Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Frisk’s had their eyes on Sans for god knows how long.

It started out simple, innocent; a kid getting a cute crush on their cool, older neighbor. Sans was funny and nice to them, had an unflappable demeanor... He was just cool. Not to mention the countless times Sans had helped them on their adventure. Sans was always exactly where Frisk needed a familiar face to ground them, and with that, he became a powerful synonym of safety.

But it was after their second, er, date, that Frisk noticed something else. Sans was enigmatic, if not secretive. It’s not that he was lying, but he was omitting information. Not letting on to something he knew. Indeed, it seemed that comedian was much more than met the eye.

It fascinated Frisk. How Sans always seemed to be one step ahead of them. How he always seemed to know what they were doing, what they had done, what they were going to do. How easy it seemed for him to switch between goofing off, and being far too serious. How he never quite let Frisk in, always had the human at a certain distance; not physical, but emotional.

When their journey came close to the end, Sans stood to judge their actions. Frisk knew Sans had experienced some of it from his sentry stations, but had a strong suspicion that he’d been watching much farther than he could have seen just from those. And while Frisk had met with Sans several, several times during their trek to the king’s castle, it was the first time Sans looked truly dangerous.

In the end, though, he let Frisk pass with a smile on his face. Perhaps because he trusted them... Or believed... Or hoped.

Again the thought came to mind: Maybe he knew something Frisk didn’t.

Sans had become like a puzzle. And if the underground had taught them something, it was that puzzles could always be solved.

(Not that they were meant to.)

But this puzzle is too daunting, too difficult to solve, even after they all start living in the surface and the years pass. Sans is always nearby, hanging out with Frisk or Toriel or Papyrus, sometimes even Alphys. But he won’t talk about himself. Sans is never vulnerable, never gets hit in a weak spot, never has any openings. Frisk has no idea how to really approach the skeleton in more than a superficial level, and Sans won’t give them enough of a lead.

(...Well. They actually do have a small lead, but it feels unfair to use it.

A certain lost soul’s voice echoes in the midst of Frisk’s memories of Asriel’s rebirth...

The only personal, emotive words Sans' voice had ever told them. Words of discouragement and insecurity...

Frisk doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to bring it up.)

So, when the puzzle is too hard, two heads think better than one.

Out of everyone Frisk had a crush on, Papyrus had never really been on their “bucket list”. But of course — he’d rejected them after their first date. And despite the hurt feelings, Frisk respected that. After all, having friends was perhaps their second favorite thing. (The first one was having datefriends; not that they knew that back then, that is. Never really had any.)

Besides, being friends with Papyrus is great. He’s fun. Has an amount of energy, ambition and dedication Frisk’s never seen in anyone from the underground, maybe not even Undyne. Papyrus never gives up, and doesn’t allow his friends to give up, either. Even after years had passed, he stood proudly in the position of “Frisk’s best friend”.

Which is why, when Papyrus finds out Frisk is interested in his brother, he sets out to help hook them up.

But this is Papyrus we’re talking about.

To start up, Papyrus recites the steps from the dating rulebook they’d used years ago. With that, he encourages Frisk to ask Sans on a date. (Wowie! My brother and my best friend... This is sure to bring us even closer together!)

Which they refuse with much intensity; this isn’t about dating, it’s about getting Sans out of his emotional cage... Although of course, going on a real date with him wouldn’t be too bad. But no, it’s not going to happen. Surely Sans thought of himself as an older brother or guardian to Frisk, right? Plus, they could never figure out if he and Toriel were a thing or not.

So no, Frisk repeats for maybe the sixth time in five minutes, not going to happen.

What they didn’t realize at the time was that, although he’d backed off for the time being, Papyrus had decided to go ahead with the dating idea anyway, by dropping subtle hints at his brother to get closer to the human.

And if there’s something Papyrus is not good at, it’s subtlety. His behavior always seemed a bit “off”, always too excitable and good at interpreting things only the way he wants to, so no one suspects anything right away. But, of course, that doesn’t last more than a couple of weeks.

