December 25th

Frisk's POV

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Frisk jerked awake, arching their back. Everyone let out gasps.

"Christmas!" Teri cheered, pushing her sleeping bag off herself. Frisk slunk off the bed and down the ladder, gazing at everyone as they jumped off the ground like daisies in the spring. Even Ace slipped out of bed with a smile.

"Too early," Chara grunted, slumping as they stood at Frisk's side. Asriel remained in his sleeping bag, groaning and pulling it back over his exposed face.

"Is it morning already?" he murmured, his voice muffled by the blanket.

"Yeah," Ray replied, pulling on the blanket. Asriel held it in place with his claws, refusing to come out. "So come on! Let's go downstairs and open presents."

"But… But…" Asriel peeked out from behind the blanket.

"Asriel, it's going to be fine," Frisk insisted, kneeling in front of him. "Even if on the off chance that Toriel doesn't take you in and make you our brother, we'll find you somewhere else to go."

"And you don't have to tell Toriel the whole truth," Poppy added, crouching in front of him.

"I guess not," Teri grunted in agreement. Frisk stiffened as there was a knock at the door. Asriel buried himself in the sleeping bag.

"Frisk!" a voice called through the door. "Ace? Are any of you awake?"

"Kat?" Frisk called back, stepping in front of the door. "Yeah, we're all up. You can come in." The door was pushed open, and Kat slipped inside. She swiftly closed the door behind her.

"Toriel's awake," Kat informed, walking to the middle of the room. "And Sans and Papyrus are already here." Frisk's eyes widened. Really? That fast?

"Sans probably couldn't wait to share those new jokes with Mom," Chara grunted, folding their arms. Frisk glanced at Asriel.

"When do you wanna make your big debut?" Frisk asked, gesturing at him to stand. Asriel let out a sigh.

"Let's get this over with." He pulled the door open, shambling into the hall with his head hung low. Frisk slipped in front of him.

"Mom!" They called, peeking over the top of the stairs. Toriel, Sans, and Papyrus were sitting on the couch, gazing up at them.

"Frisk, Kat, good morning!" Toriel greeted with a smile. "Are your other friends awake?"

"Yeah…" Frisk continued down the stairs. Asriel trailed after them, ducking behind the wall of the stairs. "And there's someone else we wanted you to see." Frisk stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Tugging Asriel forward, the young monster stumbled into the open with a squeak. Toriel let out a gasp. Asriel immediately ducked behind Frisk. Sans and Toriel stared at the former prince with wide eyes and the room had fallen silent.

"HELLO TOTAL STRANGER," Papyrus greeted with a wave. "HOW DID YOU GET UPSTAIRS?"

"ASRIEL!" Toriel flung herself to her feet. Frisk stepped aside as their mother threw her arms around Asriel. The young monster froze. "How are you alive?!" Toriel gasped, practically crushing her son in her arms. "Where have you been?!" Asriel rested his paws on his mother's arms, gently holding her as he took a step back.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, looking down at the ground. "Chara and I never meant to…" Asriel's eyes watered. "To cause all this… to die…" Chara meant to die.

"Well, Toriel doesn't need to know that," Chara grunted, stepping through Frisk to stand at Asriel's side.

"I don't know how I came back," Asriel admitted, casting a glance back at the group. "I just woke up one day in the garden and… well, Frisk and the others found me."

"Is that were you were last night?" Toriel asked, crossing her arms.

"NO!" The group gazed at Asriel in surprise. "Um…" Asriel gazed at his paws, which were fidgeting wildly at his chest. "They-they found me a while ago… I-I was just to scared to…" Asriel looked up at his mother. "I didn't want you to… see me… I was scared you'd be… mad."

"Asriel, why would I be mad at you?" Toriel asked, pulling her son in for another hug. "You're my son, I'll love you no matter what you do."

"If you say so," Asriel sighed, returning the hug.

