FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

As evening descents upon Riverview City, you are busy filling out one last form for the day.

You check over the words, look for the fine print, and sign.

You gather up your papers, hold them upright, jostle them together on the surface of your desk, and

then set them aside for later.

Then, you push your chair backwards, rise to your feet, and turn around to stare out into the inky

night sky.

Above you, the constellations are shining brightly.

In front of you, there are dozens of static lights that dot the landscape, as individuals of all shapes and sizes settle down for the evening.

Below you, there are hundreds of bright lights moving to and fro.

You can't keep track of them all, for there are too many.

It's almost nauseating, and you close your eyes.

There are times where you miss the quiet suburbs.

Back in those quiet days, you could spend hours wandering the roads in silence.

With nothing more than the familiar roar of an automobile or the faint tinkling of wind chimes.

Of course, you could always just set up a portal to pay that neighborhood a visit someday.

But not tonight.

Exiting your office, you briefly nod to your assistant, who is furiously typing away at her keyboard.

As she nods and hums to herself, you remember how she came to be your employee.

Doctor Alphys has certainly come a long way since she left the Underground... is what you would like to say.

After all, she was so terrified of what the residents of the Surface would say about her past experiments that she truly believed that she would be imprisoned for life.

Many would have considered that to be an overreaction.

There was no way that anyone was going to arrest her for experimenting with Determination.

How would they, without a legal precedent to follow?

There was no precedent for the creation of the Amalgamates, so when the people of the Surface were confronted with something new and unexpected... they simply shrugged and took it in stride

because it wasn't their problem to deal with.

Lazy imbeciles, the lot of them.

Ironically, that's why you took a liking to Alphys in the first place.

She's intelligent, even though she doesn't truly believe that she is.

She's polite and she rarely acts insufferable... unless the topic of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 comes up during small talk, which is why you tend to avoid small talk.

She's very driven, and you can't recall the last time you saw a fellow monster work so hard for a cause that she truly believed in.

The fact that you have a few hobbies in common didn't hurt, either.

Hm.

There are times when it almost feels... ugly.

The situation you dragged her into, you mean.

She's not ugly in the slightest.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

Her golden scales catch the evening light with a pleasant glint.

You enjoy watching her smile, complete with her cute overbite.

You like the way she proudly presents herself with her lab coat and glasses, even if polka dots aren't your thing.

And you can't help but smile whenever she nervously ducks her head while twiddling her claws and twisting her tail, as you find yourself in those types of situations as often as she does.

She constantly thanks you for giving her an opportunity that nobody else would...

But the truth is, you're the one who seized an opportunity the very instant you learned how insecure and paranoid she was.

Because you're insecure and paranoid as well.

So when you told her that you knew the secret that would guarantee her success without compromising her values and identity...

She believed you.

And as kindred spirit... you're certainly not selfless enough to not take advantage of that.

"Doctor Alphys."

"H-huh!?" Alphys suddenly looks around in shock, not expecting your interruption.

Her swivel chair catches on a patch of carpeted flooring, and she shrieks.

As she wildly flails her stubby limbs, you quickly hold out your left palm.

The chair halts, and Alphys begins to laboriously pant.

You try to think of something witty to say, but nothing comes to mind.

Instead, you gingerly lift your assistant up into the air with a quick instance of telekinesis, and gently set her down on the floor.

Shaking nervously, Alphys takes in a few large gulps of air, and murmurs a quiet 't-thank you.'

You nod, and the two of you slowly make your way to the elevator.

You both enter, and you push the button for the ground floor.

The ride down to the lobby is quiet, as Alphys busies herself with her claws.

The door opens with a chime, and you both walk through the empty hall.

You enter the revolving doorway together, and you both take a moment to appreciate the crisp, chilly air outside the building.

You look down at Alphys, and you see that she is smiling with closed eyes, happy with the world at large.

"Do..." You trail off.

Alphys turns to look at you with inquisitive eyes.

You clear your throat, and Alphys remains quiet.

"Do... you..." You try again, and you falter again.

You look away, already sensing that the moment has passed.

This was a stupid idea to begin with, and she'd probably call you a freak if she knew what was going on in that thick skull of yours.

You shake your head while pinching your forehead with one hand while vaguely motioning with the other, not sure what to do with yourself at the moment.

"U-um..." Alphys interjects, offering her own stammer in turn.

She was more than patient with you, so you make an effort to do the same.

"S-s-sushi?" asks Alphys.

