"Welp, you ready to head on out?" Sans's voice broke through the haze of thoughts swirling in Link's mind. He gave the skeleton a quick nod, eager to leave the cavern and return to Snowdin. There was no telling when the Bulblins would return to the village, especially if they knew the hero was there. Maybe he could get Undyne to help set up some kind of barriers or blockades to help protect the town.

As he went to take Sans's outstretched hand, something shifted in his side as he raised his arm. A sharp, involuntary hiss of pain escaped him as the world seemed to blur for a second. Link's breathing turned shallow as he tried to mask the pain. The skeleton immediately saw through it, expression going from casual to concerned in the blink of an eye for a quick second.

"Kid?" His voice was more alert. Link steadied himself, forcing himself to stand upright. He waved off the concern, not wanting to deal with it at the moment. But just as he tried to brush it off, Sans was right there, hand pressing against his ribs.

The moment Sans's hand made contact, pain flared up in the Hylian's side like a sudden burst of fire. His hand shot out and instinctively grabbed the Monster's wrist, pulling it away. His breath caught in his throat, suppressing the urge to vomit once again. The skeleton froze, as he stared up at Link.

"Are your ribs broken?" He said in a soft, shocked whisper as he realized what had happened. Link tried to ignore growing discomfort, he was used to this happening. It wasn't the first time he had broken ribs, they'd take weeks to heal for the Hylian.

"It's fine.' Link thought loudly, willing the words to go into Sans's mind. He prayed the skeleton would understand and just drop the subject. Let him tend to his own wounds and not make a big deal out of it. But Sans wasn't having any of it.

"The fuck it is." The skeleton argued, voice laced with disbelief and frustration. His hand gripped Link's guarded wrist, unaware of the bruises on those as well.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Before the Hylian could respond, the world around them warped. One moment, he was in the cavern, the next, he found himself in a familiar warm room. Sans' room. His stomach churned with the dizzying sensation of teleportation, suddenly finding himself eased onto the bed, the fluffy blanket tickling his fingers. Just as the Hylian tried to push himself up, his chest felt engulfed in fire. The skeleton stood over him, eyes narrowed.

"You're not going anywhere like this." The skeleton stated firmly, as if Link had no choice. The typical playful grin on his face had vanished, replaced by rare seriousness. The Hylian didn't have the energy to argue, shifting uncomfortably, trying to ease the pressure inside his chest, but every movement sent a wave of discomfort through him. He winced, hoping it wouldn't be too obvious, but Sans watched him closely.

'It's not important.' Link thought, his gaze flicking to the skeleton's face. Sans's brows only furrowed in frustration, as if he were fighting a different kind of battle inside himself. And then something flickered behind the skeleton's eyes. A realization. He looked down at his hand, then Link's side, expression shifting.

"…Aw, hell." His voice had lost all its bite, stilling the Hylian for a moment.

"I didn't break 'em." The skeleton said, more to himself than to Link.

"But when I slammed you into that wall back there… I made it worse, didn't I?" The Hylian didn't answer, just stared at him, unreadable.

"Shit, a busted rib—if it'd gone the wrong way… if it punctured something—" Sans swallowed, his mind racing before he cut himself off.

"I could've killed you." That made Link snort a low, dry sound.

'Really?' The expression seemed to say. You think I'd die that easy? That response just made the skeleton's expression twist further, letting out a breath, shoulders tight.

"Not the point, kid." Sans muttered, gaze dropping. The skeleton let out a soft sigh and placed his hand back on Link's side. Instinctively, his hand shot out again to grab onto the skeleton's wrist, sharp teeth bared in a grimace. This startled the Monster for a moment, taking note that the hold on his was tight but not painful. Sans knew Link had the power to snap his bones like a twig, but even still in pain, the Hylian made sure not to harm him.

"Relax, kid. It's me." Sans said slowly, his voice low, trying to sound reassuring.

Link didn't relax.

His grip stayed tight on the skeleton's wrist, eyes filled with wariness. His jaw clenched as his breath hitched, eyes flicking between Sans's face and the hand on his side. He said nothing, but the tension in his shoulders said enough. He didn't fully trust him. Not yet.

