(writing practice) sads!!!!

"Frisk, please leave me alone."

Frisk awkwardly held his arm, the RUINS feeling colder than they ever had before. Another run. He slowly walked over to Asriel and grabbed him by the shoulder, staring at the flowers together.

He could feel Asriel shaking under his thick turtleneck. "I can't come back."

Frisk shuddered under combined coldness and sadness welling up inside of his chest.

"I just can't, OK? I don't want to break their hearts all over again." Asriel let out a heavy sigh, knotted with hitches. He was on the verge of tears, and was dragging Frisk with him.

"It's better if they never see me."

Frisk gulped. He grabbed onto Asriel tighter. "We can figure something out. Mom, Dad, Alphys... someone has to know something."

Silence blanketed the room. "Frisk... Let me ask you a question."

He already knew the question. Something blocked him from answering.

"Why did you come here? Everyone knows the legends... Travelers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear."

What could he say? What would make Asriel feel better? That he was a fool-hardy kid who wanted to explore? That he was depressed and tried to do something cowardly?

That it was all an accident? A twist of fate?

"Frisk. Why would you ever climb a mountain like that?"

Frisk coughed out a pathetic cry, quickly wiping his eyes. He shook his head.

"Only you know the answer, don't you?" Asriel put on a weak smile, returning the one armed embrace. "I know why Chara climbed the mountain."

"It wasn't for a very happy reason." Frisk's voice sounded clogged. He clenched his eyelids.

"...Frisk?" Asriel shuddered again, but not from holding back tears. "...Woah. Heavy deja vu, there. Wait."

He felt Asriel tense up. "How long? How many?"

Frisk shook his head.

"You can't keep doing this. It isn't fair. To me or them." Asriel turned and put both hands on Frisk's shoulders. Frisk was wracked with guilt as he saw the tears sliding out of Asriel's eyes. "You need to let me go. They shouldn't all lose their future because of me. No one should suffer because of me."

"I never had a brother. Or parents. I was an orphan." Frisk stared down at the flower patch. He gulped again and put on a weak smile, a mirror of Asriel's. "I stayed with Mom for a few weeks before I asked how to leave the RUINs. Heck, I spent a year after we broke the barrier trying to get her back together with Asgore.

"I guess this is my dream, you know? Trying to build a family." Frisk brought a hand up to his chest. "Despite it all, it felt wrong without you. Like I was stealing them."

Asriel's smile grew honest. He wrapped his arms around Frisk in a weak hug, with as much strength as he could muster. "You're a good person, Frisk."

Frisk held onto the silence. The moment. Wind brushed against the flowers, and he tried to enjoy Asriel's company, even though it wouldn't last.

"I still can't save you."

"Frisk."

"Everyone deserves a happy ending."

"Frisk."

"Why-"

"Frisk. Wake up."

**

Frisk opened his eyes, panting slightly as he stared up at the ceiling fan. He took a few minutes to get his bearings. He was in his bedroom.

The moon glistened through the window. They were past the barrier. These dreams were starting to mess with his actual timeline.

Panic overwhelmed him, and he quickly shot a glance towards the adjacent bed. There was a lump buried under the covers. Frisk jolted out of bed and tumbled over to the covers.

Asriel was fast asleep, one of his pillows wrapped between his arms. Frisk climbed under the covers and gave him a hug, exhaustion tugging at his eyes, suddenly.

Everything was going to be okay.

"Bad dream, Frisk?"

Frisk nodded.

"That's fine. I love you, Frisk."

"Love you too, Az."

**