*I don't own Undertale or any of its characters; they all belong toToby Fox, please support the original release*
Chapter 17:A hectic day
Frisk got up early that morning. She had a quick shower, changed into her favourite clothing and started stuffing her backpack with whatever she could need for such a special occasion. She considered first times to be something very special. Today she was going to be the guide for Sans´ first visit to a funfair. Many people would believe that being so excited about something so trivial was childish. But our human simply didn't care. She loved funfairs and hoped she could help her friend have a great time.
She did remember to put her cell phone in her backpack this time. She really wanted to take some pictures to commemorate the occasion. After giving her backpack and its contents a critical look she nodded approvingly to herself.
The girl stopped to look at herself in the mirror in her room. Her huge honey eyes looked back at her. She didn't seem to be dressed for any special occasion; she just looked like she did every day. Was that Ok? Well, the purple end of the plaster sticking out from her left sleeve was new, but that didn´t count. Should she put on something more...more… I don´t know, funfairistic? She grimaced. Why hadn't she thought about that before?
"What's up with that face?"- Flowey asked sleepily from his pot on the desk.
"Flowey! I don't know what to wear! Do you think this is fine?"
He barely casted a glance at her- "Whatever"
"Hey! You are the one who asked!"
"Yeah, I thought you were suffering because of a more interesting reason"
Frisk puffed her cheeks at him- "You could at least pretend you care a lil' bit"
The flower flashed her an innocent smile- "You are the who says that lying is bad!"
"I'm not telling you to lie! I just-"- She sighed- "Forget about it"- She looked at the mirror again. She had worn her beloved striped sweater in countless occasions. It fitted her perfectly, it was very comfy and warm and it made her remember a lot of beautiful memories. Thinking about it twice, it didn't feel like a bad choice. She was going to add another cherished memory to that long list. With a now confident smile she turned to face Flowey.
"You and I have a pending talk!"- She smiled mischievously.
The monster eyed her suspiciously- "What the hell do you want n-?"- He is sprayed in the face before being able to continue.
"No swearing! Frisk puts Mr. Sprinkler down, takes Flowey's pot and sprawls on her bed. She carefully places the monster before her and lies on her belly. Punny manages to climb on the bed and she ruffles his fur affectionately.
"Don't move me around without my permission! I already told you that…quit that face! It's pissing me off! What do you want!?"- Frisk was smiling meaningfully at him again.
"Can't you think of anything?"
"I already told you that I don't know!"
"The other day, when we were in the pyjama party, I asked if you had ever liked someone in a special way…"- Flowey blushed a little and glared at her, but Frisk's smile didn't falter at all- "I want to knoooow!"
"What do you want to know!? I've already told you!"
"No! I need more details!"- Flowey frowned and looked away- "Pleeeeease! Pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pleeeea-"
"OH MY GOD! YOU'LL SHUT UP IF I DO?"- Frisk blinked; her lips still in position to finish the word "please".
"Sure!"- She answered cheerfully.
The flower stared daggers at her, but the teen's expression didn't change at all. When it looked like she was about to start pleading again he hurried to cut her short- "Fine, fine! But you'd better stop pestering me for a long time after this!"- Frisk nodded energetically and gestured for him to continue, getting even more comfortable on the bed.
"If I were you I wouldn't get so comfy, this isn't going to take long"- Flowey took a deep breath- "As I told you the other day, she had blonde, curly hair and light-blue eyes; she always wore an orange dress. She lived in the capital and her parents were very renowned monsters, so we used to meet pretty often. We were good friends, we liked hanging out and as I knew she liked sweets I always tried to get her the best ones"
"Ohhh, so cuteee!" -The teen's elbows rested on the bed as she propped her chin on her hands, a dorky smile on her face.
"Yeah, so far so good, huh?"- The flower gave her an ironic smile- "That's what I thought too. I remember how it used to make me so happy, seeing her eyes sparkle upon seeing my gifts. Dear lord, how pathetic. I'm far better having a void instead of emotions"- He face-palmed…or face-leaved?
"Hey! Don't say that!"- Frisk straightened up abruptly- "It's not pathetic, it's something really nice and touchi-!"
"It's something absolutely useless! That's what it is! Do you know what happened after being so nice and making her loads of gifts?"- The girl slowly shook her head- "She started meeting up with another monster that was, oh big coincidence, the son of the owner of the best candy shop in the whole capital. And then, after a few weeks she stopped visiting and I saw her countless times wandering around hand in hand with that bastard!"
"No way!"- Frisk exclaimed, astonished- "Just like that?! She didn't even tell you why she stopped visiting?"
"Nope. She just left with that other guy. He must have given her more candies than I did- or tastier, who knows- so she decided he was a better choice"
"W-what!? You simply can't do something like that! It's- it's so mean!"
"Yeah, in the end she was just a lil' bitch"-Frisk was still frowning deeply-"See? It wasn't something worth losing your time"
"How can someone be that inconsiderate, so selfish?"
"How many times do you have to be told that people are not as nice as you'd like to think?"- He huffed- "Anyways, she got what she deserved in the end"- He smiled evilly.
"What do you mean?"-The teen looked increasingly worried.
"Wh-? No! I didn't have anything to do with it! At least not this time…"- Frisk didn't look more relaxed "Really! It was karma or something! I found out that the monster that gifted her sweets did the same with many girls in the neighbourhood!"- He cracked a twisted smile- "That's what she got for stomping on my feelings! She got cheated on!"
The teen let out a sigh- "You shouldn't be happy about that. But… karma may have got something to do about it"- She let a small smile pull at her lips.
"Ha! You do agree with me this time!"
"I still don't think you should be happy about it!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever"
Frisk frowned at him, but she couldn't help to smile again- "Thank you for telling me"- She patted his head lightly.
"Gaaah, don't touch me!"- Flowey wiggled and pushed her hand away with his vines- "If I hadn't told you you'd have bothered me forever!"
The human kept smiling, knowing that if he truly didn't want to tell her then he wouldn't have. No matter how much she insisted. She picked him up and placed him back on the desk.
"I'll go help mum and then I have to go to Muffet's. See you later!"
She waved cheerfully at him, to which he mumbled a brief "bye". Frisk flung her backpack over her shoulder, ready to help with the daily chores.
Sans started making his way towards Muffet's café. He still smiled lightly when he remembered the girl's cheerful voice coming through the speakers. He knew it was a little early for Frisk to be in the café, but as he didn't have anything better to do, he just lazily walked to his destination. The funfair opened at 5PM. So, they decided to have some breakfast at the café and wander about till that time.
When he arrived at the café it was already pretty busy. Muffet, who was pouring coffee to at least 3 cups at the same time, smiled upon seeing him. He smiled back and waved at her. After finishing with the coffees the spider excused herself and walked towards him.
"Ahuhuhu, this face looks familiar. How is everything going, Sans?"
"nothing new, like usual. and you? i heard you had a pretty good time at the party you gave the other day"- He teased her.
Muffet giggled again, blushing lightly-"I don't think I'm the only one"-She smiled meaningfully- "But yes, I had lots of fun. Also, the number of people asking about you has increased even more"
"has it?"
"Yeah, I'm not surprised at all, though. That argument on the party only managed to push you further into the spotlight, dear"
"i thought it would do the opposite"- He said thoughtfully.
"Ahuhuhu! First you are always cool and composed, easy going, with that ever present smile of yours. You openly take care of your family, but still manage to keep this mysterious aura around you…and now you get involved in this little scandal! It's obvious that there'll be tons of people falling for you! "
"oh, c'mon muffet, you are making wrong assumptions!"
