Chapter Nine :: The Beginning Of Us
…
Love makes us vulnerable. That's the conclusion you come to when you dream that night.
You dream of your skeleton man, floating in a dark abyss with his expression shrouded in the shadows. You suspect that he's smiling, just as he always does. But your attention isn't brought to his face – you look down to his hands, trace the callous structure of his fingers as he unfurls a bright glowing light balled into his palms. It's tinged with red, creating a sinister lighting over your bodies even as the darkened emptiness looms overhead. And whilst you focus closer on the ball of light, you notice it begin to take shape.
And you feel your mouth drop open in shock – it takes the form of a small heart, dripping with transparent ooze over his palms, crawling through the gaps of his fingers. You choke. And as you grasp at your chest to feel for your heartbeat, you gasp in terror as you feel a gaping hole between your breasts. Your fingers slip through the empty space, and you shudder with disgust. This doesn't feel good. Then, you follow the string of unknown liquid connecting from the hole in your chest to the heart-shaped sculpture melting in his hands. And almost immediately, it finally makes sense.
My… my soul… Sans, you're… you're holding my soul…
A wash of dread envelopes you. And you're terrified. You don't know what this means, but as you stare wide-eyed at the gentle curve of his fingers, and as he tenderly holds your soul in his grasp, you begin to wonder if you're willing to risk it all. Your soul looks so beaten and broken, it's a fragile thing and it's out of your hands… into his. Can I trust him?
The shadows lift from his face to reveal a part of his trademark grin, his teeth glistening beneath the sheen of the reddening glow of your soul. His smile is so ingrained into your subconscious, you feel as if you're staring at the real thing. It feels comforting, you feel secure in his hands, and your shoulders fall in relief as you finally begin to feel safe. It's Sans, after all, and he's done nothing so far to purposely hurt you. And it shows in the way he carefully handles your soul in his hands. He's someone you've grown to believe in, he's someone who cares about you as you do in turn… he's someone you've grown to have deep feelings for…
Maybe… this is alright… maybe, I can let myself really love him…
But nothing could scatter caution better than love.
Your unease rises as you notice the icy blue luminescence of his iris pierce through the shadows. Your heart-shaped soul sinks into his grasp, absorbing the cyan glow from his fingers as all traces of blood-soaked colours dissipate from its form. You watch in horror as your soul is completely frozen over, coated in the same cold pigment of his glowing blue eye, and his fixated gaze on you hardens into a sinister emotionless stare. Then, as his hands suddenly grasps a tight hold around your soul, his maddening grin never falters as his voice rips through the small space between you, the freezing temperature of his breath grazing your skin,
"You're blue now…"
His fingers tighten around your soul, and you feel a sudden sharp pain ring through your form in response. You double forward, clutching in agony as your chest cries out in searing pain. You gasp in shock, desperately staring through the misty blur of your agony as you search for answers in his emotionless grin. There's nothing there you recognise. You don't see an ounce of compassion in his eyes, and there's no empathy in his aggressive smile. He looks at you as if you're his plaything, and he takes pleasure in your writhing pain as he digs his claws further into your soul. You yell, as loud and as hard as you can, but your dream has stripped your voice away from you. Your lungs feel airless, as if you're wheezing your last breath. But despite this, you use the final lingering slither of breath to whisper,
"…why?"
This version of Sans turns his head, as if he's disinterested in explaining anything. But as he notices the tortured expression of your face, he clicks his tongue impatiently and nonchalantly rolls your soul between his thumb and his fingers, as if it was practically a toy to be played with.
"You think I'm actually gonna reciprocate your feelings for me after what you've done?"
You winch in pain, but the confusion in your gaze is too prominent for him not to notice. Then he rolls his patronizing eyes.
"Face the facts, kid. You're a human. You're not like us. Nah, you'll never be like us. No matter what, you can't escape what you are. You'll never hide from the truth. And the truth is, kid… you're just a parasite."
His words cut you like a knife. You fall to your knees as your trembling hands desperately clasp over the hole in your chest, as if the pain is too much to bear. And it's made worse by the ruthless unfeeling tone of his voice as he continues to speak to you, as if he barely acknowledges that he's hurting you at all,
"So you think you have any right to infiltrate our world, and then attach yourself to us like we're some kind of safety blanket? Wake up. You're a nuclear bomb. I'm only keeping you happy so you don't set off. Because if I turn my back, even for a minute, then… you're… going… to destroy… everything…"
There it is again. That same chilling echo from your previous nightmare, and it wraps around his voice and chills you to the core. It's practically demonic, as if the fear that it invokes in you is enough to drive you to the brink of insanity. And your fear heightens to terrifying levels as he suddenly takes a quick step forward, holding your gaze in his hardened stare, mercilessly trapping you to look deep into his dead eyes as if you're caught staring into the bottomless sockets of a corpse. It's the first time you've ever been terrified of him.
"Human. Your race trapped us down here. You're the reason we can't leave. Don't pretend that you didn't play some part in this. Deep down, you know this is true. So you think you have the right to care about us when your very own existence is a crime? Don't you even realise that your human blood contributed to our suffering? And you think you can love us… hell, you think you can love me… knowing that you're responsible for trapping us all underground? Heh. You're some kinda freak, aren'tcha?"
His amused grin curls at the corners, almost in a totally perverse manner. It's terrifying and intimidating, and you feel hopeless as he slowly caresses your cheekbone and captures your face in his tight grasp. You shiver in response. He knows you fall to pieces in his hands. He has such a powerful hold on you at this point that you can't deny it. And you can see in his lewd smile that he knows he can make this work to his advantage.
"It's alright. Because y'know… there's a way to atone for your sins. It's pretty simple, really. The solution to our freedom… is this."
He idly holds up your soul between his fingers like a playing card. Your eyes widen in terror as you pick up on his hints. Sacrifice your soul. It's true, you can free everyone in the underground, you can end everyone's suffering by laying your life down to their king, Asgore, and lead everyone out of the darkness by your noble sacrifice. You're the key to unlocking their freedom. You've known about this for a while, but you haven't actually thought anything of it… until now. And with this reality lingering in the air, with your soul blinking suggestively at you within his grasp, Sans then steps back with his carefree shrug that you know so well, and says with a casual smirk,
"Hey, I'm not telling you to do anything. I mean, who'm I to judge what you do with your life? I'm just throwing it out there. You do whatever you wanna do. The choice will always be yours."
Your soul floats impossibly before your eyes. It's finally out of his grasp, and you feel a painful release unwrap from around your body. Your soul is frozen and beaten down. And you're left with the significant decision on what to do with it. You're left with two options. One: you can take the plunge, and risk hurting yourself by giving it over to Sans. He may break it and brutalise it, he might not, all whilst you condemn everyone around you to a life with no future aboveground. Or option two: hand it over to their king, sacrifice your soul and revolutionise the monster race to a peaceful life that they've always wanted. And this includes Sans. You swallow hard. The heaviness of your decision sinks over your shoulders as you suddenly notice your soul break, like a crack in ice. You have no idea what to do…
Then, as your body suddenly begins to feel more solid, and Sans' figure begins to disappear into the dark shadows, you catch a glimpse of his sly smile before you return to reality. Finally, before he's swallowed by the darkness, he calls after you one last time,
"See you on the other side, kid."
…
…
You wake in a cold sweat. You find yourself locked into an awkward position - your right arm feels numb as it dangles carelessly out of the bed, and your foot is coloured slightly purple from the cold as it peeks from beneath the blankets. You must have been tossing and turning a lot that night.
