Simple Things
Chapter 50: Simple Things
Sans was irritated, damp, and emotionally burned out by the time that he finally returned to the living room with Frisk.
"Man, you guys missed the best part!" Undyne threw a hand out toward the television screen, one arm wrapped around Alphys's shoulder as they cuddled on the couch. "He had this huge ass sword, and-and, uh… you forget an umbrella or somethin'?"
"Nah, I just thought it was gonna rain money. They did say that there would be a change in the weather," Sans winked at her, but his heart just wasn't in it.
"Ha and ha, also ha," Undyne rolled her eye, but Alphys only poked her in the rib with one claw, making her squirm.
"Hey, weather is no laughing matter," Sans ruffled Frisk's damp hair and gently sat them on the couch, dropping into the seat beside them. "Precipitation can be dangerous. It's a real rain of terror."
Even Alphys groaned at that one, but Frisk quietly giggled beside him.
"Oh, did that one tickle your funny bone?" Sans gently prodded Frisk in the ribs, making them titter.
"I'm not ticklish…" Frisk said fairly unconvincingly, frowning at him.
"Oh really?" Sans tickled them gently in the side, making them squeal and try to pull away, giggling. "Because I hear that a certain tickle-monster is on the loose. Ya better watch out, kid!" Sans couldn't hide his snickering any longer as they tried to wildly clamber over a very distressed Alphys to hide in Undyne's arms. Sans stood with his hands in his pockets, watching them.
"Undyne, save me!" Frisk squealed, only to be held up by the grinning captain of the royal guard in both hands. Frisk swung their legs as they tried to run in midair, stepping on nothing.
"Fu hu hu hu, a tickle monster rampaging around, huh?" Undyne gave them a wide beaming smile as she held them up. "Better run faster, punk! Tickle monster's gonnna getcha !"
"No, not the tickles!" they giggled furiously as Undyne tickled their ribs, making them squeak and wriggle to no avail. There was a quiet snapshot sound as Alphys held up a phone, unable to contain her glee.
"Saving t-that as a backdrop," she explained quietly to Sans, who was wearing a huge dopey smirk the entire time.
"Looks like there's more than one tickle monster to watch out for…" Sans grinned and prodded Frisk's sides as Undyne held them up, causing them to flail uselessly in Undyne's grasp. "I wouldn't worry too much about tickle monsters though," he winked. "I tried tickling an octopus before, y'know. It took ten tickles ."
"Sans that was bad," Frisk laughed gleefully, swinging their arms and legs even though Undyne had already stopped tickling them. They turned in Undyne's grasp and reached out for Sans with a pout, and he sighed and reached in to let them hug him around the neck.
"Always be on your guard," Sans winked at them again, grinning. "Anybody could be a tickle monster. It could be her. It could be me. It could even be…"
"Me!" Frisk blew a raspberry on his cheek, making him bark in laughter. "I'm a tickle monster!"
"And you're my favorite little monster that there is," Sans swung them around in a little slow circle, and they clung tightly to him as he lowered them to the floor. They were beaming up at him with so much love in their eyes, so much warmth that he felt his soul ripple a little at the feeling. He rubbed the top of their head softly as a quiet knocking came at the door, and Sans sighed.
"And here we go."
Sans blinked, not even realizing that he had said it out loud, and earned a strange look from Alphys. However he did his best to ignore it and shrugged it off in favor of pulling his aching mind back down to earth. He had a terrible headache and his bones felt like jelly, but he shuffled over to the door nonetheless. It was raining even more heavily outside and Asgore and Toriel stood on the porch, the former holding a large pink flowery umbrella over them and the child that stood between them. Had their kid always been so short? He was nearly the same height as Frisk, and although Sans didn't know much about goat monsters, the child was looking slightly… sickly . Just a little too gaunt, a little too thin. He wondered if he was eating enough at Toriel's elegant cottage across the street. Sans was still a little surprised to even see the king and queen arriving together, considering… well. Asriel himself did not look to be at the top of his game. He wore a baggy striped green shirt that seemed just a little too big for him with jeans, or perhaps it was simply the fact that he looked more… thin than Sans would have preferred. His emerald eyes were the worst, though. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days and there were deep bags under his hollow eyes. He looked downright haunted .
It was a look that Sans knew very, very well.
"Heyyo," Sans gave a limp wave to them all, opening the door widely to allow the royal family entrance. "Welcome to the Skeleton residence, home of boner jokes and bone shaped paraphernalia, and thank you for visiting the gift shop."
Toriel tittered and laid a hand on his shoulder as she entered, brushing the rain from her face with her other hand.
"I'm so glad you let us in," she winked at him. "Otherwise I would have had to use a skeleton key."
"I wouldn't Dreemurr of keeping you out," Sans returned the wink in kind, glancing down to see the absolutely disgusted expression on Asriel's face. It was gone the next moment though, his face returning to that stony, hollowed out look as he stared ahead at nothing.
"Would anyone care for some tea?" Asgore placed his umbrella in the stand by the door. "We have some matters that must be discussed."
"Tea sounds good," Undyne stood and cracked her neck. "Want me to make it for ya, your majesty?"
"That will not be necessary," Asgore still hadn't removed his hand from his son's shoulder. "Actually, Undyne…" Asgore glanced over at her momentarily. "Would you mind watch- staying with Asriel for a few minutes?"
"Yeah?" she blinked. "I mean, no. I mean, no I don't mind," Undyne slapped the side of her head once. "What's goin' on?"
"We would just like to have a few words with Sans is all," Toriel said calmly, though it was clear from her expression that she was upset about something. "Doctor Alphys, I would like your input as well, if it's not too much to ask."
"Hey. Think you can babysit for a minute for me?" Sans whispered to Frisk, who looked at Asriel for only a second before nodding firmly. He ruffled their hair again softly as they hugged him before turning to the clearly worried king and queen, inviting them wordlessly to the kitchen. Asgore wasted no time in busying himself about the kitchen, keeping his back to them all as he silently went through the cabinets in search of a tea kettle. Toriel sat down at one end of the table, and Sans sat with his back to the wall out of habit. He glanced up and spotted Alphys standing in the doorway, tapping her claws together nervously.
"… What's up?"
Alphys didn't answer, just awkwardly readjusting her glasses.
"… Al," Sans sighed after a moment, leaning the chair back on two legs and resting against the wall. "You know you don't have to ask for permission or somethin' to sit down at the table."