"Of course I'm not! Aside from being a spider I am a lady, and that is what my sixth sense is telling me! You do are a heart stealer, ahuhuhu!"
Sans laughed and waved his hand dismissively at her-"then you have to be exaggerating!"
This was a usual conversation they have been having since they were in the Underground. Muffet, with her delicious food and her charisma, usually got people to open up to her. And, apparently, many had agreed that they found the skeleton pretty interesting.
"That's what you'd like to believe!"- She smiled and looked around at the monsters and humans that chatted animatedly at their tables- "They keep asking me what you like, if you come here often, what do you usually order, if you come alone…many are more direct and ask whether you are single or not, or if you are interested in someone in particular. I always tell them that I don't know, or that I'm not sure"
She let out a big sigh- "If they actually knew that their beloved Sans' heart is already taken…"
"mhm…wait, what?!"- He turned to look at the spider lady, who was now laughing heartily.
"There's no need to worry, sugar! I'd never give your secret away! Also, I wouldn't like to be the one to pop other's dreams. They'll find out in time"
"that's not it! i mean, there's no secret to give away!"
"Ahuhuhu! You can say that to others and even to yourself, but you won't be able to make me swallow that! I've been noticing it for a while now"
"noticing what?"
She gave him a meaningful smile and looked towards the street- "This heart stealer has finally got his heart stolen…it only leaps for one special person…"
"wh- my heart was not sto-"
But before he could finish the sentence, someone called him loudly: "Saaaaaaaans!"
Frisk came running down the street, she had a huge, bright smile and her silky hair was flowing wildly at her back. The skeleton unconsciously smiled at the sight and he heard a soft giggle by his side. He turned to see Muffet winking at him. It took a moment for him to finally get what she was implying. His cheekbones flushed light-blue.
"i-it's not what you are thinking!"
"Oh, isn't it?"- She started to walk away, slowly.
"hey! don't just leav-"
"Careful!" Muffet singsonged, not even turning around.
Sans turned just in time to see Frisk launching herself at him and managed to catch her in the nick of time. She embraced him in a tight hug- "I'm so soooorry! I was helping mum with the shopping and I forgot that the list continued on the back of the paper and I had to return to the shop and-"
The skeleton looked over his shoulder to see the spider giggling, amused at the scene. He tried his best to make the intense blushing of his cheekbones to go away and not to think about the monster's meaningful smirk. He hugged the teen back and stroked her hair lightly, trying to calm her down.
"-so after I did all that I had to come all the way here and I couldn't run any faster, that's why I arrived late!"- She pushed away a little to look at him. She blinked upon seeing that his cheek-bones had a slight light-blue tint-"…are you Ok?"
"yeah! w-why don't we take a seat before all the tables get taken?"
Frisk tilted her head a little, confused by her friend's odd attitude, but nodded anyways. They looked around the place, choosing which table to sit at. The decoration of the café was elegant: it had purple and scarlet hues, velvety chairs and dark-wooden tables. The couple ended up choosing a table outside. It was in front of the bar and they could see the street and passers-by from there. The outside tables were slimmer and taller than the inside ones and were surrounded by bushes and flowers that matched the colouring of the café.
There was no denying Muffet had an exquisite, extravagant taste. As soon as they sat down a couple of spiders scurried on their table, carrying their menus. Frisk waited till hers was left on the table and the spiders were at a good distance before picking it up. She had got pretty used to those spiders by now, but she couldn't shake the memories of her first encounter with Muffet. Just thinking about it made her remember the feel of all their little spidery legs on her skin. She shivered. Enough contact with spiders for a lifetime.
"you ok?"- Sans asked, knowing what she was going through. She had told him about it before.
Frisk nodded, shaking her hands like she could shake those thoughts away too- "I'm fine"- She closed her eyes and then reopened them with a determined expression, her smile wide in anticipation- "Time to order something super-duper-mega tasty and yummy"
The skeleton chuckled. In spite of the spiders, the teen insisted that Muffet's Café had the best pastries ever. She inspected the menu with clinical expertise before nodding to herself and announcing: "A blueberry and strawberry milkshake and a slice of triple berry cheesecake"
"i wonder why i'm not surprised"- Sans teased her.
At Muffet's the girl never missed to order her milkshake (flavours could vary) and one of her beloved pastries.
"i'll go with a bottle of ketchup and some fries"
"Oh, wow! So unexpected!"- Frisk teased back, feigning surprise.
One of the spiders returned and took their order. As they waited the girl asked excitedly: "What ride do you want to try first?"
"ride?"
"Yes! Aren't we going to the funfair?"
"yeah, i know, you made it pretty clear yesterday"- He added with a chuckle, remembering the girl's phone call.
"So? Haven't you thought about what rides you wanna' try?"
"uuhh…no? i don't even know what the options are so…"
"Whaaat?! Didn't you listen to the advertisement?"
"yeah, but they mentioned them so fast i couldn't-"
"They said they have a wheel of fortune, pedal cars, target shooting, a roller coaster and-and loads of food stands! And even more attractions!"- The girl recited almost as fast as the ad- "They have those pedal car thingies! Do you get that? Those are my childhood! And-and FOOD!"
Sans couldn't help to laugh- "you are really excited, aren't you?"- The teen nodded vigorously, almost bouncing on her seat- "well, as you said you had experience on the field and you wanted to guide me"- He shrugged- "i guess i'll just enjoy any ride you want to put me through"
Frisk smiled like a kid in a candy store and the skeleton smiled back. Right then, Muffet brought their orders, as usual.
"How are my favourite costumers doing?"-She asked with het velvety voice.
"Great!"-Frisk answered cheerfully- "We are going to the funfair today!"
"Ahuhuhu, I see. By the look of it, it's a pretty nice one"- She slid Sans's ketchup and fries across the table towards him with two of her hands. Frisk's milkshake and pastry were also slid before her by another pair of hands.
The presentation of the dessert was outstanding, as usual. The cheesecake had three delicate layers: it started with a very light pink, continued with a cotton candy pink and ended with a delicate lilac colour. On top it had a rich purple topping with shiny, juicy berries resting on top. The colour of the milkshake followed the same palette, as it had alternating layers of pink and purple, a glossy swirl of whipped cream on top. The teen's expression lit up with glee, mouth-watering at the sight, Muffet laughed.
"Thank you"- Frisk whispered, too fixed on her pastry to look away.
Muffet giggled again-"If only everyone would appreciate one's baking like you do"- She shook her head, amused-"You are a delight to look at, the best reward a baker could ever ask for"
"do we get a discount, then? for such a heartfelt display?"- Sans asked, smiling mischievously.
The spider returned the smile- "I can charge you more if you wish"
Muffet's stinginess was legendary and the skeleton loved picking on her for it.
"i don't think that's how you play this game"
"Really?"- She asked innocently- "Then maybe we can resume the little chat we were having when you arrived?"
"What chat?"-Frisk asked, finally paying attention to what was going on.
"none!"
Muffet laughed heartily- "I guess an extra charge it is"- She said slyly as she walked away, swaying her hips.
Her blackmailing was almost as legendary as her stinginess. The girl was giving Sans a puzzled look so he hurried to change the subject.
"so, how is punny doing?"
"Oh, he is doing just fine! He's so full of energy, though! When I woke up today I found he had chewed one of my trainers till annihilating it"
"uh-oh"
"Mum knows nothing"-She whispered, leaning closer over the table- "I disposed of the evidence"
Sans laughed at the secrecy- "you scolded him for that, right?"
