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(Y/n) couldn’t stand it any longer.
She sat idly by in the living room, looking after Sans’ two twins, Aster and Kreon, as they played in their small playpen. They hadn’t been too fussy, and she knew that Sans and his wife would be coming home sometime soon. It was a bit heartbreaking for her, as she loved children with all her heart and longed to have a family of her own.
These two were simply too cute for her to handle! Aster was currently chewing on his brother’s tiny little foot and Kreon was playing with a small toy on his back. Both were dressed in matching pun onesies that Sans had insisted on getting them once they had made it home. His wife had insisted they didn’t wear them often, to keep the puns intact on the front, but (Y/n) suspected it was because the puns were terrible.
Papyrus, (Y/n)’s fiance, was in the other room, cleaning up the messy dishes from dinner. The twins were only seven months old, and they had slung the spaghetti he made almost everywhere they could. Despite all of that, there was nothing more that she would have loved to see than the two cuties in a bathtub together. As she was watching the two baby skeletons tussle around in their made up game, a pair of hands came to rest around her waist, lifting her up off the couch.
“Papyrus!” she cried out in protest, though she was laughing. “Put me down! We’re supposed to be watching Aster and Kreon!” Papyrus, much to her surprise, ignored her words, and instead pulled her into his arms much like a ragdoll. He peppered her face with skeletal kisses, making a soft “mwah” sound with each one.
“Alas, you have been captured by the Great Papyrus! And now you must face my kisses as a punishment for being captured, my sweet!” His words were punctuated with even more kissing, and the sound of soft giggles nearby caught both Papyrus and (Y/n)’s attention. The twins were looking at the two of them and laughing sweetly at the sight of the kisses. Papyrus placed another kiss on (Y/n)’s cheek, eliciting more giggles.
“It would seem that they are also enjoying this,” (Y/n) said softly, turning her head as best she could. Papyrus let out a hum and kissed her on her lips gently before he set her back down on the couch. The woman lounged comfortably for a moment, then sat up, patting the seat to her for Papyrus to sit down. The tall skeleton indulged her request, and took the spot directly next to her.
“This is nice,” she said after a moment, leaning onto his shoulder with her head. “The way this is worked out and all. I’m really glad we were able to get a house right next to Sans so that we could do this all the time for them.”
“I have to agree with you,” Papyrus said, placing another kiss on her lips. “It is rather nice to have the privacy of our own home, and yet the familiarity of knowing my brother and his family are right next door! “
“Would you ever want something like this?” (Y/n) asked softly, looking up at her fiance from his shoulder. He brought his gaze back to her, a look of confusion on his features.
“What do you mean by that, (Y/n)?” he asked softly. She made a vague gesture with her hands out to the room before them, a small smile on her face.
“This!” she cried, looking at the twins who had begun to babble quietly. “Would you ever want this kind of life, with kids in the house once we get married to each other? I mean, I want to have kids someday, but I wanted to clear it with you before we get to that point. I don’t… I don’t want to scare you off or have a moment where I’m uncertain about it….”
“Like Sans did…?” Papyrus questioned softly, and (Y/n) nodded. “I would be more than happy to have children with you, my sweet (Y/n)! I should like very much to have a fairly large family, but we can determine that after we get married.” Another kiss was placed on her lips, and Aster and Kreon both started to giggle at that again.
(Y/n) laughed softly, a wash of relief filling her soul at her fiance’s words of reassurance. The two of them began to plant kisses on each other, then quickly moving to catch the twins up in their affections, tickling them gently and kissing their cheekbones.
When we’re ready, we can have children, and both of us will be happy with that decision. I’m so glad to be engaged to you, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the two of us.
…
One year of bliss into their marriage, (Y/n) and Papyrus had never been happier living together. The two of them had been taking the time to enjoy their honeymoon, which was both luxurious and extremely fun. A two-week cruise had been just what they needed, and there was something about the whole experience that drew them even closer together.
Once they had gotten back, there was the well wishers coming by with more congratulations to their home, next door to Sans and his wife’s home. They wanted to be close by in case Papyrus would ever need anything, but (Y/n) suspected that it was because Sans wanted to keep the babies close to the greatest sitters ever. Once she and Papyrus were settled into their home, there was the twins’ birthday coming up soon and Sans specifically requested the both of them to be present.
