DoubleTale: Rewritten

by XWolf26

What if two humans were in the Underground at once? What if one human was DETERMINED to stop the other? What if they could both SAVE? What happens when an Unstoppable Force meets an Immovable Object? When a certain scientist pulls enough of himself together, he finally finds a way to stop the destruction of his world. (Undertale AU. Rewrite of DT.)

105. Chapter 105: Dating, Start!

Thanks go to Sonic245, Wingah, Zillowzest, kdabo04, XelaZagity, ZeroaraTheKnight, lmao-imdeadaf, Night4099, DoctahSawbones, Razaraga, KaiNagasoro, 10burgers, and Zack Frost!

Alright, here we are! The big date chapter and the epilogue for Season 6! So, as some of you may have deduced from me saying it's just the Epilogue for Season 6 and not the entire story, DoubleTale: Rewritten hasn't reached its end yet! There will in fact be a Season 7, and after that a Season 8!

Now, I know last chapter had Big Ending Feels. And, I did think a lot about ending the story there. We're over a hundred chapters, creeping ever closer to 2 million words, and I do fear this story going on too long and overstaying its welcome. But, the fact'a the matter is, I started rewriting DoubleTale almost exactly five years ago in 2018 because I had a bunch of ideas that I loved and I desperately wanted to put them all in writing. So, DoubleTale: Rewritten ain't gonna be over until every last one'a those ideas is here in this story. That means two more Seasons.

I will say though, Angel and Chara are retired for real. They're still going to be around in the story, but it's not like next season is gonna start and suddenly a new threat is gonna just appear out of the blue and drag them away from their happy ending again. Whatever problems arise from here on out will not be their problem to fix. We'll still see them plenty often (it wouldn't be DoubleTale without them) but they aren't going to have to suffer through being at the center of the conflict anymore.

So, if you really wanna call it here and say that this is the ending you prefer, I can't blame ya. But there's more to this story, and I hope you'll all stick with it to the end. There's still a lot more fun to be had here. The next chapter should be up on Thursday, December 14th, and I hope to see you all there. But that's enough talk for the future! On to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.

---

Boing! Boing! Boi-

"Shit!" I hissed under my breath, watching the rubber ball get pulled back by the string in the wrong way, missing the paddle and flinging back around its handle. I sighed, defeated, as the string wrapped all the way around the handle with its own momentum. How had I mastered this stupid Paddle Ball thing the first time? Ah well, I decided while I rolled my eyes and let my stupid 1920's children's toy vanish back into my inventory.

After deciding I'd slay the Paddle Beast another day, I stuck my free hand back in my pocket and looked ahead. My crutch clinked into the stone path beneath me with every step through the endless white nothing. The sky was blank, there was nothing over the horizon. All that existed was the cobblestone path under my feet, and the building sight that path stretched out towards. I could hear it now, the banging of hammers on wood and the hissing of welding flame on metal. I was coming up on the skeleton of a house, and the field of machinery that surrounded it.

My crutch was braced to my right arm at the bicep. It wasn't the most comfortable way to walk in the world, but it beat the wheelchair I'd been stuck in for the first week I was home and the crutches I was on for the next two. There were still bandages wrapped up the both of my arms, but at least none of them were wrapped around my chest and back anymore. Under my blue and red striped T-shirt, six holes were still burned up each side of my back, left behind after my wings burned away. They were scarred over now, but I didn't know if they'd ever heal right. Same went for all the cracks under my bandaged arms.

But, I didn't mind. The important thing was my soul, and that was in great shape these days. That shard of DETERMINATION that Anny gave to me had grown into place, most of the empty space in my busted up soul was filled with either his red or my green. I was able to do basic magic again too, and that was a relief.

Still though... My eyes glossed over to my crutch, and they narrowed a little painfully. I was a long way off from sprouting wings again. It was a miracle that I survived, it was a miracle I could walk, it was a miracle that the cracks on my face and chest were healing, it was a miracle I could do any magic at all. I'd gotten incredibly lucky, and that made wishing for anything else feel ungrateful. So, I took a deep breath and I looked ahead towards that building sight. I told myself the same thing I'd been telling myself. You don't need wings anymore. It's okay. Let it go.

I lifted my thoroughly wrapped left hand from my pocket to give Badster a wave while I walked past him. He was standing in a field of metal and wires laid out across the void floor, overlooking a dozen of his disembodied hands wiring and welding and assembling his machine. Some kind of weather projector, he'd explained to me last time I visited. Anny figured it would make this place a lot more hospitable. Badster flashed his crescent smile while another hand of his appeared just to wave back at me.

I stuck my hand back in the pocket of my blue jeans after I used it to push back my mess of brown hair. I kept finding black hairs mixed in with the brown, figured that meant I was still gonna end up looking like Future sooner or later. That was fine; the scars and burns would set us apart enough. I smirked a little to myself while I thought of Monster Kid, who maintained that I looked super cool with all these cracks on my arms. Guess it made sense that mutilated arms wouldn't make him squeamish.

"Knock knock." I called into the wooden skeleton of a house as I walked up the few concrete steps. Those steps led to a cement platform upon which the wood beams for walls and ceilings were assembled. There were a few interior walls completed, but most of the house was still see through. Now, I was standing in front of a door frame with no door and arching a brow at the one I saw standing beyond it. "Can I come in?"

"Hmmm... That depends." Frisk reached up and grabbed their chin. They had a hard hat atop their head, and a few cutesy stickers were stuck to it. They wore blue jeans that had one or two tears and an orange and yellow high-visibility jacket. Anny had told them they hardly needed all that equipment, and Frisk had told him if they were gonna do the work they needed to dress "constructioncore". They shifted their weight onto one leg, and a smirk tugged at their lips while they winked one eye open. They glanced across the empty and incomplete shell of their house/prison, and I followed their gaze over to where my brother was standing with his back to us. "Is Anthony gonna hold up his end of the deal?"

I heard Anny sigh, before he stood up from the blueprints he was leaning over. He was wearing a pair of old beat up jeans too, a tool belt dangled hammers and drills around his waist. He didn't say a word, instead just grabbing the hem of his white T-shirt and pulling it up over his head. He turned around to face us once he was shirtless, folding his shirt up into a bandanna. A beard of white stubble was a new addition to his face; did he always commit to the lumberjack look when he had physical labor to do? He wrapped that shirt-bandanna around his forehead to keep sweat out of his eyes, and then held his arms out to his sides and gave Frisk a knowing and annoyed look. "Happy?"

"Elated~!" Frisk smiled while they squinted their eyes. They folded their hands beside their head and leaned their cheek onto that hand-pillow, lifting one foot off the ground while they ogled at Anthony. He just shook his head and rolled his eyes while they eyed him up, before eventually gesturing over to me. Frisk didn't bother looking over to me, instead just lazily waving me through the door frame. "Oh, yeah. You can come in or whatever. I don't care."

"Great." I answered a little sarcastically, before lifting my crutch through that doorframe. The rest of my body followed without too much effort, and soon enough I was hobbling through that soon-to-be-house towards Anny. He took steps away from his blueprints and met me halfway.

"I'm trying out positive reinforcement." Anthony explained before I could ask, resting his hands on his hips. "I figure if being shirtless is all I have to do to keep them from puttin' a hammer in your skull then it's a small price to pay."

"Well I mean, in Frisk's defense, you do look like you belong on a calendar in a sexually repressed business woman's office." I stated with a slight smirk, lifting my hand to gesture to Anny and his shirtless-toolbelt combo. He smiled without too much amusement, just shaking his head at my statement.

"I know what I want for a house warming gift!" Frisk piped up from behind us, and Anthony's ears turned red.

"Thanks for that." Anny said sarcastically, and I couldn't help but laugh a little. After that, he turned around and walked back towards his blueprints, and I hobbled after him. Behind us, I could hear Frisk getting back to hammering two-by-fours into place. That was fine, I knew they wouldn't wanna talk much. They never wanted to talk to anyone but Anny. But, they weren't hurling insults or power tools at me, so maybe Anthony's carpentry rehab idea had some merit. Anny spoke over his shoulder and shook me from my thoughts, "What brings ya out here today anyway?"

"Had some time on my hands." I shrugged my shoulders dismissively, turning my head and letting my eyes gloss over the jobsite that I stood inside of. "Figured I'd see how the house is comin' along."

"... Un huh." Anny answered, and his disbelieving tone drew my eyes back over to him. He was looking at the calendar haphazardly tossed onto the same sheet of plywood as his blueprints, checking the date... Before he smirked knowingly over his shoulder at me. "If you're nervous about your date, you can just say that."

"I-!" I immediately looked back to Anny, raising one defensive finger as though I had a point to make. I didn't though, and Anny looked back to his blueprints and shook his head while I groaned. "... Am I really that see through these days?"

"Welcome to life as an honest man." Anthony answered without looking up from his work. I walked around his plywood table to get a look at his blueprints and stand across from him, he frowned a little at the sound of my crutch creaking. I watched his red eyes dart up to me from under his eyebrows, and he spoke candidly. "If you're looking for advice you're in the wrong place."

"No, that's not it. Rationally, I know I'm gonna do fine and that we'll have a good time." I waved my free hand dismissively, before reaching behind my head with that same hand and scratching the back of my neck. My ears turned a little pink while I admitted, "I'm just... Antsy. I came here so I wouldn't be staring at a clock just waiting for the date to start."

"Well I'd offer to letcha help out around here until its time for you to get ready, but I'd have to take off a lot more clothes for Frisk to go along with that." Anthony stood back up to his full height and crossed his arms over his bare chest; I had no idea if he was joking or not but I snerked regardless.

"That's okay." I told Anny, half because I didn't wanna help hammer nails in wood and half because no part of me wanted to see him take his pants off. After I waved off his statement though, I remembered something. I hastily turned my palm to the lack of a sky and spread my fingers, and two Tupperware containers appeared stacked on each other in my grasp. "Oh, that reminds me! Toriel made lunches for you and Frisk."

"She did?" Anny's face lit up when he heard that; being an honest man really did make a person easier to read. I knew he had an affinity for mom packed lunches, so I couldn't help but smile a little as he excitedly took the top container and popped its lid open. There was some vegetables, some grilled chicken, and a little slice of butterscotch cinnamon pie stored away between the little dividers of the Tupperware dish. I couldn't help but laugh when Anny stated, "Oh fuck yeah. Frisk, lunch break!"

I had to lean more onto my crutch to look over Anthony's shoulder while he turned around and called across the house to Frisk. Frisk looked up from the little bubble in the level they were using to make sure a plank of wood was level in the wall. They flashed a smile, but their eyes were still hidden behind their eyelids. They called back cheerily, "I'm not accepting anything from that stupid cripple~!"

"Get over here or I'm puttin' my shirt back on!" Anny didn't hesitate to shout back. He scowled at their rotten response, and they groaned dramatically at his ultimatum. I watched Frisk begrudgingly set down their tools and start stomping towards us, before breathing a quiet sigh and looking back to Anthony.

"I'm just, gonna get outta your hair." I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb after setting Frisk's lunch down, and Anny turned around to wave his hand dismissively.

"You don't have to leave." Anthony assured me hastily, still frowning over Frisk's attitude. "They're just being-"

"I know, Anny. It's alright." I cut Anny off, lifting one hand to signal him to stop. Then, I flashed a KIND smile. "Thanks for keepin' an eye on them. I'm sure they'll lighten up sooner or later."

"Never gonna happen~!" Frisk sang again as they wandered closer, and I smiled with some amusement at the way Anny rolled his eyes.

