Toriel's claws tapped anxiously against the windowsill as she stared out at the path across the road that led to Newer Home's park. With the sun sinking just above the horizon, she knew that any moment now, Frisk would appear there on their way home, back at last from a weekend of fun and games. Usually she'd be waiting for them like this with joyful anticipation, excited to see her dear child, hug them tight and hear all about the good times they'd had. But to her deepest shame, she found her soul was instead thouroughly chilled with dread.
She took a slow, deep breath, reminding herself of the steps she'd taken to ensure this went as smoothly as possible. There was a freshly baked butterscotch cinnamon pie sitting on the kitchen counter behind her, something to immediately get the children's attention and assure them of normalcy as soon as they arrived. Sans was asleep on the couch at her suggestion, both to supplement their ruse of him being sick, as well as just letting him rest after being awake since the previous evening. Convincing him to take a nap before Frisk got back had been the easiest of the tasks surely.
She would have rather let him rest in her room again, in a proper bed. But that would have prompted some... inopportune questions from the others that she'd rather not deal with. And with his own room too much of a disaster for her liking, the couch it was then.
Sans was a pro at this, so she had little fear of him being the one to stir any real suspicion, even in his still somewhat unstable state. No, in the end it all came down to her. Everything from the outset appeared normal, all the pieces were in place. All she had to do was act like her usual self and not blow it.
Just…. relax… focus…
There was not nearly enough time to truly accomplish either of those things before Frisk abruptly stepped into view outside. Her soul seized up briefly before she forced herself to appear calm again, putting on a smile in case they saw her in the window. Her child was happily walking alongside Kid, hand in hand, er… tail. Flowey was poking out from the overnight bag slung over their other shoulder, watching the other children with his usual scowl.
It was a picture of normalcy, and a sight that should be bringing her joy. Instead she had to concentrate in order to keep herself from shuddering. Frisk looked so happy… but she couldn't help but think of those sweet brown eyes flashing a chilling, cruel red. Looking at Flowey stirred similar feelings that she had to willingly fight back, not as personal but just as unnerving.
Those feelings only grew worse when her child inevitably met her eyes from afar. There was a beat before she could move, but then she managed to raise her paw and give a, hopefully, convincing wave.
Frisk's smile widened and they increased their pace in response, prompting Kid to run faster as well to keep up. They engaged in a friendly race of sorts, though their grip on each other kept them essentially even the whole time. Even through the glass of the window, she could hear Flowey's loud, irritated protests as they all drew near.
She dug deep and drew one last steadying breath before the door flung open.
(Hi Mom! We're back!) Frisk signed once they had freed both their hands and hurried to stand in front of her.
"Yo! Hi Ms. Toriel!" Kid said at the same time, tail practically wagging behind them.
Flowey said nothing, just continued grumbling from being bounced around in the bag so much.
Toriel maintained her smile, finding the children's familiar behavior helped keep her nerves at bay for the moment.
"Oh hello my child." She said, leaning down and enveloping Frisk in a hug. "I have missed you dear, I take it you had a good time?"
Frisk nodded against her shoulder, returning the hug eagerly. She prayed they didn't detect any of the unease in her soul for the few moments they remained wrapped in the embrace. All she could feel from their powerful soul was love and joy, and it only made the guilt within her worsen.
Sans' advice on getting through this came back to her then.
"just detach yourself from what's happening." He'd told her hours before. "clear your mind, go through the motions, say what you need to and disengage. don't let all this stuff make you hesitate or ask anything you wouldn't usually. at least until we can gauge if the kid is suspicious or not."
Ugh, his way of handling things was easier said than done. How was she meant to detach from this? Oh dear, was she letting this hug go on too long? She carefully let go, relieved to see Frisk was still smiling up at her warmly. They lifted their hands to sign to her.
(Kid walked me home, they had such a cool party! But I missed you too mom, happy to be back. I'm all partied out)
She watched them form the words with a smile, always impressed at how adept the human had become with skill after taking it up once they'd arrived on the surface. Once they'd finished, she turned her gaze to Kid.
"Well thank you so much Kid, I greatly appreciate it. What a wonderful friend you are." She said, patting the monster child's scaly head.
They blushed a bit and casually waved their tail in response.
"Oh shucks yo, Frisk's the best! It's no prob for me!" They declared, puffing up their chest. "But uh, if you want to give me extra credit for this Ms. Toriel, that'd be pretty cool yo!"
Toriel laughed softly at that, but then cleared her throat and feigned her strict "teacher-face."
"No Kid, I am sorry, you will still have to complete the extra credit assignment like everyone else for that." She said, wagging a finger in a practiced motion.
She paused for effect before bringing her paws together with another gentle smile.
"But! I have something else here you can have for all your trouble."
Frisk and Kid both sniffed the air a few times and their smiles lit up even more.
(You made pie?) Frisk asked, hands forming the question quickly.
Toriel nodded, a soft giggle escaping her as the children looked up at her with shining eyes in response. Even Flowey had a small hint of piqued interest in his beady eyes.
"You may all have a slice, of course. Please do have a treat with us before you go Kid." She offered, stepping aside so the children could see the pie on the counter behind her.
"Yo thanks Ms. Toriel! Don't tell my parents I'm having dessert this late!" Kid exclaimed, rushing towards it with their tongue poking out past their exposed fangs.
Frisk mirrored their gratitude with a quick movement of their hands before following suit. Flowey said nothing, but had his eyes firmly locked on the pie as well. The human child set the flower monster's pot on the table before they carefully scooped out slices for their notably armless friends. Toriel had already pre-cut the pie in advance… mostly to avoid any chance of Frisk picking up a knife. She wasn't sure she could keep her cool if that image from her nightmare entered her reality...
As the children sat down at the table to enjoy the pie, she moved to stand behind them, casting an anxious glance towards the living room. She wondered if Sans was awake and hearing any of this. She sincerely hoped he continued to sleep, for a multitude of reasons. It was Flowey who caught her gesture and spoke up, surprising her a bit.
"Where's the smiley trash bag?" He grumbled up at her through a mouthful of food. "Figured he'd be in on this and have rigged all the chairs with whoopee cushions or something else stupid like that..."
Again there was a beat where unease spiked in her soul, but she managed to keep her smile in place and reply.
"That is actually what else I wished to talk to you both about." She said, glancing between Frisk and Flowey.
Both of them looked up at her with mild curiosity, Kid just continued happily digging into his pie. This was it, she had to make this convincing.
