AN: Picking up after a large chapter and a long rest.

So, I've been thinking about trying to set up an actual day for the updates of this fic and I can't seem to stick to one. So, I've decided to ask you. All 8 of the people who follow this fic. Which day works best for you. When is it easiest for you to get to reading? I've tried Sundays in the past and legit just forgot to upload. Would Friday or Saturday be better? Please let me know if/when you can.

Alright. Getting back to the story. We're picking up after the Gaster dinner party fiasco. Things were said. Feelings were hurt. Exits were made. Trust was tested. And now we rejoin our boys in the aftermath of that nightmare.

Chapter 23

Broken Pieces

"Sans! Sans!"

Corbel banged relentlessly on the door to Sans' apartment. He'd pretty much run all the way from his parents' home to Hotland. He was out of breath and wheezing. He hadn't taken the time to work out in a long time and he had to admit he was out of shape. Undyne could have made that same run easily and had energy to spare . . .

"Saaans! O-open up, will you!? It's-it's me! S-Sans . . . please!"

His throat was on fire. He'd spent so much of himself running here, calling after Sans, yelling at his parents . . . his father.

"Sans! I'm s- I'm so sorry! Dad's an asshole! H-he doesn't have the right to-to talk to you like that! To-to make you feel this way! I'm sorry . . . that was . . . SO much worse than I thought it was gonna be . . . I'm so sorry I put you through that!"

Corbel continued to try and catch his breath, all the while knocking on Sans' door. The least the jerk could do was answer!

Sometime during his stint at the front door, one of Sans' neighbors stepped outside for a moment.

"Hey, asshole. Shut the fuck up, will you!? Obviously, whoever the hell it is you're looking for either isn't here or they're ignoring you!"

"You shut the fuck up!" Corbel snapped back, "Y-you don't- know what the fuck you're- talking about- and it has- absolutely nothing to do with you! So- mind your own damn business!"

"The fuck you say!?" The other raged, stepping completely out of the apartment next door with a clenched fist as if ready for a fight.

"No, wait!" Said a third voice and someone else stepped out of the same apartment to grab the other monster's arm, "It's not worth all that, sweetheart." They tried calmly, "Obviously, something bad happened and he's trying to work it out with that other Skeleton dude who lives here. Whatever it was, he's right. It has nothing to do with us. Now, come back inside."

"You're asking me to just ignore the shit he was saying!?"

"Well, you did kind of just verbally attack him right off the bat. You didn't give him much choice but to retaliate. C'mon. Back inside with you." In a lower voice, one Corbel wasn't supposed to hear, they continued, "Let me see what I can do. Just don't start up again without me, okay?"

Corbel groaned.

"Fine." The other monster sighed in the same lowered tone, "Just . . . hurry it up and get rid of him, okay? I'm gettin' impatient."

"I'll be right there."

Corbel rolled his eyes and went back to knocking back at the door.

"Sans! C-C'mon! It's getting really awkward out here! Don't just leave me! Not cool!"

That third monster sent the other off with a wave before turning back toward Corbel.

"Hey there." They began with a saccharine lilt to their tone.

"No." Corbel huffed, "Don't."

"Hey, I can see you're upset. Did you and this Sans guy get in a fight?"

"No. Just go back inside with your dick boyfriend and let me deal with this."

"Oh, let me apologize for him. His reaction was . . . uncalled for. I'm sorry."

"Really. Don't." Corbel insisted with a bite of irritation, "I can't stand shit like that. If he wants to apologize, he can do it himself. But if you wanna help me out . . ."

"Hm?"

"Leave me alone. Let me deal with my own mess."

The other monster sighed and gently laid a hand on Corbel's shoulder.

"Listen, I know you didn't ask, but in my opinion, I don't think Sans is here. Look, I've seen you around before and I'm sure that if Sans were around, he wouldn't leave you out here like this."

Corbel lowered his head, the night flashing through his mind once again. He brought up his hand and clutched at the fabric to his shirt. He could still feel the choking effect Sans' blue magic had. That stifled feeling as he was held in place, forced to watch as Sans walked away and left him behind.

"You know . . ." Corbel admitted in a quiet defeated sigh, "He might just."

His grip tightened. How come it hurt so much . . .? Was it just because of the magic? Or maybe it was the night all crashing around him all at once? Or maybe because he ran here and he wasn't used to that level of stress on his new ribs yet . . . He hadn't completed Physical Therapy yet . . . And now . . . After everything that happened . . .

