AN: Hello and welcome back to Another Medium!
Well, some good news! There should be no more worry about long absences between chapters anymore! I've recently finished writing the main story and the chapters are all finished (Excluding the epilogue)
So, the big question now is this:
Would you rather have one chapter uploaded at a time until the end of the story? Or upload bombs of about three chapters at a time? Which would be easier to manage? Please let me know.
Until then, Enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 26
The Big Picture
Corbel stopped in front of the Wishing Room. This was where Sans wanted to meet. He looked around the area, almost desperately searching for any signs of the other Skeleton.
"Sans?" He called, "Sans, I'm here! Where are you!?"
To his relief, he didn't have to wait much longer after that. There was a slight uneven shuffling and an even softer call from the old wooden frame of the room's entrance behind him.
"Corbel . . . ?" He called, slowly emerging from the shadows like a ghost.
"Sans!"
Corbel whipped around in the direction of the sounds. When he saw him, Sans was standing hunched over with the hood of his jacket raised, his hands in his pockets and his eyes lowered. His shoulders were up to his ears and he looked as if he was trying to keep himself as small as possible.
Corbel went to him immediately, concerned by this familiar posture. Something was really eating away at him. Something had shaken him to the core. The only thing that was different was the hood. He'd only seen him wear the hood up once or twice during times when he was feeling especially shitty.
And when Corbel tried to get close, Sans took a step backward. He was keeping his distance even now. Not only that, but even his breathing seemed different, shorter and more sporadic.
Corbel stopped. What the Hell happened to him?
"Sans . . . ?"
Sans only lifted his eyes slightly, and he still avoided direct eye contact with Corbel.
"You came." Sans muttered quietly, his voice soft and almost expressionless.
"Of course I did! Sans, please, tell me what's wrong!"
"Corbel . . ." Sans replied softly, "Thank you."
Corbel frowned, trying to figure out what was going on. "For what?"
"For . . . Well, literally everything. For finding me, for saving me. For showing me around, for being a Godsend. For putting up with me and all the shit I've put you through. For having my back and for . . . for everything."
Sans turned his face away, his eyes closed tightly.
"And I'm so sorry for all of that too. I put you through so much. I've hurt you . . . Irreparably so. I nearly got you killed!"
"Sans! Stop that!" Corbel snapped, "We've been through this! You know I don't blame you for that at all! You know that was an accident! Do you need me to remind you of that?"
"But, here's the thing, Corbel. I keep hurting you! I keep fucking everything up! I crushed your heart and your body! I scarred your face! And that night at your parents' house . . . I really really fucked up that night. I can't keep doing this! Not to you! Not to anyone! You don't deserve that . . . I can't do that to you anymore!"
"Sans . . . I forgive you for that night too. Yeah, I was really really upset at the time. That entire day was crap . . . But this isn't about then! You're upset now. Please, talk to me. Don't run away from me again! Let me help you!" Corbel took a deep breath. "Okay, let's take this one thing at a time. You sounded terrible on the phone. Let's start with that. What happened?!"
"Man . . . I will never understand you!" Sans grumbled, just loudly enough to be audible, "Why do you keep letting me close to you!? Why did you even come here today!? If I were you, I wouldn't have . . . It's like you're a friggin masochist or something!"
Sans sighed heavily, taking another step backward with his eyes shut and his head lowered. He let out an acidic chuckle.
"And if you're a masochist, then what does that make me? I mean, I don't enjoy this! I don't like seeing you in pain, yet here we are again! I know, when we . . . when you . . . when we parted ways last time, you said not to call and to stay away from you . . . but I . . . couldn't do that. I couldn't just leave you alone . . . not with the way we left things. I just . . . I wanted to try to at least end this on a more civil note. It's the very least I could do."
Corbel couldn't think of a single thing to say. He was so dumbstruck by the things Sans was saying that he couldn't process how to react to it.
The way he spoke . . . The words he used . . . How he was talking about them in the past tense . . . He was talking about a break up, wasn't he?
He was talking about their break up.
Corbel couldn't stand hearing him talk like that. He chanced a step forward toward Sans with his arm outstretched.
"Sans . . ." He tried, becoming more and more frightened the longer he listened to him speak. "What . . . What are you saying . . . ?"
Sans took a shuddering breath, raising his own hands to cradle his forehead like a sort of visor, blocking him from looking higher than Corbel's shoes. His little ball became even tighter.
"I'm not good for you . . . I'm terrible for you. I can't make you truly happy and I can't promise something like this won't happen again . . . I hate that I keep hurting you . . . I hate that you just keep coming back to me when I don't deserve it . . . I don't deserve you!"
"I wish you'd stop saying that!" Corbel bit back, finding his words. "What makes you think that? Who told you you don't? And who are they to speak for me!?"
Corbel took yet another step forward, holding his hand out for Sans. With every step, Sans took another backward until he ran into the wall. They'd reentered the Wishing Room where they were enveloped in darkness. All around them, tiny glowing stones twinkled like stars.
But neither of them paid any attention to the stars or the darkness. Corbel still tried forward and even though he was trapped against the wall, Sans pressed himself against it, as if trying to phase through it.
Corbel reached forward, gently touching Sans' cheek with the tips of his fingers. He'd noticed something wrong the moment Sans showed himself. But now that he was so close and he could finally get a good look, he knew for certain that his face was bruised. He was hurt! Even in the darkness, Corbel could see just how dark that bruising was. It took a lot to bruise a bone and there was no way Sans would be able to do this to himself.
"Who told you you don't deserve to be happy too?" Corbel pushed, his voice gaining a furious edge to it, "Were they the ones who did this to you!?"
Sans hissed at the touch. It was still fresh.
Corbel very nearly growled. "It was Undyne again, wasn't it . . . ?"
Sans didn't answer, but as Corbel brushed his cheek, he let his eyes close.
"God fucking damn it!" Corbel fumed in a dark whisper, "This is going way way too far! Who the Hell does she think she is!? There's no excuse! She can't do this to you!"
"We both got pretty messed up," Sans finally answered, his voice still low. "She . . . S-she got the worse end of it, I think."
"Good!" Corbel nodded, "It's about time she saw the consequences of her actions!"
"N-no . . . I think she may have . . . She may have been really hurt. She was holding her eye when she left. She had to run off to the medic to get it looked at."
