Chapter Text
It's 8 AM on a snowy December 25th.
The main 4 had previously discussed plans for their holidays off, and finally decided on spending both Christmas and New Year's at Noelle's.
Christmas comes to Hometown quietly.
Snow dusts the sidewalks in uneven patches, clinging to fence posts and mailboxes. Lights flicker on porches that don't usually bother. Somewhere down the street, someone's playing Christmas music too loud, off-key and enthusiastic.
Noelle loves it.
She's been up since dawn, as she went to visit her father, Rudy, in the hospital, for Christmas. Now she's pacing between the living room and the kitchen, checking the clock every few minutes like it might lie to her. The house smells like cinnamon and pine cleaner. Her mom has already left for a holiday shift, double pay, she'd said, apologetic but firm, so the house is quiet except for Noelle's own excitement.
She smooths out the tablecloth for the third time and glances at the door.
"They should be here soon," she murmurs to herself, smiling.
Kris arrives first, coat buttoned wrong, hair still slightly damp like they didn't fully dry it. They hold a small paper bag in one hand, crumpled from being gripped too tightly.
"Hi!" Noelle says, a little too loud. "You made it!"
Kris nods, stepping inside, eyes flicking over the decorations. Garland on the banister, ornaments carefully spaced, a tree that looks like it was fluffed and refluffed until it reached some internal standard of perfect.
"…It's nice..." They say, quietly.
Berdly follows a minute later, scarf coordinated with his sweater in a way that looks suspiciously intentional.
"Festive." He declares, adjusting his glasses. "Very… aggressively festive."
Noelle laughs. "That's kind of the point."
Kris and Berdly exchange a look. Neither of them hate Christmas, exactly. They just don't… feel it. Not the way Noelle does. For them, it's heavy. Memories. Expectations. Too much quiet, or too much noise. But they're here. That counts.
They sit. Talk. Noelle brings out cookies shaped like reindeer that look almost too cute to eat. Berdly critiques the frosting symmetry. Kris listens more than they talk, hands wrapped around a mug they haven't sipped from yet.
"So," Noelle says after a bit, glancing at the door again. "Susie should be—"
The knock comes right on cue.
Noelle nearly trips over the rug getting to it.
Susie stands on the porch, jacket half-zipped, breath fogging the air. She looks… off. Not bad, exactly, but tight. Like she's holding herself together with muscle memory alone.
"Hey." She says.
Noelle beams. "You made it!"
Susie nods, stepping inside. The warmth hits her all at once, and she shivers, not from the cold.
"Sorry I'm late," she mutters. "Had to… do something."
Kris looks at her more closely. Berdly pauses mid-sentence.
Susie drops onto the couch, elbows on her knees, hands clasped together like she’s bracing for impact.
Noelle doesn't push. She just sits beside her, close enough that their shoulders almost touch.
---
Earlier, much earlier, Susie hadn't planned on bringing anything.
She'd told herself Noelle wouldn't care. That just showing up would be enough. That gifts were stupid anyway.
But the thought stuck. Wormed its way in. Noelle's face lighting up over the smallest things. The way she'd saved candy wrappers like they mattered.
So Susie went home, despite already having a small gift.
The house was quieter than usual. Too quiet. The kind that makes your skin crawl because you know it won't last.
She went straight to her room, heart pounding, and dug through the loose floorboard where she kept what little money she had left. Crumpled bills. Coins. Enough for something.
Her hand was still under the board when the door creaked open.
"What are you doing?"
Her mom's voice. Sharp. Suspicious.
Susie froze.
"Nothing," she said automatically, standing too fast. "Just— cleaning."
Her mom's eyes dropped to the floorboard. Then back to Susie. Then to the open drawer.
"You stealing now?" She snapped. "From us?"
"No." Susie said. "It's mine."
"That so?"
Her mom laughed once, humorless. Reached into the closet.
Susie didn't even understand what she was seeing at first.
The shape. The metal. The way it was held— loose, careless, but deliberate.
A weapon.
Her brain went white.
"I said don't touch shit that isn't yours," her mom said, voice suddenly low. "You think you can just take what you want and run off?"
Susie couldn't breathe.
She didn't know it was fake. Didn't know it was a prop, or unloaded, or anything but wrong and final. Even if it wasn't pointed directly at her.
"I—I just needed—" Her voice cracked.
Her mom stepped closer.
"Pull this shit again," she said softly, "and you won’t like what happens."