"Sans is not feeling well, he seems to have caught some sort of bug... He was very feverish last night and had a bit of a fall. He cracked his skull a little. But he is okay, do not worry. I have been looking after him, he still needs to rest though, so do try to keep quiet. He is sleeping in the living room right now."
She held her breath as she waited to see how they'd take the information, searching both their eyes for any sign of suspicion. There was none, Frisk's expression immediately shifted into concern and Flowey, amusement.
"Ha!" The flower monster laughed, spitting a few crumbs across the table. "What an idiot! Oh I can't wait to see that!"
His insensitivity did not surprise anyone present, all quite used to his usual behavior. Still, Toriel did cross her arms and give him a stern look, which made him cower just a bit.
"Flowey, what have I said about being needlessly rude? Please apologize or else I will have to take away your gaming privileges." She said.
Flowey groaned, glaring daggers up at her and lowering in his pot.
"Fiiiiine. Sorry, whatever." He grumbled, turning from her to lean down for another bite of pie.
For any other child, that kind of apology would not be acceptable to her, but Flowey was a special case. He clearly had some serious issues, and now she had some idea as to why… regardless, he was a child who needed special care. The fact he had listened to her and offered an apology at all was significant, no matter how insincere.
"Thank you Flowey, you are forgiven." She replied, giving the flower monster a pat on the head and lightly ruffling his petals.
He let out a hiss at her, but she paid it no mind. It had become clear over time that the flower monster's bark was worse than his bite. She turned back to Frisk so she could see what they wished to say on the matter.
(Poor Sans, he did seem to be acting kinda weird when I texted him last night.) Frisk signed, frowning. (Did you tell Papyrus?)
She nodded in response to their question, feeling relief and a twinge of guilt at their unquestioning trust.
"Yes, Sans called Papyrus a few hours ago. He was understandably worried of course, but we convinced him to stay and enjoy his last day of vacation. He will be here a little later tonight."
Monster Kid perked up at the mention of their idol, eyes sparkling as they licked their lips of lingering pie crumbs.
"Yo, I can't wait to see Papyrus at the school tomorrow!" They exclaimed, tail wagging in their chair. "He said he'd give me a matching scarf just like his for a late birthday present! I'm so excited! It will totally look great with the poncho you made for me Ms. Toriel!"
She smiled in response, but raised a finger to her lips to remind them to be quiet. They quickly clamped their mouth shut and deflated a bit with a sheepish look on their face.
"Oh yah… sorry Ms. Toriel, being sick is the worst, I hope your boyfriend feels better soon yo." They said in a softer voice.
Her breath caught in her throat in response to that, eyes widening. She was not prepared for that at all. Her face began to burn and she had to fight to gain back her composure.
"N-now Kid dear, Sans is not my…"She stuttered but paused when they looked at her with genuine confusion.
"Huh? But Frisk said-" The monster child's words were abruptly cut off as the human child in question covered their mouth with a nervous grin.
It didn't take her long to piece together what had happened here. She shot her child a flat look and raised a brow at them. Flowey speaking up quickly drew her attention to him though.
"Blech! don't talk about that. You're ruining my appetite. Disgusting." He said, sticking out his tongue and glaring at Toriel with a repulsed expression.
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in mild exasperation. Why Flowey often felt the need to weigh in on her personal relationships, she didn't know. Even if he did just like to find things to say to antagonize others, why would he care about that in particular? She willed herself to abandon the thought and return to her usual calmness with a deep sigh.
"Never mind it, just enjoy your pie children. I am going to go check on him." She said, managing to get a smile back on her face. "Will you be okay getting home by yourself Kid?"
The monster child nodded enthusiastically in response to the question, puffing up again in a manner she now realized was an attempt to imitate Papyrus.
"Of course yo! I know the way like the back of my tail. Nyeh heh heh!" They shot back, with just as much excitement but in a mindfully low voice.
She offered a soft chuckle in reply and turned to head towards the living room, speaking to them over her shoulder as she walked.
"Very well, but please text Frisk when you get there so we know you arrived safely." She said.
"Okay teach, you got it yo." Came their reply, prompting her to offer a nod of acknowledgment before directing her gaze back to the living room.
She left the children behind for the moment, hearing Flowey draw them all into a conversation about something that had happened at the party. Apparently he was quite displeased about the sleeping arrangements. Or something like that, in truth she no longer could find it in herself to focus on what any of them were saying.
Ducking into the living room, she pressed herself against the wall out of view and finally let her false smile fall, laying her head in her paws. Stars… that had been seriously difficult, and far more draining than she expected. Was this part of why Sans was so tired all the time? It was going to take a lot out of her to keep this up.
At least everything was going smoothly so far. None of the children seemed to suspect that she was acting unlike herself. If she could manage to keep it that way, things should be okay… surely. She remained there like that for a while, breathing deeply and reigning in all the uneasy emotions flowing from her soul. Eventually, she did let her paws fall again and directed her gaze to the small form of Sans on the couch.
He was lying curled on his side, skull resting on a pillow set against the arm of the couch with the rest of him nestled under a thick throw blanket. The water bottle and the waste basket from the previous night had been set in place near him again, this time only there to add to the believability of their ruse. He was facing towards the back of the couch, so she couldn't see if he was awake or not. If he was, he was doing a stellar job feigning sleep, lying still and occasionally letting out soft rhythmic snores. She felt a little calmer just from watching him.
More at ease, she crossed the room and sat beside him on the couch. She tucked his blanket in around him a bit where one of his socked feet had slipped out and leaned over to get a closer look at him. Now she was certain he was really asleep, with how his sockets were closed and how he showed no sign of acknowledging her presence at all. She could hardly blame him, part of her wanted to collapse and sleep there right alongside him. But she, of course, resisted, and felt a bit flustered by the thought at that.
The scar on his skull was still starkly visible, even after she had done another treatment on it hours before. It was fading as she expected, but with the severity of his injury due to his inherent weakness, it would take some time for it to disappear completely. Her thoughts also directed themselves to another scar she knew he carried, drawing her eyes to look at his chest. Her own phantom injuries began to prickle with pain as she did so.
"No, don't think about it…" she reminded herself, and forced her eyes away, but left a paw resting lightly on his side.
Some time passed that way, as she gently ran her paw over his sleeping form and tried to organize her thoughts again. She vaguely heard Kid say goodbye from the kitchen and the sound of the front door shutting. But she was still rather unprepared to see Frisk enter the room shortly after, carrying Flowey's pot in their arms. She managed to meet their eyes without flinching though and shot them both a sad smile. The flower monster regarded Sans with an amused grin, while Frisk continued to look sympathetic and sad.
