A/N: Hello! You guys don't know me (unless you followed me from another fandom), but I've only recently discovered the wonderful world of Undertale. No, I haven't delved into the AUs yet, but I'm in love with the character of Sans. This bag of bones can fit so much angst! So look forward to some content from me every now and again. I wish Wattpad could support sans script, but it sadly cannot. :'( Ao3 can, though! So feel free to check out the story over there!

Please enjoy!

◊◊Line◊◊

Sans idly stirred his milkshake with his straw, eyes never straying far from Frisk. They didn't know why he'd asked them to meet with him here—Sans had taken to avoiding them most of the time, unless they wanted to hang out with his brother. But it was nice to spend time with him again. They'd been feeling a little left out because he'd been giving them the cold shoulder. Previous runs aside, Sans had always been nice to them—a protector of sorts. He always had a joke ready to make them laugh, and Frisk valued their friendship quite a lot. Despite their mistakes—for they knew what they had done was wrong, but it didn't matter if nobody knew—he was still one of their most precious friends.

So why did he look so angry?

"i'm going to ask you an honest question, and i'd appreciate an honest answer." Sans' voice was low and distinctly serious. Frisk suppressed a shudder—for a moment, they swore they were back in a golden hallway. "i really hope i won't regret this, kid... are you happy like this?" Seeing their confused expression, Sans elaborated. "okay. let me ask a different question. are you going to RESET again?"

They felt their fork clatter to the ground through suddenly numb fingers. Their face lost all blood as they stared at the skeleton in shock. "Wh-what do you mean, Sans?" The words were a futile hope, and they both knew it. Even now, Sans had figured out that time had been tampered with.

"you know what i'm talking about, frisk." His eyelights dimmed a little.

Frisk took a deep, calming breath. "I won't RESET." They finally said. "Everyone's happy, after all." They felt a smile tug at their lips. "Why would I want to go back?"

Sans pushed his untouched milkshake aside casually, but his eyes were full of fierce emotions that they couldn't even attempt to pick apart. "i dunno. maybe for the same reason you kept killing my brother." His words—quiet as a whisper—rang like thunder in their mind. Their entire body felt hot and cold and distant, and for a moment they truly didn't understand what he meant. Had they killed Papyrus this run? Hadn't they gone Pacifist this time?

"I..."

"don't try to deny it, kid." Sans let his eye flash with that haunting golden-cyan flame. "i remember everything."

Never had three words held so much weight. Those three solitary words shattered every reality Frisk knew with all the subtlety of a supernova. And suddenly, Frisk found themselves analyzing everything Sans had done since they'd first met him. Indeed, there was a discrepancy in the way he acted after their first No-Mercy Run—the first time they'd killed Papyrus. Ever since then, he'd never left them alone with him—with the exception of the bridge where the skeleton continually died.

Not only that, but after that first Genocide Run, Sans had been... wary. Not only that, but he'd never once closed his left eye around them. The way he talked about anomalies and timelines and how he had no hope for the future anymore... It wasn't research, that was experience. Looking back on everything, it was obvious now. Sans never forgot. They distantly recalled the way that Flowey had warned them away from the 'Smiley Trashbag', citing how he'd caused him his fair share of RESETs. It made sense, now.

They were so lost in their horrified thoughts that they almost didn't notice Sans stand up. "look, kid. whatever your reasons are for what you did, it wasn't right. none of it was right, and none of it can be excused. whatever friendship we once had... well, you went and burned that bridge yourself, now didn't you? i don't trust you. i never will. but i'll pretend because it makes my brother happy. and we both know how important he is to me." Frisk felt like they'd been slapped. In the course of less than an hour, their entire world had been flipped on its head. Suddenly, everything felt hollow and each shadow judged them for their sins.

They could feel their Sins crawling on their back... weighing on their neck... it choked them with a heavy darkness they thought they'd left behind.

Sans paused, one hand on the table beside them. "you have never been above the consequences, and you never will be. if you ever valued whatever friendship we once had... you'll never touch that power again. because if you do, you're going to have a bad time. and i won't wait for you to meet me at the Hall, either." Without another word nor glance, the Royal Judge left Grillby's, leaving a trembling human staring at their hands as they questioned everything they'd ever known.

.

.

.

"heh..." Sans looked up at the clouds as he shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. "it's a beautiful day outside..."