As you slowly sit up, you hold your heavy head in your hand and sigh. You wipe perspiration built over your forehead and swivel to the side of the bed. But you hesitate. There's no energy left in your legs to pull yourself up. A heavy weight is laying over your shoulders, and the remnants of your dream relentlessly reminds you of all your worries. It's as if the longer you've spent in the underground, building deeper connections with the monsters that reside here, you slowly begin to realise the true significance of your presence. You're starting to notice how serious your situation is, and how in deep you are getting. And the evidence is right there with Sans.
You glance back, catching a glance of his figure lying motionlessly beside you, and you slowly sigh… conflicted over the overwhelming happiness you feel waking up next to him.
You've broken the boundaries. There's no turning back now. Once you let yourself slip, you find yourself losing total control. You've attached yourself to him, relied on his comfort and security in his arms in order to survive, and you've readily opened your heart to him on more than one occasion. The game you once played has become so much more than that. You can't pinpoint when it started to go array, and you wonder if you even had control of the situation in the first place… but either way, it doesn't matter now. It's too late and this is where it's come to. With open arms, you've run to his side like a helpless child. With an open heart, you've let him in without question. With no regards of the consequences, you find yourself falling… very seriously…
Your head falls into your palms, then regret slowly sets in as you clench your trembling teeth. Through the maddening mess of your mind, a shaken thought sounds the loudest:
…what am I doing?
But through your melancholy, you feel the blankets shuffle from beside you, and you recognise a weighty shift on the bed.
"Hey, you're gonna get cold if you stay like that, y'know." Sans quietly calls out to you, and you find yourself suddenly smiling. You swallow nervously as you try to steady your growing feelings, but you can't hold them back for long as you recognise the affectionate tone in his voice, "I'm just sayin', because… uh, you aren't wearing a whole lot there. And look, you're shivering. Come back under the covers, I'll warm you up."
Whilst you hesitate, you're completely unaware of how Sans has brushed aside his sleepy spells to trace the contours of your figure with his eyes. For a moment, he's completely taken aback simply by the way your hair parts over the nape of your neck, revealing the unscathed skin underneath the morning light. It takes a second to fully gather his thoughts, and to finally shake his thoughts away by the simplistic sight of you. It's hard to put it into words, but as he continues to look at your fatigued form, plainly sitting beneath the sun-kissed rays of morning light, it's as if he could happily watch you there for the rest of the day.
That's when it struck. Something about this morning feels different. There's a dazed sheen in his eyes that makes everything look completely different in every way. His room feels somewhere new, somewhere totally alien. It's as if the world he was in wasn't truly real without your astounding presence to bring it all to its authentic light.
Now he understands the way you see things. Everything is interesting, new and exciting. All because of you. How… is this possible? And… why…?
He's thrown out of his deep thoughts as you turn your head, revealing your bright unshaken smile. And you surprise him with your sudden cheery mood,
"It's alright. I feel fine, really. Anyway it's about that time we get out of bed. C'mon lazy bones, time to get up!"
Sans quickly grins in response, relieved to see how much happier you seem to be compared to the night before. And he protests by grabbing a handful of the blankets as he shuffles further inside. His smile widens as he stubbornly makes himself comfortable in bed, closes his eyes as he pretends to snooze, and quietly laughs as he hears you sigh with total exasperation. You cross your arms over your chest as you shake your head. What am I gonna do with you?
But you find that you can't stay mad at him for too long. As he silently protests, your eyes start to glaze over. Then you slowly blink a few times as your thoughts slip away once again. The way he's bundled himself into the blankets, burying his head into the comfortable pillows and smiling widely at your reaction… you can't help but find this a little bit cute. Your risen shoulders slightly fall away, and you feel an overwhelming calmness just by looking at him. But despite this, your heartbeat hikes excitedly in your chest. And before you know it, you're moving without thinking…
"Thanks for worrying about me, Sans…" You say with a whisper as you lean your hands into the bed, slowly bend down… and impulsively press your pouted lips to his cheekbone.
It takes almost a full minute to truly realise what you've just done. And in turn, it takes just as long for Sans to truly acknowledge it too. Your eyes fly open as they match his widened sockets, staring blankly in utter surprise as the air intensely burns all around you. You're flustered as you pull yourself back, quickly holding your fiery face in your hands as you try to internally calm down your racing heartbeat. It's drumming so loudly in your ears that it's drowning out your rational state of mind. And as you notice Sans gradually push away the blankets, finally sitting upright in bed with a vacant expression, the colour flourishing over his face glows a deep cyan as he looks almost frozen by that one kiss alone.
Out of everything that has happened, that one single instance has affected the both of you the most.
You desperately try to regain your composure by pushing yourself off the bed, creating a clear distance between the two of you, and awkwardly straighten your nightdress. Your voice wavers nervously,
"So, um… wh-what'd you have planned for today? I d-don't really have anything planned, so… I was w-wondering if you could show me around the underground a little more…"
Sans lazily pushes himself to the side of his bed, leaving his blankets in a complete mess off to the side, and his observant gaze never falters away from you. The slow trail of sweat falls from your temples as you notice. He hasn't once ceased looking at you. And you wonder why you've captured his interest so much this morning. Then, he rubs the back of his neck as he levels with you.
"Actually, I hope you don't mind this, but… I've been meaning to stop by a certain place for a while now. It wasn't until lately that I realised it's been a long time since I've last seen her. I, ah… I don't want her to feel lonely. I kinda have a feeling she doesn't get a whole lot of visitors, y'see." You catch on to his empathetic gaze as he glances vacantly out the window, watching the dimly-lit skies shine through the panes and soak your skin in its warmth. Again, a particular glaze polishes over the white pinpricks in his eyes as he turns back to you, and his voice softens along with his casual smile, "I hope you understand. I mean… it's not like I wanna leave you alone. Actually, to tell you the truth… I really don't want to leave you…"
The phrasing of his words drives a harsh thrill through your heart. You avoid his perceptive gaze for a moment as you calm yourself down, and you bashfully thread your fingers through your hair as you feel your breathing become hard and heavy. It's completely unlike you to be this insanely affected. It's as if you somehow feel several years younger. After a brief moment of happiness from his confession, you internally scold yourself for losing control again. Shit… this schoolgirl infatuation is getting out of hand…
"Don't worry about me, Sans. Do what you have to do. I understand." You tell him passively as your muddled thoughts calm down, and your heart slowly begins to sink to your stomach. Although Sans mentioned visiting a woman you don't know, it's strange that you don't feel that same stab of jealousy you experienced with Undyne. And you begin to wonder to yourself… maybe it's because I know how this woman feels… I don't like the feeling of being alone either…
Once you collect yourself and feel your breathing return to normal, you force yourself to smile as brightly as you can. You don't want him to catch on to how unsteady he makes you feel.
"I guess this gives me the opportunity to wander the underground by myself, huh? That… actually sounds really exciting." You say with an eager smile.
Then, as you recognise the shadows beneath his sockets deepen, you realise how uneasy he still feels about you. Once again, you find it so strange how easy it is for you to forget that you're human. A horrible piercing twinge in your chest reminds you of everything you dreamed about that night, and a wave of self-loathing threatens to weigh down your shoulders. The version of Sans you dreamt about appears like a hallucination, and his demonic voice mercilessly rips through your ears,
"Your race trapped us down here... you're the reason we can't leave... you're just a parasite… a parasite…"
You wave your hand dismissively in the air as if you're warding away your demons, and you turn back to the real Sans, isolated on his bed. You sigh as you work to move past your own personal troubles, and one look at his melancholic expression is all it takes to get the words tumbling out of your mouth.
