Operation Fix-It

by mmmimich

Summary:

Susie was, admittedly, not the brightest bulb in the shed, but even she could notice it. The tension brewing in the air whenever they all hung out, electric, stifling, threatening to overflow. Ever-present in everything, from barbed quips to stolen, terse glances when they thought she wasn't looking. That playful banter, those private conversations. Kris and Noelle had been doing this constantly, trying to be secretive and failing miserably. It was clear to anyone who took a closer look than usual what was going on.

Kris and Noelle were in love.

In which Susie is a Kriselle shipper, completely oblivious to the fact that it's her both of the people she's shipping are after.

Chapter 1: Obviously (Not) Lovers

Whatever it was Kris and Noelle were doing, it was getting old.

The past few weeks had been full of them dancing around one another in circles, coy riddles abound that Susie wanted no part in. Indirectness—the art of making someone else do the work of communication for you because you were simply too lazy or afraid to state what you wanted—was apparently a favored pastime of Kris and Noelle's, though she despised it to no end. What was the point in communicating your desires if the recipient of said communication was just going to have to figure it out themselves anyways? Despite this, it seemed like all of Susie's friends were masters at it.

That was a dilemma for her. Because while Susie hated indirectness quite a bit, she cherished her new friends a lot more, and so, she'd had to become somewhat fluent in deciphering all of their weird and painfully vague methods of expressing their desires. Kris was the easiest: Though they were a person of few words, something that initially pissed her off to no end, Susie had quickly come to realize they chose those words exceptionally well. In fact, Kris was actually a very direct person when they wanted to be. It just so happened that they didn't want to be that with Noelle. Yet another piece of evidence for Susie's current hypothesis as to what was going on.

See, Susie had been completely left out of whatever it was that was going on between them, given no information, and ultimately left to speculation. She disliked third wheeling, admittedly, but Kris and Noelle never let her leave them be, so she took it as a sign they weren't just tolerating her company. Particularly with Kris, they definitely weren't polite enough to tolerate someone just to be nice. Noelle… Noelle absolutely would.

However, the fact that they weren't simply tolerating her while attempting to hint at the fact that she wasn't truly welcome meant something else must've been going on, and Susie had a feeling she knew exactly what.

Because Susie was, admittedly, not the brightest bulb in the shed, but even she could notice it. The tension brewing in the air whenever they all hung out, electric, stifling, threatening to overflow. Ever-present in everything, from barbed quips to stolen, terse glances when they thought she wasn't looking. That playful banter, those private conversations. Kris and Noelle had been doing this constantly, trying to be secretive and failing miserably. It was clear to anyone who took a closer look than usual what was going on.

Kris and Noelle were in love.

"Gonna eat that?" Kris said, deadpan and mumbly as she'd come to learn they always were without the foreign soul, but slightly flustered—must've been from the proximity to Noelle. Wow, their infatuation was even deeper than she thought. The events of the dark world had brought them together in a very nothing else really could, and so, coming to Noelle's house when her mother wasn't home had become a regular event. While Susie certainly wasn't a shallow person and truly did relish in the time she got to spend with her friends, she also relished in the delicious charcuterie boards that were, for some reason, always stocked with at least a few heart-shaped items.

Ah. Noelle made these, right? She must've been trying to send a message to Kris!

"Course I am, dumbass," she replied, stuffing most of the cheese stick into her mouth. Moss-uhrilla or something, she wouldn't know, she didn't speak Italian. Susie decided she was feeling generous, though, and so, handed the leftover cheese, covered in slobber to Kris. They'd eat it, though, because they really were a dog. "Actually, here. Eat up, pup."

She snickered. Kris seemed to think it was just as funny, smiling impishly before devouring the remains of the cheese stick like they'd never had food before.

"So?" she asked. "How was it?"

For whatever reason, Kris flashed that grin of theirs at Noelle, huffing a laugh as her smile strained before flashing Susie a thumbs-up.

Maybe they were trying to make her jealous? It seemed like an awful idea, but it was possible. Kris was showing off how they'd shared saliva with someone else in order to prompt her into confessing her feelings—Like that one unfortunately good anime Alphys had forced them all to watch.

A pang of guilt shot her heart. Had she been unintentionally damaging their relationship by doing this? Susie'd always thought giving Kris her leftovers was innocent enough, even if seeing them eat food she'd put her mouth on brought about inexplicable feelings, but it seemed like Noelle disagreed.

Suddenly, the deer girl in question slammed her fist on the table with resolution like nothing Susie'd ever seen before.

"Susie!" she said. "I'd like to have a cheese stick too, please!"

Was she trying to make Kris jealous as some form of payback? Tch. Love was so complicated. Susie had made things worse enough as it was.

"Oh, sure!" she said, reaching over and handing Noelle a cheese stick. Maybe it wasn't about jealousy or love. Maybe Noelle just wanted a cheese stick.

But looking at the despair written all over Noelle's face, Susie was beginning to think that wasn't the case. She felt bad now, after all, Kris had started it, hadn't they? Noelle was just trying to get payback. Still, Noelle didn't need to make Kris feel jealous! That wasn't a healthy attitude to have. Especially for someone as top shelf as her! People were probably lining up in the streets to be her partner. She clearly didn't realize that, though.

"Y'know, Noelle," Susie said, shoving a cinnamon roll into her mouth. "You're top shelf. Anyone ever told you that? 'M surprised no one's asked you out yet. Pro-" She cut herself off to just enjoy the flavors of the cinnamon roll for a moment. Damn, it was good. "-bably 'cause they're all too nervous."

Like Kris. Kris was too nervous. Speaking as their friend who wanted the best for them, Kris needed to ask her out before someone else did. They knew how bad Noelle was with taking initiative, didn't they? Best to suck it up and do it themselves. Kris would be thanking themselves for it later.

Also, holy shit, that cinnamon roll was a heavenly experience. Susie could never look at the cheap school lunch ones the same way again.

"You made these?" She said to Noelle, mouth full of food. Noelle nodded. "Damn, they're good."

She continued.

"Y'know, I'd marry you," she said, and Noelle choked on air. "Just for these cinnamon rolls."

"H-Huh?" Noelle said, cheeks ablaze. Had no one ever complimented her before? That was upsetting. Why didn't Kris compliment her more? She had so many traits that needed to be complimented! "Not just that," Susie said. "I mean, you're wicked smart, nice, easy on the-" Wait. Why was she saying Noelle was good-looking? That wasn't something friends said about one another! Sure, Noelle had gorgeous sandy blond hair and the cutest little freckles and antlers that made her want to suck… And she had plump lips, and made the cutest faces when she was scared… but Susie couldn't say that about a friend! "Uh, yeah. Seriously. Someone's gotta take you out or I'll, uh, do it. Myself."

That came out awkward. She was trying to sound casual, blasé, point out how wonderful and attractive and how much of an absolute catch Noelle was to light up a fire underneath Kris. But for some reason, the idea of taking Noelle out on a date was different. Or saying she was cute, or any of that other stuff. Probably because Noelle was just so- so- out of her league, really, that even joking about it seemed completely absurd.

Ugh, since when had Susie ever cared about norms? Apparently she did now, for whatever reason. Her face felt like it was on fire and eye contact with Noelle seemed like the most nerve-wracking thing in the world.

"Cute…!" Noelle murmured.

And yeah, it was pretty cute. The pouty look on Kris's face made her want to squish their face and squeeze them until they couldn't breathe, maybe even bite them—an advanced form of cuteness aggression. Someone needed to kiss that pout off their face.

"Don't get all sulky on me, dork," she said, wrapping an arm around their midsection and squeezing tightly. Kris startled momentarily, though they promptly relaxed into her hold.

Noelle was staring again. Was completely platonic cuddling off-limits now? Damnit, Susie didn't want to interfere with their budding relationship, but this was a beloved pastime of hers! She couldn't give this up for the world.

"I think", Kris said. "We should go. Noelle has to actually get some work done, after all." They turned and gave Noelle the most smug grin they'd ever seen. "And Susie doesn't really like studying, does she?"

Noelle stood up, glaring at Kris.

"No, actually," she said. "I think she wants to stay. Susie could use some help with her homework, after all, right?" And then something about her expression turned positively devious. "And we didn't even get a chance to finish the charcuterie board, faha! It'd be a shame if I had to throw it away…"

Noelle's mouth-watering food, wasted, rotting away in a garbage can?! Susie was going to try and help them sort out this pseudo-lovers' quarrel and all, but Noelle's food…

Kris smiled back, looking at Susie. Susie looked back.

They both knew what to do now.

"Vaccum Forme-S!" They said in unison, before Kris hoisted her up by the legs with that upper body strength of theirs and let her absolutely demolish the charcuterie board.

Tasty.

"Mmm," she said, though clearly the atmosphere was too tense for that kind of thing. Noelle was staring at Kris, hurt in her eyes, and Kris was staring back with both guilt and resolution. If Susie thought the tension in the air from before was bad, this was something next level.

Alright. She'd let this lovers' quarrel go far enough. Time for her to excuse herself so they could talk it out.

"I gotta go to the bathroom," she lied. Noelle and Kris both nodded.

Susie made a show of heading upstairs and opening the bathroom door, waiting until she was sure the coast was clear. Kris and Noelle weren't looking at her anymore. Finally.

Time to figure out what was going on here.

She felt a little bit guilty again, this time, for a completely different reason. Wasn't it wrong to eavesdrop like this? These two were her friends! Her closest friends! Shouldn't she have been taking her own advice and directly telling them to sort out their problems together? But they didn't tell her anything! How was Susie supposed to help them if they didn't give her any answers no matter how much she probed? Clearly, asking up-front didn't help.

So really, Susie was just taking matters into her own hands. Wasn't that the right thing to do?

Noelle was still staring at Kris, that same hurt look in her eyes.

"Gosh, Kris," she said, trying to sound chipper as usual but failing. "Can't even let me have this one thing, huh?"

Kris stayed quiet. That only seemed to increase Noelle's frustration.

"You know how much I've wanted this," she said, tearing her gaze away from Kris, voice more terse this time. "You saw me try and try and fail, over and over again. I thought- I thought you were okay with it. I thought you'd be happy."

Noelle looked back at Kris, right hand clutching the charcuterie board tightly.

"What changed, Kris?"

Still, Kris said nothing. They really needed to speak up already. What happened to their usual bluntness? Why were they so hesitant to communicate the one time they needed to? They were about to fumble Noelle!

"Can't you say something?" Noelle snapped, before covering her mouth. "Sorry, I know that was-"

"...Nothing changed," Kris said. "She's my friend."

No they weren't. They were best friends. There was a difference. For one, Kris and her were always together, because Susie couldn't stand being apart from them for too long. They went places together, shared food and drinks, and cuddled but platonically. Kris was her other half, the fellow freak who'd managed to fill the aching void that'd been in her chest for years.

She wanted to see them. All of them. And sometimes, she had stubbornly intruding thoughts compelling her to find out what their lips felt like, urging her to just take them and keep them somewhere no one could reach.

"Friends?" Noelle said, letting out a tiny, mirthless laugh. "You don't have to lie to me, Kris. The way you look at her…"

"Just friends, nothing more," Kris said. Then, quietly, "...I wouldn't do that to you."

