Charlie watched as Scarlet raided a costume closet in the bedroom. Asriel leaned against the doorway, laughing as Charlie became dumbfounded at the plethora of choices. Scarlet grinned and gave Charlie a pair of ram horns. Asriel spit his drink.
"Excuse me. I…uhh. I should go," Asriel mumbled, blushing furiously. Charlie rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You should stay and at least try to get to know our hostess," Charlie suggested. "Or you can go out there and watch the Undyne's argue over whose biceps are bigger." Asriel looked uncomfortable but after pondering the latter suggestion, he reluctantly nodded and crossed to sit on Scarlet's bed.
Charlie and Scarlet indirectly teased the poor goat while they picked other costume options out, mostly for Charlie to gawk at Scarlet's vast collection she'd accumulated over time .
"It goes with this," Scarlet offered. She held up a flowing green dress. "You'll like a fucking nature goddess." Scarlet grinned, arching a brow.
Charlie lifted up her shirt without thinking. Her body was lean but her ribs prominent, exposing a more unsettling truth. She had been starving. Charlie had forgotten Asriel was in the room and grabbed the green dress before turning around, trying to cover up before he would notice. Scarlet gently ran her fingertips over Charlie's spine. "Huh... you feeling okay?"
Charlie flinched at her touch. Asriel was looking in a book he'd pulled from Scarlet's nightstand and only looked up for a moment, but then returned to reading the passage that had his attention. She wanted to scold Scarlet for almost drawing attention to it. Charlie faced her and frowned.
"I'm okay," she sighed, her tone asserting that the discussion end there. She pulled the green dress over head. It rested nicely over her shoulders, fitting snugly on her body, though it was a little long. Scarlet wanted to give her a cup of tea and wrap her in a soothing blanket or something. She'd known what it's like to run and go hungry herself. An overwhelming desire to spoil Charlie overcame her.
"Do you want to relax for a little? I have a bathtub with bubbles n stuff." Scarlet offered softly while providing an intimate smile. Charlie shook her head while trying to do something with her hair.
"I-I'm good. Thank you for the dress, though." she whispered. "Just... please don't tell the others about my... 'appearance'," Charlie quietly hinted, her eyes darting to Asriel for a moment. Scarlet looked over at the quiet King, smiling at the pages complacently.
"Sure... On one condition." Scarlet's tone became just as serious. Charlie paused, unsure of her motives, but she wasn't afraid. "I'm going to suggest that you should stay here. The others will find a place, Mettaton will make sure of it. Probably even in this building. Secrets like this are better kept with if you can isolate yourself until we get you back up to snuff. I'd like to make sure you're taken care of."
"You're already doing more than enough, and I appreciate the sentiment, really... but they won't leave my side. Bad things usually happen when they do and there's no reasoning with them…" Charlie ranted bitterly. "And even if we're safe… Let's just say it's going to be difficult to adjust." she said softly, holding her arm and looking down.
"I understand… Doesn't mean I agree, but it's whatever you're comfortable with. I know it's a bit of a culture shock, but trust me, the scariest thing out here are Undyne's pranks." Scarlet snickered. "If it helps them feel better, your boyfriend can stay on the couch, but just know you'll get found out eventually."
"He's pretty much a couch potato anyway, thank you." Charlie smiled and tried to adjust one of the straps on the dress. Scarlet looked up at Asriel for a moment, catching him staring. He bashfully looked down at the book again.
"That's funny, he seems more like a lost puppy." she scoffed with a smirk.
"Yeah… when he's not being an asshole." Charlie snickered. Scarlet continued studying Asriel. An Asshole? That nerd? Please.
Charlie's stomach growled loudly and broke Scarlet's focus. "Sorry.. Do… you have anything to eat?" Charlie asked shyly.
"Waaaay ahead of you, hun." Scarlet pulled out her phone and ordered a few different kinds of pizza. "It'll be a few minutes, but I'm sure pizza is a more than welcome option."
Charlie's eyes closed fondly as she sighed. "Pizza… holy shit, I can't even remember pizza…"
Scarlet looked at Charlie's outfit, pondering for a second then clapped her hands.
"You need something for that hair." Scarlet sat her on a stool in front of her vanity and pulled out a brush. She started to carefully brush out the tangles. Charlie winced occasionally. Her hair was knotted with sand, small twigs, and dried leaves. After a few moments of silence Charlie chuckled to herself.
"I was surprised when I saw another Sans... but i guess it makes sense."
"What about him?" Scarlet said, focusing on her task. She occasionally sprayed some anti tangle oil on a few knots and gently tried to work them out.
"It's just weird, seeing another one around, not necessarily bad. One is enough of a hand full..." Charlie sighed.
"Yeah. I guess I know what you mean. It's weird seeing a Sans with some balls." Scarlet snickered. "My Sans is so awkward. Poor thing was a shut-in for a few years. He's still figuring the world out."
"It's funny..."
"What's funny, sweetheart." Scarlet asked lovingly, nearly finished.
