There are two things Sans hated about living on the surface. The first was the amount of wasted food he would find. The second was garbage that littered the streets, humans. Both seemed to go hand in hand.
Upon coming to the surface he's met with humans that we're horrified to see him. There was little to say but humans wanted nothing to do with them. Giving the monsters acres of forest to live in. Miles away from the city. And that's only because their savior was able to wiggle it into the agreement. In his opinion, it was for the best.
Monsters developed a town of their own. The only problem was ingredients are scares in the forest. Woodland creatures tended to migrate away leaving them a bit underfed. It was up to him to feed his people. Seeing them search the woods for hours and only to come back with a couple of berries to show for it, it was devastating. But he couldn't wait for the queen to find another way out. He needed to feed his ever-growing weak brother. So he decided to go to the city. He found ways past the city to catch some grub.
Finding out humans we're wasteful wasn't hard to imagine. But witnessing it was worse. Humans are nothing but terrible. Seeing them throw out perfectly good things on the streets. They throw away anything that so much as had a scratch on it. Honestly, he didn't mind the extra work, a quick patch job and he had a new jacket for the winter. A fresh paint job and he had a new table. All he needed was to fix it before it was good as new.
It filled him with disgusting. Humans were spoiled. While his brother starves for days, they leave food unfinished. He knew this after rummaging through dumpsters behind a fast-food restaurant. Seeing fully wrapped burgers thrown out left him crying in joy, finding tons of barely eaten food. When he was done he had 3 garbage full of food. He could barely carry it all back into the forest. His brother was waiting for him in their usual spot. His brother was in tears when he brought a half-eaten said for him.
On the bright side, his brother won't ever go hungry anymore.
The sounds of thunder crackling above him left his tense. A strong smell of charcoal lingered around him. Humans seemed to blow up things in the sky for entertainment recently. Calling things like sparklers or fireworks that lit up the night. Papyrus called them little miracles on the sky. He preferred to call them trash. He wasn't fond of stepping over the leftover residue of metal on the floor. The metal had a coating of ashes. The residue only gave Sans an eerie chill up his spine. They were only ashes, it wasn't dust from a lost monster. Relax. Taking time to take a deep breath before calling further into the night.
Boom
The thundering sounds were coming closer to him. He needed to find a place to take cover before the fireworks grow louder.
All these loud sounds were reminding him of the bad times. Each crackle only drew him closer into insanity. Bringing back memories of the hell they had to live down there. Remembering the cave-ins when earthquakes appeared in the underground.
Fireworks are added to the list of things he hated about the surface. One more thing to avoid on the surface.
A quick turn out of the alley, and he came faced with a small house. The lights were out. And there didnt seem to be any cars parked around it. Sans walked to the windows, one seemed to be cracked open. There wasn't any movement. He was in the clear.
The inside had a calming scent of flowers. He quietly closed the window behind him before going further. The walls were covered in plates and trinkets. A table was covered in candles of multiple sizes. Each one gave off a different scent. A few had a picture of a lady. He could feel the carpet hiding his location, passing around the room in silence. The place reminded him of his old one. Nothing could compare it but it did give off the feeling it's been lived in.
What kind of person would be living here? He found a sweater particularly made with the words 'love you always' stitched on it. The yarn laying on the couch indicated it was made over over time. He needed to leave soon before he was discovered. And yet, solving what kind of person lived in this small place couldn't leave his mind.
Going to the next room. He found the kitchen and only to come face to face with a lady. She turned on the lights before she abruptly jumped back. An unmistakable sound of something falling to the floor.
"-Oh I'm sorry, let me help you with that" Sans could hear an indistinguishable cracking sound underneath his feet. He looks over to see glass shattered and glasses on the floor. He picked up the broken glasses carefully. They were broken beyond repair. He cants afford to buy her a replacement. All he could do was wait for her to send him to jail for trespassing.
"Goodness honeybunches! You scared the day out of me. It's considered rude to walk in without knocking and much less entering" she patted at her chest, almost as if she was trying to calm it down. " but it was my fault for walking in the dark, you know me, I tend to not give much care"
Oh, shoot. What the hell is he going to go about this now? He could disappear now and make her look as if she was crazy. It would be funny to see her freak out and the cops could assume she was crazy, But she's seen his face so maybe a bolder approach could be better.
Currently, while he was questioned to either run like hell or scare the lady into silence. The old hag seemed to ignore him and walk over to the fridge. The ladies mild waddle as she pulled out a tray of cake from the fridge, placed it on the table, and continued to set up tea. This finally catches Sans's attention. The cake she placed by him looked scrumptious by the smell of orange and a hint of cranberries seemed to linger. The frosting on top looked to be white flower petals to be like roses. Did the lady make it? A pair of eyes stared at the monster. A soft clink could be heard softly in front of him.
