Work Text:
Alphys is a woman of science.
So Mettaton will never understand why she would so blatantly ignore scientific fact.
If Mettaton doesn’t give enough attention, he’ll die. That’s science.
But here he is, sitting by himself, small and unattended, while she works on her latest experiment. Worse yet, his pouting is adorable and no one is around to see it.
“Hey there, kiddo.” He looks up to see Undyne standing over him, offering him a smile. “What are you up to?”
Mettaton doesn’t look up from his popsicle sticks. “Why are you here?” Not that he doesn’t like Undyne, but he doesn’t like Undyne. She’s loud and disruptive for his little space, and she never seems interested in whatever it is he’s doing. She’s never said it, but he’s sure the words “dumb baby stuff” have crossed her mind more than once.
“Alphy doesn’t like having an audience while she works.” She tilts her head and repeats her question. “What are you up to?”
He regards her with suspicion. “If you really want to know, I’m making a picture frame for Alphys.”
“That’s cool!”
Something’s wrong. She’s never paid him this much attention, especially when he’s regressed. “Did Alphys guilt you into paying attention to me? Because I can entertain myself perfectly fine, thank you.” He punctuates his sentence by pressing a sparkly moon sticker into place.
“Yeah, but what’s the fun in that?”
Now it’s Mettaton’s turn to get indignant. “There’s a lot of fun in that!” He sniffs, turning his head to pick out a blue flower sticker. “It’s the most fun.”
“Is that a challenge?” Undyne asks. Fire sparks in her eye, and that’s how Mettaton knows he’s messed up. “Because I can be the most fun babysitter the Underground has ever seen!”
Before he can stop her, she wraps her arms around his waist and leaps onto the nearest table. It’s shocking that she’s able to support his weight so easily, since his metal body is by no means light, but he won’t say no to being carried.
As much as he wants to demand to be put down, he can’t bring himself to say so. Her arms are surprisingly warm, and he has to admit that his picture frame making was getting a little boring.
“Are you ready for the most intense game of peekaboo the Underground has ever seen?” Undyne roars. She jumps from the table, landing in the exact same spot she’d plucked him from. She sets him down, taking the time to both setup and destroy a random obstacle with her magic.
Mettaton can’t help giggling.
Maybe Undyne’s attention isn’t so bad after all.