"Sann just came here, and he's already fitting in."Charlie stared into space for a moment. It did somewhat astound her how real this was becoming… Was it really over? The war, the deaths… Chara...
"Eh... he strikes me as the pseudo strong type... he's probably just as scared as you, but someone's gotta put on a brave face to keep everyone else sane, yeah?" Scarlet asked cheerfully braiding her hair. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
Charlie was struck with an odd feeling, she couldn't remember how many times they'd reset. She had to think for a moment.
"Twenty-six..." It was both the truth, and a lie. Biologically she still looked fairly young, but mentally, she carried the heavy baggage of the underhell.
"I was gonna guess around there." Scarlet reached in her jewelry box for a few fake flowers and started pinning them one by one into the braid. "You don't have to talk about what happened in the world before… It looked like it did a number on you all... but just know I might understand better than you might think." Scarlet sighed. Charlie rubbed her face. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. There was no way a girl living in an apartment like this with a domestic cushy life could have any idea what the hell she'd been through was like. The thought was nice… but it took some strength not to snap at her.
Girl Talk~ by Varikai
"Okay... Is there anything I should do? You seem to be doing all the work." Charlie stated light heartedly, changing the subject and reaching for more accessories. Scarlet playfully slapped her hands back down.
"You're my guest. I get to play with you." she smirked. "There." Scarlet climbed off the bed and kneeled in front of her.
"Hmm... no makeup, just some face wash." Scarlet poured some liquid onto a soft cloth and stared at Charlie seriously, dabbing the dirt off of her face. Charlie acted like child, frowning as she was scrubbed clean from every smudge.
"Aw, you baby. Hold still." Scarlet stuck out her tongue. "So... Are you the one in charge?"
"We're all leaders, technically," Charlie grinned, "some of us are just bossier than others."
"Heh... So no designated shot caller, then. If we had a leader, it would be Mettaton." Scarlet dabbed a few more places.
"I only ask because the boss will probably want to meet with them. Try and make some decisions as to where exactly to put you guys, you know. I'd love for you all to stay in my little abode, but it's a tad snug… There. Done." Scarlet threw the cloth into her dirty laundry and helped Charlie up in front of a full- length mirror. Charlie tip toed and then turned around beautifully. Her calm composure and stature almost made her feel like actual royalty for a second, but then she slouched back to her normal hunched-over position and smiled.
"Now that I think about it, Asriel is the more or less the leader for now."
"Your boyfriend?" Scarlet looked back over to Asriel, who was now laying on his side, propping his head up as he invested more in his book.
"Technically husband," Charlie rolled her eyes. "But, it was originally more of an arranged marriage. Don't get me wrong, I care for him and he's a great leader. We've all been through hell. I thought the marriage would of helped reunite everyone… Monster and human connections and whatnot… but it kind of backfired. After everything we've been through, he's sort of become attached. I... don't really have the guts to ask for a 'divorce'."
"Interesting...' Scarlet smirked. "How is he in the sack?"
"Is that really the only thing on your mind," Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"All we've really done is sleep together... W-Wait," Charlie flushed, "I mean literally sleep. Not so much the other...thing."
"Wait, so… He's the 'King'?" Scarlet looked confused. "I mean, I know Asgore and Toriel used to be king and queen or something. Wait. Asgore... Toriel... As-riel...Maybe he's some sort of alternate fusion..." she mumbled to herself, walking toward the closet entrance. Asriel heard movement and the trance of the pages broke. He quickly sat up, looking at Scarlet nervously.
"I-I'm sorry?" He stammered, worried he just ignored her. Scarlet smirked and leaned against the closet doorway.
"Oh... Nothing. Your wife's all cleaned up." she grinned. Asriel stood up straight and composed.
"Uh, thank you." His voice was earnest. Scarlet opened the door and presented her with a flourished posture.
"Ta-da~!" Scarlet said with Jazz Hands. Charlie wasn't paying attention as she watched shades of green flourish around her ankles while twirling around. Asriel's calm face was shifted in awe...he slowly walked inside the doorway, oblivious to Scarlet and all other surroundings.
"You... you look beautiful Charlie," his voice was more tender, drinking her in. Scarlet smiled, watching her magic do its thing. Charlie froze when she heard him. She looked up, and realized Asriel had never seen her in a dress, let alone completely cleaned up.
"O-Oh!" She backed up from Asriel's advances from pure shyness. "I..well, yeah." Asriel smiled as he reached out and gently pulled her into a hug. He leaned down and whispered something ". ...my Hope ."
Charlie face turned horribly red. She carefully pushed him off.
"You know better than to get fresh with me..." she nervously laughed and backed away.
"But... thank you," she smiled, "It's been awhile since I've looked this beautiful."
"No," Asriel corrected with a sly smile, "you've never stopped being my beautiful queen since the moment I saw you."
Charlie felt the tension fill the air. She was running out of stuff to spout off to detour Asriel from, what were most certainly, thoughts that would lead to actions that would cause trouble.
"Hey...I, uh, think I heard the doorbell ring," Charlie quipped as she tried to leave the room.
