Sans sat in the rocking chair the overstuffed chair had been replaced with, something several people had assured him he would be infinitely grateful for soon enough. He'd shrugged, maybe he would and maybe he wouldn't. It definitely felt very domestic to be sitting by the fire with a pair of dogs laying nearby, ears perked as they listened to him hum and watched his horrible attempts at knitting.

That had been another suggestion along with the assurances, a suggestion Papyrus had heartily endorsed. It certainly was more interesting than sitting around reading old epics all day long. He had even considered inserting himself into the running of the temple just to see how much that would irritate Fieri. He might still do it, knitting was turning out to be harder than he thought. The yarn kept getting tangled up in his joints if he tried knitting without gloves, and he had a hard time controlling the yarn when he did wear gloves.

The room suddenly grew brighter, Sans dropped his work to smile up at his husband. "well hey there, stranger."

Grillby leaned down to put his weight on the rocking chair's arms, levering Sans forward into a kiss. "… I sure hope you're not kissing random strangers."

Sans chuckled, "never. you're the only stranger for me." He leaned forward to pull Grillby back into another kiss. It was cut short when Firestorm and Brimstone jump onto Grillby for their own greeting.

"… Hello Fire, Brim. Be good girls and let me kiss my husband."

Sans laughed as he watched the dogs cavort around Grillby, tails wagging wildly and lava-like tongues lolling. Eventually they settled down to sit on either side of Grillby, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "they've been such good girls, keeping me company all day long." Sans reached for Brimstone, the nearest one, and gave her a little scritch behind the ears.

"… I'm very proud of you both." Grillby gave Firestorm a scratch too. "… So what's that?"

"oh, this?" Sans picked up the lumpy tangle of yarn he'd been working on. "it's supposed to turn into a scarf eventually, but i'm starting to think knitting isn't for me."

"… I hear it just takes some practice, I'm sure you'll make a fine scarf eventually."

"would you wear this?" He waved around the yarn atrocity for emphasis.

"… I'd gladly wear anything you made."

Sans's smile turned bashful and he waved a hand at Grillby in the "oh stop" gesture.

"… But if you want to take a break, I have a gift for you."

Sans dumped his project over the side of the chair and rocked forward to get up. Grillby grabbed his hands to help him up, not that Sans needed it yet. His balance was only starting to be off. "what is it? do you have it with you or is it in the temple?"

Grillby laughed as he backed up to the bed and sat down, pulling Sans into his lap. "… I have it here, but first things first…" He pulled Sans into another kiss, this one longer and deeper. Sans drank in Grillby's heat, as always a beautiful contrast to his own cold magic, one hand twined into the flames on Grillby's head, the other clinging desperately to his neck and shoulders, his own magic leaving sparks wherever he touched. All too soon the toe curling kiss ended, Grillby pulled back to let Sans catch his breath.

"tease," Sans accused.

"… I just wanted to give you a proper hello." Grillby's mischievous grin and wandering hands betrayed his innocent comment.

Sans untied his belt and pulled his robes open, rolling his eyes as gave Grillby free access to his belly. Grillby happily leaned down to coo at the barely showing bump and gently leave three little kisses against it.

"… Daddy's got a gift for you."

"i thought the gift was for me? should i be jealous?"

"… It's for all four of you," Grillby replied with a breathy laugh as he sat up straight.

Sans snuggled closer, moving one of Grillby's hands to lay over his exposed belly. "so what is it?"

"… We had a special sacrifice today in Stonewood." Grillby held up his hand, with a flash of flames a heavy platter made of silver with a rather large roast bird appeared. "… I thought you might like it."

Despite a complete lack of the digestive organs necessary for it, Sans's stomach gave a rumble at the sight of it. "holy shit, that looks really good."

Grillby set the platter in Sans's lap, "… I believe it's a pheasant."

Sans leaned forward and took a deep breath, "it smells really good." He looked around the platter. "uh… there didn't happen to be a knife sacrificed along with it?"

"… Oh, no. I didn't even think about that."

"eh, it's fine." He grabbed one of the legs and tore it off, then just shoved it into his teeth.

Grillby laughed before tearing off the other leg and eating it himself. "… This is pretty good."

"yeah, compliments to whoever made this."

"… It was sacrificed by a politician, so likely whatever chef she employs."

"should i be writing a letter of thanks?"

"… Probably not, I have the feeling it was meant to be a gift for Geoli."

"wait, what?" Sans pulled his hand away from where he had been pulling more meat off the bird.

"… Sometimes that happens, someone makes a sacrifice knowing it'll most likely go to the priests. She was making eyes at Geoli the whole time." Grillby took another bite of the leg he was working through.

