Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The familiar ringing echoed through the halls of Hometown’s only school: it was time for lunch. As students excitedly ran out of the building, Berdly Birdington rummaged through his bag in search of whatever his parents had given him. But as he opened every single pocket, looked in every last crevice, it was nowhere to be found.

 

They had forgotten about his food. Again. He looked in his pockets for spare cash to buy something at Ice-E’s, however awful they might be, just so that his stomach wouldn’t be empty. But yet again, the answer was the same. He sighed deeply and started slowly walking outside. 

 

The tables near the school always had the same people sitting in them, usually in the same places they’d been for as long as Berdly could remember. Monster Kid and Snowy in one table, Catti and Jockington in another, then Noelle and him, and Kris and Susie probably sat alone.

 

As he scouted for her, so the 50 minutes they got would be over quickly, he felt as if he was being watched. He shrugged it off and kept looking, and…

 

There she was. At another table, sitting with Susie. Weird, considering the MASSIVE crush she obviously had on him. Berdly thought about going with them and sitting with Susie, but the mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

 

So he went to his usual table and sat there, alone.

 

He looked for ways to entertain himself. He tried doing homework, but he’d already done it. There were no tests coming up, and he had to do the project with Noelle.

 

He decided to simply rest his head on his arms and try to sleep.

 

Until a sudden sound interrupted him. 

 

The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a brown paper bag. He assumed this was Noelle.

 

“Ah, Noelle? Did you already decide to come back?” He said, expecting some giggles or something.

 

The second thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Kris Dreemurr sitting in front of him.

 

He flinched and almost fell out of the concrete bench he was sitting on.

 

“I-uh…Kris? Hi. What are you…why are you here?” He said, frowning.

 

Kris shrugged. “IDK, you were alone and I wouldn’t wanna interrupt whatever Elly and Susie have going on.”

 

Berdly raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me, did you just say I-D-K out loud?”

 

Again, they shrugged. Oh my Angel, the nerve of this person, Berdly thought.

 

Whatever. For now, he had to distract himself from his stomach. He shook his head.

 

“Anyways, what is up, Kris?”

 

Kris showed a sly smile. “The ceiling.”

 

Berdly’s fists curled into fists as the human giggled. “I’m already regretting this…” He said.

 

Kris leaned back as far as they could on the backless bench without falling. “Aw, come on. It was a joke.”

 

Berdly sighed. “Fine. But you better not overstay your welcome.”

 

Kris leaned on the table with their elbows. “So. Did you do the homework Ms. Alphys gave last week?” They asked, deadpan.

 

Berdly scoffed. “Oh, Kris, I do my homework BEFORE they even assign it to us! You should know that already.”

 

Kris laughed. “Yeah, yeah, guess I should, shouldn’t I, dork?”

 

Berdly was about to say something, but was interrupted by his stomach growling.

 

“Oh. That. Right,” said Kris. “I noticed you haven’t like…eaten anything since class?”

 

Berdly shrugged. “My parents forgot to pack me lunch.”

 

Kris looked at him, then looked into his eyes for a moment. They silently reached into their paper bag and pulled out a slice of pie.

 

“Have this. It’s leftovers, I’ve already had lunch anyways.” 

 

Berdly was taken aback by this. It was a very uncharacteristic display of kindness from Kris. “Huh, Kris, you…? Um, thanks, I guess. I appreciate it.” He quietly grabbed it and began eating.

 

Kris watched with a small smile, resting their head on one hand.

 

After a few moments, they spoke, their voice now slightly softer. “By the way, d’you know about the new Dedly Kombat that’s coming out?”

 

Berdly chuckled. “If I know? I’ve got the preorder, which means I’ll be able to play it tomorrow in the evening!”

 

Kris smiled. “Oh. That’s cool.”

 

After a few seconds, they added: “You don't think I could come over, right?”

 

Berdly raised an eyebrow. “YOU?” He said, but paused. “Hm…actually, I’m free tomorrow night, my parents will go out for drinks.”

 

Kris smiled. “Great! So, tomorrow at 8?”

 

Berdly nodded.

 

Kris slowly got up from their seat. “Oh, would you look at that, class is about to start. Well, it’s a date then! See you!”

 

Berdly didn’t get the chance to say anything as they jogged away, leaving him alone yet again.

 

He was left dumbfounded, yet…he felt his stomach twist.

 

And, as much as he tried to convince himself, it wasn’t from the food.

 

Chapter Text

The wardrobe doors swung open. Berdly looked in his room for something decent he could wear and found an old beige button-up shirt that used to belong to his father and some jeans.

Then, he made sure his feathers were perfectly combed, taking definitely more time than he should to double or triple check. Finally, he sprayed on some pizza-flavoured cologne.

As he was walking to the kitchen to grab some snacks, he stopped in his tracks. A question hit him like a bullet on the back of his head. Why was he doing all this?

