Despite the 'distractions' over the weekend, they managed to get quite a lot of work done on their project. Kris had indeed started a sizeable chunk of it but Susie had definitely left her mark in their work by the end for Alphys to gawk at disbelievingly. Admittedly he did do most of the heavy lifting with the boring research, until it came time to do any actual heavy lifting, on account of his thumb.

Heavy lifting in this scenario being holding a pencil.

She shook her head in disbelief from her seat at the back of the class. He had hardly had to do any work all day after all the teachers realised his left-hand writing was basically illegible and they didn't have the budget for any typing substitutes. After all, the only student who might need one on the regular was so phenomenally good at writing with his feet that they hadn't bothered to splash out.

'Heh, lucky little shit', she thought to herself without the venom her jealousy usually instilled in her.

Of course, all the teachers were probably giving him a pass on account of his mother. His grades certainly weren't perfect but the homework was at least usually done, if up to questionable standards sometimes. The fact that he had shown up to the lessons at all was good enough in their eyes. He could've wrapped another finger around it instead of the thumb to get by but somehow she got the impression he was playing it up a little bit.

She knew this because he had already tried to get her to kiss it better more than once.

'Cocky, too', she chuckled.

Susie stared at the back of the offending human's head as Alphys cycled through the register as usual. His attempts to fluster her were sparse enough that whenever they happened she was amiable enough to go along with whatever he had planned. She wasn't secretly enjoying it, after all, that would be ridiculous.

Plausible deniability aside, she was also pretty pleased that she didn't even have to ask him to curb that behaviour around other people. Possibly as a consequence of his prior social norms, that he recognised that Susie really wasn't one for public affections or a combination thereof, Kris's demeanour towards her was the same as it always was.

As far as their classmates were concerned, they were friends...somehow.

It was a product of their adventure that she was still very fond of. For years, students had shunned her for varying reasons. Be it her tattered clothes, her defensive attitude, her rasping voice or any other small thing only a child would have the gall to dislike her for. Whatever the reason, only the result had mattered to Susie as she grew up alone.

Her head dipped as her surroundings faded into obscurity.

For as long as she could remember, having a friend had been her primary goal. As soon as she realised that goal was unattainable, her mean streak had set in. Then the students really had a reason to shun her.

Being the bully hadn't been what she would have called 'fun' but at least she was given back some measure of control in her life. She couldn't force people to like her so it didn't solve her original problem but it fixed other things. It stopped them making fun of her for a start. Lunch became easier to get and even the school staff stopped asking their probing questions that she really didn't want to answer.

She was snapped out of her memories by Kris who was tapping her arm lightly.

"Huh?"

"It's home time," he said with a smile and a soft laugh, gesturing to the clock past the retreating students. She blinked wearily before she looked back at Kris.

"Why didn't Alphys call my name?"

Kris could only laugh harder. "She did. You were really out of it"

Her claws trailed through her messy hair. "Heh, guess so"

o - o - o - o - o

Kris ran home.

Leaves kicked up behind him as he sped down the country paths like he was tailed by fire. They dominated the sidewalks and grassland despite the locals best efforts to curb their influence. Kris certainly wasn't helping as he kicked up miniature fireballs of leaf piles that scattered in the breeze like bonfire embers.

Susie had parted with him some ways back and he had respectfully walked a little while before the run had begun. He didn't want her to think she had been holding him back or anything. He valued their time together more than anything right now.

With one possible exception.

His mother's large, red van sat in the driveway, a sometimes painful reminder that their family had once been much larger than it was currently. It had always seemed massive to him, even as he grew older in it.

It seemed doubly so as he was finally able to see past it to what was tucked into its shadow in the early afternoon light. His eyes widened as his pace doubled.

Sprinting now, he ran to the door, throwing it open and closed with a huge bang that rattled the windows. He was sure he caught something about the loud noise or shoes from his mother but he didn't hear her as he leapt at the other imposing figure that had turned around in surprise.

"Azzy!"

