DoubleTale: Rewritten

by XWolf26

What if two humans were in the Underground at once? What if one human was DETERMINED to stop the other? What if they could both SAVE? What happens when an Unstoppable Force meets an Immovable Object? When a certain scientist pulls enough of himself together, he finally finds a way to stop the destruction of his world. All he has to do is break through one wall... (A rewrite of DT.)

69. Chapter 69: An Eye For An Eye

Thanks go to Wingah, ZeraoraTheKnight, EpicSlayerGuy99, 2Strong2SignIn, Astreum, 10burgers, Zillowzest, Zack Frost, saltythebear, GMLxAwesome, Guest, Acoolnamme, TiredWhiteMayge, and Doctah Sawbones.

Sorry about being a day late, this chapter ended up being Season 5's longest chapter yet. In fact, it probably contains probably the cutest scenes I've ever written. It is easily DoubleTale's nicest chapter. You have been warned. Enjoy.

(Next update will be two weeks from yesterday, on July 27th.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.

---

Green grass and an overcast sky.

I found myself staring straight up into the pouring rain in a position that I recognized. Flat on my back, arms sprawled out to my sides. Laying in the grass in a small, fenced in backyard.

Died here.

I blinked my eyes a few times. I didn't feel the droplets, but I knew they were striking me. I didn't feel cold, but I knew my skin was numb. I sat up effortlessly, even though the last time I'd laid here I'd been unable to move.

Stronger now.

I turned my head, looking to the broken railing that lined the wooden deck connected to the small quaint house before me. I didn't feel curious about this place or the way it called me out to me. Instead, I just pushed myself to my feet. I walked over to the shattered deck railing, and was surprised by how tall I was compared to it now.

Still here.

I easily climbed up onto the deck through the same broken railing I'd once bashed through to get out into the yard. That was a long time ago. I wondered why no one had fixed the deck, before I remembered that I'd never taken the time to. Frowning with guilt, I wandered right up to the sliding glass door that protected the inside of the house from the pouring rain.

Home.

I squinted into the glass, had to look past my shifting reflection into the house. And when I saw her, I smiled. In her arm chair, I could see my Granny reading the newspaper. My heart filled with relief, my head filled with things to say. It'd been so long, there was so much we could discuss now that I was finally home. But, when I excitedly grabbed the handle of the door and pulled, the glass did not budge.

Has to be something I can do.

"Granny? Granny?" I pulled at the door. I knocked my fist against the window. She didn't look up, and I didn't understand. Did she not realize I wanted to see her? Did she not know I was here, hadn't she been waiting for me like I was waiting for her?

Shouldn't be able to stop me.

Yank the door off its hinges. Shoot my fist through the glass. Something, anything. There had to be a way, I was so powerful. I could do anything, couldn't I? So why couldn't I just open this stupid door? Why couldn't I see her again? All of this, what was any of it for if I'd never get the chance to save her?! "Granny?! Granny!"

My red eyes lifted to my reflection in the glass, and I realized I was crying. Why was I crying? Why was this so hard? The harder I looked at my reflection, the more clear it became. The red scarring my arm and tainting my eyes, the divots and cracks that detailed my body and gave physical form to just how desperately I'd been working towards a future where I could open this door. And as I looked deeper into the mirror before me, I realized the world behind me had changed.

Being watched.

Suddenly, I turned sharply on my heel and snapped my head back around to look behind me. There, Granny's backyard stretched out to a field of tall, shifting wheat. A familiar location, defined by the old barn standing tall in the light of a setting sun. But I was not focused on the sight of Killer's execution. Instead, my eyes were drawn to the Angel that was staring back at me.

Looming in the swaying grass with a blood stained gun in one hand and a sack of money in the other, Angel The Hacker watched me with apathetic green eyes. And he didn't smile, nor did he frown as he lifted his gun and pointed the crimson dripped chrome of its barrel towards me. As his finger rested over the trigger, I watched his lips move. I couldn't hear his voice, but somehow I understood all five of the words he spoke.

"Granny was wrong about us."

BANG!

I gasped for air as I shot up in bed, only realizing how desperately I'd been trying to move when my body finally responded. My eyes darted left and right, but they were so blurry with sleep that I wasn't certain of my surroundings until I rubbed at them and pulled at my heavy eyelids. It was only after my initial panic subsided and I confirmed with myself that I was in fact in my room within Toriel's house that I realized my left arm was burning.

Wincing painfully, my eyes darted down to the bright shine of my scarlet cracks, and I grabbed the elbow of my left arm with my right while I held up my scarred palm. Taking sharp inhales through my teeth, I stared into the pulsing red of my disfigurement until it finally began subsiding. With it, the burning pain disappeared as well. And finally, after another few seconds, I unclenched my jaw and sighed.

*Bad dream?

Falling flat on my Deltaruned back, I stared up at the ceiling. I slowly brought that left arm back in towards myself, resting my cracked hand on my chest. My fingers gently trailed the scar that ran deep through my sternum, the mark left by an injury that had ended my life once upon a time. Chara had apologized plenty of times for the brutal canal they'd carved in my chest all those years ago, but I always forgave them. Really, I hardly minded that it was there. Made me feel connected to them, in a weird sorta way. I let my eyes gloss over to the text box that appeared in my line of sight, and I let my voice grumble in my sleep dried throat before I spoke. "... You ever have any dreams, Texty?"

*Sometimes I ponder if all of this is a dream.

"Deep." I responded semi-sarcastically, before shutting my tired eyes on the ceiling fan that spun over my bed. If I wasn't afraid I would re-enter that wretched dream, I might've let myself fall back asleep. But, the sun was pouring its light in through the window, and today was an important day. So, I pulled myself out of bed, and while I stumbled towards my dresser to find pants and a shirt, I briefly considered mentioning my dream to Texty. Awful company as he was, he was also someone who pretty much had to speak with me. It's not like he could walk away from the conversation.

But, ultimately I figured he'd probably just say something that'd make me feel worse. And I didn't want to be in a bad mood today, because today was the whole reason Chara and I got to visit home. Today I just wanted to smile and stand beside Asgore as him and Toriel got remarried, I wanted to have a good time. And there was nothing in the world that I was gonna let screw it up.

Chapter 69: An Eye For An Eye

Or: Nice

---

"Soooo are you excited for your big day?" Frisk folded their hands behind their back, grinning while they stood behind Chara, who was busy staring into the bathroom mirror while they did their hair. They didn't know if 'excited' was the right word for how the felt about today, 'anxious' felt a lot more accurate. Though they were usually something of a morning person - at least, more so than Angel - they were feeling particularly groggy on this particular day. Probably due to how little rest they'd managed to strangle out of the night prior. Chara's head was so full of thoughts on today's plans that it was always a struggle to fall asleep, and they were awoken every hour or two by some anxiety fueled dream.

"Today isn't my big day, it's Asgore and Toriel's." A run around way of saying 'my brain has not been quiet a single time in the past 48 hours'. Chara overexamined their face, silently hoping that the bags under their eyes would disappear before the wedding. A dress they could handle, but if Frisk tried to talk them into makeup they feared they'd panic. They certainly looked as though they had just rolled out of bed, still wearing a white T-shirt and green pajama bottoms.

"Whatever you say, cool guy." Frisk winked at them, continuing to smile mischievously. At least they looked excited, Chara thought. Bouncing from side to side, their doppelganger looked plenty giddy for the events scheduled for today. They were still dressed in a long, faded blue nightgown, yet another article of clothing vastly different from anything Chara had seen them wear yet. They imagined Frisk's closet had to have been a nightmare of styles. "You remember the plan right?"

"Every detail has been painfully carved into my frontal lobe, yes." Chara spoke with heavy exasperation, blinking red eyes into the mirror while they fumbled with their hair. They'd tied and untied it four or five times now; they always managed to screw up and get a hair out of place. Starting over again, they shot Frisk a glare from the corner of their eye and growled in a whisper. "But keep it quiet about the plan! Angel could-"

"Totally beat Superman in a fight." My groggy voice cut into the conversation while I made my way around the corner. I stepped past Frisk, eyes only half open while I scratched my lower back and made my way towards the sink by Chara's side. "Right guys? What're we talkin' about?"

"A-Angel!" Chara jumped when I made my sudden entrance. They tried to pull their hands away from their hair, but their fingers got tangled in strands and their hair tie, resulting in nothing more than a few painful yanks. This instantly soured Chara's expression, a tired grin shaping my own face while I watched them irritably untangle their hands and pull them away from their head.

I was quiet, instead just flashing a knowing smile while I reached over, grabbing Chara's hairbrush and handing it to them. It looked like they needed it, newly tangled hairs falling haphazardly around their face. They snatched the brush from my hand, and I chuckled some at their expense. Chara continued to frown with irritation, and I furrowed my brows as they grabbed my razor from the counter, shoving it out towards me. My eyes darted back to the mirror, and I froze at the sight of my reflection. As they did every now and again, black hairs had sprouted out of my face seemingly overnight, giving me a stubble goatee and wiping any joy from my face.

With the same measure of anger that Chara had yanked the hairbrush from my hand I snagged my razor from theirs, and Chara mocked my earlier chuckle with their own. I rolled my eyes at this, facing one side of the mirror while Chara turned and faced the other. And while Chara brushed their hair and I began shaving my face, Frisk stood between us. Their eyes slowly glossed from me to Chara, then back to me, then back to them. Finally they asked, "Is this, every morning for you two?"

"More or less." I answered, tilting my head to the side and running the razor blade that I'd just dampened in the sink's water along my cheek. I looked to Frisk in the mirror's reflection, and I furrowed my brows at their the incredulous look they were giving. "... What?"

"Nothing." They rolled their eyes, smiling some. But, before either Chara or I could question them further, they turned on their heel and began walking out of the bathroom. Waving over their shoulder, they explained. "I gotta start getting ready! Today's a big day!"

"Eugh, don't remind me..." Chara mumbled, and I glanced over to them while I shaved. They avoided eye contact, glancing over to the side or down or up or wherever my eyes weren't. Obviously this struck me as odd, and while I rinsed off my razor and set it back beside the curve of the sink, I asked.

"Ah c'mon, you've gotta be at least a little excited, right?" I flashed them a smile, grabbing my toothbrush absentmindedly. They grumbled some, twirling a loose strand of hair between their fingers while they examined the corner beside them with no real purpose. "I mean, I know social gatherings aren't really your thing, but at least it's gonna be all people we know and like."

"... Yeahhh..." Chara finally admitted, shutting their eyes briefly. They lowered their hairbrush, their auburn hair now straightened out once more. Lifting both hands and beginning to gather those locks in their grasp again, they opened their eyes and glanced over to me while they tried their hand again at fixing their hair. They managed to flash their own smile, and it was only a little uncertain. "I guess it shouldn't be too horrible."

Those words reminded me briefly of the day I'd spared Chara. When I offered them friendship, and they said something about how having friends didn't sound "too terrible". Sometimes I got so caught up on the future that I'd forget just how far the two of us had came, how much effort we'd poured in, how much we'd changed. I was so proud of them, but I didn't wanna embarrass them by saying so out of the blue. So, instead I just turned my smile down towards the sink while I wet my toothbrush, and I made a joke. "And if it's totally lame we can just tell Asgore and Toriel they're nerds and then ditch 'em to play basketball."

