Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

-Earth-


Red or blue? Bright blue-gray eyes scanned the two choices carefully. Should she choose the red shirt or the blue? The red shirt was a little more form-fitting and bared a black tribal dragon on the front of it. While the dark blue shirt was a little looser, and there for comfier, with the bold letters of 'Boston' written across its front. The red shirt was obviously the nicer shirt in her own opinion. Bearing the symbol of the dragon always made her feel stronger. But on the other hand, the blue shirt offered comfort. And because it was looser she felt safer in it when she went out amongst society. It really didn't matter of course, the shirt was just going to be hidden under her work uniform, but for her, the choice felt like it would matter.
 
Her eyes darted to the digital clock that rested on the small nightstand beside her messily made bed. 2:30 pm. Not much time left before she had to leave for work. Taking a big sigh, she reached out and grabbed the blue shirt. She quickly tugged it over her head then pulled the red polo that was her work shirt on over that. She pulled her long golden hair free from their collars and then spun around and headed for her dresser. Her room was not very big but it was big enough for a twin sized bed with a nightstand and a small dresser. The small dresser sat on the opposite wall from her bed nestled beneath a window that gave her a good view of the neighborhood houses on her parents’ quiet street. Next to the dresser sat a large stack of books neatly piled on top of each other on the floor.
 
Picking her brush up off of the dresser, she paused to pull a hair tie off of its handle before she ran it through her golden locks, smoothing out tangles and wayward strands and pulling it into a low loose ponytail. She took a quick once over of her appearance. A young 19-year-old, almost 20, she was short, much to her displeasure, her height only reaching 5'1, although that seemed to be pretty average for girls that lived around her area. She couldn't help but hate that she couldn't reach most things without needing a chair, not to mention getting her short sleeve shirt sleeves stuck on door handles as she passed them. That was always fun.
 
…Yay…
 
She was a healthy average weight, not too skinny yet not overweight. Her waist tapering to flare at her hips giving her a slight hourglass figure with a larger chest size to boot. One that in her opinion was just a pain in the ass. Like seriously, running was just a nightmare and god, the back pain… She fidgeted frustrated with her thoughts, gods why was she even thinking about that right now? Thankfully at the moment they were covered by two baggy shirts.
 
She wasn't wearing makeup and usually didn't. Never really caring to cover up her fair skin. In her opinion dealing with makeup every day was not only expensive but a pain in the ass. Which was fine really, because the stuff never seemed to help her self-esteem even if she was wearing it. So why waste time and money? It didn't seem to matter anyway; people would make comments about her appearance whether she was wearing it or not. Some were rude while others were rather nice.
 
She tended to believe the more rude ones.
 
The buzzing of her phone sitting in her pants pocket startled her out of her steadily growing darker thoughts. She pulled the little device out and stopped the alarm before returning it back to her pocket. Her tired eyes met her own in the mirror taking one last look at her quickly put together appearance. Well, it was the best she was going to do for today. Nodding to herself she headed out of her room and down the short hallway leading to the stairs and then headed down into the living room. From there she crossed over into the kitchen and grabbed the bag of bread seated on the counter. She took a slice of bread out and popped it in-between her teeth before twisting the bag back up and laying it back on the counter. She turned and started to head out the side door that lead into the garage. Only stopping when she heard her mother call her name.
 
"Hope, that's all you're going to be eating before you head to work?" Her mother asked as she entered the kitchen. She eyed her daughter critically, catching her standing in the doorway. One foot almost out the door. Hope shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
 
"I'll be fine, I get a break after two hours and then I'll just pick up something at work. I do work at a grocery store you know." At that last part, she added a reassuring smile. She didn't like to worry her mother, but her mother seemed to worry about everything.
 
"Well…. Okay…" Was her mother's unconvinced reply
 
"I'll see you when I get out, love ya!" Hope yelled as she headed quickly out the door and out of the garage to her small old black caviler.
 
"Goodbye honey! Have a good day!"
 
Starting up her little car she pulled forward and headed down her street and out of her subdivision. It was not a long drive to work but the drive always gave her just enough time to dread the upcoming work day. Another day in retail, she shuddered at the thought. Don't get her wrong she knew her life wasn't that bad. She had a steady, dependable job, that admittedly didn't pay much, but she still had it. And she had a loving family, or at least most of it was a loving family. The only thing she really lacked was friends, and although her mother always said it was just because she was shy and didn't want to be around other people, she knew the real reason she didn't have any friends.
 
She was defective, she was weird, she was different from everyone else. She preferred things like books and games, and things that had to do with spirits and fantasy. It was all just so… much better than her current life. Besides her anxiety, lack of being more than what she was always got in the way of any friendship she had been wanting to make. After all, she was as her biological father always put it, worthless. She was nothing special, always unable to do anything right. So instead of worrying about it she was just going to push through her day, just like she did through every other day.

-The Underground-

Two small glowing orbs watched as his father and mentor rushed from one side of the machine to the other. His own glowing orbs carefully examining, calculating.  Every now and then pausing to make little alterations and second checking his sons work, his work. A frown pulled at his always smiling face, he felt slightly resentful that his work was being re-checked but he pushed that thought away. Now was not the time to be worried about such petty things. They were finally going to test their latest experiment, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't just a little bit excited. Even if he had his doubts about it actually working.
 
"Yes, yes perfect" His father would mutter as he moves on to the next set of wires and metal. "This is it; we're finally going to see if it's possible to reach into another dimension!" Gaster exclaimed to himself before he turned to the younger skeleton, his son "Are you ready?"
 
Sans nodded his head in answer, unwilling to voice any of his doubts.
 
"Good, good, let us get started then." Gaster said as he clasped his hands behind his back. Sans nodded in response and turned back to his panel. He flipped a few switches and rotated a dial then watched nervously as power began flowing to their newest creation. Gaster turned back to his machine in excitement. If he could do this; if he could pull something from another world entirely, into their own world, then he could potentially free everyone from their eternal prison. His current machine couldn't send anything anywhere, but it could pull things to them. And if he could prove that there was more out there than their dimension, then he could get the Kings approval to make a much bigger machine. One that would be able to move things to another plane of existence.
 
But only if this machine worked.
 
Gaster glanced toward his second apprentice, the young shy yellow lizard clutched her claws nervously as her eyes darted from his watchful eyes back toward the screen she was supposed to be monitoring. The sound of his son flipping more switches filled the tense silence. His eyes darted back to his machine making sure everything was running smoothly "Alphys are you still watching that screen?"
 
"Y-Yes" She responded nervously.
 
"Good, what are the readings" His excitement covered his usually clipped tone.
 
"T-There g-going up! W-were in t-the green!" Alphys exclaimed excitedly. His smile broadens as he took a few steps back from his machine.
 
"Excellent! Sans pull the lever, yes hurry, do it now!"
 
Sans quickly flung himself toward the lever just on the right side of the panel. He clutched his hands over the handle and yanked it forward. A loud whirring sound filled the lab accompanied by small flashes of light and loud clanks. Still clutching the lever as if his life depended on it his head snapped in the direction of the machine and his father. Gaster's lab coat was billowing out in the sudden gust of wind the machine had kicked up. Nervous excitement filled Sans as the machine began to glow and snaps of electricity began to flare. They were doing it! They were really doing it! He poured all of his hope and excitement into their machine. This had to work, it just had to. If it worked it meant they could be free, and Papyrus, Papyrus his baby brother would finally be able to leave the house he had been confined to since he had been created.
 
He glanced at his father as his feverish laughter joined in with the loud whirling of the machine. Maybe when this was all over Gaster would go back to the way he used to be. The way he had been right after Sans had been created. Maybe... he quickly pushed that thought aside. He had far more pressing things to be thinking about.
 
A loud snap ricochet off of the metallic walls causing all three monsters to flinch. Alphys yelped as she nearly fell from her seat and Sans let go of the lever in surprise. A small blinding light appeared in front of the machine causing Gaster to move further back out of self-preservation. All of the monsters felt the power of that blinding light ripple through the room in gentle waves.
 
"Alphys!"
 
"I-It's l-leveling out s-sir." Another loud cracking noise filled the room as the white light got bigger. Stretching almost floor to ceiling. Beads of sweat formed on the younger skeletons forehead and his eyes nervously dart over to Alphys who was looking at him as well. Their eyes met briefly and Sans noted the fearful look in her eyes before her gaze darted away from his. They both turned back to the light as a strong pulse swept through the room knocking everyone onto the floor. The lights in the lab began to flicker, the bright light swelled, blinding everyone in the room.

-Earth-

 Hope angrily ripped her work shirt over her head and flung it on the ground, then shoved her hands in her pockets to angrily pull her cell phone free, tossing it on the bed. She twisted around to quietly shut her bedroom door so as not to wake her parents up before sitting on the edge of her bed and burying her face in her hands. She made a strangled sound of frustration, letting her anger and sadness from the past eight hours of her work shift go. She hated her job, oh gods above how she hated her job. She always worked the late shift, which meant not getting home until 11 o'clock at night. Not only did she miss dinners with her family, and thus by extension not really having a dinner at all, but it was almost impossible to fall asleep right after getting out of work. So she would be up for the next couple of hours before sleep would be able to claim her. She was just thankful that she took the summer semesters off otherwise she would be really tired tomorrow morning.
 
Peeking through her fingers she stared at her carpeted floor. She couldn't do it anymore; she couldn't keep this job. Her managers were terrible, and not just her managers, the managers in every department of the store were terrible. They didn't know half of the stuff that even she herself knew and they were incapable of helping out when they were needed. Not to mention dodging work when they could and talking down to employees in front of customers. No one was happy at her work. Coworkers were always complaining about something and all the negative talking was starting to get to her. It also didn't help that she worked in retail. There was no job worse than retail. Well, okay maybe there was, but not to her damn it!
 
The job was stressful, and since she was a hard worker she was expected to finish everyone else's work on top of her own. It was exhausting and more often than not she found herself hiding back in a corner of the store trying to overcome a panic attack. She hated being seen as weak, crying and hyperventilating, and not being able to control it… well, she hated being seen that way. She was not weak, just stressed; really, really stressed. And maybe a little depressed she admitted silently to herself.
 
But it’s still a job…
 
Sighing in defeat, she sat up straighter and pulled her golden hair free to let it cascade over her shoulders. She then turned to the stack of books on the ground. She had been meaning to buy a bookshelf for them but just hadn't found the time. Maybe she would pick out her favorite book, the one that she had read countless times just to escape this world for a little while and enter a world with magic and fantastical beasts. A world that she always thought she would fit better in; one where she didn't feel so alone. Smiling fondly at the spine of her favorite book from across the room she stood up to retrieve it with plans to snuggle up in bed with some comfy pajamas for a long night of reading.
 
A few steps toward her books a strange pulse rippled through the air causing her to stumble forward in surprise. Fear and anxiety flashed through her body and instinct demand that she back up. She took a few tentative steps back and swept her eyes around her room. There seemed to be a slight current of air ruffling her hair but other than that everything appeared to be fine. But the air around her felt… different, it felt like it was thick and full of static. She frowned, how on earth did air even feel thick like this, it almost felt solid. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed the initial feelings of fear aside as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
 
Perhaps there was a strong storm whipping through? A glance out her window confirmed that, no, there was not. The window itself was also closed so why was there a draft? Her frown deepened. Some part of her was telling her to leave, escape while she still could. Something was happening and it was not safe here. But a bigger part of her was screaming in excitement and wonder. Something was happening in her sad, boring life! And right in her room! Something that would normally only happen in a book or in one of her day dreams. And she was not about to pass this opportunity up.
 
With this new feeling of excitement and determination she took a step forward. The minute her body moved with intent, charged by excitement and determination, a spark flashed in front of her face and suddenly she was falling. The air compressed around her, suffocating her and making her feel as if she was being tightly bound from all sides. The air that was left in her lungs escaped in a startled shriek before everything went white.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-



"Asgore! Asgore, please! Wait! Asgore you are being unreasonable!" Toriel, a large regal goat monster, chased after her mate as he headed with purpose down a long corridor leading away from their little home built inside the family wing of the castle. She wore a soft, long white and purple wrinkled dress bearing her families emblem. Her normal more intricate gown that she wore out into public long forgotten in her wardrobe. Her normally well-groomed white fur, a perfect match to her mates, was now ruffled and messy. Her eyes red rimmed and puffy, hours spent crying and refusing to leave their bed having taken its toll.

"I'm being unreasonable?" He asked in disbelief and anger, finally rounding on her. She quickly stopped almost running into him. Rage and sorrow rolled off of him in heavy waves. "Because of them both of our children are dead! They’re dead Toriel!" She flinched at his words as well as the volume and fierceness of his booming voice. It rumbled like thunder in the silent halls of their family wing. The remainder of both of her children dead, both dying in horrible ways, was like rubbing salt in an open gaping wound that refused to close. It left her SOUL feeling as if it were going to tear in two. Asgore began to pace back and forth in front of Toriel trying to relieve the strong emotions pushing him.

"You cannot do this Asgore." She tried again voice cracking slightly. She attempted to pull herself into a more collected appearance but faltered slightly as she felt her mates’ emotions warring with her own through their mating bond. She reached out toward him resting her paw on his chest. Desperate to make some sort of connection with her mate. He stopped moving as her soft paw rested on him. "Please." she pleaded with him. He paused as if considering her words. "You cannot condemn every human that falls into the Underground. What if they are innocent? What if they are simply children? I won't let you."

"Toriel I will not stand by and let-"

Before he could finish his sentence a strong force rippled through the room, powerful enough to nudge both monsters a few inches from where they had previously been standing forcing them to take a step to the side to steady themselves. Asgore reached out placing his large paw on his mates shoulder while Toriel's paw found purchase on the wall beside her, helping steady herself. Startled they both looked at each other in confusion. Neither of them had felt such powerful magic before, not since they had been trapped underground.

"What in heavens was that?" Toriel asked, her voice quivering.

"I'm not sure," Asgore said as he turned his head to the side, a far off calculating look in his eye. "But it felt like it came from Hotland."



-Hotland-




Another strong pulse ripped through the lab and continued to ripple out into the Underground. It left behind an invisible oppressive force that was holding Sans down. He struggled to move fearful of what was happening and worried for his father and his friend Alphys. After a few tries his struggling proved fruitless as he was barely able to move an inch. He could feel panic beginning to set in and his magic lashed out angrily in response.

Then he felt it.

It was small at first but it was insistent, almost demanding to be heard. Something was tugging at his SOUL.

Strong emotions warred with one another until he forced himself to calm down. Something was happening and his SOUL was reacting to it. And that was odd because nothing had ever called to his SOUL before. Taking a deep breath, he tentatively reached out with his magic amplifying his SOUL so that it could find what was pulling for it. He ended up brushing against something completely unexpected, another SOUL. It was calling out to him, crying out for help. Sans magic stuttered for a brief moment. Was it another SOUL? Had… had he stumbled upon another monster that was not only compatible with him physically, but complimented his own SOUL's frequency? The hope he suddenly felt made his SOUL soar but the situation he was currently dealing with made him leery. Slowly, so as not to frighten the owner of the SOUL further, he let his own SOUL flash over theirs getting a feel for what was happening. He felt the SOUL quacking with unbridled fear, pain, and loneliness. Those emotions were so strong they struck a chord in his more primal side. Protect, Dominate, or Hunt. It startled him just how quickly his thoughts snapped to those three simplistic options.

Monsters rarely reverted to their more primal natures, only when two SOULS were intimate was it likely to happen. And for Sans, he had only ever read about it happening. He had never experienced anything like this before and as a result, he was having a hard time controlling his more basic instincts. Logically, he didn't want to dominate or hunt anyone in this situation. He could practically taste their fear for stars sakes. Which meant the safest instinct to listen to at the moment would be to protect. But he didn't know who needed to be protected if they needed to be protected, or even where they were. Though they had to be close enough for him to be able to sense their SOUL's distress. How was he even going to protect them? He felt frustration and anxiety mixing with his fear until it was settling like a heavy stone within his ribcage.

With renewed motivation he tried to move again, this time using his magic to move. He couldn't just continue to be pinned to the ground. He may have found his match, something Gaster had told him would most likely be impossible, and they were in distress. He couldn't just stay there, he had to act; his instincts were demanding him to act. But the force holding him down refused to budge. Frustrated he felt the tug again only this time his own SOUL was tugging back. Nervous of himself suddenly, because he wasn't sure how he would react given his first reaction, but still worried about the SOUL that had been calling out. He brushed softly against it, probing it. The delicate SOUL fluttered and moved away as if suddenly startled and shy. He couldn't get a good read on it because of the oppressive atmosphere, but the SOUL felt different than any monsters’ he had ever felt before. That meant it couldn't be Alphys SOUL crying out in fear, which is who he had suspected it to be in the first place, but had quickly dismissed because of his reaction to it. He had never felt a tug toward Alphy’s SOUL before.

But then who was it? And how far away were they? No one but Alphys, Gaster, and himself had been present in the lab at the beginning of the experiment. And yet here their SOUL was as if they were in the lab with them. Were they physically hurt? Why was his SOUL responding to their SOUL in such a strong way? Were they really his…? If a SOUL was displaying that much fear, then was the occupant in danger? That particular thought caused a flood of dark emotions to flood his senses. There were too many questions and not enough answers.

His SOUL called out again to the anxious SOUL and tugged it back in. The SOUL fluttered again but this time thankfully it did not seem as fearful of his probing and stayed within his reach. He brushed his own SOUL over it again, trying to get a feel for it. The SOUL itself had a loving, welcoming feeling masked by negative doubts. At its core was kindness, which branched out to integrity and then to justice, and over that was sadness, loneliness, and fear. Besides the surface emotions that were plaguing it, the SOUL was lovely. More so than he had ever felt before. He had never felt a SOUL with so many strong traits before. And being so close to it, brushing his own SOUL against it… it was intoxicating. It was like having a nice cream while sitting in Waterfall looking up at the 'stars' after spending a long day in Hotland.

He frowned slightly as he continued to examine what he could and ignored the persistent tugging his SOUL was doing. There were cracks in the soul as well and it appeared to be very fragile like it would shatter and disappear at any moment. Something inside of him shifted into place and his instincts settled on what should be done, Dominate and Protect. This delicate little soul was calling out to him and his SOUL in return was calling out to it, something he never thought would happen to him. It was too fearful to trust him, but he wanted to help. He did not want to see such a lovely little SOUL get shattered. So he was going to have to assert himself as its protector in order to get close enough to know where the occupant was. Besides, he couldn't just let this monster slip away from him. He had to take this chance fate had offered to him.

His instinct kicked in, he let his SOUL take over and it drew the other SOUL forth, into itself, claiming it as his own. He waited patiently until the other SOUL responded; either accepting him or denying him. If it ended up denying him he would have to pull back and try again, and with such a strong feeling of fear radiating off of it, he feared that the occupant of this lovely little soul was in danger. And if they were, he might not have time to try again. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long for his answer. Shuttering slightly as if it had been warring with itself the SOUL finally gave itself to him completely. His own soul flashed in response leaving a blue mark in the center of it; it was now his. It and its occupant were now something to be protected and cherished. His lovely little SOUL. Sans drew it forth, moving it closer to him in protection, his hands cupping underneath it when it was within reach and bringing it to rest it near his rib cage. His chest began to vibrate in a low calming rumble, subconsciously trying to ease its fear.

Suddenly everything was gone.

The blinding light.

The oppressive force.

The whirling of the machine.

Gone.

There was only silence.

And in its place laid a disheveled human.

Small white glowing orbs locked with large confused blue-gray. A human female by the looks of it. She looked small, maybe just a smidgen smaller than him, with pale skin and long messy golden hair. Her fearful eyes never left his face. It was almost as if she were as mesmerized by his appearance as he was of hers. Startled, he lost his hold on his lovely little SOUL. He reached out quickly to draw it back in but could only watch transfixed as it flew back and settled itself inside the human’s chest. The moment her SOUL had returned to her it was like a light switch had been turned on. She scrambled up into a sitting position and back peddled until her back hit one of the lab walls, and to his utter shock, a barrier erected itself around her. The barrier itself was completely clear except for the slight shimmer of silver that ran over its surface. If he couldn't feel the weak magic coming from it he would have dismissed it as a trick of the light.

Hopes eyes darted around taking in as much of her surroundings as she could, as fast as she could. She was in what looked to be a doctor’s office with metal walls and tiled floors. There were all sorts of machinery everywhere, and there were two skeletons, much to her horror, laying a few feet away from her. Her fear spiked as she watched their slight movements her mind tried to catch up with her bodies natural response to the unnatural sight. She was dealing with skeletons, honest to goodness skeletons. Living, breathing, MOVING SKELETONS! Holy crap they were both moving now! Both were wearing long white lab coats and had eerie little white lights for eyes. Her own eyes darted back to the one that had first been looking at her. He wasn't that tall, maybe just an inch taller than herself. His face, or skull rather, was contorted into shock, which if she hadn't been so terrified at that moment she would have questioned its ability to be so expressive. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt, a pair of nice slack pants, and strangely enough sneakers, with his lab coat sprawled out beneath him.

His eyes wouldn't leave her, oh gods she was going to die. She was going to be dismembered and eaten or only the gods knew what else. She was so stupid! She should have listened to her instincts and left her room. What had she been thinking of moving toward something she couldn't understand! She flattened herself against the wall she had backed up against and shrunk in on herself trying to look as small as possible. It was impossible to hide with him staring at her, or at least she was assuming it was a he. But maybe she could appear so uninteresting it would cause him to pass her up for something more entertaining. Her mind branched off and began to play terrifying scenarios of what was going to happen to her as her heart raced, threatening to pop out of her chest.

Stars, had he really just blindly bonded himself to a human? What was the matter with him!? He couldn't just see her fear, he could feel it as if it were something tangible through their new connection. She was like a little frightened whimsum about to be devoured by something truly large and terrifying. It was causing all sorts of alarms to go off in his head. Protect. Eliminate what was causing his bonded fear. Sooth. But he couldn't do any of it if what she was afraid of was him.

Something shifting off to his right causing him to look away from her and focus in on the form of his father. The man was chuckling as he pulled himself into a standing position before stumbling forward towards the human girl whose eyes had shifted to Gaster as well. He didn't think it was possible but her fear spiked, Sans tensed.

"I've done it." A strangled laugh escaped Gaster as he continued to advance slowly toward Hope, stopping only a foot or so away from where she was crouched. "I've actually done it. You, Human!" Gaster said excitedly as he addressed Hope. She flinched slightly, uncertain of what to make of any of this, but certain that this being in front of her was very dangerous. He was tall, so very tall and slender. His white skull was perfectly oval in shape. The shape itself was unsettling, as it was vastly different from a humans’ skull so it looked unnatural to her. There seemed to be two fractures along its front, one stretching up over one eye and one stretching down from underneath the other, reaching down to his jaw. He wore a beige turtleneck and nice slacks under a long stark white lab coat, making him appear even more sinister with the backdrop of silver metal walls.


"You are a human right?" A moment of silence stretches out and he begins to scowl down at her, it is only then that she realizes that he is expecting an answer from her.

Hope nods uncertainly, he hums in thought. "You're from another world right? One without monsters perhaps?" He indicates to himself with a wave of his hand down his front. "One that's different from this one?" Gaster's voice was demanding, and his words came out in quick clipped sentences. Hope was afraid that if she didn't respond with the answers he wanted then he might become volatile. But she didn't want to be caught in a lie either. Hesitantly she nodded and hoped it was the answer he was looking for because for the time being she was unable to voice actual words.

"I knew it. I knew it!" Gaster turned around, pure joy written on his face as he turned to look at Alphys who was huddled in a corner and then to Sans who was slowly standing up, before returning his attention back to his accomplishment. "And you have magic, do you have any idea how rare that is?" Hope just stared at him not really sure what he was talking about. "Well, it is here anyway, I'm not sure about the world you come from, but all that in good time. Sans, Alphys, strap the human in a chair we need to- Sans what are you doing?!"

Gaster stumbled back a step, his happy excited voice taking on an angry edge as Sans suddenly appeared in front of him. Placing himself between the girl and Gaster. His right eye gone and his left eye blazing blue and yellow. The edges of his normal smile tugged down into a frown. Hope's body jolted in surprise at his sudden appearance. Her heart stuttering for a moment. She scanned his back in surprise taking in his protective stance in front of her. This was the skeleton that had been staring at her from across the room, the one that had initially scared her. But he wasn't giving off the same dangerous vibe as the other skeleton was, in fact, she felt… safer with him closer. Although that might just be because he was standing in-between her and the taller, scarier looking one.

"She is not going to become one of your experiments." Sans low, angry voice vibrated throughout the room causing Hope to shrink down further into herself at the tone. Gaster scoffed.

"Sans don't be absurd, we need to find out about this other reality, now move aside." Gaster went to take a step forward intending to physically move Sans out of the way.

"No." Gaster stopped mid-step.

"No?" Gaster glowered down at his eldest son. He looked serious, more serious than Gaster had ever seen him before. His son was still young just having reached monster maturity only months ago, but his magic had always been strong. So he had to handle this particular son with care. After all, he didn't want to damage one of his best works. So instead of acting physically, he probed out with his soul sweeping over every occupant in the room and his analytical eyes scanning over Sans and then over the new human female. Something was wrong, his son never disobeyed an order, unless it came to Papyrus, so what was it about this girl that was causing his son to act differently?

That’s when he noticed it, it was very faint but there was a slight tugging from the two souls in front of him, trying to join and become one. Something that only happened when a mating ritual was started but had been interrupted. Shock and anger flashed through him, and his focus zoned in on the human female.

"What did you do you little harlot?!" His tone was low, dangerous and seething which caused his son to start growling in warning. His teeth coming apart just slightly to bare his sharp canines, something Gaster chose to ignore as he jabbed a finger in her direction causing her to flinch. "You will release him this instant or I will end you slowly and painfully." Fear and confusion became the only two things to Hope as all of her attention focused on the very real threat in front of her. The two emotions became so suffocating she was having a hard time getting enough oxygen into her lungs. What the hell was going on, what was he talking about? Why couldn't she get enough air?

Sans, lost in his baser instincts and flooded with the feeling of unbridled fear from his bonded, snapped. An eerie blue glow swept through the room accompanied by the most dangerously low growl Hope had ever heard in her life. Her eyes darted up to her… protector? She wasn't exactly sure about anything anymore but he seemed to be, then back to the threatening skeleton. A small white inverted heart appeared in front of his chest before it turned a solid blue. Faster than she could blink he was colliding with the opposite wall, Sans left hand outstretched.

A frightened squeak caught her attention and Hopes eyes darted to another monster, one she hadn't even noticed before. Something not really surprising, considering the dominating presence of the two skeletons in the room. This monster looked like a little yellow dinosaur that was also wearing a lab coat. She was crouched in a corner, huddled in on herself, much like she was, and her fearful eyes were trained on the shorter skeleton stationed in front of Hope.

Whatever was going on, she didn't know how to stop it or how to escape it. All she knew was that she was in danger, she was afraid, and she was angry so very, very angry. An emotion she had just noticed, an emotion that was definitely out of place for her situation. Why was she feeling such murderous rage?

A loud thud startled her out of her confusion as the large lab door was slammed open and two more large creatures ran into the room. Hope stared baffled at the new sight. Both creatures were goat like in form and so very, very tall. They were both well-dressed wearing elaborate clothing that was decorated with semi precious gems and gold. Upon their heads, resting around their horns seemed to be a set of crowns, something that caused Hopes fear to wane and her curiosity to grow as now she wasn't just dealing with intimidating creatures in lab coats anymore. What exactly was going on here? Where was she? The two new monsters took in the situation and then directed their attention to her and the shorter skeleton. What the hell was going on here?

"Sans." Asgore's smooth, deep voice commanded, demanding the other monsters’ attention. Sans eyes flicked towards Asgore, then toward Toriel assessing if they were a threat to his bonded. His hold on Gaster's soul didn't falter. Startled by the focused look in Sans eyes Toriel put her paw on her mates’ shoulder, halting any sudden movements he was about to make before slowly stepping forward with her arms up in a non-threatening gesture.

"Sans is it not?" She asked unsure if she had heard his name right. It took a minute but the slight nod from him told her that he wasn't completely gone. She stopped a respectful distance away. The tugging of the two souls in front of her proved her assumptions were correct "You are being overwhelmed by your joint emotions to the girl. I need you to calm down before something irreversible happens…" Her eyes glance to Gaster, who looked absolutely pissed off and was struggling uselessly against Sans magic, then back to Sans. "To you or your mate." She chooses those words in hopes of pushing Sans into a more agreeable state of mind. By acknowledging that the girl was his mate, she was showing that she knew he was acting on instinct and that she would act accordingly when handling an aggressive dominant monster when it came to dealing with their mate.

Sans straightened at this. Hope couldn't see his face but by the way his body was shaking he looked like he was struggling with some strong emotions. Emotions Hope was startled to realize she was feeling. Anger, fear, possessiveness, and the need to protect. They were all things she was feeling. Fear sure but anger? Possessiveness? The need to protect? She had no reasons to feel those things so they had to be coming from the skeleton in front of her. That is what Toriel had said right? That they were sharing joint emotions? Why was that a thing?

Toriel watched his eyes dart from Gaster to her as sweat began to bead at it his forehead. "He will not come near her." She promised soothingly. "Once you release him we can leave to someplace safer and more secluded." Asgore, realizing what was happening and what Toriel was trying to accomplish shifted in-between Sans and Gaster. His back was to Sans but he was in a subtle protective stance. Toriel smiled warmly at her mate’s actions. He seemed to pick up on what was going on as she had and was acting in a way that would prevent an unwanted death. She might be wrought with grief and angry at her mates plans to eliminate every future human that falls into the Underground, but right now they were working as a team. And it was to protect a human of all things, and one that was part of a newly bonded mating pair at that. Something that was rare in the Underground, on both accounts. Bonds were few and far between now a-days because of the vulnerability it took to create one and the rarity of finding another SOUL that would resonate. Monsters numbers were already dwindling. So putting one's self in such a situation was something that most monsters at the moment wanted to avoid. And a human… well they weren't exactly abundant in the Underground. She could almost feel her anger slipping away but in its wake sadness swept through. Clearing her throat to cover up the waiver in her voice and also to catch Sans attention she motioned with her paws toward the doors.

Another long moment passed in tense silence and Hope desperately wished she could escape from this moment. Then Sans let go of Gaster, his left arm falling at his side. Gaster dropped to his feet and leaned heavily against the wall for support, glaring at both Sans and the human. He didn't dare move though, not with King Asgore in his way, looking far more furious than he had ever seen his king before.

Sans glanced once around the room, taking stock of everyone before turning to the side somewhat facing his new mate but not fully turning his back on Gaster. Their eyes met and held. She felt uncertainty as they stared at one another but she wasn't sure if it was his emotion she was feeling or her own. Slowly his hand stretched out to her, palm up. She looked at it and frowned before looking back up to search his face. He looked nervous, beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. His toothy smile seemed strained and his glowing eyes, she was startled to find, were studying her face in return.

She swallowed whatever reservations she had about the skeleton. For whatever reasons he had protected her, and at the very least she could show him some gratitude, she could show him that she had been worth saving. Emboldened by this resolve she reached her hand out to his but his hand seemed to draw away from hers when she got close enough to touch it. Frowning She looked back up to him uncertain one more.

"You have to put your barrier down sweetheart." He said gently. She looked at him like she didn't understand what he was talking about before looking around herself and he saw the moment when she realized what he was talking about.

"I-I did that?" She asked, her voice soft and uncertain. Hearing her voice for the first time caused a pleasant shutter to wrack through him. It was soft and feminine. He wasn't sure how to respond to her question so he only nodded. Her frown seemed to deepen. "I …I don't know how…" He had suspected that she wouldn't know the minute she had looked at him blankly when he had mentioned the barrier. So she wasn't aware of her magic until this moment, or she gained it when she had entered their world. Either way, it meant she had to be taught. Something he didn't have the time or patience for at this very moment. He sighed heavily.

"You need to calm down and tell yourself you're safe. I won't let anything happen to you." He said it softly, uncomfortable with the other monsters in the room overhearing him. Her frown never left her face as she continued to stare at him. Finally, she closed her eyes and slowly, oh so slowly, the barrier began to fade. Once it was gone she peeked her eyes open. Realizing that she had done it, she let loose a very tiny whoop of accomplishment and a small wave of joy ran through their connection that was quickly overshadowed by apprehension. The whoop had been so quiet he was certain only he had heard it. It would have made him chuckle if she still weren't in danger.

Tentatively, she looked back up at the smaller younger looking skeleton then reached out and slid her hand into the hand he had never retracted. His hand was warm to the touch and felt to be a strange mixture of feeling hard and yet soft at the same time, it was like the bone had some give to it; enough to notice but not enough to imitate actual flesh. The corners of his smile turned up making his smile look relieved and more genuine. He helped her stand up and then tugged her softly toward him bringing her close to his side, their shoulders brushing together. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment. He refused to let go of her hand or let her stray too far from his body as he led her out of the lab following closely behind Toriel. When the large metal door closed on his mate Asgore focused in on the monster in front of him.

"What exactly just happened?" Asgore's soft, booming voice spoke the words slowly, addressing Gaster. Alphys slowly stood up and brushed herself off but remained in the corner, not willing to draw more attention to herself than was necessary. Gaster frowned at Asgore, displeased with the tone his king was taking with him. No, Gaster noted, his king was not pleased.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-



It had been a short trip thanks to the help of what looked to be large elevators. It had also been an uncomfortably hot trip. Hope had never been this close to lava before and with any luck, which she seemed to be sorely lacking in at the moment, she would be able to avoid it for the rest of her life. She was hot, sticky and uncomfortable, not to mention her feet were killing her. Her sock clad feet would surely be burnt if not for the elevators.

All through the trip both monsters, the skeleton and the goat that were with her had been silent. Seemingly unwilling to address her, which she had been thankful for. It had given her time to assess her situation and decide on the best way to act around the occupants of this world. So far she was able to gather that the large bipedal goat monster seemed to be in charge. Any monsters that they had encountered had bowed and waved to her. Some even approaching to give condolences. For what Hope wasn't sure, but it was plain to see that these monsters were acting like a functioning society. None of them seem to be hostile towards her or at least none of them had been except for that large scary skeleton with the two cracks in his skull.

There seemed to be a wide variety of monsters, some looked to be very similar to each other but most appeared vastly different from the others. It was startling to see so many different types of creatures in such a short amount of time. Cataloging them all had been a challenge especially since her mind kept wandering to her skeleton savor and their currently joined hands. The entire walk Sans had been holding her hand and she was an odd mix of terrified and curious. Why was his hand so warm? It wasn't like he had flesh. Why was his hand, which looked to be very thick bones that appeared to have been molded together, somewhat malleable? Why was he still holding her hand?

When they had left the lab he had let her have some distance but he had refused to release her from his hold.
She had tried to release her hand at one point. Expecting him to let go but he hadn't. Instead, his grip had only tightened until her fingers had wrapped back around his hand in response.

She hadn't complained, not vocally anyway, internally her mind was running a mile a minute. Trying to figure out what was going on. But she could only come to one conclusion. She might not know him or what exactly was going on but he had protected her and she had enough sense to recognize that he was still in a way protecting her. His physical contact with her had detoured any sort of interactions with the other monsters that had approached them. Some of them had seemed curious about her but each had taken one look at Sans strained smile and then turned away bidding Toriel goodbye. And although she was still confused and scared she herself didn't want to stray too far from him either. Just in case another monster decided they didn't like her.

Walking into the city had been a huge relief, the suffocating heat was much more tolerable here. The three of them approached stone stairs to what looked like a large castle. Awed by its sheer size, and the fact that she was actually going to be entering a real honest to goodness castle, she had paused before its stairs causing Sans to halt as well to look at her. Her eyes were big and round, focusing on the massive structure above them. Sans looked up at the castle then back down to her awed expression. The fluttering of nervous excitement that came from her SOUL accompanied by the dissipating fear made his smile soften from its hard forced grin. He was feeling far more in control of himself now that they were away from the lab. And without her fear clouding his mind he was able to think about what had happened.

He had messed up, he had messed up big. His father was going to dust him that much he was certain about. And Papyrus, what would poor Paps do when he was gone. Who would protect him? Not to mention the biggest problem he currently had on his hands. He had initiated a blind bond… with a human. Why had he done that? No one was happy with the humans right now. Though to be fair he hadn't known at the time that she was a human…

Unfortunately, that didn't make him feel any better.

For a short time monsters all across the Underground had been willing to accept humans back into their hearts even after they had betrayed them and sealed them beneath the mountain, or at least they had been willing to let one human back into their hearts. Until the child had died and then the surface humans had killed their prince shortly thereafter.

It was a bad situation he was in, no doubt about that, but feeling her soul connected with his gave him a peace of mind he had never felt before in his life. It was like a gaping hole had been filled and he now felt whole, it was something he had never even known he had been missing, but now that he knew what it was to feel whole he didn't want to lose it. He caught Toriel watching them from the open doorway with a soft smile and a raised eyebrow. Feeling like a fool in front of his Queen he gently tugged the human's hand to get her following him again; and just like a lost little puppy, she did.

Sans SOUL pulsed pleasantly at she followed him willingly.

Toriel led them into the main hall, the room was huge but sparsely furnished. Stone floors were surrounded by stone walls. There were three hallways on the main floor, one on the left and one on the right. While in the back of the room, there was a hallway that was nestled just to the right of two curved staircases that met at the top. Toriel led them up the flight of stairs and down a corridor before stopping at a door. Inside was a medium-sized room that was once again sparsely furnished. Hope wondered if monsters just weren't a fan of furniture. There was a large window and the stone floor was covered by a large red rug. There was a long desk on the right with two seats in front of it and a lone seat behind it. On the left was a beaten up green love seat sofa. The room itself was sparse but it felt far more inviting than anything Hope had encountered in the past thirty minutes.

Toriel motioned them both inside then followed in behind them, closing the door once both were in the room. She could feel a subtle pull from both of their SOUL's. Subconsciously they were trying to finish their bond. A bond normally had two parts, the SOUL claiming and then the physical claiming. It was something that was always done in private and always in a secure location so that the occupants were safe and so the entire ritual could not be interrupted. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she had found a mating ritual happening in Doctor Gaster's laboratory. How on earth did they get there? Or if they had already been there then why in the world had a bond been initiated in such dangerous conditions? Someone could have been seriously hurt. And by the scene she and her mate had interrupted someone had almost been hurt. Whatever the reason was she made a note to give these two some alone time to finish the ritual. It was dangerous for a half bond to be formed. At least it was for monsters, she wasn't too sure about humans.


She watches them both closely as once the door was closed Sans released the girl's hand. The girl looked startled at first, looking down at his hand then proceeded to shift her arms and hands around as if uncertain with what to do with them now that he had released her, before folding them over her chest in a protective manner. She looked uncomfortable and refused to look at either of them as she shifted her gaze to the couch. Anxiety and uncertainty bouncing back and forth between their link. Sans, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. Both his hands were in his lab coat pockets but Toriel could tell he was fidgeting. He kept glancing from the girl to Toriel to around the room then back again. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Sans shifted from awkwardness to horrified shock. Amused by what must be his sudden realization she clasped her paws together in front of herself waiting.


"Oh, oh stars." He jumps forward, both of his hands extend out towards Toriel unsure about touching her but desperately wanting to show his desperation. He had almost attacked the King and Queen of all monsters. Yep, he was dust, most definitely dust. "I am so sorry, I-I wasn't thinking clearly and there was so much fear" He began rambling, Toriel chuckled and Sans stared at her in shock, mouth going slack.

"It is all right I understand. It is hard to think clearly when a mate feels in danger is it not?" She nodded her head toward the human. "I can let you both rest here for a little while, while I go and check on my own mate."

Hopes head snapped up at their exchange, but her mind zoned in on one word.

"Mate?" She asked unsure, causing Toriel to stop halfway from opening the door and Sans to shrink in on himself. Hope hadn't wanted to interact with them, not entirely sure of what even to say to them, even if deep down she knew that that was foolish thinking. She was stuck here after all so at some point she would have to talk to them. But what was she even supposed to say? Be like, hey I'm a human. I'm from another world it's nice to meet ya. No, that was just… silly. She didn't know anything about these creatures and she didn't know how to act around them. But one word had spurred her into action, mate. Toriel had used it a lot in the past twenty minutes, first in the lab and now here, and she just knew she was referring to her. Not to mention the sharing emotions thing. She needed answers, which meant she couldn't stay quiet. "What do you mean by mate?" She knew of course, at least she knew her own worlds definition for it. But she had to be sure it meant the same thing to these monsters.


Hope noted the surprised look on Toriel's face and the nervous, guilty anxiety she could feel coming off of Sans. Toriel looked from her to Sans then back again. It was hard to decipher what exactly the goat woman was thinking. She had looked shocked before but that had slowly shifted into suspicion. She closed the door and turned to face them both folding her arms over her chest.

"She does not know?" She asked like it was a mild question, but San's head ducked down further into his clothes. Unperturbed Toriel pushed on. "How much time has passed since you started bonding?" Her arms folded over her chest and she watched Sans like a hawk. Curious about that as well Hope stared at Sans. His emotions were bouncing off of her and making a giant knot form in the pit of her stomach. Sans shifted uncomfortably unable to look at either of them.

"Only about thirty-five minutes, our souls connected right as she appeared." Toriel was shocked into silence, her mind racing. They had just started their bond moments before she had found them? And it was accidental?! If she and Asgore had not intervened when and how they had, a whole lot of monsters would have turned to dust before anyone would have known what was going on. Their mating bond wasn't even close to being complete! It was a wonder they were both acting so sane at the moment. She slumped against the door at this knowledge.

And the girl, she had been running around the Underground alone for who knew how long until Sans had said she had appeared in the lab, and that's when he had claimed her. She must be so lost and frightened. Turning her head toward the girl with a look of pity she asked.

"Child when exactly did you fall?" Hope looked away from Sans and back to Toriel confused.

"Fall?"

"Yes, my child, when did you fall into the Underground?"

Even more confused now she looked at both monsters then out the window. Noticing that even though it was light outside it was not enough light to be considered daylight. "We're… underground?" She asked uncertainly. Well… that explained the lava.

Toriel looked flabbergasted at her. Hope shrunk in on herself, had that been a stupid question?

"Well, actually she didn't. Fall that is." Sans finally interjected feeling his bonded's confused anxiety and worry spike his own feelings. He felt her emotions lessen slightly when Toriel's attention shifted from her to focus back in on him instead. He sighed in relief as her emotions waned slightly.

"What? How is that even possible? How is she here if she didn't fall?"

"Well, Gaster was studying the multiple dimensions’ theory. He thought he had found a way to open a portal so that we could escape this world and live in another one." Toriel just stared at him, almost through him. He gestured toward Hope. "As you can see, she is proof that there are different worlds out there. While he was testing our latest machine she appeared in our world."

"So… that's what the powerful wave of magic was?" Sans nodded. It took a moment but Toriel finally straightened back up, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, I guess that explains why her soul feels different from any humans I have ever felt before… but I thought that might be because of the bond…" Sans shrugged in response. He had known her soul had felt different so he didn't know what to say in response.

"Wait a minute." Toriel's voice took on a dangerous tone "Was this consensual?!" Sans looked offended at her accusation.

"Of course it was." He defended himself "Well mostly…" He trailed off slightly and Toriel pinned him with a glare. "Her soul had been calling out to mine, and mine responded. Instinct kinda took over… and well she accepted…" He looked unsure of his own explanation. It was so much more complicated than that one sentence implied but he couldn't find the words to express that. Sneaking a glance at Toriel he was worried by the thoughtful look on her face.

The silence that followed itched at Hope. No one had answered her question. And besides confirming she was in a different world entirely she hadn't learned anything new. She shifted nervously and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She wanted answers but she didn't want to be the one to break the awkward silence. A slight glance at Sans told her he knew she was having an emotional war with herself. His white orbs seemed to be analyzing her. Anger flashed in her at her helplessness. It helped to burn away her fear of the situation to voice her thoughts.

"You still haven't answered my question." Her voice sounded shaky but firm.

Surprised, Toriel snapped her attention toward the girl. "Oh, oh dear I'm sorry. I just, well... this is unheard of." She gestured a paw vaguely between Hope and Sans.

"What do you mean?"

"All of it, you appearing out of thin air, a bonding happening without both of the occupants actively knowing about it, a monster and a human soul bonding. As far as I know, that's never been done before, and if it has it’s never been recorded." Hope could only stare back at Toriel, trying to process her words without actually knowing the true meaning of them. Sighing, Toriel tries again "My child, you and Sans here are mates, you have been bonded. Oh, what was the words humans use for this!" She paused for a minute waving her paws in front of her as if physically searching for a word. "Marriage! Ah! That's what it is! You and Sans have in monster sense been married." She smiled as if pleased with her explanation. Sans smacked his hand to his forehead before slowly dragging it down to cover his eyes. He had honestly been hoping to ease her into this conversation, maybe lessen the impact so that she would be more agreeable about it, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. He took a shaky breath before sneaking a glance at Hope through his fingers.

She looked just as shocked as she felt. He grimaced waiting for the other emotions he was sure were going to flood their bond. Fear, disgust, hatred, those things would destroy him. A bond was sacred and to feel those things coming from the one person you were supposed to trust with your very SOUL would be shattering. But he wouldn't blame her, she hadn't known what was going on, didn't even really appear to know what they were. And she certainly didn't seem to know about magic. Even if she had been calling out to him, he had initiated it… and claimed her without her fully knowing what was going on.

But he was surprised to find her own shock was fading, and he felt a calm nervousness radiating from her with fraying edges of happiness and sadness. His hand slowly fell from his face as they looked at one another. His eye lights searching her blue-gray ones as if they would answer his unspoken questions. He wasn't sure how to decipher her feelings and she didn't know how to decipher his.

He felt relieved, why did he feel so relieved?

"Well," Toriel began, breaking whatever silent conversation the two were having and drawing their attention back to her. "I will let Sans tell you exactly what’s going on… but if you have any questions…" She glanced at Sans before her attention focused back on the girl. "Any question you do not feel comfortable asking a male, I will be here to answer them." Both Hope and Sans turned away from each other, their faces sporting a different shade at Toriel's implications. Toriel chuckled at their flustered reactions. "I shall leave you to it." She turned around and exited, the door closing gently behind her.

Alone now both of them snuck a look at the other before turning away embarrassed as their eyes met. It took a few moments but Sans was finally able to reign in his own emotions enough to try and block hers from affecting him. Feeling foolish for how quickly this had all spiraled out of his control he glanced at her. She was still looking at the floor in the opposite direction of him. He took the moment to actually take in her appearance, something he probably should have done a long time ago. But given the circumstances, he supposed it hadn't been a top priority at the time.

She was shorter than him, not by much but it was enough to please him. Most monsters that were compatible with him physically were normally taller. She may only be an inch shorter than him but it made him feel more masculine in a way he could not describe, and it pleased him more than it probably should have. Her hair was messy, probably from the world traveling she had done. It was long and golden, and her skin was pale. She was almost as pale as him; the thought almost made him chuckle but he held it in not wanting to draw her attention. He wasn't done studying her yet and it was far easier to do without her staring at him. He was pleased to find that she was wearing a blue shirt. Blue, his color, the color of his magic. A color he thought looked good on her… he pulled himself back quickly. That thought provoked thoughts he wasn't ready to deal with yet and was certain she wasn't ready to deal with them either.

Physically she was appealing, at least to him she was. Although that might just be because of the bond. For most monsters that produce children through magical and physical means, physical attraction is established before a bond and the bond just strengthens it. But in their case, there had been no prior relationship, which left him fumbling with his own thoughts and feelings. Were they his? Or was he having them because of the bond?

Shaking himself from his thoughts he continued with his observations. He couldn't tell a whole lot about her upper body because of the larger shirt she wore, except that her chest looked to be on the larger side. But her pants were form-fitting up until her calves where they then continued straight down. The material hugged the nice curves of her hips and butt. A drop of sweat appeared on his forehead before he forced his eyes lights to continue down taking in her dainty feet clad only in fabric.

Huh, that's odd, why is she only in socks?

His eyes scanned back up her body until his eye lights met her stormy ones. He felt suspicion leaking through their bond from her and her eyes were slightly narrowed, judging him. He chuckled nervously, clearly, he had been caught staring at her, assessing her form. Her eyes narrowed further. Well, at least she wasn't afraid of him anymore. He rubbed the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly at her.


"So… uh…" He looked around the room looking for something, anything to help him with this conversation but the only things available to him was furniture. He looked at the two chairs by the desk and dismissed them immediately as being too detached for this talk, then turned his gaze to the couch. The couch would be more intimate, good. He gestured toward it. "Maybe we should sit."

Hope looked at the couch just to her right, she was dying to sit down. After a long day of work, it had been late in her own world, almost her bedtime really and she didn't know what time it was here but most monsters were up and about, so she assumed that it wasn't night time here. She could also feel her energy waning as her body was coming down from the large amounts of adrenaline that had been pumping through her system. She didn't really give him a response as she moved closer to the couch then sat down deciding that he probably really didn't need one. She made herself comfy against an armrest leaving plenty of room for him as she looked up at him expectantly.

Sans shuffled his feet before turning away from her and heading toward the chairs. Slowly he pulled his lab coat off leaving him in only his slacks and plain white t-shirt. He wanted to be comfy for this explanation, and it also gave him a few extra moments to collect his thoughts before he turned back to her and joined her on the couch; sitting as far from her as he could. He wouldn't mind being close to her, hell he craved to touch her, to finish the bond. But she didn't know what was going on and because of that, he would give her as much space as he could handle giving her. He leaned forward over the edge of the couch and rested his elbows on his femurs.

He looked anxious, more anxious than Hope herself was feeling. Sweat was beading at the top of his skull and for a split second, she wondered how he was even able to do that. He didn't look like he wanted to have this conversation but she wasn't about to let him get away from it. She was extremely curious about what was going on, who he was, and why he had chosen to mate with her. That last thought made her heart skip. No one had ever shown any romantic interest in her before and suddenly here she was, bound to a stranger. It was an odd mix of joy because she felt wanted, but sadness because she didn't know him or if this was something she really wanted. Maybe he even regretted it once he had gotten a good look at her. Her mood instantly tanked and Sans head shot up to stare at her. She looked away from him quickly trying to push the sadness that thought caused in her to the very bottom of her being. She cleared her throat and looked back to him noting his worried expression. How could he be so expressive?

"So… your name is Sans?" She probed.

"Oh shit." He face palmed before he looked at her. "Yes, I'm sorry your name is the first thing I shoulda asked ya! It's just... Toriel was questioning me, and then you seemed withdrawn…" He tried to frantically explain, his brow bones knitted together in concern.

"Hope." She interrupted him.

"What?" He looked at her stunned.

"My name, it's Hope."

"Wow, really? Heh, that’s a nice name."

Hope wrinkled her nose "No, it's strange. I hate my name" His shocked expression quickly shifted into an easy grin.

"Not that strange." He said, and she looked at him incredulously. He just chuckled at her expressive response to his simple words. Feeling slightly more comfortable now that they had exchanged a few words and the world hadn't seemed to implode by doing so, he felt more confident. He leaned back making himself more comfortable and looked at her expectantly. "What would you like to know first?"

She fidgeted under his gaze and looked away choosing instead to watch her fingers play with the green fabric underneath her hands. What did she want to know? They had been talking about souls and soul bonding, maybe that was the best place to start? "You and… the goat monster, Toriel? You uh, said my soul felt different." It wasn't really a question, it was more of a statement but she wasn't sure how else to word it. Sans sighed before he leaned toward her. Her eyes shifted to him watching his movements carefully.

"In our world SOULs are a real and tangible thing. They are the culmination of one's being. They can be the gateway to one's thoughts and emotions. They are also the source of our magic." He takes a long pause as if debating something. "I could show you yours if you want." He said it as if he weren't sure if he should ask. She quirked an eyebrow at his sudden change in attitude and through their link she was picking up his emotions flaring in anxious excitement, worry, and embarrassment. "But only if you want! You don't have to if you don't want to!"

"Does it mean something if you do pull it out?" He shifted looking extremely uncomfortable at her perceptiveness.

"Not always, in most situations pulling one's SOUL out is called a confrontation. A lot of monsters do it to get a feel for one another or to train with their magic..."

"But… this situation is different?"

"Yeah." He breathed as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from her. "Drawing one's SOUL out can also be a very intimate act, and in a situation like ours… this would be considered intimate. I'm not going to be initiating a battle with you so your soul will be more open to me. I'll be able to feel your surface emotions and your loudest thoughts, and if I touch it… well, um, let’s just save that for another talk." He could already feel her uncertainty through their link. He turned back to look at her, a light shade of blue had spread across his features and she had to wonder if that's how he blushed.

"W-well you can already feel my emotions right?" She sounded unsure even to her own ears, but she really wanted to know about her own SOUL so she pushed herself to press on. "You can do it; you can pull out my SOUL." His eye lights scanned her.

"Are you sure? Once I pull it out I may not be able to stop myself…"

"Stop yourself from what?"

There was a long pause before he finally responds.

"I don't know." He said slowly and uncertainly "I've never done any of this before… but I might not be able to hold myself back from you if it’s out in the open." She went silent as she thought about that tidbit of information for a moment. He was certain she was going to say no, but a large part of him hoped that she would say yes. He was craving to see it again, only to check on the cracks of course…

"Alright." She finally said slowly, his own SOUL soared in excitement. "Just as long as you know it's for my learning purposes only." And just like that, his excitement dampened. He wasn't sure how he felt about her saying that. On one part she was agreeing to do something he had told her was intimate, with him. She was giving him permission to see her SOUL. His sudden hunger to touch her SOUL almost made him growl but he held it in. And on the other hand… she was telling him to not take it as an intimate act, something that was going to be impossible for him to do; especially since they were not fully bonded yet. Seeing her SOUL barred to him would push him to his limits.

Stealing himself because he really wanted to see her SOUL again but not wanting to push her further as far as intimacy was concerned, he readjusted himself and leaned towards her.

"Alright, if you're sure." He reached a hand out to her almost touching her chest. Her heartbeat quickened at this and he felt excitement buzz under their link followed by weariness. The excitement almost had him launching himself toward her but the weariness that followed was able to rein his instincts back in. He would not let his mate fear him. Period. His eyes flickered for a moment and his hands grew a very faint blue before he made a fist and pulled back toward himself.

She felt a force brushing against her, it felt like she was being pushed on all sides. Every part of her felt like she was being squished and then suddenly she was released. She gulped in air she hadn't known she needed, and her eyes focused in on the little heart floating in-between Sans and herself. It was beautiful even though thin cracks covered its surface. She vaguely wondered if that was normal.

The little heart was glowing, emitting a soft light that danced on the walls. It seemed to be dominated by three colors, and they all seemed to shift as if fighting for dominance. They shifted from green to blue, to yellow then back again. The only part of her SOUL that wasn't in continuous monition was a bit of blue that was sitting in the center of her SOUL. She studied it curiously. Looking up to Sans she was about to ask him why that color wasn't moving like the rest of them were, but her words died in her throat as she took in the look on his face.

His features were darker and more fierce-looking, and his teeth were just barely parted revealing sharp canines as he looked hungrily at her SOUL, as if he were about to devour it. Predator. Her SOUL began to spin uncertainly as his eyes traced every crack. She shifted uncomfortably as that look did more to her libido than she would like to admit, and it made her feel far more vulnerable than she would have liked. It was an odd feeling of fear and anticipation that had her reeling.

"Sans?" She asked shakily hoping to draw his attention away from her SOUL. His eyes lazily drew up to her face. She began to sweat under that unwavering gaze. "T-that," She pointed to the color blue that was slightly darker than the blue that was shifting with the other colors. "why isn't that color moving like the rest of them?" Her voice stayed shaky and maybe even a pitch or so higher than it normally was, but she forced the words out of her mouth.

His eyes darted back down to her SOUL and his expression shifted slightly, his smile became relaxed and his eye sockets became smaller as if his eyelids were lowering to half-mast. It gave him a lazy, arrogant look, causing Hope to bristle.

"This?" His deep voice asked almost curiously as he reached a hand out to lightly brush the tip of one of his fingers over the blue dotting her SOUL. Her SOUL fluttered under the soft caress and her own body reacted much the same, shuttering under such an intense feeling; one that overwhelmed her senses. She gasped and her eyes slammed closed as she rode it out.

"This is my mark on your SOUL. This lets every monster know that your mine." His voice sounded darker and more possessive. His fingers danced over his mating mark a few more times, relishing in the feelings of lust and pleasure crossing through their link, slowly pulling back before he could no longer stop himself. He let her SOUL retreat back into her chest and continued to stare at the spot it had disappeared. He had gone a little further than he had meant to, but he couldn't help himself. His instincts were demanding that he finish the link, that they join physically. But he wouldn't push her for that. He needed to make sure she even wanted this before they went any further. But fuck did he want to screw her senseless right now. Her own lust for him had almost pushed him over the edge.

He snapped out of his thoughts as she pulled her legs up to her chest and crossed her arms over them in a protective manner, effectively blocking his view. His eyes met hers; she wasn't scared thank Asgore, but she was definitely feeling weary of him. He pulled away from her hoping to ease her weariness. Hope looked away from him her face beet red in embarrassment.

What the hell had that been about?! And why did it feel like that?! Was it always going to feel like that if someone touched her SOUL? Was what happened to her normal for all monsters? And why on earth was she suddenly attracted to a skeleton?! She suddenly understood why Toriel had offered to answer any questions she might have because there was absolutely no way she was going to ask Sans any of that. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes to find he was still staring at her. She blushed furiously and turned further away from him.

Embarrassment prohibited her from talking or even looking at him. She needed to know so many things but she didn't think she was going to be capable of asking him any of it. Not after what had just happened. Sans sighed heavily, something he noticed he was doing a lot today.

"Look," he said his voice sounding calm and sincere. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go that far." She nodded her head in response but still refused to look at him.

"Alright, how about I just talk and you listen. I'll give you the basic understanding of what’s going on and if you have a question then you can ask. Does that sound okay?" Once again she nodded her head in response to him. "Alright, so when you were pulled into this world your SOUL… well… it called out to mine. It was calling out for help. My SOUL felt yours calling out and responded to it." He shifted slightly uncomfortable about having to explain this. "That's something that's never happened to me before. It's something that only happens if two souls are compatible." He cleared his throat before he continued. "It was giving off a strong feeling of fear and well when I reached out to investigate I saw that your SOUL was fracturing. I feared that if I couldn't get to it, it would shatter before I could help." Hope shifted slightly looking at Sans from the corner of her eye. His brow bones were forward in worry and his grin wasn't as wide. "When it comes to SOULs, in particular, a SOUL that's considered important to the monster, they start to run on basic instincts. For me in that moment I…" A long silence followed as uneasiness and embarrassment ran through the link to Hope. She shifted again making herself face him. Whatever he was about to say felt like it was difficult for him to say.

"I…" Sans turned his gaze away from her. "My instincts demanded that I claim and protect, so that's what I did." His face turned a bright blue as he said this. Hope blinked back her surprise. So he hadn't really made the decision to mate with her. He had just been following his instincts. She felt sadness at this revelation before she quickly berated herself for it. He didn't even know her, of course he hadn't made the conscious decision to mate with her. She was being unrealistic about this. If he had known her or at the very least seen her before this whole SOUL business, he wouldn't have bonded with her. And besides, she didn't want to be bonded to a stranger anyway… right? Right?! His chuckle dragged her out of her thoughts.

"I didn't expect to be accepted, but you did… your SOUL accepted my mark. I'm not even sure why since, well, you know… you're human." He still refused to look at her and she wasn't sure that that sentence made her feel any better. Why was she so sad about this?! Stop it emotions! Stop it! Except, it just meant she was alone again. It didn't matter that he had marked her, it was an accident and she was just a human. And being human was something that seemed to matter to these monsters, and not in a good way. She had at least gathered that much from her first encounter. He didn't want her. So despite actually being bonded to someone, she was always going to be alone. And now she was in a different world entirely where she didn't know anyone. Alone suddenly took on a much stronger meaning.

Alone...

No one wants me...

worthless…

Alone...

Why am I alive...

I wish I were dead...

Alone...

No love...

I hate myself...

Alone...

ALone...

ALOne...

ALONe...

ALONE!...

Words chanted in her head. Words she couldn't control or stop. Her breathing picked up and tears threatened to fall.

"Hey."

The words circled around her and her chest felt tighter, almost painful.

"Hey!" She blinked back tears and forced her breathing to even out as she registered a hard but warm hand was holding her chin. Forcing her to look up into bright orbs. It took her a moment to realize that Sans was extremely close to her, their faces only inches apart. He looked worried and she could suddenly feel his worry seeping through their link, smoothing over her own feelings of distress.

"Hey, where did you go just now?" She tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't relent shifting his hand to her cheek unwilling to let her look away from him. He had her pinned between him and the couch's armrest. Even though she couldn't turn her face from him her eyes refused to meet his.

What in the hell had just happened? She had been fine a few minutes ago, even somewhat accepting about what was going on, but then suddenly it felt like a wave of sadness had swallowed her whole and swept her to a very dark place. He could almost feel her soul crushing under the weight of that sadness. He knew if he took another look at her soul he might find another crack on its surface. He desperately wanted to know what had caused that reaction so he could avoid doing it again at all cost. And he really, really hoped that the fact that she was bonded to him was not the cause of whatever that had been.

Her emotions were no longer as intense, but he could still feel a strong feeling of loneliness and sadness. Sooth. His instincts demanded him. Frowning, he sat back down and then reached out and pulled her forward. She made a noise of surprise but made very little effort to fight him as he shifted her in his lap until she was leaning against his chest, his arms wrapping around her waist. She sat tensely in this new intimate position, not sure what was happening. His chest began to vibrate as he made a low rumbling noise. Strangely enough, it was starting to calm her down, and the words stopped circling in her head. Slowly she began to relax against him.

Huh, for being made of bone he really didn't feel that hard.

He almost let out a relieved sigh when she relaxed against him and her oppressive sadness began to fade away entirely, but he held the sigh back in fear of it stopping his soothing. They sat like that for a few moments before he felt comfortable enough with her stable emotions before he stopped.

"Hey… you okay?" He asked softly, afraid of breaking the moment or sending her emotions back over the edge. She nodded once in confirmation. "What caused that?" She shrugged in reply before mumbling an apology to him. His brow bones forward in confusion. Why was she apologizing?

"That doesn't answer my question." He tried again another shrug was his response. He fumbled with what to do. He didn't know what had caused such a strong backlash of emotions, but he had almost felt another crack forming on her soul and it had scared him. He searched for something to say to fill the silence.

"Hey… what did the skeleton say when another skeleton told a lie?" Confused Hope shuffled against him, uncertain of how to answer.

"Uh…" Was her intelligent reply.

"You can't fool me, I can see right through you." He was still talking gently and he knew the joke had a double meaning, but he was hoping that at the very least it would help to lighten the mood. She sat up, something he was very unhappy about, and moved off his lap to sit back down on her side of the couch. She looked at him quizzically.

"W-was that a joke?" He nodded, hoping he hadn't said something wrong. "Wow… that… uh… that was actually pretty clever" His smile widened at her words. "Sorry… about that. It just happens sometimes." She was still refusing to look at him, and he desperately wished he could get her to look him in the eyes. Why on earth did it happen though? He couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't telling him everything, but he let the matter drop.

"So," She began hesitantly. "Now that we're bonded… does that mean... you're stuck with me?" He frowned at her phrase of words, and her tone sounded so beaten down. What in the world had her life been like back in her own world? Once again he felt a protective need to ease her discomfort and assure her she could count on him.

"It means that you're stuck with me." Her eyes darted up to his at his serious tone. His body language screamed lazy, but his face held a more serious look. She relaxed a little more, thankful that he had countered her words. For whatever reason, it had made her feel better. They both lapsed back into silence that was soon interrupted by a light knocking on the door.

Before either of them could respond, the door creaked open slowly. Toriel peaked her head in and met both of their eyes. She seemed to be assessing the situation before she deemed it safe to enter. Seeing as both of them were sitting there quietly, nothing too bad had come from her absence. Her head disappeared as the door was fully pushed open revealing the rest of Toriel, and Asgore's tall frame standing directly behind her. Sans sat up a bit straighter and shifted uncomfortably as Asgore looked pointedly at him.

His large, furry face was grim as both bipedal goat monsters made their way into the room. Hope could feel anxiety creeping through her body. She wasn't entirely sure if it was her own emotions or San's, but by the way he was sitting stiffly and by the forced smile on his face she had a feeling a good majority of it was coming from him. Asgore made his way over to the wooden desk pausing to clear his throat and gestured to the two chairs seated front of it before he took a seat behind it. Toriel shifted herself to stand just to the left of Asgore.

Hope and Sans locked eyes for a moment before they both made their way over to the intimidating monster behind the desk. Hope sat hesitantly in her chair, fidgeting uncomfortably. Although the large goat monster was very similar in appearance to Toriel, he was much larger and his stern face was framed by a golden mane. If his bulk wasn't intimidating his stare sure was. Next to her Sans plopped into his chair carelessly then leaned back. From the corner of her eye, Hope could tell that even though he was trying to appear relaxed he was anything but. His grin looked strained and although he was leaning against the back of the chair he looked rigid. Her eyes darted back to Asgore as he leaned forward over the desk and rested his forearms on its surface clasping his hands together. Their eyes locked and Hope completely froze under that unwavering gaze.

"Howdy." His deep steady voice rumbled through her. "I am Asgore, King of monster kind. I have already spoken with Toriel and Doctor Gaster, and they have explained the situation to me. I understand that this is not your original world and I understand that this situation that you find yourself in is through no fault of your own. However, you have come at a… difficult time. And there is at this time no way to send you back to your original world. The circumstances as they are has left me with very little choice in this matter. I have discussed this with my mate, Toriel, and we both agree that as long as you agree to a few terms then you will be permitted to reside here with us." Hope tensed, she hadn't even thought about that. Where was she supposed to stay in this new world if she didn't agree to his terms?