"I'll visit you and Mako at the farmhouse soon, alright?" I assured Anthony while I gave him and Frisk both a wave. My words made the sour expression on Anny's face lighten up, and he nodded his agreement. I hobbled past him after that, and he watched me make my way at my slow pace back towards the empty doorway. I shared my smile with Frisk too, and they wore their own smile while they gave me the finger. "See you later, Frisk."

Frisk and Anny stood side by side as they watched me go. Neither of them said a thing, they just watched me hobble down the steps, and then down the path and back towards the gateway... Once I was out of ear shot, Frisk turned back towards Anthony and flashed a suggestive smile. He arched a somewhat exhausted brow at them, before they reached forward and grabbed ahold of his belt buckle without an ounce of hesitation or shame. They pulled him forward so that the two were only standing two or three inches apart, and they grinned up at him. "Well, now that he's gone...~"

Anthony didn't say anything. He just lifted that Tupperware and jammed it into Frisk's diaphragm, forcing them to scoot back out of his personal space. His lips peeled back in a smile that was the furthest thing from friendly, and he instructed them through gritting teeth. "Eat."

". . ." Frisk stared up at him with that lunch pushed against them and their hand on his jeans for several long seconds... Before they sighed in defeat. They released their hold on Anthony's belt buckle and snatched the food out of his grasp. Then they rolled their eyes, and Anthony's smile got just a little happier while he watched them walk around to the opposite side of that plywood table. "Fiiiiine..."

DoubleTale: Rewritten

Season 6 Epilogue: The First Date

Chapter 105: Dating, Start!

Or: It's About Time, Gah Dayum!

---

"Oh, Angel!" Toriel perked up when she saw me come back through the front door. I smiled at her, shutting the door behind myself while she set down the towel she'd been using to finish drying the dishes she'd dirtied preparing Frisk and Anny their lunches. "You're back later than usual. Frisk welcomed you into their home this time?"

"Well, Anny had to bribe them, but yeah." I shrugged my shoulders, but Toriel still smiled. It was a little sad what passed as good news on the Frisk front these days. I didn't voice that sour thought though, I just hobbled over towards the couch and went on. "He really appreciated the lunch, too."

"I'm happy to prepare it for him. It's the least I can do to thank him for helping Frisk." Toriel had walked into the living room by the time I'd made my way over to the couch, and when she saw the way I wobbled when I tried to lower myself into my seat she hastily rushed over to help me. I smiled thankfully at her once I was seated with my crutch beside me, and she smiled back. There was a pause, I knew she was hesitating. But, finally, she found the strength to ask. "... Did, Frisk accept the food?"

"... They, said they wouldn't, but Anny made them." I looked to the side while I answered, it wasn't an easy truth to give. I knew a lie would have been easier on Toriel. I also could have not given the full truth and just told the part about them accepting it instead of the part where Anny made them take it, but that was too close to lying for my taste. Toriel deserved the full story, even when it was crummy. I was surprised though, when I looked back to her and saw that she was still smiling gently at my words. That made me smile back at her, and gave me the certainty I needed to assure her. "They'll come around eventually. All we can do is be patient."

Toriel nodded her head while she took a seat beside me on the couch. She folded her hands over her lap while she reckoned with the words I'd said, before lifting one of those hands and waving it dismissively. She turned her head back towards me and laughed off the drearier topic, steering the conversation in a separate direction. "Well, enough about Frisk. How are you doing, Angel?"

"Feelin' pretty good, all things considered." I wiggled my bandaged left arm to reference all of the things that had been considered. Then, I slouched comfortably back into my seat and shrugged my shoulders. "Pretty much all the aches and pains are gone. I still just feel... A little weak, is all."

"I imagine it's a big change, going from how powerful you were to..." Toriel trailed off, maybe she thought it better not to talk about that. It was too late though, she'd let too much of the sentence out. "How powerful you were"... Past tense. I had to take a deep breath and try to keep smiling while my eyes drifted down to my bandaged hands.

"Heh, yeah, it's uh... Yeah." I spoke without really saying anything at all. I was too busy watching my fingers curl slowly. I could feel the cracks on my skin... And then I felt Toriel's hand on my shoulder. I looked up to her with eyes that were only a little wide, and I was reassured by her motherly smile.

"It is okay to be upset about your injuries, Angel. Even if everything else worked out." Toriel said to me, and I couldn't help but feel relieved to hear her say it. It was easy to feel ungrateful mourning my wings; being assured that wasn't the case made me smile some. Toriel squeezed my shoulder gently while she added, "Recovery will come in time. Until then, there is much more for you here on the ground."

"... Thanks, Toriel." I sat up some, my hands relaxed and I felt just a little more strength return to my beat up body. Toriel's smile widened with my own, and I confessed. "I'm pretty sure I needed to hear that."

Toriel opened her mouth to respond... But then the front door flew open. Both our heads whipped around to spot Monster Kid and Papyrus, both trying to shove their bodies through the doorway and only succeeding in getting stuck. I grimaced at the sight of dozens of different hangers with different articles of clothes dangling off them on MK's wings and Papyrus's arms. Monster Kid either didn't notice or didn't mind my skeptical expression though, his face lit up when his eyes landed on me and he exclaimed. "YO! Angel, we're here to help you get ready for the date!"

"As a master of the fine art that is dating, I have decided to lend a hand!" Papyrus said with the same enthusiasm as MK, succeeding in making Toriel laugh. She placed one hand over her mouth to conceal her giggling and set her other hand atop my head. My cheeks were tinted a bright pink and I was still grimacing while Toriel ruffled my hair, but I hardly had the heart to turn those two dorks away. So, instead, I just lifted my bandaged hand and gave them the least enthusiastic thumbs up in the history of up thumbs.

---

"Chara? You alive in here?" Asriel called out into his old Ruins home while he poked his head in the door. He'd knocked, waited a few moments, and then knocked again. When Chara didn't answer the second time he decided to let himself in, and now he was glancing around his sibling's home while he shut the door behind himself.

Chara hadn't renovated much since they came back and Asriel moved out, Asriel thought that was a good sign. Hopefully it meant they'd be moving into the city with everyone else soon. Nobody would ask aloud about it, but of course everyone wanted them down from the mountain. It seemed a little too isolated up here, especially now that Asriel had moved out. Besides, Chara spent the vast majority of their time down in Ebott City these days anyway.

But, Asriel wasn't gonna push them. And its not like the Dreemurr house wasn't crowded already. Besides, they were all adults now. Now that the fight was over and everybody was home, it was probably time to spread out a little. He'd already been looking into housing, him and Monster Kid had talked a few times about being roommates. Asriel liked that idea; living alone sounded too lonely to him.

"Anybody home?" Asriel called out again. He was making his way down the hall towards Chara's open bedroom door now with a confused expression. He took skeptical steps, but when he finally rounded the corner and looked into their room he found an amused smile on his face. "... I should have guessed."

Chara sat on the floor of their bedroom, knees pulled up to their chest and face hidden in their hands. It appeared that they'd scattered the entire contents of their closet over their room. They were surrounded by clothes laid out and outfits rejected. Different pants, shirts, shorts, and jackets covered their bed, their chair, and a good portion of their floor. Despite all this, Chara was still in pajama pants and a white T-shirt. They grumbled through the hands they used to hide their face, "Please tell me you're here to let me know the multiverse needs us to kill something again..."

"Afraid not." Asriel snerked, taking a few steps into their room. He was careful not to step on any clothes, and once he reached his sibling he offered them a hand to help them up. He shook his head with a smile at how pitiful they looked peaking up through their fingers at him. "I'm starting to get worried this retirement thing is going to stick."

Chara rolled their eyes at Asriel's sarcasm while they took his hand, letting him help them up to their feet. Once they were standing he took a step back away from them, and once more his eyes were glossing over the entirety of their scattered wardrobe. Chara groaned and rubbed their shoulder while they admitted shamefully, "... I started to think too hard about what to wear. Now I'm certain I have no nice clothes and that Angel's gonna dump me."

That got Asriel laughing, which only made Chara look away and grumble. He knew it was wrong to laugh at their struggle, but he couldn't help it. This was a far cry from the problems that used to plague their lives; sometimes it was still hard for Asriel to fathom how quickly things had changed. Still, he managed to stifle his laughter and shake his head before he assured them. "Chara, he fought god for you like three times. you could show up in your pajamas and he wouldn't mind."

"But that's the thing! He fought god for me like three times! That means this date has to be perfect!" Chara exclaimed frantically. They reached out and grabbed Asriel's shoulders in an attempt to drag him into their panic, but he just sighed and shook his head.

"That is not what that means." Asriel assured them while he reached up and took their hands in his paws, lifting their grasp off his shoulders. After he released them, Chara groaned and turned away. They were pacing across what space they could, and Asriel crossed his arms and smirked a little as he watched them. "I'm not exactly a fashion icon myself, but if you're really this stressed out about this then I'll help however I can."

"I appreciate the sentiment Azzy but I know you're just as clueless about this as I am." Chara said despondently, making Asriel roll his eyes. They took a seat on the foot of their bed, leaning forward and resting their chin in their lifted hands. Their elbows were propped up on their knees, and they grumbled while they pouted. "Stupid Frisk, turning evil... If they were here, they'd know exactly what to wear."

"... We could, always go ask them?" Asriel winced at his own suggestion, shrugging his shoulders. It was a long shot, he hated that he had any hope at all for Frisk to cooperate.

"They're just gonna call me ugly and say I won't look good in anything." Chara stated the obvious before flopping back onto their bed. They stared up at the ceiling in defeat while Asriel nodded his head in solemn agreement.

"Good point..." Asriel muttered. He took ahold of his chin and pondered for a moment... Before remembering something. he perked up while he looked back over to Chara, "Wait, Chara. Don't you know like, four other Angels or something?"

"Two, but yeah." Chara propped themself up on their elbows. They were still frowning while they arched a brow at their brother. "What about them?"

"Well, maybe we could get their opinions?" Asriel arched a brow back at Chara, shrugging his shoulders while he made his suggestion. "It's about the closest thing we've got to just asking Angel what he thinks."

"Eeehhh, I don't know..." Chara grimaced and their eyes darted to the side. "I have serious doubts that Hacker and Demon started their relationship with going on dates, and Future had to blow up his Chara."

"Oh my god!" Asriel exclaimed in shock and horror at that revelation, recoiling and putting a paw over his chest.

"Yeah it wasn't pretty." Chara sat up while they spoke, shaking their head. "And I mean, I don't know exactly what their relationship was pre-explosion, but-"

"Given what we know about Angels and Charas." Asriel hesitantly got to Chara's point before they could, and Chara nodded their head. They were both wincing now, so Asriel had to agree. "Looks like we're on our own then. Also I'll, talk to mom about sending Future another butterscotch cinnamon pie, jeez..."

Chara sighed and shut their eyes. They fell flat on their back again, reaching up a hand afterwards and laying it over their face. Their voice was muffled in their palm, "I'm doomed..."

---

"This isn't gonna work." I stated in a voice that was less than amused. The frown on my face contradicted the grins on Monster Kid and Papyrus's faces. I could see them standing behind me in the mirror that I was facing, but my eyes were mostly distracted by the ridiculous clothes they'd talked me into trying on.

There was a backwards hat on my head and basketballs on my shoulders. Then there was the shorts and long socks combo, that was gruesome. All pulled together by the muscles that had been drawn on the bandages over my arms and the white crop top with "COOL DUDE" embroidered onto it. I didn't know if I wanted to cringe into a tiny little ball or burst out laughing at the sight of myself, but I did know that I'd fight Errorphim, Killer, and Anarchy all at once before I'd let Chara see me dressed like this.

