"Alphy?"

Alphys curled further into a ball beneath the blankets, shutting her eyes. She hated how hurt Undyne sounded, but, try as she might - and she did try - she couldn't get up. She just couldn't get out of bed. So she said nothing.

She felt Undyne sit down next to her, and she shut her eyes, feeling hot shame fill her. She knew this would happen eventually in front of Undyne, but she'd hoped it would be much later, if it had to be at all. Instead, it was a mere few weeks after they'd moved into the home they now shared, and already she felt smothered by that horrible, all-encompassing feeling.

Undyne leaned close and placed a hand on Alphys's forehead, as though feeling for a fever. Alphys felt a lump form in her throat, the gesture so gentle, so caring, that it almost hurt. Undyne's fingers gently brushed over her head, and she felt tears come to her eyes.

"Alphy, what's wrong?" asked Undyne softly. She lay down next to her, her arms now going around Alphys tight, blankets and all. "Are you getting sick?"

"Yes," Alphys blurted out. "N-no. I... I-I'm fine." She winced, hating that her default setting when trapped by a question was to lie. "D-don't worry," she added. At least that was honest.

"Hmph," Undyne answered. "I'm gonna worry. Especially when you won't get up for the day. You haven't even had breakfast and it's almost noon, Alphy."

"Don't need it," muttered Alphys darkly. "Could stand to lose the weight."

"Alphy!" Undyne sat up and leaned over her again, trying to get a better look at her, but Alphys hid under the blankets, instead. "Alphy, come on!"

"N-no," Alphys said, her voice now choked as well as muffled. "I'm trash. I'm..." She bit her lip to keep from lying again, her hands clutching the blankets to her holding tight.

Undyne curled up against her, and she sniffled, unable to smother it. "Okay," said Undyne softly, holding Alphys as close to her as possible. "You're not, first of all. Second of all, you still need to eat, regardless of how you feel about your weight. Please come on out, sweetie."

Alphys shook her head, wishing she could be more eloquent about how she felt, but she never was in these kinds of moods. How could she explain it, so that Undyne could understand? That it wasn't Undyne's fault, but something to do with Alphys's brain, and that, sometimes, her brain seemed to almost short-out with unexplained self-loathing and sadness?

She tried to say that, but only got out, "Not your fault. I swear."

Undyne bit her lip, unsure despite herself. It didn't seem to be her fault, true, but she still felt as if she'd either missed something or perhaps caused this by accident. "Can you talk me through it?" she wondered carefully. "Can you try to word your thoughts as they come to you, or something?"

Alphys hated that Undyne still sounded so sad, so she tried to explain again. "S-sometimes, I get... sad. Angry at m-myself. I-I can't m-move when it happens. Because, what's the point?" Her voice broke, then became quiet. "I'm n-nobody, so who cares if I get up at all? I-I don't even care..."

Undyne was silent for a moment, before she murmured, "I care. You're someone to me, Alphy. Probably..." Her voice went close to a whisper. "Probably for longer than you even know it..."

Alphys opened her eyes at that, confused. She carefully dug her way out from the blankets, but only up to her neck. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked.

Undyne blushed suddenly, looking to the side. "I mean..." She smiled a little shyly, then looked back at her. "Come on, Alphy. You're smart. I've had my eye on you for a long, long time."

Alphys looked away this time. "You're just saying that to cheer me up," she said, rather unfairly.

"No, nerd, I'm not," Undyne replied, rolling her eye. "I have. Did. Heh." Her blush deepened. "Shut up, okay?"

At that, Alphys poked her head back out. "W-wait," she said slowly, bemused, now. "You're serious?"

Undyne scratched her cheek, her blush deepening. "Forget I said it, okay? Let's focus on you!"

"N-no!" Alphys brought her hands out from under the blankets and pushed them down further, to look at Undyne closer. Her heart, oddly, seemed to feel a little better already. "You said it! Were you lying?"

"I never lie to you!" Undyne answered hotly. When Alphys raised her eyebrows at her, she sighed. "Fine. Since I first met you, okay? Shut up."

Now Alphys was the one who blushed. "Wh-what? When we met?"

"Yeah." Undyne grabbed part of a blanket and tried to hide her face beneath it. "Shut up, okay? You were... you are... so smart, and cute, and fun to be with... so shut up about it!" She pulled the blanket over her head.

Alphys stared, her heart racing. "Undyne?"

"Merph."

"M-me too. With you." It was the truth, after all. When Alphys met Undyne that day, a distant crush became a very near-and-dear love. But she'd thought it'd been one-sided for the longest time. She never dreamt that it would be reciprocated at all. But for the same amount of time?

Undyne peered up from under the blanket, still red. "Yeah?" she said, a small smile on her face. "For real?"

Alphys nodded, reaching up and placing her hand on Undyne's warm cheek. Deep down, that sadness and hatred still prevailed, but when she met Undyne's gaze, she saw the smile that came with it, and especially when she felt a hand touch hers, it almost seemed just a little bit smaller.

Suddenly, she realised she was actually rather hungry. "Undyne?" she said.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Undyne grinned, her face lighting up at once. "I love you, Alphy. That's my damned point!"

Alphys felt a small smile tug at her lips. "I-I got it," she said honestly.

"Good!" Undyne grabbed Alphys's face between her hands and shook her a little, bringing a laugh, surprising them both. Undyne looked delighted just from hearing that small sound. "Can you... do you think you're ready to eat something? Honestly?"

Alphys nodded slowly. Undyne slid out of bed and helped her get free of the blankets, then pulled her into a hug. Alphys, surprised, hugged back, closing her eyes and loving the feel of it.

"Whatever it is, even if you don't know, it's okay," Undyne said gently, rubbing Alphys's back slowly. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

Alphys clung onto her, a fresh wave of tears suddenly crashing into her. She whispered, "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" Undyne demanded. "It's why I'm here!"

Alphys sniffled in reply. They both knew there was more to it than that.

"C'mon," Undyne said, her tone softer. "Let's get you something to eat."

"Okay," Alphys agreed, a little tearfully.

"And," Undyne added, "if you ever say or imply you're fat again, I'll be pissed off." The hard tone spoke louder than the actual words did.

Alphys smiled a little bit more at that. "Sorry," she said honestly.

"The only one you should say that to," Undyne replied, leading her out to the kitchen, "is yourself, my love."