(A/N - The following chapter contains alcohol consumption, mild sexual content, and the usual language of everyday city-goers - which is to say, foul. You have been advised.)

(Also, this chapter is rather (very) long, so brace yourself.)

The hot water from the shower left a haze of warm steam in the small bathroom, and you wiped your hand across the mirror to see into it. After brushing your teeth and combing through the long mass of hair on your head, you looked at the vial that was now just covering the bottom with the bright contents. Your brow furrowed. At this rate, you thought, I'll have to get more in a few days.

You turned your head to look at the new clothes you had gotten with Toriel and Alphys. A blue v-neck tee, slouchy jeans, and a gray sweatshirt. Most of the clothes they wanted you to buy consisted of blues and whites, and Alphys was a mess of squeals and subliminal nudges to Toriel. You weren't thrilled with their camaraderie at your expense, so you fought them for darker, more natural hues.

Now, however, this was your last outfit that was clean before heading to the laundromat. You sighed and threw the shirt over your head, adjusting it around your bra, then slid on the jeans. The shirt was smaller than you were used to, as your cleavage was much more... "out there"... than in any clothes you've worn. You put the sweatshirt on and zipped it up over your breasts, then opened the door to the upstairs hallway. You peeked at the clock over the bathroom door. Ten in the evening. If you were going to walk to work, you would have to leave soon. Toriel appeared to your right from the stairs, and smiled as she came over to you.

"Ah, I'm glad you finally wore those. I was afraid you didn't like them, and only purchased them to make Alphys and myself happy."

"I'm used to bigger clothes." You said, looking down at the zipper that was fighting a little against the stretched fabric. "At least it's cold enough for a jacket in the warehouse."

"Oh! That's right, you and Sans have work soon."

"He's in his room."

You both made your way to his door on the west end, and she lightly tapped the door.

"Knock knock." She said, her tone playful.

"Who's there?" Sans asked.

"Annie."

"Annie who?"

"Annie-one you like, if it will open this door!" She giggled as she delivered the punchline, and Sans laughed behind the door before opening it. He looked at her, his face beaming, then as he turned to you his eyes changed expression.

"That's a new outfit." He stated. "You're letting Tori dress you now, huh?"

"Oh.. I-I think she looks very nice." Toriel said timidly, her smile fading. "Is it not a good choice?"

"Uh- No, it looks great." He shrank into his sweatshirt a little. "It's just different."

"Go easy on him, Tori." You taunted, grinning. "I think he forgot I was a girl under all the fabric. Sans, you ready to head out? This is the last day of work before the two-week holiday."

"Yep. You?"

"I'll have to tuck my hair into my hood, but I'll survive."

"Don't catch a cold." Toriel said sternly. "And please take care; it's snowing outside, and it will be hard for drivers to see you and stay straight on the road."

You both nodded and set off down the stairs and out the door. You grabbed your jacket, coiled your hair into a messy bun, and threw the hood over it with the drawstrings pulled and the jacket zipped to the top. The snow fell and a dead quiet filled the suburban streets as you turned right from the driveway and began the long walk to work.

"Reminds me of Snowdin." Sans breathed. "It would get so quiet when it snowed, you couldn't hear Grillby's even if you were standing a few feet away from the door."

You hummed and nodded. "I used to try and walk as quietly as I could in the snow, to see if I could trick the animals into thinking I wasn't there. It never worked, but I think that's because I always smelled like hot chocolate."

"Quit spilling it on your coat, (y/n)! Oh, now there's a wet spot. You'll have to wait for it to dry out..."

You didn't notice you had stopped walking until you heard your name called.

"Kalia, you alright?" Sans asked, stopping and turning slightly.

"Y-yeah..." You replied and caught up to him, walking quietly through the falling snow. He looked a little concerned, but his bright smile returned once you were by his side again, and you continued on. You felt more at ease, walking with a friend.

Today, though, I'm going to tell him.

I'm finally going to tell the truth.

***

Sans finished lowering the last box with his magic, and it seemed with practice he was able to finish it much faster. You smiled proudly while checking off the last few items on the order form.

