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Kris shoves their hands in their pockets as they follow Susie and Noelle to the next stall, wondering whether they even need to be here in the first place. It’s really awkward trudging along after not one, but two of their crushes, whether they’re past or present.
When Kris was a little kid, they had a massive crush on Noelle. And when they say massive, they mean massive. It was obvious to everyone except Noelle herself — or maybe she did know and was politely ignoring it. Either way, nothing really came of it, and they grew out of that phase within a year or so.
…Or at least that’s what they like to tell those who are nosy enough to pry. In truth, they’ve always yearned for their prior bond with Noelle, mourning the closeness they used to share and the potential it had to become more. But they know she’s into Susie, and they’ll keep their feelings to themselves so she can have a little happiness. With everything going on at home for her, Noelle deserves that much, at least.
Susie… even before they’d fallen into that first Dark World and become friends, they’d crushed on her. It isn’t healthy, that’s for sure; still, their heart’s desires both were and remain wholly divorced from their mind’s. And while they’ve grown closer, it’s become evident that Susie’s feelings towards them are entirely platonic. They’re her best friend and closest confidant, but nothing more.
They keep their gaze downcast as the wind blows their bangs over their eyes. They’re glad for it, even though it makes them trip and stumble over a stray rock. They manage to regain their footing, but then they bump into the couple leading the charge.
“You okay?” Susie asks. They nod and straighten, giving her a slight smile in an attempt to assuage her concern. She gives then her signature toothy grin, but Noelle remains unconvinced. Though she’d stayed silent, her eyes pierce right through Kris’s facade. If they were in a Dark World, the chill of her ice magic would have seeped through the thick fabric of their sweater by now. Though they’re here in Hometown, Kris feels the cold regardless and tamps down a shiver.
Then Noelle turns around, and the feeling is gone. Susie tugs at her hand, and she gives a soft, fond laugh and follows along, leaving Kris to pick up their reluctant pace to match their own.
Things continue like that: awkward, lonely, even a little bitter. Then they reach the ferris wheel, where Sans (ugh) is waiting with that stupid grin that seems to be stuck on his face. Despite his laid back posture and casual expression, his eyes (eye sockets? What’s up with skeleton anatomy?) are keen. Just like Noelle, he sees right through Kris’s attempts at appearing fine and dandy, thank you very much.
Noelle and Susie each pay for a ticket, and then they do something that Kris wouldn’t have seen from light years away: they each put in some money for a third. Before Kris can react, each girl grabs one of their hands and pulls them into the car. Kris doesn’t even have the time to register the knowing look Sans sends their way before they’re standing awkwardly between the benches on each side of the car, unsure of what to do now that they’re third wheeling in even closer proximity.
Susie pats the seat beside her. “Over here!” she says cheerfully, still grinning. Kris hesitates, and then freezes up as Noelle speaks.
“Or here. Either is fine,” she chirps, and Kris turns to see that a matching smile graces her delicate features. Susie is relaxed and slumped against the back of her seat, while Noelle sits prim and proper, but they both exude the same warmth and fondness.
Susie playfully rolls her eyes and leans forward, resting her elbows atop her thighs as she laughs. “Come on, lighten up!” she urges. “We’re on our first date! What are you so stressed about?”
Wait.
What?
Kris’s eyes widen as they stiffen up, staring incredulously at Susie. What the hell is she talking about?! She’s on a date with Noelle, isn’t she? Where does Kris fit into the equation? “Date?” they squeak, the word choked out past the tightening of their throat.
“Yeah.” Susie looks… confused. Uh. What exactly is Kris missing, here? “With me. And Noelle. We’re on a date.”
“Um, Susie,” Noelle pipes up, and the barest hints of a smile color her words. “I don’t think they knew.” Kris gains just enough control over their body to ever so slightly incline their head in her direction, trying to indicate their agreement on the matter.
Susie’s jaw drops as her eyes go wide. “Dude!” she exclaims. “We’ve been dating for, what, a month now? You took me to the diner and all! We’ve been going out on the regular! How would we not be dating?!” By the time she’s done talking, her arms are spread wide, palms up and taloned fingers splayed. Kris just sheepishly shrugs, feeling more than a little awkward. Somehow more so than before, actually.
“You, me…” Kris begins, but their voice fails them and their attempt at speech peters out into a shaky sigh.
Noelle bursts into giggles that are only somewhat stifled by her hands as they fly to cover her mouth. “Oh, no,” she gasps out between bouts of laughter. “Not again!”
Kris makes a confused sound and looks over at Noelle, whose eyes are glimmering with tears of laughter. She elaborates: “Remember back when we were kids, and you and I were practically joined at the hip? Everyone was always talking about how we made such a cute couple.”
“We… I… I thought you were just being nice.” Kris finally manages to speak their first coherent sentence since this morning when their mom had asked if they slept alright, and Noelle shakes her head as another round of giggles escapes her.
“No, Kris!” Noelle replies. “Gosh, I was so in love with you back then… still am, honestly. I just… thought you’d moved on from all that. Then Susie told me how you were always pining after me, and I thought that we were gonna have a weird love triangle situation, but then she said that you two were already together and oh my Angel this is the funniest thing to happen to me in years—“
She throws her head back and all out cackles in a way wholly unlike her, and Kris’s face heats up to the point that they’re worried that their head might spontaneously combust.
(They also kind of hope it will — to save them from the embarrassment if nothing else.)
Susie’s laughing too, and Kris cringes and shuffles back a step. Their back makes contact with the door of the car, making it rattle softly, and Noelle and Susie immediately stop laughing and turn to face them with wide eyes and alarmed expressions.
“Kris, don’t lean against that!” Noelle yelps.
“Hey hey hey, get over here!” Susie demands. Both reach for their hands, but Susie’s arms are longer, and she pulls them over to her. They end up sprawled over the bench with their head on her lap, and she looks down and flashes her signature crooked grin at them. Kris’s flushed face somehow manages to turn an even deeper red, and they make an incoherent sound that can only be described as a humming mix of nervousness and pure fluster.
To make matters worse, Noelle joins them, nudging Kris along until they’re lying on her lap, too. Susie ruffles their hair, though she does move their bangs out of their face so they can’t hide from their newest problem in life — also known as oh Angel oh fuck my two crushes have been into me this whole fucking time what do I even do in this situation someone please help me—
And then the ferris wheel car comes to a halt, ending the moment before it can escalate.
(Kris isn’t really sure whether they feel relieved or annoyed at the interruption.)
They roll away from Susie and Noelle, flopping onto the floor without so much as a grunt of discomfort, and push themselves to their feet. The door opens, and they stagger out, followed by a laughing Noelle and Susie, who both grab one of Kris’s hands and pulls them along.
They pass Sans, who offers Kris a thumbs up. They’re almost too caught up in the moment to realize that the fucker knew before they did. Almost.
Then Noelle and Susie draw their attention to a cotton candy booth, and all is forgotten — but certainly not forgiven.