A/N: So, hopefully it's not confusing, but I wanted to let y'all know that when you see the divider bar within the chapter, it means there's a flashback going on. The rest of my scene dividers are the ~LM~ things. Enjoy!

CHAPTER SEVEN – A Year Later

Frisk sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She shut it behind her and rested back against it for a moment before she stepped away, locked it, and put her keys on the table to her immediate left. She shook her head and sighed again as she removed her coat and hung it in the closet.

Man, this world was so fucked up.

It never failed to surprise her how many humans there were in the world who were still upset about monsters living freely among them.

She scowled to herself as she remembered the comments she'd heard on her way home. Being close to monsters as she was, she was a target of some fierce discrimination. She tried to ignore it, but when she was stopped in the road so they could ask her what it was like to be a trash-fucker, she couldn't help but get her feelings hurt.

She didn't care that some humans thought she was in a serious relationship with monsters. If she had her way, she and Sans would be married by now and very, very familiar with each other's bodies. But, she didn't have her way; she was just a friend to him and she had to make that okay.

No, it wasn't those parts of the comments that hurt her. It was their opinion of monsters that did it. Monsters weren't trash.

She stepped into the living room and stopped when she saw the familiar skeleton on her couch. He was sprawled out, taking up the whole length of the couch. One arm was up with his hand under his head while the other rested on his chest. The white shirt he was wearing was thin, but it was enough to hide the bones underneath it.

She smiled at the sight, letting her eyes graze slowly down his figure. He was wearing his trademark black basketball shorts. They always looked too big for him, and yet no matter how many laws of physics they seemed to break, they stayed up around his hips. Her eyes continued down his legs. One leg was pulled up, his knee near the top of the couch. It caused his shorts to ride up, giving her a really good view of his strong femur. His other leg was stretched out over the opposite arm of the couch. His feet were covered in his pink, fluffy slippers.

She licked her lips and let her eyes trail slowly back up his body, stopping at places she knew were inappropriate. She shouldn't be ogling him like this. But dammit, she couldn't help it.

His eyes were closed as he snored softly, letting out small, nearly inaudible snorts each time he inhaled. She wasn't entirely sure how or why the skeleton monster needed to breathe, but all the same it was comforting to listen to him.

She sighed for a completely new reason and shifted her weight to lean against the wall. She couldn't help but think back on the last two years and how their friendship had grown. She had wanted to tell him about her feelings for him, but every time she tried to flirt or somehow show her affection he wouldn't respond the way he should have if he felt the same way. She was always too nervous to push things further for fear that it would put a strained distance between them.

Frisk shook herself from her memories and walked over to get the blanket off the back of the recliner. She draped it over Sans as gently as she could, hoping to not wake him. He moved just slightly, his hips raising as he shifted.

Her hands froze as she stared at his body again. In the beginning, she never would have imagined herself being attracted to a skeleton. He was—quite literally—just bones. And yet here she was, staring down at her best friend with lust tugging at her belly because he had lifted his hips. It wasn't like he had anything there to…

Well, she didn't know that for sure. She'd never seen him completely naked, so how could she know? She found herself suddenly curious about skeleton genitals. Her body went from ten to one hundred in three seconds flat as she imagined some form of—

Sans shifted again, and she realized she had been standing over him, staring and fantasizing about skeleton penises. She took a deep breath and walked away before she could do any more damage. How would she feel if she had been ogled in her sleep by her best friend?

Pretty damn lucky is how I'd feel, she thought to herself.

She went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. She knew that was why he was here to begin with. They hadn't set up plans, but he still showed up spontaneously for dinner. It was always a welcome surprise, and she made sure to let him know that so he wouldn't stop.

~LM~

Dinner was done. Sans was still asleep on the couch. Frisk moved the pan to an unheated burner on the stove and turned to go wake up her friend.

He hadn't moved an inch from the last time she'd checked on him. She almost didn't want to wake him up because he looked so peaceful. She had once wondered if he had a job because he seemed to have all the time in the world to spend with her. When she learned that he not only had a job, but worked three different ones, she felt bad for asking him to come over so often.

Sans squashed that really fast. He said the only job that he really needed was the one he worked with his dad, which was pretty much on his own time. The other two were because he was often bored. He had joked that they weren't even real jobs, but she knew better.

She still didn't know what he did with his dad. She'd never met his dad, and the few times that she'd asked about it he'd changed the subject. He was usually so open about everything, so she figured he had a good reason to keep that part of his life away from her. Of course, that didn't make her any less curious.

She reached out and shook his shoulder gently.

"Hey, Sleepy Bones. It's time to wake up."

Sans shifted and turned over so he was facing the back of the couch, curling up a little. "No," he mumbled into the cushion.

Frisk giggled. "Yes. Dinner's ready."

He cracked one eye open and peeked up at her. "What's on the menu?"

His voice was low with sleep, and it made her tummy flutter pleasantly. She cleared her throat and took a step backward.

