"Well what's your problem?"

Nine minutes you've been sitting here, on your bed, blanket clutches tightly about your shoulders, over your head. Nine minutes you've been waiting for that inevitable attack, Gaster coming in to strike you down, stop the genocide you weren't going to commit-

Nine minutes and the entire time, Flowey has been giving you that what-the-heck-Frisk look.

Nine minutes you sat there, and he just stared at you, and now he's finally spoken up.

You don't really look at him. You're too nervous to keep your eyes in one place for long.

"Well?" He irritably prompts again on at first eliciting no response from you.

It takes you a long time to respond, and when you do, your voice is quiet and shaky. "... He kicked me out-..."

Flowey's irritated expression gains a touch of confusion.

"Of the lab," you clarify, "Gaster kicked- teleported- me out of the lab- locked the door, too."

Flowey just scoffs. "Well no duh! You were asking a man who knows you've committed genocide how to kill him. It's pretty stupid of you to think he would trust you."

You still don't quite look at Flowey, keeping your eyes on- well, trying to keep them on everything, all your surroundings. "He-... also took my fauchard-"

"Doesn't particularly surprise me-"

"-out of my inventory-."

That seems to get to Flowey. "W-what...?"

You just nod.

"How? That's not- not possible! You can't take things from other people's inventories!" You see the golden flower shake his head in your peripheral vision. Then he sighs. "Can't you just, I dunno, reset?"

You shake your head, careful to not dislodge your blanket-hood. "Gaster says resets don't affect him. 'Cuz he's all Voidy."

Flowey blinks. "Frisk-... I told you not to mess with that smiley trashbag...!"

Now you do look at Flowey, a sidelong glance before your eyes flit nervously back to the door. "You said that about Sans. Not Gaster."

"He's a smiley trashbag, too! He's Smiley Trashbag Senior! The warning obviously extends to him, too! You're gonna get us killed!"

"Us? What do you have to do with it?"

"If you can't stop him with your- your goody two-shoes schtick, what chance do I have of survival? He's gonna kill me!"

You can't help it; your muscles jerk as you suddenly cringe, a memory surfacing unasked for in our mind.

Flowey frowns. "What was that for?"

You look at him, but decide not to tell him that Gaster wanted to kill him anyway- under the guise of a mercy.

Nonetheless, you still remember that conversation, and it only serves to make you clutch your blanket all the tighter about you. Gaster-...

He's admitted to killing. In the war. You-... you can, for however scared of him it makes you, excuse that. But-... he would kill and call it a mercy?

You try, unsuccessfully, to shrink back into your mattress.

Flowey just gives you a Look.

Then, "Look, Frisk, you need to fix this. Sans is your... friend, right? And he's Smiley Trashbag Junior. So just... go talk to him, and get him to smooth things over. Because if something happens to you, then I'm doomed."

You hesitate. That's... actually a good plan. You should ask Sans for help.

You rise, letting the blanket fall from your shoulders. One deep breath, then you start towards the door.

"Wait!" Flowey shouts. "Where are you going?"

You look over your shoulder, the first smile touching your face since you watched that battle between Undyne and Gaster. "To talk to Sans. That was a good suggestion-" you smile just a bit snarkily- "sidekick."

Flowey just lets out a growl of frustration as you leave.

A few texts to arrange it and a short walk later, you and Sans are strolling through the park. You've been there about five minutes and already gotten through all the pleasantries and small talk.

"so, uh," Sans begins, "you wanted to talk to me about somethin'?"

You nod, stuffing your fists into your jacket pockets. "Yeah, uh-... Sans, I-... need your help. I made a mistake. With Gaster."

"yeah, i saw he was pretty frustrated. that was your fault?"

You cringe a little at Sans' accusation. "Yeah-... I asked him-... well, maybe I should explain from the beginning-... so you don't do the same thing he did."

"that's probably a pretty good plan."

You sigh, heavily, and it's a minute or two before you begin. "Well, um... you know how he and Undyne had that fight?"

Sans nods.

"He kinda-... lost it. Went crazy. He might've— if I hadn't stopped him, he might have killed her!"

Sans snorts at that. "nah. i doubt it."

You gesture frustratedly. "You weren't there, Sans! You didn't see- he was all—" You struggle, trying to figure out how to describe it, but ultimately fall short.

"kid, trust me, he mighta seemed crazy, but he was totally in control."

You look at Sans a little, wondering if, and if so, then when, he's seen Gaster like that.

Then you sigh, your shoulders slumping. "Well-... regardless. I-... it scared me. And-... I thought-... he's-... invincible, just about. Because he's all Voidy. So what if someone needs to stop him-... then how-..."

"so you went to ask him, and he tossed ya out."

You hesitate, then nod. "Yeah, but-... it wasn't just-... he teleported me out, Sans-... and locked the lab doors, and took my fauchard, and-..."

"can't say i blame him. you kinda make him nervous, frisk."

"Me?" You ask, astonished.

"yeah. you. i mean, i don't think he's scared, really, but... you're... unpredictable, kiddo. a loose cannon. an unaccounted for variable. he doesn't understand you, and that makes him nervous."

You think back on it, then look at the ground. "He didn't-... seem nervous."

Sans chuckles a little. "well, no. where did you think i got my scare-the-enemy shock tactic from?" He laughs again. "i'm sure he's got it down a lot better than i do, though."

You just nod. "I-... I keep looking over my shoulder-... expecting him to be there, about to-..."

That seems to give Sans pause, and he turns to look at you, eyesockets narrowed in scrutiny. "i honestly can't say i have a whole lot of sympathy for you there, kid. imagine how it feels walkin' through snowdin, wondering how long it's gonna be before you come across your brother's scarf."

You cringe as soon as you hear the implied accusation. You imagine that feeling of fear isn't too different from the one you're feeling now, except that you were the cause of it, not the recipient.

Sans sighs, shaking his head a little. "can't say i don't pity you, though. the royal scientist is a pretty scary guy." He turns to face you, smile widening just a bit, and he winks. "guess i can put in a good word or two for you."

You almost melt with relief, and you return Sans' smile. "Thanks, Sans. You're the best."

"nah, that's papyrus. but i'll settle for a good friend to whom you owe a bottle of ketchup for a kind favor."

You just laugh and agree.

§

A/N

*is still drowning in Half-Life fangirling*

Say, if I were to novelize Half-Life, would any of you guys wanna read it? Becauseno,ItotallyhaventalredybegunwritingthefirstchapterwhatareyoutalkingaboutIdidnosuchthing-

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!