"Of course it will work! That is premium date gear!" Papyrus assured me, and I shut my eyes and groaned. He slapped his hand down on my shoulder, making my basketball shoulder pad make the same noise a dodgeball makes when it smacks into somebody's face. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully after that, squinting his eye sockets at my backwards hat. "Now, if only we had some spaghetti to hide under your hat..."

"No, no, this isn't gonna work." I lifted my hands to wave them in a dismissive motion while I repeated myself. I took a step forward towards the mirror before turning around to face my two monster pals and shake my head. I continued, "Look, guys, I appreciate the help, but I'm alright. It's just a casual date, nothing this, uh... Intense?"

"Hmm... He might be on to something, Papyrus." Monster Kid chimed in after a moment of consideration. Papyrus looked over to him curiously, and MK explained. "The Cool Dude Outfit is a little too good. It's more of a third date look, haha!"

"Well, you could be on to something..." Papyrus hesitated to say, squinting his eye sockets and looking to the side. He had one hand on his hip and the other on his chin, posing while he pondered. "The last time I wore it on a first date, my opponent fell so madly in love with me that I couldn't hope to match their affection!"

"Opponent..?" Monster Kid repeated under his breath, smiling just a little at Papyrus's story. I sighed with relief, shaking my head before reaching up and pulling that hat off.

"I'm glad we're in agreement." I stated offhandedly, silently hoping I wouldn't have to fight this same battle two dates from now. I shook my head a little to get my bangs out of my eyes and continued speaking, hardly noticing the lightbulb that appeared over Papyrus's head while he watched me. "Seriously guys, I have clothes-"

"Hold still!" Papyrus suddenly exclaimed, and I recoiled as he darted forward. Before I knew it he had his hands on my head and was fiddling with my hair, which made me arch a brow up at him. A few seconds went by, I could feel him twisting my bangs together... And then he pulled back, put his hands on his hips, and grinned at his handiwork. "Perfect!"

I turned my body back towards the mirror and furrowed my brows at my reflection... Before I smiled a little. My mess of hair looked a little more presentable now, my bangs were pulled up by a hair tie and resting back with the rest of my hair. That hair tie had a little bone at the front of it, adding the tiniest bit of style. I glanced back over to Papyrus while my smile morphed into a smirk, "Now this will definitely work."

Papyrus stepped back and put his hands on his hips, beaming with pride. Monster Kid peaked out from behind him, arching a confused brow up at his bald head. "Yo, why did you have a hair tie?"

"A true warrior is prepared for everything at all times!" Papyrus exclaimed, turning back towards Monster Kid and holding out his open hands. From his inventory appeared a comb, a bottle of hair spray, sun tan lotion, MTT brand Cute Juice, Sans' pet rock, three different little bottles of spaghetti sauce... Monster Kid "Yoooo!"'d through his laughter at this, and I chuckled too while I plucked the comb out of his hands. "See? The Great Papyrus is ready for anything!"

"We've got so much to learn..." MK shook his head in awe of Papyrus, and I snerked while I faced the mirror and used that comb to get my hair in order. Maybe letting those two help me out wasn't such a bad idea after all.

---

"All I said was that you look fine!" Asriel called out from the hallway he'd been banished to, turning his head towards the shut door of Chara's room.

"Fine isn't good enough!" Chara's voice called back through the door, making the goat prince groan and roll his eyes.

"C'mon Chara, you're over thinking this!" Asriel stepped in front of the door that'd been slammed behind him, shoving his paws in his pockets and shaking his head. "Nothing is gonna look good to you when you've got this attitude!"

Ding dong!

The sound of the doorbell made Asriel furrow his brows and turn his head down the hallway towards the front door, distracting him from the current dilemma. A stressed Chara cried out through the door, "Oh god, is he here early?! Azzy, go stall!"

"On it." Asriel said, even though he was rolling his eyes. If Angel was here early, Asriel decided by the time he'd made it to the door that he would just tell him what was going on. He figured Angel would probably know how to solve this anyway, even if Chara wouldn't want him to. Asriel reached out and grabbed the doorknob right after the third time the doorbell rang, yanking it open a little irritably... And then going wide eyed.

Demon crossed their arms over their chest, smirking just a little up at the bewildered expression on their alternate brother's face. Asriel blinked, and squinted, and blinked, and opened his mouth to talk... before eventually just leaning back some and calling back into the house without taking his eyes off Demon. "Uhhh... Chara?"

"What is it?" Chara's voice called back from down the hall, making Demon arch a brow over Asriel's shoulder and into the rest of the house. "Who's there?"

"Uhm... You are." Asriel answered while he slowly lifted his shoulders in a shrug, turning more of his attention back to Demon, who snerked at his statement.

"CORE Alphys said you were freaking out over something stupid and begged me to help you." Demon leaned some to speak around Asriel, frowning as they called out into the home of their former nemesis. "I told her its creepy to have any stake in people's personal lives but then she said something about OTPs and offered me a thousand G."

There was several seconds of silence. Demon stood there, arms crossed, arching a brow into the home... Before the sound of a door creaking open echoed down the hall, and Chara's voice came through more clearly. "... Let them in, Azzy. It's not like they can make things worse."

"... You've got your work cut out for you." Asriel spoke from the corner of his mouth to Demon, and they laughed a little. He stepped back out of the way, and Demon walked into the old Ruins' home. Asriel shut the door behind them, opting to stay out of the way while Demon made their way down the hall towards Chara's room.

Demon hardly hesitated to round the corner, only taking a few glances at pictures and decorations along the way. Once they stood in the door way, their eyebrows rose with some surprise at the sight of their counterpart. Chara was standing there, fiddling with the collar of their light weight green jacket. Underneath that jacket they wore a yellow striped green T-shirt, the collar of which dipped down a little into a shallow V. They were wearing shorts that were a little shorter than most pairs they wore, but their black thigh highs split the difference and matched their sneakers. They leaned back and squinted suspiciously at Demon while they gathered their nerve, before finally asking. "... Well..?"

"This is what you were worried about?" Demon exclaimed, lifting their hands to gesture to Chara incredulously. They sounded annoyed while they complimented, "You look great!"

"How great?" Chara asked without relenting their squint, ever skeptical.

"The reason I didn't bring Hacker great." Demon frowned while they recrossed their arms, raising their eyebrows at Chara.

"That's great..." Chara understood, glancing to the side and holding their chin thoughtfully. Their eyes darted back to Demon though, ever hesitant. "Wait, how do I know you're not just saying that to get paid?"

"I'm doing all of this to get paid." Demon assured dryly as they walked through the doorway and deeper in to Chara's room. They made their way over towards a desk in the corner and grabbed the chair from it, pulling it out and over to face the mirror on Chara's dresser. They looked back to Chara, gesturing to the chair beside them. "C'mon, I'll fix your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Chara asked defensively, reaching up and gently placing both hands over their ponytail.

"Sit." Demon didn't bother acknowledging Chara's worries, instead gesturing more irritably to the chair. Chara hesitated... Before rolling their eyes and begrudgingly marching towards their seat.

"Geez... Am I this pushy?" Chara asked while they walked past Demon, who smirked a little at their remark.

"If you were, would I need to be here?" Demon arched a brow at Chara through the mirror that the both of them were now facing. Chara frowned in response to this, before wincing as Demon yanked the hair tie out of their hair. Demon started speaking again before Chara could scold them, "Take it from you: You're overthinking this. If your Angel's anything like mine, then he's easy to impress."

"Well, I mean..!" Chara started to refute, but they struggled to come up with a good rebuttal. After a moment, they just had to frown and sink into their chair. They grumbled while Demon grabbed a hair brush from the top of their dresser, before conceding. "... I know that. This has just, kind of been a long time coming. And, Angel had to sacrifice a lot to get here. I'm scared I'll screw it up some how."

Chara half expected Demon to call them dumb, but they didn't. In fact, to Chara's surprise, a slight smile appeared on their doppelganger's face. There was a short pause, wherein Demon got started brushing. Eventually they spoke, "... That's sweet. But, you know you're not gonna screw anything up. You might be awkward, but you're not dumb. And its not like he yanked you out of a god just because he likes the way you look."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Chara sighed as they agreed, glancing briefly to the side. They took a moment to swallow their anxieties, before a thought made an amused smile curl their lips. "... It'd be kinda funny if that was the reason though."

"Local man kills god for a crumb of they/them pussy." Demon stated in a news anchor voice, and Chara - caught off guard - immediately started laughing. Demon snerked too, shaking their head while they set that brush aside.

"More at eleven." Chara added on in their own news anchor voice, and then the both of them were giggling like idiots. Chara hardly felt all that worried by the time Demon was gathering locks of their hair in hand and braiding them over one another, they figured having a version of themself to tell them to relax made it easier to stop freaking out. After their laughter died down, Chara spoke. "... Thanks for the help. I feel a lot better now."

"Bah, it's no problem." Demon shook their head dismissively, even though they knew Chara's gratitude wouldn't be so easily dismissed. They continued to braid their doppelganger's hair into a circlet behind their head while they played off their good deed, "Being here beats spending another day helping my morons get settled in The Omega."

"At least you've got Hacker, Mew Mew and Eden to keep you company." Chara offered optimistically, but Demon scoffed.

"What morons did you think I was referencing?" Demon looked into Chara's reflection in the mirror while they asked, and the both of them laughed a little. Even if Demon's exterior remained hard, Chara knew their doppelganger had more than a soft spot in their heart for all their friends back in The Omega. When things got quiet again, Demon spoke up. "You know, this date thing doesn't seem like a half bad idea. I think I'll make Hacker take me on one when I get home."

"Wait, you two haven't gone on a date before?" Chara's brows furrowed with confusion. They looked incredulously up at their counterpart in the mirror, but Demon didn't look up from their braiding while Chara went on to ask. "Then how'd you start your relationship?"

"We got to our temporary housing like an hour after your boyfriend destroyed Xander's house the first time and I took my shirt off and threw it at him as soon as he walked in the door." Demon still didn't look up from their work, but they smirked a little at the memory they were retelling. "Look on his face was priceless. Since that night, we've always been together."

Chara was wide eyed, their cheeks tinted a little red. They found themself wondering if they had ever had the guts to do something so forward with their own Angel, and of course they knew the answer was no. At least they knew they had an easy way to save this date if it did go sideways... Sensing their embarrassment, Demon added a little more context to make that story easier for their counterpart to fathom. "But, hey, our relationship has always been different from yours. The whole reason I was that forward in the first place was because between losing our first fight to you, Hacker being in a healing pod, almost getting killed by Clover and your Angel growing another pair of wings I was pretty sure I didn't have any time to waste. Back then it felt like one of us could drop dead at any time, and if that did happen, I didn't wanna have any regrets."

"... Huh. That's funny." Chara stated after taking a moment to consider Demon's words. Demon furrowed their brows, they finally looked to Chara via their mirror reflection to make sure they could see their puzzled expression. Chara smiled a little as they explained, "Me and Angel were, kinda the opposite. We were so busy with preparing for Anarchy, and he was so worried that he would die... We tried to just keep our feelings pushed down until business was taken care of. We didn't want to start something because we were afraid we wouldn't get the chance to finish it."