---

Five minutes later, you and Alphys are calmly sitting at a small table in a quiet restaurant, patiently waiting for a pair of hot bowls of udon with complementary California rolls.

This restaurant is something of a marvel to you.

It's been around since you were born, and the prices haven't changed even once.

It's probably a testament to the quality of well-prepared Japanese cuisine.

"Um..." says Alphys.

You tilt your head.

"Something the matter?"

"U-um... uhhhh..."

You patiently wait for Alphys to gather her thoughts.

"Um... I was just t-thinking... that this is k-kinda funny... because... this is... k-kinda... like..."

Alphys trails off, and you nod for her to continue.

But Alphys shakes her head instead.

You'd rather not force her to spit it out, so you let a slightly uncomfortable silence settle between the two of you.

A waitress approaches the table with two servings of onigiri and two small mugs of piping hot green tea and places them on the table.

You nod your thanks, and Alphys perks up to say something, but changes her mind.

Instead of drawing attention to that, you take a small dish from the side and place a small chunk of wasabi on top.

Then, you pour yourself a generous portion of soy sauce, watching the dark liquid seep into the bright green paste.

You then turn your attention to the paper sleeve that contains a set of bamboo chopsticks.

You pull out the chopsticks, take a deep breath, and pull the two sticks apart with a crack.

The sticks part ways... but not cleanly, leaving you with an uneven pair of chopsticks.

You don't like bamboo chopsticks very much.

They're extremely flimsy, and it's difficult to get them to break cleanly down the middle.

You hear a loud snap, and you raise your head to see that Alphys is holding an impressive collection of wood slivers.

Upon meeting your gaze, she freezes.

Wordlessly, you reach into your inventory and pull out a pair of wooden chopsticks from your

kitchen utensil drawer.

After a few minutes of munching on onigiri dipped in wasabi and soy sauce, you take a moment to catch your breath.

The rice tasted fresh as always, and the nori was very crisp... as usual.

You can feel a slightly burning sensation in your nose, but you take that in stride as well.

It's a small price to pay for the extra flavor, even if it's probably going to give you a stomach cramp later.

You hear coughing from across the table, as Alphys is clearly more used to whatever substitute that was used in the Underground.

You awkwardly reach out to try and offer... something, but Alphys quickly gulps down some lukewarm green tea.

You're not exactly fond of the way this form of tea is served, as it's always piping hot at the beginning and quickly becomes lukewarm within a few minutes.

But it does help for situations such as this one.

As Alphys gulps down fresh air, you ponder what to do with the small yellow pickle that came with the onigiri.

You don't like pickles.

Since the two of you have finished your appetizes, the uncomfortable silence settles in again.

"Do you want my pickle?" you suddenly ask.

"H-huh? W-what? I... I... u-um... okay?" Alphys stumbles.

You quietly nod, pick up the pickle with your chopsticks and place it on Alphys's dish, as if offering pickles to your assistant is a perfectly normal thing to do.

It isn't, but you're not going to say that out loud until she comments on it.

Needless to say, you really don't want her to comment on it.

Thankfully, the waitress finally arrives with your order of udon noodles and California rolls.

Taking a deep breath, you scoop up some soggy shrimp tempura, place it in your mouth, and slowly start chewing on the greasy texture.

"So, how do you like the udon?" you ask.

Alphys gulps a large mouthful of seaweed and smiles.

"It's great! It's kinda hard to find noodles like this in the Underground."

"Indeed. I've always preferred the Ajishin specialty over the Maruchan brand of instant noodles, myself." you muse, biting your boiled egg in half.

"Hm? W-well, there's nothing wrong with instant noodles, though..." Alphys mutters, wolfing down a clump of crab substitute.

"Of course. Instant noodles are perfect when you're in a hurry, but every once in a while, it's nice to go out and order something that's a bit... richer." you admit, slurping down a flat piece of tofu, silently noting that the size of udon toppings seems to have shrunk again.

"Y-Yeah... that makes sense." said Alphys, curtly dipping a California roll into her dish of soy sauce and stuffing it into her mouth without another word.

She coughs and gulps down some bonito broth.

"Ah, that hit the spot." Alphys sighs.

You nod, even as you think about what to do next.

The waitress arrives to collect the payment for your order, and you place your credit card on the small tray.

The waitress returns after a moment with your card, and you sign the bill.

As you and Alphys step outside, the two of you are immediately drenched by rain.

You open a portal to your apartment suite, and wordlessly usher the lizard woman inside.

