Work Text:
The sound of a pencil scribbling on paper filled Kris’ room as she worked on her latest sketch. An old village cottage on a hill overlooking a nearby river. Since her mother was still at school grading tests, and she completed her assignments, Kris decided to bring out her trusty sketchbook and pencils and give sketching a building a shot.
Her pencil danced across the paper with the same elegance and grace as a figure skater on ice, her right hand flowed across the page like water without a hint of hesitation. Any pause in the movement was purposeful, shading the rocks that made up the cobblestone wall or adding texture to the thatched roof.
Kris placed the pencil on her desk as she gave her tensed-up digits a moment to rest. As she did so, she grasped her sore wrist with her other hand; strain, a troublesome issue that all artists had to learn to overcome. As she rested, she took the opportunity to get a full view of the sketch she’d created.
It was nothing particularly special compared to the sharper detailed pieces the human had made in the past, but otherwise, she enjoyed what she had drawn so far. While never one to be boastful, Kris impressed herself with this piece. Especially since it was free-handed for the most part, and the idea itself came from a simple desire to experiment with drawing buildings; a nice change of things compared to the sketches of various humans and monsters she usually drew.
A growing artist must expand their abilities, after all.
*BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM*
Kris jolted from her reprieve as loud, erratic knocks peppered the front door downstairs. The noise scared the poor girl half to death. Who would knock like that and why? Could it be officer Undyne? Oh no… did something serious happen? She wondered as she sprung from her chair and pattered down the steps to the source of the noise. All the while, the uncertainty around the situation stirred uneasy feelings in the pit of Kris’ stomach.
Kris arrived at the door and popped up onto her tiptoes to look through the peephole. A feeling of relief washed over her as she looked to see who it was through the haziness of dusk. On the other side of the door was Sam, who had his back turned away from the entryway, his head looking down and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. But as Kris unlocked the door to let her closest friend in, a thought occurred to her.
Why would Sam knock like that? She thought as she looked out at her friend. Sure, he was a bit crude, but she knew him to hold back his strength.
The instant that Kris opened the door, the dragon barged into the Dreemurr residence. He gave the entrance the same respect he would pay to someone he bumped into on a busy city sidewalk. He said nothing as he stuttered in, nor did he look at his human companion. His harsh entrance gave Kris the notion that something was wrong with Sam. This concern doubled when she caught the waft of booze that poured from the drake’s maw.
Kris’ concerns grew as she looked at Sam pacing back and forth in the middle of the living room. He stumbled as he walked, the whole time his head still pointed down at the carpeted floor. As Kris made her way over to him, she could hear Sam… mumbling to himself.
With stuttering in his speech, he couldn't speak well. - "I c-can't take it a-anymore..." - Kris has made out through his hics. “I just can't fucking take it- Can't deeeeeeeeeeeal with *hic* it no more -that stupid b-bi-*hic*-tch…”
Sam sounded exasperated, his mumbling turned into snarls as he kept pacing around the room. This made Kris all the more cautious as she approached him. She knew she shouldn’t be scared of him, they were friends after all, but she hadn’t seen him act this way in a long time.
“Sam, ar-are you okay…?”
No response.
“Sam, are you okay?” Kris asked again, her voice louder, but still awash with concern.
Still no response from him. Kris reached out to touch his shoulder.
“Sam-”
“WHAT?!”
Sam roared with blaring anger, the stench of cheap spirits and a few drops of spittle hitting Kris square in the face. Sam had indeed been drinking heavily. The explosive outburst stunned the human. The dragon was not the Sam she had come to know and care for. What stood before her was almost another beast entirely.
The monster boy’s eyes were that of a madman; red-rimmed with dark circles under them. Kris figured this was the result of his apparent binge drinking and… crying? It was then that she noticed marks that dried tears had left on his mauve cheeks. A feral grimace exposed his yellow teeth; gritted and clenched to the point where one would think they’d break from sheer pressure. Wisps of smoke escaped from his flared nostrils, further signifying the smoldering rage that was boiling beneath his scales.
But what concerned Kris most of all were the deep scratch marks that carved the left side of his face. They scraped down from his booze-flushed cheek and across his lips, ending by his chin. The cuts weren’t deep enough to cause lasting harm, but they had drawn dust, the monster equivalent of blood, a few flecks of which stuck to the more ragged edges of the wounds.
“S-Sam…”
Kris stuttered. The broken-looking basilisk’s ire was up, which Kris knew was never a good sign. Couple that with his drunken state and the human knew nothing good was about to happen.