"K-Kris! Howdy! How are you?!"

Fuzzy arms wrapped around him in response as he laughed into his brother's neck fur.

"Better"

o - o - o - o - o

"How was university? What's it like?"

"Haha! Stress, Kris. It's all stress. The courses are stressful, the buildings are made of stress and I eat stress for breakfast, lunch and dinner!"

Kris had no trouble believing him as he went over everything he had been up to. His acting course was overburdened with dramatic productions and backstage preparations and lighting displays. Not to mention all the new friends he apparently had and the many photos he had brought with him of his dorm room and roommates going on nights out and having parties. He was ecstatic as he regaled them both with stories, even as Toriel looked at him with mock disapproval and nostalgia from across the room.

And yet still...

He had passed his first year with flying colours.

Obviously.

Kris hadn't doubted for a second when he heard why he was staying at university a few extra days that his return would be announced with the same fanfare as usual. There would be no morose undertones at the dinner tonight as he struggled to explain why he would be working with Burgerpants for the foreseeable future.

He even seemed to have bulked up a tad as well.

Before he had left he was what his mother like to affectionately term, a 'sonflower'. A groan-inducing combination of Toriel's love of punnery along with his stick-thin body and beaming smile. He was no Susie by any stretch of the imagination but he at least had some definition to his figure now.

His physique was one of the first things his mother had pointed out to Kris, making the charismatic goat monster go all kinds of pink.

"Moooooooom!"

Aside from the occasional light-hearted jab, Toriel mostly minded the food, humming a small tune in place of the radio.

Kris barely noticed, enraptured as he was by his brother's university stories. He was sure he'd get to hear all the juicier bits later in their room that would make Toriel faint if she had heard them. The parties were one thing but he knew Asriel was holding back on what he'd really been up to.

Kris had been informed instantly but he wasn't sure if Toriel had ever even been told about his first kiss being stolen by Bratty.

She was still alive after all.

"But, where are my manners? Kris, how have YOU been?" Asriel asked, his arm slung over the chair he was perched on.

Kris's smile only grew wider as he realised that for the first time, he finally had something to tell him. In his youth, he had pestered Asriel to show him various things he had found or just to ask him questions that he would rather not go to his parents with. Aside from that, anything noteworthy he did was a direct result of tailing his older brother.

Secretly, he was always rather ashamed that anything interesting about him was because of Asriel. He was tremendously proud of him, of course, so whenever a new trophy had made its way to his shelf or he was invited to another awards evening, Kris clapped along with the rest of them. When his friends smiled at him when he was brought along, he knew it was all out of pity because Asriel did the same thing, and he was fine with that because he only ever did it with honest intentions.

But not today.

Susie. He could tell Asriel all about Susie.

Part of the reason he was so excited was that Asriel was the only one who already knew about her. He was the only one Kris had unloaded to when Susie would mess with him in class or trip him discreetly in the halls. He knew he would've tried to threaten her in his defence if he pushed him to though. He was a very good big brother in that regard, especially since he abhorred violence.

He didn't ask for several reasons, but there was one that both he and Asriel agreed on without having to ask.

Susie would've mopped the floor with him.

Figuratively, of course. Susie rarely cleaned anything.

But now?...

Today was the day his brother would truly be proud of him.

If only the doorbell hadn't rung.

Kris squinted in confusion. First, at his brother, who shrugged and then at Toriel, who had stopped humming and was leaning back against the counter with a pained grimace. She adopted a more mollified expression once she saw his gaze as Asriel went to open the door, letting out a deep breath as a sigh just as Asriel let one out in a gasp.

"Dad!"

o - o - o - o - o

It had been going rather well, all things considered.

Asriel had received one of his father's legendary hugs despite their almost similar size. Asgore had even held him just shy of the door so as not to muddy Toriel's floor. Kris meanwhile, had taken a kneeling down pat on the back from his well-meaning goat dad. Evidently, he was really trying his best not to step on anyone's toes tonight.