"Eehh…"- Sans sighed- "Hey, I was about to do it! But then he gave me this super adorable, cutesy look! And-and I simply couldn't!"
"you know it's good for him if you set limits, don't you?"
"I know"-She muttered, shoving a spoonful of her cheesecake in her mouth. Her worried look instantly turned into a delighted smile.
The monster shook his head-"you can't fix all your problems like that, you know?"
She swallowed, stuck her tongue at him and then defiantly stuffed herself with another spoonful. Her friend laughed, not willing to critique her methods, and dug into his fries.
"Hey Sans?"- She asked, digging her spoon on her dessert once more.
"mh?"
"I was thinking that we could drop by my orphanage before getting to the funfair. That way we don't have to wander so much until the fair opens. Also, I could finally introduce you to everyone there"
"cool! that would be really nice! i've wanted to meet them for a long time, too"
Frisk smiled brightly at him- "Do you remember where my orphanage is?"
"mhh, close to mount ebott, right?"
She nodded, fishing her phone-"Here, if you look at the map…"-she zoomed it in-"There, you see?"
"yeah, it's not that far away"
"Yup! We can go there, visit them for a while and then go to the funfair"
"sure kid, it will be fun"-He winked at her.
"Yeah, sure thing! Still, you need to know that children can be a little… you know…energetic. Do you get what I mean?"- The girl ate another spoonful of her dessert.
"don't worry about it"- he dismissed, waving his hand and shoving some fries into his mouth-"i took care of papyrus when he was that age, i know what it's like"
"Yes, but there was only one of them…there are many little Papyruses where we are going"
The skeleton stopped mid-chew. He hadn't considered that. Flashbacks of Papyrus running at full speed towards something dangerous unknowingly, dropping and tossing stuff everywhere, breaking things, making tiny bones fly in every direction, drawings racing cars on the walls…all that flashed through his mind.
Frisk laughed at her friend's expression- "I'll be there with you; I used to babysit them all the time. You'll be fine"
Sans nodded, feeling a little calmer- "at least humans can't use magic, so no sudden magic experimentation incidents"
"No magic for sure, but we can be pretty determined, even when young. Can you imagine a dozen of little mes running all over the place?"
Sans imagined a tiny Frisk determinedly climbing high shelves to get a cookie jar, feeding all her food to stray puppies or sharing so much with others she didn't have any left , scribbling her whole face with permanent marker (that was actually pretty recent), and many other chaotic scenarios . He gulped.
The teen burst laughing and the skeleton ended up following her shortly after. Today was surely going to be hectic day.
A few metres away, a light-blue monster that was passing by spotted them.
"Hello Sansy! Long time no see!"
He turned to look at who had spoken to him- "hey, hi there trish!"
She walked towards them- "Having some …pretty unusual breakfast, aren't we?"- She asked, amused at the ketchup and fries.
Seeing that Trish was looking attentively at Frisk he introduced them: "yeah. trish, this is frisk, you must have heard about her. frisk, this is trisha. we used to be in an automotive fan club together some time ago. we went to racetracks, conventions, exhibitions and the such"
"Nice to meet you!"- The teen said with a huge, bright smile.
"My pleasure!"- The monster answered, returning the smile. At that moment her stomach growled loudly.
"Oh, you are hungry! Would you like to sit with us?"- Frisk offered.
A light purple blush spread on the copper haired monster's cheeks- "I-I'm so sorry! I skipped breakfast! Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Not at all!"
"yeah, it's no good to go around on an empty stomach"
She smiled sweetly at him and nodded- "If you insist…"- She took a chair and sat at their table.
Trisha was tall and her curly copper locks bather her shoulders gracefully. After ordering a black coffee, an assortment of fresh fruit and toast she started to carefully braid her hair.
"So, Frisk, right?"- The monster asked.
"Yeah!"
"How long have you known Sansy here?"
"Oh, since I fell into the Underground. It's been a long time already"- She said, smiling nostalgically.
"I see"- She smiled back- "How long is it since we know each other, Sansy? It's so long I can't remember!"
"mhhh, dunno' actually. you know i'm terrible at remembering that stuff"
Trisha let out a charming laugh- "Yes, I should have imagined"- She gave her braid a critical look before shaking her head and starting over- "Are you going somewhere after you finish here?"- Her vibrant green eyes were locked on Sans's eye-sockets.
"yeah, we are going to visit the kid's orphanage and then the funfair"
"Oh"- She looked a little disappointed- "I was going to invite you to hang out for a while. You know, there's this cool auto show they opened recently…"
"yeah! i heard about it too! they said it's really cool! have you been there?"
"Sure thing! You know I'm quite impatient. I visited it as soon as it opened. Don't tell me you still haven't gone?"
"no, not yet. i couldn't find the time to go. but it's something i've had on my to do list for a while now"
She smiled brightly at him- "Well, then why don't we tick that off from your list?"
"sure! maybe one of these days we can drop by"
Trisha's smile dropped a little and she casted a little glance at Frisk. The teen hurried to intervene:
"Oh…if-if you really want to go then we could leave the funfair for another day…I-I don't mind"
"no way kiddo'! i know how much you've been waiting to introduce me to the children at your orphanage, not to mention how excited you are bout that fair! i can go to the auto show any time"
Trisha looked at Frisk for a moment as she frowned a little, assessing her. Then her features relaxed again- "Don't worry. It's Ok. I wouldn't want to meddle in your date"
"We are not dating!"- They answered in unison, blushing.
"Oh, you are just friends then?"- She gave Frisk a little smile.
"We are not just friends, we are best friends"- The teen remarked, her smile a little stiff. She hadn't liked Trisha's tone of voice.
"Sure, sure, my bad"-She said, waving her hand dismissively. She returned her attention to Sans.
"Did you see the new car model of the automobile brothers? I heard its technology hasn't been implemented before! And they are already investigating to enhance it further!
"yeah! i can't believe they can make advancements so fast!"- he answered excitedly- "i mean, back at the underground we only had very out-dated magazines. knowing how they are developed in real time is mind-blowing!"
"Yeah, right? I was thinking about that too! To think we found the Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler revolutionary and now there are cars like the Porsche 718 Boxster! It has a six-speed manual transmission! And not only that! You can also choose to have a quick-shifting seven-speed automatic instead!""don't even mention it! and the bmw z4! it's absolute madness! it can have a turbocharged four-cylinder or a twin-turbo inline-six! i heard the latter blasted the z4 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds!"
They kept talking animatedly about cars; their terms getting even more and more technical, which made Frisk feel absolutely lost. Not wanting to interrupt, she drank her milkshake slowly in silence. Sans seemed to be having lots of fun, he usually didn't have someone who knew so much about car technicisms. Yes, he had Papyrus, but he didn't care much about the "science behind it all", he just thought they looked awesome.
Frisk's eyes wandered from Sans's gleeful smile to Trisha's. The latter sipped her coffee discreetly, picking little pieces of fruit one at a time, stopping from time to time to twirl her hair and redo her already perfect braid. The girl turned towards the café to check her own hair on the reflection of the sparkling storefront.
After running at full speed towards the café it looked a little bit…wild. She felt self-conscious and tried to tame it delicately. It didn't do much, to be honest.
Trisha let out a big sigh- "It's a pity that cars are so expensive, it would be great to have one. But it's already difficult enough to sustain a house, let alone affording such an expense. Right, Sansy?"
