The old lady stared at the fruit through her thin watery eyes, her hands slightly shaking.  Was it a nectarine or a peach?  Or maybe that weird apple that Jennifer was talking about yesterday. She wasn’t sure.  There wasn’t even a fragrance that she could smell with it. She gave a soft sigh and put the fruit back.  It had been so much easier when her husband was here.  He always knew how to make her smile and forget about how the passage of time had not been kind to her.  And yet she had still outlived him by at least ten years.

Well.  She would see him soon… especially if the cost of groceries kept going up.  She might find herself running out of money yet.

With a soft sigh she put back the fruit and shuffled over to the hazy yellow shapes, her gait unsteady.  Those at least she knew those were bananas.  And they were probably cheaper than whatever apple-hybrid that that new generation was eating.  Where had the world gone so wrong?  Back in her day her grandparents had retired at the ripe-old age of fifty and were able to afford their house, cars, groceries, have money left over to spoil grandchildren and even leave a healthy inheritance to their loved ones when they passed.  The good old days.  Before greed and capitalism took over and rotted everyone’s minds.

And nowadays she could barely afford to eat.  Thank god that she and Harold never had any kids. She couldn’t imagine the disappointment on their faces when all she had to give him were the trinkets that dotted her little house. Tears dotted her eyes.  She was so scared of the future.  What would it hold for her?  And…

She bumped into someone.  “WATCH IT HAG!” The loud, acidic voice snapped.  She couldn’t see the boy’s face but, judging by the way the voice wavered between octaves, he had to bet between fourteen and eighteen. Still so young.

And already so cynical with the world.  She felt bad for him.

“My apologies, young man.  I did not see you there…”

“Of course you didn’t, you old bat.  Your glasses are about as thick as Kardashian’s pussy!”

The words were clearly meant to try and surprise her. Or maybe to make her disgusted. Such language.  Children never truly changed, did they?  Especially the ones with the high opinions of themselves…

* * * * *

The boy sneered to his friends as he pocketed the older lady’s wallet.  It had just been laying on top of everything inside of her purse, just ripe for the taking. He couldn’t resist.  They needed it more than her, the price of their favourite vodka had gone up.  He doubted that she would even miss it.  She had on a wedding ring.  Her husband would just give her some more government-funded money and she could go out and buy more yarn and pea soup.  He gestured at his friends to continue walking.  Act natural.

“Seriously, I think it is about time that those older folks know your place and just die.  Their time is over.  Make way for the young.  Over population is a serious issue these days and, you know what happens when a chicken can’t lay eggs or work anymore…”

His wrist, the one holding the lady’s wallet was seized, clasped tight in deadly grip, never letting go as they slammed the wrist into a nearby display.  The boy cried out, pain radiating from his wrist and traveling up his arm, forcing him to drop the wallet.  But that was the least of his worries.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?” he demanded, eyes unable to focus on the shadowy figure due to the pain. Whoever had attacked him had a death wish. But his mates weren’t backing him up.  Instead he could see them slowly backing away, leaving him on his own.  They were murmuring something as they disappeared to the other aisles.  

Cowards.  Here he thought that his friends were true.  Fine.  He could do this on his own if he needed to.  He didn’t need anyone to hold him back.

When his vision returned, he could feel his stomach drop.

Long, curved bones were wrapped around his warm skin, just digging into him hard enough to make a slight mark.  There was not an ounce of flesh on the bones, he could see every knuckle, every joint, every crack in the bone.  And the noise…. He wasn’t sure how best to describe the grating noise that they made when they moved slightly.  It was enough to cause a shiver to go down his spine.  But still the boney hand held him tight, not letting him go.  The grip was as cold as steel and just as strong, keeping him pinned where he was against the display with little effort.

Slowly, against his better judgement, the boy’s eyes traveled up, scanning his attacker.  A dirty, threadbare hoodie caught his attention next.  It was obvious that there had been an unsuccessful attempt at cleaning the rag before being seen in public, but whatever had been spilled over it had stained it.  Deep browns mixed with a rust had intermingled and dried across what used to be a blue hoodie.

Up, up, up.  What he saw made no sense.