"Howdy, Toriel. These are for you" he had said, holding another bunch of pristine flowers to her as she walked over. The same beautiful variety of colours he had seen decorating the trash can so often.

"Thank you, Asgore"

"Would you mind if I sat down?"

"No". She took the flowers from him before turning sharply to the kitchen. He could hear their wrappings crinkling harshly under her grip. "Kris? Asriel? Why don't you both take seats as well. I will bring the last of dinner over shortly"

He felt a hand on his back directing him to the table as Asriel shot him a sympathetic smile. Asgore took the seat closest to the door and Asriel scooched past him to take one adjacent to the wall. It was nice that they were tolerating each other for their sake but both brothers could already feel the tension already rising. Without his mother's humming, all he could hear now was their clock ticking and the chairs against the wood floor of the kitchen as Asgore pondered over what to say. Toriel took her place at the other end of the table from her ex-husband as Kris slid into the one opposite his brother.

"I expect it must be nice to have Asriel back, right Tori?" He asked once they had said grace as per Toriel's request. She flinched. Asgore, delicately cutting up a piece of turkey, didn't catch it. "Even if it means your cupboards might be a tad empty while he's home!"

"Do not call me that"

Kris looked further down as Asgore's head snapped to attention as he realised his error.

"Ah...I'm sorry"

"But, yes. It is nice to see you again, Asriel" she continued, almost ignoring his apology. The smile she offered him barely reached her eyes.

Asriel shifted in his seat. "Thanks, mom. It's good to be back"

"And Kris!" Asgore said, trying his hand at conversation again. "How are things going at school?"

Kris suddenly had the revelation that, aside from Susie, things had not been all that well at school for him. Missing an entire day's lessons and the fight sprang to his mind. He was briefly surprised he hadn't been informed but realised Toriel had probably kept it from him. At any rate, with the air thick in the room and everyone looking at him expectantly, he found his throat seizing up once again. It had been so long he was almost unused to the sensation. His head hung even lower as he mumbled something.

Asgore seemed to take the hint for once. "Well, I just want you to know, you can always tell your old dad"

"If Kris does not wish to speak of it, do not force him"

"Of course, I was just...Of course"

The soft clink of cutlery on china returned to the forefront. Kris's usual appetite had abandoned him as he poked aimlessly at his food. Even Asriel, who was the only one who could ever really rival him in the house, was sitting silently. Thankfully, he decided to speak, apparently aware he was the only one who could at this point.

"I think your cooking's gotten better mom!" he said, helping himself to a particularly large mouthful to embellish his point.

"Thank you, dear" she gushed, her mood leaving her for a moment at the praise. Asgore's smiled timidly returned.

"I must agree, this is a wonderful spread! It must be a nice change from university food, right Asriel?"

"Haha, true. It's nice not eating easy to make stuff all the time!"

Asgore searched for the right thing to continue with.

"I remember my days at university. Even with all the good friends I had, it's always nice to eat a meal as a family again"

That, apparently, had not been it.

Toriel's face grew dark like she was being backlit somehow. "Asgore, this is not a family anymore, you are here as a guest"

"I didn't mean it like that Tori, I ju-" he stammered.

"I told you not to call me that!" she yelled back at him.

"Mom, I'm sure he didn't-"

"Please, do not get involved with this, my son"

"Toriel, I was only trying to say-"

"I am tired of hearing what you 'try to say' when what you are actually saying is so plainly obvious!"

"Kris, wait!"

At the first sign of Toriel's heightened voice, Kris had slid from his chair and moved for the front door. He did not run initially. He just wanted to be away from the fight or at least to not be stuck literally in the middle but as her voice abruptly raised in intensity, he broke into a desperate dash as he had passed the threshold. Mediating, Asriel hadn't noticed immediately and with his back to the wall and stuck behind Asgore, by the time he had reached the door, Kris had vanished.

o - o - o - o - o

Susie hadn't gone home that day.

