Sans isn't very confident that he's at full capacity to teleport long distances, let alone with so many people, which is why you'll have to walk out of the Underground and back to town. It's not a very long journey but it's not exactly short either.
You promise Sans that you're feeling up to leaving whenever. You can walk around fairly well now, and you know that if you fall he'll catch you. The only thing that's weighing you down is the vessel with the red mist of what's left of Chara. You still haven't decided what you're going to do. So you suppose you'll have to carry it out with you, which is something Sans is really not eager about. Not so much because it's heavy as it is for the proximity between you and him. Even with a thick glass separating you and the remnants of his soul he still doesn't trust that you're safe anywhere near him.
"He tried to use you to kill. He USED Frisk to kill. I'm not about to be all trusting just because he's in a container that Alphys vouches for."
"He's also barely there. Come on, it's not even his full soul."
"What if Alphys or Undyne takes it?"
"No, I want to do it Sans. I owe it to him."
"You don't owe him anything!" His voice is raised, his statement final.
"Well, fine, but I'm still doing it." You retort, determined to have your way. He throws his arms up in frustration and groans.
"I'm just trying to protect you." He mutters through gritted teeth.
"And I'm telling you that you don't have to. At least not for this." You turn on your heels and bend down to take the cylinder in your arms. But as soon as you touch it there's a sharp pain in your chest and you fall to your knees, hands held up to where your heart is and gasping for air.
"Star?" Sans is immediately at your side, one arm over your shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"I don't-" You choke back a cry of pain as you feel a burning sensation in your chest, spreading over your body. Your skin feels like it's on fire.
You hear a crashing sound and it feels like the room is shaking. For a moment you think that the vessel has been broken and dread sinks in, but when you look it's just a lamp broken on the floor. Sans holds onto you harder as the push of your magic starts shoving him away. Your body starts quivering, the hairs on the back of your neck are standing. It's like electricity is coursing through your veins and pouring out of you in waves, making the air around you crackle with the surge of energy. "Sans…" You call out squeezing your eyes shut, fear gripping you as your magic spirals out of control.
"I'm right here." His own magic starts acting up and he focuses on the piece of his soul inside you before things get any worse. "Focus on your soul. Will it to pull your energy back in. I'll help you." You try to level your breathing and concentrate. There's a pressure in your chest as you tap into the magic overflowing from you. You inhale sharply as you attempt to reel it in. "That's it. Keep doing that." His voice is surprisingly calm and soothing. The atmosphere starts feeling lighter and your trembling dies down.
Alphys appears in the door abruptly, alarmed. When she takes in your state she immediately knows what's going on. "Oh no, I was afraid this m-might happen."
Sans helps you to your feet and you lean into him somewhat drained. One of his hands runs up and down your back comfortingly. "Her magic's unstable, Alphys. Does it have to do with the soul meld?" He asks quietly.
"I-I think so… Let's go d-downstairs, I n-need to check on her."
Slowly you follow the yellow monster, with Sans by your side, never letting you go. She looks through her things and picks up a strange looking device. "S-stay still." She says while pushing it against your chest.
You feel a little sting for a split second but as soon as it was there it was gone again. The little machine beeps a few times and the scientist stares intensely at the small monitor on it, eyes squinted in concentration. Then suddenly her whole expression changes to one of horrified surprise and you're filled with an unwavering nervous fear.
"Is everything okay?" You ask when she doesn't say anything.
"I…" She turns to look at Sans for a moment before glancing back at you. "Y-your magic looks d-different."
The small skeleton sneaks up behind her to look at the tiny screen on the machine and his eye sockets widen. "Why are her magic levels so high?"
"I think the p-pieces of your soul are increasing them. Exactly how p-powerful are you?" He rubs his skull and shifts from one foot to another uncomfortably.
"That's not important right now, what is, is if she will be alright."
"Her s-stats seem stable. But she needs t-to learn how to control the magic and keep it in check for s-starters." He nods understanding.
"Okay, I can help her with that."
"B-but Sans… Human bodies aren't b-built to handle such large amounts of magic. She's m-more used to it o-obviously, but can her body r-really take it?"
You feel an anxiousness take hold of you, an ever growing concern enveloping your soul. You want to hit yourself for ever thinking everything would be just dandy without any consequences to what happened. You stare down at your feet and feel tears stinging your eyes. Doing your best to keep them from falling, you bite down on your bottom lip. The small skeleton steps closer to you and rubs up and down your arms.
