"HEY. SANS?"
"'sup?"
"I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE HELP YOU'VE GIVEN ME OVER THE PAST DAY AND A HALF," he said to him. "WITH THE PRACTICE WE DID, AND THE TIPS YOU GAVE ME, AND CHOOSING THE PROPER DATE-WEAR...THAT SOFT-BUT-SOPHISTICATED SWEATER VEST WILL KNOCK HER DEAD, I'M CERTAIN! ERM...NOT LITERALLY, I MEAN. I HOPE NOT, AT LEAST. BUT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A CONCERN...NOW ALL I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS PREPARING THE MEAL FOR TOMORROW! AND DO I HAVE A MEAL PLANNED THAT WILL WOW ANYBODY. JUST PICTURE THIS; A HEAPING PLATE OF STEAMY SPAGHETTI PEPERONCINO WITH MINCED GARLIC, PARSELY, DICED RED CHILI PEPPERS AND A BIT OF EXTRA HOT SAUCE, LIGHTLY COATED IN FRAGRANT OLIVE OIL...SOUND APPETIZING?"
"no offense, but it sounds like it might burn her tongue off."
"WELL, SHE REALLY LIKES SPICY FOOD, SO I FIGURED SHE'D APPRECIATE IT...BUT IF YOU THINK IT'S A BIT EXCESS, I'LL TONE DOWN THE HOT SAUCE."
"you gonna whip that up today or tomorrow?"
"PROBABLY TOMORROW. I KNOW MONSTER FOOD DOESN'T ROT, BUT SOMETIMES THE SPAGHETTI GOES A BIT STALE IN THE FRIDGE. AND WHEN I REHEAT IT, IT'S...JUST NOT EVER AS GOOD AS IT WAS WHEN IT WAS FRESH FROM THE POT. SO I THINK I'LL WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW, NOT LONG BEFORE WE LEAVE SO IT'S STILL NICE AND STEAMY WHEN WE FIND A SPOT TO SIT DOWN!"
"cool beans. 'cuz i was gonna try making a pie tonight, and i didn't want too many cooks in the kitchen."
"OOH! SOMETHING FROM THE COOKBOOK UNDYNE GAVE YOU, PERHAPS?"
"yeah...i made a few adjustments, though."
"WHAT KIND OF PIE IS IT GOING TO BE? APPLE? CHERRY?"
"naw...mixed nut pie. calls for a bunch o' different types of nuts...guess i'm gonna have to put you in the mix."
"WH...SANS, HOW UNCOUTH!"
"joking, joking. heh...so, it calls for a bunch of nuts. almonds, pecans, cashews, stuff like that...i'm adding in a few extra ingredients, though."
"LIKE WHAT?"
"butterscotch."
"OOH..."
"and cinnamon."
"THAT SOUNDS SURPRISINGLY DELICIOUS...WHERE'D YOU GET THE IDEA FOR THAT?"
"you know how i used to go visit the door in the ruins to see the old lady who turned out to be the missing queen?"
"YES, OF COURSE!"
"well, i remember a time where she gave me a few pointers on cooking, and she told me 'bout her 'famous butterscotch-cinnamon pie' and how she made it. wrote everything down and stored the instructions away. decided to incorporate some of the stuff used in it into what i'm makin'...and i was wonderin' if you'd like to take some with ya. does it sound like somethin' she'd like?"
"HMM...I DON'T KNOW. SHE'S NEVER BEEN MUCH OF ONE FOR SUPER SWEET STUFF...BUT JUST IN CASE, I'LL PACK A COUPLE PIECES! I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I KNOW THAT MUCH...I THINK I'LL ASK HER AHEAD OF TIME! THE MAIN COURSE WILL BE THE SURPRISE!"
"sounds like a good idea...um, so...why'd you take us to waterfall, again?"
"I'M SEARCHING FOR GOLDEN FLOWERS, SANS. I KNOW I'VE SEEN SOME GROWING IN WATERFALL BEFORE, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE!"
"oh...ohhhh, i gotcha. trash zone. they grow on the far west end of it. let's pick up the pace."
"WAY AHEAD OF YOU, BROTHER!"
