Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Today is finally the day.

It's been a long time coming.

Though part of you wished that it could have been delayed just a little bit longer, it still would have ended up the same exact way. With you stuffed in the back seat of a sedan, your parents talking about whatever logistical nonsense came with moving to a new and much bigger home, barely able to move around from all the bags and boxes and cartons that stuffed the inside of the car to the absolute brim. And that wasn't even the worst part.

Despite your persistent reminders, your parents failed to even fix the A/C for the car. It was absolutely sweltering inside and rolling down the windows only made it worse. To hell with the humidity and to hell with moving away. But at least the long ride was nearly over and hopefully the movers your family had hired had already finished moving all the heavy stuff into the house. A part of you felt sorry for them, having to work in this awful heat. But at least it would save you the trouble of having to haul around the heavy stuff. Well, aside from the dozen or so boxes in the car at least. You wondered if the house would have any air conditioning at all.

You were supposed to move in a few weeks earlier, but from what you heard from your dad some stuff went down with the family that lived in Faraway that had to halt the moving process temporarily. Whatever it was that happened you didn't know, nor did your dad. Not that it matters anyway, you just hoped it wasn't something like issues with pests or bugs. Or worse...

With a sigh, you adjust the cords from your earphones and rest your head on the side of the window, mindlessly watching the rows upon rows of trees that passed by, raising the volume of the music. It was only until you saw a big fancy colorful concrete sign in between some trees that caught your attention. Covered in painted vines and flowers, reading it felt... Bittersweet.

"Welcome to Faraway Town! Est. 198X "

Finally, you were here. You never got to see the house before since they were still living there up to the final day of the original plan, but you did see the lady who was going to move into your old home. She seemed nice enough at least. Part of you was honestly excited to see how the house would look. At the same time though, you were kind of worried in a way. Dreading the day you had to come to this town and knowing that there was no turning back now. You close your eyes for a moment, a tiny voice in the back of your mind hoping that this was some sort of hyper-realistic dream or something.

You open your eyes to the disappointing reality and see that you're now driving past a relatively packed local park. It looked decent enough and quite big, though you could tell that there seemed to be a problem with homeless people in this town since a decent amount of the people there weren't exactly the most approachable kind. The traffic was much lighter around these parts as well and there seemed to be a small shopping center beyond the park itself, most likely just a grocery store and probably a local restaurant or two.

After passing through some neighborhoods and small, dense patches of forest, you drive down your new neighborhood, taking in all the houses on the block that... Looked more or less the same, but it's what you expected from a suburb. The car slowed down and stopped in front of your new home. A two story house with beige and creamy white painting. The more you looked at it, the more you came to like how it looked. It looked comfy. Though the view would have been much better if it weren't for the fact that all of the big, heavy furniture was left right outside your house, on the lawn and in front of the garage. Including your own bed, drawer and desk. 

Suddenly, you didn't feel any pity for the movers at all anymore.

You haven't even been here for a day and this place has already left a bad taste in your mouth. Not the house itself per-se, more the fact that you just spent the past two hours moving all your heavy furniture up a large flight of stairs and praying to whatever god existed that your grip on the bedframe or drawers wouldn't slip up. As for the house itself, it was quite spacious. Much more than your old home and it had this comfortable aura to it.

No air conditioning to speak of though. Guess nobody can have it all.

After having moved a majority of the furniture and boxes into the house, you decide to take a small break from what was going to inevitably give you awful back pain in your later years and walk around the house for a little while. You caught your breath somewhat and looked around the living room. The interior looked nice and cozy and was quite spacious as well, if not a little bit barren despite all the opened and unopened boxes and crates lying around. There was a big fireplace that looked unused for years, along with a big cream colored carpet with stains. It was already decided that it would be thrown out by your parents and replaced with the one they brought along with them. There was also a ceiling fan on the roof that was relatively high up. A bit too high for anyone to reach and it was way too slow to provide any reprieve from the heat. You did hear your parents talk about having an A/C system installed into the house and it just couldn't come soon enough.

You made your way to the garage out of sheer curiosity and boredom, opening the door that lead to it after a bit of a struggle with the doorknob, which was rusted and clearly needed to be replaced. As expected, the garage was almost completely empty and dark. Switching on the light didn't help much either, the dim yellow light barely helping more than the sunlight that shined through the dusty windows on the garage door. It seemed that the garage was barely ever used, even when the previous family was around. Dust was everywhere and there were some empty toolboxes and cans of oil scattered about in a corner. What really caught your attention though was seeing a sealed up cardboard box in the corner, coated in dust and wrapped in duct tape.

Making your way over to it, you see that there's a note left on the top but whatever was written on it had completely faded over time, the ink was practically unreadable aside from two capitalized letters spaced out between the unreadable lines.

M and B.

Your curiosity had definitely piqued now. Grabbing the box, you walked out of the garage with it, shutting the door closed and setting it on top of some your boxes that you had yet to take to your room. You'd leave the dusty grimy mess the garage had up to your dad to clean up. With a slow and aching stretch to your arms, you hauled up the last of your boxes and began to slowly make your way upstairs, taking it slow as these stairs weren't carpeted or anything. 

You lightly shoved the door aside, stepping into your room and setting the cardboard boxes onto your mattress. A sigh escaped your lips as you look around your new room to really take it in. It was honestly much more spacious than your old room and it had a decently sized window with a great view of the forest behind the house. When you looked outside, you saw a tree stump with a little pinwheel right in the center, spinning away wihh the low breeze. As you take in the beautiful nature that surrounded your home, you remember that you've been working in this damned heat for a couple hours now and stuffed in a car for longer than that. You grab a fresh change of clothes, a pair of towels and head over to the bathroom to take a shower.

But to your surprise there was no shower to speak of. Only a bathtub, oddly enough. No showerhead or anything. Sure it was relaxing but the thought of just sitting here in your own filth wasn't exactly what you would call 'getting clean'. You did overhear your parents talk about having a shower and a more stable tub installed and you hoped that they would actually go through with that. Aside from that, the bathroom itself was quite clean and nice. There was even a small window next to the bathtub, but with no curtain oddly enough. It concerned you at first, but then again all that was in your backyard was a decently dense patch of forest. After scrubbing yourself clean and drying yourself off, you heard some other voices downstairs. Most likely some next door neighbors that came by to greet and help out. You could have sworn you also smelled the scent of chicken as well. Did they bring over food too?

Opening the bathroom door, you catch a glimpse of the next door neighbors at the front of the house, with your parents thanking them and exchanging goodbyes. A small smile graced your face as the aroma of freshly cooked food was stronger than before. After changing into your new clothes, you almost forget about the box you found in the garage. Despite the audible protests coming from your gut, you sit down on the edge of your bed and grab the box, setting it on your lap.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed like water damage had ruined the rest of the note and some of the sides of the box itself. You dig your fingers underneath the soft cardboard flaps, easily peeling away the old duct tape and opening the box with ease. You weren't expecting to find much, if anything inside this old box, but what you found was a relatively pleasant surprise.

A Polariod camera that was still in its original plastic packaging, along with a large pack of unopened color film. Although both of them were coated in a light layer of dust and grime, the items themselves were completely undamaged and looked brand new otherwise. 

"Cool..." You smiled, turning the packaging over and seeing a small folded piece of paper that were what you guessed to be the instructions for how to operate it. You didn't have any sort of knife on you to open the plastic packaging after setting the box back down on the floor, you held the unopened camera, stepped out of your room and make your way downstairs for some well deserved and much needed lunch.

Using one of your dad's box cutters, you were able to cut through the thick plastic, unpackage the camera and have a good look at it. It was completely new and it kind of reminded you of the cameras your old school teachers would sometimes let students use during field trips. Looking through the lens, you see that it's spotless and of pretty decent quality as well. Opening up the film revealed that it was also full and undamaged and after a minute of fumbling about, you were able to load the camera with said film and have it ready to go. All you needed now was to take a picture and see how it really worked.

"Hm..."

Looking over at your mom preparing the food the neighbors brought over, you hold your camera steady and take a picture!

...Though the picture came out really well, it may have been best to have warned her of the flash.

After a slight berating from your mom and telling her where you found the camera, you decide to get out of the house and get a little more familiar with the town. This was gonna be where you were going to spend a good portion of your life, might as well get used to it. But at least you had some good food in you. If you were being completely honest, that was some incredible food that the next door neighbors brought. It was far and away better than the single Poptart you had for breakfast this morning at least and you felt completely reenergized and ready for the day. Sure the heat was still unbearable but at least you weren't feeling as grumpy as before. Stepping outside, you take a moment to take in the surroundings. It was quite a peaceful day, a few clouds were rolling in now but the sky was still relatively clear and the ruthless sun still hung overhead. Aside from the chirping of birds and the occasional car passing by, it was quiet as well. Better than noisy neighbors you used to have. You'd be lying if you didn't miss it now though.

Despite the peacefulness, you just couldn't shake off that looming feeling of depression and slight loneliness. The feeling of being in a completely new place was really starting to set in now, you knew absolutely nobody in this town. You were already starting to feel homesick, the moment you stepped outside you instinctively reached for your phone to call up your old friends to see if they'd hang out, but of course nothing would come of that. Sulking about wouldn't help one bit though so with your new camera in hand, you began to walk down the neighborhood, planning to make your way to the park and get familiar with what seemed to be the main hangout spot for most of the teens your age. 

The day was still relatively young and with it being summer, it wouldn't get dark for a good several hours so you figured you could stop by the grocery store and pick up some snacks for what would undoubtedly be a boring night. No internet has been set up in your house before you moved and chances were it would be a few more days before that would happen. Cable wasn't even set up either.

Shaking your head, you look over at your next door neighbor's house. It was near identical to yours in terms of shape, but of course the colors were different and there was also a basketball hoop on the side of the driveway. And there was a dog on the lawn too! Or well, it was asleep inside of its doghouse. It looked friendly enough though. Part of you wanted to take a picture of the dog, but you didn't want to wake it up. Or have it do something worse, so you quite literally let sleeping dogs lie and continued on down the block. An identical house with some pink lawn flamingos, boring...There was a birdhouse on the front of the house but it was empty unfortunately. Another house with a bunch of religious statues.

"One too many..." 

Reaching the end of your neighborhood street, you realize that this town might be a bit bigger than you originally thought. The main street stretched down quite far, with intersecting roads leading to other houses and blocks. And plenty of forest. No way in hell you'd be able to explore the whole town in a single day. It looked boring compared to going to the park itself anyway.

The walk there was entirely uneventful, nothing that was really picture worthy or worth putting much thought into aside from seeing a black cat resting beside a fire hydrant and a nice looking car passing by. You wanted to take a picture of the cat, but it noticed you at the last minute before running off into the forest. Nothing else caught your eye until you reached the entrance to the park, noticing a couple vending machines on the right that looked a bit... Sketchy to say the least. The logos on the front were all but entirely faded away and it looked quite old and slightly rusted in general. Looking at the options, the only one you were able to make out was Orange Joe, though only just.

Hesitantly, you pulled out a dollar bill and a quarter and inserted it into the machine, pressing the button for Orange Joe. You never tried this kind of soda before but you at least hoped it would be ice cold.

"This thing better not have just robbed me..."

After waiting way too long and giving it a not-so-gentle kick, the machine finally let up and down came a can of Orange Joe and to your dismay, it was way too warm to drink, your hand recoiling slightly from having touched the heated can. With a frustrated groan, you continue into the park entrance, not even bothering with getting the can out of the machine.

"Faraway Park"

For as big as the park was, it was quite dense. Though less with the amount of people around and more so in terms of trees, bushes and other vegetation. At least it provided a decent amount of shade from the sunlight. Looking around, you realize that there's not many people around right now, not as much as there were when you first drove into town anyway. Continuing on the right side of the park, you see a nice looking fruit cart with a vendor selling some fruit to a couple of kids. It was honestly quite a photogenic scene, but you weren't about to take pictures of random people out in a park. 