"Now that's a plan." Chara snerked, shaking their head at my words. A slight smile remained on their face, and they lowered their hands from their head. It seemed they'd finally gotten a handle on their hair, having pulled it together into its usual bun. I wondered if they'd keep it that way through the wedding or if they had any alternative plans, but I figured asking would probably just make them feel anxious and panic over something as small as their hairstyle if they didn't have a plan for it, so I kept my curiosity to myself.

Chara shoved me playfully while they walked by me, making their way towards the door. As they stepped out, they added, "Well, if you really wanna ditch a wedding just to get smoked in basketball again, I won't object."

I rolled my eyes at their words, smirking lightly. I couldn't respond verbally while I was brushing my teeth, but I figured they'd heard enough hilarious comebacks from me over the years to imagine one for themselves while they made a hasty escape.

Their smirk softening up into a gentle smile, Chara wandered away from the bathroom, arms crossed over their chest. And they let themself smile and their mind wander to pleasant memories and hopeful outcomes for later tonight for about four steps, until they stepped by Frisk, who was leaning in a doorway and smirking knowingly at them.

"W-what are you doing?!" Chara snapped at them in the loudest whisper possible, all that gentle joy disappearing from their demeanor and being replaced by wrath and embarrassment.

"Just thinkin' about what story I'm gonna tell in my speech when you two get married." Frisk grinned a little wider at their teasing words, and Chara's face immediately lit up in bright red. In an instant they were grabbing their doppelganger by the throat, hissing with embarrassment while they throttled a hysterically giggling Frisk.

"shuT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

---

I figured I'd have time before things began getting hectic, but the truth was that the moment people begun getting ready, everything snowballed and the entire house seemed to be in chaos. People running left and right, fumbling to get dressed and making sure nothing got dirty. At some point Mettaton showed up to help Toriel get ready, and with him came her maids of honor in Alphys and Undyne.

Asriel and Monster Kid were apparently with Asgore at his house, helping him get ready. I was supposed to head over there too, but first I had to get this stupid tie working. I stood before the full length mirror on my wall, mostly dressed. My dark blue - nearly black - dress pants and white button up shirt were already on me, along with my socks and shoes. I was already mostly dressed, minus the tie, vest, and jacket. I probably could have waited until I drove over to Asgore's and met up with Da Bois(TM), but that would have made me an easy target for teasing over my inability to tie a tie. So I thought I would get that out of the way before hand, but I'd been in front of this mirror for fifteen friggin' minutes and had almost strangled myself twice.

I hated putting on a suit. The last time I'd had to wear one was to Granny's funeral. I couldn't tie my tie then, and the fact that I still couldn't tie one over half a decade later was more than irritating. Didn't understand how Xander did it every morning back in the day, but I reckoned that was just more of a testament to our vastly different upbringings.

... I guess that was part of why I hated dressing up. Always brought my thoughts back to Xander, or worse, Granny's funeral. Now that was a day I tried not to remember. My parents - who months later I would abandon like the piece of shit I was - had been kind enough to arrange a funeral and burry the old lady, because she didn't have any friends or family to do it. And that lack of loved ones was reflected when I was the only one who showed up. I think seeing just how alone in the world Granny was that day fucked me up for good.

... But, anyway. The point is, I couldn't tie my tie that day. My mother found me in the bathroom, fingers and neck tangled, trying not to cry. And she smiled, loving and knowing, as she untangled my fingers and fixed the necktie. Then she held me, and told me she loved me. Might've even kissed me on the forehead, I dunno. It's hazy, I've blocked a lot of that day out. Heart always feels heavy when I remember it happened.

I think in those last few months, mom and dad stepped their game up and started giving me more of the love that I'd needed in the years prior. Maybe finding me beaten within an inch of my life and dying from hypothermia in Granny's backyard was some kinda wake up call. But, at that point it was too late. I was already too fucked up, I couldn't accept the love they were trying to give me then. I had already detached myself from the both of them, I'd convinced myself I didn't love them anymore. I told myself I didn't love anyone anymore.

... I wonder where they are now.

*Gone. That life is all gone. Forget it.

The door creaked open, and I groaned quietly to myself. I was caught now, someone was gonna see me fumbling with my tie like a moron. If it was Frisk they'd laugh at me, if it was Toriel she would probably panic and overreact. The term 'bridezilla' had been tossed around quite frequently to describe her demeanor when it came to this wedding. That wasn't much of a surprise, Toriel was a perfectionist and pretty strict when it came to public appearances. And this wedding was a big deal in both her personal life and for Monsterkind in the eye of the rest of the planet. The king and queen of the monsters were getting remarried, the whole royal family was going to be there, and so was I - The Angel. This had to go well, or the crueler members of humanity would be laughing at us and all of Monsterkind could lose social standing.

So, my only hope here was Undyne - who likely also didn't know how to tie a tie so she would not laugh - or Alphys, who would likely be understanding or at the very least too much of a dork to roast me. But, it wasn't Undyne or Alphys, and it was not Frisk or Toriel.

"Angel? You alive in here?" Chara poked their head in through the doorway, and I stiffened up. This had potential to be the worst of all outcomes, and though I would have liked to have kept my back to them, the truth was it didn't matter. My front was facing a mirror, they could already see the knotted mess of my necktie and my exasperated expression. "You've been in here for-... Oh."

"Don't laugh." I warned, eyes narrowing irritably at them while I spun around to face them. Dropping my hands back to my sides to keep from embarrassing myself further, I left the fabric of my tie resting across my neck and unfolded, leaving it draping down both sides of my chest. Face stinging lightly with embarrassment, I added. "Ties are hard!"

To my surprise, Chara did not laugh and they did not point. They scoffed with amusement and shook their head, smirking while the walked over towards me. I arched a brow at them, clearly confused. I thought for sure there'd be some rapid fire jokes or something, but instead Chara just marched right up to me. This prompted me to lean back some, that stinging red on my face getting a little darker while they reached up and grabbed the tie draped over my neck. "You're hopeless, y'know that?"

"H-hey, c'mon, I know how to tie my shoes." I joked a little awkwardly, remaining leaned back. I hoped they couldn't see my Adam's apple move when I gulped, and I hoped they couldn't feel my pulse increasing just from them being this close to me. I hoped my face wasn't too red, but then again, their own cheeks were turning a little pink while they adjusted the fabric around my neck.

"It's a wonder you didn't just order a clip on." Chara laughed some, shaking their head. They seemed so cool and calm in this instant, which furthered my own internal panic. This was fine, I tried to convince myself. We'd been closer than this before. We literally shared a body once. There's nothing weird about them helping me with my tie. But, no matter how much I shouted at myself internally, my heart kept pounding faster in my chest. When they spoke, when they smiled, when I felt their warm hands against my neck.

*You're weird.

Eat a dick, texty!

"Do they even let grown men order clip on ties?" I arched a brow down at them, my thoughts drifting back to when we were all selecting our clothes in that massive store. Like I could have possibly justified buying a clip on when the guy with big fluffy paws for hands and the armless dude both got regular ties.

"They shouldn't." Chara snerked, corner of their mouth remaining raised in a slight smile. The fabric of the tie tightened around my neck unnaturally, and Chara furrowed their brows some subconsciously. "Either learn how to tie one or suffer."

"... Un huh." My own embarrassment started to give way to amusement as I started to catch on, a little grin beginning to spread across my face. "You sure have been working on that tie for awhile, Char-bear."

"I-I've almost got it!" Chara quickly denied what they knew I was implying, glaring up at me briefly before looking back to the fabric they were tangling around my neck. They stuck the tip of their tongue out from the corner of their mouth and squinted their eyes like they were really focusing for another few seconds, before they suddenly stopped. Their eyes went wide, and I felt two semi-forceful tugs against my neck. Chara gulped. "... Uh oh."

". . ." I slowly pivoted so that the both of us were facing the mirror, despite Chara objecting several times. And the moment I saw my neck, my eyes went wide and my cheeks puffed out. Not only was my tie tangled randomly, but now it wrapped around and trapped their fingers in its mass. Laughter exploded out of me. "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"T-ties are hard!" Chara snapped as I cackled in their face, pulling on the tie and tightening it around my throat to shut me up. Their face darkened to a deeper red while they strangled the laughter out of me, "Shut up!"

"You can't, t-tie one either!" I choked and laughed, lifting one hand to point at them while the other pulled at the knotted mess around my neck. "You're just as dumb as I am..!"

"I am not!" Chara shouted up at me, growling with fury and embarrassment. They gripped and pulled on the tie at the same time that I tried to tug it off my neck and their hands, "G-gimme a minute! I can do it!"

"Yeah right!" I laughed and mocked, struggling to pull the tie away from their grip and my own neck. Chara refused to give up though, grabbing the tie tightly and thrashing against me. "Fork it over..!"

"No! I told you I can do it!" Chara refuted, and suddenly the two of us were thrashing and struggling against each other over a stupid necktie.

"Stop! Being so stubborn!" I demanded, trying to push them away with one hand while the other yanked on the tie. We stumbled back and forth, fumbling through my bedroom. "You can't tie it and that's fine!"

"Except I can tie it and also fuck you!" Chara remained adamant, even as I finally unwrapped the tie from around my neck. Their hands were still tangled in its mass though, and while I tried to yank it up and away from them, they struggled and swung their hands around.

"Wait, are you saying 'fuck you' to me, or are you stating that you can both tie my tie and-" It was at that point in the struggle that Chara stumbled back over a stray shoe, lost their balance and plummeted backwards. I was too dumb to release my grip on their tied up hands and also didn't have the greatest balance in that particular instance, so they dragged me right after them.

With a thud and an "Oof!" the two of us were on the floor, and suddenly that fight was over. Just two seconds ago it'd seemed the whole world depended on who wrangled the tie away from who - that's always how it was with them. They pulled me in and got me invested in anything that involved them, so much so that I forgot literally everything else around us. That was how we'd tripped, that was how our struggle had popped open the top three or four buttons of my button up shirt, and that was how we got into such a precarious position.

Like I said, we'd completely forgotten about the tug-of-war that got us here. Because now, Chara was laying flat on their back, and I was seated over them, each of my knees planted by their sides and trapping them under me. Not only that, but my left hand was still planted on their shoulder, thoughtlessly holding them against the carpet floor while my other hand kept its grip tight on the tie. A tie that had wrapped around their wrists, tying their hands together and suspending them up over their head.

". . ." We were completely silent. Or at least, I was. Their lips didn't move, so I assumed they weren't speaking, but honestly I wouldn't have been able to hear anything over my pulse pounding in my ears. They stared up at me and I stared down at them. We were both wide eyed, both so shocked that neither of us moved a muscle. My chest, exposed by the accidental popping open of the upper buttons on my shirt, was heaving up and down. Why was I breathing so hard? Why was my heart racing? Was it because of the fight we'd been having, or the outcome?

Chara was still dressed in their pajamas, the bottoms of which pulled down ever so slightly by our impact with the floor and revealing the beginning of a v-line that the racier part of my imagination really didn't need to see. Their white shirt had bunched up some too, revealing most of their abdomen. Admittedly something I'd seen plenty of times before in our many battles, but the context here was a lot different than they were in the Barrier Chamber.

Both of us must've been rapidly looking the other over, because our eyes suddenly met each other at exactly the same time. And the moment they did, a dark red shade raced up the both of our faces, and it finally computed in my short circuiting brain that this was a real situation I was really in at this exact moment.

