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In hindsight, he wasn’t really sure why he had agreed to this.
He'd been back in Faraway for a few days now, visiting his old friends and attempting to reconnect as they all had promised. It had only been a few months since the truth came out, and honestly, things were still pretty shaky. At least everyone was on speaking terms again. Those early months were definitely the worst, sitting in his room alone wondering if it could've been different. If maybe he had said things differently, everything would have been okay. It was a lie, he knew it, but he desperately wanted to believe it. Sometimes, he regretted even telling them at all.
For a while, the only people he kept in contact with were Basil and Kel. Basil mostly because they were both in the same boat, and Kel being Kel meant that he didn't really hold onto any negative feelings for very long. He was lucky that his Mother let him get one of those new flip phones because that meant he was able to text them. Texting was easier than calling. All Sunny had to do was write down what he wanted to say. He couldn't trip over his words, say things incorrectly, or say something too quietly. It was easy to get his message across.
When Spring Break had come Kel mentioned that he should come to visit for a day or two. He agreed, but his nerves were on fire. The thought of seeing Hero, who had refused to say anything to him after the truth, or Aubrey, who gave him the dirtiest look he had ever seen and a few choice words, sent him into a panic. Everything was going to go wrong. They'd tell him how much they hate him. That they wished he was the one who fell down the stairs instead of Mari. Maybe they'd even get physical and inflict real pain on him. Not like he didn't deserve it.
Surprisingly, when he showed up it was Hero who answered the door. His heart sank and he felt a pit in the stomach, but the older boy just stepped aside and let him in. He said nothing as he shut the door behind Sunny and went back up to his room. Kel greeted him not long after, and they both waited in silence before Basil came over. Kel explained Hero was still processing everything that had happened but had supposedly admitted that he wasn't really angry at him or Basil.
It was a weight off of his shoulders, but he still wondered how much of that was true. You don't really just get over someone killing your first love, even if it was on accident. Especially if they then lie about it for four years because they’re unable to accept it themselves. But at least he wasn’t going to storm down here and kick his teeth in, so that was a plus.
When Basil arrived they did exactly what they used to do four years ago: watch TV, play card games, and just do whatever they felt like doing. Hero even joined in later on in the night. To his credit, he tried to make small talk with Sunny and Basil, even though none of it really led anywhere. But it was nice him just being there, nice knowing that he wasn’t going to abandon him. That Hero was going to keep the promise they made.
Gradually, things started to get better after that. He started visiting more often, they started going outside to do things rather than just sitting at home, and Hero was more amicable and less tense. Aubrey, who he hadn't seen since he had first woken up in the hospital, even joined them. Walked right on into the brother's house while they were playing cards. Sat down and joined in like she had been there the whole time. It was definitely awkward at first, everyone unsure of how to proceed. But as time passed her presence was accepted and the thick, tense atmosphere began to dissipate. Their group was finally complete again. Even if they were still missing one member.
It wasn't hard to tell that she still wasn't over things, but to be fair nobody else was either. He caught her glaring in his direction on occasion and whenever they spoke she would give short, mostly one-sentence answers. Not like he was faring any better. Of course not because he was angry at her, but because he wasn't sure how to handle her anger being directed at him. Whenever their eyes met he averted his gaze, and if he was quiet before he became practically mute whenever she would speak to him.
And that's what led him back to now. Summer had finally come, and with that Sunny knew that everyone would be back in town. It was briskly decided that he'd stay with Hero and Kel for about a week so they could all catch up. One of the nights they were playing some board game, Kel suggested to go to see a movie or something. The thought was intriguing. He hadn't actually seen a movie in a while, with the last time he had been at one being prior to his recluse period. He was content with this idea.
Judging by how everyone else responded, so were they. They all agreed it sounded like a fun activity and so it was decided that they’d go on Saturday, the day before he had to leave. Thinking about it made him ecstatic, something he hadn’t (really) felt in a long while. It'd be nice to just relax and watch something with his friends, not having to really make the effort to socialize but still being with them. That was enough. Simply being in their presence, being with them, that was enough for him.
