’t notice her - she was a small thing - but she sprung her head up from the bottom of the door, taking him aback. She must have crawled along the edges of the wall to avoid detection. A bout of playfulness with the Big Bad Monster? Though, considering the friends she had made, he doubted - he sincerely hoped - his race mattered much to her anymore.

“Hello, child,” he greeted, leaning over the gate slightly to get a better look at his sons’ friend. He knew her fairly well by now - she was almost always nearby whenever he went to pick up his sons - and the striped sweater she favored was becoming an easy fixture to spot out in a hoard of human children. “Are you surprised to see me so early today?”

“Yes,” she answered honestly, stepping away from the door so he wouldn’t have to lean over it so much. The child placed her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels some, charming smile on her face. “Do they have to go so soon? Me and Papyrus were going to play on the playground some more.”

“I’m afraid so, my dear. They need to spend some time with their old man.” 

The child pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, but then brightened a moment later. “Okay,” she said, as if she had any say in the matter, “I guess it’s only fair, right?”

“Indeed,” he chuckled, and watched as she walked off, returning the small wave she sent him. Truly, he was grateful that his sons has managed to find a friend amongst the many human children at the daycare. 

“sup.”

“HI DAD!”

“Ah Sans, Papyrus,” Gaster said, pushing away from the door and turning towards the hallway that Deborah and her two sons were coming from, “I’m sorry you had to be woken but I - “

There was a bruise on Papyrus’ cheek. 

It wasn’t bad looking. It wasn’t even that discolored. But it was there.

“Papyrus!” he exclaimed, leaning down to inspect it closer, and ignored his son who groaned about being babied. “What has happened here?”

“There was a little accident out on the playground,” Deborah answered, though she didn’t appear too concerned as she continued explaining. “Papyrus here went down the slide face first, and what have we said about going down the slide face first, Papyrus?”

“DO NOT GO DOWN THE SLIDE FACE FIRST!”

“That’s right,” she praised, patting the top of his skull.

“You got this from going down a slide?” Gaster questioned, confusion in his voice. It wasn’t improbable, but Monster bodies were made of magic, not physical substance, and as such they tended to heal quickly from physical injuries. He must have slid down very forcefully to have sustained a bruise for this long - or, it had happened very recently. 

“YES!” Papyrus answered, quickly and so vehemently that it took Gaster aback - though it became clear Papyrus wasn’t speaking to him, and was instead turned towards his brother, who had suddenly become sullen, glaring off to the side and no longer grinning. “I SLID DOWN THE SLIDE. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.”

That was apparently too much for Sans. “paps, i’m telling you,” he ground out, in a strained voice that made it evident the two of them had already had this conversation, and quite extensively too. “it wasn’t an accident, you were sitting straight up at the top of the slide, you don’t just fall over onto your face! that’s stupid!”

“I’M NOT STUPID, SANS!” Papyrus retorted hotly, and Gaster could tell he was heated and not thinking clearly by the way he rudely snatched his backpack out of Deborah’s hand. 

“no, bro, that’s not what i’m saying - “

“Sans, sweetie,” the daycare owner interrupted, and Sans stopped talking, hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. “We’ve talked about this, okay? None of us saw anything, I promise - and besides, she’s a sweetheart, dearie. Doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, hmm?” she guffawed loudly, clearly expecting the pun-loving skeleton monster to share in the joke.

Which he did, eyes downcast and shoulders shrugged. “heh heh...good one, Mrs. C.”

“MRS. HUMAN CARETAKER, NO! RESIST MY BROTHER’S TERRIBLE PUNS!”

“I believe Mrs. C’ter finds them quite punny,” Gaster joined in, just because he could, and laughed alongside the human as Papyrus let out a wordless scream of rage and stalked out to the entry room of the daycare. With a chuckle, Gaster accepted Sans’ own backpack from the daycare owner, turning to follow his son - before realizing his other son was still standing in the same place, staring back at the doorway that led to the playroom. “Are you coming, Sans?”

“...”

“Sans?”

“...okay.”

Not, at, all.

“i don’t want to go to daycare today.”

Gaster was at a loss. They were the first words Sans had spoken that entire day, all through the morning rituals of getting ready for the day, all through breakfast, all through the walk towards the daycare. And even as Papyrus eagerly dashed into the playroom where Deborah was waiting, Sans lingered by his legs.

“But, you have to go,” he finally said, because he had nothing else to say. “Papyrus has already gone ahead.”

There was no scene, no upheaval, no groveling or begging or even anger. From this angle he couldn’t even seen what expression Sans had on his face. There was only the slightest shift, the faint slumping of his shoulders, and a heaviness that looked and felt almost comically out of place on such a small figure.

“okay.”

Gaster almost called back to Sans, as the small skeleton monster trudged up to Deborah and handed over his backpack. 

But the clock on the wall ticked forward a minute, and he had a Lead Investigator meeting as soon he work started. Gaster turned and hurried out of the building, heading for his work.

Not...at all.

Chapter Text

Papyrus did not like to see his friends fight.

Because that was not the good behavior of a good friend! 

And it was true that not all the other kids were so awesomely amazing as he, The Great Papyrus, was. It took the bestest and most sharpest of minds to be so very sensitive to the workings of friendships, and not all monsters could ever come close to his level of friendship cool.

After all, he still held the record for fastest friendzoning!

But because he was such a cool friend, it made it that much sadder to see other cool - but not as cool - friends fighting with one another. 

And there had been a lot of fighting in The Underground lately. Very not cool.

“Don’t move an inch!”

“Papyrus, dearie!” Muffet said, and the skeleton felt something that was probably not sweat drip down the back of his nape and onto his scarf. “Papyrus, please tell Doggo - who I am not talking to - that my spiders need to get into the sun, and if he doesn’t like it he can just go somewhere else before I feed him to my pet~”

Muffet’s pet was a very large spider monster that was squatting in one corner of the yard, underneath the berry bushes. It was really a very nice spider - it had only tried eating his scarf once. And then his special attack.

It had managed to eat that one, but had spit it out after, so he considered that an apology.

“But I have to stay out here,” Doggo protested, though his words were kind of hard to understand because of the dog treat he was gnawing on, “Gerson doesn’t like the smell in the house!” Small puffs of smoke exited his mouth each time he spoke - definitely because of the dog treats, a very smokey flavored monster food that all the dogs loved a whole lot. 

Papyrus had tried one earlier that day. He hadn’t liked it so much, but Undyne had said his smoke shapes looked cool, so he had eaten two more afterwards. And then an extra six, because Undyne had dared him to and he was no scaredy baby!

“FRIENDS, PLEASE,” he interjected passively, holding his hands in front of him - and he definitely didn’t flinch as Muffet suddenly whirled on him, two hands on her hips while the other four continued helping small spiders down from the windowsill and out into the garden. Muffet was a very cute and playful monster, but sometimes she got a little...forceful. “THERE IS NO NEED TO ARGUE HERE! I’M SURE THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN HELP DISCOVER THE BESTEST FRIENDSHIP SOLUTION EVER!”

Doggo yipped once, eyes narrowing on Muffet’s arms as they swung wildly back and forth, from the window to the ground, ground to window. “I know how!” he growled, “everyone stop moving!”

“Go away before I make you into my next baked treat~!”

“NO, THERE’S NO NEED TO FIGHT!” Papyrus cried as Doggo lunged forward, and dashed forward himself - only he tripped on a loose end of his scarf, and with a resounding “N-NYEH?!” he crashed straight into Doggo’s back, and the both of them landed in the dirt. 

“Ahuhuhu~!” the spider monster giggled meanly, four of her arms continuing to help spiders down as her two free hands covered her mouth. “That’s what you get, dearie. Now stay down there like a good dog, and leave my spiders alone~”

“NYOO HOO HOO,” he moaned, slowly sitting upright using Doggo as support. The dog monster grumbled something into the dirt below, and Papyrus realized he had pushed the furry head further downward trying to get up. “SORRY!” he apologized, and stood up quickly, grabbing one of Doggo’s arms and pulling him upwards onto his feet. There were dirt spots all in his fur, and Papyrus hurriedly brushed them all out, patting down the black and white fur on top of the other kid’s head. “THERE, ALL BETTER!”

“...”

“FRIEND, WHAT IS WRONG?” Papyrus asked worriedly. He didn’t mean to trip and fall on top of Doggo, why was his new friend acting so strange? His eyes were wide and almost completely black, and Papyrus felt his own eyes widen as real fear starting settling in. “NYEH!” he cried, “DID I BREAK MY NEW DOG FRIEND? DOGGO PLEASE,” he begged, shaking the small monster, “SAY SOMETHING TO ME!”

“Pat?”

“DAD IS GOING TO BE SO MAD AT ME IF I BROKE A NEW UNDERGROUND FRIEND,” he wailed, shaking the dog kid harder, “PLEASE DON’T BE BROKEN!”

“Pot?”

“I HAVE SINNED AGAINST - NYEH?!”

“Pet?”

“UHM,” Papyrus said eloquently, having stopped shaking Doggo enough to get a good look at him. And at his tail - it was going crazy! It was wagging very fast back and forth, and Doggo’s eyes were still very wide and black, which...he didn’t think that was a very good sign, still. 

Though Doggo’s tail didn’t slow down at all - it still wagged back and forth as Doggo pushed his head into Papyrus’ still hand.

Hmmm...

...Ah-hah! Idea!

“YOU, LIKE GETTING PATS?” Papyrus guessed because he was a very smart monster. And Doggo went crazy again, began jumping up and down at the idea of getting more pets. “THEN I SHALL GIVE YOU ALL THE FRIENDSHIP PATS IN THE WORLD!” he declared, because -

Oh...wait.

Wait...they would be leaving soon.

Because they had all come over to this side of the house to meet the new dog kids that were staying with Mr. Gerson now. There were a ton of them! They always went over to Mr. Gerson’s side - or the kids here came over to their side - whenever there was someone new, so they could all become good friends with one another. Even if not many of them seemed to really and truly understand what a cool friend he was. Papyrus always found it very sad that so many of the other kids were separated by that long tunnel...but at least, he got the chance to leave and then come back an even cooler friend than when he’d left!

But that still meant he didn’t have much time to give pats to Doggo, and that did not seem right.

“Ahuhu~! Don’t worry my dearies, just stay near the bushes!”

Nyeh! He had almost forgotten about Muffet and the fighting, very concerned with Doggo’s pats, and oh my god how many spiders did she have? She was still standing where she had been for many minutes, two arms on her hips while the rest moved back and forth from the windowsill to the ground.

Four...out of six...

...

Ah-hah! Nyeh heh heh, idea!

“OH HO!” he cried out, and both Doggo and Muffet jumped in surprise at the sudden exclamation. Which were the best kind of exclamations, he’d come to find out, because they got way more attention than the anticipated exclamations! “I HAVE DISCOVERED A SOLUTION TO THIS FRIENDSHIP PUZZLE,” he said proudly, and took one of Doggo’s paws, “WHICH IS THIS!”

“What ever are you doing, dearie~?” Muffet questioned, and Papyrus almost lost his nerves as her many eyes narrowed at him. The skeleton gulped, but...but he had to be brave! He wasn’t a baby bones!

“M-MUFFET! DOGGO MUST EAT HIS TREATS OUT HERE, AND YOU MUST MOVE YOUR FRIENDS AROUND. NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE TOO GREAT A PROBLEM FOR ANY MERE FRIEND TO SOLVE, BUT...I AM THE COOLEST FRIEND, EVER!” he said, and took one of Muffet’s unoccupied hands. “TRY...THIS!”

The tail went crazy again. Doggo’s eyes were back to being very wide and very black, and now one of his feet were joining in the crazy dance, patting the ground very quickly as Muffet’s hand landed on his head. 

“Oh my~!” the spider monster exclaimed, and after a moment, let her other free hand join, even while her other four continued moving the spiders. Doggo’s eyes could not possibly get any wider, nor his tail any faster, and Muffet giggled loudly. “All you need is some nice pets to keep you happy, hmm? I think I can do that~”

Su...success!

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus yelled into the sky, both hands planted on his hips. He really wished there was a nice breeze right now, so that his scarf would flow in the wind while he made cool poses that fully expressed his awesomeness. “ANOTHER FRIENDSHIP PROBLEM SOLVED, THANKS TO ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“Papyrus?”

Papyrus whirled around, towards the next open window in the wall, and saw Dad leaning halfway out of it. He was holding a small box underneath one arm, which only meant one thing - more stuff! 

And that sometimes but not always but perhaps meant - new toys!

“HI DAD!” he said, bouncing over to the window and pointing back to the two other monster kids. “DAD LOOK! I MADE NEW FRIENDS BE FRIENDS BY BEING A COOL FRIEND!”

Dad leaned further out the window to look at the two, and smiled at the sight of Doggo kneeling at Muffet’s feel, and the spider monster scratching underneath his chin with one of her hands. “That’s wonderful, Papyrus,” he said, and disappeared for a moment to set the box down. He came back up quickly, and reached out of the window to pick him up, bringing him into the house. “I’m very proud of you, you’re being such a great friend.”

“I KNOW!” Papyrus agreed, one hundred percent, and laughed as Dad tickled him a bit. Sometimes Dad tried to baby him too much - and sometimes Dad was almost as bad as Sans with his pranks and terrible jokes and being very much Dad - but still, his dad always recognized how awesome he was being when he saw it, and that was a cool skill that belonged to the coolest family a skeleton could ever want.

Even if Dad and Sans could never quite match up to his level of coolness.

“DID MR. GERSON FIND SOME NEW TOYS FOR US?” he asked, plopping down next to the box to open it. There were some snacks, a coloring book, a regular non-picture book - a bottle of ketchup, yuck - some gloves, and two shirts. Oh, and some of those noodles that Alphys liked so much. 

“Not today, no,” Dad said, but he reached into the box and pulled out something Papyrus hadn’t noticed. A piece of paper that was folded and crinkly looking, and filled with a bunch of squiggly green lines. “But he found some new areas at the Garbage Dump, the other day. Perhaps we’ll go take a look ourselves, sometime?”

“OKAY!” He liked going to the Garbage Dump, even though he’d only been there twice before. Humans threw away really weird things sometimes, but some of them were cool.  Though, thinking back to the last time they had gone, Papyrus frowned, and crossed his arms. “BUT YOU CAN’T BABY ME LIKE LAST TIME, OKAY DAD? I DON’T NEED TO HOLD HANDS ANYMORE, I’M ALMOST TEN NOW! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.”

Dad only smiled, but with that sort of squinty smile that made Papyrus very uneasy, because it was usually followed by a joke or a pun or an old story or farting noises or any number of embarrassing dad things. “Are you sure? The first time we went you were the one holding on to me.”

“DAAAAAD, I’M SERIOUS.”

“Hi Serious, I’m Dad.”

“NYEEEEH!” Papyrus screeched, and stuck his hands over the sides of his skull as if he could block out Sans’ terrible influence on their dad. “I TAKE IT BACK! HOW COULD I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE THE MOST UNCOOL FAMILY EVER? OF ALL TIME!” Why did no one else in his family like japes? To be constantly attacked by puns and jokes from both dad and brother...it filled him with despair! 

Why, the only bright side was Dad’s ability to embarrass Sans, and get that lazybones to do something other than grin and pun all day! 

And speaking of Lazybones - “Go find your brother for me, will you?” Dad asked, picking up the cardboard box once again, “I assume he’s sleeping somewhere, but we need to be getting back.”

Of course his brother was sleeping, even though he’d had a nap right after lunch! “DON’T WORRY DAD,” Papyrus declared, and gave his dad a sharp and snappy salute, “I WILL FIND MY LAZYBONES BROTHER!” 

And he did, in about one minute. He didn’t even have to check in all the cupboards.

Because his brother had fallen asleep two rooms over, in the middle of the hallway. Without even a pillow or a blanket, just - laying there on the floorboards. And the biggest dog monster, the one that had a pretty cool battle body that he totally didn’t want for himself or anything, was happily gnawing on one of Sans’ exposed arms, rolled up sleeves showing the bones underneath.

“SANS,” he grumped, and wrapped his hands around Greater Dog, trying to tug him backwards - to which Greater Dog only began chewing harder on his brother. “SANS, WAKE UP,” Papyrus panted, throwing all his weight into leaning backwards, arms clenched tightly around the dog monster’s neck. “DOG FRIEND, STOP TRYING TO EAT MY BROTHER! HE IS ALREADY WORN!”

“down to the bone.”

“YES, EXACTLY, WORN DOWN TO THE - NYEH!”

“hey paps,” Sans yawned, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes with his free hand. His brother seemed completely clueless to his struggle, because of course his lazy brother failed to notice the important things, like the dog monster currently trying to eat him - at least until the dog monster gave his arm a very strong tug, and Sans jumped, the sleep finally rubbed free of his eyes. “what the - ”

“SANS,” he huffed, still tugging on Greater Dog, “GET UP AND HELP ME!”

“yikes. i’m in a pretty sticky situation, here,” Sans grunted, managing to stand up even with Greater Dog still hanging off his arm. But the emphasis on the wording was not lost, making him narrow his eyes suspiciously. 

“THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE, BROTHER,” he complained, because bad enough that his brother punned around so much - the least he could do was put effort into his terrible jokes! 

Sans only grinned, teeth spreading wide across his face. “you’re right, paps,” he said, shrugging with his free arm. Which, he suddenly noticed, was holding a stick his brother had seemed to pull out of thin air. “i really need to fetch some new puns.” Sans tossed the stick at him, and out of reflex, Papyrus caught it before it could hit his face.

“VERY FUNNY, SANS,” he groaned - before he was tackled by a very heavy dog friend.

Papyrus flailed underneath Greater Dog as, above him, his evil brother laughed. He was pretty sure there was lightning flashing in the background too. “NYEH!” he cried, managing to pull at least his upper body out from underneath the dog now happily chewing on the stick, “HOW IS IT YOU CAN BE SO LAZY YET PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES?”

“that’s because i put a ton of work into ‘em.”

“SANS...”

“a skele-ton.”

“SANS!”

His evil and so much less cool brother chuckled, but moved around Greater Dog, grabbing the back of his turtleneck. “i gotcha paps, hold on - ” Sans pulled, and he pushed, and together they squeezed him out from under the oblivious dog monster. 

“i thought you were playing outside with Doggo?” his brother asked, very casual and innocent like he hadn’t just sent a dog monster with a battle body tackling his cool and awesome younger brother.

“I WAS,” Papyrus said, brushing himself off very forcibly, “DAD SAID WE NEED TO GO. AND BEING THE BESTEST BROTHER IN THE WORLD, I WENT TO GO FIND YOU SO YOU WOULDN’T BE LEFT BEHIND.” He scowled, hands on his hips. “AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET, BROTHER!”

“aw, thanks paps,” Sans said, “you’re the coolest bro ever.” 

And wowie, no matter how mad Papyrus was, he could never stay angry at Sans whenever he looked at him like that. Genuine love and appreciation for his little brother! 

“NYEH HEH HEH! SO ARE YOU, BROTHER,” Papyrus praised, “EVEN IF YOU ARE STILL SLIGHTLY LESS COOL THAN ME! NOW LET’S GO!” he commanded, and grabbed Sans’ hand to lead his slightly-less-cool brother to the back of the house, where the tunnel was.

Everyone was there - all of his friends, plus all the new ones that would be living on Mr. Gerson’s side from now on. He hoped they stayed long enough so he could become a cool friend to all of them...but then that was actually bad, wasn’t it? Dad told him it was a good thing if kids left The Underground and The Core, because that meant they’d found their families to be with.

So...that was okay too. Even if it would be really sad not to see his friends again, it couldn’t be all sad as long as they were happy, right?

“Perhaps sometime next month you can bring them over to The Underground,” Dad was saying as he and Sans and the others crowded around, saying goodbye to everyone. Except Doggo - Doggo was still being pat on the head by Muffet, with three hands now, and he seemed very out of it. But in a good way!

“Wah ha ha,” Mr. Gerson laughed, “they finally got to you, eh?”

“I’ve spent the past year trying to get them to call it something else,” Dad sighed, and his body drooped in a way that Papyrus knew meant he was either tired, or thinking about something very tiresome. “But I’m afraid the name is well and truly stuck.”

“You said we could call our new house whatever we wanted, ‘member?” Undyne protested, arms crossed. Which was true! Papyrus remembered, it had been one of Dad’s first promises to all of them after they’d moved in. 

“You said you’d clean up your rooms before we left today, ‘member?” his goopy dad answered back, and Papyrus suddenly found the wall very interesting to look at. Because, well, he wasn’t nearly as bad as his lazybones brother who threw his socks everywhere, but...

There may have been some puzzles left lying around The Underground that he forgot to clean up. For the japes!

“We can still call it something different,” Asgore spoke up hesitantly, “something like...uh. Home?”

As one, the children all groaned, though Toriel patted the other goat child’s arm kindly. “Maybe you should leave the naming to us,” she suggested, and that seemed to cheer Asgore up. 

Maybe a bit too much. “ASGORE, WHY ARE YOU SO RED?” Papyrus asked in concern, grabbing the goat’s cheeks and squeezing them between his hands just to be sure. They even felt hot to his skeletal touch! “WHY ARE YOUR FLUFFY CHEEKS SO HOT?”

Asgore squirmed, eyes darting to Sans and Undyne, who had suddenly started snickering in a way that meant they were probably going to be up to something very soon. “I-It’s just, hot in here, that’s all,” he said, tugging on the collar of the cape he always wore. Which was...just silly! He was wearing a sweater and a scarf and he felt just fine!

But Papyrus didn’t have time to help out his friend as Dad suddenly swept up behind them. “We can spend some time in Snowdin on the way back,” his dad said, though he had that squinty, sly look on his face again. “Unless you want to think up some more names?”

“Nope Snowdin’s good everything’s good lessgo!” Asgore bleated, and his face was still red, which Papyrus was pretty sure wasn’t so good. But Dad only chuckled and said goodbye to Mr. Gerson, and flapped his hands to herd them all down into the basement.

“GOODBYE, NEW FRIENDS!” Papyrus yelled back over his shoulder. “WHEN NEXT WE MEET, BE PREPARED FOR EVEN GREATER LEVELS OF ULTIMATE COOL! NYEH HEH HEH!”

A chorus of “goodbye!”s and “like, oh em gee laters!” was raised from behind them as they closed the basement door, and began heading down the tunnel. And...and well, he wasn’t a baby bones - he was almost ten years old! - but maybe Sans needed some comfort. So Papyrus rushed forward to grab onto Sans’ hand, and his brother turned and smiled at him.

“whassamatter bro?”

“NOTHING!” he insisted, and squeezed Sans’ hand a little tighter. “I’M JUST...MAKING SURE YOU DON’T FALL ASLEEP BEFORE WE GET HOME, YOU LAZY SKELE!”

“are you suuuuure?” Sans winked one eye at him, and Papyrus scowled.

But Sans didn’t say anything else, only gave his hand a little squeeze in return, and Papyrus relaxed, following after a shuffling Alphys as they walked the path towards the cellar, and their home after that. He liked visiting his friends on the other side of the house, but he never really liked walking through the tunnel to get there. There were some crystals in the rock, but they only lit up the tunnel a tiny bit. Plus, being underground gave him an uneasy feeling. Because, well...they might call their home The Underground, but it wasn’t really under the ground. Not all of it. It only felt like it in some places, and only one or two places was it actually under the ground. 

He could jump out a window whenever he felt like it, mostly!

But down here...it really was under the ground, and there were no windows to jump out of. Not even any puzzles to make the walk any more fun! He felt trapped down here, and he didn’t like it. 

The only good thing about the tunnel were the crystals. Not the ones that glowed a bit in the walls, but the very tiny ones that twinkled a little in the tunnel ceiling. They kinda looked like stars, which they rarely, if ever got to see anymore, because Dad said it wasn’t safe to go outside of the house at night, and the mountain’s shadow and surrounding trees blocked most of the sky from inside the house. 

He wished they had some lights down here. Then the stars in the ceiling could twinkle even more.

The tunnel felt like it could stretch on forever, but it always came to an end, thankfully. Papyrus was the first one through the door, even though he had to jump up to grab the handle, and then - finally - they were back home. “NYEH HEH HEH,” he crowed, “THAT WAS FUN! NOT THE LONG DARK TUNNEL THAT I’M NOT SCARED OF AT ALL, OF COURSE, BUT MEETING ALL THOSE NEW FRIENDS!”

“There were a l-lot of dog monsters,” Alphys said, considering, as she nudged her glasses up her yellow snout. “I wonder where they all c-came from?”

That was...a very smart question! Papyrus knew that monster kids who had no home anymore, or had become lost from their families, ame here. But that had been...one two, three, four...five, six? Six new dog friends? Surely they all didn’t lose their homes and families at the same time, there was no way!

“I BET WE’LL GET TO SEE THEIR MOMS AND DADS WHEN THEY COME TO PICK THEM UP, RIGHT DAD?” Papyrus asked, very confident. Sometimes they got one, maybe two new kids that came to stay with them or Mr. Gerson, but six kids all at once was so silly. 

Dad smiled, but his face was kind of droopy again. “Yes Papyrus,” he said, and Papyrus giggled as Dad reached out to pat his head. “I’m sure that - I’m sure things will work out for the best.” He nodded encouragingly, because Dad was always right about those kind of things. “Now, I believe it is time for dinner,” his dad continued, holding one finger in the air. “We’ll have - ”

“Snail pie!”

“C-can I have noodles?”

“where’s that ketchup?”

“The hearts of all bad guys everywhere!”

“Ew, Undyne!”

“Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!” the fish girl yelled, and left a scramble of kids in her wake as she dashed through Hotland - which meant, he suddenly realized, he was the soon to be rotten egg!

“NYEH, WAIT FOR ME!” he cried and dashed forward, leaving the mutterings of Dad behind as he followed after the others.

Usually they all sat together eating whatever Dad cooked, but sometimes Dad just gave them all whatever food they liked the best, because they had successfully “crushed my spirit” as Dad liked to say, whatever that meant. Papyrus was the best at this though, because he liked everything Dad made, since he made it with lots of love. That made everything taste good.

“Are you sure you’re okay with dinner, Papyrus?”

“YES!” Papyrus declared, clutching to his mac ‘n cheese. It was a small paper bowl that Dad had heat up in the microwave, but it was still good. “I LIKE EVERYTHING YOU MAKE. SOMEDAY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALSO MAKE LOTS OF FOOD FILLED WITH LOVE!”

Dad smiled, and pat his head like he’d done earlier. “I don’t doubt that, son. You’ll make an excellent chef.” Papyrus grinned and, carefully holding his bowl and fork, left the kitchen.

“Though I hope your tastes won’t be as picky as the others...”

“WHAT?”

“Nothing Papyrus,” Dad said quickly, and waved his hands at him. “Go on now, go eat before it gets cold.”

“OKAY!”

Surprisingly, the living room was empty. Usually Undyne or Alphys, or both of them, ate in the living room if they weren’t in the kitchen, watching those human cartoons of theirs. Their absence was very strange, and Papyrus frowned down at his paper bowl. 

Until -

“NYEH!” he perked up, and followed the sound of voices. Those slippery snails thought they could eat their dinners without him, did they? Well, they had another thing coming!

The voices were coming from the playroom, and Papyrus eagerly followed them. If it was the playroom, then it was probably Sans and Alphys playing with those toys of theirs, toys that Papyrus didn’t really understand, but they usually made fun sounds and colorful lights that hinted at all sorts of japes! So long as Sans didn’t corrupt them too much, Papyrus was sure Alphys would create all sorts of fun toys before long.

And he, the Great Papyrus, was right again! Alphys and Sans’ voices were now very clear, except -

“Come on, ketchup isn’t even food, it’s a condiment! Your argument is silly.”

“at least its healthier than some deep fried wheat flour.”

Oh no!

Friends, arguing. Again! Why could his friends not be as great as he when it came to matters of love and friendship? Never mind how impossible it was, they should still try a little harder!

“Not true!” Alphys grumped just as Papyrus turned the corner, and yes, there they were, each holding their dinners - or in Sans’ case, just a ketchup bottle. His brother was grinning as he always was, but Alphys did not look very happy. Which made him not very happy, nyeh!

But Papyrus only took one step before they both suddenly noticed him, and turned with determination in their eyes.

“hey!” Sans said, “which is better, paps? fried fats - ”

“ - Noodles - ” Alphys stressed, speaking over the other skeleton.

“ - or ketchup - ”

“ - MSG!”

A decision?...A friendship decision!

Well, it made sense they would ask the coolest friend they had for an answer to their dilemma! But...this wasn’t any common puzzle. This decision could change everything! Not the decision of which food or non-food was better, but who to side with! He did not wish to hurt another’s feelings, but picking one or the other...why, they’d keep arguing with each other like uncool friends. 

He needed to set a good example...a Coolest Friend Ever example!

“HMM...” he said, and carefully put down his mac ‘n cheese and fork to think over this puzzle. Which to choose? He couldn’t choose one or the other because that would make the other sad, which meant...

He’d, choose...

Both?

...Nyeh.

Nyeh, heh heh heh! Of course! Such a simple solution for he, the Great Papyrus! 

“Aaaw,” Alphys moaned sadly as he grabbed the ketchup bottle from Sans’ hand. His brother had a very smug look on his face, and Papyrus didn’t hesitate to hold the ketchup bottle over the lizard’s bowl of noodles, squeezing it with all his strength. 

Neither was smiling now, but that was okay, because they hadn’t even realized he’d solved their friendship problem!

“IF IT KEEPS YOU FROM GROWLING AT EACH OTHER LIKE WILD DOGS,” Papyrus proclaimed proudly, holding the bowl of ketchuped noodles high, “THEN THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!”

Nyeh heh heh! The best thing was to combine things into newer things, obviously!

“According to my manga, that’s called spaghetti,” Alphys said, nose stuck in one of her cartoon books. 

“oh.”

“NO NEED TO THANK ME, FRIENDS!” he said happily, and grabbed up his fork. “ALLOW ME TO BE THE FIRST TASTER OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP DINNER KNOWN AS THIS, ‘SPAGHETTI’!” He really was such a great friend, and Papyrus gleefully stuck his fork in their dinner, twirling up a strand and sticking it into his mouth.

...

The taste was...

Was...

Papyrus could hear Sans’ voice, but it sounded very faint and far off. In fact, he could hardly see or hear or feel anything at all, because everything was faded and far away. It was just him.

And the spaghetti. 

For all time. 

Just the two of them.

Because in all his long nine years old life, he had never tasted anything like...like...

This.

“paps? uh...paps? bro?”

“Is it really good?” he dimly heard Alphys say, as everything started slowly coming back into focus. “If something tastes super good, a character can go into shock.” There was the sound of rustling, the turning of pages, as the lizard was probably showing Sans another page of her human cartoon picture book. 

“so...they’ve really fried his noodles,” Sans said, and with the power of hating Sans’ puns filling him with determination, Papyrus was finally able to wrench himself away from the all-powerful sway of the food he was still holding.

And that he was never, ever, letting go again.

“yo, paps,” his brother said, as he inhaled very, very deeply, “you okay buddy? you got kinda - ”

“DAAAAAAD!” Papyrus screamed as he raced out of the playroom at full speed, ignoring the cry of “My noodles!” behind as he ran, arms and the bowl of spaghetti stretched out in front of him. “DAD, DAD, DAAAAAAD!”

“Papyrus!” Dad cried out, stumbling out of the kitchen with flour all over his black body. “Papyrus, what on earth is wrong?”

“DAD,” he said, and didn’t even feel out of breath as he stood as far up on tippie toes as he could. “EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS WRONG.”

“What do - ”

“ALL THESE YEARS, DAD,” he cried, shoving the bowl into Dad’s face as Alphys and Sans ran up behind him. “ALL THESE YEARS I COULD HAVE BEEN EATING SPAGHETTI - WASTED!”

“I don’t - ” Dad said, because he clearly wasn’t getting what a reva...a revo...how amazing this was!

“I HAVE TO CATCH UP TO - NO, SANS!” His brother shut his mouth before he could make a pun, and Papyrus raced into the kitchen, still holding the bowl of spaghetti in front of him. Because this was the bestest, most amazing invention of all time, and it was up to him, the Great Papyrus, to share this new wealth with all! “I NEED TO EAT THIS EVERYDAY, DAD! WE NEED MORE PASTA! WE NEED MORE KETCHUP. WE NEED, MORE, SPAGHETTI!”

“Uh, son - ” 

“NOTHING ELSE! NOTHING BUT SPAGHETTI, ALL DAY EVERYDAY!”

“Papyrus - ”

“I WILL MAKE THIS EVERYDAY, AND BECOME THE BEST SPAGHETTI-MAKER EVER, AND NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO RESIST THE POWER OF MY FRIENDSHIP EVER AGAIN! NYEH HEH HEH HEEEEEEEH!”

“...Sans, Alphys. What, happened?”

“...”

“...”

“...He made, spaghetti?”

Yes...yes he had.

And he had forever changed the meaning of friendship because of it!

Chapter Text

There had been signs, slight inconsistencies in Sans’ otherwise regular behavior, but each and every time he had given his son the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t so strange, after all, for a young child to act out.  

Suffice it to say, he well and truly did not notice anything at all.

At least...

Not until the argument.

“SANS, I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY AT ALL.”

It was Papyrus’ voice, coming from the boys’ shared room, and Gaster stilled in the hallway. His youngest son, despite his brash and loud personality, rarely became annoyed or angered in any serious sense. Even when expressing his displeasure with Sans’ joking around, it was always done with the air of an exasperated brother, well used to his sibling’s antics but needing to complain about it anyways.

This sounded...different. Serious.

“bro, please, just listen to me on this, okay?”

Sans now, and if he’d thought Papyrus’ voice sounded off, that sounded nothing like the casual and laid-back rhythm of Sans’ usual timbre of voice. There was tension in it, despite the light-heartedness of the request, as if Sans was doing his best to appear nonchalant about whatever it was he was asking Papyrus to do. 

He wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

“BUT WHY, BROTHER?”

And if he’d had any doubt before, there was none now - there was vexation. And anger.

“YOU HAVEN’T EVEN TOLD ME WHY, SANS. WHY OUR FRIEND?”

“i told you, you just can’t anymore. alright?”

“NOT ALRIGHT! YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE!”

“papy, please - “

“YOU CAN’T JUST BOSS ME AROUND SANS!”

“paps - “

“YOU’RE NOT DAD, YOU CAN’T - “

“Papyrus!”

The flash of blue underneath the closed door had Gaster moving even before he realized he was bursting into his sons’ bedroom.

Papyrus and Sans jolted, apparently having forgotten they weren’t alone in the house. They were scant inches away from each other, kneeling on Papyrus’ bed, and both of their faces were frozen in shock and surprise. Sans’ blue eye quivered violently in his left eye socket. 

“Boys,” Gaster said, then stopped, because what could he say? He had no idea what had brought this argument on, or what it could even be about. 

But that was parenthood, wasn’t it? He had to be a father, even when he had no idea how to be one.

“Boys,” he finally repeated after a long moment, long enough for Papyrus to have turned his back on Sans and crossed his arms sullenly over his chest, and for Sans to look as if he’d bet everything on a gamble and lost. “What on earth is going on here?”

For a moment he didn’t think any skeleton would say anything at all. But after a second - “NOTHING, DAD,” Papyrus ground out, still glaring daggers at the wall, “SANS IS JUST BEING A...A...A BIG NUMBSKULL!”

Sans didn’t even react to the insult - he only stared at Papyrus’ back, eye-sockets devoid of light and no hint of a smile on his face. It was an expression that Gaster knew meant only a deep sadness, and that made this entire situation more depressing. The two skeletons hardly, if ever, fought with one another - not seriously. Papyrus was too kind, and Sans rarely bothered expending that sort of energy. 

For the two of them to have reached this point...it was serious.

“Sans?” 

The young skeleton had finally looked away from his brother, but his gaze was trained on the bedsheets underneath him. “i...i just,” he said - quietly, hardly above a rough whisper - “i just wanted to...look out for you...”

“WHY?” Papyrus hissed, glaring over one shoulder at the down-trodden skeleton. Gaster winced along with Sans, knowing that the eldest wouldn’t take that well - but before he could intervene, Papyrus seemed to immediately deflate at the sight of his brother. His tense shoulders and arms dropped, and his seething glare was smoothed over into a concerned glance. Papyrus hesitated, before turning around and scooting closer to Sans, who jolted upright, as if amazed his brother was willingly approaching him again.

How could he be? Did he truly think Papyrus would never forgive him for...for whatever it was, that he had wanted his brother to do?

“BROTHER,” Papyrus began, hesitated - then abruptly grabbed Sans into a hug, one that Sans seemed to instinctively return. “BROTHER, I’M WORRIED ABOUT YOU.” 

He was?

“YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ACTING LIKE YOURSELF.”

He hadn’t?

“AND...AND I WANT TO HELP YOU. BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHY. YOU CAN’T JUST...YOU CAN’T TELL ME TO BE A BAD FRIEND WITHOUT GIVING ME A REASON.”

Sans’ face was indiscernible, though at least the pinpricks of lights in his eyes had returned. He stared at Papyrus’ face for a long moment, before his face ducked down to his chest...and returned back up.

And he smiled.

“you’re...you’re right paps. sorry, i was being a real bonehead there, wasn’t i?”

Just like that, the tension in the room seemed to dispel. Papyrus inhaled deeply, seemingly fighting against his innate urge to rail against Sans’ puns in favor of keeping the newfound peace. “WELL...THAT’S ALRIGHT BROTHER! NOT ALL MONSTERS CAN BE AS AMAZING AS I AM WHEN IT COMES TO FRIENDSHIP! NYEH HEH HEH!”

“heh heh, yeah,” Sans agreed, and his eyes never left Papyrus’ face. “you’re so cool, bro.”

“BUT OF COURSE! NOW, TELL ME WHY YOU MADE SUCH A STRANGE AND NON-FRIENDLY REQUEST, BROTHER!”

“uh...it,” Sans hesitated, the lights of his eyes shrinking down for a moment, but at Papyrus’ narrowed eyes he quickly clarified, “i was just...just, really jealous! because you’re so cool pap, i was just...she likes you so much ‘cause you’re a great friend, and i got...i was scared you wouldn’t like me anymore.”

“OH, SANS,” Papyrus cried, and now there were the beginnings of tears in his eyes as he hugged Sans again. They didn’t let go, this time. “YOU’RE SUCH A NUMBSKULL. I WOULD NEVER REPLACE YOU! YOU’RE MY BESTEST FRIEND AND BESTEST BROTHER, IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!”

“heh, yeah, i’m a real numbskull. i’m really sorry, paps.”

“ALREADY FORGIVEN, BROTHER!”

The brothers were already holding each other, but they squeezed each other tight, voices once again boisterous and energetic, and Gaster felt a shiver run up his spine, as if he had just missed something very important.

“I’m glad you boys worked it out,” Gaster eventually complimented, and enveloped the both of them in a goopy hug. Papyrus squealed and laughed, having apparently forgotten about his presence, while Sans chuckled. “And now it’s time to get ready for bed. I need to go to work early tomorrow, so you two will be at the daycare earlier as well.”

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS - WILL BRUSH MY TEETH FIRST! NYEH!” Papyrus shot off towards the bathroom, closing it with finality despite Sans having made no move to race him to it. Silence descended over the room then, and even though the brothers had resolved their situation nicely, the eerie feeling continued to lurk with Gaster.

‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT YOU...YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ACTING LIKE YOURSELF.’

“Sans?” he questioned softly, and sat down on the bed beside his eldest. Sans was staring down at the bedsheets again, and he couldn’t see the skeleton monster’s face. “Sans, is there...anything you want to talk about?”

The skeleton looked up at him, and for a moment - for a moment, there was something there, as Sans’ head tilt back - 

And then it was gone. Sans sighed, shook his head once, before he looked back up towards him.

And smiled.

“nah,” he said. “i’m good.”

Sans was not good.

Now that Papyrus had called attention to it, Gaster saw it everywhere, and felt the first flickering of shame that he could have possibly not noticed it before.

No longer did Sans excitedly relay the various going-ons of his day alongside Papyrus as the three of them walked back to their apartment. The younger skeleton’s voice alone filled Gaster in on whatever fun thing he and Sans and their human friend had been up to that day, what they had eaten for lunch, or what fun puzzles they had solved. Sans made odd comments here and there, threw out a few puns to rile Papyrus up, but for the most part simply trudged along as Gaster carried Papyrus, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie and his head bent towards the ground.

Neither did Sans seem to participate much in activities at the daycare. Gone were the days he’d pick his sons up at the building, finding them constructing an elaborate building project or putting together a jigsaw puzzle of some scenery. More often than not, Gaster would find Sans near Papyrus, but not actually participating in whatever his brother or the human child was working on. He’d simply stare at the current activity with a vacant expression, offset by the wide grin on his face. 

He talked less at the dinner table. He retreated to the bedroom earlier. He lazed around the house on the weekend. His books - expensive, grownup books on science and physics and Soul research that he had bought Sans one birthday after his son had stopped doing the crosswords and started reading through his classified research notes - lay untouched in a corner of the boys’ bedroom, no longer opened on a daily basis. 

It was as obvious as it was inconceivable, that he had failed so drastically to notice the change in his son.

And the situations became reversed. Whereas Gaster now realized how differently Sans was acting, Papyrus seemed to have cleared himself of doubts after their big argument. Sans was clearly putting up enough of a front around his brother to assuage him of worry, and Papyrus seemed to chalk every inconsistency to Sans being lazier than a normal.

Sans, he noticed, did nothing to dissuade these assumptions. 

He tried. He did try. He tried to reach his son, to find the source of the anomaly. 

“Sans, what’s the matter?”

“Sans, sometimes it’s best to talk about your troubles with someone.”

“Sans, have I ever shown you your baby bones photos? You look so cute in them!”

“Sans...you know you can talk to me about anything.”

“Sans, I love you. You know that, right?”

“Sans?”

“Sans.”

“Sans.”

And the worst part? The worst part was not the puns or the jokes, not the shrugging or the noncommittal assurances that nothing was wrong.

The worst part was the damn smile.

Sans was always, always, smiling. As if his face had been permanently affixed with a smile. Even as his eye sockets went dark, even as he turned his head downwards...even as that smile tightened and became strained and stretched and seemed mere seconds to finally leaving his face -

It refused.

“heh. why the long face?”

“i don’t have a bone to pick with you.”

"yup."

“i’m good.”

“okay dad.”

“okay.”

“okay.”

He spoke with Deborah what felt like a hundred more times, near interrogated her and the staff at the daycare. All of them balked. None of them knew what could possibly be wrong with Sans. Deborah and one of the assistants claimed they had noticed changes in Sans’ behavior over the months, but neither could provide an explanation. Perhaps there was something going on elsewhere in his life?

There wasn’t. It was the daycare, he knew that. He knew it, had known it all those months ago, but had simply chalked it up to a simple child’s curiosity. A young monster’s crush. A disagreement with his brother. 

But now, all the signs blared directly in his face, mocking him and playing on repeat so that he could never forget what a failure of a father he was. 

What did he do? The only daycare even remotely nearby was all the way on the other side of the city - an hour drive in and of itself during traffic hours, even if he’d had a vehicle. They could move apartments to be closer to it, but that would mean rushing to opposite sides of the city for work and daycare. 

And there was no guarantee that Sans would not have the same problems at another Human daycare - whatever problems he had that so deeply plagued his son.

He had uprooted everything - everything - for this job. His life, his sons’ lives, his savings. All his hopes and dreams for the future of his children, the future of Monsterkind, rested on his research impacting Human society. He had been given a chance that no other Monster in the history of their kind had been given. 

And it was slowly killing his son.

What did he do.

He did what any sane parent would do.

Ebott Town had been, apparently, named after the mountain that stood guard over the small town, several thousands years ago. It is said that Mt. Ebott is where Monsters and Humans had first come into contact with one another, and where the first human death at the hands of a monster had occurred. 

Now, Monsters were all over the globe, but in very small packets, mostly removed from major Human cities. Ebott Town was one of those small packets, even smaller than most others - many Monsters had left the area after the disaster so long ago, leaving only a relative handful to continue living in the area. 

It was a relatively quiet town - wholesome, with its parlors and cafes and candy shops - with a mixture of self-sufficiency and minor trading with nearby towns. It had nothing noteworthy to show for it other than its dark history. It was partly the reason why the town was so reclusive, so far removed from Human society - because most were eager to remember history from their own textbooks, and forget the actual soil that had been fed blood. Best to simply read about the history of the town, than be forever associated with it by way of real estate. 

And it was that reclusiveness that made Ebott Town a sanctuary for Monsters who wished to become permanently removed from Humanity. Ebott Town truly was one of those ‘final destination’ towns, a place for Monsters to live out the remainder of their days without fear of Humans.

In short? It was the perfect place for desperate Monsters, looking for a cheap place to live away from Humans.

Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Gaster had done his research. While outside dangers rarely, if ever, made their way into the town itself, there were neighboring settlements and towns some miles off. Not all Monsters ones, either. And worse, they were notoriously violent with one another. The border towns, they were called, the ones that neatly marked the separation of Humans and Monsters in this region. No few news articles talked about the violence between Monsters and Humans in the area that seemed to be almost constantly brewing. The sheer number of Monsters in comaprison to Humans in those border towns kept things at a relative stalemate, but also kept things in its turbulent status quo, both sides either too stubborn or too prideful to find a single solution to the ongoing conflict. Or call a truce.

The towns acted as something like a border - thus their names - which in reality, gave Ebott Town a buffer against the violence. As such, Monsters displaced by the violence tended to find their way to Ebott Town first and foremost, while displaced Humans headed in the opposite direction. 

No, it wasn’t perfect, and if he’d had the means, he would have moved his family somewhere with absolutely zero chance of harmful intent. 

Their home - if it could be called a home, it was more or less a shack - was, in truth, of lower quality than what he’d truly been able to afford, but he’d wanted to leave some money in savings. There wasn’t too much left after moving halfway around the world and terminating his contract at the research institute early. Papyrus, in particular, had been upset at the abrupt decision, had cried for three days straight, while Sans had - 

Hadn’t reacted much at all except to throw out a joke about cows on moooooving day, and that had scared Gaster more than anything. 

But he’d made the most of it, and Sans, at least, had made the effort to keep Papyrus happy, as he’d always done. The youngest skeleton had wanted to return to the daycare one last time, to say goodbye to his friend, and Gaster had honestly wanted to allow it. But in the end, he’d made an excuse, convinced himself that he saw some of the tension leave Sans’ frame, and had dealt with Papyrus’ sulking as best as possible.

And now they were here. It wasn’t glamorous, it wasn’t even comfortable. But the towns’ monsters were kind and generous, and more than willing to welcome the new family of skeletons into their midst. 

Which, in the end, didn’t mean much if he could not provide for his sons. There were no research centers in this small town, no bustling metropolis nearby to commute to. Immediately after making the decision to move, Gaster had already committed himself to finding a low income, probably degrading job for a monster with his various degrees and scientific expertise. Selling burgers or peddling watches on the sidewalk, or...or however monsters made money in a town like Ebott. It had been a sobering, and frankly depressing, thought.

Until he’d reminded himself why they were moving. 

And so, here they were. Getting to know the small town while Gaster simultaneously asked around for job openings. The excitement of the new had turned Papyrus’ sulking back into Papyrus’ energetic wonder at everything, and Sans willingly followed along after his brother, providing supportive comments and the various aggravating pun every so often. 

“Mmm, like, sorry bro,” the blue rabbit said, scratching the back of his head as he looked over Gaster’s...resume. Soul research was everything he knew, and any other skills he had tended to fall into the mundane, to say the least. “Don’t think the coffee shop is hiring right now. Like, bummer dude.”

“I see,” Gaster said, resisting the urge to sigh, and silently reminded himself to take the “makes good coffee” skill off his resume at the first possible opportunity. “That is unfortunate...thank you for your assistance.”

“No problem, bro!”

The blue bunny walked away, and this time Gaster did sigh, feeling his body melt downwards a bit. Things were...not going so well.

...No. It was only the second day. He was a father. He had sons that depended on him.

He just had to remain determined. 

“Sans, Papyrus,” he called out, pulling his children away from the monster candy shop window their faces had been pressed against, peering inside to the colorfully wrapped goodies. “Let us continue this way.”

It was a small town, and that was the problem. There were hardly no, if any, open positions in the mostly privately owned businesses, run by their owners. Any newcomers to the town often had the means to provide for themselves, either in retirement or by self-sustaining their livelihood, or could afford to move on from the town after putting their shattered lives back together. Gaster had nothing of the sort, only the will and determination to make things right for his children. To fix what had been broken, despite the delay in seeing the damage. 

Better late than never, and Gaster ignored the voice in his head that cried out, too late, too late, too late.

It was getting late, and even Papyrus had stopped running up to every window to inspect the goods inside. The young skeleton snoozed across his back while Sans followed obediently alongside him, one hand grasped in his own as they made their way across the town, taking the dusty dirt path at a slow pace.

“dad, i’m getting bone tired, here,” Sans chuckled, but Gaster could see the weariness in his son’s eyes. They had been walking around all day, with only a quick bite at one of the local sandwich shops. It had been tiresome even for a full grown monster, much less a young child with energy that flickered in and out like a spent candle. 

“I know, son,” Gaster soothed, and squeezed Sans’ hand in his, hoping to convey his appreciation of the skeleton’s patience and cooperation. “We’ll be home soon.”

“okay.”

He was beginning to hate that word.

But then a sound, a new sound he’d yet to hear in this town, suddenly caught on the wind, coming straight from the direction they were headed. Sans heard it too, and Gaster felt the way his son’s hand stiffened in his, the way Sans’ footsteps suddenly became more leadened. 

They kept walking. And there, on a yard outside of a small hut near the side of the dusty road -

Children.

Monster children.

Gaster hadn’t seen one child in the town, as of yet, had simply figured Ebott Town to be the place for retired Monsters, or refugees from the border towns. Most of the Monsters in the town were elderly, or at least up in their years. Some of the younger adults were from the border towns, displaced from the fighting and waiting to reunite with their families. And now, finally, here was an entire gaggle of monster children, running around the yard, seemingly engaged in a game of chase. 

They were all different types of Monsters, Gaster was quick to note. A spider monster, a fire elemental, two cats and two fishes. An alligator. There was even a ghost laying on the grass, headphones resting atop his transparent head. None of them resembled each other - or the elderly tortoise monster residing in a rocking chair on the porch.

Sans was quiet next to him, but he had relaxed slightly at the sight of the children - all of them Monsters. In contrast, the sound of laughter had woken up Papyrus, who yawned and squirmed around a bit, before his eyes settled on the playing children.

“N - NYEH?!”

The loud exclamation brought everything to a screeching halt. 

Gaster was fairly certain he and his family resembled a Gyftrot caught in mushroom lights as all the playing children and the old tortoise monster stared at them. Even the ghost child floated upright, sliding his headphones down his transparent head. For a moment, no one said anything.

Until the old tortoise broke the silence.

“Wah ha ha! What’s this?”

Whatever spell had been woven was broken - as one, the children suddenly rushed forwards, though they didn’t go beyond the fencing. Except for one - one of the fish children leapt right over it, ignoring the tortoise monster’s wheezing yell to “stop going outside the fence ‘ya little squirt wah ha!” and walking straight up to them. She had an upturned eyepatch over her left eye, and her curly red hair was tied up in a ponytail, save for a bunch that fell to the side of her face. She looked rather cute in a pull over hoodie and skirt combination, and there was no fear in her eyes as she stopped right next to him, hands planted firmly on her hips as she looked him up and down.

Gaster didn’t know what to do. Other children were...this was pivotal to Sans and Papyrus’ futures, they needed interaction with others their age. And poor Papyrus, so eager to make friends and so heartbroken when they didn’t respond in kind...how could he make this introduction a favorable one?

He didn’t get a chance to.

“Hey mister, where’s the rest of ‘ya?”

Sans’ reaction was immediate, a choked sound that could only mean he’d been startled into laughter and was doing his best to hold it in. Papyrus was staring down at the fish girl with wide eyes, an expression that Gaster was vaguely aware he was imitating. “I, don’t know what - “

“Where’s your arms and legs? Are you a ghost like Napsta?”

“oh...” came a voice drifting from the crowd of monster children huddled against the fence, watching the exchange unfold. It was the ghost child, hovering near the flame elemental. “that would be nice...but not for you....”

“HE’S NOT A GHOST!” Papyrus abruptly chimed in, sleepiness all but forgotten as he jumped down from his back. “DAD IS A SUPER COOL SKELETON, LIKE ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“Great Papyrus?” the fish monster asked incredulously, hands still planted on her hips. “What’s so great about you?”

Gaster -

froze.

“NYEH? UHM...“ Papyrus hesitated, seeming to deflate at the question. But he didn’t give up, perking up a moment later in inspiration. “OH! WATCH THIS!”

Self expression was something Monsters knew from birth, but it developed in stages and varying intensity as they grew older. As such, the exertion on Papyrus’ face wasn’t exaggerated as the skeleton child huffed, and puffed, before throwing his arms into the air with a resounding “NYEH!”

A single bone shot upwards from the ground in front of the girl, who flinched in surprise - only to cross her arms a moment later.

“Pfft! You think that’s cool?” she scoffed, and Gaster felt his Soul tremble at the confused and hesitant look on Papyrus’ face. There was a faint blue glow from his left that Gaster had come to instinctively recognize as Sans’ eye flaring up, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except think of all the ways he had failed and wondering if he could possibly even afford to relocate his family once more.

But before he could sweep Papyrus into his arms and hurry his sons away from hurtful children, the fish girl suddenly leap forward and - grabbed Papyrus’ hand, tugging his shocked son back towards the fence. “Here - check this out! Ngaaaaaah!” she cried, shooting her hands out in front of her, and three, magical blue spears materialized from nowhere, impaling themselves on the white fence. The other children exclaimed and scuttled backwards away from the impact, and the old tortoise was off again about “you young brats!”

Papyrus...

Papyrus was looking at the fish girl as if he’d never seen another Monster before. 

“W-WOWIE!” he squealed, and there might have been literal stars in his eyes for all the difference it made in his expression. “THAT WAS SO COOL! NYEH HEH HEH!”

The fish girl was huffing a bit, but at Papyrus’ praise she grinned widely, chest puffing outwards. “Yeah, I’m real strong,” she claimed - with some amount of truth most likely, considering how the other children gave her self expressions a wide berth. “Sometimes, I can even make a spear this big!” She stretched her arms as wide as they could go to add visuals to her statement, and Papyrus’ eyes widened accordingly.

“WOWIE WOW!” he repeated, “I WISH I WAS THAT COOL...”

Things were...progressing a bit too fast for Gaster’s tired mind to fully follow, but the kids had no such trouble. “I’ll teach you!” the fish monster stated, and grabbed Papyrus’ hand once again, dragging the willing skeleton to the gate that allowed access into the old tortoise’s yard. “We can train together every day, you’ll be totes cool in no time!”

“D-DO YOU REALLY THINK SO?”

“Yeah!” she said confidently, but then leaned in close to Papyrus, eyes narrowed intimidatingly. “But you can’t be a big baby, got it? No quitting!”

“I’M NOT A BABY!” Papyrus declared, hands clenched in front of his face in determination. “I WANT TO TRAIN! I WANT TO BE COOL!”

“Okay!” the fish monster cried, pumping her own fists into the air. “First lesson - you need a loud and scary war cry! Like this - ngaaaah!”

“N-NYEH, HEH!”

“Louder!”

“NYEH HEH HEH!”

“Louder!”

“NYEH HEH HEH HEEEEEH!”

By this point, the other kids had wandered away from the fence to return to their playing. Sans was still at his side, seemingly as shocked at this sudden turn of events as he himself was. But as Gaster watched Papyrus and the fish girl practice their war cries, he felt the grip around his Soul loosen somewhat. 

“Why don’t you join your brother and his new friend, Sans?” Gaster requested, though he would have understood if his son preferred staying at his side. 

“okay,” Sans said, hands shoved into his pockets as he trudged past the gate and towards Papyrus. The monster kids once again swarmed, seemingly more intrigued with the quiet Sans than they were the skeleton the fish girl had taken an immediate liking to, and Gaster watched quietly for a moment before finally making his way to the old tortoise, who’d been watching everything with a crooked grin.

“Wah ha ha,” the elder monster croaked, fully relaxed in his rocking chair as Gaster approached. His right eye appeared to be fully squinted closed, but the other one was open and bright. “Well well! That’s one way to make a new friend, eh?”

“Indeed,” he said agreeably, ignoring the litany of “NYEH HEH HEH!”s and “ngaaaaaah!”s from the yard as he came to stand beside the tortoise. “I’m sorry we intruded upon your lawn, but - “

“Bah,” the old tortoise didn’t let him finish, waving a wrinkled claw through the air, “kids go where they want. Not hurting nobody. The name’s Gerson.”

“Wingdings Gaster,” he introduced, “and my sons, Sans and Papyrus.”

“Wah ha ha, I’d name all the kids for you, but you’re gonna be learnin’ them yourself anyways.”

“I will?” Gaster questioned, surprised.

“Course you will,” the tortoise said, seemingly equally surprised. “Your boys’ll be coming here a lot to play with the others, won’t they?”

He said it so confidently, so matter-of-fact, as if there was absolutely no reason for his sons not to want to hang around other children. “I...I suppose so.” Gaster murmured, watching as the fish girl suplexed a boulder while Papyrus gaped. 

Monster children, he reminded himself. These were Monster children, not Humans. 

“Yes,” he repeated, more confidently this time. “Yes, they will.”

“Wah ha ha, s’what I thought,” Gerson said slyly, rubbing his modest beard with one claw. “Hope your boys don’t get too attached to Shyren, though, she won’t be here for long.”

That brought Gaster up short. “I beg your pardon?”

Gerson raised a claw in answer, pointing out onto the lawn towards a fish monster child. Not the one currently attempting to get Papyrus to suplex his own boulder, but the other one, a quiet looking, small monster that was lingering near the ghost child. She had a bed of hair that fell into her face, as if she were trying to hide herself, but she and the ghost seemed to be conversing - or whistling, or humming. One of the three.

“Shyren,” Gerson extrapolated, as if that would explain everything. “Her sister’ll be here in a few days to pick her up.”

That did not explain everything. “Her sister?” Gaster asked, hands folded behind his back. “She’s...not yours?”

The old tortoise guffawed - loudly and brightly. His laugh reminded Gaster of Deborah. “Mine!” Gerson crowed, “no, not mine. Least, not my own brood. None of them are. They’re from the borders towns.”

Ah...the border towns. 

Suddenly things made sense, in an entirely sobering way.

They were orphans, most likely displaced by the fighting that went on in the bordering settlements that separated Humans and Monsters in this area. No wonder none of them were the same type of Monster. Gaster could only imagine how they had come to end up here in Ebott Town - a family attempting to get through to the Monster towns and becoming separated from their parents, splitting up into smaller groups for safer passage...parents lost in the violence that left innocent children alone and confused. 

“Yessir,” Gerson said, and the old tortoise wasn’t smiling anymore. “Most of ‘em end up here, ‘cause of this little orphan house I run - seems I’ve gotten a bit of a reputation, wah ha.” The old tortoise smiled again, though his grin felt a bit forced. “Every so often, someone’ll come through looking for their kid, or sibling, but mostly...they just stay here. Shyren’s a lucky one - got lost while she and her sister were traveling to Escore, but her sis got word of my kid collection and called looking for her.”

Gaster got the feeling that reunions such as the impeding one weren’t very common.

“So you provide for...all of them?” he questioned, glancing at the hut they were in front of. It looked to only be one room, much like the shack he himself had purchased on the edge of the town. And a small room, at that. How was one elderly tortoise paying and providing for so many children?

“That’s right. It’s a tight squeeze, but we get by,” Gerson confirmed, having seemingly guessed his thoughts. “Kind of sad, I can only feed ‘em and let ‘em play out in the yard - but better than scroungin’ around the border towns, wah ha ha!”

That was certainly one way of putting it. 

“And you, Wingdings? What’re you up to in these parts, eh?”

“I?” Gaster hesitated, feeling reluctant to reveal he had moved to Ebott Town with nothing except his determination to make a better life for his sons, especially Sans. That he had no job, had no plan, and had no idea how to be a good father. “I’m...well, I’m currently in the middle of...ah...”

“No job, eh?” Gerson said, striking straight into the heart of the matter as he seemed to have the uncanny ability to do.

Gaster swallowed, back ramrod straight as he gazed out at the laughing children. “Unfortunately no. Not yet.”

The old tortoise grunted, and Gaster was grateful for the reprieve as they watched the children play. Sans seemed to have hit things off with the fire elemental child, and was currently ripping open a small red packet the other monster had handed him. It took Gaster a moment to identify it as a ketchup packet. 

“Savings?” 

Gerson was asking rather personal and invasive questions, but Gaster didn’t believe he meant anything by them. The old tortoise’s tone had taken on a distinct shift, no longer making small talk, but attempting to discern...something.

“...A fair sum,” he answered vaguely. Not a lot, but at least enough to keep his family fed and sheltered for a few months before he had to start thinking of drastic measures.

“Wah.”

Gaster didn’t know what Gerson meant by that, but he needn’t have wondered anyways as the tortoise abruptly slid out of his rocking chair, stretching out his back to a cacophony of bone cracks and pops.

“Well sonny. I think I’ve got a little idea,” the old monster said, and Gaster frowned lightly, completely out of sync with the tortoise’s line of thinking. “Kiddies!” Gerson called out, and all the little monster children stopped what they were doing, “you behave for Bun Bun, ‘ya hear?”

A chorus of “okay!”s and “cinnabun!”s filled the air, and Gerson waddled inside of his hut, leaving Gaster confused and at a loss. The old tortoise returned a moment later, holding an ancient looking telephone in his hands. “Wah ha ha, hello?” he said into the receiver, and shook the phone around a bit, “hello? I need you to watch the squirts for ‘jes an hour or two, eh?”

“...Well,” Gaster said, believing that maybe this was a signal to take his sons home for the evening. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Gerson. We should be on our way.”

The elderly tortoise didn’t stop listening into his phone, but his left eye darted over to Gaster, and if he hadn’t known any better, he might have been fooled into believing that suddenly piercing stare an expression of the old monster’s Soul.

“I don’t think so, Gaster. You’re comin’ with me! I’ve got somethin’ to show you.”

Chapter Text

Today was the day. 

Alphys was sure of it. All she had to do was remain strong. Be confident! Just calmly explain everything, and everything would be fine.

...Maybe.

“Oh,” she moaned, clutching the manga to her chest. She flopped onto her side on the bed, jostling the various video tapes and books and manga and figures that were scattered all over the bed, and lay there for a while, struggling not to simply slide under the covers and hide for the rest of the evening.

Because it was her turn to pick a movie to watch tonight. They had movie night maybe once a week, sometimes more sometimes less, and they all took turns picking out something for everyone to watch. Whether they picked from one of the video tapes they had, or watched something live on tv, it didn’t matter. Last week Toriel had picked a movie about snails and their effect on wild plants. The week before, Asgore had decided on a newly found movie, about two child snake monsters finding love in the middle of school (even though he hadn’t seemed to pay much attention to the move he’d picked out).

And before that? Papyrus had made them watch MTT’s cooking show for an entire hour, and had never even noticed being the only one awake for the last thirty minutes of it.

And now it was her turn, and the thought made her tremble in fear.

Because...because...

Because Undyne expected her to choose one of her animes, and every single time she was filled with so much guilt. And anxiety, oh the anxiety. Enough to make her want to crawl into a trash can, sometimes.

Because she was trash. 

Alphys glanced out the window again, at Asgore angrily pulling a sleeping Sans out of his golden flowers and Toriel building a dirt castle with Papyrus - and Undyne roaring and punching the small tree. 

The coast was clear.

With one last look around, she sat down in front of the static tv and pushed the video tape into the player. There was a little flickering, but soon the static turned into a picture - a dearly familiar pink-haired girl.

“With the power of love,” Alphys whispered alongside the character, “I, Mew Mew, will save the world!”

It was her favorite anime. Ever since Mr. Gerson had delivered the video tape and a manga with one of his Garbage Dump drop offs, she had been obsessed. Mew Mew Kissy Cutie was just so kawaii, and her love interest was truly the work of the greatest romance writer in the world - Human and Monster alike! The main character was just so compelling, so beautiful but kind and graceful but relatable, that Alphys couldn’t help but daydream and wish she had her own story to join in. 

But -

Anime and manga were so uncool. That’s what all the kids said - especially Bratty and Catty, the first ones she had talked about them with. Only nerds and losers watched that kind of stuff, they said, like, didn’t she know anything? But like, good thing their big sis didn’t watch and read those kind of things, like, totally!

Which had made her feel, like. Totally not cool.

But she was hooked, she couldn’t give Mew Mew Kissy Cutie up now. And so, Alphys made sure to only watch when all the other kids were playing outside. It was always a little scary, because if a kid came through the she only had a few seconds to stop the tape, so she had to listen very carefully and not get so distracted that she wouldn’t hear someone else come in.

Especially Undyne. If Undyne saw her watching this stuff, she’d definitely wonder -

“Woah! Are those Humans?”

“Yeah!” Alphys said passionately, still in awe over that particular scene she had watched over and over again, “and all her friends have just finished transforming, so now she is going to - ” 

Uh...

...

Oh, no.

“U-Undyne!” she cried as she flailed onto her feet, spinning around with her back against the tv. And there, her worst nightmare...was Undyne! Eyes round and shocked as she stared back. “I-I-I, I was just,” Alphys gasped, desperately clawing around for the off button of the tv behind her back, “this isn’t what it - ”

But she wasn’t fast enough - the fish monster stomped towards her, even as Alphys shrunk back against the tv. She just had to turn off the tv and grab the tape and then throw it into Waterfall, it was a sacrifice she’d have to make so that Undyne wouldn’t think she was a total loser - !

Too late.

“Wait, Undyne, s-stop!” she yelped, as the fish girl physically pushed her to one side, and - no, the tape was still playing, there was Mew Mew finishing her transformation sequence and sparkles were everywhere, and Undyne was so close to the tv it was like her eyes were actually pressed to the screen.

Alphys felt like her Soul was breaking into a million pieces. 

She was so close to tears, she could feel them at the corner of her eyes. Because now...now Undyne would know what a big nerd she was, just a sad little lizard who liked anime because she wished she could be an awesome and beautiful hero, but that was impossible because she was the biggest loser kid on the entire planet, and - 

“H...How are they doing that?”

- maybe she could move to Mr. Gerson’s side. At least that way she wouldn’t have to see how much Undyne hated her for being such a huge nerd and -

And...

Uh...

...

Huh?

“W-what?” Alphys sniffed, claws lowering from where they had been held over her eyes. Undyne was still standing way too close to the tv, but her expression was...

It...wasn’t disgusted at all.

She looked...amazed.

“That!” Undyne exclaimed and pointed at the tv, and Alphys jumped at the loud exclamation but followed the other girl’s finger. Mew Mew and friends were facing down the main villain of the arc, and were in the middle of a battle. It was one of her favorite scenes - there were just so many hidden messages about friendship and love in the way Mew Mew desperately shot rainbows out of her flower sword at the bad guy. 

“That’s...” 

Un...Undyne?...

“That’s, so...cool.”

Something squeaked, and it took Alphys a moment to realize that it had been her. 

Undyne...liked anime?...

“You,” she questioned, very, very softly, just in case Undyne suddenly decided no, it wasn’t cool, and she needed to make a break for Mr. Gerson’s side of the house. “You really...like, it? I didn’t think...y-you’d like this kind of stuff...”

“For reals?!” Undyne yelled, and Alphys flinched back - but the fish monster only pumped her fists into the air, suddenly looking way more energized and excited than she had been a moment ago. “This is amazing! The best! I never knew Humans could FIGHT like this!”

“T-That’s...that’s great, Undyne!” She couldn’t believe it. All this time, she’d been worried...for no reason! Undyne loved anime! She really, really loved -

...Uh, what?

Oh! Undyne thought Humans really did stuff like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie did. Silly! “Oh, no Undyne,” she giggled, “it’s anime. It’s not - ”

Alphys squeaked again as Undyne grabbed her shoulders. “Anime? What even is this?” she demanded, leaning in close. “Super top secret Human training tapes? Human Soul expressions? Where did you even get these anime from?”

“U-uh...uh...” she gaped, words refusing to come out. Because Undyne thought...Undyne...

She didn’t realize it was all made up. She thought it was all real. And because she thought it was all real, she...she didn’t realize that anime was just a really nerdy passion of hers, something that only nerds and losers liked and not cool kids who liked to FIGHT and express themselves.

H...How could she explain now? From thinking her life was over, to being so relieved that Undyne liked anime...and now realizing that Undyne didn’t like anime, because anime was fake and Undyne thought it was real. It was too much.

But she’d been quiet for too long, so quiet that even Undyne lost that crazy look in her eye. “Alphys?” she said, her grip turning into a concerned rub against her shoulders as the fish girl pulled back a bit. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

What did she say? 

She couldn’t tell Undyne that anime was fake now, what would the other girl think of her? 

“U-uh...uhm...” she gasped, trying not to start breathing very fast as her eyes looked left and right, trying to come up with a good excuse. “They’re...um, you see - ” Her eyes fell on the bookshelf behind the tv, a row of it filled with all the old video tapes they’d managed to get from the dump. “T-They’re...”

The History of the Noble Froggit, a Featured-Length Documentary.

...

“They’re...h-history tapes.”

In an instant, Undyne had lit back up, her eyes shining. “Really?”

“Y-Yeah,” Alphys said, gaining steam as the fish girl released her. “Humans used to FIGHT like that a long time ago, b-but not so much anymore. But there are still these old tapes.” She glanced at the tv screen, where Mew Mew’s charm was exploding into light that wrapped around her body for her ultimate transformation sequence. “T-Totally accurate history,” she added. 

“Wow...” Undyne whispered, back to staring at the tv screen. Her eyes were so wide, they seemed to reflect everything happening on screen. Ever sparkle, ever shimmer, was reflected back at the tv, and Alphys was missing one of her favorite parts in the whole anime, but she couldn’t look away.

Until the fish monster suddenly looked back at her, red curly hair flying around her face. “Do you have any more?!”

Yes, she tried to say, but the word got stuck in her mouth, so she just nodded very fast instead. 

“Yes!” Undyne jumped up and pumped her fists into the air - before reaching out and picking her up off the floor, leaving her to flail as she was carried above Undyne’s head. “Where?! Under your bed?” She didn’t wait for an answer, only began running towards the stairs. “C’mon! Let’s go watch some more!”

Wuh...

Watch, anime?

With Undyne?

Undyne wanted to...watch some anime with her?...

“O-okay!” Alphys spluttered, even though she didn’t have much say in the matter as she was carried up the stairs. 

But even if she had, she wouldn’t have said anything anyways.

And now, it was her turn to pick again.

And Undyne would be expecting anime. And she loved that Undyne loved anime, it was the greatest thing ever, being able to nerd out with the fish monster!

But...

But each time, it filled Alphys with guilt. Because she was such trash, she’d lied about anime so that Undyne wouldn’t know what a loser she was, and now Undyne thought they were watching super realistic and totally accurate Human history videos. She had turned Undyne into a nerd, and lied about it!

And it was just, so, so...stressful! Worrying that one of the kids might spill the beans and let Undyne know what she was actually watching, and then the other girl would get mad and probably be hurt that she had lied to her and be super upset and and and -

“And s-she’ll never want to talk to me ever again!” Alphys wailed, and this time she didn’t resist the urge to burrow her head underneath her pillow. 

Things were much, much better under here.

Every single time it was her turn to pick, Alphys promised that that day would be the day. The day she’d ‘fess up to Undyne, tell her that anime wasn’t real and she was sorry she had lied, she’d only wanted to seem cool and not a total nerd. It was better than waiting and waiting and waiting until someone else told Undyne, or the fish girl found out herself. That would just be terrible!

But the thought of telling Undyne the truth...it filled her with...

...

“No,” Alphys said suddenly, pulling her head out from under the pillow. Around her, all her figures and videos and manga jostled at the movement. “No, I p-promised myself. Today! Today is the day!” 

No more excuses. No more waiting. She had to come clean sooner or later, and always better sooner!

“Yeah!” she cried, and jumped onto her feet, clenching her claws in front of her and trying to draw on the power and energy Undyne always seemed to have. “I’ll tell Undyne today, for sure! N-ngaaaah!”

“TELL WHO WHAT, ALPHYS?”

“Nga - aaah!” she shrieked, hopping into the air and trying to spin around at the same time. All she accomplished was pinwheeling her arms for a moment (and she probably looked like a kawaii anime character that clumsily bumped into their love interest before being caught around the waist and ending up nose to nose with them, kyaa!).

Ex...cept there was no one around. Aside from the floor. 

If she were an anime character, there would have definitely been spiraling circles where her eyes were right now.

“woah, alphys,” she heard Sans say, and felt careful hands helping her into a sitting position on either side. “you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m okay,” Alphys murmured, carefully poking a spot on her forehead that was a bit tender from the fall - which is how she realized her glasses had fallen of. “Ah! M-my glasses, I lost them!”

“HERE,” Papyrus said, and her vision cleared as her glasses were slipped back onto her face. “YOU NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL, ALPHYS,” he chided, though his voice was gentle and sympathetic. He tended to get a lot of hurts during his training with Undyne. 

“yeah, you should pay bedder attention,” Sans chimed in, hopping up to sit on her bed and ignoring the bug-eyed glare Papyrus was sending his way. 

“BROTHER PLEASE, NOT WHILE OUR FRIEND IS HURT.”

“It’s okay Papyrus,” she said, adjusting her glasses once more, “I-I’m alright. I was just picking out something to watch and I got...uhm. Distracted...”

“we heard,” the older skeleton said, and picked up one of her manga. The cover featured one of Mew Mew’s friends, a character with a very bright red ponytail and a fierce smile. She was the “cool” girl of the group of friends, the one that always charged into battle and never backed down from a challenge. Mew Mew was the best and most awesome of the group of heroes, of course, but she’d always had a soft spot for this character as well.

For...some reason.

Sans seemed to agree at first, pressing the manga to his cheekbone. Until - “watcha gotta tell Undyne, hmm?” The skeleton winked one eye at her, and to Alphys’ horror, began making kissing noises at the manga cover. 

She wanted to hide under the blanket again, but for entirely different reasons now.

“N-no no no!” Alphys denied, claws pressed to her cheeks. They already felt so hot under her touch, and she desperately ducked her head, as if that might hide how red her face was. “I don’t have anything - I was j-just - just picking out a movie! - ”

“WE ARE PREPARED FOR YOUR WORST - AND BY THAT, I MEAN YOUR BEST!” Papyrus informed her, but there was a frown on his face as he pressed one skeletal hand to her hot forehead. That only made her blush harder, as Sans continued to make kissing noises in the background. “ALPHYS, ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY? ARE YOU SICK?” he suddenly gasped out. “STAY HERE, WE WILL GO GET DAD AND MAKE YOU SOME ‘GET BETTER’ SPAGHETTI!”

“No!” she yelped again, because even though the thought of watching anime with Undyne and having to explain that none of it was real and that she had lied filled her with dread, the thought of not watching anime with Undyne when she had the chance to filled her with something that made her chest feel very heavy and gross. “N-no,” Alphys repeated, “I’m okay Papyrus. R-really! I wanna watch this one.” She grabbed a random video off her bed - and also reclaimed her manga back from Sans’, ignoring his grin - and ran out of the room, clutching the tape to her chest like a lifeline. “Let’s uh - let’s go downstairs!”

“NYEH HEH HEH, WAIT FOR US!”

Alphys didn’t wait, using the time alone from upstairs to the living room to catch her breath and feel her face. She still felt hot...because of Sans! Ugh. 

...Well, it was okay. Because she did have something to tell Undyne. Today was going to be the day. She just had to stay determined. 

“Ah Alphys, there you are,” Gaster said as he wafted into the living room, heading over to the sofa with the traditional bowl of popcorn in his hands. Toriel was sitting on one side of it, while Asgore sat on the other. He kept glancing over to the side where Tori was sitting, and his face was also sort of red, but he only played with his cloak. 

Undyne had claimed a spot right in front of the tv.

“Finally!” the fish monster yelled, and smacked the spot next to her several times. “C’mon Al, I saved your spot!”

Ah...she hoped her face wasn’t getting red again. 

“T-thanks Undyne,” she murmured, and ducked her head as the other girl smiled brightly. She was probably just super excited for the anime, was all. Yeah, that was it. 

“Where are Sans and Papyrus?” Gaster questioned, taking a seat on the floor in front of the sofa. 

“HERE WE ARE, DAD!” Papyrus announced, bounding into the living room. Alphys carefully inserted the video tape into the player as Sans followed at a more moderate pace. “SANS ALMOST FELL ASLEEP IN THE GIRL’S ROOM, BUT I KEPT MY LAZYBONES BROTHER AWAKE FOR MOVIE NIGHT!” the youngest skeleton said proudly. 

“i didn’t wanna miss it,” Sans explained, and nudged Papyrus with one elbow, “i bet it’s gonna be anime-zing.” What sounded suspiciously like teeth grinding went mostly ignored as Sans moved over to the sofa. “hey asgore, mind moving over?”

As the tv flickered to life thanks to Undyne’s gentle touch of hitting the top of it a few times, Alphys glanced behind her. Sans was clambering up onto the sofa, on the far side of it that had previously been Asgore’s. “Wuh?” the goat monster said, forcibly moved out of his spot - until he realized who he was being moved closer to, and promptly froze up. “Urk - ”

“thanks pal,” Sans said, and gave Asgore another shove, sliding the frozen goat monster almost directly beside Tori, “this is great.” The motion was kind of hidden behind Gaster’s body, but Sans seemed to give some sort of hand signal to Asgore, causing the goat to clear his throat and smile slightly, before turning back towards the tv. Still as stiff as a board, but...happier. 

Alphys giggled. She shipped it.

“I love this one!” Undyne exclaimed, causing Alphys to jump slightly as the fish monster scoot closer, “everyone shut up!”

Sans only grinned and slumped forward, resting his chin on Gaster’s head as Papyrus cuddled into the adult skeleton’s side. Everyone shut up. 

She’d grabbed the first tape in her reach to get away from Sans’ teasing grin, but the tape she’d pick was actually one of her favorites. It was an episode where the gang went to the beach, a friendship episode where they fought but then made up with snail ice cream and defeated the villain that showed up to crash their beach party with the power of love and friendship. It was a very deep and emotional episode that was a really deep message about the meaning of friendship. 