"I made some chicken alfredo."

He hummed with appreciation and sat up slowly. "How long was I out?" The words were distorted with a yawn and he began to stretch.

She averted her eyes and told herself not to blush. "I'm not sure? When did you get here?"

He thought about that for a second. "I think somewhere around five. Work was exhausting today, so I just came here after I'd helped Dad with a…something." He looked down for a brief second before he stood up and smiled at her. "Welp, I'm starving. Let's eat." He rubbed his hands together, his phalanges clacking gently.

Deciding now was not a good time to ask again what he did with his dad, she led the way to the kitchen and watched as he helped her set the table.

They ate in near silence for a while, but it was comfortable. Frisk watched him bring the food to his mouth. She had often wondered how he ate since whatever he put in his mouth just seemed to disappear. Papyrus was the same way. The other monsters she'd had dinner with seemed to do it much the same as she did—shovel food in, chew, and swallow. She figured Sans and Papyrus were different because they were skeletons.

"How is it?" she asked after a few minutes.

Sans looked at her. "Nastiest thing I've ever eaten." He smirked.

She smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

After dinner, the two moved back out to the living room. Frisk couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She knew eventually he was going to suspect something was up if she couldn't control herself, but he was too nice to look at.

Sans took her hand and held it on his lap. "Frisk, is everything okay?" he asked gently.

She looked up and met his eyes. The lights in his sockets were glowing softly with concern and something else she wasn't really sure how to place.

She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I've just been tired lately." This couldn't happen now, she thought. Not yet. She wasn't ready.

He quirked his mouth in an expression of doubt. "I've seen you so damn tired you literally pass out. I've seen you exhausted-tired after being so sick you could hardly sleep for a week. I've also seen you drunk-tired. This isn't just tired. What's going on?"

Frisk sucked in a deep breath and took a few more minutes to look at him. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now." She could hardly believe she'd actually said that sentence. Ready or not, it was happening.

Sans brought her hand up to his teeth and gave her a small kiss. "I'm here. Talk to me."

Butterflies danced a hardcore Russian Cossack dance in her stomach and her mouth started to feel a little too dry.

She nodded to let him know that she was willing to tell him, but had to take a few moments to figure out how she would say what she needed to say. The fear that he would not only reject her advances but also pull back from their friendship caused her already heated face to burn a little hotter with anxiety. She had tried on and off to flirt with him or make him realize how she felt for a year. If he hadn't responded, he didn't feel the same.

"I'm really nervous about this, Sans." She met his eyes again and tried to blink back the tears that had already started to gather.

His brow bones lifted in a concerned expression. "I'm getting really nervous about this, too, Kiddo. Did I do something?"

Sans thought back on the last several months of their friendship. He wondered if she could tell his feelings for her had been mutating. He had tried so hard to keep his intentions platonic, but after Undyne had planted the seed three months ago, there was no going back.

"She got home safely," Sans said when he returned from taking Frisk home.

Papyrus had already spent a lot of time with her loved her charming little face. She laughed at his brother's horrific puns, but also complimented his cooking. She was certainly okay in his book.

Alphys sat on Undyne's lap and gently picked at a claw as she spoke gingerly. "That's g-good. She seems…um…really nice. I think I l-like her."

"You what?!" Undyne all but shouted.

Alphys looked up, shocked. "Not like that!" Even though she knew her girlfriend was joking, the sudden roar in her ear had scared her.

Undyne laughed. "Well, duh. I was playin'." She hugged Alphys tightly, causing a squeak to emerge from the yellow monster. "I know you have eyes only for me."

Alphys turned her head and place a kiss on Undyne's cheek. "You're right."

Undyne kissed her back, not holding back at all.

Sans gagged. "Get a fuckin' room, you two."

"Swear jar!" Papyrus yelled.

Sans shot him a look.

Undyne chortled. "Like you haven't been thinking about doing that to the human all damn night."

Alphys blushed and tried to hide her face in Undyne's shoulder.

Sans stared, wide-eyed and speechless for a second.

"I-I beg your pardon?" he finally stuttered.

"OH, MY GODS!" Papyrus shouted. "Undyne, you made him go proper!"

Undyne and Alphys laughed together. Sans was still not sure what to say.

"You've wanted to kiss her all night, Sans. I know these things." She puffed out her chest like she was proud of herself when in reality it was Alphys who had pointed it out to her.

Sans wasn't sure what to think of this new discovery. He realized with a strange sort of awe that Undyne was right. He tried to play it cool. He snorted. "The only reason you even what a kiss is, is because Alphys literally smacked you in the face with one."

Alphys blushed again.

Undyne shrugged. "Yeah, so? It's not like you can't have a battle of kisses. Right, babe?"

None of them expected Alphys to be able to turn a brighter orange, but she managed it. She tried to hide in Undyne's shoulder again, but Undyne poked her side and made her let out another squeak.