Things were rapidly derailed, unfortunately. The day before they were supposed to go Basil mentioned that he'd been unable to anymore. His parents were apparently going to be coming back for the first time in years, and he actually seemed excited to see them. Sunny understood, and he was happy for him, he really was! But it was still disappointing. The few times all of them had gone to the movies when they were younger (and Mari was still here) he recalled that he would always sit next to Basil and crack stupid jokes about whatever was going on in the movie. Basil, being the kind friend he is, would always laugh along even if he was genuinely enjoying whatever they were watching. He would miss that.
But at least everyone else was going. That is until they weren't. The day of, Aubrey had arrived at the brother's house and sat across from him silently as they both waited for Hero and Kel to finish getting ready. At the last minute, though, the two bounded into the room and said that they'd have to cancel. Apparently, their parents needed them to go somewhere and do something, urgently. He didn't really remember what, tuning out as soon as they said they couldn't go. Well, that idea was out the window now. They wouldn't really have time tomorrow to catch a movie before he had to leave, so he guessed they’d have to do it next time he visited.
Based on the other's faces, they had also come to the same conclusion. The air turned stale and they all just sort of hung their heads in disappointment. That was until Kel gasped loudly, the gears in his head grinding before he fell into a coughing fit from the sharp intake of air. Sunny could almost picture an actual light bulb above his head turning on.
"I just had an idea!" the taller boy said, and Sunny didn't miss the way Aubrey snorted and mumbled something about it ‘being the first time’ "after. "What if you and Aubrey just go? That way at least someone can have fun today." The boy pointed at the two of them.
The idea was.....intimidating, to say the least. Spending more than 10 minutes alone with a girl he was sure hated him didn't sound particularly enjoyable. If they were still close like before he would have accepted immediately, but that simply wasn't the case anymore. Glancing in her direction, she didn't seem all that onboard with the idea either. He opened his mouth to politely decline when the older brother spoke up.
"Yeah, I think you're right. Better that Sunny still gets to go on his last day here rather than not at all." Hero replied. Turning towards the two of them, he smiled. "Why don't you two get going now before it gets too late? We'll see you later after we're done."
The two then practically shoved them out the door without letting them get a single word in, promptly shutting it in their faces after they were outside. Both Sunny and Aubrey stared dumbfounded at the shut door for a few seconds, glancing between one another. Neither of them were really sure what to make of the situation. Why was Hero so immediately onboard? Why did they just kick them outside? The whole thing hurt Sunny's head just thinking about it.
The girl beside him swiftly recovered, shrugging her shoulders and turning to him. She motioned with her hand for him to follow and began to stride away. For a second he just stood there absentminded, before breaking into light jog to catch up with her. How she had managed to make it from the door to halfway across the sidewalk in just a few brief seconds he wasn't sure.
He let her take the lead since he assumed she knew where she was going. He hoped she did at least, because he certainly had no clue where it was. It was still sort of mind-boggling they even had a cinema in the first place. Faraway was not a large town. It had the basic commodities, a few local shops, and exactly one supermarket. The fact that it now had an entire cinema was just strange. Surely it wouldn’t get much business? It had to have been new because he hadn't remembered one existing when he was younger. Whenever they went to see movies in the past they always had to go to the next town over. A lot can change in four years, he supposed.
The atmosphere was tense, the air hot and heavy and thick with things left unsaid. He was mentally going through a list of possible excuses he could use to get out of this, regretting not shutting down Kel's earlier suggestion when he had the chance. That thought made him feel even worse, because he shouldn’t be wanting to avoid someone he calls his friend. He should be talking to her, showing her something, messing with her.....literally doing just about anything else other than avoiding her eyes and keeping a fair distance between them.