"That's it for that one." You called to him, and noticed the sweat on his brow. "Ease up, buddy. You can rest for the night, now that we're ahead of schedule."

"Y... Yay." He wheezed and plopped onto the concrete floor, bundled into his puffy blue coat, while you grabbed the keys to the forklift.

Hopping on, you turned the ignition and drove it to the fourth row while raising the fork to the second shelf. Turning the stick, it nestled into the gaps of the pallet, lifted it from the metal shelf, and you carefully backed away and lowered the box to about a foot from the floor. You spun the machine around and accelerated toward the second overhead door and set the box down. Sans watched with sleepy eyes. You continued to bring boxes and pallets down from the shelves, carefully reading the order numbers on the labels and matching them to the form leaning against the windshield. As you headed further down the first aisle, a loud noise shook the warehouse.

*CRENG*

Sans fell backwards from the shaking of the building, and you nearly slipped out of the seat from the vibrations that rang through a little while after. Something pushed the forklift into the shelf, and you whipped around to see a large dent in the metal siding that reached the machine. Quickly you jumped off the machine and ran away from the leaning metal supports above you. You saw Sans looking on anxiously and you went toward him. You heard it again.

*CREEEENG SKREEEEEEE*

The sound was followed by a loud screech and the dent pushed further in, tearing the metal wall to reveal a large truck making its way into the building. The shelves gave in to the intruding vehicle, and the second and third shelf curved into an 'S', boxes began to tumble down to the ground, and an entire section of shelf at the end caved in, crashing down over Sans as you reached him.

Everything moved in slow motion as you screamed his name, now sprinting to him as he struggled to use his magic. You saw the light in his eye flicker blue, but the boxes barely gave way to him and he curled into a ball, bracing for impact. You towered over him, gloves dropping to the floor, and you embraced his cowering body and your body shifted suddenly.

T..teleport?

...

..

This isn't my magic.

You felt yourself and Sans being carried through space and you landed in a pile of snow in the middle of the empty city. All you could see was black, and you struggled to find Sans in the heap you yourself were trapped in. Snow, snow, and more snow; soon after, the sweatshirt you were wearing was soaked through and chilled your skin. You felt blood suddenly rush to your head. In a panic, you tried to make sense of where you were and failed-

Something suddenly grabbed onto your (chest? heart?) and pulled you upward, then set you upright and on your feet. Sans was standing in the middle of the road, smirking at your previous frantic state upside-down in a snow heap. You adjusted yourself and brushed the remaining snow off of your shoulders.

"Well, I'm glad you saved a little magic for emergencies."

"Snow problem, babe." Something caught his attention and his smile vanished. Something made him draw back.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh.." He looked away, and he looked blue in the face. "Your... Shirt."

Looked down and saw the sweatshirt had been unzipped in the chaos, revealing a thin, soaked tee and a dark red bra, that stood out under the streetlamp. You hastily grabbed the zipper and yanked it upward, but the tab snapped from the force.

"Oh, come on!" You yelled at your clothing while trying to use the pull strings to cover yourself, to no avail. In frustration, you pulled the nearly-frozen sweatshirt off of your body and chucked it against the building behind you, and it met the bricks with a loud clap before falling into the snow.

"God dammit." You muttered, holding your arms across your chest to try to stay warm (and decent).

Sans stared for a moment, then fell to his knees and laughed so loud it rang into the empty streets. You stood a few feet from him, cheeks puffed in frustration, while shivering.

"H-ha. Hilarious, b-b-bonehead." You said angrily, turning to walk down the road toward bright lights of late-night activity. "Are w-we heading home now? Or can you t-teleport us there?"

"Aw don't be like that, Kal." You heard his pace quicken behind you until he was on your left. "It was too funny, heh, admit it!"

"Psh. W-whatever."

".. Hey. Knock-knock."

"Sans."

"Knock, knock."

You sighed with a defeated smile. "W-who's there?"

"Hoodie."

The smile faded a little. "Hoodie... Hoodie-who?"