"yeah, tell me about that"- he replied, propping his head on his elbow- "at home it's just papyrus and me and he helps out, but sometimes it's still difficult to make ends meet. it must be even more difficult if you are by yourself"
Frisk blinked in surprise- "Oh, do you live on your own, Trisha?"
"Yes" –She replied turning to her–"I already lived on my own back at the Underground, so I found myself an apartment when we moved here"
"That's really cool!"
"Thank you"-Trisha said with a smile- "I used to work at Mettaton's hotel back then and I still do. I also worked at the market at the City, so I have many contacts"
"that's true. i remember you always had your schedules packed and struggled to find the time to attend the automotive club meetings"
Trisha laughed charmingly –"Yes, it was difficult to find the time. But I really didn't want to lose those meetings"- She gave Sans a sly look that didn't go unnoticed by Frisk.
"And you, Frisk? Do you live on your own?"
"Uh? N-no, I still live with mum"- she hurried to reply, regaining her senses- "I'm finishing my studies"
"Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot you were younger than us!"
"that's right. she's 3 years younger than me. i guess that would be 4 years younger than you?"
"Don't go around telling ladies' ages so blatantly!"- She teased, shoving Sans a little.
He laughed heartily- "sorry, sorry i didn't know it was a secret"
"Hmph, I will just let it slip because it's you"- she made eyes at him and went back to talking about how she organized her time and savings to keep her house running. She advised him to keep track of expenses and told him some tricks to do it. Then she started sharing some tips to save money by buying in specific locations.
Frisk fixated her eyes on her pastry. It was obvious that Trisha was flirting with Sans. He didn't seem to be actively participating in those flirts, but he wasn't declining them either. The girl looked attentively at Trisha once more. She was definitely making him lovey-dovey eyes. Her hands kept toying meticulously with her hair and she took long, measured sips of her cup, never taking her perfectly made-up eyes away from him.
The teen reviewed the monster's delicate and scrupulous look. She had an elegant, professional outfit, probably what she wore to work at Mettaton's hotel: a plain black min-skirt, a trim, pastel shirt and matching high heels. Her makeup was subtle, but really cute. She didn't have that teenager feel around her, she looked like a woman through and through.
She had heard that, as people grew up, they went through different phases of their lives. Like different cycles. Trisha had a house to take care of, a rent to pay and multiple jobs. It was pretty similar to Sans's current situation. Frisk, on the other hand, was still studying and her responsibilities were different. As she heard them talking about prices, jobs and expenses she felt a little childish. She imagined herself having to sustain a house on her own and shuddered at the responsibility. She didn't think she could manage something like that yet.
She sulked at the thought, slurping her milkshake and absently poking her dessert. While Frisks' order looked cheerful and bright, Trisha's was quite the opposite: her sober coffee and healthy fruits seemed to mock Frisk's highly sugary and colourful choice (Or rather, that's what our tiny human thought).
"Oh! I just remembered! Did you see that the automobile brothers launched an online competition?"- The older monster asked, excitedly.
"yeah! you are supposed to upload ideas for their new car design, right?"
"Yup! But it's not only about looks; you can also propose innovative functions! Are you going to participate?"
"nah, i don't think so"
"Why not? I bet you would propose something awesome! You are the smartest person I know! There's no way you wouldn't win!
"i dunno'"- He chuckled- "i'm not thaaat smart"
"Of course you are! And if you were to add a lil' sneak peek of your bio and a picture of that handsome face of yours they may even hire you or something!"
The skeleton laughed- "oh, stop it you! c'mon trisha, no need to overdo it anymore"
Still, she continued to flatter him by praising his intelligence and looks.
For some reason, Frisk had already lost her appetite. Also, looking at the back and forth of this blatant flirting was starting to piss her off. And the fact that Sans acted so casually only managed to upset her even more. Why did he act so chill? I mean, he was always chill, but there wasn't someone always flirting with him. Maybe this was his way of flirting back? Casually taking advantage of that handsome, charming smile of his, his endearing laugh and easy going manners? No, that couldn't be, she tried to convince herself.
But, on second thought… why couldn't it be? Trish was nice, friendly, responsible and hard-working. She also shared his same interests and was really beautiful. Why wouldn't he want to flirt back?
The teen felt her insides churning at the thought. She didn't like it. She knew she had no right to feel like that, but she still did. Trisha's words kept repeating themselves in her head: "only friends", "only friends", "only friends", "only friends…"
She felt like the third wheel here…but wait. She had been the one who had invited Sans for breakfast, not Trisha. That would make her the third wheel, right?
Yes, that must be it. Trisha was the third wheel. With her boring talk about taxes and responsibilities and her damn beautiful hair and refined adult tastes and dressing and… exquisite manners and…those perfect made-up, lovey-dovey eyes… and… -Frisk felt herself nauseous.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?"- She thought to herself, ashamed- "Trisha isn't a bad person. She isn't the third wheel or anything like that. It wasn't ok to think all these things about her. She didn't even know the monster that well. It was not like her to judge people like that. "Actually, it was me who invited her to sit with us. And-and Sans is having fun! He doesn't look bored. Then why I…? Why am I feeling like this?"
At that moment Trisha plopped her last piece of fruit into her mouth- "Excuse me, I'll drop by the restroom real quick"-She delicately whipped her mouth with a handkerchief.
Frisk nodded, hoping it didn't show how she really felt.
"sure"- Sans said, chill as always.
Trisha stood up and casually caressed Sans's chin- "Be right back"
The copper haired monster walked away, swaying her hips. " " had stopped working. Either that or she forced a shutdown to prevent herself going berserk. She knew she was not being rational, that it was not Ok, she had no right to act like that, this wasn't like herself at all, and blah, blah, blah…but seeing the monster caressing his chin… she didn't care if she wasn't being herself, it made her heart hurt. More than she could have ever imagined.
She had seen some people flirting with Sans on other occasions, but it had never been something so straightforward. And she had never expected it to hurt so much. Her whole chest ached with every single breath, like some heavy and ugly creature had nested there and tried to squeeze her heart with every breath she took.
She imagined Sans strolling side by side with Trisha through the car show, her delicate light-blue hands caressing his handsome face again, having him all for herself and herself alone. And Frisk felt herself falling. Falling and falling and falling into all those feelings she had suppressed and tried to suffocate for so long. She had done so for fear that things could take an unexpected turn and get out of control. She feared that what she felt could wreak havoc on their relationship.
She thought that, after all this time keeping these feelings under control, she had somehow tamed them. Well, now it was clear that was not the case. Actually, it felt like they had just been waiting, lurking at the very depths of her soul, waiting for their chance to pounce at her heart when she let her guard down. Or, it seemed that being given a blow that set her off balance; weakened her resolve and awakened all those feelings served as their cue to pounce too.
And they did pounce. Right now, all those feelings were running rampant through her heart and plaguing her mind, coursing through her veins. Her meticulous plan was sinking like a little paper boat in a chaotic sea. And while she was sinking on her tiny paper boat she could see a shining, strong ship with Sans and Trisha sailing into the horizon. Of course, they were doing the Titanic "T" pose thing too. Yeah, maybe if she called it "T" pose it would be less painful. It wasn't working. Damn. Shoot. Her brain was on fire with dozens of tiny Frisks running up and down in it in panic. She felt like there were sirens screeching in her head: MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY-
It had been a while now since Trisha had disappeared into the restroom and Frisk kept staring ahead, blankly. Sans first thought it could be some sort of random idea or train of thought that had gotten her so absorbed. It wouldn't be the first time, after all. But there was something unsettling about the girl's expression. He noticed that at least ¾ of her milkshake remained on her glass and her cake was almost untouched. That was something to worry about.
