Upside-down

Frisk was feeling...judged. That was the least she could describe it as. Sans eyes were staring right through her. He could see EVERYTHING. If she had any sins? She knew they'd be crawling on her back. She only felt guilt, regret and the so called 'sins' she always believed she did. She was thought to believe they were her sins, her fault. SHE was the bad person. Sans narrowed his eyes and shrugged. 

"well, here we are. so. your journey is almost over, huh?" Frisk stood there in silence, fidgeting. She knew Sans. She heard from Asriel and Chara about the RESETS, the SAVE, the torment they caused... She heard how he watched his brother die, over and over and over again. She knew the pain. That same image has been on repeat in her head for years. The nightmares still haunt her to this day. That's why sometimes she can't sleep. Sans sighed. 

"you must really want to go home.." Frisk winced internally at his phrasing. He was totally sure she would just leave. Home...now that she thought about it, when she'll free the monsters she is supposed to pay her bills...The money are in an envelope at home. Sans looked at her a bit more and smiled a fake smile. 

"hey, i know the feeling, buddo. though...maybe sometimes it's better to take what's give to you. down here you've already got food, friends, drink...is what you have to do really worth it..?" Was he...trying to stop her from sacrificing herself..? He looked away and closed his eyes. Sans was thinking about something. He was thinking of how bad he phrased that. He wanted her to stay. He wanted to tell her that he'd rather not have her die or leave. But it was hypocritical and that phrasing sounded just like that. He then realized what he was doing. He didn't like Frisk. He couldn't like a monster who could possibly ruin his life. He shouldn't...yet...He sighed again as he rubbed his template.

"are you...happy though..?" Sans froze and looked at her. 

"uhh..what..?" Frisk frowned. 

"don't pretend Sans! i know about the RESETS and SAVE and I am sure the Underground is aware of Chara and Asriel in the ruins." Sans sighed. 

"the maniac and the weed, huh? that's where you got this from. should have known." Sans said frowning. Frisk frowned even more.

"Sans! are you happy..? down here...are you...happy..?" Sans was silent. 

"knew it..is it the constant fear of a RESET..?" Sans scoffed. 

"don't act so smart now kid...you don't know what it feels like to watch your brother d-" Sans stiffened and stopped. Frisk smiled and waited. She knew what he wanted to say. 

"Go ahead..?" Sans sins were crawling on his back. He still had his brother...Frisk on the other hand....He could see the rage in her smile. Shit- he fucked up. 

"ah, forget it." Frisk looked mad. Her eye was twitching a bit. Oh shi-- She scoffed and pretended nothing happened. Sans calmed down a bit at that. He then decided to make it better. 

"i'm rootin' for ya, sweetheart." The glim in her eyes at those words made him stop and stare. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. He shook his head and decided he should tell her about how he got to meet her. 

"let me tell ya a story. i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring." Frisk was listening with her attention solely on him. He kinda like it. 

"fortunately, deep in the forest, there's this HUGE door. and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. so one day, i'm knocking 'em out as usual. i knock on the door and say 'knock knock'. and suddenly, from the other side, i hear a woman answering." Frisk froze. Her eyes widened and he saw how she was trying not to laugh at something. She knew something he didn't. 

"so, naturally, i respond: 'dishes'" Frisk smiled with a softened nostalgic look. Curious. 

"'dishes who?' 'dishes a very bad joke'." Frisk giggled. 

"then she just howls with laughter. kinda like you when ya hear my jokes. she laughs like it's the best joke she's heard in years." Frisk shrugged. 

"It might have been." Sans raised an eye-brow. 

"what do you know, buddy?" Frisk smiled.

"That's 'lord's fluffybuns' wife." Frisk said with a wink and Sans froze in terror. 

"oh....oh....OH! oh god." Sans said face-palming and Frisk snickered at his misery. 

"anywayysss. forgetting that and washing my brain with bleach later, i kept 'em coming. she kept laughing. she's the best audience i've ever had. well...until you came i guess." Frisk gave him a 'really dude?' type of look and he put his hands up in defense. 

"elders get priority, flower." Frisk spurted and started laughing. He chuckled. She was adorable. But he hated the fact he was dependent on her. 

"after a dozen of the jokes however, she knocks and says 'knock knock'. who's there? 'old lady'. old lady who? 'oh! i didn't know you could yodel!'" Frisk snorted at the punch-line. 

"Sounds like a joke she would make- pfft-.." He smiled. 

"wow. needless to say, this woman was extremely good. we kept telling each other jokes for hours." Frisk's smile flattered a bit but she regained her composure. 

"eventually, i had to leave. papyrus get's cranky without his bedtime story." Frisk smiles. 

"she tells me to come by again, so i did. then i did again. and again. and it's a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door. it rules." Sans stops and looks away again. Frisk waits patiently for him to continue. He finally looks at her and stops. A dangerous glim passed Sans eyes. Frisk gripped the edges of her sweater. 

"one day though...i noticed she wasn't laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. 'if a monster ever comes through this door could you please promise me something..? watch over them and protect them, will you not." Frisk's nervous smile flattered completely. She froze. Sans didn't stop there. The humour in his voice died. She knew that look, the way he acted. A threatening. A subtle threatening. She could feel her blood run cold and her breath hitch. A knot formed in her throat. 

"now, i hate making promises, and this woman...i barely know her name...but...someone who sincerely likes bad jokes, has an 'integrity' you can't say no to." Frisk wasn't even looking at him anymore. That got him mad for some reason. 