He glanced at the girl beside him while she wasn't looking. She was the perfect example of a lot changing in four years. She looked completely different, to the point that when he first saw her he had trouble recognizing her, only realizing who it was after Kim had mentioned her name. Straight-cut brown hair adorned with a pink bow was switched out for bubblegum pink that curled at the ends and a blue handkerchief lazily tied into something that resembled a bow, but also wasn’t. Long skirts and casual dresses were replaced with a variety of crop tops, her now signature jacket, and a catalogue of shorter skirts. Even the soft, bubbly brown eyes she used to have were instead hidden by searing teal contacts.
Her style fit the punk, delinquent sort of vibe he imagined she was going for perfectly, and she looked almost like a completely different girl. Sunny found it strange, though. Despite how wildly different she looked, she still had a charm about her. She definitely wasn’t unattractive. If anything, Sunny thought the way she styled herself now was more interesting. Before she was innocent and cute, something you’d want to protect and take care of. Now, despite the wild colors painting her attire, she came off as more mature. It didn’t help that she had grown more shapely over the four years he was a shut-in.
Realizing that he had just spent the last few minutes drooling over the way his childhood friend looked, he snapped his eyes away, a heat rising in the tips of his ears. There was still a part of him that stubbornly held onto that childhood crush, even now that they were older. He’d like to meet this part of himself and promptly beat it to death. Not like she would be interested in him anyway.
He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going, realizing too late when he slammed face-first into a lamp pole. Falling backwards hard on his ass, Sunny looked around dazed for a moment. Looking upward, he saw the pink-haired girl snort and then start full-on cackling at him. Well, at least it got her laughing. With a slight hesitation, she offered her hand to help him up and he took it. Dusting himself off and adjusting his eyepatch, he turned to her, a small smirk still sitting on her face.
"Nice one, dumbass" was all he got before she turned on her heel and started walking again.
The rest of their walk was spent in relative silence like it had been previously. He did notice, however, that Aubrey would intermittently spare a glance at him, and one time when Sunny worked up the gall to look back at her she averted her eyes. He was probably imagining it, but for a moment he could've sworn he saw a bit of red dusting her cheeks. Shaking his head, he focused on walking.
When they finally arrived he somewhat admired the sight before him. The cinema was large, perhaps moreso than Othermart, and it was brightly lined with neon green lights and a massive, gaudy sign that read 'FARAWAY CINEMA' at the top. It was almost impressive, but he quickly realized that he had no clue what they were even showing, and taking a cursory look at Aubrey showed she was thinking the same. He tapped her shoulder, catching her attention and leading her over to the windows of the theater, which were covered in posters showing what was out. She caught on to what he meant and started scanning the selection. None of them looked particularly interesting, and when he read the text he realized why. They were all romcoms. No...no way, this couldn’t be all that was playing. Looking around, he desperately tried to find something else, literally ANYTHING else, but all he saw was romcom after romcom, the posters getting increasingly risque in nature as he searched. Then he remembered the date: it was the week of Valentine's. There would be no action movies or war dramas here.
This was dangerous territory. A group of friends rolling up to the movies and seeing a romcom? Nobody would bat an eye, most assuming the group were there to mock such a flick. A singular boy and a singular girl, though? Somebody might get the wrong idea. He turned to look at the girl beside him, trying to gauge whether she too had realized their predicament. Unfortunately, she seemed to be unaware (or just didn't care) as her eyes scanned the posters before she eventually pointed at one of them and mumbled that it seemed like the 'dumbest' option and would therefore be the funniest.
Of course it was a Sweetheart movie.
Trying to shake off his reluctance about the situation, Sunny nodded as they walked over to the ticket sales counter.
The woman smiled at their approach. "Hello! What are you interested in seeing today?" A simple question, yet strangely difficult to articulate his thoughts into a response.
Clearing his throat, he avoided looking at the woman's eyes. "Uh, yeah, can I get two tickets for...." he looked at the poster Aubrey had previously pointed at, "'....Sweetheart V: Spaceboy's Return'?"
The ticket lady hastily tapped some buttons on the register before looking back up at them. "That'll be $13, sir."
He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, noticing the girl beside him digging around in her jacket. He slowly reached over and grabbed her wrist to catch attention. She flinched at the sudden touch, but made no movement to escape his (incredibly light) grip.