"Hey Cter?" Alphys's footsteps creaked up the steps and around the corner, and the gold lizard arched a curious brow as she walked right up to the wide open door and peered inside my room. "Shouldn't you be heading over to Asg-..."

Alphys stopped dead in her tracks. Chara and I both snapped our heads over to look in her direction, our faces beat red. And we watched Alphys stare at us with wide eyes, a similar dark red color shooting up her face and instantly overtaking her expression. I opened my mouth to speak, but my vocal cords refused to make any sound, so it was Alphys who spoke first. Forcing herself out of her stunned state, she shut her eyes tight and bowed her head, before hastily speaking in a cracking voice. "S-sorry! Didn't m-mean to interrupt!"

"N-no! Wait!" I was finally able to speak only after she turned around and scurried away from the doorway, hastily disappearing down the steps. I released Chara thoughtlessly, reaching out towards the wide open door.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" Chara added as they quickly sat up, nearly bashing their head into my own. While I stumbled and struggled to get off them, they shoved their still tied together hands against my semi-bare chest to help move me.

"Yeah we weren't having degenerate sex!" I shouted thoughtlessly, face still red as a tomato while I dropped back onto my hands, my legs and theirs still tangled together while we writhed away from one another.

"Angel!" Chara squeaked in a higher pitch than I'd ever heard from them, glaring over to me with a mortified and urgent expression. Their face grew even more red, as did mine when my brain registered what I'd just blurted out.

"What?! We weren't!" I defended with a hasty shrug, skittish eyes darting away from their panicked stare. Finally I managed to scurry to my feet, and I instantly made a break for the window. Chara, too bewildered to interrupt, just watched as I tore open the window and fumbled the screen out, tossing it haphazardly back into the room behind me.

"Okaybyeseeyoulater!" Was the jumbled mass of words that escaped my throat as I grabbed my suit's jacket and vest from the foot of my bed, before abruptly diving out the window of my second story bedroom and making my escape. This left Chara sitting on the floor of my room, face still bright pink while they leaned their back against my dresser.

"..." They sat their in silence while their brain caught up on all the events that just transpired. Shaky hands adjusted their clothes, pulled things up and unrolled things until their body was adequately covered again. Then, finally, their eyes glossed down to the tangled fabric around their hands, and actual minutes after The Angel had left, they looked to the window he'd escaped out of.

"Y-you... You left your, tie..." Chara said, even though Angel had long since scurried off the roof. They'd already heard the screech of his tires as he sped out of the driveway and hopefully off towards Asgore's house. After finally managing to get out that last sentence, Chara leaned their head back against the dresser and stared at the ceiling. And a shaky, jittery, and anxious smile trembled up their lips.

"H-heh... U-uh oh..."

---

*Try not to break the steering wheel. Or your zipper.

"Oh fuck off, Texty!" I shouted while I leaned forward in my seat, fingers wrapped tight around my steering wheel in the ten and two positions. This was hardly my usual driving style, I preferred being leaned back in my seat with one hand on the wheel. But seeing as I was an anxious mess and had jumped a curb on my way out of Toriel's driveway, I felt I had to be a little... Extra.

*That was so stupid. I can't believe you did that shit. I mean don't get me wrong I still hate slice of life but that was fucking hilarious.

"It wasn't that bad!" I refuted, abruptly slamming on my breaks when I remembered a stop sign about four seconds late. There wasn't any cross traffic, but I figured the last thing I needed today was a traffic ticket.

*You had them pinned down, hands tied up over their head, and then someone caught you and you scurried out the window like a frightened goblin. You can't make this shit up.

"Eugh!" I rolled my eyes dramatically, face still stinging with embarrassment. This was one of the many downsides of having Texty around; just like he couldn't walk away from me, I couldn't walk away from him. "And what would you have done, smart guy?"

*Well, I'm a little more old fashioned. For starters I would have shut and locked the door before beginning in...

*What'd ya call it?

*Degenerate sex, yeah.

"... Okay, that's my bad." I frowned deeply, leaning back in my seat while I narrowed my exasperated eyes at the road ahead of me. "I was just setting you up to roast me by asking that."

*Honestly the answer I gave was the most tame one I thought of.

*Could have said something like "Missionary, probably."

*But today's a special day for you Angel and you know I would never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.

I found myself laughing at Texty's sarcasm, probably because my brain was so fried from the past ten minutes that I couldn't process exactly how annoying he was. So instead, I just shook my head with my tired laughter, turning my wheel and slowly bringing my car up into Asgore's driveway. "You're such a dick, dude."

I took a deep breath and tried my best to focus on what I had to do today over what I had already done, shutting my eyes and trying my best to clear my mind. After that failed, and my head instead just filled with images of the very recent memories that I was trying to forget, my eyes snapped back open, and I shut my car off.

I stared at myself in my rear view mirror until I thought most of the guilt and embarrassment had washed off my face, and then finally I managed a smile again, and I climbed out of my Purple Piece of Shit. It was hardly a piece of shit these days; Future and I had dedicated plenty of time to fixing it up over the last two and a half years. It was nearly totaled after Frisk drove it up a crumbling Mount Ebott to intervene in my battle with Anarchy, but that was nothing two nerds like Future and I couldn't fix.

I grabbed what was left of my tux from my passenger seat, and then I shut the door and made my way up Asgore's driveway. Past his pickup truck and to the front door, where I didn't bother knocking, instead turning the knob and just walking right inside. The door was unlocked as usual, visitors were always welcome here. From what I'd heard, Asgore had woken up more than once to some troubled Monster youth asleep on his couch. He'd then spend that morning talking them through whatever issues had brought them to him over a cup of tea. He was a good guy, better than most.

"Knock knock." I called into the home as I pushed open the door. I glanced around curiously into the living room that I stepped into, waiting for some response to the announcement of my presence. Briefly I considered if everyone was behind the shut door to Asgore's bedroom that the hallway to my left led to, but then I heard Asriel's voice from the kitchen to my right, and I turned my head to look that way.

Arching a curious brow, I wandered to the doorless overhang that lead into Asgore's kitchen. More and more concern appeared in my expression while I made my way closer, eventually stepping inside to see Asriel pacing the tiles and holding his phone up to his ear. "Well how bad could it be? This is the king and queen's wedding lady, it's kind of important!"

Asriel's aggressive tone made me raise my eyebrows, and I glanced over to where Monster Kid sat at the kitchen table. he frowned at me, not yet saying a word. To avoid interrupting Asriel's phone call, he instead just shook his head. This got me frowning too, my head filling with speculations. Whatever was going on, it must've been bad.

"I don't care how 'locked up' his knee is! The wedding needs someone to officiate it!" Asriel threw one hand into the air, shaking his head. I couldn't help but compare his nagging tone to Toriel, which almost made me snicker some. Meanwhile, the goat prince pointed at his phone, as if the person on the other end would see his demanding finger. "You tell that old turtle-!"

*Click...

"Wha?! She hung up on me!" Asriel spun around to face Monster Kid, throwing both his hands up as if that disrespect completely baffled him. But, when he saw me there, he paused and recoiled a little. He clearly had been too busy arguing with whoever on the phone to hear me enter the room.

"You're definitely your mom's son, Asriel." I delivered dryly, looking at Asriel knowingly. He rolled his eyes and grumbled, silently reigning himself in while I stepped past him. It really was funny to me, learning that he handled responsibilities in the same annoying and demanding way Toriel did. He'd been the same way about getting us clothes for the wedding; so ornery. I glanced over my shoulder to look at him while I grabbed a paper cup, stepping over to the still warm tea kettle on the stove. "What's up?"

"Gerson's dumb old man knee locked up or something, I dunno! That was the excuse his dumb granddaughter gave, at least..." Asriel's eyes darted to the side, likely still sore about - if I had to guess - being told off over the phone. I tried not to laugh about that while I poured myself a cup of tea. "He's not gonna be able to make it to the wedding; he has to go to the doctor."

"Ah well, that's too bad." I shrugged casually while I turned to face Asriel. I leaned back on the kitchen counter and sipped from my tiny cup of tea, trying to keep a level head to hopefully mellow Asriel out. "But I'm sure Asgore and even Toriel will understand."

"You don't get it, Angel!" I thought about saying 'Then explain it to me, sweaty.' in response to that, but I didn't think ol' Asriel was in the mood to be teased. So instead I just arched a curious brow at him while I waited for him to explain. "Gerson was the officiator!"

"The who what?" I maintained my laid back attitude, lowering my cup away from my face while I cocked a curious brow.

"The guy who says "I know pronounce you monster and wife". He's like, the third most important dude in the ceremony." Monster Kid chimed in, looking over to me from where he sat at the kitchen table. He wasn't nearly as flustered as Asriel, but he clearly wasn't too happy about this news either. "Without someone to marry those two, we don't got a wedding to be had."

"... Oh." My eyes slowly widened as I took that in, eyes glossing down to the tea in my hand. I took another sip while I took in that news, more and more concern creeping into my expression. "Shit."

"Oh shit is right!" Asriel exclaimed, before spinning on his heel and pacing back across the tile floor. While I pondered if Asriel was allowed to say the word "shit", he reached the edge of the kitchen and spun back around, pacing back towards me. "We can't push this wedding back, mom will go nuts! And we can't say anything to dad either, or he'll get anxious about mom possibly going nuts!"

"Well I think the important thing here is to not go nuts." I stated simply, sliding forward off the counter I was sitting on and setting down my cup of tea. I was obviously concerned about this, but I was feeling optimistic. Honestly, I'd rather be worried about this than about what went down in my bedroom fifteen minutes ago. "How hard can finding another officiator be?"

"Considering monster religion was dying up until we got to the surface - where it then hit a huge resurgence after the barrier was broken and The Angel appeared - and Gerson was kinda the only one who really remembers most of the old stories outside of my parents and other old monsters like Kid's parents," Asriel gestured back to MK, who nodded in agreement. The mention of Monster Kid's parents made me recoil and look between the two of them with heavy confusion, but neither of them seemed to notice, and Asriel kept talking. "Gerson was really the only guy suited for the job."

"Uhh... And Kid's parents?" I pointed over to MK, arching a brow at Asriel and then looking back to my lizard pal. "Now that he mentions it, I've never even met your parents. This might be a good opportunity for me to introduce myself."

"Ha, good luck!" MK laughed like he genuinely thought I was speaking nonsense. Asriel rolled his eyes too, like I'd just said some of the silliest shit he'd ever heard. "Those two won't be waking up from hibernation for another five to ten years!"

"Hibern-..." Again I was shaking my head and wearing a bewildered expression, before sighing and giving a frown. "... Kid this whole vacation I've just been realizing how little I understand about your biology and your personal life."

"I guess I am pretty cool and mysterious, huh?" MK said thoughtfully, and I grumbled and squinted irritably at him. Before I could assure him that wasn't what I meant, he turned the pureness of his smile on me, and I had to release my anger while he explained. "See, my parents actually nap for decades at a time. Being full grown dragons trapped underground, they don't really have much else to do but sleep. We're a little over the twenty year mark now; last thing they did was hatch me n' my sister before going back to bed."

"Wait, so... That means you don't really know your parents either?" I asked curiously, tilting my head some while I cocked a brow. MK shrugged and grinned sheepishly,

"I mean, the first five or so years of my life were spent essentially sleeping between them to stay warm while I grew legs, but nah, I don't know 'em too well." Once again MK revealed more exposition about his upbringing and biology to me, and once more I was reeling, my head filling with questions. "Dragons are solitary creatures, I guess. Even before we were underground, I heard we used to just be hatched, grow legs, and then wander out into the world to explore alone while we grow."

