Thanks to the full day and the long, late night of celebrating, it was afternoon by the time Frisk got up. They had expected Toriel to wake them earlier- she had said that she didn't want them to ruin their sleeping- but they weren't sorry to have slept so long.
They got up to fully open the window. There was revelry outside, either restarted or still continuing; not as noisy as the day before, but present none the less. They smiled and leaned against the windowsill, enjoying the breeze, gazing out the window at Toriel's garden, primarily being used by Asgore and Frisk; his garden was to teach them how to grow food and flowers, this one was for putting it into practice however they chose. There were birds enjoying the sunlight, splashing and bathing in the large birdbath. They made a mental note to give their plants some water later.

They eventually straightened up and stretched, yawning. They picked up a t-shirt as they headed to the door, pulling it on as they left the room, padding barefoot to the top of the stairs.
There were voices.
They paused, listening. They couldn't hear any words, but they could easily pick out gentle tones of Toriel, and the deeper words of Sans. Perhaps her laughter had woken them; she wasn't laughing now, but Frisk knew that the bad jokes that had started their friendship continued to this day. They heard no other voices taking part in their conversation- perhaps it was just the two of them.
Frisk tried to sneak down the stairs, to see if they could hear what they were talking about. They didn't want to intrude if they would be unwelcome; but they did want to see Sans before he left.
The first words they made out, however, were from him.
"Sounds like they're up now."
They were rumbled. They had time to straighten up and start making their way casually down the stairs before Toriel poked her head around the door and smiled up at them.

"Ah! There you are, my dear. We were just talking about you."
"Oh- should I, um, go back upstairs?"
"No, no, do not be silly. Come and have some breakfast- there are lots of leftovers that need to be eaten."
She passed through the hallway into the kitchen, and Frisk followed. She hadn't been wrong- from pie to some of Papyrus' spaghetti, a greater selection that they remembered seeing her prepare loaded their fridge and sat on the counter. It seemed she'd brought home quite the variety. They bit their lip, unsure.

"Do you not know what to have?" Toriel leaned over their head to move things. She'd been much more concerned about what they ate since she'd started researching the effects of food on the human body with Alphys- gone were the days of pie for every meal, although she still firmly believed in good food and regular treats, so Frisk didn't mind too much. They watched as she pulled out one of the many bowls.
"Would you like it if I made you a salad, to go with these curried chickpeas?" Frisk nodded; it was too warm for hot food or anything heavy.
"Very well- I will do that, if you would like to see our guest." Frisk gave her a hug and ran off to do so.

He was sat at the dining room table, an empty plate in front of him and one of Frisk's sketchbooks in his hand. It was the one that tended to stay in the dining room for when they were hit with the urge to draw- as such, it wasn't too personal, although it still felt a little awkward to see him idly looking through it. Mostly filled with sketches of their friends and parents, they had to wonder if any of them had caught his eye.
"Heyy, good morning Frisk." He grinned at them over the sketchbook. "Thought you were gonna sleep all day."
"Yeah..." Frisk sat next to him and helped themself to his tea. "I don't know why Toriel didn't wake me up, but I'm not complaining! But, uh, I might if she makes me go to bed at the same time as usual." They pulled a face.
"Wouldn't worry about that, kiddo."
"Is this where you tell me what you two were saying about me?"
"It might be. Maybe I should tell you about Papyrus' new puzzle ideas instead."

Frisk groaned and stuck their tongue out at him. He chuckled.
"Okay, kid. How'd you like to come and look at the stars with me?"
Frisk turned to look out the window. "I think it's a bit late for that."
"Well, there's one star we could look at..."
"Hmm. No, I like being able to see, thanks."
"Heh. Seriously, though. Do you want to?"
"Sure! I mean- is that what you were talking about, is it okay with mum?"
Sans seemed happy at their answer. "Sure was. Since you were up so late last night and there's no school, I figured she might finally agree to it- your sleeping's already messed up. Plus there might be some stuff of interest up there tonight."
"'Finally agree to it'?" Frisk frowned, confused. "I only asked her once, in the winter holiday, and she said it was too cold... Did you mention it to her since then?"
He looked down at the sketchbook. "I brought it up a couple of times, yeah. You know," he changed the subject, "these are pretty good, kiddo. You've improved a lot."

