Archive of Our Own

The air had gotten colder in the light world; a sign of the winter to come. The holidays were just around the corner, and with it came the promise of families sitting together on the couch, watching tv or playing games, friends visiting, eating wonderful food and buying and giving gifts. The perfect time for Spamton and Tenna to work even harder than they did throughout the rest of the year to leave their lasting impression. The TV ran shows and ads non stop for the lightners with varying results. 

Toriel loved the idea of a new bowtie for her husband and bought a Big Shot branded bowtie the instant it was aired, little Asriel begged his parents for every toy that was shown off in vibrant technicolour, and Asgore had paid close attention to everything that played on the value network for whatever nifty gadget his wife would have appreciated. With results like this, it was clear to see that Tenna and Spamton were just as happy as the lovely folks Tenna called his family.

At the end of the day though, most tapings passed by exactly like the ones before. The two show hosts spent their days revising scripts and signing papers and making sure everything went smoothly until those last hour or two where they would turn on the cameras and film TV Time in front of their live studio audience. Games and skits and interviews and news and weather, anything and everything the watchers could ever ask for.

Today was different though.

 Rain had fallen outside of the dreemurr home all day. Ice cold droplets that clung to the lightner’s flesh and stung to the bone, encouraging everyone to stay inside. More time around the TV, Tenna thought, Asgore and little Asriel both crowded around watching reruns of a western themed puppet show while Toriel attended to an emergency at the church. Being subject of the lightner’s attention would always make him happy, but what made it all better was that he could listen to his little mailman ramble on while the faint pitter patter of rain against the window echoed across his mind. 

The two show hosts laid together in Tenna’s dressing room. Draped across the couch, Spamton’s ear pressed against Tenna’s chest to listen to his insides click and whine with life while Tenna tangled his fingers in his hair. It had been maybe an hour, an hour and a half since they had gotten settled in this position, occasionally breaking the silence to make small talk or comment on how good the other smelled. Spamton would have been happy staying like that forever, breathing in the pleasant aroma of burning dust, fresh flowers and coffee, listening to the electric hum of his screen while static clung to his feathers.

“... It’s been a while, do you think Tori’s okay?” Tenna asked, twirling a lock of Spamton’s hair around his bare finger.

Spamton let out a small contented groan in response, shifting his head to rest his chin on Tenna’s chest and look up to him.

“She’s a grown woman, Boob Tube, you don’t need to worry about her so much. Whatever she’s doing I’m sure she’s fine,” He responds with a smile, kissing his hand and reaching up to set it against his screen.

Tenna simply sighed, gently planting a kiss on Spamton’s palm before he could retreat it.

“I know, I know… But didn’t you hear what Elnina said? It’s only a few degrees above freezing out there and it’s pouring rain. If she’s not careful she’ll freeze right down to the bone!”

“She’s covered in fur, she’ll be fine.”

Of course, Tenna wanted to believe he was right. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and she did bundle up before leaving. It was just across town and with the weather as cold as it was surely she would have taken the car. Yes, he was probably right, she was probably fine… perfectly safe, whatever she was doing.

Suddenly there came a pause. Tenna fell deadly still with his distinctive nose and mouth vanishing from his pure white screen.

“Cathode?” Spamton’s eyes narrowed in worry, taking immediate notice at how quiet everything had gotten.

He couldn’t feel the cold gust of wind tear through the house when the door swung open or hear Toriel’s alarmed cries as she rushed in. He couldn’t see the way Asgore rushed to her side, then vanished upstairs at her frantic demand. To Spamton, it was all silence. Dark, quiet, still, nothing to be perceived but the dimly lit dressing room for the Darkner with no physical light world counterpart.

“Hey, Earth to Tenna are you okay?” Spamton asked, his tone much more worried as he squirmed his way out of Tenna’s grip to sit closer to his head.

“... She has a baby,” Tenna finally managed to squeak out, setting Spamton aside so he could get up.

