Save Point (Sans x Reader)

Chapter Forty-Nine, Part Two

(Song referenced near the end.)

★

You hug Lucy when it’s time to say goodbye, Faust doing the same when he reaches your side. He arrives breathless and wheezing, reddened face and wrinkled clothes making you deduct he had been playing outside, the bunny monster he was pretty much close friends with at this point strengthening your conclusion as to where he had run off to. His two other monster friends are in the same condition as him, exhaustion made even clearer thanks to them being made of fire. Their flickering embers have faded from a strong shade of orange to a faint yellow, the pair rushing off with their parents to rest. The bunny leaves next, waving goodbye before walking off to get herself cleaned up.

As Lucy leaves last, you’re left with more questions in terms of those related to Sans, though he isn’t anywhere near to be seen among all the people gathered in one same hall. Undyne and Alphys are now dancing at a farther corner of the room while Sunny’s occupied talking with Nasptablook and Shyren, the three complementing each other with their varied levels of introversion. Toriel‘s busy greeting parents and students into the celebration, Gerson helping her deal with the growing number of guests making their way in, and Papyrus serving the younger students of the bunch some snacks.

“Can I go with Frisk and MK?” Faust asks, excitement slipping from his voice when he spots the two from afar. His gaze is hopeful while his body remains still, impatient for your response.

“Go ahead,” you concede, laughing. “Just don’t go past the school gates, alright? It’s too dark out.”

He nods vigorously, excitement turning to full display as he thanks you, hugging you tight. You try to fix his clothing before he runs off, though his energy beats you to it. Instead, you watch as he joins the two friends in a conversation and decide to walk around when assuring yourself he would be alright left on his own.

A familiar tap on the shoulder makes you look elsewhere to come across with the bunny girl’s parent: the brown bear who had once rescued you from being squished into the angry crowd Undyne had tried to calm after the new laws were mentioned on the radio. He offers a hand to you, inviting you to dance. You try to look for his wife, though you can’t spot her nearby. The observation leads you to form a new one: the same bear that was currently standing in front of you had come to the school alone again. The last time you had spotted him with his wife had been the day they both offered to give Faust a ride to school.

“Is everything alright, sir?” you ask, treading lightly in your words. You try to look for a more recent memory, eventually coming across the picture the number going by ‘Jessie’ had sent you. The fear in the bunny woman’s eyes as she was held captive while the bear was kept facing the ground was still vivid in your mind, Sunny and Solana’s own conditions present among your memories all the same. “You, uh. . . look a little down.”

You accept his offer to dance and wait as he takes the lead, carefully holding onto your left shoulder and right hand as he follows along with the rhythm of the ballad already halfway through reaching an end, a faint smile managing to break past the stoic look on his face.

“I am fine,” he assures you, looking down. “Though I have to admit seeing you here brings back memories I have tried to suppress.”

You switch sides with him on par with the change in music, shifting from a slow song to a more rhythmic one. “Is this about your. . . your wife?”

“I’m afraid so.” It takes him awhile to continue, face remaining cast down at the floor. “Even before these laws were mentioned publicly, she had been having second thoughts. She was scared for the future -- that our daughter would not have a proper future if, well. . . if she kept on being friends with humans. I did not agree with her, so we decided to take some time away from each other until we both cleared our heads. The day she came to pick up her belongings was the same day the masked people broke into our home, so it has taken far longer for her to snap out of her doubts and the reasoning behind those fears. It’s truly not a safe place anywhere -- for her or for any of us. But she still believes this can be solved so long as humans and monsters stay separate, while I believe this can be solved so long as we don’t hide and submit ourselves to this lifestyle anymore.”

Another song comes up as the latest one ends, leading you to break up. You stay still as you watch him stay quiet, eyes shiny with melancholy and smile shaking, barely kept firm by his positive attitude. You offer him a soft pat on the shoulder and grip him tight, enough for him to finally meet your eyes and form a stronger smile.

“Seeing you progress is what gives me -- what gives us -- hope. I can hardly remember the last time I received as much optimism as I did when I heard the news of you getting engaged soon. . . Knowing you have moved on despite everything feels like a breath of fresh air. It gives me hope that she will do the same, and that so will I someday. Our daughter is already doing that by herself, so it’s only the two of us left.”

You both conclude your conversation and plan to take your separate ways after that, though not before walking over to the drinks set by one of the tables. He grabs a soda while you pick your favourite out of all the options, staying by his side until you both finish your drinks, and wrapping things up by smiling at him right before he tends to his daughter playing with other students.

“Take care, sir.”

“Right back at you, (Y/N).”

★

You’re barely given enough time to stay in one place for longer than a few minutes as the celebration grows bigger, bumping in with someone new or familiar whenever you walked as much as two steps forward. Toriel invites you to have something to eat while Gerson asks over how you’re doing. Sunny calls you over to meet her younger sibling whereas the school therapist invites you over for a chat, and Papyrus questions over your progress with the case. You fulfill all of those events, clock marking half past nine when you’re finished. 

Students can already be seen taking their leave, most of the diplomas gone along with the snacks left on display. 

With the decrease in people around to see or listen, Nasptablook changes the playlist for his personalized tunes while Shyren hums to the beat. Everyone present stops to watch and listen, Undyne joining in by taking the keyboard placed next to the speakers.

It’s an abrupt change, traditional holiday music swapped for a melody shared between the ghost’s synth, the fish lady’s piano, and the siren’s humming. 

Gerson begins to tap his cane with the tune, encouraging others to join in. The youngest students laugh and play while the oldest are the ones who clap and stomp their feet, parents and guardians accompanying them while Toriel watches, pride in her eyes and posture as her face is overtaken by joy. The sound of drums and cymbals comes from one of the band members of the school, another following up with a more low-pitched piano melody, and a third playing the saxophone. 

The last instrument to join is a trombone, the monster you had been searching for since the beginning of the winter gathering showing up from the door leading to the playground. His attire is the one you had helped him adjust at the changing room: a simple, grey suit with a light blue necktie and some black dress shoes to go with it.

“A toast for another year!”

Mettaton’s voice is heard next. You move your eyes away from Sans to see the robot standing next to his cousin, wine glass raised high as he grins bright, wavy hair kept away from his face and clothes changed for a long, navy blue dress with white high-heeled boots.

“For another year teaching, learning, and working for this school! Nobody can tell us we’re not allowed to work together,” he adds, pointing with his microphone at the audience. “It’s thanks to people like you that this school can continue offering its services to the public. We thank you all from the bottom of our souls and hearts for staying with us and for allowing your children to stay here.”

Next, he points at you, catching you by surprise.

“I would like to ask (miss/mister) (L/N) here to step up.” 

He then points at Sans, who almost messes up a note when having attention turned to him. 

“And Sans, too," he continues, widening his smile. "I would like to have a word with you all about the recent event that's made our school as well-known as it is now, and who were -- who are -- the two main people behind the rise of it all."