"The first term is that you are not allowed to leave the castle grounds unless you are accompanied by someone of our choosing." She could pick up the faint sound of growling coming from her right. She assumed it was Sans, as anger flowed between their link. If Asgore heard it he made no indication of it.

"This is for both your safety as well as our own. Word passes fast in the Underground, and word of another humans’ arrival has already started to spread. At this time, I fear that you might be feared or attacked out of anger, or at the very least shunned by those outside these walls." His hands unclasped to gesture to the window before he rested them back on the wooden surface. Hopes eyes stared down at his hands, no longer able to meet his gaze. Was she really going to have to fear for her life while she lived down here? She felt hopelessness settle in.

"The second term is that you refrain from striking out at anyone. I will not tolerate violence in my kingdom." Sans growl grew in volume, and Hope clenched her hands into fists in anger.

"I would never hurt anyone. What kind of person do you take me for?" He continued on as if he hadn't heard her. Her outrage bounced around with Sans anger.

"The third term is to let us evaluate your magical abilities and the fourth and final term…" His eyes darted over to Sans before he continued. " Toriel and I would like to evaluate your SOUL"

Sans growl turned into a vicious snarl. The sudden change had Hope crouching down further in her chair, her earlier anger forgotten as her eyes darted over to Sans. His eyes were narrowed and the little pinpricks of light that normally danced in them were gone. His grin looked downright sinister, teeth only slightly parted to reveal sharp fangs. Hope looked back over to Asgore who seemed unfazed.

"We need to have solid proof that this human will not bring harm to those in the Underground."

"Absolutely not." Hope shuddered as Sans already deep voice dropped an octave lower. Her eyes shifted between the two males that now seemed to be having a silent battle before she looked to Toriel who's head was slightly tilted toward the ground, her eyes were closed and her face was pulled into a grimace as her large paws rubbed her temples in irritation. After a very long uncomfortable pause, Toriel cleared her throat gaining everyone's attention.

"Sans, it will only be a quick confrontation, and if it makes you feel better you may be the one to initiate it." Sans shifted in his chair clearly uncomfortable. Hope could feel his anger and his uncertainty, and it only heightened her own fear of the situation. Her large blue-gray eyes met his white lights. She felt so unsure about what was going to happen but what choice did she really have? She swallowed hard then nodded once to him as determination swept through her. She might not really know anyone in this room or really what was going on, but she felt safe around Sans. So if she needed to do this to stay safe in this world then so be it.

The edges of his grin were turned down and his eye sockets were narrowed in clear irritation. His movements were stiff as he shifted toward Hope. His mates fear and anxiety felt like they were swallowing him whole as his own anger swirled into the mix. He felt very close to spiraling out of control. But with an ironclad will he focused on his task. He did not like what he was being made to do. He was essentially going to put his mate in a vulnerable situation. The entirety of her being set out on display so that she could be examined. This just felt wrong, and he knew that if she hadn't been a human this wouldn't have been necessary. What if they didn't like what they saw? Would they hurt her? He wasn't too certain. And even though he knew they wouldn't find any LOVE or EXP he couldn't keep the worried thought from entering his mind.

Would he have to defend his new mate from his King and Queen?

He swallowed whatever thoughts he had about it as he reached forward and swiftly pulled her soul into view. Two gasps filled the tense air as Hope fidgeted anxiously in her chair. Was there something wrong with her SOUL? Why had they reacted that way? Thick silence permeated the room. Hope sat in frozen silence refusing to meet the gaze of anyone in the room as her SOUL was scrutinized. The feeling of being vulnerable and at the mercy of those in the room making her quiver.

Sans sat at attention, every bone in his body taut and ready to strike at a moment’s notice. His hand was held out, seated a few inches below her brightly glowing SOUL. It only took a few moments before Asgore's deep voice cut through the silence.

"Thank you, we have seen enough." Sans immediately returned Hopes SOUL to her chest before sagging in his own seat in relief. Hopes eyes darted up to look at the two monsters behind the desk, Toriel looked sad as she met and held her gaze. It made her slightly uncomfortable to be receiving such a gaze when she had no idea why she was receiving it, so she shifted her eyes to Asgore. He looked like he was shifting in his seat uncomfortably and his expression he almost seemed ashamed, but not enough for her to actually believe he felt that way. He cleared his throat before he could continue. "It appears that you are indeed a good soul, so you are welcome to stay with Toriel and myself until we are able to return you home. As long as you can follow my terms."

Hopes only response was to nod. She really didn't have anything to say to this man and this whole experience has left a sour taste in her mouth as far as he was concerned.

"I'm not leaving her here!" Sans suddenly cut in, his frustrations finally boiling over.

Both Toriel and Asgore looked taken aback by the sudden outburst, but it was Toriel who was quick to answer, keeping her voice gentle but firm as she placed a paw on her mates' shoulder. "I would never expect you to just leave her here. The offer of a place to stay is being extended to you as well. We have plenty of room and having company would be nice." He looked shocked, clearly not having expected her response before Hope felt a rush of fear flow from their connection. He was fidgeting and it looked like his teeth were clenched tighter than she had seen them before. Beads of sweat were appearing on the top of his skull as he appeared to be internally debating something.

"I…I have a brother." He began slowly, timidly, before his voice raised in volume and urgency. "He doesn't have friends and Dad doesn't want him to go to school so he's homeschooled. I'm pretty much in charge of taking care of him cause dads always busy at work and I can't just leave him! He's young and he's real sweet, he loves everybody! He won't be a bother I promise!" His hopeful glowing eyes landed on Toriel. Her smile was small and she nodded in understanding.

"Of course he is welcome here as well." Sans sighed in relief and Hope joined him. The crushing fear was swept from her as Sans eased back into a lazy position in his chair. He looked just as tired as she felt.

"Very well, now that that's all settled," Asgore says approvingly as he stands up, pausing to look at each person in the room individually as if waiting for a response. Upon not receiving one he continues "If you have any question or concerns feel free to seek me out." He shuffled around the desk and moved swiftly toward the door and soon his large frame was gone from view. Toriel shook her head at her mate's quick retreat. This day was already turning into a long one. She moved out from around the desk and smiled at the young couple.


"If you wish, you may go and retrieve your brother now. I will keep her company." Her voice was soft and welcoming, and her paw paused to rest on Hopes' shoulder. Sans eye lights shifted from Toriel to Hope and back again. Hope shifted uncomfortably as a cocktail of emotion bombarded her already fatigued brain. Sweat began to bead Sans skull as he stood, clearly struggling with something. He had to go get his brother. His father was probably still fuming about what had happened at the lab and it wasn't safe for Papyrus to be home alone with him. But at the same time, he couldn't leave his new mate. He was no longer concerned about her safety. As long as she was with Toriel he knew she would be safe. It was his instincts that he was having a hard time shrugging aside. They still had yet to finish their bond and his instincts demanded that he stay with her until she either rejects the initial claim or completely accepts him and they finish completing it.

After a long struggle, he turns to Hope and Toriel, a strained smile plastered on his face. Toriel gave him a small knowing smile and Hope looked confused. "I won't be gone long." He says to both females before leaning in closer to Hope. He ran his hand gently over hers needing the physical contact "Stay safe."

In seconds he vanishes out of existence. Hope blinked several times trying to understand what had just happened. She looked around the room confused but couldn't find a trace of him anywhere. How had he vanished? She suddenly had an odd mix of anxiety and sadness being separated from him; she wasn't sure if it was this new bond that they shared or if it was because he had actively protected her at least twice now, and now she found herself alone. Without his presence, she felt vulnerable, but she did her best to shove it aside as she shifted in her chair to look at Toriel who smiled down at her kindly. "Now is there any questions that you wish to ask me?"


"Actually..."

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-



Toriel took the seat next to Hope, rearranging her dress to tuck neatly underneath her legs and then clasped her hands over her knees. She turned just slightly in her seat to look at Hope expectantly. "Now before we begin my dear I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am Toriel, Queen of monster kind, and you are?" Her gentle tone held friendly familiarity in it and even though Hope hadn't known her for very long it helped to ease her fear of being alone with her.

"I'm Hope." She tried to reply with confidence she was lacking. Though by the sudden change in Toriel she felt far less confident. Upon hearing her name Toriel took in a sharp breath and her eyes widened just a fraction before she quickly recovered and forced her face into a more neutral expression. A forced soft smile gracing her features.

"Your name is Hope? How lovely." Toriel's smile became more genuine as her shock began to ebb away. Hope frowned at her initial reaction to hearing her name but gave a small thank you anyway. "Now I believe after everything you've been through today that you have some questions do you not? Ask whatever you wish and I shall answer to the best of my abilities. That is, if you wish to ask them."


Hope looked down refusing to meet Toriel's gaze suddenly shy. She was red in the face from embarrassment as she stared at her hands in her lap. Oh, she had questions, lots of them, but she wasn't sure which one she should ask. She had questions about Sans and… mating. But she was also curious about her own SOUL. Why had both Asgore and Toriel reacted like something was wrong with it? Sans hadn't acted that way, so why had they? She took a deep breath to steady herself before opening her mouth to speak, unfortunately only a quiet squeak was able to escape.

Toriel did her best not to chuckle at the adorable display, schooling her features to remain natural. She didn't want to discourage her after all. This human was obviously not a child, but she seemed to lack confidence and any sort of experience in the more intimate department. Something she was going to have to remedy soon if she was going to keep both her and Sans in a stable mindset.

Hope glanced up to see that Toriel had risen a single eyebrow in question before her eyes darted back to her lap. She cleared her throat to try again. "I uh… m-my SOUL, it was cracked. Is uh… is that normal?" Toriel frowned. Well, that certainly had not been what she was expecting.

"It is not entirely unheard of. When a SOUL is put through large amounts of stress, fractures will appear on its surface. Sometimes they are only superficial and can be healed over time. Other times they can become much more serious, growing deeper until the SOUL itself finally shatters. A lot of times when this happens… it is because the SOUL has finally given up all HOPE." Hope nodded in understanding. It made sense, at least to her it did, so she was easily able to accept it.

"So... are my cracks superficial?" Her voice sounded hopeful but deep down she almost knew that they weren't.

"No my child, while some do appear to be superficial there are a few cracks that appear to be quite serious." Hopes shoulder sagged at the somber tone in Toriel's voice. She had had a feeling, but feeling and knowing were two separate things. "If you wish to talk about it I am here to listen," Toriel added softly. Hope nodded in response before changing the subject entirely with her next question. She liked this monster but she wasn't comfortable about talking to her about her life problems just yet.

"When Sans touched my SOUL it felt…" She paused moving her hands around in her lap as if lost for words.

Ah, now there was a question she had been expecting. "Sans touched your SOUL?" Toriel asked for confirmation "And it felt good?" Hopes face grew as red as a tomato before she nodded, still unable to look up at Toriel. "It is perfectly normal my child. With SOULs, it is all about intent. So if someone touches your soul with malicious intent then you will feel pain, but if someone touches your soul with more 'friendly' intentions, well I believe you already know what that feels like." Hopes eyes darted up just in time to catch Toriel wiggling her eyebrows at her. Startled by the sight of the regal goat monster suddenly acting silly, Hope laughed, and by the pleased look Toriel was giving her that may have been the point.

"Now my child, was Sans able to give you a proper understanding of a SOUL bond?"

Hope's eyes darted back down to her hands resting in her lap as she thought about the talk she had, had with Sans then back up to Toriel. She bit her bottom lip nervously before shaking her head no. He had told her what had happened and sort of why it happened, but she didn't have a grasp on what a SOUL bond was other than it was a marriage between monsters and apparently she could now share feelings with Sans.

Toriel sighed "Alright, I'm going to give you a crash course of mating and bonds between monsters. There is just too much to devolve into at this moment to go into great detail, and I fear it might be too much to take in all at once, but I will let you know the important information." Hope nodded, grateful to have something to go on before Toriel continued. "Normally when a pair have decided to bond they find a discreet and safe location. There they will be safe and undisturbed until their bond has been completed. During the bonding process, their SOULs are pulled out and the more dominant of the two SOULs claims the other. In a monster relationship, there is always a dominant and a submissive. Even if both of them have strong personalities, one personality is always going to be stronger than the other. The dominant and submissive roles are decided when the SOULs come together in a bond. One will subconsciously submit to the other."


Toriel chuckles at this. "I once knew a pair-bond where the most docile and sweetest of the two was the dominant in the relationship. No one saw that coming. Anyway, now where was I… ah, that's right. A bond once fully completed is permanent. So most monsters won't initiate one unless there is no doubt that the one they have chosen calls out to their SOUL. Once bonded, pair-bonds share emotions and in extreme cases thoughts. Full conversations have never been recorded but one-word thoughts have been conveyed. Now, as far as being… physical..."



-New Home-

-City-




"SANS, YOUR BACK!" An excited squeal was his only warning before a younger skeleton about a head and a half shorter than him slammed into his side clinging to him in a tight embrace. Sans smiled fondly at his little brother before patting his head gently.

"Heya Paps." Papyrus looked up at his older brother his bright smile slowly turning into a frown.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GONE A FEW MORE HOURS; DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?" His loud childlike voice rang through the room. It always surprised Sans how perceptive his little brother could be with how innocent Papyrus always acted.

"Heh, ya Pap, you could say that." Sans detached Papyrus from his side then kneeled down to meet him at eye level. "There's too much to explain right now but I have a surprise for you." Papyrus squealed in excitement, his previous frown turning into a smile of pure joy as he started to jump in place, his hands pressed together to his chest as if trying to contain his own excitement from bursting forth. "But first I'm gonna need you to go pack up some clothes and anything else you wanna bring for an extended stay."

He gasped. "REALLY?! WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A SLEEPOVER?!" Sans nodded.

"But you gotta hurry, they're expecting us." Papyrus darted halfway down the hall before he skidded to a halt to turn and run back.



"DON'T WORRY I SHALL BE THE FASTEST!" Before he took back off down the hallway toward his bedroom. Sans shoved his hands into his pants pockets as he made his way to his own room at a more leisurely pace. He took a long look around taking in every detail of his room. He wasn't sure when he was going to see it again. Or if he was going to see it again.

Anxiety pushed him into action, he couldn't take too long. Already he was starting to worry about Hope. And by the anxious and overly embarrassed feelings he was receiving from their link, Toriel must have started asking questions about his mark. It wasn't to the point where he felt he needed to intervene on his mate’s behalf, but it was enough to affect his own anxieties. Besides, he did NOT want to run into his father as he and Paps made their hurried escape. With quick efficiency, he packed away clothes he thought he might need and then clothes that were just too comfy to leave behind. He grabbed a few books that were important to him, mainly science books that dug into the subjects he was interested in, then scanned his room one last time with a critical eye making sure he hadn't forgotten anything important. Seeing nothing of importance he left his room, bag in hand and headed to Papyrus's room.

He leaned against the door frame as his little brother zipped around his room grabbing anything that caught his eye socket. Already he had two bags and was working on a third. Sans smiled softly as he watched him. "Alright Paps, you almost ready to go?" Papyrus skidded to a halt to look at Sans, seeming to have just noticed him. His head darted from side to side looking around his now mostly empty room before he darted to his bed to pick up an old tattered teddy bear, then ran back to his bag and stuffed it inside. Zipping it up with a triumphant Nyeh.

"ALRIGHT," He said running up to Sans. "I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING. I TOLD YOU THAT I WOULD BE THE FASTEST." He spread his feet apart and put his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out in a confident pose. Sans chuckled at his brother's antics.

"Good job Paps," Sans said before he nudged him forward toward his luggage that was piled together in the middle of his room. "Alright, now grab your things and hold on."

"SANS?"

"Yea Pap?"

"WHAT ABOUT DAD?"

Sweat began to bead at the top of his skull "Well Pap, he'll be around." It wasn't necessarily a lie…

"OH, OKAY." He sighed in relief, Papyrus's happy, trusting smile giving him renewed motivation. They would both have a better life once they left this house, or at least he hoped they would.

"Alright Paps, grab on and don't let go." Papyrus nodded to his older brother as he clutched his arms around all of his belongings. Sans wrapped his own free arm about his brother’s shoulders before they both disappeared.



-New Home-



Sans and Papyrus reappeared outside the door of the study. Sans looked at the door nervously rubbing the back of his skull and vertebra. Papyrus was busy looking around at his new surroundings with a look of wonderment. Taking a big breath, Sans put his hand on top of Papyrus's skull beckoning him for his attention. Once he had looked at him Sans pointed to the door. "We are going to be staying with Queen Toriel and King Asgore." Sans chuckled as his brother whispered a "Wowie" with literal sparkles appearing in his eye sockets. "There is also someone important that I want you to meet. She's a… uh… a friend of mine. But you gotta be on your best behavior okay Pap." Papyrus nodded with a focused look on his face, his little hands closed into fists in determination. Sans smile widened. His brother was so great.

He turned to the door suddenly unsure of himself. Did he knock? Or did he just go in? He shrugged, well his mate was in there so he should be able to walk right in. He opened the door and almost immediately regretted that decision. His mate was beat red and nearly jumped from her chair with a high pitched squeak when she caught sight of him, and Toriel looked slightly uncomfortable even if she was trying to hide a smile from her face. What in the world had he just walked into?

"Oh Sans, welcome back! We were just discussing SOULs and intimacy." He could practically hear the laughter in his Queens' voice, and it made his own face glow a soft blue as he tried to duck his head down into the collar of his shirt. Thankfully his little brother came to his rescue as he peeked his head around Sans to look at the occupants in the room. Toriel's smile brightened and she nearly toppled the chair over in her haste to greet the small skeleton. "Why hello little one!" She said excitedly, kneeling down to greet him putting her paw out for him to grasp. Papyrus looked from her paw to her then smiled widely taking her much larger paw into his small skeletal hands. "It is so very nice to meet you, my child. What is your name?"

"P-PAYRUS!" He sounded only a little bit nervous and she smiled as she patted his hand. Hope stood from her chair and fidgeted, glancing at Sans he appeared to be looking at everywhere but her. Their eyes caught for only a brief moment before they both looked away. Nerves were bouncing back and forth between their link.

Toriel, standing back up caught both of their attention and they turned to her. Hope looked curiously at the adorable little skeleton attached to her hand. She had never in her life thought that a skeleton could be considered cute, but boy had she been wrong. His face was longer in shape than Sans, and he lacked the lights that Sans had for his eyes but his face appeared to be just as expressive as his brothers. Childlike glee was written all over it as his head kept moving to take in every little detail of the room and the occupants within it. Upon seeing her he detached himself from Toriel and launched himself forward. When he reached the halfway point to her he paused and looked at Sans who nodded before he burst forward again managing to stop just short of tackling her.

"YOU MUST BE MY BROTHERS FRIEND! HI, I AM PAPYRUS! IT’S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. BECAUSE YOU ARE MY BROTHERS FRIEND DOES THAT MEAN YOU WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND TOO?" Hopes eyes darted to Sans at the word friend, he only shrugged in response. She felt a pang of sadness as her thoughts circled back around to her previous thoughts about her current situation. Sans easy grin tugged down just slightly at his mate’s quick change in mood. She hid her sadness quickly behind a bright smile that was well practiced.


"It's so very nice to meet you Papyrus, I'm Hope." She forced a cheerful voice as she focused solely on the little skeleton standing in front of her. His hopeful face melting just a little bit of the hurt she felt. "Of course I will be your friend."

He shrieked in delight literal sparkles appearing in his eyes before running back to Sans. "SHE'S GOING TO BE MY FRIEND TOO!"

"Heh, that's great Pap." Sans smiled down at his little brother as Toriel laughed softly beside him. She held her hand back out which Papyrus took instantly and she began to lead him out of the room.

"How about we show you your rooms so that you may all settle in." She said as she led the way down the hall. The little skeleton beside her was talking excitedly about what his room back at home was like. Her attention remained focused on the little skeleton, making comments at the appropriate times.



Sans eye lights met Hopes blue-grey ones. The embarrassment and anxiety crossing between their link were long gone, but left in its place was a feeling of emptiness. She met his gaze head-on, smile still in place as she moved forward than past him to follow Toriel. She looked happy but their bond said otherwise. He quickly grabbed his lab coat off of the chair he had left it on earlier then followed closely behind her, unsure of what to do.

Toriel led them just a little further down the hallway before she stopped in front of a set of doors. She gestured to her right "These two rooms are for either of you." She said as she glanced to Sans and Hope. "I was unsure if you wanted separate rooms or to share one. So I will leave that decision up to you two. As for you my child." She said as she addressed the little skeleton still holding her paw. He looked up at her excitedly as she walked him just a few feet to the door directly across from Sans and Hopes rooms. "This room will be all yours." She opened the door to reveal a decent sized bedroom with a large bed, a dresser, and a desk. Off to the side was a door that led to a small private bathroom. Papyrus dropped Toriel's paw and raced forward to inspect his new room. His overjoyed enthusiasm put a genuine smile on Hopes' face. Toriel looked on with a fond smile as her eyes became misty. Her little one had been so close to Papyrus's age it made her heart ache just to look at him.

He raced back out of his new room and slammed into Sans almost knocking him over. "BROTHER MY NEW ROOM IS AMAZING! DID YOU SEE HOW BIG IT IS! AND IT HAS ITS OWN SHOWER!"

"I did Pap. S'nice."

"WILL YOU HELP ME SET IT UP?"


"Sure Paps." Papyrus dashed off in the direction of his bags and Sans followed at a more lazy pace, catching Hopes eyes as he left. Hope watched them go before turning back to Toriel.

"Thank you so much for everything."


"Of course my child. And tomorrow maybe you and I can slip out to get you some clothes so that you have something to wear for the time that you are here."

"Thanks, I'd really appreciate it."

Toriel smiled down at her then smoothed out her robes. "Dinner will be served shortly. Do you remember how to get back to the entrance? The dining room is just to the right of the front door." She made to retreat down the hall, back the way they had originally come but paused "And if you need anything do not hesitate to ask."

"Okay, thank you." Toriel smiled before she disappeared around a corner. Hope sagged against the door frame of Papyrus's room. She was beyond exhausted. She had been up for at least 24 hours and with all the things that she had experienced today she was not only physically tired but emotionally as well. The sound of the boys making their way back toward her pushed her into action. She forced herself forward and into her own room. Quietly she shut her bedroom door. To her relief the door had a lock, she turned it, effectively sealing herself inside. Taking a look around Hope noted that her room was very similar to Papyrus's. The only difference was that of a larger bed.

She made her way over and collapsed on its soft surface. A few silent moments passed as she just breathed. Letting everything sink in, tears began to slip past her eyelids, and soon the floodgates were fully opening. In the solitude of the quiet and dark room, she let herself feel all the feelings she had bottled up. Silent tears streamed down her face and she shifted to curl in on herself. She was stuck in this world. And even though she was welcome in the castle, she apparently wasn't welcome anywhere else. And Sans, her mate, he didn't want her. She had been an accident. She was always just an accident. She was unwanted and unwelcome. What on earth was she supposed to do now? Could they break the bond? Is that what Sans wanted to do? Is that what she wanted to do? Fresh tears welled in her eyes. And her family, gods above how she missed her family! Was she ever going to see them again? She cried harder doing her best to muffle her sounds.

Sans stood silently on the other side of the door having finished helping his brother with his things. He couldn't hear her, but he could feel her pain and sadness. He desperately wanted to comfort her, his instincts pushing him to move forward, but he feared that he was the reason she was so upset. So he stood there quietly straining to hear what was happening on the other side of the door. It wasn't long before his little brother was pulling at him. Asking about why they weren't headed down to dinner yet.

Sans knocked on her door and he was greeted with silence. Just to be sure he checked the doorknob and found it locked. Resigned to this situation he nudged Papyrus forward and headed with him down to dinner. If anyone asked he would tell them that she was tired.

She cried for what felt like forever but she doubted it was more than an hour. Once she had run out of tears, sadness gave way to uneasiness. She laid in the darkening room, fearful of this dark new place that she was expected to sleep. She had always been nervous of sleeping alone in the dark but the added weight of a new world entirely set her on edge. After long hours of jumpy false alarms, she fell into a restless sleep.

- -


Tired. He was so very, very tired. He hadn't slept very well that night, and he was positive he was not the only one.  




Hope was seated on his left and by the looks of it, she hadn't slept at all. Dark circles hung under dull eyes and her skin looked paler than it did the day before. All night he could feel fear and depression filtering through their link. The dulled fear and sadness from his mate had mixed terribly with his own worries. The feeling had nearly driven him insane as he fought with himself on how to handle the situation. On one hand he needed to comfort, sooth, and protect; but on the other hand, he wasn't sure if he was welcome in her bedroom, seeing as she had locked the door.



Locks normally wouldn't have stopped him, but something about the situation made him feel uneasy about disturbing her by just 'popping' into her room. She was clearly upset by her situation, whether it was him she was upset about or the reality of her situation of being in a new world he wasn't sure, but if he was the reason she was upset pushing her boundaries wouldn't be smart. Especially since he wanted this bond to work. So he kept his mouth shut when he had first seen her haggard appearance and walked down with her and his little brother to breakfast. And he kept his glances far and few between.

When breakfast was finished it wasn't long before Papyrus was off and running, ready to explore his new surroundings. He and Hope, however, were stuck at the table. As soon as Papyrus had dashed out of the dining room the King had cleared his throat and request that they have a talk. He had felt his own weariness mix with Hope's. He chanced a side glance go gage her reaction. Only to notice that she hadn't eaten more than a nibble of food. That was odd, didn't humans need the energy from food to sustain themselves just like monsters? He frowned at that thought before Asgore's voice interrupted his contemplation.

"Since you are going to be staying here, Tori and I felt you should know more about the world you now reside in." Hope peers up at this. The fog of her depression clears just enough for her curiosity to shine. Since she had found out she was in an entirely different world she had been curious about its inhabitants and its environment and most of all magic. Magic, oh gods it was real here! That thought alone was enough to wipe away some of her sadness.

"Where all monsters, and now you reside, is called the Underground. But it was not always this way. A long time ago monsters and humans lived in peace together above ground. But something… happened and a war broke out amongst our two species." Hope frowned as he blatantly glazed over information that sounded very important. "Some Monsters are not as physically capable as humans are, and although we have the gift of magic and connecting with our SOULs and the SOULs of those around us, are SOULs are not as strong as humans. When humans die their SOULs can persist long after their death but if we die our SOULs immediately shatter and what is left of our strength is absorbed either by the earth or by the human that has destroyed us."

"Asgore." Toriel's stern voice cuts through her mates narration. "Please remember that it is not only humans who can wrongfully absorb another's power."

"Right, I was just getting there." He says sheepishly glancing at his mate. "Just as a human can absorb power from a monster a monster can absorb a humans soul after they have passed." Toriel only frowns at Asgore but doesn't interrupt him again. "When the war broke out… We did not fare very well. It was only a short time before we were losing the battle. Soon we were being pushed underground, quite literally. Human mages, or rather humans that had stolen enough strength from the monsters they had killed, forced us under the largest mountain in the area. They erected a barrier that was made from stolen monster magic and human determination."

Hope fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with this new knowledge. No wonder no monster would want to see her walking around their home. They probably thought all humans were the same. They probably thought she was dangerous. She felt sadness start to creep back into the darkness of her mind when she felt a hand rest on her thigh. Startled she looked down to the skeletal hand then followed its arm up to look at Sans. She was surprised by the sudden contact considering he hadn't even looked at her during breakfast. His smile looked strained, but she appreciated the silent comfort he was trying to convey and she managed a small smile in return. She turned back to Asgore as he continued, resting her hand on top of his larger, bonier one. Sans warmed at the contact, clearly pleased that she hadn't pulled away from him.

"It has been many years since the war, but the barrier still thrives. Anyone can enter, but no one can leave. Unless you possess both a human and a monster SOUL, as both were needed to erect the barrier. I bring all of this up because we feel it is important for you to understand your position in the Underground and because even though you lack LV and EXP you still possess magic. Which is an anomaly in our world."


"What does that mean exactly?" The sudden sound of Hopes soft voice almost has Sans hitting the floor in his shock. Pleased that he had finally gotten a response from her, Asgore smiles.

"It means that when Toriel and I had a look at your SOUL last night, we got to see how different it is from both monsters and humans. We both assume it has to do with you being from another world."

"What do you mean by different?" Hope interjects worriedly

"My child, your SOUL is very different because of the traits it bears. I've never seen one with so many strong traits before. Usually human and monster SOULs only display their most prominent trait with the others hidden in the background. Human traits are displayed through colors. A soul will normally only be one color. Yours, on the other hand, displays three."



Ah, so that’s why it had three colors that looked to be fighting for dominance.



"Tell me my child, is it normal for humans to have magic in your world?" Toriel could no longer keep her curiosity at bay as she leans forward toward Hope in her eagerness.

"Uh… no actually. Magic like what you guys have doesn't exist where I come from." Hope says as she thinks about how Sans had literally thrown Gaster across the room with nothing but the flick of his hand. Toriel looks disappointed and Hope can't help but feel terrible that she had caused such disappointment.

"So perhaps you gained them upon entering our world then," Asgore says to himself as if in deep thought as he runs a large paw through his beard.

Toriel's face suddenly brightens as her paws come down hard on the wooden table, startling everyone seated there and causing the dishes to clatter. "What if she's the angel from the prophecy?!"

"Angel?" Hope asks uncertainly.

"She possesses magic, and barrier magic at that, and her name! Her name is Hope. What are the chances of that?" Asgore waves his hand dismissively.

"No, I do not believe the prophecy would pertain to her. It clearly states that the angel will return to the Underground after seeing the surface, not that they will just appear." Toriel Frowns at her husband.

"I suppose you're right…"

"Regardless of the prophecy, I do think you might be able to help us." Hope perks up at that. "If we start working with your magic and we find out what your limits are, we might be able to find a way around the barrier." Hope gives Asgore a true smile at that and nods in agreement. Helping an entire race out of their imprisonment, yeah, she would love to be apart of that.

"I would love to."


"Excellent!" Asgore smiles and Toriel beams at her, and for a moment she felt happy. "We will start your training in a few days or maybe even in a week. First, we want you to get adjusted to life down here and to become… accustom to your new bond." Asgore smiles awkwardly before he and Toriel shuffle out of their seats and begin to pick up the empty plates around the table.

That’s right. A new home, no family, no friends, and a member of an unwanted bond. Just as quickly as her happiness had come it fades. Suddenly very much drained she makes to disappear. Standing quickly and excusing herself before swiftly exiting the dining room with Sans hot on her heels.

Chapter Text

 -The Underground-

-New Home-

Out of the dining room and now in the main hall, she could practically feel Sans boring a hole into her back as he followed her. She stopped just short of the stairs and rounded on him. Needing to stop him from following her. He skidded to a halt almost knocking her over in his haste to catch her. Hope took a step back to avoid being pushed over and rested a hand on his chest to help steady him, and to make sure he didn't continue his forward momentum. Once she was certain he had his balance she pushed against his hard chest until he took a step back freeing up her personal bubble. She took a steadying breath, doing her best not to think too hard about the way her muscles instinctively relaxed or the way her anxiety lessened when he was so close. She met his eye lights, her hand dropping from his sternum.


"What did Toriel mean by the angel?" Her curiosity was bubbling over the already full pot of mixed emotions. Depression, fear, anxiety, excitement, and curiosity made for a very confusing mix. The Queen of monsters had mentioned a prophecy pertaining to an angel, and by her excitement, it had to pertain to the barrier they had just told her about. But Asgore had been so quick to dismiss it that she hadn't had a chance to wrap her head around what Toriel had been trying to say. But now that she was alone with Sans, she figured she might have a chance at figuring it out. And by the looks of the skeleton, he knew something. His smile was stretched wide across his face in an uncomfortable grin, and beads of sweat were forming on the top of his skull. His eye lights looked smaller, and overall his entire posture was stiff. To say he looked uncomfortable was an understatement. Not to mention the fact that she could feel his anxiety through their link. She raised an eyebrow at him as he stood there silently watching her. She crossed her arms over her chest prepared to wait.


His eye lights followed the movement of her arms then darted back up to meet her blue-gray eyes. He was fully unprepared for this conversation. To be honest when she had left the dining room he had expected her to retreat back into her new room; if the feelings he was receiving from their link were anything to go by. He had been hot on her heals hoping to steer her into a corner so that he could pin her down and get her to talk to him. So that he could try to figure out a way to fix what was wrong. He had an inkling of what was wrong. It was most likely him. If he was right, he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he had to be sure to be able to do anything about it. Besides, his instincts were bouncing around in his skull demanding that he pay attention to them. Sooth, it demanded, tear apart whatever was distressing his bonded. Which was extremely hard to do if she was avoiding him! The whole thing was giving him a serious headache.


The last thing he had expected was for her to turn on him suddenly and ask about the prophecy that Toriel had brought up after breakfast. If he was being honest with himself, he was savoring this moment. Prolonging answering her just so he could watch as her irritation wipe away the sadden defeated look she had worn earlier during breakfast; and better still she was asking him. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the main cause of her earlier sadness. He felt so much relief in that small thought.


"Hmm " He finally hummed breaking the silence, slipping his hands into his sweatpants pockets. "We monsters have had a prophecy since we were trapped then abandoned down here. I'm not really sure where it came from but for most, the prophecy fills them with hope. Hope that someday we'll finally be able to leave the Underground. And for others... well, it’s a dark prophecy speaking of the end of our existence." Hope looked stunned. By the look on Toriel's face, she had assumed it was a good prophecy. Technically she supposed that if you looked at it in the right way, for some monsters it was.


But other monsters feared the prophecy… no wonder Asgore had brushed it off so quickly.


"What exactly is the prophecy?"


Sans gave her a joyless smile "It states that an angel who has seen the surface will descend from above and the Underground will go empty." Eyes wide, she just stared at him unsure of what to say. Well, she could definitely see how people could interpret that as an angel of death.


"I-uh… I… see." She felt awkward now. Like she had brought up something terrible and embarrassing, and she felt absolutely horrible about it. Asgore was right, she couldn't be the one from the prophecy, she hadn't even seen the surface of this world, although she was flattered that Toriel had insisted that she was. She was much happier believing that she wasn't an angel in a prophecy that sounded… less than happy.


She shuffled her feet and began twisting her hands together uncomfortably. Her eyes darted back up to meet Sans eye lights. "I… err… thanks…. for telling me I mean. Well… I'll uh… see you around." She turned to leave but his voice caused her to pause. She glanced over her shoulder to look back at him.


"Now hold on just a minute. We haven't even had a chance to talk since yesterday. I was kinda wondering …. I donno…" He looked uncertain for a moment before he finished what he was going to say. "Do you have any more questions?" It wasn't what he had wanted to ask her, but it had somehow seemed safer.


Hope hummed in thought looking away from him. He didn't need to hear her answer to know what she was going to say. Helplessness and depression were still very prevalent in their link. His shoulders sagged.


"I’m sorry, I really don't want to talk right now, maybe later okay. Once…" She paused looking down at her feet, searching for the right words. "All of this… settles." She began making her way up the stairs back to her room, Sans following closely behind her reaching his hand out to stop her retreat.


"But-"


"I'm sorry Sans, I just can’t right now." The crack in her voice had him pulling his hand back as if it had been burned. She was clearly upset, and although everything in him was screaming at him to do something about it, he couldn't. He shoved his hands back into his pants pockets watching her leave. Bitterness and frustration filled their link. He scowled at her retreating back. He hated the way she was shutting him out. Didn't she understand that they had to work as a team now? How was he supposed to help her if she was just going to avoid him? He was beginning to resent this link as her helplessness fogged over his own feelings leaving a very bitter taste in his mouth.


He was beginning to resent himself for creating the link in the first place. 


Frustrated beyond belief he made his way in the opposite direction of his 'mate' and began his search for his little brother. Seeing him always helped to brighten his mood. Hopefully, he wasn't getting into too much trouble while he was wandering around his new surroundings. He had said he'd keep an eye on him after all.


Hope flung her back against her now locked door. Savoring the dull physical pain as she slid down it slowly until she sat heavily on the ground. She buried her head into her hands and sobbed openly. He hated her, she could feel it in their bond. It left a bitter feeling deep in her SOUL. She had already fucked everything up. All she had wanted was time and space to come to terms with all these new feelings, but it had only made Sans mad. He hated her, and now she really did have no one. All of the newly combined emotions that she was receiving mixed in with her older, sadder ones, were making everything so confusing! She was torn between wanting to be close to Sans while wanting to be as far away from him as humanly possible. Just being near him seemed to ease a painful ache in her SOUL and it scared her because she wouldn't normally feel that way around a stranger. Right? It had to be the bond that was creating these artificial feelings in her.


It was all so confusing and frustrating! Scary even!


What was she even supposed to do now? Ask him to reverse the bond? Could he do that? Toriel had said it was permanent, but it sounded like they hadn't finished the bond completely yet so maybe…


No. She didn't want to lose this just yet. She wasn't sure why, but something in her really wanted this bond to work. Some selfish part of her that clung to the idea that she wasn't entirely as alone as she felt. So when she was feeling more grounded and ready to face this new world, she would try her best to get back on Sans good side. But for now… for now, she would grieve for the family and the world she would probably never see again.


- -


"Stand like this. No, like this! Yeah, that's it, now throw!"


Sans arches a brow bone at the sight he was greeted with. There, in the castle's courtyard stood his brother with another monster. Dark blue scales covered her lanky body, and blood red hair fell in long waves over her shoulders. Delicate fins rested on either side of her angular face. She was about a head taller than Papyrus and clearly a little older than him. Though she appeared to be younger than Sans, but not by much. She seemed to be teaching Papyrus how to throw his bones properly and by the way she was yelling, with her body animatedly flowing with her words, he could tell she was just as passionate about life as his brother was. His smile widened as he hung back to watch the interaction, leaning against the wall of the castle for support. Maybe his brother had finally found someone to match his energy.


"WOWIE DID YOU SEE HOW FAR IT WENT THAT TIME!"


"See I told you punk! You just have to get the right angle to get the leverage to throw it further. Now do it again! But this time throw it HARDER!" She emphasized her point by forcibly flinging her arm in a mock throw.


"OKAY!" Came Papyrus's excited reply as he manifested another bone. Notching his arm back just as she had, he hurled it forward with all his strength. The bone flew past the last bone he had thrown and landed a few feet away from it. Their excited shouts mingled as they danced around each other in excitement causing Sans to chuckle.


The female monster whipped her head around when she heard his chuckle and narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Her body had gone stock still, shoulders set back and her fists clenched. They stared at one another sizing each other up until Papyrus broke their stares by running forward to greet his brother.


"SANS! COME AND MEET UNDYNE! SHE'S SUPER COOL!" Sans eyed Undyne as she slowly made her way over to them. A large mocking smile displaying her sharp teeth. He instantly picked up on the hostility she was throwing at him. It was an odd contrast to the monster he had just watched interacting with his brother. He held back a sneer not wanting to upset his brother.

While she approached he took a quick look at her SOUL and didn't find anything malicious, but the way she was acting put him on edge. He'd have to watch this one closely if she decided to stick around Papyrus.


"UNDYNE THIS IS MY BROTHER SANS; SANS THIS IS MY NEW… FRIEND?" His head darts over to look at her suddenly unsure. She gave a slight nod as an affirmative and instantly his mood brightens. "YES, MY FRIEND."  Sans smile widens at his brother's unbridled joy. It was so nice to see him out of their home and interacting with other monsters.


"Hey." Sans greets casually.


"Hey." She replies, clearly not impressed with him. Sans shrugs. Her eyes scan him one more time before she dismisses him to look back at Papyrus.


"If you're going to start training with us you better get started with your laps. I've already done four."


"THAT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA! BROTHER, UNDYNE IS TRAINING WITH KING ASGORE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD.  ISN'T THAT AWESOME? SHE'LL BE LIKE A BRAVE KNIGHT. I WANT TO JOIN TOO. I'M GOING TO TRAIN JUST AS HARD SO I CAN BE A BRAVE KNIGHT!"


"Sounds great Paps." He says nonchalantly as he smiles down at his brother. He knew his brother would be considered too sweet to join the royal guard. They'd never let him join, but it was so nice to see him interacting with other monsters and to see him hope for something. So he pushed his own worries and doubts about it aside to give his brother that little extra boost of confidence. "I'm sure you'll do great Paps." An excited Nyeh left him as he began jogging away from them.


"He hasn't had much interaction with other monsters before has he?" Sans looked at Undyne from the corner of his eye sockets. She sounded reserved and almost calculating. She wasn't looking at him, preferring to watch Papyrus instead. He shrugged in response not really caring if she saw it or not.


"Not many friends to make where we live."

Undyne looked back at him for a moment as if reassessing something before she flashes sharp teeth at him. Smiling at him for real this time. She pushed away from the wall her sharp tooth smile following after Papyrus "Eh, he's pretty great anyway."

"Yeah." Sans smiled, something in him relaxing at her honest tone. "He is." Undyne left him leaning against the wall as she ran to catch up to Papyrus, yelling encouragement as she caught up to him.


Watching his brother and Undyne run together gave him hope. Even if things were not all well at the moment. Even if inside he was at war with himself as his bonded's emotions continued to affect him. At least some good had come out of the human’s appearance. It looks like his brother had finally made a friend.


- -



Pulling the dining room chair next to his brothers out he sat down with a heavy sigh. His eye lights scanned the table but was only met with Toriel and Asgore's worried faces. His own worrying spiked. He had been monitoring Hopes emotions all day. Not that he really needed to. Her sadness had been such an oppressive force over his own feelings, he had just opted to avoid the inside of the castle all day. He couldn't leave her, his instincts wouldn't allow it, but he didn't want to run into her either. His own emotions were still raw after this morning’s talk. But not seeing her here and seeing their concerned faces made him feel bad about that decision.


"Where's Hope?" He knew it was a stupid question. And that he being her mate made it an even stupider question. But he had to break the silence.


"She has not left her room all day." Toriel replays solemnly unfolding and then refolding her napkin on the table. Sans frowned.


"She didn't come down for lunch?" Toriel shakes her head no and Sans frown deepens. So besides the little nibble from this morning, that meant she had eaten nothing today. And he wasn't even sure what she had eaten the day before. Had she even eaten before she appeared in the underground? He hoped so because she had skipped out on dinner last night as well. He may not know very much about humans but that seemed unhealthy.


"I went up to check on her earlier, to ask if she wanted to head into town so that we may purchase her new clothing. But she was reluctant to answer. Normally I would have pressed… but… the sadness was so thick, I could practically touch it from the other side of the door." Toriel pushed the food around on her plate as she thought. Sans shoulders sagged, he should have persisted in talking to her earlier but he had given her what she had wanted and left her alone. That is what she had wanted, right? Honestly, the feelings he was getting from her were too confusing to tell. "The poor thing must be taking this being torn from her world a little hard." Asgore nodded his agreement to Toriel's statement and Sans shrugged in response. He didn't think that was all of the reason she was upset, but he wasn't about to voice his thoughts.


"I should probably go talk to her." Sans moved to stand up but paused when Toriel makes a noise in the back of her throat.


"Maybe you should give her a little more time. She… may not want to see any of us until she has accepted what has happened." Sans sits heavily in his seat. That made sense. It didn't sound like there were monsters where she came from. So seeing them had probably been a big shock on top of everything else that had happened.


"If you think that's best…" Sans trails off feeling defeated, Toriel nodded.


"Just give her a little time, I'm sure she'll come around," Toriel said gently trying to console him.


Papyrus tugged on Sans sleeve until he had gained his attention. Sans looked down surprised by the other skeleton. He had completely forgotten his brother’s presence. "Is Hope going to be okay?" His voice sounded so small that it broke Sans heart to hear it at such a low volume.


"Sure Pap, she going to be just fine. She's just feeling sick's all." He forced a smile for his brother’s sake. Papyrus nodded, willing to accept his brothers excuse even if his frown remained. His normally boisterous demeanor remaining muted. Sans looked back down at his food no longer hungry. The dinner continued quietly. No one sure of what to say in the tense silence.


- -


Darkness...


So alone...


Helpless…


Hopeless...

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

Chip…

Crack…

Help...

Something was shattering.

Sans shot up in bed, covers falling away to reveal the stark white bones of his rib cage, left eye ablaze with his magic. His brightly colored eye darted around the room looking for the cause of his internal distress. Something felt wrong, so very, very wrong. But everything was as he had left it before he had fallen asleep. Sans unfurled the tight rein he had on his soul and sent out a probing pulse, feeling for his brother and his bonded. His brother was fine, but his bonded… he choked on the sudden sharp pain he felt coming from their link. He jolted out of bed, shirt be damned, and ran out of his door practically slamming into hers. He swore as he jiggled the doorknob, it was still locked. He scowled down at it, willing it to melt under his withering gaze.

"Hope!" He hissed quietly hoping to avoid waking his brother. Right now she was his main concern. "Hope! Damn it open the door!" He couldn't hear anything but he could feel her souls distress. Grinding his teeth together he contemplated just ripping the damn thing off its hinges.

Fuck this

It was time he listened to his instincts and took care of his mate’s emotional well-being and to hell with anything else.

He blipped out of existence and reappeared on the other side of the door. The dark room looked untouched save for the bed. Pillows were scattered across its surface and the blankets looked rumpled and strewn about. There she sat on its covers, legs crossed and leaning against the headboard. Clad only in her blue t-shirt and underwear. Her blank, dull looking eyes stared forward and her face looked almost peaceful. Dark rings hung under her eyes and he spared a moment to wonder if she had slept at all since she had arrived in the Underground. Looking at her blank stare he wasn't even sure if she had registered his appearance. Another sharp pain in his soul pushed him forward.

"Hope." He whispers in the darkness trying to gain her attention as he slowly approaches her. He received no response, absolutely no indication that she even knew he was there. He continues forward at a slow pace, his arms raised in front of him in a placating manner, as if she were a caged animal. He wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible. Because he had no idea when she would snap out of her daze, and he wasn't exactly sure what her response would be to him suddenly appearing in her dark room, in the middle of the night… half naked.

"Hope." He tried again but received nothing.

Finally reaching her he sits gently on the bed trying not to jostle her. He reached forward to cup her cheek with his hand. Hoping that the physical contact would wake her from the dazed trance she was in.

"Come on sweetheart look at me." She doesn't respond to his touch or his words, and everything in him started panicking. "I'm sorry sweetheart." He apologizes to her softly as he reaches forward, his hand glowing a soft blue. He rests it before her chest, forming a fist before pulling back and pulling out her soul. He didn't have the time to wait for her consent, he could feel the cracks as they were being formed.

The sight of it caused him to swear viciously as fear consumes him. The little heart floats in front of her chest for half a second before it begins to sink down towards the bed. He stops its descent by cupping his hands beneath it and gently he brings it back up to rest between them. It is almost completely void of color, in fact, the only color that was truly visible anymore was his mark. Many new cracks had spider-webbed across its surface but there were four in particular that were very concerning. They were almost to its center. She was so very frighteningly close to shattering. He had known she was in bad shape when he had first gotten to talk with her the other night, but he hadn't known just how bad. If he had suspected for even a second that she would lose all hope in those next twenty-four hours he would have… could have... well there was nothing he could do about that now. He'd saved his anger for later and focused on the here and now.

He focused on his instincts.

Sooth. Heal. Save.

He berated himself for not following his instincts sooner. If he didn't do something quick he was going to lose her.

Listening to what his soul was telling him to do, Sans brings Hope's soul close to his chest in a protective manner as he shifts closer to her. Nudging her body around he awkwardly shifts her so she's seated in his lap. Sheltering her body with his own. Keeping her soul cupped in one of his hands he rests it in front of her chest. He then pulls his own soul forth. Instantly the little inverted heart drew closer to Hopes soul. Instinctively wishing to be closer to its other half. Its white glow casting her face in a pale light, giving her an almost ghostly appearance. He grimaced at the sight, she didn't even appear to be alive anymore. If he couldn't still feel her warmth and he couldn't still see her shallow breathing, he would have thought she was dead. He quickly shoved that thought aside, as it triggered dark emotions within him. Taking those emotions and every other negative feeling he had, he shoved them so far and so deep that they were barely a whisper in his soul. Following his instincts, Sans took a calming breath and focused on every good thought he'd ever had. Every moment that had made him happy. Every joke that had managed to get a smile out of his little brother.

His soul grew brighter with each passing moment. Spinning happily in place. Once he was satisfied with its bright, powerful glow he coaxes her soul to join with his. His precious little soul comes willingly at his insistence. The second her soul touches his, his soul envelops hers and every positive feeling he's ever had envelops her. It’s a long, tense moment as he waits to see if he can call her back before she loses all hope and her soul shatters.  

"Come on sweetheart, come back to me." He whispers gently to her as he watches her soul slowly begin to spin inside the protection of his own soul.

It is a tense few minutes as he waits it out, doing his best to keep positive feelings flowing around her. Until finally something snaps back into place and her soul jolts inside his own. Slowly it starts to regain its color. Beginning from the center and spreading outward, blue, green, and yellow beginning to swirl around its surface again. He's so happy to hear the ragged sob tear from her lips he almost collapses on top of her. Stars she was alive! He hugs her tighter to his body. Practically crushing her small frame against his slightly larger one. She didn't seem to mind though as she continues to sob in his arms. Feeling her distress between their link his chest begins to rumble in a soothing way as he coaxes her through whatever sadness she may have left over.

It takes a while, but soon her sobs turn to sniffles and her breathing begins to steady. Then suddenly as if she had just become aware of his presence she's tensing in his arms. Her hands pulled away from the arms he had wrapped around her middle and she shrinks against him before springing forward. She starts to struggle violently against him, trying to escape his grasp. He could feel her unease turn to panic in an instant, but he refuses to relent and holds on tightly continuing his soothing. She must have been more drained then he had first thought because it doesn't take long until she is sagging in his arms panting for breath.

With her still for the moment, he dislodges her soul from his, its colors fully returned and returns his soul back inside his own chest. He leaves her soul to float in front of them, its soft colorful glow casting bright colors across her flushed cheeks. His eye lights scan over the little heart, lingering on the more dangerous cracks, contemplating on how he was going to heal them.

The only sound in the dark room is her breathing. And he tethers himself to the fact that she's alive. He was able to bring her back. He lets that thought settle the panic he had felt earlier before he faces what he feels coming from their link. He's quite aware of the fear coming through their link and her trembling form in his arms was hard to ignore. The problem was he wasn't sure if she was fearing what had just happened or if it was him she feared. The thought was heart-breaking, especially after what had just happened, but he did his best to give her the benefit of the doubt.

He leans in close so that he can nuzzle his nasal cavity against her head, dragging in her sent and letting it sooth the part of him that was still raging mad at himself and at her for what could have happened. At what had almost happened. He humorlessly chuckles quietly causing her to instantly become ridged in his arms. He let his deep, quiet voice break the silence in the room, hoping to ease her fear.

"You scared me for a minute there sweetheart. Thought you were going to shatter right in front of me."

"S-Sans?" She asked uncertainly, causing him to frown and his instincts to sharpen. Who had she thought it was? He pushes the thought aside for later questioning and instead he hums in response. Almost instantly she sags against him and he feels instant relief. He's not sure if it’s his or hers, but right now he doesn't really care. He's just glad that she doesn't fear him. He takes this small window of opportunity to bask in this rare moment with her calmly seated in his embrace with relief bouncing back and forth between them. But it wasn't long before he could feel the touches of anxiety and embarrassment creeping up through their link.

His eye lights dart over to her still exposed soul. He watches mildly amused when it begins to spin warily. Clearly displaying her most dominant emotions and baser thoughts to him.

Oh, gods no! He had seen her meltdown. Sans had seen her cry! Fucking hell could her life get any worse? Shame and embarrassment took over as she struggled with new vigor against his hold desperate to put some distance between them, but his hold was like iron and she only manages to wiggle around in his lap until she was out of breath again. Defeated, she slumps against him and begins to mumble apologies for him having to see her in such a sorry state. She only manages about two apologies before his snarl stops her from stringing together any more. She shudders in his arms, slightly afraid of that dark animalistic sound and completely unsure of how to respond to his sudden display of anger.

"Stop apologizing." He growls.

"O-okay."

He sighs heavily at her defeated tone, doing his best to calm himself down. He didn't want her to close off to him again. He desperately wanted to avoid this situation from happening a second time, so he tried to rein in his sudden anger. But it was so hard. She had scared him pretty good.

"What happened?" He finally asked his anger only slightly on the surface now. "Do you have any idea what just happened?"

"N-no?"

Sans clenches his teeth harder, trying his best to keep his fear and anger in check. Something that was incredibly hard to do at this particular moment as he tries to explain to his clueless little mate how she had almost died.

"Your soul almost shattered. Fuck, Hope you almost died! What in the hell happened?!" He demanded harshly, unable to keep his cool. Hope recoils at his words and his anger, shrinking down further in his arms. She had known she had upset him this morning but she hadn't thought she had upset him this badly.

Wait! She had almost died? She fidgets nervously in his lab twisting her fingers together roughly as she contemplated how to answer him without upsetting him more. But she's unsure of what to say to him. She didn't exactly know what happened. Let alone that she had almost died. And in moments like these, where anxiety and depression took precedence over anything else, she found it was physically hard for her to express certain emotions verbally. Especially embarrassing and emotionally crippling ones. So answering him outright was for the moment impossible. So instead she went to her go-to. She went for what was safe.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"I don't want an apology." He snapped interrupting her, furious that she was still trying to apologize for this. "I want to know what happened. Why didn't you come to me?" He sounded saddened by that and her heart ached at the thought. She couldn't go to him, he wouldn't understand. No one ever understands.

Sans takes a large breath and holds it for a minute before letting it whistle through his teeth. He tried again, only this time more softly.

"Look, I know we just met and it might be hard for you to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours. But I'm not going to drop this. We're in this together now, Remember? You're stuck with me."

She fidgets again, nervous about his words and the fact that she's still sitting in his lap. It was far more intimate than she was used to with the opposite sex, and it wasn't exactly helping her talking situation. Perhaps it would be easier for her to talk to him if she wasn't seated in his lap. She leaned forward trying to distance herself from him hoping to get her point across. When he doesn't move to release her she tries a different approach.

"Can I at least get up first?"

"No." He deadpans and makes his point by making himself more comfortable against the headboard before pulling her flush against his chest again. This time securely wrapping one of his arms around her waist, clasping his hand onto her hip and the other arm wrapped its way around her chest. His hand clamping down on her shoulder. Caging her against him.

She sputters at his bold move, flustered beyond belief. Her soul spins wildly with nervous embarrassment and irritation. Sans watches her soul in amusement as her emotions mirror what was flowing from their link. Hope could feel his hot breath on her ear as he chuckled at her expense causing her back to go ramrod straight at the action. It is a long moment before she is able to settle back down against him. Once she relaxed her body weight back against him she began to grumble as irritation started to override her embarrassment.

That cocky son of a…

He hummed pleased with himself. He could feel her fear and sadness start to dissipate along with the embarrassment she had felt when she had first realized he was holding her. Now all he was getting was irritation. Good, he could work with irritation. She grumbled to herself and he may have caught the words 'stubborn ass skeletons' whispered under her breath. He came close, oh so close, to saying something snarky in response, but he held his tongue in hopes of getting her to talk to him.

Next time though she wouldn't be so lucky.

"Listen sweetheart, I'm not letting go until you talk." His voice was lowered in warning, and his hands flexed against her hip and shoulder conveying his point.

She practically snarled before huffing out a fine. He smirked, pleased with her reaction. She took a second to think before she started.

"I just miss my family okay… I don't know if I'm ever going to see them again." He waits for more but she doesn't offer more than that as her reason as for why her soul had almost shattered on him. He raised a brow bone. He had expected that to be one of her answers but not her only answer.

"That can't be all." He says unconvinced.

"No… I guess not." He waits patiently, his thumbs moving in small soothing circles over her clothed flesh. Trying to coax the words out of her. "I.. I guess I'm worried about being bound to you." He flinched, almost pulling his hands away from her, but his need to know kept them firmly in place. He had known this was what was really bothering her. But he had hoped… with the way she had been reacting to him… well if worst came to worst he could just release her and that would be the end of it. But he really hoped it wouldn't come to that. For once in his life, he had gotten to taste what it was like to be completed by a soul that compliments and calls to his. He had met just about every monster in Hotland and some in Waterfall. And no other soul he had come into contact with had whispered to his soul the way hers did. He honestly didn't want to give that up without a fight. Even if it wasn't a romantic relationship maybe she would accept friendship?

Well, friendship with more technically...

Maybe he could persuade her, entice her into some form of relationship. Like he should have done before he had bonded with her. Just so he could keep this contented, completed feeling flowing through him.

Hmmm…

"I mean, I don't even know you!" His thoughts were quickly interrupted by her soft nervous voice, as she quickly tried to explain herself. His eye lights refocused on the back of her head as he listed to her intently. "And you don't know me! and It’s just well I… all these feeling are new. Feeling someone else feelings is not something that's done in my world. Honestly, it’s a little unsettling that you know what I'm feeling. And not only that, it’s -  I feel -" She paused trying to find the right words before making a frustrated noise. "There are things I want to do, things that I feel. That I shouldn't… because I just met you and I fear..." She sighed. "I fear its only because of the bond and that's scary to me. To not know if what I'm feeling is what I'm really feeling… does that make any sense?"

"Yes, it does."

He chuckled humorlessly at her attempt to explain their link. Knowing full well just how unsettling it was to have her feel what he was feeling. Fortunately for him, he had an advantage. He was brought up learning how to conceal the majority of his emotions so that if he ever did meet a potential mate they wouldn't be completely lost to their emotions and instincts. Every monster was brought up with this essential skill.

Although he had to admit; he loved that she couldn't hide anything from him. That he could read all of her emotions and then respond accordingly. It would make wooing her so much easier. He smiled at that particular thought.

"I-It’s also…" She begins hesitantly, causing him to zone back in on her. "What I mean is… I donno I just… Eaugh!! … Where I come from relationships are very different. The vast majority of relationships are started out of physical attraction. Not you know…" She pauses to gesture between them "It’s not based on souls. And well, I'm not exactly considered 'pretty' in my own world. In fact, this is the first time… I mean I don't know if you even…" She tries to fold in on herself in embarrassment but the position they were in stops her. Sans frowned trying to comprehend what she was talking about before it finally hits him. His sudden surprise flowing through their link.

"You don't think I find you physically attractive?" She shrinks further down as if she was trying to hide from him. He would have thought it was amusing if the emotional pain she was feeling at the moment didn't intensify when she had brought up what she thought the males had thought about her in her own world.

"I don't have any experience with relationships." She concedes, unwilling to deal with whatever criticisms he may have had of her appearance or her thoughts. "No one has ever even shown any interest in me before. And… well… I'm not well liked in my world. I don't have very many friends and a good majority of my growing up I was made fun of for the way I dressed or how I looked. So I donno… I just..."

Stars, humans were assholes no matter what universe they were in.

Quite honestly the whole thing left him greatly confused. As far as he could tell she was a fairly attractive female. She had nice curves in all the right places, a smaller frame giving him just a little bit of a height advantage… did he already mention how much that pleased him? Because it did… greatly. And to top it all off she was soft to the touch. A nice contrast to his hard bones. Even if she had been physically lacking, which she wasn't, her soul would have more than made up for any physical shortcomings. It was powerful and abnormal with its beautiful colors swirling around. Calling to something primal in him. Even now her soul was sending gentle waves of soothing energy out, trying to coax his own soul to respond to it. Trying to seek comfort from him. He doubted she even realized that she was doing it.  

He leans his head forward nuzzling against her neck, feeling the need to reassure his mate. "I think you're very attractive." She shuttered at the intimate contact. Both his words and actions causing her face to turn a bright red and her soul to spin anxiously. He chuckles at her expense as he reaches forward and slowly returns her flustered soul back to her chest. Feeling safe enough to put it back now that it had fully pulled away from shattering.

"Okay well… I'm also worried about, I mean, what if I am able to go back home? What then? Will the bond break?" He frowned as her words suddenly threw a wrench into his plans. He hadn't even thought of that. If she was able to return home while they were still bonded the shock might kill them, and if it didn't it would surely leave them in crippling pain before one of them was able to sever the link. Maybe he should break the bond for both of their sake… but then again it was more than likely she was never going to return home, not that he was going to tell her that. Both of the Queen and King seemed to be upset about Gaster's experiment, so it was unlikely that any further work was going to be approved. Although they had said they were going to try and get her home… but maybe if he was successful in wooing her into some form of relationship then he wouldn't have to worry about it. She would want to say with him.

"We'll just have to take this one step at a time." He says, hoping that it sounds reassuring to her.

She nods, not sure of how else to respond to that. She had been hoping for a more definite answer on how to approach their bond but he didn't seem to know either. At the very least she could no longer feel the oppressive sadness that had over-whelmed her before, and she was grateful for that. She suddenly felt so drained. that had been way more than she had ever wanted to share with Sans, not to mention the lack of sleep and food. She was ready to just be over with tonight. And just like that, as if Sans had read her mind, he released her. His arms dropping to his sides. Instantly she is scrambling out of his lap and across the bed, making sure to put just a little bit of distance between them. In case he decided to grab her again. It wasn't that she hadn't enjoyed the physical comfort, far from it actually, he was far warmer and comfier than he looked, considering he was made of bones. It was more of the fact that she didn't know how to deal with the emotions it was causing in her. Once she felt her blush had died down enough to not look like a complete fool she turned back towards him… only for her blush to come back at full force, lighting up her face even brighter.

"Wait! Oh my gods are you naked?!" He flashes her a smirk, taking in her redden features as she quickly turns away from him.

"Why, see something you like?" He questions slyly as he basks in her embarrassment. She can feel his amusement coming from their link and she quickly turns to glare at him for taking delight in her embarrassment before quickly turning away after catching sight of his broad rib cage again. He laughs at her antics.

Heh, this might be easier than he thought.

Oh. My. Gods! He had been holding her naked through her meltdown?! What the hell was even happening right now?!?

Honestly, he was just so relieved that she was okay that he didn't care that she was avoiding his gaze. Something inside him shifted into place and he relaxed. His bonded was safe, and emotionally she felt well. Suddenly all felt right with the world, and that constant nagging in the back of his skull lessened. Genuinely pleased at the moment he couldn't help but poke fun at her. Especially with the way she was responding to him.

"Relax sweetheart, I've got pants on." She glares at the door across the room at his deeply amused chuckle, unwilling to turn back to look at him. "Unlike someone else." He says with a deep purr.

He couldn't contain the full belly laugh that escaped him as she literally squeaks as she jolts at the sudden realization. Her hands frantically grip the edges of her baggy shirt to pull it down as far as it will go. Stretching the fabric in her attempt to cover any exposed skin that he had probably already seen. She still refuses to look at him but he can feel embarrassment and nervous excitement coming from their link. If he could see her face he was certain it would be beet red.

"You’re just going to be a pain in my ass aren't you?" She practically hissed at him like an angry cat and he laughs again.

"Alright sweet cheeks, it’s time for you to get some more sleep." Her head snaps back to look at him, a mix between suspicion and mild anger filtering across her features.

"Did.. did you just?" He lets out a rumbling chuckle as he takes note that he was right. Her face is indeed beet red.

"I don't know what you’re talking about sweetheart. I was just saying that you need to get some rest." His smile is wide as she continues to look at him suspiciously. Clearly looking for a way to call him out on commenting about her butt. But not seeming to be able to unless she wanted to draw more attention to it. So she remained quiet as she continued to quietly glare at him. Once his amusement settles he draws her attention back to his words because she did, in fact, need sleep.

"You should get some more sleep, doesn't look like you've gotten much since you got here." She frowns as she turns away from him. He takes that as his queue to leave and he stands up. Ready to make his way back to his own room but pauses when he feels fear and anxiety seeping into their link. He turns to gaze at her, taking in her form as she's hunched in on herself.

"Unless you don't want me to leave."

"N-no, I'm fine, thank you for.. yeah." Gods that even sounded awkward to her. "Goodnight." The edges of his smile turn down as he looks at her. She wasn't feeling sad anymore and she clearly wasn't afraid of him. So what was wrong? Was there something he needed to be worried about? He moved to stand in front of her kneeling down so that he could be at eye level with her. His hands rested on the bed on either side of her legs as he searched her expression.

"What’s the matter?" It sounded more like a quiet demand than anything else, and she wasn't sure how to react to that. He seemed to be all over the place tonight. Being demanding and angry one minute, sweet the next, then flirty. Honestly, it was throwing her for a loop. Although she had to admit she did like the attention she was receiving from him. She met his unwavering gaze before quickly looking away embarrassed.

"I um... I… a-at home I used to sleep with the TV on…"

"Wait, are you afraid of the dark?" He asked highly amused by his mate nervous behavior over something so trivial as darkness. Hope gripped the edges of her shirt tighter, slightly insulted that he was finding so much amusement in her shortcomings.

"No! I just don't like to be in the dark… alone…" She practically pouts and he's smiling at her trying not to let his chuckle slip. She was afraid of the dark. That was too damn adorable. Stars if he had known that's why she had been unable to sleep he would have helped her sooner.

"Why didn't you just turn the bathroom light on?" He says indicating the door across the room from them.

"I still feel uneasy about sleeping in a new place." She refused to look at him, clearly embarrassed about sharing this with him. A pleased rumble escaped his chest. She needed him to chase away her fears in this new place. He felt immensely pleased that he would be the one that made her feel safe and protected. He moved forward and slipped an arm under her legs and the other around her upper back, ignoring her surprised squeak as he lifted her up easily.

Oh gods what is he doing?!