Asriel grabbed her hand, "Hey Scarlet, could you give us a minute?"
"No prob, your highness," Scarlet mockingly bowed. "Condoms are in the nightstand. Try not to break anything." she winked and shut the door behind her, locking it. Oh those crazy kids. They deserved some sexy time after everything. Scarlet made her way towards the front door.
Sans eyed Scarlet.
"Hey... Everything okay in there?" he nervously chuckled. Sann tilted his head.
"Yeah, King and queen need to uh… heh… discuss a few things." she smiled suggestively.
"I ordered pizza~!" Scarlet paid the man and took the stack of 10 pizzas. Sann's hand twitched.
"...I'm sorry, what was the last part?" Sann curiously scolded. Scarlet flipped a box open and put a few slices on a plate. She walked over and handed it to Sann.
"I'm sure you're hungry." she grinned. Sann grumbled, taking the plate.
"Sure." Sann lewdly ate the entire slice in one colossal gulp. Scarlet was hypnotised for a moment, watching his jaw unhinge and his… tongue!? ... slither around the pizza before devouring it whole.
"HEY GUYS!" she shouted to everyone, after snapping out of staring.
Sans looked over to Sann, his face deadpanned. He didn't like the look Scarlet just gave his doppleganger… Undy and Alyp looked up, and took in a big whiff. Suddenly a Pap, Todd, Undy, and Alyp swarmed over and stood in line with the Undy obviously up front. Sann appeared a bit agitated, staring at Scarlet's bedroom door, but turned back around after deciding Asriel would be too chicken shit to try anything.
The moment the door closed, Charlie's knees buckled beneath her. Asriel caught and held her as she wept. Asriel lifted her into his arms. She buried her face into his neck while trying not to completely break down.
"This is real, isn't it…? It's over… isn't it? Oh my God..," Charlie's voice trailed off into another silent cry as Asriel sat down on the bed with a frail girl in his arms. His heart ached, seeing her in pain. He patted her back, trying to be strong as his own arms trembled.
"I was worried you would break down, once the reality set in." Asriel squeezed her closer, "But yes, it's finally over," he assured Charlie, rubbing his forehead against hers. His chest rose as he inhaled a deep breath, his heart slowed it's pace against her chest. It's calm pattern was soothing to Charlie as she buried herself deeper into his fur. "Charlie," his voice broke off as he almost began crying, "I-I'm just glad you're safe."
Charlie wrapped her arms around his neck as she kept staring down. Her breathing slowed, she smiled.
"Same here. I'm sorry, I just having more trouble taking it all in," she mumbled while wiping away dampened cheeks.
Asriel lifted her up to face him. A wave of concern washed over as Asriel's face became knotted. His finger ran down Charlie's back and he noticed the exposed ribs, indicating that she had been starving.
"Charlie?" Asriel drew back to face her, "Have you been starving yourself?" Asriel's heart sank as he continued feeling around her bones. Charlie remained silent. Asriel set her down on the bed and stood up, examining her.
"Why didn't you say anything..." he quietly scolded.
"We all went without food remember, I'm not to be valued more so than anyone else here," she reminded him. "I didn't know you guys could handle going for such long periods without food. Being around monsters makes you forget you're human sometimes, I'm sorry," Charlie mumbled, staring at the floor.
Asriel grew frustrated. He wanted to lecture her, but didn't feel it was the time or place. He gritted his teeth with an uncomfortable smile and sighed.
"Well then… there's pizza in the kitchen, so let's go eat." There was a knock at the door
"Hey, if you guys are uh… 'done', there's pizza here," Scarlet said, knocking on the door. With no response, she shrugged and walked over to the couch. With a skillful flip she plopped down between the Sans'.
"What's on?" she said, getting comfortable and propping her feet up. Sans nervously laid his arm around her behind the couch, careful to not actually touch her. Sann looked Scarlet up and down, startled by the sudden shift in weight, but upon seeing Sans' nervous grin, he raised a brow with a smug smile. Asriel and Charlie walked into the kitchen once everyone had vacated the table. They both took a slice while sitting at a table, quietly to themselves.
"Uh... Howl's Moving Castle ..." Sans said nonchalantly, blushing and taking a bite of his slice.
Scarlet suddenly giggled to herself and nudged Sans.
"Hey… hey… Sans-wich," she quipped, covering her mouth, bracing for the imminent groan.
Sans gave her a half smile and snorted. "That was terrible. You're going to go to time-out if you don't stop..."
"Oh, bite me," she sneered and took his pizza, eating the rest of it.
Sann scoffed, watching the two. He slouched more, getting comfy. "It's stupid. Howl's a fucking crybaby."
"Who watches this shit for Howl. I'm all about some Sophie," Scarlet gently laid her head on Sans' shoulder, getting more comfortable. Sans looked a little lost, but his grin stayed. Sann grinned.
"Now that's something we can agree on."Sann chuckled.
