Chapter Text
The front door to the apartment building slammed open, and a familiar bluebird scrambled out onto the street. Berdly turned his head back around to look at the door. Exiting from the building came a much smaller bluebird in a pair of slightly oversized overalls. The smaller bird was seemingly in no rush at all, blissfully unaware of his panicking brother.
“Benji! Pick up the pace, we’re gonna be late!” Berdly exclaimed, taking hold of Benji's wing and hurrying down the sidewalk. Benji adjusted his tiny backpack and looked up at Berdly.
“But… Berdly, w-we’re already late…” Benji mumbled out, evidently distracted by the way he was playing with the buttons on his overalls.
“WHAT?!” A loud screech of surprise left Berdly’s beak as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was 7:12 AM, and school always starts at 7 AM on the dot. Feeling himself getting a little lightheaded, he tightened his grip on Benji's wing. Berdly then began to sprint down the street while Benji was basically flying in the wind behind him.
…
“Hey, Kris. Wanna go visit Ralsei? First period always sucks ass anyways. I wouldn't be able to take much longer of that torture.” Susie smirked, leaving the classroom with Kris. Before Kris could even respond, the two of them both stopped in their tracks. Both had spotted Berdly—who was seemingly in a rush—jogging down the other hallway towards Toriel’s classroom.
Wait, why is there a miniature version of him?
Not noticing the two, Berdly sped down the hallway with the smaller version of him attached to his hip. He walked up to the classroom’s door and squatted down to the kid's level.
“Alright, Benji. I’ll pick you up after school, got it?” Berdly leaned in for a hug and the smaller the little bluebird lovingly hugged him back. Once they separated, Benji quickly nodded as Berdly stood up to open the door to Toriel’s classroom. Susie and Kris could hear Toriel’s voice come to a stop when the door made a loud creaking noise.
Toriel’s attention immediately fell on the two birds. “Ah, apologies for being late Ms. Toriel… something, uh, came up this morning. You may continue on with your… educational endeavors? Heh…” Pushing Benji inside and closing the door, Berdly sighed loudly. His wing instinctively began picking at a feather on the back of his head. Ah, damnit. Berdly had been in such a rush this morning that he hadn’t even had the time to preen his feathers.
Before he could even consider going to his locker, Berdly spotted Kris and Susie awkwardly standing at the other end of the hallway. Wait, was that even Kris and Susie? Rubbing his eyes, Berdly suddenly realized that he had forgotten his glasses. The two just looked like blobs of purple and yellow from where he was standing.
Susie deadpanned in his direction until her expression contorted into something he couldn't make out. “Hey, berd-brain. Why the HELL was there a mini version of you just now? Am I seein’ double or what?” she said, pointing a very accusatory finger his way.
“Ah- uhm… heh, that was…” he slightly squinted his eyes and anxiously began to pick at an unpreened feather on his wing. To be completely honest, Berdly was horribly embarrassed of his brothers. Yes, you heard me right. Brothers. In the plural sense. To be specific, he had exactly three brothers. Their names were Benji, who's the youngest, Brandon, the middle child, and finally the second oldest child; Bernie. Berdly is obviously the oldest out of all of them.
“HEY! Don’t just stand there actin’ like a complete dumbass!” Berdly’s soul practically left his body when Susie suddenly yelled at him. His brain immediately went into panic mode as Susie’s purple, and very blurry, silhouette gradually got closer. Kris followed right behind her. “So, you got some sorta big family we ain’t know about?”
…
After the school day ended and everyone had long been gone, Berdly finally started to leave. He turned to Ms. Alphys' desk to give her a wave.
“Salutations, Ms. Alphys!”
…No response as usual. She was too busy watching those weird catgirl animes… not that Berdly didn’t watch those as well, but anyways.
As Berdly walked Benji out of Toriel’s classroom, which Toriel had already gone home by now, he spotted Kris and Susie walking out the closet. Huh. The closet looked a bit darker inside than usual… whatever. Berdly just brushed it off.
Once Susie spotted him, she immediately called out. “Alright, Mr. Nerd Bird! Now you gotta show us the rest of yer’ family.” All Berdly could do is let out a sigh. He couldn’t believe he had agreed to show the two his brothers. Why was she so interested anyways? I mean, he had kept them a secret his whole life. Maybe that’s why?
…
Berdly cracked open the door to his apartment, placing the keys into his pocket. Susie peeked over him, and Kris looked around him, sticking their head inside. They were all met with the sight of two bluebirds chasing each other around the kitchen and throughout the living room.
“HEY! What did I tell you about racing around?! You’re disturbing the neighbors!” Berdly threw his backpack onto the floor and dashed over to the two kids who looked around the age of 11 and 12 and grabbed them by the back of their shirts. He was instantly met with loud groans of annoyance.
Before Berdly could even scold the two or tell them to go to their rooms, Benji rushed him from behind. Berdly let go of the other two in surprise and let out a loud squawk. His legs were now practically tied together in a tight hug from Benji. The other two kids gave each other a look of affirmation and they both instantly jumped towards him. As Berdly hurled towards the ground, Susie released a howl of laughter. Kris’ hand launched towards their mouth in an attempt to suppress a chuckle.
“O-OW!! Get off, you barbarians!” Berdly pivoted, easily shoving his brothers off him. The others fell to the carpeted floor whilst all laughing. The only one who wasn’t laughing was Berdly. He felt like some sort of lolcow, and it definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling.
“Heh, maybe your family is cooler than I thought they would be! Woulda’ thought they’d be losers just like you, bird brain.” Susie shamelessly scoffed at him and the the taller bluebird—Bernie—took off his headphones. The boy elbowed the shorter one—Brandon—and whispered in his ear. The boys both grinned at each other while looking at Kris.
Berdly stood up, putting his hands on his hips. "What are you two giggling about?" Brandon also got up and started to poke Berdly's arm teasingly.
"Hey, Berdlyyy…" He smirked. "Is that your little deary Kris?"
There was a shocked moment of silence, everyone frozen like ice. Kris and Susie looked insanely confused. Berdly suddenly puffed up like a pufferfish with all his feathers standing up on edge. With his face now a deep cobalt blue, he slammed Brandon's beak shut while Benji and Bernie just laughed.
"Y-you… YOU IMBECILE! I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH YOU, BRANDON!!" Berdly grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him off to some room in the house. Susie and Kris could hear some faint yelling which was something alone the lines of "you're grounded," and "crush".
Bernie strutted over to Kris with Benji attached to his legs. He stood on the edge of his talons to whisper something in their ear.
"I'm like totally sure Berdly is too much of a wimp to tell you himself but, like, he has a huge fat crush on you."
Jumping backwards like a cat seeing a cucumber, Kris' face turned bright red. They grit their teeth in an attempt to give Bernie an intimidating glare but they were way too flustered to look mad. Susie's jaw was hanging open in utter shock and maybe even some sort of anger. The human suddenly turned on their heel, storming out of the house while Susie still stood shell-shocked at the doorway.
Berdly came back out from Brandon's room, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. What he didn't expect was to be abruptly rushed by Susie and pinned against the wall by the collar of his shirt. She gave him a look that screamed "your head is gonna be on a stake tomorrow" and flashed her teeth at him. Bernie just watched—guiltily.
"I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU, YOU STUPID NERD!"