~ ❀Asriel❀ ~
"You good?"
Chara only glared at me, plopping down on the stairs beside me. I leaned back. "I take it, that's a no."
He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees. "It's not as bad as last time, at least."
I grimaced. "I'm... glad to hear it."
Somewhere around the corner, the sounds of mom and Frisk chatting in the kitchen overlapped the gospel music mom started blasting on her radio. Dad had sat awkwardly at the dining room table, having moved closer to them to, at the very least, talk to Frisk. Kris was also at the table, currently staring at the two of us. Specifically, his widened eyes were focused on Chara, either with a mix of horror or very minor concern. Kris hates throwing up. I can't tell if he feels bad for Chara or is just worried he's gonna somehow get sick, too.
"Kris looks like he just witnessed somebody dying," Chara commented, chucklingly dryly.
"He probably thinks it, too." I gave the smaller human a tiny wave, poking Chara in the shoulder with my other paw. "He's fine, Kris!" I called, trying to reassure him.
Chara rubbed his shoulder before slowly pushing himself up. "You think mom's got the music turned up to ignore me?"
I watched him, my grin wavering slightly. "She isn't trying to ignore you, Chara. If anything, she's trying to ignore dad. It's just... well..." I drifted off, unsure how to finish that sentence without saying something dumb.
Chara waved me off, giving me a small smile. "Yeah, I know. But I'm fine now. So, no need for you guys to worry."
I narrowed my eyes at his back as he began making his way to the table.
That's what he said the first time.
Kris continued eyeing him until Chara passed by and disappeared into what I assumed was the kitchen. Then, grabbing the foam plate of uneaten grapes mom gave him earlier, Kris ran over to me and nearly rammed into the bottom of the stairwell. He jumped back up with no complaint and plopped down on a stair two steps below mine.
His grapes left abandoned on the floor, he turned to me almost immediately. "What happened? Is he sick? Am I gonna get sick? Are you? Is it just a human thing? Is Frisk gonna get sick? Wait-" His eyes widened even more at the last part - if possible. "Frisk's been spending all day with that weirdo; she could get sick, too!! Azzy, what the fudge is going on?!!!!"
I chuckled at his use of 'fudge', before resting a paw on his unruly brown curls. "He's fine, Kris. And no, none of us are going to get sick. He's just... not feeling all that great after waking up from paralysis."
Is that even how paralysis works? I've got no idea. But hopefully Kris doesn't either.
His eyes narrowed. "I'm pretty sure people don't throw up a bunch after being passed out for a while unless they're sick, Azzy."
Whelp.
I rubbed his head with probably more enthusiasm than was necessary. "He's fine, Krisp. You're fine, I'm fine, Frisk's fine. Just leave it alone for now. In fact," I stood up, careful to untangle my paw from his hair, "let's go see how he's doing, eh? I'm sure mom could use some more help, anyway."
Kris frowned, but stood up as well. "Mama doesn't like me being in the kitchen while she's cooking. You know that."
I scooped him up and positioned him on my hip, not giving him any chance to fight back. "I'm sure she'll be fine with it! She could always use a good taste-tester."
Kris made a face but still wrapped his legs around my waist as I started toward the kitchen entrance. Dad gave us a tiny wave as we passed, the awkwardness clear as crystal in his expression. The chair he was sitting on was almost too small for him, but he'd somehow positioned himself where most of his weight was rested on his legs. It looked uncomfortable. I waved back. He grinned, nervously scratching his chin under his beard.
Rounding the corner, we came upon Frisk standing directly in front of a sheepish Chara's face. She did not look amused. "When's the last time you drank water?"
"...This morning?" Chara smiled nervously, twisting around the hem of his shirt.
"No, you didn't. I was there. You need to drink something," she ordered, narrowing her eyes at him.
Chara glanced at us out of the corner of his eyes, letting out a strained chuckle. "I-I was planning on it, Frisk-"
"Sure, you were." She sighed, straightening up again with her hands coming to rest on her hips. "You totally didn't just come in here to steal the one thing you haven't shut up about for as long as I've known you."
His smile widened slightly, almost mischievously. "And what, pray tell, is that?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Chocolate."
"Chocolate?!" Kris perked up, peering around the room hopefully. Chara seemed to perk up as well at our brother's enthusiasm. Kris just stuck his tongue out at him.
I chuckled. "No chocolate, Kris."