Sans paused, the air between them hanging heavy. Realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Link didn't trust him, not after being slammed into a stone wall, and threatened by the very same guy who was now trying to patch him up. His fingers twitched slightly where they hovered, no longer pressing.

"...Right." The skeleton muttered, more to himself than to Link.

"Guess I wouldn't either." There was a shift in his tone now. Not shame, but the weight of consequences settling in behind his sockets. If he wanted Link to ever see him as more than just a sharp-edged wildcard, he'd have to start acting like it.

He didn't pull his hand away just yet, but he let Link decide how close he was allowed to be. The Hylian's grip slowly loosened, eyes closed briefly for a moment.

'Sorry.' Sans didn't answer right away. He just stood there, his hand still resting in the Hylian's hold. An awkward silence hung in the air. Finally, the Monster spoke, his voice low, but there was a gentleness that Link hadn't expected.

"It's fine, bud. Probably should've eased up on the touching." He muttered before continuing.

"You should've told me. I can't just—" The skeleton stopped himself, and Link could tell he was trying to find the right words.

"You gotta tell me when you're hurt, alright?" The Hylian's chest tightened slightly at those words. Confused for a moment, but slowly began nodding. Despite their awkwardness and the walls they had built between them, there was something comforting about knowing that Sans did care, even if it was in his own weird ways, even if neither of them had figured out exactly what that meant yet.

"Alright, kid. We're not going anywhere until you're patched up. And next time..." He paused, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Next time, don't try to be all tough, kay?" Sans's eyes softened again. The Hylian let out a soft huff before nodding. It wasn't a promise, but it felt like the beginning of something.

Link felt himself sinking deeper into the mattress, exhaustion weighing down on him like a heavy cloak. Every breath he took sent a dull ache through his ribs, a painful reminder of the fight with the Bulblin King. He hated how weak he felt, his sluggish movements. But what he hated more was the way Sans was looking at him.

Something else he couldn't quite place. Frustration, he wasnt sure for whom.

"Take off your clothes." The Hylian blinked, his tired mind taking a moment to process the words. Turning his head slightly toward Sans, his expression blank, though inwardly, he bristled.

'No.' The thought was firm, almost instinctive. The skeleton narrowed his sockets at him, arms folding over his chest.

"Sunshine, don't make me repeat myself." He swallowed, his throat tight, but he shook his head again. Sans let out a slow breath, his fingers tapping against his arm like he was holding back a dozen different things he wanted to say. Instead, he exhaled and spoke evenly.

"You're hurt. I know you're hurt. You know you're hurt. So quit bein' difficult and let me help." Link clenched his jaw. Still, the weight of the skeleton's stare was unrelenting. The room was feeling smaller by the second.

'I don't need—' Sans stepped forward, making the Hylian freeze.

"Don't even start with that 'I don't need help' crap. You do. And if you won't do it yourself..." His glowing eye flickered to life.

"I'll take them off myself." Link's eyes widened slightly.

...He wouldn't.

Would he?

The answer was clear in the way Sans simply stood there, waiting. He wasn't bluffing.

For a moment, the Hylian debated continuing to fight him on this, but the exhaustion withered away his resolve. He had a feeling Sans would follow through with his threa if he pushed too hard. After a moment of hesitation, Link lifted his trembling hands to unfasten the clasps of his tunic, each movement slow and awkward. He felt a deep struggle as he tried to pull his arms free, but a wave of pain surged through him once more. Tensing up, his breath hitched in his throat while he fought to pull the fabric over his head. His body felt uncharacteristically heavy, and his limbs seemed to betray him, refusing to cooperate as he wished.

He hated this.

Before he could become frustrated enough to try forcing it, Sans was suddenly there, his hands surprisingly gentle as they reached to help.

Link almost recoiled. He should recoil, but he didn't. The skeleton was mindful, his fingers light as he eased the tunic off, avoiding his ribs as best he could. There was something oddly precise about how he moved, like he was handling something fragile, something he didn't want to break.