"Oh . . . U-um . . . D-don't cry, okay." The monster stammered, unsure of what was happening, "I . . . um . . . Do you wanna come inside for a second? I can get you some water . . . ?"

"Oh, hell no." Corbel scoffed. "I'm not getting in the way of . . . Whatever the hell you've got going on in there. If Sans isn't here, then I'll wait until he comes back. And when he does get back, I'll have a few choice words for him."

"You're just gonna . . . wait here?"

"Yup."

"Okay . . . Well, if you do need something . . . I'll be next door, I guess."

"Eh, thanks . . . I guess."

With that, the monster turned back around and hesitantly re-entered the apartment.

When they were gone and the door was closed, Corbel turned back to the entryway of Sans' apartment with a deep glare.

"Damn it, Sans!" He hissed, "Open UP!"

He reared back, preparing his attack and bracing himself. He released a sharp kick to the door. He fell moments later to his knees, his strength giving out. He'd been feeling wobbly for some time but now . . . he'd been pushing himself to get to the apartment before he collapsed completely.

He growled again to himself, panting to regain his breath. Normally, this would be the time he would have to reach for his inhaler, but he didn't feel like he was on the verge of coughing. Small relief.

But still, his legs felt heavy and unresponsive. When he tried to move them and stand in his spot, he had no luck. He summoned a large bone to use as a temporary crutch, but even then, he couldn't find the strength to stay upright. The bone fractured and shattered into light fragments moments later and again, Corbel fell to his hands and knees.

Eventually, he gave up, sitting down completely and resting against the door.

"D-Damn it . . . Where the hell is he . . . ?"

Corbel dug in his pockets, looking for something. After a bit of searching, he pulled out his cell.

"Don't worry, we're almost there!"

The three made their way all the way through, saying hello to the nice and polite monsters on the way.

Somehow, it was a little disappointing. Monsters were supposed to be fierce creatures who would sooner kill and devour a human than look at them. These beings were nothing like the stories they'd heard.

The only real light of hope they had was that the random monsters they'd encountered kept calling Asriel "Young Prince" which meant that his mother and father were most likely the King and Queen of this place.

However, if this Alia person was still around even after meeting with them . . . Maybe they weren't as ruthless as they'd been hoping.

Maybe if they explained . . . Or maybe stretched the actual truth a little, they could convince the monsters to take arms once again. That way, when they released them from the underground, the monsters would be ready!

"There it is!" Alia cheered, "New Home!"

They tried to feign a look of surprise or awe when the home was revealed. But in all honesty, it was a little difficult to get excited for a completely normal looking house.

This was where the King and Queen of monsters lived . . . ?

"Come inside!" Asriel insisted, I'll go find Mom and Dad!"

Alia ushered the new human inside and set them to wait in the living room.

Everything just looked so . . . Normal. Bookcase, rocking chairs a fire in the fireplace. It looked so cozy it was almost sickening.

They almost questioned Alia whether or not she was sure this was right place. And where the monsters were really hiding, but as soon as they were about to ask, another voice filled the area instead.

"Oh, dear. Well you do seem especially enthusiastic today. It must be important."

"It's a surprise! Hurry! Come see!"

"Come now. Surely there is no need to pull. I will be along."

"Mom! C'mon! Come look! Alia and me found a human!"

"What did we say about listing order, sweetheart? I believe you meant to say, 'Alia and . . .'"

The voice cut off as the Goat boy monster rounded the corner from the kitchen with an even larger Goat monster woman! Compared to the boy as well as their own stature and even the stature of most of the other monsters, the woman was huge! At least seven feet tall, not including her horns. Those must have added a few inches . . .

. . . Well, that explained the size of the rocking chair . . . And if this was the smaller of the two, how big was the King!?

Finally! Something promising!

"Oh my!" The Goat woman gasped in her shock, "Greetings, young one, and welcome to New Home! I am Toriel, Queen of the monsters of the Underground. I see you have already met my son, Asriel, and our special guest, Alia."

They nodded in response, unable to look away.

"Well, now. No need to be shy, my child. Why don't you tell me your name?"

"Oh yeah!" Asriel exclaimed, remembering another piece of etiquette his mother was trying to teach him, "I forgot to introduce you! Mom, this is Chara! Chara, this is my mom! Mom! Alia and I found Chara! They fell from the surface down near the Ruins!"