"Hey, you're strong, you've endured worse than this, don't get discouraged." You turn away from Sans and his hand is on your cheek, forcing you to look him in the eyes. He's smiling softly. "I've been through something like this. I know how to deal with it, okay? I'm here for you."
In your soul you feel a confidence that doesn't belong to you, and you know what you're sensing is Sans' emotions through your bond. You wonder if he's doing that on purpose. He pulls your face to his in a gentle kiss, making Alphys look away with a hint of a pink blush on her cheeks.
"Sans, d-do you mind if I get a reading off you t-too?" You feel him tense and his smile dissolves into a scowl.
"Alphys…"
"I-I just want to see if it's a-affecting you too… I want to m-make sure you're both fine." He grits his teeth for a moment and then sighs in defeat, nodding and turning so that the other monster can do what she has to.
"Okay." She waddles closer and he grabs her wrists just before she reaches him. "But you have to promise me not a single thing of what you see gets out. You won't mention it to another soul, not even Undyne and much less Papyrus." His eyes go dark as he says this and you're worried about what all this secrecy means.
Alphys agrees immediately and presses the little device to his ribs. He hisses as he feels the same sting you felt before, the machine beeping to life.
The lizard monster presses some buttons, her eyes widening when she goes through the numbers. "O-one HP?! Sans!" She shouts in surprise.
"That's normal. Pap knows about it, but tell Undyne and your anime collection gets it, capisce?"
She gulps and flinches from his gaze. "G-got it."
"What does that mean, HP?" You ask before Alphys can check the rest of the results.
"HP is your health points, or if you want, how well you can take a hit." Sans explains.
"You only have one?" He shrugs. "Isn't that dangerous?" He shrugs once again. You stare at him with worry. "What happens if I accidentally hit you with my magic?"
"I'd probably die." Your heart sinks and blood drains from your face.
"That's awful…" Tears start to threaten spilling out from your eyes once again and Sans pulls you to his side, wrapping his arms around you. "Especially with the instability, if I can't control it I could…" You can't get the rest of the sentence out of your mouth.
"I'm good at dodging, don't worry." He nuzzles his face into your neck but the feeling of dread in your stomach does nothing to go away. "Plus I know you'd never try to hurt me."
"That doesn't make me feel any better…"
"S-Sans is a lot tougher than he looks." Alphys offers as a way to soothe your worries, but you're not quite convinced. She turns her gaze back to the tiny screen. "Everything s-seems to be fine fortunately. Aside from a dip to your magic reserves, w-which I assume is just due to your s-souls melding."
"Good to know." He says simply.
She sifts through the numbers and freezes for a moment, shooting a glance at Sans. He merely turns away. She doesn't say anything. You're too busy thinking about what could happen if you don't learn how to keep your powers in check to even notice their exchange.
Alphys turns the display back to your stats and asks if you'd like to take a look at them yourself. You figure it couldn't hurt. You take the device in your hands and examine the numbers.
HP: 20
LV: 1
AT: ?
DF: ?
EXP: 4
There are others but these ones catch your attention for some reason. You ask the two monsters what the things below your HP are. Sans is the one who answers your question.
"AT is attack and DF is defence. Those can be influenced by a number of things, like what you're wearing and your state of mind. And um…" He hesitates and looks away from you before continuing. "The other two stand for Level of Violence and Execution Points." Your chest aches when the words leave his mouth.
"Oh god…" When you look at the four in front of EXP guilt takes hold of your heart, your thoughts drifting to the innocent creature that your father set on you all those years ago.
"Hey, it's okay… It was self-defence…" Sans whispers while running a hand through your hair, knowing exactly what you're thinking.
"That's no excuse, it was only acting on its instincts, it wasn't its fault."
His bony arms hold you tighter. "You're too kind for your own good."
You hand Alphys the device, not wanting to look at what's on it anymore and hiding your face in shame. She goes to put it away with her things. Neither of them are judging you, especially not Sans, but you can't help feeling like all your sins are tearing at your soul.
Your soulmate holds you so that your head's nestled on his shoulder, one hand stroking your hair while the other sits at the small of your back. "Don't feel like this please… It's not your fault."
"No matter the context, I did what I did. And that can't be erased." You murmur, your voice small and weak.