It wasn't too long until you reached the end, a dense tree line before you with the occasional roots poking out and a couple of big rocks. The scenery looked decent enough but you thought the photo would be a little too generic. Nevertheless, you pulled the camera up to your face and prepared to snap a picture of the landscape before you. But as you slowly scanned the tree line before you, you noticed a small gap in between some of the trees and bushes, along with some trash and other debris around. It was almost as if it were all put there intentionally.

Walking over to it, you push away some of the trash and low hanging branches, scraping yourself a bit but otherwise ignoring it as you uncover a gap that seemed big enough for people to walk through. Looking down at the ground, you notice several pairs of footprints that lead into the gap. Some of the prints looked old while some looked as if they were made just today.

You looking around to see if there was anyone nearby to see you go in, then once the coast was clear you pushed yourself through the brush until you finally made it out the other end, exposing a relatively small but straightforward trail that led deeper into the surrounding forest. You take a moment to take in the scenery and smile at yourself for having found such a place before making your way down the dimly lit path. This part of the forest was much more dense as barely any rays of sunlight shined through the trees above you, but you didn't have any trouble seeing. You were a bit excited, having already found a secret of sorts in your new town. It made you feel like an explorer of sorts.

You were also somewhat nervous since the path was long and dim, not exactly the safest of places to be by yourself even in broad daylight. It didn't stop your curiosity from making you follow the path though and the more you walked, the wider the trail got and the more things that were strewn about it. There were a couple of old, abandoned construction signs as well as traffic cones and thick, long roots that covered most of the end of the trail. Guess whatever construction was planned here was entirely abandoned.

Passing by the signs, you finally make it to the end of the trail, finding an entirely new and empty section of the park. The entire place looked like it would make for an incredible hangout spot. Some old toys were strewn about, along with what looked to be the old remains of a blue picnic basket at the far left. There was even a lake with a tiny wooden dock and some sort of monument upon a tiny island!

Your smile only grew wider, this was the perfect place to take pictures. And while it was obvious that people have been here before, it looked to be entirely abandoned. You could already imagine the days you could spend out here, relaxing and enjoying your summer days next to the lake. Maybe even swim if you were feeling bold enough. Taking a few steps back until you were just at the end of the trail, you raised the camera up once more and snapped a picture of the scenery before you. It was a great picture, capturing the lake and all of the open area, smiling at yourself as you admire the picture. You quickly store the picture and snap another picture from a slightly different angle, focused more on the monument on the tiny island. 

You took a good dozen or so pictures of the hidden area, including having walked up to the pier and taking a picture of the lake below, though a part of you was a little unnerved by how it came out. Something about the lake didn't sit well with you, how dark it looked, as if it were much deeper than what you'd imagine it was. Maybe you wouldn't be swimming in here anytime soon. Nevertheless, you were proud of all the other pictures you took, even having caught a picture of a pair of birds chilling on a tree inside of a nest with a pink flower used to make it.

"A whole lot more nature here than in the city, that's for sure."

Sitting on the bench, you organized the pictures from your most to least favorite, your mood dampening slightly at having smudged one of the better pictures with your fingerprint. You entertained the idea of buying some sort of folder or binder to store your pictures in, but before you could think on that further, you noticed a small section of the area that you somehow didn't notice before...

Getting up off the bench, you make your way over towards what looks to be a small garden patch, with individual flowers and small bunches of flowers growing in their own separate plastic pots buried into the ground. The garden was fenced off by assorted rocks and sticks that fit with the surrounding environment quite well. Well enough that you didn't notice until now at least. Although you weren't exactly an expert in growing flowers, it seemed like they were planted not too long ago. Not only that, but they were downright flourishing. Some of these flowers you recognized, such as salvias, carnations and daisies. Others you had absolutely no idea, but they still awed you all the same.

With a smile, you kneel down carefully in front of the flowers and raise your camera, slowly taking three pictures of the tiny garden in varying angles. Holding the pictures as they cleared up, your smile widens. These were the best pictures you've taken so far. 

For a moment you considered gently touching one of the flowers, but in the end you decided against it. Whoever had started this little garden clearly knew what they were doing and were taking very good care of them. The last thing you'd want to do was ruin their hard work by being clumsy or something.

It also didn't help that you felt as if you were being watched.

Standing up and stepping away from the flowers, you looked over at the trail to see if anyone had walked here as well, slowly scanning the tree line that surrounded the path. Despite feeling like someone was watching you, you saw nobody at all, All you heard was the sound of chirping birds and the soft wind, the otherwise soothing sounds of nature doing little to help you relax. Feeling slightly unnerved, you began to walk towards the trail, having had your fill of this spot for one day. With one last glance to the garden, you walk out of the hidden area of the park, feeling watched until you reached the end of the path. The walk out of the path felt much quicker than heading into it, maybe it was because of your fast pace and heightened sense of caution. You hoped you didn't make anyone upset by going in there, the last thing you wanted was to make enemies in your new home, let alone on your first day here.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, nobody was around to have seen you walk out. As you walked more towards the main area of the park, it seemed that there was barely anyone around now. The vendors were gone, all the kids and adults who loitered about. Judging from the pinkish-orange color of the sky, you knew that there would only be about half an hour left of sunlight before you'd head back home. Good thing too, since you still needed to head to the store and pick up snacks for the next couple of borderline unbearably boring nights. You had saved up a healthy sum of money from your part-time job back in the city as a construction worker. Well, it wasn't exactly working-in-an-actual-construction site sort of job, more along the lines of driving around with a relative in their pickup truck and doing small time building for a neighbor. But at least you got a decent enough pay from it all.

Walking away from the park, you quickly check your wallet to see how much you have to spend. With a specific maximum set in your mind, you figured you could get more than enough food to last you throughout the week.

...

Okay maybe not the week, more like just the weekend but still, at least you're trying to be optimistic about your spending and snacking.

The street lights suddenly flickered on, lighting up the concrete pathing next to the parking lot of the grocery store.

"Othermart? " You thought to yourself, raising an eyebrow slightly at the name. You've never heard of any place named like that before. You expected there to be something more along the lines of a familiar store, like a Safeway or a Rite-Aid. It seemed to be doing good for itself though, since there were quite a few cars parked right out in the front, along with several people walking out of the store.

"Shit, is it already closing...? "

Without a second to waste, you jog over to the entrance, just in time to hear the PA system in the store announcing that there was only 15 minutes left before the store closed. After grabbing a bag, you walked over towards the middle of the store, passing by the register lines. Just as you were about to head towards the several aisles of frozen food, you heard a voice calling you from your left. Turning around, you see a tall guy in an orange basketball jersey and shorts, smiling brightly and waving directly at you. Although you were a bit confused, you walked over to him, awkwardly excusing yourself through the long line before you.

"Hey! Haven't seen you around here before. Name's Kel! What's yours?"

"Uh, Y/N. Good to meet you, Kel."

"Y/N huh? That's a cool name! Hey!... You wouldn't happen to be the one who moved into town today, would you?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. Your eyes widened a little as you put two and two together, so this is your next door neighbor now? That explained the basketball hoop on the side of the road at least. You smiled at the realization and nodded. 

"Ha! I knew it! I was gonna stop by with mom and dad and say hi earlier! But I kind of got sidetracked with uh... Some stuff, hah." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the side in slight embarrassment.

"It's no problem, everyone has stuff going on one way other." Now that you remember more clearly, you do remember seeing someone who looked identical to Kel at the park...

"Yeah I guess so... I'm glad I was able to see you though, I wouldn't want to be a rude neighbor without saying hi at least. Did you move in from the city?"

Another nod, you noticed Kel's eyes growing just slightly distant when you said the part about everyone having stuff going on. A part of you was worried that you may have said the wrong thing, but whether you did or not he didn't show it, going back to his chatty self just as quick as it left, "One of my best friends lived in the house you're living in right now and moved into the city, who knows, maybe he's the one who moved into your old house!"

You chuckled a little, that really was the case as far as you knew, but you didn't bother correcting him. Just as he was going to continue his barrage of questions, the PA system came back up again, reminding the people still inside that there were eight minutes left before the store closed. Kel's eyes widened along with yours hearing this, looking back at you with a bashful smile. 

"Oh jeez... A-anyways, sorry for holding you up that long, it's just good to finally meet you! I hope to see you around more often, if you want maybe we could hang out sometime? When you're not busy of course, moving into a whole new place and town isn't really an easy thing to go through. Especially when you have movers as lazy as the ones you guys hired..."

The two of you share a good chuckle out of that, "Sounds like a plan."

Kel beamed a smile and quickly gathered up his purchased goods, walking towards the sliding doors, "See you around Y/N! Don't be a stranger, I'm holding you up to that plan!"

Your split-second first impression of him was someone who was pretty eccentric. But as you saw Kel leave the store, exchanging a smile and a final wave to each other, you came to the conclusion that he was a good dude. Definitely on the more social end of things. You wouldn't mind hanging out with him more. Turning back around and glancing across the entire store, you sighed. It wasn't exactly ripe with aisles of choices, beyond frozen foods. On the left was a pharmacy that was already closed, and turning to your right there was a candy store, with what you could only assume was the lady pulling down the security gate, effectively closing for the night. All that was left were the dozens of freezers before you filled with what you assumed were mediocre to awful frozen snacks and food.

Oh well. If anything you could at least come back tomorrow at a much earlier time. For now though, you decided to walk out of the store after looking around for anything that may have caught your eye, holding only a grocery bag that held your camera. Looking around, the plaza had gone from being quite packed to nearly entirely empty, save for a couple of cars and trucks parked here and there and a certain Hall and Oates song playing throughout the plaza's speaker system. Feeling a little curious, you walk down the opposite end of the plaza, away from the fountain and towards a tool shop called Fix-It. Feeling somewhat curious, you walk towards the entrance, surprised that the store was still open. Pushing the door open and hearing the tiny ring of a bell above, you look around the store. There seemed to be quite the sale going on too, a lot of items had red and white colored price tags, displaying pretty hefty discounts for tools. The store was entirely empty though and the back area of the store seemed to be completely dark.

Glancing over the tools, you ponder for a moment. Pulling out the photos you took earlier in the day, you shuffle through them until you get to the ones you took of the small garden. A smile instantly graced your lips and with little justification other than generosity, you put the photos away and come up with what may end up being one of your more silliest purchases yet. You quickly get a decent-sized watering can along with a garden lopper, examining them both for a moment before walking over to the register, seeing the owner of the place standing with his back turned to you, organizing a display of paint buckets and yawning.

"Uh, mist-"

The owner gasped and jumped slightly, instantly turning around and exhaling, looking slightly annoyed, "O-oh, it's just... You. Christ you gave me a scare, kid. I thought I locked the damn door?" He muttered the last part to himself, "The store's supposed to be closed right now but I guess I didn't lock the door correctly."

"Oh, uh, sorry. I didn't mean to come in during closing hours. Or scare you." 

The owner waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, don't worry about it. My fault for not paying attention," He reached over for the watering can and garden lopper, scanning the price tags quickly, "is that gonna be all?"

You nod somewhat absentmindedly, most of your attention focused on the 'Now Hiring' sign that was next to the register, "Hey so, are you guys still hiring?"

The owner remained silent for a moment, glaring at you and pointing at the sign, "Well? What does the sign say, kid?" He kept his stoic expression for a second longer before he broke out in a chuckling fit, shaking his head and smirking, "Hahah, ah I'm just messin' with ya. I sure am hiring, why? You interested?"

"Well uh, yeah. I'm new in town and I'd like to do something around here. Get more familiar and keep me occupied you know?"

He nodded, reaching down under the counter and grabbing a piece of light yellow paper, "Alrighty then, here's the deal. Take this home, sign it all, you know your work experience, name, emergency contacts all that important job stuff. Bring it back to me tomorrow first thing in the morning and I can have you working day-one. That sound good?"

You nodded, "Definitely, thank you! Does anyone else work here by the way?" You asked as you handed him the money to pay for the gardening tools.