The Ruins, you say?" Toriel questioned with a slightly accusatory tone to her now, "You know the Ruins are off-limits. What were you doing over there?"

"It's okay, though, Mrs. Dreemurr." Alia assured, taking a slight step forward, "We went through Old Home. It's a lot more stable than the other route . . . Isn't it?"

"Be that as it may." Toriel continued, "You two know better than to disobey the rules. Just because you're our children doesn't mean you're exempt from the rules."

Alia and Asriel both tilted their heads, confused by the new vocabulary.

"Exempt . . . ?"

"It means that it doesn't apply to you." Said the third child in a quiet mutter, "Basically, she means that just because you're part of the royal family you don't have permission to break the rules whenever you want. You have to follow them no matter who you are."

All three other faces widened in surprise.

"That is correct, young one!" Toriel praised, "Impressive."

The child shrugged, but didn't speak again. It was easy enough to figure out with context clues and all.

"Asriel, dear. Will you please go find your father? I'm sure he'll want to meet Chara too. He should be in the garden."

"Of course, Mom! I'll be right back with him!"

With that, the prince darted off, his ears flapping behind him. He began calling out as soon as he reached the staircase.

"Dad! Daaad! You have to come see! Daddy!"

Once Asriel disappeared under the staircase, Toriel released a soft laugh.

"They will be along shortly." She assured. "In the meantime, how about you have a seat and I will find you a bite to eat. I was saving it as a surprise for you children. But I suppose just a taste will not spoil your dinner too much. Especially if it's in honor of our new guest. Alia, keep them company until I return.

"Okay!" Alia cheered, stepping closer to Chara. In return, Chara stepped away to keep their distance.

"Mrs. Dreemurr is the best baker!" The other human whispered to them.

Of course she bakes . . .

Chara groaned to themselves. It seemed the only redeeming quality this monster possessed was that she was tall.

They hummed in response to Alia, but didn't speak.

Not too much longer afterward, the Queen returned with a tray of small plates, one for each person in the house.

Their eyes widened when they saw the small triangles atop each plate.

"Is that . . .?" They began in an almost unintelligible mutter.

"Chocolate Cream Pie." The Queen responded with a smile. "It's a new recipe, so please, tell me what you think of it."

They shrugged, looking off to the side.

Okay, so maybe this baking monster lady wasn't so bad. They could stick around a little longer to check things out.

With shuffled footsteps, Sans made his way home. He'd spent the evening working out his frustrations away from the Gaster family. At first, he was headed home, but the further he walked, the further he needed to go. He needed to get away. He needed to go and distance himself. He couldn't be around the others.

His travels led him to a little hole in the wall bar somewhere in between Waterfall and Hotland. He doubted he could find it again if he tried, but it was a place for a cheap drink. Thank goodness for happy hour specials. At least it was "happy" for that reason if nothing else.

After about an hour or so of stewing over what happened, Sans decided to call it a night. The drinks weren't helping anyway.

May as well try to sleep it off.

So there he was, shuffling along the streets and walkways leading back to Hotland. He was finally starting to feel a little drowsy after being wound so tightly and he wanted nothing more than to just pass out for the rest of the night.

He was nearly home when he started to feel that something was off. He was . . . was nervous the right word? Anxious? Uneasy? Like he'd forgotten something important. The closer he got to home, the worse he felt. It was like he was right back at the Gaster house. It wasn't until he was in the apartment complex that he knew exactly why he wasn't feeling well. He could see something in the distance. A figure crumpled against his door.

"What the . . ."

The figure wasn't moving and it seemed to be unconscious. Its lanky form was propped up strategically against the door so it was curled up in a way it wouldn't fall.

"Hey . . ."

He took another few cautious steps forward as the figure came into focus.

"Corbel . . . ? Corbel!?"

He rushed the rest of the way, the haze edging away.

"Corbel! Hey!"

The other shifted slightly at the sound of his name. He didn't seem to wake just yet, but it shouldn't take too much longer from his current state.

Thank goodness he was okay . . . But still, why was he passed out on his front porch!?

Sans dropped to his knees beside Corbel and gently shook him awake.

Corbel groaned, shifting more and eventually, he opened his eyes to slits.

"Sans . . . ?"

"Hey there, Daydreamer. What are you doing out here?"

Corbel blinked still trying to focus. "Sans . . . ?"

"Yeah. Good morning."

Sans was greeted with a sharp shove. It was followed by an equally sharp punch to the arm.

