Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Hello, how are you doin' today?"

"Good, you?"

"I'm great, thank you!" You chirped in the happiest voice you could muster, but honestly, you were just watching the clock, begging for your shift to be over already.

Ripping the receipt off the machine with a quick motion, you handed it to the customer, "Have a nice day!" and off they went. You worked at a retail job as a cashier, very simple, straight forward, but man did it get repetitive and boring. Which made you a bit nervous, it was only a matter of time until something went wrong. Like the customers card not working, expired coupon even though they swear it will work if you just try it again, having to punch in the product number only to re-type it again because you messed up. You felt like you mess up with everything lately.

'At least I have a job I guess...' you thought to yourself.

After your shift ended, you clocked out and grabbed your purse. Making it to your car, you turned on your favorite tune to try and relax your fizzled brain after a long day of socializing at work. You weren't exactly the most outgoing girl out there. Sure, you thought you were pretty funny and quick witted with certain friends, but with people you didn't know, you figured you came across as boring. Unoriginal. Shy. Maybe even scary because you were shy.

You let out a big sigh, it sucked sometimes, actually, all the time. You wanted to be cool and fun all the way around no matter who you were with. But it felt fake and VERY tiring when you tried, and most of the time...you just ended up embarrassing yourself. You learned over the years that, well, it's better to just blend into the background and only speak when spoken to in order to avoid awkwardness and failure.

The sun was setting in a brilliant orange and pink aura across the sky. You turned into your neighborhood, and eventually your humble house. It was one story and only had three rooms; a bedroom, guest room, and an office/art room as you made it. As well as a kitchen and living room. The car turned off into a hum and then silence. You smiled, hearing your dog bark with happiness from inside your house, awaiting your return. 'At least I got someone who enjoys being with me.' you thought.

The shadows cast long across your driveway and sidewalk as you stepped out of your car. Actually, very long, very tall shadows. Is it Halloween? No, it's September...then why is there a shadow of a-

"HELLO HUMAN," a booming voice came from behind you and nearly tore you from the earth out of fright, "IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR."

You whipped around so fast you nearly tripped over your own feet. Gripping your chest where your heart felt like it was about to leap out, you saw a very tall and lengthy skeleton monster dressed in, a superhero costume?? Anyway, he wasn't even that close to you, he was at the end of your driveway, waving with a huge smile. His voice was so loud it made you think he would literally be breathing down your neck.

Shakily taking in a breath and giggling with relief at the friendly looking monster, you waved and smiled gently, "H-hi! I-I'm sorry, you caught me off guard. Haven't had a neighbor in a while."

You didn't mind the new monster community, a few worked at your job in fact. Never being one to judge right off the bat, you excepted them so long as they weren't rude or mean to you or anyone else. Some other humans, on the other hand, weren't as patient as you were with the transition.

"OH, MY APOLOGIES, HUMAN. I GUESS ONE CAN BE CAUGHT SPEECHLESS WHEN MEETING THE GREAT PAPYRUS." He spoke again, and you realized that he wasn't necessarily yelling, it was just how he talked.

You had made your way down the driveway to shake the monster's hand, which was gloved and quite large. It made you a bit nervous, his size, but you tried not to let it show as to not be rude.

"So, uhm, is it just you?" You asked politely, trying to make conversation as Papyrus seemed thrilled to be talking to you.

"ACTUALLY, NO, I HAVE A BROTHER WHO IS PROBABLY SLEEPING ON THE JOB." Papyrus suddenly seemed dramatically distraught, "I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO MOVE ALL THESE BOXES MYSELF WITH HIM SLEEPING ALL DAY!"

'What a character this guy is.' You thought to yourself with humor. "Well, I can help if you like? I-I just have to put my stuff down, I just gotbackfromworkandIneedtofeedmydog-..." you started mumbling and fading away as you realized you probably didn't have to add that much information into one sentence.

Papyrus was already nodding with another big smile and a thumbs up, "THAT WOULD BE GREAT, HUMAN! YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO KNOW THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND-" He gasped with excitement, "I WILL MAKE SPAGHETTI FOR US!"

"O-oh! Sounds great! Are you sure? I don't want to impose..." You avoided eye contact, trying not want to pressure him into making you dinner.

"OF COURSE, HUMAN. PLEASE, PREPARE YOURSELF AND COME BACK WHEN READY!" With that, Papyrus hopped happily away.

You smiled, a bit dazed from his huge personality, and walked back up your driveway into you house.

Your dog jumped onto you, trying to lick your face. You giggled and pushed him/her off. "Alright, alright! We gotta make this quick, though!" You got him/her a scoop of food and put your stuff down.

In your room, you changed out of your work clothes and into a tie-dye T-shirt and sweats. Putting up your (h/c) hair, you slipped on some sneakers and off you went. It was a bit refreshing, even if you were regretting getting yourself into this social commitment when you could be watching Netflix now. You don't really have many friends, or close friends that is. You have one best friend and one close friend, those were the gals you felt comfortable and safe around. No one else made you feel the way they did. They make you feel free to be yourself and like everything is alright, bringing you back down to Earth again. Maybe, you could become good friends with your new monster neighbors, and it'd be like those cute TV shows where you say "Hi" to them in the morning while getting the mail, a steaming cup of coffee in your hand. That'd be nice.

Walking up carefully to Papyrus' door, you rang the doorbell. His garage was open as well as a large moving truck with boxes spread out everywhere, but you were not confident enough to just walk and knock on the garage door, too personal of a door. You heard some yelling and clanking around, followed by quick footsteps. It all sounded pretty harmful and carefree, 'I guess brothers will be brothers!' you thought.

The door swung open and you were met with Papyrus' excitedly loud voice again, "HUMAN! PLEASE COME IN AND MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME. WELL, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, WE HAVEN'T SET UP MUCH YET. BUT! ALL THE SAME!" He stepped aside and let you walk in.

"Thank you!" You chirped, and he was right, it was pretty bare except for some furniture and boxes here and there, spilling their contents. You stepped over miscellaneous things, trying to be as considerate as possible to not step on anything, and looked around acknowledging their taste in decor. Honestly, kinda bland, but maybe they had more in store? There were some pictures on the wall and fireplace, you took a gander at them. It was Papyrus and another shorter skeleton. 'That must be his brother who's probably sleeping right now.' You guessed in your head.

"AH, YOU HAVE FOUND A WONDERFUL PHOTO OF ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND MY LAZY-BONES BROTHER, SANS." Papyrus said as he walked over to your side to look at the picture as well, "IN THIS ONE, WE DISCOVERED A WONDEROUS AND LARGE BODY OF WATER."

"The beach?" You snickered and looked over at the photo he was pointing at, which made you laugh more. Papyrus had on what looked like a speedo with large rubber duck floaties on each of his shoulder, as well as sunglasses and a straw hat. His brother, Sans, was a funny contrast with only a T-shirt and shorts. Complete opposites, how perfect. You smiled and looked up to Papyrus, "It looks like it was a lot of fun."

He beamed and nodded, "IT WAS INDEED, NOW, LET ME SHOW YOU TO THE GARAGE TO GET THE BOXES IN BEFORE IT GETS DARK. AND ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE PREPARED MY FAMOUS GOURMET SPAGHETTI FOR US." Was his cape flowing in the non-existent wind?

You nodded and let him take the lead, feeling comfortable behind his tall stature, like a shield. He had shown you the boxes that you would be capable of helping to move and had started the process very nicely. For being very overbearing at times and maybe a bit spontaneous, he was very polite. He would hold the door for you whenever passing by each other, even if he had a box or two in his arms. He offered water every two seconds. And would say 'thank you' much too often than necessary. It was nice. You felt wanted and appreciated. You almost didn't want this labor to end!

You were just picking up the last box in your pile when you heard the door to the garage open, thinking it was Papyrus, you lifted the box and turned around with a warm and confident smile like you had done so many times before with him. Your smile dropped immediately when you realized it wasn't him. A shorter but still a bit taller than you skeleton was standing in the doorway, he had a smirk on his face that unsettled you a bit, thinking he was going to make a snarky comment about you, like a lot of men usually do, and he wore a blue hoodie and exercise shorts. Although, his torso under his white T-shirt said he didn't really exercise.

Realizing you weren't smiling and just staring in shock, you quickly regained yourself and plastered a smaller smile onto your face, hoping he didn't notice. "H-hi! I'm (y/n), u-uhm Papyrus let me in. I-I'm helping with...boxes!" You stuttered, trying to get him to understand everything as fast as possible as to not freak him out with you being here.

He smiled wider and chuckled, his posture very laid back, it almost made you feel comfortable again. "It's alright, I'm not gonna kick ya out or anything." He said.

His voice was very deep and almost gravelly, like he just woke up. 'Probably did'. "Oh, haha..." you laughed, trying to make light of everything.

"I'm Sans, Papyrus' brother, he told me you were helping out...erm, thanks." He said a bit awkwardly, knowing he was the reason you had to help his brother.

"OH! It's fine, I'm actually enjoying it, haha...y-your brother is really nice." You replied, and you meant it. Papyrus had really taken your mind off things.

Sans seemed overjoyed, hearing you talk about his brother so genuinely. 'How cute.' you thought happily.

"Yea, my bro is pretty great." He said while scratching the back of his head.

You smiled at that and shifted the box you were holding as it had become a bit heavier over the introductions. Sans noticed and frowned, realizing you were uncomfortable. "Sorry kid, lemme get that for ya." He offered.

"It's alright, I got it!" You tried to tell him, not wanting to be a burden.

"Nah, I insist." He walked over to you and took it from your arms, his skeletal fingers brushing yours. You weren't expecting them to feel so warm, and hard? You had so much to learn about them.

You blushed slightly at the brief contact, 'Pathetic. You're such a virgin.' you yelled at yourself. The box left little line indents in your arms, "Well, thanks heh..." You laughed shyly, tucking some hair behind your ear, a nervous habit you had gotten into.

Sans nodded, and realized he had been starring at your hair you had put it behind your ear. The color blue looked like it had been dusted across his cheeks. He glanced back at you with white, pin-prick eyes and smiled again. If you were being honest, Sans looked...flustered? Before you could say anything, he nodded his head toward the door and lead you back into the house, closing the garage. He carried the box with ease to what you figured was his bedroom. It seemed to be already set up pretty nicely, maybe he hadn't been sleeping...His bed had sheets thrown on carelessly, and what looked like a sock collection was piled up in the corner on his floor.

"Uhm, nice room!" You tried to compliment while hanging back in the doorframe, not sure if it was okay to walk in. Sans glanced over, placing the box down, "Heh, thanks. I put a lot of backBONE into it." He grinned and waited for you to get his joke.

You stared at him for a moment, a little out of it from the hard work and extra socializing today, but it only took a few seconds and you were cracking up. You bet that he had a lot of those where that came from. He seemed ecstatic that you got his joke and walked over to you, "Come on, let's go see what Papyrus has for dinner." His hand brushed your shoulder momentarily, and...you welcomed it, trying not to flinch away from the sudden contact.

"Oh! I-I think he was making his famous spaghetti?" You asked, not sure if it was really famous or just that Papyrus thought it was.

"Oh yes, VERY famous." Sans chuckled sarcastically.

You giggled at that, getting the hint. The air felt so much lighter now after the laughing. The air also smelled really good and you hadn't realized how hungry you were. Once in the kitchen, Papyrus turned around and greeted you both.

"AH! I SEE YOU HAVE MET MY BROTHER, SANS!" Papyrus pulled a pot from the oven and brought it to the table, "I HAVE PREPARED THE BEST SPAGHETTI THE WORLD CAN OFFER."

You and Sans sat down and waited for Papyrus to bring plates, forks, napkins, and drinks. You sat there watching him go, he seemed really happy as the chef of the house. You tucked your hands under your thighs, not sure what to do with them, and glanced over at Sans, who you could have sworn was looking at you. But, he seemed to suddenly be really interested in his napkin. 'Hmmm...' You blushed, gah, so easily flustered. You figured Sans noticed because he put his elbow on the table to support his head and look at you.

"So, do you live with someone?" Sans asked, trying to spark conversation as Papyrus sat down from serving everyone.

"Uhm...no-I mean! I have a dog? His/Her name is (d/n)!" You piped up when talking about your pet, he/she was your best companion, to be honest.

Papyrus let out some kind of whine of distress, "OH DEAR, I HOPE THAT DOG STAYS AWAY FROM MY SPECIAL ATTACK."

You looked questioningly at Papyrus, then at Sans, who was laughing, "Bro, we don't have to use attacks anymore, remember? And even if we did, I'm sure (y/n)'s dog is considerate enough of your special attack." It was like he was trying to calm down a little kid, you thought it was thoughtful and cute.

You smiled, "Yes, Papyrus, (d/n) will leave your stuff alone, I trained him/her myself!" You said proudly, then quickly looked down and tried not to act like it was a big deal. 'Gosh, they probably think that's lame. Training your dog? Big woop! We're skeletons with special attacks!' You thought angrily at yourself.

