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Basil always thought butterflies were beautiful.
Sure, other things were too, but he loved the way they would fly and almost shine in the sunlight. The way they would land on leaves, their usually multi-colored wings moving slowly and carefully. They looked like they would be the same as a carnations petals- velvety and soft. However, he knew better than to touch them, their small bodies delicate and fragile.
Basil learned over the years, though, there were two types of butterflies. There were of course the small bugs that would fly around his flowers season-round and then... He learned that there were butterflies that were around year long, flying and gliding around his belly instead. These type of butterflies tickled and they made his face wrap up in a slight burning sensation as if he were embarrassed. Whenever it happened, he was so, so confused. He knew he wasn't embarrassed!
These type of butterflies made him a bit angry... Basil couldn't quite wrap his head around why exactly the winged creatures fluttered in his stomach whenever his best friend's face lit up with her smile. He couldn't piece why they always appeared when she wrapped her hand in his, giggling over something she'd lead him to see.
He didn't want to ask Hero or Sunny or Mari or anyone else about it either, not sure how he would describe it. How could he tell them he had butterflies in his stomach and not sound super weird or insane? He couldn't even describe how they felt either, not without Aubrey being there as well, smiling or laughing at anything. Did he really want her to know about his confusing problem? She would probably tease him or get upset with him!!
One day, Basil found himself thinking of this again and couldn't help but huff into his arm. It was a fairly warm June day, and the group was planning to go the beach in a few hours. Like he had been every day for the past few weeks, he couldn't help but get upset with the little bugs flying in his belly. Why didn't he get what they meant? He felt he should know, that it was stupid that he didn't... So... Despite knowing how confusing how it would be to explain, he was done just sitting in his own thoughts.
Pushing himself up, Basil fixed his outfit he had on before starting out of his room. Walking over to his grandmother's room, he gently tapped at the door and waited. It took a few seconds before she opened the door, but he returned a smile when she gave one. "Oh... Basil.... Come on in, Darling.." Her voice was sweet and caring, just as always. So... Of course, he agreed and went in as soon as the elderly woman stepped to the side to allow the boy to enter the room. "So... What brings you here? Are you leaving earlier?" Basil shook his head, laughing a little. Due to his history on leaving earlier to see Aubrey everyone earlier, he wasn't exactly surprised that was her first idea.
"No, Gramma. I've been thinking of something for a little while and I wanted to ask you if you knew what it could be..." Basil began, finding himself more nervous now that he was talking. If there was a backing out before, now there clearly isn't. The blonde knew what he needed to do this, though. After all, if he wouldn't would he ever actually know or would he be left in the dark, always curious why she makes him feel so happy and full of life? "I know this will sound weird, but for a little while now, I've been having this weird, fluttery feeling in my belly. They almost feel like how I imagine butterflies are, but why would there be butterflies in there?!" He started off slow, but his voice slowly progressed into faster and clearly embarrassed. Over what, he did not understand.
His grandma simply hummed while listening though, resting on her bed again to begin to crochet what the short kid assumed would later be another warm blanket made with love. For a moment, he wasn't sure if she had heard properly until he heard her begin to respond, the pink yarn slowly coming together. "What are these butterflies like? I might know, if its what I think..." Her voice sounded curious and she had glanced up at him, watching as he looked at the yarn.
"I don't know... It's like, a bubbly feeling. Like I said, its like butterflies are flying in circles... It almost tickles, but not in a way I will laugh. They also make my face feel like its on fire, like its burning from whatever they really are." He tried to keep his voice even but he felt almost like a faux feeling of it coming to him as he spoke. His voice picked up and he closed his eyes and sighed. Although it was clear he didn't need Aubrey to be there when he explained now, he was still glad she wasn't. Some part of this made him still feel on edge, as if it was best to tell his grandma over his friends. "I always feel like this around Aubrey too...! It's so weird, like she is a flower and they're attracted to her. When she laughs over something Kel did or over a show or ANYTHING, they just start up again and its so, so, so annoying! I don't know what they are and I'm tired of not knowing..."
His grandma's eyes lit up in amusement as he ranted about the 'butterflies' he had. When he was done and saw her expression, his face lit up in embarrassment and he was quick to cover up his face, groaning lightly. "Well, Basil honey... I think I might know what this is." He slowly peaked past his hands at her, still embarrassed at how he described how his best friend was the root to all these feelings but his interest peaking at the old woman's words. "Basil, can you describe Aubrey a little bit for me? The way she laughs or smiles and how you feel about it." Confusion soon replaced some of the feeling and he uncovered his face as he finally sat down in a chair to look at her as a silent question. "Go on... I need to see something."
"Well, first of all, its really sweet. I love gardening and looking at flowers, but I would rather be talking to her about something. I don't care what it is, but I really like hearing her voice." He found his voice slowly as he relaxed. His more neutral to stressed expression finally crumbled and Basil found himself smiling. "Her laugh is almost like music, I guess... I want to listen to it on repeat. If it were a song, it would be the bestest, sweetest song with the absolute best lyrics!" Basil remembered when his granddad used to tell him stories of what it was like growing up with his wife, and he remembered that phrasing he used for his grandmothers laugh. It only felt fitting. "Her smile is so bright and nice.. I love it a lot, and I wish I could take a photo and always have it." It wasn't like he couldn't, but Basil wanted his own photo of her smiling for him or over something he did. "Whenever I feel sad, she always gives me a smile and I get one too. Its like its a sickness that spreads...!" Basil was far from complaining, though. If this was a sickness he had, as he described her and felt the little butterflies fly around his stomach in little circles, he realized how much he would do just to keep the feeling. So... He kept talking. He found himself describing how pretty her eyes were, how nice she was, how he felt when she would tease him over some small mistake, and even how those pretty dresses looked on her. He couldn't help it..!
His grandma was quiet as she listened, an amused look growing on her face as her grandson spoke on and on about this girl. When he finally fell quiet, she began to speak. "Well, Sweetheart, I think these butterflies are actually what's called a crush... You do know what that is, correct?" Her voice was a bit teasing as she spoke, her hands never stopping crocheting even as she looked over. Basil felt himself nod but a weird shocked feeling dawned over him for a moment, so she continued to speak. "I had the same 'weird' feelings for your Paw-Paw that you're having for that Aubrey girl... I was just as confused as you are, so I'm glad you came to me instead of keeping quiet. I understand how annoying and confusing it must've been for you."
He didn't process what she had said for a few moments. He had a crush? The word felt all too fitting for his situation and Basil honestly did not know how to feel. When his grandma asked if he knew what it was, he nodded. A crush was when you liked someone but more than how you may like a friend. Romantically was the word. A crush was liking someone romantically over platonically. His Grandma thought he had a crush on Aubrey. His grandma wasn't a joker either, so if she said that, it was true. She did think he had a crush on the long haired girl.
Oh.
"Oh."
He didn't even realize his realization came out verbally until his the elderly woman burst into pure-hearted laughter. He felt his face flush once more and he looked away.
It made sense....
It only fit the butterflies in his belly were crush-butterflies, and for each and every one of them to be for the girl.
Maybe... Maybe he would draw some butterflies, but ones based off her later. He wasn't an artist like Sunny, but it felt fitting. Butterflies were beautiful, and so was Aubrey.