Toby Fox owns Undertale and all associated characters.

Snow crunched underfoot, metallic feet alongside reptilian as Chara and Kid walked down the sidewalk. The last day of school before Christmas break had just finished. When they left the school building, they had been greeted by the first snowfall. Chara really wasn't sure why the winters around here never had any snow until at least halfway through December, but she was sure Alphys appreciated it.

Speaking of reptilian Monsters, she glanced over to the boy walking beside her. He was still just wearing a shirt and pants, without even a sweater to keep the cold out. He wasn't even wearing any shoes!

"Aren't you cold?" She asked. "I know nobody was expecting it to snow today, but it was still pretty cold beforehand."

"Not really. I'm actually pretty much always warm."

Chara reached out a hand skeptically and pressed it into Kid's side, smirking at the tiny jump and giggle the action evoked from the boy. She was going to have to remember that he was ticklish.

He was right. He was warm to the touch, and she could just feel the heat emanating off of him. After having this body for about a month now, she was starting to get the hang of how she felt things now, the dual input she received both from her body's internal systems, and the magic that compensated for senses she didn't have.

She gave the boy an impressed look.

"How do you do that?"

Kid turned to look at her, a quizzical expression on his face as he cocked his head to one side. After a moment, he brightened.

"Ohhh, right! Haha, I keep forgetting you're not technically a Monster!"

Chara raised an eyebrow at the boy, and he continued.

"We're basically made of magic, right? Since I have fire magic, that partly makes up my body too! So it doesn't matter how cold it is, I'm always warm! Good thing, too; 'cause we used to live in Snowdin, haha." He paused. "Doesn't your magic work like that too?"

Chara hesitated for a moment.

"Not really… I had my magic before I got this body. I can feel the magic that's helping power me, and the magic that I use to fight, but they're both separate. They don't even really feel the same."

"I guess you really are special!" He looked right into her red pupils as he spoke, a warm smile lighting up his face like a Christmas tree.

Chara looked away to hide the blush that spread across her features, wishing that the magic that allowed her to feel much the same way she had when she was Human didn't also cause this effect on her, despite her robotic form.

Kid was so genuine, there was never any doubt that he didn't wholly mean what he said. No wonder he'd started looking up to Papyrus.

"Hey, look, there's your house."

Chara blinked in surprise. Were they that close already? She checked her internal clock and realized with a start they had been walking for nearly half an hour. She'd barely felt the time go by.

"Guess I should probably head home, huh? My parents'll probably be waiting for me, haha."

"That reminds me," Chara said, turning to look at him. "I've never actually seen your parents around when I come visit."

"They're really busy most of the time," Kid explained. "I don't even get to see them all that often. Yo, but my sister does, so that's okay. They don't like it if I stay out for too long, though. Anyway, I'll see you around, okay, Chara?"

Kid leaned into Chara for a hug, which the robot girl gladly gave, then dashed off down the street. Chara watched after him for a moment, before heading into the house. Was it her imagination, or had Kid seemed a bit… defensive when she brought up his parents? Maybe she'd have to talk to her Mom about it later. She didn't like the idea that her adorable boyfriend might have a neglectful family.

When did I start referring to him as my boyfriend?

She dismissed the thought from her mind and opened the door, walking into the house and kicking off her shoes. She could hear her parents in the kitchen, probably working on whatever dinner was going to be. The metallic girl walked over and poked her head through the doorway.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home."

The two turned at the sound of her voice, and Chara could barely suppress a giggle, since they were absolutely covered in flour, the powder clinging to fur and clothes alike. Her father looked slightly sheepish, while Toriel seemed more amused than anything else.

"Chara, dear," her mother exclaimed. "I did not hear you come in! Did you walk back from school with Kid again?"

The girl nodded, crossing her arms in front of her and smirking at the flour Monsters before her. Then she groaned inwardly. Flour Monsters… Flowey… Goddamn it, Sans.

"I'm glad that you've been so good to him," Asgore put in, wiping a hand across his face and smearing rather than dislodging the powder. "He's been through a lot, and I'm sure you've been helping to brighten his days."

"What do you mean he's been through a lot?" Chara asked. "Did something happen?"

Asgore gave a little frown.

"Well, with his parents, of course."

Chara's eyes narrowed.

