A/N: *crashes through window*, GUESS WHO's UPDATING VERY LATE!

This chick right here, that's who.

Oh my god. You guys are so amazing. This story has hit near over 2000, and I am amazed at how fast the favs and follows are rapidly increasing in numbers. It's seriously invigorating me! It's feeding my DETERMINATION.

Warning: Be prepared for Flowey cursing like a sailor for this chapter.

~Chapter Three~

Flowey wondered how long Frisk was planning on staying in the Underground. Seeing them in this emotionally wrecked state was pathetic, really. Reduced to nothing but a pile of depression, tears, and snot, lacking any determination because of Smiley Trashbag. If Flowey has hands, the number of times he has seen Frisk broken by his cause in the other timelines were too much to count.

"You can't stay down here forever."

"Maybe I can."

"I think you're just overstaying your welcome."

Frisk winces when they struggle to sit in an upright position. Today, they are wearing a sleeveless polo shirt, so their wounds from Sans's vicious beatings were starting to show. Flowey pretends to not notice the ugly clods of purple appearing all over Frisk's arms. Their face is still blotchy and red from their crying episode. Every once in awhile, they would hiccup, the stolen breath rackening their tiny shoulders. Although they were trying to showcase their best attitude for Flowey, the usual cheerful light in their eyes are dulled.

"Hey, maybe this could be a sleepover." Frisk busies themselves rummaging through Toriel's handbag. "We don't have much for a typical sleepover, like anime, popcorn, and pizza, but Mom carries just about everything in her bag, so we can still have a cool sleepover -"

"Are you even listening to me?! How in denial could you be?" His voice raises with his temper, sending tremors through his leaves and petals. "Think about everyone else, huh? Mo - Toriel's gonna be working herself over you because you don't even have the gall to go back home! And then that stupid spaghetti loving oaf would be so worried about you, as well as that obnoxious fish lady would probably be throwing a fit, and that stupid sputtering anxiety ridden lizard that dares to call herself a scientist would be having a panic attack -"

"I know. Don't you think I know?" Frisk says in a scary, low, hushed voice. They didn't even raise their voice or anything, but their simple statement managed to cut off Flowey's ramblings. "Y-yeah I know everyone's gonna get so worked up over me running away. B-b-but I have no right! I have no right for them to care for me!" Frisk squeezes their eyes shut, but no tears leak out. They probably dried themselves of any tears. Flowey wouldn't be surprised.

"I have dreams." They breathe. "Scary dreams. Where...where I'm a bad person…"

Flowey flinches involunatarily, instantly knowing of Frisk's predicament. And he swears, for a moment, Frisk has dark mahogany hair, maroon colored eyes with a tinge of red and sinister, lips slanted into a cheshire like grin. He quickly responds by avoiding eye contact with the human, busying himself with a leaf fluttering from above.

"I don't deserve their care. Their love. T-t-t-their compassion," Frisk shakily says. "I'm a bad person. I'm the villain that cheated their way to a happy ending, right?"

The flower sits there in silence, letting Frisk wallow in their self pity for a few minutes.

Finally he says, "Is that what you're scared of? Something that doesn't even exist? Wow, are you braindead or what?" He would never say it out loud, but the lack of Frisk's reaction sent him on edge. I don't get why people get all scared of something inside that's apart of you in the first place. Something's that screwed up. News flash idiot, guess what? Everyone has something inside them that is absolutely screwed up." He takes a moment to chuckle. "I should know." Scenes from other timelines flash before his eyes, almost tangible.

How many timelines has Flowey played with? Timelines where he simply jumped into to witness a bystander's, friend's, family's breaking point? Timelines where Flowey broke Papyrus's unrelenting spirit? Timelines where Undyne let her rage get the best of her? Timelines where Alphys caved into her suffering? Oh, Flowey spoke the truth. Only he would know better anybody's true weakness, fatal flaw, and ultimate downfall.

"So if you think you're the only one who's screwed up, you have another thing coming, idiot."

Frisk slowly raises their eyes, looking at Flowey through their bangs.

And for a moment, a brief gaze into each other's eyes, kindles a sense of understanding. The RESETS. The timelines. Their DETERMINATION. Flower and human both understood the truth that the rest of the world may never know.

Flowey is the first to break the gaze, flustered at this unexpected moment.

"Now if you're done with your existential crisis, do me the favor of going back home."

"Please."