"kiddo?"
If she listened, she didn't give any sign of it. The skeleton leaned over the table and sapped his fingers in front of her.
"MAYDAY, MAYD-!"- She exclaimed with a jolt, startled. Her eyes focused on Sans again and she cut herself short.
"…oook?"- The skeleton said, tilting his head in confusion. That "MAYDAY" part was new-"are you alright, frisk?"
"Huh?"- She asked, still overwhelmed, trying to sort the mayhem that was her mind.
"are you alright?"- Her friend seemed even more concerned now.
"I…um…. Why-why do you ask?"
"you haven't finished your drink, and you have barely touched your cake. you always finish them both in a flash"
The teen looked at the milkshake and cake before her, long forgotten. She blinked, then looked back at Sans, who seemed to be waiting for something.
"I…I'm not hungry, that's all"-She lowered her gaze.
The monster frowned-"yeah, that's obviously a lie"
"Wh-? No! I'm not hungry! Really!"
"well, then it's worse. if you really aren't hungry then it has to be something serious"
Frisk tried to make up an excuse of any kind, but she just ended staring at him, looking like a fish out of water.
"mhhhh"-Sans pondered- "maybe it's because you are too excited for the funfair?"
The teen wanted to nod, to agree. Yes, that was it, let's change the subject now and forget about it. But her body refused to move.
"no, you don't look very well. you aren't trying to act all cool while feeling ill, right? we can go to the funfair other day if you don't feel well…"
"It's not that!"- She sputtered.
The skeleton blinked at her sudden response. Frisk seemed to be surprised as well. It didn't look like she was intending to reply at all. She hurried to say something different to change the topic.
"I was thinking I could buy some stuff to bring to the orphanage real quick! I bet that, if I rush, I can get that done in a flash! And-and we can meet at my orphanage later when you finish here!"- Her voice sounded forced and high pitched.
"wait, wait, wait. yeah, we can go to buy some things if you want, but why the hurry? what is it that has gotten you like this?"- He looked at her, confused.
It was strange. Most of the time she would tell him what was going on. Why wouldn't she tell him this time? She acted like this when she thought she would burden him by speaking. What could she be considering a burden and refused to tell him? The skeleton reviewed the events of the morning.
"wait…we must have bored you, haven't we?"- He asked, scratching his head sheepishly. That would explain why she was looking for a quick exit until he finished his meal- "with all that talk about numbers and cars and technical stuff…"
"No, no! I mean… you two seemed to be having fun…"-She looked away- "I kind of… felt like I was interrupting…"
"interrupting?"- Sans asked, puzzled.
Frisk huffed- "Yes, Sans. Interrupting"
"what exactly?"
The teen looked at him, lips pursed- "Don't play dumb!"
"wh-? no, i mean it!"- He said, raising his hands at his friend's unexpected sulky stare.
Frisk blinked, her eyes fixated on her friend's eye-sockets. He blinked too, completely clueless.
"Oh my, I cannot believe it! I mean! Dude! Like! Geez..!"- The girl's agitation increased.
"hey, stop doing that! will you tell me what are you talking about?"
"Sans, she was totally and shamelessly flirting with you!"
"wh-? no, that's not true! we are only friends!"
"C'mon! Are you really going to tell me that you didn't notice? Didn't even suspect a tiny bit?"-The skeleton's blank expression was enough to answer her question. The teen took a deep breath- "Sans, listen: she kept hitting on you, making advances all the time; she calls you Sansy; did you count how many times she redid her braid? -Because I did, it was 8 times. Also, she kept making you lovey-dovey eyes, laughing with that charming laugh of hers; inviting you to go alone with her to the auto show and insisting on how nicely you got on well together! Don't you see?"
The skeleton drew a hand to his chin, thoughtfully -"mmhhh…do you really think so?"
"Of course I do! It's you who doesn't have a clue!"
"hey, it's not my fault that you women have that sixth sense that you always mention! how was i supposed to know?"
"This isn't about sixth senses! It was obvious, you dummy! I bet she went to the restroom to neaten up her makeup, you'll see! And she even caressed your chin! What else did you expect? A kiss?"- She huffed, crossing her arms and laying back on her sit.
The skeleton blinked, surprised at the girl's outburst. He then leaned closer to her on the table and propped his head on his elbow with a mischievous grin.
"What?"- She spat, her arms still crossed.
"well, i was thinking that maybe…i dunno', just maybe…you see that i'm a dummy, as you say i don't have clue about this stuff, buuuuuut…."
The girl kept glaring at him, crossly.
Sans raised a non-existent eyebrow -"are you jealous, kiddo'?"
"Wh-?! N-! I! You!"- Frisk stammered, her face flushing red. Her friend's mischievous smile only widened at the sight.
The tiny human took a deep breath, her face still red and her eyes filled with determination as she stared back into his amused eye-sockets-"Yes, I'm jealous"- She stated defiantly.
It was her friend's turn to blush. Yeah, he had teased her, yeah it was obvious she was jealous, but he wasn't expecting her to admit it so squarely.
"I don't want to be jealous! But-but I cannot help it! Seeing her all mushy and doing all that-"- She made him eyes exaggeratedly- "and then curling and curling her hair and then the caress! And-and I didn't even know if you were flirting back or-or! I don't know! And I hate being jealous because it makes you think mean things! And I don't want to think mean things! Because Trisha seems super nice! She doesn't deserve me being a selfish doodoo butt! I don't' like being a selfish doodoo-butt! I don't like being jealous! You were having fun and I like you having fun and-AGHHH!"- Frisk held her head on her hands and took a steadying breath.
"I…I don't know what's gotten into me"
But she did know what it was. The roar in her chest knew as well, disagreeing with her statement as it screamed bloody murder, but she ignored it.
"I'm sorry. I…she seems really nice, you two seem to be having fun…I guess I just need to chill"
"frisk…"-Sans whispered, reaching out for her.
The teen straightened up before he could touch her- "I'm fine, really. I just. I'll go get some stuff to bring to the orphanage and clear my mind. I'll see you at the foot of Mt. Ebott when you are ready"- She stood up.
"wait! don't go!"
"You two have fun, this is my problem, and I'm the one who has to deal with it. You two have nothing to do with this. It's my duty to fix it"- She gave the skeleton a strong, reassuring smile- "Bye, Trisha! Have to rush! It was nice to meet you!"- She shouted over Sans's shoulder.
The monster turned around to where Frisk was looking but he couldn't see Trisha anywhere. The sound of footsteps running away made him turn back again.
The teen was already a few feet away, waving energetically at him- "Soooooorryy, I know that was playing dirty! I'll see you at Mount Ebott!"
Sans remained there, torn between running after her and waiting for Trisha to exit the restrooms. He wanted to follow her, but she made it clear she wanted some time on her own. Reluctantly, he sat down again on his seat and waited.
Before he has had much time to think about what happened Trisha showed up. Upon remembering Frisk's words he realizes she has definitely touched up her make-up.
"Oh, what happened to Frisk?"- She asks as she sits down.
"uh…she…she had something to do, so she had to rush. she said it was nice to meet you"
"I would've liked to say the same to her"- She said truthfully, looking at her empty seat - "I mean, I have always wanted to talk with her before. But it has been a long time since I wanted to talk to you too. I guess I got carried away"
Now that he was paying more attention, he didn't miss she was making him eyes.
