Person of Interest

Chapter 11: "Why" is Always a Loaded Question

"Long have you timidly waded
Holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea,
Rise again..."

"-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass: "Song of Myself"

Your POV:

I made my exit quickly and quietly, praying to all the stars above that I wouldn't be followed.

But when had the stars ever listened to me?

I heaved a drained sigh at the heavy footfalls I could hear closing in from behind me.

"____! ____, wait!" My skeletal shadow called out with an unexpected touch of desperation in his voice.

"Stop following me," I deadpanned tiredly.

"told ya before: no can do, sweetheart," Sans grumbled as he easily caught up with me and fell into step at my heels.

A wave of indignation overtook any remaining fear I felt for him. "I'm not your sweetheart," I snapped.

"tch... fine. whatever. i still can't- god damnit would ya just-" I was brought to a halt when he suddenly popped into existance in front of me, "-hold up for a god damn second?"

I walked around him without missing a beat. "No."

I could hear him growl behind me, but to my surprise and relief, he did nothing else to stop me. I could practically feel his sullen glare as he trudged silently behind me for the next couple minutes. In the back of my mind, I was shocked at my brash behavior, such a grand leap from the abject terror I'd felt for him not ten minutes prior. But that was only a small part of me, overwhelmed by the fierce gratification in knowing that, at least for now, his presence had no power over me. He couldn't trap me now, not in the busy city streets with countless bystanders baring witness. After five minutes of pensive silence, I almost forgot he was there.

"Why?"

Ah. There he was.

A bubble of incredulous laughter burst in my chest at the sheer nerve in that ridiculous question.

"Funny; I've been asking you that same question since we first met," I mused. "In fact..."

Sans came uncomfortably close to bowling me over when I suddenly stopped and spun to face him. I jabbed an accusatory finger into his chest and almost laughed again at his flinch.

"In fact, let me ask you again. Why should I give you a reason? Why should I have the good grace dignify that word with an answer, when you've never once given me the same courtesy?" I snarled up at his dumfounded face. "Tell me. Why?"

He looked away. "that's not the sa-"

"Isn't it?"

If I wasn't so ticked, I might have wondered how it was possible for a skeleton to sweat.

"...please."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. 'Please,' he said... well then. I was slightly moved in spite of myself; If his awkward shuffling was any indication, it wasn't a word he usually used, if ever.

I decided to answer.

"Because it was wrong."

His eye sockets made a quiet grinding sound as they squinted in confusion. "...huh?"

I sighed as I turned and began walking again. "I stepped in because what happened in there wasn't right," I explained tiredly. "That woman was confused, misguided... I just wanted her to see that not all monsters are..." I cleared my throat. "... like you."

I pressed a hand to my chest and winced as my heart gave a sudden, painful throb. What in the world was that?

Sans' steps faltered briefly behind me. "ouch. that's, uh... that's pretty harsh, sweetheart," he chuckled nervously.

I pointedly ignored both the pet name and the tightness in my chest. "It's true. But..." I paused, "it doesn't have to be."

"i know, i- wait, what? what's that supposta mean?" He demanded.

I shrugged dismissively. "Decide for yourself. I have nothing more to say. Goodbye. "

"____, I-"

"Goodbye, Sans."

He stopped completely at that, allowing me to turn the corner without following. I turned the corner, leaving him with my words; For the first time since I'd met him, I was the one to walk away.

It felt good.

My chest didn't, though.

_____________________________

Sans' POV:

Her words slammed me like a freight train.

'I just wanted her to see that not all monsters are ...like you.'

The bitter truth of it sunk into my soul like an icy shock of steel.

'Not all monsters are... like you.'

Cold. Sharp. Bitter. True.

If I had a heart, it might have skipped a couple beats or maybe stopped altogether. I gripped my chest over my screaming soul; This guilt... was she pulling the same stunt as she had with ghe cashier back there? I checked for any sign of magic output... nope. No, this was all me.

Worse still was when she said my name for the very first time. The sheer derision and disappointment that filled that single syllable was enough to stop me in my tracks, unable to do anything but stare after her in shock. The disappointment was surprising somehow; after all, how could she possibly have expected anything from me in the first place?

'let her go. just... let her go.'

I waited until she turned the corner out of sight to port home.