"Ow! Hey, what gives!?"

"Where the Hell were you!?" Corbel snapped, the fury instantly back in his eyes.

"Wait- what?" Sans questioned, shocked by the instant hostility. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, 'What do I mean'!? Where did you go!? After you left my parents' house!? After you ditched me! What happened to you!?"

"I . . . Well, I . . ."

"I waited for you!" Corbel continued not waiting for the answer, "When you left . . . You were in such a bad place . . . You were so upset! You were in so much pain! Of course I was gonna come after you. You KNEW I was gonna follow you, didn't you!?"

Sans stalled, looking off to the side.

"What the actual Hell, man!? You must have known!"

"I was actually hoping that you would-"

"I didn't want to stay! I was just as done with that place as you were! I was ready to leave! I wanted to leave! I was going to come with you! I said I was coming with you! And you . . ."

"Corbel, I-"

"I stood up for you! I defended you! I fought for you! I went against my own father for you! And then you go and you pull some low shit like that!?"

Sans' throat closed up.

"Not only that, but you fucking told me to come to your place and then go off to drink without me!? Oh don't act surprised. I can smell it from here! And to think, I was actually worried about you!"

Corbel let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself.

"You know . . . I never thought that you would do something like that." He spoke slowly and quietly, "The thought never even crossed my mind . . . But I can honestly say you surprised me."

He leaned his head back against the door.

"I wanna go home . . . I should've just gone home and let this entire shit storm pass . . ."

"Why didn't you?" Sans asked softly. It was the first thought he was able to express in a while, "Once you realized I wasn't here, why didn't you go home and get some rest?"

Corbel scoffed, keeping his eyes turned away from Sans.

"I think I would have, except I wasn't sure if you were here or not. Maybe you were ignoring me again. Maybe you were shutting me out! There was really no way for me to tell, was there!?"

Again, Corbel let out a long breath.

"Besides . . . I don't think I could've made it home anyway . . . I ran here . . . My legs still aren't as strong as they used to be. They gave out on me . . ."

"Is that why you were sleeping out here!? Because you couldn't move!?"

"Oh, the things you miss when you're not around!" Corbel bit, his voice dripping in his sarcastic retort.

Sans released his own steadying breath.

"Corbel . . . I'm so sorry . . ."

Again, Corbel sighed deeply, letting it out between his teeth in a slow hiss.

"You know, I think that's starting to become your theme song."

Sans sat down beside Corbel and leaned against the door with him. "Yeah, I know . . ."

"But here's the thing . . . I already know the words to this song."

"Yeah . . . I know. And I'm not the best lyricist."

"Then, don't limit yourself to lyrics. Show me you mean it. Show me you understand. Turn this around with your actions."

For a moment, Sans was silent as he nodded his agreement. Corbel's previously undying trust in him had been violently shaken. He'd selfishly broken years of friendship and camaraderie with one stupid move.

Sans turned his head again toward Corbel speaking quietly in a voice filled with shame.

"I really am sorry, Corbel." He repeated, "I . . . Needed to get away. If I'd stayed any longer in that house . . . All hell would've broken loose . . . Like you said, I was . . . In a really bad place mentally and I . . . couldn't have anyone around . . . and I didn't want you around to see that . . . I just needed some space, that's all."

"See. That's all it would've taken. That's all you need to say and I would've understood. I would've given you space."

Again, Sans nodded.

"So . . . what happened. After I left?"

"Oh, all Hell broke loose anyway. I . . . kinda lost it." Corbel covered his eyes and let out another longer breath, "I blew up the front door . . . Like, I literally blew it into pieces. Then . . . I cursed my Dad. And then I booked it here . . . And Mom . . . I'm sure I scared the shit out of her. She didn't deserve that . . . I . . . May have just burned that bridge. I think I just cut ties with my parents! I think I just fucked everything up!"

Corbel went silent after that, releasing a long string of deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down again.

Sans joined him, sighing heavily.

That really put things into perspective. Sans had seen Corbel frustrated and upset before. He'd seen him irritated and hot headed to the point of being borderline volatile. But this was the first time he'd ever heard of him exploding like that. The more he thought about it from Corbel's perspective, the worse he felt about the way things played out. Corbel did stand up for him and he defied Dr. GASTER, his father, in order to do it. He put everything on the line and it all blew up right in his face . . . And Sans, the one who has been telling him from the start that they would face the situation together, walked away from him. He left him to deal with the fallout alone.