"Hey, listen… you don't have to worry about keeping a close eye on me, okay?" You say gently as his eyes wander up to yours. Then you bear your teeth into a wide grin as you assure him, "I promise I'll behave. Like you said last night, I'm only up to no good when you're around. It's no fun when I can't tease you. So go do what you have to do. I'll be a good girl and wait for when you get back."
The relief in his eyes is incredibly clear to see as his face finally lights up.
"Alright, I'll trust you this one time." He sounds through his wide grin as he pushes himself from the bed and aims to grab his thick jacket hanging idly off the side of the dresser, whilst you roll your eyes in mock annoyance. But as he shrugs himself into his jacket, he buries the serious expression on his face behind the thick ruffles of his hood. Even so, you make out a sincere reply from under his breath, "Thank you for this. You… made this so much easier to do. You are… so much different than I thought you'd be..."
The genuine relief in his voice suddenly catches you off-guard. You know the seriousness of your human presence in the underground, your terrifying threat hangs over the lives of every individual you know, so every once in a while it slips your mind that your intent for peace is everything that Sans has asked for. It's everything that he's been wishing for. He acts lazy and careless, but he's not completely numbed to the circumstances he's forced to live through. You can see it in the way his hands can tremble at random intervals, the scars over his bones run deep… deeper than you can possibly imagine. He's a broken man. He's a victim of a human child with the infinite power to rewind time, tormenting and terrorising every aspect of his life… until you came along.
You haven't hurt anyone so far. You haven't acted out any malicious intent, and it doesn't seem like you want to. Not yet, anyway. But for now, he's simply grateful that you've resisted the temptation. And that alone accounts for so much in his broken life…
You can't stand it any longer. Slowly, you approach the skeleton man. And without a word, you wrap your arms around his shoulders and embrace him gently. It takes a moment for Sans to get over the initial shock, as you feel him stiffen like a board in your grasp, before he finally relaxes against you and silently lets you hold him tight. Neither of you say a word for a few minutes. Neither of you want to disturb the silence. It's as if you want to take all of his sorrows and shoulder all of his burdens, and he feels this in your affectionate embrace. His breathing sounds a little unsteady as you squeeze him tighter.
You wonder if he's had any kind of support like this in all of his life. There's so much you don't know about him, and there's so much you want to ask him… but even though you're left in the dark, you cast aside your curiosity as you hold him close. For a while, you refuse to let him go. You just want to be there for him, offer to be his pillar of his support, be anything he needs you to be to subdue his suffering… because you feel as though you're part of the cause.
But as you finally break apart, you hold his shoulders loosely in your hands as you're surprised to see a small shaky smile on his face. You sigh gratefully, knowing now that he might have really needed that. And it's true. To him, it feels as if he's been shackled by an overbearing weight for so long, and even as you barely grasp a hold of him like this, then the chains that held him down has suddenly been unlinked. Despite everything, regardless of what you are, with you holding him like this, all of his past anxieties and worries seem to completely dissipate. Everything seems to make sense. And everything finally seems bearable.
Sans almost laughs to himself. Funny how it's come to this, despite everything that's happened… that's the real joke.
"So, I'll see you later then, yeah?" You try not to sound too anxious, or too happy when he nods in reply.
"Sure. I'll ask Grillby to warm up the fryer. I want to see your reaction to his hot dogs, they're absolutely divine. He puts on the ketchup just the way I like them, so I gotta give my condiments to the chef." You smirk with an eyebrow raised up high, and he laughs as he casually turns to head for the door, "I made you smile. I guess that means I'm finally getting through to you, huh?"
Then, as he exits the room to leave you to your thoughts, you silently wonder if he's right…
…
…
Later on in the day, you exit your bedroom washed and dressed for the day in a casual dress, similar to the clothes you fell to the underground in, and your usual black jewellery wrapped tightly around your arm. The bangle feels as if it's attached on to you like second skin, and you've become far too accustomed to the look of it to ever think about taking it off. And as you cross the balcony towards the staircase, you suddenly bump into Papyrus as he coincidently exits his bedroom at the same time. His face lights up immediately after spotting you, and his contagious smile lifts your lonely spirits instantly.
"Human! I'm glad I caught you! I've been having some troubling thoughts lately. I feel like I've been neglecting our friendship, and I have unfairly abandoned you with Sans while I go off to train with Undyne by myself. I apologise, human. I don't want you to think that I am a bad friend…"
"What? Oh no, of course I don't think that." You say affectionately as your heart feels as if it's bursting at the seams. Papyrus is too adorable. "You've been there for me from the very beginning. You've cooked me food, looked out for me, and accepted me so easily into your home. I'm the luckiest lady in the world to have a great friend like you."
As you say this, you recognise the familiar uplifted gleam in his eyes return in his sockets, and his trademark smile returns as his chest bulges with pride.
"Nyeh heh. You're right there, human. I am pretty great. And, although it seems rather impossible right now, I strive to be an even greater friend to you. So I've been meaning to ask…" Papyrus clears his throat as he prepares his voice for his loud proclamation, "Human! I would like it very much if you could hang out with me and Undyne this afternoon! She is coming over in a short while to give me cooking lessons, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know Undyne a little better! I know we can all become great friends together! And nothing's brought us closer together than our cooking lessons… even if they have ended in disaster from time to time."
"Papyrus… what do you mean by that?" You ask suspiciously as you catch on to the sudden nervous waver of his voice. He replies a little sheepishly as he rubs his gloved hand over his skull.
"W-Well, we may have overdone it a little in our last cooking lesson. We were cooking so hard that her, um, her stove caught on fire. I guess some stoves just aren't cut out for greatness. Th-the house is fine, thankfully, but we'll have to use our kitchen until Dr. Alphys can come over to fix it."
"That's really nice of you to invite me, Papyrus, but… um, can we skip cooking lessons for today?" You ask him nervously as you're too terrified of the idea of another fire breaking out in their own home. You try to mask your anxiety with another suggestion, "So, how about showing me around the underground instead? I know it'd give Sans some piece of mind if I was under your supervision. And it might even impress Undyne so much that she'll let you into the Royal Guard."
It doesn't take much more to convince him otherwise from then on. And before you know it, you're suddenly whisked out of the house with Papyrus keeping you in close proximity of his vigilant gaze. You desperately stifle a laugh all the way.
…
…
It's been an all-around enjoyable afternoon as Undyne readily takes you under her wing, even if it's just to keep an eye on you whilst Sans isn't around. But despite this, it's been interesting to spend some more time with Papyrus and Undyne. By the way they act together, you can tell they've been good friends for a while now. They act really close by the way Undyne regularly rubs her knuckles over his head in a relentless noogie, and by the way Papyrus teases her about her clearly apparent crush on Dr. Alphys. Even so, they don't at all let you feel left out. They share their thoughts on life and their stories of the underground in such an open and friendly manner, it feels as if you've been friends with them for as they as they have. That lingering tug of loneliness is barely noticeable as you realise… you're really having a good time with them.
And at the same time, you can't ignore the nagging thought in your mind that you're causing these people to suffer. The dream from last night begs to be recognised, but you refuse to give in. You won't let it ruin your perfect day.
Later on, Papyrus and Undyne lead you to a shop on the outskirts of Snowdin Town. The bunny-like shop vendor looks very friendly and calm, and her welcoming smile puts you at ease very quickly. It seems that the citizens of the underground have warmed up to you in no time. It's relieving beyond belief.
