[Asriel buries his face in Mettaton's chest as he pulls him close. There's a rumble in his throat - soft and meant to be comforting for both of them. He twists his head until he's looking up at Mettaton with his ear lazily flopped over pink metal.

Maybe deep down, Asriel was worried about the reasons why Mettaton spent weeks away fro him. He rationalized it as him being busy, but knowing that he's seen his timeline and everything he did or was...

Hearing that he was forgiven lifts another weight off of him, even if Mettaton didn't know it was there. Tears threaten to form, but he blinks them back.]

I don't wanna say goodbye either - not ever. I... ever since I arrived on this ship, I always thought I was gonna have to stay behind, you know? And in the beginning, I was okay with that. Because even if everyone else went home, I could stay behind and still be me.

[He won't be isolated forever in the Underground. He'd have a second chance to say goodbye to his family. It was more than what he felt he deserved, but it was an ending that was better than what was waiting for him.]

But I... I really don't want that anymore. I don't like it here. I just wanna go home and see the surface and go to your shows and see dad again-

The closer we got, the more scared I got. Because I didn't want to stay. But I didn't want to go home and turn back into a flower, and lose everything I had here too. I'm so tired of it - of being scared, of different timelines, and I'm just tired of all of it.

[Asriel closes his eyes, looking away.]

I'll never be able to be the old Asriel again. Not after everything that's happened, but... I want to start over again. With all of you.

[On the surface. With his SOUL.]