Something in Susie snapped.
She bolted.
Just ran, heart slamming against her ribs like it wanted out, cold air burning her lungs as she didn't stop until she was three streets away.
She didn't look back.
Now, sitting on Noelle's couch, surrounded by lights and warmth and the smell of sugar and pine, Susie's hands still won't stop shaking.
Noelle notices. Gently, she reaches over and laces their pinkies together.
Susie stiffens, then exhales, just a little.
Berdly clears his throat. "So. Christmas activities. I was informed there would be… games?"
Noelle brightens immediately. "Yes! I have a bunch, we can start with something simple."
Kris nods, but their eyes stay on Susie.
Susie stares at the tree, jaw tight, forcing herself to breathe in time with the blinking lights.
The mood shifts slowly, the way it always does when people stop hovering around the thing that's wrong and start orbiting the things that are right.
Noelle insists on starting with board games.
Not the competitive ones, either, the cozy kind. The kind with cartoon animals and pastel colors and rules that take longer to explain than to actually play. She spreads everything out on the coffee table with the care of someone laying out a ritual.
"Okay," she says, clapping her hands once. "Everyone ready?"
Berdly peers down at the pieces. "Define ready. Because I feel like I'm about to be ambushed by whimsy."
Susie snorts despite herself. "You'll live, bird brain."
Kris shrugs and sits cross-legged on the floor.
The first round is chaos.
Berdly tries to optimize a game that absolutely does not require optimization. Noelle apologizes every time she does something mildly inconvenient to someone else. Kris forgets whose turn it is twice. Susie pretends not to care and then gets weirdly invested the moment she starts losing.
"HEY," Susie protests, pointing at the board. "You moved that piece."
"No, I moved this piece," Berdly corrects, pushing his glasses up. "Entirely different—"
Susie reaches across the table and flicks his forehead.
"Ow—! That was uncalled for!"
"Consider it a holiday bonus."
Kris laughs. It's quiet, but it's real.
Noelle notices. Her smile softens.
As the games go on, Susie loosens. Not all at once, nothing dramatic, but enough that the tension in her shoulders eases. Enough that she leans back into the couch instead of perching on the edge. Enough that when Noelle hands her a mug of hot chocolate, she doesn't flinch when their fingers brush.
She drinks it too fast and burns her tongue.
"OW— shit."
Noelle gasps. "Susie! I told you it was hot!"
"I don't listen to warnings." Susie mutters, though she's smiling now, rubbing her tongue against her teeth like it offended her personally.
The snow outside thickens, flakes tapping against the windows in lazy spirals. The lights on the tree blink in warm cycles. Somewhere in the background, a holiday playlist hums softly, instrumental, unobtrusive.
Eventually, Noelle disappears down the hall and comes back with a small stack of wrapped gifts.
Susie stiffens again.
"Oh—uh," Noelle says quickly, noticing. "Only if you want! No pressure, I just thought it might be nice."
Kris and Berdly exchange a look.
"…We did bring stuff," Berdly admits, reaching into his bag.
Kris nods and pulls out their own parcel, wrapped in plain brown paper with a slightly crooked bow.
Noelle's eyes light up like she's been handed a winning lottery ticket.
She passes out gifts with ceremony, insisting everyone wait until everyone has one.
Susie stares at the small, unevenly wrapped box in her hands like it might explode.
"Okay," Noelle says, bouncing on her heels. "Now!"
Paper rustles.
Susie pockets her own gifts, then opens her present from Noelle first, and smiles stupidly. A bracelet. Bronze, with a gold deer in the middle. It looks expensive.
She stands there for a moment, shocked, blushing.
"Oh— that's— wow. I—"
She immediately tries to put it on, struggling with the little clasp, swearing silently.
"Here—"
Noelle reaches over, helping her. Susie stares, blushing and smiling widely, before suddenly awkwardly hugging her. "...Thank you. I love it."
Noelle flinches, but quickly melts into the hug. "I'm glad you do..."
Berdly and Kris watch, giving eachother a knowing look.
The two finally break apart from eachother and Susie hands Noelle her gift. She opens hers, and immediately gasps.
It's small. Cheap. Clearly bought with whatever change Susie could scrape together. A simple little keychain, felt and thread, hand-stitched into the shape of a reindeer. A bit lopsided. One eye slightly higher than the other.
"I— uh," she says quickly. "I know it's kinda dumb. I didn't really have a lot, and— sorry, it's cheap."