"Three cinnamon buns, please." Papyrus asks her whilst holding up his hand, unaware that the three fingers he's holding up are buried deep in his boxing glove. You bite down on your lip to suppress your laughter. Then he turns to you with an enthusiastic smile, "You gotta try the food at this shop, human. It's approved by master chef Papyrus, so you know it's good."
"Thanks for the compliment, master chef." The shop vendor laughs aloud as she passes you each a steamy bun, and you grab it hesitantly by the napkin as you feel the heat mercilessly tinge your fingertips. Hot. "Sorry, traveller. The pastry here has to be cooked extra hot otherwise the cold temperature will cool it right down. Give it a moment to settle and tell me what you think."
You're filled with determination as you bite down heavily on the hot cinnamon bun, and your face lights up as the delicious flavours explode like fireworks over your tongue. Papyrus shares the same look as you, as if he's experiencing divinity, and Undyne savagely rips through her bun in no time at all.
"This is amazing…" You exhale as your glistening eyes stare in wide-eyed awe at the vendor.
"Thank you. Really, that means a lot, especially from a new face like yours." She says with a happy sigh. Then, her softened gaze peers over to her pastries, and her voice suddenly becomes surprisingly distant, "Cooking is one of the things that keeps me going. As long as I have a reason for getting up in the morning, then I know I can grit my teeth and face the day. It keeps me sane, y'know?"
"Me too! I completely agree!" Papyrus suddenly chimes in, whilst Undyne nods her head in understanding.
You pass a look between all three monsters, and the bun nearly slips through your fingers as you suddenly focus on the silence befallen on them all. On the surface, they look like they're simply enjoying a steamy pastry, but you instantly notice the underlying sadness of this statement, and it almost pains you to ask further.
"Why is that?"
The shop vendor leans forward, rests over the stall and supports herself by her crossed arms, then squares her gentle eyes at you as she reluctantly comes clean.
"Well… I'm not gonna lie, it can get a little claustrophobic down here from time to time. It's not really possible to travel very far down here, so our limitations can feel a little… restricting."
"I understand that feeling all too well." Papyrus nods his head in agreement as he crosses his arms in deep thought. But his optimistic attitude can't be knocked down for too long as his arms suddenly unfurl to rest against his hips, and his chest puffs out with confidence as he tries to reassure the vendor, "But don't you worry, ma'am! The Royal Guard are working hard towards our freedom! One day we will get out of here and realise our dreams aboveground. I can feel it in my bones, nyeh heh!"
A tightening grasps at your heart, and you feel an unpleasant tugging deep within your chest as you hear this. And although you dread the answer, you reluctantly ask them with a quietened voice,
"Is this… how everyone in the underground feels?"
"It's hard to find a monster down here who doesn't want to be freed, honestly." Undyne tells you solemnly, and her eyes lower to yours as her tone of voice suddenly grows very serious, as if she's been hesitant to tell you this for a while now, "There are echo flowers scattered around the marshes of the waterfall, and each one of them holds a precious wish from every single monster who passes through. Every day, I hear the hopes and dreams of my people… whispering for their freedom all in unison. It's almost as if… I can hear all their hearts beating as one. This is what I'm fighting for. This is what keeps me going. I want to help make those dreams come true. And I will stop at nothing to do it."
Your eyes feel glassy. It feels awful to be potentially responsible for trapping all these beautiful creatures underground, and it feels even worse to see how much they all wish for their freedom… that you're depriving them of. Suddenly, the harsh demonic echo in your ears whispers over your shoulders,
"You know how to atone… you know how you can give them their freedom…"
You clench your hand over your chest, grasping a fistful of your clothes as if you're desperately holding on to your soul. You swallow as you hesitantly wonder – could I really give up my soul… for their freedom?
Undyne instantly catches on to your torn expression, and you're quickly ripped away from your deep thoughts as you suddenly feel her hand ruffle through your hair. You shout out in surprise as you feel her overwhelming strength kneading over your head, and through the unkempt mess of your hair, you can make out her large toothy grin.
"Hey, don't give me that look. We'll find a way out of here someday. And when we do, then we won't even need your soul to pass through the barrier." She says in an attempt to assure you, but you don't feel much better. As your crestfallen expression barely changes, she sweats as she tries again, "C'mon now, stop giving me those sad eyes. Honestly, we'll find another way. I'm sure of it. And… I believe in Sans' gut feeling in keeping you around. You're not like other humans. We want you to come with us and share in our freedom. You must have hopes and dreams just as much as the rest of us, right? I think that's what Sans believes too."
You vacantly blink at her for a moment. It's only just dawned on you that you haven't got any hopes or dreams of your own. You've been aimlessly wandering around and carelessly going with the flow this whole time. It makes you stop and think. What… are my hopes and dreams? For some reason, the only thought that really stands out to you… is Sans.
"Hmph. My brother… he's a bit of an enigma. But he's mostly just lazy. He sleeps on the job and naps all the time. Really, I've never met someone as unmotivated as him." Papyrus sighs with exasperation as he shakes his head, but he reluctantly crosses his arms as he's willing to give him his dues, "But I have to admit, I'm proud of Sans for standing up for you, human. I'm glad even he knows that you're a person just like anyone around here, and you have the right to be given a second chance at life."
Undyne immediately looks uneasy as she remembers the confrontation she had with Sans and Papyrus over you. And she looks all the more tense as she runs her hand through her tight ponytail, almost as if she's unwilling to admit this,
"You have a good point there, Papyrus. But I wish it was easy as that. I mean, truthfully, ending the lives of human beings is always hard… but the thought that keeps me going is knowing that these souls are another step further towards a bright new future for us. Every soul is in honour of our freedom. And I won't let their sacrifices go to waste."
As soon as she finishes on that sombre note, you can't bear to hear another word of this.
"Excuse me… I, um… I just need to… be alone for a while…" You say quietly as you hold your palm over your mouth, almost as if you're about to throw up. The queasiness causes you to wobble away from the shop, and pace quickly through the town as you hear Papyrus' worried voice call after you.
But as your paces start to speed up, and you're walking faster and faster through the snow across town, you hear Papyrus' protests get quieter and quieter in the distance. And you squeeze your eyes shut as you push through the misty fog that connects the town to the waterfall, and you stumble onwards into the unknown.
…
…
You wander the dark and lonely paths of the waterfall, and a heavy sadness lays mercilessly over your heart. Undyne's voice replays over and over in your mind as it emphasises how much you're setting everyone back. As much as Undyne tried to comfort you, everything she brought up only made your worries and fears all the more real and terrifying. You know you're the final piece that brings together the whole grand plan, you know that your soul is all that's needed to break down the barriers towards freedom aboveground… but it's at the cost of your life. You have no idea how you can handle dealing with something like this.
The situation is worsened as you stagger through the darkened areas of the waterfall highlighted only by the fading glow of the echo flowers scattered across the marshes. As you walk past each one, you can hear the haunting whispers of every monster who has passed through. The voices blend together, but the theme remains the same: freedom. The echoes sound like distant ghosts, and it tortures you all the more as louder voices overlap each other in a desperate competition for your attention. It feels as if the whole of the underground is begging you to help them. And you want to. With all your heart, you want to help these kind souls… but you don't know if you're willing to pay the price…
I'm sorry… everyone, I'm so sorry…
You enter a small cavern, curved into a secluded marsh far away from any signs of life. The ceiling drips with moisture to the large clear waters pooling at your feet, and you drag yourself closer to the largest pool on the far side of the cavern. The water is clear, like silver ooze, emphasising the pure nature of the underground as a whole. You stare at your shimmering reflection beneath you, and you fall to your knees as you wince at yourself. And you frown. There's nothing about you that you like. Your human skin, your human hands, your human legs… you feel ugly in every sense of the word. You wish you could shed away your human form, tear away everything you've come to know about yourself… and start again as something new. Something unhuman.