Corbel silenced. His eyes widened. Undyne leaving a battle to go ask for help!? The thought of that happening would have been laughable in just about any other scenario. He could barely understand all of those words in that order as a complete sentence. Undyne never backed down from a fight and she never asked for help from anyone! So for this battle between them to force her to do both was an incredible thought.
Corbel scoffed, turning his eyes toward the ground.
"Well, really it serves her right." He muttered in a voice just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "And let me guess, she coerced you into fighting when you repeatedly told her you didn't want to. She still forced you into it. And in the end you needed to take drastic measures in order to get her to stop."
He didn't ask it as a question. This was the voice of experience. He knew Undyne and her tactics. He'd lived them and he'd gone through it too.
Corbel released a very long breath as he fought to put a cap on his frustration, "I'm sorry, Sans."
At the apology, Sans snapped his head up to finally look directly at Corbel.
"Wait, what!? Why are you apologizing!?"
"I should have talked to her sooner. I . . . I could have prevented this! I should have told her to back down. I should have protected you from her! I . . . I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
Sans shook his head slowly, carefully, as if trying to avoid agitating a setting stiffness.
"I have a feeling this would've happened either way. She's had it out for me for a long time. If not now, then eventually, we were gonna fight."
Corbel gave a terse hum.
"Well, you said she went to seek medical attention," He began again, putting a cap on his frustration and letting out a long calming breath, "So at least I know she's taken care of for now. I'll worry about her later. Right now, let's focus on you."
He let his magic flow into his left hand. It took significantly more work than he normally used in order to get magic to flow through his prosthetic fingers, but after expending that effort, they began to glow a soft green. He raised them again to Sans' cheek.
Immediately, Sans drew back when he saw.
"Sans, please. At least let me heal you up."
Corbel returned to brushing Sans' cheek lightly with his thumb. At first, it seemed as if Sans was against receiving treatment from Corbel. Within moments, however, he closed his eyes once again to the gentle massage, the pain dulling as his face went numb. That numb feeling soon gave way to warmth and he even leaned into the touch like a cat, finally giving in to the affectionate touches of its owner.
It was in that moment that Corbel leaned in completely, pressing a soft kiss to Sans' perpetual smile and taking him completely by surprise. Sans drew in a sharp breath and his eyes opened once again. He almost pulled away, and he would have if not for the comforting touch of Corbel's fingers.
"I missed you so much." The younger Skeleton whispered, "I'm sorry I let things get this out of hand."
Sans shook his head again, letting himself relax into the comfort Corbel offered, "I shouldn't have walked away." He answered in a matching tone.
"I shouldn't have let you go."
"None of what happened was your fault, Corbel."
Corbel didn't answer right away, but continued to stroke softly at Sans' face and his neck.
"You wouldn't have gotten so beat up if I was there with you . . . where else are you hurt, Sans? I'll heal you."
Corbel's hand traveled to Sans' sternum where it lay flat against his chest. Both of Sans' hands reflexively flew up to grab onto Corbel's.
"I-I'm okay." Sans tried to convince the younger of the two.
Corbel's eyes narrowed and his expression fell at the blatant lie. Fine, if he wasn't going to tell him the truth, he could always CHECK him and find out for himself.
"Oh yeah, Mr . . ."
Corbel's eyes widened and his mouth fell open when he saw. His eyes darted from the numbers of Sans' stats to his defeated expression.
"3 HP . . . ?" Corbel questioned voicelessly. How was it that he was so low after he'd healed him a bit?
Sans sighed deeply and looked away. His grip seemed to tighten around Corbel's as he tried to push it away from his chest.
"Sans!" Corbel pressed, "Please, just tell me what's going on! What the heck happened when you fought Undyne!?"
"That's not important." Sans muttered.
"How is this not important!?" Corbel demanded, "You could have been killed fighting her like this!"
Corbel reached out, with his other hand, determined to get to the bottom of this, "Is it your bones!? Did Undyne break any!? You were limping before, favoring your left side, holding your chest. Let me see your ribs!"
He grabbed at the hem of Sans' shirt, only to be stopped once again by his lightning grip.
"No, Stop!"
"Sans, I have to see if I'm going to heal them."
"Please, Corbel! Just drop it!"
It was the unfamiliar stern tone in Sans' voice that caught Corbel off-guard and made him halt in his movements. For some reason, he really didn't want Corbel anywhere near his chest. Really, that just convinced Corbel more that he should try to heal him. But Sans was serious about it and Corbel wanted to respect Sans' wishes. He'd done the same when Corbel drew a line.
Corbel retracted his hands and the green glow died down as he turned his eyes away. He held both hands up in surrender as he took a step backward to give Sans space.
Sans immediately reached out again and took both of Corbel's hands, lowering them to hold in front of him.
"Don't look like that." Sans breathed, "It's not that I don't . . . I just . . . I can't let you . . ."
Again, Corbel hesitated as he focused on Sans. The grip around his hands grew tighter, almost desperate as if Sans was trying to hold onto something stable.
"You're still not ready to let me in." Corbel answered for him, "It's okay. I understand."
"No . . ." Sans contested, "Well . . . Ye- no . . . No! I want to! There's something I have to . . . A-And you're the only one I can tell. I . . . I want to tell you, but I . . . !"
Corbel winced as Sans' grip turned into a vice. Up to this point, Corbel was only nervous to hear what Sans had to say. The reason why he'd called him. The way his voice sounded when he came close to the real subject. But this . . . The way he couldn't even complete his thoughts . . . The grip Sans had on his hands now . . . The tone in his voice conveyed an even deeper fear. Sans was absolutely terrified to talk to Corbel about this. He'd never seen Sans so scared before.
"Sans . . ." Corbel tried again softly, trying to switch and be that support that he needed, "You really don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Not if you're not ready. No one's forcing you."
"A-actually . . ." Sans stammered, "I do have to . . . if I don't, then . . . Well, I'm sure you're gonna find out either way . . . and well . . . I just- I'd . . . just rather you heard it from me."
"Sans . . . ?" Corbel asked slowly, utterly confused and apprehensive once again, "What's going on . . . ?"
Sans sighed . . . Here we go again. Primed up and ready to hurt Corbel all over again. And this time was probably going to be worse than any of the previous times . . .
"Corbel . . . we need to talk."
Sans led him by the hand through the Wishing Room and through the dark halls beyond. All around, the "stars" surrounded them, lighting their way along with the gentle blue glow of the Echo Flowers lining the walkways.
When Corbel asked where they were going, Sans remained silent and just kept walking. When Corbel asked why they couldn't just talk normally, Sans pointed to those glowing flowers, but otherwise stayed quiet.