Whenever Sans and Frisk are in the same room together (which is often; Frisk tends to spend more time at the skeletons’ house than their own, so as not to bother Toriel when she’s busy preparing classes), Papyrus raises his voice, finds some excuse to get them talking to each other, or some other excuse to go out and leave the two of them alone. Frisk’s got to admit it’s almost working well so far. Sans doesn’t seem bothered by it, no one else is questioning it, Frisk gets to enjoy Sans' company, and Papyrus is having fun. They can tell, because whenever they exchange even a single word with the shorter skeleton, they can hear a low humming of “nyeh heh heh” in the distance.

It’s when Papyrus starts encouraging Sans to tell Frisk his new puns that his brother decided that he’s had enough and something is amiss.

“You feeling alright?” Sans raises an eyebrow (?) at his brother. “I thought my jokes always got under your skin.”

“Arrrgh!! No, you’re doing it all wrong!” Papyrus stomps his foot down the instant he hears Sans' reference. “You’re supposed to tell them to Frisk, not me!”

“I don’t think I’ve got any material Frisk’s not heard before.” Sans shrugs, and Frisk sinks in their corner of the couch. “You sure everything’s okay? You’ve been kinda weird lately, y’know.”

“What! I have not been weird! You’re the one who’s being weird, asking me all these questions!” Papyrus’ indignation is almost palpable. Only a couple of moments pass before he groans in frustration, finally giving up the act. “I’ve been working so hard to get a ‘mood’ going between you two, but you are the worst at this romance thing! The book says people love a man who makes them laugh, so make Frisk laugh!”

Frisk chokes halfway through the sentence. Sans just blinks, his permanent grin not faltering for a second.

“Ha-ha! You silly bones!” Frisk yells out in a voice so stiff it wouldn’t seem out of place if Mettaton had said it, back when he was still a rectangle. “What are you talking about!? There is no romance to be had here!”

“Really? That’s too bad.” Sans squints his eyes, his grin stretching even more than usual, but with his tone as nonchalant as ever. “I would’ve liked to be a victim of Frisk’s infamous dates. I heard they’re bone-chilling.”

“Infamous? Am I that bad?” Frisk squeaks out. Sure, the date with Papyrus was a mess, hanging out with Undyne was a disaster, the one with Alphys wasn’t even real (just like anime), that one date with the monster kid after they'd started school together went kind of weird, they almost got swallowed up by Catty and Bratty, and Grill...

“...Wait, you would?”

“Yeah. I mean, why not? We’ve gone out a couple of times before.” He shrugs.

“Wait a second! That’s the first I’ve heard of it!” Papyrus leans towards his brother, one hand on his hips. Then, he lets out the most dramatic gasp they've ever heard. “I can’t believe it! You and my best friend were dating all this time! Right under my nose!”

“No, no, no, that was a long time ago!” Frisk shakes their head, trying to formulate sentences that made any sense to Papyrus. “And in one of them, all he talked about was my mother—!” But they’re interrupted by Sans, resting his bony hand on their shoulder.

“Guess the secret’s out. Sorry I never told ya, Papyrus.” Sans’ eyes close, in a way that makes him look more smug than peaceful. “Frisk here and I have been madly in love with each other for a while now.”

“Sans-- I-- what?” Is all Frisk manages to sputter.

Papyrus crosses his arms, before going quiet for a moment, and... “Frisk, you rascal! So all this was a plan to ease me into the idea of you two dating!” His eyes pop out in sudden understanding. “You believed the news would be too much for me to handle and you tried to tell me the calmest way possible! I see! How thoughtful of you!”

Frisk tries to reply with something, wants so desperately to explain that this is just one of Sans' jokes, but they can't find the words. They just open and close their mouth a few times. Sans has exactly the words he needs, though.

“Actually, we were planning on having lunch out today.” He looks straight towards his brother, voice unwavering. “But I promised I’d only go on dates with them if you gave us your blessing. What’s the verdict?”

“Hmm!! I told Frisk I’d help them settle for second best, but...” Papyrus raises his hand to his chin, deep in thought. “Are you sure about this, friend? Sans is not even close to being as great as I!”

“Well...” Frisk squints their eyes at him. “I guess Sans is my consolation prize?”

“Haha, ouch.” Sans mutters as if he was hurt, but he’s laughing. “It’s true, I’d never be as cool as Papyrus. You reconsidering this yet?”

“No way!” They respond on reflex, and hides their face in shame the moment they realize it. Sans just smiles harder at them, clearly amused by this turn of events.