"I'm happy you're back." Toriel was sobbing, holding her son tight in her arms as tears rolled down her cheeks. Asriel nuzzled Toriel's shoulder, hiding his own watering eyes in her fur.

"Me too."

The doorbell rang. Toriel and Asriel backed out of their hug, simply staring at each other with tears in their eyes.

"I'll get the door," Frisk offered, slipping past them. They pulled it open, revealing Asgore standing on the porch with a box in hand.

"Oh, hello Frisk," he greeted, gesturing the box forward. "I brought tea."

"Asgore." Frisk gestured him inside, closing the door behind them to keep the cold air from getting in. "There's someone you have to see." They pointed at Asriel. Asgore and Asriel met gazes, and Asgore's teabox fell to the ground with a clank. Silence overtook the room yet again.

"A-Asriel…" Asgore's eyes instantly flood with tears. "ASRIEL!" Asgore dashed toward his son, falling to one knee as he pulled him in for a hug. "Are you okay? How are you here?! What happened?!"

"Frisk and the others found him," Toriel explained, stopping in front of them.

"Where have you been all this time?" Asgore asked, tears now pouring down his cheeks as well.

"I don't know," Asriel admitted, patting his father's shoulder. "I just… woke up in the garden and… Frisk and the others found me and brought me here." Asgore's only reply was a sob.

"We've missed you," Toriel sighed, kneeling down in front of Asriel. She wrapped her arms around him again. Asriel hugged both of his parents, smiling and nuzzling into their fur. Chara stood right in front of them.

I wish they could know that I'm okay too. Chara's thoughts were so clear to Frisk it was almost like they said them out loud.

"Well…" Toriel and Asgore pulled out of the hug as Toriel spoke. "We are glad you are back… And just in time for Christmas."

"We would have gotten you something if we knew," Asgore replied with a sigh.

"That's okay," Asriel responded with a shrug. "Can I have some tea?"

Asgore's face lit up. "Of course. I brought your favourite: golden flower tea." Frisk stiffened. The entire room group fell silent and Asriel's green eyes were wide.

"Actually… can I have some chai?" He asked, gripping his chest.

"Of course," Asgore replied, picking up the tea box and putting in the table. He gazed at the others. "Would anyone else like some tea?" Ray stuck his tongue out.

"We're good, Poppy answered with a shrug. Frisk, Kat, and Teri however stepped up and asked for tea as if they were at a cafe.

"I want chai with cinnamon!" Kat replied, raising her hand.

"Chamomile with honey!" Frisk responded with a nod.

"Plain chai," Teri answered, jumping forward. Asgore grabbed four tea bags and set them by the kettle.

"Alright…" he murmured to himself.

Toriel gazed at the group. "How about you all open your presents while you wait for your tea?" She suggested. Gasps erupted from the group as they all charged at the Christmas tree.

Teri's POV

Teri lunged for the thin, square box first, praying it was what she thought it was. Flinging the wrapping paper off, Teri let out a gasp. It was Steven Universe the movie.

"Yes!" she cheered, jumping to her feet. "Finally! I've been waiting to watch this again since September!"

"What did you get?" Kat asked, glancing up from the ugly sweater she was unwrapping. Her eyes widened when she saw the case. "Oh my gosh!"

"Well, I know what we're watching tomorrow for Kwanzaa!" Teri replied, setting the movie aside to tear into the next present.

"Oh my gosh, earbuds!" She pulled the last bit of wrapping paper off the box and set it next to the movie. "Finally, I can listen to music in class!"

"What a relief," Clover replied, resting his hand on his forehead. He and Teri both laughed. Clover had been sitting on the couch, watching as everyone else tore open their presents and threw wrapping paper all over the living room floor. Teri cast a glance at Frisk. They unwrapped the gift Teri had gotten for them: a mobile of the solar system.

"WHO KEEPS BUYING ME MITTENS?" Ray exclaimed, throwing a pair of freshly unwrapped mittens aside. Poppy sat beside him, smirking. More people came as everyone opened their presents. Undyne and Alphys came with a tray of clearly homemade though actually decent looking mac and cheese. MK came next with a box of chocolate chip cookies. Finally, after the kids had finished opening their presents, the doorbell rang once more.