“What? She was pregnant?” The confusion was palpable in his voice as he walked over to the vanity to tame the mess his hair had become, keeping his sights fixed on Tenna while he slipped a jacket back on.

“She wasn’t. She brought home a human baby.”

It wasn’t just Tenna who found himself stricken still. Just beyond the door it looked as though the entire studio had been paralyzed. Spellbound by the same sight, their gaze fixed to the heavens so they too could see, hear, feel everything that happened right around them… Even past the green room, the crew preparing the sound stage all stopped what they were doing to simply observe. Props hung half suspended in the air, lights and cameras unfocused, all of it so quiet Spamton could swear he heard the spark of an overloaded outlet on the other side of the studio. 

Farther past still, he followed Tenna right past it all to the main stage. The sky above the audience seats was pure darkness that stretched on forever, so dark that it filled Spamton with a sense of dread. But he knew what Tenna could see beyond that darkness. This was where his audience laid most clearly. The thinnest point between Tenna and the family he held so dear.

And so, Tenna turned his attention towards the heavens. His screen--no, his smile--was so bright it nearly blinded Spamton. That beautiful, perfect love of life, a feeling so simple that he could only dream of feeling… getting to experience it through Tenna was intoxicating. 

“Oh, Spamton…. Aren’t they beautiful?” Tenna asked, his voice wavering with emotion.

The TV took a deep shuttered breath, holding a hand to his chest to feel his own body flutter. Whatever semblance of a heart he had pounded in his chest, so full of love he feared it may burst.

But Spamton couldn’t see them. The auditorium was empty and the sky was black. Instead of drawing attention to it, though, Spamton felt a soft smile spread across his lips as he reached up to take a hold of Tenna’s hand. He was quick to squeeze it in response, his fingers trembling while he kept his gaze fixed on the heavens above.

“... They sure are, Cathode…” Spamton responds, planting a soft kiss on the back of Tenna’s hand.

Tenna smiled once more, digital tears welling up on his screen while a short laugh forced its way out of his throat. He sniffed once, twice, taking another deep shuttered breath as he pressed a hand to his mouth.

“Oh, little Kris…. Little Kris Dreemurr… Welcome to the family, Kris… You’re going to be so happy here, Toriel and Asgore are going to take such good care of you, and Asriel will be there for you every day, you’ll laugh and play games and watch TV… and I’ll play you all of your favourite shows and teach you everything you need to know about the world. We’ll all love you so much, Kris… I can’t wait to watch you learn and grow and become a whole person all on your own with your own hopes and dreams… I'm already so proud of you, Kris… I just know you're going to grow up and accomplish so many wonderful things.” His voice was soft, just barely above a whisper while he spoke into the heavens. 

Tenna could barely even describe how badly he wanted to wrap his arms around Kris. To hold the babe in his clutch and sing them lullabies until they fell asleep, then just watch them until they woke up. He wanted to cook for them, read them stories and watch them grow. He wanted to walk them to school and help them with their homework, host playdates and parties and--

Then suddenly his screen began to dim, his head slowly turning downward with that same blissful smile hidden behind his hand. Toriel had gone upstairs to lay the baby down once Asgore returned, confirming that a crib had been rebuilt, leaving Asriel alone in the care of Rudy and Carol Holiday.

“Oh Spammy…” Tenna squeaked out, smiling down to his co-host.

He simply smiled up to him, gently patting his arm once he pulled his hand free. He wished he could have seen it all and understood what made Tenna so happy, but that just wasn’t possible for him. As heartbreaking as it was, Spamton knew he couldn’t see heaven.

“Spammy I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as perfect as Kris… they’re so- small, and sweet, they’re beautiful,” Tenna smiled once more, choking back tears as he looked up to the heavens.

“Yeah, they really are, aren’t they?” Spamton responds, letting his eyes fall to the floor.

This certainly has been an exciting turn of events. With such a development and the way Tenna was acting, surely folks would understand if they decided to postpone the day’s taping until tomorrow. The poor guy wouldn’t be able to calm himself down enough to go ahead with filming anyway. So, instead of letting him stand there any longer, Spamton carefully rubbed his forearm to knock him out of his trance and smiled up to the TV.