A manic grin smirked, the grin unwavering, unflinching, at him, lending to the unsettling atmosphere. Two deep, flickering, red eyes stared him down, unblinking.  Unafraid. Almost challenging him to make a move.  Give him an excuse to attack and fight.  The curve of the skull was interrupted by the chunk that was missing out of his skull…

Wait.

A skull.  He was staring at a skull.

No.  He was looking at the full thing.  A real live, honest to fucking hell skeleton stood in front of him.  Pinning him where he stood.  But… but that was impossible.  He had heard of the monsters escape, it had been all over the news.  Hell, even his old man had joined an anti-monster gang to try and keep the monsters out of the school system and out of ‘regular’ areas.

And here he was, being pinned by one in a grocery store of all places.  He could see that, up close, the skeleton wasn’t looking as smooth as he had originally thought.  The monster was absolutely covered in scars and raised bumps.  This… this monster had been in several fights.

The boy had the feeling that he did not lose.

“Let me go.” He snarled, trying to pull his hand away from the creature.  The creature didn’t even move, made no indication that he had even heard at him.  Those red eye lights just stared at him, unblinking. Uncaring.  The boy yanked at his arm again.  “OI I SAID LET-”

“Do you know what happens when a young rooster gets too big for his feathers?” a cracking voice asked.  It sounded unused, unneeded.  Like two rocks had been grinding together to make the noise.  And yet it was so soft, the boy could barely hear it.

“I beg your par-”

“I asked you a question.  Do you know what happens, when a young rooster gets too big for his feathers?  Tries to take over the roost?”  The voice had definitely come from the skeleton.  The eyes were focused in on him, watching his every move, every struggle.

The boy tried to pull away again.  “Let me g-”

“Answer the question first, and you’ll find yourself free.” The skeleton demanded, giving a yank to his hand.

Wincing slightly, the boy glared up at the monster.  He would make sure that they would all pay. “No. What happens when that happens?”

The skeleton almost seemed to like that answer.  The grin widened, stretching across his skull, the red eyes took on an extra sparkle.  The skeleton’s free hand slowly reached down, pulling the hoodie away from his body…

Exposing the large, silver axe that he had stashed there.

His breath caught, his heart clenched, and he felt his arms and legs go numb.  This wasn’t the first time that he had been in a life-or-death scenario.  His gang initiations came to mind as well.  Fight or flight.

But he didn’t have his knife or gun this time.  His so-called friends had held them for him this time.

The skeleton gave a low, rumbling, sinister laugh.  “The old rooster and the young battle it out. To the death.  The loser loses everything, to be fed to the wolves or others that night.  The winner walks away a proud winner, free to lead the hen house as he sees fit.” The skeleton leaned closer to him, dusty breath brushing against his ear and cheek. “Cock-a-doodle doo.”

Message loud and clear.

“What do you want from me?”

“Oh there is many things I could want from you. You to stop bothering the innocent patrons of this store.  You to leave innocent old ladies alone. And for you to leave her wallet where it is.” This last little bit came out as a snarl.

The boy gulped.  “I don’t have the wallet.  I already dropped it.”

The skeleton took his time to appraise him and then check the ground.  The pale, well-worn pink wallet was under the display that he had the boy pinned on.  He gave a cold, satisfied, chuckle.   “Good.  Starting to learn already.  Now. Go find your little groupies and get the hell out of here.  And if I ever find you in this area again… well.  You’re not the only rooster I’ve plucked and dressed for dinner.”

The threat was very clear.  

The boy grit his teeth, hating every second, but ran off as soon as he was able to.

The Surface is always beautiful.  The sun rises in the morning, the stars rise in the evening.  The birds sang and danced through the sky, bringing peace to those who heard their songs.  Stretch and Bee had heard of their father (before he disappeared) describe the Surface, but never once did they believe that they would see it for themselves. The child had always reset or killed, stealing the dream away from them and the others.

But now, now they were here.  A small town, not much bigger than their place in the Underground.  They were safe here.  The smaller towns seemed more accepting of monsters, more curious. 

And, perhaps most importantly, they could be open with their relationship.

Bucky.... with her bright blue eyes and deep brown hair, she was as beautiful inside as she was out.  Always quick to joke or laugh, to hold and kiss, the twins had fallen for her when she had fallen to the Underground. Neither could be without her so they had chosen to share. And once people got over the unorthodox part of the relationship, they too could see the beauty in it.

