Tiny Raven

—Red—

The problem, Red decided, was that he was both too damn curious and too damn stubborn to ignore his curiosity.

It was going to get him killed someday.

It had been a week since he’d taken Sans to The Parlor, and he hadn’t been able to get the Tale skeleton out of his skull.

He didn’t really want to talk to Sans again. He didn’t have any objections to how the date had gone, but he still didn’t like Sans. Besides, he’d gone this long without interacting with his softer counterpart.

(He tried to tell himself that Sans probably wouldn’t notice or care that Red had ghosted him. Tried not to care that he didn’t know if it was true or not.)

But …

There was something about the Tale skeleton that bothered Red.

The disconnect between who Red thought Sans would be and the reality of the person he’d met, was driving him crazy.

He couldn’t square away the way Papyrus acted with the way Sans had been at the cafe.

It was possible Sans was manipulative. That the quiet, shy, polite skeleton he’d gotten coffee with didn’t exist. That it was an act, a facade.

But it had been so genuine. Genuine enough to not only fool Red, but the Judge as well.

Red couldn’t let it go. He had to know the truth or he’d drive himself insane.

Which is why he was here on his day off, standing in front of the Tale brothers’ apartment, trying to talk himself into/out of knocking on the door.

Goddamn his curiosity. He could only hope solving the riddle of the Tale skeletons would keep him alive.

“fuck it,” Red muttered as he finally knocked on the door.

All he needed to do was figure out how Sans had pissed off Papyrus. Once Red knew that he could go back to pretending the older brother didn’t exist.

“it ain’t cookie season so whatever you’re sellin’ we don’t need it,” Sans’ low rumble said as he opened the door. “religion, knives, vacuu- ”

He cut himself off as soon as he saw Red. A grey-blue blush crept onto his cheekbones as he mumbled, “uh … hey, red.”

Sans wasn’t wearing his hoodie, and he looked smaller without it – even wearing two shirts – a greying white tee over a black long sleeved top.

It didn’t help that he’d sort of … hunched in on himself when he saw Red.

The two stared at each other for a minute before canned laughter sounded on the TV, breaking the silence. Sans glanced into the apartment behind him.

“ … y-you want me to get papyrus?”

The question was enough to knock Red out of his analyzing stare.

“nah,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and trying to look casual. “got a free afternoon. wondered if ya wanted to go to the museum with me. everybody else is busy.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Black and Mutt were both at work, and Blue was on a shopping trip with Stretch. Edge had a night shift, so he was sleeping.

And after one trip to the museum with Papyrus, where the latter had complained the entire time they were in the astronomy wing … well, Red had decided not to go to the museum with just them. It just didn’t make sense when they’d both be miserable.

Sans had straightened a little, perking up at the offer, before wilting again as he thought of something.

“… i’m kinda low on g,” he admitted with an embarrassed shrug.

“it’s on me,” Red said with a wave of his hand. “th’ boss got a membership after blue dragged us there for a third time.”

“i don’t think – ” Sans started, but Red cut him off before he could finish the thought.

“i can get ya in on a guest pass. won’t cost either of us anythin’.”

Sans didn’t respond immediately, expression indecisive and torn. Red felt his grin slip in annoyance. He hadn’t expected this much of a fight.

(What’s he afraid of?)

Red pushed the thought from his skull.

He already had one mystery. He didn’t need another.

“ … okay,” Sans said after a moment. He glanced back into the apartment. “… yeah. sure. just … lemme grab my hoodie.”

Red nodded, watching as Sans disappeared back into the house. He leaned against the wall next to the door while he waited, not wanting to enter the apartment when he wasn’t invited.

Not wanting to have to explain to Papyrus what he was doing there.

With his luck he’d admit everything. The Tale brothers might not get along, but Papyrus would certainly defend his brother if he knew what Red had done. Was doing.

He could hear a rushed conversation, words indistinct under the sound of Mettaton revving a chainsaw. He wondered if he had time for a smoke, and he fiddled with the lighter in his pocket.

He’d begun to rifle through his inventory, searching for his cigarettes, when Sans emerged from the apartment in a rush. He looked around, almost frantic, before he caught sight of Red and his expression brightened with … relief.

(Did he think I left without him?)

Red suppressed the shudder that threatened as guilt crawled up his spine.

Sans closed the door and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, taking up a casual slouch.

“so … how we gettin’ there?”

“its too far to walk,” Red said with an exaggerated wink. “but i know a shortcut.”

Sans snorted and held out an arm without taking his hand from his pocket. As soon as Red had a grip on Sans’ humerus, he pulled them through the void.

—Sans—

Going through the void was easier when he had warning. But it was never easy.

Sans stumbled out of it on the other side, pushing away the weakness that always came from teleportation. It was worse lately, causing headaches and nausea.

He hoped he hid it well enough from Red. He didn’t want a repeat of his episode from last time.

(Red already thought he was weird. Better to not prove him right.)

He focused on the building in front of him.

Sans stared up at the ornate, two story building, feeling uncomfortably small and out of place as Red led him to the admissions line.

(You don’t belong here.) A voice hissed in his head.

It was right, of course. It always was. He didn’t belong here, He wasn’t … worthy of it.

