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Cold…
That was the first thing you noticed as you cracked your bleary eyes open, the edges of them crusted as though you had just slept for an eternity. A chill numbness coated your limbs, you barely even feeling them as you sat up and rubbed your hands together.
Your vision blurred… and then cleared.
You saw nothing but blankets of white ahead. Snow coated the ground and every tree branch within the thick forest expanse in front of you. Where were you…?
Shaking your head, you tried to remember...
Gentle eye-lights… ivory bones… a wide, permanent grin… a skeletal hand, holding yours…
But nothing else came to mind.
You stood, wobbling as you slowly regained the feeling in your limbs and dusting the remnants of snow off of your posterior.
It was so cold…
You didn’t even have a jacket. Why would you go somewhere during winter without a jacket…?
Goosebumps coalesced on your bare arms as you wrapped them around your chest and rubbed yourself, soaking up the heat from the friction as your teeth chattered.
Looking around, you began to trudge through the snow, it climbing to nearly your knees as it seemed to be over a foot in depth. You followed the singular opening within the thick of trees, the white glow of the snow creating some visibility in the night.
You froze, jumping when you heard the loud crack of a branch in the distance.
But when you turned there was nothing. Only the dark, endless expanse of forest.
Swallowing, a shiver rolled across your skin and you continued forward.
The streak of red soaked into the pile of snow ahead did little to comfort you.
Nor the rabid growl that reverberated through your eardrums.
Heart racing, panic clawed at your mind as the growling grew closer, the soft patter of footsteps echoing through the trees. Your eyes darted around, searching for the source… searching for something to protect yourself with.
You snatched a large rock from the pile of snow, fingers barely clutching onto it as they once more grew numb.
Breaths escaping you shakily, you took a step back when the sharp gleam of yellow eyes appeared in the black of the forest thick.
Should you run…?
Brandishing the rock in front of you, your breath hitched when the mysterious animal stepped out of the bushes.
And… it wasn’t quite a wolf… but it wasn’t not a wolf either… overly long hind legs and opposing thumbs just like a human, but it walked on all fours and its face was that of a canine… long, sharp teeth… dirty grey fur… blood caked around its mouth.
Almost like… a monster…
“Stay back! Shoo!” you shouted, taking another step back.
The mystery animal didn’t listen… licking its teeth as it stalked towards you, lips pulled back in a saliva-coated snarl. You couldn’t help but notice that it appeared quite thin...
And then two more joined it from the forest, inching around as though attempting to encircle you, just as emaciated as the first and growling at you all the same.
You threw the rock at the first one.
It struck its face, making it flinch and whimper. Eyes squinting and blinking, it shook its head and stumbled back… and you thought maybe you had scared it off.
… Until it let out something akin to a bark and charged at you.
A stifled scream escaping you, you turned tail and ran.
But you didn’t get far… your speed was nothing compared to these monsters, with the thick snow only further inhibiting your movement.
You were tackled to the ground, sharp claws digging into your back. Your heart galloped, tears stinging your eyes as you hyperventilated, a metallic scent wafting through the air. A dull pain ripped through your shoulder as the creature bit you, crunching and shredding. Your clothes tore, your skin tore.
The other two creatures went after your flailing limbs. But you almost didn’t feel it between the numbness of your body and the way panic rocketed through you, the feeling of the sharp teeth lodged within you more like a throbbing pressure.
You shrieked into the dark expanse, struggling and crying for help.
… But no one came.
Sobbing, you went limp, giving up as you accepted your inevitable death, hoping the creatures wouldn’t prolong it for much longer. The warmth of your blood was almost comforting in contrast to the cold as it streaked down your skin and soaked your clothes.
Then… it stopped.
And the monstrous wolf collapsed on top of you in a dead-weight heap.
There was a buzz of… something in the air and a wall of bones rose from the snow, encircling you and prompting the remaining wolf creatures to let go and run off, disappearing into the woods.
Your lungs felt as though they were on fire as you rasped out quickened breaths, staring wide-eyed at the blood-caked, disembodied bones in front of you. What is this?
Did you die…?