"Wow... I guess I see why you're so high strung about today then; it really has been a long time coming." Demon nodded their head with understanding, and Chara nodded their head in agreement after they felt their doppelganger release their hair. Demon smiled in a gentle way that Chara was still getting used to after that, before assuring them. "But this is a day to be excited for, not anxious about. So take it easy on yourself, would'ja?"

Chara smiled back at Demon, before their counterpart stepped back away from the chair. This gave Chara the go ahead to stand up and turn around, looking over their shoulder at the half circle now braided along the back of their head. It did a good job keeping all of their hair going down their back while still letting it flow semi-freely. Chara smiled wider after they got a look at it, before looking back over to their other self. "... Thanks for the help, Demon. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem." Demon smirked, setting their hands in the pockets of their pants. Chara knew they wouldn't admit it, but they looked happy that they'd been able to help. A rift opened in space behind them after that, and they lifted one hand to point over their shoulder at it with their thumb. "I'm gonna go take that 1000G from CORE!Alphys and then make sure she keeps her eyes to herself tonight. I'll see you around."

Chara waved as their double stepped back into that portal and the portal vanished, leaving them alone once more in their room. They heard someone clear their throat though, and turned around to see their brother leaning on the doorframe of their room. Asriel crossed his arms and smirked at them before speaking, "... So would you actually start taking my advice if I tried to kill you once or twice?"

"Only if you gave me brain damage." Chara answered without hesitation, sneering right back at their brother. Asriel rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He stepped out of the doorway then, his eyes glossed over to Chara's bedside table while he walked across the room. Chara furrowed their brows with some confusion, watching him reach down and pluck the single ink flower from its empty vase on their bedside table. It was the very same flower Angel had laid on their grave three years ago, they liked having it on that table. It was typically one of the first things they saw in the morning.

"Here." Asriel smiled gently when he turned back to Chara, lifting that flower in his hand. Their eyes widened some as he tucked the flower behind their ear for them, before stepping back and getting a better look at his sibling. Chara turned their head back towards the mirror, and they found themself smiling too when they saw the little flare Asriel's idea had added to their look. "Now it's perfect."

The both of them turned towards that mirror then, Chara couldn't help but smile at how different they looked now compared to their days in the Underground. Asriel had gotten so tall, their hair had gotten so long... They leaned their head on their brother's shoulder, and he smiled while he put his arm around them and gave them a hug. No words needed to be exchanged, they'd probably just end up making fun of one another if they did open their mouths. But, the sentiment was there. They knew they were both thinking the same thing.

I'm proud of you.

---

I took a deep breath while I drove up that mountain path, I'd hoped it would calm my jitters and it did no such thing. Glass Animals was playing quietly in The Purple Piece Of Shit's stereo, but my non-driving leg was still bouncing with anticipation. The sun wouldn't be going down for a few more hours, but we were past the hottest parts of the day. Summer was in full effect this time of year, so we'd agreed to start our date closer to sundown to beat the heat. I wanted to roll the windows down and get some fresh air, but I thought it might screw up my hair so I instead relied on the air conditioning.

"Well, you got any advice?" I spoke aloud into my empty car, and my eyes drifted over to the bottom left corner of my vision. I paused, and the silence that followed my question was deafening. No text box appeared. No one responded because there was no one listening. I winced and I frowned as I looked straight ahead again. My leg stopped bouncing. "... Oh. Right..."

It felt wrong to say that I missed havin' Genesis in my head, but these quiet moments with myself felt a lot more lonely without his commentary. I still forgot every now and again that he wasn't around, I'd ask him a question or say something out loud and wait for a response that would never come. Every now and again I'd be having a nice moment with my friends, and I'd catch myself looking for a textbox that reads something sour like "*I hate slice of life." I knew I should probably be glad that he was gone, but I always felt just a little bummed out when I remembered that I'm alone in my head again.

"... If you were, I bet you'd have some story about your first date with Anny's mom." I theorized aloud even though I knew no one was listening, relaxing some into my seat. I had to slow down now, this part of the road was curvy and it was all gravel and dirt. I bobbed my head from one shoulder to the other while I put together this fake story in my head. "Something like... 'I gave her this necklace I picked off some lady I killed on the way to pick her up. Didn't have the time to clean the blood off. She loved it'."

I found myself smiling some at that ridiculous story, not because it was funny but because it did sound exactly like one of Texty's stories. I took a deep breath as the trees opened up around the road, letting sunlight back inside my van. I looked out my drivers side window, over the horizon and the sun that loomed above it. I could see the city beneath, I could see the way this world sprawled and stretched... I sighed and looked back ahead, feeling a little more relaxed while I came up on the end of the mountain road. "... Rest easy, Genesis. Wherever you are."

My van slowed to a stop, I put it in park and turned the key. The music playing through my stereo stopped when I opened my door, and after I got my legs on the ground I summoned my crutch on my arm from my inventory. I stood with minimal effort and pushed my door shut behind me, turning towards the path ahead. I'd planned on making my way down to the Ruins and walking Chara back to the car, but I only managed to take about two steps before I spotted them standing at the start of the path and stopped in my tracks.

"I, uh... I got too antsy waiting so I decided to meet you here." Chara's cheeks were already tinted pink while they admitted that. Their eyes avoided contact with my own, and they reached behind their back with one arm to grab the elbow of their other arm. When their eyes finally did look back to me though, they caught me staring and it made them smile. "What do you think..?"

My own cheeks were dusted pink while I looked Chara up and down. I always thought they were pretty, no matter what they were wearing. So, it surprised me how easy it was for them to still catch me off guard with their beauty. Looking at them, I was suddenly totally unaware of the bandages on my arms and the scars on my back. I wasn't worried about Frisk's therapy or who would fill their role as ambassador, in fact I was certain in that moment that I had nothing in this life to be worried about. Because Chara was by my side, and they always would be. And it woulda been nice to be able to vocalize that, I would have loved to have told them just how happy they made me simply by existing, but unfortunately my eyes caught on their legs, particularly the space between where shorts ended and thigh highs began. And I only managed to stammer two words like a total moron, "Zettai... R-Ryōiki..."

"What?" Chara snerked at my dumbass mumbling, cocking a brow at me. They were smirking at the undoubtedly stupid look on my face, I thought they might have liked knowing that a simple change of outfit was enough to make my brain short circuit. I honestly felt a little under dressed compared to them, I'd went for a sort of "less is more" look, seeing as it was too hot for much more than what I had on. Jeans, tennis shoes, and a blue button up T-shirt. I'd kept the bandages with the muscles drawn on them, figured Chara might get a chuckle out of it. Then there was the bone hair tie in my hair, and heart shaped stud earrings in each of my ear lobes. The one in my right ear was green, the left ear's stud was red.

"You look amazing." I blurted out as soon as my brain finished rebooting, tearing my eyes off Chara's legs to look them in the eye again. Their eyebrows rose in surprise at my sudden compliment, but then they smiled gently while that pink shade on their cheeks darkened.

"T-thanks..." They managed an answer, before taking the hand that I reached out towards them. I smiled back at them and then squeezed their hand gently, before walking them back towards my car. I opened the passenger door for them, and they smirked over at me while they sat in the passenger seat. They teased, "Such a gentleman."

"Wait until you see how good I am at pullin' chairs out for you. I've been practicing all month." I responded, and Chara snerked. I shut the door while they shook their head and chuckled at my dumb joke, they'd finished by the time I made my way back around the front of the van and opened my door. My crutch vanished back into my inventory, and I tried my best to make climbing back into my seat look easy. I don't know if I succeeded, but I knew Chara was smiling at me when I next looked over to them and I knew that was all that mattered.

"So, since you're the 'intricate plan kinda guy', have you thought of where you're taking me first?" Chara asked as I backed up and turned around in the grass, flashing a slight smirk. I glanced over to them with my own little smirk, before looking back to the road without answering. They scoffed with amusement, "Okay, mystery man. Keep me in suspense."

"How do you feel about Nice Cream?" I asked, glancing briefly back to them before looking back to the mountain road I was driving us down. I smirked playfully while I went on, "I think it'd be a good throwback to our real first date."

Chara laughed at that, I was happy to hear it. They reached over and took my free hand from where it laid on the center console of my van, and our fingers intertwined while they answered. "We could walk around the city while we eat, then it'd really be like the old first date."

"Look at you, puttin' my intricate plan together." I said while I turned the wheel with one hand, keeping my eyes forward and that smirk on my face. I explained, "I'm gonna park by the basketball court, from there we can make a circuit around town."

"This whole date thing wasn't just a plan to challenge me to a game of one on one basketball, was it?" Chara joked, smiling at the silliness of that thought while they turned their head away from the window they'd been looking out of and back over to me. "Because I don't care how many bandages you've got on you or how much sweet talking you do, I won't go easy on you."

"I don't think it'd be too good for our PR if somebody caught you dunking on a cripple." I glanced briefly over to Chara while I teased, smirking wider. I looked ahead then, shrugging my shoulders casually while I added on. "But, hey, if it ends with you on top of me again then that might be a price I'm willin' to pay."

I didn't have to look over to Chara to know that they were blushing bright red after I said that. With their hand in mine I felt the way they jolted with surprise, they still weren't too used to me openly flirting and I thought it was cute. When the pause that followed my statement went on too long I thought I might've made them short circuit this time, so I glanced back to them with that same smirk on my face. "Oh shit, did I say that out loud? My bad."

Chara reached out with their free hand and pushed my head to face forward again, suppressing an embarrassed hiss. It was too late though, I'd already seen how red their face was and I was already laughing about it. They stammered through their scolding, "O-okay, eyes on the road lover boy..!"

I considered telling them that I hardly minded the ring of that nickname, but I figured I'd teased them enough for now. So instead I relaxed into my seat and gave their hand a squeeze while I let their face cool off and they mumbled adorably about me being a moron. Another minute or two passed before I was turning back onto paved roads and starting to pass by more buildings than trees. Rush hour had just ended about half an hour ago, the city was getting a little more quiet around this time. That was good, I knew Chara didn't like people too much and I wouldn't be too happy if anybody interrupted our date either.

Soon enough we were pulling into the mostly empty lot beside the basketball court. Once the Purple Piece Of Shit's engine shut off I could hear the ka-ching! sound of the nets as the few teens playing basketball made a shot here and there. I finally let go of Chara's hand, just to open my door and hastily climb out. Chara started to get up, before they spotted me already hobbling back around the outside of the car to their door. They smiled through a light blush as I opened their door for them and offered them my non-crutch holding hand to help them out of the car. They shook their head as they took my hand, but that smile didn't go away as they commented. "From gentleman to pervert and back to gentleman."

"You've got a man who can do both." I assured them with a sly smirk, and they groaned and rolled their eyes. They still looked happy though as I helped them stand, shutting their door behind them. I teased, "A lotta people would kill for that, y'know."

"I'm pretty sure I actually have killed for you at this point." Chara scoffed, smirking over at me. The two of us started walking towards the sidewalk, the Nice Cream shop was at the end of the block. I knew I was moving slower than them, but Chara had no trouble keeping pace and staying beside me. They hadn't let go of my hand since I helped them out of the van.

"Have you?" I wondered aloud, furrowing my brows with thought. I looked up to the clear blue sky overhead while I wondered, before the answer came to me. I looked back to Chara, "Nnnnope! Hacker and Demon survived and Anny killed most'a Xander's inner circle. I think I'm still your most recent kill."

"Really? Well that doesn't feel right." Chara said, and I immediately started laughing. They must have realized how their statement sounded, because they started laughing after me. That went on for a minute, the both of us giggling at such a morbid fact. Eventually though our laughter died down, and Chara confessed while I wiped a tear out of the corner of my eye. "You know, I was actually freaking out so much about getting ready for this date that CORE Alphys sent Demon to tell me to relax."

