When Frisk awoke, she was immediately flushed. Her face wasn't just warm, it was hot. Sweat pricked at her forehead, but all she could do was shiver. Her fingers gripped the heavy blue comforter tightly, pulling it under her chin, but it may as well have been made of paper. Moving her legs, she suddenly realized her feet weren't hanging off the mattress as they did in Undyne and Alphy's home. She had tons of legroom that the lizard woman's old bed simply couldn't muster. These sheets were soft, and the heavy throw wasn't unpleasant either. Under her nose, she could smell something unfamiliar. Possibly iron, maybe lead? Could even be paint, but not as apparent on the cloth. Metallic was the only word she could think of. She cracked her eyes a little wider, and with a jolt she realized this wasn't a room she'd ever slept in before. It was his room. Holding her head, she realized sitting up so abruptly wasn't the best idea. Her head was swimming. Had she caught something?

"Achoo!" She rubbed her nose. Yup, probably. She glanced around Sans' room, noticing even after a week he still hadn't unpacked. Well, except for that swirling vortex in the corner. Trying to think of the physics behind that was not on her list of things to do today. Today, she had business to attend to.

She got up, shrugged off her night pajamas. The cotton pants fell easily, but the buttoned shirt would take a minute. The light pink rosey designed set had been a gift from Toriel. She had to make a few tailored changes to keep the cuffs of her pants from dragging on the floor, but otherwise they fit perfectly. Baggy, but if she moved the right way they would hug against her body in a flattering way. Shrugging off her night shirt, she pulled a pair of underwear and jeans out of her duffle bag. After slipping on the simple blue panties, she looked over at the jeans again. Should she try to look...nicer? She was trying to woo the owner of this room after all.

"Man…" She held her head again, that dizzy feeling was threatening to topple her. A cold gust hit her chest, but when she looked around all she could find was the tornado in the corner to explain it. Goosebumps crawled over her arms and she did her best to rub them away. Best she could do was take care of herself to not get sick. To hell with looking nice today, she was going to be here a while after all. Her black embassy coat laid on top her of her pillowcase filled with personal belongings. Hopefully it could warm her up, she could barely feel her fingertips. Shrugging on a purple striped T shirt and the jeans, she made her way toward the door.

It didn't even creak when she eased it open, but she still felt like she was intruding. Living with two women, regardless of their tastes in gender, was much easier than living with the brothers. She felt like she was interrupting their family, making them dote over her. And having feelings for one of them didn't help. Like at all. Glancing down the stairs, she noticed the DVD title screen was still on. That's right, Sans had picked a movie. She must've fallen asleep. And the two lumps down there must have too. Giggling to herself, she carefully walked down the steps. Her long black coat fluttered along, almost touching the steps.

When she headed toward the front door, she felt another sneeze coming on. No no no, stay silent, they're sleeping, but telling herself that didn't stop the sensation. Pinching her nose, she quickly flung the front door open and softly shut it behind her.

"ACHOO!"

One the lock clicked, she headed toward the city. The light from the morning sun didn't do anything to warm her up, but she still had to wipe away the sweat on her brow. At least she didn't wake them.

Once that door shut, Sans snapped his head up. He could feel his soul pulsing inside him, flushing his face bright blue. Jeez kid, make yourself at home. He popped upstairs to see if she was up and man, she was up. Her face looked pink, her lips a deeper color than they normally were, her eyes were half lidded. But it wasn't her face that had him worked up. He held a hand over his chest in an effort to silence his magic. The image of her naked back stuck in his head and there was no shaking it. Those perfectly toned arms and legs, those wide hips. His eyes had traced the outline of every curve, as if he needed to commit it to memory. Everything about her was perfectly proportioned to her height, and he wanted to see more. That was not the scrawny kid he met years ago. At least she wasn't totally naked, but damn he wasn't expecting her to change in his room. There was a bathroom attached, Jack and Jill style between his and Pap's room, she could've used. He'd never seen so much of the human body. But he felt like she would be very upset if she found out how much of her he saw, even if he did leave immediately.

Dating her may be even more difficult than he expected. She looked so soft and squishy. What was he suppose to do with that? He couldn't provide anything of benefit to her, this is why he didn't think dating was a good idea. But suddenly the idea of it was so appealing, and it was too late to change his mind. What would his excuse me, besides he's a monster? She's too squishy? Heh.

"Sans, are you alright brother?" Papyrus rubbed his empty eye socket as he rolled over on his back. Sans realized quickly that his disheveled appearance was incredibly incriminating. He hopped up.

"Yeah bro, just gotta shower. Since movie night was a wash," Sans winked, earning a groan from his brother.

"IT IS TOO EARLY!"