Something suddenly draped over you, and you recognized the white wool wrapped around your neck. You glanced down at Sans, who was now in only a white turtleneck.

"Hoodie-ya think it is?"

A giggle slipped and you tried to compose yourself, but his beaming face was too contagious.

"We can't seem to stay outta trouble, huh?"

You shook your head. "Nope. Destined for disaster."

"My kind of life, babe."

You brought the coat close to yourself. "You know, one of us should probably call work and let them know we're not buried under those boxes."

He shrugged. "Probably, but my cell phone's soaked."

"Ah, shit. Mine's in my jacket at work."

"Guess we'll just have to enjoy the night, for now."

You felt your body get pleasantly warm as your smile returned. "Yeah."

You walked in the snow in silence for a while, and eventually the snowfall ended and you could make out some of the signs ahead of you. Bars, shops, and arcades, with signs both in English and Japanese.

"Shonyo District." You said to yourself. "They oughta have a payphone, if we can find an ATM first."

"Oh, so you're serious about the work thing."

"You're new to the 'serious job' thing, I almost forgot."

"Well, it's been a while since I was my own boss. It was harder making money doing what I used to in Snowdin. Once Tori moved into the suburbs, I needed a better gig. I'll be honest though," he glanced up at you with a playful smirk, "didn't think I'd find such nice company in a place like that."

You chuckled and winked at him. "Sans, that sounded like a flirt."

"What if it was? Is it bad to hit on your boss?"

"Technically, I'm not your boss."

"Oh, so I can flirt with you."

An embarrassed giggle escaped your throat and you tried hiding it with a sleeve. "That's not what I meant!"

"You still haven't said no. I'll keep that in mind."

He playfully nudged you, and you nudged back, gradually climbing to a small wrestling match on the sidewalk and chasing him into the heart of the district. Soon you were immersed in neon pink and green lights that advertised food, drinks, and dancing. Cheerful digital music blared from a large tower with a full glass window on the corner wall, showing dance games and shooters. Down the north road were banks and business plazas, and to the east and south were restaurants, fast food vendors, and late-night clubs. You wandered north and came across the bank that held your account, and waited in line for the ATM.

"Don't you need a card to use that?" Sans asked.

You shook your head. "This bank enabled thumbprint IDs for cardholders." You demonstrated and pressed your thumb on the screen, turning it blue and then showing a smiley-face that spoke in a cheerful tone.

'W E L C O M E, K A L I A. P L E A S E S E L E C T A N O P T I O N B E L O W.'

You withdrew a couple hundred dollars and stuffed them in your lower leg pocket.

"That's a lot of dough for a phone call."

You smiled. "It's been almost an hour since you last ate, hasn't it? You must be starving. Besides, this is a good place to go gift-shopping for Alphys and Undyne, since a lot of the markets here are cheap."

Sans chuckled. "See, this is more my line of work."

On the same block, against the wall of the bank, was a line of phones. You put some money in, and while listening for the operator tones, punched in the number for the Supervisor desk. It rang twice before Bill picked it up.

"Bill Myers, HOLOMAKER Floor."

"Hey, Bill. It's me."

"HOLY-" Something fell over on his end of the phone, and he scrambled to speak into the receiver. "Kalia, what the HELL! Where are you?! There's nothing but a pair of bloody gloves and a sneaker in the warehouse!"

"A sneaker? Uh, when the truck knocked everything over, Sans used his magic to get us out before it all fell on us. By the way, you should reconsider the framework for that shit."

"W-well, where are ya?!"

"He zapped us half-a-mile from Shonyo. Just clock us out, I'll make up the hours after the holidays."

"Uh... Er, sure that's alright. Don't think there's a train that's available right now anyhow. Just try calling a little earlier, right?"

"Um... Right." You looked down at San's feet, and saw one sneaker on his right foot. "Put those gloves and the shoe in my locker while you're at it. Thanks." With that, you hung up.

Sans heard you emphasize the word and looked down, then laughed.

"Hey, at least it didn't knock my socks off."