Mom turned from the stove and smiled warmly at the latter. "We'll see, my child."
Kris grinned widely and pumped his fists in the air, kicking out his legs for extra measure. "Yeeeeeesssss!!!"
Chara's expression immediately turned sour, and he narrowed his eyes at mom. "She didn't say it was for certain, Kris."
Mom only giggled and smiled at him cheekily. Meanwhile, a smile had fought its way onto Frisk's face as she turned to the fridge and pulled it open. After grabbing an object from inside, she shut the door and turned back to Chara, holding out whatever it was to him.
He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the water, Frisk."
She smiled, satisfied that he'd taken the bottle from her. "Thank you for drinking it."
"Yeah, yeah."
"So, I take it you have to drink a lot of water, Chara?" Dad spoke up conversationally from the dining room.
I nodded, setting down Kris so I could lean against the doorframe between the two rooms. "Yeah, Dr. Gaster was very strict about what he can and can't eat for two weeks. That's why he's a little butthurt about chocolate right now."
Chara took a sip of his water, leaning against the doorframe across from me. "I'm not 'butthurt', just a little disappointed. I'll survive."
"Oh, please," Frisk scoffed. "The way you made it sound before, I'd think you would die without it. He even made me eat spicy chocolate a few times! Who the heck eats spicy chocolate?!"
I blinked at her. "...I thought you did? That's, uh, why I got you some earlier..."
Frisk smiled, apologetically. "Sorry, Azzy. That was Chara's influence. But you can save it for when he gets better! He'll really deserve it," she glanced at him, slyly.
Chara paled, but kept a smile on his face. "I rather think Kris would enjoy it more. Don't you think?" He stared at me warningly.
"Uh..." I turned to Kris. He shook his head vigorously. "...It, er, looks like he doesn't want it."
"What brand of 'spicy chocolate' did you get, Asriel?" Mom asked, pulling open the oven and reaching inside.
I watched as she pulled out a very hot pan of chicken with her bare paws. "Tabasco. It was seven dollars on VAT19. You sure you don't want any oven mitts?"
She nodded, gently resting the pan on the empty side of the stove. Chara stared at me weird. "Who the heck thought it was a good idea to mix Tabasco and chocolate?!"
"Why'd you force Frisk to eat said spicy chocolate?" I returned, crossing my arms. Frisk turned to him expectantly.
Chara shrugged, narrowing his eyes at Frisk. "I just thought it was funny."
"If I hear one more person say spicy chocolate, I'm gonna kill somebody. Probably Chara." Kris grumbled, glaring at us all from where he sat on the floor.
"Why me specifically?" Chara glanced him, looking slightly deflated.
"Just 'cause," Kris shrugged, pulling at a loose thread on the carpet. I sighed.
Mom dug through a drawer and pulled out a meat thermometer. "Don't worry, Kris. Dinner is almost done. Children, can you set the table?" She smiled at Frisk, Chara, and I.
"I can't really eat any of it, but sure," Chara mumbled, walking straight over to the dishes cabinet. Without having to be told where everything was, he pulled plates down and went over to the silverware drawer. Frisk stepped past him and grabbed the plates before turning to the table. I slipped over beside Chara, trying to get out of her way as Frisk went to set everything in their place. Chara wordlessly handed me a handful of forks.
When I made to follow Frisk to the dining room, Kris grabbed my pants leg. "How does he know where everything is already?" He was staring suspiciously up at Chara.
I glanced back at our brother, a shock of panic running through me. How the heck are we supposed to explain that?
"Frisk showed me around earlier," Chara answered nonchalantly, shutting the silverware drawer. He turned toward the dining room and glanced briefly at Kris and I. "It was while you were doing your experiments in the backyard."
"What experiments?" Dad asked curiously from the table.
A small smile grew on Chara's face as he passed us. "He was studying how the flavors of mineral aggregates and fruity noshes combined to create something entirely unpalatable."
Kris blinked. "Uh- yeah. What he said."
Chara chuckled to himself. "In other words: he was trying to cover rocks in fruit roll-ups and eat them."
Frisk rolled her eyes. "You just had to overcomplicate it, didn't you."
"Don't I always?" He chuckled, grinning at her. She let out a huff, turning around to hide the smile showing on her face. I rose an eyebrow at them.
