Chapter Text
Chara reluctantly opens the door to Sans’ room.
Toriel had asked them to get him for her, and Chara knew choosing them to do it was most likely a ploy to get the two to interact for once. Chara wasn’t really fond of Sans. Through Frisk’s journey through the underground, they could only see ways Sans failed to fulfill his promise to Toriel. Chara had witnessed Frisk die to countless monsters, and started to regard Sans with scorn as he did nothing to help. “You haven’t died a single time,” my ass!
A prominent moment Chara faulted him for was the Undyne fight. He knew Undyne and didn’t do a thing to stop her, despite the fact she was filled with murderous intent for humans at the time. Chara could relate, but this was about Frisk. He only slept as they ran in fear from her, only good for stopping her for a moment. They can still remember the clanking of her armor behind them as they ran. He was too lazy to help a defenseless child, and that filled them with contempt.
It doesn’t even account for the time they went through the underground, ending all in their path. Sans had done next to nothing, they thought bitterly. He didn’t get his brother out, he didn’t help evacuate, he just planted himself in their path when it was all too late. Monsters from the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and the Core, all dead in their path but now he chose to fight them. The golden light of the Judgement Hall is stark in their memory. Frisk , however, was very absent in that run. Very quiet, like they weren’t there, but they could feel the presence of them in their mind, being attached to their soul. Perhaps all of the LOVE the gained made them grow so distant.
Maybe Sans was scared, they sometimes ponder, but never try to think too deeply about it. They had been scared, too. They felt controlled, like they were no longer in charge of their actions. It felt as though it was not they themselves who killed them. It felt like there was only one option: FIGHT. It was fortunate that that feeling had left them shortly after Sans died. Maybe it was all their imagination? Either way, Chara and Frisk reset as soon as possible afterwards. They try not to think of that run too much.
Most of all though, Chara senses an underlying anger from the skeleton. He nearly never shows it. It only really manifested during That run, when he was pushed to the brink. That anger… scares them, though they wouldn’t admit it out loud. It makes them wary of him and his intentions.
Frisk, however, was more fond of the skeleton, trying to insist to Chara that he was a good person, and didn’t even try to kill them once after they reset. However, Chara figured the others were at least honest with Frisk, showing their true colors rather than pretending to be their friend. Perhaps it was unfair of Chara, they sometimes thought, but could never help the disdain they feel for the monster whenever they are forced to lay eyes on him.
Sans was lying face down on his “bed”. You can hardly call it such, being only a dirty mattress on the floor. He was snoring softly, but Chara knew that that was a ruse, knowing how uncomfortable the skeleton was with them.
“Hey, Sans, mom wants you.” They told Sans.
He turns over and props himself up on a skeletal elbow.
“Tori wants me? I better go before I get her goat.” He said in return.
Was that a pun? More likely than not. Chara’s mouth formed a strained smile.
“Don’t call her that.” They replied.
“Oh c’mon, it’s not so Tori-ble.”
Ah. Their grin grew wider.
“If you make one more stupid pun, I will literally stab you. Get out here.” Chara said, waiting at the door.
His near-permanent grin grew wider as well. “That’s not very knife of you, but I understand. You are always quite a Chara-cter.”
“Shut UP, that’s not how you pronounce my fucking name and you know it!”
This stupid skeleton always knew how to get under their skin and he never failed to take advantage of that fact.
“Woah kid. Watch the language, you’re gonna break Tori’s heart.”
Was that a reference to Toriel’s soul shattering in front of them? Probably. Grin still stretched across their face, they inhale deeply, and exit the room. They wait outside the door for a short while before Sans came out as well.
As he exited the room, Undyne, sitting next to Alphys on the couch, yelled up to him.
“THAT’S HIM. THAT’S THE PUPPET MASTER THAT CURSED MY DICK!!” Alphys snorted out her soda. Sans chuckled as Chara stifled a laugh behind their hand.
“Undyne, you will not use such language in front of my children!” Toriel admonished from the kitchen. She was cleaning up from baking one of her signature butterscotch cinnamon pies. Papyrus was helping as well, wanting to learn from the best.
“Yeah Undyne, my innocent ears can’t take it.” Sans says, leaning against the bannister.
“You don’t even have ears???”
“SANS HAS EARS.” Papyrus called, still in the kitchen.
“Yeah?? Where?” Undyne questioned, turning to him.
“IN HIS HEART.”
Sans put a hand over where his heart would be and said, “Yeah, its right ear.”