"Used to, but not anymore. Had a kid come in here to help me a few weeks back but I haven't seen him in a while. And my last employee just quit, guess he wanted to enjoy whatever's left of his summer break. Can't really blame him, but since Tuesday it's only been me myself and I. Looks like it won't be that way for much longer though." 

He then hands you your bag and receipt, wishing you a good night and hoping he'll see you tomorrow. As you walked out of Fix-It, you felt somewhat content with yourself. Maybe this place really wouldn't be too bad, you landed a job far faster than you ever could back in the city. You already felt like you were getting your footing in this town and it was just the first day! Though it would be better if you had some food to eat. You curse at yourself for completely missing the pizza place, taking a pie home with you would've been great.

You just hoped there were enough leftovers from the food Kel's parents brought.

In no time, you made your way back to the park, although it felt far more uncanny for obvious reasons. The moonlight was just barely shining your surroundings, everything else being completely pitch black. You cursed yourself for not bringing your phone, it could've at least made for a decent light source. You stood before the entrance of the trail, hearing little more than the sounds of some chirping crickets and the distant occasional sounds of cars driving pass the park behind you. Taking a deep breath, you continued on forward, clutching the cardboard bag that held the gardening tools and your camera. You remained as quiet as you could, thankful that the cricket noises around you were making your own sounds much less audible. 

Just as you began to approach the end of the trail, you stop yourself from moving even an inch, swearing to yourself that you heard something that one wouldn't normally hear out in the forest.

Crying.

Your heart skipped a beat when you heard this, thinking that your mind had just made that up, but those hopes were wiped when you heard it again, just a little more audible now. Looking back at it, maybe watching horror movies on the drive here wasn't really the best idea.

As quietly as you could move, you crouch walked towards the thick bushes on the side of the trail, the sounds of crickets louder than ever now as you hunched down and hid behind the bushes. You hoped that whoever, or whatever was at the hidden area wouldn't spot you. Squinting your eyes and moving some vegetation aside, you can clearly make out the silhouette of a person at the tiny wooden dock before the lake, sitting down with their legs tucked tight into their chest and arms locked around his legs. You could just barely make out the muffled cries and sobs that came from this person.

You curse yourself, feeling a pang of guilt for violating this person's privacy, even if it was unintentional. A part of you wanted to just introduce yourself and maybe try to give some comfort, but you stopped yourself from even trying that. Something told you it may not be the best thing to do, not in a situation like this. Let alone to a complete stranger.

...

" Is this the person who takes care of the flowers here...? "

Before you could ponder on that, the person at the deck stood up slowly and shakily, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. They gazed down at the lake for a minute in silence, before turning around and walking down the trail, clutching something in their arms. You kept yourself as still as possible, closing your eyes and waiting for the person to completely leave the area, hearing their footsteps fade away along with their sniffling and quiet whimpers. About five or so minutes must have passed before you felt confident enough to move out of the bushes, looking around. Now you were completely alone.

You walked out of the trail and towards the tiny garden. To your relief, it was perfectly fine. Though, now that the moon had risen from the horizon, you could tell that some of the soil around some of the flowers here was much drier than some of the other ones. Looking back at the lake, then down at the brand new watering can you got, you decide to take this matter into your own hands. You walk over to the lake and fill up the watering can with a decent amount of water. It was heavier now of course, but not by much. Walking over to the garden, you made sure to be as careful and as attentive as you possibly could, tilting the can and letting some water trail down onto all of the parched soil you could see, until they were all at the same consistency as the other patches of dirt. No more, no less. The last thing you wanted to do was overwater them.

Satisfied with your work, you set the can down a good few feet away from the garden, along with the garden lopper. Just in case wildlife around here would mess with these things, they could at least do it away from the garden.

Standing up and looking at the garden, you hoped that, if the person that was here before really was the one who tended to these flowers, that these gifts would make their day just a little bit better.

Chapter Text

Mornings were the absolute worst. Especially after having a schedule that's accustomed you to sleeping in as late as you wanted, going to that to waking up at 6:30 in the morning was jarring for you right now, to say the least. Sure, one of these days you'd get used to it.

Probably.

...Most likely not.

Nevertheless, you got the resume the Fix-It owner gave you and you filled it out completely overnight. You told your parents about your new and sudden job opportunity and they were both surprised and proud of you. Your dad offered to drive you there in the mornings but the walk wasn't really far at all. Hell, maybe you'd invest in a bike one of these days if the town really is that small overall. Despite having gotten everything ready well before it got too late, you still stayed up later than you should have with watching movies you downloaded. Your phone was completely dead by the time you woke up, so no point in taking it to work with you today. Wouldn't be the first time you'd work on only 4 hours of sleep.

You arrived at the still relatively empty plaza, waiting outside the Fix-It store with only the resume and a half-eaten breakfast bagel to your name. While trying to rub away the sleepiness in your eyes, you pondered about all the things that happened last night. Meeting what may very well be your first friend in this town, getting a couple of tools as a random gift for someone you don't even remotely know. Though it didn't make much of a dent in your wallet, it was still something you felt strangely about. You weren't necessarily an impulsive buyer and nor did you regret it, but you'd make sure you wouldn't do something like that again. Not to someone you've never known anyway, can't be throwing away money like that and let it become a habit.

Still, you hoped that the person had made good use of the tools. Thinking on that also reminded you of the person you found crying at the hidden area. It didn't feel right being there at that moment, but you were just thankful that it didn't lead to any awkward confrontation. It also made you wonder, were they the ones who gave you that odd feeling of being watched earlier that day?

A part of you smiled, shaking your head a little. The thought alone humored you a little bit. Chances are it was just some sort of wild animal in the area. Though if you were being honest, that made thinking back on that moment even less comfortable. 

...Even if it was a person, you never saw them anyway, and while you couldn't make out what the person looked like last night, you could've sworn you saw that they had blonde hair.

Before you could entertain this train of thought any longer, you saw the owner's pick up truck finally pull up to the parking lot in front of the store. The store itself was already due to open 15 minutes ago, but it's not like there was any sort of line out front anyway. Plus you appreciated staying outside a little while longer while the morning air was still cool. Today was going to be another hellishly hot and humid day.

"Yo, kid! Good to actually see you here, sorry for being a little late. Yeah even bosses can be late sometimes, heh." He chuckled as he fumbled a bit with his keys, trying to unlock the door. It seemed the lock was a bit jammed. For it being a hardware store, you'd figure it would be easy to keep the infrastructure stable and maintained.

You looked back at the paint cans and tools behind you, then inside the store to the temporary (and admittedly awful) patch up done on the roof.

"...Or maybe not. "

The owner muttered to himself in frustration before finally unlocking the door, "Finally... Alright, come on in! Just wait there at the register while I get everything turned on and stuff." You nodded and waited around beside the desk, taking a good look at the store. You didn't notice it last night, but the store really was a bit of a mess. More so than how a hardware store should be, tools strewn all over the place, buckets of paint completely disorganized, tilted and misplaced furniture, boxes, displays, even a couple of big fertilizer bags on top of some shelves of plywood. One was even ripped open and spilled on a transport cart.

You sighed out loud. This retail experience was going to be great.

The rest of the store lights flicked on, along with the store radio that quietly played Def Leppard's Photograph, before the volume was cranked up by a good amount and roared over the sound of the store's softly rattling HVAC. At least you wouldn't be working in complete silence. As you laid your resume on the desk, the owner stepped out from the back and yawned, walking over towards you, "Alright kid, I'm gonna be straight with you. I didn't really expect you to be here today. Not cause you look like a bad kid or anything, it's just everyone your age that asks for something more serious than a day or two of work never comes through and it ends up being a bit of a waste of time. I couldn't be more happy to be wrong today though. Before we do anything else, just lemme go through the resume real quick."

He turned the resume around, reading it on the desk and nodding his head as he quickly read through all the more relevant information.

"Alright... Good, good... Relevant experience to boot, hm? Nice."

"Alright well, welcome on board Y/N! I'm gonna be frank with you again, there's not too much business coming along most days. That being said though, it's no excuse for being lazy or sitting on your phone. We still need to keep this place spic and span at all times! Though I'm sure from what you've seen over there." He pointed over at the tool displays, "It hasn't exactly lived up to that, with me being the only person on the job and all. But with you around now, we can get a helluva lot more done. So! I'll start you off simple, organize the tools and put them in their correct places. You'll know from the signs above where you'll need to put 'em. Once you're done, I'll show you more of the store and about the other responsibilities you'll have."

The owner sighed and rubbed his head for a moment, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Maybe I should get some bigger signs... Customers might actually be able to tell where shit goes for once."

Just as you turned around to get right to work, the owner called out to you, "Oh, wait hold on! I forgot to give you your uniform," He quickly rushed to the back, leaving you standing there for a couple of minutes while you ears were assaulted by generic pop music. He then stepped back into view, holding a green apron with the words 'Fix-It' in white bold letters, along with a bronze name tag that... Had no name.

"The uniform policy isn't strict at all, just keep this apron on and your name badge on as well. Preferably the company prefers if you wear a white shirt but it really doesn't matter all that much. Oh, and sorry about the blank nametag. Like I said I uh, didn't actually expect you to come, otherwise I would've gotten one done for you last night. I'll get one ready for you tomorrow though and since you work here now, here's your employee discount card. A full 20% off anything in the store, with an extra 15% on specific days. I'll let you know when those days are, don't worry!"

You chuckled and nodded, quickly putting the apron and name tag on, then getting straight to work after clocking in at the back room. You started organizing the wrenches first, working your way up as you collected the discarded tools and put them in their rightful places. It took you a little longer than expected, all because of a single missing drill that you eventually found hidden between two yellow bags of cement. Because of course it would be there. After that was all set and done, the owner showed you around the store, explaining how the displays for all the items should look while cleaning and organizing them with you, how to answer common questions people have, along with giving you your own little holster and price scanner. He also showed you how to mix paint, though to his contentment, you proved yourself to be competent at paint mixing already. Eventually, he showed you the back of the store and honestly the part you were most looking forward to seeing. The place where the store had a majority of its flowers and gardening supplies. Granted it was more humid in here, but it was also somewhat comforting in a way. It seemed that the owner felt the same way, seeing as how he noticed your expression and demeanor change as you took in the atmosphere.

"Everyone loves working back here especially. I usually take care of the flowers back here, but with you around now I think I'll be leaving that task to you often. It's also the place where our regulars buy from the most, so expect to be back here more often than the front on some days."

You could definitely tell why. You instantly recognized some of the pots and flowers, having seen them in the garden yesterday, " Think I'll go visit it during my break or something. "

Later on in the morning, a company truck from another non-local Fix-It stopped by in front of the store, the back of the truck filled with construction supplies that you quickly found out were for the roof. You quickly got to work unloading it with your boss and truck driver, hauling the plywood and other materials into the shop, right underneath the shoddy patchwork. You hauled a big enough steel ladder underneath, positioning it right under the roof. Though the driver had to leave to tend to his own store, the two of you got to work on fixing the roof, all while the store was still open. The owner stood on top of the roof, while you handed him the necessary tools and pieces of plywood he needed, along with mixing paint that would match the color of the older roof pieces. You were instructed to take care of any customers that came through and he would take care of the rest until the customer left. He wasn't lying when he said that days would be quite slow in terms of customer flow, you haven't even seen anyone pass by and peek through the windows.

Your boss must've had a bit of a carefree attitude as well, since he took the time to switch the store music to a different song to pass the time while you both worked. Though a hardware/gardening store would be the last place you'd expect to hear Danger Zone, you'd be lying if you didn't feel just a little more energized because of it. But it was also because of this that you and the owner failed to notice a customer walk into the store. It was only when he leaned down to ask you for a hammer that he noticed the person standing just below the ladder, looking as if they wanted to ask a question but just couldn't bring themselves to interrupt the work going on, resorting to just standing there somewhat awkwardly and waiting.

