*I don't own Undertale or any of its characters; they all belong toToby Fox, please support the original release*
Chapter 12: Have you gone insane?!
Frisk woke up very early in the morning. Her muscles were still aching slightly because of the activity of the previous night. She would have loved staying in bed at least for a little more. She had been dreaming nicely and didn't want her dreams to be interrupted. Between grumbles and yawns she sat on the bed and slowly put her feet on the fluffy carpet that covered her room's floor. The tiny human lazily stood up and started wandering around. Her gait was everything but graceful. The sleepiness was making her walk in zigzag from one side to another.
Someone who didn't know her would have sworn that she was hopelessly drunk. Frisk finally reached her wardrobe and started to dress. It would have certainly taken her less than half of the time it did if she hadn't had to stare at each piece of clothing for a long moment before understanding what it was. After finally managing to get her head trough the neck of her sweater, the teen shuffled her feet till she reached the stairs and slowly walked them down.
By the time Frisk arrived at the kitchen she was significantly more awake. She opened the fridge with a yank and grabbed a carton of milk. The girl poured its contents in a glass that she then emptied with a few gulps. Her mother always told her that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and she didn't want to skip it over. She knew that Toriel wouldn't have considered a simple glass of milk as a proper breakfast, but it was better than nothing.
The teen scribbled on a paper a quick note telling her mother that she had gone on a walk and grabbed a package of cookies. She chose ones that had a delicious vanilla filling, there was no way he wouldn't like them. After a last yawn and placing the cookies in her inventory the girl did finally left the house and let the sunrays bathe her face with their soft warmth.
"Hope this is my lucky day…"- She yearned, looking thoughtfully at the early morning sky that shone lightly above her head.
Sans pressed the palms of his hands against his tightly closed eyes. He was resting his back on the counter of the kitchen, its cold marble sending shivers down his spine. The sunlight gave the room a soft and warm taint. It was very early, even for him that always woke up in the morning. The events of the previous night came to his mind again and again. He didn't remember experiencing so many mixed feelings in his life. What had happened at the clearing had awakened and increased loads of questionings that had been overwhelming him since the first time he had seen Frisk. His worries and doubts now had something else to be based on. But then…why did he feel that last night had been the best one of his life?
For some reason the skeleton couldn't get Frisk out of his head. Although the same disturbing questions and wonders kept returning to his mind he couldn't stop thinking about the other things that had happened. The girl had managed to make him dance, what was something very difficult to achieve. Then the slow-paced and romantic songs had started to play and it was his turn to ask, between jokes, if the blushing human still wanted to dance.
Everything from that moment on had etched on his memory. He could remember even the littlest details, from the tiny wrinkles that formed on Frisk's cheeks when she smiled to the shining sparkles of her honey eyes. He could still feel her soft warmth against his ribcage, the pounding of her heart, her sweet scent; he could still hear her leaping and lovely laughter getting mixed with his… he had never felt like that before.
After that Nick had appeared and the argument had started. Frisk then surprised him, one of the many times she did in that night, by defending him fiercely and slapping the teen. It is also worth noting that she had called him "Her Sans" when she did so. The girl had then taken him away from the party and, after a long and deep talk, they ended up in the forest. It was then when Frisk had decided to do something that had left him speechless. Even after knowing all the implications of doing so… she had decided to show him her soul. The bright red heart that enclosed everything she felt, everything she thought, everything she was… and she had shown it to him either way.
He knew that Frisk had always cherished him deeply, and that feeling was mutual. Their friendship was something they both treasured since the beginning. Maybe that was the reason why he hadn't thought more carefully about it before. He was so used to her affection, to the endearment he felt towards her, that he hadn't stopped to think about it. Of what it meant… of what her company meant to him or what it meant for her.
It was when she had shown him her soul that he had finally realized that what happened between them was something unusual, profound…special. But when he had been starting to grasp all this the incident occurred and his musings were abruptly kicked out of his mind. What had happened was a confusing blur in his mind. Anger, fury…fear. Those emotions had washed over him in a very short period of time, shocking him.
But somehow those negative feelings were pushed aside when he remembered Frisk's puffed cheeks and her innocent annoyance when she had accused him of calling her fat. He realized that her soft and amused chuckles were enough to make his worries disappear. Had that always been that way? What had happened at the doorway of the girl's house kept coming to his mind again and again. Her heart-warming expression and the sweet endearment of her gaze made it unable for him to move.
He hadn't understood her intentions till she stood on her tip-toes and finally kissed his cheekbone. She had caught him completely off guard, leaving him absolutely stunned. He remembered automatically mumbling a response to her soft"…and good night" but he couldn't even remember his own words. He could still feel Frisk's tiny hand resting lightly on his chest as she supported herself to keep her balance on her tippy-toes; her warmth tickling his cold bones; her sweet and soft lips brushing slowly against his cheekbone…in that moment he felt an unbounded happiness, a breath-taking warmth spreading inside his ribcage, his heart buzzing like never before.
That was the first time that he had actually thought about what this kind of feelings could lead to. He imagined himself holding hands with her…but not by chance; staying with her till it was very late in the night, talking and staring at her beautiful honey eyes; hugging her tiny and charming figure tightly, her tender warmth resting against his chest and her determined heart-beats resonating inside his ribcage; he could see himself kissing her…but not only a mere kiss on the cheek, a full-fledged one. Kissing her in a way that would let her know what he felt towards her… getting lost in her huge eyes, her soft lips and sweet smile…
Sans blinked a few times, getting back to his senses and realizing that he was blushing again all by himself at the dim lighted kitchen. The skeleton let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't believe his luck. That's all what he needed! Now in addition to his recurrent and disturbing nightmares, fears and worries he was developing feelings he had never felt in his life till then.
He may have occasionally liked someone before, but never in that way… never so strongly, fervently, genuinely... It didn't matter how hard he tried to get Frisk out of his mind, he couldn't. And if he thought about what he had heard about the meaning of that… he was certainly screwed up. This kind of feelings could throw even the most stable people out of balance and leave them without any idea of what to do. If he considered that those already confusing emotions got mixed with ones that were quite the opposite it was easy to understand that his thoughts were a huge mess.