Sans had picked her up bridal style and was moving her back towards the headboard of the bed. She kept an iron grip on the edge of her shirt as she continued to hold it as far down as it would go. Which, let’s face it, was not very far. Only covering about halfway down her thighs. Leaving her legs exposed to rub against the warm, smooth bones of his uncovered arms. Gods above she just wanted to die of embarrassment. He sets her down gently and pulls the blanket up from underneath her and folds them over her exposed legs. he reached across the bed and places the pillows back in place. Nudging her shoulder with his hand to indicate that he wanted her to lay down. She complied easily, confused about what he was doing. As soon as she was comfy he leaned down towards her. His hands resting on the edge of the bed supporting his weight.

"Do you want me to get you some pants?"

"No, they're kind of uncomfortable to sleep in." Her face turns pink with that confession and he smiles down at her before he climbs over her form and settles in beside her. "Wait what are you doing?"

"I'm laying down, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"No I mean, why are you laying down in my bed?"

"You said you didn't like to be alone in the dark, and you need sleep."

"Yea but I never- w-wait, what are you doing?!" His arm snuck around her waist and pulled her close to his form. placing her back against his chest.

"Shhhh" He murmurs over her complaints as he nuzzles his face against her hair, breathing in her scent. She goes stiff in his arms as his body curls around hers leaving just about every part of her touching him. "Go to sleep sweetheart."

"That's easy for you to say... should have put my pants back on," Hope mutters under her breath causing Sans to smile against her hair.

"Shoulda"

"I would have, had you told me you were going to be joining me in bed!" she retorts.

"Aaaand that's why I didn't tell you I was." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Fucking hell." His deep chuckle made her shiver and she silently berated herself for any attraction she felt for the smug bastard at the moment. Her ire with herself slowly began to slip away as she felt a soothing thrum coming from his chest and soon the warmth of his bones enveloped her. Before she knew it she was drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

That had been one of the best damn nights of sleep he had ever had. After Hope had fallen asleep he had followed soon afterward. Lulled to sleep by the soft thrumming of her contented soul linked with his. Despite how lazy he normally was, preferring to sleep in, it didn't really surprise him that he had been the first to wake. It was painfully obvious that she had been exhausted from her lack of sleep since entering the Underground. Not to mention her soul almost shattering. That would surely drain anyone. The thought of what he had almost seen happen right in front of him had his insides twisting… well, if he had any insides. To sooth himself he snuggled closer to listen to her soft breathing, being careful not to wake her.

Being this close to his bonded helped to ease the terrible feeling that thought had brought on. Last night had twisted his instincts into a sharpened edge as far as she was concerned. Her soul was so weak and fragile right now that anyone could be considered a threat. He'd have to keep an extra close eye on her from now on, especially since the good majority of monsters were leery of her since they had found out another human had 'fallen' into the Underground. He didn't think anyone would outright harm her, but monsters were known to draw those into confrontations that they were wary with. And right now her damaged soul wouldn't be able to withstand any type of attack. That thought struck something primal in him and rationality became a little fuzzy.

Protect, the voice of very little reason screamed at him, muting all other thoughts. Magic swept strongly through his body, humming in response to the need to protect. Yes, he would be sticking very close to his little mate, warding off anyone that thought poorly of her. Until his weakened mate could withstand monster interactions on her own. His grip instinctively tightened around her middle, the movement causing Hope to let out a little sigh. His eye lights darted to her face studying its relaxed features before deciding with relief that, no, he hadn't woken her. He forced his over protective nature to calm as his grip loosened.

For now, sleeping and regaining energy was what was important. He'd have to make sure she took a day to eat and rest while he monitored her soul to make sure some of the cracks were filling in. To be honest, he was planning on smothering her with his presence, because damn it she had scared him! His precious little soul had almost shattered! And he was not about to let that happen again. Once he felt safe with her stability then he would let her have some freedom from him. But until then she was just going to have to deal with his constant presence.

The good news that had come from all of this mess was that he now knew for certain that she wasn't afraid of him, and was at least somewhat open to their bond. Quite honestly this was the best case scenario he could find himself in, after blindly bonding himself to a human. Now all he really had to do was get to know her, find out what made her tick. Once he had that figured out, persuading her to stay shouldn't be that hard. Besides, even though she didn't seem to feel that same type of pull he was feeling towards her, she obviously felt something pulling at her. He could sense it in the way she talked and reacted subconsciously to him. So it wasn't just him that was responding to instincts, regardless of what she may think.

His own attraction to her first and for most stemmed from his soul. The way it felt content and whole, calling out and pulsing in a wonderful way when she was near, was enough to have him sold. But fuck, the second part of the pull towards her was the physical pull. He had felt physically attracted to other monsters before but never like this. The way her soft body felt pressed up against his was almost too much. He longed to finish their bond, and his instincts were constantly tugging at him whenever he was close to her, telling him to finish it. But he couldn't, he had to bide his time until he knew for certain that she was willing.

Sans gritted his teeth in frustration, loosening his arms just a little bit more so that he could spread his hand out over his bonded's soft stomach. trying to relieve some of the tension within him. At some point during the night her shirt had ridden up, giving him more access to her skin and he certainly wasn't complaining. He began calming himself down by examining what he could reach of her body. It was so vastly different from his own and it intrigued him. He began tracing little circles with his thumb. Enjoying the feel of her silky skin and the way it gave so easily to just a little bit of pressure. She was just so soft and squishy. It was fascinating really.

A loud knocking on the bedroom door accompanied by a loud higher pitched voice startled both Hope and Sans. Hope's body bolted upward clearing an inch off of the bed as she released a startled squeak. Instinctively Sans’ arm wound around her waist, tightening and drawing her closer, almost tucking her body underneath his as he snarled at the potential threat. It only took him a second to register what that potential 'threat' was. The realization that it was his brothers voice that was resounding through the wooden door made him sag in relief, laughing at himself.

Wow was he being jumpy.

He could feel Hope trembling beneath him, sucking in large breaths of air as she tried to catch her breath. Fear pulsed through her as her sleep muddled mind raced to catch up to the present. Clearly startling her out of a deep sleep was not something she handled very well. He nuzzled his cheek bone against Hope’s trying to calm down her rapidly beating heart.

"Holy fuck, what was that?" Her low breathless tone had him laughing in relief as both of their shock finally wore off.

"EXCUSE ME. HOPE? HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER? HE'S NOT IN HIS ROOM. NORMALLY I WAKE HIM UP BUT HE IS UP BEFORE ME AND THAT IS VERY STRANGE." Papyrus asked in-between a few more knocks.

Registering her surroundings Hope noticed two things: One, it was way to fucking early to be up; and two, she was caged between the bed and a skeleton. A very topless and warm skeleton. Sans was on top of her... pressing himself into her. Holy fuck what was going on? Sans could suddenly feel her embarrassment and nervousness and his smile widened when he felt her fidget underneath him.

"Uh… c-can you get off me?" She asked meekly.

"I can if you let go of my ribs." His grin widened further at her startled face.

Shocked, she quickly released her hands that were wrapped tightly around his lower ribs. She must have grabbed them out of shock by such a rude awakening. As soon as she released him he removed himself from her and climbed out of bed. Leisurely he made his way over to the door managing to open it just as Papyrus was attempting to speak again.

"OH BROTHER THERE YOU ARE!" Joy spread across Papyrus's face when he took in Sans form before his eye sockets quickly narrowed. His head moved from Sans to Hope then back to Sans. Taking in his brothers calculating look Sans leaned against the doorway, waiting to see what his little brother was going to say about this situation, and Sans was not disappointed.

"What’s up Paps?"

"YOU AND HOPE HAD A SLEEP OVER WITH OUT ME!" The little skeleton all but pouted.

His brother was so fucking adorable, and naive, definitely naive. Sans was not looking forward to the day when the world would make Papyrus lose his innocence. He would seriously have to find a way to preserve his brother’s adorable innocence.

Watching the two skeletons interact made something warm flutter through Hope. She was torn between thinking that the situation was adorable and that it was horrifyingly embarrassing as Sans laughed at what Papyrus had said. He turned back to smirk at her to which she returned with a scowl. He turned back to the little skeleton in front of him, chuckling again by the indignant look Papyrus was giving him. His hands were placed on his hip bones and his left foot tapped impatiently, as if he was silently demanding an explanation. Sans kneeled down to meet his little brother eye socket to eye socket.

Now that he seemed to be distracted with his little brother, and more importantly not focusing in on her, Hope takes this rare moment to take in his form. He was definitely not what she had expected him to look like under his clothing. Sure she had seen his bare-boned arms when he was wearing his t-shirt (and even then she had been surprised by just how thick they were, being about the size of a normal mans arm despite the fact that it was just bone), but she hadn't expected all of his bones to be so thick. His spine and ribs appeared to be much thicker than a humans and they were clearly fused together. Almost no gaps separated any of his bones. It made him appear fuller and more alive than she had anticipated. And she was shocked to find that she didn't find him unpleasing to look at. Which was strange considering well, you know, he was a skeleton. She quickly dismissed the thought of finding him even remotely physically attractive, that had to be because of the bond.

"Real sorry Pap, maybe next time when you’re not so bone tired, then I won't have to give you any restrictions."

"SANS!" Papyrus pouted.

"Alright Pap, how about you head down for breakfast an I'll be right there."

"WHAT ABOUT HOPE?" His head tilted toward her and she smiled and waved at him. The smile he returned was bright and happy as he waved back.

"Go ahead and head down Pap." Sans left little room for argument and Papyrus's happy face turned into a slight frown in thought.

"WELL… ALRIGHT, BUT HURRY UP LAZYBONES."

"Sure thing Paps."

As soon as Papyrus was half way down the corridor Sans turned back toward Hope, shutting the door in the process. He catches her looking him over and the minute he catches her eye he smirks at her. Had his little mate been checking him out? The contented, slightly guilty, and embarrassed hum he was receiving from their bond told him that yes, she had been and that to his great pleasure, she hadn't been put off by the fact that he was just bones. He felt quite smug in that moment. She even flushed a light pink for him. His grin almost turned devilish as he continued to watch her watching him. She seemed to bristle at this as she continued to hold eye contact, her curious face turning into a scowl. He raised a brow-bone at this. When he had first met her she had seemed skittish, submissive almost. Maybe that had just been the nerves? Hmmm. Either way his instincts took her subtle actions as a challenge. He made his way back to the bed sitting down close to her. Almost invading her personal space, but not quite. He continued to stare her gaze down, his instincts willing her to submit. It takes a moment, and in that moment he muses about her stubbornness, but she is the first to look away. Looking off to the side huffing with a scowl still apparent on her face, he emits a soft rumbling growl, pleased by her compliance even if she was still being somewhat defiant.

The growl made her shiver. She wasn't sure why, but the sound of it pleased her on some deep level. The sound of it sending goose bumps over her flesh.

"So… um" She tries to brake the awkward silence that had come over them... but she's got nothing and instead leaves an even longer stretch of awkward silence.

"So?" Sans finally asks, braking the tension he could feel coming from her. He lifts a brow-bone at her. His smile stretching that much wider when she fidgets underneath his gaze.

She wanted to ask about last night but she couldn't get the words out. What exactly was she even going to say to him? What had happened? Why had he slept with her last night? Why did he not have a shirt on?! And why hadn't she worn pants?!? Ugh! And why was he smiling at her like that?!? Like he just fucking knew what she was thinking about! Oh wait, he could feel her emotions. He probably could guess exactly what she was thinking about. Ugh that insufferable skeleton! With his stupid smiling face and warm bones and comforting presence.

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she heard him chuckling at her reddening and irritated face. "So breakfast!" She suddenly shouts hoping to interrupt her own line of thinking as well as his own. She was already confused, irritated, and embarrassed; she really did not want him adding to the mix.

"Yes, it is breakfast time."

She narrowed her eyes as him as he continued to sit there and stare at her as if they were having a mild conversation. Quite frankly it was aggravating her already frayed nerves. "Well move it, I've got to get dressed."

"Nah."

She sputters before she's able to voice coherent outraged words. "I am not going to get dressed in front of you! Get the hell out!" He laughs then, a full belly laugh that has her anger sparking. He can feel it though their link and he does his best to calm her down while his trying to reign in his own laughter.

"No, ha, I uh, ha, I just meant I wanted you to stay here. I'll get it for you." Her anger comes to a screeching halt at that and leaves her feeling empty and confused.

"What? Why?" She looks so completely taken aback by what he had said and he tries to explain.

"Look sweetheart, we've got some things to talk about and I don't want you trying to dodge me. But first I'm going to need you to eat some food. I'm not sure how much humans need ta eat to survive, but I do know you haven't eaten a whole lot since I met ya. Secondly, I can feel your exhaustion. So as soon as you eat I want ya to sleep some more. Not sure what’s gonna happen today but I assume the Queen’s gonna come up here asking about ya at some point." Hope visibly shrinks down into her covers at that. She had completely avoided everyone yesterday and had ignored Toriel completely when she had come looking for her. No doubt the goat monster would try to talk to her today.


“So, no moving. I'll be right back okay?" He waited for an affirmative, to which she nodded reluctantly before he left her room and headed into his own to grab a shirt.

As soon as he closed the door behind him Hope was scrambling out of the bed and across the room. She grabs her pants off of the floor before skidding into the bathroom. She needed a shower, it had been literal days! And now that her mind was no longer clouded by so much depression she had a sense of herself again. And right now she felt disgusting. She knew she didn't have a whole lot of time before he came back, and she wasn't entirely sure if not moving meant not moving from the bed or not moving out of the room. But she'd be damn if she was going to let herself remain filthy if he was going to be hanging around her today. She did have some pride after all.

She quickly jumps into the showers stream barely giving it any time to heat up, hissing as cold water hits her bare skin. Thankfully it’s quick to warm as she's starts to scrub viciously at her skin.
                                                                                                     

- -


In the dining room Sans was met with two tight, apprehensive faces and one happy little face that was shoveling food into their mouth. Both larger, more regal monster’s eyes were on him. Neither had started eating yet. They were just… watching him. Sweat began to bead at his forehead as he waited in the doorway unsure if he should enter or leave because the way they were studying him was making him uneasy. It was almost like they were waiting for something.

"Uh…"

"SANS! WE'RE HAVING PANCAKES THIS MORNING, YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME. THEY ARE REALLY GOOD." His little brother’s loud voice cut through the silent tension, almost causing Sans to jerk in his spot at the unexpectedness of it all. The little skeleton seemed to notice the tension and looked between his brother and the two very nice larger goat monsters, his eyes slightly narrowed. He knew something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it… oh!

"I TOLD MISS TORIEL THAT YOU HAD A SLEEP OVER WITH HOPE WITHOUT US. DON'T WORRY THOUGH, SHE SAID SHE WASN'T UPSET ABOUT IT LIKE I WAS… ALTHOUGH SHE DID CHOKE ON HER DRINK WHEN I TOLD HER…" He added as an afterthought and Sans suddenly went ridged, the little lights in his eye sockets disappearing as his usual grin became strained while Papyrus turned to look at Toriel, suddenly uncertain. "YOU AREN'T MAD… RIGHT?"

"Ah, ha ha. No dear one I am not upset. If your done with breakfast perhaps you can go grab that book we were looking at yesterday and I'll finish reading it for you." Papyrus gasped in surprised joy.

"OKAY!" He said excitedly as he raced out of the room past his stiff brother. Sans to his credit hadn't disappeared, even if he really, really wanted to. As soon as Papyrus was out of earshot both monsters were watching him again.

"N-no we didn't- I mean, uh…"

"If you did not… then is she alright?" He let his tension slip just a little bit at the worried look Toriel was giving him.

"Yeah." He said letting out a breath to help ease his tense bones. He rubbed the back of his head as he thought about what to tell them. "She ah… she's not been sleepin to well since she got here. That and ah… the adjustment of this world…" He shrugged unwilling to tell them more than that. As far as he was concerned his mate’s thoughts and fears weren't any of their business.

"Is she truly feeling that unwell?" Toriel asked, clear worry in her voice. She had suspected that it would be a hard adjustment but she didn't think it would affect the poor humans sleep. Her adopted child seemed to sleep just fine when they had first shown up in the Underground. So this news had been unsuspected.

"Yes… and no." The look in Toriel's eye told him he had better say something better or she was going to go up and disturb his mate. And that he couldn't have. He needed to have alone time with her if he was going to have any chance of strengthening their bond. "She is doing better this morning though." He quickly added and Toriel seemed to settle at this. Taking a bite of food as Asgore continued to watch him.

"I was actually going to bring her some food… get her to eat." Asgore caught his unease but didn't address it, instead deciding to push both of Sans and Hopes plates toward the skeleton.

"Will we be seeing ether of you for the rest of the day?" He asked mildly as Sans reached forward to collect the plates. Sans physically winced at the question. Spending time with the King and Queen after everything that had happened, really had not been his plan for the day.

"I'm actually not entirely sure." Asgore hums in thought nodding his head to acknowledge Sans’ words.

"Alright, we shall look after the young one while you look after your bonded." Sans sighed in relief, that had been way easier than he had thought it was going to be.

"Thanks." He muttered gratefully, to which King Asgore nods. Quickly, Sans is turning on his heal retreating with both plates.

As soon as he's out of sight Toriel turns to her mate. "I fear there is something else wrong, it seems odd does it not?"

"I as well."

"The sadness was so thick yesterday… and… the number of cracks on her soul… Asgore what if she shatters?"

"I can always ask Doctor Gaster to take a look at her soul, see if he has anything to say about it. The cracks might have something to do with being brought here against her will.”

Toriel frowns. "I suppose you are right." Toriel quickly shifts her frown into a soft smile as the little skeletal ball of energy barreled back into the room.

"I HAVE FOUND IT!" He cried triumphantly.

"Very well done my child." She said fondly as she reached her hand out silently requesting the book. He runs over to her and pushes the book into her hand before picking the closest seat to her and dragging it over so that it is almost butted up against hers. Scrambling up into the chair he settles himself closely to her, his eager face trained on the book.

"Alright," She says with a chortle, opening the book and leafing through the pages searching for the place they had left of on the day before. "fact number 43 of practical uses for puzzles…"
                                                                                                         - -
She's jumping into bed the moment he opens the door. He takes in her flushed face and slightly heavy breathing before his eye lights travel to her wet hair. He's amused that she had gone to such lengths to appear to not have moved from the bed like he had asked. But there is no way she could think he wouldn't notice her wet hair. Right? Or even the way her emotions had spicked the moment he had left the room. He made his way over to her and set the plates on the bed before reaching toward her.

"If you didn't think I would notice this," He says as he reaches forward to run his fingers though her wet strands of hair causing her to stiffen at the intimate gesture. He snagged just a few strands between his fingers to tug them gently. "then your all washed up."

She laughs nervously at that, embarrassed that he was poking fun at her, before pushing his arm away from her.

"Listen I needed a shower, end of story."

"Fair enough." She looks at him strangely, like she had been waiting for more resistance then that. He just shrugs and settles himself on the bed before he offers her a plate. She accepts it and stares down at its contents as she considers what to say to him. Pancakes, she noted, they looked light and fluffy and absolutely delicious. Her stomach made a painful twist at the thought of eating. She wasn't sure if it was because of hunger or because she felt nervous from Sans presence. Not only from last night but in the here and now. Tentatively she picked up the fork that was resting on the side of the plate and began to poke at her food.

She really was hungry, but at the same time she felt too nervous and awkward to eat in front of Sans. For goodness sakes he had snuggled her last night! A literal male that she really didn't even know had held her in an intimate position… while she was pants-less… how in the hell was she supposed to recover from that when he was sitting so closely to her?

He could feel her uncertainly and he hated that he was the cause if it, but he would have to wait it out. Uncertainty would wane over time. The more time he spent around her, the more her uncertainty of him would fade. Until then he would have to just get around it. Sans fidgets, not entirely sure on how to get her to start talking to him when she was feeling so nervous around him. He pushes around his own food for a minute before he decides on just jumping right in.

"So, how you feeling today?" he asks cautiously, he tried to hide his grimace as his words suddenly jostled her out of her own self-induced anxiety as she literally flinched before she was able to process his words. Settling back down, Hope glances up at him then back down at the delicious looking pancakes.

"I.. actually feel much better than I have in a long time." And it was true, she did, well you know, minus the embarrassment. She could still feel her usual lingering sadness and anxiety, but it was nothing like the constant oppressive force she was used to feeling on a daily basis. What exactly had he done to make her feel so much better?

"That's good to hear." He says, genuinely happy he had been able to ease her sadness. His happiness filtered across their link and made her feel just a little warmer on the inside, unconsciously making her smile. He smiled just a bit more genuinely when she finally took a bit of food. She hummed in pleasure at the taste before eating just a bit quicker. He huffed a laugh at that then decided to dig into his own meal.

"So," She asks around a mouth full of food. "what exactly happened last night? I don't really remember too much of it." He paused with a fork full of food halfway to his mouth and his jaws agape, flashing his impressive canines, ready to take a bite. He looked at her as sweat beaded at the top of his skull as she looked at him warily, clearly put off by his response. His jaws clicked shut and he slowly lowered the fork back down to his plate. He was hoping they could save this talk for after breakfast but it looked like she had different plans. He didn't want to discourage the conversation, if she wanted to talk about it then they would talk about it. Besides, he had his own questions about last night.

"What exactly do you wanna know?" She swallowed the food she had been chewing and rested her fork down. He sounded solemn and leery, and it made her apprehensive.

"I don't know… you told me my soul almost shattered…" He tensed at her words. "But I don't exactly know why." He stared at her silently for a full minute before he shook his head and laughed humorlessly.

"Well sweetheart, I was hoping you could tell me why it almost shattered." She only frowned at him which caused him to huff in annoyance. "When a soul shatters it’s because it has lost all HOPE, now what exactly happened that caused you to lose all HOPE?" Her eyes widened, that's right. He had said something similar to her last night. Asking her what had happened… It was then the rest of their conversation came rushing back to her. Suddenly she felt very mortified at the fact that she had told him that she was unattractive in her own word. That no one had even shown an interest in her. Gods she wanted to just crawl into a hole and die.

She tilted her head forward, hoping her long hair would help her hide her face as she picked at her food. His smile tugged down in a frown at her abrupt change from calmly accepting his presence to hiding from him as anxiety shot through their link; and fear and sadness began to sneak back in. He cleared his throat… or he at least made the sound, to catch her attention. Her eyes darted back up to meet his eye lights. At his quirked eye bone it suddenly occurred to her that he had been waiting for a response. Her own blue-gray ones dart off to the side as she scrambled for something to say.

"D-didn't we cover that all last night?" She all but squeaked.

… That still didn't really explain her behavior but he'd go with it.

"I suppose, yeah, but you had cracks on your soul before we bonded. Was honestly afraid you were about to break when I first saw your soul." She continued to avoid his searching gaze. "So what happened to make you lose your HOPE?"

"That too I believe was covered last night." She said wearily, her eyes darting to him at his sudden scoff. Quite honestly, out of all the expressions she was expecting from him, a scowl was not one of them. She felt fear creeping up her spine at the dark look he was giving her.

He could feel her fear and it angered him further. Her soul should instinctively know not to fear him and it was pissing him off that despite that, he could still feel her fear of him though their link. He stared her down for a moment before he tried to form a coherent sentence.

"One does not just lose their HOPE by simply being shunned by the opposite gender."

Sudden anger rushed through her veins. How dare he. How dare this fucker think he knows a god damn thing about her.

"How dare you." She repeats the words she had thought angrily, her dark angry voice had him instantly clenching his teeth. That had not been the reaction he was looking for. In fact, the sudden change from fear to anger bordering on hate gave him whiplash. "You don't know a damn thing about me or my life so watch what you say to me." Her body was ridged, her beautiful face contorted in a scowl. Anger was flowing off of her in waves. He straightened his slouched shoulders in response to her body language to give him extra height and bared his teeth down at her, keeping her gaze locked with his. He was unwilling to let his roll of dominate be swept out from underneath him. Even if it was his own fault that she was now challenging him. He growled when she squared her own shoulders back, refusing to submit to his claim.

"Now you listen here asshole, my entire life I have been told I was nothing and that I would amount to nothing. Every fucking weekend I was dragged from a loving home into a cold uncaring one. My own father didn't want me, told me that I was worthless and wasn't worth loving. Yet he still took me every fucking weekend. I spent years trying to earn his love because that's what I thought I needed to do. Because I never felt worthy of receiving love until he finally decided to give me up entirely. But the bastard waited until I was a teenager to do it. Made me feel like nothing and then just threw me off to the side with barely a good bye." Tears peeked in her eyes as she was thrown into a memory that she preferd to keep locked away. "I wasn't good enough, could never be good enough. I don't deserve love, and to prove it he abandoned me." Her anger sputtered out suddenly as she slouched into herself trying to hold back tears "I have never had a real friend and being called a man by the opposite gender just because I feel comfortable in baggy clothing makes me feel like shit. So I'm sorry if that's not a good enough reason for you but tough shit. Feeling worthless and then having it proven to me time and time again by others… it’s a terrible feeling."

Sweat visibly slipped down his skull as his eye lights completely disappeared in her outburst. That had not been what he was expecting. And he felt like utter shit now that she was trying to rain in her tears. He slouched down, all of the wind taken out of his sails as her hopelessness washed over him. She wiped at her face viciously as he removed the plates to set them on the bedside table. Then sat back down closer to her, their legs touching. He looped his arms around her and dragged her forward for a hug. She resisted against him for a few minutes, struggling against his unrelenting hold, before giving in and leaning against him as he hugged her tighter and rested his chin on the crown of her head.

"M' sorry." He says into her hair as her breathing starts to slow. He suppresses his own feelings of worthlessness and sadness to push forth happy feelings, trying to sooth her distressed soul. It was still so very fragile and the hopeless feeling she was feeling at the moment was too reminiscent of last night that it was putting him on edge. "You're not worthless, and you don't need to prove anything to deserve love… and trust me, you definitely don't look like a man."

Her fists clenched his shirt.

"Don't say things like that." He frowned and her slightly angered tone. He thought for sure reassurance was what she needed right now.

"Why?" He asked legitimately confused.

"Because when people say stuff like that after I tell them what’s wrong if doesn't feel sincere. Beside… wouldn't believe you anyway…" He sighed at that.

"Well, at the very least you won't have to worry about shitty family members now that your here." She gave a bitter laugh at that.

"I have a great family, on my mother’s side at least. They are the absolute best, the only ones I have ever felt like they actually care about me. Now they're gone, I probably won't ever see them again." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Sans fumbled for something to say. It was pretty much damned if he did and damned if he didn't. So instead he focused on their souls, feeding happy and comforting feelings into her own. He rubbed soothing circles on her back until she was finally pulling away from him. Her eyes looked puffy and her cheeks were splotched with red but she still looked beautiful to him.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

She turned away from him, unsure of what to say now that she had exploded on him. The tense silence lasted for a little while until she finally snapped from the uncomfortableness of it all, needing to break it.

"So what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, what about your family? I know you have a little brother but what about the rest of your family?"

"Eh, you already met the rest of my family." She gave him a quizzical look and he sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands. "Gaster, the tall skeleton from, ah, the lab. He's my father. Besides him and Paps there's no one else." Oh gods she felt even more terrible. The skeleton Sans had to protect her from had been his father. How shitty of a situation was this?

"Oh, oh my god, I am so sorry-"

"Don't be." he cut her off "S'not been a very good father for a long time. Stopped about the time Papyrus was made." She frowned at him, feeling bad that she had even brought this topic up. She had been hoping to lighten the mood not make it worse. Well at least they had something in common, shitty family members always seemed to bring a sort of camaraderie between people. But what did he mean by made? She wanted to ask, but the grief and anxiousness coming through their link had her halting. This conversation had taken another turn for the worst so she pulled back. Whatever was going on with the skeleton family she figured she'd find out when Sans was ready to talk to her about it.

"So... what’s it like down here… I haven't seen very much of it yet." The tension in their bond lessened and his body seemed to relax into more of a comfortable slouch. He smiled genuinely at the change of topic, thankful that she had chosen a different one.

"S'not so bad as long as you can overlook the limited supplies and over population in such a small area." Hope frowns as the thought that actual living beings were trapped in a place that was so limited in basic needs finally hit her. These people, well, monsters, were trapped down here. Legitimately trapped with little supplies. If King Asgore was right and she was able to help them, then damn it she was going to put her all into it. She zones back into Sans as he continues. "We've got a few different cave systems. There's the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland and New Home. Heh, King Asgore's never been good at namin stuff, but no one really seems to complain about it so…." He shrugs and Hope nods to show that she was listening to him.

"So where do you and Papyrus live?"

"We live not too far from here in New home. It’s the city that surrounds the castle. What was your home like?"

"The home my mother lives in is a decent size and the outside world is a beautiful place. But people are real shitty where I come from, well at least the majority are shitty. There are a few good people there too." Quite honestly she didn't know what else to say. She hated where she came from, but it was a vastly better circumstance than it was here, and she didn't want to sound like a naive child that couldn't tell that she was coming from a good situation into a bad one. He hummed in thought taking in her limited explanation of her home world. Before nudging his hand against her shoulder.

"You should lay back down, you didn't get very much sleep last night." She didn't fight against him as she curled up underneath the covers, too tired from her emotional distress earlier to complain when he snuggled in next to her. But that didn't mean she was any less embarrassed or nervous about the situation. Thankfully this time she was wearing her pants. Eventually the negative feelings that were plaguing her receded as his hand ran through her almost dried hair, lulling her to sleep.
She woke hours later feeling far better then she had when she fell asleep. The artificial light outside her window looked darker so it must be close to evening. Wow, she had pretty much slept all day. She felt kind of guilty about that. But she couldn't argue that she had desperately needed the sleep. As she became more aware of her surroundings she noticed a hand resting on her bare tummy. She flushed a light pink, her mind demanding to know when her shirt had risen up. Fucking traitorous cloths. Well at least she still had her pants on. That was something at least. She forced her nervousness to calm down as she listened to Sans gentle, even breathing directly behind her. His breath rustling her hair.

Well it appeared she was in luck. He was still asleep so he had no idea he had a hand wrapped around her naked torso. She began so shift slowly so as not to wake him. She moved just slightly out from under his arm trying to escape. Almost there… almost there. Then to her chagrin his arm snaked back around her middle and pulled her back against his frame. She huffed in irritation as he gave a pleasant hum.

"Where do you think you’re going?" He said, his voice gravely from sleep.
"To the bathroom." She replied irritably. Within seconds she was released. She scrambled up, quickly fixing her shirt as she shot into the room across from the bed. Sans chuckled at that as he laid back down, throwing an arm over his eye sockets. He took that moment to feel out her soul. She felt much calmer. It was the calmest she had ever felt since he had met her. Well, if he didn't think that this was a good sign then he didn't know what was. Sighing happily to himself he sat up and straightened out his own cloths.

He was standing by the door, leaning against its frame, waiting for her when she reappeared from the bathroom. She stopped in-between the doorways as their eyes met.

"You ready to spend some time outside your room?" It was worded like a question, but the way he said it left little room for her to do anything but agree. She wrung her hands in worry looking away from him. She was safe in this room. She was hidden in this room. If she left she would have to deal with the questions of where she had been and if something was wrong with her. She'd also have to deal with all the monsters she hadn't met yet. She wasn't sure if she was ready. Her eyes darted back to Sans. He hadn't moved from his position at the door but he had outstretched his hand, leaving it palm up. The same gesture he had done only days ago to move her out of the lab.

Well… she had him, right? So far he had been true to his word. He hadn't let anything happen to her. She took a huge breath to steady herself before swiftly crossing the room. If she didn't do it quickly she was probably going to back out. She slipped her hand into his and he laced his fingers with hers. He grinned reassuringly down at her. He was so happy that she was starting to trust him. Sans opened the door for them and together they left the safety of her room.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-


It had been a few hours since leaving her room, apprehension gripping her. She had been glued to Sans side, unwilling to leave the safety his presence offered her anxious mind. He hadn't commented about her keeping within arm’s reach of him, but she could tell he was curious by the way he kept scanning his eye lights over her. It normally would have been unnerving to her to be constantly watched, except the warm feeling from their link kept calming her over fraying nerves. Continuing to leave her feeling safer in his presence even if she did get uncomfortable about his eye lights always being on her.

The reuniting with the regal goat monsters had been… interesting. Hope had been expecting demands and questions. Maybe even a little bit of anger at her silence throughout the day… and the day before; instead what she had received was tears and hugs. Toriel had quite literally swept her off of her feet in a gentle, yet firm hug. It had lasted for at least two minutes, and when Toriel had finally put her down she had run her great soft paws over Hopes head in a soothing manner as she had studied her face. She had looked like she was searching for something, but for what Hope wasn't sure. Once she had moved away Hope wondered if she had found what she was looking for.

After Toriel had given her an inch of room, Asgore had swooped in and had awkwardly given her a one-armed sideways hug. Hope tensed at this, still not all that comfortable with the larger goat monster, but she accepted it anyway. And to Hopes great amusement, at that exact moment Sans agitation spiked within their bond. Apparently he didn't like Asgore touching her, or maybe it was all males? Honestly it was too hard to tell when the only monsters she technically had interactions with so far, besides Gaster, were in the room. The whole affair had been very strange to her. And so vastly different from what she would have received back home. Quite honestly she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

The funniest part of the whole fiasco had been Papyrus. He had been so confused by all the hugging and the worried expressions that he had clamored for love as well. And everyone had been happy to oblige him. He was currently sitting next to Hope, showing her his favorite facts about puzzles as a comfortable buzz of conversation shifted throughout the room. Sans, who was seated on the other side of her, kept glancing over curiously to look at what page they were on.

She wondered if he enjoyed puzzles as much as his brother seemed to. The thought made her smile. Maybe they had jigsaw puzzles down here? If they did, that would be a fun way to bond with the little skeleton… and maybe even Sans.

Even though Hope was nervous of the situation, having only known all of the occupants in the room for a total of three days. She still felt a sense of comfortableness that was hard to explain. It was like meeting a long lost friend you hadn't seen in ages so it was awkward, and yet you still got along and were happy with the others company. If she was being honest with herself, she was glad that these monsters were so open and friendly. If they hadn't been, she'd probably be dead right now. The thought made her shiver as she recalled the almost malicious gleeful look Gaster had pinned her with before Sans had intervened.

As if Sans had read her mind, or most certainly her emotions, his hand reached out to rest on her thigh. He gave a comforting squeeze that brought her back to the present. Tethering her to the here and now. She laughed nervously as she quickly responded to the little skeleton next to her, that yes, she was indeed listening. Sans hand never left her thigh and for that she was grateful.

It wasn't long before they were finally settling in for dinner. Hope’s mouth watered and an angry growl escaped her stomach. It had been way to long since she had eaten a full meal and her tummy was loudly agreeing with her. Thankfully none of the monsters had noticed her stomachs embarrassing opinions and she was able to dig right in without incident. The taste of the food was so delicious here, and it left this warm tingling feeling in her that spread out to every part of her body. It felt wonderful. She would have to ask what made it do that… when she wasn't feeling so uneasy about her situation… or still fearing the questions she was still hoping to avoid. But to her pleasant surprise, dinner went off without an incident. Talk was small and mainly included information about the capital.

Interestingly enough, they had just figured out how to power the underground so that they might have light without fire. It had happened only a few years prior. That was shocking to say the least, especially when she thought of the room she had first appeared in. Hope couldn't shake the image of the lab and all of its electrical equipment.

Monsters must be fast builders.

By the time desert was served Hope was full and contented. The easy talk, good food, and easy peaceful thrum of her mate’s soul lulled her into a temporary state of happy acceptance to her current circumstance. The desert was just an added bonus. A soft and delicately sweet filling surrounded with a perfectly crisp crust. She had practically moaned when the first bite had hit her taste buds, thankfully no one had notice. Well, Sans may have, if the raised brow bones were anything to go by. She had only shrugged sheepishly in response. The cinnamon and butterscotch pie had easily risen to the top of her favorites as far as pies go.

As dinner was concluded Papyrus was being ushered to bed by his brother. The little skeleton had put up a bit of a fight, determined to prove to his brother that he wasn't sleepy. Unfortunately, his yawns gave him away and with reluctance he had admitted defeat and followed his brother up to his new room. While Sans was busy with his brother, Hope had nervously followed the Dreemurr's down the hall and into their family wing of the castle. She looked around curiously, as to her surprise the castle seemed to morph into a little family home. It was a strange site and a very sharp contrast to the castle she had known over the few days she had spent there. She voiced her opinion as she was waved over to a faded brown couch that was seated next to a warm fireplace. Across form the couch was a plush comfy looking rocker chair. It looked a little older but it was obviously well taken care of, and unusually big. It was obviously made for larger monsters such as Asgore and Toriel.

"Well," Toriel began as she seated herself on the other side of the couch leaving a little bit of space between them. Asgore seated himself in the chair across from them. "when we had the castle built we wanted to make sure that our little family still felt like a family within these large walls. So we kept the design we had originally built back in the first cavern we were forced down. It was warm and comforting, and we wished to keep that feeling in our new place of residence." Well, that made sense and was actually a pretty nice sentiment, the thought made Hope smile.

"Oh! So you have children?" Hope hadn't seen any since she had set foot in the castle, but she hadn't been around the day before so it was possible she had just missed them. Or maybe they were adults now? And just lived away from the castle? Though for a monarchy that would seem pretty odd… Hope’s thoughts stuttered to a stop at the stricken look on Toriel's face. Hopes smile faltered as she looked worriedly at the female monster that was trying to smooth over her own grief. "A-are you okay… I didn't mean to-"

"No, no you are fine dear one. It is just… hard to think about most days." Hope’s eyes darted to look over at Asgore to take in his reaction. He looked just as stricken with grief as Toriel was. Quickly Hope back peddled hoping to salvage the night. She had not meant to bring up bad memories, whatever they were.

"Whatever happened, I am very sorry." She said solemnly. She wanted to make sure that they knew that whatever they were feeling, she understood. And that she felt awful she had brought those thoughts back to them. Toriel nodded and cleared her throat. It took a minute but she seemed more like herself as she smiled softly at Hope.

"It is alright; you could not have known." Hope nodded, a slight frown still on her features. She knew Toriel was right. She didn't know anything about them or their past, but that didn't mean she didn't feel bad about bringing up something that was this distressing to the two monsters. Toriel waved her hand in a dismissive manner as if what Hope was thinking was written all over her face. "Now how about-"

Toriel was interrupted as Sans popped into the room startling everyone. He had both of his hands in his pockets and while he looked relaxed, there was sweat beading his forehead and his usual grin was strained. His eye lights bore holes into Hope, he looked like he was examining her before his eyes darted around the room taking in the room and its occupants. It had only taken a second but Hope was certain she had been the only one to have noticed Sans quick and odd behavior before he was relaxing into his usual stance.

"Sans, dear heavens! A little warning next time would be appreciated." Toriel scowled mildly as she patted her chest as if coaxing her heart not to pop out. Sans ducked his head down into his collar and shrugged as he smiled sheepishly at Asgore's raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, didn't mean to get your goat." He said as he moseyed on over to seat himself in-between Toriel and Hope. He responded to the shocked look Hope was giving him with a wink. Well she appeared fine, so what had made her pleasant mood drop? Off to his left Asgore gave a sufferable sigh and began to mumbled quietly to himself. Toriel's eyes on the other hand, were sparkling with mischief. Hope looked nervously between the monsters, positive Sans had just insulted them.

"Well I certainly wouldn't say that you rattled my bones." Her wiggling eye brows had Hope laughing. Too startled by her reaction to do anything else. Pleased with this turn of events Sans chuckled. His entire frame completely relaxing as an even louder groan came from Asgore. Hope's laugh was soon joined by Toriel's soft laughter. And just like that the sadness and tension in the room was lifted.

A genuine grin spread across his face. His mate was laughing and his Queen was indulging his jokes, ah, what could be better than this. And as an added bonus it seemed he had found a way to ruffle Asgore’s fur. Life was good. Hope relaxed next to Sans, the pleased feeling coming from him through their link helped to push past her earlier embarrassment and sadness she had accidentally caused by her earlier question.

Toriel relaxed against the back of the couch, smiling at her only slightly irritated mate. He had a soft smile tugging at his lips as he watched her. They both shared a fond look with each other, love bounced back and forth though their link. It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough to give Toriel that extra boost to wipe away the remaining sadness Hope had accidentally caused. Toriel looked from her mate to their two guests. Both seemed more relaxed around each other but she could still see some tension. It was definitely progress but… she wasn't sure how much longer Sans was going to be able to hold out against his own instincts. He must have a very disciplined mind… or the stubbornness of a rock. Honestly she wasn't sure which would be better in this situation. She had even considered requesting them to just brake the bond, but given Hope’s emotional state and cracked soul she feared what that would do to her. So that left her in a very precarious situation. She definitely did not want to hurt the girl. She seemed sweet and held a good, trusting soul. Not to mention her timid and quiet nature. It made Toriel's soul pulse in response. She felt a motherly pull towards the girl, and wanted so badly to protect her and to make her feel safe. She wanted to be able to care for her and love her in the way that she no longer could with her own children.

Which brought her to her next course of action. Gaster obviously had reservations about what had happen with his experiment. And had appealed to both Asgore and herself about the importance of examining the new human. She could be a danger to this world, or it could be a danger to her. Neither possibilities were good in her opinion. He had also stressed the importance of understanding where the girl had come from. It could mean their freedom. Asgore had been torn between protecting this new human that they had just taken in, or handing her over so that the rest of monsterkind could have hope that they might be able to see the sun again… even if it was in another plain of existence. She had ultimately made the final decision. She would not let a kind soul suffer for any sort of gain. It would make their hard won freedom taste bitter and she was not about to sacrifice her own morals and that of the monsters of the underground to do it.

Gaster had been understandably upset by this turn of events. Which left both Asgore and herself in a bad position. Gaster had some semblance of understanding of the human body and the souls that were housed within. Asgore and herself may have been present for the war, but they weren't exactly involved with human medicine. The doctor on the other hand had a decent knowledge of it. Which meant that if they wanted to make sure all was well with Hope then they would have to ask Gaster for help.

But would he even help? And how was she supposed to bring that up to Sans and Hope?

She knew what Sans reaction would be, but Hope… the poor girl had been so frightened when she had first seen her. On the floor and huddled against the wall of the lab... she did not want to evoke such fear again.

She sighed heavily causing all eyes to rest on her. She really didn't have much of a choice though. She had to assure the girls well-being.

"Sans, did Doctor Gaster ever impart to you the knowledge of human medicine?" Sans stiffened slightly and his smile tugged down into an uncertain frown. Hope looked between a good mix of confused and apprehensive. While her mate, Asgore shifted in his chair uncomfortably, obviously knowing what she was about to bring up.

"Very little." Sans began hesitantly, uneasy about where this was headed. "He was more interested in teaching me engineering and physics then the other studies I was a part of."

"I see." Toriel frowned in thought.

"Why ya ask?"

"Well… with… Hope's emotional state… and the state of her soul…"

"I got it covered." His sudden snippy tone had Asgore's magic suddenly and swiftly sweeping across the room, being an oppressive force to those within it. Sans magic responded in kind by sweeping out and pushing back against it, a dark blue mist colliding with the orange. Moving the oppressive force off of himself and his mate. Both males were tense and Hope looked completely startled by the sudden display of magic.

Toriel, shocked by the sudden display of dominance and the presence of magic almost jolted out of her seat. But she held fast, years of discipline and training kept her grounded as the magic forces push against each other right in front of her. To say she was shocked that there was a monster that was challenging her mate was more than surprising. Every monster submitted to their King, he was kind and powerful, and looked to monsters well-being first. If they did not submit to his power, they normally conceded to his kindness and understanding. So what was happening right now completely through her off. Her eyes darted to Hope and she noticed the girl’s unease as she leaned towards Sans seeking protection. The sight had her fur bristling. How dare they frighten her charge. How dare they make her feel uneasy in her new home. She wanted to smack both of them into submission. She knew Asgore was just defending her but that's what Sans was doing with his own mate, honestly why were males so stubborn?

Toriel huffed and her own magic slipped her tightly controlled leash. Its warm presence seeped in-between the two males, snapping their attention back to her. She glared at both of them willing them to test her patience. Both of their magic suddenly disappeared, both averting their eyes. Sans shifted closer to Hope while Hope’s head snapped back and forth trying to understand what had just happened.

Toriel's gaze settled on Sans.

"I only wish for what is best for her. I fear what the changes of this world might be doing to her." Sans body was still tense but he understood what Toriel was trying to tell him. Didn't make him any happier about it. HE should be looking after his mate. HE should be taking care of her. And he seemed to be doing alright so far. She hadn't shattered and she was emotionally more stable. That was wonderful progress in his book. But… Toriel may have a point. Being thrown into this plain of existence might have been a big factor in her soul almost shattering.

That did not mean he was willing to let Gaster anywhere near her.

"Do I get a say in this?" Hope suddenly found all eyes on her and it made her scoot just and inch closer to Sans for the comfort and protection his closeness promised. Her side now fully touching his. A deep, pleased rumble vibrated through Sans chest at this. The fact that she was seeking protection from him making him more then pleased. His hand moved to her knee offering physical comfort.

"Of course my dear, I would never make you do anything that you would not wish to do... I am just worried for you."

"Indeed, you are under our care now so we wish to know that you are well. But we would never force you." Asgore added. Hope looked between the two of them. Toriel she believed… Asgore on the hand…

Well this was awkward. She knew about her own body; she didn't need a doctor of that she was sure. But she wasn't sure about her own soul, she had just learned about it after all. And Sans had said it had almost shattered. That meant she had almost died right? The thought didn't make her feel any more comfortable with the situation. Was someone going to have to examine her soul again? The thought that she was going to have to bare herself to someone else made her uncomfortable. How many people were going to need to see her soul? Wasn't it supposed to be kept private?

"You don't have ta do anything ya don't want." Sans low comforting voice helped to soothed some of her fears. He must have felt her unease.

"Well… I don't need a doctor, not physically anyway." Toriel nodded to this, accepting the girl’s words. "But I don't know anything about my soul… so if you think there is a good reason for someone to check on it… then I guess I should." Hope said hesitantly. Sans tensed beside her but otherwise said nothing. Toriel smiled softly.

"I'm sure that would put all of our fears at ease. I will just have to find someone with more knowledge of human souls. The one I know right now… I believe is unsuitable to do so."

Sans didn't like this. Not. One. Fucking. Bit. Very few knew more than any other monster did about human souls. Which left him with some poor choices. It was either Gaster or Alphys. He couldn't accept Gaster getting near Hope and although he liked Alphys, he knew that she was still working with Gaster. Which meant she would be reporting to him.

Sigh

If this was something Hope wanted to do he wouldn't stop it. He needed to know about her health too. So really, it was in all of their best interest to make sure her soul was not suffering any adverse effects. Still, he didn't like that yet another person was going to see HIS precious little soul. That thought nearly had him snarling. He didn't have much of a choice though.

But between the two the choice was obvious.

"I may not have been in the studies of humans, but Alphys was. She might be able to help."

"Wonderful!" Toriel happily exclaimed as she clapped her paws in front of her. "I shall summon her in the morning."

Hope nodded, not trusting her own voice to be steady with her own decision.

"And once that's finished what about we spend the day in the city. We'll be able to get you some clothes and you'll be able to get out of the castle. That sounds fun does it not?" Her happiness seemed to seep into Hope as she gave Toriel a small smile. That did sound nice. She was curious about the world around her and those that lived here. Besides, her cloths were beyond disgusting at this point. She would have asked Toriel for a spare set of cloths but she was certain that the monsters cloths would be much too big on her much smaller human frame. Sans was more her size, maybe she should ask him? Would that be weird?

"Yeah, that would be nice."                                                                                                                      - -
"So Sans." He raised a brow bone at her uncertain voice. They had stopped in front of her door, her body turning to him as she fiddled with her hands. So far the night had gone surprisingly well, so well in fact, his mate was starting to open up and become more comfortable around them. Well, minus the little hiccup with the magic between him and Asgore. But who could blame him, his mate was fragile right now. And he wasn't about to let Asgore intimidate him where she was concerned. Either way, the night had gone well and he had been hoping that he could end it off on a good note. Maybe even get a little physical contact. A willing hug perhaps? But her uncertainty put him off that notion.

"What’s wrong sweetheart?"

"Uh…" Wow that was eloquent. Way to go Hope.

Technically there was nothing wrong with her question. So she shouldn't be so nervous to ask him. It was perfectly fine, normal even. Especially in her situation considering she owned nothing but her name in the Underground, and it’s not like she had anything else to wear. So why was this so hard… well maybe if he wasn't staring at her like he could see her soul through her body. That was kinda making in hard. That look was seriously unsettling. She took a calming breath settling her nerves and tried again.

"I uh… I don't have any other clothes. And these are kinda getting gross. Do you have something I can borrow?" She looked up at him hopefully, her cheeks slightly rosy from her own embarrassment.

Was that it? Seriously? Why had she been nervous about asking him that? Fuck yes she could wear his cloths! In his mind’s eye he saw her dressed in his shirt. Its large material covering her body from his view. Almost like it was protecting her. Announcing to others that she was his. His grin grew incredibly large at the thought of her in his clothes. Although he did feel kind of bad. Why hadn't he thought of bringing her fresh clothes before? Wasn't he supposed to be talking care of her? Well, he supposed he had been pretty preoccupied with the condition of her soul and not that of her physical well-being. So maybe he would just let this one slide.

"Course you can sweetheart. Hold on one second." He winked before he moved to disappear into his own room. She smiled, thankful that that had been far easier than she thought it would be. She opened her own door and stepped through the threshold. She stopped a little way into the room, uncertain what she should do with herself while she waited for him to return.

Sans was quick about his work dressing himself into some loose fitting sleeping clothes and then grabbing her a pair.

Sans slipped back into Hope's room. He was wearing a baggy t-shirt and loose fitting shorts made from a soft material. He didn't necessarily like to sleep with a shirt on, but given his mates reaction to him the night before he didn't want to push his luck. Besides, he wanted her to be comfortable around him so if he had to wear a shirt to bed for a little while until she felt comfortable with his presence then he would. In his hands he carried one of his larger comfy shirts. He closed the door behind him and approached her.

She met him half way, excited to see what he had brought for her. She grabbed the clothes he offered her and spread them out to examine what he had given her. But she ended up frowning when she only found a t-shirt. She did a quick look back at him, searching his hands for something else that she may have missed but they were already resting back at his sides. She folded her arms over her chest as she started at him clearly put off.

"Sans I am not just going to wear a shirt to bed."

"Heh, I thought you said sleeping with pants was un-comfy." he says cheekily with his grin wide. She scowled at him as she studied him. He almost felt nervous under that knowing gaze. Like he was being caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Too bad she was too cute to be considered a threat to him. Though he was quite pleased that she was reacting this way and not in a more… downcast nature.

"Are you intending to bully your way into my bed tonight."

"Perhaps."

She reached her hand out towards him as if asking for something. "Then I'm going to need ether a pair of pants or shorts. Its either that, or you’re going to your own room and I will be re-locking my door." His amused grin nearly faltered, did she not know how he got into her room in the first place? That locks wouldn't really stop him? Well fine, whatever, he'd roll with it. Besides, he was finding it amusing teasing her now that he knew he could.

"What about not being able to sleep alone in a strange place?"

"I think I'll manage." She dead panned. They both stared at each other. Neither willing to make the first move, though for him it was more so for amusement than anything else. Was it strange that he was enjoying this? Probably. She refused to relent, her hard look never faltering. He let out and amused chuckle finally giving in.

"Alright, ya got me. Here ya go." he lifted up his shirt to pull the shorts he had hidden beneath his rib cage.

She smiled triumphantly, snatching them out of his hand before disappearing into the bathroom. He huffed out a laugh before moving towards the bed to make himself more comfortable while he waited for her.

Well, it wasn't too bad. The shorts were obviously too big for her. The length hit her kneecaps and she had to pull the string for the waist tight in order to keep it from falling off her butt. A fact that quite honestly, made her feel like a child. Though she had to wonder how Sans even wore these. Did he have to draw the drawstring as tight as she did? Or did he keep them up some other way? Hmmm...

The shirt was really baggy on her as well, thankfully it hid her figure well, though it was a little broader in the shoulder department. Unfortunately, the shirt fell off on one of her shoulders, and no matter how much she tried to fix it, it kept slipping. After a few tries she deemed it as a lost cause and moved on to running her fingers through her hair instead. Hoping to bring it under some semblance of control. When she was satisfied she leaned against the sink and stared at her reflection. She was a little nervous about going back out there. She felt funny in his clothes with the way they hung off her comically. And she wasn't sure what his response would be to that. Would he laugh at her? She hoped not.

Besides, she needed this moment to mentally prepare herself for sleeping next to him again. Her anxiety flared at the thought. It seemed so intimate. Too intimate considering they didn't know each other so well. But she had slept better when he had joined her… she gave a long drawn out sigh to help release some of the tension gathering in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't entirely confident with her appearance, but she couldn't just hold up in the bathroom all night so she needed to get moving.

Gathering her courage she opened the door to find Sans relaxing in the bed, hands cradling his head as he stared at the ceiling, feet crossed at the ankles. The squeaky door must have alerted him of her presence because his head turned from the ceiling to look at her. It was like electricity shot throughout the room. The air suddenly felt heavy with what she was slowly beginning to recognize as his magic. His eye lights sharpened becoming brighter, and then she felt it. Something in their bond had shifted as well. She couldn't put a name to it but it did strange things to her. It was suddenly like he was predator and she was prey, and yet… something in her was insisting that she respond to it. It left her feeling vulnerable and unbearably warm under his intense gaze.

She smiled nervously at him as she gripped the side of the door frame, hard. Her knuckles turning white from the pressure. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to approach him while he was looking at her like that.

Not with the bond coaxing contradicting feelings out of her.

Stars, she looked good in his clothes, covered in his scent. Something primal shifted in him, roaring to life and snuffing out his reason. It was time to finish the bond. She was in his clothes, covered in his property, in his sent. She was ready and willing. He could feel her soul’s response to his own souls call.

But then he saw her frightened look. She seemed so unsure of what she was feeling from him and from their link, and that fear snapped him back to reality. He shoved his more primal side down. Snarling slightly because it gave him some sort of release. Once his feelings and instincts were in check he shifted to hold up the covers for her. Silently beckoning her over, unable to voice words at the moment. She hesitated at the sharp bright look of his eye lights and the feeling she couldn't name coming from their bond. It had changed slightly, becoming less intense and more comforting but it was still present.

Was she really okay with this? To let him keep sleeping next to her? She was definitely still nervous about it, that was for sure. Physical contact with someone that wasn't family was still new. And it had only happened twice so far, so if she didn't want it to continue, now would be the time to stop it. But did she really want to do that? Push him away? Be alone at night? Continuing to lose sleep because of her silly fears? No, not really. His presence was warm and comforting, and although she was sure that it was just because of the link… she found she didn't really care. It still made her feel better. It made her feel good, and she didn't want to give that up.

And even though she was still frightened by what had just happened she was filled with determination.

She padded across the room like a frightened animal, and for a soul clenching moment he though she was going to dart away from him. It did strange things with the more predatory side of his nature, and some part of him almost wanted her to run. But thankfully she didn't, he wasnt entirly sure how he would have responded if she had, and she turned off the light before carefully laying down next to him. Being sure to face away from him and leaving a decent amount of room. He sighed at that. Apparently she was going to fight her own instincts all the way.

Fine. He could be patient… he hoped.

He placed the covers over her then situated himself under them as well. His arm snaked around her waist and although she made an annoyed disagreeing noise she didn't fight him as he pulled her closer to his body. He might not be able to act on his instincts but he needed to touch her. To have some form of physical contact and he was grateful that she was allowing it.

"Night." His deep voice rumbled through her, making her shutter.

"N-night." Oh gods she was getting absolutely no sleep tonight.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-


Waking up snuggled next to someone she didn't know very well was still pretty awkward. Even if he was technically supposed to be her mate now. It had been awkward obviously yet it still managed to be nice. Not only was Sans a great source of heat, seriously who would have thought he was capable of producing that much body heat? He didn't even have a body! … Well, unless you were counting straight bones as his body. He was actually a pretty good cuddlier too, which was surprising because again, he was all bones. Thankfully when she woke up that morning there had been no mishaps. No awkward positions, no awkward moments, even her shirt, er… his shirt had behaved. AND that strange unsettling, provoking… tantalizing… feeling she had felt coming from their link last night had completely disappeared. Leaving instead only a comforting presence.

It had actually been a pretty decent morning if she did say so herself, Papyrus hadn't scared her half to death when he came looking for Sans and there had been a distinct lack of prying questions on why she was wearing Sans clothing. Even Sans presence had remained comforting and strong against her own shifting emotions. After her breakdown the night before she felt remarkably better. Her emotions were definitely more stable and she didn't feel like she was wallowing in constant depression. So yes, she felt better but… she still felt a muted lingering of sadness and loneliness. To be fair, it was hard to think about her current situation without tugging those feelings forth. But every time her mind would stray close to those thoughts Sans would get just a little bit closer and she would begin to feel a warm sensation between their link and then almost instantly she would be feeling better again. It was unsettling that he had that kind of power over her emotions, and she was beyond curious on how he was even doing it.

She would be mad at the thought that he seemed to be able to manipulate her emotions at a whim, if it wasn't helping her such a great deal. She sighed to herself not sure what she should think about that. Damn him and this confusing link.

Breakfast had been delicious as per usual in the underground. The food was just so… perfect. Maybe it was because of the cook? Or was food just better in this universe? The table had been filled with excited talk about visiting the city, and what they would be seeing while they were out and about. Even Papyrus was going to join them. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of having both skeletons with her as well as Toriel eased her worries about being seen by anyone outside the castle. Safety in numbers perhaps? Or maybe it was something else? Either way she had been surprisingly content that morning, but now...

Now she was waiting for Alphys.

To say she was anxious about their meeting was a gross understatement. The only thing tethering her to her seat were Sans and Toriel's presence. If they weren't trying to keep her calm she probably would have bolted long ago. This would be the first time in days she would be actively meeting another monster. And Sans nervousness was making her nervous. Was he worried about what Alphys would think of her? Maybe. She was a human after all. Did that mean he was ashamed to have her as a mate? Probably. Or maybe Alphys was dangerous? This thought had crossed her mind a number of times. It would explain everyone's tenseness. Her nervousness once again shifted back into fear. She hadn't necessarily felt threatened by any of the monsters they had passed when she had made her way to the castle with Toriel the first day she had been in the Underground, but the monsters hadn't really understood her presence at the time. She hadn't understood. Now that she knew that her presence wasn't exactly wanted in the underground it made meeting new monsters… kind of stressful.

She knew technically she was safe. Asgore had said she would be safe and she knew Sans and Toriel wouldn't let anything happen to her. But she still felt very much on edge. Maybe she shouldn't have eaten breakfast. She could already feel it forming a hard ball in the pit of her stomach, making her feel slightly queasy. Her troubling thoughts were interrupted by a strong skeletal hand clasping her shoulder. It took her a moment but when she was finally able to focus back to the here and now she could feel warmth flowing from their bond. Thankfully it was starting to help ease her fears. She smiled gratefully up at Sans as he looked down at her from behind her chair. She knew he was worried, maybe even a little pissed off if she could read the mild feelings she was getting from him all morning. Even if she couldn't feel his emotions she would have been able to tell by his body language. He was obviously tense about her meeting Alphys, she just wished she knew why.

But it was sweet that he was pushing aside his own worries to try and sooth her.  

Thankfully she wasn't the only one that seemed to be tense about this meeting. Besides Sans obvious irritation was Toriel's constant fidgeting. Her hands in ceaseless motion as she fiddled with them in her lap. At first she had seemed to be trying to divert all of their attentions away from the impending meeting by talk of what they were going to be buying later that day, but it was a hard sell. And ever so slowly she had drifted off into silence.

Toriel smoothed over her skirt it seemed for the hundredth time. She shouldn't feel so nervous. This was only supposed to be a small, short meeting with only the five of them present. No Gaster, just an apprentice at the lab that happen to know a bit about human medicine and Souls. But it was obvious that Sans and Hope were anxious. It seemed like their anxieties were rubbing off on her. And she wanted so desperately to help ease her new charge.

Nothing was going to happen she told herself. Hope was safe. No monster had any reason to harm her. Not with the Queen and King housing her. So why did she still feel that something was not right?

The tense silence was broken by Asgore's distinctive voice as he approached the room. Simultaneously everyone in the room stiffened.

The door opened to reveal the large smiling King. His calm smile and easy voice helped to take the edge off as he ushered the much smaller brightly colored monster into the room. She seemed to pause halfway into the room as she took in the number of eyes trained on her small form. Instantly Alphys' small smile vanished and she hunched into herself clutching the bag she was holding to her chest. Her body began to shake with her nervousness. By Asgore beard, she did not want to be here with all of those eyes watching her. Making her feel as if one wrong step could be her last. Her foot slowly inched backwards intending to take a step back until Asgore's large paw came down to rest on her back and helped to push her the rest of the way into the room. She jumped at the sound of the door closing behind her.

"Alphys, I believe you already know my wife Toriel, and of course you know Sans. But I would like you to meet Hope." His arm reached out to indicate the small human seated in front of Sans. His words were formal but the kindness he was trying to relay in his voice was unmistakable. Everyone in the room appeared to be tense and he was hoping he could help ease everyone's fears.

To Hope’s great surprise it was the other monster that had been in the lab when she had first appeared. The one that had looked just as frightened as she had, and was even now displaying her fear. Something in Hope settled. This monster didn't seem to be a threat, if anything, Alphys was probably more intimidated by the number of monsters Hope had surrounding her then anything else. Feeling much better that Alphys and herself were on even ground, both anxious messes, she stood from the chair and approached the nervous monster hand held out ready to shake in greeting.

"Hello Alphys it’s nice to meet you."

Sans tensed as his mate moved away from him and towards Alphys, but otherwise made no move to intervene. Alphys was his friend and colleague, he had to keep reminding himself. She wouldn't do anything to hurt Hope. As least he hoped she wouldn't. Alphys looked surprised as she looked from Hope to the hand waiting in front of her. This… is not what she had expected. With the way everyone was drilling holes into her with their eyes she had assumed the human also had some sort of animosity towards her. But apparently that wasn't the case. She felt slightly better knowing this.

"H-hi, i-its nice t-to meet you t-too." Alphys replied as she accepted the handshake. She managed a nervous smile at the human that was just about the same height as herself. "S-so I w-was told t-that there was s-some concern f-for your Soul?"

"Yeah…" Hope looked away from Alphys, uneasy. Alphys nodded her head in understanding. Apparently the human knew how private a Soul could be. Hope’s gaze caught Toriel's and the monster gave her an encouraging smile. Seated next to her was Asgore and he looked just as reassuring. She could do this.

"H-how about w-we g-get started t-then." She moved forward and ushered the girl back to her seat being mindful not to physically touch her. She didn't feel comfortable enough for physical contact yet… and with the look Sans was giving her she didn't want to over step any boundaries. As soon as she was seated Alphys gave Sans a small wave in greeting unsure of how to proceed with him. They were friends after all and yet… he seemed to be leaking animosity out of his bones. A small nod was the only greeting she received. She huffed silently at that. So much for camaraderie.

Alphys set her bag down at her feet as she opened it to begin rummaging around the supplies she had brought. Most likely she wouldn't need most of it but it never hurt to be prepared. "S-so a-are there m-monsters where y-you come from?"

"Ah… no," Hope replies sheepishly. "only humans and animals I'm afraid."

"O-oh! S-so this m-must have b-been q-quite a s-shock."

"Yeah, you could say that." Hope smiles despite herself. Shocked was putting it mildly.

"W-what's it l-like there? O-on the s-surface I mean."

Hope frowned, Sans had asked her something similar not that long ago and though she had given him the bare minimum maybe now would be a good time to talk about it. Everyone was here so she wouldn't have to repeat herself. That, and she couldn't help the pang of sadness that went through her at the thought of so many lives being trapped just under the surface. Their hope and curiosity at what she had taken for granted settled heavily within her.

"Well what did you want to know?"

"W-what was t-the environment l-like?"

"There are actualy a lot of different environments where I come from. Most of them are beautiful, full of color and all different sorts of vegetation and wildlife. The sky is vast and bright blue during a sunny day. Often fluffy white clouds float across its surface, and at night… it’s a dark blue almost black in color with small bright lights scatter across it surface. And the moon… it shines bright as it slowly changes from full to new throughout the month. It’s beautiful. Then there's the ocean. It’s this huge expanse of water that covers most of the earth. It’s so deep and big we haven't even discovered half of it yet. Then there's the human cities. Some are pretty big and a little overwhelming but are neat to see and explore. While others… heh, let’s just say they're a lot of abandoned buildings and the streets are ugly and dangerous to be on." Hope fiddled with her hands unwilling to look at anyone in the room. She didn't have to look up to know they were all looking at her. She could literally feel their gazes. "There's a whole lot more but honestly it’s too much to describe. Just know that there are wonderful things in my world but there are terrible things as well."

"A-and the p-people?"

"Depends," She smiled ruefully. "the majority are horrible to each other. Diversity isn't exactly something humans in my world are fond of." Well at last their worlds had something in common Sans thought. "Anything that's new is mostly seen as dangerous and a lot of times its snuffed out before its given a proper chance. There are terrible people who are violent and selfish. People who believe that their way of thinking is the only way. Those that are willing to do unspeakable things in the name of stupidity!" Hope paused for a moment, unsure of where she had been going with that. Oh gods did she almost get pulled into another rant again? She was just supposed to be answering questions about her world not going into the deep shit. Time for some smoothing over. "But there are also good people." She amended. "Those willing to fight for others to have a chance, and willing to help where others won't. There are enough good people out there to give those that are suffering a fighting chance."

Alphys could only stare in silence. It seemed like she had hit a nerve. She quickly collected herself as she finished pulling out the device she had brought to monitor the humans Soul. She stood back at full height and glanced around the room before focusing back on Hope.


"A-are they okay…?" She gestured nervously to Asgore and Toriel. She knew Sans wasn't going to leave but she wasn't about to pull out the girls Soul for everyone else to see.

