Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

This entire thing started out accidentally.

A blue feather.

Just. Sitting alone on Berdly's desk. Perfeclty undisturbed.

Kris had fallen asleep during the last 30 minutes of class, head hitting their desk the second linear equations were brought up. They could somewhat wrap their mind around some math related problems, but they particularly strugged in Algebra. It just didn't click.

Ms. Alphys woke them up, as she normally did, despite Kris' drowsiness blurring her words together. What was likely some oddly expressed concern was instead glossed over—I mean, what are you meant to do when a certain nerd's feather just decided to sit in his very spot? Staring right at Kris???

The guy himself tended to stay back after the bell, insisting on helping Ms. Alphys with cleaning, something something 'being a good citizen'. Kris did not feel similarly, if the spit balls that lined the floor around Berdly's desk had anything to say about it.

Not their fault he's such a easy to hit target.

Kris wondered, briefly, when the damned thing slipped out of his feathers. Had it been when Berdly walked out the classroom (probably after Ms. Alphys got it through his skull that the room was already sparkling)? But then where'd it come from?? It'd make the most sense for it to have fallen from his head. His cheek, probably. The avian had an odd habit of scratching in that area.

Realizing how that statement made them sound, Kris muttered out a goodbye to Ms. Alphys, slugging their backpack over their shoulder and getting the hell out of there before they could come to another realization.

Berdly was right when he tried to come to the side of 'stupidity'. Far too many thoughts that consisted of blue and annoying clouded Kris' brain.

The clock on the wall practically flinched with how fast Kris booked it out the door.

Not without snagging that feather, though.

The feather wasn't much. A pretty shade of blue, maybe. Soft enough. Tiny.

That was what Kris should be thinking of it.

But as Kris sits on the ground before their bed, feather primly sat atop their sheets, just as prestigious as it's counterpart, its clear that is just. Not. What Kris thinks of it.

The fan is dutifly turned off, only after they realized the feather would blow away with the wind.

It's quiet in every place but Kris' mind.

Berdly was. Annoying. Just overall. Everyone knew that. Burghley. Nerdly. He didn't have a lot of friends, and Berdly was too stuck up to clarify their 'gaming competitions' as 'hanging out'.

But God, did Kris have fond memories from when the two hung out.

The first time, Kris believes was at some house party. Noelle's mother hosting it. Berdly tagged along with Noelle, and Kris was invited—more so insisted upon, thanks to their mother.

Berdly was just attached to Noelle's hip, squawking useless little things as Noelle tried to pay attention. He was practically molting all over the waxed floors, feathers going everywhere as he waved his wings about.

Kris had just walked in and Noelle practically ran to their side, Berdly predictably trailing after her. He kind of looked like a gosling.

"Kris! You've met Berdly, right?"

No. They hadn't.

The bird eyed them suspiciously, probably looking at their headband. Make a comment about it. Like everyone else at school did.

Berdly stepped forward, wringing his wings, "You look like–" And here it comes. "–A real gamer."

???????

Okay??

A snort escaped the kid at the absurdity, sleeve covering it.

Berdly seemed content to embarass himself round after round of Uno, all in the name of some. 'Newly found rivalry'. Kris wasn't, and truthfully still isn't, sure what they're competing for.

But if it got Kris out of Carol's glare, they'd gladly take the objectively worse controller.

Learning that Berdly made a particularly upset screech when he got hit with five plus-four cards in a row was also funny enough.

Until the bird just banned stacking after that.

The two hadn't talked much after that, only really reconnecting during Highschool. And rarely at the Librarby. Employed dickhead.

Berdly led all of their conversations (once he realized Kris was sat right behind him), as he usually did with. Everyone, really. But when he talked to them, he seemed. More interested in what they had to say. Taking longer to respond, as though he was really taking their words in. As though their input mattered.

Kris suddenly found their hand thumbing the feather. Petting it. They stripped their palm far from the offending object.

Blink.

What was that.

They picked it back up, carefully, opened up a drawer and tossed it in there, with the others, slamming it shut.

They stood up. Sat on their bed with their head in their hands. Don't do it. Don't. Kris, NO.

And then they got right back up, begrudgingly marching to Azzy's computer.

Google was opened. Wikipedia was opened. And taking a page straight from the bird himself, Reddit was opened just in case. To source check.

'bird leaving feather in front of me what meaning'

It was probably for the best the entire debacle with Queen was over. She'd have a field day with these search results.

'A bird monster leaving their feathers behind is common enough! There are a multitude of reasons. From a lack of realization, territorial instincts, courtship, or others unlisted! If you suddenly find an increase in misplaced feathers, they may just be molting.'

Berdly was always hyperaware of his presence. Annoyingly so. He doesn't purposefully leave messes. Especially after he cleans up the classroom.

Was Berdly territorial??? Kris supposes he was a bit particular about keeping that classroom in order. He also did the same with the Librarby. Maybe he was just a clean freak. Kris' seen the inside of the bird's house, and the place is spotless. Territorial, though? Kris. Wasn't entirely sure.

Molting. Okay. That... Made sense. Except that Berdly had already called out sick earlier that month complaining about that same thing. And he had made it a very big thing.

"KRIS, I can't just??? Show up to class mid-MOLT. The very concept is–its just preposterous!"

Berdly made it very clear. That despite his whining that he would miss class for two weeks, he just can't go. Something something it'd be embarassing and ruin his Top Student reputation.

Kris didn't know a whole lot about it, which was clear with how frustrated the bird was getting with them.