The skeleton moaned with frustration and let his hands drop by his sides. He needed to clear his mind. He went upstairs and peeked inside his brother's room. Papyrus was sleeping like a baby, like he always did. It appeared that he was having sweet dreams, surely something very heroic al and cool. The slim skeleton was sprawled on his racing car bed, a bare smile crossing his features. He murmured quietly in his sleep, giddily whispering "Nyeh heh heh…" from time to time, his smile widening slightly every time he did so. Sans felt his own smile growing wide at such a soothing and heart-warming display.
In times like those he felt like there was no possible way that things could go wrong, that they could change so drastically. Could he lose everything and everyone he loved so easily? Well, unfortunately…yes.
Sans gave his brother a last affectionate and protective glance and left, trying to be as silent as he could to avoid waking Papyrus up. With his hands in his pockets the skeleton lazily started to walk under the morning sun. He wandered around the early, empty and quiet streets of New Snowdin. It was too early to go to Grillby's, the fiery monster would probably open his restaurant a bit later than usual that day due to the party of the previous night.
Almost everybody in the town had attended and stayed up till very late, which meant that even if Grillby decided to open his bar early he wouldn't have many customers. If he thought about it he would have loved to stay in bed and sleep more like everyone else. He was still tired from the previous night, but he felt that even if he had tried to get back to sleep he would have failed.
His slow and vague wandering guided him till the very limits of the city. He had been there the previous night with Frisk. He absently turned to look at the direction where the clearing was. He quickly discarded the idea of going there, feeling that it could be counterproductive. Sans resumed walking, his tracks already having a destination. He wanted to be alone and he knew exactly where to go. The skeleton kept getting deep in the forest, finally reaching the foot of Mt. Ebott. He looked around carefully to locate himself and started to climb over the slope of the mountain.
He knew that place very well and he quickly found what he was looking for: at a side of the mount, where it started to get steeper, there was a big crack that went across the solid rock of the mountainside. That crack revealed the entrance of a cave big enough for someone small framed, as a certain skeleton we know, to enter. Sans moaned lightly in anticipation before starting to climb and finally reached the opening of the cave. What looked like an extremely narrow and humid path quickly widened forming a kind of corridor wide enough to allow two people walk through it side by side comfortably, without touching each other or the walls.
The "tunnel" was quite stable. Sans had checked it carefully when he had gone through it the first time. He hadn't seen any big landslides for the time being. Maybe some rocks had scattered around but he had managed to arrange them at the sides of the path to prevent possible blockings or tripping with them. The skeleton kept going down the corridor that seemed to never stop descending. The more he sank into the depths of the cave the less light could be visible. He kept walking till the point he couldn't see anything besides entire darkness.
The monster stood still for a few seconds. Although he knew the way to his destination he was conscious that it could be dangerous if he kept walking forward without being able to see. There could have been landslides or whoever knows what else since the last time he had been there. He couldn't risk himself, but still…he hesitated. What had happened the previous night had made him a bit reticent of using his magic. Had he actually lost the control of it in that moment? If that was true, then what would happen if he lost the control of it again? Frisk could have gotten hurt. What would he have done if he had hurt her by accident?
The mere idea sent a cold shiver down his spine. Furthermore, for some reason, he felt that it would have been better if the girl hadn´t seen his blazing eye. Was that what had made Frisk get so pale? She had never seen him using magic before. Many people said that when he did so, his expression changed drastically, making all the kindness and happiness of his smile vanish. He knew that was because nearly every time he used his magic it was because he was angry or, as it would be better to say, livid. And when that happened… he didn't look friendly at all.
When they had been at the clearing he remembered the great boiling fury that had taken over him, which meant that his expression couldn't have been very gentle. Had that scared Frisk? If it had she hadn't acted like it did. Maybe everything happened too fast and she didn't even see his eye…or she may have acted in that way because she didn't want to make him feel bad…?
The skeleton sighed, putting an end to his wonderings. He had been asking himself the same questions over and over and he couldn't find the answers. Neither would he unless he asked the girl directly, tough. He tried to focus on his situation. He needed light, it was a must. But he didn't want to use his magic because he fared to hurt someone. "well, nobody's here"- He thought to himself- "i just can't refuse to use my magic indefinitely i'll have to do it sooner or later. there's no one around here besides me, if there's a place where i can regain the confidence that i can control it it's here…"
The skeleton took in a steadying breath and released his magic gently, its warmth slowly increasing inside his ribcage. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them again his left eye blazed with a deep light-blue fire. The thick darkness of the cave got suddenly replaced with a bright light-blue lightning. Sans raised his left hand and let a little bit of his magic gather on his palm. The little bluish flame waved nearly imperceptibly.
He increased the amount of magic and the little flame grew steadily, sparkling all over his hand till it reached the size of a football. He had been able to enlarge the flame exactly as much and as slowly as he wanted. And even now that he was using a significant amount of magic he could keep the flame absolutely stable without a hitch. With a simple gesture he made the flaming light disappear in the blink of an eye. Sans decided to try one more time and made his magic take the shape of a couple of bones that he then whirled over his palm. After creating a dozen of white and light-blue bones and making them spin around and casting them from one side to another there was no doubt that he could manipulate them as accurately as usual. He snapped his fingers a single time and all the bones vanished without leaving a trace. Everything seemed to be working normally. He had absolute control over his magic, like he always did.
There was only one thing that he hadn't tried yet. Sans started to outstretch his hand but hesitated. That was one of the most dangerous things he could do with his magic, if something went wrong… "no"- He thought- "nothing went wrong till now, why would it do it now?" The skeleton drew a deep breath and started to focus his magic. If he was going to do this he was going to do it well. He gathered all his strength and summoned it.
Before him a huge and imposing Gaster Blaster loomed floating a few inches away from the floor. Its large and hollow eyes shone light-blue, mirroring his, as it searched for a possible threat. A light of the same colour started to gather in its jaws and the huge skull echoed a low and hissing growl.
"hey calm down. there's nothing to worry about, no menace"- He gently stretched his arm towards the creature.