Scarlet ate her second slice crust first and nuzzled between the two of them, eyes fixed on the screen. Sann paused, he turned his head and noticed Asriel and Charlie sitting at the table. His eyes grew wide when he noticed her green dress. She sat poised as she casually ate a slice of pepperoni.
"Wow," a soft whisper slipped Sann's mouth as he gazed at her. It was the first time he'd actually seen her in a dress. He blushed a little, but it was difficult to tell in the dark.
"SHHH! This is my favorite part." Scarlet waved her hand and pointed at the screen. Sophie started scolding the queen and turning into her true form near the climax of the film.
Undy's ear twitched. She looked up and started choking on her bite once she saw Charlie. She nudged Alyp and jerked her head to the table. Alyp flushed horribly once she took notice. Todd wasn't even interested in the movie, but he'd noticed Charlie the second they both entered the kitchen, staring in silence. Sann's eyes were fixed. Pap caught the glimpse of a staring contest and noticed the way everyone was annoyingly eyeing her. They would embarrass the poor girl. Though, through the scowl, Pap couldn't hide a half smile.
Asriel looked over as he took another bite and noticed the wave of onlookers. He tried not to alert Charlie as his eyes went dark, warning them to mind their own business. They quickly turned their attention elsewhere, but Sann stared for a little while longer before turning back with another grumble. Sans nudged Scarlet. She looked at him angrily wondering why he was interrupting her Miyazaki time. He nodded towards Charlie.
"Nice job," Sans congratulated. Scarlet swallowed her bite and smiled.
"Oh, yeah. You don't have to try hard with her. She was already gorgeous to begin with." Scarlet winked at Charlie. Charlie looked up, completely oblivious to her comment, as well as everyone's gaze earlier. She smiled back at Scarlet, but her face suddenly washed over with brief panic. She felt very ill. Charlie stood up quickly and rushed to the bathroom. Sann heard small footsteps sprint across the wooden floors. He sighed as he teleported from the couch.
"Oh no... She ate too fast," Scarlet sighed. She got up and followed them to the bathroom. Sans looked concerned, but figured Scarlet would be more welcome than he would in that situation. Charlie threw herself over the toilet, hugging it at the base of the lid and began to vomit. Sann was right behind her, holding her braid back while frowning.
"You should've waited. It was too soon to start scarfing shit down," he spoke with a condescending voice. Charlie didn't argue, she didn't have the energy. She just laid her face against the seat and moaned in discomfort.
"I should have fed her something more liquefied, I'm sorry." Scarlet apologized at the door. "But she didn't reject the pizza idea... I thought she could handle it."
Sann grunted and pat Charlie's back. It was the first time he'd showed concern. Charlie kept heaving as he calmly sat down beside her.
"She's a trooper," Sann assured, "she'll hold out. But thanks for the pizza." He began whispering things in Charlie's ear as she held his hand. He smiled while softly conversing, actually cracking a smile. Scarlet thought of a few remedies.
"It's cool. I'm no stranger to going hungry. I've been there, Charlie." Scarlet rubbed the back of her head and sighed. "I'll go get her something a little more settling."
Charlie tried to protest but Sann glared at her, she just sighed and buried her face in her arm. He nodded at Scarlet, "Sounds good."
Scarlet took her hair tie out, letting her hair fall, and handed it to Sann.
"That should help."
Asriel was waiting quietly outside the door when Scarlet exited the bathroom. She jumped a bit, not expecting him.
"Jeez!" she gasped, holding her chest. Asriel's eyes met Scarlet with an apologetic expression.
"Sorry... is she alright?" he asked quietly while stepping away from the door. Scarlet looked back at the door for a moment before sighing with a hint of frustration.
"Yeah, she's good… or at least, she will be. And… don't worry about it, i'm just easily startled." She patted his shoulder. "How about you? You need anything?"
Asriel bitterly turned his head. He sat back down at the table and glared at the pizza. He just pushed it away. Sans faced the tv, but eyed the two of them distrustingly.
"It's not right, to happily eat while she can't even keep a fucking slice down," Asriel quietly reprimanded himself while the others started a new movie.
"Aw, come on." Scarlet coaxed, putting a slice on a plate. "I'll get her to eat. The human body can be a bitch sometimes. I promise it's not that she doesn't 'want' to, the stomach is just really sensitive after going so long without solid food." Scarlet quipped, waving the plate in front of him. "Besides, she'd probably just get more stressed if you guys didn't eat just because she couldn't handle her junk food."
Todd sat cross-legged next to Pap, his tail flicking back and forth. He was getting board. The orange cat lifted his hand and suggested thumb wrestling to Pap. Pap scowled at him but lifted his hand anyway. Todd said that they couldn't use their hands to win, Pap agreed and then they thumb wrestled. Todd's tail quickly tickled Pap's arm. The skeleton flinched backwards, losing his grip and the the match. Todd high-fived a Undy behind his back. Alyp was too immersed in the movie to care for their shenanigans.
Asriel was upset as he still refused Scarlet's plate, "I'm not hungry." He turned his face away.