He didn’t need to look especially nice for Kris. They’d known each other since they were like five. Kris had been to his apartment on multiple occasions and it was messy every single time. It just didn’t make sense, why was he trying to impress them? They already knew the real him, he didn’t have to keep up appearances.

Yet, he did so either way. For some reason, it mattered to him now. Whatever. He tried to convince himself it was just compensation from them sharing their pie. Yeah. That’s it.

He finally stepped into the kitchen and opened a cupboard that he could only barely grab. Expecting to find snacks, he reached into it, but couldn’t find anything. Well, at least he kept a stash of chips hidden in his room.

He walked back and grabbed the somewhat old, unopened green bag of chips from a drawer in his bedside table and left it on top of a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

DING

The doorbell rang, making Berdly trip and almost fall. He hurried to the front door, on the ground floor, making sure Kris did not have to wait any longer. His right hand trembled before reaching the doorknob, but eventually, he gathered the courage to turn it. After all, he had nothing to be nervous about, had he?

He slowly opened the front door to find…nothing.

Oh. He was confused, and walked around the sidewalk looking for whoever rang. Was this another one of Monster Teen’s pranks?

He sighed disappointedly and slowly went up the stairs back into his apartment.

Standing in the doorway, he saw Kris Dreemurr.

“Wha- KRIS! What the heck are you-” Berdly started to say, however the human interrupted him with a smirk.

“Took you long enough. Come on, I still gotta destroy you at Dedly Kombat.”

They were wearing an oversized purple dress, probably one of their mom’s old ones, and golden shoes. Their hair was neatly tied.

Berdly grit his teeth. “Okay! Fine! Just go inside, please.” He sighed.

They sat down on the couch, looking at Berdly expectantly. He stared at them for a couple seconds before grabbing two controllers and plugging them into his GameStation 5 that his parents had gotten him for his birthday.

“Alright. So, in theory, I should beat you. Because I’ve been practicing,” Berdly said, smugly. Kris jokingly scoffed.

“Sure you will, buddy,” they replied. The trash-talking that was usual to every hangout had already begun.

Berdly picked the character which, in his opinion, was the “hardest to master”, and Kris picked the cheesiest one.

The fight started, and their characters started trading blows, however, Kris’s annoying playstyle made Berdly get angrier and angrier.

And so, they continued playing through the night. Kris obviously had the upper hand, but let Berdly win a couple. Why? They didn’t know. But it felt nice to watch him win.

“You- you’re cheating, Kris!” He finally exclaimed, almost throwing his controller.

Kris laid back and snapped their fingers into a finger gun. “Nope. And, so far, you’ve only won twice. We’ve been playing for, what, 3 hours?”

Berdly sighed. “I guess. But it’s only because you're using that stupid character with the projectiles!”

Kris giggled, which made Berdly furious.

“By the way, have you gone to Ice-e’s recently?” Kris said.

Berdly raised an eyebrow. “No, that place sucks. Why?”

Kris looked at him. “Well, they changed their recipe or somethin’. Last time I went, a week ago, it tasted differently. Better.”

Berdly shrugged. “Meh. I should go then.”

Kris smiled. “Hey, what about this Friday? There’s a discount, if I recall correctly.”

He nodded. “Sure.” They turned back to the TV.

He looked at them. Like, really looked at them. The last time he’d done that was…never, actually. Their smug mug was always present, yet he never bothered to inspect it closely. They were looking at the screen, its faint glow illuminated them in the dimly lit room. Their lips were curved in a cheeky smirk, as per usual. Their long hair hung around their shoulders, perfectly framing their face. Their skin was almost perfect, save for a few pimples near their nose. It’s really weird how he never noticed them in this way. They seemed almost…beautiful, although Berdly would never admit that to himself.

Suddenly, Kris turned at him. “Hm? What are you looking at, nerd?” they said, and let out a long, drawn out yawn. Berdly couldn’t help but follow after them, however it was interrupted by his face getting smacked by Kris’s hand, now stretching out their arms and legs.

“Oh crap, sorry, are you alright?” they said softly, almost concerned.

But them, concerned for his wellbeing? No, it was probably sarcasm.

“Are you trying to knock me out so you can raid my kitchen? Ha! If so, you’re gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!” he joked.

Then, they laughed. A small giggle, but it was probably the first time they’d laughed at one of Berdly’s jokes, and it felt like a small victory for him.

Why did it feel like a small victory?

He shrugged off the thought and smiled, looking at the TV. An old CRT that Berdly treasured. A gift from his late grandpa.

Kris got up. “Hey, I’m kinda tired, I’m gonna call my mom to see if she’s awake and can open the door for me. If she’s not, she’ll hate me though. And I’ll have to get in through the window.”

Berdly, who was also kinda tired, nodded silently and handed them his cellphone. They went to the other room while Berdly absent-mindedly turned the console off and the lights on.