"Golly, he does look like garbage." Flowey said with a smirk, still conceding in keeping his voice down though.
Frisk frowned down at him and signed something with one hand that she didn't quite catch, but it made Flowey grumble and roll his eyes. The human child then faced Toriel again, directing their hand motions at her.
(Gonna take Flowey and my stuff to our room, be right back) They signed before heading for the hallway.
She gave them a nod of acknowledgement, still subconsciously stroking the sleeping skeleton all the while. It didn't take her child long to return, now without the flower monster or their overnight bag to worry about. They approached her cautiously, and she did everything in her power to keep from letting the anxiety in her soul show on her face.
(How is he?) They asked, brown eyes sweeping over his sleeping form.
Toriel sighed softly, looking back at Sans for a moment.
"He is okay dear, just still a little under the weather. He will be alright." She assured them softly, the lie burning a bit on her tongue.
Frisk blinked at her then looked back at Sans with a deeper frown. After a moment, they drew closer and laid one of their small hands on his side alongside Toriel's paw. The action made her internally flinch, the idea of them touching him at all making her uneasy, but touching him so near where the terrible scar that they'd given him was…
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm and not do anything. They gave Sans a light stroke too, but something in the skeleton's mind seemed to register a difference between the human child's touch and Toriel's. And it was a difference it did not like.
Sans stiffened visibly under their touch, beginning to then slowly stir from sleep. Frisk pulled their hand back with a hint of guilt in their eyes, briefly shooting an apologetic glance in Toriel's direction. She kept her focus on Sans, feeling her soul seize up inside her as she wondered how he would take waking up to see Frisk right there beside him.
He groaned softly and shifted in place before his sockets began to ease open. It took a few blinks for him to summon up his eyelights and he stretched a bit as he did so, bones popping audibly in a few places. Only then did he turn his skull and look up at her.
"tori…?" He rasped, weakly stifling a yawn.
She nodded and did what she could to motion with her eyes at Frisk, giving his side a light squeeze as she did so. He blinked again, then his eyelights shrank slightly as realization set in through the haze of drowsiness. He gave her a look that told her he understood, stirring some level of relief in her soul.
"Yes dear, it is I, Toriel. Frisk is back now too. Sorry if we woke you. How are you feeling?" She asked, giving his side another gentle rub.
A wheeze of a chuckle escaped him, sounding appropriately hoarse.
"never better…" He croaked out sarcastically, rolling over to face the child after a brief period of hesitation.
Frisk met the skeleton's eyelights and Toriel was surprised to see him look back without any visible nervousness.
"hey kiddo…" He wheezed softly. "good to see ya back."
The child tilted their head a bit, taking in his dire appearance. Toriel found herself doing the same, marveling at his stellar acting ability. He really did look terrible… If she wasn't in on the lie, she would have likely been fooled herself. Frisk took a step towards him, eyes still shining apologetically.
(Hi Sans, sorry that I woke you up, and sorry you don't feel good.) They signed, a touch nervously.
The skeleton watched them form the words and then sluggishly pushed himself up into a sitting position with Toriel's help. He settled back against the pillow before replying.
"don't worry bout it, it's my own dumb fault for not taking care of myself. i'll be fine. your mom made sure of that."
He shot her a look as he said that last part, and she understood it as a subtle thanks for everything, his way of giving her credit for all she'd done. A soft, true smile graced her face in response and she couldn't seem to keep some heat from rising to her cheeks. She was eternally grateful that her fur kept it hidden from her child. Frisk's expression did shift into more of a smile at that though.
(What do you have, you think?) They asked after a bit, glancing at the waste basket. (Did you throw up? The flu made me throw up a lot… it's not the flu is it?)
Sans grimaced a bit, letting out an awkward chuckle.
"well uh… ill spare you the details kiddo, but yah... it wasn't pretty. it's probably not the flu though, most likely just a bug. shouldn't take too long to pass. and it shouldn' be contagious or anything now."
The weary and hoarse explanation prompted a small nod from Frisk, who took his last few words as an okay to crawl up onto the couch and join them. Toriel almost wanted to say something to stop them, but a reassuring look from Sans told her he was okay with it… more or less. She trusted him, focusing on keeping her own nerves under control.
He gave his lap a pat and the child happily crawled into it, giving him a mindfully gentle hug before settling in place. The skeleton ruffled the child's brown hair affectionately, prompting a quiet giggle from them. They then turned a bit and reached up to gingerly touch his skull, eyes glued on the scar there. She could see a few beads of sweat forming, but he kept his casual expression in place.
(You don't feel hot. That's good.) The child signed once they pulled their hands back. (must mean your fever's broken.)
Toriel shifted closer to the two and lightly patted Frisk's head, impressed by their understanding of that.
"That is right Frisk! Looks like someone was paying attention in last month's lesson." She praised them.
"you're right t." Sans rasped in agreement. "i've determined that this kiddo here is a real smart cookie."
The child's smile grew further and their soul radiated warmth from all the praise and attention. They shot them both a somewhat shy, thankful look. Their attention was still fixed on Sans though and they quickly moved their hands to form another question.
(You got hurt because you fell right? What happened?) They asked him, and Toriel's nervousness returned in a flash.
Sans seemed to remain calm though, only his unsteady eyelights and the sweat drops on his skull displaying his unease. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders.
"eh, the fever had me really dizzy and i stood up too quickly. kinda... blacked out and smacked my skull on the floor. and with my hp like it is, it really cracked me up." He said with surprisingly confidence, weak grin widening at the last part.
Damn he was good at this. He sounded a hundred times more convincing than she had. Frisk seemed to be believing him too, pouting a bit at his joke downplaying the seriousness of the scar. The frown on their face remained as they continue to stare at it, lifting their hands to sign again after a few moments.
(Does it hurt?) They asked, still staring intently.
The question brought back more memories of the previous night, where she had been the one to ask that same question about another, far more terrible scar. She had to will herself to push them back, worried the stress from them would begin to show on her face.
Sans shook his head in response to their question, shooting them another wide grin.
"nah, not at all. tori patched me up real good kiddo. it'll go away in a week or so." He assured them, still feigning a rather strained voice.
Frisk continued to stare for a while longer but then nodded, more to themself it seemed, and snuggled back up against the skeleton. He looked down at them with a somewhat conflicted grin, but wrapped an arm gently around them in return. A few more beads of sweat dripped down his skull, and Toriel shot him a sympathetic look. She felt the need to give him an out to this situation.
