“guess you got served anyway, huh?” The short man remarks, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket. With a suave mannerism he rarely possesses, Sans turns away and approaches the exit.

Knowing Lune must be on her way to their apartment, Sans wastes no time in pulling the door open (holy shit, he didn’t expect the door to be so heavy) and stepping out into the street. He is immediately greeted with car horns in the distance, subway rails screeching and hissing, and vigorous whirring—which he quickly determines to be the airplanes soaring through the night sky.

Slowly, he tilts his head back, hoping to admire the obsidian sky. His hopeful glance dims when he notices a murky veil drifting across the sky, obscuring the stars he naturally enjoys watching. A small frown plays across his lips, disappointed by the city air spoiling his view of the resplendent stars sparkling and singing way up high. The stars, however, don’t even compare to the radiancy of her eyes... her eyes, even if they hold nothing but bitterness his way, always do well in captivating him. They sparkle like no other star. He loves it when she keeps that look of mischief in her eyes. It reveals her true nature... an impish delight she often tries to mask.

Lowering his chin, Sans blinks and turns in the direction of his and Lune’s apartment, sighing deeply to himself before lifting a foot and starting his journey in following Lune.

she couldn’t have gone far...

His shoulders occasionally bounce with each step, nostrils burning with each sharp inhale he takes. Hints of cigarette smoke paired with gasoline tickles Sans’s sense of smell, earning him an abrupt sniffle before he runs his digit across the underside of his nose.

It does not take Sans too long to catch up to the familiar silhouette of Lune, whose pace is noticeably slow and almost crestfallen. He perks up at the sight of her sunken shoulders and folded ears, slightly hurrying his pace in order to wind up at her side. His cerulean eyes squint in the dimness, falling down to observe the way her tail hardly moves as she traverses down the sidewalk.

When the pair approach a street lamp, Sans’s squinting comes to a halt, his hairless brows releasing whatever tension they held above his nose. He looks back up at Lune, studying her profile.

Her whiskers, which—he regularly notices—protrude out on any average day, now dip with a subtle curve, tenderly bouncing every time she takes a step. His eyes fly up to her ears, scrutinizing the dim glow of their tips even as they lay in a somewhat droopy state. Her fur is noticeably damp when the two travel beneath a halo of light, raven strands now clumped into bigger threads across her face, decreasing the subtle details she possesses on her face.

“...” She stays quiet, keeping her slitted gaze forward.

“...” Sans also stays quiet, but he lowers his eyes from Lune’s face to the concrete beneath him. His teeth momentarily chew on the inside of his cheeks before he lifts his chin, fixating his attention back onto Lune’s indifferent expression.

“...lune?”

Nothing.

They keep walking.

“...you... okay?”

Silence.

All Sans receives is a pattern of their footsteps. Huffing quietly, Sans calmly returns his attention onto the sidewalk, observing each particular crack they walk over. He feels individual pebbles dig into the soles of his tennis shoes, though he says nothing about the uneven course.

If it were June he was walking alongside with, he’d make a stupid observation about something and fill in the gaps of their conversation with dumb jokes. Even if his jokes were the dumbest of the dumb, June always laughed at them. It’s truly one of the things he admires about June... her sweetness.

Now, he realizes, it’s quite difficult to stir up conversation between him and Lune. In all nine months of dating Lune... he’s learned she’s the gloomiest and high-strung monster he’s ever met. He thinks he’s only seen her smile, albeit maliciously, about four or five times. Every other expression she makes is either a grimace, a glare, or a blank, unimpressed look.

“...” Sans curls his digits as they camp in his pockets. “yy-... y’know... the people... in that restaurant back there...” he starts off, daring another glimpse at her impassive expression. “they... they actually told her off... defended ya... which is—”

“Is this you trying to make me feel better?” Lune’s detached voice cuts through his words.

“mm—” Sans blinks, surprise flashing across his cerulean eyes. “well... i guess, y—”

“It won’t work,” she growls out, fangs grinding against each other.

For a moment her narrowed eyes glare down at Sans, the golden hue cutting through the darkness and adhering to Sans’s bewildered face. Soon, she tears her focus away from his round face, fixating on the concrete path they always take on their way home.

“...”

“...”

Sans blinks, chin grazing against his collar as he stares through the obscurity of the night to study the concrete sidewalk again. Another moment of silence washes over them, though Sans is tormented with words he wants to blurt out. Every time he tries to think of how to say them, the words dissipate and retreat into the crevices of his mind. When his lips part and he draws in a breath, he is conquered by the absence of sound.

...

just say something!

she’s obviously upset.

but what the hell would i even say?

comforting people is so... hard...

this is june’s forte... not mine.

His lips separate once more, finally filling his lungs with air in order to disrupt this prolonged silence.

“knock knock,” he simply says.

Lune’s whisker eyebrows promptly meet at the bridge of her nose, folds and wrinkles alike developing in the damp fur of her forehead.

“No.”

“...”

Sans leads his eyes to observe the street, watching a car occasionally drive past before he returns his attention to the ground. He cannot help but gently smile and look back up at Lune.