"Yes you are." Scarlet set it down in front of him and leaned close to him, placing a hand on her hip.
"Look, 'your grace,'" she addressed him sarcastically. "If we're going to be friends you need to get something straight right off the bat. I don't abide lying, and I have no patience with pouting over things that are easy to fix. Isn't that right Sans?"
Sans grunted in agreement as he crossed to the fridge and grabbed a beer.
"I don't know how things worked where you came from, but in my house your respect is mandatory, do I make myself clear?" she softly scolded. Asriel looked at Scarlet for a moment, reading her. They were in a brief stand-off when the pop and fizz of Sans opening his beer broke the tension. Asriel looked down. Maybe he was a little harsh. She was their hostess, afterall. He sighed and stood up.
"Apologies…" he stated, taking the plate. Scarlet held it, pulling it back a little. Asriel looked at her quizzically.
"If you need to vent, we can just go in my room. You look like you need to," she quietly offered. Sans frowned and took a swig of his drink, making his way back over to the Battle-Thumb Colosseum. Asriel looked at the bathroom door. If he went in, he and Sann would inevitably fight and probably stress Charlie out more. Though, he wasn't sure if the guilt of upsetting his wife out of love was any better than being alone with this… odd girl. He hesitantly nodded. Scarlet motioned for him to follow her to the room.
Asriel sat on Scarlet's bed as she cracked the door behind them and took a seat on the floor in front of him with a soft smile.
"Do you need more liquor before we talk?"
"Maybe…" Asriel sighs, looking around the room, not really sure what to say.
"So, Charlie gave me a brief rundown about you two. Must have been one hell of a war if you guys didn't even have time to consummate." She leaned back on her palms. Asriel froze before taking another bite. He put the slice back onto the bed, dropping his head.
"I guess... it's a little too obvious to say I'm a virgin, right?" Asriel set the plate beside him, looking at Scarlet with disdain. Though after a moment he nervously laughed. Scarlet stood and crossed over to her nightstand, pulling out some gin.
"There's no shame in that," she quipped.
"I suppose not...but, I don't know what to do," he calmly replied.
"I mean, personally sex is pretty underwhelming. So, you're not missing much. I've had sex with three people, both sexes, and I just... have never really seen what the to-do is about." Scarlet handed him the bottle. Asriel wavered, but took it.
"I need to calm down," he said, taking a sip and wincing at the burn.
"I think you need to blow off steam. If I didn't have company, we could like... go to a shooting range or something. Or spar." Scarlet sighed. Asriel swished the bottle in deep thought, "Anyway. she seems nice. Why did you marry her? You know, besides the whole Human thing. It's pretty obvious you've got it bad." He tried to keep a straight face, softly grinning at her comment.
"I've always wanted her. In more than one way," he replied. "It's hard to explain."
"Well, yes, but I asked why. You can't like… just love someone without a reason."
"Why not?" He sharply replied, making Scarlet jump a little. Asriel raised a hand to apologize and sighed, frustrated.
"She's... I have my reasons. I guess I don't know if they're good ones, though," he took another sip. "They obviously aren't working… but she's got a good heart, if that makes sense. The best heart, in fact." He mumbled, almost justifying it to himself.
"Yeah. I can tell. I usually sense if someone's an asshole pretty quickly," Scarlet smirked. Asriel stared at the liquid in the bottle, pouting.
"Hey, you're not drinking," Scarlet cooed, tilting the bottle to his mouth.
He let Scarlet to tilt it to his lips, watching her eyes. Wincing again, he handed her the bottle.
"Have you never had gin before?" She chuckled.
"No, but I could care less," he smirks, but then hiccups. "I'm just glad we're here… well, anywhere but there, really…"
Scarlet drank after him, setting the bottle on the nightstand
"I only need to know if you need babysitting, King chastity. If you can't hold your liquor, you should probably stay seated." She smiled and sat beside him.
"Not f-funny," he subtly slurred. "And no," he stood up, wobbling slightly, "I'm fine."
"I'm only teasing, it's how I show favor." she giggled. "So, why do you speak like she's not interested in you?"
"Because she's got this… thing for an ass-hat named Sann," Asriel's speech is slurred. "But I'll be damned if I permanently lose to him."
"Yeah Sann is pretty much an ass-hat," Scarlet snickered, playfully shoving his shoulder. "I mean, as loveable as an ass-hat can be..." she pondered his last statement. "So even though she's your wife… you're still competing over her?"
Asriel shrugged in sarcastic agreement, dropping his arms and pacing.
"When you're fighting a war… Nothing is normal. It's impossible for anything to be. So, yes, she's my wife but… I know she doesn't feel the same way I feel…" he looked at the floor. Scarlet thought for a moment before taking another swig of the gin.
"Well, then. I guess I have a lot of work to do." She smiled.
"Come again…?" Asriel looked up.
"Charlie's stressed out tonight, sure. But once she relaxes and realizes there's no more danger for you all, she'll come around. I'll help you." Scarlet play shoved his shoulder. He stumbled a bit, looking at her confused.