"Oh crap- Hey, we got a customer. Don't worry about the roof for now kid, go see what he needs." He said, waving you down.

You quickly began to move down the ladder after handing him the toolbox, "Sorry about the wait there, I didn't notice anyone was in here yet, give me a quick sec."

"A-ah, it's fine! Really, I understand. I should have asked earlier..."

You looked over your shoulder as you stepped down, not wanting to get in the person's way. The second you looked over your shoulder and saw the customer, you paused for a moment, your heart skipping a single beat and compromising your composure for a split second, your foot dangling just above the final few steps. You recognized the blonde hair instantly. And though you didn't make out too many features of the person you encountered last night, it would've been too much of a coincidence for that person and the guy standing before you to have the exact same figure. 

The deer in headlights expression that was present on your face for half a second was reflected back onto the boy, only for much longer and significantly more anxious, despite how much he tried to shake it off. Quite literally shaking his head and causing a slight mess of his blonde bangs. You easily put two and two together, he definitely recognized you, but now wasn't the time to ponder on that for too long.

"S-sorry about tha- the wait, uh... How can I help you?"

The blonde boy cleared his throat and straightened himself up, though it looked like he was clutching the items in his hands with a vice grip, "Ah... I wanted to ask how much these um, starters and pots were? Th-they seem new and I haven't seen them before! But the display for them didn't have a price..."

You nodded, getting your price checker out of the holster and making a mental note to get the price tags onto those displays ASAP. Basil turns the pots and starters around to expose their barcodes while you scan each individual one and calculate the total prices, "Alright, so in total for all these it would be exactly $47, tax included."

The anxious look on his face gave way to a more downhearted expression, "O-oh..." looking at the items in his arms and quietly sighing. 

"Thank you for helping me! Ah, I'll go ahead and put these back right where they belong, thank you!" He quickly began to move towards the garden area, but before he could enter you called out to him, having made a split second decision.

"Hey wait, hold on a sec!"

He quickly turned around, confused and a little nervous, as if he had done something wrong. You try to ease him with a soft smile, "Come over to the register, I can still help you."

"Oh uhm... Okay...?" He said quietly, still a bit confused but he still followed you towards the register, standing in front of it while still holding the items. The blonde boy stood there, still unsure of what was going to happen and whether or not he should place the items on the counter, eventually settling on placing them down and waiting for whatever you were going to do. You looked over at where the owner was, still working and hammering away at the roof. Quickly, you scan all of the items, double check the price and after another quick glance to the roof, you pull out your discount card and swipe it quickly, slashing the total price by 20%.

The blonde boy's eyes were wide, he looked as if he wanted to say something, possibly reject the sudden action but you just smiled and nodded. Although hesitant, he fumbled about with his wallet and took out the exact amount, his face turning a light red as his gaze focused on the price shown on the little screen above the register. You quickly completed the transaction and handed him the receipt, along with asking him if he wanted a bag, which he shook his head at.

He carefully grabs the pots and starters into his arms, admiring them for a moment, before looking back at you and giving you a small, but grateful smile.

"Th-thank you... You really didn't have to, but thank you."

"Anytime." You smiled, "Have a good one!"

As soon as he walked out of the door and down the plaza, you sighed. Maybe you were a little too generous for your own good, but-

"You used your discount card on his items, didn't you Y/N?"

You instantly look over at the owner, eyes widen. He had climbed down the ladder when he asked you that damning question with a neutral expression and flat tone of voice. 

" Oh sh- "

Before it could really set in, he began to chuckle loudly, grinning widely at seeing your panicked expression, "Hahah, hey don't worry about it kid. I mean... Technically it is against company policy but I'm no snitch. And that other kid's one of the few regulars we got, I'd give him his own discount card if I could. Just don't do that when I'm not around in the store, alright? Sometimes other managers can come here to train for like a week and they've got a whole entire branch up their ass, if you know what I mean. Now go on and take your break before it's too late."

You nod, taking off your work apron, stepping outside of the store and grateful that you weren't fired on your first day on the job. You inhaled and chuckled once you stepped outside, your boss was a joker but he was super chill and understanding. You had a feeling you'd enjoy working here, as long as he was in charge at least.

Maybe you should pay the hidden area another visit. Maybe clear some things up with the blonde boy and clear the air, if he's even there. You hoped he didn't hold any sort negative feelings for you, but you didn't worry about that much. He seemed to be really nice and polite. 

...You think you'll visit the garden after you get some food to stop your growling stomach first though.

Chapter Text

It wasn't long before you were standing outside the park entrance again after having eaten your lunch. Though you were craving pizza at first, $5 a slice was ridiculous so you settled on a Hero sandwich instead and to say it hit the spot would be a bit of an understatement. The thought of getting another one after work was honestly quite a tempting thought, but you had to be smart with your money. Regardless, you still had roughly half an hour to kill and you figured you'd spend the rest of it at the park. 

Specifically, you were going to go back to that hidden spot to relax, but as you approached the hidden trail you remembered how the blonde boy from earlier had stopped by for gardening supplies and was most likely tending to the little garden there. Feeling benevolent, you begin to walk down the trail once more after making sure nobody else was looking. There was a homeless person nearby but he was asleep fortunately. Pushing away the thick brush and branches, you notice a relatively fresh set of footprints leading down the trail. No doubt that he was here.

You'd make sure to make your presence known so as to not startle him, you felt as if he was probably one of the more jumpier individuals out there. Intentionally stepping on some thin branches and small piles of leaves, you quickly approach the end of the trail and see exactly who you were expecting, the same boy from the past few days, sitting on his knees and wearing a pair of gardening gloves, patting in the soil around one of the flower pots he had bought earlier in the day. At first glance it seemed as if he did put the tools you gifted him to use, as there was a pile of uprooted branches and weeds to the side, making another clear patch for the garden you assumed he would use later to expand it. If it weren't for the ambient sounds of the forest around you, you could've sworn you heard him humming as well.

Despite the noise you made coming through the trail, it looks like he didn't hear you coming at all, quietly tending to his flowers with ease and gentleness. Just from observing him for a couple seconds you could tell that this was truly second nature to him.

"Hey there-"

Instantly, your words broke him out of his little bubble, causing him to jump slightly and quickly turn over to face you, his face marked with surprise and a nervousness that caused you to feel a little nervous yourself. Despite the suddenness, his tense posture eased up a little bit, recognizing you.

" So much for not startling him... "

Despite recognizing you, the blonde boy still looked quite nervous. Almost as if you were going to stomp him out at a moment's notice. That, or ruin his garden for the fun of it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you or anything. I just got a little curious and uh, wanted to visit this place... Again." You chuckle a little bit in a somewhat vain attempt to try and break the remaining tension, "I'm guessing you're the person who started this garden?"

"Y-yeah... I-I started it a little while... Ago..." He averted his gaze from you, looking down at the ground and fumbling with his hands a little. 

"Are you... Looking for these?" He asked, looking over to the garden lopper and brand new watering can,  "Th-they were already here when I got here actually, I-I didn't take them or anything!"

You couldn't help but smile slightly, shaking your head. Did he really think you were going to accuse him of stealing? "No no no, you're good! I'm not here to confiscate 'em or anything. If I'm being completely honest I uh, actually left them here as a gift for the person who was tending the garden..."

His eyes widened slightly, looking up at you with a curious expression and what was, for lack of a better word, a light blush, "R...Really...?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds a little weird but... well, I just moved into town yesterday, actually. I'm uh, still getting used to things. But I found this place by chance and I actually took some pictures of your garden." You said with a small smile. Basil looked down for a moment at the mention of you having taken the pictures, a nervous frown that left as quickly as it appeared. 

"It kind of reminded me of the garden my parents used to take care of back home honestly. We had to leave it behind when we moved but like, that little garden meant a lot to them. And it meant a lot to me too, even if I didn't tend to it as much as they did, heh..."

A tiny smile formed on the blonde boy's lips, the tension from before was all but gone at this point and he seemed to feel much more at ease now, "There's a lot of things I'm probably never gonna see again from moving away from my old home. But seeing the garden made me feel... Nostalgic, if that's the right word. Like, a reminder of home. You know, something silly like that. And I guess you could say that influenced me into getting those tools for whoever it was tending to it. A little something to help the garden grow and flourish. Well, more than it already is anyway."

"...Heh. Sorry about that little ramble. I swear I don't usually do that, but I guess-"

"N-no!" He said suddenly, "No, it's okay! I-I understand... I really do. Ah, maybe not moving away from home but, that feeling of comfort from seeing something like this. And doing it? It's really nice. It's why I started a garden here, so I could..."

The look on his face turned distant for a moment, his grip on his hand shovel loosening slightly before he sighed, "...Feel that way."

You nodded. Although you couldn't truly understand it fully, you still understood what he meant in a way. Especially if he really was the same boy who cried his eyes out last night at this very place. Despite the downtrodden expression, he looked up at you with a curious and hopeful gaze.

"You said that you took care of your garden back home...?"

"Well, more or less. I guess you could say I know a thing or two about tending to a small garden like this. But uh, definitely not to your level, hahah."

He smiled a little, "Th-that's okay! Everybody has to start somewhere after all, right? Would, um... Would you like to help with it a little?" He asked with a slight tone of excitement.

"Sure, why not? It has been a little while since I've done anything with my green thumb..."

The blonde boy smiled happily, scooting over a little to let you sit on your knees beside him. With a clear view of the garden, you could see that he's already planted several of the flower pots and used up a majority of the seed packets and starters. Even with all the new additions, the garden was still as beautiful as it was yesterday. As you gazed at the boy's handiwork, he leans over and grabs the garden lopper, "Oh, and th-thank you for getting these for me! I should've said it earlier but it really means a lot to me... It's been a really big help too! I-I actually used the lopper to clear some roots and weeds over there, they were actually worrying me because I figured they would encroach onto the plants themselves and really mess things up... But I took care of it before it could ever become a real problem thanks to you!"

"And the watering can saves me so much time and effort. I usually bring mine from home and I only have one. I'm so glad I forgot to bring it today, haha... But I'll be able to do so much more with just those two things. I didn't think I was going to expand the garden for a little while, but now I can actually plant these rudbeckias just in time and have room for more begonias! I think by next week, I should have some cosmos planted here and soon the bees around here can pollinate them and I could even have my own secret source of honey!"

"Or, m-maybe not but it's fun to think about! And with all the trees around I could try and plant some fuchsias and maybe, juust maybe some limelight hydrangeas. Though ah... I really want to plant some flowers that have a strong, common meaning behind them. Something that, when people look at, they'll be able to quickly recognize and identify with. Roses are usually a go-to but I want to try something other than that..."

You sit there with the blonde gardener, listening to every word he said as he spoke so passionately about all the things that involved his garden and his routine. His ambitions, plans and hopes for the future of this little project he had made. If he truly was going to go through with all of this, then his little garden wouldn't be so little at all. You could already envision it, this hidden part of town practically flourishing in several types of flowers and colorful vegetation. The more you thought about it and the more you listened to him, the wider your smile got.

And the louder a tiny voice in the back of your mind got... Telling you that you should try to be a part of this vision he's so passionate about. To help him see it through...

"-With it all and... a-a-and, ah...a-aha, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk your ear off-! I didn't realize I was talking s-so much, I just haven't... Really had anyone to talk about any of this sort of stuff with in a l-long time... ha..." 

"Hey, there's no need to apologize. I was the first one to do it to you after all," You smile and laugh a little at your own expense, "But seriously, it's all good. Honestly, I admire how much you know about flowers. I figured that the person who took care of this place was an expert in gardening, but your knowledge is on a whole other level."

The blonde looks down again, laughing a little. His blush had returned, much more obvious now but you continued, "I can see your vision for this place clearly. And I love it. If... You wanted someone to help you with your gardening stuff here, I wouldn't object to it..."

He looked at you with a slightly bewildered expression, as if it were something that he thought he would never hear period. A bright, genuine smile quickly formed as he nodded rather enthusiastically, his blonde bangs becoming ever so slightly unkempt.

