Art by me!

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Cold.

Just like every December morning.

The snow gently falls from the sky and your bed is warm.

It makes you want to cuddle up in bed and get under some nice-

"BBBBWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Kris and Mae screamed as they both shot up from their beds. They look over on Kris' small wardrobe and see Flowey on it with an air horn next to him.

"Get up. You've been sleeping forever." Flowey said to Kris.

The boy groaned, plopping his head back on his pillow, rubbing his eyes.

"Flowey i-it's still early..."

"It's 11:00."

"...oh.."

"Yeah. Get up, you have 5 minutes. I'll be waiting for you by the door." Flowey said, as he traveled back through his flowerpot.

Mae sighed, plopping back on her bed too.

"Well that was unnecessary." She said.

"Y-yeah.." Kris got up again and sat at the edge of the bed, grabbing his phone from under his pillow.

"C-could you wait outside t-the room Mae? I-I wanna change." Kris asked.

Mae sluggishly got up from her bed. "Sure thing dude." She groaned tiredly, walking out the door and closing it.

Minutes later, Kris came out in his usual attire and his backpack.

"Why the backpack?" Mae asked.

"I-I just don't want to c-carry Flowey around so much, so I-I have this to make it easier."

"Makes scene." Mae yawned.

"Y-you know y-you can go back to sleep right?"

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." She yawned again and started walking back into the room.

"Have fun." Mae waved tiredly before closing the door.

Kris smiled as he walked downstairs to meet up with his best friend. Just like he said, Flowey was waiting by the door for Kris. The boy walked over to the coat rack and picked up his coat.

"Took you long enough." Flowey bragged.

Kris didn't respond, putting on his coat and shoes. He then picked up Flowey and put his flowerpot part in Kris' backpack, leaving only a little bit of it open for Flowey to actually see and everything.

"W-we'll be back." Kris said to everyone. The neighbor looked back from the coach and nodded.

"Have fun you two." He smiled, before suddenly shouting at Bendy.

"Bendy! Stop running after Cuphead with scissors!"

Kris smiled as he walked out the door with Flowey on his back.

^^^^^^^^^

"S-so what do you want to do?" Kris asked as he just walked on the 1 inch of snow already on the ground, not really having a destination yet.

"Uhhhhh.." Flowey thought out loud trying to figure that out himself.

"Oh w-wait. I have an i-idea actually. Come on." Kris said, as he they headed into town.

The two soon ended up in an art store that held lots and different variety of art supplies, but Kris had another idea in mind. One where it didn't need any fancy materials.

He trotted into isles and isles of supples, until he found what he was looking for. He stopped right in front of them and smiled.

"C-can I decorated your flowerpot with stickers?" Kris asked a little excited.

"Why?" He asked.

"B-Because I think i-it would fun." Kris took off his bag and held it out, so Flowey could see them better.

"Y-you can pick them out i-if you want."

Flowey sighed. He felt like there was no point in arguing over something as ridiculous as this, but maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Flowey's only problem he had though, was that all the stickers were cute.

Flowey sighed again, mentally this time. He proceeded to pick out a couple either way.

"I-I pick out a few a-as well." Kris said.

Once they paid for them, Kris and Flowey headed back outside again. A gust of cold icy wind blowed right through them. Kris shivered, clutching his coat.

"W-where do you w-want to go n-next?" He asked the flower through chattering teeth.

Flowey took note of this. Maybe it would be better to stay indoors for now.

"Uh..maybe an indoor place we can stay at?"

"W-what, l-like a c-cafe or something?"

"Yeah sure." Flowey didn't really care, as long as Kris was out of the cold.

Kris nodded as he started walking. There should be one nearby.

As they were walking, Flowey also noticed something about Kris. He had no hat, no gloves, not even a scarf. No wonder he's so cold.

"You don't have anything else?"

"Huh?"

"To wear I mean. You look really cold."

Kris clutched his coat again.

"I-I'm fine."

"Liar. I see you shivering and I can clearly tell your cold from your voice."

Kris didn't say anything for a few moments.