But you're left mercilessly staring at your mortal eyes, blank with no love for yourself. And your hopeless gaze follows the gentle ripples of the water as your thoughts drift alongside them.
My only dream… is for everyone in the underground to be happy…
You're lost in your own sorrow, but it ends abruptly as you suddenly hear the gentle sound of footprints in the distance. Quickly, you stagger to your feet as you turn over your shoulder like a frightened animal. Your nerves are shot and your confidence is gone. And you find yourself looking helplessly into the startled sockets of the skeleton man you've come to know so well.
"Hey." Sans tentatively calls from the far side of the marsh, and he cautiously approaches you with concern written all over his expression, "I met up with Papyrus in town just now. He told me he's been searching for you everywhere. Did something happen? He's pretty worried about you."
You find yourself having a hard time looking at him in the eyes. You dart your gaze everywhere as you desperately rub your glassy eyes with your wrists, and you try not to audibly sniff as you force a shaken smile for him.
"I just, um… I-I only wanted to be alone for a little while. It's n-nothing that Papyrus said, I swear. I should apologise for worrying him when I see him. But really, I'm a-alright… I just gotta… get my head together…"
He takes very anxious steps towards you, and you can tell he's being extremely patient with his movements. He's forcing himself to slow down and keep it to a steady pace as to not startle you. It harshly tugs at your heartstrings. Sans can easily read you now, and he can see through your attempts to keep a steady composure. As much as you want to hide your pain, he can easily see through any guises you put on. You wonder when was the moment that you that you managed to get this close with him. You wonder how you can easily let down your walls with him and no one else. You wonder… how can you know me better than myself?
He's in front of you now. With his hands buried deep within his pockets, he keeps his glazed eyes on you. He turns you to stone under his gentle gaze. You're completely vulnerable now, and your smile falters into a naked frown as you don't have the strength anymore to keep it going. He doesn't push you, and he doesn't turn you away. He waits for you, keeping up his compassionate grin as his eyebrow bones furrow into a concerned gaze just for you. It makes you choke. You've never seen him so worried.
Sans… you must really care about me… just like… just like I do for you…
"I've finally made up my mind." You tell him suddenly and bluntly, and his head snaps up to attention as he takes a moment to fully realise what you mean. Suddenly, a thick layer of tension drags on in the silence between you, and you abruptly end it all as you sincerely tell him the truth, "I'm… not going to hurt you, Sans. I'm not going to hurt anyone."
The sockets of his eyes slowly grow wider and wider as this slowly sinks in. His grin gradually falls away, and his mouth slightly drops open as he deeply inhales a shocked gasp. He wasn't expecting this all of a sudden. He wasn't certain if he was expecting this conclusion at all. And now that he's finally faced with reality of this, Sans can barely believe this to be real. He's left simply staring at you, stricken of comprehensible thought, and for a moment, a horrible wave of doubt washes over him as he's almost certain that this can't be true.
"Is… this your final decision?" He asks with a nervous cough, desperate to hide how truly floored he is behind his casual smile. But you can see through it. You can tell he's thrown completely off-guard. And you assure him one final time with a hand placed over your heart.
"Yes. This is really how I feel." You tell him softly, and he's almost frozen with disbelief. And as you continue to speak, you choke on your emotion, "I can't do it, Sans. I can't ever bring myself to hurt anyone. And I don't understand how anyone can be capable of it. I just can't understand. You're all such compassionate creatures. I haven't been living here long, and already… I feel like you all love me very much. You accept me as I am, despite being human. And it kills me inside to see you all have such amazing dreams of freedom. It's so extraordinary. It's made me want to help you… I, um… I want to do everything I can to help your hopes and dreams come true. Sans, I promise you now, I won't ever let myself hurt anyone in the underground. I… won't ever let myself hurt you too. You all mean so much to me. And I can't stand seeing you all suffer down here. I hope… I hope I can help you in some way… I hope I can find a way to free you all, so you can all be happy, just as you've made me."
Sans is stunned into silence. As you bear your heart out to him, as your voice grows hoarse and throaty as you try to reign in your overwhelming emotions, you dig your fingers further into your clothes as you clasp a tight hold of your chest. Your heartbeat is running a mile a minute with no sign of ever slowing down. And you almost can't bring yourself to turn your gaze back to him as you're afraid of what his reaction might be…
But, as you finally gather enough confidence, your head slowly turns towards him… and suddenly, you're shocked into stone.
Sans begins to laugh. He laughs quietly at first until it gradually grows into uncontrollable hysterics, all whilst he holds his head with his trembling hand. And in the corner of his sockets, you manage to catch a glimpse of small tears forming into tiny streams over his cheekbones. You can't find the strength to move. You didn't expect this kind of reaction at all. But you can see the true extent of his overwhelming relief and happiness in the strain of his smile. His joyous tears run past his grin like a mixture of torn emotions. It's at this moment that you truly realise just how much he was holding in his breath, and how long he's been able to do it for. He hoped and hoped so much that you wouldn't repeat the actions of the previous human who caught this universe in an endless loop of torture and pain. Now that you've finally made your decision, it's as if he can finally breathe again.
And between his happy sobs, he breathes the words,
"…thank you… thank you…"
You can't take the raw emotion in his voice then. You've never seen someone break down into tears of joy, or rather, you've never seen Sans cry at all before. He's so consumed by tragic relief… it's too much… you can't watch him suffer any longer… and suddenly, you find yourself rushing towards him, until your arms tightly clamp around his shoulders as you hold him close once again.
You embrace him similarly to how you did that same morning, except this was brought on by a desperate and passionate impulse to never let him ago again. Everything now is so much different to what you once knew. Now the mere sight of his broken expression tears you up inside. And it hurts you just as much knowing you're unable to help him. All you can do right now is hold him to you as tight as you can, burying your face against the warmth of his neck, and tenderly grasp the back of his skull in your affectionate embrace. You hear a sudden sharp intake of breath from his mouth as you pull him towards you, and tightly seize his whole form into your loving arms. And before you know it, more heartfelt words come falling out your mouth, grazing your breathless voice over the bony curve of his neck,
"I couldn't have come to this decision without you, Sans. I couldn't hurt you… knowing now how much you mean to me… knowing how much I never want to cause you pain. You've been through enough. You've been through too much. I just want you to be happy, Sans. Please… let me know how to make you happy…"
You're interrupted by the sudden blunt force of his fingers digging into your back, and you gasp in shock as you feel his desperate hands clinging on to you for dear life. He holds you back, pressing his face into your neck as he silently sobs against you. Calmly, you stroke the back of his head as you feel your shoulder absorbing the tears falling from his eyes. Even if it helps him just a little bit, you want to hold on to him for as long as you can until he lets it all out. You want to do everything you can to help this fractured man. And you want to do everything you can to ease the pain he's endured for so long, even if it's as simple as holding him close like this.