Papyrus sighs, defeated, but he’s also smiling. “Well, Frisk already knows you’ve got my approval! Since they told me about it last month!” Frisk hides further behind their hands. “So my answer is yes! I, the great Papyrus, will allow you to date my best friend!!”

Sans lets out a low chuckle. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Allowing them to date your brother?”

“Frisk is my best friend, and as your brother, I say you’re the one who needs permission to date them!” Papyrus puts his hand on his chest, wearing an oddly proud expression. “And that permission is granted, so get moving! You must begin the preparations for the date!”

“Really, I was only planning on taking them out for lunch...”

“The location or occasion do not matter!! The rulebook says step one is asking them out!”

“Alright then.” Sans shrugs. “You wanna go out?”

“Huh?” Frisk blinks. This entire situation is far too confusing. “Uh, yes?”

“Good!!” Papyrus beams, proud of his brother’s success. “Now, you must dress nicely to show them you care! I remember this step most clearly!”

“I don’t have any clean clothes other than these though.” Sans speaks just a bit too fast, expecting his brother to scold him for it.

Rage flickers in Papyrus’ expression, but he suppresses it. “Arrgh, Sans! How long has it been since you last did your laundry! Well, I guess these clothes are better than none...!”

“That everything? We ready to go?”

Papyrus gets deep in thought again. “The first two steps are complete! Therefore... I guess you are?”

Frisk and Sans are no longer there when Papyrus blinks.

Chapter Text

Mettaton was a box of surprises. (Almost literally.)

Frisk had expected something completely different when they started going out. After all, Mettaton was a prima donna. He’s always on the spotlight, always comes first, must be the center of attention at all times. So when he turns out to be one of the sweetest boyfriends Frisk’s ever had, of course they’d be surprised.

Perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a big surprise, but Mettaton was attentive. In just a few days, he already knew Frisk’s favorite TV show (although he was quite a bit offended it wasn’t one of his shows), how they liked their coffee (with cream and one sugar cube), what kinds of clothes they liked to wear (comfy, which terrorized him because sometimes comfort meant Frisk going out in pajamas and crocs), all the little things Frisk never thought twice about. And whenever they were out together, Mettaton gave Frisk undivided attention. It was strange, and it seemed out of character, but Frisk would never complain about that.

(Dreams of a lost timeline where the underground’s society collapses thanks to Mettaton’s egomania tell Frisk, however, that things would have been much different had they started going out before he’d reunited with his cousin.)

One of Mettaton’s favorite dates is, to the surprise of no one, clothes shopping. He always needs something; a new jacket, a new pair of boots, a new dress, new hair accessories. (One must wonder what the size of his closet is like!) He announced his presence out loud in every shop he entered, clerks running to him to assist the star with his shopping. Mettaton also made sure everyone within a three mile radius was aware that Frisk was his date and he wouldn't allow them to get treated any different from himself. The pampering and attention wasn't too unwelcome, but very strange to a Frisk who was used to just slipping by unnoticed.

He made sure to do his part of the shopping quick; after all, he always had an idea of what he wanted right away. Frisk, the poor kid, has about 0 fashion sense. So, the robot made it his new life goal to make Frisk live up to their “true potential”. Starting with new shirts and tops — not striped, you’re not a child anymore Frisk darling — with nice tight cuts. Wearing shirts that looked like they were twice their size was unacceptable. Just a few months after they started going out, Frisk's wardrobe had already doubled in content and variety. He'd even convinced Frisk to get a few skirts, which they'd never considered before. "It's just a matter of finding the right cuts and sizes for you, dear", they'd been told. So now, instead of a wardrobe full of more of the same blue stuff, Frisk now owned pretty much a whole rainbow. Mettaton was... proud. That was an approximate way to describe it. Whenever they went out and Frisk was wearing one of the pieces they purchased together (which at this point was "often"), his eyes would almost sparkle with glee. If Frisk could see that expression on Mettaton that frequently, who cares if it meant wearing new clothes every day?

Mettaton's meek cousin, however...