Undyne liked it because of the fight scene at the end, featuring a giant robot that Mew Mew and the gang took down with flower swords. 

“I never used to think Humans were cool,” the fish girl suddenly said - quietly, which was strange for her, but Alphys thought it was more in respect for the anime they were watching than the others that were watching behind them.

“Whaddya mean?” she questioned, also softly - this was her favorite part of the episode. Snail ice cream!

“I mean I’ve always hated Humans.” Undyne’s feet wiggled from left to right as they watched, as if she was fighting the urge to get up and also start summoning flower swords from nowhere. “All they do is come in, and just...take our stuff and kick us out of our homes,” she continued, and Alphys gaped.

Because Undyne was...being serious.

And sad. Undyne was never sad when watching anime, she was always super pumped up and excited and yelling about how awesome Human expression was. Even though she didn’t like Humans themselves, Undyne had always loved watching them fight anyways. 

She was...not used to sad Undyne. She didn’t like sad Undyne.

“U-Undyne...” Alphys whispered, and didn’t know what to say. Would...would now would be a good time?...

But as suddenly as she had gotten sad, Undyne was suddenly perking back up, and Alphys squeaked as the fish girl threw an arm around her shoulders. “But that was before I knew Humans could fight like this!” she declared, and on the screen, Mew Mew activated her friendship powers with a whirl of sakura petals. 

“Yeah?” she said, claws clutched anxiously in front of her.

Undyne beamed, squeezing her shoulders. “Uh-huh!” she chirped, expression becoming fierce as Mew Mew struck a pose, and the giant robot began to fly down from the sky. “Not only can I train to fight like this too, but I’m learning super ancient Human expressions! I just have to keep training, and then I...” The fish girl trailed off, making a fist with her free hand. “I’ll be able to fight back. I’ll keep all our hopes and dreams alive.”

...Right.

Once again, the guilt threatened to swallow Alphys whole, and she glanced down at her claws, clenched tightly in her lap. Undyne was so, brave and awesome...she was like the anime character that seemed very one-note and shallow on the surface, but underneath of that, she was really the best ever. Noble and selfless - a true heroine, who wanted to become stronger. Who wanted to be the strongest.

Not to be the strongest, but to be the strongest for their sakes.

She couldn’t...she couldn’t keep lying to her. It had been a mistake in the first place, and it was still a mistake.

Alphys hesitantly glanced behind her towards the sofa. Papyrus was still watching, but seemed distracted by Gaster’s attempts to sneakily stick popcorn up his nose holes. Sans had, predictably, fallen asleep. Tori was drifting in and out, head bobbing on Asgore’s shoulder, and the goat was still sitting stiffly and staring straight ahead. 

Not at the tv, just...at the wall. 

Alphys gulped. It probably wouldn’t matter anyways - Undyne would shout and yell and wake everyone up so they could all see what a big loser she was, but...

She had promised herself.

Today was the day.

“Undyne,” she started, and took a deep breath, hands shaking in front of her. “Listen...there’s, something I n-need to tell you. Anime is...” Breathe. “A-anime, it isn’t...”

Isn’t...

She wasn’t even looking at the tv. For for the first time since Alphys could remember, an anime was playing on the tv, and Undyne wasn’t looking at it. She was staring down at her hand, still wound into a tight fist, and Alphys could almost feel the waves of determination coming off of the fish monster. 

A bead of sweat ran down the back of her neck.

“...Hmm?” Undyne hummed, only just seeming to realize she’d been staring at her for like, twenty whole seconds. The fish monster raised an eyebrow, staring right back. “Whassamatter?”

Alphys’ mouth flapped open and closed.

It was only when Undyne leaned in closer, looking confused, did Alphys snap out of it. “N-nothing!” she squeaked, and oh, her face was totally red again, she could feel it. “I was j-just saying that - that this is my favorite part!” 

The robot was currently being blasted out of the sky by a storm of sakura petals.

“Hmm?” Undyne repeated, but at least she leaned away some, staring at the tv again. Alphys let out a breath of air in a rush, feeling like she hadn’t breathed in forever.

“But I thought the snail ice cream part was your fave?”

“That too!” Alphys insisted loudly, and heard Sans’ snort as he was woken out of his nap. “T-that and this part and the car ride over a-and...and I just like all of it, a whole lot!”

She kept her face forward, trying not to sweat anymore than she already was as Undyne moved out of the corner of her eye. Any minute now, she would just go back to watching the anime, it was getting to the big showdown of the fight scene, and Undyne would -

Would smile.

And move closer.

“Me too.”

Her arm was still around her shoulders.

Alphys blinked very quickly, and adjusted her glasses, and fiddled with her clothes. But the arm was still there, and Undyne had gone back to watching the tv, once again focused on the battle in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Undyne watch Mew Mew triumph over the giant robot, the fish girl’s eyes widening like they always did at that part. 

She was happy again.

And, well...

Someday.

Someday, she would definitely, definitely tell Undyne the truth.

But today...

Today was not the day.

Chapter Text

“Ngaaaah!”

“No suplexing the Froggits,” Gaster called out the window absently, over the sound of Toriel’s silent screaming. Gerson was supervising the kids playing out in the garden at the moment, but the old tortoise tended to fan the flames rather than put them out. 

And right on cue - “Wah ha ha! ‘Atta girl!”

“Ngaaaaaaaah!”

“oh...i got in the way of your suplexing...sorry...”

A shriek that sounded like Muffet getting mud over her clothing ripped through the -relatively - peaceful air, and Gaster left them to it, heading off into the kitchen. It was rare when the children could all congregate together on one side of the orphanage. Too little space for all of them together, especially on this side that had the smallest amount of area to work with. Not to mention the strain of getting ten or so small children to sit still long enough to get them where they needed to go, without ghosts sinking through the floor or things being set on fire or anything weighing more than thirty pounds getting suplexed. 

So it was, indeed, a rare treat for all the children to be able to get together and play, all on one side of the house, and Gaster couldn’t help but pause in the doorway of the kitchen, running one hand across the doorframe. He’d only been in charge of this orphanage for a couple of years now, but it felt like a lifetime had passed already. A lifetime of not knowing if he was cut out for this job, but doing it all the same, because he’d already gambled everything on a better future for himself and Monsterkind.

How could he not do the same for his sons?

The "somethin’ to show you" turned out to be a house...at least in the strictest sense of the word.

From the outside, it seemed extravagant to say the least. There were two parts of it embedded at the base of the mountain, according to Gerson. The part facing the town was huge in and of itself, and seemed in mostly good condition from what he could tell. 

The other part - 

The other part was settled into something of an alcove at the base of the mountain. Half of it was under open air, while the other seemed almost underground in a way. The outside still looked in good condition, and it too was large, though smaller than the previous part.

The inside, however...

Parts of it were clean, livable. Almost new looking, as if whoever had owned this house previous had always meant to come back. There was a gracious amount of space at the very front of the house, and in the smaller upstairs. A nice living room and kitchen, what seemed like a recreational room and a sitting area that led out into the lovely gardens, complete with a tall hedge that sealed everything in. And the upstairs - smaller than the rest of the house, as there wasn’t much space for a large upstairs when the house was half stuffed into a mountainside alcove. But considering the size of the home to begin with, it was decent - three small bedrooms, maybe a fourth if the tiny personal gym was cleared out, and a master bedroom. Along with three bathrooms (one on the first, two on the second), a balcony, and a small playroom, and the upstairs wasn’t anything to sneeze at. 

The upstairs and a section of the downstairs were sublime. But the rest of the house...

Put simply, it was disastrous. One section alone was completely unlivable, looking as if a hurricane had blown through. A small section of the roof was missing, and rubble littered the area at odd intervals. It looked like it might have been a large living room at one point (there was a ruined fireplace) but the clutter and debris made it difficult to be sure. 

Three other sections were...well, technically livable, but only in the sense that they might appeal to only specific types of monsters. According to Gerson, the temperature regulating systems of the house, along with parts of the plumbing, had all gone kapoot at some point. Which, in turn, had left some sections of the house with malfunctioning temperatures. Two rooms, a large dining room and a sitting room, were actually cold enough to warrant winter clothing for any Monster not simply passing through, while several rooms away, what seemed like a long hallway and an adjoining recreational room were hot enough to tempt even the most resistant of monsters into sweating like Aaron. 

And in between those two areas was a pool.

Sort of. 

“Previous owner had the piping system connected to a spring in the mountain, wah,” Gerson explained as Gaster looked over the darkened and damp room. The aforementioned pipes up above were, as Gerson had said, continually leaking water down a bookshelf, creating pools of water in certain areas and small streams elsewhere. It looked like it might have been a very large study at some point, but hundreds of years of water decay made it impossible to tell, and there was no electricity in the room, courtesy of the damp conditions. This was definitely an area of the house that was situated into the mountain - there were no windows, and two entire walls plus part of the flooring had peeled apart to reveal solid rock behind and underneath them. The whole area felt more like a cave than a room. 

“At some point someone put in a draining sewer,” he continued, and Gaster followed the path of his pointing claw to where there was, indeed, a grate in place that all the bending paths of water eventually seemed to end up at. “Didn’t do much to help with the decorations though, wah ha ha!”

The “decorations” were glowing mushrooms and Echo flowers, the only sources of light in the entire area.

Mushrooms, and flowers. Growing inside of the home. 

Mushrooms.

“Gerson,” Gaster said slowly, because although he could maybe understand malfunctioning cooling and heating systems, and could perhaps simply seal off the debris cluttered and ruined areas from wandering children, this was just... “This is unlivable.”

“Nonsense!” the old tortoise wheezed, slapping Gaster on the back, “the kids will love having an indoor pool, wah ha ha! Mountain water’s even clean enough to drink!” 

He wasn’t sure he wanted to test that assumption. 

“I just, don’t see how it could work,” Gaster said as they continued wandering deeper into the house, heading to the stairs that led to the basement - and the promised connecting tunnel.

“Simple, Gaster,” Gerson insisted, throwing open the basement door. The simple overhead light was switched on, revealing the basement to be a small space filled with some dusty objects and tools - and another door that led to a surprisingly large room that seemed to have been a workshop area of some kind, at one point or another. And across from that door...

Another door, that opened wide to a long and fairly spacious tunnel. 

“I take most of the kids, live on that side of the house.” A jerk of the tortoise’s head down the tunnel indicated his desire to take the larger and better kept side, “and you take the rest on this side! Split ‘em up, give ‘em more room to run around and live - give these kids a proper home!” The tortoise tugged on his beard, crooked grin wide on his face. “We can have them visit each other sometimes - this tunnel here’s good for somethin’! - I can take care of most the supplies. Might need some help dumpster divin’ for toys and such, but the town’ll take care of most everything we really need.”

“But even if I can provide the remaining funds to buy this place,” Gaster protested, and on this, he seriously doubted the old tortoise. “What further means would we have to continue to provide for them?”

“Bah, you youngins don’t listen for nothin’!” the elderly monster scoffed, leading the way back up the stairs. “Didn’t I say I get a stipend from Ebott? The town may not want to take care of orphaned kiddies themselves, but that doesn’t mean they wanna see ‘em starved either!”

It was how Gerson had been able to maintain the amount of children he’d been caring for all this time, Gaster remembered. 

“And you think I’m lying ‘bout the price, wah ha,” Gerson continued, dusting himself off as they reappeared in the hallway of the home. “I’m telling you, the owner ‘jes wants out. His family’s had this thing for generations - no Human wants to buy it, not with Ebott Town so close, and no Monster wants to give a Human their business! Wah!”

“And it’s been updated and maintained through the years?” he asked. The house was rather old-fashioned, but certainly not by the several thousands of years that were supposedly the first time any Human came into contact with a Monster. The previous owner had to have either built it with the knowledge of a Monster town very close by, or the house had been renovated so many times over that it was completely unrecognizable. 

“To a point,” the tortoise declared, leading the way back through the various rooms. Debris blocked off sections of the main hallways, leaving the two of them to navigate their way through all the uncomfortably hot, damp, and cold sections of the home. “Original owner - crazy old coot with too much time and money on his hands, if you ask me - built the house even with the town nearby. Thought he could bribe all the Monsters and convince them to leave, so he could have this whole area to himself. Wah ha! Mad Human who didn’t think about the consequences of his actions!”

Humans kept the majority monopoly on the world - Monsters generally had their own currency to use amongst themselves - but it was still amazing to think a Human had had so much money that he’d simply come along, built a home, then tried to buy out every single Monster living in Ebott Town after the fact. As if money itself should have been enough to convince these secluded Monsters to uproot their lives and move on.

“Family kept it updated and in good shape for a while,” Gerson went on to explain, “but guess whose family ran out of money after a lawsuit? Wah ha! Now they’re willing to let it go for next to nothing!”

“But, why me?” he couldn’t help but ask, and while the simplest answer might have been the finances he could provide, Gaster knew from the look Gerson threw him that the old monster knew what he was truly asking. “This,” he gestured around the room, the house, the idea of it all. “This is your vision, your hopes and dreams. Why are you so eager to turn everything over to me?”

“You’re right, they are,” the tortoise wheezed, his one open eye turning upwards in mirth. “This is my dream, right here.” Gerson kicked one foot against the floorboards, ignoring the dust that went flying with the movement. “But I’m no fool - I’m gettin’ on up in my years, wah ha ha! I don’t have the mind for the budgeting, and the management, and a fully functional orphanage ain’t as easy as opening my doors to every stray that wanders through.” The elderly monster turned his gaze back onto him, crooked smile demanding acceptance. “I’m an old Soul, Gaster. I want to keep helping these kids...‘jes without needin’ to think too hard! Wah ha!”

“All of this,” Gaster said, albeit unnecessarily because this entire tour of the rundown house had been about convincing him to give up his life’s savings for this...this...building. “All of this. For an orphanage.”

“Proper orphanage!” Gerson corrected, sinking down into one of the dusty armchairs in the living room at the front of the house. For a moment Gaster thought the old tortoise might start rocking in the non-rocking chair, but then Gerson suddenly sighed, and suddenly looked much older than his already wizened age.

“These kids,” he said, and there was no wheezing laughter in his voice now. “These kids, they deserve something better. All this fighting, this violence...for what, tell me? So some monster kid can be sent here, wondering where mommy or daddy is.” Gerson sighed again, slumping back into his seat. “I offered to start taking these kids in, because...well, I fought in the War, you know.”

He hadn’t known, and that knowledge suddenly made Gerson’s perceived age - and his continued existence into the present - much more extraordinary. 

“Wah ha ha. I know what it’s like, to lose everything you ever known or loved...no kid deserves that. No kid deserves a tiny shack and a tiny yard, day in ‘n day out. Kids these days...kids need something to hope for. You know?”

He did. Oh, how he did. 

Too late, cried his mind, too late, too late, you’re too late.

...But.

It was only too late when he stopped trying, wasn't it? It was too late when he had no more HoPe. Until that point -

Until then...it was never too late. 

“Yes,” Gaster said, not even realizing how Gerson would take the simple statement until he saw the old tortoise’s smile widen. But by then it didn’t matter, because his Soul was fit to bursting once more. The thought of seeing Sans’ without that forced smile of his...to see him really, truly smile again...

It filled him with determination.

“Okay.”

“That was the first one, children. But! My personal favorite has always been...this!”

“Ahuhuhu~!” Muffet crowed, four of her hands pressed to her cheeks as the two others gripped onto his arm, providing support for her to lean closer to the album. “He looks positively adorable~!”

“So young, so full of potential,” Burgerpants chimed in, and Gaster might have been alarmed at the wrinkles that contorted the cat monster’s face so much if he hadn’t learned how normal that was for this particular child. “Take it from me, older buddy - don’t let your son waste his life like I did mine.”

“Wah ha ha you little squirt, you’re ‘jes nine years old!”

“Nine years old and I’ve wasted my life. It’s the end of the road for me.”

“Like, oh my gosh, Catty,” Bratty exclaimed, squeezing past the forlorn cat monster and leaning further over the photo album, “look at this pic! So adorbs!”

“Bratty, oh my gosh,” Catty exclaimed, paws clasped in front of her face as she cooed over the picture of Sans wearing a onesie, the flap in the seat open and exposing bare bones. “Like, so wicked cute! Mr. Gaster you should totally, like, show us more pictures like this!”

“Or take some more cute pictures!”

“Oh em gee, Bratty! We should totally start a modeling company and be, like - super famous!”

“Catty, girl, you are so cray cray! Let’s do it!”

“Like, yeah! We’ll take cute pictures of all the guys and, like, sell them for mad money!”

“Grillby, get your totally hot self out here for some pics!”

The fire elemental made no move to leave the relative safety of the fireplace, complete with a modest fire protecting him from any cat or alligator monsters attempting to get him to pose for pictures. 

“oh...this one is nice...” Napstablook murmured, resting a transparent appendage on a picture in the corner of the photo album. “he’s got ketchup all over...”

“Ah yes,” Gaster said, and carefully removed the picture from its protective covering to bring it closer to his face. “Sans has always loved ketchup, you see, and he would always go - if you’ll allow me to borrow the expression - cray cray for it.”

The assembled children laughed and giggled, and Gaster smiled, gently caressing a corner of the photo. Though not the cutest baby picture of Sans, that memory was a special one for him, the time when he’d finally found a food item Sans would not complain or gripe over. He had no idea why his son loved ketchup so much, but at that time, after having dealt with Sans’ fits and moody temper, to suddenly being treated to an array of smiles and giggles after discovering the condiment, well...

It was one of the first moments that Gaster had felt that, just maybe, he was cut out to be a father after all.

“HEY! DON’T START STORY TIME WITHOUT US!”

“Story time already?” Toriel came after Papyrus with a more moderate tone of voice, with Sans and Undyne following soon after. Whatever ‘Froggit herding’ they’d been up to in the garden had kept them outside for a good while after the rest of the kids had trudged inside, and the majority of them were crowded around Gaster in front of the fireplace.

“Oh, children, we were not reading a story,” Gaster explained, slotting the picture he was holding back into its place. “But we were looking at some pictures. Please, come join us.”

“this isn’t how I pictured story time would go,” Sans commented, walking with the others to join the child pile - until he stopped short as he got a good look at exactly what Gaster was holding in his hands. “wait,” he said, and his toothy grin became strained, “is that - “

“BABY BONES PICTURES!” Papyrus cried out, dropping the handful of weeds he’d been holding onto the clean rug in favor of bounding towards Gaster, knocking into Burgerpants. “I WANNA SEE, I WANNA SEE!”

“Me too!” Toriel yelled, zooming forward past the frozen Sans, “let me see!”

“Yeah, like, show us some more totally cute pics, Mr. Gaster!”

“Well, this one is also a favorite of mine,” Gaster said, “when Sans was only two years old.”

That did the trick, Sans’ grin completely giving way to a clenched frown and two pinpricks of blue highlighting his cheeks. “dad, no!”

“But Sans, you look so adorable,” he protested, flipping to the required page as the children around him shuffled for a better position. “See, it was just after Sans’ decided he was too old for a pacifier, so what he did instead was - ”

The magical blue aura of Sans’ magic surrounded the book in record time, lifting it out of his hands to hover over the skeleton’s body. “ugh, you’re so embarrassing,” his eldest son ground out.

“oh, i wanted to see more...”

“NOT FAIR, BROTHER!”

“So much wasted potential.”

“Like, you hiding more cute pics from us?”

“Totally uncool, I mean, you should share!”

A pause.

“uh - “

“ATTACK!” Papyrus led the charge, and Gaster couldn’t help but laugh out loud as his son’s decidedly non-grinning and panicked face disappeared in the swarm of child monsters demanding to see the rest of his baby photos. To Sans’ credit and his skills, the book remained encased in his magic above the herd, but it wavered precariously as the sounds of Sans’ gasping laughter undoubtedly signaled the most overpowered technique a child could use on another - a tickle attack. 

Gaster let them. The photo album was bound with magic, and not prone to tearing in the hands of overeager children. And he much preferred hearing the sound of his sons’ laughter, in any case.

“Wah ha ha!” Gerson cackled, also making no move to help the unfortunate tickle target like the responsible adult he was. “Not smiling now, is he, wah ha!”

No, he was not. Certainly, Sans had a grin on his face more often than not...but compared to the past couple of years, that grin had become less consistent and less static. His mouth expressed his sadness and anger and uncertainty and fear and love, and all in all, he smiled much less. 

And Gaster could not have been any happier. 

Chapter Text

He really didn’t like arts and crafts, all that much. 

There were a lot of options, mostly. Add some glitter to a picture of Gaster’s face, give him twinkling eyebrows? Or glue some pasta pieces into the picture of a clock and ask Paps if it was pasta dinner time yet. Maybe even cut out some circle shapes and try to make a little paper butterscotch cinnamon pie with Tori. There were a lot of options, almost too many.

But there was at least one good thing about arts and crafts. Because although they had a lot of different choices to make stuff with stickers and glitter and crayons and loads of other things, arts and crafts itself was really, very, easy.

And if there was one thing he really liked, it was things being easy.

“Done already?” Tori asked in surprise, leaning over the table to look at his blank piece of paper. “You don’t even have anything.”

Which was really, totally, completely not true. 

“nu-uh,” he insisted, and held up his piece of paper to give her a better look. “i drew something.”

The goat child leaned even closer, nearly upsetting the glitter bottle that Papyrus had haphazardly thrown onto the table after upending it over his own craft. “Where?”

“right here, see?” Sans said, and pointed directly in the middle of his paper. “i drew a blank.” 

It took a second to sink in, but once it did, Tori snorted into her paw, before giving in to full blown laughter. Next to her, Papyrus was - for once - too engaged in his project to notice the pun, glue stuck to his face and hands as he spread the glitter around on top of his spaghetti drawing. Asgore, though, Asgore definitely noticed, if his furrowed brow was anything to go by.

Though, Sans had a feeling he noticed Tori’s laughter more than the pun itself.

He still shot two finger guns at the goat monster, which caused Tori to laugh even harder and Asgore to scowl even deeper, and Sans considered both reactions a job well done.

“Sans, at least try to do something this time,” Gaster half-pleaded, half-demanded as he helped Undyne tape the flowers she’d picked earlier onto her fake anime sword. Not the golden flowers - Asgore had expressed his trident the minute the fish girl had taken a step towards his flower bed - but some of the small pink ones that bloomed at the front of the house. Undyne hadn’t minded, and had said that Alphys said the pink ones would make her sword look way more kawaii.

Whatever that meant. 

“aw, c’mon dad,” he moaned, and he wasn’t really playing this time. It wasn’t that he hated arts and crafts, he just...didn’t like it all that much. He’d much rather work on some of Alphys’ stuff, or play ‘Skelebros the Explorers’ in the Ruins. “i’m really expressing my creativity here.”

“Well you’d better express something else,” Gaster said, and Sans started as his dad suddenly waved around a bottle of ketchup that he’d seemingly pulled from nowhere. The, bottle of ketchup, the last one in the house until Mr. Gerson made another drop off to their side. “Or I’ll be expressing this all over the garbage bin.”

“nonono, don’t do that!” he exclaimed worriedly, because that was something that Dad would definitely do. “i get it, promise. i’ll, uh. i’ll ketchup to everyone else.”

“That’s more like it,” Gaster said laughingly, and turned back to Undyne in time to take a cardboard sword to the face, leaving Sans to express some art. With a sigh, he grabbed a crayon and began scribbling out a picture of a bone. 

Just like he always did.

Always good to stick to the classics. 

Arts and crafts had started being a monthly thing after they’d first moved into The Underground, when Tori and Asgore had come. Both of them liked working with their paws - Tori liked baking things and doing her little knitting, and Asgore loved working in his garden. Arts and crafts had been a way to ease the two goat kids into The Underground. Make them feel more welcome and stuff, by making all the kids get together in one room and throw glitter on everything.

Sans still thought that the craft activities hadn’t really been needed. He and Paps were the friendliest, most welcoming skeleton kids in Ebott Town, no bones about it.

Honestly though, he knew that arts and crafts had mostly been for Tori. Sans still remembered when the two goat kids had first arrived at The Underground, and the Tori sitting across from him today was almost a stranger compared to the Tori from back then. She’d been real quiet and shy, hardly ever speaking and mostly just knitting socks. Gaster said it was because she was “shell-shocked” over whatever had happened to bring her to Ebott Town, but also said it was mean to ask about stuff like that, so he’d never asked.

Which was cool. He knew that, sometimes? Sometimes, it was easier just not to talk about some things.

Like why the real reason he didn’t like arts and crafts. 

“Is that a bone made out of macaroni? Ha ha...it’s perfect for a bonehead like you.”

Sans glanced over at Papyrus. His brother was still focused on his drawing, being very careful with adding a few more touches of glitter, as if the entire thing didn’t already have glitter everywhere on it. His face was scrunched up in concentration, but he stopped to beam at Gaster as their dad leaned over to compliment the drawing. 

Gaster could have told him it looked like a pile of garbage, and Papyrus would’ve still had stars in his eyes. His brother was just too cool.

Too nice. 

Too naive.

“No really, I mean it! You’re so good at coloring. That doesn’t look like a smelly pile of garbage at all!”

Man...how long had it been?

A couple of years, maybe? Three? Maybe even longer?

It felt like so long ago. Sometimes, Sans wondered if that year at the daycare had been nothing but a bad dream, one that sometimes still woke him up in the middle of the night and had him scrambling over to Papyrus’ bed, checking his cheekbone and tucking his covers up to his chin. Sometimes, if he thought about it too hard, it felt like the Sans from the daycare was an entirely different Monster, like another Sans that was stuck in a bad place.

Heh...sometimes. 

And then other times, those memories would float around the surface so loudly that he couldn’t do anything except listen to them and remember. He tried not to, tried to focus on the now, but it wasn’t always easy.

Especially during arts and crafts. 

Because arts and crafts reminded him of the daycare. A lot. They’d had arts and crafts nearly every day, and nearly every day Papyrus had drawn or colored or glued or glittered or any combination of things, excitedly showing his creation around. To Mrs. C, to the daycare workers, to the human kids that had stayed on one side of the room and ignored his creations -

To her.

And each time...

Each time, he’d felt his Soul break just a little bit more. 

Having to sit down once a month and be reminded of how that had felt...having to see Papyrus smile proudly at his creation and remember how he’d done the same and the way she had torn him down without him even knowing it...

He really, didn’t like, arts and crafts.

Sans could have told Gaster. As much as their dad liked to tease them and make them uncomfortable and show off their baby bones pictures, he knew that Gaster would’ve probably let him not come to arts and crafts, if he told him it reminded him of the daycare. He could’ve used the daycare to get out of a lot of things. Probably. 

But he never did. Because honestly?

He was happy. Sometimes he got sad when he remembered, yeah, okay. But only sometimes. There were no Human kids here, and he was happy.

“ARE YOU IMPRESSED? I CAN SEE THE SPARKLES OF AWE AND AMAZEMENT IN YOUR EYES, NYEH HEH HEH!”

Sans glanced up from the doodling that he hadn’t even been focused on as Papyrus shoved his finished drawing into Alphys’ face. It was a drawing of spaghetti, naturally, and the entire top part of it was covered in glitter. He thought that maybe the glitter was suppose to be the sauce, but it looked pretty much like glitter was just raining down on the plate of spaghetti. 

So cool.

“A-actually,” Alphys stammered, clutching at her own drawing of an anime character with really huge eyes, “I think that’s the reflection of glitter on my - ”

“NO WORDS ARE NEEDED, GOOD FRIEND,” Papyrus interrupted, “I CAN SEE YOU ARE IN AWE OF MY GLITTER SKILLS!”

“Where’s the pink glitter?” Undyne demanded, seemingly popping into existence as she leapt up from her where her cardboard sword was laying on the ground. “I need lots of pink! And glue! Also lots of glue!”

“Here,” Tori chirped, reaching over the skeleton to pass the bottle of pink glitter over to the fish girl, but there was a sly smile on her face that made Sans’ grin widen in anticipation. “Hey Papy! What did the skeleton say to the detective?”

Predictably, Papyrus’ face took on a strained expression as he squinted suspiciously at the goat girl. “WHAAAAT.”

“He said...hey mister! You should check my face for a glue!”

Sans snickered into his coat sleeve as Undyne’s head whipped around towards Papyrus, whose skull was, indeed, still sporting various glue spots thanks to his haphazard glittering technique. “YOU TWO ARE IMPOSSIBLE,” Papyrus groaned, automatically including Sans in his comment and completely oblivious to the blue hands inching their way towards his skull, “WHY CAN’T YOU - EH?”

“I need to borrow this,” Undyne yelped, and physically pulled Papyrus out of his seat, ignoring his cries of “NYEEEH!” as she dragged him over to her sword. “Hold still ‘kay?” The fish girl didn’t give him much of a choice, pressing his head down onto her sword and rolling him back and forth to get as much glue residue off his skull as possible. 

Gaster didn’t seem to mind - he was busy giggling at something on his phone.

“W-wow,” Asgore suddenly spoke up, forcibly, eyes darting over to the other goat monster in the room. “Undyne, you really know how to, uh...roll with the, glue? I mean, you’ve really got a way with...skulls? Uhm - ”

“Sans, did you finish yet?” Tori asked, once again leaning over the table to check on his drawing. Sans almost felt a little bad for Asgore as the goat monster smacked his head against the table...but then again, his fail attempts at a joke would be fun to tease him about later, so he couldn’t feel too bad.

“Oh hey! You drew something new this time?”

“huh?” Sans asked, lifting his head off the hand he’d been resting it on. Tori was looking down at his piece of paper, and he followed her gaze down to the bone he’d been lazily coloring. 

Except, it wasn’t a bone. Not entirely. There was a bone - and a very nicely drawn bone, if he did say so himself - but there was also a heart. It was gray in color, just like the bone was, and it was pressed straight up against the edge of the bone. There was even a tiny little dip in the heart, as if at any moment, the bone would break straight through and pierce the heart in two.

It was right-side up.

“Looks good,” Tori complimented, and might have said more if Asgore hadn’t suddenly made another attempt to grab her attention, causing her to turn away. Sans was glad.

Tori didn’t seem to have noticed the position of the heart at the very edge of the bone, or the fact that it was right-side up. Maybe because she’d seen the picture upside-down, it just hadn’t occurred to her. Either way, Sans was glad.

Because he hadn’t meant to draw that. 

He’d just been drawing a bone like he always did during arts and crafts. Sometimes he got a little more creative and added a little star sticker in the background, but mostly he just drew bones to pass the time. 

He hadn’t meant to draw that.

“Undyne, do not pour that entire bottle of glitter onto the - ”

“Ngaaaaah!”

“ - floor,” Gaster sighed, as pink glitter went spilling everywhere onto the floor. Papyrus didn’t escape in time, and neither did Asgore’s cloak, the both of them getting a healthy dose of pink sparkles...which was only made worse as Papyrus sneezed, sending another bout of glitter spiraling everywhere in the room.

On the plus side, Undyne’s sword had turned out beautifully.

“I, think that’s enough arts and crafts for now,” Gaster declared with finality, and very much ignored the mess in favor of getting all of them out of the room and away from any more glitter. “Time to go pin everything to the fridge, c’mon.”

Papyrus was the first one up, cackling gleefully as he raced out of the room with his spaghetti masterpiece. Something in Sans instinctively demanded that he follow his brother, keep an eye out on him and watch over him and protect him from harm, and he knew it had everything to do with the little crayon heart on his drawing. 

He hadn’t meant to -

“Sans?”

He jumped - he hadn’t realized that everyone had already left. Alphys tilt her head, a frown on her features as she stood by his chair. “Y-you wanna stay here and color some more?”

Stay, here...

“n-nah,” Sans said, and grabbed the nearest color crayon. He scribbled furiously on his drawing for a second, before throwing the red crayon onto the table and hopping down from his seat. “it just needed a little finishing touch, heh.”

She didn’t look convinced. 

“anyways, you never did tell us,” he tried instead, shoving his drawing into his coat pocket and walking out of the room. 

That did the trick, the concern on Alphys’ face blending into confusion as she followed behind him. “Huh?” she questioned, adjusting her glasses with one hand, “what are you talking about?”

“you know what i’m talking about, pal,” he crowed, and shot a wink over his shoulder at her. “i’m still dyin’ to know what it is you want to tell undyne.”

That also did the trick, if the sputters and gasps for air behind him said anything, and Sans grinned.

Yeah...he really didn’t like arts and crafts all that much, but he was still happy here.

So he could put up with a few bad memories. He could deal. Because no matter how bad some of the nightmares got, he had Dad and Papy and Tori and Alphys and Undyne and Asgore, and Mr. Gerson and Grillby and Doggo and everyone else in the orphanage. She was far behind him now, a thing from a distant past, no more than a bad dream every now and again.

No more than a randomly drawn heart on a piece of paper.

He was happy, and Papyrus was happy, and they were going to stay that way.

Undyne slapped down the colorful card as if she was throwing down one of her spears. “Ha! Draw four!”

“DRAW FOUR WHAT?”

“Draw four weapons and we FIGHT!”

“Um, I think it means you hafta pick four cards from the pile, Papyrus,” Alphys helpfully cut in, picking up the card in question to study it further. The simple color wheel in the center was underneath the large +4 symbol on top, and at the very bottom were small white words that Alphys had to squint her eyes at to read. “Y-yeah, it says that...the player has to draw four cards, and the one who played the card gets to pick a new color.”

The fish monster was not happy with the new development. “Oh,” she groused, clearly disappointed that the game didn’t seem to involve weapons of any sort. 

“NYEH HEH! FOUR MORE CARDS FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” the younger skeleton exclaimed gleefully, grabbing a handful that seemed like it might have been six or seven cards. “I HAVE THE MOST CARDS NOW! I’M WINNING!”

“Actually,” Tori said, over her own group of four cards, “I think we’re suppose to get rid of our - ”

“Okay okay!” Undyne interrupted, seemingly perking back up with the spirit of competition. “I choose...blue! The coolest color, like me!”

“Okay,” Alphys said, and plucked out one of her cards, “so now, since it’s blue...uhm. I can play this card.” She placed a blue card onto the pile on the floor, one that had a circle with a line through it. “And that means I get to skip the next player. S-sorry Tori,” she added bashfully.

“Aw, no fair,” the goat monster whined, and pouted at her cards as Undyne squinted at her hand again.

Which is when the doorbell rang. No one seemed to really notice, too busy with figuring out the new card game.

On the sidelines, Sans continued to lounge on his stomach as the doorbell summoned Gaster out from the playroom and towards the front door, his head resting in one hand as his feet kicked in the air. With his other hand he carefully added a card to the top of the mini castle he and Asgore had been working on since the others had started playing the Human card game Mr. Gerson had picked up from the Garbage Dump the other day, one they’d all left alone in favor of other junk to look at until today.

They’d also failed to notice him sneaking cards from the big deck to build the castle with. They’d probably find out soon enough. Maybe.

“whatcha think?” he questioned his goat buddy, his hand hovering over the western side of the castle with a new card to place. “new balcony? i think we definitely need some more bedrooms for sleeping.”

Asgore took a considering sip of his golden flower tea as he carefully studied the construction, and Sans glanced up as footsteps entered the living room again - way too many footsteps for just one Monster. Gaster was walking back through the living room, but this time was followed by two other Monsters. Two adults. Which was kinda weird, because although sometimes they had people visiting them, it wasn’t too often. Usually it was Bun Bun or the Nice Cream Guy who came by to watch over them if Gaster had to go out or wanted to work in his lab for a bit. 

He didn’t recognize those two though. They were wearing black armor, he couldn’t see their faces. And one of them was holding something, he could see the lump in their arms. He couldn’t really see what it was though, but if they turned just a little bit he might be able to -

“Here, lemme see!”

Sans obligingly passed the red seven over to him. “We should add some support, down here,” the goat kid muttered critically, setting his mug aside to bend down on the floor, face pressed against the carpet as he peered at the apparently unstable bottom level. “Or else the whole thing could explode.”

“you think so?” Sans asked, intrigued, vaguely aware of Gaster and the two adults moving into the kitchen as he considered the possibilities. It’d be pretty cool if they could get it to explode outwards when it collapsed, like. Just a bomb of cards, getting everywhere. Maybe he could bend the cards in the bottom level with his magic, have them straining and ready to go flying outward at the slightest touch. “so we should add a playroom down here then,” he decided, also crouching down so his face was against the carpeting. “right here. then we can work on the kitchen.”

On the other side of the castle, Sans saw Asgore’s eyes scrunch up in uncertainty. “That’s a lot of cards to add,” he pointed out, his paw wavering as he attempted to slide the card in between the entrance way and the living room. “I don’t think there’s enough room.”

“trust me pal, it’ll be a piece of cake,” he assured, throwing a wink at the goat monster, “we’ve totally goat this.”

Asgore was mere nano seconds away from blowing the entire castle down, but he seemed to realize it just in time, clasping a paw to his mouth to keep in the irritated sigh. That didn’t stop him from glaring at Sans through the castle though, and the skeleton only winked again, before he flared up his magic.

Gaster used to tell him that he was a pro-di-gee with magic - that he was really, really good, and that he’d learned fast, even as a baby bones. He said that it took most Monsters a while to even realize they had magic, and a lot of their younger years to properly use it. Magic was different from Soul expression after all, and even though being able to fully express yourself took a while to learn, magic took even longer. If at all.

Sans didn’t know why most Monsters found it so hard. Maybe because it just felt easy to him? He didn’t even really try to use magic, he just did. Though sometimes it actually did get hard to use and made him really tired, if he tried moving really heavy things or used too much too fast. 

It also could have been because he was a Boss Monster too, thanks to Dad - they all were, ‘cept Alphys. Tori had healing magic, nearly all flowers bloomed in Asgore’s care, and both goats could summon fire magic outside of an encounter. Undyne could keep someone from running from her for a short while, and even Papyrus had, according to Gaster, once stuck him to the floor for almost five minutes when he was a baby bones, though he hadn’t done it again since. 

But none of them could control their magic as well as he could.

He wasn’t complaining, of course, because magic was really useful. Especially when he wanted to grab things without getting up, all he had to do was use his magic. He could even use it on himself and glide around the house if he really wanted to...though, Papyrus always yelled at him to STOP BEING A LAZYBONES AND WALK, so he didn’t do that.

Much.

Because there were still loads of ways he could annoy his baby brother. It was a very unique and special skill, really.

Three more cards slipped out of the already heavily reduced deck, held by his magic as he pulled them towards the castle. Asgore had gone back to gripping his mug, watching fearfully as Sans leaned as far into the carpet as he possibly could, trying to get the best angle to see what he was doing. Slowly - very, very slowly - Sans floated the card into the bottom level, gently nudging it against the southern wall of the ballroom. Across from him, Asgore sucked in a breath as he - also very, very slowly - released his magical grasp.

The card stayed in place. 

Next card, this time supporting the kitchen. Sans could almost hear Asgore’s silent awe as he inserted the card into place, and as he released that one and the castle remained standing, he was assured that this had been a Great Idea.

The next card - 

It -

...uh.

“...” Sans got up onto his knees, craning around both sides of the castle to get a better angle. He’d said they needed more cards, but...uh. It was getting kind of crowded down there. And, whelp. He knew what to do in a situation like this. “here ‘ya go, buddy.”

“...Wuh?” Asgore blinked at the card that had been floated in front of his face, and yelped as it was dropped, instinctively juggling it in one paw to catch it. “W-wait a minute, why me?! I can’t - ” the goat monster waved his mug through the air, somehow expressing his lack of floaty blue magic all the same. 

“hey, i did two outta three,” Sans argued, rather diplomatically in his opinion, and leaned back on his hands, legs crossed in front of him. “it’s only fair.”

The goat monster grimaced, but his sense of fairness seemed to win out as his face took on a determined look, and he edged towards the castle. 

And did nothing. This was gonna take a while.

Probably long enough for him to take a quick nap, maybe? Sans readjusted himself, prepared to once again lay down on his stomach, when the sound of raised voices caught his attention, and he looked up towards the kitchen. The two adults were standing somewhere where he couldn’t see them, but Gaster was completely visible in the archway.

His expression...

Sans stared, the castle completely forgotten as Gaster twitched and shook his head and made all sorts of hand gestures at the other two that were in the kitchen. It was obvious that his dad was trying to speak quietly, because he couldn’t actually hear what they were all saying. But he could still hear Gaster’s voice, and it was forceful and agitated, and getting kind of garbled in a way that Sans knew from experience meant his dad was actually kinda losing it. 

Just a bit.

Even as he watched, Gaster rubbed a hand over his skull and seemed to deflate, like he had run out of things to argue about. The other voices had gotten quieter too, but they still whispered - frantic and persistent. They only stopped when Gaster suddenly looked over, and gave him an exaggerated smile and wave, before he moved out of sight into the kitchen.

What...was that about?

“Uh...what was that about?”

Surprised, Sans looked around to realize that all of them had stopped what they were doing to turn and stare, their sudden silence having apparently alerted Gaster to their listening ears. Asgore’s paw and the card was still hovering near the castle, but the goat monster was halfway turned to stare behind him at the kitchen. So were the others, all in varying states of confusion as Tori asked what they were all thinking.

“I d-dunno,” Alphys murmured worriedly, head craning as if she might see what Gaster and the other two adults were doing in the kitchen. “Do you think there’s a p-problem with our house?”

“DAD LOOKED KINDA WORRIED...” Papyrus noted, turning back around to look over at him with a concerned expression. Sans knew what his brother was feeling - he was used to funny Gaster, or serious Gaster, or Let me tell all your friends embarrassing stories about you because I love you so much son Gaster.

He wasn’t used to worried Gaster.

“Pfft, whatevs,” Undyne said dismissively, turning back to the card game they had abandoned in order to scope out the situation. “It’s probably just boring grown up stuff. C’mon, Paps, your turn!”

“OH, RIGHT! UM...HERE! A YELLOW DRAW TWO!”

“Papyrus, you seaweed muncher! I only had two more cards!”

“YOU’RE WELCOME!”

That set everything back into motion, and Sans slowly turned back to the castle, catching Asgore’s eyes over the top of it. The goat monster looked at him questioningly, but Sans only shrugged, having no better explanation over the strange chain of events than any other Monster. 

Undyne was right, they’d probably find out after the other adults left. At least if it was something bad. But it also might just be something annoying, in which case they’d still find out when Gaster would rant and wave about the good old days and how things used to be and how he was surrounded by idiots who didn’t understand the practical applications of Soul aversion therapy in treating Humans affected by Fatigued Expression Syndrome.

Gaster tended to rant about his old research whenever he was annoyed. It was a thing.

“Aw, I don’t have anything...guess I need to - huh? W-wait a second, where are all the cards?”

...oh. Right. Sans flapped his hands at Asgore urgently, because they only had a few precious seconds to finish the castle before - 

“SAAAAANS!”

“wait wait wait!” he choked out, already fending off Tori who had leapt across the playing field to smack at his skull. Undyne already had a spear expressed above her head. Across from him, Asgore frantically waved his hands in front of the castle, as if that might stop it from falling apart at the merest touch. “i had a good reason!”

“Really, ‘ya bonehead?” Undyne challenged, stalking forward threateningly. “What reason?”

“well,” Sans said, and focused his gaze on Tori’s fiery glare, “tori said she can’t find her find that green shoulder sweater she likes a whole lot, right?” He flipped up a green card he was holding between two fingers. “i just wanted to help her find her card - ” a flick of his wrist, and he suddenly had two identical green cards between pointer and middle, holding both up as he winked at the goat monster, “ - again.”

He could see Tori trying to hold onto the anger at their ruined card game, but she couldn’t fight it. Her giggle-snorts turned laughter drowned out Papyrus’ rage-filled scream as she collapsed onto him, her paws flailing for a few more half-hearted whacks on the head. The pun didn’t stop Undyne though, who - almost at the same time as Papyrus - let out a battle cry and launched herself at the two of them, creating a four Monster kid dust cloud as they rolled around. Sans didn’t even bother holding back his laughter as he teasingly kept the cards out of the fish girl’s reaching hands, and did his best to distract them all with any cards he could get his magic around, ignoring Asgore’s pained moan as their tumbleweed of children rolled right over the card castle.

Which was fine. The castle had needed a lot more deck-orating to look good, anyways. 

“Children.”

The cluster of kids rolled to a stop, and Sans found himself right on the bottom, underneath Papyrus and Asgore, who had somehow gotten pulled into the fray. He’d landed upside down, and as he craned his neck backwards, he saw Gaster a bit away at the archway leading into the kitchen.

His hands were folded behind his back.

“Come here for a moment, please.”

“But we haven’t finished teaching Sans a lesson!” Undyne protested, from where she was - predictably - at the very top of the kid pile. 

Gaster smiled, and from his upside angle, it looked kinda weird. “I can see that,” he said, “but there is something we need to discuss.”

Sans tilt his head to one side. Something...seemed odd.

Undyne sighed, but slid off the pile, prompting everyone else to scramble off one another. The fish girl stuck two fingers in front of her eyes before swiveling them around towards him though, so Sans had a feeling she wasn’t done teaching lessons yet. He’d probably have to make a break for a hidey hole as soon as Gaster was done talking to them.

“WHAT IS IT DAD?” Papyrus questioned excitedly, bounding up to their dad as the rest of them made their way to the living room - away from the windows where they had all been playing, and now in the area with the tv, just outside the kitchen. “ARE WE GOING OVER TO THE CORE?”

“It’s almost night time, silly!” Tori said, brushing off her purple sweater dress.

“YAY! A SLEEPOVER!”

“Not quite, Papyrus,” Gaster said gently...and fell silent. 

Sans glanced at Alphys, who glanced back at him. She alone seemed to have picked up on what Sans had - that something wasn’t quite right here. “I-is everything okay, Mr. Gaster?” she questioned hesitatingly. 

It was like she had just asked him to explain where Monster babies came from. Gaster was still smiling, but it was definitely strained, like he was just pretending to be happy on the outside.

He could tell.

Alphys’ question seemed to have alerted all the other kids, too. Papyrus was looking concerned now, and so was Tori. Asgore, even Undyne - they could all sense that there was something strange going on, something different from normal, and they didn’t how to deal with this.

Papyrus looked at him.

Sans cleared his throat, before trying. “dad?” he asked carefully. “uh...dad?”

Gaster blinked once, then twice, before bringing his hands in front of him to clasp them together. “Children,” he said, and Sans wondered if he was just imagining the way Gaster’s hands shook slightly.

“Children...h-how would you like another friend?”

A beat of silence. Before -

“W-WOWIE!” Papyrus exclaimed, and suddenly seemed ten feet taller as his imagination began running wild. “A NEW FRIEND FOR ME TO THRILL AND AMAZE WITH PUZZLES AND JAPES AND TONS OF SPAGHETTI!”

“Waaaait, wait wait wait,” Undyne spoke up, hands on her hips as she puzzled out the meaning of Gaster’s words. “You mean...”

“Is another kid coming to live with us?” Asgore finished, surprised.

So was Sans. Alphys had been the last kid to join their side of The Underground, a couple of years ago. Most new kids went over to Gerson’s side, because not only was there more space in Core, most of the space there was actually good. And not overflowing with water or heat or glowing mushrooms. Once or twice a new kid had spent a few days over on their side of The Underground, but they always ended up going over to Gerson’s side. 

Were they really out of room over in the Core that a new Monster kid needed to come over here?

Well...Sans could see why Gaster was put out, kinda. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this either...not really. A new kid would be cool and all - and Papyrus would love having another friend - but it’d just been the six of them for what seemed like forever, that the thought of someone new moving in with them felt kinda...weird. 

Sans could see that he wasn’t the only one thinking it, too. Asgore still looked surprised, and he glanced worriedly over at Tori, who had gone kind of quiet. Alphys, too, looked kind of concerned, rubbing one of her arms with one claw. Only Papyrus and Undyne seemed unaffected by the news, excited even - Papyrus because of a potential new friend, and Undyne because she was always eager to see new and different kinds of Soul expressions.

“...Yes,” Gaster said at last, confirming what some of them had been hoping and others had not. “We have someone...new, that will be staying with us. Maybe not forever, but possibly...probably, for a very long time.”

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus exclaimed gleefully, arms pumped in front of him. “WHEN? WHEN DO WE GET TO MEET OUR NEW FRIEND?”

“Ah...actually,” Gaster turned his head to the side to look over one shoulder. “That’s why I called you all over.”

He almost missed it, but it moved again, and Sans froze.

There was a second shadow. 

It was almost completely melded into Gaster’s shadow, cast across the tiles of the kitchen, but his movement had moved his shadow...and a second, much smaller shadow had moved to catch up, as if it was determined to remain hiding behind Gaster.

“You’re new friend, she is...you can meet her right now.”

The adults, Sans realized. One of them had been carrying something. 

“Children.”

Gaster slowly stepped to one side, and he suddenly had a very, bad, feeling in his chest.

“Say hello to your new...friend.”

In his head, there was nothing but silence.

Sans knew, could faintly hear, that that wasn’t the case outside his head. Tori gasped out loud, mimicking Asgore’s own gasp. Papyrus let out a loud “N-NYEH?!” Something that kind of sounded like a squeak probably came from Alphys, and Undyne was suddenly extremely still beside him.

He didn’t make any sound.

He...did nothing.

Could, do nothing.

Nothing at all, except stare.

Stare at the plain shoes and bandaged knee. At the brown shorts, and the striped sweater. He could only stare at the bed of short brown hair, unkept and dirty. Hair that swayed softly as her head slowly tilted upwards to face them all.

“Children please, I know this is...a little bit strange...”

Oh...he was making a sound.

He was chuckling. 

Very quietly, under his breath, and no one else seemed to notice. And even if they had, he wouldn’t have been able to stop, because all he could do was stare.

At her.

And also chuckle. Chuckle, at her mistake.

Because she had made a mistake. Big time. He had no idea how she’d accomplished it, what measures she had gone through, or what her new intentions even were. And, well, to be perfectly honest?

He just didn’t care.

Because this was his time. This was his turf. These were his friends, and his family, and this.

Was.

His.

Home.

And this time...

This time, she was the one that was going to be having a b a d  t i m e.

“chara...”

Chapter Text

The First Human: Unhappiness Abounds

Three days. 

It’d been three days since Frisk had arrived at The Underground, and things were...well.

At least, as well as they could be, considering that the children were now face to face with one of their worst fears and or past realities on a daily basis. And honestly? There were times when he was sorely tempted to simply carry the girl as close as he dared to the border towns and leave her there.

And other times -

Well. He was a Monster, not a monster. She was just a child.

And a quiet one, at that.

“How was your day, child?” he asked, sweeping around her room. It was sparsely furnished as it hadn’t been in use at all until her arrival, consisting of only the small bed and a single nightstand. He’d put in a night light the first evening, just in case Frisk was one of those children who preferring sleeping with a little light, but he’d found it unplugged the next morning, and had let it be.

“S’kay,” she mumbled, seemingly more invested in picking at her blankets than speaking to him. She tended to avoid looking at him for long periods of time at all.

It filled Gaster with a bit of regret. He knew that he hadn’t endeared himself to the Human girl, despite his efforts to remain...unbiased. And he knew that her species had nothing to do with her as a person, truly he did. She was quiet, but extraordinarily well-behaved - almost too much so. She reminded him so much of Toriel, when the goat monster had first come to The Underground, and that in itself proved that Frisk had likely gone through something that no child should’ve had to endure. And as of today, she had yet to cause any trouble.

He would know. He was watching her almost every waking moment.

And although Gaster truly would have liked to believe that he watched her solely because he wanted to ensure she was no danger to his sons nor the other children, in his Soul he knew that - chances were - Frisk was more in danger from them.

She was vastly outnumbered, after all, and their reception to her had been...tepid. At best.

He was still afraid, and still uncertain about this new development. But she was just a child...so small, and so vulnerable. 

Once upon a time, she had been someone’s daughter. 

“Things must be very confusing for you,” Gaster said softly, making an effort not to stand at his full height as he folded his hands behind his back. “And I’m sorry things are not easy.”

Frisk shook her head. Just a quick shake, as if she were dissuading an insect from flying near her, and offered no words. 

He wasn’t sure what he was suppose to make of that gesture. Gaster dithered for a moment, before he gingerly sat down on the end of her bed. Frisk looked up at that; curious, probably, as he had never actually sat down with her before, and he thought he saw something in her expression that made the flare of anxiety in his chest loosen a bit.

Maybe. Frisk kept her eyes seemingly closed all the time, he didn’t even know what color they were. That made it even more difficult to try and interpret the quiet child’s mannerisms. 

For a moment, Gaster wondered what he was even doing. He’d meant to sit down to try and gently probe some more answers from her, the way he’d done the first couple of nights. Try to find some direction on what he was actually suppose to do with her, since she couldn’t possible stay here forever. Was there anyone they could try and get in contact with? Was there anyone looking for her? Was there anyone missing her? 

And each time had been a negative. At first, he’d believed that maybe it was just shock. The shock of being separated or lost, or the shock of whatever trauma had led her here. That perhaps she was just too strained to think and remember properly, and with enough time, would perhaps be able to give himself or Gerson a clue on how to proceed. 

She hadn’t. Either unwilling to, or - it didn’t bear much thinking about - there was simply nothing to tell. She had no one waiting for her. 

He could, Gaster supposed, continue on in the same vein as before. But for some reason, looking at her young face, he knew he would get nothing more than he had already gotten, and would probably just make things worse for the young girl. But he’d sat down on her bed - he had to say something.

“Thank you.”

He hadn’t meant to say that. 

Frisk blinked, however, and looked up at him more pointedly. Not up to his left, or down below his chin, but looking directly at him. She seemed...surprised. 

So he continued. 

“For being so patient with us,” he elaborated, and dared inching just a little bit closer. “I know things are...they must be difficult, for you. It’s a bit strange for us, as well.” Gaster smiled as gently as he was able, less forcefully this time and more genuinely. Because despite everything, he couldn’t deny that Frisk really was a good girl.

And he had more cause than most to believe in the cruelty of Humans.

But Frisk, after a moment’s hesitation, shyly smiled back at him, and Gaster felt an unanticipated spike of adrenaline at the sight. 

Completely, and utterly, unexpected. 

“i’m okay, dad.”

Pay attention, whispered the voice in the back of his head. Before it’s too late.

Everything was still uncomfortable. Everything was still raw and new, like hateful intent pushing on every side of his Soul...but. The sight of her smile, the first one she’d given him since she’d literally been dropped into this place...he could maybe be led to believe that things might, perhaps, not be as bad as he’d thought.

And that thought made him uncomfortable. Because it was terrifying enough, to be faced with the uncertainty of Frisk living in The Underground.

But it couldn’t compare to the terrifying thought of this terrifying anomaly in their lives being...not as terrifying as they all thought. 

And that was truly terrifying. 

“...Well, then,” he stated abruptly, and stood with an exaggerated yawn to cover up the disquiet he was feeling. “I believe it is time for good Monsters - and, good Humans to go to bed.”

Frisk ducked her head down some, but she was still looking at him, no expression in her unerring stare. Her perceived gaze didn’t skitter around him or glance off to the side as it had in the previous days, no. She just looked at him, and Gaster swore he could feel a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head as the human just...looked at him. 

Before, very abruptly, she nodded. And smiled again.

She seemed to have made up her mind about something, but Gaster was not privy to whatever revelation she’d made as Frisk lay down onto the bed, curling up against the pillow. His hands twitched instinctively, well used to pulling up the covers on dozing children too tired to do it themselves, but he didn’t move; and after a moment, Frisk tugged the covers up over her shoulder herself. Gaster lingered a moment more, before flicking off the light switch and gliding out of the room.

Another moment’s hesitation, before he waved his hands, and the barrier went up over her door.

She was his now. For as long as Frisk remained in The Underground. He had made the decision to take her in, and she was his. 

For better or for worse.

Breakfast was a tense affair, as it had been for the past three days, and Gaster tried his hardest not to sigh aloud. 

Because his immediate, biggest fear when he’d made the decision to keep Frisk in The Underground had been over what the human child’s intentions might have caused, yes. But also, what her mere presence might induce in these children, many of which had had very negative experiences with Humans. Whether or not Frisk actually did anything, her simply being here and being a Human was bound to cause some unpleasantries. 

Which was made all the more frustrating because, meal times never started out tense.

“Saaaaans, stop hogging all the ketchup!”

Sans made no move to stop hogging all the ketchup, and instead clutched the bottle a little closer to himself. “but do you really need it?” he asked, nodding to the plate of eggs in front of the fish monster, “i bet it already tastes egg-cellent.”

“I KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE EATEN SPAGHETTI,” Papyrus asserted, as Undyne’s eyes took on a somewhat manic gleam. “SANS, SHARE! I WANT SOME KETCHUP TOO!”

“W-where’s the other bottle?” Alphys, always the less confrontational of the lot, asked. 

It was over on his end of the table.

But before Gaster could make a move for it, a small hand suddenly shot out and grabbed the bottle around its middle.

As one, the other children stopped attempting to grab the bottle out of Sans’ hand as Frisk carefully pushed the other ketchup bottle across the table, seemingly trying to get it all the way down to Papyrus. His younger son, it seemed, was surprised by the gesture, but after a moment, a large smile broke on onto his face. “AH! A PEACE OFFERING FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS?” he assumed, oblivious to the warning stares the other children were sending him. Frisk’s mouth started tilting upwards as he rose up onto the table, needing to lean far over to reach the bottle. “THANK YOU, HUMAN! I SHALL - HEY!”

Blue magic - Sans’ magic - enveloped the bottle and shot it across the table, straight towards Papyrus’ plate. 

“SANS,” the younger skeleton grumped, “I COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT MYSELF - ”

“Paps, shhh.”

“WHY - ” Papyrus questioned, but Undyne shook her head viciously, an uncommonly serious look on her face as she grabbed the back of the skeleton’s sweater and pulled him back down onto his seat - away from the human. The fish girl even shot Frisk a Look, complete with narrowed eyes, and only then did Papyrus seem to catch onto the suddenly tense mood. His son shot a furtive glance over at Frisk, then back at Undyne; and upon seeing the other child’s disapproving glare, he deflated in his seat, and dutifully went back to picking at his eggs. 

Gaster sighed. Internally.

Such had been their pattern for every breakfast since Frisk had arrived at The Underground - every meal time. The other children had, the very first morning, seemed to have taken up some pledge to simply ignore the human child. Which, in all honesty, was better than actively expressing their hateful intent on her. This was new to all of them, all very off-putting and different and dangerous, and he hadn’t begrudged their decisions to keep their distance. He himself had considered, for a short while, keeping Frisk separated for the duration of her stay.

...However long that would be.

And so it was that every meal time so far, Gaster found himself at one end of the table, with Frisk sitting directly right or left. Whatever open space next to her was usually spread wide enough for one or two children to squeeze in, which left all the other children crowded around on his other side, and the far end of the table. 

And once they got settled? The kids would start talking amongst themselves; slowly at first, cautiously, as if the human child might suddenly leapt across and attack if they didn’t keep alert. But the attention spans of children waned quickly, and pretty soon the table would be filled with loud exclamations and laughter and puns. Almost like normal.

Until Frisk did something.

Anything. It could be as small a movement as reaching for the salt shaker, or accidentally knocking over her glass like she did during lunch on the second day. Any movement that involved moving her hands away from her plate, and the entire table would go quiet. 

Again, Gaster couldn’t quite blame their young, scarred minds for their reactions and their beliefs. The world was black and white to children, and so very difficult to see in grey. And despite her young age, Frisk must have known it to. She had flinched at the sudden deafening silence on the first day, and had retreated from the salt shaker. The second, she had frozen up, before cleaning up her mess in slow, neat circles.

The third day?

Frisk hadn’t even reacted to the silence and the staring, had only slowly grabbed a napkin from the middle of the table and continued on eating. Thoroughly accustom to the treatment now. Expecting to be ignored, accepting that things were going to be the way they were going to be.

Like she was doing right now. The children had gone back to their breakfasts, but the tension was still palatable. Frisk, however, simply ate her eggs, with slow but purposeful bites as if she were contemplating and cataloguing the quality of her meal. Gaster hadn’t really cared the first couple of days - again, it was difficult to fault children for feeling the exact same way he did - but now, the same sensation of adrenaline he’d felt last night shot through him again. 

Her attempt at obliviousness was painful.

She didn’t have to hold out for long. “I-I’m gonna go work on Mettaton,” Alphys declared, her shaky voice more than enough evidence towards her desire to leave the uncomfortable atmosphere. 

That was the first time for Alphys. For the past couple of days it had been either Undyne or Sans that had prompted a departure from the table...and now the lizard monster followed. 

And right on cue, the other voices piped up - 

“i bet you could use a metta - ton of help with that.”

“Aaaaw, I thought we were gonna play outside, Al!”

“N-not near my flowers, last time you almost blew up - ”

“Nu-uh, it was only a little fire, and besides...”

Their voices trailed off as they exited the kitchen, none of them putting their dishes away. From the archway that led into living room, Papyrus alone lingered, casting one glance over his shoulder at Frisk - before Undyne’s call for her training partner drew him away, hurrying to get back together with his friends. 

This time, Gaster sighed. Out loud.

Out of all the children, it was clear that Papyrus felt the most conflicted over Frisk. Partly because of the initial awkwardness he had experienced when the girl had first been introduced. Gaster, honestly, hadn’t been all that surprised when his son had - after a moment of silenced shock - let out a gleeful yell and hugged the equally shocked Frisk, easily confusing the human girl with the friend he and his brother had had at the daycare.

It wasn’t hard to see why Papyrus had made that mistake. He’d made the same mistake, when the Royal Guard had brought her in. If Frisk and Chara had been painted in black and white, they would have been nearly identical, with their closed and wide-eyed stares, respectively, being the only difference. It was uncanny. 

Sans hadn’t made the same mistake. At least, he hadn’t jumped onto Frisk like an overgrown puppy, though he had been particularly standoffish. Probably at the fact that Papyrus had launched himself at a complete Human stranger, considering the nightmares that his eldest son had been forced to endure.

Gaster...probably hadn’t helped the situation either, leaping forward to rip the two of them apart with his Soul pounding in his chest. 

But even aside from that initial confusion however, it was obvious to Gaster that Papyrus was a conflicted Soul. What had started as an effort to properly greet and welcome a new child to The Underground - after the confusion had been cleared up - had become uncertain and wavering when Undyne had butt in, aggressive and self-assured in the way she always was. Then Asgore, less aggressive and more disapproving, but enough for Papyrus to wilt even further. Alphys and Toriel had been quiet, but it’d been obvious they’d felt uneasy.

Sans, surprisingly enough, hadn’t added to the fuel. At least, not until it’d become clear that Papyrus was taking Undyne and Asgore’s obvious disapproval of the human to heart. Then he had simply reached out, taken his brother’s hand, and led him away to follow the other children, leaving Frisk and Gaster behind. 

And Frisk had...

Frisk had done nothing. 

The clink of plates and silverware behind him startled Gaster, bringing him up out of his musings and memories. The table in front of him, though covered in spilled ketchup and stains from this morning’s impromptu brawl, was mostly clear of dishware. He blinked, before turning around in his seat to see Frisk putting a plate and a glass into the sink, standing up on tiptoe to do so.

She was a quiet thing, that was for certain. 

At least he, in turn, didn’t startle Frisk when she turned around, eyes already looking in his direction as if she’d been trying to pay careful attention to his whereabouts. And when she caught him staring, she glanced downwards, before looking back up. 

He should...probably say something.

“Thank you, Frisk,” he said graciously, and stood up to begin clearing up the rest of the table. She’d done the same thing before for her own plates, but this was the first time she had cleaned up multiple sets of tableware, and the action merited extra praise. “Allow me to get the rest - ah, no, no,” Gaster chided, and Frisk withdrew her hand from where she’d been attempting to reach the faucet, as if she’d had every intention of washing the dishes as well. “You don’t have to do that.” Frisk only looked up at him, and, on a sudden bit of fancy learned from Sans, held the plate in his grasp next to his face. “Dishes my job.”

A pause.

And then -

To his immense surprise - and something that felt suspiciously like delight - Frisk giggled. 

Softly and under her breath, and she clasped her hands over her mouth as if to stifle them. But not in a manner that suggested she was afraid that her laughter might provoke a negative reaction, no - more that she was attempting to remain composed, and simply could not hold in her delight. 

Gaster huffed, a breath of air that led to a low chuckle from himself. It was the giddiest sound he’d heard her make, by far, with none of the tenseness and fragility that her voice had held for the past three days. He found himself wondering if she would make the same sound again.

“Aha...yes,” he said, “even though I’m afraid it’s not a very, glassy job.”

She did. 

Another giggle, louder and more persistent behind her hands, and he laughed as well, infectious as laughter was. Gaster laughed with her - for a few seconds, for a few minutes, he couldn’t rightly tell - but when they stopped and she looked up at him, her face was missing all of the usual hesitation and uncertainty he’d become used to seeing. 

By this time yesterday, she would have already been back in her bedroom, sitting and waiting until he fetched her for lunch. But today -

Today...

Pay attention.

“But perhaps,” he murmured thoughtfully, and Frisk tilt her head. “You could, ah. Help me in the kitchen for a bit?”

The effect was so slight he almost missed it. But it was there.

“Very good,” he beamed, and dragged one of the step stools that the children used whenever they wished to make a mess of the kitchen. “I need to make some dough for tomorrow’s dinner - you can knead it for me.”

There was some confusion in her face - probably at the word knead, personal experience with Undyne told him he should have used beat up - but then Frisk’s face suddenly hardened. Not in an angry or defensive way - but definitive enough to make Gaster take a figurative step back.

She looked determined.

And she kept looking determined as she walked over to the stool, as if she had no idea what she would be doing but was fully prepared to give it her all anyways. 

There was nothing quite like the determination of a small child to prove herself, he imagined. With an inward chuckle, Gaster turned back to the table to grab the very last dishes from it.

The flash of white fur was gone from the doorway before he could even fully process it.

Frisk, he’d discovered in the past five days, was more expressive than one originally thought.

Even with the deadpanned stare that graced her features most of the time, the human child was actually deceptively easy to read. It only took a keen eye and an attentive mind to see the correct signals.

Wrinkles were a big factor. The lines on her forehead, the way her brows dipped and furrowed. Without the expressiveness of reflective eyes to look into, the wrinkles caused by her eyebrows became the biggest clue to her mood or feeling. The tilt of her mouth, too, and the position of her hands. All of it seemed rather much like common sense, when one thought about it, but the lack of visible eyes had made it surprisingly difficult to understand the quiet girl’s mood, at first.

Not so much anymore. 

Such as now - Frisk was clearly surprised at the coloring pages and few crayons she now had in her possession, but the way her eyes crinkled up at the corners...she was smiling. Internally, probably. And pretty soon -

Ah, there it was. An external smile, too.

“I’m afraid that was all I could get for you, for now,” Gaster apologized, sitting down on the edge of Frisk’s bed and taking the pages from her, spreading them out on the bedsheets. “Papyrus loves to color, and most of the pages have already been used. I’ve been meaning to ask Gerson to keep an eye out at the Dump and ask around town for some more coloring books, but there never seems to be enough - ”

She was looking confused again. Oops.

“Never mind that,” he finished succinctly, “just...it must be very boring in here, with nothing to do.” It’d been the reason he’d searched around for something to bring her. Something innocuous enough to go unnoticed by the other children, but (hopefully) stimulating enough to keep her entertained somewhat. After four days of spending almost all her time in her room, she must have been bored out of her skull, he’d reasoned. 

Especially since she had spent nearly all of today in her room. She hadn’t even come out for lunch or dinner, and hadn’t eaten what he’d left her. All things considered, he hadn’t been surprised.

Because Frisk had met Mr. Gerson’s children today, and whatever inner determination she’d been feeling - whatever she’d been doing to keep her chin up and her eyes dry - had not fared as well today, in the face of their scorn and disapproval. There had been no brawling and no FIGHTing, but there hadn’t even been a need. He’d gotten one look at Frisk’s blank face - her brave face, he was starting to call it - before she’d retreated to her room.

And so, a small gift - an apology, in a way. He and Gerson could have done things better - should have done things better. But even with forewarning, there had been no easy way to rip the bandaid off without causing hurts. Best to get it over with.

“I hope you like them.”

“Yes,” Frisk answered - somewhat surprisingly, he’d mostly been expecting a nod or another smile. And then even further - “Thank you Mr. Gaster.”

Gaster felt himself droop a bit. 

But he quickly set himself back to straights and got up off the bed, dusting his amorphous body off. “Of course, child,” he said. And then, after a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and carefully pat her once, twice, on the head. “I will try to get some more things in here tomorrow.”

He thought Frisk was nodding when he felt her head dip downwards underneath his hand, but when it didn’t come back up, he made a tactic retreat to the doorway. The light switch was flipped off, and, despite himself, he glanced back inwards as the door began to close. He got a brief glimpse of Frisk hugging the coloring pages to her chest before the door was fully closed in his face. 

Another moment of hesitation, and the barrier went up. 

Too soon. Still too soon. For both him, and the other children.

...Who, he realized, were still awake. 

There was a faint light coming from the boys’ bedroom up the hall, the door that was directly across from the girls’ bedroom. He’d just seen them all to bed before going to see Frisk - good little Monsters should be asleep right now. However, experience said it was only Papyrus having turned on the night light to go ask his brother something, or request to sleep in the same bed, and Gaster let it be as he passed by on the way to his own bedroom.

“But that’s...little mean.”

Or at least he would’ve, if it hadn’t been for Toriel’s voice.

Gaster stopped mid-stride, as Alphys’ voice suddenly chimed in. The both of them had come from the boys’ bedroom; and when Undyne’s passionate voice that she was clearly trying to keep to a whispered level suddenly joined the conversation, it became entirely clear what exactly was going on.

“I THINK SO TOO,” Papyrus said, and even with his attempt to keep his voice low, his words were the most distinguishable among all of them. “CAN’T WE JUST GIVE...FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI?”

“No, Papyrus!” That was Undyne, and a round of hurried shhhh! had her voice back to a more moderated level. “Don’t forget, she’s a...can’t trust them...ever! They just...lose hope!”

A moment of silence.

“Did you see their faces?” Asgore now, in a hushed and somber whisper that seemed entirely too heavy for the normally shy and kind monster. “I could see...had no hope. Because if Humans can even come here, to...HoPe do we have?”

“B-but she hasn’t even...she wants to...f-friends?” 

“c’mon, al. bad enough they...can’t even get away from...here.”

“It’s not fair.” Undyne again, and to Gaster’s consternation, there was a definite wavering tone in the normally bold-hearted fish girl’s voice. The sound of bedsheets rustling indicating one of the children moving around, perhaps to give Undyne a small piece of comfort. “Why can’t...just leave us alone?”

“Alphys is right, though,” Toriel argued, and with a firmer tone of voice than previous. “Frisk hasn’t even done...and, and she seems kinda nice.”

“forget it, tori,” Sans interrupted sharply, and Gaster knew for certain that there was no smile on his son’s face. “they do that, make you think...nice, but they’re not. not really.”

“U-UNDYNE...”

“It’s...hopeless...”

Gaster’s Soul trembled. 

“No!”

He jumped - he imagined every single monster in the room jumped as well. 

“I-it’s not hopeless!” Asgore said, and then repeated after he was subjected to a round of shushing, “it’s not hopeless. We can’t give up hope! W-We’ll...we’ll find a way!”

“H-how?” Alphys murmured. 

“We...uh, we just...”

Gaster struggled not to lean too close to the door and bang his skull into the doorknob. 

“...”

...What?

“What?” Toriel whispered, unwittingly echoing his question.

“Shhh!” Asgore hissed, and there was another shuffling of bedsheets as if the monster children were all leaning in closer. “However she got here...the same way, right? W-we’ll just...so much that she’ll want to...away forever.”

Gaster had a sneaking suspicion that he would very much like to know what had been said in the gaps he hadn’t been able to hear. 

Especially when Toriel spoke up again. “But that’s...that’s so mean! Why?”

As expected, Asgore made a choking sound, the one he normally made whenever he was confronted by Toriel’s disapproval. But to Gaster’s immense surprise, the goat monster continued speaking. “B-because, Tori! There’s no hope! There’s no other...we can’t just let her...everyone lose hope!”

For him to argue back to Toriel, of all Monsters...Asgore felt passionately about this.

“You...that could work?” Undyne’s voice, and despite the miniature breakdown she’d had just moments earlier, whatever idea Asgore pitched seemed to have cheered her up. Given her new hope.

“Yeah! D-don’t lose hope...keep The Underground free and make sure...everyone’s hopes and dreams.”

Another beat of silence.

“...Okay,” Undyne whispered, “okay. Okay. Okay. Okay! Ngaaaah!” Pleas for quiet! and Undyne, shhh! went unheeded as the fish girl pumped herself up, the creaking of bedsprings signaling her jump to standing position on one of the beds. “You’re right! We can’t lose hope! We will keep everyone’s hopes and dreams alive!”

“I-I’ll tell the others,” Alphys pitched in, though her voice was a lot less assured than Undyne’s. At the fish monster’s encouraging gargle slash hushed war cry however, she continued. “Napsta is usually...UnderNet. I’ll talk to...he can t-tell everybody.”

“B-BROTHER?...”

...

“let’s do it.”

A hushed array of cries went up - another war cry from Undyne, and Asgore’s quietly determined cheer, nearly dampened out what sounded like somewhat stressed out wheezing from Alphys. Papyrus’ distinctive “N-NYEH, NYEH HEH, H-HEH” was heard somewhere in the mix, and even Sans’ chuckle was barely heard underneath it all.

He heard nothing from Toriel.

“N-now c’mon! Before Gaster wakes up a-and notices!”

Ah. His cue, then.

Half of Gaster had been waiting for this moment, fully intending on remaining in the doorway and adopting as intimidating a position as possible, for when the girl’s inevitably attempted to sneak away back to their bedroom. It was, after all, in him to distort his body on command, make faces that seemed to nearly drip blackness into the ether. The effect was quite startling. 

At least according to Sans and Papyrus, both of which he’d scared at least three times each in their respective lifetimes.

But the other half of Gaster, the one that was replaying “It’s hopeless” over and over in his head, took control, and before he even knew what he was doing, he was already hiding behind the corner of the hallway, watching from the shadows as the girls carefully pried open the door and tiptoed out of it. 

Undyne’s eyes were somewhat red, but they had a determined glint to them now as she scurried across the hall, got inside the girls’ bedroom, and frantically waved for the other two to follow.

Alphys looked worried and nervous - maybe a smidgen more than normal - and quickly shuffled after the fish girl’s lead. 

And Toriel...

For a monster that was supposedly sneaking her way back into her bedroom, Toriel closed the door to the boys’ bedroom with a little more force than was strictly necessary. 

Both Undyne and Alphys - and presumably the boys inside - winced at the noise, and shushed Toriel. But the goat monster didn’t even seem to notice, stomping past the two and disappearing out of sight. Alphys followed, and after a quick moment of furtively glancing towards the master bedroom, Undyne softly eased the door back into its place. 

For some reason, it felt like a tornado has just gone by.

And was currently making itself at home in his chest. 

He...needed to handle this.

He had no idea how to handle this.

It was clear the children had come upon an agreement on how to deal with Frisk, one that most likely didn’t involve simply ignoring her. That was cause for concern enough, and Gaster liked to believe that, had he only heard that part of the whispered conversation, he would have devised a method to put a stop to their line of thinking immediately.

Except -

It’s hopeless.

To Humans, hope was a theoretical concept, a method to inspire willpower and fortitude. It was no more than a word to them - a nice word, true. A gleaming word that they threw around to comfort and inspire each other, but only a word, in the end.

Monsters, however...

Monsters needed hope. Monsters died without hope. If a Monster ever got to the point where they truly, sincerely, believed there was no hope left for whatever dire situation they were in, they would simply...dust themselves, then and there. It was a critical component to a Monster’s well-being, the abundance of hope that gave them the endurance to withstand harmful intent. Hope was life.

And to have heard Undyne, of all Monsters, whisper her hopelessness at the situation...

It wasn’t Frisk’s fault. Frisk was a...good child. But the simple fact of the matter was, her simply being at The Underground was causing Monsters to lose hope, and whatever radical notion Asgore had come up with, it had instilled hope back into Undyne’s voice. What would happen if he simply barged in and demanded they all play nice with the Human that was causing them such grief and turmoil? 

How much HoPe would be lost?

He’d have to warn Gerson to keep a close eye on the children on his side of the orphanage - CHECK them frequently. Though they, at least, did not have to deal with the physical reminder of the perceived threat every single day, like the children on his side had to. 

...The immediate solution, then, was to keep Frisk at his side, at all times. The barrier he had over her door - one that he’d intended to ensure she couldn’t sneak out - would still stay in place at night, preventing anyone else from sneaking in. And during the day, he would have Frisk help him out with simple tasks. In the kitchen, around the house, even in his makeshift lab. That way, he could keep an eye out on her, while the children could keep their plans and their hope. And in time, they would see that they had nothing to fear.

Brilliant. 

...Except for the small matter of Frisk.

“Get away!”

Gaster jumped, dropping the dishes into the soapy water as he whirled around. Frisk was in the living room - not pushing in the chairs like he’d requested - lingering near the sofa. And Undyne had Alphys behind her, the two of them pressed up against the tv that proudly declared Mew Mew’s victory over whatever newest evil she had triumphed over. 

“Can I watch?” Frisk asked as he hurried over - the most words she’d ever spoken directly to a Monster child since coming here. Her voice was quiet, and there was not much infliction to it, as if she was asking a question she already knew the answer to. But there was still that set in her shoulders, a sort of resolve, trying even when she knew she would fail. 

She was a very determined little child.

“No!”

“Frisk,” Gaster said worriedly, and - for the first time since that evening she had come to live at The Underground, he picked her up by the armpits, settling her in her arms. The action seemed to surprise the human child, who’s determined stare turned startled. “You said you would help me in my lab today, yes?”

“Yeah,” she said, but her eyes remained on the fish girl and lizard monsters. The former of which stuck out her tongue to blow a raspberry. The latter -

- only stared back.

“Let’s go then,” he said with as much cheer as he could muster, “you’re very nice to help me with my project.” The words were spoken with purposeful conviction as he glanced back at the other two girls. Alphys was still looking at Frisk, though when he turned to look, she flushed and looked down at her claws. Undyne had already gone back to watching the anime, an arm firmly around Alphys’ shoulders as if to pull her out of harm’s way at a moment’s notice. 

Slowly. A lifetime of hurts needed time to heal. 

Frisk was still looking at the monster girls. With a sigh, Gaster patted her back lightly, before turning to head down to the basement. 