"Is that Mettaton?!" Teri asked, jumping to her feet.

"Probably," Poppy replied, draping her new scarf around her neck. Teri dashed toward the door, flinging it open before Toriel could reach it. Mettaton was indeed there. He was wearing the same ugly sweater from last time and was accompanied by Napstablook.

"Mettaton!" Teri gasped, jumping with joy.

"HELLO TERI DARLING," he greeted, waving with one hand and holding a box of candy canes with the other hand. "...IT'S COLD, CAN YOU LET US IN?"

"Oh! Of course." Teri hopped backward, allowing the two to step inside. "Come in, we were just about to have tea and... other food." Teri sat down in front of her mug of tea. Poppy sat on Teri's left next to Napstablook while Mettaton sat on her right. Frisk

"OH! I ALSO GOT YOU THIS!" Mettaton pulled a small box out of his pocket, which thankfully wasn't wrapped.

Poppy leaned in toward Teri's ear. "It's a wedding ring."

"Shut up!" Teri exclaimed, nudging Poppy's shoulder. She looked back at Mettaton and took the box in her hands. She pulled it open. Inside, was a White Diamond shaped necklace.

"Thanks, though I'm not really a jewelry person."

"OH, WELL I CAN TAKE IT BACK-"

"NO! I will wear it forever!" Teri pulled the necklace over her head and around her neck, swinging it around with a grunt. Mettaton cracked a smile. Teri shot a glance at the living room, spotting the empty couch.

"Let's go sit on the couch," Teri replied standing up. Mettaton nodded. Teri took her mug of tea, a candy cane, and a cookie and placed them on the in-table. She and Mettaton sat side by side on the couch. Teri pulled the plastic off the candy cane, stirring it in her tea.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Metatton asked, covering his mouth with his hand as he chuckled.

"It tastes good," Teri protested, licking the tea off the candy cane. She set it aside and took a sip. "Do you want some?" she asked, gesturing the cup to him. Mettaton flinched back a bit.

"NO, I'M GOOD DARLING. I'M NOT REALLY A FAN OF TEA."

Teri shrugged. "Your loss," she replied, taking another sip.

"I…" Teri nearly spat out her tea. "Don't want a lot for Christmas."

"Why is this playing?" Teri asked, shivering as the hot tea burned down her throat. Mettaton shrugged.

"I asked them to put on music," Poppy replied, leaning against the edge of the couch. Teri raised an eyebrow at her. "And I just kinda like this song."

"What are you doing?" Teri asked, glaring at her friend.

"Nothing…!" Poppy smiled innocently, only increasing Teri's suspicion. She let out a giggle. "Though I guess it would interest you to know that you're sitting under mistletoe." Teri spit out her tea.

"WHAT?!" She looked up and indeed there was a piece of mistletoe dangling above them from a piece of string. Teri glared at her friend. "POPPY?!" Poppy giggled before dashing off toward the kitchen. Teri let out a grunt. Beside her, Mettaton was snickering into his own hand.

"I'm sorry about her," Teri sighed, folding her arms. Mettaton stopped laughing and cast a glance at her.

"You know you're too young to-"

"Yes!" Teri cut him off, looking away as her cheeks heated up. "It was entirely her doing, I know!"

"GOOD." Teri stiffened as lips pressed against her cheeks. She flopped over onto her side, her heart pounding so hard she thought her chest would break open. Mettaton just chuckled to himself.

Frisk's POV

Frisk leaned against the wall in the side room, gazing at everyone else mingling and eating food in the other rooms. They held their second cup of tea in one hand. Putting their mug aside on the nearby windowsill, Frisk made their way toward the kitchen table, and scooped up some mac and cheese and put it on their plate. They looked around. Chara wasn't at their side like they normally were, instead, Frisk spotted them sitting next to Asriel in front of TV, far away from Frisk. They raised an eyebrow. Chara cast a glance at Frisk, shrugging before looking back at the TV. Frisk walked back to the side room. Sans was standing by the windowsill.

