Asriel sat at the kitchen table, drawing. Frisk hummed as she finished making lunch- Sans would be coming home soon. "Asriel, lunch's ready."

He kept drawing.

The human blinked. "Asriel?"

He kept drawing. The older human snapped her fingers. Her brother paid her no mind. "Asriel!" Frisk yanked the paper away. The boy blinked at the lack of paper. She looked over the drawing of the yellow flower. "Why are you drawing this?"

"No reason. I-I was thinking about something and I guess my hands moved on their own..."

"So what are you thinking about?"

There was silence.

"Frisk, do...do you hate me? As Flowey." At her cocked head of confusion, he continued. "I know you spared me- him, and you got me back and you took me in so Mom and Dad could work on their relationship issues. But even if only you and I remember...I still killed so many monsters..."

He blinked when the paper was shoved into his face. The flower had been crossed out. "That wasn't you. It was a flower with an ego. It's in the past."

Asriel nodded. He and Frisk set up lunch. When Sans returned from the lab, he glanced between his wife and his brother in law in confusion.

He didn't understand until that evening.

Things were quiet at dinner, like lunch. Asriel went to bed early, leaving the newlyweds alone. "What's going on?" Sans asked.

His wife sighed. "Asriel's been thinking about Flowey." She explained. "Do you think you could talk to him?"

Her husband nodded, kissing her forehead. "I'll talk to the kid."

"Thank you. "

The talk happened two days later. Frisk was out visiting her mother, leaving the two alone. Sans found Asriel drawing again. "Hey kid." He looked up from the paper. "Wanna grab some Grillby's?"

"Sure."

Bundling up, the two walked through Snowdin. People waved and said hello as they walked past. Finally, they reached the pub. "Two fries." Sans said, Grillby nodding. They chose a booth.

"Frisk wanted you to talk to me, didn't she?"

Sans blinked. "Okay, blunt approach. Yes, she did." They say in silence, the food arriving. "She thought that you might be having a hard time."

"You don't like me, do you? You were hesitant when Mom asked if you guys could take care of me."

He sighed. "It wasn't because of you." At the child's raised brow, he continued. "Seriously! It was because of your Mom. After we met face to face, she wouldn't stop flirting with me, even after I made my feelings clear and I started courting Frisk- why are we talking about this?" Sans ran a hand down his face. "Are you okay?"

Asriel shrugged.

"Because Frisk is worried and I see her point. You haven't been sleeping or eating well. What's on your mind?"

The younger hunched in his seat. "I keep having nightmares. A-About him." He traced a circle on the table. "About killing all those monsters..." He started to tremble.

"Hey." The boy looked up at him. Sans smiled. "It's gonna be okay. All that happened in the past. It's natural. But try focusing on the now."

Asriel smiled, munching on a fry. "Thanks."

A week later, Asriel found a plush Gaster Blaster in his room. A note was attached- If you ever have another nightmare, imagine this guy protecting you. F+S.

He smiled, hugging it.

A/N: AU, Pacifist run but everyone is still Underground. Asriel is brought back. But Toriel and Asgore are working through their relationship problems. So it falls to the newlywed Frisk and Sans to take care of him, including his issues with Flower and Chara.

(Papyrus moved in with Mettaton.)