"Of course CORE Alphys has a stake in this." I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling some. I was glad Chara was okay sharing this information with me, in earlier times I knew they would have been too embarrassed to ever say they freaked out about anything.

"I thought the exact same thing." Chara told me, and I scoffed with amusement. they looked ahead after that, shaking their head at their earlier actions. "I was about ready to throw out poor Azzy when Demon showed up and made me relax. They're pushy."

"Somebody's gotta keep Hacker in line." I stated with a casual shrug, making Chara snerk. I laughed a little with them, and once our laughter died down I looked back over to them. "I had kinda the total opposite day."

"Hacker showed up and told you your outfit was shit?" Chara asked, and I was immediately laughing again.

"No, but Papyrus and MK basically broke down my door and tried to help me get ready." I explained after I finished laughing, and Chara raised their eyebrows and nodded their head.

"So that's where the bone hair tie and muscle drawings came from." Chara surmised, and I nodded my confirmation.

"This is what I managed to bargain it down to." I told them, and they arched a brow over at me. I looked to them with a slight smirk and eyes that were only a little exasperated. "They had me in the 'Cool Dude' outfit, Char-bear."

". . ." Chara's eyes lit up like I'd never seen before, their lips pulled up in a smile and their cheeks puffed out a little, as though just imagining me in those clothes was going to make them burst into hysterical laughter. They managed to restrain themself though, choking out in a whisper: "... Did anyone take a picture?"

"If they did they have mere hours to live." I told Chara, and they were no longer able to hold in their laughter. It couldn't have been from my joke, I was certain they were cackling at the thought of me wearing that ridiculous outfit. Their laughter put a smile on my face and encouraged me to add on, "I drew the line when Papyrus started talking about hiding spaghetti under the hat."

"Oh that's where you drew the line..?!" Chara managed to say through their giggling, doubling over some and resting their free hand over their abdomen. "Not when they spun the hat around backwards or tried to put the Cool Dude crop top on you..?!"

"Hey, the crop top kinda slayed." I rose my eyebrows at Chara, but they were too busy laughing to notice. That kept me smiling, and I begrudgingly let go of their hand. I stepped ahead of them and grabbed the door to the Nice Cream Shop, pulling it open and holding it that way for them. They'd manage to stifle their laughter, but they were still too giggly to refute my claim or say something about me holding the door open for them. This gave me the opportunity to gesture into the building and do a little bow as they walked through the doorway. "M'theydy."

"D-don't call me that..!" Chara pointed back at me, but they were still a little too preoccupied giggling at the thought of me dressed like Papyrus to properly scold me for my cringe-ass statement. They were still trying to contain themself by the time the Nice Cream Guy spotted us from the other side of the counter.

"Well if it isn't two of my favorite customers!" The Nice Cream rabbit perked up, stepping forward towards his counter. He always credited me, Chara, and Frisk for keeping his business afloat long enough for him to make it to Hotland, where he of course hit it big. Now he had this nice building at the corner of this block, it even had a little outside area that I could see through the window was totally full of monsters, most notably Royal Guards 01 and 02. It made sense that business was booming on a hot July day like this one. Nice Cream Guy leaned his hands on the counter as me and Chara stepped up to it, "What can I getcha?"

"What do you want?" Chara asked after they wiped a tear out of their eye. Their giggling had finally come to a stop, and now they were looking over to me while they pulled their wallet out of their pocket. I was already pulling out my own wallet though, and they narrowed their eyes at me. "Angel, if you're really going to be opening doors and pulling out chairs for me all night at least let me pay for the nice cream."

"Afraid I can't do that." I shook my head, and a smirk sprouted on my face when Chara's squint turned into a glare.

"What, you're mister old fashion too now?" Chara put their hands on their hips, frowning while they cocked a brow up at me.

"Well I was raised by an old lady." I shrugged my shoulders, never breaking eye contact or losing my smirk.

"I'm paying." Chara told me with a deadly gleam in their eyes, but I wasn't swayed.

"I'm paying." I repeated their words back to them, and my own eyes narrowed down at them. Kinda felt like a Wild West duel, both of us ready to yank up our wallets at any given second. That was, until Nice Cream Guy set two Nice Cream bars on the counter in front of us.

"On the house." He told us when we whipped our heads around to look at him. he was smiling a little from the sight of our silly dispute, and he assured us. "It's the least I can do for my two favorite heroes!"

Chara and I shot each other a glance... Before we took a deep breath and relented. The both of us smiled politely, reaching out a hand and taking our respective Nice Creams. He'd even gotten what flavors we each wanted right. We accidentally spoke in unison, "Thank you."

We waved to Nice Cream Guy on our way out of his store, and soon enough the door was shut behind us and we were back on the sidewalk. With one of my hands preoccupied holding my crutch, I was busy opening the wrapper of my Nice Cream with my teeth when Chara commented. "It's a good thing he intervened, you were about to cave and let me pay."

"I'd've grown eight wings before I let you pay that 30g." I gave Chara a look and a slight smirk after successfully ripping open my wrapper, and they snerked while they popped open their own wrapper.

"Well I would have grown ten wings if you tried to pay it." They responded childishly, even going to far as to stick their tongue out at me while we walked.

"Please! If you grew ten wings then I'd just grow eleven wings." I rolled my eyes and shook my head like they'd just said the dumbest thing I'd ever heard.

"That's not even an even number of wings!" Chara cried out incredulously, even though the both of us were fighting the grins this absurd dispute brought on.

"The eleventh wing comes out of my forehead and shoots lasers you'd be SOOOO fucked!" I explained with unshakeable resolve, and Chara had to start laughing in the wake of my irrefutable argument. I started laughing as soon as they did, and then we were both stumbling down the street giggling about something completely dumb. In another few steps we came up on a bench, and Chara gladly took a seat while they wiped a tear out of the corner of their eye.

I struggled a little, but quickly managed to lower myself onto the bench beside them. My crutch vanished back into my inventory, and I rested one arm over the back of the bench behind Chara. They turned their head and smiled quietly over at me, something about the sight of them made my heart skip a beat. So, I smiled back and brought my arm forward, putting it around them. They gladly scooted in and rested their head on my shoulder.

"'You're just great!'" Chara read the message on their nice cream bar's wrapper aloud while I leaned my head back and shut my eyes. They nodded their head and shrugged their shoulders. "I am pretty great. What's yours say?"

"'You're super spiffy!'" I peaked one eye open and tilted my head back up to look at the wrapper of my frozen treat, reading its message aloud. I opened both eyes after reading it, smirking over to Chara and flexing my bandage wrapped arm and all the muscles drawn onto it. "They don't miss."

Chara rolled their eyes, but they were smiling. Things were quiet for the next minute or two, neither of us needed to speak to enjoy the moment. We sat there, listening to conversations too distant to understand and the occasional car pass us by. Eventually though, once I was about halfway through my Nice Cream, I glanced back over to Chara and asked jokingly, "So, how's this rank against our last date so far?"

"We're not in muggy-ass Waterfall, so it's already way better." Chara didn't hesitate to answer, and their words made me chuckle. This made them smile some, so they decided to ask me the same question. "What about you? How do you think it compares?"

"Well, surface in the Summer is a lot nicer than Waterfall in the spring, and my date's only gotten hotter in the past three years..." I held my chin and looked towards the sky while I pondered, and I could feel Chara glaring at me while their cheeks dusted pink again. That made me smile wider, and I glanced back over to them from the corner of my eye while I finished my thought. "I do kinda miss the psychosexual thrill of not knowing whether you wanna kiss me or kill me, though."

"Wow." Chara rolled their eyes and shook their head, planting a hand on my chest just so they could push themself away from me. This made me burst into laughter, and I quickly put a hand over the one they'd put on my chest, wrapping my arm tighter around them to prevent their escape. They squirmed in my grasp, trying to hide the smile that my laughter put on their face.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" I assured them through my idiot giggling, but when I leaned in to try and kiss them on the cheek they put their hand over my face and pushed my head back.

"You better be!" Chara hissed, their cheeks still tinted red while they tried to fend off my affection. "Otherwise you're not gonna have to wonder if I wanna kill you!"

I couldn't help but laugh when they threatened me, I was sure they knew by now that I thought they were cute when they were mad. With that in mind, Chara finally stopped pulling away and let me drag them back into my arms. They still crossed their own arms and faked an angry look between nibbling on their Nice Cream, and I rested my head on top of theirs while my free hand poked their puffed out cheek. They grumbled, "You're lucky that you're cute when you're stupid..."

"And you're really unlucky that you're cute when you're mad." I replied immediately, and Chara couldn't help but crack a smile. I relaxed my hold on them, but they didn't pull away, instead opting to stay beside me with their head on my shoulder. Things were quiet and peaceful for another few moments, until the both of us had finished our Nice Creams.

"Alright, master-planner." Chara stated after they stood up and tossed the both of our wrappers in the garbage can beside our bench. After that, they offered a hand to help me up while they asked. "You have an idea for where we're going next?"

"How do you feel about dinner?" I arched a brow up at them, grabbing their hand and pushing up off the bench. They easily pulled me up to my feet, and my crutch reappeared on my arm just in time for me to use it to steady myself. "Grillby's isn't too far from here, we'd just have to cut through the park."

"Ice cream before dinner?" Chara arched a brow up at me, they smirked while they crossed their arms over their chest. "And here I thought your bad boy days were over."

"You can take The Hacker outta the crime, but you can't take the crime outta The Hacker." I returned their smirk with my own while I gave a shrug. They smiled at my response, before reaching out and taking hold of my hand again. They lead me forward, along the sidewalk and towards the gate of Ebott Park.

"I guess I can indulge in villainy just once, for old time's sake." Chara stated dramatically, earning a laugh from me.

"Careful, it's a slippery slope." I warned them, giving them a cautionary glance from the corner of my eye. "Soon enough, you'll be cheating on crossword puzzles and forgetting to put the cap back on your tube of toothpaste."

"Dear god that's grim." Chara stared straight ahead with wide, horrified eyes after I gave my warning. This made me start laughing again, and they snerked too. We rounded the corner and made our way through the fence gate that lead into Ebott Park.

Neither of us said much for that portion of the walk. We quietly made our way down the winding path that lead through the grassy park, letting our eyes wander the scenery all the while. We passed under a tree full of chirping birds. Chara smiled down at a patch of golden flowers beside that tree, and I looked out into the open grass, watching Endogeny and Greater Dog race to fetch the frisbee that Doggo had thrown.

After a bit more walking, we were wandering over a small wooden bridge that crossed over a clear blue pond. I paused there for just a moment, smiling at the sight of Woshua and his little bird friend on the shore. The Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap was sitting on a lilypad, eyes closed while it enjoyed the sun.

My eyes glossed down into the gentle blue of that pond. It reflected the clear sky overhead, and it reflected me standing on the bridge. My brows furrowed at the sight of myself, I didn't realize it but there was a frown tugging at my lips as I stared at my crutch and my bandaged arms. For just a second I wasn't there, I was back in Xander's timeline. I had six wings and a halo over my head, my irises were shining white. That pond was a glass floor...

Chara wrapped their arms around my arm, hugging themself to my shoulder. I was jolted back to reality when their reflection appeared beside my own, I could see the knowing smile on their face while I stared into that pond. They didn't have to say anything, I could see their support in the scarlet gleam of their eyes. And my frown pulled back up into a gentle smile, I exhaled quietly through my nose and I felt my scarred body relax. Chara turned their head towards me. They stepped up onto their tippy toes, and my cheeks dusted a light shade of pink when they gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I liked seeing our reflection together.

