TopSpeedOfSound

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

The moments spent waiting for her answer nearly killed him. He didn't know what he'd do, or even if he could do anything if she couldn't promise him that. Granted, he knew it was a long shot to expect something out of someone that he couldn't even give.

But he needed this. Needed it more than anything in this moment.

He'd never asked anything of Frisk before, never relied on her like he was now, or even anyone for that matter. Sans would rather set himself apart from everyone else than to let them catch him every once in a while. He didn't want to spoil they're blissful happiness. Their ignorance of all that had transpired and the ability to keep smiling was something he'd coveted, but he'd never voiced that selfish thought until now.

Now he was practically begging for a reprieve. For some kind of happiness.

And Frisk gave it to him.

As she smiled warmly and nodded, his white pupils returned to his otherwise empty eye sockets. She... Was letting him be selfish. He had never done this to her, or anyone he could remember, but he felt like this wasn't the first time he'd asked something of someone else.

He almost flinched when he heard her words, barely registering her forehead against him as he let the promise sink. She wasn't angry with him for asking so much of her. She.... She was happy to agree to it.

Slowly he closed his eyes and relaxed, dropping his hands around her waist to pull her into a tight hug. Gently he buried his face into the junction between her neck and shoulder, tears still streaming, but out of relief as he sagged against her. It took him a moment to find his voice, but when he did, it was scratchy and a little hoarse,"Thank you...... Just.... Gimme a sec. I'm sorry..." He didn't move, just sat there, face buried in her neck, taking in her calming scent, and slowly collecting his thoughts.

He didn't even remember Papyrus was there until he felt a gloved hand take his bony one. He felt guilt shoot through him as he tightly held onto that hand. Paps knew now. Knew that he was really messed up inside, but he still didn't ask about it. Paps and Frisk were so good to him. Accepting of his breakdown and selfishness. He couldn't ask for a better family.

After a few more minutes of sitting like that, Sans gently pulled away with a half smile. He'd put his trust in Frisk, and it terrified him, but... He was going to give relying on others a shot.

Papyrus squeezed his brothers' hand gently,"LET'S GO HAVE SOME MORE HOT CHOCOLATE! I'LL EVEN PUT MARSHMALLOWS IN YOURS, BROTHER!"

Sans chuckled softly, he smile widening a bit,"I think I'd like that.

Both skeletons stood, Sans a bit slower, and he offered a hand to help Frisk up as well.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans cried in silence sav for the occasional wavering inhaled, hardly reacting when both his brother and Frisk rushed up the stairs to him. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take the constant nightmares much longer. He was losing his grip on what was real and what wasn't. He needed something solid to hold onto. Something to ground him into reality.

And then Frisk's arms were around him. He froze at first, tension coursing through him. This was real.... Right? He wasn't dreaming? God he hoped not.

He... He couldn't handle it if he was.

And then Frisk leaned into his ear and whispered his salvation. Told him exactly what he needed to hear. He was grounded.

He placed both of his shaky hands on her shoulders, pulling away to look into her eyes, those sweet caring eyes. Eyes that had seen nearly as much as he had, and held the same pain, the same guilt. His voice was barely a whisper, so quiet and meek, something that wasn't truly him,"... Promise..?" Stars, he knew how hypocritical it was to ask for her word, seeing as he didn't ever give his own, but he needed this. Needed some kind of hope to cling to during times like this.

He wished he had her determination.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans much needed sleep was a restless one. He tossed and turned, deliriously waking up, only to slip back into phantasamal dreams he couldn't seem to remember once his eyes opened. Eventually, he lost count of how many times he'd awoken, unable to tell dream and reality apart anymore. Everything was just one big blur of past timelines and forgotten nightmares.

Slowly he woke for the last time, staring blearily across Paps' bed.

Papyrus....

Sans quickly shuffled a hand around the bed, finding nothing but empty sheets. No. No, this couldn't be happening. He'd just brought Frisk to bed with them, and Paps....