Once the tunic was finally off, Link fixed his gaze on the wall, his hands resting in his lap as he refused to meet the skeleton's eyes. A long silence stretched between them. He didn't have to look to feel how Sans was taking him in.

The bruises along his ribs and back were ugly shades of purple and black spreading across his skin in an angry display of damage. They stretched up his side, wrapping around to where the Bulblin King had slammed him into the ground, then the tree. His wrists, raw and bruised, were a testament to how hard the smaller Bulblins had tried to drag him away after. The worst, though, was his throat. The bruises there were an eyesore, finger-shaped marks pressing into his skin, a reminder of where the brute had held him, squeezing the air from his lungs.

Sans was silent for too long. Link finally glanced at him. The skeleton's usual grin was gone. His eyes were locked onto the bruises, his expression unreadable, but his gaze was dark.

'That bad?' Link thought dryly, attempting to inject some humor into his mind just to break the tension. The skeleton remained unresponsive, gaze lingering on the Hylian's neck for a moment longer before he finally muttered.

"Goddamn, kid…" He sounded... off. It made Link uneasy in a way that made him unsure of how to proceed. Sans lifted a hand but hesitated before making contact, muttering something under his breath that Link couldn't make out.

Then, finally, he looked at him again.

"Alright. We're fixing you up." His voice was quieter now, steadier, but something still lingered beneath it. Something Link didn't quite have the energy to figure out. So, he just nodded again, letting his hands fall to his sides. The skeleton's gaze drifted over his bare torso, lingering on the bruises, but it wasn't long before his eyes caught on something else that made him freeze for a moment.

The scars.

Link had scars all over. They crisscrossed his chest, ribs, and back, some faint, others darker and deeper. There were old and new scars, each representing a memory of a past battle. Some scars were thin lines, delicate yet deep. Others were jagged, resembling the aftermath of a fight with something too powerful. Sans's fingers twitched, wanting to reach out, but something about their appearance made him hesitate. Sure, he had noticed the scars on the Hylian's arms, but they paled in comparison to the ones he saw now.

"Kid." Sans muttered under his breath, his voice quieter now, like he was trying to process something he didn't understand.

"You... you got more scars than a map of the goddamn warzone." Link sat stiffly on the bed, silent. He wasn't looking at Sans, but the skeleton noticed how his posture had become even more rigid, as if he were bracing for something. Perhaps for more words. Perhaps for more pity.

He hated that look.

Sans shook his head, as if trying to clear away the thoughts circling in his mind. His hand hovered over Link's shoulder, but this time, he didn't pull back. Instead, he gently traced the scar on the Hylian's collarbone. It was a long, thin line, pale against the tan of his skin, running diagonally like a silent reminder of a past battle. The Hylian jolted at the touch but didn't pull away.

The skeleton's eyes flicked over Link's torso again, and something else caught his attention. The Hylian wasn't ripped, but he was certainly in shape. With broad shoulders and strong arms, his body was built for endurance, not just brute strength. It wasn't the kind of muscle that came from endless training. This was something else.

"You ever stop trainin'?" Sans asked, his voice a bit lighter now, almost as if he were trying to move past the weight of the scars. Link tilted his head, meeting the skeleton's gaze with a raised brow. The question didn't make sense to him. He shook his head, then closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift toward Sans.

'I was a farm boy before.' Sans blinked. He looked genuinely surprised for the first time since they teleported into the room.

"The hell you mean, farm boy?" The Hylian huffed, amused by the reaction, but his face remained unreadable.

'I grew up in a village. We had goats.' Sans stared at him, taking in that information like it physically hurt his skull.

"Goats." Link nodded.

"Like... actual goats?" The Monster asked again, trying to ensure he wasn't mishearing.

Another nod.

Sans squinted, looking him up and down again, now seen from an entirely different angle. The scars, the bruises, and his battle-hardened appearance all painted the image of a warrior who had dedicated his whole life to combat. Now he was supposed to believe this guy used to be some small-town farm kid?