Noelle doesn't hear any of that.
She's already clutching it to her chest.
"Oh my god," she breathes. "Susie! It's perfect!!"
Susie blinks. "It is?"
"You made this," Noelle says, voice thick. "You took time to make this."
Berdly looks up. So that's what that sewing book was for...
Her eyes are shiny. She doesn't try to hide it.
"I'm putting it on my bag," she continues rapidly. "Like. Right now. Everyone's gonna see it. I'm never taking it off!"
Susie's face goes red. All the way to the tips of her ears.
"D—don't be dramatic," she mutters, turning her head away.
But she doesn't pull her hand back when Noelle squeezes it.
Kris opens their gift next, a game cartridge. One they've been eyeing for months but never mentioned out loud.
They look up, startled.
"…How did you know?" They ask.
Berdly shrugs, suddenly very interested in the ceiling. "You, uh. Pause on it every time we pass that one store out of town. For exactly three seconds."
Kris smiles. Soft. Warm. "…Thank you."
Berdly opens his gift, and freezes.
It's the same game. The multiplayer version. The one he'd complained was impossible to find.
"…Kris," he says quietly.
They shrug, mirroring his earlier gesture. "You talked about it a lot."
Berdly laughs, flustered and bright. "W–well! Clearly, your observational skills are finally improving."
Their hands brush when they set the games down.
Neither of them pulls away right away.
Susie watches the whole thing with a sideways grin. "Wow. You two are gross."
"False." Berdly says. "This is peak platonic gift exchanging."
Kris snorts.
Noelle leans her head against Susie's shoulder, still holding the keychain.
They exchange more gifts together.
For a little while, just a little, the world feels quieter. Safer. Like nothing bad can reach them through the snow and lights and laughter.
And Susie lets herself believe that, too.
---
They talk for a while.
Noelle claps her hands once, again, eyes sparkling. "We should make cookies!"
Susie squints at her. "That sentence has never ended well for me."
"But it's Christmas," Noelle says, like that explains everything. "And we already have all the ingredients!"
Berdly adjusts his glasses. "I do possess above-average baking knowledge."
Kris tilts their head. "…I can read instructions."
"Perfect!" Noelle beams. "We're unstoppable."
The kitchen becomes chaos within five minutes.
Flour is everywhere. Not in a dramatic explosion, just enough that it dusts the counters, the floor, and somehow Kris's sleeve even though they haven't moved much.
Berdly insists on measuring everything exactly.
"No," he says firmly, leveling off a measuring cup. "If you add more sugar, the chemical balance—"
Susie dumps extra sugar into the bowl anyway. "Oops."
Berdly gasps like she's committed a crime. "You can't just freestyle baking!"
"I absolutely can," Susie replies. "Watch me."
Noelle hovers between them, hands clasped nervously. "Um— maybe a little extra sugar is okay…?"
Kris stirs quietly, unbothered, splattering batter onto the counter with every other motion.
No one stops them.
At some point, Berdly cracks an egg too hard and gets shell in the bowl.
He freezes.
Susie bursts out laughing. "WOW. Genius move."
"I—this is highly irregular." he mutters, fishing out shell fragments with intense focus. "Do not tell anyone."
Noelle smiles softly, passing him a napkin. "It's okay. My mom does that sometimes."
Berdly straightens immediately. "Then it's clearly a common, respectable error."
When it comes time to cut shapes, things get worse. Noelle carefully presses a reindeer cutter into the dough, lifting it like it's fragile glass.
Susie slams down a star cutter and yanks it back up. "Mine's cooler."
"It's missing an arm," Berdly points out.
"That's battle damage."
Kris quietly makes a little blob. No shape. Just… blob.
Noelle peers over. "What is that one?"
Kris considers. "It's— um"
Silence.
"An... ornament?"
"Um…" She giggles. Berdly quietly cackles.
Susie grins. "Woah dude. Best so far.
They load the trays into the oven. Noelle sets a timer. Everyone crowds around the glass door like they're watching a dramatic sports event.
"Rse," Susie mutters. "C'mon."
Noelle looks at her. "Um... It'll take a while... They don't instantly do that."
"Oh, yeah, right."
When the timer goes off, the cookies are— …mostly fine.
Some are lopsided. One looks like it melted into a vague pancake. A reindeer has lost its head entirely.
Berdly stares at them, aghast. "This outcome is… unfortunate."