"yeah, it has been a long time since we last talked"
Trisha hummed and locked her eyes on his eye-sockets, sliding her hand to hold his –"So, resuming our talk about going to the car show, would you like to set a time for our date?"
Well, the kid had been right after all. Trisha was being straightforward. Damn, he truly didn't have a clue.
"um…i…trisha…"- He said, hesitantly pulling his hand away.
The light-blue monster let out a sigh and propped her head with her hands- "So you do are taken, aren't you?"
"n-no, i mean, it's not that…i just… i've never thought of you in that way…"
Trisha looked at him attentively. She didn't seem upset, just thoughtful- "You know..."- She starts- "I've liked you for a long time now. But I could never muster the courage to tell you. Yeah, I tried some subtle flirting and giving you some hints… but I think you didn't even notice, am I right?"
Sans gave her an apologetic smile and shook his head.
"Yeah, that's what I thought"- She laughed and shook her head-"Listen, I wish I hadn't waited so long to gather my wits and finally tell you. Maybe… just maybe… things would have been different back then…"-She looked down, a little sad- "…but I guess I lost my chance"- She sighed- "Maybe it's a little bold from me…or maybe you think I'm meddling …" She straightened up to look deeply into his eye-sockets- "…but please, don't make the same mistake I did"
The skeleton frowned- "what do you mean?"
"Well, you insist that you are single but… there's someone, right?"
Unconsciously, Frisk popped up in his mind and his cheekbones shone with a soft light-blue hue. Trisha laughed, triumphant. There was no use in denying it by now.
"geez…how can you tell? is it that famous women's sixth sense?"
The copper haired monster laughed heartily- "Well, if you want to call it like that, yeah"- She smiled fondly at him-"You are a really nice monster, Sans. You deserve to be happy. I'm not telling you that I wouldn't be delighted if, someday, you changed your mind about me and wished to give ours a try"- She winked playfully at him- "But what matters the most is that you are happy… with whoever you want to be. But for that you'll have to overcome whatever doubts or fears are assaulting you. Whatever were to happen, at least you will know that you tried before the opportunity was gone…"
"thank you, trisha…"- The skeleton answered, heartfelt- "i…i guess i needed that advice"- he added sheepishly.
She giggled- "You are as adorable as clueless, honey. It may have arrived a little too late for me, but a push in the right direction may help whoever is the fortunate who stole that elusive heart of yours"
Sans gifted her with a grateful, shy and fond smile and she returned it.
"Ok, I guess I'll be going. If not I'll arrive late to work"- She left the money for her food on the table.
"thank you for everything, i mean it"
"Oh, no problemo. Please tell Frisk that it was a pleasure to meet her…"- She started walking away- "…and that she is really fortunate"
"sure! eh? fort-?"
Trisha turns to flash him an amused, knowing look and before Sans can say anything else she disappears in the hustle and bustle of the street.
Finding himself alone once again, he sits for a little while to recover his senses a bit and pays Muffet for their orders. It's barely 10AM and so much has happened already. First Frisk leaves, then Trisha drops this bomb on him. What…what is he supposed to do now? Trisha's words repeat themselves in his mind again and again: "Don't make the same mistake I did"
But wasn't he doing that already? He never spoke with Frisk about what he was feeling lately. But, what was he feeling? Everything used to be under control, it used to be so simple. They had been best friends for a long time now. It all seemed have started that day: when he saw Frisk flirting with Nick at Grillby's.
It was in that moment that he felt all these feelings surge. But, was that really it? Sometimes he felt like that had been the last straw, like those feeling had been stewing on low heat for a loooong time now.
He threw his head back with a groan. "overcome my doubts and fears", i know she is right, but that's a lot easier said than done"- He rested his head on his hand- "if i let the cat out of the bag and try to explain all "that", whatever it is that even i myself can't quite grasp, i could make everything super weird and awkward…"- A memory of Frisk's encouraging, confident smile floated in his mind, her words ringing in his ears: "You would never screw it up opening to me, you know that, don't you? It doesn't matter what, I 'll be here for you"
"maybe…just maybe… it wouldn't be so awkward…right? what if she felt something kinda'…similar? maybe? was that a possibility, too?"- He looked at his reflection in a nearby window. He looked as stranded as he felt. Damn. He didn't get along with all these maybes, kindas and uncertainties. He loved science for a reason: facts. He didn't have any fact here. It was all possibilities, decisions based on hunches and feelings and-and, AGH! So inexact! So unpredictable! So-!
Before he could keep his intern rant going any further, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed and pulled it out. It was Papyrus, asking how his funfairistic day was going.
"shoot, he's right. frisk must be waiting for me at the woods!"- He sent a quick reply to his brother and hurried to meet the girl at the foot of Mount Ebott.
His mind kept wandering aimlessly all the way there. What would he say when he saw her? What would she say? Even though she had assured she was all right, she had definitely made a swift escape.
He was already thinking of possible, unlikely and awkward exchanges of words when he heard Frisk's voice in the distance. She seemed to be complaining about something. The closer he got, the more he could discern her words.
"…and you know what I did? Instead of telling any sort of regular excuse, like, I dunno'! I left the oven on or something, I just blurted the truth! Can you believe that?"- There was an indignant pause.
Sans peered through some trees, distinguishing the girl amidst a clearing. She was walking up and down restlessly, snow crunching under her feet. Her audience seemed to be a little, fluffy dog that was sitting patiently a few feet away. He looked at her attentively, following her with his head, like he could understand every word she was saying.
"What got into me? I-I acted like a silly teenager throwing a tantrum!"- She stopped her pacing, frowning- "Well, technically I am a teenager..."
"Still!"- She exclaimed crossly after a while, resuming her pacing- "It's still not ok! I mean- I know I shouldn't have left like that! But- but I couldn't help thinking mean things and I didn't want to do or say something mean! So what other options did I have? Sit there and hope for the best? That wouldn't have been ok, either! It wasn't their fault at all, it was just me being silly! I couldn't just make a scene! But! BUT I still made a scene when Trish was gone!"- She huffed and dropped herself by the dog's side –"I…I hate all this mixed feelings"- She said in a low voice.
The skeleton sneaked a little closer, trying to hear her better. He made sure he was well hidden amidst the trees and bushes, but he could still see her clearly. Eavesdropping was not right, he knew it. But… maybe this way he could understand a little better what she was feeling? As she thought herself alone, except for the dog, she wasn't reining in her emotions.
The small pup got a little closer to her, sniffing her comfortingly. Frisk petted him absentmindedly.
"I love seeing Sans have fun. And I didn't want to ruin that fun for him, that's why I'm here"- She looked upset and confused- "But when I think about it… about them…when I imagine just the two of them alone there…"- She cradled her face with her hands- "I…I wish I hadn't left"
Sans felt his chest tighten at those words. He had felt like that before. When Frisk and Nick were flirting at the party. But then, Nick happened to be an absolute jerk, so he hadn't worried about that anymore. But what would have happened if it hadn't been like that? If he had been a nice, caring person like Trisha? Would he have been able to stay put? Would he have, like Frisk had just said "gotten carried away and say something mean" because of his jealously? Would he had run away to chill? Would he have just ignored it?
He couldn't tell. And, honestly, he didn't want to think about. He still felt that weird clutching in his chest, that nasty, uneasy feeling he had that day. It seemed to mock him every time he thought about it. Still…he thought he now understood Frisk's feelings a little better.