Well, Frisk got along quite well with Napstablook. After all, they were one of their first friends in the underground, one they are very fond of. And actually a very sweet person, despite all their claiming they're bad company. Blook was nice to be around, and Frisk wanted them to know that. They try to show that in the simplest way: by hanging out with them as many times as possible. They admired Blook's skills at making music, and it seemed like some of the internet did too, as Blook had amassed a sizable (not large, but definitely not small) group of followers. So, one of the things they liked to do together was listen to music, both the ones made by Blook and his new band, and ones they just liked. Back when they'd first resurfaced, Frisk showed them all the music they liked to listen before they fell; some of it was too upbeat and exciting for Blook's liking, but they still found interest in every track anyway. It was refreshing, to hang out in quiet appreciation of the tunes playing in an old computer. (Mettaton had gotten Blook a new fancy one, but they never made the move; too many important files in the old one.)

Sometimes, Frisk had dinner over. It took some time getting adjusted to. Blook ate mostly ghost food, which Frisk just could not ingest no matter how much they wanted to. Blook also attempted making human food for those situations, but after a particular attempt resulted in Frisk having to explain what exactly escargot was, they reached the conclusion that it would be better for Frisk to bring their own food over. It wasn't quite as homely or romantic as having food made by each other, for each other, but just sharing a dinner table was enough to please them. (Romantic not being quite the right wording, as Frisk never got Napstablook to accept dating; "they'd just weigh Frisk down" echoing in their mind. Still working on that. But to be honest, this isn't too far from being dating, either. Not-so-platonic partners, perhaps?)

Cheering Blook up is often a daunting task, but they're determined to do it, if only because happy Blook was like, super cute. Sometimes all it took is a silly joke, or telling them about something outlandish Mettaton's done during the day. That would usually coax a little laugh out of them, how fond they must be of their cousin! But other times, they were feeling particularly bad. Those took some extra time to work through. Frisk would lie down together with them, thinking about life and the complexity of the universe in silence. They'd watch television, but if the program on wasn't from MTT, they'd have a hard time cheering up from it. At some point, Frisk had taken to actually cooking their dinner over at Blook's instead of bringing it in pre-made. Which proved to be a nice pastime and distraction from the negative thoughts, as Blook took a real interest in seeing how human food was made. (That meant no more takeout, but it was a sacrifice Frisk would make in a heartbeat.) Sometimes, it took a heart to heart. Blook pouring out their negative feelings, and Frisk doing the same, both doing their best to reassure the other. Those would take the whole night to get resolved, but they would often yield more positive results than the other options. (Sometimes, Frisk even felt like they needed it more than Blooky did. Sometimes they thought Blooky knew that.)

Frisk knew it wouldn't be easy or fast to get through the ghost's self-deprecation, and even then, it would never be gone for good. But Frisk wanted Blook to be happy more than anything. Even if it meant falling asleep together on their couch with puffy eyes and a stuffy nose.

Mettaton was very affectionate, in a physical way. At first Frisk found this strange; he was a robot, after all. It's only when they're hanging out at Napstablook's that they realize that, since he had been a ghost monster in the past, just being able to touch things means a lot to Mettaton. So whenever he assaulted Frisk with random hugs, pokes, hair ruffles or even kisses, they just take it. And in turn, they do the same whenever the urge strikes. It's a new thing, as they've always been too reserved to give themselves that sort of freedom, but the unusual genuine smile they get from the robot is more than enough incentive. They’re still not too fond of public displays of affection, so they try to keep those to a minimum, even though Mettaton seems to love them. It was his nature to try to show off as much as possible, after all, and that includes his “wonderful, darling date”.

So, when they’re lounging in his (spacious and impressive) living room, Frisk tries their best to get Mettaton to calm down. He was sweet, of course, but he was still loud and still made a big deal out of all his exploits of the day. He’d detail on how recording for today went (both for TV and for music), how everyone praised his new jewelry, how his new costumes for the super secret show were absolutely marvelous. He’d gossip about his co-workers and underlings, comment on every show they watched together, bounce off ideas for lyrics for Napstablook’s newest melody. It was an exhausting job, getting Mettaton to finally run out of material. That usually exhausted him, too; all the twirling and posing and leg raising must take quite the toll on his battery.

It’s usually late at night when Mettaton finally sits down on the couch with Frisk and relaxes. That’s when Frisk takes the opportunity to get as close as possible. They’re still a bit too shy about it, just scooting over and touching shoulders with the robot. Which prompts said robot into slinging his arm over their shoulder the instant they touch, and after a few moments, he lays his head on top of Frisk’s. (Smells like expensive perfume and metal.) They think they actually hear him giggle. They wonder how his co-workers would react if they knew just how... cute he’s being.