“...knock knock.”

Lune grumbles, “Stop it.”

“...knock knock,” he persists.

“...”

Sans gawks at her, anticipating her next response. He watches her facial expression for an uncomfortably long time until he realizes she’s firm on remaining silent. This only incites Sans to stretch his grin even more.

“...knock knock,” he says. “c’mon, luney. you gotta answer.”

“...”

Her ears twist back, adamantly flattening themselves against her head. The feline’s furrowed expression deepens, another array of wrinkles digging into her hidden skin. Folds begin to surface on her nose, leading her upper lip to curl back slightly, pearly white fangs glinting between her lips.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

Hh-He’s just trying to make you feel better!

You can also shut the fuck up.

Eh-? L-Lune, what are you—

Instinctively, Lune shoves June’s voice away, burying her essence deep into her consciousness, where she will likely throw a pity party for herself due to being blocked out. Silence conquers the breadth of Lune’s mind, promptly giving her enough headspace to unwind and cherish this moment of peace. Lune did not realize having a second consciousness in her head could give her such an aggravating headache... or perhaps she does know, she simply refuses to admit what trouble June gives her.

“knock knock.”

A distinct huff rolls off her tongue, eyelids sinking over her unimpressed stare. Lune has had enough with this fool as well.

She growls, jerking her head to finally match gazes with Sans before rolling her eyes and staring ahead.

“Who’s there?”

A giddy grin stretches across Sans’s lips, his eyelids squinting cheerfully. Mirth instantly blooms throughout his SOUL when he continues with his joke.

“paw,” he simply replies, chest shaking with excitement.

Lune sighs through her nose.

“Paw, who?”

“paw-lease talk to me, luneyyy,” he whines, throwing his head back and peeking at her with a single eye open.

“Kckk- Are you serious right now?” She gnarls, angrily batting her eyes down at the bald human male. She catches his smug expression and contorts her features, bitterly growling whilst increasing the speed of her pace. “Unbelievable... can’t believe I got stuck with you... ghrh-... mrg-...”

Sans’s shoulders jump upon observing how abrupt Lune is with hastening herself, bemusement flashing across his face. His hands jump from his pockets, patting the air worriedly as he attempts to catch up with the tall feline.

“wh-! ww-wait, lune!” He exclaims, his short legs exerting every ounce of energy they once had in order to match with Lune’s pace. “hh-heyy! c’mon, luney! talk to me! y’know you can tell me anything! yer stressin’ meow-t!”

His panic only swells when she continues traversing down the sidewalk without a hint of hesitance disturbing her stride. Beads of sweat practically leap off his distorted face, eyebrows twisted above his nose and his teeth gritted as he puts in the effort to approach Lune’s side once more.

Lune spares no response, merely tightening her venomous look and glaring at the distance ahead of her. Her tail finally springs up to life, curling and twisting from beneath her swaying skirt, the material bouncing against her damp thighs. Processing the man’s words, Lune’s eyes practically fade into complete darkness, inexplicably grotesque wrinkles emerging between her brows and on her temples.

Kckk-...

This damn comedian...

She cocks her head forward, grinding her fangs.

“lune, c’mooon! don’t be hiss-terical! i’m sure i could purr-suade ya ta turn this night around! just say someth—”

“Tch- stop acting like you want anything to do with me, clown,” Lune grits out, finally ceasing her steps and turning around to face the shaking human. She glares down at him, bending over to accusingly point at him. “There’s nothing you can say or do that’ll change my mind about you humans. You don’t know what kind of fucking misery they’ve put me and June through!”

“i—” Sans’s eyes widen, also paused in his place.

“You keep acting like everything in the world is fine! You think humans and monsters get along just fine! Everyone’s doing just fine! Stop deluding yourself into thinking everything’s FINE when it isn’t! You keep wondering why I hate humans so much. I’ll fuckin’ tell you why!

“All they’ve ever done is shove me around! All they ever do is spit in my face and tell me what a waste of space I am! Kids used to throw rocks at me back when I was just a child-! I feared for my life every fucking day because of them! They stole my joy! They fucking... th-... they stole everything from me! June was too naive to understand that those kids were insulting her to her goddamn face. All she wanted to do was make friends. All she ever wished for was ta be friendly with everybody else! No! I could never be friends with a species that ripped my brother’s eye out! I can’t be friends with a species that tells me the world would be better off if I disappeared off the face of the planet!

“I starved. I cried. I suffered. All because monsters can’t fit in the same frame as h u m a n s. A-And now... I can’t let my hopes up, ‘cause the last time I thought a human wanted to be friends with me... they just... they–” Lune pants, digits outstretched by her sides, her black fingernails now grown to resemble claws–“they... just...” Ever so slowly, Lune releases the tension in her shoulders and arms, her posture falling back into a sunken state. “...pushed me... away...” she mutters, her tail hanging limp and her ears lying flat.

“...”