"Frisk my child, how about you come sit with me instead? Sans needs to rest dear." She reminded them gently.
Sans gave the kid's head another pat, quick to agree with her.
"yah c'mon kiddo, wouldn't your mom's lap be more comfortable? i'm all, heh, bare bones."
There was a pause where the child didn't move, only shot Toriel a slightly apologetic look then turned to press their face against Sans' hoodie. Then both were surprised to suddenly hear them speak aloud.
"W-want to stay here with you… for a wh-while… please." They croaked, voice weak from disuse.
Toriel felt her soul practically leap inside her. Her child so rarely chose to speak using their voice. It wasn't that they couldn't talk, it just took a lot out of them and usually caused them a great deal of stress. They found it far easier to communicate using sign language and had become adept at it mere months after arriving on the surface. She remembered well how happy they'd been when everyone agreed to learn it in order to accommodate them, even the usually bitter and callous Flowey. For them to talk now must mean the request was deeply important to them in some way.
The gravity of this wasn't lost on Sans, who relented with a soft, shaky sigh and slowly closed his arms around the child.
"alright kiddo…" he rasped, settling back against the pillow behind him.
She could practically see the thoughts racing through his skull, before he seemed to settle on something and his smile loosened up again.
"how bout this? you can sit here with me and all of us will watch two or three episodes of that one show you like. the one with the uh…human kid with the pink crystal in his belly. then you head off to bed. since its a school night and all… if that's alright with tori of course."
He said that last part with a glance at Toriel, who quickly worked up a stronger smile on her face and nodded.
"That is fine with me dear, so long as you both are fine with me doing this."
With that, she reached over and scooped up both of them with ease, lifting the pair into her lap and wrapping her own arms snugly around them. Frisk seemed more than happy with the compromise, giggling softly as she leaned down to give them a nuzzle on the cheek. Sans gave a warm chuckle in response as well, devolving into a few, likely fake, coughs before he could speak again.
"well look at that kiddo, you have entered hug-ception." He wheezed, settling gratefully against Toriel's chest.
The wordplay prompted both her and Frisk to laugh once more and there was a moment where all three of their souls swelled with warm emotions. She was almost able to forget all her reservations about the situation. It all seemed so normal and their lie had gone successfully undetected so far. It was almost enough to let her relax, but that small twinge of fear still kept her just a bit on edge.
Frisk readjusted in order to face the TV as Sans used his magic to levitate the remote off the table and into their hands. He appeared to make a show of making it seem to be more difficult for him than usual, though there was a chance his unstable state was legitimately affecting him. Frisk thanked him with a small nod before switching on the TV and navigating to where they could play the recorded episodes of all the shows they enjoyed.
The three of them watched the cartoon for a while after that, the two adults doing their best to keep their secret stress under wraps. Toriel tried to focus on the show, and it was certainly charming, but she wasn't sure she understood what was going on. Something about the gem boy saving a blue alien from a spaceship and two other small aliens fusing into one big one? The big one also had a great singing voice, especially considering she was singing while fighting, Toriel wasn't sure she could accomplish that.
Even if she didn't totally get what she was watching, it was clear why Frisk enjoyed the show. The main character's proclivity towards kindness and acts of mercy being an obvious relatable draw for them. At least… a draw for them now.
It took a lot to suppress the shudder that wished to affect her as everything she'd learned over the past few days came rushing back. The show on the TV in front of her faded to a blur of color and noise for a while as she again worked to calm herself, thankful for the distraction keeping her child's mind occupied. Sans gave her a weary look, seeming to pick up on her shift in emotions. He freed a hand to give her arm a gentle squeeze. His show of understanding reminded her again that she wasn't alone in this, and it helped bring some peace back to her soul.
She felt the urge in that moment to lean down and give him an appreciative nuzzle. But with Frisk right there, she quickly banished the thought and realized she had become perhaps too comfortable with such displays of affection. She settled for shooting him a warm smile instead, trying to keep her sudden flustered feelings under wraps. The trio went back to watching the show for some time, all enjoying whether they were able to follow the plot or not. Toriel could also hear the distant sound of Flowey shouting, clearly getting quite into whatever video game he was playing in his and Frisk's shared room.
The games were typically far too violent for her taste, but they did seem to be a viable way for him to get out the anger and other violent emotions that he seemed to struggle with. So she had eventually begrudgingly allowed them. Sans and Frisk occasionally played video games together too, thankfully less… graphic ones. They especially seemed to enjoy the ones with the Pocket Monsters and the... Super Smashing Brothers? Something like that. Papyrus typically wasn't interested in such things, aside from a few puzzle games he had on his phone.
Toriel herself usually found them a bit too much for her, but she had, rather embarrassingly, once become quite addicted to one before, a few months into their new life on the surface. It was a simple game Frisk had gifted her about running a village of animals, building houses, catching fish, collecting furniture and, most appealing to her, catching bugs. She had eventually had to force herself to step away from it when she caught herself playing it even during her lunch breaks at work. Though during some of those nights of dreadful insomnia, there may have been a few times where she indulged herself with it again.
Her musing continued for a while, thoughts drifting from one mundane topic to another to keep from focusing on anything that would further her stress. Sans was clearly trying his best not to drift back into sleep, watching the show on TV through half-lidded sockets and hazy eyelights. Frisk just eagerly watched the show, occasionally letting out a soft giggle at some of the more humorous scenes. The atmosphere was eventually broken abruptly by the sound of screeching tires in the driveway outside. All of them turned to look in that direction, until Sans spoke up and drew their attention to him instead.
"welp, you two might wanna let me go now." He rasped, a touch nervously. "i gotta feeling… hurricane pap is about to make landfall."
Toriel and Frisk both blinked at him in confusion, before the sound of of the front door swinging open with great force wrenched both of their gazes in that direction once more. Sans did not turn to look, clearly knowing all too well what was coming.
"SAAAANS?!" The unmistakable voice of Papyrus all but screeched, high with desperate worry.
Toriel couldn't see him from where she was, but for the brief moment it took her to recognize the voice, the skeleton had already barreled into the living room, skidding slightly on the hardwood floor. She only had a moment to take in the sight of him. He was wearing a sunset colored t-shirt stretched over his battle body that displayed the words "Beach Dude" on it, as well as a shell necklace that hung around his neck atop his scarf. His massive backpack from before was still hefted onto his shoulders. It looked even more overstuffed than before, no doubt from the many souvenirs he had certainly brought back with him.
