Tiny Raven

—Sans—

5:08

Sans leaned against his closed bedroom door, watching time tick by on his phone. Ready to go, in case Red actually showed up.

5:09

When Sans had told his brother about going out for coffee with Red, Papyrus had seemed to take it well. At least, once he understood that Sans hadn’t been bothering his friends.

“RED APPROACHED YOU?” Papyrus asked.

“yeah,” Sans said. “surprised me, too.”

But when he woke Sans up just before noon, he had been more upset than usual.

5:12

It had taken Sans a while to calm him down, get him to explain what he was upset about.

“I’M WORRIED ABOUT YOU, BROTHER,” Papyrus said. “THAT RED MIGHT BE …PLAYING A CRUEL JOKE ON YOU.”

“you really think he’d do that?” Sans asked.

“RED HAS A … SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR,” Papyrus said with a frown. “ONE WHICH I FIND … CONFOUNDING.”

5:15

“DO NOT WORRY, BROTHER! I’M SURE YOU’RE RIGHT.”

5:21

“RED ISN’T THE SORT OF MONSTER TO PULL THAT SORT OF PRANK.”

5:28

Sans let his skull fall back against the door, allowing his cellphone to fall from his hand. It landed on the mattress with a soft thump.

He wondered if Papyrus had thought to make enough for him to eat dinner, too. Most of Sans’ paychecks went to the joint apartment fund. He didn’t have enough to go get takeout. Grillby would probably still let him carry a tab, but he’d opened his new place on the other side of Ebott. Too far for Sans to shortcut.

With a sigh, Sans pushed himself up, sliding into his easy smile and lazy slouch. Ready to admit that Papyrus was right.

It was just a cruel prank.

—Red—

5:32

Red stood outside the Tale brothers’ apartment, once again steeling his nerves.

He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to do this.

But he was already half an hour late and the guilt was eating him. And the only ways to get out of this with his dignity attached were to either go through with it or tell Sans the truth.

And like hell was Red going to tell Sans the truth.

Red took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Shave-and-a-ha-

He jumped back, startled, when the door flew open before he finished knocking.

“RED!” Papyrus shouted, pulling the smaller skeleton into a tight hug that lifted him off the ground. “I HEAR YOU CAME TO TAKE MY LAZYBONES BROTHER ON A DATE!”

“uh, yeah,” Red said as he was placed back on the ground. He glanced into the apartment behind Papyrus as he regained his balance.

Sans was in the hallway entry, his expression pained for half a moment before it vanished under the facade of a cheery grin and friendly slouch.

“it’s not a date, papyrus,” Sans said as he walked to the door, carefully not looking at his brother.

“WELL! WHATEVER IT IS! I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME, RED!” Papyrus said as he scooped Sans out of the apartment.

Sans turned to wave goodbye, but the door was already closed behind him. He shrugged and turned toward Red.

“hey, red,” he said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “was starting to think you weren’t gonna show.”

“sorry,” Red said, meeting Sans’ eyelights and hoping his guilt wasn’t obvious. “lost track of time.”

“it happens,” Sans said with another shrug.

Red was relieved. He had expected Sans to call him out on the clear lie. Even Papyrus would have seen through the flimsy excuse.

“so where we going?” Sans asked.

“i was thinkin’ the parlor?” Red suggested.

“cool,” Sans said. “we walking or – ”

He cut himself off as Red grabbed his humerus pulling him through space to land in the park across the street from the lounge cafe.

Sans stumbled as he left the void, tripping over the air.

“warn a guy next time,” he said, voice strained. His face was flushed a sickly grey color, and his eyelights were small, taking Red by surprise.

Being pulled through a shortcut unprepared wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t … that big of a deal. Even his absolute worst Red only suffered minor vertigo.

“y’ okay?” Red asked uncertainly. 

“fine,” Sans said, although his voice shook. “just … need a minute.”

Red waited for Sans to catch his breath, the chalky grey fading back to bluish-white.

“sorry,” Sans said as he stood fully upright (as much as Sans ever stood “upright”) and flashed a smile at his counterpart. “i’m good now.”

Red nodded, then turned to lead the way to the cafe across the street.

The Parlor was co-owned by the two Swap Muffets – Underswap running it primarily during the day as a cafe, and Swapfell running it at night as a lounge. Red hadn’t been there much during the day – he wasn’t a fan of coffee – but it was a nice alternative to Grillby’s in the evenings.

Red held the door open for Sans, and the pair entered the cafe.

It was impressive how the dark color scheme – blacks and dark magentas with some lighter purples and whites – were inviting instead of oppressive. Red suspected it was because during the day the windows were all uncovered, letting the warmth and brightness of the sun into the cafe.

“know what y’want?” he asked as he stepped next to Sans, joining the short line.

Sans’ sockets were wide as he stared at the menu boards, eyelights dim and small.

Overwhelmed.

He shook his head and glanced nervously at Red.

“… i-i’ll just have whatever you’re gettin’,” he said with a dry swallow. Sans glanced around the restaurant. “uh … want me to get us a table?”

“sure,” Red said.

The less time actually spent together on this little outing, the better.

