You're back at Alphys and Undyne's for the third day in a row. Sans is really working you to the bone as he put it. Undyne's day off is in two days and you're really set on beating her this time. Along with teaching you how you can use his magic to its full potential, you're trying to get your dodging skills up to par as well.
"TIME OUT!" You shout falling to hands and knees on the floor huffing. Sans laughs from his spot, sitting down on a step nonchalantly. He's such a show off. Won't even move. Making you jump from place to place avoiding his constant attacks. Granted you asked for it but still, he could go a little easy on you.
"Hey you said to keep you agile." He mutters flashing you a lazy grin.
"Yes… But… Ease up… A little…" You say through pants.
He summons a bone into his hand balancing it on a finger. "Come on, I'm not even giving it my all, you can do better than that."
You glare at him but the wheezing might be taking some of the desired effect away. You sit back on your ankles and run your hands through your hair, getting it out of your face. With a little effort you get back on your feet, but as soon as you try to face him again you let your head fall back down, holding on to your knees and gasping for air.
"I'll go get you some water." Sans says with amusement in his voice. When he returns you hastily take the glass from his hands and chug it down in one go holding it out to him once you're finished.
"More…" You beg, wiping away the liquid that's dripping down your chin with the back of your hand. This causes him to laugh but he does as you asked.
This time you take your time drinking and catching your breath. You stare at the last bit of water in the glass and squint at it. Then you proceed to pour it on your face and letting out a sigh of relief as the coolness drips down your cheeks.
"I'm getting lazy. Papyrus was right, you're a bad influence…" You mumble while spreading the water over to your neck. Sans simply shakes his head at you.
"Nah, you're doing great, I'm just being thorough."
"I'm afraid I may have made a mistake challenging her right away…" You reason, taking your bottom lip between your teeth.
He steps closer to you and his face is mere inches from yours. He's smirking. He leans in and you feel the hairs in the back of your neck standing. You duck instinctively, feeling the wind of something speeding right past your head to come crashing to the ground next to you. Out of the corner of your eye you see the bone he just threw at you fizzle out of existence and you shoot the small skeleton an icy glare as you straighten back up.
"Cheap shot."
"Training worked though, you dodged it effortlessly." He says smugly earning himself a light shove in the arm. Your eyes light up with magic and the sound of the fabric of reality being torn rings through the air, causing Sans to turn on his heels with his hands held up in front of him. "Heh, look, it has your eyes… Good to know it's getting easier for you to summon this guy but you can put it away now…"
The corners of your lips twitch slightly as the Gaster blaster stares at you expectantly. It's far smaller than the one he showed you first and less intimidating. Definitely more up to your speed. You've gotten to know it in the past few days so that it'll trust you and listen to what you tell it to do.
"You know what to do…" You tell the creature, and it downright grins at your soulmate in front of it.
"Don't you dare. I created you…" Sans warns the blaster. But it doesn't listen, it's following your orders now.
It plunges forward and pushes him to the floor, nuzzling against him and preventing him from getting up or going anywhere. You're getting payback for the numerous times Sans did the exact same thing to you when he first showed it to you. The more you interacted with the blasters, the more they seemed like loveable puppies to you. You couldn't even fathom the idea of using it as a weapon. But its size and general appearance could undoubtedly send someone running for the hills if the need arises.
You walk over to the blaster and pat it on the snout, giving it a couple of scratches before making it retreat.
You help Sans to his feet and he smiles at you. "I'm starting to regret telling you how to summon them…"
"To be honest I expected it to be a lot harder."
"I'm lazy, I wouldn't make something that would take a lot of effort to use." He chuckles. "They simply respond to my magic naturally, and since you got some of that, all you need is their trust."
He pets the large floating skull before it disappears and you can't help but notice the hint of sadness in his eyes. He's been like that every time he brings out the blasters.
"What happened to Gaster?" You find yourself asking before you can stop the words from leaving your mouth. "Oh, sorry… You don't have to answer that…" You stare down at your feet and play with the hem of your shirt.