"REALLY? DOES HE/SHE DO TRICKS?!?!?" Papyrus boomed with excitement, his eyes sparkling.

You looked up surprised, and then broke out into a smile, "Haha, uhm, yea! Totally! I c-could show you guys sometime." You replied happily.

Papyrus was fist pumping the air now, "SANS, COULD WE SEE THE HUMAN'S DOG DO TRICKS TOMORROW?" Sans looked up from his dinner and shrugged, "If she's cool with it, bro."

Papyrus looked hopefully at you, "Oh! Y-yea! I'm off tomorrow anyway. I could make dinner for you guys in return for this!" You held up a forkful of spaghetti.

"YOU COOK TOO HUMAN?" Papyrus asked, astonished.

"Of course! I love to cook actually....but I never have an opportunity to cook really good things for guests, so it'd be great!" You replied.

Sans cocked his head, "Do you not get visitors often?"

Your face fell and you looked down at your pasta, "Oh, no, I-I do, just not a lot. Y'know, busy busy....!" You finished with a laugh to lighten the comment.

The brothers seemed satisfied enough with the answer, phew. That'd be embarrassing if they knew you were a loner most of the time, they'd probably think you're no fun....which...I guess is kinda true...

A long time ago you had figured no one really, honestly enjoyed your company. You were always replaced. Replaceable. It broke your heart, you felt it physically burn a rip in your chest whenever your friends hung out without you, or started to become closer with someone else, leaving you behind. When you knew THEY knew you relied on them to get through certain social situations. You were just too much of a burden. No one likes you. Why are you here? What's the point?

You looked up, an emotional stone in your stomach not allowing you to eat anymore. The bros seemed happy, talking and eating together, the occasional Sans pun making Papyrus groan. They didn't need you here, you were intruding on their special, first night in a new house brotherly time. How could you.

"W-well, I should go. It's getting late." You stand up, trying to avoid eye contact but smiling so they thought everything was fine.

"O-OH, ARE YOU SURE HUMAN? YOU CAN STAY LONGER IF YOU LIKE?" Papyrus almost looked hurt.

'Great, now you upset them, you can't do anything right.' You thought angrily again at yourself.

"Yes! I'm sorry, I just uhm...have my dog! Y'know?" You smiled and made sure to do it with eye contact this time.

Papyrus seemed to understand, "VERY WELL, HUMAN. PLEASE! TAKE SOME SPAGHETTI TO GO UNTIL WE SEE YOU AGAIN TOMORROW!" Papyrus got up quickly and grabbed a bowl for you and filled it with his pasta.

"Oh, thank you...are you sure?" You gratefully received the bowl from his hands.

"OF COURSE! WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY. AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING!" He replied and walked you out, followed by Sans.

"I did! And you're welcome. Anytime! Also, the spaghetti was very good! A-and welcome to the neighborhood!" You kept rambling and finally shut your mouth, reluctantly tearing your eyes away from the bros as you walked down their driveway.

"see ya, kiddo." Sans called.

It surprised you, you thought he wasn't going to say anything. You turned and waved to him, smiling. He watched you intently as you walked to your own house.

It kind of made you feel...safe.

Chapter Text

That night you slept VERY well. Considering all the manual labor you had just done, with your job and at your new neighbour's house.

The sun filtered through your blinds. Dust particles glimmering in the air, casting small shadows on your face as you stirred in your sheets softly. Your dog curled against your back was a heater in itself, warming you to a comfortable state in your dreamland. Your foot stuck out from your fluffy blanket, and your hands were curled tightly against your chest as you laid on your side. The sound of footsteps on gravel woke you slightly. Your eyes opened slowly and you lifted your head from your pillow to look at your window. Hair fell around your face from various locations of your head, what a mess. Ignoring it for now, you stared intently at the window, looking for any sign of life or movement of an intruder. After a few heartbeats you wished you could see something, but at the same time, you weren't sure what you'd do if you did see someone.

Then, a tall figure walked past your window, heading into your backyard. You froze with a sharp intake of breath. Immediately your dog was in a flurry of paws and barks, trying to untangle itself from your sheets. Moving on instinct, you sprang from your bed and ran out your bedroom door, stopping at the frame of your hallway to peek into the kitchen, which is where the door to your backyard is. It was a glass sliding door so you were able to see outside easily. Your dog sped past you, throwing itself out the doggy door. You tucked hair behind your ears and held your breath, trying to hear anything. Suddenly, you noticed the lock wasn't on for the door. 'HOLY CRAP!! What an idiot!' you screamed at yourself in your head.

Pausing in fear, you looked around, not really wanting to go closer to the intruder, but you also didn't want whoever it was coming in. Hesitantly, you tip-toed across your tile floor in the kitchen, leaving one hand to trail on the wall as you walked, it made you feel more grounded. As you came to the carpeted area of the living room where the backyard door was, your heart sped up and you dashed to the door, locking it with speed, even if it felt like an eternity. Sighing with relief, you looked up to see out the window, feeling a bit braver now. Immediately, you were met with a long skeletal face, pressed up against the window staring intently at you with a huge smile.

"aAAAAAHHH!!' you screeched and pushed yourself from the glass door so hard you fell backward onto your bum.

The skeleton seemed surprised by your reaction and looked like he was trying to tell you something. You sat there, panting, with your hands drawn up against your chest. As you came down from your adrenaline rush, you realized it was Papyrus, and he was pointing at something. You huffed, laughing to yourself about being so scared of the friendly giant. You still had some questions, like, why was he in your backyard? You glanced down at where he was pointing. Your dog had latched itself onto Papyrus' leg.

"Oh my gosh!!" you laughed and stood up, opening the door for him and commanding your dog to let him go.

"AH, THANK YOU HUMAN," Papyrus says while shaking slobber off his leg.

He stepped into your house and started looking around. You turn to him after closing the door, it feels weird having someone in your house. Walking up to him, you tap his shoulder to get his attention.

"Uh-uhm, why did you come in through my backyard?? Kinda scared me haha..." You ask nervously, suddenly feeling vulnerable in your baggy t-shirt and shorts.

"OH, MY DEAREST APPOLIGIES, HUMAN. I DID NOT MEAN TO SCARE YOU?" He looked truly crestfallen, "YOU WERE NOT ANSWERING YOUR FRONT DOOR, SO I FIGURED THE BACK IS AS GOOD AS ANY! ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE FRIENDS. ER, IT IS ALRIGHT IF I USE THE BACK DOOR, RIGHT?"

When he used the word 'friends' it surprised you a bit. You had only just met him and his brother last night and they already consider you their friend? You blushed slightly, taking honor in the title. But then it hit you that they may call everyone they meet their friend so long as they all get along. 'Don't get ahead of yourself, dummy.' You told yourself. Papyrus was staring at you, waiting for an answer.

"Oh! Yes! I mean, now it is. Now that I know you'll be using it, it won't scare me as much." You giggled and he smiled.

"GREAT, HUMAN. NOW, I HAVE COME TO SEE THE DOG DO TRICKS-!" Papyrus was cut off by a mumbling coming from outside the door.

You both turned to see Sans standing out there, about to open the door. You smiled and quickly opened it for him. He stepped inside and you could tell he had just woken up too. His eyes still had dark bags under them and he didn't have a blue jacket on. It was kinda surreal, seeing everyone again so soon in these circumstances, it made you a little happy.

"Paps, what're you doin'? You can't just go to someone's house this early, we were supposed to come for dinner." Sans then turns to you and his grin softens, "Sorry, he can get a bit excited about new friends...and dogs..."

You smiled back and laughed. Sans scratched the back of his head and chuckled back awkwardly, glancing up at Papyrus.

"It's okay, I get excited about dogs too! But-uhm...you don't have to leave if you don't want to, I can make breakfast and uh-just let me get ready and stuff...!" You ramble off to them, hoping they don't feel they are being pushed out of the house.

A part of you wants them to stay, another part kinda wants a quiet, normal morning. But you know deep down that having guests over more often is probably better for you. Sans looks up at Papyrus again and he nods excitedly, hoping Sans will say yes.

"I...I don't want to intrude..." Sans mumbles, looking down at the carpet, kicking invisible pebbles with his pink slippers.

You shake your head and flail your hands, "No, no, it's totally fine! I'll just be right back! You can watch TV in the meantime if you like." You grab the remote quickly from the couch and hand it to Sans.

He grabs it and you catch yourself trying to study his hand movements. The interaction was quick but enough to see that they really were, FULLY skeletal monsters. You were in awe, completely magical you thought. You look up quickly to not seem awkward and smile, waving a bit to let them know you were heading to your room. They sat on your couch and you heard the TV flip on as you left.

Shutting the door behind you, you quickly got a hair tie and tied up your messy bedhead into a bun. You brushed your teeth and threw on a bra, along with a better fitting t-shirt. A few sprits of perfume and you were back out in the hallway.

"So! How do waffles sound?" You asked the brothers when you entered the kitchen, you had been saving the batter for another time, but you didn't mind using it now for the sake of your new friends.

Papyrus stood up, "YES! THAT SOUNDS GREAT, CAN YOU MAKE THOSE, HUMAN?" He asked with wonder.

You chuckled, "Of course, I have a waffle iron, would you like to see?" You go to the cupboard and pull out your waffle iron.

Papyrus runs over and checks it out. The two then commence in waffle making, Sans watches TV on the couch, and every now and then, you catch him looking at you two curiously. Although, every time you ask him if he'd like to join, he just states that he's fine with the view he has from over there. You weren't sure if that was flirtation or not, considering one person had pajamas on and the other was his brother. You just shrugged it off and continued helping Papyrus.

"Alrighty, the waffles are done, Sans. You can come over now!" You call for him and set the plates down on your table.

Papyrus excitedly puts syrup all over his serving, and Sans shuffles over to the table. You gesture for him to sit down in one chair, he nods and pulls it out for you to sit on.

"O-oh I meant for you to sit on it! You don't have to-" He stops your rambling by putting one skeletal finger in the air.

"It's fine, kid, just sit down, I only do things because I want to. Besides, you made waffles, it's the least I can do!" Sans says.

You glance down, flattered by the gesture, "Well..thank you..!" and you sit on the chair.

He nods happily and sits down in another chair. You all start to eat happily and are talking about all the things that could be done today together.

"Well, usually I take (d/n) on a walk after breakfast, would you like to join me for that first?" You asked the brothers.

"HUMAN THAT SOUNDS DELIGHTFUL. ALTHOUGH, MY LEG IS A BIT SORE AFTER EARLIER HAPPENINGS WITH YOUR DOG. I WILL STAY AND CLEAN UP." Papyrus announced with a mouthful of waffles.

You giggled and glanced at Sans, raising your eyebrows to see if he would like to join you. You had to admit, the suggestion of the two of you alone walking did sound awkward to you, but it wasn't that big of a deal. You guys were just two neighbors having a stroll, right? Sans glanced over at you and smirked, "Guess I'll have to accompany you, huh? Don't want anything bad to happen to ya." He chuckled.

Your smile faltered and you gave him a questioning look. He quickly noticed and put his hands up in defense, "Oh, I didn't mean it like that, just uhm. I don't know the neighborhood too well yet. If anyone needs 'protection', it's me kid." He gave you a smile.

You chuckled, "Nice save...!" and gave a simple smirk. He shrugged in a playful way and stood up, you followed suit.

The two of you got your dog on a leash and made your way out, giving Papyrus some simple instructions before leaving. The sun had completely risen now and was shining through some gloomy clouds. A slight chill ran through the air, and the whole world seemed to be tinted a light shade of gray. It made you feel happy inside, without the intense light of the sun, you felt more camouflaged in the background. More able to hide from things. From what, you didn't know, but your anxiety told you otherwise. Your dog pulled along in front of you and Sans, who was walking right next to you. A small breeze ran through your coat and you shivered, shoving your nose into your scarf.

You glanced at Sans, who was only wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts, "Aren't you cold...?" you asked quietly.

Sans glanced over, "What?"

"Are you cold?" You asked a bit louder through your scarf.

He chuckled, "I can't hear you when you're mumbling through your scarf like that, kid." Sans reached out his hand and hooked a finger under your scarf.

The warmth of his finger on your cheek took you by surprise, that and that he was touching your face. He pulled your scarf down to your chin. His hand stilled, he was starring at your cheek...or lips...you couldn't tell. All you knew was how much you were freaking out and blushing from the contact.

Sans mumbled something you couldn't quite understand...did he say 'warm'? Suddenly, he made eye contact with you, as you had been staring at him the entire time. He withdrew his hand very quickly and looked away. Something blue seemed to show on his cheeks.

"Heh, sorry kiddo. Couldn't hear ya from under that scarf of yours. Erm, what were you saying?" He quickly recovered, it was so fast, you almost thought you had imagined the whole ordeal.

"O-oh! I asked if you were..." You remembered how warm his finger was, "...cold..."

He glanced at your face, searching your expression, "I'm fine, are you alright, though? Seem to be off in another world."