Sans gawks up at her, his cerulean eyes—which naturally hold a sense of calmness and respite—now glisten with a startling realization. He lets his arms hang by his sides, dumbfounded by the revelation Lune blurted out in a state of turmoil. A turmoil Sans recognizes. It tells him she’s been restraining this suffering... for far too long.

“...” Lune’s eyes fall to the ground, her stare casting a disheartened look until it fades into the recesses of her mind once again. Instead, the feline hardens her stare, glancing back at Sans’s blank face. “...let’s just... get back.”

Sans’s jaw hangs slightly, tempted to speak out in the silence in hopes of catching Lune’s attention. He can’t find the right words to stop her. Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, Sans spies Lune’s face go blank before she turns around to carry on. Slowly, he curls his digits into fists, frustration boiling inside of him over his lack of courage to say something.

i... i didn’t...

i didn’t know...

she felt like this...

Sans’s hand drifts up, reaching the height of his chest, where he plasters his palm tenderly against the flat of his shirt and curls his fingers in the material. His SOUL thumps slowly, humming a low tune of sorrow for Lune.

i think...

that’s the most emotional thing...

she’s ever said ta me...

With nothing but silence overpowering the brisk night air, Sans decides to allow the silence to speak for him, his shoes breaking the absence of sound by thumping softly against the hard concrete. He strides by Lune’s side, no longer attempting to lift his head in order to stare obnoxiously at the evidently cheerless feline. Instead, he glues his eyes onto the path before him, hands stuffed in his pockets to keep their warmth for as long as possible.

During their stroll home, Sans does nothing except mull over Lune’s words. He analyzes each piece of information she willingly threw at him. He wonders how long Lune dealt with malicious children before they ever went into the Underground. How long did she have to fight the hostility they threw at her and June? How many times did she have to endure their revolting insults until she just couldn’t take it? How often did they threaten her life to the point where she was terrified to emerge from June’s subconscious?

Gradually, Sans’s bitter expression hardens. Sure, he knew monsters did not have it easy up here... but surely they weren’t suffering like Lune said?

Now that he thought about it, however... every time he entered the bar he frequented, there always was a stiffness in the air. He’d look around the bar and notice how each patron gawked back at him expectantly. When the door slammed shut, confirming the fact he came alone, the bar burst back to life. Laughter and chatter filled the stale air.

When June asked to come along, he’d happily oblige. Holding her by the hand, Sans led her into the bar, where the mirth and cacophony of voices died down upon spotting her. Sure, it was an all-inclusive bar... though most monsters knew the humans did not make it seem very inclusive.

It’s no wonder June stopped asking him to come along. Lune likely caught on to their uninviting behavior and convinced June not to go anymore for her own sake.

Sans’s lips curl inward, irritation bubbling within the border of his SOUL. How could he never notice? He always thought June enjoyed herself every time she visited. Evidently not.

even though most of what she said was true...

He lifts his chin, cerulean eyes rising to the sky. Amidst the umbrage of the night, he spies a few twinkling stars, inciting a small smile across Sans’s lips. Respite takes over his features, releasing the stress from his muscles and allowing him to deeply inhale.

not all humans wanna make monsters suffer.

He thinks about the time he saw a teenage human girl squeal beside another teenage girl... only she had frog-like features. They stood across the street from Sans’s workplace, clasping both of their hands together while eagerly bouncing in sync. Based on his observations, they managed to get tickets to their favorite band’s concert. The embrace they shared seemed... affectionate.

He thinks about the time he saw a lone three-eyed monster child sniffle and wipe their eyes with the sleeves of their shirt, lost in the middle of a mall. The child squeaked and darted away whenever people approached him... until a tall human woman drew near with a stuffed animal in hand. She squatted to his level and held out the lamb, quietly asking for his name and his story. Within seconds, he witnessed the child hysterically jump into her arms and sob into her shirt once promised he’d be reunited with his parents.

Sans thinks about the time he saw a group of teenage human boys cackling loudly in front of a breakfast food joint. Upon glancing over, he saw them kick a monster wearing a business suit into the glass, mocking his appearance and belittling him for even thinking he could earn a living up on the Surface. Although Sans shook with rage from across the street... he would hardly stand a chance against a group of athletes like them. Before he could do anything, however, a prominently tall man approached the crowd of teenagers.

The man had ruffled black hair and piercing orange eyes that could cut anyone with a single look. He was significantly taller than the boys and, according to the way he extended his arm and clasped a boy’s shoulder, unexpectedly strong. Sans wasn’t sure what he uttered to those boys, but it was clearly ominous enough to compel the younger humans into scattering away like a flock of birds. Following the dark-haired man was a spindly, shorter man with fluffy sandy hair who rushed to the monster’s side, offering words of concern.

Sans watched them extend their help to the visibly bruised and frightened monster, standing out of hearing range. Days after, he ironically encountered those humans again... because, for whatever strange reason, June knew the shorter man by name.

maybe...

Reluctantly, Sans lowers his gaze to Lune’s profile, studying her for an even an ounce of her thoughts. Her features remain stagnant, refusing to expose whatever may be running through her mind.

maybe... i could...

maybe i could convince lune...

not all humans are so bad... just like i think...