“MY JUNKIE MOM, THAT’S WHAT.” Sam bellowed as he swiped his hands out from his pockets, raising and clenched them in the air in front of him. That’s when Kris saw the dark bruises on his knuckles.
A pang of dread filled Kris as she began to put the pieces together into what was shaping up to be a terrible picture. “S-Sam, you didn’t…” Kris uttered the haunting sentence.
“What? Punch my own mom?!” Sam barked, sounding offended at such an accusation. “H-hell no, I didn’t! but I should’ve…” He mumbled. Kris let out an internal sigh of relief, thankful that Sam hadn’t done anything terrible. But there were still so many unanswered questions; chief among them, what exactly had put him in such a pitiful state?
Kris, with caution, placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. After waiting a moment to ensure the lizard would not lash out for the touch, Kris led Sam towards the couch. She hoped he was coherent enough to recall what had occurred. “So, what happened between you and your mom?” The young woman asked as she stood above her now seated houseguest.
Sam rested his forehead on his hand, feeling the dull, aching throb in it as he tried to compose himself. Finally, he turned to look at the human beside him. Though seated, the dragon noticed the pair of them were near eye-to-eye, but that was all lost on the drake, his entire self withered by equal measures of exhaustion and pitiful resignation. The dragon then let out a deep, weary sigh.
“Alright… wanna know what happened? Fine. I was at ’Sans looking to get some groceries for the house. I had the money for it, and I thought that if I got some stuff, my mom would…”
Sam stopped as he looked at the floor with a vacant expression as if reliving the traumatic experience. His right hand gripped into a fist, shaking and expressing the rising anger within him. He let the feeling simmer out before he resumed his story.
“... I was about to head to the checkout, but that’s when… she barged in.” The simple mention of his mother brought the broken-down basilisk to the brink of tears. “She just stormed through the front door, a-and the moment I saw her I could just tell that something was up. I could tell that she was on something, she was so strung out!”
Kris knew that Sam’s mom was a drug addict, he had confided that dark truth to her after they had gotten to know one another on a personal level. She knew Sam still hid a lot of secrets from her and she knew better than to prod the purple monster about such a sensitive subject.
There was a moment of silence before he continued.“Not even givin’ me a goddamn second to say nothing, she comes up to me, jabs her finger into my chest, and yells out that she knows I messed with her drugs!” Sam growled as he threw his hands up.
The dragon shot up from the couch, his anger beginning to boil over as he relayed the events with rising temperament. “I get her off me and tell her that I got no clue what she’s about. She then starts going on some rant about how I’m pedaling her drugs to get money. Can you believe that? She’s screaming all this in the middle of the store and causing a huge scene, embarrassing the hell outta the both of us!”
Sam began pacing around in front of Kris, his animosity towards his mom growing and growing. “I tried to get her to stop and tell her that it wasn’t the time to argue about that. Her screaming at me in our shithole was normal, but for her to spill her problems- our problems, to the place I work at? Where everyone can see!”
Sam pauses for a moment before he turned to face Kris. “You know what she does to me? She calls me a fucking liar and takes a swipe at me! She nearly took my goddamn eye out! The monster stood silent for a second as he placed his hand on his scarred cheek, the fresh wounds burning from his touch. “Didn’t even see it comin’...” There was a twinge in Sam’s throat as he spoke those last words. A certain emotion stirred in Sam that he thought he wouldn’t have to feel again after all he’s done to get his life straight. But it has come back to haunt him once again, like a dormant spirit that waited in the shadows, ready to enact its torment.
Betrayal; a wound so deep from someone so close could not be shrugged off. Sam has felt betrayal before, from those who meant it and from those who didn’t. It came to a point where he was numb to the feeling, like dull rocks hitting his back. But it was this event that made this once dilute emotion feel like a serrated dagger to the gut.
Sam knew his mom would scream at him and threaten him in public... but never in a thousand years would he think she’d go so far as to attack him; her own son. But betrayal was just only one of the many feelings that the dragon harbored from his supposed caregiver...
Resentful, disrespected, ridiculed, isolated, neglected, abandoned, abused…
“People in the store managed to pull her off me” Sam started, “She was screaming at me and everyone else, but by then I was so shocked over what happened that I couldn’t hear what she was saying. People were checking up on me to see if I was okay, but I was on autopilot and wanted to get the hell out of there by that point. Well… not before I grabbed some booze…” The bruiser admitted, the shame heavy on his tongue.