"Yea! Just uhm...your hand was kinda, warm?" You wondered if you should continue the question, but couldn't stop yourself before the words came tumbling out, "Do you have blood? In you?"

He seemed taken aback by how straight forward you were being. He recovered quickly again, though, putting that smile back on his face. "Well, that's kind of a complicated question there. Technically, us monsters are made out of magic."

You gasped and stared at him in wonder, "Really?" he nodded, chuckling at your reaction.

"That's...really cool." You smiled and laughed to yourself.

Something so mythical, is real? It made you all giddy inside. Sans was watching you, he seemed pretty happy too, but not for the same reason. You think your happiness might be rubbing off on him.

"You're really funny, kiddo. It's refreshing to see someone so...accepting." He looked down, his smile faltering.

You quickly followed suit. You hadn't realized that it could be possible your precious neighbors could be victims of the monster bullying that has been happening. Suddenly feeling compassion for your friends, you reach out a hand and pat Sans' back. He stiffens, you can feel his bones under his t-shirt. 'They're warm too...'.

"I'm sorry..." You whisper under your scarf again.

Sans glances up, looking deep into your (e/c) eyes, a solemn look on his face, "Come again, kid?" he chuckles.

You smile under your scarf and lift up your head, "Sorry, haha, I-I said sorry...for anything you and Papyrus might have gone through...before now."

He stared blankly into your face as if processing the information you just told him. Then, he breaks out into a large smile, the white lights in his eye sockets becoming soft. "You're something else, kid."

You felt a burning sensation in your heart then. A fire, a passion for protecting them. You'd always had a strong will to stand up for the underdogs. Especially when they were close to you. "As long as you guys are with me, I will never let anyone mistreat you again. Ever." The words coming out of your mouth, it was like fire. You weren't sure you could stand by them, but you sure as hell would try.

Sans looked surprised. That blue blush creeping onto his cheeks again, then quickly looking away, "Why do you care so much, kid? That can get you hurt."

You consider what he says, stuffing your nose back under your scarf. You really had no answer. You knew that caring for others got you hurt, a lot actually. Whenever you got attached, and let someone in, they left. Every damn time. That's why you try to keep yourself. Blend into the crowd. Try not to draw attention to yourself. Those unpleasant thoughts came flooding back. Your eyebrows furrowed together and you kept your eyes on the ground as you walked, tightening your fists. Sans coughed awkwardly, realizing he was probably right about getting hurt. It broke your thoughts, though, and made you think of him instead. And Papyrus. Hope flared in your chest. They're different. Maybe they won't leave. They're so nice! 'That's what you thought last time, idiot.' You told yourself. But there was still that nagging voice inside you saying they were good. The conflict was storming in your head, and you hadn't realized that Sans was walking just a bit closer to you, your hands brushing against each other, and he was saying something...

"Thanks, kid..." his voice drifted away, "...I..." gone again, the wind was getting strong, "...protect you too..." was all you could make out over the strong whistle of the wind.

Chapter Text

*Click*

You push the door open and slide out the key. You and Sans had just returned home after a nice long walk, but you were starting to get cold and decided to head back to your house. Sans on the other hand, didn't seem phased by the weather at all. You had asked him multiple times if he was getting cold, and he just said that where he came from, it was much colder all the time. Which, made you kinda sad, so you decided to get a nice roaring fire going for them and some hot cocoa once you got back.

After scraping some mud off your shoes, you unhooked your dog from its collar and set them free. They immediately sprinted into the kitchen where Papyrus was. A delighted yelp and some dishes being set down from the kitchen was heard.

"OH, HELLO THERE, DOGGY. HUMAN? SANS? ARE YOU BACK?" Papyrus popped his head around the corner and saw you two in the doorway.

"What's up bro?" Sans called to his brother.

"Hey, Papyrus..! Did you finish cleaning so we can do some dog tricks?" You asked the taller skeleton excitedly.

Papyrus clapped and jumped in place happily, "YES! AND THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS MADE YOUR KITCHEN BRAND NEW."

You walked into your kitchen and realized he was right. Everything sparkled and seemed to have a new place. Smiling at Papyrus as you walked by, you opened a cupboard and realized your dishes weren't where they usually are.

"Uhm, Papyrus? Where are my plates?" You asked gently.

"I'VE PUT THEM IN A MUCH EASIER SPOT TO REACH FOR SHORTER PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO REACH." He boasted proudly and opened a different cupboard for you to see your plate's new position.

You walked over to him, "Oh...yea I guess this could be a better spot?"

Sans shuffled over to you and chuckled, "Heh, didn't realize how short you were kiddo..!" he pat your head.

You scowled at him for making fun of you, "Hey..! I'm not THAT short! And you're not that much taller than me either, bonehead..!" you reached up and bumped his forehead with the palm of your hand.

Sans' pupils disappeared for a few seconds after the assault on his head. It freaked you out a bit because you had never seen that before, and you drew your hand back to your chest quickly. Although, before you knew it, his little white lights were back and he was grinning mischievously at you.

"Why you little.." he laughed, "who are you calling 'bonehead', bonehead?" and he grabbed your nose between his skeletal fingers.

"Bwahh!!" You yelped with a plugged nose.

Papyrus laughed at the scene, "GOOD THING WE DON'T HAVE NOSES! NYEHEHEH!"

You had grabbed Sans' wrist and tried to pull him off to no avail. You pouted and bonked his head again, "Do you guys wonna see mby dog do tricks or ndot??"

Sans laughed at how you couldn't talk correctly with your nose pinched and let go. You rubbed your nose and stomped away. 'What a scene that was! Pretty fun actually, heh...' You thought to yourself. After making it to your couch, you called your dog over and commanded them to sit down in front of you. Papyrus had jogged over and sat down right beside, like, RIGHT next to you. You understood he was excited but it was a little too close for you. Although, you ignored it and instead excepted the physical touching, figuring Papyrus was too innocent to make things awkward. Happily, you grabbed some treats from the side table.

"Alright, (d/n), roll over!" You told your dog, who joyously rolled over for the treat.

Papyrus squealed and you gave your dog the snack, "THAT WAS AMAZING, HUMAN! MAY I TRY?" he asked politely and extended his hand for a treat.

You could hear sans chuckle, "Sure Paps, roll over..!" he told his brother.

Papyrus fumed, "NO, BROTHER, I AM NOT A DOG. I WANT TO TELL (D/N) TO ROLL OVER. NOT DO IT MYSELF."

Sans was laughing to himself on his side of the couch, and you joined him. Papyrus was furious and red faced. Although you could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Alright, here ya go, Papryus..!" You handed the angry skeleton a treat.

He looked pleased, "THANK YOU, HUMAN. NOW, (D/N), ROLL OVER!" he told your dog.

At first, he/she looked confused. Then, after a few seconds of nothing, you slightly moved your finger in a circle. Immediately your dog understood and rolled over again. Papyrus squeale in delight, thinking he was the one who had made the dog do the trick. You giggled as he gave your dog a treat.

"Good job..!" You told Papyrus, "He/she must really like you!"

He glanced over to you with big, sparkly eyes, "YOU REALLY THINK SO, HUMAN??"

You melted at his genuine reaction, "Yes! Here, do another, tell (d/n) to shake your hand!"

You continued to help your dog along as Papyrus continued to command it to do different tricks while Sans watched. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. While at some moments, you felt a bit tired and overwhelmed, you really enjoyed their company. Pushing through a few tired moments was nothing. You wanted to be with them, and you thought to yourself, 'How did my life change so quickly? And...in a good way.'.

After a while, you decided you really needed a break from all the commotion. You stood up from your place next to Papyrus, who looked up at you with concern.

"I-I'm just going to the restroom, I'll be right back!" You told them with a smile, "Here are the treats, but maybe not too much more, I don't want (d/n) to get sick, haha." You hand Papyrus the bag of treats and head into the hallway.

You notice that Sans' eyes trailed off after you, probably not buying the whole 'restroom' act. It was whatever to you, not like they could barge into the bathroom on you anyway and find you not using it at all. You locked the door behind you and sat on the edged of the bathtub. Resting your face in your hands, you felt the world spin a bit. You closed your eyes to try and make it stop. It wouldn't quite go away, so you decided to lay in the dry tub instead. It felt nice, and you almost felt guilty for leaving your guests out there while you relaxed. Although, you couldn't deny how nice it felt to be there alone.

Suddenly, all the interactions you have had with the brothers so far came crashing into sight. And you blushed at every single one. 'Gosh, I'm probably so awkward. Why are they even still here?' You thought.

Feeling even more guilty, you stood up a bit wobbly and stepped out of the tub. After making your way to the sink, you turned it on and splashed your face. It felt so refreshing, and almost made you feel better, until you looked in the mirror. 'Oh no.' You thought.

The disgust you felt was so strong, so you spoke out loud, "Damn! How can they even LOOK at me?" You hissed, "Wow, I can't believe I've made them stay here this long, they probably want to leave. GOD, I'm so stupid!"

You couldn't stop looking at yourself in the mirror, you wanted to shrivel up and never come out of hiding. You wondered how anyone even talked to you, you just found yourself so unbearable. 'No wonder everyone leaves you.' You thought to yourself. Tears threatened to come out of your eyes, stinging them. 'NONONO, you don't deserve tears.' You growled at yourself. 'Such a baby. Get back out there.' With that, you wiped your face with your arm. You hoped your eyes weren't too reddened to be noticeable. When you opened the door to the dark hallway, you were met with a solid wall. Wait, not a wall. You back up a little bit and realized you ran into Sans.

"Oh jeez! Sorry, heh, d-did you need the bathroom?" You asked hesitantly, trying not to make eye contact.

He can't tell if I was about to cry, right? "Are you alright, kid?" Guess so...

You look up at him, playing dumb, "What? Oh, yea! Why? Haha, I was just using the bathroom?" You try to shuffle away casually but he suddenly grips your arms.

It makes you let out a little squeak.

"Uhm, didn't hear the toilet flush..." Sans mumbled with a deep voice, it kinda scared you, "what I did hear was some...not so nice things."

You froze. 'Oh my gosh, he heard you????' You screamed in your head and you started to freak out more. "Ah, what're you talking about? I wasn't saying anything?" You tried to lie, oh, how you tried to lie.

Sans sighed, "Kid, I'm not stupid." he gripped your arms tighter and it made you gasp, "S-sorry. Look, you're not forcin' us to stay here at all. We WANT to hang out with you."

You couldn't make eye contact, the fact that he had heard your ramblings embarrassed you to infinity and beyond. Your face felt like it was on fire and you wanted to cry. Your breathing was strained, and you just kept your eyes trained on his chest. 'This isn't fair.' You thought angrily. 'Why am I angry?'

"I know, I know." You croaked irritatedly, "It was just a stupid assumption, okay?" your voice was harsh, as if you were mad at him for overhearing you.

He didn't say anything. Just kept that steel grip on your arms. You regretted the words you had just said to him. The longer the silence went on the more intense the regret became. 'Well, if he didn't want to leave before, he probably does now. Way to go.' You thought.

The silence kept it's relentless pace, like Sans was trying to get you to break it first. You didn't want to. Your (e/c) eyes were like stones, steadily watching the rise and fall of his chest. Pride was so strongly set in you, you didn't want anyone to know how weak you actually were....how weak you actually felt. The tears were stinging again. Your mind screamed to stop thinking about it, but slowly, your walls started cracking. It was going to all spill out, and you could feel it crumble so helplessly within you. All sense of reason didn't matter anymore, you just wanted a friend.

"I ' m s o r r y . . ." you heard yourself whisper slowly.

That was it. Once you let out that sentimental sentence, you couldn't hold back anymore. He knew. He knew everything you had just said in that bathroom. He knew you were just using it as an escape. He knew how much you hated yourself... The tears rolled out of your eyes, and your face scrunched up, harshly trying to not make a sound. If it weren't for your shoulders shaking so violently, Sans probably wouldn't have noticed you about to sob your eyes out.

"Oh...kid...?" He hushed you, "It's alright..."

With that, he brought you into an embrace, realizing you probably needed that. And you did. Your hands brought themselves up onto his chest and you gripped his shirt tightly next to your face. A sob broke out from your throat, but was thankfully muted by his chest. You whined and sniffed and sobbed into him. It was almost a nice experience, having someone to cry with. But you couldn't help the guilt you felt.

"W-why...are you d-doinggg g *sniff* th-this...." your sob was muffled in his shirt, "We barely m-met yesterdayy-*hic*-yy..."

Sans shifted on his feet. You didn't dare look up at him. You felt so much shame burning inside of you. You couldn't even get away, he held you tightly against him.

"You're our friend now kid, and I can tell you're a good person." He sighed and rubbed your back slightly with his thumb, "Even though we just met, it's like...I've..er we've known each other forever."

Your sobbing had slowed to a quiet sniffle and hiccup here and there as you listened to his soft voice. The rise and fall of his chest was soothing you as well.

"I'm sorry..." You whispered again into his chest.

You felt exhausted.

"No apologies needed." He chuckled and let you go.

