Lights Like Stars (Sans x Reader)

21 - By the Back Door

In which certain things come to a head.

You

You rub your eyes wearily as you deliver the last of the dirty dishes to Harriet to wash. Harriet thanks you and reaches for them, and you surprise both her and yourself by dropping them before she's ready. They slip between her hands and splash into the sink. Thankfully, nothing is broken. You groan and apologize.

You've dropped a lot of things today.

That's what happens when you can't get any sleep.

You spent a couple days in Sans's bed, and now you can't seem to get comfortable in yours. Well, you suppose you'll get used to sleeping alone again eventually. You just have to tough out this... whatever it is, and soon things will be back to normal.

You glance at the clock and heave a sigh of relief: it's time to lock the doors. You pull your key out of your pocket – every employee has keys to the front and back doors – and head out of the kitchen, to the front door of the café. As you turn the key, sliding the bolt into place, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. A shadow detaches itself from the alleyway opposite you and raises a hand in a lazy wave. Little points of white light gleam at you through the darkness. You wave back, smiling. Sans has been walking you home since New Year's Eve. Your heart speeds up a little and your body warms at the knowledge that he's out there waiting for you. Just like yesterday, and the day before. The fatigue you've been fighting vanishes and you're left with simple, happy anticipation. You're looking forward to seeing him, talking to him.

When did your days start feeling incomplete without Sans in them?

"How're things looking out there?" Harriet asks, coming up behind you, wiping her hands dry.

"Pretty good. I'll mop the floor and then we're done."

"Cool. I'm gonna clock out, then," Harriet tells you.

"Sure," you respond, grabbing the mop bucket and Mr. Clean out of the broom closet. With a final wave, Harriet unlocks the front door, walks out, and then locks it again behind her. You glance out the window. Sans is nowhere to be seen. He doesn't seem comfortable with your coworkers knowing he's hanging around and avoids them when possible. After the New Year's fiasco with the protesters, there was another monster-human altercation in the news. This time magic was involved, and of course the media latched onto that like a pack of wolves on a lame deer. It really drove home the fact that monsters have an undeniable edge in a fight. Your friends, especially Papyrus, were coming to be known and liked in this little community, but any progress they made in the past couple of months has been completely undone by this latest scare. You've noticed more anxious and angry glances directed at them day by day, and you have to struggle to avoid becoming anxious and angry in response. People are seeing them as a threat, a danger to themselves and their families.

Sans has responded to this by staying out of view as much as possible.

You think he's worried about potentially causing you trouble.

The thought hurts your heart.

You unlock the door and open it. A bitter January wind bites at you. "Sans?" you call into the night.

"'sup?" he greets you, materializing silently out of the darkness, all comfortable slouch and easy, crooked grin.

"You wanna come in and hang around while I mop?"

"sure." You let him in and lock the door behind him. As soon as he's within talking distance, something tight in you eases. You smile widely at him, feeling a little goofy. His smile is an echo of yours. He hefts himself up onto a table, sitting on it and swinging his legs a little. As you slap the wet mop onto the floor, he starts, "so, how was your day?"