The three of them completed one another.  Bee, Stretch and Bucky.  They were together always.  That’s where they belonged. In one another’s arms and hearts.

The years passed both slowly and quickly for the three of them, blurring into waking up beside one another, of slow touches and kissing. Together they saw the birth of their children and watched their own slow growth.  Their kids ran in the backyard of the house they lived in, growing with the new generation.  One that saw monsters as equals. 

But there is something that the textbooks never said.  The monsters were full of power, of magic that lacked Determination. Monsters and Humans needed each other to depend on and do wonderful things, things that were never imagined.

Never once did they mention that monsters lived for centuries longer than humans.

The world turned and saw many changes, the years swirled past.  Slowly, Bucky’s hair streaked with grey and white, losing its vibrant colour.  Her eyes, though still a brilliant blue, faded and clouded, her skin slowly wrinkled and weakened. Bucky was aging, and the twins remained the same. Their bones remained ageless, their magic bright and clear.

Bucky slowly began to hobble, requiring more help from one of her lovers to get where she wanted to go. Her cane in one hand, her shaking arm resting in theirs.

But still she was theirs. Their woman, their lover.  Stretch and Bee smiled fondly down at the woman they loved, still seeing the beautiful woman that they fell in love with. Making sure she knew that they loved her, always.

Her health slowly deteriorated. It seemed that she was always gasping for breath, her eyes watering.  Her body shook all the time, even if it wasn’t cold. She slept a lot more, always tired, always weary.  And the twins were always beside her, ready for anything. She was still Bucky, no matter the shell that was around her.

There came days where Bucky did not seem to recognize the world around her. She would blink and stare, trying to read and understand the new signs that did not match up with the ones in her mind. Stretch and Bee would joke with her, slowly pulling her from her confusion. They loved her, they would always love her.  They would take her hand and steer her into more familiar areas.

Bucky knew what was coming. She could feel it in her rattling bones.  She was scared of it. The majority of her life she had been side by side with her beloved twins, her loves. 

And now... now the next part of life she would be taking alone.

It was a beautiful spring day, one many years after they came to the Surface.  Her beloved lilac bushes were blooming, their sweet scent perfuming the air. Birds were singing, chirping as loud as they could. Bucky sat in her favourite armchair, watching her grandchildren play in the garden. She could remember being that young, playing as they did, having the strength to walk more than five paces without pausing.

She had had a full, loving life.  Her loves, her friends, her children and now her grandchildren.... she was truly spoiled. 

It was then she knew that it was time.

“Stretch? Bee?” she called out, hearing her old, weak voice.

The two skeletons were beside her in an instant, looking just as they did when she first met them.  “what is it, love?” Stretch asked, taking her frail hand in his,

"can we get another pillow for you?” Bee asked, taking her other hand.

“Do you mind moving me to the loveseat and sitting with me a bit?” she asked them.  The loveseat faced the window so they could watch outside as well.  “I think I’ll be more comfortable with the two of you beside me.”

She couldn’t say what was coming. That would be too cruel.

“of course, dear. anything for you.” The two of them picked her up carefully, settling her on the couch, propping her cushions up so she would be comfortable, and sitting beside her. Stretch’s hand was around her shoulders, Bee’s her waist.  For a moment, Bucky felt like a young woman again, held by her loves, her protectors. “The two of you always made me so happy,” she said, smiling.  “Always looking out for me.  Making sure that I was happy. That I knew how much the both of you loved me, how much you cared. I love the two of you so very much.”

“hey now, we were lucky to find a woman to put with the both of our shenanigans and horrible humour.  no way were we ever going to let that go.” Bee said to her, rubbing her waist gently.

Stretch nodded, a soft smile on his teeth. “and you always make us happy.  every joke and hum, everything.  we love you Bucky. always will.”

Bucky’s eyes teared up and she smiled at the words.  “You both always know how to make a woman happy,” she said, wiping her eyes as they chuckled. She looked to her beloved twins before looking once more outside and to them again, memorizing their faces. She loved them so very much.  “I’m a little tired. Will you sit with me while I nap?”

Her eyes were already falling shut when the familiar blanket was pulled up over her legs, tucking the three of them in.  “of course, babe.  don’t need to ask us twice.” The two of them kissed her cheeks, already humming her favourite lullaby, causing her to smile as she drifted off.