"It's okay. Um, he fell into one of his creations." You nod silently expecting Sans to stop at that but he keeps going. You simply look at him as he continues on. "Back before the resets started happening the possibility to bend time and space was just a theory. He tried to get me to do it, obviously that didn't work but it led me to figure out how to teleport. But he wasn't one to give up. The fact that I could do that was just proof that he was right after all. He built a machine that was supposed to gather determination and enhance its power… I kept telling him that he should stop, that messing with such things was sure to be dangerous, but he wouldn't have it…"
He drifts off, his pupils dimming drastically. You put a hand on his shoulder and he reaches over to place his on top. "You can stop if you want to…" His head falls slightly but he shakes it shortly after, squeezing your hand between his fingers.
"When I got to the lab I didn't even have time to stop him. He saw me come in, his face was lit up with excitement, he was certain he'd finally done it. But something went wrong. The machine wasn't able to stabilize the effects. He pushed me away with his magic so that I wouldn't get sucked in as well." You feel him start to tremble. "I saw him get torn to pieces, his soul getting scattered into what I came to call the void."
The memory is vivid in your head. You remember it as if you had experienced it yourself. It was one of the things that you saw from his past. It sends a shiver down your spine now that you know what it actually was.
"He was rough around the edges, sure, but he meant well… He didn't deserve the end he got. And no one remembers him either. It's as if he never existed… As if he was completely erased from the timeline and I'm the only one who knows it…" His hand balls to a fist. "I should've saved him."
Sans takes his face in his hands and you wind your arms around him. "I'm so sorry…" You can tell that this monster meant a lot to him. You plant a little kiss on the top of his head and he turns around so that he can take you in his own bony arms, holding on tightly. "If it offers you any consolation, I believe that as long as you remember him, he'll still live on…"
He strokes your cheek, his expression filled with sorrow. His eyes are so dim, his jaw clenched, teeth gritted together. "Can you promise me something?" His voice sounds strangled and you feel your heart start to ache.
"What is it?"
"Promise me that I won't lose you… I've lost so many people so many times, just like you did… Promise me that we won't ever lose each other."
Your heart stops. "Sans I…" The words get caught in your throat. You're frozen in place, your whole body tense. Your gaze slowly drops to the ground.
You can't make a promise like that. There are so many things that are out of your control. Anything can happen. You're not impervious to damage, that's plainly obvious. Hell, you almost died more than a couple of times since you met him, and however many more before that, you've really lost count.
And even on the off chance that nothing bad happened to you per se, you know extremely well from the things your father studied that monsters age differently. Human lives are much more fleeting, that's the cost of having a more physical soul. You don't know if the magic inside you interferes with your aging process but if it does, you're almost certain that you'll never live as long as Sans. It's just not possible. Cells die. Tissue decays. Magic, on the contrary, replenishes.
"Sans I…" You repeat, still at a loss for words. You know what he wants you to say, what he needs to hear right now. But you don't know if you can bring yourself to say it. Anxiety takes hold of your soul and you let out a choked breath.
You hear a small laugh from Sans, but it's laced with so much anguish it makes you cringe. "I'm an idiot. I can't even protect the ones I care about properly, most of the bad things that happened to them are my fault. I have no right to ask something like this of you. Of course you can't make that kind of promise. God, I'm so pathetic, I don't even deserve you to begin with…"
Without thinking, you smack his shoulder, a little harder than you maybe should have. His eye sockets widen slightly and he stares at you with shock.
"Stop that." You say sternly. "You're not allowed to say those things. What did you tell me when I was thinking exactly that?"
"I… I said you deserved everything and more…" Sans whispers, so quietly you might have missed it if you weren't so close.
"Good, now remember that for yourself as well." He starts to divert his gaze elsewhere but you hold his face in place, forcing him to look you in the eyes. "You're right, I can't promise that. But I can say that for however long I'm here, be it mere hours, a few months or…" You pause from the feeling of hope in your chest as you think of what you want to say. "Many, many long years… I promise that I will be with you and I will love you with everything I have."
He goes to say something but you put a finger to his mouth.