He smiles at her, unconcerned of whether or not she sees his fond look.

not all monsters are so bad, too.

After enduring about forty-five minutes of pure silence interrupted by an occasional observation Sans makes, Lune finally sets her eyes onto their apartment building in the distance, the structure looming over the nearby population. She sees a handful of lights shining out of windows, assuming those rooms must belong to elderly people that forgot to shut them off or stupid teenagers staying up for whatever inexplicable reason.

Her golden eyes fall onto the front door of the building, catching the sight of the security guard Gabriel, who enjoys giving the teenage tenants trouble. The other tenants, however, typically stroll by him with a word of greeting on their tongues until they reach the elevator. Lune slightly narrows her eyes, encountering the glass doors and pulling on a handle.

She listens to Sans’s footsteps thump against the concrete, her gaze glued onto Gabriel’s weary expression. When Sans’s footsteps are muffled by the carpet, Lune starts tailing him instead, her ears twisted back with skepticism.

“evenin’, gabe,” Sans greets the security guard, flashing him a lazy smile as he normally does.

The graying man smiles back, nodding with acknowledgement.

“Good evening, Sans.” He looks at Lune, his smile steady even with the tight features Lune possesses. He glances back at the significantly shorter man. “How’d the date go? The food okay?”

Sans shrugs, muttering, “couldn’t tell ya. we left due to unexpected company.”

Gabriel hums, “Sorry to hear that, son. I hope you folks have a good night, then. Rest easy.”

Lune is silent, continuing on her path to the elevator, not appearing to care if Sans tags her or not.

Gabriel scratches his nail against the skin of his temple, a light pout hanging on his lower lip. He releases a deep sigh, slowly shutting his eyes.

“Haah... ‘n I really thought I’d get a ‘goodnight’ from ‘er, too... s’what I get for hoping,” he jokingly whines, flitting his eyes down to Sans, who’s fixated onto Lune’s frame as she heads to the elevator. “Maybe next time.”

“heh...” Sans laughs, turning back to the guard, giving him a somewhat apologetic smile. “sorry ‘bout her, gabe. she’s... well, we’ve been havin’ a rough night. but, yeah, maybe next time. night, gabe.”

Gabriel huffs again, waiting around the entry of the building, where he sees Sans lazily lift an arm to wave goodbye although he’s facing away. Raising a brow, Gabriel watches Lune enter the elevator and turn around, staring Sans down with a piercing glare. Although he is aware it’s intended for Sans, Gabriel cannot help but shiver at the malicious glint in Lune’s eyes as she gawks the short, bald man down whilst he skips up to the elevator doors and hops in with her.

“I’ve never had problems with monsterfolk... ‘cept for her...” mutters the security guard, who promptly turns away and walks across the lobby (certainly not to avoid accidental eye contact).

Absent-mindedly, Sans listens as whirring takes over the cubicle when the doors in front of him slide shut. He blinks, flitting his attention to the screen on his right, Lune’s arm drifting over him to click on the floor their room is ordinarily located on. A familiar tune plays from the speaker above Lune and Sans before it is followed up by the droning sound of the elevator rising.

With nothing but silence hanging between the feline monster and stout human, the two stand and almost contemplate tonight’s events synchronously. Lune takes a step back, resting a majority of her weight against the rumbling wall. Her fur is no longer as damp as it once was when she fled the restaurant, though she finds her clothes still strive to cling onto her shape. Lifting a hand, Lune pinches the cream-colored top and flicks it forward, firmly tugging it away from her chest before she releases it with a huff rolling off of her tongue.

Her movement waves in the corner of Sans’s eyes, compelling him to glance her way and slightly raise a brow.

“...you uncomfortable?”

“...” She squints at him, ears hiding their light pink color; her lips almost scrunch inward. “Have you ever been doused in cold tap water before?”

“...” Maintaining a giddy smile, Sans pulls his gaze to the side, squinting almost eagerly. “nope.”

“You wanna find out what it feels like?”

He looks back up at her, his dorky grin lingering on his lips along with the childish sparkle in his eyes.

“nope. i think i’d just tap out,” he snorts.

I’ll kill him.

The side of Lune’s nose twitches, her facial features contorting with indescribable irritation.

“hey, lune.” Sans beams as he stares up at the tall feline, cerulean eyes practically overflowing with glee.

“...what?” She grumbles, arms crossing over her chest.

“why’s it bad ta joke about boiling water?”

A soft grumble rolls over her vocal cords, her luminous eyes rolling around before they latch back onto his smile.

“...why?”

“...‘cos it can get pretty steamy,” he says, maintaining his smile regardless of the dirty look Lune gives him. “eh? that was pretty good, ya gotta admit.”

“Just shut up...” she groans, wrinkling her brows and lowering her eyelids.

“is there a particular time of the year when a hot dog needs help?” Sans merely pauses for dramatic effect. “nah, they’re always in hot water.”

Oh, my God. I can’t stand him.