Alphys sneezes, and you see that she is shaking from the cold.

You direct her into the bathroom and turn the faucet for the bathtub's hot water.

Once the bath tub is full, you turn the faucet off.

At this point, it would probably be best to let Alphys handle her business, so you move to step outside and leave her to do it.

"W-wait! I-I..."

You turn to look at Alphys, and she stumbles over her words.

It'd be rude for you to stand in the bathroom just to gawk at a shivering young woman in a soggy dress, so you nod and step outside so she can soak in the hot water for a while.

But once the door swings shut behind you, you can't help but feel that you screwed something up.

Again.

Twenty minutes later, you hear the water begin to drain, and you hear a knock on the opposite side of the door.

You put your book aside and ask Alphys what the matter is.

"C-could... could you... please bring me something to wear!?" Alphys whines.

You quietly mutter a 'yes,' as you probably should have thought of that earlier.

You reach into another portal and pull out a clean bathroom from your closet.

You slowly open the bathroom door and hold out the bathroom though the gap.

A scaly hand quickly grabs the bathrobe and immediately shuts the door, locking it for good measure.

Five minutes later, Alphys exits the bathroom to see you sitting on the family room couch, with one mug of hot cocoa in your hand and another mug of cocoa on the table.

She wordlessly moves to sit on the sofa with you, gingerly picks up the mug with her claws, and starts sipping the liquid with a nod.

You can't think of anything to say, and you're fairly sure that she doesn't want to talk to you.

You don't blame her.

Once you are ready to retire for the evening, you direct Alphys to the guest bedroom and bid her goodnight.

After that, it's back to your usual routine of thirty minutes in your personal sauna while listening to smartphone music, a warm shower, brushing your teeth, flossing, mouthwash, Neutrogena, and

Preparation-H.

You pull yourself into bed, turn off the lights, and close your eyes.

---

You've never had an easy time falling asleep in the evening.

You've always had more nervous energy than you've ever known what to do with.

You often have to tuck in at around 11 o'clock just to let yourself unwind.

So of course, you usually end up going to bed at midnight.

And then it takes forever for you to fall asleep.

On this particular evening, you notice that there is a unique reason for tonight's bout of insomnia.

As you shift your weight, you can tell that there is a large lump that is curled up next to you under the sheets.

You slowly sit up and pull the comforter aside to reveal a plump lizard who is looking up at you with inquisitive, young eyes.

As you look down and slightly to the right, you can see that her spectacles are on the nightstand behind her, and she is wearing nothing under her borrowed bathrobe.

You slowly lie down on your side, continuing to meet Alphys's gaze in silence.

You steady herself by listening to the rise and fall of her smooth chest, and you have the feeling that she is doing the same.

There is a part of you that commands you stay motionless forever... because you see untouched beauty before you, and you have no right to tarnish such a thing with your selfish, grubby paws.

Not again.

You raise an eyebrow, willing Alphys to choose what she wants from you.

The young woman looks to her left, then her right, and then back up at you.

She nods... with a look of unapologetic yearning and desire.

You nod in turn.

Taking a deep breath, you bend your torso and neck forward to move your head closer to hers.

You take in every inch of her expression.

The frills that jut from the edges.

The slope of her extended neck.

The angular shape of her muzzle.

The small teeth that protrude from the roof of her mouth.

The thin eyelashes that twitch in the ambience.

And her purple irises that endlessly swirl... like wells full of hope and wonder.

You lean closer, and closer.

You clean closer still, until your nose is almost touching her snout.

You close your eyes and curse your hesitation?.

A pair of lips press against yours, and you can't stop yourself from squeaking like a fool.

You open your eyes... and see that Alphys is pressing herself into you.

You close you eyes again, and you press forward against her in turn.

Seizing a moment of opportunity, you begin to probe her open mouth with your tongue, touching her teeth, tracing along her gums, and silently cursing yourself for your ankyloglossia as you try to

touch her tongue with your own.

Sensing your embarrassment, Alphys begins to reciprocate, extending her tongue into your mouth as the two of you moan.

A minute later, you pull back slightly to give yourself some room to breathe, and Alphys gulps for air as well.

You can't shake the feeling that your panting sounds like a deafening roar, and you feel like the clumsiest oaf on the planet.

But as you listen to her loud gaps, you know that deep down... you don't have to worry about that anymore.

You still can't stand the sound of your own voice... but after listening to so many other speakers from so many different background, you now know that nobody cares about the sound of your

voice, just as you were never bothered by the sounds of their voices as well.

