Unrequited LOVE

•Chapter 13•

"Horror."

Your voice was soft, comforting, yet firm. It was a sort of neutral tone; you didn't want to fight, but would if you had to. It most certainly was enough to make Horror pause.

The giant skeleton blinked once, twice. "...(y/n)...?"

If his disoriented expression was anything to go by, he had no idea what he was doing. You could sympathize. "Hey, it's alright."

Recently, I've been saying that a lot...

The longer you looked into his single quivering eyelight, unrelenting, the more pity you felt. He was scary, probably had been, but that couldn't stop you.

Plonk.

A thin, red-tinted tear slipped from his dead socket, dropping down onto the tiled floor.

The feeling started out small - a gentle tug at the corners of your SOUL - but, as all feelings are, it became a tidal wave of overwhelming emotion.

You saw Horror.

You heard Horror.

You felt Horror.

And it was the most natural thing in the world.

So you hugged him.

Horror's body stiffened when you fulled him into a hug, wrapping your arms across his middle and burying you cheek into his sternum. His jacket, as tattered and bloody as it was, was surprisingly soft.

Plonk. You felt it; another tear wetting your exposed cheek. Slowly, his arms came around you, gently pulling you in.

Heh.

This hug was different. Both of you wanted it and there was no unease. It was the kind of hug that two good friends would share.

"...i'm sorry..."

You patted his back. I know, buddy, I know.

***

Gaster was getting impatient. Days upon days had been wasted trying to break the insipid barrier in his way. Science be damned, he wanted out!

There was something strange about the magic fueling the barrier. Though invisible at first, his pestering had revealed the true colors of it: red and green, DETERMINATION and KINDNESS.

He didn't know much about her, but it was obvious that the barrier was her doing; it just had to be.

Frisk's SOUL color was red, but that didn't mean it couldn't have been altered by the transformation. He actually hoped for it - more to study, then.

The only problem was that he couldn't study her until he broke her pesky creation. That was quite frustrating, in its own right.

Nevertheless, he could feel its strength waning every time he attacked. Soon, he would be able to breach the damned things and claim his prize, the fruit of his terrible labor.

After all, it couldn't be that hard.

***

After the incident with Horror, the day went by relatively smoothly. It hadn't been hard to calm the giant skeleton, nor had it been hard to herd him to his room for some much needed rest (though Nightmare did a double-take at the sight of you walking Horror, who had all but passed out atop you, to his bedroom).

With nothing else to do, you bid them farewell and headed back to your house. It was devoid of skeletons, so you figured the Star Sanses had returned home.

Thank the multiverse.

...You'd really been saying that a lot, too.

With that thought in mind, you proceeded to take a bubble bath - a rare occurrence. The scented water, combined with its temperature, calmed your frayed nerves perfectly. It was almost too good, especially when you found yourself never wanting to leave, ignoring the way your skin and wings tingled ominously.

It was a welcome feeling, after all.

Wrapped in a soft towel, you crossed the hallway to your room. After changing into a pair of pajamas, you brushed your wings and crawled into bed. The covers felt soft against your clean skin and you snuggled into them, sighing in contentment.

But then: God, I'm such a moron.

And so, you slept.

***

Beep! Beep! Beep!

You awoke to the unrelenting beeping of your godforsaken alarm clock.

Someone remind me why I even got this, you thought as you turned the thing off with a bit more force than necessary (read: barely resisted banging it against the nearest wall).

You shuffle out of bed, groggily stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen.

"0-0-Oh, you'r3 awak3," sitting at your kitchen was none other than Error!Sans himself. You nearly shriek in surprise.

"Error! What the hell are you doing here?!"

He took of sip of the coffee he'd undoubtedly pillaged from your cabinet. "J-J-Je3z, is that @-any way t0 gr33t @n old p-pa1?"

This jerk...

You glare at him, crossing your arms across your chest in sleepy exasperation. "Not when they show up unannounced, pillage my coffee, and scare me in my own damn house."

"W-Wh@tever," the multicolored skeleton shrugs unapologetically. Typical. "B-B-But @s much @s I-1-I w@nt t0 k33p b-b-b@ntering, I c@n't."

There a rare hint of seriousness in his tone, so you decide you hear him out. "Is this about the anti-void?"

"I-I-I gu3ss Ink @lr3ady sh0w3d yOu, t-t-th3n."

"If you're talking about that black sludge eating the AUs, then you're dead right."

"S-Sh1t."

"Pretty much. Smelled like it, too."

At that, he chuckles. "@-@ren't y0u sc@red?"

"Fear isn't going to do anything," you sigh seriously. "But if it helps, I'm pretty unnerved by the whole situation."

He nods, expression thoughtful. "D-D0 yOu t-th1nk th3 b@d s@nses hav3 @nyth1ng t00 dO w1th it?"

I've actually never thought of that, you realize. "I don't think so..."

"M3 t00."

Your head shoots up, surprised. "Huh?"

"D-D-Duh, th@t's wH@t I jus1 s@id," He continues with an obvious eyeroll. "N-N-N-Nightm@re m1ght be c-cr@zy, but h3 1sn't stup1d."

Nightmare isn't crazy-

"Alright, then who - or what - do you think did this?"

"I-I-I w1sh I kn3w," another sip. You shuffle to the coffeemaker and pour yourself a cup. The coffee is on the cold side, but still tastes good.

"That's too bad... is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"W3ll, I-I-I w@s g0ing t-t-tO 1nvite y0u tO w@tch Undern0velA, b-b-b-but Ink n33ds y0u."

You frown. It's seven in the morning. "Again?"

"A-@ppar3ntly."

A sigh escapes your lips as you finish off the coffee. It isn't that you don't like working with Ink, per se, but he can be a bit... much.

It's going to be a long day...

***

What could Ink possibly want? Vote to find out :)