As time passes, Frisk lays their head down onto Mettaton’s lap; they’re not used to staying up late, while the robot can stay up at any time he wants as he wants as long as he takes the time to recharge. Mettaton lets out a small, amused laugh, and pets Frisk’s hair.

“At last, you realize your dream of touching my beautiful legs.” He smiles as he pinches their cheek.

“What...?” Frisk manages between yawns. “You still remember that?”

“Of course I do, darling. I’d never forget such a passionate essay about me.”

Napstablook's place quickly became a favored place to hang out. Frisk didn't feel too comfortable in Mettaton's huge, extravagant house; that thing was closer to being a king’s mansion than a real house. Instead, they preferred the quiet, humble abode of his cousin — which he helped afford, of course, a cute little house just a block down from his own place, another right next to it for Shyren and, uh, her sister — who was maybe just as quiet and humble as their home. Blook appreciated the company quite a bit, even if they wouldn't outright admit to it, instead stating they were being a bother to the other two. (Like a broken record.) The three of them would often spend quiet evenings having dinner, checking out a new tune Blook came up with, and watching television (always a MTT program). It was a nice change of pace, considering Mettaton’s... high energy hangouts. Not that he wasn’t energetic with Blooky, of course; someone had to offset the other ghost’s lack of cheerfulness. It was just more subdued, in favor of building up their confidence rather than his own.

Watching the conflicting personalities of Mettaton and Blook work in almost perfect unison was something else. Frisk noticed Blook was never quite as sad or negative when Mettaton was around; a combination of the robot being a positive influence on them, and the ghost not wanting to worry their cousin too much. Meanwhile, Mettaton's intensity wasn't as present as it would be in different conditions. It made Frisk feel giddy. Happy for them. Mettaton always noticed, and asked what exactly the human was smiling so much over. He wouldn't take Frisk being out of the fun, and dragged them out of hiding to do whatever it is that he and his cousin were doing at the moment. It was a conflict between wanting them to enjoy themselves without Frisk's interference, and being glad that the two of them thought their presence was required to have the best experience.

Sometimes Shyren came over, sometimes she'd rather stay at home for a while. Which everyone respected; Shyren wasn't quite as bad as Blook was when it came to feeling bad about herself, but she wasn't in top notch condition all the time, either. Whenever she did show up, though, it'd turn into a spontaneous band practice session. Frisk always felt grateful for witnessing those; the group of monsters always looked like they were in their element when playing. Frisk enjoyed it even more when the group would change the lyrics to dedicate a song to them, though it felt a bit counterproductive to do during practice. The three of them looked much happier together, and Frisk feels a bit sad just thinking about how miserable life must have been for them when they were apart; they'd only caught a glimpse of it, but what they did see was enough for Frisk to decide they'd never allow it to happen again. If they couldn't see these smiles together, dancing around to their own brand of music...

(Frisk lets out a bittersweet smile, and it prompts all three monsters to just stop what they're doing and smother them with affection. They have a hard time holding back the tears.)

In the end, they all fall asleep in a mismatched heap of creatures on the couch, exhausted after a day of playing and lying down on the floor. They were an odd, patched up family, Frisk thought. But then again, weren't all their families like that?

When Frisk wakes up to the smell of Mettaton and Blook setting fire to what would have been breakfast, and the sound of Shyren peacefully sleeping next to them, they smile and pretend to be asleep for a little while longer.

Chapter Text

It’s no surprise that Undyne saves up money to get herself a motorcycle as soon as she sees one, to be honest. It’s a big bike for a human, but just the right size for a monster. It’s green and black, looks a little like a bug, and reminds her of a certain show she watched with Alphys. She’s fast and free and the wind on her hair feels amazing. Everything feels amazing: the sun, the air, the weather. The surface is everything she ever dreamed of.

(Sure, she’s disappointed when she learns humans don’t actually use huge swords and robots anymore. What a waste of their incredible history! But they still worship that lost culture through cartoons and movies and action figures, oh, so many action figures. Alphys’ collection is growing at ten times the speed it used to back underground, now that she doesn’t have to depend on things humans threw away anymore.)

