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Chapter 9

Many Happy Returns

Twenty-seven minutes later Sans was pulling his clothes back on, shrugging the blue hoodie onto his shoulders and looking around his disordered bedroom while waiting for Toriel to finish her shower in the bathroom down the hall. Both the bedroom and bathroom doors were open, and Sans could hear Toriel humming a familiar tune as she washed herself. Then her contralto voice, resounding with crystalline-clear articulation over the rush and splash of warm water cascading over her body, rose up to sing a fragment of an old human song.

The rain is falling through the mist of sorrow that surrounded me

The Sun could never thaw away the bliss that lays around me

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let your love rain down on me

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let it rain...rain...rain

Sans smiled, his soul warming to Toriel's music, although his smile faded a little when he surveyed the state of the room into which he had led her only two hours before. In their excitement and haste to shed their clothes and tumble into Sans's bed neither of them had taken particular notice of the bedroom's clutter or had even bothered to snap on a light, but now that the room was brightly illuminated Sans winced inwardly, wondering what Toriel must think of the dingy clothes heaped in the corners, the stacks of unshelved books and magazines, and the empty fast-food boxes and wrappers overflowing the long-neglected wastebasket. He made a mental note not to complain the next time Papyrus's impatience with his brother's slovenly habits drove him to clean Sans's room for him.

Toriel finished her tune and turned off the water. "Sans, I_must_ apologize," she called out from the bathroom. "I fear that I may have shed rather more hairs into your bathtub than you would like. I have had to take special precautions in my own household for the...complications that my fur inadvertently creates."

"Don't worry about it, Tori," Sans replied as he left the bedroom, heading for the bathroom. "A little fur down the drain isn't going to ruin my night. But are you gonna have trouble drying all that fur off? I can get extra towels--oh. Wow."

Sans stopped short in the open doorway to the bathroom, frozen in amazement, staring at Toriel in the bathtub. The shower curtain was open, revealing her nude figure as she stood erect in the center of the tub, arms and legs spread and her paws turned toward the ceiling, her brown eyes closed. A dozen flickering spheres of violet-tinged flame danced around her naked torso and limbs, their soft glow casting ever-changing shapes of purple light and shadow over every contour of her full-figured body. Little currents of warm air from the flames traced patterns through the texture of her pelt.

"Tori! What..." Sans said in a voice scarcely louder than a whisper, "...what are you doing?"

"Drying myself," said Toriel in a serene murmur, not opening her eyes. "One of the many practical uses I have found for my fire-magic. It is rather pleasant to emerge from a shower warm and dry, instead of damp and smelling of wet goat for an hour afterwards."

Sans took in a deep breath, inhaling the musky scent that pervaded the humid bathroom air. "But I like how you smell, Tori. It's...I dunno, it's a_comfortable_ smell." Again he savored Toriel's intriguing aroma, at once heavy and aromatic, a smell that struck deep chords in his soul. "Smells like...like_home._"

"Oh, Sans." Toriel slowly lowered her arms to her sides, and her mage-fires dimmed and vanished. She stepped from the bathtub and came up to Sans, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling the top of his skull. Sans returned the embrace and buried his face gratefully between her breasts, still slightly moist from her shower and redolent of her musk. "You can be uncommonly poetic for one who regards himself merely as a jester."

Sans chuckled a little. "Nice of you to say that, Tori, but you know I'm no good with that sappy stuff."

"Sa-ans," admonished Toriel, guiding his face upward with the light touch of a paw so that she could gaze into his face. "I know that you prefer to cultivate an air of self-deprecation but you need not affect to hide your numerous positive attributes from_me_. I include 'sappiness' among those." She bent down to kiss him. "I believe that I have loved you since I heard your first bad joke. I am overjoyed that we found each other, Sans."

"Gosh, Tori, me too." He closed his eye-sockets, relaxing in Toriel's arms.

"Now--" Toriel began to say, but she froze mid-sentence at the muffled sound of car doors slamming, followed by the rattling of the front doorknob. "Oh, dear! And I am still undressed! Quickly, Sans." She released him from her embrace and strode to the bedroom, starting to look for where she had discarded her clothes. "Leave me here to dress and close the door. Tell the others that I will be out in a few minutes."