After about a minute, they came back. Berdly noticed their look was different. Their eyebrows were now pointing upwards, their eyes were sadder. The smirk had vanished.

“Kris? Is everything okay?” He said, concerned. Kris’ lips curved even more.

“No. No it’s fuckin’ not. Mom is…kinda drunk. With that Sans guy. Again.”

Berdly’s expression also turned sour. They’d told him about it, that one time, with Susie. He’d shrugged it off as an exaggeration, but seeing them that way, in first person, he had no choice but to feel pity.

Kris’ mouth opened once again. “Hey, do you mind if…I crash here? Just for tonight. I’ll…sleep on the couch.”

Berdly nodded. “Y-yeah. Yeah. Of course. Mi casa es tu casa, as they say. Heh.”

His attempt to lighten the situation up fell flat, as did Kris onto the sofa.

Berdly sat beside them, trying to think of what to do. He looked at them, and saw a lone tear running down their cheek. With newfound bravery, he wiped it with a stroke of his feathered hand. They looked at him and smiled, a genuine smile this time.

“Ha. Thanks.”

And then, suddenly, they laid their head on Berdly’s shoulder.

He was paralyzed. His eyes widened, his muscles tensed up. He looked at them.

They, however, seemed weirdly peaceful.

“Hey, did you know your feathers are…really soft?”

Berdly almost flinched. “I mean, I guess…”

And then, they both went silent for the rest of the night.

As they both drifted into a slumber, Berdly swore that their cheeks were redder than usual, even in the dark.

Chapter Text

Kris tugged on their hoodstrings. They stood in front of Ice-e’s P”E”zza, the only pizzeria in town. Although, what they sold could barely be considered as such…

 

Either way, it was a nice change of pace that now it tasted like actual food.

 

The breeze outside was cold. The kind of cold that was just chilly enough to be uncomfortable, especially with their wet hair from recently showering. 

 

Before going in, they took a few deep breaths. They didn’t know why they were so nervous.

 

No, actually, they knew 100%.

 

It was that night at Berdly’s house. They were very tired and they really didn’t think about it. In the morning though…they almost died of embarrassment. They hurried out of there without so much as saying goodbye to him.

 

Berdly. Who had wiped away their tears. Who had offered his shoulder for them to sleep on. Who had given them comfort when they needed it the most. With whom they had shared their last slice of pie.

 

With whom they were going on a date with today, right now.

 

A friend's date, of course. Nothing more. Nothing else.

 

So, they couldn’t leave and ghost him now, even though they considered it. They frowned, pulled themselves together, and stepped into the restaurant.

 

The warm air blew in their face, slowing their pace down. They stood still, scanning the place for that bird.

 

Sitting at a dirty table, there he was. Looking just like always, except maybe a few feathers were a bit tidier. On the chair next to him was a coat. They hated that they could tell exactly what was different about him.

 

 

They looked at him, absent-mindedly using his phone, then back to the door. Their fists closed as they stepped closer and sat down in front of him.

 

Berdly was startled and hastily put his phone in his pocket.

 

“Oh! Kris! You…actually came! Heh.”

 

Kris looked at him, trying their best not to smile. “Yeah. I did.” They looked away, trying to keep their composure.

 

Berdly also looked away. “So, uhh, what do you wanna order?” he asked, grinning awkwardly.

 

Kris raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm…what about pepperoni?”

 

Berdly scoffed. “Hah, right! No, we’d better get something less greasy, like onion.”

 

Kris let out a playful smile. “Fine. I mean, you’re paying, so-”

 

Berdly interrupted them, slamming his arm into the table. “Excuse me?!”

 

Kris laughed. “Um, yeah? You were the one to invite me, after all.”

 

Berdly sighed and tried to calm down. “You’re lucky my mom got me a debit card.”

 

Kris looked at him slyly, and giggled after a couple seconds. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I ‘borrowed’ some cash from Asriel.”

 

Berdly raised an eyebrow. “Kris. What do those air quotes mean? Did you steal money from your brother?”

 

Kris looked away, but couldn’t hold in their smile.

 

“Tsk, tsk, my dear Kris. Didn’t they teach you that stealing is wrong?”

 

Kris’ heart skipped a beat at being called “my dear”, but laughed it off. “Shut up, nerd.”

 

They stood up. “Well, I’m gonna order the pizza, you keep your butt parked there.”

 

Berdly chuckled and laid back.

 

He waited for a couple minutes, and they were back.

 

“Took you long enough,” he said while they sat down.

 

Kris nodded. “Pizzapants was having a breakdown or something so he couldn’t take my order. Should be here in a couple minutes, though it may be…saltier than usual. You know, from the tears.”

 

“I got the joke, you don’t need to explain- nevermind. So, uh…what is there to talk about?” He said.

 

Kris shrugged.

 

Berdly put a hand on his chin, then suddenly raised it in the air. “I know! What about…

 

The festival?”