From then on, Corbel followed in silence, a million thoughts running through his skull and bouncing around when they became trapped. What was this all about? Why did Sans seem so nervous about it. No, nervous was nowhere near the right word. He was paranoid. Keeping secrets from flowers!? Surely whatever it was he wanted to talk about wasn't so damning that the echo flowers would be that big of a deal.
Right . . . ?
They walked further and further through the caverns until the lights began to dim and only the stars were visible. The flowers stopped and the sound of water replaced them. They were headed toward the pier!
If Sans really wanted a place with no distractions and no other listening ears, the pier would be the perfect place for it.
As they continued, even the stars blinked out and the area was ominously quiet. They walked through the tall grass and beyond the stone columns with only the sounds of their feet echoing as they passed over the wooden walkway. Surely, they'd gone far enough, hadn't they?
Still, they kept going until even the columns stopped and the pier came to a dead end. It was here that Sans finally released Corbel's hand. He did not face Corbel, make eye contact, or address him at all. He took a few more steps forward so he was standing at the very edge of the pier, staring outward into the vast nothing before him. He was collecting himself.
Corbel's brows furrowed as he watched. He wanted to go to him and take his hand, ask him what was wrong and how he could help. But there was a wall there. Something that had always been there, surrounding him like a fortress, strong and impenetrable. Even now, he could feel that barrier as if it were solid brick separating the two of them. It kept him rooted to his spot, watching Sans from behind.
His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, wanting to reach out.
Minutes passed and throughout its course, Corbel watched as Sans fought with himself, letting out long breaths as he tried to calm his nerves. Eventually, his form shuddered and his arms wrapped around himself as he dropped into a tight ball, his knees up to his chest.
That did it. Brick wall be damned! Corbel broke away from his spot and rushed directly toward Sans' form. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around him. Sans was shaking so much that it was a wonder he didn't fall into the water. Corbel didn't speak and he didn't ask questions, but still, he wanted his partner to know that he could rely on him no matter what. So that's what he did. As the brick wall around Sans began to crack and crumble, Corbel stayed by his side and held him while he fought for control over his own body.
He used his spot to guide Sans to a sitting position and bring him in close while he worked through his troubles.
Sans stayed by Corbel, taking deeper and deeper breaths as he hid his face from view. He tried to hide it, but the stream of tears didn't escape Corbel's notice. Whatever this was, to have this kind of affect on Sans . . . it must have been something huge. Corbel had never seen Sans this upset about anything. He had no idea what he was supposed to do or say to help him so he just stayed beside Sans and let him get everything that he needed to out of his system.
After a long while, Sans finally began to get a handle on himself. His breathing became more stable and he started to come out of the tight ball he was in. He was even able to finally pull away from Corbel's side to compose himself.
A few more breaths and a quick wipe at his eyes, and Sans finally spoke with a quiet broken voice.
"I-I'm sorry." He breathed, "I'm really sorry . . . I thought I was ready . . . I didn't think that . . ."
"It's okay, Sans."Corbel answered in a voice just as soft, "Never apologize for the way you feel. After all, you've done the same for me before. So, it's okay."
"No . . ." Sans continued, "It's really not . . . It isn't okay at all."
There was a little pause between the two of them. Sans took a few more breaths.
"Corbel . . ." He began slowly, ". . . God, this difficult . . . I-I don't even know where to start . . ."
"Take your time. We have plenty."
Sans gave a scoffing laugh, "Right . . . of course we do . . . But I . . . What I have to tell you is . . . life changing and if I'm being honest . . . it scares the absolute shit out of me . . ."
Again, Sans paused.
"Let me just start by saying that you've been absolutely amazing and incredibly wonderful. I just . . . I feel like such a sack of elephant shit for what I've done to you . . . for what I'm doing to you. You don't deserve this. You don't deserve me . . . you . . . you deserve so much better than what I have to give you . . . I can't-"
Corbel huffed, shaking his head. "I can't believe you still don't get it." Corbel interjected, "Look, Sans. I . . . I love you . . . I have since forever. You and I have been through Hell and back and we're still standing. And through it all, I still love you. Believe me, there's nothing you can tell me that's gonna change the way I feel about you. No matter what."
Sans lowered his head once again and let out yet another sigh, "I wonder about that."
Corbel had to admit, he was getting more nervous. What the heck was Sans struggling with that had him this worried . . . and to the point that he was even beginning to doubt Corbel's resolve too?
". . . why don't you start from the top?"
Sans took a few more deep breaths. His eyes closed as he centered himself.
"Corbel . . . I-I . . . I've been lying to you."
The space between them went silent once again. There was only the quiet sound of water shifting around the pier beneath them. And that sound was completely ignored. Muffled by the weight of those words.
Corbel was stricken just about speechless as he processed the confession.
"I called you out here today to set things straight. I . . . I-I gotta come clean."
"Sans . . . What are you-?"
"That's . . . not my name."
Corbel frowned. Sans never had an issue with him calling him that before . . .
"Wha . . . But then . . . Why? Was your real name too embarrassing . . . ?" Corbel chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "I mean have you met my dad? Be grateful you don't have a name like Wingdings."
Despite his efforts, Sans remained sullen.
"No . . . I just . . . I-I can't- I can't tell you my real name. I'm not allowed. But that's not all. I've lied about . . . everything."
Corbel's weak attempt to lighten the mood was abandoned and immediately replaced once again by quiet confusion and apprehension. "W-what's 'everything'?" He asked softly, "A-and what do you mean 'not allowed' . . . ?"
"I mean every time I try . . . I can't say it. It's . . . It's actually part of a curse. All of this . . ." He gestured to himself, indicating his entire body. "It's all a curse. I'm cursed."
Corbel went quiet again as he tried to see what he could put together from what Sans . . . or not-Sans was saying.
"I . . ." Sans hesitated once again, his breath catching before kickstarting into high gear, "I-I'm . . . I'm not a Skeleton, Corbel . . . I lied to you . . . I lied to everyone. I'm sorry . . . I'm so so sorry."
Corbel turned his head and looked downward off of the pier into the inky black water below them. Everything was so quiet and so still, it didn't feel real. The longer he looked, the less he felt real. This wasn't real.
"I'm dreaming again, aren't I? That's what this is, isn't it?" It had been quite a while since he'd had an episode where he couldn't tell the difference, but this . . . there was no way this was real. Was there?
