The spring sunlight warmed Toriel's fur as she walked down the path leading into Newer Home's park with her family. Everyone seemed excited to get out of the house, especially after being cooped up inside because of the rainstorm the previous day. Well, Sans likely didn't care all that much about that, but he was quite happy for other reasons and had a smile on his face, a real smile, as he walked along with everyone. She and Sans were naturally bringing up the rear, given the skeleton's slow pace. Toriel was content with that though and matched his stride with a warm smile. He was good at reminding her to take it easy, especially with how her mind so often plagued her with worries at a frantic pace. It was nice to just slow down and take in everything around them, letting all the happy events of the day be the only thing that lingered in her mind.
In contrast, Frisk and Papyrus led the way with much energy and enthusiasm, chatting and signing in turn to one another as they made their way down the path. Flowey poked out of Frisk's backpack, looking rather stoic again but seemingly enjoying the feeling of the sunlight on his petals. The dog had followed along as well, and was darting in and out between Papyrus' legs, much to the skeleton's annoyance. It was all a wonderful picture of normalcy, a welcome relief after the chaotic, though still joyous events of the morning. Part of Toriel had feared that she and Sans would become some object of fascination for the rest of the household for quite some time, unable to escape their staring. And while that was likely to still be partially true, she was glad the announcement hadn't come to dominate the day too much.
Perhaps that thought came too soon though, as Frisk looked back at them over their shoulder with a big smile and lifted their hands to sign something at Sans in particular. Toriel managed to catch the words, despite them not being directed at her.
(Aren't you going to hold Mom's hand, Sans?) Frisk asked, quirking an eyebrow in a purposeful manner.
She heard Sans grumble something under his breath, sounding vaguely irritated but also a little indecisively guilty, as though he felt bad for not doing so in the first place. Though it was a little amusing and more than a little endearing, she looked back at her child with a hint of firmness to her eyes.
"Now my child, you and Papyrus have had your fun, now leave him be." She said, with just enough of her motherly tone to make the message stick.
Frisk continued to smile, but obeyed and turned back to the path with a soft giggle. Papyrus promptly questioned the child as to what was happening, and the two were drawn back into conversation, allowing Toriel and Sans some relief from the staring again. She looked down at the skeleton beside her, sensing his gaze on her. Indeed, she found herself looking into his lovely little eyelights, which were still so very bright within his sockets and matched well the warm smile on his face. But there was a hint of nervousness there too, clearly born of Frisk's question.
"uh... should i be…?" He asked quietly, but trailed off into something of an awkward chuckle.
She mirrored the little laugh and shook her head, smiling warmly.
"Sans, you do not have to do anything, my dear." She assured him. "There is no need to force such things. I say we played up things for the two of them quite enough for one day. Do not let their teasing pressure you into anything. You are fine."
She faced back towards the path as she continued talking, eyeing their destination of the open area of the park ahead.
"It might be best to uh… ease the others into the idea anyway, rather than show up in such a way as to shock them further. At least, shock them in the sense of it being so sudden, I mean. I am sure the Undernet post was sufficient enough for that."
She saw Sans' posture relax out of the corner of her eye, more snugly settling his hands in his jacket pockets. He'd changed into a new one before they'd left the house for the little outing, rather than simply keeping on the one from the night before. It was another little encouraging surprise from him. He'd only changed the hoodie of course, but it was still worth noting. This one was a very dark blue in color, with a white hood and white stripes along the edges of the sleeves and the hem. She was beginning to realize he'd amassed far more of a collection of them since arriving on the surface then she'd thought. It was understandable though, as hoodies were one of the easiest things to gift to the skeleton. That, anything space themed, and plenty of bottles of ketchup.
She herself had changed into a simple pale magenta sundress and beige sunhat, one self-modified with strategically placed holes for her horns to poke through. It provided a pleasant shadow for her eyes to hide in, and it kept the harsh glint of the sun from them as she looked back down at Sans. Though he seemed contented by her answer, he still offered a reply after a few moments, with a somewhat sheepish grin.
"yah… good call tori, even if most them uh… probably expected this, heh. al made it seem like she did at least, dunno about undyne, and asgore-"
He cut himself off with a wince perhaps by instinct and shot her a brief, apologetic look. When her smile didn't waver as he seemed to expect, remembrance came back to him and he smiled again with a sigh. Still, something nervous and heavy shimmered in his eyelights again, likely summoned by thoughts of the king of monsters. She could understand why he'd be feeling nervous to be around Asgore now, there was little chance of the encounter not at least being a little awkward for the two of them in particular. The last time they had really spoken had been that stormy night where they'd briefly faced down each other in the kitchen. The two had no doubt bumped into each other on the school grounds a couple of times since then, but she doubted any sort of meaningful conversation was ever had.
"It will be alright Sans, he understands remember?" She said, placing a reassuring paw on his shoulder. "He is a big reason that last night happened the way it did in the first place."
He smiled thankfully up at her, but his nerves were still ever present in his eyelights. That inspired Toriel to go on, facing the path again and gaining a firmer expression.
"And if he does give you any sort of hard time, I will happily clock him in the nose for you."
Sans blinked, clearly surprised at that, then was beset by a brief fit of chuckling, so much so it affected his pace somewhat. Once he'd recovered, he looked up at her with an expression that was both amused but also legitimately questioning.
"y-you're just joking right tori?" He asked, eyelights still shimmering with joviality.
Her firm expression remained in place as she hummed in consideration and narrowed her eyes towards their destination.
"Maybe." She said simply after a few moments.
When she saw a bit of real concern in Sans' gaze though, she quickly lightened her expression a bit, turning it to something more playful than stern.
"Just because he and I have begun to make amends does not mean I would allow him to make you feel badly." She clarified, matter of factly.
That seemed to placate Sans in that regard and he relaxed again, smile loosening up at the edges. There was even a hint of a blush that rose up on his face, perhaps a bit flustered by her willingness to "protect" him in such a way.
"alright, let's both hope he uh… doesn't do that then, heh." He chuckled, shooting her a wink
It was as he said that that they all crested the hill and found themselves in the large, open area of the park. It was framed by tall trees that provided plenty of shade and was host to a sizable pond that rested in the center. Near the back of the area, by the shore of the pond and in the shade of a cluster of birch trees, were Undyne, Alphys and Asgore.
The three of them had set up a table and chairs beside a large grill. The cooler and piles of food on the table showed what the grill in question would soon be used for, and Toriel's soul gave off a pang of hunger at the sight of it. Undyne was swimming in the pond while Alphys hovered nervously at the shore, watching and seemingly debating getting in herself. Asgore meanwhile was simply observing the scene from where he was sitting against the trunks of one of the trees. It was hard to tell due to the distance, but he seemed to have a small smile on his face. Small, but legitimate.
It was enough to bring her a little twinge of guilt for her earlier quip, but kept her soul erred on the side of caution. Even with everything that was settled between them yesterday, she was still not exactly thrilled at the idea of being around him yet again, especially with the context of her and Sans getting together hanging over the situation. Old wounds and habits would not fade in one day after all. She internally steeled herself a bit but willed up a pleasant expression as Papyrus called over to the others, making their presence known.
