#still though the way she makes it it really just tastes like unseasoned beef

[faerytale-au]

Fire and Whiskey

Place: After “The Shopping Trip” Word Count: 2,844 Rating: T Prompt For Quarantined Frans Weeks: Day 7 [Progress] Cross Posted to a03 here!

@qfransprompts

Frisk looked at Sans curiously as they spawned back into existence, his eyelights instantly snapping to a door in front of them. She blinked as she looked up and read a simple sign carved into old oak ‘Grillby’s’.

“Sans? What is…” Her voice trailed off as she heard muffled laughter and the sounds of clanking dishware. She’d recognize those noises anywhere and wiggled her nose as she glanced over at her husband.

“Is this a bar?” 

“heh, not just any bar. this place is the hot spot of most seelie gatherings within a couple hundred miles. thought you’d like to see how we fae relax, from time to time.” She raised a brow.

“When you said a date I admit, I didn’t expect this.” Sans smirked.

“good, means i’m doing my job of keeping you on your toes.” Lazily he stepped around her and reached forward to pull the door open. Right away Frisk was assaulted by a blast of warm air and explosive volume as the crowd erupted into laughter at something she couldn’t see.

Her heart raced and Sans saw the mild reaction of fear shoot across her face.

He instantly went to close it but her hand on his shoulder stopped him as she shut her eyes to take a small breath. Sans had forgotten this might be unsettling for someone who had been isolated like she had for a time. 

After gathering her nerves she smiled at him reassuringly, much to his relief, and then stepped inside. A hush fell over the establishment as slowly eyes and flecks of light, crystalline gazes and stony stares locked on her. 

Frisk froze but easily loosened back up as she felt Sans step up beside her.

“sup?” He called casually. 

It took a moment but soon a parade of smiles and other positive expressions greeted him with enthusiasm, some by name and others by odd titles that she barely caught under the onslaught of noise. 

The feeling of his skeletal hand on her back pulled her attention back to him. “you good?” A nod was all he needed before he started to guide her through the crowded space, his smile wide and eyelights brightening the more fae he greeted.

Frisk was pleasantly surprised. She had no idea Sans was so social and watched with a growing smile of her own the more he spoke and joked with the patrons they passed. He barely even had to look at someone for more than a moment before he was shooting questions.

Try as she might though there weren’t any names for her to pick out really, none that stuck out as significant or special in the way Sans spoke. 

After what felt like an eternity they finally reached the bar and Frisk stopped in place, mildly throwing her lover off balance as he turned away from a half said hello to see what she was looking at.

He chuckled. 

Of course.

Bony brow raising he held out his other hand and gestured to the mythical being that had caught her attention. “frisk, this is grillby, the owner and a good friend of mine. grillby, my girlfriend, frisk.”

She swallowed as she took in his form.

Half obscured by the bar all she could see was the top of him, but it was more than enough. He was tall, taller than Sans but not nearly as tall as Papyrus, and he was dressed in a simple ensemble one that looked as if it was spun from silk.

But what really stood out about him was the fact he was made of fire, golden fire, with hints of green flame tracing along the edge of his...hair? Which was slicked back, thicker in the front before tapering off, in appearance but still flickering where she could discern tips were. 

“Frisk? Ah so this must be the new mage you brought home.” His voice was hard to describe. It was almost soothing the way it sounded, like a sting of hisses and crackles that blended but didn’t pop at the end. 

Why she was focused on that and not the fact he was speaking without seemingly having a mouth she didn’t know. Her thoughts must have shone on her face because Sans leaned into her field of vision and wiggled his phalanges.

“maaagic.” 

She frowned. “I knew you’d say that.” 

Both he and Grillby laughed, the latter indicating two barstools for them to sit at.

“Have a seat, I’ll be with you both in just a moment, I was just about to go collect on a tab.” Sans felt a chill shoot down his spine and his eyelights momentarily went out before he forced them back into existence.

“uh, if you want we can come back later.” Frisk looked at him but Grillby’s fiery eyes filled with amusement.

“Nonsense. You’ve been going on about her for weeks now, I wish to meet her.” Frisk felt her cheeks burn. Sans had been talking about her? Giddiness and a gentle flare of happiness had her grinning at the skeleton.

“Has he?” The light blue in his cheekbones was satisfying. Grillby chuckled at the exchange as he leaned down and pulled out two menus, elegant black folders with a single stylized sheet of paper in it, the lettering in a fine delicate script. 

“One moment.” Frisk watched as he excused himself and turned to a door at the far end of the bar and vanished through it. Literally vanished, he walked right through it leaving a flaming ripple that quickly dispersed into the air.

“Did he just--walk into that door?”