And catching sight of Toriel, peering around the corner of the playroom door.

Gaster almost dropped Frisk, but managed to snag and juggle her a bit to keep a hold on her. And by the time he looked back up, the goat monster was gone. It took Gaster a moment to collect his thoughts, but Frisk shifting around in his arms alerted him back to his surroundings. He smiled reassuringly down at the human child, before continuing on his way to the basement, letting his mind wander.

Of all the monster kids, Toriel’s immediate reaction to the human child had been the most concerning. She had instantly reverted to what was probably an unwitting self-defensive technique of hers - that is, to shut herself inward, remove herself from all others. She had been quiet and withdrawn when she and Asgore had first come to The Underground, a far cry from the exuberant and bright Monster she was today, and after Frisk had been revealed...

Those same techniques has begun appearing. 

Not to the same degree, no, but Toriel had been distant and contemplative the last week or so. Gaster didn’t think she’d told a single joke the entire time. But whereas before, when she had simply closed herself off to everyone, now there was...something different. Distant, but still engaged enough to be attempting to spy on Frisk when possible. Quiet, but not utterly shut off from her surroundings.

There was something working in that brain of hers, Gaster was certain of it. Something that probably didn’t agree with the rest of the Monster kids’ opinions as well, if her tiny little act of defiance the other night was any indication. 

Pay attention.

He would need to figure that puzzle out, soon.

For now however, Gaster felt a little bit more relieved as they got to the basement. Children were not allowed in his makeshift lab without his express permission, and it was just about the only rule they obeyed unerringly - because the last time Sans had tried sneaking into the room unsupervised, all the kids had seen the full force of his wrath.

No ketchup. For a week.

He’d almost felt bad about the way Undyne and Alphys clung to their books and their video tapes, or the way Toriel had made a beeline for her knitting tools. Almost.

...In fact, he probably wasn’t doing Frisk many favors, allowing her entrance into this forbidden zone that the other children were normally barred from. Sans and Alphys had acted as assistants and helpers in the past, but it was still a rare occurrence. But he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Frisk alone, anymore - for both her sake, and the sake of the other children. Ether way, he was making someone unhappy.

Even now, he still had no idea how to be a good father. 

“Here we are,” Gaster announced a bit unnecessarily, settling Frisk onto the floor. This was her first time in the lab, and he could tell the human child was curious as she looked around. “Now Frisk,” he said, and her head whipped back around towards him, “don’t touch anything unless I tell you to. Yes?” Ostensibly, he had asked for her help in the lab, but in reality that had just been an excuse to keep her within sight. There was nothing really for her to do now here - he just hoped he could find something to occupy her time. 

Maybe in his drawer full of rejects?

Gaster dug through it, muttering under his breath as he came across multiple pointed objects. He was going to have to child-proof this lab, if things continued at this rate. Maybe he could make a little pallet in a corner? Nice little cozy pallet, and have some food and some coloring pages for her to eat and use. 

...Had he just mentally drawn up a doggie bed for a human child? Probably.

Which is when a whirring sound started building up behind him.

“Don’t touch - !” Gaster cried out instinctively, whirling around to stop Frisk from whatever she was doing. Which he did - Frisk immediately withdrew her hand from the machine she had stuck it inside.

The old DT extraction machine.

The tiny one that had been sitting on his desk since they’d first bought this place, a pale mimicry of the full-sized one he’d had back in the city, with Human funding and research at his disposal. 

The one that had sat silent and stagnant for years, regardless of how many scraps of DETERMINATION he’d fed it. 

And Frisk...Frisk had...

“Frisk,” he said softly, and the child hunched inward on herself. Knowing she’d done wrong, possibly, expecting some sort of punishment or reprimand. “Frisk...do that again.”

Not what she’d been expecting.

Frisk’s head snapped upwards, confusion clear on her face - but Gaster couldn’t even bring himself to give her a reassuring smile, focused completely on the machine as the human child slowly reached upwards, up on tiptoes, and carefully stuck her hand into the slot on the machine.

And immediately -

The DT extraction machine whirred. 

Clumsily. Lazily. Sputtering and flickering in and out like the old and underused machine it was.

But it was active.

He hadn’t...there wasn’t even anything in the actual slot itself, the sliding compartment was sitting on his desk. It wasn’t even, draining anything, it was just...reacting to Frisk’s hand.

Just...her hand. 

That she withdrew once more, cradling it to her chest, and the machine died down.

He should say something, he knew. Frisk was looking to him for guidance, for reassurance that she hadn’t done anything bad. That she’d done what he wanted. And...and he wanted to give it to her, wanted to praise her for a job well done. 

But he couldn’t. Gaster could only stare at the machine as he slowly stalked forward, one hand reaching out to caress a lifelong dream that he thought had died a swift and ugly death so many years ago.

The will to continue...the desire to go on...

Yes...

This seemed very...very...

I N T E R E S T I N G

Chapter Text

The First Human: Hide Together 

For the longest time, she’d believed that the best thing to do, when you were hurting? 

Hide. 

Hide from the hurt, because time was suppose to heal all wounds.

She just wished it didn’t take so long.

She wasn’t even sure how long it had taken, before. When she’d come to The Underground with Gorey. That time is mostly just an impression of memories to her - of baking things, and knitting little socks, and a skeleton with a droopy face tucking her into bed. Of Gorey holding her hand and leading her around to different places, and tucking herself away in little nooks and crannies and pretending she was in her own private little home.

In fact, Toriel couldn’t really remember when she had stopped hurting. Or at least, stopped hurting enough to realize the short skeleton in front of her had said something really funny. She still remembered how Sans had jumped into the air, probably just as surprised as she had been when she’d started giggling. And then he had smiled, carefully, and had made a joke about being scared out of his skin.

Hee hee. That one still made her laugh, no matter how many times he used it.

But still. She honestly couldn’t remember how long that had taken, from the time she had arrived to the time Sans had made her laugh. And, also honestly? Toriel wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It didn’t matter, because she had her friends here, and now. 

This time, though...

This time, she knew she’d stopped hurting very quickly...or maybe, it was better to say that she’d stopped hiding very quickly. Because, although she’d felt that sort of fuzzy distance from everything when she’d first seen the human, she became aware of the girl on the first day.

She knew it had only been one day, because Undyne had grumbled about how lame it was that the human was staying here after they’d all had dinner, and it would only just be for one day, right? There was no way she was going to be staying for a long time, right? If it was only one day, they could just ignore her until she left, and then everything would be back to normal.

Right?

And Toriel had agreed, at first. Because Humans were...it just wasn’t fair. That she had finally stopped hurting, that she was happy in her home here with all her friends, and now there was this human here that...that looked so much like her. Which just reminded Toriel so much of him.

It just wasn’t fair.

And so, she had kept with the others. Knitted a lot of socks for Gorey. Made a very small pie with the little ingredients they had left, before Mr. Gerson came back. Played with the Froggits in the yard. She’d forced herself not to go into hiding again, not to pull back from everyone, because even though that space was safe, it was very lonely. She’d done a pretty good job.

And then the fourth day.

At breakfast. When the human had grabbed the ketchup bottle and slid it halfway across the table, and Papyrus had loudly exclaimed his pleasure. Toriel had been watching the human girl, had watched as Papyrus had leaned closer to get the bottle, and the human had...

She had smiled.

It was the first time she’d seen her do that. 

And that smile - so shy, so quiet, but so very hopeful...it had reminded her of him.

Sans had interrupted and grabbed the bottle himself, and Undyne had stopped Papyrus, and eventually they had all decided they’d had enough for that day and left the table. She had followed out of instinct. 

But she’d stopped, and turned, and looked through the archway. 

And there the human child was smiling again. Smiling up at Gaster. Still a very small smile, but bigger than before, more cheerfully. She had stared, and stared, and only when Gaster had suddenly turned in her direction had she left, as if she had been caught spying on something bad. 

Up until that point, the human child had always worn a blank face. Like there was nothing there. 

Nothing there, because the human was hiding. Hiding on the inside.

And that was why she was peering around the hallway corner now.

From that point onward, the thought had refused to leave her. What if the human was hiding on the inside? The same way she liked to hide when she was hurting? If that was the case then...then that meant the human was hurting. And Toriel knew, that those kinds of hurts were not okay.

Not that any kind of hurts were okay, but...hiding meant something was wrong. 

And, well...Humans could be mean, and terrible, and do very bad things. But that didn’t mean all Humans were mean and terrible and did bad things, right? Sans didn’t seem to agree, and neither did Gorey and Undyne. And at least, Gorey, she could understand. Because Humans had taken their friends away from them - even one of their own kind.

And maybe that’s what had caused her to hurt so much, when this human girl had shown up. 

Because the thought of losing another friend...it hurt too much to even think about it.

She was so focused on the doorway, and on hurtful memories, that she almost didn’t realize that the door was opening. Toriel pulled her head back and pressed it against the wall, hoping that maybe he hadn’t seen her - but a moment later, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up at Gaster. 

Why did she feel like she was in trouble? She wasn’t doing anything. Honest!

“Toriel?” Gaster questioned, and she flushed and looked downwards, holding her paws to her chest. She wasn’t sure why she felt this way, like there was something dangerous going on and - okay, maybe she did know. Things felt dangerous, like she was playing with scissors or trying to hold a pan without any oven mitts on. “Is there something you need, child?”

“Um,” she answered, very smartly she thought, and looked down at the rug for answers. It didn’t give her any. 

All she wanted...she just wanted to know...

“...Well, alright then,” the adult Monster said, and patted her head. Papyrus had put a very pretty bow in it that morning after breakfast. “Why don’t you come back downstairs with me, I believe Undyne and Asgore may be trying to - ”

“Is she sleeping?” she blurted. 

Gaster was caught off-guard, she could tell. “I’m sorry?”

“The human,” she explained, and twist her paws into her sweater dress. It was her favorite, purple and white with golden wings and triangles on it. “Is she...is she sleeping? How come she’s...it’s only nine o’clock.”

“Ah,” Gaster said, and crouched down a bit to reach her level. She liked when he did that, or when he picked them up - he was too tall to look up at all the time. “Frisk is...no, she is not sleeping. It’s...ah, well, she has a better time being by herself, for now.” 

“So,” Toriel said slowly, puzzling it out. “She’s...she’s hiding? So she can be by herself?”

The skeleton Monster seemed a bit confused, but only nodded a bit. “Yes...yes, I suppose you could say that.”

“Oh.”

Toriel leaned around the hallway corner again, as if the human might suddenly come bursting out from behind the door. It was only nine in the morning, and the human girl wanted to just stay in her room all day. To hide.

From them.

“Toriel?” Gaster questioned hesitantly, though there was a thread of careful hope in his voice. “Would you...do you want to say hello?”

She was a Human. And Humans were...

She shook her head, her ears flying all over the place, and quickly ran down the stairs before Gaster could stop her. She didn’t stop until she was in the Ruins. And once there, she went to her special home and sat there for a long time, because she had to think.

...She didn’t know what to think.

Asgore’s plan seemed to play on repeat in her mind as she fiddled with her knitting and her books and her socks. In the dark of the night, with only a small night light to fill the room, his whispered words and Undyne’s vicious agreement had seemed cruel - terrible, even. Make the human leave herself, by FIGHTing her over and over until she ran away? Monstrous. 

“Just think about it, Tori,” Undyne had said reasonably last night before they’d all climbed into bed, her eyes still kind of puffy but with a hard and determined gleam. “This can work! Think about it tomorrow.”

Well, it was tomorrow, and Gorey’s plan still...still...sucked! 

Because the more she thought about it, the more she wondered. She knew what it felt like to hide away from the hurt, to try and find a place where nothing could hurt anymore. How would she feel if she was hurting, and then everyone around her was doing their best to hurt her even more? That wouldn’t feel very good, that was for certain. 

“forget it, tori,” Sans had said, “they do that, make you think that they’re super nice, but they’re not. not really.”

She didn’t believe that. 

She couldn’t. Because if Humans only pretended to be nice but really had nothing but hate for you, then that meant...

That meant that her friendship with the human hadn’t been real. That none of it had even been there in the first place, and that...that, she could not accept. 

She didn’t like Humans. They took things and were cruel and had such hateful intent. But even if that was the case, then...what was it she had heard last night? What had she heard and listened to, firsthand, from a group of Monsters that weren’t suppose to be anything like terrible Humans at all?

Cruelty, and hateful intent.

You didn’t need to be a Human to be cruel. And maybe...maybe, there were some Humans who did not deserve that cruelty. 

Maybe there were some Humans who had already had enough.

They couldn’t do anything around Gaster - Toriel knew that, and they knew that. Gaster had been the one to take her in, after all. If he hadn’t wanted her around, he wouldn’t have brought her into The Underground. That was common sense. 

And so, despite the newfound determination on a lot of their faces during breakfast, no one actually did anything. There was an unspoken agreement to just keep on ignoring the human whenever Gaster was around...or even when he wasn’t. Because they wanted to be careful about FIGHTing, not just start expressing themselves nilly-willy. They didn’t want to actually hurt the human physically, according to Alphys. They just wanted to get her to leave. 

She couldn’t help it - she snorted into her juice, and Sans gave her a funny look from across the table.

She didn’t believe them. She knew harmful intent when she heard it, she had been thinking about it all yesterday. They were going to hurt her, they wanted to hurt her, she just knew it. And she was just so...tired of it. From Humans, from Monsters...why did they all have to FIGHT one another?

Why couldn’t they just...talk? Wasn’t there enough hurt hiding in everyone already?

“And then we’re gonna go to Waterfall,” Undyne was saying, and Toriel blinked from where she’d been glaring down into her juice, looking up at the fish girl excitedly relaying her plans to Gaster, “and get one of the mushrooms, and then we’re gonna bury it outside with a golden flower, and then we’re gonna water it and see what grows!”

“Um, there m-may be a couple more steps involved,” Alphys put in helpfully. 

“No way! That’s how plants work dummy, you bury them and then water them, and they grow!”

Gaster chuckled, absently nibbling on his toast. “And did you ask Asgore for one of his flowers, this time?”

“Duh!” Undyne scoffed, but Gaster looked towards the goat monster in question, who nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay,” Gorey said, but then gave the fish girl a Look. “But only one! And I’ll pick it! Last time you smushed a bunch of them,” he finished sourly. 

“I WILL HELP!” Papyrus declared. “TOGETHER WE WILL PICK THE BEST FLOWER OF THEM ALL, TO GROW WITH THE MUSHROOM!”

“yup,” Sans chimed in, “i bet it’ll grow into a mush butter flower.”

“Shut it, ‘ya bonebag!” Undyne cried over the sound of Papyrus’ grinding teeth, but without much force as she gave the skeleton a hearty slap on the skull. Talking about their plans with Gaster seemed to have spurred the fish girl into action though, and she shoved the rest of her toast into her mouth. “C’mon Al, let’s go!” she demanded, and grabbed the lizard’s coat to pull her off her chair with a full piece of toast still sticking out of Alphys’ mouth.

“NYEH HEH HEH! ASGORE AND I WILL GO AND GET THE BEST MUSHROOM IN WATERFALL!”

“No way! I’m not leaving her alone with my flowers!” Asgore protested as he slid off of his seat, Papyrus following soon after. Gaster had already started picking up the leftover plates, and the human girl was copying him, though she only grabbed what was closest to her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sans slide down from his chair as well, but then he paused and turned towards her - still seated and glaring down into her glass. 

“you coming, tori?”

There was enough hurt hiding in everybody. 

“Yeah,” she said, and hopped down from her seat - but then picked up her plate and glass. “I’m gonna help clean up first.”

Toriel didn’t look around at the sudden silence and lack of movement, but she didn’t hide, either. She just walked, with her face held straight forward, and set her dishware in the sink. And then, she grabbed the wet dish towel and went back to the table, and began scrubbing out all the stains and spills she could reach from the chairs.

Eventually, the movement started again, but it was a lot quieter. Toriel kept on doing what she was doing, and fought against the urge to bite on her lower lip as the silence starting getting kind of heavy. But she kept cleaning as best as she could, and by the time she looked up, the kitchen was empty of all Monster children. 

Even if they did a very bad job of hiding in the living room. Gorey didn’t even realize his cloak was all the way out from behind the couch. 

“Thank you Toriel,” Gaster said, and she blinked up at him, and the skeleton hand he was holding out for the dish towel. “I was beginning to think you were never going to use the kitchen again,” he teased, and she blushed. It had been an awfully long time since she’d used the kitchen in any way, she missed it. 

“Heh, yeah,” she admitted, and rubbed her paws together. They were wet from the towel, she needed to dry them. “I was just...busy, I guess.” Even as she said it Toriel wanted to smack a paw to her nose, but Gaster seemed to understand. He only chuckled and went back to the sink, and she turned around to look for a dry towel.

There was one directly in front of her. 

The human girl was holding it. 

And holding it out. She wasn’t very close - a few feet away - but she was holding it out to her, and looking down to the left. Not meeting her eyes. 

Hiding herself.

The noises from the sink had died down a bit, as if Gaster had slowed down washing dishes in order to pay attention, but she didn’t turn to look - her vision was filled with green and yellow sweaters; blood-stained hands, and tear-filled eyes that slowly cleared up as she healed the worst of it. Red eyes that glanced at her from under shaggy brown hair, then glanced away, ready and expecting to be thrown away at a moment’s notice. 

Toriel wasn’t even fully aware that she was doing it, but the towel was in her paw. Slowly, she took it and wiped her paws dry...but only when those red eyes faded away, and were replaced by closed eyelids and an unsure smile, did she lift the towel back up. 

And carefully wipe the human’s cheek.

“You had,” she explained, but only gestured at the her cheek, and the small smear of butter that was streaked across the towel. The girl held a hand to her now clean face, and pulled it away to look down at it for a long moment.

And when the girl looked back up, Toriel felt something bloom in her chest. 

“Hee hee...yeah, it was all over,” she continued. It really hadn’t been, but it made the human girl perk up even more, made that shy smile disappear and be replaced by something better, something brighter.

Something not so hidden.

“Y-Yeah, it was everywhere! Like, like...knock knock?”

A moment of very awkward silence, long enough to make her swallow.

But then -

“Who’s there?”

“...Y-you!” she blurted out after a moment. 

“You who?”

“You’ve got butter all over your face, you butter believe it!”

The human laughed, and she laughed along with her, entirely by accident. 

Green and yellow sweaters, shaggy brown hair, and red eyes that had laughed and snickered and found amusement in dark things. White fur and shimmering eyes that had cried a lot, but had loved all the same. Both of them had been alive and free and at peace. Such dark humor, but it had still been her. Tears and uncertainty, but it had still been him. And they were the only ones who had really understood, had really known how she’d felt when their friend was taken away.

“Do you,” she started, once they had stopped laughing long enough. And when the human looked at her, Toriel almost lost her nerve, because this was special and she only shared it with her friends. And...

She wanted to share it.

“Do you wanna...make a pie with me?”

There was another short pause, and Toriel could almost swear her Soul was getting ready to burst out of her chest. 

But the human nodded. And smiled. 

“O-okay!” she said, and took one of the human’s hands. Gaster was silent, but from the corner of her eye, she could see a somewhat watery smile on his face as she led the other girl to the counter, where there were some stools for them to use so they didn’t have to stand on tiptoes. 

Because the counters were high up, and she didn’t want Frisk to accidentally hurt herself.

“Sooo. D-do you like...butterscotch, or cinnamon?”

Frisk liked butterscotch better than cinnamon, but she loved butterscotch cinnamon pie most of all.

The other Monster kids were not happy. Especially when they weren’t allowed to have any butterscotch cinnamon pie, at all.

They didn’t even have to say anything, she could just see it. See it in Undyne’s confused glare, like she was mad but wasn’t exactly sure who she should be mad at. See it in Sans’ brittle smile, the way his smile sometimes got when he was hurting and hiding on the inside. See it in Papyrus and Alphys, who were just so confused and she wished they could just see how cruel they were being, see things her way, but they just followed along with the others.

And most of all, she could see it in Gorey. 

For the entire morning since breakfast and the pie baking, he had been giving her very pointed stares and jerking his head this way and that, like he wanted her to follow so they could talk together - but she’d ignored each signal, like she was ignoring it now. She only led Frisk by one hand out into the yard after lunch, ignoring the others as they mingled around Gorey’s flower garden and did a very bad job of pretending not to care what she and the human were doing. 

“These are my Froggits!” she said proudly, arms spread wide in a ta-da posture as Frisk took them in. There were three Froggits there at the moment, though there were sometimes more, sometimes less. Sometimes none at all, but they liked the little shaded areas underneath the bushes in the yard. “Well, not really mine,” she amended, “but they like me. They’re really shy, and not very strong, so you gotta be real gentle with them, okay?”

“Okay,” Frisk agreed, and edged a bit closer to the bush. She seemed very excited, which Toriel thought was very sad - poor Frisk had been spending so much time in her room, probably everything at The Underground was very exciting for her. 

And she couldn’t blame Frisk either, for hiding herself away. They hadn’t...she hadn’t been very friendly, she knew that now. It must have hurt her a whole lot. 

But she was here now, and she would make sure that Frisk wouldn’t be hurt. She would protect her from the cruelty of the other Monsters in The Underground. Not just because Gaster had asked her too, but because she knew now that FIGHTing was not the answer.

Frisk giggled suddenly, and Toriel realized one of the Froggits had hopped closer to her outstretched hand. “Pretty,” the human said, and the Froggit blushed very deeply, flailing and stumbling back onto one of the other ones, sending the whole lot of them hopping around in panicked circles. 

“Hey hey, it’s okay,” Toriel soothed, even though she was trying not to giggle too. The Froggits always got embarrassed whenever someone complimented them, they were so funny. “Here, come say hello!” They were used to her, so they allowed her to carefully grab all of them and slide them out from under the bush, her arms full of Froggits. One by one she set them down in front of Frisk, who crouched down with her hands on her knees.

“They like you!” she said in delight - which was totally true, because they weren’t trying to run away or hide themselves like they mostly did. One of them - not the one that’d been complimented already - even took a tentative hop forward, and Frisk very, very gently touched a hand to its head. 

This was great!

“Oh! Lemme get some treats,” Toriel decided, hopping up to go running into the house, “I’ll be right back!” Froggits mostly liked flies, but sometimes they liked to eat carrots too. Frisk would probably have a lot of fun feeding the Froggits, and she had a baggie of already chopped carrots in the fridge. 

It wasn’t until she had rummaged around the fridge for a while, finally found the baggie, and closed the fridge door, that Toriel realized what she had done.

And also, the blue spears she could see, all the way out the living room sliding door windows.

She dropped the baggie, completely forgot it as she ran out of the kitchen and across the living room. Gaster wasn’t around, he’d left her in charge of looking out for the human, and Monsters were cruel and she had failed and Frisk was going to hate her for leaving her alone and -

Toriel nearly slammed open the sliding door, stumbling into the garden - and there, by the Froggit bushes, was Frisk, sitting down with one arm held over her face. And one of Undyne’s blue spears and Gorey’s magical fire hovered above her. 

Toriel -

snapped.

“You leave her alone!” she screamed, a ball of fire between her paws and her feet rushing forward before she even knew she was moving. She vaguely caught sight of Undyne and Asgore’s surprised faces as she flung her fireball - summoned faster than she had ever managed to summon fire magic outside of an encounter before - in front of them, the flare flashing along the ground and making them hastily scramble backwards, their expressions dispersing into thin air. 

“T-Tori!” Asgore yelped, backpedaling away from the magical line of fire, his little feet flailing. 

“She had a Froggit!” Undyne insisted, taking a threatening step forward - but even the fish girl jerked backwards as her paws flickered with more fire magic. “She was holding one, she was gonna attack!”

“No she wasn’t!” she asserted aggressively, and then turned to her friend with a more concerned look. “Are you okay?” she asked, carefully looking her over. Frisk didn’t seem hurt, but Monsters and Humans could hurt in different ways. 

“S-SHE WAS ONLY HOLDING IT...” Papyrus put in helpfully, from where he was hiding behind the tree like the coward he was. Sans and Alphys too - all of them just standing there, peeking around the tree to watch as Undyne and Asgore hurt another child.

Cruel. Terrible. Vicious.

“Tori, we weren’t gonna hurt anyone,” Asgore whined, like the pathetic whelp he was. He took a step closer, and something snarling and snapping rose up inside her. “We were just gonna scare her a little - ”

“Get away!” she cried, and just as quickly as before, she shot another fireball from her paws. The magical flames licked at the ground and had Asgore and Undyne stumbling even further back, the other goat monster even falling onto his back the same way his fire had probably made Frisk stumble backwards in fear and confusion. 

But that would be the only time. Frisk would be safe with her.

“Yeah, you better run,” she growled under her breath, glaring at the retreating children as she held Frisk in her arms. Cowards, all of them. Going after nice little Humans, just because they were scared. Like it was okay to make someone else scared because they were scared. 

But it was clear now that she couldn’t leave Frisk on her own...and even more importantly, Frisk couldn’t even be around the other children. Because all it would take was one second, one moment where she looked away, and then bam! One of the kids would do something, and Frisk would get hurt, everything would be terrible. She had to protect Frisk.

She had to protect this child.

And she knew how to do it.

“It’s alright,” Toriel said reassuringly, beckoning the human girl to keep on following her, “I know all the best passages and hiding spots in the Ruins! Just stick to me and you’ll be safe.”

Frisk nodded, a small and sweet smile on her face, and she could just tell that Frisk was grateful to have been rescued from those other Monsters. 

And rescue she had, in more ways than one! There was an easy path through the Ruins - one that had been cleared out soon after the orphanage had opened up - and it led right into Snowdin, quick and easy. But there were other parts of the Ruins that had only been cleared of dangerous stuff, like bits of broken glass and splintered wood, but then had been left alone, either because they’d had no time or nor money. She’d asked Gaster about it once, and the adult skeleton had mentioned something about it being an “uphill battle, like every new dawn filled with hell-raising nightmare spawns that threaten to tear my fragile sanity in twain.”

...Whatever that meant.

She thought it meant that it’d been a lost cause, and it had simply been better to leave the Ruins as is, and find nicer rooms to play in.

Toriel liked them though. The secret paths were hard to navigate, but she had figured them out, and now had her own private little place behind the big painting next to the ruined fireplace. Sans had tried using his magic to shift some of the debris and make it easier to follow her, but she had scared him off, because she was fierce and liked her quiet little hiding place just the way it was, thank you very much.

But she didn’t mind sharing with Frisk, because Frisk needed a place to hide now, the same way she had needed a place to run to whenever things got to be too much. She she didn’t even mind if Frisk wanted to move down here forever - they could sleep in the Ruins together, like sisters! 

She could keep Frisk here forever, and the other kids were never bother her or hurt her at all. 

“Careful!” she instructed, stopping at a particularly tricky part of the Ruins. A bunch of desks had gotten cluttered together at one point, and it was easy to move in between all the upturned and sideways legs, only to find a desk in your face and a dead end. “This part’s tricky. Here - like this!”

Toriel took Frisk’s hand, and began leading the human girl through the maze. Slowly, so that Frisk could memorize the pattern for herself...not that she would ever need to leave the Ruins again. But just in case Frisk ever had to go through here alone, it would be better for her to know where to go, so she wouldn’t get stuck behind a desk or a chair or a rolled up rug. 

Things that have never happened to her before, ever. Nope.

Because she was a pro at this now, and soon, the desk maze was behind them, leaving them in front of a small painting of a red tree. “Here it is!” Toriel exclaimed proudly, and excitedly tugged Frisk towards her special hiding place. “My super secret home.”

The painting of the red tree was almost right in front of a much larger, and much more stupid painting of a grumpy looking Human. But the way the painting leaned against the wall sort of made a tent-like thing, and she’d even managed to take a couple of pillows back there at one point. And after adding in a few books and some of her knitting stuff, it had gotten real cozy, her own little home.

She had...spent a lot of time here, when she’d first come to The Underground. Not so much anymore...but it was perfect for keeping Frisk safe. 

Frisk was looking around the area, hands held in front of her as she glanced over the books and the socks and the pillows. “Do you like it?” Toriel asked nervously, wringing her own paws together, because she really, really wanted Frisk to like her new home. 

And she did. Her smile said it all.

Toriel giggled as Frisk dropped onto one of the pillows, letting out a quiet oomph! at the impact. Frisk, she was slowly realizing, didn’t really talk much - only, it wasn’t because she couldn’t talk, it was just that she chose not to. Maybe she just liked expressing herself through her body and her face, kinda like how Moldsmal liked to wiggle back and forth. 

“I’m glad you like it,” she said, and flopped down onto the other pillow beside Frisk. “I promise, you’re going to love it here! No one can find us here, you’ll be safe forever,” Toriel continued to assure the human - which is when her stomach suddenly gave a loud rumble. “Ooooo, I’m hungry...are you? No no no,” she hopped up, flapping her paws at the human so she would sit back down on the pillow, “don’t worry! I’ll get us food so you don’t ever have to leave, okay? So you can stay safe!”

Because she knew her way in and out of the Ruins the fastest, so she could go get the food and come back, super quick!

“I’ll be right back!” Toriel promised, and if she weren’t so thrilled with her plan, might have noticed the slight frown on Frisk’s face as she headed for the exit. “You go get some sleep, okay? I’ll be back with food!”

She took the backdoor exit from her special home - at least that’s what she liked to call it. It was a heavy cupboard of some sort with an exposed back, and the way it had fallen  made it difficult but possible to push open...but completely impossible to pull open from the outside. No one could just sneak into the back of her home while she could use it as a shortcut to get to the main pathway of the Ruins, which is exactly what she did.

And bump straight into Gaster.

“Ah Toriel, I’ve been looking for you,” he said, shivering a bit - he must have been spending some time in Snowdin. The adult skeleton paused however, and glanced all around, a worried frown growing on his face. “Where is Frisk?”

“Don’t worry Gaster,” she chirped proudly, taking one of his hands to lead him out of the Ruins and towards the kitchen, “I’m taking good care of her! She’s safe. I’ll protect her, I promise!”

“I believe you, child,” Gaster said, chuckling a bit, but the worried look didn’t leave his face. “But - where is she?”

Toriel glanced left and right, before gesturing one paw at Gaster, who obligingly bent down so she could cup her paw around the side of his skull. “Hiding,” she revealed in a hushed whisper, and sent another furtive glance towards the living room, where she could see the back of Sans’ skull and Alphys’ head sitting on the couch. “But don’t worry! She’s safe.”

“I, see...” the adult skeleton said slowly, and Toriel huffed and rolled her eyes, because he probably didn’t see at all. But that was okay - she was going to keep Frisk safe, no matter what. “Well then...shall we get dinner ready?”

Her stomach rumbled again, and Frisk was probably very hungry as well, especially after the fright she’d gotten. “Yes please,” she requested, and led the way into the kitchen. Toriel frowned as she heard Gaster call for the others, but ignored it, grabbing a stool to help prepare dinner.

Sandwiches for everyone. 

Including Frisk, and as Gaster finished setting the sandwiches on all the plates, Toriel thoughtfully grabbed a slice of the butterscotch cinnamon pie she had made with the human that morning, carefully wrapping it up in a napkin. Frisk had really liked the slice she’d had this morning, so the two of them could share another slice after eating dinner. 

Asgore was looking longingly at the pie, but Toriel shot him glare, because no, none of them were allowed to eat that pie at all. The other goat monster averted his eyes.

But he quickly looked up again as, despite the entire table sitting down to eat, she hopped up onto her chair to grab her sandwich, before hopping down again. They all stared at her - even Gaster - as she repeated the action with another sandwich, at the plate that nobody was sitting in front of, before carefully bundling up her entire haul in her arms.

“Toriel?” Gaster questioned. “Are you not going to eat with us?”

“No thank you,” she said primly as she wrapped everything up in one of the larger paper towels. Easier to hold. 

All the other children stared as she walked past the table, and Toriel felt her chest burning at the look Asgore gave her. “B-But,” the goat child stammered, “why?”

Toriel whirled around and gave Asgore her very best Death Stare, and it must have worked - Asgore flinched so hard he almost fell of his seat. “None, of your business,” you snapped, and almost felt like fire was coming out of her nostrils as she nodded dismissively. “Good day!”

And with that, she whipped her head back around, held high in the air as she marched out of the kitchen and back towards the Ruins, because she was not ashamed. She was the one doing the right thing here, and they were the cruel ones. 

She would protect Frisk.

“I’m back!” she called out as she passed by the tree painting, though she didn’t really need to - Frisk was idly flipping through one of her books, and the human looked up at her approach. It made Toriel very happy; she’d been half worried that Frisk might wander off and get lost in the Ruins, but she had stayed at home like a good child. A good sister? A good Human that she needed to protect at all costs! 

“I got sandwiches.” The trove of food was spread out onto the floor as Toriel settled onto the other pillow and Frisk scoot forward a bit. “Here’s yours!” she said, holding out one for her. The human accepted it gratefully, and there was a moment of silence as they simply chewed. Toriel couldn’t help sneaking glances at the human.

No one could hurt Frisk here. And the other girl looked so happy and peaceful...this was perfect.

Curiously, Frisk grabbed a tiny corner of the napkin inside the paper towels, reminding Toriel of the surprise she had for her. “Oh! And I got another piece of pie for us!” Frisk’s face lit up at that, and that made Toriel feel warm on the inside. “I’ll go get some more slices,” she promised, “since you like ‘em so much. I’ll bring two slices when I go get food tomorrow!”

She was expecting another smile, or maybe a very fast nod. But to her surprise, Frisk’s face seemed to fall a bit. Not like she was sad, really, but more like she was confused. 

Though it became clear a moment later.

“I’ll get some,” Frisk said, and Toriel stopped mid-chew...before realizing what the human was saying. 

“Oh, that’s okay Frisk,” she laughed, reaching over to pat the girl on one shoulder, “I’ll get them! You stay in here, silly. Forever!”

...There it was again, the not-quite-sad-more-like-confused look on her face, and Toriel lowered her half eaten sandwich at almost the same time Frisk did hers, a sudden lump growing in her throat.

“Can’t stay forever,” the human said, and there went that lump, that sudden, bad feeling in her chest. “Have to leave.”

The sandwich was dropped to the floor. Toriel felt it drop more than saw it, because in her eyes, she only saw a green and yellow sweater, disappearing into the distance, out of reach from her paw. 

Leave?

Why did...she couldn’t leave.

“But,” Toriel whispered, and stood up from the pillow. Frisk copied the movement, gently setting down the rest of her sandwich on the paper towel. “But, you can’t leave,” she said. Didn’t Frisk know that? She’d seen what Undyne and Asgore had been about to do to her...didn’t she understand? “You’ll be safe down here, away from them. They’re too dangerous, they’ll...they’ll hurt you.”

Frisk paused, curling one hand in her sweater, and Toriel felt a surge of hope. Maybe...maybe she just hadn’t understood the danger? How cruel Monsters could be? And now, now she would -

“S’kay,” Frisk murmured, and she felt a tiny prickle out of the corner of her eye. “Monsters are...” She sucked in a breath, and - with that closed-eyed stare that had made her wary at first, and now felt like it could see inside to her very Soul - Frisk looked her straight in the eye. “They aren’t bad. I just...need to be good. And nice. To them.” Frisk paused again, before she smiled. “Like you...to me.”

Toriel sniffed, and couldn’t stop the first tear from falling.

“And,” Frisk continued, “I can’t be...good, and nice, to them. Not here. I need to be...need to be out there. With them. I need to leave.”

She had never heard the other girl say so much before, and she was saying that she wanted to leave. It wasn’t fair.

“N...n-no,” Toriel stammered. She didn’t know what else to say, how could she make Frisk see? “You don’t - they’ll hurt you Frisk. Please! I know what’s best for you!”

Frisk shook her head. She didn’t make any move to run or flee, but neither did she sit back down on her pillow. She wasn’t going to listen.

“Frisk, please!” she begged, and felt the rippling of magic along her paws. This was too much, this was too fast, she had to make Frisk understand that Monsters could be cruel as much as Humans were, and they would FIGHT her over and over until she ran away and got lost and died out there, and it would be all her fault. She could’t protect Frisk out there, not all the time. There were just too many. “I can’t...I can’t lose another friend! Please!”

“Tori...” the human murmured, and the sound of her name from Frisk’s mouth for the first time - broke something. 

Fire erupted all around - from her paws, across her back, all along the paintings and the pillows and across her home. It was the most fire she had ever expressed in her entire life, but it was fueled not by intent, but by emotion. The magical flames seemed to cover everything, but nothing burned, everything remained motionless as Frisk -

Frisk...

Didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch.

Only stared back at her, with her piercing stare.

“...Fine,” Toriel spat, and felt true anger rising within her. She’d only wanted to keep Frisk safe, it was all for her own good, but now she didn’t want her help? Now she...she was going to leave her, and get herself hurt or killed, and leave her? “Fine!” she repeated, “then...i-if you want to leave so badly...prove to me that you’ll be okay!”

She felt around, grabbed onto the Soul, and pulled.

All around, her surroundings went dim - darkening and muted. And across from her stood Frisk, a surprised look on her face as her Soul danced in front of her chest. It was bright red, pulsing, a splash of color against the grey that spilled all around.

It was beautiful. 

But beauty wasn’t enough. Beauty couldn’t stand up to the hateful intent of Monster children who didn’t understand, who were too pathetic to do anything other than FIGHT their way to a solution. Frisk should be surprised, Frisk should be shocked.

This was what waited for her out there.

“Show me!” Toriel demanded, the flames licking at her paws. “Show me that you can FIGHT!” She raised one paw, awash in orange flames, and - and flung the fire at her friend -

Frisk -

- jumped out of the way, slamming into the red tree portrait. Toriel breathed heavily, paws shaking and sweat on her forehead - she’d never used this much magic before at one time, ever - and waited, waited to see how Frisk would act, how she would defend herself against those that wanted to hurt her.

And the human only...

Shook her head. 

SPAREing her. 

“Wuh,” she gasped out. Frisk had wasted her entire turn - she hadn’t even ACTed or talked or done anything at all, why. “No, you have to FIGHT,” Toriel cried, “FIGHT or FLEE. That’s all that works with them!” And to prove her point, she sent another wave of fire at the human.

This time, she got caught on the edge. 

Frisk winced, and Toriel winced, as the last bit of magical fire licked at her brilliantly red Soul, and the human girl collapsed onto the ground. But then she was picking herself back up, and -

SPAREing her again.

She couldn’t keep this up. She could feel the fatigue, the strain of using so much magic all at once. But Frisk didn’t understand yet, Frisk just didn’t see. SPAREing wouldn’t work out there. Asgore and Undyne - they would just FIGHT her until she broke, until she couldn’t take it anymore and just left because they were cruel and the world wasn’t fair. 

But she couldn’t keep this up.

“Please,” she whispered, arms trembling against the weight of her own failure to keep even one friend safe. “Please, Frisk...don’t go...”

Another shake. Another rejection.

And she had nothing left. With a sob, her arms dropped, the fire completely extinguished, and she SPAREd Frisk. 

She failed. Again.

“Fine,” she moaned, rubbing at her eyes and the tears that leaked from them, “you w-win. Go. Just, p-promise me you’ll be o-okay...”

Arms - warm, inviting, circled around her, and Toriel grabbed Frisk close, hugging her tightly. She was scared, she was just, so scared of what would happen to her friend, and she gripped Frisk for a long, long moment, and felt the weight of all her failures once again.

Oh Asriel...Chara...

“Be safe, Frisk,” she whispered, and squeezed the human again before they parted. Frisk’s eyes were still shut, but two tears and dripped down from either eye, matching her own. “Please, just...be safe.”

The human girl...the tears were there, but her expression...

With a decisive nod, Frisk hugged her one last time, before pulling back, and stepping past her. Toriel could only stand there and listen - couldn’t find it in her to turn, as Frisk opened the heavy cabinet door, paused...

And then it closed. Frisk’s footsteps faded away into the distance. 

Slowly, she returned to her pillow. No sign of the encounter that had just taken place remained. It had been a confrontation of Souls, was why. Of course. Obviously. There was no reason to think that...that any sign would remain...

Except the sandwiches. And the pie.

She sat down on her pillow. There was a hollow feeling in her chest. She didn’t want to go out there again. She didn’t want to see the other Monsters being mean to Frisk, with their looks and their glares and their plans to make her run away. She didn’t want to hear about the town’s Monsters finding a dead Human child on Mt. Ebott. Her Soul couldn’t take it. She would just...

Stay here.

Hide away as best as she could.

And maybe, in time...maybe the hurt would go away again. 

And maybe, they would...

- stop making that scratching noise on the wood.

...What was making that scratching noise on the wood? It was coming from the desk maze. 

She looked up from where she had her head buried in her arms. She was too tired. She was too exhausted. If one of the other kids had finally found her special home, her secret hiding place...

Except it wasn’t any kid.

Frisk grinned. 

Toriel stared, eyes wide, as Frisk crawled out from under the last desk of the maze. She had...walked through all the secret passageways of the Ruins? By herself? She hadn’t needed her at all?

Frisk could...look out for herself?...

“I need to leave,” Frisk said, and she stood up, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her dress sweater. She knew that - she’d been beaten already. Couldn’t even keep one friend safe and happy. Why was...why was she back here?

And then Frisk...

Held out one hand.

“Come with me.”

...No.

No, she couldn’t watch Frisk get hurt. She couldn’t watch Frisk die. She couldn’t protect Frisk from everyone, and that meant Frisk would get hurt. It was better to hide, because the best thing to do when you were hurting?

Hide.

That’s what she needed to do. 

...

Except...

Hiding eased the hurt. Hiding made it just a little bit easier to deal with.

But hiding was lonely. 

So very, very lonely. 

“Come with me.”

Maybe...

Maybe, hiding wasn’t the answer after all. Or at least, if she had to hide...she could hide with someone else. Together. Both of them. 

She hated being alone.

She sniffed, and feeling like more tears were threatening to spill from her eyes at any second. But none did, they only tickled at the corner of her eyes. A last, lingering reminder of the loneliness. 

“Okay,” she whispered, and took her hand.

Frisk -

Beamed.

And as Frisk led her to the cabinet door, a presence that tugged at both her paw and at her Soul, Toriel felt something lift inside her. The look on her face...the calm and the quiet. The gentle understanding that poured out from the human girl from an expression she couldn’t even see, but could feel clear in her Soul as any other Monster, and made her believe, for just a second, that everything would be okay...

It filled her with...

Determination. 

Chapter Text

The First Human: The Good, the Bad, and the Papyrus

He was so confused. 

He didn’t know what to think anymore. 

Be a good friend to Undyne and Asgore and Sans, all who wanted him to stay away from the human and help make her run away? Or be a good friend to the human, who didn’t have any friends, which was a terrible thing that a good and cool friend such as himself would be glad to fix!

Except then, he would be being a bad and very uncool friend to all the others.

...

Nyoo hoo hoo! What to do!

In the end, he had simply done the math. 

Three good friends, and one potential new friend. Three good friends who insisted very heavily that Humans were bad, Papyrus, the worst! And those three good friends were counting on him to help drive the human away. 

If three good friends insisted something was true, then it had to be, right? They wouldn’t lie to him. They only had his best interests at heart - Sans especially, because while his brother might not have been as cool as him, or as knowledgeable on the matters of friendship (evidenced by the terrible accusations he had once thrown at Chara, silly brother), he knew that Sans only wanted what was best for him. 

Sans may not have been the coolest skeleton, but he was definitely the coolest big brother. 

So? He had to be a good friend too, and trust them.

He would follow their lead, and help drive the Human child away from The Underground once and for all. Because Humans were evil and bad and threatened everything they had here. 

Yes.

...

“...WHAT ABOUT TORI?” he said hesitantly, because there was another problem in their home that gave him an uneasy feeling. Papyrus tried not to think about how Tori had looked last night, when she had taken the food and glared at them. Her eyes had been...not very friendly, and the thought of one of his friends being mad at him made Papyrus want to be a lazybones like his brother and just lay in bed all day.

But the question grabbed Asgore’s attention, who’d just walked back into the room. “Tori?” the goat monster said, looking around as if Tori might have suddenly appeared in their room. She hadn’t, of course, and Papyrus hunched deeper into his turtleneck, wishing he had something to distract him from remembering the Tori from dinner time.

“YES,” he stated passionately, because it hadn’t just been at the dinner table. Didn’t they remember? “TORI WAS VERY MAD YESTERDAY. SHE WAS...SHE WAS PROTECTING THE HUMAN. AND,” he continued, because it was a point they hadn’t talked about, since the afternoon in the garden, “I STILL THINK THE HUMAN WAS JUST HOLDING THE FROGGIT. OR GIVING HIM A HUG. EVERYONE LIKES HUGS!”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t the only one who remembered, despite the fact that none of them seemed to want to talk about it. Asgore glanced down at the carpet, a very sad look on his face, and moved away from the door, letting it close behind him. He didn’t look as determined as he had been last night. 

His brother, though, only sighed. “tori doesn’t get it, paps,” Sans said, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced himself of his own words. He dragged down the book he’d been holding above his face to read, turning to look at him. It was a very grown-up book about Soul expression and the best defensive techniques to ward against hateful intent, and he’d tried reading it once, but there had just been too many big words. “she doesn’t know what she’s dealing with. she’s just...confused or something. or - ”

“It’s ‘cause that human reminds her of our friend.”

Papyrus blinked, withdrawing from his scarf to look over at Asgore, who had found his way onto his bed. The goat monster wasn’t under the covers though - he was just sitting on it, with his knees to his chest underneath the cloak. It made him look like a lump of purple and white sitting on his bed, kinda. 

“SHE DOES?” he questioned softly. Tori had been against the plan from the beginning - another friend on the ever growing puzzle called ‘human what do?’ - but he hadn’t known she had inside knowledge. They had a pretty good collection of information for the “Humans are Bad” side; maybe they could ask Tori more for her opinions on Humans, to better understand the “Humans are Good” side!

“Yeah,” Asgore said, and shifted his knees closer to his chest. Papyrus saw Sans roll over in his bed, staring at the goat monster as the bedroom got real quiet for a moment.

“We had a human friend too, once.”

Papyrus was vaguely aware that he was gaping, and so was Sans. 

They...Tori and Asgore...they’d had a human friend?

But that -

That was great! If no one them believed him when he talked about the human friend he and Sans had had at the daycare, then surely Asgore and Tori would be able to explain all the benefits of having a human friend!

Why had he not said anything before?

“She was...kinda weird. And would laugh at scary or...or gross things, sometimes,” Asgore continued, and his face was contemplative, lost in memories. “But she was still our friend. And another friend, another goat monster. All of us, we were...pretty good friends.”

Silence.

“A-AND?” Papyrus whispered, feeling almost scared to speak up. Asgore was still staring into space, but his eyes were starting to become very shiny. “WHAT...WHAT HAPPENED?”

The goat monster sighed, a shuddering, single breath. “Humans,” he said, simply. And tucked his head into his arms.

Papyrus glanced at Sans, uncertain. Humans, as in...their friend? Their human friend had turned out to be very bad? Or other Humans, who had done something very bad to their human friend? Or their other friend? Or to them?

...Well.

For right now, it didn’t really matter. Papyrus held out for a few seconds, before he slipped down from his bed and climbed into Asgore’s, and hugged the Monster close as he quietly cried. 

They didn’t speak for the rest of the night, and Papyrus held onto his hope that tomorrow would be a better day.

It was!

...Kinda. 

Because Tori was at breakfast. Not to grab food and leave like she had the night before, but to sit down and eat with them. Hurray!

...Except.

The human was also there. 

But not like she normally was.

Because before, the human had sat close to Dad while everyone else sat further away (which made things really kinda crowded, was it really that necessary?), and she was still sitting there today. But Tori pushed her seat over to Dad’s end of the table. Right by the human.

Papyrus knew his jaw was hanging open. So was Alphys’, and Undyne’s, and Asgore’s eyes were bigger than the plates they were eating off of. Because he knew what they were all thinking - yesterday had just been a weird day, or a fluke, that Tori would snap out of today.

Not so.

All through breakfast, Tori laughed and joked and giggled with the Human, who...laughed and joked and giggled back, and Dad joined in, and...and they sounded like they were having much more fun than their silent end of the table. And he was missing all of the fun! And when breakfast was over...

Tori didn’t even look at them - except Asgore, who she sent a glare so fiery that it made him wince, and the goat monster led the Human out of the kitchen, holding her hand the entire time. 

Nyoo...

Nyoo hoo hoo!

He couldn’t have lost a friend, could he? Tori would...Tori would stop being mad at all of them sooner or later, right? 

“We have to hurry up,” Undyne whispered, and Papyrus jumped, having forgotten pretty much everything in the face of Tori’s fiery and defiant stare down. The fish monster stabbed her spoon into her cereal like it was a spear, and the cereal bits like they were vaguely Human-shaped pieces of grain. “Before that Human...before something bad happens!”

“...”

“...Asgore!” she hissed, and the goat monster started, head whipping back around from where he had been staring at Tori and the Human child’s exit. “Right? We gotta do something!”

“R-right,” he said...but he must have seen something in Undyne’s face, because his expression hardened. “Right,” Asgore stated more decisively, but in a very low whisper as Dad moved around the kitchen, slowly washing the dishes. Very very slowly, like he was trying to pay attention to something. “We need to...we need to act.”

“Yeah,” Undyne said fiercely, clenching her firsts in front of her face, “we need to ACT. Or better yet - FIGHT!”

“Okay...okay. I have a plan!”

He did not like the sound of that. 

“UHM,” Papyrus said hesitantly, “B-BUT DON’T YOU THINK...UH...IT SEEMS THAT TORI HAS...MAYBE, BECOME FRIENDS? WITH THE HUMAN? NYEH, HEH?”

“That’s why we have to hurry!” Undyne hissed urgently, slamming her spoon onto the table. “Some Humans have mind powers, they can control people and make ‘em think and do weird things!”

“seriously?” Sans asked, though he had an eyebrow raised like he wasn’t really asking. “where’d you learn that?”

“From Al’s history tapes!” the fish monster said hotly, and she scowled further when Sans chuckled under his breath. “I saw!” Undyne insisted. “Some of ‘em have these mind powers, and go nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh! And then they make Mew Mew dance or sing or, whatever!”

“ALPHYS, SPOONS ARE NOT FOR EATING!” he chided, helpfully smacking the lizard monster on the back as he pulled the utensil free from her mouth amidst some choking sounds. How could the monster girl be thinking of trying something so ridiculous at a time like this? This was serious!

“S-sorry,” the lizard monster gasped, pushing her bowl of cereal away from her, “I just, uhm, ate too much - took a big bite - okaysorryigottagobye!”

“N-NYEH?” 

“Huh? Wait, A-Alphys!” Asgore cried out, as Alphys jumped down from her chair and ran from the kitchen and towards the Ruins. “We need your help to - oh, forget it,” he groaned. But then he straightened a moment later and turned to Sans. “Fine! Okay listen, for my plan, Sans, you need to - ”

“can’t.”

“W-wuh?” the goat monster blurted, as Undyne made an angry fish noise next to him. “Whaddya mean? We’re suppose to be doing this together!”

“yup,” Sans said, squirting a healthy dose of ketchup into his cereal bowl, “but gaster said he needs me ‘n al in the lab today. probably trying to ketchup on some old work or something.”

“SANS, YOU USED THAT ONE YESTERDAY,” he complained, because if his brother was going to make puns like his brother was always going to do, he could at least come up with more original material.

Or, was it better to listen to the same ones over and over? Would he become more immune to them, or would they just drive him insane?

Papyrus was still trying to figure out that Very Important Question when Dad came over. “Yes, and we need to get started right away,” Dad said, and rubbed Sans’ skull very quickly, as if he had any hair. Papyrus giggled as Sans smacked Dad’s hand away, smoothing out his skull.

As if he had any hair to smooth out.

“So hurry up and finish eating, and tell Alphys to come to the lab immediately,” Dad instructed, hands in front of his face as he rolled his fingers together - although he stopped for a moment, craning his body back and forth in front of the archway. “Is Frisk with Toriel?”

They all froze, staring at one another at the reminder that Toriel was either being mind controlled...or being a good friend. He still didn’t know. “UHM - ”

“Ah, there they are,” Dad answered his own question, his weird back-and-forth stopping as he apparently caught sight of the two of them. Papyrus leaned around Dad’s body from his chair, and - yes, he could see Tori and the Human child, sitting in the grass in the yard with some Froggits surrounding them. 

“Now come along, Sans,” the adult skeleton said cheerfully, “the tests cannot wait. To the lab!”

“kay,” his brother said, slipping out of his chair to follow after Dad, “i’ll go get alphys, before she starts testing - ”

“BROTHER...” he warned, because of course Sans couldn’t simply leave him to finish his breakfast in peace.

“...your patience.”

“Yes, yes,” Dad said absently, already halfway into the living room and heading to the Ruins, with Sans close behind. 

For his part, he let out a slow breath through his nose, one that had allowed him to keep his cool and not yell at Sans for yet another terrible pun, and also slowly unstuck his teeth. His jaw was starting to feel sore, and it was only the morning. He still had an entire day of enduring Sans’ puns, his poor teeth couldn’t take such pressure, nyoo hoo!

“UN, BELIEVABLE,” he muttered, and tried imitating Undyne’s previous stab with his spoon. He mostly just got milk everywhere, but he was pretty close! Maybe a few more practice stabs...

And he was about to try again, when all of a sudden, Asgore -

Asgore suddenly gasped. 

Undyne helpfully slapped his back with enough force to send him into his milk bowl, which had the goat monster gasping even more - and so, being the cool friend he was, Papyrus reached out to also slap his back, the two of them creating the best duo back slapping team of all time.

“Stop it, stop!” Asgore screeched, milk streaming down his face and cereal bits stuck to his face, “cut it out!”

“Well, don’t make sudden noises like that for no reason, you dork,” Undyne ordered, and gave him a couple more back slaps for good measure. He did the same. 

“I didn’t - no!” the goat monster blurted, scraping off his face with a napkin. “I just thought of something, that’s why I - this is perfect!”

Nyeh?

“IT IS NOT,” Papyrus said firmly, reaching over to pick off a few missed pieces of cereal clinging to the base of Asgore’s horns, “YOU’VE STILL GOT SOME, SEE LOOK - ”

“No, you bonehead! I mean - for the Human!”

...Oh. 

He’d kinda sorta...forgotten about that. 

Undyne immediately perked up though, leaning forward in her seat. “Yeah?” she whispered, even though no one else was around, “whaddya mean?”

“I mean, Gaster didn’t even wait to clean up the whole table,” Asgore explained. Considering the goat monster had just made a bigger mess than he had with his stabbing spoons, he believed that a very smart observation on the other monster’s part! “That means he must be really excited with whatever he’s working on...he was down there almost all day yesterday, remember?”

Oh yeah...he remembered. The day before yesterday, Dad had said he’d be down in his lab...and he’d taken the Human child with him. And then yesterday, after Tori had made a pie with the Human, he’d left the two of them alone to play while he went back down to the basement. 

“Yeah, and before that, too,” Undyne chimed in, also clearly remembering Dad’s sudden change in schedule. “But what’s that gotta do with the Human?”

“It means that the Human is gonna be alone all day today!”

Ooh...there was that saggy feeling in his chest again.

Undyne gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh yeah! Then we can - but wait,” she continued, and one of her hands curled up into a fist on the table. “Tori’s gonna be hanging around the Human now. ‘Cause they’re best friends ‘n all,” she added surly, throwing a glare towards the living room and the garden beyond it. 

Asgore’s face fell, and Papyrus felt his Soul pulse in sympathy. He loved Tori, and really did not like the thought of not being friends with her anymore - but Asgore loved Tori a whole lot. He could only imagine how the goat monster must feel, thinking about Tori not wanting to be friends anymore and only being friends with the Human from now on.

But the goat child shook his head, his expression picking back up. “T-That’s okay,” he assured, “because my plan is...we’ll distract Tori, and then get the Human away from her. And once she’s away, we can...we’ll FIGHT! And make her leave The Underground!”

“Yeah!” Undyne agreed, and Papyrus began to, very stealthily, scoot his chair back from the table. “But how’re we gonna distract her?”

“Uh...o-oh! You can use your magic!” Asgore decided. “Try, um...picking a fight? Get her mad. And then when it looks like she’s gonna leave, keep her in the FIGHT! B-But don’t hurt her!” the goat monster suddenly backtracked, paws waving frantically as if Undyne might all of sudden sprint off towards the yard. 

Which, considering the look on the fish girl’s face, seemed bound to happen. Sooner, rather than later.

“It is totes on!” Undyne declared, jumping up onto her chair and pumping her fists in the air. By this point, he had made pretty good progress, and with the two focused on each other, Papyrus slowly slid down onto the floor. “And then? And then?”

“A-and then...” the goat monster stalled, rubbing one paw against his cheek as he thought. Before inspiration struck again. “Oh! I can, um...I can heat up one of the windows in Snowdin! And get it open enough and get the Human inside. But it’ll be a trap for the Human, because someone’ll be waiting to FIGHT her!”

“Me! Me! I’ll FIGHT her!”

“Undyne, no, you have to keep Tori distracted in a FIGHT, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” Undyne said, flopping back down into her seat. Slowly, carefully, he could just slip around the archway and out of sight, and then his superior and cunning skills would ensure his escape! Nyeh heh heh! “But then, who’s gonna be waiting in the trap?”

“Uh...”

Almost -

“Papyrus!”

“Papy!”

“NYEH!” he screamed, as two sets of hands fell onto either shoulder. Papyrus flailed as he was dragged from the kitchen and into the living room, through the Ruins, and then, all of a sudden, they were in Snowdin. 

“Okay Paps, wait here!” Undyne ordered, “and then as soon as Asgore drops the Human in here...bam!”

“B-BAM?” Papyrus repeated worriedly, because he definitely didn’t like the sound of that.

“Wham!”

“WHAM?!” He liked the sound of that even less!

“Just be patient, okay?” Asgore cut in, looking towards the window that was nearest to them, frost coating its pane. “It might take me a little while to heat up the glass enough to open it. I’ll give a signal. Like...human, human!”

...

“What was that?” Undyne asked, hands on her hip. “We’re suppose to be keeping Tori distracted, remember? If you shout human human she’s gonna come running! I can’t keep her in a FIGHT forever!”

“UM, MAYBE,” Papyrus cut in helpfully, “MAYBE WE DON’T EVEN...NEED TO FIGHT THE HUMAN? WE CAN JUST, UH...”

“Okay fine, then what about something like, skree!”

“Make a sound like a Froggit! Then she’ll just think its one of the Froggits!”

“G-GUYS?”

“But then what if Papyrus thinks it’s just a Froggit and not a signal?”

“Make it more like a signal then! Ribbit, ribbit signal ribbit!”

“That’s dumb Undyne, that’s not gonna...”

And...they were gone. Leaving him alone in Snowdin. 

And still so very...very...

Confooooooosed!

Oh...what did he do, what did he do?

How could he solve this friendship puzzle? The pieces were all so...jumbled and smushed and they didn’t fit together at all, and yet he had to figure it out. Because friends were fighting, lines were being crossed, entire Undergrounds were being split up!

Well...there was only this Underground...but still!

“NYOO HOO HOO!” he wailed to the ceiling, and fell down on the white rug. He very much felt like crying, right now.

...But no. No. There was no time! Who knew how long it would be until he got the signal, and then the Human would be here and all the other monsters would be counting on him to...to...

Nyeh. It wasn’t as if FIGHTing was bad, really. FIGHTing was a way to express his Soul in a better, more focused setting. He expressed more bones in a FIGHT than he did normally, after all. 

...But he knew Asgore and Undyne weren’t just expecting him to express himself. They wanted her to feel harmful intent. They wanted him to express himself in a way that...that hurt the Human. That made her sad, so sad that she’d leave The Underground forever. Or at least, sad enough that when Undyne or...or Asgore, the strongest monster outta all of them, expressed themselves to her, she would...

Be very sad. And definitely leave forever. 

He didn’t know what to do. 

Nyoo hoo hoo. He didn’t know what to doooooo.

It all came down to the Human. Why did they want the Human gone so badly?

Because Humans were bad. Evil.

But...but he knew, he believed that not all Humans were bad and evil. Some were good and some were kind. Like Chara. Sometimes the good was hidden underneath the bad, but all it took was a little encouragement, and the belief that even the baddest of the bad could do better. He believed that...he really, really did!

And Tori...Tori also had to believe that too, right? Or, didn’t think this Human was bad. Because she had made friends with her. And he trusted and believed in Tori as much as he trusted and believed in his other friends, so he couldn’t just ignore her opinions and only listen to the opinions of the others, right?

... 

“OKAY,” Papyrus said, out loud, because talking out loud sometimes worked a lot better than talking inside his head. “OKAY. UNDYNE...ASGORE...SANS AND ALPHYS...THEY ALL AGREE. HUMANS ARE BAD.”

They were the major points in the “Humans are Bad” category. 

“BUT TORI, AND MY HEART AGREE...NOT ALL HUMANS ARE BAD! AND SOME HUMANS CAN EVEN BE...FRIENDS. OUR FRIENDS!”

Points to the “Humans are Good” category. One was the noodles, slimy and slippery and noodling all over the plate, but the real substance of the meal. And the other was delicious and hot and covered everything, but didn’t really fill up on just its own.

But how did he make friendship spaghetti from these noodles and this sauce?

“BRAIN, PLEASE!” Papyrus beseeched, raising his hands to the ceiling, “PLEASE WORK! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THE BIGGEST AND MOST AWFUL FRIENDSHIP PUZZLE OF ALL TIME!”

His brain did nothing. Stupid brain. With a groan, Papyrus flopped backwards onto the rug, and lay in silence. 

What was he going to do...he had to do something. At this rate, the Human would be dropped into Snowdin, and they would have to FIGHT, and Sans would probably be back upstairs to throw more puns about testing his patience or whatever else he liked to joke about because he liked seeing his cool younger brother suffer and -

And -

...Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

“i’ll go get alphys, before she starts testing your patience.”

The challenge of willingly thinking of one of Sans’ puns made Papyrus grimace, but he continued on, because this was important.

“before she starts testing your patience.”

“before she starts testing...”

“testing...”

...

Ah. 

Could it be?

...

“NYEH,” he said, quietly. Because his brain was still working on the idea, but it was only growing, and becoming larger, and his voice rose to match it - “N-NYEH. NYEH HEH. NYEH HEH HEH, HEH HEH HEEEEEH! NYEH! I’VE DONE IT!” he cried, hopping onto his feet and holding a hand to his chest. 

He really wished there was a nice breeze flowing right now.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO SOLVE THIS FRIENDSHIP PROBLEM!”

He was the coolest!

“I JUST NEED TO - ” he continued...and then paused, looking around him. “NYEH...I NEED TO...I NEED TO GET READY.” Before Undyne and Asgore finished their plan and got the Human through the window. “I NEED TO GET EVERYTHING READY! I NEED PAPER! I NEED PENCILS! I, NEED, STICKERS! NYEEEEH!” Papyrus cried, and leapt through the window.

Or tried to. He just ended up banging his head against the frozen window.

“OW!” he stated for the record, before picking himself back up and shaking it off. Because he had so much work to do, and there was possibly little to no time at all!

...

To the playroom!

The red on the window was becoming more and more obvious, and Papyrus scribbled on the paper as if his life depended on it. Asgore was getting close to heating up the window enough to open it - which meant Undyne would probably start FIGHTing Tori soon, which meant that a Human would soon be here to confront him. He was running out of time. 

But he was almost done, with the best, idea, ever. 

Of all time!

He supposed he should feel lucky that Undyne and Asgore had decided on Snowdin to be the place to set the Human trap, though. Aside from the cold temperature, Sans, Tori, and Alphys had actually gotten snowed in here, once; when the ceiling outside the door leading into Snowdin, and the door leading into the hallway and towards Waterfall, had collapsed, and let in a whole bunch of snow. Dad had been kinda upset about that - it’d cost a lot of money to repair the roof, he remembered.

But on the plus side, they’d also been playing with Grillby at the time. So, none of them had been cold while Dad and Mr. Gerson had dug them out. Well...Sans didn’t get cold, anyways (neither did he), but at least Tori and Alphys hadn’t been cold. They’d just kind of pressed themselves against Grillby to keep warm, while Sans roasted marshmallows off his fiery head. 

Why his brother had had marshmallows in the first place, he didn’t know. Still didn’t know.

But the point was, Snowdin was always cold, so much so that parts of the area were actually frozen over. It used to be a dining hall, Dad had said once, and the next part over used to be a sitting room. So a lot of the first area was covered in wooden floors except for a few rugs scattered around - floors that were now pretty much ice, that’s how slippery and cold they were. 

Snowdin even looked like it was covered in ice and snow, which was cool - not cool as in cold, nyeh! No, cool as in it was cool looking. Whoever had used to own this own had used a whole lot of white in the two rooms - white curtains, white rugs, a white tablecloth over the dark dining table, and white seat cushions on the dining chairs that were kinda all over the place. Not all of it was really clean and perfectly white, ‘cause they didn’t really play in here too often - he and Sans were usually the only ones that didn’t mind the cold - but it was still really pretty, and looked like snow.

Which made it a nice, and pretty, and relaxing. Perfect for a frazzled Human! They had chosen this place for a trap, but now he was going to use this place for his grand master plan. Nyeh heh heh!

Aaaand...there! Done! 

Aaaand...what was that crackling sound?

...Oh no.

Papyrus jumped up, eyes wide as he looked towards the window - oh no, twice! The ice that kept the window shut was crackling and cracking, and the window wriggled slightly, like someone was trying to get it open. 

Asgore! The goat monster was almost done getting the window open! And then it would be time for...

“NYEEEEH!” Papyrus cried, and quickly gathered everything he had gotten from the playroom in his arms. He had to set everything up, quick! The construction paper, he could just leave here, but the rug he would move a little to..there! And these stickers...each one peeled off, so he could stick them - “NO WAIT, I NEED TO SLIDE OVER THERE! ER...WAIT NO, OVER THER! OR OVER...THERE, NYEH?...” - and then that was done, and then -

Uh...

Wait a second.

...

“NOOOOO!” he shrieked, clutching at his skull. The rug in front of him, the long one that  ran all the way from under the table to the entrance to the sitting room...the part right in front of the sitting room...it was bare! There was nothing there! Nothing at all! He needed...he needed!...

“paps?”

Papyrus jerked around, still hopping up and down and clutching his skull, but he had never been so glad to hear Sans’ voice, ever. Not even more than that time he had dropped his nice cream and had cried and Sans had given his own to him. “SANS!” he yelled, rushing forward to grip at his brother’s jacket, “THANK GOODNESS! SANS, GO AND FIND A PUZZLE, RIGHT NOW! PLEASE!”

Sans only looked around Snowdin, clearly not understanding the urgency of the request. “uh, paps? what’re you doing?”

“NO TIME, SANS!” he chided, and gave his brother skeleton a frantic shake. “ARE YOU DONE WORKING WITH DAD?”

“not yet bro, he needed me to grab something from Hot - ”

“GO GIVE IT TO HIM!” Papyrus ordered, and picked Sans up over his head, ignoring his brother’s startled exclamation. “AND THEN FIND A PUZZLE, AND PUT IT HERE. RIGHT HERE SANS!” He held Sans over the spot, the stretch of white rug leading into the sitting room that had nothing at all on it. “HERE!”

He was holding Sans, so his brother couldn’t really shrug. “uh...sure, paps, i’ll get something.”

Excellent.

“and then i’ll try to puzzle out what you’re - ”

“NYEEEEEH!” he screamed, and ran through the sitting room to launch Sans out of the doors, sending him flying across the hallway and into Waterfall. 

There. Sans would take care of that glaringly empty space that was free of puzzles. Everything else...was in place.

All he had to do was wait.

And wait.

And -

“Skree!”

The window was open. 

Outside, the flares from a magical fire and blue spears sparked in the reflection of the glass pane, and he could hear Tori’s agitation as she argued with Undyne. Nothing serious yet, more a shouting match between two kids over very important things.

“At least I have hair to tie in a ponytail!”

“Yeah, well - at least I don’t smell like sushi!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

He...suddenly thought that maybe they had given him the easier job.

Except that thought flew out the window, the minute she came flying in. 

She landed with an oof! on one of the rugs, the one closest to the doors going back to the Ruins. But she wasn’t hurt, he could see that. And after a moment, as the window slammed back shut, the Human child slowly got up, brushed herself off. Looked around, turned around, and -

...Oh.

He should have practiced for this. But, Papyrus cleared his throat anyways, because it was now time to hatch his super smart and super cool plan.

Of super smartness and coolness!

“GREETINGS, HUMAN!” he called out, standing proud and tall and again wishing there was a nice breeze blowing through to make his scarf billow, but there wasn’t. He should really think about investing in a fan...but ah, more on that, later! “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I...”

Dramatic pause...

“AM HERE TO CAPTURE YOU!”

The Human tilt her head.

“...WITH, PUZZLES! NYEH HEH HEH HEEEEEEH!”

Ah-hah! Was that fear he saw on her face? Or...confusion? She always had her eyes closed, it made it hard to tell sometimes. But, no, that was probably fear; because even a Human like her knew, instinctively, to fear matching minds against his own cunning and razor sharp wit! 

He had trapped the trapper!

Er...well, he’d always been the trapper. But! She must have been expecting a different kind of trap when Asgore dumped her inside the window. And now she was faced with a much more cunning trap - a battle of the minds! He was a genius!

“THAT’S RIGHT!” he exclaimed, “FOR YOU SEE, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU, HUMAN. LEARNING YOUR SECRETS. BUT, THERE ARE ANSWERS THAT EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT ANSWER! ANSWERS THAT ARE...UNANSWERABLE! NYEH!”

Ho ho ho! There, now - a smile of fear on her lips. For she was so overwhelmed at the prospect of facing his might, that she could do nothing but smile in hopes of appeasing him! Silly Human! There was no denying his genius in discovering the truth behind her nature!

Because this -

This had been the answer to the friendship puzzle all along.

More puzzles!

And more specifically -

A test!

Papyrus still could not believe how long it had taken him, the coolest friend ever, to come up with such a simple solution. But it was obvious now - the Human needed to be tested. Simple!

Because one side said all Humans were bad, while the other side said some Humans were good. All was all, but some were some. Which was right? How to find out who was right?

Why...test the Human!

Instead of wondering, is this Human bad or no Humans can be good, the easiest and most logical solution was to simply...find out if this particular Human child was good or bad! Test them! And if the Human was bad, then...then the Human was bad. But! If the Human was good, then that would prove, beyond a doubt, that some Humans could be good! And if they had the proof right in front of them, then the all Humans are bad side would have to agree that some Humans could be good.

Friendship puzzle, solved!

And of course, what was the best way to test someone’s character?

Why -

With fun, of course! Fun and japes and all sorts of things! Nothing proved a person’s goodness more than the fun they had with others - everyone loved fun! And there was, of course, nothing more fun than a good puzzle!

“SO YOU BETTER BE PREPARED, HUMAN!” he warned fairly, just in case the Human did not fully understand the crazily fun japers and capers she was about to endure, “FOR THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL HAVE...IS ACTUALLY QUITE GRAND!” He thought she did, though - that smile on her face had grown. And maybe it was even a little...excited? Awed? Fearful of matching wits against his, but still in awe of his greatness?

So in awe, that she couldn’t even look him in the eye, and instead was forced to look to his left! 

Nyeh heh, even in her short time in The Underground, she knew very well who was the Master of Puzzles here! As she should!

“yeah, you’re gonna have a skele - ton of fun, kid.”

Yes, exactly!

“YES, EXACT - NYEH!” he screeched, flinching over to the side, but Sans only grinned at his side, hands held casually in his pockets. “SANS! WHAT THE - WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?”

“me?” Sans questioned, and shrugged as Papyrus struggled not to grind his teeth together, because of course him. “gaster said i could go early ‘cause you needed help with something. so, uh. i thought i’d come back here and chill.” A finger gun accompanied the pun, and to his immense horror, the Human giggled.

“UGH, SANS, PLEASE,” he begged, holding one hand to his skull, “I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE. HUMAN, PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO IGNORE ALL TERRIBLE PUNS.” Or, actually... “IGNORE ALL PUNS, PLEASE,” he said decisively, turning back to the Human.

Who -

Wasn’t smiling anymore.

Or giggling.

And was staring at Sans with what seemed like a wide-eyed expression, even with the closed eyes.

“NYEH?” Papyrus questioned, and looked back down towards Sans. But his brother only grinned up at him, a lazy look on his face as he shoved his hands back into the pockets of his coat. 

He wasn’t quite sure he trusted that. If Sans was lip-whispering puns at the Human...

Hmmph. He just...okay. He needed to concentrate, because Undyne wouldn’t be able to hold Tori forever. And Tori would...once she found out the Human was missing...

The look in her eyes when she had run into the garden, fire in her paws and in her eyes...

Y-yes, probably good to hurry this up.

“A-ANYWAYS,” Papyrus began, and cleared his throat - before he once assumed the same position as before, one hand pressed over his chest as the imaginary breeze fluttered his scarf nicely. “HUMAN! IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN IN THE UNDERGROUND, THEN YOU MUST FIRST PASS MY TEST! HIGH JINKS AND LOW JINKS! CAPERS AND JAPERS! ONLY THEN WILL WE SEE THE TRUTH DEPTHS OF YOUR SOUL...IF YOU DARE!”

The Human was still looking over at Sans with a frown - Sans was stealing all the drama from the moment, gah - but after a moment, she looked back at him. And her face...

Hardened. 

And she nodded.

“Okay.”

Ah...

Yes!

“NYEH, NYEH HEH HEH! HUMAN!” he called excitedly, and struggled to contain his joy. Frisk was going to take his test, and then he’d be able to make a logical and informed decision to all the other kids, and the FIGHTing would stop. “THEN! YOUR FIRST PUZZLE...THE ULTRA DEADLY, SUPER ELECTRIC-Y...ELECTRICITY MAZE!”

Which was great, because they were already standing in front of it. Her on one side, he and Sans on the other.

It was one of the smaller rugs, but he had fluffed up the rug a whole lot, making the entire thing fluffy and sticking upwards. Now everything stood on end, and only he knew where the edges of the electricity maze were! And anytime Frisk stepped on out of line...

Bzzt!

Except...

Oh. The human had scrambled back from the rug, looking worried. It took Papyrus a moment to figure out why.

“IT’S OKAY, HUMAN!” he reassured, because maybe Human children didn’t play games like this with one another? Which was very, very sad. But he glanced left and right for a moment, before he leaned forward slightly, cupping his mouth with one hand. “IT’S NOT REAL,” he whispered, “IT’S ALL JUST IN OUR IMAGINATIONS. YOU JUST PRETEND TO BE SHOCKED BY THE ELECTRICITY MAZE, SEE?” And because he was such a cool dude, Papyrus edged one foot forward towards the maze to demonstrate the power of imagination - and jolted up and down. “BZZZT! YOWIE!”

That seemed to reassure Frisk, who nodded, clenching her hands in front of her. Good! She was taking these puzzles very seriously, as they should be taken!

...Oh! But she needed -

“ONE MORE THING YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS PUZZLE, HUMAN!” Papyrus declared, and reached into his pocket to pull out a shiny blue marble. “THIS ORB WILL PROTECT YOU, SO LONG AS YOU STAY ON THE CORRECT PATH. BUT IF YOU DON’T, THE RESULTS WILL BE QUITE...SHOCKING! NYEH HEH HEEEEH!”

“heh. good one bro,” Sans praised. 

“THANK YOU!” he said proudly, before moving around the edge of the maze, because he didn’t want to have to go slip sliding on frozen floorboards to hand Frisk the protection orb. 

He carefully navigated his way through the maze, feeling the puffed up fur of the rug flattened beneath his feet as he finally got to Frisk. “HERE, HOLD THIS,” he instructed, and flung the marble up into the air. The human girl fumbled to catch it, but by the time he had returned to the other side, she had it in her hand, and was staring back at him. Good! “YOU MAY PROCEED, HUMAN!”

Nyeh heh heh. Now to see how she handled the immense amounts of fun contained within this shocking puzzle of a -

...

Eh?

“WHY, YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL,” Papyrus gasped, as Frisk made it out of the electricity maze, without even a single shocking. How shocking! “AT LAST, A WORTHY OPPONENT FOR MY PUZZLE GREATNESS! WE SHALL SEE HOW WELL YOU DO WITH...” Oh yes, they would indeed see, and Papyrus hopped around and gestured to the side of the dining hall, where there were no rugs. Only a few pieces of furniture, and lots of slippery wood flooring.

“THE SLIP SLIDING STICKER PUZZLE OF DOOM!”

Nyeh heh heh! 

“HUMAN!” he announced, staying on the rug as Frisk moved to his side, staring at the expanse of slippery ice. “DO YOU SEE THE STICKERS ON THE FLOOR?” It had taken him a while - but not too long, he was a Master of Puzzles, after all! - to stick them all to the ground in various places. About sixteen of them in all. “YOU MUST TOUCH ALL OF THEM, WITHOUT SLIDING BACK HERE!” Here, being the long rug that ran underneath the entire dining table. She could slide anywhere else in a line, hit any of the obstacles, but if she slid and ended up on the long rug, she would have to start over.

Truly, a puzzle to stump even the smartest of Humans! 

Frisk must have thought so too. She stared at the slippery puzzle, looking this way and that as she tried to, nyeh...puzzle out the solution. “Um, where do I start - ”

“ONE TWO THREE GO!”

The human managed to slap a hand on the first sticker as she slid by on her butt, before she was stopped by a cushion that had long since frozen to the floor. From there, Frisk looked around, before she pushed herself across the length of the room, hitting two more stickers on the way before she crashed into a chair. Three already! And the human even stood up this time, seeming like she was going to try sliding her way across standing up instead of -

“NYEH! CAREFUL!” he cried out, instinctively leaning out to grab a hold of Frisk’s arm to keep her from falling. One of her flailing hands latched onto his own hand, while the other held steady to the lamp. “THIS IS A VERY ADVANCED PUZZLE,” he consoled, “WITH VERY ADVANCED SLIPS! BE CAREFUL NOT TO HURT YOURSELF!”

Frisk looked at him for a moment, and...and there it was again. That smile that showed how deeply in awe of his greatness and coolness she was. Papyrus felt his own smile widen, and wowie, was it just him, or was it a little hot? Why did his face feel kinda hot? It was just...she looked so grateful to him, probably thinking about how cool he was, it was actually kinda...embarrassing. 