Heart beating through your throat, your vision grew blurry… limbs feeling as though they weren’t even attached to your body.
The weight from your back was lifted as the now-dead monster was pulled off of you, almost seeming to vanish in a pile of dust moments later.
“it’s you… it’s really you…” A mystery male voice nearly sobbed. “you finally came back to me.”
You were rolled onto your back, head spinning as black specks mottled your view.
“everything is going to be okay, sweetheart.” Sharp claws traced the various puncture wounds through torn clothes on your body. “this time… things will happen as they should.”
The last thing you remembered was bright crimson hovering over you before everything went dark.
————
“The doctor... he said that it metastasized to my lungs…”
The skeletal hand clutched your wrinkled fleshier one, gripping it so hard that it seemed it might meld into your skin.
“... It’s terminal, he said I have two months… if I’m lucky…”
You looked towards the darkened, drooping eye sockets in front of you, giving the bony hand a squeeze.
“I’m sorry, Sans… but I don’t want to die like this, slowly… painfully...”
You pulled the hand to your chest, letting him feel your thumping heart. “We can start over though… you told me, the resets… you just have to… trigger it ...”
He reset his jaw, bones trembling. “but i don’t… i don’t wanna lose you… what if it doesn’t turn out the same way again? we’re finally together, on the surface… happy...”
You could tell he was just barely holding his composure together.
Shaking your head, you stroked his arm, flashing him a reassuring smile. “It will. It will turn out even better. You’ve said before we’re meant to be, right? As soulmates…”
“I could never not love you. Even if we have to meet each other for the first time all over again.”
Again you pressed his palm against your chest. “Please do this for me Sans… please… I don’t want you to have to watch me wither away. I want you to remember me as I am now.”
A lone blue tear dripping from his sockets, Sans nodded, leaning forward to kiss you on the lips. “lets have one more day together like this? just us, together. then... i’ll... do it.”
Blinking away the tears, you spoke, “Ok.”
“i love you.”
“I love you too.”
...
The first thing you heard when you came to was… talking.
“SANS ARE WE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ONE THROUGH THE PUZZLES? OR DID SHE ALREADY USE A FRISBEE?”
“paps i already told ya, it’s freebees. and no, not this one… this one is special.”
One voice sounded familiar, but the louder one was new. You eyelids fluttered, a strangled moan forcing past your throat. Slowly, the events from earlier returned to your mind.
… The snow… the wolves… almost getting killed...
… Being rescued…
“she’s waking up… bro, do you mind if i have a moment alone with her?”
“OF COURSE! I WILL GO MAKE THE HUMAN MY SPECIAL SPAGHETTI SINCE SHE IS A SPECIAL HUMAN TO YOU!”
There was stomping… followed by the creaking and shaking of floorboards…
You cracked your bleary eyes open, vision blurring momentarily before coming into focus to view a massive skeleton(?) exiting the dimly lit, dust-covered room.
But skeletons weren’t supposed to be walking around and alive …
Where were you...?
Something coarse stroked along your arm, trailing down to grab your hand. “sweetheart…”
You jumped, eyes darting to spot that red glow once more, realizing now that it was attached to a skull… a skull with a gaping hole in its temple.
A skull that… grinned as its gaze met yours. “... i’ve missed you.”
You nearly fell off the small bed you were laying on as you scrambled to sit up, ripping your hand from his and backing away until you hit the headboard. “Wh-what? Where am I? W-who are you?” Your heart hammered through your chest. “What are you?”
Somehow, the skeleton’s sockets seemed to droop after your tore your hand away, his grin dropping to a frown and that ominous, quivering red light of his constricting.
“sorry... i suppose you’re scared… sometimes i forget you don’t remember that well…”
For some reason, your gut twisted at this… chest suddenly feeling as though someone took your heart and crunched it up into pieces.
He looked… so... sad …
“N-no… I’m sorry… that was rude of me.” You exhaled a shaky sigh in effort to calm your locked-up muscles. “You’re the one that saved me right? Thank you.”
It was then that you realized that you no longer had a scratch on you. Not a single one of the puncture wounds in sight and there was no pain. Even your clothes were repaired. It was as though the encounter with the wolves never even happened.