His skull swung in their direction, taking in the scene in mere seconds. She seemed to have even less time than that to pull Frisk off of Sans and into her lap before Papyrus had rushed over to them and whisked Sans up into his arms. The younger skeleton embraced his older brother tightly, frantically beginning to babble out his obvious concerns.
"SANS, OH GOODNESS, OH GOODNESS, PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE OKAY! I AM SO SORRY I LEFT! I KNEW YOU SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE AND NOW YOU ARE SICK AND YOU'VE INJURED YOURSELF AND AND AN-"
"pap… easy... i-it's okay..." Sans croaked, voice even quieter than usual.
Even with how soft the reply had been, it was enough to make Papyrus cease his rambling and relax by degrees. He sniffed a bit, perhaps fighting back tears and trying to regain his usual bravado. Sans only slowly returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck and wearily pressing his face into his scarf. Toriel thought she saw him tremble a bit, and she wasn't fully sure It was part of his acting. It was only then Papyrus really seemed to notice her and Frisk sitting on the couch in front of him. She offered him a slightly awkward smile and a little wave. Frisk did the same, as well as signed something up to the tall skeleton.
"S-SORRY FRISK, MS. TORIEL… THAT WAS QUITE RUDE OF ME… I-I JUST..." He stammered, stopping when she shook her head in response.
"It is alright my friend, we understand. It is good to see you back." She assured him, feeling a twinge of relief when Frisk nodded in agreement with her.
Papyrus shot them both a small, thankful smile before returning all his attention to Sans. Toriel could only watch as the conversation unfolded before her, feeling her nerves grip her soul ever tighter as it went on.
"BROTHER LET ME LOOK AT YOU..." Papyrus said in a more controlled tone, gently prying his brother off of him and holding him out at arm's length.
Sans allowed this, offering a weak grin as his younger brother carefully looked him over as though he were some malfunctioning component in one of the younger skeleton's old puzzles. His gaze was inevitably drawn mostly to the scar on Sans' skull and Toriel could see it was causing distress to flare up in him. There were clearly a million things he wanted to say, but he kept his jaw tightly clenched for a good while. Eventually he released all the breath he had apparently been holding with a sigh.
"YOU LOOK TERRIBLE…" He said sadly, stiff posture deflating a bit. "AND I DON'T SAY THAT TO BE MEAN BROTHER."
Sans gave a low, hoarse chuckle and his grin widened.
"yah… i know bro…"
Papyrus' frown deepened, and he cleared his metaphorical throat before going on in a more stern torn.
YOUR MESSAGE DIDN'T PROPERLY CONVEY THE SEVERITY OF YOUR CONDITION AT ALL! JUST HOW SICK ARE YOU SANS? AND HOW DID YOU END UP FALLING? THAT ISN'T LIKE YOU AT ALL!"
The older skeleton met his younger brother's questions with a long, weary sigh, really playing up just how awful he was pretending to, or perhaps really did, feel. But then he managed to recount to Papyrus their carefully planned explanations for all that had happened, telling him the same fabrications that he had just told Frisk. To Toriel's immense relief, she saw no real suspicion on the younger skeleton's face, just concern that he was clearly struggling not to let overwhelm him again. She could only imagine how utterly devastated and panicked Papyrus would be if he knew the truth.
Once Sans had finished talking, Papyrus just stared at him for a bit with a terribly sad expression. Then, he seemed to realize how exhausted and rather uncomfortable his brother looked, still dangling there by his arms. He carefully pulled him in close again and went to sit on the couch next to Toriel and Frisk, finally seeming to, mostly, relax. Sans glanced up at the younger skeleton gratefully, before starting to ease his sockets shut. Papyrus speaking up caused them to flutter open again though.
"S-SORRY BROTHER, IF MY PANICKED BEHAVIOR HAS WORSENED ANY OF YOUR AILMENTS AT ALL…" He apologized, in an uncharacteristically uncertain tone.
Sans gave him a pat, forcing himself out of his near dozing in order to speak to him more clearly.
"don't worry bout it bro, i'm okay, just a little rattled, heh."
With that, Toriel couldn't help but feel like she was intruding a little. The brothers probably needed to talk things out amongst themselves, not to mention Sans was now having to keep up his act with both the monster and the human he was most worried about watching him closely. She could at least make the situation easier for him by making it so he only had to focus on Papyrus. Settling on that thought, she gathered Frisk more properly in her arms and carefully got up from the couch. Both skeleton brothers looked up at her as she did so, momentarily distracted from their conversation.
"Do not mind me." She said, willing up a convincing smile. "You two should catch up for a while. I am going to put Frisk to bed, and then probably turn in for the night. I have an early start at the school tomorrow after all. Let me know if either of you need anything. I expect to hear more details of your trip tomorrow though, my friend."
Papyrus' expression lit up at that, and there was a flash of understanding that passed between the two. Sans though, had only a slightly noticeable uneasy look on his face, and she didn't have to guess why. The two of them had grown so much closer during these few short days, they'd spent all that time in each other's presence, able to be open and rely on each other in a way they never had before. They had both grown comfortable with it. For them to suddenly return so abruptly to their normal routines, their normal lives, after all that… She was sure that if one looked closely, they'd see a similar sadness and uncertainty in her eyes too.
"MOST CERTAINLY MS. TORIEL! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!" Papyrus' replied in a far more chipper tone, breaking her from her musing.
She offered a somewhat weak smile in reply before her gaze inevitably met Sans' again, feeling like she had to say something.
"Be sure to… get some rest Sans. And sleep in as much as you wish tomorrow, I have already called you in a sick day at the school. That new hire agreed to cover your shifts... "
She trailed off briefly, feeling emotions swirling fiercely about within her soul, but knowing if she voiced them, they would come off as… suspect. So she settled for repeating herself.
"If you start feeling badly again… do not hesitate to let me know, okay?" She asked, softer than before.
She could tell the true meaning of the words had been communicated, that same warring of emotions was briefly visible in the lights of his eyes. But then they softened, and he seemed to relax a bit more before giving a small nod.
"yah… sure tori… thanks." He rasped, equally quiet in his response.
It was the prompting she needed to leave the room without too much worry for him. She turned to do so, but a gentle tug on her dress pulled her attention back down to Frisk. They didn't have to sign anything for her to realize what they wanted.
"Oh, my apologies my child." She replied, turning back to face the brothers again and kneeling down so that Frisk was directly in front of them. "Go on and say goodnight."
Frisk reached out towards them and was quickly reciprocated with two sets of bony hugs in return, lingering for a bit before they were released.