Sans sighed heavily, "I'm afraid not . . . For once, I wish you were. That way, this wouldn't be so difficult."
"I don't believe you." Corbel answered solidly, "I don't believe anything you're saying. This . . . this is a dream. It has to be. This is crazy! It has to be a dream . . ."
Sans looked to Corbel who was grabbing tightly at his knees, his fists trembling slightly.
"How can I prove this isn't a dream?"
Corbel knew the answer right away. He had a plan set up just in case he ever found himself in this situation.
"Tell me something from our shared past. Tell me something we both experienced, but make up one detail. If I can catch the inconsistency, I'll believe you when you say this isn't a dream."
Sans hummed, thinking it over. It was kind of an odd request, but he understood. In his own dreams, he would often just agree with whatever memory someone else suggested. Perhaps, the same was true for Corbel . . . Either way, if it helped to convince him, he'd do it.
"The day before your sixteenth birthday, you were working in the lab, running maintenance tests on the CORE and you found someone inside."
Corbel nodded, "True so far."
"That person was me. I was in a really bad spot. I was dying. You saved my life."
". . . True."
"You cooled me down and we walked out of the CORE together."
". . . False . . ." Corbel said slowly, "That's . . . not true. You passed out and I had to call Dad for help. He used his quick travel and sent us home."
Corbel breathed deeply and turned his eyes to the knees of the person sitting beside him.
"I'm not dreaming then . . . ?"
Sans shook his head and even though Corbel didn't look directly at him, he recognized the gesture.
"You're . . . not a Skeleton . . . ?"
Sans shook his head again, stiffening.
"Are you . . . ?" Corbel began to ask, but halfway, he wondered if it was rude to ask something like that straight up. "What kind of Monster are you . . . ?"
Sans breathed heavily, shaking his head.
Corbel stiffened as well. It was all starting to click into place for him. Why Sans would never talk about his past. His adamant behavior when it came to the little girl they found. How hard he fought to defend her. Even the strange little things he would say every once in a while.
"A-are you . . . are you . . . ?"
"I was born human . . . I . . . I am a human."
Corbel froze completely for several moments, but didn't respond. He tried to keep his breath even in order to keep himself from hyperventilating. He tried to remain calm.
"Please, Corbel . . ." Sans pleaded after the awkward pause got to be too much for him, "Say something. This silence is crushing . . ."
"A . . . A h-human, huh . . . ?" Corbel stammered, "W-well, that explains why you didn't want the echo flowers to hear . . . W-wouldn't want that information being spread around."
Sans released a long steadying breath. Corbel was freaking out, even despite his efforts to remain calm while he was with Sans. To his credit, he was handling the bombshell better than he thought he would. He didn't immediately pull away or run for it or call the guard. He was trying to remain calm and continue their conversation. He even made a bit of an awkward joke to help ease them both.
"H-how come you never told me before th-that you were a-a human? Heh . . . Kind of a big thing to keep from your . . . your partner . . . not to mention your . . . your boyfriend."
Sans smiled sheepishly to himself. The fact that Corbel still used that word, sending a certain spark through him. It was still too soon to really know for sure, but maybe he could still remain hopeful? But even more than that, this entire conversation seemed very familiar to him . . . He'd had almost this exact same conversation with Ava when she found out he was a mage.
"Well," He began. Even his answer was the same, "do you think that's really something I'd go walking around waving on a banner? Especially around here? I know how the general Monster population feels about humans . . . I've witnessed it first hand. And . . . I know what humans did to Monsters . . . I've witnessed that first hand too. I didn't want you to see me like that."
"You- you didn't have to go around waving it on a banner." Corbel replied softly, "But you could have at least told me . . . We've been through so much together . . . You could've trusted me with this, too, couldn't you?"
"It wasn't a matter of whether or not I trusted you . . . You were my best friend, Corbel . . . You are my best friend, but if I'd come to you about this before . . . I definitely would have lost you."
As Sans answered, he kept his eyes lowered. "When we went into the ruins . . . When we found Alia. You were so against helping her. You called her your enemy before you even saw her, all because of what she was. Because she was human . . . There's no way I could've told you."
Corbel groaned. Sans did have a point. If he'd been in the same situation after hearing his best friend say something like that about his entire species, he would've been less-than-forthcoming with that info as well.
"If I'd known . . . I wouldn't have said that. I thought I'd never met a human before. If I'd known that you were . . . Of course I wouldn't have . . ."
"But those were your candid thoughts. That's how you really felt when faced with a real legit flesh-and-blood human. And in that moment, I knew where I stood and I knew I had to keep my secret . . . I'm your enemy, Corbel."
"You're NOT my enemy, Sans!" Corbel retaliated immediately, "I-I mean . . . um . . . Man, I don't even know what to call you anymore . . . To think that after all this time . . . I don't even know your name . . ." He whispered more to himself than to the other.
The more he thought about it, however, the more his face fell. All of his thoughts and all of his memories were swirling together and, like a puzzle piece that had been missing the entire time, the image those memories created was altered with the addition of this new information. In every encounter, involving Sans, the added element "human" was added and the entire picture was changed.
"Sans . . . Is there anything about you that was true . . . ? Who did I fall in love with?"
Sans looked sidelong at Corbel with a solemn expression. His hands tightened around each other in his lap as he leaned forward over the edge of the pier. A moment later, a tiny smile pulled and he even chuckled a little.
"What's so funny?" Corbel groaned, failing to see the humor.
"Actually, a lot of it was true." Sans answered, "You already know who I am. Just not what I am. There's a lot I haven't told you yet, but you know already know the most important things. Those times we had together. When we worked in the lab. When we hung out together in our free time. When we slept over at each others' places. When we went out for your birthday and you got completely wasted. When we kissed in the snow. None of that was fabricated. It was all real. And it was all really me."
Corbel lifted his eyes slightly, something in his chest catching when Sans spoke. All of those fantastic memories . . . The way he felt when he recalled them . . . It was still the same feeling even with the added "human" element. It was as if Corbel knew they were real because Sans could still recall them and breathe life into those feelings again . . . Not only were they were real, but they were genuine.
He looked upward even more to where Sans was blushing slightly as he watched the water.
That really was still him, wasn't it? And somewhere in there, there was a human . . . Weird.
The humonster's smile was soft as he continued. "I don't want there to be any more secrets between us, Corbel. I want to tell you everything. I want to tell you who I really am. Why I'm here. How I got here and what I'm doing to help. Will you hear me out? I promise, I'll answer all of your questions."