"R-right, I-I-I, um. Of-of course," she wiped her sweaty claws on herself before sidling into the chair across from the skeleton. Asgore sat a few mugs of magically brewed tea before them all, seating himself across from Toriel. They simply sat in silence for a little while, no one wanting to speak. Sans couldn't blame them. After what Toriel had told him over the phone in their hushed, hurried conversation, he wasn't really in the mood to talk much, either. But maybe that was just because he had a few… other things on his mind. Things that he didn't want to think about. Sins that he didn't want to feel crawling up his back. He shook his head and tried to still his trembling hands in his jacket pockets, attempting to look as relaxed as he could with his eye sockets half lidded and a smile on his face. However, the lights in his eyes were as bright as ever, flickering back and forth between them all.
"There are some… personal matters that should be discussed, and although I do not wish others to overhear, I would greatly prefer it if this conversation were to remain private," Toriel informed them quietly.
"Should-should I be h-here…?" Alphys clicked her claws against her mug worriedly, looking between the king and queen.
"I believe that your expertise on souls would be of great value," Asgore nodded to her kindly, making her blush a little. "We… my goodness. This is… difficult. I am sorry," Asgore ran a slightly damp hand down his face, staring down at his mug. "To even believe that our son has returned. After… after all this time. I… I am sorry," he blinked eventually, taking an unsteady breath and sitting back in his chair, making it groan loudly. "Sometimes I still fear to believe it, that any of this could possibly be real."
"I understand the notion," Toriel said without looking at him. Her voice was soft and she looked as if she had been crying from the puffiness of her eyes, and Sans was a little surprised that he hadn't noticed it before. If she closed her eyes then she looked relatively normal, but whenever she gave that sad, slow glance around the company it was easy to tell just how badly she was bothered.
"Sans," Asgore rumbled softly after a while, nobody but the king having even touched their tea. "I… we believed that it would be best to speak with you on the matter in full, considering that it was you that brought us our son back."
"I didn't bring him back from the dead," Sans held up a hand like a shield, flinching. "That-that was my dad, like I said before. And I'm still not too sure about the whole thing."
"We still require a proper explanation. He was brought back without a soul," Toriel murmured quietly. "Until my ch- until Frisk saved him. By… by giving a part of themselves."
"Yeah…?" Sans crossed his arms, uncertain of where they were going with the conversation. It was making him supremely uneasy. Why couldn't they just come out and say what they meant? Why did everyone have to dance around the issue? Sans found himself wishing for a much stronger drink than the tea, even though he was still feeling the effects of the dog biscuit. He just needed to stay calm. He was making himself nervous over nothing.
"I must ask, how is Frisk doing?" Toriel turned slightly to him, taking an eventual sip of her tea. "I cannot imagine that it would be… comfortable, taking out a portion of one's soul. Doing the impossible…"
"Asriel's soul - can I even call it that?" Asgore frowned, turning his mug around and around. "It is human Frisk's soul. Perhaps that has been why he… refuses to speak to us?" he offered quietly, the confusion just as plain in his voice as the stress, the pain.
"He s-still w-won't talk to a-anyone…?" Alphys looked like she wanted to reach out and place a claw over his paw, but withdrew awkwardly at the last second.
"I… I fear for his health," Toriel covered her mouth with one paw, looking away for a moment. "He does not drink. He refuses to eat. He will not speak unless it is to ask for Frisk, or Papyrus. He-he won't even look at-"
Toriel pinched between her eyes and took in a sharp, pained breath, and Sans softly laid a hand on her shoulder, sitting up straight for once.
"T-Tori," Sans said slowly, softly. "The… the kid's just been through something rough. It's… it's gonna take time for him ta adjust, after… y'know. Comin' back from the other side."
"Is it because we did not save him?" Asgore asked quietly, and Sans felt as if his soul was being constricted from the sheer weariness in the king's voice. "Is… is that why he h-hates us?"
"Okay. Okay, whoa," Sans leaned forward onto his elbows hard, frowning. "Listen. Your highness. Asgore," Sans said firmly. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He-he just…"
Sans couldn't quite bring himself to finish, and the king looked away, looking so dejected, so worn down, so… heartbroken. Sans felt as if he had just personally failed him, not just as subject or his friend, but as a person in general. He should have the right thing to say. He needed to have the right thing to say. He couldn't bear to see that expression mirrored on the king and queen's faces.
"I believe that the fragmented soul inside Asriel is… I do not know the proper word for it," Toriel began with some difficulty a time later. "A human soul inside of a monster. I can only begin to dream of what terrible consequences might arise from this."
"To think that our son is not even a proper monster anymore," Asgore ran a hand between his horns, freezing from the absolutely frigid look that Toriel gave him. "N-not that t-there is anything wrong withwith it," he coughed into his hand uneasily. "I-I mean, he is still very much a monster. Just… just, erm. Mostly . What I mean to say is-"
"Digging your own grave, Asgore," Toriel said icily. Asgore snapped his jaw shut promptly, looking away. Sans felt uncomfortable enough as it was. He already knew that the king and queen had split up a long time ago, but to see them feuding so quietly, so bitterly made something inside him ache that he didn't know that he had. Didn't they deserve to be happy, too? He felt like he wasn't doing enough. He felt like that all the time, but it was so pronounced. Sans sighed and ran a hand over the top of his head.
"I can… talk to the kid," Sans started slowly. "After that, tomorrow morning, why don't me an' Al take the kids on down to the lab?"
"I was going to suggest just that," Asgore rumbled lowly, finishing off his tea. "If there is anyone with significant knowledge on human souls, it would be you and my royal scientist."
"O-oh, geeze," Alphys blushed, her glasses fogging a little. "I-I, I'm rreally n-not…"
"There is no need to be so modest, Doctor Alphys," Asgore smiled at her kindly. "You are my most trusted scientist. If there is indeed something wrong with our son, then I believe that you and Sans are our best chance at discovering whether or not this human soul has done something to him or not."
"You, uh… seem really fixated on that part," Sans asked cautiously.
"I am sure it is only because he is just as worried as I am," Toriel gave Asgore an icy stare. "I know that you said Frisk underwent an examination, but perhaps they should be there as well? With him?"
"I ran the g-g-gamut on Frisk," Alphys nodded a couple of times, tapping her claws together, tea altogether forgotten. "Everything eexcept d-drawing b-blood. They w-were very a-adamant about tthat."
Don't ask about their soul. Don't ask about their soul. Please oh please god just give me this one don't ask about their soul.
"Look," Sans tried his best to keep it together, despite the odd throbbing over his eye socket that had developed. "Gaster isn't a good guy. Nobody is sure of how he did it, but he's not a trustworthy person. For whatever reason he managed to bring this kid back, there has to be a catch. There's always a catch."
"When can we meet this 'Gaster'?" Asgore asked attentively.
"Hopefully?" Sans stuck his hands in his pockets to hide the shaking. "Never. He… erased himself from history. Which is why nobody knows who he is anymore. But he can still slip through the cracks, sometimes," he tried to repress a s shudder. I'm tellin' ya, this ain't a good guy. Even if he did somehow bring your son back, it's only because he wants something."
