After a few hours of planning out new strategies to evade Chara, everyone decided to convene at the Foursome's house while Sans and Mettaton shopped for new apartments. Charlie stayed close to Scarlet, despite Sann's protesting while Asriel arranged the bedrooms on the second floor to prepare for Scarlet's physical. The Alphys' set up their medical supplies, dreading the task at hand.
Undy would casually punch Charlie, trying to cheer her up, but to no avail. The exam had begun. The Alphys' were taking hours, monitoring Scarlet's wounds; not allowing anyone else to see her until they knew exactly what had happened.
Sann got phone call after phone call from Pap. Sann refused to answer his phone. Pap had been on babysitting duty from the moment Asriel called them for help, bringing the party to a grinding halt. Mettaton was in a frenzy, having lost his Starlet yet again. Papyrus was sick with worry. Toriel demanded to see them. No matter how Sann tried to reason, Pap would accept absolutely no excuses. The stress was becoming unbearable with the uncertainty or Scarlet's condition… and now Charlie's safety. Sann eventually stopped answering the calls all together.
Todd leaned against a kitchen counter, tail flickering. Sans sat outside of the bedroom for what felt like hours. Alphys and Alyp came out with exhausted sighs.
"Well?"' Sans said meekly.
"She has some c-cracked ribs and a large laceration down her spine that needed some stitches… Her cheek is fractured..." Alphys sighed.
"Bruises... H-Her throat is swollen. He d-did a number on her." Alph mumbled, knowing what Chara is actually like. "B-but! She'll pull through. Toriel can fix her up easy! …..U-Um, physically, that is... Scarlet's mind is a little floaty..." Alyp fidgeted. "Psychology isn't e-either of our strengths... b-but you know about soul magic… r-right?"
Sans sighed and pinched the bridge of his nasal cavity.
"Can I see her?" he said softly.
"Sans..." Alphys touched his shoulder with caution.
"I don't care." Sans said, opening the door.
"Should w-we get the others?" Alyphus stammered.
"No." Sans stated and shut the door.
The Alphys' came down the stairs where Sann, Charlie, Asriel, and the Undynes all waited in thick silence. The TV played an anime, while dinner was mostly uneaten at the table. Todd's ears flicked as he glanced up, noticing the two lizards descending down the steps.
"Hey," Todd barked. They both jumped. Undy threw a pillow at Todd who smacked it to the ground, a little on edge after how tense everyone was over this. He knew his crew had been to hell and back… but Scarlet was new to it. He hated that his new friends were caught in the crossfire...
"What? Relax, I just want an update on my friend , thank you very much... Sann won't let me sneak in there..." Todd hissed as he Glared at Sann, who was lost in thought, glaring at a wall.
" Todd !" Charlie snapped with a firm tone.
"What, Charlie?" Todd snapped back, tail flickering.
"Go outside." Charlie scorned, not even making eye contact with him. Todd kicked a chair and knocked it over, he left outside.
"Is she…. okay, Alph?" Charlie asked. Her nerves needed some good news.
"She was knocked around a b-bit… but she should recover fine… Especially when Toriel gets here…" Alphys headed towards the stairs.
"Welp, if anyone knows what she's going through, it'd be me. From one human to another." She walked off. Sann jerked her hand back down to the couch.
"Nice try. Sit your ass down." Sann barked. Charlie instinctively slapped his hand back.
"You can't keep me from her, Sann. She' needs someone to talk to about this..."
"S-Sans is... having a moment. I don't th-think he wants to be disturbed." Alyphs added.
"Babe..." Undyne could see Alphys' unease and crouched in front of her.
"I.. I've never seen anything like this, Undyne... I... I'm trying..."
Undyne embraced her and looked back at Undy with a concerned expression. Alyp sat in Undy's lap, just blankly staring at her screen, as she turned it off. They both just held each other. Sann stood up, Todd did the same, ready to move.
"Charlie," Sann snapped his fingers to get her attention, "You are not to see her until I say so." He ordered.
The whole room went quiet. Charlie tilted her head, glaring at him in a standoff. She shook her head and began gathering a plate of food to take somewhere else. Sann smirked.
"You want to keep me safe?" Charlie scoffed, "You couldn't even protect her ..." she aggressively bit into a roll and walked outside to the porch.
The Foursome escaped out the back door to take a walk, not wanting any part of this drama. Asriel exited the bathroom and walked into a restless atmosphere that now filled the living room. He noticed Sans wasn't around and clinched his fist.
"I should be with her," Asriel muttered. "I've touched her soul, I can feel her now, suffering. Sans knows I won't hurt her..."
"If you guys keep babying her, it's only going to backfire." Sann spat, still facing the TV. Asriel growled, Todd sniffed apathetically.
"At least I'm not sitting on my ass while one of our own is up there suffering!"
"Cool your jets, lover boy. We're waiting on they guy who had dibs on her first to tell us whether or not it's safe…" Sann sneered. Asriel growled, Todd pressing a hand to his chest to hold him back.
"Woah, there…"
The door shut upstairs and everyone's attention snapped to the staircase. Sans slowly came down, looking as if he was on the verge of tears. He quietly sat on the far end of the couch, staring blankly at the floor. Asriel waited for a moment of agonizing silence before losing his patience. He attempted to go up the stairs. Sans stopped Asriel in his tracks with his magic.
"No one will see her..." Sans growled low, almost distorted. Todd's hair stood on his back.
"Excuse me?" Asriel barked, barely able to look over. "I didn't just risk my life for her to have you to tell me I don't even deserve to see how she's doing."
Sans threw Asriel into the wall and appeared in front of him bearing fangs.
" SHE'S THE ONE WHO'S RISKED HER LIFE. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. "
"We warned you, you son of a bitch," Sann stood up, "but noooooo , you and Scarlet just HAD to adopt us… like a bunch of fucking puppies."
Sans reappeared in front of Sann, his presence staggering. "You wanna fuckin test me, you backstabbing freakshow..."
" Backstabbing ," Red playfully gasped. "I'm sorry, I thought we were on the only side that matters," he stood up, " mine ."
Sans' magic dropped Asriel. Sann smiled, then was abruptly caught by a right hook to the jaw. Sann calmly smiled, his eye blazing, and raised a fist.
The balcony door slid open; everyone froze. Charlie stood in the doorway. Asriel stood and dusted himself off. Charlie was already analyzing the situation before anyone spoke. Todd retracted his claws.
Sans met her eyes and instantly softened. He dropped to his knees and covered his face.
Charlie was livid. She took gradual steps into the living room. Asriel carefully watched, waiting for an opportunity to sneak upstairs... Sann scoffed, but got out of her way.
"Am I the only one who at least tries to keep a clear head?" She sarcastically asked.
"I don't know what to do..." Blue said softly, looking at his hands. "Yesterday she seemed fine despite it all… She's just staring at the wall... She isn't responding to anything ." He looked up at Charlie with trembling hands. Charlie's anger faded, feeling his pain. She walked over and crouched, embracing him.