"You already have," Noelle said bitterly. "She looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars, Kris! Gosh, why can't you just-" she sighed. "At least be honest, say that you like her!"

Kris stayed silent in response. Oh, god, was that the problem. They were already together, weren't they? But Susie was messing things up by hanging out with Kris so much! Damn, she didn't want to hurt their relationship, but giving up Kris was something she could never do. Susie would give up her own life a thousand times before she ever considered giving up Kris.

"She's my friend," Kris re-iterated.

"I'm not blind, Kris."

Kris glared in lieu of responding.

"We're just. Friends," they said, before adding. "I won't stop talking to her."

"And that's not what I'm asking, Kris!" Noelle said. "Gosh, you're acting like I just told you to never speak to her again! I just- can you two please stop with all the cuddling, and- and sharing spit, and-"

"Just-" she sighed. "Stop acting like you're dating."

Kris glared at her.

"I'm not giving that up just for- you," they said, and even before Noelle's face fell even further with hurt, Susie sucked in a breath, wincing. Ooh, that had to sting. 'Just' for Noelle? And what with the way they said it, too? Jesus, what the hell was Kris thinking?

Noelle looked at them with a shaky smile and cold eyes.

"Faha, yeah," she said. "Of course. Why would you do something like that for me? Susie's your best friend. I'm just-" Oh, yeah, Kris messed up big time. "Forget I asked. I mean, we barely even talk anymore unless Susie's around, anyways."

Kris opened their mouth to say something, only to let it flap around uselessly for a while before shutting it. It was very clear they had nothing to say that could possibly save the situation.

Luckily for them, Susie was there to step in with her suspiciously convenient timing.

"Am I, uh, interrupting something?" she said. Kris and Noelle both hastily tried to look normal, shaking their heads in unison. It was kinda funny, honestly, how in sync they were even when they were fighting. "Let's go," Kris said, holding her arm. Why couldn't they hold her hand instead?

…Since it'd be more convenient, of course. Yeah. That was why Susie wanted it. Convenience. Besides, Kris was clearly with Noelle already, even if they were having a fight. No point in getting in the way even more than she already unwittingly had.

"Uh, yeah," she said. "Bye, Noelle."

"B-Bye," Noelle replied, her usual enthusiasm lacking.

Kris and Susie walked together, steps in sync, the cool breeze blowing at just the right intensity, like they always did. But the typical euphoria of just getting to exist in unison with Kris was gone, because simply existing and doing nothing was an impossibility when she'd just witnessed an argument and could see how heavily it weighed on them. Now, if only they could just- tell her, instead of leaving her to do investigation work just to try and help.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Susie asked. Kris shook their head, a blatant lie if she'd ever seen one. A sigh escaped her lips. Really, what did she expect?

"Don't lie to me, Kris," she said. "We're friends, right? If something's bothering ya, I'll find whatever it is and clock it." Their eyes widened with panic at that, right, the problem was the argument with Noelle, so they were probably thinking about her clocking Noelle. "...Or I'll just help you deal with it one way or another. Then we can go back to just hangin' out."

Kris looked off.

"...Let's just go to Castletown," they said, which was that wishy-washy Kris-speak for 'I know you're worried but pushing this is just going to ruin my mood even more, so drop it.' Why they couldn't just say those words in that order was a mystery to her.

"Alright," she said. "Last one there's a fresh and fragrant egg!"

Immediately, she ran up ahead of them, sprinting towards the school building. They quickly followed suit, speeding like a Sports Car, though not before muttering a fond "dork" under their breath.

"Am not!" she huffed, entering the school building from the back entrance and rushing for the closet. Kris caught up to her, panting. She just flashed them a toothy grin."Looks like I won. Heh."

"...Cheater."

"Stop being a sore loser and just admit I won!"

"...You did cheat, though."

"Did not!"

"You did."

"Did not!"

Man, Susie loved being friends with Kris. Sucked that it ended up pushing them away from Noelle, though. They were so close!

Well then, Susie decided, it looked like Operation Fix-Noelle-and-Kris's-Relationship was a go.

…The name was a work in progress, okay?!

Chapter 2: Mere-Exposure Effect

Summary:

Susie tries out an idea from not-so thorough research at the librarby- ahem, *librarby*. It doesn't work out too well for her.

Really, she should've known better than to take advice from Berdly.

Notes:

A warning that there *will* be copious amounts of teenage dumbassery and miscommunication in this, so be prepared!

Susie had been admittedly ill-prepared for the task she'd assigned herself. Getting them to make up, as it turned out, was not as simple as she thought. See, her initial plan had been to get Kris and Noelle in a room together and wait outside while they talked it out, but that, uh, wasn't really possible. It seemed like the moment they noticed any sign of the other, they dipped.

She needed to gather information and get more ideas. And there was only one place she could really do something like that.

And Susie didn’t like it one bit.

You’re lucky I love you both so much, she thought, standing in the library- or librarby, as Kris always so somberly corrected her, feeling completely out of place. A fish out of water, or more aptly, a dragon in a damn library. Librarby. Whatever. What was she even doing here?

Just- Just go to the computer lab, she told herself. She could go to rhe computer lab and play pinball to psyche herself up, and then, while she was at it, look up relationship stuff. Like, uh, Reddit posts. Those guys were always the masters of relationship advice, right? And so truthful, too.

Wait, was that site even allowed on the library- librarby computer?

“My, my, Susan, what an unexpected sight!” Came a jeer from the help desk. Susie fought the urge to roll her eyes. Of course Berdly was making fun of her. “Attempting to train your meager intellect, I see? Very well then, I suppose I shall have to assist you-“

Without so much as sparing him a passing glance, Susie walked up to the computer lab door and rattled it. She’d learned long ago that the best way to deal with someone making fun of you was to ignore them; it always pissed ‘em off real bad.

How did she know that? …Uh, personal experience. Yeah. That wasn’t a lie, just-

Oh, wow, these doors weren’t budging at all, huh? Wasn’t that just crazy?

“The computer lab is currently closed,” Berdly said, smarmily pushing up his glasses. “You would know that if you paid attention to Miss Alphys last week.”

Susie groaned. God, she wasn’t in the mood for this right now.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Look, just tell me where all the relationship books are.”

Berdly seemed flabbergasted at the question, face making countless expressions displaying various levels of confusion and despair.

“Do you mean… romance?” He asked, his usual affectation gone, and it was honestly insane just how much nicer his voice sounds, so much less grating. Of course, right afterwards, he proudly puffed out his chest, bravado right back where it was. “Is Susan finally attempting to wrap her simple mind around the concept of dating?! Ahah, fear not! I shall-“

“Not that kind of stuff,” Susie said firmly; “I mean like- those self-help things. Y’know, relationship advice, all that jazz. Berdly raised an eyebrow.

“You of all people? Dealing with relationship problems?” He said, sounding surprisingly genuine, before adding with that same old bravado. “Why, you don’t have anyone to have those sorts of problems with! Ahaha!”

Susie rolled her eyes.

“Don’t need to clarify,” she said. “I know I have no friends.”

For some reason, at that, Berdly’s expression crumpled itself into a pained state.

“Yes,” he said. “You… are the friendless one, mmm, yes. So true. I got one have never felt envious of your charisma stat at all!”

She raised a brow. Of course he didn’t, why did the bird brain even feel the need to clarify? Susie had negative charisma.

“Look,” she said, pausing for a second to consider what was about to say, and then giving herself the go-ahead. Noelle and Kris were both friends with Berdly, after all. “Kris and Noelle are fighting, and I, uh, wanted to see if… there was anything I could do to help, y’know? ‘Specially since those dorks won’t talk it out themselves.”

Berdly looked at her pensively.

"Hmm," he said, again, without his usual affectation. Berdly really wasn't half bad when he was being sincere. Hell, if he acted more like this, Susie might've just tolerated him! "I'm not quite certain what books we have that would suit you—Most self-help books are, um, not particularly relationship-oriented, I'll have to search to find any matches, but, um, if I may…?"

"Huh?" Susie said. "Not as the librarian, but as Kris and Noelle's friend," Berdly said. "They are both very reserved individuals. Both of them are far more likely to stew in their hurt than to actively confront the cause of their problems." Well that was stupid, but Susie wouldn't deny it was true. Kris and Noelle really did love being indirect with one another. "I believe the direct approach to problem-solving you seek to take may not work."

The hell was he trying to say? That she just- needed to stop meddling? Wait, no. That couldn't be it. Maybe he was trying to say something else entirely. Something like-

"Well then," she said, a brow raised. "What do you have in mind?"

Berdly pushed up his glasses—nerd—and preened. Ugh, back to his usual self, huh?

"Ahahah, my dear Susan," he said. "I'm glad you asked!"

---

Susie left the librarby with a headache, Berdly's chattering stuck in her head, and a surprising amount of helpful information. She wanted to slowly push Kris and Noelle towards getting over their fight. But she couldn't make it too obvious, or else they'd instantly clam up. But how?

That was where that psychological effect or whatever came in. The meer-exposure effect. Mere, she heard that damn birdbrain correcting her. Eh. Same difference.

The mere-exposure effect made someone like something more just by seeing or hearing about it a lot. And Susie was going to use it on Kris and Noelle. Okay, that technically wasn't how it worked, but still. She was just going to keep bringing them up to each other. Surely that'd help somehow.

Look, this was the only idea she had right now, okay?

Kris and her were walking around, like they always did when there was nothing better to do. Perfect timing.

"Kris," she started. "You ever, uh-" Damn, she miscalculated.

How the hell was Susie supposed to bring up Noelle in a way that felt natural? Just say 'Hey Kris, you ever think about Noelle? I sure love thinking about Noelle! I think about her all the time! Sometimes I even delude myself into thinking she thinks about me like that too! Yeah…'

"You know," she said. "I was thinking about those cinnamon rolls Noelle was making earlier, and-"

"Hungry?" Kris asked. "Mom made pie. Let's go."

Wait, what? What about Susie's great plan to bring up Noelle? How did the conversation get shifted to that? Not that she was complaining, of course, after all… pie! Miss Toriel's pie!

"But-"

"You don't want pie?" Kris asked, brow slightly raised.

"Of- Of course I do!" she said. "It's just-"

"...Then what's the problem?"

"Well, I just-" Susie realized there was no way she could spin this without either giving up that sweet, sweet pie, or giving away what she was actually trying to do. "Whatever, let's go!"

Kris nodded, though, maybe Susie was just hallucinating or something, they had an oddly smug grin on their face. Like they'd just won something, which was weird, because they'd actually lost out on at least half that pie—if Susie left that much for them, anyways.

Whatever. Pie time.

Miss Toriel greeted them both with open arms and a smile, putting the pie on the table and casually inviting Susie to sit down, like that was just how things went. Like Susie, the girl who'd told her child she'd be better off without them, was a part of the family now.

It still felt awkward sometimes. But Miss Toriel was so kind, so gentle, and Kris-

"Try some," they said to her, taking advantage of her mouth hanging wide open to put a piece of pie inside. Immediately, Susie chomped down on it. And yup, the pie was somehow even better than last time. God, Miss Toriel was amazing. At cooking, but also like, in general.

"Thish ish sho good, Mish Toriel!" She said, mouth full of pie. Miss Toriel laughed.

"Please, do not speak with your mouth full of food, dear," she said. "But thank you."