“I kept running until my legs felt like they were about to give out. By then I had ended up in the forest. I just… I just wanted to stop feeling everything, anything… So I shotgunned two bottles of whatever it was I grabbed. Must've been some strong stuff cause after that, things got real fuzzy, all I remember after I hucked the bottles was beating on some trees.” As Sam spoke, he looked at the thick slivers of bark lodged in his knuckles.
Kris was at a loss for words. Her mouth hung agape as she peered at her dearest friend while wearing a look of utter shock. She wanted to say something, anything. But her tongue refused to break the paralysis binding it.
At that point, the alcohol-fueled haze that Sam had used to bury and blur the pain and depression – as he did many times in his past – had vanished, and unadulterated anger and resentment took their place.
His teeth clenched, his eyes scrunched tight, and his nails dug into his hands as they balled into fists so tight they turned his knuckles a pale mauve. The culmination of everything – his anger, his shame, his sadness – all that had built up inside of him had reached its boiling point, and could no longer hold.
“THAT CUNT BITCH.” Sam exploded, “Why’d she do this? I’ve done everything to put myself on a better path! I cleaned up my act, got a job, changed people’s minds on how they looked at me! Everything I’ve done came out of me with no one having to ask me for it! She sees all this, and this is what I get back as thanks? To get my eye almost gouged out by my OWN FUCKING MOM?!”
*THUNK*
In a fit of rage, Sam reared his leg and kicked right into Toriel’s armchair. Rather than shattering from the monstrous force that his foot exerted onto it, it got knocked back and wedged itself into the corner of the living room at an awkward angle.
Sam heaved as he stared down his act of anger, his body rising and falling with each heavy breath he took. Sam could see nothing but red, his hearing muffled, unable to hear anything else but the dull, rapid beating of his heart. When he felt a small hand rest on his shoulder, it made him snap out of it.
“Sam…” Kris uttered in an empathetic tone, trying to think of the right thing to say. But what can you say to someone who’s gone through that? Through all of that? “I’m… I’m so sorry for what happened.”
The two teens looked at each other in silence, the only sounds coming from the birds chirping outside and the ticking clock above the couch.
Sam broke the silence as he responded with a condescending huff. “You think sayin’ that is just gonna make me feel better? Like you’d know what it’s like?”
“W-What?” Kris responded, surprised by the asseveration.
Sam spun around to look at her with an incredulous look on his face. “You don’t know how lucky you have it, do you, Kris? Do you have any idea how easy you have it? To have a mom who actually cares for you? Who supports you, acknowledges you, asks you if you’re alright? If you need any help? Do you?! Do you?!”
“N-No, I… I-”
“Exactly!” Sam spat, the pupils of his eyes constricting to mere slits as his anger at last boiled over. “You got no idea what it’s like living in that house, living with that woman. It’s a special kind of hell.” Sam’s nostrils flared between each sentence he spoke, his diction quickening as the words spilled from his maw like water slopping out a gargoyle’s mouth in a deluge.
“All it ever is is screaming, and squawking, and bitching about how I screwed her out of the ‘good life’ just by being born. Except of course, when she ain’t busy lying to my face about getting clean.” Sam stopped his tirade for a second as he flipped to a falsetto to impersonate his mother’s smoker’s alto. “‘Tomorrow Sammy, I promise mamas gonna get clean starting tomorrow. I just gotta get through tonight is all, so be a good boy and please help me get the last fix, and then that’s it, never again.’ You know how many times I heard that one Kris?”
Tears began to flow from the dragon’s eyes. “More times than I can count!” Sam’s voice cracked as he swiped at the tears, though they still ran.
“Did you ever have someone make you aware of when YOU were doing wrong or when YOU you were falling short? Did you ever have to fend for yourself and scrounge up whatever you could eat five days out of the week?”
Sam crept closer to Kris as he laid into her, causing the shivering human to step back from the approaching, aggravated monster.
“S-Sam..”
“You ever slept on the floor with nothin’ but a mattress and moving blanket as a kid? Cause guess what, I did! After my mom sold my bedframe for drug money!”
“Sam you’re scaring me-”
Sam snapped back, his demeanor becoming more destabilized. “That’s what I told my mom when I came home from school and she was shivering and shaking in her bed ‘cause of all the withdrawals! You don’t know what hopelessness feels like until you have to call 911 when you’re 8 years old! The thought of your mom overdosing when you ain’t there isn’t something that should race through a kid’s mind!”
“Ever took hour-long car trips in the middle of the night because your mom had to get her fix? Ever seen your own family tear itself apart because your mom was begging them for money, or be in the middle of a battle for being put in foster care? And even if you did, at least you had a dad to go to. You know where my old man is?”