"It's going to take time... She could just be in shock. Sometimes the situation sort of hits you randomly and it takes a second to process... but there's always Hope she'll come around..." she said softly, tipping his chin to try and get a laugh. He smiled weakly, appreciating her attempt... before it faded into a small sob as he embraced her back wholeheartedly.
"I love her..." he said in a small whisper.
"I know buddy, I know," Charlie patted his back. "Love is stronger than hate, remember that. But you can't do this alone Sans. We're all plan on staying put. Right, Sann?"
Blue nodded and drew back, looking at her with... a surprising amount of trust. Odd. Realization washed over his face as he cupped her cheek in his hand.
"She... she loves you Charlie. Love helps subdue dark magic. Maybe if we both go up there she'll snap out of it. Please... we have to try..." Charlie took his hands in hers.
"It's worth a shot." she smiled. He pulled her in and teleported into the room.
Scarlet laid on the bed, staring, unblinking, at the wall; her eyes stale and breath shallow. Charlie calmly drew in a breath herself and sat on the bedside. She held Scarlet's hand.
"Hey..." Charlie rubbed her knuckles, "Scarlet." Sans sighed as Scarlet remained unresponsive.
"It's.. just been this..." he said softly. "I even took out her soul to check... nothing is different."
"Scarlet?" Charlie drew closer, "I'm here. Sann's here. But we're worried sick."
Charlie kept staring, Scarlet said nothing. Charlie looked back at Sans,
"We might need something to help trigger her good memories. Something to help bring her back. But I don't have anything to give her," Charlie frowned, pulling the hair back behind Scar's ears.
"Try to kiss her again." he suggested. Charlie almost choked. "Like that one time... but on the forehead." he clarified.
Charlie was puzzled but then realized what he meant. She leaned over and pecked Scarlet's forehead.
"Hey Scar," Charlie touched foreheads with her, "I love you. We can both do this together. You're not alone."
Scarlet let out a heavy sigh and blinked, still looking forward.
"She... She s-says you are going to get us all killed..." her voice was still hoarse.
"Me? B-but-" Charlie had to hold back a scoff as Sans fell forward and embraced Scarlet.
"Scarlet..." He choked. She weakly hugged him back.
"Sans... She won't shut up..." Scarlet whimpered, holding her head, her eyes widening. "She's said so much about... you... About where you come from..."
"Don't listen to her then."
"IT'S NOT THAT EASY!"
"Scarlet-" Charlie interrupted.
"She's telling me... to hurt you Charlie. She won't stop. It's… please... Make it stop, please..."
"Scarlet... Frisk had to endure this... for a long time before we resurfaced... You're strong, you can shove her down."
"Sans, she knows everything . She knows everything about me and... she knows what I've done..."
Sans hushed her and rocked, patting her back. "Charlie... send Asriel up with some tea."
"Sure thing," Charlie gently pat his shoulder and got up. She ached to do more… but she was beginning to see what Sann might be concerned about. The pendant was supposed to keep Cara from possessing Scarlet… but it wasn't keeping her out of her head. A few moments later, Asriel popped in. He cleared his throat held tea in his hands and stared at the floor. Sans pulled away.
"Here. You two... uh... can have a minute." Sans stood.
Scarlet looked up. Her eyes were tired... bandages covered her wounds. She forced a smile.
"Heh… It's... really loud in here." she laughed weakly, tapping her forehead. "I'll be outside the door." he warned. The two exchanged a tense glare before Sans pulled his hood up and shut the door..
As soon as Sans left, Asriel dropped the tea on the counter and hugged Scarlet
"Scared the shit out of me..."
"A-Ah!" she hissed and pushed back a bit, "Careful... my back..."
"Ah, right," he pulled back. "I'm so sorry..."
She turned and lifted her shirt, revealing the long slash from Chara's knife, all stitched up.
"I wanted to get my mother here, she can heal that up fast. She's currently with Pap and Papyrus right now, all I have to do is give them a call." He pulled out his phone, but then waited, realizing Scarlet probably didn't want to be bothered. Scarlet kept trying to say something and stopping herself. She held her head and whimpered. Asriel touched her arm and she winced.
"Yes! Fuck! Fine! That sounds good... fucking call her..."
Asriel looked at her with concern. Sann was right… he had no idea how to help her… but he had to try.
"She wants you..." she grumbled. "I get it, okay. Shut up..." She looked up at Asriel and grabbed his face, pulling him into a kiss. Asriel relaxed into it, but he was worried. He held her close.
"S-Stay... please... She's quieter when you're here..."
"After all the work it took to get to you, they would have to pry me away..." he kissed her head lovingly. "You're mine to protect..."
Scarlet didn't have the energy to argue with him... in fact she almost wanted to fuck him out of spite just to hear Cara scream... but her body ached. She hadn't slept and she felt every moment pass by with increasing agony...
"Could you get me something to sleep with... some sort of drug. Just... please... I can't shut her out." She kissed him again.
"I can do that and more..." he half smiled.
"Thank you..." she sighed.
Asriel sent a text. In a moment Charlie knocked on the door with a bottle of pills.
Charlie handed Scarlet the tea and sleeping pills. Asriel sat on one side of the bed as Charlie sat up against the headboard on the other side. Scarlet laid her head in Charlie's lap as she scratched her scalp. Asriel gently rubbed her back, exchanging concerned glances with Charlie. After a few minutes, Scarlet appeared to be asleep. Relieved, Asriel carefully shifted Scarlet to be the little spoon, silently thanking Charlie, who nodded and snuck away. Asriel her close and silently hoped she would find peace if only for a few hours…
Charlie, Sann, and Sans were in the living room, none of them able to sleep. Sann watched Sans carefully, who stared at the floor. Charlie would nod off occasionally, but woke up after a moment of anxiety gripping her. Todd took a shift at Scarlet's door.
Scarlet stirred in the middle of the night. She broke into a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Asriel woke, feeling the shift in energy.
"...I bet you thought she would love you, when you kissed her." Scarlet said, staring blankly forward. Asriel pulled Scarlet closer, unsure whether or not she was herself.
"You thought that she would forget him and be awestruck at the potency of your desire...You never were good at flirting... picking a time like fleeing from an army to force yourself on her... you silly little prince..."
Asriel's eyes widened… he didn't know how Cara knew about he and Charlie's first kiss… but he'd be damned if he let her have the last word.
"You saw my soul…. When I touched hers…" he deduced.
"Oh yes… you've been so busy… making me proud, my love. We have a shared destiny, you and I…" she mused, shifting back against him. Asriel flushed… longing for Scarlet, but repulsed by Cara...
"No, we don't," he spoke calmly. "You don't know what love is... only obsession."
"And what is pining for your queen without her consent, if not obsession? We do not choose who we love… that was decided by the fates long ago, my darling..." Asriel scoffed at that remark. Scarlet suddenly sat up, looking utterly lost and frightened.
"F-Fuck. What- Help me..." She held her head and rocked.
Asriel Held her head against his chest, hushing her gently. She clung to him, trying to fall back to sleep. She tossed and turned for the rest of the night, in and out.
"They're coming for me... I'm going to be ripped apart... dust to dust... you'll watch me die..."
