Sans was napping at one of the sentry stations at Hotland, as he had done some many times before. Frisk had already came and went, on schedule, and Sans had some them enough hot dogs as he could fit on the human child's head (29. 29 hot dogs). So, now he was just napping before he had to go and talk to them again.

He certainly wasn't expecting the king to visit.

"Howdy!" Sans peeked open an eye and, surprisingly, Asgore was there to greet him, that same happy grin on the boss monster's face. This was certainly new. Well, with all the different timelines, he supposed something was bound to change at some point. Yawning and stretching a bit, he smiled up at the king.

"heya. wanna hot dog? only 30g." The Skeleton offered, holding up one of the 'dogs.

"A hotdog? Golly, I suppose." Asgore replied, smiling as he pulled out the required currency and offering it to the stout skeleton.

Sans took the money quietly. "thanks. i'm guessing you'll want yours...king sized?" Sans joked with a wink.

Asgore blinked, not understanding for a moment before smiling and laughing. "Ohoho, I get it! That's good!"

Sans chuckled in turn. "thanks. 'fraid that was just a joke, we only stock 'em in one size. Here ya go." He offered a hot dog up to the large goat-monster.

" That's quite alright, it was a delightful joke." Asgore smiled and took the hot dog. He noted that the 'meat' was in fact just a water sausage, but took a bite anyway so he didn't appear rude. "So, am I to make the assumption that you are a sentry? This is a sentry station after all. Though you serving food is a swell idea!"

Sans shrugged. "well, technically, yeah. But i'm technically a sentry in snowdin. not here. i just work a lot of jobs."

Asgore seemed surprised at that. "Oh! Well, that awfully diligent of you! I..." The king paused, his face becoming more melancholy. "I assume there has been no sightings of humans, yes?"

Sans tensed up. "uhh... n-nope. just as always."

Asgore sighed in relief. "Well, I suppose that's good. At least nobody is in danger."

"yeah..." A few beads of nervous sweat trailed down his skull. "you, uh... did you hear news of a human, or something?"

Asgore hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, I have heard rumors of a friendly human child making their way through here. I..." The boss monster paused suddenly. "I... am glad that, if there is a human, that they are both giving, and receiving respect."

"...yeah." Sans coughed awkwardly. "welp, i haven't seen 'em. definitely not. just hotdogs and snow."

Asgore nodded. "Yes, of course." There was a long pause. "...If I may, what is your name?"

Sans shrugged. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

Asgore mulled that name over in his mind. "Sans... ah, yes! I believe I have heard some things about from Undyne...You, uh, you look like someone who knows what it's like to keep secrets from those you care about. Am I correct?"

Sans froze. "...er... that's, uh, a little personal." A few more beads of nervous sweat. This was definitely not normal. "but, yeah."

"Yes, of course. I apologize for prying." Asgore rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just... well. I do not wish to burden you with an old man's trouble, but I feel like I could use someone to talk to about... some personal matters."

Sans shrugged nonchalantly. "well, i have nothing else to do. might as well take a break, you're a good guy." He pointed to a chair behind the kings that was most definitely not there a second ago. But a second could be an hour to the skeleton. "take a load off."

Asgore seemed flattered at the small compliment. "Golly, I don't know about that... I like to that I'm a nice person." He turns and blinked at the chair in confusion before shrugging and assuming magic was the explanation before he carefully sat down in the chair, and looked around to be sure nobody was listening. "So... I assume you remember the... the incident, involving my children, so long ago. Yes?" He said quietly. Sans blinked in surprise. He was not expecting that. Asgore never talked about that

" ...mhm." Sans nodded

"...Yes. Well, then you must remember how... erratic and unreasonable I became. What with me declaring... declaring war on humanity."

Sans just nodded solemnly.

"But... well. The truth is... I don't want to hurt humans. I really don't." He looked down and stared down at his large hands, frowning. He seemed upset with himself. "I... I really don't have the heart for it. The deaths of my children were an accident, I know this, but... this war, this plan to use the human souls to free us...

...It's the only thing that gives the people hope."

Sans didn't know what to say. He just nodded again.

Asgore doesn't even nod back. It's as if he's forgotten Sans was even there. "So, I find myself in a... well, a rather uncomfortable position. Do I continue to harm innocent humans who find their way down here, and free us all, or do I follow my conscience and take away the only hope we have of being free...?"

Sans shrugged. "...kinda makes me wish there was a way to compromise. like if someone could cross with only one soul."

Asgore glanced up in surprise. Seems he really did forget the other monster was there. "Oh, I- I couldn't do that. I can't imagine the humans would react positively to a large monster with a trident asking for souls." He chuckled quietly. "But... I appreciate your input."