"Frisk, kid, be honest with me. How did Asriel really return?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"Um…" Frisk looked around. No one was around so they rested their hand on their chest, allowing their soul to appear. Sans's eyes widened.

"Ah, I figured it was something like that. Let me guess, the six other pieces are from your friends?" Frisk nodded. "Well, guess I can't blame ya. You did do the right thing. You're not hurt are ya?" Frisk pulled their sleeve up, revealing the scar on the back of their hand. "Huh, I expected worse to be honest." Sans winked. Frisk and him both chuckled as Frisk covered their scar with their long sleeve.

"You won't tell Toriel, will you?" Frisk asked.

Sans extended his hand to Frisk. "You have my word." Frisk touched his hand and a whoopee cushion sound followed. Flinching back. Frisk's eyes narrowed.

"I probably should've seen that coming," Frisk grunted, turning away to lean against the wall.

"Heh, sorry," Sans chuckled, shrugging. "Couldn't help it." He leaned against the wall beside Frisk. "But really, why don't you want Toriel to know?"

"She'll start asking questions and…" Frisk let out a sigh. "Asriel wants to keep the details secret."

"She's gonna find out one way or another," Sans replied. "Or at least question you further, like I'm about to." Frisk stiffened. "Why did Asriel need a soul? What did you even GIVE the soul to?"

"Look, Sans, you're my friend and I hate keeping secrets from you but we promised Asriel we wouldn't say anything."

Sans let out a sigh. "Alright… I won't ask you anything else." And with that, he walked away. The doorbell rang. Frisk turned to answer it only for Toriel to rush in front of them and pull the door open. Spade stood in the doorway, pizza boxes in hand.

"Spade!" Ace gasped, rushing up to her.

"I had the day off," Spade informed, stepping side and closing the door behind her. "And I get discounts on these pizzas so… yeah." She handed them to Toriel. "Where should I put these?"

"There should be space on the table," Toriel replied, pointing toward the kitchen. Spade put the four boxes down on the table, spreading them out among the other foods. The kids instantly crowded around the table, cheering.

"PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA!" Ray and Poppy chanted. Frisk, Teri, Clover, and Kat all joined in.

"They're all cheese," Spade informed, pulling the boxes open one at a time. "I didn't know what toppings you all would want."

"Works for me!" Ray replied, snatching three slices and throwing them on top of his spaghetti. Everyone leaned in and grabbed a few slices each, making the pizza disappear as quickly as it had appeared.

"Thank you, Spade!" Ace called, taking a bite out of his pizza.

"No problem," she replied with a chuckle. Frisk sat down on the couch between Kat and Poppy, who each had plates consisting solely of of pizza and cookies.

"Have you tried the mac and cheese?" Frisk asked, poking some with their fork and holding it up. "It's actually quite good." They took the bite.

"I was a bit reluctant too," Poppy replied with a shrug. "Considering… what happened last time Undyne cooked something."

"That was a long time ago," Kat insisted, splitting a cookie in half.

"It's only been like six months…" Frisk protested, glancing at Asriel and Chara. They were sitting at the kitchen table beside Sans. The three appeared to be chatting.. "Which was... way too long to wait…" Kat glanced at Frisk, then at Asriel and Chara.

"Hey, at least you did help him," Kat insisted, resting her hand on Frisk's shoulder. "Even if it took a while…"

"Are we still talking about cooking?" Poppy asked, shifting closer to the edge of the couch. Kat pointed at Asriel and Chara. "Oh… Yeah that probably could've been solved faster if you just told us what happened."

"Poppy!" Kat growled, struggling to keep her voice low. "It's not a big deal Frisk, he's back and everything is going to be fine."

