I've wanted to write this for a very long time. And it's about time I sat myself down and did it.

Sunset

Since getting to the surface, Toriel had always loved the sunset. Its beautiful multicolored rays, elongating shadows and casting everything in a dim and unusual shade, made her smile as she watched. As long as she lived, and it was looking like a very long time, she would never get used to it.

Wintertime brought shorter days, a blessing and a curse in her opinion, so she could be seen grading papers by the dim light of the sunset. With all her students at home and Frisk off with Undyne and Papyrus for the afternoon, Toriel appreciated the peace and quiet. Many of the other teachers had gone home so there was nary a footfall outside her classroom.

At least, that's what she thought.

"Ms. Toriel?"

Toriel's pen flew out of her hand in her surprise. She looked up to find Asgore standing at the doorway, looking slightly nervous in her presence. Damn those padded feet. She'd have had time to lock her door if she'd heard him walking up the hall.

Resigning herself to her fate, she put on an expression she hoped was neutral and said, rather coldly, "Yes, what is it?"

"I uhh… finished watering the flowers, so I… I suppose that is everything you told me to do," said Asgore, a small smile on his lips. "I was wondering if you had any other jobs for me."

Toriel stood and turned away from him, not wanting to face him anymore. "I do not." she said clearly. "You may go find work elsewhere. I will give your business a good rating; you did excellent work."

This was true. The schoolyard looked beautiful, especially now. She couldn't deny that her ex-husband had a gift. A "green thumb," as the humans would say.

"I see." Asgore said, sounding apprehensive.

She listened for the sounds of his feet padding away but heard nothing. After a few seconds, she glanced behind her and was dismayed to find Asgore still there.

"Did you want something else?"

"No." said Asgore, shaking his head. There was a very awkward silence. "Yes."

He took a few steps forward so that Toriel could see him in her peripheral vision. She dearly wanted to tell him to leave but she had to be the bigger person. He hadn't done anything to warrant such rudeness.

"Toriel, I… I wanted you to know that I..."

"Don't."

Something inside of her flared. She wasn't sure if it was her anger or the sunset that made her see red but she felt suddenly furious.

"You cannot put this off forever."

"Do not talk to me about this. Not now."

"Please." Asgore took another step so that, to avoid his gaze, she would have to turn her head sideways. "Toriel, please don't shut me out. We have so many of the same friends. I promise, if you let me speak-"

"What?" Toriel whirled around, looking Asgore in the eye at last. "If I let you speak, I will suddenly put aside the fact that you murdered six children that I cared about, that I raised, that I tried to protect? Will I, Asgore? Will I ever understand why you did something so barbaric?"

"No." Asgore shook his head, maintaining eye contact. "I would never-"

"Then we have nothing to talk about. I have been generous, Asgore. I have let you spend time with Frisk against my better judgment. I have let you come over with the others because they wanted you there." Toriel said coldly, her hands shaking with anger. "I told you I did not want to be your friend. I don't want to be your anything anymore. Why don't you understand? What could you possibly have to say to me that you haven't said a hundred times before?"

"I am sorry."

Toriel felt his words cut through her like a knife. "That's it? You're sorry? Sorry doesn't bring back the six lives you took. Sorry does nothing."

"Sorry is all I have." Asgore's eyes filled with tears. "I know I cannot make this better. I know what I did was horrible and evil. I know you have no reason to forgive me. But Toriel, please, I… I don't want to be a source of pain for you anymore. And I know I am hurting you. I know that even looking at me hurts y-"

"You know nothing." Toriel said through gritted teeth. "If you think that's all it is, that you being around causes me pain and nothing else, go ahead and think that."

"There is more?"

"Just go."

"If you are hurting because of me, hurting in ways I cannot see-"

"Don't."

"Please tell me what I can do to make it better."

"NOTHING!" Toriel bellowed, surprising even herself. "There is nothing you can do!" The urge to tell him, to tell anyone what she had been going through, what she had hidden from everyone, finally became too much for her to handle. Even if it was Asgore she was telling, it had to be said. "Everything about the surface hurts. Every time something here makes me happy, I remember that it's all because of those souls. The souls you took. That I wouldn't be here at all if they hadn't died at your hand! That I am dishonoring their memories by enjoying life on the surface when they barely had a life at all!" She turned to the window outside just in time to see the sun dip beneath the horizon. "Everyone else saw those souls as just… multicolored hearts. You and I are the only ones who really knew who they were before they were simply souls."