Susie grins. "They're perfect."
Decorating is worse. In the best way.
Frosting tubes get squeezed too hard. Red icing drips like crime scenes. Sprinkles spill everywhere.
Noelle carefully dots eyes on her cookies, tongue sticking out in concentration.
Susie tries to write words and fails miserably.
"Why does it look like that?" She groans, staring at her cookie.
Berdly squints. "Is that supposed to say joy or jail?"
"Shut the fuck up."
Kris draws little faces on theirs. Tiny smiles. One frown. One that looks suspiciously judgmental.
Susie picks it up. "Why does this one look like it hates me."
Kris shrugs. "It knows."
Noelle laughs so hard she nearly drops her frosting bag.
At some point, Susie gets frosting on her cheek without realizing it.
Noelle gently wipes it away with her thumb, then freezes.
"Oh— sorry," she says quickly, flustered.
Susie blinks, then huffs. "You're fine."
She doesn't move away.
They finally sit down with a plate of cookies that look terrible and taste amazing.
Berdly takes a bite, pauses. "…Okay. I hate that this worked."
Susie raises her cookie in triumph. "Never doubt me."
Kris leans back in their chair, watching the lights blink, the snow fall, their friends laughing with mouths full of sugar and crumbs.
After the cookies cool and are promptly demolished, crumbs everywhere, Susie somehow getting chocolate on her sleeve twice, Noelle insists on doing “something festive but low-effort.” Which mostly means sitting around in the living room, lights dimmed.
They drift between things without urgency.
A short walk outside to look at decorations down the street, Susie complaining about the cold while refusing the scarf Noelle offers, Berdly judging everything, Kris quietly lagging behind just to watch their breath fog in the air.
Back inside, they lounge on the floor and couch, phones out, showing each other stupid videos. Kris finds stupid cat videos and laughs way too hard. Susie immediately rewinds it three times.
"Again," she demands.
Noelle hums along to the soft music playing from the speakers, absentmindedly crocheting. Every now and then, she glances at Susie like she's checking she's still there.
Eventually Susie speaks up. "Okay, we're running outta stuff to do. Come up with something before I start eating ornaments."
Noelle straightens. "We could watch a movie!"
Berdly nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure. Why not."
"Horror." Kris says calmly.
Noelle makes a small, distressed noise. "Kris—!"
Susie bursts out laughing. "DO IT. That scream you did last time was legendary."
"I did not scream," Noelle protests, cheeks pink. "I—"
Susie interrupts her. "My ears are STILL ringing."
Kris tilts their head, the barest hint of mischief in their eyes. "…It builds character."
Noelle crosses her arms. "I am not watching another horror movie."
Berdly sighs. "Forcing Noelle into a fear-induced cardiac episode may negatively impact group morale."
Susie snickers. "Buzzkill."
Noelle brightens suddenly. "What about a Christmas movie? You know, since it's... Christmas."
Susie groans. "Ugh. They're all sappy."
"…With romance?" Noelle adds, hopeful.
Susie pauses. "…Fine."
Kris shrugs. Berdly agrees.
And so, of course, they end up with a Christmas rom-com.
They settle in.
Susie sprawls on one end of the couch, boots kicked off. Noelle sits beside her, close but not touching at first. Kris takes the floor with a blanket, back against the couch. Berdly perches on the armchair, then slowly migrates closer until he's sitting on the floor too, shoulder brushing Kris's.
The movie starts. Within ten minutes, Susie is loudly mocking the protagonist.
"Oh my god!" She says. "Just TALK to each other."
Berdly whispers, "Ah, but then the plot would collapse."
Kris leans over slightly. "She's right."
Berdly scoffs quietly. "Traitor."
They whisper back and forth throughout, small commentary, jokes about tropes, predicting plot points.
"Bet you five bucks they kiss in the snow," Kris murmurs.
"Obvious," Berdly replies. "The lighting already foreshadows it."
"...This shit sucks."
"Agreed."
They fist-bump softly.
Halfway through, Noelle's hand inches closer to Susie's. Susie pretends not to notice. Then, eventually, she doesn't pretend at all. Her pinky hooks around Noelle's.
Noelle freezes.
Then relaxes.
The movie drones on, confessions, misunderstandings, swelling music, but the world on the couch gets quieter. Noelle leans in just a bit, her head resting against Susie's shoulder. Susie stiffens for a half-second, then shifts so it's easier.