With one swift motion, he scooped Sans off the ground and onto his shoulders.
"LEAD THE WAY! I'LL DO THE LEG WORK!"
"turn south across from blook acres and it's a straight shot from there."
"WE'RE ALMOST THERE, THEN! THERE'S THE GAP! AND THE BIRD!"
He leapt over the small break in the ground easily, and the little yellow bird that assisted monsters in crossing it looked a bit disgruntled by it.
"SORRY, BIRD FRIEND! I'M IN A RUSH TODAY!"
It sighed in acceptance as he disappeared down the path. The minute he came to Blook Acres, he made a hard right and followed the southern path. The damp ground turned to puddles, which quickly turned to shallows...And then he spied the garbage piles stacked up along the path. The surface rubbish seemed to be begging for someone to restore them and make them useful again.
Papyrus put his brother down and began to search for the coveted flowers.
"NO...NO...IN HERE? NO, THAT'S ASTRONAUT FOOD...NOW HOW DID ASTRONAUT FOOD EVEN GET DOWN HERE? THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW. ISN'T THAT VALUABLE UP ON THE SURFACE WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE TO TRAVERSE THE COSMOS? OH, WELL...MAYBE IT WAS AN INCONVENIENT ACCIDENT, IS ALL. WHAT ABOUT OVER AROUND THE CORNER? BY THE ABYSS? NO, NOTHING BUT THE WOOD PLATFORM THERE. BEHIND THIS PILE OF TRASH? NO...I DO HOPE SOMETHING HASN'T FALLEN ATOP THE PATCH AND SQUASHED THEM. THAT WOULD BE MOST DISAPPOINTING...YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE, DO YOU, SANS?"
"..."
"ERM...SANS?"
He turned back to see what his brother was up to, and saw him looking down the abyss, standing almost dangerously close to it. He seemed pretty...thoughtful.
"IS SOMETHING THE MATTER?"
"huh? oh...no, nothin' important. just...thinkin' about stuff, is all."
He was able to read the dark look in Sans' eye sockets like a book; he was upset by something...He was grieving over something lost.
Someone, maybe. And considering where they were at...
"...YOU KNOW," he said to him. "I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT MIGHT BE HARD FOR YOU TO COME HERE...UNDYNE, TOO. I DIDN'T KNOW HER PERSONALLY, BUT I'M SURE THAT ALPHYS WAS A WONDERFUL PERSON AND WAS PROBABLY AN EVEN MORE WONDERFUL FRIEND TO YOU AND UNDYNE...EVEN IF SHE DID LET YOU TWO DOWN AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO METTATON AND ASGORE."
He looked down the abyss; he could see no end to it. Only darkness, stretching down, down, down, perhaps forever, or as long as forever could last...Did Alphys just submit herself to an eternity of falling without end, never to crash, to always be alone in the darkness?
Papyrus visibly shuddered at the idea of such a thing. Something like that was truly a fate worse than death. But all falls had to end at some point, be it in water or on hard ground, so he hoped that couldn't really be the case...Although the thought didn't really make the situation much better.
"IT'S A SHAME, TOO," he continued. "THIS PLACE USED TO BE ONE OF UNDYNE'S FAVORITES, AND NOW...NOW SHE CAN BARELY STAND TO TAKE A GLANCE AT IT."
"i know. it's terrible what happened here...i feel the same way."
His eye sockets were still dark, and the apathetic tone of his voice was quite a bit more solemn than usual.
"...I'LL HURRY UP AND DO WHAT I HAVE TO, THEN," he decided. "I DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU HERE ANY LONGER THAN YOU HAVE TO BE."
He continued down the westward path, past a few more piles of human trash, and then, there, at the very end, right in between two other wood platforms...
"HUZZAH! THERE YOU ARE!"
There was a sizeable patch of the Golden Flowers growing up from a raised spot in the ground, dry enough not to drown the roots in mud, but damp enough to nourish them without anyone's help. The telltale soft, sweet scent they emitted was accented by hints of marsh from their environment.
They were perfect.