"I'm so happy to see you finally came to visit, so I'll excuse you for your manners, now sit" he couldn't help but gawk, this crow must be crazy. Her wrinkly hands shaking as she tried pushing him toward a chair. The whole thing seemed like a trap.
" Do you like bunt cake? Last time I heard Neil saw you as thin as a stick, that city of yours must be stressing you out. Then again, it's been decades since you've seen Neil" Her voice grew quiet as she contemplated for a second before going back smiling up at him
"I know he would be over the moon to see you back here. And how tall you've grown." She tried to pat the top of his head but her hands couldn't reach past his shoulders. With a heavy sigh, Sans kneeled down. Her hands felt like tiny pillows as she gently petted his scalp. He got a better look at his captor as she petted his head. The dark hair she held had streaks of white on the side of her. But she seemed fairly young from afar. The crow's feet around her eyes indicated her age. Her eyes held a softness to it, making her gaze more tender as looked at him She was short but she seemed to be a bit hunched from his view of her.
She seemed unfazed by smooth texture. Gliding her hand over the few cracks and avoided the busted up hold in his head. "You were only to my shoulders at one point. Neil always said you were a late bloomer. Ha, he was right!"
Sans looked back at the cake. He couldn't help but be flustered by her words. It was a strange to get a compliment for his size but stranger to hear it from a human. Especially a small human-like her.
The lady sat next to him with two cups of tea. She sliced up a piece of the cake and placed it before him. Her eyes kept squinting almost as if she was trying to make out his face. How bad was the crow's vision?
Sans placed the frames on the table.
" I'm sorry but I broke your glasses" he didn't know what he admit that but it came out.
The crow as he preferred to call her, moved her hands to feel the frames and their lack of lenses. The crow kept smiling before taking a bite into the cake. Sans took it as safe to eat before taking a taste for himself. The soft cake still tastes freshly made. Even though the house smelled nice there was a lingering scent of mildew. Almost like it hasn't been maintained all that well.
He looked around to see a few pictures by the fridge. Is that her? He failed to notice the picture of her and a man in their prime. Next to them was a young boy pouting. The lady seems to hold the same smile she held on those pictures. He felt a bit guilty for giving her false hope but the cake was heavenly and worth swallowing his guilt.
"I'm sorry to say but Neil passed a month ago. If only you came sooner but I know work kept you busy, I'm just glad you came for your birthday this year" she got up and waddled on out. Her slippers squeaking against the wooden flooring. " It's early, I'll be done with it soon"
She came back holding the sweater he saw on the couch. With better lighting, he could see it almost done except for one sleeve. The dark blue with the white letters looked nicer in the light. The sweater looked warm to the touch. It must have taken her a while with the detail it had.
"I remember you liked that blue on those cars on tv. Those challengers you called it? You said it was badass. Now you can be badass too" as she flipped it on the back to see a car on it and the words knitted on. Sans didnt know either to laugh or feel sorry for the crow.
"The car must be worn in" the crow seemed to light up even more at his lame joke.
Sans use to throw puns left and right during these occasions, but now he's lucky to even remember one of them. The crow patted his arm as she placed another slice of cake on his plate.
"I hope you've been getting my letter or my holiday cards. You never write back so I was worried you changed address" she asked before taking a sip of her tea. Happily enjoy her drink. Sans had no clue how to respond. The crow continued "hopefully the previous gifts reached you during the holiday"
Sans nodded before stuffing more cake into his mouth. He looked around to see knickknack of glass figurines on a shelf above. The place was crawling with pictures of people but none of the boys anymore.
"You never liked taking pictures together, the only one you let me take is on the fridge. You must be cold, let me get you a blanket" Sans could barely protest, came back with a knitted blanket. Before she wrapped it around him she slowly sniffed at him.
"Let me warm up a bath for you. You smell like a smoker, I'll wash your clothes as well" she grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs. He kept pulling away from her grip but she didn't budge.
Soon he found her disappear into the rooms before he found a towel tossed to him. The towel seemed to be big enough for wrap around him. It was a worn-out beach towel but felt nice under his phalanges. He couldn't recall the last time he had a proper bath. All they had to go off was water from the stream, but he would find rocks or sticks getting stuck in the cracks of his bone. He preferred to bath in the falling water whenever it rained. He could hear her mumbling about spare clothes Neil left behind. She seemed to be in her element. Seeing her hop from one room to the next as she hummed a soft tune in between.