Her arm slides around Noelle's back.
Noelle exhales, a soft sound, and tilts her face up.
Susie looks down.
There's a moment. Long, suspended. The movie's glow flickers across their faces. Noelle's eyes are warm and hopeful. Susie's are uncertain, but soft.
Then Susie leans in.
The kiss is gentle. Not rushed. Just lips meeting, lingering, warm. Noelle melts into it immediately, hands curling into Susie's jacket like she's anchoring herself.
Susie makes a quiet sound, surprised, pleased, and deepens it just a little. Nothing messy. Just enough to say yeah. This is real.
Berdly notices first.
His eyes widen. He freezes mid-whisper, elbowing Kris lightly. He, subtle as possible, points with his eyes.
Kris follows his gaze.
Their eyebrows lift. Just a fraction.
They glance back at Berdly. A look passes between them. Shock, fondness, and the distinct lack of surprise.
"…About time." Kris whispers.
Berdly nods. "Indeed."
They look away. Give them privacy without making a thing of it.
The kiss breaks eventually, both of them blushing fiercely.
Susie clears her throat. "Uh. Movie's still on."
Susie's voice comes out rough, like she had to scrape it up from her chest and hope it sounded normal. She doesn't pull her arm away. If anything, it tightens a little around Noelle's shoulders, like she's bracing for something.
Noelle barely glances at the screen.
The movie keeps playing, some heartfelt confession scene, swelling music, artificial snow, but it feels distant now, like background noise bleeding in from another room. Noelle's heart is still pounding too loud for her to care about fictional romance when the real thing is sitting right next to her, warm and solid and terrifyingly real.
She swallows.
"Susie?" She whispers.
Susie hums in response, eyes still fixed very deliberately on the TV, blushing furiously.
Noelle hesitates. Then, softly, "What… what does that mean?"
Susie stiffens just a little.
"What does what mean?" She asks, though she knows. Of course she knows.
Noelle fidgets with the sleeve of Susie's jacket, fingers curling and uncurling. "The— the kissing. And the holding hands. And…" She trails off, cheeks burning. "Us."
Susie finally looks at her.
Not sharp. Just… uncertain. Vulnerable in a way she rarely lets herself be.
"I dunno," Susie admits quietly. "I didn't really plan it."
Noelle's stomach dips, not in disappointment, but nerves.
"But," Susie adds quickly, "I didn't hate it. Like. At all."
That helps. A lot.
Noelle lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Me neither."
They sit there for a moment, the movie's dialogue washing over them, neither really listening. Susie's thumb absently rubs small circles against Noelle's arm, like it's something she's done a hundred times before.
Noelle gathers her courage.
"So… are we…?" She starts, then stops. "I mean, we don't have to label it. I just— I want to know where we're at. I don’t want to assume and mess things up..."
She stares at the screen for another second, then reaches up and gently nudges Noelle's chin so she's looking at her.
"That thing you're doing," Susie says softly, "where you care way too much about my feelings?"
Noelle nods, nervous. "Yeah?"
"I like that," Susie says. "A lot."
Noelle's eyes widen just a bit.
Susie exhales. "I don't know what I'm good at. And I don't know how to do… whatever this is perfectly. But I know I wanna keep doing it. With you."
Noelle's breath catches.
"Really?" She whispers.
Susie nods once. "Yeah. Really."
That's all it takes.
Noelle leans in again, slower this time, giving Susie plenty of room to pull back. She doesn't. Their lips meet in another soft kiss, warmer now, more certain. Noelle's hand slides up to rest against Susie's chest, feeling her heartbeat, fast, but steady.
Susie sighs into the kiss, melting into it like she finally stopped holding herself rigid. She presses one more small kiss to Noelle's lips when they pull apart, then another to the corner of her mouth, like she's testing the waters.
Noelle giggles quietly, cheeks flushed. "You're really bad at pretending you don't like this."
"Shut up..." Susie mutters, but she's smiling.
They settle back into the couch, Noelle half-curled into Susie's side now, the movie completely forgotten. Susie's chin rests lightly on Noelle's head.
Every now and then, Noelle tilts her head up for another kiss, short, sweet, unhurried. Susie meets her every time.
On the other side of the couch, Kris and Berdly pretend very hard to be invested in the movie.
Berdly whispers, "They've missed three major plot points."
Kris whispers back. "Worth it."
The credits roll eventually.