Lune squeezes her eyes even more, immersing herself in total darkness, flattening her ears as much as she can in order to muffle the human’s baritone voice.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

He’s so stupid ‘n defenseless.

I have to keep him safe.

So dumb. Trying to fluster me with some stupid compliments.

Are my eyes really better than the stars?

“i know you just finally got ta dry up,” Sans mumbles, nonchalantly shrugging his arms. “but i wanna get cha wet again.”

HAH-?!

“Mm—”

Lune is startled enough to pry her eyes open, her golden eyes wide with a mix of horror and bewilderment. Once more, each hair tingles at the follicle, gradually rising to stand straight until all of Lune’s face appears twice as fluffy than before. The tips of her ears glow brighter as if they were ignited by a match, her eyes zeroed in on Sans’s smug face. Amidst the dark raven fur of her face, little golden freckles emerge, glowing luminously beneath the fluorescent lights installed above them.

“Hh-Hah-?!” Lune exclaims, ears flicking in an uneven pattern.

“gee, it’s like you weren’t even listenin’ to me,” Sans hums, his wink lingering when the uneasy feeling in his stomach finally settles, telling him their ride is officially over. “looks like this is our stop.”

“D-... don’t act like you didn’t just-... you didn’t just say that!” Lune blurts out, fisting her hands and stomping her foot once.

Sans peeks over his shoulder, looking up at Lune with a single eye peeled open. He grins.

“dunno what you’re talkin’ about,” the short human teases, snorting to himself upon stepping out of the cubicle.

“Kckk-! O-Oi! That wasn’t... ff-funny!” Lune stammers, unable to notice how quickly her golden freckles blossom across her cheeks. “You’re so... stupid...”

Klick

Klok

Klick

“welp...” Sans tilts his clean-shaven head back, ignorant to the way Lune squints at him when light happens to bounce right off his scalp. “here we are, i guess...”

Lune grumbles, “Yeah.”

Without sparing a minute, she approaches the frame, hands rummaging within her pocket until she is able to withdraw her set of keys. Her digits scour through each decorative keychain (courtesy of June nonetheless), an agitated curse heavy on her lips as she angrily stares at these keys in her hands. Finally, her fingers pinch the one key she was searching for and lift its jagged end to the lock of their front door.

Schkk

Shhp

Klik

With catlike precision, Lune twists and withdraws the key before she grasps the door handle and unlocks their apartment.

“yaay,” Sans cheers, “we don’t have to call the locksmith this time because the key broke.”

“Mrghh... don’t remind me,” grumbles the feline as she attaches her set of keys onto the hooks installed beside their front door. “Waiting for those idiotic people while smelling like nothing but your brother’s girlfriend’s perfume was torture.”

Sans raises his brow at her.

“i thought you liked her?”

“I... she’s... fine, just... too smelly. She’s got too much sweetness on ‘n it made me wanna throw up,” she growls, scraping her ankle until the sole of her shoe hits her other shoe, effectively pulling her feet out.

“...”

Similarly to Lune, Sans also links his keyring onto the hooks before mimicking her actions in removing his shoes. They thunk cheerlessly against the floor, flopping around another two inches then lying motionless.

Gradually, he wills himself to fixate on Lune, who firmly brushes her hands down her wrinkled and somewhat damp skirt, hoping to remove any specks or strings clinging on. His lips part, an inhale wafting into his mouth and filling his lungs with the air of their apartment, preparing his next words. As soon as he catches her gaze, it’s as if the words line up in his head like a train, all of it riding out on his tongue.

“as awful as our night went... i actually wanted ta say...” he starts, “i’m sorry about... a lot really.”

Succumbing to silence, Lune lowers her hands and pivots her ears in order to hear his words come out in his baritone voice, skepticism crossing her face for a moment.

“i didn’t know my ex-boss was gonna show up, and i was just as upset by what she did as you were. i’m sorry you had to take the splash because i’m just as defenseless as ya say i am. you shouldn’t have to take every hit the world throws my way just ‘cos i’m not as strong as i should be. i’m sorry you’ve-... you’ve had to deal with so much as a kid. i never knew how you ‘n juney grew up... but you guys obviously didn’t live luxuriously or anything.

“me sayin’ monsters get treated just fine up here... was irresponsible and ignorant of me. you’re... you’re right. not all monsters get the privilege of respect up ‘ere... as much as everyone should get the same level of respect. i just thought you should kn- mmph—!”

Sharply, his stout figure is jerked forward, coincidentally where Lune stands. His hands flail out in a poor attempt at catching himself, but he is caught by the feline herself... with his lips interlocking with... Lune’s? His cerulean eyes gape up at Lune, heart pounding when overwhelmed with a burst of adrenaline, but soon his eyelids weaken themselves and hang closed.

Warmth embraces Sans as he stands, leaning most of his weight into Lune, whose hands tightly cling onto the collar of his dress shirt and jacket to keep him from unexpectedly collapsing. His heart thumps excitedly within his chest, blood rushing throughout his pudgy form and releasing a wonderful sense of dopamine. He guides his shaky hands to carefully reach the hands fisting his collar, fingerprints brushing against Lune’s soft raven fur.