This was just a dream, any moment now, he'd just wake up with Papyrus' long arms around him and Frisk snuggled in his chest, both sound asleep.

.....

......

.......

Sans' chest constricted around his soul.

No, no, NO!

This wasn't happening! Any minute Papyrus would wake him up with that sweet concerned look, dying to know what was wrong, but not nosy enough to ask. Just.... Just a few more seconds.

His breathing picked up, chest rising and falling rapidly, enough that he could almost feel dizzy. Was... Was everything up to this point just a dream? All of that time watching Frisk grow up, those feelings he felt for her, all the fun she'd had for everyone, all the love Tori had given her.

Was it just some twisted way of coping?

Sans hugged his arms tightly around himself. His breathing had stopped altogether, and he felt a violent shiver course through him. But he didn't make a sound.

Did he have the courage to go look around the house? What if it was empty? What if he was really losing it?

He didn't budge as the shuddering consumed him.

---

Paps smiled softly at Frisk's response, worry touching his features for a moment, but he quickly let them fall behind another sip of his drink. Setting his cup down, he looked up to his bedroom door with another smile, glad that now Sans wouldn't have to be so alone.

He opened his mouth, about to thank Frisk when his door suddenly slammed open.

Looking up, Papyrus saw a horrified Sans, clutched to the railing, chest heaving, and eye sockets pupiless.

Sans seemed to instantly deflate at the sight of them. He couldn't even voice his relief as tears instantly streamed down his cheekbones and he fell to his knees.

This... This was reality. Everything was fine.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything to get them to not worry, but all that came out was a hollow sob.

At that, Papyrus was on his feet, rushing up the stairs to kneel beside his brother. Sans had never cried. Ever. He was always the tough one, the one who just laughed everything off, even when it really bothered him.

And again, he was lost for words. What should he say? What should he do?

Paps looked to Frisk for some kind of help.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Papyrus was careful to not wake Sans as they both left the bed and headed for the stairs. Although, he was pretty sure that even if they'd tried to wake him, Sans would still be perfectly, blissfully asleep, which was strange in itself.

Sure Sans slept a lot and at times was a heavy sleeper, but he rarely ever missed Papyrus' early bedtime schedule(one where he also fell asleep shortly after Paps). But it looked as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night. What on earth could Sans have been doing that was more important to him than sleep? He made a mental note to sneak into Sans' room later.

As Frisk settled down at the table, Papyrus carried on to the cabinet and began digging around inside for the hot chocolate mix. Hearing her apology, he paused a moment and looked to her.

Frisk looked so worn out and tired, like she hadn't slept in days.

Should he ask about the dreams?

No. If Frisk or Sans wanted to talk about them, they would. He would just keep making them smile and hope it was enough to at least comfort them. Resuming his search, he spoke gently,"DO NOT WORRY, FRISK! IF YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DREAM, THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS BE THERE FOR YOU.... YOU'RE PART OF OUR FAMILY AND WE LOVE YOU." Paps punctuated his words with a quiet "Nyeh heh heh" as he finally found the box he was searching for and pulled it down onto the counter.

He grabbed two mugs and poured a generous amount of the mix into each before hunting down a pot and filling it with water. " AND BESIDES THAT, SANS HAS NIGHTMARES TOO. SO DO NOT WORRY. WHEN I WAS LITTLE, HE WOULD ALWAYS COME TO MY ROOM, NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF NIGHT AND COMFORT ME. SOMETIMES... HE'D EVEN COME IF HE WAS THE ONE WHO NEEDED COMFORTING," he carried on as he set the pot on the stove and waited for the water to come to a boil.

Perhaps hearing about Sans' nightmares might help her a bit.

They used to be bad back before Frisk came to live with with them. Sans would wake up screaming with his room set ablaze in blue flames and his gasters at the ready, but even when he'd finally calm down, Sans would just stay in his room like everything was alright.

It disturbed Papyrus.

But he wouldn't say anything. Stars forbid he even hint at it. Sans would just smile tiredly and crack some lame pun, or leave to head to one of his many jobs. Speaking of which, Sans had been slacking on his work! And his puzzles!! But after a night like this, he supposed he could let it go. Just this once.

