It's A Little Early

Snap!

Pop!

The sound of cracking branches is easy to hear through the fogged up window as Frisk and Papyrus press their faces against the glass, staring out at the icy scene before them. The dim light from the street lights makes the ice covered...well, everything shimmer dully. Curls of fog oozes out around the bases of trees with branches so laden with ice they've almost bent in half. Aside from the continuing icy drizzle, nothing is moving. Everything has been encased in a thick coating of ice, frozen in an endless moment in time. It's almost eerie. 

The news is calling it the worst ice storm that the city has seen for the last fifty years. You've certainly never seen anything quite like it. It had swept in quickly, changing the weather from a chilly wind to a bitter cold with stinging shards of ice that left marks on your skin in the brief moment you had stepped outside to spread some salt on the walkway. Not that it's doing much. You gave up quickly trying to make any kind of headway against the slippery ground and escaped to the warmth of the couch. The brief venture into the cold is more than enough for you. But you can't help but grin at Papyrus' and Frisk's excitement. 

"WHAT IS MAKING THAT SOUND?" Papyrus asks curiously. He of course doesn't have breathe to fog up the window so he's got a clear view out into the frozen wonderland. Frisk rubs their sleeve against the cloudy glass in front of them, only succeeding in smearing the built up condensation. 

"It's the branches Pap," you call, snuggling closer against your boyfriend. Sans too seems content watching his brother from a safe distance. He's told you before that the cold doesn't really bother him. 'Goes right through him' in his words (you had smacked him for that) but even he can feel that this level of icy cold isn't normal. Of course, he's probably playing up his own complaints about the cold just so he has an excuse to snuggle with you under the thick blanket you snagged from the closet.

"WHY WOULD THE BRANCHES BE SNAPPING? THERE'S NOBODY OUT THERE TO BREAK THEM!" 

"i think it's cause of the ice bro." Sans, relaxed demeanor aside, has a bit of a glint to his eyes that betrays just how fascinated he is by the weather. "the build up and the weight is making the branches snap but then the ice continues to hold it right where it is. so we hear everything breaking while nothing actually moves." 

"I didn't take you for one to be interested in the weather," you remark to him as Papyrus makes a loud, drawn out "OOOH!" of understanding and turns to the window. 

"it's not like the snow in snowdin. that stuff stayed pretty constant. the weather up here is more...real, ya' know?" He shrugs before grinning innocently. "i dunno, i just think it's....ice." 

You playfully shove him away while you fight to stop your glare from turning into a smile. "How dare you! We're having a good time relaxing here. Don't rain on my parade!"

"I'M GOING TO THROW YOU BOTH OUT INTO THE STORM IF YOU DON'T STOP!" 

"wow, that's awfully cold of you pap."

"ARGH!"

Sans giggles and snorts quietly, pressing his face against your shoulder. You pat his head and sigh happily. There's something about being stuck inside during a storm that just relaxes you. Because how can you be expected to run around and be productive when all the city authorities themselves are telling people to stay inside? So there's no reason not to make some hot chocolate, turn on a movie and just enjoy the sound of the storm outside with your monster family. Just so long as-

Like the fist of fate slamming down, there's an almost deafening crack of something huge falling over and the lights above you flicker out, throwing the room into near darkness. Papyrus makes a noise suspiciously close to a startled squeak and a thud soon follows. 

You feel more than see Sans sit up and a moment later a bright light spills from his socket, illuminating the room in a cyan color. The light reveals Papyrus in a tangled heap with Frisk on the floor. "you ok kid?" 

Frisk nods and shoves at Papyrus, fighting to free themselves from the skeleton. Papyrus quickly regains his composure and stands, helping Frisk to their feet. He lets out a shaky "NYEH NYEH!" as he brushes himself off. "IT WOULD SEEM THAT SOME ICE GOT INSIDE! FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD NOT LET A SUDDEN LOUD NOISE STARTLE HIM INTO FALLING OVER LIKE THAT!" 

"course not pap," Sans says, relaxing just a little. He looks up towards the ceiling, the light from his eye throwing shadows across the still mostly dark room. "what happened?" 

"Power outage," you sigh, your heart still racing a little from the surprise of the loud noise. "Judging from that crack just now, some of the power cables on the street must have snapped." So much for movie night. 

"really?" He sounds surprised. "i didn't think stuff like that happened up here. human tech being so advanced and all that." 

"Just shows you that Mother Nature shall not be stopped," you say with a shrug just as a loud bang echoes from the kitchen. 

Sans swings his light towards the noise just as Toriel appears, rubbing at her head. "My goodness, I am not as adapted to moving around in the dark as I once was. Is everyone all right?" she asks, her eyes squinting in the glare of Sans' light. Once a chorus of 'yes!' answers her, she turns to you. "My dear, I am afraid I'm not quite familiar with the procedure of what to do now." 

All eyes (and eye sockets) turn to you and you try not to squirm under their gaze. "There's really nothing we can do. There's electrical crews who fix this sort of thing but with the weather being what it is, it might take a while. And if a cable snapped, it'll probably take longer." You're no expert on the actual process but they seem to accept your answer well enough. Toriel claps her hands together. 