You feel the gentle waves of the marsh licking against the soles of your shoes, loosening your feet's grip on the ground as your fingers tremble over his bone. His tears eventually dry up, and he's resigned to simply keeping himself close in your arms. Your presence is too comforting. He feels serene, and finally at peace as the weight of his worries finally lift away. He rests his heavy head against your shoulder, succumbing to the way he perfectly fits against your neck. And his mouth lingers so close to the heat of your skin. For a moment, his eyes glaze over as his thoughts fade into a misty abyss. That fiery tension that lingers over the both of you is still apparent, it still electrifies the heavy atmosphere with an exciting charge that pulls you to one another. But something else lies beneath all that… something significantly strong… something powerful…
But, before either of you can even begin to wonder what this is, your foot finally falls through the corroding edges of the pool beside you, and you suddenly trip backwards as you shout in surprise, dragging Sans down with you. Sans yells over you as he's yanked forward, forced to endure a face full of water as you both sink helplessly into the pool, before desperately floundering to find air. You're both surfacing at a near distance from each other, gasping for breath. As you push back the hair clinging in a mess to your face, you hear Sans spluttering and coughing as he spits out the water he accidentally swallowed. For a moment, you're in such a state of disbelief that this just happened, you're stricken into a shocked silence as you stand motionless in dumbfounded surprise. Your only coherent thoughts are how grateful you are that the marshy water is clean and crystal clear.
You both stand in the shoulder-length pool, shaking away the water dripping from your faces as you finally lock eyes and catch yourselves in a startled gaze. And before he even realises, Sans falls back on his usual type of response,
"Well… I guess that's one way to get me to fall for you…"
Your eyes widen all the more. This joke has taken you by complete surprise, in every sense of the word. Although you feel your heartbeat racing as fast as you've ever felt it, a sudden uncontrollable smile pulls at your lips. And then, before you know…
…you're laughing.
Sans is once again stunned into silence. But you don't notice as you're too focused on this reaction. You can't stop yourself from laughing harder and harder, as if he had just told you the funniest joke you've ever heard. You fall back, letting yourself float against the calming waters as your sides hurt from your loud laughter, until it brings tears to your eyes. And Sans watches you in a complete state of disbelief.
"You're laughing…" He says aloud, making it easier to accept. His grin is as wide as it can possibly go as he slowly wades through the water to point his bony finger at your hysterical expression, "You're laughing! Finally… I made you laugh!"
You can't stop. This is an incredible feeling, as if you've only just discovered how laughing feels. There's a sudden burst of happiness bubbling within you that you can't contain any longer, and you're broken down into hysterics as it finally comes out all at once at last. You're relieved, as you once believed that you were completely unable to laugh at any of his jokes, and you wondered if this was because there may have been something wrong about you… but now that you've discovered that you can… you start to feel more human. You feel so much more alive. All because of him and his awful jokes. The fact makes you sigh, and smile.
In the midst of this funny turn, a sudden devilish idea plays into your mind. For a moment, you pass him a quick knowing smirk, before you swipe the surface of the water at him. Sans gasps and stumbles backwards as you splash him, and you break once again into a boisterous bout of laughter. Suddenly, you manage to catch a glimpse of his glowing blue iris glaring mischievously back at you, before he retaliates with swipe of his own across the surface to push a large wave of water over you.
"Ahh! Sans, stop! You're getting me soaked!" You giggle as you shake drops of water from your face.
"Hey, I ain't the one who started this war!" He grins as he keeps splashing you over and over again. You laugh harder as you try to shield yourself under your arms, and you try your best to splash back desperately in defence. You do a sloppy job as you're stumbling around, grabbing a hold of your sides as you feel as if you've laughed so much that it hurts.
You're both a crazed mess of hysterics as you maddeningly splash the marsh at each other. You feel like a child at a playground, completely letting loose by playing this up more and more as you give in to the way this feels. You can't remember the last time you simply went with the flow and enjoyed the moment. And with Sans, you've never felt so amazingly happy. Somehow, he's ripped away the barriers as you set up for yourself, and you've finally come alive in his presence. He's making you truly feel human.
And he's making you fall for him deeply.
Eventually, he stops mercilessly splashing you as he's backed you up against the corner of the marsh. You're coming down slowly from the high of a laughing fit as you press your back to the wall, sodden strands of hair curling in a mess over your flushed face, and your entire figure is lit up into an ethereal luminescent glow from the rippling surface of the water. Then, your glassy eyes lock to him under your usual heavy-lids. He's almost frozen into place by the look of you then, dripping defencelessly in silver water, and with a genuine smile so big, it's as if he's looking at you for the first time. And the impact this has on him is flooring.
"You… have the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard." He tells you honestly, and he shocks himself by how easily he can admit this.
Meanwhile, you feel your breath being drawn out of your throat as you gasp, completely startled. Immediately, your heart audibly beats in your ears as your face lights up like a furnace. Your smile softens, almost as if you truly can't take the way he's looking at you now, and your voice becomes barely a whisper,
"You really think that?"
He nods as he slowly approaches you, easily wading through the water as if it isn't even there. He's stolen your gaze as he quietly leans his hands against the wall by either side of your head, caging your form against his. And you feel his breath on you as he gently leans closer, keeping his affectionate eyes locked into yours, even as he tenderly replies,
"I really think you do." The callous structure of his fingers slowly graze over your cheekbone as his eyes follow his movement, enjoying every second of your soft skin on his fingertips, and his voice lowers as deep as you've ever heard it to be, "You are… the most beautiful person I've ever met."
Never have you heard him speak with such a serious tone in all the time that you've known him. This tugs at every heartstring you have, setting your heart alight as if it's more than ready to burst from out of your chest. And that's it, you know it for definite this time. You're completely hopeless when it comes to Sans. With just a few words, you feel as if everything is alright. With just the simple touch of his hand, you're immediately defeated. There's no winning this game anymore. You've lost time and time again. But you don't mind all that much. If the price of losing is the way that he makes you feel in his arms, the way he looks at you so tenderly now, then you will gladly wave a white flag without question.
Your hands pierce through the water as you gently hold his face in your palms. You see in his eyes that he will never see you as this ugly human caricature that you've believed yourself to be for so long. Sans doesn't see an ounce of ugliness in you, in every sense of the word. You're human… but so what? He sees so much more in you. He has accepted every flaw, and he has faith that you are a person worthy to be spared. You're a human who is worthy to be wanted, and loved. You see this in the dark abyss of his sockets, shimmering in the white pinpricks of his eyes, buried beneath his heavy-lidded gaze. And you pull yourself to him as you gently whisper,
"…Sans… kiss me, please…"
He hears you, and obliges.
You pull together like magnets, and you close your eyes as your lips press over his mouth. Even though at this point you've both done so much more than this, even though you've both gone so much farther and heavier than this, nothing has made a bigger impact than the deep kiss you share with him now. It's as if the world has fallen away from beneath you, the water has dissipated in the air, and the only thing that matters is this simple action, locking you together in silent agreement that everything has changed. Nothing feels as heavy and as powerful as this. As you hold him gently between your palms, pressing him closer and deeper to you as you part your lips, you sigh with overwhelming happiness as you slowly move over his mouth with yours, completely drinking him in.
As he gently pushes against you in response, you know now that he feels just the same. You find yourself leaning back against the wall as he suddenly leads the way, almost as if he's quickly able to let loose everything he's held back for so long. He's wanted you for so long. Now the line has finally been crossed, and he's finally able to show you exactly what he's been waiting for. And it takes all the strength within you to stop your eyes from flying open in surprise as his kiss paces from slow and gradual, to passionate and desperate. You're sinking further into the water, almost as if you're melting, and he grabs a firm hold of your shoulders to pull you closer to him. You can tell in the way his hands claw over your skin that he has no intention of letting you go any time soon. And you don't want him to.