"Th... That sounds nice. Really nice. H-ha..."

You smile and lean over to grab one of the unopened seed packets, intending to start right away with him. Right as you grab the packet, you look at your watch and your heart skips a beat and your eyes widen, "O-oh shit, oh shit, I'm sorry uhh... Just realized I gotta head back before I'm late!" You quickly stand up and look over to the gardener, "Sorry but if you want we can meet up after my shift! I'll be off in about three hours if that's cool with you!"

He nodded, taken aback by how quick you were to stand up and head to the trail, but perfectly understanding of your situation, "O-oh! I understand, please don't let me hold you any longer! A-and that sounds g-great, I'll be waiting! Uhm... Wait!! I didn't get your name!" Basil yelled out, wanting to smack himself across the face for not having asked earlier."

"Y/N! Sh-should have told you earlier but my name's Y/N!"

"Alright! M-my name's Basil by the way!!"

"It was great meeting you Basil, I'll see you soon alright! Take care-!" With that said, you quickly sprint towards the trail and away from the hidden area.

" Basil... "

You smile as you run out of the trail and into the park, repeating his name over and over in your head. 

Now you definitely had something to look forward to.

Chapter Text

Though you wished that your break has lasted a bit longer, you made it back to Fix-It with only a few seconds to spare before you were marked as late by the system. It seemed as if the store owner hadn't noticed you coming in until a few minutes after, thankful that he had decided to wear some earphones and listen to music while he worked up on the roof. Without skipping a beat you put your work apron back on and got right back to work, switching positions with the store owner and beginning to do the hammering while he handed you the materials you needed and handling the occasional customer that came through.

Chapter Text

A soft yellow carnation pressed against the palm of your hand as the wind around you intensified, causing you to involuntarily shiver and pull your jacket closer. For it still being in the middle of summer, today was unusually cold and windy. It was quite cloudy and you haven't really seen the sun shine today at all. Part of you didn't really mind though, you preferred it this way than to have to suffer through the humidity. Rain or shine, you were still committed to taking care of these flowers, especially today thanks to having the day off of work. Sighing, you took off the working glove from your other hand and stood up, stretching your back a bit. You've been taking care of these flowers for a little under a week now. Though it didn't feel like it, it's been a few days since you last talked to or have seen Basil. Even though for you, it felt like it was only yesterday when you made friends with the blonde flower boy. 

After that day, you were hoping to see Basil again, hoping to catch even just a glimpse of Basil waiting for you outside the store after your shift was over. Or for him to come in during your working hours, always peeking at the door in hopes that you'd see that blonde hair and the pink flower tucked into it.

But that never happened.

Worry begins to fill you as you think back to that day. "...Did I do something wrong to him? I don't think I did. I made sure I was extra careful with his flowers. I don't think I said anything wrong either, right?"

"...Right...?"

Weirdly enough, your thoughts slowly drifted back to that night, when you led Basil back home. And held his hand... Despite all the labor you both went through, they felt incredibly soft-

You quickly shake your head, squinting at yourself. "Why the hell am I thinking about that? C'mon..." 

"...Did I go too far doing that? Grabbing his hand like that?"

You rub your head and groan, you've thought about this before. You figured maybe Basil needed some space, or that he was just busy with other things even. Maybe he just wasn't feeling like hanging out, he does seem to be on the more introverted side. Still, even though you haven't known him for long, it doesn't exactly seem like Basil would be the kind of person to not check up on his flowers here. You've been tending to them since then and haven't seen him here at all. 

As you stand up to leave, you make up your mind. Today was your day off and you were going to make the most of it. You were going over to Basil's house and you were going to check up on him, come hell or high water. You had to, for both of your sakes!

...But like everything else in life, it was easier said than done. Nervousness gripped you with a vice as you stepped in front of Basil's house, right before the door. All things considered, his house looked incredibly comfy and warm from the outside. It definitely fit Basil's whole aesthetic. It didn't ease your nervousness though, not one bit. You hoped that Basil wouldn't just up and send you away... But at the very least, you would know that he was still around. With your mind fully made up, you knocked on the door three times. It wasn't long before you heard footsteps approach the door, so you exhaled and watched as the lock was undone and the door was softly pushed open.

To your slight surprise, someone else entirely answered the door, a lady with brown hair and yellow-ish clothing. Her head tilted slightly, "Oh? Hello! How can I help you?"

"Oh, is this Basil's mom?"

"Oh, hi uh, my name's Y/N, I just moved into town a few days ago and uh, I actually wanted to ask if Basil was here?"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of Basil, smiling and ushering you indoors, "Oh! Well please, come in! It's too cold to be standing outside."

You smile and thank her, stepping inside as she closed the door behind you. You take a quick look around the house. There were plants everywhere... You smiled a little, "Heh, of course there would be."

"Where's my manners, my name is Polly. I hope you're enjoying yourself here in Faraway! It's nice to know Basil's making new friends..." She smiled sadly for a moment, before it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Thank you, Polly. Is Basil here?"

She nodded, a hint of worry and sadness appearing on her face, "He is, but... He hasn't been feeling all that well lately... He's been through quite a lot these past several weeks. I don't want him to go back to how he was before..." Polly muttered the last part to herself, sighing and looking down at the floor, "I'm really worried about him and I'm sure you are too."

You nod, "I haven't seen him for a few days and..." You hold back on mentioning the flowers he's planted at the park, "Yeah, I wanted to see how he was doing. Could I try talking to him please?"

"Of course. His room is just down the hallway there, to the right." She points out, grabbing her purse that was on the table, "I hate to leave Basil alone but I need to head to the grocery store to make dinner later tonight. Oh, and Y/N?"

"Thank you for stopping by to see Basil. You seem to be good company and I really think that's the kind of thing Basil needs." She smiles softly, before opening the door and walking out of the house, leaving you alone in the living room. No doubt that Basil knows you're here and you sure as hell weren't going to leave him until you at least saw him. Steeling your nerves, you walked forward and down the hall, standing in front of Basil's door. Without hesitation, you gently knocked on it three times.

"Basil...?" You said softly, cursing yourself mentally for not having cleared your throat before saying that, "Hey Basil, it's me Y/N. Uhm... I haven't seen you around in a little while and I just wanted to check up on you, you know? I just, well, wanted to make sure you were okay and all."

...

You didn't get a response, but you did hear the shuffle of footsteps get closer to the door until you saw Basil's shadow underneath, as if he were standing right in front of the door. With baited breath, you waited for him to say something. Anything. You would wait here all day if you had to, you told yourself. Fortunately though, you wouldn't actually have to do that as the door was slowly pulled open by your friend standing on the other side.

"Ah... Y/N... H-hey! I'm r-really glad you're here ah, I didn't expect you to do... That... O-or anyone to... Ha-" Basil stood there, rubbing his shoulder and looking to the side, trying his best to put on a smile that looks more like a forced, anxiety-ridden grin. His hair was slightly messy and he had no flower tucked into it and his eyes looked quite bloodshot. Your heart sank at seeing him like this, but at least he was still here.

"It's really good to see you Basil. Can uh... I come in?"

Basil looked off to the side, his eyes drooping into a sad, nervous expression before he inhaled and nodded, "...Okay."

A thick, nervous tension filled the room as Basil sat on his bed, fumbling with his fingers and refusing to look up at you. It was clear that he was uncomfortable and probably wanted nothing more than to be alone. Yet, he also opened and closed his mouth, as if he were trying to find the right words to say. It was clear that something was on his mind and he wanted to talk about it, but he just... Couldn't. 

"How are you, Basil?"

"O-oh ah, I'm... Okay! Y-yeah, I'm okay! Good...!" He forced another smile. It tore at your heart seeing it, "I-I'm just... Doing things! And thinking about... Things..."

Basil's knees pressed together as he looked to the side, looking at his blankets like he wanted nothing more than to just hide underneath them and never come out.

"...I haven't seen you at the garden at the park recently," You said softly, "I, I've been worried honestly. About you. I know it sounds silly because it's only been less than a week, but..."

Basil curled into himself a little, still unable to look at you.

"Has something been on your mind? I know it's not my business to pry and all but, you're kind of the only person I'd really consider a friend here and I, well..." You sigh closing your eyes for a moment, "I care about my friends. You can speak your mind, if you want. I'm ah, not the best with advice but I think I'm an okay listener, heh."

Basil looked up at you, blinking a couple of times and opening his mouth a little, wanting to take you up on your offer to speak his mind. But nothing came out, his lip quivering for a split second before he pulled his knees close to himself, diverting his gaze back onto the floor and letting out a shaky sigh. 

You couldn't leave Basil like this. You couldn't leave Basil period, not when it seemed like he needs help here and now. No matter if it's in a big or small way, you were determined to help your blonde friend. One way or another.

"...Hey, Basil. Remember what you said back at your garden? About wanting to look on the brighter side of things? Even though sometimes it feels like there isn't even a brighter side to focus on? Well... Even if some days feel that way. It won't last forever."

Basil blinked once, looking up at you as he listened, "I know how it feels for days to feel like they're darker than the nights that follow them, but... As long as they seem, as frequent as they may feel, they never last forever. Even if that feels impossible to believe. Cause even after those days, there will always be days where things are better. Even if it's just a little bit, things can always get better. Days can always get brighter. Like... like your flowers and rain! Rain is always brought on by dark clouds and cold and moody weather, right? But eventually, no matter how long it feels like it, it'll clear up and the next day can be brighter, clearer and just overall better than before. It may rain on flowers but it helps them, doesn't it? It makes those better days all the more sweeter and it develops them into a better flo- er, p-person!"

"But... But you can't really experience that if you keep yourself locked away and isolated from the people who care about you. You can't grow and develop and improve yourself and your days by being alone like this. I know going through hard things alone can be terrifying and be daunting, to say the least... But I think you deserve that. To experience the best days that are yet to come. And to be happy. Basil, I... I-I know I might sound a bit tone-deaf by saying all of this. I don't know precisely what you're going through..."

A surge of determination filled you up as your mind raced to find the words to say, but instead you went with your gut feeling and acted on what you thought was best. Suddenly, Basil felt your arms wrap around him as you mustered up the best possible embrace you could ever hope to give. You very lightly squeezed him as you tried your best to give him a comforting, reassuring hug. Basil tensed up instantly at your embrace, but it didn't deter you from doing what you thought was best in the moment. It was only when you felt Basil relax into your hug that you finally found the words to say, or rather, whisper.

"But that doesn't mean you have to go through it alone..."

The blonde flower boy stood there, frozen, not moving even a single muscle for several moments that made time feel as if it had stopped then and there. A sense of sheer joy coursed through you when you felt Basil's arms wrap around you, feeling his shaky hands ball up with the fabric of your jacket, hugging you tighter and tighter as he shook in your embrace, with you returning the favor to a degree, not wanting to risk him feeling uncomfortable.

Such worries were pushed aside as you heard Basil mutter in between what you could only guess were choked, silent sobs.

"Thank you... Th-th-thank y-you..." He repeated over and over until you couldn't hear it past his sniffling and heavy exhales. It didn't matter though. You were going to continue hugging this flower boy for as long as he wanted. You couldn't help but feel as if he really needed something like this. You don't know how long you were both hugging for, but it was for a good long while, that was certain. Hesitantly, Basil let go of you and you slowly broke the hug, giving Basil some space as he sat on his bed, sniffling and using his arms to rub away the tears. His eyes were much more bloodshot now, but at least he was smiling. A smile that you couldn't help but mirror.

Without much of a second thought, you reach for your pocket and pulled out a pencil. Looking around, you grabbed a napkin that was on a plate and quickly wrote something down, before looking over at Basil and handing him the now neatly folded napkin, "No matter what it is... No matter what time it is, or how big or small the issue may be. No. Matter. What. If you ever want to or need to, for any reason at all, you call me without hesitation and I will come over here to you ASAP. Okay?"