“What should we get for them, Papy?” (Y/n) asked, eyeing the small toys in the store aisle. “Sans said he wants something that they can play with that won’t get destroyed easily, because they apparently are getting really good at dismantling stuff.”
Papyrus looked over her shoulder at the toys, his arms coming to wind around her waist gently and his chin resting on the top of her head. As (Y/n) placed her hands on his boney forearms, she felt a small pang of jealousy run through her. She had wanted to have kids for so long, and lately she and Papyrus had been making several valiant attempts, with no results. However, Sans and his wife already had two kids, and were getting ready to celebrate their birthday.
It’s not fair that they can have kids and Papyrus and I are stuck without any. But this isn’t the time to be griping about what I don’t have, we’re going to celebrate the miracle that was their two kids being born. I should be happy for them.
Before either of them had really realized it, the party was upon them and it was quite the party for two year olds. There were little streamers and lots of candy and plenty of cake for the twins and adults to delve into alike. The conversations were light and jovial, before Sans announced that it was time for gifts. The twins tore into the papers with glee, laughing at the great things they got in their presents, spoiled rotten by Sans especially.
(Y/n) watched with a pang of bitterness in her soul, despite all of her best attempts to keep her spirits up. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, not something to be upset about. Even as she watched, however, she was saddened, the thoughts of her own wanting to be a family creeping in at the corners of her mind.
As the last gifts were being opened, (Y/n) took a sip of her drink and turned to find Papyrus, having wandered into the kitchen for a small reprieve. The tall skeleton was not hard to find, hovering by his older brother, who also had a gift from his wife that he was opening. (Y/n) went to go catch her husband’s attention, but a shout from Sans caused the words to die on her lips.
“You’re pregnant!!”
(Y/n) almost dropped her drink when Sans flung his arms around his wife, both laughing joyously and the rest of the group celebrating. Jealousy began tugging at her soul again, but she plastered on a smile and gave the couple a hearty round of congratulations. It was forced, but in the glow of the moment, neither Sans or his wife seemed to take notice.
The party soon dissipated, and although Papyrus wanted to stay back and help clean the mess, (Y/n) went home early. She needed a few minutes to herself, and her upset mood was becoming unbearable to try and hide. The moment she was home and the door was shut behind her, a sob wrenched itself from her chest.
It’s not fair, it’s not fair !! They can have kids without hardly even trying, but Papyrus and I are left hanging without anything to go on! We want to have children too, we both do and there should be no reason that we can’t have any at all! I…. I….
With another cry, she managed to make her way to the bedroom, flinging herself onto the bed as tears poured down her face. She knew that this took time, she knew that it had only been a year, she knew that this was selfish of her, yet her soul was weeping for the lack she and Papyrus had.
Maybe it’s me, maybe there’s something wrong with me and I can’t have children at all. Papyrus wants to have them as much as me, but if the problem is that I’m not capable of carrying a child, then-
“(Y/n)?” Papyrus’ voice broke through her upset thoughts, and she looked up to see him looking at her with worry in his eye sockets. Despite her best efforts to put on a more upbeat demeanor, it was too late for that, and the skeleton could already see right through that facade. He came over quickly to her side and wrapped her up in his arms as her false bravery crumbled away.
Soon enough she was sobbing into his ribcage, clinging to his clothing pitifully and him clutching her close. Papyrus rubbed soothing circles on her back, rocking her back and forth quietly. (Y/n) didn't need to speak about why she was upset, he knew it all too well that she would be broken up about the announcement.
“I-it’s not fair,” she sobbed, the stuttering of her breath breaking up the pacing of her words. “They… they can have children w-without even trying to, a-and we just… we….”
“I know, (Y/n)” he said softly, sadness coloring his words as he tried to comfort her. “I know that you’re upset. We have been trying, and I suppose we must keep trying again and again until we get a success! There is nothing to fear, nothing is wrong with either of us, we just have to bide our time. Please don’t cry anymore….”
