Lov Ya

Chap 5

Red couldn't get his mind off of what had happened.

He screwed up, in every sense of the word. Everything he'd done with Sans had just been one screw-up after another. The smaller didn't deserve that, he didn't deserve any of that. He'd been so.... so sweet, from day one. So sad and nervous and shy and so unlike himself but he'd never wondered Why.

Red wasn't quite sure of a 'why' yet, but... he had plenty of time to reflect. He had an idea. The stuttering, the bruise, the way he blamed himself for something that very clearly had been Red's fault, the easy acceptance of being used.....

It kind of seemed like.... like Sans was used to being hurt.

It kind of seemed like someone was hurting him.

But who? Papyrus was undeniably off the list- he'd never do something like that, it just wasn't in him. But Edge had told him Sans had said he had no companions. He had brought up his suspicions to Edge, who had looked horrified as he connected the dots from his own interactions. Were it not for the fact they would be the last monsters that Sans would want to see, they would be over there- offering help, offering the apologies that he damned well deserved.

But maybe they could help from afar. Or at least see if his suspicions were true.

He planned on calling around, even if Sans hadn't companions, he had of been seen around Snowdin, right? It had taken a bit to find the numbers of the ex-residents of Snowdin, but with his brother's help, he found enough to get some info. Red waited until his brother was home to start calling. It would go faster, not to mention he wanted to help, too. Edge didn't take failure well. This wasn't on him at all, but that didn't stop his brother from blaming himself. The guilt was eating at him, both of them, but Edge didn't mess up as badly as he did. He'd only tried to protect him from a situation possibly read wrong.

They split up the listed numbers, asking each around the same set of questions. For the most part, everyone's stories seemed to match. Sans was always so distant, so quiet. He was sometimes bruised, but everyone brushed it off as it being from accidents caused by wearing slippers in an ice-covered town. It had been an easy excuse used for who knew how long- sans must of not thought he'd try to get the truth, that he'd care enough to get the truth. He hadn't cared, had he? He just ignored the details that didn't fit his expectations of his alternate.

The guilt was horrible. And entirely deserved.

Red typed in Grillby's number, and waited for it to be picked up. He wasn't sure if Sans would've gone to there on his own, but no matter the 'verse, the restaurant in Snowdin was always big on the local gossip.

"...He only came in twice" Grillby informed him, " he stopped after Papyrus came in to get him."

" Do ya remember what happened?" Red questioned.

" Hm.. it was near closing hour when Sans came in, I do believe. I remember that he had looked... not so well. Tired. He said he didn't have enough to buy anything, that he was sorry for "bothering" me, it was just warmer in here than outside. He never replied when I asked why he didn't just go home."

Red frowned at that information. He didn't want to go home? The brothers didn't get along, but they still lived together. That house was both of their's. And outside.. had he been locked out again? Had that... had that happened more than once? That was odd. Maybe Papyrus was a bit more forgetful than he'd thought?