"I'll cover it," he said, simply.
When he told his Mother that he'd been planning to visit Faraway and stay for a little while she was kind enough to give him cash so he could have some fun with his friends. A pretty sizable amount too, enough that he could've covered the tickets for all five of the group. Now that there's just the two of them (and that he had barely spent a dime of it), he had more than enough.
She looked at him for a moment, eyes piercing through, assessing his offer. She briefly gazed at the woman before taking her hand out of her jacket pocket.
"Are you sure?" she asked before adding, "I've got enough."
Nodding, he turned back to the woman. Realizing that he had still been holding Aubrey's wrist, Sunny let go and jerked his hand away, heat rising to his face. The ticket lady watched this with a small amount of amusement before she gasped, her mouth forming a small 'o' shape.
"I almost forgot," she said hastily, "we're doing a couples 2-for-1 special this weekend. It would instead be $6.50."
His brain stopped working upon hearing 'couples' and he stood there stone-still, his face burning with red. Aubrey wasn't doing any better, face similarly flushed, before she saved the both of them and sputtered out, "N-no! We'd like two SEPARATE tickets, thank you".
Thankfully, the woman decided to spare them from further embarrassment, shrugging as she took the originally offered $13 and handed over two tickets. He walked inside the theater, refusing to look at Aubrey, instead observing the interior. The smell of hot butter and grease wafted throughout, hot dogs slowly rotating in one of those warmer things (what were they called?) behind the counter. The concession workers handed over cups of soda and bags of candy with the sort of practiced ease you get from doing the same thing hundreds of times everyday. The inside was darker than the exterior, but still bright enough to illuminate everything in an almost irritating way. It was kinda homely.
The two stood in line for a small while before finally making it to the counter. He wasn't really sure what to get, looking to Aubrey, but all she did was shrug at him. Turning, he studied at the menu more thoroughly. They had a couple of combo options that looked like a good idea, so he focused on those. The first was for 2 large drinks and 2 large bags of popcorn. The thought of trying to fight through an entire large bag himself made his stomach churn, so he moved onto the next one. The second was for 2 large drinks and 1 large bag of popcorn. He figured Aubrey wouldn't want to share. The third, however, THAT one was perfect. 2 medium bags of popcorn, enough that they could each have their fill, and two drinks to boot.
"Can I get the uh....Flavor Saver combo?" he asked.
Sunny started to take out his wallet again, leafing through it to pull out the cash when he felt something tug on his sleeve. Turning, he looked at Aubrey. She looked away, pink tingeing her face as she stared at the ground before she spoke.
"Um," she started "wouldn't it be cheaper to get the Premiere combo? I don't mind sharing…"
He thought about it for a few moments, apparently taking too long to respond as she now looked directly at him, annoyance clear on her face.
"I mean, you don't HAVE to if you don't want to share. I just thought I'd offer.." she mumbled the last bit.
Smiling some at her embarrassment, he turned towards the concession worker. "Okay, make that the Premiere then."
Not too long after Sunny was juggling 2 cups and a bag of popcorn in his arms, hobbling over to where the toppings were. Aubrey swiftly took her drink from him, freeing him from some of the excess weight in his arms, sipping it lazily as she watched him continue to struggle with carrying the lightest load possible. He really needed to exercise. Reaching the counter, he placed his drink down and considered his options. Butter and salt. The classic popcorn toppings. They had caramel too, and some other weird stuff, but the thought of them made his stomach twist in disagreement. Sprinkling a decent amount of salt on it, he held the popcorn under the pump before pressing down on the button, pouring hot, rich yellow butter over. Things had been going well enough so far, and Aubrey wasn't really giving him the cold shoulder like before. He'd just have to hang on for the rest of the movie and he should be fine.
Sunny spaced out in thought for too long, however, remembering what he was doing and moving his hand quickly off the button. He had ruined it. The popcorn had been drenched in butter, so much so that he could feel the bottom of the bag start to become damp. Shit. Sunny sheepishly looked at Aubrey, who looked down at the bag in a mixture of disgust and exasperation.
