Chapter Text
Your kick your legs gently out in the air, back and forth.
The park is empty, which you guess is either from the heat of the summer day or from the goat-boy beside you on the swingset. Some people still aren’t too keen on the thought of monsters integrating back into society, but you’re working on them, being the Ambassador of Monsters and all.
Then again, it really might just be the heat keeping everyone inside.
The sun beats down harshly on you and Asriel, and you almost regret not letting Toriel rub sunscreen lotion on your arms and neck. Almost. You have a habit of rubbing your eyes, sunscreen or no, and the lotion stings. Even when it gets within an inch of your eyes.
The metal of the chains holding the swing up burns your hands, but you keep your tight grip on them as you swing into the air. You cringe when your hand slips down to a hotter section of the chain.
“Funny,” Chara says from somewhere behind you in the shade, “usually I’m the one getting you hurt. If it burns, just let go.”
You frown. Letting go would probably throw you from the swing and onto the ground, and you did not want that happening again. The ground up rubber of the playground’s colorful cushioned flooring hurts more than the hot chains do. The newly-formed scab on your shin proves that.
“No,” you say. It felt good to be able to defy them when you didn’t share a body. Less risky, but more rewarding.
“Whatever,” Chara says. “Just don’t whine when your hands hurt too much to help Mom make pie tonight.”
“I don’t whine!” you say (and definitely not whine).
“Wanna bet?” Chara says with far too much enthusiasm. Asriel turns around from his seat on the swing set in time to catch Chara wipe the amused grin off their face.
“You mean like you do?” Asriel asks with a laugh.
“Azzy!” Chara groans lightheartedly. Chara gets up from their shaded sanctuary to tackle Asriel, arms wrapped tightly around his waist from behind.
You giggle watching the two struggle. Chara rests their head on Asriel’s shoulder and chuckles as he struggles in their tight grip.
You admit you’re jealous, sometimes, of Chara. Their tall frame would have been able to rival Asriel’s at some point, had Asriel not been a growing monster. They were older than you and Asriel, if only by months. Maybe they didn’t act like it all the time, but they still were. They were stronger than you, too. And they still know the Dreemurrs better than you do, Asriel especially. You furrow your brows.
Chara’s giggling now, genuinely giggling and having fun. More fun than they had when it was just the two of you.
You reach over and tap Chara’s shoulder, just like when you shared a body. Chara looks over their shoulder at you, brow raised.
“I’m going to sit in the shade,” you sign. “Too hot.”
Chara nods and you quickly throw your back against the large tree Chara had previously been leaning against.
You watch Chara and Asriel from your new seat. Despite the incredibly high temperature, Chara is wearing their sweater and jeans. Maybe that’s why Chara was so much paler than you.
Though, you know there was more to it- Chara being covered head to toe at all times- but you didn’t want to ruin what you thought about them. Despite the breakdowns of theirs you went through when you shared a body, you still looked up to Chara in a way. When they weren’t hellbent on chaos or just really bored (which was really the same thing when it came to them), that is.
Shifting your attention back to Asriel’s struggles, you can’t help but notice that, when Chara turned around to face him, their cheeks were rosier than before, hair shiny with sweat from their forehead. You guess they’re getting dehydrated, using more energy than they usually do in this kind of heat. They never were one to be too bothered about themself, so you grab the water bottle Chara brought and left under the tree and dash over to them. You slow when the pair stops wrestling on the swing, Asriel shooting up and Chara wobbling where they stand.
Asriel’s arms reach out to wrap around Chara’s shoulders when Chara leans forward, hands on their knees, against one of the posts of the swing set. He flinches and draws his hands back before touching Chara.
“Chara!” Asriel says, worry- and the start of tears- in his eyes.
Chara waves a hand dismissively. “I’m fine,” they say.
“Are you sure?” the small goat monster asks, reaching out to Chara once again. His hand rests gently on their shoulder.
“Don’t be such a baby,” they say with a small laugh, “I’m just out of breath, no big deal.”
Chara gives him a weak smile and shakily stands up straighter. At this, you pick up speed to rush the water bottle over to Chara. They take it from your small hands and throw their head back when they take a gulp of the somewhat-cool liquid. Their sleeve is tugged down, ever so slightly with the movement, but you notice some of the old, jagged, pink and white scars on their wrist.
You smile, despite the gravity of the scars, at the lack of scabs.
“Thanks,” Chara says, wiping the dripping water off their chin with their sweater sleeve. “Now, we should get home before one of you dies from heat stroke or Frisk gets a sunburn.”
“Too late,” you sign with a giggle.