“Hey, the Dreemurrs probably won’t be watching any more tv today anyway, why don’t we shut the studio down for the rest of the day, set up a few reruns to play on schedule and let people leave a little early. Does that sound good?” Spamton said softly, running his fingers over the soft red velvet of Tenna’s jacket.

The thought of leaving the studio did sound nice. Would they still be getting paid for the full day though? He didn’t want to pay them for work that didn’t get done. The more he thought about it though, the more Tenna liked the idea. Just going home, laying down some more so he could keep thinking of little Kris, and get a good, long, well deserved rest. The hesitation slowly left his body as he nodded his head, resting a gentle hand on Spamton’s shoulder in thanks for his suggestion.

“Alright, big guy. I’ll go break the news, you go call the driver, we can meet in your dressing room in ten minutes. Sound good?” Spamton suggested, taking a step back and gesturing for Tenna to follow him off the stage. 

If there was one thing Spamton was sure of, it’s that if he left without making sure Tenna was following, he would have stayed behind for another two hours for the mere chance of seeing the baby again. Tenna’s screen had barely dimmed since they left the room. It was still so terribly, beautifully bright. Illuminating the path ahead even more than what the overhead lights provided. He would never get tired of that light, as Spamton knew that was as close to heaven as he would ever be.

It’s as close as he would ever need to be, though. Tenna made him as happy as he needed to be in life, no matter how dark things got. No matter how stressed he felt due to the pressures of his benefactor or any other anguish that plagued his mind, he could always trust that Tenna could make it all better. Just listening to his hum and feeling his hot breath against him never failed to make him feel better. 

…

It wasn’t very often that the studio got preemptively shut down in the middle of the day. Not that anyone would complain about it, though, Spamton assured that they would still be paid for the full time. Whether or not Tenna knew that little detail didn’t matter, if he got upset about it come payday Spamton certainly was willing to take the money out of his own pocket just to keep the peace.

Making their way back to Tenna’s penhouse apartment went well enough, too, with Spamton hidden within the keys of his Cungadero that Tenna had carefully set in his breast pocket. No one suspected a thing, at least that’s what they told themselves. No one could even see the car keys, not until they had been removed from Tenna’s pocket and set on his couch for Spamton to reform in the safety and privacy of his home.

The salesman emerged from the bundle of keys in a wave of pixelated light once Tenna gave the okay, carefully smoothing his hair to tame any flyaways that may have occurred in the transformation.

“And there we go, let the night of rest and relaxation begin,” Spamton’s voice came out in a tender coo as he hopped down from the couch.

His jacket vanished in a wave of pixels, returned to his inventory followed closely by his bowtie. Tenna did the same, shedding his jacket and tossing it on a nearby chair alongside his tie.

“Why don’t you pick something to watch while I warm up something to eat? Salisbury steak with the butterscotch pie?” Spamton suggested, rolling up his sleeves.

“Oh you always know what I want, Spammy,” Tenna responds with a tender smile, his antennae curling together as he reaches down to plant a kiss on Spamton’s forehead.

“I can’t be so sure about always,” He responded with a short laugh, “But at least I know what your favourite food is.”

This earned a small laugh from Tenna, who nodded his head while he disappeared into the nearby bedroom to put on something a little more comfortable.

He could tell that Tenna was still terribly distracted. All throughout the car ride he could hear him humming lullabies, asking his chauffeur what sort of toys and gifts a baby might like. Battat did admit that he didn’t know much when it came to children, but Tenna took note of his suggestions. Something soft, like a blanket or plush toy, maybe a white noise machine or books. In the moment it was hard for him to recall just what Toriel and Asgore had managed to keep from when Asriel was still just a baby himself, but what would be the harm in getting them more of the essentials? 