The blaster's growling stopped and its eyes recovered their usual white colour. It quickly drew near the skeleton, eager to get within the reach of his hand. The skull of the blaster was so big that it nearly touched the walls of the cave.
"long time no see, huh buddy?"- Sans smile widened as he brushed his fingers over the creature's bony snout-"there, there…don't let this get under your skin, ok?"
The giant skull closed its eyes and drew even closer, pleased by the gentle caress. The skeleton rested both of his hands on its massive muzzle and softly slid one of them over the smooth and white surface of the skull till it reached the area between his eyes. Sans chuckled with amusement when he heard the huge beast´s deep purrs resonating in the cave.
"you surely are the embodiment of the phrase "appearances are deceiving", aren't ya?- He leaned on the blaster, gently resting his head on it and letting it support all his weight.
The floating skull growled with delight at his master's displays of affection. Sans closed his eyes, feeling the warmth and vibrant magic that filled the Gaster Blaster and letting out a relieved sigh. If he could control his magic even summoning a blaster there was no possible way he could lose the control of it so easily…which meant that what happened at the clearing made even less sense. A low and concerned growl made him open his eyes again to find the blaster's huge and bright ones staring deeply into his.
"don't worry pal, i'm fine"- The skeletal creature shook lightly taking Sans by surprise and nearly making him fall- "hey!"- He gave the creature a reproaching look, to what the blaster responded with an annoyed and skeptical growl.-"don't you dare to treat me like that you ungrateful skull!"- He scolded it. The skull's growling decreased lightly but it didn't stop-"i'm fine, i really am! i…"
Sans words were cut short when the Gaster Blaster started to violently shake its frame again and he had to hold to it with all his strength to avoid being thrown to the ground.
"oh, goddamn it! ok, ok you win! i just don't want to talk about it!"-The jolting quickly stopped and Sans let himself slide down slowly by the side of the creature's skull till his feet touched the ground. The skeleton felt the blaster's concerned eyes still fixed in his and let out a sigh-"i… i'm sorry… but i really don't want to talk about it now… i just want to clear my mind a bit, to think about other things… do you understand me?"
The blaster let out a quiet and understanding whine and nuzzled gently against the skeleton to comfort him. Sans rubbed his hands affectionately on the skull's snout.
"thank you, my accomplice in mischief… and don't worry about me, i'll be ok"- The Gaster Blaster stared at him with mistrust-" seriously, i promise"- Sans stated solemnly.
His master's words put the skeletal creature on ease. A promise was a promise, and it meant even more if it came from him. Sans kept petting the blaster and it started to close its eyes again and purr lightly. He had always enjoyed spending time with his blasters and relaxing with them and he knew that they did the same. That's why he summoned one or two from time to time, even if he wasn't in trouble nor needed to use his magic for any important reasons.
He wondered why he hadn't thought of conjuring a blaster before. Its company was certainly helping him to feel better. But this calm and soothing situation was suddenly interrupted. Sans felt the Gaster Blaster's magic increasing quickly under its surface as its eyes cracked opened. It locked its eyes in the direction of the entrance of the cave, hissing watchfully in alert. The skeleton jolted his head up and unconsciously assumed an offensive stand.
"what is it?"- He whispered.
Sans pricked up his ears and half-closed his eye-sockets trying to make out any hint of sound or movement in the path before him. At first he couldn't perceive anything, but after a few seconds he listened to what had alerted the blaster. The quiet and soft sound of footsteps could be heard in the distance. Someone had entered the cave and was walking in their direction. Had someone found the entrance of the cave by accident like he did that long time ago? Maybe he wasn't the only one that visited that place often. The magic of his eye sparkled lightly with anticipation. If he had to defend himself the width of the passageway wouldn't let him move around with enough freedom and that could cause him troubles…
The skeleton suddenly stopped to think about what he had just crossed his mind. Defend himself from what? Perhaps it was only a poor guy that had got lost. If that was true he or she would certainly be worried or scared, and finding a skeleton surrounded by blazing light-blue magic and a huge hissing and threatening floating skull in the middle of the way wouldn't help them to calm down… at all. He quickly placed a hand on the blaster's skull to draw its attention and showed it his raised left hand. His thumb and index finger were flexed, touching each other lightly. The Gaster Blaster's eyes widened in disbelief at his gesture.
"don't look at me like that! we'll scare to death whoever is coming!"- The skull's fierce expression changed at his words, realizing that his master would probably be right- "i'll be fine, if i need you i'll summon you in a blink of an eye"- But even after that statement the blaster hesitated. It looked at its master as it was about to start complaining again but Sans finally snapped his fingers. The huge skull reluctantly vanished.
That's how he was left alone in the cave again. Well… the fact of being alone was now questionable. He waited. It shouldn't take long for whoever was coming through the passage to reach his position. But, to his surprise, the footsteps had stopped. Sans stared intently into the dark pitch darkness before him where the light of his magic couldn't reach. But there was no one nor anything to be seen besides small stones and ascending cracks on the walls of the cave.
Perhaps whoever that had entered decided to turn back and return to the exit of the cave. After a couple of seconds of listening carefully without perceiving anything Sans slowly and thoughtfully turned his back away from where he had came and decided to resume his advance through the cave. After some quick calculations he concluded that he must have walked more or less half way till his destination.
He had been walking for a couple of minutes when he suddenly heard the sound of a tiny rock that resound gently at his back as it bounced a few times on the floor of the cave. He was about to turn around when a quiet and confused voice echoed behind him.
"…Sans?"- The skeleton froze. He didn't need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to- "Sans?"- The voice sounded a bit closer and it was accompanied by some nearly imperceptible footsteps.
The skeleton had no other choice than to turn around. When he did his blazing eye shed its light-blue light over the tiny figure before him. Frisk was standing a few meters away from him. As soon as he turned around the girl's confused and curious expression disappeared. She abruptly stopped walking as her face became extremely pale. Sans unconsciously covered his left eye-socket with a quick movement of his hand, leaving them in a bluish semi-darkness.
"f-frisk? what are you doing here?"
"I-I…"-The girl's voice sounded weak and hesitating-"I w-was…"- But it didn't matter how hard she tried, she couldn't articulate a single word.