“N-No-”
“EXACTLY. He's been gone since before I was even old enough to recognize his FACE. I have to spend EVERY DAY with that dumb BITCH I call mom because she's all I got! I have NO ONE to go to, Kris!”
The dragon suddenly lurched forward and tightly grabbed Kris’ arms, squeezing her harms to the point where his claws dug into the fabric and flesh.
“NO. FUCKING. ONE!”
Only the sound of Sam’s labored breathing filled the room. For him, it felt so liberating to finally lay it all out, everything that was troubling him thrown off his shoulders. That was until he heard a voice whimper to him,
“S-Sam… you’re hurting me.”
The dragon’s eyes went from pure rage to sheer horror as he looked down to realize what he’d done. Sam let go of Kris and looked at his hands, they shook as it dawned to him that he had just hurt the closest person to him, the only person in town to call his friend.
Kris felt the stinging sensation of where the claws pierced her skin, like heavy scratch marks from an unkempt dog. She rubbed where he grabbed her and could feel the small yet noticeable holes he made in the fabric of her sweater.
The silence was deafening in the room. The two were frozen and unable to speak, not knowing what to say. It was Kris who finally broke the silence.
“S-Sam, I know you’re angry but-”
“I AM NOT ANGRY!” Sam yelled as she slammed his fists into his chest, “I AM IN PAIN, AND SHE PUT ME HERE!” His voice cracked as he splayed out his hand and pointed at the front door.
“The person who was supposed to love me more than anything...!”
The venom in his voice vanished like ash in a breeze, the inferno that had been sustaining his outburst had sapped the dragon boy of all but the last drops of strength. There was enough left in him to keep him standing and to dribble a few salty, sticky tears out of his eyes. The haze of rage lifted from his vision, and the world was cast in shades of drab gray.
Sam sunk down to the floor, weeping. “God… Dammit…” He muttered in a voice broken by sobs. Sam raised his fist and slammed it to the ground, causing powerful tremors that shook the whole house.
Kris watched, shocked by the sight of the curled-up, sniveling whelp. To see someone who she had only ever known as tough and resilient reduced into a broken-down mess, knowing that his childhood was robbed from him.
The poor girl could feel her heart begin to crack, saddened to see someone so close and personal to her in such a wretched state.
She walked over, crouched down, and lay a reassuring hand on Sam’s back. He flinched from her touch but didn’t reject it as he continued to cry.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said in a whisper between his sniffles and sobs, grasping her by her legs.
“It’s okay, Sam… It’s okay.” Kris responded with as warm and comforting a tone she could muster. She stayed close to him and continued to rub his back, letting him take as long as he needed to work through his emotions. After a while, his crying abated and Sam composed himself.
“Better?” Kris asked, wanting to make sure that he was ready to talk before going any further.
Sam, who was still staring at the floor, nodded his head. “A bit, y-yeah.”
Kris offered her hand to Sam and helped him up to his feet. With her small digits wrapped around his large, bruised hand, she led him to the kitchen. She let go of his hand, walked towards where the microwave was, opened the cupboard underneath, and grabbed a glass. Then, she walked to the fridge, opened it, and procured a chilled bottle of water. Twisting the cap off, she poured all the liquid contents into the glass.
“Here… you look thirsty,” Kris commented as she handed the cup over to Sam. She hoped the water would suffice, she was certain the fridge held nothing that would help rehydrate the lizard after he had done what few bar flies could do. Though it looked like it didn’t matter to the arid reptile, as he gulped down the water with eagerness, some of it spilling out of the sides of his mouth and dribbling down to his shirt. It was like a beaten and caged dog, prevented from slaking its thirst. Once Sam finished the last of it, he placed the glass down on the table and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“God I needed that.” Sam declared. Kris offered her hand to Sam, which he accepted, and made their way to the bathroom. She pointed at the toilet, instructing him to sit down on it. He sat down while she rummaged through the cupboard underneath the sink. After a while of searching, Kris brought out tweezers, hydrogen peroxide, and a special healing ointment that worked well on monsters. Placing the items by the sink, Kris knelt, tweezers at the ready, and grabbed one of Sam’s hands. She looked at the damage; besides the obvious splinters, there was dust clumping across his fingers and knuckles, a few small friction cuts showing through as well.