Fake it until you make it.

And as you stare into Alphys's violet pools of euphoria, you know she feels the same way.

You aren't alone anymore.

Of course, you were never alone, as you knew that there were other people like you in the world at large.

But as you undo the knot on this wonderful woman's robe and pull the folds aside to stare at her lithe, unclad form... you truly feel what that means.

Alphys is looking up at you from her splayed position on the bed with an expression full of joy, and you certainly don't want to keep her waiting.

First things first, you subtly tilt your head to the side to ask what form she would prefer.

Human... or wolf-man?

Alphys considers the question for a moment, then shrugs.

Wolf-man it is, then... is what you'd like to say.

Well, it's not that, exactly.

You do want to put on a show for her in the name of something special... but since you've never done this aside from a few nights of experimentation by yourself... you might just end up making a

fool of yourself.

Scratch that.

You're a virgin who's spent his whole life fantasizing about sleeping with humans and other monsters of all shapes and sizes through hentai and the power of a perverted imagination.

You're definitely going to make a fool of yourself no matter what.

So you really don't have anything to lose by pushing yourself, even if you're a clumsy moron who's never had much in the qualities of dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

But if even a run-of-the-mill gamer like yourself can play DOOM Eternal on a semi-decent level, then you can do this as well.

You slowly take off your undershirt and undergarments.

You gently lean in for a second kiss, and Alphys eagerly does the same.

She moves to lie on her back, and you hold her closely.

You close your eyes and your mind wanders towards the form you want to take.

You know the one.

As you caress the lizard in your arms, you allow your fingernails and toenails to extend into sharp claws that you take care not to scratch her with, even as she refrains from doing the same with her own.

You reflexively clench your feet as your halluces buckle and shrink, shifting away from the others digits even as your feet lengthen and your calves shorten.

Silvery fur begins to spread across your body as you continue to press yourself against her scales.

As Alphys probes the depths of your mouth once more, you stretch your tongue as far is it can go, farther and farther until you can meet her probing tongue in earnest.

You take care not to bite down on anything sensitive as you feel extra incisors and premolars sprout from your gums.

Your feel a great deal of pressure in the cartilage of your nose, as your face pulls forward even as it narrows into a point with a most, black tip.

You reflectively shift your rear to the side as your tail comes in and your pads finish forming on your hands and feet.

Finally, you pull your muzzle away from Alphys's as you allow the rest of changes to settle in, as you've long since realized that you prefer having the ears of a wolf rather than those of a human.

Loud noises can be a pain at times, but there are enchantments for that, and the enhanced hearing does come in handy at times.

And thus, when she stares at your groin and mumbles to herself, you know exactly to what she's referring to.

'Are you going to knot me like the horny bitch that I am?'

Hm.

You're not sure how to feel about that choice of phrasing.

It's rather crude and demeaning, but you suppose that there are plenty of people who love such forms phrasing because of how demeaning it is.

Personally, you've always been indifferent to that kind of language... you've had to be, considering how often you've heard such statements.

You'd never use that terminology yourself... at least, you thought you'd never use it.

Which begs the question... was it her thought, or yours?

Hm.

Either way, there's a simpler answer you can focus on.

Judging from her expression, she's likely expecting your shaft to start swelling up from your sheath...and the same for your knot as well.

She certainly looks confused as to why that hasn't happened yet, because you are currently using an enchant to prevent that.

Of course, that's kind of the awkward part, as you've had more than enough time to learn about the anatomy of your species.

Taking a gamble, you begin to mutter about what you'd like to do with her, if she's willing.

Mostly because the knot that your species is infamous for... doesn't quite work in the manner that most folks expect it to.

Not to say that most would put the cart before the horse... but it does resemble that situation, of all things.

For starters, a male wolf's member isn't erect upon penetration, and it can only do so because there's a baculum to aid with the process.

This is the point where your muzzle starts curling in embarrassment, and it's a good thing that you can't blush through your fur.

You can tell that Alphys feels the same about her scales, given the look on her face.

Ahem.

As you were saying...

Immediately after that, the male thrusts as deeply as he can go, and the knot needs to be deep enough for the tie to stay locked in.

Otherwise, it results in a very awkward evening for both parties.

So basically, you're going to have to penetrate Alphys's cloaca before your knot swells, and not the other way around.

?And... now she's laughing at you.

Arrrrrrrrgh.

This was a stupid idea, and you're the biggest imbecile in the multiverse for thinking that someone like her would actually...