Corbel watched Sans closely, looking for anything that suggested this person was any different than the person he met and fell in love with. It was such a strange concept that he needed to wrap his mind around. But for some reason, he couldn't quite get his mind to wrap.
Maybe if he listened to Sans' story, it would help.
Corbel nodded his answer.
Sans nodded as well, his smile spreading, "My name is," He breathed a few times, preparing himself for what was about to happen as if he was trying to brace for an imminent impact, "Sans the Skeleton. My name is . . . Saaans . . ." He groaned, "I'm sorry, I still can't tell you my real name. Heh, I thought telling you what I was would, I dunno, help that somehow . . . ? But, as you can see, I'm physically unable to say my own name. Part of this whole curse deal that I'm under. I'm 22. I'll be 23 in February. February 4th. And I love me a good burger! I used to have dark hair that never did what I wanted it to. I used to have dark blueish-greyish eyes. And when I look down at my hands, I can still see my skin. I'm not real pale, but I'm not real dark either . . . Somewhere in between . . . ? My tan's gone though . . .
"It was true that I don't have any family. Haven't for a long time. I've been on my own since I was 13. But I've always found ways of getting by. Oh, and Ava's real too, by the way. She and I were a thing for a while, but we had a . . . falling out. When I hid the fact that I could do magic from her . . . She didn't take it well and she left. The day after that, I moved to Ebott where I was about to start college at the university there. That was true too. I was gonna be a Physics and Astronomy major and I'd gotten an early admission. I had a dorm room . . . my first actual real place in years! Ever since my mom . . .
"Anyway, that's where I was when I was cornered by a bunch of human jerks. I decided to stand up to a dude who'd been messing with me and Ava for most of our lives . . . and I used my magic to do it . . . Most humans don't think very highly of those of us who are Mages, so when I used my blue magic on them . . . I became public enemy #1. Anyway, dude told his older brother about it and he and his henchmen ganged up on me and beat me. They put a curse on me and threw me into the mountain to die. That's where I saw those other humans, the cops who wanted to make a deal . . . and that deal . . . I shouldn't'a done it. It was a lie anyway."
"What was the deal?" Corbel asked quietly, "You mentioned it to Alia . . . but you went quiet about it after you looked at me. Why?"
Sans went quiet for a moment, trying to think of the best way to answer. No secrets. That's what he said. And if there weren't going to be any more secrets between them, then he'd have to be honest about that as well.
"They told me there were these random earthquakes happening all around Ebott." Sans explained, "Those cops wanted to know why. When they saw me, a monster claiming to be human, they thought that maybe there was a correlation or something . . . Maybe the monsters were trying to dig their way up to the surface or something . . . I dunno. They told me that they'd help me out if I 'proved my humanity' and got info for them. So I searched for the source of the earthquakes."
"The CORE . . ." Corbel breathed in shock. He remembered in the creation of the Core, there were some tests that didn't go quite as his father had been hoping . . . but that was before Corbel started working at the lab, before his father stabilized it.
Sans nodded. "That's when I learned about the Doc and the work he was doing to create power using thermal energy. It was an incredible concept! Nothing short of amazing! But when I returned with the results of my search, I found those same guys had rigged the cave to blow! They didn't care about the earthquakes and they didn't believe me when I said I was human. They just wanted time to set up the trap so they could kill me and make sure the monsters couldn't escape. They caused a cave-in . . . and I was caught in it, nearly crushed by the mountain. I used blue magic as a forcefield to absorb most of the shock, but I was still pretty banged up . . . not to mention I was still recovering from that fight with Burl and his lackeys."
Corbel looked again toward Sans. Caught in a cave-in after falling from the surface and being trapped in the Underground. His story shared so many common elements with Alia's, it was no wonder the two of them bonded so quickly. Not to mention she was the first human he'd seen since being trapped here himself. That's why he wanted so badly to save the girl and protect her. And even why Sans was so broken up when they'd been caught in the cave-in back in the Ruins. He'd gone through it once before, but now there were other people involved and he felt responsible for putting them in the same situation. And then when Corbel really was crushed by the mountain . . .
Corbel nodded his response. It all made so much more sense . . .
"After that was when I met the Vegitoid and the Froggit who sent me to go find your dad. They saw me as a Skeleton too and thought it would be good for me to find other Skeletons. I didn't argue. There was no real hope of escaping any time soon and I figured, if I could blend in until I could help break that stupid barrier and get out, then that would probably be the best course of action.
"It was the Frog and the Carrot who gave me the name 'Comic Sans Serif,' actually. But they thought it was because I bonked my head and forgot who I was . . . they didn't know that I didn't have the slightest clue what I was doing. I followed their directions and wound up in the CORE and that's where I met you. From then on, I've been living here under the name Sans. A human under a spell to look like a monster to everyone but himself. I think Burl was looking to doom me . . . but really, the 'curse' ended up saving my skin . . . so to speak. Without it, I wouldn't be here now."
Corbel hummed, slightly amused at the joke, but serious enough not to laugh.
"I've been putting a lot of my life on the back burner since then because . . . Well, I guess there was a part of me that might have been naively hoping that I could help break the barrier and lift this curse so I can go back to my other life . . . But the longer I stay here . . . The longer I spend with you . . . The less I want to go back. Even if we can break the barrier, I've got nothing to go back to anymore. My whole life is here . . . With you."
Corbel stayed quiet for a long time after Sans finished speaking, taking the entire story in and trying to process it in a way that made sense.
"You had an entire life before you fell." He said softly, "Are you saying that you've given up on that life . . . ?"
Sans shrugged, "I wouldn't say I 'gave up on it' But going back isn't my top priority anymore. That's for sure."
" . . . Is that why you decided to finally give me a chance?"
Sans silenced for a moment as he absorbed Corbel's implication. He let out a long breath, thinking about how this must've seemed from Corbel's point of view.
"When you say it like that . . ."
"Don't get me wrong." The younger of the two continued, his tone just a tiny bit more joyous than before, though his expression remained low. "I'm thrilled you finally said yes."
"But . . ."
Corbel shot a glance to his side where Sans was watching him with a worried look.
"I do love you, Sans . . . That feeling hasn't changed even now . . . I mean, I've loved you for a long time . . . And I really wanna believe you love me too, but learning all this, I can't help but feel like I'm just . . . I'm a replacement, you know? Like I'm not your first choice, but I'll do. I feel like if there was a way to break the barrier today and you were able to go back . . . I'd be the one put on the back burner. I wouldn't see you again."