The skeleton bent down to collect a few of them, pulling them up by the roots; he didn't particularly like to pick flowers by the stems, since he knew that doing so would make them wither away and die in the end. Perhaps he could plant a few of them in a small pot. Three, perhaps would be enough. And they could keep it on the table to enjoy and tend to. That sounded like a fun pastime.
He had already uprooted two of them, and was now reaching down for a third, particularly large and pretty one, parting the other flowers to get to it...
Only to behold a peculiar surprise.
Another flower had been hidden among the others, and it itself was trying to dig up the very one he'd aimed to get, using its own roots to loosen the dirt around the opposing bloom and push it out of the ground from underneath. It was so focused on its work that it didn't even notice him, despite the two of them facing each other.
Papyrus knew this flower very well. And it'd been months since he'd seen him last.
And the biggest smile spread across his face when he recognized him.
"FLOWERY!"
The flower jumped at the sound of his(mispronounced) name, his hazel eyes going big as he looked up to see who'd addressed him.
"Papyrus...?"
"IT'S YOU! IT'S REALLY YOU! IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE LAST WE SPOKE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, OLD FRIEND?"
"Uh..." he answered, seeming slightly unnerved. "J-just out doing things. I've been sorta busy, with...um...f-flower stuff, you know? Sorry I haven't been around."
"OH, NO NEED TO APOLIGIZE, FLOWERY, I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY. I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
"I'm..."
In past timelines, he'd told him the same thing, but every time, it meant nothing. It was a lie. He didn't enjoy seeing him. He COULDN'T. He had no SOUL to allow him to be happy to see anyone, or to love anyone, or care about them.
...But that had changed.
Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as it dawned on him. For the first time ever, he could say it, and really, truly mean it.
"...I'm happy to see you, too."
"FLOWERY? I-IS SOMETHING WRONG?"
"No, I just..." he sniffed. "I-it's been so long, and...A lot of things have happened to me since the last time we met, and it's all just...It's so great to feel this way."
He sighed and regained him composure, flashing his skeleton friend a genuine smile.
"...IS IT ME, FLOWERY, OR DO YOU LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAT LAST TIME I SAW YOU? I COULD JUST BE FORGETTING, BUT I DON'T RECALL YOU HAVING EYES QUITE SO BIG AND HAZEL...OR FUR. OR A SNOUT. OR TEETH STICKING OT OF YOUR MOUTH. BY GOLLY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU LOOK A LOT LIKE QUEEN TORIEL HERSELF! BUT HOW WOULD I HAVE NEVER NOTICED THAT?"
"Oh, no, no, you're right about the looks. It is different. I'm just...I don't think I ever told anybody this, but I can change the shape of my face to look like other monsters. In fact, I can even change the tone of my voice to match them, too."
"SO, YOU DO IMPRESSIONS?"
"Well...Not in front of an audience, usually. I-I just do it whenever. But I like this look the best, so I decided to stick to it."
"WOWIE! THAT MUST TAKE TALENT! OOH! IF YOU DON'T MIND, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD DO UNDYNE? WAIT...YOU HAVEN'T MET HER, HAVE YOU? YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE."
"No, I do, actually. I've seen her before. Here, lemme try..."
He turned away in order to prepare his look, and after a few seconds, he turned back around. Except for the white color in place of the murky blue, it was an EXACT replica of Undyne's face, complete with sharp teeth and a dark eye to insinuate the patch.
"Ngaaah, what're you up to, punk!? How 'bout a round o' snow-wrestling!?"
"OH. MY. GOD. YOU'RE AMAZING!"
"Heh..." he blushed, reverting back to his more Boss Monster-esque form. "You think so?"
"THINK? YOU COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT THE MTT MEMORIAL HOTEL RESORT AND MAKE THE CROWD GO WILD!"
Hmm...Now there was an idea. It would give him something to do, for sure, if he were to remain a flower for the rest of his life. Since he had a SOUL again, he wasn't quite as bothered by his floral body anymore. He'd long since adapted to it, anyways. And in more recent days, two small leaves had begun to grow at the base of his stem, and he noticed he could move them, so they had the potential to substitute for hands.
"Um...So, what are you doing here, anyways, Papyrus? I mean...This isn't a place I expected to meet you at."