"Maybe we should have gotten two..." she said, and he looked away apologetically.
Shaking her head, she lightly punched him on the arm, grabbing his attention once more.
"C'mon, I'm just messing around. It's fine. I like extra butter anyways." He could tell she was lying somewhat, but he wasn't going to point it out and just accepted the grace.
After showing the guy at the entrance to the screen-rooms their tickets they walked down the carpeted hallway to the one they were assigned, Screen 5. The bottom of the popcorn bag had now become properly moist, the monstrous amount of butter soaking through the poor thing. He really should have been more careful, now having to place a few of the napkins he had grabbed on the bottom to prevent it from leaking all over his hands.
They entered into the large, dim room. He made sure to walk in front of her on the stairs, a habit he had picked up since four years ago, albeit slowly and carefully due to the lack of a guard rail. He had gotten over his fear of heights, but going down stairs still made him uneasy. Maybe that was why his Mother, when shopping for a new place, picked somewhere with no stairs. Well, she also presumably didn’t want anymore stair related incidents. Once they got to Lane F they shuffled past a couple people before finally getting to their seats. Sitting down, he placed his drink in the seat's cup holder and, finding nowhere else to put it, placed the soaked bag in his lap. Despite the napkins it still leaked onto his shorts, but not too badly. They had apparently gotten here just on time, as the lights dimmed even further and the previews came to a close.
For the most part, the movie was alright from what he could make out. He wasn't paying much attention to it, though, his eyes instead wandering to the girl next to him often. Sunny noted how she'd snort a little or (if luck graced him) chuckle whenever a particularly cheesy part came up in the movie. It was a simple action, but it made his chest feel warm whenever she did it. Once he noticed, it started to become something he waited for, looking forward to it each time. At some point she caught him staring at her, looking back at him with confused teal eyes, and he averted his gaze. He made a mental note to start watching the movie, not her. What was with him today..?
Now that he was actually paying attention, it wasn't half bad. Sweetheart movies had always been a guilty pleasure of his, and he found himself getting more and more invested as the movie went on. It was still mind-boggling that Captain Spaceboy, from the game franchise, was somehow deeply ingrained into the Sweetheart extended universe. One particular scene was distinctly comical. It came after Spaceboy and Sweetheart's 19th breakup, this time supposedly forever (it would definitely not be the last). As always, Spaceboy was in a depressive state thanks in no small part to his ‘broken’ heart. His crew, determined to get him back on track, entered his room only for all of them to promptly slip on one of the many alcohol bottles in increasingly nonsensical ways. He found he couldn't suppress a laugh at this, the absurdity what was happening on screen too entertaining. The movie was actually rather funny, like he remembered the previous ones being. The best part had yet to come, however, as he patiently waited for the sound of a snort to his right, only for his ears to pick up nothing. Strange, she definitely would’ve laughed at that. He turned slightly to see what the deal was
The first thing he noticed was here eyes glued onto the screen, unblinking. She was shaking, hands gripping the armrests hard enough her knuckles were turning white. Focus changed fully to her, he noticed the bottom of her lip quivering. He hasn't seen her like this, ever, and it was uncomfortable to see. It was confusing, for just a moment, before he remembered. Remembered the sorry state her house had been in, the first time seeing it turning him off from ever stepping foot in there again. Trash littered the ground, holes painting the wall, and the smell of mold heavy in the air. He remembered seeing Aubrey's mom sprawled out on the couch, a bottle of hard liquor still clutched in her hand, unconscious. He remembered thinking how could someone let this happen to themselves, especially when there was still someone they should've been caring for. It was one of the scarce times he could recall feeling anything other than empty during that time, anger bubbling to the surface at the sight of it. Even Hero, a saint in his own right, looked furious underneath a more constrained exterior.
This part of the movie wasn't funny to her. No, it was the exact opposite. It was almost as if it was mocking her.