Frisk is on their knees.

"Just let me stay for a night. I'm not ready."

Flowey doesn't say anything, toying with the suspense.

Finally, "I don't exactly have any feet to shove you out of my crappy abode, do I?"

Night looms above the two lone inhabitants of the almost empty Underground.

A chill hangs in the night air, however not to the point of freezing. It is the perfect type of weather for people to be staying late out at night, watching the stars. Well, where Flowey is rooted, he couldn't even see Above's forsaken stars. Frisk is besides him, their only source of light coming from a tiny flashlight from Toriel's key chain. Flowey scowls bitterly at tiny framed photos of Frisk and their 'monster' family, among the many keys gathered on the key ring.

He didn't know why, but Flowey wondered if Frisk had a family. Their human counterparts.

"...'putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!'" The end." Frisk closes the thin book. Flowey breathes out sharply with relief, sick to death of the stupid, sappy fairytales that Frisk decided to read aloud.

"I thought it would never end. God, all of these stories deep fried my brain from the sheer stupidity! All of those stupid and unrealistic 'happy endings' practically made me puke. Thank above I don't have a stomach!" Flowey complains, eyeing the fairytale book with vile.

Frisk shrugs, a pleasant smile on their face from reading the stories. "It's good to be reminded that happy endings can happen sometimes." A yawn interrupts them. They fan their face, rubbing their half shut eyes.

"Frankly, I think it's just a bunch of bullshit that only idiots would prefer to believe is true." Flowey shoots back. "I mean c'mon. Half of these stories are about people marrying princes who they hardly know. In fact, some of them they don't even know their names!" He points out in absolute disgust. "Not to mention, there are some of them that are just downright upsetting! There were actually some characters I gave a shit about who deserved a happy ending!"

"Which ones do you think deserved it?" Frisk asks, patient as ever.

"The mermaid," Flowey answers promptly. "She shouldn't have even wasted her time on that dumb prince. I mean, who does that? Who gives up everything just for some stupid person in the name of 'love'? An idiot, that's who." He grumbles, feeling a bit childish for getting so worked up over a character's fate.

"Really? That's what you think?" Frisk pauses to ponder. "Toriel would."

"What?"

"Toriel would. Toriel would probably give up everything for some some stupid person." A smile creeps onto Frisk's face. "And Sans would give up everything for Papyrus. And Undyne would give up everything for Alphys. And Asgore would give up everything for Toriel. And Mettaton would give up everything for his fans." Frisk says, thoughtful. Flowey's expression transforms into an ugly sneer.

"Isn't that just peachy? Even if it means their own deaths? I don't think so." Flashing Frisk a sickly sweet grin, he reminds them something they should've remembered. "Remember, in this world, iT'S kiLL or bE kIllED."

They frown. "If you always think like that, then you're never going to love." They yawn once again. "If you think that everybody in the world is out there to get you…" Frisk pauses, gathering their thoughts. "Then, then, you're trapping yourself. You're trapping yourself behind something like, armor. Yeah, armor. You're dressed up in armor and you have your shield, but you look really scary and mean to others. What's gonna happen then? If you keep on shutting others out, and then saying that you can't trust them, then you're sorta being uhm, uhm hypo- hypo - critical. I think that's the word." They yawn, looking sleepily at Flowey. "And then you're just gonna live life without actually taking a chance at it in the first place.

"Do you get what I'm saying?"

Flowey studies Frisk for a second.

"No, that was the most stupid analogy I ever heard anybody muster up!"

Frisk blinks, as if in a daze. "I tried." And then they close their eyes, head falling slack. This goes unnoticed by Flowey, who is working himself up into another rant.

"It's better to shield yourself. If you protect yourself, if you kill first, then you'll never get hurt or be killed in the first place." Flowey rants. Memories that are not his run through his mind like a torrent, painful and real and all too tangible. "What's the point of even trying? Why even try to be nice and kind to a bunch of idiots? It's all worthless. It won't even make a difference."

Flowey looks over to the still form of Frisk. For the hell of it, they flick Frisk right on the nose with their leaves. "I hope you were able to comprehend that with your thick skull." He snorts. Frisk doesn't answer, their eyes shut. Peaceful. They shoulders rise up and down ever so slightly. "Wow, you left the party already? Isn't that just grand?" Disgusted, Flowey looks up at the night sky. Gazes at the night sky.

