Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunny awoke in a plain white room, similar to White Space, but it was most definitely not. He pondered a bit, wondering what he was to do in this situation, so he decided to move. Walk forward in this nothingness. And at first, it seemed as if he were making no progress.

His senses soon became slowly dominated by a bleached light and loud ringing. Is he dead? And if not, was he dying? At this point to him, it didn’t really matter. As he persisted on, the light started to become brighter and brighter, and the ringing just became even more ear shattering and annoying.

He could see someone within the light. Someone with their back turned, showing off their long, black hair. The white angelic dress they were wearing reminded him of… Reminded him of…?

He couldn’t remember.

Instinctively, he reached out a hand, grazing their soft skin and being reminded of sweet childhood memories. 

Ah, that’s right! His dear sister Mari, yes. He remembered. That’s who this must be, so he gave her a little tug to get her to turn his direction.

He wishes he hadn’t done that though, because when she turned around her face was warped in an unrecognizable mess. Her eyes melted out of socket, followed by her teeth that started slowly falling out and disintegrating, forming a foul smelling puddle on the ground. 

Sunny was glued to his place–he couldn’t move a single muscle. Not even the ones in his eyes, which would’ve shielded him from the ungodly sight. But he couldn’t, and all he wanted to do was cry.

He tried opening his mouth to scream, but being unsuccessful to make a single sound discouraged this, so he watched. Watched this person he loved so dearly turn into a sinuous and horrible figure.

This thing, whatever it was, reached a hand out to Sunny’s shoulder. A scalding hand that otherwise would’ve made him scream in pain. It opened its mouth, attempting to form words. “Omo…r..i.” it rasped. 

Omori? Omori. Omori . 

No no no. Sunny wasn’t Omori. Omori was gone, right? 

Yeah. Yes, Omori was gone. He’s not him. He’s not Omori.

I’m not Omori. I’m not Omori. I’m not-

In an instance, everything went black, and for a second he swore that he had just died.

But he awoke again, in a different setting. A more realistic one. At least from what he could tell.

Sunny attempted to open both eyes, and it was only then that he realized that he was not dreaming, he was in a hospital. He’d in fact actually gone outside of his house for the first time in four years, there was no denying it now.

There was still a slight ringing in his ears, and the bright light that was once overtaking his vision faded into a softer, more yellowish version than it once was. Eventually, the ringing subsided and he could properly think straight.

Everything was just as disorientating as Sunny remembered it to be. And, for a second, he considered closing his eyes, falling back asleep, and returning back to his fantasy land where everyone was happy and alive, but he knew that there was nothing left for him there, and most importantly, none of it was real.

As he went to move he felt a sharp pain shoot throughout his body and a stringing in his right eye. He groaned loudly as he grabbed at the bandages covering half of his face, remembering the night prior. Sunny had a gut feeling that night that something was off, and, even though Basil had stabbed him in the eye, it was better than the alternative. Whatever that may have been. 

Attempted suicide, that was the alternative. He didn’t want to assume, but based on the position he’d caught him in, Sunny is certain that’s what it was. It begged the question; if Sunny hadn’t interrupted him, would he have… done it?

An emotionally pained feeling came across his body as he considered this, and to his shock, he began to cry. He couldn’t believe it. For the first time in years, Sunny Suzuki allowed himself to sob profusely, without the voice in the back of his mind screaming at him to be quiet. That he didn’t deserve to cry.

The tears flowed for so many different reasons. Because he had missed his friends for so long, because he had abandoned Basil, and most devastating of it all, because he’d finally came to terms with Mari’s death

She didn’t commit suicide. No, he’d murdered her. Unfairly took her life when it had just been beginning. He killed the one he loved, and he will never forgive himself for that.

He halted his crying, deciding he needed to find Basil to make sure he was doing okay, or just anyone that could explain the situation in that matter, so he approached the exit to his room and slowly turned the knob.

As he walked down the white, surprisingly empty hall, he could’ve sworn that he caught a glimpse of his friends walking down the hallway, but as he walked closer, he realized they were only hallucinations. Apparitions that his mind was trying to comfort him with.

A familiar figure appeared, walking in the opposite direction than he’d seen his friends heading, so assuming this was his intuition telling him something, he decided to follow the latter.

He followed until the figure disappeared, stopping in front of another hospital room that he hoped to be Basil’s, finally in reach. His hand reached out for the cold steel door knob automatically, and when he entered…

When he entered, everything looked and felt blurry. He couldn’t make them out, but there were people. Three different shadows looming over a hospital bed that laid another shadow. This is just the perfect time for his brain to be playing tricks on him, he thought sarcastically.

“Sunny?” One of the shadows spoke. Their voice sounded familiar. 

“What are you doing out of your room?” What was he doing out if his room? He should be in bed, laying down and dreaming of him and his friends living together peacefully and happily.

He shook his head, snapping out of it. He was here for Basil, here to make sure he’s okay, and to finally tell them all the truth, he can’t doubt himself now. If he can do one thing right, let it just be this.

His vision once again corrected itself to where he could finally see Aubrey, Hero, and Kel standing around Basil’s hospital bed. Basil had yet to open his eyes, and the bruises and cuts that scattered his face made him feel awful. 

He tried to put the guilt off for now, and opened his mouth to speak.  “I have to tell you something…” He croaked out. 

Even he was surprised by how much his voice seemed to have changed, after not speaking for years. He’d say a few words occasionally, when he was awake that was. It was never enough though–that’s what his mother always said to him. 

Kel titled his head curiously, “Sunny, hey! You spoke.” he said with a smile. Sunny only nodded silently, awaiting someone's approval to go on, and when he didn’t receive it, “It’s about Mari.” he decided to persist and move on anyway.

The color drained from the face of each of them, not anticipating the sudden topic to be brought up. Kel, in an attempt to speak for all of them, nodded, and one by one their eyes laid upon Sunny with a mixture of concern and confusion, making him shiver with anticipation.

“The night of Mari’s… suicide. I-It wasn’t that… I mean. A suicide.” Sunny stopped himself when he felt himself becoming hazy from the rapid beating of his heart. It feels like if he looks directly into their eyes for any longer that he’s going to pass out, so he opted for the floor, the plain white tiles reflecting a distorted and faint picture of himself.

“We got- I mean- I pushed her. D-Down the stairs. It was an accident, I-I swear!” He began to tear up again. 

“She hit the ground too hard- and Basil saw the whole thing. All of it.” Sunny wiped away a tear that had been lingering in his tear duct for too long. 

“He was the one to come up with the idea of f-framing it as a suicide. But please don’t get mad at him! I-I was the one that took her away from you…” His skin became cold as he went further on, and when he decided he was done speaking for the time being, “I’m sorry. You guys deserved to know this sooner.” he gave them a final apology, rubbing his hands against his arms in order to warm them up.

He didn’t expect them to forgive him, but he could’ve never anticipated that the first reaction he would gauge would be laughing.

“Y-Your not serious. You’re joking aren’t you? This is all some sick joke, right?” It was Kel, said out of disbelief. Sunny finally built up the courage to look up from his spot, and caught a glimpse of the different reactions on everyone’s faces. Anger, confusion, denial; it didn’t matter. It was the truth.

Kel looked at Sunny as if he were begging him to say that it wasn’t true. Instead, Sunny shook his head, and the reality of what he said sunk into everyone's broken hearts. 

Aubrey slowly walked up to Sunny with a blank expression, and after a moment of staring straight into his soul, she slapped him. 

“You’re fucking disgusting.” She spat. Her words stinging him more than the tender spot her hand had made contact with.

“You’re telling me I spent the last couple of days worrying about a murderer and his accomplice? What the hell is wrong with you?!?” She yelled in his face. 

Couple of days? 

Was he really out for that long?

He gained a shove on the shoulder from her when Sunny didn’t answer her, something she despised, the silent treatment. “Hey asshole! You got all talkative one second and now you won’t say anything! What’s the matter, cat got your goddamn tongue?!”

“A-Aubrey, you’re being a bit harsh!” Kel stuttered. He really should’ve just kept his mouth shut though, because she whipped around to look at him the same way she did to Sunny.

“A bit harsh? A BIT HARSH? Kel, are you hearing yourself right now? You sound fucking insane!” She reprimanded him, and then turned back to jab a finger harshly at Sunny’s chest. 

She laughed a bit manically, “How DARE you keep that a secret for so long. Did you just assume you were the only one suffering? Because guess what, you weren’t!” Her whole body shook, and her breathing became irregular. Kel approached from behind in, and in an attempt to reason put a hand on her shoulder.

“Aubrey, just calm dow-”

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” She jerked her body backward earning an even more concerned look from Kel, but he did not persist, which was probably for the best. She was already showing signs of destructive behavior.

Tears lightly streamed down her face, and she slowly wrapped her arms around herself. “And you.” She addressed Sunny, pointing her shaking finger towards him. 

“I don’t want to see your face ever again! You understand?” She yelled, and shoved him out of the way to leave. 

“W-Wait! Aubrey, we should talk about this!” Kel shouted as she swung open the door. She paused in the doorway and spoke up very quietly. 

“There’s nothing to talk about…” And with that, she slammed the door shut, leaving the rest to ponder in silence. Needless to say, it was very uncomfortable. Air consisting of sniffles and staggered breathing, he knew he completely ruined perception of Mari’s death forever.

Hero was the next one to speak up. “I… I need time.” He mumbled, staring at the floor absentmindedly. 

“To process this. I need time.” His voice was empty, void of emotion. And when his wide wet eyes finally landed on Sunny's face, “I can’t believe the two of you, I’m… I’m disappointed, Sunny.” Sunny couldn’t help but feel absolutely distraught. Getting Hero disappointed at you was one thing, but this was on a whole different level.

Perhaps it was because Sunny had always looked up to Hero in a way. He never wanted to disappoint him, and now that he’s hurt him, what now? The way he looked at Sunny was indescribable, and the way he slowly stepped out of the room with nothing else to say was miserable. 

Kel, of course, wanting to go after his brother, followed after him. He paused before leaving, “You two have a lot of explaining to do, Sunny.” he said. 

“You guys are my friends, but I… I don’t know anymore.” He ran after Hero, calling his name.

Two. 

It was just the two of them left now. Last time it was like this, they’d had a not-so-little scuffle, and he’d lost an eye. It probably was not a good idea to have them alone together again, but Sunny didn’t care, and Basil didn’t have a say. He wasn’t awake yet. 

So he walked up to his bedside and put his ear against Basil’s chest, listening intently to his heartbeat. It was steady, like the heart monitor read, but he had to hear for himself that he was still alive. Extra reassurance.

He then lifted his head to inspect Basil's face. There’s a bruise on his left eye, bandages covering various cuts, and he looked a little pale. The guilt was overwhelming, he couldn't imagine how Basil was going to react when he woke up…

Sunny lightly placed a finger on Basil's face and traced his freckles. He’s always liked his freckles. They were slightly more visible because of how pale he was, making it a bit easier to spot them all, but halfway through tracing them all decided he was being creepy, touching his still, unconscious body like this.

So he stood up from his place, planning to go back to his room before a nurse came in and scolded him for being out, but as he slowly stepped away from Basil’s bed, a sound of shuffling suddenly came from behind him. Immediately, he turned around. 

Basil was moving around in his spot, groaning softly, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. Sunny’s never been good at maintaining eye contact, but at this moment, when their eyes met, he couldn't break away from the ocean-like eyes that met his own duller ones. 

He felt it, the something that had been following, haunting, mocking Sunny for so long disappeared. The happiness he felt seeing his old best friend awake after such an already long day was overwhelming, so he gave Basil the biggest smile he could. And Basil, still a little delirious, smiled too, having the something that wrapped around and warped his brain disappear as well.

“Sunny…” Basil tried to speak, but his voice was too hoarse. Quickly, Sunny grabbed a cup , filled it with water, raced back to his side, and lifted the cup to his lips so he could drink.

He drank very slowly, it took a while for him to get done. “Thank you.” He said more clearly this time when he finished, and wiped his mouth with the back of his frail hand.

Sunny let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and put the cup down on the counter next to them. “Basil…” He said, Basil looked up at him with glistening eyes. He was probably surprised he’d even spoken after all this time of being silent.

“Basil, I told them.” He looked a bit confused, so Sunny elaborated, “I told them about Mari. About how I killed her, your idea to frame it as a suicide… They know now.” 

Basil let out a sigh, a relieved one no less. The weight they had both been burdening them was slowly being lifted off both their shoulders, “S-Sunny… Thank you.” He said, covering his face.

“I’m so s-sorry...” He apologized as he let out a few sniffles. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you I-I thought I was protecting you. I’m sorry.” Basil uncovered his face to wipe away tears. His cheeks were already red and his eyes were a bit puffy. 

He reached out to touch where Sunny’s wounded eye was, but immediately pulled back. “Haha, I’m such a terrible friend, Sunny.” 

“You aren’t.” Sunny retaliated. He caught Basil’s eyes with his own. “I am.” he said.

“We were supposed to stick together, but I left you by yourself. Basil… I’m the worst friend in the world, and I’m so sorry you had to be the one to witness it.” Sunny apologized.

“S-Sunny, it’s okay.” Basil said. But Sunny shook his head, refusing to accept that answer, “It’s not, so let me make it up to you.” he said.

“Shouldn’t you be m-mad at me? I stabbed your eye out and convinced you to h-hang Mari… I’m the villain here.” Basil questioned, voice wavering on and off. 

Sunny squinted his eyes, if anything, he was the villain, not Basil. “Who said I was never mad at you at some point?” He asked. “And I was the one that left you for four years, so shouldn’t you also be mad?”

To that, Basil crossed his arms and side-eyed him. “I do admit, I am s-still a little angry about it. But… you’re here now. Th-That’s all I ever wanted.” His tone softened in the last sentence, and a short silence followed.

Basil opened his mouth to talk, hesitating to find the words, “How did th-they react?” he asked. 

“Not very well.” Sunny said. “Aubrey yelled at me, and slapped me, Hero said he was disappointed in us, and Kel… He seemed very confused.” 

“Aubrey s-slapped you?!” Basil squeaked, looking at his face with a horrified expression. 

Sunny nodded, persisting the silence from before, and among that decided that was enough talking about that for the day. He was quite frankly exhausted, even though he’d just woken up, and if he had to think super hard about something for any longer, he feels like his head might explode.

Besides, the silence between the two had always been rather comforting. They never needed words to share their thoughts to each other, it’s like the other just knew what one was feeling telepathically. 

Sunny grabbed one of Basil's hands and looked up at him. “Is this okay?” He asked. Basil nodded, intertwining their fingers together. 

Basil’s hands have always been more noticeably calloused due to him working in the garden all day. Sunny's, however now soft and a tad bigger than Basil’s, used to also be calloused from playing the violin. But, not anymore since he hasn’t touched one in ages. 

“Haha! Th-This is just like when w-we were kids…” Basil commented, a small blush spread across Basil’s pale face as he trailed off. Sunny, who had this head planted on his arm, looked up from the floor he had been staring at. “Basil?”

“Yeah?” 

“I’ll explain myself before I leave for the city, okay?” Sunny said. 

“You promise?” Basil asked, squeezing his hand a little harder. 

“No, I will.” He affirmed, making the other smile weakly. It was enough to satisfy Sunny though.

“Hey S-Sunny?” Basil called out next.

“Yeah?”

“Welcome back, Sunny.”

…

It was a little later in the afternoon. After Sunny had affirmed to Basil that he would explain himself they sat without another word for the rest of the time, hand in hand, until a nurse came in and started scolding Sunny for being out of his room. 

He was told that his mom was on his way to visit; she started heading over as soon as the nurses informed her that he was awake.

When she arrived, Sunny was sitting on his bed and staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. Her entrance did not make him look down.

“Oh dear God, Sunny!” She immediately made her way over for a big hug, which Sunny wasn’t very appreciative of. Still though, he hugged her back as she gave him reassuring pats on the back and multiple apologies about how she shouldn’t have left him on his own for so long.

“Mom- It’s fine. I’m okay.” Sunny complaned, finally managing to get out of her grip. Her eyes welled with tears, and she stroked both sides of his face with her hands. 

“Oh Sunshine… You spoke.” She said proudly. Even though nobody else was witnessing this, Sunny couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

A sudden aggressiveness appeared in her eyes, “And you’re not okay! Look what happened to you… The doctors said they don’t think you’ll ever be able to see out of that eye again!” Sunny had to admit, that would take some getting used to, and it would probably be really annoying, but it was okay because… Basil is okay. 

“How’d this happen again? Aubrey, Hero, and Kel said they found you both passed out and bloody gardening shears in Basil’s hand?” She made a disgusted face as she described the scene.

“Why would he do something like that? He’s always been such a kind gentle soul…” She asked. Asked asked asked… His mother always asked way too many questions at once. 

Still, he supposes he can’t blame her for being curious, he did lose an eye. “He didn’t mean to.” Sunny said without any further elaboration. She huffed, looking at him with stern eyes. “Now explain to me how someone accidentally stabs someone else's eye out?” 

“He was having a panic attack.” He said, but still, she gave him the, ‘I’m not buying it.’ look, which consisted of raised eyebrows and dilated pupils. 

“He wasn’t thinking straight, and… And I don’t think he could see.” Sunny was trying his best to recall the night as well as he could.

“He kept saying there was something behind me, and that he would protect me from it, and then.” He made a stabbing motion towards his eye. “Garden shears in my eye.” 

His mom did not appreciate Sunny’s goofy recreation of the scene. She crossed her arms, “That’s all? Really?” 

"A-Also.” Sunny continued. “His grandma was in the hospital. I don’t know what happened to her but… I think he was planning on doing something not so nice that night…”

“I don’t understand.” She confessed. Sunny slapped himself on the forehead. “Mom! He was gonna hurt himself. Basil was… Basil was going to commit suicide.” He said. 

It hurts to say out loud. Another loved one, dead at the hands of Sunny. He couldn’t have taken it any longer if that was the case. 

His mom covered her mouth in shock at his words. “I see… Basil has always been closer to his grandmother than his own parents. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.” She said. 

Sunny sighed, knowing what he had to talk about with her next. It wasn’t going to be pretty,

“Mom, we should… I need to tell you something.”

But consistency is the key.

~

It’s been a couple of days since Sunny’s seen Basil or any of his other friends, if you could still call them that. The nurses did not allow the two to see each other at the request of Sunny’s mom. She took his confession rather well, Saying that, “She assumed something wasn’t right.” After all, Mari had never shown any signs of being depressed to anybody, which is why her death was so shocking to everybody.

“I knew something wasn’t right from the get-go. At first, I had truly believed that she had done it, but… After they took down her body, after they found chunks of a broken violin implanted in her head, and after seeing that she had laid out her clothes for the recital so meticulously I thought, there was no way my daughter could've killed herself. But still, I went with it. Because I couldn’t stand the thought of losing my son as well.” 

However, what she had to say about Basil wasn’t as lenient as what she had to say about Sunny. She was disgusted at his thought process, and couldn’t understand why he resorted to such drastic measures so quickly. 

Sunny didn’t fully understand either, but they were just kids at the time, and all Basil had ever wanted to do was to protect him, so that’s all he told her for now. 

Maybe, just maybe she was silently grateful for that, but she would never show it. For the time being though, Basil was banned from seeing him. Which sucked. A lot. How was he supposed to explain himself now?

Over the past two days Sunny had just laid in bed all day, occasionally napping, or getting visits from his mother. On day two of Basil-ban something different happened though. 

He got a knock on his door, which he assumed to be a nurse. However, he thought the knock to be quite aggressive for a nurse. The door handle turned slowly and the door opened even slower.

It was Kel. He looked a little tired, but still bore a big smile on his face as he entered Sunny’s room. “Hey Sunny.” He tried to say enthusiastically, but it still came out a bit flat. 

He awkwardly pulled up a chair and sat near his bedside. “I uh- came to check up on you guys. Glad to see Basil’s awake…” 

So he visited Basil first, Sunny thought. Interesting.

“So uh, how are you?” Kel asked, making him realize that he’s been stuck in his head this whole time and not speaking. 

“I’m fine. Could be better.” Sunny replied. Kel scratched the back of his neck and smiled. 

“Glad to hear bud- ahem. Uh, have you… talked to Basil any?” 

“I have.” Sunny didn’t elaborate. 

“Y-Yeah, cool cool.” Kel patted his knees in rhythm out of uncomfortableness. 

“Listen Sunny, it’s really awkward right now. With everybody. Aubrey's gone back to ignoring me, a-and Hero. Hero won’t even speak to me about it. Hell, he even left early to go back to uni.” Kel spluttered out. 

“You guys are still my friends, but I want answers, Sunny. A-And Basils explained his point of view to me the best he could, but I still don’t understand why you did it.” He paused. 

“So can you please tell me?” Kel asked. “What happened that day, Sunny?”

He appreciated Kel’s efforts to hear him out, and he never intended to split the three of them apart again, but Sunny knows he’s done the right thing so far. He can’t mess up now, so he began to explain.

He explained how the pressure of the recital was weighing down upon him within every passing day. How he and Mari would practice for hours at a time sometimes with no in-between breaks. He’d been so exhausted and tired from practicing that he just wanted to quit. 

He went into as much detail as possible about the day before the recital, explaining how during a heated argument with Mari, he threw his violin down the stairs in a fit of rage, which only made her even more furious. 

He never intended to push her hard, only enough so he could pass by her and run out of the house, but instead he ended up pushing her directly down the stairs, Basil as a witness. With her bad knee adding onto that, her balance couldn't have saved her either. 

He explained how he and Basil had taken her upstairs and put her in her bed, and it was only when Basil saw Sunny panicking–when they both realized she was actually dead, that he came up with the plan of hanging her. 

Kel nodded at every passing sentence and looked to be in deep thought. He did not interrupt Sunny once to ask him anything. He just quietly sat there and listened, which he appreciated. Unlike his mother, who stopped him in the middle of every sentence like she couldn’t believe any of it. 

When Sunny was finished, Kel did not say anything. He sat with a bouncing knee,  hand planted on his chin like he was thinking super hard about everything. In fact, he stayed silent for so long that when Kel finally spoke up again Sunny jumped at the sound of his voice. 

“I think I understand slightly better.” Kel said. He stood up from his place and smiled at Sunny. 

“Thank you, for the explanation. I should get going now.” Sunny nodded in understanding. Kel held out a fist initiating a fistbump, so he returned the favor, listening and watching him mimic a small explosion noise with his mouth.

“Oh! Before I forget.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Call me when you get discharged alright?” 

Sunny looked at the paper, it had his house number on it. In all honesty, Sunny has Kel and Hero’s number memorized by heart, but he appreciated the gesture anyway.

“I will.” Sunny smiled.

Chapter Text

Slide. Slide. Slide. 

This was all that was on Sunny’s mind at the moment. 

After Kel’s visit, his mom had dropped by this evening to see him again. When she entered, she was holding what looked to be a grocery bag, but pulled out a variety of things to keep Sunny entertained all day.

A big smile was plastered on her face. “Hi sweetie! Look what I got you!” She sat in the chair next to him and started pulling out what she had bought. 

The first thing was a mesh stress ball, which Sunny was sure he would pop eventually, but it was quite fun to squeeze and watch it change color. However, it got boring very quickly, so Sunny set it down after only about five minutes, and the next thing she had pulled out was what he was currently working on, a rubix cube.

Sunny was a little more intrigued by this seeing as he’s never had one before, and because they’d always been a staple toy that most kids owned. He spent some time messing it up before he and his mom spent the rest of the day trying to solve it. 

“No no Sunshine, twist it the other way.” She said, neither of them had any clue on what they were doing, but she was trying to direct him in the best way that she could.

“If I do it that way then this yellow part will be stuck in the red.” He pointed at the area he was referring to, and when she did not give any kind of solution, he groaned aloud, putting the cube down onto the bedside table next to him. 