"HELLO EVERYONE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND COMPANY HAVE ARRIVED!" He declared, striking a pose on the hilltop and somehow catching just the perfect amount of wind to make his scarf billow dramatically.
All of the other's eyes turned their way, and Toriel briefly froze a bit when Undyne's gaze fell on her from where she was half-submerged in the water. The distance again robbed her of much of the expression that then crossed the fish monster's face, but Toriel felt she could guess what feelings would be there. After a moment though, Undyne turned away and then dramatically burst out from the water with a hearty "NGAHHHH!" Before landing on her feet on the shore and shouting up to them.
"HEYA PUNKS! GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE SO WE CAN GET THE GRUB GOING ALREADY!"
Toriel had primed her paws to cover Frisk's ears by impulse, expecting the fish monster to use a more inappropriate word than "butts." Thankfully that was not the case and she simply gave her child's head a pat instead before they all headed down the hill to meet up with the others. If the fish monster had it in her to be her usual loud, boisterous self, it seemed to Toriel that she indeed was none too affected by all her drinking the previous day. That idea brought her a bit of relief, and maybe even a hint of envy, but not enough to remove any of her nerves regarding the inevitable confrontation that was to come.
They all ended up gathering by the table, Undyne and Alphys walking over from the pond's edge and Asgore rising from his place by the tree to meet them. After the usual warm greetings and Papyrus getting a rather dramatic noogie from a still sopping wet Undyne, it didn't take long for all eyes to begin to drift to her and Sans in a pointed, knowing manner. All except Asgore, who had stepped away to get the grill started.
Toriel had been preparing herself for this, as she had for all the inevitable uncomfortable or difficult encounters she'd be dealing with today. It was made much easier by the joyful warmth that continued to burn brightly in her soul, fueling her will to face it all with a smile. Before things could get awkward or too uncomfortable, she decidedly broke the silence, turning to address the other members of her household. As she did, she tried to ignore the wide, somewhat teasing smiles on Frisk and Papyrus' faces.
"How about you all go help with getting lunch started." She suggested, purposely keeping her voice casual. "I will join you shortly. I just need to speak with Undyne for a few minutes."
At that, Undyne's single narrow pupil shrank briefly and she grit her teeth. But the former captain of the royal guard was not one to ever back down from any difficult situation. She quickly nodded and drew herself up a bit with a determined look, her one yellow eye bright.
"Yeah, I'll be right back babe." The fish monster said to Alphys, flashing her girlfriend a wide, toothy smile. "Help Asgore get that grill lit, make sure the big fuzzball doesn't catch his beard on fire... again."
The lizard monster blinked, shooting another curious glance at Sans and Toriel before remembering herself and the previous day's events. She then quickly nodded, a somewhat sheepish grin on her face.
"Y-yeah, okay Undyne." She replied, before her expression sobered up a bit and she went on in a quieter voice. "Good luck..."
Even with all those emotions at play though, Alphys could not fully abandon her curiosities it seemed. Her interest in the topic of relationships, be them real or fictional, was well known to all of them, and that sort of deep curiosity made her eyes sparkle a bit as she gave them another look. Her exact feelings were not clear in that look alone, which made it a bit unnerving. She clearly wanted to ask them a million questions, but forced herself to turn away then with an apologetic smile and shuffle over to Asgore's side.
Sans was quick to suggest he and Papyrus go set the table. And it was a suggestion so out of place for him that it only caused everyone around to stare at him more rather than less. Frisk followed after them, but more so to continue to be a present witness to Sans' uncharacteristic flustered behavior. The dog trotted along with them too, his primary motivation likely being to be as close to the food as possible. Toriel watched Sans and the others head over to the table with a sympathetic look, hoping her dear skeleton wouldn't have to face any conversations that were too difficult while she was gone.
She looked again to Undyne then and motioned with her head for her to follow. The fish monster nodded and the two of them stepped away behind a small cluster of trees, hoping to keep their conversation away from too many prying ears. Not really for any secrets this time though, thankfully. Toriel then faced the fish monster, watching with some amusement as she continued to wring the water out from her long red hair for a few moments before straightening up again. Undyne was quick to take charge of the situation, drawing in a deep breath and beginning to talk before any hesitation could grip her.
"Okay Toriel. Let's... get the important shit out of the way first, okay?" She said, facial fins drooping a bit despite herself.
Toriel simply nodded, expression rather neutral as she listened to the fish monster. She was sure to keep any lingering negative emotions spurred by the previous events at the bar under wraps, knowing they would not serve any further purpose here. She'd held on to enough grudges in her life, and this situation certainly didn't need to be the seed of another one. Especially given that what resulted from Undyne's outburst had not been wholly negative...
That thought dared to try to tug a smile onto her lips, but she kept a resolved expression in place and focused her attention back to the fish monster.
"I screwed up bad yesterday." Undyne admitted, grimacing a bit. "Like really bad... I was drunk and pissed off and worried about Asgore and I blamed you without even thinking about it. And I should never have... brought up all that shit from the past. Especially in public like that. It was... ugh... goddamnit..."
Her fins drooped lower and her brows knit together in an irritated expression. Toriel could see her webbed hands curling into fists at her sides as well. She understood Undyne was a monster who held herself to a very high standard. So for her to do something like this... it probably got to her more than she'd admit. The genuine remorse shining in her one yellow eye managed to soften Toriel's nerves a bit, feeling more sympathy for Undyne at that point than anything else.
"It was beyond shitty, no question, not to mention way out of line." The fish monster went on after a moment, in a lower tone. "I'm sorry, Toriel. And not even just for all that either... I've been acting prickly towards you for the entire time we've been up here. I didn't even try to understand how you felt about any of this. I just wanted to be angry... for Asgore's sake... since the fuzzy pushover wouldn't be angry for himself."
A soft, sad sort of fondness crossed Undyne's single eye, the narrow pupil drifting away for a moment. But she quickly refocused, and set her jaw in a firm manner.
"That's no excuse though, I see that now. Especially after you did what you did to help him... since you really didn't have to do that, especially after all the venom I unloaded on you. But you did... and it really made a difference for him. I can tell he's less burdened, more at ease than before."
She took a small step forward, gaze piercing for all the emotions behind it.
"So, in short. I'm sorry Toriel, for everything. And thank you, for being a much bigger person than me and doing the noble thing even when I gave you plenty of excuses not too. It... meant a lot, to him, and to me personally."
At that, she seemed ready to allow Toriel to offer a response. Undyne kept her expression firm, but Toriel thought she may have seen a bit of sweat dripping down her brow, but perhaps it was just more water from her swim in the pond. Whatever the case, the fish monster had nothing to fear. Toriel smiled warmly at Undyne, only her eyes still carrying a bit of heaviness to them, weariness born of all the guilt the fish monster's past words inevitably summoned in her.