At least until her smile suddenly vanished, and Frisk snatched her hand away from his as if she’d been burned. She wasn’t looking at him anymore, but over his shoulder. Papyrus glanced over the same shoulder, confused at the sudden lack of awe and smiles, and -

“wow. you’re really sticker - ing to your guns, huh kid?”

Sans!

“SANS, STOP MAKING PUNS!” he ordered, “YOU’RE MESSING UP HER CONCENTRATION!” Probably. He felt a little bad for Sans’ distractions as he looked back at the human, who was clutching at the lamp and now avoiding both of their gazes. Overwhelmed by his genius puzzles, and by Sans’ terrible puns, and yet she was still trying to work her way through.

Truly, she was a brave Soul!

“YOU SHOULD, UM,” Papyrus started, then walked down the rug a bit, towards the table stand. “MAYBE SLIDE IN THIS, GENERAL DIRECTION?...”

Frisk looked up; startled, he thought.

And then smiled.

And slid. 

And in no time at all - and with only a little help, given as an apology for Sans’ terrible jokes - Frisk had made it through the puzzle. 

“OH HO!” Papyrus crowed, as he stood before Frisk on the other side of the dining hall. There was only a little bit left in this room, and he only had one more puzzle left. “YOU...YOU, AH...”

And, he still had no idea.

Frisk was passing the puzzles, yes that was true. That meant she had to be a good Human, because she was enjoying fun, right? But...but Undyne and Sans...they said that a lot of Humans only pretended. Pretended to have fun, or to be nice, or to be good, in order to get Monsters to trust them, before they -

Before they started being bad.

...Oh, this test was suppose to find out if Frisk was good or bad or what, but he wasn’t anywhere closer to the truth! What...what even made a Human good or bad?

What...made a Monster good or bad?

...

He needed more time to figure it out. He only had one more puzzle left.

...No, wait! Luckily, he had his brother to count on!

“SANS!” he cried, “WHERE IS YOUR PUZZLE?”

“right here bro. where you said to leave it.”

“OH. RIGHT!” Papyrus grabbed the back of Sans’ coat and dragged him to the other side of the rug, where - yes! Sans’ puzzle was laying in the middle of it. He knew his brother would come through for him, as he always did in the most dire of times. Perfect! “HUMAN! YOUR NEXT PUZZLE WAS MADE BY MY OWN BROTHER! YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO SOLVE THIS ONE, NYEH HEH HEE - EEEEH!”

Frisk tilt her head in front of him, the paper held in one hand. 

“SANS!” he groaned, and stamped his foot into the rug, “THAT PUZZLE DID NOTHING!”

“oh. whoops,” Sans said, holding his hands up as he shrugged. “knew i should’ve used a crossword puzzle.”

The scolding he had been prepared to unleash was forgotten, as Papyrus gaped at his brother. 

“WHAT? JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST OF THE TWO!”

“really? that baby bones word scramble?” 

“REALLY!” he insisted, not liking what Sans was implying in his words - and he whipped around towards Frisk, who jumped. “HUMAN! SURELY YOU AGREE WITH ME! JUNIOR JUMBLE IS FOR THE GREATEST OF MINDS TO SOLVE, NOT CROSSWORDS!”

“Um,” Frisk said, as she glanced down at Sans’ puzzle as if it might give her a hint. It did no such thing, and she looked back up at them. It was hard to tell, but it looked like she was looking back and forth between the two of them. “I don’t...I’ve never done any word puzzles.”

Wha...what?

“WHAT?!” he questioned out loud. How sad! A Human who had never done any word puzzles...terrible! He should have gotten a Junior Jumble puzzle for her to do, just so she could have the joy of doing one in her life! “THAT CANNOT BE! WE WILL FIND YOU A JUNIOR JUMBLE PUZZLE TO DO, DO NOT WORRY!”

Frisk smiled, and set the paper down. The absolutely useless paper puzzle that his brother had given. Which left...

Only one more puzzle.

Before he had to make a decision.

Nyoo hoo hoo...

“B-BUT,” he said “DO NOT THINK THIS TEST IS OVER, NYEH HEH! THERE IS ONE MORE PUZZLE, THE MOST DIFFICULT PUZZLE OF THEM ALL...”

Pause, for dramatic effect...

“THE MULTI COLORED CONSTRUCTION PAPER TILES OF UNENDING TERROR PUZZLE! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk was looking around, clearly confused at the lack of any construction paper anywhere. Because he had hidden them, and he had hidden them because...that was the genius of this puzzle. Each time, the puzzle was completely, and utterly...

Random!

“BEHOLD,” he cried, pulling of the stack of colored papers from underneath the rug. “NOW, WE SHALL TEST YOUR IMAGINATION ONCE MORE! FOR YOU SEE, EACH COLOR PAPER MUST BE IMAGINED WITH CERTAIN RULES! ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN!”

Frisk looked just as confused as she had at the beginning of the explanation. 

“UM...DO YOU NEED ME TO EXPLAIN AGAIN?”

There was a moment of hesitation...before her expression suddenly hardened again, and she shook her head. She was ready.

For the final puzzle.

This one would take forever for her to solve, and it would give him time to think. To make a decision. To figure out what he should do.

“OKAY,” he murmured, holding onto the construction papers tightly, “ONE...TWO...AND!...”

Into the air.

“THREE!”

Down they fluttered, going all over the place. And she could only move on the papers that touched one another - no skipping or jumping, that was cheating! Frisk would work on this puzzle, and he would have time to think about everything before Tori came rushing in here with fire in her eyes, and there was -

There was a line of pink -

Leading straight

into

the

sitting room.

Straight to him. 

...

Nyeh -

Nyeh heh heh.

Heh heh heh heh heh!

“uh, bro? paps?”

Papyrus vaguely realized that he had walked into the sitting room, away from the Human as she slowly started crossing the tiles - gingerly stepping on each pink paper, as if making sure there wasn’t another pathway or a rule she was breaking somewhere - and Sans was by his side, staring up at him in concern.

Because he had failed.

He had put Frisk through the test, and he still did not have an answer. What made a Human good or bad? What made a Monster good or bad? Were all Humans just evil? Were all Monsters just good? Was it really that simple?

...No...

He couldn’t believe that. Because if that was true...if people were good and bad just because of what they were, then -

That was too cruel. 

...

He knew what he had to do.

“SANS,” he murmured, and straightened out his scarf. “GO.”

“what?” Sans asked, one of his hands still resting on his shoulder. He gently pried it off.

“GO, SANS,” he repeated, and turned to face the Human as she approached. Halfway across the puzzle now, and still taking her time, carefully looking at all the choices. “LEAVE. I’M GOING TO...I’M GOING TO FIGHT THE HUMAN.”

“wuh,” his brother said, and only grabbed onto his shoulder again. “what?”

“I’M GOING TO FIGHT,” Papyrus said again, and clenched his hands into fists. “BECAUSE I’M GOING TO SEE...I NEED TO SEE HER SOUL. PUZZLES...JAPES! IT’S NOT ENOUGH. I NEED TO KNOW HER INTENT.”

“bro, stop,” Sans said - there was no grin on his face. “this is stupid, you don’t need to FIGHT anybody.”

“YES I DO, SANS.”

“no, you don’t. paps, i’m not going to just leave you alone with that - ”

“SANS.”

Sans stopped.

“PLEASE, SANS. I NEED TO - ”

“...”

“I NEED TO.”

“...”

“SANS, PLEASE - ”

“okay, bro.”

“I MUST FIND - WAIT,” Papyrus said, once his mind caught up to his repeated pleas. “R-REALLY?”

Sans shrugged, and his eyes looked a little sad, but he was grinning when he looked up at him. “this sounds likes it’s real important to you, paps. and...and i don’t like it, but, well...you need to.”

“...YES,” he answered, and didn’t give Sans a chance to move away, grabbing his brother in a big hug. “I DO.”

Sans chuckled and pat his back, and by the time they pulled away, Frisk was standing in the sitting room, looking uncertainly between them. His older brother didn’t say anything - didn’t even look at the Human. Instead, he pat him on the back once, before turning around and walking out of the room, hands in his pockets. 

Leaving him with the Human.

To FIGHT.

B-Because...

In the end, self expression...was the true insight into the Soul. He would express himself to her, and she would...express back. That was the only way to truly understand her intent, whether she was good, or -

Or whether she was bad. Whether she wanted to hurt. 

“H-HUMAN,” Papyrus said, and wished his voice held as much confidence as it had earlier. “I’M AFRAID THAT...THAT THE PUZZLES HAVE COME TO AN END. AND,” he continued, and gulped down the hesitation as Frisk looked at him. “AND THERE IS ONLY ONE MORE PUZZLE LEFT TO SOLVE. YOU.”

Frisk tilt her head. Again. She was confused. 

...Okay.

“FOR THE SAKE OF ALL MY FRIENDS...I HAVE TO FIND OUT,” he whispered, clenching his hands into fists. 

And locked gazes with the Human.

“WHO YOU ARE, HUMAN!”

He reached out with his Soul, found hers, and pulled.

All around, his surroundings went dim - the fluttering and fluffy white, turned into dull grey as his senses focused in on the encounter. And across from him stood Frisk, staring back at him with that same, hard stare. And her Soul, dancing in front of her chest...it glowed bright red, pulsing, a splash of color against the grey that spilled all around.

It was beautiful.

But there were different kinds of beauty, and color wasn’t enough. And it made his own Soul ache, because he had to...he needed to know for sure, to keep his friends happy, to bring them peace in this conflict. He could not help them when he was divided himself. He had to make a decision, here and now.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” he called out into the grey space, “ARE YOU READY, HUMAN? BEHOLD...MY BLUE ATTACK!” And he threw his hands up in the air, before bringing them down...hard.

The Human -

Fell to the floor, her Soul turned blue with his magic. Magic that was really, really impossible to use outside an encounter - he didn’t know how Sans did it so easily - but in this space, it was easier. Easier to focus, easier to ACT -

Easier to FIGHT.

How would she FIGHT? How would she express herself? He had to know.

And the Human -

SPAREd him.

N...nyeh?

“S-SO, YOU REFUSE TO FIGHT?” he questioned, and never mind he was already panting a little. Magic was easier in an encounter, but that didn’t make it easy. “THEN...THEN, HOW ABOUT THIS?”

He expressed three bones, that shot out of the ground and moved towards the Human, wavering up and down. The Human jumped up, neatly avoiding the first two, but the last one caught on her leg, and she stumbled and hit the floor, crying out. He winced, his hand moving outward before he’d even realized it - but she was already getting back up, a smudge on her cheek, but her expression was...

Even more now. 

And she SPAREd him again.

“NO, HUMAN!” Papyrus cried, “I NEED TO SEE - EXPRESS YOURSELF! LIKE...THIS! NYEH!”

Six bones this time, the most he’d ever done at any one time, came at the Human from opposite ends of the room, and from the ceiling, and he was panting hard. She hopped up, hopped even further - misjudged the last set, skid to the right as the bone scraped across her Soul - but she got back on her feet, another smudge on her knee this time and -

And SPAREd him again.

Wwwwwhhhhy.

“PLEASE,” he whined, and felt something that felt like tears at the corner of his eyes, because he had tried so, so hard to figure this puzzle out, and he was no closer to an answer than before, and he was suppose to be the coolest friend ever but how could he be when he didn’t even know anymore what made a good friend, a good person, a good Monster or a good Human or a good anything. “PLEASE, JUST TELL ME...WHO YOU ARE! N-NYEH!” he cried, and shot his arms straight upwards with the last of his strength.

And out of the ground came -

A bone, but -

It was huge -

Right in front of him, blocking the Human from his view. He hadn’t meant to make it that big, why was it so big, and it was moving fast, away from him but straight towards the Human. Blocking the entire entranceway from the dining hall to the sitting room, he could barely even see around the bone much less the tiny Human behind it, and it was going too fast, there was no way, no way Frisk could -

Jump right over it -

Flail in the air for a moment, the faintest blue glow surrounding her -

Before she fell, and landed on the rug. A little harshly, but safe, unharmed from the giant bone he hadn’t meant to express, and the blue glow on her Soul vanished. 

The giant bone disappeared behind her. 

And he had -

He was being SPAREd. Again.

He was too tired to continue. He couldn’t go on.

He SPAREd her.

All around him, the grey space went away, until he could see the white fur and the gold linings on the wall. But inside he felt so...so empty. So sad. Because after everything he’d done, everything he’d tried to do and reason and see and feel -

He still didn’t have an answer to the puzzle.

Was there even an answer?

“N...NYOO HOO HOO,” he moaned, and felt one tear fall. He sniffed and wiped his eyes in a sleeve of his shirt. “I CAN’T DO IT. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...CAN’T SOLVE THIS FRIENDSHIP PUZZLE.” Another tear joined the first, and he wiped at his eyes again as his vision blurred. “I WILL KEEP LOSING FRIENDS BECAUSE I CAN’T DECIDE...AND, A-AND THEN, MY FRIEND COUNT WILL REACH ZERO.”

Because he couldn’t help FIGHT the Human from The Underground, and he couldn’t tell the others that Frisk was a good Human. He had nothing to give, and couldn’t be a cool friend to all of them as they fought with each other. He could only -

Blink, as arms wrapped themselves around him, and he pulled his hands away from his eyes.

They were replaced by an arm, though - the Human’s, as she wiped at his eyes with her own sleeve.

“I’ll be your friend,” she said. Very quietly. 

But she said it all the same. Friend.

I’ll, be your friend...

Not...Not even Chara had...said that. He’d been the one to approach, to offer his friendship, and she had accepted it, yes...but never once had she actually said the word. 

The Human had gone through all his puzzles. Had been in proper awe of his cool and awesome self. Had...had expressed herself, he suddenly realized, by SPAREing him. Over, and over. That was her expression.

The Human wanted to be his friend.

N...nyeh, heh...

“Y-YES!” he cried, and grabbed Frisk around the middle, picking her completely up off the ground. But Frisk didn’t scream or cry - she only laughed as he swung her around, and swung her faster so he could hear his friend laugh again. “OKAY! I, THE G-GREAT PAPYRUS - ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP! B-BECAUSE, HUMAN, YOU...”

“I’ll be your friend.”

“YOU ARE GOOD!”

Frisk -

- stiffened in his arms.

And then, suddenly, was hugging him back just as tightly. Something wet fell against his cheerks, but he didn’t mind, and only squeezed Frisk tighter. 

Because now, finally now...

He had an answer.

He could see now, that there was no answer. There was no neat and easy rule that made this person good, or this person bad. But anyone, Monster or Human, that wanted to be his friend...who expressed themselves by not expressing harmful intent...who enjoyed puzzles and japes and cried against his neck when he called them good...

They were good. 

And as he continued to hug his new friend, a warm presence that hugged him just as tightly as he hugged her, Papyrus felt something lift inside him. The look on her face, the tears and the sniffles. The feeling of having a new friend, and not needing to distinguish his new friend as Monster or Human anymore...

It filled him with...

Determination. 

Chapter Text

Sans didn’t know exactly what was going on, but what he did know? He knew.

He wasn’t going to fall for any of the Humans’ tricks.

He hadn’t wanted to at first. To be honest?...he would’ve preferred just ignoring her, pretending she didn’t exist. Which had worked out pretty great, in his opinion, those first couple of days. Tori had been kinda a bummer, forced him to acknowledge that the anomaly was actually a thing that he couldn’t just pretend wasn’t there...but that’d at least been manageable.

Until Paps had started showing cracks in the armor, and tibia honest, Sans hadn’t been all that surprised. He knew his baby brother better than anyone else, and though he’d been hopeful he’d just follow Undyne on this, it’d only been a matter of time before Papyrus started doing his thing.

That’s how he’d instantly known what the other skeleton was up to, when he’d found Paps setting up puzzles in Snowdin. That’s why he’d joined him as soon as he was able to, and had only cracked off a few puns and jokes, smiled at Papyrus, and glared at the Human whenever his brother wasn’t looking. That’s why he’d left to hide when Paps had wanted to FIGHT, and made sure the Human hadn’t gotten hurt so that his brother wouldn’t feel terrible for hurting her with that weirdly humongous bone he’d managed to express. Because he’d known there’d be no point in convincing Papyrus otherwise.

And now that his brother had apparently decided the Human was worth being a friend to, there was no convincing him that she was dangerous, and that he couldn’t be friends with her. Not unless he wanted another argument that led to a cold shoulder and a Soul that felt like it was being pierced straight through.

He, really didn’t want another argument. Not like that.

And so, Sans had kept his peace, and continued keeping it now, casually leaning against one of the dining chairs as Undyne and Papyrus argued back and forth. Well...more like aggressively hissed at one another. Well...from Undyne it was aggressive hissing, from Papyrus, it was more like...subdued suggesting. Kind and concerned, even when he - for the first time in his life - disagreed with Undyne on a matter of friendship. 

It was a pretty groundbreaking moment. 

Despite himself though, Sans had to hold back against the urge to make a gaping fish joke as Papyrus ran off, Undyne staring after him and gaping like a...like a fish. Heh. 

But as much as instinct told him to follow after Paps, Sans stayed behind as Undyne turned towards him, closing her mouth with an audible snap.

“What is going on around here?” the fish monster questioned. “Huh?!”

He shrugged, because he really didn’t have any better clue than she did. Other than Tori going off her rocker and Paps thinking that everyone had good in them somewhere? Mind control was starting to sound like the most simplest explanation with each day that passed. “beats me, pal,” he said. “tibia perfectly honest, well...i kinda figured he’d just listen to you on all of this. but that FIGHT...really rattled his bones, i guess.”

Undyne seemed to hesitate for a moment. “...What happened?”

With the FIGHT?

Sans shrugged again. “paps wasn’t lying - as if he could,” he chuckled briefly, because Papyrus was the worst liar in the entire Underground. Ever. He couldn’t even keep a straight face when Gaster asked him if he’d really gone to bed at ten o’clock, or if he had stayed up to chat with Sans until ten o’five. “the human SPAREd him until he got tired - didn’t even FIGHT once.”

The fish monster didn’t seem to like that, flopping down onto the white rug. “This is bad,” she mumbled. For a moment Sans thought maybe she was just talking to herself, but Undyne looked up at him a moment later. “Tori and Paps are just too trusting...they think the Human is just gonna be nice to them. And then when their backs are turned...”

...Maybe. 

It’s not like he didn’t trust the Human not to suddenly turn around and FIGHT someone with a whole mess of harmful intent, but that hadn’t really been Chara’s style. She had been...more subtle than that. She’d bullied Paps without letting him know it, while making his life miserable by making sure he’d known it. He’d honestly thought he’d been going crazy at the beginning, seeing a creepy smile that no one else saw.

Until he’d finally realized that she was just pure evil.

And that was the true root of his issues. Because his motivations for driving the Human out of the Underground were...

Look. To be honest? Sans wasn’t stupid. He knew, deep in his Soul of Souls, that all Humans were different, just like all Monsters were. Sure, none of the other Humans had been friendly with him and Paps, but neither had any of them been really mean. At least on the surface. None of the bullying he’d been expecting; a couple of names here and there, but that was it...sans Chara, of course. 

And that was the issue with it. Chara hadn’t shaped his perception of Humans, hadn’t made him believe that all Humans were evil the way Asgore or Undyne did - that hadn’t been her legacy to him. It was just easier to agree with them, to just jump on the hate train and unite in a common goal. Easier to pretend he felt the same way, then try to explain the truth.

No, Chara hadn’t made him believe that all Humans were bad. Instead, Chara had helped him realize how manipulative, how false a Human could be. How completely hidden from themselves that even CHECKing hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. 

Monsters wore their Souls on their sleeves, almost literally; it’s why they could express themselves so easily while Humans couldn’t, why they had the power to draw out another’s Soul into an encounter. Sure, Monsters could lie and cheat and deny, but only by so much. For a Monster to completely deny themselves of their personality, pretend to be something they weren’t...that was a blow to one’s very Soul. 

But Humans...Humans could lie so much that they could even lie to themselves, and forever change who they were because of it.

That had been the legacy she’d left on him. 

And it was a legacy he, in turn, was going to leave on this Human. 

He’d learned from the best, after all.

But it wasn’t until he saw the Human avoiding his gaze at the dinner table did he think that maybe, he could expand on what he’d learned. 

As Undyne noisily pounded her dinner roll into mush and Asgore continued to stare longingly in Tori’s direction (like he hadn’t already done that before), Sans watched the Human; watched as she gratefully accepted a napkin from Tori, outright laughed at one of Gaster’s dad jokes, moderated her laughter into giggles as Papyrus bemoaned his extremely uncool family...and looked back over to him. 

His eye didn’t glare up this time - his eye sockets weren’t even black. He simply stared back at her, grin on his face, and gave her a wink, one that had her weird closed-eye stare turning sorta confused. 

Because he’d been determined, right from the start, to give the Human the same treatment Chara had given him. To Paps, who’d probably just thought he was too lazy to hate the Human once his own brother had offered his friendship to her; to Tori, who still gave him the side eye every so often, but seemed mostly convinced that he’d been won over as easily as his brother had. To Gaster, who kept glancing at him as they ate dinner, sometimes with a frown and sometimes with a smile.

To all of them, he was just being Sans. Going with the flow, going along with Papyrus, being a friendly skeleton to the Human now. And to the Human? A walking nightmare that made sure she always kept one eye open wherever she was in the house.

The same way Chara had made sure Sans was completely and utterly alone in his knowledge of her lack of a Soul.

But now he was wondering if, well...if he even needed to take it that far. Because Chara had done it to toy with him - toyed with Paps to toy with him. And that’s what he’d been planning, once he knew Papyrus would start sitting with the Human at the table. But now...

Wasn’t it better to just trick...all of them?

Because as Sans sat there and watched, he suddenly realized that, honestly? He didn’t really want to toy with the Human. He didn’t really feel the need to enact some revenge on the Human who wasn’t even the same Human. All he wanted was to keep Paps safe, keep everyone in The Underground safe. 

So...so wouldn’t it be better to just...pretend to be friends? Even to the Human?

That had been Chara’s mistake, after all; or rather, her decision, to let him know what she was capable of. To make him aware that he needed to keep one eye socket on her and one eye socket on his brother at all times. But he could take it a step further, he was thinking...because, well. If the Human thought he was a friend, and had no idea what he was capable of...

It would be that much easier to take her down the instant she showed harmful intent towards Paps. 

He didn’t need to terrorize the Human, like he’d done in Snowdin. He just needed to act friendly. Act nice. And then if it ever came down to it...

“forget it, tori. they do that, make you think that they’re super nice, but they’re not. not really.”

...yeah. He’d really learned a lot from Chara. 

But things had gotten really strange around here, and Sans wasn’t an idiot. Because Humans had this saying about keeping friends close but enemies closer. He would use every single power he had, right up to the power he’d learned from Chara, if it kept his brother safe and happy.

The immediate problem was, of course, that he’d basically already played his card, and Sans stared up at the ceiling as he lay on his bed, his thoughts refusing to let him sleep. 

The Human knew he didn’t have the best of feelings towards her, evidenced by how she’d flinched at his glare when she’d held onto Paps’ hand during the puzzle escapade. Of course, at the time he’d had the intention of terrorizing the Human like Chara had done to him. But with his newfound resolution to keep the girl’s defenses low around him, he half-wondered if he’d even be able to convince the Human that he’d just been joking around or something. 

Maybe it was too late to even try and convince her that he wanted to be friends.

Sans sighed and rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, smoothing out his plain t-shirt with his other hand. All this planning and secrecy and two-faced happiness...he’d just started getting over Chara, and this new Human was threatening to bring everything back front and center.

Heh. Life really wasn’t fair sometimes.

With a wide yawn that had nothing to do with sleepiness, Sans slipped out of his bed, automatically wandering past the top of Asgore’s horns peeking out over his bedsheets and towards Paps’ own bed, as he often did when he woke up in the middle of the night - or when he couldn’t fall asleep at all. His brother was sprawled all over the place, half under the covers and half out, with his favorite bone plushie dangling off the bed in the skeleton’s loose grip. Paps breathed lightly as he slept, and every exhale let out the faintest whisper of “nyeh heh heh”.

So cool, his bro. Sans grinned as he carefully rearranged his brother’s frame, his magic making the task next to noiseless as he covered up the skeleton and settled the bone plushie more firmly against Paps’ head, before heading to the door and quietly slipping out.

If he wasn’t going to sleep, he might as well get some ketchup. There was nothing quite like a midnight snack to lull him back into (preferably) good dreams.

So long as he was quiet. Gaster didn’t like them sneaking out for food after they’d all gone to bed. Said it wasn’t good for the stomach or something. Unluckily for him, Sans had just the right amount of guts to grab food or ketchup in the middle of the night. And, he’d only been caught once before, so...hey. He had a pretty good track record going for him, he thought.

At least until the door suddenly creaked open.

Sans froze, eyes blacking out as the sound reached his ears. Of all the nights for Dad to have been up late reading his research notes... “h-hey dad,” he chuckled nervously, mouth moving automatically before his brain could even realize that the creaking had come from the end of the hallway near the stairs, not the other end where the master bedroom lay. “you uh, want a glass of water too? because that’s what i was going to - ”

...Oh.

The Human stared at him.

He stared back. 

For how long, he wasn’t sure. They just stared at one another, until a noise from the girl’s bedroom both had them flinching. Because - well he knew he was sneaking out to go get some ketchup, but her? Was she sneaking around too?

Was she flinching from a guilty conscience? 

“uh,” he finally stated eloquently. “hey, kid.”

The Human looked at him, one hand still on the doorknob of her bedroom door, the other clutching at the bottom of her sweater. She looked confused, or nervous...heh. Probably expecting him to start the eye show again, with no one else around to watch? Make some whispered threats? He was actually pretty surprised she hadn’t said anything to anyone yet, at least to his knowledge. She’d taken his subtle threats pretty calmly, all things considered.

Almost like she was used to it.

But he wasn’t trying to do that anymore, right? Better to befriend the Human, get her to keep her guard down around him, than to take whatever enjoyment he could from torturing her, right? That’s what he’d decided at dinner.

“...hey,” he repeated, shuffling his feet around a bit, before he stuck his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants and grinned at her. “wanna grab a bite with me?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. 

Again probably very confused over his apparent change of heart. Maybe not trusting him anymore than he trusted her. Sans didn’t push it though, only rocked on the heels of his feet, doing his best to appear genuine and approachable. Because if he’d already blown it, and the Human was determined to mark him down as a threat, then...then that’s the way he’d have to play it.

But if he could get the Human to like him, see him as a friend...then he’d have an easier time of keeping an eye on her without risking the Human running to Paps or Tori. 

The moment dragged on, long enough for Sans to feel a tremor of anticipation in his Soul; but finally, the Human nodded, taking a tentative step out of her bedroom, letting the door close behind her. 

“cool,” he grinned, heading towards the stairs at a nonchalant pace, “c’mon, i know a shortcut.” If the Human was surprised, he couldn’t see it, as Sans abruptly leapt onto the top of the stair railing and rode it all the way down to the bottom, only stumbling a bit at the landing. “see?” he whisper-called, turning back around towards the stairs, “it’s not that stairy, just try to - ”

Oh. She was halfway down.

Sans reacted instinctively to a small body hurtling towards him, catching her half with his magic and half with his actual arms as she made her crash landing into him. He managed to keep them both upright, even if he hadn’t meant to. The Human let out a loud giggle that she quickly covered up with her hands, looking up at him; but then she froze, and broke away from him.

Or tried to, still held with his magic as she was, and it took Sans a moment to realize why that uncertain look had suddenly entered her expression. 

Oops.

“oh, sorry pal,” he grimaced, releasing his magical hold on her and fixing his expression back into something that didn’t promise death. His Soul slowly calmed down from the almost nauseating pounding in his chest. That had been way too close for his liking. He hadn’t meant to grab her with his magic, it had just been...an instinctive response to her suddenly being right in his face. Good thing he hadn’t also automatically flung her across the entire room, heh. 

“that uh...the eye thing? happens when i use my magic. see?” Sans demonstrated by lifting up his own body, holding his hands behind as he lazily floated in front of her, his entire body encased in blue. “that’s all.”

The Human nodded slowly, her fearful expression replaced by a more thoughtful one, and Sans felt the little knot of anxiety unwind as he set himself back down. It’d been an automatic response to use his magic on her, but maybe now she would think back on those times in Snowdin as him just using magic on something without her realizing it? Rather than him simply trying to make her nervous.

Which would be great, because that would mean less work trying to convince the Human he was a friend. Sans grinned, and tilt his head towards the kitchen before leading the way.

It was, of course, empty, and he didn’t bother flipping on the light switch as he strolled over towards the fridge and countertops. He had been planning on some late night ketchup, but...maybe the Human would appreciate something less...condiment-y. 

“whaddya think?” he questioned, turning back towards the Human and jerking a thumb over his left shoulder, towards the jar that sat on top of the counter. “feeling like a cookie? or a nice cream sandwich?” His opposing thumb was jerked over his right shoulder this time, where the unsuspecting freezer door was located. “your choice, so don’t sweet it.”

The Human giggled again, softer this time, and inwardly, Sans raised an eyebrow even as he grinned at her. She really liked puns, huh? Tori had got her laughing with a knock knock joke too, he remembered.

...He didn’t know how he felt about that.

She didn’t take long to decide, pointing towards the freezer door, and Sans nodded, raising his left hand in warning. As expected, the Human’s expression seemed to widen a bit as he flared up his magical eye, but he winked at her before turning to magically open the freezer door and rummage around the top shelf, where all the goodies were kept. 

There were some regular ‘ol nice cream bars, a frozen bag of extra spaghetti, two of Muffet’s spider donuts...one of Tori’s knitted socks, no idea how it’d gotten in there...and - yup, there they were. Sans waved around the two nice cream sandwiches in triumph, floating one over to the Human as he took the other, and didn’t release his magic until she had taken the initiative to reach up and grab it for herself.

There. Nothing scary about skeleton magic, right? Just friendly skeleton blue magic, that’s all.

Sans was about to make the suggestion, but to his surprise the Human took the lead, gesturing for him to follow her to the living room. Which was...ugh. This was his home, he didn’t need a Human to tell him where to go...but whatever, it was fine. 

He’d wanted to sit here anyways.

The Underground was situated at the base of Mt. Ebott, and halfway inside it on both sides. As such, the surrounding forest didn’t provide much for a view, even if the view from the floor to ceiling windows hadn’t been half obscured by the tall hedges that surrounded the yard. Nope...the view was only half hedge, then beyond that, trees. The stars and sky would’ve at least been visible from the yard, but Gaster’s barrier on all the entrances and exits to the house made it impossible to go outside at night. 

...At least the surrounding trees let in some trickles of moonlight, whenever the moon hit just the right spot. Like right now, more early morning than it was actually midnight, and spots of moonlight lit up the living room where he and the Human sat down, right in front of the windows. 

There was silence for a while as they ate their pilfered sweets, and he probably should have realized by now that he would have to start conversation. The Human was still probably too afraid of him and didn’t trust him at all.

Heh. He couldn’t really blame her for that - he had learned to distrust Chara pretty quickly, too.

“so kid,” Sans said after a moment of simply eating, and he pretended not to notice the way the Human’s head started. “been meaning to ask you something. whaddya think about my bro?”

The Human hummed softly, the nice cream sandwich held between both of her hands. “Papyrus?”

“yeah.” He wasn’t sure why he asked. If the Human was as much of a manipulative lying dirty brother tormentor as Chara had been, she would just tell him what she’d guess he’d want to hear - how great Paps was, maybe how super smart he was with all his puzzles. Or rather...if she was really like Chara, this could be the moment when she revealed how much she couldn’t stand good and nice people like Papyrus, how they were the absolute worst.

How people like that needed to be erased.

So he wasn’t really sure what he was expecting. But it certainly wasn’t what she said.

“He’s strange.”

“hm?” he mumbled, around a mouthful of his own sandwich. “strange?”

The Human nodded. “Yeah. And weird.”

“yeah?” Sans murmured, and slowly lowered his icy treat. He’d been...not exactly hopeful, but to be honest? He hadn’t actually expected... was this really going to be the moment, when she revealed how she’d been playing Paps and Tori and showed him her cards?

“Mmm,” she said decisively, her feet knocking back and forth in front of her. “And he’s funny. Makes me laugh.” The Human chuckled suddenly, as if remembering something specific that his brother had done to get her to laugh. “And he’s,” she continued, though she stopped for a moment to pick at the hem of her sweater. “He’s...real nice. And good.”

“...heh. yeah,” he said, staring at the Human from the corner of his eye. “isn’t he the coolest?”

“Mm-hmm,” the Human agreed, though her mind still seemed to be elsewhere, and Sans looked down at his half-eaten ice cream sandwich as he remembered his brother’s words in Snowdin, and the way the Human had cried against his neck.

Nice and good, huh? Good and nice.

“he’s always doing his best,” Sans went on, unwrapping the bottom half of his cold treat, “no matter what. like when he decided he wanted to be as cool as undyne. trained with her as much as he could. she used to live on gerson’s side, ‘ya know?”

The Human shook her head, and sniffled. For one bizarre moment he thought she was trying to fight back tears, but her eyes were completely dry, and she only sniffed again, as if she was trying to fight back a sneeze instead. 

He decided to ignore it. “yeah. paps doesn’t like the tunnel, but he used to sneak out at night to go visit her for more training.” Sans’ grinned, remembering the moment Gaster had found out what his brother had been doing at night. “that’s why gaster started putting up barriers. but undyne was so impressed with paps by then, she asked to move over to this side. well,” he amended, “she packed up and took one of the bedrooms upstairs, and threw spears at anyone that tried to move her, so they just let her stay over here. so she and paps could train every day.”

She was nodding along thoughtfully as he spoke, and Sans leaned back on his hands, staring out the windows into the towering trees that let in tiny flickers of moonlight through their branches. 

“paps never gives up on anything,” he murmured, closing his eyes briefly. “he always sees the good in everything...everyone. easy for others to take advantage of that. ‘ya know?”

Silence. Sans peeled his right eye open to see the Human had finished her nice cream sandwich, and was also staring out at the garden, knees drawn up to her chest and arms curled around them. 

...Heh. She really wasn’t going to give him anything, was she.

Either she was better than Chara ever was, or she...she was genuine. He couldn’t tell. He didn’t even know if there was a way to tell anyways, expect to risk everything and hope for the best.

“...i think the two of you,” Sans said, falling to lay down on the floor with his hands folded behind his head, “could be really good friends. heh. paps always loves making friends.”

“And you?”

He blinked, eyes roving onto the Human. From this angle she seemed a lot bigger, even though she was only a little bit shorter than him. And her head was turned somewhat, her closed-eye stare facing him even as her body continued to face towards the window. The position made the slim moonlight hit the side of her face, casting the rest of it into shadow.

“Do you...wanna be my friend too?”

No. He really didn’t. 

“Do you,” the Human hesitated, tucking her head down a bit into the crook of her elbow, even though she continued to look at him. “Do you...not want me to be friends with Papyrus?”

Oh...right. 

She was still scared of him - or worried about how he’d acted in Snowdin. Sans mournfully wished he hadn’t reacted so instinctively back then, automatically trying to treat the Human the same way Chara had treated him. It had been almost like justice, feeling like he was finally getting back at the demon girl, but he knew now that that wasn’t the best way. 

There was just no point in wasting the energy to toy with the Human. Better to get in close, act like a friend, and save his energy for the moment the Human revealed her true nature.

“listen, pal,” he murmured, pushing himself back upwards to lean on on his hands as she lowered her gaze down to her elbow, “what did i just say? paps loves making new friends...and hey. buddy?” He waited until the Human looked back at him, meeting his eyes dead on.

And winked.

“i’m an easy-going skeleton. just be a good friend, and you don’t have to worry about afriending me.”

Her eyebrows crinkled. 

Before she laughed.

Not a giggle this time. Her head flew backwards, released from the confines of her elbow, as the Human laughed out loud at the pun. Gone were the shadows from her face, once again turned towards the moonlight, and she laughed to her heart’s content. Even started coughing a bit. As if there weren’t Monsters sleeping upstairs, where they definitely should have been sleeping as well.

They should actually, probably, be a bit quieter.

But by the time Sans thought to mention it, the Human had quieted down again, to more nighttime-appropriate giggles and a few more coughs. He chuckled alongside her, more for her benefit than his own. At least...at the very least, if she really was just putting on an act like Chara had been, at least she played along with his puns and jokes. Chara had for a while, but she’d made it clear pretty quickly how much she actually hated them.

This Human was, at least, playing along with all the puns and jokes everyone had thrown at her for the first week or so. More than he could say of Chara.

It took Sans a moment to recognize the silence for what it was, however, and he realized the Human was staring at him like she was expecting something. “heh. whassamatter?” he questioned, and raised one eyebrow when she only tilt her head. 

She looked a little...sad.

...Oh. He hadn’t actually answered her first question, had he?

He was suppose to act like a friend. Obviously, he wanted to be her friend.

Right.

But Sans had barely opened his mouth when the Human suddenly shook her head, very quickly, like she was trying to shake her hair dry. “Nothing,” she said, and smiled at him. It looked very strange, for some reason, like it was doing its best to be a smile but something wasn’t quite there. “It’s nothing.”

He was pretty good at reading faces.

The Human didn’t give him any time to say anything at all, really, suddenly standing up and brushing herself off a bit. “I’m gonna,” she started, gesturing a bit down the hall, “back to bed.”

Oh. Yeah. It was amazing they hadn’t woken Gaster yet. 

“yeah, me too,” he said agreeably, standing up after her - only to suddenly yawn, his body apparently only just realizing he was actually tired. “that was a nice snack, but i’m pretty bone tired.”

She let out a small chuckle, but it felt better than the smile that was still on her face. There was a moment’s hesitation between the two of them, before she abruptly bent down to grab the discarded nice cream sandwich wrappers - both of them. She glanced at him briefly, before hurrying over towards the trash can in the kitchen and disposing of them, returning to his side just as hurriedly.

She was facing the windows, while his back was turned towards them. Her face was awash with speckles of moonlight, while his own was probably darkened with the shadows of the night.

He almost expected her to say something. It looked like she wanted to.

She didn’t however, and Sans only grinned widely, before leading the way back upstairs.

Black shadows seemed to flit down the hallway as he walked up onto the landing, but the hallway was empty and still as he lingered by the Human’s door, watching as she got up the stairs and automatically headed towards it. He gave her another wink and turned to go back to his own bedroom, but a small noise from behind stalled him, made him glance over his shoulder.

“Um,” the Human said, one hand clutching the doorframe. Another pause, before she looked up at him. “Thanks for the nice cream.”

The look on her face...

Whelp. Now he knew why her previous smile had looked so weird. Seeing her normal smile - her real smile - made that previously false smile feel that much more out of place, that much more obvious that it didn’t belong. She was either the most genuine Human child ever, or...

Chara had nothing on her.

“...heh. no problem, kid.”

She smiled wider.

And for some reason, Sans found himself waving goodbye as she closed the door, as if he didn’t live in the same house as she did and wouldn’t see her first thing tomorrow.

He felt kinda weird.

He supposed it would feel kinda weird, though, all things considered - getting all buddy buddy with the person he was also keeping a close eye on, waiting for the moment she messed up and revealed her true nature. 

Because that really was the problem, wasn’t it? If Chara hadn’t revealed herself to him, he...he would have never known. And if this Human was even worse than Chara - all of the other girl’s hateful intent with a double dose of her subtly...then they were all gonna have a bad time.

He was good at reading faces. She hadn’t just given him the best possible answers, hadn’t told him exactly what he’d wanted to hear. Hadn’t mirrored his puns and jokes to appeal to his personality, even though she’d appreciated them all the same. For all intents and purposes, this human was...sincere.

He just...had no idea how sincere she was. How deeply she had lied to herself, if at all.

...Whelp.

That’s why he was doing this, wasn’t it? Get in close, learn her secrets. Watch her closely without her realizing it. From just this one friendly conversation, he’d already learned that she was either a normal kid who liked having friends as much as the next Monster, or she was a creature that was even less than either Human or Monster, and one who played the part of an innocent and sincere little kid way too well.

Because that really narrowed things down. 

He really was tired though, and Sans allowed himself to stop thinking about it as he quietly slipped back into the bedroom. Papyrus had thrown off his sheets once more, and once more he set the coolest little brother ever to rights, gently tucking the bone plushie back against Paps’ side before he trudged back to his bed and flopped down on it. 

The nice cream sandwich had really done the trick. His head barely touched the pillow before he was asleep, and he slept soundly for the rest of the night, not waking up again until Papyrus bounced on his bed and demanded that he stop being a lazybones and help find the best Junior Jumble puzzle for the Human.

Chapter Text

The First Human: A Contradiction of Hopes and Dreams

Well, everything was terrible now.

They’d had a plan, they’d done the plan, and she’d only gotten a little bit burnt by Tori’s fire when the goat monster had realized Frisk was missing and had escaped her Face Me magic. At that time, she’d really hoped that Papyrus had finished his part in scaring and FIGHTing the Human, because even though they both had gotten tired from the encounter, the look in Tori’s eyes as she had run into the house...

She shivered. Not ‘cause she was scared or anything! But just because she was in Snowdin right now, and it was cold. That was all! She was just cold.

But also mostly mad.

Because their plan had been ruined, and it was all thanks to these punks!

“U-UNDYNE, I SWEAR, I DID FIGHT THE HUMAN. THAT IS WHY I KNOW WE DON’T NEED TO FIGHT HER ANYMORE!”

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me - ”

“I KID YOU NOT. THIS IS A NON KIDDING MATTER!”

What in the world was going on in this house?

Just this morning, they had had everything ready, and Papyrus had been ready and willing to FIGHT! She’d kept Tori distracted, and Asgore had opened the window, and the Human had gone in. And she knew that Papyrus had started FIGHTing, because there had been bones flying across the windows - that’s how Tori had realized something was up. And went FLEEing the moment she was able to.

She and Asgore had, without saying a word, decided to stay in the gardens for a while. Just a bit. Maybe gather their strength for whenever Tori came back out with fire burning in her paws. 

But she hadn’t come back out. 

Neither had Papyrus. 

And it wasn’t until they’d finally gone in for lunch that she and Asgore had finally learned what had happened.

She just didn’t understand all the stupid, wimpish, mind-controlling steps the Human punk had taken in the middle!

“Papy,” Undyne said slowly, with a very gentle voice and smile that still had the younger skeleton falling a step back, “we’ve talked about this again and again, remember? Humans are bad. You can’t trust them! Right?”

She was expecting him to nod, like he always had for the past days. Maybe a bit reluctantly, but still. He’d always been kinda too nice, but she knew Papyrus - he was a cool dude underneath, sometimes he just needed a little training to bring out the coolness. He’d been kinda hesitant about this whole thing since the start (he really was too nice to FIGHT, most of the time) but he’d always come around to her side of thinking in the end. Because that’s what friends did. 

Only -

Only he was shaking his head. 

“BUT UM, ABOUT THAT...” he started, and Undyne felt like maybe now might be a good time to start pulling on her hair, “YOU SEE, I...T-THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE DISCOVERED THAT - WELL. THAT THIS ONE HUMAN IS GOOD! SHE IS NOT BAD! AND MAYBE, SHE...U-UHM. WOULD MAKE A VERY GOOD FRIEND!”

“No, Papyrus!” she growled, and couldn’t stop herself from stomping on the ground once in frustration. Why didn’t he just get it? “Remember? No Humans are good!”

“SOME HUMANS!” he corrected, and there was something on his face, an expression she didn’t really know how to describe. “SOME HUMANS ARE GOOD! FRISK IS GOOD!”

“Frisk?!” she repeated. Papyrus was calling the Human Frisk now?

And the taller skeleton still had that look on his face, the one that made him suddenly seem taller than he actually was, because she suddenly felt shorter, which was totally impossible, she was totes the tallest! They had measured! “YES. FRISK. THAT IS HER NAME! AND SHE IS A GOOD HUMAN! SHE SPARED ME, UNDYNE!”

“Of course she did, dum-dum!” Undyne ground out, because duh! She would know better than anyone else, and it only made this whole thing more frustrating. First Tori and now Papyrus, what was that Human punk doing to them? “They SPARE you and make you think everything’s okay, and then they strike you down when you’re least expecting it!” She barely even noticed when Papyrus’ face started to harden, that expression seeming to fill up every inch of space as she stamped her foot again. “Humans are total bad guys, really bad ne - eeews?!”

“UNDYNE.” The tall skeleton gripped her close around the middle, holding tightly even as her arms flailed passionately, cut off in the middle of her rant. The big numbskull was just asking for a noogie, wasn’t he! And she was about to comply, when he pulled back, hands on her shoulders, and his face...

His normally cheerful, innocent, baby Papyrus trying to be so cool face, was deadly serious.

“NOT THIS ONE.”

Her mouth worked soundlessly, moving up and down like she was trying to catch a Whimsun with her mouth, and Papyrus released her and hurried out of Snowdin. 

It wasn’t until a moment later that she managed to close her mouth, and really, she’d been half prepared for some pun about gaping like a fish that it took her a moment to realize it wasn’t there. She twisted her body around to see Sans still standing where he’d been during that entire argument, leaning against one of the dining chairs with his hands in his pockets. 

Like he didn’t have a care in the world.

And maybe it was that casualness that finally let her express her feelings in one long, drawn out, breath.

“What is going on around here? Huh?!”

The short skeleton shrugged, but his eyes opened, the lights in the sockets already looking in the direction Papyrus had left from. “beats me, pal,” he said unhelpfully - but then pushed himself off of the chair, walking over to her. “tibia perfectly honest, well...i kinda figured he’d just listen to you on all of this. but that FIGHT...really rattled his bones, i guess.”

“...What happened?” she asked, despite herself. Because...because that Human was messing up a whole lot of things in The Underground, but...well, c’mon. She was a Human. She’d always wanted to see a Human FIGHT for real. 

Just not a Human that suddenly decided to live with them for the rest of their lives.

But Sans only shrugged. “paps wasn’t lying - as if he could,” the skeleton chuckled. “the human SPAREd him until he got tired - didn’t even FIGHT once.”

Undyne grumbled to herself, and shivered again - but she didn’t want to go to the table for lunch yet, because Tori would be there, and Papyrus was gonna be there, and that Human was going to be there joking and laughing with Tori and Papyrus. Probably. 

The fish girl flopped down onto the white rug, the fluffiness keeping the cold off a bit as she sunk her head onto her hands. “This is bad,” she muttered, glancing up at Sans. “Tori and Paps are just too trusting...they think the Human is just gonna be nice to them. And then when their backs are turned...”

Sans didn’t say anything, but he’d shoved his hands back into his pockets. Undyne played with a loose piece of rug.

Tori was a pretty smart Monster, even if she didn’t like FIGHTing or expressing herself all that much. She didn’t just make friends all crazy like. And Paps was the most loyalest of Monsters ever, her very cool friend. The two of them always supported each other on really important things they felt strongly about...and now he had decided that the Human was good.

“Do you,” she started, and then had to stop, because the idea of being so wrong filled her with an emotion that made her want to stomp on things until she didn’t feel it anymore. “Do you...think he’s right?”

The short skeleton didn’t say anything for a while, just looked down at the rug. But then he looked up and met her eyes.

“no way.”

Good...good.

“Yeah,” Undyne confirmed, more for herself than for Sans, but she hopped back onto her feet, brushing herself off. “Me neither. So now...” she trailed off, clenching her hands into fists as visions of blue skin, shining metallic light, and dull yellow eyes swam across her memories.

“You are our hopes and dreams...so you must live on in this world...”

“Undyne...”

“Now it’s my turn.”

“yeah?” Sans asked with a grin, turning towards her. “you’ve got a new plan?”

“No more plans,” she declared, fists clenched in front of her face. “No more nice fishie! As soon as I have a chance...I’m gonna strike. She won’t even know what hit her. Sans,” she called out, whirling towards the skeleton and gripping his shoulder with one hand, “you gotta keep an eye out for me. As much as you can. Keep watch on Tori and Paps, make sure that Human doesn’t try anything!”

The skeleton nodded, his grin widening. “i’m not leaving paps alone with that thing,” he said. 

“You were making jokes and laughing with him and the Human earlier,” Undyne felt the need to point out, her tone a little accusatory. Because that was how she’d found them in Snowdin, after she’d come in from the garden - Tori still furious, but seemingly warmer as the Human had hugged Papyrus, and Sans had cracked a joke about how ice the moment was or something.

“well yeah,” Sans said. “tori wouldn’t let me near the kid if she thought i had any harmful intent towards her. and better to be near her, so i can keep an eye out on tori and paps, right?”

“So...you’re pretending to be friendly?” she guessed, and felt a chill run up her spine that didn’t have anything to do with the cold. 

Because that’s what Humans did. Pretended to be friendly or nice, when in reality, they were just waiting for you to let your guard down. And then a knife, or a gun, or a swift kick, and it was all over.  

“well...i wouldn’t go that far,” the skeleton said, shrugging once again. “more like i don’t really care that much. paps is just glad that more of us are getting along - he’ll keep tori from shooing me away.”

“I guess,” she said a little reluctantly. It just...felt kinda low, to her. Stooping to the level of Humans...but. This was serious stuff. Maybe it was time to...do things like that. If it meant getting rid of the Human? Yeah...maybe. “If you think you can keep that up.”

“heh heh...”

Sans shook his head once, and began leading the way out of Snowdin and towards the kitchen. And by that point she was so cold that she was shivering all the way down her socks, and Undyne almost missed his answer.

“don’t worry, pal. i learned from the best.”

Dinner was painful, and there was nothing she could do about it.

And it cost her a dinner roll.

“Y-You can have mine, if you want it,” Alphys murmured, holding her own out, and she felt a spike of appreciation for the monster. Alphys was, like, the biggest nerd ever, but she was real sweet, and watched anime with her all the time.

And so she had to be cool, and strong, and not show Alphys or Asgore or anyone that this whole thing was driving her just a little bit insane.

“That’s okay Al,” she said, and grabbed the roll she had smushed in her fist a few moments ago without even realizing it. “I meant to do that! For...practice. Ngaaah!” She pounded her other fist into her hand, and into the slowly disintegrating dinner roll, before dropping the whole thing onto the table and folding her arms, sending a smug and super intimidating look down to the other end. 

The Human wasn’t even looking at her, and was instead giggling as she accepted a napkin from Tori, while Gaster questioned “Water you doing” in response to her spilled glass of water, and Papyrus held onto his skull and cried about how uncool everyone was.

...Rude. She could at least look while someone was being super intimidating. 

But it was okay. Undyne gripped her fork tightly like it was one of her spears, and viciously threw it in a cut up piece of steak that sorta looked like the head of a stupid Human. 

Let them laugh. Let them giggle. Because tomorrow...

Tomorrow, she was going to put an end to everything.

Except, there was one, tiny little problem. 

Gaster was late coming to breakfast the next morning - and even more importantly, the Human wasn’t there. 

She’d gone to breakfast ahead of the other girls, expecting...well. Maybe hoping the Human would also show up early? But Alphys and Tori had come down shortly after, and then Paps and Sans and Asgore. And she and Papyrus had had a quick suplexing contest with the furniture (because they were still cool friends, even if Papyrus was really confused right now) before Gaster himself had shown up.

And set up breakfast without the Human.

She wanted to ask - was really tempted to, but...would that be kinda suspicious? Maybe? Hey where’s the Human, I just wanna know I don’t want to FIGHT her or anything.

But she ended up not having to ask at all.

“Where’s Frisk?” Tori said worriedly, as Gaster sat down in his place. Which was...really weird. Tori was so busy being super crazy mama goat, how did she not know where the Human was? They were best friends or something now, weren’t they?

Gaster only shook his head, however. “Frisk is not feeling well today, Toriel,” the skeleton monster said, mostly into his coffee mug as he read over the Ebott town newspaper. “It seems like she caught a cold yesterday...somehow.” 

Papyrus, don’t you dare, Undyne mentally screamed at the younger skeleton, who had immediately lost his grin and sunk into his scarf, and was probably feeling super guilty about FIGHTing the Human in Snowdin instead of elsewhere, because he was a skeleton and he didn’t get cold or hot so easily. She wished she was sitting closer to him so she could elbow his side, or suplex him and his chair, or any number of things to distract him from spilling the beans on their plans.

But for some reason - when Undyne looked back up at Gaster, Gaster was looking right back at her.

“W-what,” she said out of reflex, because that look meant he was being all Sad and Disappointed at something she’d done. “Don’t look at me! S’not like I told the Human to play in Snowdin or anything,” she explained defensively, because she definitely had not done that exact thing. 

She’d only helped make sure the Human played around in Snowdin. 

“However it happened,” Gaster continued, with a rustling of his newspapers, “Frisk will be resting for today. And most likely a few more days afterwards, until she gets better.”

“Poor Frisk,” Toriel murmured sympathetically, “I should bring her some pie.”

“AND SOME PUZZLES!” Papyrus cut in. “BECAUSE ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE UNSOLVABLE PUZZLES MADE BY THE GREATEST PUZZLE MAKER OF ALL PUZZLE TIME IS THE BEST MEDICINE!”

Undyne rolled her eyes. Papyrus was cool and all, but he liked puzzles way too much. Now japes? Japes were much cooler, and ten times more fun.

“W-what...is it really bad? The Human’s...ah. Her cold?”

What the -

Undyne gaped at the seat to her left, where Alphys was tentatively asking her question. At her stare though, the lizard monster turned red and looked down at her plate, pushing around the potatoes with her spoon. 

Why did...what was that? Why did Alphys care whether it was bad or not? Hopefully it was real bad, so that the Human would...well, she didn’t want the Human to die or anything. But maybe she’d have to go away to a human city to get better or something. Or just, go away in general?

No luck. “She’s alright, Alphys,” Gaster said reassuringly, and seemed perfectly relaxed despite the looks Tori and Papyrus were giving Alphys down the table. “It’s not a bad cold. She’ll just need to rest in her room for a few days, is all.”

“Oh,” Alphys said quietly, and didn’t say anything more.

“...If you’d like to visit,” he said slowly, then looked towards Tori and Paps, “or bring her some things, let me know.”

Pfft, whatever. As if she’d want to ever -

...Wait.

Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.

Wait just one hot minute.

The Human was sick. She’d be spending all day, and probably a couple of days according to Gaster, resting in her bedroom. And Tori, plus Papyrus and Sans, would probably visit her sometimes...but not all the time, because she knew them. They wouldn’t want to spend all day in the Human’s bedroom, not when they could be playing outside or in the playroom or anywhere else. That would just be silly.

Which meant...that the Human would be upstairs all day, with no one else around ‘cause they’d all be giving her space to rest. She’d be completely alone.

This was perfect!

This was the chance she’d been waiting for! All she’d have to do was time it correctly, make sure Gaster was off being Gaster, and the other kids were doing other things, and then...then she could strike! And she could ask Asgore and Alphys and Sans to keep them all distracted so that she could -

...No.

No, no distractions. No plans. She would just go in, FIGHT the Human some, then leave. And then do it again. And then again, until the Human finally got the message and left. She was so quiet and soft, there was no way she would tattle tell on her to Gaster. She had no spine! 

But even if the Human did decide to be a big crybaby about it, well...that was fine. She could take being grounded for a few days, because this was more important than eating nice cream and training with Papyrus and yes - even more important than anime.

Because she had everyone’s hopes and dreams to protect. 

“Uh...Undyne? Undyne?”

Which is when Undyne realized she had been chuckling under her breath this entire time - and with what had probably not been a very nice chuckle, since every single Monster in the kitchen was staring at her with varying levels of concerns. “uh...” Sans said, one eyebrow raised, “what’s so funny, pal?”

“SANS, IF YOU’VE GOTTEN UNDYNE SICK WITH YOUR PUNS...” Papyrus started warningly.

“so you think she’s gotten sick of ‘em?”

Undyne ignored Papyrus silent screaming as the table returned to its usual bickering, and for a moment it almost felt like things were finally back to normal, like the Human had never come to The Underground.

But as Asgore tried another fail joke to make Tori laugh, only to be greeted with a silent stare instead of her usual giggles at his silliness, Undyne knew that things would never be back to normal.

Not until she was gone.

And her chance came right at lunch. 

She almost missed it, digging into her sandwich to fuel up on energy. They’d all gotten to pick what they wanted for lunch, and had split up instead of sitting at the table like they normally did. And she had chosen to watch tv while she ate. 

She was just about to take her first bite, when she realized that the spot next to her was empty. 

And that’s how she realized she was completely alone.

Slowly, Undyne set her sandwich down on her plate, looking left and right. Papyrus, Sans, and Tori were all eating outside and listening to a spontaneous Froggit choir. And if she leaned around the couch, she could just make out Alphys and Asgore in the playroom, crouching around the lizard monster’s project that she’d been working on a whole bunch lately. 

So much that Alphys had even chosen to eat there to work on it, instead of eating in the living room to watch anime with her. It was so weird. 

But...

That weirdness was her perfect chance. 

Slowly, carefully, just in case Tori decided now would be the perfect moment to come inside to grab some carrots or something, Undyne got up and crawled around the couch, providing the perfect cover to hide from the glass window-doors that led out to the yard. She took a moment to look back and forth, red ponytail whipping about, before she leapt across the room and plastered herself to the wall.

It was a good thing she’d been training with Papyrus just the other day, working on their super sneaky stealth skills!

She was so good that not even Asgore noticed as she crept down the hall, scuttling along with her back pressed against the wall. She passed by the playroom, and in a few moments, was soon staring up at the stairway that led upstairs. 

And also at Gaster, who was coming down.

Undyne panicked, and - after a very confused moment in which she silently screamed and flapped her hands around - stood stock still with her arms straight at her side, hoping he might confuse her for the very bottom stair railing. 

Gaster -

- didn’t even glance at her as he swept by. He was holding something in his hands. Like, cupping it, as if it was precious and delicate, and he had a really huge smile on his face as he rushed past, into the Ruins. Probably going to his lab. 

What a nerd. 

But at least he hadn’t noticed her, and Undyne let out a huge sigh.

...Why had she even been worried about being seen? It wasn’t like her room wasn’t up there to, she could go upstairs if she wanted. Ngaaah, it was that stupid Human messing with her head, making her think she couldn’t even go upstairs or else she’d get in trouble! This was her home, not the Human’s!

“Ngaaah, stupid punk!” she cried - and clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes darting around to see if Tori would come running back into the house with fire in her paws.

Nothing moved though, and Undyne let out another sigh of relief, before she turned back to the stairs.

And began to climb up. 

The Human’s door was the first one on the left after the stairs, while the rest of the hallway led to the other bedrooms and Gaster’s room. If someone else came upstairs, they’d totally see her going into the Human’s room...and depending on who it was, would totally tell on her to Gaster.

She could take being grounded, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be. She had to be fast. She reached out and grabbed the door handle.

And paused, as the sound of coughing from the other side reached her.

Undyne frowned, her hand unclenching slightly from the handle. That was definitely the Human coughing, and it sounded like she really was sick. To FIGHT a sick person, was...there wasn’t anything cool about that. Her parents had always said that Monsters should face danger head on, FIGHT each other face to face. The worst way to FIGHT was to sneak up behind someone for a surprise FIGHT, or FIGHTing someone who couldn’t really FIGHT back. 

Or FIGHTing them once they’d given you their trust and love. That was..ab, so, lutely the worst. 

“Y...You...w-why...”

...But, this was important. She...she had to. For all Monsters. Not just Tori and Papyrus, who were under the Human’s spell, but for Burgerpants who was at the end of his road, for Muffet and her spiders, for all the dogs Monsters who sometimes howled and whimpered in their sleep. 

She had to. She had to just...grit her teeth, and turn the handle.

...

Grit her teeth and turn the handle.

Turn, the handle.

Turn the stupid handle!

Undyne let out a little noise of frustration, and slammed her hands onto the door. There was...she could feel it. Monster magic. A barrier of some sort, something that let her touch the door and pound on the door and scratch at the door, but she couldn’t turn the handle. 

It wasn’t locked - she couldn’t even jiggle the handle, it didn’t move at all. It was the barrier, it had to be...and it had to have been Gaster. There was no Monster kid in The Underground that could do magic like this, she was one hundred percent sure. It was Gaster, Gaster had put up a barrier.

To keep the Human in? Or to keep others out?

Did it matter? It kept her away from the Human, and that made her angry.

“Ngggah!” Undyne snarled, and a blue spear appeared in her hands. “Come out here you little punk!” she ordered, “come out here and face me!” She struck at the door with her spear, striking and slicing and stabbing, but even if it had been a physical spear, she still wouldn’t have been able to make a scratch. The barrier shimmered and gleamed with each hit, and did nothing but make her angrier. 

But there was nothing she could do.

“You can’t hide in there forever!” she cried out - a warning or a promise, she didn’t know. But she turned around and ran back down the stairs, angry that her very simple idea of encountering the Human had failed. 

Alphys and Asgore weren’t in the playroom anymore - they’d gone outside and were sorta hanging around the others, even if Tori got this funny look any time Asgore even looked back at her. Not exactly a glare anymore, but definitely not a friendly look. That was all fine with Undyne (the everyone being outside part, not the Toriel being mad at Asgore for keeping everyone’s hopes alive part), because that meant she had the entire living room to herself to pace and scowl and kick at the carpet, and fling her hands in the air, and mash her teeth together.

This was the worst.

Undyne flopped down onto the couch and smushed her face into a pillow. She felt so helpless. She was the raddest and baddest of all the Monsters here (except maybe for Asgore but shhh she was getting close to beating him), she had to keep everyone’s hopes and dreams alive! And that meant getting rid of the Human.

Which is when she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

She froze. She could still see out the glass windows across the living room - everyone was still outside. Gaster had come downstairs and headed to his lab, probably. There was no one else around the house.

...Unless...

Very, very slowly, Undyne peeked around the armrest of the couch. 

The Human stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking left and right, and Undyne tried to pick her jaw off the floor.

H-how? The barrier had - there’d been a barrier on her door, one that had to have been made by Gaster. Had it faded somehow? Gone away? Had she actually broken through the barrier with her spear without even realizing it, and the Human had gone through?

She had absolutely no answers to all these questions as the Human looked around for a longer moment, before suddenly heading off towards the Ruins. 

Very suspicious like. 

“What are you...” Undyne muttered - to herself, because there was no one else around. Where was the Human going? Off to sneak around and find out all their Monster secrets?...if they, had any secrets? Did this house have Monster secrets? Maybe. 

...But wait. Wait a second.

This was perfect. 

The fish monster slowly slid off the couch, once again becoming the perfect master of stealth as she tiptoed across the room, towards the door that led to the Ruins. This was perfect! The Human was sneaking around, doing something or another...she would catch her in act! And then she’d be able to triumphantly say “Ah-ha!” and point her finger, and the dramatic music would start like it did in the animes. Probably. 

And...and if she wasn’t actually sneaking around, then she’d still be able to catch the Human in a FIGHT! And this time...it wouldn’t be a coward’s FIGHT, going after the Human while she slept. Now they’d FIGHT each other face to face! Fish to Human! A real battle with flower swords and giant robots!

This was her perfect chance! 

“Get ready, Human,” Undyne whispered, eyes narrowed and grin wide as she leaned around the corner, “get ready to face me! Ngaa - ah?”

There was no one there.

Undyne looked around the area, her pupils moving about as she stood frozen in place, teeth bared and hands raised up like claws. The Ruins were completely empty. The pathway that led to Snowdin was a pretty short one, mostly free of clutter, and it was...completely empty.

...What? Was the Human going to Snowdin? Why?

The fish monster finally dropped her battle ready pose, scratching at her head...which is when a sudden thunk! made her jump, and she instinctively leapt behind an overturned lamp table, peering around it.

The Human was crawling out of the cupboard, the really heavy one near the very end of the Ruins that was impossible to open, even for her. Like, it was way heavy. There was no way the scrawny Human had managed to get it open! Which meant...

No way. She was coming out of the cupboard...which meant that Tori had shown the Human her special home. 

Tori didn’t let anyone come in her special home. Not Asgore, not Sans, not her or Alphys or Papyrus. No one. But the Human was coming out of the cupboard (and looking around very confusedly again) which meant Tori must have shown it to her, because only Tori knew the secret path to get to her special home. All that junk and clutter in the Ruins...Tori had picked her secret special home well.

And she’d shared it with the Human.

That just...that wasn’t fair.

The sound of scratching wood had the Human’s head whipping around, and Undyne hastily ducked back behind the table with her Soul in her throat. She hadn’t meant to claw at the wood with her hands. She just had a habit of crushing things with her hands whenever she was stressed, okay? It wasn’t a problem, okay?!

But finally, the sound of footsteps allowed Undyne to peek back around her hiding spot, to see the back of the Human’s head moving into Snowdin. 

Man...the Human was scrawny and stupid too. Even she knew that you shouldn’t spend time in a cold place when you were sick with a cold, duh! 

But if the Human wanted to get even more sick, then she could do that. 

Undyne waited for just a moment, before hurrying after her. There weren’t as many hiding places in Snowdin, especially since the very slippery floors made it kind hard to stop where you wanted to stop, and instead made you just go slipping all the way to the rug. Luckily though, the Human had gone to the other side of the long dining table, and Undyne carefully ducked underneath the white table cloth to follow along. 

She could just make out the Human’s shoes outside the tablecloth as she moved between the table legs, keeping close but not too close. The Human froze very suddenly at one point, and Undyne did as well, fearful that she had been discovered - but of course, her super stealth skills were just too good. The Human only sneezed and sniffled a bit, before moving on towards the sitting room.

Where the sound of her footsteps stopped.

Undyne crouched underneath the table, and bent down so her face was close to the rug, lifting up the table cloth just a bit to risk a peek. The Human was standing in the sitting room, the very last part of Snowdin, looking around at the furniture. For a moment she just stood there, like she was searching for something - or someone - before she sneezed again and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Ew. 

But then, the Human moved on. Not back to the Ruins, but out the back exit of Snowdin and into pretty much Undyne’s favorite part of the house.

Waterfall.

She was getting kinda nervous now. The Human sure was taking her sweet time about it, but she was heading closer and closer to the basement and the tunnel - and after that, the Core. Where all of Gerson’s kids were. Was that her goal all along? Play sick to make everyone leave her alone, then sneak out to the other side of the house to have her evil Human way with all the kids there?

Nuh-uh. Not if she had anything to say about it!

Undyne crossed the hallway, only somewhat lit because of all the water damage in Waterfall, and peered around the open doorway. 

She liked Waterfall a whole lot. Not only because it was nice and damp and ginormous and perfect for fish monsters, but also because it was kinda dark and dim, so her spears looked super rad in this area. They glowed bright blue and lit up everything around her, and made her feel like a totally kawaii, butt-kicking anime heroine. 

She kinda wished there wasn’t so many plants, though. Because some parts were fine. But other parts...it was like walking through entire fields of Echo flowers. Or reeds. 

“NO NO, THIS ONE IS MUCH BETTER!”

Undyne nearly leapt out of her skin as Papyrus’ voice suddenly rang out in the still area, and flailed backwards, falling into a patch of reeds. Water splashed underneath her hands and she froze, not daring to peek out in case the Human was looking over in her direction.

“IT HAS MORE SPOTS, SEE? CLEARLY IT IS THE SUPERIOR MUSHROOM!”

What the...was the Human meeting Paps here for some reason? And where was Sans? That lazy bonehead was suppose to be keeping an eye on his brother and Tori! Undyne growled - but hesitated a moment, before carefully prying apart some reeds to peer through them.

The Human was -

...Oh. Duh.

The Echo Flowers gave off a faint blue light, but the Human was so close to the petals that her entire face glowed blue as well. A batch of blue glowing mushrooms was close by too, and as Undyne watched, the Human looked over to the fungi, before turning to another Echo Flower and gently patting its petals.

“that’s so true, bro. you really spotted the winner there.”

Oh...yeah. Paps and Asgore had gone to pick a mushroom for their golden flower slash mushroom planting experiment thing - which had turned out to be a big huge failure, by the way. Except Asgore had joined her and Alphys in the garden a few seconds after breakfast, because he was super paranoid and maybe loved his flowers just a bit too much.

Seriously. It’d really only been a little fire. 

Sans and Papyrus must have gone to pick mushrooms alone. They hadn’t gone very far. The Human was still pretty near the entrance, with the entire rest of Waterfall in front and off to the right. A mixture of rock walls and wooden flooring and streams of water and pools of water...all of it she was familiar with.

The Human wasn’t.

“SANS,” cried the next Flower, “THAT WAS TERRIBLE.”

“heh, I know paps,” the next Flower chuckled. “i guess i really have mushroom for improvement.” The Human giggled, but clasped a hand over her mouth. For a moment, Undyne was worried that the Human has somehow sensed her and was trying to be quiet, but the girl only touched the Echo Flower, and let out a small sigh as Sans’ words repeated themselves. 

What a weird kid.

...Who’d gotten herself cornered. 

Slowly, Undyne crept through the reeds, and the Human girl moved further into Waterfall, touching every single Echo Flower she came across.

“NYEEEH! SANS, WHY MUST YOU INSIST ON TORMENTING ME WITH YOUR PUNS!”

“i dunno bro. maybe because i’m just a fungi kind of guy.”

Almost there. She just had to move into the doorway...

“BROTHER, IF YOU MUST THROW YOUR PUNS EVERYWHERE, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST PUT THEM TO GOOD USE. WITH THE HUMAN!”

The Human paused, her hands slowly sliding from the Echo Flower, before moving onto the next one. Undyne continued to move, only half paying attention to the conversation.

“huh? the human? whaddya mean?”

“OH, WELL...I MEAN. THE HUMAN WAS LAUGHING AT TORI’S JOKE, REMEMBER? AS TERRIBLE AS IT WAS...”

“...heh. y-yeah...tori was really trying to butter her up.”

“SANS, I’M SERIOUS.”

“what’re you sayin’, paps.” It wasn’t a question, and Sans’ voice sounded kinda tired. Undyne moved along, now with one foot sticking out of the reeds. If the Human looked over her shoulder, she would see her, but the girl was still focused on the Echo Flowers.

“I’M SAYING, THAT...AS SAD AS IT IS, THE HUMAN SEEMS TO ENJOY TERRIBLE JOKES AND PUNS. YOU ENJOY TERRIBLE JOKES AND PUNS...I THINK...THE TWO OF YOU COULD BE GOOD FRIENDS.”

“...where’s this coming from, bro? are you...do you wanna be friends with her?”

“I...UM...WEEEELL...”

Papyrus, you bonehead. 

“i thought you were with undyne on this?”

Yeah...she’d thought so too. Undyne mentally shook her head, and crawled out of the reeds and onto the floorboards. She was in front of the entrance to Waterfall now...the Human had nowhere to run. 

She’d have to stand and FIGHT. 

“I AM!” the Echo Flower protested, but hesitated a moment later. “BUT...BUT, WELL...”

“listen, paps. remember what i said? you trust undyne, right? she’s your friend?”

She had no idea how the Echo Flowers had managed to perfectly capture their conversation without getting any of it repeated or jumbled, but she wasn’t complaining. Because it was keeping the Human occupied as she slowly expressed a spear. 

“OF COURSE, BROTHER! SHE’S BOTH OUR FRIENDS.”

“exactly. and you’ve gotta trust your friends. right?”

“I...YES, THAT’S TRUE...”

Right above, almost directly above the Human’s head. 

“yup. i trust our friends, paps.”

The Human caressed the petals of the Echo Flower, seemingly oblivious to everything else around her.

“just like i trust you. do you trust us?”

“Y-YES...YES, I DO!”

“heh. that’s why you’re so cool, bro.”

“NYEH. NYEH HEH HEEEH!”

The Human tilt her head.

And she dropped the spear. 

She squealed when the spear impaled itself right in front of her - the big baby - and fell back into the Flowers. They’d all probably squeal now, but she and the other kids could always whisper some new stuff to them later. Because right now, there were bigger things to take care of. 

It was time to FIGHT. 

“Whassamatter,” Undyne mocked, standing with her arms folded in front of the entrance to Waterfall, “ ‘ya scared?” She probably looked totally rad, with the hallway light - weak as it was - against her back. Like Mew Mew when she burst through the door of a darkened warehouse, and her shadow was framed against the light, and the bad guys totally started shivering in their boots!

“ ‘Cause you should be!” she declared, and brought forth another spear. She flipped it and stabbed it into the ground, leaning on it so that she looked super cool. “Human...you’re standing in the way of everyone’s hopes and dreams...and it’s up to me, to free everyone from - ”

“What’re your hopes and dreams?”

“ - the terrible evil of your - what?” Undyne stuttered to a stop, staring at the girl confusedly. She’d totally messed up her delivery! But the Human girl didn’t even look sorry, only curious.

“Hopes and dreams,” she repeated, twisting her hands in her sweater. “Everyone...I keep hearing people say that. Um...what are your hopes and dreams?”

What...

What even kind of stupid question was that?!

“To be free of Humans forever, duh!” she said, pulling her spear from the floor and pointing it at the Human. “You guys...you just do whatever you want...but not us! This is our home, you can’t just take it from us - ”

“Okay.”

“ - you can’t just - what?” Undyne repeated, “stop interrupting - what?”

“Okay,” the Human girl said again, shrugging slightly. Before she grinned. “I won’t take your home. I promise.”

“Tha,” she said intelligently, working her mouth up and down very hard to try and form more words. But she was having just a little bit of trouble with that, because this Human was stupid. “You’re already doing it by being here, dum-dum!”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

The Human girl was quiet for a minute, looking at all the Echo Flowers she was standing in - which was good for her, because the Human had totally thrown off her rhythm. She needed to get back into pose, and so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and snapped them back open -

“Maybe we can put our hopes and dreams together?”

“Abbpft,” Undyne said, words dying an untimely death and instead escaping in an exasperated puff of air, because okay, this Human wasn’t even letting her finish her hero speech. Which, rude. “Dude. What?”

“Um,” she hesitated, that weird, closed-eye stare of hers once again looking over the Flowers. The Human eventually locked gazes with her again however, hands no longer wringing her sweater and instead at her side. “We could...put them together? All of our hopes and dreams? We could...make some new ones!”

“That’s not...that doesn’t even,” Undyne tried, for several seconds that made her brain hurt just a little. “Just...just...!”

She didn’t need to listen to this.

“Just get over here! Ngaaaah!”

She thrust her hand forward, felt the Soul against her fingers, and pulled.

All around, her surroundings got grey and dark, the pale blue of Waterfall lost in the endless grey of an encounter. A proper FIGHT! Face to face! Because across from her, the Human stared back, breathing heavily - and maybe sniffling a bit - but there was her Soul, floating in front, red and almost blinding in the otherwise overpowering grey.

It was beautiful.

So beautiful, that it made her angry. Why did a Human get to have such a beautiful soul? Why did they get color in their lives, when they made you trust them and like them and love them, and then struck you down when your defenses were weak? Humans were so terrible...but she would make sure that this Human would never get a chance to strike her down. 

“You scared, punk?” Undyne jeered, and felt irritated when that steady stare of hers didn’t even blink. Not that, she ever blinked because she always walked around with her eyes closed like a big dummy, but - whatever! “You should be! ‘Cause you’re not getting away from me this time!” The image of all her friends flashed through Undyne’s mind as she swept her spear across the encounter, and now, the Human flinched back as her bright red Soul turned green, and a faintly transparent shield appeared in front of it.

“You’ll have to face me head on, now,” she crowed, holding her spear out in front of her, “no sneaky Human back-stabbing tricks! Ngaaah!” She let out a war cry, and summoned the mini spears. 

The first spear got the Human from the side, and she flinched again - but then she started spinning around, arms held up as the mini spears bounced off the shield and disappeared into the floor. And then it was her TURN, and Undyne sucked in her breath, holding her spear protectively in front of her but she couldn’t help it, this was it, she would finally get to see the Human’s expression - 

SPAREd.

She was SPAREd.

What, in the -

“Not gonna FIGHT?” she sneered, and pounded a fist into the floorboards, because she was hardcore like that. “Don’t bother SPAREing me! I’m not gonna fall for that like Papy did!”

Aheheh...the Human looked worried now. Good! She should know that her magic mind controlling, wimpy SPAREing wasn’t gonna work on her. She wouldn’t listen to the Human, she wasn’t going to fall for any tricks. It was just the two of them, battling head to head, and she sent another wave of mini spears at the Human.

“C’mon, FIGHT me!” she demanded, as the Human wiped a hand over her forehead. She was looking kinda red in the face, but she wasn’t gonna let that stop her. “I don’t care how many times you SPARE me, or how you ACT, and you can’t FLEE! You have no choice but to FIGHT! Ngaaah!”

The Human -

- paused.

Her face looking like she'd just realized something. 

And her Soul turned back to red.

“Gah,” Undyne growled, flipping her spear. Usually she was able to keep someone facing her head on for longer than that - three or four turns, easy! The Human had, just, completely thrown off her rhythm! Once it was her turn again she would make sure the Human couldn’t FLEE.

Like she was doing right now.

...

...Wuh. 

“H-Hey!” she cried, as she realized that there was color around her again, pale glow around the cavernous room - and the Human was splashing across a shallow pool and hopping back onto the floorboard path. She’d blocked the path out of Waterfall; she’d never thought the Human would be stupid enough to go deeper into Waterfall. This was her turf, no way could the girl outrun her! “You get back here, you punk!”

Undyne heard a faint “No thank you,” from ahead as the Human child jumped into a batch of reeds. Hah! As if that would stop her!

“Ngaaaah!” she yelled, arms thrust upwards, and three spears fell from the ceiling. The Human yelped and - yup! Flushed out of hiding, like Tori’s Froggits on a rainy day. But the Human continued to run, too fast for Undyne to grab her Soul in an encounter, and she growled and gave chase again.

The Human didn’t know this area. She did, and sooner or later she’d catch her -

Like right now! Undyne reached out her hand as the Human pinwheeled away from the deepest pool of water in Waterfall, and pulled.

And immediately locked her in place.

“No more running, got it?” she snarled, re-summoning her trusty spear into her hands. “Stop being such a big baby and FIGHT me!”

The Human girl shook her head - but she couldn’t stop another volley of mini spears, faster and more aggressive than before. She’d show her. She’d FIGHT her so hard, the Human would have no choice but to FIGHT back! She’d feel the Human’s harmful intent, and she would stand up to it because she had hope for the dreams of Monsters everywhere!

“Gimme all you’ve got!” Undyne yelled, as the Human took her TURN again. And -

You’ve gotta be kidding.

“I told you, that’s not gonna work on me!” she growled, stamping one foot into the ground. “Stop SPAREing and FIGHT me!”