"Help me…?"
"Sure! I was able to convince Sans' ex to take him back… even though he ended up fucking it up, but I refuse to take responsibility for that mess." She sighed, recalling that terrible night. "But, she's already warming up to me. I'll point her in the right direction, big guy," she winked, lightly biting her tongue. Asriel was a little flabbergasted, but the more he thought about her words… maybe there was still a shot with Charlie.
They both heard the bathroom door open as Sann poked his head out. Scarlet opened her bedroom door and they made eye-contact.
"She okay?" Scarlet asked, approaching the doorway and trying to look behind Sann. He stood to the side and shrugged.
"She stopped puking if that counts…" he said bitterly. It was pretty clear the two of them had been arguing. Charlie faced the wall with her arms crossed. Scarlet laughed softly, shaking her head.
"Come on, cutie. Let's give you a nice bubbly bath. Maybe I'll join you~!" Scarlet smirked and turned on the water. She shooed Sann and shut the door. Charlie looked back at Scarlet as she began lighting candles. "Okay, sooo... lavender? Or cinnamon? Maybe butterscotch?"
Sann growled as the door shut in his face. He looked back at Asriel, who looked away nervously.
"Hey." Sans called. "help me put together some food for Charlie."
Sann shrugged and followed Sans into the kitchen.
Charlie couldn't remember the last time she'd had a real bath. Or shower for that matter.
"Last time I checked, a bath didn't necessarily need to be so extravagant," Charlie laughed nervously while undressing. She pointed at the cinnamon.
"Excellent choice." Scarlet smiled and poured the bath beads into the tub. "There are many things in life that don't have to be top notch to enjoy them. However, there's no other way to take a bath. You either go big or go home." Scarlet turned Charlie around and began taking the flowers out of the braid. Charlie smiled. She adored the flowers, but the bath was a very welcome desire.
"Okay, so, there's shampoo over here and a loofah..." Scarlet explained while pointing at each respective item.
"Thanks," Charlie tiptoed into the water, holding her breasts up with one arm before carefully sliding inside the tub. She sighed in deep satisfaction as the heated water relaxed her knotted stomach muscles.
"Damn girl!" Scarlet whistled after she got a great look at Charlie's ass.
"This is… the shit," Charlie almost moaned, sinking into the tub.
"Would you like for me to leave you alone for a sec? I'm sure you could use the peace."
"Yes, peace would be nice," Charlie lifted a rag and placed it over her face as she laid back.
"You got it, babe." Scarlet winked and opened the door. Sans stood there with the tray of soup, crackers, and anti nausea medication.
"Uhh.." Sans acted bashful, looking away.
"Thank you." Scarlet took the tray and set it beside Charlie. "I expect this to be gone when you're done. And I'll know if you flush it. The pipes are loud." She leered at Charlie, though the girl couldn't see with the rag on her face. A yellow flower slightered between Scarlet's legs and climbed up Charlie's arm. She didn't seem alarmed.
"Shhhh… So is your voice. Scoot." Charlie laughed.
She pointed Sans in the other direction and followed him out, shutting the door.
Toriel scolded Charlie for not mentioning the starvation earlier once she noticed her frail form. Charlie apologized as Toriel healed her sore muscles, restoring the girl's depleted stamina. "There, now you'll be able to hold up fine, " Toriel coaxed, "just don't go picking anymore fights..." Toriel kissed her and hummed, happy Charlie was finally getting a moment to find zen.
Scarlet walked into the living room to find Sann and Asriel sitting silently at opposite ends of the table, sipping beers. Asriel was a little far gone by now. They both looked up at Scarlet and nearly got up. Scarlet raised a hand, stopping them.
"Everyone is to stay out of that room. She needs some her-time," she glared at the boys. Sans cleared his throat, Scarlet looked over.
"So... what happened in there?" Sans pried for information.
Scarlet scoffed, "Why do you need to know?"
Sans shrugged. "Just... curious, i guess."
Scarlet rolled her eyes and moved to the kitchen, putting some empty glasses away. Sans frowned and joined his brother, watching them all play 'Sorry.'
Asriel had two beers, with the second in his hand. Sann was on his third, they were both eyeing the other...like they were trying to see who could hold out more. Asriel was shifting slightly in his seat. Sann began sweating. Scarlet noticed them and scoffed.
"What sort of baby-bones game are you guys pulling?" Neither answered her, they instead both took a sip and continued staring intently at each other.
"SORRY," Undy laughed as she moved her piece onto the board. But her fist accidently went straight through and it ripped through the cardboard layout, "Oops. Sorry." Sans looked back at the board and regretted not keeping a better eye on the situation. Pap scowled at her. She gritted her teeth as Alyp whined. Todd's tail flicked as he observed.
Scarlet sighed, looking around. Suddenly the reality of their situation started creeping up on her. She grabbed a beer for herself and headed towards the balcony. Sann looked up as he saw her leave. And followed her.
Sann sat down in a chair, taking in fresh air. He didn't speak, he just closed his eyes and laid back. Scarlet glanced at him through the corner of her eye then scoffed, sipping her drink again.
