MurderVictim

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Frisk wanted to thank Papyrus for all the trouble he went through, but he hurried out the door before she could open her mouth. That was okay. She'd just tell him her gratitude later, when he got home. Now, she wanted to focus on the delicious meal set before her and Sans.

Walking to and from Toriel's house had really awoken her appetite. She picked up her fork and looked up at Sans. She smiled and raised an eyebrow at his question. She fondly remembered the last time she wanted to give his ketchup-drinking habit a shot. It was definitely not for her. "Soda please!"

"Thanks," she said with that same smile as she reached for her soda. The bow on it was a sweet touch, and she felt her heart warm upon noticing that Sans' bottle of ketchup had the same treatment. Paps really hadn't missed a thing! This whole set up was so detailed, Frisk had a feeling he must have gotten help. But from who?

"Yeah, this is really good! Papyrus was really sweet to do this all for us." To keep herself from blushing again, Frisk took a bite of food. Unlike Sans, she tried to be polite. But the short skeleton must have been rubbing off on her, because she slurped up a good chunk of noodles. While she grabbed her napkin, she glanced up to see the noodle stuck to the side of Sans' mouth.

After quickly wiping a smudge of sauce from her face, Frisk giggled and gestured with her finger to her mouth. She quickly gave up, however, and instead leaned over with her arm outstretched. She swiftly peeled the noodle from Sans' face and flicked it away, still smiling widely. "The food's missing your mouth, dude," she said as she returned to her seat.

She giggled again and took several more bites. Rather than use her napkin again, Frisk opted to just use the back of her hand. Her mother would probably be appalled, but it was habit.

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The wonderful armomas that greeted Frisk caught her off guard. Normally, she expected to be assaulted by different scents when Papyrus cooked. She loved his cooking, she really did, but even she couldn't stomach half of his favorite cooking techniques. Coming home to a dinner that smelled warm and delicious was a beautiful thing to Frisk.

She smiled up at the taller skeleton, remaining quiet as the brothers talked. She blushed when Papyrus caught sight of her new haircut. It wasn't that much of a change, was it? Toriel hardly took an inch off. Yet it seemed to have done wonders! It was also nice to not have her bangs blocking her eyes as much.

Wait...What was that about Papyrus not joining them? Frisk's heart raced a little at hearing that. Of course, this wasn't the first time Paps had left the two alone, either for late training sessions or quality time with Mettaton. But normally he left plenty of leftovers available for his brother and Frisk. He didn't usually go through so much trouble for a meal.

And...He was even making something besides spaghetti! Since when did that happen? Frisk silently, frantically searched for a possible reason for all of this.

Oh. Oh no. Was this the surprise Sans mentioned? If Paps was leaving the two alone together, then this could only be a date! He was trying to set them up!

Frisk's blush deepened, the heat spreading along her cheeks and down her neck. This wasn't happening...This wasn't happening! She was thrilled, yet at the same time hopelessly lost and scared.

She looked up in time to see Papyrus rush back into the kitchen, then stole a glance at Sans as he took a seat. She hesitated, and soon figured that there was no point in just standing there. Forcing herself forward, Frisk took the seat across from him. Her hands shook, which she tried to hide by putting them in her lap.

Almost instantly, she was reminded of her date with Papyrus all those years ago. Back then, it was just for fun. Frisk hardly had any idea what she was doing, but had enjoyed the time spent with one of her favorite skeletons. She couldn't even remember if it was a real date, or an in-battle joke gone too far. Either way, it was a nice memory. It was in every peaceful timeline.

At that train of thought, Frisk calmed down a little. She took in a deep breath, exhaled softly, and opened her mouth to say something. When she saw Sans' eyes closed, however, she stopped and smiled.

She wasn't going to disturb him. Rather, she sat back in her chair and relaxed. Everything was going to be fine.

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Frisk nodded, trying to hide her disappointment in hearing about the barrier. It had been so long since the last she had thought of it. She had hoped there would have been some progress made. Of course, breaking that barrier wasn't going to be easy by any means. Frisk tried to tell herself that there wasn't anything she could do.

Except there was.

When she was still a child, Frisk would sometimes feel guilty. Her soul would be the final one needed. She was there, in plain view and easy grasp for everyone to catch. It was like she was dangling a key in front of a caged animal, then swiping it away the moment it reached out. It would have been so easy for everyone to overpower her together and take her straight to Asgore. Yet, once she befriended everyone, they didn't even attempt to touch her.

It wasn't fair. Even as an adult, Frisk would consider it from time to time. It would be so simple. All they needed was one more soul; her soul. If they got that, maybe everyone would be safe. Safe from her and her resets. After everything she put them through, they deserved at least that.

