Sans just nodded with a quiet grunt at Frisk's answer. He was glad he could help her, even if in those moments she was terrified and he was her only escape. In a way, he was glad she needed him, sick as it was. It felt good to be needed.

And though he would never tell a living soul, he needed her and Paps too.

On the nights that he couldn't hold himself together and the nightmares of the past timelines were all too real, that's when he needed them the most. But he was proud. Even if he burnt himself to ash, Sans would never go to either one of them.

Because he was supposed to be strong.

Nothing should be able to shake him.

He was unbreakable.

And on the nights that Papyrus or Frisk didn't come to wake him from the terrors in his mind, he would weep the rest of the night in silence. 

He would never show them his weakness, he could bear it and shoulder theirs' as well. He hadn't reached his breaking point yet, and he wholeheartedly believed he could carry on this way. He had to. Papyrus wasn't strong enough to bear this, and Frisk, though getting better, was still fragile. Neither of them could carry his baggage. There was far too much.

Frisk's words were a welcome distraction from the void of Sans mind. He nodded thoughtfully at her comment," Yeah, she did. She was 'Goat'ing to come over for a visit, but ya know Ashore wants to see you too." 

He chuckled a bit his own joke, ignoring the groan from Paps as the taller skeleton stood and collected their plates to take them into the kitchen. "WELL, YOU SHOULD GET READY NOW AND LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! IT IS MOST IMPOLITE TO KEEP THE QUEEN WAITING!"

Sans just gave a grunt, wiping the crumbs from his shirt. Slowly he stood and made his way up the stairs to his room. Typically he kept the door locked, especially when he wasn't in the house, but now he didn't, seeing as neither Frisk nor Paps went in there unless he was home.

It wasn't that he'd told them not to, but... Sometimes he left things in there that were better off not being seen.

Besides, the scorch marks across the wall and bedpost were better left for his eyes only.

Shutting the door behind him, Sans pulled off his shirt and dropped it to the floor carelessly. Paps would probably sneak in for his dirty laundry later anyways. Opening his drawer, he pulled out a clean white turtleneck and slipped it on.

He tried not to look at the scorches, he really did. But sometimes he just couldn't help it.

His eyes just seemed to magnetize towards the black smears.

His eyes went dull as he stared at them. They reminded him of how weak he was, how pitiful. And how he couldn't protect Papyrus all of those times he'd died.

Slowly he turned away from them, gathering his composure before he walked back out of the room. A little less enthusiastic, he sauntered to the bathroom and brushed his teeth.

Hey, he may be a skeleton, but he still cared about his dental hygiene.