“Okay.”

“Show me your - what?” Why did this Human keep interrupting - but wait, she was gonna FIGHT? Finally! “That’s more like it!” she cried, pumping a fist into the air, and eagerly took her TURN, sending more mini spears at the Human. 

Her Soul turned red.

And she -

“Oh, come on!” Undyne screamed into the sky, and chased after the Human. They were almost all the way through Waterfall now, the Human making huge leaps and bounds and not even seeming to care about splashing straight through water. There - there was the long path of narrow room, a corridor or something, and on the other side of the corridor where it got wide again was -

Hotland.

She hated Hotland! 

The Human must have known it! She was heading straight for it! “Come back here!” she gasped, and barely managed to pull on the Human’s Soul. Even if she was panting kind of hard.

Because she would rather die than admit it, but she was starting to get just a little bit tired. All these spears she was expressing, and chasing the Human through Waterfall, and she could already feel the heat of Hotland starting to make sweat drip down her forehead, and maybe she’d gone a little overboard with the spears, because magical exhaustion was a thing that maybe she should’ve been more careful about.

Especially when she weakly swung her spear, but the Human’s Soul stayed red.

And she started FLEEing again.

“Can’t, let you,” Undyne wheezed out, and summoning all her strength, followed the Human straight into Hotland. 

Which was so very, very...hot. 

And she was so very, very, tired of Humans not FIGHTing her like they were suppose to, and too many spears, and three too many Humans staring at her from across the room as she fell to her knees.

“If...if you think,” gasp, “that this is i-it for me,” wheeze, “you’d better,” why was everything getting so blurry, “you’re, g-gonna...” why was everything...getting so...

- dark -

...

Water.

Cold, fresh, cool water on her face. 

Undyne spluttered and shivered, flailing her arms around as she woke up from...sleep? Had she fallen asleep? She’d been chasing the Human, they’d run into Hotland...and...

And...

Why was she in Waterfall again?...

She was still trying to figure it out when more water was dumped onto her head.

“H-Hey!” she spluttered, turning her upper body around to flail at whoever kept splashing her with water, “stop that you - you...”

The Human stared down at her, wiping her wet hands on her sweater. 

“Gah!” she cried, backpedaling away from the Human and hitting her back against the rock wall. “Y-You! What did you do?” 

The Human frowned, but then pointed. Hesitantly, keeping one eye on the Human as best she could, Undyne looked over to where the Human was pointing, and found the corridor - and Hotland’s reddish and well-lit glow a stark contrast beyond.

Right. She’d chased the Human into Hotland and then -

And then...she was back here...

“You,” she said, for maybe the billionth time as she looked back towards the Human - whose hands were now dry, after being...after being wet. “You...pulled me back here?”

A nod.

“And...gave me...water?”

“Uh-huh.”

...Ah. 

Ah. She saw what was going on here.

“A-and?” Undyne whispered, slowly picking herself up to stand against the wall rather than sit against it. Because she knew what the Human was trying to do - she must have thought she was real stupid or something. “You think that changes anything?” Her legs were trembling, she was at the end of her strength...but she had to go on. 

She had to face danger head on!

“Think again, punk!” she yelled, and, once again, reached out and pulled.

But even as she did, Undyne knew she was weak. She could only express one spear, one that she clutched tightly, leaning against it for support. Across from her, the Human clutched at her sweater, and her face seemed sad. 

More lies. 

“I told you,” she breathed, shifting her spear more in front of her, “you have to face me head on. No SPAREing...no water tricks! You think you can trick me? I won’t...I won’t stop until you FIGHT me. Show me your intent!” Because that was the only way to understand the Soul of a Human. Their words and their faces and their smiles...they all lied and told things you wanted to hear. But intent? That was something that not even a Human could fake...and she would find out.

“Well? FIGHT me!” Undyne roared, and pounded on her chest. “Give me everything you’ve got, Human!”

And the Human...still looked sad. But all of a sudden -

All of a sudden, her face hardened. And she nodded. And drew one hand backwards.

Thi...

This was it. Her Soul was beating rapidly, anticipating rising within her, and Undyne steadied herself onto her own two feet, eyes wide as the Human’s hand raised higher. She could feel it. The Human was going to FIGHT. Human expression...Human intent...she would endure for the hopes and dreams of every Monster in The Underground!

Until it was, quite suddenly, her TURN again.

She blinked. She felt frozen. The Human had...

The Human had definitely just attacked her. She’d seen the hand come down. She’d felt it hit her cheek.

But there was...

“What,” she said. Not asked, said. Her voice was flat, she couldn’t believe...the Human had attacked her and she had -

She’d hadn’t even felt it. 

“You,” Undyne wheezed, arms trembling as she fought to keep her spear raised upwards. “You really...that’s it? That’s the most you can bring yourself to hurt me? H-how...”

Silence. 

She couldn’t believe this. She couldn’t go on. The Human had had a chance to attack, she’d been wide open and vulnerable...and she couldn’t even muster up enough harmful intent for her to even feel it. 

The spear disappeared. She was too tired to go on.

The Human SPAREd her.

She SPAREd her back.

And then had to slide down the wall to sit down, because was tired and she still couldn’t believe what had just happened. The Human didn’t say anything either, just stood there holding onto the bottom of their sweater and staring into the water. 

Until -

“Because.”

...Seriously. Undyne opened her mouth to tell the Human that that was a really stupid reason, and she’d better start FLEEing before she caught her breath enough to express a bajillion spears this time, before the Human started speaking again. 

“Because,” she said, and looked up at her. “I want to...I have...hopes and dreams, too.”

She...did?

“I...hope that we can be friends.”

What...

What?

“And,” the Human continued, “I dream that...maybe...I can be happy here. With...all of you.”

...

“You still don’t get it,” Undyne mumbled, and sank back down to the floor. Because as she much as she would have liked to jump up and down and maybe suplex a few boulders, she was still too tired. Too drained. “We have our own hopes and dreams, and you’re standing in the way of them.” 

“Undyne...promise me...you’ll always face the world head on...”

Oh...her eyes were stinging. Stupid Human.

“You are our hopes and our dreams, now...you have to live on...promise...”

“Our happy ending...we can’t get our happy ending if you’re here. Get it?”

Did she? Did she understand, finally? Hopes and dreams...Humans and Monsters...what they wanted and what they wished for were too different. Yeah, great, the Human had hopes and dreams too. Whoop-dee-doo. Didn’t matter. Because hopes and dreams were the only thing keeping them together in this house, and even if...even if the Human had been kinda cool to drag her back to Waterfall and get her some water, and had no harmful intent in her Soul, it didn’t matter.

Because their hopes and dreams...they just couldn’t exist together. 

Undyne wasn’t sure when she’d dropped her head into her arms - because she wasn’t crying or anything, crying was for babies - but she was aware when the Human suddenly sat down beside her. She made a point to scoot away as she sneakily wiped away the water that had obviously gotten onto her face when the Human had splashed her with water, but she was still too tired to do much except scoot down a little bit.

She just...she was tired. 

She was the strongest and raddest and baddest - that’s why she trained, why she would FIGHT. So that she could protect everyone’s hopes and dreams. And she couldn’t even...she had to live on...she had to make this Human understand that she was in the way of everyone’s happily ever after. 

No Humans. Just Monsters. So that they could live in peace. And this Human, she...she threatened that. Threatened all of it. 

And she didn’t say anything, and neither did Undyne. They sat there for a while, listening to the quiet dripping of water from the walls, falling into ponds and onto Echo Flowers. 

There was just...no happy ending.

“Well.”

Undyne jolted. She’d almost forgotten the Human was even sitting there. 

“Maybe...you can make some new hopes and dreams.”

...What?

“Maybe,” the Human said, as Undyne stared at her. “maybe instead of, ‘no humans to get a happy ending,’ it can be...um. Just a happy ending?”

Well...

Duh. Isn’t that what she’d just said?

Her expression must have said something, because the Human smiled kind of funny, like she knew she’d confused her. “I mean...why does your happy ending need to have no humans? Maybe instead...it could just be happy one?”

A happy ending? Just...that’s it?

“And maybe you might find some new hopes and dreams. Not for no humans...but hopes and dreams for...happiness.”

A happy ending...regardless of Humans or Monsters in it?

Hopes and dreams of peace and happiness, whether or not they included Humans?

“Humans kill,” Undyne said, slowly, as if the other girl might not know that. Maybe she didn’t - maybe the Humans in her life hadn’t tricked her yet, and just didn’t realize that happiness wasn’t possible with Humans. “They have such harmful intent..they make you l-love them and then they FIGHT you and kill you.”

The Human hummed under her breath. She didn’t know what that meant. 

“Yeah...”

Wait, what? She was agreeing? Undyne sat up some more, getting a better look at the Human. She wasn’t looking back though; she was staring across Waterfall at the Echo Flowers, and she got the funny feeling that she wasn’t really looking at all.

“Sometimes...sometimes the people you trust to love you...don’t do a very nice job.”

“B-But...I thought you...w-why?...”

She was a big girl. She was big and mature and awesome and cool. She didn’t cry anymore. 

And she didn’t struggle as the Human leaned over and wrapped her arms around her. 

And she didn’t fight her Soul, as she leaned into the Human and wrapped her arms around the other girl as well.

Because she knew she was right. Humans tricked others and pretended to love and care and then stabbed you in the back as soon as they had what they wanted, and left a mom to crumble into dust and a dad to slowly lose HoPe. Humans were terrible, because they had the ability to intend harm on others like no Monster could. There was no happy ending with a Human around.

They had no hopes and no dreams, with Frisk around...

Who leaned back, and raised a hand to wipe away some of her tears. 

“But that’s why, you have to make new hopes and dreams, sometimes,” Frisk said, and moved her hand over so that it was her sweater soaking up the tears. Undyne hardly felt it, could barely feel the tears falling down her face, or hear the soft sobs coming from her throat, because she had to hold onto her hopes and dreams. “Because you find out that, not everyone has the same type of ending in mind. So I think sometimes...you have to find a new way to get a happy ending.”

“Never give up hope, Undyne...always...no matter what happens...always find a way to get your happy ending...”

Daddy...

“That,” Undyne whispered, into the secret of Frisk’s sweater and collarbone, “is the dorkiest thing anyone’s ever said. Ever.”

She felt it, felt Frisk nodding against the side of her head, but she didn’t look up. She only held on tightly - to this new hope, this new dream, this new way to a happy ending. Because Frisk was a Human. A Human who was in the way of their happy ending.

What made their happy ending happy? No Humans, right? But then...why is it that they wanted no Humans in the first place?

Because they wanted to be free.

She couldn’t change Frisk being a Human. She couldn’t change the fact that Gaster was keeping her here. But she could change the meaning of their happy ending. Whether or not it involved Humans, so long as they got the end result...

So long as they were free. Free to be happy, free to be alive, free to be...

Then did it really matter so much, how they got there?

She couldn’t change a lot of things, but she could change how she got to her happy ending. She would make Frisk love her so much, that she would never, ever, think of betraying her, she would never even once think of any harmful intent towards her. 

Because Humans were bad.

But Frisk?

Frisk, with her dopey smile and her weird closed-eye stare, and her stupid refusal to FIGHT, and her lack of harmful intent...

Frisk made her feel something. Something that she’d always thought she’d felt but now, could see that maybe she had been pretending all along. Because the sight of Frisk’s face...the understanding of broken trust and broken love that she could see even through that unending stare...the knowledge that she could keep her happy ending alive, no matter what life threw at her...

It filled her with...

Determination. 

Chapter Text

The First Human: Heroine or Villain, or Neither at All

She didn’t understand it, not really.

Because Alphys knew that, probably? Her experience with Humans was...less than extraordinary than the others.

And...and she felt ashamed, sometimes, when she thought about it. Because here she was, thinking about how she didn’t have a tragic backstory that made her a better heroine because of it, when there were real children with real tragic backstories that had been caused by real bad Humans, with very real and very tragic effects on their lives. To even wish that she had something similar so that her story was more interesting was...

She was the worst. Absolutely the worst. 

So she’d kept her mouth shut, from day one, because she didn’t really understand. She really didn’t know why Asgore and Undyne and Sans were so against Humans, why they’d argued so relentlessly than even Monsters like Papyrus had come over to their way of thinking. She didn’t try to pretend that she had had a terrible encounter with a Human, but she didn’t try and argue for the Human girl that much either, because she just didn’t know.

And so she’d watched.

She’d watched as the Human had stayed by herself, for the first couple of days. Watched out of the corner of her eye as she ate with Gaster, watched as she went upstairs to her room, watched as she tried to look at anime with her and Undyne, before Gaster took her down to the lab. 

She’d watched and watched and watched, and in her watching, had made a very startling, and very disturbing, discovery.

Alphys liked this Human.

This Human girl...she’d come to this orphanage with absolutely nothing to her name. No friends, no family, nothing except the clothes on her back, and had been met with anger and hate from the very first moment...and yet, she had never struck back. Never gotten angry in turn. She’d just kept on going, despite all the hate, and had even managed to make some friends along the way. 

The Human was a real life anime heroine - a tragic backstory, with nothing but the power of love and friendship in her heart, making even her enemies fall in love with her because she was just too good and pure and full of kawaii kissy cutie greatness.

How could she not like this Human?

Because it was hard to watch someone over several days, watch them struggle with the power of love and friendship, and not like them. Alphys had, at some point and with no warning, suddenly found herself cheering in her head when the Human returned from the Ruins hand in hand with Tori. She’d silently screamed when she’d found out that the Human had been FIGHTing with Papyrus.

She might have shed one or two tears behind Gaster’s back when they’d gone up from the lab to find the Human and Papyrus hugging, and they also might have snuck back down to the basement to give them a longer moment.

The Human was just so...nice and good, and no matter what the others said, Alphys just couldn’t help but cheer for this anime heroine who’d come to The Underground. 

“How’s it coming, Alphys?” Asgore murmured, crouched down next to the metal box. 

For her part, Alphys adjusted her glasses as she studied the exposed back panel critically, a wrench clasped in one claw and the other underneath her chin. “He’s a-almost done, just a few more adjustments...” She scratched at her chin one more time, before setting the wrench down and reaching in to adjust some of the wiring. It was a very delicate procedure, the slightest imbalance could make everything explode.

Um...hopefully not though. With one more careful pull, Alphys withdrew and shut the panel, before flipping the whole thing over. The robot’s front display remained empty as she picked up the nearby remote, waiting and ready to be activated.

“Ahem,” she coughed into one claw, because the scientist in her demanded she make a formal presentation to appeal to the panel of judges in front of her. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she announced, and gave a grand sweeping gesture of her claw over the inactive creation, “a-allow me to present to you...”

Click.

The button on the remote transmitted instantly to the construct, whose front panel whirled with a myriad of colors before settling on a red heart. But that was not all, oh no! Alphys watched happily as two metal arms sprung out from the sides of the robot, causing Asgore to stumble backwards onto his butt, and also scuttle away from the wheel that popped out underneath it. The two arms worked together to push the whole thing up onto the wheel, and with the heart flashing on its chest, the robot -

- blew a kiss.

“Mettaton prototype one point oh!”

Asgore clapped politely from where he was sitting, eyes wide as Mettaton performed a sort of twirl and bowed low. He wobbled slightly on his wheel though, and Alphys hastily corrected him with the remote, a last minute addition to her project. Mettaton had tons of different programs on him - simple ones, really. But she could override him so long as she had his remote.

“That looks, ah. Really good, Alphys,” the goat Monster complimented, and she blushed with the praise. “So can he...I mean, will he keep Monsters happy and distracted?”

“A-absolutely!” she reassured, leaning around the once-again twirling robot to look at Asgore. “Once I install the voice box, he’ll be the life of the party! H-he’ll sing and dance, and host pretend tv shows and, a-and...the Monster kids are going to love him!”

“Great,” Asgore said, with relief evidence in his voice. His smile was wide as he looked at her, and Alphys felt herself blushing even harder, because even though she shipped Toriel and Asgore so hard, the goat Monster was really cute. “Thanks Alphys, you’re amazing.”

“H-heh,” she murmured, modestly accepting the praise even as she looked over Mettaton with pride. Asgore had been the one to come to her with the idea in the first place, shortly after the Human had come to The Underground - to program her robot project with a whole bunch of fun and exciting functions. He’d wanted a way to keep all the Monster children in the orphanage happy and hopeful, and when he’d mentioned maybe having a lively sort of companion that could keep kids entertained...well, uh.

She had sort of run with it.

“I’ll work on him some more t-tonight,” she promised, pressing the red button on her remote. Mettaton was once again deactivated, with one last goodbye flourish of his arms. “Put in the voice box a-and stuff.”

“Awesome,” Asgore said agreeably, standing up and brushing himself off. “Then we can take him over to Gerson’s side next time we go.”

“O-or try to stream something on the Undernet!” The Underground had two computers, one on each side, but Mr. Gaster was pretty strict on using them. Only at certain times, and not for very long. Which only gave her a few precious hours of the week to search for new Mew Mew Kissy Cutie fan art and update her profile for Naspta to read and respond to. Hopefully Mr. Gaster would let Mettaton use the computer too. 

And hopefully it wouldn’t count on her time, because she needed that time for herself.

“Uh, yeah,” the goat Monster across from her said, but he looked kinda confused. Asgore didn’t use the computer at all - technology in general kinda confused him. He probably didn’t realize exactly how much work she’d put into Mettaton in the week or so since the Human had arrived, not really. Not the way Sans would have. 

But he was still sincere in his gratitude all the same, and that’s all that mattered to her.

And...maybe Undyne would like Mettaton too.

Alphys wasn’t sure why she’d suddenly thought about Undyne. Maybe it was because she’d been thinking about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, or Mettaton entertaining all the Monster kids in The Underground...or maybe because that was her voice loudly chatting down the hallway.

She clutched the remote to her chest as Asgore perked up, obviously having heard the fish Monster heading their way from the Ruins. He saw her first in fact, leaning backwards to look out the playroom doorway to yell out a “Howdy, Undyne! C’mere, look what Alphys - ”

He stopped. 

Alphys stopped fiddling with the remote too, confused as to the goat Monster’s sudden stop. And the expression on his face as he stared out the doorway, Undyne’s familiar boots coming around the frame.

“Huh? You guys playing with giant robots without me again?!”

The lizard Monster instinctively reached forward to pull Mettaton closer to her, remembering what had happened the last time Undyne had started flipping switches everywhere. “N-no, I was just finishing my project,” she explained, adjusting her glasses as she glanced upwards, prepared to proudly present the finished project to Undyne as well.

She stopped.

Because Undyne wasn’t alone. The Human was with her.

And Undyne was holding the Human’s hand.

“Woah, you finished Mettaton?” the fish Monster exclaimed, moving forward - and tugging the Human along with her. Alphys stepped back without even realizing she was doing so, as Undyne and the Human bent over the still robot. “Whaddiya get him to do, huh?” the former questioned, whipping her head over her shoulder to ask her. “Shoot lasers from his eyes? Express some super cool swords? Ooh! Suplex some boulders?!”

She was still holding the Human’s hand. 

“U-Undyne,” Asgore stammered, voicing what she herself was trying to voice, but couldn’t because all she could force out was a sort of whimpering squeak of air. “What are...what’re you - ” His eyes flickered between the Human, Undyne, and the hands they were holding.

And as one, both the Human and Undyne looked at each other, before looking down at their clasped hands. 

Which finally seemed to clue Undyne in to their startled expressions, because she let out a sort of laugh that was kinda mixed in with a cough.

“O-oh,” she muttered, “right.”

Right.

“Um...uh, Asgore...well...”

Well...what?

Undyne paused, playing with her eyepatch a moment - before she suddenly grinned, and finally released the Human’s hand to fold her arms over her chest. “Me and Frisk are gonna be besties!”

Wha...

What?

“B-besties?” she stammered, vaguely aware of the grip she had on Mettaton’s remote. Undyne glanced at her - surprised, as if she’d forgotten she was standing right there, and nodded, still with that big smile on her face.

“Yup!” the fish Monster declared. “I’m not gonna fight her anymore, because...she’s a total dork!”

“B-b-but,” Asgore said lowly, looking like he was trying to have a conversation with Undyne without the Human hearing it, even though she was still standing in the same place Undyne had dragged her to. Hands folded in her sweater.

That blank stare looking straight at her. Alphys gulped.

“But what about the plan,” the goat Monster hissed, wringing his paws in front of him. “What about...Napstablook and Burgerpants, and...a-and all the Monsters on Gerson’s side...they’re all still losing hope!”

“Oh, don’t worry Asgore!” Undyne said dismissively, throwing one arm around the Human’s neck and pulling her in close. Alphys let out another squeak, this time sounding like a mouse that’d been stepped on. “We’ll just let ‘em all know that this Human is a big goober! Noogie noogie noogie!” she cried, performing said noogies on the girl in question, who squirmed in the grip around her neck and giggled helplessly.

Giggled happily. In Undyne’s arms.

“Now c’mon, we’re gonna go outside and we’re gonna FIGHT!” the fish Monster proclaimed, pumping her arms into the air. There was a short pause as the Human simply looked at Undyne - and apparently there was enough in that stare for Undyne, in turn, to sigh and roll her eyes, and...and once again grab one of the Human’s hands, leading her back to the door and towards the living room. “Not for realsies you big baby. We’re gonna train, because you hit like a Whimsun. See, you’ve gotta try and...”

The conversation trailed off as the two of them entered the backyard, and the sound of the sliding door, even from this distance, seemed to slam throughout the house with ringing finality. 

...What.

“I, uh. Can’t just...a-wuh?” Asgore asked, putting voice to her own thoughts. 

She didn’t know either, though.

“I,” he repeated, and shook his head once, like he was trying to clear out troublesome thoughts. He breathed in deeply though, seemed to settle himself, and looked over at her with a troubled look. “I...think we’re gonna need Mettaton really soon, Alphys. I mean, uhm...k-keep working, okay? And lemme know when he’s finished!”

“R-right,” she mumbled instinctively, and Asgore nodded, sweeping from the room with a rather impressive billow of his purple cloak, heading towards the yard.

Leaving Alphys alone in the playroom with her deactivated robot. And her thoughts.

The Human was friends with Undyne.

Undyne.

Undyne. Of all Monsters.

The Human really, was...

An anime heroine. 

How long had it taken her, Alphys, to work up the courage to start talking to all the Monsters here in The Underground? To really become friends with them? How long had it taken for Undyne to really notice her, to find something in common with her? A couple of months? Half a year? When she’d caught her watching those video tapes, and had discovered a love of anime?

And now this Human...in the span of about a week, had made friends with Toriel and Papyrus and Sans...and now Undyne. All in a couple of days.

She just didn’t...she didn’t understand.

Or rather...Alphys did understand, and it only made her sad.

The Human was, literally, going through an anime journey right now. Surrounded by all these Monsters that had hated her at first, and slowly gaining their love and trust one by one...while she, Alphys, had more or less been dropped off here where no one had hated her, but no one had really liked her that much either. They’d all just, kinda, gotten used to her being around, until they’d all become friends.

She hadn’t willed anyone to her side with the powers of love and friendship. Not like the Human had. She’d simply...lived here for a long enough time.

Alphys slowly sat back down on the playroom floor and stared down at the remote in her claws, trying not to think about the colorful mangas and video tapes and figurines waiting for her in her room.

The Human really was an anime heroine, having this awesome adventure in The Underground, while she was just...watching from the sidelines. Like she did with all her anime. She could never be a part of it, never be a heroine herself. Could only watch and wonder and wish she could be the heroine of her own story, be the important one.

Be the one that saved the day.

“Ah, yes, well. It was a very good attempt, dear, but...well...”

But she wasn’t cool enough, wasn’t smart enough. Wasn’t brave or pretty or anything enough to be the heroine. Or even to be a part of this story the Human was telling...not in the way all her other friends were. They were all engaging in these super intense FIGHTs with the Human - because there was no way Undyne didn’t FIGHT the Human at least once - that were probably really cool, like Boss fights and -

She wasn’t a Boss Monster. She was terrible in a FIGHT. There was no way for her to be a super awesome Boss Monster that challenged the Human to a FIGHT and was won over by her extreme kindness and love.

And that was the only way to be a part of the story. Because why in the world would the Human want to be friends with her, who’d never been nice to her, ever? Who’d...whispered and ignored her just like everyone else had the first few days? 

Oh...there was absolutely no way to be a part of this story. Not the heroine, not a Boss Monster. Not even as the smart sidekick who helped Mew Mew from the sidelines, leading her through dangerous obstacles and providing all the information just in the nick of time to save the heroine from dangers that -

...

Smart sidekick...who saved Mew Mew from the sidelines...

Like...like. If she’d helped the Human solve Papyrus’ puzzles...or maybe, followed Undyne and the Human and provided a way for her to avoid the fish Monster. O-or, helped her navigate through all the different areas of the house...

She could...save the day. Be that one anime character who just swooped in and...and...saved the day! She’d be the most important character in the story, because without her, the Human would surely fail!

“Y-Yeah!” Alphys cried, jumping up to her feet and pumping her arms. “Yeah! That’s it! I can save the day! I’ll save the Human from...from...”

Uh...

Asgore?

...

W-wow, was it suddenly cold in here?...

No way, no way. Asgore was the strongest Monster in The Underground; among the children, of course. There’s no way she’d be able to save the Human from Asgore in a FIGHT.

But there was no one else, at least on this side of the house. The Human had already made friends with everyone except for Asgore. And the house itself...it really wasn’t all that dangerous, nothing she could really warn the Human about. And even then, that wasn’t very heroic, just giving the Human a warning! It had to be in the moment, the very last second - she’d pop in right in the nick of time, give a cool little speech about oh, I managed to stop the deadly lasers and open up the door for you just in time!

Yeah.

...But then, what? If not Asgore, and if there were no other Monsters that were going to be FIGHTing the Human...what could she save her from? Alphys groaned into her claws, and kicked her legs a bit, thinking as hard as she -

“Owwie!” she exclaimed, flinching her foot back from where she’d banged it on Mettaton’s metal body. “Ow ow ow, ooh.” Alphys whimpered as she hugged her foot to her, frowning accusingly at the robot she’d built as if he’d hurt her on purpose -

...Ah?

Metta...ton?...

Wait. Mettaon was a robot...that she could program to do different things.

What if...what if...

...

Yeah, yeah. Yeah! And then...and then she’d be able to step in at the last moment each time, and the Human would be so grateful, and she’d finally...finally be a part of the anime, the smart sidekick who may not have been the heroine, but she still saved the day anyways!

She could do this...she would do this! She just, had to want it! Ngaaah!

“O-okay! Mettaton!” she cried, even though the deactivated robot couldn’t hear or respond to her. “Don’t worry, I’m just gonna make a few...uhm. Deadly changes. But not too deadly!”

No, not too deadly. Er, not deadly at all! She didn’t want to hurt the Human! All she needed was to program Mettaton with a few more functions...and make him a bit more hostile to Humans, make it seem like he was a deadly robot...but she’d be there every step of the way.

She would save the day.

And then, then...she would be a Monster worth befriending.

“Al, the movie’s about to start. Don’t you wanna watch?”

“Mmm, t-that’s okay,” Alphys answered, eyes squinting as she fiddled with the metal compartment at the top of Mettaton’s design. Undyne had, unknowingly, given her a pretty awesome idea on how to go about saving the Human’s life, but the real problem came in the “not too deadly” category. “I, uhm, I r-really want to finish this up.”

“I thought you finished working on that a while ago?” Toriel questioned, her tone slightly suspicious but not accusatory. 

“Just wanted to make some l-last minute c-changes,” she said, and bent further over Mettaton, thoroughly engrossed in her project to the unobserving eye. 

From the corner of her vision, she saw Toriel tilt her head, and struggled not to start sweating. She knew the goat monster was still upset with her and Asgore - even with Undyne, whom she had transferred her suspicious gaze to instead of Sans. But Toriel was a naturally kind Monster, who didn’t like being mad at others if possible. And maybe, she was...even worried? That she’d been spending so much time working on Mettaton that she hadn’t even watched any animes for three whole days.

...That, or Toriel had realized she had no reason to think of her as a threat to the Human in any way, shape, or form. And okay, yes, that was fair. Because she was trash who could hardly even bring herself to hit someone, much less FIGHT them.

“Okay,” Toriel finally said, paws clasped in front of her, “well...you should come watch when you’re done.”

“S-sure,” she lied, and chanced a look up to see the goat Monster still looking at her. Not smiling, not even looking that welcoming, but...not turning her nose up and scowling, either. Which was, good? “Maybe.”

Toriel nodded, and then did smile, even if it seemed a bit forced. Alphys held a shaky smile for the both of them, and barely held in a sigh as the other Monster finally turned and started walking out of the playroom - only to suck in a breath as she crashed into Asgore.

They reacted instinctively, Toriel grabbing onto Asgore’s cloak and the other Monster latching onto one of her shoulders. And Alphys knew it was just an instinct to reach out and balance each other, look out for one another, because the two of them froze instantly.

Allowing gravity to finish the job.

Toriel landed on her rear with a loud “oof!” while Asgore fellt flat onto his face, his stomach landing on the other goat Monster’s legs. Which is how they came to freeze yet again, staring up and down at one another as if they couldn’t quite figure out how they’d come to be in their positions.

The moment didn’t last, though. As Alphys watched, wide-eyed, Toriel’s face turned red (interestingly enough, she didn’t blush often) even as Asgore’s face paled (interestingly enough, he blushed all the time when it came to Tori). And there was a slight scrambling, before Asgore was unceremoniously rolled off by Toriel with a freed leg, and the goat Monster picked herself up and hurried out of the playroom.

Asgore made no moves to pick himself up, and instead watched Toriel leave. His face was turned to the door, but Alphys could make a pretty good guess as to what expression he was probably wearing.

She shipped it. She shipped it so hard, and yet it seemed that this was one ship that would not end up becoming canon.

Uh, real. It wouldn’t end up becoming real.

Asgore shifted, putting his hands underneath him, and Alphys quickly whipped her head back down to Mettaon, a flush on her cheeks as if she’d been caught spying on some secret. Which she totally hadn’t, of course, but still...she kept her gaze down, until the sound of feet approaching made her look back up.

She wished she hadn’t. 

“Howdy,” he said, sounding as tired as he looked. Whatever he’d been holding in since the Human had arrived was clearly starting to take its toll...had started, the moment Undyne had walked into the playroom hand in hand with the Human. “Any progress?”

“S-sorry Asgore,” she stammered, and stared back down at Mettaon so that the goat Monster wouldn’t see exactly how much trash she was. “I still d-d-don’t know what went w-wrong. It might, um...t-take a few more days...”

Asgore nodded, and Alphys glanced up just enough to see his face. He smiled, but it wasn’t the same smile that had made her heart go doki-doki like it had when she’d first met him in The Underground. “It’s okay Alphys,” he said, “don’t worry. Just take your time, and...and we’ll bring hope back to The Underground, okay?”

She was, such, trash.

“Y-yeah,” Alphys settled on saying, and that seemed to reassure the goat Monster. He nodded again, and turned around to leave the playroom, heading towards the stairs.

Probably thinking about all the entertainment and joy Mettaton was going to bring the Monsters in The Underground, thinking about how he could make things better. Not thinking about how he wanted to be the hero of an anime story, how to make himself seem cool enough and awesome enough for the Human to want to befriend. 

“You were always the hero of this story...not me.”

Alphys choked on nothing, but luckily, the noise from the tv was loud enough, and the playroom far away enough, for no one to have heard it. She knew what they were watching, recognized the opening line from Maxine no Doki-Doki right away. Undyne’s pick, undoubtedly. It was one of the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie movie spin-offs that was not focused on Mew Mew herself, but still pretty good. At least she’d always thought so.

Because it was a story about one of Mew Mew’s normal, non-powered human friends named Maxine, and her quest to become a heroine herself, and not just sit on the sidelines and watch Mew Mew’s countless adventures. 

Alphys had always found Maxine pretty relatable. 

...Of course, Maxine had then gone on to have her own adventure and be the heroine of her own story in the movie. And that’s exactly what she was going to do now. With pursed lips and shaky claws, Alphys started up Mettaton.

The robot came to life immediately, arms jutting outward to push himself onto his wheel. Only this time...this time, no panels flashed colors to form a red heart. This time, a green  circle appeared, followed by a red ‘x’. The two symbols flashed rather ominously on the robot’s chest piece, before he turned in a slow circle. 

And locked onto her.

“OH ALPHYS, DARLING,” Mettaton crowed, holding one hand to his upper compartment as if cradling a chin, “THIS BODY IS SO DROLL. SURELY YOU CAN BUILD ME A MORE FABULOUS ONE?”

That -

Wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.

“Uh-wuh?” she questioned intelligibly, and squawked as he suddenly rolled by her, moving around the playroom in a decidedly purposeful manner.

“YES DARLING, YES,” the robot chided, and this time, his hands were placed against his sides, as if he were holding hands to his hips. “THIS BODY ISN’T NEARLY GLAMOROUS ENOUGH. THE MONSTERS OF THE UNDERGROUND DEMAND BEAUTY IN THEIR NUMBER ONE ENTERTAINER, ALPHYS DEAR!”

“They, do?” Alphys dear murmured, eyes wide as she studied the robot. Mettaton had exhibited a rather flamboyant personality before the voice box was installed, but it had never occurred to her that he might not like the body that was custom built for him. He wanted it to be more beautiful?...

Like, maybe an anime love interest? Tall, slender, handsome...beautiful hair that flipped very nicely when he tossed his head to one side...and a backside that would make even the most serious of anime heroines -

“Gah!” the lizard Monster gasped out, hastily wiping away the drool that had dripped from her mouth without her realizing. Luckily Mettaton hadn’t seemed to notice, too busy studying his reflection in the window as he turned this way and that.

L-later, she could think about what sort of...b-b-body to design later. But for right now...

“D-don’t forget, before you go to e-entertain all the Monsters,” Alphys said hesitantly. Because it was one thing to fiddle around with programming, but another thing entirely to talk to someone who could talk back! What if he didn’t like what she had programmed him to do? Was that even possible?... “You have to go to Hotland a-and trap the Human, r-remember?...”

For one tense moment, Mettaton said nothing, only continued to look at his reflection in the window, and Alphys clutched at the remote in her claws. But finally, the robot let out a very mechanical sounding sigh, and turned towards her.

“YES YES, I REMEMBER,” he said, and he’d gone back to holding his hands on his hips. “BUT ALPHYS, I REALLY DON’T SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT. YOU SHOULD JUST TELL THE HUMAN HOW YOU FEEL, DARLING. THINK OF ALL THE DRAMA!”

“N-no! Drama is w-what I don’t want!” she denied, waving her claws frantically. Though, she settled down a moment later, glancing off to the side because...because, well. It was funny, wasn’t it? She didn’t want drama, expect that was exactly what she was creating with Mettaton’s new programming. 

She wanted drama, but in a certain way. A way that would let her be the heroine of this story...or at least, let her be a part of the story.

Mettaton, however, only sighed again. “VERY WELL THEN,” he granted, before rolling forward to pinch at her cheek, ignoring her startled squeal. “FOR YOU, MY DARLING ALPHYS.”

“Dhank ghu,” Alphys managed to get out, before the robot released her cheek. She couldn’t help the smile on her face though, because finally, finally, she was going to get her chance.

But first they had to set up a few things in Hotland. 

“L-let’s go!” she called out as she carefully put down the remote control, already heading towards the doorway - but she stopped and turned back around towards the robot with a very loud voice. “But we g-gotta be quiet, o-okay?”

Mettaton made a motion up near where his face would be, miming the zipping of lips. 

Okay.

Alphys slowly peered around the doorway to the living room. She could just make out Undyne’s ponytail which - as expected - was situated right in front of the television, right next to Papyrus. No sign of Gaster, though she could hear the slight sounds of some pots and pans clanking in the kitchen. The back of Toriel’s head was on the sofa, as was Sans’. The skeleton didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the movie currently going on, and instead seemed to be talking with Toriel. Who also didn’t seem to be paying attention to the movie...or even to Sans. Her head was halfway turned towards the yard.

Asgore was nowhere in sight. Probably out watering his flowers.

Aside from the goat Monster’s absence, everything seemed pretty normal...except for the Human herself, who was, to Alphys’ surprise, sitting on the floor next to the couch, rather than on it. Or at least she assumed that was the Human, she could really only make out a huge mass of blankets that were vaguely shaped like a Human. 

Was she still sick? Alphys remembered that Mr. Gaster had been pretty upset when the Human and Undyne had gotten back from playing outside in the yard, with the Human’s face really red and snot dripping from her nose. Something about running around all throughout Waterfall while still being sick had only made her sickness all that much worse. 

It would explain why she was sitting away from the others. She’d gotten better in the past three days - at least according to Toriel, who’d checked on her frequently during that time - but maybe Mr. Gaster still wanted her to be careful, both for her own health and for the other children.

...Oh, this was one of her favorite parts. 

B-but no! Resist! Alphys tore her gaze away from the television, as hard as it was, to beckon Mettaton to follow her as she quietly slipped out of the playroom and towards the Ruins. 

Because they had work to do.

And soon, they were in Hotland, and Alphys breathed a sigh of relief. 

Now, to set everything up. 

Hotland had been her very first choice when she’d been deciding on her plan of action - not only because the heat didn’t really bother her that much, but because said heat also made it the perfect place for the “deadly” puzzles she was planning. The rugs in the recreational room had, at some point, become very tattered and worn, breaking apart in some places to form very small, miniature rugs. And the exposed wooden floorings underneath the remains of the rug were, thanks to the heat, really hot. 

Not hot enough to burn someone of course, but hot enough to make a Monster dance between their two, and sometimes four, legs. Sometimes, they all liked to come in here and play games, pretending that the exposed wooden flooring was lava and they had to jump from carpet to carpet in a certain order to make it to the other side. 

And now, she was going to use that exact game to get the Human to befriend her.

Alphys carefully began setting down the pieces of paper she had prepared, with arrows drawn on them, as Mettaton rolled around the room, looking for a hiding spot. She wasn’t sure when she’d be able to get the Human over here alone, so it was important that Mettaton stay hidden out of sight. Then once the Human was here and the timing was right, she’d be able to activate Mettaton again.

And stop him from using his very deadly puzzles to harm the Human, right in the nick of time!

First from the robot’s zapping hands, then from the lasers and the zapping hands, then from the steam vents...and the zapping hands. 

Because, well...she’d had to think of something for Mettaton to do that would make the Human actually worried, but nothing actually harmful. A couple of zaps from a toy would be just enough, she thought.

Just enough to make the Human grateful for her assistance and timely rescues. 

“O-okay,” Alphys murmured, straightening up from the last paper she’d put down. She took a last glance all around, spotted Mettaton crouching behind one of the sofas right next to the entrance to Hotland. “I just n-need to double check the trajectories...” the lizard monster muttered to herself, heading back towards the entrance to Hotland -

Oh, she forgot to grab her remote! The one that controlled Mettaton. Alphys slapped a claw to her forehead, even though she was grateful she had remembered now instead of later. She knew the plan perfectly by now, but she’d been planning on leaving the remote in the area just in case things went wrong with Mettaton’s programming. And she’d wanted to put it away now, while she was preparing, so that she wouldn’t forget it later if slash when she actually needed it. 

Luckily she had at least remembered now, and Alphys hurried around the corner and Mettaton’s hiding spot, into the hallway that connected Hotland and Waterfall.

And smacked straight into someone.

“E-eep!” she squealed, holding her claws to her sore nose, “I’m s-s-sorry! I was just - ah, my g-glasses...oh!”

There they were, whoever it was she’d run into was pressing them against her claws. “Thanks,” she said gratefully, readjusting them on her snout as she looked upwards, “I wasn’t w-watching where I was go - ooiiIING?!”

The Human tilt her head.

Alphys, for her part, backpedaled like she had never backpedaled before, all the way to the other side of the room, and not even thinking of actually getting up onto her feet in favor of just sliding backwards on her butt, because the Human was here. Why was she here? Why wasn’t she watching the movie with everyone else? She was here too early, she hadn’t had enough time to prepare, she was -

“Are you okay?”

“H-huh?” Alphys squeaked reflexively, one arm held outward as if that might ward the Human away from stepping forward before she was ready to act out her plan to become an anime heroine. Her arm did no such thing, of course, and she could only move her mouth soundlessly as the Human came forward.

And grabbed her hand.

Alphys was vaguely aware of the sound of rushing air and leaking balloons leaving her, as she was pulled onto her feet. 

“Sorry,” the Human apologized. For what, she had no idea, and she couldn’t really ask because she was still gaping and making silent lizard noises at her. “Did I scare you? I was just...” she trailed off, shrugging lightly, though her hands remained at her side. 

Which was strange, because in all her careful observations of the Human, Alphys knew that she liked to hold her hands to her sweater a lot. Especially when things were uncomfortable. The same way she fiddled with her glasses or Undyne scratched her cheek. 

Which...meant...

The Human was already comfortable with her? Or...the Human was more comfortable in general?...

And the Human was here...with no one else around...no Toriel or Papyrus or Gaster in sight.

She would...never get a better moment than this. 

“Tha...t-t-that’s okay!” Alphys squeaked.

So smooth, Alphys. So, smooth.

“I-I mean,” she tried again, ignoring the flush on her face, “it’s fine. I was just...um. S-surprised?” She wasn’t sure why it came out sounding like a question, so she tried yet again. “Because, uh...”

Now or never.

“B-because Mettaton’s in here somewhere.”

The Human perked up a bit, as if she recognized the name. “Mettaton?” she questioned, looking around the area. Alphys nervously glanced at the robot’s exposed wheel, visible behind the sofa from where they were standing at the other end of the room, and felt the first beads of sweat start sliding down the back of her head. “He’s your...project?”

Huh?

“Y-you know about him?” Alphys asked, her plan completely forgotten in the wake of this discovery.

The Human nodded. “Sans told me a little about him,” she explained, “and so did Undyne. They said, um. They said it was really cool and crazy, what you were building. That it took a lot of smarts and stuff.” The Human paused, before smiling suddenly. It was kinda a weird looking smile. “Sans explained some of it to me, but...um, I didn’t understand a lot. It just...Mettaton sounds really neat.”

Sans had...Undyne had...said that?

Alphys glanced down at the ground anxiously, unsure why she was feeling so embarrassed. No one at the orphanage had ever tried to discourage any of her building projects, but she made so many of them that...well, it was kind of commonplace now. None as amazing as Mettaton, of course, but still. Her projects weren’t worth talking about to anyone except herself.

At least, that’s what she’d thought.

“O-oh,” she murmured, clasping her claws in front of her. She looked back upwards, and felt something flutter in her chest as the Human smiled again. “I-it’s really not a big deal,” Alphys attempted, though that feeling in her chest refused to leave. “It’s j-just a matter of r-rewiring s-some of the - ”

“OH DARLING, THIS IS NOT WHAT THE VIEWERS WANT!”

The Human startled and spun around, and Alphys jumped, because she’d actually forgotten, just for a moment, what she was planning here. But Mettaton hadn’t, and with a grand flourish he wheeled out from behind the sofa, and placed his hands underneath it.

And -

- heaved it upward in one great tug, sending it onto its side and upright.

Completely blocking the hallway back to Waterfall.

Right...right. That’d been the plan. Make it so that the Human couldn’t just go running back to the living room. Mettaton was improvising the Human’s sudden appearance, doing his best to make her look good. 

It was...now, or never.

“M-Mettaton!” Alphys gasped out, and felt sweat break out on her face as the Human looked back at her, face uncertain. “Oh n-no!”

“OH YES,” the robot exclaimed, hands held high as he made a theatrical bow towards his audience of two. “THE SHOW MUST GO ON, DARLING, AND ALL THIS SCIENCE TALK IS DO DULL. THE SHOW NEEDS DRAMA. ROMANCE. TENSION! IT NEEDS...” He paused, and the panels on his chest piece lit up in the form of a red ‘x’.

“DEATH.”

He said it so convincingly that even Alphys shuddered, and the Human took a small step backwards, looking back towards her with confusion written in that closed-eyed stare.

“I-I...”

Trash.

“I programmed M-Mettaton as an e-entertainer,” Alphys explained, wringing her claws in front of her, “for all the k-kids! But s-s-somehow, his idea of entertainment t-took on a...uh. Deadly turn.”

Furrowed eyebrows.

“Uhm. S-specifically towards H-Humans.”

Ah. The Human’s eyebrows raised upwards again as she turned back to Mettaton, and there was...was that worry, on her face?

Per...perfect!

“B-but don’t w-worry!” Alphys said, clenching her claws into fists in front of her, and felt that same fluttery feeling in her chest as the Human looked back at her, “I m-made him, I know all h-his tricks! I-I’ll make sure he d-d-doesn’t hurt you!”

The Human frowned, and Alphys froze. 

She’d been found out, the Human knew. Somehow, she knew that she was just a big old fraud, a big nerdy loser who was so desperately trying to be a part of her story that she’d actually made up a dangerous situation for the Human to be in so she could save her from it, she was such trash what a complete and total loser she was and -

The Human beamed.

“Yeah?” she said, looking back towards Mettaton, who was in the middle of flipping imaginary hair. “Okay.” The Human pumped one hand in front of her face, much the way she herself was doing. “Thanks Alphys. Let’s do this.”

Staring down a deadly robot, confidence in every line of her body...she really was...

The coolest anime heroine, ever.

...Except for Mew Mew, of course.

For her part, Alphys could only gape as the Human stood firm, facing Mettaton while the robot scoffed. “OH MY, SO CONFIDENT,” he stated, as his middle compartment opened up. The quiz cards were inside, and he pulled them out with a flourish of his hand. “BUT HOW DO YOU HOLD UP UNDER PRESSURE, DARLING?”

As it turned out? Very, very well.

Even when she got zapped the first couple of times, causing Alphys to wince as the Human flinched with each magical shock charge she got. She stepped even further away, back turned towards Mettaton as she signed out the answers, grinning and giving the Human a thumbs up as she seemed to finally understand the hand signals she was giving her, and start getting every question correct.

And start smiling widely back at her, flashing her a subtle thumbs up as well as Mettaton exclaimed and hollered over yet another correct answer. That fluttery feeling came back as Alphys flushed and ducked her head, because the Human was...grateful.

She...she was doing it. She was a part of the Human’s story. 

“WHO DOES ALPHYS HAVE A CRUSH ON?”

All the way up to the final question, and then they would go on to the -

...Huh?

“W-w-what?!” she squealed, whipping around towards Mettaton. That...that, wasn’t the last question! He was suppose to ask about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie’s favorite treat, and then she would give a long answer about the power of friendship shown in the beach episode. Providing the answer and chiding Mettaton for not showing friendship towards the Human.

That was suppose to be the question, not...not!...

“WHO IS IT, DARLING?”

The Human tilt her head, looking no different from when she had contemplated all the other questions, and Alphys frantically waved her hands at her, struggling not to start hyperventilating and perhaps start fainting. Because...because she crushed on so many monsters, even if it was only in her head, because The Underground was filled with so many amazing monsters that made her heart go doki-doki...and one in particular made her heart feel like it would burst every time they curled up to watch some -

“Me.”

...Eh?

Even Mettaton was stunned - though that only lasted a moment. “YOU?” the robot guffawed, hands on his hips as the Human continued to jab a thumb at herself, looking entirely deadpanned despite the fact that she had just claimed herself to be the crush of someone else like that was a totally normal thing to do. “MY MY MY, HOW CONCEITED...”

R-really, blatantly saying you were someone else’s crush without even a hint of embarrassment was -

“I LOVE IT!” Mettaton cried, and Alphys buried her face in her claws and screamed. Just a little bit. “AND WHILE YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG...YOU’VE FINISHED THE QUIZ SHOW! UNTIL THE NEXT PROGRAM, DARLING!”

So saying, the robot big them goodbye with an extravagant bow, before he left...wheeling halfway down the room, and retracting his appendages to become a grey, blank box of metal.

Silence.

It took a while for Alphys to trust herself to come out of hiding from her claws, once all the blood had (mostly) left her face. And even then, it was only to find herself mere inches from the Human.

“Was I wrong?”

“Gak!” Alphys said in answer, already flailing backwards and onto her tail - which hurt. She whimpered as she rubbed at her backside, and the Human winced. 

“Sorry,” she said again - and again reached out, holding a hand out to her. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.” The smile on her face said otherwise, thank you very much.

But it wasn’t a mean smile. And it seemed like a much better smile than the one she’d had when she’d been talking about Sans.

“I-it’s okay,” Alphys answered, gratefully grabbing onto the Human’s hand to pull herself upwards, “Mettaton is...weird. Eh, heheh...” Yes, let’s just...leave it at that and not talk about any crushes that she may or may not have had on Humans or Monsters or anything else. 

Luckily, the Human seemed to agree. Seemed to, anyways, as she nodded tilt her head. “What now?”

“Eh?” she chirped, and the Human pointed over her shoulder to where...oh, right. The big sofa that was completely blocking the hallway to Waterfall. No way they could climb over it, or ask Mettaton to move it back, not when he was acting out his -

Er -

Her. Her plan. 

Wait no. Yeah. Wait.

Her plan. She didn’t want to go back yet, the quiz show had only been the first part of the plan. They still had to go through the lava puzzle, then the steam puzzle. And then, at the basement...that would be the finale, when all hope would seem lost, and she’d really step in to save the day.

“W-we’ll have to go to the basement,” Alphys said, glancing in the direction of Mettaton, and the doorway beyond that led to the hallway, which in turn led to the door down to the basement. “It’s the o-only space small enough t-t-to get on both s-sides of him. If you distract him, I’ll be a-a-able to sneak around and d-deactivate him!”

The plan had been to just use the remote from a distance, but since she didn’t have the remote with her...well, she’d still be able to power him down. And Mettaton knew she was planning on shutting him off in the grand finale, so she was sure he’d play along.

The Human nodded again, taking a breath as she turned to face Mettaton. Where there had been worry on her face before, though...now there was just resolution. And confidence. “Okay, let’s go,” she said, already leading the way to the center of the room, leaving Alphys to scramble and catch up. 

Although - 

“I’m glad you’re with me, Alphys,” she continued after a moment, and the lizard monster missed and step and stumbled. The Human reached out and steadied her...and grinned. “A killer robot would be...kinda scary on my own. But...with you helping me, it’s not so scary.” She paused for a moment, but simply smiled again and continued onwards.

She was...much more talkative, Alphys noted. 

She had been quiet and withdrawn when she’d first come to The Underground, to laughing and giggling at the various going-ons and jokes flying around the house...and now, after whatever had happened with Undyne, it was almost like an entirely different person.

Or maybe she had just missed the transition? The Human had spent pretty much all of the last three days in her room, under Mr. Gaster’s orders to remain in bed. Almost all of the other children had gone to visit her though, sometimes staying in her room for a few hours each. Maybe she just hadn’t been there to witness the change.

She hadn’t been a part of the story.

...But she was now, and now it was time for Mettaton’s next challenge. 

“DARLINGS!” the robot exclaimed, springing back up onto his wheel, arms extended. “HOW RUDE, LEAVING THE AUDIENCE WAITING. THE SHOW MUST GO ON!”

“Mettaton, d-don’t do this,” Alphys pleaded, claws clasped dramatically to her chest. Because the heroine always tried the peaceful solution first! “Just let the Human g-go!”

“OH ALPHYS,” Mettaton sighed dramatically, holding one hand to where his forehead would be if he’d had a more Human-esque body. “YOU MAY KNOW YOUR SCIENCE AND YOUR MATH, BUT YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE GLAMOROUS BURDENS OF A CELEBRITY LIKE ME! THE AUDIENCE WANTS WHAT THEY WANT, DARLING...AND THEY - ”

A flash of pale blue from his right hand.

“ - WANT - ”

A flash of orange from his left hand.

“ - DANGER!”

Beams of light, pale blue and orange, emitted from all of Mettaton’s fingers, and he twiddled them around, sending a modest light show all around Hotland.

Time for phase two!

“H-he’s going to m-m-make you run his laser puzzle!” Alphys whispered to the Human, pointing out the arrowed pieces of papers on the small islands of rugs in the area. “The wood floor is really hot, s-s-so you need t-to jump on the rugs and g-g-get to the other s-side...b-but only in the direction of t-the arrows!”

“RIGHT YOU ARE, ALPHYS DEAR,” Mettaton agreed, and wiggled his fingers some more. “BUT THAT’S HARDLY DANGEROUS, NOW IS IT? NO NO NO, DARLING. YOU’LL HAVE TO CROSS THIS PUZZLE WHILE I SHOOT MY LOVELY LASERS AT YOU. LASERS THAT HAVE A FABULOUS SHADING TO THEM, WITH A SMALL CHANCE OF DEADLY SHOCKS INVOLVED!”

“D-don’t worry!” the lizard monster said in a rush, as the Human took a small step backwards. “I know a-all his sequences. When he s-shines the blue one, d-d-don’t move! But if it’s the orange one, you h-have to m-move!”

“Move?” the Human questioned. “Like...dance?”

“Uh - ”

“DANCE, SHAKE IT, MOVE ALL YOU PLEASE, DARLING!” Mettaton interrupted, seemingly growing tired of the wait. “JUST AS LONG AS YOU’RE MOVING, YOU WON’T BE HURT...MUCH.”

“...Uh,” Alphys said, momentarily thrown off guard, “d-don’t you mean she w-won’t be hurt at - ah, w-wait!”

The Human was already hopping to the first mini rug, with an arrow pointing upwards. 

“OH HO HO, FABULOUS!” Mettaton exclaimed, rolling further down the room, “FEARLESS! BUT HOW FEARLESS WILL SHE BE WHEN SHE’S BEING ZAPPED WITH THREE MILLION VOLTS? LET’S FIND OUT!”

“O-orange blue orange!” Alphys cried out, as the robot rolled back in her direction, with his fingers pointed outward, lasers flashing on just as he got to the Human.

Orange blue orange. She wiggled her hips as the first orange beam hit her, paused in a very uncomfortable looking pose as the blue light passed over, then twirled on the spot as the last orange passed by.

“OH YES DARLING!”

“Y-you’ve got it!” Alphys said encouragingly, and felt her heart swell at the grin and thumbs up the Human gave her as she leapt onto two more islands of rugs. “B-blue blue orange!”

This time, the Human adopted the position of a deep thinker as the first lasers passed over, before jumping up like a Froggit as the orange one went by.

“Yes!” she cried, and jumped up with the Human, pumping her claws in the air. This felt...it felt so good, to see the Human looking at her with gratitude and love, in awe of her help that was saving her from those uncomfortable shocks. Because she knew all of Mettaton’s tricks, the robot had no chance of harming the Human on her watch! “Orange  blue blue!”

Another hip wiggle, a frozen grin combined with a finger gun towards the robot - 

- and then a cry.

The Human fell onto the rug.

Wha...what just happened?

“OOH, THAT ONE LOOKED LIKE IT HURT,” Mettaton said theatrically, wiggling his fingers, and the orange, blue...orange lasers that were emitting from them. “BUT YOUR PAIN IS THE AUDIENCE’S GAIN, DARLING!”

“H-how,” Alphys stammered, as the Human picked herself up...and looked over to her. “I’m s-s-sorry, I don’t k-know...I thought I h-had the right order,” she tried, feeling sweat building up on her face yet again. The Human didn’t even look that upset, but she still felt...

Troubled. She knew she’d gotten the order right, so why had Mettaton?...

“AAAAND, IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE ALL OUT OF TIME, FOLKS,” the robot was saying, already wheeling his way around the corner, “TUNE IN SOON FOR ANOTHER EXCITING EPISODE OF METTATON’S FINEST!”

The Human had made it to the other side, where the carpet was all still intact, and Alphys leapt over the rug islands, ignoring the arrows to get to her side faster. “I’m s-sorry...” she murmured, wringing her claws in front of her as she glanced up at the Human.

Who was looking at her with a strange expression on her face, one that had the sweat dripping down the back of her neck.

But then she smiled, and shook her head. “It’s okay,” the Human said, “it was only one. And you helped me out with the others.” A pause. “You’re really nice.”

Gah...

She was just like Papyrus, in a way. How could she say things like that so simply, like it wasn’t embarrassing to just...gak. Say things like that?

Alphys tried to ignore the blush on her face, but honestly, she was just happy that the Human wasn’t angry, that she was still on track to becoming a friend. Someone that the Human could take pride in, could tell the others how much she’d helped, what a heroine she was. Saving her from the robot’s deadly plans!

A part of the story, at last.

There was only two more parts left.

The hallway leading to the basement was a short one, but perhaps the most uncomfortable part of Hotland. Falling wall panels exposed some heating pipes - pipes that vented steam at unpredictable and random times. Again, not hot enough to actually hurt anyone, but more than enough to make a Monster sweat like it was the hottest day of the year. 

And it was in this hallway that Mettaton would flash his laser fingers again, from the end of the hallway. Only this time, getting hit by steam would also result in a zap. 

Luckily for the Human, Alphys had spent almost three hours in here yesterday, figuring out the pattern of steam. It wasn’t really random, it just took a long time to cycle through the entire sequence of venting. But it seemed random, and that would be the real kicker. That she’d be able to predict when the steam would hit, and what Mettaton’s laser colors would be...

That was the stuff that made heroines. Yes.

...Except...

“M-Mettaton!” Alphys squeaked, having exited from the recreational room into the hallway...only to find the robot standing there, arms crossed and one finger tapping. Not on the other side of the hallway, in front of the stairs leading to the basement, where he was suppose to be. “W-what are - ”

“ALPHYS, DARLING,” the robot interrupted, “DON’T YOU THINK YOU’RE GETTING TO BE A LITTLE TOO PREDICTABLE?”

“Pre - ”

“AND DON’T GET ME WRONG,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken, turning his body to face the Human that was behind her, “IT’S VERY DRAMATIC, FOR A BIT. BUT ALPHYS, DEAR...IT’S ALL SO DREADFULLY...BORING.”

Wh...what was going...

“THE AUDIENCE DEMANDS ENTERTAINMENT, DARLING,” Mettaton said, shrugging his metal arms, “AND I WAS BUILT TO ENTERTAIN. AND SO...”

The panels on his chest piece flashed, and this time...

They showed a white skull and crossbones. 

“I HAVE A FRESH NEW TAKE ON THIS DRAMA!”

One robotic arm reached out past her, so fast that she actually flinched to the side - and by then, it was too late to react as the Human was pulled past her, stumbling to keep up with Mettaton’s fast-moving wheel.

Not down the steam vented hallway. But directly across from where they’d come out of the recreational room, down the very short hallway that led to the small side room.

“W-wait!” Alphys cried, moving forward - and was shocked by a sudden burst of steam from the vent to her right. Didn’t hurt, but startling enough as she struggled to regain her bearings, barely making out the two bodies disappearing through the doorway. “Wait! M-Mttaton,” she called out, scrambling down the hallway. “what’s going on, w-why are you - ”

Slam.

Alphys hurried the short distance, Soul in her throat, and threw herself against the door...and was met with resistance, and a handle that refused to turn.

Oh...oh no...

No, why was Mettaton...doing this?

He was suppose to go to the basement, not - a-and she was suppose to be in there! To flip Mettaton’s switch, drain out his battery and shut him down. Surely he couldn’t be FIGHTing the Human without her there to deactivate him? He couldn’t be -

A flash of light from underneath the door. Startlingly red.

Oh, no...

“M-Mettaton!” she yelled, banging on the door. “Mettaton, stop it! Don’t...d-don’t hurt the Human!”

No response. Nothing, except more flashes of red from underneath the door, the sound of running and wheeling and shocks and - and cries of pain -

“Stop! Stop stop stop!” Alphys screamed, because she was such trash, she had brought this on the Human. She lunged at the door with one shoulder, yelled as it sent pain throughout her body.

But she kept at it, because she hadn’t meant for it to go this far - but it had, it had gone this far, all because she couldn’t except the fact that she was a loser who’d never be an important character in any story, ever, such a loser that she had to go and make a story for herself, a story where she was the main character, the one that saved the day, that one who mattered -

And she’d only turned out to be the villain.

“You have to do this Alphys. Okay? You can...this could change everything. For all of us.”

“You can save the day.”

“You can...”

“N-no, I...can’t!”

The door burst open, and Alphys tumbled onto her face on the cold, hard floor.

Her glasses didn’t come off this time, and she shook her head, struggling to reorientate herself as she looked upwards.

And gasped.

The Soul in front of her...the...the Human’s soul...it glowed brilliantly red, powerfully red, so bright that it seemed to wash out every other color in the basement as dull greys and muted darkness.

It was beautiful.

But beauty was a curse, a curse that made trash like herself drawn to it, to want a piece of it when they had no right to even be a part of that beautiful story, and the Human would be so better off if she’d never even been born to mess up her story so much.

And that beauty faded as the encounter died down, and Mettaton was -

Mettaton...

“Oh,” Alphys murmured, vaguely aware that her voice sounded very wet as she got onto her feet. Mettaton’s metal body was silent and dark, the panels on his chest completely extinguished, his wheel and arms back in his body. No longer functioning. 

Gone. Because of her selfishness.

“Alphys...”

The Human was saying something to her, but Alphys couldn’t really hear, stepping forward towards Mettaton’s body. He was smoking slightly, like a broken down piece of junk and not the beautiful, vibrant robot she’d created to bring joy and laughter to all of The Underground, and...

And...

His, battery was...

...Ah.

“O-oh,” she muttered again, and this time she couldn’t hold back the first tears as they fell. “He’s just...h-his battery is just drained...oh, Mettaton...” She sniffed, and then sniffed harder, and then didn’t even bother trying to sniff as she covered her eyes with the sleeves of her lab coat, wetting them with tears.

Bad enough she had harmed the Human, tried to steal her story for her own selfish reasons...but if she’d brought Mettaton down with her? A being that had only wanted to entertain the children of The Underground, that she had forced to express harmful intent on the Human? That would have been...

She was the worst. The absolute worst.

Alphys wasn’t sure how long she cried. All she knew was that, as she became aware of herself again, she also became aware of the arm around her shoulders, the Human crouched next to her in front of Mettaton.

The Human...so good and nice, so full of love. Even after what had surely been a crazy FIGHT with Mettaton. How she could stay so strong...it brought a tingling of hope into Alphys’s Soul.

“Mettaton...he told me.”

That tingling faded out of existence like a candle.

She couldn’t...she couldn’t even look at the Human, she just kept her head in her claws and struggled not to burst into tears again.

“He said...you set everything up. So that you could...be the hero? Save the day?”

She should just die. Right now, right here. Just die right now, before the Human got the chance to tell everyone. Before everyone realized how much of a desperate loser she was. 

“Alphys...”

She wasn’t a heroine. She was never meant to be a heroine.

She was just trash.

“That’s...really cool.”

She should just go back upstairs, pack up her mangas and posters and figurines, and leave The Underground, before she -

...

What?...

She didn’t, she should just leave and...what?

“I mean,” the Human continued, picking at the hem of her sweater with her free hand. “No on has, no one’s ever - ” She paused for a moment, before turning back to her, that seemingly deadpanned stare filled with a resolve that looked so at home on her features. “You really went through all this trouble...just to be my friend?”

It sounded...so, so stupid, said aloud. She didn’t know what to say, and really, the tears that were still choking up her throat made it so she couldn’t say much at all. 

But she couldn’t lie again, not after Mettaton. Not after she’d gotten the Human hurt and betrayed. So she only nodded, shakily and hesitantly and waiting for the inevitable scorn.

And Frisk...

Frisk smiled.

“That’s the most...heroic thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Ah...

Huh?

Heroic? Frisk thought she was...heroic?

A heroine?

Alphys hadn’t realized she’d started crying again, but this time, she felt when Frisk’s other arm came around her...and this time, she held onto the Human just as hard, and Frisk didn’t even complain as she got tears and snot all over her sweater. 

Because she was Frisk’s heroine. 

Because whatever Frisk had gone through to feel such joy at such a simple act...the simple act of wanting to be friends with her so badly, to make herself important to the Human...simply having that wish and having that desire had made her a heroine in Frisk’s eyes. 

And maybe she would never be a heroine like Mew Mew was, or like Undyne, or like Frisk. Maybe she would never save the day with swords and magic and the powers of love and friendship.

But that was okay, now. Because she didn’t need to save the day.

Because the smile on Frisk’s face...the knowledge that someone out there saw her, nerdy anime-loving loser Alphys, as a heroine, even if it was because of something so simple as wanting to be her friend...

It filled her with...

Determination.

Chapter Text

Undyne had changed something.

Sans had seen it, when the fish monster had come racing into the yard hand-in-hand with the Human. He’d seen it on Toriel’s face, alternating between extreme suspicion at the sudden shift and outright tears at the blossoming friendship. He’d seen it in Paps’ face, when the skeleton had gleefully announced how glad he was to be able to be the coolest skeleton friend ever to both old friends and new friends. 

He’d seen it in Asgore’s face, finding the goat Monster curled up under the covers of his bed, unwilling to be coaxed out even with a threat to his beloved golden flowers.

Felt it, in his own Soul.

Because Tori, kind-hearted and merciful Tori? Hadn’t been surprising when she’d bonded with the Human. Papyrus? Always wanting to make new friends because he was so cool like that, no wonder he hadn’t been able to hold out for long. 

But Undyne?

Undyne, who had more reason to hate Monsters more than anyone else in the orphanage. Undyne, who probably was the closest monster to have ever understood exactly why Humans were so dangerous, why it was better and easier and less risky to live without them. Undyne, who’d been so...so convinced that the Human had to leave, for the happy ending they all wanted...

Now she was outside, swinging around that cardboard sword of hers and having a flexing contest with the Human. Ruffling her hair and grabbing her and goofing around like she was just any other Monster. 

Undyne’s flip had shaken everyone. Shaken some of them in a good way, like a soda can that became fit to burst with explosive and noisy joy.

And shaken some in a bad way, like a water balloon that shook and shook until it burst, and deflated, and let out everything inside in a slow and sad dribble. 

He was the second one.

Undyne.

Of all Monsters, why Undyne?

He’d asked it himself for the past four days, not even blinking when Alphys had suddenly and surprisingly turned a new leaf, her and the Human dragging Mettaton’s busted body back to the playroom and hugging about something or other afterwards. Because it was getting to be kind of a pattern at this point, and well. 

Honestly?

He was stumped. He was stuck on Undyne. Because he’d thought...he’d thought that Undyne would be the last monster he’d have to worry about, the one that would always stay on his side of things. The one that would never fall for the Human’s weird charm or...or mind controlling powers, heh.

And yet -

“Outta the way, bonehead!”

Sans ducked his head down instinctively as Undyne leapt over him, towards a corner of the playroom where she dropped to her knees and furiously dug around for something in the toy pile. Various plushies, figures, and stuffed animals went flying in disarray as she searched, heedless of the mess she was making.

Laying on his stomach with his book propped open in front of him, Sans stared at the back of the fish monster’s skull as she rummaged around, her bright red ponytail bouncing wildly with each movement. Undyne was still the same as she always was, nothing seemed different about her. 

Which, welp. Just didn’t seem all that fair, considering how she had changed everything.

“hey, pal,” he chimed, lazily propping his head up on one hand as he watched the furious digging and rummaging, “what’s the hurry? you’re acting kinda fishy there.” 

She was acting no such thing, but the pun did its job, causing the fish monster to growl and momentarily glance up from her relentless pursuit of...whatever it was she was looking for. “Not now Sans!” Undyne said, eyes narrowed as she glanced around the newly made mess of toys strewn about all over the playroom. “I’ve gotta hurry and find it, where is it?”

“hey hey, slow down a bit,” he requested, and - steeling himself - Sans flopped over and pushed himself up into a sitting position, pointing a finger gun at the agitated monster. “been meaning to ask you something anyways, because, well.” 

He was stuck.

“i’ve gotta bone to pick with you.”

“Later!” the fish monster exclaimed, now reduced to crawling on her hands and knees as she looked wildly from pile to miniature pile for whatever toy she was looking for, “Al is gonna beat me to it, I wanna be the one that tells her all about ani - hah!”

Her red ponytail ducked behind a large stuffed turtle, before Undyne suddenly reemerged, triumphantly holding a pink-haired and cat-eared figurine in her grasp. “Gotcha!” And with little to explanation, the fish monster was running towards the exit of the -

“H-hey, what the! - ” Undyne cried out, as he picked her up unceremoniously with his magic and brought her back over to him. The fish monster ran in place in the air, as if that might somehow get her moving in the opposite direction. “Sans you blockhead,” she growled, eventually reduced to waving a fist at him he set her down and kept her feet glued to the floor, “you’re totes gonna get it now - ”

He glanced up at her.

And whatever Undyne saw in his face, it was enough to make the fish monster stutter to a halt, the Mew Mew figurine clenched in one hand while the other froze in the air. 

Good.

“it’ll only take a second, buddy,” Sans reassured, releasing the magical hold he had on the other monster, and struggled to ignore the ping in his Soul as she stumbled a few steps away from him. Undyne didn’t make any move to dash out of the playroom however, and he reassumed his previously relaxed stance, leaning back on his hands as he stared down the fish monster.

“because, well...i’m kinda confused here.”

“You?” Undyne blurted out, that brief moment of hesitance once again erased in the face of her bright and courageous personality. The girl crossed her arms, feet planted firmly on the floor as she cocked her head impatiently. “I’m the one that’s confused, dum-dum!”

“are you?” Sans questioned, and grinned when the fish monster let out a frustrated snort, still apparently concerned with beating Alphys to whatever it was she’d been in a hurry to get to. “‘cause, buddy? you really don’t seem all that gill-ty about it, heh.”

Another aggressive slash confused snort, and his grin strained against his cheekbones.

“about the human.”

He saw it in her face, the moment when realization struck. Sans wasn’t sure what he was suspecting - definitely that moment of shock and guilt, because of course she’d forgotten all about the plan and the fact that Humans were bad. This was the first time he’d even mentioned it to her since she and the Human had come out of Waterfall.

“forgot about the plan, huh?” Sans not-asked, his tone of voice moderate and mild, as if he was simply asking if Undyne had forgotten to grab a jacket before running outside to the snow. “didja forget i was faking it, with the human?”

He’d been expecting some sort of defensiveness and justification, too, because that was just Undyne, and he saw as her face hardened. Face everything head-on, even if she couldn’t fully explain her actions. Tackle everything with force and confidence, and that would carry what she couldn’t explain in words.

“Stop faking.”

He hadn’t been expecting that.

It threw him off, threw his entire guilt trip off track as he stared at the fish monster. “w-wuh - ”

“Stop faking it with Frisk,” Undyne demanded, arms still crossed and head thrown back at a confident angle. Her sharp-tooth features were turned downwards in a frown, eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed. “Stop pretending.”

“what does that have to do with anything?” he asked, sincerely bewildered, because this was going in a direction he really hadn’t expected at all.

“Because,” the fish monster said, with all the confidence of a young child completely sure of everything in her life. 

Not good enough. “why,” he growled.

“Because,” Undyne answered back, in the exact same tone, and now her arms were uncrossed and held at her side, a tight grip on her figurine as if she was struggling to contain a punch she sincerely wanted to hit him with.

Or, struggling to contain her emotions.

“nope,” Sans replied, and the fish monster let out a little noise of frustration, because she couldn’t explain, she didn’t even have a good enough reason, and he wasn’t going to let her get away with this without coming up with some excuse, some reason. It wasn’t too much to ask was it, he was doing the best he could, he just needed some reason to accept why Undyne, Undyne of all monsters, was turning her back on -

“Because Paps was right!”

...What?

Undyne read the question on his face, and she grimaced, the tension abruptly dropping from her frame. She held her Mew Mew figure in both her hands, clutched close to her body, and looked down at it.

“Pa...Paps was right,” she repeated, and Sans knew, knew how much it cost her to admit that. Not just because she was prideful and loved being his brother’s very cool friend, but because they had disagreed so passionately about the Human that it was painful for her to admit that - at least for this instance - Papyrus had been the much cooler friend.

In her own, disjointed opinion.

“Frisk is,” the fish monster huffed, and Sans tried not to shudder at the familiarity in her tone, “different. She’s different. I don’t...I felt her intent, Sans. She doesn’t have any.” A slight pause, before that confident, sharp-toothed smile returned. “She’s a huge dork.”

“that could change,” Sans argued, and it felt more like a warning than he’d intended. Because not all Humans were the same. Some Humans were nice. Some Monsters were mean. But that didn’t change the fact that humans, even at their best, were just capable of so...so much more hate than a monster at their worst. They could lie so deeply to themselves that they couldn’t even recognize when they became something less than Human or Monster. 

If the Human suddenly decided she hated everyone in The Underground one morning, they’d be gone before they’d even know what was happening. There was just no point in risking it. Not with a human.

Undyne shook her head, her red ponytail whipping back and forth like a violently fluttering flag. “Not this one,” she said firmly, and he knew, that no amount of arguing was going to get her to change her mind.

He didn’t know what to say.

Neither did Undyne it seemed, who continued to stare at him, waiting for him to counteract Paps’ statement. And when he said nothing, she slowly turned, as if expecting him to suddenly grab her with his magic again, and ran towards the door with the figure still clutched in her hands.

But she paused, one hand resting on the doorway, and glanced back at him.

“That’s why, you should just stop faking it,” Undyne declared, with about the softest tone of voice he’d ever heard the fish monster use, ever. “You should...just stop pretending, ‘kay?” The girl paused again, peeling at the paint on the doorway with one finger, before she looked back at him. “You don’t hafta...like her or anything. But you...”

Another pause...before Undyne grinned, and tossed her red hair.

“You should just decide for yourself, punk!”

The fish monster nodded decisively, punching the doorway frame as a show of camaraderie, before she bolted, heading towards the yard as he sat in the playroom, sitting amidst the mess and clutter of toys strewn all around him.

Decide for himself?

...What did that even mean anymore? What good did deciding do if he decided wrong? 

Because this Human was just too good. Undyne, and now Alphys...at the rate she was going, Asgore would probably be next, as impossible a thought as that seemed. Or maybe not totally impossible, because the goat monster really was just a giant teddy bear who probably wouldn’t be able to bear it when the Human flashed him sad Human puppy eyes, or pouted, or did whatever it was she was doing to get all the kids to fall in love with her.

She was too good. Too good, or too smart, or both. He had no idea if she was really evil, or really good. There was just no way to tell.

And a FIGHT?

Pfft. 

With his low HoPe, he honestly, truly, wasn’t sure he could risk that. After all of this...all these questions and wonderings and maybe just maybe this Human is okay’s, if he felt even a shiver of harmful intent against his Soul...

...Welp.

If there was no way to tell, it was better to be safe than to be sorry. 

Better to just assume the worst, right? Better to just stay on guard, to be on constant alert. So what if he had trouble sleeping at night? So what if he sometimes felt like grabbing the nearest chair and breaking it apart, piece by piece? So what if he could never find real happiness, always worrying himself ragged about a future threat that could always be felt looming around the corner?

This was the one thing he couldn’t afford to be a lazybones about. No way.

He was used to it. 

So long as Paps was happy...so long as his brother got the happy ending that he deserved, then...welp.

That was good enough for him.

He could deal.

...

“...”

“...”

“...You wanna what now to what now?”

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus said in way of answer, seemingly oblivious to all of their stares as he placed his hands on his hips, blocking the way into the kitchen. Behind him, Gaster was looking harried in a way that meant Papyrus had probably spent an hour or two begging for something or other, and had succeeded in breaking their old man down.

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS...SHALL BE YOUR WAITER FOR THIS EVENING!”

Undyne blinked once, twice, and once more just to make sure, while Tori glanced at the Human, and Alphys tilt her head. “Y-you wanna be our w-waiter?” she said uncertainly, as if she hadn’t heard correctly.

He was kinda wondering about that, too. But he was used to his brother’s antics by now, so Sans only stuck his hands in his coat pockets and grinned at his little baby bro, because he had that look on his face that said he really wished there was a nice breeze blowing right now.

“Alright punk, what’s the game?” Undyne said, with that certain tilt to her head that meant she was sensing something fishy and was fully prepared to one-up everyone else. 

“THERE IS NO GAME, GOOD FRIENDS,” the younger skeleton assured, spreading his arms wide, “I ONLY WANT TO PREPARE MYSELF!”

“what for, bro?”

Papyrus twitched, glaring over at him. “SANS, I TOLD YOU THIS MORNING, YOU NUMBSKULL!”

Pfft. Oh yeah.

“I AM PREPARING TO HELP OUT THE MTT RESORT!”

“Huh?” Undyne squawked, at the same moment that Alphys startled, eyes wide behind her rounded glasses. “You mean over in the Core?”

“EXACTLY!”

Sans took pity on the confused monsters. “al told napstablook about mettaton, remember?” She’d sent over a few pictures too, if he recalled, and Sans shrugged. “she met - a - ton of support for him,” he continued, ignoring Papyrus’ predictable bug-eyed glare. “grillbz, napsta, and a couple others got so excited, they decided to ‘open up a place’ for mettaton to premiere.”

“YES,” Papyrus chimed in, getting over the pun while Alphys frowned, probably wondering how she had missed this important bit of Underground gossip. “I CHECKED THE UNDERNET THIS MORNING, USING MY ULTRA COOL KNOWLEDGE OF ALL ONLINE MANNERS AND BEHAVIORS, NYEH HEH HEH!”

“Wait, so, why do you wanna be a waiter?” Undyne questioned, fists still pumped in the air like she was ready to start suplexing at a moment’s notice.

“they’re gonna pretend the old nursery is a restaurant or something,” he answered for his brother, as Papyrus nodded furiously in agreement - only to grimace as Sans winked at him. “you ask me, they’re really resorting to desperate measures.”

“SANS, PLEASE - ”

“Um - ”

Sans startled, glancing around him to the Human standing next to Tori. He’d kinda forgotten she was there, for a moment. “Er...why a resort?” she asked, head tilted at a confused sort of angle.

“BECAUSE IT WILL BE THE BEST PLACE FOR METTATON, OF COURSE!” Papyrus declared. “RESTAURANTS! STAGES! PUZZLES! THE MTT RESORT WILL BE THE BEST PLACE FOR ALL SORTS OF JAPES AND CAPES AND - ”

“So,” Undyne inserted aggressively, “why are you practicing being a waiter, huh?!” The fish monster was completely focused on Papyrus, but a sudden movement from Gaster had Sans looking upwards - and suddenly realizing what he was cooking on the stove.

Nice.