Paps left that thought as the water began to boil and set to carefully pouring the proper amount in each cup. Once finished, he left the pot on a low heat incase Sans decided to get up in a little while.

He stirred each cup and walked to the fridge, snagging a container of whipped cream and put a small dallop in Frisk's. He did a quick clean up before bringing both cups to the table and setting Frisk's down in front of her, taking the seat across from her.

He took a sip of his hot chocolate, smiling at the sweetness before looking down into his cup.

He... He knew what he was about to ask Frisk was a bit selfish, but.... She was the only one who could do it.

Looking to the human with a guilty smile, Papyrus wasn't sure how exactly to ask this. " FRISK... I KNOW THAT SANS HIDES THINGS FROM EVERYONE, I'M SURE YOU KNOW TOO. AND I KNOW HE THINKS THAT HE CAN CARRY EVERYTHING INSIDE LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG, BUT..... I THINK HE SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE. AT LEAST HAVE ONE PERSON HE CAN SHARE THE BURDEN WITH. I.... I KNOW THIS IS A SELFISH REQUEST, SO IF YOU REFUSE, THEN I UNDERSTAND, BUT.... WILL YOU LOOK AFTER HIM? THERE ARE THINGS THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK THAT YOU DO. AND... IF SOMEONE CAN RELATE TO HIM, THEN I AM SURE HE WILL BE OKAY."

He was tentative to hear her answer. After all, it wasn't her responsibility to look after Sans, it was his, but.... If she could understand what he was going through better than him...

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Feeling a hand take hold of him, Papyrus looked down at the human. He smiled something sad and worried as he noticed she was finally free of her nightmare. She still looked scared, as if whatever had been tormenting her dreams would suddenly sprout right in front of them and finish whatever it had started.

He couldn't fathom why she had such terrible night terrors. Sans had them too, but.... Neither one of them would talk about them. Could their dreams really be so traumatic? Or was it something he just wouldn't understand.

Great as he was, Papyrus knew there were a lot of things that he didn't truly understand. Like why Alphys liked her romantic anime so much, or why her nose bled during a few really intense scenes. Even before, when Sans had been wary of Frisk before she'd even met them. He just didn't understand. He knew he wasn't stupid, but sometimes he wondered why some things were obvious to others while he was just in the dark all the time.

He chanced a glance at his hopelessly sleeping brother. Paps hoped Frisk didn't think he was rude or didn't care, after all, he was the first one there whenever she had nights like this. Sans was just... Out of practice, so when something like this happened, he typically fell right back asleep when he was done stressing over it. It was just how he coped.

But back to the matter at hand!

It didn't appear that Frisk would be going back to sleep anytime soon, so perhaps he could offer an alternative? Bringing his hand from around Sans, Papyrus tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with an encouraging smile,"WOULD YOU LIKE SOME OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS' HOT CHOCOLATE? IT WILL MOST ASSUREDLY HELP YOU TO FEEL BETTER."

He wouldn't force her to get up, but it might be better for her to have a distraction than just to lie in bed thinking about her dream.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans probably had his eyes shut for maybe all of ten peaceful minutes, and then peace was shattered by a piercing scream. He jolted awake so hard that he fell out of his chair, but being so tired and filled with the absolute need to get to Frisk, he didn't seem to not to notice. Instead he just scrambled to his feet and made a mad dash for the where the scream came from, left eye blazing.

At first he almost passed the bathroom, but he quickly skid to a halt and bolted inside, kneeling in front of the babbling Frisk. He didn't waste any time in pulling her into a hug and rocking her softly.

Adrenaline pumped through his soul as he leaned into her ear and whispered in a tired slur,"Shhh! Shhhh...., hey now, yer okay, 's all okay, Frisk... Jus' a bad dream, shhhhh...."

About that time, Sans noticed Paps nervously peeking his head in the doorway. Well, shit.

