The holes in their story started to show.

They were small, such as leaks were on boats. One lie after another, slightly grazing the outer layer. Barely noticeable to those on board, neither Sans nor Toby bothering to fix them. Just small, dainty pieces of information that barely aligned, but still worked. A mistake led to Toby claiming their place of meeting was on the streets instead of a store, and another had Sans give Undyne and Toriel two different reasons as to why Toby couldn't come that night. Although the two abord felt the shifts and scraps against their fragile ship, it held against the tidal waves of his friends.

Overtime, the blows became bigger, more noticeable. Small holes were broken through the wood, dribbling in the waters of disbelief into their relationship and Toby's true identity. When Toby had to leave one day, the delay before his poorly made excuse made Undyne tilt her eyebrows with confusion. A lie from Sans about work made Alphys perk up, the words, "I thought Toby worked for a private business, not at a store" tainting the air. With each inconsistency in their stories came another hole, the sink starting to wobble as it tried to sail through the intense storm around them.

Sans and Toby both tried their best, they really did. They pressed forward with their hope being the sails, desperately trying to keep their relationship afloat. However, it wasn't just Sans' friends that noticed, Toby's did as well. Toby's increasing interest in 'petting zoos' brought an angry proxy to his bedroom door, arms crossed while demanding that Toby was purposely skipping out of needed work. A poorly made excuse drew in the attention of another killer, the masked man tilting his head when Toby awkwardly said he was going to the movies while emphasizing how he would definitely be going alone.

The biggest hit on the ship, though, had been during ice skating.

Months later from their original meeting, Sans and Toby had shared an event with the others under fluttering snow flakes. Lights sparkled around them as Sans balanced on his blades. Toby, on the other hand, was forced to lean against Sans, body twitching. Warm clothes concealed both of them as they carefully threaded across the ice, passing by Undyne and Alphys.

"How are you and Papyrus so good?" Undyne yelled at Sans, gripping a side bar just as Toby did Sans.

"We lived in Snowdin, we practically went ice skating everyday!" Sans laughed, looking at his brother to find him gliding expertly across the ice.

The night had actually started good. Toby and Sans considered it to be a date, the two holding one another closely as they made progress throughout the night. A few kisses were stolen by one another each time Toby's weight caused them to fall, the two laughing on the ground. They weren't the only two, as everyone else collapsed onto the ice at least once. Papyrus was the only one who stood tall, declaring how great he was as he would quickly approach to help his friends up.

When it happened, it was a blur. One moment, the damaged ship had been drifting softly, sailing through the sea. The next, Sans could almost feel the explosions as the ship practically shattered in half, waves wrapping around the boat as it started to sink.

It started slow. Toriel had approached Sans as he was shaking off the shoes, freeing his feet from the confines to the ice skating shoes. With a phone in hand, she looked at him with a look of worry

"Sans, I am not sure how to bring this up," Toriel said, brown eyes sorrowful with regret. "But, ah... I don't think Toby is who he says he is."

Frisk gave Sans another sad look, his soul dropping with worry. What was she implying?

"What?" The question tasted sour in his mouth, like Sans shouldn't be asking this.

The conversation felt like the warning before the storm, the clouds approaching the ship from the distance. Dread slowly crawled up Sans' back as he watched Toriel continue.

"I looked up his name, and I even used both of the last names he's told me before, which is another problem," Toriel said, "Toby is a lovely boy, and I can tell that you care about him, but that's why I have to tell you this. Sans, he doesn't exist. There's no local private businesses, he's lied about where he lives around four times. There's no Toby Smith's that look like him, and Toby Flenderson is from a T.V show. Your boyfriend doesn't exist."

"Of course he's real, I've been dating him for almost a year now," Sans chuckled, his voice strained.

"I know, that's why I'm concerned." Toriel took it upon herself to sit down next to him, resting a hand on his knee as if he needed comforting. "It's been bothering me for awhile. Toby has been all over the place with his information, I feel that he's been lying to all of us about himself, and that he's been doing that to you as well."

"... 'Course he's not," Sans said, struggling for any excuses to use. "Toby's a good, honest guy. Sometimes he just gets shaken up and confused, and he doesn't like the idea of people knowing where he lives, that's why he doesn't really like telling you guys about that."

"No, Sans, I'm being serious. Toby has no records, he practically doesn't exist. And I know that you will be upset, but I looked around your house because I didn't trust him."