"That's-" The skeleton started, then cut himself off. Glancing down at Link's arms again, noting how strong they looked. It all clicked, now that he thought about it.

"So lemme get this straight." The Monster continued, leaning back a little, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"You got all strong just from wranglin' goats?" Link thought for a second, then shrugged.

'Mostly.' Sans let out a low whistle, shaking his head.

"Damn. And here I thought you were just one of those guys who trains daily like it's his job." Link only gave a shrug. Sans crossed his arms, still giving the Hylian that skeptical look.

"So what, one day you're haulin' hay, next day you're fightin' demons?" Link nodded.

'It was about two years ago?' The Hylian pondered.

"...Huh." The skeleton exhaled, his expression softening into something thoughtful.

"Guess life comes at ya fast, huh?" The Hylian merely gave a knowing look. Sans still appeared stunned, as if he were trying to grasp the idea of Link, the sword-swinging, Monster-slaying hero, once being just a kid wrangling goats not too long ago. It was such a strange mental image.

"You ever miss it?" The question caught the Hylian off guard for a moment. He just looked at Sans, as if he were really thinking about the question. He gave a slight, almost wistful nod. The skeleton didn't say anything after that. Just leaned back a little, letting the silence settle. He wasn't gonna push Link to talk about it, he kinda respected that the guy didn't spill his whole life story.

But still...

Farm boy.

"Goats. Unbelievable." Sans shook his head again, muttering under his breath, before turning back to the Hylian quietly. His usual relaxed posture was tense, his shoulders slightly hunched.

"…Alright, just so we're clear," Sans said, his voice quieter than before.

"I gotta touch your ribs to see how bad it is." The skeleton looked like he didn't even want to touch him. Link already knew the extent of damage done to his body.

'I'll live.' Sans exhaled sharply through his teeth, like he didn't like hearing that. Still, he moved forward, resting a careful hand just below Link's ribs. He was cautious, almost like he expected the Hylian to bolt the moment he made contact. Then he pressed lightly at first. Searing pain shot through his side like a blade, fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers, jaw tightening to keep from making a sound. The skeleton cursed under his breath.

"Shit. That's bad." He pulled back slightly, but his hand hovered there, like he wasn't sure if he should keep checking or stop entirely. His eye sockets flicked up to the Hylian's face.

Link, despite being in pain, noticed something. Sans appeared genuinely disturbed. It wasn't concern, the skeleton was visibly rattled. His fingers curled slightly, as if he were attempting to prevent them from shaking. Link frowned, tilting his head in confusion. Sans exhaled sharply, finally meeting his gaze.

"You don't get it." He muttered.

"Broken ribs? Bad for you, but for a skeleton?" He shook his head.

"We don't got squishy bits to worry about. So if we break a rib, you know what happens?" Link blinked as Sans tapped his own chest lightly.

"That's our structure, man. Our actual bones are what hold us together. Break too many, and—" He made a flicking motion with his fingers, like scattering dust in the wind.

"Game over." The Hylian stared at him.

"So yeah, you tellin' me 'I know they're broken' like it's nothing is—" He waved a hand vaguely in the air, struggling to find the right words.

"—kinda messin' me up, not gonna lie." The Hylian let that sink in, never having thought about it that way before. Monsters here had different rules, mainly Sans, but this was the first time he understood just how fragile the skeleton was. Now, the skeleton looked at him as if he were the fragile one. Slowly, Link exhaled through his nose and gave the Monster a reassuring look.

'I'll be okay.' Sans gave him a deadpan look

"Yeah? No offense, bud, but that's a pretty bold claim from the guy who just let himself get dragged out by a giant pig man." Link huffed, half a laugh, half a wince. A beat passed between them. The Hylian looked down, clearly exhausted, but still trying to be steady. Sans just stood there, jaw clenched tighter than he realized.

Why did he care this much?

Why was his magic flaring low in his chest like a damn warning bell? Why was his voice cracking when he wasn't the one bleeding?

