By The Fire
So... this isn’t an answer to an ask or anything like that. I’ve been wanting to answer asks but my mind hasn’t been able to focus on it. I was thinking of my boy and my hand slipped... writing this up. It is set in the future and it’s written so you see the world through Frisk. I hope you all like it and maybe send some suggestions of other situations Frisk might have been around either this GB Sans (dubbed Kit in the GB server) and/or his brother Papyrus (who is known as Ranger in the server.)
By The Fire
a short fic by: TopazShadowwolf
You had a bad dream…
Not too bad, mind you, you’ve certainly had worse. Still, the dream wasn’t pleasant and it left you feeling… cold? Empty? Unnerved? Alone? You decided to save time pondering this and go with “bad.”
You were alone in the Underground… it was silent… still… and… dusty…
Okay, maybe it was just as scary as the other dreams, just in a different way. Remembering it even now sends shivers up your spine. The stillness of the house at night wasn’t helping the bad feeling it left go away. Before you remembered where you were, you did fear you were alone. Granted, the great outdoors isn’t that quiet at night, even through a closed window. Hearing it did remind you that you’re on the surface, at least. You could hear the choir of crickets through the closed window, occasionally overshadowed by the screech of an owl. Still, that didn’t alleviate the fear that all you knew was gone. After all, it was a far cry from the sound of cars driving by that you're used to at home. Signs of the life you know beyond your home’s walls.
With mom gone for a meeting, it fell on the skeleton brothers’ shoulders to care for you. Unlike your mom, they chose to live out of the city, in the forest near the mountain. It wasn’t too far of a drive to visit but it was still far away enough that you could really see the stars at night… as the world outside became uncomfortably dark. It was nice, really, but you were used to street lamps, car lights, bright buildings, and life in the city. This place took getting used to.
Back to the point of why you were awake, you need cheering up, something Papyrus excels at. Unfortunately for you, he’s not even here tonight. There was something going on at the park he works at, and he called to let you and Sans know he would be home late. So, it was just you and Sans…
Sans was a great “uncle,” in his own way. You knew he cared about you just as much as your mom does. You also knew he cared about his brother and your mom. At first, that’s why you thought he did care, because they did and thus, to keep them happy, he had to care about you. Over time, you understood that wasn’t it. He cared about you because he did, not because of them. He just had a different way of showing it.
While your mother would help you every step of the way, to the point of being overbearing, Sans would point you in the right direction and then let you go; watching from afar with only the occasional gentle nudge if you lost your way. Mom was more likely to remove challenges in your way while Sans let you trip and fall, help you back up, offer advice, then try again. It was something you appreciated about both of them. You learned to turn to mom for some things and Sans for others. Toriel instructed while Sans let you try and fail until you found your own way under his watchful gaze.
Normally this would be a mom type of situation. You wanted her warmth, her kind words, the mug of hot chocolate she would make. This was not a Sans thing… and his current form won’t help either. Seeing the “blaster” form of Papyrus didn’t bother you at all. Yet, Sans looking like that makes you feel uneasy for some reason, even when he wasn’t in his full blaster form. You managed to do fine tonight, getting through dinner of corn dogs and mixed vegetables alone with him partially a blaster without any problems. Though, you think he knew. He didn’t offer to read to you, give you a hug, or anything else other than wishing you a good night after seeing you to bed.
It was sad… and yet you were sure at the time you didn’t want any of those things. He saw the subtle hints you tried to hide from him. The hints that the feral look of him scared you. But…
Despite how he looks, he’s still Sans… right?
Carefully, you climb out of bed and walk out of the room. Doubt kicks in. Maybe you shouldn’t be doing this. He might not be happy to see you out of bed. Would he even want you in his room? Sans is a private person most of the time, even if he did reveal his lab to you, and you alone. Still, the want for someone to take a parental role, and make the bad feelings from that dream go away, won. Luckily, you didn’t need to go far. Sans wasn’t in his room at all. He had fashioned some sort of nest out of pillows and blankets and was resting in it, looking almost like some mix of a dog and dragon laying in front of the lit fireplace. It wasn’t like mom’s fire, it was actually burning the wood within, but it did warm the room up and give him something to watch.
Either he felt you looking at him or a floorboard creaked quietly enough that he could hear and you couldn’t, as his skull turned and eye lights focused on you. There was a pause before confusion took over and his skull tilted. “hey, kiddo, what has you up at this time of night?”
That voice. That was the voice that had comforted you before. It was the voice that befriended you and made you laugh. No matter how the owner of that voice looked, it was still Sans, your Sans. Without a word you walk over and kneel into the nest of blankets. Your arms wrap around him and you could feel him relax as he started to understand what was going on. “something got you upset?” He asked, to which you nod, snuggling your face into his old worn hoodie in the process. It was soft from wear and smelled like Sans.
“was it a bad dream?” He asked as you felt his tail move around you like an arm to hold you close. Again you nod, letting out a shuttered sigh as you try to let go of the bad feelings to embrace the good.
“you wanna talk about it, kiddo?” to this question you shake your head ‘no.’ You didn’t want to discuss something with him that you don’t fully understand yourself. “alright, well if you change your mind, i’m all ears.”
You snort and lean back to give him a small push while giggling. He chuckled that deep laugh he makes and you again settle against his side. Under his jacket, you can feel his rib cage as it expands with each inhalation. You do ponder asking him why he was out here, but if you weren’t willing to talk about your dream why should he share? Instead, you sit together, quietly, peace filling your soul and allowing drowsiness to take over. With a yawn and a stretch of his hands, that now more closely resemble forepaws, Sans looks at you. “well, kid, it is pretty late, i doubt papyrus will be coming home tonight. you want to sleep here or go back to your bed.”
This is something you don’t need to think about. You would far rather sleep out here with him than alone in that room. The look of his skull might have bothered you before, but your need for comfort far outweighed that. With a smile, you tell him you want to stay, clinging to his jacket to make the point. You can feel his ribs move as he snorted a laugh. “alright, kiddo.”
He lowers his skull and his sockets close, ready to fall asleep any place in his usual way. You look at his more bestial head, wondering the wonder all humans have when looking at a dog or any other creature. Can I pet? And if so, how does it feel to pet? Curiosity won this debate, you reached over and placed your hand on his skull and slowly moved it down to the spikes at the back of his head. He snorted again, chuckling a little as his socket opened slightly to look at you. Since he wasn’t angry, you repeat the process and he closed his socket, letting you pet him like some odd skeleton dog. A rumbling sound started up in his chest, like distant thunder or some sort of ethereal cat’s purr. While it did surprise you, it has a calming effect on you. It was more than a sound, but a feeling. It seemed to travel through you, easing any fear out of your mind and soul. At peace, you close your eyes and settle against him. Feeling the smooth, magic warmed bone under your hand as you slowly drift back to sleep...