"Sure thing, Tori." He shut the bedroom door behind him as he hurried down the hall and back into the living room just as Papyrus and Frisk were bustling in through the front door. Frisk beamed and waved when they saw Sans approaching, while Papyrus grinned hugely and marched toward his brother, one arm outstretched in merry greeting and the other clutching a small paper sack.

"SANS!" cried Papyrus. "The ambassador and I had a marvelous time at the Highlands Mall! We saw a movie about a plastic toy man who dresses up like a bat and fights crime! Also I bought a new puzzle!" Standing proudly before Sans like a child standing in front of a class for show-and-tell Papyrus withdrew from the shopping bag a cardboard box labeled "Shengshou Cube" and "7 x 7 x 7". "What do you think of it? Frisk says that it is some kind of mechanical puzzle where you scramble and unscramble the colors! How long do you suppose it will take me to learn solving it?" Suddenly Papyrus jerked his head up, scanning the living room. "Where is Lady Toriel?"

"Tori'll be out in a couple minutes, Papyrus. She's getting herself back together after taking a shower."

"Oh, a shower! Did that take care of the overheating problem you told me she had?"

"Papyrus, I've been trying to tell you, it's not_that_ kind of 'heat'--" Sans began to explain, but he was interrupted by a melodious voice behind him. Sans turned toward its owner.

"Papyrus! Welcome back. I see that you have fulfilled your duty to chaperone my child and see them securely home. I am glad." Toriel stood in the entrance to the hallway arrayed in her violet_ensemble_, resplendent and aglow, restored once more to the impeccable grace and poise that Sans had long admired.

"Yes, indeed, Lady Toriel!" Papyrus set his puzzle on the living-room table and bowed elaborately to his queen. "I have done as you asked, and I return your child the ambassador to your custody, safe and entertained. I am honored to have been of service." Frisk covered their mouth with a hand, not wanting to spoil Papyrus's moment with an impolite laugh.

"Thank you, my dear Papyrus. Now," she went on, stepping into the living room and proceeding to Frisk's side to lay a loving paw on their shoulder. "As thoroughly as I know I would enjoy spending further hours with you and your brother, my child and I must at last take our leave."

Frisk tugged on their mother's arm lightly to gain her attention then signed,"Did you and Sans have a good time, Mom?"

"We most certainly did, Frisk. A superb time."

A grin tugged at the corners of Frisk's mouth as they signed their next question."Will you need to be coming back here tomorrow?"

"Will I need--oh." Toriel put a paw to her muzzle to stifle a giggle. "Oh, dear, that is something for me to consider."

"What needs considering, Tori?" asked Sans, slight bafflement in his voice.

"How--ahem--how shall I phrase this..." responded Toriel, dropping her eyes a little. "The, ah, natural cycling of my physiology that induced me...that is to say, this recurring period of heightened drive and sensitivity...it usually lasts for more than a day. Up to three, in fact." After finishing her circumlocution Toriel raised her eyes again, looking almost shyly toward Sans. "I may wish to visit you again tomorrow. If you should be so inclined."

"Tori." He stepped up to his lover and took both her paws in his hands. "I'd be delighted to invite you back."

A broad, relieved smile broke over Toriel's face. "Thank you, Sans. I accept your invitation. I will come by myself this time, I think, and leave my child under the watchful eye of my former captain of the Guard. Probably they and she will have much gossip they wish to swap."

Sans grinned and turned to Frisk, who was regarding the two of them with undisguised, dewy-eyed devotion. "And thank_you,_ Frisk, for being an incurable little meddler. I've never seen you look happier."

Frisk put their arms around the diminutive skeleton. "I've never seen_you_ look happier, Dad," they whispered.

Sans blushed. "I didn't think I had it in me. Guess I needed a smart kid like you to help me find it."

"I love you," Frisk whispered.

"Love you too, kiddo." He touched his forehead to Frisk's, feeling through the touch an echo of the joy that pulsed through the child's young soul. "I can't promise I'll be a great dad but I'm gonna try my best. You can count on that."

"I know, Dad." Frisk squeezed him in one last hug before letting go and reaching for Toriel's paw."Let's go home, Mom," they signed.