He shouldn't care about the Hylian. This wasn't supposed to happen. He didn't do this. Didn't let people in. Didn't want to. Caring was pointless. But there Link was, busted up, still offering him a calm expression, as if Sans needed reassurance.

His eyes remained on the Hylian just a moment too long. The skeleton turned away, he couldn't stand this. Once more, he felt that persistent ache in his chest, the one he preferred to avoid naming. The pressure behind his ribs urged him: Don't let this guy face it alone. It refused to fade away, recalling the pain of losing others, of being alone.

Sans shut his eye socket and rubbed his brow, as if he could scrub the thoughts away. No. No, no, nope. Not going down that road again. He'd spent years locking this kind of stuff away—guilt, care, grief, the whole messy bundle. It was easier to be distant and safer.

But Link made it hard. He always made it hard.

Sans glanced back at the Hylian, who shifted to sit up straighter despite the obvious pain. He was stubborn, quiet, haunted, but still trying. The skeleton's jaw tightened.

He shouldn't care.

He wasn't supposed to. He wasn't even Link's friend. He didn't owe this guy anything. Hell, just an hour ago, he was ready to blast him out of existence or throw him away and let him drown in his own hell.

But now?
He brought the damn guy to his house, was checking his rib, made sure he kept breathing.

He's not like the others, the thought whispered.

Not like any of them.

Link had killed monsters and probably had high LV, but he wasn't cold or cruel. If anything, he was too selfless for his own good. That's what troubled the skeleton the most. He couldn't find anything wrong with him, except that Link didn't seem to think he mattered. He always threw himself into danger without blinking, letting his body break if it meant others could walk away. It wasn't bravery.

It was self-destruction.

And Sans hated how much that felt familiar. He bit down on the thought, grinding his teeth behind his lazy grin. The same thought that had crept in once before and never fully left surfaced again.

He's starting to care.

God, Sans didn't want to. He really, really didn't.

"Dammit..." He muttered under his breath, not realizing Link could hear him.

"Not again…" He wasn't ready for this.

"You shouldn't even matter. I'm not supposed to…" But the weight of Link's struggle, his unwavering resolve through pain, cut through the wall he had long built around himself. Sans felt a confusing mix of anger and tenderness swelling inside him, a truth he wasn't ready to admit.

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

For an aching moment, his eyes softened, betraying vulnerability before he slapped the side of his own skull, not hard, but enough to jolt himself out of the moment. He looked up again, face blank, mask back on. But when his gaze settled on the Hylian, all he could see were the memories.

Link, kneeling in the snow with soot-streaked hands, silently helping rebuild what they'd nearly lost in Snowdin. The way he worked silently, stubbornly, refusing to rest until the last piece of debris had been cleared.

Sans remembered the morning Link looked when he made breakfast for everyone, making Papyrus pancakes that resembled the tall skeleton. The way the small goofy gesture lit up his brother's face with a pure, genuine smile.

He saw Link on the battlefield beside Undyne, protecting the village and protecting her. Willing to hurt himself in the process and never flinching.

Then there were the Monster kids. Link would crouch down to their level, play their silly games without complaint, and let them clamber all over him like he was just a jungle gym. And that smile, the one he wore only when he thought no one was watching, was soft. Real.

That was what got to Sans the most.

It was how Link cared. About people. About Monsters.

About everyone but himself.

And then...

There was this morning.

Link, dodging Sans' teleport tricks in the living room, doing everything he could just to avoid Sans holding his hand. His face was as calm as ever, but his eyes looked younger. Brighter. Full of emotion and fun.

It had meant nothing. Just a joke. A stupid little moment between two people who didn't know how to be friends properly.

Except now it meant everything.

Sans looked down at his feet, clenching his jaw.

Why you? He thought.
Why the hell did it have to be you?

"Alright, alright, hold still. Lemme just—" Sans had just placed the tips of his fingers on the Hylian's side when—

BANG.

The door slammed open so hard it nearly came off its hinges.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH! BROTHER, YOU HAVE RETURNED WITH—OH MY GOD!" Papyrus froze mid-stride, his arms raised in the classic heroic greeting pose. His expression shifted from eager joy to horrified confusion in a split second.