"I appreciate that Undyne." Toriel said softly, easing her eyes shut briefly. "Your words were... very harsh and hurtful, yes. But much of it was still rooted in truth, and were things I likely needed to hear, even if how it played out was not... ideal. I accept your apology, and I forgive you."
When she reopened her eyes, she found Undyne looking back at her with immense relief in her own single eye, giving it a much softer appearance than usual. Though the conversation could have ended right there, Toriel kept on talking, a wider, more playful grin spreading across her face.
"And... I feel we are somewhat even in the end, given what your harsh words gave me the courage to finally do."
Undyne blinked at that, facial fins fluttering slightly as she quirked a brow in confusion.
"What, talk to Asgore?" She asked.
Toriel couldn't help but giggle into a paw at the question and her eyes brightened a bit as she went on.
"Well yes, that. But there was also... something else that happened yesterday because of it as well."
Undyne's brows furrowed, clearly trying to piece together what Toriel was implying. After a few moments though, her single pupil shrank a bit and her facial fins flared out in realization.
"Wait... wait, hold up." She sputtered out quickly, gesturing along with the words. "Are you saying... I'M the reason you and Sans finally hooked up?"
Toriel's grin widened and she nodded, quashing down the urge to laugh again but unable to keep her scarlet eyes from betraying her internal amusement and joy.
"You certainly played a big part in it." She confirmed, a lilt of joviality to her voice. "And so, for both of the things you helped me do, I must thank you in turn, Undyne."
She inclined her head slightly in a formal show of thanks, both for the sake of playful dramatics and for displaying her genuine gratitude. When she straightened up again, it was easy to see the mix of emotions on Undyne's face, clearly not exactly sure how to take the idea of her involvement in Sans and Toriel getting together. Before she could linger too much on that though, Toriel offered the fish monster a paw and another warm smile.
"Friends?" She asked.
Undyne looked at the paw and then slowly flashed a wide, toothy grin. Her facial fins flared up as she did so and gave a happy flutter. The fish monster took Toriel's paw and gave it a hearty squeeze, almost enough to be painful.
"Yeah, friends." Undyne confirmed with a firm shake, before pulling her hand back and placing it on her hip.
She paused a moment, then decided to go on, expression sobering up somewhat.
"You uh... take care of that lil punk, y'here? Seems to me he could definitely use it. He... didn't seem to be doing too well for a while there." She said, voice echoing her more somber expression.
Toriel was a bit surprised to hear those words coming from Undyne of all monsters. They stirred a mix of emotions in Toriel's soul, bringing back flashes of the dismal state Sans had been in not too long ago. But as was thankfully the case lately, the positive feelings Undyne's words summoned won over the negative. She nodded in response, slowly.
"I certainly will." She vowed in a voice that was both warm and resolute.
After a moment, she decided to ask Undyne a question of her own, unable to hide her curiosity.
"You noticed it too?"
The fish monster nodded once and made an affirmative sound in her throat as her one eye briefly became somewhat dull.
"Yeah... maybe I wouldn't have noticed before... But... being with Alphys, especially helping her through all the shit she deals with regarding her past... I guess its made me more, like... aware of these things."
Undyne's frown deepened at that, and her facial fins drooped once more.
"Sometimes the look in that skeleton's eyes... It came way too close to how Alphys' looked that day I first met her at the dump. And she was... well... let's just say she was in a real bad place then."
Silence hung for a bit after she spoke those words, as their implication set in. Toriel did not know exactly what had transpired between Undyne and Alphys then, but with the tone the fish monster used for that last statement, and Toriel's knowledge of what Alphys had been involved with during her time as royal scientist, it wasn't hard to guess just what sort of dire state Alphys had been in then. For her to say Sans looked similarly... Toriel had to suppress the sick feelings such a thought brought to her soul.
She was about to say something, maybe offer condolences, maybe just voice understanding. But Undyne spoke again before she could, looking purposefully into Toriel's eyes this time.
"And also uh... take care of yourself too okay?" She said, offering a weak sort of smile. "You really haven't been looking too great either lately, better today granted, but still..."
The words made evident the weight of everything that still rested on Toriel's soul. It had been purposefully ignored in favor of all the joyful emotions that had wrapped snugly around her soul, but it was always still there, just at the edge of her perception, waiting to tear at her mind and invade her dreams whenever she slept. She purposefully did not allow herself to give it focus in that moment either, but the heavier emotions it brought reflected in her red eyes, making them look hazy.
"Yes... I know." She murmured a soft reply, briefly turning to look in the direction of the others. "Sans and I are both taking steps to improve in regards to our own struggles. I feel we have made great progress, especially now that we do not have to hide our feelings for one another throughout the process, but there is undoubtedly still a long road ahead for the both of us."
She looked back at Undyne then, and a after a moment, a warm smile slowly began reappearing on her face. Genuine gratitude for the fish monster's words flowed through Toriel's soul, washing away the majority of any lingering pain that Undyne's outburst the previous day had instilled in her.
"Thank you for your care Undyne, I hope you and Alphys can find peace in regards to your own struggles as well." She said in a stronger voice.
Undyne blinked at that, but briefly kept that somberness to her expression.
"Yeah..." She rasped back, in an uncharacteristically soft voice.
But rapidly after the word left her, she shook herself and drew herself up to her full height, a passionate fire blazing up in her fierce yellow eye again. A massive, confident grin came with it, though it may have been just a bit strained.
"Don't worry! I won't stop until Alphys loves herself just as much as I do! I'll make all her dark thoughts fight me head on and I'll beat them into submission with my BARE HANDS! NGAAAHH!"
With that, Undyne promptly grabbed a nearby large rock and suplexed it with surprising ease. It hit the ground with a massive thud and then split into two pieces. Toriel watched the scene with a bewildered expression, not sure how exactly to react to that. She was impressed she supposed, but also a little terrified. Undyne straightened up again with another whoop of exhilaration, seemingly having banished any lingering negative thoughts with her grand display.
"Now come on, let's get back to the others, I'm STARVING!" She insisted, maintaining that wide grin. "And I'm sure you'll be wanted to help in the food department."
Toriel just nodded in response, still a bit stunned by the sight of the rock that had been casually split in two. She followed Undyne back towards the others, able to find her voice again after a few moments.
"You are not uh... helping prepare the meal today?" She asked, hoping that her fear towards the idea did not show in her voice.
Undyne thankfully didn't seem to pick up on that, still beaming as she replied.
"Well, I totally would, but apparently my technique is too extreme for all these weenies!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "Also Asgore said we don't want to have to pay a fine for scorching the grill to pieces... and yah, my way does create stuff thats basically inedible anyway, so I guess it's better I just eat everyone else's food with MAXIMUM APPRECIATION!"
With those particularly loud final two words, they drew the attention of the others as they approached. They all looked relieved to see them both coming back from their little talk in good spirits, signaling it had all gone well. Toriel hadn't considered how worried they may have been, and was sure to put a reassuring smile on her face as she joined them all again. The table was fully set and the grill was now lit, with Asgore beginning to lay burger patties and hot dogs onto the wire mesh. The expected delectable smell was just starting to fill the air too, sending light hunger pangs through her soul again and likely everyone else's as well.