A cold shower was exactly what he needed. The icy water ran down his spine, trailing down every rib and bone he had. It wasn't like he didn't need to wash, it was just not as necessary. Bones could get little cracks or creases and, if there was enough dirt or grime, that would present a future problem. He wondered briefly if humans got that as well. Would their skin crack and bleed? Or maybe give them an infection of some kind? Probably not, since non-skeleton monsters bathe often. Undyne had mentioned it was for hygiene, Alphys had said she just liked the smell of soap. Taking the bar in his hand, he brought it to his face and breathed in. Nothing special about it.

The idea of Frisk needing to shower though… "I mean, she is my girlfriend technically, I'm allowed to think about it right?" He addressed the white bar of soap in his hand. She'd take this, lather up her hands, or maybe use the entire bar and glide across her skin. Bubbles would form on her shoulders and chest, running down her stomach to her naval. They'd spread down her shoulder blades to the arch of her back, over her cheeks and down the back of her thighs. Her face would be looking up toward the water, cleaning it of sweat and any filth. His own hands were drifting down to his hips toward his groin.

"What the fuck man, knock it off," he snapped at himself. Rinsing off the remaining suds, he stepped out of the bath and took a green towel off the rack. As he cleaned himself off, he glared at the mirror. "Never, ever have you thought about her like that before. Just because she says she likes you it's okay for you to turn into some creepy perv?" What did she even see in him anyway. A lazy sack of funny bones was his character. What could have possibly prompted romantic interest?

Papyrus was busily cleaning the house and sticking glitter on a rock in the living room. Folding the used blankets and washing rock hard spaghetti off of the plates. He should help out, but Sans just wanted to chill out in his room for a bit. He looked out the window, green towel wrapped around his hipbones. The leaves on the trees around them were changing, something they had never before seen. Frisk had explained it as a new season. He could look out the window for hours and see so many new things, like the moving cloud that may or may not bring water and the sun chasing the moon across the sky. If it wasn't for her… well, he appreciated how much she went through to bring them here.

He looked back at his packed up room and thought since it would be Frisk's for a bit, he could get rid of some boxes and unpack. The bed, however, was throwing him off. It had been neatly made, pillow fluffed, even the inner sheet was properly folded. Huh. So that's what beds were suppose to look like. Throwing the towel over his chair and slipping into his shorts, he set to work on unboxing his belongings.

…

..

.

..

…

The sun was setting and there was still no sign of Frisk. Papyrus was terribly worried after he had called Tori and Undyne to see if they had spotted her. Toriel mentioned in the town meeting today Frisk didn't seem herself, while Undyne added she hadn't come by the forest at all. Both he and Sans decided looking for their friend should be a priority at the moment, so they set out to join the search. Anyone who was opposed to the monster's return would have reason to harm Frisk, which is the reason she isn't to be in the city alone just yet. Toriel had met her there, but saw no reason to take her all the way back. So, Papyrus went in the direction of the forest in case she was on her way to visit Undyne and Alphys, and Sans went toward the city in case she was on her way home.

Yeah, Sans was worried. But everyone was. He did know Frisk could take care of herself, and he didn't feel any particularly bad feelings. Just some guilt for thinking of her earlier in the day. Every step he took launched him farther than it should, but he had no time to waste. He needed to hurry and find her, or find some trace of-

Her.

Leaning her back to a tree, her face tilted down toward her knees, sat the one and only savior of the monster race. Looking absolutely pathetic. In her hands was a yellow maple leaf, but Sans couldn't bother with that at the moment. In an instant he was at her side, kneeling in the grass with her, phone in hand.

"Paps, Papyrus, I got her. Yeah, I found her. Heading home." He clicked the receiver off before his brother could ask too many questions. Frisk was breathing hard, her eyes shut. Her cheeks were really, really red now. He put a finger bone on her temple, trying to gauge how her temperature was. He didn't have nerves like she did, but he could still feel and sense things sometimes even better than most monsters because of his deep reserves of magic. At his touch, her eyes snapped open and her head yanked back. He caught her shoulder to keep her from toppling. The look on her face was similar to the only he saw at Grillby's. Complete shame.

"S-Sans I-"

"Hush kid, I'm taking you home." He slid one arm under her knees and used the other already around her shoulders to hoist her up in his arms. Again he was amazed at how brittle she felt. Her heavy breathing and warm skin stirred an unfamiliar feeling in him, but he pushed it aside. Protecting his friend was more important than thinking about what she looked like under-

"Why don't we teleport?" She whispered, looking up at him with almost pleading eyes. Sans only shook his head, at both her question and the evil thoughts invading his mind.

"And have you vom all over me and my things? No thanks kid, I just unpacked." Winking at her, he added; "Plus, I think you're sick of teleporting with me." A grin stretched across her face.