"She's got a point though," Frisk admitted, taking a sip of tea. "I do keep too many secrets, even things that don't really need to be secret." Poppy and Kat nodded. "So… from now on, I'll try to be more honest."

"Good," Poppy sighed, leaning back against the couch. Kat nodded. Frisk fell silent, gazing around at the others, gathered in either the kitchen or the living room. Sans and Toriel were sitting side by side at the table, probably telling each other bad puns considering their expressions. Papyrus and Ray were nearby, also chatting up a storm. Alphys, Undyne, and Clover all snarfed down plates of various cookies while Asgore stood alone, sipping from a teacup. Teri was next to Mettaton, of course, though her cheeks were red and she was looking at the ground.

"What's up with Teri?" Frisk asked, pointing at her. Poppy and Kat glanced at her as well.

"Oh yeah…" Poppy covered her mouth with her hand as she snickered. "I put mistletoe over them as a prank. It worked better than I thought it would."

"Did you ever take the mistletoe down?" Frisk asked, raising an eyebrow. The three fell silent. Eyes wide, they looked up to see a piece of mistletoe, dangling just above Frisk in the middle of Kat and Poppy.

"Guess we're both kissing Frisk," Kat replied with a shrug. Poppy let out a grunt. The two leaned toward Frisk's cheeks, pressing their lips against them. Frisk's face reddened. Kat and Poppy backed away, the former giggling to herself.

"Frisk…" Frisk turned to see Asriel and Chara, standing just before the staircase and gesturing toward them. They glanced at the others.

"Be right back," Frisk murmured, pushing themself off the couch. They stopped in front of Asriel, who continued up the stairs. Frisk trailed after them. Asriel dashed down the hall to Frisk's room, only stopping to gesture them forward before pushing the door open. Frisk slipped into the room. Asriel stepped in beside them, the two of them closing the door. Chara fazed through it.

"Are you okay?" Frisk asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine," Asriel sighed, ducking to sit on the bottom bunk. Frisk sat beside him. "Well it's just…." Asriel paused to sigh. "I'll have to tell everyone eventually… that I was Flowey, I mean."

"What makes you think that?" Frisk asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sans interrogated him," Chara replied, shoving their hands in their pockets. "Just now in the kitchen. He asked how he was really brought back to life, where he was all this time, all the stuff everyone's asking."

"You didn't have to tell him," Frisk insisted, resting their hand on Asriel's shoulder.

"I didn't," Asriel protested, folding his arms. "But he made me really nervous… What if they do find out what I did?" He gazed at his shaking claws. "Frisk…" Asriel's eyes watered as he met Frisk's gaze. "I don't deserve this…" Frisk's eyes widened. "To be here… I should be alone underground-"

"Don't say that!" Frisk gasped, throwing their arms around Asriel.

"Yeah, you deserve to be happy, Azzy," Chara replied, trying and failing to rest their hand on Asriel's shoulder. Frisk backed out of the hug.

"But maybe you're right…" Chara and Asriel glared at Frisk. "About one thing! We should tell the others that you were once Flowey."

"What?!" Asriel flinched back, his head scraping the top bunk. He rested his hand there. "But what if they throw me out?!"

"What if they don't?!

"They've got a point, Asriel," Chara chimed in gently. "You're never gonna feel comfortable until everyone accepts you… and they'll only do that once they know what happened."

"What happened?! I did terrible things! I killed Frisk's friends, I stole everyone's souls, I reset over and over again just to toy with everyone! Even with a soul I tried to kill Frisk!"

"But you did a lot of good too!" Asriel glared at Frisk. "You broke the barrier!"

"And?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Frisk looked away. "Okay, so maybe that's all you did." FRISK! They could feel Chara's gaze burning into them. Frisk looked back at Asriel. "But that was HUGE!"

"And I had to steal their souls to even do it," Asriel grunted, looking away. "But, yeah, you are right. They'll just find out anyways…" He looked back at Frisk, his eyes watering as he pushed himself off the bed. "Let's go tell them…" Frisk pushed the door open. The three of them made their way downstairs again, skidding to a halt in the middle of the living room.