"You... you snooped through my house?" Sans asked.

"I found a hatchet hidden behind your house," Toriel insisted, Frisk nodding. "Toby had left a sharp weapon behind your house today. He may be dangerous!"

Toby often traveled to Sans' house before or after his missions, making him hide his 'extra' belongings out back whenever Sans had company over. As he had done earlier that day, Toby hiding his weapons behind Sans' back before he would loop around and enter through the front. That would explain why Toriel had taken longer getting there, not because her and Frisk were behind, but because they had noticed Toby and snooped around what he left near Sans' house!

If there was any excuse to what they saw, Sans couldn't think of any. His silence seemed to be enough of a response for Toriel to grasp his hand in her own.

"I'm sorry," She spoke softly, "But you had to know that your boyfriend is a fraud."

"He's not a fraud!" Sans argued, voice slightly rising. "He might not have any records, but that doesn't mean he's a fraud."

Due to Sans' raised voice, Undyne approached the group, "What's going on?"

That's when it happened.

The shout was loud, echoing around just as the impact on the ship did. It drew everyone's attention to what happened next.

There was just blood.

Sans didn't see how it happened. It was long after the event, watching the report on the T.V later, that the skeleton had learned it was by a blade from Toby's ice skates. But he saw the blood. It dribbled down the ice, a limp human body falling into the puddle. And above them stood Toby, the boys back to the group. His back didn't cover the blood that stained his shoes, or the terrified faces of those around him as they stared with shock ridden eyes. Behind him, Sans could hear Alphys scream.

The ship had been sunk. Their relationship was nothing but driftwood floating in the ocean after that.

Papyrus was the one who dragged Sans to the car, Toby's running form disappearing down the street. Blood stained footprints trailed after him, taunting the poor boy for his crime. The voices of his friends were distant, as was the cars engine.

Only when he got to Papyrus' house did it register to his mind. Toby had abruptly killed someone before he ran. Undyne had tried to give chase, but she couldn't get a grasp on his soul, so Toby managed to disappear.

His brother, his sweet brother, held him so caringly. "It's okay to cry, I know you loved him," Papyrus had whispered.

No tears came. Sans had saw the body, as he did Toby's L.O.V.E. His boyfriend did nothing wrong to Sans.

Yet the others didn't see it that way. All they saw was a murder, one done by Toby. They didn't see his L.O.V.E, his intentions behind the murder. If they saw what Sans did, perhaps they would have seen the burning hatred contained within the now dead soul. All Toby did was put out that fire, he shouldn't be treated like this.

That's why he simply sat in silence with his brother, staring down at the carpet with a dead expression that the others took as grief. Bless their souls, they really did try to help Sans. Comforting words were given to him, apologizing for what happened. A warm blanket was fitted around him, a cup of prepared tea pushed gently into his hands. Sans could barely pay attention, as to him, they were the people in the wrong. They didn't know how important Toby had been, how he had just saved people's lives.

Alphys was scared. Sans could hear her throwing up inside of the bathroom, her body trembling so hard it shook the toilet lid she was leaning against with her arms. Nightmares were already gathering in the back of her mind, simply waiting for the lizard to sleep so they could startle her awake.

Overworking herself, Undyne tried to comfort her girlfriend as she did Sans, while also being on the phone with Asgore as she dealt with the killer on the loose. Undyne gave all of the information she had on Toby before she discovered just how limited her knowledge on the man was, yellow eyes widening as she couldn't even give a simple full name or address.

Papyrus tried his best. Hugging Sans, offering to go get him some ketchup. He thought his brother was in silence from shock. That was correct, sure, but the cause of his shock wasn't from discovering his boyfriend was a killer. No, it was from feeling the ship be destroyed. Toby and Sans could never be the same again, his friends would never let the two close together again. They would attack his boyfriend-

Oh, oh no. Were they still boyfriends?

Of course they were. Toby wouldn't leave Sans because of a murder, it wasn't like Sans didn't know his boyfriend was a serial killer.

But what about his Boss? What if he found out, and stopped Toby from ever seeing him again? Or would he simply just end Toby?

His phone hasn't buzzed once. Toby hadn't texted him.

And there was Toriel. She never left Sans' side either, only retreating once to make tea for him before she was right next to him again. Her hands were always on him, convincing herself she was comforting him through constant rubbing on his back, or by simply resting a hand on his shoulder with a close embrace. Sans didn't need her, he just wanted Toby's embrace.