It was a quiet night in the underground, or better said a quiet resting time in the vastness beneath the surface, for there aren't signs of night nor day in the earth.

The distinctive sounds of dripping water was a melody all residents of Waterfall fell asleep to, the soft pitter-patter of water becoming background noise to those that heard it every day. If they were still awake they would notice the accompanying sound of sand being crunched by several feet, one set stumbling more often than the other but still making haste. The echo flowers that bloomed along the walk paths had heard it best, echoing the noise till even the furthest growing flower was playing the newest beats. Not much later down the road the sounds of ragged breaths became more pronounced, though the sounds of running feet did not slow.

The two of you were running. Running for or from what you didn't know, but the meatless hand pulling you forward was enough reason to keep moving. Between the gasping for breath and taking care to avoid tripping over roots, rocks and your own two feet, you couldn't help wonder why the both of you were in such a hurry. The fact that the lazy skeleton was running would have made you laugh in any other situation, but the glimpses of frowns the glow-in-the-dark plants lighted drained out the humor. Him starting the day before his brother even woke up would have been a high-damage attack to the other skeleton's soul if Papyrus ever hears about it, but by the silent request in Sans's eyes it would most likely become one of the billion other secrets he kept. Would those secrets ever become too much and simply spill out of him, you wondered. By the way his shoulders were tense even while running made that day seem not too far off. Sans's sudden stop shook you out of your thoughts, though the abrupt halt was not enough to stop you as you crashed right into him. With an instinctive pull on your part he steadied as well, preventing him from meeting the many rocks surrounding the both of you face first. Two apologies intermingled before silence reigned again. He still had a clouded look as he stared at where the both of you went off-path, entering a much more rocky terrain. You followed his gaze when it went to the hands still holding one another. You could feel a soft shaking where fingers interlocked, before they squeezed once and left go. Your eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as your gaze lingered on your palms, the phantom feeling of his smooth cold hand remaining.

He just kept standing there, looking into a far distance your mind couldn't reach.

"Go"

Your eyebrows scrunched up further, questions on your lips as he continued.

"Apparently the 'stars' in de ceiling of Waterfall have collected magic over time, creating a disturbance with the magic of the barrier." Here he used one arm to showcase the glowing rocks way above him, using a voice opposite from the way he usually talks about them in admiration, telling you all about the constellations he managed to find. "Just barely though." He scoffed out. He stopped talking for a while, looking at the far rocks before gazing at those near his feat, kicking them a few times as you waited for him to continue in almost agitating silence. Your imploring look must have reached him, for he continued with gritted teeth "What I'm saying is that it's crude, but it's still an exit. Of course that doesn't change the fact that Monsters can't get through, their soul structure too delicate and vulnerable to withstand the force of the barrier" He turned towards you and finally looked you in the eyes.

"But you can."

He turned around and walked further into the rocky terrain. He stopped when he was almost under a rough hole in the ceiling you haven't noticed before. Or wasn't there before, you mentally countered, as the rocks circling the hole shone light on sharp broken bones that were sticking out all around it, the light highlighting the bones' own blue glow. Dug by bone-attacks, you concluded.

"You can go now, finally see the light of the sun again and the family members you missed, so, much."

"So go."

When his words finally registered in your head, he already started walking back to Snowdin. Staring at this back, painful emotions started to seep into your heart, making your eyes water. Being shot with magic-bullets at point blank range would hurt less than this.

He wanted you to leave.

Biting your lips to stop yourself from tearing up, you could only look back at him walking away. Every step seems to impede your hope that this was a joke and encourage your raging thoughts, ranging from confusion and despair to self-accusing and rage.

In a last ditch attempt, you tried to stop him with the only way you knew how.

"I won't bul-let you leave me like this!" You cried out, your pent up tears making your voice raw.

And indeed, this caused him to halt.

"I'd miss-ile you too much if I left!"

Through blurry eyes you would almost think he stood on an earthquake hotspot, the skeleton's bones shaking all over as he clenches his fists.

Moments later you could hear a dry laugh coming from the skeleton, before he loosened his fists almost in defeat, shook his skull and looked at you.

"I cannon't stand the thought of you leaving either."

Glowing blue tears started to form in the corner of his eye-sockets, but you already beat him to it as tears streaked down your face in rapid succession.

"Then why?"

The tears made straight lines over your cheeks as they started dripping to the floor. In a futile attempt to stop them you tried to wipe them away with trembling hands, but that just made more fall.

"Why tell me to leave?"

Before you knew it a bony hand came up to your face to wipe your tears away, his hand cupped one side of your face as the skeletal thumb caught your tears and guided them away from the stream of water. It felt smooth yet cold against your cheeks, trembling in its motion with emotion his face has issues portraying. The task done he let his hand drop to his side, and looked down at the moist ground.

Sans kept opening his mouth, before closing it again, his attempts leaving his fists twitching with unsaid words. There wasn't silence however, as the echo flowers echoed the puns like they found the jokes hilarious and just had to tell their friends about it.

Like the answer was heaven-sent he finally answered.

"I don't want to keep you locked down here, not when I know there's a way for you to be happy again, on the surface. It's," He hesitated before the words once again spilled out of him. "It's not in my rights to keep you caged down here, even if it hurts to see you go. So, won't you just go and be happy up there! Back to where you belong and find someone to love of your own kind!"

It sounded strong, like a powerful statement of facts, yet as far as you got to know him, 'strong' is far from what he's feeling right now.

Taking a step toward him you put your arms around him, trying to squeeze him reassurance that you yourself didn't feel.

"... but I belong here."

"I belong here with you."

Another dry laugh escaped him, but not as desperate and sad as the last one.

"You know," He said as you could feel him putting a bit of his weight against you, returning the hug. "My world revolvers around you, didn't you notice?"

Finally relieved you let out a much needed laugh.

With his head against you could feel him baring his teeth into a real smile when he heard your laughter, making you laugh just a little more genuinely in return.

"Don't you know," Now just sounding smug. "I can gun-barrely function being a second without you."

You laughed louder, the laughter reverberating through the walls of Waterfall and repeated by the echo flowers that seemed to cheer with you.

Sans seemed to have gained some much needed confidence, and you're just happy to be in his arms once more.

Suddenly he shifted and lifted you up in his arms, causing you to yelp and laugh again.

From a third perspective it looks almost comical, a short skeleton carrying a much taller human in his arms, but being funny seemed to be the couple's trademark. Honestly though, you couldn't care less.

Sleepiness started to catch up on you after the long and emotional day, or night, or whatever, and being carried by Sans made you feel safe and warm, so slowly but surely you started to doze off.

Before you were completely in dreamland, you swore you heard him say one last thing, but you didn't quite catch it.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, but from now on it's gun-na be okay, I promise."

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After story notes:

Greetings, it is I, Elina Violets, out of the grave!

This story is actually an apology for officially discontinuing 'Streetrat', and is honestly a lot of things I feel 'Streetrat' couldn't accomplish as a [Sans x Reader]; Gender-neutral Reader, (a more) in-character Sans, better scene descriptions, less grammar-errors, Actually Completed ect. ect.

Also I would like to say thanks to the beta of this story, whom has helped me a lot with solving the awkwardness of certain phrases and made me laugh a lot: @Justin_Isenia 

Personally I dislike that I've become one of the things I've always disliked of Wattpad, that being authors who leave their stories hanging. That writer's guilt got me in gear after more than a year and made me write this, and I hope at least some of you will like it :)

Please do tell me what you think of the story, I'd love to hear and discuss it with you readers :D

Have a nice day~

- Elina Violets

{Total word count: 1709}