The girl couldn't take her eyes off of Sans' blazing eye-socket. Loads of terrifying and baleful thoughts and images kept flooding her mind without letting her think about anything else. An overwhelming fear had taken over her. She felt the necessity of running away, as far and away as she could, but for some reason her feet refused to move.
"frisk… do you want me to turn it off? i-i didn't listen you coming, i wasn't intending to scare you…"- Hearing Sans worried and slightly hurt tone of voice made her came to her senses.
"N-no!"- She hurried to answer, feeling extremely guilty.
How could she have been so inconsiderate? So goddamn silly? She had let her fears and worries overcome her and forgot it was Sans who she was talking with. Her friend, her companion, one of the people she cared the most about; and thanks to her stupid paranoia she had managed to sadden him. He probably thought he had scared her… and unfortunately he was right, but it hadn't been for the reason he may be thinking. As soon as she had seen the skeleton's light-blue blazing eye-socket she had felt her blood run cold, transporting her to her worst nightmares.
There, in the deep darkness of the cave she could have swore that Sans' expression was tainted with that hollow and heartless smile that tormented her and had kept her awake for so many nights. But that wasn't true. The skeleton standing before her didn't look like that at all. His expression was filled with concern and even a bit of guilt, all because she was acting cowardly and driven by her fear.
"I didn't know you could do that…that's all…"- Her voice still sounded weak, making her words unconvincing.
Sans shifted uncomfortably where he was standing. Something in his expression looked unsettling, something besides the situation of the moment. There was something else. It was in that moment when she had understood why she hadn't been able to run away before. She wouldn't have been running from the ghostly and frightening skeleton of her nightmares. She would have run away from her friend, who was undoubtedly needing her help.
"Hey, why so blue?"- Her voice now sounded way more confident and casual as she decidedly started approaching him again- "Can I see?"- Frisk was now right before him. Sans grimaced lightly and took a step back. The girl gently placed her own hand over the one Sans was using to cover his eye-socket.
"Sans… I'm sorry"
Frisk's words took the skeleton by surprise. Even with an eye covered, now that the girl was so close to him he could see her huge honey eyes staring deeply into his as they sparkled lightly with unshed tears.
"Sorry…"-Her voice sounded so quiet it was nearly imperceptible this time.
Sans couldn't seem to understand the real reason of her apologizing, but there was no doubt that it came from the depths of her very heart. She did indeed mean it. The skeleton had unconsciously loosened the hand that covered his eye at this and Frisk couldn't help to take advantage of the situation. The girl softly held his hand and uncovered his shining light-blue pupil. She stood on her tip-toes and peeked into her friend's eye-socket. A dumbfounded gasp escaped from her lips.
"Sans…"- She whispered with a tiny voice.
"w-what?"- He asked quietly as he lowered his gaze, ready to make the fiery magic of his eye disappear in a heart-beat.
"It's…it's so beautiful!"
The girl's unexpected and admired voice made him look up again. When he did he found Frisk's eyes staring intently into his left eye-socket. Her huge eyes were filled with overwhelming astonishment. She looked mesmerized at the light-blue magic that waved before her eyes. Every trace of the girl's previous gloomy and pale expression had been replaced with the sweet and amazed expression that characterized her. It was the same innocent and impressed expression that appeared on her features every time she let her overflowing curiosity come out.
A small and heart-warming smile curved her lips. She looked like she was looking at the most beautiful and marvelous thing she had ever seen. The girl rested her hands softly on his chin and made him tilt his head lightly from side to side, up and down and leaned a little bit closer to appreciate the enchanting light-blue fire that burned in his eye.
Feeling the girl's warm and soft hands lightly brushing his cheek-bones was enough to make Sans blush, and having her huge eyes so close to his face as she examined him so carefully wasn't helping very much. The skeleton felt the burning desire that the light-blue light that emanated from his left eye and bathed everything around them with a bluish tint was enough to hide his blushing cheek-bones…but by Frisk's slightly widening and amused smile he could presume that even a light of the same colour of his blushing wasn't enough to trick her.
"Why hadn't you told me you could do this before? - Frisk wondered aloud.
"i… dunno'"
The girl frowned lightly at her friend's words. He didn't sound very convincing but she remained silent. The human kept examining Sans' blazing left eye and her frown deepened a little more when she finally realized something.
"Sans?"
"hm?"
"Why does your left eye glow so brightly when the right one doesn't glow at all?"
Sans features hardened at her question and the flame in his eye waved and shrank lightly as it colour darkened.
"You know what? Don't worry about it, it doesn't matter! I think you look waaay better like this! I mean, two glowing eyes? That's super wore out! Only one glowing eye is a lot more original! It looks absolutely cooler this way, don't you think?"-The skeleton couldn't help to burst laughing at the girl's encouraging and optimistic words.
"if you say so…"
That was something he loved about Frisk. Being as curious as she was she couldn't avoid asking about some things that were too personal or compromising by mistake. But as soon as she noticed that she made the other one feel remotely uncomfortable, she immediately changed the subject, or dismissed the question minimizing the matter; like she had done now.
The best way of increasing someone's curiosity about something was being reluctant to talk about it and that certainly applied to Frisk too. The girl did really have to hold back her curiosity with all her might and determination, but she would never pressure you to talk about something you didn't want to. Even with him, with whom she felt extremely comfortable and who she trusted. She knew he did the same, so she never tried to talk again about topics she noticed he preferred to avoid. She may be extremely curious but she wouldn't let that hurt others in any way.
Frisk's expression beamed brightly when she heard her friend's laughter
"Of course I do! It's the coolest thing I've ever seen! You should do that more often! Does it take much magic to maintain it?"
"nah. it nearly doesn't consume magic at all"
The tiny human's eyes grew wide at the revelation. Sans felt his smile broadening a little bit at her impressed and innocent expression.
"would ya'like to see a trick?"
"Would you do that for me?"-The girl's voice was filled with excitement.
"sure! that and much more"
Frisk blinked a few times at his words but she was far too excited to worry about her slightly blushing cheeks. Sans held back his own blushing when he realized what he had just said but was quickly distracted by the girl's expression. He couldn't help to laugh when he saw that she looked like she was going to burst out with excitement. The skeleton didn't want to make her wait anymore.