(Y/n) knew that this was hurting Papyrus as much as it hurt her, and so she did her best to put up a brave face, knowing that he hated to see her cry. She wiped her eyes carefully and smiled up at him, though it still felt bitter and hollow. Papyrus managed to smile back at her, then carried her off to bed for the night, knowing that after all of that, the two of them really just needed a good long rest.
…
Months passed, and soon Sans and his wife’s new baby, a little girl named Alegreya, was born into the world. (Y/n) was really happy for the two of them, truly, because they had three small miracles, and this one actually looked a bit more like Sans’ wife instead of just another copy of him. Aster and Kreon had been fascinated by their baby sister, and though they were still a little ways off from being three, already showed promise of being overprotective of the youngest member of their household. Papyrus was of course over the moon about the news, and as soon as he was able to hold the newborn, he practically hogged her.
“Can I get a chance to hold her too, Papyrus?” (Y/n) asked, standing off to the side of her husband, who was currently seated in a rocking chair at his brother’s house. He blinked up at her, and (Y/n) knew what he was asking without actually saying anything.
Are you sure that you want to because you’re still hurting over our own lack of children?
She pushed aside her doubts for the moment and reached out her arms to Alegreya to hold her. Papyrus reluctantly handed her over, and for a moment, (Y/n) felt another pang of jealousy course through her body. This could be hers too, if her body ever actually wanted to cooperate with her and let her have a baby.
No, now is not the time for me to be thinking about that. Sans is happy that his family is growing either way, and as long as I have Papyrus, I’m more than satisfied. I… I don’t need to have children to be happy. I don’t need that….
Surprisingly, (Y/n) found that some of her worries began to ebb and the jealousy was abating, even if only a little. She bounced the little infant in her arms, cooing at the sleepy face she was making as the poor baby struggled to stay awake. Her soul was soothed, at least for the moment, and Papyrus seemed to be content as well.
“How are you feeling about all of this?” he asked softly, rising from the chair. “I know that you are still… upset about this, but now that Alegreya is here, how are you?” She smiled up at him, the true feeling of happiness lifting the ache of envy from her soul.
“Honestly, I’m still a little upset, but I feel better than I did before about the whole thing,” she replied. “But now that she’s here, I feel a little better. I’d still like kids eventually, but now I’m less concerned about making it the focal point of our happiness. If I have you, then I don’t need to be worried about the state of my soul.”
Papyrus’ eye sockets lit up with happiness and he began to plant kisses on her face, mindful of the infant she was still cradling. (Y/n) found herself laughing at the antics of her mate, eventually getting him to stop so she could properly kiss him on the teeth. He held either side of her face in his hands, and continued to kiss her until little Alegreya started to make fussy sounds, calling Sans back into the room.
Despite what she had been feeling before, (Y/n) was finding her happiness, and if children became a part of that, then it would be amazing. For now, however, she was content to just have this little section of her family, and that was okay too.
…
To say that the months following Alegreya’s birth were strange was not enough to cover the things that happened. For starters, Papyrus noticed that (Y/n) was oddly satisfied to not be a mother, changing her mind over a really short period of time, was weird in and of itself. Then, he noted that she was behaving strangely in other ways as well.
She was losing weight, but eating at a pace that he assumed humans would be gaining weight unless they had a higher metabolism. (Y/n) herself was a little thrilled at the notion, but it still struck an odd chord with him at the same time. Before now, she had complained that it was hard for her to resist foods and lose the weight she wanted to, what had brought on the sudden change?
He managed to brush aside his doubts, and chalked up the weight loss to stress or something similar. Surely a little thing like this wouldn’t be harmful to her, right? His soul still remained uneasy about the whole prospect, no matter what he told himself, and his worry only increased. Now as he stood, making dinner in the kitchen, the worries he held all resurfaced.
It always got to be like this when he was doing something that was fairly monotonous, where his hands could work with his mind being absent. Papyrus had been this way since before leaving the Underground, able to think about many things while his hands were occupied. Before now, it had always been Sans and his depression he worried about, but now he worried about the odd state that (Y/n) was in.