"..." I slowly reached up, rubbing my eyes with my index finger and thumb while I processed those words. I lifted one hand, signaling MK to stop talking with my open palm while I lowered my other hand from my face. "Okay, Kid. We're gonna have a day where we sit down and you explain dragon history and science to me, because I'm sick of casual lore drops."

"But that day isn't today." Asriel interjected, squinting irritably at the both of us. Then, he sighed, and he started pacing again. He stopped at the edge of the kitchen, spinning around to gesture back towards us. "Doesn't matter anyway. Even if we could wake up Kid's parents - which, to give you an idea, your fight with Anarchy didn't even make them roll over - we'd also have to convince them to remarry my mom and dad and somehow think up what words to say within like two hours of them waking up."

"Also it'd probably really freak humanity out if two massive dragons just suddenly flew out of Mount Ebott." Monster Kid pointed out, and Asriel looked to me wide eyed while he pointed back towards our dragon friend, nodding rapidly in agreement.

"... Okay, then we're fucked." I shrugged, shaking my head. An exasperated, defeated frown crossed my face, and I tried to approach the situation as rationally as I could. "It sucks, but without Gerson there's nobody qualified to marry those two. We're gonna have to push the wedding back. I'm sure Asgore and Toriel will understand."

"Understand? Listen Cter, I know you haven't been around this past year, but I have." Asriel's eyes went wide with what looked like terror. He marched right up to me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and leaned down so that I could see the horrors he'd seen reflect in his eyes. "I was there every step of my mom's descent into madness while planning this wedding, and I can say with absolute certainty that if we don't get this over with today, Anarchy will be the least of our worries!"

"W-well whaddaya want me to do?!" I recoiled, my own face going pale with fear of Toriel's wrath. I pulled Asriel's paws off my shoulders, taking a step back. "There's no one to marry those two! At least, nobody who we can grab on this short of notice!"

"Well we have to do something!" Asriel grabbed me again the moment I got away, shaking me in a panic. "I can't deal with bridezilla any longer, Cter!"

While Asriel throttled me and I tried to escape his hysterical grip, Monster Kid sat casually at the kitchen table. He furrowed his brows and rolled his eyes around in his skull while he pondered, his tail slapping thoughtfully on the tiles. He even clicked his sharp teeth together a few times, before finally a lightbulb appeared over his head. He exclaimed, "Oh, duh! It's so obvious!"

"What's so obvious?" Asriel stated frantically, turning his head towards Monster Kid and settling his twitchy eye on the drake. I arched a brow his way too, hands still wrapped around the paws that were strangling me.

"Cter can marry them!" Monster Kid stated with an honest smile, pointing his tail out towards me. He shrugged as though it was, as he'd stated a moment ago, obvious. "He's literally The Angel, haha! There's nobody more qualified than him!"

". . ." My emerald eyes slowly went wide, my face going even more pale. Asriel didn't look hardly as mortified as I did though. In fact, hope started to appear in his expression while he released my throat, taking a step back from me and holding his chin thoughtfully.

"Wait... Wait that's, actually a great idea!" He stated suddenly, looking to Monster Kid with a relieved smile. I just turned my panicked eyes towards him, but he wasn't looking at me, so he didn't see me waving my fingers in front of my neck, like I was asking him to cut the head off this idea and telling him 'absolutely not'. "If Cter does it, not only will it make sense, but it'll seem like a great surprise that we planned and not a total fluke!"

"I can't wed these mofos with two hours notice!" I suddenly objected, throwing my hands up into the air. I walked forward, looking between the two of them like they were absolutely insane. "I have no idea what to say or do! You wanna put me in the role of guy who talks most? You're setting me up to ruin the whole fuckin' wedding!"

"You just ask 'em to say 'I do' or whatever." MK shrugged like I was the one being silly,. furrowing his brows at me. "Easy peasy."

"No, not easy peasy!" I planted a hand on my chest, shaking my head frantically. Now I was the one panicking. "I gotta say all this junk about holy matrimony and try to be charismatic while not taking the spotlight away from the people getting married and there is literally so much room for error!"

"Cter, please." Asriel spoke up, catching my attention. I dialed back my panic when I heard the serious edge in his tone, and saw the pleading look in his eyes. "This is really important, to everybody. And if you do this, not only will it save the wedding, but I know it'll mean so much to mom and dad personally."

"I-! But-! I!" I tried to refute, looking from Asriel to MK in hopes my best friend would have an out for me. He just kinda grimaced though, like he was saying "Sorry, dude." But, then he smiled, silently assuring me that I could do this. Seeing that, I exhaled, and my shoulders sunk. I hated to admit it, but the two of them were right. I was pretty much the only guy who could pull this off. "... Fuck."

"Is that a yes?" Asriel brought his hands together in front of his chest, a little smile pulling up his lips while he leaned forward, like he was begging.

"... Okay. Okay - fuck - yeah, I'll do it." I begrudgingly agreed, groaning while I clenched my eyes shut tight, as though I immediately regretted saying yes. Then, my eyes snapped open, and I pointed one irritable finger up at my two monster friends. "But if this wedding goes tits up, I'm throwing the two'a you under the bus."

"Yessss!" Asriel exclaimed victoriously, bending both elbows inward and clenching his fists while he grinned. I sighed heavily, clenching my eyes shut tight while I scolded myself internally for agreeing to this stupid plan. But, it was true. This was the only feasible option, if I didn't do this it would be my fault that the wedding would be delayed. Besides, two hours was probably enough time to put a speech together... Right?

"Yo, Cter, it's great that you're gonna officiate and everything, but uhh..." MK looked me up and down, and I furrowed my brows with confusion at him while he did. "Are you plannin' on doing it while looking like a stripper, orrrr..?"

"Huh?" I glanced down, and my eyes widened as I spotted the top three or four buttons of my white button up were still popped open from my earlier altercation. This sent a pink shade racing across my cheeks, and I quickly pulled my shirt shut, beginning to fumble with the buttons. "U-uhh, I-I can explain-!"

It was right about then that Asgore's bedroom door swung open, saving me from the questions that I feared were about to leave Asriel and/or MK's mouth(s). All eyes turned towards the doorway, and I smiled at the sight of one tall goat man awkwardly shuffling out to meet us. The king of the monsters wore a tux that was less than adventurous, but that was okay. He was kind and simple, and the black and white of his suit and tie reflected that.

"Oh what a handsome young man!" I was quick to shout in a voice reminiscent of a Jersey mother, succeeding in getting everyone laughing and defusing any worries about our previously discussed problem. "Asgore you march right over here so I can pinch your cheeks!"

Asgore really seemed to get a laugh out of me talking to him like a suburban mother, probably because he was god knows how many decades older than I was. But, my compliments did seem to bolster his confidence, adding more pep to his step while he made his way over to us. Once he made his way to the kitchen entrance, he stopped there, looking between the three of us. "You really think I look okay?"

"You look great, dad." Asriel smiled softly, all of that earlier anxiety clearly having released him. This day was bigger than all of that after all, and I'm sure it had to mean a lot to Asriel personally. His family had been all but destroyed a few years ago, and now to see it all coming back together... I couldn't imagine what this must've meant for him. "Mom's gonna love it."

"..." Asgore paused for a moment, and we all watched him curiously, before his expression started to twitch. Tears built in his eyes, and a shaky smile curled his lips, before suddenly he'd grabbed Asriel in his big ol' arms and was hugging him tight to his chest. That got me and MK laughing and "aww"ing, all while Asgore swung an embarrassed Asriel from side to side. This must've meant everything to Asgore, too.

*Hope you don't screw it up.

---

"...S-soooo..." Alphys sat in one of the four chairs lined in the hallway outside of Toriel's bedroom, face still tinted red while she looked away from Chara, who sat at the opposite end of the four chairs. While she just looked to the side, Chara still had their face buried in their hand, free hand running up through their hair and gripping at it anxiously. "... Y-you uh, you and Cter, huh?"

"No, not me and Cter!" Chara corrected, clenching their hands into fists and throwing them down to bang on their knees. They looked quickly to the side in order to continue hiding their red face. "I-it was a fluke! And not what it looked like! I was just trying to help him with his tie!"

"I-I don't mean to argue Chara, b-but uhh..." Alphys turned her face towards Chara, flashing a sheepish smile. "If anyone knows what the symptoms of a crush look like, t-that'd probably be me. And, well..."

"I don't wanna talk about it." Chara cut the lizard off, forcing their lips into an irritated smile while they clenched their eyes shut. Of course shutting their eyes didn't do much good, because then their imagination just planted Angel with that stupid dumbstruck look on his face on the insides of their eyelids. On that note, their eyes snapped back open, the right one twitching lightly.

"E-ehehe... Okayyyy." Alphys rolled her eyes, smiling some from the sight of Chara so flustered. She knew better than to press her luck, as cute as this young love was to her. The idea of those two together had been jarring at first, but the longer she thought about it the more sense it made to her fanfiction brain. In fact the more she considered, the higher it rose towards her rank of "OTP".

It was right about then that the door to Toriel's room opened, and Frisk stepped out into the hallway. When Chara had joined the rest of them by Toriel's door, they were quickly told the room had a limit of two extra people, not including Toriel herself and Mettaton who was helping her get ready. Apparently crowding stressed the queen out further, and everyone was walking on all the eggshells that they could to keep her from exploding on them. She'd been getting progressively more stressed out the closer the wedding got, and now hours beforehand it seemed the drop of a hat could set her off. It seemed the only one who was ever really able to even her out was Asgore, and he wouldn't be able to help until the ceremony itself. Hopefully, after the marrying part was done, Toriel would be able to unwind and enjoy the reception.

"H-hi Frisk." Alphys greeted with a smile, looking up to them from the chair she was seated in. Then she tilted her head curiously, "How's everything going in there?"

"It's going good. Undyne is keeping watch to make sure Mettaton doesn't try anything particularly extravagant with Toriel's look." Frisk smiled some at the fresh memories of a stern Undyne watching the robot stylist like a hawk. Then, their eyes drifted to where Chara sat anxiously, still gripping a green tie in their hands. Chara avoided eye contact, only making them look even more guilty. "... Uh oh."

"W-what?" Chara asked, trying to sound casual as their eyes darted up to look at Frisk. They were only able to hold eye contact briefly, before their gaze darted back to the tie they were anxiously rolling and unrolling around their palm.

"You've got that look on your face." Frisk squinted suspiciously, leaning down some to be at eye level with Chara, who was squirming in their seat. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing!" Chara was quick to refute, pushing a loose strand of hair behind their ear while their face once more stung shades of red.

"Chara did you screw up the plan?" Frisk placed their hands on their hips, their stare only growing more intense and demanding.

"Plan?" Alphys repeated curiously, lips curling up a little as she realized there was some secret to be kept. Could it have had something to do with what she'd seen upstairs?

"N-no!" Chara denied, glaring urgently up at Frisk. Then, they spoke through grinding teeth. "And shut up about the plan!"

"Then why do you have Cter's tie?" Frisk completely ignored their request to shut their trap, pointing dramatically down at a frantic Chara.

"So there is something going on between you and Cter!" Alphys stated, grinning giddily while she too pointed dramatically at Chara.