A gentle smack reverberates across the room as Lune and Sans eventually part, their breaths ghosting over each other’s lips. Lune slightly pulls away, her cheeks now littered in golden freckles that strive to shine through her fur, standing tall even with her hands wrinkling Sans’s shirt.

“...”

“...”

“...” Lune sheepishly looks down at Sans’s enamored face, her SOUL wriggling uncomfortably inside her chest. “That-... that was-... erm-... that was... the only thing... I could think of... to... shut you up...”

The stout human says nothing in return, frozen in his spot with awe painted over every distinct feature on his face. If one looked close enough, they would catch scintillating sparkles and hearts dancing inside his eyes as he gawks up at Lune.

“...c-... can you do it again?” Sans asks, his voice heavy with infatuation.

Her initial reaction is an abrupt wince of her head, unable to mask her shaky gasp. The feline’s cheeks burn with specks of gold, her tail swaying softly beneath her skirt.

What the-...

What... is this... feeling?

Lune’s SOUL shudders beneath the layers of her vessel, buzzing softly as if hoping to leash Sans’s attention and call out to his SOUL. She overlooks the fact her hands tremble while clinging onto his collar, boring her eyes into his, noticing the way his lids lovingly hang over his cerulean irises. Her whisker eyebrows congregate above the bridge of her nose, ears twisting away and pressing against her head.

“Tch-... ss-stupid... human...” she mumbles, refusing to acknowledge how eager her SOUL is as it thrums inside her chest.

With uncharacteristic mannerism, Lune follows Sans’s request and bends back down to press her lips against his, no longer compelling Sans’s body to lean against her in order to save himself an inevitable soreness on his face. Instead, they merely stand by the door, enveloped by each other’s familiar scents.

Sans’s nose catches whiffs of lemon and almond interlaced with traces of nutmeg, his cheeks burning beneath a sheet of pearly luster from the moon peeking in through the windows of their apartment. He plasters his palms onto Lune’s, curling his digits lightly to run his blunt fingernails beneath her first layer of fur to scratch at her hidden skin. His heart practically leaps in his throat when he hears a subtle purr reverberate within the boundaries of their home, lips striving to taste more of her.

this is the first time she hasn’t tried to bite me.

i have a feeling this is huge progress.

and holy shit i didn’t know i’d love kissing her like this.

i love kissing her.

i love having her here.

i love her.

“hha... hhf...” Sans quietly pants when she disrupts their kiss in order to give him air (which she nearly forgot he needed), his limbs possessing a subtle tremor. “hh... i love you so much, luney,” he admits, staring up at her with nothing but a dreamy look on his face.

! ! !

Unable to mask her surprise, Lune jerks in her spot, ears sticking straight up to the ceiling while her tail freezes in place. Her shimmering eyes widen, zeroing in on Sans’s enamored expression. Trembling in place, Lune maintains a half-hearted surrender pose, her lips unconsciously parted though not a sound leaves her.

“Er—” Lune stutters, blinking dumbly. “You-... you... what?”

Piercing the air, Sans’s hands rise to grasp Lune’s biceps, utilizing whatever strength he momentarily possesses in order to yank her upper body down to his level.

“WAH-!”

Lune doubles over to attain Sans’s height level, bewitching golden eyes staring back at Sans with miniature stars twinkling across her pupils, which—Sans quickly observes—gradually expand into even-sized circles.

“you heard me, luney,” he says, voice firm and confident in his words. “i. love you.”

“Wh-... whuh-...”

“i know you think you somehow don’t deserve it, but let me tell ya now–” Sans sternly folds his hairless brows–“that just isn’t true. you don’t even realize this self-hatred of yours was indoctrinated into you since you were a naive kid. ww-well... i’m here ta fix that. i love you just as much as i love june, and i wanna show ya... will-... will you... let me?”

...

Huh...?

Rendered speechless, Lune blankly gapes at Sans’s inquiring face, witnessing his smile slightly shake only for his eyes to bat away before returning to meet with hers. She observes the way multiple thoughts cross through his mind by watching his eyes and the miniscule changes in his facial features. As she studies him, Lune realizes...

She’s been looking for signs of reluctance or deceit. Anything that would tell her he’s lying about everything. There’s just no way he could love her.

“...”

Gradually, she drops her gaze. His words sober her quickly, bringing her to a vital debate.

“...you...” Her eyes lift back up, meeting with Sans’s expectant cerulean ones. “You know... I hate humans... right?”

Instead of responding with exasperation (as Lune expects him to), Sans merely reacts with a giddy smile, mirth dancing along his eyes.

“would you let me try to change your mind?” He asks her, gliding his hands down her arms until he grazes up her wrists and clasps both of her hands in his.