“Would you like me to pick you up something for dinner, Sunny?” She inquired. The hospital food was disgusting, a change of pace would be nice.

So he thought for a second, realizing that he did actually feel quite hungry for once, which was something he rarely noticed after ignoring it for so long all the time. 

It only reminded him that he’d be leaving Faraway soon, the town he spent so much time making the best and worst of memories. Worst being the pretty predominantly fresh and new ones he’d experienced, and with that, his thoughts wandered to his friends. He’s curious on how they’re all doing right now, especially Hero since he’d looked pretty shaken up last time he saw him–when he’d told them the truth.

Huh, Hero… “A Hero sandwich from Gino’s.” He decided. 

His mom's eyes widened with surprise, “Oh! Are you sure? Those are quite big. You know how small of an appetite you have, Sunny.” she reminded him. Still, he insisted on having one anyway, and complying she stood up from her place, planting a small kiss on Sunny’s forehead.

“I’ll be back in a bit.” She told him before she left.

Afterwards, Sunny had picked up the rubix cube once again to try to solve it, but his attempts only ended in failure, and the persistent sliding sound he’s starting to despise began to enrage him.

It was like it was mocking him, telling him he wasn’t smart enough to solve something that seemed so simple. He wanted to throw it against the wall out of frustration and destroy it, but it was a gift from his mother, and he wouldn’t hear the end of it from her if he did that. Deciding that he was getting too heated about it, he set it down once again, and looked over to the last thing she had pulled out from the bag.

It was a Tamagatchi, a handheld toy that was quite popular a few years back. He remembered Kel and Aubrey had one, and they would often fight over who was the best caretaker. Kel’s was plain and orange, and Aubrey's was pink with sprinkles scattered across the shell, like a donut, both very fitting for the two.

The rest of the group never had their own, but Sunny always liked watching Aubrey dress hers up and how Kel somehow managed to kill his every single time. He’s never asked for his own before, and assuming the rave over them had died down, he’s surprised his mom found one in the shop.

His was plain black, his favorite color, and was still in the package, so he grabbed it and opened it up, tossing the packaging aside. There was a long manual on how to use it, turn it on, take care of it, etc… Sunny skimmed through it quickly and impatiently and then pressed the button to turn it on; an egg appeared. 

He knew from how many times Kel had killed and rehatched his Tamagotchis that you had to wait a while for the egg to hatch, so he set it next to the other two things that kept him entertained and waited. It was going to be a long boring week of evaluations and check-ups for him, and he was not looking forward to it.

The summer sun was already in the middle of setting as he looked out the window. It was quite pretty, and reminded him of when he and the rest of the group would watch the sunset as kids. Mari would bring a blanket for everyone to sit down. Her and Hero always cooked something for the six of them, it was always delicious. Aubrey and Kel would most likely be found bickering over something small and insignificant again. 

Sunny’s favorite spot has always been the secret lake since not many people knew about it. It was quiet and quaint, that was until Kel and Aubrey would have one of their infamous water fights. Sunny’s always been afraid of the water, so instead of joining in, splashing water in the other’s faces, he would comfortably snuggle against Mari, who gently stroked his hair as he fell asleep.

If they were somewhere different, say a field, Basil would start naming all the different flowers he saw to Sunny and tell him about their meanings. Sunny always listened, and even had some of them still memorized. He loved the sound of Basil's soft spoken voice and the way he so passionately talked about his interests. 

He feels like a terrible person for leaving him on his own for so long. Basil’s always had some sort of anxiety disorder, so he cannot imagine how much it has worsened. Well, from what he saw and heard him say in the bathroom not too long ago, and from what went down in his bedroom, Sunny can take a gander on what he’s been going through, and he can’t stand letting him go through it alone anymore. 

Aubrey and Hero were a different story. He remembered how mad Aubrey was at him for leaving him, rightfully so, and how devastated Hero was. He knew they would probably never forgive him, and that would be okay, things didn’t last forever. In reality, it would never go back to the way it was before, but if he could just show them how sorry he was, that would be enough for him. 

Sunny relaxed in his bed, closing his eyes. Maybe he’ll take a short nap for now…

~

WELCOME TO WHITE SPACE…

YOU HAVE LIVED (?) HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN REMEMBER…

Sunny opened his eyes, looking around. He was back in White Space. White space? He looked down at his skin. He was himself, not Omori. That was a relief. 

Everything was pretty much the same, except for the lightbulb being destroyed. His laptop was still there, his sketchbook, even Mewo was still there. (Waiting for something to happen?)

Sunny scratched Mewo’s soft forehead, which only reminded him how much he misses having a pet. He was so devastated when they had to put her down due to her having a heart disease that he buried himself even deeper in White Space and Headspace when his only source of some kind of happiness was taken away from him. It felt as if Mewo was the closest thing he had to Mari.

Despite looking and feeling exactly like the White Space it was before, his sketchbook is empty, and the laptop wouldn’t boot up. The only option was to go through the white door that was always planted in the same place, so he opened it and went through. 

Everything was bright at first, but his vision eventually regulated itself. It was Neighbor's room, nothing new, but his entire body froze and tensed up when he saw what was ahead of him. It wasn’t exactly scary, but it sure was strange.

Stranger and Omori were sitting in the middle of the room holding cards. The Big Yellow Cat, still in his usual place, was also holding a few cards. It seemed like they were playing some sort of game, and upon Sunny’s entry all collectively looked at Sunny, seeming unfazed.

“Ah! Sunny glad you could make it. Take a seat.” Stranger said. His voice sounded like nobody he knew but also everybody at the same time, how did that make sense? Strangers' shadowy hands patted the ground next to him, so Sunny reluctantly sat between him and Omori. 

“We’re in the middle of a game, but you can join afterwards.” Stranger said, putting down a bright red card that read ‘5’ on it. At first, Sunny did not say anything, he just watched them play whatever game they were playing.

“Why am I here? I thought I destroyed this place.” Sunny eventually broke the silence. 

Omori placed down a blue card, “You can never exactly destroy the Headspace, it will always be a part of you, but you can choose to never return.” He said. “Which you have already failed at doing, apparently.” 

“Uno!” Stranger yelled excitedly. Omori narrowly avoided eye contact while speaking to him. 

“I’ve napped plenty of times in the hospital before, why now?” Sunny asked. The Big Yellow Cat placed down a draw four which prompted Omori to place down one as well. Stranger unwillingly picked up the eight cards he was now cursed with. 

“Not fair.” Stranger hissed through his teeth. (Or lack thereof?)

“Perhaps you are forgetting something, Sunny.” The Big Yellow Cat said. Sunny pursed his lips in a puzzled manner. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

Stranger rocked side to side in his place impatiently, “We can’t tell you everything, Sunny. We are a part of your subconscious that hides away from itself.” he explained.

“I can say this much.” Omori cut in. “If you spend too much time trying to get others to forgive you, you will never forgive yourself, Sunny.”

“Isn’t that a little selfish?” Sunny asked. 

“It’s not selfish to want to finally be happy again, Sunny. You’re on the pathway of forgiveness from others, but you must realize that you will only feel miserable if you do nothing to forgive yourself.” He said. 

“Even if a majority did decide to forgive you, would it even be worth it when you can’t find the strength to love and forgive yourself? For the first time in years, Sunny, you can choose how you live your life. Choose the right path.” It was strange hearing these words come from Omori’s mouth, but it was oddly comforting. 

“If I remember correctly, you were the one trying to stop me from doing that. What’s with the change of mind?” Sunny crossed his arms questionably.

Omori met his eyes and gave him a small smile. “You’ve shown me the perseverance that comes deep from within your soul, I cannot stop you if I wanted to.” Sunny's heart warmed, for the first time in ages he felt safe, was that the word? Around Omori. 

He’s always been uneasy about him, but now in his desperate time of need, his encouraging words were making him feel safe, just as Mari used to do.

“Uno.” Omori said with a smirk. 

“Uh oh! Quickly Yellow Cat! Change the color, change the color!” Stranger chanted. 

“I am afraid I cannot do that, Stranger. Sorry.” Stranger whined as Yellow Cat patted his head comfortingly. He slowly placed down a yellow card, hoping that whatever card Omori had wasn’t yellow. He would be correct, his card wasn’t yellow, it was a draw four card. 

“I win” Omori crossed his arms proudly, and laughed as Stranger threw all his remaining cards out of his hands while accusing Omori of cheating. 

Stranger’s white eyes then landed on Sunny. “Wanna join this round? We can team up to beat Omori!” Sunny shook his head and stood up. “I should get going.”

“Awww man.” Stranger complained. 

“Next time?” Sunny only shrugged and waved them all goodbye. He’d never been able to directly leave from the way he came from, but seeing as there were no other doors leading out of the room, he opened the white door again and disappeared. 

“I hope he makes the right decision.” Stranger said, gathering all the scattered cards from the ground. 

“On joining us next time we’re playing cards?” Omori asked. 

Stranger shook his head, “No no no! I’m being serious… What you said was true, Omori. I hope he chooses the right path.” he explained. 

“How was I supposed to know? You’re so childish sometimes.” Stranger leaned forward to flick him on the forehead. 

“Ow- hey!” Omori pinched his knee in return.

“Cut it out you two.” Big Yellow Cat demanded, “You’re both being equally as childish.” he scolded. 

“Sorry…” Both Omori and Stranger simultaneously apologized.

~

Sunny opened his eyes to a significantly more dark room. How long had he slept? He couldn’t make out where the hands on the clock were, but it couldn’t have been more than an hour at best. All he knew is that he was very hungry, and his prayers for food were answered when his door squeaked open and light flashed on. 

“Sunshine! I’m back!” His mom announced, but not too loudly to wake up any neighboring patients that may have been asleep. Sunny rubbed his eyes and squinted them to adjust to the now bright room. 

“Did I wake you up?” She asked, placing his Gino’s bag on his lap and a pizza box on the counter. 

“No.” Sunny said, aggrieved. 

“What’s with the tone? Did something happen?” She concerned herself with. He shook his head and peeled back the wrapping on his sandwich. 

He took a bite. “I just had a weird dream. Mph-” Some kind of sauce dripped down his chin. 

“Sunny, don’t talk with your mouth full.” His mother took a napkin and wiped it away for him. She was eating on a small cheese pizza she had ordered for herself. 

“I’m sorry you had a bad dream honey. You know–I’ve been looking into getting you a therapist.” She confessed. 

“You have?” 

“Yes, there are some good ones in the area we’re moving to. I think you’ll like them.”

“What are their names?” He asked. 

“Let’s see there’s Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Whitlock, Ms. Paige… I was looking into Ms. Paige. She’s fairly young, so I thought you’d have an easier time talking to her.” Sunny hummed in response and placed down his sandwich. He’d only eaten half, but was already full.

Wrapping it back up and placing it in the bag, he handed it to his mom. “I told you, you wouldn’t eat the whole thing.” She reminded him. 

“Save it for tomorrow.” He said. 

A loud beeping noise arose from Sunny’s Tamagotchi and he quickly scrambled to pick it up. The egg was finally hatching, and it hatched into some gray little blob thing that bounced around the screen. His mother leaned over to look. 

“Mmm. I remember Kel having one of these when you guys were younger. Isn’t it supposed to look… not like that?” She asked. 

“Like what? It evolves into whatever it looks like on the package.” 

“That’s an ugly looking thing.” She said, laughing. 

“I can’t believe you’re gonna say that about your own grandson.” Sunny joked. It’s been a while since he and his mom got to talk like this. For the past four years, he had barely spoken a word to her at all, only occasionally seeing her a couple times a day at most, and sometimes not at all. 

Sunny fed and played with the Tamagotchi for a bit before deciding to place it back down. He supposed this was a good time to bring up something that had been on his mind these past couple of days. 

“Hey mom, I wanna ask something of you, but promise not to get upset?” Sunny asked. She quirked an eyebrow.m at him, “Go on.” she said.

Sunny nervously fumbled with his fingers. “I was thinking… maybe… you could let me see Basil before I get discharged?” He requested. She gave him a deep and serious look. 

“I-I know what he did was wrong, but I told him that I would talk to him about some things before I left. So please… Can he visit? At least once?” He put his hands together and pleaded with her.

She crossed her, and looked as if she were in deep thought, but eventually she sighed, rubbed her temples, and said, “Fine.” Sunny’s spirits were immediately lifted. 

“But–under one condition.” She held up a finger, “I or a nurse must be in the room or within range of you guys at all times. No funny business. I don’t trust the two of you completely alone in a room together. Is that clear?” 

Sunny nodded his head vigorously, “Yes ma’am.” he respectfully agreed.

…

He doesn’t know Basil’s number. 

Sunny has been flipping through a phonebook looking for Basil’s home number for the past ten minutes now. He and his mother had walked all the way to where Basil’s room had been only to find out that he’d already been admitted. The other people in the lobby must be thinking they looked crazy, watching the two frantically flipping through a couple of phone books.

“I think this is it.” His mom said, she pointed at the page. 

“I recognize this as Kel and Hero’s house number–” She moved her finger and circled around three numbers close to the bottom of the page. “So it has to be one of these.”

Sunny looked at the few she was talking about. Two of them were awfully close in digits, but Sunny was sure it was one of the two. 

“It’s strange they don’t ever label the Faraway numbers. I know the town’s small, but it’s not that unknown is it?” She complained. Sunny would’ve made conversation, but he was quite tired from flipping through so many pages and running around the hospital, so he instead hummed in agreement. 

Carefully, he dialed one of the numbers and picked up the landline. It rang for a while before someone picked up. 

“Angel speaking, who is it?” Oh great. He chose the wrong number. 

“It’s uh- it’s Sunny.” He should’ve hung up, damn him for speaking up. 

“Ohhh! Sunny! How’re you man?” He asked, like he cared or something. 

“I’m doing fine.” He replied in a monotone voice. His mother shot him a confused look, so covering the receiver he whispered, “Wrong number!” to her. 

She gave him a little “Oh.” and silently watched from the sidelines. 

“That’s great! I’ll tell the others. So uh… what’s with the call?” Angel asked. 

“I meant to call Basil, but I got the wrong number.” 

“Oh! That makes sense. Man, I saw him get home this evening when I was walking home, poor dude looked tired and beat up. I dunno what happened between you two, but I hope you guys are okay now.” Angel said, unaware of what he’d just brought up. Sunny could feel a pile of regret building in his stomach. 

“Uh, y-yeah. We’re fine now. I think…” He whispered the last part to where Angel couldn’t hear. 

“That’s good. Well, I gotta go, my sister is calling for me.” He said, which most likely wasn’t true since it had been completely silent for most of the call. It was probably just an excuse. “Hope you find Basil’s number, man. Bye!”

“Bye.” Sunny said. He heard the dial tone indicating that Angel had already hung up, so he placed the landline down and shakily dialed the other number. 

He picked up the landline, and his breathing became heavy with worry. What if Basil said no? What if he wanted nothing to do with Sunny? What if-

“H-Hello?” A stuttering voice came from across the phone. 

“Hi.” Sunny said shyly, this was most definitely Basil's number, it was his voice after all.

“Oh! S-Sunny! Hi. You called. Well, I guess that’s a little obvious since we’re t-talking over the phone and all…” Basil trailed off. “S-Sorry…” He apologized. 

“You’re fine.” Sunny assured him, and then informed him, “I came looking for you today.”
“You did?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know you had been admitted this evening.”

“Ah, sorry. I would’ve told you b-but… you know.” Basil’s voice sounded sad and tired. 

“That’s fine... Hey this is sudden, but do you want to come see me tomorrow?” Sunny asked. 

“A-Aren’t I not allowed to? Sunny, I’m not gonna sneak in-”

“My mom said it was fine. As long as we aren’t completely alone together.” He repeated her words back to him.

“Is that really fine though? I’d understand if you don’t want to see me, Sunny. You don’t have to explain yourself, I can-”

“I wanna see you.” He cut him off, he hates when Basil becomes self-deprecating. Basil didn’t say anything at first, but then let out a breathy laugh. “Haha, i-if you’re sure, Sunny.” he murmured. 

“I’m sure.” Sunny repeated with a smile. 

“See you t-tomorrow then?” Basil asked, his spirits seemed to be more uplifted. 

“See you tomorrow, Basil.” The sound of Sunny saying his name sounded like it caught him a little off-guard. 

“Okay! B-Bye.” 

“Bye.” 

The dial tone sounded off again, and Sunny plopped down into the seat next to his mother, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He felt her hand caress his cheek gently. 

“Tired my Sunshine?” She asked. He nodded. 

“Okay up-” The motion of himself being picked up was not expected, “-we go.” but he couldn’t lie, it was rather comforting.

“-we go.” 

It was a little embarrassing as a sixteen year old to have your mother carry you to bed like a toddler, but at the moment Sunny was too tired to care. 

She carried him all the way back to his room and gently placed him down back in bed. Sunny almost immediately fell asleep, but right before he fell unconscious he felt a hand push back on his bangs and kiss being planted on his forehead. 

“I love you, Sunny.” In his vulnerable state, Sunny could’ve almost believed it to be Mari speaking to him, Mari giving him a goodnight kiss on the forehead, Mari saying I love you to him. 

“I love you too, Mom.” He fell asleep that night with ease.

~

His name may be Sunny, but he sure as hell isn’t a morning person.

It’s ironic that the boy who rarely smiled and was grumpy every single morning was giving the name Sunny and not something more fitting. 

When he was born, Sunny hadn’t come out crying, his mother tells him that was a big part of the inspiration for his name. The morning he’d been born on was bright and sunny, and he didn’t cry much at all when he was a baby either, more whined than anything. A perfect example of an already happy and healthy baby boy, oh boy how wrong they were. 

A nurse came in at seven to change the bandages that wrapped around his eyes. He’d been hoping that he could finally take them off for comfort reasons, but she had informed him that it would still be a couple of days. Now it was half past ten, and he was impatiently waiting for Basil to arrive any minute now.

When his door opened, hope shot throughout his veins that it was him, but It was just his mother with breakfast. 

“I got Waffle House~” She voiced in a sing-song manner. Sunny, even though not being a breakfast person, was very fond of waffles and happily ate the sweet cake drowned in syrup and butter. 

He and his mom made small talk such as asking how well he had slept, if he had dreamed of anything weird again (the answer was no), and how he was feeling. 

“I feel fine. Well, nervous, but other than that. Fine.” 

“Nervous? What’re nervous for? Seeing Basil again?” She asked. Sunny nodded. 

“Sunshine, I should be the one who's nervous! That boy took out your eye for heaven's sake!” She tried to lighten up the mood by laughing awkwardly but it didn’t take away from the fact that what she said had made no sense. 

Besides, he wasn’t nervous for the reasons that she’d thought, but even if he was it was his eye that got stabbed out. Not hers. He should be terrified of the boy.

But he wasn’t, he knew Basil hadn't meant to do it on purpose, so now all he could say is that he was nervous. Just nervous. Nervous about spending the whole day with his best friend he’d abandoned for four years. Piece of cake it should be, he thought sarcastically.

His inner dialogue was cut off when he heard a soft knock on the door. Sunny started to get up to answer it but his mom insisted that she do it for him. She slowly and annoyingly walked to the door to open it. 

Sunny couldn’t see Basil, but he heard him say, “O-Oh! Good afternoon Miss Suzuki.” to her.

“Good afternoon, Basil. Come in.” She greeted him, and finally stepped out of the way. He awkwardly stepped in and gave a small wave and smile to Sunny. 

“H-Hi Sunny! It’s good to s-see you!” He said nervously. The bruise on his eye was still slightly visible, and the cuts he once had all over his face seemed to be fading away quite well. 

He was wearing a white collared mint green sweater, brown khaki shorts, white sneaks, and knee high socks. Kind of strange to wear all that in summer, but he looked nice, Sunny thought. He also noted the bag strapped around his shoulder as Basil went to place it down and sit on the chair next to him.

Basil rubbed his knees anxiously as they met eyes. “How’re you feeling?” He asked as his mother closed the door behind her, took a seat across from them, and began reading a book. Sunny guessed she came prepared today, as it would be quite odd if she silently sat there and watched the two interact the whole time. 

“I’m feeling fine, physically at least. You?” 

Basil bit his lip, “Ahah, same I guess.” and began peeling the skin off of it, something he’s done since he was a child. Basil broke his eyes away and aloofly looked at the floor. “Sunny, I’m so sorry about… your eye. Y-You shouldn’t have tried to intervene with me. I-” His words ebbed away.

“Basil… I know what you were planning to do that night.” Sunny choked out. 

“I-I would’ve rather you taken my eye out th-than you had done… that .” He couldn’t even say the word, and began to tear up. He hated crying around people, but Basil was someone who he’d gone through so much with, someone he trusted to keep his feelings safe with, and well, his mother is his mother. She’s happier than ever that her son’s started to healthily express himself through crying.

Basil started crying as soon as he apologized for hurting Sunny, but hearing that he knew what he wanted to do that night absolutely broke him into hysterical tears. 

The two had no idea what to say or do next, so they cried together, said numerous apologies over and over again to each other. At one point, Sunny grabbed onto Basil for comfort, and pulled him into a hug. 

Basil did not retaliate, and buried his face in Sunny’s shoulder, still crying and saying, “I’m sorry.” over and over, and each time Sunny said, “It’s okay.” or, “It’ll be okay.” Basil’s breathing got steadier, and eventually he stopped crying into Sunny’s shoulder, but instead lay his forehead ever so gently on it. The two hadn’t even noticed that Sunny’s mom had gone to get the both of them water. 

“If you boys are going to be crying like that, at least stay hydrated.” She said when she walked back in the room. It startled the both of them, and Basil immediately lifted his head and jumped back into his chair as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

“Thank you.” Basil said when she handed them the water bottles. Afterwards, she once again sat directly across from them again, not picking her book back up. “I heard about your grandmother, Basil.” She said in a sensitive manner.

Basil, mid drink, nodded. “Y-Yeah she… she passed away the night S-Sunny and I…” He didn’t finish, but she got the hint, pressing her lips into a thin line as she nodded in acknowledgement. 

“Are you gonna be okay?” Sunny asked, he had already drank half of his water. Basil nodded once more, “Yeah, I think I’ll be okay. Since my parents can’t take care of me, Polly volunteered to. I don’t know Polly that well, but I do like her, and I guess now I’ll be spending more time with her.” he said. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever met your parents, have I Basil?” Sunny’s mother recalled.

“No ma’am, I don’t really know them that well to be honest. They’re too busy traveling and working to visit often, which is fine. I’ve never really minded it that much-” As Basil spewed whatever excuses his parents had given to never visit, which Sunny thought was ridiculous by the way, something else caught his attention, Basil’s ear. Or more specifically, the piercings he was currently wearing on his ears.

Sunny leaned a little closer to see what they were, little sunflowers planted right on his earlobes. He instinctively grabbed at his ear feeling it like he didn’t believe it was real. 

Basil stopped whatever he was saying and slowly looked over to Sunny. 

“Are these actually pierced?” Sunny asked, pulling his hand away. 

“Uh- yeah! They are.” Basil confirmed, the tips of his ears now flushed red. 

“Are boys allowed to wear earrings at school?” Sunny remembers some stupid rule from way back when that boys couldn’t have their ears pierced. Boys should be able to wear earrings too! He thought.

Basil tucked some hair behind both ears. “W-Well usually I take them out, or wear clear ones so they don’t close up when I’m a-at school.”

“Didn’t take you for the rule breaker type.” Sunny joked. Basil smiled. “Well I did pay money for it to be there, S-Sunny. I’m not going to let it just c-close up.” 

“So why today?” 

“Hmm?”

“Why’d you decide to wear earrings today?” Sunny elaborated. Basil thought for a moment, he slowly cracked a few fingers one at a time. “I don't really know. I think- I think I just thought if a-anyone wouldn’t mind me having m-my earrings in, it would be you.” Basil said. 