Sans didn't want to think about his friends doing that. Although, the idea of vying for the dominant kisser with Frisk…it had never crossed his mind before, but suddenly, he couldn't get it out of his head. To be honest, he wasn't even sure how he would kiss her. He really wanted to find out.

He tried not to give anything away when he saw Frisk again. He couldn't help but stare at her lips, wondering what they would feel like pressed against his mouth. They looked like they'd be soft, moist…warm, even.

What had started with a fascination with her lips soon grew to be a curiosity about her entire body. He liked how it felt to hug her against him. She was mostly squishy with some hard spots where her bones were closer to the outer edge of her body. He had grown very fond of touching her shoulders, knees, elbows…everywhere he could feel her skeleton.

And yet, he also found that he wanted to explore the fleshy parts of her. She was ticklish, so he only got to touch her stomach and sides when they had tickle wars. He'd pinch her cheeks whenever he got the chance just to remind himself what they felt like. She hated the action, so he had to pick and choose those moments carefully.

She had asked him several times during one visit if he was okay. He seemed distant, she'd said. He had been thinking about what it might be like to feel the lumps on her chest like he'd seen people do in the movies. She seemed concerned about him. From then on, he made sure to keep his fantasies better hidden.

Frisk shook her head, bringing Sans back to the present. "No, you didn't do anything. It's actually me that did something."

She pulled his hand onto her lap and looked down, focusing intently on his phalanges and how they connected together.

Sans waited as patiently as he could. He almost wanted to put her in judgement just to see what she was feeling so guilty about, but he refused to do that to her. She would tell him soon enough, he told himself. He couldn't help but feel more and more nervous as the seconds ticked on.

"I'm so sorry, Sans. I'm actually really scared about how you'll react." She swallowed hard and looked back up at him. "Will you promise me something?"

He shifted a little, her words not doing anything to quell his anxiety. "I'll do my best."

"Promise me you won't…I don't even know, dammit. Promise me that what I'm about to say won't affect our friendship. I love spending time with you and your friends, and it would kill me if something I did ruined that."

Okay, that was not comforting. Instead of accepting the promise, Sans took his hand back from her.

"Frisk, what did you do?"

She looked up, surprised at his demanding tone. His left eye was burning, showing her just how serious he was.

Her breath was shaky as she drew it in and closed her eyes tightly. "I fell in love with you," she blurted.

The silence that followed was deafening. Frisk didn't dare open her eyes to see what was going on. The couch was still slightly depressed from his weight, so she knew he was at least still there.

Sans didn't know how to react for a second. On one hand, her confession was the last thing he had expected to hear, and it shocked him to say the least. On the other hand, he had literally been preparing to judge her soul because she fell in love with someone. Not just someone…him.

Frisk let out the breath she'd been holding when she felt warm phalanges on her chin, urging her to look at her friend. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, worried about what she'd see in his face. Instead of disgust or apathy like she'd been so scared of, she saw comfort.

"How could I be mad at you for that?" he asked sincerely. "I mean, really? You had me worried you'd gone out and committed some kind of awful crime against monster-kind."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

He shrugged and moved closer to put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't be." He took a deep breath and smiled at her. "How long have you felt that way?" He looked at her lips. Maybe now he could kiss her.

"A long time." She shrugged. "Like over a year."

"What?" He leaned back, more than a little surprised. "You never told me?"

"I tried…kind of. I guess I don't really know how to flirt very well. Did you ever notice me touching you more, or trying to find ways to be as near to you as I could?"

He felt like an idiot. "Yeah, but I just figured you were cold when you did that."

She smiled sadly. "Like I said, I don't know how to flirt."

"Over a year. Damn. And I thought I had it bad." He shook his head.

Frisk looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about you differently the last few months," he confessed. He took her hand again. "It started after Undyne told me I wanted to kiss you. Turns out, she was right. By the way, I think I'm falling in love with you, too."

She stared into his eye sockets for a moment, hoping he actually meant what he'd just said. She didn't see anything but sincerity.

"Really?" She had to be sure.

"Really."

She smiled brightly and leaned into his shoulder. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her entire body. In its place, giddiness began building. She hugged him tightly and nearly squealed from delight as his arms constricted around her.

A moment later, she pulled back to look at him again. She just wanted to see his face. It seemed she suddenly felt like she couldn't get enough of just looking at him.

"Can I kiss you?" Sans asked.

She nodded faster than she'd actually processed the thought of how it would happen.

"I don't have any idea what I'm doing," he confessed. "I mean, I know how you humans do it, but I'm clearly lacking in the lip department."

"Let's just try this." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the front of his teeth. It was awkward for a second before she felt the warmth of his magic press back softly.

They both closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment.

Sans could hardly believe his luck. Her lips were every bit as soft and warm as they looked. It took nothing at all to connect his magic with her the way he would have connected with another monster. Once he figured out it wasn't actually anything new to him, he relished in the new confidence.

A/N: Aww, kisses!

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