Alphys doesn’t like riding on the back, though. The bike is too small for her, too awkward, and she’s worried she’ll throw Undyne off her flow. So Undyne gets a sidecar, even though she loved the feeling of Alphys holding on for dear life behind her. The sidecar is pink and glittery and has a decal on the side, the silhouette of a girl with cat ears. Alphys loves it so much she almost cries. Undyne smiles wide and smug, proud at another job well done.

Plus, the sidecar means an empty seat someone else can use.

Hold up, let's go back a bit. Back to when Frisk finally did as promised, and watched Mew Mew Kissy Cutie with Alphys.

It's a funny thing, hanging out with Alphys. Despite the fact that there's no more royalty for her to be the scientist of, and that Toriel fired her from the position a few minutes before they left the underground, she still does most of the technology related advancements for the monster settlement - out of her own free will. So her house is still in a lab, this one more organized and less like a maze. Sometimes Frisk would actually find her working, and it never failed to shock them. She'd try to explain her newest project, and even though it all sounded foreign to the human, it was nice to see her so passionate about work for once.

But cartoons, those were her real passion, so it's no surprise to Frisk that when they're watching the first episode of the anime she'd recommended a few years back, she can't sit still. She struggled with the options of watching the show, or paying attention to Frisk’s reactions. She'd explain some hidden meaning behind a character's name, or point out some differences between the show and the game -- I have it here if you want to play it by the way -- or gasp by herself when she realized something she hadn't in her previous watches.

Considering everything that'd happened, Frisk felt happy just being able to see Alphys enjoy herself and show them her true self without restraints.

They ended up watching twenty episodes in one sitting, only making a pause halfway through to order a pizza (which they ate while watching, of course). Frisk has to admit, they did enjoy the pink cutesy style of the show. They even ended up borrowing the game from Alphys by the end of the night. She couldn't contain her excitement.

A few more weeks would pass until they finally finished watching the first season. She had so many questions. Which part did they like the most? Favorite character? Favorite song? Now you know why I laughed when you screamed at that one plot twist? Frisk replied with much enthusiasm, and even then it was not enough to match her passion.

During that time, Frisk had adjusted well to navigating the lab house, got used to its layout. Didn't need Alphys to get things from the kitchen anymore, as she gave them permission to help themselves to whatever they wanted, and now they could find it themselves. Some nights were sleepover nights, and Frisk would help her clean up afterwards. They even started leaving some of their clothes over so that they didn't need to pack every single time. It started feeling so familiar, Frisk couldn't even remember the initial awkwardness from when the two first met.

Hanging out with Undyne was the complete opposite. Frisk often had a hard time keeping up with her, she's a ball of energy and power and she's way too active for the poor human. She became the gym teacher at school, to which the monster kid both glowed and scowled at. She tried to apply to teach home economics as well, but Asgore managed to stop her before it was too late. It’s not that Frisk didn’t enjoy the cooking lesson before, but they’d rather the school not go up in flames.

With Undyne, they didn't have those calm moments where they just lounge around on a couch too often. There was always some sort of activity to keep her on track. From doing neighborhood watch to extracurricular classes to teaching Papyrus to cook (she never gave up, because Undyne doesn't give up and neither does Papyrus), she was always moving, always busy, always helping people out whichever way she can. There may not be a royal guard anymore, not that she wants there to be, but she still wanted to protect her people if she could. And Frisk would often accompany her; they were the human ambassador, after all. Part of their job was to make sure things were working out for everyone.

The move to the surface had been surprisingly smooth. The monsters received ownership of an open area near the mountains and settled there. Of course, they'd have to expand eventually and spread into human cities; some of the surrounding towns had already agreed to taking in monsters, while others were still hesitant about the idea. But overall, it had been a much less tense transition than Frisk expected. Maybe things would finally get better for monsters... They, Frisk and Undyne, would make sure of it. Even if it didn’t, they’d make it happen. Somehow. It’s their specialty.

The next show Frisk and Alphys watched together isn't quite that kissy or cutie: it was part of Undyne's favorite series, a season they didn't have access to back in the underground. None of them had watched it yet. Alphys scheduled a marathon week during a long holiday, so the three of them could sleep over at her house and watch it.

The idea of seeing Alphys react to a show she'd never watched before filled Frisk with determination. (Plus, the addition of Undyne was sure to make things interesting.)