“O-OH, YES! BECAUSE,” the younger skeleton said, “BEING THE VERY COOL FRIEND THAT I AM, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, INFORMED NAPSTABLOOK THAT I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO HELP IN THE RESTAURANT WHEN IT OPENED, NYEH HEH HEH! I WILL WAIT ON MORE TABLES THAN ANY OTHER MONSTER!”

“Ah-hah!” the fish girl yelled, pointing a rather dramatic finger at Papyrus, and Sans started slowly edging into the kitchen, feeling that he might have to start thinking of preemptive measures. “So that’s your game, huh? I bet I can wait on more tables than you, Paps!” Undyne declared, folding her arms in a challenging gesture, as Sans flared up his magic the moment Gaster’s back was turned, grabbing his targets in quick succession. 

“U-Undyne, I don’t really think i-i-it’s a c-competition,” Alphys tried, claws held up in a placating sort of -

“Ontwothreego!” the fish monster cried out, rushing past Papyrus and a startled “NYEH!” into the kitchen and ducking under the table - and Sans had to hold in a snort of laughter as Undyne lifted one of the table legs, apparently set on getting the entire thing over her head. “Alright you punks, we’re gonna totes see who’s - gah!”

Sans couldn’t help himself this time, letting out a full peal of laughter as Gaster literally flung himself onto the table to keep it in place. “No suxplexing the furniture,” the skeletal monster said desperately, and his face was starting to get that goopy look that meant he was probably at the end of his rope. “You children can use the small table in the playroom...or just eat in the kitchen like normal children?” he added hopefully.

“TO THE PLAYROOM!”

“Yeah! C’mon Frisk!” Undyne called out, zipping back out of the kitchen and making a beeline towards the Human, completely ignoring her startled yelp as the fish girl lifted her over her head, and took off towards the playroom.

“W-wait Undyne, be c-c-careful with her!” Alphys cried, and stumbled after them, Papyrus following close behind.

...They knew that, food was usually involved in table waiting, right?

Probably.

Good thing he’d thought ahead and already had that covered. “Welp,” he said, glancing at the only child still left in the area, “better not make them wait...ers.”

He’d been expecting a chuckle, but Tori wasn’t even looking at him. She had gone back to looking around; specifically, looking past the living room and towards the staircase. 

...Right.

“he might come down later,” Sans tried.

It got Tori’s attention, but in the wrong way. “I don’t care what he does,” she said quickly and a bit too forcibly, and with a very decisive turn of her head, ran off to join the others in the playroom. 

Welp. That hadn’t worked. 

...He should probably check up on Asgore too, his only buddy left on this. He’d been spending so much time around the Human and with the others, keeping an eye on her and them, that...he’d sort of forgotten about Asgore. The goat probably thought he really was friends with the Human.

Though in all fariness, Asgore had sort of...disappeared, from The Underground. Nowadays, he was always gone whenever he and Papy woke up in the mornings, and was rarely around the main part of the house. In fact, he probably wasn’t even upstairs right now. He’d been spending a lot of time in the basement actually, according to Gaster. Doing a little project to help his research.

Which was weird. Asgore was just about the least scientifically-orientated monster in The Underground.

Anyways...Asgore had sort of been left on the side, and Sans felt a little spike of guilt at the thought. He’d check up on his goat pal soon, right after Papyrus got what he wanted. 

But he had barely taken a step when Undyne suddenly appeared from the Ruins - when had she gone in there? - took one look at him...and grabbed him. Sans didn’t even bother fighting as he was lifted up above her head, the same way the Human had been, though he couldn’t help but ask. “uh, think i can make it all the way to the playroom, undyne.”

“Shut it,” the fish girl exclaimed gleefully, carrying him not to the playroom, but all the way through the Ruins, through Snowdin, Waterfall - even into Hotland, without even a grimace on her face. “Paps and I are gonna make things more interesting!” she asserted, rushing across the steam-venting hallway into the little side room, and kicking in the door with a resounding “Ngaaaah!”

The Human started, and stared.

He stared right back.

...Apparently, interesting meant serving two tables that were separated by almost the entirety of The Underground. 

“Have a seat, boneba - I mean, sir,” Undyne cajoled, and Sans tried to convince himself that her sickeningly-sweet tone was the cause of the shiver that raced down his spine, and nothing else. She didn’t give him much of a choice in the matter either, plopping him down onto a cardboard box. The Human stared at him from atop another cardboard box, sitting across from a third and slightly larger box that was probably suppose to be the table.

Maybe he should have fought Undyne just a little bit. “uh, undyne - ”

“I’ll be back to wait on your table, you punks!” the fish girl claimed, pumping her fists in the air - though she suddenly leaned towards their table, a menacing sort of gleam in her eyes. “You wait right here, got it?!” 

Again, neither of them were given much choice as Undyne darted out of the side room and presumably back towards Alphys and Tori in the playroom. The door slammed shut with a ringing finality. 

...Welp.

This was kinda awkward. They hadn’t, really, interacted all that much since they’d grabbed a bite to eat in the middle of the night. Oh sure, he’d been around, with Paps and Tori and stuff. But mostly like he’d been before - hanging around the other kids and cracking off jokes and puns with the Human...but not really with the Human.

They certainly hadn’t been alone together since that moment, and if he could be completely honest? It was...still weird. That same weirdness he’d felt after that night had ended, waving goodbye at her doorway. Knowing that she smiled for him, while he either waited for her to make her mistake...or waited until the end of time, for her to do absolutely nothing. That weirdness of getting chummy with an enemy, and wondering if that enemy even was an enemy.

Just...it was weird.

Sans chuckled lightly, sticking his hands into his coat pockets where they felt most comfortable. “dunno about you pal,” he said with a raised eyebrow, “but i’ve got a feeling we’ll be waitering for a while.”

The Human let out a light huff of laughter, but seemed mostly content to simply swing her legs as she sat, hands tucked underneath her legs. Her eyes wandered around the simple room with a sense of familiarity, as if she was seeing it again, only under different circumstances.

Huh. Alphys had said the Human and Mettaton had had a FIGHT somewhere around here, right?

Well, it didn’t really matter, and Sans shrugged. “me? i think this whole resort thing is gonna be a hot mess.”

The Human’s clearly registered the emphasis he’d put on the words, but didn’t understand why. He let the moment sit for a while longer, before he winked at the Human - and pulled a hot dog out of his coat pocket. 

“but it’d be a doggone shame to let the food go to waste.”

She got the two parter then, and giggled appropriately, and even managed to catch the hotdog he tossed at her, bun and all. He pulled the second one he’d managed to grab from the kitchen from the same pocket, and from the other was - of course - a bottle of ketchup.

Nothing like a good ‘dog and some ketchup. 

“bone appétit.”

They ate in silence for a while, in the moderately lit side room, on their cardboard boxes. But Sans didn’t feel like he was in a restaurant, not really. Instead, his mind called back to the midnight snack he’d shared with the Human, sitting in the living room and watching the moonlight play with the shadows against her face. 

Back then, he’d used the time to try and figure the Human out. See if she’d slip up; or, better yet, just drop the whole act and come out with it. Peel back her hair and reveal she’d really been Chara the whole time, oops, best practical joke ever, hilarious, right?

He hadn’t figured anything out back then. Only that she was either really good...or really, really, bad.

Better to be safe than to be sorry, right?

No matter how exhausted it made him, how paranoid it made him. How much this constant expectance of hateful intent made him sometimes want to just stay in bed all day, and to h e l l with whatever came next. 

“Hey, Sans?”

Sans flinched. The Human was looking over at him with some concern, which probably meant his face had gone all weird, but thankfully she didn’t look scared. His eye hadn’t flared up without him realizing it. He grinned wider to cover up the hesitation, stuffing a portion of his hot dog in his mouth. “sup, kid?” he asked, words muffled by his mouthful of delicious ‘dog and ketchup.

“Um...can I ask you something?” the Human said, and...just. Completely set herself up for one of the classics.

“you just did.”

The Human froze, realizing her mistaken, then let out a little groan of defeat as he chuckled. “You know what I mean,” she said as he grinned, tilting his head a bit. The Human had, he’d noticed, become more animated and lively after the FIGHT with Undyne. She was still pretty quiet, seemingly by choice and not due to shyness, but she seemed more willing to...well. Emote more.

“course i do,” he teased, raising one shoulder in a shrug as the Human ducked her head, shaking it slightly from side to side. “pretty sure ‘i’ is just a letter, dunno why i wouldn’t know what it means - ”

“How come you’re always smiling?”

It was habit - pure and simple habit - that kept the smile on his face, cheeks automatically straining outwards against the sudden downward pull.

“I just,” the Human continued, now staring down at her shoes, “it always seems like...you’re always smiling. Um...but, only around me?” The words were phrased like a question, trailing off as she glanced upwards and...saw whatever it is she saw on his face. It was enough to make her duck her head back downward.

But only for a second, because she suddenly took a breath, and looked back up at him.

Stared him dead-on.

“Not around the others,” she said, and the firm tone in her voice told him there’d be no point in fighting it. Heh. Just like there was no point in fighting a lot of things, lately. “You frown and glare and...and stuff around the other kids. I’ve watched you.”

That...wasn’t creepy at all?

“But you,” the Human trailed off again, seemingly losing whatever determination had kept her going in the first place. “Around me you...you only smile.”

Yeah...wonder why that was.

“...whassamatter?” Sans finally said, one half of his ‘dog still in his grasp, “gotta problem with smiles? because, i mean, buddy? the tooth is, there’s a lotta other things you could have problems with,” he tried, hoping the pun would get the conversation off this very uncomfortable topic.

Nope.

“It’s just...” The Human seemed to be having trouble framing her question, or her line of thought, and for a moment after she tapered off, she simply sat there, hot dog in hand and eyes trained on the cardboard table.

Let it go, pal. Don’t go there. Just -

“Do you hate me, Sans?”

He had to answer. He didn’t know how to answer. He was suppose to just disagree, right? Say he wanted to be friends, that he liked her, he didn’t hate her. He just had to...

The Human stared at him, waiting...and waiting. Answer her, just say no. And...

She looked down.

And nodded. More to herself.

“It’s okay,” she said, even as Sans struggled to kick himself into gear, feeling like he’d suddenly been dunked into cold water, flailing and trying to find his way to the surface. “I mean...I wish we could be friends,” the Human continued, glancing back up at him; specifically, at his hot dog.

Oops. He hadn’t meant to squish it. A whole half a ‘dog, gone to waste. That was the real tragedy.

“And I...won’t stop trying.” There was that look again, that determination that seemed to fill every crevice on her face. “I won’t. Because I want to be friends. But...it’s okay, if you don’t like me.” She glanced down, her own hot dog forgotten on the box table as she clenched her hands together. “I won’t hate you.”

That’s what she said. 

“S-so please - ”

Humans were the worst kind of liars, and the Human suddenly looked back up at him, messy brown hair flying.

“Please stop smiling.”

What...

“You don’t have to pretend to like me, okay?” the Human said, hands twisting in the bottom of her pink and blue sweater. Her voice shook slightly, but her eyes were dry as she continued to stare right at him, like she could do that. Like she had the right to make his Soul shudder and swell and choke him with that weird feeling, the one that he could almost identify as... “I won’t...I won’t tell on you. To Papyrus or Toriel o-or...anyone else. Okay?”

“Big smile now, Sansy. Don’t want Papy to know anything’s wrong, right?”

He couldn’t...no one could know. Everyone...Paps needed to stay happy. They’d only worry about him and wonder, and they couldn’t do that, he couldn’t do that to them. No one else would believe him anyways, because he was - 

He was crazy.

“k-kid...i...”

Just a letter. Just a single letter in the alphabet, that’s all it was -

And there it was again. That quick head shake of hers, the way she did when - he thinks - she didn’t want to hear something. Or she...wanted to SPARE someone the agony of saying something they didn’t want to, for the sole sake of making her feel better.

Like she wasn’t worth the effort to worry about, to comfort. Their happiness was more important than her own. 

“It’s okay,” she repeated, and still her eyes were dry, and still her tone was brittle. “Really. I just...you don’t have to pretend.” She paused.

And then she smiled.

That false smile again. 

“If it helps...i-if, it hurts too much to pretend, then...at least with me, you don’t have to.”

...Oh

He got it now.

Seemed pretty obvious, now that he saw that smile again. That’s where all this was coming from. 

“Okay?”

Heh heh...

He wasn’t the only one with experience in pretending, was he?

Her outburst ended...and that was it, apparently. The Human waited for another moment, maybe to see if he would say anything; but he didn’t, and after another moment, she picked up the remainder of her hot dog and stuffed it hastily into her mouth as she got up from her seat, exiting the room.

Sans unraveled his curled fingers, peeling them away from his crushed hot dog. They came away caked in bread, grease, and ketchup.

So that was it, huh.

The Human was a pretender, too. Or at least, had enough experience with pretending to spot a pretender when she saw one.

Not like Chara, pretending to be scared when she’d woken him up yelling, leaning over Papyrus with a knife. Pretending that he’d magicked her across the room for no reason, other than the toy baking-set knife she’d just had on hand before going to nap. Pretending that she was an angel that could do no wrong. Chara had caused situations that she had pretended not to have caused.

...No.

This Human...was a pretender...the way he was. Pretending that everything was fine, even when something was very, very, wrong.

...

Or...was she a pretender that was pretending to be a pretender. Was she really Chara all along, or was she simply...something else.

It wasn’t worth the risk. Right? Better to be safe...than to be sorry.

Better to sacrifice his happiness, to make sure Paps always had his happy ending.

Better to just...pretend...

Slowly, Sans stood up, wiped his messy hand on top of the cardboard box, and left the room. 

It didn’t take long to find everyone. They were all back in the playroom, where Paps and Undyne had apparently spent the whole time waiting on Alphys and Tori’s table. Literally waiting on it, both of them crouched on top of the flimsy plastic table and refusing to be the first to move. Tori’s exasperated glare might have been enough to make him laugh on a normal day.

But he couldn’t help but stare at the Human, who looked up from where she was crouched nearby, absently cradling a Mew Mew figurine, and one of Al’s mangas. He didn’t even think of anything, didn’t process anything at all in his mind. 

He grinned automatically.

She smiled.

And -

And that smile, that fake one again. The one he automatically wore on his face whenever he was around her, the one he had worn constantly back in the city, worn it so often that he’d sometimes swear his cheekbones were ready to fall off at any second -

It made his own grin die. Because there had been nothing happy about that smile, every time he’d seen it in the mirror.

And that smile staring back at him from a foreign face...it died as well.

Only to be replaced by another smile. Softer, lighter. Less wide. And yet much more vivid and far less familiar to him. She continued to smile, even as he frowned at her, unwittingly, and there was the faintest tear hanging at the corner of her eye. He frowned, and her smile grew bigger, even as Gaster came barreling into the playroom, flipped over the table, and demanded they all eat something else he force feed them brussels sprouts. 

She didn’t stop smiling. 

“I won’t stop trying.”

This feeling in his chest...his Soul that shuddered and flinched and wanted so badly to just stay safe and tucked away, but rammed against his body and dared bring rise to that dreaded feeling, that maybe, just maybe things would turn out okay...

She had no right, to make him feel this way. To make him feel hope.

He couldn’t be a lazybones about this. He had to be ready. He had to be prepared.

He had to be...

...

Chapter Text

The First Human: Kings, and their Rights

He was tired of staying in the boy’s room.

But...

He didn’t want to be out there, either.

Because out there...he was still alone. 

Tori had...that had been hard. Seeing that look in her eyes...but he’d endured it, because he had to. Because he had to keep everyone’s hopes and dreams alive. He couldn’t let The Underground lose hope. Someday, he thought. Someday, Tori would understand, see that he just wanted to save everyone, and would forgive him.

And then Papyrus. Papyrus, so nice and kind. That had also been hard, because he’d thought the skeleton was with him and Undyne and Sans. He hadn’t thought he needed to worry about him. But still, he’d endured, because everyone else was counting on him.

Papyrus would understood, too.

But Undyne...

Undyne had changed everything.

The monster that maybe hated Humans even more than anyone else did. More than he did, even, despite what he told the others. The one monster he’d been sure he could count on, no matter how many other monsters started giggling and fawning over the Human. Undyne had been steadfast and loyal, and very loud about her hatred for the Human, and he’d felt certain that his plan could still work.

And that had changed. 

And when she had come bounding into the playroom, holding hands with the Human and proudly proclaiming that they were going to be besties...he knew.

He’d made a mistake. 

Asgore knew he had messed up, that maybe, just maybe...he’d been a little too hasty. A little too eager, a little too sure. Because Undyne liked the Human all of a sudden, and that meant that maybe he hadn’t thought things through. That maybe he had been angry, angry at this Human who had dared to show up and make everyone lose HoPe. Dared to show up looking like their beloved Chara.

Dared to remind him and Tori of everything they had lost.

And it just wasn’t...fair.

He’d just wanted to...save everyone, to keep up everyone’s hopes...and the kids on Gerson’s side were still scared and confused, and slowly losing hope. It wasn’t just about this side, or that side, or any one monster. It was about The Underground, about everyone. He needed to save everyone, to lead them all to a happy ending. Maybe he had been angry, and maybe he had been hasty, but Undyne had cried and her voice had trembled and all the kids had looked so devastated learning there was a Human living here, and he’d...

He’d only wanted to keep the hope alive.

And it just wasn’t fair that he was the bad guy, now. 

He wasn’t the only one who’d wanted to FIGHT the Human, was he? He hadn’t even gotten into a FIGHT with her yet, hadn’t lain a paw on her! But no, he was...he was just terrible now, wasn’t he. 

Now everyone looked at him like, oh, Asgore that big meanie, picking on the poor Human. What a terrible creature you are. You’re just the worst, how could you? You’re a monster.

...The bad kind of monster, not the normal kind of Monster. 

There was a knock at the door, but Asgore ignored it, curling up deeper under his bedsheets. It was probably Sans again, and...and it was his bedroom too. His and Papy’s. But they’d started giving him a lot of space, he’d noticed, when he’d started just hanging out in their room or in the gardens. Because he was such a pathetic, miserable creature. Papyrus had tried to get him to come eat at the table again, a couple of times, but...there was only so much glaring a goat monster could take. 

Sans too...the only other kid on this side who still agreed with him. Agreed that something had to be done about the Human, something that none of the other kids were willing to do anymore. But even that was hard to bear, watching as Sans laughed and joked with the others, being all great friends with one another. While he sat alone in the gardens, with only his beautiful golden flowers to keep him company. 

The only things he had left of his Chara and Asriel.

How long had it been since the Human had come to The Underground? Two weeks, now? Longer? Asgore didn’t know. All he knew, nowadays, was the loneliness, the misery, the responsibility that weighed him down every time he saw the Human, saw her smiling brightly and knowing he had to wipe that smile from her face, so much that she’d leave The Underground once and for all.

The yearning in his Soul, to just admit his mistake and beg his friends to forgive him. 

But he wouldn’t falter. He couldn’t afford to, no matter how much his Soul wanted to just be happy again. He couldn’t. He would stay strong, stand tall, and he would keep to the plan. He would save The Underground.

No matter how much he cried under his blanket at night.

Because that’s what a good King did. A King led his people and thought about them first of all, and took care of them, and watched over them. A King did what he had to do to keep everyone alive and well. He did whatever was needed. He did what was right, even if what he was doing was wrong, because it was right to be wrong if it meant doing right by his people.

A good King did whatever was necessary to keep hope alive.

Even at the cost of his own happiness.

The golden flowers had already taken root and started to grow in the new soil.

Asgore supposed he shouldn’t have been all that surprised. But well...he honestly hadn’t been sure what to expect. After all, there was no natural light down here, only artificial light, and flowers were very gentle things that needed lots of care and attention. He hadn’t been sure they’d be able to grow.

But, looks like he needn’t have worried anyways. This particular flower was tough, and patient. And very determined. It grew very fast and very strong in almost any environment it was introduced to. 

He had found that out very quickly.

The single, solitary golden flower she had managed to hold onto, taken from wherever she had come from, had been nearly dead when Asriel had found her. And she had been furious...so, so angry when she had finally woken up and found it missing from her grasp. He knew, he remembered how shocked Father had been...how Father had grabbed onto the back of his cloak and pulled him backwards.

But then she had looked out of the window, and when she saw all the golden flowers now blooming from the single flower she had held onto...

Asgore kept the memory of Chara’s face in that moment close to heart, and he knew Tori did too. Because despite all the pranks and the scary looks, the giggles that were sometimes mean-spirited and jaded, the two of them always remembered how she had looked at seeing all the golden flowers in the garden. What she was hiding beneath that wide smile of hers. 

And even now, the face of the first human he had ever loved swam in front of his eyes, melding with the golden flower cupped gently in one paw. So angry, and so sad...and yet, the sight of the golden flowers had never failed to make Chara smile. Really, really smile. 

He wondered if the Human had found anything in The Underground yet, that made her always smile.

“Ah, Asgore.”

Asgore gasped in surprise, falling backwards onto his butt and nearly crushing a nearby patch of golden flowers. He managed to avoid harming them, however, flailing his arms around before he finally landed on his back, letting out a choked groan as he looked upwards. 

Gaster looked back down at him, his smile and slanted eyes looking kinda strange from upside-down. “So sorry,” the skeleton adult monster said, and Asgore peered at him kind of suspiciously, because he didn’t really sound sorry. “I didn’t mean to...”

“No,” he moaned.

“Get your goat.”

Come on. Sans used that one like...every single day.

Asgore bleated pathetically as Gaster chuckled, bending down with one skeletal hand to grab the back of his cloak and tug him upwards. He shook his head briefly, before twisting around to glare at the adult with a sour look. Gaster was holding a paper bag with his other hand, something he hadn’t noticed before, but he seemed more interested in the miniature garden than whatever it was he was holding. 

It became clear a moment later, as to why. “You have done a fine job, Asgore,” Gaster praised, “they are growing beautifully.” 

He blushed, turning back around to study the flowers. Father had always told him that a good King did not get a big head and was very modest, but...well, it felt pretty good, whenever someone complimented his flowers.

They were the one thing he knew he could create, and not break.

“Y-yeah, I think they’re growing well,” he agreed, reaching out for his watering pot to attend a section of flowers that weren’t as brightly gold as the others. “They’re pretty easy to grow, though.” In all honesty, golden flowers were the easiest kind of flowers he had ever grown, because they were so resilient. Chara had said that they could go for weeks without any water or rain, they were just that strong.

He had never tried though, because...because who would ever do that to a poor flower? That was just mean.

“So I’ve noticed,” Gaster commented, with a peculiar little smile on his face. “Would you like to see the results of your efforts?”

...Huh?

Gaster’s research? Sans and Alphys were the only ones who got to see that stuff. Not because Gaster only wanted them to know about it, but because it was super complex grown-up stuff that, well...tended to sail right over his head. In fact, aside from those two, he probably knew more about Souls than any of the other kids thanks to his family, and he still struggled to understand half the things the three of them talked about sometimes.

But still, he didn’t want to be rude. Gaster had already used a whole lot of them - golden flowers didn’t grow so much when there were loads in one area, but harvest a patch, and they would grow back super fast. And, Asgore had to admit, he was kinda curious to see what his flowers were being used for.

Aaaand, maybe talk to those flowers, if they were still flowers. He was kinda sentime...senti...he liked holding onto things.

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, brushing dirt off of his cloak as he got up, following Gaster as he set down his paper bag to one side and walked away. But to his surprise, Gaster didn’t lead him over to his workshop, that closed space that was completely off-limits most of the time. Instead, Gaster led him towards the door, the one that led to the tunnel. 

Asgore tilt his head confusedly, wondering if he had missed something. Was Gaster working on something...in the tunnel? “What - ”

“Shush now,” Gaster instructed, a sly smile on his face as he placed one skeletal hand on the door. He waited for a moment longer, like he was purposefully trying to be dramatic.

Before finally opening up the door.

Asgore - 

- recoiled, an instinctive motion rather than a planned one, head automatically turning away from the bright lighting. He was vaguely aware that he’d gasped, felt it leave his lips, and his arms had come up to shield his face. It wasn’t until a moment later that he trusted himself to take another look, arms slowly lowering downwards, and looked back down the tunnel.

And gaped.

The tunnel was...

Bright.

Although now that his eyes had adjusted a bit, he realized it wasn't really as bright as he'd first believed. But still, the tunnel glowed. It was a gentle sort of brightness, directly in front of him, and for about twenty paces outwards. The tunnel was flooded with a warm golden light from...he didn’t even know where it was coming from, or how. The tunnel was completely underground, running underneath Mt. Ebott, there was no way there could be a natural light source, right?

But it sure seemed like it. The entire tunnel was bathed in light, so golden that it made the darkness beyond it seem darker than it normally was. And the warm glow itself wasn’t the only change - to his right and to his left, the wall had been...carved? Stylized? Small, alcove-like spaces had been carved out of the stone. And this pattern repeated down the tunnel where the golden light reached, sections of stone somewhat carved outward in a pane-like pattern, as if he was looking at a window that was encased completely in bright golden light. The untouched sections of wall, in between the alcoves with their window-like stylizing, were also stylized, made to look like pillars.

All in all...the overall effect made him feel like he was standing in a grand hallway, filled to the brim with a warm and gentle golden light.

It looked amazing.

Gaster had obviously been expecting him to think it so, because he heard the skeleton laugh at the look on his face. “Wonderous, is it not?” the adult asked gleefully, rubbing his hands together as he looked over his creation as well. Asgore dimly felt himself nod, but was still mostly transfixed by the sight in front of him. 

“Aaron and a few others have been helping carve the rock walls to my specifications for a while now,” Gaster went on. He paced forward a couple of steps, and his face was getting that wide, goopy look, the one that usually meant he was super excited about something. Or he had found something...very interesting. “But the glow...the light? That is all thanks to your flowers.”

His...flowers?

Gaster read the question on his face before he could even give voice to it. “Yes, your flowers,” he affirmed. “Ground down into a paste and painted onto these walls...and yet, no less vibrant than before. Even moreso now, do you think?”

“H-how?” he stammered, because golden flowers were beautiful...but they didn’t glow, they didn’t emit such a golden warmth. He supposed they sort of glittered in the sunglight...but there wasn’t even, you know...a sun down here. Or even any sort of light source down here! 

They weren’t even alive anymore, they’d been made into...paint, Gaster said? So how were they...why were they giving off such a golden glow, like they were still living?

Gaster’s smile widened, and took on a slanted and secretive sort of tilt. “Ah, that is the mystery, isn’t it,” he said. “Ground down and reformed, they thrive. And now, in the absence of light, they shine.” Gaster sighed, a very happy and satisfied sigh, and reached out to caress one of the pillar-like sections. The smile on his face edged even higher, and his eyes were -

“You could say they are...”

- his eyes were black.

“...very determined to live.”

There was a significance to that statement that he could almost feel, but Asgore was too busy staring, wide-eyed, up at Gaster, who’s smile had turned...kinda creepy. Goopy, dripping slightly, and his eye sockets never left the pillar he was caressing. 

He suddenly felt very uncomfortable...until he realized -

“B-but,” he questioned, “how did...why are they like this? How can they still be...alive, if you’ve made them paint? A-and, glowing?...I don’t get it.”

For a moment, he didn’t think Gaster had even heard him, still caught up in the hallway. But then, with an abrupt turn of his body, the skeleton suddenly ushered him back into the basement. “We’ll have the entire tunnel done up, eventually,” he said, which, okay, wasn’t what he had asked at all. “It will look much better...much more alive than before, I think.”

Oh, he didn’t doubt that. That small section of tunnel had felt...had been brighter and more beautiful than the dark tunnel beyond. He’d miss seeing the little twinkling stones in the ceiling of the tunnel...but still, the exchange would be worth it. 

“Now then,” Gaster clapped his hands together, suddenly all business again now that he had finished rendering him speechless. The skeleton had returned to his flower bed, and Asgore automatically walked back to the center of it as Gaster reach out to caress one of the petals of a nearby flower, cradling his chin in the other hand. “These flowers are very easy to tend to, I believe? Tell me what is required of them; I may tend to them myself, and you will not be required to be down here so often.” The skeleton paused, that wide smile returning to his face as he steepled his fingers together. “Yes...I only need a few thousand more...”

Ah...there really wasn’t much to tell, golden flowers just kinda grew on their own, to be honest. But he supposed the six-step watering plan would ensure that -

...Wait. What?

Wait wait, no.

“T-that’s okay!” Asgore stammered hurriedly, nearly upsetting his watering can all over the patch of golden flowers. The thunderstorm of water returned to a steady trickle as he steadied his paw, and he really...really hoped Gaster didn’t notice how it was suddenly shaking.

Kings weren’t suppose to show weakness, either.

“I...I like it down here!” he tried, glancing around the basement, “there’s lots of room and...and stuff.” The gardening plot was right in the middle of the room, and made the small space seem a lot bigger. Honest! And the shelves and crates pushed up against the wall were...cool too. “Hmm...nice and, uh. Roomy, down here,” he finished, daring a peek upwards towards Gaster.

Who had seemed to snap out of whatever science-y funk he’d slipped into, and was staring at him with one raised brow, fingers still steepled in front of his face.

Asgore gulped, and pulled back the watering can to a closer patch of golden flowers so that his straining, shaking arm could take a rest. All the excitement and awe from the tunnel may have never even happened at all, for all the good it did him now. Focusing on the watering can made it easier to duck his head downward, to hope that Gaster wouldn’t notice, because...because he was such a terrible creature, he didn’t think he’d be able to keep it up for long.

“Asogre...”

Dangit.

“I appreciate you taking the time to grow these for me,” Gaster said, arms resting across his knees as he squatted in the dirt. Or at least, he assumed those were his arms and knees, it was kinda hard to tell with Gaster’s goopy body. “Having these flowers on hand will help me with my work tremendously.”

Right, that’s why he’d asked him to grow a batch for him, right in the basement where he could easily access them. Asgore had wondered, before all of this, why flowers would help with Gaster’s research...although now he knew what they had been used for, but he still didn’t know how the skeleton’s research had accomplished that beautifully lit tunnel. Gaster studied Souls, not...paint.

But at the time, he’d just been too grateful for the excuse to get away from the other kids and have a place all for himself. He’d even started eating his meals down here, where it was nice and quiet.

Where he didn’t have to see Tori’s glare.

“But you shouldn’t be spending all your time down here, child.” Asgore ducked his head down further, because those were exactly the words he didn’t want to hear. But Gaster didn’t let up. “Don’t you have flowers to attend to on the surface?”

“I check ‘em every morning,” Asgore muttered, and it wasn’t a lie. Even though golden flowers were very strong, he wasn’t going to risk letting Chara and Asriel’s memories die out. 

He cared for all the flowers, every single morning. Before all the other kids got up. He watered them and checked every single one for snails and bugs and all sorts of other things. He looked after every single flower, took care of every single flower. He cared about every single flower. He -

He trembled slightly as he felt one of Gaster’s skeletal hands rest on top of his head. Please...please not now. I just want to get away from it for a while.

“Asgore...”

That did it, he couldn’t hold back soft gasp of sound that left him. And that was enough for Gaster to pick him up and settle him on his lap, and Asgore grasped onto the monster’s goopy body as best he could.

It just wasn’t...fair.

There were no tears - he’d used them up last night - but Gaster still wiped at his cheeks, as if expecting tears anyways. “Do not lose hope, Asgore,” the adult monster said, which was...so, so stupid. How could he not lost hope? “Things have changed very rapidly in a short while, and everyone is...working through things on their own.”

“I j-just want to keep everyone happy,” he whispered, like it was a secret. Which it had been at the beginning, when they had all had the same plan to drive the Human out of The Underground, and now...now here he was, the last one, the terrible creature who wanted to attack such an innocent youth. 

“I know, child,” Gaster murmured, and Asgore paused, a thrill of fear working through him. 

Did Gaster know? About...everything? The plan?

But the skeleton monster didn’t continue with that train of thought, only laid a hand back on top of his head. “I know you wish for what’s best for everyone...as do I. And I’m sure the other children...will appreciate your feelings. In time.”

Or they would hate him forever.

“But you know,” Gaster continued after a moment, rubbing his other hand against his back. It felt really nice. “While your goals are admirable, perhaps your methods...ah. Could use some more thought.”

That...that had to be a warning. No way Gaster didn’t know about the plan, right? Otherwise...w-why would he talk about methods? He had to know he’d been trying something, and that meant...he had to know he was planning on FIGHTing the Human.

Right?

But even as he chanced a sneaky peek upwards, Gaster didn’t seem upset or angry or anything else. The skeleton adult only continued to rub his back lightly. “Do you know what we scientists say, child? We say...well, if one thing does not get this result, we must try another way. There are different methods to reach the same conclusion. Do you understand?”

He...thought he did? But Gaster sometimes had a funny way of talking that he didn’t fully understand. 

He needed to...find another way? To keep all the monster children’s hopes up?

“Like...what?” Asgore asked, leaning back to stare up at the adult. Gaster understood...he knew how important hope was. He had to, he was an adult. And Asgore knew that he...he really wasn’t suppose to ask, because a King didn’t ask, a King just did. But he was just...confused. “W-what do I do?”

Gaster hummed slightly under his breath, his mouth stretching wide as if he very, very much wanted to suggest something specific. The way he looked when he ordered them all to bed, or outside to play, or to sit down at the table and to stop flicking mashed potatoes everywhere or so help me I will flick three servings up your nose and out your ears. 

But after a moment, the skeleton only shook his head, and ran one hand over his horns again. “From me, it would be meaningless,” he said, “you must decide for yourself.”

That was...very unhelpful, thank you. Asgore struggled not to pout.

He must not have done a very good job, because Gaster chuckled, and rubbed his head more purposefully, causing him to bleat in alarm as his fur went every which way. “I know it is difficult,” the skeleton monster said, “but that is the challenge of it, you see. In the end, you must decide what is right.”

Asgore...stilled.

“It will never be easy, son. You will be loved. You will be hated. But you must do what is right, for the good of everyone. That is the only way you will ever find true peace.”

“Like...like a King?”

Gaster gave him a funny look. “Ah...yes. Yes, I suppose like a king.”

A good King decided what was right for his people, and took whatever means necessary to achieve it.

Asgore nodded slowly, positioning himself back in the middle of the garden plot as he stared down at the golden flowers. That’s right...a good King always found a way and did what was necessary. A good King decided what was right for his people, and did anything and everything to make things right. No matter whether they loved him, or hated him. 

He had made a mistake, but that didn’t change the fact that it had given the other children HoPe. That’s all he wanted to do - give monsters hope. And...and that was right.

It...had to be right.

Even if it was difficult, and hard to deal with. “Can I...can I just stay down here, a little more?” he murmured.

Gaster was still looking at him funny, but after a moment he nodded, and smiled. “Of course, child,” he said, and Asgore let loose a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Gaster got up and went to retrieve the paper bag he had set aside earlier, heading towards the door leading to his lab, and Asgore picked up the watering can again. 

“Asgore.”

“Huh?” he startled, blinking rapidly. He’d thought the conversation was over.

It was, wasn’t it? Gaster had one hand on the handle of the door, but was looking back at him with his slanted eyes. Eyes that were so similar to Sans’, points of light in black sockets that could sometimes become empty and send shivers down his spine.

And at other times, burn fever bright against the blackness.

“Above all, you must not lose hope.”

That was...so much easier said than done. He should know - otherwise, what had this entire plan been about? 

And despite himself, Asgore couldn’t help but ask. “H...how?”

Because it was so...so, hard sometimes, remembering that he had to save everyone, even if they would hate him for it. It was so hard to think about Tori and Papyrus, that he had to force himself to think about Burgerpants and Muffet and the dogs. How did a King do what was right, how did a King not lose hope when it felt like his entire world was against him?

How?

And Gaster smiled as he turned the handle and entered his lab, like he was sharing a precious secret. 

“Stay determined.”

Stay determined. 

It seemed like such a simple statement but...somehow, it seemed to carry so much weight. 

Asgore thought about those words, those two simple, little words, as he watered the flowers in the garden with his “outside” watering can. The sun was barely creeping over the top of the hedge, filtering in through the forest trees, but he knew Gaster was already up. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to get outside to his flowers.

Gaster had...

Stay determined.

It felt like Gaster had...wanted to suggest something to him, when he’d asked what he should do to keep hope in The Underground. The message had been clear that, maybe...maybe, driving the Human out from the orphanage wasn’t the best way. Or even the right way.

And he...he knew that, now. Had know it for several days now, when he’d carefully watched the Human, waited for any hateful intent from her. 

And instead he’d seen...

Niceness. Goodness. Smiles and laughter and shy glances and frowns and, once, on the day Gerson’s kids had been introduced to her...tears. Just two of them, before she had turned around and walked upstairs to her room.

The Human wasn’t like Chara at all, and yet...his heart beat painfully against his chest, whenever he looked at her.

He had made a mistake, thought of the first possible thing he could think of to keep Undyne’s hope alive. And it had worked, but...but now, Undyne was friends with the Human, while all the other kids on Gerson’s side were still sad. Sure, they were super excited about Mettaton now, from what he’d managed to pick up, but...Mettaton was a distraction. How long would that excitement last, when they had to meet the Human again?

He didn’t want to FIGHT the Human in the future...or even at all. He just wanted to keep everyone happy.

FIGHTing the Human wasn’t right. But...but what other choice did he have? 

He had to stay determined. He had to be a good King. He had to do what needed to be done. And doing what was needed was right, even if what he was doing was wrong. He had to do what was right.

...No matter how much she hated him.

“THERE YOU ARE, YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!”

Asgore jumped, the watering can nearly slipping from his paws as he whirled around. “P-Papyrus?”

The skeleton in question opened his mouth - and yawned, very loudly. “NYEH,” he said, after the yawn had passed, “INDEED IT IS I, PAPYRUS, YOUR VERY COOL AND SLIGHTLY SLEEPY FRIEND!” The youngest skeleton was still wearing his pajamas, a baggy set that tended to slip down his collarbone and had bones all over it. 

His state of dress didn’t stop Papyrus from walking right over, however, and grabbing him in a hug. Asgore didn’t even think of putting up a fight. “SO THIS IS WHERE YOU’VE BEEN SNEAKING OFF TO IN THE MORNINGS,” the skeleton noticed, and Asgore winced at the volume of the other monster’s voice right next to his ear. “WHY ARE YOU OUT HERE SO EARLY?”

“O-oh, I just,” he started, and let out a distressed sort of bleat as Papyrus squeezed him tighter around the middle. “P-Papy, leggo, breathe!” he gasped, slapping at the skeleton’s arms around his middle, but Papyrus hugged him for a few more seconds before finally letting him go with a resounding “NYEH!”

“Just, wanted to water, flowers,” Asgore groaned, holding a paw to his stomach. Papyrus may have been the baby of the bunch, but he was stronger than he looked. Probably thanks to all the suplexing lessons he’d had with Undyne.

Papyrus glanced over the flowers critically, as if they might give him some more information - but then brightened. “AH, OF COURSE!” he exclaimed, “BY WATERING IN THE MORNING, YOU’VE MANAGED TO AVOID MY BROTHER’S TERRIBLE PUNS!”

“Er...yeah,” he muttered, because avoiding “water you doing that for?” and “flower you doing today?” was as good an excuse as any.

“HOW CLEVER!” Papyrus praised, patting him roughly on the back. And despite the force of the blows causing him to stumble, Asgore couldn’t help but smile shyly. Papyrus may have been friends with the Human now, but he was still...a really cool monster. 

“YOU SHOULD SHARE YOUR PUN-AVOIDING WAYS WITH FRISK!”

Aaaand, there went the smile.

Papyrus didn’t notice, still steamrolling onwards in that unique way of his. “MY BROTHER HAS COMPLETELY CORRUPTED THE HUMAN,” the skeleton groaned, holding a hand dramatically to his forehead. “SHE LAUGHS AT ALL HIS JOKES AND PUNS! AND WHAT’S WORSE...SHE STILL HASN’T FINISHED ONE JUNIOR JUMBLE YET! NYOO HOO HOO!”

“Oh, ohoh,” Asgore chuckled rather weakly, though the skeleton was still lost in the agony of his human friend enjoying Sans’ funny ways. “That’s...that’s t-too bad, Papyrus. Uh...I should, finish watering now...”

“YES, IT IS TOO BAD,” the skeleton cried, but then brightened up again, “WHICH IS WHY YOU SHOULD TEACH FRISK EVERYTHING SHE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT AVOIDING TERRIBLE PUNS! AND ME AS WELL,” he added as a side-note, eyes narrowed craftily - probably thinking of how much free time he’d have, free from Sans’ joking around.

Making Tori laugh without even trying.

“COME FRIEND, IT’S ALMOST BREAKFAST! YOU CAN TELL THE HUMAN ALL ABOUT IT THERE, NYEH HEH HEH!”

“W-wait Papy, no!” Asgore cried, wrenching himself free from the skeleton’s grasp on his arm, as if he’d been prepared to drag him straight through the living room and into the kitchen. Which he probably had been planning on doing. 

Because he looked kinda hurt now, like he didn’t understand why he didn’t want to hang out with him. Asgore had to turn his head to one side, struggling not tremble. 

“I,” he started, glancing back towards the skeleton. Papyrus only looked at him, eyes wide and one hand still outstretched from where it had been grasping his arm. “I don’t...G-Gaster wants my help in the basement, I’m just gonna eat down there.”

How could he explain? He didn’t want to be around the others, didn’t want to have to see them laughing and smiling and doting on the Human. Loving her like she was one of their own, while he sat on his own and tried not to think of the responsibility that they had all left him with. 

He didn’t want to see her glaring at him again.

“AGAIN?” Papyrus asked, though his eyes were sad and downturned. “ASGORE...YOU’VE BEEN DOWN THERE SO MUCH. WE HARDLY EVEN SEE YOU ANYMORE.”

There was a...very good reason for that.

“WE MISS YOU.”

He...

He knew that, too. When he wasn’t crying under his sheets or in the basement, truly, he knew that. It wasn’t like...like the others ignored him when he was around, not really...e-except for Tori. But the others...they still laughed and smiled and tried getting him to FIGHT them so that they could train. 

But...he still felt, so, so alone. Alone in the knowledge that he was the last one left still actively and outwardly against the Human, the only one who knew that the right thing to do wasn’t always the easiest, or even the best. But someone had to do it, to keep everyone’s hope alive. And maybe FIGHTing and driving the Human out of The Underground was wrong, but...it was right.

Because otherwise...

Otherwise, there was no hope. 

“Papy...” he mumbled, clutching at his watering can...before he shook his head fiercely, so hard that his ears slapped into his face. “D-don’t be stupid! I’m still here, I’m just...I’ve just been, um...busy.”

The skeleton continued to look at him, and Asgore hesitantly glanced around himself, eyes lighting back onto his flowers. “Ah...s-see? Dum de dum dum...” The water rained down from his can as he cared for the flowers, and...

And still, Papyrus watched, both hands fiddling with his scarf.

The skeleton finally nodded, and Asgore let out a tiny sigh of relief -

“PROMISE?”

Aaaand, there went the relief.

There were rules in The Underground. Never leave the house at night, that was a rule Gaster kept enforced with his barriers, and the absolute main rule. Never FIGHT in the house. Never go in the lab without permission from Gaster, that one was also a biggie.

And then there were the other rules. Not from Gaster, not even from any particular child. But still they were there, unspoken but instinctively known to every child in The Underground. Never eat butterscotch cinnamon pie unless Tori said it was okay, that was a privilege not a right. Never touch the four figurines Alphys kept above her bed, they were rare collectibles. Never challenge Undyne to a suplexing contest - she would win. Always.

And never, ever, make a promise to Papyrus if you couldn’t keep it.

Because he might not remember a promise he asked another child to keep. It varied, really. But...but if he did remember a promise, and you couldn’t keep it, then that would make him very, very sad. And if Papyrus became very, very sad, then Sans became...

Very...very, mad.

Mad enough that a glance from the skeleton could send shivers down his spine, and with that spine-shivering look on his face, Asgore could be tricked into thinking that Sans was capable of so much more than even himself. Which was impossible, he had been born into the strongest line of Boss Monsters imaginable, it was his birthright...

...But still. Yeah. 

The point stayed the same. Never promise Papyrus something if you couldn’t keep your promise.

Which meant he could only run.

“I-I’ve gotta go!” Asgore mumbled, abandoning the watering can on the ground as he rushed past the skeleton, ignoring the sad “NYEH!” from behind him as he stumbled into the living room. There were voices coming from the kitchen, there was - there was her voice, bright and vibrant and talking about new pie she wanted to try baking today, and it almost made him pause, automatically. 

He missed...he missed her voice...

But he couldn’t stand seeing her disappointment, her anger anymore, and he quavered for a moment, before hurriedly making his way towards the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. All the kids were at breakfast now, so he could just duck in and grab the gardening book from his room to take down into the basement with him. Maybe a couple of toys too. Just...stuff to do. Stuff to bring with him, while everyone else was eating.

Or at least, he’d thought everyone else was eating.

“Ah,” Asgore stammered, one paw still on the door handle he was pushing inwards as Sans glanced up at him, surprise clear on his face. “H-howdy, Sans.”

“oh, heya buddy,” the older skeleton said, slipping off of his bed. He was clutching something in his hands - a photo, it looked like. But Sans tucked it underneath his pillow before turning back, grin more firmly on his face. “whassamatter? you look like someone’s really - ”

The much overused pun like seriously everyone used it every single day okay made everything else fly out the window for just a brief moment. “Sans,” he growled warningly, fully entering the bedroom and closing the door behind him, “don’t you dare.”

The skeleton held up his hands palm forward, but the wide grin did nothing to settle his nerves. “ - got your goat.”

Asgore let out very exasperated groan as he flopped down onto his bed, face down. “The worst,” he attested into the blanket sheets, “absolute worst kid in the whole Underground. I can’t deal with this right now.”

“aw c’mon pal, you’ve goat this.”

Absolutely the worst.

So much so that brief bursts of laughter mixed in with his groaning, and Sans laughed as well, because this was the maybe the closest things had gone to being normal again since Undyne had flipped, and it took a moment for Asgore to realize that his groan slash laughter had turned into gasping, furious, hyperventilating.

Sans stopped laughing, and with his head buried in the sheets, Asgore couldn’t see what the skeleton looked like. But he felt a hand on his shoulder a second later, half comforting and half grasping him, trying to pull him upwards. “buddy, h-hey. you’re scaring me here. i was just kidding, heh.”

“Stop your sniveling, boy. A King never cries where others can see him.”

“I-I’m okay,” he gasped out, stealthily wiping the few tears that had managed to escape in the rush of nostalgia and emotion. Asgore didn’t even know why he bothered - he hadn’t managed to hold it in the past week at all, hadn’t even tried to reassure Papyrus when the skeleton had held him through the tears several days ago. Everyone knew he was a big crybaby at this point; a “total goober!”, as Undyne liked to say. He didn’t know why he tried.

Stay determined.

“I’m okay,” he repeated, pushing himself upwards. Sans’ hand didn’t leave his shoulder, as for a moment, the two of them sat side by side on his bed. Why had he even come up here at this time of day? Just to grab some things to bring to the basement, and now...here they were.

It took another long moment before either of them thought to say anything, but that didn’t last. “asgore,” Sans started to say...

And then he hesitated.

And Asgore felt his Soul drop in his chest.

Not Sans. Not him too. Undyne had said Sans was just pretending to like the Human, he didn’t really. But that had been before Undyne had decided she would be besties with the Human, before he had been left alone with the weight of The Underground on his shoulders. 

Sans couldn’t be following the others, could he? About to admit that he liked the Human now, that he thought they should all be one big happy family now? He couldn’t...he couldn’t be -

“i’m sorry.”

It took a moment for the apology to sink in. “H-huh?” he blurt out.

The skeleton shrugged, shifting backwards a bit to sit cross-legged on the covers. “i just,” he began, glancing off to the side. He looked hesitant, as if he was unsure about what he wanted to say, or...apologize for. “sorry i haven’t really been around. been kinda...busy, ‘ya know? with the human.”

He froze.

“undyne been getting on my case ‘bout her. heh. thinks i need to stop pretending to like her or something.”

Asgore...

Felt something against the corner of his eyes, something that suspiciously felt like the beginning of more tears. But he scrubbed at his eyes furiously, happily even, because the reassurance that he wasn’t as alone as he thought, that he still had someone to confide in, was...

More than he had been prepared to hope for.

“U-Undyne thinks a lot of things nowadays,” Asgore sniffled, a little bitterly, because that one still stung. That Undyne, of all Monsters, had found something else to hope for when this whole plan had been sprung up for her sake. 

Sans chuckled - also a little bitterly, he thought. “yeah...she’s never been shy about sharing those thoughts, either.” The skeleton paused for a moment, glancing down at the covers...before he looked back up. “she said...”

There he was, hesitating again. What had Undyne said that’d rattled him so much?

“she said i should stop pretending. and undyne said i should just...decide for myself.”

That...that sounded like Sans was...

“Decide?” Asgore questioned in a whisper. “Like...like, decide whether this Human is...okay?”

Sans shrugged, that hesitant look replaced with the laid-back grin that was most often seen on the skeleton’s face. “beats me pal, i’m as confused as you.” He chuckled again, but it seemed kinda forced. 

Like...there was a reason this had come up, and the skeleton just didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to say it either.

But it had been eating at him for days, he already knew it in his hearts of hearts. He just...didn’t want to admit it, all that much.

“Sans, I think,” he started quietly, glancing towards the closed bedroom door...before he turned back towards the skeleton, scooting closer on the bed covers. “...I think I...made a mistake.”

Sans...didn’t look surprised, or shocked, or even angry at the admission. He only bowed his head a bit, and the grin on his face stretched wider across his cheekbones. “yeah?” he said, and the question was there in the tone of his voice, yet it didn’t feel like a question at all. 

“This Human...she isn’t like other Humans,” Asgore muttered, and the words threatened to choke him even as he said them. But they were true.

He...had to say them. To someone, even if they weren’t the person he really wished he could say them to.

“heh”, Sans mumbled, eyes falling shut as he lounged on the bed. “so...what. we should be friends, for real? just accept that she’s...all good and nice?” The skeleton glanced up at him, and still he didn’t seem angry or upset or shocked. “it’d be safer not to.”

He didn’t seem...anything at all. 

“does it...change anything?”

He thought of Burgerpants, how the cat monster had cringed and laughed himself silly to cover up his fear of the Human. He thought of Grillby, who had immediately recoiled at the sight of the Human, hands held protectively over his flaming head. He thought of the way Muffet had rushed out of the house, calling wildly for her spiders to take a head count.

He thought of good Kings and hated Kings, of right and wrong, and above all - he thought of hope. 

“No...it doesn’t.”

Asgore thought that might have been a tremble, running through Sans’ frame, but it passed too quickly for him to be sure. And after a moment, the skeleton nodded. “okay.”

Okay.

It really wasn’t. It really wasn’t okay to torment and FIGHT someone so much that they ran away out of fear and anger and hurt and sadness. But keeping The Underground alive with hope was okay. It was right, and he had to do what was right for others. A good King always put everyone else before him. 

The Underground needed him. He had to be a good King. 

No matter how much Tori hated him.

And no matter how much he hated himself.

Asgore took a deep breath, before nodding to himself, and slipping off of his bed. He’d already made it halfway across the room before he remembered, and turned around towards the skeleton who had also gotten down, making his way back to his own bed. “Sans?”

The skeleton paused, one of his hands underneath his pillow. “hmm?”

He fiddled with his cloak for a moment, wondering how to express what he wanted to say. The understanding the two of them shared, that responsibility - doing what was right - wasn’t always the easiest thing, and it just felt...good, to have someone else understand that alongside him. 

But saying all of that was too embarrassing, way too...too sappy. So Asgore only shook his head, clutching his paws together as he glanced back at the skeleton. “T-thanks.”

Sans tilt his head, one eyebrow raised. But he grinned, and waved his one free hand through the air. “no prob, buddy.”

Asgore smiled weakly, and turned to exit the bedroom. He figured Sans was looking for some alone time, and closed the door behind him as he left. His last sight of the skeleton was of Sans back on his bed, sitting cross-legged and staring down at his photograph with a grin on his face, before the door closed. 

The other kids were still in the kitchen, it sounded like, and Asgore...hesitated at the bottom steps, the same way he always did whenever he heard Tori’s voice nearby. But he turned his head away and headed back to the basement, where things were lonely. And...and...

And it...wasn’t a really good thing, Asgore knew that. Father would probably be...very disappointed with him. A good King should always stand his ground, always stand up for his people. He didn’t hide away because he was scared that others wouldn’t like him and say mean things about it. But it was just...so, hard.

Just so...unfair.

At least down here, he had his flowers.

...Even though he’d forgotten the book and toys he’d gone upstairs to grab. Asgore silently groaned to himself, but didn’t bother walking back to the bedroom. Even if he’d felt like it, he didn’t want to interrupt Sans again. 

Instead, Asgore picked up his “basement” watering can, walking amongst the flowers. His talk with Papyrus had been a downer, even though he knew the youngest in the orphanage hadn’t meant it that way. It’d just made him think of everything he had missed, and was missing, with all the other kids.

His conversation with Sans, however, had cheered him up some. Despite how much the bonebag liked to tease him about...certain feelings or whatever, the skeleton knew where to draw the line. Sans hadn’t teased him, or made fun of him, when he’d confessed his mistake, and understood that, sometimes...

The right thing to do wasn’t the easiest.   

“A King is always right, son. Do you know why?”

This Human was a good Human, and it changed nothing.

“Because a King is always right.”

“Always,” Asgore murmured, and gently caressed the beautiful golden petals in front of him. The flower said nothing in return, but if it could talk, he was certain it would agree with him. And maybe, just maybe...

The basement door creaked open behind him. 

Startled, Asgore reared back from his crouching position, fumbling for his water can, because he really...really didn’t want to go another round with Gaster and his funny way of talking that he sometimes didn’t understand but felt like he was missing something important. Sans had increased his resolve to be a good King, to do what was needed, to be right, and he really didn’t want to second-guess himself again.

“Just a minute,” he requested, to stall any more comments about spending time out of the basement to...play with the other kids. “I just need to finish watering this batch, they’re almost done growing.” Even as he spoke, he smiled, watching as the water droplets hit the petals and slid off, leaving clear and glistening traces in their wake. Golden flowers were super easy to take care of...and maybe that’s what always brought a smile to his face.

Despite all her hard edges, the forcefulness and meanness that had sometimes scraped on the edges of their Souls...the terrible look in her eyes at every mention of Humans and humanity...

In the end, Chara had been pretty easy to take care of, too.

“Dum dee dum,” Asgore hummed, taking his time with the watering, because even the strongest and most resilient of flowers needed love and attention. He shook out the remains of the watering can a few times, letting the last few drops of water fall onto the petals. He felt much better after a nice, relaxing watering session with his flowers. “Howdy,” he said, setting the watering can off to one side as he turned around, “I think these are ready for you to - ”

To...

runhidehelphurtno

The Human tensed up, and it took Asgore a moment to realize he had taken a step back in his flower garden without even realizing it, backing away from the Human on instinct. A hint of sadness seemed to creep into her features, probably thinking that he was...scared of her. 

Something that sounded like a vaguely distressed goat noise escaped his throat; but rather than startle her some more, the sound seemed to prompt her into action, as the Human took a small step forward, hands clasped in front of her chest. 

A beat of silence passed by. He should probably say something, something that would make her -

“Hi.”

“Baalargle,” Asgore stated, and tried not to be offended when the Human let out a startled giggle, because...because like...she talked? Except he knew she talked, he’d heard her talk before. But the fact that she was talking to him made it seem like...

He didn’t know. He didn’t know why he was so surprised.

But apparently funny noises were very comforting to the Human, because she began walking forward with little hesitation, hands no longer in front of her and instead swinging confidently at her side. “Sorry, did I scare you?” she asked. Still thinking he was scared of her.

He wasn’t scared of her.

“I kinda do that, sometimes,” the Human said apologetically, and one of her hands had moved to clutch at the opposite elbow. It didn’t look like a hesitant posture, more like she just wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. “I think it’s ‘cause, um. Well, I’m quiet?”

He was scared for her.

“That’s what Alphys says,” she continued. She had a very...very strange stare, this sort of deadpanned, closed-eyed stare that looked really weird...yet at the same time, he felt like he could see the emotions on her face like any other monster. She was looking around at his garden, and she looked...

She looked impressed. “Um...” she said, taking another step forward, and shouldn’t he have said something by now? Like, actual words? “Did you...grow all these? All the way down here? All these golden - ”

“Do you want some tea?” he blurted.

The Human paused.

And Asgore -

- tried very, very hard not to smack himself in the forehead. 

If he’d had any inclination to be a Big and Tough Boss Monster to intimidate the Human, that option was long gone. She giggled again, stopping at the edge of his flower garden. “Okay,” she said agreeably. 

She had a very nice voice.

And he had...no tea. Why had he asked her if she wanted tea? “I don’t,” he choked, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. “Can’t make, tea...”

The Human...did something with her eyes. Sort of like she’d blinked, but with her closed-eyed stare, it made it kinda hard to tell. 

“Sorry,” he said, instinctively, because it was bad manners to offer tea to a guest when you had none, better to just offer - wait wait waitwait, wait. Guest? What? This was the Human, and here they were in his flower garden in the basement of The Underground, and she was...

She...had to know that he was going to...Tori and Alphys, Papyrus, they would have told her what a terrible creature he was and to always avoid him, right?

Right?

“H-Human,” he finally managed, and it wasn’t nearly as confident as he’d imagined his encounter with the Human would be. And so he tried to sneakily clear his throat, but forced his head up higher. “Why...have you come here?” There...a little better. A little more confident.

The Human paused...

Before nodding. More to herself, it seemed.

“I’m here to FIGHT you.”

Aaaand there went the confidence.

“Wuh,” Asgore stammered, once again thrown for a loop, because...because she couldn’t be serious, right? She wanted to FIGHT him? Even after hearing about him from the other kids? Because they had to have, by now, told her that he was real strong, that he wanted to...to h-hurt her, that he was mean and terrible and pathetic. “You want to...to FIGHT me?”

This time, the Human didn’t hesitate at all.

She simply smiled.

“No,” she said, “not really.”

She didn’t want to...

...Ah.

The Human didn’t want to FIGHT...but she was here anyways. To FIGHT. She didn’t want to, and yet here she was.

And Asgore felt something inside him tremble, because it just wasn’t fair. What sort of friend could she have been? What sort of child? Someone who also understood the burden of responsibility, of doing what was needed no matter how much you hated it. He wondered...if they might have been friends.

And it changed...nothing. 

Because a King was always right. A King did what was right. A king was right in being right. A King was -

Asgore nodded once, solemnly, and felt the weight of his people resting on his shoulders.

He slowly reached out with one paw, felt it pulse in his grasp, and pulled.

All around him, the colors faded away to a washed out grey, spanning the room with a finality that made the small space feel infinitely larger. Even his golden flowers were not spared in the space of an encounter, beautiful golden petals fading away into a muted grey color...grey, expect for the faint red reflection they caught from the brilliantly red Soul floating in front of him.

It was beautiful.

And it changed nothing, because what was right was not always what was beautiful, and what was beautiful was not always right. The beauty of her beautiful red Soul meant nothing to the hopes of The Underground, and a King had to do what was right. And what a King decided was right, was right. 

“Human,” he whispered, and...and struggled against the tears he could feel forming. It wasn’t fair...not for him, not for Burgerpants. Not for Tori, not for Grillby, not for Catty and Bratty and Papyrus and Doggo and Alphys and Sans and Muffet and everyone else.

And not for the Human.

“It was...nice to meet you,” Asgore said, and was able to muster up a watery smile as he looked at her. She still had that same stare on her face, the one that seemed deadpanned to the world around her...deadpanned to all except those that took the time to realize what that stare really meant.

“Goodbye.”

He couldn’t face that stare any longer. In a rush of motion, he expressed his trident, held  it outward from his body, and -

- and destroyed her MERCY.

She wasn’t expecting it, he knew immediately from the surprise that leapt onto her face. Few ever did, Monsters and Humans alike. The secret of destroying another’s options in an encounter was one that had long been passed in his family, was a part of his birthright, and he would not allow the Human a chance to FLEE or SPARE him.

One way or another, he would do his duty as a future King. Right here...right now.

“We don’t have to fight.”

They had to FIGHT, so they could decide not to fight. That's...how it worked. 

He trembled as the Human took her TURN. Talking. Hah. That’s what Tori had said, way back when. That they just try talking with the Human, see what she was all about. Is that how the Human had won Tori over? By talking with her?

It changed nothing.

He didn’t want to look at the Human, didn’t want to see the pain and hurt, so he - he wildly swung his trident at her, eyes clenched tight, and tried not to wince as he heard her cry out. He wasn’t going to even CHECK her, wasn’t going to do anything except do what was right, FIGHT her so badly, as much as she wanted, until she finally had enough and promised to leave The Underground...or until -

“Please...I don’t want to fight you.”

Neither did he, and it changed nothing. 

Fire this time, encasing his paws and raining down on the Human in waves. No cries of pain this time, nothing except a sharp inhale as she struggled to avoid his expressions of intent. He wouldn’t say anything, he wouldn’t do anything, except force her to FIGHT, or...make her leave forever. 

“Please...”

He was a monster.

And he deserved every intent to harm he got, as - on her next TURN - he suddenly felt it against his right shoulder. Hard enough to make him cry out in pain, only...only it hadn’t been because of her, it’d been because of him. He felt it; his Desire to Exist Further, so low that even her barely existing harmful intent caused him hurt...

How could he want to exist when he was doing such terrible things? When he was the worst kind of monster that Humans feared and hated?

He was the worst...he deserved it. 

And back and forth it went, for how long, he couldn’t tell. He could only tell when his expressions got more erratic, struggling to maintain control of himself as the tears ran down his cheeks. Could feel the exhaustion begin to creep in, TURN after TURN that took their tolls on his Soul. Could sense his HoPe dropping and dropping, realizing that maybe, just maybe...this Human was stronger than he’d ever even dreamed.

That he really had no Desire to Exist Further. And he -

- dropped to his knees.

He didn’t cry out. Only a gasping sob as the flow of the encounter stalled, everything grinding to a halt. Another secret passed down in his family, a pause in the encounter, automatically deployed at his weakest moment. 

Because he was weak. 

“H-Human,” he gasped out, raising his eyes to the Human for the first time since the FIGHT had started. She was...she was gasping too, gasping for breath. Hah...her longest FIGHT yet, probably. Her cheeks...they were shiny too. Had she cried during the  encounter like he had?

He thought she had. They could have been...good friends. He didn’t blame her, for what she had to do next. She had to do what was right for her, and he...he had to face the consequences of his actions. 

He meant to tell her that. All of it. But the look on her face...the sorrow, the tears. He could only say -

“I’m sorry.”

And that was...

It.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, and then again, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” And his voice grew with each repetition, or was that his Soul? Growing louder and louder, and no, that was his voice, struggling to breathe against the sobs and hiccups and wasn’t he the most pathetic excuse for a King. “I’m sorry.”

The Human mumbled something, something too faint for him to hear. He saw her lips move, saw her shape out Asgore with her mouth, but he couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his own wailing.

“I just,” he gulped, and sniffled, and cried, “I just wanted to s-save everyone. I was suppose to save everyone.”

Because that’s what a good King did. Whatever was necessary. A good King did what was right for his people.

“B-but now I...I...”

I’m the worst King ever. Ever.

“I just...I w-wanna water my flowers outside, I wanna e-eat at the table, I wanna help Undyne t-train and listen to Papy’s puzzles and...a-and I wanna eat butterscotch cinnamon pie!”

She said something else, something louder that he almost caught, but the floodgates had been opened, and the unfairness of it all rang out in the least Kingly of ways imaginable.

“I just wanna g-go home!”

He was...he was suppose to be cool, and composed. Even in defeat. Even as the Human now had the options in front of her to choose from, to do what was right for her, he was suppose to be calm and collected. Not...not crying and wailing like a crybaby. 

But what did it matter now? The Human would do what was right for her, he could not control that. And so...

And so, for once in his life...he wasn’t going to do what was right.

He would do what he wanted. In...i-in his last moments, he would cry all he wanted, because at least he had tried. At least...at least, away from everyone else, he had -

he was being hugged.

He didn’t understand. 

“W-why?” he whispered, even as his paws automatically came up to encircle the body against his. Because it felt...good, to be hugged when he was crying, even when he was suppose to be a strong King, and...why, was she hugging him? After everything he had done, everything he had tried to get the others to do. Why was she...

Shaking her head against the side of his own. “Because,” she whispered, and her voice sounded...very, very watery. Like his own did. “Anyone can make a mistake. You...me. Anyone.” And she pulled back, just enough to meet his gaze, the same way he pulled back enough to meet hers.

She pressed one hand against his tear-stained cheek, and rested her forehead against his.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.”

No...not everyone did. 

“Not when they made a mistake because it was the r-right thing to do,” he sniffled, holding her hand to his cheek with one paw. And when she pulled it back, he struggled not to cling all the more tightly to it. 

Until she suddenly turned it sideways, used his arm to wipe at his eyes.

“B-better to learn your mistake was a mistake...than to never learn your mistake was a mistake.” She was looking at him, but something about her voice made him think that, maybe, she wasn’t really looking at him, but looking instead at some far distant memory that only she could see. And -

Ah...

Tears slipped from her closed-eyed stare, from both eyes, and her voice trembled. Her body trembled. Everything about her trembled. 

“At least...not until it’s...too late.”

He sniffed. Once, twice. 

“And...and learning that your mistake was a mistake...that makes it right again.”

When the tears came this time, he didn’t fight them. He only hugged Frisk tighter to himself as he was shown MERCY. 

The encounter faded away. 

A mistake had been made...what felt like so long ago. Made in anger, made in haste. Made to keep hope alive in the quickest and most obvious way possible. It had been wrong, but still right. 

Now, it wasn’t right anymore. To a Human that had stood up to his harmful intent, had endured the pain of his sorrow and doubt and self-loathing...no. It wasn’t right. And it wasn’t right for Burgerpants or Muffet or Doggo or any of the others anymore...the same way it wasn’t right for Undyne anymore. 

Because dealing with Frisk had only been the easiest solution. The easy way. All this time he’d believed he’d been doing the right thing, even if it hadn’t been the easiest thing, and...it had been the easiest to do all along. 

Frisk...hadn’t been the problem at all. He knew that now. And just as the real problem had been solved in Tori and Papyrus and Undyne and Alphys and now him, he needed to help the others solve the problem, the right way. In their own way. For their own selves. 

And that...that would be right. 

Frisk moved in front of him, and it took Asgore a moment to realize she was standing. But he understood the hand she held out for him, and he grasped it, and was pulled upwards. He wobbled a bit, but she was there to steady him, and...and their faces probably looked like giant huge messes, covered in tears and sticky golden flower seeds. 

But he didn’t care. He sniffed again, the last couple of tears falling, and hugged her to him, squeezing her tightly before letting her go. 

And seeing the movement in the corner. 

He hasn’t didn’t recognize it at first, vision still blurry and stinging from the tears. But the figure moved out of the shadows, paws clenched together in front of her chest, and...

Oh...

Ha...hah. He still wasn’t done with the tears, was he? He really was a total goober. 

There were still words to say. Words to say and hurts to heal and things to be forgiven. 

But Tori did none of these things, and neither did he. He couldn’t. He could only stare as she walked through the flowers, furious tears streaming down her cheeks, and hesitated, for just one, agonizing moment...and then flung herself at them. One of his arms came up automatically, just as one of Frisk’s did, and they encircled Tori at the same time. 

Holding, Tori. He was holding Tori, in his arms. 

And even as the tears started up again, all three of them streaming water all over his beautiful golden flowers, he didn’t feel embarrassed. Even with Tori’s face pressed right next to his, her beautiful shining eyes saying all the things she couldn’t bring herself to say right now, he felt more at peace than he ever had before. 

Because knowing that a King had to decide what was right for his people, and knowing that deciding that he had been wrong was right...that a mistake had been made, yet he had come out a better King because of it, given a second chance to make the best right for The Underground...

It filled him with...

Determination.

Chapter Text

The First Human: Hoping Hearts, and Healing Hands

...Welp.

She’d been pretty busy, huh. 

He supposed it’d only been a matter of time, really. Just like with Papy, just like with Alphys and Tori. Less so with Undyne, but it’d still happened. 

And now, the big teddy bear himself. 

Walking into the kitchen with red eyes and tear stained fur, ignoring all the bug-eyed stares as he grabbed a seat...and the Human clambered onto the seat next to him, while Tori took the seat on his other side. Wiping at his eyes a few times and still sort of sniffling, but very carefully asking for some golden flower tea.

So that the Human could try some. 

“Ye...yes,” Gaster said - exclaimed, after a moment, his voice sort of breathless as if he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. “Yes, let me just - ” He rose from his seat in one smooth motion. Or at least Sans thought he was trying to be smooth, but he sort of stumbled out of his seat and towards the cabinets. “I believe will still have a few batches of golden flower tea ready to use.”

There was a moment of silence. Before -

“Waaait, waitwait,” Undyne said, slowly, like she was puzzling something out. Paps still had his signature boggle-eyed look on his face. So cool. “Wait. Asgore, are you...besties with Frisk now?”

It felt like the entire table sucked in one gigantic breath.

“Ye...yeah,” Asgore breathed - and then, suddenly, a wave of determination seemed to sweep over the monster as he straightened up in his seat, eyes warm but firm. “Yeah, I am.”

The gigantic-total-table-breath was abruptly released, and Sans grinned down at his bowl of ketchup. 

“Because I, uh...I was wrong,” he continued, raising his head and looking at each and every other kid sitting at the table. But despite the goat monster’s slight stumble over the words he wanted to express, they still rang strong and confident in the kitchen. “I made a mistake, a-and now I, uhm.” Only here did Asgore hesitate as his glance flickered towards the Human, before skirting to his other side towards Tori. And whatever he saw seemed to give him the resolve to finish. “I’m going to make it right.”

Tori sniffed suspiciously, but when Sans glanced over, she also had her head held high, with a purposefulness that seemed completely at home on her kind face.

“Me too,” she said, simply, and ignored the gawping stares as they turned onto her instead. The goat monster only clasped her paws in front of her, looking like a regal queen or princesses addressing her loyal subjects. “I forgot that...not all hurts are the same. And, sometimes, someone can be hurting because...because they think they have too.” Tori paused for a moment, eyes closing, before they locked back onto Asgore’s gaze. “And I’m...I’m sorry, I forgot that.”

It was obvious that this was a conversation the two goat monsters had had long before coming to the table - probably right after Asgore’s sudden and oh so unexpected conversion over to the Human’s lovefest - and they were relaying their renewed friendship for the benefit of the other kids. Even now, Sans could see the rising realization in their eyes.

But for some reason, it felt like the two goats were speaking mostly to each other even now, their gazes never leaving the other’s. Briefly, Sans wondered what it was about Asgore that Tori had forgotten, and what it was about Tori that Asgore had been reminded of. 

Only briefly though, because, to be honest? He really just didn’t care. 

His ketchup dinner was just, much more interesting to him right now.

He was the only one, though. He counted the seconds in his head as the table quieted down - even Gaster was doing a very bad job of appearing to be preoccupied with the tea kettle - none of the kids seemingly dared to break the significant and silent words being passed between the two goat monsters.

Though, that didn’t last for too much longer.

“I ship it.”

Alphys’ whisper, slightly hidden behind the claws she had pressed to her mouth, were barely audible. But apparently, they managed to be audible just enough for Asgore to blink, and then blink again - and then suddenly realize the audience he had. 

“W-wuh,” the goat monster said intelligibly, confusion slipping over his face as he’d clearly forgotten where he was. “I mean - yeah, that’s why Frisk and I are...gonna, friends? What - what was I saying?...”

There was that suspicious sniffing noise from Tori again, only this time, she looked less like a queen and more like a goat kid. “Hee hee. Silly,” she said fondly, reaching out to pat the other monster on the head. Asgore’s face instantly become as red as his bowl of ketchup, leaving the goat monster to make small, sputtering noises that were probably suppose to be protests but mostly sounded like small snippets of goat bleating.

Heh. Looked like everything was back to normal, huh.

“SO,” Papyrus said loudly, eyes scrunched up thoughtfully. “YOU ARE...FRIENDS NOW?”

Tori answered for Asgore, who was still making those distressed goat noises. “Uh-huh!” she said brightly, and the Human nodded alongside her. 

“SO,” his brother continued. One of his hands had risen to cradle his chin - or at least, the area of his scarf wrapped around his chin. “NO MORE PLAN?”

That seemed to snap Asgore out of his Tori-induced fantasies. Whatever resolve he’d been feeling seemed to wilt in Asgore as the goat monster startled, then shrunk, glancing up at Tori from the corner of his eyes. But if Tori noticed, she didn’t say anything as she quickly shook her head. “Nope.”

Silence, broken only by the soft whistle of the tea kettle on the stove.

“SOOOO,” Papyrus said, the word drawn out to an almost agonizing degree. “EVERYTHING IS BACK TO NORMAL NOW...EXCEPT WITH FRISK?”

There was a pause as everyone at the table stopped to think about that. 

“Ye...yeah,” Asgore finally said, glancing sheepishly at the Human. She smiled and scoot her chair closer, close enough to lean her head against the goat monster’s shoulder. That action caused a giggle to rise up from Tori, and Asgore laughed as well, though the red tinge on his cheek remained in place. “Yeah,” he repeated more confidently, “I guess so. Everything is back to normal...with Frisk.”

There was another long pause, laying atop of the now steaming mad whistle from the kettle as it reached its boiling point.

And spilled over.

“P-Papy, look o-out!” Alphys cried as Papyrus leaped upwards into his seat, his spaghetti raised over head and shouts ovf “NYOO HOO HOOOO! THIS CALLS FOR THE ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI COURTESY OF ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” intermingling with Undyne’s own declaration of “You punk, I knew that ‘ol softie wouldn’t be able to hey wait a hot minute Asgore, I’m her bestie! You can’t steal another monster’s bestie, I’ll totes FIGHT you!” Tori had been reduced to helpless giggles as Asgore leaned backwards in his seat, as if that would save him from Undyne’s relentless pursuit of FIGHTing, and the Human -

The Human laughed, and smiled, and grinned as she was pelted with bits of spaghetti strands, and Tori leapt over Asgore to pull the Human into her arms when Undyne grabbed Alphys above her head in an effort to demonstrate the best bestie-making methods using a live demonstration. 

“BROTHER! ISN’T IT AMAZING?”

Papyrus had, at some point, apparently decided the quickest way to reach the fridge and stove was to simply take the shortest route; walk across the table to get to the other side. Sans glanced up at his brother where he was bending down over him, his spaghetti plate gone (it now resided on the Human’s squashed sandwich), but he didn’t stop spooning ketchup into his mouth, because -

Welp. This ketchup wasn’t going to eat itself.

“sure is, bro,” he said appropriately, reaching up to flick his fingers at his brother’s forehead. 

“HEY!” the skeleton yelped, rubbing a hand furiously over the spot as if expecting to rub off some ketchup. Which...to be fair, he’d only done that one time. The other time he’d used spaghetti strands. “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?”

“no reason,” Sans said easily, forgoing use of the table to instead bring his ketchup bowl directly onto his lap, slumping in his seat slightly. “it just felt like i was...” Papyrus caught a moment too late, face scrunching upwards as he shot his younger brother a wink. “foreheading something.” 

His brother inhaled deeply - for a full five seconds, which was, like. A record for him. But to Sans’ immense surprise, Papyrus came back with a full grin, even if it seemed a little more strained than normal. 

“YOU MAY TRY TO DARKEN THIS DAY WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS, BROTHER,” Papyrus said, holding a hand passionately to his chest, “BUT EVEN YOU CANNOT DESTROY THIS WONDERFUL MOMENT! I, MASTER SPAGHETTITORE PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE THE MOST DELICIOUS FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI EVER, TO CELEBRATE THE DAY THAT WE, THE COOLEST FRIENDS TO HAVE EVER FRIENDED, ALL BECOME...FRIENDS! NYEH HEH HYEK!”

“welp,” Sans said agreeably, comfortable in his seat as Papyrus pried off the lettuce leaf that had lodged itself against the side of his face in a splash of mustard and mayonnaise. “i’ll leaf to you it.”

Papyrus didn’t even get a chance to wail in despair as he was lifted up by Undyne, adding him to her collection of Things I can Hold Up See I’m Way Strong C’mon Lemme Try Putting Frisk On Top, which also included two plates, the remains of the Human’s sandwich, three different pitchers, Alphys balanced perfectly between two glasses, Asgore clinging to the top of Undyne’s head, and now his bug-eyed brother complaining that they were all wasting precious spaghetti time, all held aloft in the fish monster’s arms. 

For his part, he was comfortable simply finishing up his meal, though someone else in the kitchen had become suspiciously quiet...especially considering the considerable mess that was Undyne’s quest to fishhandle the Human onto the top of her lifting exercise. Sans twisted around in his seat. 

Gaster was still by the stove, two mugs of golden flower tea at the ready that had probably gotten kind of cold at this point. But he didn’t seem worried about that. Instead, the skeletal monster was looking towards the table; really looking, and he had the weirdest, happiest smile on his face. 

Sans could just picture what it was that Gastar was seeing. 

All the kids now in complete mayhem, gleefully demanding that Asgore tell them about his FIGHT with the Human (Undyne), quietly and blushingly watching the secret glances between the two goat monsters even as she resigned herself to her glassed-in fate (Alphys), making the dangerous trek towards Undyne’s head to grab Asgore into a bone crushing hug (Papyrus, of course).

And him, grinning at the Human. All of them seated at the table, around the table. No more gap, no more space, no more tension. 

A normal kitchen table, filled with normal kids.

Everything back to normal. Just with the Human in the picture, now.

Heh heh...

Hilarious, right?

“Aren’t they adorable?”

Sans grinned. “yeah, they’re pretty cute. you’re gonna sock him good with ‘em.”

Tori giggled as her paws scrabbled over the knitting, almost too fast for his eyes to follow. Then again, she had a lot of sock-making experience, it was any wonder her bedroom drawer hadn’t been flooded over yet. Although, they tended to show up in strange places; in the freezer, in Asgore’s flower garden, underneath multiple different beds and, once, halfway lodged in Gaster’s back.

“I hope so!” the goat monster continued, setting aside the finished sock next to its match. It was a cute pattern that Asgore was sure to love, despite the number of socks he already had. Deep purple with golden flower patterns on them. “I keep telling him to just throw away the old ones, but he says he likes hanging on to them.”