Sunny wasn’t sure what to do. He barely had enough of a handle on his own emotions to keep himself from losing it at times. He wasn't qualified to help someone else work through anything at all. If Hero was here, he'd do something about it. Even Kel would probably figure something out. Hell, BASIL of all people could probably manage to calm her down. But him? What the hell is he supposed to do about it, and who's to say he wouldn't just make it worse? The feeling felt horrible, his inaction and indecisiveness frustrating. But he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't leave her like this. They’re friends, and he made that promise along with the rest of them that he’d always be there.
His mind went into overdrive trying to come up with a solution, until an idea finally managed to worm its way in. He isn't sure if it'll work, and a part of him thinks maybe he should just save himself the hassle and embarrassment, but anything is better than just sitting here watching her freak out. Sunny lifted his arm, forcing his nerves to settle, and gently placed his hand atop hers. She initially bristles at the touch, before whatever danger signals had entered her brain vanished. Slowly, he could feel her knuckles relax in his palm. He doesn't dare look at her, doesn't dare face something he fears could be infinitely more terrifying than whatever his mind could come up with.
He can feel her piercing eyes on him. Studying him, appraising him, burning through him. But that's fine. It's better than her staring at a screen that's just going to remind her of something awful. Even if it means she's angry at him, even if she blows up at him, and even if they never speak again, it's okay. At least he’s helping someone else for a change.
What shocks him is that he then feels her shift her arm so that his hand isn't atop hers, but rather on top of her palm, their fingers interlaced. Her hand is soft and warm, and he decides within the microsecond that he enjoys it. She doesn't seem to be making any attempt to move it away, so he leaves it there. He picks a few pieces of popcorn out the bag and places them in his mouth. Crunchy. Salty. Loaded with butter.
It reminds him of the girl sitting next to him, in a strange way. Abrasive, temperamental, and loaded with baggage. A hard and rough exterior. But just like popcorn, once you get past that hard shell you get to what's on the inside. Something pleasant, warm, and soft. The perfect snack.
The perfect girl.
In his thoughts he hadn't yet noticed that she'd been leaning her head on his shoulder, if just slightly. Her eyes were focused on the movie again. So were his, because he didn’t dare move an inch and interrupt a moment that could’ve only been the result of astronomical odds.
Too quickly for his liking the film had ended, the theater lights flicking back on as began ti people rise from their seats. Soon, the two shuffled out of the theater and out the entrance, her fingers not leaving his until they were a few steps outside. The walk back to Kel and Hero's house was quiet, but entirely dissimilar to the stiff, suffocating quiet there had been earlier on the way to the cinema. Instead, the air felt cool, a gentle breeze in the wind managing to maintain a pleasant temperature. They both fell into a placid ease, a slight pep in her step compared to the rigid, measured strides she had walked with previously. Sunny took note that they were closer to each other than they had been when they were heading to the movies, and she wasn’t walking so fast that he struggled to keep up like before. The sun was starting to set, sinking beneath the horizon, and he noticed the way warm orange rays reflected off her face, framing her in a golden light.
Arriving in the driveway, they both lagged before the door for a moment. He took the opportunity to stretch, releasing the pent up stress he had accumulated from earlier. Despite his initial expectations, it had been a surprisingly enjoyable outing, and from how she was now behaving he assumed Aubrey had at least an alright time as well. Maybe...maybe they could do this again. Just the two of them. He could only hope, walking to the door when she called out to him.
"Wait!"
Turning around, he looked at her. Rather than looking away as she had been lately, she instead stared directly at him, a neutral expression on her face. They stood like this for a while, staring back at one another. This left him significantly off guard and completely unprepared for when she suddenly rushed forward, entrapping him in a bone-crushing embrace that knocked the wind out of him. He just barely managed to keep from toppling over, holding steady and attempting to catch his breath. When he finally recovered he stared forward blankly, confused. Oh, right. A hug. This is a thing people do. Shakily, he brought his arms up to wrap around her back, squeezing her tightly. She leaned further into him, burying her face in his shoulder. It was slightly awkward, considering the few inches she had on him, but he didn’t mind. He idly rubbed her back in circles, enjoying the feeling of his hand grazing over the texture of her jacket. Sunny figured he'd be content to stay like this forever, and for a while they do, but eventually she pulls back. For a moment, he’s tempted to pull her back in, but he thinks better of it and lets his arms fall to the side.