His attempt at a distraction worked; and even after Toriel brought in Frisk's breakfast, she had to remind them to eat it, as they wanted to talk about their drawings and get some of their other books to share. She finally got them to sit and eat only after Sans made plans to meet them that evening and left.

After getting up so late the day felt short to Frisk, even with the sun starting to set a little later every week; it was well after their usual bed time when Toriel fussed over them as they prepared to leave. They'd had dinner late, and she'd made them pack a jumper and a pair of trousers, despite the warmth of the night; they were relieved to finally get out the house without more than that. Sans had given them a rough idea of where to find him- the path up the mountain and away from the village was rarely walked but had been paved regardless, luminescent mushrooms lining the path and avoiding a misstep on clouded, dark nights.
Not that there was any risk of that tonight, they mused as they made their way towards it; the sky was perfect for stargazing, the stars and moon bright and not a cloud to be seen. The path wound past Alphys' lab- that was as far as Frisk usually went, but they continued past the familiar turning. The path twisted and turned through the trees that the monsters had seen little reason to remove; crickets chirped and a soft hoot of an owl filled the air. The stars were so clear here, vivid and bright, especially tonight, without the fires of celebration; no light pollution to diminish them. Frisk stopped to gaze up at them, millions of pinpricks of light; clusters and scatters, some barely visible and others so large they'd be visible even in the cities.

They continued. The sky was beautiful, but Sans would be waiting to experience it together. They continued on as the path came to the banks of the stream. The sound of the water in the dark was soothing- it amazed them the way the world came alive when everyone was in bed. It wasn't quiet or still, it was full of tiny movements and sounds, and Frisk was part of it.
They were, in fact, a very warm part of it. The sun was not long down; the spring air would cool soon enough, but for now the evening still held the memory of sunlight and their bag was heavy; the exertion warmed them, and they weren't sorry to hear the rush of water from ahead.
The small waterfall was where Sans said he would be. They picked up the pace; from here, they couldn't see him, even with the stars and moonlight, but he would be there. They didn't doubt it for a moment.

The stones underfoot became damp as they reached the waterfall. They stopped and took a deep breath, savouring the clean air and the light mist on their face, before glancing around. Their eyes searched the dim light as they slowly spun in place, searching.
They had walked past him. He was leaning against a tree, facing them; his skull bright where the moonlight filtered through the branches and his eyes glowing, fixed on them. They smiled and headed over; not wanting to say anything, as if the magic of the night would be broken if they made too much noise.
Sans had no such qualms. "'Sup, Frisk. You ready?"
"Yes!" Their voice came out as a whisper- albeit an enthusiastic one. Sans' eyes shone and as he shifted position, they could read the amusement on his face.

"This way then." He headed through the trees and off the path. Frisk followed; their eyes down to make sure they didn't stumble. They had been told not to wander away from the paths around the village- but they were with Sans, and their only concern was not mentioning it to Toriel.
They became aware of him walking alongside them instead of in front of them; touching their elbow to steer them around trees that they were too busy staring at the ground to see. He used his magic to shine a gentle light on the ground, making it a little easier on them; and he caught their arm when they caught their foot on a branch and stumbled. After that, he held their arm tucked in his.
It added to the magic of the night. With him guiding them they were able to look up more, at the trees and the shafts of moonlight through them. There wasn't too much underbrush- at least along the route he was taking them- and it was peaceful and serene, only their steps louder than the quiet whisper of the trees or the scurrying of some nocturnal creature. With Sans' arm holding theirs and the feeling that they were utterly safe with him, they felt as though there was only the two of them in the entire world; nothing to hurt them or to clamour for their attention. There was only this, the here and now.