He grinned wider, because he knew why the other goat monster fervently held onto Tori’s gifts, no matter how many of them he got. And judging by the faint flush on Tori’s face, he had a feeling that she knew as well, at least on a deeper level. 

He thought she was done, but the goat monster suddenly began rummaging through her various colors of wool, pulling out two spools of blue and pink. “two pairs?” he questioned, leaning back on his hands as Tori went about setting her curved needle into place. “heh heh. you’re really putting your feet down on this forgiveness thing, huh?”

Tori giggled again, like he’d been expecting - but she didn’t blush. “No, silly,” she said in mock chastisement, like it should have been obvious. “These are for Frisk!”

...Oh.

It should have been obvious. Blue and pink, like the Human’s favored sweater. Already he could see a striped pattern forming on the sock she was expertly weaving the two colors into - looked like she was making rings of pink at the very top of the sock, with the main body being blue. Or else she was making the whole thing striped. 

Years of practice held the grin on his face, but Tori must have seen something in his expression anyways, because she stopped her furious knitting for just a moment, lowering the needle and wool. “Sans?” she asked gently. “What’s wrong?”

Eh...that was a really...difficult question to answer.

So he didn’t bother. “nothin’, pal,” he said, leaning back on his hands again as he kicked his feet on the blankets a bit. It was the middle of the day, so the other girls were probably either in the yard, or (in Alphys’ case) tweaking Mettaton some more. Tori was usually outside during this time of day, but her sudden zeal for sock making had come back in full force after Asgore’s offer of friendship towards the Human. 

“just thinkin’ about how much things have changed,” he added, just to be safe. “kinda feels like everything got different all at once, ‘ya know?”

Tori nodded, her paws returning to their knitting, albeit at a slower pace. “Yeah,” she agreed, “things were really weird for a while.” She paused, before smiling brightly at him. “I’m just glad I was able to see how much Frisk was hiding, before it was too late.”

That brought him up short. “hiding?”

The goat monster made a little noise of affirmation in her throat, but didn’t seem likely to elaborate as she scowled down at her socks, the pattern apparently not coming out the way she’d envisioned. 

And, despite himself, Sans couldn’t help be curious. The Human had hidden herself away those first couple of days, he remembered. Locked away in her bedroom. Which had been just about the best thing she could have done, for all of their sakes. But...well, it wasn’t like it’d been a secret or anything. They’d all figured out she was avoiding them and hiding herself away.

“uh...don’t think it was any big secret that she was hiding out in her bedroom, tor,” he felt the need to comment. He was clearly missing something here.

Tori blinked, paws pausing in their movements again...before her expression cleared, finally seeming to realize she’d lost him somewhere. “Oh!” she exclaimed, “no no silly. Not hiding like that. I mean hiding like...like on the inside.”

Huh?

His confusion must have been apparent, because the goat monster’s paws slowed even further. “I mean,” she began, and...there was a hesitance in Tori’s voice, a shyness that he wasn’t quite used to hearing. At least, not since the days when she’d first arrived at The Underground. “You know. When people just, kinda...hide themselves away on the inside. So that they don’t get hurt anymore.” Another pause, as Tori glanced at him, then away. “Like...like the way I used to...”

Oh...now Tori was talking about that time too. Sans frowned, and resisted glancing over to the other side of the room, where he had discarded his coat jacket earlier. He really felt the need to push his hands into something right now. 

He didn’t have to resist for long, though. “I saw that Frisk was hiding,” Tori continued, voice even softer than before, “and she...she saw I was hiding too. And I’m...”

The look on Tori’s face, the caring that was shining through it...

“I’m not going to hide anymore.”

It filled him with discomfort.

Sans frowned bemusedly, and slumped onto one of Tori’s pillows, hands arched behind his head. The new position gave him a perfect view of the stark white ceiling as the sound of Tori’s knitting picked up with a newfound confidence, and a quiet resolve.

“NYEEEEH! BROTHER, I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

Sans blinked, tearing his eyes away from his textbook on Applications of Soul Energy to look over towards the familiar sight of Papyrus, sitting cross-legged on his own bed, chewing the eraser end of a pencil as he glowered down at his lap. He recognized the puzzle book his brother was looking at just from what he could glimpse of the cover, a colorful picture of a dog and a cat working on a word problem together. 

What wasn’t familiar, however, was the fact that his little bro was apparently calling to him for help. “hmm? you need some help, buddy?” he asked, surprised yet already setting his textbook aside to slip off his bed. 

Because it was pretty surprising, all things considered. Papyrus was never shy about asking for help when it came to a problem or some sort of trouble...but his brother was pretty meticulous about his puzzles. Oh sure, he really liked working on a puzzle with someone else, said it gave his ‘POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!’ more fuel. But when he wasn’t purposefully working with another person to solve a puzzle, Papyrus tended to prefer solving them on his own. Made finding the solution all that much more fun, better than someone simply telling him the answer. 

And so, Sans was already preparing himself to drop some careful hints on whatever puzzle Papyrus was stuck on, help lead him to find the solutions. Heh. He couldn’t help it - it was always way better to see Papy’s face light up in sudden understanding than simply nodding along as something was boringly explained to him. 

“YES,” Papyrus grumped, as he hefted himself onto the bed to sit next to his brother, “THESE PROBLEMS HAVE STUMPED EVEN I, MASTER PUZZLER PAPYRUS, IN THEIR SUPER HARD AND SUPER PUZZLING...PUZZLES!”

“well, hey, i bet we can puzzle them out together,” he chimed in, nudging at Papyrus with one elbow. His brother sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down as he chuckled, and leaned against Papyrus’ shoulder to take a better peek at the puzzle book.

To his surprise though, he found another book inside of the puzzle book.

A notebook, to be more precise, and it was the notebook Papyrus had apparently been writing on. The visible puzzle page was a Junior Jumble, complete with a picture of a frantic looking block of ice - however, the page was completely bare, unlike several of the other puzzles in the book that held various solutions, comments, and whatever puns he could sneak in whenever Paps wasn’t looking.

The small notebook that was resting on the opposing page, however, was filled to the brim with Papyrus’ scribblings, a direct contrast to the bare puzzle itself. It seemed like he had copied the entirety of the Junior Jumble puzzle onto the notebook and was attempting to finish it from there, instead of just...you know. Circling all the answers in the puzzle book itself. 

“heh. need some help with this junior jumble, bro?” he questioned, even though the answer was obvious.

“YES PLEASE!” Papyrus requested, still glaring down at the uncooperative puzzle - before he suddenly jolted, and turned to glare at him instead. “BUT NO PUNS! I CAN’T CONCENTRATE WHEN YOU THROW YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS AROUND, BROTHER!”

“you got it, paps.”

“I MEAN IT,” his brother continued, before the words actually registered in his mind. “WAIT, REALLY?”

“yup.”

“NYEH HEH HEH - ”

“besides, i’m way too busy to pun around,” he added, and quick as thought, grabbed the small notebook from Papyrus’ hands and promptly sat on it, ignoring his brother’s widening eyes. “i’m already - ”

“SANS NO - ”

“overbooked.”

He had to fend off a puzzle book smacking every which way over his skull as punishment for his shameless misleading, but it was worth it. Sans tried not to chuckle too hard as Papyrus, grumbling all the while, snatched the notebook out from under him and sent him tumbling into the bed sheets.

“YOU ARE THE MOST UNCOOL BROTHER EVER,” his younger brother complained, as he pushed himself back up to a sitting position. Papyrus only groaned again as he grinned and shot his brother a finger gun, reopening the notebook to its previously scribbled on page. “I HAVE TO GET THESE PUZZLES TO FRISK BEFORE YOU COMPLETELY CORRUPT HER WITH YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES!”

That brought him up short...and also suddenly explained what was going on.

“you...copyin’ this for her?” he questioned, leaning back over Papyrus’ shoulder. 

And the inquiry was enough to make Paps apparently forget about his uncool brother, because he brightened up. “NOT QUITE, BROTHER!” he exclaimed, forcibly tapping his pencil against the notebook. “I’M TAKING THIS PUZZLE BOOK TO FRISK, SO THAT SHE MAY EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF A GOOD JUNIOR JUMBLE.” 

Paps paused again however, excited expression once again falling into a glower down towards the notebook. “BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAN SOLVE THIS PUZZLE, IN CASE SHE NEEDS SOME HELP,” he explained. “THAT WAY WE MAY HAVE CONTINUED AND UNINTERRUPTED AMOUNTS OF FUN TOGETHER!”

“...heh,” he chuckled, lightly, but frowned down at the notebook alongside Papyrus. “you guys have really...hit it off, huh.”

“NYEH!” Papyrus affirmed, and to his great surprise, his brother threw the puzzle book and notebook off to one side, rising up to his knees on the bed. “THAT IS THE MOST SIMPLEST OF TRUTHS! DESPITE YOUR TERRIBLE INFLUENCE, FRISK IS STILL A VERY COOL NEW FRIEND! I’M SO GLAD SHE IS A GOOD HUMAN, NYEH HEH HEH!” the skeleton finished, bouncing on the bed a little, as if he was literally so filled with excitement at the thought of hanging out with the Human that he couldn’t keep still.

Sans bounced up and down with the bedding as well, but he couldn’t find nearly enough reason to feel as excited as his bro. Because as cool as Papyrus was, his little brother just...

Too nice, and too naive.

And too...

“how do you know?”

Papyrus stopped his bouncing abruptly as he swiveled his head around to face him, a confused look on his face. “HMM?”

“the...human,” he clarified, despite himself, because his brother was just too nice and too naive and too good to understand how terrible some people could really be. “how do you know she’s good?”

Another pause, like Papyrus felt he was being purposefully thick as he slapped his hands down onto his hips. “WELL, OBVIOUSLY SANS - ”

The look on Paps’ face, the utter confidence that was shining through it...

“SHE’S GOOD BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO BE GOOD!”

It filled him with worry.

Sans could only stare, though, as Papyrus smiled and held a hand to his chest for a while longer, before breaking away from the posing to leap down off the bed, sweeping up the puzzle book as he ran cackling from the room. It took a moment or two before he found he could also climb down, pause...and pick up the discarded notebook. 

The scribbles, solutions to the Junior Jumble and more, spanned all over the page. Sans stared at them for a while longer, before carefully closing the notebook and placing it on his brother’s pillow, trying very hard not to think about the messily doodled sketches of Papyrus’ and the Human’s head surrounded by a heart, and a giant question mark splitting it straight down the middle.

It was kind of strange to find Undyne alone without anyone else nearby. The fish monster was the type that always liked to involve herself in others’ business, and hang out in a group rather than by herself. In fact, the only times Undyne was ever usually alone was when she was doing something she knew would get her into trouble with Gaster, and she didn’t want any witnesses to her crime.

And even then, she usually got someone else to join in, sometimes without them even knowing it.

“heya pal. whatcha doin’?”

“Bone buddy!” Undyne exclaimed loudly and happily, which immediately ruled out any mischief making that she wanted to hide. Of course, the exclamation set her progress back some as the Froggits all leapt upwards, before scurrying deeper into the bush, causing the fish monster to scowl and lay down flat on the dirt, peering underneath the fringes. “Hey, get back here!”

“heh. they’re probably pretty bushed from this morning,” Sans chuckled, remembering the singing practice they’d had with Tori earlier. She liked to run a little Froggit choir from time to time, and sometimes, put on a little performance for everyone in The Underground. 

“Well that’s too bad!” the red-haired monster said aggressively, reaching her arms underneath the bush as far as she could. “Help me get one, will ‘ya? I just need to borrow - ” The rest of her sentence trailed off as, with one great heave of her feet, Undyne’s entire upper body disappeared into the bush. 

And made no further move to leaf.

...Welp.

Sans stuck his head into the bush as well, angled so he could see Undyne’s face, and the Froggits. They were thoroughly freaking out now, tripping over each other to try and get away but unwilling to leave the security of the bush.

“i don’t think tori’ll like you messin’ with her froggits,” he commented, though he didn’t really try and dissuade Undyne as the girl flapped her arms this way and that, as if the wild flailing might coax Froggits to simply jump into her arms. Although, one of the Froggits was less freaked out than the others, and was simply sitting near the far end of the bush with a faint blush on its features. Apparently Undyne had tried the complimenting method to get them to come out...probably for about two seconds, before losing her patience and just diving in head first, pfft. 

“I’m just gonna borrow one, dum-dum,” Undyne stressed, as if to emphasize the important of ‘messing with’ and ‘borrowing.’ “Just for a little bit! So I can show Frisk, then I’ll put it right back!”

Sans frowned, one eyebrow raising. “show her what?”

And just like that, Undyne’s eyes lit up. “Show her how to FIGHT, duh!” she exclaimed. “She’s a real big dork who doesn’t like to FIGHT, but Asgore said she was FIGHTing him, before.” And here, the fish monster’s expression fell slightly. 

“And the way he said she was FIGHTing, was...”

His Soul shuddered.

“Super lame!”

“uh - ” Who-kay, he hadn’t been expecting that. “whaddya mean?”

Undyne’s face took a decidedly irritated turn, almost offended in nature. “I mean that the way she FIGHTs is totally lame! He said it was like...like she was FIGHTing with a twig or something!” Blue arms waved all over the place to express the fish monster’s displeasure. “No lasers! No flower swords! No giant robots! She didn’t even transform, Sans!”

...Alphys was really gonna have to break it to Undyne, sooner or later. But he still wasn’t seeing the point Undyne was trying to make. “so what’s that gotta do with Froggits?”

The reminder of the Froggits seemed to snap Undyne out of her Human FIGHTing rage, eyes widening before she made another wild grab for the closest bunch of them, sending them all scrabbling for cover again. “I’m gonna show her how Froggits FIGHT!” she declared, “so that I can start training her like a Froggit!”

Y...up. That made total sense. Sans tried not to snicker at the image of the Human hopping around on all fours and crawling underneath bushes. 

“you’re gonna help her fight like a froggit?” he asked, because that sounded like the complete opposite of Undyne. It was either all or nothing with Undyne - if she wanted to train the Human to FIGHT, why not use a better, stronger example? “why not a magic knight, or a...tsunderplane, or something?”

“Because she doesn’t like to FIGHT, duh,” she answered, like it should’ve been the most obvious thing in the world. “But she’s gotta start somewhere if she wants to fit in better with monsters, so...she can start off like a Froggit!” Undyne finished, clearly proud of her plan.

Which just, sounded...weird. Undyne, compromising?

“alright, what’s happened to ‘ya, pal,” he questioned laughingly, but...kinda series. Because Undyne, compromising? If someone didn’t want to FIGHT, why was she even wasting time with ‘em? It was all or nothing with the fish monster, why was she bothering? “because, to be honest with ‘ya, this whole thing sounds kinda fishy to me.”

“Ugh, you wouldn’t get it, Sans,” Undyne groaned, clearly not appreciating that classic pun as much as he did. “It’s totes not fishy! Because me and Frisk are gonna figure out how to both get what we want, capishe?”

Well, that took kinda a weird turn. “huh?”

Undyne rolled her eyes. “Look, it’s super simple, got it?” The fierceness in her eyes faded slightly, leaving something softer and...and yet at the same time, harder, in her features. “That’s what Frisk figured out. When you don’t get what you want - ”

The look on Undyne’s face, the fierce loyalty that was shining through it...

“You gotta compromise!”

It filled him with confusion.

“And I,” Undyne grunted, her fingers wriggling as she watched the Froggits hopping back and forth, “am gonna get to see a human FIGHT - gotcha!” The Froggit squealed anxiously as Undyne grabbed it, and pulled herself out the bush.

For his part, Sans stared at the blushing Froggit on the other side of the bush as Undyne ran back inside the house, listening to the birds chirping overhead, and the sound of Toriel’s furious footsteps running after the fish monster’s trail. 

“O-oh! Are t-those the c-calculations?”

“yup,” Sans said as he strolled into the playroom, waving around the sheets of papers with one hand. “it all looked good to me, pal - just like the last fifty times you asked me to double check your math.” He winked at the lizard monster, shooting her a finger gun with his free hand. “all those times really add up. you should have more confidence in yourself.”

Alphys flushed, wringing her claws for a moment, but she couldn’t stop herself from happily accepting the stack of papers. “I k-know,” she said, flipping through them, “but I j-just can’t help it! I havta m-make sure Mettaton’s n-n-new body is p-perfect.”

“heh, that’s acute of ‘ya,” he commented, and the lizard monster turned a darker shade of red than he actually thought possible on her yellow skin. 

“A-a-anyways,” she said hurriedly, “thanks for c-checking my math.” Alphys’s claws stopped their movement through the papers, though, and she glanced up at him from under her large rounded glasses. “U-um...i-if you wanna...h-help me?...”

Heh. After more than a year of living together, she still thought she was bothering him whenever she asked for help on one of her projects? 

“buddy, you know i’m always in the mood to lend a hand,” he teased, clapping for the lizard monster as he plopped down beside her, and Alphys spluttered into the papers as she temporarily covered up her face.

Sans let her take the time to get herself together, instead studying Mettaton’s deactivated body in-between them. The large box that made up his old body was off to the side, but now it was connected by some wires and cables to a much less cubical shape. It looked like whatever new body she was making, Mettaton would be able to simply switch between the box on wheels and...whatever this was. 

He wasn’t sure. The overall shape mostly just looked like legs - like really, there was a lot of details on the legs - which didn’t bring to mind any monster Sans could think of. Maybe she just wasn’t finished with the design yet? 

That, or she was taking a whole lot of time on the design. Which should’ve been the easy part, really - the hard part usually came with the programming and installation, getting this new body to seamlessly meld with the old body. At least, that’s what he’d always understood from Alphys’ other projects. Engineering and robotics weren’t really his thing. 

“he’s really workin’ ‘ya down to the bone, huh,” he questioned rhetorically, automatically handing Alphys a screwdriver as her hand absently flailed around at her side. He knew that Mettaton had, once he’d become active, repeatedly asked for a different body, but Alphys seemed to be really working herself into overdrive to get it exactly to specifications. 

“O-oh, uh...” Alphys stammered, the blush once again rising to her face as she studiously avoided his eyes. “I may have...m-maybe, made some e-extra modifications...” She glanced up at him, squeaked at his deadpanned stare, and hurriedly busied herself with Mettaton’s new legs. 

And, like. He couldn’t just let that go.

“extra modifications,” he drawled slowly, like he actually had to think about it, even though the embarrassment in Alphys’ voice had finally clued him in to the overall design she as going for. “i bet they’re going to be...anime-mazing.”

Heh. Alphys jumped, as if surprised he’d guessed it, and the flush dialed up to supersonic. “I-I-I wasn’t g-going to!” she gasped, clutching a claw to her face as if trying to cool it down, and only flushed harder as he chuckled disbelievingly. “I t-thought about m-maybe making him l-l-look like a goat or k-knight monster, I s-swear! B-But he was so impressed with F-Frisk that he asked for a h-human body!”

Wait, what? 

“mettaton did?” he asked, surprised, because Mettaton was...just about as conceited as a robot could get. Don’t get him wrong, Mettaton was a cool enough guy, and he was pretty entertaining too - but the personality that he’d displayed had been completely about him, himself, and he. It seemed strange that the robot had been so taken with someone other than himself, that he’d actually requested to be modeled similarly to them.

“Y-yeah,” Alphys confirmed, bending down slightly to finagle a particularly tricky bit of wiring. “He r-really liked her. And even though he lost t-their FIGHT, he said later that...t-that she was really b-beautiful, and he wanted a b-body like hers.”

Yeah, because the Human definitely walked around on heels that could probably pierce the wooden floorboards just by stepping too harshly on ‘em. 

“...welp,” he muttered, spreading himself out to stretch out on the floor, pillowing his head in his arms, “so long as it makes ‘ya happy, pal.” He tilt his head to grin at the blushing monster. “bet you’re gonna be a real hero to a certain robot once this body’s all ready to go.”

He expected Alphys to blush again, or cover up her face; because if there was one thing Alphys really loved, it was praise for her projects, and the realization that someone really admired her for her work and her passions. 

But to his (even greater) surprise, Alphys did neither of those things. Instead, her face took on a suddenly shimmering look. Still bashful, like she couldn’t quite believe whatever it was she was thinking, but...certain. Sure. Completely unlike the monster that second-guessed herself all the time. 

“M-maybe,” she conceded modestly, but still missing that hesitance that usually came with her declarations of what might or might not end up happening, “but e-even if he doesn’t, it’s o-okay! B-because of Frisk.” 

He blinked warily, not sure why he was surprised that the conversation had, inevitably, come back to the Human. “whaddya mean?”

Alphys pulled back from Mettaton’s chest cavity, and he tilt his head further to study the monster as she smiled happily. “Well, because...u-um...because I’m - ! ” 

The look on Alphys’ face, the admiration that was shining through it...

“I’m already a heroine!”

It filled him with exasperation.

He felt like maybe he should get up and offer some more help aside from just handing her stuff, but he didn’t. Instead, Sans watched as Alphys returned to Mettaton, humming happily under her breath and ignoring the papers scattered, and abandoned, on the floor.

Asgore rarely, if ever, actually picked his golden flowers, instead preferring to let them grow and grow until they literally had no more room to grow. And sure, every once in a while, he’d harvest a patch to make into golden flower tea, or he’d pick a single flower to shakily hand over to Tori, but that was just about it.

Which is why Sans was surprised to find Asgore sitting in the middle of his garden in the evening, with several uprooted golden flowers surrounding him. 

“woah, buddy - ” he said, carefully, not really sure how to handle this. The goat monster was...super sensitive about his flowers, he took way good care of them. Not even Undyne just went and carelessly ripped up a bunch of them for her own personal amusement, they all loved Asgore too much to do something like that. 

...Was it...did the Human not realize that she couldn’t - 

“Oh! Howdy, Sans.”

Sans blinked, taken aback at the cheerful greeting, and Asgore faltered, head tilting confusedly. 

Not sadly or mournfully, or anything like that. No, he just looked happy and confused. 

“what are - ” he started, then stopped, completely at a loss. A bunch of Asgore’s flowers had been ripped up from the garden, and the goat in question was carefully cradling them in his paws a few at a time, and seemed none the worse for wear. Asgore had to hide his sniffles if someone even accidentally stepped on a flower in the middle of a game of tag. “what happened?”

“Hmm?” the goat monster said, blinking - but then Asgore followed his gaze down to his lap, which held the majority of the golden flowers, and the confusion cleared. “Oh!” he bleated, and his twitch had some of the flowers falling off of their perch. 

And that had Asgore hastily grabbing at the ones that’d been displaced, and Sans finally stepped forward, magically nabbing a few wayward ones before they could float off in the breeze. “T-thanks, Sans.”

“no prob,” he said, finding it safe to carefully sit down in the dirt next to Asgore, looking around at the myriad of flowers. There were at least thirty of them, maybe more, splaid across Asgore’s lap and on the dirt. “so uh, i hate to bud in, here, but - whatta ‘ya doing?”

“Hmm?” Asgore said, for the second time, very intent on the flowers in his paws. Which, Sans abruptly realized, were being formed into some kind of circle or something. “I’m making some flower crowns,” The goat monster chuckled as he picked up another flower, carefully threading its stem through his half-completed crown. “No new flowers were blooming here anyways, so I thought, well...I could use some of them. Since Gaster’s still using the others ones for the tunnel.”

Oooh. 

Well that explained a whole lot, then. 

Heh. It kinda felt like he needed to mark this occasion. Asgore, willingly uprooting his flowers just to play around with them? It happened once in a blue moon.

...Except wait, what?

“the tunnel?”

“Yeah,” Asgore said, still focused on his flower crown...before he suddenly froze, blinking rapidly up at him. “W-wait, I mean - nothing, no tunnel! Oh man,” the goat monster moaned, holding his face in one paw. “He asked me not to say anything...”

...Huh. The old man was doing something down in the tunnel? With some of...Asgore’s flowers? Weird.

It was obviously something the goat monster hadn’t meant to reveal however, so Sans just shrugged and grinned at the other boy, as Asgore sighed gratefully and returned to his little project. 

“heh heh, i gotcha,” he said, picking up two flowers. He knew how to make flower crowns - sorta - but now that he knew what Asgore was up to, he couldn’t help but press the subject. “need some help, buddy? ‘cause, to be honest, i think you need some instructions, here.”

“Huh?” Asgore paused in his flower crown making to look up at him, confusion on his face, “what’re you - ”

Sans shrugged. “i’m just sayin’. i think you could use a...” He paused, holding the two flowers in his grasp up to his face as he grinned at the other monster.

“...tu-toriel.”

The effect was instantaneous. Asgore made some sort of distressed goat noise and his face immediately reddened up. “W-what’s that even - shut up bonebag - ” Sans did no such thing, only chuckled harder at the obvious embarrassment on the goat’s face as Asgore growled. “You’re the worst. I’m not even - they’re not even for Tori, they’re for Frisk you bone head - ”

Oh - yeah, okay. That shut him up.

“huh?” he said smartly, but okay, sue him, he hadn’t been expecting that. “the human?” If there was anything Asgore tore up his precious flowers for, it was golden tea, and Toriel. And maybe one more for a super extra special occasion, like a flower-mushroom hybrid experiment. 

That was it. And while some of the monsters might’ve thought that Asgore’s obsession with his flowers peaked to an almost scary degree, he knew (had figured it out on his own, actually) that the golden flowers meant something special to Asgore and Tori. That they stood for something the two goat monsters had lost, and...welp.

Holding onto a loss from the past wasn’t...anything he could really fault another monster, over. 

Asgore still looked irritated at the teasing, but at least his cheek color had died down from an intense red, to a little red glow. “Yeah, Frisk,” he said, paws returning to their careful construction of the flower crown. “She’s never made a flower crown before.” Here, Asgore paused to chuckle, shaking his head. “Weird, right? So I’m gonna give her one, then show her how to make ‘em!”

Sans grinned over at the goat monster, but privately, he couldn’t help but wonder. Was this some kind of super, over-kill attempt to patch things up with the Human? Even if she didn’t understand what these flowers meant to Asgore, all the other kids did. Was he trying to...to overcompensate or something?

“...heh. yeah, pretty weird,” he finally said, knocking his feet together lightly as they sat in the dirt for a while, the slowly darkening sky indicating the sun’s position moving lower and lower under the horizon. “can’t believe she wanted to be friends with you so quickly.”

...Oops.

Immediately, Sans winched, because he hadn’t meant to make it sound like that. As if he felt that the Human shouldn’t have forgiven Asgore, or that Asgore didn’t deserve to be friends with the Human for his apparent mistake. 

And the goat monster froze. “no no, i didn’t mean it like that - ” he tried, because he really hadn’t, but then -

“I know, Sans,” Asgore sighed, and wow, he felt like the biggest jerk in the whole history of everything, right now. But then, to his surprise, instead of ducking his head or sniffling or tearing up, Asgore...

Sat up straight, and continued with his flower crown making.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re not right,” the goat monster said, matter-o-factually, staring down at the crown that was forming in his paws. “Even I know I did something bad, and I thought that...there was no point in trying to do any better.”

This was getting a little...sensitive, now. He almost felt like he was listening into a conversation that wasn’t meant for his ears. 

“But I know better, now,” Asgore suddenly continued, turning towards him. His eyes, normally so mild and uncertain and meek, were steady and strong as they looked at each other. “I know that, sometimes, you can make a bad mistake. But even if you do something really, really bad...it doesn’t mean...”

The look on Asgore’s face, the gratefulness shining through it...

“It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to try again.”

It filled him with anger.

But Asgore didn’t deserve his anger, or anyone else’s. So Sans kept it to himself as he stuffed his shaking hands into his coat pockets, listening to the soft sound of flower petals shifting against each other as the last vestiges of light faded from the sky, and Gaster called them inside. 

Hiding the pain.

Wishing to be good. 

Working for a better ending.

Believing in the hero.

Failing...and trying again.

...

Gaster had probably been waiting to reveal the corridor as a great big surprise, but, welp.

What could he say? He was impatient. 

And he was kinda glad he’d gone down to the basement anyways, after Asgore’s little slip up. Because although he missed being able to look upwards and imagine the barely twinkling crystals as stars in the ceiling, the golden light from the walls felt warm, and caring, and...and it was a little difficult to describe. 

He couldn’t describe it. He just liked it. 

Liked that he felt like he was standing in an endless corridor filled to the brim with golden light as far as he could see - he wondered if it even extended beyond the underground shelter, or if this was something just for their side of the house. And with the stylized alcoves almost making him believe he could look out a window and be met with nothing but blinding light...welp. It was a pretty cool effect. 

In fact...he’d come to check out the tunnel three different times in the past couple of days, and no one had come to bother him. Probably because Asgore had been careful enough not to let Gaster’s project slip up to anyone else, because, honestly? If the other kids knew about this, they would have come stampeding down here to take it all in, never mind what kind of fit Gaster threw. 

He’d never tried staying down here for too long - Papyrus tended to come looking for him if he disappeared from the most active areas of the house for any time of frame longer than thirty minutes, to wake him up from the presumed nap he’d taken. And...and maybe he was being selfish, but he kinda wanted...this place to himself. 

Just for a bit. Just for a little. Because as he casually stood in the middle of the corridor, hands resting loosely in his pockets as he faced the basement door standing a good twenty feet in front of him, he -

He needed to think.

And he needed to wait.

Hiding.

Wishing.

Working.

Believing.

Failing.

Heh heh...

She really was...

Just like him, wasn’t she. 

And...welp.

He supposed it was his turn, to decide. 

The door in front of him slowly creaked open. 

She stepped through the doorway, and for a moment, it was almost impossible to make out her features, her expression, as the golden light outlined every single perfection and flaw that he couldn’t even know he recognized. 

But then everything adjusted, and she got closer, taking small, but purposeful steps towards him. Her feet echoed in the tunnel, ricocheting off the stone walls, made it feel more like she was approaching him down a gilded corridor, windows and pillars on either side of him. If they were real windows, he thought that maybe, there would be some birds singing outside of them. Flowers blooming along the sills. 

Kids burning where they belonged. 

“heya.”

She paused about five feet away from him. He glanced down - the note he’d left poking out from under her pillow was clutched in her hand, and he ignored the way her hand made the note tremble slightly, the faintest rustling imaginable. 

“you’ve been busy, huh?” he commented, grinning at the Human, and still she said nothing. What was there to say? She knew why he’d called her down here - away from Gaster, away from the other kids. She knew what she was in for.

And she had still come. Took a lotta guts. 

“makin’ friends left and right, up and down...” Sans shrugged, grin widening on his features. “gotta hand it to ‘ya - you really know how to make people love you.”

Silence. The Human, he’d come to note, could talk when she wanted to. And that was about it. If she had something to say, she said it with as many words as she very well wanted to. But if there was nothing to say, she didn’t waste words on saying them.

What was there to say.

“say.”

She tensed.

“do you think even the worst person can change?” He closed his eyes, felt his Soul shudder inside his chest again. “that they can become a better person if they just try?” He chuckled lightly, shoulders shaking with the movement, as he opened up his eyes again. 

“because, buddy?...”

The Human -

- clenched her fists.

“i’ve run outta options, here.”

Because even he didn’t know the answer to that...and more importantly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. It felt like it’d been so long...so, long, that he’d lived like this. Holding onto his one HoPe for a better tomorrow. 

He wasn’t sure if he could change.

And he wasn’t sure if it was fair to lay it all on the Human, when she was going to be what she was going to be, and he was the one that had to decide. It probably wasn’t fair that he demand that she do whatever it was she’d done to make all the other kids, to make Dad, fall in love her...to make it work on him. 

So he could stop hiding.

So he could start wishing.

So he could keep working.

So he could go on believing.

So he could fail...and pick himself back up.

Heh heh...maybe he really had gone crazy a long time ago. Maybe he was giving Chara the chance, right here and now, to end things, once and for all. Maybe this was the moment where he made his biggest mistake, and left a demon in The Underground to hunt down and destroy everything he had ever loved and held close to his Soul.

But he was out of options. He had nothing left to fall back on. 

“no more pretending,” he said, and ignored the way she jolted, her own words thrown back in her face. “right? well, then...” He raised his left hand, palm up, fingers outstretched, and slowly raised his own head upwards, meeting the Human’s gaze dead on.

And grinned.

“let’s feel it.”

He reached out, curled his fingers into a fist, and pulled.

And -

It glowed in front of him, completely dominating the grey space of the encounter. Pulsing bright, vivid red, washing out the once brilliantly golden walls and setting a crimson haze in the corridor. It was only one small, heart-shaped Soul, but he knew, he knew, that it had the power to wash over everything as easily as it had taken over the encounter space. 

This is what the others had all seen - a vivid and uncompromising red soul of DETERMINATION.

Heh heh...

It was disgusting. 

Because Chara’s Soul had been just as red, just as determined, and just as uncompromising. It had taken over everything in his life - everything - and now, this Soul in front of him was doing the same. 

Hilarious...right?

What would she do first? He had pulled her into an encounter, she was awarded the first TURN, and Sans waited, hands still idly sitting in his pockets, as she studied him. SPARE him? Probably. Try to FLEE? Maybe. 

FIGHT?

She did none of those things. Instead she -

She froze, closed-eyed stare widening as she backed up a step. 

“heh heh. whassamatter pal?” he asked, shrugging as she got finished CHECKing him. Heh...where’d she even learn to do that? CHECKing was a basic monster skill, but not something humans really knew how to do instinctively, even inside of an encounter. You had to know monsters to be able to see their stats. “hope you’re not giving up already.”

For the first time since she’d come down here, the Human spoke. “You’re...your stats are - ”

He nodded. “ones across the board,” he answered, talking freely across her TURN. “what can i say? i’m one of a kind.”

She didn’t smile, and her TURN ended. 

And, welp.

Guess that made it his TURN. He grinned, and tried to ignore the way his Soul trembled as his eye lit up and her face fell, and he thrust his arm outward as his magic gripped her Soul and grounded it to the earth.

She was pretty good. She almost looked like she was dancing as she jumped and hopped and wiggled, avoiding the array of bones that he expressed directly towards her. They nicked at her heels, her arms, her back, and each time she winced, but she kept on her feet as the barrage ended. 

13 / 20

“well?” he cajoled, spreading out his arms as her TURN came back around to her. “don’t worry about SPAREing me, kid. because, well.” Sans closed his eyes for a brief moment. “i’m not lettin’ you go.”

And she knew it, too. He could see it on her expression - she knew he was serious, that she could SPARE him as many times as she wanted, and he wouldn’t release the encounter. He was...he was risking it all, here. But he’d run out of options.

He would feel her intent, and...and maybe, if he survived the encounter, he could change into a better person. 

SPARE

Heh heh...determined, huh.

“nice try, buddy,” he commended, shooting his hand forward. And his Soul trembled again, as she flew backwards a few steps, his expressions catching onto her sides and scraping at the bottom of her feet.

7 / 20

Surely she’d FLEE now. The option was still there. From everything he’d heard, everything he’d seen, the Human avoiding FIGHTing at all costs. And somehow, somewhere along the way, she made monsters fall in love with her, so that they gave up their pain and their regrets, their sorrows and their grief, to make room for love instead. 

Somehow, he could be happy too. If he could just figure it out. 

Except -

CHECK

“...hey, buddy,” he said, bemused, because she...did know that CHECKing twice didn’t actually progress anything, right? CHECKing was for one’s own benefit, it didn’t contribute to an encounter in any way, shape, or form. “you already tried that one, remember?”

She said nothing, and the encounter phase passed onto his TURN again. And again, he felt his eye flare up as he moved her body to the right, pinning her to the pillar as bones expressed themselves upwards, and the disappearance of his magic from her Soul gave her just enough time to dodge away. 

Too slow.

5 / 20

She wasn’t...

She wasn’t going to do anything. She wasn’t...going to do, anything.

He needed to stop.

This was going too far. She wasn’t going to show him intent. She wasn’t going to do anything, and he had to stop before he took things further than he’d ever intended to go. 

3 / 20

He never meant for this to happen. He didn’t want it to happen, he’d only wanted the happiness that everyone else had, he’d only wanted to feel safe in his own home surrounded by his own friends. He had to stop expressing intent, he had to stop hurting her, he had to stop grinning - 

2 / 20

- because he wanted to get rid of the threat, he wanted to feel safe and happy and hopeful again, and maybe that was the joke of it, because it had never been the Human who’d been just like him.

He had always been just like Chara.

1 / 20

He’d spent all this time fighting the mark she’d left on his Soul, all this time fighting against the monster that had terrorized him every single day - lashing out, to prevent herself from getting hurt first. Maybe that was the real joke, that all this time, Chara had been just as angry and hopeless and helpless as he had been, had taken it all out on him.

And he was taking it all out on her. Playing on repeat.

All this time fighting...and Chara had won a long, long time ago. 

“kid - “

0 / 20

It snapped in half. 

His hand was still outstretched towards her, the last remnants of magical blue light dying down on his fingers. The muted color of the corridor muffled everything else, pressed down on everything, even the laughter he could feel building inside of him, and outside of him, as her body lay unmoving against the stone floor. 

All this time fighting her...and he had turned out to be the demon, all along.

Heh heh heh...

Hilarious.

And it was so hilarious, that he couldn’t even register the grey walls and grey light, and the broken Soul in front of him, none of them disappearing and washing back into reality. Nothing moved. 

Except for the Soul, as it trembled, pulsed. Barely connected, he realized, by the thinnest strand of red that had kept it from completely and fully breaking in half.  

And it -

- snapped back together. 

His grin was frozen, his eyes, frozen, his hand still outstretched. Frozen. Everything was frozen except for the red Soul in front of him as it hovered, and glowed, and the Human beneath it...

Slowly rose her head. 

Then her arms.

Then her legs.

Then her entire body, picking herself up from the floor. She took a breath, just one, long, inhale...before she looked in straight in the eye. 

And neither of them even flinched as the door behind her flew open, and a large shadow filled up the space and forcibly ended the encounter. He hardly even registered the return of golden light, of color and sound.

Of Gaster, staring down at him with an expression that would have made him shiver at any other time. 

But it didn’t, because his vision was filled with her expression instead.

Because the look on her face...

It filled him with...

Resignation. 

...Welp.

He can’t say he wasn’t expecting it. To be honest, he was...probably getting off pretty easy. At least for now.

Because Gaster had been...furious, when he’d come barging into the tunnel. Black goop dripping from every single discernible feature on his face, like an oil painting seconds away from slipping out all over the flooring. 

In fact, Sans was certain that being grounded had been the least of Gaster’s available punishments, once the skeleton had figured out exactly what he’d been doing to the Human. But apparently...whatever look he’d had on his own face had been enough to stall the old man, make him pause long enough to CHECK him -

- and just...send him to his room. 

For now.

Heh...funny. Gaster wouldn’t even need to think of a more fitting punishment. Sans knew he was already in for a bad time. 

Even now, he could hear some of the whispering from outside the door. He could hear the other kids talking, whispering amongst themselves. And he knew that...

It was over. 

They’d have realized it now. That he’d been tricking them all into thinking he liked the Human. Had used their love for her to keep watch. Had never wanted to be her friend in the first place, nor in the last place, and that he had...

He had been the real demon, all along. 

Gaster wouldn’t kick him out. He knew that. He wouldn’t have to. 

He would leave on his own. Soon. Just as soon as he could grab a few bottles of ketchup, a few shirts. Just a few things, things the other kids wouldn’t miss. 

Because it was over. He was the worst, and now all the other kids knew it too. He was the worst kind of monster, the kind that lied and pretended and smiled when he was really a demon, and Paps...his brother, the coolest skeleton who understood the value of friendship and love for others -

Paps would never want to look at his face, ever again. 

...Heh. Yeah. He would rather leave, then see the same disappointment and anger and hurt on his brother’s face. Caused by him, once again. He would take himself out of the picture before that could happen, before he could hurt his brother anymore. He’d find a nice quiet spot.

And he would lay down, and...

...

And not react at all, as the door slowly creaked open. Because, honestly?

He just...didn’t care anymore.

“Sans?”

...

Heh...

“what’re you doin’ here,” he meant to ask, but his tone came out flat and deadpanned. A statement, not a question. He didn’t even bother turning around to look at her, simply lay on his bed staring at the wall, stretched on his side with the hood of his coat pulled down over his face. 

Maybe he should’ve pretended he was asleep or something. Heh. He’d already pretended enough to face the consequences in this life, what was a little more pretending?

Though it ended up not mattering anyways, as he felt the bed dip downwards, and the Human climb up. 

Which...c’mon. Couldn’t even let him have this one, solitary space to himself. 

The silence stretched on for a while, and he couldn’t hear the sounds of the others outside the door. What was she even doing? What was she trying to prove to the other kids? That she was a big girl who wasn’t afraid of the Big Bad Monster who’d ripped out her Soul and...a-and ki -

“Sans.”

...She wasn’t going to go away. He grinned, and rolled over. 

There she was, sitting on her knees directly behind him.

He couldn’t even summon the energy to push himself upwards. Why bother? Gaster was going to come running in at any moment and pry the Human away, carry her off to safety. Away from him. He just wished the old man would hurry it up.

“what is it, kid,” he murmured, staring up at her face. Just tell me what you need to tell me, and go. 

And she did.

“I’m sorry.”

Oh...come, on. She was going to be playing the guilty game, huh. Be the martyr that blamed herself for everything. 

Or maybe...she wouldn’t be playing. Maybe that had been the secret the whole time, the key to everything. 

“I wish I could help,” she said, and he continued to stare up at her as she ground her fists into her knees, head bowed. “I wish I knew...what I could do, or say. How to act.” The Human shook her head slightly, head bowing even further. “I wish I...I wish I could make everything okay.”

Yeah...so did he.

“But...”

It didn’t matter.

“I think maybe...”

It was...

“This time...”

h o p e l e s s

...

“I shouldn't do anything at all.”

...What?

It wasn’t what he was expecting. Just like everything else about the Human had turned out to be the opposite of what he’d expected. He peered up at her, turning around more fully as she suddenly raised a hand to cup her mouth...and -

“Skree!”

What...the...

The door rattled.

Before it suddenly burst open, and Gaster came tumbling down first.

Followed by Tori as she landed on her rump, managing to catch Alphys in her paws as Papyrus performed a pretty cool somersault down Gaster’s back before face-planting into the carpet, and Asgore slid to a stop with his feet sticking directly into the air, and Undyne managed to leap and skip her way across the entire lot of them - before finally loosing her balance and landing on the carpet with an “umph!”

And he could only stare, as Gaster raised his head off the carpet and shook it lightly, before the lights focused in on him and widened. “Sans, I - ”

“SANS!” Papyrus cried, shoving Gaster’s head back into the carpet as he scrambled to his feet, “ARE YOU OKAY?”

He...what?...

“wuh,” he managed to get out, instinctively moving to a sitting position as the pile of monsters on the floor thinned out, the other kids moving towards the bed. Undyne reached it first (of course), and leapt onto it with one resounding hop, making both him and the Human have to pinwheel for balance at the sudden movement.

“Hey, move over, will ‘ya?” the fish monster demanded, hands on her hip as she stood on the bed like a queen overseeing an entire kingdom. “No hogging all the pillows!””

“U-uhm, if you d-don’t mind, S-Sans,” Alphys said bashfully, claws wringing together, “we don’t w-wanna - eep!”

“Guys, don’t crowd him,” Tori chided, as Papyrus threw Alphys onto the bed, Undyne barely managing to catch the lizard monster before she hit the wall. The goat herself clambered up and begin to do exactly what she’d said not to do, squeezing in behind the Human, and holding out a paw for Asgore. 

“Maybe we should move somewhere else?” the other goat monster suggested, but then he stalled as he was pulled directly next to Toriel, the narrow space making their cheeks squish together a bit and pushing the Human closer towards him. “I-I mean...maybe not? Erk - ”

“Yes,” Gaster chimed in, and they all looked up as he loomed over them like a particularly mischievous looking shadow, “I believe there is no...bedder place than this.”

“DAD!” Papyrus moaned, as Gaster somehow managed to maneuver around every single one of them, ending up with his back to the wall and his crossed legs taking up so much space, that Tori and Alphys just scoot onto them, so the others wouldn’t be pushed off the side of the bed. “PLEASE! THIS IS SERIOUS.”

“This is?” the other skeleton said with fake surprise. “But I thought you were serious.”

“I AM!”

“Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Serious.”

“NYEEEH!”

“Hee hee, get it? His name is serious.”

“Tori, he uses that one with everything - ”

“You guys totes need some japes, all these puns are super dumb!”

“I t-t-thought it was s-sorta funny - ”

“uh.”

Their bickering stopped, all of them at once turning to look at him, seemingly realizing that he was...well. There. And right in front of his face, the Human looked back at him. 

“i don’t - ” he tried, but he couldn’t say it, couldn’t get the words out. Couldn’t get his hopes up. Because if he did and he was wrong he would...a-and it made no sense, none whatsoever, why were they all here with him, around him. 

Touching him and smiling at him and laughing around him and -

“i don’t, understand...”

And that was...the cue.

“SANS!” Papyrus cried out again, and to his horror, there was a tear dripping from the corner of one of his brother’s eye. He couldn’t even find it in himself to do anything but stare, as his brother assaulted his side, wrapping himself around his left arm. “SANS, I’M SO SORRY!”

Paps? Paps was sorry...but...why?

“Me too,” Toriel said, no longer smiling, but looking sadly at him, paws held against her chest. “I knew you were hiding behind that smile, but I was...I was so focused on myself that I just didn’t care. Just l-like - ”

“I-it’s not your fault, Tori,” Asgore cut in, and although his face was red, he managed to clasp a shaking paw against one of Tori’s shoulders, before turning to look at him. “I was too - I knew I was wrong, but I kept you going for it, because I just...I didn’t want to be the only one. And then I left you all alone,” the goat monster finished in a whisper. “I’m sorry, Sans.”

Why were they...

“This is why you should just stop pretending, you dork,” Undyne butt in aggressively, but with an embarrassed sort of green flush on her face...which disappeared as she quickly reached over and punched his arm. “If you’re sad, then just be sad! Stop wearing that goofy smile all the time!”

Apologizing to him?...

“We were a-all pretty bad f-friends,” Alphys said shakily, and she reached out with a gentler touch, laying one claw against his hand. “To y-you and...to each o-other. We’re s-sorry.”

Why...

“BROTHER,” Papyrus moaned, and he forced himself to look up at his brother’s watery eyes. “YOU KNOW I...I ALWAYS KNEW THAT...SHE WAS NOT A VERY NICE FRIEND.”

Why...

“EVEN THOUGH I STILL BELIEVED SHE COULD DO A LITTLE BETTER,” the skeleton went on, “AND I STILL DO! BUT I NEVER...I NEVER THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE...SOMEONE NOT AS COOL AS ME COULD NOT SEE THINGS THE SAME WAY!” 

paps, stop crying, please

“I DIDN’T THINK OF YOUR FEELINGS AT ALL...I ONLY THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST, TOO UNCOOL TO BE AS GOOD A FRIEND AS ME.” Papyrus sniffed, wildly, and squeezed his eyes shut as one of Gaster’s hands came down to rest on his head. “AND IT TURNS OUT...I WAS THE MOST UNCOOL FRIEND AND BROTHER ALL ALONG!”

That did it.

“no paps, that’s not true,” he said instinctively, automatically, and yet with full sincerity, because there was no other monster anywhere that could believe in the good of others as much as his brother could, “you are cool. the coolest skeleton of all time.”

“N-NYOO HOO HOO!” 

“Course he is!” Undyne affirmed, and delivered what was suppose to be a comforting punch to his brother’s shoulder. Fun fact; comfort was the last adjective he’d used to describe one of the fish monster’s punches, but at least it got Papyrus to stop crying, his attentions turning to tenderly massaging his now bruised shoulder. 

And he still...

He couldn’t wrap his head around this. Any of this. 

Everything he’d done...every lie he’d told, every kid he’d used. Every expression he’d thrown at the Human they all loved...and yet here they were. Surrounding him. Comforting him.

Loving him.

His eyes were pitch black, he knew, but still, he turned back towards the Human, the anomaly. The one who’d walked into The Underground and had changed so much...and at the same time, changed so little.

She bowed her head for a moment, hands cupped to her chest. And when she looked back up at him...

That expression...

“You said...you wanted to feel it, right?”

Slowly, she pulled her hands back from her chest. Held together, cupped, drawing something from deep within. 

And the room, already darkened, seemed to fall into deeper darkness as the Soul slowly appeared, floating above her cupped hands. 

He felt the inhales, the breaths around the room. Felt the way Gaster leaned forward slightly, and he knew...he knew what it cost his dad, to not reach forward himself to pick up a lifetime of research and dedication, feel for himself a gift that the Human had chosen to give. 

But Gaster did nothing, and neither did the other kids. They all remained silent, still, staring at the Soul.

He had no idea how she was doing it. How a human had managed to draw out her own Soul, an ability that was known only to monsterkind.

But he knew how to do it himself, and he slowly cupped his hands to his own chest. 

You wanted to feel it, right?

Slowly, shakily, feeling as if at any moment, he would break and shatter into dust. 

You wanted to feel, right?

His own Soul appeared, dimly white, barely there, a fraction of what he knew the other monster Souls in the room had to look like.

You want to feel?

His hands were shaking so badly...so, badly. He’d been flummoxed at every turn, every expectation destroyed by this Human. And now, as he extended his shaking hands forward, and she did the same across from him...for the first time, he had...

No idea what to expect at all.

And what he got was -

...

He let out a shuddering breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding, felt something catch in his throat as her Soul brushed up against his, her hands moving to cup his own as they held their Souls together as one. And he finally, he finally...

Felt her intent. 

Felt her kindness, for him and the others, for their hurts and their pain.

Felt her perseverance, against everything that had done its best to hurt her. 

Felt her justice, unwilling to leave any one person behind, monster or human.

Felt her integrity, her beliefs holding her through the calm seas and the maelstroms.

Felt her patience, understanding of the pains that kept them from her, away from her.

Felt her bravery, facing the uncertainty of The Underground by moving through the unknown.

And above all, hovering and encompassing everything...he felt her...

D E T E R M I N A T I O N

This was...

This was what the others had seen.

And it was...beautiful.

Their Souls slowly faded away, the room returning to normal. He sensed it more than saw it, felt the determination to go on leaving him, slip away from his grasp, and his fingers curled without even realizing it -

And were met with her own fingers, now resting on top of his. 

“i’m...”

i’m hopeless

i’m not what you think

i’m so scared

i’m finally...

“i’m sorry.”

It was barely a whisper, barely a breath. And he choked on the last word, couldn’t open his his throat any further as he felt something wet splash on his cheeks, slide downward towards his collarbone. 

Tears...

He was...crying...

Heh...heh heh...

When was the last time he’d...cried?...

And tears were useless. They couldn’t convey what he wanted so desperately to convey. 

And yet...

They did anyways. Because he felt the soft bump of the Human’s forehead against his own, before her fingers left his...and arms, warm and gentle, surrounded him. 

And he...

Couldn’t do anything but move his arms around her, too. 

He was barely aware of the way his hands bunched up in her sweater. He barely heard the sobs as they forced their way from his throat. He vaguely felt the pressure against his side, his back, the way the Human was pushed into him as all around, their friends and family held tight, arms crossing over everywhere, and all of them encircled by goopy black arms and skeletal hands that held them close together. 

He was barely aware of any of it. 

Because the sight of Frisk's face...the feel of her Soul pulsing in rhythm next to his...the feeling that had clawed at him for days, for weeks, finally breaking through and raising him from one to two...all of it, every bit of it, he felt. 

Every bit of it, he realized. 

Every bit of it, he finally, finally, understood. 

And it filled him with...

Hope.

Chapter Text

Three months. 

It’d been three months since the human had come to The Underground, and things were...well.

As well as they could be expected, considering the tension that lingered in the house. Because if he’d believed that everything was going to be alright in The Underground, well...more’s the fool was he. 

He had no idea how to help it, either - the tension that ran undercurrent wherever the human passed by, as if she was dragging it along in her wake. The near visible currents of electricity that fizzled between the monster kids as they stared each other down over the table, and at the human as well.

Just like they were doing now as each of them slowly finished up their breakfast, suspiciously quiet and glancing at Frisk from the corner of their eyes. Who, in turn, was studiously taking her last bite of cereal in a very deliberate manner. 

Tensions were high. Confrontations abounded. He was at the end of his rope. If things did not get better soon, he truly - sincerely - believed that there would be no hope for The Underground.

And though she had yet to say anything about it, he had a feeling that the human was, too, as she finally, slowly, set down her spoon.

And sighed. 

“Oh no ‘ya don’t, goat-boy!”

“O-ow Undyne, what the frick - !”

“QUICKLY, HUMAN! TO THE PUZZLE BOOK - ack!”

Gaster struggled to hang on to the scant remains of his sanity as the table erupted.

The first casualty being, for this particular confrontation, Asgore, who had claimed the seat next to the human for breakfast but was now first in line to receive a headlock courtesy of Undyne, performed the moment he had made a move to take Frisk’s hand. Probably to lead her off to the gardens to play with his flowers. 

After three months, he’d thought the goat monster would have learned to ensure a seat beside Frisk only when not simultaneously sitting next to the fish monster. 

But that had, of course, left Papyrus free to pick up the human over his head, and he’d managed a decent head start into the living room - until another certain goat monster joined the fray. 

“Frisk, we haven’t finished reading through my new book,” Toriel said as she lovingly cuddled the human in her arms, seemingly - or purposefully - oblivious to the flailing skeleton she was currently sitting on. “Come on, let’s go! I still have some butterscotch cinnamon pie left from yesterday, let’s finish reading together!”

“B-but you got to r-read with Frisk a-all day yesterday,” Alphys complained, edging around the Asgore-Undyne scuffle to frown at Toriel, “me and F-Frisk and Undyne were gonna watch the n-new Mew Mew Kissy Cutie v-video that Mr. Gerson found.”

“That’s right!” the fish monster affirmed, dragging the still head-locked and now vaguely purple looking Asgore over to the confrontation happening in the living room. “So all ya’ll need to totes back off! We get to have Frisk today!”

Toriel made no move to “back off,” and as her face took on a decidedly rebellious look, Gaster decided that he should, perhaps, stop hiding behind his newspaper and try to act like at least one-half of a paternal unit. “Children, Frisk is not a toy,” he said tiredly, and for the one hundredth and millionth time for crying out loud, “do not harass her so. Let her decide what she wants to do today.”

“But she’s super quiet,” Undyne objected, finally releasing a gasping Asgore from her clutches, “so we gotta decide for her!”

Undyne...had a point. Er, the former point, not really the latter. Despite the friends she had made, Frisk was still an unusually quiet child. At first he’d believed it simply due to her location in a hostile and unfriendly environment, but no, Frisk still chose to speak only when she felt she really needed to.

And apparently she felt she didn’t need to, during these encounters. Perhaps worried over offending one monster by choosing to play with another? Or...well, he was getting better at reading her moods by her facial features alone.

Perhaps, she was simply too happy to be playing with any monster, at any time, to worry about exactly who she was playing with. 

“S-she said she wanted to s-see the next e-e-episode of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie,” Alphys spoke up defiantly, claws clutched in front of her. 

“But that two days ago,” Asgore protested, rubbing at his head slightly as he picked himself up from where Undyne had dropped him. “Frisk hasn’t seen the flowers in ages.” The goat monster suddenly paused, however, blinking rapidly as he glanced over towards Toriel. “O-or, um, she hasn’t read Tori’s new book in a-ages...”

As one, the collective unit of children groaned. “SHE DID THAT YESTERDAY YOU NUMBSKULL,” Papyrus pointed out, voice slightly muffled from where Toriel was still sitting on him.

She didn’t notice. “Yes, she hasn’t,” Toriel approved, reaching out to take hold of one of Asgore’s hands. She also seemingly didn’t notice the way the goat monster instantly flushed red, though the repeated groans from the other kids told a different story. “We can all go read together, okay?”

The male goat monster gulped, very audibly, and Gaster struggled to hide a snicker behind his newspaper. “Yeahthatsoundsgoodlet’sallgoread,” Asgore said in agreement, sole ownership of Frisk’s playtime immediately thrown out the window at the thought of hanging out with both Frisk and Toriel.

Undyne apparently seemed to think the same thing. “You’re only saying that ‘cause you liiiiike her,” she jeered in a sing-song voice, crossing her arms as Asgore sputtered unintelligibly. “Whatevs. You two can go make kissy faces at each other, but we’re gonna take the human and go watch - wait a minute”

Gaster blinked, peering over the top of his newspaper at the bundle of children. 

“Where’s Frisk?”

They all paused. 

Before Frisk suddenly flew by in the background, a familiar blue glow encasing her body, and as one, they all turned to look. 

And Gaster tried his hardest not to sigh as he dropped his newspaper and plugged up his ears.

“SAAAANS!”

“He’s stealing the human!” Undyne screamed, though her volume had nothing on Toriel’s furious screeching and the literal fire he could see flickering at the corner of her eyes, “get back here ‘ya bonehead!”

“nope.”

Gaster barely got a glimpse of his oldest son as he sprinted in the direction of the Ruins, his right hand held casually in one coat pocket while the other was held aloft, blue magic trailing from his palm and fingers. Frisk’s body - and her familiar deadpanned stare - zoomed through the air after him, followed by the literal whirlwind of children that rushed along after, the whole lot of them soon disappearing further into the house.

Leaving all of their dishes on the table, of course. He wasn’t sure why he’d expected anything different after three months of this as he slowly began cleaning up the table.

He wasn’t even sure why they all fought over Frisk at the beginning of the day. More often than not, the novelty of introducing their new friend to all of their animes and different baking recipes and puzzles and whatever else tended to keep all the children together for a while, no matter who won out during the morning scuffle. Then the ones that weren’t really interested in whatever activity Frisk was playing with would become bored and disperse, and then after lunch they would handle playtime like civilized monsters, cordially asking Frisk to join them in whatever activity they wanted. 

And even then, Frisk tended to wander around the house to all the favored hotspots, oftentimes with one or two monsters following along after her. So far, she didn’t seem to have a favorite activity or course of action, and instead seemed to delight in all manners of variety. From singing with the Froggits to solving puzzles, reading manga, watching anime, watering flowers and even napping on the couch, Frisk seemed to involve herself in each and every one with equal amounts of determination. 

It made him wonder. 

What sort of childhood had she had, he wondered, where she showed no preference towards activities and hobbies? Nor a preference towards any of the monster kids, as if she was simply pleased to have any friends at all. 

Even they tended to gravitate towards certain others based on their likes, after all. Sans, for example, was much more likely to be found hanging around Papyrus or Alphys than others, even if they all got along just fine. Undyne? Much more likely to be caught watching anime with Alphys, or trying to get into a FIGHT with Asgore. Whereas Frisk...

Didn’t seem to have any preferences, whatsoever. 

...Although, perhaps it was simply too soon. After all, her first two or three weeks in The Undeground had been filled with distrustful and angry monsters. Perhaps she had simply not had time yet to develop her preferences...at least the ones specific to here, in this home.

...

Well. Whatever the case, he could at least take comfort in the fact that things were better now, despite the frequent confrontations over Frisk’s playtime. And this time, he didn’t even have to simply guess at it and pretend he was doing a decent enough job as a father.

This time, he had proof. 

He stumbled upon said proof near the entrance of Snowdin on his way to his lab, laying face down in the white carpet with a sizable lump on his head. He was asleep, light snores rising upwards from the carpet.

Apparently, Sans had lost the fight over Frisk somewhere around here, leaving the other children to bustle Frisk out through the window and into the garden - evidenced by the sounds of laughter and screaming echoing in from the open window, the one that still required some force to open, but was no longer iced shut.

With a sigh, Gaster bent down and bundled Sans up in his arms, before returning the way he came and ending up in the living room, depositing his eldest onto the couch. A nearby throw ended up becoming a blanket for Sans as he tugged it up to the skeleton’s chin, took a step backwards...and paused. 

Over two months ago, he had had the worst night of his life. 

The night when he’d caught Sans and Frisk FIGHTing in the tunnel beneath the house, had reprimanded Sans, had CHECKed him -

Had found half a HoPe as his son’s maximum.

That night...realizing that Sans had managed to fool him, again, that he had failed as a father, again, that everything he had done and everything he had tried to prevent had been worthless, because his son was mere inches away from simply dusting himself into nothing -

That night had been...

...

...Ha. Funny, how such a terrible night had ended up being the best night of his life. As Frisk had pulled him aside and explained in a quiet voice, as he’d held all his children in his arms. No matter how much it had hurt not to grab that red Soul of DETERMINATION for his own...that physical want had paled in comparison to the look on San’s face.

To the tears that had flowed down his cheeks, the first ones he could remember since before the daycare. 

Because...

Gaster paused, and bent down over his son, caressing the top of his head and watching Sans’ sleepy grin smooth out into a sleepy smile. He leaned down, and, very gentle, pressed his forehead against his son’s.

CHECK

This time, he had proof. 

And this time...he would do better.

Sans - 1 ATK, 1 DEF

10 / 10 HP

“WUH...W-WOWIE!”

Papyrus was the only one to put his awe into words, but the gasps and inhales from the other kids - aside from Asgore, Sans, and Frisk, of course - assured him of a job well done. Gaster tried not to preen too much as they all took in the golden corridor. 

...Oh, who was he kidding.

“Splendid, is it not?” he preened, pleased at their stunned reactions. Undyne looked like a literal gaping fish as Alphys clenched her claws against her mouth, barely keeping in her high-pitched squealing, and Toriel’s eyes were shifting around from nook to cranny, as if she could memorize every single facet of the tunnel. “I believe this will make the journey to Gerson’s side a bit less dreary.”

“It’s beautiful,” Toriel exclaimed breathily, moving forward to run a paw against one of the pillar-like carvings. The goat monster shook her head, apparently marveling at the difference between the texture under her paw and the visual her eyes were seeing. “Wow...isn’t it beautiful, Gorey?”

“Yeah...”

“uh, buddy,” Sans piqued up, elbowing the goat monster in the side, “think she’s talking about the tunnel.”

“W-wuh,” Asgore stammered, blinking rapidly as if breaking free from some sort of trance. Judging from Sans’ and Undyne’s smirks, they knew exactly what sort of trance the goat monster had been under, same as him. “I mean, u-uh...yeah! Yeah, you’re totally beautiful.”

A pause.

“I-I mean!” the purple-caped monster bleated as he seemed to realize what he’d just said, “you’re not beautiful - wait no! That’s not what - ”  

By this point, Sans and Undyne were leaning against each other, supporting one another as their giggling threatened to send them collapsing on the ground, and poor Asgore looked fit to burst a blood vessel at any given moment. 

Though luckily for him, Toriel didn’t seem to notice his various blunders as she continued marveling at the architecture of the tunnel, allowing Asgore to relax just slightly.

Although...was that a hint of red he saw on Toriel’s white fur?

Hmm...he had some meddling to do.

But later, after the long trek to Gerson’s side. 

“Come along, children,” he ordered, flapping his hands as if that might make them jumpstart the journey to the other side. One never knew. “They’re expecting us at any moment.”

“NYEH HEH HEH! THEN LET US HURRY SO THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MAY FURTHER DAZZLE MONSTER KIDS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES WITH INSANE AMOUNTS OF FUN!”

As it turned out, the renovated tunnel did make it easier to get them all moving at a good pace.

Papyrus, for once, was not clinging to either his or Sans’ hands, and was instead running so far ahead that he had to repeatedly call for his youngest son to return to the herd, and start seriously thinking about investing in one of those child leashes. Walking just ahead of himself, Alphys and Frisk looked over some various photographs the lizard monster had brought with her for some reason, while Sans praised Asgore for getting over his goat-induced tunnel vision. 

In fact, the well-lit tunnel and its cheery atmosphere seemed to make the entire trek pass faster than it ever had before, zooming by the bunker and ending up at the doorway to the Core in record time. 

Hah. A job well done, and money well spent, if he did say so himself.

“Hurry up, lessgo!” Undyne demanded, attempting to shove the door open herself. “I gotta go see Napsta!”

...Yes, thank you Gaster. You’re the best, Gaster. 

He didn’t even bother hiding the rolling of his eyes - to which Undyne responded with an even harder eye roll, unwilling to be outdone - but he complied, stepping forward and swinging open the door. Unlike the tunnel door on their side, this door was a lot heavier and difficult to hold open. 

Perhaps he needed to invest in a door like this one, too.

With a holler, Undyne ran inside, followed by Papyrus, both of them probably eager to meet the new monster child that was coming to live on Gerson’s side. Toriel followed soon after with her picnic basket of baked goodies at the ready, and Asgore and Alphys were next. Followed by -

“frisk?”

Gaster blinked, still holding the door open as no new bodies exited the tunnel, prompting him to look backwards. Sans and Frisk were still there, just shy of passing the threshold...and, oddly enough, Frisk was the one who was edged back further, hands clasped in her sweater. The look on her face was...

Hesitant. Careful. Not an expression he was used to seeing in the determined child’s face.

...But then, all of a sudden, he remembered. 

He remembered that first disastrous visit from Gerson’s kids that had caused Frisk to hole herself up in her room for days, and how could he have not remembered until now? It was customary, tradition, to visit the other side when a new child came to live in The Underground - but now Frisk would once again be surrounded with monsters who hated her, who despised her, and hadn’t he said he was going to do better?

He was. He could...he could leave Sans and the others here with Gerson, and take Frisk home. Call for Bun Bun or the Nice Cream guy to escort his children back to him. After all, Frisk was a special case, they didn’t have to introduce her to a new monster child. She could simply...be there, on his side, where she had finally won her place amongst the children there. 

That was good enough.

But before he could even give voice to his train of thought, his offer to take Frisk back to the other side of the house - 

“hey,” Sans said slowly, eyebrows raised upwards in a worried frown as he stepped forward. Frisk turned her head away, hands bunching up her sweater in a death grip. “it’s okay, pal. look.”

Frisk turned her head partway, seemingly glancing up at Sans from underneath her hair. 

And the skeleton, in turn, grinned at her, holding out one hand. “you can hand-le it, buddy. believe in yourself.”

The human paused, and the tunnel was quiet for a moment more...before finally, Frisk nodded, face losing some of that awkward hesitance. She took Sans’ proffered hand, and together, they crossed the doorway, his eldest leading Frisk with all the care he had used to provide Papyrus through the once dark and dreary tunnel. 

Gaster...

Tried not to melt. 

He succeeded. Mostly. 

The three of them didn’t have to go far to catch up to the others. There they were, mingling around Gerson - though surprisingly, none of Gerson’s kids were assembled, the way they usually were. Gerson looked up at his approach however, and that familiar crooked grin widened. 

“Wah ha ha!” the tortoise monster cackled, his one visible eye squinting at him. “You folks are here early.”

“We are?” he asked in surprise, folding his hands behind his back. “We’ve arrived precisely on schedule.”

“That’s ‘jes what I’m sayin’, you young whippersnapper!” Gerson chided, scratching at his belly. “The kid’s been delayed. Suppose to be here yesterday, but there was some mess up at Town Hall, and he’s not gettin’ here ‘til later today!”

Gaster had to process this for a moment.

“You mean,” he finally said, as the children shuffled impatiently around them, “he’s not even here?”

“You got it!”

As one, all his children groaned - or in Papyrus’ case, “NYOO HOO HOO!”ed very loudly and sadly - until suddenly, Toriel perked up. “Wait, this is good!”

Gaster paused, as did Gerson, the both of them glancing down towards the goat monster. 

The other kids did as well. “Huh?” Undyne questioned aggressively, hands on her hips, “whaddya mean? What’s the point of meeting a new kid if the new kid isn’t even here? I wanna see him FIGHT!”

“Because now we have time to - you know,” Toriel said meaningfully, tilting her head towards the stack of photographs Alphys had clutched in her claws. 

And that, apparently, was some sort of cue, because as one, the children’s faces all brightened. “Hey Gerson, where’s Napsta!” Undyne demanded. “And Burgerpants, and Muffet, and - ”

“They’re all in the kitchen, ‘ya little squirt,” the tortoise said, peering down at the fish monster, “finishin’ off their lunches, wah ha - !”

“Great!” the young girl cried, rushing off in the direction of the kitchen - though, to his immense surprise, she screeched to a halt, before turning around and running right back up to them. “I need my pictures!”

Pictures?

Gaster was vaguely aware of Gerson’s own confused look as the children huddled around each other - in particular, they huddled around Alphys, who was handing out her photographs to the different children with some apparent rhyme and reason, though far be it from him to fathom the minds of clearly deranged monster children. 

Although Frisk, he noted, was not part of the circle. But neither did she look hurt or upset at being left out. She merely stood to one side as the other monster children all stuck their hands into the center of their circle, shouted “Operation Make Monsters Realize Frisk is Awesome!” and released their hands, before they all shot off in different directions into the house.

Except for Alphys, who paused, and turned to grab onto one of Frisk’s hands. “D-Don’t worry Frisk,” she said reassuringly, “w-we’re gonna t-t-take care of e-everything!” So saying, the lizard monster hurried off after the others, leaving Frisk to glance around for a moment, before following along after her.

...Well.

“Wah ha ha!” Gerson suddenly burst out laughing, clutching at his belly. “Lookit that! Didn’t even need to plan anything, toldja I’m gettin’ too old fer this!”

He was still thoroughly confused, and it must have shown on his face, because the old tortoise monster tut and shook his head.

“C’mon now Wing Dings,” the other said, peering relentlessly at him with his one, non-squinting eye, “didja forget? That little girl had a rough time, ‘jes a few months ago.”

“I didn’t forget,” he said a little defensively, even though he had, and he frowned at the grinning monster as they moved towards the little side room that Gerson had converted into his own personal breakfast nook. “You planned this?”

“Not on the kid bein’ late,” the tortoise monster clarified, heaving himself into a chair as he himself took the opposing one. “He really was suppose to get here yesterday like.”

“Then why not call and inform me?” he felt the need to ask. “Surely we could have arranged a different date for the kids to be introduced to one another.”

“You youngins don’t pay attention for nothin’!” Gerson said aggressively, and Gaster was certain that if the other monster had used a cane, he would have been waving it around every which way. “Little girl already havin’ a rough time with my kids over here - you wanna leave the new kid alone with ‘em for a day? Listen to how much they hate the human?”

“So you...brought us here early?” he surmised. “So that my children could...butter yours up, as it were?”

“Wah ha ha!” He took that as a yes. “That’s that ‘ol common sense you youngsters don’t have nowadays. When you told me how great yer kids are getting along with the human now, I ‘jes figured - let ‘em come over and talk some sense into mine! Break the ice!” Gerson paused, eyes crinkling upwards. “Didn’t know they’d be comin’ with a full battle plan, though! Wah ha!”

He...supposed it did make sense, in a way. Instead of this new child spending a day over here and hearing all sorts of negative things from Gerson’s children about Frisk, his own children had a chance to try and change thier opinions on the human before that could happen. Or, at the very least, he was certain they’d be quick to defend Frisk against the other children, if they tried talking negatively about her when the new child arrived. At the very least, he’d be getting two sides of the argument, for and against Frisk, rather than just the negative side. 

“You should have been in charge of The Underground, Gerson,” he exclaimed heavily, leaning backwards in his chair, “not me.”

“Pah,” the old tortoise monster huffed, his visible eye squinting even more. “I told you, m’too old for all the thinkin’. Nah, yer ‘jes the right one for the job, Wing Dings.” Gerson paused again, his grin taking on a slightly more brittle turn. “Cause if it’d been up to me, I’d thrown that little girl outta here faster ‘n a monster can express.”

Gaster supposed the admission should have shocked him, but really, could he blame the old tortoise for feeling that way? When he had come perilously close to doing the same thing, those first few days? 

No. He supposed he could only be glad that...well. Glad that he was in charge of The Underground, after all. 

For better or for worse. 

And it was for better or for worse that they talked, and chatted, and discussed all the changes that had happened in The Underground. All the little nuances, and what sorts of supplies Gerson should look for during his next visit to the Garbage Dump. All their successes and failures with the children in the past months, the expectations and let-downs, and everything they envisioned for The Underground. 

All their hopes and dreams.

“Here! Try this one!”

Gaster started, briefly glancing at the nearby clock - they’d been talking for nearly an hour - before turning around in his chair. Toriel and Muffet had wandered back into the living room, and as he and Gerson watched, the goat monster handed Muffet a baked treat from her picnic basket. 

“Ahuhuhu~!” the spider monster exclaimed as she munched down on what looked like a cookie. “Why, that’s not so bad! Though not nearly as delicious as a spider donut, of course~”

“She’s getting better,” Toriel said defensively, setting down the basket and reaching inside it again. Instead of a baked treat however, the goat monster pulled out some photographs, sidling close to Muffet to show them to her. “See? She’s already learning to make butterscotch cinnamon pie. I bet she’ll make a hundred cookies in one batch soon!”

“Oh my,” Muffet said, two of her hands holding onto the cookie as two more took the pictures from Toriel, flipping through them. 

By this point, Gerson had gotten up to peer over their shoulders, and Gaster did the same, looming over their backs. He remembered taking those photographs, mostly featuring Toriel and Frisk baking together in the kitchen. The frozen laughter and smiles on their faces said it all.

There were a few others thrown in there, however, that notably did not fit the theme of a harmonious baking experience - Papyrus was in one, attempting to stuff one of the pies with spaghetti, with Toriel silently screaming and Frisk’s natural deadpanned expression in the background. Yet another featured Sans and Toriel completely doused in flour, and Frisk struggling to hold her laugher in behind her hands - and failing quite badly. 

“She really likes baked treats, hmm?” Muffet sing-songed, though she didn’t seem to really be asking, more like commenting as she studied a picture of Frisk, mouth stuffed to the brim with a spider donut. 

“Yeah,” Toriel affirmed, lovingly showing off picture after picture. “She really does.” The goat monster reclaimed the pictures, carefully stuffing them back into her picnic basket. “Do you think I could have some spider cider? I told Frisk I’d try and get some for her, since she really likes spider donuts, and they go really good together.”

“Ahuhuhu~” Muffet said, considering, scratching at her chin with one hand while the others all rested on her hips.

Beside him, Gaster heard Gerson inhale a breath.

“No need for that, dearie,” the spider monster suddenly exclaimed, “I’ll get her some myself~! Since she loves spider treats so much, it’s only natural that I should be the one to introduce her to all their delicious varieties. Ahuhuhu~!”

Toriel giggled and nodded, and the two of them were off conversing about the best spider treats to surprise Frisk with. How to best treat the human and what to expect with the human, and not a hint of maliciousness or hatred lingered on Muffet’s features. 

...Did he say he was glad he was running The Underground? Maybe he was getting too old to keep up with the children anymore, too. 

“NYEH HEH HEH! IT IS TRUE, GOOD FRIEND!”

Gaster leaned up from where he had been bending downwards to look at the photographs, catching sight of Papyrus entering the living room as well. Just like Toriel, he had photographs clutched in one hand, though the monster clutched in his other hand was a cat monster of particular facial features. 

“I dunno, little skele-buddy,” Burgerpants intoned in a solemn voice. The wrinkles on his face were all but nonexistent, completely blank in a way that meant he was thinking very hard on something. “This seems too good to be true. So much wasted potential.”

“NONSENSE!” Papyrus exclaimed, waving the photographs in front of Burgerpants, “YOU HAVE THE EVIDENCE RIGHT HERE! FRISK IS A...TOTAL GOOBER!”

He recognized those photos as well, where Frisk and Undyne had been making funny faces in the reflection of the living room windows when they’d thought nobody was watching. They’d ended up chasing him all the way to the basement when they’d caught him taking pictures. 

Well - Undyne had done most of the chasing, Frisk had pretty much been dragged along for the ride. 

Burgerpants was looking at those pictures now however, the blank look on his face slowly contorting back into its more natural state full of wrinkles. “This little buddy’s pretty weird,” he commented, and there was that hint of fear on his face, the same one that’d appeared when he’d first seen Frisk.

But he didn’t laugh hysterically to himself, this time. 

“INDEED!” Papyrus affirmed, though a scowl crossed his features a moment later. “ALTHOUGH SHE HAS BEEN SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH TIME WITH MY BROTHER, WHO’S INFECTED HER WITH HIS TERRIBLE PUNS AND JOKES!”

Which is when a small cube of ice went zooming past Papyrus’ skull and caused them all to jump, crashing against the wall and breaking into nonexistent pieces. “WHAT THE - ”

“sorry paps,” Sans said as he sauntered into the living room, Grillby in tow, “i just can’t help it with the jokes. they’re a really good...”

The significant pause seemed to cue his youngest son into Sans’ plan, and his eyes widened accordingly to an almost alarming degree. “SANS, DON’T YOU DARE - ”

“ - ice-breaker.”

Toriel couldn’t help breaking off her hushed conversation with Muffet to giggle into her paws, as Papyrus ground his teeth in frustration. Sans chuckled, and beside him, Grillby was silent. 

For his part, he couldn’t help but straighten up as the other kids slowly began filtering into the living room. He couldn’t help but ask, and hope. “Children, are you...is everything alright?”

No...of course everything was not alright. A few pictures of Frisk making funny faces or dancing with Mettaton would not solve all the hurts and pains. 

But...

Combined with the efforts of the children...

Gaster couldn only watch as they did what he, what any adult, had failed to do.

“Like, oh em gee, I still don’t know,” Bratty said, glancing worriedly at Alphys. “This is so, like - super weird.”

“But!” Catty suddenly spoke up, leaning slightly against an uncomfortable looking Asgore, “like, if big sis and Asgore say she’s cool, then like, oh em gee! She’s gotta be kinda cool, right?”

“Catty, you are so cray cray,” Bratty commented, initial traces of hesitation gone as she grinned mischievously at her best friend. “But like, yeah, you’re totally right. She’s gotta be, like. Not so wicked bad?”

“And more like. Sorta wicked cool?”

“And, like,” the alligator monster continued, “if Mettaton likes her so much, then she must be, totally like, cool. Because Mettaton is...”

Here, the two monsters’ eyes took on decidedly starry-eyed features.

“He’s wicked hot!”

“Totally wicked hot!”

Gaster raised an eyebrow at Alphys. 

“I u-uhm...may h-have shown them the p-prototype of Mettaton’s n-new body,” the lizard monster said bashfully, glancing down at the presumed picture in question. The action only made her face break out into a blush however, and she hastily stuffed the picture towards the back of her pile. 

Across from Alphys, Undyne grinned widely and pat Napstblook on his back, her arm phasing through him and causing the fish monster to fall flat onto the floor. The ghost monster in question shyly ducked his head, but still looked at the scattered pictures on the floor with a slight smile on his face as, to their left, Grillby seemingly wiped something away from his eyes, and turned to embrace Sans as the skeleton held out his arms from his friend. 