We kept walking after that, and soon enough we were making it out the other side of the park. We crossed the street, and Chara rolled their eyes with a smile when I held open the door for them. We stepped into Grillby's, I found myself smiling from the familiar sight alone. Last time I set foot in Grillby's, Mount Ebott still had a peak. I knew the place was half diner and half dive bar, but I liked the grimier aspects of the place, even after it got cleaned up and moved to the surface. There was a lotta dive bars in Fortune City, after all.

After we looked at the "Please seat yourself" sign, Chara lead me over to a booth in a far corner of the bar. I made my crutch vanish and we both slid into opposite sides of the booth. They rested their elbows on the table and leaned forward, setting their chin on their folded together hands. They smirked a little before they spoke, "So, tell me about yourself."

"Tell you about myself?" I leaned back in my seat and cocked a brow at Chara, a light smirk on my own lips. "Ain'tcha sick of my life story by now?"

"I just thought it would be good to get a heads up on whatever person with a vendetta we'll have to fend off next." Chara joked, making me scoff in amusement. They sat up some after that though, gesturing towards me. "Really, though. There's gotta be something I still don't know about you."

"Uuuhhh..." I took ahold of my chin with my bandaged fingers, tilting my head back. My eyes glossed up to the ceiling, drifting between the hanging lights while I tried to think something up. They knew I was a pretty good pitcher in baseball, they knew I liked Pokémon, they knew my trauma at nauseum... I suddenly remembered something while shifting my tongue around in my mouth, and I winced before I could stop myself.

"Uh oh, looks like you remembered something." Chara was grinning a little as they leaned forward again in their seat, resting one arm over the table. I groaned quietly, avoiding eye contact while I sunk back into my seat. That just made Chara's grin grow, I could see immediately that their interest was piqued. "Well come on, don't be shy! Is it embarrassing? Something dumb you did when you were a kid? You've gotta tell me."

"Eeeuughh..." I groaned dramatically, sinking further into my seat and rolling my eyes. This only made Chara look more giddy, I knew they were excited for the opportunity to tease me and I knew there was no way they'd drop it now. I had to clear my throat and shift around in my seat, before eventually sighing dramatically. I kept my eyes on the ceiling while I finally got started on my big reveal. "... Okay, so like... Y'know how, Anny's got like... Like, he's got that weird, creepy long tongue?"

"Angel this better not be how I find out that Lexi isn't the only one you used to date." The grin on Chara's face had immediately mighty-morphed into a frown, and their eyes narrowed in a glare.

"No! Ew!" I refuted instantly, my eyes darting back to Chara while my body recoiled in disgust. My reaction got them smiling again.

"Okay good because he gave you a piece of his soul and I just don't think I can compete with that." Chara stated with a resigned shrug, and I was quickly pulled out of my disgust and into a chuckle. They snickered too after seeing me laugh at their joke, before waving their hand in a move along motion. "So, why are we talking about tongues exactly?"

"Well, uhh... Weird, scary tongues like that aren't uh... Ghoul exclusive." I was looking to the side again, but from the corner of my vision I could see Chara furrowing their brows with growing confusion and impatience. I rolled my hand in the same move along motion they had just made in hopes that it would help me order my words properly, but I still stumbled. "It's, I mean it's rare, but sometimes regular people-..."

"The point, Angel." Chara leaned forward, resting their cheek on their propped up fist and raising their eyebrows expectantly at me. I looked back at them and frowned, exhaling through my nose in a show of exasperation... Then, I opened my mouth and let my tongue tumble out over my bottom lip and all the way past my chin, making Chara's eyes snap open wide.

"Goh auwn. Maymke yohr johkes." I encouraged Chara with my tongue still dangling out of my mouth, my lack of enthusiasm clear in my eyes. Chara didn't say anything though, they were just staring wide eyed. They slowly sat up some, blinking a few times. I furrowed my brows at them; it certainly looked like the gears were turning behind their forehead, but what about this revelation required that much thought? "... Chawa?"

Suddenly, our attention was drawn to Grillby, who had stepped up to our table. He set two orders of fries down in front of us, I was surprised both by his sudden appearance and by the fact that he still had our orders memorized. I hastily sucked my tongue back into my mouth and hoped Grillby hadn't seen it, but if he did see it he didn't comment on it. As always, his statement was short and quiet. "... On the house."

"Thanks Grillbz!" I stated gladly, lifting my hand to wave as the bartender was already making his way back to the counter. Once he was away, I looked back to Chara with a smirk. I snagged a fry off my own basket while I spoke, "Hey, now we don't have to have the pay debate again."

"Haha yeAh!" Chara stated with so much energy that I almost jumped. Their eyes were still wide and their face was a light shade of pink, but before I could ask them why they grabbed a handful of fries and jammed them into their mouth. I gradually arched a brow, and then tilted my head while I watched them ravenously chew and swallow that mouthful of fries. The moment their teeth were no longer preoccupied they started speaking again. "I guess all that hero stuff is really paying off for us hA!"

"Uhhh... Yeah?" I couldn't help but smile some, even though I was confused. I took a moment to watch them squirm, tried to figure out what would have them so shaken up... Before finally shrugging. "C'monn, the tongue thing isn't that gross, is it?"

"W-what? No, no, it's not gross!" Chara lifted their hands and waved them frantically to dismiss my concerns. I just frowned, propping up my fist and leaning my chin forward onto it while I waited for them to elaborate. Their eyes darted to the side and I was once more arching a confused brow at them while they went on. "I, just, didn't, I mean, it didn't..! I'm just, surprised! That's all!"

"Well General Judgement, whaddabout you?" I responded incredulously, squinting at Chara while I gestured lazily towards them. They still looked a little distraught that I didn't buy their "just surprised" excuse, but they clearly welcomed the change in subject. "There's gotta be something I don't know about you."

"Me?" Chara repeated back to me, recoiling in their seat. I rose my eyebrows at them and smirked a little, silently telling them that I was waiting. They frowned back at me, before rolling their eyes. "Okay, let me think. Uhh..."

"C'mon, there's gotta be something." I leaned forward onto my propped up elbow, snagging another few fries from my basket and popping them into my mouth while I waited for Chara's answer. they thought for a moment longer, before groaning quietly. Their shoulders sunk, I couldn't help but snicker at how begrudging they looked when they finally spoke.

"... I have a burner Undernet account." They looked right across the table at me with their guilty expression, and I just cocked a confused eyebrow at them. "I use it exclusively to follow like, a thousand different cute animal pages."

"That's your secret?!" I immediately exclaimed, a grin yanking up my expression. The moment I saw Chara's face light up in red I was howling with laughter, and that just made them grimace and sink further into their jacket. My voice was a higher pitch through my laughter, and I held my stomach while I threw my head back and exclaimed. "You have a burner to look at cat pics?!"

"S-shut up!" They hissed, but I couldn't stop laughing. Keeping their head low, Chara reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair behind their ear while they avoided eye contact. "A-and its not just cats! There's dogs and, foxes, and deer, and capybaras, and a few different birds, and its not fair that bears are as cute as they are-"

"Oh my god..!" I wheezed while I writhed in my seat. I kicked my feet until they kicked my shin in hopes of stopping my outburst. I tried my best to stop, but I was still giggling while I pointed out. "Your darkest secret is that you like looking at cute animals..!"

"It's embarrassing!" Chara defended, wrapping their arms around themself and pouting in the face of my laughter. I was busy taking a few deep breaths and exhaling loudly, trying desperately to bring my laughter to a stop before my ribs collapsed.

"It's adorable." I assured them once my giggling finally stopped. I was still grinning while I wiped a tear out of my eye, shaking my head. After that, I looked back across the table to them and added on. "You're adorable."

"A-am not..." Chara grumbled, their face only turning a deeper shade of red. Their denial had me snickering again, but I chose not to keep teasing them and I figured they'd hiss at me if I doubled down on my compliment. So, instead I just smiled at the sight of them and silently appreciated the moment.

We sat there for another few minutes, exchanged a few more words while we finished eating our fries. With the ice cream prelude to this dinner, neither of us were too hungry for anything else. and I was glad, because I looked out a window across the diner and suddenly jolted up when I spotted the sun's position in the sky. "Oh, the sun's getting close to going down! We gotta go!"

"What?" Chara furrowed their brows with heavy confusion. They scoffed while they watched me climb out of my booth and summon my crutch back on my arm, "It's not like we have a curfew, y'know. And there's no way you're afraid of the dark - your brother is like king shadow isn't he?"

"It's not that!" I said while I frantically waved my hand towards myself and the door behind me. I reached into my pocket while Chara stood, and I didn't have time to argue when the both of us dropped a handful of G on the table as a tip. I turned towards the door and started hobbling towards it as fast as I could. "C'mon, if we aren't fast we're gonna miss it!"

"Miss what?" Chara asked as they walked after me, but the only answer they got was me shoving open the door and then frantically waving them through it while I held it open for them. They shook their head when I immediately took off as fast as my beat up body would allow down the sidewalk, asking while they followed after me. "Angel! What's the hurry?"

"It's a surprise!" I called back, and I heard them groan immediately. My crutch clinked repeatedly on the sidewalk, and I winced a few times when one of my joints creaked or one of my bandages pulled too hard on the cracks on my arms. I'd felt much worse pain though, so I was hardly deterred.

"Can I at least know where we're running?" Chara asked as they caught up with me, turning their head to arch a brow over at me. "I could just portal us there!"

"The location's a surprise too!" I told them without bothering to look back over to them.

"Then you portal us there!" Chara said like it was obvious, shrugging their shoulders and looking at me incredulously while they walked beside me.

"Can't do that either!" I responded, and Chara immediately groaned and rolled their eyes. I explained before they had time to ask, "If we show up too early it'll fuck it up!"

"So we literally had to almost be late and run there?" Chara tilted their head, their jaw slacked in awe of my stupidity.

"I would have preferred being early and me just having to stall on the way but yes this was plan B!" I admitted without an ounce of shame, looking both ways before hastily hobbling across a cross walk.

"Angel that's dumb!" Chara called after me, following me across the cross walk. I didn't argue their point because I knew they were right, but I also didn't stop my race towards our destination. And, begrudgingly, Chara didn't object again. They knew whatever my plan here was, even if it was stupid, it was important to me. And that was enough for them.

So, I lead them down the sidewalk and through Ebott City. It was a few minute long hustle, it was almost funny how fatigued I felt by the time I spotted our destination ahead. If I didn't have Chara by my side, I would have felt like stopping Errorphim had drained all the youth from me and that I'd be a withered old man for however long I had left. But, feeling their hand in mine made these injuries feel manageable, temporary even.

"Up here!" I told Chara, releasing their hand just to reach up and grab ahold of a ladder rung. I shifted my weight onto my crutch temporarily to plant a foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, then my crutch disappeared and gave me another hand to grab ahold of the ladder with.

"A water tower..?" Chara muttered more to themself than to me. They leaned their head to the side, looking past me and up the ladder. Peering up between the pipes and support beams made it all the more clear; I'd lead them to one of Ebott City's far corners, where the city gets quiet and the lights shut off early. I figured they'd never been out this way before, I knew I hadn't until I started scouting out the city a month in advance to prepare for this date. Their eyes were drawn back to me when I lifted my last leg off the ground, taking a step onto the ladder and gradually starting to climb up it. "Angel, are you sure it's safe for you to-?"