"But how is this even possible?" Asgore asked, placing his heavy elbows on the table and making it creak. "This 'erased' monster…. you make him sound like some sort of demon."
"Close enough," Sans added darkly.
"I… we," Toriel corrected herself. "Just want to know that out son will be alright. But he refuses to speak to either of us… if-if you would be so kind…?"
"I'm, uh…" Sans began gently, rubbing the back of his head and feeling a little ill. "I mean, I know I'm not anywhere near Paps. But, maybe I can… try? I mean, I talked to him before. If all else fails I can go wake up Paps, but I-I can try to get what I can out of him for ya."
"I would be… most appreciative," Toriel looked away from him sadly. "I wish you better luck than we have had."
Sans only sighed and shook his head, slipping out of the kitchen.
Undyne was sitting on the living room couch between Asriel and Frisk with an arm over each of their shoulders as they watched a movie, one of the borrowed ones from Blake. Sans was beginning to get pretty good at discerning which ones they had borrowed, they had a certain flourish to their animation of the little blue alien. Sans stood off to the side for a moment before giving a small cough into his hand.
"… Yo," he said somewhat lamely. "You, uh. You kids mind if I talk to ya for a bit?"
Frisk scooted closer under Undyne's arm and patted the seat next to them with a gentle smile. His expression softened and he rubbed their head quietly, shaking his head with a small grin.
"Not exactly what I had in mind," he stared over at Asriel, who was surprisingly clinging tightly to Undyne's arm and trying to bury himself into the cushions of the couch. "I just got a couple of things to ask ya in private. And then everybody can go back to their movie, we'll make some popcorn and just have a day in. Sound good?"
Frisk looked over to Asriel for a moment before nodding wordlessly. Asriel looked as if he would literally rather do anything else, but the moment that Frisk hopped off the couch to take Sans's hand it was clear that he was extremely conflicted. He kept tossing terrified glances back and forth between Sans and Undyne, holding onto the warrior's hand tightly and trembling.
"… Kid?" Sans asked quietly. He didn't want to push too far - what was he talking about, what did he care? It was so difficult to remember that this little bastard was the reason for so much of his pain, and he was pretty damned certain the cause of quite a few of Frisk's nightmares, not to mention his own. After the things that he had done to him, that he had done to them, right in front of him no less…
Sans had to fight to stay calm. He needed to stay calm. He couldn't go losing his cool right now. He had to stay in control. It took him a moment to realize that the lights in his eye sockets were dimmed, and he shrugged.
"Hey, it's alright if you don't wanna talk," Sans gave him a level look. Asriel was looking pleadingly at Frisk, dragging his claws over his arms in little patterns. "You just wanna stay here?"
"Don't… don't go," Asriel said as Sans began to ascend the stairs with Frisk. He clambered off the couch worriedly, taking shaking step after step to them. It was clear that he was still having difficulty walking, but Sans didn't make a move to help him, which Undyne shot him a dirty look for. Frisk reached out for him kindly and caught him under the arm, and Asriel looked torn between pushing them away and holding onto them. He settled for tightly gripping the railing and Sans followed them upstairs, leading them both to Frisk's room.
Sans closed the bedroom door quietly closed behind them, flicking the light switch on. He walked between them and dropped onto Frisk's brightly colored bed, patting the mattress a few times to indicate that he wanted them to sit as well.
"Alright," Sans said in a low tone as Frisk helped Asriel up onto the bed beside him. "I, uh. Know you might not wanna see me right now. But I can't help but worry a little bit. You… you aren't lookin' so good right now, kid."
"Well golly gee I wonder what gave it away," Asriel stared at him with a weary deadpan. Sans only sighed and shook his head slowly. He really should have been expecting the sass, but that didn't mean it wasn't getting on his nerves already.
"I'm serious, kid."
"And I'm Carmen Sandiego, guess where I am."
The lights in Sans's eye sockets swiftly went out and Asriel cringed at the sight, but Sans only closed his eye sockets and pinched the bridge of his nostril bone for a moment before taking a long, slow, deep breath, trying his best to remain calm.
"So, uh. A little bird told me that you haven't been doin' so good," Sans began quietly, folding his hands in his lap. "Care ta explain?"
"What do you even care?" Asriel said bitterly, holding his arms across his knees and staring ahead at something that only he could see.
"What, I'm not allowed to be friendly now or somethin'?" Sans stuck his hands in his pockets, leaning back against Frisk's headboard. Frisk themselves looked worried, pulling at their hair as they watched the exchange. Asriel didn't seem to have a response to him, so Sans only sighed and shook his head again.
"… Look. Kid," Sans rubbed his eye sockets with one hand. "I'm gonna give it to ya straight. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little… well, a lot, actually, absolutely fucking livid with you for what you did as a salad shooter."
"That-that wasn't me," Asriel rocked back and forth slowly, pulling hard on his ears as tears sprang up in the corners of his eyes. "Not me, not me, it-it w-wasn't me, I'm sorry-!"
Sans cringed quietly but didn't know quite what to do. He didn't want the kid breaking down like this. Maybe he was being a little too harsh with him. Then he remembered the horrendous things that he had done to his little babybones while he made him watch and all of the anger, all of the hate just bubbled right back up again despite his best efforts. He had to try. He had to try for Asgore. For Tori. For all he knew having a portion of Frisk's soul inside of him could inadvertently cause some kind of negative reaction in Frisk if something were to happen, and although it seemed unlikely he couldn't rule out the possibility, and it frightened him. Frisk was holding onto the crying child and brushing his hair with their fingertips, silently rocking as he covered his eyes.
"Alright," Sans said after what felt like a long while. He reached out and placed a hand on Asriel's
shoulder, causing him to flinch. He was just so tired. So fed up. So angry. He had to keep it down, had to choke on his words and smile at the little abomination.
Abomination .
Is that really what I think of him?
… Abomination. Just… like me.
Sans sighed again and rubbed his weary eye sockets.
"Listen," Sans ran his phalanges over his wrists, staring at the children. "Your parents are worried 'bout ya. Is it really so much to ask that you just… talk to 'em?"
"I can't," Asriel looked away miserably, clinging to himself. Frisk looked like they wanted to help him, but pulled back as he began to rock back and forth. "I can't. I can't. It hurts . It… it hurts so much."
Sans didn't really have to ask about it. He couldn't even fathom the kind of pain he must be going through. To see his parents again after literally dying in their arms…
"I hurt them," Asriel gave a choked whisper, closing his eyes and pulling on his ears. "I hurt them. I hurt everyone. I'm sorry. I'm-I'm so, so sorry."
"I'll take that at face value," Sans said quietly, crossing his arms and tucking his hands in.