"..." Chara looked between Frisk and Alphys with semi-wide eyes... Before suddenly they had Frisk in a headlock, bopping them in the top of their head with one tie wrapped fist over and over again. "This! Is why! I said! Shut up!"

"Ow! Ow! Okay, I'm sorry-!" Frisk said while they flailed their arms and tried desperately to escape Chara's headlock. An embarrassed and furious Chara didn't let up though, following up their thumps on the noggin with a noogie. When it became apparent that struggling and apologizing would not stop Chara's assault, Frisk resorted to their failsafe strategy. "Okay, I get it! I've been bad! Punish me harder zaddy!"

Instantly Chara had released Frisk, taking one long step away from them and holding their hands up over their head. Frisk might've laughed about how well their plan worked, if they weren't busy rubbing their head and whimpering about the burning feeling left after Chara's noogie. Chara just sighed irritably, "You're gross."

"Don't make me bring up the inky dick argument again." Frisk threatened quickly, a little smile pulling at their lips while their eyes darted back to Chara. Chara just growled, shaking their fist threateningly at their doppelganger, who stuck their tongue out at them.

Alphys couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the two of them. It honestly seemed impossible these days that either of these two had ever harbored any sort of malice; seeing a scene like this unfold made them both seem so perfectly normal. Just as she was about to press for more details on whatever this 'plan' was, the door to Toriel's room swung open dramatically, drawing everyone's attention.

Mettaton stood in the doorway, striking a pose as he did whenever he made any kind of entrance. He was in his EX form for the occasion, probably so his dress would fit better. Not that he was dressed yet, most of them weren't ready yet. Helping Toriel had been everyone's first priority; they agreed to have as little chaos around her as possible while she was preparing to keep stress at a minimum. Judging by the smirk on the flamboyant robot's face, his work was completed. "And just like that, I've worked another MTT brand Miracle!"

"Watch it." Undyne rolled her eyes from where she stood in the doorway behind Mettaton. Then, she uncrossed her arms to plant a light shove in the robot ghost's back and force him out of the doorway so she could get through.

After those two made it out of the doorway, the queen came next. And what a queen she was, Chara thought. In the flowing white of her wedding dress, something about her appeared so pure and elegant. Her white fur almost had a glow to it, every strand on her head combed perfectly flat from between her horns all the way down both of her ears. Her horns even looked cleaner than usual, shined with just the very tips trimmed down to appear less sharp and threatening. But, by far the most stunning part of Toriel's appearance was the smile on her face. It was small and gentle, content with all the work that had been put in to get her life to this point.

Chara hadn't thought about it much, their brain was often focused on the bigger problems of their own life. Whether that be the conflicts they'd spent years preparing for or their own plans for the future or their own relationships with those that they cared about. But, in this moment, they understood how important this day must've been to Toriel. How far away a day this happy must have seemed for all those years beneath the earth, how farfetched it would have been for her to ever hope that someday she would see the sunlight. That she would see the children she'd lost again, that she would ever heal the many wounds that once split her from her husband.

And now, she had all of it. And seeing that content and contemplative smile on her face, Chara knew that Toriel understood the gravity of this moment, and that she was happy. In a true and pure way, a form of happiness Chara thought someone might only be able to feel once they had secured the future that they desired. Chara wondered if they'd ever feel that way; really they wondered if they thought enough about the distant future enough for a moment like this to impact them the way that it had Toriel. Seemed to them that the vast majority of their worries laid in the present or near future, they did not think about things like "After Anarchy's been stopped" or "When we live in this timeline again" or even "Where I'm going to live". The events that would take place between the now and the distant future were far too pressing.

"So... How do I look?" Toriel folded her hands in front of her lap, lifting her head some to look out at the small crowd that had formed outside of her room. Alphys just stared in awe, while Undyne flashed one of her trademark smiles. Mettaton smirked quietly at the sight of his own handiwork, and when Frisk whistled like they were catcalling Toriel, she couldn't help but giggle, reaching up and covering her mouth with one hand.

"... You look beautiful, mom." Chara spoke up, catching Toriel's attention. The bride looked to them semi-wide eyed, spotting the loving smile that had graced Chara's face. Their words and their support easily made tears well up in the bride's eyes, and she sniffled. That made Chara smile a little wider, just before their eyes widened as Toriel suddenly scooped them and Frisk both up in her arms, hugging them both tight to her.

"Oh, you two..!" Was all she managed to say through a crackling voice, just a few tears breaking through and slipping down her cheeks while she hugged her children as tight as she could. Chara and Frisk both laughed just a little at this, returning her hug. Chara felt their own eyes sting some too; something about this moment choked them up. They guessed that, if they ever had thought about the future past their first death, they never would have seen a time like this in the cards for themself. And they were grateful to be here now, in such a shamelessly joyful moment.

---

The next few hours went along painfully slowly. I spent every minute watching the clock, racking my brain to try and think of what to say but really only ever thinking "Oh fuck, only (enter amount of time here) until I have to marry these dearly beloved mother fuckers".

It was only probably another half hour or so until everyone was ready and dressed at Asgore's house, and we were all piling into my van to be chauffeured to town square, where the wedding was being held outside. I thought I cleaned up pretty nice, even though wearing a suit made me look even more like Future. The darker blue of my suit's jacket covered most of the lighter blue vest underneath, which allegedly would have matched my dark green tie if I still had it. But I didn't have an eye for fashion and had no concept of how to dress, so if that wasn't true I'd never notice. Not that it mattered, I'd left my tie... Well, you know where I left my tie. I don't need to talk about that anymore.

So, in summary, I wore dark blue dress pants and a white button up shirt. Over that was a lighter blue colored vest, and over that was the dark blue of my jacket. I didn't have my tie, and every time anyone asked me about its absence, I dodged the question as best I could. Hopefully no one minded the officiator not wearing a tie.

After I drove everyone to the wedding, I let them all go ahead while I "looked for parking". In reality parking was reserved for me - as it was all people who had a part in the ceremony - and I was actually pacing outside my van trying to think up what to say in... Fifteen minutes! Fuck!

"I really think I'm fucked, dude." I finally spoke aloud, blinking and shaking my head while I leaned my back against the side of the Purple Piece of Shit. I shrugged, defeated and angry. With myself, With Asriel and Monster Kid for talking me into this, with Gerson's stupid old man bones. "I have no idea what the fuck to say up there."

*"Hi my name is Angel and welcome to Jackass."

*Then you kick the groom in the balls.

"..." I stared for a few long seconds at the textbox that'd appeared before me. Until finally, my expression cracked, and I snerked, starting to laugh at Texty's words. I reached up, resting my hand over my face while I chuckled, exasperation clear in my voice. After a moment or two, my laughter died down, and I ran my hand up over my forehead - which was missing my usual red headband - and over my combed back brown hair. "Didn't know you had jokes, Texty."

*I can be funny when I want to be.

*Delilah was a terribly dreary woman, and I could always get her laughing.

"... Is that, Anthony's mother?" The mirth faded from my expression, my brows furrowing down at The Killer's words. When a simple "*Yeah." appeared in the box, I blinked thoughtfully and slid my hands into my pockets. Leaning my head back against the glass of my car's window, I looked up into the clear blue sky. "I, didn't know you remembered her name."

*I remember everything.

"... You've been weird today." I commented after pausing for another few seconds. I watched the gentle white of the two or three nimbus clouds above streak slowly across the dimming blue of the sky. The sun would be setting soon, it'd probably be dark by the time dinner was done with.

*I've just never been to a wedding before.

*Promised Delilah one, but that was a lie.

"Do you feel bad about that?" I asked, expression a little hard to read. My emerald eyes glossed over to the white bordered box floating in the corner of my line of sight, and The Killer offered a response without hesitation.

*No.

"... Well you're definitely feeling something unusual." I rolled my eyes at Texty's stubbornness, shuffling my shoulders and forcing my hands deeper into my pockets. "This is the first time I've ever heard you talk about Anthony's mom like she was more than just the lady who birthed your kid."

*A wedding brings a big change.

*Enjoy these moments, little Angel. I feel that your life will never be the same after today.

"A big change..?" I repeated quietly, furrowing my brows at my text box. It didn't elaborate, instead vanishing into thin air. That just wrote more confusion across my face, but when I opened my mouth to press for answers, a different voice hit my ears first.

"Angel? You gonna hide in the parking lot for the whole wedding?"

I recognized Chara's voice, and immediately my head was filled with memories of this morning. Anxiety throttled me as I realized I was suddenly going to have to face the aftermath of that awkward situation, but before I could choke out any casual greeting, I turned my head in the direction of their voice. And doing that ended up stopping me dead. My brain shut off momentarily, my eyes went wide, my jaw even dropped.

Chara made their way across the parking lot in a dress that matched the green in my eyes. It flowed down past their ankles, nearly touching the ground but just barely hovering above it. A cut ran up the skirt to their knee, and a thin strap ran over each of their shoulders to hold the upper half of the dress up. Their collar and most of their shoulders remained uncovered, and though I couldn't see it from where I was standing, this dress had an open back. The straps that went over their shoulders crossed over one another in a thin X before wrapping around their sides under their arms and connecting back to the front of the dress. Everything besides the space beneath those straps was uncovered on their back, all the way down to their lower back, where the green of the dress resumed.

Just a few feet from me, Chara stopped when they saw my dumbstruck expression. They must've realized why I was staring like an idiot, and their face tinted a light pink. They stood up straight, crossing one arm over their chest and resting their other arm's elbow on it while they reached up to play with a strand of their hair. I'd learned over time that was a nervous tick of theirs, twirling their hair or brushing it behind their ear. Unfortunately for them, their fingers couldn't find any loose tresses of their auburn locks. Their hair was all pulled up and put together perfectly into an elegant bun on the back of their head.

"Y-yeah, I know, the dress is a little much." They avoided eye contact, scoffing a little awkwardly, as though they were trying to sell me on the idea that they thought this was something silly, and that they weren't panicking internally. Of course, I knew them, so I knew that wasn't true. They gestured out towards me some with their propped up hand, forcing a nervous smile while they explained. "I'd been thinking about a dress, a-and then I let Frisk talk me into something a little more extravagant then I'd originally-"

Finally, my motor functions came back, and my first instinct was to try and quell the anxiety they were clearly stricken with. So, I reached out and grabbed their slightly extended hand with both of mine. This sudden contact brought their sentence to an immediate stop, and their eyes darted back towards me while their cheeks turned just a little more red. A smile crossed my face when they looked at me with the beautiful scarlet of their eyes, and I spoke without thinking. "You look amazing."

". . ." Chara stopped dead, even stiffened up like they were struck with rigor mortis. I half expected their face to go red as a tomato like it did this morning, but... Then they relaxed. Their cheeks still burned pink, and so did mine, but they smiled at me. Like they were relieved and content, and above all happy that I had said that. "Thank you..."

My smile crept further up my face when they said that; I was glad that my words had helped. Another few seconds went by like that, me holding their hand in the both of mine and us just smiling like idiots at each other. Until finally it clicked in our heads that it was probably weird to just stand there like that, not saying or doing anything. So, I let go of Chara's hand, and the both of us laughed a little awkwardly while we finally broke eye contact.

"O-oh, here." Chara suddenly held up their other hand, looking back to me. My eyebrows rose with some surprise as I spotted my necktie in their hand, and for the hundredth time today embarrassment stung me. "You uh, kinda left this... Tied around my wrists earlier. Ahem."