“This might hurt a bit,” Kris warned Sam before she began. Considering his tough, scaly skin and years of tempering his fists, Sam couldn’t feel the splinters all that much, not to mention that his knuckles and fingers were practically fucked beyond feeling. While he didn’t say anything, deep down he appreciated Kris’ concern. One by one, Kris began plucking out the splinters from his knuckles with care, letting the pieces of bark fall to the floor. While some were stuck in the surface level of his scales, some were much deeper inside, which showed how hard Sam must’ve been hitting those trees. She was diligent in her work, making sure that all the splinters were out. Once she finished with one hand, Sam gave her the other so it could undergo the same treatment.
Once the last splinter was out, Kris grabbed the hydrogen peroxide, along with a small washcloth. She opened the bottle, poured it on the towel, and dabbed the cloth along his hand. Sam hissed in slight discomfort. “Sorry…” Kris apologized, as she pressed the rag against Sam’s knuckles to ensure the wounds were cleaned. After a few minutes, she switched hands.
Kris placed the now-dirted cloth aside and grabbed the ointment. She squeezed a small amount of the opaque gel onto Sam’s hands and began spreading it around with her finger with small circular motions.
Sam merely observed his human companion mend his wounds, watching her take the utmost care and effort to make sure he was alright. Sadly, the only thing it did was make him feel like garbage after what he did.
“Sam?”
“W-Wuh?” Sam stammered, pulled from his contemplations.
“Your face.” She pointed at the cuts near his eye.
“Oh, y-yeah.” Sam nodded as he pointed at the scratch marks. “Go for it.”
Like his hands, Kris cleaned the scars with the peroxide-soaked rag with one hand while using her other hand to hold Sam’s chin in place. She got a better look at the scars; only a few centimeters away from his eye, Sam’s mom could’ve actually nicked his eye. Sam winced in pain as the stinging sensation of the peroxide agitated the cuts, causing them to bubble.
Once she felt like the cuts were sufficiently clean, Kris squeezed out more ointment onto her fingers and gently rubbed it into his wounds. Though Kris gave her full attention to Sam’s face, Sam looked away from her gaze. Kris noticed her friend’s averted gaze but figured there was no reason for her to comment on it.
As far as Kris could tell, She had cared for all of Sam’s injuries. She got up and offered her hand to Sam. He got up, grabbed her hand, and made their way towards the stairs. Sam had a good idea where Kris was taking him next but didn’t say anything. They went upstairs at a steady pace, taking it slow and steady for the fatigued monster. Once they reached the second floor, they headed towards the first door to the right of the hallway, Kris’ room.
She twisted the knob and pushed the door open, leading Sam into the spacious yet cozy bedroom. The air was warmer in the room, which enveloped Sam in a soft, warm embrace, which contrasted with the cold winds that blew outside in the woods. Kris led him towards her bed, and without needing instructions or an offer, he crashed onto it, causing the bead to squeak and whine from the sudden weight. Before anything else, Kris helped to take off his shoes, placing them to the side of the bed. Sam adjusted himself to get more comfortable, placing his back against the pillows and headboard. Whenever Sam had the chance to lay on Kris’ bed in the past, it drove home just how much he had missed out on his entire life. The human’s bed was soft like a marshmallow, and the sheets that covered it were silky smooth.
When he had the chance to get a decent rest there, he felt the one thing he ever rarely felt, safe. Chalk it up to the atmosphere of the house and the people who lived in it, but that’s the feeling he got.
Sam’s train of thought was once again impeded when he felt a sudden weight on his lap. It was Kris, who took the liberty of setting herself on top of the dragon. He felt two warm hands caress his cheeks, her right hand being careful not to disturb his scars. Sam, feeling this simple act of physical affection, nestled into them. Kris lifted his head to meet her face, only to see that his eyes were still looking away from her.
“Sam… let me see your eyes.”
“...”
“Please.”
After a moment of silence, Sam finally looked into those thoughtful, ruby-colored eyes that always seemed able to bore through his stoic defenses.
"...I'm sorry."
"I know you didn't mean it, Sam."
“But I yelled at you and took my anger out on you. You were trying to help calm me down, but I was just so angry and drunk a-and…” The dragon let out a defeated sigh as his head fell onto Kris’ chest. “I just feel like a failure at everything right now…”
Kris lifted Sam’s head back up to look at him and shook her head in disagreement. She knew that Sam wasn’t a failure, he got lost in the moment. No one would blame him for reacting the way he did. Kris kept looking into Sam’s tired eyes, giving him all the attention and time he needed to work out what's been eating at him from the inside.