“SANS!!!!!” Papyrus audibly frowned as Toriel snorted. She always had a fondness for puns, which was fine as long as they weren’t his. Sans had been making an effort to make more puns, knowing how much Toriel enjoys them, to Papyrus’ dismay.
Sans and Chara made their way downstairs, Chara heading for the couch, and Toriel, to the kitchen.
“Whats up, T?” He asked Toriel.
“I was just cleaning up! I will be with you in a moment.” She finishes placing a bowl in a cabinet, and leaves the rest to the taller skeleton brother.
“We were all going to head to the beach today!. You were the only one not up. Do you think that you can take one of the children? Papyrus’ car can only fit so many.”
“Yeah sure thing.” The beach was only a short ride away, he figured he can manage the two rascals while the wait for the others to arrive.
Chara joined Undyne and Alphys on the couch. They were watching Mettaton wrap up his show. He, too, was joining them, taking Asgore with him, too. He was currently in his box form, but would most likely use his EX form later, since wheels and sand don’t mix so well.
Frisk exits the bathroom, hair in a small ponytail and adorned with a pink cat hair clip they got from said ghost-robot. They approached the three on the couch.
“Hey!! Chara, you stole my spot!” Frisk signed.
“Finders keepers.” Chara replied as they settled in deeper into the cushions.
“If you really Charabout them, you’d share.” Sans said, peeking into the living room once more.
“Stop pronouncing my name like that!!” Chara shouted indignantly.
Frisk covered their smile with their hands. It is going to be a long day.
Shortly after, Papyrus finished cleaning up the kitchen.
“THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALL READY TO GO!!” He cheered.
“Aw hell yeah! Come on, Alphy! Oh!!! But I call shotgun!!” Undyne exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air.
“Wh-who else is coming with us?” Alphys asked.
“I will be joining you as well. Chara, Frisk, which of you would like to join us in Papyrus’ car?” Toriel questioned, tilting her head slightly.
“ME!” Frisk signed faster than Chara could speak.
Chara turned to them desperately. “No, Frisk, please! I’ll die.” They plead. Frisk regarded them for a moment, before signing, “Then perish.” They turned and ran out the door to the car.
Feeling a presence suddenly close to them, Chara turned slowly. Sans stood behind them, with a shit-eating grin.
“Well kid, guess you’re with me.”
Their strained smile returned. “Oh. Wonderful.” They ground out.
As Chara stood there, filled with discomfort, Toriel approached Sans.
“Here is some money, perhaps you can buy some Nice Cream, if you would like! Remember, their favorite is chocolate.” Toriel smiled at him. He winked at her, and said, “Yeah I know. They never fail to chocobout it.”
Toriel hooted with laughter, before leaving the house with Undyne and Alphys following her. Papyrus stopped at the door for a moment before turning to his brother.
“PLEASE DON’T FALL ASLEEP IN THE OCEAN AND DRIFT AWAY BEFORE WE GET THERE. I WOULD BE VERY SAD.” Papyrus says before exiting the house, leaving Chara and Sans alone. Ugh.
“Ok, ok, get over here.” Sans motioned Chara over.
“Yeah just don’t touch me.” Chara approached Sans, and stood, uncomfortable with their closeness. They blinked, felt the world shift around, the world spinning on its axis, and stumbled. They landed in sand.
“Oops, forgot to mention. Its disorienting the first couple of times.” He grinned and winked.
“Yeah, thanks for nothing, buddy.” Chara muttered. “Teleporting isn’t even a bone related power, why do you have it anyway…” They mumbled, mostly to themself.
Welp. Now they were stuck with each other, until the others arrived by car, and Mettaton and Asgore by limo.
It went okay, for a while. Chara didn’t bother Sans and Sans didn’t bother Chara. They set up towels in the sand to lay on, or Chara did, while Sans lied down, okay with sand settling in between his bones. Chara set up a cute fish themed umbrella Asgore had bought them, covering the two in shade. Chara settled down on their towel and just watched the scene.
Having been stuck as a ghost following Frisk, they had grown quite used to just sitting and watching. They let themself get lost in the sunny scene. Onionsan waved at them from the ocean. They hesitantly waved back.
“Welp. I figure now is a good a time as any.” Sans said suddenly, startling Chara.
“What?”
“I have something I’ve been meaning to ask ya, kid.” Chara tilted their head in confusion. What could Sans of all people want to talk to them about.