He swallows you whole. His hand snakes away from your shoulder to bury deep into your hair, pushing you against his mouth as he guides your lips apart, suddenly filling you completely with his tongue. He hungrily discovers you as your mind spins out of control and into the unknown. You feel your hands falling away from his face, trembling from the way you succumb entirely to his lead, until you're simply balancing yourself over his shoulders. He kisses like he's waited for this from the very beginning. You wonder if this is true. You wonder if you've been waiting for this too. But no coherent thought is found as he seizes you completely to his will.
He urgently tugs your hair back, throwing your head back as your lips relentlessly break away from his. You gasp as you breathlessly plead for more, but you're quickly stifled into silence as he grazes his mouth past your jawline, moving lightly over the skin of your neck, until he bites a responsive area of your neck that forces a moan past your lips. Your fingers dig into the bones of his shoulders as he moves his mouth over you, biting and sucking at that one receptive spot on your neck that drives you insane. Your toes curl into the waterbed and your eyes flutter at the feeling. He's captured you so easily with this kiss, and you want this feeling to last for as long as it can. But, after an elongated amount of time he spent kissing you there, he gradually moves away as he glances at the mark he's made on your body, and stares at the physical proof that he's finally scathed your untouched skin… just as he's always wanted. He sharply sucks air in through his teeth.
You turn me on so much, kid.
He leans forward to press his mouth against the base of your ear, catching the edge of your lobe between his teeth as his wandering fingers gradually wade through the water and slide down the curve of your body. Your lips pout into a liquid oval as you close your eyes, recognising that familiar heaviness building deep within your core from the feel of him alone. However, you've never felt it form this way before… it's so much more… powerful…
He lets loose a throaty groan against your ear as he slips his digits past the hem of your dress, and slowly pushes his hands up your thighs as your skirt drifts higher in the water. You can tell in the raw tone of his voice that he's lost all traces of his good senses. He's wants this so much, it's as if the movements he makes are completely mindless as his hand dives mercilessly deeper into your panties. And the warmth building deep in your core cries out for attention, setting your skin on fire as your eyes widen in surprise at the sheer strength of it. For a second, you hesitate as you wonder what's wrong with your body, and you're speechless before you can protest,
"Um, Sans…" But before you can say anymore, a sudden unrelenting force is pushed between your folds, moving expertly over your clit just the way he knows you like it. And almost instantly, a sharp and intensive bout of pleasure pierces through every inch of your body as you tremble beneath his fingers, "Oh… ohh… ohhhh…!"
The silver water makes his fingers slippery and fast, penetrating through your folds without difficulty and massaging your sex as you uncontrollably arch yourself further forward. You feel your entire figure lighting on fire as the incredible strength of your core is pulsating harder and harder, threatening to take you to all new ethereal levels you've never experienced before. He can see the torment in your expression as he presses his mouth to your ear, burying his face into your hair as his voice rips through his throat like a low growl,
"Cum for me, kid. C'mon, don't hold back." His movements become less teasing and agonisingly slow, and they gradually pace faster and faster into the perfect stimulus. You feel your heart pumping with fiery blood as you quietly plead for mercy in silent whispers.
It's too much… it's too much… oh god, Sans…
"Do it, let go. I wanna see that face again…"
And as if by command, the muscles in your thighs tighten as you feel the heaviness in your core suddenly burst into an intense explosion of euphoria. Your sweat blends in with the water as they fly off your quivering body. You claw your fingertips over the back of his shoulders as you tremble against him, riding the waves of your climax amongst the rapid waves of the water colliding against you. Your head is careening into the unknown as a loud moan escapes your lips, audibly calling out his name amongst the garbled sounds you create. And during your visit to Heaven's gates, you gaze at him through the slits of your heavy lids, and you manage to breathe out a coherent plea,
"…cum for me too…"
His fingers slip out of you. He looks at you quizzically, drunk with lust and passion as he lets you control him now. Your sex is sensitive, still licked with insatiable pleasures as the water flows through you, and you want him to release you. As you suddenly hold him close in your arms, you want for that delicious ache in your belly that reminds you that he's been there.
You dive your hand deep into the waters, hooking the hem of his shorts with your fingers before pushing them slowly past his hipbone. As you do this, you keep his eyes locked on to yours as you both share that same lustful gaze that motivates you to act harder and stronger than ever before. Just as his wanton tongue appears by magic, his cock acts the same, and the surface of the water begins to light up from the candescent shine of his erection. The cyan-coloured blush illuminates over his face, but he's too intoxicated by you to be shy. He doesn't hide that he's wanted this just as long as you have. And he doesn't waste a second longer wondering how it's come to this. He skims his hands over your thigh as he gently lifts you higher against the wall. You keep his heavy gaze in your sights as you're imprisoned against the wall of the marsh, clutching on to his shoulders as you stretch your knees apart, opening up to him like a budding flower. And his hands float beneath you as you're held at an agonisingly close distance from him. He stares at you, desire written in his eyes, temptation pulling you closer like magnets…
Then, he slowly enters you.
Your oval mouth grows larger as you silently intake a sharp breath of air. You hear him similarly gasp in pleasure. You feel as if you've been filled up, another part of you has connected to your body and now you're finally whole. And… fuck, it feels so good…
He buries his face against the base of your neck, catching the skin of your shoulder between his teeth as he groans and slowly grinds within you. And you find the marshy water makes it easier to move against him like a slow-paced pendulum. Neither of you find it necessary to rush. Every small thrust, every tiny jab he makes within you is met with a powerful response deep in your abdomen. Every inch of your skin feels as if it's lit up like fireworks, the blood running through your veins sizzle across your bones in an intense explosion, flaring within your innards like a blazing inferno. Your claw-like fingers draw lines over the back of his skull, his hands grab a tight hold of your thighs, and you stifle the urge to scream as the head of his erection suddenly hits a bundle of nerves deep within you.
"O-Oh fuck…" You breathe out as you desperately grasp on to him. Your sex is as sensitive as you've ever felt it before, and it's driving you crazy. Your contorted expression is barely hidden beneath the unkempt curls of your sodden hair as a visible strand is caught in the corner of your lips. And when San lovingly strokes it away by his fingers, gently cradling the shape of your face within his searing hands, your heavily-lidded gaze glazes over with lust as you beg him through your clenched teeth, "…Sans… harder…"
This command alone makes him snap. He obediently succumbs to your will as his thrusts gradually speed up, faster and faster, filling you more and more as you feel his length graze the sensitive nerves within your core. You've never experienced something as powerful and as intense as this as he pushes into you, faster, harder… losing all sense of himself in you as his tongue hangs carelessly out his mouth, just the way you like it… and the sight of his contorted expression, burning bright with a cyan flush setting his face alight like a lantern, sends you careening over the edge…
"I'm… I'm close. Sans… o-oh…" Your voice is lost to the darkness.
"Say that again." He orders, pushing himself mercilessly into you until the feelings stirring deep within your centre spiral deliciously between your legs. And he can barely take looking at your submissive expression - drool trailing indiscreetly down your chin and your eyes rolling back in pleasure. His raw voice is draped with uncontrollable lust as he grips a hold of your waist in his impossibly strong arms, "You m-make my n-name sound… like velvet."
You grasp a tight hold of him, your nails digging into his bone as you leave visible reddening lines over his skeleton. Your sharp gasp synchronise with his harsh thrusts, and in between the delicious rhythm of his movements, you try your best to make sense of your spiralling thoughts to call out to him.
"S… ahhh…"
You're almost completely gone. You can feel the climax coming, reaching to its absolute limits, and Sans feels the pulsating urge to release himself shooting through his cock. It's impossible now. He can't hold himself back any longer, not when he can feel you tighten around him in all the right ways. Slowly, he cups your face in the palm of his hand as he forces you to look directly at him. In his sockets, there is unfathomable desire. In his eyes, there's a passion to love you as tenderly as possible. You can feel it in his affectionate hands, holding you like you were porcelain. And the feeling of being wanted by him finally tips you over the edge.