"and you just took it? won't geoli be mad? i like geoli!"

"… It's fine, that's a risk petitioners take when they make a gift into a sacrifice. Besides, I'm fairly certain Geoli doesn't have an open relationship with their wife and isn't interested in Irene. And even if not, it's a little late now." Grillby motioned for Sans to keep eating.

Sans looked down at where the bird was missing both its legs, it really was too late now. Oh well, he'd write them a letter tomorrow. With a shrug, he went back to eating. They spent a while just working through the bird, tearing off pieces of meat, telling each other to try different cuts, idle chatter about their respective days. Sans had slowed down, starting to feel drowsily full, when he heard a plaintive whimper. He looked down to see both Firestorm and Brimstone with their heads pressed into the bed, occasionally licking their chops and giving Sans the biggest puppy dog eyes. Gathered around them were all the fire sprites that had taken up residence in his fireplace, even Balboa had inched over their plate and was teetering on the edge, ready to fall the short distance to the nightstand below.

"oh, right. sorry guys, didn't mean to leave you out." Sans started tearing off small bits of the little meat left clinging to the bird.

"… What are you doing?" Grillby put a hand over Sans's, stilling him.

"was just gonna feed the little guys."

"… Sans, this was a sacrifice to me. I might share it with Fire and Brim, they're in some way a part of me, but I'm not sharing what was offered to me with some random fire sprites."

"oh." Sans hesitated, looking down at all the huge, glimmering eyes staring up at him hopefully, the pair of hesitantly wagging tails. "is this uh… some kind of godly faux pas?"

"… I suppose that would be the best way to put it. Besides, didn't you already feed them earlier today?"

"sure, every meal."

"… Then they're fine. They don't need this."

Sans nodded and stared down at his lap as he placed his clenched fists in it.

Grillby grabbed his hand and held it up to his face. "… Hey, you're not in trouble, you didn't know. And even if you did, I understand that it doesn't mean the same thing to mortals." He pressed a kiss to Sans's still closed hand.

"i just can't stand to see anyone go hungry."

"… And they don't, I promise you."

Sans nodded and let his hand relax. Grillby gently kissed his palm, then started licking the hand. Sans gasped in surprise, eyelights blown wide as he watched Grillby pop a phalange into his mouth and suckle it. "… Such a messy boy," he mumbled around the finger.

"you weren't any better," Sans teased back. With his free hand he took Grillby's other hand and brought it to his face, where he actually opened his mouth and stuck a tongue out to lap up the mess the same way Grillby was.

Another whimper, a grumble, and the loud crackling of fire got both their attention. Sans looked down to see the dogs and sprites had crowded even closer as the plate tipped perilously close to falling right out of his lap.

"whoops, almost lost the rest of it." Sans picked up the plate and held it up and away from the eager dogs and sprites.

Grillby narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the sprites gathered around the dogs. "… Just how many sprites do you have in here?"

"not sure, more just keep showing up."

"… Right, time to put and end to this." Grillby shifted Sans out of his lap and bent down to gather up all the fire sprites. They sparked and popped in protest. "… No more, I've let this go on long enough. If you lot can't behave then you don't get to stay here." There was a chorus of disappointed snaps and a few more sparks from the sprites. "… No, you're going to stay in the outer court and that's final."

Sans watched as Grillby marched out the door, muttering reprimands to the fire sprites the whole way. Despite Grillby shutting the door, Sans pulled his robes closed, he didn't want the kids to get a chill. Firestorm and Brimstone were still pressed against the bed and alternated between whimpering and licking their chops while squirming in place.

"heh, sorry girls, not unless papa says so. but you can have pets until he gets back." He set the platter out of reach, then started petting the dogs, which they happily accepted even if they hadn't stopped eyeing the pheasant's remains. Grillby soon returned, not a fire sprite in sight.

"… There, now that that's taken care of…"

"heh, almost put on a show for all the little ones."

"… Speaking of," Grillby said cheerfully as he picked up the platter with what was left of their late dinner. He whistled, which got the dogs' rapt attention. "… C'mon, girls." He opened the door and set the platter down just outside it. Brimstone and Firestorm ran out into the hall and eagerly tore into what was left on the plate. Grillby shut the door. "… Now, where were we?"

Balboa gave a disgruntled grunt.

Exasperated, Grillby picked up a pillow and pressed it over the rock sprite. Sans laughed at that even as Grillby climbed back onto the bed and pulled him close. Sans threw his arms over Grillby's neck and pressed their bodies close for another kiss, magic tingling wherever they touched.

"… and i dunno, the yarn just keeps getting caught in my joints. and i don't think there's much i can do about that no matter how much i practice, i just don't think knitting is really for me."