Carefully as he could, he scooped the frightened human into his arms and carried her into the hall, smiling up at Paps,"C'mon, Papy, let's help Frisk feel better, yeah?" Papyrus nodded, unsure of what to say in this situation.

Sure it wasn't the first time, and he knew it wouldn't be the last, but he never knew what to say. Every time Frisk had a nightmare like this, her screams would slice through everyone's sleep and Sans would of course be the first one there, cradling her and cooing softly in her ear.

Just looking at him, Papyrus could tell he hadn't gotten much sleep, if any. Did he have a nightmare too?

Sans made his way into Paps' room, standing in front of the bed.

Knowing what to do, Paps climbed back into his comfy bed, scooting all the way over to make room as Sans laid Frisk on the bed and shuffled on after her. The taller skeleton wrapped his long arms around the pair, pulling them close as Sans kept whispering to Frisk quietly. Sadly, he kept dozing off as he tried to comfort her, only to snap awake and repeat the process.

He was just so tired, and he was coming down from his adrenaline rush.

As Sans' eyes fluttered shut, Papyrus took over soothing Frisk. He coo'd and whispered encouragements into her hair, pulling both her and Sans as close as he could.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans was pleasantly surprised when Frisk curled up next to him on the couch. He tensed up for a few seconds as she laid her head on his shoulder, but relaxed into it. Again, he couldn't help but to notice how soft and plush her skin was against his bones. He would never get over how much more comforting she felt against him than eating ever was.

With her this close, the gentle scent of earth and flowers washed over him and made his soul glow in contentment.

And as her breathing evened out, Sans paused in his channel flipping and smiled down at her dosing face. He really could get used to this. She was so warm and soft, it made him just want to curl around her and protect her from everything evil in the world, including those rare moments when she herself was. He wished he could like this with Frisk forever.

"I love you, Sans..."

Sans' soul froze and then began to glow brighter than ever. He quickly zipped up his jacket so he wouldn't disturb Frisk as she slept. But she... Did she really mean that? Sure Frisk was an adult now and all, but... Did she mean like "Love" love? How did she even know what that was? .... Probably Alphys.

Man, was it hot in here or was it just him?

Placing a bony hand on his cheekbones, Sans could feel the embarrassing blue glow on his face. He'd never blushed this much. Alright, maybe one other time when Papyrus had asked him a very inappropriate question, but his soul was practically flying in his ribcage. What was he supposed to do? Should he do anything at all? Maybe... Just maybe....

Careful not to stir her too much, he leaned into her ear and whispered softly,"Me too, kiddo," and pressed a toothy kiss to her cheek.

He didn't know what he'd do without her.

He had to find the cure. Something to stop mortality from clawing away at Frisk's life. He needed to keep her here with him and Paps.

Maybe then he'd have the guts(heh) to tell her how he felt when she was awake.

And then there was always the possibility that her words didn't hold the same meaning as his. Frisk had always passed around her "i love you's" as a child, and he was no stranger to it. Regardless, even if her words were just something familial and nonromantic, he couldn't bear to watch her grow old and die without him. Without any of her monster friends and family. She may have human skin, but she had a monsters' soul, and she deserved to live her life like one.

He stayed with her a few moments more, making sure she was deep in sleep and completely unwilling to leave the comfort of her weight against him. Then, slowly, he stood and laid her down on the couch. He unzipped his jacket and laid it over her, stroking a gentle hand through her hair before heading up to his room.

He had a lot of work to do.

---

Papyrus returned home later that evening, just as the sun was starting to set. A light orange blush dusted his cheekbones, and as he entered the home, he was about to call out for Sans and Frisk to see how their carefully planned date had gone, but stopped short as he noticed the human laying on the couch under Sans coat. He smiled at her peaceful sleeping form, giving her head a few gentle pats before he noticed the mess still spread out on the table.

Why should he expect anything less.

Still, if the sight on the couch and mostly finished food were anything to go by, then it must have been great!

"ANOTHER PERFECT PLAN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS," he whispered as he set to clearing the table and washing the dishes.