Noelle closes her eyes, smiling, and murmurs, "I don't really care how the movie ends."
Susie squeezes her just a little tighter. "Yeah. Me neither."
---
The front door clicks open quietly.
Noelle stiffens first.
"My mom's home." She whispers.
Susie straightens immediately, spine going rigid like she's bracing for impact. The warmth from before doesn't vanish, but it tightens into something cautious. She pulls her arm back just enough to look casual, too casual.
Kris and Berdly both glance up, previously watching YouTube Shorts on Berdly's phone, their back flush against his chest, cuddling just a little.
Carol steps into the living room a moment later. She pauses when she sees them all gathered there, cookies half-eaten, movie credits still rolling.
"Oh," she says. "You have company."
Noelle stands. "Hi, Mom! We were just— um— watching a movie."
Carol's eyes flick briefly to Susie. They linger there a fraction too long before she smiles. Polite, practiced.
"I see," she says. "Susie."
"Hey," Susie replies, short and respectful. She doesn't smile.
Berdly, to his credit, steps forward before it can stretch any further.
"Ms. Holiday," he says, smoothing his sweater. "I hope it's alright, we didn't mean to impose. Noelle was a wonderful host."
Carol turns to him, eyebrows lifting slightly "Is that so?"
"Oh, yes."
Carol stares Susie down.
Susie opens her mouth, then hesitates.
Berdly notices. He steps in again, gently, deliberately.
"Susie's been helping Noelle a great deal lately," he says. "With school. With… confidence."
Noelle's cheeks pink immediately.
Carol studies Berdly, then Noelle, then Susie. Her gaze sharpens, not unkind, but discerning.
"You're close," Carol says.
Noelle nods. "Yes."
"Are you two in a... Romantic relationship?"
Susie swallows.
Carol exhales through her nose, folding her arms. "Okay so that's a yes... I'll be honest. I've had… concerns."
Susie's jaw tightens.
"But," Carol continues, "I can see when my daughter is happy."
Noelle looks at her, surprised.
Carol's eyes soften. Just a little. "I may not understand everything yet. Just like this... But I won't forbid what I don't fully know."
Susie blinks.
"That said," Carol adds, tone firm again, "I expect respect in my house."
Susie nods too. "Yeah. Always."
It's not approval. Not really.
But it’s not rejection, either.
And that's more than Susie expected.
Kris checks the time first.
They don't say anything right away, just glance at their phone, then at the window, where the snow has started to fall a little heavier. Berdly notices immediately.
"…We should probably head out," he says, adjusting his glasses. "Before it gets too late."
Noelle's shoulders droop just a bit. "Already?"
Susie huffs. "It's not like we're disappearing."
Kris nods. "We can hang out again soon."
That seems to spark something in Noelle's mind. Her ears perk up, eyes brightening like she's been waiting for an opening.
"Oh—wait," she says quickly. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask. All of you."
Berdly pauses mid-step. "Oh?"
Susie looks at Noelle, suspicious but curious. "Uh-oh."
Noelle fidgets with her sleeves for a second, then straightens. "So… New Year's Eve is coming up."
Susie's stomach does a small, unpleasant flip.
Kris tilts their head. "Yeah."
"I was thinking," Noelle continues, words tumbling out a bit faster now, "well... I know we all agreed to, well, hang out, celebrate, watch the countdown, that kind of thing."
Berdly blinks. "Yeah?"
Susie shifts her weight, arms crossing over her chest. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until now.
"And uh," Noelle adds, softer, "i thought maybe… we could invite our families too? My parents, Dess, Asriel, Toriel, Asgore— I mean, if that's okay!"
The room goes quiet.
Susie's jaw tightens.
Her parents don't fit into this picture. Never have. Never will.
She opens her mouth, then closes it again.
Berdly glances at her, sharp enough to notice the tension, but kind enough not to comment on it directly.
"My mother would enjoy that," he says instead. "She's… enthusiastic about holidays."
Kris nods slowly. "Mom and Dad would love it."
Carol looks around. "...Hey. Speaking of Dess. Noelle, do you know where your sister is?"
"O-Oh— no, I haven't seen her come in tonight."
"Okay then."
Noelle's smile wobbles when she looks back at Susie. "Oh by the way— you don't have to bring anyone," she says quickly. "I just— wanted you there."
Susie exhales through her nose.
"…Yeah," she says after a beat. "I can do that."
Noelle's face lights up.
"Really?"