Sans looked at her. “i’m not the only one that has a few tricks.” Her cheeks got brighter.

“But his clothing…” Frisk had never spoken about clothing before, he didn’t even think she cared about such things. What about Grillby’s had her so focused on them? And Sans for the first time quietly felt a small tinge of irrational jealousy. 

Welp, he didn’t know that was an emotion he was capable of. 

He shook his skull and shrugged, merely wiggled his digits again teasingly as he peered down at the menu. The small groan she gave him was more than enough to stomp out that bizarre feeling in his bones as he pointed to something.

“this is what i usually get.” She leaned over to look and snorted.

“It’s called, ‘The Worst Burger On The Menu’? That’s very direct isn’t it?” Reading further it only seemed to live up to its name. It was simply a plain bun with an unseasoned slice of beef and cheese, but she did notice it was the cheapest. “Huh, okay I get why it’s called that.”

Sans smirked. “don’t dis it just yet babe. it may be considered the worst burger on the menu but anything grillby cooks tastes amazing. really this is the closest you can get to a discount.” 

She smiled as she looked at the other items but decided she’d go with his suggestion, after all this was her first time here and Sans seemed to know what he was doing. Absently she closed the menu and turned slightly more towards him.

“So, what do you do on a date?” Sans had been looking down at the drinks when he blinked and slowly looked up at her.

“uh...did you not go on any dates while i was gone?” Not that he had any room to talk but there it was again, that suffocating sensation of silent envy that made him uncomfortable. What was with him tonight? “never mind scratch that i don’t want to know.” 

Frisk for some reason though giggled and still answered him anyway. “No I didn’t.”

Sans pointedly ignored how that sent a bolt of warmth through his soul.

“well, on dates we just talk and hang out, get to know each other better.” She was thoughtful for a minute and then grinned smugly, a mischievous twinkle lighting up her yellow irises.

“Oh, then I have been on dates, several.” He stared at her and disliked the way his shoulders tensed at that. Frisk was enjoying watching him try not to shift in his seat as he spoke a little too easily, his tone dripping forced detachment.

“that so?” She hummed.

“Yep, with a certain skeleton. We used to talk and hang out all the time. Before he stood me up for three years.” 

That didn’t make him uncomfortable at all.

“that is definitely not the same thing.” He deadpanned. The door to the back actually opened this time as Grillby reemerged and without missing a beat he was once more in front of Frisk again.

“Sorry for the wait, have you both decided on what you’d like?” 

Sans handed the menus back. “two of your worst grillz.” Grillby’s fiery eyes curved in what Frisk could only read as false sweetness as he responded.

“Will that be going on your tab tonight?” Sans’s chuckle was awkward.

“nah, i’m paying this time.” Grillby’s face moved and Frisk imagined brows rising to his hairline as he panned his baffled expression over to her. His words were awed.

“What have you done to him?” Done to him? Frisk took a moment but as soon as she understood what he was implying she broke into a high pitched laugh. Sans’s glower at Grillby only lasted a moment before turning into a surprised stare as he watched her absolutely lose her mind.

Frisk...had never laughed like that before had she?

His eyelights precariously wavered and he instead shut his sockets as he enjoyed the light and breathy sound. When she calmed he was already reaching over and brushing a thumb against the back of her hand.

Frisk stiffened and demurely looked away as she slowly laced her fingers with his, making sure she gave Grillby an apologetic smile, but the flaming fae didn’t pay them any mind as he turned and went once more into the back room.

She took the opportunity.

“S-so…” Wow it was hard to concentrate holding Sans’s hand. “W-what kind of Seelie is Grillby?” 

“hmm?” Sans blinked. “oh grillz? he’s a salamander.”

...A...Salamander…

“Grillby looked nothing like a lizard.” Sans choked and reluctantly let go of her hand to press his own against his sockets. He composed himself and gave Frisk an impish flash of his teeth.

“you haven’t seen him mad.” Frisk did not like the look on his face and her apprehension only grew as Grillby came back out and Sans looked suspiciously at one of the liquor bottles on one of the three shelves lining the wall. 

He remembered the first time he’d seen a Salamander and he’d never forget it too. Who was he to deny Frisk such an experience? If anything she’d only learn from it, this would be educational, and a chance for her to marvel at the Fae species even more.

Sans had an idea.

“Here you are.” Grillby proceeded to set their food in front of them one at a time from his carrying tray. Sans let him get to Frisk’s before sneakily aiming for one of the more expensive booze bottles and focusing his magic to levitate it into one of the lower cabinets the bartender kept.

Frisk didn’t know if she should’ve stopped him or what to do. Sans was obviously about to pull a prank on the...salamander...and she wasn’t sure that was such a smart idea. He had told her countless stories of wars and other events that had happened between Fae just from a misread look in her youth.