“I-I can take them out if they’re bothering you It’s not-”

“Basil, that's ridiculous, I think they’re cute.” Sunny’s bluntness made Basil smile and nervously start tugging at his ear. 

“R-Really? When did you become so blunt, Sunny?” He asked. Sunny shrugged. “I guess holding yourself up in a room for four years straight gives you a lot of things you want to say.” 

Sunny was only joking around, but the comment seemed to make Basil feel a bit uncomfortable, as if it was his fault that he did that. Sunny wishes that he could see how some of the events after Mari’s death weren't Basil’s fault, but his own. He knows he can’t fix him, he will never truly be the same again, but if he could make Basil feel somewhat whole again, comfortable in his own skin, that would be enough for Sunny. If nobody could forgive the two of them, then at least they had each other, if that’s what Basil wanted too of course.

Sunny, not knowing how to convey this through words, took Basil's hand like he did the day he’d first woken up and gave it a reaffirming squeeze. It was childish, yes, but being deprived of touch for so long made all the feelings of embarrassment worth it. 

“You know, Sunny, your father used to wear earrings back in the day.” His mother broke the awkward silence. Sunny's surprised gaze fell on her. “Really?” 

“Yeah, he wore black piercings and skulls in his ear. Eventually, he won my heart over with his little tough guy act.” She swooned. Sunny immediately let go of Basil's hand to cover his flushed face. 

“Shut up! That’s so embarrassing mom!” Sunny peeked through his fingers when he heard a soft giggling coming from Basil. 

“I think it’s kind o-of sweet…” He said. Sunny rolled his eyes. “Of course you would think that…” he whined. 

“What, y-you not into the b-bad boy types?” Basil said, and then recoiled when he realized what he’d phrased. 

“I-I mean bad girl type! Sorry that was an awful joke!” Sunny and his mother burst out laughing at Basil’s mishap of words, which definitely lightened up the mood for the three of them. 

But among their laughter it got Sunny thinking, did he even have to correct himself in the first place? He’s never thought too deeply into it, but a boy dating another boy seemed just as natural as a girl dating a boy. No one ever told him it was wrong, so when he found out some people didn’t approve of it when he was younger he was shocked to say the least. He wonders what his mom thinks…

His pondering was interrupted by another loud beep from his Tamagotchi. It had woken him up a few times last night, like it was an actual child, but he hadn’t really minded all that much since it had actually woken him up from a couple of nightmares, and eventually, it evolved into something a little bit cuter. 

Sunny even dressed it in a little skull shirt he thought was fitting. As he fed and played with it, Basil leaned over to watch. “I remember K-Kel and Aubrey having one of these things.” He said with a slightly sad tone. 

“Oh yeah? I do too. I always liked watching Aubrey play with hers since Kel never had any idea what he was doing.” Basil hummed in remembrance with his gaze still fixed on the pet. 

“H-He kinda looks like you.” 

“Well he is my son, so.”

“Why’d you dress him up like that?”

“Like what?” Basil's blue eyes bore into Sunny’s, “In the skull shirt, S-Sunny. That’s very concerning.” Sunny couldn’t tell if he was genuinely serious or just joking, but either way he laughed. 

“Because it’s cool, Basil .” He put emphasis on his name seeing as the boy always addressed him like that. The other gave him a pout and furrowed his brows. He didn’t say anything, but Sunny could feel the earnest look on his face stare down into his soul. 

Basil always made the biggest deal out of the smallest thing, Sunny thought it to be funny or… cute? Was it weird to call your best friend cute? Girls did it all the time to each other so was it okay if…?

Now Sunny was really overthinking. 

“Oh! By the way…” Basil’s voice made him jump out of his thoughts. The blond reached over to the bag he had carried in. 

“I brought books. I don’t know if you still read, but… I thought it would give us something to do.” 

Sunny beamed at the thoughtfulness of the 

boy. “I still like to read, yeah. Thanks Basil.”

Basil’s body tensed and he glanced away. “N-No problem.” He muttered. 

The other didn’t even see the small blush that blossomed against Basil's face.

…

Warmth. That was all Sunny could focus on at the moment. 

After playing with his Tamagotchi and idly chatting for a little bit, Basil offered to read to Sunny like he used to do as a child. Sunny insisted that he’d read along with him, and made space for him on the bed so they could sit side-by-side, and after some convincing, Basil caved, now reading to Sunny aloud who followed along to the words on every page. 

Basil seemed unsure of himself at first, stuttering through his sentences and constantly having to take deep breaths, but he eventually got into the swing of things, just like old times. He even put on a few voices, which Sunny loved. 

It was a short mystery novel, so they were already about halfway through, but all Sunny could focus on was how warm it felt to be next to another living human being. He almost fell asleep at some point, but he pinched himself to keep himself awake. Besides, he thinks Basil would freak out if he fell asleep during the middle of such an important scene. 

The book was about a detective trying to catch a phantom thief who kept going on heists at random. Thinking he had no clues to when the thief would strike next, the detective had a groundbreaking discovery that the pattern wasn’t random after all, the things that had been stolen were high value items that were significant in chronological historical events. 

Basil mentioned that he’s read the book before, and that it was one of his favorites, but he read it like it was his first time all over again. His eyes shimmered, and his voice got more and more excited and exhilarated, Sunny was completely invested in it.

Right as they finished the chapter that was left on a cliffhanger, Basil bookmarked the page and closed the book. He set it down on his lap. 

“Are you h-hungry?” He asked. Sunny looked at the clock, it was already mid-afternoon. “Yeah.” he guessed. 

Basil smiled and bent down to grab his bag. He pulled out two compartment lunch boxes and held them up. 

“I m-made us lunch!” A smile plastered across his face. He bent down and pulled out another, turning to Sunny’s mother. 

“I made one for you too Ms, Suzuki. Y-You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to, I-I know I’m not the best cook.” There he went again, doubting himself. Sunny is sure that whatever he made would be delicious no matter what. 

She smiled, “That’s lovely Basil, how about we go warm them up together in the cafeteria?” Basil looked hesitant, but agreed anyway, “Mhm!” he hummed.

He handed one of the lunches to her, and with that, the two walked out, leaving Sunny all on his own.

~

It was quite an awkward walk to the cafeteria with Ms. Suzuki. They didn’t talk any of the way there, and definitely didn’t talk at the microwaves with all the people that were around. Basil was pretty sure that she only made him walk with her so he and Sunny wouldn’t be alone for more than five minutes. 

His suspicions weren’t incorrect, but right outside of Sunny’s hospital door she stopped and bent down to Basil. 

“Basil I just want you to know that I don’t fully understand why you did what you did, what the thought process of it was, but what I do know is that you did it to protect my son.” She said to him. 

“Neither what you or Sunny did was acceptable, especially after keeping it secret for so long, but I see the way you guys care for each other, how you still long to be his friend even after all the time he’s left you for…” His lips twitched. He wasn’t gonna cry, he wasn’t gonna cry…

“I see the way it brings you together, and while you might be the boy that hanged my daughter, you were also the boy that saved my son.” She said, wiping a tear from his cheek for him.

“So get help, Basil; see a therapist. Be better, for my Sunshine, for yourself, and for the people it hurt, for me. Okay?” She put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it in a motherly manner. 

“You’ve both slept for far too long, it’s time to wake up.” 

Even if this doesn’t mean she forgives him, he still appreciates the time she’s devoting to let him see her son one last time before he leaves. He’d already planned on getting a therapist, but this gives him the affirmation that he needs.

So, wiping away at his slightly moist eyes, Basil forced a sad smile and said, “Y-Yes ma’am.” 

~

Lunch was delicious. Basil had arranged steamed broccoli, thin sliced steak, rice, and tofu, and had even brought chopsticks to use, which made Sunny's stomach pool up with dread. 

He doesn’t actually know how to hold chopsticks correctly and is currently struggling embarrassingly. Basil noticed and started directing him on how to hold and use them correctly, instead of just stabbing everything with them like they were a fork.

“H-Here, take this one and sandwich it between your thumb and index finger. Good, now put this one b-between your th-thumb and pointer.” 

Sunny followed all of his instructions, now he was at least holding it right. 

“You g-generally use your index and pointer to move the top one and grab, l-like this…” Basil grabbed a piece of his broccoli and held it up to him. Sunny impulsively just ate the broccoli off of his chopsticks, but it seemed as if that was not what Basil intended. 

“S-Sunny! You were supposed to try grabbing it, not e-eating it off of mine!” He said with a distressed face.

Needless to say, Sunny was pretty embarrassed that he couldn’t use chopsticks that well, and that he had completely read Basil's intentions wrong. His mom even scolded him for not knowing how to use them, reminding him that she had tried to teach him in the past. 

He eventually got used to the feeling of the chopsticks being wedged between his hand, and could almost pick up things with enough ease to be considered an amateur chopstick user, but he was still awful with them. And don’t even ask him about how he ate his rice

The rest of the day was spent full of Sunny and Basil reading the rest of the mystery novel to him. He appreciated the relaxing nature between the two of them, even if the lingering feeling of regret and sadness was still there. 

“I should be g-going for dinner.” Basil said after they finished reading the book. He started putting his things away in his bag. 

“You’ll be back tomorrow right?” Sunny asked, still desperately wanting to talk to him. He just hasn’t found the right time for it yet. 

Basil swung his bag over his shoulder and nodded, “S-Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow, S-Sunny.” glanced to his mom, “And y-you too, Ms. Suzuki.” and waved the two goodbye as he gently closed the door behind him

When she was sure Basil was gone, his mother spoke up, “I booked you a therapist appointment next Wednesday, Sunny.”

~

It was the next day, Sunny’s last day in the hospital, and his last day with Basil. 

The two have been hanging out for quite a while already, and began reading another short book together. After they’d eaten another delicious lunch made by him, Sunny let Basil mess around with his Tamagatchi a little bit. He seemed very intrigued by it, eyes sparkling at every little movement it made.

It wasn’t until the two were sitting side by side reading in his bed again that Sunny realized something was off with Basil. He kept pausing, and his tone was twisted with some sort of weariness. When Sunny looked up, he immediately realized what was upsetting him.

Basil kept glancing at Sunny’s arms, which were littered with self-harm scars, something that wasn’t visible up until recently. He’s always used something to cover them up. 

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to stare. I-I’ve … I didn’t realize those were there until now…” Basil frantically apologized. 

“It’s fine, don't worry about it. I usually cover them up.” 

Basil closed and bookmarked his book, his eyes guiltily looking across Sunny’s arms. “I… I see. I’m- when did you- I’m sorry.” He stopped talking and chewed on his lip.

“I don’t want to hear that from you Basil, I chose to do it to myself. Not because of you, or Mari, I’ve… I’ve always been kind of like this.” Sunny stretched out his arms and traced some of the most recent ones with his finger. “I’m two weeks clean though. That’s the longest I've gone for a while."

“Oh, Sunny, th-that's great! Y-You can do it! I believe in you…” He awkwardly cheered him on and gave a lopsided smile. 

“Yeah I just…I usually use bandages or medication cream to cover them up, but I ran out."

Basil quickly stood up. “I-I can go buy you some more!” He offered. 

“Basil you don’t need to do that-”

“I insist! There’s a c-convenience store right across from here, what’s the name of the m-medication?” 

Sunny looked at him with an awe-struck and puzzled look, “Mederma.” he said. 

“Basil hon, I can go pick it up, I’m the one with the car.” Sunny’s mom cut in, but still, Basil insisted. “I need a breath of fresh air anyways, so it's fine.” 

Confused, she pulled out fifteen dollars and handed it to Basil, telling him that if he needed anything that he was free to use the leftover money. He nodded, and silently walked out the door. 

“That boy,” Sunny’s mom let out a breathy laugh and shook her head. “is very strange sometimes...” She said.

She stood up and sat on the edge of Sunny’s bed. “I’m sorry Sunshine.” She said, tearing up. Tenderly, she grabbed his hand, “I know I wasn’t there for you when you needed me to be, I wish I could’ve prevented any of this from ever happening.” 

Gently, she rubbed his wrist with her thumb. “But, I’m so glad to see that you’re up and about again. You can do it, you can recover my love.” Sunny smiled and leaned on her shoulder. 

“I just don’t understand.” She mumbled.

“Understand what?” 

“How someone so sweet could’ve come up with something so wrong. Basil is… he’s always been a kind and gentle soul. I-” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I need a breather I think.” She stood up and grabbed her keys. 

“I’ll be back soon, I’ll have a nurse check in on you every once and a while, okay?” Sunny gave her a thumbs up, which made her giggle, and akin to that she left him all alone.

It took around ten minutes after that for Basil to get back, he cautiously opened the door. “H-Hey Sunny, I found w-what you were-” 

He looked around the room frantically and paled when he realized they were the only ones in the room. “S-Should I be in here? I don’t think… oh G-God.” his breathing became irregular and he went weak in the knees. 

“I shouldn’t be here… I shouldn’t be here… I shouldn’t be here…” He kept repeating. He fell completely to his knees, and started pulling on his hair, ripping out a few strands. 

The excess change and ointment he was holding fell to the ground around him. Sunny watched before it completely sunk in, he was having a panic attack. Basil must think he’s doing something wrong since his mother wasn’t present.

Sunny quickly rose from his bed, heading over to Basil, who was now rocking back and forth for comfort and covering his ears. 

“Basil.” He said, squatting down to his level. “Basil, can you hear me?” 

“D-Don’t come near me! I don’t w-wanna hurt you.” He was yelling and crying to the point where he could barely see. 

“Th-There’s something saying something. I don't wanna hear it… P-Please don’t make me hear it.” Basil begged, continuing to rock back and forth.

Sunny didn’t know if it would help him, but back rubs from Mari always helped him calm down when he was scared or had a nightmare as a child, so that’s what he did. He repeatedly and gently rubbed his back in a circular motion to let him know that he was here, he wasn’t going to get hurt, he would be okay. 

After a few minutes of this, Basil’s breathing slowed. He still hadn’t removed his hands from his ears, but Sunny decided to speak anyway. “Can you hear me, Basil?” Basil nodded. 

“We’re going to be okay, there’s a nurse that is checking up on us every so often. Did you understand that?” Sunny asked for assurance. Basil nodded again, and finally uncovered his ears. His eyes were red, and cheeks were tear stained, but he was breathing normally again, that’s all that mattered.

“I-I’m sorry…” Basil whispered. Sunny stood up, and offered a helping hand. He took it and wobbly stood back up on his feet, having Sunny direct him to the chair. 

He debated on whether or not to keep the door open, but from what just happened Sunny thinks it’d be best if he kept it open for their sake. He ran the faucet to get Basil some cold water.

“You sh-shouldn’t be the one h-having to do all this.” He said before taking a sip. 

“Basil, we need to talk.” Sunny picked up all the things that had scattered on the floor and sat back on his bed across from him. He carefully applied the medication all across his arms while Basil watched, still a little horrified. 

“W-We do.” He agreed.

Sunny shifted until he felt completely settled into his spot. “I’ll go first.”

...

His explanation of events makes Sunny think that Basil understands more now. 

For so long, Basil had convinced himself that something else pushed Mari down the stairs, something else pulled the trigger, but now he had to accept the truth. Sunny did it on his own free will. Nothing made him do it, and even if it was an accident, the blame is completely on him.

He told Basil the same thing he told Kel. How pressured he felt, how angry he was, and how angry Mari was. And this seemed to give Basil some closure that he needed. Sunny didn’t hate Mari, he didn’t intend for any of it to happen, but that it was some stupid mistake he made on an impulse when he was young. 

Then Sunny started explaining his dreams to him. He never intended to create Headspace, it all just kind of culminated after time, and after basking in it for so long, he never wanted to leave. Sunny got a little flushed when Basil realized a lot of his dreams were based around him, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, Sunny’s sure he’s gonna tease him about it one day.

Basil listened intently, laughed a little at a few of Sunny's jokes, and even asked questions, like it was a normal discussion. He seemed to have understood where Sunny was coming from–a form of his escapism. To escape reality by dreaming, and to convince yourself that the reality you’ve created is better than living in the real world. Sunny never even realized that the happier he convinced himself he was by pretending, the more miserable he was when he had to accept the truth. 

Basil apologized a few times for never coming to check up on him, but Sunny refused to hear it. This was all his own doing, Basil had nothing to do with it.

“So, you g-guys never found me?” Basil asked. 

“No.” Sunny said. 

“Every time you found out the truth you would disappear, and every time you would disappear my world would eventually shut in on itself.” 

“Th-That’s… very metaphorical.” Basil noted, he twisted a strand of hair around his finger repeatedly. 

“Yeah, I guess it is. I never wanted you to disappear, but I always ended up pushing you away.”

“Is that how you feel right now?” Basil wondered aloud, his eyes fixated on the ground. He swung a foot back and forth in nervousness. Sunny slightly grinned, and looked at the ceiling. “Yeah… I think I do.” 

Basil gave a small bashful smile, which eventually turned back into his normal resting face, but Sunny was glad he could see him smile. For one last time.

“Basil?”

“Hm?"

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to keep that a secret for so long.”

“It’s okay I-”

“No! It wasn’t I-” Sunny realized he raised his voice and lowered it, He made eye contact with Basil’s big blue eyes. 

“Even if it was an accident, I was responsible for it. Even if I was frustrated because Mari kept making me practice hours on end, even if the pressure of the recital was becoming too much, even though I was mad , it doesn’t excuse my mistake. It doesn’t excuse me being a murderer.” 

“Well I’m s-sorry too, okay?!” Basil yelled, he covered his mouth when he realized how loud he was being. 

“I just- you keep saying y-you don’t wanna hear it from me, b-but I made a mistake too. I convinced you to hang your o-own sister! S-So please, let me be sorry too.” Sunny didn’t even realize the more he told him to stop apologizing the guiltier he would feel. 

A deep sigh was exhaled through his nose, “I didn’t even think of it that way but now that you say it…” he trailed off, lifting his legs to his chest and laying his head on knees. 

“I’m tired, Basil.” He admitted.

“S-So am I…” 

Sunny scooted over to make room on his bed and patted the space next to him. “Can we finish reading the book?” He asked. Basil cocked his head to the side a bit and looked at him with tired lidded eyes. 

“Yeah, I-I’d like that.”

…

When Sunny’s mom said she’d be back soon, she thought it would be around an hour, but here she was, four hours later, just now arriving back at the hospital. She’s hoping it wasn’t a mistake leaving the two alone with only a nurse to check up on them. 

Sunny started school in a couple of weeks, so on her brooding car ride she decided to go clothes shopping for him a little bit. An hour turned into two hours, and that eventually turned into four. She went on a complete school shopping spree. Supplies, clothes, a backpack, you name it, she’s bought it.

The sun was setting as she parked her car in a space that was far from the entrance and because of that, she rushed inside, rounded a few corners to see that the door was cracked open a tad. 

She could see that the lights were off, and there were no sounds of talking coming from the room, so a guilty-like panic started settling throughout her body just as it did the night of Sunny’s and Basil’s fight, but her worries were immediately gone when she saw the two on his bed, sleeping. It looked like they fell asleep while reading. 

Sunny’s head was on Basil’s shoulder, and Basil was still holding the book in his hand, mouth slightly ajar. She thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, so she took out her phone to take a picture. 

Before she could snap one though, Basil shifted slightly, and rubbed one of his eyes before opening it. 

“Ms. Suzu-” She held a finger up to her lips and smiled. Basil noticeably blushed out of embarrassment. 

“I’ve never seen him look so peaceful while sleeping before.” She whispered. 

“I want a picture.” She held up her phone again. “Either pretend you're asleep again or smile.” 

Basil decided the latter, and for the first time in a while, it was genuine. The sunset coming from the window made the room beautifully lit up, and they had left a reading lamp turned on next to them. 

A candle that smells like pumpkin spice was lit on the counter. It had a note on it, ‘Glad you’re getting better dude! We don’t know what kind of scents you like, but who doesn’t like pumpkin spice? -Sincerely, The Hooligans!’ is what was written. There were also poorly drawn versions of everyone on the note as well. 

“A nurse b-brought that in for us, I think they just dropped it off at th-the front.” Basil whispered. Sunny’s mom nodded, and sat in the chair beside the bed.

“Basil, I want you to know one thing before we leave tomorrow.” She said, Basil turned his head enough to not wake Sunny, but enough to look her in the eyes. 

“Y-Yes ma’am?” 

“I won’t ever forget what you did to my daughter, but I also won’t forget how happy you’ve made my son.”

Chapter Text

Sunny awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, soft snoring, and the faint smell of coconuts. He lifted his head from what he thought to be his pillow, but, rubbing and opening his eye, he saw that he'd been laying on Basil all night long.

It was strange that he didn’t wake up at all in the middle of the night. Usually, he would have night terrors that kept him restless, or would just simply wake to use the bathroom. Sunny can’t remember the last time he’s slept all throughout the night, up until now.

The coconut smell was coming from Basil, more specifically the hair that had tickled Sunny awake. His earthy smell that he always sported along with his reading must’ve soothed Sunny to sleep. He reached a finger out to poke his cheek. 

“Basil…” He called out for him. Basil shifted slightly and stopped snoring, but did not open his eyes. Annoyed, Sunny pinched his cheek. 

“Ouch! S-Sunny-” Basil whined, rubbing the area that Sunny pinched.

“So you were awake.” Sunny said.

“N-Not until you started poking me! I didn’t w-wake you up when I-I saw you asleep.” Basil protested. 

“So you knew.”

“Knew what?” Basil asked innocently. 

“That I fell asleep on you. Why didn’t you wake me up? Wouldn’t you have rather gone home and slept in your bed?” He felt kind of bad for keeping him stuck here all night. 

Basil stopped rubbing his cheek and put his hands together anxiously. “Y-You just looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you. A-Also, I didn’t wanna leave without saying go-goodbye…” 

He supposes that makes sense. It would’ve been quite sad if Basil came all this way for the past couple of days just to not be able to say goodbye. 

Goodbye. Sunny hates that word despite its positive connotation, nothing good has ever happened to him after the bye.

“Goodbye feels too… cruel. How about, see you later?” Sunny suggested. 

Basil smiled and nodded, “I-I’d like that.” he uttered. 

His mother came by with clothes for him to change into not so long after. It was pretty basic, a black t-shirt, blue jean shorts, black and white sneakers. Sunny’s never owned anything jean related, he always hated how they felt against his skin, so he’s guessing she did some shopping for him already. Albeit hating jeans in the past, he found that the texture didn’t bother him as much as it used to. Finally, he got the courage to look in the mirror for the first time since arriving. 

Somehow, his hair looked just a little bit longer than it used to be, and the huge eye bags under his eyes were still stagnant, they’ll probably never go away. Overall, he looked a lot older in the get-up he was wearing. 

Next, he glanced at the eye that had been stabbed out. The nurses came to finally relieve him of the bandages around his head, but he still has to wear an eye bandage for the next couple of weeks. It was a lot more comfortable, and only covered the parts that needed to keep healing. It made the scar a little more visible, it was quite prominent. 

The scar went from just a little bit below his eye and through his eyebrow. Sunny would be lying if he said it didn’t look a little cool, it was like he had a permanent eyebrow slit. Well, technically now he does. 

Finally, his mother signed him out of the hospital and he was free to leave. Anxiety welled up in his body as soon as he set foot outside. It was bright and hot, and he could already feel the sun beat down onto his jet black hair. Like he couldn’t believe it, he stood in front of his mom's white car. This was it, he was really moving, he really was never going to come back to this place, right? He wasn’t wanted here, not anymore at least. All the memories of this place would be gone in an instant.

“Sunny!” A voice from not far off called his name, it was Basil. They already parted ways beforehand, but now here he was, jumping out of presumably Polly’s car and running towards him. He caught up and quickly started unzipping the bag he always carried around. A small piece of paper was put into Sunny’s hand as Basil tried to catch his breath. He unfolded the paper.