Finally they came out in a clearing. A great tree had fallen here; a hint of roots still visible to the air, but the branches- they hung out over nothingness. A cliff fell away and Frisk felt a sudden twist in their stomach at what could have happened if they had been here, in the dark, alone.
They weren't, though. A section of the tree's trunk had crudely carved away to form a makeshift bench, on which sat a bag and a couple of blankets. And in the middle was set up a telescope.
This was what Sans had wanted to share with them.

"Wow," they breathed. They let go of his arm and stepped as close as they dared to the cliff- it wasn't too high, but the ground below was rocky, resulting in a wider area without trees to obscure the sky. They could see the gleam of moonlight off dark water below, between the rocks and the distant treeline.
They were aware of Sans stepping up next to them as they breathed in lungfuls of air, lifting their arms to feel the gentle breeze come up from the cliff.
"Want to take a proper look over it?"
"Huh?" Frisk turned to look at him, confused. His face was easy to see in the moonlight; but not so easy to read.
He raised one hand, his left eye starting to glow; a slight answering shimmer around his hand as he flexed his fingers meaningfully.
"Oh, um... If... Is that safe? I mean-"
"I won't drop you, kiddo."
Frisk gazed at him for a long moment. Fear niggled at them, the memory of falling threatened to make the decision for them; but when he said that he wouldn't drop them, they believed it, completely. They nodded and the strange weightlessness instantly enveloped them as he lifted them off their feet; elevating them up, so they could see above the trees.

"Oh... Wow, this is- Wow!" Frisk laughed, no longer feeling the need to stay hushed; they slowly spun in place to look over the cliff. "I can see- lights in the distance, and then the sky and the stars, and... Oh, the trees..." They were no words for the sight they were seeing; silver lining the trees and the brilliant uncountable sparkles in the sky, mirrored far in the distance by a small collection of lights from some town; the bright reflection of the moon on the lake they could now discern below, shining as bright as the one in the sky. They felt like they'd been shown a secret nobody else had ever seen before- and as they glanced down, they realised that it was probable that nobody had. Not from here, with nothing holding them up from a terrifying fall but the blue glow of magic.
"I- I think I want to come down, now," Frisk said, their voice strangled. Sans complied immediately, placing them expertly on their feet. They were getting used to him lifting them by now- but never before had they been so relieved to have solid ground under them, nor so moved by what they had seen. They stepped away from the edge as Sans got his breath back.
"Whew- good thing you didn't want to stay up there all night, buddy. You okay?"

"Okay?" Frisk laughed. "I- wow. Thank you! That was... Amazing. This place is amazing! Thank you for bringing me here."
"Heh." Sans didn't look at Frisk; he looked touched, but a little embarrassed. "No worries, bucko. Glad you liked it." He busied himself at the telescope, his face hidden in the darkness.
Frisk headed over to the seat and ran one hand along it. It wasn't as rough to the touch as it looked; they weren't likely to get a splinter from it. There were points where it was smoother, worn, where the signs of the tools used to carve it out had been worn away by use.
"Was this all your doing?"
"I didn't uproot the tree," Sans said, glancing over his shoulder at them.
"You know that's not what I meant!"
He leaned back. "I had to have somewhere to sit, didn't I?"

Frisk sat next to the blankets. "How long have you been coming out here?"
Sans came over and sat next to them. "I found this place pretty soon after we left the Underground.
Frisk looked over the cliff. "It's... beautiful here."
Sans' gaze was fixed on the heavens instead of the horizon. "I agree with you there, kiddo."

There was a peaceful pause between them. The quiet rustle of the trees and the distant hooting of the owl lulled Frisk, and they found themself starting to get sleepy. They leaned against Sans, looking upwards with half-closed eyes.
They felt him shift before they really processed what they had seen; then they sat up, too.
"You saw that?"
"Yup. I read there was supposed to be a few meteors visible tonight and tomorrow night. Too bad it wasn't last night."
"With all the fires, it might have been hard to see them..."
"You know, kid, monsters used to wish on little... shining rocks, in a certain area of Waterfall. We didn't have stars."
"Yeah... I know." Frisk looked at him; his eyes were still scanning the sky, and they turned their own gaze back upwards. "Humans wish on shooting stars. I guess because you've got to be lucky to see one, it makes it more meaningful or something."
"Did you make a wish?"
"No... It was gone before I realised what I was seeing!" Frisk pouted. "Maybe we'll see another one. Did you make a wish?"
"Yeah, I wished-"
"Nooooo!" Frisk flailed dramatically at him, overbalancing themself. He didn't catch them this time, letting them roll onto the ground giggling. "You're not supposed to tell!"