But… the challenge came in getting those gifts to them. Tenna knew he couldn’t interact with the Light World in any meaningful way, there was no way for him to get these gifts to baby Kris.

How long was he going to stow away in the bedroom? Was there anything particularly interesting there? All of the movies were in the entertainment centre that surrounded the tv, and it didn’t take five minutes to change pants.

“Hey, Spammy, do you know how much a baby weighs?” Tenna hollered through the closed door.

“About seven pounds, give or take,” Spamton responds, almost automatically while he peeled the cellophane off of their prepackaged TV dinners.

The moment his words had registered in his head, a short laugh forced its way out of his throat while he shook his head in disbelief. Of course, as he expected in that moment, Tenna walked out of the bedroom with something held close to his chest. 

From Spamton’s angle, it looked like a bundle of blankets, roughly the size of a newborn baby carefully swaddled to keep it warm and comfortable. Tenna’s gaze was fixed on the bundle, his digital lips curled into a tender smile while a flower sprouted forth from the tip of his nose.

Pink daisies, Spamton learned. Flowers that Tenna proudly announced symbolized love, new beginnings, happiness and gentleness. They represented his own happiness, an uncontrollable reaction to his emotions that he was incapable of repressing. Spamton knew that, looking down at that bundle of blankets and whatever he had wrapped up to give it an appropriate weight, Tenna was imagining holding Kris himself. He couldn’t help but smile himself, shaking his head slowly as he removed the cellophane from the second meal.

“What’cha got there, Tens?” Spamton asked, setting his hands on his hips in a joking disappointment.

His tone didn’t indicate any malice, though, maybe even a sense of playfulness. The instant Tenna took note of his voice, the flower on his nose burst when his attention snapped to his partner.

“Huh?” He asked, his face still deep pink with his antennas tangled together.

“You really do love that kid, don’t you?” Spamton smiled once more, approaching Tenna with short, slow strides until he was close enough to caress his arm.

Tenna’s breath hitched in response, his smile rapidly turning melancholy as he looked back to the weighted bundle of blankets and clothing.

“... I really do, Spammy… I just wish I could meet them. Really meet them. I wish I could tell them how much I loved them and say how spectacular they are… I wish I could…” he took a sharp inhale, running his thumb over the soft blanket while he began to rock the bundle.

The change was almost imperceptible at first. The gentle rocking back and forth worked well to hide the subtle change in Tenna’s stature. Spamton probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all if he didn’t feel Tenna’s forearm get ever so slightly smaller under his hand. Noticing it caused his own expression to shift, the smile all but vanishing to be replaced by a sympathetic frown.

 “Spammy, I wish that I could have a baby…. I wish that this could be real… That we could have a baby all of our own that we could love and spoil rotten. I wish that we could have someone who would love us just as much as we loved them….” He shrunk once more, his back hunched as he began to tremble.

His inner mechanisms began to clink and whine in protest as he continued to shrink smaller and smaller. The bundle was getting too big to comfortably hold in his arms, prompting Spamton to carefully remove it from his grasp and set it on a nearby chair.

“Hey, nothing’s impossible, right? Maybe you’ll get the chance to meet Kris eventually… and when you do, you can tell them all about how much they mean to you,” Spamton said softly, sitting down on his knees to be as close to eye level as possible while the TV grew smaller and smaller.

Tenna took a deep breath, trying to rub away the digital tears that plagued his screen while he listened to Spamton’s words. He was always so kind, so genuine and caring. What did Tenna ever do to deserve someone like him? Feeling a hand rest against the side of his screen, Tenna pressed himself just a little further into Spamton’s grasp. His soft hand, warm and tender flesh that began to prickle and spark with the accumulation of static electricity, gently caressed his hard plastic shell. The feeling allowed a sense of calm to wash over the TV, who took hold of Spamton’s hand so he could press a kiss into his palm.

The downy feathers that covered the back of his hand stood on end, a small spark of static forming between Tenna’s screen and his palm as they inched closer. Spamton certainly wouldn’t mind it, though, Tenna nuzzling his screen just a little deeper into his hand before pulling away.