Cara's voice only became louder, digging deeper…. deeper… deeper into Scarlet's mind. All of her secrets. All of her horrors. She played them over and over. An internal battle raged on... she barely ate. She spoke when spoken to, but answers were short. Night fell and Sans insisted he take Asriel's place, after hearing about the previous night's events.
Sans nodded off only for a moment before he saw Scarlet standing up straight, staring at the ceiling.
"...Hey, bro..." he called softly, standing. Scarlet's neck cracked and she looked over, wide eyes stared blatantly through her hair.
"Was it the best day of your life, my dear? Seeing the sun? Seeing the Stars?" she giggled. Sans' heart sank. It never got easier hearing Cara's words staining Scarlet's lips.
"No… Nono… There's only one star you have your eye on, isn't there?" she spun and flipped her hair. Sans just stared in awe. The pendant was supposed to be working… so why was Cara still able to achieve control? Albeit seemed to only be possible when Scarlet slept… The barriers weren't strong enough. They needed a stronger spell… an older one.
"It's so satisfying, I must say, my little comedian. Watching Mother's face when I took her life at her most vulnerable moment was my favorite vision… until I indulged in the horror you exhibited when you saw me in this body." She approached him slowly, backing him into the wall. Sans' eye glinted, but his mind raced far too chaotically to focus.
"This face… right here. You've never looked like this before. Not for your lover… your brother… your child… I wonder why that is?" she mocked, inches from his face. Sans grabbed her shoulders and threw her onto the bed with a thud. His eye flashed as he took a few heavy steps toward her.
"Believe me… She will break in no time… and when she does…" Cara smiled sweetly with a sultry laugh. Sans appeared on top of her, pressing her arms down until she was pinned. He wanted to rip her to pieces… he hated that he wanted to rip her to pieces… in an agonizing few seconds, Cara's face faded and Scarlet's horror returned. She screamed and scrambled back against the headboard, as if Sans were the most frightening thing she'd ever seen.
There was knocking on the door.
"Sans?" Asriel asked. "Is everything ok?" Sans appeared by the door and opened it.
"Your turn to take this shift... I'm... I'm gonna take a walk," Sans shivered, uneasy.
"Fuck this! I hate this!" she started sobbing and gripping her hair. Asriel looked at Sans, trying to hide his concern. Sans looked utterly defeated.
"I'll go visit Gerson tomorrow or something... see if there's anything else we can do..." Sans left with no more comments.
Scarlet buried her face in Asriel's chest the moment he sat beside her. Asriel softly breathed in, slowing his heart rate, hoping her's would do the same.
Sans walked downstairs, looking dreadful. He sluggishly threw his hands in his pockets and walked toward the door until he heard floorboards creak in the kitchen. He tilted his head back and saw Charlie just standing still all alone at the counter. She was sleep standing, holding an empty coffee cup in her hand. She swayed a little.
Sans reappeared behind Charlie. He swept her up and transported her upstairs to the other bedroom, laying her down. He looked at her restless, scrunched face. He wondered what was going through her own mind, or how she's coped so well. He realized that for the past couple of minutes, he had been standing there watching her sleep. Shaking his head, he vanished.
Sann rolled off the couch while still asleep, his hands moved around on the floor, searching for something. Blue stopped and observed for a moment, glaring with one blue eye glowing.
Sann grumbled, not feeling Charlie. He rolled over and grabbed a pillow from the couch and hugged it.
"Gonna get yourself killed… Charlie, we should have never come here..." he mumbled before snoring again.
Sans scoffed. "As if you've ever kept her safe..." He left and made his rounds around the perimeter.
The next day Scarlet was back to being silent. She barely clung to her sanity, throwing tantrums when someone force fed her or tried to lay her down. Tori and Frisk came over to try and help, but she barely responded to either of them. Sans insisted Charlie keep her distance, despite her increasingly aggressive protests. He hadn't mentioned the previous night to anyone...
Sans, Asriel, and Frisk eventually left to see Gerson, hoping he'd have something to weaken Cara. Tori, Sann and Charlie stayed behind. Night fell, it was 4 am, the others still hadn't returned. Japanese documentaries filled the house with noise as everyone tried to stay up.
Scarlet laid on the couch, underneath a pile of blankets. Charlie had her head down on the kitchen table. Sann was closely watching Scarlet, but occasionally dozed off. Scarlet suddenly stumbled to her feet. She mumbled to herself and backed into the wall, a picture falling and crashing.
"It's dark, it so dark oh fuck..." she held her head. "Mom…"
Sann woke up, Charlie twitched in her sleep. His glowing eyes watched Scarlet carefully, observing. Scarlet screamed at the sight and backslid against the wall to the floor. Sann was honed in. He made sure that if Cara was watching, she'd know he wouldn't hesitate. Scarlet almost started laughing.
"They're coming. They'll kill me for their happy ending. They'll kill me. They're coming for me,"she sobbed. Terrified, yet pleading. The pendant flickered.
"Who cares..." he blurted out.
Scarlet froze, she smirked threw strands of sweaty hair, smiling. He raised a brow.
"What, punk? You got something to say?"
She grinned, "I know something you don't know. I know something you don't know~" she playfully chanted.
"What could you possibly know," he then dramatically gasped. "Is it that you're a failure? Or that I'm about to rip your goddamn throat out!" he barked, Scarlet recoiling with a scream.
Charlie awoke and saw a terrified Scarlet, Sann glaring at her.
"Sann!" she snapped.
"WHAT?!" He argued, "We don't know who she is right now, it's not safe until we know..."
Tori came in with tea, quickly setting it down once she saw Scarlet on the floor. She knelt down.
"Scarlet, get off of the floor, honestly, show more self-control," Tori insisted. Charlie was getting agitated at everyone's lack of sympathy. Scarlet looked around with a guilty expression on her face.
"I'm sorry... it's just..."
"Shhh..." Tori coaxed, sitting her at the table.
Charlie patted Scarlet on the back, "You didn't do anything wrong."
Tori glared at Sann. "You call yourself her friend. Staring at her and letting her panic."
"Leave him alone..." Scarlet snapped.
Tori scoffed and went into the kitchen. Scarlet avoided eye-contact, fidgeting with her hair
Charlie sighed, "It's okay, we're all tired and on edge, nerves are all we got," she lightly joked.
"Whatever," Sann quipped resting his head and hollow dark eyes. Scarlet winced at his voice, curling into herself.
He hated seeing her like this… he told himself to stay cold… stay grounded. Someone has to in the damn group… His very core ached… he told himself he was just scared of something happening to his woman… or his family...
"Oh... I forgot a few things. Could you two help me carry some supplies for her bandages down from the bedroom?" Tori chimed. Charlie and Sann groaned, they both trudged up stairs.
Scarlet was on her feet before she knew it, overturning tables and ripping the drawers off of their tracks, silverware spattering on the floor. She grabbled a jug of bleach and ripped the cap off. She poured bleach over the teacups, panting savagely, tears running down her face. She didn't want to do this... but she was so... tired... She heard breathing behind her as Sann reappeared with a lifeless face, smiling absently like nothing was wrong with what he was about to do. She dropped the jug, paralyzed with fear.