" ...hm. to be honest, i understand your viewpoint. but i have a very close friend, who... vehemently disagrees with you." Sans replied, thinking back on the woman behind the door to the old Ruins.

Asgore looked up at him. "Oh?"

"yep. she always gets real bitter over it. it's very personal to her. she'll never tell me why she feels so strongly about it, though. why she knows so much about the subject." Sans continued quietly.

Asgore wondered who it could be before looking down, crestfallen "...I see. I believe I may know who you speak of. ...Sans. Do you think you could do this king a small favor?"

San looked up at Asgore. "hm?"

"This... friend of yours. Tell her... tell her that I am going to fix this whole unseemly mess. And..." Asgore closed his eyes. Sans wasn't sure, but it looked like there were tears running down his face. "And tell her that I miss her very, very much."

Sans furrowed a non-existent brow. "you know this lady? i mean, we just tell bad jokes through a door, i've never even seen her fa- ohjeezyourecryinguh." Sans sputtered his words as the king was very clearly crying now.

Asgore raised a hand up to try and reassure Sans he was fine. "O-oh, don't worry. I just get all soft about certain subjects." He wiped his face clean of the wet tears and looked up at Sans, smiling softly. "But yes, I believe I know who the woman you're speaking of is. She..." He seems to choke on his next words. "She is in the Ruins, yes? That's the door you hear her behind, I assume? The door to the Ruins?"

"u-uh... she, told me not to say where she is." Sans said quickly, cursing in his mind. He just made it obvious, didn't he?

Asgore chuckled softly. "Yes, that sounds like her as well. She... hid her tracks well. Do not worry. You have not told me where she is, so you have not broken your promise."

San's permanent smile seemed to falter. "...'s not the only one I made."

"...Yes, I imagine so. But- do tell her the things I told you. You don't have to say it was me. I think... I think she'll understand just from your words."

"...ok."

" Thank you." Asgore quietly moved a hand over Sans' own on the counter of the station, offering a wise, sad smile. "You're a good monster, Sans. ...I know Gaster would be very proud."

Sans froze and tensed up so much he thought his bones would snap. ". . . i haven't heard his name in a very, very long time." Sans narrowed his eyes slightly. "...thought you heard about me from Undyne. how do you know I was related to him?"

Asgore chuckled knowingly. "Well, Sans. You are not the only one who can escape the trappings of Time. If that makes sense. Gaster worked under me, after all. It seems those he knew him personally either become aware of things they should not see... or they vanish entirely." He seemed pensive. "Strange that you and I haven't met such a fate."

"...yeah...

...yeah.

...

...s-sorry if I'm, uh, not very good at conversation, without the puns." Sans finally spoke up, shaking slightly. What the hell was going on?

Asgore didn't seem to notice the skeleton's discomfort. "Oh, do not worry. You've proven to be a very relieving conversationalist. Most could not understand my plight as well as you, given our circumstances."

Sans just nodded. "…sometimes... i worry i'll forget what his face looked like."

Asgore paused. Slowly, reaches a hand out to pat Sans' shoulder. "I forgot his face long ago. Most of my memories of him feel like they've been... torn from me." Asgore squinted, as if just talking about Gaster required deep mental concentration. "Perhaps you could sketch it out in the little journal you keep?"

Sans looked at the ground. "i've already sketched it a thousand times. just in case, every time i think i feel it slipping." He said before fumbling through his pockets and handing the boss monster a messy, sans-effort quality sketch of his father's face.

Asgore he politely took the sketch and looked it over. "I... I believe this is what he looked like. With his black lab-coat and the damage to his skull. He never did tell me what happened to put the cracks in it."

"...that's a long story."

"I had always imagined it was." He nodded and gently offers the sketch back to Sans, who took it back quietly. "I assume the... ehm... machine, is still not fixed?"

Sans winced before slowly shaking his head.

Asgore sighed. "I assumed as much. It never seems to get fixed. Though, for once, I am sure it is not from a lack of effort. …Have you found any signs of the anomaly? Dr. Gaster had been adamant about the... threat it posed?" His eyes seem confused, but he shook his head. Talking about Gaster always gave him a headache, for some reason. "Is that right? It's so hard to remember..."

A thick silence took over. Sans wasn't used to talking about any of this. It made it hard to keep smiling.

"...let's just say, i've made some progress..." Sans looked broken. "but it didn't really matter."