"I-I..I don't have a-anything else with me s-so I guess, I-I just have to deal with it."

Flowey was a bit shocked by that answer. He thought he was going to lie again and use one of his excuse lines. The flower sighed either way, seeing his cold breath in the air.

Soon, they found a Starbucks to chill out at...or to warm up at. Kris found a little table to stay at, leaving Flowey in charge of his things as he went to get something to eat. The boy came back a couple minutes later, hot chocolate in one hand and a bag pastries in the other. He sat down next to the flower, placing his items down on the table.

"D-do flowers get cold?" Kris asked.

"No. I don't get to feel hot either. I guess when you're a flower, you don't feel normal temperatures."

"Y-you're lucky."

"It's awful."

"B-but you don't have to be hot o-or cold, y-you always feel normal t-temperatures."

"I guess..But it's like the same thing as having no emotions."

"..oh..I-I'm sorry then.." Kris apologize, plowing on his hot chocolate, trying to cool it down a bit.

"No it's..it's alright." Flowey said, looking down.

Kris took a small sip of his warm drink. It tasted really good.

"Y-you want some hot c-chocolate?"

Flowey picked his head back up.

"..sure whatever.."

Kris brought the drink to flower, taking slow sips. Kris smiled, placing the hot chocolate down as he searched through his bag. He got out the stickers they had got that same day.

"I-I want to decorate y-your flowerpot now." Kris said excitedly said.

Flowey groaned. There wasn't really much he could do about this anyway.

"Go ahead.." He said a little annoyed.

Kris immediately took off the plastic from the stickers and started placing them onto the flowerpot. Flowey watched as the boy happily had a lot of fun with the stickers. After he was done, Kris took out his phone and turned on his camera. He faced it in the direction of Flowey.

"Flowey! S-say cheese!"

The flower didn't really know what to do, but look at the phone. Nonetheless, the picture was taken. Kris reviewed it and smiled. He still loved it, despite the confusion on the flower's face.

He then lended over to Flowey, bringing the phone closer to them.

"Smile Flowey!" Kris said before he took the photo.

He reviewed the second image and of course loved it too.

"Are photos really necessary?" Flowey asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah, I-I wanted to take them s-so we can r-remember this moment." Kris smiled.

Flowey groaned.

"Y-You look cute e-either way."

"You gay."

Kris chuckled. "I-it's just a compliment."

They hanged out at the cafe for a little while longer. Kris, eventually, convinced Flowey to let him feed him the pastries Kris got. And Kris was very pleased with that.

The rest of the day, the two were mostly around town, jumping from place to place, not really having an objective in mind. Flowey didn't care and neither did Kris. As long as he was with Flowey, his day couldn't get any better.

Eventually, they both ended up back at the small music department they were at yesterday. They sang and Kris played the piano as usual. It might just become one of their favorite things to do together.

They were in the middle of a song, Kris stopped playing abruptly, making Flowey stop singing, looking at him fairly confused.

"What wrong?" The flower asked.

Kris didn't respond right away. He placed his hands in his lap and looked down.

"I-it's just....

W-Why haven't you b-begged for my soul yet?"

Flowey froze.

"Y-you said that I've changed, but y-you did as well..I-I'm still surprised you d-didn't try and take anyone e-else soul already, especially people f-from the house.."

Flowey just stared at Kris. It's true he didn't attempt to take any human souls himself, but....

He did have his reasons.

"I...I didn't want to start everything that I did in the past all over again.."

Kris looked up slowly.

"I didn't want that at all. What would be the point anyways? I know you would stop me too.."

Kris didn't say anything. He simply looked back down at his lap.

Flowey didn't know what else to do. He looked at the clock on Kris' phone, from where he was reading the lyrics for the song.

The time read: "5:37 pm"

'We were gone for that long?!' Flowey thought. He looked at the dark brown hair kid again.

"Hey. We should probably head back now. It's late."

"I-I don't want to go back yet.." Kris said quietly, not picking his head up.

"Why not?"

No response.

"Kris?"

Still no response.

"Kris. Why don't you want to go back?"

