Just One Night

Healing

Asgore and Toriel stayed in the living room embracing one another as if without the other person they would lose all sanity. They were both mentally exhausted from the stress of the week. The humans had become more harsh on the monster royalty, demanding to know what happened with their ambassador, claiming that the girl had mysteriously vanished and her work was severely lacking since her absence. Once the monsters had explained their current situation, the council had been furious and pushed the workload off onto the king and queen claiming that without the ambassador, the humans would be even more suspicious of the monsters intentions. Even though they reiterated time and time again that their daughter had been beaten and was left in a critical state, the government lacked any leniency. Without any choice, the royalty took their daughter's work into their own hands, filling out documents and sifting through new bills, anything that had to do with freeing their people, they took over for the time being.

The couple didn't have time to grieve for their injured daughter since the workload piled higher every day. Toriel spent most of her time with her child while Asgore took on the brunt of the paperwork. He knew how difficult it was on the goat mother to not only watch her broken girl but also have to heal the girl's injuries, so he shouldered as much work as possible to give his wife time to grieve and comfort the unconscious woman.

It had certainly enraged him further to find that the humans had been imposing higher taxes on the monsters, but nothing could be done as of now. Reports of disappearing humans only piqued his curiosity, for this had not yet reached his ears. He knew that the monsters were blamed, but with no clear evidence to support the claims, the humans held no authority to ban them back underground. However, his concern grew with each passing day. How long would it be before the humans murdered one of their own? How long would his family stay safe? One daughter had already been attacked just because of human ignorance, but what if they finally took out their anger so violently that he lost his children or God forbid his wife?

He found himself nuzzling into the gentle warmth of her fur, inhaling the pleasant scent of cinnamon she carried. The goat mother in turn wrapped her arms around his neck, stretching up on her clawed feet to press her head against the crook of his neck. Tears streaked the fur of her cheeks and quiet sobs were muffled against his flesh. He gripped her tighter and stroked her back tenderly, "It's okay, Tori. She's okay.. We're okay.."

Toriel shook in his arms as she only sobbed harder, the stress and relief clashing and wearing her down. She held back her tears ever since the healing was finished, knowing that Sans needed them to be strong for the family. She couldn't afford to seem as if she believed her magic had failed, so she kept all her fears hidden. But now, she finally could vent all her frustrations and worries, so in the gentle embrace of her husband she wept. The gentle paw brushing against her back only served to give her comfort and acceptance.

She knew that deep down, way before they had officially separated, the goat father had dearly loved his family but his duties as king had kept him from the ones he loved most. It had been so hard for him to come to terms with losing Asriel and their long dead human child all those centuries ago, and with their deaths it solidified the ever-growing gap in their own relationship. She had left him when he needed her most, unable to tolerate looking at the monster that prioritized work over his own family. Even to this day she still wondered if things would have been different had he only been around their children long ago.

This past week truly opened her eyes to the inner turmoil the king had silently endured all these years. He stood strong in front of their people, not letting on that they were in utter despair, filling the rest of their kind with hope and strength even when he had none left to give. He couldn't afford for them to give up now, to admit defeat would mean that they would once again be forced into submission, forfeiting all the rights they had gained. Never seeing the sun, sky, stars or surface again would cripple their people. But the goat father stayed strong and composed for their kind, only showing his frustrations in his garden where he openly wept and prayed for peace and healing for them all. It was purely by accident that Toriel had stumbled upon him in his fragile state after coming to collect the monster for dinner. It had completely caught the mother off guard as she watched Asgore allow his emotions to surface, to see how deeply he cared for the child that she thought was merely a passing life in the midst of his own. As she crept slowly to his side, accidentally rustling a few flowers, she could see his hunched over form stiffen and quickly wipe away the shed tears before greeting her with a warm, albeit forced smile as he asked if she was all right. At that moment she knew, he had been pushing aside his grief to cater to hers.