"Shorry," Susie said, before realizing her mistake and slapping a hand over her mouth. Kris softly snickered. In retaliation, when Miss Toriel wasn't looking, she took a large bite out of their pie. They glared, and took a bite out of hers.

"Kris!" Miss Toriel said, a stern look on her face. "What are you doing with Susie's slice of pie?"

"Yeah, Kris!" Susie singsonged. "Can't believe you ate so much of it… Man, I was really looking forward to finishing that pie!"

Kris glared at her, attempting to discreetly flip her off… and failing. Because Miss Toriel was right there, glaring at them.

"How rude, Kris!" She said, though her stern facade promptly fell into raucous laughter. "Susie, please, do not let my child influence you."

"Of course, Miss Toriel," Susie said, smirking at Kris. Toriel laughed again.

"Well then, I will be leaving to run some errands," she said. "Both of you—" she glared at Kris. "—Particularly you, be good, alright?"

"Yes, Miss Toriel!" Susie chirped, beaming oh-so innocently. Toriel softly giggled as she left.

Immediately, Kris kicked her in the shin.

"Hey!" She said.

"You deserved that," they replied, and honestly, she couldn't really disagree. "Be thankful I didn't do more."

Do… more? What would that even entail? Tussling? As if they'd ever win! Even if they did, what would they do? Pin her to the ground? And-

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Susie asked, her cheeks ablaze for reasons unknown even to her. Kris's smirk dropped at that, a flush dusting their cheeks before they hastily composed themselves.

"...I could've taken the rest of your pie," they said. Rebelliously, Susie gulped down the rest of it, belching loudly afterwards just to really rub it in.

"Too late," she said, flashing her teeth at them.

Wait. Susie forgot what she was here for! She was supposed to bring up Noelle a bunch so that Kris would soften up a little on her! And maybe, just maybe, want to talk to her. And then they wouldn't fight anymore, and Susie could go back to third-wheeling-kinda-but-also-not-really in peace.

Alright. Time to bring up Noelle in a way that sounded completely natural and organic.

"So..." she said. But- ugh, what about Noelle could she possibly bring up? Hmm... What did she usually think about when it came to Noelle? She thought a lot about Noelle. Maybe one of those instances would work. "You think Noelle's got any actual candycane-flavored pencils?"

She expected Kris to snicker a bit at that, maybe even reply. She didn't, however, expect them to scowl like her words had personally offended them.

"We could make one ourselves," they said, the 'without Noelle' part left unstated but still all too clear. Susie winced. They were, uh-

Wow, Noelle was a really sore spot for them, huh? Well, that wasn't right! She was their girlfriend! Or future-girlfriend. Wait, no, their argument only made sense if they weren't already together. But still. Noelle couldn't still be that much of a sore spot for them! Didn't they have any fond memories with her? Literally anything to think about when it came to her that'd distract from the argument of yesterday? Surely that couldn't be it!

"We should invite her too," Susie suggested, trying to bring Noelle back into the conversation. She needed to hear about Noelle, know what they thought about her. She wanted to hear Kris talk, their voice quiet and mumbly and yet the sweetest thing they'd ever heard, talk about a girl like Noelle—so perfect and sunshine-y and- Ugh, why were they so upset? What did she do wrong?

"If you'd rather be with Noelle," they said, not angrily- but still, in a way that made it clear Susie'd messed things up along the way. "You can just say so. Don't feel compelled to indulge me."

"Huh?" Susie said. "That wasn't what I-"

"Don't lie," Kris said, looking away from her tersely. "I could sense you had an ulterior motive the entire time."

Damnit. Susie knew they were sensing something was off, but- but how was she supposed to expect that they'd miss the mark this badly? She wanted nothing more than to hang out every second of every day! There probably wasn't a single moment she didn't!

"Of course I wanna hang out with you," she said. "I was just thinking about Noelle, and-"

"You brought up Noelle more than you actually talked to me," they said, and Susie finally realized—

She was kind of making an ass out of herself, huh? Why bother hanging out with Kris if she was just going to talk about Noelle the whole time? And after the argument they'd had, too...

Ugh, Susie was still awful at this whole friendship thing, huh?

"Alright," Susie said. "I get it. If- If you really want me to, I'll get out of your hair for now."

Kris sighed, long and loud.

"That isn't-"

"But-" she said. "You're a goddamn idiot if you think there's anyone I'd ever rather be with than you, Kris. I mean, hell, you've always been the only one!"

Kris looked at her, widened eyes and something absolutely unreadable tinging their expression, and Susie realized that was a very weird thing to say. Particularly to someone in a relationship. Someone who probably now thought she was trying to steal their girlfriend. Which, by the way, Susie wouldn't do that! Noelle was cute, and sweet, and- and the coolest, most intelligent, most good-looking girl in town, but Susie only liked her a normal amount. And Kris's happiness came first.

...Which was why she'd been trying so hard to fix their relationship. And look where that got them, huh?

God, she needed to get out of here before she made things any worse.

"See you tonight," she said as she stepped out, before adding a terse "Whether you like it or not."

She couldn't bear the idea of going to sleep while they were fighting, not even knowing if Kris still wanted to be her friend. If they didn't meet up at their usual spot she'd hunt them down herself.

For now, though, it was time to find somewhere else to go.

And preferably, somewhere near Noelle. Because Susie wasn't going to give up on fixing their relationship, no matter how hard it proved to be!

---

She found Noelle on the street, surprisingly enough, by complete accident. Just wandering around, thinking about how stupid she was, when all of a sudden, Noelle bumped into her.

...And dropped all her books in the process. Ugh, why was Susie so clumsy? Noelle was probably thinking about how stupid and careless she was right now?

Awkwardly, Susie extended a hand to Noelle, who stood there with widened eyes and a bright red flush of what must've been unbridled rage at the woman who'd gotten in between her and her partner—And on top of that, had just knocked down all of her books.

"Lemme help you with these," she said after pulling Noelle up, picking up the books for her. "It's the least I can do."

"T-Thanks, um, Susie!" Noelle said, an all too wide grin on her face. "So, uh, w-what are you... doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually," Susie admitted. Noelle went even redder than before, and Susie scolded herself internally for putting her foot in her mouth. After everything Noelle was mad at her for, why would she say something like that?

"...Sorry," she said. "That came out wrong."

Noelle shook her head.

"N-No, not at all!" she said, ever polite. "So, uh, is there a reason, or—?"

"Just wanted to hang out," Susie said, which was mostly true. She wanted to hang out and find a way to make progress on fixing their relationship. They made such a cute couple, didn't they? All those shared glances and antics, not to mention their chemistry with one another.

Even if it made Susie feel weird, she couldn't deny that Kris and Noelle made a great couple.

"Y-You- what?" she said, completely freezing up for a few seconds, before rapidly shaking her head and sighing. "Sorry, we can't go to my house today."

"Huh?" Susie said. "No problem! Let's just go to the diner. My treat—Kris's dad pays great."

That probably had something to do with the fact that she'd put an end to the days of that damn wimp giving everyone free flowers and sabotaging his own business. He seemed happy enough with the arrangement, which, of course—People generally enjoyed being able to afford rent.

Sometimes, though, he tried to pay her a bit too much. Not like Susie hated money or anything, but Kris's dad had to eat too! She couldn't possibly use the money knowing that, because she had it, he was going hungry.

When she pointed that out, he laughed and said something about how 'Kris really did choose wonderfully'. She still had no clue what that meant. Kris didn't recommend her to him, she just marched up there and said she'd start working.

"That's, um, wonderful, Susie!" Noelle said, muttering something to herself that sounded suspiciously like "I must be dreaming..."

Yeah. Being stuck in a long fight with her partner, with only the girl who'd caused it in the first place as company—That must've been awful, huh? Maybe Susie should be leaving Noelle alone.

But a selfish part of her didn't want that. She wanted to spend time with Noelle. Eat food together and look into her chocolate brown eyes and poke her bright red button nose and grab her and kiss her and-

Forget she said any of that. Whatever. Susie would just have to resolve to be the best company Noelle could possibly ask for. So much so that she'd forget all about all of her problems and think only about Susie.

Was that weird? Probably. Susie couldn't bring herself to care.

"Let's go," she told Noelle, motioning to the diner.

---

The diner always brought back memories. Of Miss Toriel, comforting her, telling her to dig in, of plowing into her food with a runny nose and lingering sniffles, of Kris taking her back there, and drawing stuff on the wall, and writing something so crazy they had to be joking.

Kris...

"The usual?" QC asked, and Susie nodded, handing over five bucks.

"I love this place," she said to Noelle as they sat. Noelle, for her part, laughed.

"Me too," she said. "Catti works here, y'know."

Susie sighed, long-suffering.

"I do," she said. "Believe me, I do."

Noelle frowned at that.

"Do you, uh, not like her?" she asked. Susie shook her head.

"I don't have a problem with her," she said. "But she doesn't like me. Pro'lly 'cause of that time I took Jockington's hat. Ugh, whatever. It looked better on me, anyways."

Noelle seemed to pause for a second at that.

"I, um, think it's because we talk a lot," she said. "She doesn't like that you hang out with me so much..."

Susie scoffed.

"That's bullshit," she said. "She's just jealous. Man, someone needs to tell her she doesn't own you."

Oh wait. She did. Except Catti still hadn't gotten the memo, apparently.

"Yeah!" Noelle said, before slapping a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, that came out wrong..."

"Don't be!" Susie said. "I like where you're honest. I mean, isn't it stupid to like someone less just because they hang out a lot with someone you care about? Who the hell starts fights over something like that?"

Noelle looked to the side.

"Yeah, it is pretty stupid, huh?" She said quietly, ashamed.

Right. She was probably pretty annoyed with Susie for everything going on between her and Kris, huh? Ugh, why didn't Susie think for just a second before she spoke? Whatever. At least it seemed Noelle was kind of over hating her.

"Food's ready!" QC said, the mouth-watering desserts placed onto their table. Susie valiantly put up a struggle against her primal urges to dig into the food like a starved animal. Noelle's here, she told herself, electing not to think about why she wanted to look composed in front of Noelle so badly.

Unfortunately, though, she failed, gobbling up the sundae like she'd never eaten food before, only to realize what she'd just done and sheepishly turn away, chocolate splattering the place.

"Heh, s-sorry..." She said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Noelle giggled.

"It's alright, Susie," she said. "Faha!"

They both dug into their food, awkwardly silent. The silence was comfortable with Kris. But not with Noelle. With Noelle, Susie was staring down someone so- so above her in every way possible, and she had to mentally kick herself for being such awful conversation. It was a wonder Noelle didn't get bored of her and leave on the spot.

Susie needed to say something to break the silence.

"Kris took me here once," she said all of a sudden, the first thing to her mind.

Okay, Susie was seriously losing count of the amount of times she put her foot in her mouth.

Noelle looked off at the window, and though she was physically in the diner, mentally, it was clear she was somewhere else entirely.

"Uh, I-"

"That actually reminds me," she said. "Kris and I went too, once. It was another one of those, uh, forced things."

Noelle idly drew shapes on the wall with her perfectly manicured fingernails.

"Mom wanted us to go," she said. "Kris didn't. Because their brother always took them there, and, well, it was something special to them, y'know? They really love their brother, Susie.