“And I bet, when you two do meet, they’ll be just as excited,” Spamton said, his voice sweet as honey as he gently lifted up Tenna’s head to look into his screen.

A small smile began to pull at the corner of his lips, still holding Spamton’s hand close against him. The TV began to grow once more; slowly at first while his tail swayed back and forth in a calming rhythmic motion.

“Because you’re The Mr. Ant Tenna! You’re the family TV! You’re their TV! And you know what? I bet they’re going to love you. Just like, one day…” Suddenly the words caught in Spamton’s throat, hesitating for a moment with a melancholic smile gracing his lips as he turned to look up at Tenna.

He didn’t want to suggest Tenna could ever have children of his own. Why would he? He didn’t know if that was a possibility… And even if it was, with who? With him? Fat chance, Spamton was well aware he’d probably be a crappy father.

“One day what, Spammy?” Tenna asked meekly, pressing his fingers together.

Spamton released the breath he didn’t know he had been holding, managing to smile just a little wider while he set a hand against Tenna’s forearm.

“... Nevermind that. Our dinner’s getting cold, go pick a movie and I’ll bring them over,” He responds, kissing his knuckles and turning around to return to the kitchen.

Tenna did as he asked without protest, continuing to hum tunes and lullabies softly to himself while he browsed through the collection of cassettes and DVDs. There were some little snippets of songs he could make out, like the little melody that played at the end of their game show segments or the tune Spamton helped him make for a boat adventure short film. The thought of that baby probably wasn’t going to leave his head all night, Spamton had come to terms with that. At least he didn’t seem as bothered about the low likelihood of being a father himself.

“... Do you think Kris will be a little musical prodigy like Dess is? Oh I love when she comes over and plays that little violin of hers. Do you think Kris would be able to play like that?” Tenna asked, sliding a cassette out of its sleeve and feeding it into the player hooked up to the tv.

Spamton simply shrugged his shoulders as he carried the two TV dinners over to the couch, setting them down on folding trays right next to where they sat.

“No idea. Humans do tend to have those weirdly long spindly fingers, though, they’re good for playing piano… Who knows. If their folks nurture an interest in music, maybe they could be,” He responds, nestling himself into Tenna’s side once they were both able to sit down.

It felt nice to be enveloped in the warmth of Tenna’s body. Even if he was covered in hard plastic, it hardly mattered. The curves of his body perfectly conformed to how Spamton liked to lay down against him, with the subtle whirring of his inner mechanisms echoing across his body to make him feel as though he was putty in Tenna’s hands. Once they were both settled down, Tenna pressed play to begin the film and pulled his tray a little closer to the couch to make it easier to eat. Most nights, the two would do more than just sit in front of the tv watching movies, but it had been far too exciting to think of anything else. 

Spamton did love to work on his hobbies. He loved to draw and produce music, he loved to upcycle trash to make wind chimes and light catchers, but he knew Tenna needed him tonight. Not to prevent a spiral, but just to hold. Just to be reminded about how much he was loved, and how much he could love. 

Tenna’s mind still raced about the baby. How badly he wanted to rock Kris to sleep to the gentle sound of a heartbeat of his own, or dress them up in little outfits or read them stories… those thoughts would then wander to having a baby all of his own. A little miniature him that was kind and smart and charismatic, a little starlet that he would be proud of no matter what happened. What would he name them? The more he thought about it, the more he knew he would love a little girl.

“... Do you think we would be good parents, Spamton?” Tenna asked, poking and prodding at his creamy potatoes that always had the perfect amount of salt and seasonings. 

Just enough butter to make them rich, but not enough to make it greasy. Just like Toriel made them. She was such a good cook, Tenna thought, Kris certainly would be fed very nicely. He knew that once they were old enough to enjoy them, Kris would fall in love with her pancakes and butterscotch cinnamon pies just as he did.