"Do you have even the slightest idea what it's like?" he gave a rattling half scoff, half sob. "Going for so long without… without feeling . Without a conscience. Without consequence, withoutwithout love . And… and now I f-feel… I feel everything . It's… it's so much, it's too much, I can't, I can't I can't I can't I can't I c-"
"Whoa, whoa, easy," Sans had to keep from panicking as the prince hyperventilated. "Just… just breathe, kiddo."
Frisk held on to Asriel softly and pulled his head to their chest, rubbing his hair softly.
"Shh," Frisk murmured quietly, brushing his hair ever so gently. "It's okay. Just breathe, Asriel. Stay with us. It's all gonna be okay."
Sans silently wondered just how many times he had said that and never once believed it. Maybe Frisk really did believe that there was good in everyone, that everything would be alright in the end. It was such a childish hope, one that Sans was so afraid, so fearful of hanging on to. Frisk really was so much braver than him, so much better than him. They were comforting the crying prince when all Sans wanted to do was shout, he wanted Asriel to acknowledge his sins and take rightful blame for the atrocities he had committed, he wanted to enact justice.
And it occurred to him that maybe, just maybe taking out his pent up frustration on an hysterical little kid might not be the best course of action.
Sans sighed to himself, scooting over and ever so slowly placing his arm around Frisk and Asriel. The prince froze immediately, clapping a hand over his mouth and sobbing silently as he stared at the skeleton fearfully. He paused momentarily but moved again when Asriel hid his face in his hands, holding both of the children close.
Sans sighed quietly, unsure of what he was even supposed to do. He didn't know how to fix this. He didn't know how he was expected to just fix him. He felt so… lost. Like a man at sea. But Frisk stayed there with them, holding tightly to them both, whispering softly to either him or themselves, Sans wasn't entirely certain anymore.
"I shouldn't be here," Asriel hiccuped miserably. "I'm sorry. I'm s-so, so sorry. I just want it all to end."
"Hey. It's okay," Frisk hushed him, stroking his hair out of his eyes. "I forgive you."
This only served to make Asriel sob even harder, in heavy, broken silent heaves. Sans felt a prickle at his back, his anger ebbing away no matter how badly he wanted to hang on to it, no matter how badly he wanted to just be angry at someone, it was getting harder and harder to be properly furious with someone who was quietly begging for death. Guilt rose in his chest as he closed his eye sockets, sighing. He wasn't certain for how long they stayed there. It could have easily been hours for all he knew. Toriel knocked at the bedroom door after a long while, but didn't speak at all when she saw Sans holding them both, leaving almost immediately when Asriel fell completely silent. Sans… was conflicted. He didn't want the kid to be so quiet. But he didn't want him to just sit there crying, either. He couldn't even imagine the amount of pain he must have been in, after everything that he had done, after the sick, cruel things that he had done, suddenly being forced to confront it all with a beating soul in his chest, with feelings, with so much anguish. Asriel kept tracing invisible marks on his arm after a while, but Sans didn't say anything. He just stayed with them for a long while. That was all that he really could do, but what he could do he would do to the best of his ability.
Maybe… maybe the kid wasn't the abomination that he thought that he was.
Somehow, this thought was even more upsetting to him than many other things.
Sans lay in bed that night staring up at the black ceiling, the darkness washing over him like a blanket. He could feel that damned smirk on him, but he didn't even have to turn his head to know that he was being watched. He glanced over to the dark corner of the room to see nobody there, and he sighed and closed his weary eye sockets. He was just so tired. He lay there for a long while, listening to the soft chirp of crickets outside. He had to hang onto little noises like that. The rustling of trees in the wind, the busy sounds of the nighttime city not too far away. He needed them more than he was willing to admit. Silence meant that it was too much like Snowdin. He was so damned afraid of looking out the window and seeing familiar snowfall, he couldn't even face his own fears and peek out the window. He squeezed his eye sockets tightly, trying to keep his breathing under control. He needed a smoke, he needed a drink. He needed something, and he didn't even know what it was and it was slowly driving him up the wall.
Sans heard a soft clicking of a door and blinked. Was Papyrus up at this time of night?
He lay still for a moment as quiet little shuffles made their way over the floor, stopping beside his bed. His breathing quickened a little, he could almost feel the knife in their hands, poised high above his chest. He jerked his eye sockets open without realizing that he was holding his breath, the haunting image of blood splattered across the golden floor flickering to the forefront of his mind.
"S-Sans…?" Frisk whispered so softly that he almost didn't hear them.
"Hey babybones," Sans rolled his head slightly, one hand on his chest as he looked over at them. "… You okay?"
Frisk silently shook their head, and he sighed. He started to sit up, but Frisk just clambered wordlessly up onto his bed and into his lap, wrapping their arms around his neck and shaking a little.
"Hey. Hey, baby," Sans brushed their hair gently. "What's wrong? You alright, kiddo?"
Frisk only shook their head, their shoulders trembling as they held him. Their cheeks were slightly flushed and they were quivering in his arms. His chest ached a little as they buried their face against his rib cage, mumbling something that he couldn't make out.
"… You had a bad dream, huh babybones," Sans kissed the top of their head. "You wanna talk about it?"
Frisk only shook their head, and he sighed quietly. He stayed there propped up on the pillows and stroking their hair for a while before they finally spoke again.
"… He isn't Flowey."
"Hmm?"
"He isn't Flowey," Frisk reiterated in a low tone. "He remembers. All of it. But… but he isn't Flowey."
"You're still worried 'bout the kid, eh?" Sans got his phalanges tangled in their hair, staring off into the dark corner.
"Of course I'm worried," Frisk mumbled. "He's… he's so sad, Sans. I… I don't think he's what mom and Asgore were expecting. It… it hurts."
How was Sans supposed to answer that? How was he supposed to have an explanation to a ten year old about the king and queen's expectations about their previously dead child, brought back by an unspeakable creature from the beyond? He wasn't the one that brought them back to life. He didn't ask to be voted leader of the child reparation brigade. He didn't ask for any of this. He could feel the anger creeping back into the corners of his mind and he forcibly brushed it off, focusing instead on Frisk. Their gentle touch as they held on to him, the smell of their hair, the way that they gazed up at him hopefully in the dark. He just wanted to hang on to them for a while.
"… Sans?"
"I'm still here, babybones," Sans answered softly, giving them a little squeeze. "Don't worry. I'm gonna… figure all this out. Tomorrow we're gonna go see a very special doctor. They're supposed to be really smart. Maybe they can help us out with all this. That sound good to you?"
"I don't like doctors…" Frisk said uncomfortably, shifting a little in his grip to look up at him. They just looked so tired. He could definitely relate. "There aren't going to be needles, are there…?"
"Nah. Not that kinda doctor," Sans petted them with slow little strokes. "More like how Alphys is a doctor. You aren't scared of lil' ol' Alphys, are ya?"