Nothing.

"Kris I swear if your planning to try anything-"

"I-I'm not..." The boy said, feeling under his sleeves for bandages that covered his cuts and scars.

"I don't believe that for one second! If you end up hurting yourself in anyway, I'm going to be in huge trouble!"

"I-I'm not going to let that happen..."

"Oh yeah? How do I know-" Kris grabbed his coat and put it on. He then grabbed his phone, and then Flowey, putting him back in his bag.

"Kris where are we going?!"

He didn't respond. Instead, he walked out the door to outside. Night had already came, so it was really dark out already. Kris started heading into the direction of the wooded park area. His steps echoed through the night, walking blindly further and further into darkness.

"Kris where are we going?!! You're walking in the dark with no flashlight or anything!! We need to head back!!"

The boy ignored the flower's content begs and demands. He's walked into the cold woods late at night like this before, so it didn't scare him or give him any trouble.

He's also not scared of the dark.

They headed deeper and deeper in the dark woods. Flowey didn't like one bit of this. And the fact that it was getting colder wasn't helping either.

"Kris answer me!! You better respond-KRIS WHY ARE YOU RUNNING??!!!"

The teen smiled as he ran into the dark, not seeming concerned about the dark or the woods themselves.

"KRIS STOP RUNNING YOUR GONNA FALL-"

And like predicted, Kris tripped over a large branch and fell down a hill of branches and snow.

Flowey face planted (Heh get it! Ok I'll stop...no promises) himself in the snow, jolting himself up and spiting some snow and dirt out of his mouth. He grunted in frustration at the situation that had just happened, seeing how they've now fallen and Flowey had fell out of the backpack onto the cold snow.

He looked over however, to see Kris, who was on his stomach, his head facing the ground and motionless.

"Kris?" Flowey called out.

No response.

"Kris??" Flowey started to sound more frantic.

But there was still no answer.

"Kris?!!" The flower was practically yelling for the boy at this point.

"Kris wake up!! Please..." He started to cry.

"Please...please wake up..." He begged and sobbed. Tears starting forming in his eyes, not knowing what to do but to cry.

Then...an outstretched hand gently took the flower's face. He shot up to see..Kris. He stared at Flowey, gently wiping his tears away with his thumb.

"Flowey.." Kris spoke softly.

Flowey continued to stare, before he suddenly broke out of his trance.

"YOU IDIOT!! YOU WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU....YOU..." He grunted.

"I-I'm sorry..l d-didn't mean to s-scare you.."

"DAMN RIGHT YOU DID!! I COULD HAVE GOTTEN MY PETALS RIPPED OFF BY EVERYONE IF YOU'VE GOTTEN HURT!!" Flowey looked at Kris, noticing that...

he did get hurt.

"OH GREAT, YOU ARE HURT!! GET UP WE'RE LEAVING!!"

"W-wait Flowey.."

"NO YOU WAIT!! YOU CAN'T JUST GO RUNNING AROUND IN THESE WOODS AT NIGHT LIKE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE SHIT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T-"

"Flowey!"

"WHAT?!"

Kris pointed at the sky. Flowey looked up and saw nothing but...stars. Thousands and thousands of real stars that dazzled the night sky. It was kind of hard not look away at the beautiful sight.

"Are..are those.."

"Stars? Y-yeah they are. I-I know how much y-you love them, so I-I brought you here s-so you could see them better." Kris smiled.

Flowey was breath taken. He's never seen real stars in his life, even when he was in his original form. They amazed him beyond possible anything he has seen before.

"Hey F-Flowey.." Kris spoke.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Flowey stole a glance at the boy then lowers his head.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"B-Because I-I do love you."

"That's not what I mean.."

Flowey sighed internally.

"I..I can't love you Kris...I can't love anyone..and you know this by now..so why keep saying that you love me when I can't say it back?"

"B-Because.." Kris started to say.

"T-That wouldn't stop me f-from loving you, e-even if y-you can't say it back, I-I'm not going to stop saying it...I-I really do love you Flowey.."