“I came all the way here 'cause I thought you'd be home. You were the last person I could think of who could help me. I’m just tired of it all Kris. I… I don’t wanna go back. Not after what happened.” Sam’s voice quivered. It was the voice of a scared, little boy, filled with sadness, pain, fear. Kris understood, and didn’t skip a beat in telling him,
“Stay with us.”
The dragon’s eyes, usually seen as feral and leering, looked at the girl like a rejected puppy finally found by a grateful owner. Sam was given chance to escape from the hell he had to endure for nearly twenty years, to heal and be protected by those he knew would care for him and protect him. Yet, the possibilities of complications and questions soon stirred in Sam’s head, and Kris could see it.
“It’ll be alright, Sam. I promise.”
Kris tilted her head forward as she tilted his upwards, resulting in the two of them putting their foreheads together. In draconic culture, this was a form of showing affection to each other. It was all that Sam needed to feel reassured. They looked back at each other, and Sam did something that he hadn’t done all day.
He smiled.
And Kris smiled back, happy to see her closest friend found some hope. They stared at each other before Kris closed in for a kiss. It was small, short, but sweet. A peck on the lips to let Sam know that she loved him.
“I love ya too, dork.” Sam chuckled. Kris smiled and went in for a hug. Sam, usually not a big hugger, wrapped his strong arms around her. The dragon enveloped the human, taking in her healing warmth to thaw his cold, frigid heart. He felt like it was all he needed to feel better. She was all he needed to feel better.
“Thank you, Kris.”
Art by AthosArt, colors by Blastic
Kris smiled as she looked down the dragon’s back to see his stubby tail swaying side to side, a big indicator that Sam was truly happy.
Once some time had passed, the two separated from their hug. The dragon’s maw slowly opened as he let out a long yawn.
“Damn, this whole day has got me beat. ”
Kris nodded in agreement and moved herself to the other side of the bed closer to the wall. Seeing where this was heading, Sam got comfy and lowered himself so that his head met the pillow. The two got close, their arms around one another and their legs intertwining. Kris couldn’t help but play a bit of footsie with Sam, which made him playfully retaliate. After a bit of playing around, they nestled in as tiredness overwhelmed them, Kris putting her head close to his chest, and Sam placing his chin on top of her head
But as Sam was closing his eyes, he heard the soft-spoken voice of his friend sigh out,
“My sweet Sue…”
Sam opened his eyes in confusion, but then he realized what she meant. He had a sir same, you see. Sam S. D’Beaui. It stood for “Sue”, chosen by his absent father. This caused a lot of embarrassment in his early life, which made him harbor a deep-seated resentment towards his dad.
After many years of having to fight through his whole life, his fists getting harder and his wits getting keener, Sam finally asked his mom the question. Why would his dad leave him such a girly name? Her answer was simple; it came from a song, and that she’d be damned if she was gonna have her son have a girl’s name on his birth certificate, so they compromised and kept it as an initial.
During one particularly shitty day, he decided to find this song and discovered a country song simply called, “A Boy Named Sue.” When he gave it a listen, it all made sense to him. Now he knew why his dad had put Sue in his name; it was as if his dad had left him a secret message, a gift. A means to ensure he grew up tough enough to deal with the world and his mother’s crap. And at the same time, that song acted as an apology for the older dragon’s absence.
While he still thought it was pretty stupid, much like Jonny Shel did in the song, it gave Sam some closure between him and his dad. It became something that Sam was somewhat proud to have, almost like a name of honor that reminded him of who he was. A strong and fearless fighter who never runs away from his problems and finishes what he starts. But you’d never catch him using it in his everyday life or Angel forbid giving that name to his own son. It was only until he met and became closer to Kris that he decided to share the secret.
Sam let out an amused huff, finding it funny how life works that sort of way. As his mind slipped away into sleep, he couldn’t help but feel thankful to have someone like Kris around to offer him the chance at something better than just mere survival.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dragon’s eyes fluttered as he stirred from his slumber. Sam couldn’t tell how much time had passed since he and Kris passed out, but what he could tell was that the door to a car had opened and shut outside. It took a moment for Sam to process who it could be before it hit him.
“Kris, I think your mom’s back,” Sam whispered as he shook Kris with a gentle approach. Kris awoke from her slumber and responded to the dragon with a groggy, “Wh-whuh?”
“Your mom, I think she’s back.”
Kris rubbed her eyes and got out of her bed. She walked over to her bedroom door, opened it, and looked at Sam. She held out her hand, wanting Sam to join her. Sam got up, took her hand, and the two of them walked out the room. Before they even made it to the stairs, they could hear the front door’s knob jostling around and then the tell-tale sound of the door opening.