Of course, things were different with Frisk being their +1. There was still a lot of screaming and heated reactions, but then there was also Undyne slinging her arm around Alphys’ shoulder, casual flirting and inside jokes Frisk wasn't quite in yet. As cute as it was to see them get along, after how much hard work it took to get them together, they felt a bit like an intruder. Yet they didn't show any signs that Frisk’s presence was unwelcome, nor did they seem to be holding back because of them. At the very least, they were enjoying Frisk’s company.

The show had a much different tone from the magical girl stuff Alphys likes, but also some similarities. There was a lot of action and fighting and explosions, but also a lot of character development and friendship and the meaning of being human. Frisk figures it's the best show for the two girlfriends, a nice blend of both their personalities. Bold and loud, but knows when to get more subdued and emotional. Undyne cracked a loud laugh, comparing Frisk to the main character, to which Alphys agreed with a surprised expression.

When they reached the final few episodes, when the story got more serious and focused and the suspense was hanging over them, Frisk started noticing something different. It's probably been going on for much longer, and they just didn't realize it. That sometimes they got Frisk to sit between them instead of to the side, that Alphys would dig her claws into their arm when she was nervous, that Undyne would steal their snacks when she was nervous... Actually, that last one always happened, since day one. It just felt a bit different this time, because she stopped apologizing for doing it. And it wasn't just them; Frisk had gotten much more familiar with them, too. They clung to Undyne when something sad or surprising happened, linked hands with Alphys when things turned out right for the characters. By this point, Frisk knew exactly when the two of them wanted refills on their soda or juice, or when a bathroom break was in order, and even when it was time to stop for the day and go to bed.

When they were lying down on their makeshift bed (really just a bunch of blankets thrown next to Alphys’ bed and Undyne's futon, though the two always end up on the same bed in the morning somehow), they realized they didn't ever want this to end. They wanted to become even closer, to spend more time with the two of them. But was it possible the way they are now? After all, they would finish the show the next day. Frisk wanted to stay close, even when they’re not watching shows together... But they didn't have a plan, and probably never would. It was for the best that they'd leave the two to date by themselves.

The next morning, Frisk woke up to the smell of burning and the sound of loud voices. (Honestly, why are monsters all so bad at cooking?) Neither friends were in bed, so they assumed the burned food was a joint effort. Following the already well-memorized path to the kitchen, stumbling around groggy with sleep, Frisk found the girlfriends panicking around the stove, a frying pan aflame.

“I knew we should have followed the recipe more closely...!” Alphys stammered as she tried her best to control the situation.

“But that's boring!” Undyne screamed, fiddling with dials and buttons to no avail. “What's the point of home cooking if we don't put our own spin into it!?”

“What’s the point of home cooking if no one gets to eat it?” Alphys cries back, finally managing to put out the fire.

Undyne sighed once the damage was under control. “Ngh, you’re right, and I hate it. Well, what are we gonna do now? If we can’t wake Frisk up with breakfast, what are we waking them up with?”

“How about yelling?” Frisk smiled by the door frame, finally bringing themselves to the girls’ attention.

Both of them jumped. “O-Oh, Frisk! Hello!” Alphys tripped on her words, hiding something behind her back. A piece of paper, Frisk thought. “You're up early!”

“Of course they are. We woke them up.” Undyne rubbed her temples. “We're so bad at this.”

“What were you guys up to?” They can't help but smile. Frisk wasn't sure what the secret was, but they were bad at hiding it anyway. “I hope we're still having breakfast?”

“No, don’t worry, we still have breakfast! There's toast and eggs and rice and everything! We were just trying to do something special for... um... the...” Alphys trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Then suddenly, Undyne slammed her fists on the counter. “No, you know what? Screw this! Screw courting! Screw wooing!” And turned towards Frisk with an unnecessary amount of strength. “We don't need any fancy cinnamon pancakes! I can show my passion without them!” She bared her teeth in an intense scowl, leaning down to match Frisk’s height. “Frisk! Alphys and I have been talking! We were planning on telling you something but we didn't know how!!”

“Um, I figured that much—”

“No, stop talking! I'm bad enough at this confession thing without being interrupted!!” Undyne slammed her hand on Frisk’s shoulder with far too much force. “Frisk!! You are a great friend! Alphys and I care for you very much!” Was... was this going where they thought it was going? “And by that I mean we like you!! A lot! The past few years have been really nice and this week was even better!! And we think it would be nice if you'd start going out with us!”

