Work Text:
Everyone’s reactions to the truth were different.
Hero, with a teary, pain-stricken face, walked out of the hospital room, mumbling how he needed time.
Aubrey, after screaming at Sunny for keeping something so terrible and tragic a secret, ran after Hero, slamming the door with an echoing thud .
But Kel.
After the two others had run off, all Kel had done was silently open up his arms. Sunny was confused- he wasn’t sure what Kel was doing. It wasn’t until he opened his arms a bit more, beckoning him, that he understood.
Even after all of these years ignoring him, and after telling him my darkest secret, he’s… comforting me?
Sunny collapsed into him, grasping his shirt, tears welling up in eyes and staining Kel’s orange jersey. Sunny felt Kel’s warm hand snake up to his head and rest on his hair.
“It’s okay, Sunny… you and Basil were only twelve. If I had lost Hero…,” Kel’s breathing became labored for a second, “...I would be just as scared too.” He pulled away from Sunny, resting his hands on Sunny’s shoulders and giving him a smile. “I’ll talk to the others about everything. You’re an amazing person, Sunny. Just because you messed up once… doesn't change that.”
Sunny looked into Kel’s deep dark brown eyes, glistening with hopeful sparkles, and heard something that he thought that he would never, ever , hear.
“I forgive you.”
-~`*`*`*`*`*`~-
After the entire Basil incident, Kel’s mom offered to let Sunny stay over at their place for the rest of the summer- to which Sunny’s mother happily agreed, saying: “You could use the time to reconcile with your friends, sweetie… that would be really good for you.”
This was how Sunny found himself lying on Kel’s carpeted floor almost two weeks after everything happened.
It was 11:58 P.M., on the cool summer night of July 19th, 2003. His seventeenth birthday was in two minutes. His mind wandered to his friends.
Hero had already ventured off back to college- he had forgiven Sunny after a few days, but was understandably still shaken up by the truth- leaving the town and taking time for himself.
Aubrey was gradually healing. She still had disdain for both Sunny and Basil, but was starting to understand the circumstance. Sunny hoped that she was doing okay.
Basil was the calmest he’d ever been since the incident. Having the truth finally out had lifted that gruesome weight of guilt by a lot, but he and Sunny both agreed that there was still more healing that they’d have to work through separately.
This just left Kel and Sunny alone to pass the time.
Sunny snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the dimly illuminated popcorn ceiling of Kel and Hero’s shared bedroom. Kel’s side, littered with sports posters, graphic novels, and other memorabilia; Hero’s, neat, clean, and organized. It smelled a bit like cinnamon- but Sunny figured that it was caused by the candle that Kel’s mom always burns at night.
He sighed. Despite laying in the most comfortable sleeping bag he had ever slept in, Sunny couldn’t sleep at all.
All he could think about was Kel.
Kel, who was supporting him and helping him reconcile with everyone even after what Sunny had done. Kel, who was his lifeline when he was at his lowest point. Kel, who seemed to magically cheer him up by simply existing.
Sunny tried to distract his thoughts but to no avail. The image of Kel’s goofy, adorable grin flashed in his mind, shooting a wave of butterflies all throughout his body. There was no way he was going to get any sleep like this.
His eyes flitted to the clock on the wall, illuminated by cool blue moonlight. 12:00 A.M. His birthday. It made no difference. It’s not like he had any plans-
“Psst- Sunny! Wake up!”
Sunny sat up to see Kel grinning at him from his bed. “Oh sweet! You’re already awake!,” he whispered, yanking off his blanket. Before Sunny could comprehend what was happening, he found himself being tackled in a hug, warmth surrounding his body. “Happy birthday, Sunny!”
Sunny hugged back, not noticing how wide he was smiling. Kel smelled like pizza and orange soda. It was calming.
The brown-haired teen pulled back, sitting on the grey, cushy sleeping bag. “I, uh, wanted to ask… I know it’s late, but would you want to celebrate with a midnight adventure?”
Sunny was taken aback, and the familiar waves of butterflies crashed throughout his body once again.
“I have this secret spot that I’ve always wanted to show you- I’ve been saving it! No spoilers though, heh,” Kel said, scratching the back of his neck.
“Kel…”
Kel’s smile faltered. “You totally don’t have to if you don’t want to! I understand it’s late-”
“I’d love to go.”
Kel cheeks flushed at Sunny’s sudden, enthusiastic tone, and his grin crept back onto his face. “Alright,” he stood up, offering a hand to Sunny, “follow me!”
He pulled Sunny up to a standing position, and together they stealthily crept through the house and outside.
It was warm outside, with a nice, cool breeze to compliment. Stars shone like rhinestones in the sky. The wind blew by the grass, making it sway ever so slightly.
“Just follow me, it’s in the woods right across the street here!”
The crunching of twigs and leaves accompanied the two teens as they ventured into the forest, laughing and talking as they walked. At some point Kel pulled a mini flashlight out of his pants pocket to guide the way.
“Okay Sunny, we’re coming close to it now, close your eyes- I mean, your eye, heh.”
Sunny’s eye closed. Everything went dark.. He felt a warm hand gently grasp his own, and his heart sped up a bit.
“Alright, follow me! I’ll tell you when to open your eyes!”
