Sans' POV:

I watched over Frisk for a few minutes after she had fallen asleep, wanting to make sure that she wouldn't end up having a nightmare. Her hand was cold, but I could feel it slowly warming up. Sighing, I gently let go of her hand and get up, pacing a little bit.

It was Nightmare who had done this. I wasn't there to protect her, I should have been there to protect her! I was aware that this strange skeleton may do something bad to her, whenever he gets the chance, and I should have known that was the perfect time for him to do something bad.

"SANS? COULD YOU PLEASE STOP PACING. YOU'RE MAKING ME NERVOUS." Papyrus says from the kitchen, sounding mildly irritated but mostly sympathetic.

I nod, closing my eyes and trying to calm down. "I wasn't there to protect her, Paps. I can't believe that I was... stupid enough to let her walk out there alone."

"YOU COULDN'T HAVE PREDICTED ANYTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER. THE UNDERGROUND IS TOO UNPREDICTABLE TO BLAME YOURSELF, ESPECIALLY IN SNOWDIN."

"I know, I know... but I just... can't help but feel bad. Feel guilty."

"I KNOW YOU CAN'T HELP IT. BUT I CAN STILL TRY AND STOP YOU FROM DOING THAT." He pokes me in that brotherly I'll-annoy-you-into-feeling-better way. I give him an "eye" role and help him make dinner, seeing that he needed assistance with the whole cooking thing.

As I chopped up some of the tomatoes, I am spacing out, thinking about Frisk. Thinking about the first time she hugged me... the first time she truly trusted me.

It was had been around a year, maybe even longer. She and I were walking to go and see if we could find Flowey since she was still hopeful on finding her petalled friend. I was keeping guard and making sure she wouldn't fall as she looked into the frozen river, her breath foggy as she sighed, having no luck with this manhunt. Or, more accurately, a flower hunt. 

"Is there anywhere else he could be?" I tried to be optimistic instead of just stating we should go home and give up.

She shook her head and I walk over to her side. "I'm sorry. I know he was your first friend down here."

"I won't give up hope, not until I find him. Dead or alive."

I glance over to her, frowning slightly. I had always admired her ability to be on the bright side, yet understand that the life down here usually reaped grim outcomes. "I won't stop looking until you stop."

She looked over to me with those brown eyes, her cheeks a light shade of pink from the freezing weather. I could feel my heart rate increase as she came closer to me, and I only settled down when her arms had wrapped around my upper back. Her hair gently brushed against my bones, and her head fit perfectly in the area between my neck and my shoulder.

After recovering from a few moments of shock, I hug her back, feeling a strange warmth in my soul. The warmth of... love, I had discovered shortly following that moment.

"YOU'RE SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT AGAIN," Papyrus' voice brings me back from that moment, causing me to jump.

"What? N-No I'm not. Shut up." I try to put on my cool guy act and pretend that I wasn't just daydreaming.

"YOU KNOW THAT IT'S FINE, RIGHT? THAT YOU LIKE A HUMAN. IT'S FINE BY ME, AND TO HELL WITH THE REST OF THE UNDERGROUND."

I can't help but smile at my brother's statement, knowing it is hard for him to open up emotionally and say something that vulnerable. "Thanks, bro." I thank him, throwing the fresh cut tomatoes into a bowl for sauce-ifying.

Papyrus starts mashing the vegetables like a mad man, just like Undyne had taught him. I shake my head in amusement and back away before the carnage can reach me. I peek out into the living room again, just checking in to make sure that everything was okay. Frisk was still sound sleep... nothing bad had happened. I let out a relieved sigh, rubbing my eye sockets.

"LOOKS LIKE BOTH OF YOU ARE SLEEPY TODAY," He teases me, grinning as he gets a rise out of me.

"Hey, you struggle to drag a half-drowned human out of a freezing, fast flowing river. Then get back to me."

Papyrus lets out a soft nyeh-heh-heh, trying to keep relatively quiet despite his guards-man shouting voice being his regular speaking voice. That memory... it was one of the things I held close to my heart. It was and always has always been difficult for me to open up. For anyone to open up down here. Something about Frisk just let me relax and feel safe enough to open up to her.

If I could only open up to her and tell her that I... I love her.