"Sans, do not say that." Asgore leaned over and gave him another reassuring pat. "Any progress is good." He offers a smile, but it fades quickly. "… I'm sure you know by now that I already know there is a human in the Underground. I... well, I'm just glad that they seem to be kind and caring."

"...yeah, i... i told a bold faced lie. i've met 'em. heck, they lived in my house with me and my brother for almost a week."

"It is alright. You've told me that lie before. I always take it as a sign that the human means no harm. Do not worry, I will not impede their progress. This journey of theirs is too important to interrupt."

Sans furrowed his 'brows' in confusion. "…before?"

It was Asgore's turn to look confused. "Why yes, I- Oh! How silly of me, I forgot the codeword."

Sans felt like he was just filled with ice. He watched Asgore as if he had grown a second head. "uh."

Asgore seemed oblivious. "What was it... ah... 'I am the legendary fartmaster?' I.. think that's it." He smiled sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed at the silly phrase.

Sans shot up from his seat. He hit his head on the ceiling of his little station, but he didn't even care. "y-you're...?!"

Asgore looked at Sans solemnly. "You and I suffer very similar fates. We go to sleep today, and wake up to find out that yesterday is now tomorrow. If that makes sense."

Sans just gaped at the king. His couldn't stop trembling. This couldn't be happening. "...i didn't know anyone else..."

"I've pondered it very much myself." Asgore continued. "I believe it comes from our connection to Gaster. He was... meddling with the fabric of the time-space continuum. I think that's what he called it. But you know this, of course."

"...of course, i..." Sans sat back down, flabbergasted. "just...give me a sec."

Asgore chuckled softly. "Of course, of course. Take all the time you need."

Sans just… took the whole situation in. He didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say when he finds out that someone else can keep track of the resets? "...i do forget to write stuff down sometimes. That must be why i don't remember giving you the codeword." He said quietly. He'd been scribbling down so much in his journal; he supposed that it was bound to happen that he'd miss something.

Asgore nodded quietly. "I believe the same happens to me, at times. But eventually we end up discovering our similar situations, and you always remind me what the codeword is."

The thick silence returned again, the two of them unable to find words to really exchange now. Sans was the first to speak up. "...it's hard... isn't it? plastering on the fake smile. pretending nothing's wrong. laughing at the same jokes, over and over."

Asgore sighed quietly and nodded his agreement. "It's... it can be taxing on my psyche, at times." He paused, and looking down at his hands. He had begun trembling. "The child... I've killed them before. They always come back. They tell me that I've already killed them. They... try to convince me to stop fighting, but by then all my other options are gone." He said wistfully.

"...h-heh... you have no idea." Sans shook his head. "at least you still have the resolve not to give up."

"What other choice is there for me?" Asgore chuckled sadly. "All I can do is wait for the human to arrive. Sometimes, they just want to go home without hurting anyone. Other times..." He shook his head silently. "Well, a flower comes and begs me to save him. To stop the human. I've learned that that means the child has already destroyed us all."

"...funny thing is, it's not the same person." Sans replied quietly. "...the kid's name is frisk. i've seen 'em a million times now, and sometimes, even if it's in the middle of a fight, they'll just snap right out of a murder spree. they'll panic, sob... they tell me they don't have control."

"Frisk? That..." Asgore paused, then turned away and wipes away sudden tears. "That does seem familiar... so, even they are a victim of this. ...Does Frisk- do they remember the other timelines, like you and I?"

"yep. but that's not it. they cause the resets. of course, they're not always in control. i thought they were the only other one who knew."

Asgore paused. "So... what are Frisk's intentions, then? If they have... saved us before, and I do believe I remember that they have- why would they reset?"

"they're not the one who gets to decide that. believe me, they just want the resets to stop. they want everyone to be alright. i don't know who their... counterpart is. but they've killed me, and everyone else, countless times. they experiment."

"They treat all of this like a game." Asgore continued where Sans left off. "And we are but characters at their whim." He turned to the skeleton. "Is that right?"

"yeah." Sans said quietly. He sounded bitter. "Heh… really sucks to be a pawn, huh?"

Asgore is silent for several moments. He seems to be trembling again. "Does... does the one controlling Frisk ever... ever kill..." He chokes up and hides his face behind his arm, staining it with tears. It was rather clear to Sans that he was talking about Toriel.

"...yeah. they kill tori."

" ...I just..." Asgore takes a deep, shaky breath. "I just..." He seems to be using all of his effort to not break down crying. "I-I suppose I already knew that. Still, it's... nice to hope. That everything turns out alright, I mean."

Sans was shaking. Tears were welling up in his eye-sockets.

Asgore was oblivious, looking away guiltily. "I... I apologize; this was... probably a mistake. I didn't mean to plague you like this."