After a bit of blind walking, with only Kel’s bright voice to guide him, the gentle pulling on his hand stopped. “We’re here! I, uh- you can look now.”
Sunny’s eyes fluttered open. What he saw astonished him.
He found himself in a starlit clearing with a small, bubbling creek running across it. Frogs croaked in the distance. There were little mushrooms everywhere, and occasionally, a firefly would light ablaze. In the center was a picnic blanket, sprawled out in the grass; along with it, a couple bottles of orange joe and some kind of speaker. He was speechless.
“Surprise! We can watch the stars together!” Kel faced him, smiling.
“I… all of this… for me?” Sunny didn’t know what to say. He was baffled by the fact that Kel cared about him enough to surprise him like this.
“Of course! I mean, it’s your birthday! Why wouldn’t I do this for the most special person I know?” Kel said, a dusting of blush spreading across his cheeks.
Sunny managed to say, “When did you set all of this up?”
Kel chuckled. “When you were in the shower earlier, I went out and put it all together. I wanted it to be perfect for you.”
Wave after wave of butterflies soared in Sunny’s stomach. “It… it is perfect. I love it so much.”
The brown-haired teen’s eyes sparkled. “I’m so happy that you do!” He motioned over to the blanket. “Let’s sit!”
The boys dashed to sit on the blanket. They sat right next to each other, their shoulders brushing ever-so-slightly. Kel dug in his pocket to pull out Hero’s old MP3 player. “What songs do you like?,” Kel asked Sunny.
“I’m cool with anything.”
“Alrighty, I’ll put it on shuffle.”
Kel hooked it up to the speaker and pressed play. Some kind of calm rock song was playing. The wind breezed through their hair. Sunny watched as Kel looked to meet his eyes; deep, beautiful, and sparkling under the moonlight.
Without much thinking, Sunny spoke. “Thank you, Kel.”
“For what?”
“For this. For everything.” Sunny looked at his hands. “Being around you like this… makes me feel important. You always listen to me. You’re like… a ray of sunshine in my life. If you hadn’t knocked on my door that day, I…” He started to tear up. “You saved me at my weakest point. I just hope that I can make you feel as loved and important as you make me feel.”
Sunny’s words were met with stunned silence. When he looked up, he saw Kel, tears pricking at his eyes. He hadn’t seen the boy cry since they were little kids.
Kel’s hand met Sunny’s. “Sunny… you do make me feel loved and important. I always feel like I have to always be smiling for people, to put up this fake, happy persona. But, with you…” His fingers intertwined with Sunny’s, his thumb rubbing little circles on the other’s hand. “I can really, truly be myself. I should be the one thanking you. You’re like… the gentle voice of reason, a beam of moonlight to me.”
Sunny could only tilt his head to rest on Kel’s shoulder. He felt an arm wrap around his body. He was at peace.
“Would it be weird if I said…” Kel stopped, cutting his own sentence off. “Nevermind…”
Sunny sat up and turned to face Kel, reaching to hold both of his hands. “Tell me. I won’t think it’s weird.”
“Heh, alright… Sunny, I think I’m in love with you.”
Is this real?
I should pinch myself to check.
Ouch. Yep. This is real.
It was at that moment Sunny realized his feelings: why he got so flustered around Kel, why he was so happy with him, why he would always dream about him… he was in love .
And the love was reciprocated.
Sunny was so lost in his realization that he was staring off into space for a bit. When he shook back into the present, he saw Kel looking back at him, concerned.
“I’m so sorry Sunny, agh that was so random just forget I said anything-”
“No.”
“...No?”
Kel tilted his head at Sunny, his eyes sparking with curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“I…” Sunny said. He wasn’t good with words, so he was going to show Kel how much he meant to him in a different way.
Without another thought, Sunny leaned in, grasping Kel’s cheek with one of his hands, and crashing his lips into the other’s. It was quick, fleeting; but it was enough to shoot fireworks through Sunny’s entire being.
Kel simply stared, awestruck, resting his hand over Sunny’s, which was still on his cheek. He let out a breath. “Does this mean you feel the same way?”
Sunny smiled. “Yes, dumbass.”
The teens stared at each other for a second before the silence between them was shattered with an eruption of howling laughter.
“I can’t believe you feel the same way about me, Kel,” Sunny said, the laughter dying down. “In isolation I had convinced myself that I was unlovable- but being here with you, tonight, has really brought the truth to my eyes- I am loved.” Sunny wasn’t used to talking this much, but around Kel the words seemed to flow out so easily. Kel looked into his eye, with that adorable, stupidly cute grin across his face.
“Sunny, can I kiss you?”
No more words needed to be spoken. Sunny reached up to Kel's cheek and gently and carefully pulled him closer. This time, their lips met with a soft and gentle touch. Sunny could feel Kel grinning against his lips before he felt arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. They kissed again and again, tentative and gentle, living in the moment with each other, their thoughts only occupied by the other.
Kel was the first to pull away, instead resting his head on Sunny’s shoulder. Sunny wrapped his arms around him. He was truly at peace.
“I love you, Sunny.”
Sunny didn’t hesitate in his response.
“I love you too, Kel.”
It became quiet, and the both of them were content, happy, for the first time in years; holding each other and supporting each other in the uncertain and scary world they had been thrust into.
Sunny smiled into Kel’s shoulder. Everything was going to be okay.