Almost not wanting to leave his embrace, you hesitantly step back. His shirt peeled off your face, and you realized it was stained with tears. Your face lit up red again from embarrassment, you could not believe you just had some kind of a breakdown in front of your new friend.

You hiccuped and wiped your face with your arm, "I'm so s-sorry..."

Sans smiled, "Kid, I said it was okay," he reminded you gently.

You heard Papyrus in the other room still playing with your dog, oblivious to what had just happened. You felt guilty, again, they just wanted to have a good time and you had to go and ruin it. You gave a shaky sigh, still not daring to make eye contact with Sans. He started to move down the hallway. Not wanting to loose your new wall of support, you followed behind him closely.

"Maybe, we should give you some space, huh? Papyrus can a bit overbearing sometimes, haha." Sans chuckled over his shoulder to you, "How about this,"

He turned to you and you nearly ran into him again, this time you looked into his eyes.

"Why don't I take you out for lunch tomorrow? Kind of, as a thank you and ... sorry?" He grinned.

You were surprised by his kindness, "You really want to hang out with me again after...." You trailed off, cringing at the memory of what you had just done.

"Of course! Kid, you're too hard on yourself, we're not gonna let you go that easy...!" He patted your shoulder.

You looked down for a second, processing this. When you brought your eyes back up, you could've sworn you could see beads of sweat forming on Sans' skull as he waited for your answer. 'Was he nervous??' You thought with humor.

"Well...okay then." You whispered shyly to him.

His grin seemed to stretch even wider than you thought possible. It made you giggle and feel a warm sensation in your chest. 'He's so goofy...' You thought. He seemed to notice you catching him beeing a bit too eager with your answer, because he coughed and scratched the back of his skull awkwardly.

"Heh, great to hear. Well, guess I'll catch you later, pal!" He winked and started to walk into the living room.

You smiled as you watched him go. Leaning against the wall of the darkened hallway, you listened to him giving Papyrus a simple excuse for needing to leave. Papyrus, bless him, happily obliged and they let themselves out through the back door where they had entered. You felt sad they had to go, and that you didn't even walk them out, but you didn't want Papyrus to see you all puffy eyed and tear stained. Letting Sans take control of the situation seemed perfectly fine, and you thanked him a million times in your head.

---Temmie skip to tomorrowland!!---

As you sat on your couch eating a slice of toast, you couldn't get your mind off of one thing; Sans. Ever since the bros left, you couldn't stop thinking about him. He was just so nice. And you couldn't understand it. You glanced down at your toast, half eaten. It's taken you much more effort and time to eat breakfast this morning. All through the night, it was hard to sleep as well, and you had acquired a massive headache after your breakdown.

You flipped on the TV to get your mind at ease, maybe. The news was on. The weather seemed to be nice today, cloudy as usual, with a slight chance of rain in the evening. That made you giddy with happiness for a few seconds. It meant you could be outside and feel a little more comfortable. Especially since you had that lunch today with Sans, you didn't want to be freaking out about what people thought of you on this lunch. The more darkness the better. You slouched on the couch, crumbs rolling off your stomach. 'Ugh.' you thought, 'So comically lazy.'.

finally finishing your toast, you decided to take a shower and get dressed. You didn't really know what time he was going to pick you up, so better safe than sorry. The warm water washed down your body delightfully, and you stood there for a few minutes, closing your eyes and thinking about the lunch. Where is going to take you? Is he going to pay or should you get some cash? What will you wear? Does he even remember about it? Was he kidding? Maybe he was just trying to get you off his back so he could leave...you rubbed your eyes as water dripped into them.

You gasped, you hadn't thought of that. The bros left right after you cried. Maybe Sans really was just trying to find an excuse to leave? You cringed at yourself for thinking he'd actually want to take you to lunch. 'Idiot.' Soap piled at the bottom of the tub, slowly making it's way to the drain. Might as well get dressed just in case he was serious about it.

You stepped out of the steamy bathroom and dried yourself off. After applying a little makeup, you chose a soft flannel (color of your choice!) and some skinny jeans (also color of your choice!). You brushed your hair out, the water being flicked everywhere with each movement. Once done, you decided it'd be best to just wear a beanie. After finding your favorite, thick knitted beanie, you put on some comfy boots and sprayed some of your favorite smelling perfume on. Setting aside a warm, leather jacket, you looked at yourself in the mirror for one last check up. Everything seemed to be in place. You check the time on your phone. 1:30pm. You sighed heavily, maybe he wasn't coming. You felt tears stinging your eyes. 'Stupid stupID STUPID.' You screamed in your head. 'I knew this would happen.' You threw your phone onto your bed angrily and slammed your hands on either side of your head. 'How could I have been so excited? I should've expected this. No one would ever EVER-!'

*DING DONG*

You flinched and your eyes flew open. Spinning around, you ran out of your room and to the front door. 'Is that him?' You thought happily. You slowed your pace as you made it to the front door, so he couldn't hear your way too eager footsteps. Then, peeking through the eye-hole, you saw it was Sans. A smile was slapped on your face and you almost giggled happily. Unlocking the door, you opened it and there he was, furry blue jacket, gym shorts, slippers and all. And you couldn't be happier.

"Hello..!" You greeted him quietly.

He smiled, "Hey kiddo, erm, sorry I'm a bit late. Papyrus was keeping me, heh."

"I-it's okay! I figured haha, I didn't know what time your would be here so I just got ready and-uhm lemme just grab my jacket and purse!" You rambled off to him and scurried away. "Oh! You can come in if you like, but, I'll be quick!" You called back.

Hurriedly, you grabbed your leather jacket and purse, checking it to make sure everything you needed was inside. After that, you gave a thumbs up to your dog and then grabbed your house keys.

"O-okay, I'm ready.." You panted as you made your back to the front door.

He smiled and gestured with his head for you to follow him, "Great, I'm gonna take you to a place I go to all the time."

You fell into step next to him, "Oh really? What is it called?"

"Grillby's, it's a monster restaurant, but we don't mind humans." He winked.

"Oh, nice! I don't think I've heard of it." You replied.

He nodded, "Yea, doesn't seem like monster-ran places get a good rap up here."

You looked down at your boots and the sidewalk, "...Oh..." was all you said.

A somewhat heavy silence fell over the two of you as you kept walking. Some brown, dried up leaves rolled around on the chilly breeze. You smirked, thinking of a way to change the subject to a happy one.

"D-did you have leaves in the underground?" You ask hesitantly, not knowing if it was okay to talk about his old home so casually.

Sans glanced over to you, happily surprised at your sudden confidence in speaking to him, "Pine needles, lots of those."

You grinned and pointed at an oncoming leaf, speeding your way. He followed your line of sight and watched as you quickly, 'And expertly if I might add!', stomped on it with your boot. It let out a satisfying *crUNCH* from under your step. Sans chuckled and gave you a 'Really?' look.

You scrunched your nose up and yelped, "Try it!" and crossed your arms defensively at him.

He smiled and shook his head, looking a little embarrassed, then casually stepping on a leaf with a quiet sound. You laughed and shook your own head, still hugging yourself.

"You're a dork." You pouted while smiling up at the gray sky.

Sans looked over at you and chuckled, "Hey, I'll get the next one. Just 'leaf' it to me!"

You shot a glance at him and started laughing sarcastically, "Okay, big shot..!" and with that, the two of you had a leaf-crunching contest the rest of the way.

After a few weird looks from passersby's and stepping on each other's feet, Grillby's building loomed over the two of you. The smell of burgers and burning firewood crept out of the front doors and into your nose.

"Oh, this place looks really nice...!" You complimented happily.

Sans smiled and opened the door for you. Your heart fluttered at the action. As you stepped in, the fluttering died into an anxiety as some monsters stared at your entering. You immediately looked down at the wood flooring, wich was nicely cleaned. The earthy feeling the restaurant gave you calmed your insides a little. You felt Sans walking right behind you on your right. He was waving warmly to some folk who were sitting nearby. It seemed he knew everyone there. It made you feel a little left out and...jealous. Shaking your head a bit, the two of you made it to the bar. You took your seat, having to climb onto it due to your height, and you noticed with humor that Sans was having some trouble getting on too. You giggled as he settled in.

He looked over at you and blushed slightly while chuckling, "Hey, not everyone can be Papyrus-height!"

You laughed at that as you set your purse down between your feet on the floor. Sans called the bartender over. What you saw next surprised you quite a bit. The bartender was completely made out of fire. A walking, blazing fire, in the shape of a man. He had glasses and a vest on and everything! He walked over while wiping a glass off with a white towel. His voice was hard to understand, it consisted of a lot of sizzling 'S's and crackling vowels. Sans seemed to understand him perfectly though.

"What would you like, kid?" Sans asked you.

You were caught off guard, the whole scene of them talking to each other had distracted you from looking at the menu, "Uh-uh," you looked up and ordered the first thing you saw, "A ch-cheese burger please.."

Grillby nodded and brought out a notepad to write it down in..

"Make that two, Grill, and put everything on my tab." Sans said as Grillby kept scribbling it down.

The bartender finished writing and walked away to tend to other monsters. Your fingers thrummed on the table nervously, wondering if you had played that off well enough. Sans was watching you, his head in his hand as his elbow rested on the table.

"You gonna come back down to earth anytime soon, (y/n)?" He chuckled.

The fact that he used your name caught your attention, "O-oh, I'm sorry, haha, I'm here I've...been here!" you giggled.

He grinned and looked away. You took the chance to study him a bit. He seemed so relaxed and comfortable here. 'I guess he does come here often.' You thought. The hand that wasn't holding his skull up was resting in the pocket of his jacket. You realized that his furry hood must feel nice and be a convenient to hide away if needed. You laughed at yourself, 'Like he'd need to hide, he's too good with people to need that!'. Then you noticed something a little more strange. It seemed he had a bit of a stomach to him. Your eyes traveled his torso as your eyebrows drew together in confusion. 'He doesn't have organs...does he?'. Sans must have noticed you staring because he turned his head toward you.

"What's up?" He asked.

You blushed out of embarrassment and looked away with guilt, "Nothing...! Uhm, w-was this place in the underground too?" you asked quickly, thinking on your feet.

His eyebrows rose, "Yup, I came here all the time back there too. It was the only place I'd like to be, other than my house."

"Cool!" You said, looking down at your lap and then back up to his eyes, "What was your house like?"

He smiled and looked away, remembering it, "It was two story, had a couch and TV. Kitchen. My room. Papyrus' room. That's about it."

You nodded, "It sounds nice, haha...!"

Just then your food came. Grillby sat down your plate of cheeseburger in front of you. You thanked him quietly and he sizzled back to you. You watched him go back in wonder, still amazed at all the different kind of monsters. Happily, you scooped up your burger and took a bite. The juices flowed around your taste buds and gave you a confidence boost.

"So, how do you like it on the surface here?" You asked Sans, your voice a bit more chipper.

"It's alright, Papyrus seems to enjoy it a lot more than the underground." He replied with a mouthful of food.

You nodded, "What made you want to move to my neighborhood?"

He looked up at the ceiling, thinking, "You."

You nearly choked, then laughed, "Yea, OKAY." you said sarcastically.

Sans looked over and laughed with you, "You're pretty quick witted sometimes, aren't ya?"

You blushed and nodded slightly, smiling, "I suppose so, I have my moments."

He shook his head, "I'm not sure, things just lined up with that house. Payments, the move in day, we also have some friends nearby."

Your eyes widened, "Really? I'd love to meet them!" You shrunk back as the words left your mouth, "Ah...if that's okay, I mean..."

"Of course, kiddo. I'm sure they'd love ya." Sans replied, gesturing his hand at you.

You sighed, a bit relieved he didn't think you were getting too up in his business. Looking at him now though you saw a smidge of ketchup on his cheek. You made eye contact with him and pointed at your cheek. He didn't seem to understand what you were trying to tell him. You leaned in more for emphases and pointed at harder, if that was possible. He blushed and just kept staring at you. You chuckled to yourself and pointed at his face, determined to get him to wipe it off without you saying anything. He just looked overly confused and beads of sweat started forming on his skull. The scene unfolding before you was hysterical. This cool, laid back guy becoming flustered because he couldn't understand what your hand gestures meant. All the while he had food on his face. You laughed harder, tears starting to form in the creases of your eyes. Sans started chuckling nervously as well.

"What is it, kid?" He asked in a pleading tone.

"Right here!" You broke and pointed at your cheek.

"You have nothing there!" He exclaimed.

"No, not me!" You laughed and pointed at him.

He watched you for a bit longer as you took another bite of your food. Sans then shrugged and began to lean into your face. Immediately you leaned back away from him, shaking your head and grabbing his skull.

"W-what are you doing?!" You yelped and laughed at the same time, "You have ketchup on your cheek, Sans!"

He was surprised by you grabbing his face, and was completely blue as a berry.

"What...?" Sans asked.

You chuckled and wiped it off with your thumb since you were already holding his head.

"This," you told him and you grabbed a napkin, releasing him, and wiped your finger.

