Sparks and Spears

It was a lazy, contented kind of evening, filled with doing nothing in particular. Alphys had made soup for dinner, with Undyne providing only the most basic help, so they had avoided any fires or explosions. They'd eaten it curled up on the couch, cuddling, while half-watching an old episode of Cardcaptor Sakura. Undyne had done dishes, while Alphys had huddled up with her new laptop and read through her most recent reports. Undyne, still technically unemployed, had had her own job to do; going over her magical spears with the repair kit Alphys had given her on their first date.

She didn't use the spears much anymore. Wasn't much call, since they all left for the surface. She still summoned them, though, mostly for the sake of looking impressive when she stood besides the Monster's King, Queen and Ambassador— which could only be accomplished if they were in top-notch condition. Undyne maintained them diligently.

Besides… it really had been thoughtful gift. She didn't want it to go to waste.

Undyne was just setting to work, polishing the tip of the third spear, when suddenly, she looked up. "Hey, Alphys?"

"Hmm?" Alphys murmured, engrossed in her reports.

"What's your magic look like, anyhow?"

Alphys glanced up, her glasses reflecting the light from her laptop's monitor, hiding her eyes. Nonetheless, she looked… surprised by the question. "Oh. Um- why?"

Undyne shrugged, placing her spear down. "Dunno. Just figured, we've been dating for three months, and we've known each other a lot longer… seems like the kind of thing I should know."

"Oh, w-well," Alphys said, stuttering. She closed her laptop, and put it on the table in front of her. "It's- it's not really that impressive."

"PPPPPSSSH. 'Course it is."

Alphys managed a weak smile. After a moment of hesitation she raised a hand, and held up a claw. Something sparked on it's tip— and kept sparkling. It was a little yellow lightning bolt, hovering in the air.

Undyne practically vaulted across the living room, landing at her girlfriend's side, eye wide and glittering. "WOAH!" she shouted. "Alph, that's awesome!"

Alphys's normally yellow face turned bright red. "It's n-nothing."

"Don't put yourself down," Undyne said, voice somewhere between sharp admonishment and soft encouragement. She gave Alphys gentle (for her) punch in the shoulder. Alphys winced— either from the punch or the comment— but nodded.

Undyne focused on the little electrical bolt, still dancing in the air. It was super badass, but also really beautiful. It looked the way people imagined electricity to look, as it zapped through electrical wires, powering lights, TVs, hot-fridges. It fizzled and zapped, small and delicate, yet filled with power.

She wished Alphys had been confident enough to show her sooner. At the same time, though, the magic did seem familiar. "Wait a sec," said Undyne, bringing her single-remaining eye closer for a better look. "I've seen this before, haven't I?"

She remembered a planet, and thorns and laughter— fragments from before the barrier broke, that time that nobody but Frisk remembers clearly. But it's more than that. Something else involving Frisk. And… Mettaton? She frowned.

Alphys blushed again, this time a lighter pink. "Um. Y-yeah. Well, you might have seen Mettaton use it. Mostly he's powered by traditional electricity, but it's my magic that's actually b-binding his soul to body. Especially his EX form."

Yes. Yes, now Undyne could remember. She must have been one of the only monsters in the Underground who hadn't paid much attention to the Mettaton vs. Frisk battle, having still been recovering from dehydration and a wounded ego, but she had caught the tail end of the fight, filled with singing and dancing and flashing lights. She'd thought that had been mostly spotlights for dramatic effect, but some of it had been magical lightning bolts too.

She'd had to admit, grudgingly, that it actually been really intense.

"This is really seriously cool, hun," she said.

Alphys grinned sheepishly. "Really?"

"Yeah." Undyne slipped into the armchair next to Alphys, not caring that it was too small to comfortably sit both of them. It was nice, feeling her girlfriend's rough scales against her own. "Your magic is so useful, Alph."

"Your magic's u-useful too!"

Undyne snorted. "Yeah. For fighting. What use is that nowadays? We don't even have a royal guard anymore. But yours… It powers things! It's 'cause of you that Mettaton has a working robotic body! Who knows what other thinks you'll think to do with it?"

Alphys's eyes were watery, but her shy smile was bright. "Thanks, Undyne."

Alphys closed her hand, dispelling the magic, her lightning bolt vanishing with a little 'pop'. She cuddled in closer. They sat like that for a while, half-watching the anime, enjoying the feeling of the other close by. The episode's big battle was just wrapping up when suddenly, Alphys said, "Your magic's still great too, you know."

"Yeah, I know," said Undyne, smiling one of her big, toothy smiles.

"No. I mean it. Your spears are r-really cool, and r-really pretty. And I know… I know we're not fighting with the humans anymore, but doesn't mean we don't still need heroes. We— monsters and humans— will always need protecting from something."

Alphys glanced over at her spears, electric blue, laying where she left it. The show's credit song played in the background as she thought over her girlfriend's words. "Thanks, Alphys."

She planted a gentle kiss on Alphys's head-crest. Alphys reached up, and returned the favour, on the mouth.

oOoOoOoOo

Author's Note: Thought I might celebrate Valentines Day with some fluff featuring everyone favourite dinosaur and fish couple. Hope you enjoyed! 3