 

Kris shivered, but kept a cool façade. “Y-yeah? What about it?” they asked.

 

Berdly smiled mischievously. “Well…have you thought about who you’ll invite?” 

 

Kris shrugged. “Uh, I guess Elly, like always?”

 

“I guess so,” said Berdly, “But I think she’s going with Susie, for whatever reason.” 

 

Kris glared at him. ‘For whatever reason’? They bit their lip in order to not say anything rude. But they guessed it was justified: he hadn’t witnessed her growth first hand, through the Dark Worlds.

 

Man, the Dark Worlds. It almost felt like a dream, ironically. They went on all these crazy adventures, but then…they got back to the Light World, and their life went on as normal.

 

Especially Berdly, who had no idea everything WAS more than a dream. In a sense, he was one of the few things they had that reminded them that they were just a regular teenager. The late-night hangouts, his ramblings in class to which they fell asleep, he remained oblivious to their “secret identity”.

 

They looked at him, expecting him to be on his phone or looking at something else, but…

 

He was looking at them. His eyes were focused on theirs. 

 

Kris’s sharp eyes widened as Berdly looked away nervously. Kris, however, still looked at him awkwardly. They noticed his soft, light blue feathers, the same ones they’d felt that night. His somewhat dirty glasses, the same prescription ones he’d worn since they were children. His nervous eyes, which were, for a reason they didn’t know, moving around erratically, looking at the floor. The single sweatdrop sliding down his forehead. 

 

He wasn’t particularly physically attractive, although his worth resided in his somewhat notable charm. Or so Kris thought, of course. That’s why they kept him around, at least. They weren’t sure why they thought of his attractiveness just now.

 

They always took him for granted. He was reliable if you got to know him, and always willing to help, although he’d brag about being better than you beforehand.

 

He tried to look back sneakily, but they were still watching carefully. For some strange reason, they just couldn’t look away. On the outside, they hoped they appeared mysterious and cool instead of the awkward mess they were on the inside.

 

Suddenly, a metal tray was placed down on the table.

 

Pizzapants had arrived, and with him had their pizza. It was steaming, however when Berdly tried to grab it, he realized it wasn’t cut.

 

“Ah, it appears he may have…forgotten to cut it!” he exclaimed. His sincere tone had left and given way to the usual superiority complex. “No worries, I’ll simply ask them-”

 

He couldn’t finish his sentence, as Kris slammed their knife down into the pizza, splashing some grease on Berdly’s face.

 

“Or…that, too,” he replied, dumbfounded.

 

With a grin plastered on their face, they sliced the pizza in half 4 times and wiped the tool with a napkin. 

 

And, they both started eating. It was quiet at first, the teens were too busy chewing to really talk. But, after a while, it got boring, and Berdly had no choice but to talk. 

 

“By the way, you totally cheated at Dedly Kombat.”

 

Kris snorted. “Yeah, whatever you say, bird boy.”

 

He frowned. “Oh, don’t be such a pedant, you fool.”

 

Kris raised an eyebrow. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

 

Kris laughed at themselves, while Berdly simply sighed.

 

He talked to them about various topics, from school (something that, Kris had learnt from their hangouts, was very important to him), to videogames, to even TV shows and other nerdy stuff that Kris couldn’t care less about. Yet, they listened. His voice was like music to their ears. They stared at him sometimes, other times at the wall, trying not to fall asleep. Until their eyes gravitated back to the boy in front of them. They were annoyed at this, and decided to distract themselves.

 

“Berdly,” they said, making him shut up. “I’m gonna pay, let’s get out of here.”

 

He nodded with a nervous smile, grabbed his coat, and got up, heading for the door. He waited for them for a moment, before they both left the establishment.

 

The cold breeze hit Kris like a truck. The contrast with the warm, stuffy atmosphere of the pizza place was, ironically, a breath of fresh air.

 

The streets of Hometown, barely illuminated by artificial light, were quiet. The usually lively town became at night the antithesis of itself. Shrouded in darkness, it was almost peaceful, yet, for some reason, made Kris nervous.

 

And so they walked. Silently. Kris’s hands were in their pockets, while Berdly moved his arms more than necessary with every step. 

 

Neither of them talked. There was a sincere, yet unspoken deal between them. They didn’t speak, and they were comfortable. Perhaps Kris was more used to the quiet than Berdly, but he didn’t mind either way.

 

As long as they were happy.

 

They strolled around the whole town, and, with each hundred steps, Kris grew colder and colder. 

 

Then, they finally reached the southmost point, a little path through the forest leading to a lake. The wind blowing, due to it, was cooler, which made Berdly start being cold as well. 

 

“I…don’t usually come here, Kris,” he asked. “Do you?”

 

Kris nodded, silently. “It’s quiet.” 

 

They sat down on the shore, and Berdly quickly followed. 