"How should we go about this?" Frisk murmured in Asriel's ear.

"I'll tell them," Asriel muttered back. "All at once… I just need a way to get their attention." An idea flashed in Frisk's mind.

"I got it." Frisk grabbed an empty chair from the kitchen, pulling it onto the carpet. They place it just beyond the edge of the carpet. "Stand on that," Frisk ordered, pointing at the chair. They slipped through the crowds of monsters and humans to grab a glass cup and spoon from the kitchen. Walking back to Asriel, they handed the items to him.

"I don't think that's gonna be loud enough," Chara replied, folding their arms.

"At least try," Frisk insisted, gesturing to Asriel. He nodded, stepping onto the chair. Gulping, he tapped the spoon against the cup, the sound ringing through the air. The chatter began to die down. Everyone turned to Asriel, their expressions full of either shock or confusion. Asriel stepped down. He handed the cup and spoon back to Frisk and cleared his throat.

"Everyone… I have a confession to make." The others stepped closer, murmuring to themselves. "I…" Asriel looked down at the ground. "I lied earlier."

"Lied?" Toriel repeated, raising an eyebrow. "About what, Asriel?"

"I did wake up in the garden after…" Asriel bit his lip, struggling to look up at his mother. "But it was years ago. I came back as a flower… Some of you might know me as… 'Flowey.'" Something shattered on the floor.

"YOU WERE THE FLOWER THAT STOLE ALL OUR SOULS?!" Undyne demanded, shoving herself toward the front of the group and glaring fiercely at Asriel. The child took a step back and nodded.

"How is that even possible?!" Asgore asked, taking a step back. "That flower acted nothing like you!"

"WAIT…" Everyone looked at Papyrus. "YOU WERE THAT FLOWER THAT ALWAYS GAVE ME THAT ADVICE?!" He asked, pointing at Asriel.

"Err…" Asriel rested his paw on the back of his neck, looking away. "Yeah…" Sans said nothing, just glaring at Asriel with empty eye sockets.

"Hold up, hold up." Alphys stepped beside Undyne, gazing at Asriel with curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "You're flower I injected determination into, aren't you?" Asriel nodded again.

"That's how I came back to life," he explained, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "But without a soul, I couldn't love anyone…" He cast a glance at Toriel and Asgore. "Not even you guys…" Toriel covered her mouth with her paw. Asriel turned away. "It was horrible. I spent weeks with both of you, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't feel anything. I just wanted to love someone. I just wanted to care about someone. You might not believe this…" Asriel's arms folded at his chest, and he gazed back at the others with watering eyes. "But I decided it wasn't worth living anymore." Toriel and Asgore let out gasps, their eyes wide. The others fell silent. Even Undyne looked away awkwardly, her hands shifting in front of her.

"You really did that?!" Chara demanded, their eyes watering. Asriel gave a small nod.

"But then… I woke up again, in the garden," Asriel explained, taking another step back. "Like it was all just a bad dream." Frisk flinched. "I… I couldn't die. I don't know if it was fear or just blind determination, but I was stuck living in a world where I couldn't feel anything. I… I lost myself as Flowey." Asriel's voice descended into sobbing. "I did horrible things, things I never would've done before." He looked away, wiping the tears from his cheeks. Asriel gazed back at the others. "When I absorbed everyone's souls I… I remembered… everything. I could feel again. So, I broke the barrier and returned the souls. I stayed in the Underground until Frisk… and the others…" Asriel met Frisk's gaze.

"Should we show them what you did?" Chara asked, gazing at Frisk.

"We gave Asriel a soul," Frisk informed, taking a step forward. They gestured toward Kat, Poppy, and Clover from the couch and Ace, Ray, and Teri from the kitchen. All of them made their way toward Frisk. Forming a line with Asriel, they all rested their hands on their chests, allowing their souls to appear in front of them. More gasps echoed from the kitchen.