"Oh..." He leaned back onto his stool and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"What did you think I was trying to tell you?" You giggled over to him as you grabbed your burger again.

Sans chuckled and looked over at you, "I...I thought you..." his gaze grazed over your face, "uhm-"

*CRASH*

A brick whizzed by Sans' head and shattered the bottles sitting behind the counter. Suddenly, everymonster was in a frenzy. You had let out a yelp and Sans grabbed your arms on instinct. You tried to say something but nothing came out, your mouth laid agape in fright as you glanced out of the front window. It had been broken by the brick, and people were standing outside shouting loudly. Sans had dragged you under the stools and you both crouched there.

"Keep your head down..." He grumbled at you and kept his grip on your arms tight.

"W-what's happening...?" You asked shakily, looking up at him.

Sans glanced down at your trembling figure. Your (e/c) eyes as big as the moon. He sighed.

"Monster protestors...but by the way they're damagin' property...not very friendly ones." He told you in a low voice.

Chapter Text

Your knuckles were becoming white from the tense grip you had on Sans' blue jacket sleeve. The two fo you were crouched underneath the bar table and stools, watching as the rebellion played out. The setting sun filtered in through the broken glass, and chairs were being thrown along with bottles and bricks and who knows what else. 'Why do they have to be so angry??' You thought to yourself, terrified.

To your left, over Sans' shoulder, you saw a smaller monster cowering behind a booth chair, eyes as big as the moon. He was visibly shaking and calling out, but the noise drowned out his small voice. The small monster child looked like a yellow dinosaur without any arms. Your heart broke for him, and fury filled inside of you because of how scared the people attacking the restaurant were making him. You looked up into Sans' face, he was staring intently at the action and beads of sweat were forming around his skull. You felt guilty, like this was your fault, like you should be protecting him like you said you would.

As the intruders started making their way into the building, panic rose in your chest. You looked over at the monster kid again, there were tears in his eyes now. Your brows furrowed and you couldn't hold yourself back anymore, not even the intense fear that gripped your muscles could stop you. Like your body started moving on its own, you let go of your death grip on Sans and crawled slowly towards the kid. Sans' concentration on the crowd broke as he felt you move away, and his eyes snapped onto you.

"what are you doing?" He shouted, trying to grab your shirt so you didn't move away from him.

You looked over your shoulder to him and tried to tell him you were saving that monster kid, but your voice was too small. Instead, you pointed to the kid, and Sans followed your gesture with this eyes, shaking his head.

"Stay here." He called to you again.

You shook your head now, and continued crawling over to the kid, you mouthed the words, 'He looks scared!' to Sans and then turned away. You tried your best to not put your bare hands on any broken glass, but it seemed impossible. You decided a few cuts would be nothing compared to helping the monster child. The kid turned sharply to you, obviously on edge. You felt bad for the poor thing, he was shivering so hard and his pupils were dilated. You sat with your back towards the booth next to the kid, who shrank away from you, crying but you couldn't hear him. 'He probably thinks I'm on of them.' You thought sadly.

You reached out and decided to treat him like a scared dog. Without making any eye contact, your hand hovered in the air a bit in front of the child. The monster kid stared at you, then at your hand, confused. He seemed to calm down a little though, realizing you were letting him have the upper hand in the interaction. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he scooched his bottom closer to you, and looked up at your face. Once he did that, you put on the warmest, calmest smile you could in this situation, and made eye contact with him.

"D-do you know where my dad is? He brought me here and I don't know where he is now, he just told me to hide." The monster kid asked shakily.

You looked around, knowing that you wouldn't be able to find the kid's dad in this mess, but attempted to. You made eye contact with Sans while looking, and he had a worried and very tense expression, had he been watching you this whole time? You turned back to the kid and shook your head with an apologetic look. The monster kid looked disappointed but nuzzled into the crook of your arm into your side. You felt your heart warm up and the need to protect this small child at all costs. You wrapped your arm around him and rubbed your thumb along his cheek reassuringly, trying to keep him calm amongst the screams coming from outside. In all honesty, you had never experienced anything like this before, only seen it in movies. It was surreal, but you felt like you've thought of situations like these so many times before because of your anxiety, that you knew instinctively what to do.

A hand came down and gripped your shoulder in the midst of your thoughts, crashing you back into reality. You jerked away from it and startled the monster kid, who looked up terrified. As your adrenaline calmed down, you realized it was Sans. He had made his way over to the two of you.

"We have to leave, no if's and's or but's." He panted into your ear.

The heat of his breath gave you goosebumps, and you nodded. You turned to the kid and nodded to him as well, letting him know that Sans was on your side. The monster kid gave a weak smile, but it fell immediately.

"What about my dad?!" He cried.

Your heart sunk, you hadn't thought of that. You turned to Sans, who shook his head. 'He really wants to leave, doesn't he?' You thought frustratedly. After throwing thoughts around in your head, you decided to just listen to Sans. You turned to him and nodded. He gripped you shoulder tighter, along with monster kid's, and for second, it felt like you were falling through a black hole. You stomach turned in knots and your heart leapt into your throat. Suddenly, light crashed into your vision and you were sitting comfortably in your house's living room couch.

You looked around, dazed and catching your breath, "W-..what the heck was that..?"

Sans let go of his grip on your shoulder, "Sorry, guess I shoulda warned ya, heh, didn't think I had the time to, though."

"That was awesome!" The kid shouted, wagging his tail and leaping out of your arms.

You smiled down at him, happy to see him not scared anymore. Then you remembered that the fight was still going on at Grillby's, and that kid's dad is still there somewhere. You looked over to Sans with a worried expression. He caught your eye and studied you for a few seconds.

"You hands," He mumbled.

You tilted your head in confusion, 'That's not was I trying to tell him at all.' you thought. You looked down and saw that your palms were smeared in crimson red. Only then did the pain from the small cuts hit you. It wasn't too bad, but it did hurt enough to bug you then.

"I-I'll go rinse them." You told Sans and stood up from the couch.

You didn't realize that your body wasn't quite ready to stand yet, as your legs felt like jello and didn't cooperate. You stumbled a bit, nearly falling, but Sans quickly moved to you and grabbed both of your arms tightly. 'Just like that night I broke down....' You thought embarrassingly. Your (e/c) eyes shot up into his white glowing ones, and you blushed, looking away immediately.

"S-sorry, haha." You mumbled.

He smirked, "You don't have to be, remember?"

'Oh god,' you thought, 'he remembers.'. Your face flushed and you backed up from him.

"Well, thanks, haha..." And you scurried off into the bathroom.

You closed the door gently behind you, panting out of exhaustion and the dizziness from finally being alone after all that had happened. 'How embarrassing!' You thought. After leaning against the door for a few heart beats, you finally looked back down at the nagging pain that was in your hands. You sighed and turned the faucet on hot. Once it got warm, you blindly shoved your hand under the water. A white pain shot through you and you immediately yanked your hand back out.

"Ah!" You shouted before you could stop yourself from doing so.

"You alright?" You heard Sans' voice outside the door.

'Is that his new favourite spot or what?' You thought, a bit annoyed.

"Yes, I-I'm fine, sorry." You called back.

"Alright," He called and you could hear his feet shuffle away from the door.

You stood stock still for a little bit, not wanting to make any sudden noise now. The light from the bathroom above your head buzzed, and it seemed like it was very loud. It hurt your eyes too, the light was too much, but you were scared to turn off the light, that would be too dark. You sighed and high pitch sigh, the conflict not even worth you thinking about, yet here you are, stressing about whether to keep the light on or off. Then, you heard Sans' voice again, but not outside your door, it was distant. You realized he must be talking to the monster kid. You listened for a few moments. You heard the kid laugh, Sans must be telling him some of his world famous puns. You smiled, how sweet he was. When you thought about it, he was very nice in general. He always seemed to care about others, especially his brother. You'd never thought you'd meet a guy so caring in your life. They always just wanted in your pants. For all the few times you've actually hung out with someone of the opposite sex, they didn't care about anything else but that. Their friend needs help? Too bad, they have to take care of it themselves because they aren't leaving you until they get what they want. It disgusted you, and hurt you. After so many times of the same interactions with men, you decided that there wasn't a man out there for you. Because you wanted a caring relationship, a meaningful one. Or because you were too shy and awkward, because you had so little self-esteem. But Sans was different...he actually cared about you.

The water had been running for a while, and it started to steam. Jumping out of your thoughts, you turned the faucet so that it wasn't burning hot, only a little warm. Once it cooled down, you hesitantly ran a fingertip under the water. It felt nice. Your whole hand was eventually submerged into the pouring liquid. With both hands under, you watched the blood stream into a little whirlpool and run down the drain. It calmed you, watching the water, and the sound of it too. So gentle, and the pain was slowly ebbing away.

A knock at the door made you jerk, "W-who is it?" you asked with a squeak to your voice.

A deep chuckled was heard, "Who do ya think?"

It was Sans, you rolled your eyes humorously, "Oh, uhm, is everything okay?"

"Yup, just thought you might need some help after you wash your hands. Ya might have some glass pieces in your skin, right? I don't have skin so I wouldn't know." He responded, voice muffled a bit by the door.

You giggled, "Yea, you're right. Uhm, let me just get the door..." You voice trailed off as you thought of a way to open the doorknob with your wet, bloody hand, not wanting to stain your towels.

"It's alright," You could feel a presence beside you, "I'm already in."

You snapped your head around and saw Sans was in the bathroom beside you, "OH! My gosh....h-how..? Uhm, what, the kid? Isn't it, uh..weird." You fumbled on all the questions you had trying to come out at once.

Sans smiled softly, "It's alright I'm not gonna do anything out of the ordinary."

He was right. The ordinary for him was actually being respectful of you. Your heart warmed up and your cheeks were probably a little rosy.

"There are tweezers in the cupboard," You told him quietly.

He nodded and went to look. You stared down at the water again as you listened to Sans shuffle around. There wasn't as much blood going down the drain anymore.

You felt him come up next to you, "This it?" He asked, holding a pair of tweezers up for you to see.

"Yup!" You nodded and smiled.

He gestured for you to sit on the counter, patting it with a clink with his skeletal hand. You nodded and put your back towards the counter, ready to hoist yourself up. As soon as you gave yourself a little momentum by jumping up, your palms made contact with the hard counter and you gasped in pain. Your hands shot up into your chest as you gripped them to stop hurting, and you clumsily landed on the floor again. Sans' eye sockets were big as he tried to steady you, gently placing his hand on your shoulder, and the other over your two clutched hands.

"Is everything okay?" You heard a small voice come from outside the door.

You both tensed.

Your eyes shot open and you looked into Sans' eyes, trying to stifle a giggle.

He smirked, "Yea, kid, don't worry about it."

You let out laughter as you heard the kids feet fumble away, "Guess we didn't think that one through." Sans chuckled and let you go.

You laughed more, "Woops!" giggles escaping you.

Instead, you tried to awkwardly get on the counter with your elbows, bending yourself back backwards so far your stomach nearly poked out from under your shirt. Realizing that, you blushed and shot up.

"This isn't working-" You were cut off by Sans shoving his hands under your arms and lifting you onto the counter like a child.

"Oh!!" You yelped.

'He's freaking strong as hell!' You thought.

"U-uh, thanks..." You said, looking away.

"No problem, kiddo. Now, hold out you hand." He chuckled and held out his own,

You looked back at him and brought out your right hand, placing it in his. It registered that you hadn't felt his bony hand since the first day you met him. You remembered how you had wanted to study it forever, intrigued by the magic that stirred inside him. Now, he was willingly making physical contact with you, and inside your own head, you could study him as much as you like now. You smiled a little, not being able to contain your excitement.

"This might sting a little," He told you, breaking you out of your thoughts.

You nodded confidently. Sans brought his other hand up holding the tweezer, and slowly, almost expertly, plucked a little piece of glass out of a cut. You winced slightly, a little scared, but his hand was very steady. After a few more plucks, you had a nagging question in your head.

"Have you done this before?" You asked curiously.

His eyes glance up at you briefly before back to concentrating on your hand, "I guess you could say that."

You waited for him to explain, but all was quiet.

You puffed out your lower lip, "Care to elaborate?"

He chuckled, "You're really talkative today, arencha?"

Blood trickled down your palm as you blushed, "N-no! I...sorry I guess it's kind of personal...?"

He stopped suddenly, his expression tense, "You don't need to be sorry."

All you could do was sit there, your hand in his hand and the blood dropped on the floor. You could feel your heart thumping in your ears as he was stock still, staring at your hand. You couldn't help but feel guilty.

"....s-s-oryy..." you whispered, looking away, hoping he would move or do SOMETHING to make this awkward silence stop.

Sans shot his eyes to stare into your face, they felt like they were burning into your soul and you felt scared for the first time with him. You slightly tried to tug your hand out of his grip, panic rising in your chest and every instinct in your gut told you to run.

"D-don't be so sorry all the time..." He mumbled a bit annoyed and looked back down to your hand, continuing as if nothing had happened.