Sans closed his eyes slowly and opened them back with a quick movement. The light-blue of his left eye had been replaced with a bright yellow. Frisk gasped in disbelief and mutely mouthed the words "So cool" as she looked dumbfounded at her friend's eye. Sans winked at her and when he opened his eye-socket it was light-blue again.
"W-wait! H-how did you…?"
"what?"- The skeleton asked carelessly while he made the fiery magic of his eye change from light-blue to yellow without even blinking.
"Stop showing off and explain it to me!"- Frisk complained laughing softly and gently patting his chest with reproach.
"i'm not very sure, i just do it"- He answered, laughing as well.
"No scientific explanations this time?"- Her friend shook his head and Frisk suddenly realized…-"OH MY GOD, DOES IT WORK LIKE THAT?"
Sans stepped back when the girl suddenly launched herself on him and got her face just a couple of inches away from his. The girl took a deep breath…and gently blew the flame in his eye-socket, making it wave and flicker lightly. Frisk's features brightened like the ones of a kid in a candy shop.
"When you moved your head it waved and that made me think…it works like it is indeed made of fire…!" -But as soon as she had finished saying those words the fire in Sans'eye died, leaving them in an absolute darkness- "OH MY I BROKE IT! NONONONONONO! Are you OK?! What have I done?! Saaans! I'm sorryyyy! I'm sorryyyyy! I'm the only one who could think blowing your eye was a good idea! I'm so irresponsible, thoughtless and …!"-A sudden snort cut her words short. Sans laughter quickly followed-"Wh-? You did it on purpose!- She accused him, resented- "How could you?! Insensitive! I was so worried…!"
"hey, don't take it so badly! sorry, i couldn't resist the temptation… by the way, i'm fine you didn't hurt me at all, don't worry"- The skeleton apologized, still chuckling.
The girl huffed in response and stepped away from him, resentful. Although they were in total darkness Sans knew exactly which was the girl's expression: Cheeks puffed, a soft frown and her arms crossed over her chest to complete the "offended" posture. He could hear Frisk's footsteps slowly but decidedly guiding her deeper in the cave.
"wait, i didn't know humans could see in the darkness"
"They cannot."-The girl answered resolutely, as she continued to walk away.
"which means you don't see much more than i do, right?"
"Well, I don't know if skeletons have good night vision, but I can't see a crap right now"
"then you shouldn't be walking straightforward like that, don't ya think?"
"Yeah, yeah whatever"
"frisk, what if there's something on your way? one thing is being "resentful " with me but if you continue you may get hurt "
"That won't happ…AAAAAAAGHH!"
"frisk!"
As soon as the girl's scream resonated in the cave the skeleton jolted forward, the fire of his left eye immediately coming alive. But when the cave was finally lit again Sans stopped dead in his tracks. He stared in confusion at Frisk for a few seconds before finally understanding what had happened. The tiny human was standing a couple of steps away from him and she was perfectly fine, doubled over and laughing.
"I can't believe I got ya"- She managed to say between chuckles.
"oooh, yeah it surely is sooo funny"
"Not as funny as when you were the one joking, huh?"- Frisk teased him.
Sans couldn't help to smile. With that kind of joke he knew he had indeed asked for it. The skeleton reached the girl's side and they resumed their walking. The tiny human kept laughing for a while, her leaping chuckles filling the cave with its sweet sound. Sans looked sideways at her from time to time. She looked as happy and comfortable as always when she was with him. She didn't seem to be worried about his blazing eye at all. She did actually looked at it with fascination, like it was something amazing and deserved to be admired.
"hey frisk?"
"Yeah?"
"now seriously talking…did you walk all the way to where i was without being able to see?"
"Uhhh… it's a very nice day outside don't you think?"
"kiddo'"
"But-but…"
Sans stopped walking and turned to look at her. If the skeleton could scold you with only a single glance, having one of his eyes burning with fire made his expression even more scolding. Frisk let out a defeated sigh.
"Ok, you win, I forgot my torch at home…but this is the first time I did…!"- The skeleton quirked a non-existent and questioning eyebrow- "Well, maybe the second or fourth… but I bring it nearly all the times!"
The monster couldn't hold back his laughter. She looked like Papyrus every time he made mischief and his shorter brother find out. Sans rested a bony hand over the girl's shoulder. The human looked at him, still feeling kind of guilty. Her soft features were outlined with the light-blue light that came from his eye, which made her beauty stand out in a very delicate and extravagant way.
"chill out frisk, i won't start nagging you…"
The girl let out a relieved sigh: -"Thank y…"
"….this time"- The tiny human grimaced at that clarification- "hey, if you bring it almost always then there's nothing to worry about"-The skeleton gave her a meaningful smile. Frisk grumbled and looked away-" you know i do this cause i care about you"- The girl's reticent expression softened at his words.
"I know…sorry"
"you don't have to apologize with me, bucko…"- Sans chuckled as he gently ruffled her hair- "if you get hurt you're going to be the first one who's going to be pissed with yourself"
"You are certainly right"- The girl admitted with a defeated sigh.
"guess you're lucky to have came across someone with such an amazing and unusual glowing eye, huh?"- The skeleton teased her.
"Sure I am! You always manage to be by my side every time I'm in trouble. I have got no idea how do you do it…"- Frisk slowly looked up and locked her eyes in his. The girl's gaze was filled with gratitude and endearment as she fondly embraced his left arm-"…but it does certainly mean a lot to me"- Sans gave her a big and affectionate smile in response.
Although he would have liked to say something, in the exact moment the girl had surprised him with that hug his mind had gone blank and he hadn't been able to do anything else than smile and try to hold back his blushing. Frisk smiled back at him, her smile bright as sincere. It hadn't been the first time she had looked satisfied even when his response had been a mere smile.
He knew that it wasn't just a smile. That loads of different thoughts and feelings were overflowing his mind, but he didn't know how to put that into words. That's why he smiled; wishing that at least a little bit of those feelings could be reflected in his expression. At first he thought it was impossible, but now… he felt that the girl somehow managed to look beyond his smile. Frisk had learnt to discern at least a little bit of what was happening in his mind, even if he didn't say it aloud, just by looking at his expression.