Had this skeleton healed you somehow…? Or had you been comatose for so long that you healed on your own?
The skeleton immediately looked at you, snatching your hand once more and red hue engorging so large that it threatened to pop out of its socket. He stroked a clawed thumb over your fingers.
You let him do it this time. If it made the person who saved you less sad… you could tolerate it.
… Even if it was weird.
“don’t like fighting… ‘specially killing other monsters,” he lamented, “but i couldn’t watch you die again.”
Again?
He crawled onto the bed, scooting close and pressing the hand he was holding to his chest.
You could actually feel his ribs jutting out from beneath his thick blue jacket.
You furrowed your brows, weakly attempting to pull your hand away… but he held it tight, seeming to grip even harder in response.
Okay…
Were you in danger…?
“i just… i can’t believe you’re finally here … you… you’re late this time… ten years… ten years i’ve been waiting.” His red eye-light seemed to bounce in its socket as he rambled. “why didja have to show up after the underground went to shit…? it almost makes me wanna force another reset, i don’t want you to have to live here… but i can’t lose you again… i just can’t .”
His bones made a rattle as they shook, teeth making a chattering sound inbetween jumbled sentences. But you could barely understand his words as your heart seemed to pound through your ears.
“every time now you show up later and later and i don’t understand why.” He exhaled a shaky breath. “but i’m not gonna mess up like last time… we’re gonna be happy .”
What?
You swallowed. “I-I hope this doesn’t sound mean … but we don’t know each other. I think you might be confusing me with someone else...”
“right… right…” His hands left yours to give his non-red eye socket a quick tug. “... guess we gotta start from square one again.”
He scratched his skull with a clawed index finger, creating a grating sound that made you cringe before outstretching his hand towards you as if expecting you to shake it.
“i’m sans, sans the skeleton. i’m a monster and you’re in the underground,” he raced through his introduction as though in a hurry to get it over with, and again he thrust his hand towards you.
You blinked, chewing on your lip as you stared at his outstretched hand before taking it after a moment of hesitation.
“I, um, sorry, but what’s the ‘Underground’? I really… didn’t think monsters were even real.”
The words came out of your mouth in a neutral tone despite the way your heart raced inwardly, and you realized that you should be more in shock regarding the situation. The Underground? Monsters? Like the fairy tales you were told as a child?
Yet, somehow… it all felt familiar. Like seeing a person you recognized by face but being unable to remember their name or how you knew them…
But as Sans began to rattle off facts about the Underground, that red hue of his trembling all the while, he let something else slip that made a lump form in your throat.
Your name.
Your name.
… You hadn’t told him your name…
“... How… do you know who I am…?”
Sans blinked, which looked incredibly bizarre on a skeleton, dropping his hand and that grin of his stretching and growing rigid. “i know everything about you, sweetheart… i admit my memory ain’t the greatest anymore considering… this.” He traced the gaping crack in his skull. “but i could never forget anything about you… you’re my… my… ah, well we’ll talk about that later, it’s probably too soon… sorry, sometimes i get a little a head of myself, hehehe.”
Did you know this monster and just forget…?
Why was he acting so familiar? And calling you pet names like ‘sweetheart’?
It didn’t exactly feel wrong… but it was still unnerving coming from someone who was a total stranger.
Not to mention a foreign species.
Maybe this was normal for… monsters?
You exhaled shakily, watching as Sans twitched, that engorged crimson eye never leaving you when he inched off the bed.
“you just stay here and rest, sweetheart. i’ll go check to see if paps has some food ready for ya - oh that’s right, you haven’t met my bro yet, heh. he’s pretty cool, you‘ve always liked him. i’ll introduce ya later.”
Sans had already begun to leave before you made move to stand, calling after him.
“Wait! I-“
In the blink of an eye, Sans was in front of you again, shushing you and pushing you back onto the bed. “just stay put honey, i’ll be right back.”
How did he move that fast…?
Again you opened your mouth to speak, but Sans interrupted you, pressing an index finger against your lips. “shhh, don’t worry about anything. it will all make sense eventually.”