You proceeded to a small shop a block from the bank, peeking in to see a small shelf of fresh pastries and aisles of overseas candies. Your face lit up and you quickly ran up the steps and into the shop, moving to the second aisle down and checking for a candy you hadn't had in years. You spotted the bright red box and picked it up, showing it to Sans gleefully before grabbing a couple more and heading over to the counter.

"Pocky?" He asked.

"I know it looks weird, but it's a really basic snack. Just a cracker stick dipped in chocolate, or in whatever flavor you buy." You took your change and handed him a small package from one of the big boxes. "Just try it, while we look for some shoes."

His teeth slowly parted and he bit down on the chocolate stick, and as he grinned and continued eating it you turned to leave, him following behind occupied by the new treat.

The night continued on for a while as a small shopping spree, with you leading the way to small shops and market tents with fun toys and charms. One plaza that was open had a shoe store, and you managed to find Sans white sneakers to his liking (and size), before walking any further. You found some new DVD sets of hit anime shows for Alphys, and a replica of a sword from Undyne's favorite movie, Star Warrior! Princess Supreme!. Sans put his coat back on as you returned it, while walking into a clothing store. After fiddling with a few different sizes, you managed to find an earth green sweater dress with bright red silk wrapped around the waist. To the saleslady's (and Sans'?) disappointment, you also found a men's dark grey winter jacket to top it. You carried all the gifts, treats, and wet clothes to a pub called "The Bonzai" and stepped in. A man at the front of the hall stood at a desk, with a welcome smile and an outreached hand.

"Coats and bags, please." He said in broken English. "We give you a tag so you can collect your things before you leave."

With a huff, you shuffled the over-sized coat off and Sans followed suit. After turning in your goods and taking a tag, you stepped through the door on the right, then picked an empty set of seats in the center of the bar and sat down. Sans waved the bartender down, and had a strange look as you pulled a card out for the man who looked at it then nodded while handing it back to you. You looked at Sans, with a brow raised.

"What?"

"I didn't know you drink."

"I'm old enough" you patted your chest with a grunt "in here; My adventures have taught me that I should have no limits simply from my age." Then you shrugged. "The ID helps too, I guess. Why, are you uncomfortable? I don't need to, if that's the case."

"No, no. By all means. Heh, actually, I'll join you." He smiled and winked. "Sake is a drink to be shared, right?"

"Right, indeed." You hummed and took one of the two glasses that had been set before you, and held it up with a grin. "To love and life- may the barriers of hate and fear be forever broken."

He took his glass and raised it in agreement, then you tapped glasses in toast and drank the rice wine. It was a white peach flavor, and it was smooth with a beautifully light aroma. You leaned casually on the bar, flipping through the menu that you shared with him, while listening to the karaoke that was being played on the stage against the far wall. The two women that sang wore short skirts and tight button-down blouses, giggling and hollering in the microphone as a group of men in the front of the audience cheered them on loudy. When they finished, they handed the mic over to the DJ who took a break with some casual jams.

"What looks good?" Sans asked.

"Well, calamari is always good. Or, we can just get a platter and go from there. Of course, the best friend of sake is sushi."

"Eh, I'll pass on the raw fish, thanks."

"Suit yourself, chump." You flashed a challenging smirk. "I'm having hamachi and you can't stop me."

As you waited for the food, the drinks continued and the karaoke came back on, inviting a man with a leather jacket to the stage. He sang a romantic ballad you remembered from an old movie, and as he belted it out you couldn't help but hum the song quietly to yourself while sipping the sweet wine. The food finally arrived, and Sans wasted no time while you sampled the yellowtail tuna with soy sauce. The fish was oily, but had an interesting texture, and the sake paired perfectly with the mild, yet smoky flavor. Sans went with yakisoba, the noodles cooked with an assortment of meat and veggies, and it arrived still sizzling on the plate. You barely noticed him eat it, but it had disappeared in a few minutes, just in time for the platter of fried appetizers to be placed in front of you.

"I wonder if they have ketchup." He mused, taking a wing from the platter. "I mean, they can't be too traditional, right?"