"I'm being a petty, overly dramatic teenager throwing a pity party, aren't I?"- She asked, turning to the little dog besides her. The answer didn't come from that direction, though.
"yeah, actually"
Frisk jumped to her feet, turning to see Sans casually leaning on a nearby tree with a carefree smile.
"Wh-?! H-how long have you been there?!"- She asked, horrified.
"oh, who knows, maybe a while or two"
Despite her madly blushing cheeks, the teen seemed to have recovered from the shock, for she threw Sans a snowball from where she was – "Rude! You shouldn't eavesdrop!"
The monster casually dodged the harmless projectile and approached her- "i thought you were already waiting for me. i didn't think i had to announce myself"
Frisk puffed her cheeks and looked away- "I-I thought you would take a while…longer"
"mhhh"-He hummed, standing closer.
The girl cast him a sidelong glance form where she was, still piqued by his intrusion- "Sorry for acting dumb and making a scene"- She murmured. The tiny dog wiggled onto her lap. She held it close.
"don't worry about that, kid. i mean…we spend almost all day together. these things happen, right? plus, you may be too kind to say it, but i bet you were bored silly with our talk about cars and stuff. i should have noticed"
"It's all right"- she said, letting go of the puppy, which wandered off into the woods. She then began tracing figures on the snow with a finger.
"also, you were right, by the way"- He added, plopping by her side. Frisk stopped her aimless tracing- "about her flirting with me"
"Oh"- She said, her gaze still fixed on the ground- "Well…she was being pretty obvious, actually"
"yeah, but i hadn't noticed until you pointed it out"- He kept his eyes fixated on her. She nodded, but she didn't turn to look at him- "well, thank you for telling me. i told her i didn't think of her in that way, tho…"
"W-what?!"- Frisk snapped to look at him- "B-but, why? You have a lot in common!"
"i know"
"I know?!"- She repeated- "What kind of answer is that! She was like, super into you! And she is hard-working and clever!"
"yeah"
"Then why? She is super, super pretty!"
"you are super, super pretty"
Frisk flushed pink, taken totally off-guard by his unexpected comment. He said it so casually, his slight glowing cheekbones making it even more flattering. His adorable, fond smile didn't help either.
"D-don't change the subject!"- She stammered.
The skeleton chuckled, amused at her flustered expression. He loved it- "well, i know trish is super nice and all but, i dunno', it didn't feel right… for some reason" (Obviously, he totally omitted that that "some reason" was sitting there by his side)
The teen blinked at him. He was being honest. Though she hated to admit it, a wave of relief washed over her and she sighed, releasing the air she didn't know she had been holding.
This didn't go unnoticed by Sans, who playfully raised a non-existent eyebrow at her- "may my eye-sockets be deceiving me…but you look kinda'…"
The teen blushed again, waving her hands desperately before her-"Nothing, nothing, nothing! I cannot hear you!"
"relieveeed?"- He teased in sing-song, leaning a little closer so she could still hear him.
"Ugh! Just! Don't! I'm embarrassed, ok?"- She hid her face in her hands.
"well, you shouldn't be. it's not like you got on a full crazy-jealous mode. anyone can feel a little jealous from time to time"- Frisk moaned, but didn't move. Sans sighed- "listen, if you promise not to tease me about it…i can tell you…something"- The girl peeked between her fingers, her interest piqued- "but it stays between you and me, ok?"- She nodded.
The skeleton took a deep breath, and looked away sheepishly- "do you…do you remember when we were at muffet's party? before we started dancing, i mean…"- Frisk looked thoughtfully at him for a moment before her peeking eye widened- "yeah well…if it makes you feel kinda' better i…i also felt jealous seeing you all lovey-dovey with nick. i didn't want to ruin your fun either so I sort of…backed off"
"Why didn't you say anything?"- She murmured.
He shrugged; it was his turn to blush now- "dunno', guess i also felt like i was acting like a silly doodoo-butt so i kept it to myself."
Frisk finally uncovered her face, giving him a shy smile- "It seems we are both doodoo-butts after all"
Sans laughed at that and she followed suit. They stayed like that, in comfortable silence for a while.
"Hey Sans"- She called.
"mmh?"
"Maybe…if you want… one day we could go to that car show you mentioned… like, the two of us…?"
Totally oblivious to her underlying tone, he asked: "you sure? i know you are not a fan, won't you get bored?"- The teen puffed her cheeks at her clueless friend.
It seemed Trisha's nudge in the right direction hadn't been strong enough for him to take a hint.
"wh-what did i do now?"
She huffed, and stood up- "Nothing"
"it doesn't look like it's nothing!"
Frisk couldn't help to laugh at her friend's puzzled look- "Just forget about it, lazy bones. Now, let's get going. The orphanage is 5 minutes away from here"
The skeleton took the hand that was offered to him and stood up, still pondering about her change in demeanour. However, his thoughts were soon carried away by small chat as they made their way to the orphanage.
"Look at what I got for the kids!"- Frisk said excitedly, opening her backpack.
Sans peered inside: it was brimming with comic books. He chuckled- "that's a bunch of comics you've got there, is that what you went to buy?"
"Yes! I had promised I would bring some a while ago, but I always forget. This is my way of making up to them for that"-She closed her backpack with a grin- "And they'll be so excited to meet you! They always ask about you!"
The skeleton laughed-"i'm not such a big deal"
"Well, the children don't agree. They always hear me talking about you so they are curious"
"mhhh? so you are always talking about me?"- He teased.
Frisk gave him a gentle push- "Stop that! You know what I mean!"
Yes, he knew. They spent a lot of time together, which meant they had lots of adventures together. If Frisk told the children about her adventures he was, most certainly than not, in them. Still, that didn't prevent him from pulling her leg.
He gave her an innocent smile, like he didn't know what she was talking about. She simply rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. They could see the orphanage from where they were. It was a simple yet somewhat cosy building. The walls were painted a nice cream colour, the windows were spacious and luminous and there were colourful decorations, made by the children themselves, hanging all over the place.
"Let's go through the back door, if we enter through the front we'll be certainly swarmed by kids"
They ignored the big, dark wooden entrance doors and rounded the building to stand before a simple, small wooden door. Frisk rummaged in her backpack till producing a set of keys. She selected the correct one and reached for the door, but was stopped by a gentle tug on the sleeve of her plastered arm.
"frisk…"- She turned to look at Sans- "i know what you said about the kids wanting to meet me but…do you really think it'll ok? they are a little far from the city, i don't know if they are used to… well… monsters"- He lowered his gaze a little- "i really don't want to scare them or something like that…" (his latter experience with an unknown human -that asshole, Nick- had been a little …turbulent)
A small giggle made him look back at her. She was giving him the fondest of smiles- "Sans, how could you possible scare them? You are the most adorable monster ever"- She held the hand that had tugged her sleeve warmly with her own good hand and gave it a squeeze- "Plus, they aren't just any children. Maybe they haven't seen many monsters in their lives, but I have taught them everything they need to know as not to misjudge them or be scared of them"
The skeleton returned the squeeze and smiled too- "yeah, i don't have a doubt about that"- Frisk took her role as mediator between monsters and humans very seriously. She always showed other perspectives into the matter, that way the younger ones could see different angles and make their own decisions.
"You have nothing to worry about"-She turned to unlock the door, still holding his hand into hers. She struggled a little with her other hand, the plaster cast was in her way, but still managed to fit the key into the lock- "I'm sure they'll love you as much as I do"
Sans felt his heart skipping a beat at those words. He couldn't see Frisk's face from where he was. It was not the first time an "I love you" had slipped her lips. But she meant love like in friends, right? His heart didn't seem to care, tough, all happy and full of itself, pounding proudly in his chest.