When he shoved your shoulders against the bed, you froze, a shiver crawling up your spine as you wondered if you should be more concerned than you were about what was occuring.
But you couldn’t find the energy to protest. And as he exited the room, you were left with nothing but questions and very few answers.
—————
“i’m so sorry, honey… but we’re out of food.”
Crimson flooded your view as the skull looked at you, sockets drooping and bones trembling as though on the verge of bursting into tears.
You scooted away from the monster, back hitting the corner of the wall moments later. There was nowhere to run. “No… p-please don’t… I love you! I don't want to d-die..."
“i love you too, sweetheart… i hate seeing you scared. please don’t be scared. i really… don’t wanna do this…” The skeleton crouched down, tracing clawed fingers over your jawline. “... but i can’t watch you starve to death again…”
He tilted your head towards him, nuzzling his forehead against yours.
“maybe the next timeline will be better.”
Leaning back, he grabbed one of your hands and held it while pressing his other skeletal hand against your chest.
An action that felt familiar.
“close your eyes, sweetheart. i’ll make it quick.”
The end was instantaneous as the bone pierced your heart.
...
“paps, what are you doing? she’s just in the other room. we can’t have the ingredients out when she’s around - it’ll scare her.”
The hushed voices from behind the wall caught your attention in the early hours of the morning.
“SORRY SANS. I WILL HIDE THEM! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A MASTER OF DECEPTION AFTER ALL!”
“... mind lowering the volume a little..?”
Deception…? Did you hear that right?
You pushed yourself off the couch, yawning as you made your way to the kitchen.
You spotted Sans and Papyrus speaking in the kitchen, the taller of the two hurriedly tucking something into a cupboard before greeting you with a wave and jagged-toothed smile.
“GOOD MORNING SISTER! DID YOU SLEEP WELL? I MADE YOU A DELICIOUS BREAKFAST!”
Papyrus jagged-toothed maw split into a grin, eyes lighting up as he gestured grandly to the steaming bowl of spaghetti on the countertop, which did indeed smell wonderful.
“Thanks Papyrus, I’ll eat in a bit.” You offered him a smile which seemed to make him absolutely giddy.
You never did understand why he referred to you as ‘sister’. When you asked Sans, he had assured you that Papyrus referred to all women by that name… but you still found it… strange...
Nonetheless, you tolerated it. They were a bit... weird, but the two brothers had been nothing but kind to you. Sans rescued you, healed you... Papyrus kept you fed. It was more than you would typically expect from two strangers. It warmed your heart and you could handle being called odd pet names if it made them happy to do so.
But it had been weeks and you still had no idea where exactly you were, beyond it being the Underground. Or why you were here. Was there a way out? Was someone looking for you?
“I AM GOING TO GO CALIBRATE MY - ER, I AM GOING FOR A WALK I MEAN. I WILL RETURN SHORTLY,” Papyrus announced before taking large strides towards the door.
A walk? That actually sounded real nice.
You hadn’t been outside once since being brought to this house…
Sans had always insisted that you needed to rest, that it was dangerous outside and he still wasn’t certain you were fully healed. And you agreed, you certainly didn’t want to be attacked by rabid wolf monsters again. But surely with Papyrus, you would be safe?
“I’ll come with you!” You bounced towards him.
Papyrus’s mouth opened as if to speak, freezing, dim eye-lights darting between you and Sans. He reset his jaw. “ERM…”
Seconds later, Sans was next to you, clawed hand wrapping around your arm. “actually i need your help here today sweetheart… stay with me…?”
Your brows furrowed… but upon seeing the near-puppy dog expression Sans gave you, you relented. “Okay…”
You followed him back into the catching, sighing as you grabbed the spaghetti and sat down at the table. The two brothers had mentioned that food was in short supply here, and while you were thankful that they shared with you, your stomach constantly clenched in guilt for eating what little they had.
Since arriving here, you had yet to see Sans eat…
You wondered if he was able to go without food due to being a skeleton monster, but you still worried about him.
Was he hungry…? Would he starve…?
“Sans, do you want some?” You offered him the bowl of spaghetti.