"OH, I DON'T SUPPOSE I TOLD YOU! I'M GATHERING UP A BOUQUET OF GOLDEN FLOWERS FOR MY LADY FRIEND! I'VE GOT A DATE COMING UP!"
"...Really?"
Now THIS came as a surprise to Asriel. He thought Papyrus would have been the LAST one out of all the people he knew to ever find a date. Needless to say, after the initial shock wore off, he was actually pretty impressed.
"YES, IT'S TRUE! OH, WERE YOU GOING TO TAKE THAT BIG ONE SOMEWHERE WITH YOU?"
The flower in question, the one the sentient flower was trying to uproot, was the biggest one in the bunch. It had a few more petals than the others, and was taller even than Asriel himself, and had two broad leaves along each of its sides, far bigger than his own.
"Um...Did you want it?"
"OH, NO, NO, YOU FOUND IT FIRST. I'LL JUST FIND THE SECOND-BIGGEST ONE!"
"You sure?"
"I'M CERTAIN! HERE, THIS ONE TO YOUR RIGHT WILL SUFFICE!"
He uprooted said flower, which lacked leaves, but wasn't much smaller than the big one, and then proceeded to assist Asriel in getting the latter out of the ground.
"THERE WE GO! NOW YOU CAN TAKE IT ALONG!"
"Thanks...Um, so, I'm kinda curious. Who exactly is-"
"you talkin' to someone over here, paps?"
Asriel jumped. Sans had come over. How was he able to avoid detection so easily? If he'd seen him earlier, he'd have retreated when he had the chance!
But it was too late now.
"OH! YES, BROTHER! I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU'VE MET MY FLOWER FRIEND YET, HAVE YOU? YOU KNOW, THE ONE I TALKED ABOUT BACK IN SEPTEMBER!"
"what?"
His eye sockets went black once again, and he looked down to see the familiar flower with a face. Once they made eye contact, the latter ducked down in fear.
"...yeah, sure i do, pap," he responded, turning to his brother and letting the white pupils return to his eyes for a moment. "mind if i talk to him?"
"OF COURSE I DON'T MIND! WHAT SHOULD WE-"
"alone?"
"OH. ERM..."
"with you well out of the garbage dump? go on to blook acres or something and i'll meet you there."
"Sans, w-wait. It's not what it looks like. I'm not-"
"did i ask for your opinion?"
"...No."
"just go to the quiet zone, bro."
Papyrus wasn't so sure he liked where the situation was going, but he didn't want anything to further escalate between him and his brother, so he nodded, then sprinted off with his handful of Golden Flowers, disappearing around the corner.
"good. he's gone."
He summoned his special attack, eye glowing blue.
"now he doesn't have to watch you fry to a crisp."
"No, Sans, please don't..." he begged, holding his uprooted flower close to him as though it'd protect him. "I'm not looking for trouble, I swear I'm not."
"you've sworn a million things and you went back on all of them."
"It's different this time, I promise!"
"what's different? your face? i know you. you'll tear everyone apart again except me, because i'm the only one who knows how to deal with hellspawns like you."
"No! I would never do that again!" he sobbed. "I promise I wouldn't, I can't now!"
"and before i turn you into mulch, can i ask you something else? why the hell did you make yourself look like the dead prince? to gain people's trust just so you can start up another one of your bloody, deranged, pointless massacres of the entire monster race?"
Now THAT had made him pretty upset.
"No! That's not it at all!"
"then what are you-"
"Because I AM THE DEAD PRINCE!"
Silence followed. The two looked at each other, speechless. Sans' blaster dissipated into thin air, his dark sockets growing ever wider in disbelief at the claim.
Finally, Asriel gave the skeleton solid proof that he'd changed for the better.
"Sans...Check me."
"huh?"
"Check me. Stats, LOVE, all that. It'll tell you everything, I swear."
Still skeptical, Sans checked him, and was met with the following hovering above his flowery head.
"ASRIEL DREEMURR
LV: 2
EXP: 5
HP: 22
ATK: 5
DEF: 5
ATTRIBUTE: COMPASSION
*A new hope lies within reach."
...He wasn't lying.