It was Basil’s number, “Y-You mentioned that you accidentally called Angel instead of me, s-so I thought…” he paused and took in a final deep breath. 

“I-I thought I’d give it to you, if you want to call. O-Only if you w-want to of course!”

Basil’s voice piped out in surprise when Sunny pulled him into a hug. “I’ll call.” Is all he managed to get out with the overwhelming amount of anxiety taking over his body, he felt Basil put his own arms around him. 

“I’m sorry…” Basil whispered into his ear, sending chills down Sunny’s spine.

I know . Sunny wishes he could say more, “I’m sorry too…” he said instead, finally letting go and backing off. 

The blond's eyes were a little wet as he waved him one final goodbye and watched Sunny’s car finally drive off. 

Basil walked back to his own car, where Polly was waiting, and sat in the passenger seat. 

“So? How do you feel? Do you regret giving him your number?” Polly was the one to talk him into giving it in the first place. 

Basil shook his head, “N-No, I think you were right. I w-would’ve regretted not giving him it.” he confessed with a small grin.

…

It wasn’t a long drive at all to their new apartment. Sunny expected it to be an hour-long road trip, but they arrived in less than thirty minutes, making it only about forty away from Faraway. 

Their new place was basically on the outskirts of the city, a small and not too busy place that had a few shops nearby, so that was a relief for Sunny. He’s always hated the overwhelming and busy feeling that cities had, he was certain that was another fear he was going to have to face, but it looks like his worries are put to rest, for now. Their apartment is on the bottom floor, so no taking the stairs for him, thank God . His mom was already at the door unlocking it.

The first thing he saw when she switched on the light was a long hallway with an empty bookshelf pressed against the wall, save for a few family pictures and books, a shoe rack to his right, and a runway rug. Straight ahead was an open doorway to the kitchen, and to the right another open doorway to the living room. Taking off his shoes, he decided to check out the kitchen first.

It was pretty standard and small, unlike his old one which was a lot bigger, but it led to a small dining room Sunny would probably hang out in to do homework after school, and eat obviously. 

He concluded his time there by entering the living room next, which all around was pretty empty. However, the remembrance shrine for Mari was still intact and stuck in a corner. Above that hung a few family photos on the wall.

Like their old house, the living room had a fireplace in it, perfect for snuggling up and drinking hot chocolate next to. Fall and winter are Sunny’s favorite seasons for this specific reason, he likes when he can feel the warmth from the fire fight against the cold atmosphere in the air, it makes him feel at home. Also, he really likes watching the leaves change color and snow fall at night. Above the fireplace was their old TV. 

The old couches and coffee table sat above a brand new rug, and the only three rooms he had left to explore were all accessible through here.

Sunny opened one of the doors to the left of him, but immediately closed it when he realized it was his mother's room. 

“Your room’s over there Sunshine.” She said from behind him, and pointed to the door on the right wall. 

“The washer and dryer are in the bathroom, so make sure you put your dirty clothes in this hamper.” She led him into the bathroom and sure enough, the washer and dryer were located directly by the sink. 

Sunny shivered when he saw the shower-tub combo. Last time he showered in one of these, the huge hollow cavity made him feel like he was being swallowed whole, the water slowly became hotter and hotter until his skin started to burn, and his whole body turned a lobster red. He’s a little less afraid of the water now, but it doesn’t get rid of his irrational fear of drowning even in the shallowest of places.

He felt his mom rub his back gently. “How about you go check out your room? I’ll go make us some lunch.” She said before disappearing off into the hallway. 

His room was as decently sized as before, still being a little big for one person. A new bed was placed in the corner, which relieved Sunny because he doesn’t know if he would be able to even look at his old one the same, and a new wardrobe which tones better matched his aesthetic was visible immediately after you entered. 

His old box TV sat on the ground with his gaming console set right next to it. A bean bag was smack dab in the middle of a rug to make his gaming experience a little more comfortable. Lastly, his old desk and computer were also here. A pretty basic, but comfortable room.

Sunny sat on his bed and sighed, he still had a little unpacking to do. Posters, picture frames, and some of his little trinkets are still waiting to be let out of the boxes that were scattered around his room, but he felt too tired at the moment. 

“Sunny! Lunch!” He heard his mom shout from the kitchen. Sunny slowly lifted himself from his bed, accidentally knocking over one of the boxes. As he went to straighten it back, he saw that Basil’s photo album fell out and picked it up. 

Quickly flipping through some of the pages, he found some of his favorite photos and left the album open on display sitting on his bookcase. He smiled grievously seeing all his friends so happy, and alive, but this gives him a new chance. The chance to make new happy memories, instead of fabricated ones. 

When he arrived in the kitchen the smell of noodles wafted through the air and invaded all of his senses. His mom was already sitting at the dining table eating her noodles, another bowl was placed beside her. No utensils were set beside it, so Sunny searched through all of the drawers and cupboards for one before shamefully asking his mom, “Ahh- Mom… where are the forks?”

She shook her head and a finger. “Nuh-uh Sunny, you’re eating with these until you can do it properly.” She held up a pair of plain black chopsticks. 

“I’ve let you off the hook for too long, most of the meals I make can be eaten perfectly fine with them.” 

He sighed, sitting down next to her, and dreadfully took them into his hands. 

“I’m glad that Basil boy reminded me of that.” 

The ramen slipped through his loose grip a few times before he got a good bite of it. It was hot, but tasted good and warmed his body. His favorite part is the egg, but it was a little hard to grab both it and the noodles at the same time. 

“I thought about walking around town a bit? Maybe visit the flower shop nearby?” His mother suggested. Sunny immediately perked up at the mention of flowers. 

“There’s a flower shop nearby?” He asked, mouth full. 

“There’s all kinds of shops nearby. I thought getting a few plants would spruce up the place a little. What do you think?” She said while closing Sunny's mouth, slightly aggrieved. 

He nodded, “Yeah, I think it would.” She smiled and they ate the rest of the time with general small talk.

When the two finished they quickly washed their dishes and headed out. His mom was right, there were a lot of different shops around. Skating, clothing, candy, food, etc… He’s not used to being within walking distance of so many shops like this. 

Just like the stores, there were a lot of different people too, of his age and older. He felt a little ashamed for holding his mothers hand but couldn’t shake his nervous jitters away fast enough. He hasn’t seen this many people in one day since school, and was already not looking forward to that either; he stands out so much because of his eye.

“Here we are.” His mother chirped happily. A sign confirmed the name to be Dizzy Daisies, a cute little flower shop that was placed directly on a corner barely far from Sunny’s apartment, and it smelt wonderful. A bell chimed when they walked inside. 

“Hi, welcome! How can I help you today?” A familiar voice greeted them. Sunny peeked from behind his mother to see if it’s who he thinks it is.

He makes eye contact with Mincy, the artist girl who sketched him and Kel the other day, her eyes immediately light up. 

“Sunny! Good to see you out of the hospital.” She said coming out from behind the counter. 

“Hi Mincy.” He greeted her shyly. 

His mothers eyes lit up. “Oh? You’re friends with Sunny?” 

Mincy smiled and nodded. “Hehe, yes! Sunny and Kel came up to me and complimented my art while I was drawing one day, it really motivated me…” She blushed and laughed optimistically. 

“That’s lovely. We just moved here, so, looking for something to liven up the apartment.”

Mincy turned back to Sunny, “Then I’m assuming we’ll be attending the same highschool this year? I’ll be a senior, what about you?” she asked. 

“I’ll be a freshman.” Sunny admitted apprehensively. 

“You are sixteen, no?” Mincy asked, face turning in slight confusion.

“Sunny’s… catching up with school he’s missed. Really, he’s supposed to be a junior, but certain events prevented that.” His mother avoided any kind of information that would reveal why Sunny quit school so early. He was terrified to explain why he was being stuck in the grade with a bunch of thirteen/fourteen year olds, and he was considering lying. Not a good habit to pick back up on. 

All the kids he would be stuck with would probably just assume he’s some idiot that got held back a couple times. 

“I see! Well, I can show you around the school, administration day is in a couple of weeks.” Mincy offered. 

“Sure.” His old school was pretty small, so taking in consideration that this was the city, it would be a lot bigger than he was used to. Mincy swayed in her spot and gave him a big smile.

Sunny felt his mother pat his back, “I’m going to go look at the seeds, let me know if you find anything you want.” she said, and walked back further into the store. 

Sunny turned back to Mincy, “What’re doing here? I thought you lived in Faraway.” he asked her.

She bit her lip, still swaying back and forth. “Well, I used to live in Faraway, but I moved a few years ago. Now every summer I visit my grandmother for a few weeks… I live here with my dad. This is his flower shop, so I work here in my free time.” 

Sunny turned away to look around the shop, it’s quite quaint and cute, and it seems as if Mincy is the only one working here at the moment. He thinks it would be a suitable first job for someone like him, but he really had to get everything else in order before he thought about something like that.

“Do you have any white tulip seeds?” He asked. Mincy nodded and quickly searched for the correct color of tulip he was looking for. She handed him a small bag, “Here, these have about five bulbs in them.” 

That was more than enough for Sunny, he only wanted to plant a few in a pot that he’d put on his bedside table. “Thanks.” 

When his mother was finally done looking, he handed her the package of white tulips. She seemed amused that her son finally wanted to pick up a new hobby, and so she happily agreed to buy them for him. From what Sunny could see, she bought a cactus seed, a few different colored roses, and lilacs. 

“I heard that the smell of lilacs can lead to better sleep, so I'm putting them in both of our rooms Sunny.” He doesn’t think it’ll prevent whatever night terror he has next, but it was the thought that counts. Although maybe if it does actually work, he could rest a little easier at night. 

“That’ll be seventeen thirty-eight.” Mincy announced after ringing up the items. His mother pulled out a twenty and told her to, “Keep the change.” a nice gesture for making friends with her son.

They exchanged goodbyes, Mincy even wrote Sunny her phone number so they could keep in touch, and headed back to their apartment with their brand new seed packets, and a few new pots to plant them in.

Immediately when they got home, the two pulled the tags off the pots and filled them with soil. A few were placed in the living room, in the hallway, in their bedrooms, and even one in the dining room. Sunny doesn’t know what was planted where, he was more focused on the task at hand which was; figuring out how to plant tulips. 

He already filled a pot with soil for his tulips, but he had no idea what he was doing. He could dial up his computer and check online… but that took too much effort than Sunny was willing to try. So, instead he decides to call someone. And who does he decide to call about the matter?

Kel. He decides to call Kel. Because yeah, Kel definitely knows how to grow tulips. He dialed his number on the phone in his room. Obviously, Kel wouldn’t have a clue on how to grow tulips, but he didn’t want to call Basil the day of the move. It would seem clingy, and Sunny didn’t want to bother him, he’s already stolen enough of his time. The tone of ringing played in Sunny’s ear for a good while until he heard someone pick up the receiver.

“Hello, Desoto residence! Who is this?” The voice of a kind sounding woman picked up and the cries of a baby could be heard in the background. It was his mother, obviously very busy taking care of the newest addition to the house, Sally. Sunny feels bad for intruding. 

“This is Sunny, is Kel home?” He persisted anyway. 

“Oh! Sunny, yes sweetie, let me call for him real quick. HEY KEL-” Sunny pulled the receiver away from his face since she had no idea she was currently screaming in his ear. He heard some more inaudible yelling before silence and then put it back to where he could hear.

He heard shuffling from the other side and then, “Hey Sunny! How're you?” Kel asked. The crying of his baby sister faded out into the background. 

“I’m fine, I was finally dispatched this morning. I’m in my new apartment.” He said. 

“Oh, how’s city life treatin’ you so far? I should come visit, or you can visit me of course, if you want to come to Faraway.”

“I like it so far, it's not as busy as I would’ve imagined it to be. You know how I feel about crowds…” Kel hummed in reply. 

“I uh- I saw Mincy today.” Sunny brought up, not knowing what else to say.

“Mincy? What’s she doing there?”

“She lives here, works in a flower shop not too far from my place.” Sunny said. It sounded like something clicked in Kel’s brain, 

“Ohhhh, I was wondering why I haven’t seen her in a few days! What was she doing in Faraway?” He asked. 

“Visiting her grandmother.”

“I see…” Kel replied solemnly. The mention of her grandmother must’ve reminded Kel of what happened to Basil’s, it sure did feel ironic when she told Sunny.  

The long silence after that prompted Sunny to think he couldn’t avoid his question any longer, “I bought white tulips from her shop. I was wondering if… you know how to take care of them?” Of course Kel doesn’t know how to take care of them! This was such a stupid idea, Sunny thought.

There was a pause, and then gleeful laughter erupted from the boy, “Sorry sorry…” Kel apologized. “S-Sunny, you know I don’t know how to take care of plants. That’s more of a Basil question. Do you need his number? I can-”

“I have his number I just…” Sunny groaned and rubbed his face with frustration. “I don’t wanna bother him…” He admitted. 

“Well, speaking of Basil, have you guys… spoken in a while?” Kel asked. 

“He visited me on my last two days, and I saw him this morning.” He really didn’t want to converse with Kel about Basil at the moment, he was already avoiding the obvious.“B-Besides that! How are Aubrey and Hero?” Sunny quickly changed the subject. 

“Oh… Aubrey, I haven’t seen her in a few days. Kim asked me to drag her out of her house but… she didn’t budge. Hero-” Kel sighed, his mood seemed to deplete. 

“Hero won’t talk to me for more than five minutes. He claims that, “he’s busy” but I know he Isn’t…” He said. 

Sunny could hear how distraught Kel was. It ruined the chill mood that they had into a more awkward and uncomfortable one. He should’ve never called in the first place. Hero and Aubrey may never forgive him, hell, he doesn’t even think Kel will. 

“I’ve got to go.” Sunny blurted out. 

“Oh- really? Uh, okay man! Talk to you later?” Kel tried to force a happier tone. 

“Yeah, bye Kel.” He placed down the phone without even letting Kel say goodbye and then immediately fell onto his bed.

He screamed a little into his pillow in frustration. He was frustrated at himself, this whole situation, but he couldn't be mad at them for not taking it easy on him. 

If Mari were here, she’d know what to do… 

Sunny laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling and cried. Not hysterically, but enough to make his eyes and cheeks red, and enough to tire him out. After his eyes were completely dry he stared at the ceiling recalling everyone’s reactions.

Aubrey hates me… Hero? Probably also hates me.

Kel? He doesn’t know how Kel feels. His eyelids felt heavy. I wish I knew what he was thinking. 

Those were his last thoughts before he promptly fell asleep on his bed, fully clothed.

…

There’s something swaying in the wind, something staring deep into his soul. The grip he had on his dearest friend's hand was forcefully pulled apart from him, and when he turned around, someone else was there. 

“Are you going to keep torturing yourself like this, Sunny?” They said, lifting their shadowy black hands to caress his face lightly. A burning sensation caused Sunny’s eyes to start watering. 

A slight wind started blowing as the stranger pulled their hand away and stepped towards him, Sunny stepped back. 

“They all know now, everything should be better. What’s your problem?” The clouds in the sky began erupting with thunder and only got darker the more he got closer to it. 

Splash . Something beneath him was making a gross squelching noise. He looked down; his shoes were stained red. Blood. It was everywhere. It was pulling him down. This is how he dies; he’s going to drown. He can’t seem to get out of it. 

“What would Mari think?” The tears in his eyes made it impossible to see, a final step backwards caused him to fall, and everything went dark. He doesn’t know what’s happening.

He tried to breathe. His lungs inhaled blood, he’s swimming it in. The irony taste made him want to vomit, but he still couldn’t see a way out. He desperately tried to swim up, but the more he did the deeper it felt like he got. Still, he kept swimming, inhaling blood, sounds of the tides crashing back and forth played over and over until…

He actually made it out? The surface finally presented itself, Sunny dragged himself out of the water and onto a lowly lit summer beach, like he hadn’t just been drowning in blood a minute prior. His eyes finally cleared and spotted a person who was sitting on the sand watching the sunset. 

“Oh Sunny! Glad you could make it, sit!” The figure was completely blacked out, next to no features, and called for Sunny to join. The figure oddly reminded him of Kel.

Sunny sat and silently caught his breath, “It’s hard sometimes, seeing you. You remind me of what happened to Mari, but I guess I just can’t bring myself to get rid of you.” The figure laughed. Sunny tilted his head.

“If I remind you so much of what happened, why be friends with me?” He questioned.

The figure shrugged. “Just because you did something bad doesn’t make you a bad person.” A soft wind blew through Sunny's thick wet black hair. He knew it was the brain talking, but hearing those words relaxed his entire body into the nice soft sand, and for the first time in years, he watched the sun set in the distance. 

All great fantasies have to come to an end.

He woke up still breathing heavily from the otherwise traumatic experience, calming down only after pinching himself in various different places to check if he was actually awake. Sunny always had a difficult time telling reality and dreams apart, but once he was sure that he was actually awake he sighed heavily out of relief, and wiped away a few tears that appeared from the self-inflicted pain. 

This was going to be a slow two weeks.

As he went to get up he realized how parched his throat was and decided to make way for the kitchen. He carefully opened his door to not make noise and desperately walked towards his destination, but before he entered a muffled whispering emitting its way into Sunny’s ears. 

“Yes Mr. Jawsum, I understand the- No… I have considered the consequences.” His mother was already in the kitchen talking to someone on the phone. He knew Mr. Jawsum was someone he’d had in headspace, but he didn’t know he was an actual person. 

“I do not want to press charges against him and his family, that is final.” She said, and immediately everything clicked into place. The Jawsum law firm! His mother must be talking to their lawyer right now about Basil. He became a little upset that she’d never mentioned anything about this.

“I know I was the one to call the shots, but I’m calling it off.” She whispered. 

“I’m sure of my decision. Yes- please do not call about this matter again. Goodbye, Mr. Jawsum.” She practically slammed the receiver down and pinched her nose, murmuring something under her breath. Before Sunny could get out of her sight, she had already turned around and spotted him. 

“Sunny! What’re you doing up?” She stuttered out, Sunny looked at the clock, nine thirty . He must’ve fallen asleep early. 

“I’m thirsty.” He said apathetically, “Who was that on the phone?” he then asked knowingly, he just wanted to hear it from herself. 

“It was nobody important. Why don’t you go back to sle-”

“Why didn’t you tell me you planned on pressing charges against Basil?” He hurtfully asked. He couldn’t tell if the tears in his eyes were because of his mothers betrayal or from the pain that still rested upon his arms. 

She wrinkled her nose and rubbed her temples, “It’s nothing for you to worry about now Sunny, I-”

“But you still lied to me!” He yelled. “How long were you planning this? Why did you only change your mind now? What were you gonna do if something happened when you left us alone together?” His palms gripped his aching forehead and scratched at his scalp, picking at scabs that started to bleed all over his fingers. 

“They would’ve tried us. Then… oh God. Everyone would know what I am, they’d find out what I did. I didn’t do it on purpose… I’m sorry!” He scratched deeper. If she had pressed charges against Basil, they would’ve had to explain what prompted this all to happen, he can’t believe that she’d consider doing that; putting him through that. Does she hate him? 

His mother grabbed his wrists and pulled them away so he could no longer pick and bleed, “Sunny! You’re hurting yourself, stop .” she demanded. 

“YOU’RE HURTING ME! Don’t touch me!” He cried, yanking himself out of her grip. Maybe it was unreasonable to be getting mad now, but all the resentment he felt towards his mother for leaving him alone for this long kept piling and piling up. Even if she was trying to better herself now, she would never understand the kind of pain that he went through.

Quickly, he ran back to his room, locking the door behind him, and sat knees up to his chest in bed. He once again started picking and scratching at his head–his breathing only worsened at every stinging sensation he got out of it. Something started to form around him, his room was pitch dark–he was sitting in a void of nothingness. He was shivering and shaking so much, his throat was still parched to the point where he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. 

Something was knocking. It kept knocking, it wouldn’t stop. 

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop. He begged to himself quietly while rocking back and forth in place.

“-Sunny!” He heard his mother’s voice call for him, and everything around him went back to normal, save for the massive headache and extreme anxiety attack he was still experiencing. 

“Sunny…” She desperately called out again; he remained silent. A massive sigh could be heard following some kind of sliding against his door, it sounded like she sat on the floor. 

“ Sunny …” She repeated. 

“I don’t know if you are listening, but…” Sunny removed his hands from his ears, which he had previously covered up to stop the staggering noise of her knocking from intruding any further into his brain. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I wanted to press charges as soon as I figured out what happened.” She professed. 

“But then… I saw how much he meant to you. I saw how much he still cared about you, and I couldn’t do it. Maybe I’m stupid, for not, but he’s a kind boy to you. That’s why I still don’t understand how he-” Sunny heard sniffling and shuffling from the other side of the door.

“I’ve got to lay down.” Slow footsteps dragged against the floor until the sound of a door opening and closing echoed through Sunny's mind.

He’s not going to sleep tonight.  

~

A few days had already passed and Sunny was still staring at the white tulip seed package on his desk. He picked it up, running and feeling his fingers around at the seeds inside, he hasn’t even opened it yet. 

What a waste . 

Today was also his first therapy appointment, hooray. It turns out, his mother booked him a few appointments with Ms. Paige. He was currently sitting on his bed, fully dressed, waiting for his mom to get home from her new job. 

She’s working part time at Mincy’s flower shop before she can find herself a full-time one. Yesterday, she invited her to come over for dinner so she could force Sunny to socialize with someone. It was a little awkward, but once he invited her into his room the tension seized up.

They’re both into art, Mincy was showing him some of her new portfolios she’s done over the summer. She’s absolutely amazing at what she does, and even offered to draw him a self-portrait. He agreed, and after not too long she already had a sketch done. She offered to color it, but Sunny likes the sketchy look of the original, so she kept it how it was and it now hung on the wall right next to the other sketch she had done of him and Kel.

Afterward, they played video games together and talked about the school's orientation and such. Turn’s out, the school has an orchestra. Sunny’s mother mentioned at dinner that he used to play the violin, so it must’ve prompted Mincy to bring it up. 

“I play the clarinet, you should join, it’s so fun–the violin is such a unique instrument!” Nothing against her, but he’s unsure on if he would want to join or not. It’s something he’ll have to think about.

“Sunny! It’s time to go, can’t keep her waiting!” His mother’s voice cut through his recollection of yesterday, and he rushed out to the car.  

The drive to the clinic wasn’t too far, which sucked for Sunny, he would’ve preferred it to take a lot longer than it did. The inside of the building smelt like a hospital, which isn’t too strange, he just hates the smell of hospitals. Sunny’s mom checked him in, and then sat down on an empty couch. 

Looking around, there were plenty of people about his age. He wasn’t going to talk to anyone here though, he wasn’t here to make friends. 

“Sunny Suzuki?” Someone called his name, when he looked up a blonde young woman was looking in his direction, she must be Ms. Paige. As he stood up and walked towards her room, he felt the eyes of other patients stare him down. 

As he entered, Ms. Paige greeted him, “Come on in.” she said, shutting the door behind him. 

The room was small, a desk and chair were located in the corner with the couch facing front of it, and a window was nicely placed above it. There were a few plants on top of the windowsill, and a few pictures of what looked to be family were grouped together on the wall. 

Sunny shivered, he also noticed how unbelievably cold it currently was. “Need me to turn up the temperature?” She must’ve noticed, even though Sunny didn’t give her an answer she proceeded to turn the temperature up anyway. 

She gave a, ‘take a seat.’ hand gesture, so he sat on the couch, and she sat in the chair right across from him. He completely avoided eye contact, shoved his hands underneath his thighs, and swung his legs back and forth from anxiety. 

“So, Sunny.” She put emphasis on his name. “Very unique name, I like it.” A smile spread across her face, but Sunny only nodded with a blank expression. 

“I’m going to get straight to the point, I don’t know much Sunny, but what I do know is that you had a sister, Mari, am I correct?” He nodded again. 