That moment had changed her entire perspective on the monster she had married all those years ago. The female goat had rushed to his side and embraced him awkwardly, not sure how he would respond or how to naturally hug the monster before her since it had been so long since they were affectionate, but he had given her a patient smile and a watery laugh before shedding a few more tears. His own furry paws braced against her back, clinging on with a tense grip that belied just how broken he truly felt.

They had never discussed the events of that day afterward, but she had a feeling they would need to address their issues in order to heal and move forward. She clung to her husband as they both let out everything they had repressed the past week. Neither needed to speak to understand that they needed this release, this affection to feel safe. So they stayed embraced for as long as they could, not paying any mind to the others that had left long ago.

When the tears had finally stopped flowing and weariness overtook her form did she finally pull back slightly to gaze into the goat father's face. Once stark white fur was now a light gray from the tears streaking his fut, his expression contorted in pain. He looked so beaten down, so depressed and defeated that she grasped his muzzle in her furry paw. His eyes fluttered open and blue met red in silent understanding, a bigger furry paw clutching the smaller paw, keeping it still on his muzzle. He managed the smallest smile and he let out a garbled laugh, "I'm sorry. You must think me weak."

Shaking her head, she gazed deeply into his eyes, resting her forehead against his, "No, you are a worried father. It is alright, Asgore."

"I was so afraid, Tori. Afraid to lose another.." He echoed her fears as he shut his eyes, clutching her hand tighter in his grasp.

"I know.." She sighed tiredly but not unkindly.

"I can't lose anymore.. Our family has suffered too many losses. Too much sorrow and grief at the expense of the humans and my foolishness.. When they died, part of me died with them. Finally we have our son back and two wonderful daughters, and I won't lose them. Tori, I am sorry. Sorry for not being there, for not putting our family at the forefront, but I had to be brave for our people. I couldn't grieve for them or for you, I had to be the pillar of strength for us all. Even when you left, I couldn't find fault in you, couldn't resent you." He whispered brokenly as more tears fell. She stayed silent, not wanting to stop the venting he so desperately needed.

"It kills me to think that maybe if I had been home more that they never would have... that we could still.. But it is far too late for 'what if's. The damage has been done and now we can only move forward. Their deaths weigh on my mind everyday, and it breaks my heart. Tori, I swear I love our family. Asriel, Frisk, Chara and you. If it takes me the rest of my days I will spend the rest of my life making up for all the pain, loneliness, and suffering I put you through.."

Toriel found herself sobbing once more as he vocalized all of her thoughts, her fears, her pain, everything. His pain, loneliness and heartbreak were openly displayed, something she had never thought possible. The emotionally distant man was now crumbling, showing her his heart, his strength, everything he had was bare for her to see, and with that she found herself falling into his arms once more, her head buried in his chest as her eyes clenched shut.

With a bit of hesitancy, she stayed silent. Her heart had already taken him in once more, but her mind filled with doubts and fear. Fear to trust the man that had once neglected her and their family in favor of his duty. She could not stand for them to lose anymore children, but the thought of losing him struck down to her core. It was at this moment that she knew if she kept pushing away this monster that she may lose him forever. He valued her so much that he would distance himself if he thought for a second that she would be happier without him.

Struggling to find the words to say to reassure the goat father, she settled for a tender, yet shaky kiss to his furry cheek. It was the best she could muster, for she was far too hesitant about stealing a kiss from his lips, their relationship still damaged in a way that only time, trust, and action would truly fix, but for now she would settle for them working on their issues. Asgore's eyes flew open at her unexpected kiss and he found himself staring into watery red orbs, the raw emotion he saw in her eyes bringing him to his knees, pulling her with him to rest against one another. It took a moment for his sensitive hearing to pick up the words that passed those beautiful black lips.

"Then I suppose you better start now."

The wide smile on his face made her break out into a timid smile of her own as the two of them met halfway in a sweet, tender embrace.

Now they could finally start healing.