"holy shit..." he just barely whispered. "...but...how did...and why..."
"Alphys," he explained. "Sh-she wanted to impress Dad when she was doing the DETERMINATION experiments, so she took a flower hoping she could...m-make something out of it, and...The one she picked just so happened to be the one my dust fell on, and...Now I'm here...But I wasn't all there when I first woke up. When I died, I lost my SOUL. I-I couldn't feel, or love anymore, and...Then I discovered the power to Save and Reset. And you know what I did with that...I can't do that anymore, though, a-and...I have a SOUL again, now. It's really me, I'm here, and...And..."
He lowered his head again.
"...I'm sorry," he croaked. "I'm sorry for what I did, and I'll probably never forgive myself, and it won't ever happen again, I promise..."
That was when he fell apart, his stem caving in and letting him crumple to the cold, damp ground beneath him. Sans watched on, still dumbfounded by everything he'd just heard. Was this actually happening? Was it really him? The stats didn't lie...And he did have a SOUL. He'd checked Flowey once before, and his attribute stat was blank; without a SOUL, he lacked any attributes, either. Not even DETERMINATION. Without a SOUL, it wasn't an attribute. It was just a driving force.
This HAD to be real. Unbelievable? Absolutely. But the proof was right there, and he couldn't deny it.
"...kid?"
Asriel rose his head again to face him, tears still streaming down his face.
"Huh?"
"...look, i..." he sighed. "...i don't even know what to say about this...that's really you in that flower?"
"Yeah...I'm not gonna hurt anyone anymore. I promise. For real this time, I swear, I...I couldn't bring myself to do that anymore."
"...a'ight. i'll take your word for it...but you know what'll happen if i find out i was wrong to trust you."
"It won't happen. Not to anyone. Not to your brother...Especially not him."
"...i hope not."
He sat down beside him.
"...i did see your LOVE's at 2, though...where'd that come from, huh?"
"...I still wasn't myself when it happened. Th-the human fought Asgore, but...She didn't kill him. He was down to just 1 HP, and I...I'm sorry...It's my fault."
"hm..."
"...You know...Y-your brother's really great. You remember what I did. No matter how hard I tried to push him, I could never get him to snap at me...And now I'm actually able to appreciate that about him. He doesn't know any of this...y-yet, and really, I...I think he and I would be good friends if...If you'd let us. I was talking to him for a bit just before you showed up, actually, and..."
He sighed.
"...I understand if you don't want me anywhere near him, though."
Sans wasn't really sure how to respond to all of this. Yes, it was Asriel. And yes, he had a SOUL again. But even with a SOUL, after everything he did back in the other timelines, could he REALLY trust him?
...he's only a kid, he said to himself. ...and even though he's been through hell and back, i doubt he ever asked for it.
"...alright. i'll give you the chance to earn my trust," he told him. "just to know for sure you're not screwin' around with people for some reason again."
"Ah...Thank you, thank you so much..."
"i do have one question, though."
"What's that?"
"how'd it happen? how'd you get a SOUL back?"
"It's...it's complicated, and...I don't want to go into detail. Not right now, at least. M-maybe I'll tell you some other time, if...if everything goes okay."
"huh...so, you've got some things you'd rather not spill the beans about, huh?"
"You'll get the full story eventually. I promise. And...Again, I'm sorry. For everything."
"...i hope that's true."
"...Um...D-do you mind if I...go talk to him again? Just to let him know we're okay? He looked kinda worried before he left."
"i'll allow it. just know i'll be keepin' an eye on you."
"I don't blame you...Thank you, though."
He disappeared beneath the ground with the other, larger Golden Flower again.
Meanwhile, just outside of the garbage dump, Papyrus was pacing back and forth, forming somewhat of a rut in the dirt, and he wore a concerned expression on his face. He had detected the apprehension between his brother and flower friend when they came face to face, and he just hoped everything was going alright between them.
Suddenly, the ground before his feet began to shift a bit, and he stopped in his tracks, watching as the familiar image of the sentient Golden Flower poked up out of the ground. He didn't seem particularly upset, so that was a good sign.
"EVERYTHING GO OKAY BACK THERE, FLOWERY?"