"Yes, let us return home." Toriel led Frisk to the front door, turning about at the threshold to give the two brothers a final wave. "Good night, Papyrus. Good night, my lover. Soon we shall again be together." She inclined her head respectfully and left their house, carefully shutting the door behind her.

Sans stared after Toriel even as the door closed and the sounds of her padding footfalls faded into the night along with her child's. "G'nite, Tori," he said to himself.

Papyrus came up beside him, slipping a bony arm around him with brotherly affection. "Sans, there's something I want to you to know."

"Hm? What's that, bro?" Sans stirred from his reverie and looked up at Papyrus. The tall skeleton's smile was softer than Sans was used to seeing, and the light in his eye-sockets was warmer.

"Frisk is right. I've never seen you happier either. I'm...really, really delighted to see you this happy."

"I know, Papyrus. I can feel it." Sans hugged his brother, resting for some moments against his ribcage. "You've always tried so hard to make me smile, haven't you, bro?"

Papyrus patted Sans's back lightly. "I'm just doing what a good sibling is supposed to do, Sans."

"Thanks, bro. For everything." After several moments more Sans released Papyrus. "Wanna do anything before heading to bed, Papyrus? Watch some TV, play a game, anything?"

"Let us report to the couch for some television!" announced Papyrus, bounding into the living room and plopping himself down on the sofa. "I could use some idleness right now. The young human is wonderful company but keeping up with their energy can be a little exhausting. In fact--" Papyrus slouched low in his seat on the couch and propped his long legs on the coffeetable.

Sans snorted with cheerful bemusement. "Whenever_I_ do that you get after me for bad manners."

"Not tonight, Sans," said Papyrus, unperturbed. "Tonight we may both violate household etiquette, together. Tomorrow, though, we go back to the old rules!"

"Tomorrow..." said Sans absently while he took his seat beside his brother and fumbled for the TV's remote. "Oh, tomorrow! Geez, Papyrus, I guess I'll be kicking you out of the house again for a while tomorrow, and without Frisk here to keep you company either...I'm sorry, bro. I'll make it up to you."

"Why should you 'kick me out the house', Sans? I was compelled to leave this evening only because Lady Toriel wished me to attend to the ambassador. Otherwise I would have stayed home."

"Oh, um..." replied Sans as he began to channel-surf. "I'm not sure you'd want to be home with Tori and me, uh, together."

"Do you fear that I will not allow you sufficient privacy? Sans, I_assure_ you, I will keep to my room and not disturb any of your activities."

"Well, uh, Papyrus," Sans went on, turning blue again. "I'm not sure what you'd think of the, er...the_activities_ we might be getting up to--"

Papyrus smiled and delivered himself of a merry laugh. "Oh,Sans! Really you're worrying over nothing! I promise you I won't be a_bit_embarrassed or uncomfortable if I happen to overhear you and Lady Toriel having sex."

"That's good." Then with an abrupt clatter the remote slipped from Sans's fingers to the tabletop. "Wait,what did you say?!"

Papyrus's manner was as unflapped as ever. "That's why she's coming back tomorrow, after all, isn't it? She's still in estrus, isn't she? Of course you'll be having more sex."

"Still in es--Papyrus! How do you know about that? Did Frisk end up explaining it to you?"

"There was no need, Sans! I already knew what it was."

"Then what was with that 'is she still overheated' business?!"

Papyrus lazily drummed the arm of the couch with his bony fingertips. "It is my brotherly duty to make you smile, remember?"

"You--" Sans couldn't finish his thought. He began to laugh, loudly and freely, slumping against his brother's shoulder beside him and giving himself up to convulsions of mirth. Papyrus merely chuckled and slipped an arm around his brother, cradling him in a one-armed embrace.

"You really got me that time, bro," Sans said at last as his laughter subsided. "You got me good."

"I did, didn't I?" said Papyrus. "I love you very much, Sans."

"Papyrus, you're the coolest brother ever."

"Indeed I am. Shall we watch television now?"

"Sure thing, bro. You know what?" Sans handed the remote to Papyrus. "You get to choose what we watch. I don't care if you end up want to watch two hours of the Weather Channel, I'll watch whatever you want."

"Why, thank you, Sans!" With a final smile at his brother, Papyrus settled himself in his seat and turned his attention to the screen.

FIN

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Monophylos

24 October 2016