He leaned over her shoulder, "Wanna know what's more painful than breaking a bone?" He whispered heavily. "Growing them back..."
Scarlet turned, her eyes were her own, tired, losing all hope, begging for him... though it wasn't clear what for.
Sann drew back, "...Scarlet?" He reached up to touch her cheek. "S'at my girl?"
She snapped and broke down, collapsing into him. In her mind she begged for death. She wanted to just leave before she hurt anyone. "Sann..." she whimpered
"Easy kid," he held her up. "You're stronger than this... stand up, Scarlet," he ordered, knowing what she was capable of. The door opened, Asriel Sans and Frisk standing in the room. Sans saw the wrecked room, and a broken Scarlet, he went numb.
"Sann," Charlie bickered, "You were supposed to be helping us-" She froze after seeing Scarlet wrapped around Sann's waist in a tearful mess.
Sans appeared in front of them, enveloping Scarlet in magic and levitating her behind him. There was a subtle wrenching pain between the two as they were pulled apart. Scarlet curled up as she floated, trying to ground herself, sobbing quietly. Sann was awkwardly pulled at his shirt, his chest was in pain. Tori gasped at the sight of everything wrecked. Frisk cautiously walked closer.
"...are you okay." Sans asked Sann humbly, hating that he had to ask.
"No..." Sann stated. He walked toward Charlie and carried the box she was holding. She rested her arms. "None of this is fine," he argued. "So where's that fuckin solution you spent all night gettin'?"
Asriel had maintained a cold stare, knowing he shouldn't have trusted Sann to watch things when he was sleep deprived and emotional.
"Hey..." Sans gently set Scarlet back onto the couch and took her face. "Ready to have some peace and quiet for a while?" Scarlet whimpered and nodded.
"Please... please help me..." she begged.
Sans' heart ached as he pulled a locket casing out of his pocket. He took the pendant and clipped it on. Goosebumps ran over Scarlet as she fell into Sans' arms, taking a few deep breaths.
"Better?" He gently asked. Scarlet looked up, avoiding eye-contact with Sann, guilt drenching her soul.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry..."
"Shh… you're okay..."
Asriel took a seat, his heart elated from at least one thing going right. Sann felt a thousand emotions… he wanted to apologize… but why should he? Charlie came first. Always… which meant this wasn't over...
"Asriel... why don't you take her for the day. Sann has an appointment." Sans sighed, exhausted. Scarlet stood and kept her head down, walking to Asriel.
"I do?" He perked up. Charlie patted his back, jogging his memory. "Right," Sann rubbed his tired face. "Right."
Charlie leaned up and gave him a hug, "Just one more appointment and your good for a week of rest," she comforted. "Plus," she leaned in to whisper, "I really need to get Blue out of here. He's looks worse than the rest of us." Sann actually nodded quietly, he then nodded over to Sans and Asriel and left outside. Charlie took out her phone, smiling as Asriel took Scarlet in his lap, she was almost asleep already. It was almost 6am now, she closed her phone and looked over at Sans, just standing alone now, wondering what's next.
"Hey Sans," Charlie spoke up.
Sans snapped out of a train of thought that had gone static. He looked up, his eyes tired and sick. "Yeah, kiddo?"
"It's your turn," she state clearly, grabbing a jacket and putting her shoes on. Sans was still confused. "Come on spooky skeleton, we're going on a date. I'm too stressed to sleep, and I know you won't sleep either, so let's leave these two for now." She patted Asriel on the back. Sans barely understood her.
Charlie tried to wash her hands, but the overpowering smell of bleach wouldn't come off. She sighed, "Okay, let's go." Sans noticed her gesture for him to follow, he left with her.
Sans hailed a taxi and was silent for the majority of the car ride, trying not to nod off. Charlie hummed and twiddled her thumbs before clearing her throat to get his attention.
"Heh… sorry… What do you wanna eat?" he asked tiredly.
"Warm food." She skidded her feet against the padded fabric on the floorboard. "Actually, something like soup would be nice." Sans nodded and glanced through his phone, a few minutes passed by as they traveled the busy streets of another city outside Tokyo.
"I feel like my life is so lame right now." Charlie interrupted the silence, "I don't even get my hopes up for anything anymore….well, except for new episodes on Netflix but even waiting for that drains me." Charlie rubbed her arm, perhaps this can help break some ice. "But back then, before I fell. I went to college and often spent nights playing video games while drinking soda with pizza night like twice a week, it's amazing I survived after all those sleepless nights."
"Heh... my kinda girl." Sans smiled as the car turned down a street.
"So, Sans," she shoved her hands into her own pockets. "How goes the development in the lab?"
Sans yawned and looked at her lazily.
"It's good. Everything should be ready within the next few days… you know, if we aren't interrupted…"
"Will it hurt? The implant, I mean..." Charlie sighed, hoping she wasn't a buzzkill.
"Nah. You'll probably have the occasional headache afterwards, but it's minor." Sans waved for the cab to drop them off.
"It's should be somewhere around you like sushi."
Charlie's stomach churned, the smell of warm, spiced soup was absolutely alluring.
He asked for a table for two. They were led to a private booth near the back, adorned with beautiful watercolor paintings.
"It's like we're VIP or something." Charlie ducked under a low opening to the next room.
"I like it." he hummed, taking his jacket off and draping it across the chair. "Less noise, more quality time."
"Yes..." she scanned the menu, a problem surfacing, "Craaaaap, I can't read this." Even if she understood the language, she was too drowsy to form any specific preferences.
"What do you like? I'll get it for you."
"Uhh... food. Preferably cooked.," she playfully bantered. "I'm going to try this thing that looks like homemade ramen. I've only eaten the shitty styrofoam cups back at home."
Sans ordered their entrees with an order of sake. The waitress delivered their orders quickly, seeming enthusiastic at the chance to serve a human/monster couple.
"Ladies first." Sans chuckled, pouring her a small serving to taste.
"I haven't had this before." Charlie looked at the cup quizzically.
"It's rice wine. It's served hot, so don't shoot it, sip it." he cautioned.
"So just sip it like hot coa-coa...got it," she then lifted a pinky and sipped, wincing a little. She set the cup down and stared at a glass bottle of Soy sauce. "Ya know, I never took any language other than german," she confessed. "So...I'm basically useless here."
"Scarlet can't speak japanese for shit, don't worry." he laughed "It's hilarious, ya know... She has the worst accent. For someone who watches as much anime as she does, you'd think she'd retain more..."
"I thought the same thing for a while, but no...watching anime doesn't really help you speak it. It does however help you understand and even appreciate the Japanese culture. Their sense of honor, family, bravery."
"Sure thing, but the human brain retains knowledge best through repetition. By watching enough of a subbed show you should be able to pick up basic phrases."
The waitress returned to check on them. Sans ordered something. The waitress smiled at Charlie specifically.
"Scarlet is a mystery when it comes to what should be normal most of the time," he took a big sip. "Well... all of the time." Charlie's eyes were still on the lady, curious.