Especially Sans.

Frisk was jostled from her thoughts as Sans mentioned him wearing a tux. She looked at him and smirked. "Yeah, you definitely would. But you wouldn't really be Sans anymore." As they walked, she inched closer to him, enough to let their arms brush against each other.

Looking up as they came upon the house, Frisk wasn't expecting Sans to open the door for her. She stood there for a moment, surprised, but soon smiled and continued into the house. "Thanks," she said as she passed him. It wasn't really like Sans to be a gentleman of the traditional sense, but she wasn't gonna complain.

Once inside, her curiosity soared as she wondered what sort of surprise Papyrus had waiting for them.

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Frisk watched as Sans bolted, too stunned to say anything. She wanted to call out to him, shout for him to wait, but by the time she found her voice it was too late. Her arms fell to her sides, and her shoulders slumped. Did he really hate it that much? Had she somehow offended him? Frisk could see how that could be possible, but Sans was such a mystery to her that she wasn't sure what could set him off. Other than harming Papyrus, anyway.

Frisk rubbed one arm and stared at the floor. This was a bad idea. She should have just kept it all to herself. Pretending her emotions weren't there was so much easier than all...this. Whatever this was.

After a short moment, Frisk inhaled a deep breath and looked up. Toriel was so sure of everything, so wise even in this situation. Frisk would just have to trust her. She'd have to hope that this wouldn't shatter their friendship. Out of anything, that was the thing she absolutely couldn't lose. Not again.

Sighing, Frisk hurried to the stairs, hoping Sans hadn't completely left the ruins without her. She rushed down the stairs and down the hall, only stopping in her mad dash once she turned the corner and spotted the skeleton. She slowed to a nervous walk, happy to see that he hadn't gone too far, but unsure of how he would receive her presence.

She relaxed a bit when she saw his smile. Well, at least she didn't lose that. Walking with him, she didn't expect him to say anything. When he did, her first response was to look at the snow on the ground.

"Sorry, I didn't mean...I didn't think...Uh. Thanks." Frisk looked up at him with a small, shy smile. "Toriel said you might like it." Frisk brought her fingers up to her bangs, smoothing the strands down and readjusting them nervously.

"How's the uh," Frisk paused, trying to find something to inquire about just to change the subject. "How's the barrier doing?"

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Frisk stood before him, her hands fidgeting with each other as she watched his reaction. Her heart switched from its fast and pounding pace, to being so still that she was sure it had stopped. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Sans wasn't the type to get excited over anything, hardly having enthusiasm for anything. She tried to remember that when he didn't say much.

Was that bad? Was that good? She didn't know, and that's what made her feel even more nervous. Why was Sans always so hard to read?

Her thoughts stopped the moment his bony fingers brushed her bangs. She held her breath, listening to the single word that left his mouth. Wow? So...He liked it? Frisk began to smile, then Sans was turning away from her.

Wait, had she done something wrong? "O-Oh. Cool." Frisk tried to put a smile in her tone, but it was still too shaky. She looked down at her hands, no longer able to keep staring at the skeleton. Since he wasn't looking at her anymore, she was sure he had decided he didn't like her new appearance. Or just didn't care once he had gotten over his initial shock.

Again, this was Sans. Frisk had to remember that he really wasn't the type of guy to notice or like appearances. He seemed too laidback for that. Still, Frisk couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

"That's fine, Sans. Thank you for coming to visit." Toriel appeared behind Frisk with her usual smile. She put a paw on Frisk's shoulder, prompting her to look up at her.

When Frisk did, she saw a sly grin on Tori's face that screamed for her not to worry. The goat winked at her, then her expression was back to its normal, warm smile. The queen leaned down to place a final kiss on Frisk's head.

"See you later, Mom." Frisk matched Tori's smile, feeling a little more at ease. She'd just have to trust the old goat. "Love you!"

"Love you too, sweetheart." Toriel gently pet the human's hair, then continued on through the living room. Before she vanished into the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder at the two. Her soul couldn't contain how precious this all was! There'd be time for overprotective mama Toriel later. Right now, she was going to let kids be kids.

"So...Should we go?" Frisk gestured towards the stairs.

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"Mom, are you sure this is going to work?"

"I don't think this is going to work..."

"This isn't going to work."

Frisk stared at herself in the mirror. Toriel beamed at the human's reflection, but all Frisk could do was sigh. "Sans is never gonna go for this."

"Hush." Toriel smiled and poked Frisk's nose. "You look lovely, dear. Have a little confidence in yourself." She ran her paws through Frisk's hair, gently fluffing it up. She had trimmed it a little, and shaped the bangs so they fell to the side rather than flat in front of the girl's face. Now, her hair framed her face nicely.