"I'm not finished." His grin twitches slightly, reaching his eyes for a moment and you feel yourself smiling as well. "And I will do whatever it takes to get those dark thoughts out of that thick skull of yours." You poke his forehead and he chuckles, but you're still not done. "So no more self-loathing, and no more blaming yourself. Or I swear to all the stars in the universe that I will smack you so hard you won't even remember how to feel bad." You feel the corners of your lips pull up further. "After all you do the same for me…"
His pupils shine brightly in the dark pits of his eyes and he pulls you in for a kiss. "You're too good for me." He murmurs against your lips. You flick his forehead and he flinches back with a snicker, one eye closing.
"No. We're a perfect fit." You correct him.
You feel your legs get lifted off the ground, causing you to shriek from surprise. Sans is holding you up against his chest, his expression soft and less pained, maybe even a little playful.
"Welp, seems like I have to do something to thank you."
Tilting your head slightly to one side, you raise one eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah? And how will you do that?"
He pretends to think about it. "I'll start by getting us out of here before Undyne gets home from work and demands that fight happen now." You nod and motion for him to go on, all the while an entertained smile playing on your lips. "And then I'll treat you… to my bro's amazing spaghetti."
"You know, he's really not that bad a cook." You tell him, noticing the slight sarcasm in his tone.
"Well, not now, but you should've been there back in Snowdin. He used some things that should never be used on any food. My taste buds suffered."
You can't stop the giggle that escapes your lips. "Do you even have taste buds?"
"Yep, and they were definitely not pleased." He laughs at the memory. "But I kept it down. I'd sometimes tease him about it though. Heh."
"I wouldn't have had the heart to say a thing."
"I know."
The sudden blue light in Sans' left eye socket is your only warning before you disappear from where you're standing and into the living room, right in front of the couch. He falls back onto it, still holding you in his arms, not making a move to let you go. You're sweaty, you need to shower. When you let him know, a shrug is the only reply you get. You shake your head but don't put in the effort to leave his embrace. At least not yet.
Instead, you lean into his chest, playing with the fur of his hood as he runs his phalanges through your hair, admiring your face in a comfortable silence. You let your eyelids fall closed, the feeling of his fingers gently massaging your scalp sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. You start to feel the soreness of your overworked muscles now that you're finally relaxing them. You let out a quiet groan at that.
You haven't been worked this hard for a while now, but at least this time you're actually having some fun.
Sans gives you one last squeeze before finally loosening his grip on you to let you leave. Slowly but surely you move to get to your feet with a grunt.
"Did I go too hard on you?" He asks you with a hint of concern.
You stretch your sore muscles with a small smile. "Maybe just a little…" You plant a quick kiss on his forehead to ease his worries before he can even start thinking of apologising. "It's okay though, this way I'm sure to win." Flashing him a smirk, you start your way down to the bathroom.
"You ready for this punk?" Undyne's toothy grin is enough to spark some anxiousness into your soul.
You take a few deep breaths and take one last look at the skeleton brothers, who both motion thumbs up to you. Smiling nervously, you bite down on your bottom lip before turning back to face the muscular and tall and very intimidating monster in front of you. You can do this. You got your dodging to the very best it's been in your entire life, and with Sans' help your magic control is also better than ever.
"I was born ready." You tell her with a confidence you definitely don't feel. Fake it till you make it right?
Calm your mind. Trust your instincts. Let your magic flow through you.
"Well then, let's get this over with!" Right off the bat she sends a bright blue spear flying towards you and you effortlessly step out of its way.
Just like the first time, she sends spear after spear at you. You barely have time to breathe in between her attacks, let alone think. So it's a good thing Sans' training has made it so that it's almost instinctive to dodge their attacks. You turn on your side as one particular spear shoots dangerously close to your stomach, sucking in a surprised gasp, your feet landing on the ground weirdly and causing you to stumble.
You curse under your breath when she takes this opportunity to hold you in place with her magic. That feeling of being unable to move out of the way envelops your soul and you prepare yourself for what's coming.
Front, back, left and right, they're coming from everywhere, relentlessly. The brothers are watching in silence as you face the countless attacks, not missing a beat. Out of the corner of your eye, you spy one of those different spears but without thinking you face it just like the others only to have it change its path at the last second.