When Kris had left, she figured she would rather hang around the town instead. Her usual absences would've been noted and probably questioned and she honestly couldn't be bothered to deal with that right now. The last thing her father could be called was attentive but even he would've picked up her reappearance.

Her usual activities were proving irredeemably boring now though. Wandering around the town without Kris's company made it feel emptier than it was. Finding escapism without friends was difficult but she had done it before.

Hadn't she? It felt like a lifetime ago.

Leaning against the corner of an apartment complex, she kicked a pebble and watched as it spun into the street, landing near Undyne's car. It put to mind the time she had kicked MK's ball at it and prompted a thorough handball trashing for them by the insane fish lady. Her old 'hobby' of bullying, if it could be called that, barely filled any time before and was mostly done if the opportunity presented itself. She had never actively sought people out for it.

But she didn't do that anymore.

None of them had really noticed anyway. They were all just praying it wouldn't be them on the line whenever they saw her. It was mostly just a byproduct of her hanging around with Kris during and after school. She very rarely had any time left over after that. But there was another equally as good, if not better, reason. Judging by the fight Kris had gotten into instead of her, it was very clear that she had not one, but two easy to exploit weaknesses now.

As usual, the end result was all that Susie cared about, and she wasn't about to let Kris take the fall again for her mistakes. She slid another rock into position before her.

"Uh...Susie?"

Frowning, she pushed away from the wall and turned.

Standing in the low evening light was MK. Aside from the fact he was approaching her, nothing was particularly abnormal. He was wearing the same gold necklace and armless shirt with the pocket that she still couldn't figure out how he used. The absence of any damage to his face was different but other than that, nothing.

She didn't get it.

Still, she could practically feel Ralsei urging her to at least try and be nice, so she leaned back against the wall.

"Whadya want?"

"I-uh..."

She waited a good few seconds as he shuffled against the pavement.

"C'mon! Spit it out!"

He took a step back.

'Tch, can't even do that right'

"Whatever" she huffed, kicking off the wall again and walking into the street, "I got places to be"

"...It's Kris"

She froze right in the middle of the road. Thankfully, with how low the population of the town was, she couldn't even hear any cars nearby. Still, she knew Undyne would love to bust her for something.

MK trembled in place as she walked back over, coming to a stop directly in front of him before stepping back slightly as she remembered she wasn't trying to intimidate him.

"What about him?"

"H-he ran through town a while back. He s-seemed pretty upset about...something" MK looked upwards finally to meet her gaze and found that he could actually see her eyes for a change. What he found more intriguing was the concern so clearly engraved in them. His voice steadied. "I admit, I don't know Kris as well as I'd like to and he hasn't been talking to me a lot lately. But he talks to you...S-so I thought…"

It was weirdly humbling, Susie thought, that he had gone out of his way to find her. Especially given that she knew MK wasn't particularly fond of her. He had been very easy to mock after all. The insides of her pockets twisted as she rubbed the cool fabric between her fingers.

"That-" she murmured, trying not to cringe as even her voice made MK question his sanity in speaking to her. "That was good thinking"

"...Really?" he asked, disbelievingly. The awkward air of the conversation seemed to solidify between them.

"Yeah...Thanks"

"Uh...you're welcome?"

They stood for a moment before Susie remembered the point of their exchange.

"So...where is he?"

"Oh! Sorry! Last I saw he was running to the lake. You know, that bit with the picnic benches?"

She nodded. "Cool. Cya around then, I guess"

She began to walk off before he called after her again.

"Hey, Susie?"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning side on to him.

He looked like he was fighting against himself as he took a step closer to her.

"Listen, I know we don't get on much, but...Do you and Kris...maybe wanna hang out sometime? I saw Kris after school when you and he disappeared that whole day and he got kind of annoyed at me when I, uh...Well, I wasn't very nice about you, I guess" Her lack of visible expression made him reconsider himself as he fumbled out an explanation. "I-It's fine if you don't, obviously, but...He thinks you're okay, so…"

He trailed off, looking at the floor as Susie once again stood stock still on the fading white lines of the road. She turned her head away from him as she processed something.