"Sick of you? Never." She closed her eyes and leaned her face against his chest. There was no heartbeat, but the steady hum of magic coursing through him was comforting. Every monster was different, even powerful, in their own way. The skeleton brothers were very different however, they didn't need much.

"Still, you getting all ill like this so soon after we start going out? Think it might be an omen kid." Frisk huffed at the word 'kid'. Sans noticed and tried to alter it. "But I mean, you're an adult now and can make your own decisions. I just think you should be more careful." That last part was less about illness and more about being mostly naked in his bedroom, but he tried to dismiss that.

In a moment of daring willpower, or perhaps fevered courage, Frisk reached up and touched the side of Sans' skull. There was no flesh to greet her of course, but his face wasn't as cold or clammy as she had imagined it to be. In fact, she could feel the spot her hand resting warming up under her touch as his cheekbones changed tone. He wasn't dead, just a different form of life, and she loved that about him. He raised a brow at her, shaping his eyes in a more questioning look. "You're not as cold as I thought you'd feel." She explained.

This fucking kid is killing me, he thought back at her. He instead looked toward the yellow leaf in her other hand. Noticing, she tilted her chin so it resting on one of his ribs gently.

"I thought I'd frame it in your living room, it's both of your first seasons after all."

"Kid if you don't feel good come home and rest, don't collapse looking for something so silly." He chastised her, but honestly he was moved again by how considerate she could be. Soon the leaves would all change color, and fall, and grow anew. But this was a leaf from the first season he and his brother would ever experience, and that was priceless.

"Home, is it? So you don't want me to leaf?" She spun the yellow plant between her fingers, a sly grin on her face. Sans chucked, a deep sound she really enjoyed this close to him.

"Hah, nah kid. Feel free to stick around."

"How nice of you to tree-t me."

"OH MY GOD NO." Papyrus shouted from the doorway. He waited on the porch for them to hurry back, but he was instantly disappointed by the terrible puns. Quickly he ushered them inside, taking Sans' word that the human was feeling very sickly and needed rest and orange juice. As Papyrus made his way up the stairs with a tray of juice, he had a very good idea to keep watch over his weakened charge. Sans spun around his desk chair while Papyrus tucked in the human into the incredibly neatly made bed.

"Oh, Papyrus here. This is yours." Frisk handed him the offending pun material, but after she explained the meaning of the golden treasure he quickly enveloped her in a hug. Frisk giggled at him, patting him on the back. After glancing quickly at the spinning Sans, she whispered a favor into Papyrus' shoulder.

"Human I will cherish this!" He cried, holding her out at arm's length. While he didn't understand why the human would ask a favor like this, he was not one to deny a dear friend. "As a token of thanks, I shall see to it that you are healed quickly and efficiently!"

And with that, Papyrus left in a dancing jog out the door. A soft click behind him, and the two were locked in. Frisk looked at Sans, who only grinned at his brother's mischievous implications. However, the bathroom door did connect to Papyrus' room, and Sans could just teleport past the door if he wanted to. The white pinpricks of his eyes looked over at Frisk, in her oversized T shirt, tucked into his bed. Once they had gotten home, she happily stood on her own feet. As long as she didn't move to quickly she could make it up the stairs. Honestly she felt much better after being carried in Sans' arms, listening to the steady stream of magic inside him. But the dizzy feeling still lingered in the back of her head, so it was better not to push it. A quick shower, then time for bed.

After she arrived inside the room, she reached into her bag to pull out her own towel and soap. Unlike the plain bar Sans used, hers smelled of vanilla and flowers. Typical girly scents Alphas shared with her. She ran the water, surprised it came out so cold, and started to warm up with the steam. Having a nice hot shower before being forced to be bedridden for the rest of the evening felt really nice.

After a quick shower, she threw on the nightshirt and clean black panties. She curled up in his bed, but wasn't yet allowed to sleep since Sans had appeared to check in on her, then Papyrus almost kicked the door down to give her nourishment. Honestly felt wonderful having her friends dote on her a bit, but... since one of them is him...

"Well, I guess tonight's a date?"

Frisk frowned at layed back, rolling away from him with a sigh. Wrong idea. Sans had already explained he didn't see her in that kind of light, and he was most doing this to humor Frisk. She was trying, but it would take more than a week to get him to see her as more than 'the kid'. Papyrus didn't seem to understand the tension either. The goosebumps on her shoulder pricked as soon as she felt that familiar drum of magic near her.