"I swear, if you told her it was my birthday, I'm going to flip," she warned while picking up a pair of chopsticks. "And Scarlet isn't normal, she's Scarlet," Charlie corrected. "Normal isn't a thing, and you never really know someone since they're always changing. People go through many things in their life that ultimately changes who they were, or how they think..." Charlie paused. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" Charlie situated the sticks in her hand appropriately and lifted some noodles from the cup.
"Sure. I'm more referring to how humans work chemically. Like how all hearts pump blood, all minds retain knowledge, all humans react to pheromones and somatic responses..." he shrugged, poking his plate with his chopsticks and leaning on his arm. "A-and it's fine when you ramble. It's cute," he confessed nonchalantly, his face expressionless.
Charlie was studying his features, "You know I can read you...right?"
"You sound like her. How annoying," Sans commented sarcastically.
"Glad I have a good role model," Charlie retorted as she continued eating. The waitress came back with a green martini.
"Shit..." Charlie tilted her head, impressed.
"There, that's more your style. It's a midori sour."
Charlie happily lifted the drink in her lifted his hand a bit, wavering.
"C-careful, it's a little strong."
Charlie rolled her eyes and took a sip, letting a satisfied sigh escape.
"So, how do you like it here...?" he said, poking his food.
"Are we talking about Japan, or are you referring to something else?"
"I mean, yeah. I'm assuming this world is better than the hellfire storm Sann told me about, but Japan is pretty cool, right?"
Charlie lowered her glass, her energy shifting.
"I miss home." she sighed while using a napkin to wipe the sour off her lips. "I miss having a pine-forest for a back ard. But usually home isn't just a place, but the people. They're the home. " She laid back in her chair and sighed.
"That's funny. Scarlet's from Iowa. Couple of small town girls." he sighed. "I wish we could live in the states. Somewhere we could see the stars better. But they aren't very... monster friendly over there."
"Hey," she grabbed Sans' hand, "why don't we move? Get out of here with everyone and live in a less….urban area."
"Well, we do need a place for us to hide out to throw Chara off..." he said, raising a brow and smiling at the contact.
"It'd be a nice change...as nice as Tokyo is."
"Mettaton's still got show stuff to do. Everyone's pretty lax with Scarlet's new... condition. I don't think anyone would argue. I'm also not comfortable with her being around Asgore and Tori either."
"Why? I thought they were cool..."
"Tori's never really liked Scarlet for... petty reasons, but now she's a liability. Cara is... pretty insane. She was harmful enough in Frisk, and now that she's inside an adult, let alone the girl who 'happens' to be Asriel's interest, is just a time bomb...The only way to get that bitch out of Scarlet is a reset. And no one wants that apparently."
"Yeah...it should have been me," Charlie fretted. "I'm the one Chara is after. I was Asriel's love interest for a long time...but attacking someone who wasn't even from our own world, that's distasteful."
"It would have been you." Sans mumbled. "But Asriel had to paint a target on her back and now we have no choice but to fight his war."
"I can always turn myself in," Charlie now poked her own food. "It's not right seeing you guys dragged into this. I can go back to my own world."
"Absolutely not." Sans refused, "That's not what any of us want."
"I'm sorry we brought you guys into this," Charlie kept going. "We didn't know Chara from our world could follow us. We both saw Alyp trash that device as soon as we traveled through," Charlie covered her face, guilt was flooding her conscious. "We left everyone behind….but atleast they don't have Chara anymore. I'm sorry for the mess we made."
"We were happy to help... d-don't misunderstand..." he laced his fingers between hers and stroked her thumb. Charlie was still trying to figure out solutions instead of reading the current situation. "It's just before, we wanted to want to help you guys. But it's different when you 'have' to... if that makes sense. I'd never want you, or Scarlet, or anyone to get hurt."
"We should have left...and we still can, even if we stay on this planet, we can leave you guys in peace for now."
"It's a little late for that. Chara is attacking his brother's love interest. This has been his consistent plan of attack and that position has just been filled by a new player in this game. So this is our war too. Chara hurt the wrong family…"
"What if I could take Cara's soul?"
"Then that would be one more thing for you all to worry about. The only positive thing about this is that now Chara has two targets to chase and that makes life harder for him. It kills me that it had to be Scarlet... but in a way I'm glad. Cara would never hurt Asriel. Just everyone around him. Scarlet's a tough cookie... if anyone could handle this, it's her… Now that we have more of a handle on the situation… things should get better."
Sans shot the lukewarm sake and took both of her hands with his, a little tipsy. He started palpating at her knuckles, studying the way the skin shifted.
"Hey," Charlie looked concerned. "You okay?" Charlie was a little worried, she was concerned why he often drifted off in what appeared to be mid-thought about a entirely different matter. "Hey Sans...down to Earth...," she waved a hand around.
"I've dealt with her long enough, Cara. She's a character. Imagine Chara but... silent. If Scarlet's eyes didn't go red when Cara took over, I might have agreed that we should kill her. Solely because there's no one more manipulative that I've ever encountered. It's as if your Chara is an atomic bomb while ours is a poisonous gas. But I'm trying to stay positive. For my own sanity." he was quiet for a moment.
"I'm sorry… just… I love her."
"I know Sans...," Charlie's voice trailed off. "I didn't want to bring it up...but it's good that you love her." She smiled, "At least we know you've got good taste."
He smirked at her suggestively. "So do you."
"Awww," Charlie patted him, "So what's it like...having another you walking around, being pissed off all the time?" That last part made her laugh, her cheeks were only a little flushed from the alcohol.
"We're really not that different, he and I. He just lost his filter long ago." He smiled. "I'd like to think I have more patience, though. And better fashion sense." He chuckled.
Charlie leaned in to Sans ear, "I think he's trying too hard to be cool with all of that red and yellow...," she whispered. "But shhhh, it's a secret. I think it might hurt his pride if he knew..."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Sans's cheek brushed her as he sat back, he blushed lightly. "Why don't we head back to your new place?" he said, looking away and slowly letting go of her hand. She nodded and got up.
"Only if you don't mind me kicking your ass at some videogame... but no puzzles. I suck at those," she playfully covered her face. "Oh please don't tell Papyrus. I'm fucked if you actually tell either of them."
"Those are your sins to confess, hun." he smirked. He stood and offered a hand.
"Oh wait," she smiled, "I almost forgot, hate to waste things." She took the glass that was still half full and chugged it like nothing. "Like a champ," she wiped her face.
Sans blinked, this day was about to get far more interesting.
"There's one more thing I have to ask you," she looped her arm in Sans's arm. "Can I borrow like $5?"
"What for, kiddo?"
"There's one last thing we gotta get," she led him out into the street. "It's the best thing for $5." She looked around quickly and noticed a convenience store. Sans followed curiously, taking in her enthusiasm fondly. She went in and headed straight for a stand that contained blue-tinted sunglasses, she smiled. "Eh...maybe? Just to enhance the already cool." She tried one on, it was ridiculous. Instead of blue, this one was bedazzled with cheap plastic gems that sparkled annoyingly.
Sans snorted and held back laughter, holding up his phone and taking a picture. "Adorable." he chortled.