"Heh. Alright, bucko, maybe I should actually show you what I brought you here for, before you fall asleep on me."
Frisk watched him step over them, sitting up once he was clear. "You didn't bring me here to show me this place?"
"Nah- not just that." He crouched next to the telescope. Frisk headed over.
"It's not just going to leave ink all around my eye, is it?"
"Nope."
"Okay..." Frisk knelt down and looked into the eye piece.

If they had thought the night sky looked clear and bright before, it was nothing to what they saw through the telescope. Tiny specks of light too small to be seen by the naked eye were thrown into sharp relief, and the larger stars were bold and bright, vivid in the circle of sky.
They felt Sans' hand on their shoulder and pulled back. He pointed into the sky, guiding their line of sight; telling them what stars to look at, and where to look from them. They followed his words, looking from the sky to the telescope and back, until they could see the exact collection of stars it was trained on.
Even Frisk had heard of Cassiopeia; they listened silently as Sans pointed out the individual stars and mentioned the mythical queen the constellation was named after. Then he took over the telescope and found Cepheus, showing that one to Frisk; talking of the husband of Cassiopeia, and the five stars that made up his constellation.
They had never given much thought to the names and stories given to the stars before. But as they looked at the stars, listening to Sans talk with more animation than they'd ever heard before, they could see the magic in the tiny pricks of light, so far beyond their reach. They were sure they could listen to him talk about them for hours.

It turned out that Frisk could not listen to Sans talk for hours- at least, not when it was past midnight. They awoke with a start, startled out of their jumbled dreams, memories of sleeping rough, confused for a brief moment as to where they were.
The stars above them and the slow breathing of Sans were enough to remind them. They took a deep breath of the fresh air to centre themself and shifted position. A thick blanket had been tucked around them and they shivered as it fell off; there was a breeze, and the air felt cool and damp, a lot different to the warmth of the evening.

They carefully sat up, wrapping the blanket back around themself. They had fallen asleep on the bench, the other blanket as a pillow. Sans was sat next to them, his head lolling onto his shoulder as he slept.
Trying not to wake him, they shook out the blanket their head had been resting on and started to tuck it around him.
"You know I don't get cold, right kid?"
Frisk frowned; he lifted his head, his eyes half open and trained on their face. "I... forgot." They paused; then continued anyway, snuggling up to him and wrapping the blanket around both of them. Now they had two blankets, and their friend as a pillow. Yawning widely, they curled up, their head on his shoulder.
"S'this okay?" Their voice was heavy with sleep. They felt Sans free one hand and pat their head.
"It's fine, buddy. I can take you home if you want, though."
Frisk shook their head. "No... Go back to sleep." That was all they wanted to do- to stay here, while the night was still fresh and wonderful. To stay here, in this beautiful place, with their friend and the stars overhead; the whispering of the trees as a lullaby, and the dawn chorus of birds- already starting to warm their voices- to wake them to the bright new day.

This chapter almost didn't happen- then I looked back and realised that I'd never had Sans and Frisk watching the stars together, and that there's no place it would fit better than here. So, because Sans apparently doesn't get enough focus, he gets a chapter which was always and only about him and Frisk.

...I'm not too sad about that. I love this chapter. It's just fluff, really highlighting how they're happy and comfortable to simply be together and there's not always angst. And Sans shares something personal that's come to mean a lot to him with Frisk. I wanted to work in Frisk making a joke about the sky and his hoodie, but it didn't fit and felt forced- so rest assured, he's wearing the hoodie they gave him a few chapters ago!

I sincerely apologise to anyone who actually loves stargazing though, hopefully this chapter isn't horrendously unrealistic.

-Ren