“And I know that in a way you and a friend contributed to her death in some kind of way, is that right?”

He finally made eye contact with her. She had honey-like eyes that sparkled with curiosity and a comforting presence that made Sunny feel like he could answer honestly without being judged, almost like a close relative or friend, and nodded. He’s glad his mom didn’t tell her exactly what happened, he thinks he can work with this. 

She raised an eyebrow. “Now don’t think you can get away without ever speaking, Sunny. Communication is important.” She crossed her legs. 

“Tell me about how it’s affecting you now.” 

Now? He doesn’t know about how it's affecting him now, he kind of feels just nothing. Guilty, yes, but how is he supposed to feel? She noticed the confusion on his face, 

“If you’re unsure how to describe it, why don’t you just give me words?” she suggested. 

“Guilty.” He automatically blurted out. Ms. Paige's face churned in surprise when she finally heard Sunny’s voice for the first time. She started writing something down on the paper held by her clipboard.  

“Were the two of you close? I was told you planned on doing a duet with her on piano and you on violin, so I would assume so. Correct me if I’m wrong.” His eyes widened, what’s with everyone and bringing up the violin all of the sudden? 

He proceeded to nod again–her eyes squinted at him, face filled with peculiarity, which made him feel a little intimidated, “I-I guess everything still feels unreal. I’m sad, but I also feel nothing at the same time. That isn’t normal, is it?” he confessed. He’s hoping that would be enough to satisfy her, it’s not like he was lying, he just hates talking about his feelings, but he’d hate to waste her time here.

Ms. Paige shook her head. “No, it can be normal. It depends on the person.” She told him, adjusting herself in her seat. 

“Let me tell you something, Sunny. I used to be a teacher, an english teacher to be exact.” His eyes followed her hand when she pointed towards a picture of a class celebrating some kind of party. He spotted Ms. Paige, wearing a party hat in the background. 

“Each one of my students required different things. They all had different ways of learning, so I improved as a teacher and provided for them.” Sunny doesn’t really get what she’s trying to say, but he knows she’s trying to use an analogy. 

“Basically what I’m saying, Sunny, is that you are the teacher of your emotions. You feel different things, whether that be by choice or by chance, but you have to be the one to learn how to control them. A person can feel like nothing and everything at the same time. Your body may be physically and mentally overwhelmed, but you are in command, so just feel.” 

He stopped swinging his legs, cupped his hands together, and bit his tongue with dissatisfaction. How was he supposed to just feel without knowing why or what caused him to feel that way. 

“It was an accident.” Sunny thought aloud. 

“Hm?”

“Her death. What happened was an accident. I know I didn’t mean to say what I said and do what I did, so why do I still feel like… It should’ve been me instead of her?” This was something he’s never talked about with anyone, he doesn’t really know why he’s bringing it up now of all times. 

“Have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘survivors guilt’ Sunny?” He shook his head no.

“It’s when a person survives an accident that somebody else died that they might feel like it could've prevented.” She explained. “I believe you’re still suffering from that. You wallow in the guilt of having felt like you purposely hurt her, but you’re not thinking outside of your box you’ve created.”

He didn’t mean to kill her , that was a phrase that often repeated throughout Sunny’s head. Her saying that he hurt her instead of killed her, felt wrong. He was a murderer, he’s not innocent, if only she could know how terrible he actually was. 

“Have you ever considered how some other factors of the situation may have contributed to her death?” Ms. Paige speculated.

The violin.

That was always something that crossed through Sunny’s mind. If his broken violin hadn’t been there, would she have died? Really, a push down the stairs wasn’t the only factor of her death. Like his mother said, the shards of his broken violin were implanted in her skull, but even if it was the broken violin shards that killed her, it’s still his fault.

“I guess I have yeah.” 

“Have they changed your perspective on how you feel?” Sunny thought for a moment.

If it really was the violin shards that killed her he’s still a murderer. 

“Not really, no.” 

Ms. Paige nodded, wrote something down, and said, “Can I ask about the friend who was involved?” Oh boy, here we go.

He nodded anyway, letting her proceed with her question. “How is your relationship with him now?” 

Sunny pulled on his earlobe while he pondered, were they really fine now? They spent two whole days together, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that Sunny has yet to call him and left him for four years. He wants to be fine with Basil, he wants to be fine with everyone, but is it wrong to want to feel fine? After what he did? 

He told her a little bit about Basil, how caring and gentle he was, how he’s always been the most anxious out of everyone, and that he wasn’t directly involved in the contribution of Mari’s death. 

“I see, so this ‘Basil’ boy was involved with the aftermath of it all then, yes?” Sunny hummed in response.

“I saw him my first and last two days in the hospital. Only for a little bit the first day, but we talked a lot about what happened when he visited the other two times.” 

“How'd it go?” She asked. 

Sunny knows she’s a therapist, but it’s annoying how she’s so interested in every little detail. Is this how it’s always gonna be? 

“Well, I think. I really missed talking to him…” His words waned out as he watched Ms. Paige write for a while and then ask her final question. 

“Do you want him?” She asked. 

“Wh-What?” Sunny stammered, gripping his knees.

“Sorry, let me rephrase that. Do you want him to continue being in your life?” 

Oh. That makes a lot more sense. 

Sunny dug his nails into knees. “Yeah, I do. I’m just having a hard time starting a conversation first.” Ms Paige tilted her head, giving him a ‘go on’ look. He really should’ve just kept his mouth closed. 

“I have his number, and I’ve been thinking about calling him. I just– I don’t want to bother him. I’m a reminder of what happened between us.”

Ms. Paige stared at him for a moment, put her clipboard on her lap, and started to scoot over to him in her rolly chair. It looked a little funny, seeing as she was a woman on the shorter side; it took everything in Sunny not to laugh. She could probably tell that he wanted to though. 

“Did this Basil boy willingly give you his number?” She asked, Sunny nodded. 

Her hand lifted slowly up to Sunny’s shoulder, and she gave it a little squeeze. 

“Then call him. That’s the first thing you can do towards your path of healing.” 

The rest of the time Sunny spent talking about Hero, Kel, and Aubrey, how they were significant people in his life, how he used to sleep all day and have intense vivid dreams, and ever since he stopped he can barely sleep at all. They didn’t have much time to get into it, it felt like it ended quicker than it started.

At the end of his session, Ms. Paige called in his mother, “Based on these forms he filled out in the hospital and what I’m hearing, I’m thinking he needs to go on antidepressants, specifically trazodone.” she said. “It’ll help with his depressive episodes, appetite, and insomnia, which all seem to be major factors affecting him at the moment.” 

In the end, Sunny’s mother agreed to consulting a doctor about it, and he should be able to start in about a week or so. His next appointment isn’t until the week of school, so they’ll be seeing how that goes.

Now, Sunny sat curled up in his bed thinking about what she said. Call him . He looked at his alarm clock, it’s already a quarter past ten. Would he even be up?

The white tulip seeds still sat idly on his bedside table, and the empty pot of soil shone in the moonlight, like it was begging to have something planted. Sunny aggressively carded his fingers through his hair and finally decided to stand up and dial in the number. Before he consciously had any idea of what he was doing, it was already late, the phone was already ringing.

The receiver rang for a while before someone answered, “H-Hello?” the voice of a tired sounding Basil answered, Sunny already regrets this, “Hey Basil, I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” 

“Oh! Sunny, n-no you’re fine.” He said between yawns.

Guess that’s a yes. 

“H-How’s the city so far?” Basil asked. 

“It’s fine, not as bad as I was imagining it to be.” Basil hummed in response. 

“Listen, I called because– because I actually have a question about something,” Sunny said. Basil whispered, “Go ahead.” wearily. 

Sunny took a deep breath, “I bought these white tulip seeds the other day, and I was wondering if you could tell me how to plant and care for them?” he asked. 

He heard Basil perk up, “Oh! Y-Yeah. D-Do you have them right now and a p-pot to plant them in?” Sunny quickly rushed to his bedside table, “Mhm.”

“You need to bury them about six inches deep-” Sunny put him on speaker phone so he could follow his directions. 

“-plant each seed at least three to six inches apart.” He carefully measured out where the bulbs should be and planted four of them. After he covered them up with soil, Basil started telling him how much to water them, 

“Tulips love water, use cold fresh water to make them happy!” He giggled. “Oh- and make sure not to leave them in sunlight all day. They’ll wilt.”

It was the first time in a while that Sunny heard him talk for so long without stuttering. Once he was done watering them, he placed the cup he used on his desk, “Thanks Basil, and sorry for waking you up.” he said. 

“Haha- don’t worry about it. I w-was kind of waiting for you to call…” 

“I’ll do it more often.” He meant it. 

Basil laughed awkwardly, “H-Hey Sunny, why’d you decide on white tulips?” 

Sunny still remembers Basil's exact words, “Tulips aren't very flashy plants. They’re not too big or small, not too elaborate or flamboyant. They’re comfortable, simple, modest, and perfect…” He hesitated to repeat the last part, “Just like me.. At least, that’s how you described them.” 

“Wow- you s-still remember that?” Basil asked in a surprised but also flattered tone. 

“I remember all of the flowers you assigned us.” Sunny said intimately, he felt his palms sweat against the phone, that isn’t weird is it?

He heard Basil give a breathy and tired laugh from the other side, “H-How… thoughtful, of you.” It sounded like he was planning to say something else but changed his mind. Still, his tone sounded genuine and appreciative. 

Sunny yawned, “I think I’m gonna sleep.” He said. 

“Mhm.” Basil agreed. 

“Night Basil. I’ll call again tomorrow okay?” He whispered, realizing that he’d been kind of loud. 

“Goodnight, Sunny. I-I’ll be waiting.“

He’ll be waiting. You’ve waited long enough, Sunny thought. The call ended, and Sunny immediately flopped on his bed in relief. I finally did it. It wasn’t like the gruesome scenarios that his mind culminated it out to be, it was normal. Just normal. And it felt wonderful.

His head turned to look towards the pot he had planted the white tulip seeds in. His eyelashes fluttered as he started to go in and out of sleep, he hasn’t willingly fallen asleep this early since… 

Since Mari died. 

He turned over on his side, cradling a pillow in his arms, and just for tonight, he imagined it to be his dear sister–running her fingers through his hair, telling him what a good job he did facing his fears so bravely.

Sleep well, Sunny. I know I will.

Chapter Text

It felt like he spent almost everyday on the road.

Once again, he sat silently in a car–not his mothers, but Mincy’s. She offered him a ride to the school while his mom worked at the flower shop, and he accepted happily. 

Two weeks had passed by so quickly, though he hadn’t done much. He chatted with Basil a few times and hung out with Mincy on the weekend. Sunny mentioned that he used to draw a lot when he was younger, Mincy encouraged him to start pursuing art again, so he did, but all he wanted to draw at the moment were cats. Lots of them. 

A faint song sung in Japanese played in the background as he lightly sketched out his third page of cats this week. Mincy’s car came to a halt at a stoplight and she looked over, “Those are some cute cat drawings Sunny!” she said, smiling and tapping her fingers on the wheel. 

“You must like cats a lot.” Sunny nodded, not looking up from the page. 

“Thanks, I was never really an animal person until we got a cat for the first time. They’re different from dogs.” He said, tongue stuck out in focus.

Mewo was the first and only cat Sunny ever had. At first he was a little apprehensive about her, but Mari showed him how gentle and affectionate she was and it changed his perspective on them ever since. He’d always been told that cats were cold-hearted and mean, but it was the complete opposite. They require you to gain their trust, and once you do it's very rewarding.

“I miss having one…” He mumbled under his breath. 

“Aw, Sunny! You’ll get another one someday! I know it.” She ruffled his hair the way Hero used to, sending a nostalgic shock throughout his body. 

Never would he have imagined that he’d see Mincy after he left Faraway, but he’s glad he did. She got him more adjusted to city life than he would’ve on his own, and encouraged him to engage in old hobbies again. 

Sunny heard her blinker turn on, “We’re here.” she said, turning carefully into the parking lot. He finally looked up for the first time in a few minutes and immediately froze. 

There were tons of cars already here, and the school looked huge compared to what he was used to. She parked and turned her head to Sunny, “I know you’re probably nervous, but just remember I’ll be by your side the whole time.” she said with a comforting smile.

Sunny’s face was still struck in awe, “...Okay.” He mustered out. It’s times like these where he could barely utter out a word because of how anxious he felt. He unbuckled and got out when he realized Mincy was waiting for him outside. 

Most of the kids and their parents or friends were heading to and/or hanging out around the giant entrance that was decorated with a, ‘Welcome Back!’ banner, Mincy led him through. He tried pulling his bangs over his eyepatch, and hid behind her to make him stand out less, but the stares from other students let him know that it wasn’t working, so he gave up as soon as they walked into the building. 

There were even more people inside and to make matters worse it was super loud. Kids were chatting, screaming, and running all across the entrance way to hug their friends and meet their teachers. 

I hate this, Sunny thought.

Mincy grabbed his hand, “Don’t wanna lose ya!” she shouted over all the talking and pulled Sunny all the way to a more barren area. “Sorry, I thought if we came later that all the kids would be gone but…” She scratched her head, “It’ll be okay, let’s go to the office and figure out your schedule hm?” she suggested. Sunny was still tightly gripping her hand in order not to lose her, and nodded. 

Luckily there weren’t too many people loitering around at the office, but Sunny was still given a few looks from passerbyers, they probably think he’s a freak . 

“Mincy! There you are, I was worried you weren’t coming.” A lady from behind a receptionist window said. 

“Haha, yeah. I came a little late today because of this guy right here.” Mincy’s hand pushed him more into view and he got a better look at the woman.

She has short graying hair, glasses, and a slight country accent, Sunny noted. She’s thin and tall, and seems really sweet. 

“I didn’t know you had a brother.” Those words shot right through Sunny’s heart. That was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. Yes, Mincy was a good friend, but it hurt to look up to her as a sisterly figure, it feels wrong. He feels guilty for even considering it sometimes…

“Oh no no no, he’s not my brother, a friend. He’s moved recently.” She corrected between awkward laughs. The woman gave a little ‘oh’ face and made direct eye contact with him. 

“What’s your name?” She asked. His eyes darted around uncomfortably, holding eye contact didn’t come very easily to him. “Sunny Suzuki…” He replied just loud enough that he wouldn’t have to repeat himself. 

Her eyes lit up, “Oh! You’re Sunny? I remember that name because of how unique I thought it was. You can call me Miss Gem!” she told him while looking through a couple manila folders. Two papers were slid up to them, Mincy grabbed hers, but the woman leaned over and pointed a finger at Sunny’s. 

“You have two empty extracurricular spaces left,” 

He quickly scanned the paper, it appears that he’ll be forced to take Biology, English, World History, Algebra, and some kind of language class. 

“and you also need to choose the language course you’ll be taking. There’s Spanish, French, and American Sign Language, or ASL. Which one would you like to do?” 

Sign language? That would actually come in handy pretty often for him, no pun intended. When he went non-verbal he could still communicate with someone , so he pointed at ASL, “Alright,” Miss Gem pulled out a pen and circled it. 

She then pointed to a longer list, “These are the extracurriculars. If you’d like, you can go look around before choosing one.” 

Sunny quickly glanced at all of them, there were way more to choose from than his old school. Art, Drama, Athletics, Graphic design, etc… and of course, Orchestra.

Sunny grabbed the paper and then looked up at Mincy, a quizzical smile appeared across her face like she was asking which class to check out first. He scanned the list again; the only thing that was calling to him right now was Art, so Sunny signified to her that he’d like to check it out. His hand was grabbed by hers again, and she waved Miss Gem off. 

“We’ll see you later, Sunny wants to go check out the art room!”

They squeezed their way through crowds of people until they finally made it to the art room. 

“Hello Mincy, welcome back.” A lady with black hair pulled into a tight bun greeted them. She bent down to Sunny and put a hand on his shoulder, “And hello to you, I don't think I know you, what’s your name?” she asked. 

“Sunny.” He said with a vacant stare.

She clapped her hands together and smiled, “Sunny? What a pretty name! I’m the art teacher, Mrs. Parks. You’re free to look around.” There was some kind of aura from her that freaked Sunny out. He wasn’t saying that she was creepy, just strange. Her movements almost seemed mesmerizing. 

The art room seemed like a typical class with tables and stools grouped together, brushes and paint scattered across counters and a few sinks, color theory posters, a few paintings were placed on the walls, most signed ‘Mrs. Parks’, and a desk that had paper paintings littered across the front of it; some better than others. There were a few other people in the room, but surprisingly none of them turned their full attention to Sunny, they too seemed to be interested in the paintings on the wall.

He turned his head and caught a glimpse of a few, they were all pretty different from each other. There were a few landscapes, replicas of Andy Warhol’s famous banana painting, but there was one painting that caught his eye the most.

It was a black and white painting of a faceless girl. The face was replaced with a pastel and colorful mindscape that had bright stars above a festival of some sorts. There were a few people painted in, they had cute clown masks on and were holding sparklers and cake. A lot of neat details were painted in–a few references to pet rocks and a cartoon Sunny can’t remember the name of. 

It reminds him of… Omori, and headspace. His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he looked down to the label that was directly underneath it, and was filled with disappointment when the label read that it was submitted anonymously.

“This painting is new, it was only hung up at the end of last year.” He felt Mincy's presence come up from behind him, she was grabbing her chin. 

“What do you think it represents?” She asked. Sunny turned towards her. 

“Escapism.” She pushed her red glasses up her face and raised an eyebrow. Sunny dragged his finger across the piece. 

“I think the black and white parts represent the reality of the dreamer, and this colorful part is the scenarios they created in their mind to help them escape from them.” He specified. 

When Sunny glanced back at Mincy again he realized a few people were listening in on their conversation and timidly went by her side again.. Mincy crossed her arms and lowered her eyes at the painting before she finally looked back at him, “You’re very intuitive.”

The two went off to find his other classes and had the same standard conversations with the teachers over and over again–if he had a dollar for every time someone commented on his name, he’d have at least eight dollars. It never crossed his mind that he had such a unique name, until today, but almost everyone at Faraway knew him since he was a toddler, so he’s never really done introductions before, besides Basil and Aubrey.

They checked out a few other extracurriculars, but none of them called out to Sunny the way that Orchestra screamed his name. He’s been purposely avoiding it, but he knew he couldn’t dance around it forever. Mincy jumped with joy when he finally said he wanted to look at the orchestra hall, so that’s where they headed. 

She skipped the whole way down, “You’re going to LOVE it! Ms. Galen is the absolute best! She’s so sweet and such a good teacher-” Mincy rambled on and on about her adoration of the class and told a few stories. 

“-Oh, and then one time my clarinet broke and they sent it off to the shop–shop ended up burning down and I never got that one back. Makes you wonder, how does a music repair store just burn down?” She left that question pondering into thin air and silence as they finally arrived at two big double doors. 

Mincy looked at him, “Ready?” she asked. Sunny leaned and pushed the door open. 

I’m just ready to get this over with.

A yellowish light flooded into sight among a huge stage and hundreds of seats. Mincy ran down the aisle and called for him to come up on the stage with her. He walked slowly down the long aisleway and up the small steps onto the stage, it was just the two of them. On top of the stage situated a grand piano next to a few chairs and stands. 

“This is the performance hall, the practice hall is out that door.” Mincy pointed towards a door that was off to the side of the stage. 

Sunny’s mom had to sell their old piano, there wouldn’t be any room to fit it anywhere in the first place, so this is the first time he’s seen one in a while. He can almost hear Mari playing their duet again.

“Practice makes perfect!” she would repeat over and over again. He eyed it while cautiously approaching it. 

“It’s not gonna bite, Sunny. You can play it if you’d like.” Mincy leaned and laid her head down on top of it when he pulled out the stool and sat down. During his time of playing with Mari, he only ever memorized the first part, but he knew it like the back of his hand. 

When he started playing it, he was instantly transported back to a happier time when he would casually listen to his sister play her part, before she became such a workaholic about it. 

“Hey- are you crying?” Mincy reached out a hand to wipe away a tear, he stopped playing, not even realizing that he had started crying. 

Sunny sniffled, “Sorry…” he apologized. 

“No no! Don’t worry about it. How about I introduce you to Ms. Galen, we turn in your paper to the front office, and I take you home? That okay?” She gently suggested. 

“Mhm!” Sunny vigorously nodded, cheeks warming out of discomfort, his hands trembled as he desperately wiped away the excess tears from his eyes.

The practice room was a lot smaller than the performance room, although a lot more open and breathable in Sunny’s opinion. Not even the first day of school and a few people were already in here messing around on their instruments. 

“You’re a new face.” A woman greeted the two, the spring in her step caused her coily hair to bounce back and forth. 

Mincy squealed in joy and hugged her, repeating on about how much she missed her, which could mean only one thing; this was Ms. Galen. 

“Mincy dear, you know I missed you too, but you know I must greet this new face immediately.” Her voice was a lot warmer than most peoples, which Sunny found rather comforting. A hand was reached in front of him for a hand shake, so he returned the gesture. 

“I’m sure you must know me as Ms. Galen if you’ve ever spoken with Mincy here for more than a minute about the orchestra.” She poked fun at her. Mincy jutted her lips out causing Ms. Galen to giggle. 

“I’m the lead director, and before you ask–yes, we do provide the instrument for you.” she said letting go of her strong grip on Sunny’s hand. Must be a question she gets all the time.

“What’s your name and instrument?”

“Sunny and… violin.” He spared no expense. 

If one more person makes a comment about my name I’m not coming tomorrow, he thought. 

“Violin, I see! Such a hard instrument to learn, you know. How long have you been playing?”

“Uh- I… I haven’t played in four years but-” He searched every crevice of his brain for an answer, “I learned when I was younger up until then, I still remember how to play it?” he answered in an unsure tone. 

He wanted to slap himself in the face, he does remember how to play it, why would he seem so unsure of himself now?

Ms. Galen's face turned into a smile, “Well I’m sure if you decide to join you’ll do great.” she encouraged him, and turned back to Mincy to have a proper chat. 

Sunny let out a sigh of relief, his social battery was completely drained for the day.

After Mincy finally finished chatting it up with Ms. Galen, they were free to finally leave. When Mincy realized they were approaching the office she cut into Sunny’s thoughts. 

“So, what extracurriculars did you choose?” She asked. 

Sunny looked down at the paper, he had already circled Art immediately after entering the room, they wouldn’t miss a random pen that was lying around would they? And even though everything in his body was telling himself not to do it, he chose Orchestra. 

He turned the paper Mincy's direction and her eyes lit up with excitement. She didn’t say anything, but the big stupid grin that appeared across her face said enough.

~

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEE-

Sunny slammed his hand down on his alarm, rubbed his eyes, and groaned loudly. He hasn’t done this in years and forgot how painstakingly awful it was waking up at seven in the morning just to spend most of your day at a prison. 

The first thing he did was grab his white eyepatch and go straight for the bathroom. Today was the day he could finally relieve himself of his bandage and replace it with whatever he wanted. It stung horribly as he peeled it off, and the scarring was still healing, he teared up a little from the pain. 

Another option he could’ve chosen was a glass eye, but the experience of gardening shears being stabbed straight into it made him want nothing to do with anything that went into his eyes, so instead he chose the latter. 

Carefully and comfortably he adjusted it over his eye, got dressed, and combed through his hair. The smell of eggs being cooked fluttered throughout the house and immediately made him hungry. 

“Rise and shine Sunny, I made your favorite!” His mothers loud voice made him feel aggravated and, even after eating his eggs and waffles, he still felt like the energy had still been sucked out of him.

Quickly, he put on his slip-on vans and slung his plain black backpack over his shoulder, “Are you sure you’ll be fine walking by yourself?” his mother asked before he could leave. 

The day before, he’d made the decision to just walk to school everyday. The exercise and sun would be good for him, and it was only about fifteen minutes away on foot, so why not? 