"Mmf?" Frisk let out a confused noise behind the Monster. Undyne, who had followed Papyrus in, blinked once… then immediately doubled over, slapping her knee with a snort.

"OH MY GOD, THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER WALKED INTO!" She bellowed.

Link, still sitting on Sans's bed, his tunic off, bruised and breathing hard, was now very aware of how this must look. Sans, kneeling right in front of him, hands on his ribs, had realized the same. His usual lazy grin twitched slightly. Papyrus, meanwhile, had entered full Little Brother Panic Mode.

"THIS IS A SCANDAL!" The tall skeleton yelped.

"A SCANDALOUS SCANDAL!" In one dramatic motion, he lunged forward and clamped both skeletal hands over Frisk's face.

"DO NOT LOOK, TINY HUMAN! YOUR EYES MUST REMAIN UNSCATHED BY THIS… THIS… ADULT ACTIVITY!"

"WHAT?!" Sans choked, nearly falling over.

"NO EXCUSES! LOCK YOUR DOOR IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO ADULT FUN STUFF SANS!" Frisk, still held hostage behind Papyrus's hand shields, started vibrating with laughter. Their muffled giggles were only making the situation worse.

"I AM SHIELDING THE CHILD'S INNOCENCE!" Papyrus declared, dramatically spinning around while dragging Frisk with him, hands still covering their eyes.

"This isnt what-"

"DO NOT DEFEND YOUR PASSIONATE ACTIONS!" The younger brother cried.

"I'M LEAVING BEFORE THIS GETS EVEN MORE GRAPHIC!" Before Sans could even get a word in, the taller skeleton had already rushed out. Frisk still in tow, their laughter trailing behind like a confetti cannon of chaos. The door slammed shut with a bang that suggested it might never open the same way again.

Silence.

"PFFFT—" Undyne cackled, clutching her stomach.

"HOLY SHIT, HYLIAN!" She stomped her foot against the floor, barely able to breathe.

"I didn't know you liked Monsters that much!" Link made a strangled noise. His entire face was burning.

"That—that's not what this is!" Sans finally managed, throwing his hands up.

"The fuck?!" Undyne only laughed harder. Link, still frozen in place, wanted nothing more than for the earth to swallow him whole.

Undyne's laughter finally subsided when she truly looked at Link. Her grin faded, replaced by a sharp, assessing gaze as she took in the bruises scattered across his body, particularly the deep, dark one encircling his neck. Then her eyes fell to how he was holding himself, noticing how his breath hitched slightly with even the smallest movement. Her expression turned serious.

"Damn, dude." She took a step closer, crossing her arms.

"You should've said something sooner. That's some serious damage." Link avoided her gaze, shifting uncomfortably where he sat on the bed. She caught sight of the way he was cradling his side and winced.

"Shit." Her tone softened, less teasing now, more concerned.

"Broken ribs?" Link gave a single nod. She let out a low whistle.

"Yikes. No wonder you look like you're about to keel over. Need help patching him up, Bones?" Sans still looked frazzled from the earlier misunderstanding, but he huffed, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"Nah, I got it covered. Just had to check if it was cracked or broken first." Undyne's gaze flicked to Sans, then back to Link.

"Guessing it's broken, then?" Another small nod. She winced again.

"Damn, that sucks." Link just gave a small shrug, as if this was normal for him. Undyne scoffed.

"Man, you really are a tough bastard, huh?" She tilted her head.

"You sure you don't need anything? I can get Alphys, or—hell, I can get you some ice or something." Sans, still looking frazzled, let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his skull.

"I'm gonna need some... maybe Paps could hea—" He hesitated, expression tightening. Link caught it immediately. He knew why. Sans didn't want Papyrus to see this. The Hylian straightened slightly despite the ache in his ribs, shaking his head.

'Just ice.' His thoughts pushed forward to Sans. The skeleton glanced at him, his eye lights dimming in understanding before he gave a slow nod.