"Well then! We shall simply have to make due until the repairs are made! My child, why don't you and Papyrus hunt down some candles? We don't want to wear Sans out by using him as a lamp. I am going to continue making our drinks." 

But the power's out, how...? Ah. Right. Fire magic. That's certainly handy to have in cases like this. Frisk and Papyrus leap up to find the candles and you listen with no small amount of concern for the sound of them breaking something in the dark. But only the sound of Papyrus' loud, cheerful voice reaches you. Perhaps he's a little better at seeing in the dark. Thought it's more likely that Frisk is guiding him. You groan and start to get up. Sans' fingers playfully grab at your shirt, attempting to pull you back under the blanket. 

"nooo, baby it's cold outside," he whines and you give him a small flick to the head. 

"And it's going to get a lot colder now that the heat has been turned off too," you point out. "Get off your lazy butt and help me find some more blankets and socks. Those of us with skin are going to need them."

You drag the complaining skeleton to the hall closet, using your phone as a flashlight and pull out as many blankets as you can. Since Sans makes no move to actually lift his arms to carry them, you flick each one open and drape them over his skull. When Sans has disappeared under a mound of blankets, you snicker and say, "Sans, do you love me?" 

"depends on what you're about to ask." His voice is muffled.

"I need you to say 'E.T phone home," as you walk down the hall. It's very important to me." 

"are you calling me a beloved extra terrestrial with a height problem?" 

You pat the top of the mound of blankets where you guess his head is. "That's exactly what I'm calling you." 

"guess i better make a call then." Sans spins around and, despite having no way of seeing, manages not to smack into the wall even once as he heads back to the living room. Giggling, you follow him, somehow managing to hit the wall yourself even with a flashlight. Sans doesn't mention it but you can't help but notice a quiet snickering under the blankets as you start to unearth him and set the blankets around. 

Frisk and Papyrus soon return with an armful of candles. As they start setting them up, Papyrus very carefully lighting each one, Sans lifts up the last blanket and tugs you close to his chest before dropping it again, enclosing you both in warm darkness. "hey, are you gonna be ok?" he asks seriously. "with the candles? tori's probably gonna start the fireplace up too. i can ask her not too. if...you know, if it's gonna be too much." 

A soft sigh slips out through your nose as you lean back against him. Your fear of fire and the terrible memories that come with it can't be easily pushed aside. But thanks to your close interactions with monsters who use fire magic on a regular basis, not to mention a man completely made of fire, you've found that now the sight of a small flame doesn't bother you nearly as much as it used too. You don't break into a cold sweat at the idea of a gently crackling fireplace. "I'm okay," you assure him. "You're all right here. Besides, I'm not gonna make Frisk and Toriel freeze because I can't handle being around a little fire." 

Sans huffs a little. "are you sure?"

You turn and give him a surprise smooch, though thanks to the dark you miss his cheek and kiss him right on his teeth. He jumps in surprise and oh...oh his blush glows in the dark! Just a little, and it's barely noticeable, but it is most certainly glowing a dim blue color. "Oh my God." 

Before you can tease him mercilessly about this however, the blanket covering you two is suddenly lifted up and you blink as you meet Papyrus' stern gaze. "ALRIGHT YOU TWO THAT IS ENOUGH CANOODLING!"

And now you're blushing.

"THERE IS WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND-! YES, FRISK, WHAT IS IT?" 

Frisk, coming to the rescue, tugs on Papyrus' arm, grinning widely. We should make a blanket fort! They sign before motioning around at the various blankets and pillows gathered around.

Papyrus immediately brightens, dropping the blanket back on you and Sans. "A BLANKET FORT?! THAT IS A WONDERFUL IDEA! I SHALL DRAW OUT THE BEST POSSIBLE FOUNDATION PLANS! TO MY ROOM!" He tears off down the hallway and this time you do hear something smash against the ground. You laugh as you pull the blanket off of you and Sans. He's grinning too. At least he grins until he meets Frisks' eyes. Frisk looks extremely smug and wiggles their eyebrows up and down. 

"shut up." Sans grabs the edge of the blanket in your hands and throws it over Frisk. Giggling, Frisk frees themselves and pulls Sans over to the couch to start helping with removing the cushions. You decide to head into the kitchen to see if Toriel needs help. You don't even need to use your flashlight, thanks to the gentle glow coming from within the room. Toriel is standing by the stove. A flickering ball of fire magic is hovering in the air by her head, casting a dim light over the counter space. Three steaming mugs are to her left and as you watch she finishes pouring the fourth and holds it tightly in her furred hands. A bright red glow seems to light her hands from the inside out. Within a few seconds a cloud of steam rises and she hums in contentment. 

"Need any help?" you ask, coming a bit closer. She starts a little, looking over her shoulder. 

"Hello my child! I-oh." Her gaze drifts up to the fireball by head before looking back at you with a worried expression. "I am sorry my child, let me get rid of this."

She lifts her hand to wave away the fire magic but you quickly raise your own hands. "It's okay. I'm fine." It's a little embarrassing but you do appreciate her concern. You've haven't exactly told anyone besides Sans why fire bothers you so much, but Toriel is more than capable of noticing the little signs.  