Fluster erupts across Lune’s SOUL, rolling over her furry form like an invigorating wave, her tail whipping out behind her once before it hangs limp, tempting itself to brush the floor. She glances down at Sans, spotting the numerous dots of gold sparkling across her cheeks as she stares into his eyes. This observation only worsens the state of her fur, each strand extending out and giving her a puffy appearance.

“Y-... and... hh-... how are you... g-gonna do that?” Grumbles the feline, her slender hands quaking within the embrace Sans’s hands give her.

Mischief develops across Sans’s face in the form of a devilish grin, faint crinkles manifesting at the corners of his eyes and at the creases of his lips. With meticulous mobility, Sans directs a foot back, gliding his socks across the coarse yet smooth surface of their vinyl floor. Clasping Lune’s hands, he guides her further into the apartment, eagerly grinning up at her upon scrutinizing her distorted features.

As much as she wants to say something in retaliation, Lune aimlessly follows Sans, understanding he wants her to come closer. Her attention briefly darts to the pristine island in their open-floor plan, running her gaze over its smooth, snow-white surface along with the rustic wooden stools neatly planted beneath the counter for future use. She is bemused when glancing back at the short human, though she suppresses any sound—ironically too curious to figure out what his intentions are.

Each golden bean on the bottoms of her toes and the balls of her feet press into the cool vinyl beneath her, applying her weight evenly until she lifts her foot to take another small step. Soon, she’s slowed down by the counter furnished in the middle of the kitchen. If she happens to look further to her right, she’d catch sight of their oven, sink, and fridge situated neatly between slabs of granite counters and drawers. Her wide-eyed attention, however, falls down to Sans, who gives her a strangely sultry look (she hates how hot her face suddenly feels).

“i could think of... a few ways ta motivate you...” Sans murmurs, “depends on if yer gonna give me a hard time, though...”

“I—”

Lune’s ears fold back, ignorant of the way her cheeks immediately puff up and sparkle like the wishing well cluster. The end of her tail twitches and writhes for a moment before hanging limp once again, brushing against the back of her calves and stirring her ticklish fur.

Swallowing any hints of reluctance he may have, Sans takes another step closer, simultaneously gliding a hand from the back of her hand to her wrist. He grazes his fingerprints against the fur of her wrist before trailing it across her forearm, unaware of what convulsions he compels in Lune’s SOUL as he leads his touch to her side.

“juney helped me do a little research on monsters, y’know... specifically on her species and yours...” he admits, briefly squinting up at her, his grin stretching at her bewildered look. “when ya get excited,” Sans says, twisting his wrist nimbly only to inch his sprawled palm down her soft side until he reaches the hem of her skirt. 

His hand stills upon meeting the fabric, pressing small circles inches above her hip into her ruffled fur. Although he isn’t one for hubris, feeling Lune faintly shake and jolt under his touch certainly provides a boost of confidence.

“you start smelling really good... then it’s over for you, huh?” He hums, ruffling her fur alongside the fabric of her skirt.

“I-... hha-... I don’t-...” Lune instinctively slips her hands from Sans’s and palms her face, desperately trying to keep her crumbling self together. “Yy-You... don’t... know what... you’re t-talking about... ss-stop... trying... t-to sound... hh-... so ssmart,” she quietly huffs, dragging her finger pads down her freckled face to keep her hands hovering above Sans, who seems eager to roam his hands over her.

While his left busies itself with crinkling Lune’s skirt, Sans leads his other hand back to her side, sliding diagonally to reach the back of her shirt. He continually teases the fabric by brushing his fingertips beneath the ruffles, synchronously scratching Lune’s upper back. For a split second, he catches a jolt from her tail, darting his fixated eyes down to the swirling appendage.

Another knowing grin stretches across his lips, cerulean eyes following every curve and shape on Lune.

“i just think yer a little embarrassed of how hot ‘n bothered yer feelin’...” he teases, lowering his hand entirely to reach her thigh. “honestly... i think it’s pretty funny watchin’ you try to sell that catty attitude to everyone around ya... but as soon as i put my hands on ya ‘n find those sweet spots...” Sans mumbles, tracing his fingerprints up as he presses into Lune’s fur, stirring each individual strand he glides over. “you’re just a docile little furball, huh?”

Lune winces, her digits instantly curling into her palms to keep her claws from sprouting. Despite lacking a proper set of lungs, the feline releases laborious breaths, her ears weak and compliant to the weight of gravity. She gazes down, staring through a field of shaky vision to see Sans merely inches away from her chest.

“Nn-... I-... hhf-...”

Tingles capture Lune’s body with each meticulous touch Sans draws against her fluffy exterior, each fiber on her body rising on their ends. Lune’s breath shakes as she exhales, trembling under the hands that scratch oh-so well at her upper back or slither up the side of her thigh. She continues quivering within Sans’s embrace, unable to suppress her flustered gasps when he steadily and deliberately traces his hand beneath her skirt and further up to her hip.

Her SOUL quakes vigorously inside of her chest, listening to the muted rustles of her skirt as Sans’s digits ghost over the curve of her ass. Lune’s breath catches in her throat the moment his hand stills on her hip, tension retaining every inch of her chest when her gaze finally drops itself. She finds herself entirely stunned by Sans’s hooded lids and wry smile.