Basil took the napkin and held it in both of his hands, nodding quickly and quickly moving over to the bedside table, putting the napkin in the drawer after rereading the little napkin several times. 

"Th-thank you, Y-Y/N. I promise I willl... Ah... N-now that you're here well, uhm... Would you like to h-help me water some flowers here...? I haven't exactly been too focused on doing so the past few-"

It didn't take long for you to find the watering can, already having it in hand by the time Basil finished talking. Sure it was silly, but it was worth making Basil giggle.

Chapter Text

As you stepped out of the room, you quickly got to work on watering the flowers and started off with the tiny potted flowers above the bookshelf. Though you didn't recognize the flowers, you tried your best to give them the best amount of water in terms of their size. Basil watched intently as you stood up on your toes to reach them and when you finished and turned to face him, he had a content smile on his face. Next up was the bonsai tree which you had honestly considered buying for yourself. As you leaned the watering can over the dry soil, you focused both on the fine pour of water as well as Basil's talking.

"I love bonsai trees... They're so cute and beautiful. Having a little mini-tree in your house is kind of silly to think about at first, but when I first saw it I just knew I had to have one. It's surprisingly easy to take care of, but when you water them, it's always best to give them natural rainwater whenever possible. Ah, that applies to a majority of plants but especially for this beautiful thing..."

He rubs his arm with his other hand, blushing a bit as he continues, "When it started to rain late last night, I ah... I-I immediately woke up and filled up my watering cans with as much rainwater as possible. I ran out and placed them outside with their tops open so they could be as full as can be. I usually check for weather updates on my phone, but there was nothing mentioning a downpour so I was in a bit of a rush when I did that, h-haha..."

You chuckle along with him, the thought of a sleepy but excited Basil rushing out to place his watering cans outside for the rainwater only brightened your smile. You didn't think Basil was the kind of person who liked having his hair wet or messed up if it didn't need to be, but knowing he would do that all for his flowers. It warmed your heart in an odd sort of way. Pulling back the watering can, you look up at the roof, seeing the plant pots that hung from the ceiling.

"Oh! Don't worry about those Y/N, they're just fake plants that were put up there to make the house look better. There ah, used to be real plants that were placed there but... N-not anymore."

You nod, not pushing on the topic further as you move onto the next flowers near the bathroom, while Basil himself goes into it to tend to the flowers there.

...

You thought on that for a moment.

Of course there'd be flowers in there too.

Smiling and shaking your head, you tend to the smaller pots and give them tiny but reasonable amounts of water before admiring them for a moment. A soft chuckle escaped your mouth as you realized it was a small, young basil plant. You'd be lying if you said you didn't find it kind of cute though. You gently, very gently began petting the soft leaves, only stopping when you hear the door behind you open, Basil having finished tending to the flowers. He then looks at you, opening his mouth to speak, but hesitates and sighs quietly. 

"What's on your mind Basil?" You ask softly.

"I... Y/N, I wanted to ask a favor of you. I-I know it sounds a little weird but, could you tend to the flowers I have in the room behind you?" He asks quietly, his expression growing slightly somber. You look over your shoulder, another bedroom from what you assumed. 

"Polly usually takes care of them, but I don't think she has been recently... And I'm just... Not quite ready to go in there yet..." Basil's last words were just barely louder than a whisper, his eyes glistening a little bit. Without question, you give the flower boy a gentle smile and a firm nod, walking over to the door. Despite never having been in here, you feel... Odd. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you don't ponder on it for too long either. You open the door gently, just enough for you to go through, being mindful of Basil so that he doesn't see much of the room itself. 

The room itself was quite dimly lit, the curtains of the window were mostly closed aside from the natural light that shone through the gap. It didn't help that it was still quite a cloudy day. Closing the door behind you, you inspect more of the room. There was an empty bed that was neatly made, along with an old but big and comfy looking reading chair next to the bed. Looking around more, you noticed some succulents on the corners of the room, as well as a small coffee table with a little plant in the middle. Upon closer inspection, it was another fake flower. There were also the same type of flowers hanging from the ceiling, thankful that you didn't have to water them. They were quite high up, but there was one thing that really caught your attention.

In the gap in between the bed and bookshelf, you saw a decently sized flower pot holding what you think may very well be the most beautiful looking flower you've seen so far. It stood there, healthy and tall, basking in the natural light coming from the window. It seemed as if you were mesmerized by this flower, crouching down on both your knees as you take your time to admire it. You've never seen a flower quite like this one in your life, let alone knowing the name of it. But it was beautiful to say the least.  

The white tip of the flower resembled something akin to an angel with wings in a way. It was unlike anything you've ever seen...

You made a mental note to look this up later.

Standing back up, you go over to get a closer look at the bookshelf that was beside the table. It seemed to have been cleaned up recently, but you could still see hints of dust on the books and corners of the shelves. It seemed that most of the books were on the topic of various types of flowers and caring techniques, along with several cook books. Vegetarian cook books to be exact.

"Is Basil a vegetarian?" You ponder, grabbing one of the books and opening it up, immediately being assaulted by the dust that accumulated inside of it. After letting out some muffled coughs and brushing the dust away from your face, you look back at the book and slowly turn the pages over to where an old golden-colored bookmark was. Looking through the left page, you saw that there was a vegetarian recipe, along with fancy pen drawings that showed a smiley face on the top right of the page. On the right page, you saw a frowny face in the same area. You realized that the faces resembled Basil's face and hair.

It didn't take you long to put two and two together for as to why Basil didn't want to come into this room. Your curiosity was piqued though and you decided to go through each page, seeing the same smile and frown sketches, along with a neutral face on a few of them. But what really caught your attention was a certain recipe. A big circle was around the entire page, along with dozens of hearts of various sizes decorating the sides of the page, with several atop the smiling Basil face. You smiled softly at this, it had to be one of his favorite foods. You also see a page with instructions on a certain dessert, with very similar sketches done along with that big circle.

Realizing that you may have been spending a bit too much time looking at this book, you close it up and quickly put it back in its place on the bookshelf, going around the room to quickly water the cacti lightly along with the beautiful flower, very very carefully. Taking one last look at the room, you step out and close the door. Sighing softly, you walk down the hallway and into the living room, seeing Basil standing on the couch, on his tippy-toes and watering the plants on the windowsill. He notices you just as he finishes and smiles bashfully, quickly stepping down, "Ah, sorry!"

"I... know what I asked of you was a bit weird, but... Thank you, Y/N. I really mean it." 

"Any time Basil, it's no problem at all. So, what's next?"

Basil looked over to the shelves of potted plants behind the TV, "Th-those flowers are ones I got somewhat recently and I'm hoping to take them to, ah, you know..."

"Ah, the garden at the park right?" You ask, keeping your voice down to a whisper mostly for his sake. A small grateful smile graces his face as he nods. You both approach the flowers and with watering cans still quite full, you begin to tend to them, with Basil starting to water the other side at first, but resorting to observing you as you gently cared for each of them. First were the dwarf sunflowers, which you didn't even know were a real thing.

"Ha... I didn't know they were a real thing until a few months ago either, actually... I kind of hope to get more of them someday."

You smile, maybe you could make that happen if you talk about it with your boss. Shuffling over to the purple flowers, Basil paused you for a moment, "These ones are quite finnicky, more so than a normal flower. They need a very specific amount of water every other day. See the little line on the pot Y/N? That's where the water is supposed to be, no more and no less. In hindsight, I-I probably should have used a clear see-through pot, ha..."

Nodding, you slowly tilt the head of the watering can, until a slow, smooth and steady stream of water poured out onto the dark soil. Though you couldn't see it, you decided to go with your gut feeling and hoped for the best. Basil leaned in a little more, focused only on the sound of the water along with the stream itself. You ignored the burning feeling on your face as you focused on the water. You had time to get flustered later, no matter how close Basil was to you right now...

It ever so slowly poured...

And poured...

And poured...

Until you instantly stopped, cupping your hand underneath the head of the can to catch the little droplets of water that began to dribble down. If it truly was as specific as Basil said, then every single drop counted.

"...Perfect." The flower boy next to you whispered, a heartwarming smile on his face. You return the smile and only now truly realize how close you both were and just how much your face was currently burning up. Basil must've realized this as soon as you did and moved his head back quickly, a slightly awkward chuckle shared between the two of you, glancing away a bit despite your mind screaming at you not to do so. After that little moment, you both move on to tend to a separate flower, Basil seemingly satisfied with your work and having full confidence and trust in you.

You don't question the fact that Basil was looking right at you when he whispered that.

You continue to help him throughout the next hour or so, reorganizing some plants to get some better sunlight for the rest of the day, reaching up to the hard to reach flowers and double checking on their health and soil quality. It was honestly the most relaxed you've felt in a very long time. You even helped him reorganize some of the things in his room and helped make it just a little bit more comfy. As you affix a painting from the hallway to Basil's room, he tells you that some of these flowers have been living and even thriving for the past five years.

Five whole years. He's been tending to some of these plants for five whole years. And here you were, far less experienced, having tended to them with Basil trusting you to do so.

Talk about no pressure.

You don't let it get to you though, you do your best at every turn, from moving some bags of fertilizer to its proper place (and flexing a bit of your strength by carrying two at once for whatever reason) to rotating the plants outside and bringing them in to keep the interior more lively.

"I don't know if anyone's told you before but your house is very, very comfy and warm. Just stepping inside has me feeling relaxed and content with everything in a way," You tell him as you both move some of the heavier potted plants indoors, "Suits your aesthetic really well too."

"A-aha... Thank you. I do like the way it looks and feels sometimes, e-even if I'd make my own improvements. Or rather uhm, additions. But it's just nice things to think about..."

"Also, I forgot to mention but, while you were away, I..." You lowered your voice, "I made sure to take care of your garden as best I could whenever I had the free time. I even expanded on it a little bit and made sure to keep the little perimeter around it more stable. So the sticks and rocks won't get dislodged by wind or anything."

Basil doesn't respond to what you said, instead opting to looking down at himself and smiling a little, pausing from watering his flowers to fidgeting with the handle. It looked as if he were holding it close to him, the smile growing a little more obvious and brighter. His eyes were still open but it looked as if he was thinking about something. Something that caused his smile to bloom. A smile that instantly made you feel warm inside.

"...Y/N?"

"Yeah Basil?"

"...W... Would you like to go over there today? A-after Polly returns, we could take our stuff and just... Tend to them together again and, maybe expand... On it a little more..." A blush grew on Basil's face when he said that, one that perfectly matched the color of the roses he was kneeling next to.

"Of course I would," You smiled happily, "you don't even have to ask."

You both look at each other with a heartwarming expression, despite the occasional glance back at the floor that you both seemed to have found quite interesting. Suddenly, a rapid, loud succession of knocks on the door rip you both away from the awkward moment, causing you both to jolt and you almost dropping the watering can. Mentally cursing yourself, you set it down and stand up, "Don't worry Basil, I'll get it!"

Rushing over to the door, you began to think about how convenient it was that Polly was home already, but you don't remember locking the door. Pushing the locks open, you pull the door back, greeting someone who you did not expect to be here at all.

"Kel...?"

Chapter Text

As you realize who it was currently standing at the door, you quickly look up just a tad bit due to his sheer height. The tall brown haired teen looked at you with a surprised expression, but quickly formed into a slightly awkward, but friendly smile that you were quickly getting accustomed to, "Y/N? Oh, ah, hey!"

"Oh uh, hey there Kel...! What's up?" You rub the back of your neck, not really knowing what to say at the moment. The last person you expected to see here was Kel and you hadn't interacted with him too much ever since you saw him at Othermart last week. Now that you think about it, you haven't seen him anywhere around town at all. That, or you've just been to busy with work and your new friend to notice.

Still, you can't help but feel a tad bit guilty. You genuinely have been meaning to more properly introduce yourself to Kel, maybe even hang out...

But it looks like the powers that be may be making that happen regardless.