No...pictures and words of encouragement were not enough, not for some of them. But a few scant months ago, he would not have believed the determination to make friends would have been enough, either. 

And yet here they were. All of them.

...

All of them, except for -

“Ahuhuhu~! Where is this spider treat-loving human, anyways?”

All at once, the motion and the noise in the living room came to a screeching halt, all of them looking at one another.

Before a howl from outside broke the stillness. 

...

The -

“Dogs!” Undyne cried, leaping over Burgerpants, who’d been dropped to the floor as Papyrus zoomed towards the backyard, Sans and Toriel in close pursuit, and himself just behind. He could hear further footsteps behind him, but he was focused solely on the door, the closed door that would lead outside. 

Because how had they all forgotten, there were five dog monsters living in the Core, and yet none of them had thought to ask after them, or keep an eye on Frisk. He’d just assumed she’d be with one of the children, one of her friends, but of course she had gone wandering to make new friends, when had their disdain ever stopped her once she became determined to do something about it?

Another howl from outside, the sounds of barking and shuffling, and his Soul was liable to burst out of his chest as Gaster flung open the door - got stuck as Gerson tried to squeeze out, followed by Asgore getting caught in the fray and Papyrus’ head poking out between all their bodies, and Frisk was -

“Pat? Pot? Pet?”

Frisk, was...

Gaster couldn’t even comprehend what a mess they probably looked - him, wedged in the doorway with Gerson and Asgore and Papyrus’ head. And vaguely, to his side, he saw Sans’ halfway leaning out the window, his magical eye throwing Toriel’s white fur in sharp relief as she leaned over him, fire held aloft in one paw. Alphys’ claws were barely clutching onto the rim of the windowsill, and Undyne -

Undyne had leapt clear over the lot of them, landed in the grass outside with one spear clutched in her hand. But she, too, had frozen.

Because Frisk was surrounded by dog monsters, all of them. Each and every one of them pressed up against every conceivable side of her. 

And some of them up above, if one counted Lesser Dog’s greatly extended neck that zig-zagged in every which direction. 

He could only assume that Frisk didn’t notice how ridiculous they all looked, however, occupied as she was with petting every single head that continued to push and compete for attention. “Puppo!” she exclaimed gleefully, and giggled as Lesser Dog’s head came down from above her, upside-down in her view. Dogamy and Doggaressa were simultaneously cuddling noses to each other and against Frisk’s neck, while Greater Dog seemed content to sit at Frisk’s back and snuffle against her hairline every so often. 

Doggo was, naturally, in front, eyes pitch black and wide against his face. 

“P-Petting,” the dog monster gasped, foot moving at an unnatural speed, “s-something’s petting me. Pat, pet, p-pot!”

“Wah ha ha!” Gerson suddenly burst out, seemingly completely at ease at being stuck in a doorway with several other bodies. “And you were worried, ‘ya squirt!”

Out in the gardens, Frisk let out a squeal of laughter as Greater Dog gave the back of her neck a particularly enthusiastic lick, and Gaster struggled to hold onto the scant remains of his sanity for the second time that day.

“Yo!”

Gaster perked up from where he’d been patiently listening to Bratty and Catty explain why Mettaton was so hot. 

In fact, the entire room seemed to quiet down some. His children, especially, paused in their conversations and discussions, ears seemingly trained on the new child. He’d already been introduced to the children at large, and now was the phase to allow him to simply go around and greet others individually, the time where the children made him feel welcome. 

Although, he hadn’t expected the new child to make his way to Frisk quite so quickly. Gaster continued nodding along to Bratty and Catty’s endless list of reasons as to why Mettaton should be moved over to their side of the house, one eye on them, the other trained on the encounter happening directly to his left. 

“I’m Monster Kid!”

“sup monster kid,” Sans said, hands shoved in his pockets as he grinned down at the other monster. Monster Kid, or MK as he liked to be called, was just about the same height as Frisk, making him just a bit shorter than Sans. “i’m sans, sans the skeleton.” Sans the skeleton winked at MK. “you’re gonna have a skele-ton of fun here, bud.”

“T-thanks,” MK said, though for some reason, he seemed nervous...though that reason became, all of a sudden, startlingly clear as the new monster child glanced at Frisk. 

Oh...damn. He prepared himself to intervene, to usher MK away and turn him towards the other kids, maybe move Frisk away so that she could -

“Yo! W-who’re you?”

Both Frisk and Sans appeared as taken aback as he was. Frisk especially, considering the way she stared at MK, long enough to make the monster child even more nervous, cheeks taking on a decidedly red hue. “D-dude, um,” he hesitated, “was it s-something I said?”

That seemed to break Frisk out of her trance. “I’m...I’m Frisk,” she introduced. She didn’t hold out a hand to shake, apparently having noticed, as the rest of them had, that MK didn’t appear to have any hands to shake with. “Sorry,” she continued on, hesitance fully broken as she smiled at the monster child, “I was just...surprised.”

“Yo, that’s cool!” MK blurted out, clearly feeling more relieved that she was open to being friendly with him. Though that nervousness didn’t abate, which confused him. MK clearly wasn’t averse to humans - a blessing in and of itself - so then why was he so nervous around Frisk? “I-I’m Monster Kid!”

Another pause.

“I know,” Frisk said, slowly, the smile on her face taking a sort of worried tilt. “You said.”

MK seemingly froze up for a moment, the red on his face turning even darker. “Oh man, right, I-I forgot,” he stammered. Gaster glanced downwards - MK’s feet were crossing over themselves in what looked like a nervous gesture. “S-sorry!”

“It’s okay,” the human said kindly, glancing briefly at Sans. The skeleton shrugged, and she turned back towards MK, smiling even wider. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too!” the monster child chirped hastily, and very loudly. He seemed to realize it as well, for he ducked his head and shuffled his feet a little more...before glancing back up at the human. And -

...Oh. He understood now.

...

Pfft.

“Y-y-yo,” MK mumbled, and Gaster struggled to contain the laughter he could feel bubbling upwards. “You’re really...you’re really p-pretty.”

There was yet another awkward pause in the conversation.

Before Frisk let out some sort of snort that sounded like she was trying to hold back sudden laughter, lest she make MK feel bad. The monster child didn’t seem to pick up on that however, only ducking his head downwards as if he could hide his embarrassed face.

He couldn’t hide it from Sans, whose face had taken on a fairly sly expression. “heh, yup,” his eldest son commented, reaching out to hold onto one of Frisk’s hand and raise it upwards slightly, “she’s pretty pretty.” The skeleton reached out, hand still clasped with Frisk’s.

Gaster thought that Sans had been preparing to drop Frisk’s hand onto MK’s head, or do something that would further embarrass the blushing monster child in his obvious and sudden crush. But that never ended up happening, as MK suddenly froze up with wide eyes, simultaneously freezing San’s attempts to stretch Frisk’s hand outwards. “uh...buddy? you - ”

“Y-yo!” MK exclaimed, staring at their clasped hands, “you two are - ?!”

Gaster had to struggle extra hard to keep in the startled burst of laughter that threatened to leave him.

On their parts, Sans and Frisk only glanced at each other, then at their joined hands, before Sans seemed to realize what MK was implying. “what? naw, man,” he attempted to soothe the other child, “i was just - ”

“That’s no fair, I just got here!”

“uh,” Sans said eloquently, glancing back at Frisk for some help. She was clearly as lost as he was, and only offered the skeleton a very unhelpful shrug. 

MK wasn’t about to quit, however, and Gaster gleefully sat back to watch the fireworks. “Yo!” the monster child exclaimed, “t-that makes us rivals then! I’m not gonna quit!”

“r...rivals?...”

“I-I’ll fight you!”

No one seemed to be getting anywhere in this confrontation, and Sans finally disentangled his hand from Frisk’s, raising one eyebrow. “listen, buddy, i’m not kid-ding you, i dunno what you’re talking about.”

“Fight me!”

The skeleton sighed, seeming to realize that nothing he was saying was getting through to the new monster child. “kay,” he said, though he made no move to actually FIGHT the monster, and instead simply shoved his hands into his coat pockets and grinned. “welp. go nuts. donut hurt yourself, kid,” he cautioned, and walked away, munching on the spider donut he’d pulled from his pocket. 

“Y-yo! Get back here!”

Which left Frisk standing alone as MK took off after Sans. Even across the room of noisy children, he could still hear vague requests of “Fight me!” and the answering “nah”s, and the look of confusion on Frisk’s face only had him struggling to hold in his laughter even more. 

“Mr. Gaster, like, what was that all about?”

“Bratty like, oh em gee, isn’t it so obvs? They’re like, totally in love!”

“Catty, oh my gosh, you are like, totally right! 

“We should, like, write a letter to Mettaton’s talk show to totally, ‘ya know, ask for some love advice for them!”

“So cray cray, girl! We can tell him that, like, it’s a total love triangle! He loves all that wicked drama!”

“Yes, girl!”

The two monster girls ran off to find Alphys before he could say anything. 

And this time, he couldn’t hold back the explosive snort of laughter, and never mind Papyrus’ and Napstablook’s worried glances over towards him. 

“GOODBYE NEW FRIEND! DO NOT WORRY, FOR THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HAVE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI TO SHARE WITH YOU!”

All the children stood assembled to wave them farewell as they stood in front of the stairs that would take them down to the basement. Gaster was attempting to herd them down the stairs, but he didn’t really enforce it that much as the kids took their last turns saying goodbye to MK, and their other friends.

Or sometimes, the reverse. Undyne, especially, seemed to be having difficultly prying MK away from her, having seemingly won his adoration when she’d expressed about five spears in her attempt to showcase her own self-made rivalry with Asgore. 

How a monster with no arms managed to hang onto another monster was a mystery too great for even his scientific prowess. 

“Come children, finish up your goodbyes,” Gaster cajoled, “we must be getting back. We’re having snail pie for dinner - snail pie, for dinner,” he reiterated firmly, amidst the immediate groans and the one delighted sound from Toriel. 

“THEN I SHALL MAKE MY FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI TOMORROW!” Papyrus declared, rebounding the fastest. “IT IS A NEW RECIPE, FULL OF EVEN MORE LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP THAN EVER BEFORE! THE TASTE IS INDESCRIBABLE!”

“yup,” Sans chimed in, grinning as he shot a finger gun at his brother, “you really snailed the recipe, last time.” The skeleton dutifully ignored Papyrus’ subsequent screech of rage, grin widening as he nudged a giggling Frisk in the side with one elbow.

“Y-yo!!”

Both he and Frisk turned to see Monster Kid, having apparently torn himself away from Undyne to glare at Sans. “Don’t you dare f-flirt with her!” he growled, that red hue back on his face. 

“uh...okay,” the skeleton said agreeably, still apparently not taking the other child’s multiple declarations of their rivalry status that seriously. “see ‘ya around next time, kid.”

“Bye MK,” Frisk said, at MK’s mouth closed with an audible snap. “See ‘ya.”

“Yo,” he murmured, his clawed feet once again crossing over as he grinned at the human, “see ‘ya soon!” Frisk turned away, heading down the stairs, followed by Sans and the - “b-bye, dude!” - other children. And finally, eventually, they were all on their way back to home. 

All in blissful peace and -

“Flirting, huuuuh?”

Sans jolted from his sedated walking pace, frowning over at Undyne, who had a very peculiar and sly look on her face. “huh?” he questioned confusedly.

The fish monster made a sort of humming noise under her breath, sharing a glance at Asgore. Some secret message seemed to pass between the two of them as Undyne skipped in front of Sans, walking backwards as she leaned in close. “You know,” she sing-songed, “don’t pretend you don’t know.”

“heh. beats me, pal,” Sans said easily, hands held casually in his coat pockets. “sounds like you’re fishing for some info, there.”

“Pfft,” Undyne scoffed, crossing her arms even as she continued walking backwards. “We all heard it. You,” she emphasized, jabbing a finger into Sans’ chest, “and Frisk,” her finger pointed in the human’s direction, who was watching the commotion with her familiar deadpanned expression. “Flirting with her.”

“wait, what?” the skeleton questioned, and Gaster didn’t bother smothering his grin as his son seemed to finally realize what Undyne was implying. “i wasn’t flirting, dum-dum, that was just mk being - ”

“Sans, flirting?” Toriel piqued up, rushing up on Sans’ other side and making the skeleton flinch. The goat monster at least had the sensitivity to avoid teasing him openly about what she probably thought was a sensitive issue...though her whisper probably echoed in the tunnel more than she’d been counting on. “Sans, do you like her?”

“no!” Sans exclaimed, and apparently, the exaggerated and unfounded accusations from Monster Kid were suddenly a lot less easy to ignore from his closest friends. “i mean - not like that! that wasn’t even - i was just making a joke - ”

“WHAT?!” Papyrus cut in, looping a protective arm around Frisk’s shoulders, “BROTHER! EVEN YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT MATTERS OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP ARE NO JOKING MATTER!”

“bro, no,” his eldest blurted, and by this point Undyne and Asgore seemed liable to keel over into giggling fits on the tunnel floor, the same way the blue on Sans’ face seemed close to taking over every available inch of white surface. “i wasn’t - mk was just - ”

“Don’t worry Sans, we get it,” Undyne said with a suspicious amount of sincerity, “we won’t tell anyone that you’re in looo-ooo-ooove.”

That was apparently more than Sans could take, and the skeleton scowled and drew his hood over his head, once again shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets. 

Which was enough to stymie Undyne as she and Asgore burst into peals of laughter, and Toriel looked like she was struggling not to laugh but found Sans’ uncharacteristic floundering adorable. Papyrus still had an arm looped around Frisk’s shoulders, but he transferred grips to hold onto her hand, reassuring the human that his brother was a great skeleton, even if said brother was too uncool to sometimes separate jokes from reality. 

CHECK

Sans - 1 ATK, 1 DEF

10 / 10 HP

As for himself, Gaster merely smiled indulgently at the lively children, their rambunctious catcalls and San’s muffled grumbles leading the way back down the tunnel. In fact, the noise filled up so much of the tunnel that he almost missed it, and was only just barely able to make it out from the small lizard child holding onto his hand as they walked back to their home.

“I ship it.”

Chapter Text

The beauty of the frosted trees threatened to cast everything into a shadow of white perfection, but in the end, they could not compare to the beauty standing directly in front of him. 

How could they? The white frost covered everything around, and yet she stood next to the colorfully lit tree, head tilted upwards and letting their colors bathe her face in reds and yellows. Her eyes, closed and serene, took in their beauty, unaware of her own that outshone everything else around her. 

Oh, how he loved her. 

He has always loved her. Through the trials, through the heartache. Through the evil shenanigans of her identical twin sister, through the kidnapping and rescue from the diamond mines, and everything in between. Always, he has loved her. 

And finally, today, they would revel in their feelings for one another. 

“Frisk.”

She turned to look, her hair floating around her like soft waves of chestnut beauty at the movement, and he approached further, one hand pressed galant and considering against his chest. The light breeze fluttered his scarf, tugged it against the crystal snowflakes that swept against her cheeks as she stared, her closed eyes betraying no emotion.

Clearly so happy to see him again. 

“You are the prettiest human in Snowdin,” he praised, bowing slightly to her, and it was no exaggeration. Of all the humans in Snowdin - no! In all of The Underground, none other came even close to her beauty and emotionless expression, forever fixed in beautiful beauty.  

“Thank you, Papyrus,” she said sweetly, dipping her head downwards in beautiful modesty. Her blue and pink dress complimented her wonderfully today, as it always did, and he could only imagine how wonderful it would look twirling on the reception floor today. 

For the real reason of his visit was for one particular reason...and one only.

“Will you accompany me,” he requested, extending one hand cooly towards her, “to the mysterious wedding today?”

And that reason was exactly that - to ask for Frisk to join him for the mysterious wedding, the mysterious wedding that had been the talk of the town for weeks. No one knew who was getting married, not the shopkeepers nor the gossipers. All anyone knew was that the wedding was happening today, was happening soon, and everyone was preparing their outfits and their presents.

And their dates.

And Frisk would surely be his date for the mysterious wedding, he was certain of it. He felt his Soul lift as she let out a soft and beautiful sigh, her breath misting against the cold air...

Before she abruptly turned around, her back towards him. 

“No.”

He gasped - he could not help it. Surely this could not be! 

“B-but Frisk!” he protested, stepping forward with his hands outstretched, beseeching, “I love you!” How could she refuse him? His love, his one tried and tested love...surely she knew? Knew his feelings? He took another step forward, drawn to his love.

She paused, hesitated - oh why did she hesitate? She was half turned back towards him, back to his arms where she belonged. His Soul pulsed. 

“I...” she said, one hand held delicately under her lips. The light of the tree snuggled against her cheeks and chin as she hesitated again, before turning back towards him...

And finally spoke the words. 

“I love you,” she whispered, and he felt his Soul burst!

And not just his - hers too, he could just see it in her deadpanned expression! “I looooove you!” she cried out, for all the world to hear, hands and arms spread outwards. And even if there was no one else in the town square of Snowdin right now, he didn’t care, because those words were for him and him alone! 

She returned his feelings...as he knew she would! They were made for one another! Those words filled him with love and adoration, and even though he had had no doubts before, now he knew, for realsies, that they were meant to be.

Forever.

He was overcome with emotion - he had to make her his!

“Marry me, Frisk!” he declared boldly, falling to one knee in front of her and grasping onto one hand. Oh, how bold and straightforward he knew, but they were meant to be together, that was clear! He and Frisk would be married on the warmest summer day in this very clearing, and commit to their love for the rest of their loves. 

Only -

No, again, she turned away from him, hand slipping from his grasp. “No.”

No!

“Why?!” he cried out in supplication, rising upwards onto his feet. Why would she not marry him? Their feelings for one another...they belonged together! How could she deny him marriage?

“I...” she said, one hand held delicately under her lips. Her closed eyes spoke all the pain and heartache she felt as she turned back towards him. “I don’t love you.”

Wha...

“Whoopsies.”

“Frisk!” he howled into the universe, arms raised towards the sky, and the wind whipped his scarf into a frenzy of denied love. He fell to his knees - he could no longer stand. The love of his life...did not love him back! 

How could this world be so cruel!

Even still, the world was not yet finished with the injustices. “I am in love with another,” Frisk said, head bowed bashfully against her chest, and no, how could it be? His Frisk, the prettiest human in Snowdin...loved another!

Never!

“Who is this man?!” he demanded of her, one hand clenched against his chest. For he had to know! What man had stolen her affections from him, who sought to tear apart their perfect love? He would challenge him for Frisk’s love, of that he had no doubt! 

He would travel to the ends of the earth for Frisk’s love...much as he had that very morning, when her evil twin sister had hidden their birthright in the far reaches of the globe. There was nothing he would not do for Frisk.

And she must have known it too, felt it through their unbreakable bond of love. For the human turned back towards him, her deadpanned expression betraying her feelings. “He...”

He sucked in a breath.

“Is...”

Who? Who did Frisk love?!

“...you.”

He was...him. Him was he. He was...

He gasped, inhaled, joyful and wondrous and not at all like a squeaky toy getting the air sucked out of it all at once, no, much more cool and composed than that. But could he be blamed? No!

Frisk...Frisk loved him!

“I love you!” he declared joyfully, shuffling forward on his knees to grasp Frisk’s hand again. Her face also shone with joy and love as he got up, snuggled his cheeks against hers and felt her beautiful sigh against the side of his face. “Marry me, Frisk,” he requested again, for now that her love for him was confirmed, they had no obstacles in their way. 

Their love would forever stand against the seas of time...except...his hands were suddenly empty, his face suddenly devoid of sighing breaths as Frisk abruptly turned away, arms crossed.

“No.”

“Frisk!” he bellowed into the sky, once again brought to his knees as the lit up tree shook with the emotion of his love and friendship. The name caught on the wind and carried to the four corners of the globe, his love for her engraved onto every surface because they were meant to be.

Why? Why did fate conspire against them so? What evil worked so hard to prevent them their undying love for one another? Their love had been tested through so much...now, surely, he could be prepared for anything!

Except...the one thing it actually was.

“I am in love with your brother,” Frisk announced, hands held demurely against her chest, and he was filled with jealously!

“Sans?!” he exclaimed incredulously, hopping onto his feet, and he felt hot blooded rage flood through him! “Nngh - I’ll kill him when I find him!” he growled, hands clenched into fists in front of his face. 

Of course his brother would be the obstacle to their undying love! Corrupting humans left and right with his terrible puns and jokes, Sans had been after Frisk for years! How many times had he caught Frisk swooning helplessly in his brother’s arms as that roguish grin laughed at him, or seen that magically jealous blue eye spying from the shadows as he and Frisk danced the night away?!

He wanted to...he would go find his brother right now, and they would settle this like skeletons! Once and for all!

“Or he will find you!”

He gasped, whirling around, and he heard Frisk let out a gasp of her own. “Sans?!” they both cried out in surprise.

For there he was, appearing from the shadows cast by the blinding light of their true love. His tricycle was just a few feet away, tilting dangerously in the snow, but his brother’s grin was the most dangerous of all as he stalked forward, straightening out the bowtie on his neck. 

“The mysterious wedding has been our wedding all along,” Sans claimed, his mocking grin whiter than even the white that swirled around them all, and he gasped and whirled towards Frisk, who turned her head, one hand held delicately under her lips. 

No...Sans had planned this from the very beginning! Frisk...Frisk was!...

“Frisk and I are getting married at the wedding today!” his brother said gleefully, and he could only watch as Sans pulled Frisk against him, her delicately beautiful body swooning in his arms. He reached out one hand, wishing he could pull her away from the corruption of puns, but he was powerless.

Sans and Frisk...were getting married at the mysterious wedding today...his one true love! Stolen from him by his own brother! Clutched in his evil clutches!

“You are not invited,” Sans continued, that ever-present grin turning towards him as Frisk swayed into his brother, arms clutching weakly around his neck. “Will you be my best man?”

His brother was getting wed. Such a happy occasion! But to the love of his life...how the fates conspired!

“Of course, brother,” he whispered. “I hate you so much.”

Sans laughed, evilly, one arm around Frisk as he pulled her towards his getaway vehicle. “Goodbye, brother!” he called out, settling onto the tricycle as Frisk climbed up behind him, sliding her arms around Sans’ waist. “I’ll see you at the bachelor party!”

He would help make it the best bachelor party for his brother, ever. But for now...now, he could only stare, one hand outstretched, as his brother began pedaling away...and Frisk looked over her shoulder at him.

“Goodbye, Papyrus,” she whispered, and he felt his Soul break as she looked back at him, love shining clear through her deadpanned expression as the tricycle moved away into the distance. “I will always love you.”

They pedaled away, the snow swirling upwards in a cloud of perfect white as they disappeared over the horizon. Silence descended in the town square, devoid of light and love as the prettiest human in Snowdin slipped through his fingers. The only reminder of her presence was the wind, and the snowflakes that brushed against his scarf as he remained kneeling in the snow, handsome and cool against the backdrop of white. 

And it was to the wind that he cupped his hands to air, caught the last few snowflakes and raised them to his lips, and uttered his never ending love.

“Frisk...”

Gaster tried to surreptitiously wipe away at his eyes, but he was fairly sure he wasn’t being as discreet as he wished to be.

Not that it mattered - all the children were so fixated on the performance in front of them, that he could have gotten up and danced the salsa for all the attention they would have paid him. So he supposed there was no harm in letting out the smallest sob imaginable and dabbing at the corner of his eyes.

Papyrus had always been the creative and imaginative sort, but he’d never realized how much of a master story-weaver his son truly was. 

Said son was still caught up in the fantasy his playtime had created as he nuzzled his face against the fruit stand-in for Frisk, an apple with her familiar deadpanned expression drawn on and a sock-based dress. The spoon with goggle-eyes and a cotton strip of scarf, and the teddy bear with a bowtie and a wide smile that bore a remarkable resemblance to his eldest’s grin, lay to one side as Papyrus’ playtime came to an end.

And even now, Papyrus seemed completely unaware of the effect he’d caused - he could hear Toriel’s sobs from behind him, and Asgore’s head was stretched across his lap, tears soaking into his amorphous body. Alphys was clinging to his left arm, wearing a shirt that read Team Papyrus on it - he had no idea where she’d gotten it from - while Undyne clutched at the lizard monster. Both of them were bawling their eyes out.

In fact, the only two children that seemed unaffected by the performance were Sans, who was hanging off of his right arm and seemed more bemusedly curious about Papyrus’ playtime than anything, and Frisk, sitting in the front with her neutral deadpanned expression barely visible from what he could see. 

He needed to have a good long talk with the two of them. Expressing emotions was healthy, they had no reason to hide their feelings from the beautifully tragic plight of Papyrus’ lost love. 

Gaster had no idea, in fact, how said skeleton had failed to notice his audience, considering the bawling and sobbing that took over the entire playroom. He took the time to briefly wipe at his eyes again, as Papyrus gave Apple-Frisk one last kiss, before his eyes opened. 

And he set Frisk’s stand-in down onto the floor.

Pandemonium. 

“W-wait!” Alphys cried out, voice stuttering even more violently thanks to the hiccuping sobs she was taking to catch her breath, “t-t-that’s the e-end?”

“It c-can’t be,” Toriel insisted, and he could feel her paws clutching at the back of his left shoulder as she leaned forward, “that can’t be the e-end! W-what about Papyrus and F-Frisk?”

“Does he w-win Frisk back?” Asgore chimed in shakily, head raising from where it was pressed against his stomach to hide away from the heartache of Papyrus’ unending love. “He h-has to! He and Frisk are m-meant to be t-together!” 

By this point, Papyrus seemed to have realized the audience his playtime had drawn, but his confused “NYEH?” echoed emptily around the room in the sudden silence.

Quickly followed by another round of pandemonium. 

“Are you crazy, flower boy?” Undyne said, wiping away her tears as she pushed herself upwards. “Frisk and Sans are t-totes in love! They’re getting married!”

“Only ‘cause Sans stole her,” Toriel cut in accusingly, and the memory of Papyrus’ evil love-stealing brother seemed to entice a fresh set of tears into her eyes. “She and Papy have been in love with each other forever - he saved her from the diamond smugglers! It’s n-not right!” she added, with Asgore nodding furiously from his other side.

“B-b-but Frisk c-clearly doesn’t love him like t-that!” Alphys commented shakily, clutching her claws together, “t-that’s why she’s getting m-married to Sans!”

“Al,” Asgore groaned, “you can’t really believe that! What about your shirt?”

The reminder had the lizard monster blinking the last of her tears away as she glanced downwards, and blushed heavily. “O-oh, yeah,” Alphys murmured, claws playing with the hem of said shirt as she furtively glanced around, like a child with her claw caught in the cookie jar. “B-but,” she continued - and whispered something that even he, sitting directly next to hear, struggled to hear. 

“What?” Toriel questioned, also leaning forward, and Alphys’ head ducked even lower against her chest.

“...I k-kinda ship b-b-both...”

A series of collective groans from the assembled children. “You ship everything, Al,” Undyne complained, folding her arms, and the lizard monster blushed an even darker shade of red, setting off another chain of arguments over which skeleton Apple-Frisk deserved the most. 

By contrast, the real Frisk was still placidly sitting in front of him, seemingly unaffected by the chaos of her stand-ins placed affections. Though he did catch the look she and Sans threw each other - equal parts confusion, resignation, and just a hint of exasperation. 

He could understand their frustrations. Clearly, Apple-Frisk was better off wrapping up loose ends with her evil twin sister first, before she ended up back in the picture to ruin the wedding. 

But he knew better than to attempt and argue with children who had opinions, and very limited understanding of compromises aside from “I’m right you’re wrong!” As such, Gaster only wiped at his eyes once more, sniffling a bit. 

To think his son had such a beautiful talent for the dramatic...he probably should have seen it coming.

“UM - ”

The arguing abruptly stopped as all the children turned, as one, to look at Papyrus, who was still clutching Apple-Frisk in his hands and looking decidedly confused. “DID YOU ALL WISH TO PLAY WITH ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS?” he assumed, getting up and walking over to the little pile they had going. “DO NO WORRY! I AM A BEST FRIEND OF THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF COOL! I AM CAPABLE OF PLAYING WITH ALL!”

“Papy,” Toriel sniffed, wiping under her nose with one paw, “you h-have to tell us! What happens next?”

“Yeah Paps,” Undyne agreed, rushing forward to grab onto one of the younger skeleton’s hands, “you’ve gotta finish! Do the diamond smugglers steal the birthright? What’s Frisk’s evil twin sister planning now, huh?! Does Sans marry Frisk?”

“You mean does Papyrus marry Frisk,” Asgore corrected aggressively, but he turned hopeful goat eyes onto the skeleton in question. “Tell us!”

The skeleton seemed completely taken aback at their collective enthusiasm, though he held one hand under his chin, appearing to think deeply. “UH - ” he said, eyebrows furrowed. 

He vaguely heard all the other children inhale alongside him.

“I DON’T KNOW.”

“Ngaaah!” Undyne screamed, flinging her arms into the sky, but she was not, by far, the only one to express her displeasure, as various groans and moans filled the air. 

For his part, Papyrus folded his arms. “FRIENDS,” he chided, as if he hadn’t just cast the rest of the day into upheaval for himself and the other children at the orphanage, “A COOL STORY IS LIKE A COOL PUZZLE! FULL OF SLIPPERY PLOTS AND DASTARDLY DOTS! PIECES AND RIDDLES AND JAPERS AND CAPERS! YOU MUST IMAGINE A STORY AS YOU GO!”

“Then keep going!” the fish monster demanded, squeezing Papyrus’ arm tight enough to have the younger skeleton’s eyes bulging slightly. “C’mon ‘ya bonehead, whaddya imagining right now?!”

“probably imagining playtime without the sleke-ton of people around,” Sans commented idly, finally joining in the conversation, and predictably, Papyrus’ eyes became even more overblown and bulging. 

“LA LA LA, I’M IMAGINING A STORY SANS,” the skeleton claimed, hands hovering over his ears, “A STORY WHERE PUNS DON’T EXIST!”

“wow. sounds like a bone-tiful world of - mmph!” Sans protested through Toriel’s paw, which had come down to menacingly slap over the skeleton’s mouth, presumably to keep Sans from spoiling Papyrus’ concentration. 

It seemed to have the desired effect as Papyrus grinned happily, folding his arms in a defiant and pun-free pose...though he resumed his thinking posture, one hand holding his chin and the other on his hip, as the entirety of the orphanage waited with baited breath. “NYEH,” he said consideringly, “MAYBE IT WOULD HELP THE AWESOME COOL OF MY IMAGINATION IF I HAD SOME HELP - ”

“Help?!” Undyne butt in, jumping the gun as she leapt forward, “you want help? Sans! Frisk!” she called, head whipping towards the two startled children - and then deigned to wait for an answer, already striding forward and picking both of them up over her head, one in each hand. “You guys can act it all out!” she declared, “where d’ya wanna ‘em?!”

“Oh my,” Toriel gasped, paws held over her mouth, “that’s a great idea! This’ll be like a movie!”

“H-hey, yeah,” Asgore said agreeably, eyes brightening. “Frisk! I’ll go get our flower crowns, you and Papyrus can use ‘em!”

“Her and Sans can use ‘em!” Undyne shouted after the already disappearing goat monster, the two children still held aloft in her hands. Frisk’s expression was neutrally deadpanned, clearly used to the shenanigans of the monster children by now.

Sans, on the other hand, seemed to be getting mildly concerned by this point. “uh, buddy,” he called downwards, tilting his head back, “this whole thing smells kinda fishy.” The skeleton paused long enough to shoot Frisk a finger gun and a wink as the pun made the human giggle lightly, but he didn’t let up his interrogation. “what gives?”

“Shut it, bonehead,” the fish monster said diplomatically, finally placing Frisk and Sans near the middle of the playroom. She didn’t wait for a response however, merely bound towards one side to drag the play table over to them, and even went so far as to drape a yellow blanket over it. 

“I-I have a pretty napkin Frisk c-can use,” Alphys chimed in helpfully, rushing towards her ‘lab’ that was situated in one corner of the playroom, and Undyne whooped and rushed to help her dig for it. 

“NYEH HEH HEH, YES,” Papyrus intoned, rubbing at his skull with both hands. “I SEE IT!”

“Um...see what?” Frisk questioned.

“THE IMAGINATIONS OF A COOL SKELETON LIKE ME, OF COURSE,” the youngest skeleton boasted, transferring one hand to hold it against his chest. “PLAYTIME WILL CONTINUE WITH ACT TWO, SCENE TWO - THE WEDDING!”

A brief silence fell over the playroom, and Gaster looked around for some tissues as he settled himself in for Act Two, Scene Two - The Wedding.

“...uh. what?”

“Howdy, Sans,” Asgore said solemnly, paws held together as if he was reading something from them, or mimicking the holding of a book, “Do you take Frisk as your wife?”

Gaster almost felt sorry for Sans, his grin having a decidedly strained edged to it as he fiddled with the bowtie that had been stripped from the teddy bear, only for Asgore’s paw to reach out and slap his hand down for the fourth time. He looked rather ridiculous wearing that bowtie with his customary hoodie and pants.

Though...no more so than Frisk, if truth were to be told. The fancy napkin did indeed have a nice pattern on it, and served as a sort of veil down the back of Frisk’s head, only held by the golden flower crown circling her forehead. Sans’ own flower crown was less fitting on his stark white head, but Gaster doubted the children really cared much for the details at the moment. 

Someone coughed pointedly in the wedding audience - namely, Alphys, who was sitting next to Toriel in front of the pair. Undyne’s red ponytail could be seen peeking out from behind a nearby chair, apparently having rehearsed something with Papyrus beforehand. 

He didn’t mind being out of the loop. Spoilers ruined the drama. 

The cough was enough to prompt Sans into action however, and the skeleton sighed, his expression taking on a resigned sort of tilt as he slid his hands into his pockets, grinning down at the human. “yup,” he answered simply. 

“Cool,” Asgore said, mimicking the flipping of book pages as he turned towards Frisk, “and - “

“don’t worry pal, you’ll get your chance.”

“Do you - wuh?” the goat monster stumbled over the words, thrown off guard by San’s remark, “whaddya - ”

“you know,” the skeleton said calmly, grin taking a decidedly mischievous turn, “next playtime, you can have this part, and i’ll look up a good tu-toriel to get you ready for your marriage to - ”

“DoyouFrisktakeSansasyourhusband!” Asgore bleated, face red and burning under the white fur as Sans chuckled, shooting a giggling Toriel a finger gun.

“Okay,” Frisk said agreeably, both hands clasped around the single golden flower that was substituting for a full blown bouquet. 

“Great,” the goat monster said hurriedly, slamming his paws closed as he glanced nervously towards the still mischievously smiling Sans. “T-then, by the power of love and cool friendship, I pronounce you both, skeleton and - ”

“I OBJECT!”

“Papyrus?” Frisk said questioningly, turning around as Papyrus came around from his poorly concealed hiding spot behind the table Asgore had been standing on. 

“papyrus,” Sans said in surprise, clearly completely caught off guard by his brother’s surprise appearance. He wasn’t sure how - surely, Sans would have known by now that Papyrus would fight to the ends of the earth for his one true love.

“FRISK!” Papyrus cried out, interposing himself between the soon to be married couple, arms outstretched. “PLEASE! I CANNOT LET YOU MARRY MY BROTHER. BECAUSE YOU SEE,” the skeleton continued, bringing one hand in to clutch at his chest, “I HAVE A TERRIBLE SECRET I HAVE BEEN KEEPING FROM YOU!”

“No way,” Frisk said, as Sans assumed a position of great surprise. Or at least, that’s what it looked like - the skeleton was leaning backwards, hands still held casually in his pockets, but he was blinking very rapidly. 

“YES!” Papyrus affirmed, turning towards Frisk more fully. “FRISK! I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT I...THAT I...!”

He sucked in a breath.

“I LOVE YOU!”

Oh, Papyrus you fool...why did you not tell her before all of this came to pass?

“Papyrus,” Frisk murmured, swooning into the skeleton’s arms, which came around her to dip the human downwards...sort of. Frisk flailed a bit as she was almost dropped onto the floor. “I love you too.”

“MARRY ME, FRISK!” Papyrus begged, “NOT MY BROTHER!”

A pause. Someone coughed.

“NOT MY BROTHER.”

“oh!” Sans started, apparently having almost fallen asleep at some point. But the skeleton intervened like the dastardly love-stealer he was, grabbing onto one of Frisk’s hands. “you’re too late, brother,” the elder skeleton said, and pulled from his pocket -

Another golden flower. Except this one was wound into a very small circle, looking almost like -

...No. Papyrus, hurry! Don’t let him!

“frisk is my wife,” Sans proclaimed, slipping the golden flower ring onto the human’s hand and holding it up into the air. 

He could almost hear the organ music playing ominously in the background.

“NO!” Papyrus cried out, releasing Frisk back to her own two feet to drop down to his knees. “FRISK!”

“yup,” Sans said mercilessly, linking hands with the human who had just become his bride...although his grin took a dangerous turn. “i think we’re gonna have a pretty marry life together - ”

“NO PUNS,” Papyrus said aggressively, breaking character to glare up at his brother, and Sans backed off, his free hand raised to ward off his brother’s anger. “GOOD! NOW, WHERE WAS - OH YEAH.” 

Inhale.

“FRIIIIIIIIISK!”

“Hold it right there!”

“Gasp,” Frisk said placidly, barely heard underneath Toriel and Alphys’ much louder gasps of ‘surprise’ as Undyne suddenly sprung outwards from the chair. Her eyepatch had been pushed down over her eye, and she had a spear expressed in one hand as she stalked forward, fangs bared.

“That’s right!” the fish monster crowed, “you didn’t think you’d escaped from the diamond smugglers, didya? Hmm?!” 

No...the diamond smugglers! So they had followed Frisk’s trail from this morning.

“After all” Undyne the diamond smuggler sneered as she approached, “even the prettiest human in Snowdin has a way huge secret to keep! A secret she thought was lost in the diamond mines of Papyland forever!”

This time, Alphys and Toriel’s gasps were louder than his own as Sans turned towards Frisk, eyebrows raised. “what secret,” he said. 

“SAAAANS!” Papyrus hissed quite loudly from under his breath. “USE YOUR IMAGINATION, YOU LAZYBONES! TRY TO BE COOL, LIKE ME!”

“oh,” the eldest skeleton said, cocking his head slightly, before he took a breath and slapped his hands against his cheeks with an audible pop! of sound. “what secret?!” he questioned worriedly. 

“Ha!” Undyne scoffed, expression fierce as she twirled her spear in one hand, “only a secret that this human would die to protect! Frisk is - !” 

Her twirling spear came to stop, pointed directly at the human.

“Not Frisk!”

What? How?! Gaster surreptitiously pulled the box of tissues closer to himself, having a distinct feeling he’d need them soon. 

“That’s right!” Undyne jeered, amidst the shocked and scandalized gasps from the audience and Papyrus. “You really thought you could hide it from us, Frisk?” This fish monster stalked forward, her spear disappearing as she pulled a towel from nowhere, holding it up menacingly. “Or should I say...ngah!”

The towel was swept over Frisk, dramatically revealing none other than -

“FRISKY!” Papyrus exclaimed, falling backwards a step. “FRISK’S EVIL TWIN SISTER!”

“Bwa ha ha,” Frisky said plainly, holding up her hands with fingers curled inwards to mimic evil claws. “It was me all along. Now I will get the inheritance from the Bone Brothers, and Frisk will be left with nothing. Bwa ha ha.”

“Not so fast, Frisky!”

...Wait, what?”

“tori?” sans asked, as they all turned to look at the now standing goat monster in the audience.

“No Sans,” Toriel said, striding forward with confidence steps, “I am not really Toriel. Toriel is not who I really am! I too, have been hiding a terrible secret from you all.” The goat monster paused, paws clasped to her chest - before she suddenly reached forward and snatched the towel from Undyne’s grasp. “For you see! All along I have really been - !”

The towel swept over Toriel, revealing -

Gaster gasped, as did the entire room. It couldn’t be - it wasn’t possible! But it was -

“FRISK!”

“frisk?”

“F-Frisk!?”

“Oh my! Do not worry,” Tori-Frisk exclaimed, “it is I, Frisk, heiress to Snowdin’s candy fortune, and the diamond mines of Papyland! Begone, evil twin sister!”

“Curse yooouuuu,” Frisky said, voice fading as she was ejected from the wedding, banished to the far side of the playroom. 

“mwa ha ha,” Sans said in a passably evil manner, grabbing onto Tori-Frisk’s hand, “then i must make you mine! frisk, marry me now.”

“Wait - ” Asgore suddenly said, looking up from his ‘book’ to stare in confusion, “I thought the wedding was suppose to be called off now.”

Sans and Toriel both paused, glancing over towards Papyrus, who was making circular motions against his skull again. “NO!” the skeleton said, “KEEP GOING! MY COOL IMAGINATIONS ARE IMAGINING A COMPLETED WEDDING, SO THAT THE MARRIAGE CAN BE BROKEN OFF IN THE NEXT PLAYTIME! FRIIIISK!” he cried in supplication, once again falling to his knees as the love of his life was wrenched from his grasp. 

“B-but - ”

“I’m sorry, Papyrus,” Tori-Frisk said, head turned modestly away from him, “there are so many terrible secrets I have! Just know that I...I will always love you,” she whispered.

“FRISK...”

“sorry brother,” Sans said as he held hands with Tori-Frisk, evil grin on his face, “this mysterious wedding will finish today. with a wedding. between me and frisk!”

“Wait - ”

“frisk,” the skeleton said, and used their linked hands to pull Tori-Frisk close to him, “i take you as my wi - ”

“I object!”

Wha...scandalous! The officiator himself objecting to the wedding?!

He clearly wasn’t the only one to think so. From the audience, Alphys gasped, clutching at a pillow so tightly it was close to ripping apart at the seams, as everyone at the podium paused, glancing towards the goat monster. “NYEH?” Papyrus questioned, putting a voice to all of their thoughts.

Asgore flushed, right up to his horns. “B-because,” he stammered, “because...I-I-I, also, have a t-terrible secret!”

No!

“YOU DO?” Papyrus questioned, one hand twitching upwards to his skull. Apparently, this had not been a part of his imagined imaginations. 

“Y-Yeah!” Asgore claimed, stumbling down from the table to grab at the discarded towel. “For you s-see, I’m really - ”

Woosh.

“S-Sans!”

“Sans!” Tori-Frisk exclaimed, right behind Papyrus’ blurted, “BROTHER!” 

“T-that’s right!” Gore-Sans declared, face still exceedingly red as he glanced furtively between the goat and skeleton children still holding hands, the two of them completely caught off guard by this turn of events. “I’m really Sans! S-Sans the skeleton!”

“THEN,” Papyrus said slowly, and as one, three sets of eyes turned towards Sans, who dropped Tori-Frisk’s hands as they all took one gigantic step towards him, “WHO ARE YOU?”

The faux-skeleton backed up a step. “uh - ”

Woosh went the towel, revealing -

...

“Papyrus!” Tori-Frisk exclaimed in surprise, recoiling backwards. “It was you the whole time!”

“NYEH?!” Papyrus screeched, as Gore-Sans gaped. “T-THEN, I MUST BE - ”

Woosh.

“A-Asgore!” Gore-Sans cried out, “you were trying to m-marry Frisk the whole time!”

“NYOO HOO HOO!” Pap-Gore wailed, hands in the air, “MY BRILLIANT SCHEME HAS FAILED! FRISK SHALL NEVER BE MINE!” The skeleton sobbed for a moment, before dutifully climbing onto the table. “I HAVE NO CHOICE, MY EVIL BROTHER. I MUST FULFILL MY DUTIES AS THE LAWS OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP REQUIRE! FRISK,” he paused, as he mournfully held up his hands in the shape of a book, “I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.”

“Oh, Asgore,” Tori-Frisk sniffed, reaching forward to hold hands with a stiff looking Gore-Sans, “I will always love you, too.”

“...I ship it,” whispered Alphys from the front row, eyes watery as Undyne held an arm around in her support, her own eyes having once again grown misty as well. 

Gore-Sans was suppose to laugh evilly to cement his terrible victory, in Gaster’s own humble opinion, but Gore-Sans only let out a tiny bleated sound, entire body flushed red at this point. “Guh - ”

“AND YOU, NOT BROTHER,” Pap-Gore intoned, glaring over at Gore-Sans. “CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MOST COOLEST DAY. I HATE YOU SO MUCH.”

“Mmrafble - ”

“I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU GOAT AND SKELETON,” Pap-Gore cried out, closing his ‘book’ with a resounding snap, and he raised his hands to his lips in defeat as Tori-Frisk lessened the distance, eyes closed and lips protruding out towards the heavily breathing Gore-Sans. “FRISK,” he whispered, as their lips made contact.

The sound of sobbing had once again taken over the playroom, and Gaster passed the box of tissues to Undyne and Alphys as he dabbed at his own eyes once more. 

Gerson would not be pleased to learn they’d used up their entire supply of tissues for the month, in a single afternoon. 

If he only knew what pain poor Papyrus had undergone in his quest for Frisk’s love.

If only he knew...

Asgore was making a really weird sound, like he was trying not to speak but couldn’t help screaming through clenched lips all the same. Sounded like someone had really gotten his goat.

...Heh. 

As for himself, he was kinda glad to be outta that mess. It’d been getting pretty crazy at the end there. Who was he suppose to even be? Papyrus masquerading as himself this whole time? Or himself who’d been turned into Paps? He had no idea.

Supposed it didn’t matter much now as Sans stared out the window for a moment, looking at the brightly lit day, before turning back to Frisk. “welp,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets, “that was probably the best playtime paps has ever had.” He grinned and winked at the human, as the sounds of Papyrus’ mournful calls for “FRIIIIIISK!” filled the area. “guess you could say that was a bone-a-fide performance, huh.”

The fairly neutral expression she’d had through the entire thing seemed to split open as Frisk smiled, then her mouth squinted, and she startled giggling. Stuttered giggles, like she was trying to hold it in, but giggles all the same, and he grinned wider. 

The motion made the flower crown and napkin on her head slip downwards, upsetting their delicate balance, and he reached out to balance them. “whoops,” he chuckled, sliding them back up her head, “don’t wanna mess up asgore’s crowning achievement, heh.”

Frisk snorted, but remained patiently still as he struggled with the ensemble for a moment, before he finally got it to sit right on her head. Probably a lost cause though - he could already feel his crown unraveling on his forehead, thanks to all the jostling and towel woosh!-ing that had gone on. Frisk’s was probably on its way to unraveling soon too. 

The human seemed to realize it as well, for her eyebrows furrowed downwards for a moment - before she suddenly stepped forward, right into his face. “u-uh, buddy? what’re you - ”

The hands on his forehead were gentle, before they became firm, and Sans stilled as they drifted upwards and began re-weaving the loose flowers on his crown. 

He struggled not to fidget. 

Because the human was...heh. Close.

Like...really close to his face.

He finally stuffed his hands back into his pockets, where they felt most comfortable, and tried to remind himself that she was just fixing his flower crown. It’d make Asgore kinda sad to see them ruined. He didn’t need to think about how uncomfortable it was to have Frisk’s face almost right up to his, her weird closed-eyed stare so close, that it felt like she was looking right at him instead of up at his forehead. 

Don’t think about the heat he could feel on his cheeks, because this was...really, really, awkward. 

Until it wasn’t anymore, and Sans struggled to hold in the light sigh of relief as she moved back away from him, flower crown apparently set to rights. He couldn’t stop his feet from twisting slightly though, moving for sheer want to do anything at all.

“heh. thanks pal,” he said gratefully, reaching upwards to finger at the crown for a moment. “flower you able to do that, anyways? asgore teach you?” Frisk nodded in the affirmative, and he should’ve figured. The goat monster had said he was going to do as much, before...though at the time, he’d been pretty preoccupied thinking about...other things. “you’ve really goat him good. he usually doesn’t wanna touch his flowers at all.”

That statement seemed to bring Frisk up to pause for a moment, before she reached into her sleeve, pulling out - oh yeah, that single golden flower that had been the wedding bouquet. How she’d managed to hold onto it during the chaos, he had no idea. 

Neither did Frisk, it seemed, for she fingered it for a moment...before she abruptly brought it upwards, clasped in both her hands as if it really was an entire bouquet. He grinned as she posed, looking just as silly as she had in front of the fake podium. 

With the sunlight shining brightly through the window, making the golden flowers almost look like they were glowing and highlighting every angle on her face. 

With the moonlight that struck every line, every smile and every frown, washing her face in a pale and lonely glow. 

Sans blinked, bringing himself out of that memory of his first private encounter with the human. “h-heh,” he murmured, and struggled not to twist his toes onto themselves again. Frisk was looking at him with a tilted head - he’d been staring. He could feel the flush on his cheeks, and he tried to ignore it as he shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as he could. “s’good look on you, frisk,” he complimented.

She tilt her head the other way, and smiled. 

Wow...it was, really bright in the playroom. Sun was really bright outside. His grin widened. 

“Do you wanna get married?”

Er - 

“uh,” he said out loud, thrown off by the sudden remark. From behind them, the sounds of the wedding still seemed in full progress - apparently Undyne was confessing to the diamond smuggler’s illegal trade of diamond smuggling - but it seemed like such a...weird thing to suddenly say, considering the two of them weren’t playing anymore.

...Unless she meant -

“When you grow up? Do you wanna marry someone?”

“o-oh,” he stammered, blinking rapidly. That...made more sense. “nah,” he said easily, calming down as he shrugged lightly, hands still held loosely in his pockets. “seems like a skele-ton of trouble, to be honest.” He chuckled slightly under his breath. “least, that’s what it always seemed like, with my dad ‘n mom.”

Frisk nodded contemplatively, twirling the golden flower in one hand. She seemed to be thinking hard on something, and part of Sans - the part that liked doing nothing at all, his favorite part - was already thinking about where he could settle down for a well deserved nap.

But the other part, the one that was still thinking about the sunlight outside and the way the golden flowers fell against Frisk’s forehead, couldn’t help but wonder why she was asking in the first place. Just a curiosity brought about from playtime?

Or...or something more specific in mind?...

“...and?” he finally questioned, causing Frisk to do her strange eye-squinting thing and blink up at him. “c’mon kid, don’t leave me hanging,” he teased, elbowing her lightly. “you wanna get married? hey. the more the marry-er, right?”

Frisk snort-giggled, the smile on her face stretching wider as she looked back down at her flower. “Maybe” she said, and the light momentarily caught on the white fabric of the napkin hanging down the back of her head. “My mom and dad...” The human paused here, face crinkling inwards. “They always made it seem like it was...easy. Really easy. Like, they were soulmates.” Frisk paused, head tilting sideways again. “But others...well. It seems like for most people, it’s not really that easy.”

He almost wanted to ask.

But Gaster always said that the past was the past, and it wasn’t nice to ask about someone else’s past. The same way he wouldn’t want to be asked about the daycare, and other stuff. 

So he didn’t ask. Instead, he just nodded, frowning a little as Frisk’s face stayed all crinkly-like. “welp, i think,” he said, pulling a hand from his pocket to brandish the golden flower. He grinned as the human startled, glancing down at her now empty hands, before looking back up at him.

“you’ve just gotta flower your heart.”

That did it.

The crinkly look vanished, replaced by Frisk’s attempts to keep her laughter hidden, but she failed as they burst forth, escaping from behind the hands she was using to try and keep them contained. The sunlight was bright again as they both chuckled, highlighting against the golden flowers in her hair.

And Sans reacted without thinking, reaching forward to tuck the flower behind Frisk’s left ear. 

She started again, reaching up to feel the newly acquired flower as he tucked his hands safely into his pockets again. She grinned up at him, and he grinned back, felt his cheeks pulling to the point of aching - but not the same kind of ache, the one he felt if he grinned for too long. It was a...weird kind of ache. Like he wanted to stop smiling, but seriously...he just couldn’t. 

Heh. Weird.

“I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU GASTER-GOAT AND META-GORE!”

Though not as weird as some things in this house. 

Welp. That was still fine with him. Sans chuckled as Frisk reached over to take his hand, leading him towards the building blocks, and the two of them spent the rest of playtime assembling and breaking down audience cue cards for the coolest performance ever recorded in The Underground.

Chapter Text

She was used to not having too much, not like she used to have.

Oh of course, she loved her books and her knitting, and she almost always had the ingredients to bake as many butterscotch cinnamon pies as she wanted. She wasn’t complaining!

But she was also a pretty smart cookie, if she did say so herself, so she knew that really, those things were pretty small in the really big picture. She knew that The Underground really didn’t have that much money, despite how vast it was - that’s why she still had her lovely Ruins, because Gaster didn’t have the money to fix it. It’s why the house still had its weird but fun rooms with their weird but really fun heat and cold. 

Even if Gaster had the money, she wasn’t sure if she wanted those rooms fixed. There was just something exciting about exploring a snow forest in Snowdin, or jumping over the lava pits in Hotland. 

Still, Toriel knew that The Underground really didn’t have a lot of things, the way other houses and families did. Of course Gerson did his best, and always came every month with new supplies for them. He tried his hardest. 

But sometimes, the hardest work still wasn’t good enough. She knew what that felt like - trying her best, and still failing.

“NO NOODLES?” Papy said, and the look on his face immediately had Toriel wrapping an arm around him in comfort. 

Gaster sighed and leaned away from the box they were all crowding around. He had a smile on his face, but it was that weird sort of droopy smile, that one that said he was hiding on the inside a little bit. “I’m sorry son,” the skeleton said, “I’m afraid not this time.”

Or last time, she remembered. Toriel gave Papyrus another comforting pat on the shoulder as she felt them droop underneath her paw. “It’s okay Papy,” she said consolingly, “I’m sure we’ll get some more noodles next month.”

The skeleton nodded, but still looked kinda down. She understood. 

Because last month, she hadn’t gotten any new cinnamon either. Which had been okay, because she’d still had some, but now she only had a couple teaspoons left. She’d been hoping for some more this month, but...it didn’t look like there was any. 

Alphys frowned unhappily at the box of meager supplies, probably searching for her copper wires and computer chips, and all the other complicated stuff she used to build her robots and projects. Nothing was there, however, aside from a few canned foods and one fuzzy blanket. “Not even a-any batteries?” she asked quietly.

Gaster only shook his head, and the lizard monster shrunk down a bit. 

Toriel frowned. This was the second month without a lot of the stuff they usually got from Gerson. She wondered if something was going on in town, because she knew that the town helped The Underground out a bit, with a little bit of money. That’s how Gerson usually got all the food and stuff, because getting noodles out of the Garbage Dump? Gross.

But maybe they weren’t giving them money anymore? Why though?

“Is something wrong?” Frisk asked, unwittingly asking her own question as she peered up at Gaster. “With the town?”

The skeleton shook his head again, but he seemed sorta unsure as he reached out to pat the human on the head. “Ebott Town is simply struggling with its supply chain at the moment,” he answered, which, she guessed meant the town was having trouble getting stuff for them to buy the stuff? 

Maybe. 

“Most are self-reliant enough to avoid trouble with this issue,” Gaster went on to explain, “but...well. We will simply have to go without some of our pleasures, for a short while.”

“LIKE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI,” Papyrus said mournfully, and Gaster nodded solemnly. 

“don’t worry pap,” Sans spoke up, “i bet the town will ketchup in no time.” She giggled at the pun, but she wasn’t fooled. The skeleton was clutching hard at his last half bottle of ketchup and looked like he had no intention of ever letting it go, ever. 

“Yes yes,” Gaster said absently, over the sound of Papy’s grinding teeth, “I’m certain they will. In the meantime, let us all go back to our lives and make due as best as we can.”

Overhead, the lights suddenly flickered. As one they all startled, and looked upwards, as the lights did it one more time, before turning back on.  

...Huh. 

Winter was on its way. 

Even though she liked spring the best, winter was still one of her favorites. It was always fun to play in the snow and drink hot cocoa with marshmellows, and the cold weather made her cozy home in the Ruins all the more cozier.

It also made the rest of the house colder, and even though it was still fall, the evening and nighttimes had gotten much colder than normal. Tonight was really cold for some reason, though. So much so that Toriel actually shivered on her way back from brushing her teeth, wrapping her paws around herself as she walked down the hallway. From the other side, she could hear the boys getting ready for bed as well -

“paps, i would never make any blanket statements like that.”

“NYEEEH!”

- but she passed them by and entered the opposite door, eager to get huddled under her warm blankets and away from the cold. 

“Ngaaah!” Undyne said, wide eyes peeking out from where she was wrapped head to toe in her blanket, looking something like a pig in a blanket. Or should she say, a fish in a blanket, tee hee. “Why’s it so cold already, huh? Go away, cold!”

“I w-wish Mr. Gaster would l-l-let us sleep i-in Hotland,” Alphys commented from her own bed, shivering slightly as she carefully tucked away those cartoons she loved so much underneath her bed. The lizard monster was wearing a thin sweater over her normal pajamas, Toriel noticed. Alphys liked the cold about as much as Undyne liked the hot. “But he’s s-s-scared we’ll b-burn up while we s-s-sleep.”

“Hotland’s too hot anyways,” the fish monster scoffed, wriggling around a bit to scowl at Alphys. “We should get to sleep in Waterfall! It’s the best room in the whole entire house!”

“But it’s full of water,” Frisk commented - rather sensibly in her opinion - from where she was sitting on their bed, her blanket wrapped around her shoulders. 

The sight made Toriel smile as she climbed up next to her human-sis, a smile that was returned. She was so glad they’d managed to figure something out, when Frisk had moved into the girl’s bedroom a month ago. It had meant spending even more time with the other girl. And also watching over her as they slept. 

No mean monsters or humans were going to sneak into this house in the middle of the night and pick on her human. No one had better even think it. 

Of course, they hadn’t really had room to put another bed in the bedroom, and she still remembered the way Frisk’s face had fallen a bit as she’d tried to hide and pretend that it was okay, she would just sleep in the spare room. 

She would have, too, Toriel was certain of it. At least until Undyne had growled, grabbed Frisk’s bed, and jammed it against her own to make a double bed, and it had been genius. And it still had been genius, even when Undyne had loudly complained when she’d shoved the bed against her own bed instead, because she’d found Frisk first and she was Frisk’s goat-sis, so it was only right that they share a megabed between the two of them, not Frisk and Undyne. 

There...may or may not have been a FIGHT about it, one that Gaster may or may not have interrupted by forcing them to flip a sleeping Sans to settle it. He’d come up tails, so she’d won. 

“Duh.” Undyne rolled her eyes and hunched deeper into her blanket cocoon. “That’s what makes it the best!”

“Don’t be silly,” Toriel chided, cuddling against Frisk’s side. Her human-sis immediately opened up her blanket, and she was quick to dart inside and close it back around her, the two of them forming a warm cocoon. “We can’t sleep in Waterfall, we’ll all fall in the water!”

“And probably d-d-drown in our s-sleep,” Alphys added helpfully.

“No way!” Undyne proclaimed, forgetting her cold for a moment as she leapt onto her feet, springing on the mattress. “I’d totes keep you safe!”

“R-really?” the lizard monster perked up.

“Totally!” The fish girl crossed her arms proudly, toothy smile fierce on her face as she grinned down at Alphys. “If you fell in the water I’d totally dive down there like, ngaaaah, and carry you back to the surface. I wouldn’t care even if you fell in really deep!”

“Gosh,” Alphys murmured, and she could barely pick up the faintest red glow on the lizard monster’s cheeks, “t-that’s so b-b-brave of - ”

“Just like Mew Mew did when that dorky human slipped and fell into the fountain!”

Toriel struggled not to giggle as the blush on Alphys’ face grew deeper, though the yellow monster slithered underneath her blankets until only the tip of her head was poking out next to the pillows. She seemed kinda embarrassed for some reason...and maybe a little sad.

She didn’t know why. Undyne could bluster and laugh all she wanted, but it was obvious to anyone that the fish monster liked dorks. Dork was practically her love name for all the kids in The Underground. 

She didn’t want to embarrass Alphys in front of Undyne any further though, so she settled on throwing the lizard monster an understanding look. “Didn’t Mew Mew end up falling in love with that human she saved, though?” she pretend-asked, even though they had watched that episode only a week ago for Undyne’s movie night. 

She also pretended not to notice the way Alphys’ head suddenly stilled, as if she herself was just remembering that fact. 

“Oh yeah,” Undyne murmured, a contemplative look on her face as she recalled that episode, and Toriel felt Frisk shift next to her as the fish monster stared up at the ceiling, eyebrows furrowed.

Before she abruptly shivered, the cold seemingly catching back up to her, and dropped back down onto her bed.

Undyne, you silly.

“That’s ‘cause he was totes Mew Mew’s soulmate,” the fish monster said easily as if that explained everything, wrapping herself back up in her blanket. “I would save anyone who fell in Waterfall,” she went on to boast, “and I’d do it with more flower swords than any human ever could!” 

“Yeah,” she said, side-eyeing the head of Alphys that had poked out to reveal rounded glasses by this point, “and then maybe you’ll fall in love with them!”

Okay - maybe she wanted to embarrass Alphys in front of Undyne just a little bit.

“Puh-lease,” Undyne said derisively, seemingly oblivious to the way Alphys’ head hurriedly retreated back underneath the covers with a muffled squeak, “like you’re one to talk.” A sly look stole over the fish monster’s face. “That’s totally why you like Asgore, huh? Huuuh?” 

Asg - when did Gorey suddenly become a part of this?

“I bet you guys met when he tripped and fell into some flowers or something,” Undyne continued mercilessly, and she huffed, ignoring the faint heat she could feel starting to pick up in her cheeks, “‘cause he’s a total dork. And you had to dive in and save him from all the flowers, and that’s when you started to liiiike him.”

“Nu-uh!” she protested, curling her side of the blanket defensively around herself. Even Frisk was starting to grin now, and she huffed again, leaning forcibly against her human-sis’ shoulder. 

“Yeah-huh!” Undyne insisted, clambered onto her feet - still wrapped up in her blanket, and the motion made her look like a giant caterpillar squirming onto its back legs. “I bet he was all like, aaaaah help me I’m a total dork!” The fish monster’s imagination had started getting the best of her, and Undyne whirled around to face Alphys’ bed, where those round glasses were once again peering over the top of the blanket. “And you were all like, oh no Gore-Gore I’ll save your totally dorky self! And then you dived in all like - ngaaaah!”

She barely caught sight of the eyes behind those rounded glasses widening in surprise. “W-wha - ”

Toriel had no idea how they hadn’t alerted Gaster to them still being awake, but she wasn’t going to complain as Undyne landed squarely on top of Alphys, and they all burst out into laughter, giggles, and - on the part of one lizard monster - distressed squeaks. 

“Don’t listen to her, Frisk,” she said, once they had all managed to calm down somewhat. “Gorey and I were neighbors, we met when we were really tiny. We grew up together!”

Vague kissing noises were emitting from Undyne’s general direction, noises that she resolutely ignored...but it was an unexpected voice that unintentionally ended up stopping the teasing.

“W-what about you, Frisk?” the lizard monster questioned, voice a little breathless from where Undyne was leaning her back against her form. “D-did you, uhm...did you h-have anyone you l-l-liked? Or um, a-anyone you...s-s-shipped, with?...”

There was a brief silence as all of them processed the question, before they all turned towards a surprised Frisk.

Because Alphys had a tendency to look at people and pair them together in her mind - she wasn’t sure why the lizard monster called it shipping, but she wasn’t sure about a lot of the things her friend did or said, she just accepted them - so she shouldn’t have been surprised to hear Alphys being so curious about Frisk. 

And, well...she was kinda curious too. Because although Frisk had told her about some things, she really didn’t know much about the human child’s life before The Underground. The very few times the topic had been brought up, Frisk had gotten that “hide-away” look in her face, and so she had hurriedly changed the topic to better things, like butterscotch cinnamon pie. 

She protected her human-sis, she didn’t make her human-sis cry. That was literally the opposite of what she wanted to do.

But this apparently didn’t bring up any hiding away memories, because Frisk’s face pulled upwards. “Nope,” she said simply, and Torielt felt her shrug next to her. “Not really.”

Undyne’s voice suddenly crept back into the conversation, with that sing-songy quality that meant she was up for another round of teasing. “Then what about here?” she questioned, “are you in love with someone heeeere?”

Toriel giggled softly, and saw Alphys’ face break into a deep blush atop the wide smile on the lizard monster’s face. Undyne was also trying to hold back her mirth, but she failed and burst into gleeful peels of laughter at the confused look on the human’s face. “I don’t think so?” Frisk asked rather than said. “Should I be?”

Despite herself, Toriel grinned. “Really?” she teased, “you and Sans seem like really good friends.” She shared a look with Undyne, and that caused the two of them to burst into more giggles, the fish girl undoubtedly remembering how funny Sans had acted during their trip back from the Core. 

Because it had been funny, really funny. Sans never acted like that! Except when Gaster showed his baby bones photos, or did something he thought was embarrassing. Sans didn’t get embarrassed easily, and that had just made his reaction all the more funny. 

But where she was pretty sure Undyne just thought of it as a way to tease Sans and get under his skin, she had started to wonder if maybe it hadn’t just been a MK thing after all. Maybe it hadn’t just been the teasing and nudging of elbows itself that had embarrassed him so much. Because he did hang around Frisk a lot, even when they all weren’t fighting over her playtime, and she’d just started...noticing. 

Maybe Sans actually had a real crush on Frisk, and that’s why he’d been so embarrassed. That would be so cute!

...And also, she would need to have some words with him.

But it’d still be cute. Sans, with a crush! The same way Alphys had her cute crush on Undyne (and just about everyone else, really, but mostly Undyne). And the same way that she -

“We are,” Frisk said slowly, interrupting her thoughts enough for her to startle a bit. Human-sis gave her a strange look, and she shook her head quickly, hoping that no one noticed the flush she could feel creeping over her cheeks again. “He’s really funny.”

“Mm-hmm,” Undyne said in a disbelieving tone of voice, and Toriel forced herself to focus back on the conversation instead of...wherever her thoughts had been going. “Really funny...and really cute, huh?” The fish monster crossed her arms - or at least seemed to, underneath the cocoon of her blanket. “Dude, just admit it. You love him.”

Frisk was silent for a moment as Undyne reveled in her apparent victory. And for a moment she was worried as the human stared down at her lap. Almost instinctively her paw came around Frisk’s shoulder underneath the blanket, a glare already forming on her face as she turned towards the cackling Undyne to lay down the wrath of protective mama goat-sis -

“Yup. I do.”

“You love him, you love him, you love - wait,” Undyne paused, “what?”

She could relate. In fact, Toriel could feel herself gaping at Frisk, the same way Alphys was, as the human looked steadily at Undyne. Frisk was...something else. This child that could just say things like that, without any embarrassment on her face. She just looked straight at Undyne, raising one hand from out of the blankets -

And pointed a finger gun at the fish monster.

“But not as much as I love you.”

Silence.

And slowly, like it was fighting its hardest not to, a green blush drew itself across Undyne’s cheeks, across her nose, and up to the very tips of her ears.

She couldn’t have stopped even if she’d wanted to.

Her stomach started hurting with how hard she was laughing, the blanket around her and Frisk falling unheeded to the floor as she clutched at her stomach, and across the room, Alphys was gripping the blanket against her mouth, which did little to muffle the high-pitched squeals coming from the lizard monster. 

All of which were drowned under Undyne’s rage-filled protests of  “ - s-shut up you little punk, who even says stuff like that - ” the fish monster blustered, pointed teeth mashing against one another as Frisk continued to waggle her finger gun at the other girl, which only made her and Alphys laugh all the more helplessly. “I said shut it! Ngaaah!” Undyne  raged, and she and Frisk had only a second to prepare as Undyne leapt from the other bed, arms flinging outwards and making her blanket flow behind her like a cape.

Before she landed on their bed, and proceeded to attempt to wrestle Frisk into submission. She tried to protect her human-sis, she really did, but her stomach really was hurting too much. So she settled for helplessly slapping her paws against the fish monster as Alphys abruptly climbed onto their bed, attempting to pry Undyne’s arms off from the human’s neck, and their squeals and laughter were probably going to bring Gaster barging in here, but she really couldn’t think about anything else except how much she loved her human-sis. 

“NYEH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS - AM TRYING TO SLEEP!”

As one they all froze, startled at the interruption, and turned to see the boys peering around the bedroom door that none of them had heard open up. Well, Sans and Gorey were peering - Papy was standing right in the middle of the doorway, a fuzzy blanket being dragged along in one hand and his COOL DUDE shirt slipping off the opposite shoulder. 

Though whatever lecture he had prepared about not letting cool skeletons get their beauty sleep seemed to get lost as his eyes blinked once, twice, and he even went so far as to rub at them before returning to look at the scene...and then they widened.

“HUMAN!” he cried out in distress, dropping the blanket to the floor. “DO NOT WORRY! YOUR VERY COOL FRIEND WILL SAVE YOU!”

What?

She glanced towards Frisk, who looked as equally confused at the sudden declaration - before she followed the blue arms still attempting to headlock the human up towards an equally shocked blue face, and the yellow eyes that followed her arms in the reverse direction, back around Frisk’s neck.

And those blue arms hastily dropped from around Frisk, instead moving to frantically wave at the doorway. “Wait Papy, no - ”

“NYEH HEH HEH!”

She shrieked as Papyrus landed square in the middle of their pile, falling over to one side of the megabed as Alphys let out a high-pitched squeak, having been fallen on for a second time that evening. And not just Papy - Gorey, too, was abruptly face-down in the bedsheets, having apparently been pulled along by the skeleton as back-up. The goat monster flailed about for a moment as he struggled to pull his face back from the sheets, and ended up simply turning his head in one direction to breathe.

In her direction.

And his eyes got that wide-eyed looked to them as they almost brushed noses, both of them trying to right themselves with the weight of bodies and flailing limbs and kicking feet throwing everything into chaos. Or at least she was trying to right herself - Gorey was just kinda laying there, seemingly having forgotten about his struggle to get out from underneath the sudden pile of children. 

Like, seriously, he suddenly wasn’t even moving at all, only gaping at her with wide eyes as Alphys’ foot nudged her in the back, sending her scooting forward underneath Frisk’s body towards Gorey, who was trapped under Undyne, and he was really starting to worry her now as his mouth cracked open to -

“H-hi.”

...Pfft.

Gorey was so silly, and Toriel couldn’t help giggling, even as something else prodded her uncomfortably in the knee. “Hi,” she repeated, and was ready to let fly with a great joke about goats and t-shirts and goatees - except there was another shove at her back, harder than the first, and her joke was interrupted when her snout crashed into Gorey’s. 

For about two seconds.

Before the other goat monster suddenly leapt upwards in one gigantic surge of motion, causing both Undyne and Papy to go tumbling off of him, bleating at the top of his lungs and bringing the entire tussle to a standstill. A fact that Gorey seemed completely unaware of as he kept screaming at the top of his lungs.

“AAAAaaeeee...”

Until he finally tapered off, seeming to realize that he was now the only one screaming, or making any sort of noise at all. The blush seemed to make his entire face red instead of white, and no one moved as the goat monster became as still as a statue.

As if standing still would make it so that no one noticed him.

Hee hee...Gorey really was a funny goat kid. He made her laugh so much. 

Though she hardly had time to laugh at the moment, as a shadow suddenly fell over the bed. All of them, even Gorey, blinked at it, before they glanced upwards. Sans was blocking the overhead light as he hovered over the bed, his back towards them and his right arm resting lazily behind his head, while his left was held upwards, surrounded by the same blue glow that was covered his body.

Before he abruptly let it release.

And even though Gorey ended up being squished back down towards the bottom of the pile by the ensuing Sans bomb, he didn’t say hi again. He only buried his face into the bedsheets as far as it would go, and Toriel did her best not to laugh at him.

Well...not too much. 

Because by this point, everyone was laughing or screaming too hard to say much of anything, and Toriel couldn’t have stopped laughing if she’d tried. For one wild moment there was nothing except more flailing limbs and screams of “SANS YOU BONEHEAD!” and a chuckling skeleton somewhere in the mix, but it was all so confusing that she couldn’t really follow along. 

At least not until she caught sight of Frisk underneath Alphys’ butt, her lips protruding outwards as her cheeks were comically squished into the mattress, and Toriel acted without even thinking about it, just grabbed onto one of her human-sis’ flailing arms and pulled her to safety towards the wall. 

“Oh my, are you alright?” she exclaimed, glancing over Frisk with a worried frown. Roughhousing with the girls was one things, but boys could be so rough and not at all gentle without realizing it...although she supposed Undyne counted for at least ten children by herself, boy or girl.

Frisk seemed to be thinking the same thing as she glanced over towards the howling fish monster, currently pinning a flailing Sans to the bed, before looking back over to her. “I’m okay, Tori,” she said, and the sound of her nickname on Frisk’s lips had her grinning like a big ‘ol dum-dum, no matter how many times she had heard it before. 

Though, she suspected that Frisk probably knew that too, with the way that gentle smile turned upwards even more, and she couldn’t help but giggle and squeeze the human towards her, smiling as she felt Frisk’s arms wrap around her waist as well. 

Her human-sis was just too cute, even if she said really embarrassing things with completely straight faces. 

“whaddya guys even doing in here, anyways?”

Tori blinked, having quite forgotten about the roughhousing as she basked in the glow of loving Frisk. The fight had died down at least, with two out of their three pillows (and her favorite toy froggit plushie!) strewn about on the floor. The other kids had settled into sitting positions all over the megabed as well, looking very much like they intended to spend all night there.

“We were j-just t-talking,” Alphys said in answer to Sans’ question, squirming a bit from where she was sitting near the headboard. She looked a little ashamed. “We d-didn’t realize we were b-b-being so loud,” she said apologetically. 

Undyne shared no such apologies. “Why were you guys spyin’ on us, hmm?” the fish monster asked, peering suspiciously around at the boys. Tori stroked Frisk’s hair and added to the suspicious peering. 

“We weren’t spying,” Gorey yelped indignantly, face flushing slightly as he glanced over towards her, and he hurriedly looked away again. “You guys were being really noisy.”

“YES,” Papyrus said in agreement, “AND WE THOUGHT DAD WOULD COME UPSTAIRS AND MAKE YOU GO TO BED, BUT HE MUST BE TOO BUZY BEING A LAZYBONES DAD!”

Sans leaned back on his hands against the bedsheets. “welp,” he said, mischievous smile making her instinctively grin, “you know dad. he must’ve been pretty bone tired after - ”

“Anyways, we were just talking,” Toriel finished, as Sans desperately pinwheeled his arms to avoid tumbling off the bed thanks to the pillow Papy had flung at him. Toriel took pity on the skeleton and grabbed at his flailing arm at the last second, before he could fall over and land on his noggin. “That’s all.”

“ABOUT?” Papy cajoled, curious despite his desire to get his very cool beauty rest.

And their reactions immediately had the boys curious, she could tell - she herself had instinctively started giggling as she remembered what had prompted the sudden fight atop their bed. And it was probably the way Undyne’s face suddenly flushed that had them the most curious of all, if the way all three of them straightened up said anything. 

“Nothing!” the fish monster insisted, baring her teeth as she pounded one fist into the covers threateningly. “We weren’t talking ‘bout anything at all! Got it?”

None of the boys looked convinced, and Toriel struggled not to break out into full blown laughter again as Undyne’s attempt at threatening turned towards the one that had, at least in the fish monster’s mind, started the whole thing. Frisk raised one eyebrow, but only shrugged. “Nope, nothing,” she said. 

Still not convinced. Toriel felt Sans lean around her to grin at the human, mouth opening to probably make some sort of joke about how she was acting fishy as she - 

“Just about how much I love Undyne.”

Aaand there it was again. 

It wasn’t a full blown roughhousing this time, but she had a funny feeling that was only because she had instinctively pulled Frisk into her arms, even as she laughed helplessly at the furious green blush that spread across Undyne’s face again. The fish monster was back on her feet in the middle of their screaming laughter and giggles, hands clenched like she wanted to do nothing more then leap at Frisk and maybe give the human the biggest noogie of her life, but didn’t dare do it while she had her arms wrapped around her.

Because she was a fierce goat mama-sis, thank you very much.

“NYEH HEH HEH? BUT THAT’S WONDERFUL!” Papy’s voice managed to ring above the noise, excited the way it almost always way. “THERE IS ALWAYS MORE ROOM FOR LOVE BETWEEN FRIENDS!”

He seemed to be interpreting Frisk’s statement in the simplest of ways rather than the super embarrassing way she’d meant it, and that only made Toriel briefly roll her eyes. 

Boys. Sometimes they just didn’t get it.  

Including Sans, it seemed. “heh. like the smell of sushi, kid?” he asked, grinning at Frisk, though she noted that his grin seemed kinda confused. Like he wanted to laugh, but wasn’t even really sure what the joke was. 

Which was...so silly. Sans always knew what the joke was. Especially considering the fact that he was usually the first to tease Alphys about Undyne, or tease her about...certain others...who were her own business and no one else’s, okay, thanks.

Ahem. 

And well, she would have been more than happy to explain it to him anyways, as Undyne’s face whirled around to loudly protest that she didn’t smell like sushi - except she caught sight of Alphys, quietly watching from her seat at the headboard of the bed. 

The lizard monster wasn’t smiling anymore. 

Or laughing, or giggling. In fact, Alphys was simply watching Undyne with a sort of wide-eyed look, as if she’d just realized something from the fish monster’s blushing cheeks and embarrassed reaction to Frisk’s statement. Something she hadn’t realized before...or, had realized, but hadn’t seriously considered it.

She looked...sad. She looked like -

“I just don’t get how you guys can even play around right now. It’s way too cold.”

A pause in the conversation, and Undyne’s vaguely threatening hand motions towards Sans. 

Before Toriel suddenly shivered, and Alphys shivered, and Undyne and Frisk shivered, as if their bodies had all at once remembered oh yeah, it’s cold tonight. Sans and Papyrus were the only ones who didn’t shiver, because they were skeletons who didn’t mind the cold and that was just so unfair.

And also Gorey, because the big fluffball had, at some point, wrapped himself up in their blankets, and was staring at them over the top of his protective cocoon.

“Yeesh! Yeah it is,” Undyne exclaimed, diving onto the bedsheets as if she might sink through them and into their warmth, and Toriel huddled next to Frisk, soaking in the warmth from the human as much as possible. “That’s why we were talking in the first place! Why’s it so cold in here anyways, huh?”