“Kris, I’m home!” The motherly voice announced as she made her way in. Sam looked at Kris with uncertainty, still nervous about what could happen once they take that first step downstairs.
“I promise.” She reassured him, gently squeezing his hand. Sam knew to trust her, so he nodded, steadied his nerves, and took the first step. As they made their way downstairs, they heard Toriel walk closer to the kitchen and talk to who she thought was only Kris coming down.
“I’m terribly sorry for being late, dear. There was much more work than I had anticipated looking through. I hope you do not mind if I make something simple for us for dinner toni-”
Toriel stopped mid-sentence as she looked over to see Kris coming down the stairs, next to an unexpected guest.
“Oh, Sam, hello! I didn’t know you’d be here. I’m guessing Kris invited you over?” Toriel greeted Sam with the same caring tone that she gave everyone.
In a different circumstance, Sam would have expected to be met with a cold stare and a bitter tone. He would have expected to be berated and scorned by the goat mother for being at her home without her knowledge before being kicked out into the living hell he would call life.
To hear Toriel greet him in such a warm and welcoming tone rather than the feeling that he wouldn’t even be noticed in his house. To hear her voice say his name with such tenderness and kindness rather than the harsh and dismissive tone he’d get from his mom. It made the poor boy nearly break down again right then and there.
But he had to be strong enough to tell her what had happened. He let go of Kris’ hand and walked down the rest of the stairs, letting his face come into the light and show the caprine caretaker his scars.
Toriel gasped, taken aback. “Oh my goodness! Sam, wh-what happened to you?”
“Ms. Dreemurr, I… I got attacked by my mom earlier today. I ended up coming here because I knew Kris was here. I just can’t go back home. Is it alright if I could stay here for a while?”
His expression said that every word that this admission of what had occurred was painful to him. Toriel’s expression was that of pure shock, a hand placed over her mouth as she gasped. Toriel knew of Sam’s rough upbringing by Kris, which helped her see a new perspective of the boy who she thought nothing more as a good-for-nothing influence of sin. And to see him improve himself over the past year made her see the dragon with more compassion and care even more.
To think that his mother would attack him, for any mother to attack their own child at all. It devastated the poor woman’s heart. Toriel looked upon Sam with pity as she reached out and placed a fuzzy hand on Sam’s cheek. “Oh, sweet Angel… You poor thing.”
His facade of strength faded as he felt the comforting touch, his eyes beginning to well up. For a moment, she looked up to see her daughter, and they both looked at each other with somber, pensive looks. Toriel could tell what Kris wanted her to say, and while one part in the back of her head had some issues, her heart held a different view. That this was the moment to be the one person that Sam needed the most: a mother.
“My child, you can stay as long as you need.”
Sam winced, doing his best to stay strong in front of Toriel, but the dam broke. He moved closer to Toriel and threw his arms around her for a great, big hug. “Thank you… Thank you…” Sam whimpered into her shoulder, shaking as his grip tightened on Toriel’s clothes. Toriel returned the hug, comforting the bruised and broken basilisk in her arms. As she hugged him, Toriel could smell the lingering scent of alcohol on his person. Admittedly, she was ashamed that Sam had broken his sobriety, but at the same time, she couldn’t blame him nor scold him when he was at his lowest.
After a while of hugging, Sam broke the hug and attempted to compose himself “Guh, sorry about that, don’t know what came over me.” He said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, dear.” Toriel smiled as she placed her hands on his shoulders. Kris came down the rest of the stars and stood close to Sam, once again wrapping her hand around his.
“Well then, you must be starving,” Toriel exclaimed. “Kris, could you grab some of your brother’s spare clothes for Sam while I make dinner?” Kris nodded and made her way upstairs. “You can take a nice shower in the bathroom while I make dinner. I was planning on making some tomato soup with some grilled cheese. Would you like that, Sam?”
A weak, but genuine smile formed across the dragon’s face. “Yes, yes I would.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the next morning, the rising sun cascading its soft, golden light into the windows of the Dreemurr house. Toriel and Kris sat together at the kitchen table as they enjoyed a lovely breakfast, with a freshened-up Sam joining them, wearing one of Asriel’s old shorts and t-shirt. The trio ate in comforting silence, with the only interaction being Kris and Sam occasionally looking at each other, smiles on both their faces.