He could see steam coming out from one of the rooms. She popped out she had signaled for him to come in. The bathroom was full of tile and a single rug, by the bath. The tub was pulled in water with a whiff of peppermint. The tub had a few bubbles from the scents add it to it. He could see spare clothes on the side of the sink. Was he really going through with this?
"I'll give you, your privacy honeybunch" she spoke as she closed the door. Leaving him to contemplate the issue before him. For starters, the tub was definitely be used. He hopped in to feel his bones rattle under the warm water. He found the soap and slathered it on his ribs. Needing little assistance with his magic to get all the hard places. It was short-lived until his magic dropped the soap.
He still could use much of his power anymore. Monster food would be a good fix but that was far from here. Taking his time to finish wash the rest of his body. He unplugged the drain and dried himself off with the towel. Feeling refreshed once he wore the clothes on the sink. They fit him a bit snug but he wasn't gonna complain. It's been years since he had new clothes. And his old rags were starting to fall apart from the seams.
He walked out to see the old crow singing a melody as he heard machines thumping against the wall. His clothes spinning in a box with water and soap. The device seemed a bit scratched up and look like it could use some maintenance. He gave a slight cough to warn the crow of his presence. She turned around and grabbed on to his arm.
"It's going to be a while, how about you sleep in your old room tonight and we can catch up more tomorrow?" She smiled sweetly at him. "We can even go to the store together and catch up, what do you say honeybunch"
He honestly wouldn't mind going to the store. It probably wouldn't be so bad. Being hauled around by this crow. He didnt mind the idea but he needed to get back to his bro. Papyrus might be worrying about him and decide to go look for him. He can't have that. So what could he say to get out of this dumb mess?
"I need to go back"
The crow stumbled a bit. The smile she had on faltered a bit. She kept quiet not answering him but she didn't voice her complaint. Quietly, she nodded before walking him to her doorstep.
"Alright, you can come back to pick up your clothes tomorrow" The lady's hands seemed to shake a bit under the cold air. Sans needed to leave but the crow seemed to remind him so much of Papyrus kindness. A kindness that earned a bit of appreciation.
Sans hunched down and places a small kiss on the ladies' forehead. This should be enough to sedate his own guilt. This brought an awe to come out of the crow's lips. She gently kisses on his cheekbone in return. A small smile returned to her face.
"I'll be back tomorrow to take you to the store. Just wait for me around dusk" he didn't know why he promised that but it felt he could do that much. He did owe her a trip for the kindness she gave him. It is only fair. His brother wouldn't have him be lazy about it.
She nodded before waving him off. Her hands were wiping away the tears that formed around the edge of her eyes. He walked away feeling a bit fuller. He needed to tell his brother about it. The crow seemed harmless but he wasn't sure how to handle her. Humans never showed kindness to him. The crow had a piece of crap of a son but he didnt mind filling that position if he was given food in return.
Sans was by the woods now. He stole a slice of the crow's cake for Papyrus to eat. Papyrus had a bigger sweet tooth than he did. And speaking of his favorite brother. He could see a tall dark figure blending with the trees. If it wasn't for the bright scarf that was hanging around his brother's neck. It would be impossible to know the difference between the two.
"BROTHER YOUR LATE! I WAS WORRIED A HUMAN CAUGHT YOU OR WORSE!" his brother pulled him in for a hug. He appreciated it but he didnt wants his brother to worry about him. It was his fault for hiding from the explosions like a wimp. He just needed to be more careful.
" I brought you some cake, and don't worry I had some" papyrus dug into the cake in seconds. Enjoy the soft treat against his mangled teeth. Easy for him to eat without any pain. Sans didnt like seeing his brother in pain when it came to chewing up solid food. He still couldn't believe Papyrus survived it all if it was for spaghetti. And the occasional snowman broth.
"YOU LOOK SO CLEAN? DID YOU RUN INTO A CAR WASH?" Papyrus noticed once he was done devouring the cake. It was a surprise Sans almost forgot about that.
" No bud, I found a lady who mistook me for her son" Sans started to explain the whole story. On occasion having the hush his brother from interrupting him with questions. Making him save them all for the end. His brother smiled to hear about the crow and how she treated him. He had to pause a couple times to comfort his brother. Hearing his brother hiccup with tears over it was understandable.
"SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW SANS?"
He seriously didn't know. Maybe it will come to him tomorrow. In the meantime, he had to read fluffy bunny to Paps before bedtime. They headed over to their wooden hut to get some sleep. Maybe he could bring his brother tomorrow. Having a more chatty person other than himself. He couldnt wait to get his hoodie back.