A lot. I get why. You'd get it too, if you ever saw him."

Susie nodded, though Noelle likely didn't even notice.

"We went there anyway," she said. "Kris was annoyed about it, I could just tell. They try to act all cool and scary, but it's actually pretty easy to tell what they're thinking! Though, that might just be because we know each other better than anyone, y'know? Or maybe that's all just something I made up in my head. Maybe I can't read Kris at all and I'm just fooling myself. Kris is just weird like that, y'know?"

Normally, Noelle would've paused to apologize, say something like 'No offense to you, Susie!' or whatever, but she didn't bother.

"I felt so bad for being there," she said. "And then, I, uh, I saw a mouse. And I guess that was what pushed me over the edge, because I, uh, started crying."

Maybe once upon a time, Susie would've said something stupid about it, but now, all she could think of was all the little things that'd scared her as a kid. More specifically, how much better it would've been to cry instead of punching them and clawing and biting with all her might.

"And you know what they did?" she said. "They grabbed the mouse and held it up in front of me, making a creepy face—" Of course Kris would do that. "And then they ran off to the door when I asked what they were doing."

She laughed, weak, and Susie realized she was sniffling.

"The thing was," she said. "I was so busy being annoyed with their stupid prank that I completely forgot about how annoyed I'd been before! Faha! Maybe they weren't doing that on purpose. Maybe they were just trying to get a rise out of me. But still..."

Noelle sighed.

"I just wish-" she cut herself off, looking at Susie like she hadn't even realized she was there. "Well! Um, looks like we're done! Bye, Susie, see you!"

Susie wished she could muster up the strength to say something. A lot of things. Like how mesmerizing it was to hear her talk about Kris, how she'd definitely be down to do something like this again, and so, so much more.

Instead, she just cleaned up and left.

---

Just like Susie thought, Kris came to the lake that night, a forlorn look on their face.

She'd bought some chocolate for them, part as an apology, part because she just felt like giving them something. Kris... had brought chocolate too.

"Take this," they both said at the same time, before realizing that they had, in fact, both just done that. Susie fought the urge to laugh at how stupid they both were, and how of course they both had the same idea, because she probably needed to be at least a little bit serious about this, right?

She fought, and she lost.

"Pshht-" she said, bursting into laughter. "We really are stupid, aren't we?"

"...Yeah," Kris said, even more quietly than usual. "We are."

Susie calmed herself down, sitting down next to them and trying to skip a stone. She failed, much to their amusement.

"Don't laugh, dumbass!" she said, before pausing. "Uh, for what it's worth, I really am, uh- sorry. Never realized how much it must've pissed you off, hearin' me practically just ignorin' you the entire time. Probably- Ugh, I suck at apologies. You get the point, right?"

Kris nodded.

"I'm sorry too," they admitted. "And about what you said earlier-"

They cut themselves off, looking towards the floor.

"You wanted to hear more about Noelle?" they asked. She nodded.

They paused to suck in a deep breath, leaning back and skipping a stone themselves, grinning at her when their stone actually made it all the way across. Damn them. Damn them and their ridiculously good stone-skipping skills.

"You already know most of it," they said at last. "She's sweet. Kinder than I deserved," they admitted to her easily. So casually, and yet-

Something so private, so vulnerable, from someone like Kris, like it was nothing? Huh?

"Easy to scare," Kris added, fondness in their eyes so blatant it made Susie sick for reasons she still didn't want to think about. "Everything: Mice, Ice-e, Santa Claus, humans," they snorted at that last part. "So I'd prank her."

"Really?" Susie asked, though she wasn't surprised. Even if Noelle hadn't told her about it, this was Kris. Of course they'd prank her. "Real sweet of you."

Kris rolled their eyes, though they were still smiling.

"I was just helping her," they said. "Noelle needed exposure therapy—she should've been thanking me, really."

It was obviously worded to just be a joke, but Susie knew Kris. There was truth in what they were saying. In a weird way, their pranks were a way of trying to help.

"Anything else?" Kris asked, and at that moment, Susie realized just how close they were. That unmistakable look of fondness, especially from someone as normally quiet and unexpressive as Kris, and the way the talked about her—

And then there was the way Noelle talked about Kris. Like she was off in her own little world, thinking of nothing but her and them and all the good times they shared together.

It made sense. They'd had years to get to know each other. They'd hung out since they were children!

Meanwhile, Susie was new to town, forever stuck playing catch-up. She'd probably never be able to reach the sheer amount of closeness they had with one another in a lifetime.

And just as it began to cross her mind how unfair it was, she thought back to that day in the classroom. Her grabbing Kris by the hair and screaming awful things at them, all the ways she'd picked on them in general, and she wondered just how much of that was her fault.

Noelle and Kris were so close, and so...

How could Susie possibly be anything more than a third wheel?

"Nah," she said, and Kris nodded.

As they sat there, Noelle's words rang in her ear.

"We know each other better than anyone else."

Susie tried not to think of why that indisputable truth hurt so much.

Notes:

Kris and Noelle: I am so comfortable and trusting of Susie that I am willing to share deeply personal information about my complicated relationship with my childhood friend, which I am usually too conflicted over to even admit out loud to them, with her.

Susie: Wow they're close... I guess I'm just kind of a third wheel huh... It's okay heh... (internally sobbing)

----

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I'm trying to make all the relationships pretty balanced here, so please tell me if there's any dynamics that you feel could've gotten more focus so that I can try to give them that spotlight later on!

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on Chapter One! I read and appreciated every single one I received, seriously, reading those comments was insanely motivational for me, you don't even know ♡ I'll try to reply to them all soon!

Chapter 3: She Called it "Kriselle"

Summary:

Susie learns some things about Kris and Noelle's relationship, and finally puts together her plan to re-unite the two... "lovers"? What is this plan? How will it go? Only time will tell.

Susie noticed more after that. A lot more, in fact, than she even had before. All the times Noelle talked about Kris with a glint in her eyes, the way Kris got protective of Noelle despite themselves—anyone with eyes could see how much they cared.

So why hadn't they made up already? These two cared so much about each other! They were perfect together? But somehow they couldn't pull it together and just- talk.

That was it. Sure, Susie felt weird about how close Kris and Noelle were, and she didn't even know why she felt weird, which just made things worse, but that didn't matter. These dolts were hurting themselves because they'd rather stew in their own misery than have a conversation, and Susie was going to put an end to it.

But clearly, she couldn't do that on her own.

"You keep asking about Noelle," Kris asked, raising a brow, the silent question of 'Did you really forget the argument we had just yesterday?'

Susie sighed.

"I just like hearing you talk about her," she shrugged. "You get all cute 'n sappy. Dork."

Seemingly having been completely unaware of how they acted about Noelle until Susie informed them, Kris furiously blushed, kicking her shin.

"...Don't be facetious," they said. Susie didn't actually know what the word meant. She rifled through her meager mental dictionary, scorning her shoddy education.

Confused by her lack of response, they stared at her owlishly.

"Hey, uh, Kris?" She said, feel incredibly self-conscious all of a sudden. "Gonna need you to, uh, dumb that down."

Surprisingly, Kris didn't laugh, or roll their eyes, or anything. They just muttered a small apology.

"Don't lie," they said.

…Well then, why the hell couldn't they just say that earlier?!

"Coulda' just said that from the start," she huffed, before remembering the initial line of conversation. "And I'm not lying, dumbass! You get this whole look in your eye, like you're in love."

Kris let out a bitter laugh at that, likely at the reminder of their love for their girlfriend… with whom they were currently fighting. For once, Susie hadn't just put her foot in her mouth. She said that on purpose, because every reminder of what they had with Noelle would bring them one step closer to fixing things.

"Y'know," Susie said. "Why don't you talk to her anymore?"

After all, they loved her so much. And for good reason, too.

Kris tossed a stone into the lake with all their might. It didn't skip.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered," Kris replied sternly, letting a shadow fall over their face. The blowing of the eastern breeze was the only sound as the silence hung between them.

And then, Kris's stomach growled.

Loudly.

Susie burst into laughter.

"Pfttt- Hahaha! You-" she paused, wheezing. "You shoulda' seen your face, Kris!"

"S-Shut up," they huffed, face cherry red.

"Really, though," Susie said. "You oughta talk to her sometime, Kris. You're an idiot if you don't."

Kris's fist curled up tightly into a ball at that, face contorting like they'd just been made to eat a lemon.

"You wouldn't understand," they replied. "She hates me."

Susie raised an eyebrow at that, disbelieving. Right. Noelle hated them. Noelle, who talked about them like they'd hung the sun and stars, hated them. Sure.

Man, it was just one fight. Kris really needed to stop being so dramatic.

"Like hell she does," Susie replied, pushing down her own bitterness. Noelle talked about Kris the way Susie wished she'd talk about her, and here Kris was, completely denying any of that affection, utterly failing to capitalize it in any form.

"...You should talk to Noelle," Kris said, staring at her wistfully. "You'd be good for her."

Right, because anything was better than the idea of Kris talking to her themselves, huh? And what was it with that 'you'd be good for her', huh? Like they couldn't help her? Like they were in some sort of wistful, picturesque tragedy, accepting the love of their life slipping away from them? Susie couldn't stand this.

"Ugh," she said. "I'm leaving."

Hopefully, Noelle would be better.

---

Noelle was not, in fact, better about it. If anything, Susie found herself amazed by how the girl managed to be even more insufferable about Kris than Kris was about her. Apparently, she'd taken that day at the diner as a go-ahead to tell Susie all of her thoughts about Kris.

Which was a lot. A lot of thoughts about Kris, more than Susie could bear to listen to, frankly, even for all she liked Kris. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it, honestly.

"Talk to Kris," she suggested. Noelle shook her head, an aghast look on her face, like Susie had just suggested she jump out the window.

"Oh, n-no, I couldn't!" Noelle said, looking away morosely. "Um, they, uh, don't really like me very much..."

What an idiot. How did someone with rocks for brains manage to get top marks?

Okay, fine. Susie didn't think Noelle was stupid. In fact, she thought Noelle was insanely smart. Top notch intellect that was only part of what drew her in. But right now, she was being really, really stupid.

Seriously, she had to be, if she didn't realize how much Kris cared about her. Kris, of all people, hated her. Sure. Sure.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. The two people Susie cared about most were childhood best friends with a love so potent for one another that even she could sense it, singing the other's praises to her, somehow managing to make her feel like a third wheel even when she was one of the only two people in the room.

And it wasn't fair that no matter how much she wished she could resent it, she saw them talk about each other, potently longing and infuriatingly wistful they seemed, and wanted nothing more than to help them, to make them find their way back to one another no matter what it took.

"Gotta go," Susie said to Noelle in a sudden fit, stepping away from her chair. "See you later."

She couldn't take this anymore.

"Um, later, S-Susie!" Noelle said, a flush on her face. From thinking about Kris, no doubt.

"Bye," she said, making a dash for the exit. God, she couldn't take this anymore. She needed to find someone to talk to, someone who understood Kris and Noelle better than she did.

…Susie was pretty sure she had an idea of who that could be.

---

"Hi, uh, Mister Holiday," she found herself waving awkwardly as she entered the hospital room, the guy in question perking up at the sight of her.

"Faha, Susie, you came to visit!" he said. "Didn't even talk to the sink first… you really are a nice girl."