"Okay... And why is that a bad thing? Do you turn like ugly or something?"

It was a genuine question. The first part. The other half. Kind of slipped out. They couldn't help pissing Berdly off. It was too easy.

"Kris. My dear, dear 3rd in class." Berdly began with the dumb smirk he'd get from time to time, when he feels above the world. Which is always. "The rest of class just. Isn't ready to see me at my peak performance yet."

"You can just say you go bald."

The bird squawked at that one, fluttering his wings in rage, causing some to slip onto Kris' clothes and their surroundings. He blinked, likely realizing the fault.

Berdly clicked his beak minutely, squinting as he used the wider, fluffier side of his arm to sweep off his own feathers from Kris.

"Er. Prime example, I suppose. They get everywhere." Kris stayed stock still, stiff. Stupid face turning red. "It's just awful trying to clean up, is all."

He collected the feathers into one palm, dumping them into a side pocket on his bookbag. Kris let the incident slide, momentarily sticking their finger into the hole of the bench the two sat at.

Their gaze drifted to their lap, a lone feather sitting there, hidden by a fold in their pants. Kris stuffed it into their pocket while Berdly was still busy with his bag, muttering apologies.

The bird hadn't explicitly said what happened that made molting such a big deal, but Kris had left the topic alone since that day. Maybe they'd dig more next time.

Anyways.

Berdly doesn't just. Forget things. Especially when its his own things. That checks.

Berdly LIKELY isn't territorial. Not in the way the internet is suggesting. If he was, he sure kept it to himself.

And Berdly had already molted, so that was crossed out.

Kris was back at square one, rereading the passage with a frown. Until a word stuck out.

COURTSHIP.

Kris had never pulled the plug from the computer faster, even when Mom almost walked in on them pirating a movie.

They sat still, eyes wide open, for minutes. Cursing themself for even looking up the damned question in the first place. Courting. You can't be serious. There's just. No way. That was what was happening.

That idiot bird's been all over Noelle for YEARS. Recently, that extended to Susie, some fucking how. Kris didn't know, and frankly Kris didn't care how that developed. What mattered was that they couldn't remember if either of them ever mentioned a bright blue feather being left just for them. They would've. Noelle would've given it back, and Susie would've been making fun of him.

And Kris KNEW (don't ask why) that bird monsters were one of the loudest, proudest beings on Earth to court another. Something in their biology made them far more annoying than everyone else. They sang, they danced, puffed out their chest like they were bigger than life. Left feathers around their love interest, APPARENTLY.

It doesn't make sense. It didn't click. BERDLY???????? If Berdly was as serious as he said he was about Noelle, why wasn't he doing that shit. He seemed like the exact type to dance and frolick all around his crush.

Kris felt their stupid face grow hot at the idea of him doing that shit to THEM.

Their phone ringed, the Discord notification going off. Then another and another. Kris wanted to rip their hair out. They only had ONE person added on that shithole of an app, and it was exactly the person they wanted to avoid.

Kris. Didn't know what to do with that. They stared at the messages a few moments more. They dragged a hand down their face. It shouldn't mean a damn thing. That he was all of a sudden concerned for their well-being.

It was endearing. It was annoying. That he chose right this second to question them. Spam their damn phone with his mispellings and far too formal texts.

Looking back at the dark computer screen, they squinted their eyes at it. People on the Internet lie all the time. Whose to tell if the random person who wrote that was telling the truth? If Berdly actually was trying to court Kris, he'd be the farthest thing from subtle.

Yeah. They could work with that.

There. Normal, typical Kris response. Yup. Rivals. Feed into his stupid agenda and he won't notice a thing. Because rivals casually check up on each other.

Because Berdly WASN'T courting them. And this was normal. Yup.

Kris. Didn't particularly care for calls. But for some reason, they felt a pulling to do so today. At least with Berdly.

SMARTGENIUS555 is calling!

They smiled at his stupid username. He'd ended up getting rid of the rest of his phone number, shortening it to just the area code. He said he got tired of the prank calls. Little did he know.

"Kris! You..." A nervous laugh filtered through the speaker, "Usually don't call!"

"...Is that bad?"

"NO! I mean- I hadn't meant it-" Silence as the world loaded in for the bird. "Kris. What happened to our house."

"Hm?" They smirked. Then they smiled. They were gleaming as they heard Berdly rage in the call, punching Kris' avatar in the meantime. The thorns enchant Kris had ended up killing Berdly. That just made Kris start cackling.

"KRIS??? KRISTOPHER THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!!! OUR HOUSE!!! WE–well really I–SPENT SO LONG BUILDING IT YOU-YOU- BURDEN!" He was squawking now, "KRIS. KRIS ITS NIGHT WE HAVE NO HOUSE????"

"Dude–dude it's okay," Another giggle, "Look. I have our beds-" They moved to the center of the destruction, somewhat admiring it all, before putting their own bed, red, down. Then, turned to drop Berdly's on the ground right in front of his avatar.

The bird grumbled, and Kris heard the chattering of his beak through the call, before putting his bed, light blue, directly next to theirs and right clicking on it.

Okay what the FUCK.

The call went silent.

"Kris, get in the BED. Youre gonna get K.O.'d!" And he said that dumb line with such sincerity Kris just. Clicked on the bed. Closed their eyes and ignored it all.

Berdly, despite his ignorance, was far too chronically online to NOT know the significance of that.

...WAS he flirting with them?