* * * * * *

It was a couple hours later that Bee and Stretch tried to rouse the older woman. Perhaps she would be more comfortable in their bed?

The ghost of her last smile settled on her lips, she did not waken.

Sans teleported just outside the restaurant that you worked at, pulling the fur of his jacket up to hide the smallest hint of pink.  Papyrus was working on the rest of the shirts now, putting them through another wash cycle with a small dash of baking soda.  He made a new rule of checking all machines for lost and found items before using.

Still, Sans sighed softly, leaning against the building.  Soon he would see you and all would be well.  You and him had been planning this date for weeks now, there was always something that seemed to get in the way.  Between school and the work schedules for the both of you, it was hard enough to sneak in a study session in the library.  And now, there was nothing in your way.

“Hey,” your voice startled Sans, causing him to jump away from the wall.  He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face when he saw you.

“Hey sweetheart,” he said,  taking your change of clothes from you, “did you have a good shift?”

You sighed and rolled your eyes.  “Give me a moment to answer,” you told him before you walked over to the nearby recycling bin.  Digging deep into your pockets you tossed more than a couple shiny pamphlets, and what looked to be a couple of business cards into the bin.  “Ok.  Now I’m ready to go.  Does this theatre serve alcohol?”  You sounded irritated.

Sans offered you his arm, still looking at the bin in confusion.  “I mean, there is an option for that…” he said.  “Or do you want to skip the movie and just go to the bar instead?”

Slinging your arm through his, you sighed but shook your head.  “No, no… theatre first. Just… just a rough day.”

“Tell me about it,” Sans said, drawing you closer to him as he walked you down the sidewalk.  Pink shirts could be ignored for now.  Your day was more important than his.

Shaking your head, you smiled at him, resting your head against his shoulder as the two of you walked together.  “Just same shit, different day,” you told him.  “First, a couple businessmen came through and think that leaving me their business card with their phone number is a good replacement for a tip.”

Sans snorted at that, easily pushing the small tinge of jealousy that he felt.  It was rather obvious that you weren’t interested in them. “Of course…  Those who can afford to buy an expensive meal for themselves or for their friends or clients and do not have enough to tip you can clearly spoil you rotten should you guys date.”

Success.  You giggled, gazing up at him with those wonderful green eyes of yours.  “Oh yes. Clearly he has all the money in the world to show me all that fifty dollars and twenty-five cents can get me.”

Wrapping his arm around you tighter, Sans gave you a tight side hug.  “I hear that is a fantastic view of his driveway.”  He smiled as you laughed at it.  Good.  There was the you that he knew and…

Well.  Fill in the blank later.

“But you said that those guys were first.  What else happened?” Sans asked you.

You rolled your eyes. “Father Simon was in today.  The shimmering grey BMW? Crisp, name-brand clothing on himself, wife and three kids?  Heck, he even has a Rolex that he hides under his suit.  Anyways, he and some of his followers came in today after the sermon.  Between the twelve of them, they easily ordered a couple hundred dollars worth of food and drink.  Came in preaching the good word, God and His Son shall save us and that we are loved.  I enjoyed that part,” you said, looking at Sans.  “It’s just when every single one of them refuses to leave a tip and instead only leaves a stupid pamphlet on how both my coworkers and I could be saved… well.  You see where I am coming from.” Sighing, you scratched under your eye.  “Because obviously I don’t need money for food or rent.  Apparently, long-term salvation can take care of all my needs immediately.”

Sans opened the theatre’s door, letting you slide in first.  “I’m sorry you had a rough day, babes.  Hopefully, I can help make it better.”

Looking back at him, you shot him one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen. “Believe me when I say that it is already better.”

Oh, you knew just how to make his soul flutter.  Pink shirts were forgotten now. You were all that mattered in his eyes.  Gently squeezing your hand, he led you to the ticket counter. “Remember, it is my treat.” He said.

“You really don’t have to Sans.  I don’t mind splitting the costs.” You smiled at him.  He loved that, loved when your eyes met his… sent a tingle down his spine.

The acne-ridden, greasy haired teenager looked positively terrified of them.  His eyes flickered between Sans and you, and then to the door, like he wanted to escape.  “Am I that terrifying tonight?” Sans asked, turning towards him.