The sink? Right, that was something Kris did a lot. At this point, it had to be a joke between the two, because seriously, every time. Every time! "Yeah, yeah," Susie replied, before quickly reminding herself that this was Noelle's dad she was talking to, and that she really needed to make a good impression. "I, uh, mean, it's, um, an honor."

"...Sir," she appended sheepishly at the end, causing Mister Holiday to burst out in a fit of laughter.

"Ah, you're gettin' all formal with me too now, huh?" he said, flashing her a knowing wink. Whatever the hell it was that he was 'in the know' about, she didn't have a clue.

"That's alright. I already gave you my, uh, shovel talk. Don't worry 'bout me any longer, Susie, just go out there and chase your dreams!" Alright, now she really had no clue what he was talking about. "Now, Carol, on the other hand..."

He laughed, this time, too hard, interrupting himself with a fit of coughs. Susie panicked—Damnit, she didn't know how to handle this stuff—looking for any sign of a cup she could find.

"Shit, dude, you alright?" she said, realizing she'd just cursed in front of Noelle's dad and slapping a hand over her mouth. "Uh, sorry."

"S'alright," Mister Holiday said, his voice weak and shaky, taking the cup of water she offered and chugging it down. Honestly, it was a miracle he was still alive. Really seemed like the fates were out to get him.

Speaking of the fates—

Nevermind. No point in thinking about a tragedy that hadn't even happened yet. She'd prevent it. They all would.

"What about you?" Mister Holiday asked. "You look like you just saw a ghost. You don't think I'm goin' down any time soon, do ya'? This ain't nothing Rudolph Holiday can't handle!"

...Right. Honestly, it sounded like he was trying more to convince himself than her.

Was that the case for her, too? Was she just trying to convince herself things would be alright despite the clear doom that awaited?

No, no. She wasn't going to think like that. Noelle's dad would make it out alright, and so would she and everyone else. Everyone would be alright.

They had to be.

"I," Susie started. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, don't be shy now," said Mister Holiday. "Ask away! I can tell ya all about Noelle."

How did he—?

"It was obvious," said Mister Holiday, winking. "Like I said, treat her well, alright?"

"Yeah," said Susie absentmindedly. "But, uh, I kinda wanted to know about, uh..."

Damnit, why was this so awkward?

"How does she feel about Kris?"

Mister Holiday smiled.

"You jealous?"

"What?! Hell- I mean, heck no!" Susie said too fast. "I wouldn't be jealous of that dork in a million years!" Okay, maybe the fervent denial wasn't helping her case, but, well, what else was she supposed to say? Sure, she'd been thinking all those things about how she wished Noelle would talk about her in that same, loving way, but- but that was different! Totally! "I just, uh, noticed she talks about them a lot."

"So you had a fight over it, didja?" Mister Holiday said, though, surprisingly enough, there was no edge in his voice. Huh. She was sure he'd tear her to pieces at the idea of her disappointing Noelle.

Man, Susie wished she had someone who'd do all that for her...

But that was just a pipe dream. Susie would never be as loved as Noelle or Kris, and all she could do was love in that very way she wanted to be. It came surprisingly easy to her, honestly, for someone who'd been slamming people into lockers just a few months ago. There were so many exceptions to the norm, people who were nice to her in spite of her fangs and yellowed eyes, and all she could do was care about them.

Maybe that was weird. Maybe Susie was a freak for doing all of that so easily. Maybe Noelle and Ralsei, and even Kris to some extent, were the normal ones, and she was just the straggler who had yet to catch up on the popular philosophy of staying put and letting things happen to you. Maybe Kris and her were both freaks, too, for getting so easily attached to people the way they both had. But hey, if all that was normal, she'd rather be a freak.

And, well, if that had drawn her to Kris... who was she to complain? She wouldn't trade what she had with Kris for the world.

"Nah," she said, with a shake of the head. "I think her and Kris did, though. They haven't talked in a while."

Mister Holiday's expression changed, more wistful now, somber in a way she'd never quite seen it.

"Ah," he said simply. Susie waited for him to continue. "Kris and Noelle, they... don't really talk much anymore."

Susie furrowed her brows.

"But-" she started. "We all hung out a ton. At least, uh, before."

Mister Holiday smiled at that, though the expression barely reached his eyes.

"Well, you're a nice girl, Susie," he said. "'Course they'll wanna hang out with ya. But you can only do so much, y'know? Kris and Noelle..."

For some reason, the way he said it—so defeated, wistful, like the ending was decided before the story had even begun...

It made her blood boil.

"One time, they dressed up as ICE-E and scared her," he said. "The little shit."

No. She knew the reason full well.

Because Mister Holiday—because everyone, including Kris and Noelle themselves—was mourning something that wasn't dead. Kris wanted to make up with her. Noelle wanted to make up with them. But they were too busy mourning to get it.

"But y'know, despite it all," said Mister Holiday. "Kris... Kris was always the first person she'd turn to when she was scared. Even though she knew they'd prank her- Well, heh, those pranks; I, uh, think was their own way of tryin' to help. Even if it wasn't always the best. They're a real nice kid deep down, y'know that? They really did want the best for her."

"They still do," Susie said tersely. Mister Holiday raised a brow, almost seeming amused.

"Really, now?"

"Yeah," she said. "They both love each other so damn much-" she paused, before deciding to just come out with it. "And you'd have to be a damn moron not to see that there's still somethin' between them," she finished. "You can mope about it all you want, but I'm doin' something about this."

There was no ensuing awkward cover-up or apology, because Susie stood by what she said. Mister Holiday was wrong and she was right, because she was going to get those two idiots back together no matter what it took, come hail or rain.

Mister Holiday, though, didn't laugh. Didn't scoff, or chastise. He just smiled, and this time, she could tell it reached it eyes.

"Heh," he said. "Well, if you think you can... Try it. They could both use someone like you."

"Uh, yeah," she said. "I'm getting Kriselle back together."

"Kriselle?" Rudy replied, a raised brow.

Kriselle? She'd been trying to just say, Kris and Noelle, but, well... Kriselle. That actually sounded real nice. Rolled off her tongue just right. Real satisfying, too.

Kriselle. Kriselle, Kriselle, she repeated to herself a couple of times, before nodding resolutely.

"Yeah," she said. "That's what I'm calling them. Anyways—" she stretched out her arms. "See ya. Those two'll be joined at the hip before you know it."

"Sure, sure," said Mister Holiday. "Later, Susie!"

She walked out of the hospital with a better idea of where she stood than when she started.

Kris and Noelle had been distant for a while. Even during their hangouts, that distance was there.

She also knew that neither of them really wanted it, but they both seemed to blindly think the other hated them. She had to factor in Berdly's words, too—If she was too aggressive about it, they'd definitely slip away. But she couldn't be too passive about it, either, or else nothing would get done.

Alright. Time to see operation Kriselle to its completion.

Notes:

Sorry I know this chapter is a bit short T_T I just wanted to get a lot of the planning and setup stuff done (you'll see I now have a set amount of chapters for this fic, since I've now pretty much fully outlined how I want things to go), especially since the next chapter will be... very eventful. In a happy or sad way? Well... yes.

My hopeful compensation is that the next chapter will be out a lot sooner, and like I said, be a good amount longer <3

Anyways, I still did love writing this, because I have. A lot of thoughts (tm) on all of these dynamics. In a way, each of them all a third wheel to the other two, but I never really see the way Susie must feel seeing this deep past Kris and Noelle have with one another, childhood friends, and what with the way Noelle talks about Kris... I honestly think she wouldn't be able to help a little bit of envy.

Chapter 4: How It's Done, Done, Done

Summary:

Susie finally, *finally*, makes real progress.

...But she isn't too satisfied with the result.

Something changed for her after that. A little switch, maybe, that Susie didn't even know was there, flipped with reckless abandon. The next thing she knew, she was plotting, and scheming, and taking notes—hey, it was the only way she could remember things! Making bits and bits of progress that compounded over time.

It all came down to how she did things, a method far more efficient than before.

It started by changing her angle

"You know," she said to Kris, one fateful day by the lake. "Noelle talks about you a lot."

"No she doesn't," replied Kris, a wavering attempt at certainty. They took a deep breath, skipping a stone and watching idly as it bounced across the lake. It was a talent of theirs, yes, she'd come to realize, but they had also honed this useless albeit cool skill for years, practicing and practicing, until they could skip stones perfectly almost every time.

In short, Kris was a total tryhard.

They were looking at her, then looking away, alternating between the two while fidgeting with their hands in a way that made it clear they wanted to say something.

"Got somethin' on your mind?" Susie asked, flashing them a grin. They fought with themselves a bit in silence before saying their next words.

"What did she say about me?"

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Lotta things, really," she said. "Thinks you're great. Talks all about those stupid pranks you pulled like they're the greatest thing in the world, y'know that?"

Kris perked up at that, tilting their head curiously as they skipped another stone. Susie tried as well—succeeding in getting the stone across with ease that would've been surprising to her only a few months ago. But she too had been practicing.

In short, they were both tryhards.

"What else does she say?" They asked, a frenzy entering their voice.

"Asks why you guys don't hang out anymore," she said, before deciding to push just a little bit further. "And I'm askin' the same thing: Why the hell don't you?"

Unlike every other time she'd brought this up, Kris could no longer hide behind the idea that Noelle simply wouldn't have them, that they'd gladly repair their friendship really, but they never had a chance!

Susie had honestly half expected them to start considering reconciliation. But the fact that they weren't—well, that indicated they had another reason, didn't it? They were being indirect again.

Tch. Kris was always so blunt with her about how they felt. Why couldn't they do the same thing now?

Their eyes narrowed into little black slits.

"It isn't that easy," Kris said. "I can't just-"

"What's stopping you?"

Susie had no patience for Kris's meager justification. Either they wanted to be friends with Noelle, or they didn't.

"...Tell me," Kris said. "Why don't you take this to Noelle?"

"Huh?"

Kris re-iterated, "Why don't you take this to Noelle?"

She was beginning to put together what they were talking about, but they continued insistently, like translating a foreign language.

"If you think we should mend things, talk to Noelle," they said. "If she wants things to go back to the way they were so badly, she can talk to me."

"So," they finish. "Why did you immediately take this to me?"

Because I hang out with you more, dumbass, Susie thought. But Kris's line of reasoning, as petty as it was, did help just a bit. Approaching Noelle might just be more helpful.

"Now that's just wrong," she said in lieu of honesty. She was feeling particularly scheming today. I talked to her."

"So how come I haven't been approached?" They asked testily. It was surprising to see how resentful they sounded.

"She thinks you don't care anymore," replied Susie easily. "Now that's the problem. You both have this whole complex and no one wants to take the first step. Someone's gotta bend, right?"

"Then let that someone be Noelle," they replied. Susie realized she'd done all she could on Kris's end for today. No point continuing on with a fruitless endeavor.

But she still wanted to hang out with Kris some more…

"Screw this," she said. "Wanna go sneak some chalk from Alphys's class?"

Kris relaxed immediately, grinning at her impishly.

"I found a back door," they replied. "Let's go test it out."

Oh, this was going to be fun.

---

They came out of the classroom with arms full of blackboard chalk and mouths covered in powdery dust. Susie looked at Kris. They looked back.