"No. I'm not scared," they replied with a shake of their head, hugging him. "I'll be brave."
"You are brave," he kissed the top of their head again. "You're the bravest kid I've ever met, Frisky-bits. I just… damn. What am I tryin' to say," Sans ran a hand over the top of his head, sighing. "I love you, babybones."
"I love you too, daddy."
Frisk froze suddenly, clenching their mouth tightly shut. Sans felt a vibrant heat rise in his cheeks as he stared down at the child in his arms, and Frisk covered their mouth with their sleeves.
"I'm sorry!" they sputtered, looking ready to cry. "I'm sorry, I d-didn't m-mean to-!"
"Hey, e-easy…" Sans stroked their back in little concentric circles, feeling plenty flustered himself. "It's okay, babybones. Don't cry. Please. Please, don't-don't cry, Frisky-bits. I love you too. I… I love you so much."
"I love you too Sans," Frisk hid their burning face against his chest, and he felt like his soul was going to burst. He felt… light. He wrapped his arms around them and let them hug him tightly, as they whispered, trembling like a leaf in the wind. "T-thank you. Thank yyou for… for loving me."
"I can't imagine what life would be without loving you," he answered gently, smiling when they leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. He could just stay like this for a while. He would give anything in the world to see them this happy all the time. They were positively glowing. He was exhausted, but he didn't care. They both stayed there, just holding on to each other until long into the morning.
And for just a while, Sans hoped and prayed that they felt the same level of pure contentment that he did.
Sans yawned tiredly as the early morning birdsong reached him through the windows, sunlight just beginning to peek up curiously over the horizon. Frisk was fast asleep in his arms, and he must have dozed off at some point because they had their hands tucked into the arm hole in his jacket, clinging to his bones in their sleep. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked down at them, brushing the hair from their resting eyes. He was just… happy. He almost forgot what it was like, to feel like this. Without constant paranoia of everything slipping away. Without fear of losing his loved ones. Without pain. He could just… be for a while.
Sans sighed contentedly, stroking their head softly and kissing their forehead. Frisk mumbled something and tried to bury themselves further in his jacket, and he couldn't keep the grin off of his face. He ever so gently shook them by the shoulders, and Frisk blinked sleepily up at him.
"… G'morning, Sans…" Frisk whispered through a yawn.
"Hey babybones," Sans said quietly. "You know, you have your own bed for a reason."
Frisk looked at him worriedly, rubbing their eyes.
"Did-did I do something wrong?" they curled up nervously. Sans only shook his head and resumed brushing their hair with his fingers. God they were adorable when they were sleepy.
"No. It's okay, kiddo. You didn't do anything wrong. How are ya feelin'?" Sans asked softly. Frisk only shrugged and rubbed their eyes again, yawning. "No more scary dreams, right?"
Frisk only hugged him tightly, and he sighed again. They weren't responding, which probably meant that they did indeed have something bothering them. Sans, on the other hand, had actually had a few hours of decent rest, and felt… better. Not great, but better. He silently wondered whether or not it was to Frisk's or his benefit that they were sleeping next to him. He just wanted to keep them close. Keep them safe, keep them happy. They deserved to be happy, and he would give literally anything to see them smile.
"Hey. So, uh," he started awkwardly, sitting up and letting them crawl into his lap as he rested against the headboard of the bed. "We're gonna head to the lab today before we go check out that head shrink. You think you can help take care of the prince, Frisky-bits?"
"I can do it," they nodded, full of determination. "I'll make sure he's okay."
"You're a good kid, Frisk," Sans ruffled their hair. "After that we'll go get some cake for ya. Come on, munchkin. Let's go grab some grub and then we'll… head underground."
"Um. Sans?"
"What's up, sugar cup."
"What does cake taste like?"
Sans felt like his chest was burning as he looked down at them. They had never tasted cake. Knowing where they had come from, he really shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. He felt an odd combination of pity and sadness coursing through them for what they had never gotten the chance to experience that practically every monster child had. That, and the intense, burning hatred for whoever had hurt his little babybones. Depriving them of even basic commodities that most people took for granted. He only sighed and pushed the feeling down, holding them a little closer and swearing to himself that he was going to absolutely spoil this kid. He wanted to give them so much more than just the simple things in life. How much had they missed out on? Just how many 'simple things' had they never even had access to? It broke his soul to think about it. But for now he had to take them to the lab.
Sans didn't even like saying it. He didn't want to go back to the lab, he couldn't stand the place. He remembered a time when he loved waking up to the familiar the scent of metallic steel and test tubes, disinfectant that kept the place so clean. There were too many bad memories that haunted him every time that he walked into the place. It was much more bearable with Alphys around however. So long as he had someone to keep him distracted, he would be fine. He worried about Frisk, though. They seemed to be relatively nervous at the mention of doctors, though he couldn't fathom why. A doctor was supposed to be someone that was a professional at helping people. Why would they be afraid of someone like that? Maybe they were just afraid of most people. That would explain why they didn't like speaking in front of others much.
Or maybe, a nasty little thought wormed its way in from the back of his mind. Or maybe they were so quiet because that was how they had been trained to be.
There again was that marrow boiling fury that made his hands tremble as he slid his fingers over the marks creeping up around Frisk's neck, winding down beneath their shirt. They had been hurt, they had been hurt so badly and they still looked up at him with so much mercy in their eyes, so much hope, so much love that it made his soul ache. Frisk seemed to notice his distress and held his shaking hand in theirs, giving him a soft, kind look that made a quiet sadness surge through his bones. They gently gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before nuzzling their cheek against his chest, smiling peacefully.
He really didn't deserve anyone with such a beautiful soul in his life.
Sans sighed again after a while, dragging himself out of bed and sliding his feet into his favorite slippers.
"Come on, kiddo. Let's go get you some breakfast, huh?"
Sans helped them off the bed and they rubbed their eyes again, yawning. For just a bare moment he could have sworn he saw a flash of red in their eyes, but they were the same chocolate brown that he had grown to be so comfortable with. He found it just a bit odd that he was even missing Chara's voice, but he didn't want to press his luck. He patted them on the head again and they wasted no time in taking his hand in theirs, smiling up at him warmly. He only brushed off his thoughts and went downstairs with them, beaming back at them the entire time. He felt like his soul was… warmer from that look that they gave him. It was a strange, burning little spark in his chest, and he wasn't certain of how to process it. Sans only shrugged it away in favor of focusing on making breakfast. Although there was plenty of leftover breakfast spaghetti (when was there ever not extra spaghetti?) Sans instead began setting about the kitchen to make scrambled eggs with bacon and some toast. Frisk watched him in complete silence, sitting at the table with their hands folded.