"I know that better than anyone." He whispers in return. He places his index under your chin and pulls your face up so that he can look you in the eyes. "We both just have to do our best to make up for what we've done. Together."
"Okay…"
You hear Undyne and Papyrus' voices outside before they even come in. The three of you silently agree to keep the recent events to yourselves, not wanting to worry them.
They come through the door and Undyne looks angry. "You clearly have an advantage in this wretched weather! I call for a rematch in my own element!"
"THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL PREVAIL NO MATTER THE CLIMATE! THE STUDENT MUST SURPASS THE TEACHER TO TRULY MAKE THEM PROUD!"
"Yeah, well, you've still got a long way to go until you best me FAIRLY!"
Their exchange is enough to put a tiny smile on your face. When the two monsters notice that you're there they both beam at you.
"HUMAN SISTER, YOU'RE UP! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?" Your smile widens at the lanky skeleton, finding his new title for you awfully endearing.
"I'm doing okay Pap, thank you for asking."
"Do you think you can walk back today? I'm itching to get back on the field." Undyne mutters. "I only came here to check on you punks. Seriously, you need to stop almost getting yourself killed!" She points one finger at you two accusingly.
"Can't argue with that." Sans replies. You elbow him on the side.
"It was your idea to bring me here." Your statement comes out slightly more bitter than you intended it to. The small skeleton looks down at the ground, shame ghosting over his face.
"Heh, right." He scratches at his skull guiltily, and you're momentarily regretful for bringing that up.
"Sorry…" You apologise while biting down on your lip. "Um, yeah I suppose I could do it." You say finally.
"You sure?" Sans asks you, a hint of concern seeping through his voice.
"IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE I CAN CARRY YOU! I DID THAT FOR SANS ALL THE TIME AND YOU'RE MUCH LIGHTER!"
"That's not a terrible idea." Sans ponders. "I can do it too if you want."
"No, it's fine really, I can walk."
With that out of the way you give in to Sans' request to let Undyne take the remnants of Chara's soul instead of you. As you're going to pick the glass vial up he tells you that if he didn't trust it before, with the magic instability he's even less keen on the idea of you carrying him around close to your chest and therefore, your soul. You don't have it in you to argue against it.
As you walk through the Underground you take in everything around you, starting with the strange and seemingly impossible weather. Your attention diverts to the river person when you come to their boat. Their singsong voice and riddle like speech has you enthralled. You're curious about them but your meeting is short-lived as you pull up in what the monsters call Hotland to take the route up to the surface.
"I'd like to come back here sometime." You tell Sans while looking around the place. Even though to the monsters it seems like the most normal thing, since they've lived here all their lives, all of the Underground is very whimsical to you.
"Okay, sometime in the future." He promises.
From there, the trip back is fairly uneventful. You talk here and there. The monsters tell you about the day they made this trip themselves for the first time.
"I COULDN'T TAKE THE ANTICIPATION OF MEETING ALL NEW HUMAN FRIENDS!" Papyrus grinned at the memory.
"Of course he forgets to mention how most of them ran for the hills when they saw a talking skeleton." Sans adds with a chuckle.
When you finally reach the town you stop to get some food before returning to your home (the thought of those two words still creates butterflies in your stomach), the sky already dark and speckled with stars. Before you walk up to the apartment Alphys tells you that she'll be by regularly after work to check on you and see if you're doing alright. You thank her and then remember something suddenly.
"Oh, that's right. I don't know if Sans told you about this, but there's some books I wanted you to have. It was his idea really…" You add the last part while turning to face the building, a pang of guilt settling in your chest.
"R-really? What are they a-about?"
"Souls, monsters' and humans' alike, the war, magic, a few other things." You list while going through the books in your head.
"That's a-amazing! Where did you get s-such a collection?" Her eyes seem to be twinkling with enthusiasm.
"Um, they were… My father's…" Scratching at the back of your neck you stare at your feet. "A-anyway Sans said they'd be helpful to you. He picked them out himself so I'm sure they're up to par."
"Yeah, they're back at the house if you want to come up and take them with you." Sans says from beside you.
"Y-yes, that'd be g-great!" You offer her a small smile and start your way up to the house behind the skeleton brothers.
Undyne sets the vessel lightly on the coffee table and you bend down to pick up some of the books from the pile, handing them to the tiny yellow monster who's smiling so widely you're worried her face might be hurting.
