Static
Sans fiddles with the radio, smacking it lightly to clear the static. The thing is a piece of junk but it was the first machine he had tinkered with in a very long time and felt an odd sort of attachment to it. He leans back in his chair and smiles as the signal clears. It's still early and the shop is quiet. Not many people wanted a hot dog before ten in the morning.
"-regret to say that Emily will not be returning to our show."
If he had lips, they would have curled. Yesterday had gone far better than he had hoped but he hadn't missed the light bruise on your arm where that nasty lady had grabbed you. He didn't point it out but it made his bones crawl. Honestly, the pair had gotten off lightly in his mind. Watching you follow after Emily, hiding your obvious nerves with bravado nearly drove him crazy. It would have been so easy to dunk her, right then and there. See if she or anyone else ever bothered you again.
But then you'd probably want nothing to do with him if he did that.
Tod continues. "The police have yet to release an official statement but I think it's safe to say the one behind the tasteless prank at our festival has been dealt with. Moving on to happier things, I am pleased to have my new co-host in the studio with me this morning."
"Hey guys! This is ______. It's wonderful to have the chance to be here." Your voice floats through the radio, strong and sure. Sans put his skull in his hands, sockets gazing at the radio. He wanted to be there in the studio with you. He could just picture your face. Bright, happy, eyes glimmering like you were holding an entire world of joy behind them. But he had to admit this was nice in its own way. Sans loved your voice. It could calm him in an instant then turn around and send his nonexistent heart racing. He could listen to you speak all day.
"So _____ why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
"Oh, well there's not much to tell."
Liar. There was an endless depth of things you could share. Wonderful, terrible, heart-wrenching things. Still, he couldn't help but feel oddly smug about the fact that only he knew that side of you. Sans never thought himself to be a jealous kind of monster; that took far too much energy and it was pointless when everything he had was ripped away over and over.
Sans slowly got to work on unwrapping hot dog buns as you and Tod chattered about how life in the city was different compared to where you came from. He hated working here. The only thing worse than having to work at all was being forced to do the same mindless task day after day. His phalanges ached to do far more interesting things, like he did before the resets started. Hell, even in the early days of the hellish nightmare he found himself in he still made an effort. How long ago did he start to lose all energy and interest for things like that? The science, the inventions, simply trying. His memories regarding the time underground were more than a little screwed up. All he knew was that for the first time in a long time, he found himself a little bored and almost restless with doing nothing. All thanks to you.
"What do you miss most about your old home?"
"the stars," Sans mouths along with your response. He had asked you the same thing that very first night you had burst into his life.
"Ah, yes I suppose the stars are a little hard to see with all the city lights."
"Yeah, but I hear the mountains are a good place to go for stargazing."
"I've heard that too, though I haven't been myself. Oh, looks like we've got a caller. Go ahead."
There's the sound of muffled giggling then a very familiar voice booms "Hey! Just wanted to congratulate the NERD on his new job and let him know this doesn't mean he's getting out of his training!" Sans can hear Alphys whispering in the background. "Oh and we wanna request a song!"
"Thanks for the congratulations." You're speaking in that voice that means you're holding back laughter. "Don't worry, I plan on-bzzt- my running up. It's a good way to exer-bzzzt- folks, give it a shot! What song-bzzzzt- you like to-bzzzzzt-"
Oh come on. Sans smacks the radio as the signal starts to give out.
"Excellent choice. I think -bzzSANSzzz- arrange that."
Sans yanks his hand away from the little radio. What was that?
"At my good friend's request here is -bzzzYOUAREFORGETTINGzzz-
A semi-familiar song starts to play but Sans was frozen. No. No he wasn't hearing this.
The radio fills with static again and scratchy words filter through.
YOUMADEAPROMISE DONOTFORGET
Sans slams the power button, cutting the noise off. His hand lingers on the radio, shaking. Noise, it was just noise. He had to be hearing things. Yeah, that's all it was. With everything that had happened recently, the fireworks, asshole, the news throwing his boyfriend to the raging throes of the city, sleep hadn't come easy for a while. He was sleep deprived. Of course, that was something he was used to.