"GOODNIGHT FRISK! SLEEP WELL! WE WILL TALK MORE TOMORROW OKAY? OH! AND I'LL HAVE YOUR SOUVENIR WAITING FOR YOU ONCE YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL. NYEH HEH HEH!"
"night kiddo, sleep tight."
Both their responses practically came in unison, the younger skeleton's voice nearly totally drowning out the older. It was an amusing cacophony that made Frisk laugh lightly again before signing out their own goodnight messages to each of them. Toriel couldn't make it the words exactly from her position, but they brightened the smiles on both skeleton's faces. Before could attempt to stand up again though, Papyrus spoke up again, eye sockets sparkling all of a sudden.
"OH! BEFORE YOU GO MS. TORIEL, MAY I HAVE A GOODNIGHT KISS?" He asked in his usual happy tone, but one that seemed to be hiding something, much like the tone he'd used during his phone call two nights ago.
It was a request that made a small giggle escape her. He hadn't asked her to do that for a while. Back when they'd first arrived on the surface, he'd saw that she did that for Frisk and he'd been eager to ask her for one too. Perhaps it was something about skeletons not being able to kiss that made receiving one so appealing to him. She wasn't sure. Oh that Papyrus, he could be such an enigma to her at times, maybe it was a family trait. Nonetheless, she was happy to oblige him.
"Very well." She said warmly, before leaning down to give him a peck on the forehead. "Goodnight, my friend."
Papyrus gave a pleased chuckle, before his expression shifted into something a bit more mischievous. She was surprised to hear Frisk give a suspicious giggle as well.
"WELL, AREN'T YOU GOING TO GIVE SANS ONE TOO?" He asked, playfully raising a brow ridge at her.
That question made her freeze up like she had with Kid, and her gaze locked with Sans' by instinct. He certainly mirrored her reaction, eyelights shrinking and grin going stiff. Suddenly it became clear what had just happened. This had been a trap, and she had played right into it.
Now they were all staring at her, waiting for her response. There was no easy way out of this. If she refused that would only be more suspicious. But if she went through with it… it was probably going to obvious that kissing him, even like this, was… different for her. Oh stars, she needed to get a hold of herself. It was just a friendly gesture that she did for all members of her family, nothing more. The best way to counter this little game from Frisk and Papyrus was to just do it, but show no sign of it having any deeper meaning to her. She could manage that, even if sight of the poorly restrained blush on Sans' face was making it difficult to focus.
Before he could start stuttering out something that would likely only make the situation worse, she spoke up.
"Alright then." She replied, doing all she could to appear unphased by the request.
And with that, she leaned down again and lightly kissed him between the eye sockets, letting it linger only a moment before she pulled away.
"Goodnight Sans." She said simply, lips curling back into a smile as she did so.
It was… nice, really nice, and she regretted the fact she had to restrain any of those feelings at the moment. She found it far more difficult than she expected to keep the sudden fluttering of her soul under wraps, but she felt she managed it okay. Sans however, had gone quite blue in the face, eyelights mere pinpricks. It took him a bit to respond, and his reaction was proving quite entertaining to Frisk and Papyrus. If she weren't also the target of this behavior she may of been driven to feel some humor at his expense too. But as it was she could only give him a sympathetic smile.
"n-night tori…" He managed to eventually get out in response, before weakly attempting to regain his usual grin.
He didn't succeed in full, the situation clearly breaking his careful concentration on his act he'd been keeping up until this point. It was enough though that the two pranksters seemed somewhat disappointed by the lack of a more embarrassing reaction from the two of them. That gave Toriel some degree of satisfaction she gathered Frisk up into her arms again and bid the brothers one last farewell before heading for the child's room.
The two skeletons began their conversation again as she walked away, re-stirring her original anxieties as she wondered just how deeply Papyrus would try to pry. She forced herself to tune it out and walk away though, mindful that she had to focus on dealing with Frisk at the moment. The child grumbled softly, no doubt still somewhat disappointed their attempt at flustering her had not been as successful as they would have liked. She shot them a bit of a wry grin.
"What has you so grumpy my child?" She teased, unable to keep the grin off her face.
They playfully swatted at one of her long ears and they couldn't help but smile back, but did not reply beyond that. The two of them reached the child's room and she set them down to allow them to get ready for bed. Flowey paid them no mind from his place at the computer, still muttering to himself and poking out his tongue in concentration as he continued playing his video game. Toriel let him be for the moment, figuring she could get him to unplug once Frisk was ready and could assist her. She just leaned against the doorframe and checked her phone while she waited.
She could faintly pick up on the sound of the skeleton brother's conversation from the other room. Papyrus' higher, clipped voice and the soft rumble of Sans'. The tone and exact words were lost on her, only further intensifying her worries. So she made an effort to block it out and focus her attention on her phone. There were a few messages from Alphys and Undyne, mostly assurances that they'd gotten home safely, but there was a longer message from Undyne staring back at her too. No doubt about Asgore and her failure to reply or act on the requests from Undyne's earlier message. As before, she ignored it, not having the mental energy to give any of that focus at the moment.
Thankfully it didn't take long after that for Frisk to return in their pajamas and convince Flowey to detach from the games for the night. The flower monster had bickered with the human child for a short while, but conceded without too much of a fight, clearly pretty tired even if he wouldn't admit it. Frisk set his pot on the side table before crawling into bed. Toriel was at their side moments later, carefully tucking them in as was the usual beginning of their nightly ritual. Frisk sleepily smiled up at her as she did so, but that smile slowly faded into a frown as they continued to look at her. She mirrored that frown as concern set in.
"What is wrong, my child?" She asked, gently running her claws through their hair.
The question made Frisk's expression shift to a slight nervousness. It also drew Flowey's attention from the side table, and he peeked out at them from under a petal in his curled up position. After a beat, the child lifted their hands to sign to her.
(Are you…) They paused briefly, making small meaningless nervous motions with their hands. (Are you okay Mom?)
Toriel slowly blinked in response, her anxieties surging anew. Oh stars, she'd been doing so well, hadn't she? Was she really failing now and letting her internal turmoils show on the surface? Or had she been obvious from the beginning and her child had simply waited until now to comment on it? She swallowed and willed herself to remain calm, offering the most convincing smile she could muster.
"What do you mean sweetheart? Of course I am." She assured them.
Frisk's frown did not budge though, and they only hesitated a few moments before signing again.
(You look... Your eyes are sad. And tired… Like... Sans'...) They formed the words slowly, clearly not sure how to communicate the thought exactly. Toriel understood it though, and it chilled her.