And they both knew what to do.

The two of them shoved chalk into one another's mouths, devouring the powdery, crunchy little sticks like it was gourmet. In some ways, it was better, because it was something only the two of them shared, and the rush of dopamine from that knowledge exceeded that of any form of food or drug.

"That was a good one," they said, mouthful of chalk, before smiling in a way that foretold whatever they said next would be provocative. "I did most of the work, though."

They were trying to get a rise out of her. Susie knew that.

She took the bait regardless.

"I carried us, dumbass," she said. "You woulda gotten stuck in that window without me there to help. Heh."

At the reminder of that time they'd gotten their head stuck in the window, Kris flushed, eyes narrowing into little red slits again, averted from her entirely.

"Shut up about that," they said, scanning their memories for recent embarrassing memories only to settle for something older instead. "Be thankful there weren't any cockroaches. You'd be rendered a shrieking mess."

"I- That was one time!"

"I always thought you were so brave-"

"-I am brave!"

"And then you started screaming, clinging to me-"

"Shut up or I'll bite your face off, damnit!" She huffed, though Kris just snickered. "That wasn't even how it went…"

While making a righteously indignant expression at Kris's lies and slander that definitely wasn't a pout, Susie noticed a white powder stain still remaining on their face.

"You, uh," she started to point out, before instinct took over. She darted out her long, bifurcated tongue and licked the dust, swallowing. Tasted like Kris.

They stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "You looked like a frog."

Their shoulders trembled faintly, and Susie wondered why, until she realized they were struggling to hold in laughter. Somehow, that was enough to make her burst out in a fit of cackles herself, Kris promptly joining her.

At some point, she doubled over onto the steps of the school entrance, clutching her sides desperately while gasping for breath. It wasn't even particularly funny, but it was to her, for whatever reason. She stood up as Kris did, staring at them, and for a second, it was like there was no one else in the world. No problems and no stupid prophecy, just the two of them, eating chalk and laughing 'till their sides hurt.

"Am I, um, interrupting something?"

Noelle. Her voice mousey, and meek, and oh-so unassuming. Susie wanted to grab her by the collar of her vest and scream "If you knew you'd be interrupting something, why the hell didn't you just leave us alone?" And then grab Kris and run away.

And why the hell was she stare at Kris with that blatantly strained smile, like she just caught them having a damn affair? The hell did Kris do?

But wait. This was a perfect chance to help fix Kris and Noelle's relationship! Susie could just invite Noelle to hang out, leave, and make 'em talk things out for themselves! Surely, after all the talking she'd done with both of them, Kris and Noelle would finally be able to talk things out like normal people for once?

"Uh, nah!" Susie said, suddenly all too happy to let Noelle join in on their hangout. "Kris and I were just eating chalk."

"Just eating chalk," Noelle echoed disbelievingly. Susie nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "Eating chalk."

Noelle stared at Kris, and they stared back, both again communicating in that indirect language of theirs Susie would never understand.

But then all of a sudden she perked up, looking happy—Which wasn't bad, per se, Susie loved seeing her happy, but she almost looked too happy, honestly. Her smile stretched out wide and thin, and almost seemed sourly tinged.

"Y'know, Kris," she said. "I really wish I could get what you like so much about it! I can't, though, I guess I just don't have the right taste buds. Gosh, if only I did!"

Susie considered comforting her for a second before noting the undertone of ingenuity, and opting to instead just led her take this wherever it was going.

"But I still really wanted to see what all the fuss was," she explained, and at that moment, Susie realized she was chewing something.

"You oughta try the real thing," she said. Noelle laughed airily, and immediately, Susie forgot how mad she was at her only a few seconds ago. More than that, she remembered, and then chastised herself for having such thoughts about Noelle, sweet, beautiful Noelle. Perfect in so many regards... If anything, Susie was the one who needed to leave. She had a mission, didn't she?

"I, uh," she started, trying to make up a reason to leave. Kris immediately seemed to have read her mind, if the way they suddenly grasped her hand was any indication.

"I did!" Noelle said. "It, um, was a bit too hard for me. Weak teeth and all. Faha!"

And then, she took out a little wrapper with a bunch of little candies in side, shaped like pellets, all with the distinct appearance of chalk.

Now that was interesting.

"So," she said. "I decided to have these instead! Faha, they're like if chalk, um... didn't almost break my teeth?"

"If you broke your teeth I'd totally break off one of mine too," Susie said in solidarity. "Stick it right in your mouth.... heh."

She felt terribly awkward after having said that, and evidently, Noelle did too, if the cherry red blush on her face said anything.

"So," Susie said antsily, as the silence began to hang over. "About that, uh, chalk candy-"

Noelle's eyes brightened.

"Yeah?" she asked, tucking a string of hair behind her face.

"You, uh," Susie started, pausing to push away the doubt clouding her mind. Doubt. Irony. That was what poisoned your story. At least, that was what the old man had said, and she was resolved to do whatever it took to keep his memory. The sight of his ashes on that jar on Alvin's desk, like some simple trinket or memorabilia, still made her shudder at times. Was it really that normal to keep people's- people's dead bodies out in the open? "Got any?"

Noelle nodded rapidly with the air of someone who'd just been done a great favor, in spite of the fact that the exchange was the other way around, with Susie benefitting.

"Sure!" she said, though instead of pulling out a new one, she handed Susie the little candy directly adjacent to the one she'd eaten.

There was a bit of her saliva on it, not much at all, really, just a little, barely noticeable slightly wet spot. Susie took it. This must've been Noelle's way of showing she didn't mind the saliva-sharing with Kris, after all, and Susie would be a fool to refuse that scrap of goodwill.

Noelle's face fell with panic for a second, but the pellet was long since swallowed. Delicious, Susie thought.

"Thanks!" she said, flashing Noelle her widest grin. "That was real good."

"Uh, y-yeah!" Noelle offered, seemingly flustered at the praise. "You're, uh, welcome!"

Still, though the interaction had left her momentarily taken aback, Noelle went right onto her previous, uh, 'thing', smiling widely and folding her hands together with an excessive primness.

"So," she said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to my house? My mom isn't home, so..."

A chance to stay at Noelle's? Hell yeah! Susie loved Noelle's house! Although a large part of that was the fact that Noelle was in it, so maybe it wasn't so much the house itself so much as the memories associated.

But wasn't that liking something? To love and cherish the memories associated? If Susie lost her memories of her friends, she'd have to make new ones in order to love them the same as before. In that sense, memories were kind of a love, in their own way. In fact, memories were love.

And Kris and Noelle both had so many good memories, so much love between them...

Susie had two conflicting sentiments in reaction to this information. One was an ugly sort of tearing sensation in her chest, making her want to destroy and destroy until there was nothing left other than the girl from before who pinned people against lockers and threatened to bite their faces off.

But that was far weaker than the need to fix whatever it was making her two closest friends almost always refuse to talk to each other and make them happy. She wanted to shake them both and ask them what the hell their problem was only to crush them both in a big, tight hug. Susie was going to fix this, and unlike before, she was already starting to make progress. Getting to the heart of the issue.

"I, uh, gotta go," she said. "You guys have fun without me. But not too much fun," she specified. "No burnin' stuff down or eatin' any moss unless you save some for me."

"C'mon," said Noelle intensely, grabbing her arm with fervor far greater than Kris's. "Stay a little! I mean, um, that'd be great, but if you're, uh, really busy, then-"

"What is this task keeping you so occupied?" Kris asked, raising a brow awkwardly.

"Uh, um," Susie paused, gulping nervously. "I, uh, forgot?"

"Surely," Kris replied, inching closer, bright red eyes staring her down in suspicion. "You wouldn't forget something important enough to make you repeatedly excuse yourself to do it."

"W-Well, either way, you both probably want some time to yourselves to, uh, touch brooms and stuff, and-"

"No, please!" Noelle said, stepping an inch closer and holy shit when did she get so close? When did Kris get so close? Did anyone else notice this?

…No?

She couldn't think straight. How could she, when this cute girl and her closest, well, person, were all both so close to her?

Why she didn't call Kris her closest friend instead was a question she didn't dwell on.

"I- Well-"

---

She ended up going to Noelle's house with them. And staying there. For a while, actually. Similar attempts at convincing them to hang out together would quickly end up the same way, with Susie getting too flustered to think straight, ultimately giving in. She wondered why her resolution so quickly crumbled when faced with the two.

Instead, she turned to a different strategy, the one from before.

"You know," she said to Noelle one day. "Kris cares about you."

Noelle laughed self-deprecatingly, as if Susie was playing some sort of practical joke.

"Faha, sure they do," was the reply. She looked off and it was like she was in her own world again, Susie long gone from her mind. But then, she looked back at Susie, forlorn and downtrodden, and Susie wished Noelle could return to that nostalgic world of hers.

"I'm bein' serious," replied Susie, giving Noelle a firm look. "Really."

This time, when Noelle looked at her, her eyes were hard and cold.

"Don't joke like that," she said, more insistently. Susie would lie if she said she wasn't just a little bit hurt, but she pushed on. "I remember you, uh, sayin' something about how Kris probably doesn't care about you anymore. And I,well, I thought that was stupid. So I talked to them."

"A-And, they, uh, said they cared?" Noelle said, trying to sound skeptical still, though her anger had been forgotten in favor of elation. Like a kid on Christmas, Susie thought, amused.

Susie nodded.

"Just thought you oughta know," she said. "You care about Kris, and Kris cares about you too. So-"

She leaned in close, just enough to make her point a little bit more clear.

"-Why don't you talk to them?" She asked. Noelle gulped, now herself the one unable to think straight, dizzied by their proximity. Susie had to thank her for that trick, really—Her and Kris both. Always a fun one.

"I-It's not that easy, um, Susie!" Noelle said, conscious mind more occupied by Susie's snout pressing up almost but not quite against her nose, and it really did make her feel stupidly giddy that Noelle was just as affected by their proximity as she was.

"Why?"

"Because- Because- um-" And suddenly, the words started slipping out, like a dam finally breaking under pressure. "Well, it's just been forever, and even if you tell me they care about me I don't really feel like it, and, well, it just feels like I don't even know where to start, and-"

"I'll help you," Susie said. "With all of that."

Seeing she had Noelle's attention, Susie continued.

"Look," she said. "I know it's hard. Hell, it took me months to finally muster up the guts to just say sorry to Kris like a normal damn person!" she continued, stopping briefly to gauge Noelle's reaction. "But Kris? They care about you, so damn much."

As Noelle was about to speak, Susie raised up a finger to stop her. "And I know you want things to go back to, uh, those 'good old days', or whatever, right? When Kris would prank you and things were all fine and dandy and the two of you cared about each other more than anything in the world?" Almost ashamedly, in spite of what a reasonable and even sweet sentiment she held, Noelle nodded. "Well, uh, that'll never happen. But-"

Susie could feel herself shaking, just a bit. Damn, she was bad at giving these kinds of speeches!

"-You can still make something great out of it, y'know? Kris'll prank you, and the two of you can be all close again," she said. "And it won't be perfect, for sure, but it'll be better than what you have."

Noelle, surprisingly, seemed to contemplate her words. For the first time, instead of almost immediately being brushed off or given a second of time, she was actually- it was actually-

This was working.