He could hear Sans moving around upstairs, more than likely in his room. He would ask his brother about it when he came out.

---

Sans worked into the wee hours of the night, studying formulas, reading books on alchemy and uses for magic, and even peeking through some of Alphys' notes he'd shortcutted to her lab to get.

Pages of quickly scribbled notes were everywhere. Strewn across his bed, scattered on the floor, piled on his desk where he sat. He even had one stuck in his slipper! But he couldn't worry with it now! He was so close. Yet the answer was just out of his grasp.

Sans gave a yawn and tiredly peeked out his window. The sun was just nearly creeping over the horizon. Had he really been at it all night?

Leaning his cheek into his palm, he felt his eyes begin to droop. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a few minutes...

Before he knew it, Sans was fast asleep, snoring softly.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans chuckled as she choked when trying to best him. He'd had a LOT of time to practice, but still, he'd figured she might win, considering the lips vs no lips argument. He took another chug of ketchup before sitting upright in his chair and winking at her,"Heh, my secret talent, having no lips."

He looked down at his plate, ready to take another bite, at least until he noticed it was empty. With a shrug to himself, the stout skeleton helped himself to a second round.

He ate in comfortable silence with Frisk, glad the awkwardness from before was gone. He could feel the subtle swell of his bones as he, once again, over ate. But it was a comforting sensation. Like how Frisk rubbed her hands together when she was nervous, it was a reassuring pressure in his bones. Heh, with that kind of thinking, it made him sound like old bones... But he was old. Just exactly how old, he couldn't recall(he'd lost a lot of time in those resets), but he was older than Papyrus, and much older than Frisk.

Not that Sans could remember his beginning. His entire life before Paps had stepped in as just a sweet little baby bones was a blur of blackness and pure, meaningless existence. Even when Paps had asked about his life before, Sans would just dismiss it and say his life began the day Papyrus was there.

So many years had passed since then.

Sans slowly looked back up at his human companion. Frisk... She was a human. And even with his lack of experience(even after all this time), he knew that human lifespans were limited and quite short.

Frisk was already twenty. She was entering her prime years. And after that.... After another few decades, she would die of old age, if no health problems occurred.

Could... Could he really live with that?

Sans' soul twisted and he took a large bite of spaghetti, his playful slurping gone as he was lost in thought. He needed a solution. Monsters, being composed of magic, weren't really all too susceptible to the wearing of time. That's not to say they didn't age, or even die from old age, but their lifespans were much longer, their prime extending over three times what a human's was.

But how could he find the cure to death?

Alphys' research. Her synthetic determination serum, it had to be the key. He would go to her and ask about it tomorrow.... No. She was already working so hard on destroying the barrier. She wouldn't have time to invest in both, not to mention, the clock was fast ticking for Frisk.

Noticing his plate was empty once more, Sans pulled the pie closest to him closer and began to slowly eat. He needed to calm down, if he was frantic, then Frisk would be on edge and worry.

He needed a distraction until Frisk was asleep. Then he could begin... Preparations.

About a fourth of the way through his pie, he sat back in his chair and took another swig of ketchup. Smiling softly to Frisk he stood,"How 'bout we move this party to the couch? I think some tv'll cap off such a nice night."

Shuffling over to the sofa, he lazily resumed his claimed end and pulled out the remote. He uninterestedly flipped through the channels, not caring what they watched, just hoping that it would be enough to help her fall asleep, and soon.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans blushed a little as Frisk flicked the stray noodle away, chuckling,"Hey now, maybe I was savin' that for later. Never question a skeleton's motives."

He took another bite, watching as Frisk wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. Paps would shit bricks if he had seen that. And then he would have blamed Sans for encouraging such slobbish behavior. Honestly, it was relaxing to see someone else forgoing proper table etiquette, seeing as he didn't have an ounce of it in his bones.