"Yes." Hope nods thankfully. It helped to ease her uneasiness that Alphys had even thought to ask. Alphys nodded in return and held her hand out in front of Hope’s chest.

"A-and is i-it okay i-if I…?" Hope nodded her consent. "O-okay." She said nervously, glancing at Sans one last time before pulling the girls Soul out into the open. She gasped upon seeing it. I-It was beautiful! So many colors. Why did it have so many colors? And they weren't stationary, they seemed to swirl within as if fighting to be the dominant trait. Alphys had never heard of this before, Gaster was going to be thrilled when he heard! Not only that, but she could very faintly feel the distinct feeling of magic coming from the Soul. Oh! and there it was. Sans mark. Alphys blushed as she caught sight of it. So it was true, the human was Sans mate… but why was it still seeking to join? Had they not finished their union? Why? A pulse of magical energy drug her out of her thoughts and her eyes darted up to Sans.

He looked displeased and that's when she realized that she had been staring for too long. Nervously she shuffled her feet as she looked back at the humans Soul only now just taking in the many cracks amongst is surface. Alphys leaned a little closer to study the many fractures. Most looked like only surface cracks that should heal over time. But there were a few that were quite deep. She hummed in thought before she steadied her device and turned it on. It whirred to life as she held it up for Hope to examine.

"T-this is s-something that I i-invented a few y-years ago. I-it’s not v-very o-often I get t-to use it. B-but it d-does come in h-handy. I-it’s supposed to m-monitor the w-wavelengths t-that emit f-from a S-soul. I-it should t-tell me if t-there are any i-irregularities i-in its w-wavelengths due to i-its c-cracks. J-just hold s-still."

"O-okay." Sans hand rested on her shoulder offering physical comfort as her Soul spun anxiously in front of them.

Alphys zoned into the little monitor. watching carefully for its readings.

"S-so you c-can do m-magic?"

"Oh, ah, apparently."

"Y-you didn't k-know?" Hope shook her head no and Alphys hummed in thought.

"W-when I f-first saw y-you it l-looked like a s-shield."

"Yea, I’ve always been about protecting so I guess that makes sense."

Alphys nodded distractedly as her eyes flicked over the readings on her machine. Well the good news was she was right, the little surface cracks were healing albeit slowly, and the bigger more dangerous cracks seemed to be mending as well. Except two. There were two cracks that seemed to be held together only by the wavelength of another Soul. Her eyes darted up to Sans. Did he know he was holding her together? That their bond is why she hadn't shattered yet?

Their eyes met and held. A silent conversation spun between them. Finally, Alphys turned off her machine and set it back into her bag. She righted herself and returned Hope’s Soul back to her chest.

"Well?" She asked hopefully.

"W-well it seemed m-most of your c-cracks are h-healing. I-it’s going s-slow but as l-long as you stay h-hopeful they w-will heal" Hope smiled at this and Alphys frowned, she really didn't want to wipe that happy look off of her face but she did deserve to know. "B-but t-there are t-two cracks t-that are q-quite serious. T-they do n-not seem to b-be healing o-on their o-own."

"W-what?" "What?" Both Hope and Sans replied at the same time.

"Y-yes well, i-it does n-not appear t-that her s-soul is a-able to h-heal such fractures. I a-am n-not sure w-what caused t-them. T-they do n-not appear to h-have b-been caused b-by a l-lack of h-hope o-or by a-an encounter. B-but i-it appears t-that S-sans bond i-is what i-is h-holding them t-together. I-if there w-was no b-bond s-she would have s-shattered."

Sans stood stiff, his eye lights long having disappeared. No wonder her Soul had been calling out to him that day. It had been trying to save itself. It just happened to be pure luck that his own Soul felt a connection and was able to respond to it. Stars! She could have died! Still could, he realized if they didn't finish the bond. Right now she was in limbo. If she officially rejected him or he rejected her that would be the end of it. She wouldn't have his magic to help hold her together in this world, and she would shatter the instant his mark left her. Fuck, he was going to have to talk to her about completing the second part of the bond. Then it would be permanent, she would be safe.

They had been right, Hope mused. Her coming here had fucked with her Soul. Thank the gods she had let Alphys check her Soul over. She apparently had almost died. But she hadn't… thanks to Sans. Gods why did everything swing back to him. He was quickly becoming the center of her world, someone she was literally going to have to rely on for her very life. That knowledge made her want to bury herself in a large hole and disappear forever. But… she was alive. She'd have to cling to that thought for a while.

Asgore and Toriel looked just as stricken as the couple in front of Alphys. She clutched her claws in front of her chest nervously. She hated giving bad news. It just left her to stand by awkwardly while they came to terms with what she had told them.

"Thank you," Hope finally said breaking the silence. "for telling me." Alphys nodded.

"I-I'm s-sorry, b-but you s-should be f-fine as l-long a-as there i-is a b-bond. I-if given t-the t-time t-there is a c-chance that they c-could heal." Hope could only nod, still to stunned to do more. "I-It w-was nice m-meeting y-you."

"Yeah… you too."

"Let me see you out." Asgore offered as the yellow monster scurried from the room. He paused on his way out to clasp his large paw on Hope’s unoccupied shoulder. "All will be well. Do not lose hope. In time I am sure they will heal."

"Thank you." He turned and left the room to catch up with Alphys. Sans didn't waste anymore time and was pulling Hope out of her seat and wrapping his arms around her protectively. She didn't fight him and instead rested her head on his shoulder seeking whatever comfort he could offer her. Her fear and sadness were back with a vengeance but this time he didn't have his own happy thoughts to help quell her stormy emotions. So physical comfort would have to do for the moment. It wasn't long before Toriel's soft arms were encircling both of them.

"There is no need to worry my child. She said the bond is holding and that over time it shall become stronger. We must remain happy and hopeful. That is what will help to heal your Soul." Hope nodded, a feeling of love and calmness sweeping through her as both monsters embraced her. She wasn't alone. Not in this moment. And it appeared hope was a powerful thing in this world, at least that’s what everyone kept eluding too. So she was just going to have to force it until it came naturally.

She would be fine, yep, just fine… probably… hopefully?

"Now who's ready to get moving." Toriel chime in with forced cheerfulness. "Let us go shopping and finish this day off on a good note."

                                                                                                                  - -

The bright lights of the lab reflected off of Alphys' glasses, hiding her eyes from the intimidating prying monster seated in front of her. His long legs were crossed before him and his hands were spread out and connected in front of him, fingertips touching. His stern face was trained on her. The only thing belaying his excitement was the sharp gleam in his eye lights. They had grown extra bright as he closely studied her. She fidgeted under his stare shrinking in on herself, silently wondering when her mentor had become so intimidating. Lately his cool and collected pose had been loosening into something more… erratic. Almost frightening at times. It had happened gradually, so gradually in fact that she couldn't remember when she had first notice something was amiss. She couldn't remember when she had first noticed the change in him but his mind seemed to be deteriorating faster now. Not necessarily his brilliance for the scientific, if the machine that had brought the human into their plane of existence was anything to go by. No, but his sense of those around him, his compassion. It was slipping and that was almost unheard of for a monster.

She had been sent on a mission and she hadn't failed. The girl had easily answered her questions. But she felt dirty. Sans was her friend and something didn't feel right about what she was doing. Talking about his… mate. Asgore help her she never thought she would be saying that about her friend. It just didn't feel right for her to reveal any information about the girl to this stranger sitting in front of her. If not for the girl’s sake then at the very least for Sans. But how could she fail her mentor? The person she respected, the one that had seen her talent with robotics and had taken her under his wing.

Besides, this was important right? For all of monster kind! …right?

"Y-yes I h-have checked on t-the girl. P-physically she a-appears fine. H-her Soul though, i-its weak r-right now. T-there are m-many cracks. T-they appear t-to be h-healing slowly. I b-believe t-that Sans is h-helping with t-that."

"I see, and how is my son doing?"

"H-he appears t-to be w-well. A-although h-he did n-not seem t-too h-happy t-to s-see me." The last part she mumble to herself feeling slightly bitter about it. This had been the exact reason he hadn't been happy to see her. Mentally she knew that. That Sans knew she was going back to Gaster, but knowing didn't help to ease the hurt his sharp focused look had given her. The entire time she had been interacting with Hope his presence had been suffocating, never letting her forget for a moment who she was dealing with.

Gaster’s deep humorless chuckle shook her out of her thoughts. "Figures. He has always been stubborn. Set in his own thoughts instead of looking at the big picture. So the human, was I right? Did it have magic?"

"Y-yes she a-appears to h-have shielding m-magic."

Gaster’s glee slid across his face. Yes, YES! This was the solution he had been looking for! If he was forbidden to continue his work on opening a portal to another plane of existence, then breaking the barrier with this new variable added in to the mix was what he needed to focus on. Asgore's beard! It had magic, and not just any magic, barrier magic. If it could make them, then in theory it could break them. Yes, but Alphys had said its Soul was cracked… hmm, he would have to find a way to help push its abilities to its fullest. After all, it was only one human Soul against seven. Surely such a fragile Soul was going to need his help.

His excited mumbling wasn't making any sense and Alphys wondered if he even knew he was mumbling.

"T-there is s-something else…" She paused unsure of herself as his full attention settled back on her. Revealing someone’s Soul was deeply personal. What she was about to do would be breaking confidentiality, not to mention whatever trust she might still have with Sans. But it was for science! And Gaster was right, Sans wasn't thinking about the big picture. The human might be the key to their escape! Besides, Gaster wouldn't hurt her… right?

"Yes what is it?"

"W-well…" The small yellow monster wrung her hands nervously refusing to look at him, her anxiety taking over because her inner conflict.

"Alphys!" His sharp command snapped her out of her nervous thoughts.

"Her Soul has three dominant colors!" She spoke so fast she wasn't sure if he had even been able to understand her. She peeked her eyes open to look at him and a nervous sweat took over her body. Oh no what had she done! Sans was going to dust her. She hid her face in her hands as Gaster slid out of his chair. A dark calculating look on his face. He began to slowly pace the length of the room. A clear sign of him taking in all of the information that was presented before him, formulating, planning.  

"How many?"

"W-what?" She all but squeaked.

"How many colors?"

"T-three. G-green, b-blue, a-and y-yellow"

"And Sans, has he truly marked her?"

"Y-yes, b-but they h-haven't f-finished it y-yet."

"Intriguing… come with me Alphys." Gaster spun on his heels stalking away from Alphys and into the hallway. She scrambled to keep up with his much longer stride.

"W-wait d-didn't you w-want to know a-about her world?"

"I do not believe it is necessary right now." Her confused frown deepened as he unlocked his privet office. She hovered outside the door as he disappeared into the room. Absolutely no one but Gaster was allowed in the room, so why was he bringing her here? Her nervous sweat was back and she shuffled from foot to foot unsure about what she was supposed to be doing.

And why did it not matter anymore?

Gaster came back into view and waved her in. She fumbled with what to do before following the silent command and entered his office.

"Alphys, do you know what makes a human so strong? What makes them keep going even when a monster has long fallen down under the same circumstances?" Alphys fidgets nervously her eyes darting around the large room taking in every detail. Even though it had been phrased like a question she knew better then to answer. Gaster had a habit of diving right into his thoughts and interrupting him had never produced good results.

Gaster shuffled some of the papers that were strewn about his desk pulling a few into his hands before shoving them into Alphys'.

"It’s something I like to call Determination. It’s something inside all humans that keeps them going, even when there is nowhere else to go. For a while now I’ve been working on harnessing that energy to help benefit monster kind, but as of right now it’s just a theory, just notes on paper. Oh the science is sound. But it needs to be put into practice. Since my last greatest work has been put on hold for the foreseeable future, I suggest we start on creating a synthetic Determination. It will not be as great as the real thing but it will get close. And with the help of this new human perhaps we can even extract the real thing?"

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

It had been so hard. SO. FUCKING. HARD. To agree to let his bonded waltz out of the safety of the castle and into a city full of potential threats. Sure, monsters weren't considered violent creatures. On the contrary they were extremely compassionate… unless you were a human. And his darling little mate was just that, a human. And at this moment in time, with her soul so fractured, he wasn't even sure if she would survive an encounter with another monster. What if they could sense her weakness? Take advantage of it? What if her presence happened to spook someone by accident? Just one hit to her SOUL would almost certainly shatter it. So to let her fragile Soul, his lovely little SOUL, go out amongst other monsters was dragging up some very deep dark emotions within himself. Up until this point he would never have considered himself able of collecting EXP… now he wasn't so sure, his need to protect so strong.

 His instincts had nearly driven him mad as he fought with himself.

Claim her

Don't

Dominate

Don't over step boundaries

Kill anyone that gets close

Don't hurt innocents

Lock her away

Don't give her a reason to brake away  

Within his swirling mind one thought prevailed. Her soul was only being held together by their bond. She might still shatter. She wasn't safe. Finish the bond! Finish the bond! Finish the bond! Finish the bond! Take her! Make her submit to the claim! It had been so hard to rip those thoughts away from his fraying mind. But he would not let his mate fear him. She would not fear me! His instincts seemed to scream at his rationalizing, and he fought to push those thoughts aside. He was certain she would fear him if he forced her and then their bond would forever be soured. He was not willing to risk it. In time she would come willingly. Oh so willingly...

But she wasn't safe. His instincts fought with him. Keep her close, keep her hidden. Dust anyone that approaches. There would be many others in the city. Those that might want to hurt her. Those that might just be curious enough about her appearance to approach her, and could potentially set him off…

There would be other males…

O T H E R  R I V A L S.

He had seethed and he had snarled, but his mate and Queen had stood firm. He had, had to shove his instincts aside and take control of the chaos that was swirling within his mind. Her sudden fear of him helping a great deal. Although he couldn't help the sense of pride that washed over him as she stood her ground, nearly shacking, and had practically snarled back at him. Fuck, he had been turned on by that. It had been damn near impossible not to shove her onto the ground and show her who was her dominant.

Pinned beneath him… whimpering… sighing his name…

But the sudden spark of magic in the room, old, powerful, commanding and feminine, had snapped him back into reality. Making him realize where he was… and where his magic had been gathering…

His Queen had not been pleased.

So grinding his teeth together so tightly he was sure dust had fallen from his mouth, he had reined in his instincts and his desire as best he could. Had taken a calming breath… well, maybe several. And had, through gritted teeth, agreed to let her go as long as she would put up with constant physical contact. His instincts demanded it of him and he could do little more than blindly listen at this point. Thankfully she had agreed readily enough.

Point one for Sans.

The feeling of muted happiness he had received from their bond as he had agreed made it all the easier to push his instincts to the side. He could do this. He would protect her and she would be fine.

                                                                                                             -Capital-

She had certainly been surprised and… intimidated by Sans reaction to Toriel's suggestion about heading into the city. At first it had just been a snap but at Toriel's insistence that they head out into the capital city so that Hope could pick up some new cloths he had flown into a rage. To say she was shocked was putting it mildly. He seemed pretty laid back most of the time if not a little anxious. She had also picked up over the last few days how territorial he was about her, even if she didn't completely understand why, and she had also picked up on his incessant need to keep her calm and safe. It was something she deeply appreciated it. No one had ever given her that kind of care before, well besides her mother. But mothers didn't count in this type of situation. So the attention for the most part had been kind of nice. What she hadn't anticipated was what the news of her SOUL would do to Sans. She had not excepted him to react that way. Flying into a rage and even snarling at her in his attempts to get her to stay within the safety of the castle. She had been shocked; this was not the Sans she was just starting to get to know. 

Well she would be damned if he thought he could control her with some growling.

She had been startled at first, but then her anger had flashed through her… or had it been Sans anger? Either way her confidence had boosted itself within a span of a few seconds and the next thing she knew she was baring her teeth right back at him, doing her best to imitate his snarl. No one was going to tell her what the fuck to do, and she was going to make sure he knew it. Unfortunately… her growl had not garnered the intended reaction. Instead of him backing off, or at the very least their bickering turning into a standoff. She had lust rush though her veins, molten hot, setting her body aflame with emotions she had not been ready for. She had felt her knees go weak as he had sized her up. His left eye flickering blue. The anger and confidence she had vanished with the sudden emotions he had been throwing at her and she had taken an unsteady step back only to have Toriel's large paw engulf her shoulder in support. Her eyes didn't dare leave Sans but she could feel the monster behind her release her magic into the room. Warm and calming, with an underlying of raw power, it swept through the room and thankfully seemed to snap Sans back into the monster she had come to know. She still felt weak in the knees but she didn't feel as raw, and just as suddenly as the whole fiasco had started, with his emotions nearly swallowing her whole, his emotions receded from her, muting themselves.

Sans bent his head down in shame and reached his hand behind his head to rub the back of his skull. She had felt nervous when his eye lights had darted back up to her, seeking out her own eyes but she kept her cool in the wake of Toriel's calm strength. He had finally conceded on the condition that she keep some form of physical contact with him. She had been okay with that. It couldn't possibly be worse than what had just happened… right?

Now they were finally out in the capital, and to be fair, when she had agreed to Sans terms of physical contact she had expected it to be like her first day in the Underground. His hand linked with hers, maybe even having their fingers laced together as he no doubt would scowl at anyone that approached. You know, just like last time. Boy had she been wrong. She definitely hadn't expected her current predicament… His arm was wrapped possessively around her midsection, pulling her in closer to his body as his hand rested on her hip holding it captive in a tight grip. She had spent the first thirty minutes of their time together redder then the lava she had seen in Hotland. And much to her dismay, Toriel had chuckled at her initial reaction. Stuttering with her head bent down and her hands nervously weaving her fingers together in a continuous motion in front of herself.

Her flush had not only been for the embarrassment that this vastly new, more public, and intimate position had caused in her. But rather that she was enjoying it. Gods why was she enjoying this? He was acting possessive and growly whenever someone had gotten too close to them. His hold tightening and his fangs almost constantly bared in warning. And each time it had made her shutter. And it hadn't been because of fear… gods what did that say about her?

Thankfully Toriel and Papyrus had been excellent tethers to reality for not only the monsters that they had encountered, but for her as well. Calling her into conversations and answering questions about the city as well as soothing the startled monsters that wondered just a bit too closely to Sans and herself. Toriel had been a calming presence while Papyrus's smile and outgoing nature had been a reassurance. Although, the little skeleton monster kept throwing them curious looks. Almost like he was contemplating something. Hope brushed that aside though in her enthusiasm to learn about the monsters and shops they passed. And much to her delight she had discovered that monsters did indeed have jigsaw puzzles. She vowed to find a few before they headed back to the castle. Not only did she enjoy them but Papyrus had been intrigued by the idea of them as well and that had cemented the idea.

As the day wore on Sans growly behavior seemed to be diminishing. Ever so slowly he seemed to relax, the tension leaving him. His scowl and agitated growls turning into easy nods and a strained smile. For this, Hope was extremely grateful. It was a whole lot easier to find clothing that might fit her when the monsters in the shops were able to approach her. So far she had been able to find quite a few clothing items that would work out just fine for however long she was going to be stuck here. And she had even found a dress (that Toriel insisted she buy). For more formal occasions. She had no idea what for, but she was living with the Queen and King of monsters so… better to be safe than sorry right?

Currently they were on their way to a store that specialized more in toys and entertainment. She and Papyrus had nearly squealed in joy when Toriel had suggested it. Hope didn't even feel the need to look ashamed of her excitement in the prospect of toys. She might be too old to enjoy actual toys, but bored games, cards and puzzles were right up her ally. Besides, it was hard to feel ashamed about her own excitement with Papyrus in such delight over the prospect of new action figures. Thankfully Sans just seemed to be happy she and his brother were both excited about something, that he hadn't shown any sign of judgement. Thank goodness, it had already been a rocky few days and she wasn't sure how much more emotional problems she could handle. They swiftly picked up their pace and practically dragged Sans in the direction of the favored store with Toriel chortling close behind.

Stars he was so embarrassed. He couldn't believe how he had lost himself like that in front of Toriel, his Queen. He was just thankful Asgore hadn't been present for his little display of aggression. He was sure the other male would have reacted in kind and the situation would have turned more hostile. He wasn't entirely sure if his magic would have manifested into actual attacks had that happened. That would have been a dangerous situation, one he was sure he wouldn't have come back from. And Hope… oh stars what did she think of him now? As just a growling irrational beast? He could only imagine what type of impression he had left on her. Especially when he had sensed her uneasiness with him after the fact. Stars he was going to have to make it up to her.

The only thing holding him together from his shame and embarrassment, the only thing not letting him slink away into some dark hole to lick his metaphorical wounds, was surprisingly enough his instincts. Heh, who would have thought. The very thing that had caused him so much trouble, the thing that had put him in trouble, was now his saving grace. It kept him from walking away from this situation to hide and wallow in self-pity. Because he needed to be close to his mate. Make sure his presence was known to ward off potential curious monsters. He was thinking more clearly now and he knew how foolish he had been to think that another monster would openly attack her without being provoked. They were accompanying the Queen for goodness sake. What in Asgore's name had he even been thinking?

Scratch that, he knew what he had been thinking. He had wanted to protect his mate, it had just been bad timing. If his Queen had suggested shopping a few hours after he had been able to settle himself. After he had been able to contemplate this new unsettling news about his mate’s SOUL. The fact that it was only holding on by thin threads of his magic. Then he probably would have responded with a bit more sense. Well, he couldn't change what had happened, but he could try to make up for it. He would have to think of something to help sooth his mates uneasiness of him.

On the bright side of things, his little human was reacting splendidly to his demands… er… advances. He could feel her nervous excitement fluttering about their bond whenever their bodies would brush together when he would lean closer. And he never missed the way her face would flush whenever he would grasp her hip just a little bit tighter. It had his own SOUL singing in delight. Point two for Sans. Perhaps he hadn't fucked up quite as much as he thought he had earlier with his snarling fit. He would have to be careful though, he wasn't aiming to make her feel even more uneasy around him, he just wanted to see more of that blush, feel more of those spicking emotions. It was doing wonders for his mood.

Slow and steady Sans. Slow and steady.

He paused with his mate to scan the shelves of the few items monsters had created for entertainment. A good portion of the items had been recreated from memory from their time on the surface. While others were recreations of items that had been found in the dump. Currently, Papyrus and Toriel were an isle over looking at new action figures while his mate was scanning the shelves in front of them for games. She seemed displeased that there were things that she couldn't find, muttering under her breath unhappily. It made him chuckle and she had shot him a glare.

"Are these the only bored games this store has?"

"Why, are they too boring for you?" He asked innocently, she shot him a glare.

"Well no… but I don't see anything that's remotely similar to what we have at home." She frowned in thought as she pulled a box down and turned it over to read the back.

"I'd be surprised if you did find anything similar. We're not even from the same universe."

"Right," She breathed exasperated. "I guess I had just hoped… well I donno… guess I just wasn't thinking." She picked up another box to examine.

"Nah, it’s understandable. You'll get used to it." She shrugged half heartily at his feeble attempt to make her feel better. So no one here new the joys of friendships being torn apart by monopoly? No life? No risk? Only… Tsunderplanes not hot date? What the hell even was this? She shoved the game back on the shelf and pick up another one.
 "Hmmm… maybe I can remake the games from memory…" Sans eyed her curiously. Now there was an idea. He was sure monsters all over the Underground would be happy for some new forms of entertainment.
 
"You should do that." He commented seriously.

"Hmm?" She questioned as she moved down the aisle with a game selected. He followed close behind, his hand now resting on her lower back.

"Making new games, you should do that. Monsters would be happier with new forms of entertainment and you would be happy to play the games you’re familiar with. Besides, it might be a good way to get others more comfortable with your presence down here." Hope blushed as she eyed him from the corner of her eyes. She hadn't realized she had been speaking out loud. But he might be on to something. Maybe if the monsters were more comfortable with her presence then Sans would back off a little.

"Yeah… maybe… hey can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Alright… now I understand why monsters would hate me. You know, being human and all. But uh… King Asgore kept saying that I arrived at a bad time? What’s been going on that would make it even worse for me to be around?" She had been curious from day one but had been unable to ask because of recent developments and very poor timing. But now that Sans seemed a little more agreeable and she wasn't diving off the deep end because of her emotional baggage, now seemed like a good time.

"Correction, anything except that." She turned from the pack of cards she had been looking at to stare at him. Gaging what emotions she could gather from him and eyeing the sweat that began to gather at the top of his skull. He was uneasy. She frowned at him. "Look, I can uh, talk to ya later about it but not here." His head turned away from her, scanning the aisle they were in. Her frown deepened but she nodded in understanding.

"Okay, later then."

"HOPE, THE PUZZLES ARE OVER HERE!" She jumped in surprise, her hand flying to her heart. Good lord he could be loud.

"Alright, hold on I'm coming!" Hope called back turning in the direction of Papyrus's voice and Sans sighed in relief. Thank goodness for his brothers wonderful timing.

                                                                                                         -New Home-

Thick large cloth bags full to the brim with items in hand, three tired adults and one over joyed child entered the castle. Hope could not wait to sit down and have the tea Toriel had promised. She was so tired, mentally and physically. And now that she had proper cloths she could escape Sans clothing and the way they made her feel. She would never admit it to him but the way he had reacted to seeing her in his clothing had put her on edge. Making her feel uneasy about wearing his clothing. Besides, her new cloths were more her size so she wouldn't look as ridiculous in them. She smiled at that thought as Sans finally let her go and gave her a few inches of space. The sudden lack of his warm presence made her cold but she relished the feeling of freedom.

"Alright Papyrus, how about we crack open one of those puzzles while we have some tea." Hope asked as Sans took the bags she and Toriel were holding to transfer them upstairs. He disappeared as Toriel turned to make her way to the kitchen, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"YEAH! WE SHOULD DO THE WATERFALL ONE."

"Alright, that sounds like a good one."

"Hey! You’re that human huh?!" Toriel paused in her stride and tilted her head back as Hope spun in the direction of the new raspy female voice. Surprise and dread filled her as she took in the azure monster only a few feet away from her. Where the hell had she come from? Hope hadn't even sensed her presence and she knew for a fact she hadn't seen her when they had entered the front door. And yet there she was. Yellow eyes with thin black slits sizing her up. Making uneasiness crawl up Hope’s spine as she gaged this new monster. She sounded crude, overly confident, and at the moment confrontational. None of those things meant good things for Hope. She suddenly had a flash of a memory from her first visit into the Underground, and in that moment she desperately missed Sans overly protective presence. Maybe he had been right about other monsters. Maybe they were just looking for a chance to attack her. Her blue-gray eyes locked with yellow and the monsters face morphed into disgust. She looked young but not much younger than herself. With intimidating razor sharp teeth that at the moment were tugged down into a grimace. She looked lean with the beginnings of muscles taking shape along her wiry limbs, she looked to be in way more shape than Hope was. That did not make Hope feel good about the current situation as the monster continued to glare at her.

"Uhhh…"

"Psh, you don't look dangerous. And with that response I can't imagine you’re too smart." She sneered.

What the fuck did she just say? Hope stood rigidly, uncertainty turning swiftly to anger. Papyrus inched closer to her, his little hand clutching her pant leg looking uncertainly between them which only fueled her rage. She did not like the fear she saw on his face. It honed her anger to a sharp edge focusing in on the threat in front of her.

"Undyne." Toriel warned.

"Yeah, I'm a human what’s your point. At least I've got manners, who the fuck raised you? You don't just insult someone you haven't even met yet." Hope cut in. Toriel's head snapped towards Hope as Undyne grit her teeth, her hands clenching at her sides.

"You don't belong here. You shouldn't even be here in the castle. Your very presence is a mockery, or does your feeble little mind not understand what your kind has done to us?"

"FUCK OFF!" Hope yelled as energy began to shift around her kicking up a current of air.

"ENOUGH!" Toriel's voice roared over Hope’s as the room exploded with energy. She had practically forgotten that Toriel was even there, her sole focus on the confrontational monster in front of her. Hope’s anger simmered to a low boil as Sans comforting presence suddenly pressed into her back. His own anger filtering into the room sending sparks of electricity up her spine. She wasn't sure when he got back but she was glad for his silent support as Asgore suddenly appeared in the room. His lengthy strides pausing in the archway. His confused expression shifted between the occupants of the room before settling on the form of Undyne as she slouched in on herself. Hope had to admit. Toriel was quite frightening when she was angry.

Toriel glowered down at her mate’s ward. The young monster was much too brash in her opinion to be trained for the royal guard, but her mate had insisted he had seen something in her so Toriel had relented. But Toriel considered this moment as proof of her worries. She quickly locked away her anger, her magic dissipating along with it. She looked to Asgore, thankful that her mate had responded to her distress. Soothing waves drifted off of him as they locked eyes. She sighed thankful for his presence.

"Undyne, it is unsuitable and unwise for a member of the guard to provoke an unknown adversary. It is also an insult to King Asgore and myself to speak to a guest that we have invited to live with us in such a way. If you have any concerns you will direct them to Asgore or myself, is that clear."

"But-" The complaint she was about to voice died on her tongue at the look Toriel gave her "Yes ma'am." Undyne said bitterly as she bowed respectfully to her Queen. Her eyes refused to leave the ground when she straightened herself.

"Come Undyne, it is time for your lessons." Asgore deep voice called, giving her an out. The young aquatic monster glared once more at Hope, which Hope gladly returned. Then she swiftly turned on her heel to pass Asgore's bulking form. He turned to follow closely behind.

"Why was Undyne so mad?" Papyrus's soft voice startled Hope from her anger. She had yet to hear him speak so gently and it was so out of place for him it was heart-breaking. She knelt down to be eye level with him as he looked at her uncertainly. "Are you guys not friends?"

"Er, well Papyrus, I um… this is actually the first time I've meet her." Hope floundered for a minute her eyes darted up to Sans to plead for help. He smiled gently and shifted himself to pat his brothers shoulder comfortingly.

"She's just being stubborn Pap. I'm sure they'll be friends in no time." Hope could still feel Sans anger as it mixed with her own, so she wasn't exactly sure about whether or not he actually believed what he was saying. Or if he would even let her near Undyne again, but she understood his need to reassure the small skeleton in front of them.

"Yes," Toriel added behind them as she approached. "Undyne is quite brash. But once you get past that she is very kind, I am sure they will be fast friends little one."

"Undyne's my friend… will you be mad at me if I still want to be friends with her… even if… you're not friends?" Hope’s heart ached at the kicked puppy dog look he gave her. How could she possibly say no to him?

"Of course not." Hope said immediately wishing to sooth him. She didn't care if they were friends as long as she was good to him. The minute Hope heard otherwise… her thoughts drifted to darker ponderings and that got her to wondering. When had she become so protective of the younger skeleton? Ah, who is she kidding he was too damn cute not to be protective of. "Now how about we start on that puzzle."

Papyrus's face brightened as his volume returned to normal. "YEAH!" Hope laughed in spite of herself. It didn't seem like a lot kept this little guy down. "Alright, just give me a few minutes so that I can change and then we can get started."

"GOT IT! I'LL GET IT READY FOR US." She smiled after him as he dodged around Toriel heading for the dining room. Hope’s eyes flicked from Papyrus's retreating back as he disappeared from view to land on Toriel's displeased frown. Hope suddenly felt meek under her gaze.

"S-sorry about that." She said uncertainly. She knew she may have crossed a line and she fidgeted uncomfortably under Toriel's gaze before the woman in front of her heaved a great sigh.

"Perhaps I should be apologizing. I had not expected Undyne to still be roaming the halls. I have yet to explain the whole situation with her and she is… rather stubborn." Hope's lips quirked up in a grin at this. Yes, Undyne definitely seemed pigheaded.

"Yeah, but I still shouldn't have yelled over you… or sworn." Hope grimaced. "Sorry." Toriel's frown shifted into a soft smile.

"It is alright my child. Why don't you change into your new clothes while I get the tea ready."

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully beginning to head for the stairs, only pausing in her strides when she noticed Sans following close behind. She frowned at him. Was he always going to follow her wherever she went?

"Uh… hey whatchya doin?"

"Coming with you." He felt her anger spike and he raised his brow bone at that.

"I don't need help changing. I'm pretty sure I'll be fine on my own."

"You sure about that sweetheart? You sure you'll be fine sans the help."  Her eye brows shot up in surprise and she gaped at him as his brow bones rapidly moved up and down together as if he was insinuating something. Sans chuckled at her response. Damn she was so expressive. He couldn't wait till he could push her just a little bit further. To see how much of a response he could really pull from her once she was more comfortable with him.

How exactly was he able to move the ridges above his eye sockets like that? It was insane how ridiculous he looked when he moved them like that.  She would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation if she wasn't so irritated.

"You are not watching me get dressed." She deadpanned which only made him chuckle more. He knew she was amused, he could feel it just below her irritation and that please him.

"Relax sweetheart, I just wanted to talk to ya alone for a minute." Now she looked at him curiously her slight anger fading.

"Alright." She conceded as she turned back around to continue her way up the stairs. "Does this have to do with the question I asked earlier because if it does you don't have to tell-"

"No. Actually I wanted to talk to you about what Alphys told us."

"Oh." Her curiosity dropped and worry filled her, making her anxious. She wanted to avoid this conversation. She didn't want to think about how close she was to dying in this world. What would even happen if she did die here? Would she go back to her own world? Or would that be it… she'd really be dead? She paused as she opened up her door. "Do we need to talk about it right now? I mean Papyrus is waiting…"

He could sense her fear and it drove him crazy with the need to reassure her. But she would be fine he told himself. Once she finished the bond his tether on her SOUL would strengthen and ground her into this world, hopefully permanently. She would be safe. He reached forward and placed his hand on her lower back nudging her inside her room.

"Yeah, I don't think this should wait." He closed the door behind him and continued to gently lead her over to the bed with his hand resting on her lower back. She fidgeted nervously before sitting down on its soft surface turning to look up at him. She bit her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared up at him uncertainly, clearly unwilling to start this conversation. His eye lights followed the movement of her lips before they darted back to her eyes. He sighed heavily as her eyes suddenly darted away from his. He decided to take a seat next to her.

"So do you remember when you first got here?" She was surprised by his question clearly expecting him to say something different.

"Y-yeah, kinda hard to forget."

"What did it feel like when you are trapped in that white light?" He asked curiously. Hope paused for a moment her eyebrows drown together in thought as she stared off in front of her, unseeing.

"Well, I remember being in pain and not being able to breath. I remember being really scared. I was certain I was dying. And then suddenly… I don't know how to explain it, but it felt like I was being tugged around. And then… And then I felt really safe. And almost like I wasn't alone. Everything just felt right for a second and then the light was gone and all I could feel again was pain and fear… why?" His grin was pulled into a frown as he watched her face as she explained their first meeting. Monitoring her feelings and contemplating what had happened on her end of the initial bond.

"I see... Alph made it sound like your soul almost shattered because it wasn't meant to exist in this plane of existence. So it's no wonder that your soul called out to me. It was seeking out the most compatible match trying to save itself. To keep itself from shattering by joining with another soul to help solidify itself in this plane of existence."

"So I may have been the one to initiate the bond? It's my fault that we're…" She couldn't finish the words. She wasn't even sure if she was upset about what had happen or if she was still feeling grateful that she was tethered to him. Damn her mixed emotions.

 "Not exactly, I wonder… did Toriel ever explain monster compatibility with you?"

"Only a little bit."

"Listen, there are different classes of monsters. And most are only compatible with those that reproduce in the same manner. But really, a bond is only initiated if two souls call to each other. On rare occasions only one soul will call out. It doesn't happen very often but it has happened often enough to make most monsters leery about revealing whether or not their soul is calling out to another. If it so happens that only one soul is calling out well… the souls can't bond. It’s almost like unrequited love and it’s something most would like to avoid because of how soul shattering that could be. But there have also been instances of monsters having multiple souls calling out to theirs. So bonding is always done with great care. Which is why I don't think our bond was a mistake. We couldn't have bonded if our souls weren't in sync with each other."

"So what are you saying? We're meant to be together?" She asked dubiously. He chuckled darkly at that. Even with facts she was balking. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, she had come from another culture after all.

"Sort of, yeah. What? Don't look at me like that, I'm serious. Our souls wouldn't have even been able to bond if we weren't meant for each other."

"But you also said some souls have more than one compatible partner." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I don't think that’s the case here."

"And what makes you so sure? Couldn't you just find another mate one day. One that’s better than me. One that’s… not human?" She stumbled over her words, anxiousness winning over her excitement at this news. Maybe she wasn't meant to grow old alone?

"I don't think you understand the situation fully sweetheart. Once a bond is made its permanent. There would be no going back, besides…" He paused as if debating if he should continue. After a few seconds of hesitation he launched forward with the rest of his explanation. "Look, Gaster made me and Paps, and not in the normal way monster babies are made. Me and Paps had artificial births. Honestly I didn't even expect to find any soul that was a match to my own. And believe me, I have looked. I thought for sure it would just be me and Paps until the end.. but then you showed up."

Shock buzzed through her at this new information. As half formed questions danced on the end of her tongue. There was so much to ask him… He really wanted to be permanently bound to her? He had an artificial birth? Gaster made them? How did that even work for monsters… but the timing seemed inappropriate. So instead she grasped for the one consistent in her life. The one thing that seemed to stick with her no matter what life threw at her.

"But why me?" Her voice was small and Sans leaned in closer trying to offer comfort without being overbearing about it. "Why would our souls match. I wasn't wanted in my world. No one’s ever been interested in me. So how is it suddenly that I'm finding myself with you. Someone that’s suddenly saying I'm destined to be with them." Her head bent down looking away from him. Old hurts circling in her head. "I'm not meant to be happy, no one could possibly like me. I am meant to be alone." He hated her words. Hated the way her soul felt like it was dimming with each sentence she spoke. Her excuses sounded small and insignificant to him. She wasn't alone, he was here. And he was attracted to her despite what she thought. It seemed like convincing her was going to be his greatest obstacle. Reaching over her he slung his arm around her shoulders pulling her in.

"Maybe there was a reason that no one was drawn to you." She looked at him like he had physically smacked her. Ignoring her indignity he reached forward with his free hand and slid it through her hair to cup the nape of her neck. Gently he tipped her head so that she was looking at him, drawing her in closer to him. "Maybe no one was drawn to ya because you were meant to be here… with me." She blinked at him owlishly. Shock fluttered through their link and he knew he had hit a nerve.

"What are you suggesting?" She asked breathlessly.

"I’m suggesting we finish the bond. I'll be able to strengthen your hold on this universe. Keep your soul whole and safe. Keep you alive. You won't ever be alone again. And you won't have to worry about whether or not someone finds ya attractive. I'll make damn certain you know it." He growled out the last part causing her to flush a light pink as she turn from him. His hand slowly pulled away from her to rest on her thigh. Nervousness and uncertainty swam strongly within her. But Sans held steady, forcing positive emotions through their link. He was so close to obtaining what he wanted he could almost taste it.

"W-what about my family? About g-going back home?"

Ah, yes, her family. He'd have to find a way to sooth her about the loss of her family. But that would come with time. Right now bonding was his focus.

"We're not even sure if you'll be able to go back. But we're certain that you might shatter if we don't finish the bond." It may have been a low blow but he could feel her emotions shifting into dread. So close. Drag her in slowly. She's almost mine. His fingers gently began to trace light circles into her arm and shoulder as he let his last comment sink in.

"Y-you really think I'll d-die if we don't finish?" His fingers paused in their stroking for a second before picking back up in there slow patterns. Her fear and helplessness was making him uncomfortable. Uncertainty suddenly plagued him. What was he doing? He didn't want her to join with him because she had to… he wanted her to join with him because she wanted to. Because she wanted him. Suddenly his mind snapped back into reality. This wasn't right. What she was feeling was setting him on edge and he hated it because it was because of him. He cursed himself and pulled away from her slowly. Giving her space.

"It is a possibility." He said solemnly. He didn't want to scare her any more then he already had but he wasn't going to lie to her. "But for now our half bond is holding." His hand moved to cup under her chin tilting her chin back towards him. Making her meet his gaze. "I'm not going to force you. If you are uncomfortable with a full bond then we can wait." It would kill him. Technically was killing him but he wasn't going to scare her into this union. He wanted a mate that wanted him.

"I… I'm not ready. I-I don't even know if what I'm feeling is real… or if it’s because of the bond. I-I-I c-can't." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, his chest rumbling in his attempt to sooth her. Her hands fisted in his hoodie and her head buried into his shoulder letting his thick hoodie catch the few stray tears that fell. She battled inwardly with herself. Trying to calm her own emotions. Her breathing never raised beyond a slight stutter and for that he was grateful. Carefully he ran his boney fingers though her hair. Sending gentle happier emotions through their thread. Waiting until her grip on him lessened and she pulled away from him.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I didn't mean to well-" He heaved a great sigh frustrated with his conflicting emotions. "Just think about it alright. A broken bond won't last forever but for the time being it will hold." She nodded in understanding and although he could tell she was settling down there was still a lingering feeling of dread. "C'mon," He added. "Paps is waiting for us."

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-


It had been a few days since their 'talk' and Hope was beside herself with worry and embarrassment. Dodging Sans whenever she could. Which, she might add was extremely difficult. He seemed to pop up around every corner. It really didn't matter where she went because he always seemed to beat her there. It almost became a game; how often could she beat him to Toriel. She knew she could always depend on the motherly goat woman to help her side step him, much to Sans’ irritation. He would never voice his irritation, but she could feel it in their bond. She never meant to cause him aggravation, but she needed time to herself damn it. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you asked, most of the time they played their little game… he won. 

It wasn't to say she didn't like his presence. On the contrary, his presence calmed her and sent a nervous joy through her. The problem was the constant reminder of the conversation that they had a few days ago. The words he had spoken were refusing to leave her continuously running mind. She couldn't believe what he had told her, it sounded all too good and yet so terrible to be real. He had said that they were meant for each other… that their souls were meant to be together. Was it too presumptuous of her to use the word soul mates in this instance? Probably. But that seemed to be what he was suggesting right? But was he just saying that to get her to agree to finish the bond? Or was he being honest? 

She wasn't entirely sure why he would lie about that. Maybe the bond was affecting him like it was her? Making him feel things that might not be real? It was possible… and if that was true she knew she wouldn't be comfortable forming a bond with him. He'd probably just regret it later if that was the case. She didn't want to be a regret. And she didn't want to enter a permanent relationship with someone she didn't really know. It wasn't like he really knew her either, so why was he so persistent to be with her? It didn't really make sense. Was it just a physical attraction? She looked down at herself. Nope couldn't be that. Then what? 

And then there was the issue of finding a way home. She didn't want to give up on the chance of being able to find a way home just yet. If they finished the bond would she even be able to go back? Would she even want to? Would Sans even let her? It's not like she could stay here forever, right? She had a family to return to, a life. Granted it wasn't much of a life but it was still a life. 

But…

She also didn't want to die… and apparently being in this world was literally killing her. Her bond to Sans was seemingly the only thing standing in-between her and the grim reaper…

Ha… see, it was funny because he was also a skeleton… eh? eh? Was that too dark of a joke? probably. Oh lord, she was telling herself jokes now. She laughed humorlessly at the realization. Honestly, she was kind of starting to feel like she was losing her mind. She hadn't really gotten a whole lot of alone time recently and it seemed like this decision was constantly breathing down her neck in the form of her skeletal mate. He had said a half bond wouldn't last forever, so how long did she have before she had to make a choice? Was it enough time to maybe find a way back home before she had to make a choice? Maybe she would ask Toriel. The motherly monster had been a wealth of knowledge and kindness since she had shown up in the Underground and she was forever grateful to her. 

The Underground and the occupants that lived there were a little overwhelming at first but she was slowly starting to pick up a routine. Wake up with Sans. Eat breakfast with Toriel, Asgore, and the skeleton brothers. Play a quick game with Papyrus before he skipped away to go to his training with Undyne. Spend the afternoon with ether Sans or Toriel, most of the time it was with both. Have lunch. Spend some more time with Sans and Papyrus. Eat dinner, which was always followed by tea as they sat in front of a fireplace, and then head to bed with Sans. While slipping into this new routine she noticed that she didn't often see Asgore during the day, the only times being when they were gathering to eat. She had a sneaky suspicion it was because he was avoiding her but she refused to bring it up. She wasn't exactly comfortable with him yet anyway so why look a gift horse in the mouth?

And Sans… good lord that monster was a hard one to shake. Sans had barely left her alone since that night that she had almost shattered. He wasn't exactly always by her side but she'd often catch him just on the outside of her periphery and she could feel his strong presence no matter where she went. The only time she felt completely alone was when he went to check on his brother. Which wasn't often considering the littlest of the skeletons was almost always with them.

Luckily this moment just happened to be one of those times. She quickly scurried down one of the corridors she had yet to explore. Getting used to living in the castle had been a huge change from living in a small house but it had certainly kept her interest. Most days she would walk with Sans down the many hallways trying to memorize them. And secretly hoping she would find a hidden room or some sort of trap door. So far none had been found, but she still held out hope that she would find one. The first time Sans had asked what she was doing as she tried pulling down a candle holder that was bolted to the wall she had stuttered like an idiot as he watched her with an amused raised brow bone. It had been beyond embarrassing when he had laughed. It had been a full belly laugh, loud and happy. If she hadn't been so embarrassed she would have said that she enjoyed the sound of it. She had ended up walking away from him leaving him in his fit of giggles. To irritated to wait out his laughter. He caught up with her after a few minutes, apologizing and promising to help her look from now on. She hadn't believed him at first but true to his word he had helped her check walls and floors. She would be lying if she said she wasn't having fun with him on their little excursions.

But now she found herself with the rare opportunity of finding herself a good hiding place. Perhaps she could avoid him for a little while to have a moment just to think to herself. Maybe come up with a battle plan for her current situation. Or to at the very least have time to come to terms with it. She paused in her quick strides as her eyes just happened to glance into a room she was passing. Slowly she took a step back and stared with wide eyes at the large shelf of books that she had caught a glimpse of. Suddenly timid she made her way carefully into the room. Her eyes widening at the sheer volume of it. Shelves upon shelves of books were seated against the walls, reaching all the way to the high ceilings. Smaller shelves were lined up in rows making large aisle ways. A ladder was pushed off to the side tucked away in a corner and along the wall, directly to her left, a fireplace was nestled with a worn sofa seated across from it. Joy burst forth. Jack pot! Her mission of hiding long forgotten with this new exciting discovery. Books! So many books! Too many to even count. She was practically drooling at the possibility of being able to spend some of her free time lost within a story. She started scanning the shelf closest to her, eager to see what the Dreemurr's kept in their library. 

Hmm, what to read first.


                                                                                                               - -

Ever since the little bump in with Undyne and his mate he had been keeping an extra eye socket on her and Papyrus's interactions. Just to be safe. She seemed fine with his brother. In fact, it was like nothing had ever happened. Neither seemed to want to bring it up so the situation was completely ignored when they were spending time together. And even though Sans was leery of her and what she thought of his mate, he was also glad that she'd taken an hour or so out of her day, every day, after her lessons with Asgore to spend some time with his brother. 

It warmed Sans soul to see his little brother flourishing in this new environment. He was beginning to notice little changes in his brother. Like his brothers growing confidence or the way he was becoming so comfortable around his mate and the King and Queen that he didn't look to Sans anymore for confirmation that what he was doing was okay. This is what he had always wanted for Papyrus. A safe place where he was accepted for the excitable, innocent little ball of energy that he was. He was even able to make friends of his own. 

Heh. If Gaster had any idea that his two sons were gallivanting around and wasting time with friends and games he would probably self-combust. 

Oh well, Sans no longer really cared what his father thought of him or his brother. He hadn't been much of a father since well… since after Pap was created. 

He had woken up early one-morning mumbling about an idea that had just stricken him. He refused to talk directly about it with him but Sans often caught him writing strange equations which, when asked he would quickly dismiss as only ideas he was not fully invested in yet. And then slowly over time, the idea began to consume his thoughts. He could remember seeing his father less and less. He began spending more time in his office at the lab. He began to get snipper, harsher with his words and mannerisms. Any time Sans would ask about his behavior he would get a glare and was told to mind his elders. It had been strange and slightly terrifying to watch him change and not being able to do anything about it. The helplessness he had felt started to interfere with his sleep and his eating habits. Alphys had talked to him a number of times about his steadily growing unhealthy habits but… they were helping him cope with the realization that he was becoming solely responsible for a baby monster. He was only just starting to reach full maturity himself. How in Asgore's name was he supposed to take care of a baby? He didn't even know what to do, let alone how to do it. He had been shaken by that realization and had finally approached his father, determined. Preparing to confront the other monster… but then… it was like something had snapped in Gaster. And Sans found himself being restrained by his own father’s magic. 

Sans shook himself out of his dark thoughts. That was years ago he told himself. History. He and Paps were older now. Better capable of taking care of themselves… of protecting themselves. They also had the King and Queen backing them at the moment so there was no need for him to worry about it: to worry about Gaster. They would all live happily here for a little while and then once his mate had accepted him and the Underground welcomed her with open arms, then they could find their own quiet little place. Where they could live as a family and have normal domestic lives. His soul hummed happily at the idea. 

It felt warm, content, overjoyed.

Or maybe that wasn't the only reason his soul was humming in joy? What had his mate found that had brought her such happiness? He was slightly resentful that whatever it was hadn't involved him. But beggars can't be choosers, she was happy and that’s all that really mattered. It was a step in the right direction to mending her soul. He began to make his way back into the castle, letting the tugging of his soul lead him to where his mate was currently seated. She looked comfy as she curled in on herself on the large couch seated in front of a low burning fireplace. He approached her stopping on the other side of the couch. Four books were laid at her feet and the one she was currently browsing must have been rather interesting because she had yet to even notice his presence. He cocked a brow bone at that. 

So his little mate enjoyed books? Perhaps they had more in common than was previously thought. This pleased him immensely and he wondered if she would be interested in the books he had brought from his old room. Maybe she was into the sciences as well? He smiled softly at that.

He took the rare moment of serenity to run his eye lights over her soft features. They lacked the usual tenseness that she always seemed to display. The worry long gone from her soul. She looked relaxed, a soft smile tugging at her lips clearly pleased with whatever she was reading. He had only ever seen her this relaxed when she was sleeping. His smile widened as he decided to make the sound most made when clearing their throats.

Startled she hugged the book closer to her chest. Her eyes scanned over his body processing his appearance and then to his utter surprise she shot him a dazzling smile and it made his soul flutter.

"Hey!" She greeted excitedly. "Look what I found!" She waved her hand around excitedly. "Look at all of these books! Oh my gosh they're so many. Do you think they have any books that might be similar to the ones I've read?"

He chuckled at her excitement. "M'not sure. We'll have to go through them." He said as he moved over to her. He reached down to shove the books that she had laid on the seat to his side as he sat down next to her. "So whatchya readin now?" 

"Oh," She fumbled slightly with the book in her hands before showing him the page she was on. "It seems to be a book with collections of fairytales from the Underground." He chuckled when he caught the subtext of the fairytale she was currently on.

"And the one you chose to read is about a monster and human romance?" She flushed. 

"It was the first one!" She shot back indignantly. She pulled the book back to herself and hid her face behind it. So what if she was reading about a romance that was similar to theirs. Toriel had said a relationship like theirs had never been documented. So if that was true then why was there a fairytale? Curiosity had taken over. Besides what was she supposed to do… just leave a chapter unread? Psh as if.

Sans low chuckle at her antics only fueled her sudden embarrassment. Unperturbed he shuffled closer to her, throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. "So you gonna share or what?"

"Not if you're going to be a butt about it."

"Haven't got one sweetheart." She shot him a glare which he replied with a lazy wink. She waited a minute in defiance before she finally huffed loudly. She made a show of repositioning herself so that she was leaning against him in such a way so that he could read over her shoulder.

"There, happy now?" She said with a hint of irritation in her voice. He chuckled darkly at her antics. She could act irritated all she wanted, but he could feel her amusement underneath. He hugged her closer so she couldn't escape him and leaned forward. His teeth brushing against her earlobe and his voice dropped an octave lower.

"Very." An involuntary shutter ran through her body. Her face flushed a deep red as she concentrated harder on the open book in her hands, making it a point to ignore him. He laughed quietly at this and eased up, waiting for her to move away from him. When she made no effort  to move he settled his arms back around her waist. His magic hummed within his bones content as she leaned her weight against him. Pleased for completely different reasons they both settled in to read.

                                                                                                             - -

Toriel paced the halls of the East wing frantically. She was worried. She didn't have any idea where Sans and Hope had gotten off to and they had both missed lunch. She couldn't remember seeing either of them for some time after breakfast, and after so long she had of course assumed the worst. Perhaps Undyne had caught them on her way in? Would she initiate a fight? She did seem to be prone to them. Or maybe the odd couple had gotten into a fight? What if they had left the castle? Would they leave the castle without her? Would Hope be okay without her protective presence out in the Underground? Her nervousness spread and she fought to keep it down. She had only lost her babies a month ago, she couldn't… she couldn't lose another… not so soon. She took a large calming breath. She had to remind herself that this human was not her child. She was an adult. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. Toriel could not fool herself when it came to Hope. The girl hadn't agreed to be under Toriel's care in such a way…

But she couldn't help it. Hope would often come looking for her to ask questions or to simply spend time with her. She had also noticed that she sought her out as some sort of escape or perhaps protection from her overbearing mate. Toriel couldn't begrudge him, Sans was obviously fighting his instincts hard. But she couldn't hide the joy she felt that Hope was seeking solace with her. She was more than capable to protect and comfort her from any that might oppose her appearance. And she could dote on her the way she no longer could with… well none of that mattered right now. She could look at Hope as a daughter and hopefully someday she would look to her as, well maybe not as a mother… but maybe?

Toriel paused in a doorway hearing quite murmuring. Her floppy ears raised slightly as she ducked her head into the room to catch a glimpse of those inside. Intense relief hit her when she caught sight of the two she had been looking for. Finally, she had found them. They were held up in the library. She was pleased with the discovery of the pair. And apparently by the soft smile she spied, her charge was pleased as well. Perhaps she liked books? Toriel smiled gently at this. Hope might be too old to read to, but perhaps she would like to discuss what she was reading? Perhaps she could teach her other things besides the Underground. Excited by this prospect she approached the pair.

"You are both aware that you have forgotten lunch are you not?" Hope’s head whipped around to look at Toriel over the back of the couch. Then back to Sans as he too was eyeing the Queen with an apprehensive look.

"Did we really? I'm sorry. We must have lost track of the time." Hope replied apprehensively.

"Heh. Yeah, sorry Toriel." Toriel moved around the couch to take in the pile of books that had collected at their feet. 

"I see you have found the library. Have you found anything of interest?"

"Yeah." Hope gave Toriel a timid smile that the monster couldn't help but return. 

"Perhaps I can help you find a book next time you come browsing. I know just about every book we have within these walls."

"Really? That would be wonderful" Hope started excitedly. "I have come across a few books that were written in a different language. Could you tell me what’s in them?" Sans shot her an annoyed look which she blatantly ignored. Toriel snickered at that. Apparently he was pushing his boundaries again.

"Of course my child I would love to. Here, come with me, I believe I know the best one to start with." Hope shimmied out of Sans grasp and rushed forward to follow behind Toriel. Sighing exaggeratedly Sans flopped back against the backrest before slowly standing to follow at a more leisurely pace. Resigned to being put on the back burner for the time being. He knew he shouldn't have teased her about the romance novel she had picked up after the fairytale one. Damn him and his big mouth, but he just couldn't help it. She was so damn cute when she was flustered. 

"Ah, here it is." Hope eyed the book Toriel pulled free from the shelves excitedly. "Now this my dear is a book about soul’s. It was written before we were trapped down here so I believe their might be some information about human souls as well, but I believe this will be a good book to go over first. We shall learn two things as once."

Hope smiled brightly at Toriel's obvious joy. "Sounds good to me."

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?"

"Hey Papyrus."

"Greetings young one."

"Hey Paps." Sans turned to greet his brother as he came running around a corner. He caught him around the middle before he could run past him and straight into Hope’s legs. He hauled the little skeleton up and onto his shoulders.

"We're readin Paps." With a puzzled look Papyrus leaned forward placing his hands on either side of Sans skull to balance himself. Hope and Toriel were looking at a rather thick book that look just as boring as the ones his brother used to read. He huffed at that. Sans almost laughed, his smile widening. "C'mon bro let’s find some stories that are more your speed."

"WHAT’S MORE MY SPEED?" The little skeleton thought for a moment then gasped rather loudly. "IS IT LIKE THE BOOK QUEEN TORIEL READ TO ME ABOUT PUZZLES?!" He whisper yelled. Hope and Toriel stifled their laugher as Sans and Papyrus headed down another aisle. 

Sans smiled fondly at his little brother’s antics "Nah bro, I got something else in mind." Curious now, Papyrus began to vibrate with excitement. Finally, Sans stopped in front of a shelf that seemed to be comprised of much smaller looking books, and they looked rather… colorful. After Sans had set him back on his feet he reached forward and pulled the first book he could reach off its shelf. Hmm fluffy bunny huh? He flipped through the first few pages his smile growing. These books had pictures! And not the diagram ones he had become familiar with seeing within books but actually fully colored pages. They were so bright and happy that they made him feel happy just by looking at them.

 "Sans! THESE BOOKS HAVE PICTURES!"

"I know bro."

"What… what does it say?" Oh, his brother was so precious.  

"Well, let me see bro." Papyrus handed him the book and Sans took a seat on the ground. He leaned back against the bookshelf and flipped to the first page. "Now let’s see here." He muttered to himself as he looked over the first page. He paused to let Papyrus shift over his arm to seat himself in his lap. They both adjusted for a minute until they were comfy and then Sans began to read. 

Sans reveled in this moment, spending one on one time with his little brother. Both his mate and brother were safe and happy. What could possibly be better than that?

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

Oh fuck.

Hope knew what that feeling of uncomfortable wetness between her thighs and the consequential feeling of pain that accompanied it meant. She had started. Fuck. She should have known this was coming. She was always on schedule, so now would be no different, but she hadn't been keeping track of the days. It wasn't like the monsters had a calendar… at least not one that she was aware of. She just supposed she should be thanking the gods that were scattered across the universe that she had more than one set of clothes now. She could change out of her currently ruined underwear and into a new pair… that is unless monsters didn't have any sort of feminine products… did… did monsters have menstrual cycles?

Oh fuck, what was she going to do for 5 days if they didn't?!

Okay one problem at a time, first to the bathroom to clean up…

Hope shifted under Sans’ arm hoping to free herself without waking him. She really did not want to explain this to him. It was embarrassing enough that she might have to ask Toriel for help but asking the male that was supposed to be her mate? Nope. She was good. She could go her entire life without having that conversation with him. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. Had it ever been? Honestly, she couldn't remember a time when it was, and that should have clued her in on which way this night was going to go. She had managed to inch herself almost to the edge of the bed. Almost free of Sans’ grasp… until his fingers had suddenly flexed and he had pulled her back in. The sudden motion causing her to suck in a sharp breath in pain.

"Sweetheart?" Sans asked his voice rough with sleep. Hope curled in on herself ignoring the way his voice traveled over her, making the mussels in her lower abdomen clench. What the fuck was she supposed to say to him to get him to let go of her without tipping him off that something was wrong. Wait, she was over thinking this, she could just tell him that she was going to the bathroom. That was simple enough, and it wasn't a lie. She could do this… apprehension began to buzz around her tired mind.

"Sans I-I just got to go to the bathroom." He hummed in response nuzzling the back of her head with his nasal cavity. She shuddered as he took in a deep breath, his arm tightening around her midsection. Hope winced in response to his tightened hold causing Sans to frown. Then his eyes shot open in surprise as his tired mind began to register the anxiety, pain, and fear that was coming from their link.

"Hope?!" Suddenly very much awake by the large amounts of distress filtering through their link. He shifted himself slightly off the bed, his head now hovering over her so that he could look over his mate’s features. She was turned from him, her back still resting against his rib cage. He frowned, worried greatly by her emotions. His arm that was wrapped around her midsection moved to cup her cheek, moving her head gently so that she would meet his eyes. "What’s wrong?" Then he noticed it, his mate’s magic levels were low, very low. How had they gotten so low?! Sans tensed in panic and his eye lights flickered before completely going out. His left eye blazed to life, a startling blue flashing to yellow. Hope froze, she had only seen his eye light up with magic once before. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once. He bared his teeth in warning as his eye flicked across the dark room taking it in quickly. There didn't seem to be any immediate threats which helped calm his murderous rage, only if slightly. His attention shifted back to the female in his arms as she hunched in on herself. "What’s the matter? What-"

"S-sans it’s okay-"

And then he smelt it. Blood.

A vicious snarl ripped through him, causing Hope’s mouth to snap shut with an auditable click and her eyes to widen in surprise. His mate was hurt. How had she gotten hurt? There had been no threats visible to him at first glance and he hadn't felt another presence. He was a pretty light sleeper. There was no way someone had snuck past his senses. Fuck, his mate was bleeding. She was hurt. She felt weak, so very weak. Protect. Defend! His magic flared in violent warning. Fanning across the room creating an oppressive force that would ward intruders away. It's force pushing down on Hope making her shift uneasily against him. With that done, the room secure with his magic ready to impale an intruder with a bone the second they made contact with it, he settled back into focusing in on his mate.

She was in distress. Sooth. Heal. He shifted himself carefully, unsure of where her injury lie, he did not want to hurt her further as he moved to hover over her. Hope tensed beneath him as his magic flared about the room. Her eyes darted up to look at him as he tossed the covers aside and started to gently but forcefully maneuver her body so she was laying on her back. She let him, unsure of what exactly he was doing but knowing that he wouldn't outright hurt her. Fear and uncertainty begin to consume her thoughts which seemed to tear another soft growl from him.
   
Stars he didn't want to scare his mate but he had to find the wound to make sure it wasn't fatal. A quick glance over her form did little to settle his nerves when he couldn’t see any sign of an injury, a part of him feared that there might be internal damage.

"Sans? Wait, what are you…? Sans!" She squeaked indignantly as he hovered over her slightly smaller form, only a few inches above her skin and dragging in a large breath of air. Hope flushed scarlet as he moved further down her body. "Sans!" She tried again doing her best to make her voice more forceful so as to grab his attention, but she failed miserably as her voice cracked an octave higher as he moved further down. She grabbed his skull in desperation to stop his decent to the apex of her legs. She was sure her whole body was flushed with embarrassment as he finally stopped, his mouth resting just above her belly button.

Another snarl ripped through him as he moved away from her hold to crouch in front of her. Hope took a steadying breath, not really sure what the hell just happened but she assumed she wasn't going to get out of having the period talk with Sans… lucky her. She moved to sit up, apprehensive at the look he was giving her. Narrowed, suspicious eye sockets. His left eye still ablaze with his magic. He snarled at her attempt to sit up, pushing her back down into the bed.

"Sans." She tried again to gain some form of acknowledgment from him but he ignored her. His hand remained on her chest until she relaxed, her body fully sinking back into the bed as she eyed him wearily. He retracted his hand the moment she was relaxed.

She honestly didn't know what to do. She couldn't just lay here, she had to clean herself before she bled through her pants and ruined the bed sheets. And he didn't seem to be responding to her verbally so what was she supposed to… wait, what the hell was he doing?!

He wasn't sure why his mate was trying to stop him. He needed to take care of her. Make sure she wasn't in mortal peril and then ease her pain. If he was lucky it was something small that he could heal without the help of another monster’s assistance, then he would hunt down and tear the head off of whoever hurt her. His instincts demanded it of him. But first, he had to get his mate to let him help her. He couldn't understand her resistance nor why in the stars she was flushed so red. He could feel her embarrassment he just couldn't understand why. Why would she be embarrassed in this situation, she was hurt... unless it was where she was hurt. His eye sockets narrowed as they drew down her body to rest on the spot between her legs.

He saw red.

No one was allowed to touch her there. N O  O N E. His snarl turned vicious as reason left him. Hope flinched, fear spiking through her causing her small form to tremble. It was the first time she had felt this fearful of him since she had first seen him in the lab. His hands wrapped around her thighs and forced them apart. She gave a surprised yelp as she moved to stop him. But his hands were like iron refusing to move from their tight grasp. He positioned himself in-between her legs forcing her to keep them open. There it was. The blood just beginning to make splotches as it began to seep through her pants. He swatted her hands away just barely ignored the urge to pull off her clothes to fully inspect her.

"What happened? Why is there blood? Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? W H O  H U R T  Y O U ?" His voice was dark and dangerous, sounding much deeper than normal. It sent a shudder through her small frame. She was unable to meet his eyes as she tried her best to stutter out a response that would placate him, and would hopefully steer him away from his baser instincts and back into the Sans she knew.

"I-its n-normal for humans, I I-I'm not h-hurt." His bright blue eye light flicked down, taking in the darkening stain and then back up to her face as she hid it behind her hands.

"You're bleeding." He pointed out flatly.

"Umm yeah, I uh… well, you see… holy fuck is this really happening right now?" The silence was deathly and she quickly scrambled to come up with a suitable explanation. "W-when a human female hits a certain age this thing happens every month that uh… well… oh lord. She, uh… b-bleeds? For a few days? It’s normal I-I'm fine." She peeked her eyes through her fingers to find him looking at her incredulously. His eye refused to leave her face as her eyes darted away avoiding his gaze. She swallowed thickly when his gaze refused to leave her. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry. I’m just in a little bit of pain and I'll be tired for the first two days."  He tried to calm at her words as the storm continued to rage on the inside of him. She felt so weak and helpless. If she was fine like she said she was then why did she feel that way...

"If you’re fine then what the hell happened to your magic? I can barely feel it."

"What? Really? Oh, uh, I-I donno. I haven't had magic for very long so I-I'm not sure. I've just always felt really tired and just a little bit weaker around this time, maybe that’s why?" She replied uncertainly.