Her hand lowers, her eyes studying you closely. "Very well then. Since you are here, would you mind taking these to the living room?" 

You give her a wide smile. "Sure thing. Oh, Frisk and Paps are dead set on building some blanket forts, just so you know." 

"My dear, I don't think I possibly could have missed Papyrus' declaration," she says with a soft chuckle. "I shall be there in just a moment."

You take gingerly take two of the hot mugs and head back into the living room. You're not surprised to see that Sans has already given up on his fort building efforts and has claimed a spot on the floor. Papyrus has returned and he and Frisk as building around the snoozing skeleton. You set the hot chocolate on one of the side tables, give Frisk a warning so they don't get knocked over and join Sans on the floor. He cracks open an eye socket, grinning at you as you snuggle close to him.

"are ya getting cold already?"

You are actually. You nod and reach for one of the blankets that have been knocked to the floor ("HUMAN! THAT IS FOR FORT BUILDING PURPOSES!") and throw it over you and Sans. "It is so unfair that you don't feel the cold." 

"oh i definitely feel it," Sans snickers. "wanna know how i feel it?"

"In your bones?" you say dryly. 

He pouts. "oh c'mon, it's no fun when you spoil the surprise." 

Papyrus throws the end of another blanket to Frisk, who is positioned behind the couch. "IT IS ALSO NO FUN WHEN YOU TELL OBVIOUS AND TERRIBLE JOKES!" He secures the blanket on the armchair in the corner, successfully creating a roof over you and Sans. 

You sigh happily, turning your head up towards the blanket. The two of you fall into a comfortable silence as Papyrus and Frisk continue their noisy fort building. Soon Toriel comes in and, after offering some tips as to where to tie the blankets, kneels down and starts working at building up a small fire in the fireplace. You watch her through the opening of the fort. Sans gives you a brief nudge when he feels you tense up slightly at the sight of the flames. You turn to face him, smiling gently. 

"I'm okay. Cold aside, this is pretty fun," you say softly. "It's been a really long time since I was in a blanket fort." 

"be thankful undyne's not here. she and paps have made many a blanket castle that usually ended up with pillows being destroyed." 

"I hope those two are okay," you say worriedly. "Undyne says she hates heat but icy cold can't be good either." 

Sans throws his arm across your stomach, pulling you a little closer to him. "'m sure they're fine. al's probably got some kind of portable heater built into her phone." 

That's probably true. Oh but speaking of other monsters-! "Can you image how warm it would be if Grillby was here?" You giggle. "Talk about the ultimate portable heater! I'm sure that guy never gets cold!" 

He shrugs, his hand finding yours. "hmm. that would be nice. i don't mind cold all that much but i'm pretty fond of warm things." His free hand traces shapes on your side before he walks his fingers up towards your face. The bone of his phalanges is a little cool against your skin, but you can feel yourself heating up under his touch. His grin widens a little. "heh, look at that. i think i got my own portable heater right here. i wonder...." He leans in, giving you a deep kiss and as expected your skin grows even hotter as you blush heavily. He pulls away, looking pleased with himself. "there. even warmer than grillbz. you're practically on fire." 

Oh this cheeky skeleton. He's being awfully bold, especially considering that his brother, the kid and Toriel are literally just a few feet away. Before you let your nerves get the better of you, you prop yourself up with on one elbow and grab his shirt. You pull him close, pausing just before your lips touch his teeth. He stares at you with wide sockets as you grin and purr, "Be careful you don't get burned." 

A blush blooms across his cheeks and he stutters wordlessly, the lights of his sockets bright. He closes the breathe of distance between you, nearly knocking you off balance with the force of his kiss. A burning heat seems to race through your body and it feels impossibly good and you just want to wrap yourself in this warmth. You kiss him back, your fingers finding a hold against his spine. He shudders as he breaks the kiss and the look in his sockets, a look of complete adoration and shyness makes your already racing heart skip a beat. He groans quietly and buries his head against your chest. 

"you're dangerous," he mumbles, hiding his face in embarrassment. 

You tickle his ribs and he jerks slightly, glaring at you playfully. "Well, you know what they say; don't play with fire." 

He lifts his hand and presses one finger against your nose. "i think getting burned might be worth it then." 

"Sans! _____!" Toriel's voice, perhaps a little too loud, makes the two of you jump. "I believe Frisk would like to play monopoly! Are you...done with your snoozing?" 

Her thinly veiled question makes you snort and you slap your hands up over your mouth to hide your laughter. Sans gives you one more poke before sitting up. Papyrus and Fisk have set the blanket roof up high enough there's a good foot of open space above his skull. "sounds good tori. c'mon in. it's nice and warm in here." 

Papyrus and Frisk come scuttling in, clutching the board game and their hot chocolate and even Toriel manages to fit inside after some careful moving around. They set the game up and you briefly locks eyes with Sans. He gives you a slow wink and a gentle smile that you return without hesitation. You play the game with your family of vastly different shapes and sizes, feeling so at peace you don't even notice the pounding of the icy rain outside.