He jumps when his phone suddenly rings. He doesn't have to look at the screen to know it's Paps calling. He doesn't get a single word out before his brother starts singing your praises.
"SANS HE SOUNDS WONDERFUL! IT MUST BE THANKS TO THE BREAKFAST I TOOK SUCH CARE IN MAKING FOR HIM."
"i bet that's what it was bro." Sans can't take his eyes away from the radio. "listen, i'm gonna be back late tonight. i gotta check something."
"I-" Papyrus hesitates. Try as he might, it's tough for Sans to completely hide his unease from his brother. Paps can almost always tell when something is up, even if he doesn't understand what it is, or why he knows. But like he always does, he trusts Sans.
"WILL YOU BE HOME FOR DINNER?"
"i dunno," Sans says softly. "depends on what i find."
~~~~~
Your first morning as a radio host couldn't have gone better. You send a quick text to Sans at the beginning of your lunch and practically skip to Grillby's. You've become a regular here and you're greeted with cheers as you enter. Several slaps on the back and congratulations later you weave your way up to the bar and take a seat.
Grillby nods at you, crackling gently. You smile widely at the fire monster. You were slowly getting better at being able to interpret what he was saying, thanks to Sans.
"Thanks Grillby. I'll take the usual."
Sans was late. Which was really odd for him. You glance at the door, worry starting to twist your stomach.
"you waiting for a hot date or something?"
You nearly fall off your stool. Grillby makes a noise you've learned is his version of chuckling. Sans smiles at you, hands behind his back. You pull yourself back up, scowling at him.
"Is that your payback? Cause I'll accept that."
"you wish you were that lucky." Sans joins you and reveals a bouquet of flowers. "congrats on your first day."
You gasp softly, taking them. It's a beautiful mixture of white carnations and orange roses. "Oh my gosh! Sans this is so sweet."
He shrugs, watching you expectantly. "didn't know what kind you liked. store lady said these were popular."
"They're perfect," you gush. You bring the flowers a little closer to smell them. A shriek of surprise rips out of your throat when a sudden spray of water catches you right in the face. There nestled among the petals is a plastic flower you had completely missed. A fake flower? Really?! Sans howls with laughter as you sit there sputtering.
"geeettt dunked on!" Sans crows triumphantly. His eye sockets are scrunched with glee. Grillby puts a hand over the space where his mouth would be. It's the most expressive you've ever seen him.
You turn to Sans slowly as water drips down your face. You clap slowly. "Well done sir," you drawl. "Oldest prank in the book. Very original."
"and you fell for it." He wipes away an imaginary tear. "somehow makes it even more satisfying." He grabs a napkin and holds it out for you. You huff at him and reach around, grabbing one for yourself. His smile twitches but doesn't fade.
You wipe at your face. "I'll admit it, I wasn't expecting that. Happy?"
He hums quietly. The mirth on his skull fades a little. He reaches for the ketchup bottle but doesn't drink from it. Instead he twists it around in his hands, examining it like it holds the answers to the universe. You sigh. You give him a quick kiss on the cheek to let him know you're not mad. "We even now?"
"for the moment. so how's the life of a star?"
"Oh please, I'm not a star."
He shrugs, staring at the bottle. "you are to me."
His soft words make your heart swell and you blush. You nudge him with your shoulder, trying to hide your embarrassment. "Okay, I officially forgive you just for that." He smiles at you but it's oddly tight. "Is everything okay? You look kind of tense."
He nods quickly. A little too quickly. "yeah, i just have some work i gotta do tonight. I have to cancel my hot date with my bed."
What kind of work could he possibly be talking about? He occasionally worked doubles at the hot dog place, but going by his demeanor he's talking about something else. "Work like...?"
"just...just work. something i gotta check on."
There's something in his expression that's begging you not to pry. Sans has secrets, this you know. The logical part of your mind said that you couldn't force him to tell you everything that he had hidden away, but damn it, you wanted to know!