And here he was acting like that wasn’t a big deal at all.

Should she somehow get a hold of Papyrus?

“hey grillz?” Grillby slipped his serving tray under his arm as he acknowledged Sans with a glance. The skeleton lifted one shoulder as he gestured to the liquor shelves. “mind giving me a shot of some of your fire whisky?” 

The look he gave him was skeptical. “I thought you said you were paying tonight.” 

Frisk took a hasty bite of her burger just as Sans frowned. Oh! She chewed a few more times as she focused on the burger. It was good! For one that didn’t have any toppings or condiments it was really savory.

“i will, c’mon it’s just one shot. not going to hold out on me are you?” Sans gave his best puppy eyes, well what his sockets would allow him. Grillby rolled his eyes in both annoyance and affection. Heh, he never could deny Sans anything, guy was a big softie. 

Sans braced himself as Grillby turned and set his tray down only to stop as he noticed the sore thumb that was the empty slot on his lower shelf. 

Grillby had two rules in his bar; one don’t start any fights, and two…

Don’t touch his booze without permission.

Ever.

“...Sans…” Frisk had to stop eating at how low Grillby said Sans’s name, the tone was light but the weight behind it sent tingles up her arms. Sans looked completely innocent as he lifted his burger and took a bite.

“yeah grillz?” He spoke around a mouthful.

The whole bar seemed to go silent, and the light around Grillby looked as if it was sucked out of the air and into his body as he simultaneously brightened. “Where’s my Fire Whiskey?”

“Uh…” Frisk went silent as she watched Sans continue to eat completely unfazed.

“why do you think i’d know?” 

Grillby was unamused.

“Because it was there until you conveniently asked for it.” Something flickered in his eyes as he realized something, his flames surging for a moment as he looked over at Frisk before looking at Sans again. “Are you trying to get me riled?” 

Sans deflated.

“don’t know what you mean--” 

Grillby was suddenly in his face, the bartender’s eyes spreading and morphing into fiery draconic rounded slits as the hair that had been so pertinaciously slicked back sprung up and curved. His form wavered and went pulsing like an inferno, like the after image of visible heat in a desert.

Frisk jolted but didn’t scream, she was too mesmerized as the curving hair and two other jets of flame took shape into what she could only equate to an Axolotl’s Ferns to frame his face. 

His body darkened and turned partly solidified at its core like magma as the wall of fire at where a mouth should’ve been suddenly split into a white hot jagged line to spill out a forked tongue of green flame.

That’s what Sans had meant!?

Sans smirked, the look on Frisk’s face exactly what he’d been aiming for. 

But Grillby was having none of it.

“If you are pleased with yourself…” His voice was a hot and dark hiss but low enough that only Frisk and Sans could hear even in the thick silence of the bar. “Sans Aster Serif Skeleton, tell me where my alcohol is.”

Sans mentally cursed as a haze came over his mind and his tone came out a drone, the Salamander’s ability to use one’s full name against them compelling his answer. “the cabinet.”

Dangit.

Frisk felt her awe at Grillby’s form take a nosedive as her stomach twisted at how robotic and distant Sans seemed. 

It was like Grillby had placed him under a spell and Sans did nothing but stare blankly as the salamander whipped around and threw the cabinet doors open.

“Thank you.” Like a snap the hold Sans felt broke. 

He shook his skull and the look he shot Grillby shocked Frisk at the hostility she saw in it. 

He looked angry. 

Grillby on the other hand though seemed to relax, his form slowly changing back to what it had been before as he replaced the bottle on the shelf.

“Now.” Grillby turned back towards Frisk. “Sans mentioned you liked books.” She was so shocked at how easily he acted as if nothing had happened that she could only nod automatically. 

Sans simply lifted his burger to finish eating. 

At least Frisk hadn’t freaked out or anything when she’d seen a glimpse of Grillby’s true form and that had to be some progress at least. Sans was willing to bet if she’d seen him before settling in she’d have been terrified. 

He looked at her from the corner of his socket as Grillby continued to speak to her.

Frisk really was adjusting to being around Seelie rather quickly. So much faster than any other mage he’d seen before and this was technically only her fourth time out of the house. There was a point he knew she would have been terrified of such a thing.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as long as he thought before she was happy with her new life. He could already see her practically glowing.

The way she cuddled against him later in the warmth of their home only solidified that hope and he couldn’t come to regret his failed prank with just how happy he felt.

Salamander’s were cool.

But Frisk’s happiness was cooler. 

#fransfun #faerytale #prompts #quarantined fransweek #day 7 #progress #grillby #sans x frisk #adult frans #frans