Sans sat in the chair across from you, grin ever present as he shook his head. “nah, you eat it. i’m fine.”
You ate in silence as Sans watched you, red hue bright, a look of adoration on his face that continued to perplex you.
“So… I was thinking… I should probably be on my way soon. I’m really thankful for all you and Papyrus have done, but I’m healed now and feel bad-“
“stop talking about that.”
You jumped, gaze darting to Sans only to find that his usual engorged crimson eye-light had shrunken to a trembling dot, sockets dark and grin straining so tight that it almost formed a frown.
“you… you can’t leave. i won’t let you leave me again.”
The hell...?
You stood, swallowing as you took a step back from the table. A shiver crept down your spine and you found yourself wondering if you should have left much sooner.
“But I have to… I have to go home. I-I don’t remember it well, but I’m sure someone is looking for me.”
Before you knew it, Sans was at your side, snatching your hands and pulling you close to him. His red hue had widened back to its normal size, but it quivered chaotically around the edges.
“your home is here - with me, sweetheart,” he raced through his words, “i know you don’t remember and i was trying to ease you into it, but i can’t do that if you leave.”
Your brows furrowed and you tried to pull away, finding that you couldn’t due to his iron-tight grip.
“we… we’re soulmates, sweetheart. and we’ve lived many lives together. i-i’ll explain how the resets work better someday, but you gotta believe me that we’re meant to be.”
“Sans… you’re scaring me.”
“no, no… don’t be scared…” Sans dropped your hands, gaze suddenly directed towards the ceiling as he stepped back and yanked at his empty eye-socket so hard that it jostled his bones. “no… she’s scared… she’s scared… she can’t be scared…”
He kept yanking and yanking, making an audible crack echo through the room, followed by a puff of dust leaking from the victim socket.
“Stop that!”
You, horrified, rushed forward and grabbed his wrist, pulling the hand away from his face. Stroking your fingers over his, you met his eyes. “Sorry, I guess I don’t understand what you mean when you say these things… but I really think you’re confusing me with someone else.”
“i’m not,” he said instantly. “i’d never not recognize you… please stay… i promise things won’t turn out like last time.”
Your heart began to race at his words, and again you felt… unsafe. What does he mean by ‘last time’? He said those types of things often, and it was more than a little unsettling.
He’s obviously mentally unwell… you didn’t know him like he thinks. And the more he spoke about things such as this, the more it made you think...
... Should you be trying to get away from this guy...?
“... this time, things will be better.”
————-
Red burned in your peripheral as skeletal hands locked the shackles around your neck. It felt so heavy and cold…
Tears biting at your eyes, you looked at him, his eye-lights hauntingly bright.
“i’m sorry honey… but this is for your own good.”
He smiled at you, holding your hand.
“i promise it will all make sense eventually.”
...
It was the middle of the night when you left.
You snuck out, careful not to wake Papyrus or Sans as you tiptoed along the creaky floorboards while they slept upstairs. A note was left on the kitchen table thanking the brothers for their hospitality and a coat taken from the closet - you hoped they wouldn’t mind.
You couldn’t stay here.
You could barely remember, but you figured you must have family out there somewhere.
And Sans… the way he was acting… you didn’t understand.
At first you had thought it was just a part of monster culture to be overly welcoming and personal. That maybe he was a bit delusional due to the injury to his skull.
But now Sans was calling you his soulmate.
That was too much.
You couldn’t stay here.
The forest was dark and still coated in a blanket of snow. You had no idea which direction to go, so you chose at random, hopeful that you wouldn’t run into wolves again.
But you would take your chances. As things were, you were beginning to feel more unsafe around Sans than the wolves.
You shivered, wrapping the jacket tighter around yourself as you trudged along, a deep trail of footprints left in your wake.
There had to be a way out of here right?
You let out a shaky breath, which condensed into a mist of vapor in the cold, jumping when sound of cracking wood echoed in the distance.
A shiver crawled up your spine. Was it those wolves again...? A stifled whimper forced past your throat, but you swallowed it, rationalizing that it was likely just a fallen tree branch. Snow weighed a lot after all.