"O-oh these all look a-amazing! T-thank you!"
"You should be thanking Sans. If it weren't for him, these wouldn't be here." You tell her.
Undyne grumbles as she takes the remaining books. "After this I'm done carrying stuff for a lifetime. You're lucky I love you and this makes you happy!" She half shouts to Alphys.
They leave shortly after with all the books and you let yourself collapse face down onto the couch. "Wake me up in two days." You mutter, voice muffled by the throw pillow you've nuzzled your face into. Sans laughs at that.
"I'm going to put Paps to bed." You notice the taller skeleton rubbing his eyes sleepily and you smile at him.
"Hmm, mind if I help?" You say sitting back up, curious as to how Sans goes about doing this.
Sans shrugs with a lazy grin and Papyrus nods eagerly through his drowsiness. And so you walk with the two skeletons to Pap's room. When he's tucked in, Sans picks up a book from the nightstand that looks worn, read through plenty of times. He sits down on the bed and you place yourself next to him, wrapping your arms around one of his and resting your chin on his shoulder. You listen as he reads Papyrus to sleep and feel a growing warmth in your heart.
"You're such a good brother." You whisper when he stops reading.
"I try to be." He says back, keeping his voice low as not to wake his brother up. "For a long time he was all I had. Now I have you too." You blush a light pink.
He gets up and takes your hand, quietly stepping out and shutting the door behind you. He pulls you to his own room and pushes his body into yours, pressing you against the door. His face inches closer to yours until your foreheads are touching. His eyes are half lidded and you can feel his warm breath on you. One of his hands slides up your side to the crook of your neck and he slowly pulls you to him, his mouth pressing to your lips tenderly, sending a tingling feeling through you.
Without breaking the kiss he moves his hands to your waist and pulls you to his bed, sitting you down on it and pushing you further into it, crawling on after you and positioning himself between your legs. He pauses to shrug off his jacket and throw it onto the floor carelessly.
Your eyes follow it as it falls and then drift back to the small skeleton hovering over you. There's an unfamiliar feeling pooling down in your stomach and your heartrate seems to be going wild. The room is dark and you're thankful because for some reason you feel like your cheeks are burning.
Sans leans down to peck your lips once again, you grab at his shirt and pull him to you, wanting him as close as physically possible. You both lower yourselves onto the mattress, passionately deepening your kiss, his hands moving around your body, not knowing exactly where to stay. He grabs at your hips and slides you down so that you're pressed together, his mouth still on yours, leaving you short for breath.
When he moves away and lies down on his side next to you, you're both panting hard. Your shirt has somehow crawled up over your belly button and he wraps his arms around your midsection, the bone smooth and warm against your skin. You shudder slightly at his touch and not because of him grazing over the scars you know are still there.
"You okay?" He breathes. Your skin feels like it's on fire where he's touching you.
You bite down on your bottom lip. "Yeah." Your voice sounds odd to your ears and you don't know why. You close your eyes and turn to your side, facing him. One of his legs finds its way between yours and he nestles his face against your neck, sending a shiver down your spine as he exhales into it.
He pulls the crumpled covers from the bottom of the bed over the both of you. "I love you." He mumbles, his eyes drifting closed.
"Me too." You stare at his peaceful and tired expression for a while, willing the strange feeling deep inside you to go away, or at the very least doing your best to ignore it. Thinking about the day's events your mind drifts to the fact that you could potentially kill him if your magic spiralled out of control again. "Sans…" He hums in response to your call. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." He says with a confidence you don't feel at all yourself.
"How do you know that?" You feel as small as your voice sounds.
He moves his skull so that his forehead is pressed to yours. "I just do." His answer is not at all what you expected but even so it makes a smile force its way to your lips. Before you can say anything else he's already snoring lightly.
You let your eyelids fall closed and inhale deeply, Sans' scent washing over you. It's comforting and inviting. You let yourself fall into the darkness, lulled by his steady breathing.
NOTE: That's it for this chapter, I hope it's okay, I rewrote it so many times! At one point I had two versions (completely different mind you) written out and I completely scrapped them to make a third one that ended up like this! I even called it "Pesky Chapter" in the document title haha
Anyways, enough rambling, I hope you enjoyed reading it just the same, leave any feedback you may have , it's greatly appreciated :)