"You in the mood for good ol' shakin' shakin' eggs 'n bacon?" Sans flipped the eggs expertly, glancing over his shoulder at them. "Or how about some waffles? I'm not too sure about waffles though. They're basically just pancakes with abs."
"Is Papyrus up yet?" Frisk hid another yawn behind their hand. "We should make him breakfast in bed."
"If Paps wanted breakfast in bed he'd sleep in the kitchen," Sans snorted. "He can't stand having food in his room, drives him battier than a basket full of fruit bats."
"Aww, Sans," Frisk propped up their elbow on the table with their chin in their hand, grinning at him. "Don't go bacon my heart."
"Couldn't do it if I fried," he grinned giddily at them, passing them a small plate loaded with bacon and eggs, with a slice of buttered toast. Frisk only giggled and tried to hide their smile behind their hands.
"I like your eggspression," they beamed at him toothily. He laughed and ruffled their hair, making a cup of coffee for himself and dropping into the chair opposite them.
"I'm glad you like it…" Sans didn't even bother to hide his smirk. "Making breakfast and puns is eggshausting ."
Frisk just snorted and shook their head before quietly tucking in. They looked at him strangely for a moment. Sans shifted beneath the gaze, taking a sip of his coffee.
"… What?" he blinked after a while.
"Aren't you going to have some breakfast too?" Frisk stared at him.
He only shrugged and shook his head.
"Nah. Never was much one for eating my own cooking. I had to eat my own words once though, it tasted basically the same."
"How do you eat your own words?" Frisk stared at him, a bit of egg dangling from their cheek.
"With a spoon," he reached across the table and wiped their face with his thumb. "Y'know, food is supposed ta go in ya, not on ya."
Frisk blushed a little and slid down in their chair a little, eating more slowly and carefully. Sans only shook his head. They were being a little strange. Had he said the wrong thing? He had a bad tendency of doing that. He left a little note for Papyrus and stuck it on the refrigerator so he wouldn't think that they had just up and vanished for the day. After what had happened the other day, he felt just a bit more empathy for what he put Papyrus through when he used to do that. He really should be more considerate of others. Granted, it was a nice thought, but he probably wouldn't if he could get away with it. Less hassle that way. He pulled out his phone and gave the number that Richard had given him a call, listening to an automated message for a while before he got through. It really wasn't that much of a problem to get an appointment set up with this mystery doctor, after he dropped Richard's name anyway. He could worry about that later though. For now he had other things on his mind.
Frisk finished their breakfast in silence and Sans helped them clean up afterwards, checking his phone. Alphys would be there soon. He just had to wait for a while. He was good at that. So why was he so… on edge? He just felt nervous for no reason, and Frisk apparently picked up on it right away. They held him in a gentle hug, and he gave them a soft squeeze back. They waited on the couch in silence for a while, Frisk with their hands folded in their lap and Sans with a steaming mug of coffee, eye sockets half lidded as he contemplated a great many things. He didn't want to think right now. He just wanted to go back to just… being, like he was before. He didn't want his mind cluttered with dark thoughts of lost cakes and cuts and scars. He glanced down to Frisk now and then, and it took them practically no time at all to fall asleep with their head in his lap, drooling a little. Sans sighed and brushed their hair as they slumbered, staring off into space.
He could feel that damned smirk before he even saw him.
"Fuck off old man," Sans said without looking up, not having to to know that the looming specter
was watching from the corner of the room. He wouldn't even give him the courtesy of looking at him he hated him so much. He just wanted to forget about him like everyone else did. But of course, things were never that simple. Sans shot a dirty look into the corner of the room.
There was nobody there.
Losing it. Losing your goddamn mind.
Sans sighed and tried to relax, even though he felt that ever so gentle tickle of a holed hand on his shoulder the entire time.
His phone began buzzing a short while later and he ever so quietly shook Frisk's shoulder, waking them up again. They wiped their mouth and blinked up at him, and he nodded toward the door.
"C'mon, kiddo," Sans shrugged his jacket a little tighter around himself. "Let's get this show on the road, huh?"
Frisk nodded after a moment, taking his hand in theirs as he greeted Alphys at the front door. She had the prince with her, presumably picked up from Toriel's across the street, considering that he could see the goat woman standing in the doorway giving him a little wave before vanishing into her cottage. Sans tried to give her a wave back, but she was already gone. Did she just not want to see him right now? He couldn't blame her. He was pretty sick of being around himself, too. Alphys was giving him a strange look and he only shook his head, pulling Papyrus's key ring from off the rack by the door. He hoped that his brother would understand from the note why they were taking his car for a while. It just seemed wrong to do so without his permission, but Sans was more likely to ask for forgiveness instead of permission in the first place.
"Hey kiddo," Sans closed the door behind them, staring down at the gaunt looking prince. "How ya holdin' up?"
Asriel only shrugged and looked away. His striped sweater seemed so loose on him like it was hanging off of his body like a bag, and Sans easily saw deep lines beneath the child's eyes. There again was that strange, strong sense of pity, but he pushed it away. The little monster had done unforgivable things, and yet… Frisk forgave him. Maybe, if Sans tried just a bit harder, he could understand the why and put it into practice for himself. He really should be trying harder to be more like Papyrus. More like Alphys, more like Frisk. Literally anyone but himself. He had to fight to keep from checking to ensure that there was really nothing on his shoulder, no hands around his neck.
"… Sans?"
"What's up?" he blinked over to Alphys.
"You o-okay?"
"Yeah, of course," he replied instantly.
"Because you've just been-been s-standing there…"
"Right, right," he shook his head, climbing into Papyrus's bright red sports car. "Everybody in. And buckle up tight, 'cause we're kinda on a schedule."
Sans drove, to put it politely, like a bat out of hell.
It took them hardly any time at all with Sans's speed to reach the entrance to the mountain, and Asriel needed help climbing the trail leading up to the hole in the mountainside. Frisk let him hang his arm around their shoulder, giving them a strange look when they offered. Alphys managed to keep down her lunch, unlike the prince. There were humans lined up outside the entrance to the barrier, a ticket stand having been erected nearby.
"Damn tourists," Sans grumbled to himself. "Alright, plan B. Everybody with me?"
"R-right h-here," Alphys said. Frisk nodded and Asriel looked to completely ignore him.
"A'ight," Sans shrugged, slipping through the crowd with Frisk's hand in his with Asriel close behind and Alphys bringing up the rear as Asriel held on to her with his free hand. "You know what? Screw this.
Everybody hang on to me, we're taking a shortcut."
"Sans come on, you know I hate-"
"-taking thaaaagh!" Alphys jerked wildly as the world spun around them back in place, the lab looming before them. Sans had to let go of Frisk to clutch his aching chest. He really shouldn't have tried taking four people in a shortcut, but it was faster than waiting in line just to get back into the place that they had already spent most of their lives. He felt a sudden wave of exhaustion from the exertion of magical energy and rested against the wall of the lab for a moment, letting the heat sink into his back as he waited for the nausea to pass.
