Hello all!
Due to Winter Storm Grayson, I've been stuck at home since Thursday. I've been working on other stuff, work-related and story. But I wanted more to show for the time inside than lesson plans, progress reports and some edits. :D
Fave, comment and enjoy!
The smell of tomatoes wafted through air, filling the small house. It did its job, Alphys stirred, finally. She groaned, trying to figure out what had happened. The last she remembered, she was in her lab, working on a really important project. She had been actually making good progress, she hadn't taken a break to watch anime in days. She had been diligently working, hard and feverishly. Important project? She clutched her head to try and remember. Important… she gasped. Determination! She had been researching determination and was almost at a break through. Unbelievable that she had fallen asleep! How could she have been so dumb! Alphys threw the covers off, intent on leaping out of bed to get back to work.
However, she wasn't at her lab.
She was at Undyne's house.
The reptilian Monster's voice called from over at the stove. "Don't you dare get up, Al. I'm making you some food. You sit your ass right there and you don't get up. Ya hear?" Her voice was strained, things were slamming. Was Undyne mad? A knife stroke that clearly cut through the cutting board suggested as much.
"U-Undyne, what am I doing h-here? Last I remember, I-I was in my lab and I-"
"Ya fuckin' passed out, Al. Passed. Out. Now shut up, lie down and wait for food to be ready."
Alphys knew it was probably best if she did what Undyne said. There was no reason to provoke further provocation from the already upset Monster. She didn't fully understand why Undyne was mad in the first place. Because she had passed out? That's nothing new. Exhaustion got the better of her all the time. She usually came to at her desk, ate some ramen, watched an anime and she was as good as new. It wasn't that big of a deal.
More slamming sounds, sloshing water, a fire roaring and bubbling said water. Alphys listened to it all perplexed. She hoped Undyne would calm down a little bit, if just a fraction so that they could talk. So that she could explain what happened. A chair screeched beside her bed and a tray of food slammed down on top of her. She blinked. It was a plate of half burned noodles with a charred looking sauce. Yum.
"Spaghetti. Papyrus swears by it when he needs HP. And seeing as how you don't even have enough to stand up, I suggest you EAT!" She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. Alphys thought it again wise to pick up her fork and try to eat the burned pasta.
There was a strained silence. Palpable. She had eaten a good portion of her dinner before either of them spoke. They just so happen to break the silence together.
"What-"
"How-"
An awkward moment passed until Undyne forged forward first. "How are you feeling? Any better?" Alphys nodded, smiling a little.
"I was never feeling bad per-say. I-I just passed out that's all. What happened?" That was the wrong thing to say. The normally blue monster sitting beside her turned red.
"That's all?! THAT'S ALL?! Dammit, Alphys! What happened you ask? I went to your house to check on you. Ya know, it had been a few days since you posted on that web thing you love. No one had heard from you! So, what do you think happened?" Alphys retreated, trying to hide under the covers.
"Y-you found me at my lab..." She offered. Undyne ripped the sheets away from her face, and leaned in.
"Damn right I did! Passed out upstairs. Sprawled on the floor by your computer. You were barely ALIVE! Very, very, VERY little HP! How long had it been since you had eaten or slept Alphys, huh? Huh?" Undyne demanded, her eyes glowed with fury. She was beyond angry, Alphys couldn't put her finger on a word to describe it but she it wasn't just anger.
"It- it had been a few days, m-maybe a week."
"A WEEK?! You IDIOT!" Undyne pounded the edge of the bed. One of the legs snapped and it shifted. "You could have died! Dusted. You would have been GONE!" She fumed.
"I've done it before!" She replied, Undyne clenched her fist. "Uh, not for a week, that was a first, but I was on to something super important! Something the King wanted me to-"
"It really doesn't matter WHAT you were doing! What would be the point of all that work if you DIED before you got to present it to the King? Answer me that!" She got really close and Alphys gasped.
It was fear. Beyond her anger and front, was fear. But… why? Why was there fear in her eyes? She was afraid of her passing out? That didn't make any sense. Undyne had never shown any concern over her before. Not to this extent. And, like she had said, this wasn't the first time. No one had bothered to check in on her before. How long had she been unconscious? A day or more did she say? It must have been a pretty good long time if Undyne noticed she wasn't posting. Then again, she did post a lot. Wait…
Undyne was paying attention to when she posted stuff? Alphys suddenly felt warm, her whole body seemed to be blushing. It warmed her heart to know she was cared for. That someone was looking out for her. She smiled and reached over, putting her hand on Undyne's. It had a surprisingly calming effect, Undyne actually squeezed her hand back. It was a comforting feeling. A peaceful sense fell over the house.
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't know… didn't realize you would worry so much about me."
"How could you not realize, dumbass-"
"Let me finish, please. I-I won't do it again. My research would have been wasted, all that hard work for nothing. So I promise, I-I'll take better care of myself. I'll eat and keep my HP up so you don't have to worry. Okay?"
The promise hung in the air between them. For a second, Alphys thought Undyne was going to go off again. She got up and walked away. Alphys was left stunned. What had she done wrong. It hadn't been an unreasonable promise. Anyone would have said it after something like this. Her anxiety got the better of her, her mind started racing, back and forth until Undyne appeared at her side. She wedged a book under the broken leg and then relaxed back in her chair. Their eyes met and Undyne smiled, for the briefest moment before crossing her arms again.
"Go on. Eat the rest of the spaghetti. I'll go into town later and stock you up on ramen. So you can keep your promise."
Alphys smiled, "Yes, ma'am."