"I'll think about it," she said at last, giving Susie hopeful eyes and a small, but genuine smile. "...Thanks. Faha."

"No problem," Susie said, making a confident sort of pose.

And then, she toppled over and fell.

Good times.

---

She made progress. Lots of progress. In fact, the results were even becoming tangible! Seriously, it was awesome.

And then, on one cold winter day, Kris walked up to her with an almost somber look on their face.

"I… took your advice," they said to her, with the tone of someone delivering a eulogy. Did it go that bad? "I talked to Noelle?"

"How'd it go?" replied Susie, anxiously. Kris sighed, looking at her almost remorsefully, and by now, the only thing keeping Susie from freaking out was the slight trace of repressed giddiness on her face.

"We're dating."

Oh.

"Dude," she said. "Finally! Do you have any idea how hard I've been tryin' to make you two loverbirds talk it out already?"

Kris stared at her, lips parted in shock. She continued.

"It was so obvious you guys liked each other way more than normal," Susie said. "Can't believe I finally got the two of you to make up already! Man, this is the best day of my life! …Except for finding the Dark World with you, of course."

Susie wished she wholeheartedly meant those words.

The things she said appeared to have stunned Kris into silence, and they just nodded, blankly.

"Now let's go to Noelle's house!" she said, laughing as Kris hesitated. "C'mon, you scared I'll make fun of you two?" she snickered. "Well, you're right. But you're not gettin' out of it, you hear me?"

And Susie was happy for them, really, she was.

But that night, laying on the stone cold memorial bench, she lied awake wondering why she wasn't.

Notes:

This is done! Kriselle is back together, and that's totally, 100% all that's going to happen! The remaining two chapters? Oh, they're just, uh... just epilogues about how genuinely happy and not-at-all wistful or envious Susie is! The tags! Uh.... uhhhhhh.... Clever.... Misdirection? Krusielle? What's that?

(This author's note was brought to you by Susie Deltarune)

Actually though, to the person who commented that it'd be funny if susie ended up getting Kriselle together first... you were right. Poor Susie :( Let's all hope these kids figure things out soon!

Chapter 5: The Story Thus Far

Summary:

Susie has her own thoughts on everything, sure, and it's all been well-accounted for.

But things are quite different from Kris's perspective.

There was a time in Kris Dreemurr’s life when they lived. To live was different being alive—To cherish and feel and worry, to think about each proceeding day like it all mattered. It wasn’t even happiness. It was worry, care. For Kris, they lived when they had people to care about.

During their childhood, there was both their own family and the Holidays. Dess, Elly, Aunt Carol, Uncle Rudolph. They would play and play and eat and prank and play music together and do it all together. There was something special about doing it together.

They still remembered playing the piano at the Holiday House, the knowledge that Noelle was falling asleep to their music spurring them to play.

It was all gone now. Their fault, too. The dominoes all collapsed one by one. Dess’s mangled body. Carol and Rudy stopped showing. Asriel staying locked in his room, crying into the night. Noelle and Kris and their conversation. Mom and Dad’s fights. Dad moving out. Mom getting busy.

One, by one, by one, it all went to hell. And in the end, there was just Kris, standing in the rubble of the mess they’d made. The aftermath was what made them stop living. They traipsed through life haphazardly, falling asleep in class, sleeping, and tossing their soul until it bled when the pain became too much to bear.

On a lone night, however, they stood by the lake, when Aunt Carol found them.

“Kris,” she started simply. Nothing else.

Like a lifeline, they latched on.

“Aunt Carol,” they replied, their voice raw and shaky. “I-“

“Come inside,” she said, which may as well have been a declaration of forgiveness with the way Kris took it. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

Their eyes watered at that a little, covered up by their now overgrown bangs. Inside, Aunt Carol gave them food, made them a cup of hot cocoa, and the entire time, they could almost picture being a child again.

"You avoid us," she murmurs simply, in the midst of the peaceful silence, and Kris's dam finally broke.

They spilled everything that night. What happened at the bunker; everything about Dess—and how she was still alive; and how miserable they were.

By the end of it, Carol stared down at them, cold yet contemplative.

"Let's go, Dreemurr," she said. "If this is a prank…"

Her voice trailed off in warning. Kris just nodded rapidly. If it turned out their subconscious had somehow misled them, or their memory had gotten shoddy, they would still fully deserve her wrath.

They walked to the bunker together in the dead of night, loud beeping sounds making Kris want to cover their ears. Three four-digit codes, inputted in a frenzy, and the bunker door falls open, a jet black substance like condensated smoke falling out.

Carol had stared, eyes widened.

"You weren't kidding, Dreemur," she said, surprised, warmer, and some other things—Kris didn't feel like trying to tell with her. "This- This is-"

They stepped into the bunker. And there, inside, was December Holiday.

That was another day Kris Dreemurr could truly live.

Carol hugged her, even in her current, emaciated, dark state, whispered a "Who did this to you?"

Kris. It was all Kris's fault, wasn't it? Kris was the one who let this happen. They braced themselves for her to point at them in a fury, but that never came.

"Ac...cident," Dess murmured shakily, and Carol's expression crumbled in such a way that they thought she was going to cry.

And she did. Cold, stern, Aunt Carol, crying into Dess's shrouded form. It was teary, and joyous, and seeing Dess, finally, in the flesh, after all this time, even after everything—It made them feel alive again.

But life quickly faded. Nowadays, it felt like neither Dess nor Carol particularly seemed to care about them. A means to an end, perhaps. No, that was wrong. More like a dog and their master. Oh, the love was ever-present, but at the end of the day, the dog was still the subservient.

Ironic, Kris thought, that after all those jokes about being a dog, they were finally being treated like one. And they hated it.

Susie was really when they started living again. After all those years, when she showed up in class one day with that defensive posture and those golden eyes, they knew she'd be interesting.

And it was, really, finding all her uniquely awful attempts at tormenting them. She wasn't a very good bully, see, bad at being bad.

But after their escapades in the dark world, she proved to be a very, very good friend. Really, Kris couldn't even imagine a world without her there by their side anymore. The thought of it was so terrifying it made them want to die.

But that world would come to pass soon, wouldn't it? A shared death side by side, together forever… it was impossible. She'd hate them if she knew.

"Dess?" they asked one day, nerves wracking their voice. "You… think she'd—?"

They didn't need to finish. She knew what they were talking about.

A shake of the head. Kris looked at the outside from the bunker so deep underground, their eyes just barely making out Susie's form from up above. It was a long way up.

The fourth day of the prophecy was a nightmare, and thankfully, it was the last before a long, long break. More time to spend with Susie before all of the inevitable happenings. Time they could spend with their own soul.

But really, was that such a good thing? Was the joy of being her friend worth the inevitable misery that would ensue? Kris… didn't know.

Was it better to have loved and then lost than to never have loved at all? Most said yes. But Kris had seen the agony of heartbreak in screaming matches over the kitchen and a friendship frozen with time. They'd seen it in the sight of December Holiday's cold, mutilated corpse, how the visits to the Holidays got less and less frequent. Maybe it was better to spare themselves the pain.

They'd tried pushing Susie away. One time. Just one time, and never again. One day, where they'd told her they were busy when she'd wanted to hang out. And on that day, they were the most miserable they'd ever been.

Kris stopped trying after that. Honestly, it wasn't worth that agony. They'd already loved, now, all they could do was delay the loss as much as possible, if only to suffer it as little as they could. Susie was amazing, their closest friend, their one and only.

But then, they realized that Noelle was getting closer and closer to her, day by day.

"You're top shelf," Susie said to her one day, a grin on her face, as the three of them sat in the Holiday House. Kris really, really didn't mind if Susie and Noelle grew closer, they were a perfect pair, both amazing—they belonged together, but it made their veins pulse with an unpleasant heat.

Kris didn't know why. Maybe they were just an odd, possessive sort of character. But instinctively, like a child with a toy, they tightened their hold.

"I think we should go," they said, standing up from the plush Holiday couch. There were two places this could go—Watching as Susie distanced herself more and more from them, or having to be alone with Noelle. Be alone with her, the silence, and the piles and piles of guilt.

Noelle Holiday was the sweetest girl they'd ever met. She was so easy to frighten, so cute, so- Perfect, really, in a way. But she was weird, too. She was obsessed with video games, had an intense interest in horror, and beneath her sweet facade lied a myriad of quirks and oddities. Kris didn't mind the sight of her on its own. For a while, in fact, she had been their dearest friend.

But now, every time they were alone together, all Kris could think of was how they'd failed her. All the mistakes they'd made, and how they'd let their friendship go frozen with time. Anything but being alone with her, they thought. Anything. They wouldn't be able to bear it, not now, not when they finally managed to establish some level of amicable conversation with her. And of course it was because of Susie. Susie was amazing—hope and freedom intertwined. Her smile shone like a light that made it plain as day why Noelle was so enraptured. Because with a girl like that, who wouldn't be?

Not that Kris was, of course. They didn't deserve such feelings. They were a dead human walking, regardless—what point was there in fostering a relationship that would never come to pass?

"I gotta go to the bathroom," said Susie all of a sudden, leaving them alone with Noelle. Just the two of them, in a room together. The very thing they didn't want.

Wonderful.

I'm going to mess this up, thought Kris, the moment Susie was out of sight.

And of course they did. They fought, and Kris hurt Noelle. It made them want to toss their soul around until it bled, really, if only to bring themselves the same pain they'd caused her. But they couldn't face her.

Of course they couldn't.

Kris always was a rotten child.

---

The interesting thing after that was that Susie started seeming very, very interested in talking to them about Noelle. She must've overheard, they concluded, deciding to make sure her future lover and her friend wouldn't be too up in arms with one another. Susie was always too kind for her own good.

"You know, I was thinking about those cinnamon rolls Noelle made earlier, and, uh-"

Kris cut her off by inviting her to have pie. They didn't want to hear her talk about Noelle, couldn't bear to listen to this raving. Their two closest friends, the two they desired most, were forming a relationship, and leaving Kris behind.

It was warranted. Kris would accept it.

But that didn't mean they had to like it.

When they got home and Susie still kept talking about Noelle, it made their blood boil unfairly. Susie craved Noelle's company so desperately, didn't she?

Why- Why want to be with Noelle so badly when they were right there? Why did Noelle always want to be alone with Susie so badly when they were right there?

"If you'd rather be with Noelle, don't feel compelled to indulge me," they said. Two fights in a week. What a record.

Kris was good at pushing others away, weren't they? Their single talent. How wonderful.

The ensuing fight left them in a panic, until Susie said something very, very stupid.

"You're a goddamn idiot if you think there's anyone I'd ever rather be with than you, Kris. I mean, hell, you've always been the only one!"

The only one. What romantic wording. Did she even realize the implications of what she was saying, or was she merely saying things to make them feel better? Susie was always so kind, after all. So sweet. But also quite sincere. She wouldn't lie about something so-

The thought intruded in Kris's head, like an unwanted pest, that maybe, just maybe, Susie really did feel that way about them.

She seemed to initiate their interactions even more often than them, after all. Why would she do so if she didn't even like them? That was when it was planted in their head. That maybe, just maybe, Susie cared about them the way they cared for her.

