#undermania

“R-really? Oh my god, please.”

She reached out to receive the bundle that was baby Echo. Taking care not to jolt the infant, Gem shifted them from his arms to Alphys’, hovering about until Echo was safely tucked against her chest. Echo let out a gurgle, patting their hands against the unfamiliar monster’s face. Alphys couldn’t help a giggle, raining kisses on the top of Echo’s skull.

They were so cute.

Until something snagged the side of her glasses. She ‘eep’ed, jerking her face away. Her glasses didn’t come with her, and she squinted down at the very thief in her arms, waving about her glasses like a toy flag.

“Oh you silly, give that ba—ack!”

As she shifted Echo to retrieve the spectacles from their clenched fist, they jerked their arms about and released. They went flying, and Alphys jumped forward, squeezing Echo against her and making a grab for them before they could shatter against the tile. Her claw just grazed the frames and they fell past her reach.

“Oh ge-eez!” Light made the lunge, crossing the distance that she good not, snatching them up just before they hit the ground. He held them out to her, frowning at his child. “Echo no gra-abbing.”

Echo made a face and stuffed their fist into their mouth as an answer. Whatever that meant.

“It’s ok.” Alphys smiled, grateful enough that her glasses were safe and sound. She accepted them, placing them back on her face where they belonged. “Babies, y-you know?”

“They can be a handful,” Gem said, gently coaxing the fist from Echo’s mouth. He gave a tender smile before clinking a kiss against the top of their skull. “We love them so much though.”

“They’re so cute.” Even if they’d broken her glasses, Alphys didn’t think that she had it in her soul to be cross with them. On the contrary, something about having them in her arms stirred up warm, unfamiliar feelings within her chest. She wanted to love and protect and care for them, a sort of motherly longing cast over them. “I hope I have a baby as cute and sweet as Echo…”

Realization hit her like a truck. Her head snapped up, expression bordering on horror as she was quick to snatch back her last words.

“N-not—not that I-I-I’m pregnant or anything, I just think that—think that if I was pregnant then I would want my baby to be just as cute as them—because w-we’ve barely done anything and the two of you still h-have a baby and probably don’t want another… just… yet…” Her words trailed off into a pathetic whine. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

She settled to bury her face into Echo’s blanket. They didn’t mind, arms awkwardly wrapped around her face in what felt like a little baby hug. Thank goodness for a little baby to shield her from her deep shame.

“He-ey, it’s ok.” An arm slung about her shoulders—Light’s arm—and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “No-othing to be a-ashamed about here.”

Alphys peeked up from the security of the baby blanket. Light reached around, turning her face towards him to press their foreheads together. The brightly glowing stardust that hung around him shifted, turning into a shimmering soft red, colored like the roses in so many of her favorite anime. Rose red meant a strong romantic love, he’d told her, and she felt her cheeks heat up at such feelings being directed toward her. She found herself laughing, bordering on tears as she pushed forward to press their mouths together.

“I-I love you,” she whispered when she pulled back, watching a surprised pink ripple through the dust and brighten his sockets, before it settled back into the loving rose red.

“Lo-ove you too.”

“Aww how cute.” Although Gem’s words were kept light and teasing, the way his eyelights shifted between his two lovers was anything but mocking.

BlackLight broke away from Alphys to take the sides of Gem’s face in his hands. He brought him in close, nuzzling his face against the top of Gem’s skull. “I love you to-oo you big do-ork.”

The smile on Gem’s face grew, the lights in his sockets forming into little hearts. “I love you too.” He glanced over to Alphys, blushing hard and still holding Echo. “All three of you.”

Alphys felt her soul glowing, warm and comfortable in her chest. It may not be so visible as the two skeleton monsters, but the tell tale white light was present all the same. “I l-love you all too.”

A silence fell between them, a peace broken only by the happy cooing of baby Echo. Alphys smiled and nuzzled them. The closeness to such a small being, dependent on others to care and fret over, brought a giddiness to her soul that she hadn’t felt since Gaster had stepped down from his position and put in a glowing recommendation for Alphys to take his place. She’d only just met Echo and she already loved them so much.

“Although, you know Alphy…” A mischievous tone crept into Gem’s voice, setting off alarm bells in Alphys’ mind. She looked up with a sharp look that warned him not to say whatever it was he was thinking.

“What…?”

Of course Gem continued anyway, only encouraged by her expression. “…if you want a baby so bad, I bet Light would love to help you get right on with that and put one in you,” he said with a wink.

And he laughed through the matching embarrassed shrieks from both Alphys and Light.