"I heard they've been busy a lot. Have they been neglecting him? I thought he sounded kind of defensive when I asked about it."

Her parents shared a look, then Asgore gave a deep sigh and placed a hand on Toriel's shoulder.

"I'll tell her about it, Tori. I'm, uh… not being incredibly useful over here anyways."

Toriel nodded, a sad look in her eyes as she watched her husband walk into the living room. Chara glanced between them suspiciously, then followed her father.

He strode over to the couch and took a seat, oblivious to the the powder he trailed behind him. He gestured for her to take a seat next to him, and she complied.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I thought that you knew."

"Knew what?" Chara asked, irritation lacing her tone.

"Kid's whole family died almost a year before Frisk fell into the Underground."

A stunned silence filled the room, as the girl tried to process what her father had just said. Then she shook her head.

"No, when Frisk and I were down there, he talked about them! He even asked me not to tell them he was going out to see Undyne! There's no way-"

"He never accepted their deaths," Asgore explained gently. "He always insisted that they were still around, no matter what anyone told him. Some people tried to take him in, but he always insisted that he had to stay with his family." He gave a little shrug. "So the community ended up raising him. People would leave food for him, and keep the house tidy. It's the same now. Even if he doesn't accept it, he lives in that house by himself."

"So… he really believes they're still alive?" Chara questioned, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by this information.

"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I… thought you'd have figured it out already."

Chara stood up, her gaze downcast.

"I'm… going up to my room." With that quiet declaration, she began walking towards the stairs, Asgore's sympathetic gaze following after her.

Chara quietly closed the door to her room and leaned against it, putting a hand over her eyes. How could she have been so blind? She should have known something was off. Granted she hadn't been to his home many times, and when she had, Frisk had usually been in control. She still should have realized something was off sooner.

"Bad day?" A familiar voice asked. Chara started, dropping her hand. Frisk was lying down on her bed, his head hanging just over the edge and he was giving her an upside-down grin, his hair falling far enough to almost touch the floor. Chara stared at him.

"Why are you in my room?"

"You've seen mine, right? It's a place to sleep in; there's no room for anything else. Besides, I wanted to talk to you."

"You have no idea how little interest I have in your idiocy today." Chara opened the door and glared at her brother. "Leave. Now."

"This has something to do with Kid, doesn't it? Did the two of you have a lover's spat?"

Chara paused, then narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Did you know about this?"

"I know a lot of things," Frisk replied, the mysterious air he attempted to portray negated by how ridiculous he looked hanging upside-down. "Which one would you be talking about in particular?"

"Did you know that Kid's parents are dead?" Chara demanded.

Frisk started so hard that he fell out of the bed, his head bouncing off the floor. He rubbed the sore spot a moment, before looking up at Chara wide-eyed.

"What?! What happened? Is Kid alright?"

The boy was unusually silent while Chara repeated Asgore's story. When it was finished he sat back down on the bed.

"Man… I had no idea. Poor guy... that must have really affected him if he still refuses to accept that after four years. I kinda wish I'd known sooner."

"Yeah…" Chara muttered mournfully. "Now, can you please leave?"

"Look, Chara," Frisk said, looking up at his sister. "You can't change what happened to Kid, it happened even before we fell down there. But what you can do… is give him the best Christmas ever."

"That's what you wanted to talk to me about?" Chara asked, incredulous. "Is now really the time?"

"Why not? You feel bad for him, right? You want to make him feel better, right?"

"Frisk, if this is leading into another joke about me trying to get into his pants, I will throw you out the window, I swear by every god that exists."

Frisk put up his hands in surrender.

"I swear, the thought never even crossed my mind."

"Liar."

"Look, have you even started thinking about what to get Kid for Christmas? You were planning on getting him something, right?"

Chara's silence was the only answer the boy needed.

"Look, I know this kind of thing isn't usually your deal. I get it. And you didn't have to worry about it so much the last couple of years. But you really like Kid, right? I can help you find something really special for him. Whaddya say?"

Under normal circumstances, Chara would be extremely hesitant to accept any "help" her brother offered. But despite his love of teasing, Frisk was never cruel or intentionally mean. After what she had just told him, the odds of him trying to sabotage her for a few laughs was at an all-time low.

"I'll hear you out… but I promise nothing. This had better be good."