Toriel reached into a drawer and pulled out a bow with a barrette on the back. It was a mix of purple and blue in color, with a heart stitched around the center. She brushed part of Frisk's hair to the side and clipped the bow in. It sparkled in her hair, complimented nicely by the natural brown tones.

"How does that scarf fit, Frisk?"

"Really nicely." Frisk smiled as she felt the new accessory around her neck. As was expected, it was also purple and blue, the colors swirling together. It rested elegantly against her chest and shoulders, fitting perfectly. Like many of her other clothing, Toriel had knitted it for her. But it was clear that the queen had meant it as something nice for Frisk to have, something to make her feel dolled up without worrying about a fancy outfit.

Frisk had changed into another sweater that fit her a little more snugly. This one was a plain lightly blue color, with a beautifully stitched heart placed right over her actual one was. Tori's skills were very impressive, but Frisk had already known that.

Frisk had mentioned make-up before, if the queen had any. What a fur-covered goat would do with make-up, Frisk wasn't sure. But it didn't hurt to ask. Toriel had only shook her head with a tsk. Even if such luxuries were available, Frisk didn't need anything like it, she had said. The young woman was naturally gorgeous. Chemicals and unnatural colors would only hinder her appearance.

Frisk had tried to argue. Compared to other humans she had seen on television, she was rather plain. Of course, that only led to Toriel shushing her firmly.

Truthfully, Toriel's advice was as motherly as one could get. The changes she made were so subtle, not meant to transform or overpower anything Frisk already had. It was only to draw more attention the human's way, make the eye appreciate her like it should.

Now, Frisk was brushing her fingers through her bangs. She didn't want to mess them up, but couldn't help playing with them out of nervousness. She opened her mouth to say something, but was effectively cut off by Sans' sudden voice.

"Oh, he's here!" Toriel looked towards the hall, then quickly brought her attention back to Frisk. "Let's,not make him wait, my child!" She patted Frisk's shoulder reassuringly.

Meanwhile, Frisk felt like she was going to throw up. Her heart was racing so fast she thought it was going to burst. A cold chill ran through her body, freezing her to her seat before Toriel took her hand and guided her to stand. She could only imagine what sort of reaction Sans would have. Maybe he wouldn't have any...Maybe he wouldn't notice.

Toriel planted a soft kiss atop Frisk's head, then gently nudged her out the door.

"H-Hey, Sans! I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Frisk gave him a shaky smile as she appeared from the hall behind him. "Hear anything good from Alphys?"

She fidgeted with her hands, trying not to chew on her bottom lip as she waited for Sans to turn around and see her.

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"Of course!" Toriel smiled in a way that told, no matter what, Frisk was staying for at least a few hours. She wasn't going to let her human child pass through her paws that quickly. "We'll see you later, Sans." The queen gave a small wave to the skeleton before she stood and gathered their empty plates.

Frisk pouted for a moment, not pleased that Sans had ditched her so fast. But she wasn't surprised. As lazy as Sans was, he was a busy guy. He couldn't stick around an old goat and human for too long, she reasoned. Still, she wished she hadn't made things so awkward. Those kinds of moments had been happening far too often lately.

Thinking of which...

"Mom, um...Can I talk to you for a minute?" Frisk stood and trailed after Tori into the kitchen.

"What is on your mind, my child?" Toriel plopped the dishes in the sink to wash. "Does this have something to do with Sans?" She looked down at Frisk with a knowing eye, and laughed softly at the shocked expression she received as a response.

"Well...Yeah." Frisk looked down at the floor. "I think there's something wrong between us. With...With me."

Toriel paused. Her paws lingered on the plate she was currently rinsing off. She stared ahead, looking like her soul had just stopped. A hint of fear played over her eyes. Something wrong? Oh, how Toriel dreaded those words. They brought back horrible memories. She couldn't lose another one. Not now.

She couldn't lose Frisk.

"Mom?"

The kitchen had gone silent, save for the water running from the tap. Frisk looked up at Tori with a mixed expression of concern and confusion. She wasn't entirely sure what she had said that caused her mother such distress. "Are you okay?" She put a hand on the queen's arm, hoping the touch would offer some comfort.

"Y-Yes, my child!" Toriel snapped back into action. She pulled the plates from the sink and set about drying them. Her movements were tense, like she still wasn't fully there.

Frisk watched her for a moment. Maybe this wasn't the best time to bring this up.

