CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: almost like family.

It's the middle of the night.

Bell slowly blinks her eyes open, and wonders distantly what woke her, the small child grumbling incoherently to herself as she does so. She's still tucked into a cocoon of blankets and pillows, papyrus fast asleep nearby, his long limbs splayed out as he sleeps. she lays there, confused- but not for long. the small human begins to hear scattered, faint mumbling coming from nearby, but not from papyrus. The mumbling comes from her left, not her right, where the tall skeleton still lays sprawled out, smiling in his sleep.

as her eyes crack open, she registers a faint blue glow coming from the same direction, the mumbling growing louder, and the small child turns her head- shifting where she lays in the cocoon of blankets, her tired golden eyes shining in the soft blue glow as she props herself up on one elbow. It's…sans? He lays nearby in the pile of pillows and blankets, his arms raised near his head as though once tucked behind his skull, his eyesockets closed, obviously asleep, but…he's twitching, flickers of blue coiling out from his closed eyes as he mumbles urgently, his hands clenching and unclenching beside his skull as he mutters and mumbles.

"…can't, I…don't wanna lose you… don't…don't go, don't let…"

He mutters, his skull twitching in a troubled expression, and the small child blinks, her expression filling with pity. Is he…having a nightmare? Poor sans… she thinks tiredly, watching him as the overtired, overworked and overwhelmed skeleton shakes in his sleep. it must be pretty bad… she makes a soft huffing noise of determination, and tugs her legs out of the tangle of blankets, crawling over to sans with a muffled yawn. She tugs a thick blanket over him, then herself, the small child ending up curled under one of sans's arms as papyrus lays splayed out nearby, the child softly patting Sans's arm, the skeleton calming slightly as bell stifles another yawn.

…Bell can still remember her brother, Benjamin, doing this for her, back on the streets…they would lay, curled up together, wherever scraps of warmth persisted. Even before she and her brothers had been thrown out of the clock tower, he would stay near. He would always be right there if she ever needed him…he was a good brother. He was kind when the streets weren't…but her fall was weeks ago now, she realizes. She's been in the underground for…how many days now…? She looks over at Papyrus, fast asleep- her new best friend, who's taken care of as best he can, who's proclaimed multiple times how much he cares about her, and who's done everything in his power to make her feel happy. Then she looks back at Sans, the one who risked his life for her, because though he's quieter about it- he cares about her, too.

They're…almost like…

Bell gazes through the darkness at the two skeletons fast asleep, and just smiles her warm smile. She doesn't care how long she's been here anymore. She's happy…The only thing that could make her any happier, in fact, would be Benjamin. He's the only thing she had left to miss…but right now, right here, curled beside a monster who nearly lost his life for her, she's content. She's safe. Her soul beats green within her small chest, as slowly, Sans's muttering stops, fading away into peaceful silence.

And as Bell lays there, already drifting back to sleep, the skeleton begins to breathe slowly in…and out, in…and out…in…and out…a calming rhythm, unneeded even as the blue sparks die down in his closed eyes, the small child curled next to him breathing the same gentle pulse. Bell curls next to him in the dark as the night ticks on, warm and safe. She smiles in her sleep, and sans seems to finally be at peace…both monster and human comforted by each other as they breathe in and out, stars they cannot see sparkling high above through layers of rock…

And then, it's morning.