A sigh escaped his teeth as he reached for some salt that was sitting by the stove on the countertop. Perhaps he was worrying a bit too much for his own good, his wife was happy, they were living life well, and things were looking good for the both of them. So why did he have this continual notion that it was all about to collapse on him?
A sudden cry of pain from upstairs sent Papyrus leaping into action, not even bothering to turn off the stove. His soul was hammering in his ribcage as he bounded up the steps, three at a time, to reach (Y/n) as fast as possible. Something was terribly wrong, he had been right about it this whole time, why hadn’t he trusted himself??
Quickly, he flung open the door to their bedroom, discovering his wife laying on the floor, her body crumpled into a heap. She looked like she was crying, and for whatever reason he couldn’t place, she was sweating. The skeleton was at her side in an instant, hands hovering over her body uncertainly.
“(Y/n)?” he asked, trying and failing miserably to keep himself calm. “What’s happened?? Are you hurt??” She shook her head, clutching her stomach with a groan, before she managed to look up at him. Her eyes were still watering, and Papyrus felt his soul twist in agony.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I think I need to go to a hospital, something feels very wrong,” she managed to choke out, her chest heaving for breath. “Oh stars, I feel like I’m dying right now….”
Without another moment of hesitation, Papyrus scooped up his mate into his arms and rushed downstairs to the car, only pausing to grab his phone and wallet before he went. (Y/n) was hastily placed in the front seat, and he called Sans as he moved to the driver side. Thankfully it only took a few moments for his older brother to pick up the phone.
“Heya Paps, what’s up?” came his brother’s deep voice, and Papyrus had never felt more relieved in his life. “You usually don’t call this late at night, is something the matter?”
“Something’s wrong with (Y/n),” he said, having already started the car and beginning to pull out of the driveway while his wife was writhing in her seat. “I was in the middle of dinner preparations, but I am taking her to the hospital now, it’s far more important. Could you please turn off the stove for me and then meet us at the nearest hospital?” Sans quickly spoke to someone on the other end, his mate by the sound of the voice.
“We’ll be right there, Pap, you get her where she needs to be, don’t worry about a thing. Tell (Y/n) to stay determined and to hang in there, alright?” Papyrus confirmed that with his brother, then hung up, already well on his way out. He spared a quick glance to look at (Y/n), who was clutching his hand in a vice grip, her breathing shallow. The sight of her distress and pain only spurred him on to drive a little faster, and soon enough, he pulled into the emergency section of the hospital’s parking.
Papyrus felt for a moment that he must’ve sprouted wings on his feet, because the moment the car was parked, he had (Y/n) in his arms and was in the hospital lobby within seconds. The nurses looked confused, but once he began to explain, they brought out a wheelchair and took her into the back. (Y/n)’s pain seemed to be cycling in waves, and Papyrus felt helpless to do anything.
After some testing was done in a back room, the nurses drifted out of the room, leaving the couple alone. In that time, Sans had called to give an update that he was on his way and that the stove was off. Finally, a doctor came in to look at her in the room after what felt like far too long. He was checking her charts, and a smile came over his face, which made the couple want to panic even more. He set the clipboard aside.
“Well, Mrs. Gaster, it would seem that you’re six centimeters dilated, so it’s not quite time for you to start pushing yet,” he said calmly, and (Y/n) would have recoiled from him if she were capable of moving. “But I will come back to check on you in an hour. If you need anything at all, there’s a call button for the nurses right next to your bed.”
“Wait, why would she need to push?” Papyrus asked, confusion clear on his features. “And what does her dilation have to do with her stomach pains? I don’t understand!” The doctor looked equally confused for a moment, then realization struck his face, and he was beaming again.
“Ah,” he said with a small chuckle. “Well I suppose you didn't know it then, but congratulations, Mrs. Gaster, you’re pregnant. Though I suppose you can’t say that for much longer, because you’ve been in labor, and it looks like it won’t be too long now before the baby is born.”
(Y/n)’s mouth went dry at those words and despite the joy she should have been feeling, she was terrified. There had been no warning, no symptoms that she had noticed, and the two of them were horridly underprepared. Papyrus didn't seem to be faring much better, his mandible hanging open as the doctor left the room. A few beats of silence followed his announcement, and suddenly Papyrus burst into tears and screams of joy.