All you could do was stare. Your muscles were tense and your breathing hitched. 'What the hell was that.' You thought to yourself. Guilt ran through your veins, 'I made him feel like that, I'm so stupid, why do I even open my mouth.'

"I used to be a scientist in the underground." His deep voice suddenly cut in.

You looked down at him, shocked, "O-oh..."

He nodded slowly, "Hand me a tissue,"

At first, his command didn't register, then you quickly and not so gracefully grabbed some toilet paper from the roll. In doing so you moved your hand from his slightly, and you felt his grip tighten, his bony fingers digging into your soft skin. Although, as you handed him the paper, you didn't dare say anything about it. He took it from your hand and wiped the blood off you palm gently. His movements were so careful, it made you feel safe, but something inside you told you to tread carefully.

"I-I know you don't want me to be sorry....but...I do want to a-apologize for not protecting you at the restaurant...." You mumbled while watching him do his work and added quietly, "...like I said I would..."

Sans didn't look up and didn't say anything for a few aching heart beats. You held your breath.

"You don't have to protect me, kid. If you want to, go ahead, but I won't be disappointed if you can't." He chuckled.

The laughter didn't make you feel any less tense. 'He's basically saying he doesn't want me to protect him, that I'm not good not enough, that he never asked for me to give him such an empty promise.' You thought angrily at yourself. Tears pricked your eyes.

"...K..." Was all that came out of your dry throat.

Chapter Text

Your hands felt prickly. The tension between you and Sans was lingering in the air, at least that's how it felt to you. Sans seemed perfectly fine as he interacted with the monster kid. The couch hugged you reassuringly as you sat there, fiddling with your sleeve. There were speckles of dried blood on the edges, and you picked at them absentmindedly. Staring at Sans, you wondered how such a chill guy could go so stern in half a second. It scared you a little. Like he could snap any second. You could feel strands of stray hairs tickling your face, you probably looked like you'd been to hell and back. His eyes connected with your gaze briefly, it snapped you back into reality. Taking a sharp breath in, you looked down at your dirtied knees and cleared your throat to talk.

"W-we should find the boy's dad...." You mumbled to your shoes.

Sans blinked once and grunted, "Yea."

You looked back up, wanting him so say more, but he didn't. The whole thing felt weird. The kid could tell too, he looked from you to Sans and back.

"Do you think he's okay?" The monster kid asked.

You smiled warmly, "Yes, we just have to find him."

You stood up shakily and headed for your jacket which was hanging on a coat rack by your front door. Sans was somehow right behind you, grabbing your arm and leaning in close to your ear.

"I think you should stay here." He whispered.

You snap your head to face him, coming nose to nose with him.

You blush and look down, "But...I want to help..."

He grins, "I know, but I don't want you getting hurt anymore."

You smile softly at his smile, feeling warm from his concern, "I wont, I promise."

His grin falters, "I think that promise isn't for you to decide." He lets go of your arm and opens the door.

The monster kid scurries over to Sans and glances at you, "Miss, are you comin-?"

"She's staying to watch you." Sans cuts him off and gently nudges him into the house again.

The kid looks distraught, "But My da-!"

"It's alright, I'll be back before you know it," Sans nods at the kid, then looks up and winks at you before closing the door.

'What a knucklehead.' You think.

Shuffling over to the monster kid, you place a hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay." You say reassuringly.

He looks up at you and fakes a smile. You sigh and walk back into the kitchen. 'Hot cocoa would be nice.' You think with a bit of a chipper tone. Reaching for your kettle, the kid runs over to the living room and plays with your dog. You smile while watching them briefly, your dog licking the kids face hurriedly. Turning the sink on, you fill up the kettle and imagine your house filled with kids of your own. Laughter and yells of excitement engulfing the air. It's a nice thought with rays of sunlight filtering through the windows and your dog laying lazily in the doorway. Your put the kettle on the stove and turn on the fire. Leaning against the counter top with your hips, you wonder how Sans is doing, hopefully he's not hurt or getting hurt. Your eyebrows furrow together with concern and a knot forms in your stomach. 'Don't let it get to you, he said he'll be fine.' You told yourself sternly. The kettle soon started whistling and you took it off the stove. Laying out two mugs, you scooped some cocoa powder onto each. You poured the kettle's hot water into the mugs and watched the steam twist it's way into your face, warming it with humidity. After stirring the mugs and plopping some marshmallows in each, you turned and walked into the living room.

"Hot cocoa?" You asked the monster kid while kneeling down to his level.

He whipped around and smiled widely, "Yes, please!"

You started to hand him the mug when you realized, he doesn't have any arms. Stopping yourself, you quickly nodded to him to come sit at the table. He followed and pulled up a seat. After placing the mug in front of him, you grabbed a straw and placed it in his mug. He smiled gratefully and took a sip. You smirked happily as you watched, proud of your work. After taking a few sips of your own, the doorbell rang. Your heart shot into your throat. Instantly your palms became sweaty, and you placed the mug down. Quickly making your way to the door, you unlocked it at swung it open without hesitation. There stood Sans with what looked like a larger version of the monster kid but with a mustache. You gasped and gestured for them to come inside, seeing that they were a bit winded.

They walked in and you could see a little blood dripping down the monster kid's dad's forehead. You covered your mouth and quickly closed the door.

"Please take a seat, I'll get an ice pack and bandages." You told the monster.

He nods in turn and wobbled into the kitchen. You can hear a shriek of happiness from monster kid as his dad came in, you smiled and walked briskly to your bathroom. There you grabbed a few bandages and a towel. Once you returned to the kitchen, you scooped ice from your freezer and wrapped them up in the towel. You gave Sans the bandages and he quickly cleaned up the monster's head.

Monster kid was hoping around his father as he was getting patched up, asking a million questions and telling a million stories. All the while, the monster sat calmly and listened to the kid with a warm smile.

Your heart warmed up at how the monster tried his best to make things seem better then they actually were, "Here, you should ice it so it doesn't swell." you gave the monster the wrapped ice.

Once again, you realized he didn't have any arms, and you nearly punched yourself in the face for being so ignorant again. Quickly, you pulled up a chair to sit close to the monster and you held the ice gently to his head.

"There, sorry about that..." You whisper apologetically.

The monster nods and smiles warmly at you. You smile back and continue holding the ice in place while taking a napkin and gently wiping the blood off of him. From the corner of your eye, you could see Sans leaning against the wall watching you two. You feel the gaze burning into your back and you become uncomfortably hot. 'Am I doing something wrong?' You think. You glanced over your shoulder at him. Sans quickly brightens his smile and nods. You feel relieved and turn back to your work. 'I guess everything's okay?'

"And then (y/n) came running for me and protected me form the scary humans!" Monster kid exclaimed to his father.

You were caught off guard as he spoke your name.

"Oh really? Well," The father turns to you, "I can't thank you enough, (y/n), I guess not all humans are bad after all."

Your heart started to melt and you smile widely. Nodding thanks to him, you turned to Sans again. He's smiling just as big, like he's proud of you.

~~~Temmie skip!~~~

*Click!* You locked the door. The monster kid and his father had just left back to their home. The father thanked you and Sans profusely and offered to pay you back somehow someday. Your hand ran down the door's wooden frame. You could feel the painted grooves beneath your bandaged palms. You knew Sans was waiting to talk to you behind you, but you didn't want to turn around. You weren't ready to be alone with him again, you were still a bit on edge. Sighing, you brought yourself to face him.

"U-uhm...I-" You started talking, but he stopped you by raising his hand.

You looked up into his eyes, surprised. He looked away and brought his hands behind his head, sweat was forming on his skull.

"Heh, sorry about earlier, kid, this....isn't how I pictured this evening to go." He chuckled roughly.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in.

"It's okay, Sans...! I-it's not really how I imagined it either...I'm sorry about those humans...I'm sure not all are like that, y'know?" You made a small smile while bringing your hands behind you back innocently.

He looked back up at you and grinned, "Yea, I know they aren't all like that. Thanks to you...you're really something special, huh?"

You blushed and looked away, "Nah, haha." You giggled, embarrassed by his praise.

A question was burning inside of you though, "Uhm...what...what was it like? The restaurant I mean...was it bad?"

Sans' smile faltered slightly and he glanced away, "It uhm...well, it wasn't better, haha..."

You frowned and looked down at your feet, feeling ashamed at your species, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," He said sternly and paused, taking a deep breath in to calm himself "...There were police and a few ambulances on the scene when I got there, although, it didn't seem like they were attending to monsters. Not that the doctors were ignoring them, but the monster seemed like they didn't want medical attention from humans."

He finished, his voice seemed rougher than usual, it made your stomach a bit nauseous.

"I hope this ends soon." You mumble.

He steps closer to you, offering a hand on your shoulder for comfort. At first you stiffen under his touch, then try to relax. You know he could sense the tensity in your muscles, and you didn't want him to think it was because of him. It was just second nature for you to be uneasy whenever someone touched you, even a close friend. Physical contact just wasn't a regular thing in your life, and it was hard for you to know what to do under such circumstances due to lack of experience. Instead, you became afraid of it and tried to avoid touches of any kind in order to not become victim of awkward situations.

Sans felt this under his touch though, and you could feel his hand grip you tighter instead of letting go, like he was trying to break through the barrier you had built up so long ago. You tried your best to relax.

"It wont ever go away, things like that take time." Sans states, but his stern face melts into a calm one, "Fortunately, we got humans like you to tide us over."

You look up to him and smile, feeling glad that he felt this way. As much as you doubted you could do much, you were happy he found refuge in you.

He smiled in return and brought his skeletal hands into his jacket pockets. You watched him do so, still fascinated by how a skeleton could be so human like. As you studied him, you realized he was slightly blushing under you gaze. You smirked and looked away apologetically, not realizing the affect you had on him, it made you happy.

"Listen," You started boldly, "I-I want to make it up to you."

Sans watched you, surprised, "You don't have to."

You shook your head and smiled, "I want to! Come over next week and I'll show you."

"You're not gonna tell me?" He smirked and raised a brow.

"Nope! It's a secret," You giggled and started fiddling with the end of your sleeve again nervously.

Sans smiled wider, "Alright, it's a date then."

Your eyes snapped up to him, taken aback by his words, but he was gone. Just like that, right before your eyes. You look around, he's no where to be seen. Darn his magic! But you can't help feeling like a teen who just got asked out to prom. 'Was he serious? Or was it just a play on words?' You thought frantically to yourself. It was too much, you squealed silently to yourself and rushed to your bedroom to get ready for bed. You couldn't wait for next week to come.

~~~Another Temmie skip! Does this make me lazy??~~~

The next morning you woke at 6am, bright and early. Well, not bright, the sun wasn't quite up yet. You dragged yourself out of bed and threw the sheets to the side in a large clump. Rubbing your eyes drowsily, you made your way to the bathroom and brushed you teeth. After a shower, you left the steamy bathroom to put some clothes and make up on. Once you put on your uniform, you grabbed your phone and purse and headed for the door. The cool morning air hit you like a slap to the face and reminded you to grab a jacket. With a zip, your fluffy jacket was on and soon you were driving down the street. You passed Sans' and Papyrus' house, you longingly watched it come in and out of sight. Then it hit you. You had no idea where you were taking Sans to later that week.

Once you pulled up to your work, you whipped out your phone and texted Papyrus.

You: Good morning! I'm in kind of a pickle, can I ask for some advice?

A few seconds after you hit send, your phone immediately buzzed.

Papyrus: Of course, human!

You smiled.

You: Does Sans have any hobbies?

Papyrus: My lazy brother does not do much. But I do recall him having quite a fascination for science a long time ago. Not sure if he is still into such things.

Perfect!

You: Thanks, Papyrus! :3

Papyrus: My pleasure, human!

Later that day you were constantly thinking about all the things this town might have to offer that has anything to do with science. 'Maybe a science museum?' You thought while packing someone's groceries. 'What if he finds that boring?' You shook your head, 'This is hard.' You decided to shove the thoughts to the back of your head and focus on work.

As you packed away someone's groceries, you hands fumbled on a glass bottle of ketchup. It hit you as your hands stilled and your fingers grazed the surface of it. You remembered how Sans DRANK ketchup. You stared at the bottle and smirked, the memory of how great that evening was going until-

"Excuse me, young lady." A scratchy voice brought you out of your thoughts.

Your head snapped up, "Oh! S-sorry...haha," you quickly got back to doing your job.

The old lady who had interrupted you smiled, "What's on your mind, dear?"

You paused and looked up slowly, not used to customers talking to you during work.

"O-oh...nothing, haha, sorry, I'll get these packed up right away!" You promised with a fake smile.

The lady tilted her head, "That's fine, you just seem distracted."

Your head ached as you had to play along with this conversation, "There's nothing, I promise! But thank you, ma'am, for the concern, how is your day going?" you decided to turn it around on her.

"You're falling for someone, aren't you?" She whispered in a knowing tone.

You froze, breath hitching. 'H-how...?' Your (e/c) eyes shot up to hers. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. 'W-wait, I don't like anyone like that...I mean...I don't...do I?' you thought and handed the lady her bags, starring at her with a reserved face.

