The In-between

The park was as pretty as it always was, little plots of flowers waving gaily in the late afternoon breeze and bending their brightly colored heads up to the sun. Your family and friends, knowing how you hated sitting in the chair you were confined to, had spread out a blanket at the foot of a broad tree and placed you on it, the chair sitting a little way off.

You watched as your mother and father unpacked the dinner they had brought along for everyone, chatting away with the collected monsters that had arrived one by one. You had come with Mettaton and Alphys after the robot's maintenance had been finished, and Undyne and Papyrus had arrived shortly after. The tall skeleton had brought a cooler with him, filled with as many things as it could hold and then some, saying he was not sure what everybody would want. You had laughed when he put the cooler down beside you, then went back to get a second one that he had filled to the brim with ice, stating that he had not wanted to be short, in case somebody needed more.

Sans showed up as the sun had moved down slightly in the sky, making his bones take on an orange color. He waved when the others called out to him, then flashed into the middle of the group, smiling. He spoke to Toriel and Asgore in hushed tones as you watched fireflies floating up in the leaves above you with Mettaton. The robot found them fascinating, as he always did, exclaiming when one came down and landed on your hand. He played music from the radio he had installed on himself, smiling when you closed your eyes and swayed your shoulders. You missed dancing.

"Do you want to try, darling?"

The robot was standing in front of you now, smiling down at you with his hand held out. You were not sure that you could, but oh, you wanted to dance. The music was slow and you hoped that maybe you could get through one song...

You nod and reached out, taking his hand and letting yourself be pulled to your feet. It hurt, but you gritted your teeth and bore it wordlessly, trying to think of it as when you first were in your dance classes. The shoes and positions had hurt, but had gotten better. You took a clumsy step, then another, Mettaton trying to keep you upright and moving as carefully as possible. After a few careful steps, you shook your head, tears stinging the corners of your eyes.

"I'm sorry. It hurts too much, Mettaton... I don't get to dance anymore."

The robot looked over his shoulder at the collected monsters, who looked down at their feet. Undyne scuffed her foot against the ground, her hands clasped behind her. She had laughed when you had started dancing as a child, but had never missed a show. She knew that kind of love for something, and it pained her greatly to see you unable to do one of the things that had brought you so much happiness...

Suddenly, you were limned with soft blue light and felt yourself become lighter, though the ground was still under your feet.. You snapped your head around and saw Sans smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"You should try now. You should still move fine, I'm pretty much just holding you up."

You take a slow step, unsure. In the past, Sans had just used his power to slow your falls, or move you physically, you had never had total control of your movement when he used it on you. Your leg moved easily, and you turned slowly with your arms stretched over your head. You had thought that you had felt freedom several times as you had grown up. Your first bike, your first job, your first car, the first day in an apartment of your own...

But none of it felt like this.

Mettaton's smile widened as you began to move in time to the beat of a new song that began to play, quick and lively. You spun and whirled with the robot, singing along with the him as the music played on. You squealed as he spun you away from him into Asgore's waiting arms. The huge goat man was surprisingly graceful, considering his size. You let him turn you and danced a stomping quick dance with him as the music changed. It was an old dance, one that his father had taught him in his youth, passed down through his family for as far back as he could tell.

You were passed to Undyne and Toriel in turn, laughing and dancing as Mettaton changed his music to suit every new person you went to. Even Alphys did a few steps with you before turning an alarming shade of red and covering her face, and you giggled at her embarrassment. She would dance with you only in complete privacy of her own home. That was alright. You were scooped up by Papyrus and spun were swiftly around by the tall skeleton, laughing along with him. He was still more gentle than he was when you were well, but his dancing was still almost frantic in it's speed.

Finally you were turned over to Sans, who shrugged and took your hands and danced with you, slowly. His dancing was a welcome respite from his brother, who had left you dizzy through your laughter. You knew it was not really his thing, but you were glad that he decided to join in this time. You smiled at him and rested your forehead against his, wanting to hold on to the feeling this evening had for as long as you could.

"Thank you."

The skeleton shrugged and released you to allow you to sit where you had been before, then released the magic that held you once you were settled. The others gathered to you and chattered excitedly. Perhaps you could do this when you wanted to dance, at least until you got better, when the older skeleton was around. He shrugged when you looked at him, a hopeful smile on your face. You didn't usually ask things of him like this, but to be able to move again, even for just a while...

Finally, he smiled and put his hands in his pockets.

"It's a promise, kid."