 

He shrugged. “It’s…nice, here, I guess.”

 

Kris looked at him, then back at the lake.

 

Berdly suddenly got an idea. He didn’t know why, or how. But, for some reason, he thought about it. 

 

He swallowed. “H-hey, Kris, are you, um…cold?”

 

They raised an eyebrow, looking back at him. “Kinda. Why?”

 

He sighed and took his coat off.

 

Kris was startled, and flinched when Berdly put it on them.

 

Then, they laughed. “Berd, you are SUCH a dork, haha!” 

 

They jokingly hit him on the shoulder.

 

Berdly smiled awkwardly and giggled, before looking back at the distance.

 

They leaned back, their arms on the ground and their legs closed. They sighed.

 

“Hey, thanks,” they said, softly. “It’s warm.”

 

He smiled. “Yeah, that was…kinda the point.”

 

Minutes passed. With each one, Kris and Berdly got, perhaps involuntarily, perhaps willingly, closely. They were still sitting, however, now inches away. 

 

Kris wasn’t sure what to feel. They’d never really thought about Berdly in a way other than the nerd they played videogames with. Just a friend. But, recently, their opinion had…changed. They still didn’t know exactly how, but they started thinking about him more often. Things started reminding them of him. “Oh, Berdly would enjoy this,” they thought once, after seeing a new flavor of “Mount Water” soda at the convenience store. These kinds of thoughts became more frequent, as were the casual stares they’d give him while in class. Combined with the butterflies they’d felt in their stomach just then, with the coat, they were starting to suspect the worst. Or…best?

 

It was too much to bear. No, they couldn’t like him! It was dumb. He was dumb. They were dumb for even THINKING that. They took off Berdly’s coat, quickly got up, and handed it to him.

 

“Well, it’s, uh…getting late. I better go home.” 

 

Berdly frowned and followed after them, sheepishly taking the coat. “Y-yeah, right. Right. So, do you want me to…walk you home?”

 

They noticed they were blushing and looked away from him, to hide it. “Hm? Nah, it’s- it’s okay.”

 

Berdly was red as well, embarrassed. “Right! You can probably walk alone! Hah. Even though my charm is irresistible, you-”

 

But they were already walking away. Berdly stood there, coat in his arms and a sad expression on his face. Had he done something wrong? Why had Kris left so…abruptly? Angel, he was so stupid…

 

Kris jogged through the known streets of Hometown. What they did just now…was it justified? 

 

They tried not to think about it. They tried not to think about him. But, as they tried to drift off to sleep in their home, they saw his face, almost hurt when they started walking away without even saying goodbye.

 

They hadn’t even said goodbye! But, oh well. Not like they liked him or anything. No. They didn’t. Not his nerdy ramblings, not his almost charmingly big ego, not the warm coat, and definitely not the feeling of sleeping on his shoulders.

 

After an hour of staring at the ceiling of their room, they finally managed to fall asleep.

 

Tomorrow would be another day, and they could put this all behind themselves.

 

 

Chapter Text

Kris was hugged by their mom like every day, before entering their classroom.

The tiles crackled under their every step.

Against their will, they thought of him again. Berdly. They had been cold with him, despite being given his warm jacket. They thought sleeping it off would be enough: it usually made them forget about their problems. But no, the only thing it did was amplify it.

And, they hated to admit it, but…they had dreamt of him. They relived that night at his house, the time at the lake…

Yesterday, the way they’d left without even looking at him, the way they’d rejected his offer to walk together…

Gosh, they were sick.

They slowly stepped closer to the classroom. How would they find him? With a smug grin, like always? Sad? Angry? Neutral? Talking to Noelle?

They gently opened the door. Their stare glided over everything in the room, the usual bric-a-brac of Hometown School, before eventually settling on Berdly’s desk.

His empty desk.

Berdly Birdington, who had never in his life missed a day of school, was not at his desk. Nor was he anywhere else in the building. Because Kris, despite not wanting to believe it, knew he hadn’t come to school today.

They ruminated on these thoughts, recurring since yesterday, at midnight, laying on their bed.

“Kris? Are you alright?”

Noelle Holiday snapped them out of their confusion. They waved lazily and sat down at their desk. “Hi Noelle,” they said, bluntly. “I didn’t get that much sleep last night.”

Yet, despite wanting to pretend to be okay, the frown on their face gave it away. Noelle noticed.

“Kris, I…Is it because of Berdly?” she said softly, genuine worry behind her voice. “He’s probably just sick or something, faha.”

She recalled the fact that he hadn’t answered his phone.

Kris flinched at the mention of him. “Elly, it’s…not. You don’t understand, I-” they paused for a moment and sighed. “I fucked up last night. We went to Ice-E’s and then we walked to the lake and I…I just left him alone, in the cold, and I was rude, and…

I don’t know why I did that.”