"N-nevermind, it was-"

"Sure"

"H-huh?"

"I mean, that sounds...fine, I guess"

"Oh! Right, of course! Cya then!"

He jogged off until he rounded the corner of a building, leaving her to her thoughts.

The admission that he had badmouthed her was even weirder than his invitation. She wasn't displeased with either if she was honest with herself though. The 'I told you so' she was sure to get was going to be well worth it.

'Heh. Can't wait to see the look on Kris's face when-Shit!'

She spun on her heel and broke into a jog towards the lake as she remembered MK's message.

o - o - o - o - o

The lake was never a particularly popular destination, offering nought but a few benches and a view. The dropping temperatures made it increasingly empty as well, not to mention the often inclement weather. He passed a few residents through the town as he ran by that stopped and stared but inevitably did nothing as they carried on their way. The most they would ever do was tell Toriel of her odd son's odd behaviour again.

He hadn't bothered sitting at the picnic tables. The metal would only be more uncomfortable with the chill permeating the evening air. Instead, he had made his way to the stony shoreline and sat crossed legged, staring into the calm waters.

'At least it isn't raining'

He really should've known it wouldn't go well.

Kris fiddled with his jumper as his other arm rubbed a sleeve up to his face. His tears had left him midway through his run but he still let out a hiccup every now and again as he thought about it.

Neither one was truly at fault. Their approaches to each other after the divorce had always clashed and as far as Kris was concerned, they always would. Toriel couldn't let the past go and always had to address any fumble on Asgore's part. Meanwhile, he always pretended nothing was wrong to try and lighten the mood whilst unknowingly stepping on every faux pas he could.

It had always been like that. Only this time, he and Asriel weren't hiding in their room as he burrowed into his older brother's chest. Today, they were right in the middle.

The hand in his sweater curled into a fist.

'Running away in tears? How old am I again?'

In retrospect, he felt terrible for abandoning Asriel. His brother probably wasn't faring any better. He only really got through their older fights because he had Kris to console. He had taken his parents' words about being a support for Kris to heart from an early age, even when it was against those who had told him to in the first place. Being an adult, he actually had to deal with that situation now. He probably hated it.

'What is the point of having a shield if I can't even stay strong myself?'

Kris rested his chin against his knees as his eyes began watering again. He only hoped Asriel wouldn't think poorly of him for running away.

'Some hero I am...'

"Kris?"

He flinched.

Susie trudged down the rest of the way toward him, her boots crunching loudly against the stones beneath her. Kris wondered how on earth he didn't hear her before now.

She sat down on his right before grabbing a handful and chucking one into the lake.

"So, uh...what's going on?"

She let the question linger before she threw another, filling the silence with the sound of splashing.

"It's just that...You don't look...okay, really. That's why I'm..."

Sighing, she let the rest of the stones in her grip tumble out.

"Listen, you know I'm not too good at all this...feelings stuff"

She slowly looped an arm over his shoulder, making him twitch abruptly at the contact.

"But if you need to talk, I...I got nowhere else to be" At his continued silence, she began doubting her word choice. "Gah! That's not it! You always say it better…"

She was swiftly relieved of that notion as his fingers wrapped her own larger digits.

"You're not gonna leave?" Kris offered quietly, his voice hoarse and rasping. The edge of her mouth turned up in a sad smile.

"Yeah...that" she replied, gripping his arm a little tighter. When he responded in kind, Susie decided to be a bit bolder.

She brought her left leg back before swinging it around him before shifting herself so she was sat behind him. From there she rested her chin on his messy auburn locks as she wrapped her arms overtop his around his midsection. It didn't take long before she heard and felt his breathing hitch with a gasp before his convulsions lightly rocked her own form, but only after feeling the tell-tale tap of tears against her hands.

As large as she was, anyone approaching the lake from behind would only see her back without the slightest clue of the human quivering against her. Even from the front, they would have difficulty as her hair hung low in front of them like a curtain. A scaly wall from the world.