"What were you saying, Frisk? About you and Sans?" Toriel glanced at Frisk, seeming to be recovering. She offered the human a small smile, though it was shaky and nervous.

"Um...I think something's wrong."

Toriel tensed again, but carried on with a nod. "How so, my child?"

"Well, I...I don't know!" Frisk clenched her fists at her sides, sudden irritated as she realized that she couldn't really explain her emotions. Every word that could help her evaded her tongue's grasp. "We've been okay for so long. More than okay! He's like a big brother to me!" Frisk's sighed. "Or he was."

"Oh? Did something happen?"

"I don't think so. Nothing that I can remember, anyway." Frisk shrugged, and let her shoulders slouch in defeat. "I don't even know when it started. All I know is, sometimes, when I see him, I feel weird."

Toriel paused again. This time, a sly smile spread on her face. All the tension left her body. "Mm-hmm," she hummed as she put the dishes away.

"It's like...Like I can't even look at him without feeling awkward! My heart races, I sweat, I shake. It's gross and embarrassing, and I don't know how to stop it!" Frisk swiped the recently cleaned forks from the counter, and placed them in the silverware drawer. She closed it a little more firmly than she meant to. Flinching, Frisk rubbed at her face with an exhausted sigh.

Toriel turned to look at Frisk. "And it's only when you're around Sans?" There was a knowing tone to the older woman's statement, but Frisk didn't pick up on it.

"Yeah! And it's putting a huge strain on our friendship. You should have seen what happened last night, Mom! It was so bad that Sans had to leave the house in the middle of dinner!" She rubbed at her face again. "I felt so bad. I mean, it's better now. But still!"

Toriel hummed in understanding, now standing in front of Frisk. She held her paws at her front, keeping a patient and regal posture.

"When he's around, sometimes he's all I think about. I can't think of anything else, even if I try. I could...I could be on fire! I could literally be on fire, and still wouldn't be able to think about anything but Sans standing right in front of me!" Frisk gave an exasperated sigh. "Am I sick, Mom?"

Toriel's only response was to laugh warmly.

Frisk looked up, confused and a little annoyed. This was serious!

"Oh, sweetheart," Toriel finally said. "You are not sick, my child. You are lovesick."

Frisk's heart skipped a beat. Alphys' words came rushing back to her. She was sure the scientist was just being a goofy romantic, but now she wasn't so certain. "But are you sure? I don't think..."

"I'm sure. Everyone in the Underground adores Sans. I foretold you feeling the same towards him, but I never imagined you actually falling for him." Toriel chuckled again.

"How do you know, Mom?"

"I was young once too, dear."

Frisk slouched. "What do I do? I can't just come out and tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same? Then our friendship really will be ruined." She felt paws grip her shoulders, and looked up at Tori.

"My child, your friendship with Sans is so much stronger than you give it credit for. Everything will be fine." Toriel brushed Frisk's cheek warmly, and the two smiled at each other. Once the human nodded at her words, Toriel straightened up and took her hand.

"Now, let's see if we can get lazy bone's attention." She began to pull Frisk towards the bathroom. "We're going to rattle his bones so bad, he won't ever be able to look away from you."

Frisk gave a sheepish smile as she allowed herself to be dragged into the bathroom. She had never seen this side of Toriel before. She wasn't sure whether to be terrified or excited. Maybe both.

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Toriel chuckled as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Frisk sat up and leaned against the armrest. "Yeah, she is," she said in a light tone. There was no arguing or denying it. Toriel babied Frisk anytime she got the chance. Frisk couldn't bring herself to refuse Tori's motherly side, especially now that she wasn't living with her anymore. It was the equivalent of a young adult finally living on their own, who still wandered back to their parents for a chat and a place to do laundry.

In all honesty, they both needed it. Toriel got the chance to have a child to raise and love forever. And Frisk got a mother who actually gave a damn about her. It worked for everyone.

Frisk looked up at Sans. "But I don't mind. It's nice having a mom who cares." She stopped herself there, freezing as she stared at Sans. Those words had tumbled out of her mouth so fast, that she hadn't had time to stop them.

It wasn't often that Frisk alluded to her previous life. She didn't like talking about the world she left on the surface, or why she had climbed Mount Ebott in the first place. After all the resets and years, she hardly remembered it. But there were still flashes of...something. Memories? Childhood fears? She wasn't sure. But she did know that she was in a far better place, with people who loved her so much more. Still, it was a touchy subject.

Pausing for a moment, Frisk looked away from Sans. "I, um...I'm gonna go help Mom." Just as she always did when the subject came up, she ran away from it. She ran away from whatever reactions she recieved. Quickly, Frisk stood and headed straight into the kitchen.