Noelle felt a sweat drop slide down the side of her head. Berdly had told her about Kris, and the fact that lately, he’d...grown fonder of them. He couldn’t stop thinking about them and such. She already had a suspicion, but this…

She grabbed Kris’s shoulder. “It’s alright, I’m sure he’s fine.”

She was lying through her teeth, although Kris tried to convince themself that she wasn’t. That, as his friend, she’d know if he wasn’t completely alright. But…

They sighed, and rested their head on their arms.

The school day, which usually went by fast, as they often slept through them, was now ten thousand times longer now that, in the back of their head, the thought of Berdly being anything but okay haunted them.

They listened to Alphys’s boring teachings, unable to do as much as blink. It reminded them of the times when they’d stay up with Berdly, buzzed by energy drinks.

Angel, they’d thought of him again.

11 AM struck, time for recess. Kris sat alone, in a corner of the schoolyard. They looked at Susie, talking to Noelle while blushing. Noelle was covering her mouth, laughing. Heh. It reminded them of-

They stood up, grabbing their head with both of their arms. “Angel, Angel, Angel…” they muttered to themself, pacing back and forth.

Eventually, they closed their eyes, and took a deep breath.

Kris started walking towards the main door of the school.

-

CLANG

The first pebble missed, hitting the red brick wall of the apartment building. They looked at their phone, expecting something, ANYTHING, but…

Nothing.

The text they’d sent to him was left on read.

They groaned, and picked up another tiny rock from the gravel near the sidewalk. The neighbours wouldn’t mind, they would be at work at this time. They chucked it at the window, making sure to actually hit the glass this time.

It did, making a loud enough noise that whoever was inside could hear it.

They waited a couple minutes, even tossing some more, but still, it was quiet, save for a few birds chirping.

They’d thought of him again.

They groaned even louder this time, kicking the ground. Suddenly, they stopped. They knew what to do next.

Berdly always kept a spare house key at the Librarby in case he forgot: he’d told them once, at the annual Sadie Hawkman dance. They could use that to check if he was inside. If he wasn’t, they could just give it back like nothing ever happened.

They sprinted there, slamming the door open. There was nobody there as well, they were probably on their breaks. In any case, they didn’t care.

They hastily and carelessly went through every drawer behind the counter, until they found it. Glistening behind old papers, were two silver keys…

With an apple keychain attached to them.

They nabbed it and quickly ran back to Berdly’s home, determined.

Why were they even that worried? He’s probably home playing Dragon Blazers or whatever he does for comfort.

Barely able to open the doors, they fumbled with the keys until they opened the main entrance. Berdly’s apartment was on the third floor, so they climbed up the stairs, skipping every second step, and opened the door with apartment number 3B written on it.

“Berdly?” They yelled, their worry echoing on the walls.

Silence.

His house was just as they remembered from the countless times they’d gone there. Neatly cleaned furniture, dusted trophies on shelves, a comfy sofa, all with only a few inner walls.

They separated the bathroom and his room from the main area.

Tension filled the air as they opened the bedroom door. Expecting to find him curled up in his nest, instead they found…

It was empty. Just like the rest of it.

He wasn’t here.

They didn’t care about returning the keys, they simply stormed off, frustrated.

They jogged though every square meter of the town, but he was still missing.

He was so dramatic.

They sighed and fell to their knees, defeated. Ironic, after all this time, after all those game nights, this was the first time they were truly beaten by him.

Like an Angel from Heaven, down descended an idea into their head.

The Lake.

After a couple minutes of running, they were there.

Lo and behold, they saw a blue figure sitting by the water.

“B-Berdly?!” They exclaimed from a distance, stuttering. “Hey dumbass, you didn’t go to school!” Their joking tone was used to hide their nervousness.

He looked back, squinting. First, he saw the brown pants. Then, the striped sweater. Then, their face, covered by their hair. As they got closer, he could make out their hands inside their pockets, their dirty, lazily tied shoelaces and, worst of all, their worried expression.

He looked back at the lake.

Kris slowly walked towards him, and sat down in the same spot Berdly was last night.

“Berd,” they said, plainly.

“Kris,” he replied, in a challengingly more deadpan tone.

“Finally found you, faker!” they exclaimed, jokingly.

Berdly chuckled at the Sonic Adventure reference, but still kept the same melancholic look, out of character for his egotistical and energetic personality. “Nice try.”

Kris sighed, which took a weight off of them that they didn’t know they had in the first place.

“Berdly, you had me so worried.”

“Why?” They retorted, suddenly looking at them. “Why would you care? You’re just saying that.”

Kris frowned. “No I’m not. What?”

They paused. “Berdly, I-”

He interrupted them. “No, it’s fine. It was weird to give you my jacket anyways…”

“No, dude, I…I was such an asshole, I left you without saying anything and…I…think I know the reason why I did it, but-”

They felt a lump in their throat, like it was tied into the world’s tightest knot. Noise couldn’t even come out of their mouth, their vocal cords wouldn’t budge. They usually didn’t speak that much, and when they finally had so much to say, they couldn’t. Was the universe playing a cruel prank on them?