"Er, Chara, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something." Dad blurted, awkwardly scratching a spot under his beard. The human in question turned his head to him, donning a slightly uncomfortable expression. He nodded slowly.
"Well," dad began, peering at mom out of the corner of his eyes. "I've heard that you're going to stay with your mom and brothers for now." Kris visibly blanched at this. "I just wanted to let you know that you can come and stay with me whenever you wish. Same goes for your brothers," he said, glancing briefly at Kris and I.
I already knew we could. Doesn't change the fact that his house is just as depressing as the castle in New Home. I mean, I know we should be visiting him more often, but there's only so much of king fluffybuns' sadness you can take. And yes. I did just call my dad that.
Chara nodded again, grabbing the corner of a placemat nearest him and started to fold and unfold it. I guessed it was some kind of fidget. Dad watched him do this a moment, a calm expression appearing on his face for the first time since he's been here. Finally, he smiled the jolly old smile that he's renowned for. "Also, I am glad you are back with us, my son."
Chara froze. His eyes stayed trained on the placemat before him, while his hand slowly let the corner of the mat go. Frisk watched him, quietly.
"Truly, it's been a blessing just having us all here this evening," the king continued, shifting his warm glance to look around at all of us. Mom jabbed the meat thermometer into one of the chicken thighs. Dad only chuckled. "Thank you for inviting me, Toriel. It's been a very long time since I've seen all my children in one place."
Kris glanced at him with knitted brows. Frisk was still staring at a downcast Chara. I just observed the scene with a sigh and a cross of my arms. Frisk did say Chara was worried about 'facing us' or whatever, but I didn't think he would look so dejected over it...
"It's the first time they've ever truly been together," mom added, quietly. For half a second, I could have sworn I saw her glance over her shoulder at dad. There was an emotion in her eyes I couldn't quite read, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.
Just as she does best, she shut herself away again and abruptly dropped the thermometer into the sink. "Now then, let us eat. Children, please go wash your hands."
Kris jumped up and ran to the bathroom, sliding his socks over the carpet before he ran into the door. Chara and Frisk wordlessly followed behind, the latter still staring quietly at the former. I smiled wearily at dad and followed the others.
What is it with Frisk and staring at Chara? It's not like the two of them can half-telepathically communicate anymore so I know that's not what she's doing.
"If you throw up again, me and Frisk are gonna leave," Kris stated, glaring back at Chara as he shoved open the cracked door. Frisk, in her first sign of emotion for a while, stifled a chuckle.
I coughed. "Kris, we went over this already. He's fine."
"Right," Kris mumbled, narrowing his eyes at our brother.
Chara, in turn, only shrugged. "I might, actually. The smell of the chicken's kinda making me nauseous," he admitted, sheepishly.
"Says the guy who was complaining about not getting to eat any of it earlier," I reminded him, retreating to the space beside the bathtub to make room for everybody.
Chara shrugged again. "It was more or less the fact that I can't eat anything solid right now."
"Why not?" Kris pressed, crossing his arms in much the same manner as I was earlier. Frisk shook her head at him and turned on the faucets.
Chara rose a brow and held his hands out beside him. "...Because I'll throw up?"
Kris' mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Oh. Right. Well, whatever. Don't eat the yucky smelling stuff, then."
I face palmed and sighed. Frisk giggled, holding one of her hands under the water to check the temperature. Satisfied, she told Kris to start washing his. He did so with a grumble and glance in Chara's direction.
Chara leaned over to me and whispered. "I take it Kris doesn't like chicken?"
"He doesn't like anything that isn't chicken nuggets."
"...I mean, that's still technically chicken."
"Yeah, but it's not the right kind of chicken. How dare you suggest he'll settle for something literally made of the same stuff?"
Chara grinned a little. "In his defense, nuggets are made differently."
I feigned horror. "If you give him an inch, he'll take a mile, Chara! Take it from me; you do not want to encourage his pickiness."
"I can hear you, you know!" Kris spoke up, glaring at the two of us over his shoulder. "But, er, thanks, Chara. Take that, Azzy."
"Oh, god, what have you done?" I exclaimed, taking an exaggerated step back from Chara.
Chara grinned widely and gave Kris a thumbs up. "You can be as picky as you want, Kris. Asriel's just jealous he can't tell the obvious different between something absolutely rancid and something that is an absolute delicacy."
Kris stared at him a second before turning back to the sink. "...Yeah."