They asked Dess about it again, later that night, while thinking about how exactly they were going to possibly make things up to her. Maybe she'd reject their apology. Maybe things would go back to the way they were before. Or worse, maybe she'd try to act nice, but keep her distance. That would really do them in. At least before, she'd still actively interact, even if said interactions were unpleasant.

"You think she might care too?" they asked, voice trembling. The topic was Susie and the partner of conversation was Dess, so of course they struggled to keep their guard up.

Dess shook her head. Of course she did. Really, she never liked their friendship with her.

"Why not…" She had to trail off. Words were always hard for her to form nowadays. "...With El-ly?"

"She would never want me," said Kris simply. "Not after all I've done."

"...Misses you," said Dess. Kris let out a derisive snort at that. Noelle, really, missing them? After all they'd done? And even if she did, there was no way she'd forgiven them for everything. For that night at the bunker, for pushing her away, for letting things drift apart the way they had—This broken friendship was the price they'd pay. Noelle would find someone better, Angel knew she could. She had everything one could ever want in a friend or partner.

Dess, indeed, Dess, in the flesh, no helmet covering her face up, they still couldn't believe it, looked them square in the eye. She cleared her throat, and all at once, said, "You're making a mistake."

Kris burst into full on laughter this time, devoid of any and all joy. Because really, now was their mistake? They made their mistakes long, long ago. The only mistake they could ever make now was so much as thinking to look back.

"I'm going to go see Susie," they said, climbing their way out of the bunker and heading for the lake. Dess let out a scoff.

They'd both brought the same apology gift, said the same words at the same time, until they both realized how stupid they were being.

They both burst into laughter, again, in synchronization. Another thing they loved about Susie, really—They were both similar at the heart of it all. Kris wondered just how few would ever have the privilege of finding a person.

Susie asked about Noelle again. This time, Kris reluctantly obliged.

They talked, and talked, and talked. It was an awful lot of talking, even for them, and a painful sort, at that. Kris would never be willing to think about how much they loved Noelle, how deeply they regretted letting her go, but it was easy with Susie. Being with her really did make her feel like they could talk about anything. Sometimes, they even had the intrusive urge to just tell her all about the soul and Dess. One they never acted on, of course, but an urge nonetheless.

When they finished, she stared at them, a forlorn sort of look in her eyes. Mourning, almost, and they had to wonder why.

"Anything else?" Asked Kris. Susie turned away, letting her bangs fall over her eyes and a rictus grin spread across her face.

"Nah," she said. She didn't seem like she meant it.

Kris spent that night wondering what she could've possibly been thinking.

---

In the days after that, Kris came to a conclusion—One that, while obvious, still left them with a vile sort of feeling in their throat.

They weren't stupid, really. It was obvious.

The tension brewing in the air whenever they all hung out, electric, nerve-wracking, threatening to overflow. Ever-present in everything, from cherry red blushes to stolen, longing glances when either thought the other wasn't looking. That awkward compliment, those that stuttered reply. Susie and Noelle had been doing this constantly, trying to be secretive and failing miserably. It was clear to anyone who took a particularly close look at things exactly what was going on.

Susie and Noelle were in love.

They shared saliva—But wait, Kris had done that with them both too—and had hushed, private conversations all the time. It seemed like every other day now, Susie was over at the Holiday House. The two must've been dating, really, there was no other solution. Sure, Susie came over to the Dreemurr residence, but that was different. They were friends. The intense blushes weren't nearly as frequent, and no one stuttered in a love-crazed frenzy. No romance, none at all. The bites were platonic, as was the sharing of saliva.

They remembered Susie talking to them about Noelle. Telling them that she cared about them, missed them, wanted to talk again. Kris couldn't believe her. Because, well, if Noelle cared so much, why couldn't she just say that herself? Why was Susie suddenly the proxy of conversation?

Why was it, really, that they barely talked anymore, unless Susie was involved? "Someone's gotta bend," Susie told them. It wasn't bending, really. Bending would imply it was a show of weakness, of giving in. That would be easy enough. But this was a show of strength and courage that Kris sorely lacked.

"Then let that someone be Noelle," Kris said. They didn't want to think about the idea of talking to Noelle, of facing, well, everything. It would be awkward and odd and all sorts of unpleasant, really.

They didn't think much of it afterwards. Susie was there and theirs, and that was all that mattered. Susie. Susie, Susie, Susie. She was their friend- In a normal manner of speaking, regardless of what Noelle had said, or that damned remark about how they were the only one for her. It must've been a slip of the tongue.

Life pressed on. They hung out with Susie, ate pie together, committed petty crimes, pranked unassuming citizens.

And then, one day, they received a text from Noelle.

Elly: Let's talk.

Kris rubbed their eyes for a second in disbelief. That- That couldn't've been right. Noelle couldn't possibly be asking to talk. Really. There was no way. No way at all.

Elly: Oh! Only if you want to, faha X) My place whenever you're ready!

Kris's hand moved before their brain.

You: sure, be there in 5

Well. They were talking to Noelle. Noelle wanted to talk to them. And apparently, considering the text they'd just sent, that talk was happening in five minutes.

They couldn't process it. They didn't need to. In a daze, their legs carried them over from their house to Noelle's, and before they knew it, they were outside the gate.

"Kris!" Noelle said, seeming surprised to see them. They were just as surprised to see her. Despite her sweetness, they were half convinced it was a prank—if only because even bright and kind Noelle pulling such a stunt was more likely than them wanting to talk to her. "You- You came…?"

It seemed hopeful. Noelle was- Happy, really. Happy that Kris wanted to talk to them. Really. How? How could that even be?

"Come on in," she said, and it felt like they were talking to one another for the first time. Two lovers, reunited, except they weren't lovers, not even friends. Kris needed her at that moment—They didn't know in what form, they just did. Needed to have her in some form, at least, have her forgiveness. It was foolish, entitled, even. She owed them nothing. They both walked in together, the motions occurring in a daze. All Kris could think of was the ensuing conversation.

They stood there in silence for a good while. Noelle was the one to break the ice.

"It's... been a while," she said, staring less at them and more through them. In the technical sense, it hadn't. They talked to each other all the time. But Kris knew what she meant. They could only nod mournfully.

The silence fell upon them again, awkward and stifling, and this time, it was clear Noelle wouldn't be the one to break the ice.

"I'm sorry," said Kris—And Noelle, as they quickly came to realize, at the exact same time.

And at that moment, despite everything that had happened, all the baggage between them, the two of them just laughed, laughed and laughed and laughed some more. For that moment, they were five again, and Kris had just made a seemingly scary face that just ended up looking stupid.

The silence fell over again, this time, more comfortable, at least, just slightly more bearable.

"Faha," Noelle said. "I wish Susie were here."

Kris would resent that if they didn't wish for the same thing. To blame her for something that seemed so obvious to wish for seemed seemed like the height of folly. It was to blame someone for wishing for money, to call them greedy for saying they wanted a million bucks.

They just nodded.

"It's funny, actually," she continued, seeing that Kris wasn't upset. "I know the first time we all met up at my place, I asked you to leave us alone for a few minutes, but you know the first thing I thought after you left?"

"No."

"I thought, 'Gosh, why do I wish Kris was here?'" and then she laughed, and even though it wasn't particularly funny, Kris was laughing too.

And then, this time, when the laughter subsided, the awkwardness fully fell with it.

"I miss this," said Noelle. "Y'know that? We used to hang out like this all the time." She snorted. "You'd always prank me, or do weird things, or- or-"

She sighed.

"Why don't we do that anymore, Kris?"

Well, Kris wanted to say, because we can't.

Because Kris had forfeited that privilege long ago.

"I'm sorry," Kris said, and Noelle could only sigh again.

"...Well, not like I tried to talk to you, anyways."

"I was the one that pushed you away first," they replied. And even now, here they were, making deals with her sister and her mother behind her back.

"I know," said Noelle, before sighing, the third time now. "Should've known you wouldn't want this, faha-"

"I do."

And now, for the first time, Noelle looked downright irritated.

"Then… why?" She asked.

"You deserve better," Kris insisted weakly. Noelle finally snapped.

"If you don't wanna be friends, you can just say it," she said, before promptly slapping a hand over her mouth at the loss of composure. "...Sorry."

"I want to," re-iterated Kris. "You deserve better."

Noelle just looked aside at that, gaze still forlorn.

"Susie," they started, and at that, Noelle cut them off again.

"Susie wants you," she said. "Anyone with eyes can tell, faha."

Despite her laughter, she seemed wistful at that, heartbroken. Which seemed foolish, because if anything was obvious, it was the Susie was in love with Noelle. If only Kris could just prove it-

Oh. Kris had an idea.

A way to help Noelle realize Susie loved her, atone for their mistakes, and prove they cared for her all in one. It was stupid, really, but dunking on the titan seemed stupid, and that had worked out wonderfully.

"I'll tell her I'm dating you," they said. "Her reaction will make it apparent exactly how she feels."

Noelle stared at them, eyes wide.

"You-"

"I have no qualms with doing this." Best to pre-emptively answer her question. "And you?"

Noelle thought for a while, before finally nodding in agreement.

"Sure," she said, newfound resolution as she nodded. "If you think it'll work, Kris… faha."

And that was the start of their very, very stupid plan. Stupid, yes, but not bad. It could never be bad.

Because that plan was the start of them mending their friendship with Noelle. Of mending Noelle and Susie's very, very weird sort of relationship.

It mended a lot of things, so at the end of the day…

Operation Fix-it was quite successful after all. Even if there were some bumps along the way. Like the one, immediate roadblock.

See, when they told Susie, they expected many things. Shock, anger, jealousy.

Not this.

"Dude," she said to them. "Finally! Do you have any idea how hard I've been tryin' to make you two lovebirds talk it out already?"

Two- Two lovebirds. Susie called them lovebirds. She was trying to get them to talk things out. All those times Susie had talked to one about the other, brought up Noelle with seemingly no context-

That wasn't her trying to smooth things over so her confession to Noelle wouldn't be awkward. That was her trying to fix a broken relationship.

As Susie kept talking about how happy she was they'd gotten together already, and how obvious it was that they liked each other, Kris struggled to push down the growing headache.

Things were about to get a lot more complicated than they had anticipated.

Notes:

To the people saying Kris and Noelle's relationship was sketch... you were right. Lmaooo. I'm sorry I was so vague in the comments, I just didn't wanna give things away lollll

And, uh, as you can see, things are different from Kris's perspective... Very, very different, to say the least. And yet, somehow, they have both managed to equally misunderstand the situation… sighhh these two are so stupid Noelle is also so stupid they’re ALL so stupid… pelting them with rocks

Also sorry this will be just a chapter longer than expected, I felt like this was a better stopping point for the chapter, and I want to do a Noelle POV next to make sure we’ve got them *all* loll

Notes:

Just a stupid little idea I had, hope at least someone enjoys! Susie is oblivious—I don't think she's stupid, but I feel she definitely has self-esteem issues that prevent her from fully comprehending the idea of someone else liking her, so she tries to rationalize it in very comedic ways (similar to her assuming Noelle's blushing and stuttering around her is a result of awareness about the dark world). Kris and Noelle both care about each other so deeply, even if they can't show it, but they both also really love Susie (though Kris hasn't quite processed that).

The answer is polyamory. Because THREE ART STRONGER THAN TWO ALL HAIL ROUXLS KAARD SPREADER OF WISDOM