"N-no, it's not a p-problem, r-really!" Alphys quickly blurts out, desperately trying not to giggle.

"It's... it actually sounds k-kinda h-hot, it's just that it was just so u-unexpected! I-I mean, sure! I've read plenty of physiology and anatomy books-"

"For the illustrations, I hope?" you interject.

The two of you start cackling like hyenas at the ridiculousness of it all... but in a good way.

It's likely a testament to that intense desire to learn about taboo subjects that you both share... especially since Alphys's eyes have long since widened with excitement.

You both take a deep breath, and she vigorously nods her consent.

You kiss her a third time, taking charge with more enthusiasm as your roll your tongue to touch every part of the interior of her mouth, from one side to the other... and finishing with a gentle dance of wits as you slide your tongue along Alphys's tongue, moaning from the sensation of it all as she does the same.

It's an experience that makes you feel depraved and unclean... but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Pulling away, you grab the two pillows and gently slide them under Alphys's rear end in preparation for a better angle.

You pull yourself down to lick her scaly neck, and she squirms and struggles not to interrupt.

You drag your tongue down from her neck to her smooth chest, grateful for the fact that her scales aren't splayed in a way that causes you discomfort.

You pull down further to probe at her navel, and she rolls back and forth.

"H-hey! That t-tickles!"

You can certainly relate to that. Having a fur coat doesn't exactly negate the fact that you've always had sensitive skin.

You follow Alphys's curves further and further down before coming to a stop at the base of her groin.

This is the part that you were greatly looking forward to, and you allow yourself to drink in the sight of her lower anatomy as Alphys raises her legs above your head.

Nestled between her lower abdomen and her tail... is a large, triangular opening where most would expect a vulva and an anus.

Pulling the bottom fold of her cloaca aside, you reveal a soaking-wet hole of impressive size.

You can feel your length strain against the spell you cast earlier, but you ignore it.

You know what you want to do, and you're not going to let your instincts ruin things just yet.

Carefully, you slide your tongue across the opening of her cloaca, causing her to shiver.

Emboldened, you reach with your tongue and slide into the entrance.

The interior feels tight, but very warm.

As you push your tongue further inside, Alphys's claws twitch and she presses her legs together, moaning all the while.

Dragging your tongue back and forth, you press your muzzle against her cloaca and suckle the juices from her folds.

As Alphys moans louder and louder, you feel the spell weakening.

"I... I-I... A-Ah! I... I'm...!"

Sensing that the moment is quickly approaching, you quickly pull your mouth back, push yourself up by your arms, shift your knees, and lean forward to get into a comfortable position about her.

Directing your attention to your straining member, you carefully line it up with her cloaca, and quickly thrust into her, pulling your sheath back in the process.

Alphys screams and twitches vigorously, bucking her hips over and over while drenching your length with her fluids.

You feel a rush of warm from your balls as they contract.

The spell finally breaks, and as your length finally swells up, you feel your knot expand further and further until the inner walls of Alphys's cloaca are filled with throbbing flesh and your groin is

completely affixed to hers.

You open your jaws... and howl.

Your member pulses in triumph, shooting your seed into her depths.

Your member pulses again, and again, and again.

Slowly, your voice peters out, and Alphys's screams die down as well.

Panting heavily, you look down at Alphys with a weary smile, and she returns your look while for breath.

You slowly allow yourself to collapse on top of her with a big huff, and you gasp for air.

You crane your neck to your right in order to lean against Alphys's frills, and she leans into you as

well.

For the next several minutes, you bask in the sensation of your afterglow as your shaft is held

inside her hold like a vice.

Twitch...

Pulse.

Twitch...

Pulse.

Twitch...

Pulse.

Twitch...

Pulse.

Twitch...

Pulse.

With every contraction, your member sends a new surge of seed into her cloaca, squirting and filling her with wolf-cum.

Your peers have referred to a werewolf's first knotting as an orgasmic trance, taking the form of an orgasm that's stretched out and swells up every few moments.

And you have to say, you're more than grateful to have had the chance to experience something that very few humans will ever experience.

The two of you continue to pant as you cock twitches and her cloaca clenches around your shaft and knot, even while you continue to squirt more fluid into her.

Minutes later, Alphys takes a deep breath.

"W-wow... that was... I..."

"Yeah... I know what you mean." you reply. "I'd never thought I'd get a chance to share this with... anyone, really."