"Problem princess?" he raised a closed brow. Scarlet didn't appreciate the nickname.
"Didn't mean to wake you," she spat, trying to think.
"Eh… no harm done, I wasn't even sleepin.' I shouldn't be sleepin, something still feels off about this world. It's too…peaceful," Sann rambled off. Scarlet turned and leaned with her back against the ledge. The rough brick outline was uncomfortable, but sturdy.
"Sounds rough," she speculated. She geared herself up to find out more on the war they all fought. Suddenly, Todd opened the sliding doors and stepped onto the balcony. Todd whispered something in the skeleton's ear. Sann waved him off, Scarlet raised a brow.
"Come on," Todd stressed, "Undy's too intense, and Pap's a no go."
"Then take Alyp you dummy, she's smart enough to kick both of your asses," Sann reasoned.
"Sans knows a thing or two about asses, why don't you ask him," Scarlet sputtered. Todd groaned. He dragged his now fragile heart over to the new group in the living room. Alyp and Alyphs were discussing their past advances in monster technology, but Pap had fallen asleep during the discussion. It appeared everyone was finally relaxing enough to wind down and rest. Todd crouched down in front of Sans and got closer to his ear.
Suddenly, Charlie emerged from the bathroom. Sann got up and made a b-line for her. Scarlet sipped her drink. Todd groaned.
"Why won't anyone play with me!?" he pouted. Scarlet smirked.
"It's been a pretty eventful night. We should probably all head to bed soon."
There was some light arguing that was heard before Asriel drunkenly walked out of Scarlet's bedroom. He saw the balcony and stumbled towards Todd and Scarlet.
"H-Hey… Is it okay if I crash out here…? I think i would adjust better… outdoors." he reasoned. Scarlet nodded and adjusted the porch chair to accommodate his height. He plopped down on it without a second thought and curled up. Todd snickered and shook his head.
"Well, suppose I should run a quick errand. You good with holding down the fort while I run to the mini-mart?" she said, sitting on the balcony ledge.
"Grab me some smokes, and I'll be your best friend." he grinned.
"Done." she saluted and fell backward off the ledge, grabbing onto the occasional lower ledges, skillfully climbing down and walking towards the corner market.
Sann leaned against the bed, yawning and staring up at the ceiling. He felt victorious after running Asriel out, but the moment he pulled Charlie's sleeping form close to him he started to falter… He wondered if the war was really over. The feeling had yet to sink in. The optimism everyone else seemed so quick to accept just felt... unrealistic.
"So." Sans stated, breaking the silence, having appeared at the foot of the bed. His pupils glowing in the darkness.
"Hm." Sann's eyes darted back, pulling Charlie closer.
"Let's be bare bones here..." Sans leaned over, his voice now dead serious, "What sort of trouble have you just brought to our dimension."
"Uhg, we can talk...just stop with the jokes," Sann rolled his eyes, too tired to deal with shit. "Don't you mean what trouble did we leave in OURdimension," Sann corrected. "You guys are fine, Alyp closed the portal once she smashed device." Sans paused to study Sann, but his words held truth to what he honestly believed.
"Alright." Sans shrugged, he assumed Sann would have known about quantum physics as well. "However, what I'm actually referring to is the circle jerk you all seem to have over that girl."
"That's of no concern of yours, pal." Sann closed his eyes. "It's just some feud that's been going on for a while, but it's mostly the stress of our past life catching up to us."
"Just keep it away from Scarlet." Sans warned.
"Our drama has nothing to do with Scarlet, ya dingus," Sann sassed.
"I've been around a long time," Sans surmised. "I know how things end between love triangles such as the one you three seem to be casually chilling in. One of you will get rejected and go for an easy target."
"You seem awfully protective of a girl who seems to have you locked in the friendzone," Sann grinned with eyes closed.
"It's really more for your protection than hers. She's very anti-relationship. Anti commitment. She's just... different," Sans sighed. "Though, don't misunderstand... I'd die for her. I'd kill for her. Just figured you deserved a fair warning."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Sann didn't feel the least bit threatened. "If she doesn't want a relationship, then both me and Asriel are of no concern to you...or her for that matter."
"If you say so." Sans stressed.
"You sound like the kind of guy who doesn't have friends...or your just really really lonely." Sann pried.
Outside, some rustling tree branches and scuffing against brick indicated that someone was climbing down the back of the building.
"Oh, Scarlet..." Sans shook his head. "She must of gone for a walk by herself. Again."He stood up. "You two can have the bed for tonight. Scarlet'll take the couch. I'll take everyone else back to my place."
"Whatever works, we can always go our own way if things go sour. It'd probably be for the best anyway."
"Nah. Scarlet's right about letting you guys stay with us. We should let Mettaton handle things for the time being. I know adjusting to domestic life might be a challenge. I know what it's like to have to suddenly live normal life after a war. I'm probably the only one who knows. So If you need to talk, I'm around. You know… from Sans to Sann... Whatever helps you guys get back on your feet."