Sans was too small. Too insignificant and stupid.

He couldn’t really appreciate this place.

And then he noticed the humans.

They were everywhere.

Even after moving to the Surface, Sans wasn’t used to them. 

Papyrus hadn’t thought it … wise for Sans to be around humans much. It’s why he had pushed so hard for Sans to take a night security job where he would be the only one on shift.

It was lonely, but Sans agreed that Papyrus was right. He usually was.

He was cool like that.

Besides, humans made Sans uncomfortable at best.

A child broke into laughter nearby, the sound shrill and sudden and too much. Sans flinched, bumping into Red as he tried to get as far from it as possible.

Before Red could disapprove Sans backed up, apologizing softly.

“so,” Red said after the laughter died off and Sans began to relax again. “what d’ya wanna see first?”

Sans shrugged, “wherever you wanna go is fine.”

He didn’t want to admit that he had never been here.

Papyrus had told him about the museum, having visited numerous times with the others. He’d talked excitedly about the aquarium and butterfly forest, and had been completely fascinated by the skeletons and fossils in the natural history wing, eerie as it was.

Everything he’d talked about sounded interesting, but nothing truly caught Sans’ attention.

One of the cashiers waved at them, cutting off any response Red might have had.

Sans stayed a step behind his companion, feeling out of place as Red flirted with the receptionist, dropping a cheesy pick up line and calling her “sweetheart.” She responded by rolling her eyes and calling him a flirt, calling him by name. She printed out the tickets and handed them to Red with an informational pamphlet.

Sans didn’t feel any more comfortable inside the museum. The entrance was huge, opened up to the roof, allowing natural light to brighten the space through the skylights. To one side was the gift shop, to the other a little cafe.

Red motioned toward the latter, silently leading Sans to an unoccupied table.

(Couldn’t even make a simple decision. Go home. This place isn’t for trash like you.)

Sans should have just … chosen somewhere to go. One of the places Papyrus had been excited about. The aquarium sounded nice, at least …

As he took the seat next to Red he was going to say as much, only to be stopped when Red unfolded the pamphlet to reveal a map.

“upstairs is th’ natural history wing,” Red said, pointing it out. “it’s mostly taxidermies an’ fossils, but the geology section rocks.”

Sans wasn’t sure if the pun was intentional or not, and he didn’t want to risk Red hating them as much as Papyrus did.

It was mostly Red’s grin that let Sans feel comfortable enough to give a soft chuckle at the joke. Like he knew exactly what he said and meant it.

Red slumped a little at his lackluster response, and Sans tried to hide his elation at that.

‘red likes puns,” he whispered silently, almost too afraid to even think the words.

Red shrugged, pointing out other spots on the map.

“downstairs is th’ aquarium, it’s small but pretty interestin’. makes me wonder how humans stand swimmin’ in th’ ocean, with all that goin’ on in it. on this level they got the entrance to the rain forest an’ botanical wing here, and the planetarium here.”

“planetarium?” Sans echoed softly.

Papyrus had never mentioned a planetarium. He’d talked about every animal in the aquarium, at length, but he’d never so much as hinted that the museum had anything about the stars.

Of course, space was Sans’ interest, not Papyrus’.

Papyrus didn’t mention it because he likely never visited it. He’d always found Sans’ obsession with space … strange. Before Frisk had fallen he had treated it like a childish fascination.

Like he was just waiting for Sans to grow out of his stupid fantasies.

“yeah,” Red said, pointing to an area of the map. “whole wing on physics and space, too. y’ didn’t know?”

Sans shook his head, staring at the word under Red’s sharp phalange.

“i’ve never been here,” he admitted softly. “nobody told me, and i … ”

‘never bothered to look at what exhibits the museum had.’

(Why bother when you’d never visit?)

“… didn’t think to look into it.”

Red frowned at him, and he worried that his tone betrayed his thoughts. He did his best to shrug off the concern in the other’s expression.

“i’ve never had the g to come,” Sans said with a wide smile, waving his hands like he could brush away Red’s unease. “it never seemed important.”

Red’s frown only deepened, and Sans decided to stop while he was ahead. He looked back at the map, trying to figure out what to say.

He stared at the word still under Red’s finger.

Planetarium

He didn’t want to impose. He didn’t want to drag Red to do the things he wanted to do.

But … he had to be realistic.

This was his only chance to explore the museum. He doubted Red would bring him a second time, and he wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t have the G to come on his own.

Between Papyrus’ school costs and all the other bills they had, Sans usually only had enough for bus fare if he needed it.

“can we start there?” he asked Red’s finger in a whisper, unwilling to meet the other’s eyelights.

(You’re asking for too much. Don’t be greedy.)

If there was only one thing he could see, he wanted it to be the planetarium. Everything else sounded cool – fascinating even – but he wouldn’t regret it if he never had the chance to see them. Not really.

Not like he’d regret knowing there was a section of the museum dedicated to the stars and never seeing it.

“yeah,” Red said, and Sans snapped his head up to see the other smiling at him with a toothy grin, almost as excited as he was. “it’s the best!”

‘red likes the stars.’

The thought was a hope, a tiny prayer to anyone listening. Sans could barely believe it.

“i bet it’s stellar.”