Undyne went back to Alphys with the expected reassurances, while Toriel hesitated a moment. Though she knew it would only worsen the curious scrutiny she and Sans were enduring, she quickly decided to go sit next to him on the picnic table's long wooden seat. He was sitting there with his hands in his jacket pockets, his usual lazy grin and his hood up again, looking as though he were trying to appear as casual as possible but also make himself invisible and avoid eye contact with any of the others.
His reaction to her joining him on the seat was both renewed nervousness and relief. Thankfully the relief seemed to far outweigh the other. He leaned into her side a bit as she settled next to him and she smiled warmly back down at him, only hesitating a moment before looping an arm lightly around him in turn. She could tell Sans wanted nothing more than to take a quick nap if only to escape having to deal with all the knowing, curious looks directed towards them. But his usual strategy didn't seem to be a match for Alphys, who was the first one to finally break the silence on the subject from her place by the grill, likely due to Toriel's little display of affection finally breaking her resolve.
"S-so u-uh... what you guys posted on Undernet... it's... it's true then? Y-you two are...?" She asked, that eager sparkle of interest entering her eyes again.
The question inevitably brought all eyes back to them, Toriel could even swear she felt Frisk and Papyrus' gazes on her back from their place behind them. The only exception was Asgore, who kept his attention firmly on the grill. Toriel wasn't sure how exactly to feel about that. She prepared herself to launch into the same sort of speech she had that given morning, but Sans surprisingly was the one to respond.
"yup." He answered simply, exactly like his reply on the Undernet post in question.
Again, it was hard to tell exactly how Alphys felt about that. Her comment on their post implied she had been expecting it. But expecting something and approving of it were two very different things. Toriel knew that the lizard monster had expressed interested in her and Asgore getting back together in the past. Something she called "shipping" or something like that. Honestly Toriel didn't see how boats had anything to do with this, but assumed it was some sort of obscure metaphor she didn't understand.
Whatever the true meaning behind the term, Alphys stepped closer with interest, a convenient sheen of light on her glasses further hiding her feelings on the matter from them. She stared for a few more moments before her usual slightly nervous smile spread across her face again and her eyes became visible once more.
"Well, t-took you two long enough." She said, daring a more mischievous smile. "I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen."
Her reaction then brought all eyes to her, including Asgore this time, who looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow in surprise. His eyes carried some brief flash of emotion Toriel couldn't quite catch before he turned back to the grill again. She decided not to dwell on it, focusing on Alphys instead and tilting her head a bit in confusion.
"You are not..." She paused briefly, searching for the right word. "Disappointed?"
Alphys let out her usual nasally little laugh at that and shook her head.
"Nah, I'll admit I m-might have been at first, but over time I-I've grown to see the appeal."
That mischievous grin on her face grew wider and she looked at Sans in particular, a teasing glint in her eye.
"Especially after w-watching through a particular collection of tapes from the old Underground surveillance s-system..."
Toriel just felt more confused at that and looked down at Sans to see his sockets narrow a bit, and a few drops of sweat dot the visible part of his skull.
"what... tapes?" He asked, suspiciously.
"The ones from the camera I had set up in the bushes by the Ruins door." She answered with a smirk. "I must say, it captured quite a few great candid moments of you Sans. I particularly enjoyed the ones where you'd get all flustered and blue in the face whenever you got her to really laugh."
Sans sank deeper into his hoodie with a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a defeated sigh. Alphys twittered on, unphased.
"The more I watched though, the more I got it, you two fell in love without even seeing each other's faces, without even knowing each other's names! That's so romantic!" She exclaimed, eyes sparkling and tail wagging a bit behind her. "It reminds me of this one anime where there's this girl who gets a letter from a mysterious person from their school and they become anonymous pen pals who write their deepest thoughts and also just lighthearted records of their days to each other and she slowly realizes she's falling in love with them and then it all comes together in this one scene where..."
Alphys kept on talking at a frenzied pace but Toriel couldn't keep up with her, feeling like all the words were making her head spin. She maybe got the gist of what the lizard monster was saying but even that wasn't certain with just how fast the words were coming. Sans just continued to try to sink into his hoodie as far as possible beside her, face deeply flushed. When Alphys did eventually stop, Toriel blinked a few times and offered a somewhat sheepish smile.
"I... um... I am glad you think so?" She managed after a moment.
Apparently that was an acceptable answer and Alphys grinned before going to sit on a conveniently placed log across from them that Undyne had been watching the exchange from. Toriel breathed a small sigh of relief, feeling more of the nervous weight lift off her soul. Two down, one to go... but that "one" was... She looked back up at Asgore, and caught Sans doing the same. They both already knew he approved of them, at least for Toriel's sake, but the question of how this would color the relationship between him and Sans was still up in the air. She could feel that exact unease from the skeleton beside her, as he stared up at the back of her much larger ex husband, who had been rather unsettlingly quiet since their initial greeting. Before anything could be said or done in regards to that though, Asgore abruptly looked over his shoulder and and faced them all.
"Well, now that that's settled, what would everyone like, a burger or hotdog? I'm just about finished with these first few." He asked, quite genially.
All except Toriel and Sans were quick to voice their preference, and Asgore nodded, taking note. In response to their notable silence, he looked over at Toriel in particular, and she tried not to show her inner unease and quickly increasing confusion as he did so.
"Toriel, would you mind fetching me the buns and condiments from the table?" He asked, still notably casual as could be.
She blinked, the question taking a moment to set in. His complete lack of a more notable response to all this took her rather off guard, as she had at least been expecting... something. She wasn't sure what, but certainly not this sort of near perfect normalcy.
"Um... alright..." She replied, the words coming out slow with confusion.
She shared an equally puzzled look with Sans before getting up and rounding the table to fetch the bags of hamburger and hotdog buns along with the various toppings that had been brought along. As she worked to open one of the bags with the tip of her claw, she saw Asgore finally look down at Sans directly as Alphys began loading all the finished food from the grill onto a plate, and she felt her soul twinge nervously. Even with things at least partially smoothed out between herself and Asgore, there was something instinctually reactive that flared up inside her seeing her ex husband towering over Sans like that, even if Asgore's expression was nothing but friendly. She paused in her work to watch, tensing up and preparing to intervene if need be.
"Howdy Sans, you haven't told me what you want yet. What are you in the mood for?" Asgore asked with a smile, leaning down a bit to better address the small skeleton.
Sans looked up at him with a terribly nervous grin from deep within his hood, and perhaps the tiniest hint of intimidation showed in his eyelights. It was a far cry from the confident way he'd confronted Asgore that one stormy night, though considering the difference between the situations, plus the fact some of Sans' nerves were no doubt fueled by thoughts of that very night, it wasn't too surprising.