Frisk blinked. “What?” It seemed like many of their relationships started out like this.

“Undyne! I told you that wasn’t going to w-work... Oh no, now you freaked them out!”

“What? I have no idea how to ask people out! How did we even become a thing!?”

“I don’t know, i-it just happened! A-All my dating experience comes from simulator games!”

“What happens in dating games when you get rejected??”

“T-That’s usually a game over, or a bad ending...”

“Are you saying our life is over!?”

“It might as well be!”

“Wait, calm down!” Frisk waved their arms in a panic. “Let me answer, will you?”

So there they are. Riding along the mountain range, Alphys in the sidecar, Frisk holding onto Undyne. Being close to people she loves feels just as great as the sun on her scales and the rumble of the engine. It’s a quiet sort of date, a little different from the ones they usually have on Alphys’ couch, and much different from the ones downtown with Undyne, but those are necessary sometimes, too.

They only stop at the very top of the mountain.

“Here we are. The top of Mount Ebott. Never thought I’d be coming back here.” Undyne crosses her arms, smiling at the still much shorter human.

“Me neither... Seems like it’s been so long since we’ve last been here.” Alphys looks slightly apprehensive; Frisk imagines it’s from all the memories. “S-So, what did you wanna show us, Frisk?”

Frisk takes a couple of steps towards the edge. “This.”

Where there was once a wide open, rocky field, there is now an endless expanse of little homes, buildings and roads. They could see the school, Alphys’ lab, Mettaton’s huge house, the block where Frisk and the skeletons lived, the general area where their capital bordered a human town, which looked like a mishmash of different buildings. And so, so much more. In fact, there were parts of the capital they couldn’t see from this distance.

“Whoa, holy crap.” Undyne whispers, her expression both neutral and shocked. “I had no idea we’d grown this much. I mean, I did, but I didn’t imagine it looked... like this.”

Alphys blinked, perhaps because of the sunlight reflecting off her glasses... Or something different. “The underground was just as big, but it looked... Different. Smaller.”

“It’s the sky.” Frisk nods. “The world looks a lot bigger when there’s no walls keeping you inside.”

How long did they stand there, just watching the town in silence? Frisk couldn’t tell. They lost count at ten minutes, when Undyne approached to hold Alphys’ and their hands.

This town, bathed by sunlight and sometimes snow and rain, housing all sorts of monsters and even a few types of humans. This was their work. Not just the three of them, but all their friends, acquaintances, all of monsterkind. It was thanks to them that monsters once more were allowed to have the open sky as their roof.

“Listen up, you punks!” Undyne finally breaks the ice, shouting so loud the echoes rang for seconds. “This looks pretty cool, doesn’t it? But guess what! This town of ours, our little place under the sun? This is just the beginning! Soon enough, us monsters are going to have the world! We’ll do everything there is to do, we’ll go to every corner of this planet! See everything they tried to stop us from seeing!”

“Not so loud, the humans might hear us!” Alphys shakes Undyne’s arm, with much less intensity than desired. But she’s smiling.

“For example!” Undyne continues, unaffected by her girlfriend’s noodle arms. She turns sharply to the opposite direction. “That forest over there. What’s stopping us from checking that out? Nothing, that’s what. Come on, Frisk! Alphys! I’ll take you guys there!”

“U-Um, bears. Bears are stopping us. I’m pretty sure there are bears there.” Alphys stammers out, but does nothing to stop Alphys from dragging her back to the motorcycle.

“Then I’ll be the first monster in this era to suplex a bear!”

Chapter Text

Some nights, when Frisk sleeps, they dream of darkness.

This night, it’s pitch black, and they can barely make themselves out. They look at their hands; open, close, rinse, repeat.

They feel every sensation flawlessly, a realistic lucid dream. Or was it something else?

Some nights, they dream of someone.

It’s so dark, Frisk can barely make him out. They can see his shape breathing in, breathing out, so distant he might as well not be there.

But they can see the person’s hands. Moving in specific ways, gesturing, speaking.

It's too erratic and fast. Frisk can't make out most of it.

A closed fist, held up to his chest. A circular motion, repeated, clockwise.

(both hands, crossed, over their chest)

It’s dark, and Frisk is all alone again.

They can’t remember any of the dream when they wake up, but for some reason, they start crying.