As far back as he could remember, he'd always taught Papy to use his manners, showed him how to care for himself, and had one day been intending to leave his younger brother in search of.... Someone he could hardly remember. But be it Sans just being careless, or Paps intuition, the younger knew he would leave one day and had begged him not to. Of course Sans would never have said no to him, even without the begging, but seeing Papyrus so broken and disheveled at the mere thought of him leaving... Sans knew he could never leave Pap alone.

They needed each other too much.

While Sans was strong and fully capable of protecting them, Papyrus was his foundation. His little brother kept him sane, comforted him when he couldn't ask for it, and made life fun.

Paps was his comfort zone.

Speaking of which, Sans wondered when his brother would be back.

Surely before dark, right? For Mettaton's sake, the robot had better hope so. It wouldn't be pretty if Paps came home with a cold or "accidentally" spent the night there. Sans decided he'd call his brother later to check up on him.

In an effort to distract himself, Sans began to slurp his noodles loudly(how that was even possible without lips was a mystery in itself), slurping louder with each mouthful.

He glanced at Frisk playfully as he slurped a particularly loud noodle, grinning ear to ear at the silent challenge he'd issued. Hey, since it was just them in the house, why not have some fun with it?

He sat back in his chair, taking a few gulps of his ketchup as he waited for her to either accept or ignore the challenge.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Sans dozed lightly, not in a deep enough sleep that he couldn't hear what was going on around him, but not awake enough to respond if someone tried to have a conversation with him. Luckily all he could hear was Frisk take a seat after him, and the comforting clatter of Paps banging around in the kitchen. It was a peaceful noise....

Until he started to drift a bit deeper into sleep.

He wasn't really dreaming, but the memories, all of them, came drifting through his mind. First were the ones of peace, his usual routine with Pap and Frisk suddenly showing up in their lives. Those were good times, they'd had a lot of fun. But then came the memories of massacre.

As Papyrus suddenly slammed a heavy pot of spaghetti on the table, Sans woke with a jolt. He could tell he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

He didn't brood over it though as the taller skeleton put down two plates, one in front of Frisk and one for Sans, and piled them high with delicious smelling spaghetti and meatballs. Wow, Paps really did go all out on this dish. But Sans didn't have time to compliment the chef as he laid out a fork for each of them and scurried off back into the kitchen.

Papyrus returned moments later with two heavenly smelling pies and set them on the table. Giving an "ok" with his hand, Paps proudly stood to his full height,"BONE APPETITE! NOW, YOU TWO ENJOY YOUR MEAL! FRISK, DONT LET SANS EAT ALL OF THE PIE PLEASE, IT IS MOST UNHEALTHY FOR HIM. I SHALL RETURN AFTER MY DATE!"

And with that, Papyrus was gone, dashing out the door with his cooking apron still one.

Sans let out a laugh and looked to Frisk,"You thirsty, kiddo? We're gonna need something to wash all this food down." He listened for a response as he stood and walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge to find a large, bow-wraped bottle of ketchup, and a soda of similar decor. Other than that, there really wasn't anything in the fridge.

With a shrug, he grabbed both and headed back to the table. "Whatcha feeling? Ketchup, or soda," he teased raising both bottles up for her to see. No one liked ketchup like he did. When she was younger, Frisk had asked to try some, so he let her. Man that was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Her face scrunched up in adorable disgust and she'd stuck her tongue out.

He set the soda down in front of her before retaking his seat and popping the cap off his lovely red bottle and took a big swig, giving a satisfied 'ah' as he set it down by his plate.

He really needed that. Paps really was the greatest. Even though he didn't like Sans' eating habits, he still went out and got this for him. It was official, he had the best little bro ever.

Picking up his fork, Sans twirled some noodles onto it before, in the least elegant way possible, stuffing it into his mouth. He wasn't shy about pigging out, it was natural to him. While other monsters tried to imitate human eating habits, Sans was just... Sans. If he wanted food, then by God he was gonna get it in his mouth one way or another. Eating messy just didn't take as much energy.

Looking back to Frisk, he smiled, unaware of the noodle stuck to the corner of his grin,"I think this is the first time Paps hasn't burned something."