"There's no way that would ever happen." Sans protested, "You're extremely important to me, Corbel. The best thing that's ever happened to me and . . . well, I hope you don't think I was lying to you when I said I loved you. I could never lie about something like that. I know . . . it might be difficult to trust me right now after everything that's come to light. But I hope you can forgive me and maybe I can earn your trust again . . ."
In the smallest movement, Sans reached out to his side toward Corbel and set his hand on the wooden platform between them. In the next few moments, Sans extended the gesture to reach Corbel's knee.
"I'm so sorry." Sans sighed deeply, "You deserve so much better than someone like me making you feel something like that. You should never feel that way . . . And I'm really sorry you do . . . That means I've completely failed you as your boyfriend. I guess I really am no good for you, Corbel . . . not at all. Not as I am now . . ."
Corbel drew in a sharp breath. He was saying those things again . . . like he was going to break up with him. Like he was cutting him off.
" . . . But I want to be." He continued. And it was the continuation that snapped Corbel's attention once again. "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I want you to be able to live your life the way you want to! That's the life I want for you. And I want to be that freedom for you!
"I can't promise the future, but I can promise that I'll try to be better. I do love you Corbel. I never lied about that. And that's why I wanted to come clean to you. I don't want there to be any more secrets between us. I'm trusting you now with my biggest secret ever: my humanity . . . and I know it's weird . . . And I know that it changes everything for you, but I think . . . No, I know we can make this work. That is . . . If you still want to . . . ?"
Corbel took Sans' hand and removed it from his knee, but only to allow him room to close the distance between them. He kept hold of Sans' hand and tightened his grip.
"We make a very unconventional couple, don't we? A Skeleton monster and a human . . . "
Sans' expression widened in shock. Corbel . . . was giving him yet another chance!? After everything they've gone through. After everything he'd suffered at his hands? Even after he learned the truth about him!? Even after he learned that they weren't even the same species!?
"This is . . . Wh-why?" Sans stammered, unable to fully grasp what was going on. "Corbel. You are . . . Are you sure!? I mean . . . really!?"
"Yeah, really. I said I love you, Sans. I don't know what you think love is, but to me, it means being willing to work through the hard times, through changes and shifts. It means being understanding and accepting and willing to adapt. It means taking the hard, and looking toward the future together, no matter what. I want that kind of love. We're not perfect and we'll never be perfect, but we're willing to give each other our all. That means more than anything to me. So . . . No, I don't ask for perfection. I don't want perfection. I want you. I want all of you. Everything you are. And I'll give you all of me. That's what I want."
Sans was dumbstruck by the speech and before he knew, his face was flooded with heat. He hadn't been expecting that.
He lifted their hands, bringing them up to kiss the tips of Corbel's fingers.
"I think I can do that. From here on out, no more holding back. No more secrets. You'll have my all."
Corbel's face flooded as well, "You promise?"
Sans hummed, a bit of his smile pulling, "I promise."
The two sat in silence once again, but this time, the silence was calm. Now that everything was out in the open, there was no tension and they both felt at ease.
Corbel noted the absolutely serene vibe that Sans was giving was different than anything he'd ever felt from him. The brick wall was starting to fall and Sans could finally begin to free himself from the rubble. It would take a while to be completely rid of it and Corbel knew that he would still be carrying around some of that weight for quite some time after that, but he believed in Sans with everything he had. He had absolute faith that Sans would be able to grow stronger from this. And Corbel would be right there with him in case he needed someone to help him.
From his side, Sans let out another short chuckle as a thought came to mind. "I thought for sure that once you knew the truth about me, you'd leave and I would be alone again. I'd already lost your trust before and piling this on top of that . . . I wasn't sure what you would do . . . that's one of the two main reasons I was so worried about telling you."
"And the other reason . . . ?" Corbel prodded.
"Well . . . You know that I ran into Undyne, yeah?"
"Yeeeeeaaaah . . . ?" Corbel answered slowly. That's right, He had her to deal with too. "What happened?"
"Well, we fought . . . And we were both kinda messed up by the end of it. And . . . Well, Undyne saw something she shouldn't have."
Corbel frowned in confusion. "What did she see?"
"Well despite how I look, I'm still human . . . And I still bleed. When I was knocked down, she saw the blood and was understandably freaked out."
Corbel nodded, "That does make sense . . . But Sans. Is she . . . Are we going to have to worry about her? Does she know?"
"She has an idea . . . And she doubts me big time, but I don't think she knows for sure. I'll just . . . Have to be super careful around her. Or just try to avoid her."
Corbel looked back out toward the black abyss before them. How was he going to approach Undyne now . . . ? When she set her sights on something, she was relentless. And if she had Sans in her crosshairs now, she would most likely hound him even more. He had to talk to her. He had to find some way to distract her . . . Or at least get her to lay off of Sans.
"Man . . ." Sans sighed, his smile returning as he released Corbel's hand and leaned backward on the pier.
"Hm?"
"I still can't believe how well you're taking this, that's all. There's absolutely no reason for you to believe me . . . and after what happened last time . . . I thought for sure that you were gonna push me away and that would be it. I thought . . ." Sans closed his eyes and completely laid back on the pier.
Corbel turned again to look back to Sans with just enough time to see as he laid flat on his back.
"I'm so glad you're still here . . ." Sans breathed placing an arm over his eyes, "Thank you, Corbel."
The younger leaned back as well, keeping himself up on his elbow. As he reached out and shifted Sans' arm from his eyes, he caught the few tears that were left. He didn't pay them any mind and he didn't call attention to them.
"Did you honestly think so little of me that I wouldn't hear you out? We're partners, remember?"
Sans' smile remained small as he regarded Corbel.
"I dunno. That's sorta how it's always worked out for me before. Why should this time be any different?"
"I'm sorry." Corbel answered, leaning down even more to lie completely on his side, his head resting on his arm like a pillow. "Well, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. I'm pretty sure I've told you that before, haven't I?"
"Yeah, you did. Thanks."
Again, Sans seemed to calm as he shoved both hands into the pockets of his jacket. His smile became a natural soft feature as he stared upward into nothing.
"You know . . ." Corbel began. "Now that I think about it, I think part of me kinda knew already. I mean, there's no way I actually knew but I think that the signs were always there."
"Really?" Sans asked in disbelief, "You're saying my acting is sub par? How so?"
