"Um, so, I have a favor to ask you." Undyne said almost immediately as The Human arrived. The Human had a strange expression on her face and she eyed Undyne with what Undyne felt a misplaced caution. Regardless, Undyne continued. "Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys."

"Why not do it yourself?" The Human demanded, a creeping... snapping tone in the layers of emotion to her voice.

Um, okay, what was up with that? Actually now that she thought about it, Papyrus had been acting weird since the start of this idea too. And then he had escaped inside when Undyne had expected him to wait with her until The Human arrived. This really was his idea. He should have helped her see it out. But ah! The Human was still eyeing her.

"Huh?! Why don't do it myself...? ... um. W-well... I-it's kind of personal, but we're friends... so... I'll t-tell you..." Hnnnnnngh. No, nope, she couldn't do it. The letter was bad enough in itself. And Papyrus knowing. Just- "Hotland SUUUUUUCKS!" Undyne raged instead, and it wasn't exactly a lie, either. "I don't wanna have to go over there!" That was an honest fact. The Human didn't need to know anything else. "So here you go."

Undyne handed the letter over and The Human held it between both hands as she stared at it.

"Oh, and if you read it... I'll KILL you." Undyne then smiled bright. "Thanks so much! You're the best!"

But The Human didn't move. Her fingers had tightened around the letter at Undyne's harsh words. Undyne waited a moment, but The Human seemed stuck in place. M-Maybe that had been too much too soon.

"Sorry, I d-didn't mean the kill you thing." Undyne promised.

"It's too much of a coincidence." The Human whispered in disjointed reply.

"Huh?"

"It's too convenient."

Luckily the letter was sealed tight because The Human's fingernails were digging into the paper.

"He couldn't have stopped at just blatantly manipulating me he had to go and...!"

"H-Huh? What is this about?" Undyne pressed, she was honestly growing concerned. "Who is this about?" It couldn't have been about Papyrus. Right? Manipulation wasn't Papyrus'...

Wait a second that was EXACTLY how she had gotten here to this moment. Why she and The Human had managed to become friends at all. Papyrus, for all that he was, was also at times a smart and crafty little shi-

"I won't do it." The Human said darkly. Undyne jolted in surprise at the tone of her voice but also her refusal. The Human let the letter slip from her fingers and into the snow.

"Woah, what?!" Undyne called as she bent down to scoop up the letter. The Human had already turned and began to walk away. Undyne's mouth dropped. "HEY!"

Undyne got up and lunged after The Human, and grabbing The Human by the shoulders Undyne twisted her back around.

"What's your PROBLE-?!" Undyne stopped short seeing The Human's trembling expression. What the hell? Undyne brought the letter up to her chest and pressed as she bent down to be better at The Human's eye level as Undyne urgently assessed her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The Human quickly lifted her arms to use her sleeves in order to get rid of the tears that had collected at that back of her eyes.

"Nothing."

"It is obviously NOT nothing so it is definitely SOMETHING. And you're going to tell me EXACTLY what that something is! Got it?!" The Human's expression was just... weird. Torn, even.

There was more than one something wrong.

That just distressed Undyne even more.

But Undyne sighed and lowered her head for a moment, thinking...

Today... had been a wild one. Her entire world had been turned on its head. What was supposed to be a clear battle between her and a vicious human had somehow twisted into a showdown in her own home and then even that had collapsed. And then after all of those tears, that was that. She'd a new friend... And things seemed to be okay.

But things had never been... fully okay, had they?

Even during their main battle, Undyne had noticed something off. Something that had accumulated into their breakdown and dash out of her flaming house. That torn expression The Human had wasn't weird. Or new. It was the same one she had been wearing off and on the entire time. Whenever the jokes faded away, this was what was left.

The Human... she was scared. She'd always been scared.

And yet still...

(Collapsing. Water. Cup.)

"Heh. You know what? You don't have to tell me..." Undyne began. "I didn't get the chance to really tell you this before what with all your crying and then you passing OUT on me, but... I don't understand everything, but a part of me still.. gets it.

"At first, I hated your stupid saccharine schtick, but...When you hit me that time, when I pushed you into a corner, I could feel it... Since the moment I met you... you've been scared. And you have every right to be. I still don't get why you decided to not just leave me to stew in Hotlands after our fight. That was more than I deserved. But the fact that with all of what's happened and you looking like you're in the middle of a Fight even when your Soul is still inside your chest... The fact that you still somehow manage to smile, to offer Mercy... That's incredible

"When you hit me, I realized, you aren't just some wimpy loser." Undyne smiled wide. "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!" The smile faded..."Just like him..."

Undyne sighed.

"That's one of the reasons you're scared, isn't it? Facing Asgore."

"I can't save him..." The Human whispered. Undyne met their gaze in surprise at how broken she sounded. The Human looked absolutely miserable. "If I fight him... he..."

"Hey now, knowing the big guy, I know he doesn't want to fight you either." That didn't reassure The Human at all, it even made her expression worse. "Just talk to him. I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home."

"... And when I can't?" The Human asked fearfully. This took Undyne by surprise. Not if she couldn't, just when. "When I can't get him to stop...?"

If someone had asked Undyne earlier, before the entire break down thing, Undyne would have outright sworn to cross the Barrier with the Souls had beat the hell of her if she purposefully hurt Asgore. But... knowing The Human now, knowing how forcefully she had struggled to Spare Undyne... Undyne closed her eye, her heart panged at the thought that it could even be possible that Asgore still might not...

".. will you hate me?"

Undyne's eye opened again, wide. She met The Human's scared, no... terrified gaze.

"No. I won't hate you." Undyne promised. "I'll only be sorry... but you just gotta promise me that even if it does... come to that... You'll make every second you're on the surface worth it. You got that?"

There was silence between the two of them. The Human suddenly reached out for the letter that was still pressed up against Undyne's chest. Reluctantly, Undyne let the letter go and she eyed The Human still sadly.

"That's the spirit." Undyne encouraged. But... "But still, whatever else is wrong, I'm here for you now." The Human tried to smile for her. "What?"

"Nothing..."

"Again, definitely not nothing."

And then The Human even laughed, although weakly, before looking down at the letter in between her fingers.

"Maybe it was still a mistake, but... I'm glad I came back." The Human said. Undyne raised a brow, not sure what The Human meant by that.

"What? To Snowdin?" The Human laughed again. Undyne didn't understand still, but she appreciated the sound.

"Sure."

That was definitely not it. But Undyne gave up. She ruffled the punk's hair.

"Now go deliver my letter!" She demanded. The conversation had distracted Undyne but now the pressure was building up in her chest again. The Human did not make it any easier with her uncertain answer.

"Mmmmm... I have something I need to do first." The Human said. Undyne huffed.

"Fine. But make it quick! We don't have all day!"

"Don't we?" The Human asked incredulously.

"Nnnnngggh. No!" Undyne cried.

The longer The Human took to do this, the more of a chance Undyne had to back out. That was the entire thing this plan was meant to avoid! Undyne backing out last second! You know what, it was best if she left The Human entirely before she ripped the letter out of her fingers right then and there!

"I'm going for a walk, but I swear if I find you here when I come back I may just scream!" The Human gave her another confused look but Undyne was already making her escape.

Stupid, stupid Papyrus and his ideas! Gaaaaahhhhhhhh!

Undyne stumbled away and The Human was left alone. But her eyes suddenly became piercing as she turned her attention back towards the skeletons' house. A shadow that had been peeking quickly escaped back inside, hoping he had not been seen. The Human's eyes narrowed dangerously.

...

...

..

*You definitely have a bone to pick with a certain someone

Author's Note:

Undyne also makes things better...