{Handplates chapter reference: can i ask you something}

"Seven Souls you say..?", asks Asgore quietly, breaking the silence in the room. The atmosphere felt heavy as if the air alone had a burden to carry.

Gaster nods, staring off into the distance. He was wearing a rather casual outfit, consisting of a green shirt, a dark blue zip up jacket and baggy pants. He did not find the time or energy to dress up any better for the occasion.

'If my calculations are correct and the data from Y/N's soul reliable enough, that would be the exact amount of human souls needed to have enough energy to break the barrier once and for all.
Given, the fusion process will be running the way I predicted it.'

A moment of silence fills the room once more and Gaster walks over to a table, returning with a glass container.
He places it on the table in front of Asgore, motioning at it with his hand: 'So, here's the prototype. It should be able to safely store and protect a soul without any danger of absorption. When a human falls, this should keep the soul stable until...the appropriate time.'

A little hum escapes Asgore's mouth. He was too caught up with his own thoughts, staring down at the container in front of them with an empty gaze.

It was more than obvious how heavy his decisions weighed on him. Gaster could basically feel all of the inner turmoils and swirling emotions inside of Asgore.

His shoulders sunk a little and he took a deep breath before speaking up: "Gaster, what will happen to me when I absorb all the seven souls?"

The question caught Gaster somewhat off guard. He looked at the table and grabbed his mug, trying to distract himself for a mere second from the terrifying possibilities. He swirled the black liquid around a little, staring into the center of the swirl before looking back at Asgore again.

'It's difficult to say. There's very little surviving information on the process...there is a chance that the seven souls you take may... live on within you. Previous records of soul absorption seem to indicate that the monster maintains ultimately control in these scenarios but...absorption of this scale and magnitude, it...', Gaster stops explaining, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he grasps the mug more tightly.

He takes a small breath and grabs his wrist with the other hand, attempting to stop his tremble. He sighs once more, looking away from Asgore and digging his fingers into his sleeve as he still holds his arm.

'I know you want answers, but it's difficult to say at this point.'

"Gaster."

'Yes, your majesty?', Gaster places the mug back on the table, shifting his attention back to Asgore.

"If I go through with this...if I do this and...change...will you stay with me? Until the end? Even if I-", he stops talking for a moment, the consequences of his actions in future seeming to crush down on him once more.

"-lose myself? Even if I destroy everything..?"

Gaster looks up at him.

'We both made a lot of mistakes. Ultimately, it led us here but there is nothing you could do what would make me leave your side. As long as you will have me, I will stay.'

"Even though I was so horrible to Y/N? I treated her so poorly, despite her not having anything to do with what happened. I feel terrible - especially with how things are with her now. I was blinded by anger and desperation

Gaster shakes his head.

'She has already forgiven you for all of that. She knows how much everything affected you and she still loves you as much as she did before. She is constantly asking about you and how you are doing.', he says.

It was the truth, partially.

She did care about him and she did forgive him but by now she was too weak to even speak sometimes.
She is just constantly laying in bed and sleeping.
Sometimes Gaster finds her just staring up at the ceiling.

It hurt him more than anything to see his love like this but the tests always gave the same results.

But no answers.

"And you are really okay with this..?", asked Asgore with a saddened voice. Gaster knew exactly what he was talking about.

Y/N wanted to give her soul to Asgore to break the barrier when the time comes.

Gaster hated that this glass container, that was sitting right in front of them basically already had a name on it. He could not imagine that someday she would - No, he did not dare to think about it.

But ever since their conversation, it always occupied his mind:
.

.

.

{Flashback}

It was the time where Asgore ultimately set things in motion to collect souls in order to break the barrier and Gaster researched the potentials of human souls in regard to soul fusions.

"When I am gone..", you started quietly. Your hands are folded in your lap as you look down on them. You swallow hard as Gaster turns his head towards you. Gaster's tests didn't reveal much but you could feel that something was wrong and that you were on a clock.

Gaster's expression saddened as he heard your words.

'Please, don't say that. We don't know yet if-', he started but you continue anyway, your mind already made up.

"When I am gone, I want you to use my soul to break the barrier. There isn't much I can do in this state but maybe at least like this you will find some answers. If your theories are correct and need a certain amount of souls to break the barrier...it'd be one life less to take."

You choked on your own words. A life for a life. That's what this was and it was the least you wanted to do.

You know how heavily it would burden Asgore to kill someone.

Even though you yourself seemed to be anything but ordinary with the properties of your soul, you were hoping you could at least contribute in that regard.

After all, you passed through the barrier before without any trouble and you did not need multiple souls for that.

Gaster stayed silent, walking up to you and reaching out for your hand, squeezing it tightly.

'All these centuries ago, you saved me and now I can't even save you..'

"This isn't your fault...you are doing everything you can."

His hand started trembling and you saw the tears in his eyes as he looked at you.
You cupped his face gently with your free hand and he put his own hand over yours, grazing it softly with his fingertips before nuzzling further into it.

"Please....can you glow for me?"

It felt like that was the only thing that would comfort you now and you knew he needed to glow to work through his own emotions. If he didn't, it would all build up inside of him.

Gaster nodded and forced himself to smile a little. He tried blinking away his tears, using the sleeve of his lab coat to dry his eyes.

Gaster looked deeply into your eyes, his own orbs starting to glow in a deep purple.

The color itself was beautiful. You could get lost in it but the meaning of it was saddening and heartbreaking.

You slowly lean in, giving him a soft peck against his skull. He replied by pressing a kiss onto your forehead, a sad smile on his face.

"Please don't be scared."

'I'll try not to be. For you, my love.'

{A/N: I did not have grammar check for this since I am doing this on the go and offline so any corrections would be appreciated, thanks!}