Did she really have that same hopelessness in her eyes now? So apparent, that even her child could see it? The thought did not sit well and it took her some time to work through her rising unease to formulate a response.
"I am sorry dear, I do not know what you mean. I was… pretty upset and worried last night when Sans got hurt, so I did not sleep too well. But everything is okay now and I am alright Frisk. Do not worry about me."
This time her words did seem to pacify Frisk a little, though she could tell they were still scrutinizing her. They did seem to concede though and let the topic drop there, moving on to something else that was apparently on their mind.
(That crack Sans has… It makes him look like another monster I met once. A really strange one.) They signed, far more confidently.
Toriel was more than happy to move away from any discussion regarding her apparently poor acting ability, but still, that gave her pause.
"What strange monster?" She asked, settling both paws on the side of the bed as she gave the child her full attention.
Frisk kneaded their blanket a bit with their hands before lifting them again and continuing.
(I met him back in the Underground, In Waterfall.) They signed. (He had the same kind of crack, but deeper, and another one on his face too, that went from his left eye socket into his mouth.)
Eye socket…That detail brought forth a startling realization in Toriel's mind. She had to remind herself to try and keep her tone controlled when she felt the urge to unleash a barrage of questions.
"So… this strange monster was a… skeleton?" She asked, unsure if Frisk knew the gravity of that statement or not.
As far as she knew, Sans and Papyrus were among the last skeletons left amongst the monster kingdom. Hell, they could very well be the last of their kind altogether. The skeletons were some of the first to be wiped out en masse during the war. Many of them were on the front lines for the first major battles and paid dearly for it, along with the undeads, the goblins and the trolls. Of course, she could be mistaken. After all, she had been absent for over a century, and there were many thousands of monsters in the monster kingdom. Who was to say there hadn't been other surviving skeletons wandering the Underground then? On top of that, Sans and Papyrus were... "descendants" of another skeleton. Their father must have…
Her thoughts stalled then, everything Sans had told her about "Gaster" coming back to her in a flash. For a moment, her mind entertained a truly unthinkable idea. But it was quickly banished for its absurdity, and she refocused on Frisk as they signed their answer.
(I think so, but he was really messed up… kind of… melty? And he got scared when he saw me and... disappeared… I kind of… forgot about him until I saw Sans' scar just now. Its weird.)
Their answer only stirred up that inane thought again, especially that last part. Stars above, she was not prepared to be dealing with this. She had to end this, she couldn't handle any further fracturing of her worldview right now. Praying that her feigned calm expression still remained, she drew a steadying breath and forced a reply.
"Well that is… very strange indeed, my child. I am sorry. I hope that it is not scaring you. I would hate for you to have nightmares…" She said, trying to subtly draw the conversation back to sleep and away from… that.
Frisk shook their head in response, a small smile returning to their face.
(No, It doesn't scare me Mom, it's just weird.) Their hands paused as a yawn escaped them. (I should probably go to sleep now, huh?)
Her relief at that was almost tangible, and she wondered how much of it her child picked up on. She couldn't focus on that right now and leaned over to give Frisk an affectionate nuzzle.
"Yes dear, that would probably be best. You do have school in the morning after all." She reminded them, working some lightness back into her voice. "Try not to worry too much about Sans or these other things. Everything will be alright. And I look forward to hearing more about all the fun you had at Kid's party tomorrow after your lessons."
That brought out a slightly stronger smile from Frisk, and it only grew when Toriel leaned over and pressed a kiss to their forehead. Now she had officially kissed everyone in the house goodnight. That idea brought back a spark of warmth to her soul despite everything, and she decided it may not be such a bad idea to make it a regular thing.
"Goodnight, my child. I love you." She said, letting that newfound warmth coat her words. "Sleep well, I will see you in the morning."
Frisk's brown eyes softened, the lingering concern in them melting away for the moment. They snuggled into the blankets and she tucked them in more snugly. They signed to her one last time before curling up.
(Goodnight Mom, love you too.)
Their words, though something she heard from them on a daily basis, furthered that warmth within her and she clung to it as best she could to keep the negative, panicky thoughts at bay. Still, one of those thoughts inevitably broke through and it burned at the forefront of her mind as she looked down at the small form of her child nestled under the blankets.
Was this really the cold eyed child from her dream? A child who had killed her?… killed Sans?… killed…
She forced herself to get to her feet and begin to walk away, the bitter mixing of emotions in her soul making her feel ill. Her eyes landed on Flowey as she did so, and the sick feeling inside her only worsened at the sight of him. There was an... unsettling grin on his face and some darker emotion shining in his eyes as he looked at her. As shaken as she felt, she still attempted to work up a believable grin and address him.
"Goodnight Flowey..." She said, internally cursing how much weaker her voice sounded.
The flower monster let out a soft chuckle, his pointed fangs, not unlike hers actually, flashing a bit as his grin widened.
"Nighty night. Don't let the nightmares bite~" He trilled in a sing song voice.
Then he promptly curled up again, facing away from her. She could only stare for a few moments, panic wanting so badly to tear at her soul again. Did he know? No… how could he? Surely he didn't… He was simply trying to get under her skin like he always did. But that look on his face wouldn't leave her, and she had a feeling it would stay that way for a while yet. In somewhat of a daze, she went to the door and shut off the light with a click.
She was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.
Hours later, long into the night, she found her earlier suspicions had been painfully correct. She couldn't get her mind to relax a moment, flooded with worries and paranoia unlike anything she had experienced before. The very notion of sleep felt like some intangible distant concept as her wide scarlet eyes peered blankly into the darkness of her room, and at the notably empty spot beside her. An empty spot that prompted yet another rush of unwanted thoughts.
It was ridiculous... Sans had only shared her bed with her twice. She had slept alone for more than a century. Why was it suddenly affecting her like this? Was her loneliness really that severe, that that one little reminder of what it was like to sleep alongside another monster had driven her to be this selfish? And beyond that, he had only done that at all because he was suffering deep down and needed the comfort, not because he…
She rolled over with a soft groan, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her face into the pillows. Stars above, what she wouldn't do right now if she could just get the raging of her mind and soul to end. At this rate she'd be stumbling into work in the morning utterly exhausted and sleep deprived. Not that that was exactly uncommon given her insomnia, but with all this added stress weighing down on her she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to actually teach. And failing in her mission to educate young minds was just inexcusable to her. She had fought too hard and too long to open that school to let all those nasty human women be right about her in the end.