She smiles at him. A real smile. Not a smirk, a forced smile, or one of those grins she flashes to others whenever she's getting ready to raise hell, but a genuine, honest, simple upturn of her lips. It’s enough to make him melt on the inside. Why couldn't Basil have been here to take a photo?
"Thanks," she says quickly, "for, um, doing...what you did. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there."
Looking away, her face falters before she continues, “I hope you know that I don’t hate you or anything. I...I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get past what happened. I don’t know if I can ever really forgive you.”
He listened carefully, considering her words. The admission stung, but it was what he figured and he understood it completely. As a matter of fact, hearing that she DIDN'T despise him was enough to make him feel better.
She looks at him directly again, her smile returning. “But even so, I meant what I said that day. I still care about you.”
He finds it easy to smile back at her, the first time he has in a while, and he motions for her to come with him. Fumbling around in his pockets for the spare key Hero lent him, he unlocks the door to the house and steps inside, holding the door for her.
There’s the dull noise of something being pounded from the kitchen, so he assumes Hero and Kel must be back from whatever they were doing. Aubrey bounds forward, flopping onto their couch and easily settling in. Once again, he finds himself smiling as he walks over to sit next to her. They’re dangerously close to each other, but he doesn't really care.
The sound of someone hurriedly clamoring down the staircase fills the room, and not too long after Kel enters the living room, clutching a basketball between two hands with an easy grin on his lips.
"Hey guys," he tosses the ball in the air and catches it, "how was the movie? What'd you see?"
Hero must've heard the commotion because he saunters in from the kitchen, a meat tenderizer held limply in his hands. He waves at them. Aubrey turns to shrug at Kel.
"Sweetheart V. It was pretty lame," she says with a smirk, "not nearly as lame as you, but still not great. I'd give it 5/10 maybe?"
Kel scowls at her while Hero frowns at the two of them. "Ah, really? It wasn’t fun then?" the older boy asks.
She glances over at him before looking back at Hero. "Nah, I enjoyed it,” she elbows Sunny in the side, “don’t know about this guy, though.”
The two brothers nod and smile for a moment before Kel looks down at his basketball. Seems he’s thinking about something again. A moment later, he raises his head to look at him and Aubrey, a glint in his eye and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. A grin Sunny hadn't seen in a long time, the type of grin he used to wear when he was about to get up to trouble. This couldn’t be anything good.
His grin widening, for once he spoke slowly and decisively, "So…would you, perhaps, say that the two of you enjoyed your date?"
Sunny's face wastes no time in feeling like it's on fire, his skin immediately red and the rest of his body gaining an uncomfortable heat to it. Aubrey, on the other hand, looks down at the ground, hair cascading over her eyes and a dark expression on her face. This attempt at intimidation was less effective when it immediately became clear she was just using it to cover the deep flush of red on her own face.
"Kel…" she mumbled.
Hero must've found their reaction funny, because in rare and very un-Hero-like fashion he slipped on his own shit-eating grin. One eerily similar, almost identical to the his brother. Sunny made peace that this was Hero's form of revenge, a way he could finally punish Sunny for his past mistakes.
"Yeah.." the older boy began with no small amount of mischief in his tone, "did you two, by chance, kiss? Smooch? Lock lips even?"
He could feel his skin grow significantly hotter, the red covering him from head to toe resulting in him looking more like a beetroot than a human. His eyes locked onto the ground, and he became aware of the monumental quantity of sweat rolling off of him. The sound of the two older boys cracking up filled his ears. Hero’s words replayed over and over in his head, and he found himself swiftly tuning out the rest of the house. Sunny vaguely recognized Aubrey rising from her spot on the couch and the resultant screams of Kel and Hero's ringing throughout the house, but none of that mattered. He only had one thought on his mind.
He really wouldn't mind kissing Aubrey.