“Oh you always look intimidating,” you teased him, squeezing his hand, “but I’m more worried that he is one of those who distrusts monsters…”

The teenager gulped slightly as you guys came up to the counter.  He looked pale, like he was about to pass out.  “I… I… I should warn you…. that… that today’s paper was wrong…. The show times were for yesterday…. And weren’t updated… the… the current times are on the board now….” he shakily pointed to the board behind him, showing the times of the movies.

Sans looked up at the board and groaned.  The times and movies had been changed in a very noticeable way.  “Looks like we missed the last showing of the movie, sweetheart.”

Your face crumpled in disappointment.  “Really? God damn it….” Sans hated that look on your face.  He wanted to help but was unsure how.  You guys could always try and come back another night for the movie, but who knew how long that would be.  The teenager was still watching them, grease shining in the low light.  The poor guy had probably already been screamed at more than a few times tonight for something that wasn’t his fault.  “Well how about we see the other one we were thinking about?  It starts in ten minutes.”

With a nod, Sans agreed.  “We could always see it when it comes out on Netflix or whenever one of our neighbours buys it.”  There, problem solved.  Quick and painless.

The ticket master relaxed notably as he punched in your new order.  “That would be ten dollars, please.” he squeaked.

Nodding, Sans dug his hand into his pocket before freezing.  He could positively feel his bones freezing in horror.  Really?  After everything that had already happened to the both of you, this had to happen? You looked at him, confused for a moment before his horrified face started to make sense. You giggled softly, pulling out your own wallet.  “Dutch it is.” You said, pulling out a bill and handing it to the worker.

Sans felt so ashamed at that moment.  He knew exactly what had happened.  By the door, right beside the key bowl, his wallet sat.  Just so he wouldn’t forget to grab it when he grabbed his keys.  

Looks like he would need to teleport home and grab that after the movie.  After all, you couldn’t do Dutch on your first date! That just wasn’t right!

* * * * *

You and Red left the movie quietly, following the other patrons out.  You guys were quiet, lost in your own little world, thinking about the movie.  Red was slowly moving his head, trying to crack the vertebrae without scaring you. His previous nap in the laundry room was beginning to come back to haunt him as the movie seats had been less than overly comfortable.

“Well,” Red finally offered, feeling his neck give slightly, “that was… interesting?  They had an… unusual plot to it.  Really kept you guessing throughout the entire film.”

Bursting out into laughter, you gently whacked his arm.  “Oh, come on. You can be honest with me.  That movie was terrible!  The trailers totally showed it to be some next generation science-fiction, the new era of the combining power of the human and technology.  Not some desperate cash grab with a few A grade actors!”  

Sans chuckled, relieved that you were of the same opinion as him.  He wasn’t the best or most confident liar around.  “Well now that you mention it, they had more green screens than a weather station.”

Laughing, you smiled up at him.  “I’m glad to be here,” you said simply.

Sans couldn’t help the wince that came to his skull at your words.  So far nothing was going right for the both of you.  It was the wrong movie and it had been awful, and you had ended up paying thanks to him.  “Hey now.  Save those words until I take you out to eat,” he said, smiling quickly at you.  You were going to say something else, perhaps argue with him, when he nodded towards the poor admissions worker.  He was surrounded by a horde of angry patrons, probably looking for their money back. “Want to try and get your money back on a refund?” he asked.

You shook your head. “Poor guy is busy enough. Besides, his manager would probably give us free tickets at best, or at worst tell us that we sat through the entire movie.  Already past some ‘money-back guarantee’ period.”  As much as he wanted to disagree and try to get your money back, the skeleton had to admit that you had a point.  The two of you would spend ages in line for next nothing. Sans watched as an older, bored looking gentleman finally came down to the area.  Presumably the manager at last.  “Ready to grab something to eat? I’m hungry.  Popcorn didn’t fill me up.”  On cue your stomach growled.

Smiling at you, Sans drew you close to him, preparing to teleport the two of you.  “Ready when you are, sweetheart.  Just let me grab my wallet first.”