"Yeah... yeah, just ice." Sans said. Undyne, arms still crossed, huffed.

"Alright, fine. I'll grab what you need." She turned on her heel.

"Be back in a sec. Try not to die while I'm gone, green bean." Link rolled his eyes, but the nickname only made his face heat up again. Sans sighed, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets as he glanced at Link's bruised torso again.

"...This is gonna suck, huh?" Link just gave him a tired look. Sans huffed.

"Yeah. Thought so."

"Alright, that should help a little. But listen, bud—we need to get you to Alphys." Link tensed, already shaking his head. Undyne groaned.

"Oh, come on, dude. You can barely breathe without wincing. You need a real check-up, not just some ice!" Link's lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze shifting toward the window. Snowdin lay beyond, quiet for now, but he knew that wouldn't last. Sans studied him for a moment, then asked.

"What would it take?" Link blinked and turned to him.

"What would it take for you to feel like place is safe enough for us to drag your stubborn ass to Alphys?" Link hesitated before his voice brushed against Sans' thoughts.

'Barriers. Blockades. If there's a full defense, I can go.' Sans repeated the thought out loud. Undyne snapped her fingers.

"Alright, deal. I'll call in most of the Royal Guard, get them stationed around town. We'll reinforce the place hard. Ain't no way some Bulblins are busting through that." Link exhaled, relieved but still uneasy. Sans narrowed his sockets.

"What's the problem now?" He hesitated before replying to him.

'I don't like doctors.' Sans blinked, not expecting that answer.

"Huh." Undyne looked between them, frowning.

"Wait, what? What just happened? He didn't say anything, but you answered like he did." Sans scratched his skull.

"Oh, yeah. He does that. Mind-talks or whatever." Undyne's eye widened.

"Hold up, you can fucking talk?!" Link looked away, unamused. Undyne scoffed.

"The fuck?! You told me he couldn't!" Sans chuckled.

"Guess he just likes me better." Undyne muttered something about 'playing favorites' before shaking her head.

"Oh, you are so full of it shit." Undyne narrowed her eye at him. Still grinning, Sans added.

"What can I say? We've got a connection." Link shot him a sidelong glare that only made the skeleton's grin grow wider.

"Whatever. Doesn't change the fact that you still need to go." Sans nodded.

"And, y'know, not walk around with busted ribs like an absolute dumbass." Link huffed, looking sternly at them both, but for once, he didn't argue.

"That's progress." Sans smirked. Undyne crossed her arms, staring at Link like he'd just grown a second head.

"Okay, hold on—you're telling me this whole time, you could talk?" Link shot her a flat look, but Undyne jabbed a finger at him before he could turn away.

"Nope! Nuh-uh! You don't get to ignore this! If you can talk to Sans, you can talk to me too!" She pointed at her temple.

"Alright, do the mind thing! Say something! Call me awesome! Or tell me to shut up—I don't care, just do it." Sans snickered from the side.

"Yeah, uh… that's not how it works." Undyne frowned.

"What do you mean? He's doing it with you, isn't he?" Sans shrugged.

"Guess I'm just special." Undyne shot him a glare before turning back to Link.

"Alright, fine. Try again." Link sighed and met her gaze. He focused, attempting to push his thoughts toward her the way he did with Sans. Nothing. Undyne waited, then scowled.

"Well?" Link shook his head.

"Oh, so now you're silent again?" Sans leaned back, grinning.

"Told ya. He only does it with me." Undyne threw her hands in the air.

"That's bullshit! What makes you so special?" Sans shrugged.

"Dunno. Maybe I've got a charming personality or the bones. Chicks dig bones." Link shot him a deadpan look as Undyne groaned.

"So do mysterious sword guys, apparently." Sans shot a wink at Link. His face remained stoic, but the subtle twitch of his brow was telling.

"Ugh, you two are so weird. This whole thing is weird." She rolled her shoulders before jabbing a finger at Link.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're still getting checked out. So, stop with the 'mysterious hero' act and get ready to move." Link sighed, resigned to his fate.