"E-eheh... Yeah uh, sorry about uh..." My eyes darted to the side, and I gulped. One hand in my pocket, I used the other to smooth my hair back. "Fleeing out the window..?"

"What you should be apologizing for is that 'degenerate sex' line." Chara grumbled, shaking their head while they stepped forward. For the second time today I was recoiling as they brought the fabric of that tie to my neck. They rolled their eyes, ignoring the little smile forming on their own face while they made a second attempt at helping me put the stupid thing on. "Hold still this time, okay?"

"U-uhh..." Once again, I was worried they'd feel how my pulse pounded when they were this close to me. I was worried they'd notice that it got harder for me to breathe. But if they did notice they didn't say anything. Instead, they focused on securing my tie around my neck. "You sure you wanna try this again? Last time didn't go so well-"

"We're not gonna talk about last time." Chara said through the clenched teeth of their smile, and I couldn't help but laugh just a little. I would have liked to laugh more, change the subject, keep things light. But, I couldn't. I was afraid my voice would come out shaky, that I'd fumble over my words and embarrass myself. Chara must have known I was off, because they looked up to me, and stated innocuously... "You seem nervous..."

Wish my brain had perceived those words as innocuous. But they were too close to me, they'd spoke in such a tone... I gulped, and they no doubt felt it with their hands securing fabric around my neck. I thought quickly while I watched them arch a brow up at me. I couldn't lie them, there was no way they wouldn't see through me like this. So, I diverted, gave them a different truth. "U-uhm, yeah... See I, uh, well, Gerson can't make it to the wedding. And we - Asriel, MK and I - k-kinda put together that I - as The Angel - am kinda the only guy here qualified to officiate this wedding..."

"O-oh!" That answer must've surprised Chara. Maybe they'd expected me to say something different, maybe they'd even hoped for it. That thought made me feel guilty for not admitting the truth, but I pushed those thoughts away. Chara furrowed their brows then, like they'd pushed away their own share of thoughts that they didn't want to hear. They frowned a little, some worry appearing on their face. "Well, that must be a lot of stress to have put on you at the last minute."

"Y-yeah, you could say that..." I smiled with heavy exasperation, sighing shakily. Chara smiled just a little from the sight of my expression lightening up though, so that was good. It was nice to be able to talk to someone about how stressed I was, and it was good to have someone understand. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the incident this morning, I probably would have sought Chara out immediately and asked for their help. They were the most reliable person I knew. "I mean, we're just a few minutes from me having to do this thing, and I have no idea what I'm gonna say."

"Hmm..." Chara furrowed their brows thoughtfully, considering what advice they could give me on such short notice. Unfortunately, unless they'd already prepared a speech for just such an occasion, there was no simple solution. But, they did the best that they could on the spot, which was all I could ask for.

"Well, I'm not the best with these things either, but..." They smiled again, and their hands suddenly pulled back from my neck. They'd managed to tie the necktie perfectly, leaving it laying down the center of my chest from where it was perfectly secured around my neck. Then, they took a step back, and they folded their hands behind their back. "Just try to go with your heart, Angel."

"My heart..?" I repeated, subconsciously reaching up. I placed my cracked left hand over my chest. The scar hidden beneath my clothes, the soul hidden beneath my scar, the heart hidden beneath my soul. I glanced down to my hand after feeling the aforementioned heart beat against my palm. Then, I glanced back up to Chara, and they were still shining the ray of their smile on me. But, then they paused. Their eyes glossed to the side, and their expression tensed some, like they were contemplating something. I arched a brow, "Uhh, Chara-?"

"Look over there!" Chara suddenly pointed to their left, and it was so dramatic and out of nowhere that I didn't hesitate to whip my head to the side and see just what on earth they were pointing at. Was there danger? Had something gone wrong? Did someone need to be saved, was a sneak attack in progress?

When I looked away and turned my focus to the side, Chara folded their hands behind their back again. It seemed everything slowed down as I looked out at the rest of the parking lot, face shifting from a display of urgency and worry to one of confusion. There was no danger, there was nothing but parked cars. And while my head was turned away, and my brain was trying to understand that I'd just been tricked, Chara made their move. Standing onto their tippy toes, I felt the soft warmth of their lips peck my cheek in an innocent kiss, and for the second time in a five minute span they'd brought my train of thought to a screeching halt.

I stood there, dumbstruck by something so simple. Head still turned away, I reached up with a shaky hand just as they dropped back down to their regular height and took a step back away from me. I gently rested my finger tips over the space on my cheek where their lips had just been, and then I was the one who's face was turning red. Gradually my green eyes glossed back over to them, and I saw that they were smiling again as they walked backwards away from me.

"Good luck officiating, Angel. Just remember what I said." They spoke, and there was a shocking lack of a tremble in their voice. They weren't embarrassed by what they'd just done. In fact, they looked... Happy about it. Glad, reassured by the dumbfounded look on my face. "I know you'll do great."

I watched in silence as they turned around and made their way with just a little haste back towards the wedding happening beyond the parking lot. And once they were out of earshot, I released a shaky sigh, and my body relaxed. Suddenly, the tight ball of anxiety in my core dispersed, and I couldn't stop smiling.

... How did they do that? I had to ponder while I watched Chara disappear back into the center of town, where monsters crowded and tables, tents, and lights were arranged. I placed my cracked left hand over the pounding heart in my chest, and I slowly shook my head. It didn't make sense, I'd stressed over this for hours and had no idea what to say up on that stage. And suddenly, after a quick talk with Chara, I knew I would be okay, and I knew what to talk about.

How do they always make me feel better..?

---

"Where's Cter..?" Asriel leaned over and whispered through his clenched smile to Monster Kid, speaking under the piano Napstablook was playing "Here Comes The Bride" on. He wore a suit that was relatively similar to Asgore's, but the vest beneath was green, and his tie was yellow. Toriel was being walked down the isle towards the alter where Asgore already stood, linked arm in arm with the one giving her away. Her best friend Sans was the only option for this role in the wedding, and he'd gratefully accepted it when it was offered.

Under the overhang of the alter Asgore stood alone, but he hardly seemed to notice. He was too busy smiling and growing teary eyed at the sight of the bride. He wasn't the only one; Alphys down the line on the bride's side of the alter was also tearing up, as well as MK on the groom's side. Toriel's side began with Chara in their dress, then Undyne in a suit and tie, and then Alphys in a dress, and finally Mettaton in a dress of his own. Asgore's side started with Asriel, then was Monster Kid, and then Frisk, and finally the empty space where Angel was supposed to be. The three of them were all dressed in suits and ties, Monster Kid's clothes having been fitted with multiple holes for his spikes and wings to fit through. Frisk's suit was shades of blues and purples, their trademark colors. The rules of this part of the wedding had hardly been strict, there was no real best man or main bridesmaid. the line up more consisted of friends and family, just people that the bride and groom wanted involved in the wedding. The biggest surprise in this bunch - at least to Asriel - was Mettaton, but apparently the robot's antics had proved so out of the ordinary to both Asgore and Toriel that the both of them took a liking to him over their time on the surface. And he had expected a part in the wedding, probably just assumed from the get-go that he'd be standing up by the alter somewhere.

"He'll be here..! Shh!" MK whispered back to Asriel with a semi-shaky voice, eyes still misty from the sight of such a happy scene. Asriel just grumbled his response, trying his best to relax his anxieties while he looked back towards the scene.

Sans unwrapped his arm from Toriel's, and she smiled thankfully down to him while he led her up the steps to the alter. He whispered beneath the piano, "Good luck. When it comes to wives, I'm sure you'll be the GOAT."

Toriel couldn't help but giggle at that, eyes already stinging with tears and throat already forming a lump. Sans stepped aside then, walked down the line and didn't hesitate to step up beside Frisk. They arched a brow over at him, but his grin didn't falter as he stared out towards the crowd. He whispered. "Noticed ya had an seat open. Where's Cter?"

"No idea." Frisk whispered back, keeping a smile for any camera flash while they leaned over some to help him hear them better. "He should be here. Him and Gerson both."

Those on the alter and lined by its sides were trying to be discrete, but there were a few murmurs in the many rows of seats. It was plain to see right in front of them; the officiator was missing and so was The Angel. The Angel who, in the eye of humanity and therefore the public, was a bit of a problematic figure. There were plenty of videos that circulated this world's internet of his battle with Anarchy, and Monsterkind doubted that it sat well with humanity that their Angel had the power to unleash atomic power on command. But, he'd disappeared for years in Future's timeline. Never gave any kind of interview, never elaborated to humanity the kind of person he was or what he was.

This wedding meant a lot personally to those involved, but it also meant a lot for Monsterkind in the scope of humanity. They had to present themselves properly here, they had to show that they were capable of love and care, and that they were not threatening. So it wouldn't look good if the most threatening and worried about member of monster society was a no show. Videos would circulate, information would get out, people would know. This wedding was intentionally public.

And just as those murmurs grew louder, and those lined by the alter grew antsy, wings beat overhead. A shadow slipped across the crowd, and gasps of awe rang out as heads turned upwards, spotting the inky dark of The Angel's wings.

With a light thud I landed on the alter, in front of the bride and groom and facing out towards the now clapping crowd. I exchanged glances with a confused Toriel and Asgore, before my eyes darted down Asgore's side of the alter. Asriel was glaring at me, and that almost made me laugh, especially when compared to MK grinning wide at the sight of me just behind the goat prince. Then, I turned and looked over to Chara. And they smiled at me again, showing silently that they never doubted me for a second. I returned their smile and nodded once, before looking out to the crowd ahead of me.

"Okay, I'd like to open by saying sorry for the dramatic entrance. I promise I wasn't trying to look cool or show up anyone else." I stepped forward and spoke into the mic in front of me, raising my hands defensively. I smiled sheepishly, and presented myself as genuinely as I could. Go with your heart. Be yourself. "I just lost track of time practicing my lines in the parking lot and thought it would be a lot more awkward if I had to run up the isle after the bride."

"Practicing lines..?" Toriel whispered to me curiously, heavy confusion showing in her expression. The crowd didn't notice, they were still distracted by my entrance. A few of them even laughed at my earnest explanation, probably able to relate to and understand how flustered I was.

"Okay, so. Asgore, Toriel, - dearly beloved -" I folded my hands into a pyramid, pointing said pyramid at each of them while I explained. Then I turned my hands, clasping them together and shaking them once. "Unfortunately, we got the call earlier that Gerson would not be able to make it today. That meant that we were out an officiator, so we had to think fast."

"So, me and those two geniuses over there put our heads together," I pointed over to MK and Asriel, and my obvious sarcasm earned me another short murmur of laughter from the crowd. Then, I pointed back towards myself, and my wings shuffled to make themselves known. "And we realized that, as The Angel, I'm kinda sorta the only guy qualified to wed the both of you! I hope that's alright."

I was afraid of what there response might've been to that, but was stunned when their faces lit up. Toriel placed a hand over her mouth to hide the wide smile that formed, and her eyes grew teary again. Asgore was smiling too, and he reached over, gently taking Toriel's hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. He explained, but without the mic only those on the alter and in close proximity would hear. "We actually considered asking you to do this job for quite some time, Cter. But, we were afraid that it would stress you out and put a damper on your vacation..."

"We know how hard you work, and we really wanted your time back home to be special." Toriel explained with a nod, a loving smile clear on her face while a single happy tear slid down her cheek. Her voice cracked some, but she spoke anyway. "We know you're The Angel, but you're our friend and family first."