The pastries were plated and the drinks made quickly, and all too soon Red found himself sitting at a table with Sans.

The other had chosen the same table Red preferred; the one in a corner so he could have his back to the wall and his blindspots covered. A good view of the entire dining room, particularly the front door. Near the rear exit, in case someone entered that he didn’t like the look of.

He wondered why Sans had chosen this table, but figured it was probably random.

Sans held his drink, holding it in his hands and letting the warmth sink into his fingers.

“s-so … edge?” Sans said after a moment, breaking the silence. Red sat up straighter at the mention of his brother, alert and uneasy at the shift in conversation. Sans wasn’t looking at him as he spoke, instead staring blankly at the café dining room, watching the other monsters and few humans. “he’s working in a kitchen, right?”

Red blinked, taken off guard by the innocent question.

“yeah,” he said with a nod and a sharp smile. At least the topic was enjoyable. “he’s a junior chef, doin’ a bit of everythin’.”

“he looking for anything specific?” Sans asked, turning his attention back to the mug of coffee in his hands.

“nah,” Red said as he took a sip of his own. “just wants experience right now. he likes how busy the kitchen keeps ‘im.”

Sans hummed in acknowledgement before taking a careful sip of his drink.

“i’m surprised he didn’t go for police work like undyne and alpha. he was a royal guard, right?”

Red frowned at the question, and Sans backtracked before he could answer.

“i-i mean … uh … what about you? any aspirations beyond the excitement bagging groceries?”

“not really,” Red answered with a shrug, letting the unanswered question go. He didn’t really want to talk about Edge’s time in the guard, or his time as a sentry. Or about the Underground at all, really. Not with Sans. “anythin’ i’d enjoy takes too much work t’ get inta. ‘sides i wouldn’t get t’ see the boss as often. he’d miss me.”

A shadow passed over Sans’ face at the remark, there and gone before Red could fully read it.

“paps ’s doin’ public safety work, right?” Red asked after a quiet moment. “workin’ toward doin’ social work?”

“yeah,” Sans said. “he’s good at it. at helping people. i’m proud of him.”

Red nodded, although he was surprised to hear Sans say anything positive about his brother. He’d expected something different.

“how about you?” he asked.

Sans shrugged and took a bite of his pastry, swallowing before answering.

“paps is cool enough for both of us,” he said, although the enthusiasm in his voice didn’t quite reach his expression. “i’m good with my current gigs.”

“ ‘gigs’?” Red parroted with a frown. “i only knew about yer nightshift.”

“i work a couple other jobs,” Sans confirmed with a nod. “security’s the most stable, but I do odd jobs here’n’there. black’n’mutt bought hotdogs from me over the summer a couple times.”

Red snorted at the mental image of their most fastidious counterpart buying and eating a hot dog.

“ ’m surprised the tiny tyrant stooped to eatin’ a ‘dog,” he said with a chuckle.

“pretty sure he was trying to make sure i wasn’t poisoning them,” Sans said lightly, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. “i must’ve satisfied them. they only came by twice.”

Red’s smile faltered.

Sans was joking, but the joke hit a little too close to truth for comfort.

The Swapfell brothers were particularly skeptical and slow to trust.

Black was particularly cynical, distrusting of everyone and everything.

Most of all he was suspicious of Sans.

Sans took another sip of coffee, looking down at the shadow of his reflection in the liquid.

He asked another question. Something trivial and fairly impersonal. Something safe so if (when) it was asked back at him it would be easy to answer.

What do you like to do? What movies have you seen recently? How do you like the city?

An hour later and Sans had just finished saying something supportive and proud about Papyrus when Red’s phone chimed, startling them both.

“thought I turned that off,” Red muttered as he pulled the device from his pocket.

It was a text from Edge, asking when he’d be home.

“you done?” Sans asked as Red began to type out a reply. At Red’s confusion, Sans motioned toward the empty mugs and plates on the table. “you paid. i’ll bus.”

Red blinked at his counterpart before nodding. “yeah, ‘m done.”

Sans nodded and cleared the table while Red got up to wait outside.

Red gave Sans warning before shortcutting back to the Tale brothers’ doorstep. The other looked better when he stepped out of the void this time, mumbling a soft “thanks”.

Red turned to leave when Sans grabbed his upper arm, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to meet his counterpart’s eyes, his own sockets dark. A warning growl rumbled low in his chest.

It vanished at Sans’ expression.

Sans’ eyelights were dim and wavering, and he looked away as soon as Red’s sockets were on him.

“th-thanks,” he said softly, cringing at the stutter. He took a deep breath before adding, “i had fun.”

“me too,” Red said, the rote response coming automatically. “maybe we could do it again sometime.”

“that’d be nice,” Sans agreed as he met Red’s eyelights with a soft, cautious smile. “t-talk to you later, then.”

“yeah,” Red said, already kicking himself mentally. He pulled his arm away from Sans hand and took a shortcut to his own front porch, a couple blocks away. He sighed as he opened the door, calling out to let Edge know he was home.

It was over. He’d completed the dare.

He would never have to talk to Sans again.