Sans had Sann's undivided attention as he intently stared at other skeleton's face to ensure he was serious. Sans was the second person to offer an ear for his problems. Sann was tempted to bond, and possibly chat over past lives, but… perhaps another time. He instead slouched over as depression overwhelmed his thoughts. Sans observed him carefully.
"I'll leave you to it then," Sans broke the silence and left the room.
The night settled down as Charlie and Sann drifted to sleep. After handing the Cigarettes to Todd, Scarlet said goodbye to the others as Sans teleported them away. She then barged into the bedroom and started stripping the moment she was through the door, tossing everything behind her, walking straight for the closet.
Sann was snoring while spooning a half naked Charlie, who wore a black tank top and boxer shorts. Scarlet looked over her shoulder and snorted.
"I guess Sans volunteered my bed," she mused.
Charlie whimpered. Sann instinctively held her closer while he slept. The whimpers ceased, Sann mumbled. His pulled her in tighter as she, in turn, held onto his coat for comfort.
"My Hope," he finally smiled in his slumber.
Scarlet put on a sports bra and some shorts, getting the residue from this crazy night off of her. She quietly tiptoed out of the room and walked into her empty living room. She was slightly confused, seeing Asriel asleep on the balcony porch alone with no one else. She figured Sans would have taken him too.
Sans teleported in front of her and she gasped.
"Fuck!" She jumped and angrily growld. "You know I hate that!"
"Sorry, I set everyone else up at my place." Sans shrugged.
"Nice." She sighed. "Are you staying here too?" She crossed her arms.
"You look exhausted..." he said softly.
"That's because I am..." she sneered. "I want to help them... I just hope I can ."
"Scarlet, you have so much love in you..." he said, lifting her chin. "I know you want to help, but you know it might not be safe."
"You didn't see where they came from Sans..." she reprimanded, swatting his hand away, sitting on the couch and pulling up a blanket.
"I know, but... you just got back from your tour. You have a packed schedule and you barely have time for a social life as it is. How are we supposed to take on refugees," he speculated, sitting on the floor in front of her.
"Mettaton's going to go insane when he finds out. In a good way, I just know it. Two versions of your brother? He'll have a bitch fit and insist on taking care of them. Besides, I finally met another human I can stand. Aren't you happy for me?" She beamed, propping herself up on her wrist.
"Sure, but Mettaton has you going to New York tomorrow. Just me, you, and Papyrus were supposed to go," he sounded disappointed.
"Shit happens, dude. Plans change. Wrenches get thrown. Get over it." She shrugged.
"We only have two more seats on the plane..." he looked at her, frustrated.
"Hmm… Then we'll take the king and queen. Show them what human cities are really about. I'm sure they'd love it."
They stared at eachother for a minute or two.
"Fine." Sans scoffed. "There's no arguing with you..."
"I figured you would have learned by now." She purred, rubbing his skull.
"Could you do me a favor though?"
"What is it, Sans." She sighed, laying down.
"Could... you stop flirting so much? You know how I feel... It only makes it harder..." he looked down. Scarlet glared back at him, disappointed.
"Sans. You can't ask me to stop acting like myself. I'm a flirt. I flirt with everyone. Even you." She laid on her side, looking at him seriously.
"I know... I just... don't trust those two," he grumbled. Scarlet stared for a moment and said nothing. She sighed and kissed the top of his skull.
"Goodnight, Sans." She said flatly and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her.
Sans sighed. "I'll see you in the morning..." he said, walking out to the balcony. Sans stood and stared at the King of the other world. His thoughts rushed with emotion and attachment… How would Toriel react to seeing a version of her son who lived? It was jarring, even for Sans. He studied his face. Asriel no doubt had his mother's softer facial features, and was far leaner than his father. Of all of the surprises tonight… Asriel's existence had to be nearly the most surreal.
Asriel shifted over in his sleep, occasionally jerking with ruffled fur.
Sans was gone and back again with a heavy blanket. He threw it over Asriel and grumbled. Sans then teleported to the sidewalk and started walking back to his house, thinking.
The contact of the blanket threw Asriel off, he woke up in a heated sweat. He didn't remember where he was...but then he paused and sighed in relief, seeing the silhouette of a small girl on the couch. He figured it must of been Charlie. Letting out a long yawn, he stretched his arms.
Asriel stood and smiled. He walked inside the dark living room and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. Scarlet was under a lump of blankets, her head and hand poking out of one side, and her foot slipping out in the other direction. She was out like a light.
Asriel took a drink. He shuffled over to the couch, leaned over and kissed Scarlet on the forehead. "You looked beautiful today, my angel," he smiled. Asriel shuffled back towards the balcony. He placed the water on the concrete floor next to the chair and laid back down, pulling the blanket back over him. He folded his hands. "Goodnight, Charlie..."
A shadow leaned over Scarlet. Todd reappeared from the dark, snickering as he walked past the couch, tracing the back of the leather.
"Well… This just got interesting," he playfully told himself.