Corbel shrugged, "Nothing huge. Your acting is actually pretty good. Good enough to fool me and I'm an actual Skeleton! But there were little things here and there that didn't really make sense. References to experiences like sunsets, or tans, or beaches that most of us have only seen in books or heard about from people who were there before we were sealed. Sayings that only make sense now that I know for certain. And just . . . for someone who supposedly has never seen the surface, you really seemed to know quite a bit about it. I was always fascinated by how much you knew."
"Heh, I guess I should've dialed it back a bit. It does sound pretty obvious when you list it out like that. I could probably explain away the sunset, but how could I overlook the beach!?"
Corbel actually let out a bit of a laugh at that. "Lucky for you, you were only talking to me at the time and I only just put it together now. But now that I do know, maybe I can help you out. Help you blend in even more. Make you even less conspicuous. I mean, you've been doing really well on your own, but a little extra help from a pro could never hurt, right?"
Sans turned his head to look at Corbel with surprise, "Really!? You'd be willing to do that for me? Be my Monster coach?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
Sans halted for a moment, his body becoming stiff as he retracted in on himself. "Oh . . . well, I just thought that . . . It would be too . . . Maybe I would be too much of a hassle."
Corbel's face fell for a moment.
"You're not used to accepting help from anyone, are you?" He's asked, less of a question and more of a realization, "I saw it when we first met and you turned my parents down when they offered you a place to stay. I saw it even more over the years. You joke about it and try to play it off, but it really is an issue for you, isn't it?"
Sans shrugged, but stayed quiet.
"That's what I thought. I've actually been thinking about that a lot lately." Corbel admitted.
"Really?"
"You said you've been on your own since you were 13. Since then, it seems as if you haven't had the luxury of having people around to give you a helping hand . . . Or if you have, you've been reluctant to accept. I don't want to put words in your mouth or anything, but maybe, you're like I am and you've got this thing where you don't want to take pity from anyone. Like you want to prove that you can stand on your own two feet and make it through without relying on the kindness of others."
"Woah . . ." Sans sighed as he listened. He had to swallow before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice gave out on him for a second before he cleared it. "Kinda nailed it right on the head, there."
Corbel nodded slowly with a bit of a smile. "Heh, I can say I know how that feels. And maybe there's a bit of pride that goes along with that. I get it. I can respect that.
"But here's the thing. That kinda life seems like it'd get really lonely too. And that part, I don't have any experience in . . . When things go wrong . . . I've got a whole support system going for me. I've got my parents and I've got friends to talk to me, whether I want them to or not. They're always there to listen and give advice. It's something I've kinda been taking for granted, if I'm being honest. And it didn't even occur to me until recently, but during those same times, when you've needed someone to talk things through with, that's when everyone seems to turn on you . . . Not only that, but it's the same people who say they want to help me. My Dad and Undyne being at the top of that list. Not only have you had no one to talk to this entire time, but you've been targeted and attacked and made the scapegoat for that misfortune happening in the first place. No wonder you've been feeling so shitty . . . That needs to change right now.
"I'm glad that you called me this time when you felt like you were falling apart. And . . . I want you to do that from here on out. I wanna make sure you know that the first person I want you to come to is me. I'm here for you no matter what. Got it?"
Sans watched Corbel for a minute or two, unable to think of anything to say. The moment between them solidified something deep that they'd only barely touched on up to this point.
He'd heard Corbel say it before, that he would stay beside Sans no matter what, that he loved him. Heh, Corbel was the first person outside of his mother to say that to him. Even Ava hadn't said it. And he still wasn't 100% sure how to process that.
But in that moment, as Corbel spoke, looking directly at him, unafraid of his confession and what it meant for the two of them, Sans could feel those words resonate deep within him. He could feel Corbel's dedication and his love and he knew it was his. This feeling was for him.
Damn it, he was starting to choke up again.
Pushing past it and ignoring the sting in his nose and eyes, he nodded.
"Got it." He replied.
"Promise me." Corbel stressed, holding out his hand once again for Sans to take.
Sans' expression shifted through a few stages. Mild surprise gave way to nervous hesitation. That expression faded into a soft smile and stayed there as he chuckled.
"That's a lot of promising you want me to do today . . . You'll still trust me on my word?" He asked in quiet incredulity.
Corbel smiled in response as he nodded.
"Yeah. I do. I mean, I know it's a lot to take in, but I've had time to think and I'm sure about this . . . And about you . . . I know you had to do some . . . Well not underhanded . . . Just dishonest things in order to blend in around here. But that was out of necessity. I get it. Everything makes sense now . . . Why you kept everyone at arm's length. Why you didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone. Why you lied to everyone . . . You had to . . .
"But I also know that when it comes down to it, you're a mon- I mean- a man of your word. You've never once gone back on a promise. That's why I want you to please promise me that you'll do this. That you'll talk to me, especially when you feel alone. And if you do need alone time, just tell me that too and I'll give you that space. Just promise you'll talk to me."
Again, it took a while, but even after about a minute, Sans' smile was set. Finally removing a hand from his pocket, he reached out to meet Corbel's hand.
"I promise."
Corbel held tightly to Sans' hand to solidify the promise and when he did, he noticed something felt a bit off.
"What the . . ."
Sans' grip tightened as well, clinging almost desperately to the other's hand.
"Sans . . . ?" Corbel asked cautiously.
"Don't freak out, okay?" Sans smiled. "I just wanted to make this a little more . . . official?"
Sans removed his hand from Corbel's immediately after, leaving something small and metallic there in the other's grip.
When Corbel shifted to look, turning his hand over, his eyes widened.
"Sans . . . ?" He repeated.
"That's the key to my apartment." Sans explained, "I made you a copy. No matter what you say about it. What I did was . . . Well, I feel like shit for doing that to you. And though I can't think of any way I could possibly make it up to you, I can make sure it never happens again. Think of this as a little added security. My door will always be open to you. And with this, you can come by at any time you want. Even if I'm not there . . . I don't want you sleeping outside again. That was . . . I never want to see that again. I never want to see you hurt like that again."
Corbel held tightly to the key and looked between it and Sans. He shifted once again to prop himself up on his elbow.
"Thank you, Sans." He nodded, "I appreciate it. And I think that this . . . I know how much something like this means, especially to you and I'm so glad that you trust me enough to give me something like this. I promise I won't let you down."
"You let me down?" Sans chuckled, "No way. And anyway, that's not what this is about. This is so I never let you down again."
Corbel hummed, holding onto the key.