She then picked up a pair of normal sunglasses, they seemed fitting at least.
"The point of doing this is so that we can have good memories to look back on. And having an item, like sunglasses, will physically remind us of this day. Now let's see...my favorite color is turquoise...or greenish-blue. Your's is blue...so maybe Teal?"
"Sure," he offered, "blue is fine." Charlie picked two dark blue glasses, "here make sure it fits first." Sans lowered his head so she could put them on. She carefully slid on the glasses on Sans' face. After making sure it fit comfortably she then lifted the hood to his coat over his head. "There," she was proud, "now you're perfect."
"What would I do without you." he smiled, then pulled her in for a picture.
She groaned, but politely smiled, "I don't do selfies...but whatever floats your boat."
"Gotta live in the moment, ya know?" He whispered in her ear before the shot was taken. He then showed her three of four pictures and smiled. Charlie gave two thumbs up for the photographer.
Charlie frowned, "Too bad we might not get to keep these if everything resets," she smacked her face. "Sorry, but we both know it's true. If you guys reset, my people have to leave before that happens. We can't be here when that does…"
Sans was distraught, reluctant to lose her as a close friend. He sighed and took his jacket off, handing it to her. "Ready to lose?"
"As if," she grabbed his coat and slid it around her arms. She wanted to enforce that he understood her point earlier, but she didn't bring it up again. She was already being a pessimist on this trip. They headed to Charlie's new building.
Sans stood in front of the apartment door, he hesitated, listening.
"I don't think the door's gonna bite," Charlie laughed while hopping off his back since her legs were tired. Sans stayed quiet, unamused. Charlie immediately hushed, caution wasn't taken lightly if someone was serious but she didn't hear anything past the door. Sans examined through the peephole and then stood back.
"Okay, no one's not here." He wrapped arms around her waist and smiled. "Hold on." Charlie smiled back as the two of them teleported into Charlie's living room. No one was home, the place was left unkempt because Charlie and Sann didn't care much for organization of clothes. Sans casually dropped Charlie on her feet and skid over to scavenge supplies from the cupboards. He pulled out some string cheese, soda, and a bag of doritos.
"Xbox is set up, hit da p-power button," he gargled with a bag of chips in his mouth. Charlie sat cross-legged in front of the couch and hit the button with her toe. She pulled her knees upward and towards her chest as the screen flickered on. Sans sat down with the snacks and handed her a packet of Gushers and took a controller, starting the game up.
"It's been a while since I've played this. It's like Scarlet is too busy to play half the time," huffing through his teeth.
"Come on man, I'm sure she misses spending time with you. She was pretty upset at that party and last time I checked, people don't get upset over things they don't care about." She patted Sans's back. "I'm just trying to be optimistic here, you still have her as a friend, no?" Charlie tore into the pack of gushers with her teeth.
"Well sure." He sighed. "I don't doubt that at all. I know she loves me but Scarlet loves people differently than most." Sans started stacking points from his online kills. "She's so... fucking closed off, but at the same time the most accepting and warm person. it's frustrating to be her friend sometimes. She'll take the burden of your problems but also refuse anything you give to help her. That why it's so... honestly infuriating to see her like this…or with him." He slouched more.
"Yeah," Charlie's voiced trailed off as she snipped two enemies that were camping on the other side of the map. "That's something I should've seen coming. Don't get me wrong, Asriel's a good guy. But even though he was infatuated with me, Sans won my heart. Oh, Sann I mean," she snorted while playing. "Sorry, I am so tipsy." Sans grimaced, slouching lower. "Slouching doesn't make you a better sniper," Charlie advised while getting first place with Sans close behind.
"Says the person," he shoots, "now 34 points behind me..."
"What...nah," she denied that truth, he play-shoved her. "Clearly you don't know how to count," she commented smugly.
"It's all I ever do, actually. I never stop counting." Sans pessimistic attitude was getting her down but she continued smiling.
"Well, why don't do something else more productive with your time besides moping 24/7. Like meet someone else who can understand you...and hopefully kick your own ass at being cool," she blurted out while using her knees to grab a soda and lift it to her face, slurping in a casual fashion. "You'll live Sans. You've got plenty going for ya, me however, I've got nothing. I've haven't even planned on getting this far in your world. I'm still a powerless human amongst monsters with supernatural abilities."
"I wouldn't say that." he smirked, killing her character on purpose so she'd pause the screen to look at him. She gave a soft grin from the corner of her mouth that she tried to hide. "I'm also beginning to understand the fuss about the famous Charlie Hope."
"What fuss," she took another drink, shaking her head from being disappointed. "Everyone thinks I'm so important...I'm just a human Sans. At the end of the day, everyone is going to have to come to terms with that. Hell, I have," she took another drink, her good mood diminished.
"So's frisk." He shrugged. "You're sort of like your universe's version of them. You're both humans who fell down a hole."
"Yeah...but that's just it Sans. That's the only reason why we're wanted or important to begin with, is because we fell down a stupid hole. That's just really sad if you think about it." Charlie's mind drifted off, contemplating her true role here. She drank, staring off calmly, "It's all a game of chance. We happen to fall down, we happen to be there at the right place at the wrong time. And then bam, prophecies and shit galore of this glorious human who's now their savior.."
"Thats interesting..." Sans said, contemplating and getting his character killed in the process. He soaked in her thoughts, curious. Charlie threw her hands up in defeat, but also relieved.
"I'm glad of one thing….I got the chance to meet everyone. I thought I could help them more than with my words alone, but no. The others are too proud to admit it, but I've done a fuck-tastic job getting others hurt. All because I couldn't run fast, jump high, or even persuade the only fucking human in the Underground, to not go on a damn killing spree." She laid down the controller, "And yet here I am, in a different world. What good have I've really done that wasn't just some accident." Sans's train of thought halted, hearing her words, her concerns, and fears. Hearing this doubt and insecurity made one thing clear, he needed to cheer her up somehow.
"Well... honestly, you have a really profound soul." He stated as a fact. "Monsters can sort of feel when a soul is distinct. Yours uh, definitely is…."
"I've never touched a soul before," she thought completely off track, "I wonder what it's like."
Sans watched her studiously, she was honest. Wheels turned in his mind, burning curiosity wanted him to show her. He let her continue on.
"I do believe in the idea of a soul, I've seen them before in the Underground but for the most part they only left the body when someone passed. So just observing one wasn't really an option without freaking another monster out. But I'm a human after all, so monsters don't trust me as easily. Oh well." Charlie patted her legs and got up, she stretched down, touching her toes. "Welp, I'm getting another soda, try not to kill me while my back is turned," she laughed.
By some irrational instinct Sans stood and followed her into the kitchen. When she closed the fridge and turned around, he was dangerously close to her face. He blushed slightly and cocked his head to the side.
"Would you like to see it?" Mentally, he felt like a moron, this was borderline insane.
She laughed so hard that soda burned through her nostrils. Seconds later she almost choked as Sans blushed, "Oh-oh! Y-you're serious?"