Luckily though, you manage to twist around just in time, a heartbeat later and you would've fallen face first onto the pavement. You feel your soul get released from Undyne's grip and you don't waste another moment.
Your eyes glow, and you twist around, sending a few magic bullets her way. She dodges them easily, just like you expected. But as she's distracted with those, you take the opportunity to hold her soul down, turning it blue. She struggles to move her feet and you sprint towards her. She tries to hit you with her spears but you're too quick, going one side and then another, stopping once as she brings one down in front of you. Despite being able to dodge her attacks, this makes it so that you can't focus long enough to return them. So you just move out of their way, slowly gaining ground on her.
You're finally next to her and still successfully keeping the gravity increased on her. She throws one punch at your side and you jump backwards and out of the way, the surprise finally causing you to lose your grip on her soul. Papyrus lets out a disappointed noise only to cover it up with a cheer for Undyne when she stares daggers his way.
You would've laughed but you can't afford to be distracted. Instead you go for a hit at her flank, only to have her grab your leg before it makes contact. She smirks, and you mirror her expression. You have her right where you want her. A magical glow surrounds your foot and you pull it down with your magic, her hand still attached, causing her to bend over. You use your other foot to spread hers and cause her to lose her balance. With some help from your magic you topple her so that her back's to the ground. You get a momentary feeling of triumph but she's quickly grabbing your shirt and pulling you down with her and throwing you a few feet away, tumbling.
"Not going down so easy, huh?" You say as you roll backwards to your feet and she gets up herself.
"No way I'm gonna lose to a nerd like you!" She retorts, grinning broadly.
"Come on Star, you know you can do it. I'm rooting for ya." Sans sounds from behind you.
You dart towards the blue monster and she materializes a spear behind her, throwing it straight at you, and when you dodge it, it goes towards Sans and Papyrus, the former teleporting them both out of the way before it crashes noisily into the wall behind them.
"Oops, sorry about that." She smirks as she quickly sends another one your way.
But this time you don't dodge it.
Your eyes glow and that same strawberry aura surrounds it, stopping it inches from your face.
"Heh, I taught her that." Sans nudges his younger brother.
Undyne's face is priceless, even more so when you send her attack right back at her.
Unfortunately this is a onetime thing, takes way too much magic to counter hers especially with the momentum it had, so you can't savour the moment and have to use her shock to your advantage. You surround her with your magic when she sidesteps out of her own spear's way and pull her towards you at full force, meeting her with a tackle to the ground.
Before she even has time to react, you summon your very own blaster above her face and her eyes widen to twice the size. A very uncharacteristic high pitched screech escapes her and you gingerly skip over to its side, resting one arm on the large skull.
"This nerd just beat you." You say proudly.
Undyne's mouth is hanging open as she stares at the Gaster blaster. "Okay, you win…" She mumbles holding her arms above her head in a call for truce.
You throw your own arms up in the air, jumping around and cheering after making the sentient weapon retreat and disappear. Papyrus runs up to you and holds you up to sit on his shoulder, twirling around. "GOOD JOB HUMAN!"
You laugh and help Undyne to her feet after you're set back down. "Yeah, you did good punk. But I'll have my revenge, so just you wait!" She warns you, punching your arm.
You rub it while chuckling, Sans coming up from behind you to wrap his arms around your waist and turning you to face him, placing his mouth to yours. "Told ya you could do it." He peeks at Undyne and grins impishly. "Oh and I filmed everything. Going to enjoy watching her bring you down on repeat."
Her face goes a bright red from rage. "OH NO YOU DIDN'T! DELETE THAT RIGHT NOW!" She demands.
"Um, I would but, nah." The small skeleton lets you go and steps away. "Here's a deal, I'll delete it if you can catch me."
"NGAAAHHHHH!" She roars and goes to grab him.
But of course he teleports behind her.
You and Papyrus just laugh as this continues for you don't know how long. This certainly went a lot better than you expected.
NOTE: Sorry if this isn't great, I've been struggling a little bit lately haha I still really wanted to put something out though, so I hope it's good enough and that you enjoyed reading it
As usual, feedback welcome, thank you so much ^.^