"It went pretty good," he nodded. "I-I'm just glad at how everything turned out...Um...Do you remember what we were talking about?"
"I THINK I RECALL YOU SAYING YOU WERE CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING, AND THEN YOU WERE ABOUT TO ASK ME SOMETHING, I BELIEVE!"
"Ask you...Oh, oh, yeah! I remember now."
"WHAT WAS IT YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY?"
"I was gonna ask who it was you...um...got up with."
"OH, YES! THAT WOULD BE-"
He stopped short, then peered all around the Quiet Zone, just double-checking to make sure Sans wasn't spying on them from somewhere. Even when the coast looked clear, he still kept his voice down as he bent down and whispered to his flowery friend.
"...HE KNOWS I'M DATING SOMEONE," he explained. "HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHO YET. HE'LL BE IN FOR A SHOCK WHEN HE DOES, THOUGH, I'M SURE. I'M GOING TO BREAK IT TO HIM TOMORROW BEFORE THE TWO OF US LEAVE ON OUR LITTLE RENDEZVOUS."
"Who is it? Wait-Don't mention her name. He might hear. Be subtle," Asriel rasped back to him, leaning in slightly closer as Papyrus gave him the answer in as hushed a tone as was possible.
"A CERTAIN FORMER ROYAL GUARD CAPTAIN DOESN'T HAPPEN TO COME TO MIND, DOES SHE...?"
The flower froze, an odd look entering his eyes. Was he talking about who he thought he was talking about?
"Wait..." he asked him. "A-as in..." He looked around again. "...The one you asked me to impersonate?"
"THAT'S CORRECT!" he assured him, raising his tone back to normal, seeing that Sans couldn't really get any information from what he was saying now.
"...How?"
"WELL...I'D RATHER NOT GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL RIGHT NOW. SANS MIGHT STILL BE LISTENING FROM SOMEWHERE AND HE WILL FIGURE IT OUT TOO EASILY IF HE HEARS US! NYOO HOO HOO...! I MIGHT HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW IT ALL STARTED SOME OTHER TIME."
"Oh...Well, that's okay. It just, uh...kinda came as a shock."
"YES, I NEVER REALLY EXPECTED IT BACK THEN MYSELF, BUT...HEY...HOLD ON, FLOWERY. I HAVE AN IDEA!"
"What's your idea?"
"I COULD TAKE HER TO MEET YOU DURING OUR DATE! THAT WAY WE CAN BOTH EXPLAIN EVERYTHING! BESIDES, SHE'S NEVER MET YOU, SO IT'D BE A FINE GET-TOGETHER!"
"Sounds like a good idea. So, uh, where are you guys gonna be goin' out to?"
"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OURSELVES A LUNCHEON IN SNOWDIN FOREST AND THEN STROLL TO THE RUINS AND BACK."
"Oh...The Ruins, really? I, uh...might be around that area. How 'bout I make a surprise appearance once you two make it there?"
"HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHEN TO MEET US?"
"I'll know. I can detect vibrations in the ground that signal people approaching. Also, I...hang around that area quite a bit nowadays, y'know?"
"HUH...HOW CONVENIENT! ALRIGHT-Y, THEN! WE'LL MEET THERE!"
"Yeah...Good luck, okay?"
"THANK YOU! AND HAPPY TRAILS UNTIL THEN, FLOWERY!"
With one more smile, he tightened his hold on the other Golden Flower, and both of them disappeared into the earth.
"AH...WHAT A FINE CHAP HE IS."
"yeah. kinda surprised me."
"AGH!"
He whizzed around to face his brother, who had very suddenly and startlingly appeared there.
"HOW MUCH OF THAT DID YOU HEAR? I CAN'T HELP BUT GET THE FEELING YOU WERE EAVESDROPPING ON US, YOU CHEEKY SNEAK."
"well, i do know you were talkin' about your date."
"...SO HOW MUCH OF THAT DO YOU KNOW?"
"not much except most of what you already told me."