For Sans, the evening went south. For Corbel, his entire world just shattered!

He wasn't there for him back at his parents' house, but he could be there for him now.

"So, h-how are your legs now? You think you can stand?"

Corbel lowered his hand and tilted his head to look sidelong at Sans with a glare. A searching skeptical look clouded his expression as if he was looking for an ulterior motive.

"I don't know." He answered slowly, "I haven't tried to use them yet."

"Then, what do you say we give them a try? Let's get you inside for now and rest up for a bit. After you rest, if you still wanna go back home, I can take you."

"Fine." Corbel groaned after a moment. Sans was surprised that he didn't put up more of a fight than that. Maybe he was still exhausted from the evening? It would make sense. From the sound of it, he'd used a lot of magic and a lot of energy.

Sans stood first, using the wall for support. When he was upright, he held out both hands for Corbel to take.

Corbel uncurled himself and hesitantly reached back toward Sans. The expression on his face, again, was contemplative.

Eventually, he accepted Sans' offer and allowed him to help.

It took more effort than he thought it would. His legs were stiff and still a bit weak. But with Sans as his support, he was able to slowly get upright once again. The two of them shuffled inside and Sans helped Corbel to the edge of the bed and lowered him to sit.

"Make yourself at home." Sans welcomed, taking a step back toward the kitchen area, "I'm gonna get some water. You want anything?"

Corbel only shook his head, keeping his head lowered and his eyes askance.

Sans stood for a moment longer, watching Corbel struggle with himself. Even though he hadn't said anything out loud, Corbel's internal war was obvious in his expression and his posture.

After another moment, Sans nodded, turning to get his water.

How the hell was he supposed to fix this? What could he possibly do or say to help him at a time like this? Should he talk to him? Let him know things would be okay? That even if things look bad now, that his parents still love him. Is that what he wants to hear right now? Is this a time that he needs space and time to think on his own?

From the far side of the studio, there was a soft sound. A quiet breath. Sharp. And released in a shuddering sigh just as quiet.

Corbel . . .

Sans turned again to find Corbel curled in on himself as he lay on his side facing away toward the wall. He'd been able to remove his long sleeve button-up, leaving the tank top he'd been wearing underneath. However, he still wore his slacks, his belt, and even his shoes. It was as if he'd started to make the effort to make himself comfortable and completely gave up halfway through. As if his whole body was shutting down.

Lame excuse to give Corbel room to breathe be damned! His boyfriend was in pain! He'd messed up once already tonight, he wouldn't do it again!

Cautiously, Sans left his post and approached the side of the bed.

"Hey . . ." He said in a near whisper, "Is it . . . Are you . . . ? Um . . . You mind if I join you?"

For a second, Corbel was quiet as he regained himself. When that moment passed, he responded in a broken whisper.

"Whatever . . . It's your fucking bed. Do what you want."

Sans nodded and sat at the other end of the bed. He removed his own outer layer shirt and took a space beside Corbel, getting as close to him as he could without disturbing him too much.

Slipping an arm beneath the pillow Corbel was using, Sans settled in behind him. He draped his free arm around Corbel near his lower ribs, holding him close.

Before completely settling in himself, Sans ended by leaning over Corbel and laying a gentle kiss to his shoulder blade.

He didn't say another word. He had no words. But he hoped that his presence was enough to reassure Corbel. He was not alone from this moment on. From now on, Sans wouldn't leave his side. He would make this up to him.

The moment the thought entered his mind, Gaster's voice flooded his thoughts.

"Corbel doesn't deserve your obligation. Your need to 'make it right' or to 'make it up to him'."

Once again, Sans drew in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to shake the words from his mind.

It was meant as a form of self soothing, but in his arms, Corbel began to follow suit, breathing deeply with Sans and letting it out slowly.

A few more deep breaths helped to calm both of them to a certain point. Until something in Corbel caught and he shuddered once again.

Sans tightened his embrace, keeping Corbel close.

From within that comforting embrace, Corbel let go completely and curled up even tighter. He broke down, drawing sharp gasps and releasing them as nearly silent sobs.

Neither of them spoke again for the rest of the night, though Corbel continued his release of emotion and Sans continued to hold firmly onto him in comfort and support.

He stayed awake with Corbel until he'd worn himself out. Eventually, after about two more hours or so, his breathing deepened and became calm and even. He'd fallen asleep.

Even then, Sans stayed awake, thinking about what would come next for the two of them.