Before he could think of anything to say the girl pulled him inside. The door closed behind them.
Now they were in a small and simple utility room.
"Hello!"- Frisk called, announcing her arrival.
"Frisk, is that you?"- Someone called from somewhere further in the house.
"Yes! I popped for a little visit!"
"Oh, honey, that's great! It's always delightful to see you!"- The voice was coming closer.
"I love visiting all of you too! How have you been, Mimi?"
"Great, sweety! What can I say? Julie is learning a little about gardening so the backyard is now full of holes. I have to keep an eye on them so nobody will get their foot stuck and get hurt. Oliver drew a masterpiece on the wall of the living room the other day, Chloe helped him of course. Leon somehow turned the remote control into a very unconventional action figure when trying to fix it. You know hun, the usual. I don't compla-"- A small, aged woman with greying hair appeared at the doorway and stopped her babbling when her eyes laid on Sans.
"Oh my!" –She said, opening her eyes wide. Before he could even explain himself the woman went on- "You must be Sans! Oh, dear! We've been dying to meet you! Oh, but the whole place is a mess!"- She looked at her own stained apron and brought her hands to her messy hair- "I didn't have time put on something nice! Or-or at least to comb my hair a little! I could have bathed the children, combed their hair too, or something! Or, or at least made sure all of them are clothed! You know Jimmy is in that phase of running rampant all naked! You know how difficult it is to catch that little, flashing rascal! Honey! Why didn't you tell me you two were coming?"- She complained, frazzled.
Frisk laughed heartily- "This is exactly why I didn't tell you! You don't have to sweat it, Sans doesn't mind all that. He is super chill"
The skeleton felt a surge of endearment at such a sweet lady. Frisk had told him Miss Milly, or Mimi as she called her, had taken care of her from the very first day she arrived at the orphanage. She was like a second mother to her. He had to supress a chuckle; now knew who Frisk took after with her rambling.
"You really don't mind, dear?"- She asked him, worriedly.
"no, really"- he reassured to appease her nerves- "i know perfectly well what it's like to have a little child running rampant, it's impossible to keep things in order. and i only had my brother to take care of, i can't imagine what it's like with so many children"- He said sympathetically.
Miss Milly let out a relieved sigh. Sans really understood the predicament she was in, how difficult it was to keep a minimum order around here. With that off her shoulders, she gave her guest the most welcoming smile- "I'm so glad you came to visit! Frisk talks so much about you! Please, make yourself at home! Have you both eaten already?"
"Yes! We had breakfast a while ago!"-But right at that moment her stomach growled. She had forgotten she had skipped most of her breakfast when she ran away to buy the comics. She shook her hands in dismissal at Miss Milly's questioning look.
"actually, i had breakfast. i don't think what you had could be considered even ½ breakfast"
"Hey! Don't turn me in like that!"- She said accusingly.
"and let you skip breakfast and then fall all faintedly-fainted at the fair? yeah, no."
The skeleton then remembered that they weren't alone anymore and scooted a glance towards Miss Milly. He was surprised with a proud, approving look.
"Sans is right, honey. No skipping meals! And if you are going to the fair that's a long day ahead! I'll bring you breakfast in a flash! And then I want to know what happened with that arm of yours, darling! Geez, these children, always playing rough..."- And off she went, still talking to herself.
"Did you really have to blow the whistle on me like that?"- She complained, finally letting go of Sans' hand to unpack the comics.
"yes"
The girl looked at him with a pout. His resolve didn't waver, so she simply gave up- "Fine, let's meet the children already"
She guided him upstairs. The children had already finished their breakfast and were watching TV. Frisk gestured for him to wait at the corridor as she peered into the room. There were at least 15 children. Their tiny, round faces glued to the flashing screen.
"Guess who came to visiiiiit"- She said in sing-song from the doorway, her hands full with comics which dared to fall any time. The plaster cast made it a little difficult to keep them steady.
The television was soon forgotten as Frisk stepped into the room, the kids swarming around her from every direction.
"Frisk!" "Yeeees!" "You are here!" "Ohhh, look at all those comics!" "You really remembered this time!" "Frisk, Frisk!" "You came to visit!"- All their little voices spoke in unison as they hugged her and bounced around excitedly.
The teen crouched a little and gave them a confiding look. Getting the hint, all the kids started hushing each other till all of them fell silent, closing in around her.
"I brought you all a little surprise"- She said in a hushed whisper; taking the time to look at all the curious faces staring expectantly at her one by one.
"The comics?"- One of them asked. The others echoed what he said: "Yes, the comics?" "The comics?" "Right?"
She shook her head, stretching the climax of mystery and secrecy- "No, no, something else"
"Better than the comics?"- A small girl with curly hair asked, curiously.
"Far better than the comics"- Frisk assured. A collective "Oooooh" spread around the room- "Do you want to know what it is?"
"Yes!"- They replied in unison.
"Mhhhh…"- She gave them a critical look- "Are you sure you wanna' now?"
"Yes! Yes!"- They started giggling and bouncing around her in excitement.
She acted like she was deep in thought, while the children kept cheering and jumping around her. They knew she doing it on purpose and they happily played along.
"Cuz you know, I don't think you look so sure…"- She teased some more.
The children got even wilder with joy, insisting that they were ready; their excitement building with every passing moment. Sans couldn't help to smile. He could only listen from where he was at the corridor, but that was enough to know she had those kids wrapped around her little finger.
"So…are you telling me that you are really, really, super mega sure that you want to know?"
This was answered by another chorus of excited "Yes!"
"Okie dooh! Instead of just telling you, I'm gonna show you!"
He took that as his cue. The moment had come. These were the kids Frisk had talked about so much; that she loved so dearly. And he was finally going to meet them. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this antsy. With his magic tingling and as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, he took a deep breath and stepped into the room.
*Insert Mushu's voice*: I LIVE!
Guys! Guys! Guess who's back! Can you believe it? Because I cannot! I know it's been a while, but I've been receiving and reading all your super adorable feedback all this time. You are so sweet! I really wanted to resume writing, but I tend to be too methodical for my own good. And, as I couldn't keep up with my previous writing method with all the new activities I have, I struggled quite a bit. Still, this story kept living in my mind and heart, and I really wanted to finish it together with you. I enjoy writing so much! But I ended prioritizing of other things, also important, but still. You know, normal growing up human issues.
One day I told a friend: I really like this, but I cannot do it anymore. And she looked at me, surprised: "Can't you change the method and keep going? If you say you like it and it's good for you. You could do it super slowly and with a different method but still do it, right?"
And…well, I guess I needed to hear that. Because I tried, and it worked and I'm happy and here's the long awaited chapter 17!
I guess I'll have to work around it to keep updates coming! I don't know how, I don't know when, but still! Just like Frisk, I guess I'll have to stay determined. Hope you are still willing to stay determined with me
(Really, thank you, all of you. I'm here because my friend gave me the push I needed and because you've always made me feel I would be welcomed back. You know I'm cheesy. Love you guys, y'all are the besties of the besties)
PS: I'll lend you my friend's advice too, you wanna' do something you love? Go! Go, go darling! You'll find the time! It's gonna' be ok! You can do it! Yes, you! This absent-minded author trusts you! What is a 3 year hiatus if you put your heart and soul into it? (…can I get off the hook with that? No? Well, I still I think it sounded cute.
Updating soon!