The sky…

And the STUPID possibilities that Flowey does not even have a chance of reaching.

"Damn! These stupid possibilities…!"

Looking back and forth between a sleeping frisk and the open night sky, slowly builds up something, something heavy, inside the hollow husk of Flowey's nonexistent soul. Heavier and heavier it weighs, a burden. "Screw it! Screw it all!" He mutters, every part of his body quivering with rage. Well, no not quite rage. And not quite sadness either. No, it is a familiar painful hope that Flowey abused so long ago.

DETERMINATION.

In that brief moment - in that brief moment, Flowey had the power. He had the power to kill the stupid naive, too-trusting Frisk that is like a sleeping lamb waiting for its slaughter. With the newfound power of this fleeting, temporary DETERMINATION, why, Flowey could at least prove to Frisk the true meaning of the world. Kill or be killed. He stares down at serene Frisk, merciful Frisk, innocent and kind Frisk.

He could kill them.

He could kill them.

Flowey stares Frisk down. However, it was seconds too long.

The DETERMINATION, the beautiful DETERMINATION, disappeared from Flowey as quick as it filled him up. Just as it was there, it is now gone. A whimper escapes Flowey, feeling the emptiness of his caged body constricting him. No soul. It is an agonizing reminder to be once, almost, but never quite filled up, only for it to be snatched away. Was the universe playing some cruel joke?

"I. Hate. YOU." Flowey tells Frisk. They continue sleeping.

"Damn you for making m-m-me hope! How could you! How could you?! It's no fair! Not fair at all!" Flowey cries into the darkness. Of course, no one came to answer his anguished cries. "Why did you come back for me? WHY?! After everything, everything I did to you -" Flowey falters. "After everything, I'm still me. And that's the point. I'M stILL mE! I didn't ask for this burden!"

Hell, he didn't even know what he's blubbering at this point.

But Frisk is still sleeping.

"How could you?" His screams dampen into sobs. "How could you leave me behind?! Leave me behind like this! You walk into this goddamned Underground, shower me with your sickening presence, and then go to sleep?! I knew you were here to just torture me!" His nonexistent vocal cords are starting to ache from all the screaming. "I hATe yOU! I can't sleep! This stupid plant that serves as my body doesn't allow me the gift of sleep!" Hot liquid streams down his face, as Flowey hysterically rocks himself back and forth. "All this time, I've been awake! I've ALWAYS been awake!"

This much is true. Being a flower doesn't exactly allow bodily functions.

"So damn you! Someday you're gonna die human, and I'll find your grave, and I'll spit on it, and I'll laugh and I'll laugh and I'll laugh!" Flowey's enraged screams, quiets down eventually. Sobs transforms into uncontrollable hiccups. The emptiness insides him takes up too much space. Is this is what it's like? Suffering?

"Frisk, why can't you just...kill me?"

Once again, they don't answer, dreaming away their time.

Flowey droops over in defeat. "In the very least...Can you at least...pLeaSe come back? D-don't…

"Don't leave me alone…"

But no one came.

He was careful to hide his face when she came.

Mom. Flowey peeks through his petals, watching Toriel run towards a still sleeping Frisk with open arms. Behind her is Smiley Trashbag. His pinprick blue eyes are averted from her direction, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his hoodie covering his skull. His smile isn't as wide as usual though.

"Oh, my child," Toriel tearfully breathes out when in close range to Flowey. She scoops up Frisk, love softening in her gaze as she looks adoringly at the still sleeping child. With her other hand, she picks her her handbag. Flowey flinches when Toriel's loving gaze reaches him for a second. Thankfully, she didn't see his movement. "Of all places, why here my child? Why the beginning of the Ruins?" Toriel murmurs, spinning on her heel walking to Sans.

"Take us back."

Flowey is baffled at how quickly Toriel can shift from the compassionate motherly attitude he once loved (nonoshe'snotyourmotherremember?) into a completely indifferent mask if anyone were to cross her. Through his petals, Flowey can see Sans shoulders hunch up, clearly pained from seeing the bruises formed all over Frisk's body.

"y-yeah."

And in a flash of blue, they all disappear, leaving Flowey very much alone as he always were.

A/N: Aaaw, nothing like a daily cup of angst! Who wants more! Bwahahaha! Anyway, I headcanon that despite everything, Flowey has the mindset of a child. A child that never grew up. I hope this chapter is satisfactory! Please leave your thoughts!