Fueled by frustration (and a certain something else), they finally pushed through. Berdly was looking at them expectantly. Their heart pounded a mile a minute.

“What I mean is…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He scoffed, and turned his head away.

Kris felt sick. They didn’t know if Berdly was mad, sad, disappointed, or what, but they felt the need to act, and quickly.

“You know, mom always says that actions are worth more than words, and I can’t find the exact words I want right now…” they said, trailing off. Berdly raised an eyebrow.

They were both shaking, but, after a pause which seemed like a thousand years, Kris moved from their seat. With newfound determination, they wrapped their arms around him, making their nerves tingle, their nape was flooded with heat and, yet, they didn’t want to let go of his soft feathers.

Berdly, on the other hand, was absolutely bamboozled. For a moment, he thought they were going to kiss him. Why’d he think that? He didn’t know. But whatever this was was much better. After getting through the shock, he wrapped his wings around them as well. Being held like this, by his worst rival…it made him feel almost safe, a feeling he wasn’t used to, always with his guard up. And, as well, he didn’t want it to stop.

Berdly always thought that romance stories would start with a kiss, the universal sign of love. But, right now, his mind changed. Wait, who said anything about romance? No, this was simply a “bro thing”. Bros hugged. Bros cuddled all the time. Friends always looked at each other from the other side of the classroom, dreamily. That was normal, wasn’t it? Because Berdly sure as hell didn’t like Kris…

Did he?

The hug went for what felt like hours, and might as well have been. Without the need for sound, a thousand words were exchanged between them, simply by the embrace alone. All good things have to come to an end eventually, as did this as well.

They separated. Kris stood up, quickly, and held their hand out for Berdly to grab. They both noticed the other one was blushing, but were oblivious to their own red face.

“K-kris?” Berdly said nervously. “I-I…I’m sorry for worrying you, too.”

Kris smiled warmly. They thought of a few ways to tease him right now, as they always did, but they decided against it. Without letting go of his hand, they lead him through the path, back to town, both smiling.

Suddenly, they stopped. Berdly crashed into their solid body, while they pulled him into a one-handed hug, their other hand busy grabbing Berdly’s wing and holding it beside them, while moving him from side to side.

They giggled. “You know, these past few weeks have been…interesting,” Kris said, Berdly feeling their breath on his face.

Berdly felt like, if he talked, he wouldn’t be able to stop stuttering, but tried anyways. “I-I guess they’ve…been, yeah…”

Kris grinned smugly. “Look at you, Berd…Have you done something with your feathers today? They look really…ruffled.”

Berdly attempted to frown at the pun, however, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “No God, you’re such a dork,” he said.

“Ha! Look who’s talking…”

Their cute little moment was interrupted by the sudden sound of a ringtone from Berdly’s pocket.

“Oh, so you DID have your phone, you little bitch!” Kris joked. Berdly laughed.

“Well, you know, I AM a drama king,” he said, while looking up.

He finally grabbed his smartphone and picked up the call.

“Dad! What’s up?” he asked, seemingly excited.

As he stayed silent, his expression shifted into one of disappointment.

“What’s wrong?” Kris mouthed, while Berdly stared at them with sad eyes.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll…Bye dad.”

Berdly sighed loudly. “I’m sorry, I…I gotta go. My parents are gonna go on a business trip again, and-”

Kris put a hand on their shoulder. “That’s alright, do what you gotta do. Meet you here tomorrow, same time. Be there or be square;” they said playfully, while walking away. “Bye, have fun, Berd!”

Berdly stood there, smiling, but quickly rushed to his apartment to say goodbye to his parents.

Chapter Text

The wind blew from behind Kris, moving the few strands of hair that weren’t tied into a messy bun on the back of their head. It was Noelle’s idea, however they’d insisted on styling it themselves. They weren’t very good at it, though, and they wished they’d let her do it for them.

Other than that, they were wearing a light brown sweater and a long black skirt, accompanied by a pair of dark socks and worn-out sneakers. On their back was an old crimson backpack, the same one they brought to school every day.

By dressing this way, they were no longer trying to deny to themselves the fact that they saw Berdly as more than a friend. What exactly did they see him as? They didn’t really know…

At the end of the dirt path surrounded by trees, about 15 meters away, they saw Berdly, with one hand on the pocket of his beige jeans, wearing a casual plain red button-up. Seeing him like this, just for them, it made their heart flutter. They wouldn’t admit this even at gunpoint, though. He waved at them, his beak somehow curving into a smile, and they smiled back.

They both walked towards the other, meeting halfway, where some dusty tables resided.

“Kris! You’re here!” Berdly said, standing a laid-down Susie’s worth of distance away from them.

