Love in Lowercase

Chapter 4: Feeling Things

Chara was so, so confused. What had just happened? She wasn't actually blushing at Frisk, right? No, Frisk was just forgetting that her cheeks were always sort of rosy pink. What was Frisk thinking, just sneaking up on her like that? She couldn't even begin to fathom that she had spoken to Frisk again. She wanted to be forgotten by humanity, including her. She was caught off guard, and surprised, so she had no other choice but to express that. Chara flopped down, face first into her pillow on her bed. Why did everything about Frisk have to be so weird? Why was she simultaneously the nicest and most annoying human Chara had ever met? Chara made a muffled scream out of frustration into her pillow, and then she heard a knocking on her door.

"Who's there?" she asked, bolting upright and looking to the door. It cracked open, letting some of the hallway lights in. She saw the pale white head of Sans poked in.

"You good, kiddo?" he asked, slightly chuckling, probably out of nervousness. Chara knew that Sans lived here too. He and Toriel were a little more than just best friends. She also knew that Sans had an understanding of timelines, like her. He was, completely understandably, afraid of her when she was in a mood.

"No," Chara snapped, flopping down on to her pillow again. She heard the slight sound of slippers walking on carpet as Sans walked over to her. She couldn't see him, but Sans rested a hand on Chara's shoulder.

"You wanna talk about it, then?" he asked, rubbing Chara's back comfortingly. Chara sighed, and sat up, looking at the skeleton sitting next to her.

"I guess," she said, trying to avoid direct eye contact with Sans.

"Talking will make you feel better, kiddo. Take it from me," he said with a laugh. Chara didn't find it funny. She was in turmoil about that stupid girl with her stupid striped sweater and stupid way of being emotionally competent.

"I- Urggh," Chara growled, and finally looked Sans right in his eye sockets as all of her thoughts came together in words. "I don't know what to think about Frisk. Her existence is confusing! She's sweet but annoying, fun to be around but absolutely infuriating to hang out with! I don't get it! And-And whenever she looks at me, I get all weird and prickly inside, like my blood turned into cherry soda! I want to talk to her, but I can't! I want to be forgotten by humanity and just live with monsters, but Frisk is just so... Weird! I hate her continued existence but I don't think I could go on without her! And there's the way she made me feel a few minutes ago. I finally had another conversation with her, and I-I think she was flirting with me? And I was blushing? I-I just... I really don't know what I feel about her."

"That's... A lot to take in," Sans said, his eyelights almost completely gone as he processed what Chara said. "How can you keep all that in your mind without saying anything?"

"You don't know how my life was before the Underground," she snarled. "Just tell me what's up with my... emotions." Sans nodded, and tipped his skeletal head, seeming to think about everything that had come pouring out of Chara's mouth.

"I can tell ya this, kiddo: your mom is wayyy more qualified to tell you this stuff," he said.

"What does that mean?" Chara asked, confused and interested.

"It means," Sans said, giving Chara a somewhat mischievous grin, "I'm pretty sure you're in love."