“I’ll be fine.” He nettled before opening and exiting the door faster than his mother could respond. It was a humid cloudy day. Sunny inhaled the fresh air–he hadn't checked the weather but based on how it smelt it would probably rain sometime this week, which he was excited for. He loves walking through the rain and splashing in the puddles.

He paid no attention to the people around him, and made sure that he crossed the streets safely. At one point, he started counting the amount of dandelions he saw growing out of the cracks of the city's pavement. Seven, eight, nine…

He could tell when he passed Mincy’s flower shop, the strong floral scent was hard to miss. Ten, eleven… All these dandelions remind Sunny of a nice summer time five years prior when he, Kel, and Basil were together walking around a field picking flowers. 

Kel picked a bunch of dandelions, and while Basil was explaining how some people believed they made wishes come true, Kel convinced Sunny to put them all in his mouth. Basil had started crying, (because Sunny was choking or because of the flowers? He didn’t know.) but they made it up to him by buying him a strawberry cupcake from the sweets shop.

His recollection made the walk there feel less prolonged and he arrived at school in an instant. There were a bunch of kids outside already, he took the long way around just to avoid them. Eventually he ended up finding a side door that took him inside, near the office, hurriedly grabbed his schedule, and headed for the first class, English. 

The room was labeled room 204, but even with the guidance of a number he still ended up getting lost somehow. 

“Sunny!” A voice yelled from behind, Mincy waved and ran to catch up to him. 

“Hey, you forgot this.” A lunchbox was shoved into his hands, she smiled bashfully. 

“Your mom dropped it off when she came in this morning, where’ya headed?” Sunny pointed at his schedule and when she glanced her lips pursed. 

“Sunny… That class is all the way on the other side of the school.” She said. 

“Why’re all the way over here?”

“I avoided them.” He said. 

“W-Whos them? The other students?” She cocked her head to the side, Sunny nodded. 

“Hehe, well you can’t avoid people forever, here I’ll walk you.” She grabbed his wrist and essentially dragged him through the crowds of people. Mincy greeted a few people but did not stop and try to force him to socialize, he ended up bumping into her when she came to a halt. 

“Here. I’ve got to go. Like. Now. I’ll see you in fifth period!” She gripped her straps and sped off.

A vacant seat was open in the back of the class, so he sat and laid his head down, unintentionally listening in on the other kids' conversations.

Is that the kid with one eye?

Yeah, I saw him yesterday with some girl.

I wonder how he lost it, you should ask.

No! You go ask.

There was one thing people seemed to never notice is that; the quiet kids do in fact have ears. He tried to tune them out until class started, but was startled by a tap on his back, “Excuse me, can we-” as soon as he lifted his head the girl who was speaking to him cut herself off. 

“Uh, n-nevermind.” She changed her mind and sat in an empty seat. He watched her turn around and start chatting with another girl that was directly beside him.

A loud clap from the front of the class gave Sunny a good scare. 

“Alright everyone, I’m Mr. Wilson, and I will be your English teacher this year.” Everyone settled down and paid full attention, except Sunny. Ten minutes in and he already was slacking off. 

“-so I want each one of you to stand up, tell us your name, and tell us one fact about yourself, alright?” Sunny’s heart sank into his stomach when he caught that piece of information, that was elementary kid type stuff! Couldn't he just call role and end it at that?

He swallowed nervously when the first person stood up. 

“I’m Mia and I went to the Grand Canyon this summer.” 

He shouldn’t be here . 

And then the next. “I’m Noah and my favorite sport is soccer.”

He doesn’t belong

None of them seemed to hesitate, like they already knew exactly what to say. “I’m Elaine and I like to paint.”

All of these innocent young faces, they don’t know they’re in a presence of a murderer.

It was getting closer and closer to him, fun fact about him? He likes cats, good enough right? 

The girl next to him stood up, “I’m Julie annnnnnd…” she dragged out her words. 

“My favorite animals are cats!” 

Of course.

It’s just his luck that he went right after the girl who stole the fact he was going to say about himself. Can’t really blame her though, she probably already knows everyone. To them this is some fun game, but to Sunny this was torture. He shakily stood up and felt the eyes of everyone burn into him. 

Just tell them what they want to hear. Tell them you were a shut in for four years. Tell them your eye was stabbed out. Tell them you murdered your own sister.

He couldn’t do it, no words would come out of his mouth, but something else felt like it was–he felt like he was going to vomit. So without saying anything he rushed out of the room, found the nearest bathroom, and threw up his breakfast. He sat on the cold tile shaking and coughing violently. 

I can’t chicken out on the first day.

He was determined to try to make the full day despite feeling sick, but he also knew he couldn’t walk back in the room in the state he was in. The nurse's office was all the way on the other side of the school, his whole body felt too dizzy and cold to walk all that way, so instead he made his way to the office. 

Miss Gem spotted him with a concerned look on her face, “Hey Sunny, are you okay dear?” she asked. He shook his head no and she put her hand on his forehead. 

“You don’t feel warm.” 

I’m not sick. Sunny mouthed. Miss Gem handed him a notepad and pen to write on. 

He wrote down, ‘Got nervous and threw up.’ very sloppily. It took her a moment to grasp what it said but she eventually nodded and gestured for him to open the office door. 

“Sit down for a moment honey, I’m gonna call your mom.” His head pounded in pain, the shaking of his body started to subside when he finally sat down.

He has no idea what his mother said to her, but whatever it was caused Miss Gem to speak to him a lot sweeter and more gently. She bent down to him, grabbed his hands, and rubbed them comfortably.

“I just hung up the phone with your mother, I’ll be speaking with the school counselor and your teachers about some things, okay?” Sunny nodded in affirmation. It’s sad that he can’t just live a normal school life. But then again, he isn’t normal. There’s something wrong with him. 

“You’ll have to go back to class, but don’t worry about a thing. Drink some water and I’ll walk you back.” 

The water he was given was chugged down in less than a minute, washing the bad taste of vomit away. He stripped her away from her job so she could walk him back to class, probably seeming so pathetic right now. Mr. Wilson was pulled out in the hallway so the two could chat for a moment, both speaking in a quiet whisper. 

The only brief conversation he could hear was, ‘shut in…’ and ‘accommodation…’ When they were finished, Mr. Wilson smiled at Sunny, “Welcome back.” he said.

He felt out of place the rest of that class. Everyone was engaged, everyone was talking, everyone was having fun with whatever stupid activity they were doing; everyone but Sunny. He sat there quietly digging his nails into his palms, looking down at his thighs, and breathing unevenly. 

Nobody tried to talk to him. In fact, nobody tried to talk to him in any of his classes after his meltdown. His heart skipped a beat with joy every time the bell rang for the next class. An hour closer to going home.

When lunch finally came, he ate alone outside. His mom packed him rice, steamed broccoli, a sandwich, and some water. The icey cold water was drunk almost immediately from how sweltering it felt outside. 

He managed to find a reclusive space with a little flower garden somewhere off to the side of the school. The only problem was that he was directly in the sun, but he didn’t mind if it meant he could be alone.

Fifth period rolled around and he could not be happier to be in the same room with the instrument that traumatized him to the core if it meant he could be around someone he knew. 

Mincy spotted him, “Hi Sunny! How's it going?” she asked. 

Sunny just shrugged, “It’s fine.” he lied. She played a few cords on her clarinet. “If you go into the instrument room, they have a slot with your name and instrument on it.” 

Already? That was fast. He searched the slots until he found the slot that was labeled ‘Sunny Suzuki’ on it. It felt a little unreal, picking up a violin case again. It looked sleek, and was heavier than he remembered it to be. 

He aimlessly wandered around until another violin player came and sat in their seat; he sat beside them. The other player seemed eager to get theirs out and tune, but all Sunny could do was watch. It was creepy, he knows, but the sound of the violin completely mesmerized him. It’s been years since he’s heard a real violin played, unlike the one in his dreams.

The person came to a stop and slowly lowered down their instrument. “Nervous? Don’t be, Ms. Galen is great.” They said, looking at him with a smile. 

They held out a hand, “You're Sunny, right?” he took their hand in his own and nodded. 

“I figured, Mincy talked a lot about you, you know?” A finger was pointed towards her, she was warming up her instrument. 

“I’m Parker. A friend of Mincy.” They glanced between Sunny and the violin case he’s been holding for the past few minutes. “Well, get it out already. Ms. Galen will be starting soon.” Sunny’s face turned with coyness, and reached his shaking hands out to open the case.

He couldn’t believe that he’d be calling this his violin for the next year. It looked brand new, and was surrounded by a red velvet inside. He took it out, set the case next to him, and placed it properly between his chin and shoulder. The first thing he decided to play on it was the G scale, simple enough, it’s a beginners scale. 

He silently celebrated in his head when he didn’t mess up. Four years of no practice and he was still going strong.

The rest of the class period was spent with the introduction of the assistant directors and practices straight out of a music book. They’d be getting parts to concert music soon, but since it was the first week they had to be sure that everyone was comfortable with what instrument they had.

Mincy caught up to him afterwards, “So, what do you think? Of Orchestra I mean.” she asked. Sunny looked at her, the corners of his mouth slowly upturned. 

“I think I’m gonna like it.”

~

Tuesday, after school, Kel called.

Sunny was lying exhausted in his bed after another long day at school when his phone rang.

He picked it up, “Hello?”

“Hey Sunny! How are ya?” Kels voice intruded on his previous relaxed mood. 

“I’m fine.” He told him; it was true. He was fine for now, but the longer school went on for the worse he thinks it’ll get for him. 

“That’s good! Hey- I actually wanted to ask something of you.” Kel cheerily said, Sunny hummed in response, egging him to go on.

“I wanted to know if you and Basil wanted to hang out together this weekend, you know? Just the three of us, like old times.” 

Sunny stopped breathing, hang out? What exactly warranted him to decide that it was okay to just hang out like old times? And what would Basil think? This might be a bad idea… 

“You don’t have to answer right now, and tell Basil for me would you?” Kel insisted. 

“O-Okay, I will.” Sunny reluctantly agreed. 

“Haha, cool! Think about it.” A loud crying could be heard from the distance, “I gotta go, baby sis is crying. Babysitting Is real hard, See ya, Sunny!” 

“Bye Kel.” The dial tone played in Sunny’s ear, he listened to it for a moment while he fully processed what had been said. 

Hang out, the three of them? Sunny wanted it more than anything, but did Basil want it? And was it a good idea in the first place?

He didn’t have the answer to it and quite frankly, he had too much homework to do right now to call Basil about it. He can wait another day, right?

~

It’s a Wednesday, that means he has therapy later today.

Sunny remembered in the middle of his Biology lesson. After this was Art, and after that, home. Until he remembered his mom would be picking him up and taking him straight to the clinic. 

He idly tapped his pencil and scanned through the notes the teacher had passed out and was currently presenting. She had a boring voice that made Sunny wanna fall asleep, and was also a mean looking woman.

She was passing out worksheets and realized that she’d run out, so she left their class alone to go make more copies. 

A boy in front of Sunny turned around, “So you’re like Japanese right? Suzuki, that sounds Japanese or Chinese or something.” he said. Another boy turned to the other, “I thought he was Asian.” he said.

What.  

This is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard come out of someone's mouth, but before he could simply just ignore them a girl next to him spoke up, “You idiot, Asian refers to a group of people. If he’s Japanese, or Chinese, he’s also Asian. Just like how Hispanic refers to the Spanish, Puerto Ricans, Chileans...” 

One of the boys waved her off. “Geez I didn’t know, soooo sorry.” He mocked sarcastically. 

“So what are you, one eye?”

“Just leave him alone.” 

The boys mouthed something to each other which made her scoff. Sunny observed her more closely and realized that he has her in at least one other class, if he recalls. Her long sleek black hair reminded him of Aubrey’s, contrary to her though she has warm tan skin, and her eyes were emerald green. She sported a black and purple striped sweater and skirt today.

He must’ve stared for too long because she looked up from what she was doing and gave a small wave. Her eyes darted around the room before she leaned in, “I’m Elaine.” she said. Elaine… he recognizes that name. 

“Sunny.” He said.

Elaine giggled, “Yeah I know, I have you in most of my classes dumby.” Oh. That was a little embarrassing for him, he couldn’t even remember one person's name. 

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be, you’re the quiet type aren’t you?” Sunny nodded at her correct assumption. 

“This class blows,” She said, sketching something on her paper, “but the next one's not so bad.”

“What do you have?” Elaine rolled her eyes in a playful manner, “We have the same Art class. Sit by me, we should talk.” Her authoritative voice made Sunny give in and for the rest of the class, he actually had something to look forward to.

Next class rolled around and he sat next to Elaine; it was a smaller bunch. Most people have athletics last period so if you're not the sporty type, you were stuck in some other class with very few people. 

They hadn’t done anything too crazy in Art yet, just color theory and such, today they were practicing lighting with 3D shapes. Elaine never listened to what the teacher told them to do, she was more interested in what she was doing. 

“Soooo, Sunny.” She drawled. “You probably get comments about your name all the time, don’t you?”

“Not until I moved here, no.”

“So, where do you come from?” 

“Faraway.”

“Haha, very funny.”

“N-No I’m serious! I’m from a place called Faraway.” Sunny remarked, he didn’t realize how ironic the name Faraway was until just now. Do people think he’s joking when he tells them where he’s from? 

“Point it out on a map and I’ll believe you.” She challenged him. 

Sunny stuck his nose up in the air, “Okay, I will.” He felt Elaine elbow him lightly and the two giggled. 

His mind wandered off and he started absentmindedly sketching cats again, Elaine looked over, “Cute cat drawings, you have any?” she commented. Sunny shook his head sadly. 

“Oh, that’s too bad. I have a few, you should come over some time.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Sunny asked, “I’m not that interesting.” 

“Okay Mr. I only have one eye, I’m sure there’s more to you than you let on. Quiet kids gotta stick together.” She amused Sunny, Elaine considered herself a quiet kid but at least she had the guts to talk back to rude people. 

“I don’t have any friends…” She mumbled, “I’m kind of new as well, I moved here end of last year. And there’s something about you that’s different from most people, so… Wanna be friends?” 

Sunny’s eyes widened as he looked up from what he was doing, Elaine was still looking at what she was doing, grinning sadly. 

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” He beamed. If everyday was like this, Sunny thinks he can deal.

School ended and the two walked together out to Sunny’s car. They exchanged phone numbers, Elaine seemed ecstatic and waved him bye. 

“See ya tomorrow!” He waved her goodbye too.

“Who was that?” His mother asked as he slammed the car door shut, of course he expected her to be nosy, but it was still slightly annoying. 

“A friend.” A smile came across her face and she tried to cover how giddy she seemed. 

“Oh! That’s- that’s great honey. What’s her name?” 

“Elaine.”

“Elaine.” She repeated, pulling out of the school and heading way to the clinic. 

“What a pretty name."

…

“Hello Sunny, bright as ever you seem.” Ms. Paige swayed back and forth in her rolly chair, “How’s your first week of school going so far?” She asked. 

So, she knows he’s in school again, great. Another thing she’ll be poking her nose into, his school life. 

“It’s fine.” 

“Is it? That’s good Sunny, really. But you know I’m more interested in the small details. You know I was a teacher at one point, so I can tell that you’re not telling the complete truth.” 

Damn, she read him like a book. Sunny rubbed his hands together, it was cold again in this room. At least he wore pants this time, “I… I threw up the first day. The teacher made us stand up and introduce ourselves and I couldn’t do it.” He admitted. 

Ms. Paige nodded and tapped her pencil on her clipboard lightly, “What else?”

Sunny thought for a moment, he was doing okay so far in Orchestra. There were a few times where he excused himself to the bathroom because he felt overwhelmed by the sound of the piano or other violins, but this was something he signed himself up for, and a hobby he still wanted to pursue. 

“I started playing the violin again.”

“Oh?” Ms. Paige sat up attentively, Sunny could feel his body warming up, it was kind of a sensitive topic to bring up. While yes, he did like playing the violin, the whole reason he started playing again is because Mari wanted to pursue music. 

“Yeah–joined the school's orchestra. It’s fun just… a little overwhelming sometimes.”

She hummed acknowledgment, “I see, so do you think your medication is helping at all?” 

Sunny thought for a moment, maybe a little bit? He’s felt a little bit more motivated to do things like chores and drawing, but he does still have trouble sleeping at night sometimes. He gave her a so-so hand motion.

“I see, we may have to put you on a higher dose.” She wrote down something for a minute before looking back up at Sunny, “Let’s pick up where we left off last time. Tell me more about this Kel boy.” 

Where to begin? Sunny started off telling her about a few early old memories he had with Kel. Before Basil, the two had been the closest. They grew up together, took baths together (gross), played the same games together, they were two peas in a pod. Even though Kel had the tendency to be overly-energetic, Sunny felt comfortable around him and always has. 

“And now?” Him now… 

Sunny thought for a moment, he likes to play sports. Specifically basketball. He was a lot taller and tanner, definitely more hair on his body. He seemed a lot more responsible than before seeing as he was a big brother now. Other than that, Sunny can’t tell what he’s thinking, like he was constantly covering up how he really felt.

Then he made the mistake, the slip up. He mentioned that Kel called him the other day and immediately covered his mouth. But he knows as soon as he says something he didn’t mean to say that Ms. Paige would insist on him talking about it, so he gave up almost immediately and explained the predicament he was in which was; should he visit Kel? Can they really connect like they did before? And most of all, would Basil be okay with that? 

“You seem to want to base your decision on whether you think you, ‘deserve it’ and of what Basil thinks, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve even talked to him about it yet.” Her observation skills were precise.

“Well I was going to eventually…” Sunny's face stirred with an ounce of regret, halfway through the week and he hadn't told him yet, it was pretty selfish of him.

“I’m not going to tell you what you should do Sunny, this is the point where you need to start making your own decisions based on how you feel. And whether you feel uncomfortable or comfortable about being around Kel, that is up to you.” 

Comfortable… He feels comfortable around Kel, he thinks. If anything, Kel’s still that ray of sunshine that is always trying to be positive, even on rainy days. 

“Think about it, Sunny.” Was all she suggested. 

“Now, I’m a little curious about you and your sister's relationship. May I ask a few questions?”  The tone completely changed in the room, but determined to proceed Sunny nodded.

…

It was late, so they ordered a takeout pizza for dinner. Not what he was used to eating after having healthier and less greasy food for the past few weeks, but he was thankful he didn’t have to use those damn chopsticks again.

Every night the things would terrorize him, and his mother didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting any better. But she also didn’t know that he’d secretly been using forks for his lunch instead of the chopsticks she provided. What was the point in learning anyway? 

Sunny’s thankful for his ASL class. Because of it, he’s been slowly teaching his mom some simple words in sign language as well in case he ever went non-verbal, which he has. 

He had a nightmare the night prior and woke her. He couldn’t speak, so instead he signed ‘bad dream’ over and over until she pulled him into a warm hug and let him sleep with her that night. And sometimes, when he’s just too lazy to open his mouth, he’ll sign water to her when he’s in the middle of doing something important.

It was a little overwhelming, learning so much Sign Language on the first week, but it’s helped him more than he thought it would, and for that he’s eternally grateful that he chose this class. 

Now there was one last thing that was eating away at him to do which was call Basil. He doesn’t know why Kel can’t do it himself, but the boy does have the tendency to say yes to everything somebody asks him to do, even if he doesn’t want to do it. Sunny can see through him pretty well when he does that.

The phone rang, “H-Hello?” 

“Hey Basil.” Sunny smiled, he usually stuttered when answering the phone. 

“Hi Sunny, h-how are you?” That was Basil’s go to question every time he picked up the phone. 

“I’m doing fine–hey, Kel called me Tuesday wanting to know we wanted to hang out with him this weekend.” Sunny informed him, 

“O-Oh, he did? I see.” Something changed in Basil’s intonation, a wavering sigh came from the other end. “Y-You should go, it’ll be fun.”

“And what about you?” 

“I’ll just get in the way! Don’t w-worry about me!” He tried forcing a happier tone but Sunny could tell something was off, “Basil, is there something wrong? You can tell me.”

“I just- It’s nothing really.” Not even Basil himself sounded like he believed that, “H-He keeps inviting me to hang out after school, but I keep denying and telling him I’m busy. I know he just pity's me, I don’t deserve this, Y-You guys should go on without me!” 

The doubtful tone in his voice reminded Sunny of himself, he pressed his lips together. “I thought the same way about myself, but if he didn’t want us around anymore then he wouldn’t be trying so hard to get us to hang out again.” 

It was true, when Kel truly disliked someone you could tell. His whole mood and body language changed, he became less energetic and persistent. If he hated them, Sunny would be able to tell. Unless by some miracle he had become a master at masking it.

“But it’s still your decision on whether you go or not, just let me know okay?” 

Basil chuckled sadly from the other end, “I h-hate you for leaving me, S-Sunny.” Hate . That wasn’t a word that came out of Basil's mouth pretty often. Even though his emphasis wasn’t completely earnest, Sunny could tell that he held some sort of resentment towards him for leaving him, for a completely valid reason.

“I know, I’m an idiot.” Sunny replied.

…

It’s a Friday, which means it’ll be the weekend soon. Which also means, does Sunny decide to drive forty minutes back to Faraway to see an old best friend again? To be honest, he was still a little unsure about all of this, but he’s almost certain that the answer would be yes.

He got up early to walk to school. It was supposed to rain at the time that he usually walked to school, but just his luck, it started raining while he was on his way there. Luckily, he brought an umbrella.

His bangs stuck to his forehead, the wind was pushing the rain at an angle that made his umbrella become useless at this point. A shiver went up his back, it’s so cold.

A rustling noise caught Sunny’s attention, it came from an alleyway, and despite all the red warning flags that appeared in his head he had a strange urge to see what it was. He took the detour, the heavy rain pour was blocked by a few buildings, and looked around until he heard another noise.

Meow.

A noise he hasn’t heard in years. A gray little cat popped out from beneath some rubble and looked up at Sunny curiously. It was wet, and looked cold. He could feel his heart instantly start melting. 

“Hi, come here kitty.” He bent down and sweetly called out to it. It wasn’t exactly a kitten, but it also wasn’t exactly a full grown cat either. More like… a baby cat. It reached its head out to Sunny’s hand, allowing him to pet it and get a closer look. 

Its eyes were a grayish blue, and it was extremely fluffy, would be more if not for it being wet. It looked like some of the ones he’d been drawing in his sketchbook lately. 

Scratching the underneath of its chin and feeling it purr happily, he basked in the moment of warmth before remembering that he’d be late to school if he stayed any longer, but he couldn’t bear the thought of separating ways with this little ball of fluff. Missing one day won’t hurt, right? 

He picked it up, it meowed happily, and gently cradled it in his arms–giving it a few head kisses while he maneuvered his way back out of the alley.

When he got home, he quietly unlocked, opened, and closed the door hoping his mother had already gone to work. 

“Sunny, did you forget something?”

Uh oh.  

Her voice came from behind him, he was so close to making it to his room! 

“Y-Yeah, I forgot some homework on my desk. Don’t worry about me, have a good day at work!” He lied, not turning around to face her. 

“What’re you holding?” 

He’s busted.

Slowly, he turned around in defeat. Her face did not look very happy and turned into surprise when he saw what he was holding. A stern look came across her face. 

“Sunny. What is that?” She asked the obvious. 

“A smoothie?” 

“Sunny Suzuki! What went through your mind when you thought bringing home a cat in the middle of a rainstorm was a good idea? Not only did you track mud in-” she pointed at the floor, he didn’t even realize that he’d done that. “-but you’re also skipping school!” 

He was frightened by her genuinely upset tone and lowered his head down in shame, but was instantly cheered up when he made eye contact with the little ball of sunshine he was still holding. 