“Ah—”

“no undies? gee, didn’t think you were a fan of goin’ commando,” Sans chuckles, grazing his thumb up and down against her hip.

“Tch-! I-... I don’t-... I just-... I don’t see... the point... it’s nn-not like I have ss-somethin’ to hide!” She grumbles, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head away with a huff expelling from her nostrils.

“i mean... i ain’t complainin’.”

Sans grins, his hand slithering further up her skirt, eventually reaching the base of Lune’s tail. Noticing how quickly her tail jolts out upon grazing her erogenous spot, Sans’s lids hang almost sinfully, his heart pounding and twisting beneath his ribcage. He hears her breathing increase, breaking every once in a while by an unexpected gasp or a quiet whine. Inhaling her scent, Sans is overwhelmed by notes of lemon, almond, and nutmeg, sending a satisfying shiver down his spine.

Unlike June, whose smell is sweet and delightful enough to lure him in at any given moment, Lune’s smell feels raw and incredibly tempting. Something about how organic and rich in flavor her scent is makes him want to bury his entire face into her and inhale for the rest of time.

“Hhf-... hh...” Lune gulps for air, jumping with a stifled whine rumbling against her vocal cords when a warmth blankets the base of her spine.

“does this spot get you purring?” Sans beams, slowly pressing up and down against a ghostly line making up her spine, occasionally bumping into her tail.

“Mh-... hhf... haa...”

Unable to maintain control over her movements, Lune writhes slowly beneath Sans’s hands, her ears fluttering above her head—their golden tips illuminating in the dimness of their apartment. She gasps, a pressure circling over—what possibly could be—the most tender spot on her body, igniting arousal throughout her quaking form. Failing to keep her composure for even a second longer, the feline pants, relieving whatever muscular fortitude she holds.

Whining breathlessly, Lune tilts back to lean into the counter, her tightly curled fists pinned against its cool surface. She shakes in front of the clean-shaven human, staring with an almost uneasy look before it is swallowed by bliss. Ironically enough, a conspicuous droning itches at the back of Lune’s throat, promptly igniting her freckles across her cheeks.

What...

What the...

What’s this... feeling?

It’s...

It’s...

D e l i c i o u s.

“mkay,” Sans states frankly, both hands now glued to both of her hips, fingers delved between her thickness and raven fur.

“Mmh—” Lune blinks out of her stupor, luminous eyes cutting through the murkiness of their apartment to look down at the human (is it strange she can spot his cerulean eyes from the obscurity surrounding them?). She almost winces when she spots an intense focus swirling in his stare. “Hh... huh?”

His hands squeeze at Lune’s hips, wrinkling her damp skirt and provoking an unexpected excitement from her SOUL, boring his cerulean eyes up into Lune’s face, written with awe.

“i want you on the counter,” he instructs her, baritone voice hardly leaving room for implication.

E-... ehhh?

Stunned in her spot, Lune zones out for a moment, particularly stuck on the fact she’s even in this situation. She trembles on her feet, tail swaying with anticipation guiding it.

“You—”

“i wouldn’t recommend you try ‘n act all fussy,” he cuts her off. “those pheromones you’re pumpin’ out are telling me something way different.”

Eh...

EHHHH?

Promptly, the female monster jumps and recoils her arms to her chest, ears uncontrollably flattening or standing up. She keeps her arms pressed against her chest, horror over her lack of utter control in this moment wringing her dry. Lune frantically tears her eyes away to gaze side to side, at the ceiling, at the door, any other place where she won’t be forced to make eye contact with him.

He-...

I’m-...

H-... huh?

“c’mon, sweetheart... there’s no need to be shy now. what happened to that fiery attitude ya had? or was that also for show?”

Lune parts her lips, though she is incapable of speaking. Instead of attempting to talk back... she simply uses the strength in her arms to pull herself up slowly, lifting her weight until she can sit on the frigid surface. Her tail curls and sways over the countertop, glissading against the cool and smooth granite like a giddy worm on a rainy day.

“there we go,” Sans hums, using his pudgy body to part Lune’s legs. He glimpses her folded skirt, then raises his brow and lifts his chin. “that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

A faint growl tickles the back of Lune’s throat, her vibrissae that act as eyebrow furrow atop her nose.

“Tch... what-... what are you doing?” She asks him, thighs flexing beneath his relaxed arms, her SOUL thrumming at his comforting massages.

Sans shrugs gently, his digits slowing their circular motions against the outsides of her thighs, no longer savoring the feeling of her legs. He does enjoy how they press against his squishy sides, however...

“y’know... now that i think about it...”

“Eep-!”

Without warning, Sans slips his hands further down to hook her knees and pull them up and over his shoulders, where he lets their weight dangle over his back. His lips stretch into a thin smirk, observing the way Lune’s face completely drops and her eyes bulge, her face littered in bright golden spots.

“i never got to eat dinner at the restaurant... ‘nd i’m still hungry...”