"You're gonna eat ketchup with egg rolls?" You laughed, feeling warm on your nose and cheeks. "Oh, that's awesome. I'll ask them."

You inquired to the bartender, who with a sigh bent down and reached in the fridge under the counter and pulled out a fresh bottle. Sans proceeded to open the bottle cap and fill his plate with ketchup. You finished the sushi on your plate, then drank the last of your third sake. A strange confidence flushed through your head, which felt a little heavy, and there was a mild tingling in your fingers and toes. You didn't realize you were singing along to the next song out loud until Sans nudged you.

"You sing pretty good." He said.

"Oh! Thank you."

"I don't think you've ever sung in front of me before."

You wiggled your empty glass. "Liquid courage does the trick," you sighed and set the bottle down "really, though, I don't sing out loud anymore. It reminds me of all the things I don't remember."

You tapped your glass and the bartender nodded, pouring half of a drink. Sans also refilled and tok a sip, eyes still on you.

"Things you don't remember?"

You rolled your eyes and nodded. "Yeah, y'know, my childhood. My life before I lost everyone. Before I lost everything..." Your eyes settled to the bottom of the glass, then you turned back up to him and gave a short smile. "I guess it isn't all bad. If it wasn't for all the crap I went through, I wouldn't be here with you. It's better to face forward, and hard forward, than it is to dwell on whatever you wish you could change. At least, I think so."

Sans' smile remained, but looked stiff, and you brushed it off with the last of your wine. Spinning the bar stool helped you see the next performer, which was a shy-looking girl being pushed onto the stage by her friends, who cheered for her from the side. She sang a song you'd never heard before, but it was a dark and beautiful tune.

I breathe you in again, just to feel you-

underneath my skin, holding on to

the sweet escape is always laced with a

familiar taste of poison.

You checked the clock at the bar. It was 3:15, and the train schedule on the board in the hall had the earliest back home arriving in two hours. You huffed, leaning your back against the bar lazily and taking in the party vibe of the room.

He was quiet, then his stare was curious, but calm. "Y'know, babe, I could say the same thing about you. You said so yourself, remember? 'Everyone's got secrets', right? You know enough about me to write a small book, but you've managed to keep your own life hidden away. Just tell me, and be honest: Is it because you don't trust me, or is it because you don't remember enough to share?"

"You know what, Sans?" You breathed deeply with a grin. "I spent all day trying to figure it out. What to say, how to say it. What I should do if it all goes south. Now? I don't even care anymore. Whether that's the booze talking, or if it's just how god damn tired I am of sorting through who I am and who I hide." You looked and saw he had his eyes fixated on you, waiting patiently. "I think, though, that you've already got it all figured out. I think you're smarter than you let on, and the whole joker thing is just a way of hiding your genius. Maybe I don't have to worry so much after all."

"You're doing it again." He wiggled a finger bone at you, scolding. "You're avoiding the question."

"Hm... It's both, then; I want to trust you, Sans, especially with how much I care about you, and how I feel about you, but I don't remember what trust is. I figured, if I just let myself live this way- being with people who care about me, and caring about them in return- maybe it would help. So far, I've shown you a lot of... uh... Sans?"

His expression had changed as you spoke, and his cheeks were flushed.

"Kal, do you have feelings for me?"

You realized then just how much you had drank, and hot blood came flooding into your face.

"Wha-what?"

"You just said it. Heh. You 'feel something about me'?" He leaned in, his brow raised flirtatiously.

You leaned away, touching a hand to your feverish face. Sans, you concluded, payed way too much attention to the things you said- even more than you did. "I... Well, I feel..." You couldn't find your words, and he continued to lean toward you teasingly.

"You're smitten." He flashed his canine in a wide, snarky grin. "I can tell."

You were trapped, and like a cornered animal you countered the stalking predator.

"Yes, Sans." You started to regain territory, getting close to him and surprising the skeleton with your response. "I like you, Sans. I feel special around you, and I can't seem to keep away. I really like you, and I know these feelings are real. They are.." You managed to come in close and whisper into the side of his head, with as lustful a tone as you could muster:

"Bonafide."