Chara visibly deflated. I bumped his shoulder and whispered. "Nice try."
"Sure," Chara whispered back, flatly.
"That was a bit cringe-worthy, though," I remarked.
Chara sighed. "I'm pretty sure I got the memo, Asriel."
"All done, Kris?" Frisk chirped, handing him a washcloth to dry off his hands. Kris gained a big smile and nodded happily as he went to take it. His sudden mood-shift from talking to Chara and I to talking to Frisk almost caused me to snort.
"This kid is something else when it comes to Frisk," I sighed, whispering to Chara yet again.
"She can do no wrong in his eyes, it seems..." Chara muttered, watching as Kris happily completed one of his least-favorite daily rituals and all because Frisk handed him a towel.
I scratched a spot under my ear. "It's just puppy love. He'll grow out of it in a few months to a year - if not just a few weeks from now."
"Maybe." Chara sighed.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes. "That was an awfully heavy sigh."
Chara shrugged for the umpteenth time. "Just not looking forward to a couple of things."
"Alright, Kris, go get some food!" Frisk instructed, gently pushing the tiny boy toward the open door. He hesitated, glanced warily at Chara, then went on his way. I watched as he ran straight into the dining room and into dad's stomach, causing the latter to let out a pained grunt. Kris laughed at the sound and situated himself on his knee. Dad ruffled his hair and waved at me. I waved back and turned back to the other two humans.
Frisk was now washing her hands, occasionally glancing at Chara over her shoulder as if she wanted to say something. He just waited for her to finish, looking out the window behind us.
"So, what was up with that sad look you on your face when dad was talking to you earlier?" I spoke up, watching my brother, quietly.
Chara tensed, but at least bothered to return my glance. His eyes were tired. "It just... caught me off guard, I suppose."
Frisk pursed her lips. "Chara-"
"Frisk," Chara cut her off, shifting his weary glance to her. "I know what you're going to say. If you don't mind, I do not want to talk about this right now. It's... it has been a long day."
My mind flashed back that strange expression on Chara's face after Dess and I found him and Clover outside QC's earlier. It was almost like he'd seen a ghost.
Frisk stared at him a second before her expression seemed to soften. She turned back to the sink and rinsed off her hands. "...You're right. Let's talk about something else."
Chara, while relieved, looked vaguely surprised. "Uh, yeah. I- I would appreciate that."
A moment of silence passed over the three of us. Frisk finished up and grabbed the washcloth she'd handed to Kris earlier. Chara stepped up to the sink, leaning his cane against the wall next to it. I wracked my brain for something to say.
"Pie."
Frisk and Chara's eyes both shot over to me, each in varying degrees of confusion.
"'Pie'?" Frisk repeated, furrowing her brows.
"Yeah, pie." I chuckled, deciding to commit to what I had used an icebreaker. "You know, you can eat it? Mom makes it a lot?"
"So, you're just hungry." Chara shook his head, chuckling. He turned his glance back to the sink. "I think mom mentioned something about making one tonight."
I grinned. "Yup. That's why she went to the store earlier. Are you gonna be up for helping?"
Chara thoughtfully scrubbed his hands. "Yeah, but let's not use buttercups this time."
Frisk poked his right shoulder blade. "Chara."
"They did add a little bit too much spice, didn't they?" I commented, holding my paw to my chin.
Frisk stared at me. "Are you serious? You're the last person I'd expect to joke about that."
I shrugged and shoved my paws into my pockets. "I'm not gonna let a snide comment like that ruin my evening, Frisk. Besides, I've learned not to take things Chara says to heart."
Frisk rested her hands on her hips after hanging the cloth on its hook. "You're a hypocrite, you know that, right?"
I furrowed my brows at her. "How so?"
She just shook her head and turned to Chara. "You might want to grab one of the towels from under the sink, Chara. The one I used doesn't have any dry spots."
Chara twisted the faucets till the water stopped running and stooped down to open the doors. "Who keeps their hand towels under the sink? What if the pipes leak? Isn't that counterproductive?"
"It's mom we're talking about here. She doesn't even need them for the most part; she can just set her hands on fire and boom. She's dry." I said, glancing down at my pockets. Not for the first time since I became myself again, I wondered if I can use fire magic too.