"u-uh... heya... asgore." The skeleton managed to get out in response, looking like he'd rather be anywhere than where he was in that moment. "i... well... uh..."
Asgore quirked a brow in a confused expression, his bi-colored eyes still reflecting nothing suspicious or negative.
"Golly, are you still not feeling well? It is not like you to avoid eating." He noted, with a hint of concern.
Sans' grin grew a bit more strained, though he tried to hide it with a weak sort of chuckle before shaking his head.
"n-no, i'm... i'm fine, heh. guess i just thought you'd be... y'know..." He trailed off again, more sweat drops appearing on his skull.
It seemed it wasn't necessary for Sans to finish that thought, for Asgore caught onto the implication right away. The emotion in his eyes became sympathetic and a touch surprised as he frowned a little in response.
"Goodness, now why would you think a thing like that?" He asked, sounding legitimately confused. "We're friends aren't we? And you've made the monster dearest to me happy. Why would I be upset with you?"
Sans seemed a bit lost for words in the wake of that, simply blinking up at the much larger monster with a still quite bewildered expression. Toriel though, felt more of the reality behind Asgore's words and could see it in the other boss monster's eyes. Even now, a century after their separation, she could still read him rather easily. The sentiments behind his words were true, but she could still see that same small hesitation and pain he'd expressed yesterday when the topic of hers and Sans' relationship came up. It was small and thoroughly controlled, but still there. She again felt a pang in her soul, followed by a touch of gratitude for the fact Asgore would choose to be so kind to Sans despite everything the skeleton surely had to represent to him.
Sans seemed quite grateful too, even if it was a little harder to see in his expression beyond the nervousness and confusion. After a moment, he managed a reply to the King of monsters, uneasy grin softening up a bit.
"heh... w-well... when you put it that way..." He said with a small shrug of his shoulders, before seemingly forcing himself to meet Asgore's bi-colored eyes.
"so... are we like... cool then?" He asked, slowly.
Asgore immediately shot him a wide smile and reached out a paw to give the skeleton a friendly pat on the skull. Perhaps a bit too roughly though, as the boss monster's large paw smooshed Sans down into his hoodie even further as he did.
"Oh yes! We are most "cool"!" Asgore assured him with a cheerful tone.
He said the word in question in a way that was remarkably uncool, even to someone as out of the know as Toriel, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit.
"Don't you worry about that, Sans. I do hope that idea hasn't been causing you stress today, You should be cheerful on a day like this!" Asgore insisted, stopping his unintentional assault on Sans' skull and placing both paws on his knees. Now, what would you like from the grill?"
It took Sans a moment to recover enough to answer the sudden question. He rubbed at his now surely aching skull in what was likely the most nonchalant way he could muster. Still, his smile now seemed far more genuine and something of a more lighthearted chuckle escaped him.
"heh, alright..." He replied, visibly relaxing by degrees. "a dog' would uh... be nice. thanks."
Asgore seemed all too happy, perhaps a little forcibly so, to finally get an answer from Sans. He brought his paws together and straightened up in preparation to fulfill the skeleton's request.
"Great! And for the topping?" He asked.
Toriel thought that was a silly question. Everyone knew what Sans' favorite topping was by now, but she reasoned this was likely just another effort by Asgore to be cordial.
"just uh... ketchup." Sans replied, confirming the obvious before offering a lazy shrug and wink in Asgore's direction. "i don't typically like tomate my food too complicated, heh."
Asgore's expression fell slightly to something a touch unamused, clearly not finding the pun all that funny. Her ex-husband had never been especially fond of Toriel's jokes either, but had been willing to humor her and play along for her sake all that time ago. He didn't seem to have it in him to extend that same patience to Sans though, perhaps in part because he was being reminded that wonderfully awful jokes like that had been a big part of initially sparking Toriel and Sans' relationship in the first place. Not helped of course by the immediate, only vaguely muffled laugh she let out from her place behind the table. But Asgore quickly worked up a more forced grin and offered at least a curtesy laugh to the skeleton's quip.
"Ahahaha... yes... good one..." He managed before turning back to the grill. "Coming right up."
Even with Asgore's less than amused reaction, Sans still seemed relieved and much more content than before. He shot Toriel a small, meaningful glance over his shoulder as she recovered from giggling and she met his gaze with an equally clear look of relief. They must have been caught up staring at one another for a few moments, because Asgore suddenly speaking up again nearly made her jump.
"Everything okay back there, Toriel?" He asked, still with his back to them.
Toriel shook herself, letting the heavier implications of what had just occurred roll off her shoulders for the moment. Surely it would all be easier to, ha, digest once they had all had a good meal in them. Frisk's toast this morning was certainly good, if a bit crispy, but it was certainly not all that filling. Her soul gave off another sharp hunger pang that quickly focused her mind back to the task she'd been assigned.
"Uh, y-yes. Be right there." She answered back, quickly cutting open the other bag of hamburger buns and carefully gathering everything up in her arms.
As she walked back over to Asgore, it occurred to her that she had not yet indicated her own meal preference and she decided to do so before he asked and potentially dragged her into a conversation of their own. Even if things were going surprisingly well in many respects, she still wasn't too keen on being around him more than what was considered polite. It had only been a day after all since their attempts at reconciliation had started, and in that regard, this had already been more than enough. Still, she was once again grateful that no sick feeling churned about in her soul when she briefly stood beside Asgore and set the buns and condiments on the grill's prep table.
"I will take a hotdog as well if you do not mind." She said, with perhaps just a hint of stiffness, but balanced by a small smile. "With some lettuce and hot sauce."
Normally she'd insist on prepping the food herself, but Asgore seemed quite happy and even eager to prepare everyone's meals, so she decided to leave it to him for now. If it cheered him up further from the poor state he'd been in the past few days, then there was no harm in giving him that. His smile warmed considerably at her words, restored from its momentary faltering due to Sans' joke. She could tell there was much he wanted to say to her as his gaze met hers for a moment before he spoke again. But he thankfully, had the will to simply nod and offer the short, expected answer.
"Of course. Thank you, Toriel." He said in a polite, quiet manner before turning back to his work and beginning to fulfill the requests that had been sent his way.
After all that, it didn't take long for everyone to get their "orders" and begin enjoying their meals. Frisk with Flowey in tow had to be fetched from up a tree they'd decided to climb and Papyrus had to be fished from the pond after Undyne "accidentally" tossed him in before diving in again after him. Apparently the fish monster had forgotten that skeletons notably did not have the ability to swim, given that they lacked the necessary components for it. Thankfully, they had no need to breathe either, otherwise Papyrus' brief time being stuck at the bottom of the pond before Undyne dived down to get him would have been far more panic inducing for everyone.
But the wet and somewhat grumpy skeleton along with everyone else were soon gathered at the picnic table and enjoying their meals. And with Papyrus being Papyrus, he perked up again rather quickly. Toriel was glad to have most of the attention taken off her and Sans for a while as everyone partook in casual chatter as they ate. An occasional question along with a knowing look or two was directed at where they were sitting together, but it never lasted as long or felt quite as embarrassing as before. The relief of having the information finally out in the open and addressed allowed her to focus on all the joyful warmth still enveloping her soul instead. A warmth she could tell he shared from what she could feel from the pulses of his nearby soul.