"Toriel, I had no-"

"Of course you didn't. No one did." Toriel's voice shook and she fought down tears. "But I see all those posters for the Nutcracker next weekend and I think 'oh, Valerie would have liked that.' A silly cowboy movie I know Dennis would have enjoyed. I am still tempted, every time I walk past it, to get the Narnia book set for Melissa because I remembered how much she loved to read and write and that she once said her favorite animal was the lion and I… I just…" She gritted her teeth. "You murdered them. And now we are here, I am always reminded that our freedom came at a cost none but us could fully comprehend."

There. She had said it. And, of all people, she had said it to Asgore. The very man responsible for these complicated feelings. A tiny part of her hated herself for doing that. Asgore was the last person to whom she would ever want to confide.

After a few very uncomfortable seconds, she chanced a glance at her ex-husband. He wasn't looking at her anymore. He seemed to be more interested in a picture book on the shelf nearby. She wouldn't have minded if he had just… left. Acted as if she hadn't said anything. Then they could pretend this never happened and come to a silent understanding never to speak of it again. But she knew him far too well to know that things would work out that way.

"I had no idea." Asgore finally said in a low voice, clearly choosing his words very carefully. "But you are right. Sorry does nothing."

Toriel felt as if she should feel triumphant at these words but nothing changed. She stared resolutely at the remaining rays of the now hidden sun, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"I know I hurt you very deeply." Asgore continued in the same apologetic tone. He sounded close to tears himself. "I would never, ever ask you to forgive me. I do not deserve that."

"But that's the thing." Toriel mumbled, almost hoping that he didn't hear her. "I want to."

Asgore's bright blue eyes snapped back to her as she finally turned to face him once more. "You do?"

"I hate this." she admitted. "All this… animosity. I spent so many years down there trying so hard to hate you. Trying to make you out as this evil, villainous creature who slaughtered children out of cruelty but deep down, I knew it was not true."

Asgore nodded once, apparently deciding not to interrupt her.

"And then… some days I missed you, Asgore." Toriel smiled, though she didn't feel remotely happy. "Damn flowers never grew quite right after you left. And some days I just wanted to talk to someone, anyone. I missed the late night conversations, the companionship…" she stopped speaking rather suddenly. Why was she telling him all of this anyway? What purpose did it serve? "I could never fall in love with you again, Asgore. But I think… after being here, I think knowing that this is what you wanted all along, that you felt like you were doing what you had to… I may have been unfair to you."

She heard heard the words come out of her mouth, almost of their own volition. But once they were out, she felt in her soul that they were true. That perhaps she had been too stubborn to admit it until now.

"I cannot excuse what you did. But now that we have been here for a while, I can understand it. And…" she paused, choosing her words carefully, "I am sorry. For my part in all of this. For leaving when the kingdom needed me. It was selfish." she sighed deeply. "You and I are the only ones who truly know what this cost."

"So… we can be friends?" Asgore asked, not looking remotely hopeful.

"No. Not now." Toriel shook her head. "All I am saying is that I forgive you, Asgore. And I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my part in this mess. We will see what happens in the future."

Asgore smiled, tears trickling down his face. "That is all I ever asked. And I forgive you for leaving, of course I do."

"Good." Toriel said, turning back to the window. "That is settled. Now please, I… I want to be alone now."

"Yes. Naturally, I'll… I will go. I am sorry for taking your time."

Toriel watched him leave out of the corner of her eye before focusing on the window again. She thought vaguely that she should turn on a light, since the sky had grown dark. A tiny yellow glow lit the night sky at the horizon. Toriel decided to allow herself to feel all of the anger and the resentment toward her ex-husband for those final seconds. She would let go of her grudge the moment that the last remnant of the day disappeared.

And then, just when she felt her anger finally ebb away, it had gone. Night had fallen. And hopefully, when the sun rose again, the new day would be brighter than the last.

I never really liked them as a couple, to be honest, but I find their newfound friendship quite interesting and have been wondering how it could have come about for a long time. I'm not completely satisfied with this but I think this theory as to how it happened is okay. I will always be Soriel and Alphore trash but I wouldn't feel right if these two never made up.

Also yes, I know contractions were used. I headcanon that they tend to use them when they're emotional.

Thanks for taking the time to read it!

~KateMarie999