"Cum with me, beautiful girl." Sans' last words to you before you're far… far gone…
He releases everything he's held back from you all this time. He relentlessly fills you up as you feel your climax quivering torturously over his cock. You feel the waves of the water crashing against the both of you as the fast-paced thrusts push them back and forth against your forms, until you both stiffen and give in to the intensive release of your orgasms. The sheer power of your climax is like nothing you've ever experienced before. You're careening through euphoric plains of being, as if you've shed away your human skin and fracture into millions of pieces against him, blending in with the water as you melt into liquid. And as your mind spins alongside his, you wonder what has been so different from all those other times…
A small cyan light burns from within his chest, just as a blood-soaked light glows from within yours. Through the misty haze of your orgasm, you can see it clearly now. As your bodies connect, so do your souls. It's as if both of your forms have collided together, experiencing the ethereal feeling of sharing one existence. And you breathe deeply as if it's your last breath - you're spiritually connected as you cum.
And Sans doesn't let you go as you collapse against him. Your arms fall limply over his shoulders, and his hands catch you into a loving embrace. His form is warm, wet and comforting. You press your lips against the bone of his neck, smiling as you feel his skeleton heating up in response, and you delight in the synchronised pace of your heavy breathing. You're both spent. You're both yearning for more. It's too little and too much all at once. And as you affectionately hold him close to your trembling body, eventually feeling his length dissipate from deep inside you… you smile wide as you hear a small thump of a heartbeat pulse within his chest.
You've made up your mind indefinitely now. I'm in love with you, Sans. Nothing will ever be able to change this immovable fact, even if you tried.
…
…
As you emerge from the waters of the marsh, you feel an unsteady loss of balance in your legs. You sigh in satisfaction as you feel drained in all the right ways. Sans catches a glimpse of you gazing in a dazed state of mind to the darkness, and he quietly laughs as he watches you smile to yourself. He doesn't pester you with questions as he's simply happy seeing you smile like that, completely unprovoked and natural in your own satisfaction. But still, he grins as he likes to think that he played some part in it.
There's no doubt in your mind that he's the main reason for your happiness right now. You feel completely vulnerable in his gaze, hopeless in his embrace, and you know for sure that there isn't anything you wouldn't do to make him feel as happy as he's made you. The twitching remnants of your climax agrees with you between you legs, and your face burns bright from the memory of what just happened. It's replaying over and over again in your mind. You didn't expect this to happen, and you certainly didn't expect it would feel this way… but as your body tenses from the aftermath of a mind-blowing orgasm, you realise that it's as intense as it was because he wasn't just fucking you… it was so much more than that. You bite down on your lip, your glazed eyes stares vacantly to the darkness as your wayward thoughts wonder – were we making love?
He's wandered farther away across the marsh when you suddenly hear a voice pierce through your deep thoughts, and call out to you.
Every inch of you freezes in shock as your eyes widen in alert. The cavern is empty and isolated, far away from civilization as you know it. Through the darkened corners of the marshy plains, you can only make out the puddles in the ground, reflecting the gentle swaying echo flowers and the image of Sans whistling light-heartedly from the distance. There's no one else here. It's impossible that someone could have called out your name…
"…go… to des… everyone…"
You hear it again. The voice sounds terrifying and familiar. And it sounds like the haunting echo of a ghost's whisper… coming from directly behind you.
You clench your teeth to keep them from chattering as you slowly turn your head, and your heartbeat is the only sound you can hear in your ears, until you grasp an eyeful of a lone echo flower located a few paces behind you. You can't feel yourself breathing at all. This is impossible. Your thoughts run rampant in fright as you don't even dare to blink away from it. No one else was here… how can that echo flower be talking?
A red hot flush runs over your face as you wonder if someone has been here all along. Perhaps it was monster hiding without you noticing, perversely watching the both of you from the shadows. In any case, your curiosity is heightened all the more as you draw yourself closer to the flower. For some reason that you can't place, you somehow recognise the tone of this voice… and the irreparable fear that it invokes in you every time you hear it…
No… no, it can't be…
You lean forward, bracing yourself for the truth. But nothing could have prepared you for the stomach-churning sound of the demonic voice that whispers back to you,
"…you're going to destroy everything…"
You jump back, shouting in shock, as you quickly stumble backwards into Sans' arms as if he immediately teleported to your side the moment he heard you scream. Immediately, you don't feel as frightened anymore as he holds you close. But you feel your heart still racing from the shock of that very same voice you heard from your dream.
"What happened?" Sans asks with his eyebrow bones knitted up in worry. His grip on you tightens as he lets you know that he wants to protect you. And you feel your heart hike up your throat… but not from the fear.
"I thought I heard something from that echo flower, but… I don't know, I must be losing my mind…"
Without questioning you any further, Sans moves from your side and goes to lean closer to the same echo flower that whispered to you. Anxiously, you wait from the side-lines as your nerves feel completely shot, and you squeeze your hands together over your chest as if in prayer. Then, you clench your hands harder as Sans turns back to you, his expression warped with confusion.
"I don't hear anything. This echo flower is completely silent."
You stare at him in wide-eyed shock. You swear that you heard this flower speaking to you, especially in that same voice from your dream. The demonic tone of the voice is burned clearly in your mind, so you would recognise it in an instance in any given setting.
"But… it really did speak to me…" You say aloud in disbelief.
Sans cautiously approaches you, hesitant to take your shoulders into his caring hands as he looks to you with all the patience in the world.
"What exactly did you hear? It can't have been pleasant if it made you scream like that, huh?"
You shake your head. You don't want him to start thinking that you're truly losing your mind, and you don't want to start believing that either. You tell yourself over and over again that your dream is exactly that – just a dream. And you force a cheerful smile as you reassure him,
"It doesn't matter. I'm sure I'm just imagining things." You wave a dismissive hand at him, despite how he's still looking suspiciously at you as you do. As you nervously laugh under his quizzical gaze, you wipe down your sodden clothes and quickly divert the conversation, "Um, let's get out of here and go home, okay? I wanna get out of these wet clothes as soon as possible…"
Then, Sans forcefully shoves his hands into his pockets as his gaze immediately turns away from you, as if to distract himself all of a sudden. Before you ask, you notice a deeply cyan-coloured flush over his face as the white pinpricks in his sockets dissipate into the dark voids.
"You gotta start being careful about what you say around me, kid. You don't wanna put any ideas into my head." Sans says lowly with a perverted grin.
And despite the apparent blush flourishing over your heated face, you laugh as you hold your arms to keep yourself back in turn. You can tell he was only half-joking just now. And this immediately put you on edge. The fatigue in your legs reminds you that it can only take a small joke like that to send a delicious shiver to your core, internally begging for a second round.
But as you both head for the cavern exit, an overwhelming wave of dread hangs over you and refuses to leave. You glance back over your shoulder to stare at that lone echo flower, sitting in dead silence in the darkness…
…and you could have sworn for a moment that the petals were a piercing shade of yellow.
…
…
…
Chapter Nine End. Chapter Ten coming soon…
Thank you for reading this chapter! I apologise for the two week hiatus, I've been pretty busy with work lately. And I wanted to make sure that I absolutely nailed this chapter! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this moment, so I hope I've done a satisfactory job! Please let me know in your reviews, I'd love to hear from you all as always! Much love, and I'll see you all soon~!