"H-huh? This was your f-first too? I'd though there'd be d-dozens of people who'd leap at the change to have a really big taste of wolf d...d..." She pauses, then blurts out 'dick' with a small giggle.

You smile at that, but only briefly.

"Yeah, you'd think so... but no. There wasn't anyone special in my life until I met you, Alphys."

And nobody has ever shown that kind of interest in you.

Mostly out of indifference, but that indifference stemmed from politeness that you've learned to treasure, because if any of them had ever learned about what kind of person you were on the

inside...

"Wait, really? You're kidding!" Alphys exclaims, already sensing the change in your mood. "You're smart, hardworking, rich, and successful!"

"Well, there are plenty of people who are smarter than me. A lot of those people work harder than I do as well. And... I've never been able to shake the feeling that I've been going about this all

wrong. Being rich and successful is one thing... but honestly? I've spent the last several years trying to figure out what to do with my life."

Alphys goes quiet at that.

"W-well... you're also really kind, generous, and empathetic too! That's important to me!"

You have nothing to say to that.

You suddenly feel quite awkward and you know the feeling is mutual, but there is a big problem that is preventing you from separating from her and bidding her a pleasant evening.

A very big, throbbing problem.

And so, you have no choice but to go into detail... and hope that Alphys will at least understand the gist of what's bothering you.

"It's just that... look... I'm guessing you grew up in a strict household, right? With parents who were super serious about getting straight A's and working hard and eating right and going to an Ivy League college like Harvard and developing a practical and long-lived career and living a successful, productive life as a model, law-abiding member of society... children optional?"

"I... w-well... y-yeah. My parents were a lot like that. Well, we didn't exactly have super? expensive colleges in the Underground. Heh. Well, a lot of monsters were interested in the idea of college without knowing the finer details, so the Temmies once set up a c-community college with no books or classes, just a few gatherings at Temmie Village. Those were some funny times... and they were happier, too."

"But you eventually found your calling, right?"

"Uh... y-yeah! I found a decent university, met a few colleagues who went to all the frat parties and still manage to ace all their exams without breaking a sweat while I s-studied until my brains turned to mush... a-ahem... and... I met my future employer and mentor, and his nephews."

You were wondering when she would mention the skeleton family.

"Do you miss them?"

"Kinda... it's hard to forget about people when you have hundreds of happy memories of working hard and goofing off together... and back then, we were all happier people as well. We actually thought that we could use science to get rid of the Barrier, for c-crying out loud!" Alphys suddenly shouts, raising her hands in the air and wriggling her groin against yours, even as you feel the presence of your still-throbbing knot.

You have a feeling that now's not the best time to discuss the undefined limits of human soul power, especially since you're fairly sure that there's another version of you who created an entire universe where everyone inevitably suffers and utterly fails no matter their species out of pure spite... but that's another story for another time.

It's not easy having memories of two wonderful, amazing women whom you've technically never even met.

A woman of ice and desire... who took one look at the hellish personification of all despair, guffawed, and turned it into her personal steed.

And a woman of light and hope... who saw the inevitable heat death of the universe, embraced you with her loving arms, and promised to never let go.

Together, they briefly healed a void in your soul that had plagued you ever since you quietly realized that you would never, ever be able to live up to the impossible standards that your parents

demanded from you until the day they passed away, leaving a legacy that could never be fulfilled.

"Yeah. I know what you mean." you weakly mutter.

As the silence stretches on, Alphys yawns and you feel quite exhausted yourself.

"So, where do we go from here?" she asks. "Are we..."

"A couple? Well... to be honest, this is technically improper. There's a reason why employers dating their employees is mostly frowned upon. Conflict of interest and all that. But..."

"B-but?" Alphys cautiously asks.

"I'm not sure if it's truly possible to freeze a happy moment and live in it forever... but I'd happily settle for the next best thing."

"W-which is?"

"I'd love to have a relationship with you. Regardless of what happens next or how it all ends, I don't what focus on what might happen, or even if a bad ending is inevitable for everyone in the

multiverse. I enjoy working with you and spending time with you, and... I feel happier when you're around."

You feel very embarrassed, but that's okay, because she's embarrassed as well.

It all balances out.

"H-heh. You certainly know how to make a lady feel special..." Alphys teases." But... no. There's no 'but' this time. I want... I want to be with you too."

Alphys leans in to nuzzle your snout with her own, and you breathe in the scent of clammy hands and old library books, you feel at ease for the first time in ages.

"I... I love you."

And just like that, you remember that the most important thing you can do with your life... is to live.