"I'll be up front." Sans leaned forward. "It's something that monsters will only do in a life threatening or very... intimate setting." He cleared his throat but his heart pounded profusely for some unknown reason, it's just Charlie. "But I'm asking because it seems like it would help you better understand your value. I also have to work on it tomorrow anyway so... a preview might be nice?" He rubbed the back of his head. If she really understood what it was like, he would be getting slapped across the face.
Charlie raised an eyebrow, and then shrugged. "Okay." She laid the soda upon the table and stood still, "I trust you, so, where do we start?"
Sans said nothing, he closed the distance between the two of them. He looked down at her chest and raised his hand, hesitating as he looked up, "You sure?" Sans's body was burning, his stomach felt dense, the tension in his soul rose. Charlie stood composed, but inside something was freaking her out. Why was she nervous, nothing about what he said had caused alarm.
"Yeah dude," she grinned. "It's not the first time someone grabbed my chest." It got quiet, Sans began sweating. "Sorry, sorry for the joke, but go right ahead. It's not like we're making out." Charlie was mentally trapped. She was freaking out so much that her mouth wouldn't stop running.
Sans gently pressed a hand on her chest. If only she knew how Sann would probably murder him right now.
Charlie felt a tug throughout her entire being. A cool sensation frosted her heart and traveled toward her fingertips. With a final tug, her soul hovered over Sans' hand. It was crystallized and Sans was baffled, truly fascinated. The entire room was shaded with a soft-winter green.
"Welp... this is it. The very culmination of your being," Sans announced. Charlie gently shook her head to snap herself out of awe.
"And… to think my entire essence is travel sized," she joked while tilting her head to observe the green glowing heart. She wanted to touch it but her gut suggested otherwise.
Sans brought it down and began inspecting it. "It's very… potent."It was uncanny... Seconds after Sans retrieved her soul, Charlie's anxiety faded, she felt safe.
"It's green," she observed. "Wow. It's just raw energy... S-so... just..fuck..." her soft spoken words were carried across the room.
"It reminds me of Frisk's soul and... and Cara's..." he said hesitantly.
"Well, we humans are all born the same way; Innocent." Charlie shrugged, her eyes never leaving her soul.
"Well, sort of," Sans interjected, "It's like... imagine you're a knife. you were forged as a tool. But you can either be used for helping people... or killing them. It's all in how you use the power you were born with."
"Jesus Sans, that's incredible," she wasn't really paying attention to the story, she was still mesmerized from her floating essence.
"I'm surprised Sann hasn't done this sooner. If all he's been using is his dick, then you've been missing out." Charlie slowly turned her face, trying to hold a laugh because she promised to be more mature about this….but doing so made her look pissed off.
Shit, shit, why'd did I say that! Sans pondered if that was his ill humor or the leftover sake talking. His face went blank. "S-sorry... that was way less forward in my head." She calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Please, that's child's play compared to him. But Sann isn't usually the experimental type…" There was an awkward pause, Sans lost in observation. "...So what now? Do we just stare at it?"
"No. There's a few things we could test..." he raised a brow suggestively. Okay now it's definitely the sake… but who cares...
"Oh really?"
"I'd love to show you. But... even if it's technically 'me' you're with. I'm not sure I want to do anything to piss him off." Sans cautioned, looking off to the side, aggravated. "I'm also not trying to pull the same shit as Asriel," he scoffed.
"Sann is always pissed off," she brushed off his last statement. "Besides, I'm curious. I asked you to show me. No harm in just showing me basic soul techniques, right?"
"Okay..." he sighed, conflicted. "Let's move to the couch... you should probably sit down."
"Jesus, that serious huh?" She gritted her teeth, desperately trying to keep serious. Why was she so nervous...oh, that's right. A monster whom she'd only known for a few months has her entire soul in his hands, oh and she said it'd be okay. Shit, was she going to be in trouble for this later.
Sans was very cautious and wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her soul at a specific distance. He looked at her intensely and blushed a little. God, here we go...
"If it gets too... intense... let me know." His words were gentle, but commanding. "Just say the word."
"So you want me to say the word, 'word'?" She covered her mouth, still nervous enough to sass. "Dammit Sans, I'm so sorry, I'm being disrespectful again."
"How about you just say stop." He smirked.
"Okay, sorry, continue."
"Now, if someone doesn't know how to throw up the proper barriers, they would be able to feel your every emotion and experience you've ever had. All of your pain, all of your pleasure. Some of themselves would get transferred as well, you'd be able to feel their... intent."
Charlie snickered, "So there's both a good touch aaaannnd a bad touch? Well that's interesting." Charlie smacked herself for being ridiculous, Sans continued.
"This is important Charlie, because if Chara touched you, you'd feel pain. Worse than you've ever felt, because your entire essence will feel it, not just your broken bones or sore muscles."
"All he knows is pain, but I understand...I think I'm ready." She was casually bouncing off all the serious responses, her legs were jittery and she wanted to get this over this. Charlie wondered if she was making a bigger deal out of this than it needed to be.
He raised his index finger in an exaggerated motion. Charlie couldn't tell, but Sans was trembling under his jacket. His intense rattling was concerning but thankfully not loud. Charlie closed her eyes, she freed her mind and calmed the heart rate.
Sans grazed her soul with his forefinger and his body almost collapsed. Similar to a static-electricity ball when touched, all of Charlie's energy surged towards the contact. Charlie's soul glowed even brighter, Sans's eyes hollowed out. An unsettling truth.
Is was this moment that Sans understood their connection. All pieces fell into place and painted the clearest picture he's ever seen.
She belonged to him...
Charlie was thrust back into the leather couch. Her legs were pulled up to her chest as she covered her face. Sans's mind and soul lashed out, he tried to quickly lift his finger but his internal desire kept it there. He was forced to stand, staring at what he'd done.
"Soul…..mate," Sans softly muttered under his breath, his eyes darkened. This isn't right, I can't do this. Sans heard her moan under a squished pillow and for a split second, he couldn't breathe.
Charlie took deep breaths, blushing savagely. She was left wondering what the hell just happened. This is ….this is just part of the thing, right? Oh my god…. She cleared her throat and rubbed her face, smiling as if nothing was wrong. She couldn't keep still.
"I-if I had to describe that. It felt like my entire soul was tethered, literally every fiber of my being." She nervously laughed, "I guess it's a good thing Chara's never touched my soul then."
Sans cleared his head as well and nodded, trying to focus more on teaching.
"Yes, b-but when someone who cares about you touches you..." he grazed it with two fingers this time and she felt a build up in the core that shot through her spine with intense pleasure. Whoops. "You feel their love... their happiness." Sans's eyes narrowed.
Charlie clutched over her stomach and slowly groaned. "I feel something alright," she laughed into her arm. Shit, shit, shit, shit, this …..what am I doing?! This is not the same as before, why am I so damn warm?
Sans melted from her reactions, eyes half lidded. It turned into a game with himself, knowing he probably shouldn't push his boundaries. His curiosity had him by a leash at this point. He grazed her soul again but this time held his finger there. She was suddenly brought closer to to a full body climax but still tantalizingly far enough to be thirsty. He removed his finger and watched her studiously.