Sans grinned, looking over her shoulder to try to look at her face. Suddenly, the image of her standing in his room earlier flashed in his mind, and he backed off. Put some space between him and her, otherwise… his tongue flicked over his teeth once again. She was just so tempting, laying in his bed, so dependent on them. On him. He couldn't help being attracted, she was just so... She was the human to change his mind about humans, and slowly she was even changing his opinion about dating a human. Or maybe this feeling was just because she was determined to try? He moved from his spinning chair and plopped down on the bed next to her. She looked over in shock, unsure of what to do. Kick him out of his own bed? Should she move? He put his hand on her forehead one more time, partially to check her health. Mostly it was an excuse to touch her again. Yeah, she had a fever all right. He put his other hand around her, hugging her tight for a moment. This was okay to do, they were 'dating' after all. Frisk could only freeze and wonder if she had passed out and this dream Sans was the only one holding her so closely.

"You know...that leaf was really sweet. But you really worried us. Call next time, okay? I'll pick you up." He muttered. The breath from his words tickled her ears, but Frisk only smiled. When Sans was satisfied, he tried to pull his arm back. But Frisk caught it and pulled it back around her. Oh no, he wasn't getting away from her so quickly. As cold as she had been the entire day, his presence made her warm up from her very soul.

"Can we stay like this a bit more? You're...really warm." Sans could only nod, and try not to be taken in by the overpowering combination of her sweet smell and her curves under the thin piece of cotton. Her breathing was uneven, her chest would rise and fall to no particular pattern. Being this close to her, he realized he could hear her heart beating wilding. Her pulse was anything but calm. Her hair smelled so sweet, he wanted to bury his face in it.

He finally did pull his hands back, to Frisk's disappointment. He had to get away from her. It was wrong, it was so very wrong. It was suppose to be dating in a more emotional way, not physical. She was a tender fragile human. Jeez man, she was sick. What was his problem?

"It's okay if you touch me you know, I won't break," Frisk didn't turn to face him, but she had an idea of his problem. Like he had mentioned before, their anatomy really didn't match up. She had no idea what to do with a skeleton. But her feelings were still there. They'd been such close friends for what, almost ten years? How much more affectionate could she feel towards him?

"Nah kid, that ain't the problem." Wasn't it though? "Hey, are you sure about this 'together' thing?"

"Sans," she sighed, it felt like all the breath had been taken out of her. "Remember a few years ago, when we went out with Undyne and Alphys? Remember how cold I got, and you lent me your hoodie?" Sans nodded, but Frisk couldn't really see that. She didn't need to. "I loved you then too."

"Huh."

Brilliant, you numb skull. His best friend practically tells him she loves him, and that's his response? He remembered that story though, and he also remembered the teasing he got from those two since then. Frisk had looked absolutely adorable in the oversized hoodie. He remembered the three of them, holding a hand over their mouths, doing their best not to laugh as she tried to cuff the sleeves to her wrist and the fabric flopping down as it pleased.

"Asking you to go out with me isn't asking you to not be my friend. To some, we looked like we were already together anyway," Frisk continued. The heat from her face wasn't all due to the fever. Her bangs were sticking to the side of her face. Sans nodded, he'd been teased about the same thing. He'd just laugh it off and move on with his day. It never really occurred to him how often his days included her. Maybe there was something there he was just unwilling to see.

"I know, kid. There's just… Its um, hard to explain." He scratched his jawbone. God how did he put this to Papyrus? When a monster loves a monster very much… But she wasn't. She was something completely unique, and he didn't know how to love her like that. "Look, it isn't that I dislike you. Really. I'm just trying not to get so invested in something that's probably a novelty at first, but then…" He trailed off. Her shoulders were shuddering as she pulled the blanket closer to her. She was tucked into a tiny ball. "Aw no, don't cry."

She wasn't. She wasn't even awake. The trembling form before him was just freezing her toes off. Sans smiled, it was really funny she hadn't been listening. He was so close to pouring out his soul to her too. But man, seeing her in so much discomfort made him feel bad. He could watch her for a while, make sure nothing happened as she rode out this fever. Paps had said something about sweating fevers, so Sans started to unzip his hoodie. He laid it across her shoulders on top of the blanket. Now, just sitting in his basketball shorts and a white shirt on the side of the bed, he struggled with how he really felt for her.

He adored her. She was a wonderful human, kind and sincere with how she treated everyone she met. She was willing to throw herself into a mess to help sort it out. Frisk wasn't the type to ignore someone in need. No matter the risk to herself. Jesus, how many hits did she take in the Underground trying to save everyone? How many monsters attacked her, tried to kill her? The ragged breathing made him look over again at her. She was so vulnerable, curled up in his bed. He fell back onto it, letting his skull hit the pillow. There was still space between them, but for whatever reason he just felt like he should be close to her. Closing his eyes, he started to fall asleep to the unsteady breathing of his dear friend.