"Wait... You guys, wanted me..?" I asked, placing one hand over the microphone. Now I was getting teary eyed. Seeing the love and care in their eyes reminded me of the day before I'd left for Future's timeline a few years ago. How loved and appreciated I'd felt in that group hug. What it felt like to really be apart of something... I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, and I blinked away the tears forming in my eyes while I gave them a nod. "I'll do my best..!"

With that, everyone repositioned. We all turned and faced out towards the crowd, apart from Asgore and Toriel, who stood hand in hand in front of me. My wings were spread wide, looming behind the alter and glimmering in the sun that set behind us. Monsterkind stood represented and composed, and I leaned in to speak into the microphone again.

"Alright, so... I was pretty worried about taking up this job. In my life, I haven't been the best at... Really anything involving love?" I shrugged my shoulders sheepishly, looking out at the crowd of familiar faces before me. Then, I took a deep breath, and I shook my head. "I'm The Angel, but... I didn't come from Heaven."

"The truth is, when I first fell into the Underground, I was a selfish, self loathing, screwed up kid." I straightened my back, stood before all those watching eyes and didn't flinch. I held the stand of the microphone, and I didn't turn away. "I'd lied and cheated, I'd cut other people down, I'd made a hundred thousand mistakes, and I wanted to run away. I hurt everyone who ever got close to me because I refused to accept that I was the problem."

"... But, then something happened. Falling into the Underground, meeting the monsters that lived under Ebott... It was different from the world I knew." I turned my head then, and I looked to Toriel, who smiled gently at me while I spoke for the whole world to hear. "Toriel, do you remember when we first met?"

"I stumbled up to your doorstep in The Ruins, tired and emotionally drained and broken. And I knocked, and when you answered I said to you "I'm lost. I'm lost and I need help."" While I spoke, a slight smile pulled at my lips. I watched the bride nod her head, a smile remaining on her face while another few tears slipped down her cheeks. "And you helped me inside. You told me without a moment's hesitation "You're safe here." And I'd never heard that and believed it until I heard it from you."

"And Asgore, you were the least threatening final boss I've ever met." I spoke, turning my head towards the groom. This sudden change in tone got everyone - including Asgore - laughing. That made me smile a little wider, before I elaborated. "You were forcing yourself to stand tall and try save your people, but anyone who knows you knows that you wouldn't hurt a fly, and there isn't a fly that could bring themselves to hurt you either."

"What I've learned in my years in this life is that monsters and humans are not alike." I turned and looked forward again, into the eyes of the crowd and the lenses of any camera. "Monsters are made of magic. Love and compassion builds a monster soul. Physically monsters are frail but emotionally they're strong."

"Monsterkind was able to change the heart of someone as awful as me. I didn't become The Angel because it was written on an old wall or because it was my destiny." I stepped forward a little more, straightening my back and standing tall in front of the microphone. "I became The Angel because monsters believed more than I ever could that I could fly."

"Humans are built sturdy on the outside but on the inside we break easy." I shook my head, wincing some at the thought of my own fragility. The nightmare that'd awoken me this morning, the tears that The Anarchist had cried when he tried to kill me, the pain in Lexi's voice while she shouted at me for betraying her, the sobbing Chara had done when they once killed me in their hysteria. "Our souls are powerful but our hearts are weak. You all know how strong I am, and twenty minutes ago I was standing in the parking lot having a panic attack because I thought I couldn't do this."

"Humans aren't made out of love, that's why we desperately need it. That's why we need monsters, and that's why it's so important that we all stand shoulder to shoulder in this world." I lifted my hands, and I intertwined my fingers, looking out into the masses before me. I saw teary eyes and I saw smiles and I saw awe on peoples faces and I realized I was actually doing okay here. "Humanity and Monsterkind should have never been separated; neither species is complete without the other. Neither species can properly heal without the other."

"And I can't think of any better example of love and healing than these two in front of me." I took a small step back, separating my hands and gesturing out to Asgore and Toriel. My expression relaxed some now that I felt I'd completed the most socially important part of my freestyle speech, and I brought things back around to the most important people of the day. "From the first day Monsters were Underground to the last, these two were there for all of it. Through love and loss that I could never properly word or understand, they made it all the way to this very moment."

"After all this time, through hardship that most people could never understand, they have healed their relationship, rebuilt their trust, and are ready to unite with one another once more." I looked between the two of them, and saw that they were both looking to one another lovingly. It seemed the whole world was watching, but if I had to guess, for the two of them it felt it was just the two of them on this alter and in this world. That made my heart feel even lighter, and I placed my scarred left hand over my scarred chest. "So, because no one but the two of them could ever really explain what it's like to have a love as powerful as there's, I'll be handing the microphone over to them. They have prepared their own vows for the occasion."

After that moment, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The most long winded part of my job was over. Honestly, I was worried I'd went on too long. But, when I looked to Monster Kid and Asriel, the former had stars in his eyes while the latter looked beyond relieved. And when I looked over to Chara, they looked so proud. That gentle smile was clear on their face, and a single tear streaked down their cheek. I was so shocked by the positive response towards the honest words that had just poured out of me that I didn't catch all the specifics on what Asgore and Toriel had been saying.

They both brought up how hard it had been to lose their children, and how grateful they were to have them back. Toriel talked about how she felt about the years she'd chose to lock herself in the ruins, told Asgore in front of the world that she regretted abandoning him when he needed her most and that she would never make a mistake so stupid again. Asgore voiced similar regrets, told Toriel that he would never act so rashly and he would never do anything to drive her away again. They both came to the same conclusions, that the happiest moments in their lives were when they were together.

Such a pure and honest statement of their shared love got plenty of people crying. I know I had to wipe a tear or two away before it was my turn to speak again. Once more I stepped forward and into focus, taking hold of the mic and looking between the bride and the groom. "Thank you both, that was beautiful."

"If the crown bearer could please come forward." I spoke into the microphone, and The Great Papyrus stood from his front row seat. In his lap he'd been holding a pillow, atop which the king and queen's crowns rested. Tear stains still left on the front of his skull, Papyrus smiled with pride at me while he handed me the pillow, and I returned his smile, once more having to swallow the lump in my throat while I let the pillow rest in my flat palms. I nodded my thanks to Papyrus, and so did Toriel and Asgore, before he made his way back to his seat.

"Okay..." I said more to myself than anyone there, whispering it so the microphone would not hear. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes briefly, before reopening them and looking to Asgore. "Asgore. Do you take Toriel to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her and to keep in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Asgore answered with absolute certainty, tears threatening to overflow from his eyes. After he agreed to this, he lifted the queen's crown from the pillow I presented the two of them. He rose it to Toriel's head, and gently placed it between her horns, resting it perfectly atop her head.

"And Toriel." I turned then, looking to the newly recrowned queen, who much like Asgore was trying not to start crying again. I tried to keep my voice clear and controlled while I asked, "Do you take Asgore to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Toriel nodded, smiling just a little wider after she agreed. That was enough to make the tears overflow, and that got Asgore crying again too. After she spoke, she lifted the king's crown from the pillow, and she lifted it up to Asgore's head. She placed it atop his golden hair, past his horns, securely.

"Alright!" I spoke a little louder, and the air seemed to vibrate with anticipation. It felt like everyone was on the edge of their seat, this was the exact moment we all came here for. My wings spread wide on the alter, and I spoke loud enough for the whole world to hear. "Then by the power vested in me by Monsterkind as The Angel I now pronounce you monster and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

Cheers rang out, and people stood up from their seats to clap and roar their approval as Toriel and Asgore rushed together on the alter like they couldn't stand to be apart for another second, holding one another close and kissing to unite their marriage. And as I took a step back and let the cameras flash, I smiled with content. I didn't even remember how scared I'd been to stand on this stage earlier. I didn't remember the nightmare that'd woke me up this morning, I didn't remember the last time I'd had to wear a suit, and I didn't remember the future looming ahead. I just felt so grateful to be standing there, in that exact moment. To be a part of such a happy thing. In that moment, there was nothing but joy and gratitude in my green soul.

And as the king and queen united, that soul of mine flared, and my wings bristled briefly. A gust of wind washed out from me. Not enough to knock anyone over or cause any problems, just enough to gather the crowd's attention. And when they looked to the alter, they could see that I had manifested with the white light of my magic a glimmering Deltarune symbol in the air just above the king and queen. And when they looked up to it, they smiled wider, and they laughed and they cried as they held each other.

---

After the ceremony, I was congratulated by just about everyone I ever knew. Seemed like everything was chaotic for a few minutes, so many smiling faces and so many happy people saying kind words. Order returned when we all gathered at our tables under the brightening starlight and dimming sunlight.

... Somehow, though, I ended up at a table away from the royal family. And that was fine, I was friends with just about every member of Monsterkind and I was happy to see as many people as I could with what little time I had before I would have to return to Future's timeline. Only problem was, somehow I ended up at the skeleton table. Sitting right across from one Wing Ding Gaster. One friend who stabbed me in the back, one guy who played a real big hand in me acquiring the scarlet cracks that disformed my left arm.

But, on either side of the table, Sans and Papyrus were there. Two people who I did like. And, I was in probably one of the best mood's I'd ever been in. So, Gaster and I coexisted. And it was... Fine? We didn't argue, I didn't scream at him like I had the last time I'd seen him, and he didn't cower like he was afraid I was gonna dust him. We only spoke at the surface level, and it was obvious our friendship would never be what it had been once upon a time, but we were able to coexist, and his presence didn't ruin my good mood. It was kind of a pain in the ass, but Papyrus seemed happy about it.

After dinner, music started playing, and everyone gathered around the dance floor to watch the new wife and husband share their first dance. The song was Perfect by Ed Sheeran I was pretty sure. I wasn't too familiar with the song; was always more into metal and dubstep and things of that more loud and intense nature. But, even though love songs were far from my favorite type of music, I couldn't deny that they always hit just right at a wedding. Sure it was corny - at least to someone as jaded as me - but I was still smiling, and so was everyone else.

I remained seated alone at my table though; I could see okay enough from where I was. And really, I just wanted to sit and take a breather. What a ride today had been. But overall, everything turned out great. I officiated the shit outta that wedding, everyone was happy, and I felt more content about my feelings towards Chara than I had... Ever.

Speaking of, I heard the seat beside me be pulled out from its place under the table, and I turned to see Chara taking a seat beside me. They smirked knowingly over at me, like they were saying "I told you so". But, they didn't say that. Instead, they just rested their elbow on the table, and they spoke. "You did great up there, Angel."

"Thanks to you." I answered modestly, laying relaxed in my chair. I was plenty slouched, legs stretched out in front of me. Chara clearly got a kick out of how relaxed I appeared now in comparison to how they'd found me in the parking lot, scoffing some. They leaned forward, resting their chin on the fist they propped up on the table. "I was a nervous wreck before you snapped me out of it."

"Oh is that what I did?" They asked coyly, and I rolled my eyes even though I was smirking. I must've felt too relaxed and content to freak out and get embarrassed, maybe they felt the same. But, when I looked over at them, they did seem a little tense. They looked towards the table, and they watched their own fingers tap almost anxiously against the wood. I furrowed my brows at the sight of this, but before I could ask if something was wrong, they drew in a deep breath. Like they were gathering their nerve, Chara shut their eyes momentarily. And when they opened those scarlet orbs again, they looked right to me with certainty written on their expression. "You wanna dance?"