The golden flower turned his head away, feeling his cheeks become a bit red.

"..thank you..." He said as quietly as he could.

Kris however, heard that and was surprised at first, but then smiled warmly. Then he realized something.

"W-Wait a second...so y-you do love me too.." Kris smiles again.

Flowey became more embarrassed, turning his head away quickly and blushing like crazy.

Kris chuckles.

"Thank you.."

^^^^^^^^^

Time passed and eventually they we're heading back. It was becoming more late and colder as snow started to fall, making everything white. Before they got back however, Kris wanted to check on the guy who wanted to take to him, according to Sal. He started walking in the direction of the RPG's home.

"Kris where are we going? The house is back that way!"

"I-I know. I-I just want to talk t-to someone first."

Kris knocked on the door. He hoped he wasn't disturbing anyone at this hour.

Then, a big man with a big black beard and a bald head opened the door with this only one hand. Needless to say, he looked pretty intimidating. Flowey hid behind Kris.

"U-um...s-sorry to bother you, b-but is a-a guy with cat mask h-here?" Kris tried not to sound nervous himself and he failed miserably.

The man said nothing, just stared uncomfortably at the two. Through nervousness and nothing else really happening, the boy was about to excuse himself and see if he could stop by another day, when the girl with golden braids saw him through the door.

"Hi Kris!" She said walking over to the door.

"It's ok Brad." She assured the big man named Brad with a pat on the back, making him walk away from the door.

"So..." The girl seemed a bit bashful, as she leaned against the door frame.

"What brings you here again?"

"O-oh um.. I-I was just looking for t-the guy with the cat mask f-from last time. H-he wanted to t-talk to me."

The girl immediately frowned.

"Are you talking about Zachcarie?"

"Zachcarie?"

"Yeah, the boy with the cat mask. He's not here right now."

"O-oh ok.." Kris started to back away.

"I-I have to get going now. T-thanks for the help." Kris said as he walked off back to the direction of the house. The girl watched him walk off, smiling to herself before closing the door.

"FINALLY! We can leave-" Flowey exclaimed before someone cut him off.

"Hey!"

Kris turned around to see Zachcarie, cat mask and all.

"Oh Z-Zach right? Y-you w-wanted to talk?" Kris asked. The other boy did not respond. He walked over to Kris, shoved something in hands and then ran off in the other direction.

"Wait!" Kris called out, but Zach was gone into the distance.

Kris sighed as he looked down to see what Zach had put in his hands. It was small and a bit heavy, though Kris couldn't make out what it was due to the wrapping paper and the red bow on top of it.

"What do you think he gave you?" Flowey asked looking at the present in the boy's hands.

"I-I'm not sure.." Kris said as he started walking again.

"Well if I were you, I'd throw it in the trash."

"W-what?! No! W-why would you do s-something like that?"

"I don't trust him."

"Flowey I-I think y-you're being over dramatic."

"I'm not! We don't even know what's in there!"

"A-And that's why I'm going to open when w-we get back o-or should I wait t-till Christmas?"

"No, you shouldn't open it at all."

"Well, I-I'm going to w-whether you like it or not." Kris smiled.

Flowey sighed dramatically.

"D-do you want to cuddle with the big blankets a-again when get back?"

"Oh god not again!" Kris chuckled.

"Why not? I-I thought y-you liked it yesterday."

"You still want to hang out with me and not with someone else?"

"Nope. C-Cuz I'm n-never leaving you again." Kris chuckled again.

They made it to the front of the house, passing the Christmas lights and finally approaching the front door.

"B-Besides.." Kris continued to speak.

"Y-you're one of t-the best people to-" Kris was about to open the door, when it opened on its own.

Or more like..

When the door opened, Kris looked up and froze as he looked up and saw a familiar face that he hasn't seen in a while.

A familiar face of a smiling purple monster named Susie.

I'm sorry this chapter feels like trash (if this whole book isn't already). Hopefully, I'll do better in the next chapter, this one just felt rushed. And yeah, our gurl Susie is here at the Indie House! I wonder how that's going to turn out..👀