You're taken aback by his words. Why would he invite someone he barely knows into his home, for all he knew you could be some crazy psycho knife wielding murderer with a hidden hate for monsters. You weren't but that was beside the point…

"I couldn't… I don't want to be a bother… I'm fine…" You realise your attempts to reassure him (or was it yourself?) sound ridiculous through tear filled eyes and shaky breaths. Especially when they're muffled by his jacket as you hold onto it as if your life depended on it.

"I'll believe you when you're fed, rested and smiling." As you calm down he takes your hand and starts guiding you through the small town, to a nearby apartment complex. You had heard that after the monsters emerged, they were offered housing and financial aids so that they could be integrated into society more easily. It pained you to admit to yourself that you felt somewhat jealous you weren't offered the same treatment, despite the fact that you had never sought anyone's help in the first place. In part it was out of pride, but at the same time you were afraid that the reasons you were hiding would catch up to you if you made your situation obvious to anyone else.

Before you realised it, you were standing in front of a door which Sans promptly opens with a key he pulled out of his jacket pocket, letting go of your hand. Inside was what seemed to be a quaint two bedroom apartment with a small living room, kitchen and bathroom. Things you couldn't remember the last time you saw. He starts walking towards what you presume is the kitchen. You suddenly think of turning around and making a run for it, not wanting to be any more of a hindrance.

"Aren't you coming?" Sans asks, turning to face you.

"I'll just wait here." Your eyes dart to the front door.

"By the time I come back you'll be gone if I let you do that." He says, just as though he had read your mind. He slowly walks back to you, takes your hand again, and half drags you to the kitchen with him.

When there, Sans motions for you to sit down at a small table and makes his way towards the fridge. "Sorry, right now all I have here that's um… edible…" That last word sounds somewhat sarcastic for some reason. "…is leftover spaghetti my brother made. I hope that's okay." Your ears prickle at the word brother. Considering they're monsters you wonder if he's also a skeleton or if it's possible he's some other sort of being.

As if to answer him, though, your stomach rumbles once again in a painful harmony of annoying noises. He chuckles a bit and heats up the aforementioned spaghetti. When he sets it in front of you, the smell isn't exactly what you'd expect out of spaghetti, it's… You can't really describe it… But you're so hungry you don't exactly care. Sans sits on a chair in front of you and watches as you start wolfing it down, very unattractively making slurping noises. It doesn't quite taste what you'd call great but then again at this point even cardboard would've been amazing.

"Slow down there, wouldn't want you to choke." Sans laughs as you, right on cue, start coughing from a stray noodle going down the wrong pipe.

Taking his advice you slow your pace, but soon the meal is gone and you feel oddly satisfied. You let out a sigh of contentment and lean back on the chair. Sans has his face resting on his hands as he looks at you, seemingly inspecting you. "Fed, check." He smiles at you. "You can take a shower if you want. The bathroom's at the far end of the hall. I'll get you something to wear while I wash your clothes if you'd like." You really don't want to be such a burden but in your head a shower sounds absolutely divine so you nod weakly.

He goes to what you assume is his room and you follow, waiting outside the door until he comes back with a pair of black gym trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and a towel for you to dry yourself off. They look to be about a size or two too big but you don't complain, you feel immensely grateful for a change of clothes. "Thank you…" You whisper as you take them from his hands.

In the bathroom you strip out of your clothes. You inspect your knees, they're a bit scraped but they should be fine, it's not like a couple more scars would've made much of a difference by now. You climb into the shower and the warm water running down your body makes you close your eyes in pure delight. It's the little things you've learned to enjoy over your years of pain and suffering. You notice that there's only soap but you think that's more than enough, scrubbing yourself thoroughly like you haven't done for a while.

After you're done drying, you pick up the clothes Sans gave you. You're not surprised to find that there's no underwear but in your exhausted state you can't bring yourself to feel embarrassed about not wearing any. The trousers hang off your hips, slightly lopsided but holding up enough to keep you modest. The shirt is long on you anyway, so it covers the exposed skin that might've been visible had it been your size. Your wet hair falls unceremoniously down your back and your run your fingers through as you'd done so many times before.

You fold your own clothes into a neat pile, despite the wrinkled and dirty mess that they are, and walk out of the bathroom. You find Sans waiting for you outside his room with a thick blanket in his arms. Had he been waiting there the whole time for you to finish? You couldn't be sure but you expect he had better things to do. He switches your garments for it and tells you to make yourself comfortable on the couch in the living room. Once again the thought of leaving crosses your mind, but at this point it would just be rude to return his kindness with that. And besides, you're barefoot and in his clothes.

You notice that on the couch there's a couple of decorative pillows, one of which has 'Bone, sweet bone' written on it. A small laugh escapes your lips as you pick it up and smooth it out. You sit on the (amazingly) comfortable couch and lie down with your head on the pillow, curled into a tiny ball, with the thick blanket over you. You close your eyes and exhale deeply. Never had sleep come so easily…

You wake up but keep your eyes closed. You're thinking that if maybe you just relax you can fall back asleep. You've never felt so comfortable and cosy.

"UM… SANS…" You hear a whispered yet somehow still loud voice. "WHY IS THERE A HUMAN ON OUR COUCH?"

"Oh hey bro." Sans' voice sounds groggy, as if he just woke up himself. You hear some shuffling. "That would be Star."

"A STAR? I HAVEN'T SEEN HER ON TV!"

You decide you should open your eyes and you see that you're facing the back of the couch so, with some effort, you turn yourself over to look the way the voices are coming from, the blanket falling down to the floor. You see another skeleton towering over Sans, who's sitting in an armchair next to the couch you slept on, looking like he slept there himself. He's much taller and leaner than his brother, and wearing a strange looking outfit with what looks like a red scarf around his neck. You wonder which one of them is older, or if they're even the same age. Sitting up you rub your eyes and stretch your arms, a soft moan escaping you. You see a light blue tinge appear on Sans' face. "Rested, check." At this the other skeleton turns, no, twirls around to face you.

"OH HELLO THERE HUMAN! YOU'RE AWAKE! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" The taller skeleton leans close to Sans and puts a hand next to his mouth. You're not sure why until he once again loudly whispers to his brother. "SHE HAS A TERRIBLE FASHION SENSE! LOOK SHE DRESSES JUST LIKE YOU!" You laugh at his comment, a real, genuine belly laugh you honestly think you've never had before. And it feels amazing. "WHY IS SHE LAUGHING? DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG? IS THERE SOMETHING ON ME?" Papyrus inspects himself and his surroundings in a frantic and desperate attempt to find the source of your laughter which somehow makes it worse.

Sans grins broadly at you. "Smiling, check."

NOTE: And that's it, a slightly more lighthearted chapter I suppose. Thank you for reading, any feedback is always welcome :)