Sans x Magic! Reader x Chara: Under the Surface

Snowed In

The large doors loomed over you as a small sigh escaped your lips and you tucked the golden locket safely into your black and red sweater, a warm feeling radiating from the cold metal.

"Once you leave the ruins, you can't come back." Flowey warned you as the heavy doors slowly crept open, allowing the harsh white light from the outside world to seep in.

N e v e r   l o o k   b a c k .

Leaving the ruins behind you, you breathe out a visible puff of air as a cold gust of wind hits you, causing you to shiver, and you take in your familiar surroundings.

You notice a red flash coming from the bush by the doors and cautiously approach it. "Did you see that?"

"Come on, Y/n." Flowey impatiently groaned. "Just ignore that insignificant detail and move on already."

The leaves rustle as you leaf through them to find a small lens glinting in the shadows of the bush, watching your every movement.

"Looks like you found one of Alphys' little old hidden cameras." Flowey grumbled. "Can we go now?"

You carry onward and trudge through the thick snow of the barren woods with the evergreen pine trees casting shadows over you.

A large branch that is snapped clean in half lies in your way and you crouch to examine it. From the way it is frozen to the ground, it was there for a very long time, making you wonder what kind of powerful monster could have broken it.

Coming across a lone stand in the middle of the forest clearing, you felt your soul start to slow down to a steady pulse when you saw him slumped over the counter face down, and upon closer inspection you could hear soft snores coming from his skull.

"SANS!"

You instinctively teleported behind a conveniently shaped tree at the sound of his brother's booming voice.

"YOU NAP ALL NIGHT FOR SEVEN HOURS STRAIGHT, AND NOW I FIND YOU NAPPING AT WORK." Papyrus flew in a rage, waking up the smaller sleeping skeleton who lazily opened one eye socket in response. "YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION AND BOONDOGGLE. WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE?"

"Just chilling at my stand." Sans widened his smile. "It's really cool."

"WHAT IF ANOTHER HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?" Papyrus stamped his foot in the snow and adjusted his scarlet scarf as a breeze blew. "I WANT TO BE READY THIS TIME!"

"Hey, take it easy. I've gotten a ton of work done today." Sans lovingly winked up at the taller skeleton. "A skele-ton."

"SANS!"

"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself down to the bone."

"UGH! YOU'VE USED THOSE PUNS BEFORE." Papyrus facepalmed with a mitten covered hand, his other resting on the crest of his pelvis. "IT SEEMS YOU'RE RUNNING 'BONE DRY' DESPITE NEVER RUNNING IN YOUR LIFE."

"Actually, I gotta run right now." Sans shrugged as he shuffled to leave his station, heading the direction you had just come from, opposite to Snowdin. "Thanks for reminding me it's time for my break, bro. I'm bone tired."

You felt your soul pulse in sync with his as he stopped by the needle leaf tree that kept you hidden.

"There might be a human nearby right now. I can feel it in my bones."

There was no light crunch of snow, but his presence had left you alone with the other skeleton in the near distance who muttered to himself.

"You had one job, Sans." Papyrus huffed with a "nyeh" of disapproval for his brother's lazy nature as you waited patiently for him to carry on with his patrol, only to hear his footsteps fall towards where Sans was just standing.

The tall, lanky skeleton stops and peers around the thorny tree, but you are already gone and he narrows his eye sockets suspiciously.

「Sans POV」

The lingering scent of snow and pine dissolves into the aroma of grease and alcohol as he shortcuts in with his hands in his pockets as usual.

Grillby's wasn't as lively as it used to be, many regular monsters absent from their typical seats and a few despondent greetings sent his way as he went to take his seat up front.

"Heya Grillbz, I'll take a burg with extra ketchup and ketchup on the side." Sans casually leaned on the counter as his legs comfortably dangled down from the bar stool.

Grillby silently slid a copy of the menu in front of him, and the skeleton raised a nonexistent eyebrow as he curiously skimmed through the single page to see that the food was the same but came in smaller portions with higher prices.

"Huh... That explains the slow business." Sans commented.

"I can't serve you anymore until you pay off your tab." The bartender's flames flickered down to a gentle glow. "I'm sorry, Sans. It's not that I don't want to, I just can't."

_______________________________________

The Underground is starting to run low on food source. It starts with smaller portions and rising prices before things get worse. It's like an economic depression. Sans and Papyrus are living in Snowdin because the rent is cheap, but that is not the case anymore.