"I've got it!" I called back to them, glad they didn't see the way I winced when I had to bend my knee and bring my foot up another rung. "C'mon, we've gotta hurry!"

"Okay..?" Chara muttered hesitantly, reaching up and grabbing onto the ladder once I was high enough for them to have room. With them climbing right below me, I had to make sure all the pained groans I wanted to make were silenced. It was hard to even look up at the top of the ladder, it felt like it was a mile up. But, I gathered my DETERMINATION and I kept grabbing at rungs with my bandaged hands until finally I was reaching over a ledge and onto the walkway surrounding the water tower's tank.

I climbed up and out of Chara's way, but I wasn't able to stop a few grunts and groans from rumbling in my throat. I managed to get up to one knee on that walkway, and I knew pretty quick I wouldn't be able to push myself any higher than that. When I lifted my head though, I smiled at the sight of Chara smiling down at me. The first thing they did after ascending the ladder was offer me a hand that I gladly took, and they pulled me up to my feet.

"So? Your big surprise?" Chara crossed their arms with a slight smirk, arching a brow at me. I didn't say a word, though. Instead, I stepped past them, and their eyes followed me as I lifted an arm and gestured out over the railing surrounding the walkway.

Chara's eyes went wide. Laid out before us, the rooftops and street lights hastily came to a stop in favor of a mostly untouched section of Ebott beach. And all the way across the horizon, where the water met with a sky now painted with pinks and oranges, the sun appeared to be sinking into the ocean. It was halfway submerged, and its light stretched in a glimmering wave out across the surface of the water, making it all sparkle and shine.

Chara's lips parted a few times, but words always failed them. They took another step towards the railing, reaching out slowly and placing their hands on it without taking their eyes off the sight stretched out before them. I leaned my elbow on the railing and smiled while I watched them take this sight in; to me, the real beauty was the way the sunset reflected in their eyes. Somewhere on the rooftops or maybe in one of the trees beneath, birds were chirping here and there. The sound of distant cars was hardly noticeable, and my injuries didn't hurt anymore.

"Wow, Angel, I..." Finally Chara got a few words out. They didn't look at me, but I watched them shake their head slowly while they stared out at the shining horizon. Their lips parted again, and a moment later a few more words came. "All the times that I've seen the surface, and... I mean, I never..."

"So ya like the surprise?" I arched a brow at Chara with a slight smirk. My elbow on the railing propped up my hand, and I rested my cheek in my open palm while I watched Chara smile.

"... I, think I might be looking at one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." Chara's eyebrows rose some while they made their conclusion aloud, like even they were surprised by this revelation.

"Funny. I was thinkin' the same thing." I commented casually, and my smile only widened when Chara's eyes finally glossed over to me and they saw that I was in fact staring at them and not the horizon. Their cheeks immediately turned red, and I could see on their face that they were using all their might to stop themself from crossing their arms and calling me a moron. They won the battle evidently when they managed an only slightly embarrassed smile, reaching out a hand towards me.

"Thank you for showing me this." Chara said sweetly while I took their hand, standing back up to my full height. They stepped in once I was standing, and my eyes widened with some surprise as they wrapped their free arm around me and laid their head on my chest. I paused for just a second, before my expression relaxed and I wrapped my own free arm around them. I turned my head, and the both of us looked out at the setting sun together. Things were quiet for a moment, until Chara spoke again. "... Your heart's racing. That still my fault..?"

My eyes widened some; truthfully, I hadn't even noticed that my heart was pounding until they pointed it out. A sheepish smile crossed my lips, and I felt my cheeks burn pink while I wrapped my arm tighter around them and squeezed their hand. I looked down at them, and I only stammered a little from the sight of their scarlet eyes staring back up at me. "... O-of course it is. It, still happens whenever I'm around you. I-I uh, think it has something to do with being in love with you."

Chara's lips curled up in a smile when they heard that, even though they were blushing a little too. They took a moment then, just looking up at me with that content smile on their face. I found myself smiling too as I stared back down at them. Another rush of emotion sent my heart pounding faster when they stepped up onto their tippy toes. I leaned my head down some, shut my eyes and felt their lips press gently into mine. Always felt like time slowed down when we kissed, like the whole world stopped turning and the moment lasted forever and somehow never long enough. Eventually Chara pulled away and stepped off their tippy toes, and the both of us turned our heads back to the setting sun. Only then did they respond with my favorite words. "I love you too."

We didn't say another word after that, didn't need to. We just stood there and watched as the sun slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the water. As a deep blue and purple replaced the pastel reds and oranges in the sky, as the sparkling stars and shining moon grew in luminosity. It felt like it took a long time for that moment to pass, but it never felt like the time went on too long.

Eventually though, the sun had set and the birds had stopped their chirping. Street lights had turned on and house lights had turned off. And though we stood for another few minutes to appreciate the sight of the stars and the moon reflecting on the water in the sun's stead, eventually we understood it was time to go home. I let Chara open a portal back to the car after they voiced worries about me climbing back down the ladder, and soon enough my headlights were guiding us back up those dark mountain roads towards Ebott's peak.

Chara had my free hand in one hand and their phone in the other; they played a few songs that they wanted to share with me over the stereo while we drove. It was a simple and small part of themself to share, but it made me happy all the same. Admittedly, I had so much fun with them that I was dreading the end of this date. So I drove slower than usual, and they certainly didn't object.

Eventually though, we were back at the end of the dirt road leading up the mountain and my headlights were shining over the path that lead up to the hole into the Ruins. I turned the key and shut the Purple Piece Of Shit off, and Chara just smiled and shook their head when I climbed out to open the door for them. They stepped out, and I shut the door behind them before reaching out my free hand. "I'll walk you the rest of the way."

"And here I thought chivalry was dead." Chara teased with a light smirk as they took my hand, and I scoffed my amusement. After that, we got started up the path. The forest would have been creepy at night, if I hadn't already bludgeoned horrors beyond human comprehension to death and didn't have my shounen battle enby beside me. Instead, I just thought the dark wooded area was peaceful under the moonlight, especially with Chara's hand in mine.

It didn't feel like long before we were standing before the ladder into the mountain, and I got about two seconds to look in the ladder's direction before Chara said "Not a chance." and made a portal. I rolled my eyes and smiled instead of objecting, and when we stepped through that portal we found ourselves at the bottom of the ladder instead of the top. Lamps along the walls of The Ruins kept the path lit for us, and we talked all the way back to Chara's house.

"Well Angel, I've gotta say, you really outdid yourself." Chara smirked back at me after they opened their front door. They turned around to face me while they stood in the doorway, putting their hands on their hips. "That was way better than our Waterfall date."

"Yeah, and ya only had to threaten to kill me once!" I exclaimed like I was astounded, and Chara squinted like they were trying to glare at me in spite of their amused smile. I grinned for just a sec, before my eyebrows rose with sudden surprise. I reached back behind my back while I spoke, "Oh! I almost forgot!"

Chara arched a brow, but before they could ask a question I had swung my arm back out from behind my back and was extending a bouquet of ink black flowers to them. They recoiled as their scarlet eyes darted to the twelve ink roses I was holding out to them, each one detailed by thin streams of green and red. I smiled at the way their eyes widened and their cheeks dusted pink, and I spoke a little sheepishly while my own cheeks turned a little red. "My uh, my magic is starting to come back. I thought this would be the best way to tell you."

"Oh! A-Angel, that's great news!" Chara exclaimed as they looked back to me, and the genuine excitement and relief on their face made my gentle smile widen. Their blush only darkened as they reached out and took that bundle of ink-glass flowers carefully into their hands, and they looked back at the flowers while they spoke. "Thanks, they're really pretty..."

"Oh, and uh, this too." Sheepishness returned to my smile when a box of chocolates appeared in my now empty hand. I glanced to the side and cleared my throat while my blush darkened, and Chara arched a brow at me while I explained. "I-I, meant to give these to you when I picked you up, but you already being ready outside made me forget. Also uh, giving them both to you now feels a little bit like overkill-?"

"Its not, trust me." Chara assured me, and I couldn't help but snerk at how excited they looked when they snagged that box of chocolates from my hand. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief when I saw how happily they looked down at their two gifts, their reassurance relieving me of my embarrassment. I scratched the back of my head and laughed a little, but Chara didn't look back up at me for another moment. They looked down at those flowers and at those chocolates, and they looked like they were thinking. I didn't know what they could have been pondering, but after another moment, the corner of their mouth curled up a little in spite of the light blush still on their face. They looked back up at me from under their eyebrows, and they spoke again. "... Y'know, it's kind of a long walk back to your car. And I don't want you climbing on that ladder. Maybe... Maybe it's better if you spend the night?"

"Hm?" I furrowed my brows at Chara. They said words like they were worried, but they weren't making their worried face. In fact, I wasn't super familiar with the look they were giving me in that moment. Either way, I didn't want them to worry, so I waved a dismissive hand and took a step back from the doorway. "Alright alright, I'll go back to the car with a portal. Wouldn't wanna worry my Char-bear."

"Uhh, well! It's, late too, isn't it?" Chara took a step forward out of the doorway after me, and I arched a brow at them. They looked like they were fumbling for excuses, even kinda did a half shrug on accident while they pitched their worries to me. "I wouldn't want you uh... Falling asleep at the wheel?"

I snerked at that silly worry; it was only a little past sundown and Chara knew I was a night owl anyway. I put a hand on my hip and smirked some while I gave them a knowing look, but they only started to look disgruntled when I reassured them. "Chara, I get it. You're worried about my injuries. But I'm tough, alright? I can handle a little walk and a little drive."

Chara didn't say anything in response to that, instead just reaching up and pinching the bridge of their nose while they clenched their annoyed eyes shut. Their annoyed face made me smile, even though I didn't exactly get how I was annoying them. Either way, I waved a hand and turned around to step off their porch. "I can call you when I get ho-"

Chara reached out with their free hand and grabbed ahold of my elbow, jerking me to an immediate stop. This made me look back at them with furrowed brows, and I found that they were forcing an irritated smile while they looked at me like I was an idiot. This made me shrink a little, and I glanced from side to side before finally asking. "... What'd I do?"

"Angel. We just had a very successful date. Now I am inviting you to spend the night in my home." Chara spoke almost through their teeth, maintaining that smile all the while. I just tilted my head slowly, continuing to look at them with a confused expression while they rose their eyebrows and implied as obviously as they could. "Please think. A little bit harder. About what that might entail. Before you decide whether you want to go home or not."

"Oh!" I said like I understood as a kneejerk reaction, but I did in fact not understand. That was, until a few more quiet seconds of them staring at me with silent expectation went by. In that time, I really pondered Chara's last sentence and their behavior... And then my eyes snapped open wide, and I exclaimed honestly this time. "OH!"

"Theeere it is." Chara stated more to themself than to me, letting go of my elbow and sighing with some relief. My crutch disappeared into my inventory while they rolled their eyes, and by the time they looked back to me I was already stepping towards them. I leaned and reached out, and Chara exclaimed their shock as I scooped them up in my arms almost effortlessly in spite of my injuries. "W-whoa! Wait, Angel, d-don't hurt yourself-!"

"Oh don't you worry, I can do a lot more than this without hurting myself." I smirked knowingly down at them while I carried them through the doorway of their home. Chara's eyes went wide and their face lit up in red, clearly they were better at picking up hints than I was. I even found the strength to shift my weight onto one leg, and they gulped with a shaky smile as I kicked the door shut behind the two of us, giving us some much needed privacy.