"I told you to prove yourself through your actions. I'd say this action proves quite a bit. I'm proud of you, Sans. I just wish there was something I could do to show you what I mean."
"You serious!?" Sans' laughter became full, "You don't have to prove a thing to me. You're here. You've supported me from day one. You've never left my side. And considering what I've done, that's-"
"And that's another thing." Corbel interrupted, "You need to stop that. Please stop living in your mistakes, because that's all they were. You messed up. We all mess up. But you're a better person because of those mistakes. You've learned and you've grown because of them. Those mistakes . . . They're not you."
Corbel leaned over him then and pressed a soft kiss to his head and a second to his mouth.
"I want you to show me who you are . . . not tell me what you've done. Got it?"
Sans was stunned into a brief silence as Corbel pulled away.
"Y-yeah . . ." He answered slowly as he centered himself and returned to his senses, "Got it."
Corbel turned to lie on his back once again, "Good." He smiled toward the high ceiling. "You know, it was a trek, but I'm glad we came out here. I don't think I could handle all of those echo flowers repeating all of that soul bearing shit. To us or to anyone else passing by."
Sans chortled at that, "Oh no! Corbel has a heart and he cares about people! Don't let anyone find out! News flash! Everyone knows already. Nothing the echo flowers and the rest of the friggin Underground don't already know!"
"Ha, you think you're being funny, but joke's on you. I actually don't have a heart. That's all you, buddy. Strictly a human thing."
"Heh, are the monster lessons beginning already, Coach?"
"Why not? The sooner the better. Be careful because I'll be pointing stuff like that out all the time now. Even the little sayings like that could tip people off that you're not a monster."
"Man . . ." Sans sighed, thinking over his entire vocabulary list and common sayings. He'd really have to be on his toes now if something as innocent as that could land him in trouble. He'd have to learn some Monster-isms to replace the human sayings.
"It's alright. You'll be my first student. I'll get some practice out of you too."
Sans eyed Corbel a little curiously, but didn't pry into what he meant by that.
"Alrighty then." He answered instead, "I'll be counting on you, Daydreamer."
Corbel fought to hold back the insistent blush at the return of his nickname.
"Sans . . ." He groaned, ready to contest him before he stopped mid-thought. In that moment, he remembered that 'Sans' wasn't his real name, "I mean . . . Um . . . Man, what do I even call you now?"
"'Sans' is fine." The other shrugged with a bit of a grin, "It's how you know me."
"Yeah, but still . . . I gotta figure out your real name." Corbel huffed. "Now I'm curious!"
"You know, I can give you a hint if you like." Sans winked, playing along for the moment, "The one thing I've been able to keep."
Corbel's eyes widened. "Really!? Yeah! What's the hint?"
"It starts with an 'S'."
Corbel's face fell immediately and his eyes narrowed.
"Really? That's the hint?"
"That's all I've got." Sans shrugged, "Sorry."
"Alright then." Corbel sighed, "That'll be something I'll work on too. Until then . . . How about 'Stargazer'?"
Sans' eyes immediately went wide and a magic blush flooded his face, "Wh-what!? What is that!?"
"Well, if you're gonna keep calling me 'Daydreamer,' I'm gonna need an equally embarrassing nickname for you, right? This one's been in my head for a while now. And now that I know you're a human and you've had a thing for space and stars since forever ago. It's the most embarrassingly accurate thing I could think of! So get used to it, because you're stuck with it."
"St-Stargazer . . . ?" Sans had to look away for a moment, that blush starting to burn, "It . . . It matches your name. Man. you're right . . . That is embarrassing."
"Good." Corbel chuckled now, "Suffer as I have suffered!"
The two of them shared in a short round of laughter, ignoring everything else. For the moment, nothing else mattered. They could relax and enjoy a moment of poking fun at each other before they had to go back and face the rest of the world. This was their chance to be. Their moment to themselves and neither one of them was about to give that up.
Gaine stood at the meeting spot. Why she wanted to meet at the dump of all places, he had no idea. He hated wading through all of the stagnant water and he always dreaded coming here when Gaster sent a team out to gather supplies or to rummage for materials. It was gross and wet and uncomfortable. And his fur would be damp and matted for hours afterward. And even when it dried, he wouldn't feel truly clean of the place for another few days and another few showers afterward.
But here was where she wanted to meet, so . . .
There was the sound of approaching sloshing steps and he knew she'd made it!
He grinned as he turned his attention toward the sounds.
When he saw her, her hands were in her jeans pockets and her head was lowered. Even her ponytail seemed lower than it normally was. Her ears weren't nearly as frilled as the last time he saw her either and they seemed to droop. And her bangs were done differently. They hung low in front of her face and were styled to cover half of her expression.
What happened? Normally, she exuded confidence whenever she strode into a situation. She commanded authority and she would never let anyone see her back down.
At least that's what he'd gathered about her and what he saw from her whenever they met.
"Undyne?" He asked cautiously as he took a step toward her. She refused to look up toward him, but kept her hands in her pockets. "Undyne, what happened?"
"I got . . . I dunno what I got, but it's something. I met up with the little punk like I said I would. And we fought."
"You fought him?" Gaine pressed, beginning to understand Undyne's withered appearance a bit more. His fists clenched at his sides. Did Serif do all of this to her? What the Hell was wrong with him!? What could he have possibly done to wear Undyne down to this?
Undyne shrugged, "It was the best way to get the answers I wanted." She explained, "I get the best reading on a person when I'm fighting them."
"And he hurt you!?" Gaine pressed once again, taking another step forward, "Here, let me take a look. Maybe I can help."
"Psshh," Undyne scoffed, "I'm fine. I'm all patched up. I just have some stuff to get used to is all. But that's not the reason I wanted to meet today."
Gaine hesitated as he approached, Undyne had lifted her head a little and Gaine could see a bit more of her face. He spied a few fresh-looking cuts and scrapes that seemed to be healing over, but the main thing was the large gauzy patch stuck over her eye where her hair wouldn't cover. Is this what she meant when she said she had stuff she needed to get used to . . . ? Was she talking about losing her eye!?
Gaine's expression fell even more as his vision narrowed in. "What did you want to talk about?"
Undyne finally raised her face to look Gaine in the eye. She looked set in her thoughts and though she was unsure of what it was that she knew, she knew that she knew something. And she knew that Gaine was the person she needed to tell.
"You were right." She announced, "You were right about him. There's definitely something not normal about Sans!"