The skeleton held the girl a bit tighter, pulling her closer to him. Frisk squeezed his arm a little more in response and rested her head on it. Sans looked down at the tiny human to see that she was smiling sweetly with her eyes closed. It looked like she was enjoying the soft warmth of his jacket. He took advantage of her distraction and looked carefully at her. When had everything became so complicated?
He remembered meeting with the girl countless times before without having all these mixed feelings. He couldn't help to think about the usual worries that troubled him about the teen, but now… he couldn't help to think about how much she meant for him and how much he cared for her. He was certain about one thing, though. He couldn't let this kind of feelings make him freeze like he had done a few seconds ago.
What he least wanted to do was lose their friendship, and for that he needed to chat with her as he usually did, without panicking. Sans closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. If he kept thinking that much and hardly about the matter he would end up with a head-ache. The skeleton focused on Frisk's soft warmth and her sweet and well-known scent. He felt his whole body relaxing as his worries were pulled at the back of his mind. If he had her by his side… what could ever go wrong?
"Sans?"- Frisk sounded slightly confused.
"what is it?"
Sans opened back his eyes to look at her and the girl squinted her eyes at the sudden return of the light. Frisk buried her face in his arm in an attempt to shield herself from the light-blue blaze.
"Gah! Had you got your eyes closed?"
"yeah, how did you… oohh"- The skeleton remembered the girl's expression and suddenly understood-... sorry i forgot"
"Don't worry about it"- Frisk giggled.
The girl slowly tried to look up again, blinking several times and letting her eyes adjust to the bright light. After some time she could look at her friend directly without squinting very much. Sans tilted his head lightly, trying to think of a possible explanation for that but too many theories came to his mind and he couldn't decide which one could be correct.
"frisk… can i ask you something?
"How do human eyes work with the light?"
The skeleton stopped walking and turned to look at her in disbelief.
"how did you know?"
"Magic?"
Frisk laughed; amused with his friend's confused expression. Sans laughed as well and pushed her gently to a side.
"hey, i'm the one who answers "magic"!"
"Ok, ok, can you think in of another reason then?"
"hmm…"
"C'mon Sans it isn't that difficult!"
"i dunno'! how am i supposed to know that? do humans have the ability to read minds?"- The girl couldn't help to burst laughing at her friend's words. She had to support her weight on him to avoid falling to the floor-"well, guess that's not it"
"Don't you think you would have noticed if I could have done that?"- She asked between chuckles.
"that's a good point"- The skeleton answered thoughtfully.
"Let me clear this up for you: when you are someone as extremely curious as I am there's no way not to notice when somebody else is being curious about something, because they are probably wondering about the same questions you would if you were in that situation"- Frisk gave him a knowing wink- "Furthermore, you kept staring at my eyes with that expression you do when you don't understand something. You surely aren't used to not knowing things, huh?"- She asked amused.
"mhhh... i think you're right about that. i've never thought about it in that way before"
"Does that mean this is my turn to give you a scientific explanation?"
The girl's expression lit up. Her friend had answered countless of her questions with all the patience and kindness of the world, and now it was her turn to return him the favor. Sans chuckled and nodded, preparing himself to hear the "scientific explanation" for the functioning of the human's eyes towards the light.
"Let's start then! I need you to look carefully at my eyes"- Frisk straightened lightly and opened her eyes wide, allowing Sans to have a close and detailed image of her beautiful honey eyes- "You know that the colour of the eyes varies depending on the person. It is said that people with light-blue eyes have a better vision in the darkness than the ones with dark eyes, but they are also more susceptible to bright lights."
"The part that has the colour of someone's eyes is called iris. The pupil of the eye, the black dot that is in the center of it, is actually a kind of a "hole" trough which light can enter the eye. The iris is the one that controls how much light enters the eye. If there's too much light the iris will make the pupil shrink, letting only a bit of that light enter the eye. In that way it helps the person to be able to see without getting dazzled. On the other hand, when there isn't much light or the surroundings are dark the iris makes the pupil expand. It takes more time for the eye to adjust when its dark than when there's too much light. That's why when you go to a place where it's very dark and then to an area that is too bright you have to close your eyes or blink many times before your iris finally adjust the pupils according to the light and you can see again. Do you get it?"
" yes, but…"
"What?"
"the pupil is a hole?"
"Yes"
"the pupil is a hole?"
"Yes! I'm not joking, Sans. It's a hole"
The skeleton stood there, in disbelief, for a couple of seconds. At first he had found it difficult to concentrate in the girl's explanation. Having her huge eyes so close to his and having the opportunity to look at them with as much attention as he wanted meant that he was way too busy examining those breath-taking honey mirrors to think about anything else. It was when the girl had mentioned that the pupil was "a kind of a hole" that she had caught his attention completely. Now that he looked carefully it did indeed look like it, and the girl's explanation was perfectly logical.
"my whole life is a lie"- He muttered dramatically.
"Yeah, I felt the same when I found out. You'll get over it. Just give it a bit of time"- The girl comforted him as she gently patted his back.
They looked solemnly at each other before bursting laughing and resuming their walking. After a couple of minutes of laughter, jokes and bad puns they finally got silent. It wouldn't take them too long to finally arrive at their destination. By that time Frisk finally realized that with all that laughter she had forgotten to ask Sans about something:
"Hey Sans?"
"mhhh?"
"I wanted to ask you, what are you doing here? I guess I'm right if I say this isn't the first time you get in this cave"
"you know? i was going to ask you exactly the same question"
"I don't mind answering…but I asked you first"- The girl said with a mischievous smile.
"uhhh, it's a very nice day outside don't ya' think?"
"Sans!"-The girl gently bumped his shoulder with her fist and laughed sweetly- "You know you can tell me if you want to. I'll tell you if you do the same"
"well… i suppose you know where this tunnel ends, right?"- Frisk nodded- "and then I may suppose that you have been visiting this place regularly too"- The girl nodded again- "ok, i guess we both have found this cave by chance and decided to take a look"- his friend nodded a third time and at that time they finally reached their destination.