Her lungs burned and she had to roll over again for air, staring up at the ceiling. Her thoughts again turned to Sans, wondering with a surge of pain in her soul how he was faring at the moment. Was he in the grips of another horrible night terror right now? Was he lying there in his room sick and disoriented as he tried to pull himself back to reality? Or had it already passed and he was out wandering the house right now, perhaps even expecting her to come join him at some point? None of those possibilities made her feel any better, and her worry for him grew until it overwhelmed every other thought within her mind.
Eventually, she knew she just had to get up and check on him. She had reluctantly agreed previously to his insistence that they return to their usual nightly routines. Likely, it was a request born from continuing shame over all that had happened and perhaps also from ensuring no one else in the house got the "wrong idea." But that just wasn't a good enough reason at this point. She had assured him yesterday that they would be alright and before that, that she'd not let him suffer through these nightmares alone anymore. She couldn't let either of their anxieties and insecurities about what the others thought keep her from acting on her promises. But as she sat up and got herself to the edge of the bed, almost as though by fate, she was stopped by the sound of soft knocking on her door.
She froze, long ears perking up a bit, feeling as though she must have imagined it. But it came again, two knocks, still just as soft, perhaps even softer, as though whoever was knocking was losing confidence. But she was well aware now of who it was, and what she had to say.
"Who is there?" She asked softly but elevated enough that the person on the other side could hear.
"adore…" Came the muffled response, just audible enough to hear.
Her soul swelled in response to the voice, even if it had been quite obvious who it was from the start.
"Adore who?" She answered back, crossing the short distance to the door and resting her paw on the doorknob.
"there's adore between us… mind opening it up?" He finished the joke, and the irony of it dredged up a bittersweet nostalgia.
Back then she had longed so often to open the Ruins door for him, but simply couldn't. Now though, there was no door that would keep them apart, not on her watch. She turned the knob and opened it without a moment's hesitation, revealing the small skeleton standing in the doorway. It only took one look at him to see he had not slept a wink either, and was as likely just as inundated with paranoid thoughts as she was. For a moment, they could only somberly take in the equally poor appearance of the other, before Sans got the will to speak again.
"hey…" He croaked, and this time she knew the strain in his voice wasn't feigned anymore. "th-thought you might be up…"
He paused, eyelights wavering as he seemed to be searching for what to say.
"so… uh… about this whole... y'know... going back to normal thing…"
He trailed off for a moment, and Toriel didn't hesitate to speak up then, knowing well what he intended to say.
"Sans…" Her voice drew his shaky eyelights back up to her.
"It is okay dear, you do not have to say it. I understand." She said softly, before stepping aside to let him in. "Come in."
Relief and gratitude shone briefly in the weak lights of his eyes, and he shuffled inside without another word. She gently shut the door behind him and walked with him back to the bed, a place that now felt as personal a meeting spot for them on nights like this as the front porch. Even now though, he still looked to her for silent permission before climbing onto the bed and settling in beside her under the blankets. While his consideration was admirable, part of her again hoped that in time, he would feel comfortable enough with things like this to loose that hesitation he felt.
"But why would he?" Her mind prodded her. "You are thinking like this is something that will last even after he has recovered. You are being selfish again you old goat." As before, she shut out the thoughts to the best of her ability. She didn't need to think about that right now.
But she hated that she did feel so much better now that he was here again. She really was so stupidly predictable. Oh well, at least it meant that they may actually get some sleep, that is, between the nightmares they now both were likely to suffer from. She highly doubted the one she had last night was a one off thing after all. That confusing swirl of thoughts was interrupted when movement at her side drew her attention there again. Sans silently huddled close to her, and her soul promptly calmed in response, allowing her to focus on him again.
It was clear to her that this time, he really didn't want to talk about anything. Not about what had happened with his brother after she left, not about the stress of keeping up this act while still feeling so unstable, not about that… "kiss", not about his breakdown the previous day, and especially not about his obvious guilt over his implied asking of her to help him with his nightmares once more. Right now, he just wanted to be close to someone, to feel safe and somewhat stable again, and that was perfectly fine with her. Even if there were things from her conversation with Frisk that she did want to ask him about, not to mention things that had been stirred up from her past that she now felt he should know, she was content with keeping it all to herself for now.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, feeling the angry chaos in her mind recede all the more as he returned the gesture. There was a similar reaction she could feel from his soul as he buried his face against her neck. There was still a lot of fear there, among other things, resulting in some soft rattles as his body shivered for a bit. Overall though, she could feel his soul's unsteady magic grow calmer as she gently ran a paw down his back, tenderly tracing the vertebrae in a now practiced manner. It was a reaction that banished any lingering doubt about what she wished to say next, even with how bold it likely would come across.
"Sans…" She spoke his name quietly, and his subtle shifting let her know he was listening.
"Perhaps… You should just sleep here from now on, come here once the others go to sleep each night. At least until we can find some way to help you with these nightmares."
Silence met her words for a while, and she found herself holding her breath somewhat as she waited for his answer. Eventually though, he did manage a soft reply.
"alright…" He rasped. "if… if you're sure you are okay with that..."
Relief welled in her soul and she tightened her grip on him by degrees, letting it be as much of an answer as her next words were.
"You know I am. I was just about going mad with worry before you knocked on the door, and I was actually getting up to go find you. Trying to endure this alone will do neither of us any good at this point."
He made a soft, vague sound of agreement, and then went quiet for a minute or so before a weak few chuckles escaped him.
"just don't tell my bro or the kiddo bout this, might be a lil harder to come up with an explanation… at least… one that isn't… y'know..."
He trailed off, and while his feeble attempts at humor didn't quite get her to laugh, she did let her light amusement coat her reply.
"Yes, they would certainly never let us hear the end of it would they? Especially after that little stunt they pulled earlier." She said, lips curling into a small smile.
He shook his head a bit with another soft wheeze of laughter and both their souls relished in the brief reprieve from their heavier emotions. The silence that followed this was far more comfortable, and the two of them finally felt that sleep was within their grasp. Before either of them could reach out and fully grasp it though, Sans spoke up one final time, prompting Toriel's eyes to flutter open slightly.
"you always were a good roomie tori…" He murmured, before sleep quickly claimed him and he drifted off.
His words seemed to hang in the air after he had fallen asleep, leaving her feeling dumbfounded. It was a sensation she'd felt before, every time he uttered one of those strange things she couldn't understand in the past. It took her a few moments to realize that this was yet another one to those moments. She had learned what explained those pasts things he'd said, but this one was… new.
Even now, there were things she didn't know about him, things he still kept hidden. And the implications of this odd comment in particular kept her up for a good while longer before she was finally able join him in sleep.
