Undertale LGBT Pride Month (2017)

25. Breakfast at 2 A.M.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

That was the sound Sans made as he spooned dry cereal out of a bowl, no milk to be seen. He sat at the kitchen table in the apartment he shared with his boyfriend, Grillby.

It was late at night, and Grillby was upstairs in bed. Sans had been with him, but tonight was one of those rare nights he couldn't seem to fall asleep. And as he usually did on those nights, he resigned himself to the kitchen.

He hadn't expected Grillby to follow him.

But after about fifteen minutes of crunching on cereal, Sans started as Grillby slipped into a chair beside him.

All the fire monster had to do was raise an eyebrow, and Sans sighed.

"Couldn't sleep. You know me. Always got the urge to eat when I'm depressed."

Grillby laid a hand on Sans' left hand, the one he wasn't using.

"You don't have to worry about it, Grillbz. It's nothin'."

Are you sure about that?

"I dunno." Sans tried not to let irritation seep into his voice. "I guess—ever since Frisk told us about their ability to reset, I just... I've been paranoid."

You don't trust them?

"It's not—I mean—" Sans put down his spoon and rubbed his eyes. "I don't wanna think it's a trust issue. The kid's got a good heart. But even before they told us, I was... studying something akin to resets. And it made realize I have no idea how many times I've lived the exact same life. For all I know, we've experienced this moment before."

Why? You think Frisk has reset after freeing us before?

"I dunno. Can't say for sure unless they tell us. Who knows, maybe they reached the end of their life and reset so they could live it over again." Sans sighed. "That'd be understandable, but... as much as I love the things I've got here—you gotta give it a rest sometime, you know? And honestly... I'm a little freaked out thinking about the possibility that Frisk might reset, send us all back underground, and then something happens and they're not able to free us again. Don't know how likely that is, but..." He huffed; he hadn't realized how long he'd been talking without breathing.

Grillby was quiet for a bit, staring off into space, thinking. Finally he lifted his hand from Sans' and began to sign. I don't know how to help you with this, Sans, really I don't... I can't say I understand Frisk's power at all, nor how you were able to figure out anything about it without them telling you first. All I can say is—if I could remember resets, I would be by your side in every one.

Grillby would be by Sans' side in every one.

It was a promise that couldn't be kept, since no one could ever remember resets.

And yet the words soothed Sans' soul. Even if they couldn't remember the resets, they knew they had happened, and he and Grillby were still together, weren't they? Closer than ever.

Sans flipped his hand palm-up, and Grillby placed his own hand back inside.

I'm sorry I can't help more.

"Don't be. Sometimes I need a wake-up call just like that. A reminder to focus on what I've got instead of a future I can't change." Sans chuckled. "You know, I'm not really hungry anymore. Lemme put this stuff away and we can go back to bed."

In less than five minutes, the two were back under their covers. Grillby's low flames warmed the whole bed, and Sans drifted off to sleep, feeling better than he had in ages.