Maybe… you should go back. Sans was right about one thing - it was dangerous out here. And there was no doubt that you did feel some mysterious draw to Sans… but the more rational side of you warned that something bad would happen if you stayed in that house.
No. You had to leave. You had to keep going.
You kept moving forward.
And forward.
… And forward.
And screamed in frustration when you came across what was unmistakably the place you had woken up weeks prior.
Were you just… going in circles?
Clawing at your numbed palms, you let out a strangled noise as you turned to go back.
Red filled your gaze.
And you quite nearly screamed again.
Sans was there, a crazed look in his eyes as his red hue quaked chaotically in its socket, his usual grin strained to a scowl and bones so tense that they seemed to tremble.
“why are ya out here, sweetheart? you know it’s not safe. the other monsters can be dangerous. ”
His words sounded so rigid, as though he feared cracking under the pressure.
The massive hole in his skull had never looked so large as you stared at him now.
You took a hesitant step back. “Sans… hi.”
He advanced on you a step, closing the small distance you had created and that grin of his seeming to grow even wider.
“I-I um, I’m sorry I took your coat.” You nodded to the blue jacket you were wearing. “I was going to bring it back after I found where I’m supposed to be… b-but I guess you can have it back… n-now?”
Your last word came out as a question, more due to the surprise of him suddenly embracing you into a hug and pressing a kiss to your forehead than anything.
“why don’t you get it…? we’re supposed to be together… sweetheart…” Sans murmured into your hair, gripping you tighter. “please stay… let me help you remember.”
“Sans… I need to…” You swallowed, pressing your hands against his chest as you tried to push away. “Please let me go.”
“no.”
“... No?”
“no,” he repeated, claws clenching so hard that they threatened puncturing your skin. “you’re not going anywhere… i won’t let you.”
There was a sudden cold, whirling sensation… and you realized that you were back in Sans’ room.
What the…? How…?
Heart racing, you began to panic, shoving against his ribcage. “Let me go! Let me go! What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t stop me from leaving!”
You pulled away from him, half-surprised to see that he relented and let you slip from his grip.
But you barely made it to the door of his room before an unseen force clutched your chest. Your mouth opened in a silent scream that never came, like your vocal cords had been cut. And you were dragged to the bed, heels scraping against the dirt-ridden wooden floor as you tried to fight it.
You were dropped onto the mattress moments later, springs creaking as the invisible force seemed to press you into it.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the room, and you spotted Sans at the foot of the bed, his red hue shrunken to a slit as he hovered over you.
Hints of blue seemed to mingle with the crimson in his left socket.
He grabbed your ankle, his touch somehow gentle despite the way his claws pricked you, and you felt the chillness of metal on your skin followed by a click. Moments later, the blue in his socket dissipated and the pressure on your chest lifted.
You were immediately on your feet again and tried to run for the door, only to feel whiplash on your ankle as you were stopped short, realizing that the shackle around it was locked by a metal chain to the bed.
Eyes widening in realization, you looked to Sans, finding him staring at you with dim eye lights and drooping sockets, his usual grin stuck in a frown.
“sorry…” he said as he tucked his hands into his coat pockets, shuffling awkwardly. “don’t worry, i’ll sleep on the couch until you’re ready.”
Your jaw dropped, a small quiver to it. “What? No! Take this off of me!”
You stumbled backwards as Sans began to advance on you, the moldy wooden wall scraping against your shoulder blades seconds later. Tears streamed from your eyes as you began to hyperventilate, the direness of your situation crashing down on you like a thunderous wave.
“Please.”
“i can’t. but i tried to use the more comfortable ones this time… you never liked the ones that went around your neck or wrists…”
“No, no, no, no…” you clawed at your face, slumping to the ground as your legs grew too numb to remain standing, heart pounding as though it was working a hole through your chest. “Why are you doing this...?”
“i know it will be hard at first… sorry about that… i really tried to help you understand the nicer way...” Sans stepped forward, crouching down and brushing your tears away. “but you didn’t, and i can’t let you leave me...”
”... you and i were made for each other after all.”
Stroking a strand of hair behind your ears, he kissed your head. “you’ll come to love me eventually.”
“you almost always do.”