"You split your souls?!" Alphys gasped, dashing to examine Asriel's soul. "How?! Are any of you hurt?"

"Each of us have a scratch on us," Frisk admitted, pulling their sleeve up to reveal the long scabbed scar on the back of their hand. Toriel let out a gasp.

"My children!" She fell to her knees in front of them, taking Frisk's hand to observe it. "Does it hurt?!"

"It burned at first," Frisk replied, resting a finger on the scar. "But not anymore. We're fine, really."

"Th-that was incredibly dangerous!" Alphys exclaimed, taking a few steps back. "You-you should've at least asked me!"

"Yeah, you're just kids." Sans finally spoke up. "You don't have to take these matters into your hands."

"We know," Kat sighed, her head hanging low. "We just wanted to help."

"And I didn't think any of you would've been too keen to help Flowey," Frisk replied, pointing at Asriel. He took a step back, his soul receding back into his chest. The others did the same.

"I suppose you are right," Toriel sighed, resting her paws on Frisk's shoulders. "But you must stop taking these adult matters into your hands."

"Yes, even though you are ambassador, you are still just a child," Asgore added, dipping his head. "As are your friends."

"I understand," Frisk replied with a nod. "And I'll stop all the lying." Frisk and Toriel shared a quick hug.

"We all understand," Teri replied, nodding. The others nodded along as well. Asriel took a hesitant step toward his mother. Toriel gazed at him.

"And Asriel, I meant what I said earlier." She pulled her son in for a hug. "We will love you no matter what." Asgore kneeled beside them, also wrapping his arms around his son.

"And thank you for breaking the barrier," he murmured. Asriel cracked a smile, snorting with laughter.

Hours Later

Frisk sat on the top bunk, gazing at their bright phone screen in the crushing darkness. Ace was below them, their slow breath echoing off the walls. There was a creak at the door. Heart skipping a beat, Frisk threw their blanket over their head and forced themself to lay still. Shaking, they peaked out from under the blanket. It was Asriel. He stood in the lit doorway with a sleeping bag in his arms. Chara floated beside him.

"Mom says I can sleep in this sleeping bag for now," Asriel replied, laying it out on the floor. "Until she buys another bed for me."

"Still in this room though?" Frisk asked, tilting their head to the side.

"It was either that or the basement," Chara replied with a shrug.

"And I'm not going back underground," Asriel added, curling up within the covers.

"Fair enough," Frisk replied with a shrug. They laid back down and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Is everything going better now?"

"Yeah. Everyone was a lot more accepting than I thought. But..." Asriel paused to a sigh. "It's… all kind of weird." Frisk sat up to gaze down at Asriel.

"Weird?" They asked, tilting their head to the side.

"Frisk, I was Flowey for a long time. After being unable to feel anything for so long, it's overwhelming to feel even a little. And honestly, I'm kinda unsure… It's all so strange. It's not like I returned to my normal life. My parents are split up and now we're on the surface. It's just a lot to take in."

"Well, you can always go visit Asgore," Frisk replied with a shrug. "He lives in a cabin in the woods. Teri and Kat go visit him for tea all the time. I went a few days ago. It's nice and quiet over there."

"That does sound nice," Asriel admitted, smiling. "Just as long as he doesn't try to offer me golden flower tea again." Frisk and Asriel both chuckled. "So… when can we go? See dad I mean…"

"Well tomorrow's the first day of Kwanzaa so Kat was going to invite me and Teri's families over for a little get together, but maybe before then we could see him."

"Kwanzaa?" Asriel's head tilted to the side.

"Oh, it's a human thing. Well, more of a cultural thing actually. We celebrate our African American heritage." Asriel's green eyes still shined with confusion. Frisk chuckled. "Nevermind. It's a week long holiday. We celebrate one principal each day and ever since me, Teri, and Kat met, we've done it together. The first day is all about family so you, Ace, and Toriel should come."

"Sure," Asriel replied with a nod.