"do you get what i'm saying..? that promise i made to her.....you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything?...buddy..." He closed his eyes. He looked at her and his smile turned grim and dark, his eyes were devoid of any feeling. 

"y o u ' d   b e    d e a d    w h e r e    y o u   s t a n d." Frisk got up and turned around and was going towards the door. Sans stared dumbfound like he was lost then realized what he just did. Oh god...what had he done- SHIT WHY DID HE SAY THAT--

"shit- buddy i'm just kid-....ing..." Frisk was looking at him coldly. She was next to the door where a golden star was. She reached for the twinkling star, SAVED then started walking out. 

"frisk!! shit--" But he barely got to get up when a scream of pain could be heard from the hallway. He froze dead in his tracks. No...no....no...NO!! FRISK!! He teleported to the hallway where the robot star was covered in blood and had his chainsaw right through her. Her eyes were changing colors frantically. The robot flickered a few times and started laughing like a maniac as he took it out of her and started stabbing her with it. Over and over and over and over again. She was laying there limply, she groaned the first few times until life drained completely from her eyes. Sans grabbed the robot using his blue magic and his eye started flaring dangerously.

"you. piece. of. SHIT.  y o u   w i l l    p a y." Mettaton laughed. 

"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY MEAN YOU HAVE NEVER WANTED TO KILL HER?!?" Is that what he thought..? That piece of shit- 

"heh. never in a million years would i hurt her. you however..? already did." 

"WHA--" Bones shot right through the robot and he dusted. He knelt down next to Frisk and looked at her body. He winced as he could feel tears rolling down his face. 

"i-i'm so sorry....i-i...i didn't want to give you a chance...but...i wasn't serious...i wasn't serious. please load. please....PLEASE!!" he screamed. Frisk's soul raised from her body. Sans head was bent down as he was sobbing. He didn't mean for this to happen. He just...thought of all the pain monsters inflicted on him. But then...everything came back to him. The star gazing, the puns, the way he saved him and his brother so many times without even thinking of herself. He was a jackass. A jackass and a half and he was scared. Scared he just drove one of the best things away. 

"i...didn't mean to...i-" He got a small nudge on his head. He looked at the crimson heart. The heart glimmered. Sans smiled a bit. 

"see...ya...?" The heart floated up and down then he felt that familiar feeling of a LOAD.

*LOAD SUCCESFUL* 

There she was. Sans didn't even wait he teleported right next to her and wrapped both arms around her. She didn't move. He could feel the panic in her. She turned around and hugged him. Sans tightened the hug. 

"i am so sorry...sweetheart...i am so sorry.....i didn't mean to...." Frisk was crying in his shirt, but he didn't care. He just wanted her to feel alright. 

"let's get a room so you can rest....ok..?" Frisk nodded slowly. She was still hungry. This restaurant was empty. Sans noticed and he let her get into her small form. She was exhausted and the last load drained her a lot. He got a room for them, unfortunately there was one room left with only one bed, but Frisk was small so there was plenty of space....He felt kind of sad there was so much space in that king sized bed. He then got them both some glamburgers. They weren't like what Grillby's served but it would have to do. 

"heya, flower. want some grub..?" Frisk got up from her spot on the bed where she waited and nodded. He sat down on the bed and she crawled to the bag. Sans rubbed his neck awkwardly. 

"listen i can't stress this enough....i..i shouldn't have done what i did...it was dum--" Frisk put a fry in his mouth as she sipped from her drink. He chuckled. 

"fine...you win.." They ate and Frisk finally had enough energy to get into her bigger form. He let her shower first and he snickered when he remembered the dumb Dracula shirt. He went to shower as well and got some clean clothes from his inventory. When he got out he was met with a Frisk on the balcony, sitting down and looking in the distance. Sans came to join her. 

"so...err...you ok--" He stopped as he saw tears in her eyes. He put his arm around her. 

"What if you were right...? what if i will RESET and you will have to fight me going fully psycho on everyone..? i..i don't want to do what you said...maybe it's better if i just die and don't LOA--"

"NO!" He said a bit too loud which made him flush. 

"i..i mean no....that's...it was a theory and it won't happen anyways. look at yourself! why would you hurt anyone..? you're just hurting yourself by thinking of this. i was wrong, ok? end of the story." Frisk sighed. 

"Ok....fine..." Frisk said. Sans looked at her and sighed as well. 

"you're still sad."

"am not." Frisk said in a sad tone. 

"where's the cute smile then..?" Frisk looked at him and he made a funny face. She started smiling a bit. 

"stoooppp...i'm trying to be sad here." She said bumping him with her elbow. He chuckled. 

"come'ere you sad bean." Sans then picked her up she yelped. 

"HEY! STOP! WHAT THE HELL??" He threw her on the bed and stood on a chair looking at her. 

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" she asked frowning. He laughed. 

"you're tired so sleep!" Frisk pouted. 

"what about you?" Sans sighed in exasperation. 

"you're like a child."

"A grown up child, thank you." He face-palmed then got into bed. 

"there better, i'm right here next to you. now sleep. you need it more than me." Frisk smiled as she shrunk and then sat on his chest. He blushed and she fell asleep there. Sans sighed and gritted his teeth a bit in frustration. 

"this woman will be the death of me....good night, sweetheart." He said and soon enough he fell asleep as well. A dreamless, but restful dream where no nightmares occurred. But they both dreaded the moment they would enter the CORE. And they should as two people were waiting for them in there. And only was is to be expected.