Susie shrugs, forcing a crooked grin. "Yeah. I'll figure it out."
She hopes her parents won't find out. Or won't care enough to interfere. Or won't bother asking where she is.
She doesn't say any of that out loud.
Berdly smiles, small and genuine. "Then it's settled."
Kris gives a little nod. "…Sounds nice."
Carol, who has been quietly listening from the doorway, clears her throat. "As long as everyone is respectful, I don't see why that would be a problem."
Noelle turns, surprised. "Yay!"
"It's New Year's. It's meant to be spent with people you care about."
Susie keeps her eyes on the floor. She doesn't trust herself to speak.
Kris reaches for their coat. "We should go before it gets worse outside."
Berdly agrees, already grabbing his scarf.
Noelle walks them to the door, pausing just before they step out. "Thank you. For today. For coming."
Kris smiles faintly. "Thanks for inviting us."
Berdly adds, "And for the cookies. Despite their… unconventional shapes."
Susie snorts. "You loved them."
When the door closes behind Kris and Berdly, the house settles into a quieter calm.
Noelle turns to Susie, practically glowing. "You're staying tonight, right?"
"…Yeah." She says, glad she doesn't have to go back home tonight. She's still shaken from this morning.
They head upstairs together, the conversation trailing into softer, smaller things, pajamas, brushing teeth, which side of the bed to sleep on.
But beneath it all, there's something new.
Plans. Future moments. A New Year that might, just maybe, start differently.
And for once, Susie lets herself believe she might be there to see it.
---
The walk to Kris's house is quiet in the good way.
Snow crunches under their shoes, the streetlamps casting soft halos across the sidewalk. Berdly has his hands shoved into his pockets, scarf pulled up too high, glasses fogging a little every time he exhales.
"…So," he says, after a moment. "The Christmas movie."
Kris snorts. "You cried."
"I did not cry," Berdly says immediately. "My eyes merely reacted to the excessive sentimentality."
Kris glances at him, unimpressed. "…You wiped your face on your sleeve."
Berdly clears his throat. "Irrelevant."
"...Hey, Berdly?"
"Yes?"
Kris takes a deep breath. "I was just— don't mind me asking but... uhh... I've only met your mother. You never mentioned your father before. I was just wondering..."
Their voice trails off.
"Oh—" Berdly says awkwardly.
"...I'm sorry if that was inappropriate of me to ask."
"No it's okay!" Berdly says quickly. "You don't know who my father is, I understand your request to meet him."
"You do?" Kris asks.
"Yes. I get it. But, unfortunately I cannot make that happen. I simply don't know who my father is." Berdly replies calmly. Too calmly.
"...Oh, I'm sorry... What— um—"
"Long story." Berdly says quickly. "Walked out on me and my mother when I was merely just an egg. It doesn't matter. It's always been just me and my mother. She raised me. I wouldn't want it any other way."
Kris smiles lightly. "Well, that's good, then."
They keep walking, shoulders occasionally brushing. Neither comments on it. The night is cold but calm, and for once, Kris doesn't feel like the quiet is pressing in on them.
Toriel's house glows warmly when they reach it.
The porch light flicks on before they even knock.
"Oh!" Toriel says, opening the door with a smile. "You're back already."
"Hi, Mom," Kris says.
Berdly straightens instinctively. "Good evening, Mrs. Dreemurr."
"Please, just Toriel," she says kindly, stepping aside. "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. There's hot chocolate in the kitchen if you want some."
Berdly's eyes light up. "I— thank you."
Kris slips off their shoes, motioning for Berdly to follow them. They head down the hallway, comfortable, familiar. Safe.
They reach Kris's room.
Kris opens the door.
There is a split second of silence.
Then—
"Oh MY GOD—" Kris yells.
Berdly yelps.
Kris slams the door shut so hard a picture rattles on the wall.
Well, I guess that solves the mystery on where Dess is. And Asriel.
Berdly stumbles back, hands over his face. "WHY—WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE THE DOOR UNLOCKED?!"
There is muffled movement from inside the room. A familiar, very amused voice.
"Wow," Dess's voice calls through the door. "No knock? Bold choice."
Another voice, Asriel's, groggy and deeply embarrassed. "…Kris. I am so sorry."
Kris presses their forehead against the doorframe. "I need bleach. For my brain."
Berdly is pacing now, visibly shaken. "I will never recover from this. This has permanently altered my psyche."