His mother let out a staggered sigh when she saw how happy he was, “Sunny look, I’ll let you keep the cat and stay home today. Just TODAY. I don’t want you skipping again unless you’re throwing up and sick, understand?” 

He nodded excitedly. 

“Great,” A kiss was planted on his still wet forehead, “clean up this mess for me while I’m gone will you?” The hand that she used to push back on his bangs fell down to the small gray cat and scratched its head for a moment. Once he was finally all alone he went into his room and placed the cat down on the floor.

It started cautiously smelling and prancing around the room. Sunny tried to think of a name for it and realized he hadn’t even checked for the gender yet. And just like Mewo, it’s a girl.

When he grabbed her she let out an annoyed meow as if she was protesting to keep exploring the new world around her. Sunny was uncreative when it came to names so he looked around his room, the only thing particularly interesting was the tulip seeds that were growing in his pot. Tulip is a strange name for a gray cat though, he thought.

She came back up to him after a little more observing and made herself comfy in his lap. He hopes she doesn’t try to eat his tulips the same way Mewo tried to eat Mari’s Lily of the Valley’s. 

That was just it. Lily of the Valley.

Sunny looked down at her once more, “Lily.” he called, but she was already fast asleep in his lap. He grinned in adoration as he repeated it back to himself. 

“Lily, Lily, Lily. I think I’ll call you Lily.” He said to no one in particular.

Mincy’ll probably call him to ask why he was missing today, and when she does, he’ll finally be able to say it’s because he now owns a beloved cat that he calls Lily.

Chapter Text

“You’re going back to Faraway?” 

Sunny paced nervously around his room. “Y-Yeah. Sorry it’s such short notice, thanks for agreeing to this.”

“It’s no problem. Who’s a cute little fluff ball~?” He and Mincy were conversating in his room. Since he hasn’t had Lily for long, he obviously had to get someone to cat-sit for him, and Mincy gladly volunteered. She couldn’t let go of the thing, as soon as she walked in she was filled with adoration when Lily greeted her with a curious meow. Dare to say she was blinded by love? Because Lily was a rambunctious little thing. 

She liked attacking Sunny’s feet in his sleep, and would zoom down the hallways, messing up the runaway rug, when she got too excited, but Sunny loves her regardless.

“I’ve only had her for a few days, but if anything were to happen to her I think I’d actually cry.” 

Mincy giggled, “I’ve only known her for ten minutes and I think I would too.” She agreed. 

Sunny started biting on his fingernails, a nervous habit he’s recently picked up. He was currently waiting for his mother to arrive back from the store, and after that? Basil’s house.

The night prior he called Basil to ask if they could spend some alone time together at his house before he left for Kel's, perhaps they could talk about a few things they never got to while in the hospital, and Basil agreed. Still unsure if Basil will be joining him or not, he and Kel will be spending the whole rest of the day together, and Sunny was terrified. 

The sound of a door distantly closing and keys jingling caught his attention, Mincy put down Lily for the first time in minutes and turned to him, “Looks like that’s your queue. Promise that I’ll take good care of her!” she said. 

Overwhelmed by all his emotions, all Sunny could think to do is give her a big hug. It’s the first one he’s had since hugging Basil, not counting his mother’s, and it felt warm and almost like…

He pulled back and shook his head. He refuses to compare Mari to anyone else, it was wrong. So wrong. He wishes that so many things about Mincy didn’t remind him of Mari and her sisterly love, but he can’t blame her for that, she doesn’t do it on purpose. They would’ve gotten along so well had they met…

“Are you okay?” Mincy asked worriedly. 

Sunny nodded affirmatively, “Yeah, just a little nervous.” he guessed that’s part of the reason he was freaking out right now, so not a complete lie. Sunny felt a hand rub his shoulder, “You ready Sunshine?” His mother asked gently from behind. 

No. 

“Yes.” He said, and held out a finger. Before they left for Faraway, Sunny quickly picked up his own ball of sunshine and planted multiple kisses on her forehead. She purred happily, and he almost didn’t want to go so he could spend the day watching her grow accustomed to the new world around her. But he convinced himself to part ways with her so they could finally leave.

The ride over is fairly short, which made Sunny even more nervous. Though to be fair, he’d probably be complaining if it were any longer as well. Maybe he shouldn’t have done this so soon…

“Sunny, did you take your medication?” 

“Mhm.”

“What’s wrong dear?”

“I’m just nervous, okay?” That came out a little more aggressive than he intended, he’s just so jittery right now. The slightest bit of overstimulation made it worse. 

“Sorry… I’m just really anxious right now.” He apologized. 

“Well honey I’ll be right inside Basil’s house with you the whole time, I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

She thinks this is about what happened last time he visited, but she doesn’t understand. What if they want nothing to do with him after all? What if this is all just one massive scheme to officially cut him out of their lives? He wouldn't try to stop them if they did that, but he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them with such a bad taste in their mouths.

As the trip went on, more and more trees sauntered in sight, hinting that they were getting further and further out of the city.

Eventually Sunny could start naming familiar landmarks that always let him know how close they were to home when they’d take a road trip years and years ago. It’s something that’s always stuck in his mind,

Pass this gas station, take a left, past the ugly yellow house, and we’re almost there.

A phrase that repeated in his head every time. Except this time his body did not fill with relief and excitement when it started to slowly and surely make its way back in his brain; instead it filled with remorse. This was no longer a place he could call home, it hadn’t been a home for years, and now, he feels like a complete stranger.

Familiar houses started coming into sight and finally, they turned down Basil’s street. He spotted his house, recognizing there to be more plants than last time he visited, as his mother carefully parked on the side of the road. It was silently agreed upon by the two that she’d be the one knocking when she gestured for him, but shook his head. 

The woman who answered the door was Polly, not a surprise. Polly is Basil’s new caretaker seeing as his parents wanted nothing to do with their son at this point, something that infuriated Sunny since the day they met.

The young woman smiled radiantly, “Hello Ms. Suzuki; Sunny! Come on in.” she said. 

When they walked in, the first thing he realized was that the living room was completely rearranged, which was a shame. He misses the comfy feeling of how it once was, but new beginnings come with changes he guesses. As he observed some of the new belongings in place, he caught a glimpse of blond hair. 

“H-Hi Sunny and Ms. Suzuki.” His voice sounded even more illusory than it did over the phone, he was really here, huh?

Sunny watched Basil take his mothers hand in his own and greet her, and all Sunny could focus on is how much he missed him. His soft blond hair looked a little longer than it did before, the bags under his blue eyes were a little less visible, had he been getting better sleep? And his outfit, when did Basil become so good at styling himself?

He wore a white turtleneck under a green and yellow argyle sweater. He had his sunflower earrings in again, a few bracelets wrapped around his thin wrists, and the biggest leg warmers Sunny’s ever seen. It all really just screamed Basil, but Sunny felt a little basic now. All he threw on was a black hoodie, jeans, and his eyepatch, nothing too special.

Basil looked curiously back over to him, catching him staring in slight awe. Sunny immediately tried to play it off and scratched the back of his neck, tugging on a few long hairs. 

“H-Hey.” He wanted to die after that came out as a stutter. 

A smile appeared across Basil’s face. “Wow, haha… y-you’re really here.” He said, going in for a hug but immediately pulling back. “I-Is it okay if I-” 

Basil didn’t need to finish his sentence because Sunny immediately pulled him back in for a hug. Strands of Basil’s hair tickled his neck, but he didn't care. He’s too happy to be back in the warmth of his best friend again. 

When he pulled back he kept a grip on Basil’s arms, almost like he believed it to be a dream, “I missed you.” 

“C-Could’ve said that sooner.” Basil playfully joked with him. 

“Hah, I should’ve… Sorry.” Sunny finally let go and glanced over to the only two adults in the room. They’d both been watching the twos reunion up until now, now it seemed that they’ve been gossiping. He wonders what his mother’s telling Polly to make her giggle every few minutes…

Basil fiddled with the bracelets he was wearing, “Ah- we can go in my room. I-I mean, only if you want! I’ll leave th-the door open.” Sunny gave an affirmative thumbs up and turned to the right when they reached the hallway. 

“Uh, Sunny?” Basil said from behind, he turned to look at him. “I actually switched rooms, t-that’s Polly’s room now.

Oh . 

That makes sense. After what happened in there last time, Sunny doesn’t think he’d be able to sleep soundly either. He’s sure that his grandma’s old room brings him happier memories anyway. 

The room looked a lot livelier than it once did. Fairy lights hung on his walls, a big soft green rug spread across the floor, and a bigger bed with lots of pillows on it was stuck in the corner, Basil’s always been a pillow hugger. Overall, it felt a lot less depressing, and the floral scent from all the flowers smelt wonderful. 

Basil walked around, looking at a few of his plants and running his fingers gently over them. “M-My therapist suggested switching rooms after I told her I w-wasn’t getting any sleep, a-and it worked, kind of. But I wanted a new feel in here, so I got some fairy lights and a bi-bigger bed.” He said. 

“The lights help me sleep s-sometimes, keeping them on at night soothes me.” 

Sunny nodded and cautiously sat on his bed, it was really soft and more comfortable than his old one. No wonder he looked like he was getting better sleep. Basil turned back around. 

“I… I wanted to start t-taking pictures again. I don’t know what of, but I-I think having a new ph-photo album would be nice...” He said, walking towards Sunny, and sitting right next to him. 

“What would you take pictures of?” Sunny asked. 

“I dunno yet. Y-You? Kel, maybe? I don’t know… I like taking pi-pictures of people, especially friends. Can- Can I even rightfully call you guys that?” 

Sunny turned his head to give him a stern look, of course he could say that; about him at least. But Basil's eyes were fixed on his shaky hands.

“I know I didn’t say it e-earlier, but… I missed you too. I-Is that… bad?” Basil stuttered, Sunny inched a little closer to him. Basil managed to tear his eyes away from his hands and make eye contact, he looked like he could cry any minute now. 

“I caused you so much pain. Why are- w-why do you not hate me?” His voice cracked as he forcefully shut his eyes. 

“Basil… I could never hate you.”

“B-But why? I convinced you to do something so h-horrid to someone not only you held so dearly to your heart, but to me as well. To everyone. We were so young… W-What was wrong with me? What is wrong with me?” Basil looked at his hands guiltily, tears running down his cheeks. There was a flash of dizziness surging throughout his body, and his eyes kept widening and lidding as if he were on the verge of passing out. 

Sunny carefully took both of Basil’s hands into his own, they were warm, unlike his. Sunny’s hands always managed to be icy cold at any given moment, so the shock must’ve snapped Basil back into reality, because his eyes looked around the room like he was finally able to see straight again. 

“Obviously there were other things that messed you up when you were younger if you were thinking about things like… that.” 

Killing yourself, Sunny thought. But he always seemed so happy, even after he would vent his heart out, he would still manage a smile. 

“And I understand that because… well I did too.” Sunny slowly placed Basil’s hands back into his lap and gestured at his arms. The old self-harm scars were still barely visible and covered by the sleeves of his hoodie he was wearing, perhaps a good thing not to show after Basil freaked out last time. 

But Sunny was so young when he started self-harming and started questioning if he was better off dead, so he understood completely where he was coming from.

“I f-feel awful for wanting to be happy again when others are s-suffering because of me.” Basil said in between sobs. 

“Us.” Sunny corrected him, “They’re suffering because of us, you’re not alone on this, you never have been. I’m sorry I didn’t come out of my room to help you realize that sooner. And who says you’re not suffering with them as well?” 

Basil used a sleeve to wipe at his face, finally calming down after a while. A pained smile came across his face, “Y-You know, for someone who was so qu-quiet when younger, you’re very articulate now.” 

A bashful rosiness dusted Sunny’s face and he chuckled quietly, he’s right. Even when they were close as children, he never said much to anything at all. But that’s also because he didn’t have anything to say, unlike how he does now. After four years of grieving, how could he not?

Basil sighed and flopped backwards onto the copious amount of pillows he had, his hair sprawled out and he ran a few fingers through it. “I almost d-don’t wanna get out of the house now… Crying really tires me out, I-I’m sorry…” He mumbled. 

Sunny leaned over his face realizing what Basil had just said. “Did you just imply that you were coming with me to Kel’s?” 

His eyes widened, “Uh, y-yeah…” Sunny grinned. He was almost positive that Basil wouldn’t accompany him up until now, what changed his mind? Whatever it was, he’s just happy that Basil’s starting to act like his old self again. Except, there was still one thing that bothered him almost immediately after he’d entered the room; Basil didn’t wear his flower clip anymore.

“By the way, Basil?”

“Hm?”

“What happened to the little flower clip you used to wear in your hair?” Sunny wondered. 

Basil propped himself up on his elbows. “Oh- you know how p-people are these days. T-They think and say that flowers are a girls thing, and that I should s-stop being so feminine.” His voice wavered as he tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. 

Sunny looked at him blankly. “I don’t think that you’re too feminine.”

Basil laughed awkwardly, “W-Well-”

“You should put it back on, It’ll look pretty.” Basil's eyes lowered like he was thinking for a moment. And he eventually sighed nervously, got up from his bed to his dresser, and rummaged around through a little box he had. 

Sunny followed shortly after, looking over his shoulder curiously. “You have multiple?” He startled Basil and whispered a small apology, the other turned around putting a sunflower clip in his hair. 

“I used to c-collect them before I stopped wearing them.” He smoothed his hair out so it sat comfortably in its place.

“Do you have a tulip, and a cactus?” Sunny asked. Basil gave him a fixed gaze, “I-I do.” 

“Great, me and Kel can match you.”

“Sunny! Th-That’s okay really-” But it was too late. Sunny was already rummaging through his box of clips and grabbing the corresponding ones. When he sloppily put it in his hair, Basil chuckled and fixed it for him. 

“Y-You don’t have to do this for me.”

“Eh, I don’t mind, and I know Kel won’t either. He loves twinning- tripletling?” 

“I-I don’t think that’s a word, Sunny.”

Sunny simply shrugged, shoving the cactus clip in his pocket for later, and turned to face toward the full-body length mirror that was located directly beside his dresser. 

For a moment, he saw himself as Omori, surrounded by all of his friends in headspace, but in the blink of an eye they were gone, and the only people in it now were him and Basil. They were a matching pair again, besides the difference in clothing styles. 

They made eye contact in the mirror, “You ready to go?” Sunny asked. Basil nodded. “Y-Yes…” 

It’s a really nice day out. The sun is covered by clouds making Faraway appear a lot cozier, and the temperature has finally started cooling off. Sunny kicked a rock as he walked side-by-side with Basil.

“How’s your new school?” Basil was the one that broke the silence with a question Sunny didn’t really have the answer to. It really depended on the day, and the class period. Some days it was fine, some were a living hell. 

“It’s fine.”

“H-Have you made any friends?” 

Sunny nodded slowly. “Kind of, I think. This girl named Elaine talked to me, she’s nice.” 

“O-Oh! That’s good Sunny…” He said in a low tone, putting his hands together. 

Sunny stopped in his place to turn around and look at him deadpanned. “And you?” 

Basil quickly caught up, and they continued walking. “Ah- it-it’s good. I got mistaken for a g-girl a few times by a few teachers though. K-Kel corrected them for me…” 

So they have classes together, that’s a relief. Kel can keep an eye on him. Basil’s always been an easy target for bullying. 

“I really miss going to school here.” Sunny reminisced.

“Well, it’s n-not like we’d be in the same classes anyway…”

“I know, It’d just be nice to sit with someone at lunch.”

“W-Who do you sit with at your new one?”

“Nobody. I eat outside near a secluded flower garden.” 

Basil whipped his head to look at him, “S-Sunny! You’ll get sick s-sitting outside when it’s winter time.” 

Sunny shrugged him off. “Then I’ll just get you to take care of me.” 

Basil laughed timidly, pulling his turtleneck slightly over his face. “N-Not when you’re forty minutes away…” 

Sunny recalled his language class, “I’ve been learning ASL, here- look.” He spelled out Basil's name with his hands at a slow and steady pace. 

“W-What did you say?” He inquired. 

“I said your name.” 

“W-Wait. How’d you do it again?” Basil paused, looking and fiddling back and forth with his hands. Sunny grabbed them, putting his fingers in the correct positions. 

“B-a-s-i-l…” His mouth made a little ‘o’ shape and eyes sparkled in curiosity. 

“How would I say y-your name?” He spelled out his own name and watched Basil repeat it back to him. 

“That’s so cool!” He clapped his hands excitedly, Sunny’s never seen him so fascinated with something that wasn’t a book or his plants, it was kind of adorable.

“I could teach you what I know if you’d like.” 

“R-Really?” Basil mindlessly twisted his earring around. Sunny smiled, “Yeah.”

The rest of the walk to Kel’s house consisted of Sunny teaching him simple phrases. He got so invested in it, that he tripped over a curb at one point. 

“Ow!” Luckily, he caught himself, but it didn’t spare the pain he felt in his foot. Sunny ended it there, even though Basil insisted he was just clumsy, a part of him blamed himself for not watching where they were going. 

Kel’s house came into view which meant–so did his old one, kind of. He froze in place immediately upon spotting it. It looked the same as before. The lawn was neatly taken care of, the panels were still colored white, and the green welcome mat was still in its place. 

“I-I haven’t got to meet who lives there now, but I’m sure K-Kel has! Y-You know how he is…” Basil said. 

Sunny looked back at Kel's house. Hector slept lazily in the yard, a few toys were scattered around, overall it was the same as when he left it. He took Basil’s hand in his own when he started slowly walking up to the front door, and squeezed it nervously when he knocked. 

The door squeaked open, “Sunny, oh! And Basil! It’s so good to see you two.” Mrs. Desoto greeted the two cheerfully despite her holding and handling the crying mess which was Sally. 

Basil hates loud noises, so overwhelmed by the noise, he did not say anything in return. Sunny made up for that, “Hi.” he said smally. 

She invited the two in, gestured for them to take a seat, and went to the kitchen to make a bottle for Sally. The pair sat on the couch together, “Uh- Sunny? C-Can you let go?” Basil asked. 

Right . They weren’t kids anymore, so it’s a little weird to always want to be holding your best friend's hand now. He complied immediately, missing the warmth of the others. 

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Sunny hated himself for being so dependent like this all the time now. He caught Basil breathing into his hands, either because he was cold, or because he was trying not to freak out. 

“HEYO! You guys ready to have some fun? Cause, I think you need it.” The two were startled by Kel, who had snuck up behind them and thrown his arms around their shoulders. “Especially you, Basil.” he poked Basil's cheek repeatedly.

“W-What makes you say that?” Basil worriedly wondered. Kel finally let go of the two, and inserted himself between them on the couch.

“Because you’ve denied all my requests, duh! We haven’t had any trio time in years, isn’t this just great?” Basil hesitantly nodded, and Sunny gave him a blank expression and thumbs up.

“Great! Mom’s strapping Sally up in the car right now, let's go.” He pulled the two up from their spots hurriedly. There was something different about Kel, he seemed on edge at the moment. Even though he was trying to seem positive and excited, he still looked at the two with some sort of bewilderment.

Neither of them had any idea where they were going. Sunny sat near the window, and Basil in the middle because Sally’s carseat took up a spot. Kel constantly turned around from the front to look at the two, talking about school, sports, whatever there was to talk about. 

However, he narrowly avoided the subject of Hero and Aubrey, only bringing up how Aubrey was in a few of his classes and refused to look at him. Sunny barely paid attention, being squished up in the back was an unpleasant feeling, and made him feel a bit claustrophobic. 

Halfway through the ride, Sally said Basil’s name after hearing her big brother pronounce it several times throughout his rambling, grabbed a chunk of his hair, and yanked on it quite harshly. Sally was scolded by her mother and Kel, though Sunny laughed a little when Kel got told off for trying to take the role as the mother, and suggested switching seats with Basil after seeing him tear up a little. 

“It’s fine. D-Don’t worry about it.” He smiled as a few tears welled up. One of the most sensitive parts about Basil is his head. Sunny learned that the hard way when they were younger. He cried profusely after Sunny accidentally bumped his head against his own.

Sunny shoved a hand in his pocket and realized he felt the clip still sitting where he had left it; he’d already forgotten to give it to him? 

“Here Kel, wear this. Then we’ll all be matching.” He waved the clip around before Kel swiped it away from him. His tongue stuck out as he tried to carefully place it, but he failed to do so. 

“Ow! It pulled out some hair.” Kel whined.

“Here, let me help.” Basil fixed his own for him as well. “T-There.” 

Kel looked in the car mirror, making stupid faces and stroking his chin confidently. “Wow! We look awesome now, thanks!” He said.

Eventually, they arrived at an old mall they used to frequent. “Tada! I’m taking you guys to the arcade. I know Sunny’ll enjoy that, you’ve always been quite the big video game nerd. And afterward, we can visit the bookstore for Basil. How’s that sound?” 

Basil grinned and nodded, “That sounds lovely Kel…” Sunny agreed, it actually did sound like a solid plan. They’d play a few arcade games, go to the bookstore, and go home. That would be easy, right?

Kel seemed to have other ideas. After his mother and Sally dropped the three off and made way for the mall playground, Kel clapped his hands together and rubbed them mischievously. 

“This is what I’m thinking, get as many tickets as you possibly can so we can win the big prize.” He pointed at in fact not the biggest prize there was that you can win, but instead pointed at a small section with yo-yos. 

“The Yomega Fireball.” 

“The Yomega- huh?” Basil repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion. 

“Kel there are literally game consoles up there, and you’re worried about a yo-yo?” Sunny said. 

Kel gasped dramatically, “How dare you say that about the Yomega! This is the best yo-yo known to mankind. You can do all sorts of tricks with it!” 

Basil giggled, “Ah-huh.” he seemed entertained by how passionate Kel was about this. Sunny looked at the tag, five hundred tickets. There’s no way they’ll collect enough by the end of the day. 

“Okay, meet back here in twenty minutes.” Scratch that, there’s no way they’ll collect enough by the end of twenty minutes.

Kel immediately went over to play the basketball game, leaving the other two alone. 

“Y-You’re not actually gonna do that are you?” Basil asked. Sunny shook his head, “Let’s just walk around and see what they have.” 

They did just that, passing by a bunch of kids and other teens. None of the games seemed to really interest Basil, Sunny noticed, which was expected. A lot of them were competitive, or timed, and Basil was not the competitive type and not one to handle well under pressure. He did however show interest when they passed by a particular claw machine with plushies inside.

He paused in place before pretending to move on from it, “Wait.” Sunny stopped him. “Did- you wanna try to win something?” He gestured towards the one he showed a slight interest in. 

Basil repeatedly looked between him and the machine, “I-I dunno. It’s probably rigged anyway, it’s fine!” Sunny took out a dollar bill, fifty cents for two plays, so they’d get four tries. 

He inserted the cash and let Basil take control. The claw moved around aimlessly, as if he were stumped on what to do, and then he pressed the button a couple of times, failing to pick up anything. 

“I-It seems like I’m not very g-good at this…” 

“Here, let me try.” Sunny said. Basil scooted over to make room for him, “Which one do you want?” he asked. Basil put his hand on the glass, “I-I was trying to get the l-little pink one right there.” he pointed out. 

“Kirby?” 

“Y-Yeah! That’s his name. I remember playing a few Kirby games with you and M-Mari when we were younger. I-It’s really the only video game series I was into.” 

Sunny recalls that quite well. The three of them stayed up a whole night playing them one day, Mari skipped a piano session for it. They were so exhausted the morning after, but she still woke up at the crack of dawn to cook them all breakfast. 

Sunny failed his first attempt meaning that they only had one left. But he was determined to get this for him, it held a slight sentimental value upon seeing it. 

Luckily, fourth time was the charm, and he managed to get in the perfect position that wrapped around the plush’s fat round body. Sunny had to admit, it was pretty cute, and it felt nice seeing Basil cheekily accept it without insisting the other kept it. All in all, they probably wasted about ten minutes just trying to do that. 