Papyrus also let slip the other wonderful news of the day, leading to many more elated reactions and congratulations. It struck Toriel to see how happy they all seemed for Sans finally getting his HP up a bit, all recognizing just how dire his situation had been for so long. He'd been a bit overwhelmed by being the subject of so much positive attention once more, but had no less been clearly, deeply touched, especially when Alphys came over and gave him a meaningful hug. It was so wonderful to see, especially in light of what she had told him that morning. She had assured him then that he was so very loved, and everyone had more than proved that today.
Eventually, after some partook in seconds and even thirds, everyone had had their fill. Toriel assumed the initial plan had been for everyone to head home shortly after that, but somehow, everyone seemed to silently agree to stay. Sans and Toriel took to sitting in the shade of a tree on a small hill close by to watch Frisk attempt to play fetch with the dog. But the canine had also thoroughly stuffed himself with bits of the meal that had been offered to him beneath the table, so he was far more interested in finding the coziest place to give into his food coma.
He eventually led him to trot over to their tree to hop into and curl up in Toriel's lap, happy to accept the many pets they both offered him as well until he fell asleep. Toriel set her sunhat on the snoozing dog's head, resulting in quite an amusing sight. Not wanting Frisk to be disappointed though, Sans summoned out GB to play with them instead, a task the blaster was most happy to oblige to. At first, Toriel had voiced concern over the idea, given how the blaster had shown aggression towards Frisk in the past. But Sans seemed confident in assuring her it would be fine. And indeed, GB promptly nuzzled Frisk upon being summoned, showing no signs of fear or anger at all. Toriel had a passing thought about Sans' connection to his blaster, and how his better state of mind might be the reason for the sudden change reflected in GB, but it didn't linger for long, lost in the happiness that came with watching the two play and get along at last.
Sans followed the dog's example soon after that, snuggling up against her side and drifting off, still ever with that happy smile on his face. She looped an arm around him to hold him close while her other paw absently stroked the dog's soft white fur. Both their warmth against her and their soft snoring was quite soothing, especially combined with the contented peace she could feel from her dear skeleton's soul. She may have joined the two of them in their nap if her motherly instincts didn't insist on her watching Frisk while they played with the blaster. She trusted GB of course, but there was always going to be a bit of caution involved when concerning a being that could shoot deadly lasers from its jaws.
It was no matter, for her vantage point under the tree also allowed her to occupy herself by observing the others. Back at the pond, Undyne had finally coerced Alphys into swimming with her. The lizard monster was floating in a pink pool ring, using her tail to lazily push herself through the water as she watched her girlfriend find as many ways as possible to perform a cannonball jump into the pond, including leaping down from a nearby tree. The splash that one caused nearly sent Alphys all the way back to shore and splashed Papyrus again from where he was helping Asgore clean up everything from their meal, much to his very loud displeasure.
But what attracted her attention most about the scene unfolding below was that Asgore looked to be talking with Flowey as he worked to clear off the table the flower monster's pot was sitting on. It was hard to parse the exact emotions on their faces from the distance, but it looked to her that Asgore was indeed smiling, and it seemed to be a softer, more genuine smile. Flowey had his back to her, keeping his expression a mystery, but his posture seemed to be low and non confrontational, which was certainly a good sign.
She had no idea what they were discussing, but given that she so rarely saw the two interact, it was rather notable. In light of Flowey's odd investment in her and Asgore's reconciliation, she couldn't help but think that must be what the two were talking about. It brought about mixed emotions in her soul, admittedly, but reasoned that she should try not to worry about it too much. Given that Flowey now openly called her mother, perhaps he'd be willing to answer that question and more in due time.
She returned her attention then to Frisk and GB, in time to see them engaging in a playful tug of war with a long stick. Thankfully the blaster was being mindfully gentle in the little game, only pulling just enough to give the human child something of a challenge. That fact allowed Toriel to fully relax again, and she spent quite some time after that just watching her dear friends and family from the shade of the tree and holding close the monster she loved. It was a blessing to know that, she had no real need to be shy about doing so from now on. In his sleep, Sans nuzzled closer and she rested her cheek atop his skull, letting her fretful mind be quieted and her soul be soothed by his presence as she continued to watch her child and GB with a warm, fond smile.
Time passed that way and before long the sun was starting to dip low in the sky, casting everything in the warm, muted colors of evening. It was around then that Undyne called everyone back down to the pond, leading them all not to their original spot, but to a new one across the way with a fire pit. Chairs had already been set up around it and Asgore's familiar bright orange flames danced within the stone circle. A pile of fire pokers and an extra chair full of bags of marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers made clear what the fish monster had planned for them.
"I got hooked on these while on our beach trip with Pap!" She had said after leading them over. "You all gotta try em, they get stuck in your teeth a bit, but they taste AMAZING!"
After that, it didn't take long for everyone to gather around the fire and begin roasting marshmallows. Though in Undyne's case, she quite literally roasted them and eventually required Papyrus' help to ensure she made something actually edible. Toriel ended up with both Sans and Frisk sitting on her lap, the latter happily taking over with the majority of marshmallow roasting duty. Her child showed Toriel had to properly construct a "s'more", a treat she'd seen others make before by had never tried herself. Undyne was right about the marshmallow getting stuck to her teeth, especially her fangs, but she was also right about them being delicious. Sans also found them a suitable incentive to wake up for, glad to partake in all the s'mores Frisk made for him. Though she was quite glad to see more signs of the two of them at ease with each other, Toriel had to remind them both to stop after eating three, if only for their health.
After that, Sans was dragged off by Alphys , Undyne and Frisk for some experiment involving the potential of marshmallows cooked by the magical flames GB could produce. Papyrus followed along, mostly to voice his dissent over the whole thing. While Toriel was admittedly quite curious as to what sort of outcome would come of all that, she also saw the situation as an non ignorable excuse to do something she'd been putting off. Her eyes drifted over to where Asgore was sitting, somewhat awkwardly crammed into a pop up chair that was straining to hold his weight. Flowey was in the cup holder of the chair, noisily chewing bites of the s'more Asgore had made for him. The other boss monster was looking at the flower monster with a sort of hesitantly amused fondness in his eyes.
A soft sigh left Toriel, lost to the crackle of the fire and carrying her lingering anxiety with it. As much as she, admittedly selfishly, didn't want to, she knew she should talk to Asgore again. If they were going to make headway in starting over as they had vowed to do, she'd need to be willing to have more conversations with him beyond what had transpired the previous day. Even if most would agree this could be too soon, Toriel feared she easily could slip into her old ways of avoidance if she didn't do something proactive. If she and Asgore were to try to be friends again, they should be able to have normal, casual conversations going forward... right?