My eyebrows rose with surprise at that request. I sat up in my chair some, showing that they clearly had my attention. and I smirked just a little, leaning into my arm rest. "What? Like, right here? Right now?"

"Yeah. While all the vultures are watching the newly weds." Chara smiled a little at their own joke, pointing over their shoulder with their thumb back towards the dance floor. They pushed out their chair, standing just as quickly as they sat down. They must've already known what my answer was gonna be.

Their presence still made my heart race, and the thought of dancing with them only added to rush being around them gave me. But, I didn't panic like I usually did. I didn't worry that I would say something dumb and make a fool of myself. Instead, I felt calm. Like this was okay, and I didn't have anything to worry about. I smiled up at them, and I pushed myself up from my chair. "I would love to."

"Well then hurry up." Chara said with just a hint of urgency, not hesitating to take me by the hand and lead me away from my table. It was surprising to me how forward they'd been this entire wedding. Usually, social situations were far from Chara's strong suit. I'd been worried they might be awkward or even uneasy in such a big gathering, but instead they seemed so focused and relaxed, especially when they were around me.

I thought back to the parking lot while I looked to my hand in theirs. I remembered that kiss on the cheek and how it had cleared my mind. I'd been so glad that they'd gotten me to relax and so preoccupied with the wedding at hand that I hadn't really thought about what that little kiss had meant. Chara had never acted that way before, not with me or anyone else. They weren't affectionate in that way, something as simple as a kiss on the cheek was likely a bigger deal to them than it was to most. That's why it had stunned me, and that's why I was thinking about it now. They wouldn't do something like that without a deeper meaning behind it, would they? Even asking me to dance, leading me by the hand to an open space between the tables... Was I overthinking, or were these hints? No, no that can't be right. I shouldn't get my hopes up.

But my heart still raced when we stopped in a wide open space in the dark dining area. I still swallowed with a dry throat when they turned and looked at me, and I still had to hope that the dim lighting would hide the red sting on my cheeks. I smiled just a little nervously, and they returned the gesture with the same hint of anxiety. But, then they stepped closer to me. They reached up slowly, like they were waiting for me to ask them what they were doing or tell them to stop. But I didn't, and they wrapped their arms around my shoulders.

They lowered their head just a little, but I could still see the shaky smile on their face. They were so close to me, I inhaled a quiet, deep breath through my nose to try and slow my pounding heart. It didn't help much, but still I moved my own hands. I was shaky in the same way that they had been, like I was worried I would do something wrong and they would object. But I didn't, and they didn't, and I gently placed my hands on their waist. Then, we started moving gradually, swaying to the sound of the music.

"S-sorry in advance if I screw up." I spoke a little sheepishly, giving a nervous laugh. My voice was quiet, enough for them and only them to hear. Because to me, it seemed like they were the only other person in the world. "It's been years since I've..."

"It's okay, me too." Chara dispelled my worries, their words just as soft spoken as my own. I wasn't sure if I'd ever heard their voice this, so quiet and gentle. Like they only trusted me with what they were saying. They didn't look up at me, but I couldn't look away from them. Everything about them drew me in, commanded all of my attention. "You just kinda, sway back and forth, I-I'm pretty sure..."

"Y-yeah, I think so..." I gulped again. Why was I so nervous? I'd been close to them before, but... Not ever like this. Thar rush of emotion being close to them gave me was constant, and stronger than it had ever been before. I wasn't strong enough to even try and push it down. So instead, I had to go with it. I asked, "Is there a reason you're not looking at me..?"

"..." Chara's eyes glossed to the side, and their face might've tinted a darker shade of red. It was hard to see in the dark. Then, instead of speaking, they shifted their arms. I felt a spike of fear, I was worried that they were pulling away and that I had scared them off. But then, they wrapped their arms around my sides, and they moved even closer to me. I had to stifle a gasp, and I didn't know why. I'd been stabbed and shot before and shrugged it off, but somehow them resting their head against my chest almost made me flinch. And when they looked up at me from under their eyebrows, and I saw the beautiful red of their eyes shining in the dim lighting, it took my breath away. "Your heart's racing... Is that my fault..?"

I tried to gulp, but my mouth was dry. Their questions made the hairs rise on the back of my neck, sent a shiver up my spine. I couldn't lie to them, we'd already established that. So, instead I breathed a shaky sigh, and the green glow of my own eyes glossed to the side. I had no other choice but to admit, "... Y-yeah. It, usually does when I'm around you. S-... Sorry."

I didn't know why I was apologizing, I just had no idea what to say, and whatever I did get out I had to choke out. But, when I found the strength to look back to Chara, I saw that they were smiling lightly. Their arms wrapped tighter around me, and they kept their ear against my chest, listening to the lovestruck pounding of my heart with that gentle smile. They spoke again, their soft voice and the music the only sound in the world. "It's okay. Mine does the same thing when I'm around you..."

My heart skipped a beat and they probably heard it. Was this real? Was this actually happening? My arms wrapped around them, I held them close because I was afraid they would disappear. I wanted to doubt the dots my brain was connecting, but how could I? They were right here in my arms, moving with me to the sound of the music, admitting that they felt the same rush around me that I felt around them. Looking away from me, they spoke again. "To answer your question, I... I have something I wanna talk to you about, but it's hard to talk about while I look at you..."

"Well, I'm right here." I assured them, trying my best to keep composed while my brain fired rapid theories on what they might want to talk about. There was only one theory that made sense, but I was afraid to hope for it. "I'm listening, and you can close your eyes if it helps..."

"..." Chara's smile widened a little from my words, before they shut their eyes, leaning their head more into my chest. They seemed so relaxed in my arms, I wondered if they felt safer when I held them. I knew I felt better with their arms around me. "... Well, Angel, I... I've never felt this way before. I've never felt for anyone what you make me feel."

"And what feeling is that..?" I asked quietly. They had me, hook line and sinker. I was completely enthralled, nothing could remove me from this moment. From them. It was amazing to me, how on the outside everything moved slow and sounded quiet, how gently we held each other... But on the inside, my mind raced. My pulse pounded. Chemicals rushed through my brain, and if I didn't know better I might've thought I was losing my mind.

"... I feel greedy." Chara admitted after a pause. With my hand on their back, I could feel that their heart was racing too. Was that my fault? Did my presence bring the same warm and fuzzy madness to them that their presence brought to me? Could someone ever feel something so intense for someone like me? Chara kept their eyes closed, one ear listening to the rhythm of my heart while the other listened for my voice. "Our friendship is really important to me. You're really important to me. But, whenever I'm not around you, I wish that I was. No time that we spend together ever feels like enough..."

"A-and, I'm afraid." Chara wasn't taking those long pauses anymore. Perhaps they'd just shoved open some kind of flood gate, and now that the words were coming out, they wouldn't stop. I feared a similar problem, it was why I often kept my feelings to myself. "I'm afraid that, admitting that I want more from our relationship might ruin the friendship that we already have."

They opened their eyes, just a little. They found the strength to pull their head away from my chest and look at me with eyes that I wouldn't mind staring into for the rest of the night. Their arms squeezed me tighter again, and more words overflowed. "I'm afraid that, if I tell you how much I care about you, I'll scare you away..."

... That's not fair. I found myself thinking, their words putting a stop to my racing thoughts. It was a strange feeling, learning that Chara felt the same way I did. Knowing that they laid awake thinking of me, as I did thinking of them. That they craved my presence like I craved theirs, that they were afflicted with the same madness that I was. I was relieved, and overjoyed. What I felt for them was more intense than it'd ever been in that exact moment. A future that I could share with them was suddenly possible, the dream I hadn't dared hope for all these years was on the verge of coming true, but... Doom was still around the corner for me. And I knew that. But how could I die if it meant breaking Chara's heart?

How am I supposed to stop myself from telling you I love you when you look at me like that..?

I didn't speak. I couldn't. If I let even one word out all the raging emotions inside me would pour out, and I would talk for hours on how they meant the world to me. I just stared down at them, dumbstruck. Lovestruck. And they stared up at me, desperate for an answer. For me to say something, do something. And even though I couldn't speak, I refused to let them worry for another moment longer. I refused to let them feel afraid for my reaction or ashamed of their own feelings.

So, I slowly leaned my head down towards them. I didn't think about it, not at all. In fact it felt like my brain had shut off almost completely. Chara didn't object as the space between our faces grew more and more thin, not as I tilted my head just slightly to keep our noses from bumping into each other. In their eyes was surprise and disbelief, but the closer I got the more that turned into relief. I held them tighter, wanted them to know that I would never let them go. And as our lips nearly reached each other, they let those scarlet orbs flutter closed, a silent display of trust. They were lost in the moment and so was I.

Tak tak tak tak!

A new sound in the world. Suddenly I was forced to remember that we were not alone in this reality, and the rapid clack of footsteps on the stone floor was so jarring that it got an immediate "Danger!" reaction out of my brain. My eyes jumped up to look past Chara without a moment's thought, and when I spotted a figure sprinting through the shadows towards us, it was my first instinct to pull them closer to me and turn my shoulder towards the rapidly approaching unknown.

But then... Something strange happened. It was though my perception shut off and turned back on, flipped on and off like a light switch. One moment I was on my feet, holding Chara protectively and preparing for some assault from the dark. Then, a blink, and cold steel was buried in my left eye. Pain suddenly appeared in a spiderweb throughout my face and skull, one of my eyes was suddenly punctured and blinded. It was as though time had skipped forward just a second or two without me noticing until it was already over.

A shoe buried itself in my shoulder, and the steel point of a rapier was yanked back out of my skull with my eye in tow. The force of the foot kicking into my shoulder knocked me off my balance, and I dropped right back towards the stonework floor. My expression contorted with pain, my left hand shooting up and grabbing painfully at the left side of my face.

Chara caught me before I landed flat on my back. They must've shifted while we fell, they were kneeling beside me now. Their pupils shrunk fearfully in their eyes when they looked upon my pained expression, blood and DETERMINED steam both overflowing from between my fingers, the former staining the white of my button up shirt's sleeve. Chara's head snapped up to look at this attacker, and in shock they shouted out. "Frisk! What the hell?!"

A record scratched, the music stopped. The lights flashed on over the dining area, and horrified gasps rang out as everyone turned their attention our way. There, looming above Chara and I, stood Monsterkind's ambassador. Frisk grasped the handle of a rapier in one hand, and the long and thin blade stretched several feet before coming to its point, which was tipped by my severed eye.

My blood, The Angel's Ichor ran in streams down their weapon. And the whole world watched Frisk, paralyzed. But they didn't care. They just stood there, grinning from ear to ear. Their chest rumbled and twitched with laughter, and they carelessly waved around their weapon, letting drops of my blood plummet and splatter onto the floor. They made a horrible, wretched sound. "Hehe... Hahaha... Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Chara knelt their with me in their arms, jaw hanging open like they wanted to shout something more, but were too bewildered. And I stared up at Frisk with one wide eye, pupil shrunk in horror. Just a moment ago, I'd felt it was the best day of my life. Now, I was gripped by despair. I watched them with one haunted, unblinking eye, and blood poured over the scars of my left hand. Beneath the now blood stained sleeve of my shirt, my cracks burned bright and hot, stinging me further. And while Frisk stood there and cackled, and the whole world seemed to stop around them, I only managed one word. A fearful whisper, a silent prayer that this was just some cruel joke.

"... Frisk..?"

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