Sans blinked and moved his hands up to stop him. "n-no, i-it's... o-oh g-god..." He broke out into a pathetic sob, bringing himself head-down on the counter of his station. The resets, the deaths he'd seen… They all just hit him like a speeding train. All he could think to do now was sob into the counter.

Asgore gasped in shock, shooting up from his chair and moving to the skeleton's side. "S-sans, it's- it's okay." The king hesitated before moving to carefully hug the stout skeleton. He couldn't just stand by while someone suffered.

"i-i'm s-sorry..." Sans hiccupped into the counter, not bringing himself up. He just wanted this damn time loop to end. It'd be like waking up from a nightmare.

"Don't be, none of this is your fault." Asgore said gently, patting Sans' shoulder softly. It's clear he's had experience with comforting others. "Everyone is suffering. We're just the only ones who can remember it."

Sans had calmed down slightly, taking in shaky breaths. "i-i'm so tired, asgore... i'm so tired of finding papyrus' dusty scarf, i'm so tired of putting up that last fight, i'm so tired of... i-i'm just so, so tired..."

Asgore continued trying to soothe Sans, patting his back and shushing him softly. "I know... I know you are, Sans. I'm tired too... I just want to see my wife again. I'm tired of waking up and wondering if she's been... been..." He couldn't continue that train of thought closing his eyes tightly as tears streaked down his face. San choked on air, once again sobs miserably into the sleeve of his hoodie. Asgore continued his attempts to calm the skeleton down for a long time, even as the two both grew silent, the only sound being Sans' shaky breathing. Eventually, Asgore looked down at him. "Hey... Sans. This... this is your last station, isn't it? How about we go back to New Home and enjoy some tea? Forget our trouble for a time? It'd... be nice, to take a break from all this."

Sans was silent for several seconds before sitting up, sniffling quietly. "a...a-alright." He wiped the front of his skull off. "i-i'm...s-sorry about all that. i c-can keep it down, most of the time." He apologized, chuckling. It didn't sound happy. It sounded tired.

Asgore just smiled softly at him. It was the kind of smile a father would give an upset son. It's quite alright, Sans. It's good to get it out every once in a while." Quietly, the king stood. "Shall we go...? I know you have a... a 'shortcut', yes?"

Sans stood up silently, pulling the hoodie up to shroud his skull. "yep." Sans lightly grasped the larger monster's hand and… lead him in the completely wrong direction. Then, suddenly, there was a sensation of darkness and being lifted up, then set back down gently. Asgore blinked and looked around. They were in the throne room…?

"Golly... that sure is something." He said in awe before looking down at Sans and smiling. "Hey, Sans... just think of it like this. At least now you won't be quite as…" Asgore winked, mirroring Sans own. "…Bonely."

Sans paused and blinked for several seconds before chuckling. The joke made him feel a bit better. "heh... no bones about it."

Asgore chuckled. "Come now, Sans, you can do better than that... that joke was pretty bare-bones."

"sorry, my joke bank's gone bone dry." Sans joked, winking. He was really smiling now. "it's been a long day, i'm bone tired. but having someone else to relate to certainly makes me feel bone -afide."

Asgore snickered, trying to hold back his laughter. But alas, the puns were too great, and the king burst into a deep, hearty laugh. "Ohohohoho-! My, you are quite the comedian! You truly were bone to be wild."

Sans was practically beaming at this point. Asgore was more like Toriel than Tori would like to admit, he could tell. "well, i'm not quite sure if that's bone-ificial..."

Asgore chuckled once again, giving the shorter monster a comforting pat on the shoulder. The weight of his hand almost made Sans fall over. "I hope you are feeling a bit better, Sans. You certainly helped lift my… spirits."

"heh... thanks." Sans replied, rubbing his shoulder.

And as the two sat down in the king's garden to partake in tea, they both felt at ease for the first time in a long, long time.

THE FEELS TRAIN IS AT FULL SPEED AND IT HAS NO FUCKING BRAKES.

I honestly can't take full credit for this one, though. This began as a chance roleplay on a site called Shamchat, but I just had to convert it to a more fic-friendly format and share it here, because it was just so GODDAMN GLORIOUS, and I definitely consider this to be a permanent part of my headcanon, and to have happened in the same universe/timeline as my other story, Your Best Friend. If you haven't read it, check it out!

So, uh, this is co-written by a random passerby on the internet, who played the part of Sans (I was Asgore). Random passerby, if you read this, thanks for this roleplay, you magnificent bastard.

To everyone else, feel free to leave your feedback!