"I-uhm-I don't..uhm, I'm not...er-have a good day ma'am!" You blurted out, still confused.

The elder giggled and took her bags with a 'Thank you.' and left. You watched her as she walked away, concerned that your feelings were that easy to read. 'Wait! I don't HAVE any feelings...remember?' You thought angrily at yourself. Sighing, you started bagging the next customers groceries. Your cheeks felt extremely hot.

~~~Temmie skip?!?!?!~~~

It was now the middle of the week and you were out on your lunch break. You decided to walk to a nearby cafe instead of some fast food. You had a fluffy coat on and beanie. The sky was grey as usual, and a cool breeze tickled your nose. People and monsters filtered into the cafe entrance as you neared it, it was a monster friendly cafe. You always tried to only give your money to those kind of places, you saw no reason for such segregation in this day and age. 'So ridiculous.' You thought. A man about your age held the door open for you as you walked in. You kept your gaze low and mumbled a thank you in the nicest tone you could muster. Your boots left water marks on the floor and squeaked with each step. It was embarrassing but you tried your best to ignore it as you got to the line. You gazed at the food listed above on the menu. 'Maybe a sandwich and a tea? Should I get it hot or cold...? Should I get a cookie? Will people think I'm fat if I buy one? They don't care...I'm still not getting one just in case...' Your thoughts jumbled together to pick what you were ordering.

You were having a relatively nice day, not too much anxiety or self doubt and you felt rather well rested. Which was probably why you were so bold to come to this cafe instead of eat in your car. You made it to the cashier and gave them your order. After, you found a two seated table and sat down, it had a nice view of the street life. You watched and ate peacefully for a few minutes.

From the corner of your eye you saw the man that had opened the door for you come to your table.

"Hey there," He greeted with a smile.

You looked up at him, surprised. You hadn't taken a good look at him before, but now that he was talking to you, you had the chance. He was tall and pale, he had a brown beard that was neatly shaved with dark brown eyes. He seemed pretty fit and wore a nice white button up shirt with a black tie. Over it was a long brown coat and for pants he had black slacks on. He seemed pretty well put together, he was probably on lunch break too.

"H-hi..." You mumbled around your mouthful of sandwich.

He chuckled and sat down across from you on the empty chair. You then noticed he had been carrying two coffee cups, which he placed on your table.

"Here," He said, "figured a hot coffee would be nice on a cold day like this."

You blushed and gasped, "Oh! Wow, thanks...! Uhm, you didn't have to...are you sure?"

He laughed and slid the coffee to you, "Of course! Pretty lady like you needs to keep warm," he winked.

You blushed harder and looked away, taking the coffee hesitantly.

"My name's Brian, you?" He asked.

You looked up at him again, "I-I'm (y/n)..." you were starting to feel uncomfortable because you knew where this was going, and you didn't want any part of it.

"Nice name, I like it, (y/n)..." Brian pronounced your name slowly, like he was tasting it.

You scrunched up your nose and already felt violated. Against everything though, you smiled and laughed, then went back to eating.

Brian wanted your full attention thought, "So, (y/n), what're you doing?"

"Lunch break...you?" You mumbled, not making eye contact to seem casual.

He leaned back and crossed his arms, "Same, I work at that call center down the road, manager in fact." he boasted.

You raised your eyebrows to mock being impressed, he just smiled and leaned back in closer to you. To defend yourself you took a sip of you tea. He watched intently.

"Not gonna drink the coffee I just paid for?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

You choked and shook your head, "Oh! N-no, it's not like that...I just uhm...am saving it for later for my walk back! G-gotta keep warm, right?"

He chuckled, "You're funny, (y/n), gotta number?"

You froze mid bite, 'NO!' You screamed in your head as you nodded and pulled out your phone. Brian, delighted, whipped out his cell and leaned in closer. Just then, your phone dinged. Both of you stopped and looked at your screen, it was Sans. You smiled slightly. 'What timing.' You thought happily.

"Who's that?" Brian asked, irritated.

You looked up, "I-it's a friend."

He didn't seem to believe you, "JUST a friend?"

A lightbulb sparked in you head, "Oh..." you looked away, "M-my...boyfriend..." you cringed, knowing it was a lie but loving it all the same.

His eyebrows furrowed together, "Really? Does he know your out here flirting with men and drinking their coffee?" he hissed.

You were taken aback by his sudden hostility, "Uh-uhm...I-I...Uhm..."

"Whatever, you owe me though. This coffee wasn't free." He slammed his hand on the table as he stood up and you yelped.

Brian stormed off and you could feel the stare of other people because of the commotion in the calm shop. You shrunk into you coat, shaking.

"I-I'm sorry..." You whispered quietly to yourself.

After sitting, shaken, for a few heart beats, you remembered Sans' text. Quickly, you looked at your phone, glad for the distraction.

Sans: Hey pal, tomorrow sound good? Remember you offered a do-over ;)

You blushed at the winky face, feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. All the same, you smiled and got up to leave, suddenly feeling too hot and craved the fresh air.

You: Yep! I know just the place too, I get off at 3pm

Chapter Text

It was very dark. In fact, no matter how wide you tried to open your eyes, you couldn't catch a single glimpse of light. Anywhere. 'Where am I?' You thought. You tugged your arms but they felt so heavy, like they were made of sand. Your eyelashes brushed against something close to your face. The darkness was invading your mind and your breath hitched from a noise. No, not a noise, laughter. It was behind you. Closing in, surrounding you. You were suffocating. Suddenly, your sealed eyes flew open and light crashed into them.

"Hah!!" You gasped as you sat upright in your bed.

The sun was filtering through the blinds and the world spun around you. Blinking slowly, reality came into perspective, and you realized it was just a dream. You were still fluttering. 'A very realistic dream...' You thought as you put a hand over your heaving, sweaty chest.

"Ugh..." You grumble, flicking the sheets off of your overheating body and rubbing your tired eyes.

'So much for sleep,' You thought groggily.

Your dog came sprinting into your room, barking as you stood up. You cracked a smile at them. Making your way to the backyard door, you slid it open and let the dog out. Today was the day you took Sans to an awesome place. At least, you hoped it'd be awesome to him, and not childish. You shrugged, trying not to overthink it, which was your specialty.

It had snowed overnight, and now everything was covered in a light layer of white. You had thrown on some comfy boots and your regular scarf, plus a beanie to stay warm.

Crunching down on some toast, you started the car and drove in a hurry to work.

Minutes seemed to take hours as you waited for your shift to be up. You couldn't wait to meet up with Sans again, the last time you guys had talked was a little, rocky...BUT, you felt like you were getting somewhere with Sans. He always seemed so closed off at times, and reluctant to tell you anything about himself. Your heart hurt a little, believing that he didn't trust you to know his secrets. Although, you hadn't known him for too long, so you guessed it was only reasonable. When he's around though, you feel like you can spill every word or thought out to him without giving a second thought. From past experiences, you learned that wasn't such a good idea, and would probably scare him off.

As you bagged the last customer's groceries, you placed your hands on your hips and sighed. 'Finally.' You thought. After clocking out, you made your way to your car with a bit of a skip in your step. Your keys jingled in your hands, that sound always made you feel so mature. As you unlocked the car, you noticed a figure standing a few feet behind the vehicle. It startled you at first, but you tried to play it off cool and pay no attention as to not be rude. Your eyes traveled up the car's rim to get a better look. You couldn't really see the figure that well, it seemed as if he were hiding in the shadows. A chill ran up your spine when you realized he might be looking at you from that dark place, and you quickly hopped into the car, locking it. You giggled, feeling a bit overdramatic as the car clicked close. Although, you couldn't help but feel you knew the figure from somewhere before.

~~~ Temtem skip ~~~

"So, what's the big secret." Sans said as the two of you were walking in downtown.

You had made sure to pick a safer part of the downtown city, so you guys wouldn't be interrupted again, or put in danger. The two of you had met up outside your house and took your car. Now, since there wasn't many great places to park in this part of the city, the two of you were walking to the destination. Your eyes sparkled with excitement as you glanced over at Sans, who seemed to be trying to hide his curiosity.

You smiled, "We're almost there, it's a science museum!" you shouted and held up a finger, "Now don't knock it till you try it, I know it seems boring or childish right now, but just wait till you-"

"Are you kidding?" Sans cut you off and chuckled, "Buddy, I actually, uh, find that stuff very interesting..."

The skeleton started his sentence off very energetically, but seemed to tone it down towards the end. He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, a slight blue blush sprinkling his cheek bones.

On the other hand, you couldn't contain your happiness any longer after hearing his approval. 'Thank you, Papyrus!' You thought.

"I-I'm so happy you're excited!" You gleamed up at him and studied his features, "...There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Sans. Whatever you're passionate about is totally worth sharing! It's what makes you YOU!"

You didn't know what took over you in that sentence, but the need to reassure him was overbearing. Maybe because you spent most of your life feeling the same way, so you could relate. It seemed whenever you brought up something you loved very much, others would break it down and call it lame. Keeping things to yourself was much better. There's no judgment happening if they don't know!

Sans listened to you, the white lights in his sockets seeming to shine a little brighter.

"Wow, kid," He chuckled again and looked away, "you're somethin' else."

You felt your face light up as he shoved his hands into his jacket. The smile that spread across your face was untamable. Helping him out with his feelings was possibly the best thing you've done in a while.

You realized that the museum was coming up in front of you two. The tall building, with gray pillars across the entrance, stood strong against the gloomy clouds overhead. You could almost hear the slight whistle of wind moving through and past the building. A small crowd was scattered infront of the place, and there was a short line to buy admission. You chose a slow day, as to not be overwhelmed by people. The last thing you wanted was to be uncomfortable on this trip.

"Over here." You called to Sans who was a few steps lagging behind as he looked around.

You could tell he was curious, and smirked at the way his smile was loose and not as tense as it usually was. Seeing him calm made you feel at ease.

The two of you made it to the back of the line, which moved at a good pace. There were a few monster couples, human couples, and families of different kinds in front of you waiting to pay. It made you warm inside to see monsters and people getting along like this. Just enjoying life as it should be. From the corner of your eye, you could of sworn you saw Sans gaze at you. You tried not to squirm, but couldn't help turning to look at him so he'd stop staring at you. His eyes flicked away, as if they weren't on you at all, and a nervous smile crept onto your lips.

As the line quickly led you to the front, you naturally fell in step behind Sans, letting him hopefully talk to the person running admission. He glanced back at you, and gave an easy smile, as if to give you permission to hide behind him. Looking over his shoulder, you watched the transaction between the two.

The admission was being run by a young lady, who had a good-natured look to her. You sighed inwardly, 'She's not even scary...I guess I could've done it myself. Oh well.'. When the lady gave the total amount of money due, you quickly took out your wallet and pulled out some cash, mumbling to yourself about how unprepared you were and slipping "Sorry"s in with it. Sans chuckled and shook his head, playing it off coolly with the lady. You blushed and handed him the money, he in turn handed it to the lady. She thanked him, seeming to ignore you completely. 'Okay, maybe not so nice after all.' You thought with a pang in you chest at being ignored. Sans waved goodbye to her and walked off.

You watched the lady as you trailed behind Sans like a child. She seemed so mature, and so much more confident and pretty than you had ever felt in your life. You saw the way she waved back to Sans, and felt a knot in your stomach. 'Were they flirting?' You thought with some alarm. You shot a glance at Sans, but he seemed to think nothing of it.

"Uh-uhm..." You started, catching up to walk beside Sans.

He glanced down at you and gave a soft smile, "What's up?"

You connected with his eyes a moment and felt a little more at ease, "Oh, uhm." you thought for a second on how to word your question.

"So, she seemed pretty into you, huh?" You giggled mischievously and nudged his shoulder with your elbow, trying to hide your slight jealousy as just two friends making fun of each other.

He glanced down at you smoothly, "You think?" he shrugged, "Not my type."

He didn't seem to play along with your teasing at all. 'Does he just see right through me?' You thought anxiously.

"Oh! Okay...haha." You tried to just let it fade off, but it seemed a bit awkward.

You shook your head to rid of the situation and pointed to the doors, "Hey! Look inside! What's that?"

Sans followed your gesture and peered into the doors as you walked in. There were huge bubbles floating around to the very top of the ceiling, which was very tall. On the right of you, people were blowing them with large hoops that were drenched in soap. Your mouth hung open as you watched them, butterflies in your stomach. Glancing at Sans, you caught him staring at you again. You brushed it off by skipping excitedly closer to the bubble makers.

"Let's make some?" You asked hopefully.

Now you were the one worried of being too nerdy about science. You waited before moving any further from Sans for his approval, not wanting to do it alone. He watched you with amusement as your expressions changed with each passing second.

"O-Oh we don't have to, come on! Look over here-" Your eyes widened when Sans suddenly started laughing and gripped the end of your sleeve.

"Come on, pal, it looks like your BUBBLEing over with excitement." He chuckled while pulling you toward the bubbles.