He stiffened suddenly, and just before he broke you burst into laughter, him following. You scared the bartender with the sudden uproar, and he cautiously placed the bill on the bar before hurrying to another patron. Your partner held his middle, eyes shut tight and mouth open, and seeing him in such a state caused you to laugh even harder. Soon, the noise subsided, and he struck a tear away from his eye with a finger.

"I'm not even sure why that was so funny." He breathed through giggles. "I guess it just caught me off guard."

"Your guess is as good as mine." You placed some cash on the bar and doubled the tip, and while your hand was still on the counter he took it in his own. You faced him, and he was smiling- but this time, it was undeniably warm with some serene happiness you had never seen.

"It's mutual." That was all he said before leading you by your hand out the door to the coat room, handed you your bag and jacket, and walked outside with you.

The snow began to fall again, and the lights around you made a rainbow of icy sparks flying in the air as people and the occasional taxi walked passed. Some of the restaurants and tents began shutting off their lights as you wandered further south. The traffic died down as the streets grew more quiet, and soon it was just the two of you following the spotlights on the snow-dusted streets toward the commuter rail station. Dogs and monsters barked in the distance, while sirens blared not much further away. The station's clock announced you were a few minutes early, and you headed toward a covered bench and sat down, taking in the open space of the empty tracks. He sat quietly next to you, still holding your hand.

You felt an urge arise, amidst the mixing emotions and heaviness of the alcohol, and you took his head in both hands. You leaned in quickly, and your lips met his slightly-parted teeth. His body, for a split second, jolted in shock, and you silently went back to your original position and placed your hand back in his, feeling victorious now that you were no longer the only blushing idiot.

A beam of light appeared far on the horizon. The train rolled in right on time.

**

The warm pink glow of the sky painted the house as you brushed the snow off your shoulders at the front door. You took the keys from Sans and opened the door, and gently pulled his thick hoodie off as well as your own jacket, setting them on the rack behind the door in the right corner of the living room. You heard Papyrus scribbling and muttering in the kitchen, possibly working on a Junior Jumble, so you took Sans quietly by the arm and led him to the stairs, shutting the door behind him. He sleepily fumbled forward, and you helped him up the stairs and into his room. The blanket was hanging off the bed, and you managed to adjust the bed sheets before he plopped onto the mattress. Making sure his head was on the pillows, you pulled the blanket over him as he started to snore. As you lifted yourself off the bed, he stirred and grabbed your arm.

"Could you..." He mumbled through the cloth. "... Stay here, please?"

You slowly sat back on the bed, and his other arm was suddenly around you, pulling you down onto the bed. His arms constricted you, and soon a leg made its way around. Held in place, he brought his body close against you and hummed happily into the back of your dress. The hand that wasn't buried under you caressed your side, moving up and down and leaving a trail of goosebumps. The other hand was wrapped around your midsection, and you didn't notice it creeping its way up your body until it was on your breast and squeezed. You flinched at the sensation, and a lustful noise escaped your lips without warning.

"Sans, I thought you were sleeping...?"

You could feel his breath, which was strangely warm, on the back of your neck. "Heh... Sorry. I can't help being a little hands-on with you."

"Try and behave yourself."

He continued to hold you close, feeling you over your clothing, and snickering as your body temperature rose and your stifled moans were harder to control. You felt yourself bend and move to his will, the aching in your chest and hidden between your legs burning hotter. After a long while, he slowed to a stop, sighing with defeat. You stayed motionless, waiting for him impatiently.

"I shouldn't do this." He said, his tone disappointed and reluctant. "We're both a little, uh, blitzed right now. If we went any further... I dunno. I can't ruin this for myself just yet, heh heh."

You didn't speak, taking in his words, then you turned your body around to face him, and his eyes held longing with a strange blue glow. You touched his cheek, and he leaned into your hand.

"The we'll wait." You said, patting him with a fake-consoling expression. "I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise."

He smiled, then his eyes slowly started to close and soon you both plunged into the darkness of sleep.

Together.

♥

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