"heh. you're doing the lip thing." Sans reaches up and pokes your lip. "when you want to know something, or get frustrated you bite your lip. it's cute."
"You're changing the subject," you say grumpily as he continues to poke at your face.
"it's nothing to worry about," he mumbles. "i'm just making sure."
"Sure of what?"
"'s classified."
You sigh and take a bite of the burger Grillby's placed in front of you. It stung a little that he didn't want to tell you what was going. That had to mean...he didn't trust you with this. "Okay," you finally say, forcing your voice to be cheerful. "I'll see you tonight then?"
Sans shifts a little in his seat. "i might get back pretty late. you don't need to wait up."
Another small stab in your heart. "Okay. But if you need me or want to crash at my place, you know you always can. Right?" Your voice wavers a little.
You feel his arm slip around your side and he presses his skull against your shoulder. His grip tightens slightly, like he's trying to hold on to something solid. "i know," he whispers.
You finish up lunch and head back, feeling a pit of worry building in your stomach. Why didn't he trust you? Was it because you had so easily told him about your past? Maybe he didn't trust you to keep a secret. Thoughts of what you did wrong, what you could do to try and get him to trust you and attempts to rationalize your own worries has you distracted the rest of the day. You spend the night at home trying to keep yourself busy, glancing at your phone every few minutes.
It never rings.
~~~~~
There was barely a breeze as Sans appears out of thin air, stepping into the forest clearing. His skull feels like it's spinning and he put a hand up against a tree, trying to balance himself. It's been a while since he's teleported that far and he can feel the strain on his magic. His bones are trembling a little, and it's not entirely because of the strain. He looks over the clearing. There is it. Like a great gaping wound in the side of the mountain, the entrance to the underground sits dark and silent. The darkness within seems to call to him, beckoning him in and he wants to run away. He wants to rush into your arms and shut out the rest of the world.
But he had to know. There was no choice here.
Slowly, one step at a time, he forces himself to walk over to the place where the barrier had stood for so long, keeping everyone he cared about trapped within the depths of the mountain. The ground right in front of the entrance is littered with rocks and chunks of wood. The force of the barrier breaking had caused some damage to the surrounding area and no one had bothered to come back to clean it up. He steps around a stone, his foot falling on a branch. It snaps loudly under his sneaker and he jumps. His limbs are locked at he has a sudden flash back. How many times had he crushed that massive stick by the ruins? How many times had he watched the kid pass by, sometimes nervous and twitchy and sometimes striding forward with utter surety?
He shakes his skull, closing his sockets. The faster he moved, the sooner this would be over. He reaches the edge of the cavern and pauses, putting a hand up against the stone wall. The dim light from the rapidly falling sun lights up part of the path within but it is soon overtaken by darkness. He can smell the sweet scent of flowers drifting out. He takes a breath. Just go in. Go check and then he can run right to you.
He can't move. He stares into that blackness and his breathing grows harsher. A soft whisper surrounds him, speaking words in a language he has not heard for an eternity. He stumbles back, his Soul slamming against his rib cage. He can't, he can't do it, he can't go back! His tibia knocks against a huge chunk of stone and he sinks onto its surface. He presses his phalanges against his skull as he gasps loudly. Breathe, breathe. He pictures you, remembering your smiling face. The way your eyes glinted and scrunched with mirth at his jokes. The way you so freely danced in your kitchen. The touch of your soft skin against his bones, warm and full of life.
It's enough to calm him slightly. He lets out a huff of air. He couldn't get trapped in there again. It was over. The kid had promised. There would be no more resets. He slowly stands. This time, he hesitates for only a moment. Then he steps into the darkness, heading back into the underground.
~~~~~
9:02 AM
Y: Good morning. How'd last night go?
9:15
Y: You still sleeping lazy bones?
9:47
Y: I'm heading to work, grillby's for lunch?
10:13
Y: You're starting to worry me, are you okay?
Y: Sans, please answer your phone.
12:45
Y: Paps told me you were home, so that's good at least. Says you've been sleeping all day. You must have actually worked last night huh?