You smiled and blushed as you let him take you over, snorting with laughter as he did so. The two of you made bubbles, how he could blow air was a mystery to you, but it was fun watching them being made and taking off into the air.

The museum seemed never ending of fun activities to interact with, like self-made tornadoes or anti-gravity stations. Some of these seemed uninteresting to Sans, but he played along to make you happy. You were overjoyed at how nice he was being. He was doing everything you wanted to do with you, so you weren't alone. You almost felt selfish, but he reassured you time and time again that he was enjoying himself.

Eventually, by the end, you saw a door that seemed to lead into a dark room. Curtains were drawn behind it, and above the door it read, "Space Travel". Your face lit up with joy and you quickly tugged Sans' sleeve like a kid. He turned around with a grin on his face, finding your actions during this trip very amusing; and kinda cute.

"Let's go in here, you are going to LOVE it!" You squeaked.

He nodded and gestured for you to the lead the way. Nodding excitedly, you walked in through the doorway first. The darkness gave you confidence as you found a seat toward the middle. The whole place was shaped in a half circle, the ceiling curving above and around you. The seats were circling the sides of the walls and spiraling to the middle, leaving just enough space on the floor in the center for an announcer. As you two settled in next to each other, the light went out completely. It startled you at first, but you found it exciting. Although, you jumped and nearly yelped when you felt someone grab your arm tightly and suddenly.

"S-Sans..?" Your voice quivered, trying not be too loud as a light turned on to shine on the man standing in the middle.

Sans quickly let go and concentrated on the man who was center stage, "Heh, nothin' to worry about, pal."

You could slightly see sweat appearing on his skull. You shrugged and tried to not make a big deal out of it, for his sake. 'Is he scared of the dark?' You thought. Your thoughts were interrupted as the man finally began to speak, his voice magnified by a microphone.

"Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and monsters alike, to your very own, personal, space travel experience! Please stay seated until the viewing is over. The lights will return and you will be able to let yourselves out. In case of an emergency, please press the button located under you right-hand armrest and assistance will come immediately to escort you out. Enjoy!" The announcer finished proudly and left through a side door.

The lights went out again, and a mysterious, almost cheesy soundtrack started playing all around you. You snickered at the sound, Sans glancing at you with a grin.

"Quite the character he was, huh?" He whispered to you.

That wasn't what you were laughing about, but you went on with it and scrunched your nose up to show your laughter. Suddenly, the whole ceiling lit up with multiple colors of the galaxy, and stars twinkled brightly everywhere. Both of you were looking around, almost forgetting about each other completely. Your mind was lost in the moment, enjoying the lights and colors that dazzled your eyes after being the dark for so long. You remembered you had done this for Sans, and quickly stole a glance at him to see his reaction. He was staring up at the ceiling, watching planets go by as a voice overhead explained different topics of the universe. The lights reflected off of his white skull, and colored him in various hues. It was amazing, and you could tell he felt the same by the way his mouth seemed to hang open, even if it was still closed into that permanent grin. A warmth filled your heart and you continued to gaze at the ceiling again. You were so happy you could do this for him.

His thigh pressed against yours, due to the lack of space between the seats. It was like when he first brushed hands with you, you expected it to feel cool to the touch, but warmth seeped into your leg. You could almost feel his magic thrum through his bones beneath his gym shorts. It made you blush, and you tried to ignore it. 'Sans probably doesn't even realize it.' You thought. He adjusted in his seat, seeming to rub your leg on purpose, but his eyes were focused on the scene. You glanced at him, pouting to yourself because of the teasing.

After a few minutes, the show seemed to be coming to an end as the speaker above everyone's heads began its farewells. You sat up straight and your back popped a few times from slouching for so long. You caught Sans' eyes as he watched you.

"Did you like it?" You sighed, happily stretching.

He gave a warm smile and looked down, "It was a BLAST." he referenced towards the spaceship picture on the screen.

You glanced over and snorted, "Oh wow, nice one." you covered your mouth and giggled a bit more before standing up.

He watched you stand and slowly followed. You smiled at him as he fell into step next to you. Watching his face, he seemed a bit distant, staring at nothing.

"You alright?" You asked, "You seem a little SPACEy?"

Sans whipped his head around to look at you and a large grin crossed his face. A hearty laugh broke from him and whatever seemed to be on his mind melted away. You laughed along with him, feeling warm that you could make him laugh so much.

"Nice, kid," he wiped a tear from his eye socket, "I'm better now. This trip was needed."

He smiled down at you. You smiled back up at him. Everything was going so nice. You felt like nothing was going on outside of the two of you, everything else just faded away when with Sans. Sure, some things still got to you, but you felt like you could truly enjoy your time out without having to worry what others thought. It was like he was your safety blanket. He had seen you break down before. An incedent like that surely made you feel closer to him, like you two had a secret no one else knew about. You wondered if he felt the same as you continued walking a few steps behind him, watching his broad shoulder sway under his hoodie.

He glanced over, "Ice cream?"

"H-huh? OH. Sure!" You broke back into reality.

Sans noticed and chuckled, "You seem a little SPACEy now, too."

You sneered at him, "Hey, you can't use my pun!"

He laughed and nudged you shoulder as you two stepped in line for ice cream. Once in the front, Sans lifted a hand to point to the flavor he'd like when the man running the shop shut him up.

"UHM, can't you read? No monsters." The rude man pointed at a small sign sitting next to the register.

"Gee, pal," Sans spoke calmly, rubbing the back of his skull, "I could barely see that sign from the back of the line."

The man, who was quite large in height and width, crossed his arms, "Not my problem. Next customer, please!" he called through Sans.

Fire engulfed your stomach at the rude treatment this man was giving your friend. Your hands tightened into fists and you looked straight at him.

"I-I think it IS your problem, s-sir." You coughed, trying to steady your voice from the man's terrifying glare, "Isn't this a monster-friendly facility?"

Sans had stepped aside a bit to let you speak, but still seemed to let you hide behind his shoulder a little. The man glared at you for making a fair point and snorted in disgust.

"What. Is this your monster-pal or something?" He wagged his hand at Sans, not even looking at the skeleton.

You glanced over at him for a second, feeling a bit anxious at continuing the argument. Sans looked calm, like this man wasn't even getting to him. It gave you determination.

You took a quick breath in, "So what if he's my friend? That doesn't even matter right now. What matters is the fact that you're refusing service in what is seen as a monster friendly building...!" You flung your arms out for emphasis.

The man slammed his hand on the counter, making you jump and cower behind Sans. The skeleton tensed a the sudden aggression coming in waves off the man behind the counter. Sans lifted his arm in front of you ever so slightly so no harm came your way. He didn't want to embarrass you, but also felt the need to protect.

"Listen here, MISSY. I don't need any trouble selling these here ice creams. You want some?" his voice increasingly got louder, "GO. SOMEWHERE. ELSE!"

You felt tears sting your eyes as he raised his voice. Your knuckles became white from the tension in your fists and you, instead, started to wring your hands together. The floor became extremely interesting suddenly, as you wouldn't take your eyes off of it. 'Don't cry, you idiot!' You screamed at yourself, 'You're so weak! Can't even protect your friend from the ice cream man?' You choked on air a little as your throat tightened. 'Don't do it!'.

The commotion seemed to bring attention and more people, including monsters, gathered around to see what was happening. Sans, hearing your slight slip of a hiccup, quickly threw an arm around your shoulder, protectively bringing you into his side. The affection almost broke you, but you shoved your face into the side of ribs, trying to stay steady. The smell of old books and crisp snow invaded your senses.

"YOU listen hear, BUDDY." Sans started, "I think that was rather unnecessary. If you keep going the way you are, y o u ' r e g o n n a h a v e a b a d t i m e ."

The rumble of Sans' voice was deep and dangerous, and nearly scared you as well. There it was again. That fear of what Sans was really capable of, and how he seemed he could snap at any given moment, releasing whatever he held back right onto the world before you. Luckily, you were on his side, literally, so you knew he wouldn't ever hurt you. It was still unnerving all the same.

It seemed Sans was no longer needed, as other pro-monster people, and monsters themselves, started arguing and protesting against the man who had yelled at you to get lost. Sans tapped on your shoulder to get your attention, and you peeked out from the hiding spot you had found in his hoodie. He lifted an ice cream cone, your favorite flavor, up to your face to see. You gasped your head shot out from his arm.

"W-wha?" You asked, "Where the heck did that come from?"

He shrugged, "I figured he owed as an apology, so I did him a FLAVOR." He winked down at you.

You snorted again, "Oh wow, but, isn't that...illegal?"

You reached for the cone regardless, stepping back from Sans to give him some space.

He shrugged again, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Isn't refusing service in a monster-friendly environment illegal? I'm sure one ice cream won't ruin his career. But what you did will, and I think altogether, that's justice right there."

Sans gestured over to the crowd, where there were now security gaurds trying to handle the situation. You had listened to his words carefully, you felt like he didn't speak much, and felt a wave a relief come off of you. A smile spread accross your face.

"I guess you're right." You looked up at the skeleton, "Thanks, Sans."

He shrugged and chuckled, looking away, "I should be thanking you, (y/n), you're the one who stood up for us monsters today."

You immediately blushed and looked down at the floor again. Although, you couldn't quite help the triumphant smile that crept onto your face. 'Yeah...I did stand up for them...didn't I?' You thought.

You felt something cold on your hand and remember the ice cream you held, a drip was on your finger and you quickly licked it off. After doing so, you saw Sans starring at you.

"O-Oh...wonna lick?" You asked, blushing at the thought of sharing food with him, but trying to be COOL about it. Heh, puns.

Sans jerked into attention again and smiled, "Sure, pal."

You then realized how he was going to accomplish that, and watched closely. After taking the ice cream cone from your hand, Sans' teeth, that usually shaped his classic grin, morphed into a set of what looked like fangs. Your eyes widened and you gasped a little as his left eye started to glow blue, while his right eye disappeared.

Sans chuckled and you realized he had noticed your reaction, "What's wrong, buddy?" a long, fat, nearly transparent blue tongue flopped out of his mouth, "Cat got your TONGUE?"

You nearly missed his pun, for you were too sucked into the phenomena that was happening before you.

You giggled, mouth still agape, "Th-that's amazing...you're magical..." you said with awe in your voice.

Blue started to glow from his cheeks as well as he brought his tongue back in from embarrassment, "Aw, geez, kid, I'm sure I've told you about how monsters are made of magic, right?"

"Yes! But, sorry, I didn't mean to tease you, I really meant it, it's crazy cool!" You flashed your hands to show how "crazy cool" it was to you.

The skeleton then chuckled at your act, winking at you as he took a lick from your ice cream. He did it easily and quickly, as to not draw attention to the situation any more than needed. Inside your head, you thanked him for that, you hated being flustered. It seemed like that's all guys ever wanted was to fluster the girls. While some probably liked it, it just made everything awkward and unbearably tense for you. You always found yourself at a loss for words and sweating uncomfortably, when the guy at hand saw this, they moved on to the next girl that gave a better response than your's. It crushed you at times, and you wished there were other ways a boy could talk to you instead of teasing.

"Hey, kid," Sans disrupted your thoughts.

You looked up at him. After coming to your senses, you saw that the two of you had made it outside of the museum. The sun dazzled your eyes as you blinked quickly to adjust.

Looking down at your hand, you felt the cool, stickiness of the melting ice cream, "Oh, sorry, haha."

Sans sighed, seeming a little frustrated. At first, you were about to ask what's wrong, then you remembered. Every time you had ever said "Sorry", it seemed to make Sans irritated. Why, you had absolutely no clue. Sometimes you could understand, but other times it seemed appropriate.

"It's fine, kid." He gleamed at you as if nothing happened, "What's on your mind?"

You had to take a step back from the whiplash he always gave off. One second, dark and dangerous, the next, chill and caring. 'What is with this guy?' You thought with a sigh.

"Oh, y'know..." You held up your sticky hand, "just trying to get this situation under control, haha."

You never took the questions, "What's on your mind?" seriously. Because EVERYTHING was ALWAYS on your mind. Plus, you didn't want to burden others with your ridiculous overthinking habits. Shrugging, you licked your hand clean and continued licking the ice cream. Sans studied your face for a few heartbeats that felt like an eternity. It was hard not to feel hot under his stare. You casually looked away and decided to continue walking. Hearing Sans' footsteps behind you reassured that he was following.

The sun was setting and shadows were long across the ground. The dim light gave an easy feeling inside your soul, and feeling Sans' presence next to you made it even warmer. It was a shared quiet walk back to your car. People were passing you two on the sidewalk, leaving from work or from spending the day in downtown. A certain man slipped by you, his height towering over both you and Sans. You wouldn't have given it a second thought, but the way his shoulder had gruffly rubbed against yours, like it was on purpose, made you gasp slightly. For a split second, you looked up into the stranger's face. His features were dark and hard to see in the shadow of the sun, but you couldn't help feel nostalgia. 'Do I know him?' It was the same feeling you had in the parking lot earlier that day at work.

...Brian?