* * * * *

The little side-trip took almost an hour to complete.  Of course something as simple as ‘grab the wallet and go’ couldn’t be that easy.  Not today of all days.  Papyrus had decided to take advantage of Sans’ absence and do some needed cleaning around the little apartment and had moved his wallet, and then had left to study in the library.  You and Sans had almost torn the apartment into its previous state of disarray until you had found his wallet… in the key bowl.

Sans grit his teeth, angry that it had taken so long and that he hadn’t noticed the wallet before. Nothing was going his way tonight. And stars, you were along for a ride now.  If it had just been him, Sans might have just given up and gone home, napped for a week and then tried again.  But no. Here he was, pulling you out to a shitty movie after your crappy day at work, and now you had to try and help him find his stupid wallet because he decided to leave that at home.

Your stomach growled, reminding Sans that the popcorn that the two of you had had wasn’t exactly the most filling of dinners.  Pulling you close to him, wallet safe in his jacket pocket, he teleported directly to the restaurant.  No time for anything else.

The restaurant was just about to give your table when the two of you guys appeared.  The hostess rolled her eyes and sighed loudly when Sans had approached the stand.  She had begrudgingly looked through her computer for Sans’ reservation (at least that had been done correctly).  When his name appeared on the computer, she had reluctantly led the two of you to an open table.  As she showed them around, Sans took in the restaurant  The restaurant seemed to be decorated in an odd mixture of disco and Hawaiian.  Frankly Sans didn’t know what they were going for, nor was he sure if this is how they advertised themselves.  Perhaps it was the remains of his Fell nature, but Sans couldn’t help himself from looking wildly around, staring at everything.  The waitress noticed his observations and rolled her eyes again. She placed the two of you in a small corner table, right next to the kitchen.

Great… this was not what he meant by secluded… Sans sighed back at the hostess, biting back his comments about her attitude.  He opened his menu, peeking at you.  Already you were pouring over the menu, reading carefully, your lips pressed into a thin line. Seems like you weren’t having the best time… wincing, Sans peered at his menu.

Only to be met with the smallest, most descriptive text that he could imagine.  “Bloody hell,” he said, “I wonder if they wrote our textbooks.”

You let out a tiny giggle.  “Would explain how our textbooks always seemed to give vivid food descriptions. Juicy hearts.  Tasty love…” you snorted, smiling at Sans before returning your attention back to the menu.

Sans let out a relieved sigh.  Well, you were still talking to him and cracking jokes.  That was a good sign.

A waiter, dressed in the odd combination of a Hawaiian shirt and dress pants, approached the table. “My name is Jolly John but you can call me HOOOSIAH,” he yelled out, making the both of you jump, “and I will be your waiter today.  Can I start you off with any drinks?”

The skeleton was tempted to order a bottle of mustard to drink, but, as the rest of the date was going ‘swimmingly’, he decided not to add his drunken ass to the mix. “Water,” he croaked out.

“Make it two, please.  Also, what sort of oils do you use in your cooking?”

John made a note of your drinks on his little notepad.  “I believe we use sunflower oil.  The boss likes how it gives a different taste to the food.  Makes it light, fresher… fills your soul with…”

“Perfect.  Thank you.” you smiled at him causing John to hurry away.  Right, you had that slight sensitivity to soybeans… Sans had almost forgotten about that.  Luckily you knew the right questions to ask.

“Perhaps we should avoid drinking the water at all…” Sans muttered, looking back at the menu. Geeze, what would it take to order a simple hot dog or hamburger around this joint?

Your laughter reached him again, causing the sharp-toothed monster to smile.  “Aw, be gentle Sans.  He just enjoys his job.  Hasn’t had the soul sucked out of him by the general public just yet.”

He couldn’t help the dopy look that crossed his skull.  You really were perfect.

Jolly John returned with your water.  It seems like he had decorated the rims of your glasses with a variety of tropical fruits. It looked like a Hawaiian goddess threw up.  Sans stared at it, wondering how he was supposed to take a drink without disrupting the rest of the glass.  It reminded him of Papyrus’ overzealous attempts at platting food.  You had pushed the food to one side of the rim, allowing you to take a sip of it.  “Are you two ready to order?”

“A couple more minutes,” the two of you said in sync, causing John to scurry away again.  As the two of you poured over your menus, Sans’ decided to make his move.  Slowly, Sans reached across the table to take your hand, gently squeezing it.