"OH, GOOD. NYEH HEH, DON'T WORRY, THOUGH, YOU'LL BE INFORMED OF EVERYTHING IN GOOD TIME...I GOT THE FLOWERS. LET'S HEAD BACK TO SNOWDIN AND STICK THEM IN A POT FOR TOMORROW! WE DO HAVE FLOWERPOTS IN THE SHED, RIGHT?"
"i think we do...we never use them, though."
"WELL, ONE'S ABOUT TO GET LUCKY. LET'S GET OVER THERE!"
...
"HOW DID EVERYTHING GO AT GRILLBY'S?"
"Pretty smoothly. Played something called 'Sweden' today," she told him, hauling the piano back into the house and putting it in its usual spot. "It's one of the pieces I found at the dump...Really calming. It almost has a sort of outdoor ambiance feel to it. I swear, it almost put me to sleep, though...I should play it for you sometime. At night, maybe, before we turn in. Bet you'd like the cozy atmosphere it gives off."
"NY'AW...I MIGHT TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER. THAT'S REALLY SWEET."
"Ah, well...it's somethin' to do one of these days," she shrugged, hanging her coat up on the rack.
A chill suddenly ran up the fish monster's spine, and she beat her arms together.
"ARE YOU COLD, UNDYNE?"
"Just a bit. The switch from long sleeves to none must've been too sudden, I guess."
"HERE. I KNOW WHAT TO DO."
He lead her over to the sofa, then grabbed one of the folded blankets from off of the arm, opened it, then sat down beside her and wrapped both of them up together in the warm, fleecy cocoon, nuzzling up right beside the former Royal Guard captain.
"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ONE FOR THE COLD CLIMATE AROUND HERE, BUT IT IS GOOD FOR ONE THING," he pointed out. "IT GIVES US BOUNDLESS EXCUSES TO SNUGGLE UP TO EACH OTHER AND GET NICE AND COMFY."
"Aw..."
She reached out and put an arm around him, scooching a bit closer, and the skeleton settled into her a bit more, emitting a content sigh.
"...WE CAN'T KEEP THIS UP FOREVER. THOUGH. SANS WILL BE BACK WITHIN THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES, I'M SURE."
"Yeah. He was chatting with the other patrons when I left...I'd say we've got only ten until we have to get up and act natural."
"THAT'S A SHAME...BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IF ALL GOES WELL TOMORROW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THIS MORE OFTEN AND FOR LONGER!"
"Heh...Yeah...That's a good point."
"...SO...I HAVE AN ODD QUESTION, UNDYNE."
"What's that?"
"DOES THE IDEA OF A PIE MADE WITH BUTTERSCOTCH, CINAMMON AND ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT NUTS SOUND APPEALING TO YOU?"
"Wow. That was, um...oddly specific," she chuckled. "...It sounds crazy and weird, and maybe a little sweet for my liking, but at the same time, the idea of something like that makes me REALLY curious about what it might taste like."
"OH, SPLENDID. BECAUSE SANS SAID HE WAS MAKING ONE TONIGHT WHEN HE GETS BACN, AND HE WANTED TO KNOW IF...'MY DATE' WOULD LIKE TO TRY ANY. JUST SO I KNOW WHETHER TO PACK ANY FOR TOMORROW."
"What, really? That's great! Yeah, you do that lil' thing!"
"WILL DO, M'LADY."
"...But you know what's a hundred times sweeter than any pie I could ever scarf down?"
"WHAT WOULD THAT BE?"
"Well, I'll give you a hint: I'm about to smooch it."
On queue, she leaned up again and planted a tender kiss on the top of his head.
"...Does that tell you anything?"
"UNDYNE, WORDS WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME."
"...Same goes to you."
.
"I got the flower," Asriel said, poking up out of the ground with the specimen in his vine. "Um...So, I hope you don't mind, but I happened to meet Sans and Papyrus while I was out, and he, uh...Papyrus, I mean, told me a few things that've happened over the past while, and...Um, just so you know, he and Undyne are going to be coming this way tomorrow, so just...steer clear of the doorway, I guess. J-just so nobody suspects if they hear anything."
"Papyrus and...Undyne? What are they coming down here for?"
He grimaced, glancing off to the side as he handed the flower over.
"Brace yourself...You're not gonna like this."