Spamton let out a small sigh in response to Tenna’s question though, allowing himself to take another bite of the steak shaped into Tenna’s head while he thought.

“... I think you’d be a great dad, Tens… but I really don’t think I have what it takes. I’m too selfish, I’m irresponsible and brash… you’re always on my case about my language,” He forced out a short laugh, that slowly warped into a playful chuckle as he began to joke, “Hell, I’d probably end up being the deadbeat lowlife you’d only keep around for the tax benefits! I mean, me? A father? I don’t have a parental bone in my body!”

Tenna smiled, his head falling down to look towards Spamton. His face had turned a deep shade of red, every feather that covered his body puffed up from the shame he felt. In response to this, Tenna set his fork down and began to rub his arm. Slowly, tenderly, helping his soft, downy feathers lay flat once more.

“A hard worker like you? Even trying to be a deadbeat would drive you up the wall. You’ve always been too harsh on yourself, Spammy. I see the way you talk to the folks from the children's network, you know how to be warm when the context calls for it. You’re driven, and we’ve got two great influences to help teach us along the way,” Tenna said softly, gesturing upward with his head.

Asgore and Toriel… those supposed perfect parents that Tenna worshipped. He had to admit they were quite good at raising Asriel, and Toriel’s immediate willingness to raise a human baby was admirable. 

“... Yeah, I guess they would make pretty good teachers,” Spamton responded, resting his head against Tenna’s side.

Tenna nodded once more, carefully draping his hand across Spamton’s chest with a satisfied hum.

“Yes they are,” He sighed heavily. “I just wish there was a way I could show how much I loved Kris. A-and how kind they are for adopting them.”

“Jeez, Ant, you haven’t even met ‘em and you’re gonna give the kid a complex,” Spamton joked, chewing on his fork once he had the last of his steak.

“Well I can’t help it! They’re just such a perfect little angel I can’t help but love them…” 

“... that baby’s going to be the death of you, Tens,” Spamton joked.

There was no indication in his tone that he was mocking Tenna, though. Far from it. He loved that Tenna cared so deeply about a creature he hadn’t even fully met yet. It was sweet of him. And if this reaction was indicative of anything, it told Spamton that Tenna would make a very good father. His comment earned a short laugh from Tenna as well, who finished off his own food and settled down into the couch just a little more.

“Well, if they are, I’m sure dying wouldn’t be so bad…” He mutters, keeping his arm draped over Spamton while he continues to watch the movie.

It wasn’t long before the TV fell asleep. His screen blackened, leaned back into the couch with his screen cast up to the heavens. Spamton knew he wasn’t dreaming yet, but he was deep enough that Tenna wouldn’t notice if he were to begin to stir. Carefully freeing his arm out from under Tenna’s grasp, Spamton slowly and carefully pulled up a vibrant screen of glowing black and green light. A connection hummed to life, and right in front of his eyes laid an online storefront.

…

The cold air from two nights prior had passed in the light world. No more clouds occupied the sky, leaving a beautifully bright sun that cast a pleasantly warm glow upon Hometown. Such a rapid change in the Dreemurr Household surely should have every member occupied, but it still seemed to be a somewhat relaxed afternoon. Toriel didn’t want to leave the baby alone, and encouraged Asgore to run to the store to pick up formula and diapers while her own thoughts were occupied by the baby. They couldn’t be so different from a monster baby, could they? Some research would certainly be needed, but hopefully the couple wouldn’t be in over their heads.

At that moment, Toriel sat in her beloved Chairiel while Asriel sat on the floor, watching his favourite show on the tv when the front door clicked open.

“Gorey, I was starting to get worried you got lost,” Toriel joked, keeping her voice low to avoid waking the sleeping baby held against her chest.

“Nope, didn’t get lost but I did uh… well, you didn’t order anything online, did you?” Asgore responds, shuffling through to the kitchen to drop off the first couple bags of groceries.

“No, why? Asriel did you borrow your father’s credit card again?” Toriel asked, her brow furrowing in worry. 