"Sans?" Frisk asked worriedly. He pushed himself away immediately, forcing a little grin.
"It's all good kiddo," he lied quickly.
"Can w-we please n-never do that again?" Alphys dusted herself off, swiping a small card over a reader by the door and letting it slide open with a whoosh.
"Did you really wanna spend all that time in line?" Sans shrugged at her as they entered the cool laboratory. Sans felt eyes on him but tried to brush the feeling off.
"N-not the p-point…" Alphys grumbled, leading Asriel by the hand into the lab. The door closed behind them and Alphys let out a sigh of relief, and it was clear to Sans that she was much more comfortable being in her little zone.
"Alright," Alphys clapped her claws together, readjusting her glasses in a manner much more calmly than Sans would have expected of her. "Prince Asriel, let's get you checked out. Just some basic vitals first," she led him over to an examination table, patting it and helping him clamber up onto the cold metal. She slipped a pressure cuff over his wrist and hopped into her swivel chair before her massive computer screen, eagerly beginning to click and clack away at keys. Sans immediately began to feel more at home as he focused on the task at hand. Taking measurements was something simple that he could help with. He wasn't entirely certain why Toriel had asked that he bring Frisk with him, but he wasn't complaining. He wouldn't have wanted to leave them behind anyway. Maybe he was getting a little too attached, but he could let that occupy his mind later. For now he had science to do.
"I'm gonna ask you some routine questions," Sans picked up the clipboard that Alphys passed to him. "How are ya feelin', buddy?"
"I feel like I haven't slept in weeks and I want to die," Asriel said with a deadpan expression.
"Yeah, sleep deprivation can do that to you," Sans shrugged quietly. Frisk stood behind him dancing form foot to foot, looking as if they wanted nothing more than to climb up onto the table with Asriel and hold his hand. He ushered them forward when he saw their look, and they nodded to him thankfully before hopping up onto the small table beside Asriel. Why were they waiting for his permission? They didn't need it. Sans felt that little warmth in his chest when they smiled at him, and he felt his thoughts drift away as he focused on the papers.
"Alright, next question. You in any kind of pain?"
"Depending on what you mean by that," Asriel said tiredly. "If by pain you mean 'want to claw my own eyes out because I can't get the images to stop', then, yes. I am in immense amounts of pain."
Sans cast a worried look to Alphys, who shared his expression. This kid really was… different than Sans had anticipated. He was starting to get why Toriel and Asgore were so worried. He just looked so beaten down, so depressed that Sans was uncertain of exactly what had kept him from falling down yet.
"Do I, uh… really have to ask what kind of images?" Sans didn't want to know the answer. Why did he ask? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Alphys shifted her chair over a bit, kicking across the floor with her clawed feet and preparing a needle. Asriel looked uneasy, but not nearly as terrified as Frisk was. She swabbed a spot on the prince's arm and began to wordlessly draw blood, the machine clicking away as she did so.
"Have you ever seen all of your friends and loved ones die?" Asriel said expressionlessly. "What am I saying, of course you have. You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?"
Sans shifted uncomfortably. This kid was really starting to freak him out.
"O-okay…" Alphys swiveled around in her seat. "Your heart rate is a little slow. Very low blood sugar, you really need to eat something… I have some snacks and things around the lab, you have definitely got to eat, and soon."
"Can't," Asriel shrugged as Alphys put a bandage over the spot where she had drawn blood, a little dusty pink stain on his fur. Frisk was pulling at their hair in distress, and Sans didn't know how to calm them down. "Can't eat. Hurts."
"How does it hurt?" Sans inquired quietly. Asriel just shrugged and looked away.
"Flowers don't eat. I spent so long, not eating anything…" he stared down at his knees, drawing them up close to his chest. "It doesn't feel right. Trying to eat things now. I can't even smell mom's pies anymore with without…"
Asriel choked quietly and Frisk brushed his hair silently, holding him closely. He felt as if he were intruding on a private moment. He shifted awkwardly and stared down at the clipboard, checking a few things off for Alphys.
"… Got a different question for ya. Not really related to your health or anythin'," Sans shrugged. "So if you don't wanna answer, just say so. What's, uh… what's the last thing you remember? Before… before you were brought back."
"I remember…" Asriel stared ahead at nothing, wiping his eyes. "I remember you. And Frisk. And… and Papyrus. And then it was… dark. It was like… darker than dark. For a long, long time. And then…"
Asriel screwed up his brows in concentration.
"You… you ever get the feeling that you've done something before?" he asked quietly. "It was kinda like that. That was what I felt. The only thing I felt. And then… then the tall man came. Your dad, I guess," Asriel said without looking at him.
"He talked to you," Sans felt a prickle begin at the base of his spine.
"Yeah. He… he said that-that he could… fix things. Not by himself. He needed to… get things on track. That I could come back if-if I… did him a favor ."
Sans felt a sudden chill on the back of his neck, like he was being smothered slowly. He tried to shake it off. It was probably just the fact that he was back in the lab. God he hated this place. Couldn't he just stay away?
"And, uh… what-what favor would that be?" Sans tried to ask as calmly as he could, unable to hear his own thoughts due to the panicked screaming in his head.
"He…" Asriel pulled at his fingertips nervously, glancing over to the human child sitting beside him. "He just said that he didn't want Frisk to reset again is all."
That again.
What are you up to, old man…?
Sans realized that he had fallen completely silent, the lights in his eye sockets flickering back into existence.
"Alright, kiddos," Sans said after a bit. "We're gonna finish up here and drop Asriel back off at his mom's, but it might be a while."
"Still have more tests to run," Alphys nodded. "We need to check the stability of his human soul. A monster with a human's soul… gosh. I can't even imagine, this is so huge, I can't believe I actually get to work on this."
"Don't go freakin' out now, Al," Sans chuckled quietly. He leaned over and patted Frisk's arm softly, and they looked up at him. "Hey, kiddo. I'm gonna step out for a sec. Think you can man the ship while I'm gone, little captain?"
"I'll be the best captain ever!" Frisk chirruped instantly. Sans felt his soul melt a little and he bent over them to kiss their forehead, earning a revolted look from Asriel.
"You'll do great, kid. Be back in a few minutes, Al. And, uh. Asriel."
The prince glanced over to him, looking slightly perturbed when the lights in his eye sockets went out completely.
" e."
Sans slipped into the shortcut without another word.
Finding Gerson's shop was one matter.
To find him actually still there was a shock in and of itself.
"What'cha up to, old coot?" Sans grinned at the shopkeeper behind his stone counter, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Ha! Pot, have you met kettle?" Gerson gave him a toothy smirk as Sans leaned on the counter top. "What are ya doin' back here so soon, sonny jim?"