Charlie threw a pillow into her face and smothered herself so that he couldn't observe her face. She writhed in her spot a little bit as her knees bounced in apprehension. She was so used to staying calm that bouncing her legs this was just another coping mechanism. This was too much, she needed to stop, but why on Earth did it feel right? She couldn't pinpoint the morality of the situation, all she could do was comfort herself. This felt too personal, but he DID warn her.
It took a while but she finally calmed down. She slowly removed the pillow, her face was very flushed into a rosey-pink shade. She still tried to pull of that nervous smile trick but it didn't work, Sans knew. She then calmly stood up and slowly walked towards the bathroom.
"I'm gonna be right back...I need to go wash my face," she stated.
Sans grabbed her wrist. "Hey." he paused, her hands trembled. "Charlie….why didn't you tell me to stop." She tried to pull away, but Sans refused. "I-I have to put this back. It can't be too far from you, it'll kill you."
"Ah," Charlie scolded herself but smiled with her eyes almost watering. "I swear, if my soul wasn't usually inside me, I'd forget it." Her fists clenched behind her back. "I, w-well, this was very informative, thank you Sans."
"D-did I hurt you?" He backed off after guiding the soul back in. She felt warmth as opposed to ice this time as his hand left her chest. "I'm sorry," his head lowered.
"Heavens no, I'm not sad," she cracked a smile. "I'm thrilled, I know I can't explain it yet, but it was beautiful. Monsters are, and will always be, amazing."
"Thanks…. Heh…" he blushed and looked down, hoping he could keep himself above water at this point… "H-Hey… We should probably not tell Sann about this..." he said softly.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry," Charlie shrugged it off. "We're gonna have to do this again when you give my powers anyway, aren't you?"
"Well yeah, but I won't have to touch it. That's usually something only lovers do..." He looked down, kicking at a rug.
"Oh… OOoohhh…. Well, I won't tell him, mostly because he doesn't tend to think with his head. But I willingly wanted to know what it was like, so thank you. Too bad Sann doesn't like getting too close."
"He shouldn't knock it until he tries it... besides..." he wrapped an arm around her waist and teleported to the bathroom. "Isn't he interested in pleasing you in any way possible?" he said in a low suggestive voice. Charlie splashed her face with cold water, it dulled the redness.
"He is, but maybe there's a lot in his soul he doesn't want me to see." She dried her face with a towel.
"Maybe I could teach him how to throw up barriers..." he shrugged, leaning against the door frame, "You know... from bro to bro. You could thank me later..."
"Sans...I'm pretty easy to please," she grinned. "Do what you want, but I'm actually happy with the way things are, no reason to make him open up more than he wants...barriers included. But thank you..."
Sans shrugged. "You know, you're pretty easy to read too." Sans left, he turned off the xbox and took out his phone. "I should probably go..." he said, sounding defeated. How can she just stand there and lie to me. She doesn't even understand what just happened but she's pretending it like it was nothing…...
"Hey, Sans...please stay..."
Sans looked at her quizzically from his phone. She laughed again from the hallway now.
"We're not supposed to be alone remember? And you're fixing to leave me all alone," she jested. "As much as I enjoy peace and quiet...I'd like feeling safe more."
"Then I'll call for Sann," he said, having already texted him. "I think I need the solitude more than you..."
"Why don't you open up more," she pried...
He glared at her and shoved his phone in his pocket.
"Last time I did that, the only person I chose to trust after centuries of madness fell for a guy she just met." His tone was serious and threatening as he walked towards her in a dominating fashion.
"You opened up to me...didn't you? I'd like to think I wasn't a dick to you at least..."
"I don't like to repeat mistakes, Charlie." he growled. "So don't pretend that you know me just because you're with some other version of me that doesn't even deserve you..." He instantly regretted the words as they left his mouth. He turned, groaning and holding his face. Charlie wasn't exactly… expecting the snap back. She took a moment to process it before speaking...
"I get it," she glared back. "Never a moment me or Sann aren't judged... Whether it's by humans or monsters. If there's anything I try to do, it's understand. I won't judge you for your choices the same way I hope you won't judge me for mine. I just want to be your friend..."
"You really are just like her," he laughed a frustrated sigh. "This is how she did me. Drinks and prodding, making me feel safe."
"No one is safe. You know that." She reached out to him. "And I'm not trying to prod you, okay." Charlie calmly retracted her hands, now finding it inappropriate to push it. "How about you and me, return to the living room and sit down and play some games, alright? Nothing is to be pressured, just two adults playing video games." Charlie threw up her mask of calm, acting like this conversation didn't happen and went to fridge.
Sans said nothing, he picked up a controller and resumed playing, telling himself he'd wait for Sann.
Charlie rummaged around, "I'm gonna grab a soda, want one?"
Sans grunted in response and continued playing, slouching drastically low. Charlie placed the soda in front of him and sat down.
"Sans..." Charlie interrupted. She really wanted to apologize, she hurt his feelings and it was probably because he tried to open up and all she did was joke around. Most of all she pretend it wasn't serious to get over her own insecurities. I'm an idiot, sorry man.
His eyes flicked towards her, waiting.
Charlie sighed, "Nevermind, sorry." She leaned back, only to realize how soft the couch was. She fell asleep, drifting off next to Sans.
Guilt soaked into Sans' heart, he went overboard. He glanced over and noticed Charlie sitting on the couch with a soft smile, dreaming about something other than nightmares for a change. He sat up on the couch as well and continued playing but flinched when he felt something touch him. Charlie held his hand in her sleep, she whispered inaudible words but then drifted off. Sans softly smiled back. He kissed her forehead in admiration and continued playing but didn't realize his own exhaustion until his own eyes closed shut. Sans's quick slumber took him off guard, he simply dozed off, knowing a nightmare would wake him up soon.
"Hey, fucking wake up," Sann kicked Sans' feet. Sans awoke, frantically looking around but then he got kicked again. He looked up. Sann tapped his foot, impatiently waiting for an explanation. Sans felt something warm and looked over, Charlie was still holding his hand in her sleep.
"Wait, listen, this isn't. I'm sorr-" Sans tried to explain, Sann held up a hand, not wanting to hear it.
"Dammit Sans," Sann whispered with a hushed tone. "You were supposed to keep watch. Todd's not here, remember! You're fucking lucky I decided to teleport back rather than take a leisure stroll, ya dingus." Sann picked up Charlie and growled. He slipped off the jacket she wore and took her to bed. "Can't even stay awake, fucking unreal. And just so you know, you were asleep for 6 hours since you last texted me. Six hours all alone, unguarded in this fucking place," Sann continued to grumble as he left to the bedroom to rest.
After Sann finally shut the door, Sans took a deep breath, holding his own chest. He looked outside, it was much later in the afternoon. He actually slept…. Peacefully. No nightmares... and that terrified him.
"How could I have fallen asleep..." he silently scolded himself. He shifted through thoughts, hoping to understand what happened that day. He felt rejuvenated from it all. Nothing added up... until he looked down and saw Charlie's jacket sleeve still unknowingly clinched in his hand.
This is bad.
