Chapter Text
Life is the most beautiful thing there is to exist. And the subcategories within it are also just as beautiful: Love, Happiness, Family….
Even the bad parts, like say Suffering and Sadness, they can turn a person, and change their lives forever… giving them Love, Happiness…
And family.
A little fluffy white devil kit quietly coos as she lays wrapped up in a blanket in Devil’s arm. Only a night old, little Sophie is the most perfect baby Devil and King Dice could have. Tomorrow, now 17-year old Mugman and 19-year old Cuphead will be visiting to meet her. Devil can hardly stand the wait… but looking down at his brand-new precious baby girl, he feels like he can do anything. Even wait for tomorrow.
“How’re ya holding up?” Dice comes over and sets Devil’s refreshed glass of water down on the bedside table. “How’s the little one?” Dice smiles and reaches his hand down to softly touch what of Sophie’s chest fur isn’t covered by the blanket. Devil smiles at her, and then up at Dice.
“She’s still the most perfect little angel… and I’m okay now… I could really use some sleep.” Devil chuckles as he acknowledges his depleted energy level. He gave birth at 2 a.m., and was finally able to fall asleep at 5 a.m. It is 10 a.m. now, and he woke up at 8.
“I can watch her,” Dice offers eagerly. He’s already addicted to his tiny daughter. “You need sleep… so you can have energy to watch her!”
What could possibly work that would make Devil give Sophie to Dice? An attempt as desperate as ‘you need energy to care for her’ is almost a little sad…
Devil chuckles. “Dice, you got as much sleep as I did.”
“Perhaps...” Dice leans in with a grin. “But I didn’t push out a baby at 2 a.m.”
Devil is speechless… Dice has a point! He laughs. “Alright, alright… but after I get some hours you get some right after, okay?”
Dice forces down a squeal of excitement as he kisses Devil. “It’s a deal!”
Devil smiles and raises his arm a bit so Dice can take the little bundle. “You’re so excited...”
“I am…! It’s my little angel girl!” Dice already begins to coo down at Sophie. “Hey there little girl…! Gosh, you’re only the size of the palm of my hand… just look at you! I’m so lucky! I never saw myself havin’ kids until I settled down with Devil again… and I couldn’t be more happy…! And I know your other dadda feels the same, right Dev? … Dev?”
Devil lay on his side, already in a deep sleep. Dice smiles at him.
“Sleep well, my fluffy King.”
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“I still can’t believe the fluff ball finally had a kid!” Cuphead beams as he and Mugman walk a path to Devil and Dice’s home. Cuphead, like Mugman, had come to be close with the Devil as well. He always looked forward to every visit, even if it only be for five minutes. Now, he’s especially looking forward to this visit, Devil had a baby!
“Gosh Cup….” Mugman chuckles as he puts his hand over his eyes. “I know I’m excited, but I can’t believe how expressive you’re being.”
“Will she be like our little sister?” Cuphead kicks a rock, “Because I’ve always wanted a baby sister.”
“That is not true!” Mugman stops to laugh. “We grew up with you saying girls were gross!”
“Maybe, maybe,” Cuphead taps his chin, “but remember I am 19 now. And the lovely species of women is much more appealing to me.”
“So you would date Sophie!” Mugman laughs harder. “Dude that’s gross!”
Cuphead turns red when he realizes his mistake. Immediately he hits Mugman in the back of the head, only to make him laugh all the more harder. “Th-That’s not what I meant you dingus…! I mean since girls are actually cool to me now I would like to have a sister…!”
Mugman can feel his chest tighten and ache as it lacks all the air he’s laughing on. He’s even on his knees, holding his belly and laughing so hard his mug head could crack. “I-I got it Cuphead I-I’m just messing with you…!”
Cuphead furrows his brows at him, but then starts giggling and also starts laughing, falling to the ground with him. They hold each other and laugh, almost endlessly. They could have laughed the last half mile to Devil’s house if they didn’t get themselves under control.
After fifteen minutes of one trying to talk, but only laughing harder and slapping the other’s back and then practically laying on the ground in a puddle of laughter tears, the two brothers catch their breaths, wipe away their tears, and get up to get back on the hike.
“... gosh Mugs, I think I laughed hard enough to give me a six pack.”
“Cuphead, not again…!”
And the two again go into a ten minute laughing fit.
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Ironically, Cuphead is dead silent as he holds Sophie and stares down at her in awe. Truly, she is the most perfect thing in the whole universe.
Devil chuckles as he watches Cuphead at his most mature state. “Is he like this with anything else at all?”
Mugman shakes his head. “Nope. Not a thing.”
Devil smiles and snuggles his head to Mugman’s arm, which in turn makes Mugman smile down at Devil and scratch him between his horns.
“How are you feeling now, Dev? I could only imagine having a baby, even one her size, is….exhausting.”
Devil nods. “I’m still trying to catch up on my normal sleep schedule… but I’m getting there.”
The two leave the room as it’s quiet enough in there that Sophie can sleep. They go and sit on the back porch with ice waters and crackers.
“So how’s life been?” Devil takes a sip from his glass. “I can imagine high school being one of the worst things to happen to you?”
Mugman giggles. “Actually it’s great! I got accepted into choir and my art teacher declared my painting the best in the class!”
Mugman had made a painting called ‘Light and Dark’, with half of the painting dark and half of it light. Devil was in the dark half, reaching to the light half to hold Mugman’s hand, who was in the light half. With its beautiful details and meaning, his art teacher felt it was the best project.
Devil smiles big. “I think it’s the best too! For sure...”
“Eheh…” Mugman rubs the back of his neck, “It was really good wasn’t it…. Even Tulip thought it was cool….”
“Tulip?” Devil sets his glass down, suddenly uneasy.
“Yeah… she’s this girl I like...” Mugman smiles. “She’s a ghost with pink petals around her neck…. She’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”
Devil cringes when Mugman is looking down. A girl? A girl? Mugman can’t be falling in the L word yet…! Devil will lose all of his attention!
“Oh, she can’t be that great… what if she’s a… oh I don’t know, a rebel?”
“She couldn’t possibly be a rebel!” Mugman leans back in his seat. “She’s too pretty and kind to be a bad girl….”
Devil winces at Mugman. He isn’t sure why, but seeing Mugman so in awe over some girl in school makes him uneasy. He doesn’t want Mugman to get hurt over her if she rejects him…
And he especially doesn’t want to lose his special attention.
Maybe he’s overreacting…. Maybe high school love is a normal thing…. Devil just has to get used to it. He can’t control Mugman growing up over all.