Oh stars, was she serious? So she was going to bleed and be weak and defenseless every, what did she say? Every few days a month? He snarled viciously at that thought and her suddenly hunched shoulders had him turning away from her to calm himself down. His little mate was defenseless and would be defenseless for the next few days until her magic came back. And he would have to deal with this every month? He wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle this type of insanity, his instincts throwing him into a shit storm, every month. Who the hell designed humans anyway? Leaving their females defenseless so often. He gritted his teeth and tried to push his instincts down. He would definitely be snapping at anyone that came to close to either of them for the next few days.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he pulled away from his murderous rage. Which was extremely hard to do with the scent of her blood in the air. With great difficulty he released her legs and backed up so that she could close them, his eye lights returning. He had frightened his mate. He could tell by her distress that he might have crossed some line. So, slowly he backed away from her as he resettled himself at the edge of the bed. Shoving his need to take care of her bleeding down. He was certain she wouldn't agree with him undressing her so that he could clean up the blood. She was fine he told himself. She just needed space. That was what was best for his mate right now.

Oh gods why?!?! Why couldn't she have made it to the bathroom without waking him?!?! She closed her legs as quickly as she could once he released them and scrambled backwards away from him, hitting the headboard in the process. She pulled her legs up to her chest encircling her arms around them. Hugging them close to her. Her head turned from him, too embarrassed to actually look at him. He huffed at that, unhappy with the situation. It wasn't his fault he hadn't been prepared for the scent of her blood or the rapid decrease of her magic. He was just acting how any concerned mate would have. He had been doing so well too. She was just starting to become comfortable around him accepting his subtle touches and even some bolder ones, and now he may have lost some serious ground on getting her to fully agree to be his mate.

"Why does this happen?" He all but demanded, still on edge about her current condition and now furious with the aftermath of his instinctual reaction. Maybe if he understood it, it would be easier for him to not be so pissy about it.

"W-well I'm not very good at explaining things but basically. W-when a female fails to get pregnant when she's fertile, then her body sheds… uh… blood and tissue? So that her body can make a new clean space to start building up new tissue to uh… h-house a baby?" She sounded so unsure of her explanation as she finished that it almost made him laugh… if he wasn't so shocked by that description. The thought was rather disturbing and would have bothered him (or intrigued him scientifically) if his mind hadn't zoned in on one thing during her explanation. So… humans had a specific time when they were fertile? Humans had heats as well? Well, that was interesting, very interesting. Did they act the same way as monster females while in heat? His body tightened and began to hum pleasantly at that thought. Honestly, it was extremely impractical for humans to go into heat so often. They were too vulnerable to often, why in the stars were their bodes programmed that way? But he couldn't deny the appeal of a female in heat. Well, he could… and has before, but the thought of his mate that way… stars it was doing things to his willpower. Wait, if this happened so often then why hadn't he sensed when she was fertile? Maybe he had just missed it when she had appeared? Hmmm… he would have to watch for any signs of her going into heat in the next few weeks…

Perhaps if it was anything like a female monster’s heat then he could coax the finishing of the bond from her…

He turned back to her, glad he didn't feel fear coming from her anymore. Though her embarrassment and distress were still very much present. He raised a brow bone at her in question when she finally chanced a glance at him. Seeing him calmer she felt more at ease now to ask him if she could move. Well, maybe ask wasn't really the right word. She was more of looking for an opening to disappear without the risk of him giving chase. She didn't think he would treat her like she was prey that was fleeing from a predator… but at the same time, she wasn't confident that he wouldn't.

"I uh… g-give me one-minute I-I'll be right back." She propelled herself off the bed and vanished behind the door leading to the bathroom. Sans would never admit it out loud… but he was impressed by her speed.

Once hidden behind the safety of the door she leaned against it and held her hands to her mouth to help muffle the sounds of her heavy breathing. She did her best to settle her rapidly beating heart with some long deep breaths. Once she felt more like herself, and not like she wasn't going to collapse on the floor, she set to the task of cleaning herself off.

Well fuck, her clothes were pretty much destroyed unless monsters had some magical cleaning abilities that she wasn't aware of. And what was she going to do about the bleeding? It was obvious that monsters didn't have the same problems as humans did when it came to reproduction. If Sans’ reaction was anything to go by. Oh wait! FFFuuuuccckkk. She forgot to grab new clothes in her panicked escape. She balled up her hands and hit her head gently a few times as she berated herself. Gods she was so stupid.

She sighed, resigned to her fate. Yep, once again luck had failed her. Shoving down whatever pride she still had she made her way over to the door and stared at it uncertainly. Her teeth snagging her bottom lip, fuck it, It's not like she had any other choices.

"Sans?" She called hesitantly. His response was immediate and so very close to the door that she jumped back in surprise. Had… had he been listening to her? What the hell?

"Sans, w-were you… standing at the door?" She could hear him chuckling nervously on the other side and the guilty feeling she was getting from their link was confirmation enough. She scowled at the door.

"Why?" She asked firmly. Her nervousness fading in the wake of her irritation.

"Heh, well, was worried about ya. You're bleeding."

"I know, it’s going to be happening for a few days remember."

"Yeah, but uh, you're magic..."

She sighed exasperatedly. It seemed like what little privacy he was able to normally give her was forfeit for the moment. Fine, whatever, at least he wasn't snarling at her anymore. She was honestly too exhausted to deal with this right now. "Hey… can you get me a new pair of pants and uh… s-some underwear?" She could feel his relief as she changed the subject. Her own weariness began to seep back in at the thought of him rummaging through her clothes. She didn't have long to brood about it as within moments he was back at the door.

"Got 'em."

"T-thanks." She opened the door enough to stick her hand out and quickly snatch them from his hands before slamming it back shut in his face. She flushed as his amusement rushed through their link. Fucking hell, could she never get a break? She moved back toward the toilet and pulled a decent amount of the monster equivalent of bathroom tissue free from its container and then made a makeshift pad.

There, that would have to do until she was able to discuss things over with Toriel. Hopefully she didn't move too much when she slept, otherwise, she was gonna be screwed. With that all in order all she had to do now was face her mate. She eyed the door knowing full well he hadn't budged yet. She wrung her hands together nervously. How exactly was she supposed to do that? After what just happened? Fuck, she was so embarrassed, this was going to be one long fucking week.

She didn't have a choice she reminded herself. She couldn't just sit in the bathroom for the next couple of days. Steeling herself for the worst she accepted her fate. Determination flared within her. She could get through this. He wasn't going to hurt her and she was hoping he wouldn't poke fun at her embarrassment.

Well, here goes nothing.

She opened the door to find Sans only inches away from it, his eye lights raking over her body to settle on her eyes. He still had an edge about him that she suspected wouldn't leave until she had stopped bleeding. He hadn't called back his magic yet either she noted as the oppressive force filling the room continued to push down on her senses. She resisted the urge to take a step back as his intense gaze continued to bore into her. She wasn't scared of him per se… but she was nervous about his behavior, not exactly sure how to divert it.

"Better?" His deep voice cut through her thoughts.

"Uh… y-yeah."

"You said you were in pain." She nodded. "What do ya normally do to ease it?"

"Uh, w-well, normally I just deal with it. But some take medication for it… I do know that heat on my lower back helps immensely." A low growling hum escaped him as he thought. Seeming to decide on something he reached out and grasped her hand to pull her closer to him. She bumped into his chest at the unexpected pull. She placed the hand he wasn't holding on his chest to help steady herself. She tilted her head up to look at him. Pleased that he had her full attention he started to refocus his magic.

"The first and only thing you are going to do is lay back down in bed."

"Excuse you?"

"And then I am going to join you, and you my little human are going to rest where I can keep an eye on you."

"I was already! You can't just-" She sputtered in annoyance, where the hell did he get the gall… she was going to do that regardless! She should smack the hell out of him or tell him off or, or…

Or?

Maybe just lay down…

He smiled lazily as her eyes drooped and her vision became just a bit clouded. Good, he hadn't expected his magic to have an effect on her this way because she was human, but it was very encouraging. Lightly his magic danced around her and over her skin sending goose bumps over her flesh. Oppressive and enticing in a way she couldn't explain as he coaxed her into doing exactly what he wanted. It wasn't often mates used this technique, using their joint SOUL's to refocus their magic in such an oppressive and suggestive way, because it was a breach of trust. Only doing so if their bonded was in extreme distress. Or if done consensually, lightly to entice… but with the storm still raging inside him with her blood still so fresh in the air, he didn't have the time or patience to get her to agree with his demands. He just wanted her wherever he put her. So that he could calm himself and take care of her, protect her.

"C'mon sweetheart let’s get ya back to bed." He pulled her along, placing his other hand on her lower back to help steer her toward the bed.

"Okay… w-wait I'm going to need to talk to Toriel." Her glazed eyes turned to him. His grin faltered as he redoubled his efforts, his magic slipping back over her form.

"Maybe later, but for now rest." She frowned at him and he could feel himself start to sweat in anxious worry that she was maybe fighting his magic. To his utter relief, she finally sighed and agreed with him. Thank the stars because there was no way he could tolerate anyone in this room right now besides himself and his mate. Together they crawled back into bed and he tucked the blankets around her as she settled herself into a comfy position. He nestled himself closely to her body hoping his bones would be able to provide enough heat to soothe her pain. His nasal cavity nuzzled her hair. He wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon but at least he could enjoy the closeness while he waited out the storm that was battering his overtaxed mind.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

 -New Home-

"Hope." Asgore's deep voice rumbles in the contented atmosphere that usually sweeps over the table after breakfast has finished. Tea has already been poured and mundane conversation has started. Toriel pauses for a brief moment in raising her cup of echo flower tea to her lips. She chances a quick glance to Asgore a delicate eye brow raised in silent question. A small smile and a gentle soothing feeling from their bond is the only response she is given. She concedes to whatever her mate is about to do, certain that it will not upset her charge and continues on with her drink. Their silent exchange only taking seconds, and to an untrained eye it would appear as if nothing had transpired between them. Being in tune with your mate definitely had its advantages. Her violet eyes drift over to Hope to see that she had also stopped, cup full of sweetened tea half raised to her lips as her apprehensive eyes darted between Asgore and herself. Poor girl must be so confused.

Asgore had been doing his best to avoid her lately. Taking every chance he could to disappear. Even spending longer amounts of time with Undyne. Not that she wasn't happy about that. Goodness knows that child needed all the support and guidance she could get right now. But his blatant avoidance of the girl that they had offered a home and protection to… well, it had aggravated her to no end, but in the end she let him have his way. She understood why he was reluctant to be in the girl’s presence. She at times felt that harsh pull of sadness at the reminder of their children and what had happened to them within Hope’s presence. Being in the presence of a human was a constant reminder of their second child. A child she had loved as if they were her own. And while Hope was nothing like Chara she was in fact a constant reminder of Asriel. Their behaviors and temperaments were very similar that it often made her heart ache. She couldn't help but wonder, if her children were still alive would they have liked Hope? Become fast friends with her? Perhaps adopt her as their older sibling? She would have loved for that. Her SOUL pulsed with deep grief and she suppressed the urge to raise her hand to her chest to quell its aching, instead preferring to take another sip of her tea. She focused her mind on the here and now. She couldn't continue to live in the past… no matter how badly it hurt to leave it behind. Her eyes shifted back to Asgore to study him as he fidgeted so slightly that only she noticed. Even with her understanding of Asgore's behavior, that didn't mean that she was happy about it.

"Yes?" Hope asked cautiously, her blue-gray eyes settling on Asgore's golden ones. She could feel Sans beside her shifting to lean forward, his elbows resting on the table as his arms over lapped each other. She couldn't feel much coming from him through their link and that put her at ease. If he wasn't feeling threatened, then she didn't have any reason to feel that way either. So far Asgore had been pretty hospitable as long as she over looked her first 24 hours when he had demanded to see her SOUL. Even now that first meeting put a sour taste in her mouth but she needed to get past it. She was living in his home, and even though he was currently avoiding her she knew that wasn't going to last forever.

"I was hoping, now that you have settled in that we may begin our training." A surprised over dramatic gasp off to Sans right had both Toriel and Sans chuckling, helping to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere.

"HOPE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRAINING WITH ASGORE TOO?!"

"Oh, uh…"

Sans glanced at Hope waiting for some form of response, but by the look on her face, she was clearly baffled. The look was adorable and he longed to reach over and poke her in the face. Just to see how she would snap out of her deep thoughts. But after a few more seconds of silence, he decided to take pity on her instead. He refrained from poking fun, no matter how satisfying he knew that would be, and instead turned to his brother.

"Looks that way bro."

"THAT'S SO EXCITING! IS IT GOING TO BE LIKE UNDYNE'S TRAINING?" He paused to gasp rather loudly. "MAYBE WE CAN ALL TRAIN TOGETHER!"

"We'll see bro."

Hope sat silently, caught off guard by Asgore's question. Yep, she knew it was only going to be a matter of time before she'd have to spend time with him. But was it really already time to start her training? Didn't he say he'd give her a few weeks? She thought back to her time in the Underground, mentally counting the days. It was hard to keep track when there didn't seem to be a measurement of time in the Underground, but then again she had never asked if they had a way of keeping track of the days. After adding up the days she was shocked to realize that she had been here for weeks. In fact, she had been there for three. When had that happened? Time had just flown by. Realizing that she had paused for an uncomfortable amount of time and that everyone was currently watching her she quickly sputtered out a reply.

"O-oh, yeah. Um of course. Sounds good."

Good lord, what was wrong with her. She wanted to smack herself in the face to help ease the self-irritation and embarrassment she was feeling but she feared the looks she was receiving would only get worse if she did that. With the curious look she was getting from Toriel and the highly amused feeling she was getting from Sans she was sure she was going to get teased about this later regardless of what she did at this point. She peeked her eyes up to shyly meet Asgore’s. He smiled gently at her and for whatever reason that made her feel better.

"Alright child." He spoke confidently as he stood from his chair and shifted it back under the table in a fluid motion that was at odds with his size. "Come, we have much to discuss." Hope quickly scrambled up from her own seat. Lacking any sort of grace as she rushed to follow him. Coming around the table to meet him, Sans following lazily behind her. She tilted her head back to look up at Asgore waiting for him to lead the way but felt uncertainty coil in the pit of her stomach at his look.

"Sans, might I request that you spend time with your brother for a little while, or perhaps Toriel." Sans raised a brow bone and Hope could feel his agitation setting in. But before he could reply Asgore continued. "I will need Hope's full attention, and I believe that these lessons will better benefit her if she is given the space to do so." Hope’s eyes shifted to Sans and she could practically feel the tension coming off of him even without their link, and yet he wasn't arguing with Asgore. That threw her for a loop. Since meeting him he was almost always with her and bulked at the idea of leaving her alone. Her curious eyes scanned his form and suddenly his eye lights were meeting hers. Wait, was he asking for her impute? Delight swirled within her, he was giving her an option. She smiled reassuringly and nodded her head, quietly telling him that she would be fine. His smile was strained but he seemed to concede as his gaze shifted back to Asgore.

"I'll see you in two hours." He spoke like he was talking to her, his deep voice seemingly nonchalant but the stare he was leveling Asgore with had her believing otherwise.

"Two hours." Asgore agreed before dismissing Sans with a simple turn of his body, focusing his attention on Hope. She felt like shrinking under that much focus but she held herself steady. "Come, we'll be doing our training in the garden."

"Okay." She replied as she followed his large form out of the dining room and into the front room. Glancing back to catch Sans eye lights as he watched her leave. She felt slightly anxious about leaving his side after being with him for so long, and it didn't help that she was leaving with someone she hadn't really gotten a chance to know very well. She took a deep breath calming herself. She could do this! She was going to be fine!

She followed silently behind Asgore as he led her down a few corridors before reaching a large wooden door. Behind the door was a large cavern. Its brown walls carved up into a large dome, reaching far above their heads. Small beams of light, which seemed to be coming from what Hope could only assume was the surface, filtered in through cracks far above their heads. The ground was covered in grass with small flowers scattered about. Vines crawled up the cavern walls hiding away its rougher surface. Hope’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the serene chamber. She hadn't expected to find so much flora in the Underground. How were these plants surviving with little to no light? A pleased rumble caught her attention and her gaze shifted to Asgore. His kind eyes were watching her intently and she looked away embarrassed.

"I'm glad you enjoy it. I find the plants to be soothing and it is my hope that they have a similar effect on you. Getting in touch with your magic should be as simple as breathing but because it is new to you, it might be a bit difficult to feel it at first so you must be relaxed." Hope nods her head understanding, chancing another glance at Asgore to find him still watching her.

"I like it… it’s very nice." She said shyly and waved an arm broadly around, indicating that she was talking about the cavern. "I uh, I find plants soothing as well. I liked to grow plants back at home. Kinda kept me sane."

"I understand completely." He knelt down at the edge of the room, clearly examining whatever was growing. Curious, she moved to stand beside him. Whatever he was looking at was small, because at first, she couldn't see much of anything. Crouching down next to him she watched as his large paw reached out and he flexed a large finger to brush underneath what she now saw was a seedling just beginning to sprout. Now that she was closer she could see a few dozen of them. Her blue-gray eyes shifted to his face, taking in his features. A gentle sadness was there. Something she had not been prepared to see. Her eyes darted back down to the little plants before them. These obviously had a great significance to him, she just wasn't sure what.

"What are they?" She asked curiously, she kept her voice lowered not wanting to disturb the somber silence that had settled between them.

"I believe that they are the golden flowers Chara once spoke of, but I will not be certain until they have matured." Hope’s face twisted into confusion.

"I'm sorry… but uh… w-who is Chara?" His surprised golden eyes met hers. A deep sadness flashed through them before he turned from her, his gaze shifting back to the growing plants.

"They were our adopted child. Our human adoptive child." Hope’s breathing stuttered to a stop in silent horror. Were. They were their adoptive child. Her eyes darted back down to the little plants. Sadness filled her and although she tried to suppress it, she could not. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. And the thought of a child's death, any child's death, always set off her depression.

"I, am so sorry. I did not mean-"

"No, no child. It is alright. I did not realize that Toriel had not told you yet. But if you are living here you should know." Hope nodded to indicate that she understood but otherwise remained silent. Not exactly sure what to say to him. Asgore sighed heavily. "We once had two children. Asriel was our first born. He was the smartest and kindest soul to have graced our home. He was always making friends and bringing home little critters he would find. He was our little pride and joy. Chara, was our second child. They had fallen into the Underground a few years ago. Asriel found them not far from our first home. He said he had been exploring the caverns when he had stumbled across them. They became fast friends despite what Chara was. And even though Chara was withdrawn and seemed to hide within themselves a deep sadness, they bonded almost instantly. We took Chara in as our own. The timing was perfect. We had almost finished construction on the castle at the time of their arrival so it was a trivial matter to add an extra bedroom that would be able to accommodate a human. We were so happy. Toriel and I had always wanted children and now we were blessed with two." He smiled sadly.

"But it wasn't meant to be. A couple of weeks ago Chara became ill. We called for doctor Gaster but there was nothing he could do. We lost them only a few hours later. Their last words were their wish to see the golden flowers they had known outside of their village. Asriel in his grief absorbed Chara's SOUL and crossed the barrier with their body. It is unclear what exactly transpired after he left the Underground. But when he returned he was badly injured and carrying Chara's body. From what we could gather it sounded like the villagers had thought he had killed Chara and had attacked him. He… he turned to dust soon after." A single tear slipped down Asgore's white fur matting it down. Hope wiped her own eyes trying to compose herself. "They both fell in this garden. The seeds that had clung to them from their journey to the surface had made the journey back with them. I tend to them now in their memory."

Hope raised her hand but hesitated before she gently rested it on his large arm. His solemn eyes turned to meet her saddened ones. "I am very sorry. I… No one should have to lose their children. I am truly sorry for what my race has done to you and your people." She reached up to furiously wipe her eyes again. She wasn't the one who had just lost children, she scolded herself, she shouldn't be crying.

Two large furry fingers gently wrapped around her much smaller hands. Asgore's fingers almost encompassing her entire hand. Startled, she looked up to see his gentle smile. He still looked sad and with a clearer understanding, she realized that he always looked that way, but above that deep sadness was a gentle happiness that she couldn't even begin to understand.

"It is alright child, I am coming to find that like my adoptive child, not all humans are bad." She blushed under his knowing intense gaze not sure what to say to that, but the gratitude she felt was overwhelming. She smiled sheepishly at him, pulling away from his hands and he released her. "Thank you for your kinds words, they do mean a lot to me."

"Oh, y-yeah no problem…" Awkwardness crawled around her and she fidgeted in the sudden silence. "I-if it's any conciliation, I understand why you were avoiding me now." He winced at that and mortified that she had let that tumble out of her mouth she smacked her hand over her eyes in hopes of hiding herself from the world.

"I… I am sorry about that. I did not… It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh no, no, no you're fine." She replied quickly hoping to rectify her mistake. Her hands waved in front of her trying to emphasize her point. "I wasn't uncomfortable, I just didn't fully understand. So it's okay, really." Another few moments of awkward silence set in before, to Hope’s great relief Asgore stood.

"Come." He said holding out his hand to indicate a spot not far from where they were currently standing. He crossed the space in a few easy strides and he settled in the grass. His legs folded in front of himself. She followed his silent beckoning, coming to stand a foot or two away from him before plopping down in the grass before him.

"For today I believe we should start with clearing our minds and trying to reach your magic."

"Alright." She focused in on Asgore as he became all business. Their earlier discussion fading into the background as they began to work together in the hopes of her bringing down the barrier.

"Just relax and breath in and out. Yes, that’s right. Now I know you've seen your SOUL and you know what it feels like to for it to be pulled out by magic. I want you to focus on that feeling until you can feel your SOUL for yourself." Time seemed to stand still as she concentrated. Her brows forward and her lips turned down into a frown as she struggled to feel the culmination of her being. The face she was making made Asgore chuckle softly. She opened her eyes to glare at him and he held his hands up in surrender.

"You are trying to hard my child. Remember, relax, this should be as easy as breathing. Now deep breath in… now out… in….out… in…. and out… Yes, that’s it. Just keep breathing." Hope could feel the muscles in her body beginning to relax under the influence of his gentle deep voice guiding her actions. "Excellent, now I want you to feel the energy within yourself. It should be buzzing just underneath the surface, flowing through your body." He paused for a few minutes to let her search for the feeling he was describing. "Do you feel it?"

"I think so?" Hope frowned. She sort-of felt what he was talking about but it felt muted. So maybe that wasn't the feeling she was looking for? She gritted her teeth in aggravation.

"Remain relaxed. Remember to keep your breathing steady."

"I-I'm sorry I just, I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is what you're describing."

"Hmm, perhaps it was unrealistic of me to believe it would be second nature to you, for that I apologize. I believed that because you have magic without obtaining it the same way that humans here would obtain it, that meant you were born with it in the same way monsters are made up of it. But perhaps I am wrong. Please do not worry." He quickly added seeing her worried expression "There is no need to worry if you cannot feel it right away. Humans are made up of physical matter so feeling magic is not something you are born with. It will just take a bit more time."

Slightly dejected by what he was telling her she felt her spirits dampen. Her shoulders sagged as she curled slightly into herself wanting to hide away the shame and sadness she felt at being inadequate.

"Child." She slowly lifted her gaze to meet Asgore's sad knowing eyes. "Do not worry, we have already seen you use your magic and we can feel it strong within you. Even now as you sit there I can feel it. You do have it; it will just take more practice to tap into it. All will be well, I promise." Hope smiled, relieved that he wasn't disappointed in her. She straightened back up with renewed determination. She had a lot of monsters that she wanted to help. A lot of friends she wanted to help. No, she would not let Asgore down.

                                                                                             -Hot Land-

Sans shuffled forward at a leisurely pace. His old sneakers scuffing across the tiled floor quietly. He crept along the halls, hoping to avoid detection. He felt bad about hovering over Hope, she was obviously becoming agitated by his constant presence at her side, never letting her leave his sight, but he couldn't help it. She had scared the shit out of him, first when her SOUL had almost shattered and then again when she had gone into her weird human version of estrus. Err… or rather the opposite of it because technically monsters didn't have the equivalent of, what had she called it? A period? What a weird fucking name for such an occurrence. Either way, her magic levels had dropped to nonexistent levels and her blood had saturated the air, throwing him into a panicked frenzy of pure instincts. He barely even remembered Toriel talking to him through the door. What he did remember was that her own worries had only pushed him further from sanity. Surely if she was worried then there was cause for worry, his mind had told him. It had been a full 24 hours before he had agreed to let Hope have any sort of contact with anyone. And that had been only through the door. He had refused to let her have physical contact with anyone until her magic had reappeared not even 24 hours later. He winced when vague memories danced around his skull, taunting him with his brashness, particularly when he remembered what Asgore's powerful masculine presence had done to him when he had gotten close to the door. Bones had shot up from the floor and his magic had whipped wildly around the room threatening to open a hole into the void… stars, he was so ashamed of himself. Thankfully they had understood the situation enough as to not push him to his breaking point while at the same time providing food and water as well as the necessities that Hope had needed to make it through the week. He was so very grateful for his King and Queen, they understood so much more about what he was going through then he did and seemed to be able to roll with whatever was thrown at them. He admired that greatly and he admired their bond even more. He hoped that Hope and himself will at some point in the future, be able to work as well as they did together.

At first, he had only been sticking close to her to assure himself of her stability and to get her used to, and accepting of his presence. But after last week he had barely left her side. The fear of feeling her magic dropping to nonexistent levels again causing all sorts of alarms to blare inside his head and causing a tightness in his bones that was near painful. He honestly wasn't sure how much more his mind could take. He needed to get Hope to fully accept him or reject him. Accepting him being the preferable choice, but he refused to let her shatter just because she didn't want to fully bond with him. If she didn't want to be with him then… he would either have to find her a way back home… or another monster to bond with. Instantly his bones tensed and his magic flared at the thought of his mate with another monster. He angrily shoved his thoughts down for now, pushing his magic back down with it. She was being receptive to him, he reminded himself. She could still choose to be with him. Finding another monster to bond with her would only be a last-ditch effort to save her life and it was only if she outright refused him. Settling himself back down he pushed back forward, continuing to walk.

Being in limbo was literally starting to fracture his mind. But there wasn't much more he could do. He was with her almost every moment of the day sans (heh) the times he was with Pap's. She was definitely starting to warm up to him. Becoming more accustomed to physical contact and even starting to joke back with him. He was obviously making progress despite his display of lost control only a week ago. But it wasn't enough. She needed more time, and time is what they were lacking.

Which brought him back to what he was currently doing. He had already raided his old home to see if he could find any useful information on humans. Unfortunately, his quick search of the house had left him empty-handed and had left him feeling unsettled. It was odd to be back 'home' when he had been away for so long. It was strange how the oppressive atmosphere still persisted even when he and Pap's no longer lived there. Maybe it was just the feeling of Gaster's magic that was woven into the walls that were causing this feeling of dread within him. He had quickly searched the rooms before literally popping out of there in record time, unwilling to be in there longer then he needed to be. After turning up with nothing at his childhood home, that had left him with only a few other options. He had already scoured the royal library and had come up with absolutely nothing on human anatomy, which left him with either the dump or… the lab. It was risky, but he didn't have much of a choice. Although, now as he quietly shuffled down the empty halls he wished he had gone to the dumb instead. He wasn't entirely sure what his plan was going to be if he ran into Gaster, but it was too late to turn back now. Besides, this was important. He was more than a little ashamed of himself for never studying what his father had been considered an expert in. Now more than ever, now that he had a human mate. It was embarrassing that he wasn't entirely sure how she worked. He knew they were more physically inclined than monsters, but that still left him with very little information. He wanted to know more about his mate. He also wanted to make sure there would be no more nasty surprises that could throw him into another panicked frenzy.

That and he wasn't exactly sure how humans worked sexually. He was assuming that they worked similarly to that of the other bipedal monsters, such as himself. They would have to work at least somewhat similarly if Hope and himself were physically compatible. Since they were able to bond they had to be similar. So he had an idea of how things should work with her, but he'd rather be prepared than be thrown into a situation that would leave him lacking in the sexuality department. It certainly wouldn't be the first time he had sex, he wouldn't say he was a master but he did know his way around a female monster. And his more recent partners seemed to have enjoyed themselves. A human, on the other hand, was a whole new snail race.

Sans turned a corner and almost smacked into Alphys. Before they can collide he teleported directly behind her. Startled, she shrieked and dropped her papers. She placed a clawed hand over her wildly fluttering Soul. She quickly turned to face her adversary only to find Sans. He wore a strained grin with sweat drops beading on the top of his skull. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and from the looks of it balled into fists.

"Sans?! Y-you s-scared the l-life out of m-me!"  

"Heh, sorry Alph didn't mean to rattle your bones." He sounded slightly nervous but hid it well. She glared at him half hardly before huffing and bending down to quickly gather her scattered papers. He steps forward and bends down to help her gather the papers she had dropped. Alphys looked up at him nervously before looking up and down the hall to make sure that they were alone.

"W-what a-are you d-doing here?" she whispers urgently. "I-if Gaster finds y-you-"

"I know, I know." He rushes to whisper back. "But I needed some information and this is the only place I'm going to be able to find it."

"O-oh." She looks up at him then back down then back up again. "I-is it a-about the h-human." he frowns at the blatant lack of Hopes name.

"Yes, it’s about Hope… do you happen to have any books that might… explain a few things?" Alphys blushed red at that and he shrugged uncomfortably. Why did she always assume he meant something sexual? Well, he was right now but that wasn't the point! That wasn't the only reason he was obtaining these books. They stand up together, Alphys clutching the stack of papers to her chest, awkwardly avoiding each other’s gazes.

"Y-yeah um… c-come on this w-way. I p-put a f-few h-human biology books o-on my desk i-incase s-something else h-happened t-that s-she needed h-help with." He smiled a little more genuine and that helped to ease the tension he felt towards her.

"Thanks, Alph, you're a lifesaver." She smiles at him.

"C-come on, Gaster’s been w-working himself s-silly over equations s-so he should be b-busy." She leads the way down the long corridors back towards their shared office. Sans’ eye lights darken. What on earth was Gaster working on that he would be able to throw himself into? He refrained from asking Alphys outright what he was working on. He didn't want to put her in an even worse situation than he already had, and besides, better them think that he was clueless. Gaster was known for fixating on his work, and after the machine that he had spent years working on broke… that meant Hope. It would only make sense that she would be his new fixation. But as far as he knew, he wasn't to have any contact with her at the moment. So what on earth was he doing? Maybe trying to rebuild the machine? That couldn't be right, Toriel had mentioned shooting down Gaster's attempts at working with the machine.

Wait, if he was, did that mean he was trying to find a way to transport Hope back home? His SOUL clenched anxiously at that. That would make sense, Toriel and Asgore had mentioned helping her… fuck he was running out of time. He just needed to stay focused, eyes on the prize. Their quick shuffling brought them to the very familiar room of their shared office. If he had known that she had the books collected in here he would have just teleported and risked scaring her than trying to stealthy navigate the halls. He let loose a relieved sigh when he caught sight of the small stack of books that were piled haphazardly on Alphys desk. At least one thing was going right today.

It had nearly killed him to leave Hope in Asgore's hands this morning but he didn't have much of a choice. It appeared to be three against one and he knew better than to push his luck more than he already had. Although he had been tempted to crash the party when her emotions had spiked. Something had set her off but her SOUL quieted fast enough to indicate that she wasn't in any actual danger. Which had just left him on edge. He knew she needed space but he also knew she needed to be emotionally monitored right now. It was extremely frustrating and absolutely exhausting. But thankfully he had been able to keep his instincts in check long enough to focus on what he had to do. Besides, the time let him sneak away to locate the information he needed to be able to take care of and understand his mate better.


They approached her desk and while she scrambled to get the books into a neat pile he headed over to his own small desk. He ran his phalanges over the top of his desk. It looked just as disorganized as he left it.

"N-nobodies touched it since y-you left." He nods, not really sure how to respond to that. He was glad they had left his things but at the same time, it felt odd seeing all his stuff as he had left it weeks ago. Looking at his untouched desk was like stepping back in time as if no of this had ever happened. The thought made him suddenly very uncomfortable. He instantly didn't want to be anywhere near the lab. He wanted to be with his mate. Snuggled up next to her as she reacted whenever something important would happen in a book she was reading. Or sitting with her while she was indulging his brother with a puzzle. Just being near her eased the ache in his SOUL and he longed to be close to her. Turning on his heels he quickly advanced on Alphys. She shrunk in on herself when she noticed his quick advanced, but regained herself when she notices the strained look he wore. Confusion and sadness warred within her at her friends look.

"H-have you two…"

"No." Well, the strained look suddenly made sense. She looks away embarrassed. She can't believe she just asked that! And yet… many more question were bubbling up beneath the surface. Why? Could they not finish it? How was Sans acting so calm? Was he in pain? Was she in pain? Were they trying to break the bond? Did Sans not want her? She mentally shook herself. It couldn't be that, he had seemed rather attached when she had seen them together.

But how was Sans holding up? Surely he was the only monster in history that had waited this long to complete a bond. How was he doing it? She suddenly felt very guilty and very worried for her friend. Did the human not want him? If not, then why? Besides his lazy streak and his occasional questionable habits, he was an excellent friend and colleague. Any monster would be lucky to be with him. Indignation boiled over her frayed nerves. Maybe she should have a talk with this human, find out if she could push things in the right direction. Things might be strained between her and Sans at the moment but he certainly didn't deserve the hell she was certain he was living every minute that his SOUL was left in a half bond. With renewed determination, she hefted the small stack of books up and deposited them into Sans awaiting arms.

"T-these are what I have. T-there's not much b-but they should b-be able to answer the majority o-of your questions."

"Thanks Alph, I really appreciate this."

"Sans," Alphys called his attention before he can escape. "Perhaps I s-should check o-on the hu- Hope. P-perhaps I should check o-on Hope. Y-you know just t-to make sure h-her SOUL is healing.

He paused, shock clearly written on his face before it shifts to suspicion. "I uh… you're not offering because of Gaster right?" Alphys yellow scales shift to a pale cream at his accusation.

"L-look I-I-I… N-no that's n-not why I-I’m asking." She turned from him her claws wringing together. "B-but he d-d-did a-ask about h-h-her w-when I-I-I last s-saw h-her."

"Heh, I figured as much. So if he’s not the reason, then why are you asking now?"

"F-for you." He's taken aback by her response, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

"I… uh… wha- I mean why?"

"I-is she i-important to you?" He looked away, unwilling to meet her searching gaze.

"Yeah."

"T-that’s w-why." Sans takes a long moment to mull over his options. Realistically he already knows the progress of her SOUL right now, so he didn't need Alphys. But it would be nice to have someone around that knew what Gaster was up to. Give him a bit of a warning in case things went south.

"Alright, I'll set up times with you later." Alphys clapped her hands together happily. She knew she didn't deserve his trust right now, but she was willing to work to prove herself again.

"I w-won’t let you dow-"

"On three conditions." He interrupted her and the little lizard shrunk in on herself when his tone turned serious. "Absolutely no harm is to come to my mate." The glare he levels her with is enough to leave her shaking. "No more reports to Gaster either. I don't need him fixating on her more than I'm already sure he is. And I want to know what he's working on." Her bright scales blanched. It was not going to be easy to get around her mentor. And she owned him loyalty as well, so what was she supposed to do? She fumbled with herself for a few moments debating her options. Maybe she could just play the mutual ground but that wasn't something she was going to be able to do for long.

"S-sans I…"

"I just need a clue Alph… I have to know he's not going to hurt my mate."

"O-oh well i-it sounded more l-like he wanted t-to help w-with her magic." Sans brow bone shot up at that. What the hell was he playing at? How was he going to help with Hopes magic? Asgore was already doing that…. unless that’s why Asgore didn't want him around. Panic suddenly filled him as just coincidentally unease began to filter through their link...

"I'll be in touch." He quickly shouts before disappearing.

"W-wait I-I’m…. sorry." Alphys sighed, uneasy about what had just happened. Had she said something wrong? She wasn't entirely sure if she had or not, but he left in obvious distress. She whipped out her phone and tried to call him.  

                                                                                          -New Home-


She had been here for three weeks. Three weeks! She could hardly believe it. The time she had spent here felt like so much longer and yet so much shorter than what it had actually been. So much had happened to her in such a short amount of time and the monsters she was living with were already beginning to feel like family. Despite the fact that if she had been at home it would have taken months to achieve this type of progress with the humans she had worked with or known outside of work. But perhaps that was because of how much time was spent with them. She was barely ever alone anymore. Some part of her mourned the loss of her alone time. She needed alone time to recharge after constantly socializing but currently, the only recharging she had gotten was when she was asleep or whenever she picked up a book. Thankfully Sans seemed to understand the importance of reading for her and would either read with her over her shoulder or join her with his own book. His presence was never stifling when they read together, and for that, she was more than happy to put up with his teasing of her choice of books. But now she had officially started her training. It had only been two hours, but would it stay that way? Was Papyrus right and she would have to start training with Undyne? The thought made her shudder. She didn't want to be anywhere near the female monster. Anytime they had crossed paths she had received nothing but hostility and she couldn't stand it.

She tried to shift her thoughts away from Undyne, unwilling to spoil her somewhat decent mood. She may not have made any progress in her training today, but after talking with Asgore there seemed to be more of an ease between them now. And she was elated by the lack of tension between them. Her mind began to shift back to her original thoughts.

Three weeks… one more week and she will have been here a month. Wow. She wondered what her family was doing right now. Wondered if they missed her. Were they still searching for her? Or had it been so long now that they now just assumed she was dead? If she came back now… what was she supposed to tell them? That she had spent the last month or so in an alternate world? She would be thrown in the loony bin for sure. Wow, that was kind of a disturbing thought. Would they do that to her? Would they think she was crazy? Well, maybe she could lie… but she couldn't exactly say someone took her… she'd have to give a description, make up a lie about what had been happening to her in the last month. She couldn't do that, she would be wasting the police's time if she did that. Not to mention having to keep her constructed story straight. And, oh lord, what if they found someone that matched her fake description. Knowing her luck that’s exactly what would happen.

Maybe she could just say she took a drive… for a month (or however long she ended up being trapped here)… with the car still in the driveway… yeah… that wasn't going to work. Maybe she took a walk? Yeah, that’s it. She just took a long… long… walk… She groaned loudly, her hands flying up to lightly smack herself in the face. She started scrubbing her hands hard against her face, causing the skin to turn a light red. She took a deep sigh, letting her hands still as they rested on her eyes blocking out the light. What was she going to do when she got home? She was either going to have to come up with a very convincing lie and live with whatever aftermath that caused, or tell the truth and resign herself to being sent to a therapist and having to deal with a family that didn't believe her and would either be mad at her 'lie' or pity her because they thought something worse had happened to her. Putting that into perspective made her wonder if it was even worth going back at this point. No, she couldn't think like that. She did want to go back. She missed her family dearly, but the challenges that she was going to have to face with her return just appeared to be so… daunting.

She let her arms drop back to her sides as she forced herself to start moving down the hall again. It wasn't worth getting all worked up about right now. They weren't even close to finding a way for her to return back home so she might as well not dwell on it and get herself all stressed out over something that was still hanging in the air… now that she thought about it… had Toriel or Asgore even looked into it yet? She knows they hadn't said anything to her about it yet and she knew for a fact Toriel hadn't really left the castle grounds without her since her arrival. Hmmm… she'd have to ask Asgore and soon. That was something they really needed to start working on… before she got any more attached to the monsters she was spending every day with. Honestly, it was already making her anxious thinking about leaving Sans, Toriel, and Papyrus behind when she returned home. She would probably never seen them again…

Sadness washed over her but she forced herself to push it down. Nothing brought Sans quicker to her side than sadness, and right now she had finally secured some alone time. And she was not about to lose this time to herself. They were too far and few in-between and she needed this time to think. She needed to come to terms with her current predicament. Sans. He was slowly starting to weasel himself onto her good side. She was doing her best to keep her distance, he just made it so god damn hard when he was with her all the time. And as infuriating as that was… she hates to admit it…but she kinda loves it. He was so easy going… you know, besides the times when he was giving into his instincts. And even when he was, he was always very careful with her and seemed to genuinely care. It was kind of throwing her for a loop. She never had someone be so attentive before. That, and now she was starting to notice a distinct pull towards Sans. A small tug that would pull at something within the center of her chest. A slightly painful ache that would tug at her very being. Something that would only ease if she was near Sans, and would only disappear completely if she had physical contact with him. She knew it was her SOUL, there was no other explanation for it. But she refused to talk to anyone about it, especially Sans. She didn't want to get his hopes up because she was still gunning to go home. And it seemed cruel to let him think that she was going to give in to this pull. Even if it was becoming tempting.

No, it was better for her to try keeping herself at a distance until she knew for certain if she could return home. Only then would she entertain the possibility of living the rest of her life in the Underground. But still, it seemed like this pull might be hard to keep from Sans- her train of thought stopped abruptly as a familiar blue figure turned the corner and began to head her way. She stopped mid-stride as Undyne caught sight of her. Her own steps slowing to a stop. Her yellow black slitted eyes narrowed into a glare and her lip pulled back into a sneer. Hope glared back. She was slightly nervous about meeting the monster now of all times. There was no Sans or Toriel to be her buffer, she was on her own.

"Where's your bodyguard human." She said the word human as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I don't have a bodyguard."

"Psh! Could have fooled me with how often that skeleton follows you around." Hope balked at her words.

"He's not my bodyguard, he's my mate." She gritted out.

"PPSSSHHHH AHAHAHA! WHAT?! You can't be serious." Her loud guffaws only made Hope bristle further. She already knew she was a terrible match for Sans but that didn't mean Undyne had to shove it in her face like that. Undyne's eyes shifted open to observe her pray. The girl looked on edge and her face remained far too serious. "Wait, what? And you serious? You can't bond with a monster you’re human."

"Yeah, well it happened so-"

"No wonder he's so territorial! Ha! It all makes sense now." She shifted placing her hands on her hip as she studied Hope with this new information. "So what exactly did you do to trap him? Did you passionately confess your feeling to him? Beat him with your fists of love!?" She animatedly clinched her fists together and pumped them into the air to emphasize her point. Before bringing them back down do sneer at Hope. "Fuhuhu as if a human could even feel love."

"I did not trap him." Undyne waved her hand as if dismissing her. "So what the hell are you doing back here anyway?" Her tone quickly changed from condescending to mildly curious. Hope scowled, oh how she hated this monster. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture.

"Not that it’s any of your business but I was training with Asgore." Shock shot across Undyne's face and for a moment Hope felt satisfaction creep into her darkening mood.

"What do you mean training? What the hell would he be training you in?" Hope was uncertain if she should actually answer Undyne. She sounded actually curious if not a little worried, but with her constant attitude, Hope wanted to do nothing more then leave her hanging. So the only response she offered was a shrug. This seemed to catch Undyne off guard as she floundered for a moment.

"It's… not like my training is it?" Surprised by the sincere worry in her voice Hope reassessed Undyne. She still looked strong and intimidating but now she was frowning. Why did it matter if they were both getting the same training? Hope wasn't sure why but she suddenly felt like she had to ease Undyne's obvious distress about this.

"I don't think it's the same." She reassured gently. "I mean I don't exactly know what your training entails but I'm not shooting to be a royal guardsman."

"How did you-"

"Papyrus."

"Ah." There was a long awkward silence that Hope refused to break. Undyne looked around the hallway for a moment before the tension drained from her shoulders. "Ha, what a weeny, he is too soft for his own good." Instantly taking offense Hope shot back.

"Hey watch it!" Undyne flashed her a sharp smile that Hope refused to back down from.

"Relax dweeb, I meant it in a good way." Hope relaxed a little at that admission. She could tolerate someone talking bad about her, but not about those she cared about. Undyne scanned her eyes over Hope one last time, seeming to come to some sort of conclusion. She moved forward and stopped when she was parallel with Hope.

"We aren't friends. Will never be friends. But I suppose that if that little skeleton sees something good in you then you can't be that bad. Oh, by the way, the Underground's been talking about ya. They're not sure what to make of the King and Queen taking in another human after what happened to the heir to the throne and the child of hope." Hope tensed, was she making trouble for Toriel and Asgore by being here?

"Am I interrupting something?" A very familiar baritone cut through anything Hope was going to say in response. "Because to me, this whole situation seems rather fishy." The nonchalant way he spoke the words was at odds with the way his voice dipped into a threatening tone. A strange mixture of fear and relief washed through Hope as she tried to ignore the effect his deep voice seemed to have on her.

"Don't worry bonehead, I was just leaving." Undyne didn't even turn to look at him as she caught Hope’s gaze. A moment seemed to pass between them which left Hope bewildered before she strode off in the direction Hope had just come from. What the hell just happened? She turned to watch her go only turning her head to Sans when he reached her side. The pull in her chest started to recede with him being so close and almost instantly disappeared when he ran a gentle trail of fingers up her arm. Maybe that's why he was always touching her? Maybe he felt the pain just like she did. The path of his fingers stopped at her elbow and ran back down stopping at her hand. His hand lingered for a moment before pulling away.

"You okay?" He asked worriedly, searching her gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just confused."

"B'out what?"

"Undyne." He nodded his head and his shoulders instantly relaxed as if that was the only explanation that was needed.

"Sorry I'm late. Got caught by a lizard wearing glasses." Hope raised an eyebrow at his explanation. The tension seemed to melt off him as his smile widened. "What? Would I tell you a fibula?"

"You went to see Alphys?" She asked surprised, dodging his play on words.

"Yeah, had a few things to ask her."

"Was… it about my soul?" He cringed slightly. He didn't want her to worry, but he also didn't want to tell her the real reason he had gone to the labs. "Sort of, but really I just had to pick up some old books."

"Oh, ha. Yeah, okay good. Was worried you may have felt something I needed to be worried about." Sans frowned.

"Nothing to worry about sweetheart, I'll keep you safe." She smiled at his sincere tone.

"Thank you Sans."

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

“So, I noticed you didn’t say too much during dinner… something eating at ya sweetheart?” Sans prods as he shrugs off his blue hooded jacket, casually dropping it by the side of the bed he had claimed as his own. Hope watches his movements wondering when she had become so comfortable with him undressing in front of her. Well, it wasn’t like he was completely undressing in front of her, just taking off his jacket and changing his shirt. He was never completely naked around her, in fact, he had been nice enough to sleep with a shirt and pants on every night since he had invaded her bed. Despite the fact that she knew he preferred to sleep shirtless. Speaking of sleeping together, when had she even become so comfortable with sleeping in the same bed as him? It had at some point become so natural that she couldn’t imagine him not sleeping next to her. His presence helped to ease her irrational fears of the darkness and she found herself sleeping peacefully through the night. Something that was practically impossible to do when she had slept alone back at home. What exactly was her life anymore? Learning magic and playing with monsters. It was a fairytale come true, at least to her to was, and yet she still wasn’t happy. What was the matter with her? She should be over the moon right now, embracing the strange circumstance that she had found herself in. Isn’t this what she had always wanted?

Although to be fair, being stuck under a mountain while being considered the sole symbol of human hatred and bigotry to the monster race wasn’t exactly something that she would call ideal. Not to mention being ripped from her family and the only way of life she had ever known. Not that she wasn’t grateful that her wildest dreams had come true… she just hadn’t taken into account what she would be losing if she had ever gotten said dream. And let’s be honest, there was no way she thought she would actually get said dream.

Sans raised a brow bone as he watched Hope’s expression shift slightly from curious to deep thought as she blatantly stared at him. Puzzled he looked down at his exposed ribs, his shirt halfway raised to slip over his head. What was she staring so hard at? He wasn’t feeling the normal embarrassment from her when she would ‘accidentally’ catch a glimpse of his bones. Nor was he feeling much of anything really, which was strange for her. Normally she was an open book when it came to emotions but now it was just muted. But that also meant that she wasn’t even comprehending what she was looking at. So what in Asgore’s name was she thinking about with such focus?

 A sly smile graced his features as a perfect opportunity to tease her had just presented itself. 

“Sweetheart?” He called to her but she continued to stare right through him. “Hope?” He tried again a little louder.

“Huh?” His devilish smile widened and his eye sockets narrowed gleefully when her blue-gray eyes seemed to focus back in on his face.

“See something you like?” He asked as he dropped his voice to a husky murmur, knowing exactly what that did to her. He wiggled his brow bones suggestively for good measure. He had been utterly pleased upon discovering the effect of his voice on her. He unconsciously tended to drop his voice a few octaves as a habit when he wanted to be taken more seriously. But the scent of her arousal and a strong pulse from her soul beckoning to his had taken him by surprise one day. And he quickly became obsessed with what had caused such a reaction from her. Every day she would try oh so hard to keep her thoughts and emotions under-wraps, especially when something he did affected her sexually. Unfortunately for her (and oh so lucky for him) the bond let her hide nothing from him. He had to test a few things at first to see what she had reacted so positively to, but when he figured out just dropping his voice an octave could elect such a positive effect from her he couldn’t help but do it often. 

“I, uh, what?” She sounded genuinely confused until she realized she was staring at his shirtless ribs. He watched with great amusement as her face shifted quickly from bewilderment to realization and then swiftly to embarrassment. A flush reddening her features and quickly creeping down her neck, as her eyes quickly swept down his body then back up to his grinning face. He let her fumble for a moment, drinking in her flustered state.  

“What! No!” He chuckled so very pleased as she quickly averted her eyes from him. But her emotion danced between them. Embarrassment at the forefront accompanied by amusement and irritation.

“Suuuure… just remember my eyes are up here.” He said winking an eye at her when she glanced back at him. If possible, her face turned even redder and Sans did his best to hide his amusement as he slipped his nightshirt on all the way.

“Shut up Sans.” Hope grumbled crossing her arms over her chest defensively. Gods above what was wrong with her? She was not finding herself becoming attracted to a skeleton. Right? Right?! Well, it wasn’t like he was unattractive. Wait! What? No, no no no. By unattractive she meant… not unappealing in any way… wait… oh fuck, who was she kidding she was boned. Wait! Ugh! No! Damn it!

She let loose a strangled frustrated noise as she flung her arms up in exasperation that had Sans fully laughing now. She refused to look at him as she stomped over to her dresser and rummaged through the top drawer, pulled out a nightshirt and some comfy pants before slamming it shut and marching over to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her a little harder then she meant to but at least Sans laughing was muffled by the door now. 

“Pain in the ass.” She mumbled under her breath. Moving forward she placed her clothes on the sink and began to undress. 

“Ahhh, sweetheart you are too much.” Sans joyful voice rang just on the other side of the door. Her eyes darted over as the door shifted as if someone was leaning against it. 

“Don’t you have someone else to go harass. Your brother perhaps?” She snapped back irritably. She wasn’t exactly mad at him but damn it she was embarrassed beyond belief and for some reason he never let her live down stupid things like this. It was like he enjoyed embarrassing her… the jerk.

“Nah, only you sweetheart.”

“Lucky me.” She snarked. 

“So, about my earlier question. Was it something Undyne said?”

“What?”

“Before I caught you taking in the majesty of my bones.” She snorted unladylike at that. “I was askin why you were so quiet durin dinner tonight. So, was it somethin Undyne said to ya?”

Had she been that quiet? She supposed she may have been, but she had just been given so much to think about today. Not to mention feeling drained after trying to reach her magic for two hours straight with absolutely no results. Then meeting Undyne in the hallway alone had definitely set off her nerves, and what she had said to her had rattled her even more. She didn’t want to be the cause of more grief between Toriel and Asgore. And if monsters were starting to talk about her, did that mean she was still safe? Were monsters going to start coming to ask about her? Were they going to want her to leave? Were they going to make Toriel and Asgore’s life harder because they were letting her stay here? Was her just existing here going to put Sans and Papyrus in danger? Not to mention how shell-shocked she still felt about finding out about the loss of Toriel and Asgore’s children. They had lost them only weeks before she had arrived. She had essentially become a burden when they were trying to grieve. She bit her bottom lip as she thought about what to tell Sans. She didn’t want to upset him, but she also didn’t want to lie to him.

“Hope, talk to me, what’s going on?” She could hear the worry in his voice and a trickle of it in his emotions. She sighed in defeat, she should have known she couldn’t hide anything from him.

“Sort of…” She began uncertainly, continuing to get changed. She pulled the shirt over her head. “She said that monsters were starting to talk about me, something about them questioning why the King and Queen would take in…” She faltered for a moment. “a human after what happened to their children.” She could almost feel him tensing through their bond but she wasn’t sure what part of her explanation had caused him to tense.

“Did she say anything about them coming here?”

“No, just that they were talking about me.”

“And did she tell you about… their children?” He sounded so hesitant that it made her frown. Were they trying to hide it from her? Is that why no one had said anything? Asgore had seemed very forthcoming with information but no one else had even mentioned anything. She shoved her legs in her pants and moved to lean against the door sliding down it to sit, not fully ready to face Sans yet. If he had been hiding this from her, why?

“No, Asgore did.” She said curtly, unsure what reaction she was going to pull from him. She shifted against the door anxiously as he sighed. Relief flooded her from his side of the bond and instantly she regretted doubting him.

“Good, I can only imagine how Undyne would have told the story.” Hope cracked a smile at his relieved tone. 

“Yeah… now that you mention it I’m suddenly very happy I didn’t find out from her.” Sans chuckled.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t have been able to scale it back. Go big or go home seems to be her motto.” Sans’ grin softened as he listened to Hopes genuine laughter. She seemed to be laughing more frequently and the sound was like a beautiful song to him. It meant she was happy. And the fact that he could make her happy enough to laugh made his soul flutter.

“No kidding.” She said through her laughing. She sighed contentedly letting her head rest on the wooden door. They sat in silence for a moment and just when Sans was about to tease her for still being in the bathroom her timid voice cut him off.

“I… also didn’t do so well in training today either…”

“Trapped yourself in a barrier again?” He teased gently. He knew not to push her. He could feel her emotions becoming self-destructive but he couldn’t help but poke fun in the hopes of redirecting her attention.

“Haha very funny, it was the opposite actually. I couldn’t even lock on to my soul let alone my magic. I’m pretty sure Asgore thinks I’m a failure.”

“Did he say that?” A sharp edge slid into his voice that had Hope immediately backtracking.

“No!” Hope was quick to defend; she hadn’t meant to get Asgore into trouble. She had only meant to display her own frustrations with her failures. “No, actually he told me not to worry about it and that it will come with time.” Sans hummed in thought and she sighed in relief as his emotions drifted back to a calming thrum against her own emotions.

“He’s right you know, it will come to you over time.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I can feel it in my bones.” Hope groaned at his chuckle.

“Sans please, this is serious.” He scoffed at her tone.

“I am being serious. I would never patella lie.” She turned to glare at the door willing Sans to feel it. A chuckle was the reply she received. He must have felt her irritation.

”If you’re so sure then why was I unable to do it today but had no problem doing it the first day here.”

“You were obviously doing it by instinct the first time. You weren’t concentrating on creating the magic, you were frightened and concentrating on protecting yourself.” Huh, she never thought of it like that. Maybe she was just thinking too hard about it. “But if you’re really worried about it sweetheart I can help you get into better touch with your soul.”

“Are you only suggesting this to see my soul again?”

“Maybe? We do need to check on those cracks. It’s been well over a week since I last checked on them.”  She frowned as she thought about it. He was right it might put her mind at ease to know that the cracks were repairing themselves. And maybe she could get a feel for her soul if it was out and about. She had been distracted every other time it had been pulled out. Too distracted to be able to fully get a feel for it. So maybe he was right. This could help her. Despite those things, she was hesitant. The last time they had been alone and she had allowed him to pull her soul out he had gotten… handsy with it. She blushed as she recalled what that had felt like. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that again. Not to mention that he had told her that he would have a hard time controlling himself if it was out and about. And this time there would be no threat of dying, no one watching them. It would just be him and her. Alone. 

She could feel his excitement buzzing between their link and she had to push it away so it didn’t affect her own feelings. 

“If we do this…” She began carefully. “If I let you pull out my soul, there is to be no touching.” She could feel the door vibrate as he let loose an almost silent frustrated growl. Frustration mixed with his excitement and it bounced back and forth with her nervous excitement. She waited patiently as the other side of the door became silent.

“Fine.” He finally deadpanned. “No touching.” She smiled triumphantly before standing and opening the door to see him moving to stand as well. Even with his frustration, he couldn’t contain his excitement. She could practically feel him vibrating with it as he reached forward to lace his phalanges in between her fingers. She did her best to keep her blush down as he pulled her toward the bed. He let her sink onto its plush surface and lean against the headboard while he moved to seat himself across from her closer to the end of the bed. She looked at him curiously as he remained a decent distance from her. He chuckled nervously at the look.

“If I don’t have the distance I might do something I’ll regret.” Unable to hide her blush this time she looked away from him and nodded. He took a moment to admire her flushed face before raising his arm and placing his palm out toward her chest. “I’m going to do this slowly. Pay attention to the way it feels.” She nodded focusing back in on him and then shifting her eyes to his hand as he made a fist and slowly started to pull back towards himself. She could feel everything within herself being compressed and then pulled. She focused in on that feeling as her soul slowly popped out of her chest. Her eyes scrutinized its surface as soon as it was within sight, taking in the fractures that still lightly spider webbed its glassy surface. Sans mimicked Hope as he took in his lovely little soul. To his relief, it appeared that the majority of the superficial cracks had been mended. While a few of the more serious ones were beginning to fill in.

“The big crack is still there.” His eye lights darted up to meet her saddened ones. He knew it was disheartening to see concrete proof of her fragile existence. How close she still was to shattering and becoming nothing more a memory in this lifetime. It was just as hard for him to look at it. Being reminded of how little time they had before he had to make her make a decision. It would be so much easier for both of them if she would just fully bond with him. 

“The other cracks are starting to fill in.” He said hopefully trying to give her something positive to focus on. “That’s something right? Oh, no, no sweetheart wait.” He said as he cupped his hand underneath the slowly sinking soul being careful not to touch it. “Listen, we already knew it was going to be there. That it wasn’t going to heal unless you leave this plane of existence or fully bond with a monster from this existence.” Her eyes darted back up to meet his eye lights. Her eyes were slight misty from unshed tears. Her fear and sadness swirled around him.

“I know but… I was hoping…”

“I know.” He scooted a little closer to her so that he could rest his hand on her knee in support. “I was kinda hoping to see it starting to heal as well.” She shrugged halfheartedly at his attempt to soothe her. He squeezed her knee gently. “I mean it sweetheart. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to ya.”

“I know.” There was a moment of silence as Sans debated on what to say next. Should he bring up them bonding? Probably not, at this moment it might only push her away. A distraction might be the way to go then. 

“Are you feeling for your soul?” Her eyes snapped up and refocused on him and then on her soul. No, she had forgotten about why they were doing this to begin with. She cleared her mind the way Asgore had been instructing her to do so earlier. It took her a few moments but by the time she was able to fully focus in on the little glowing heart in front of her it had started to rise back up to rest above her chest where it had originally started. Sans slowly shifted his hand away, pulling it to rest back in his lap. Stars he would never get tired of looking at her beautiful soul, the culmination of her entire being. Its warm swirling colors drawing him in as peace consumed his own soul just by being near hers. Her soul began to pulse out to him, calling his soul forth, it was intoxicating. Now that her emotions weren’t claiming his full attention he could feel the pull of his instincts telling him to claim her. 

Touch her SOUL

Promised I wouldn’t 

She’s so close, she willing

No, she’s not ready

She’s afraid of shattering I can fix that

I can make her whole

make her feel safe

I should be protecting her

I should be finishing the bond to keep her alive

He snatched his hand out of the air. His phalanges coming within a few inches of grazing her soul. He started to breathe heavily, despite that fact that it was unnecessary for him, and he clenched his fists in his lap. His body became tense as he fought the urge to call his own soul forth. Thankfully she hadn’t notice his almost slip up. He desperately did not want to lose the trust he had gained over their time together and braking this promise most certainly would have done that. He shifted his gaze from her tantalizing soul to her eyes as she focused singly on the little heart. 

She could feel it! It was so intense compared to the other times she had felt it. It had to be because she was focusing solely on the feeling of her own soul rather than those that were watching it. It was like every sensation at once. Overloading her senses, and a tingling rush that was flowing throughout her being. She could even feel as it began to twirl with her excited concentration. Pulsing out as if calling for something… something that she needed… but she easily pushed that feeling aside to concentrate on how excited she was. If she could remember this feeling tomorrow, then she might be able to feel it while it was still nestled within her. Which meant she might actually be able to begin working on her magic! She smiled pleased with herself, she was so glad that she had agreed to do this. Asgore would be so impressed with her progress tomorrow. She let go of her concentration and looked up at Sans ready to thank him… and instantly froze.

His eye lights were sharp pinpricks of light, his grin was wide and stretched tight giving him a fearsome look as his fangs were on full display. His hands were clenched in his lap and his whole body looked strained with the force of holding himself in place. Without her constant focus pushing away his feelings, they suddenly flooded through the link. Fear, anger, frustration, arousal, and longing swept through her like a hurricane. It was so overwhelming and confusing she wasn’t sure which feelings were his and which were her own, or even if she could feel her own feelings. His were so overpowering it was possible that his feelings might be all that she was feeling. A heavy tugging pulled her attention back to her soul. Was Sans tugging it? She looked back at him. No, he was still holding himself tensely. She looked back down at her soul to catch a shift in its ever-changing surface. A pulse rippled through it and a warmth radiated outward. She felt another tug that was simultaneously painful and yet pleasing, setting her nerves aflame. It left a yearning in her for something, but she wasn’t exactly sure what. Wait, she knew that feeling! It was what she had been feeling more recently when she was with Sans or even without him as of recently. It was like her soul was pulling towards him, calling almost. But it was so much stronger right now, distracting. Why? Because it was out? Wait… if it was her soul doing it… did that mean she was doing it? Did she really want to join that badly with Sans or was it just because they were already partially bonded? A deep rumble startled her from her thoughts and her eyes darted back up to Sans. 

Heat pooled in her lower abdomen as his look turned from strained to heated and another low rumble vibrated through the air, a growl now that she was paying attention. His eye lights snapped up to meet hers. 

“Oh shi-”

He cut her off as he pounced forward, she dropped to her right managing to fling herself off the bed and onto the floor just before he collided with the headboard. She scrambled backwards as his eye sockets narrowed down at her. She searched his gaze but couldn’t find a trace of the male she knew. He separated his teeth only to click them back shut and she backpedaled faster at the display. She continued to backpedal as he stood from the bed and quickly advanced on her. Arousal and fear was an extremely confusing mix as she struggled to understand if those were her feelings or his. She fought instinct that was torn between running like a frightened rabbit and meeting Sans head on and instead tried to focus back in on her soul. Maybe if she could pull it back within her chest he’d snap out of it. She squeaked as she suddenly ran out of room and bumped into the wall behind her. Sans dropped to his knees in front of her and grabbed her ankle. With little to no effort, he tugged her towards and slightly underneath him. He hunched over her smaller frame, his hands resting on either side of her head peering down at her.

“Sans!” She tried calling him back into the present. A pleased growl escaped him at hearing his name on her tongue. He lowered himself, maneuvering around her soul to press his body against hers. Needing to feel a physical connection. Her soul danced above their heads, spinning rapidly in the air. Though whether it was from excitement or anxiousness Hope wasn’t sure. Her startled blue-gray eyes caught his eye lights and he seemed to hesitate. Hope could feel relief washing over her confusing emotions until she felt another tug from her soul and watched as another pulse rippled out, breaking whatever spell Sans had momentarily been caught in and at the same time causing heat to pool within her. His right eye went dark and his left eye blazed to life, a startling blue eye appeared flashing to yellow every few seconds. A blue glow erupted behind his teeth and Hope watched in horrified fascination as a long blue tongue darted out from his separated teeth. Stunned she could only stare as he dipped his head down. A warm wet pressure followed by a tingling buzz that she was beginning to recognize as his magic ran up her neck snapping her out of her daze. Her eyes snapped shut and her hips bucked up against her will.

“Wait!” She had to do something. She wasn’t ready! She wasn’t ready! She felt her soul stutter in her anxiousness. Sans stiffened above her, his mates anxious fear helped to clear some of the haze that had taken over his mind. Hope breathed a sigh of relief as Sans advances halted. It was enough for her to hone in on her soul and once she felt she had a decent hold on it she tugged with all her might. The little heart disappeared between them, sinking back within her body. She could feel it resting back within her chest making her feel whole once again.

Sans shot slightly up, his chest no longer resting against hers. Confusion was written across his face as he searched her face. His eye sockets narrowed for a moment as he tried to understand what exactly was happening through the fog that was slowly receding within his mind. Hope panted beneath him, feeling as if she had just run a mile. She didn’t even have the energy to feel ashamed by how badly Sans display had affected her as she restrained her body from arching up to meet his to gain some physical contact back. His blue eye disappeared and his soft eye lights returned and suddenly his worried expression was hovering over her. His body lifted off of her completely and she whined at the loss, so very, very confused with herself. He hovered over her as he brought a hand up to hold her cheek.

“Hope, what did I…? I didn’t…?”

“I-I’m fine. I-It’s okay.”

“I… shit! No, it’s not okay! Stars I’m sorry I didn’t-”

“Sans, it’s okay, really. Nothing happened.” He continued to frown down at her. Something had indeed happened, he might not remember exactly what he had done while his mind had become overcome with a single-minded need but he could make an educated guess as to what he had been aiming to do. And the stench of fear and arousal was enough to help him confirm his thoughts as well as make him ill. Anger and sadness swirled within him, how could he lose himself like that? How could he let it go that far to where his mate had feared him?

“It’s not okay. Don’t you understand what almost happened? I wasn’t in control, I could have-”

“I know!” She yelled to cut him off, his attention snapped from his self-loathing and back to her. She wasn’t going to let him think like that. Sans would never force her, at least not willingly. She knew that, and even when he got lost in his instincts he had never hurt her, and she didn’t think he ever would, at least not physically. Besides, it had been her soul calling out to him. She had wanted it… despite her own worries and fears, a large part of herself had wanted him to continue. Frustrated with her mixed thoughts and feelings she forced her voice to soften for him. 