The sky darkened further as they both sat there, their combined shadow stretching further and further out into the lake. Susie hadn't felt the awkwardness of the silence once Kris had started crying mutely. She was well aware she wasn't as good with words as him was so if this was something she could do to comfort him then she was more than happy.

Susie realised she didn't even know what he was upset about yet, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly at the thought. If someone had hurt him…

Well, they had best hope Kris had a shred of mercy left in him because right now she was going to take Ralsei's advice on pacifism and shove it where the sun didn't shine.

Before following it with her boot.

Noticing his tremors had abated reasonably, she rolled a thumb down his ribs. "You good?"

He gazed timidly back up at her, nodding. His bangs parting to reveal the eyes he hid so well. He was still squinting from his emotional outburst but they were more clear than she thought possible.

Bright, sanguine irises gazed up at her. Impressive enough by themselves, they were framed with engorged blood vessels that made the rest of his eye look pink. She had seen pictures of other humans before. The biology class on them had at least been slightly interesting once she found out how powerful they could be. Maybe she hadn't been paying too much attention when Alphys was going over all the differences in their possible appearances but she didn't remember anything about red eyes.

"I think so"

"Good...that's...yeah"

He ducked his head back down once he realised what she was staring at before wriggling a little. Susie untangled herself and stood up, allowing him to do the same.

She cleared her throat. "So, you need me to pound someone for you?" She cracked her knuckles for effect with a toothy grin. "You know I'll do it"

Kris smiled weakly as he shook his head, brushing off a few stones sticking to his trousers.

"Just a family argument, that's all. Unless you want to beat up my parents?"

Susie laughed half-heartedly, dusting herself off as well.

"Aaaaaaaaand, let's go with no. Your mom is pretty scary, man"

Kris hummed in mock agreement. "Scarier than dad anyway"

She cocked her head. "Don't think I've met your dad actually"

"He runs the flower shop. Nice guy" He paused. "Bad at...talking" he added.

She smirked. "So, like you then?"

"S-shut up" Kris snorted, wiping his nose with a sleeve.

She laughed a little before looking over the lake again. Their shadows were well and truly blending into the low light now, and looked like they were about to disappear completely. She frowned.

"You gonna be okay to go home? It's getting pretty dark. I'd say you could hang out with me at my place but I don't think that's such a good idea either"

Kris furrowed his brow at that but thought it better not to pry.

"Yeah. I think so"

She patted him on the back "Cool. Lemme walk you back at least"

o - o - o - o - o

Their trip back wasn't filled with any more words. Both were too busy in their own heads to disturb the other.

It was funny really. Susie had always thought a boyfriend had been off the table for her given how poorly she performed at just making friends. Even if it did happen, she never would've imagined someone like Kris would've even made her short list. Now that he held that position though, the idea of anyone else filling it was laughable.

Having said that, she was on her way to making another friend if her conversation with MK was anything to go by. A conversation that likely never would have happened if Kris hadn't become a part of her life.

She snuck a glance down at her companion and upon seeing the tiny smile embedded into his face, faced forward again with one of her own.

Kris was just happy with the proximity. He wasn't one for public affection either and so he hardly minded the lack of contact and talking. If anything he was happy that Susie never pressured him to talk when he didn't want to. It was one of the small advantages she had over Asriel. He was always doing something and bringing him along like his silence was something to be fixed.

Neither was he worried about facing his family again. Asgore had either left and he'd see them separately tomorrow or they must have cooled down since he had vanished. Toriel was always the angrier one and worrying over her children was something he could always trust to win out over her irritation with her former husband.

Susie only broke the reverie as they finally approached the long driveway to his home.

"Hey, Kris?"

"Yeah?"

"Your eyes are pretty cool"

Kris became aware of how red he was as soon as she started laughing before commenting that at least now they matched his cheeks. Punching her in the shoulder only made her laugh harder as she made her own way home.

He waved her off as he trudged back to his house, the lights illuminating all three figures inside.