Grillby hummed in agreement has he stroked Sans's bare spine. They were currently stretched out over the bed, Grillby on his back with Sans snuggled up next to him on his side. Grillby pulled him closer to quickly drop a kiss on his head. "… There's no shame in not being good at something you've never done before, even gods need practice. Most of us just have a century or two to get the hang of things before revealing ourselves to mortals." Grillby winked at Sans, who chortled and grinned up at him. "… That being said, there's no shame in giving up if you're not enjoying yourself."

"i know, but i want to at least try to finish the scarf, make an honest attempt and all that. heaven knows it would've been a useful skill with three kids to keep clothed."

".. There are plenty of other useful skills you can learn, if that's really what you're worried about."

"yeah, that's true. honestly, i'm starting to think paying more attention to how the whole temple works might be the best thing to try. i mean, isn't that usually what a spouse does? take care of the house, as it were."

"… While I'm happy to provide an easy life for you, I would be honored to have you take a more active hand in my temple."

"yeah?" Sans looked up to see Grillby gently gazing down at him, a soft crescent moon glowing white hot on his face. "can't hurt, i guess. and it'll be good to know how things work if i ever have to kick fieri out. he may have backed off after our little heart-to-heart, but he's just so… so him."

"… I don't understand why you bother keeping him around if he's that much trouble."

"because so far as i can tell he does a good job when he's not grumping at me or papyrus."

"… Sadly, it's true. He's a stickler for all these little things that mortals pay attention to, he keeps everything running and the offerings coming in."

"i dunno, i think you got more to do with that last part." Sans yawned, then rested his head more comfortably against Grillby's shoulder.

"… That late already?"

"hmmmm?"

"… I think it's time we put you to bed, you've been awake quite a while. Did you have a nap at all?"

"yeah, though they lose their tang when they're doctor mandated."

"… Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Sans shrugged. "same old story, tired but can't seem to stay asleep. especially when the sun rises, it always wakes me up."

"… Of course, you're an earth elemental and dawn is when your power peaks. But for now, how about I get you all nice and tucked in?"

Sans rolled onto Grillby and grumbled a protest as he clung to him.

"… You're tired and need rest, and if the sun rising really does wake you then you'll get a goodbye kiss when I go."

Sans huffed, then rolled off Grillby. "alright, fine, but only because you love me."

Grillby planted a soft kiss on Sans's forehead. "… Thank you, dearest." He got up then, piling the firm pillows around Sans and tugging him this way and that before pulling the warm blankets up and over him. Then he laid down next to Sans, stroking his skull to lull him to sleep. "… What was that song you were singing when I first arrived? I think I've heard it before."

"just a lullaby i used to sing to papyrus when we were kids. i think maybe our parents used to sing it to us before that, but it's been so long i can't really remember."

"… You can't remember your parents?"

"yeah, them or the song. i only know the first uh… what's the word? verse?"

"… Yes, that sounds right. Will you sing it for me?"

"i mean, i don't exactly got a great singing voice. or even a good one."

"… How else am I going to learn it?"

Sans looked down and away from Grillby, but then reluctantly started singing. The song was a bit melancholy, about the light dimming, but it ended with the promise of not being alone. He hummed the rest of the song, a barely remembered melody he sometimes almost thought he could remember the words to. Once he was finished, Sans shyly looked up at Grillby.

"… That was beautiful."

"oh, heh… thanks."

"… Tell me if I've got it right." Grillby sang the lullaby back to Sans, continuing to stroke his skull. As he dragged out the end of the song, Sans's eyes drifted closed and his breathing evened out. Grillby leaned forward to give him one final kiss on the forehead.

AN: I can't knit. I haven't even tried, though I've watched a few how to knit videos. It just… looks tedious and… I dunno? The motion looks like it would be unpleasant. I like crocheting, so I think I'll just stick with that. I can crochet socks if I want to, you can't stop me!

Everyone knows the way to a priest's heart is through ritual sacrifice to the god they chose to serve. Or sizable donations to their temple. XD But no, Geoli is a one woman monster, rest assured. And of course, me being as food motivated as I am had to have a bit with Grillby feeding Sans. It's cute and sweet and it's so nice that Grillby found something that Sans doesn't have to force himself to choke down. The babies liked it too, I'm sure.

And I'm sorry to anyone who wanted to be there for Sans to tell Fieri off, but it really was very boring. They both sat down and had a calm, rational discussion like adults and it ended with Fieri promising to calm his tits after Sans promised that he's not after Fieri's position. And I'm sure it'll stay that way so long as Sans keeps his nasal aperture out of how the temple runs.