"Got any more of the good stuff?" he asked quietly.
"Already?" Gerson frowned. "You know you're supposed to ration those, right? Ah, what am I sayin'. Like you'd know anythin' about that."
"Y-yeah…" Sans rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Almost like he was sharing them with someone else or something. "How much do I owe ya?"
"Same as always, quit beatin' round the bush," Gerson gave him a level stare. "So I guess I'm all that's keepin' ya under this trash heap, eh?"
"I wouldn't say that," he shrugged. "Why are you even still here? Don't you wanna explore the world?"
"I've seen enough that I'm content to stay where I'm at," Gerson handed him the bag as he traded off the coins, and Sans gladly stuck it in his pocket. "Besides, there's plenty o' monsters that didn't take too kindly to the surface. Gotta have somebody around with a decent head on their shoulders to whip these young 'uns into shape! Wha ha!"
"Eh. You got me there," Sans shook his head slowly.
"So how's the prince doin'?" Sans froze up.
"You… you know about him?" he blinked.
"Of course I do!" Gerson snapped with a frown. "Soon as monsters up top saw the little king to be walkin' around like he'd never left, word spread like wildfire through th' communities. The prince himself, back from the dead. Now, I know y'all get up to some strange things on the surface, but bringin' the dead back to life ain't exactly what I was expectin'."
"It's… a long story," Sans said quietly, looking away.
"Like I'm goin' anywhere," Gerson snorted.
"Long story short? My dad brought him back in a way that I'm pretty sure was just intended to mess with us. If Frisk hadn't torn off part of their soul, I'm pretty sure he'd be dust by now."
"Interestin'…" Gerson frowned, rubbing his scaly chin. "What about that other kid of yours? How they holdin' up?"
"They're… getting through," Sans blinked. Was he even sure how Frisk was doing with all of this? He felt a sudden surge of guilt for leaving them behind, wishing that they were there with him to hold his hand. He felt so pathetic, he couldn't even make it through the day without wanting them to be with him, like they were his security blanket.
"You find the folks that carved 'em up yet?"
Sans flinched hard, staring over at the wizened monster.
"How, uh… how'd you hear about that?"
"I have a very secretive and select group of confidants," he said smugly.
"… Undyne?"
"Undyne," he shrugged with a cackle. "Whoo, boy. You should'a seen the fire in that girl, comin'
stomping right in and demanding that I go with her to th' barrier to break it down, had this big ol' wild plan of huntin' down the freaks that did that to a little kid. I can hardly imagine the kind of wicked creature to hurt a lil' one like that."
Sans felt a prickle on the back of his neck.
"Y-yeah."
"Hey."
"Mm?" Sans blinked, looking up at him.
"You make any progress on findin' 'em?"
"Can't really say that I have," Sans said, clearly frustrated. "Any time I try to get the kid to open up about it or get a name or somethin' from them, even just a little bit they-they start… freaking out. Prettypretty badly . To the point where they can't even talk . I tried asking Chara-"
Sans froze, instantly kicking himself. He had gotten too relaxed talking to his old friend, he'd said far, far too much. However, if Gerson noticed anything, he didn't show it in the slightest. Like he hadn't heard him at all.
"Damn," Gerson swore quietly, folding his arms and looking away.
"When you find them bastards, I need ya to do somethin' for me."
"What is it?"
"Don't kill 'em."
Sans could only stare at the monster before him. Out of all of the things he had expected Gerson to say, that most certainly wasn't one of them.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Gerson gave a little wicked grin, rolling his shoulders and popping his knuckles. "It's only 'cause I want first crack at the sum'bitches. You an' Undyne can have 'em when The Hammer of Justice has given them a good ol' lesson on pain."
"… Thanks, Gerson," Sans said quietly, pulling away from the counter. "I should… probably get going."
"Damn skippy!" he cackled again. "You're scarin' away all o' my customers!"
Sans only laughed and shook his head, waiting until he was out of the shop to fall into a shortcut. The lab was only a hop and a skip away, he could have easily taken the ferry there as the Riverperson was still manning the boat, but he decided against it. The Riverperson could be a little creepy, and he'd already fulfilled his quota of uneasiness for the day.
Sans reemerged into the world inside the lab, letting out a quiet breath. He really had taken too many shortcuts today, he was pushing himself to his limit, but he didn't care all that much. Some good food and a nice rest would probably help. He just shook his head and stood behind the scientist at the computer, leaning over a little as he watched her type away at something on the screen.
"… You missed a four," Sans tried to say, but was interrupted by a frightened shriek as Alphys nearly fell out of her chair. Frisk was hiding a small smile behind their hands, still sitting on the examination table beside the ruffled prince.
"H-how m-many t-t-times do I h-have to tell you!" Alphys swiveled around in her chair, crossing her arms angrily.
"… Seven," he shrugged with a grin. "All good to go here?"
"All good," Alphys sighed. "Prince Asriel's soul isn't in… good condition."
"What does that mean?"
Alphys motioned to the prince, who frowned but held his hand over his chest for a moment. After a few seconds the torn portion of the soul floated outward with a glimmering red glow, and Sans was a little surprised at the intensity of the brightness of it, even though it was just a fraction. And yet, something so small was still even stronger than a monster's soul. It was… terrifying, in a way. Sans didn't want the person who had killed them so many times to have that much power.
"He's… very susceptible to m-magical exhaustion," Alphys explained to him quietly so that only he would hear. "He can't maintain even a b-basic flame without burning out in a f-few seconds."
"Is that right."
"He also seems to suffer f-from severe narcolepsy," Alphys continued under her breath "And multiple forms of shell shock." She straitened up and cleared her throat loudly. "Though that may just be from lack of sleep. He's… he's not doing well. But, but we can help him get better!" she perked up.
"You hear that, kid?" Sans placed the palm of his hand atop Asriel's head, making him flinch. "You gotta get better. 'Cause there's someone out there that really cares about you. So don't go fallin' down just yet. A'ight?"
Asriel only shrugged and looked away.
Nobody talked much on their trek back to the car. Sans froze up in the judgment hall with Frisk holding his hand. He stared out over the golden checkered floor, glancing down to see that Frisk was just as upset as he was. He only reached out and brushed the hair from their eyes, and he knew for a fact that he saw them flicker red. He was still a little surprised that Chara hadn't come out, hadn't wanted to speak to their brother. It had been so long, too. He wondered what the kid must have been going through. Maybe he could ask them later.
No, not maybe.
He would . He would try for Frisk, so he would try for Chara, too. He had a promise to keep.
But for now, Sans was just going to treat them all to cake, as much of it as he could get them to eat.
It was the simple things in life, after all.
.