Asriel shook his head in protest with a short hum before turning his attention right back to the tv.

“This was on the doorstep. At first I thought it might have been the Holidays but it seems strange they wouldn’t just give it to us,” Asgore responds, hoisting up a large box and setting it down right in the center of the living room, “fra-gee-lay… you think it’s Italian?” 

Toriel snickered, slowly rising out of her chair to examine the box. It was massive, over three feet cubed and based off Asgore’s strained expression, it was heavy to boot. There was no return address, but it was addressed to them. There probably wasn’t any harm in opening it.

“I think it’s a touch early to be thinking about Christmas movies. Let’s open it up, see what’s inside.”

At her request, Asgore nodded eagerly. Fetching the good pair of scissors from the kitchen, he carefully cut the tape holding the box closed and peeled open the flaps. Upon seeing the contents, his brow furrowed curiously with a slight hum. The first item he pulled out of the box was small, carefully wrapped in red paper and adorned with a golden bow.

“Mh, speakin’ of Christmas!” He says to himself, peeling the paper away to reveal a small bundle of books. 

Simple, child friendly drawings adorned the covers of a collection of bedtime stories. Some of them were adventures of well known characters from children's television, with one in particular appearing to be a short fable about a bird and an ant.

“Childrens books?” Toriel asked, taking one in her hand and leafing through the pages.

“There’s more in here, Tori. Lots more.”

Asgore smiled just a little more as he pulled out the next bundle of merchandise wrapped in red and gold. He opened it once more, revealing a collection of clothing and onesies in various sizes and patterns. While they still had most of Asriel’s hand me downs, a new wardrobe would certainly be nice for the little one.

“Oh what a cute pattern,” Toriel said with a smile, running her fingers along the soft fabric of one of the onesies. 

It came with a matching headband adorned with little antennae that earned a small snicker from Toriel, the way they swayed back and forth.

“... Isn’t that the Big Shot logo?” Asgore asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the clothing tag.

“Hmm? Oh, look at that, it is… I didn’t know they made baby clothes. Hm, perhaps this is a new endeavor.”

The two simply shrugged as Asgore reached into the box once more. The next package was smaller than the others by quite a bit, and unraveling it revealed a small teething toy shaped like a tv remote. The sight was enough to garner a chuckle from Asgore, who tried his best to suppress any overly loud noises. Kris was still sleeping after all, he didn’t want to wake them up. 

“Now Kris can channel surf like their old man,” Tenna joked, handing it over to Toriel who laughed in turn. 

Next was probably the biggest package within the first, letting out a few small plinks of plastic hitting metal when he set it down on the floor. Unraveling it revealed a small xylophone piano that proudly advertised having a full two scales to play, earning another eager hum from Asgore.

“Well, it’ll be a while before they’ll be ready to play that…” Toriel remarked with a smile, gently rocking the babe in her arms.

“Mh, maybe, but do you think they’d like it? I hear humans have those weirdly long spindly fingers that are really good for playing the piano.”

“Asgore!” Toriel responds in mock offense, failing to suppress her laugh.

He pushed on though, opening up the next package. A soft blanket, warm but light enough that it would be perfect for the baby, depicting a cartoonish scene of ants in a field of pink and gold flowers. 

“Oh Gorey, isn’t that beautiful? Oh, all of this seems like too much, we can’t really accept it. Who would have even sent it to us?” Toriel asked, taking the blanket from Asgore’s hands and draping it over her legs.

“... Maybe it was a gift from the church? Word travels fast, maybe they all worked together to pool some gifts after they found out we adopted the human… Maybe we could ask? Though, if they dropped it off like this, maybe they want to stay anonymous.” The box was nearly empty, with only two items remaining, both carefully held to each other as if a wordless request to be opened together last.

From all this commotion, Kris had begun to fuss. With a short string of whimpers and whines, they squirmed against Toriel's grip and just barely threatened to begin crying. It looked as though this little unboxing might have to be cut a little short, with Toriel preparing to stand up while Asgore removed the final items from the box. 