“I am,” they replied solemnly, and took a step towards him. “So, shall we sit down?”

They held out their arm, and Berdly nervously took it, hesitating. He looked at them, and they were smiling gladly. That smile reassured him, and so they confidently walked to their seats.

“You know, I…A week ago, I would have never thought I’d be here…on a date…with you…” Berdly admitted, embarrassedly hiding his face with his wing.

Kris snickered. “It’s not…I mean…you shouldn’t be…ugh, nevermind. I’m hungry.”

From their bag, they took out a paper bag and laid it on the table. It was labelled “Lunch”.

Berdly’s eyes widened. “Is that…what I think it is, my dear gamer?”

Kris cringed at the comment, but laughed anyway. “Yep. So, just like that day at school…”

They reached into the bag with both their hands and got two slices of pie.

“Would you like some? I brought enough for us both this time!” They exclaimed, chuckling.

Berdly stared attentively at his food, then back to Kris, and into their eyes. They stared back, their red iris piercing Berdly’s SOUL. He didn’t mind, though he was somewhat intimidated.

They began eating silently, occasionally looking into the other’s eyes.

While chewing, Berdly realized something. He was on a date, alone, with Kris, sharing good food, while dressed in some of his fanciest clothing pieces. And, he realized that his feelings for them were actually deeper than he previously thought. Recently, they’d gone from rival, to friend, to…uncertain, to say the least.

It was no doubt interesting.

Kris, meanwhile, gladly chomped down on the pie, their favourite food. Sometimes, though, they interrupted themselves to look at the dumb yet endearing bird sitting across from them. They couldn’t help but smile every time.

“Berdly?” They asked, lifting their gaze to meet his.

He swallowed. “Y-yes, Kris?” he replied, shaking. He felt like their gaze pierced his heart, though he was not sure if it was in a romantic way or not. It was a staring contest which both parties didn’t consent to, and one which ended upon Kris gathering the courage to finally talk.

“You know, I…

There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” they said, almost a whisper. Some of Berdly’s feathers stood up.

He nodded nervously. “What…is it?”

Angel, he hated how they had such an imposing presence. Even the lightest of questions sparked such a feeling in him, something difficult to describe. Sometimes, it was mysterious. Other times, it was intimidating. And, a few isolated times, just a tiny amount of insignificant variables in the grand experiment of his life, he swore he could feel butterflies in his stomach. He hated the sensation. Or, at least he assumed he did. He hadn’t really stopped to ask himself that.

As the seconds before Kris’ question passed like a turtle on crutches (Berdly chuckled at his nonsensical analogy), he couldn’t help but worry.

They finally spoke, their tone solemn yet…weirdly nervous?

“I…” they started, and mumbled something that Berdly couldn’t quite make out.

“Excuse me, could you repeat that, if you please?” he asked, somewhat annoyed.

Kris sighed and covered their face with their hands for a moment. They carefully got up and sat down right next to Berdly, which made him back away a couple inches by instinct.

“Berdly, since that day at your house when we played Dedly Kombat, I…” they began, hastily, but couldn’t finish.

Again, Kris didn’t have the courage to say it. Berdly raised an eyebrow.

“Come on, dude, just say it. I won’t get mad or anything,” he said matter-of-factly, ignoring his gut feeling that was, ironically, heating the back of his neck.

Kris breathed deeply. They managed to, as quickly as humanly possible, blurt out: “I think I like you!”

Berdly’s vision narrowed, his pupils constricted and he felt as if he would crumble like a Jenga tower. Every muscle in his body was shaking.

With the last of his strength, he thought of his favourite video game character and gathered enough courage to mutter up some conjecture, like he always did.

“I-I…I guess You’re worthy of…um…my love?” he stuttered weakly.

Despite the pathetic response, they smiled. “Well then, if there’s, uh…a consensus, then…”

They softly put a hand on his shoulder, feeling his skin tense up under his already tense feathers.

In one swift motion, they pulled his head close, without even thinking of the dynamics of kissing a beak. They awkwardly puckered their lips, and…

This was it. The moment that they’d both been fantasizing, or at the very least thinking about. His beak was weirdly soft, softer than they expected. If Kris didn’t utterly vomit at the thought of calling it that, they would have described it as “magical”.

Eventually, despite the will from both teenagers, the kiss broke out. Each was left looking away, their cheeks stained with a heavy blush.

“I can’t believe we just…” Kris whispered. “Let’s just…can we do this again, but, tomorrow? I don’t think I recovered yet” they asked.

Berdly, confused, nodded. “S-sure.” The sweat dripping from his forehead was enough to fill a bathtub in no more than a half-hour.

Kris grabbed the leftovers, threw out the trash that had remained, and looked at him, smiling. He smiled back. “See you,” they simply said. And he waved as they walked away from the forest.

He sighed, and sat down on the floor with a stupid smile plastered on his face.