I mean, I've tried. Golly, have I tried. But so far, the only thing I can do is summon two tiny versions of my chaos sabers (which sucks more than I can say) and make a bunch of tiny golden flowers appear around my person (which you can imagine I don't do very often). Even Dess, who's not in the least bit magically inclined, is able to do more than I can. Sure, all she can do is create a flurry and an icicle spear, but at least she can use that. My sabers can't even hold their own against Kris' wooden toy sword.
"Still." Chara mumbled, pulling a fresh washcloth out. With some difficulty, he managed to pull himself up again and waved away Frisk when she grabbed his arm. "But, anyway, do you know where mom's putting me to sleep?"
"The entrance to the ruins?" I suggested, stepping up to the sink for my turn.
Frisk glared at me. "Seriously, stop it with the dark humor."
"I hope not, my coffin was a lot more comfortable," Chara remarked, splaying his washcloth on the counter next to me. He leaned against the door.
Frisk shoved him while fighting off a badly hidden smile. "Don't encourage him! And who do you think you are? Dracula?"
"Why not? I'm definitely old enough to be him, don't you think?" Chara grinned at her, steadying himself with the door handle.
Frisk crossed her arms. "Lemme get this straight; you're the secret lovechild of the queen of England and Harry Potter and you're also a vampire?"
Chara's face lit up. "Indeed!! Fascinating, isn't it? I've got so many hats! Are you enticed yet?"
"I don't know what part of that is supposed to be enticing," Frisk chuckled, shaking her head at him.
I blinked over my shoulder at the two of them. "...So, is anyone going to explain, or...?"
"You wouldn't understand," Chara declared, holding his chest dramatically.
"Chara's just being a weirdo," Frisk explained, smiling at him.
Oh ho ho. They've got inside jokes now. Interesting.
I scrubbed the cracks between my claws, attempting to dig out the dirt that'd built up all day. "Alright, I see how it is. Well, don't let me ruin your fun."
The two stared at me a second before sharing a glance. They just shrugged at each other. Chara reached over and grabbed his cane. "Anyway, I guess we should go join everyone else now so Kris can continue sending me death threats."
Frisk pinched the bridge of her nose. "He was not sending you death threats, Chara."
"He literally said he was going to kill me if everyone kept talking about spicy chocolate!!"
"To be fair, you deserve it for making me eat it."
"You make it out to sound like I possessed you and forced it down your throat! You ate that chocolate of your own volition, thank you very much."
"You wouldn't shut up until I ate it!!! Your voice is extremely degrading, you know!"
"My voice is heavenly!"
"You sound like a strangled cat!!"
"Well, you sound like nails on a chalkboard!!"
"At least I know when to shut up."
"Please, you never shut up. Did you know you think in your sleep?! For two years, there was not a single moment of peace for my poor ears!!!"
"I guess you're pretty happy to not have to listen to it anymore, then, huh?"
"I guess you're pretty happy to not have to deal with me hearing your darkest secrets anymore, right? It's really too bad we weren't separated just a few weeks earlier; you might have avoided me hearing how you think I'm cool and mysterious."
Frisk's face turned the color of her soul. "I thought you forgot about that!!!"
Chara grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "I doubt I'll ever forget that."
"Do you guys back-and-forth like this a lot?" I cut in, trying my hardest not to laugh at the dorky look on my brother's face.
"Pretty much," Chara chuckled, smiling teasingly at Frisk.
Frisk's face turned an even darker shade of red upon remembering I was still there. Instead of answering, she turned away to flounce off into the dining room where dad and Kris were waiting. Chara watched her go with an amused look on his face, though there was a level of seemingly genuine affection present. I rose a brow.
Chara then started after her, only stopping to glance back quizzically at me. "Are you coming?"
After rubbing my fur as dry I could get it, I set the washcloth back on the counter and followed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, lover boy."
Chara froze. "Lover... boy?"
I allowed a teasing grin to appear on my face as I passed him. "I said what I said, Chara."
Chara hung back for a minute before speedwalking as best he could to catch up to me. "That was uncalled for."
"You didn't deny that's what you were, though." I pointed out.
For the first time since I met him, Chara didn't give a retort back. Instead, he just shook his head and smiled.
We joined everyone else in the dining room, then, the smell of Kris' dreaded chicken awaiting us. Chara and I, brothers. Best friends. And my potential sister-in-law walked in with us, too.
Too soon?
I watched as Chara's expression brightened as Frisk stepped up beside him and the two playfully shoved each other.
Nah. That ship's already set sail.