Before them the Underground displayed brightly. The cave ended in a little area of Waterfalls that they quickly left behind and continued to walk through the so well known paths and bridges. How and when had a passage that connected the Underground with the surface appeared? None of them knew. Maybe it had something to do with the breaking of the barrier? The truth was that that place, that had meant so much for them, was still accessible. Even if they couldn't understand the origin of the tunnel or the huge coincidence of finding it by chance they were extremely happy that it existed.
"i would say that i like to come when i want to think about some things. you know, many people think that the best way to find a solution to a problem is visiting your roots. and i have to admit…i tend to be a bit nostalgic about this place"
"Really?"
"yeah. i know i don't look like the "nostalgic kind", do i?"
"Well, I wouldn't have said you were, but there's nothing wrong about it"- Frisk answered giggling sweetly- "I feel nostalgia every time I come. This place means a lot to me. My life changed forever when I arrived here. I met all of you, it helped me to grow up, mum decided to adopt me and I had tons of fun. But you, you have lived here all your life. I have so many happy memories about this place… but I didn't stay for that long. I can't even imagine of how many happy moments you may have lived here"- Sans smiled absently at her words, like he was remembering something.
They skeleton made the fire in his eye vanish. Their surroundings were lit enough to see without needing to use his magic. The couple kept walking silently, looking around and smiling when flashes of old memories got them. The friends' pace was slow and calm as they wandered around the different areas of the Underground. After a while their foot finally started crunching the snow of Snowdin and they stood in front of the skeletons' old house.
"i wouldn't like to forget about this place"- Sans said quietly.
"Wh-? Why do you say that? Why would you…?"- Frisk's words were cut short when she saw her friend's gloomy expression.
"i… don't know. don't get me wrong, i really like the surface, the sun, the stars, the fresh air… everything is beyond imagination. i think never thought it would be so great to live there. it even exceed my expectations. there's no way i wouldn't be happy living at the surface with everybody else"
Sans unconsciously smiled as he said those words, clearly picturing everyone in the moment they had first gotten to the surface when the barrier was destroyed. It had been one of the happiest moments of his life. All his friends were fine… Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, Asgore…Papyrus. And he wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. But at the same time…
"i've heard that when time passes it's difficult to remember things as clearly as you used to do. even important things…and i don't want to… i don't want to forget…"
"Sans…"- Frisk softly placed her hand on his chin, making his eyes meet with hers- "…that is not going to happen"
"how can you be so sure? i think i can remember anything for now… but if i hadn't been able to visit this place regularly…"
" Listen to me"-The girl's tone of voice made him look up again- "I can assure you that even if you don't see this place again you are not going to forget what you have lived here"
"but…"
"I thought the same way when I left the orphanage and went to live with Toriel. I was afraid I could forget about all the beautiful things I lived there...but then, every time I thought about it…even if in some occasions I couldn't remember all the details…I realized that my heart did. It doesn't matter how much time passes or how much things can change…"- The girl gently rested her hand on Sans' chest, right over his heart-"… I'm not going to tell you that your memory isn't going to get a little messy from time to time, but your heart will treasure those moments forever. Even the tiniest details… you'll always be able to find them there"
The skeleton slowly placed his hand over the girl's. Somehow he had finally realized that she was right. He felt a sudden wave of calmness washing over him. Frisk was right. There was no way he would forget about everything he had experienced there. The countless moments he had spent in Grillby's chatting and drinking with the other monsters, the kock-knock jokes with Toriel at the other side of the door at the ruins, all the stories, snowball wars and shared moments with his brother… when he had first met Frisk. It didn't matter how much time passed, those were moments he would always treasure in the deepest of his hear.
"kiddo'…"-He held the girl's hand a little bit tighter-"…thank you"
The tiny human shortened the distance between them in a blink of an eye and hugged him with all her strength. The skeleton hugged her back, filled with gratitude.
"That's what friends are for, Lazy bones"- She answered, her voice muffled by his friend's jacket. The skeleton chuckled and ruffled her hair with endearment- "You can still come all the times you want, though"- The girl said resuming their previous talk and looking up at him- "I visit the orphanage very regularly. And if you say that this place helps you to think then so be it! Thinking a bit from time to time is something very good!"
"hey!"
They both busted laughing and started to push each other gently. Sans looked up at the cottage one more time and he felt that something had changed inside him. He smiled widely and sincerely. He couldn't help to feel impressed because the effect the girl's words had on him. He looked at his old house with optimistic and nostalgic glee, feeling grateful for having been able to live as many happy moments there as he did.
He then turned around and resumed his walking, Frisk quickly joining him. The friends started to point out many places in which they had shared puzzles, chats and puns. Remembering and talking about their memories and laughing like that had happened the previous day. It was when they finally reached the door that leaded to the ruins that they stopped walking.
"Why did you stop?"
"well, we can't get past here"
"Why not?"
"the door is locked, remember?"
Frisk rummaged in her pockets and finally found her keychain. It was filled with keys of different seizes, materials and colours. Some of them shined when others were covered with rust. After a few seconds of searching carefully through them the girl picked out a medium-sized one and placed it in the door lock. After turning it around twice a soft "click" indicated that the door was now open.
"Have you ever entered?"
"no, it had always been locked. remember? this is the door i used to play knock-knock jokes with tori"
"Then are you ready to know what big mysteries lay behind this door?"
"to be honest… i'm dying to know. i have speculated about it for more time than i would feel comfortable to admit"
"Satisfy your curiosity then…" Frisk said solemnly, while she tried to hold back her laugher and stepped away from the door with a bow.
The skeleton looked at the girl for a few seconds before finally deciding to grab the doorknob. He was going to know what was behind the door on the ruins. He was finally going to know… He slowly turned the doorknob with one bony hand and the door opened with a subtle creaking sound. Sans looked at Frisk and offered her to walk through the entrance first.
"After you"- She said with a still solemn tone.
Sans rolled his eyes at her dramatic attitude and walked in. Frisk quickly followed and the door got closed behind them. They walked through a long corridor till they reached the stairs and they finally entered Toriel's house.