“I know, but that’s not what would have happened.” The look he was giving her let her know that he didn’t believe her in the slightest. She reached forward and wrapped her arms around his spine and pulled him back down to press against her. Knowing that he needed the comfort just as much as she did. He resisted her pull for a moment, still upset with himself for losing control before finally giving in and sinking back down into her soft body. Needing the physical contact and reassurance. He was careful not to squish her as he tucked his arms under her shoulders and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He let her calming scent waft over him. The fear that had mixed with her sent dissipating. Settling him and pulling him fully back from his unsteady mindset. That had been too close for comfort. He’d have to be more careful around her. He did not want to have an unwilling mate, so forcing her even if he was lost to instincts was out of the question. 

There was to be no more soul pulling out he decided. Not when they were alone and certainly not until she had decided on what she was going to do. He just couldn’t risk it anymore. Not if he was going to react that way. He had to be able to keep control of himself. His own soul pulsed weakly at the thought of losing any sort of connection with his mate and a sad longing seeped into every part of his bones, draining him of any energy he had left. He sagged against Hopes soft body his thoughts of disdain for himself mixing with the sad longing as his soul called out again weakly.

Hope frowned beneath him. Something didn’t feel right. Sans didn’t feel right. And then she felt it, a weak pulse rippled out, calling to her. Her hands fisted in his shirt. Was that his soul calling out to her? It felt so sad… so alone. She instantly clutched Sans harder to herself nuzzling her cheek against the back of his skull. Needing to comfort him. 

“Sans.” A lack of response from him prompted her to call again. “Hey, bone boy.” She smiled softly as a muffled grunt indicated that he was listening. “Please don’t beat yourself up about this. I’m fine, you’re fine, we’re all good.” Silence greeted her and she feared she might not be able to pull him out of his sadness the way that he normally did for her. And the loneliness… he had never felt that way before. Was he afraid she was just going to leave him because of what happened? She wouldn’t just leave him over something like that! He should know better… oh… wait… but she was going to be leaving him… as soon as she could go home she’d be leaving him. Oh, gods what was she doing? All this time he had been taking care of her emotionally, making sure her sadness never lingered and what had she been doing? Absolutely nothing except taking his help and just leaving him to wonder if she was going to be staying or not. Gods, she felt like such a bitch. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to give up going home but she could at least give him the time of day and actually talk with him and consider her options instead of dodging them. Determination washed through her.

“Come on Sans.” Hope said as she patted his shoulder blade. “Let’s get into bed.” When he didn’t move she patted him again. “Come on bone boy, the floor’s uncomfortable and I’d rather snuggle on something soft.” Sans eased back slowly his brow bones forward in confusion.

“You still want to sleep with me?” His uncertainty shot an unpleasant amount of disbelief and sadness through her and she ached to have this confident snarky attitude back.

“Of course I do. How else am I going to stay warm at night?” 

“But after I…?”

“Sans.” She quickly cut him off before looking away from him unable to meet his eyes as her cheeks turned warm. “Believe it or not I may have, sort of, kind of… enjoyed it.” Shock hit her emotions through their link and she stubbornly refused to look at him as she felt his gaze burn a hole through her face.

“What? But the fear?”

“Well, I…” She cleared her throat trying to regain her voice as it began to squeak. “I’ve never… I mean I’m… I haven’t…”

“Wait wait wait wait wait are… are you telling me you’ve never had sex before?” Hopes face turned a beet red and Sans watched with mild fascination as the color continued past her cheeks and crept all the way down her neck.

“Well, what did you expect?!” She replied indignantly. “I did say no one had ever taken an interest in me before!” 

“Yeah but… Oh…” Well, suddenly her reactions to his advances made sense. How she’d skirt away from him or dodge his advances by changing subjects. Or how easily she’d get flustered over little things… fuck and he had almost just… but she had wanted it… she had wanted it! Fuck where did that leave him now? Continue his advances or back off? Seeing her trying to duck her head down to avoid his gaze helped him lean more towards backing off. She was obviously uncomfortable talking about it. But stars she was completely untouched! That was almost completely unheard of in a bonded couple. Sex was pretty common amongst monsters, and most bonded pairs didn’t find each other until later in life. So finding a partner that had never gotten intimate before was a rarity.

If anything, the thought that only he would ever touch her in that way set his desire and his protectiveness ablaze. Fuck, if they ever did fully bond he wouldn’t be able to tolerate anyone making a pass at her even if it was all in good fun with someone they were close with… not that that was common amongst monsters. A bond was sacred after all, but crazier things have happened. 

He shifted his weight to remove himself from her, standing up he reached down to grab the hand she held out and helped to pull her to her feet. He smiled, relieved that she wasn’t truly mad at him for what had happened, and stars she enjoyed it! He couldn’t keep his excitement down at this little bit of news. He laced his phalanges with her fingers and led her back towards the bed. He climbed in and held up the covers for her to join him. She slipped in beside him and snuggled into his chest. So very thankful that she was able to pull him out of his sadness. Sans flicked his hand and the lights turned off, bathing them in darkness. He breathed a sigh of contentedness and the dull ache in his SOUL lessened slightly as she nuzzled herself against his sternum. His arms wrapped around her and his hand shifted to run through her soft hair in long slow strokes.

She was still embarrassed, she couldn’t believe she had to tell him that! But she was glad that he felt back to his old self again. The sadness and loneliness gone from their link. She smiled as she felt her soul pulse slowly in time with his, the call was weak right now and lacked the pain she had been feeling recently but she could feel his soul! What had changed? Her mind slowly began to drift as his phalanges continued to run soothingly through her hair. It wasn’t long before she was surrendering to sleep.

                                                                                                                      - -

To say Sans got little to no sleep was the biggest understatement of the entire underground. He was lucky if he had gotten even an hour of sleep, his mind had been racing between different thoughts the entire night. About what he had done and what he had almost done and how much he regretted it… and also about Hope’s admission. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around it. He knew she was close in age to him, at least if he was counting by human standards. Which meant she was young but she wasn’t that young. Did humans regard sex differently? Was it something that wasn’t done until later in their life? That was a good possibility and something he would look for when he started reading the books he had picked up from Alphys. Surely at the very least, she had at least thought of it before, stars he hoped so. Otherwise, he might be dead in the water. 

His tired eye lights flickered down to rest on her peacefully sleeping face. She was still tucked against his rib cage sleeping soundly, her hand resting against his sternum. He loved watching her sleep, she looked so peaceful and innocent, the anxiety, sadness, and fear absent from their link and her scent. Those negative emotions were slowly disappearing from their everyday life but occasionally they would still linger. Feeling her relaxed against him, feeling safe and contented as she slept was the closest thing to heaven as he was going to get right now, so he always lingered when waking her up. Though his brother was pretty good about waking them up before he even got a chance to watch her sleep. He unwrapped his arm from her torso and lightly trailed the tips of his fingers from her shoulder down the curve of her waist to the swell of her hip. She looked so different from the bipedal monsters he was more accustom to and yet so very similar. Either way, she was absolutely beautiful to him. He rested his palm against her hip resisting the urge to let his hand wander down the rest of her curves. He didn’t want to wake her up just yet and he was sure if she woke up to him running his hand over her body she might actually hit him. And after last night he didn’t want to foster the feeling of unease he had pulled from her any more than he already had.

But she had enjoyed it.

That thought was going to haunt him until they bonded he was sure of it. That little admittance from her had done some wonderful things to him and yet at the same time made him feel terrible. She had been afraid. He had caused it either directly with his actions or indirectly with the possibility of what might have happened, he wasn’t sure which. Regardless he had smelt her fear in the air, had felt it. He hated that he had made her feel that way, hated that some small more instinctive part of him had relished in it. He had wanted the chase, had wanted the chance to hunt her down and then claim her. 

But she had enjoyed it

Would she still have enjoyed it if she had run and he had given chase? He wasn’t so sure and he was certain he would never bring it up to her.

But she had enjoyed it

Yes, but why? He had been lost to his instincts. Why had she enjoyed it? Did she prefer his more forward approach? If so then why did she always shy away from him with his more subdued approach? UGH! Why were females so confusing! Still, he was extremely grateful he had found himself with a mate that could not only handle his more instinctive side but enjoyed it. But he supposed that was probably why their soul’s were able to sync in the first place. 

He pulled his hand from her hip and raised it to her hair. Gently he ran his phalanges through the soft stands. Observing the way the strands separated to let his bones slip through them as he trailed them down to where the strands ended before repeating the process. Where did that leave him now? Continue his advance as he had been? Which was probably the safest option at this point. Pull back to give her some space? … No, definitely not. Or perhaps he should increase his advances. This one was probably the riskiest option out of all of them but if she had enjoyed what had happened last night… no, he couldn’t do that. What if he ended up scaring her again. He sighed frustrated with himself. It was times like these that he really wished he had gone about this bonding right. Not that it would have been a possibility, what with her soul almost shattering without a tether. But still, it would have been nice to get to know her without the constant threat of his instincts taking over his sanity.

His eye lights focused back to Hope’s eyes as they fluttered open. His smile softened as she blinked back sleepiness and looked at him with dazed eyes. Fuck she was adorable. He pulled his hand from her hair and rested it back on her hip. It took her a few seconds but he could see the way her eyes brightened with awareness. They darted from his face to his chest, then his hand, then back to his face. He chuckled warmly as she became flustered and buried her face into his sternum.

“Mornin bright eyes.”

“Morning.” Her reply was muffled by the shirt she was currently pressed against. “Were you watching me sleep?” She asked nervously in a higher pitched tone.

“Hmm? What’s that? I can’t hear you.”

“Fucking bony pain in my ass.”

“Nope couldn’t hear that either.” He teased as he briefly tightened the hand on her hip. She jerked against him in response before scrambling backward. He tightened his grip sliding his hand back around her torso so she couldn’t escape him. She cursed as she pushed against his sternum and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. “Not sure where you’re going sweetheart but you might not want to waist your energy.” He emphasized his play on words by gently squeezing her side. “Besides you’ve got a bone-“

“Sans, I swear to god-”

“-afide snuggler right here.” Hope let loose a strangled exasperated noise as she stopped struggling to get out of his grasp to smack his sternum in protest. He laughed as he pulled her back against his body. 

“Why are you such a pain in the ass?”

“Probably because I don’t have one.”

“So you need to be one?!”

“Yeah, I gotta compensate for what I don’t have.” Another strangled noise left her as he laughed. She buried her face back into his chest in a mix of embarrassment and irritation as she waited until he stopped laughing before she repeated her earlier question.

“So… were you watching me sleep?”

“Yeah, why?” He quirked a brow bone as embarrassment became the dominating feeling between their link. 

“Why?!”

“Because you're adorable when you sleep.”

“What?! No! I am not! How often do you do that?!” 

“Yes you are, and you’re being especially adorable right now.”

“Shut up! I am not adorable!”

“Yeah you-”

“Sans!”

“Alright, alright if it makes you feel better then you are moderately cute.” She practically growled at him and he chuckled at her expense. He began to rub soothing circles over her back. “I normally watch you whenever I wake before ya.”

“Oh gods please don’t.”

“Well, then you better start waking up before me.” She smacked his sternum again in response.

“HEY! IF YOU TWO ARE AWAKE THEN YOU SHOULD STOP BOONDOGGLING AND GET UP! THE MORNING IS WASTING AWAY.” Hope’s startled laugh accompanied his own low laughter.

“A’right Pap’s were getting up!”

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

“Excellent child, you have made great progress in such little time.” Hope flusters at the praise shifting comfortably from her seated position across form Asgore, their positions mirroring the day before. She berates herself silently as he beams down at her. She might be happy that she was able to make such quick progress, but she was furious with herself on how she had been able to make said progress. She had been incredibly irresponsible last night. She had known what might happen, had seen for herself what might happen weeks ago. The first time she had her soul out in front of Sans while they were alone. And yet she had ignored that small voice in her head telling her it was a bad idea just for the hopes of her being able to learn a little more about her Soul and her magic. Hoping that she could become better than what she already was… and it had almost cost her big time… in more ways than one. 

Sitting before Asgore now, in this serene place, being praised for her mistaken accomplishment just felt so… wrong. The second day of her training was going rather well compared to her first attempt. It had only taken a good fifteen minutes or so to calm her body and mind down enough to sense her SOUL seated within her. When she had been able to, she had felt excited and a sense of accomplishment had welled within her. But it had quickly been dashed as her mind shifted back to the course of the night before.

Yes, despite her happiness she was still incredibly bothered by what had happened. And no amount of apologizing to Sans or the hours of silently berating herself could change that. Sure Sans acted normally this morning, had even taken some of the blame and had apologized back. Telling her there was nothing to worry about, but she could feel a lingering guilt within their bond bouncing back and forth between them. It was muted, but it was there and it was her fault. She knew what risks she was taking by accepting his offer but she had just brushed them aside. That had been a big mistake on her part and one she wasn’t going to make again. Seeing Sans spiral out of control had done weird things to her. Things she wasn’t ready to think about let alone admit to herself, but the aftermath… feeling him sink down into a darker mood then she had ever felt him, seeing him dip out of his normally snarky and confident self, had been utterly heart-wrenching. She did not want to be the cause of that ever again. She wasn’t entirely sure what to consider their relationship but as of this moment they were at the very least friends. She didn’t have too many friends growing up but she took care of the friends that she did have and he was no different. She would find a way to make this better and she would make sure it never happened again.

She just had to figure out this whole bonding thing, surely that would help her to avoid other disasters. Sure she knew the basics but there was a lot she felt like she was missing when it came to the knowledge of soul bonding. Like for instance the pain she was feeling. She could not remember if Sans or Toriel had even mentioned soul pain. Was it normal to feel pain when she was away from Sans? Did Sans feel it too? She hoped not, she wouldn’t wish this type of uncomfortable pain on anyone. She mentally sighed, frustrated with her lack of knowledge. She would just have to find some time alone with Toriel to ask these types of questions. She would ask Sans… but not only did that cause embarrassment to flash through her, doing so just seemed like another opening for another misunderstanding, or maybe even a repeat of the night before. Nope! No, she would just wait till she could talk to Toriel.

“You are a natural child. I told you there was no need to worry.” Asgore practically beamed down at her drawing her out of her thoughts and back into the present. She shifted uncomfortably again unable to look him in the eye. Asgore’s genuine smile slipped into a more uncomfortable frown as he looked down at Hope, confused by her reaction. She had been so frustrated yesterday when she had made little to no progress in the way of feeling her own magic and now that she had made progress, quite quickly, in fact, she seemed less than enthusiastic about it. He eyed her carefully taking in her hunched shoulder and unwillingness to meet his eyes. His own eyes narrowed slightly in thought. He had been reading people for a very long time. Usually getting a feel for the person or the situation in order to be diplomatic with his dealings. He wasn’t always right in his readings and sometimes his anger could blind him from the right course of action, but it was something that he had been doing for so long it was just as natural as breathing. And now was no different. And what sat before him was a tense, confused, and guilty child. It didn’t take a genius to understand something had happened in the span of time he had last seen her, and her progress was proof of that, but he still felt a broken bond between her and Sans. So something else had happened.

“You must have spent some time training last night.” He hedged. He watched with keen eyes as she fidgeted and her eyes darted up to meet his only to dart away again within seconds.

“Uh… yeah…”

“And you may have received outside help?” She visibly cringed.

“Yeah…” Asgore hummed in thoughtful consideration. Whatever had happened between Sans and his new ward had been significant enough to affect her while training but not damaging enough for him to have noticed that something was off during breakfast. They sat in silence as Asgore debated his options. Quite honestly he didn’t want to get in the middle of whatever was going on. Neither of them had seemed hurt or bothered by the other's presence at breakfast. So whatever had happened couldn’t have been that bad and would most likely sort itself out over time. And yet… he felt a sort of responsibility to this human to make sure that nothing significant did happen. It was times like this that he usually deferred to Toriel. She was far better at pinning the problem down and nipping it in the butt. Not to mention her social skills and her innate ability at helping people emotionally.

“Would you… like to talk about it?” He asked hesitantly, slightly out of his element because despite the feeling that he felt some sort of responsibility for this human, he, in fact, knew very little about her. Hope’s head shot up to look at him surprised and he almost winced as the honest surprise and confusion plain on her face. He supposed he deserved that reaction. “That is if you are comfortable talking to me about such matters.” He added quickly.

“I, uh, well?” He stayed silent letting her decide if she wanted to talk to him or not about whatever was clearly bothering her. “N-no, not really. Everything’s alright for the most part now.” He sighed in relief. “But uh... I’ve… been meaning to ask about getting back home…” His relived sigh stuttered and his lungs stopped taking in air for a moment. His body tensed as dread filled him. Darn it, he wanted to have this talk while Toriel was present.

“Ah, yes… well, you see… we’re not exactly sure how possible that will be.” Asgore’s voice was calm with only a hint of unease. His body remained rigid and Hope could tell he was uncomfortable. Slowly she could feel her hopes of seeing her family again deflating. Why on earth had she asked? Why hadn’t she waited until she wasn’t alone with him?

“I have discussed it with Doctor Gaster and he had suggested rebuilding his machine. And while I understand that that might be the only way for you to return home Toriel and myself fear that another accident might occur dragging another, such as yourself into our world.” 

“So you’re telling me you’re not even going to try? That I’m just… stuck here?!” Asgore sized Hope up as her body language quickly turned from timid, sad, and unsure to assertive and angry. Her emotion flooded out in full display as her magic flickered around her form, an iridescent glow gently wafting around her form. He wasn’t even sure if she was aware of it. He kept himself calm, understanding where her sudden fury was coming from, but he needed to get control of the situation.

“What I am saying is we are weighing the risks right now. If we decide that it is the only option you have to return to your own world then we will give Doctor Gaster the okay to begin rebuilding his machine. When we do it will most likely take months-“

“Months?!”

“-maybe even a year or more to fully construct and test it out.” Hope looked at him in disbelief. All this time she had thought that she had a chance to get home. She thought she’d only be stuck here for a little while. Just long enough to avoid shattering and maybe avoid getting overly attached to the friends she was making in this world, but it could be years?! How was she supposed to return home after a year of just up and disappearing?! How was she going to explain this to anyone? No one would believe her and she’d have to live her life as if a year or more wasn’t spent away in a far-off land filled with monsters and magic. How the hell was she supposed to do that? How the hell was she going to survive here without shattering? Asgore watched her carefully, he had really hoped to have this conversation later, away from their training so as not to disrupt the flow but the truth was out in the open now. What she chooses to do next would tell him all he needed to know about the next year of her living with them. 

Hope sat in silence. Disbelief, rage, sadness and the feeling of having absolutely no control over anything weighed heavily on her. Suddenly as if something had snapped within her she felt tried. So very tired and broken.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Her voice came out emotionless. Her eyes staring over his shoulder, past him. 

“Toriel and I were hoping to come up with a decision before you inquired about it.”

“But all this time… how could you not tell me?”

“With your soul being so close to shattering we did not want to risk you losing more HOPE.” They sat in a tense silence while Hope absorbed that bit of information. She could practically feel Sans presence on the other side of the door. He must have come when he felt her emotions drop so suddenly. Subtly she could feel lighter emotions invading her own darker emotions through their link. It was strange that he hadn’t barged in yet. Maybe he knew she wasn’t in any real danger? 

He was right though; she probably would have shattered if they had told her before she had gotten closer emotionally with Sans. She wouldn’t have had anything to keep her going. 

“To be fair,” He began quietly wishing to ease the emotions he could feel swirling out from her soul in strong waves. It almost felt like they were on the edge of an encounter and he was hoping to divert her from accidentally setting one off. “We had assumed that you knew that you would be here for a long period of time.”

“How would I know if you never told me?”

“When we asked you to start training to help bring down the barrier. I had assumed you understood that this would take time. This is not something that can be accomplished overnight. We have been trying to escape from our prison for centuries now. We thought that by you agreeing to train, meant that you understood that training would take time.”

“I-I didn’t realize, I-I just thought…” What had she thought? That training would only be a few days? That because she apparently had magic and a strange soul that she was something special that could just shatter the barrier on her first try? That maybe she would be the savior they had been waiting for. Brought from another world wielding magic to help the monster race escape, and once her adventure was over she’d return home. Gods, when did she start thinking of her life as a video game? She felt so stupid and lost. Why was she even here? She clearly wasn’t even smart enough to consider the amount of time she was going to need to train nor had she even considered training while she had already been here for weeks. Gods she hated herself.

“Do you still wish to help us?”

“Wha-I” She looked at him startled from her dark brooding not ready to hear the hard tone in his voice.

“Do you still wish to help us?” He repeated himself steadily.

“Well… I…” Did she? Well… yeah of course she did. And despite her thoughts only moments before she did have magic and she wanted to help. And…  and they felt she actually could help them. She who had been nothing in her other life, she who fucked up everything every chance she got. She had a chance to do something great here, and they believed in her… “yeah… yeah, I do.”

“Then that's all that matters.”

“But what about-”

“That's all that matters.” His voice softened at her lost expression. “We will work together to hone your magic to break the barrier. Even if I give the go-ahead today to build the machine. It will still take a minimum of a few months to half a year before it will be completed. So in the meantime, we shall continue to work together to break the barrier until the machine is completed. And when it is completed if you still wish it, barrier broken or not, you may go home.”

“I…” Hope looked down at her hands, the choice was obvious and her mind was already made up. But shock from his statement kept her silent. He was really going to just let her go if she was unable to break the barrier? No questions asked? That she hadn’t been expecting. And he was right, if she was stuck here anyway she might as well follow through with her promise and not worry about anything else until the time arises. If she was able to do that, focus solely on her purpose, then she might be able to make it through the next couple of months without breaking down. A shift in the air had her turning slightly to look at the door behind her. She could feel Sans magic spreading into the room as a muted happiness was followed swiftly by worry and irritation as it shifted through their link and began to cover her own emotions. Hope smiled ruefully at Sans’ conscious effort to keep a happy emotion flowing through their link despite his own worries starting to take over. Most likely in an attempt to soothe her own emotions. Why did he have to be so sweet? He was going to make it hard to leave if the option ever did present itself. She responded to his worrying by sending a soothing wave of contentedness back through their link. Within seconds his worry began to fade and she smiled happy that she was able to help calm him.

“Perhaps we should end our session early today. I do not believe your mate is going to give us time to pick up where we left off.”

“Probably not.” Hope stood and brushed herself off. Knocking dirt and grass from her pants. “For the record, I’m still upset that you didn’t tell me this sooner.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him because, despite everything, she still felt a sting of betrayal at the fact that they withheld such important information from her. It was then that Asgore realized he may have found himself back at square one as far as their relationship was concerned. It left a bitter taste in his mouth but there was not much he could do about it.

“I am sorry child.” She nodded, still unwilling to look at him as she quickly made her way towards the door ready to flee from this situation.

                                                                                                             - -

So far it looked like he was in luck. Human women were in fact very similar to the bipedal monsters that he was more familiar with. With perhaps only a handful of differences, the best in his opinion was a small bundle of nerves that seemed to only have one purpose, and boy was he going to exploit that when he got the chance. The way he understood it, it would be as if a lover was stroking their soul. Which was fantastic because Hope had responded wonderfully to soul touching as well. That left him two potential areas he knew he could focus on whenever they became more intimate. He could feel his magic starting to buzz with excitement just thinking about it. 

His eye lights darted back over the page finding the place he had left off on and he shoved his magic down with great effort. Now was not the time to think about such things. He only had a short amount of time before Hope would be done with her training and he wanted to be near her. Not only to help with the pain that was slowly starting to consume his soul but to just be around her. He was finding the more time he spent with her the more he genuinely found himself attracted not only to her body and soul but to her personality as well. She was an odd mix of adorably awkward and irritated wit, and he couldn’t be more pleased whenever she’d quickly snap back to his banter with a sharp wit of her own. Or when she’d shy away from him whenever he was too bold. Her flushed face avoiding his gaze as she’d stutter. He chuckled at that, pleased he could pull such a reaction from her. He also didn’t want her becoming suspicious of him suddenly deciding to give her more space just to disappear for a while. Sure he’d just be reading, trying to learn more about her. But he wasn’t sure what she would think he was doing, and there was no way he was actually going to tell her what he was doing. He really, really did not want to be caught by her with these books. That would be beyond embarrassing.

His mind strayed to his mate. Her mixed feeling swirling around him. Despite what had happened last night there seemed to be no large change in Hope’s demeanor while she was with him. Well, maybe besides being just a tad more skittish and forlorn with herself around him. At first, he thought that the skittishness had been out of fear and he had berated himself. But quickly dismissed that her skittishness was caused by fear when all he really felt coming from their link was embarrassment and maybe a little bit of nervousness. He was baffled at first until he caught her staring at him while they were at breakfast. As soon as he had made eye contact she had flushed a light pink and looked away. That wasn’t too abnormal but her staring at his teeth was. It didn’t occur to him at first but now that he was alone reading over the books that Alphys had given him, that the thought had occurred to him. Perhaps she had been looking for the tongue he had manifested last night. Surely that's what she had been looking for. That made him chuckle, perhaps he should have displayed his magic in that fashion sooner. He probably would have if he had known it would have affected her that way. It was like her curiosity and embarrassment were warring together, and she wasn’t sure how to act. Perhaps she didn’t know he could manifest parts of his body that were lacking for certain occasions? Not that she would because he had never mentioned it but still… he laughed quietly to himself when he thought of the reaction he would get from her once he manifested a-

Rage

Sadness 

Fear

He startled, almost knocking his chair backwards, shocked by the swift change in emotions. Something was wrong. He flashed out of his room and reappeared in the hallway he had found Hope in the day before. He knew the room she and Asgore used for training was close, he just didn’t know how close. His soul called out to Hope, hoping to pinpoint her location. A weak pulse responded a short distance away. He moved quickly down the hall while channeling comforting emotions through their link. Whenever he wasn’t sure of where she was he’d always call out to her soul and like any other soul bond she’d respond. It was odd the first few times he had done it, it was like she didn’t even know what was happening and she always seemed irritated that he could find her so quickly. It wasn’t until the third time he had done it that he realized that she didn’t know she was responding to his calls, could barely even feel it when he called to her. He would have been more disheartened by that fact if it hadn’t given an extra edge when it came to her trying to avoid him that first week and a half. Besides, it did give him some comfort to know that even though she wasn’t actively calling back to him, that she was still instinctively calling back to him. So whether she acknowledged it or not, her soul had already accepted him fully as her mate. 

He made a left at the end of the hall and ended up in front of a door. He reached for the door prepared to barge in but paused. While Hope’s emotions were not necessarily good they had stopped spiraling down. He held himself steady, her fear had dissipated so she wasn’t in any actual danger but her darker emotions were still a cause for concern.

She needs you, to hell with Asgore’s wants

You promised not to intervene

He snarled in irritation. Yeah, yeah he remembered, give Hope and Asgore space to work. Didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to tear the door off its hinges. He slowly pulled his hand away from the door and let his arms drop to his sides. His hands clenching into fists. Without an actual excuse, he had to respect their wishes, especially after last night. He didn’t want to keep overstepping her boundaries. And with her emotions beginning to settle he didn’t have an excuse. He paced back and forth restlessly, doing his best and failing at keeping his cool. He could feel that she was becoming more okay as her emotion tapered off to a numb sadness and anger, but he wouldn’t be able to completely calm down until he saw her with his own eyes. Once he knew she was physically okay then he would dig for what had caused those emotions. He had felt her angry before but never rage. It was kind of unsettling that his sweet little mate was capable of such a raw strong emotion when she had never displayed so before, and he wanted to know what in the Underground could have caused his docile little mate such a strong emotion. Obviously, it had to have been something Asgore had said. But what could he have possibly said? Sans had been getting along better with him as of recently and it seemed like after yesterday Hope was more open to him as well. So what on earth had happened?

His magic slipped the leash of his control and swelled out reaching for her. He could feel another slight pulse from her soul before a feeling of comfort swept over his anxious feelings, helping to settle him. She was okay… and stars… she had comforted him. He wasn’t even aware that she had enough control over their link to do that. Pride and happiness swelled within him. 

The door swung open suddenly and his happiness dimmed at her exhausted and beat down expression. His eye lights briefly met Asgore’s saddened golden ones before Hope closed the door behind her.

“Sweetheart what-” Before he could finish his sentence she was leaning into him wrapping her arms around his rib cage and clinging to him. Startled by the sudden physical contact that she had initiated, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her comfortingly pulling her closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, worry crept up his spine as her emotions seemed to mute themselves. She had never been able to hide her emotions from him, was she learning how? Or was she just trying to not feel them herself?

“What happened?”

“Can we talk about it later? Please?” She was just so exhausted. She didn’t even know how to feel at this moment and as a result, she felt kind of… numb. She closed her eyes and nuzzled closer to Sans’ warm hard bones, breathing in his comforting scent. She sighed relieved when he rested his head against hers and began to rub her back in soothing circles.

“Sure.” He was beyond worried now, but physically she was okay and she was seeking comfort from him. So he let the issue drop with every intention of dragging it out of her later.

“Can… can we move… please.” She did not want to be anywhere near Asgore right now. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide.

“Yeah, just hold on tight sweetheart. I know a shortcut.” A sensation of being weightless then suddenly falling as an absolute emptiness pulled at her entire being nearly pulled a scream from her, but it was over as soon as it had started. She clung to him tighter, her hands fisted in his hoodie. Sans continued to rub soothing circles on her back as her body shook against him with the sudden surge of adrenaline from the unexpected fear of being everywhere and nowhere at once. “Hey, it’s alright, you’re safe.”  

“What the fuck was that?!” 

“A, uh… shortcut?” 

“And what the hell is a… why are we in the library?” Her eyes darted around the large room filled with books. Trying to comprehend the fact that she had just been in a corridor near the back of the castle. It was incredibly disorientating to expect to look up and see one thing and instead be greeted with another. When her mind finally caught up with her shock she pulled away from Sans to look at him. Her hands still clutching his hoodie for a way to ground herself to reality. “Did you teleport us?” She asked breathlessly. Although she had seen him do it a few times before she had never actually thought she would get to experience such a thing. Sans pulled one hand away from her side to rub the back of his head sheepishly. 

“Something like that, you said ya wanted to leave and ya seemed upset so I just moved us quickly… I uh… thought the library would be best. Ya seem ta like it so-” She patted a hand against his sternum interrupting his ramblings and gaining his attention.

“Thank you.” He relaxed instantly and gave an easy smile. His arm dropping back down to rest his hand on her hip.

“Of course sweetheart, you’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah… not much I can do about it anyway.” She ignored his curious look to pull him over to the couch that they would often share whenever they read together. “Come on, I wanna finish what I was reading the other day, it’s been bothering me since I put it down.” He let her pull him over, by way of dragging him by his hoodie. He smiled as he resisted just a little only to have her tug harder. He chuckled at her attempts to move him. She turned back to glare at him before she pulled more forcefully. He came more willingly this time, it was nice having her initiate their closeness for a change and he was taking pleasure in it. She eventually maneuvered him around the couch before placing her hand on his sternum and pushing until he slumped into the couch. He smiled deviously up at her, his brow bones cocked. She flushed under his gaze and quickly turned from him. Behind her rested a new coffee table that Toriel had recently added. On it lay a small stack of books Hope had set aside because she had been interested in reading them. She reached forward to grab the top book. The most recent one she had been reading. Sans watched her bend over to reach for whichever book she had last put down and took the moment to admire her curves before reaching out and grasping her hips firmly. She jerked against his sudden hold but he ignored it as he pulled her backwards and into his lap. Her sudden movement was accompanied with a quiet squeak and then an irritated rumble that was close to a growl. He would never get tired of the sounds she could make.

“Was that really necessary?” He grinned into her hair as her voice raised an octave higher.

“Absolutely.” She huffed but settled into his lap, wiggling exaggeratedly above him to situate herself into a more comfortable position and to bodily voice her irritation. He held back a groan, placing his hands on her hips to help still her from rubbing more of herself against him. It wasn’t that he wasn’t enjoying it because stars he was thoroughly enjoying it. But she had just been upset! It just didn’t really seem right to let her continue. Hope looked back to see Sans face tinted a light blue and she flushed with the sudden realization of what she had just done. Turning from him she rested more carefully into his lap. Once she was nestled against him more comfortably he released her hips and wrapped his arms around her waist to rest loosely around her.

“So what are we reading?”

“I am reading ‘What the echo flowers say’ you apparently are going to read nothing.”

“Psh isn’t that a romance novel.”

“What’s your point?” She clutched the book to her chest in defense. He chuckled, amused by her immediately defensive nature. It wasn’t like she hadn’t read one before but her reaction whenever he brought it up was too adorable not to poke fun at. 

“Is it at least a good one?” She looked back at him.

“Well, yeah so far-”

“So it has some saucy parts then?” He wiggled his brow bones at her suggestively. She scowled at him as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, then swiftly turned from him. 

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Oh ho ho there is! Lemme see that.” He reached for the book which she pulled away and held at arm’s length. 

“No!” 

“Aww common sweetheart, I’m just curious about what juicy stories you’ve been reading.” He used one arm to press her more firmly against him so she couldn’t escape him as she struggled to keep the book out of his reach. His other arm reached out and tried to grab the book from her flailing arm.

“What?! No!” She could feel him laughing behind her as the tips of his phalanx brushed over the hardcover of the book. She jerked her body against him desperate to keep the book away from his grasp if only to save her from further embarrassment.

“I just want to know what interests ya.” He retorted playfully almost completely grasping the book as her arm flailed a little closer to his reach. 

“Fuck off Sans!” She half laughed half yelled. 

“Goodness what is going on in here?” Hope quietly shirked in surprise and Sans made an odd strangled noise, releasing Hope and letting her tumble to the other side of the couch. His eye flashed cerulean before landing on Toriel’s disapproving figure in the doorway. Her arms crossed over her chest and eyes narrowed, silently judging them. If it wasn’t for the slight gleam in her eye he’d have thought she was genuinely mad at him. He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, the last thing he needed was for Toriel to be mad at him. 

“Stars Tori, make a little noise when you enter a room.” He said holding his sternum to help calm down his frantic soul. They were safe, he had to remind himself, his mate was safe. Hope scrambled up from her position to peek over the couches lip to eye Toriel nervously.

“Would you say I scared the skin off of you?” Toriel asks coyly and Sans couldn’t help but give a relieved laugh. 

“Heh, yeah you could almost say I should have more of a backbone.” An unladylike snort came from Toriel and Sans smile widened in amusement. He felt a slight tug on his soul and an unsettling mixture of anxiousness, sadness, and anger. His eye lights snapped to Hope to find her frowning and ducking down to avoid Toriel’s gaze. Well… that was odd. She had never had a problem with Toriel before, and this morning everything had seemed fine.  

”Glad I goat your attention.” His eye lights slid back to Toriel as she replied cheerfully. He forced his smile to remain easy as she strode forward. Hope shifted closer to him as she approached the couch clearly still uneasy. Sans shifted his weight so he was leaning back against the couch comfortably. His arm came up to wrap around Hope’s shoulders as she nestled into him. It was hard to keep his smile from dipping into a frown when her soul called out to his, anxiously calling out for an escape. He instantly tensed, very much on edge. Her soul was acting as if it was in danger and he could feel his own instincts rising in response. He pulled her closer to his body almost pressing her painfully against him, she came without resistance. He slid his hand lower down her arm, rubbing up and down trying to comfort her. He wasn’t sure what was going on and he wasn’t entirely sure how he should react. Toriel had proven she wasn’t a threat to his mate, had gone out of her way to help her on several occasions. But he couldn’t deny his mates distress.

“Good afternoon my child.” Toriel practically sang. “How was your training today?”

“It was… fine.” His mate was clearly uncomfortable. She huddled closer to his body a frown on her face and her eyes refused to meet Toriel’s. His hand clutched her forearm in response. Toriel seemed to have noticed and hesitated before speaking again. Her voice now a forced cheerfulness.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to learn how to cook some monster dishes? I know you said that you used to enjoy cooking and baking. I thought maybe we could make lunch together?”

“I, uh… m-maybe some other time.”

“Oh? Well… alright dear.” Toriel’s voice came out unsteady. Sweat beaded at the top of his skull as the silence became strained, the sudden tension in the air thick. He desperately wanted an out of this situation and considered just shortcutting out of it.

“Is everything alright my child? If it was Asgore I can have a talk with him.” Hopes hand clenched into his shorts and her shoulder hunched in on herself. 

“I just want to be left alone, please.” 

“Are you sure? I might be able to-”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” Panic blossomed between their link and his need to escape this situation and drag his mate away became overpowering. His grin tugged down into a frown his eye lights meeting Toriel’s shocked violet eyes. Her stricken expression tore at him. Whatever had happened Toriel clearly was as lost as he was. Hope refused to look up from her clenched hands and she was beginning to shake beneath him. They had to leave, she needed to escape, her panic was thick and was making his magic crawl with anxiousness.

“Catch ya later Tori.” He caught a startled expression from her before he pulled Hope and himself into the void.

They dropped onto Hope’s bed. His arms had tightened around her pressing her fully against him and into his lap to keep her protected within the void. She was shaking against him her hands clenched into tight fists clinging to his shirt. Her hands were pinned between their bodies and rubbing against his ribs as her body continued to shake. Her breathing was coming in short gasps and her body was uncomfortably stiff. He was certain if he tried to move her body, to bend it in any way, that it would snap. He pulled away slightly to examine her face. She had her head tilted down refusing to look at him. He moved his hand up to skim the tips of his phalanx underneath her chin, tilting her head up so that she would look at him. Despite the fact that they were in a new environment her panic was still thick.

“Hey, whats-” His eye lights nearly disappeared when he finally got a good look at her. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes looked unfocused. Her breathing which was short and labored made his own panic spike causing her shoulders to hunch more into themselves in response. She wasn’t just breathing hard she was hyperventilating! Fuck! 

“Hope!” His hands gently came up to cup her cheeks, keeping her head tilted in an attempt to get her to look him in the eyes. His thumbs came forward and rubbed her cheeks, smearing the moisture that had gathered there. “Whoa, hey, hey it’s okay.” She didn’t seem to respond to his words or his actions and her continued panic was unsettling. He pulled her back against his rib cage, tucking her head under his chin and against his shoulder-blade. His chest began to rumble soothingly and he wrapped one of his arms around her lower back and his other threaded itself through her golden tresses. Gently running through them in a soothing manner. His soul called out to hers, pulsing gently, reacting to her panic and wishing to sooth. 

There was no danger it pulsed she was safe. 

This seemed different than the normal sadness that she had recently been plagued with and was more reminiscent of the day when they had first met. Though that had not been this severe.  He tried to think back on how he had soothed her last time. But didn’t come up with more than he was already doing. He sighed frustrated with himself, what was he supposed to do? After what felt like a lifetime but was probably only minutes her soul finally responded back to his own. Its stuttering pulse responding to his own soothing one. He clutched her tighter against him, probably painfully against his harder bones, in his relief. Slowly her breathing evened out to weaker gasps and her body became slack against his, a broken sob leaving her. She buried her head in his clothes, burrowing herself closer to his sternum as his chest continued to rumble as she now silently wept against him.

“It’s okay.” His voice rumbled soothingly, his hand continuing to run gently through her hair. “You’re safe. It’s just you and me.” She nodded her head against him and once she was a little more settled, her tears drying out, he ventured to ask. “What was that? Are you okay?”

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Sorry.” He sighed exasperatedly at her lack of an actual answer.

“What happened?”

“Panic attack, they happen occasionally, sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Silence laid between them as Hope held back another apology. “Okay… so why did you have a panic attack?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” And she didn’t. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about what she had found out not so long ago. That she wouldn’t be going home for a long time, if ever. She didn’t want to voice the betrayal she felt over the fact that Toriel and Asgore had kept this from her. Sure she might be able to understand the reasons but that didn’t mean she wasn’t angry and upset about it. But most of all she was afraid of what Sans’ reaction would be. Would he be just as upset as she would be? Probably not, if anything he’d probably be happy that she couldn’t return home, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle that type of betrayal right now. Not from Sans, not from her only rock right now. 

“Ya know you can talk to me about anythin right?” She nodded against his sternum. Sure, she could talk to him about anything, except this… and maybe some more embarrassing things she was not in the frame of mind to think about. “Talking about it might help ya.”

“No.” She responded stubbornly and he was torn between being irritated by her stubbornness or amused at the childish way she had said it.

“No?” He questioned back. Taking on the tone of and amused adult dealing with a child.

“Talking about it makes it worse…” more tears began to stream down her face again. “Makes it more real.” Her voice broke at the end and he suddenly felt terrible for slightly mocking her ‘no’. 

“Alright, we don’t have to talk about it right now. But, I’m going to need to know what’s going on so that I know how to deal with Asgore and Toriel later tonight.” Hope nodded her head still unwilling to meet his gaze. How was she supposed to have this talk with him when she was certain that his response might actually destroy her.

                                                                                                                    - -

Toriel stared blankly at the empty couch that had only moments before been occupied. What had just happened? Why was Hope upset with her? Had she done something wrong? She couldn’t recall having caused any sort of grief before now, and her charge had been so happy only a few hours ago. She could feel her own desperate sadness creeping up on her at the thought of her hurting someone she was starting to see as one of her own took over. Her mind traced back to that one moment of agitation she had picked up from Asgore earlier in the day that had swiftly turned to sorrow before becoming muted. Clearly, he had wanted to spare her from whatever turmoil he had been going through, but he always displayed those emotions whenever their children crossed his mind. So that didn’t seem overly abnormal since that seemed to happen often enough, but perhaps she was missing something. 

She needed to get to the bottom of this. Whatever had happened she was certain she could fix it. With a new purpose, she strode out of the library and began to head towards where her mate was currently training Undyne. She wasn’t sure if he may have been the cause of Hope’s sudden withdrawal from her but he most likely knew something. Hope had spent most of the morning with him after all. That settled she pushed her own hurt down and instead focused on finding a solution.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-

“Alright, so the point is to outlast all of the other players’ money wise. You do this by buying as much property as you can and trading for the ones you need in order to make complete sets. You then build up the sets of property you’ve acquired so that it costs the other players more money when they land on it. You want to collect enough money from the other players landing on your spaces to cause them to go bankrupt. The last one with money wins.”

“ALRIGHT… BUT WHY IS A PIECE YOU CAN PLAY AS A HAT?”

“Ummm… I think that had to do with the character on the original game board.” 

“BUT A HAT CAN NOT PHYSICALLY MOVE PLACES.”

“Yeah, I know, I think it was more just the symbolism, of like a rich guy’s hat…?”

“BUT A HAT CAN NOT PHYSICALLY BUY AND TRADE PROPERTIES.”

“If you have problems with the hat then you definitely do not want to know what some of the other game pieces are.” Hope could barely contain her laughter at the thought of trying to explain the thimble to Papyrus, especially since he was having such a hard time accepting the hat. Papyrus frowned up at her, clearly unappeased by her response and slightly irritated by her mirth at his inquiries.

“WHAT OTHER PIECES COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE CONFUSING THEN THE HAT?”

“At least three of them… Look how about this, once you’re done coloring in the board why don’t you help me finish making up the game pieces? You can design the rest of them so they make more sense to the monsters that live here.” His face physically brightens at the prospect of getting to design the game pieces, and he was probably just as excited to scrap the hat she had worked so hard on, oh well. Hope smiled as he threw himself back into coloring the game board she had sketched up on a large poster board. Reaching over in between them she grabbed another piece of paper then sat back to begin drawing out and writing up the cards. Her eyes casually shifted to the side to take in Sans’ reclined position on top of the bed. Their eyes meeting for a brief second before her eyes darted away still uncertain about how she was going to tell him. 

He was watching them through half hooded eye sockets as they created the game on the floor. Other than providing names for places Sans had been virtually unhelpful about actually creating the game with her. But she wasn’t complaining too much. Papyrus had been more than enough help, and it had given her a chance to spend some one on one time with the little skeleton. Which was nice because she wasn’t able to spend one on one time with him as often as she would like to. Normally Toriel would be around commanding most of his attention (at least now she understood why) or he would be off with Undyne, who was beyond pleased to limit Hope’s time with Papyrus. Spiteful fish bitch…

But today had been a pleasant surprise where the little skeleton was concerned. He had come looking for them after Undyne had left for the day to do their daily ritual of spending family time together. They were supposed to finish that jigsaw puzzle they had been slowly working on with Toriel for the past two days. But thankfully instead she had been able to rope him into helping her create a new game. Something he had been more than excited about. So excited in fact that he hadn’t questioned Toriel’s absence from their time together. It was either that or maybe he had been just as excited as she was to have some alone time with her and his brother. Or at the very least she hoped he was enjoying their time together. Maybe they could even do it more often, just the three of them doing something together. Yeah, that sounded nice. Either way, the whole situation had eased her emotions into a more manageable state and she was currently breathing easier. She kind of suspected that was why Sans was quietly staying out of their way.

They had spent the rest of the day in her bedroom. And so far, no one had come looking for them and she wasn’t sure if she was thankful for that… or if she should be nervous about the next time she would have to actually interact with Toriel and Asgore. She knew where she stood with Asgore. He was going to continue to train her regardless of what was going on, but would Toriel act differently? Hope had practically run from her when she had been trying to offer something that Hope would have genuinely enjoyed. And now she was kind of regretting it. Did that mean the offer was off the table? Was Toriel upset with her? Some part of her was telling her that she shouldn’t care if Toriel was mad at her. She had kept important information from her while still acting like all was well, but the other part of her was worried that she had ruined their relationship. She almost mourned the thought of their relationship coming to a halt so suddenly, losing what they had been slowly working towards. A friendship perhaps?

But probably not anymore… 

She was just so emotionally drained she couldn’t feel much of anything anymore besides just being tired. So very, very tired. She sighed as her mental and emotional fatigue physically manifested itself, making her want to do nothing more than to climb into bed and just sleep for a few days. Maybe even longer… She laid down the sheet of paper with a handful of cards drawn on them, her eyes while looking at the paper gazed right through it.

“Are you okay?” Hope’s attention snapped back to Papyrus, startled by his lower tone, only to realize he must have been staring at her for some time now. It was very rare for the boisterous skeleton to use such a soft tone that it always made her uneasy when she heard him use it. His brow bones were knitted in worry and he bore a frown that made her heart twinge. She felt the instant need to reassure him. She forced a tired smile for his sake trying to ignore the exhaustion she felt.

“Yeah, I’m just really tired.” He looked uncertain and she silently pleaded with him not to push further because she wasn’t sure if she would be able to lie to the sweet little skeleton.

“ARE YOU CERTAIN?” 

Damn it.

“…Y-yeah…” Oh, gods, she was so terrible at lying! Papyrus’s frown only deepened as he studied her closely. His scrutinizing gaze made her look away uneasily. Why could he always pick up on things like this? He was almost as bad as his brother, but at least he had an excuse.

“Hey Paps, it’s about dinner time, why don’t ya head downstairs, we’ll be down in a minute.” Hope held back from displaying the instant relief she felt as Sans intervened whatever sad excuse she was about to cook up. Papyrus looked between them clearly confused by not only Hope’s behavior but his bothers sudden request. 

“WHY CAN’T WE WALK DOWN TOGETHER?” He sounded so put out and Hope only felt worse. If she had just held herself together, he wouldn’t be worried and she wouldn’t have felt the need to skirt around his worry. Then they could have just continued on as if nothing happened. Behind her, Sans slid off the bed and helped his brother to stand. He placed his hand on Papyrus’s head in a comforting gesture.  

“Cuz me and Hope have to talk about something before we head down.” Hope’s nerves instantly spiked. 

Oh gods not yet!

“WHY CAN’T I TALK WITH YOU?” 

“Because buddy it’s just between me and her, s’grown up stuff. Besides I wouldn’t want ya to get bored down to your bones.” Sans emphasized the word ‘bones’ and then gave his younger brother a prolonged wink. Papyrus groaned at his obvious antics to bug him. He scowled up at his older brother.

“FFFINE I’M GOING.” Papyrus huffed as he turned to walk toward the door making an effort to stomp towards it before pausing halfway there to turn back around. Hope and Sans watched him puzzled. “ULNA IF MY BROTHER BUGS YOU BECAUSE HE THINKS HE’S BEING HUMERUS, YOU CAN ALWAYS COME TO ME AND WE CAN DO NON PUNNY THINGS TOGETHER!”

Wide shocked eyes followed the small proud skeleton out of the room as he held himself just a little bit straighter. Sans’ eye lights had completely disappeared, his shock bouncing around with Hope’s own disbelief until he let loose an unbelieving laugh as soon as the door closed behind the parting skeleton. His laugh quickly turned into full hearty bellows. Hope joins in shortly after, her own mirth being amplified by his own. 

“Holy crap did he just?”

“He did,” Sans confirmed as he wiped an invisible tear from his eye socket. “M’so proud.” The two let their laughter taper off and Sans moved himself a little closer to Hope. His smile was still bright as he reached a hand down to help her off of the floor. As soon as she was standing he rested his hand on her lower back and guided her over to the bed. As soon as they reached it their moods shifted from light and happy to apprehensive far too quickly for either of their tastes. He sat down next to her with a heavy sigh, her anxiousness weighed heavily within their link.

“You’ve been avoiding it all day but they’re going to be expecting us for dinner. I really don’t wanna push ya, but I need to know what’s going on.” His eye lights searched her face but her eyes darted away from his, unwilling to make eye contact. “C’mon sweetheart, I can’t help ya if I don’t know what’s goin on.” 

She did not want to talk to Sans about this. She really, really did not want to talk to him about this. She didn’t even want to talk about it in general. To anyone. She would much rather like to be left alone to have time to think about it in silence. Maybe come to terms with her possibly permanent arrangement, before having to put physical words to her thoughts and emotions about it while trying to explain it to someone else. She wasn’t even sure what his reaction would be or if his reaction would upset her more than the situation had already. He was, after all, trying to persuade her to stay. He hadn’t been overly blatant about it, but he was obviously against her leaving. So it would only be natural for him to express joy at the fact that she was literally stuck here with no way home. A situation that was potentially permanent. So, of course, he would be happy that she was literally stuck here. 

And then there was her cracked soul to think about… did this mean she didn’t have a choice now? Did she have to finish the bond? Was he going to make her? But… she still didn’t know what she wanted. She liked it here, at least so far she had enjoyed her time here. And she had become close to Sans, Toriel, and Papyrus. So leaving them would be hard for her… at least leaving Sans would. They had spent way too much time together for her not to have become attached to him at this point, but she had a family she loved back at home. One she missed and she was sure were missing her, well at least her mother would be. A family she wasn’t sure if she was ready to give up for her new life and friends. So if Sans displayed his happiness in the face of her sadness she was certain that would break her. Probably in this case quite literally, and given the last 24 hours she had experienced… she just couldn’t deal with anymore betrayal right now... the thought made her soul clench painfully within her.

Sans visibly flinched as a sharp pain laced through his soul as worry crept up on him. His eyes instantly darted to her soul. It felt fragile again, and from the little he could see while it was still hidden within her chest it looked so dim. He hadn’t expected this extreme of a reaction from her. Sadness? Anger? Frustration? Sure, maybe even a little bit of the anxiousness she was prone to, but strong feelings of fear and hopelessness to the point of developing new cracks amongst her soul? That was not something he had anticipated. In any normal circumstance he would have backed off instantly, but he couldn’t. He had to know what was going on. He had to know what had affected his mate to this degree, as well as his King and Queen. Not only because these were people that were important to him on some level or another, but they were really the only buffer between them and other monsters that were still uneasy about the new human… and a definite buffer between them and Gaster… they were also going out if their way to help him and his brother. Even providing for them. So he could not just brush this aside. Whatever had happened, needed to be addressed. Otherwise, that nice quiet future he had been envisioning for himself and his family could be in jeopardy. And he wasn’t about to risk that. Silently he waited for Hope to make the first move as he monitored her soul closely for any new cracks forming.

Hope bit her lip. She had been hoping that Sans would say something, anything to break the tense silence. But apparently, he was going to wait for her to do it. Her nervousness swelled, she didn’t want to have this talk! She didn’t!

But… 

She didn’t feel like she really had a choice in this matter. She had to tell him something. He was going to have to know what was going on if he was going to be able to help her. Or at least that’s what his reasoning had been, and really she was banking on his help. Because honestly at this moment he was her only real ally (besides maybe Papyrus, but what was that sweet little bundle of bones really going to do to help her?) So how much choice did she really have right now? She had to tell him. Besides, his reaction couldn’t be that bad right? 

Right? 

He could obviously feel her distress and he was trying to calm her through their link, she could feel him trying to calm her. So at the very least, he would probably try to act nice about it.

Right?

Hope fidgeted nervously as the silence continued. Her eyes darted to Sans then back around the room.

“C-can’t we just skip dinner tonight?” His ever-present smile, though now tense, softened. She sounded so lost and hopeful at the same time that it tore at him and part of him was willing to give her what she wanted. Let her hide away, safe from all that would hurt her, physically or emotionally in her frail state while he took care of the problem.

Eliminate the problem

But he shook that part of himself off trying to focus on the here and now. This was a problem he’d have to solve through wit, not through brute force. At least he hoped it wouldn’t involve brute force. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him trying to lend physical comfort. She leaned against him willingly for support.

“Fraid not sweetheart. I’m pretty sure they’re going to come looking for you at some point. You’re still training with your magic right?”

“Yeah…” Well, that was something at least, if Asgore was still training her then surely it couldn’t be that bad.

“Well, then you’re going to be seein em regardless. Sooner rather than later really, so let me know what’s goin on so I can help.”

“I’m not sure if you can help though.” He tensed at her words and something within him snarled at the implications, that his mate didn’t think he would be able to help her. It’s strange what just a few words strung together can do. Everything snarled in him to prove her wrong. He was capable of anything she could throw his way. He could take care of her problem, whatever it was, permanently if he had to. His teeth clenched just a bit tighter as he fought for control with the more logical part of himself and he forced out his response trying to not bite out the words. Because despite what his instincts were shouting at him she was still fragile right now.

“Won’t know unless ya tell me.” Hope shrunk in on herself, not expecting his sudden anger. Her confusion helped to dull some of his more aggressive emotions, but they still held rather steady within him.

“W-well during my… training today I asked Asgore about when he thought I might be able to go home-” Sans tensed and his fingers tightened on her arm. The action caused Hope to stop talking mid-sentence, suddenly very unsure. He did not want to have this talk! He was not ready to know when she would be leaving him! Was she going to be leaving so soon?! He hadn’t persuaded her to stay yet! His sudden fear, anger, and confusion in where this conversation was suddenly going overtook him and flooded through their link. Hope tensed up alongside him, her own fears now running rampant within her mind, causing her to freeze, leaving her unable to continue talking. Sans eyes darted over to her nervously. At this moment she felt like prey, frozen, caught in the sights of a predator. He tried to push down the two most dominating instincts that flooded his mind. 

Dominate

Defend

His frustration, fear, and anger mixed with hers.

His sense of reality began to dull around the edges.

His potential mate was scared and fragile, acting as if she was going to run from him. 

Prey. 

She didn’t have control. She could shatter herself accidentally or run headlong into danger and away from him, her only safety. He needed to take control. Show her just how powerful he was, that he was capable of protecting her. She should be deferring to his dominance, running to him for help, not from him. 

A growl left him as he struggled to get himself back under control. Hope blinked as if knocked out of a daze. Confusing emotions ran rampant within her and she nearly darted away from Sans when the need to chase flooded their link and almost overwhelmed her. But his grip held her steady to his side. 

“S-sans?”   

His eye lights raked over her form settling on her face. Her fear snapped something in him. The minute that taunt force snapped she launched herself off the bed unable to take the force of whatever emotion he was grappling with. But his strong grip on her arm wouldn’t let her escape. She struggled against his hold, the instinct to run taking over her more logical mind. A deep rumbling growl left him and a glare settled on her flailing form as she tried to escape him. He stood up and advanced on her as she back stepped quickly, keeping an arm’s length from him until he had backed her up against a wall. Her free arm came up to press against his chest trying to keep some space between them. But proved to be ineffective as he closed the distance with seemingly no resistance. His pelvis pressed into hers, pinning her against the wall and his body as he brought his arm up to rest against the wall just above her head, effectively caging her in. Her breathing was uneven as panic settled in with this new position. She was trapped! She refused to look at him, keeping her eyes averted from him as another snarl ripped out of him at her lack of compliance. 

“Look at me.” His voice was deeper than normal, with a hint of a growl laced with it. There was no doubt that that was a command. She still refused to look at him. Fear and stubbornness keeping her rooted in place. He snapped his teeth in equal parts warning and frustration, the action making her flinch. 

“I said look at me.” Finally, her eyes darted to meet his bright eye lights for a second before darting away again. An irritated rumble left him and he leaned forward and nipped her earlobe, not enough to cause actual damage but enough to sting. She inhaled sharply but otherwise refused to move. His head dipped lower to her neck and nipped a path down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. His sharp canines grazing over skin as he went. Each nip varying in degrees of harshness. From light, too hard enough to sting but never enough to break the skin. 

“Why are you making this so difficult?” His breath ghosted across her skin while his teeth grazed a path down to her shoulder, one of his canines scrapping over her skin before backtracking back up to the spot in-between neck and shoulder. She trembled beneath him her mind clouded with fear and sudden arousal. “All I want is to protect you, take care of you. I just want you to be mine. And yet you fight me at every turn. Fight yourself.” He punctuated his point by nipping a path back up her neck as his pelvis ground into her center. Her breathing hitched and she tilted her head back to lean against the wall, giving him more access. Confusion, fear, and lust swirling together. He gave a pleased rumble, at her sudden easy acceptance to his ministrations. He let go of her arm to slide his hand up to rest on the back of her neck. His thumb tracing small light circles along the side of her neck as he leaned back slightly to watch her. Her now freed hand came to rest alongside her other hand between them. Her hands fisting in his shirt, and he wasn’t sure if she was trying to pull him closer or push him away. Her eyes were half laden and glazed, her breathing just short soft pants.

He growled softly, appreciatively at the sight. A blue glow shifted behind his teeth and his tongue flicked out to taste her arousal in the air but the sent of her fear soured it. 

“Why do you fear me?” His voice while still holding a more growly tone now also held and uncertain lost quality to it. The fog that was clouding her mind slowly began to recede with his lack of physical attention. Clearing her mind enough for her to focus on his words. And suddenly she felt terrible for how she had instinctively reacted to him. Despite what they had gone through and all the times he had lost control he had never hurt her. Had done what he could to protect her. And he was doing his best to suppress this side of himself with the intent of not scaring her… and she had still ran… terrified of what she had been feeling. Sadness swelled together with her lingering fear and arousal.

Another sharp pang went through him from the strong conflicting emotions running rampant between their bond. He couldn’t take it anymore; she shouldn’t be fearing him! His magic swelled around them. Filling the air with a crackling static, Its force oppressive. Her eyes locked on to his bright eye lights that were the size of pinpricks, sharp and focused as they slowly faded to black. His left eye blazed to life, a bright blue that commanded her attention. 

Her own magic responded to his. Swelling out and around her and lifting the oppressive force and pushing back. He smirked down at her, pleased by her sudden fight. Something he had not expected with the state of her soul. He was pleasantly surprised to note that his mate was not weak. She was in fact quite strong. Pride swelled within him and he doubled the pressure, letting her magic fight against him until his stronger power began to overtake it. 

Hope bit her lip. Everything felt strange. She felt weak and strong all at once and like she was fighting for control. Of what she wasn’t entirely sure, but she felt unwilling to surrender. Something within her swelled and she fought for control of that swelling feeling, both scared and giddy with the way it pulsed within her and swelled out. But slowly that power began to recede back within her. She continued to hold on to that feeling even as it was slowly fading. 

“Always gotta do things the hard way huh?” Sans’ smirk twitch before his glowing eye shifted from blue to yellow then back again. She felt something grab her soul, weighing it down, and suddenly she was incapable of movement. More of Sans’ magic swelled within the room sparking dangerously. Over his shoulder, Hope caught sight of bones jutting up from the floor. They shifted around before new ones replaced them in another pattern, sprouting up quickly. Directly behind him, floating about shoulder length was a massive… something… that was beginning to materialize. Its presence was enough to triple the oppressive magical force already surrounding her. Her fear began to dull in the wake of the awe she felt, trapped within his power. And a part of her, some part that was too deep to recognize or name shifted and settled back into place. And she felt… better? Safer? The instant she felt that shift within herself Sans’ magic pulled back from her form and began to dissipate, leaving the room feeling much to large and empty. 

What in the hell just happened?

Her eyes drifted back over Sans’ skull and almost huffed at the pompous smirk he wore. Clearly, please about whatever had just happened between them. Her eyes darted away from him, too embarrassed by what had just happened, and by the way, he was still pressed up against her to look him in the eye, and he chuckled at her expense. His instincts shifted back into place allowing logic to take back over. He was so very pleased. Too pleased in fact to feel sorry for what had just happened. Besides, she had enjoyed it, at least a good part of her had and he couldn’t stop the smug feeling that swelled within him at that.

Besides that… she had responded to his display of dominance as a monster would have in the same situation. Had displayed her own magic to meet his display. He wasn’t even sure if she was aware of what she had been doing, but every part of him was pleased by how she had reacted to him. And she had conceded to him! His magic buzzed around his bones pleasantly. His thumb continued to rub slow soft circles over her neck. He slowly shifted his hips away from her so that he was no longer pinning her against the wall but kept his arm resting against the wall next to and just above her head. Using it to support himself as his form still leaned over her. Her hands remained fastened to his shirt.  

“You’re mine now sweetheart.” His voice drifted over her, a low possessive growl, causing a pleasant shiver to course through her. “Your soul may have already seen me as the dominant in this bond, the one to defer to in this plane of existence… but now sweetheart, heh, now your mine. There is no doubt as to who your soul will be calling for. To whom it will solely respond to. There’s only one thing left to do to solidify this bond now.” 

“W-what?” She was too flustered to respond to, let alone understand what he was saying.

“You don’t even know what ya did, do ya sweetheart?” She flushed a darker shade under his intense gaze and the constant presence of his thumb running over the sensitive stretch of skin over her neck was beyond distracting. She bit her lip and his eye lights darted down to watch the action before shifting back to her eyes. She shook her head slightly to indicate that no, she didn’t know what she had been doing. He hummed in thought considering his words and how much she would actually understand.

“Ya used magic.” Her startled eyes turned to meet his. “Ya used magic in response to my own. And you’re strong sweetheart, stronger than I thought. You responded the way a monster would have… and fuck sweetheart…” He leaned in closer to her and used the hand that was still cradling the back of her neck to tip her head back just a little further. He stopped just short of pressing himself against her and grazed his teeth over her lips before pulling back just slightly. Magic was left in his wake, dancing across her lips and leaving a tingling sensation. Her hands tightened on his shirt and when he didn’t receive any pushback he leaned back in and nipped her bottom lip. Her heart leaped into her throat and she was caught between uncertainty and longing. Her eyes slid closed as she tugged his shirt trying to pull him closer. After everything that had happened, after all the confusion, fear and uncertainty she had endured since she had arrived to the Underground. She could feel herself losing herself in nothing but feeling and it was addicting.

“You make it so hard to hold back.” He said quietly, his voice low and possessive. His teeth continued to graze over her lips as he spoke before pulling back from her again. She whimpered beneath him as her abdomen clenched pleasantly. She was struck with the feeling of needing more of him, more of this. She leaned toward him, trying to close the space between them. Another rumble left Sans before he stopped pulling back from her and she abruptly pushed her lips fully against his teeth. A pleased growl left him and he pressed back against her firmly. His magic surging forward to move across her lips, the magic taking shape to mold against her. He moved to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue run along her bottom lip before slipping past them to run against her own soft appendage. She sighed against him, letting him take the lead, her inexperience making her hesitant. He took his time, using long, languid strokes of his tongue against hers that had her relaxing completely against him, her knees going weak as she held on to his shirt for support. Their tongues rolled together in a soft slow dance. So different from the sudden power she had just been thrust against with his sudden ‘display’ of power. The contrast was so different it had her head spinning.

Sans broke the kiss leaning back enough to study her flushed appearance, pulling his arm down from supporting himself against the wall to rest against her hip to help steady her. He allowed himself a moment to solidify this moment in his mind, her panting and wanting beneath him, hands still clutched to his shirt… before he would need to ruin the moment.

“As much as I’d love for this to continue, I’m sure they’re still waiting for us downstairs.” It took a moment before his words registered in her mind but when they did she released his shirt as if it had burned her. Her face, which had looked so pleased a moment ago, now contorted in anxiety, guilt, and embarrassment turning away from him. 

“Come on sweetheart.” He said as he dragged her form forward and wrapped her in his embrace, resting the side of his head against hers. “Now… what were ya saying about Asgore and home?” The topic didn’t hurt as much to him now that she had fully submitted to the claim, they might not be fully bonded but they were damn close, so close in fact that he could start to feel his instincts beginning to shift back to where they had originally been. Not fully, but enough to give him marginally more control than he’s had in quite some time. Besides that, she had willingly kissed him, as far as he was concerned he had already won.

Hope continued to fluster for a moment before an explanation tumbled out of her. Her fear and sadness nearly all but forgotten.

“Well… ah, um, apparently the only way that they know of so far that might be able to get me home would be the machine that brought me here… but they're refusing to let Gaster rebuild it.” Genuine surprise filtered through their link and she felt so genuinely better about this talk because of his initial reaction that her anxiousness began to fade. 

“What were they plannin to do then?” He understood why they might be against Gaster rebuilding the machine but what had their game plan been then?

“They didn’t know. They were planning on avoiding the topic until they either figured out another way to send me back or figured out a way to ensure that no more humans were brought here through the machine.”

“So they were just not gonna tell ya? Even with your soul clinging to that hope? Shit if you waited too long to finish the bond before they told ya, ya coulda shattered!” Sudden anger rolled off of him at the mere thought of losing her for something so trivial as words. 