Carefully held to the front of the larger package was an item wrapped in tissue paper. Peeling it open revealed a small plush made of an incredibly soft material. Its body lacked structure and its square head looked far too big, with a comically large nose and vibrant red suit the same colour as all the wrapping paper.

“Is that a TV for a head? Oh how curious,” Toriel smiled, trying just a little harder to rock the baby while they continued to fuss.

“Hey, that looks like Mr. Tenna,” Asriel remarked, reaching forward to take the plush from Asgore’s hands.

“Mr. Tenna isn’t purple, Asriel,” Toriel responds, gesturing to the wood panel tv that still played his favourite shows.

Asriel didn’t pay much mind though, letting out a short giggle as he began to manipulate the arms and flip the doll around in his hands.

“Dah!”

The sound that emanated from the plush brought them all pause, only for Asriel to laugh lightly and press his head again.

“Adap bah!” 

If it weren’t for the deep, purposefully tinny voice that emanated from the toy, one could have assumed it was the excited babbles of a child sped up beyond logical comprehension. The sound was enough to prompt Asriel to laugh and smile even more, his gaze suddenly shifting over to Kris and Toriel. The baby’s whines had quieted down somewhat, and while they still squirmed uncomfortably in Toriel’s grasp there was practically no distress that remained. 

“... Can I see that, darling?” Toriel asked, reaching to her son to take hold of the plush toy.

She pressed his head once more to  prompt another string of playful sounds from a voice box hidden inside the head. As she manipulated it in her hands, though, she noticed a small dial carefully sewn into the back of the doll. She’d never seen a plush like this in stores. The character was foreign to her and the noises were unfamiliar, nor had she ever seen a plush with what looked like a volume dial built into the mechanisms. Was it to toggle how loud the babbles were? Giving it a tentative turn, a new sound slowly began to emanate from inside the plush. Quiet at first, growing louder with each click of the knob. A faint, staticky heartbeat muffled as if it was being heard from inside the womb. 

“Gorey, look,” Toriel whispered quietly, peeling back the bundle of fabric to get a better view of the babe.

The sound of the plush’s heartbeat had soothed Kris right back down. Their squirming had completely halted, nestling themself back into Toriel’s arms, lulled back to sleep by the sound of a comforting pulse.

“Well if you look at that…” Asgore said, gently caressing the baby’s head before he reached over to pick up the plush, “Little bug’s knocked right out. That’s something else right there.”

Whoever sent all of this must have known what worked to calm a child. Suppose pleasant white noise like the heartbeat of a loved one worked to calm everyone well enough, though. Asgore knew he loved to listen to Toriel’s heart when the option became available, and the soothing sound would certainly remind Kris of the warmth and comfort of their mother.

Then, all that remained was the final gift. Tall and vaguely fragrant through the paper, both parents could tell immediately what it was. While Asgore carefully unwrapped the last gift, Toriel turned her attention back up to him when a sweet, pleasant aroma struck her with much greater fervor. Breathing it all in, a new smile found itself spread across her lips as she examined the large bouquet of pink daisies. 

Fresh and vibrant, the smell wafting through the room while drops of nectar glistened across the disks. 

“Oh aren’t they beautiful?” Toriel cooed, reaching forward to take hold of one of the flowers to hold it against her nose.

Asgore nodded in agreement, his eyes falling to a note buried within the stems. A simple, single line of text was written in bold typeface. No questions were answered, prompting Asgore to slowly shake his head with a chuckle.

“What does it say?” Toriel asked, letting herself focus on the soothing sound of the plush as well.

“Angel bless you. Not very much to go off of, but… guess this is a gift for us. I wish we could thank this stranger, they really saved our fur.”

Toriel nods in agreement, rocking herself from side to side with her gaze fixed on the baby. Thanking this stranger certainly would be nice, maybe they would find out who it was eventually. 

And, lovingly nestled atop its wooden stand, the family TV’s screen glowed just a little brighter.