"wow, this certainly looks like the building in the castle. much brighter and cozy, but it looks nearly the same"
"Yeah, I know! When I first got in the castle I got so confused. At first I thought that I somehow managed to get back to the very beginning and returned to the ruins"
"would tori get annoyed if i take a look around?"
"Of course not! When I first arrived I didn't "looked around" I literally checked everything around (Everything looked so cool! I couldn't help it!) and mum didn't get angry at all. She laughed, said that I was adorable and even gave me a room for my own!"
"nobody can deny that toriel is indeed an exceptional monster"- He said chuckling.
"The best of all Goat-mums!"- Frisk assured.
They laughed a little more and then decided to part ways. Sans went to explore the rest of the house while Frisk went to pour herself a glass of water. There at the Underground it seemed that erosion didn't exist. Maybe it had something to do with the strong magic that filled the mounting, but all the things that remained from when the monster had left the place were exactly as they had been left. Toriel's house, for example didn't had a single trace of dust to be seen and the water kept coming normally through the tap of the kitchen.
"Sans!"
"yeah?"
"Have you finished exploring?"- The girl asked from the kitchen while she washed and put the glass she had used on its place-"I'm heading to the ruins"
"i'll go with you"- He answered back , his voice starting to sound clearer because of his approaching.
"Fine! Let's go then!"
They gathered at the living of the house and then left through the huge entrance door. The couple stood for a while in front of the tree which leaves had always felled. Frisk stared at the now happily leafy tree and smiled brightly. She felt so glad that its leaves had stopped to fall down. Since she had first noticed she had been trying to make out which was the exact reason for this. Many ideas came to her mind, but she couldn't pick one of them. Maybe they were many? It was when the friends were middle-way into the ruins when Frisk's wonderings were cut short.
"wait… i have already told you why i'm here. but what about you? you said you felt nostalgic but that didn't sound like the main reason"
"Y-yeah, I wouldn't say that is the main reason"- The girl answered uneasily, shifting uncomfortably.
"then what is it?"
"Uhh… I don't think it really matter, does it?"-The human looked away, trying to avoid his gaze.
"frisk. you said that if i told my reason then you would say yours"- The skeleton's voice didn't let her keep her gaze down and Frisk reluctantly met his eyes-" aren't you going to keep your word?"
The girl let out a little whine at his words. He had got her. It didn't matter if she would prefer not to talk about it with him, she had given him her word and now she wouldn't back down. With her shoulders slightly hunched she let out a defeated sigh.
"I… I came to visit someone"
"visit?"
"Y-yeah…"
"but nobody stayed here when monsters got to the surface"
"Actually…there's still someone here…"
"what do you mean by…"
But Sans didn't finish his sentence. They had reached a very dark area of the ruins. There was only a single source of light that appeared to illuminate the center of the room. There, where the light touched, was a small patch of golden flowers.
"no…"- The skeleton stopped dead in his tracks and held Frisk's hand tightly, making her stop too-"frisk have you gone insane?!"
"No, I haven't"- She answered resolutely and tried to resume her walking but Sans didn't let her go.
"it's dangerous! what would you gain for this?"
"I would never leave anyone alone here, neither him!"
"you know the things it has done! and if it could i'm sure it'll do it again!"
"Don't talk like that! Everybody deserves a second chance!"
"not if that means that you'll put your life at risk!"
"It's worth it for me!"
"for me it isn't! your life is more valuable than trying to resonate with that thing!"
"Don't call him a "thing""- She scolded him, freeing her hand with a quick movement- "I came here to meet him and that exactly what I'm going to do"
"Frisk I won't let you put your life at risk like this! I'm not going to let you!"
The skeleton stood right in front of her, blocking her way to the flowers. Sans' tone of voice didn't pass unnoticed to the girl. He was being extremely serious. She understood that he was just trying to protect her and she did indeed appreciate his good intentions… but that didn't mean she was going to make his job easier.
Sans planted himself decidedly in the middle of Frisk's way. The girl looked surprised by his sudden seriousness but he wasn't planning to back down now. If Frisk was planning to do one of the biggest nonsense of all time he wasn't going to stand there with his arms crossed. There was no way she could get past him…right?
But as he was thinking about that, the human had finally recovered her composure and a fierce and determined gleam sparkled in her eyes. She launched herself directly towards the skeleton with an unbelievable speed. Sans prepared himself to catch her, trying to deduce what she was pretending to do… but the girl continued to run straight forwards. The skeleton then waited for the unavoidable crash, but right at the moment Frisk was going to crash directly with him… she skidded to his right.
In that moment everything seemed to be in slow motion. Frisk ran by his side, nearly touching him as she did so. Sans stretched his arm to catch her as fast as he could… but he only managed to touch the girl's sweater with the tips of his bony fingers. When that happened the girl's head had been turned around to look at him, letting him see her expression. In that short period of time Frisk had stared intently at his eyes. Her huge honey eyes had been filled with a mix of blazing determination and a huge fondness.
"Sorry…"- She whispered right next to his ear as she passed by his side.
And before Sans could do anything else to stop her the girl had already ran towards the sweet scented patch of golden flowers.
I know this chapter took forever and I'm extremely sorry for that! When I was starting to write this chapter I had some little personal problems (Nothing to worry about) and I couldn't help to feel kind of blue. I'm very sensitive with those kinds of things and I wouldn't have liked that to affect the results of this chapter. I try to make the story as cheerful and happy as I can, I love making jokes and I'm very cheerful myself, and I wouldn't have liked that my mood could have spoiled the chapter in any way. That's why I preferred to take a bit more of time to write, and when I started to feel better I resumed my writing.
I'm not feeling blue anymore, so I hope the next chapter won't take this long my friends :3 But if it does in other occasions, I want to tell you that it's because I wouldn't like to rush and give you a crappy chapter or to force the events of the story because I'm not on the mood, I think you deserve much more than that! I will do my very best to improve and give you what you deserve! Thank you very much for your support! You have no idea of how much this means to me :'D :'D :'D I would have never imagined so many people would read this story and you really encourage me to continue writing! All your favs, follows and reviews are so sweet! I appreciate every single one of them! Well… I got kind of emotional there, sorry for the long description
Updating soon!