“That was kinda the reason they didn’t tell me. He said they were afraid of what the news would do to my fragile soul.” He seethed for a moment. Even if they hadn’t told her they should have at least told him. He would have found a safe way to break the news to her, so as not to endanger her further. The sooner she knew the sooner she could have made a choice. Not that it really mattered now, but damn it why hadn’t they said anything to him?! He pushed those feelings out of their link, unwilling to cause her further distress and unwilling to admit the happiness that flooded him with the realization that she was stuck here and even if they agreed to rebuild the machine, that would take months to complete. So either way, it was only a matter of time before she fully agreed to be with him… well technically she already had, but he wasn’t entirely sure she understood that. 

“So whatcha gonna do?”

“I… I don’t know.” He hummed in thought as uncertainty danced around her form.

“Well, you could state your case about rebuildin the machine… don’t think it will be done in enough time before your SOUL needs to be fully tethered here,” It wouldn’t be “but it’s worth a shot.” Whatever gave her piece of mind was good enough for him, besides she’d come around sooner rather than later, he was certain of it.
 
“I… guess I could do that… I’m just so… pissed off that they didn’t say anything to me.” He chuckled darkly at that, his magic swelling slightly.

“Me too sweetheart, me too. Come on, they probably think we ain’t gonna show. We gotta get down there before we upset Paps more than we probably already have.” 

Hope nodded her head in agreement and let him lead her out of the room and toward what was certain to be a very awkward dinner. It was funny, after all of that build up, anticipating for the worst, dreading this talk with him… and his reaction had been so… neutral. It was almost comforting that he seemed to be just as irritated about it as she was. It had set something in her with ease. Why had she been so afraid to tell him again?

Chapter Text

                                                                                                         -The Underground-

                                                                                                               -New Home-

 
“YOU GUYS TOOK FOREVER!” Papyrus exclaimed once he caught sight of the two of them at the top of the stairs. His arms crossed and his foot tapping impatiently. Hope quickly avoided eye contact with the little skeleton waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes looking anywhere but at him. While Sans not seeming to lose his cool whatsoever kept his lazy smile, which in Hopes opinion was far too arrogant if she was being perfectly honest. He nudged her forward with a hand resting on her lower back. She took the stairs a little slower than she normally would have; hoping to buy herself some time before having to see Toriel and Asgore again.

“Why didn’t ya go on without us bro?” Sans asked as they slowly descended the stairs.

Her emotions were a disturbingly mixed bag at the moment. Worry, anxiety, and anger swirled within her while at the same time the feeling of contentment and happiness gently weaved its way through the strange concoction of emotions, completely throwing out her perception of what she should be feeling in this moment. It was an odd swirly sensation of emotions that would dart in and out of her like she couldn’t get a grasp on what exactly she should be feeling and what her SOUL was telling her to feel. She didn’t fully understand what had just happened between her and Sans. But it had been intense and right afterward it was like the majority of her worries had just… lessened. Almost like they didn’t matter to her anymore. It was a strange sense of unsettling and revealing to be void of so many of the strong emotions that she had been plagued with the majority of her time in the underground. Whatever Sans had done had helped her greatly, but at what cost? He had said that they were practically bonded now and that only a little push was needed to finish it completely. Was that true? Was there no going back now?

She just knew assumed that was why he had such a smug air about him right now. A large part of her was embarrassed and for the life of her, she would never admit it out loud… turned on. The other much stronger part of her however, wanted to knock him down a few pegs.

“I WANTED TO, uh... make sure Hope was alright” His voice while starting out boisterous and confident softened at the end, causing Sans to soften his own smile. His little brother was still young and often missed a lot when it came to social interactions, but he had always been very good at picking up moods. He was glad that his brother was so fond of his mate and wanted to help her. He felt warmth spread through his bones.

What did this whole bond business even mean for her? Was there no way to back out of it now? It didn’t sound like it. And… she wasn't sure if she was upset or not by that. She didn’t particularly feel upset by the notion of being fully bonded to Sans… which was something she was going to have to analyze later; when all of this… awkwardness had passed. And given her current situation, it was unlikely that she’d be able to go home in enough time before her time ran out and her SOUL shattered. Which meant she was stuck here, fully and truly. She’d probably need a few days to fully come to terms with that as well… but there didn’t seem to be a way around any of this. She supposed if she was able to talk Toriel and Asgore into rebuilding the machine she could always just wait it out as long as she could, just to see if she could make it back. But she wasn’t sure how much longer she could dodge Sans’ advances. Things had gotten… intense… the past couple of days and she had a very strong feeling now that their bond had strengthened that he wasn’t going to be letting up anytime soon.

So where did that leave her exactly? Between a rock and a hard place really. She most likely wouldn’t be able to leave in time, so waiting was only going to hurt her and Sans more. Even now while the pain in her SOUL had greatly subsided since Sans had done… whatever it was he had done. She could still faintly feel it; the dull ache that was thrumming through her very being. She hoped that it would stay dulled by the fact that their bond had strengthened, but she wasn’t going to count on it. She also assumed that if she was feeling it, then so was Sans. Which meant waiting was only going to work for so long before one of them snapped. But at the same time just barreling into the bond wasn’t something she was ready for either. Thinking about the intimacy part of the bond was enough to have embarrassment and nervousness washing over her, and a very strong need to just melt into the floor. Not to mention the “what if’s”. What if she could hold out until she could go home? Then what? She’d be stuck right? And then for the rest of her time here she'd just be thinking about how she could have made it back but had chosen to bond with Sans instead. 

....

Honestly, that didn’t sound so bad. Being bonded to Sans to far had been, well for lack of a better word 'great'. You know besides all the instincts business, but that was supposed to lighten once they were fully bonded. But if that was the outcome... would she be haunted by the “what if’s” for the rest of her life?

That was a very strong possibility.

“Uh, Hope?” Her eyes shot back up to meet Sans questioning gaze. He quirked a brow bone at her and she fumbled for a second as she tried to register what was going on around her. Wait, when had they reach the bottom of the stairs? She was stuck with embarrassment as she smiled sheepishly at him.

“Sorry, lost in thought.”

He eyed her critically but let the matter drop to address his brother instead, adding a teasing tone to his voice.

“She’s fine Pap’s jus’ tired and lost in thought.”

Eh? Had she missed something? “Obviously brother, she just stated as much” Papyrus nodded his head accepting the explanation at face value before taking a hold of her hand and pulling her forward and away from Sans grasp. Hope fumbled for a moment uneasy without the physical contact of Sans grounding her to the here and now. She was given little time to recover as Papyrus practically dragged her towards the dining room. He was surprisingly strong. Thankfully when she glanced back at Sans he was following closely behind. Her uneasiness settled if only slightly.

“YOU GUYS TOOK SO LONG THAT WE’RE LATE. I’M WORRIED THEY MAY HAVE STARTED WITHOUT US!”

“Alright Pap were hurrying.” Sans said. Hope followed along blindly, completely confused and definitely anxious. What had she missed? She wasn’t given long to dwell on it as Papyrus rushed them into the dining room. Asgore and Toriel looked startled out of a conversation, their bodies were slightly leaning toward each other and the air felt tense. Hope sucked in a sharp breath and bumped into Sans as she tried to take a step back in retreat as both of their eyes landed on her. He brought his hand up to rest on her shoulder to help steady her and his magic swelled slightly. With his contact and magic backing her she was able to relax from the initial panic she had felt. Asgore and Toriel pulled away from each other and kept a steady gaze on the occupants that had just burst into the room.

“SORRY WE ARE LATE, HOPE AND SANS HAD TO HAVE A GROWN UP TALK.” Whelp, if she didn’t want to sink into the floor before she certainly did now. Toriel quirked an inquisitive eyebrow while Asgore let a small smile slip.

“It is quite alright young one. I am just glad you all made it to dinner.” Toriel's violet eyes trailed up to meet Hope’s. Hope looked away feeling that strange swirling mix of emotion again, and Sans moved his hand to her lower back comfortingly. She was so very grateful for his presence, having him so near helped to calm her nerves and she was able to look back up to meet Toriel’s gaze. She could only offer a nod to the Queen unsure of how she should proceed from here on out. Although she did note with hope that she at least hadn’t sounded mad or upset with her.

Papyrus released her hand and ran over to his preferred seat; Hope close behind him with a little extra help, and nudge, from Sans. Papyrus clambered up into his chair excited to tell Toriel about the progress they had made with the game board that Hope had let him help make. Toriel nodded dutifully as Hope sat stiffly in her chair, her eyes darting from Asgore to Toriel while dinner was placed before them. Asgore met her gaze and smiled gently and she returned it with an unsure smile of her own. Her eyes then slid back over to Toriel who while actively listening to Papyrus while watching her as well. Toriel smiled a sad uncertain smile which had the tightness in Hope’s chest loosening. Beside her Sans let out a heavily relieved sigh. She must not have realized how strong her emotions were if they had been affecting him that badly. She’d have to pay more attention to that. Maybe try to make it easier for him by not over thinking everything. He had gone through a lot emotionally with her since they had met and she kind of wanted to make it up to him.

 The dinner continued in relative silence, Papyrus’s voice being the only one to permeate the silence. And while Hope felt better with the knowledge that her relationship with the two royal goat monsters hadn’t been affected beyond repair, she still felt on edge about whatever the conversation after dinner would entail. Because they were obviously going to have to talk about what had happened.

Something was up, Papyrus could just tell. No one was talking, and no matter how much he prompted a conversation no one seemed to want to keep it going. What in the Underground was going on? Why was everyone so tense? Had he missed something? It didn’t seem like it. The day had continued as it normally would, he had even gotten alone time with his brother and Hope. So why was everyone acting as if there was something wrong?

“WHY IS EVERYONE ACTING SO WEIRD?!” Everyone startled out of their dinners at his sudden outburst. He fidgeted, suddenly with everyone's eyes on him, some of them with their forks raised half way to their mouths. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything… “ERRR…Never mind”

Toriel sighed tiredly and placed her fork back down interrupting Sans as he tried to reassure his brother that all was well. “You are right young one, we are acting a bit strange are we not? It is just that we are waiting for dinner to end so that we may have a conversation.”

“BUT WHY NOT JUST HAVE IT NOW?" He looked around the table taking note of the nervous air around everyone. "WILL IT RUIN THE FOOD BY TALKING ABOUT IT?” Toriel smiled ruefully.

“It might,” She said with the corners of her mouth turning upwards. “But this is a conversation that we must have in private.”

“ANOTHER ADULT CONVERSATION?” He hedged, Toriel nodded.

“Of the most boring of natures I assure you” Papyrus seemed to think about it seriously before looking to his brother and his friend. They both looked worriedly down at him and that didn't make him feel any better about this ‘talk’ that he wasn't going to be included in. But he accepted it with the intention of maybe sneaking back to listen back in.

“ALRIGHT, IF YOUR’E SURE IT WILL BE BORING.”

“Most certainly” Toriel promised seriously.

Dinner continued from there without incident up until Papyrus excused himself quite exaggeratedly. Everyone watched him leave with varying degrees of confusion and amusement. There was a long moment of silence until Sans broke it.

“We know you’re still their Paps” An irritated strangled noise was his response, followed by his retreating voice. “HOW DID THEY KNOW I WAS THERE? I WAS SO STEALTHY.” Amusement settled around the table lifting the moods of those that remained seated. Hopes eyes darted around the table watching Toriel and Asgore knowing that the talk was coming but unwilling to address the problem herself. Sans relaxed in his chair his hand rubbing soothing circles up and down her thigh underneath the table.

“Asgore and I have spoken about what has happened, and I want to assure you that we only withheld this information with the best of intentions” Toriel finally broke the silence. Sans narrowed his eyes, he’d like to argue that point but it didn't matter anymore and speaking up would only cause his mate more distress so he kept his teeth firmly locked together. “Neither of us realized that you had expected to return to your own home so soon. We were intending to talk to you about this when everything with your SOUL had settled down. But seeing as now you know, I feel it would be prudent of us to lay everything out for you.” Hope nodded not sure what to say in response to that.

“The machine Doctor Gaster had created is far more dangerous than I think either of you realize.” Sans would like to disagree with that statement. He knew damn well how dangerous that machine was, but it had been the best chance of freedom at the time. And as far as he knew it had been approved beforehand.

“The amount of magic that thing had let off when it had been going was staggering. I am still receiving reports from monsters all across the underground who had been worried about the pulsing magic the machine had let off. Some as far enough away as the ruins. Not only that, but it also poses a risk of pulling an unsuspecting human back into our dimension. And who’s to say the next human that is pulled here won't be a danger to our society. No offense my dear.” Toriel paused to add to Hope looking rather sheepish. Hope put her hand up and shook her head indicating that no offense was taken. Of course no offense was taken, she knew how terrible some humans could be.

“There is also the risk of a monster being taken from our dimension. What would happen then? They would surely die on the other side of that machine. The humans are unaware of our species. Humans have a history of attacking what is unknown to them. Surely any monster that leaves here will not survive over there. We are also concerned about the resources that will be used to reconstruct this machine. There are only so many scrap parts that can be found in the dump and I know that some resources can be engineered using other methods, but I fear that will stretch what we have already too thin.”

Silence. There was only a deafening silence following Toriel’s words. Hope hadn't realized there was so much to think about when it came to the machine that might be her only chance home. She felt kind of bad thinking about it now. What if another monster got sucked in with her? What would happen to them in a world devoid of magic? Would they even survive it?

Sans sat slumped in his chair, his senses tense as he took in Toriel’s solemn face and Asgore’s stiff back, his hands clasped in front of him resting on the table. Beside him, Hope was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes stared unfocused at the table. Her emotions were swirling again, defeat being the most prominent one, and another he did not like the feeling of. He squeezed her thigh to gain her attention. A very faint tint of pink dusted over her features and she glanced at him. Their eyes met briefly and his gaze bored into hers, almost asking as if she was going to say anything. He squeezed her thigh again and a flood of reassurance flowed through their link. She turned from him, unsettled as she found Toriel and Asgore watching them closely. She flushed brighter under their analyzing gazes.

“I-I understand why you didn’t tell me at first, though I’m still upset by it.” She all but squeaked as she tried to push past her nerves at having everyone focused on her. Her voice gaining some strength with every word. “And even with those… very valid concerns, I was still hoping that we could find a way to rebuild the machine." She hesitated for a moment no longer sure if she wanted to push this issue. Wasn’t she happier here?

"I’m... I'm not... I'm not from here, I… I don't belong here” She could taste the bitter lie even as she said it. She had hoped saying it would make it real... but it hadn't, it just left her feeling emptier than before. Sans hand tightened almost painfully on her leg before letting up just as suddenly. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was the truth… wasn't it? “I don't want to cause anyone anymore problems just by being here. I know other monsters have been asking about me and you guys have already been through so much-”

“Child, do not worry about us.” Asgore chimed in before she could continue. “All is well, and while I'll admit there have been some monsters that are questioning your presence in our home, the majority seem to have accepted this as another show of goodwill between monsters and humans.”

“He is right my child," Toriel chimed in. "There is no need to worry about us. It is you we are concerned about”

“But-”

“Really my dear, you are not causing us any problems. Please do not be concerned by this, okay?” Hope nodded her head in response feeling slightly better yet, sad. She wasn't sure if she believed them, but she’d take their word for it for now. Her eyes darted to Sans to see a scowl marring his face. She knew she’d be hitting a nerve with what she'd said but it had to be said... Right? She'd smooth it out later with him if he was still mad at her.

“We can agree to the machine being rebuilt” Hopes head snapped up to Asgore. “But there will be restrictions on it. The way it will be built will be different, its function will be different. Meaning that it could take longer to rebuild. We do not want to risk another human being brought here so it will be made to be unable to pull anything here. It will only be able to send things or people back. So if when this machine is completed and you are successful reaching home, you will never be able to return, do you understand this?” Her eyes darted to Sans, quickly returning back to Asgore at his intense gaze drilled a hole through her. Sans emotions felt like they were starting to spiral into something dangerous.

“I… I understand.”

“And you still wish to continue with this endeavor?” There was a long uncertain pause.

“Yes?” No. She finally responded uncertainly. Why did it feel like she was making a bad decision? Isn't this what she had wanted? Asgore nodded solemnly as Sans hand tightened on her thigh again before releasing her altogether. She suddenly felt alone at the table, and it was both upsetting and unsettling.

“Very well” Asgore’s deep voice rumbled, almost sounding resigned. “I will discuss the specifics with Doctor Gaster tomorrow and I will keep you updated with news.”

“O-okay… Thanks” She made to get up, wishing desperately to escape this moment but Sans beat her to it and simply disappeared from the seat next to her. She could feel muted feelings of anger, hurt, possessiveness; as well as a deep, desperate sadness that resonated all too well with her. She wished he could understand why she needed to do this. Even if she herself was having doubts about it. A large soft white paw rested on her hand. Looking up she met Toriel’s soft eyes. She was closer now, having seated herself in Papyrus’s chair to be closer to her.

“It will be alright my dear, he is just struggling with emotions you might not be able to understand. He will come around over time.”

“What wouldn't I be able to understand?”

“It has to do with SOUL’s and mates. It is something that you might not be able to feel.”

“Does this have to do with the pain?” Asgore paused in his move to stand and Toriel visibly stiffened.

“You are in pain?” She asked very seriously. Hope shrunk under their intense gaze.

“Y-yeah, I’ve noticed it over the past week or so; it lessens when I'm with Sans” Toriel’s frown deepened.

“And your SOUL, does it feel any differently?”

“Not really… well maybe a little? I don’t really know, it's hard to explain.” Toriel studied her for a few minutes and Hope felt worried under her gaze. Was something wrong?

“It is a matter of the SOUL” Toriel finally says, answering her question. “When monsters find another with a SOUL that resonates with their own, it is something very sacred and very much cherished. When the SOUL’s bond they feel a completeness that they are unable to achieve otherwise. Most monsters live without it easily enough, having never known such completeness. However, if a bond mate is lost the pain they feel from a separation of that completeness has been known to cause monsters to fall down.” Hope looked at Toriel horrified. Did that mean that if she left Sans now that he might die?

“This pain that you speak of, I believe it has to do with the fact that you share an unfinished bond. It is quite a strain on the SOUL to be constantly calling out to the other to join. Honestly, I am surprised Sans has lasted this long in waiting for you, that he hasn't become more unstable.”

“Unstable?”

“Yes my child, most monsters go through the entire ceremony in one go. With very few instances of a pair bond being interrupted, because if they don't their instincts will override the rational side of their mind. Driving them into insanity. The few times this has happened… the pair has killed each other. He must be a very strong monster or a very unusual one to be able to withstand being in an in-between bond for so long."

Hope could only stare dumbfounded taking in both of their stern faces. Had Sans really been fighting that badly with himself? She had known he was… but she hadn’t realized… not to that extent… She could almost feel her own SOUL ache at the thought. She had never wanted to hurt him. And now she might be literally killing him.

“So… what do I do now?” She hated feeling so lost, she hated how badly her voice gave her away even more.

“That is up to you young one. This a decision that only you can make. Finishing the bond will ensure that nothing comes from this pain that you are feeling but... a bond is very sacred. Once it is completed it is permanent, it is not something you should complete unless it is really something that you want. So whatever you decide to do, make sure that it is something that you are willing to put your entire SOUL into.”

Toriel’s violet eyes bored into Hopes blue-gray ones. She could practically feel the weight of her words within the unyielding gaze she was being met with. If this was something that she did, there was no going back. Everything that she was would be Sans’, and everything that he was would be hers. This was not a decision to make lightly. Too bad they had already taken it beyond the point of being able to back out. At least that’s what Sans had made it sound like.

It was almost sad really, this was supposed to be something happy, something to be celebrated but they hadn’t really gotten the chance to meet on equal terms or to get to know each other as a normal couple would have before this big of a step was taken. But a part of her didn’t care about all that. Despite everything she was happy with Sans, she lo-liked him. And he obviously liked her.

She just hoped that all of this wasn’t just the bond influencing them.

And despite what she had blurted out, she had never felt like she had belonged in her own world. It was like a constant feeling of being detached from everything around you, feeling like you were just a place holder for someone that should have been there instead. But here… here she actually felt like she belonged.  Did she really want to give up what she had found here to be back in a place that had made her miserable? Sure she had her family, but she also had a life that she had been stuck in and unhappy with.

Her eyes flicked away from Toriel, unable to hold that heavy gaze for much longer.

“I promise I’ll take my decision seriously.” Toriel hummed in agreement. A tenseness that was there gradually began to ease. Toriel shifted her weight to stand, Hope's hand shot out to grasp a hold of her sleeve keeping her from fully standing. Their eyes met once again and Hope felt stupid and uneasy. Why hadn’t she just let things be? Why couldn’t she have just been given the time to truly think about her options before demanding something that she was no longer certain she wanted.

“Um… Toriel I… I know I said I wanted to go back but…” She couldn’t even really finish that sentence. She mentally berated herself, why couldn’t she do anything right? A large soft paw rested over the hand that was still clutched around the fabric of her sleeve. Toriel gently removed her hand and held it gently between her paws. Off to the side Asgore shifted in place, seemingly uncertain if he should still be standing there. Hopes eyes darted to him before focusing back on Toriel.

“It is alright my child. We will not make you leave if you do not wish to.”

“But what about the machine? Should…” She paused, a part of her unwilling to continue with her train of thought. Gods she could not believe she was going to say this. “Should you even bother making the machine?”

Toriel looked down at her in true surprise and she could feel Asgore’s gaze heavily on her. Hope quickly back peddled, she knew she had made a big mess of everything but she just didn't know what to do anymore.

“Well I mean you said it could be dangerous and that supplies might be an issue, not to mention it probably won't be done in time before I have to bond.” She quickly tried to explain, her face growing hot in embarrassed shame. Gods she wished Sans was still here.

“Is that truly what you wish?” Toriel’s soft voice helped to soothe some of her nerves. A calm guarded expression met her eyes. Whatever she said now would decide her fate. She just didn’t know what she wanted…

“I… I don’t know.”

“Then we will make it anyway. Regardless of what you choose it will be there if you need it.”

“But what about all the problems?”

“If building this machine gives you peace of mind while making such an important decision, then I am willing to do it. And if you decide that it is unnecessary we can repurpose its parts. I suspect Doctor Gaster will already be salvaging what he can from the old machine.”

“A-are you sure. I don’t want to waste everyone's time if I’m not even sure.”

“I am certain. Now as for my offer yesterday?” Hope knew a diversion from a topic when she heard one, and she was more than happy to oblige. Smiling almost shyly back at her.

“I would very much enjoy that.” Toriel’s features instantly brightened, her hands clasping together in exuberance.

“That is wonderful news my child. I shall prepare a list of monster foods that are easy to prepare and then you can pick the ones you wish to learn.” Hope couldn’t help but smile at her sudden enthusiasm.

“That sounds good”

“Excellent, we shall start tomorrow afternoon. Now I do believe you are needed elsewhere.” Hope could only sigh in exhaustion as Toriel turned her attention back to the newest problem she had caused. She could feel Sans emotions bouncing around erratically. They felt muted like he was trying to hide them but she could still grasp the gist of what he was feeling, and it wasn’t good. Anger was prominent, so was sadness and hopelessness with and underlying fierce feeling that was dark and primal. She couldn’t put a name to it, but it left her trembling when her own emotions brushed against it. Hope could only manage a nod and a weak smile to Toriel, suddenly unable to use her voice properly. She stood up shakily and forced her body to comply as she wandered out of the dining room and up the stairs. She wasn’t sure where he was exactly but she could make an educated guess. It was later in the evening so he was most likely waiting for her in their bedroom or he was reading to Papyrus. Something he managed to do just about every night before the little skeleton retired for bed.

She paused in front of their doors, sure enough, she could hear Sans voice drift through his siblings' door. She fidgeted for a moment uncertain about what to do before throwing her hands up in the air. Tired and exasperated with her entire situation.

Fuck it.

She opened Papyrus's door slowly, only popping her head inside to take a quick peek. Sans sat on the edge of the bed, a small colorful children's book nestled in his lap. Papyrus was tucked in bed, the covers pulled up to his chin. Both eyes were suddenly on her as Sans narrative suddenly cut off. His eye sockets narrowed slightly and his emotions spiked but otherwise there was no outward appearance of his emotions… well… she certainly wasn’t looking forward to being alone with him anytime soon, though strangely enough, she didn’t feel the fear that would normally plague her right now. Just a calm understanding that a storm was coming her way and she could either fight against it for flow with it.

The absence of fear kept her from darting from the room and she was even able to manage a smile at the two of them. She noticed a subtle change in Sans, a tenseness left him but his emotions didn’t diminish.

“DID THE TALK GO WELL?” She smiled a little more brightly at Papyrus's concern.

“Yeah it went well, I just wanted to pop in and say goodnight.”

“OH! GOODNIGHT!”

“Goodnight Papyrus” She pulled back out of the room and shut the door with care before moving to her own room. Sans wouldn’t be too much longer but standing around fidgeting didn't really seem like a good plan, so instead she grabbed a pair of pajamas and headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

The short, hot shower helped to calm her nerves and helped to gather her thoughts. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to say to Sans but she had to get her feelings across. As long as she could do that, she was certain he would understand why she had said what she’d said. Right? Right.

She dressed slowly, suddenly very aware of his presence hovering just outside her bathroom door. She took a steadying breath, sure she didn’t feel afraid of Sans or the situation, but she did feel anxious and beyond nervous. She wasn’t exactly sure if she'd be getting a more level headed Sans or the more primal part of him. And the last two times she had encountered the more primal side of his nature things had gotten… intense. She had a feeling she was going to be clashing with his primal side if the way his emotion shifting around her like a caged animal were anything to go by. She wasn’t even sure how he had acted so calm and neutral while he had been reading with Papyrus. Toriel was right Hope realized, Sans was either a very skilled and disciplined monster or he was very different from the norm. She took another steadying breath and exited the bathroom pausing just outside of its door.
 
Sans was pacing the room, his eyes boring into hers, and his movements mirroring his emotions. His usual grin was set into a grim line and his hands flexed at his sides as if they wished to ball into fists but he refused to let them. She watched him silently, unsure of how exactly to approach him. Whatever she did, she didn’t want to provoke his primal side. She wanted to have an actual conversation about what was going on. This was important, and she did not want to have a growling skeleton glazing over the important stuff.
 
The moments ticked by as she stood still and silent, unwilling to be the one that broke their standoff. He was obviously looking for a way to let loose some of his more aggressive emotions, and she was not going to incite it. Sans growled irritably at her lack of action, she was kind of proud of herself for not taking his bait. He stopped pacing to study her. His eye lights sharp and calculating. He seemed unwilling to approach her, which she was thankful for. Distance would help her get through this conversation.
 
“You are mine.” He finally broke the silence, his voice deep and steadfast an underlying growl mixed in. It was not a question, more of a statement. A small flash of pleasure washed over her at the same time as embarrassed irritation. She blushed and could feel smug satisfaction filter in through their link at her initial reaction.
 
“Technically we haven’t finished the bond yet.” She snapped back. His eye sockets narrowed, irritation and displeasure settled over her own emotions before they seemed to shift as if rallying themselves. She wasn’t sure if he was actively using his emotion to sway her or if it was unintentional, but it was hard to keep track of her own emotions as his dominated their link, making it incredibly hard to think clearly.
 
“We can change that.” He all but purred. She flushed a deeper shade of red, unwilling to meet his gaze anymore as his unfiltered emotions flowed over her. Longing, love, and lust washed over her, affecting her far more than she would have liked.

Focus, she told herself.
 
“And if I leave?” She snapped back, viciously steering the conversation back on track. Another more vicious snarl ripped through the room and his emotions bounced around again. Slowly he stalked forward, his magic barely contained swelled within the room but she held her ground. She could feel his want to fight, the need for it. But she could also feel the tiredness, the uncertainty, and the sadness that left a hole within her own SOUL. She refused to back away from him as he approached her, she wanted to fix this. She didn’t want him to feel that way, but she didn’t have enough control over her own emotions to convey that message through his own over powering emotions.
 
“You lied,” He growled. “You don’t really believe you don’t belong here.”
 
“I know.”

That seemed to stagger his fierce emotions, if only briefly.
 
“You belong here, your SOUL being able to resonate with mine is proof of that.” He was met with silence as she was uncertain of how to respond to that. He stood in front of her now, practically invading her personal space.
 
“You can't leave.”
 
“I-”
 
“I won't let you.”
 
“I know.”
 
“I can’t let you!” His emotions swelled and something within him snapped, the force of it nearly made Hope crumble to the floor. She held steadfast as his arms latch around her, clutching her against his body. He dropped to the floor dragging her down with him, and held on to her with enough strength to crush her. She gave a desperate pained whine as his own helplessness rammed against her, battering her own emotional wall.
 
“Sans! Sans please!” He was unresponsive for a frightening moment before his arms loosened enough for her to breathe properly, having finally registered her pain. She tried to lean away from him to get his attention but he refused to give her any more room than what he already had. His body shook violently and his SOUL was pulsing outwards in powerful waves, causing pain to erupt into her own SOUL.
 
“Sans! Sans listen! please I… I don’t know if I’m going to leave,” She was desperate to get him to listen to her. The pain was excruciating and the emotions that were battering her were only adding to the pain. "Sans! Please, I..." her body began to shake violently as his began to settle. Relief slowly began to fill her as his emotion backed away from her, once again becoming muted.
 
“You’ll stay?” The fragile hope she felt in their link coupled with the broken uncertainty in his voice nearly broke her.
 
“I... I am considering it” She conceded trying to stop her body from shaking. “I’m... I'm sorry I said what I said. I didn't want to hurt you. I just thought… I don’t know. Technically I... I don’t belong here because I’m not originally from here. I just… this is the first time I feel like I've belonged somewhere and it's not with my family. It's… I don’t know, that just feels… wrong in a way.” Her words were met with silence but his emotion lessened and his arms shifted into a more comfortable position as he shifted her around so they were more comfortable with her seated in his lap.
 
They sat in silence for a long time, their emotions settling as they took comfort in the other's presence. When it got to the point where she was starting to become sore from lack of movement she shifted and attempted to stand. He held on tighter for a moment before following her lead as she silently led them to bed. She shifted the covers back and waited for him to climb into bed before she climbed in after him. Letting him pull her up against his chest. She let the dull thrum of his magic and his muted shifting emotion lull her into the edge of sleep.
 
His voice though soft and heavy with sleep broke her from her tired daze. “Will you fully bond with me?” She was too tired and drained to be embarrassed by the implications of his question like she normally would have. Instead, she gave a sleepy hum as she considered her sleepy thoughts.
 
“I… I think I would like to.” His unfiltered happiness washed through her, the feeling made her giddy and she couldn't help but to smile into her pillow. She still couldn’t believe that she had found someone that truly wanted to be with her.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-


At first, Sans had been elated when his little mate had admitted that she was seriously considering staying with him. Even more so when she had said she wanted to finish the bond with him. The admission had settled his SOUL in a way that nothing else had since he had met her. And although it had obviously been a sleepy confession, it had been a truthful confession. He could feel that as clearly as his own magic, the steadiness of her emotions and the overwhelming truth he had felt from within her SOUL. But now… now he was growing frustrated, he had been over the moon, drunk on his own happiness and ready to pounce the first chance he could get. Which had of course been that morning. Thinking back on it now that may have been a mistake. He could clearly remember her startled and embarrassed reaction when she woke up to him nuzzling the juncture between her neck and shoulder and perhaps… being a little more handsy than he should have been considering how she had reacted to previous bolder advances. She had obviously felt his need to pounce… and perhaps a few other overwhelming emotions...

That had happened only a few hours ago.
 
Now she was back to dodging him. Skirting around conversations and darting away to Toriel and Papyrus, using them as buffers. But that was okay, he understood, really he did. But his patience was not going to last very much longer. Besides, there would be nowhere for her to hide when they went to bed together and no buffers between them. It would just be the two of them, alone. And he had plans. He’d be slow, ease her into it. He just had to get past her anxieties and embarrassment, and then he would be golden. And if it turned out he had to wait a couple more days maybe even a few weeks he would. It would kill him but he would. Stars she wanted to be his mate! He’d do anything for her just in his elation.

But then it happened…

To top it all off…

The icing on the cake…

Weeks of waiting and watching…

And the time had finally arrived...

He could smell it in the air.

See it in the subtle change in her body language.

And sense it within her soul.

His little mate was finally going into heat.

His magic thrummed through his bones excitedly. Almost swirling out and around him had he not been holding it in check. Just the scent of her at the moment was enough to send him into overdrive. Admittedly, that may have been a factor in his actions that morning.

And it wasn't just her scent. Fuck, the signals her soul was sending him were driving him insane. And he could feel her magic beginning to swell in preparation for conceiving a child. Her soul and body were acting just like any other monster with a heat cycle would. He wasn’t exactly sure why she was displaying the same warning signs as a monster during the early stages of her heat. And the scientific part of him really, really wanted to know why. She was fully human, wasn’t she? The other part of him, the stronger more instinctual part, didn’t care.

The call of her soul was causing his own to thrum in gleeful anticipation. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to hold back at this rate. They were so close to being fully bonded it was likely he would be thrown into a rut as soon as her cycle peeked; if that happened all bets were off. His only saving grace would be that she had pretty much already consented to be fully bonded to him. So… was he going to take advantage of this situation… maybe a little. If she really didn’t want more right now she should still be coherent enough while in her heat to tell him that. And if that was the case he'd back off. But if she did want more… then this should give her the extra boost of confidence to continue, or at the very least let him continue.

Although, her complete and utter lack of care for herself was worrying him. Did she not know she was so close to her heat cycle? Could she not feel it? Shouldn’t she be preparing to isolate herself for a little while? He was certain Toriel and Asgore had sensed it. Both of them had been fidgeting all day and shooting concerned looks his way. He could feel her confusion every time one of them eyed her worriedly, but his little human never voiced her thoughts. Which had just left him more curious.

He should have seen this coming sooner, prepared for it even. He had sensed something was amiss in her scent about a day ago, but it had been so vague he hadn't really given it much thought. In fact, he had been uncertain whether he was picking up changes in her scent at all. Then this morning it seemed to come on suddenly with her scent picking up quickly and her magic swelling, overfilling her human body with enough energy to help create a new life. It was no wonder he had pounced. Yet she was acting as if all was normal… well besides skirting around him. But he knew that wasn’t because of her heat.
 
Why wasn't she prepared to isolate herself for a little while? They lived in a castle for stars sakes! There were staff members and royal guard members everywhere! She should be nesting herself in a safe place until whenever her heat ended. But instead, she was prancing around as if no one was eyeing her like she would be tonight's dinner. He had snarled at anyone that let their eyes linger longer than he had felt necessary.
 
Did humans not worry about their heats? Did they just not care? Had she perhaps forgotten about her own heat? He supposed that was possible even if it was unlikely. It had been a very busy week for them. What with the soul touching incident and then the soul submission, Asgore’s training, and then the not being able to go home debacle. He could see why this might have slipped her mind. Even if it was imperative for a mated female monster to take precautions. Specifically, if they weren’t looking to have children at the moment.

He wasn’t going to say anything though, at least not yet. Far be it from him to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d suggest maybe relaxing in her room for the rest of the day. Bring a book or two up to help pass the time. She’d enjoy that and it would keep her away from other monsters until it finally hit her. Then all he had to do was wait for the right moment to strike. It shouldn’t take long now with the way she smelled and the way her soul was pulsing. Perhaps only an hour or two before it hit her fully, which was kind of strange. It was happening so fast, almost too fast considering her scent and magic had just started changing this morning, but then again she was human so maybe it wasn’t strange for her? Whatever the case, once her heat was in full swing he just had to coax her from there into letting him in.

But first, he had to get her to stay still long enough to listen to him. To just give him that chance to convince her to spend some alone time with him. Not an easy task while she was trying to evade him. He honestly would have enjoyed the chase if not for her sharp scent in the air; calling out like a beacon to all around her. It was literally driving him insane. Which was leaving him territorial and very, very frustrated.

Fuck, he wasn’t sure if he could wait any longer.

“Hey uh, sweetheart?” He interrupted the girl's conversation unable to wait for it to end. His nerves spiked as both females zeroed in on him. Toriel met his gaze pensively and Hope shyly looked away before meeting his gaze again. They were currently working on a puzzle together. The same puzzle they had started before everything had spiraled out of control only a few days ago. They had seemingly picked up where they had left off with a few awkward moments sprinkled in. Sans was certain if he hadn't made such a bold move that morning, Hope would still be avoiding Toriel out of sheer awkwardness. But thanks to his brilliance and impatience the opposite had happened. Sans wanted to encourage this relationship between the two of them, he really did. He just didn't have the time or the patience to deal with anyone right now but his mate. Preferably with her seated safely within their territory.

And Toriel seemed to know. Not that that surprised him. She was a female monster in her prime. Of course she would know that he wanted his mate moved somewhere safer and more private. Somewhere with less prying eyes. He was just surprised she hadn't said anything yet.

"Yeah?" Hope questioned uncertainly.

“I was wondering if ya wanted to go finish that book or something?” He prayed she would just go with him without balking. He loved his mate, really he did, but she had a tendency to be stubborn. And now was not the time! Normally the lure of a book was enough to convince her, but right now he wasn't certain if she would take the bait. He could see her hesitation and feel it in their bond. It mixed heavily with excitement and nervousness. Some smug part of him was happy about her reaction to him, and that even though what had happened this morning had happened hours ago she was obviously still thinking about it. He pushed the feeling away though, hoping to encourage her to agree by suppressing some of his more... excited emotions.

“I think that is a wonderful idea is it not?” Toriel suddenly chimed in when it was clear Hope was being indecisive. Surprise filtered through their link and he wasn't sure who was more surprised by this turn of events. Though by the look on his mates face he would hazard a guess and say it was her shock filtering through their link. His grin widened and he did his best to convey his gratefulness in the turn of his teeth and a nod to Toriel. She smiled kindly in return.

Confusion filled Hope at this odd turn of events and she began to voice her concerns when Toriel interrupted her.

“I have much to do today my dear, so this would be a perfect time to finish your story.” She stands and ushers a confused Hope up from the couch and practically herded her into Sans open arms arms, nearly bumping her chest against his. His arms slid around her waist slowly, not wanting to startle her as her eyes darted to his uncertainty and then looked back to watch Toriel as she nearly dashed out of the room. Her eyebrows forwarding into confusion as the monster suddenly stops in her hurried exit to turn back to them.

“Perhaps you should take some food and drinks with you. You do tend to read through lunch, do you not?” she said cheerfully. Adding a wink for good measure, much to Sans delight (and embarrassment) then just like that she was gone.

“What the hell just happened?” Hope muttered more to herself than to Sans. He couldn't help but chuckle as his confused mate shifted in his loose embrace. Her uncertainty, confusion, and amusement distracting her enough that she was not acting skittishly with him. He’d hug Toriel if he could, she was crafty he’d give her that. Now he didn't need to make an excuse to gather some supplies before they retreated back to their bedroom.

“Come on, let's grab some quick food and some drinks then well get comfortable and finish that story.” He said as his hands flexed, gripping her waist just a little tighter.

“I… I guess.” She fidgeted slightly as if just realizing how close they were. Everything in him was singing, but he firmly locked that part down as he led her to collect some meager supplies.

- -

Once settled in their room with some snacks and drinks they awkwardly situated themselves. Or rather, he situated himself as Hope watched him. He scooted up the bed and arranged the pillows against the headboard so that his back would be cushioned. Once he was sure they would both be comfy he leaned back and rested against the headboard, his legs stretched out on the bed. Once he was all situated his eye lights traveled over to his mate who was still standing in the middle of the room. She seemed uncertain as she shifted the book in her hands, her bottom lip snagged between her teeth and her eyes watching him. He raised a brow bone at her and gestured to the spot next to him.

“I ain't gonna bite... unless that's what ya want.” He couldn't help but add that last part teasingly, but at the sudden spike in her emotions and the flush on her skin he felt his magic swelling in pleasant surprise. He forcefully pushed it down as her eyes suddenly found everything else in the room more interesting. “I was joking sweetheart.” He said playfully, he watched in amusement as she shrunk in on herself as embarrassment flashed hot through their link.

“I-I know!” She quickly defended herself. He couldn't help but chuckle as she glared at the floor as if it had offended her.

“Sure ya did.”

“Fuck you.” She quickly snapped back, her irritation overriding her embarrassment.

“Only if you're offering.” His deep voice nearly purred. She snapped her mouth shut with a soft click and just stared at him. Embarrassment and irritation keeping her rooted in place, uncertain of how to respond to that. He smiled slyly as he noted that she didn’t rebuff him. But her anxiety was starting to flare and that was counterproductive to what he wanted, so he eased his smile into something more sincere and welcoming gesturing with his hand to beckon her over. “Where exactly did we leave off? Jay in the prison?” He diverted in hopes of coaxing her closer to him, her relief in his sudden topic change was almost palpable.

“S-sort of,” She finally replied. “he was about to be sentenced to death.”

“Ah, that's right. He’ll make it out no doubt, seeing as we're only halfway through.” She smiled at that.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Slowly she inched forward toward him. "I was thinking the bandits were going to smuggle him out.” her uncertainties faded as she crawled toward him and nestled herself up against his side. Pleased, he settled his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him. As she rested against his side, her head tiled back to lean against his shoulder and her legs spread out next to his, her feet crossed at the ankle. She fumbled with the thick book for a moment as she found the page they had left off on. Once she was settled comfortably against him and her page was found she shifted the book in her hands, holding it in such a way so that he could read over her shoulder and then they settled into reading.

Except he wasn't able to concentrate on the words.

Being this close his senses were going wild.

She smelt so damn good it was making his instincts rise and he tilted his head closer to her hair to drag in more of her scent. It was making his mouth water. His magic began to collect, manifesting a tongue heavily within his jaw.

Focus Serif, focus! You can do this. Just a little bit longer. Yes, all he had to do now was wait...

And wait…

And wait…

…..

And wait…

…

The hell was taking so long!?! They had been in her room for hours now. Afternoon had crossed into night long ago and he had barely been able to convince her to stay put as he grabbed her dinner. She had been confused by his insistence, but had ultimately agreed to eat a solitary dinner with him under the guise of it being better for her health. He had made a good case in regards to her soul. There were still worrying cracks and she had been under a lot of stress the past few days so it had made sense. She didn't necessarily feel like she needed to rest, but she didn't know enough about souls to dispute him. So she went with it, mostly due to her lingering insecurities about being around the Dreemurs.

Sans hated that he had played on that fear, but he couldn’t have her walking around the castle and interacting with other monsters right now. She smelt like she was practically in the middle of her cycle. Even if everyone else brushed past the fact that they could sense and or smell it, he wouldn’t be able to. The need to keep his mate within safe territory was overriding any rational thoughts he had, and he was not going to tolerate anyone around his mate right now. His magic sparked dangerously at the thought of anyone even touching her right now. He wanted to let his magic loose. To let it swell within the room to ward off anyone that even got close, but he held back. His mate was still acting as if nothing was happening and he didn't want to set her off with his sudden display of defensive magic.
 
Now they were tucked into bed and he was getting impatient. The hell was going on. It smelt like she was fully in her heat but there had been no definitive change. Her heat had come on quick, so quick in fact that it had nearly blindsided him this morning with its sudden strong appearance. But now it was like they were waiting in limbo… or at least it was like he was waiting in limbo. His darling little mate didn’t seem to know what was going on or at the very least she just didn’t care. But that still left him with one burning question… what the hell was taking so long?!

He couldn't stop his magic from gathering down within his pelvis. Stars he had tried so hard, but he just couldn’t hold it back anymore. The pulse of his soul and his magic responding to hers as it called out in the equivalent of a 'take me now' was almost painful as he tried to hold himself back.

Fuck, her sent was driving him crazy. He was not going to be getting any sleep tonight…

He angled his pelvis away from her, unsure of how she'd react if she felt the tactile proof of just how much he needed her right now.

But... maybe if he just…

No! Hold it together Serif. You can't just… but stars he wanted to touch her so badly. He needed something, anything to help ease the burning ache within him. Just the touch of her soft skin would do. Gently he let his hand skim along the edge of her shirt checking to make sure she was asleep. Her soft steady breathing remained even as he shifted himself, so he let his hand dip underneath her shirt and rest on the expanse of her soft stomach. He let loose a pleased rumble as he nuzzled his nasal cavity into her hair. His hand explored the small area of skin from the bottom of her ribcage down to the edge of her pants, letting his fingers dig into the soft flesh. But he found that it wasn't enough. He needed more. But he held himself steady, unwilling to give into his baser instincts.

Stars this was going to be a long fucking night.

- -


The night had been seemingly endless and torturous. Filled with little sleep and lots, lots of restraint on his part. He was not about to startle her out of sleep again by being too bold. He had come too far damn it! He was not about to be shut out again, especially while she was in her heat. He thanked anything and everything that maybe listening to his pitiful pleas as she finally, finally woke up. It took all of his self-control to not let his hands roam as he stiffly greeted her a good morning.

Confused by his tone of voice she had turned within his arms to study him. Normally if given the chance they would drift in and out of sleep until they were forced to waken (usually by Papyrus), Sans nuzzling closer and coaxing her back into dreamland when she would wake too early. But Sans had nearly leaped at the chance to greet her the moment she had opened her eyes. And he sounded... off. Something was definitely wrong. His body felt tense like he was wound too tight and was about to snap, while his emotions were carefully muted. Beneath his eye sockets were dark rings and she worried that he may not have slept at all. Worriedly she traced the bruised looking bone beneath his eye lights. A frown marred her features as she let her worry seep through their bond.

“You okay?” She asked, voice and body still heavy with sleep. His smile was strained as he stared at her. His lack of an immediate reply made her worry thicken. She had been at least expecting a deflection but it looked like he was struggling with something.

She was clearly in the midst of her heat. But she wasn’t acting any differently. Were humans so different from monsters that their heats were different? No, she had one, and her soul was reacting the same way a monsters would. So logically she had to be affected by it in some way. Maybe he just hadn’t waited long enough yet?

…..

But he couldn’t just lay there and do nothing. She was expecting a response from him…

…..

Fuck he couldn’t wait any longer. His instincts were clamoring for him to act accordingly. For him to do something, anything! Stars how he wished he could just listen to his baser needs and just pounce.

Maybe next time he lamented.

No, for this time he needed to be subtle and coaxing.

He suppressed a snarl.

*
His free arm moved to rub soft, soothing circles on her back and the arm trapped beneath her shifted to run his phalanx through her hair. Her sleepy, unfocused gaze shifted to sharp and searching as her mind fully crossed over into wakefulness.
 
“Sans?” She asked uncertainly as he continued to remain silent. Using the grip on her hair he tilted her head back slightly as he pressed his teeth to her lips. Magic sparked across her skin causing gooseflesh to appear. She froze in his arms, caught off guard. His teeth parted to nip her bottom lip before sweeping his tongue along where he had nipped. She sunk into the kiss, letting her tongue be coaxed into a dance with his, as his hand continued to rub soothing circles down her back, crossing over to her waist and trailing down to the swell of her hip before traveling back up to her back.
 
Thought failed her as his magic molded against her lips and danced along her nerves. She relaxed against him letting him take the lead. His tongue taking long slow strokes along hers. His hand trailed down to her thigh to squeeze the flesh there, when he received no resistance he hooked his hand underneath her knee and pulled her leg over his hip bone. His hand ran back up her leg to rest on the delicious curve of her ass, cupping a full cheek and groping before tilting her towards him and holding her in place. Her body arched into his and his body met her halfway. His manifested magic grinding against her center as he rocked his hips forward leading them into a slow grind.
 
A needy whine escaped her throat and his grip on her tightened in excitement. He needed to hear more of that. The strokes of his tongue against hers became more dominating as his grip on her tightened. Suddenly she was pulling away from him and hiding her face in his shirt. He let his grip on her relax as he tried to calm himself down. He moved his hand up to her back to continue with the soothing circles he had first started with.
*

“You okay?” He asked, his voice rough with need. A squeak left her as she tried to bury herself deeper into his sternum. He huffed at that, equal parts amused and frustrated.
 
Well, human females were at least slightly affected by their heats if the smell of arousal coming from his mate was anything to go by. And the fact she had willingly let him go that far. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to affect her as thoroughly as it did monster females.

“Sorry.” He apologized. She had seemed to enjoy herself and had willingly participated, but he wasn’t sure if he had maybe crossed a line and that was why she had pulled away from him. Either way he wanted to make sure he hadn’t messed up too bad.

She nodded into his shirt and he suddenly felt the need to explain himself.

“Ya just smelt so good, and fuck ya didn’t stop me-”

“I… smelt good?” She interrupted him to ask uncertainly. Sweat beaded at the top of his brow in nerves.

“Yea, I uh... can smell your heat.” His voice dipped lower at the end.

“My what?” She lifted her head up to look at him completely baffled. Her face was still flushed and he could tell by her swirling emotions she was still very much nervous and embarrassed, but was apparently willing to get past those normally debilitating emotions out of sheer curiosity. He could only stare back suddenly very uncertain with himself.

“Your heat?” When she still looked at him uncomprehendingly he tried again. “You know… when a female becomes fertile.”

“I… wait. What? you can smell that?”

“Yes?” He was very uncertain of this conversation now, had he been wrong? No, he could smell it on her. Feel it within her SOUL and the swell of her magic. He was not wrong about this.

“And you think I’m in heat? Like an animal?” He visibly bristled at that, his eye sockets narrowing. She quickly backtracked having not meant to insult him which she had clearly just done based on his reaction.
 
“I-I didn’t mean-”

“I know.” He cut her off quickly. He heaved a heavy sigh. He couldn’t be mad at her he reminded himself, there were no monsters where she came from, so she couldn't have known. “While it may affect other spices and have somewhat similar affects it does affect Monsters as well.”

“O-oh, I meant no disrespect. I was just shocked to hear the word when being referred to… yeah…” He raised a brow bone at her. And she quickly turned from him and buried her face back his sternum.

“Why do I have to explain all of the embarrassing stuff?” She whined into his shirt.  With his interest piqued he made no move to stop or interrupt her. Even though she gave him a moment… hoping he’d ask something else… anything? No?

Fine.

“There is only a short time when a human female becomes fertile, this is called ovulation.” Sudden realization hit him. Oh! Oh shit! He had read about that! Fuck he didn’t realize that's what that chapter had been about. He had quickly skimmed through it before moving onto the next chapter with every intention of reading it later.

“So you don’t feel anything pulling at you to… ya know.” She blushed deeper and attempted to hide deeper into his shirt, nearly covering her entire face with it.

“N-not really.” came her muffled reply. “I-I mean maybe a little bit? But not like… you know…”

“And you don’t worry about being around other humans besides your family and close friends?”

“N-no? Why?” He could only stare at her as she peeked out from his shirt.

“How long does this last exactly?”

“Ummm….I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I think the whole process can take a few days but the uh… egg? Only has about 12 to 24 hours to fertilize? It's different with every female but that seems to be the general rule.”

He sat stunned. Uncertain if he had heard her right. Only 12 to 24 hours? She had to be joking. There was no way it was that short of time… but.. fuck, that would explain her lack of a response to her own body and magic. If it was such a short window of opportunity that meant less of a need for extreme precautions.
 
Well… that was rather disappointing. His plan to sexually entice and woo her into finishing the bond during her heat just flew out the window. Sure she was being receptive… amazingly so. And he had gotten further than he had ever hoped he might, but she was still pulling away from him!

Fucking stars! Why was she being so stubborn about this? She was obviously being pulled toward him. She had told him she was willing. What was making her hold back?
 
He let loose a long sigh hoping to calm himself down further. His arms wrapped around her comfortingly hoping to ease her uneasiness while he continued to cool himself off.
 
“Listen sweetheart, you're gonna need to stay in here until the scent goes away.”
 
“What? Why? What about my training today?” She asked clearly concerned with what Asgore might think of her absence. Sans muttered something under his breath.
 
“Look, sweetheart, if I can smell it that means…” He gently tried to coax her to the obvious without wanting to embarrass her more than he already had. She could only frown in confusion before it finally hit her. She nearly sprung from his grasp and probably would have had he not had his arms wrapped around her.
 
“Everyone can smell it?!” She shouted indignantly. His bright eye lights took in her startled and flustered features. Her emotions going haywire with her mortification. Sweat beaded his brow as he offered her a weak smile. She gave a strangled screech, collapsing back on the bed and burying herself in her pillow. Muffled yells of ‘why me’ and ‘fucking Christ why can't I catch a break’ being some of the tamer things being uttered. Sans did his best to hold back his amusement, he really did, but when she raised her eyes up to glare at him he couldn’t hold it in anymore and just laughed. She looked betrayed as she turned from him. He held her in his arms though, unwilling to let her get very far from him.
 
“You are a traitor.” She accused, equal parts amused and irritated. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?!”
 
“I thought you knew or would notice on your own.” He spoke honestly. “Besides I did pull you outa there before it got worse.”
 
“Oh my god! Is that why Toriel was so quick to rush out of there?!” Sans laughing returned full force as her face morphed into a pained expression. “Oh my god, I’m never leaving this room again,” She whined in mortification. She couldn’t believe every monster she had contact with yesterday could smell something so embarrassing on her. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and die.
 
“You're okay, it's normal to smell the warning signs before a female disappears.” Somehow that didn’t make her feel any better. They laid in silence for a little while, both calming down from their own afflictions.
 
“Does Papyrus know what’s going on?”

“Yeah he’s got an idea. He's young, but he knows what a heat is. Think Toriel was gonna keep him busy until we were done.” She flushed, embarrassed by his words.
 
“We were done?” She parroted back voice high and a little squeaky. Sans chuckled at her expense.
 
“Heh, normally when a mate goes into heat and no preventative measures have been taken, their partner will be thrown into a rut. It's kind of the male equivalent of a heat cycle. Only difference is its caused by their mate’s heat. It's not somethin that just happens at certain intervals in our life. If that had happened in our case, well… let's just say we’d be spending a lot of physical time together.” She buried her face back into her pillow as Sans nuzzled her hair. His amusement lazily traveling through their link, and she was so irritated by it she nearly snapped at him… had she been capable of words without stuttering. He waited patiently as her emotions quieted into a more manageable simmer before attempting to broach another subject with her. Shimmying himself down further he nipped her neck.
 
“When were we planning on finishing the bond?” And just like that, her emotions flared back up. He sent his own comforting emotions through their link, helping to cover her own chaotic emotions. He waited patiently as he ran his teeth over her neck and shoulder in a comforting nuzzle.
 
“I-I don’t know,” She sounded nervous and he stopped his nuzzling to press his teeth to her neck in a mock kiss. His soothing emotions continued to filter through the link hoping to keep her calm enough to get a straight answer out of her. “I mean I’d like to I just…” Sans hummed in thought.
 
“Are you scared?”
 
“S-sort of?” She sounded uncertain and he hugged her in reassurance.
 
“Nothin to be afraid of sweetheart, I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”
 
“Yeah but..” She couldn’t finish her sentence as her emotions flared suddenly overtaking his gentler ones. Sadness and embarrassment overriding her will to speak. Startled he redoubled his efforts in calming her.
 
“But what?”
 
“W-what if…” The words got caught in her throat for a minute and he nuzzled into her shoulder soothingly. “What if you don’t like…” She stopped again and after a moment her arm raised and made a sweeping gesture over herself before dropping back down. The bitter feeling of inadequacy flashed through him, hot and burning. Surprise filtered through him. He knew she was self-conscious, but he didn’t think that she had felt that strongly about her appearance that it was debilitating. He removed his arm from underneath her and he felt her emotions plummet and he fought the sudden anger he felt that she thought he was turning away from her. Instead, he focused on moving himself to hover over her. Reaching down he cupped her cheek and tilted her face to look up at him. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears and he let his love and worry flow strongly through their link.
 
“That’s not possible.” He spoke truthfully making sure their eyes met before he leaned down to steal a soft, short kiss. “I find you very attractive.” His voice low and almost like a purr, his teeth nearly brushing against hers as he spoke before stealing another longer kiss. When he pulled away this time he pulled far enough away to catch her eyes again once they resettled on him. “I will wait though, until you're comfortable”
 
He felt her fear, sadness and nervousness melt away and he leaned back down to nuzzle her neck before shifting himself closer to her ear. “Can't say I won't be more handsy though.” He practically purred as he let his hand travel over the skin of her stomach and then drift upwards.
 
She made an indignant noise and smacked his shoulder in response. He chuckled, pleased by the emotions filtering through their link now that they weren’t soured by darker emotions, but rather the reaction to his own actions and words. And apparently, to his absolute delight, she was okay with his assertion.

Chapter Text

-The Underground-

-New Home-


24 hours… 24 agonizing hours… that's all it had been. There one minute and seemingly gone the next. Not even enough time to truly savor the moment, with even the shortest monster cycles lasting up to at least 4 days. No, just as she had said, it was fully gone within two days, with her scent and magic dissipating quickly. He was still reeling from just how underwhelming the whole experience had been. His instincts hadn’t even risen into a full rut! Honesty, that was probably a good thing all things considered… but still 24 hours… all that anticipation, waiting and watching for nothing. Well maybe not nothing, but still.

During what should have been her peaking hour, given his calculations, her scent, and magic which had originally reacted the way a monsters would have, seemed to just taper off in that in-between place between being in full heat and not quite there yet. It had been so frustrating! And just as quickly as it had come on it had left. Leaving him aching for so much more. He spared a thought to wonder if it was normal for human souls and bodies to display the same traits as monsters or if that was something specific to his mate. So far he hadn’t found any evidence of humans responding in this way in the books he had read through. But from what he gathered humans didn't rely on their soul for anything anymore. Nowhere in any of the books he had glanced through had a soul even been mentioned. Perhaps that knowledge was lost over time during the time they were sealed underground? Perhaps, but it still seemed odd that they weren’t even mentioned.

He sighed in frustration. He wasn’t going to have his question answered until they either encountered another human female or until they had made it back aboveground. So he filed that particular question away for later examination. He had other things to worry about anyway. Like his darling little mate as she was now once again dodging his advance this morning. He needed to find a way to pin her down. His magic swelled as an image of her pinned beneath him came to mind.

Ever since the talk they had shared the other night she had run hot and cold with him. Leaning into touches and getting bolder with her own, and then the next moment she was back to dodging him. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the chase. But stars above she was driving him insane. Her soft warm body easily molding with his and her soul beckoning to him in the most inviting of ways. And her scent! Sweet and heavy with excitement, arousal, and fear. It was singing to all the darker parts of his nature. It was enough to drive him into insanity as the next moment she was backing away from him. It was obvious she wanted more, but he wasn’t receiving a full go-ahead to be able to push for more without breaking boundaries. So he felt stuck, in what quite possibly was the worst, most frustrating position imaginable. Wanting to push her boundaries because she was acting as if that was what she wanted, but not wanting to push past what she was ready for. He suppressed another vicious snarl, one of many this week, as his magic crackled dangerously within his bones, just begging to be released.

His eye lights followed his mate as she followed closely behind Toriel. Shifting this way and that between cupboards and drawers. Pulling forth bowls and measuring cups as well as what looked to be a pie pan. His brother buzzed happily between the two of them taking in everything that was being said and bouncing around doing his best to help them. The low murmur of conversation between the three of them would be comforting enough to fall asleep to if he wasn't so distracted. It was hard for him to concentrate on anything but the sway of her hips as she moved to collect whatever Toriel was asking for and when she bent over…

He let loose a drawn-out sigh that whistled through his clenched teeth, trying to relieve the tension he was feeling. But his magic was refusing to settle as it thrummed hot in his bones and threatened to swirl outward. He ground his teeth together as the need to let his magic loose became near painful. Hope shot him a quick glance, and he was certain that even though he was trying desperately to mute all of his emotions he wasn’t doing a very good job of it at the moment. He forced a lazy smile, which she cocked an eyebrow at, before standing. Her eyes continued to follow him as he moved toward the door.

“You're leaving?” She sounded surprised and slightly put out he noticed with satisfaction.

“I’ll be back for lunch try not to miss me too hard.” He said with a wink. It had the desired effect as she flustered slightly before scowling at him and then making a non-committal noise. She didn’t question where he was going through and he was thankful for that. He slipped out of the room and made a beeline for their sleeping quarters.

- -


Hope huffed softly as her mate slipped out of the room. It had been a constant for him to be around her. Barely ever giving her space. So now when he left, it left her feeling strange and slightly empty inside. She pushed that feeling aside viciously, it was okay that he was having time to himself. She should be enjoying not having him constantly pestering her, and invading her personal space. But where was he going? His brother was here with her, and that was normally his excuse when he was away from her. She frowned slightly worried. He was acting odd today, and that feeling she had gotten from their link... it had been slightly painful and almost raw with so many emotions mixed in she hadn’t been able to pin down the exact feeling.

It was troubling because the pain she was feeling was getting worse every day. She had thought that with her soul fully surrendering to the bond that the pain would lessen, but it was only becoming more painful. It was getting to the point that she was seeking out his touch more often than not these days. The sweet relief of his bones touching her skin was like running cool water on a bad burn. Silently she wondered if this was what he was going through. Perhaps that was the pain she had just gotten from him. She hoped he wasn’t feeling it as bad as she was.

“Alright, now all you need to do is concentrate on your soul. Once you can feel it, let the energy you feel coming from it sweep down your arms and into your hands. Once you’re able to do that we’ll be able to transfer some of your magic into the pie. Normally this would be unnecessary, seeing as all of our food has already been imbued with magic. But I think it will be a nice touch to your training would it not?”

Hope-focused back in on Toriel and accepted the wooden spoon she was holding out to her. She smiled sheepishly as Toriel raised an eyebrow in silent question. She shifted over to the counter as Toriel made room for her.

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” Hope dipped the spoon into the batter and concentrated as Toriel had asked. It didn’t take long for that warm, comforting, tingly feeling that was her magic to shift down her arms into her hands and then down into the spoon. She watched transfixed as the opal shimmer of her magic seeped into the batter and spread out. She began to stir marveling at her success. She had been training with Asgore now for weeks and already she was starting to see progress. She smiled, elated that she had been able to accomplish so much in such little time. Asgore had been right, once she had been able to feel her soul everything else just kind of fell into place. And now reaching for her soul and subsequently, her magic was becoming like second nature to her.

Next to her Toriel hummed in delight, clearly pleased with her progress as well. They shared a smile and at Papyrus's insistence, Hope passed the bowl and spoon to him. He gleefully accepted them as he balanced on the chair he had dragged over so that he could reach the counter. He began to stir vigorously but at Toriels gentle insistence he slowed.

“I’m kind of surprised you cook.” Hope said as she watched Toriel working with Papyrus. Toriel laughed softly and her eyes twinkled with mirth as she met Hopes eyes.

“Metty would prefer if I didn’t, I believe she feels like I’m stepping on her toes, even if that is not my intention.” Metty being the castles head cook was a friendly monster that was always polite and proper. Her large size had at first intimidated Hope but her gentle nature had made it easy to be around the large bear monster. Though her soft brown round ears would always twist just so when Toriel mentioned adding to the meal. Hope never quite understood why Toriel added a dish to almost every meal. Especially now that she seemed to be picking back up into the swing of her duties as a monarch. But she always enjoyed her additions so she had let the question rest.

 “That’s why I had a separate kitchen built within the family wing," she said as she gestured around. "I rather like to putter around the kitchen.” Hope laughed at that. It was so funny how the Queen always seemed so domestic even in her regal attire.

 “I'm sure she just loved that.” Hope said through her mirth. 

“Most certainly. She could bearily contain her enthusiasm.” They both laughed as Pap Just stared at them from over his shoulder. His look of silent irritation caused them to taper off into snickers as they tried to reign in their laughter for his sake.
 
“Your jokes are unbearable.” He said flatly to both of their surprises. That sent them into another round of laughter. A happy buzz filled the kitchen as they meandered back into preparing the pie together.

- -

*

Sans let his soul reach out to his mate. Making sure she was still distracted in the kitchen before he stepped into the bedroom that had been his for a grand total of two days. It still held some of his things, the majority of his items having been moved to their shared bedroom. Their room was meant for both of them, for moments that they shared together. But this room, this room was all for him. Its where he read the books that helped to learn more about his mate. And it was where he could escape to be by himself, even if he hasn't really had a need to be in a while. He had privacy and solitude here. Which is exactly what he needed.  

He was careful to lock his emotions from their shared link. He was certain she would know what he was doing if she got even a taste of what he was feeling at the moment. And a part of him wasn’t sure how she would respond to that so better safe than sorry. Besides he wanted privacy right now.  

He let his magic lose. Letting it whip and snap around the room aggressively before settling back into an excited hum. He moved over to his dresser and pulled a sock from its depths. He then made his way to the bed where he plopped down with little care. Shifting himself into a comfortable position. His magic stirred with purpose, spiraling around the room before focusing into something more tangible. His magic flowed with need and intent down to his pelvis. Forming into something more solid.

He wrapped his hand around his length and gently began to stroke himself. He started off with slow long strokes, going from base to tip before his movements quickly escalated into quicker, jerkier movements. His hand clenching tighter around his shaft pausing every few strokes to run his thumb roughly over the head of his cock.

All the while his mind wandered to his mate. Remembering the way she felt against him, and the soft sounds that she made whenever he ran his hands over her body. The way her scent spiked and her soul danced when he got her going. Fuck he couldn't wait to bury himself in her.

His movements became sloppy as he worked himself at a harsh pace. Imagining her bent with her ass in the air, moaning his name as he slammed into her repeatedly.

A low groan slipped past his teeth as he came into the sock he had pulled out earlier. His eye sockets closed in mild satisfaction as his dick twitched between his phalanges. He languidly stroked himself a few more times before he pulled the sock from his tip and threw it on the floor in a corner to be picked up later.

