Chapter Text
Your Pov
About seven months after I fell into the underground, something happened. I started to get really irritated and depressed. I lashed out at my friends easily and I felt really anxious all the time. Well, I've always been anxious, but by then it had gotten really bad. My friends started spending less time with me and my loneliness and depression got even worse. Especially when Sans stopped calling me. Of everyone I got to know in the underground, Sans was probably the person I was closest to. Most monsters tended to come on a little strong. So I had trouble talking to them. But Sans was always quiet, calm, and straightforward. So I never felt pressured or anxious around him.
Watching monsters hugging each other and holding hands started to make me feel oddly upset. While I was walking through Snowden I saw a couple eating a nice cream together. They bumped heads on accident and laughed. I didn't understand why, but I started crying and I had to rush into the forest so I could be alone. I thought the place I found to sit was private enough, but maybe my crying was louder than I thought.
“Hey buddy? What's wrong?”
Without hearing footsteps, I suddenly heard a deep voice speaking softly and gently to me. I wouldn't have recognized it as Sans if it weren't for his odd tendency to call me buddy.
I jolted and looked up.
“W-what are y-you *sniff* doing here?”
“I work here. Heh. Remember?”
I couldn't see him much through the tears, but he kinda looked like he had a confused smile on his face. He was crouched in front of me. A lot closer than he had ever been before.
“What's wrong? Why are you crying?”
I heard a soft *puff* as Sans sat down in the snow in front of me. He already knew this would take a while.
“I don't know! I was umnnn… in Snowden… a-and…” I murmured nonsense into my jacket.
But recounting the last hour wouldn't actually help him understand why I was crying. Especially since my sobbing became worse. To the point where I couldn't talk at all.
Sans waited patiently for me to calm myself down.
“Sorry… um. *Sniff* I dunno. I think I've just been homesick lately. I know I've always said I hated living on the surface anyway. But I knew everyone up there. And… I dunno… I had things to do.”
I rambled about the people I miss, and then how I didn't feel close to any monsters yet. How lonely it felt to be the only human. The only person who was always out of the loop. The only person who isn't a part of the struggles everyone else has.
“And I just… need someone to touch me! Or something!...Y-You know?” I squeaked.
“So… a hug?”
I was quiet for a second. It was a bit embarrassing but I did really want a hug. I nodded vigorously, and when Sans held his arms out I jumped into them. He held me so tight I cried in relief. I put my arms around his waist and squeezed as tight as I could until I felt satisfied. When I put my arms down, Sans released his grip and leaned back.
“Is that all you needed?”
“For now… I um… Well.”
I looked away from him. It was too embarrassing to explain that I needed more than one hug.
“It's okay. Just tell me. It sounds like there's some kinda human thing you really need.”
“Mnnn… yeah. I guess maybe it is a human thing. Do you really not… um… start going crazy if you don't get affection?”
“Nope. Monsters can lose HP if they don't have love. That's the closest thing I can come up with.”
“I don't really know what that means. Sorry.” I apologized.
“It's okay. I'll explain it to you if it becomes important. Or just, if you're curious.”
Suddenly Sans reached out and started petting my head. I leaned down for a second, but then raised my head again.
“W-wh-uh! Why are you… doing that?” I asked.
“You need affection, food and water, and toys. You're kinda like a pet.”
By “toys” I think he meant my insistence on collecting things from the waterfall junk pile. And my love for organizing them in my room. Even though I understood that, I felt my face burn up when he compared me to a pet. He also hadn't stopped petting me yet.
“Heheh. You know, you look really uncomfortable and embarrassed for someone who needs this.”
I stuttered incoherently for a while before I could calm myself and explain.
“Humans don't do it like this!” I squeaked.
“Ohhhh. So is this a problem?” He teased.
“Nn…no.”
“Hmmm… you've been so snippy with everyone lately. Is this why?”
I lowered my head away from his hand.
“I'm sorry.” I whispered.
“Just let us know sooner next time if something like this happens.”
I looked up at him. I wasn't crying, but maybe my eyes were watery.
“Aww heheh. You don't gotta cry. We understand. Or, we will if you just tell us what happened.”
“Umm. I can apologize to everyone but it's embarrassing to explain something like that.”
“But if you want affection from anyone else you'll have to tell them.”
I hid my mouth in my hands and muttered,
“I don't need it from anyone else.”
Sans looked surprised. Then he gave me a sly little expression.
“Oh yeah?”
“Sorry. Am I asking too much from you? I can pay you back. I can do your share of chores at your house. I know Papyrus is always getting mad at you for not doing them.”
“I wasn't going to ask for you to pay me back. But since you insist, I think that sounds like a pretty good deal.”
“You… really don't mind?”
I never would have guessed that Sans would be the type to be comfortable with affection. He did seem kinda affectionate with his sibling, but that was different obviously.
He's not going to start trying to give me piggyback rides will he?
He already seemed to like petting and teasing me so far. I had to hope I wouldn't have to beg for hugs if he got too into teasing.
“Yeah. We're friends right? Besides, I get a really good deal out of it. It's kinda unfair actually.” Sans admitted.
“I don't think so. Doing chores gives me a good excuse to spend more time with you and Papyrus. So I don't mind at all.”
Sans smiled a bit.
“That's good to hear.”