Sam finally felt at home. He took a hot shower that washed away the dirt, grime, and troubles away; ate a warm, homecooked meal that filled his stomach; and slept like a baby in the comfort of a real bed. Toriel was very adamant that Sam should sleep in Asriel’s bed, even though he would’ve gladly slept on the couch. One could say she was tossing him a bone, one could say she was playing a dangerous game by having two teens in the same room. But perhaps she believed that Sam should be close enough to the person who cared for him the most. Though words will be said if she catches them sleeping together in the same bed.
Light knocking at the front door interrupted their morning meal. “I’ll go get it, you two can keep eating,” Toriel said as she made her way to the door. She looked through the peephole and was surprised to see who it was. She opened the door, and Sam’s heart sank as he heard Toriel say, “Hello officer.”
“Hello, and good morning to you, Ms. Dreemurr.” Undyne greeted as she tipped her hat. “Sorry to bother you at this time, but I was wondering if by any chance Sam was here.” Before she could give her an answer, Sam had already come to the door to make himself shown.
“Yeah, I’m here. Is there anything wrong?” His voice showed some slight fear as if wondering if he’s going to get arrested for stealing the booze the other day.
“Hi Sam, mind if I have a talk with you? Just wanted to talk to you about what went on the other night.”
A feeling of relief overcame the dragon as the fish monster’s demeanor to him wasn’t how it was in the past.
...
As Undyne and Sam sat on the living room couch and finished writing up the last of Sam’s side of the event into her notebook, she began explaining to him about what happened after he had run away. Kris and Toriel listened as they sat on the recliner chairs on the opposite end of the room.
“After you had fled the store, we came and apprehended your mom. We got witness testimony from all the witnesses and security cam footage that proves she attacked you first. She’s currently on house arrest. Your mother had been asking where you were, but no one had told her anything for your own safety.”
Sam just nodded his head as he processed the information. “What about the booze I took?”
“The two bottles of alcohol? Don’t worry about that. Sans said that there wasn’t a need to get you in trouble for it. I don’t think anyone would blame ya’ for doing that after what happened.”
Sam felt relieved to know that he wasn’t going to get into trouble for that. While the shame of using an old vice still lingered, at least it wasn’t something that’d end up on a criminal record tailored for him.
Undyne began to speak up. “Now, the reason I’m telling you all this is that since you’re legally classified as an adult, we want to know if you’d want to press charges on your mom for aggravated assault and causing bodily harm.”
“Really?”
The given ultimatum surprised Sam. He debated whether he should have his mom feel the consequences of her actions. In fact, he could blow the whole thing open on all the things his mom has done in his lifetime. After everything she’s done, the young monster hoped that she would finally get what’s been coming to her for a long, long time. And this was his chance.
Then he felt someone sit beside him. It was Kris, who placed a hand on his shoulder, comforting him for what must be a difficult decision. And the more that he thought about it, the more Sam realized that he would only be using cruelty to get back at cruelty. He didn’t want things to be any messier than they needed to be. No more need for more pain, for more drama, for any more of it.
“I… I don’t want to press charges on her, Undyne. It may be her fault, but she’s just as broken and lost like me.”
Undyne simply nodded, writing the verdict onto her notepad. “Don’t worry Sam, we’ll try to get her into the best rehab center they could.”
With that, Undyne got up from her seat and made her way towards the front door, with Sam and the others following suit. Before she left, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re one tough monster, Sam, y’know that? If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”
Sam gave her an honest smile. “Yeah.”
Undyne gave a toothy smile back. And with that, she tipped her hat and made her way towards her police cruiser. “You all enjoy the rest of your day now!”
As everyone watched as the black and white car made its way down the road, Sam stood there on the outside mat. He took in a deep breath and sighed. That was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, and with it came the complications that Sam had feared. His whole world was changing right before his eyes. Whether it was prison or a rehabilitation center, the young monster truly had no one left in his immediate family.
How long would she be out? What would he do now? He doesn’t talk to his outside family much, so would they help him out? He knows he can’t stay at Kris’ house forever, so would he have to live alone?
As his mind raced, Sam felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned around to see Toriel and Kris standing behind him, caring looks on their faces. “My child, we know that this is a big change for you, and we promise that we will help you out whenever you need. But do not overthink yourself, you’ve gone through enough yesterday. Let’s go back to eat and perhaps we can go to the mall later today, that would be fun, yes?”
Sam looked back at Toriel, and his mind slowed down as he came to a realization. He may not have his family, but he has another family who will support him, love him, and accept him.
The dragon gave the motherly monster a smile and a nod. “Yeah. That would be fun.” Sam walked back into the house as the oak door with the delta rune emblem above it, slowly closed behind him.
[END]