“OH MY STARS, I’M GOING TO BE A FATHER!!” he shouted, falling to his knees at (Y/n)’s bedside, clutching her as close to his body as he could. “THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF MY LIFE!! I-I’M SO HAPPY!!” His bawling filled the hospital room, and for a moment (Y/n)’s pain was forgotten in sheer awe of how well he was handling this unexpected news.
“But we… we don’t have anything to prepare for the baby!” she cried out once she found her voice. “There’s no crib, we have no clothes, I’m not- AH!!” Her voice broke off into a choked scream of pain. Papyrus took her hand and allowed her to squeeze it in an attempt to relieve the pain she was feeling.
“We can get some things from Sans,” he said while she tried to force herself to relax. “I’m sure that Alphys and Undyne would be more than willing to help us out as well, and we have many in the monster community who would be supportive of us! Our baby will be so well loved and cared for that we won’t have to worry about a single thing!”
(Y/n) nodded, struggling to get a hold on her breathing but she finally managed to relax down into the bed. Papyrus captured her lips into a passionate kiss, all the joy he was feeling poured into it. Moments later, Sans came into the room, his eye sockets wide and searching for the pair.
“Paps!” he called out. “(Y/n)! How are you doing, have they found out what’s going on? Stars, she’s not dying is she?” Papyrus stood from his place at the bed and swept Sans into a huge hug, swinging his brother around in a circle. (Y/n) would have laughed but more pain, now easily identifiable as contractions, coursed through her body.
“No, Sans! Quite the opposite! We’re going to be parents in just a few short hours!” Papyrus’ voice still carried all of the joy and volume as before, and Sans’ expression changed from worry to confusion to utter surprise. He began to laugh with Papyrus, and the two brothers hugged each other. It was quite touching, and (Y/n) felt her soul beginning to hum with joy. The moment was punctuated with Sans’ heartfelt congratulations and letting the two of them know that he would be waiting in the lobby for the news.
Time seemed to only slow down from the moment Sans left the room, as (Y/n)’s contractions grew stronger and the doctors were taking their time to help her. Papyrus was getting to be more anxious by the minute, until the doctor that had first announced the news returned and check on her a final time. It had been three hours, if the clock on the wall was correct, and they finally said that (Y/n) was ready to officially start delivering the baby.
“Oh thank the stars ,” she breathed out upon hearing the news. Papyrus took her hand again, pressing his teeth to her forehead as the doctor gave out the instructions. (Y/n) nodded as they spoke, then looked up to her husband, squeezing his hand gently to get his attention.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked, her voice almost sounding timid. Papyrus thought for a moment that if he smiled any wider, his skull would crack in two.
“Absolutely! I have perfect faith in you!”
It had taken the better part of an hour, and with much screaming and encouragement, the baby was finally born. Papyrus could still envision the moment when the doctor held up the baby for them to see, a tiny skeleton, smaller than he had ever seen before, with a tuft of hair matching (Y/n)’s own on the top of its skull. The nurses worried that the baby was premature due to how small it was, but once Papyrus gave some lending magic to its soul, their worries disappeared.
Their little baby girl was now cradled in (Y/n)’s arms, and she was positively glowing with joy at the tiny creature. He himself was no better, beaming proudly at their daughter while he took several photos and texted Sans to come in. There was nothing better in the world in this moment, just to be here with his family all together.
“Our little Merienda,” she cooed quietly to the little skeleton as Sans walked in. “Our unexpected miracle, but you will still be loved here, no matter what, I promise.” Sans’ grin seemed to widen at the little family, and he gave his brother a one-armed hug.
“I’m happy for you bro, and if you need anything, you just ask us and I’m sure we can come up with something.” Papyrus smiled at his brother and scooped him into another hug, squeezing the bones with joy.
“Thank you brother, I’m sure we will be able to figure something out, but for now, this is all I need.” With that, he gently kissed (Y/n) again and placed a very gentle hand on Merienda’s skull, stroking it with his phalanges. “My perfect little family, I swear I shall protect you and love you with all my soul, and I, the Great Papyrus, shall never fail you.”