The door cracks open just enough for Dess to peek out, hair a mess, grin unapologetic.
"Relax," she says. "Nothing you haven't seen in health class."
"I—" Berdly squeaks.
Asriel's voice comes from inside, mortified. "Dess, please stop talking."
Kris turns bright red. "We're leaving. We're so leaving."
They flee down the hallway, tripping over each other, nearly colliding with Toriel on the way.
"Everything alright?" Toriel asks, concerned.
"YES." Kris says too fast.
"NO." Berdly says at the same time.
Toriel blinks.
They disappear, collapsing onto the couch in a heap, both breathing hard.
There's a long pause.
Then Berdly says, hollowly, "I wish to unsee."
Kris stares at the ceiling. "…I need therapy."
Berdly nods. "Shared trauma bonding."
They sit there, horrified, embarrassed, and despite themselves, laughing quietly into their sleeves.
Some things, unfortunately, can never be unseen.
Toriel comes downstairs a few minutes later.
Kris and Berdly are still on the couch, sitting far too straight, staring very intently at absolutely nothing. The TV is on, muted. Neither of them looks up when they hear her footsteps.
She stops at the bottom of the stairs.
There's a long, heavy pause.
"…I," Toriel says carefully, "didn't realize Asriel and Dess were… still awake."
Kris slowly turns their head.
Berdly does the same.
Their eyes meet hers.
And in that shared, silent look, there is an unspoken understanding. She saw it too.
Toriel clears her throat, cheeks flushed a deep, unmistakable red. She presses a hand to her face. "I will be… having a conversation. With them. Tomorrow."
Kris nods once. "…Good."
Berdly adjusts his glasses with shaking fingers. "Respectfully, ma'am, I will never psychologically recover."
Toriel lets out a small, strained laugh. "Yes. Well. I imagine none of us will."
Another beat of silence.
"…Perhaps," Toriel says gently, "it might be more comfortable if you stayed elsewhere tonight."
Kris exhales in relief. "Yeah."
Berdly is already standing. "Excellent idea."
Toriel gives them both a quick, apologetic hug. Kris first, then Berdly, who freezes before awkwardly returning it.
"Be safe." She says.
They are out the door less than a minute later.
The walk to Berdly's house is quiet again, but this time, it's the stunned kind of quiet.
Snow crunches underfoot.
"…So," Berdly says eventually. "That happened."
Kris pulls their scarf up higher. "…We don't talk about it."
"Agreed."
They walk a little closer together than before.
Berdly's house is dark except for the porch light. His mom answers the door, wearing a fluffy robe and a bright smile.
"Oh! Kris!" She says warmly. "What a surprise."
"Hi," Kris says softly.
Berdly clears his throat. "We— uh— plans changed."
His mom looks between them, immediately clocking the vibes. She smiles wider. "Of course they did. You're both welcome in. There are spare blankets in the hall closet."
"Thank you," Kris says.
"No late-night gaming," she adds pointedly.
Berdly winces. "Cruel and unusual."
She laughs, ruffles his feathers, and heads back upstairs without another word.
They don't bother with the guest room.
Berdly's room is dim and familiar, posters on the walls, a desk cluttered with controllers. He flicks on a small lamp, casting warm light over the space.
"…You can take the bed," Berdly says automatically.
Kris shakes their head. "We can share."
They pause.
"…Platonically," Kris adds.
"Obviously," Berdly says far too quickly.
Kris kicks off their shoes, crawls under the covers, and lie there stiffly for about ten seconds.
Then Kris shifts closer.
Berdly stiffens, then relaxes.
"Body heat." Kris murmurs.
"Thermally efficient." Berdly agrees.
They settle into something comfortable without really acknowledging it: Kris's head tucked near Berdly's shoulder, Berdly's arm resting awkwardly before finally, hesitantly, wrapping around them.
Neither moves away.
The house is quiet. Safe. No surprises lurking behind closed doors.
"…Today was a lot," Berdly says softly.
Kris hums in agreement.
"But," he adds, "i think… it was a good day. Overall."
Kris smiles into his sleeve, blushing. "…Yeah."
"...Besides that."
"Oh, definitely."
They lie there in silence, breathing in sync, the weight of the day finally easing off their shoulders.
They finally burst out laughing together, the entire situation too ridiculous NOT to laugh at.
Snow falls quietly outside.
Their laughter eventually calms, the two coming to rest in each other's arms.
And for once, the night ends gently.