1:10
Y: Ok, I'm gonna stop by after work to check on you because you're seriously freaking me out a little. Are you sick?
s: not sick. sorry. just bone tired. gotta head to work myself. on evening shift.
Relief mixed with just a little bit of anger floods over you as he finally responds. You frown at your phone, trying to decide if you're going to yell at him or not. Abby notices your glare. Thanks to Sans' lack of response, you had decided to have lunch with Abby in the breakroom. Fortunately you had decided to keep a box of random lunch things in the closet when your lunch time had begun to fluctuate in case Grillby's didn't work.
"Trouble in paradise?" she asks, slurping at her cup of noodles.
You sigh, tapping your phone against the table. Your hot pocket sits in front of you, mostly untouched and boiling hot. "I don't know. Sans went somewhere last night and he wouldn't tell me where. I've been trying to reach him all day and he just now responded. I mean, he sleeps a lot, but he usually wakes up enough to answer the phone."
"He's a guy," Abby says, pointing at you with her fork. "Sometimes you guys crash like that."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've slept in like that plenty of times too."
Y: I was worried bone head. Glad you're okay. See you tonight?
s: yeah
You set your phone down, attempting to eat the lava mess that is your lunch. "Speaking of paradise, how are things with you and B.P?" you ask Abby.
"We broke up," she says casually and you choke, burning your tongue.
"Ow! When did that happen?" you cough. "You okay?"
Abby shrugs. "A few days ago. It wasn't going anywhere. Plus, I could see he had his eyes on this rabbit guy that sells ice cream near the library. It was fun, but I'm over it. Besides he was kind of..." she makes a face "uptight."
"Sorry to hear that," you say as you attempt to soothe your burnt tongue with an ice cube. Your phone suddenly rings. Sans? You pick it up and are surprised to see that's it not your bony boyfriend, but Toriel. "Hey Toriel. What's up?"
"Hello my child." She sounds a little breathless and distracted. "I'm terribly sorry to ask, but could you do me a huge favor and pick Frisk up from school and keep an eye on them for the afternoon? A spot opened up for our discussions with the city council and we have to take this before someone else does and Sans and Papyrus are both busy and I've asked them so many times-"
"Toriel, please slow down. I'm happy to watch Frisk."
She lets out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I should be finished no later than seven this evening."
"Hey, it's not a problem. I've been wanting to hang out with Frisk. Just let me know where the school is."
Toriel gives you the address, thanks you again and hangs up. The school isn't too far away and you're off the clock with just enough time to make it just as school ends. It's a small building, rather run down, but the bushes in front look spectacular. You have to wonder if it's Papyrus' handiwork. Most of the kids pouring out of the building are monsters, all shapes and sizes. Toriel soon appears at the door with Frisk, looking around. She looks a little frazzled. Ah, that's right she was a teacher here. She probably needed to book it over to the courthouses. You honk your horn and wave out the window.
"Thank you so much my child," Toriel says with a wide smile as she brings Frisk over to your car. Frisk hops into the front seat, bouncing excitedly.
"Seatbelt," you remind them. "It's seriously no problem Toriel. We're gonna have fun, right Frisk?"
Frisk nods and waves at their goat mom. Toriel takes off and you start the drive back home. "How was school?" That's what you asked kids after school right?
Frisk gives you a thumbs up. They lean forward, fiddling with your radio and Fall Out Boy blasts from the speakers. You laugh at the wide grin that crosses their face. Looks like the kid's got good taste. The two of you jam out the whole way back and take the party upstairs. Frisk is fascinated with your music collection and urges you to dance with them. The kid's got moves, you gotta give them that.
"You're pretty good!" You sway your hips and spin. "Where'd you learn to dance like that?" The kid grins and strikes a pose that is remarkably similar to a certain, over-the-top robot. "Ah, guess that answers that!"
You dance until sweat pours down your face. Then the two of you sit at the table and Frisk starts trying to teach you sign language. You grab a notebook, jotting down the different signs and their meanings. There's a lot, but the alphabet itself is fairly simple. Frisk is a very patient teacher, signing slowly and repeating the same simple signs for you to memorize. After a while, they decide to give you a break and pull out a folder of homework. They hunch over the table, pencil flying across the pages. You watch them for a while, feeling an odd sense of amazement.