"Not much! I actually wanted to see if Basil was home? I didn't expect to see you here, ha..." He also rubbed the back of his neck, the heel of his orange shoe heel digging into the doormat, "Speaking of which, is Basil actually home right now-?"

Before you could answer, Basil walks into Kel's view, standing somewhat timidly behind you as if you were something he could adequately hide behind.

"... H-hi... Kel..."

Looking back at Kel, you notice a somewhat sad smile forming on his face as he glances over your shoulder at the flower boy, his voice growing softer and quieter than before, almost equal to Basil's volume, "Hey Basil... How a- How've you... Uhm," He half-heartedly clears his throat, "How are you doing?"

"...I'm doing okay. A little... A-a little better..." Basil mutters, barely louder than the gentle ringing of the wind chimes outside. Are they friends, or... Used to be? Maybe it'd be best for you to excuse yourself...?

Kel's smile lightens up a bit more, the hint of sadness still there. He then blinks and looks over at you and Basil, "Sorry, ah, was this a bad time for me to visit?"

"N-no! No it's okay, y-you can come inside-!" Basil insisted, the two of you smiling as you both step aside for him, but Kel quickly shook his head.

"Oh no that's fine! I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to hang out...? It's uhm, been a little while since we've done that. And you here Y/N it's even better!" He brightly smiles. You can't help but smile back and nod. You were feeling a bit hungry... 

"Wh-where would we go...?" Basil asks, having moved a few paces to your side instead of using you to hide.

Nowhere big... Considering how small this place is, hahah. Maybe just going to Gino's? Or Hobbeez's! If you're cool with that-"

You can't help but smirk a little bit, you can see right through his words. Bet he reads the Captain Spaceboy comics...

...

Maybe Hobbeez gets the new comics sooner than the library at the city-

You look over to Basil, who's now scooted a bit closer to you now. He looks more depressed than anything right now, the calm, somewhat relaxed posture and tone he had earlier was now entirely absent, replaced by a sadness and such a strong feeling of anxiety that you swore was causing your own heartbeat rate to increase. But his expression... It's awfully similar to what you saw earlier today when you went into his room and promptly comforted him.

Part of you wanted to tell Basil that he didn't have to if he didn't want to, it was obvious to you that he wasn't exactly the most social or extroverted of people. Just as your mind made up its decision to speak up however, Basil's anxious, downtrodden expression gave way to a more neutral one, with a small undertone of determination that you just couldn't help but lightly smile at.

"Okay. I think... I think that'd be nice. B-but ah...! W-wait here a sec, I need to call Polly to let her know I'm heading out-!"

You nod and Kel pumps up at the air, "Woo!! Awesome! We'll be waiting right here then!"

As Basil quickly went to his room, you turned over to Kel, finding his smile infectious as ever, already sporting a grin yourself as he talks to you, "So Y/N, how've you been! How's Faraway been for you? Anything interesting going on?"

"Heh, it's been going a lot better than I expected to be honest, I don't know if I'd call it home quite yet, but I'm really starting to like it here. It's kind of surreal to not have constant city noises waking me up in the night or living next to bustling streets. It's almost a little too quiet sometimes, but... It's nice. Oh, I also have a job at Fix-It now! It's actually how I met Basil."

"Whoa... Not even two weeks here and you already got a job?! You'll be calling this place home yet! It's super easy to get accustomed here really, and make new friends!" He smiles proudly at you.

"How long have you and Basil known each other by the way?"

Kel gets a somewhat distant, almost sad look in his eyes, but he talks as if nothing's on his mind, "Oh dude, we go waay back... since we were like 10! He's one of my best friends!"

You smile and nod, swearing you could've sworn Kel mutter something under his breath, one that was comparable to Basil's whisper-

"...Least, I hope I still am..."

Before you can think much on what you thought you heard, the sound of rapid shuffling footsteps take you out your thoughts as you turn around, facing Basil, who has a small, nervous smile, "I called Polly, I'm good to go. Are we gonna head out now?"

"If Y/N's good to go too then yeah! It's still a really nice summer day after all!"

You nod at Basil, then at Kel, and with a bit of a pep in his steps, you and Basil follow the brown-haired boy after Basil closes the door and leaves a key under the welcome mat. Kel starts to go on about what he was doing earlier and airing away at the nuisances he had to go through during his practice games of basketball with some of his friends. As much as you liked hearing other talk, your mind couldn't help but tune it out and think about the here and now. It really was a beautiful summer day. Despite the unbearable heat. Maybe you should have gotten a cap or something, you know your dad still has his old baseball hat that was more or less a heirloom on your dad's side.

Wonder how cute Basil would look with a hat like that on.

...Whoa. 

Where in the hell did that come from...?

The sudden thought was enough to actually stop you in your tracks for a split second, causing the blond behind you to walk into you with a small "Oh!".

"Oh,  Sorry-"

"Sorry!"

The two of you said at the same time, standing there for a split second before you let out a small awkward chuckle, "Just got lost in uh, my own thoughts."

Basil's small smile is one of understanding, and the faintest of blushes graces his cheeks, "That's okay, I understand that... I shouldn't have walked so close, h-haha..."

You both quickly speed walk to catch up with Kel, who thankfully didn't notice the little incident. As you got your bearings, you realized that you're pretty much three-fourths of the way to the plaza. One thing's for sure, you're not gonna get used to how small this town is for a while...

"-even though he was already out of time-outs. In a real game he would've lost!" Kel said with a small pout, his voice flooding back into your ears as you focused right at the back end of his talking. The three of you now found yourselves next to Faraway Park, walking slower as Kel approached that malfunctioning soda machine that stole your money last week. Sure, you had a job now, but every now and then, you're still tempted to take a crowbar to this thing and take back what was rightfully yours.

It would deserve it for giving you a hot soda.

Kel however, could not look happier at the sight of the machine. Gasping and wrapping his arms around it in a big exaggerated hug that left you emitting a tiny chuckle.

"Oh how I have missed you! Oh my god, Y/N, I need to tell you about the absolute crime against humanity that occured right here at this very spot..."

"Oh? What uh, happened?"

You had this sudden feeling of utter dread deep in your gut. You could take a wild guess, but you held on hoping it wouldn't be the case.

"Remember when we met at Othermart last week? Weeell, after we parted ways and I was walking home, some monster left a perfectly-good, unopened can of heavenly Orange Joe inside of the machine! It was just, there! Abandoned!! All alone..."

Fuck.

"What kind of person would just leave such a national treasure out in the open like that?!" Kel yelled out, seemingly hugging the vending machine tighter. You genuinely couldn't tell if Kel was being overly dramatic or dead serious. Okay, maybe you could, but you were holding out hope for the former.

"Are the drinks in the vending machine even good anymore?" Basil asked with a slightly worried expression, seemingly completely unfazed by Kel's dramatics, "I can't even remember the last time anyone ever used this thing..."

"Huh?! Of course they are Basil!" He yelled, shocked at the blonde's words, "besides, Orange Joe is timeless! You should know!"

...

A pregnant pause fills the space between the three of you, as you yourself put two and two together, Basil is already asking what was just about to come to your mind.

"...Did you drink it, Kel?"

"I-it was free! And the store wasn't carrying any that night!"

Welp. That probably explains why I haven't seen Kel this whole week.

Before Kel can get more flak for his questionable action, he quickly turns to you, "Have you ever had Orange Joe before, Y/N?"

"Can't say I have, no..." You don't like where this is going.

He's already inserting money into the machine before you can even finish your sentence, "Say no more, this one's on the house! Consider it the drink to fully welcome you here to Faraway!" 

As infectious as Kel's smile is, you decide it wouldn't be the best idea to actually drink such a concoction. One look over to Basil only reaffirms you decision, his head vigorously shaking as he looks back at you with a worried expression that you can't help but find slightly cute.

Despite feeling a small heat raise up to your cheeks, you look over at Kel, seeing him trying to push in a badly folded dollar bill into the machine. It'd probably be better used as origami rather than legal tender, but Kel is persistent if nothing else - stretching the bill out and flossing it against the corner of the vending machine in a futile attempt to flatten the bill. Miraculously enough, it accepts the bill.

And after standing and waiting for a solid minute, the machine gives Kel nothing in return. Not even the muffled rumble of a can moving inside. Kel shakes the machine as best he can, but to no avail. He looks back at the two of you, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well... Worth a shot, yeah? Maybe Othermart will have a new shipment this week, then I'll get you one for sure!"

You couldn't help but smile and thank him either way. Sure, you wouldn't be caught dead drinking what may very well be a biological hazard in liquid form, but he was genuinely nice about it and generous enough to go through the effort.

Hell, maybe Kel could end up being your partner in crime against this infernal machine one day. 

It wasn't long at all before you found yourself standing in front of the new releases section for comics and magazines, having immediately gravitated to the Captain Spaceboy comics. Walking into Hobbeez itself was... Odd. But in a good way. Nostalgic was probably the best way to put it. Nice, cozy, somewhat clean. And filled to the absolute brim with a bunch of stuff from the 2000s that made you feel like you just stepped back in time, the Japanese city pop music blaring throughout the store only serving to reinforce that feeling.

"Yo, you still read Captain Spaceboy too?!" Kel said, rushing over to you as he looks over your shoulder, seeing you holding the latest copy in your hand. You nod with a happy smile. 

Knew it!

"Haven't read them in a hot minute actually - The library back in my old school barely ever got the new issues... Even my elementary school was better with that sorta thing, I actually got my first comics at a book fair there."

"That's awesome!" Kel said with an infectious grin, "Oh dude, the shopkeep Pedro always keeps these updated as soon as they come out - Shout out to you for that by the way!" He said, pointing a finger gun at the shopkeep, who smirked and shook his head.

"I got my first Spaceboy comic the same way too! Ah man, those book fairs were the best part of elementary..." He sighs with a nostalgic smile, before muttering to himself, "I still owe Sunny $15 for it..."

As you hand the new Captain Spaceboy comic over to Kel for him to give a glance over, you look around the store for anything else that would catch your eye and see Basil looking over some display racks holding some old video game cartriges and boxes, specifically the older Animal Crossing games. Walking towards him, you can just barely hear him humming along to the music.

"Did you ever play the older Animal Crossing games, Basil?"

Baisl looks over at you and smiles softly, nodding as he holds a slightly dusty Nintendo 3DS case in his hand, "I did, for a decent amount of time. I really loved playing New Leaf back then, doing the little projects always made me super happy as a kid,"

His smile grows a bit more sad, but still present with a nostalgic expression, "I wish I still had a console... I really miss my world there. I wanna see Bluebear again too..."

"Have you ever played Animal Crossing, Y/N?"

"I used to, but... After I spilled soda on my console - accidentally! - I uh... Never got another console again for a while, heh. So I never really got a chance to properly play any of the games. But I've been playing a bit of Stardew Valley on my computer-"

"Oh!" Basil's eyes immediately light up, "I play that too! E-even if it's been a little while... Would um, would you like to play that together sometime? I know starting a new world can be a little bit of a grind, but I've never played it with anyone before... If you'd like to of course!"

"For sure! I haven't touched it in a while either so I wouldn't mind starting all over again. Maybe we could even use those mods that add flowers to plant and such." You say with a smile, with Basil returning it brightly and with the slightest tint of pink on his cheeks. You haven't seen Basil genuinely smile that many times, but when he does, you just can't help but feel warm when you see it.

Warm and... Something else you can't quite put your mind on. Before you really start to think about it, you feel a little tap on your shoulder. Turning around, you see Kel standing in front of you, holding the new Spaceboy comic with a bashful smile on his face.

"Hey, uh... Y/N? I know I don't really got a right to ask this of ya, but..." He runs the back of his neck a little, "I kinda spent the last of my cash with that dumb vending machine and uhm... Wanted to ask if you could spot me $15 for this comic? I'll get you back soon, I swear! I just haven't read these in so long, I can't help but ask-"

You just smile at Kel, already pulling out a $20 bill for him and without skipping a beat, he wraps his arms around you in a very tight embrace.