It took a breathless moment, but you squeezed back too.  He couldn’t help the little stutter in his soul as you returned to soft pressure. Perhaps everything was going to be ok after all.

A few minutes later, Sans was looking for John again when he noticed that you seemed to be in some distress.  You cleared your throat once, twice and then three times, growing more confused as you couldn’t remove the tickle from within your throat.  Rubbing at your throat, you slowly began to look around. “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?”

Avoiding the obvious pickup line, Sans chose to answer honestly.  “It is a little warm in here, but I think you’re the only flushed one,” he said, growing worried over your heating flesh.

John had come up to the table again.  “Is everything ok here?” he had asked, looking between you and Sans.

“Have these fruits come into contact with soybeans or any by-product?”

John nodded. “My boss soaks the fruits in their water and…”

Shit… you were having an allergic reaction.

Sans reacted immediately.  Getting up, he propelled himself around the table, grabbing hold of your hips and legs, somehow tossing your purse onto your lap, and teleporting into the hospital that was nearest to the campus.

* * * * *

The two of you were sitting on hard, pink chairs, Sans’ arm wrapped around you as you shivered. Upon teleporting the two of you directly into the hospital, your throat had closed up further, making it borderline impossible for you to talk.  You had gasped and wheezed for breath, terrifying the nurses and the doctors that saw you appear. Luckily, Sans was there to answer their questions, explaining all that he possibly could to them as they wheeled you into a nearby room.  Telling them about your sensitivity to soybeans and what you had come into contact with, and warning them that Advil tended to give you stomach ulcers.

You had made it just in time to the hospital as to not require an oxygen mask.  Instead, they had shot you with an Epi-Pen, given you normal water to drink, and now had you under mandatory health watch.  If you went into another allergic attack you would be hooked up to oxygen in a heartbeat and be given more allergy medicine.

But for now, it seems like the worst had passed.

“So…” Sans said, breaking the slightly awkward silence, “worst date, ever?” he asked slightly nervously.  There was pale red sweat dripping down his skull and even the crack in his skull seemed to droop slightly.

Turning your head, you looked at him.  “What do you mean?”  You were still slightly pale, your voice weak, but overall, in good health.

Leaning back against the chair, Sans sighed.  “Well, I forget my wallet, we see a terrible movie, almost miss our table and end up in the hospital at the end of it.  Doesn’t seem exactly what you had in mind for our date.”  He rubbed the side of his face, his eye lights down.  “I seem to have bad luck with anything I touch.  I would totally understand if you never want to see me again…”

You couldn’t help yourself.  Laughter peeled from your mouth, causing him to jump and look over at you with a shocked expression.  Your laughter sounded beautiful as always, like music to his ears.  “Oh, Sans,” you giggled, wiping your tears from your eyes, “thank you.  I needed the laugh.”  He couldn’t respond.  He stared at you, mouth agape.  Smiling, you explained yourself.  “All I wanted to do was spend time with you.  Forget the shitty day at work, forget about school for a bit…” you flushed slightly.  “Honestly, I haven’t seen any negatives with the day.  All it has is made it more memorable for me…

“And I’m sure that you are never going to forget our first date either.” You smiled at him, watching the relief cross over his face.

Sans couldn’t help himself.  Chuckling, he pulled you closer.  “How about we call this the practice date, and, once I get my shit together, I’ll take you out on a real date.  One without the restaurant that chooses to use fruit soaked in soybean water, a movie with real plot, and a wallet with real money in it?”

Giggling, you nodded. “I can agree to that.”  Looking at his sharpened teeth quickly, you seized the front of his jacket, pulling him towards you.  Giving him a short, very sweet kiss.  “Just as long as you agree that that was our first kiss.”

Eye lights hazy and faintly resembling hearts, his cheekbones slightly pink, Sans stared dumbly at you.  “Gosh damnit, here you are in a hospital, and it is my breath being stolen away…”

How he could spin such jokes in a heartbeat, you would never know.  Resting your head on his jacket, you smiled.  “It is a gift….” You explained to him.  Grinning, he wrapped his arm tightly around you again, pulling you against him.

For a few minutes you sat in comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the emergency department.  Nurses and doctors ran, papers rustling and machines were beeping. This was far better than any movie. “Sans?  Do you mind if I ask you a quick question?”

“Go for it, sweetheart.”