"You're really something Frisk," you say finally. They look up, tilting their head at you. "I mean, after everything you went through down there, and what you're trying to help the monsters do now? It's amazing."
Frisk smiles shyly. Monsters are good people, they sign slowly. Just needed to be shown love and mercy.
"Love and mercy. I wish people up here could do the same. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why do you live with Toriel? I mean, she's great and I love her, but I can't imagine the government would be too happy about a human child living with monsters. Even if the monsters are better than a lot of people."
Tori is my mom. She loves me. I love her. Didn't want to go home. Frisk frowns sadly, looking at the table. Bad place. Bad memories. Got hurt and ran away. They point at their throat and you feel your own close up with emotion. You would be lying if you said you hadn't wondered why Frisk used sign language. They could talk, but only with great effort and quietly.
"I'm sorry Frisk, I didn't mean to pry," you say quickly. Frisk shrugs.
It's okay. Happened a long time ago. Happy here.
"That's good then! It's better to be around people you love, right?"
Frisk pats your hand and points to your chest before making a sign you don't quite recognize. "Sorry buddy, didn't quite get that one."
They just smile and shake their head. You will.
Oookay? You both start as a loud rumble echoes from Frisk's stomach. They smile at you sheepishly. Dinnertime?
You laugh. "You got it kiddo. What are you in the mood for?" You get up and peer into your cabinets. "I'll assume you're sick of spaghetti-"
They stick their tongue out and nod.
"Hmm, how about some homemade chicken noodle soup?" You pull out various ingredients, spreading them over the counter. "It's good for cold nights like this. Mind getting the carrots out of the fridge?"
Frisk eagerly helps you get everything ready and while you handle cooking up the chicken, Frisk washes the veggies going into the soup. They tap you when they're done and point to the drawer and back to the veggies. Knife?
"Okay, go ahead and slice up the carrots. But be careful with the knife, it's not a toy."
They smile widely, nodding and pull out a chopping knife and get to work on the carrots. They hum as they work and you turn on some quiet music. "Sans should be getting off work soon," you muse, glancing at the clock. "He said he'd stop by. I hope he likes soup-"
There's a loud bang. You jump and whirl around. "Frisk! You okay?" Oh God, you pray they haven't cut off a finger.
It's not Frisk. They're staring at the door, knife still in their hand and all limbs intact. You follow their gaze. Sans is standing at the front door. Standing actually isn't the right word. He's pressed up against the door, practically leaning on it. He must have slammed it shut.
"Geez Sans! That scared me. What-" You stop as you realize that he's staring at Frisk with wide, pitch-black sockets. "Sans?"
His left eye flickers blue. "K-kn-kn-"
Frisk takes a step forward and Sans flinches. The knife goes blue and flies out of Frisk's hand, embedding into the wall.
"Sans!" you scream, rushing to Frisk. You pull the kid away from the knife. "What are you doing?"
He doesn't take his eyes off the kid. It's like he barely notices you standing there. "knife they had a knife, they have a knife."
"Sans, we're cooking! We're making soup!" You move towards him slowly, putting your hands up. "Honey, what's going on?"
"frisk, you promised. you promised me!" He's quivering, his constant smile stretching further and further, growing far too big for his face. "not here, not him!"
Frisk wrings their hands, shaking their head. "No, no," they croak. "P-promise!"
You step in front of Sans, blocking his view. Your heart is going nuts and you're honestly scared. You've never, ever seen him like this. In fact, this looks eerily similar to... "Sans, hey, look at me." He stares right through you. "Sans, are you having a panic attack?"
He flinches again, finally looking at you. He reaches up and touches your face. "you're okay. you're here."
"That's right baby. It's okay. We were just making dinner." You take his hand. The bones are clammy. "It's okay."
He closes his sockets, trembling. "sorry."
Then he vanishes and you're left holding nothing.