Chapter Text
You close the door behind you. Finally back from work. You sling your keys onto the table and flick off your shoes. You hate working a closing shift, but they just pay better. Your phone tells you it’s almost 3am.
You’d really love to just hop into bed and call it a day, but your stomach won’t stop growling. Maybe that’s on you and you should’ve remembered to bring dinner for your break, but that is apparently not important enough to remember. Hopeful you swing open the fridge door… only a moldy cucumber and some sauces. Yeah, no.
Next are some cabinets, but those are also mostly empty. For a second you consider the small can of corn, but the thought of having just a little bit of corn for dinner doesn’t really spark joy.
Most supermarkets are closed at this hour, but one quick google search tells you a night shop two streets from here is still open.
Fine. With a hint of aversion you put your sneakers back on. The gentle breeze of a summer night dances calmly with some strands of your hair. The streets are as good as empty, with mostly the buzzing of some insects flying around. Once a minute a car drives past, the sounds audible even through your headphones.
The store is a small one that you’ve always walked past in the few months you’ve been living here. A red and black neon sign hangs outside, stating that they’re open 24/7. The door has a glass window with closed blinds, but the sign clearly says ‘open’. After you take off your headphones, you push down the handle and go inside.
“leave.” Rumbles a heavy voice from behind the counter. A big skeleton monster wearing black gym shorts has his legs draped over the counter. His teeth are holding a lit cigarette, one of his canines looks to be made of gold. They look like they can tear through just about anything, flesh included.
Terrifying.
He’s wearing a bomber jacket over his already broad shoulders, making him look almost double your size. Bright red flames are blazing in both of his sockets that keep tracking your every movement.
“Why?”
It’s been a few years since monsters came to the surface. From what you know, most of them are dangerous and very distrustful of others, even their own kind. Maybe that’s why you’ve barely ever spoken to one. Or maybe you just haven't really gone out of your way to meet them.
“don’t like your kind. sweaty bags of flesh.” He spats out. He looks annoyed that you can’t seem to take the hint, but you already came all this way for some food. No chance in hell you're giving up now.
Your eyes skim over the bulletin board they have hanging. It’s full of advertisements and clearly hasn’t been updated in years. There’s no sign anywhere that says ‘no humans’, so you decide it’s best to ignore his comment and look for the most dinnerlike thing they have. It’s a nightstore, so most of it is booze, cigarettes and snacks.
At the top shelf you spot nachos and cheese dip, which isn’t really dinner, but would go well with that little bit of corn you still have in the cabinet.
That’s almost loaded nachos.
You reach your arm up high and only lightly graze the bag of nachos with your fingertips. With just a little bit more height you can grab it, so this time you try a small jump and manage to pinch a corner between your fingers.
“Yes.” You whisper softly to yourself, refusing to let the rude skeleton hear your victory cheer.
But your celebration is short lived once you see that the dips are pushed back a bit further. You hopelessly try jumping once, but it’s clear that you’ll never reach it like this. The cashier lets out a deep amused chuckle from behind the counter. You throw a glare his way, but meet eyes with his unwavering distrustful stare, laced with disgust and spite. What an asshole.
“You could also help me, you know.”
The monster just shrugs, “why would i help the likes of you?”
It might have been because it’s late, or maybe because customers kept harassing you all day long. But your patience has fully run out and something inside of you just snapped.
“Look...” You glance at his nametag “Look, Sans, I come here for some fucking dinner and all I get is your bitchass attitude. If you don’t wanna sell shit, don’t work at a store-”
The feeling of magic surrounding you makes you stop dead in your tracks. A shiver runs down your spine as your instincts sense danger. His frown is deep and the fire in his eyes crackle as they release a stream of red smoke.
Your hands tremble with fear and you drop the nachos. Without thinking twice you leave the store, mindful of the door, because glass repair is expensive.
Still shaken and less angry you walk in the direction of your tacky apartment, ready to give up and take the L, but another rumble from your stomach stops you in your tracks.
For the second time this evening you consider tucking into bed and calling it a day, but there’s no way you could sleep like this. On the other hand, with the way you just left you can’t just go back and act like nothing happened.
***
He knew all humans were the same, it had been proven time and time again. They come in and they steal or scream and don’t even know how to have any decency. Even this one, the bitch looked harmless when she came in, weak and timid, but the way she spoke was foul. She’s lucky she left when she did or he might’ve just killed her then and there, the only thing stopping him is how much fucking trouble he'd be in if he did. He smiled at the thought of ridding the world of another human, even if it's just a fantasy.
He really hopes the rest of his shift would have no customers. Or maybe an annoying one that he can take his anger out on. Right as he thought that, the little bell above the door rang.
As he looks up he’s surprised to see you came back. Perfect opportunity for him to show you who you’re messing with. He fills the air around you with his magic and he revels in how it makes you tremble a bit, he can feel the fear spread through your body. Heartrate picking up, muscles going rigid, the whole works.
A gentle voice starts stuttering, making him hesitate a bit and when he looks up he meets your eyes, fearful yet determined.
“Hi uhm… Sans. I’m sorry for what I said… It was uncalled for and I feel bad about it.”
A fraction of a second Sans’ face shows something other than disgust, but you’re not sure what. It's gone before you had the chance to read it.
“I brought you this as an apology.”
Your mom always told you a good apology comes with a gift. You didn’t exactly have the resources for one, so you brought a small flower you plucked from the bushes. It’s a small bundle of little blue buds and blooms with a tiny yellow center.
The skeleton pulls you forward with the hold he still has on your body and snatches the flower from your hand. He pinches it between his phalanges and raises an eyebrow? Not sure how that works with the bone. “the fuck am i sposed ta do with this junk?”
Of course the big skeleton with anger issues doesn’t like flowers. “If you don’t want it just throw it out.” He flings it to the side and you take a deep breath as he finally releases his you from his magic.
You awkwardly look around and make a quick desicion on 'dinner' as you place a pack of chocolate chip cookies on the counter. They are the objectively worse brand than the other one they have, but this is the one you used to have as a kid. “Can I please buy these? I need something to eat.”
A devilish grin forms on his face. “what makes ya think i’d let ya after that tantrum sweetheart?”
Anger starts swirling in your stomach, but you push it back down for the sake of eating something tonight. “I tried to apologize, okay?” You give him a pleading look and he reluctantly scans the cookies.
“two dollars.” A few seconds of rummaging through your pockets is enough to find the exact amount and you push it towards him over the counter. After snatching your cookies you make your way to the door. “don’t come again.” Sans waves with a sarcastic smile across his face.
“I won’t.” You return the favour and close the door.
Only a second later to begin to chow down on the chocolate chip cookies. Only then it dawns on you that he called you sweetheart. What’s that supposed to mean? You usually only hear it from old men at work who think they can treat you however they want as long as they tip well. Disgusting behavior.
You really hope to never go back. You should use this encounter as motivation to do your groceries on time from now on.
Finally some peace and quiet returned to the store now that you're gone. Sans was a bit surprised by your apology, but it didn’t really matter because he made sure you wouldn’t wanna return. He grabs the flower to throw it into the trash, a weed like this has no use for him... but he hesitates.
Despite being a fairly handsome monster he never actually got flowers before. He sighs angrily and fills a glass with water that he places the thing in. “hope this wilts soon.”