She swallowed hard but then composed herself and rose from her chair, walking over to sit in the now vacant chair next to Asgore and Flowey. Part of her wished the flower monster wasn't there to witness her awkward attempts at normalcy, or to potentially mock her for her failure of it, but she reasoned she'd simply have to deal with it. Flowey's eyes noticeably brightened when she came over, and he looked between the two boss monsters with curiosity. Asgore was no less surprised by her actions, eyeing her a bit warily, as though fearful he was in for some harsh words from her. Old habits died hard on both sides it seemed.
"Asgore." She attempted to greet him, flatly.
Well this was already off to a poor start.
"Um... howdy, Toriel..." He replied with equal uncertainty.
Silence followed as she found herself struggling to come up with anything to say. She had things she wanted to say, no doubt, but her mouth felt like it was filled with glue. It seemed Asgore recognized her failing efforts at trying to be civil, and offered a small smile that was equally sympathetic and grateful. He showed her mercy and offered something for their conversation to latch onto.
"So... I take it the flowers I gave you worked rather well, yes?" He asked, gaze briefly drifting over to where Sans and the others were.
Relief met her soul with the question. That was something she could work with, and suddenly she could form words again.
"Indeed, he certainly seemed to like them. I would say they were a good help in aiding the process." She replied in a warmer tone. "I thank you again for that Asgore, and... I thank you for... being kind to him today."
He blinked at that, and though he seemed happy for her words, she didn't miss the fact he looked a bit hurt too.
"Did you really think I would... antagonize him over this or something?" He asked, frowning.
Toriel felt a sting of guilt again, but willfully ignored it as she shook her head in response.
"No... but... I know it must not be easy for you. So it means a lot to me, that you would do that." She explained, eyes briefly falling to the flames in the fire pit.
That brought back his smile, and his bicolored eyes shone in the flickering firelight. Though there was still some ancient sadness in those eyes, he seemed more than content with her answer.
"Think nothing of it. I'm glad to see he seems to be doing much better now with you at his side, just as you are happier with him at yours." He said.
He paused and looked back at the others again, then at her and Flowey, then back to the firepit. His expression then was one of warmth and peaceful resignation, but it also carried noticeable flickers of hope.
"I know things will be messy and strained between many of us for a while yet, but I would like to consider all of us as something of a family, brought together by circumstance... and one very determined young human."
His words hung and then settled on her soul. They were not immediately accepted, as a portion of her hesitations still wished to rear its ugly head, but she did keep the concept there to be thoughtfully considered. The young human in question let out an audible laugh from across the way as GB, with Sans lazily riding on top of him, playfully chased them about. It was an amusing sight of course, but in lieu of Asgore's words, Toriel simply focused on the same feelings of pride she felt for Frisk. Even with all their grievous wrongdoing in the past, they had forged a ideal future for all of monsterkind, a future where all their hopes and dreams could indeed be possible. All of them would always be in debt to them for that... As well as always be at their mercy, given their power to reset at any moment.
But Toriel would not allow herself to dwell on that fear. She truly believed in the vow her child had made to Sans, especially after their emotional response to his HP gain this morning. The love they had for everyone was genuine, and they would never steal that happiness from them again, not after all this. As their mother, she'd help ensure that by providing them all the love she could offer. Them, and the flower monster they cared for so much.
A brief silence stretched between the three again. But it was a comfortable silence this time, one that did not demand to be broken like before. Flowey seemed contented too, curling up in his pot to relax, though notably still listening in. Eventually Toriel was the one to speak up, after watching her dear skeleton for some time. And It was a nagging question that had been on her mind for a while.
"Asgore... have you yet considered... pursuing a new partner as well? Has anyone up here... caught your eye?" She asked, a touch cautiously.
Both Asgore and Flowey seemed surprised at the question, with Asgore in particular blinking back at her before offering a vaguely sheepish smile and running a paw through his beard.
"Haha... well... I know it's been... a very, very long time... But I still don't know if I am quite ready for that yet." He admitted, in a soft tone. "I am getting there though... and there have been a fair few folks, monster... and human, surprisingly... who have asked me. So... perhaps soon. I just need a little more time up here I think... The closure and reconciliation you have offered me will certainly help with that though."
Now it was Toriel's turn to be a touched surprised, mostly at the mention of humans asking him out. The idea of that sent an unbidden pang of unease throughout her soul, admittedly, but she had to admit that it was a good sign in the long run for monster-human relations. She let out a thoughtful hum of consideration at it all before nodding absently.
"I see... Well, I wish you the best with that then." She said in the usual flat tone before a small, teasing sort of smile willed itself up on her face. "And I promise to be nice to them too. Whoever they turn out to be."
That actually made him chuckle, and it was a relief that it felt good to hear it. He looked as though he were going to say something in the same jovial tone back, but then a sudden expression of realization crossed his features.
"Oh, Toriel, forgive me, I nearly forgot again." He said, before quickly turning and fishing something out of his jeans pocket. I have been meaning to give you this. I should have given it you yesterday, but I am afraid it slipped my mind amongst... everything else going on."
He then handed her what seemed to be a letter of some kind, very official like with a seal stamp and everything. It was also addressed to both her and Asgore in a fancy show of penmanship. She gently took the letter from him and tilted it in the firelight to better make out the words.
"Ebott Historical Preservation Society?" She said, speaking the words as she read them.
The name didn't ring any bells. She looked back at Asgore with a questioning look in her eyes.
"What is this?"
Asgore tried to give a reassuring smile but it still came off a strained. There weren't any tells she could see in his expression to the nature of the letter though, his falterings having more to do with the awkwardness between them than anything else.
"Ah well, I think you should let it be a bit of a surprise for when you get home." He said, purposely vague it seemed. "I was going to open it, but I was told what it contained and it's far more meaningful to you than it is to me. Though it might... well... consume your thoughts if you open it now, and I know you want to spend today focusing on... other things..."
That hint of a teasing glint re-entered his eyes as he said that, and he directed another purposeful glance at Sans. A now all too familiar heat rose up on Toriel's face and she looked away instinctually with a soft huff. She considered that the statement was fair enough, but she still didn't like the idea of him of all monsters goading her like that. Still, she willed herself to give him a nod and thank him before slipping the letter into her purse. There was no way that she wouldn't be partially consumed by curiosity the rest of the evening, but she figured she could follow his advice and wait to open it when she got home.
At that, she considered she'd spoken enough with Asgore for it to count towards progress and politely excused herself. He was happy to accept that and thanked her in turn for her time. Flowey said nothing, but met her gaze with something of an approving look before promptly pulling her ex-husband into a conversation of their own. She was glad for that, feeling guilty enough as it was for her need to step away. At least Asgore would continue to have some company, even if Flowey wasn't always the most pleasant monster to be around.