"Thank you, thank you! Oh my god we gotta read this together too! I promise I won't open a single page until we do!"

A chuckle escapes your lips as you hug him back, telling him not to worry about it. But, despite Kel's assurance that he'll pay you back, you can't help but have this strong feeling that you will never, ever see those $20 ever again.

After some more browsing, you decided to settle with also getting a copy of the new Captain Spaceboy, promising Kel that you wouldn't peek at it until you both hung out later, while Basil decided to get the latest issue of a gardening magazine that he was quite fond of. As you three walked out of Hobbeez, it wasn't too hard to come up with a place to eat.

...Considering it was the only real place to hang out and eat in this suburb anyway. So after some extreme deliberation, you all settled on going to Gino's.

Taking the table on the corner of the store, you all agreed on getting a simple large pepperoni pizza. And by agreed, you mean Kel made it pretty obvious it was what he wanted most, which was fine with you, you haven't had a good pepperoni pizza in a little while. You stand up and go to the register to place your order. But just as you're being charged for it, you quickly remember something from earlier.

"Oh, uh, sorry but can I actually have one half be vegetarian?"

"So... How's things, Basil?" Kel asks softly, quietly as he looks over the flower boy's shoulder to see Y/N ordering their pizza, "I didn't know you were hanging out with Y/N!"

Basil's gaze is focused down at their red and white checkered table, fiddling with the loose strands of cloth. His mouth opens ever so slightly, hesitation stopping him from speaking. He wants to say so, so many things. Countless scenarios, sentences rushing through his mind, he just can't bare to look up at Kel, but eventually the blonde does speak, albeit quietly.

"...I..."

"I've been doing a little bit better. I've been caring for my flowers again... A little more. A-and yeah, Y/N has been helping me take care of them. I met him at Fix-It last week actually, he actually helped me pay for some of the things I needed for my garden. And he helped me plant them too..."

Kel's smile grows, a genuine beaming smile that just barely hides the sympathetic expression he had before, "That's awesome to hear! I've been meaning to ask if he wants to go through with hanging out, but... Being bedridden for a week didn't really help much."

Basil can't help but smile a little bit, "Why do you insist on getting Orange Joe from that old vending machine? I think Gino's still has Orange Joe you can buy, does it?"

"Not anymore apparently!" Kel said with an exasperated huff, "I came by earlier to see if I could get one, but they're all out! Again! I thought I was the only one who drank it... You think maybe Y/N is the one getting all of it?"

"Somehow, I doubt that..."

"Yeah... Oh, when we do hang out you're more than welcome to tag along, y'know! We can all kinda hang out, like back-"

The uncomfortable, pained look in Basil's ocean blue eyes was enough to tell Kel to backtrack on his words a bit, but he pressed on regardless, "...Like back then..."

"You're still my friend, after all..."

Basil's head jerked up slightly, glossy blue eyes looking at Kel as if he were confused by what he just heard. Nodding ever so slightly, he looked back down, lost in his own thoughts once more, a frown adorning his face as the two friends remained quiet, in their own respective state of thoughts. Before either could stick to their thoughts for long, the loud booming voice of the pizza chef behind the counter yelled out Y/N's name. 

Ignoring the slight ringing in your ears, you thank the cook for the pizza and the soda cans before walking over to Kel and Basil, who seemed to be in a more introspective, if not downtrodden mood. Or at least, it looked like that for a second before their eyes focused on the big box of pizza in your arms. 

"That was probably the fastest pizza I've ever gotten. Still fresh too!" You smile, setting the pizza down on the table and opening it, revealing it to be half vegetarian and half pepperoni. Basil's eyes widen a bit as he looks at the pizza, a small, but still genuine smile forming on his lips. He looks up at you as he takes a stretchy slice, that smile growing wider. It really was fresh!

"Sorry I didn't get a full pepperoni like you were hoping for Kel, just wanted to be considerate and all." You say with a sheepish smile, sitting down next to Basil and grabbing your own slice.

"Pzzah's pizzah!" He tried to say through the mouthful of pizza, already having wolfed down an entire slice of pepperoni and half vegetarian. You and Basil couldn't help but laugh a little at his antics. 

You all ate and talked about the day so far, plans you've been meaning to go through, hoping that Kel wouldn't eat the whole entire pizza before either of you had your second slice (he was merciful, thankfully). 

"You up for hanging out tomorrow by the way, Y/N? I'm still holding you to it from last week!" The pizza in his mouth made him almost unintelligible.

"Sure! I have tomorrow off from work, I wouldn't mind doing something if it doesn't rain tomorrow," You turn to Basil, seeing his attention go from the conversation you two were having back down to the gardening magazine he bought, "What about you, Basil?"

He swallows his slice, nodding enthusiastically as he looks up from his magazine, "O-oh, of course! I'd have to ask Polly first, but it should be fine as long as it isn't too late."

"Awesome! You and I gotta play some basketball Y/N, ever played before?"

You nod, before giving him what can only be described as a shit-eating grin, "I'll even bring my camera along too, so I can take a victory picture when I win."

Basil went wide-eyed and Kel choked on a piece of pizza for a moment, laughing a little as he looked at you with a shocked expression, but mirroring that same grin on your face, "O-oh, oooh you are SO on!!"

You couldn't help but laugh, shaking him on it and guaranteeing him a match. In all honesty, you probably just got nothing more than a one way ticket to getting your ass handed to you on the court, but it absolutely lightened the mood, so you considered it a win in your eyes.

The fact that it made Basil smile - and he was still smiling, made it even more of a win.

As Kel stuffed his face with the last slices of pizza, making a half hearted excuse that he was gonna need all the energy for tomorrow, you look over to Basil and the page he was currently on in his magazine. One half of the page was covered by a large picture of a nice, cozy, pastel park covered in flowers, decorative and lively vines, natural bushes and all sort of beautiful fauna that looked like something straight out of the Garden of Eden.

"Is that what you have in mind for... you-know-what?" You whisper, with Basil nodding shyly but the smile growing brighter when he realizes you've noticed.

"Y-yeah, something like this... It's, not too ambitious to think it could be something like this one day, is it?"

"Well, when it comes to someone who has such a skilled green thumb or two like you, I think it's realistically ambitious. I'd go as far as to say it's more of a matter of time than anything else with you at the helm." 

Basil looks down, the light pink blush returning with a bit of a vengeance and highlighting the otherwise little and barely visible freckles on his cheeks, muttering something along the lines of a 'thank you'.

"After Kel annihilates me at basketball tomorrow, you wanna head to that spot together?"

The blonde nods, looking up at you with a hopeful look in his eyes, "Absolutely. I... Think it may be a little too late to do that today."

One look to the windows and you already see the once bright clear blue sky has turned into a very late afternoon, the sky giving way to some scattered clouds and giving the sky itself a beautiful mixture of purple, pink and orange. You wish you had your camera with you right now...

"Ah... Yeah, we'll make up for it by going tomorrow, I promise." You reassure with a soft smile, one that Basil returns. Neither you nor Kel notice how Basil scooted ever so closer to you while you looked out the window.

After the surgical destruction of the pizza (there went your hopes for taking some leftovers home), you and Kel stood near the front of the store, waiting for Basil who had excused himself to the bathroom earlier. After gushing a bit over some Captain Spaceboy lore, Kel got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment.

"Hey... Y/N? Thanks for hanging out with us today. I didn't mean to like, barge in on you guys or anything but... I guess, ah-"

"I got worried about Basil over some... Things. He hasn't always been the most extroverted guy I know, but still. I didn't know you knew him either, otherwise I wouldn't have knocked on the door like a madman, hahah-"

"No no, it's all good Kel. More than good honestly, I wanted to hang out with you for a cool minute now. But uh, I'll think twice before I leave an expired soda out like that again, hahah."

Kel began to laugh, before his eyes widened and he looked at you with a mock acusatory finger, "Hah! Yeah, I- WAIT! It was you who left that Orange Joe there??"

Aw hell-

Before you can speak, he sighs and droops his shoulders in a dramatic manner, "I guess I'll let that slide, Y/N. Only because we're friends now." Kel smiles at Y/N, before it fades and he continues his previous conversation, "It's just... It's really, really nice to see Basil out and about, y'know? And he's like, smiling more often too. It's awesome to see him like this."

"I just... Don't wanna see him shut himself in again..."

"...Kel...?" You ask quietly. You feel like that wasn't something he meant to say out loud and Kel immedately tries to backtrack on it.

"Sorry I didn't- Uh, I meant just... You know, like ah-"

"Hey... It's all good. I won't push on that." You smile, continuing in a quieter tone,"He won't go back to that... I don't know what exactly he's going through, but I feel like he needs a friend or two. Now more than ever. I know that feeling..."

"I told him whatever he's going through, he won't go through it alone. I'm keeping my word on that."

Kel looks at you with wide eyes, before giving way to a wide grin and wrapping his arms around you once more. You return the embrace and break it just as Basil comes out of the bathroom and the three of you exit Gino's the little electronic chime ringing as the door is pushed open.

"So we're all on for tomorrow then yeah?" Kel asked, facing the two of you and finishing his soda.

"For sure, around 9am sounds, yeah?" 

Basil and Kel nod, the tall brunet thanking you again for the awesome day before saying each other's respective goodbyes, leaving just you and Basil in front of the now closed Gino's. The sky was darkening even more, the pink and orange sky dimming as the last vestiges of the sun fade underneath the canopy of the forest trees.

"Looks like we got a good day to look forward to tomorrow, heh." You say with a soft yawn, which Basil mimics. You can't help but smile, guess yawns really are contagious, "Want me to walk you home?"

Before you can really think about the implications of what you just said, Basil nods with a soft smile, "I'd like that."

With that, the two of you start walking down Faraway's neighborhoods. Ignoring the growing heat building up on your face. Your blush fades as your mind is more focused both on the shared comfortable silence and your vigilance, keeping a close eye out for the group of people Basil was worried about coming across a few days ago. Thankfully, the treck to Basil's home was uneventful.

"Tomorrow, gardening. I promise." You smile to Basil, returning your smile with a grateful expression. Until suddenly, you feel something wrap around the middle of your back. A comforting, inviting pressure. Something slender and warm, welcoming, with a hidden strengtht that was held back, just a bit. An action that caused some air to slip away from your lips from the suddenness of it. It's as if the world stopped, for that split second, to give you that extra time you so subconsciously wanted despite not fully realizing what was happening.

"Thank you for today..."

Something soft and fluffy brushes against the side of your face, as those arms squeeze you tenderly, with a reluctance to let go. Just as the faintest scent of vanilla and herbal shampoo reaches your nose, those same arms let go of you, leaving you with an emptiness you can't say you've ever felt before. The metaphoric pause the world gave you just wasn't enough. Not that it ever would have been.

The embrace ended before you could return it, the culprit who left you feeling so warm, so stunned, now having entered his home. Leaving you standing there, only just beginning to understand what happened.

But as you do, the brightest smile forms on your face. One that, if it could glow, would have people thinking that the sun suddenly just rose back up again.

It leaves you walking ten feet high, with such a light feeling inside of you, that you don't notice just how quickly you made your way to Faraway Park, your mind too lost in the details of Basil's embrace to realize you were tending to his little secret garden, making sure his flowers got the proper amount of water and reinforcing the little perimeter around it with whatever you could find.

It's only when you're back home, laying on your bed that you embrace those wonderful feelings. That you replay that single event, over and over in your mind. It fuels you to prepare for tomorrow, to see him again. After a shower and toothbrushing, you load some of the colored film into your camera. You double check your phone and set it to a full ringtone, just in case he calls. Just in case he needs you to come running, for even the slightest of concerns.

You find it very difficult to sleep, but when it finds you, it's accompanied with the afterimages of a short, blonde flower boy, giving you what you could only describe as an angelic embrace that lulls you into a deep, comfortable slumber. 

With the whispered promises that tomorrow was going to be a good day.