“It about the last timeline.”
Ah. Of course. Of course he wants to know about that timeline, the attempted genocide of monsters, of everyone.
They plaster on yet another smile and fold their hands over each other. “What would you like to know, dear sweet friend of mine?” They ask sweetly.
“...Yeah. Why’d you do it, kid.”
“Haha! Yes that is the question, isn’t it? How do you know Frisk didn’t do it, huh?” They start to shake as guilt bubbles up from accusing their friend of this.
“Well for one thing, they didn’t sign a word. They’re behaviors were different. I felt an unfamiliarity, when before, after reset it was like meeting an old friend again.”
Chara wraps their arms around themself. “Maybe you don’t know Frisk as well as you think you do,” they tried.
“Kid, QUIT trying to blame them. It’s not very, uh, becoming of you.”
“It wasn’t ME, Sans!” Their voice begins to raise, their smile straining their cheeks.
His eye sockets narrow. “It might do you some good to start telling the truth.”
“But-but, I don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t do that to mom, to Undyne, to Papyrus!”
His smile turned strained as well when they mentioned his brother. Wrong move.
“Yeah. You’re not sounding very convincing.”
“I swear! There was this force, something I couldn’t see! It started all of it! Why-why would I kill my family?! I thought it was Frisk but now I don’t know anymore, but it’s gone and I don’t have to think about it ever again!” They turn to the side, hands clutching at their chest. Looking for a control on their soul that isn’t there anymore. Sweat starts to run down their face and neck as they grow more agitated.
“It’s over Sans, so let’s just forget about it! Isn’t that for the best?!” They cry, desperately.
“I don’t think so. How do I know you won’t do it again? How do I know you won’t tear it all away from us?” He accuses, pointing a bony finger at them.
“I can’t, Sans!” They turn back to him, eyes wild. “Every since I got a body again, FRISK has had the sole power of saving, of resets! Not me!” They flap their hands up and down.
“Fine. Then prove to me. Prove to me you weren’t the one who did it all.”
“I can’t! I don’t know anymore! I'm so scared, scared that I was the one who did it the whole time, that I made it all up! I can’t make it up to anyone, knowing that even if it wasn’t me, there was nothing I could do to stop it!” They turn away again, jerkily. “T-this is my punishment, isn’t it? For my stupid plan, for getting Asriel killed! I can never be forgiven for my sins! Haha!”
It felt as if everything was falling apart. They could feel invisible buttercups blooming in their chest, filling their throat. They were beginning to hyperventilate, and didn’t even notice Sans anymore, couldn’t see the regret on his features. They can’t stop laughing. They cover their eyes with their hands. It’s all too much. They don’t even notice as they start to bite their knuckles, looking for some semblance of control.
They don’t hear as Sans is calling their name. Is it their name? They can’t remember anymore. He calls again, but nobody heard.
Chara feels something touch their shoulder, and they spin wildly, swiping with a knife they don’t have.
Sans blips out of the way, hands held up in surrender. He looks concerned.
“Kid, sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. My bad.” He says, sitting back down.
They breath heavily, red eyes shining with unshed tears. They rub at the teeth marks on their hand.
“If you say you didn’t do it, I’ll believe you. I… won’t push it anymore, ok?” He tries to assure them.
They chuckle darkly. “You don’t have to be nice for my sake, Sans. I don’t deserve it.”
“Buddy, you were just a kid. You ARE just a kid. Maybe I don’t know the full story, but… I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. A bad person wouldn’t feel so bad or confused about something they might not have done.”
“Maybe, we… have more in common than I thought.” He says. Chara laughs at that. “No really, It seems we were both at the whims of something bigger, something beyond our control. I can’t fault you for that. Plus, hey, we're both pretty smiley.”
Chara scrubs at their face, smile starting to waver. “I… I don’t know Sans. You don’t need to change anything because you saw how much of a mess I am.”
“I was being stubborn. I wanted someone to hate, kid, you were just ‘lucky’ enough to be the person I chose to blame.”
“I… I’ll try to be less hard on you, too. I know you don’t deserve it. It’s just so hard not to fall into my anger, which I know isn’t an excuse but-”
“Hey, don’t sweat it, kid.” He assures them, scratching awkwardly at the back of his skull.
They stay quiet for a moment, watching the push and pull of the ocean.
“Want to get some Nice Cream with me, before the others arrive?” Sans finally asks, dusting sand off his shorts.
“...Okay.”
Their relationship still wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.