She decided then to return to Sans and the others, squinting and scanning the increasing darkness for them. She spotted the others sitting and chatting in the grass while Frisk showed Papyrus how to braid and weave flowers into Undyne's long red hair. The fish monster was certainly not the type to usually enjoy such things, but she seemed to be willing to put up with it for the child's sake. The fact that Alphys was snuggled up in her lap and showing her something, likely some anime, on her phone during the process probably helped too. Notably though, Sans was not with them, nor GB for that matter. After a few more moments of searching, she spotted him and his blaster over at the cooler and bags of leftovers. She rolled her eyes with a fondly amused kind of exasperation and walked over to him.
"Are you truly still hungry, my dear?" She asked with a chuckle as she approached him, wearing a teasing sort of smile.
Even if it was a bit silly as to how much a skeleton of all monsters could eat, she found that in light of how little he'd been eating before showing signs of improvement, seeing him regain his large appetite was more of a relief than anything. He turned upon hearing her, indeed with another hotdog in his hand. But this one was slathered in mustard and what looked to be burger bits, not at all his usual choice of topping.
"heh, heya tori." He said to her with a wide smile, before looking at the hot dog in his hand. "its uh... not for me actually. figured i'd give gb a few, since he missed out on them earlier."
True to his word, he held it out to the blaster and GB eagerly, but carefully took it from him and gobbled it up. His jaws moved in a motion similar to chewing and filled with a faint blue glow as the food was burnt up into magical energy. He then purred deeply in gratitude and nuzzled into Sans, prompting the skeleton to give him a pet across the muzzle.
"much better than the ones i used to make, huh pal?" He quipped with a wink. "helps to have real meat instead of water sausages."
He gave GB one more pat before beginning to prep him another hotdog. Toriel decided to sit in the grass beside Sans, fondly watching him work. As he pulled out the bottle of mustard and began lathering it on the hotdog, Toriel couldn't help but question it.
"He likes... mustard?" She asked, as though it were something shocking.
Sans sighed dramatically and nodded, a purposeful look of disappointment on his face. GB just warbled with something like laughter, watching his wielder prepare his next treat with sparkling eyelights.
"yup... truly i failed him somewhere along the line. i'll convert him one of these days." He vowed with another wink.
GB grumbled his dissent, nudging the mustard covered hotdog. Sans sighed again but his eyelights twinkled with good humor as he handed it over. The blaster quickly devoured it just as he had the other. Once finished, he looked up at Sans with what could only be called "puppy dog eyes" and whined plaintively.
"alright... but just one more, buddy." Sans relented with a chuckle.
As he set about preparing the third and final hotdog, he sat down beside Toriel and levitated all the necessary ingredients down with him. He casually leaned against her side as he began coating the last hotdog with mustard. She hummed happily in her throat in response, wrapping an arm lightly around him. Her touch summoned a light dusting of cyan on his cheekbones and made his hand briefly shake a bit as he applied the condiment, but he recovered quickly, apparently quite the hotdog preparing master. As he finished up, Toriel decided to ask a question that felt needed after all the events of the day.
"How are you holding up after everything, my dear?" She asked, lightly rubbing his arm.
He offered her a warm, but clearly tired smile in response, along with a shrug of his shoulders.
"eh, just glad it's all over and bun with, until monday at the school at least." He quipped as he finished and handed the final hotdog to GB.
As the blaster ate, Sans levitated the ingredients back into the bags and then settled more comfortably against Toriel. Another soft sigh left him, but this one was contented, at ease.
"honestly, this all went way better than i expected..." He said, easing his sockets shut.
Toriel smiled at that as her inevitable giggles tapered off, the truth of those words settling over her soul. It made her think back on what Asgore had remarked about all of them, and her eyes briefly swept over everyone, taking in all the happy expressions and close bonds of all kinds being displayed. It allowed her ex-husband's words to find further acceptance within her soul. Not full acceptance, at least in regards to Asgore himself, but enough that she felt confident to say what she did next.
"I mustard say I agree." She quipped back, drawing out the pun in order to get a good chuckle out of him.
It succeeded and once the bit of joviality passed, she went on in a more genuine tone.
"It really has. We are... so very blessed to have such a wonderful family."
The impact of those words was not lost on her dear skeleton, and he promptly re-opened his sockets and looked up at her. There wasn't much surprise in his gaze, and what little there was faded away rather quickly, replaced by a warmth that made his eyelights shine brightly within their sockets. It was an idea he too was hesitant to fully accept, but for very different reasons. And it was notable that they both were able to at least mostly allow the sentiment in that moment.
"yah, you said it." He agreed with a nod.
He was quiet again for a few moments, blush reappearing as he seemed to be debating something with himself. From behind him, GB gave an amused, rumbling purr and gave him a nudge towards Toriel with his muzzle. Sans turned to shoot the blaster a flat look over his shoulder, only for GB to nudge him again with a more insistent little grumble. He sighed and his blush deepened as he forced himself to look back up at her. Without saying anything he got up on his knees and slowly laid his hand against her cheek, phalanges slipping through the soft white fur there. Toriel had been purposely, perhaps playfully, waiting for him to make the move. It was clear what he wanted, but she wished to encourage him to be more bold in pursuing things like this.
When she gave him a cheerful wink of approval, he let out a breathless little chuckle before gently pulling her face down to meet his own. She moved to cup his cheekbone with a paw in turn, holding him close. The kiss then felt special in a different way than before. He seemed to focus some magic behind it, and it met her lips where they touched his teeth. It was an interesting sensation, something akin to static electricity perhaps, mixed with a warmth that drew her in deeper. Perhaps this was the usual way skeletons showed this kind of affection? She got the feeling that it was showing itself now that his confidence was growing, though she couldn't necessarily be sure of that. Whatever the case, she enjoyed it immensely, and the sensation continued to leave her lips faintly tingling once they pulled apart again.
Their little display did not go unnoticed, and that didn't just apply to GB, who was purring louder than ever and attempting to nuzzle them both at once. Once reality crept back in through the happy haze, they quickly noticed all the amused and enthralled expressions looking their way. At that point though, they were just giddy enough to not really pay them much mind. They did grin at Undyne, who, likely seeing their display of affection as a challenge of sorts, promptly planted a far more passionate kiss on Alphys' lips. Toriel had long since given up on trying to make them not do such things in front of Frisk, at least not so... aggressively, and could only sigh at the sparkly eyed expression her child had on their face as they watched the display. She had to concede victory to the other couple though, in Undyne's perceived game at least, but that was fine with her. She got the feeling she and Sans were right at the level they were meant to be, even if Undyne would likely call them "weenies" for it.
She and Sans kept bright smiles on their faces as Toriel scooped him up in another show of dramatics and carried him back to sit by the fire. Everyone soon joined them again, and they all spent the rest of their time together partaking in the warm, and admittedly, familial atmosphere. To have such a big family, a new love to call her own, and far less old weight and grudges to weigh her down. It was more than Toriel ever dreamed she could have during her time languishing away alone in the Ruins. And right then, she was sure it was a new life that would last.
But all the while, thoughts of that letter from before prodded at the edges of her mind. For the moment, the letter would keep whatever apparently surprising information it carried a secret, and Toriel could only hope that what it contained wasn't something that she should be worried about when the time came to open it.