He huffed as his magic continued to thrum with in him. He had received a little bit of relief with his actions but he was feeling even more sexually frustrated now. An irritated rumble left his chest and he flung himself back to lay on the bed. His dick bobbed with the motion and he was too lazy to tuck it back away. He moved his arm to rest above his eye sockets as he laid there in silent misery. He let his magic have free reign as it thrashed around the room, swelling with his need to expend some energy. Once his magic felt more settled, and the ache of his lust was back down to a manageable degree he reached down and tucked himself back into his pants.  

*

He lazily stood and made his way to the door then out into the hallway intending to make his way back down to the kitchen. His soul jumped within him as his eyes locked with Hopes. She looked at him curiously as his hand still gripped the doorknob of his separate room.
 
“I thought you didn’t use that room anymore?” He shrugged as his grin twitched just slightly. He fought to get his nerves down. She didn’t know what he was doing he reminded himself. It looked as if she had just made it down the hall so it was unlikely that she had felt or heard anything. 

“Eh, I was just relaxin.” He moved away from the door and towards her. “What are you doing?”

“O-oh, well we were done preparing the pie and Papyrus skipped off to see Undyne. So I was just wondering where you went off to.” She folded her hands in front of herself as if she was unsure of what to do with herself. He let loose a low chuckle as he wrapped an arm around her waist to rest his hand on her lower back.
 
“Told you you'd miss me.” He teased as he began to lead her back down the hallway and away from the room that was still covered in the residue of his undeluded magic. She playfully smacked his chest but didn’t refute his claim he noticed.

 “Where are we going?” She asked as he lead her down the flight of stairs in the entrance hall and towards the door.

“Thought we’d take a walk outside. Got a question I’ve been meaning to ask ya.” 

“Oh?” She asked interest piqued. 

“Yeah, was thinking about letting Alphys visit if you'd be alright with that.” Her hand flew up to her chest. Her palm flattening against where her soul resided. 

“Why? Do you think something wrong?”

“Nah, nothing like that.” He said as he moved his hand from her lower back to lace with her fingers. His thumb moved to sweep back and forth across her knuckles and her heart leaped into her throat at the gesture. “But a while ago she had mentioned coming around. I think she’s just interested in ya.” 

“Really?” She looked at him slightly shocked. Her eyes scanned his face for any falsehood. “With the way she left last time I was certain I’d frighten her.” He chuckled at that. 

“No, I’m pretty sure that was me.”

“Oh, ha, okay then.” She smiled as she looked away from him to take in the view of the castle's gardens. There were all sorts of strange flowers that she was certain didn’t exist anywhere but in the Underground. Each seemed to glow with their own ethereal light that she was certain was caused by magic. “I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.”

The thought of seeing the smaller, nervous monster again made her slightly anxious. She was certain she hadn’t made the best of impressions on her. But she was excited at the same time. This monster had worked with Sans. Maybe she knew some fun stories she could share with her? It would be nice to have something to hang over his head for a change. Something to fire back with while he was teasing her. Besides she had seemed just as nervous and socially inept as Hope, so it might be nice to have someone around that understood her inner turmoil.

“I'll let her know, she’ll probably be happy to get out of the lab.”  Hope made a sound of agreement as they crossed over into another path. They continued on in silence for a short while just content to enjoy the others company. Hope smiled absently as she remembered what she was going to tell Sans. 

“You brother punned again today.” He caught the amusement in her voice and smiled widely, anticipation swelling within him.

“He likes to say he hates them, but secretly he loves them.” He said. 

“It was rather good actually, caught me and Toriel off guard.”  He chuckled at that.

“What was it about?” 

“Miss Metty.” He lets loose a true laugh that has Hope smiling. Somehow she knew she was going to regret telling him this… but it was a very mild regret.

“Wish I could have beared witness to it,” He says with far too much mirth as he winks at her. Yep there it is the instant regret. “can bearly believe he made one.” 

Hope scoffed and made a show of trying to release his hand to walk away from him. He continued to smile coyly at her as his grip tightened refusing to release her hand before tugging her back towards him. She bumped back into his chest with a small noise of irritation and glared playfully up at him. Ignoring her he wrapped his arms around her caging her against him.  

“I don't mean to be overbearing, or the bearer of bad news, but I’m pretty sure you're stuck with me.” She made a strangled frustrated noise before smacking his chest. He laughed again as her amusement and irritation mixed within their bond. 

“Stop being a butt.”  

“Not sure why I gotta keep tellin ya this sweetheart, but I ain't got one. You, however, have a very nice one.” She squeaked, surprised and indignant as one of his hands reach down to grab a handful. Her head shot up to look around the empty garden.

“Sans!” 

“Can't help it sweetheart, it's just so nice.” He squeezed his hand and she made to smack him again as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. He let her go amused by her flustered state. Her eyes darted around making sure no one had been watching them. 

“You can’t just do that in public!” She all but whisper yelled. He did his best to suppress another chuckle as she fidgeted nervously.  

“Well if you say so.” She whipped her head around to stare at him, suspicion leaking through their link as his sly smile widened. He tugged her back in and tightened his hold on her then took a shortcut before she could protest.  

They reappeared back in their room. She clung to him struggling to regain her equilibrium as he took advantage of her impaired state and gently pinned her against the wall. She grabbed onto his shirt as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

 “That wasn’t fair.” She all but pouted.

 “You said I couldn’t do it out in public. So we're not in public anymore.” She swatted him and was about to snark back when her words died in her throat as both of his hand snaked around to grope her behind. She flushed as he breathed in her scent. His magic thrummed excitedly as her scent and magic spiked.

 Now that she was getting ahold of her magic it was becoming more present in her actions and responding to her emotions. It sent his own soul dancing pleasantly as she reacted to his magic on instinct. He let it slip the leash to swell around her. Encompassing her magic as it surged forward in response.

She whimpered his name and a pleased rumble left him.  

“We're going to miss lunch.” She tried to detour him. He growled at that, ignoring her as his hand drifted upwards and trailed over her hip. Making a steady path up her side and ghosting along the swell of her breast. She gasped and bucked into him.


“Sans," she tried again, "Tori will be mad if we miss the pie we worked on together.” He let loose a frustrated noise. And gave one last nuzzle. Nipping her neck in the process and groping her ass one last time before backing away.
 
- -

He could hardly believe it. His King and Queen had finally okayed his plans to rebuild his machine. He was delighted to see that they had come to their senses, even if he was discouraged by the modifications that they wanted to make. No matter, he could work a way around such things. And once his own modifications had been made, it would be a far superior design than his first attempt. He would surely have far better results this time. Now that he knew to factor in how much energy backlash would be created by it.

He was nearly done with the logistics of his DT project and this would be a nice distraction while he fine-tuned the artificial substance. Yes, that would do quite nicely.

Chapter Text

Hope drummed her fingers nervously on her thigh, situated underneath the table. Across from her sat an equally as nervous Alphys. The little yellow monster was fidgeting almost more than she was, which was a hard feat as far as she was concerned, and while that made her feel slightly better at having to meet the scientist once again, it didn’t help with the awkward silence that had set over the four of them once they had sat down at the table. Despite the awkwardness, on the table laid before them was a beautiful assortment of snacks that she couldn't help but admire. Little sandwiches, crackers, and small cakes set along with steaming cups of tea. All of it untouched as the silence continued.
 
Toriel and Sans did their best to break the ice as a pun or two was thrown about the table. It had made the awkwardness slightly tenser before it suddenly broke with a surprised chuckle from Alphys. Soon she and Alphys were timidly talking as well. Their conversation started with mundane easy things to talk about and the atmosphere warmed little by little as Alphys opened up, even her stutter seemed to disappear as she began to relax, leaving everyone feeling calm and happy.
 
“S-so Hope, I-I know I’ve asked before, b-but can you tell me what it was like where you come from?” Hope could practically feel the eagerness coming off of her as she leaned forward slightly over the table. Her delicate claws tightening around her teacup and dragging it toward herself. Toriel and Sans’ conversation teetered off as they both eyed her curiously as well.
 
Feeling nervous with all of the attention on her all of a sudden she sat and thought for a moment. There were so many things to talk about when it came to the subject of her world and she wasn’t sure which one Alphys would be interested in, but she knew for sure she wanted to stay away from the negative aspects.
 
“Well, what would you like to know?” She asked hesitantly. She didn’t mind talking about where she came from but she wasn’t exactly knowledgeable about a lot of subjects. She hoped Alphys kept to the simpler questions, ones she could answer vaguely if she wasn’t entirely sure about the subject.
 
“W-well there are a lot of things I-I’m curious about b-but… do you think your w-world would have developed the same as our aboveground?”
 
“That’s… actually a very interesting question. I don’t know though, the humans that live here may have developed technology differently than us. I kinda wish I knew though. It would be interesting to see how similar our worlds really are.”
 
“I-it would be very interesting t-to be able to compare the two. I-it would also be nice if we were p-prepared for what awaits us once we leave the underground… i-if we leave the underground.”
 
Hope smiles sadly, wishing she could comfort the suddenly forlorn monster. She really wanted to reassure her but she couldn’t. She had no idea if she was even going to be able to make a difference so she didn’t want to get her hopes up, especially now that she knew how much damage loss of hope can do to a person in this place. It was actually really scary if she thought about it.
 
“I don’t really know if things are different here than from my world other than the whole magic thing, but I can tell you about things in my world so you might have an idea of what to expect?”
 
“T-that would be wonderful.”
 
“What were you interested in knowing?”
 
“P-personally I’m interested in how a-advance humans have become in technology. W-what have they accomplished and what are they w-working on?”
 
“O-oh.” Hope stuttered as her anxiety suddenly flared, Sans’ head suddenly snapped in her direction. She could feel a questioning feeling coming from their link but she pushed it away as she wracked her brain to come up with an acceptable answer. Crap, she didn’t know that much about the newest and latest technology at least not the stuff she was sure Alphys, a literal scientist, would be interested in. But the expectant hope in Alphys’ eyes left little room for her to do anything but answer to the best of her abilities.
 
“W-well… I uh… actually, I don’t know too much about everything we’ve accomplished as far as technology goes.” She watched as Alphys’ excited expression faltered and she pushed forward hoping her lame explanation would be enough. “b-but I do know we’ve been to outer space. We’ve also made robots that can reason and react to things in their environment and we’ve had all sorts of advancements in medicine. There's also cell phones, the internet, computers and um, oh geez I’m sorry I’m not very good at this.” She finished lamely.
 
“I-it’s okay, n-not everyone is interested in the s-specifics of how things work.” Hope smiled at her sheepishly. Now she wished she paid more attention to what was going on in her world so she didn't feel so inadequate.
 
“You’ve been to space?” Sans suddenly asked from off to her side. She glanced at him curiously.
 
“Well yeah, I mean a lot of people think that the moon landing was a hoax but we’ve sent satellites into space to orbit around the earth, and they send people up there to maintain them.” She noticed his eye light growing larger and slightly fuzzier as she stared at her.
 
“So they can send anyone into space?”
 
“Well, no not exactly. Only trained astronauts are actually sent into space.”
 
“T-that makes sense.” Alphys chimed in as Toriel nodded her agreement.
 
“Wonder what it’s like up there.” Sans mutter to himself as he turned back to his tea. His eye lights had returned to normal and his emotions almost felt wistful, she suddenly felt the need to comfort him.
 
“They have lots of pictures, from up there I mean, and video. It’s all very beautiful and I wish I could show it to you.”
 
“Eh, s’alright, maybe when we make it topside I’ll be able to actually see the night sky for myself.” Hope frowned but decided not to push him further and her attention diverted to Toriel as her voice carried over the table.
 
“The stars are quite beautiful if I remember correctly.” She sighed as her eyes turned toward the ceiling as if lost in thought. “Little lights scattered along a vast expanse of darkness. There were so many… the humans even made stories about stars that would form a pattern.” She laughed softly to herself. “Some of them were about monsters,” She said almost conspicuously as she looked back down towards Hope. “I wonder if they still tell those stories.”
 
“In my world they do, I imagine they aren’t the same stories though.”
 
“Probably not.” Toriel agreed before taking another sip from her cup.
 
“Actually I kind of miss some things I took for granted,” Hope said before taking another sip from her cup.
 
“Like what?” Sans asked as his eye lights focused back on her.
 
“Stars for one, they were something I always enjoyed but never really just took the time to fully take in. I kind of wish I had now… I miss them.” She felt Sans hand rest on her thigh and she pushed to continue. This time being careful not to mention anything that might upset anyone at the table, sunshine, rain, and the beach being high on the things she was missing currently that she was sure would cause more melancholy amongst her current companions. She hadn’t meant to make everyone sad after all.
 
“But there’s other things I miss to. The internet’s a pretty big one, some of my favorite books I’ll probably never get to read again. Then there’s my shows, ugh I bet I’m missing out on some excellent seasons right now. And video games, I loved to play, but now that I can’t I miss it.”
 
“We should take her to the dump.” Alphys suddenly said determinedly. All eyes fell on her and she shrank into her chair with all the attention suddenly on her.
 
“Excuse me?” Hope said bewildered at the same time Sans said, “What?”
 
“L-look, we find human t-trash there all the time! W-we could go and see i-if she recognizes anything. T-that way we could have a good comparable t-to where our humans have advanced to hers, a-and she could maybe f-find something that she likes.”
 
“That’s… actually not a bad idea.” Sans said as Hope whipped her head back and forth between the two still confused by what they were talking about.
 
“I do not think leaving the castle to head to the dump would be such a good idea,” Toriel suddenly interjected, her voice was calm but steady. “with rumors circulating about the human right now. It would be putting her in a potentially dangerous position while tensions are still high. I think if this is something you really want to do you should wait until Asgore and myself have smoothed things over.”
 
Sans bristled “I’d be there, she’d be safe.”
 
“I’m not saying you cannot protect your mate Sans, I am simply asking for more time, that way it will be less stressful for all of us and more enjoyable for Hope.”
 
“wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me you dig through human trash that falls into the Underground?”
 
“Of course my dear, how else are we supposed to gather supplies that are not found Underground or made strictly by using magic?”
 
Thoroughly chastened she wisely shut her mouth and instead decided to take a different route. “Yeah… that does sound interesting, maybe we can check it out some time.”
 
“Once everything has been made secure.”
 
“Of course.” Hope smiled trying to ease Toriel's fear, there was no way she was going to go against Toriel.
 
Talking lulled back into an easy and safer conversation and any tension that was hanging around the table evaporated. Before long Alphys was standing and saying her goodbyes. Toriel helped to stack plates as a flustered bat monster tried to gather the items on the table before Toriel could. Hope and Sans share their amusement as Toriel winks at them from across the table.
 
They follow Alphys to the door and give their last parting goodbyes. She reached for the door but then paused. Hope watched curiously as the little monster started wringing her hands together. Her shoulders slumping slightly before she straightens herself out and turned to face them.
 
“Alph you okay?”
 
“Y-yes, I uh, um, c-can I speak w-with Hope? A-alone, i-if that’s okay?” She could feel the suspicion coming off of Sans the second Alphys had finished her sentence but interjected before he could open his mouth.
 
“Sure, that would be fine.” His suspicion suddenly turned to irritation as his eye lights rounded on her. She made a point to ignore him though. So far they had all had a good time and she was not about to let Sans ruin it with his overprotectiveness, besides what would Alphys honestly do to her?
 
There was a long moment of tense silence as blue-grey stared unwaveringly into bright white. Just as Alphys was turning away, a never mind barely muttered from her lips, Sans finally caved.
 
“Fine, but I ain't gonna be gone long.” Hope nearly jumped in joy, eager to have won something so small as time alone with another monster, and she couldn’t help but to catch the smirk from Sans as he turned from them. He had clearly been amused by her burst of happiness. Turning back on the little yellow dinosaur she clapped her hands together.
 
“So what did you want to talk about?”
 
 “O-oh, well I uh…” Her face started to turn a slight shade of red and Hope couldn’t help but wonder if she was actually blushing. Alphys watched as Sans left the room before her voice dipped to a whisper as she finally continued. “I-I'm surprised you haven’t b-bonded yet.” Hope watched slightly mortified as Alphys’ hands flew up to cover her face in her own embarrassment.
 
“Oh!” Hope exclaimed surprised and completely embarrassed, she certainly wasn’t expecting this when Alphys had asked to speak with her. At her reaction, Alphys hurriedly tried to backtrack.
 
“N-no I m-mean! O-oh Asgore, I-I'm sorry if that w-was to bold! I was j-just surprised. You two s-seem to act as if you are already bonded s-so…”
 
“It’s okay, I’m sure it seems a little weird.” Hope tried to cover her own embarrassment, desperately hoping Sans didn’t decide to pop back into the room because of her emotions.
 
“W-would it be alright i-if I asked why?”
 
“Well…” she nervously fidgeted. There were a couple different reasons as to why they weren’t yet, but she wasn’t sure what she could tell Alphys or what she would be comfortable telling her. She continued to fidget as she mulled it over before finally deciding to say fuck it, maybe a fresh set of eyes on the situation would help.
 
“Well, I uh… Okay look, one of the main reasons was because I wasn’t sure if I even belong here. I mean, what if I’m not even meant to be here? And I’m just screwing everything up. And I mean, shouldn’t I return home?” She felt almost frantic laying it out like that and by the surprised look she was getting from Alphys she couldn’t help but to recede back within herself, now second-guessing her decision to say anything to her. After a few moments of silence Alphys finally decided to break it.
 
“Y-you said ‘was’… are those things n-no longer holding you back?”
 
“No? Sort of? Ugh! I don’t know!” She took a large breath to steady herself as she looked away from Alphys to think before she spoke. “Not really, I mean I want to go home. I miss it and I’m sure there are people who miss me, but I enjoy it here far more than I ever did living back at home. Besides, I’m not even sure how I would explain my disappearance at this point, I mean I've been gone so long that people are going to demand an explanation and… I just don’t have one. I almost feel like if I return now my life is just going to be made miserable because of my disappearance.” She sighed forlornly as Alphys studied her intently. Hope looked back at her and she had the distinct feeling that she was being scrutinized.
 
“What?” She asked nervously.
 
“Are those the only reasons you are deciding to stay.” Hope blushed furiously and looked away, unable to hold the others unwavering gaze. She hugged herself and bite her lip.
 
“N-no, not entirely.”
 
“D-do you like him?”
 
“I know it’s faster than it should be but… I think it’s more than like at this point.” Alphys smiled so broadly that it nearly split her face in two. Her glee practically radiating off of her, but she quickly hauled it back in doing her best to appear more professional.
 
“I-I wouldn’t worry too much about i-it being too fast. Human courting m-may take a long period of time b-but with monsters it’s a little different depending on i-if their souls resonate or if t-they are trying to create a resonance. S-sometimes a couple could be mated in as little as a few w-weeks while others wait for y-years. Each has their o-own reason and every monster is different b-but no time frame has ever been considered t-too short or t-too long.”
 
Hope smiled somewhat relieved, “Thank you… that… that actually helps me a great deal. Ha, no wonder Sans has been so pushy.” she added under her breath. She had known a great portion of it was the need to finish the bond but she hadn’t realized monster relationships could escalate so quickly.
 
Alphys beamed “I-I'm glad I could help.. y-you know, i-if you have any more questions, I-I could answer them for you. G-give you more of an unbiased and logical view.”
 
“Thank you, I'd appreciate it.”
 
“W-well I should get b-back to the lab before they start looking for me.”
 
“Thank you for stopping by, will I see you again soon?”
 
“M-maybe, h-hopefully by then w-we can go to the d-dump. Y-you can really find some neat s-stuff there.”
 
Alphys turned and reached for the door to leave but the door swung open before she could open it herself, causing her to step back and bump into Hope. Undyne in all her glory strides in, her gaze darting to her left, her lips draw down into a sneer as she catches sight of Hope before her eyes land on Alphys. She stutters to a stop and just stares. Hope and Alphys stare back both uncertain by the sudden silence and the unexplained staring contest.
 
“W-well goodbye!” Alphys nearly shouts as she makes a hasty exit. Bewildered Hope just watches Alphys dart out the door before shifting her gaze back to Undyne. She doesn't move as her eyes just stare after the little yellow monster, a light dusting of blue covering her features. Hope watched the exchange with interest before a sly smile spread across her face.
 
“Like what you see?”
 
Undyne swings around to look at Hope as if startled. Her sharp catlike eyes seem to dilate before shrinking, within seconds she is straightening herself out as if nothing had transpired. She brushes herself off as if there were invisible dirt upon her clothes and strides forward with uncharacteristic jerky movements.
 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about human.” she says stiffly as she passes Hope with steady strides.
 
Hope snickers to herself pleased she had actually caught the usually boisterous and callous monster off guard. She turned to watch Undyne make her way to the hall across from her.
 
“I think someone was eyeing another monster up and down.” She said in a light teasing tone. Delighted she finally had something over the other monster. Undyne stopped, her back rigid and her aquarian ears flick in what Hope could only assume was a nervous or perhaps irritated manner. She raised an eyebrow as the silence persisted, shocked that she hadn’t been rounded on yet.
 
Ever so slowly Undyne tuned slightly and angled her head to look back at her. “Yeah, so what, she's good-looking.” she said with a casual ease that her body language was betraying, accentuated by a half stiff shrug of feigned nonchalance. Both of Hope’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn’t expected such an open admission and she was a little miffed that she wouldn’t be able to tease her quite as much as Undyne had teased her over the course of the time she had spent in the Underground.
 
“Just thought it was cute was all.” Hope gave her own shrug and a knowing smile. A light shade of blue spread back over the scales on Undyne's cheeks.
 
“Yeah whatever.” She mumbled just loud enough for Hope to hear before she made her escape down the hallway and towards where Asgore was waiting for their training. Hope hummed to herself, very pleased with how the day went. It had certainly been more pleasant than she thought it was going to go.
 
Looking around the hall she realized she was finally actually alone, a very rare thing nowadays. Did she take the chance to find a place to enjoy her alone time? Or did she go find someone? Choices, choices… it would be a waste not to take the time she had for herself since it was such a rarity. Decision made, she made her way outside and headed out toward the garden. She admired the plants she passed and the oddly dark yet beautiful landscape that the Underground provided, finding a seat along the way to rest at. A bench that had been carved out of rock that had risen slightly above the other landscape, it was surrounded by bright purple and pale pink glowing flowers with small bright yellow flowers mixed in. The glowing effect from the flowers was beautiful and made the area look ethereal.
 
She let her focus wander, letting her mind drift to whatever it wanted to. But she found that it just kept circling around her current problem. Yes, she wanted to go home, but that was no longer an option for her. After having the talk with Toriel and Asgore, and then the talk with Sans it became clear she couldn’t just leave without affecting the lives of those she cared about. And she certainly couldn’t just leave the monsters stuck under the mountain if she had the ability to free them. Sure there was no guarantee that she was going to be able to do anything, but that didn’t mean she couldn't keep trying.
 
She also hadn’t been lying to Alphys about her situation either. If she did happen to return home once the machine was finished, that would make it a grand total of 6 months, most likely more, that she would have missed back at home. She had no way to explain her absence, and she surely wouldn't have a job anymore. Not to mention what her life would be like if they thought something was mentally wrong with her and that she'd need help or constant supervision. She'd either have to tell them she didn’t know what happened and why she had been gone so long, make up an elaborate lie she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep straight or tell the truth. Putting that all into perspective… her life would probably be over if she went back home. So she shoved down any sadness and resentment she felt about her situation. There wasn’t anything she could do about it so she would just have to accept it and move on. Not something that was easy, but something she'd have to work towards. She just didn’t want to live in the past and regret her decisions the rest of her life. So coming to terms with it was something she had to do.
 
She did her best to keep her emotions neutral so Sans wouldn't be tempted to pop in on her (she was actually surprised he hadn't yet) but that was something she had never been good with. Gods she just felt so… tired... drained… numb. She folded into herself resting her elbows on her thighs and resting her head in her hands. She wished she could make her mind just stop, just push her feelings out of the way so she just couldn’t feel them anymore. She just wanted a moment of peace with herself. Just a moment to not have her emotions weighing on her and her mind constantly spinning scenarios.
 
She felt him before she saw him. She removed her hands from her face and looked up at him. His trademark smile was tugged down into a frown and his eye lights looked a little dimmer than she was used to.
 
“You okay?” She continued to stare at him, not really sure what to say to him. She didn’t want to lie and say she was fine because she didn’t feel fine and they both knew it, but she wasn’t exactly doing bad either… she was just… trying to sort through her thoughts and feelings. She watched as his frown deepened before she turned her gaze back down to focus back on the foliage of the Underground. She shrugged her shoulders in a noncommittal way wanting to answer him but unsure of what to say.
 
Sans seemed to shift in place, rocking his weight from one foot to the other before he spoke.
 
“Can I sit?”
 
“Sure.”
 
He sat down next to her and bushed his shoulder against hers lending her silent comfort.
 
Then there was Sans she reminded herself, the most confusing problem of them all. Was she attracted to him, yes, but was that because of the link or was that because she just was? At first, she had been certain it was the link, but now that she knew him she wasn’t so sure that was the reason for the pull she was feeling toward him at least not fully anymore. Her mate or rather soon to be mate, he was a mix of infuriating, amusing, overprotective, loving, and comforting. She knew him yet didn’t know him at all. And yet he was ready to bond with her, had been ready since he had seen her soul. How could he be so willing to throw away his entire life to be with her, a human? He was so certain that they were meant to be together that he didn’t even think that there might be someone else, a monster out there that could be another, probably more suitable match. But if Alphys was right and monsters really did only court for as little as a few weeks then that was it as far as he was concerned. This was all probably normal at this point since they had been together for over a month now.
 
 
They sat in silence for a while and she could feel him shifting happy emotions through their link.
 
“Sorry,” she finally said a little exasperatedly. “I was just trying to sort through… everything.”
 
“Did you want me to leave you alone?” She thought it was nice that he even tried to ask, considering how on top of her he had been since she had gotten here, but she could tell by his voice and the way his own emotions stuttered within their link that that was the last thing he wanted to do. She smiled ruefully.
 
“Alphys told me something before she left today.” Instantly Sans became ridged and she wondered what on earth he thought Alphys would have told her. Something she would have to bug him with later now was definitely not a good time to get sidetracked.
 
“Yeah? Wha’d she say?”
 
“She told me that when monsters find another soul that resonates with theirs that its normal for them to bond within weeks of meeting each other.” Something in Sans relaxed and he was leaning back more casually. His arm shifted to rest on the back of the bench, right behind her.
 
“Sounds about right, as long as both of them feel the resonance it's hard to be apart because of the completeness that is felt. Why? Does that surprise you?”
 
“Well yeah, I mean humans don’t have a soul resonance with each other or if they do it's not something really felt or relied on. So most relationships can last for years before a couple makes the kind of commitment to bond. I mean there's the occasional quick marriages I guess, but its seen as more ‘proper’ I suppose to wait to get married.” Sans looked shocked with beads of sweat appearing above his brow bone.
 
“You don’t want to wait that long do you?” His voice almost sounded strained and she couldn’t help but huff out a laugh.
 
“No, I know our situation wouldn’t allow for that type of courting. And that’s okay, I guess I've just been feeling uneasy because of how I’ve been… feeling. Ya know, so quickly.” Sans seemed to deflate with relief.
 
“Ya need to stop thinking so much about it, wait, no don’t look at me like that.” He said as she turned a glare at him. “All I'm sayin is you're thinking too much about what should happen vs what is happenin. You can feel your soul can't ya? You’re magic? Our bond?” At her agreeing nod, he continues. “Then our relationship is more like a monster pairing than a human one. Just relax and let yourself feel whatever your feeling. The bond only stimulates certain feelings but it's not the main cause of them.” Hope relaxed at his explanation, the notion that the bond wasn’t the main cause of her feeling romantically attracted to him, settling most of the worries within her.
 
“S-so if we bond, is anything gonna change?” She asked bashfully, he blinked in surprise.
 
“What are ya expecting to change?”
 
“I don’t know!” She practically wailed in exasperation. “Nothing, everything, I don’t know I just don’t want things to be different or people to act differently around me. Oh, gods, I don’t know what I'm saying, nevermind ignore everything I just said.” She covered her face in embarrassment, not really sure herself what she was talking about. She felt Sans’ arm slide down to encompass her shoulders and didn’t resist when he pulled her into his side, nuzzling the top of her head.
 
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Ya just gotta stop over thinking about stuff.”
 
“I can't,” She mumbled into her hands. “it’s what I do.” She felt him sigh into her hair but otherwise he remained silent to which she was grateful. She let her embarrassment and confused feelings settle into the silence and comforting emotions bounced back and for between their link before she felt settled enough to remove her hands from her face. She leaned more fully against him letting her body relax and her mind drift.
 
“You gonna help Tori cook anything for dinner?”
 
“I don’t think so, I’m kinda tired.”
 
“You wanna go finish that game thing you were making?”
 
“Yeah, that sounds good you think Paps is done with Undyne yet?”
 
“I'm sure he is, its gettin kind of late.”
 
“Alright let go find him then, he’d be mad if we finished it without him.” Sans smiled as he stood up with his mate. He was so pleased he had found a mate that cared about his brother’s feelings. Together they set back off towards the castles entrance intent with finishing her game.

Chapter Text

Long slender phalanx skittered across the paper laid out before him. Carefully examining the written calculations, checking and rechecking his work. Everything seemed to be in order, the designs of the old machine were a prime example of his genius with perhaps only a few minor adjustments needing to be made to bring it up to the standard his King and Queen had requested. It was, of course, a simple matter for him, adjusting a few things in the overall design. Now all that needed to be done was to start gathering the materials he would need. The majority of the old device had survived the large backlash of magic it had unleashed, which meant that they could salvage his original work and just modify it from there. With any luck, he’d be able to see the fruits of his labor in as little as a few months. Not that he’d be able to use it fully for its intended purpose but he could modify it once he finally coaxed King Asgore into recognizing its benefits.
 
With that completed he stacked his papers back into a neat pile, intending to start that particular project tomorrow. His eye lights shifted to his worktable, set against the wall on the adjacent wall. His excitement bubbled up as his eyes landed on his next greatest work, one that would surely advance the monster race, make them better than any human could hope to be. His large lean form gracefully stood from his chair and moved toward his worktable.
 
He carefully lifted a small vial to inspect for the fifth time that morning. With the help of Alphys, he was nearly finished with the concoction. The dimly glowing red fluid danced in the small sealed container, illuminating his dimly lit office. The other monster had been more skittish than usual around him since only a few days ago, and he wondered what had caused the dramatic shift in her already nervous demeanor around him. Perhaps she was not going to be as useful and he had originally thought. Well, at least she had helped with the solution before the change had affected her work performance. He’d give it a few more days but if her demeanor did not improve he’d have to find another assistant with less hesitation, how troublesome.
 
His sharp eye lights scanned the vial again critically. He was certain that this would make the human better, more powerful. As it stood now, there was no way one human soul would be able to breach 7 others. Increasing its power was the only way. Surely his King and Queen would understand the necessity of this. Besides, if this solution proved to be as potent as real human determination then he could start implementing it in his work with monsters. Think of how great it would be if monsters could be as sturdy as humans. Falling down would decrease significantly if not stopping altogether. Monsters might even be able to use their own souls to escape the Underground if the human proved to be unable to do it herself.
 
He frowned as the thought occurred to him. What if the extra determination added to the human was still not enough? It was possible that the serum could be more successfully introduced with a monster’s body rather than human’s, having been made from synthetics, but it would be a while before he could utilize it in such a way. Hmmm… perhaps he should have a backup plan. If he was unable to make the human strong enough to break the barrier then perhaps he could just extract that raw power from it instead. Then he’d have a chance to work with real DT. Now there was an idea…
 
His eyes traveled back to his desk, his mind already filling with equations and plans. He muttered to himself as he placed his experimental DT back down carefully. He moved back to his desk and pulled forth his pen and a few sheets of blank paper. There were a few things that could work as far as an extractant, but which would be best, he mused to himself as he put pen to paper.
 
_ _
 
 
 
Elation filled her as she looked proudly down at her finished creation. It wasn’t exactly the same but it was a good mix of both new and old, monster and human, and the finished product made her swell with pride. Papyrus was in a similar state as he eyed the finished piece almost as critically as she had. Behind her she could feel a swell of pride and amusement coming from Sans’ side of the link, she almost turned around to stick her tongue out at him but decided against it.
 
“CAN WE PLAY IT NOW?” She huffed out a laugh at his honest excitement. He had clearly been looking forward to actually using what he had helped create and she couldn’t help but feel the same. They had worked for days on this, almost weeks if she was counting the time they had spent working together on it right, with an extra push today and the night before to finally get it done. And now here it was, in all its colorful glory.
 
She eyed him and then the board critically as if really thinking it over. Humming in serious contemplation while Papyrus fidgeted restlessly.
 
“Yeah! I think we can give it a go.” She finally said excitedly as she looked at him. “But we gotta get everyone together, it will be more fun if everyone plays.” As if that had been a call to battle the little skeleton bolted to his feet, his hand fisted and resting over where his heart would be if he were human, while his other rested on his hip bone.
 
“YOU’RE RIGHT! WE SHOULD SPLIT UP TO COVER MORE GROUND. I SHALL LOOK FOR MRS. TORIEL, YOU SHOULD GO FIND KING ASGORE. THEN WE’LL MEET BACK AT THE DINING ROOM TABLE!” Hope laughed at his genuine enthusiasm.
 
“Alright, just give me a minute to pack this up.” He beamed at her before taking off out the door. Carefully, she packed everything up into a little box she had been using to store all of the pieces in. Behind her, she could hear shifting as Sans stood from the bed to look over her shoulder.
 
"Looks good." He commented as he watched her pack up the cards.
 
She looked up at him and smiled brightly. "Yeah? I was kind of concerned about some of the pieces and the wording, but overall I think it turned out alright." She finished gathering everything up she stood, her new baby cradled in her arms, Sans raised a brow bone at her to which she only smiled and shrugged. 
 
"It’s kind of the first project I've ever really finished. It feels kind of good to have actually accomplished something." Sans raised a brow bone in question.
 
"You've never finished a project before?" He asked slightly surprised.
 
"Not really."
 
"What about a puzzle?"
 
"What? Those don't count."
 
"Course they do, it’s a project."
 
"But not one I've made."
 
"Technically you're putting it together."
 
"But I didn't paint the picture on the pieces or cut the pieces for that matter."
 
" 'k what about a drawing?"
 
"I uh... well? Those are more just doodles." She said slightly embarrassed of herself, he chuckled at that. 
 
"I've seen your doodling, it's pretty good."
 
“Guess we should go find Asgore.” She quickly cut off the conversation, feeling awkward that he was complimenting her crappy doodles.
 
“After you.” Sans said as he waved his arm exaggeratedly towards the door, his smile wide and mirthful. This time she didn't resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. To which she received a shrug and a wink in response and they both filed out of the room.
 
 - -
 
 Sans stared on in disbelief, how had it come to this? His money was desperately low and he had already had to mortgage off some of his better properties just to stay in the game this far. He rattled the two small cardboard dice in his hands. He needed either a 3, 5 or 10 in order to survive another round. His mate's properties loomed ahead on the board and he didn’t have to glance up to see the gleeful anticipation on her face. He could feel it clear as day through their link, probably as clearly as she could feel his frustration.
 
He let the dice go and watched them with an intense desire to use his magic just for an extra bit of help, but he couldn’t, his mate would surely feel it and he wasn’t about to cheat on a game his mate had obviously worked so hard on. But it was very tempting. As the dice came to a stop Toriel reappeared back at the table. Leaning over Hope’s shoulder to take a look at their game.
 
A disparaging groan spilled over the table accompanied by a gleeful whoop.
 
“My goodness, that took far longer than I had expected it too. I cannot believe you have just now finished.” Hope laughed at Toriel's genuine befuddlement.
 
“Yeah, monopoly has like a standard time of taking at least four hours if not longer to play.” Sans looked down at his pile of money forlornly (and a little miffed), his irritation filtering through their link making Hope’s amusement soar. He pushed the small pile towards her to pay only half of what was needed for landing on her developed space. He had degrees damn it, had helped to design a machine that had literally opened a portal in time and space and had successfully transported a living being onto a different reality. How had he lost a strategic (clearly luck based) game? He eyed his happy mate as she grinned mischievously at him.
 
“That all you got? What are you gonna do to make up the difference?” Oh ho ho… so she wanted to play that game, did she? He couldn’t respond the way he wanted to, not with his little brother, not even a foot away and certainly not with his Queen in the room as well, but he’d bide his time, he’d get her back for that little snide remark.
 
“Don’t worry I’m good for it.” His smile turned mischievous as he thought of how he was gonna make her eat those words. She couldn't help but let slip a nervous laugh as he winked at her. Clearly picking up on his intentions filtering through their link. Realizing she might have just bitten off more than she could chew, she quickly backpedaled and rediverted the conversation as smoothly as she could. 
 
“So, what did you guys think?”
 
“Although long, it was fun dear one. I’m sure quite a few monsters would be pleased to play a new game. If you are alright with it, I would like to take it into the city to see if I can get it replicated.” Hoped beamed.
 
“Yeah, of course! Here let me just get it put back away.” She didn't think she could smile any wider than she was right now. She couldn't believe Toriel liked it enough that she thought that other monsters would like it as well. Pride swelled within her, she was so busy trying to carefully repack the game she missed how Sans’ smile shifted to a softer more genuine smile as he watched her.
 
 - -
 
The rest of Sans’ day had been uneventful and unsuccessful. He had tried recouping what he owed to his little mate over that infuriating game if only to get a rise out of her for mocking him, but over the time they had gotten to know each other she had gotten rather good at skirting around him. Which was both fun and infuriating. Eventually, he's not exactly sure when, but their little game had quickly turned into something else and he had been forced to back off. Her emotions shifted violently from happy, nervous, and excited to dread, fear and embarrassment. And it only escalated as the day drew on until all of her emotions just seem to fizzle out. 
 
It was the strangest and most unsettling thing to happen to her since he had met her, well maybe not the more unsettling thing, but definitely up there. She was always showing her emotions to him, too new to the link to be able to hide what she was always feeling. Which is why it was so unsettling when she finally became muted, the sudden quiet from their consistent link had made him physically stumble and then scramble to her side in fear of the worst. But she had been fine, a little closed off but fine, and the only thing that came to mind was her talk with Alphys. Ever since she had talked to her she had been having wild shifts in emotions and longer than normal moments of contemplation. Seemingly lost in thought about whatever was bothering her. 
 
He could no longer get a good read on her emotions, at least for the moment. And he still wasn't sure if that was intentional or just exhaustion with feeling so much for so long. Either way, it was bothering him, being uncertain on how to proceed with her.
 
Now, finally, they were alone getting ready for bed. Now that they were in a safe place where neither of them had to worry about being seen or overheard he was finally able to coax whatever was wrong out of her. 
 
"So, mind telling me what’s up?" Welp, no one ever said he was tactful. It didn't help that her lack of emotions were setting him on edge, and he was honestly being stretched too thin as it was. Had been stretched too thin for too long.
 
"It’s nothing."
 
"It’s definitely something."
 
“It’s- it's just- I feel like I don’t really know you and if we're going to finish the bond and make this permanent then I should know more about you.” She trailed off uncertainly, refusing to look at him as her face burst into a bright red.
 
He was surprised and slightly miffed, what in the underground did she want to know about him that she already didn't?
 
“I’d say your soul knows quite a bit already.” He started, unsure of how to proceed.
 
“Yeah, well the human brain I have is insisting that I should know certain things.” She all but snapped at him, clearly on edge. He narrowed his eye sockets at her, she was almost acting like a cornered animal and he didn't like it.
 
“Okay, like what?”
 
“I don't know!" Her eyes darted around the room. "Like what’s your favorite color? Or music? Maybe your lucky number?" He looked at her dumbfounded and she quickly backpedaled. "No, that's stupid, that's not-- I mean." She huffed as she turned her back on him not wanting him to see her flushed face. His sudden laughter made her feel worse and she buried her face in her hands trying to hide her shame.
 
"Is that really what humans are worried about in a relationship?" He had a very hard time hiding his amusement. 
 
"Yes, no, I don't know." He moved around her, his phalanx gently encircling her wrists to pull her hands away from her face. She refused to look at him as he studied her and her sudden burst of emotions. He almost sighed in relief as he felt her emotions rushing back through their link, filling up the silence. Anger, frustration, and embarrassment were all present, he carefully picked his way around the emotions trying to think of the best course of action. 
 
"What’s really going on here?" Her anxiousness, embarrassment, and other strong emotions swirled thickly within their link, setting off his own insecure emotions. They were so thick they were tangible. It was such a strong contrast to the muted emotions she had only just moments ago that they felt like a punch to his metaphorical gut. And to his dismay, she looked as if she was going to start hyperventilating again. What in the Underground had gotten her so shaken? His instincts were clamoring to soothe her worry, so he grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her toward him, hugging her close to him. His face nuzzled into the crook of her neck and his chest began to rumble in a soothing manner. While his magic, responding to her distress, fanned out around the room, making it feel thick with his strong presence. She seemed to calm in his arms before she mumbled something into his shoulder.  He frowned, unable to comprehend what she had said.
 
“I didn't quite catch that Sweetheart.” He said soothingly, trying to coax the problem out of her. She seemed to pause for an uncomfortable amount of time as he strained to hear her, determined to not miss what she had said a second time. If only to make her emotions stop swelling in such a way.
 
“I… I think I’m ready… t-to finish the bond.” She was so quiet, with her head buried deep within his shoulder he had almost missed it again. His brow bones drew together in thought as her words floated around in his skull. Until finally he understood was she had said. 
 
Oh… Oh! He tensed and she tensed in response. He didn't even dare believe what he had just heard, because if he was wrong all hell was going to break loose. He’d never be able to forgive himself if he took her without her consent. Her uncertainty returned full force and it pushed him to act before she could pull away from him entirely, he focused on pushing calming emotions through their link.
 
“Are you certain?”
 
“Y-yeah…” was this what had been occupying her mind all day? No wonder she had been acting weird, and his teasing probably hadn't helped. 
 
His magic began to thrum excitedly as his bones worked to loosen themselves from his tense stance. It felt like he had waited an eternity for this moment and everything in him felt like it was going to snap, but he had to be certain because once he started… he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop. His hands clenched her tighter against him almost painfully in his desperation as he held himself back just long enough to make sure this was what she wanted.
 
“I need you to be sure, I need you to say it.”
 
“I-I’m sure.” He let his control snap and a long low pleased growl left him and rumbled through the room. She shivered in his grasp, her hands clutching his clothes tightly, fear and anticipation heavy in her scent and her nerves continued to spike within their bond. His hand moved up and down her back in a soothing manner, wishing to quite the overbearing emotions swirling within their bond.
 
“Relax, I gotcha.” He let his own emotions flow into their link, flooding her with his happiness, relief, excitement, and arousal. Letting them sweep her emotions away with their force. She jerked within his grasp at the sudden startling change in emotions and while she grappled with her disoriented state he trailed his hand up from her lower back, to her neck and then into her hair. Grasping the strands and the back of her head he gently pulled her from his shoulder to nuzzle her cheek. He drew the tip of his nasal bone along her soft skin in a comforting manner before drawing himself closer to gently press his teeth to her lips. His magic sparked, molding against her and all too soon she was responding to his kiss. Her own soft lips melding against his.
* 
His tongue slid from between his teeth to swipe a path along her lips, begging for entrance. Her lips spread apart and his tongue slid past them to join with hers. Even with the kisses he had stolen from her before, it was still easy to dominate the kiss, stroking his long dexterous tongue along and around hers, leaving her with nothing to do but to take what he gave. A spark of arousal stuttered through their link and a pleased rumble left him.
 
His other hand slid down to her hip, grasping it within his strong grip, he tried to pull her closer than she already was, needing to feel every part of her against him. His hand drifting down from her hair to rest between her shoulder blades keeping her in place while his other hand left her hip and slowly traveled upwards to play with the edge of her shirt. His phalanx dancing along her skin just above her pants, just barely grazing the skin there, then they began to move up, skimming up along her side. He felt her tremble against him, almost darting away as his hand ghosted over the swell of her covered breast, but his hand resting between her shoulder blades kept her in place. 
 
He evaluated her emotions before he continued, noting the nervousness, embarrassment and the slight fear that still seemed to linger. But much stronger now were the lust and excitement that was steadily rising. He let those rising emotions settle him as he fed her some calming emotions. He didn't want her fear, and feeling it was spiking his more primal side. He chose to ignore both in favor of continuing, hoping to help ease her through this without incident.
 
He cupped her covered breast, giving a few appreciative gropes before his coarse thumb passed over a hardened nipple. She jerked in his grasp and a small gasp left her parted lips as he leaned back to watch her expression, another flash of arousal shot through him and their link, making her jerk in his grasp. He repeated the same action, swirling his thumb continuously over the hardened nub, watching through sharp eye lights as her eyelids fluttered closed and she arched against him. The sight tightened something in him and he snapped his teeth together, the action helping to relieve some of his own pent-up emotions. He knew he couldn't just fuck her into the ground, at least not for her first time.
 
He leaned back in to run a line of nips and licks along her neck as he hooked his arms under her knees, his hands grasping her ass to help steady her as he hauled her up and stumbled his way towards their bed.
 
He does his best not to jostle her too much as he situates her on their bed. Once she’s settled he pulls away quickly to tear his shirt off and flings it across the room before quickly hovering over her his hands hooking into her own shirt. He pauses in his movements meeting her eyes. He can feel himself slowly slipping but this, at least, he can do. He wasn't about to rip her clothes off without her consent. Though to his frustration, her eyes darted away from him as she bit her lip, her nerves seeming to spike. He forced himself to wait until she nodded her consent before helping her slip out of her shirt, leaving her bra in place. 
 
Still, there was fear and uncertainty, he hated it, he understood it, somewhere deep in the back of his mind, but he still hated it. He moved to straddle her, shifting the majority of his weight onto his kneecaps, then settled his hands on either side of her face. 
 
"Look at me." He gritted out through clenched teeth. Prey, she was acting like prey and she needed to stop. Her head snapped forward at his sharp command, meeting his piercing gaze. His eye lights having shrunken into sharp pinpoints as they bored into her own. She wanted to look away, needed to look away from his intense gaze but she held her ground. His primal side was definitely taking over so she needed to tread carefully. She wasn't necessarily scared he'd hurt her. She was more scared of how painful the act would be, especially if he lost himself and just railed into her.
 
"Do you trust me?" She could only stare at him, her mind trying to comprehend the situation and the direction it had just taken, letting her eyes skirt away for a brief second just to escape his gaze. He let loose a low snarl making her eyes snap back to his. Shifting his weight, he brought his hand to rest on her bared chest. 
 
"Do you trust me?" He asked again, his voice graveled and harsh. She could feel the answer in her soul as it throbbed its response within her, how could she not trust him?
 
"I do." She replied honestly. His eye lights disappeared for a long moment, and in that moment, she was afraid she may have said or done something wrong before his left eye flared to life. Smokey wisps of blue swirled out and around his skull and his teeth snapped together with a loud clank making her jerk in surprise. Suddenly she felt the pull of her soul and before she could make a protest he had drawn her soul forth and was now cradling the cumulation of her being within his strong grasp. Her heart nearly stuttered to a stop as his grip tightened just a fraction giving her a constricted feeling that was both welcomed and unwelcomed.  
 
"Ya need ta relax sweetheart," He said, his voice a low canter, almost teasing. "I'm gonna take good care of ya." It was the only warning she got before his thumb was sweeping a path along the center of her soul. Her head flung back and her eyes screwed shut, a startled cry left her as all reason fled from her mind, only to be replaced by undiluted pleasure. 
 
Every pass of this thumb sent jolts of pleasure through her making the space between her legs throb in want. It was as if he was touching every part of her body at once as well as something so secret and precious it left her feeling vulnerable to his every whim. She began to pant, trying to catch her breath as he continued his unhurried assault on her soul, his thumb caressing slow circles, lighting up every one of her nerve endings.
 
Her hands darted up, trying to find something to grasp onto, something to help steady her. Her fingers ended up curled around his lower ribs as she fought to ground herself. As she clung tightly to him, she swore she heard a grunt come from him, but her mind quickly scattered again with another pass of his thumb. She let loose a moan of pleasure, one she certainly would have been mortified by had she had her wits about her. 
 
Sans swiped another path along his precious little soul, watching as the swirl in colors shifted to another pattern of uneven waves. He felt gratified when he pulled another pleased sound from his mate beneath him, her sounds and the feeling of her pleasure shifting through their bond egging him on. He watched her beautiful features contort as another needy sound left her lips, his cock throbbed painfully between them begging to be touched. He reached down to grab himself, squeezing tightly and shivering at the feeling. He pumped himself through his shorts as he watched her wither beneath him. He gave himself one final squeeze before leaning back over her form.
 
His fingers slipped underneath her bra and ripped through the only barrier left between him and her breasts. Tossing the remains of the fabric off to the side, he untangled her hands from his ribs and pinned them above her head. She bucked upwards and whimpered beneath him, a strong burst of arousal shot through their link as he held her hand above her head. He jerked clearly surprised by her response to his actions before releasing a dark chuckle. She squirmed beneath him while he continued his assault on her soul, leaning in close to her ear,
 
"Ya like that sweetheart, bein held down while I take what I want from ya?" His voice deep and a strong contrast between coaxing and threatening. The jump in her emotions had him releasing an excited snarl. "Yeah? Ya like the idea of bein helpless as I fuck you senseless don't ya sweetheart." Her emotions were an open book to him as he held her soul within his grasp, their link solidifying, she could hide nothing from him. The arousal and excitement were more than telling enough for him, but her needy whimper sent him nearly spiraling over the edge. He wedged his legs in between hers, spreading her wide to make room for himself to settle in between her legs. 
 
 "Fuck yeah sweetheart, you're so fucking perfect. Just look at ya, spread out beneath me just begin for more. Your so fucking beautiful and you're M I N E." 
 
She cried out in pleasure again while his grip tightened on her soul and he bucked into her. Rubbing his warm hard length against her clothed core. Her soul turned blue within his grasp and her breath hitched as she found she could no longer move. Her eyes, unfocused, found his intense gaze and his sharp-toothed grin. He rocked his hips forward, grinding himself against her. His own teeth separated as he began to pant, losing himself in the feeling of their bodies pressed against each other, he could practically feel the heat of her core through her clothing. She screwed her own eyes shut unable to take the focused, possessive, and lust filled look that was zeroed in on her. 
 
He kissed her and she was quick to reciprocate, trying to keep up with his tongue as the rest of her body refused to move for her. She desperately wished she could relive the tightening in her lower abdomen. She was so close, the pulsing between her legs was maddening as the need to be filled consumed almost any other thought. And his slow grinding was only making it worse, giving her barely enough relief to sate the feeling. She whimpered as he left her lips to trail nips and licks down her collarbone to her breasts. She peeked her eyes open to watch as he gazed at her chest, his hand cupped her right breast to fondle the pliable flesh before scrapping his thumb over her hardened nipple. If she could have she would have bucked against him. She was so frustrated and turned on that she wasn't sure if she wanted him to continue touching her as he was or to stop him so he'd just fuck her already. 
 
He caught her eyes with his, realizing that she was watching him. He stared her down as he parted his teeth and dragged his tongue along her nipple. She held back whatever noise was trying to work its way past her lips, refusing to make such a noise while maintaining eye contact, but his eyes seemed to glint in a challenge. He flicked and swirled his tongue around her nipple while his other hand let her soul loose to float and spin rapidly above her. His now free hand grasped her left breast and began to flick and pinch her other nipple relentlessly. She could no longer hold his gaze her eyelids slid shut as another whimper left her. 
 
"Please." She barely breathed out as he continued his assault.
 
"What was that? I couldn't hear you." He said, scrapping his sharp canines along the top of her right breast, leaving a mark. His hand darted down in between them as she tried to speak again, rubbing her core through her clothing. Soft pleased sounds left her instead of anything coherent. She could feel his swell of pride and dark pleasure passing through their link. They only helped to fuel her own emotions, pushing her closer to that invisible edge.
 
"What’s wrong kitten? Got somthin on your mind? Oh? Ya liked that one? Heh, alright kitten, I can call you that from now on." Another deep chuckle left him and she gritted her teeth in embarrassment and frustration, she hated letting him win an obvious challenge, but damn it she didn't think she could win this one. And fuck if his voice was not helping! She tried to gather her wits as he started to trail his fangs down her belly to the edge of her pants.
 
"Please!" She finally managed to say, desperate for some form of release. Her embarrassment was swirling with her lust and she couldn't really tell heads from tails anymore. She was just glad he wasn't caressing her soul anymore, she wasn't sure she'd have been able to say anything had he still been caressing it. He paused in his ministrations, resting one of his hands on her pelvis and the other cradled his head as he hovered over the apex of her thighs.
 
"Please what?"
 
"P-please." He hummed in thought, letting his thumb slip back down to run a line up and down her covered core, unknowingly passing over her clit with every pass. Her body jerked and she suppressed another whimper as jolts of pleasure assaulted her.
 
"Tell me what you want." His deep voice nearly rumbled with the demand. Her embarrassment grew as she could feel his gaze on her. He wasn't letting up and she didn't think he was going too. So, she gathered whatever courage she had and muttered out the only phrase she could coherently think at that given moment.
 
"P-please f-fuck me." 
 
"Anythin for you kitten." Quick as lightning he hooked his phalanx into her pants and underwear and pulled them off her frame. She sucked in a surprised breath as cold air hit her wet sex. He dropped her clothes carelessly off the side of the bed. She felt overly exposed and vulnerable as his bright blue eye scanned her form. She couldn't even move to cover herself as his blue magic continued to hold her down. 
 
He rested his hand on her thigh, trailing a soft path up to her core and along her lower lips to sweep across the gathered moisture there. Her excitement jumped in time with his. He suppressed an eager growl and crawled up her body, resting himself between her legs. He leaned forward to nuzzle the side of her neck before giving it a soft nip.
 
"I'm gonna fuck you so hard the only name your gonna remember is mine." He said it like a promise, soft and reassuring as his voice rumbled, making her body pulsed with need.
 
She felt the head of his engorged length press against her wet folds, and she spared a moment to wonder when the hell he had taken off his pants. The moment was fleeting as the tip of his length slid past her folds. She suddenly felt pressure and pain and despite his magic holding her still, she winced. 
 
Sans body shook with the effort to hold himself still, he had never felt such an intense need to slam his dick into his partner before. But there was pain, he could feel it through their link, so he halted his movements. Concentrating, he pulled his own soul out, the little white inverted heart instantly drew closer to its match. His blue magic disappeared as his soul melded with hers.
 
He groaned in pleasure as she moaned beneath him. Her eyes opened and she met his gaze. Her arms, now mobile, wrapped around his shoulder blades and ribcage, pulling him closer to her. She kissed him, something he was happy to indulge.
 
She rolled her hips upwards taking a bit more of him in. The pain was still there, but it was now in the background of their shared pleasure. And with the added pleasure of their souls being fully connected she was finding it very hard to concentrate on anything, let alone the pain. Slowly, Sans started to move again. Rolling his hips forward, slowly reaching deeper with every pump until he finally hilted deep within her. 
 
Fuck she was so tight and wet, hugging him so tightly he was seeing stars. He had to stop himself from shredding the covers beneath them with his clenched fists. Instead of fucking her into the mattress as his instincts were clamoring for him to do he took his time. His pace started slow, dragging his dick along her velvety walls, drawing out whines and sighs as he slowly brought her to the edge. His hand wandered up and down her side, needing to feel every inch of her soft flesh as he dragged his thick length in and out of her molten core. He squeezed her hip, enjoying the barest hint of bone beneath her soft flesh, before making its way back up to squeeze one of her breasts. 
 
Each thrust that brought her closer to the edge was accompanied by a soft sigh until she finally tipped over that ledge and was shuddering beneath him, she let loose a long low moan as her walls tightened around him. Her soul sparked, the beautiful swirling colors brightening to an almost blinding white, sending white-hot pleasure straight through his own soul and tipping him over that ledge as well. He groaned as his magic released deep inside of her. He continued to thrust into her, riding out their orgasms until she went boneless beneath him. 
 
They struggled to catch their breath the feeling of elation, peace, and satisfaction bouncing between them. Something within her felt like it clicked into place and a happy giddiness fluttered through her. She wasn't entirely sure if it was her feeling or Sans’, but she really didn't care, it was a good feeling and one that they were sharing. She basked in the feeling, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She felt like she could just drift to sleep like this until she felt Sans shifting above her. She groaned as his erection slipped out of her, she almost missed the feeling of being filled until it slammed back into her. Her breath hitched as he drew back out and slammed back into her.
 
She bit back a moan as he continued to slam his thick, hard length into her aching core. She barely managed to moan out his name, her fingers tightening around his spine. 
 
Sans pushed himself up keeping his hard pace, watching her from his new vantage point. Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth opened in a sigh. His soul, still melded with hers spun rapidly between them, sharing their magic and pleasure. It was an addictive feeling, one he was sure he was going to abuse over time, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it. 
 
They were fully bonded, he could feel it within the deepest part of his soul, the connection was strong and he could feel his clarity coming back to him and the persistent voice that had been harassing him for the past two months to finish what he had started was nothing more than a whisper now. His joy and relief were palpable he was sure, and what better way to celebrate than to make good on his promise. He was going to fuck his little mate until she couldn't walk in the morning. And he wasn't going to be satisfied until the only word she could utter was his name.
 
His eye flashed from blue to yellow and she found herself flattened against the bed, unable to move. She felt excitement curl within her abdomen as his emotions and intent rolled over her. 
 
"I-I thought- thought we were done." She barely managed to say around a moan he was currently dragging from her as he flicked a nipple.
 
"Heh, oh no sweetheart, we are only just getting started. Besides, I've got quite the debt to pay off."

Chapter Text

Pleased, was the first feeling to greet her in the morning. Her mind slowly clearing of the fog of sleep and happiness was soon accompanied by love and elation and a deep satisfaction she couldn't even begin to describe. She felt complete, in a way that she had never had before.

She peeked her eyes open to find her mate still missing. Having gotten up with his brother some time ago leaving her to rest after there... long... night.

Flushed remembered last night when two had turned into three and then three into four. She had been left a limp pool of satisfied human flesh as her skeletal lover had snuggled up around her, nearly purring in self-satisfied pleasure.

Remembering Sans having to help her into the shower on wobbly legs in the early morning hours had her blushing a dark crimson. She could not believe how long they had gone for or how many times she had cum. She squeaked at her own thought, mortified just by thinking about what had gone on last night. She berried her face into the pillow hoping to quell her own embarrassment.

After the shower, she had come out to find that Sans had taken the cum stained covers off the bed and had replaced them with the covers that were still clean. She had snuggled up to his warmth feeling sore but in a good way, completed, loved and satisfied.

She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she stretched out, humming in satisfaction. She was just about ready to get up and eat. She wasn't even sure what time it was. And it was odd that no one had bothered her yet but she figured that Sans may have said something to them. Oh no! Wait! She sat up in bed, the covers falling from her bare shoulders. Did that mean they knew? that they knew what had gone on last night. Oh gods they must. She could feel mortification and a hard ball settle in the pit of her stomach how was she supposed to face anyone again. They would all know the minute they saw her. The minute they saw Sans!

Crap they had already seen Sans, this was it this was the end of the world. there was no way she was ever leaving this room again.

Hard warm phalanges were wrapping around her wrists and prying her hands away from her face. She looked up surprised and mortified into the worried face of her mate. Sweat was beading at the top of his skull and his smile was strained.

"Heh, didn't think you'd miss me that much" He hedged nervously clearly uncertain but looking for an answer. She could only stare at him horrified for a moment her eyes glassy.

"They know that we had sex" She all but whisper yelled. He stands there stunned for a long moment as she shakes in his grasp. His shoulders start shaking and his grin turns up into a more sincere smile as he tried to hold back his laughter. He fails and starts to chuckle until he's laughing, loud and boisterous. She tries to scramble away from him but he holds fast to her wrists unwilling to let her get far from him.

"You - you, heh, oh my STARS!" He tries to say through his laughter. "You had me worried and, and you. Oh my Asgore." He can't stop himself as tears start to gather at the corner of his eyes and she huffs indignant.

"Well surely they know! How am I ever going to face them again!"

"Pffff, It's fine" He tries to soothe doing his best to reign in his chuckles but his grin is wide and mirthful. "Aint nobody going to give you a hard time." He finally releases her wrists.

His eye lights scan down her body, naked from the waist up, uncovered by the blanket. As if just realizing the state of her undress she grabs what she can of the blanket to hide her chest. He chuckles but the amusement has turned to something darker, his eye lights sharpening.

"Pretty sure I saw everything last night" He purred in that deep baritone of his. reaching his phalanges out to hook into the blanket trying to gently tug it from her hands.

"Y-yeah, so"

"So, no need to hide" He reasons. And she flushes but holds tight to the blanket.

He leans forward over her resting his body partially on the bed. He creeps in close catching her eyes before capturing her lips. His magic moved over her and he nips at her bottom lip before sliding his tongue over hers. He leans forward pushing her back onto the bed. He works his way from her mouth down to her neck, nuzzling, nipping and licking a path to her collar bone. Heat begins to pool in the pit of her stomach and she squirms beneath him as he fully pulls back the covers from her now pliant hands. He flashes his canines in a grin and shimmies himself under the blankets to settle over top of her. He moves back to her lips giving slow and detailed attention.

His hand dips down to cradle a breast. His thumb grazing over a hardened nipple. She groans as he flicks his thumb back and forth. Parting from her lips he moves down her body pausing to nip nipple and to nip the underside of a breast. His skull disappearing beneath the blankets.

Heat pools between her legs and she clenches her thighs together to help relieve the pressure suddenly building there. He takes his time making his way down her body. Pausing to nip and lick the expanse of her stomach. She jolts when she feels his hot breath above her thighs right at the apex of her legs. Startled she reaches beneath the covers to grab his head.

"W-wait!" She squeaked, "What are you doing?" He wraps his strong hard phalanges around her wrists and pulls them from his skull. He pins them to the bed next to her legs. There's a flash of blue and shes immobile.

"Y-you can't just! Sans! You can't just use that every time!"

"Sure I can" He nearly growled. "Besides... you enjoy it" She whimpers in embarrassment as her core clenches. He pries her legs apart and settles himself between them. His eye lights scanning over her wet slit. She clenches her eyes shut, wishing she could see him. The blanket covering her view coupled with his hot breath on her cunt was driving her insane.

his phalanges are exploratory almost hesitant at first. Sliding over the soft skin of her mound. gently scraping over her clit and down to her slit. splitting her open wide, separating her folds to get a better view. She whimpers again hot need shooting right through her. She almost let loose a moan when his phalanges grazed over her clit again her body jerking. Slowly he gains confidence with the noises she begins to makes. Sharp gasps spurring him on and he uses their link as a guide on what pleases her more.

"God you smelt so fucking good last night, and I couldn’t even get a taste. Heh, was to busy fucking you into the bed." His tongue trailed up her slit and her mind went blank her body tensing and her toes curling. He trailed another long slow trail up her slit to her clit. He continued in this slow fashion pausing to sweep his tongue over her clit in harder swipes before returning to his slow torturous path from slit to clit. Following the pull of her soul and emotions. Letting them help guide him on what brought the most pleasure. Despite not being able to move, her hands clenched the covers beneath her fingers and ragged breaths left her lips.

Sans growled against her pussy, "Fuck you taste so good" He started to rock his hips forward, grinding himself hard against the bed to help give relief to his straining cock. Her pleasurable sighs and pulsing soul egging him on. He reaches a hand up and started to stroke his thumb clumsily in short circles over her clit letting his tongue delve deeply into her core. Thrusting it in and out of her.

She whimpered beneath him as his finger continued to stoke over her button, his movements becoming more confident as she whined in need. Suddenly her body was seizing up beneath him and she was shacking soft cries spilling from her lips. He continued to stroke her through her orgasm until she was whimpering from overstimulation.

He pulled away from her kicking off his clothing and reemerging from the blanket to gaze down at her flushed face. He released her from his magic and her hands her clinging to his ribs pulling him close. he just smirked widely and winked at her. She smacked his ribs lightly. He chuckled please beyond belief as he lined himself up with her slick entrance and enters her slowly.

_____

When they finally emerger from the room it is well past noon and she may or may not have needed help walking down the stairs on shaky legs. Mirth and mischief dance in Toriels eyes once they lock onto Hope.

She avoids eye contact her embarrassment so thick its practically rolling off her in waves as her face remains a bright red. Toriel Joins her at the table for a late lunch with some golden flower tea.

"Congratulations seem to be in order," Toriel says conversationally, pure mischief dancing in her eyes. Hope nearly spits out her tea in surprise. A hand flies to her mouth trying to prevent liquid from spraying everywhere. Her eyes dart to Toriel in horror. Toriel smiles innocently back at her while beside her Sans has turned a light shade of blue. He seemed to be looking anywhere but at either if them. Embarrassment, happiness, and anxiety jump between their shared bond. "For the game I mean" Toriel finally finishes, taking a delegate sip of her tea. "They loved your game and are going to replicate it for distribution throughout the Underground."

Hope sputters having finally swallowed her tea and her mouth opens and shuts, clearly trying to talk but no voice seemed to come. Toriel smiled wider.

"Whatever did you think I was congratulating you for?"

Hope flounders for a few minutes and beside her Sans shoulders being to shake. She can feel his amusement and can just barely here is attempts to keep himself quiet. She snapped her head toward him scowling at him. Her absolute mortification mixing with his amusement. Utter betrayal was written on her face. He loses it then and starts to laugh. She can only manage to glare at him unwilling to look back at Toriel.

"Come on Toriel," He finally manages. "Give er' a brake"

Hope chances a glance a Toriel and she has a paw up over her muzzle, hiding her own smile.

"I am sorry dear, I simply couldn't help myself. Of course, congratulations are for both happy occasions."

Hope flusters at her knowing gaze barely managing a soft thank you. Sans's hand seeks out hers under the table and laces his phalanges with her fingers. She peeks at him from the corner of her eye, he's smiling, a soft smile, elated and content.