SLAM!

It wasn't easy carrying Chara down the hall with my injuries, but Granny didn't raise no bitch. Only got harder when they wrapped their arms around my neck and kissed me. Oh, and it made carrying them more difficult, too. I powered through though, and soon enough I was knocking their halfway closed bedroom door open with my shoulder and dragging my body towards their bed. They'd kicked off their shoes somewhere along the way, their flowers and chocolates has been sent away to their inventory. By the time I reached that mattress I basically tossed them off onto it, and they made a small noise of surprise as they landed on it and bounced once. I laughed a little nervously when they looked up at me, my face was tinted red both from being flustered and from the strain I'd put on my achy body. I started to stammer an excuse as to why I'd set them down so abruptly while I leaned down and skeptically set my hand on the foot of their bed, "S-sorry, I uh-"

Chara must not have cared to hear excuses, because they suddenly leaned forward. My eyes widened when they grabbed a fistful of my shirt's collar, yanking me just as I had tossed them forward and onto their bed with them. They fell back as they dragged me forward, and before I knew it I had fallen right on top of them.

My green eyes remained wide as I stared down at them, my knees planted in the mattress on either side of their hips and my hands planted just above each of their shoulders to keep me from falling onto them. The lighting was on the dimmer side, in our haste neither of us had bothered to flip a light switch or click on a lamp. Stray beams of light shined from the hallway and through the doorway; the door had bounced off the wall and got about three quarters of the way through closing itself after I batted it open.

I could still see Chara clearly in the thin shadows though, judging by the way they looked up at me I knew they could see me too. Their beautiful scarlet eyes almost glowed in the dark, my own emerald eyes did the same. I could see the way they blushed, I could feel my own cheeks stinging with heat. My heart was pounding in my ears as my eyes glossed over their body underneath mine. It was starting to feel like every breath of air was a little bit less effective than the last, I could see their own chest rising and falling with similar weight. In spite of this, Chara managed to speak, and the sound of their voice sent a shiver up my spine.

"Always so eager to sweep me off my feet...~" Chara spoke quietly, their tone had me swallowing with a rapidly drying mouth. I watched their hands as they lifted, I felt their fingers trailing ever so gently up my bandaged arms. Their hands met at the collar of my button up, and I knew they felt it when I gulped as their fingers began undoing the top button of my shirt. This nervous display put a smirk on their face, and if you'd asked me I would have told you that their voice was the only one in the world. "You should really be more careful..."

"A-are you sayin' that because you're worried, or are you threatening me again..~?" I responded in a similarly hushed tone after they managed to get that first button open. I even smirked a little while I teased, but Chara was hardly shaken.

"Whatever gets you in the mood~" They answered smoothly, narrowing those knowing red eyes up at me. their words made the blush on my face darken, made my heart pound faster. I liked the way they were able to play it cool, even if I could feel their shaky fingers struggling on my button up's third button. I didn't hesitate to shift my weight back onto my knees, sitting up over them while I reached up and grabbed two fistfuls of my shirt's center. Chara's eyes widened in shock and their own cheeks turned a brighter red when I cut to the chase, ripping my shirt open in one powerful pull.

That shaky smile returned to their face while we listened to two or three of my shirt's buttons fling off and clatter somewhere in their room. I could see excitement in their eyes and I knew I'd do anything to keep it there. So, while I shifted my shoulders and got started on pulling my arms out of my shirt's short sleeves, Chara hastily sat up some and got started yanking their jacket off of their body. I twisted and chucked my now discarded shirt in a crumpled ball back towards the door, and then I turned around just for Chara's balled up jacket to be thrown right into my face. "Pleh-!"

I was a little surprised at first, but then I heard Chara start to giggle at the unfortunate accident and I quickly found myself laughing too. They carefully pulled their jacket off my face, that bone hair tie must've been loose because it came off with their jacket and was tossed aside with it. My hair was a mess again, but Chara smiled at the sight of it. Maybe they liked it better that way. They brushed another loose strand of hair behind their ear, with both of us sitting up our faces were hardly all that far apart.

"Sorry, I-I promise that wasn't where I meant to-..." Chara started to apologize as their eyes drifted slowly down my body, but their eyes caught on my bare chest and their words stopped. I furrowed my brows some, tilting my head down to look where they were staring. I winced a little when I spotted that trench scarred into my chest. A wound that they'd created, a mark that they'd left on me and a mark that would remain on me for the rest of my life. And I hardly minded that, in fact I liked having it there these days. But when I looked back up to them and found a quiet frown on their lips I thought that scar might have had a different significance to Chara.

Slowly, their hand lifted. I watched those beautiful scarlet eyes narrow, I felt their fingers ghost over my skin. Slowly, Chara's fingertips trailed the scar on my chest. A scar I forgot hadn't always been there. A scar that, I now realized they hadn't touched since they created it. Skeptically, hesitantly, Chara stopped their hand over the deepest part of of that scar. They laid their palm flat over top of it, and they feared that their touch would never be enough to heal it... Until my right hand took careful hold of their own, making their eyebrows raise with surprise.

Chara watched as my fingers guided their own, over from the trench that divided my pecs and to the left side of my chest. Their hand laid over my heart, and they could feel it on their palm every time my heart beat. Every beat of my heart was in their name, and I wanted them to understand that. So, gradually, a green light gleamed out from beneath our fingers. My KIND soul manifested on my chest, its light reflected in Chara's widened eyes. My heart beat for them, my soul was in the palm of their hand and I felt it was safer there than behind my own chest.

Chara's eyes slowly glossed back up to me, they felt the way my pulse pounded when our eyes met. The emerald shine of my KINDNESS reflected in their scarlet eyes. And the moment I saw a gentle smile form on their lips, I found a relieved smile curling my own. I didn't have to say a word, they understood. They always understood.

Chara's free hand gradually reached up, I watched as they took the hand I used to hold their palm to my chest in both of theirs. My eyebrows rose then, as Chara carefully found the end of the wrapping that covered my fingers. They slowly pulled at it, and I watched as my bandages began to unravel. My cracked skin, the injuries I'd gladly accepted to keep them safe... A gentle green shine was slowly coming to life in the dimly lit room as my fingers and hand were revealed to them. Emerald streams ran down my finger tips, over my knuckles and into my palm. Chara was not disturbed by this sight, however. And I watched, perplexed, as they wore that sweet smile and unraveled more and more of the wrappings that hid my skin.

Before long, my entire right arm was uncovered. A gentle green shine illuminated the both of us, and I stared into the cracks on my skin. But, I wasn't disgusted by their existence. I wasn't upset that I was hurt or that I no longer possessed the power I once had. In fact, as Chara took hold of my left hand and began unwrapping that arm's bandages as well, I was certain that I had more in this moment then I had ever had before. So, my KIND right hand slowly lifted, and Chara looked back to me with slightly widened eyes and silently parted lips when I used my uncovered hand to cup their cheek. They watched the joy appear in my eyes, they knew it'd been all too long since I felt them on my finger tips without bandages in the way. And seeing the happiness that feeling them brought me made Chara smile.

A red light appeared in the dark with us, it mixed with the green in a harmony I once didn't think possible. The cracks in my left arm glimmered scarlet, and their shine only grew stronger as more and more of those bandages were pulled away. I watched, we both did as the last of those wrappings came loose. Chara's hands gathered the restraints of my war into a crumpled ball and then threw them away from us. They vanished once they were out of my sight, everything that wasn't on this bed with us didn't exist anymore. The only thing that did exist was me and them, and that was all that either of us needed.

Chara's arms looped under my own. Their fingers trailed up over the wing scars and the Deltarune on my back before they tangled in my hair. They leaned forward and didn't hesitate to bring their lips to mine. Then they gradually fell back, leading me back down onto that mattress with their kiss. I shut my eyes and they shut theirs, sight hardly felt as important as touch right about then. I didn't hesitate to run my now uncovered hands over their body, I felt their own hands exploring mine. More clothes were pulled away. They were tossed to the wayside and they disappeared, we didn't need them anymore and we certainly didn't miss them when they were gone.

They had my heart and they had my soul and one would think that'd make me feel like I was missing something. But it wasn't a theft, it was a trade. I didn't need my heart and my soul anymore, because I had their heart and I had their soul. Knowing that, I felt more complete than I ever had before.

---

I was already smiling when I woke up the next morning, and I don't think that'd ever happened before. Felt well rested too, and that was also rare. I knew I was awake, but I didn't move. Didn't open my eyes. I just laid there, smiling. Listening to the sound of my own breathing, and the sound of Chara's. I could feel their head on my chest, I could feel my arm around them. Their blanket laid over the both of us, it kept us covered now that the vast majority of our clothes were scattered across the floor.

Eventually though, I had to open my eyes. My eyelids weren't particularly heavy, but I did have to blink a few times to get my vision to focus in. I took a few seconds to stare up at the ceiling; there was better lighting in Chara's room now. Natural light flooded in from above and poured into The Ruins during the day, managing to reach all the way to Chara's home and trickle in through their window.

After another moment, I moved my head. I didn't wanna move much, if Chara was asleep I didn't want to accidentally wake them. But, when I looked down to where I felt them on my chest and under my arm, I found that they were already smiling back up at me. Their braids had come undone at some point in the night, leaving their hair to flow freely down their shoulders, back, and in a few strands over their face. My own smile widened quietly, and I took just a second to appreciate how beautiful they were before I spoke in a voice still gravely with sleep. "... Good morning."

"Good morning..." They repeated back to me, their own voice gentle and still a little sleepy. There weren't really any words to say after that, so for a few more seconds we just laid there smiling at each other like idiots.

"Thanks for uh, making your hint a little more clear last night." My cheeks tinted a light shade of pink while I reached up with my free hand, scratching the back of my head. I laughed just a little at my own stupidity, "I would've been pretty bummed if I fumbled there."

"Touchdown~" Chara responded without hesitation, immediately making my face go from pink to red. They smirked at my embarrassment, losing that suggestive tone while they scoffed with their own amusement. "I should've known I'd have to be more direct with you."

"E-ehehehe... Yeah I uh, I guess I'm still struggling to believe this is all real." I said honestly, gently shrugging my shoulders. Chara smiled with understanding, laying their cheek on my chest while they watched me explain. "This retirement thing is... Gonna take some getting used to."

"I know what you mean." Chara admitted, shutting their eyes while they sighed with some exasperation. Then they opened their eyes again, smiling some at how tightly wound the both of us apparently still were. "Ever since I woke up, I keep thinking "this moment is really nice, it's too bad we're going to have to get up soon". And then I immediately realize that's not true because neither of us have anything else to do."

"That's true! We could lay here all day." I smirked when I said that; I figured Chara could probably hear how excited I was at the prospect of spending the entire day with them what with their head laid on my chest. I lifted my free hand in a shrug, its cracks gleamed with KINDNESS. "We could go on another date!"

"We could skip to the end of the date." Chara stated with ease, and they raised their eyebrows suggestively when they saw the way their statement made my eyes widen. I felt them drawing circles on my chest with their finger while they watched my lips part and move only for my throat to fail at producing sound. I was blushing again while I watched them smirk at my soundless fumbling. Their body shifted, they pulled their lower half on top of me and began to sit up while they straddled my hips. "I knew you'd like that idea."

"E-ehehe... Y'know what?" I found myself laughing through my embarrassment and my excitement. Chara placed their hands gently on my shoulders to keep themself steady, I watched that suggestive smirk turn to a loving smile at the sight of my own smile.

"I think I'm gonna like retirement, Char-bear."

---

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