Toriel's voice chimed soon after, but then lowered into a hushed tone.

"Frisk...Sweetheart, is something wrong?"

"N-No! Everything's fine. Here, let me take those."

Moments later, the two re-entered the living room with plates of freshly baked, warm pie in their hands. Frisk carried two, while Tori carried one and the forks. The queen handed a plate and fork to Sans, then made her way to the couch where Frisk handed her a plate as she sat down.

Frisk was quiet as she poked at her slice of pie, her mind on other things. Toriel, to take any attention off the human, smiled at Sans. "So, how is Papyrus?"

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As the two continued into her home, Toriel watched them. She had noticed how flustered Sans had been during their hug, and could see how Frisk walked at a small distance from him. One could argue that she was only having a tough time keeping up, but the old queen knew better. She hummed to herself as she carried on behind them.

As soon as she was upstairs, Frisk inhaled the comforting, warm scent that surrounded the living area. It brought back memories, ones of her first time in there and of her childhood. The home never changed much, which didn't surprise Frisk. Her old crayon drawings were still stuck to the walls, and a couple old toys were still placed beside the chair.

The human settled down on the overstuffed sofa Toriel had acquired not long after Frisk had moved in with her. She stretched and made herself comfortable, soon looking to the stairs as Toriel came up.

The side of Toriel's warm smile twitched at the mention of Asgore. "We've been...talking," was all she said. But that answer was far better than what it could have been before.

Frisk sat up with a curious look on her face, yet didn't say anything about Asgore. Instead, she smiled and changed the subject. "Something smells really good, Mom! Is it ready yet?" As hard as she tried, Frisk could never refuse any of Toriel's cooking, even if she had just eaten.

Toriel smiled brightly and nodded. "It sure is, my child! It's your favorite, butterscotch pie." Her old soul nearly burst at how excited Frisk was at hearing that. No matter how old the human got, Toriel was delighted to know that she never lost her enthusiasm.

"I'll go get us some." Just as Toriel turned to head into the kitchen, she stopped and looked at Sans. "You do want a slice of pie, right Sans?" She gave a teasing smile, raising an eyebrow.

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Frisk smiled and opened her mouth, wanting to say that her sweater was doing a decent job at keeping her warm, but was cut off by the sudden squeal. She jumped and inched closer to Sans, throwing her gaze over her shoulder. When she found that it was only Alphys, who seemed just as flustered as Frisk was startled, the human quickly relaxed. She exhaled the breath she had been holding.

When the scientist approached, Frisk offered a smile and a wave. Of course, both fell when the term "love birds" left Alphys' mouth. She tensed, a blush instantly blooming on her cheeks. She shook her head, more and more embarrassed as Alphys continued to speak.

Luckily for her, Sans put an end to it. She looked between the two, hoping the awkward encounter would be over soon. Her and Sans? Love birds? Her recent feelings were strange, sure. But certainly that wasn't it. Sans would never see her like that, anyway. Alphys was watching too much romantic anime, again!

Frisk could only give a nervous smile as Alphys hurried off. She looked at Sans, but by then he was already continuing down the path. She wiped the smile from her face and carried on just the same. Her heart pounded, and she secretly wished that her blush would fade soon.

They walked on in silence, and Frisk didn't seem too bothered by that. In fact, she preferred it after such an event. Her mind was still reeling from such a subject. Alphys didn't know what she was talking about. She just had to tell that to herself.

Fortunately, the door to the Ruins came into sight faster than she anticipated. Not only would it save her from being alone with Sans after what Alphys said, it would also be nice to get someplace warm. The cold was starting to bite through her sweater, and she didn't have the nerve to ask for Sans' jacket.

Walking up to the door, Frisk knocked and then stood back to patiently wait. Before, she would consider calling Toriel to tell her that they were there. But she had learned long ago that sounds carried well in the hall beyond that door. Toriel didn't need anything else to know of their arrival.

It also seemed that the queen had a sixth sense about her when it came to Frisk. Hardly a moment went by before the door creaked open. Frisk smiled brightly as Toriel came into view, and hugged the older woman before she could say her greeting.

Toriel chuckled warmly as she wrapped her arms around Frisk in a tight hug. "It is so good to see you, my child." She gave Frisk a squeeze, then looked up to see Sans. "And you too, Sans!" She lifted an arm from Frisk, put it around Sans' shoulders, and gently pulled him in to join the hug.

"You too, Mom!" Frisk let herself melt in the monster's arms. She stepped back and straightened out her sweater.

Once the hug was over, Toriel stood up straight and stepped aside. She gestured with her arm for the other two to continue towards her home, while she closed the doors behind them.