#vitaeisms

Sans couldn’t help but stare. She was so beautiful; so small. She had his coloring, yes, but his partner’s structure. Definitely their soul, too; hers was a small but blindingly bright red, pulsing to her slow breathing as she slept in his arms. How was it possible that something so pure could come from part of him?

“You’ve got that look on your face again. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

He turned, looking slightly up to meet their eyes, another thing he was glad their daughter had inherited. They were endless, literally: dark holes of void that went on forever. He swore he could see every color of the rainbow in them, even if they appeared black at first glance. “Sorry, babe. Can’t help it; I’ve got too much rattling in my skull.”

Core held out their hands and he reluctantly handed their child over, sighing as her warmth faded from his bones. “She looks like a little sugar skull.”

He blinked, confused.

“It’s a human thing,” they explained, stroking her cheekbone, and he nodded.

“Have you decided on a name?” They had agreed that if it was a girl, Core would name her, and although Sans was a bit disappointed he wouldn’t have a son named FangSong, he knew it was probably for the best.

“Well, I did some thinking… maybe Euphemia?”

Oh. Wow. Were those tears on his cheekbones? He wiped them away, grinning widely. “You mean…?”

“I know you said you didn’t care, but she is half skeleton. A traditional name is appropriate.” The look on their face showed they knew having a skeleton’s name meant a lot to him, despite his earlier claims.

“Euphemia… a beautiful name, isn’t it, Phemie?” He stroked the little tuft of colorless hair on top of her head. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

Core rolled their eyes. “If you’re just gonna call her Phemie—”

“Aw, come on, I’m still trying nicknames out. You know I can’t not have a nickname for her. Hmm… Phemie, Euph, sugar skull…”

“Sugar skull is the only normal one in that list!”

“Sugar skull it is, then.” He smiled and kissed Euphemia’s head. “My little sugar skull.”

“Daaaaaaaaaaaaad!”

Sans sighed softly but couldn’t help but smile as his daughter stomped to his spot on the sofa, dripping wet and definitely not happy. “Heya, sugar skull.”

“Uncle Papyrus was using magic during the snowball fight!”

Sans looked her over and raised a browbone, noticing the small bits of code floating around her. “And you didn’t?”

“Well, um…”

“He’s allowed magic if you are, too. Think of it as battle training or something.”

“But he made me blue for two whole minutes! All I did was mess with the physics engine a bit.”

He rolled his eyes. “You sound like your mother. All right. I’ll talk to him. You get cleaned up.”

He waited until Euphemia was gone before saying, “You know, Dad, you don’t have to possess Papyrus to spend time with her.”

Papyrus-but-not-Papyrus walked out of the shadows and said with Gaster’s voice, “But the last time I came to this dimension—”

“—you tried to run experiments on her. She’s nine, Dad. Wait until she’s older, then ask permission.”

“What if—and I do not like saying this, son, but it must be said—what if she does not make it that long. A union such as yours and Core’s is unprecedented. Who knows if her soul has the stability to—”

Sans stood suddenly, bristling with anger. “I am not incompetent, Gaster. I have my own research. She’s on the same level as other monsters of her age, albeit much stronger and more intelligent, but all hypothesis point to her having a long, happy life.”

“You are clouded by sentiment—”

“And you aren’t? She’s your granddaughter, Dad, just as much as she is my daughter.”

“So that’s not really Uncle Papyrus?”

Sans stiffened as Euphemia appeared between them. Why did she have to have Core’s invisibility and his teleportation? “Uh, no, Phem. This is my dad, Dr. Gaster. He’s just borrowing Pap’s body for a moment.”

“I remember him.” She looked at Gaster, unblinking. “Are you going to stick me with that long needle again? Daddy got real mad last time.”

Gaster hesitated, then said, “Not if you don’t want me to.”

For all Euphemia’s dramatic tendencies, she was still a child. “Okay!” she agreed with a grin, twin pigtails bouncing in unison. “Wanna get some nice cream?”

Gaster gave a small smile. “I would love to. But, ah, first, let me release your uncle. I will meet you at the stand in an hour?”

“Alright! I’ll get Mommy to bring me.”

Pap-but-not-Pap nodded and slumped for a moment. Seconds later, his body straightened up.