Another ten minutes passed, and they met up in the exact spot Kel told them to. “Let’s see what you have…” Kel pulled out around eighty tickets he had managed to win; Sunny pulled out the twelve he’d won from playing the whack-a-mole game, and a sticky hand he’d gotten from another one of the claw machines. 

“That’s all you got?” Kel turned to Basil, who was eating on a small strawberry lollipop Sunny got from the same claw machine as the sticky hand. 

“And you?”

“O-Oh well… I got this from a claw machine. Ah- who am I kidding. S-Sunny won it for me.” Basil admitted. Kel scratched his head, putting his other hand on his hip, “Man, we’re never gonna get enough at this rate…”

“Y-You could probably buy it for less at the store.” Basil suggested, Sunny nodded in agreement. “I saw a DDR machine. I kind of wanted to play it together…” He confessed. Sunny wasn’t one to share his desires, but seeing the DDR machine brought back instant nostalgia. 

Kel laughed, shaking his head. “Geez, sorry guys. I didn’t realize I was being kind of a downer.” Kel wrapped an arm around Sunny’s neck and ruffled his hair, “You big nerd! Why didn’t you say something sooner?” 

“Kel…” He complained embarrassingly. The sight of Kel messing up his hair made Basil chuckle delightfully, and when Kel saw this, he did the same thing to him. Although a lot more gently.

“K-Kel, hehe. Stop! It tickles.” Basil said in between giggles. Sunny fixed his own hair, and seeing the two connect so closely again warmed his heart. Kel had that effect on people, but considering Basil had so stubbornly denied himself of his happiness for so long made this trip entirely worth it to him. Even if this all just lasted for a moment. 

Kel and Sunny went against each other first. Since they were kids, Sunny’s always beat everyone in the group at the DDR machine. Mari used to be good at it, but after her knee injury she couldn’t play for long after, Hero would get tired after maybe five minutes of playing, Aubrey would get too full of herself and start mocking Sunny in the middle of playing, which ended up distracting her, and Kel was just generally uncoordinated, but still played a fair game.

Basil never played the game, he always was on the sidelines quietly cheering Sunny on. The group knew that Sunny would beat them, but it was his favorite arcade game, so they always agreed to play it.

With one eye gone now, Sunny’s perception wasn’t the same as it used to be, so the question was, was he still as good as he was when he was a child?

The quick answer was no. With his right eye missing, it was a lot harder to win against Kel than before. Kel not only had the strong leg muscle advantage, but he also had both of his eyes, meaning he could calculate his moves way better than Sunny could. 

After losing a few rounds, Kel looked at him, wiping sweat from his forehead, “Hey don’t worry about it bro, I’m sure if you still have your other eye you’d be just as good!” He glanced at Basil, whose face looked a little horrified. 

“Er- I mean!” Kel quickly looked him up and down, “You are a little thin! Actually you’re super thin. Do you eat enough? Where are your muscles?” 

Sunny looked at him expressionlessly. He knew he was just trying to catch himself after slipping up in front of Basil, but he was starting to sound like his mother. Annoying.

“I-I don’t- Ack!” Basil started rummaging through the bag he brought with him, “I p-planned on giving you t-this at a different time, but…” his eyes searched rapidly throughout it until he stopped, and grabbed something. 

“I feel like it’s appropriate t-to give it now.” What he pulled out was an eyepatch. A white one, with a bouquet of flowers sewn on. Gladiolus, lily of the valley, roses, cacti, sunflowers and…

White tulips. All of the six corresponding flowers sewn together on such a small canvas, it was quite impressive, and the sewing work was very pretty. 

“I-I started sewing a few months ago…” Basil lifted it up to eye level, “It’s not the best, I-I was going to try to fix a few of the imperfections, b-but now-” he placed the gift tenderly in his hands. “Y-You can wear this one, and Kel can wear your old one, o-or the other way around! But, y-you’ll be equal.” 

Sunny ran his thumb over the print, imperfections? There looked to be none, but he wasn’t a professional at sewing. Happy tears came to his eye. 

“O-Oh my God! You hate it! Th-That’s okay-” 

Sunny put a hand over Basil's mouth to quiet him. “S-Shut up. I love it.” He vocalized gaily, and bent his head down to take off his old one. He made sure to not present the awful scar so freely to the others, and put on the new one. 

The fabric was super soft, a lot more comfortable than his old one, and tossed Kel his old one. 

“Woah! So this is how you see all the time?” Kel asked. The eyepatch strap was placed incorrectly on top of his hair, but Sunny didn’t have the heart to tell him that. Plus, it made a funny-looking indent all around his head.

“Yup.” Sunny popped the p, and then gazed back to Basil. “Thank you.” 

Basil gave him a toothy smile, “I-It’s the least I could do.” he said, putting his hands together. 

Now that they were equal, Sunny beat Kel with ease. So much for the, ‘Where’s your muscle?’ talk. Kel learned a lot about perception today, more than he ever planned on learning. He kept tumbling and putting his feet in the wrong place. 

After five rounds of defeat, in between breaths he asked, “How… do… you… live like this?” 

“You get used to it.” 

Kel smacked him on the back, “I gotta give you credit. It’s a lot harder than it seems.” then slyly looked at Basil, “Why don’t you try?” 

“M-Me? I’ve never really played this before, Sunny w-would just beat me immediately-” The old eyepatch was clumsy put on Basil’s face anyway.

“Aww, come on! You haven’t played a single game yet, give it a shot.” Kel pushed him on the machine and gave a thumbs up. 

“O-Okay.” Basil said, putting his things down. 

Sunny glanced over to Basil one last time before they started. The blond smiled at him, “Go easy on me, Sunny.” 

His heart skipped a beat. Damn it! Why did he have to say that?

For the first few rounds, Sunny tried to ignore the pang in his chest, and the dissatisfaction he felt after beating Basil a few times. In truth, he wasn’t that bad. Actually, he could probably beat Kel at it if he tried, and hearing Basil repeatedly tell him that he did such a good job only made the pang in Sunny’s chest even worse. So, in the middle of around their fourth match, Sunny purposefully messed up, ensuring that he didn’t make it too obvious.

“Woah, Basil, you did it! You actually beat the nerd!” Kel cheered, pulling Basil in for a hug. 

“I-I did?” 

Sunny looked at him as if he were confused, “Hmm, I guess you did. Good job Basil.” The boy's face reddened from both of his friends' praise, and stroked a small strand of hair. 

“Th-Thanks!”

…

“-nny? Sunny!”

“Huh?” 

“Finally man, you’ve been blankly staring off into space for a while.” Kel said, eyes squinted in suspicion.

Sunny shook his head, he barely even realized that he had been, “Oh, sorry. What’d you say?” he asked.

“I asked if I could have a slice of your pizza.”

“Oh- uh… yeah sure.”

Kel bent over the table and grabbed a piece, they were at the food court now. 

All that dancing made the three hungry, so they set off to find something to eat. Kel insisted on just getting a salad and water, saying that it was better for his health, and that his coaches would be angry if he ate or drank anything super artificial, but the other two could tell that he was dying to have a bite of some of their food. 

Basil so graciously gave him a few bites of his orange chicken he ordered at the Chinese restaurant, and offered him some tofu, but Kel declined. Sunny really doesn’t understand why Basil likes tofu so much, the smell of it made him want to vomit.

Sunny went with the simple route and ordered a small cheese pizza and grape soda, his favorite. Kel happily chewed on the slice Sunny authorized him to take. 

“H-Hey Sunny, are you okay? You’ve been spacing out a lot ever since w-we got here.” Basil concerned himself with. 

It wasn’t that he was staring at nothing, in fact he’d been staring at a particular store for a while now, Clarie’s. He remembers vaguely going in there with Aubrey years back, don’t they sell piercings? 

“Does Clarie’s do ear piercings?” Sunny asked. 

Basil thought for a moment, “Y-Yeah? I think so. W-Why?” 

Sunny’s eyes focused more on the place, it was very pink and pastel, the complete opposite of his aesthetic, but if they offered ear piercings then… Why not get one? Or two even. He’s been thinking about getting them ever since he saw that one of the orchestra assistants has double piercings. Why not try something new?

“I want my ears pierced.” The two other boys stopped what they were doing to stare at him, “R-Really?” Basil asked. 

“I think they’d look good on you, especially if you got some black kind of edgy studs. That’s kind of your vibe, isn’t it?” Kel told him, Sunny hummed in response. 

He’s sick of the old hand-me-downs and clothes he’s worn since he was twelve, there’s a whole new world of fashion out there for him to explore, getting piercings would be a good step in the right direction, wouldn’t it?

He kind of wishes he waited to do it somewhere else, because one crucial detail he’d forgotten; this place crawled with seven year old girls and miserable employees who didn’t wanna be here. The lady piercing ears was busy with a crying five year old before she turned to Sunny, smacking on her gum annoyingly. 

“You here for a piercing?” She said, eying him up and down.

Her black short fuzzy hair that had a purple streak, heavy makeup, and punk clothing completely contrasted the feel of the store. He nodded, “Can I get two…?” He asked, holding up two fingers. 

The girl, whose name went unconfirmed because she wore no name tag, crossed her arms. “You mean like, double piercings? Or what?” She said with a sigh. Sunny nodded. 

Damn, he didn’t wanna be a bother. Should he just leave?

“Are you sixteen or older?” She asked, and he nodded again. 

“I need an ID to authorize that.” 

Is this even legal? Sunny thought, pulling out his wallet. He didn’t really have an ID per se, but his school did take and give out their own ID cards. It had his full first and last name, height and weight, age, and a picture of him. 

He was a bit confused the first week when they were called out to take them, they never had ones at their old school, but he quickly realized that they were used to get into most of the buildings and doors around the school, which are locked during running class periods.

She took it, looked between him and the picture, and gave it back. 

“That’ll be fifty.” She told him. Sunny looked at her confused before going, “Oh!” and pulled out his money. Thank God he’s been saving his allowance…

He sat down in the empty chair next to the piercing equipment and patted his knees rhythmically. There’s this one song they’ve been playing in orchestra that’s been stuck in his head, Barber of Seville. It's a beautiful song, and fairly easy for him to play. 

“Dude, you look terrified.” Kel scared him out of his thoughts. Sunny had almost forgotten that they were still here. 

Terrified was an overstatement. More like, scared? Anxious? It wouldn’t be that bad. He saw the worker pull out and prepare the piercing gun, there were so many needles around… Did they usually look that sharp and pointed? And why did Everything look so blurry? Why did all his senses feel so… fuzzy?

“O-Oh my God h-he’s going to pass out!” A voice shouted, and grabbed his face. 

“S-Sunny! Are you okay, c-can you hear me?” The voice asked, Sunny nodded. 

“Take deep breaths, it’s not as s-scary as you think.” As he followed his breathing exercises, his vision cleared up, and immediately recognized the face to be Basil, looking at him fretfully, and Kel peering at him from right behind. 

“Basil? Kel?” 

“Hey, you okay man?” Kel asked. Sunny let out an uneven and wavered sigh, “Y-Yeah.” 

“Sooo, are you okay, or do you need a minute?” The worker asked, and Sunny persisted. Up until now he’s never even had a problem with needles or sharp things, what has gotten into him? 

Basil could tell he was still very troubled about it, so he bent down to his level. “L-Lets just take your mind off of it. Hmm…” He tapped his chin in thought. Sunny felt his earlobes finish being cleaned, and the markings of where the needle would penetrate his skin.

The piercing gun was lifted towards him, for real this time, but he stayed staring Basil in the eyes, the only time he would ever hold such intense eye contact with someone. 

“O-Oh! I know, w-while she does that, name all of the flowers and who they correspond to.” 

Click. One down, three more to go. Sunny felt himself become lightheaded again, but tried to manage. 

“Gladiolus. They represent strength, honestly, strong moral values… They remind you of Aubrey because she’s always true to herself.” He paused, collecting his thoughts.

“Roses come in many variations. Pink symbolizes admiration, orange passion, yellow friendship… That’s why they remind you of Hero, because he’s versatile and universally loved.” 

Another click on his right ear. Two left.

Sunny gestured to Kel, “Cacti remind you of Kel because they’re sturdy, resilient, are able to survive in what seems to be impossible conditions, and in Aubrey's words; he’s a prick.” 

Basil giggled when Kel protested against the last part, but let him continue.

“Mari always reminded you of lily of the valleys. It’s said that they ward off evil spirits and help people see a brighter future. That’s always why you associated them with her, because you could count on her to stay positive.” 

Click. A tear came to his eye, from the mention of Mari or the pain from the needle? He didn’t know. 

I’m so sorry I took her away from you Basil; Kel.

“Sunflowers. They’re called that because they always face towards the sun, and that’s how you want to be like, someone who always sees the bright side of things.” 

Click. That was the last one, it was over with, but he hadn’t finished yet, and he doubts he could stand up just yet from how weak he felt.

“I…” Sunny put a hand over his chest. “I remind you of white tulips because they’re simple, modest, comfortable, perfect…” He up at the two, expression softening. “But I’m not. I’m sorry Basil; Kel.”

He was interrupted when the worker handed him a sheet and started explaining simple ear care, how not to get infections and such. Sounded easy enough. Then, he went to look at himself in one of the mirrors. There were now small silver studs in his ears, quite simple and cute. 

He saw Basil come up from behind him, “T-They look good! I-I… I didn’t really believe you when you t-told me that you’d memorized them all. That’s… that’s really sweet, I appreciate it.” he whispered.

And then Kel, “Woah, you’re starting to look like one of those scene kids now, haha!” Kel pulled his earlobes.

“Ow! Kel, it hurts.” Sunny yelped. Kel let go, putting his hands up in defense, “You uh- you got kinda sappy on us. I didn’t really expect that from… you.” he ogled.

“Sorry...” Sunny apologized. 

“Don’t be sorry, it was kinda nice. Didn’t know we had two flower nerds in the group. Let’s visit the bookstore and then head home.” He said with a plastering smile. 

The smell of coffee and the fresh pages of an open book hit them as soon as they walked in. It was strange how every bookstore ever always smelt like coffee, like it was in the policy to light a candle that smelled of it, or dedicate a corner for selling it. Sunny’s never tried it, he’s never been allowed, but the smell was so alluring that he wished he could.

He and Kel immediately went over to the comic book section, but it was a bunch of modern day cheesy love and superhero stories, not like how they were back then. Nothing could compare to the Captain Spaceboy comics in Sunny’s opinion.

“Hey, you like to draw right?” Kel asked, flipping aimlessly through one of the comics. 

“Yeah, why?” 

“You should draw your own comic.” He said. 

“Well… It’s not that easy, Kel. That takes a lot of creativity and skill.” Skill that Sunny doesn’t think he has. To be honest, he has no idea what to do with his life after school. He’ll probably peak in highschool and then work in the food industry for the rest of his life…

“I think you can do it. You’ve always been creative. Remember those sketchbooks you used to fill up? No normal skilled person can do that.” 

Sunny scratched the back of his neck and blushed, he isn’t one for flattery. Especially because he doesn’t know what to say. Should he refute him, and tell him that he’s wrong? 

“Maybe you’re right. I-I’ll think about it.” He opted for instead. Maybe Kel was right. Sunny never thought he was very good at anything, but maybe art could be his lifelong passion. He had the ability to create a whole headspace and imagine different adventures, surely he had the ability to create something similar?

Sunny walked around the rest of the store wondering where Basil could’ve gone. He eventually found him crouched down in a corner, grabbing a book off one of the bottom shelves. 

“Hey.”

Basil dropped the book he was holding. “S-Sunny! You scared me.” He laughed awkwardly, grabbing the book and standing up. 

“What’s that?” Sunny asked.

“Oh this- it-it’s just a novel.” He said, seemingly on edge. Sunny chuckled, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. “Well I know that. I mean, what’s it about?” 

Basil fumbled around with the book, tossing it back and forth between both hands. “W-Well… It’s just kind of a classic love story between t-two royals, it’s really cute! I’ve already read the book, I-I was just a little surprised to see it here.” 

Sunny titled his head and held out a hand to indicate that he wanted to take a look at it. 

“Why?” He asked. Basil hesitantly handed him the book. The cover was beautifully drawn, it pictures a prince looking up into an open castle window at sundown. 

“I-It was shortly banned from most places after its release be-because the two main love interests are both b-boys.” 

Sunny's heart sped up slightly as he turned the book over to read the back. He wasn’t the kind to read and like love stories, but this was different. He’s never read a book about two boys falling in love before. He tried to hide the reddening of his face behind the book; he can’t let Basil tell that he’s actually kind of interested, because he knows Sunny. He knows that Sunny’s not the type to willingly read stories like this. But maybe it would help him figure out himself.

It was really hard to admit, but Sunny was starting to find other boys pretty, which in society's eyes wasn’t right. He didn’t really have anyone to talk about it with, and definitely wasn’t going to tell his therapist, in case she told his mom. No one in his life ever influenced him or told him what to think about liking the same gender, is it really that bad if the two people love each other so much?

“I-I don’t know. You may not like it.” Basil doubted. Sunny finally moved the book in front of his face and looked at him bashfully. “I… I’ll give it a read.” He said, and watched Basil's face turn into surprise. He didn’t say anything, but the grin he was trying to suppress said that it meant a lot to him.

When they both found Kel and paid for the books they found, Sunny glanced over to Basil as he searched through his bag for his wallet. He likes the way he looks slightly agitated every time he goes to find it, how did he even manage to misplace it so many times? 

The way his eyes focus, eyebrows move, and cheeks puff is so funny to him, and the way his eyes soften when he finds it, pays for his things, all while he tucks a piece of hair behind his ear makes Sunny realize, he’s a really pretty person.

That’s the word he was looking for earlier when he was so entrapped with the way he dressed himself. Basil is pretty. It repeated over and over in his until Kel spoke up, “Uh- Sunny? You gonna pay for that?” He asked. 

Sunny took his eye off of the other and coughed into his elbow, “Y-Yeah, sorry.” 

It was time to finally leave. They found Mrs. Desoto and his sister in a candle store near the mall playground. She held a bag that seemed to be full of them–Sally was even holding a stuffed bear she didn’t have before. 

She started pulling out candles and showing Kel, “You can use this one for your room, it kind of smells like Hero’s homemade cookies! Wouldn’t that be nice?” She said sweetly. 

He looked at her miserably, “Uhhh, yeah. I guess?” 

She ignored his blatant disrespect towards her and glanced at Sunny and Basil. 

“Did you boys have fun- ahh, what is that?” She pointed at Sunny’s ears, so he automatically grabbed them. 

“I uh- I got my ears pierced.” He told her. 

Mrs. Desoto smiled bigly and clenched her jaw. “It looks nice hun…” She didn’t sound genuine at all, “Your mom is gonna kill me.” she muttered under her breath.

…

His mom was right, about the candle. It did smell vaguely like the homemade cookies that Hero and Mari would cook so often together, and as soon as it was lit, Kels mood seemed to demeanor drastically. He barely seemed to be up for conversation, only perking up when Sunny started to talk about his ASL class, and joining in the learning session with Basil. 

The three sat in a small circle on the floor while Sunny taught him how to say his full name, and Sally’s name just for fun, but when he mentioned Hero’s name and started spelling it out, he didn’t have the same spark or enthusiasm as before, he pouted and avoided making eye contact. 

Sunny immediately noticed this, and was a little fed up with it, “Kel, did something happen between you and Hero? Besides the obvious. You get upset every time he’s mentioned.” 

“Of course something happened! You guys-” He rubbed his face aggressively and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. “You guys confessed to something life changing, I wish things were like they were before, but they're not.” He said.

“And I’m not blaming you guys completely for what you did, you were kids, I understand that, but nothing is ever going to be the same. Not with Hero like this.”

“Kel…” Basil uttered.

“But that’s just the thing! Why do I care so much about what Hero thinks? I'm my own person. Right? Am I s-stupid for this?” He questioned himself. This is something that’s been on his mind for a while, hasn’t it? Sunny thought.

“Kel, why did you invite us here?” Sunny asked. Kel looked up from his hands, “I want to all be friends again, and sometimes it’s easy to forget what happened, but there’s these small moments where everything comes flooding back to me, and I don’t know what to do.” 

“W-We can leave if it makes you f-feel uncomfortable Kel.” Basil offered, readying himself to leave, but Kel shook his head with a determined face. 

“No. I know you guys are different now, that’s why I can’t give up.” Kel forced a smile. “I had a fun time today, ready for a round two some day? Sunny? Basil?”

The two boys looked at each other a bit confused and worried, but did not try to butt in his business any more than that. Kel wasn’t the type to talk about his feelings much, but they guess when he’s ready that he will. 

Kel wrinkled his nose and laughed, “Man, sorry for the outburst. How about we just play something and pretend like that never happened?”

Pretend like it never happened. That’s what Sunny did and look where it got him. 

Neither of the two had the guts to pry any further though, who were they to force him to talk when all Kel did was try to make them feel more comfortable around them? The least they could do was make him feel the same.

Sunny looked at Kels smiling and laughing face, and Basil's mixed features of emotions he displayed. 

I hope this is the right decision.

Chapter Text

Everyday was the same for him; that had been the case for so long.

Basil had gotten used to the routine of waking up, watering his plants, going to school, and then suffering for the rest of the day. He was used to coming home crying because someone made a mean comment about him again, and he was used to his grandma tenderly comforting him and telling him that everything would be okay and resolve itself with time.  

But now that cycle was broken, he didn’t really know what to expect on new days anymore. Would Sunny call? Would he and Kel get together for a group activity in one of their shared classes? Would… would Aubrey look at him with that same disgust she did again in the hallways again? 

It was a little hard to accept this new semi-normal life. He had a therapist now, he was on medication, he even picked up a few new hobbies, but it would never be enough. Nothing can distract him from the fact that he is despised by a minority of people, one being the first person to ever even accept him. 

Basil wore a flower clip to school in his hair for the first time in forever. After the events that took place a few weeks prior with Kel and Sunny, he felt a little more comfortable wearing it out again, but he really shouldn't have worn it here. He received so many displeased glares from other kids in the hallway, and the group of boys that liked to torment him made another one of their remarks.

“Hey look, it’s that queer kid; Basil.” 

Just ignore it… just ignore it. 

“Look, he’s got a flower clip in his hair. How gay." Another said, causing the others to burst out laughing. 

I can’t do this, not anymore, Basil thought. He tried holding back his tears, but a few poured out anyway. If he keeps hiding behind his locker door, they’ll get bored and leave him alone eventually, right?

“Hey! Who the fuck do you think you are?” A loud crash could be heard shortly after some shouting. When Basil went to close his locker to see what the commotion was, he saw Aubrey, grabbing one of the boys by the collar. 

The sound must’ve been the impact of his body being slammed harshly against the lockers. 

“Don’t you ever let me hear you speak like that about someone again, you understand?” Her authoritative tone caused most of the boys to gulp, but one in particular only seemed to get more cocky, “Why? You have a little crush on him? Too bad he’ll never feel the same. You’re chasing after a little stupid fag."

Those who knew Aubrey know that if she wanted to start a fight, there was nothing stopping her, not even rules themselves. But this boy, the one she grabbed and slammed into the locker, he didn’t know her like everyone else did. 

He was new. In fact, Basil’s pretty sure he lives in Sunny’s old house, so seeing his face turn from confident to absolutely terrified when a fist was swung at his face was a little satisfying. Though, he’s pretty sure Aubrey broke his nose when a cracking sound could be heard from just a few feet away.

Everyone watched as the boy fell to the ground and held his nose, “You-” A violent cough erupted from him, and blood started seeping out from over his hands. “-bitch!” He finally said. 

When Basil looked back up to her, she looked enraged. Her pupils were so dilated that he wondered if she could even see properly, but before she could go in for another punch, Kim and a few of the other Hooligans ran up from behind her, and held her back. 

“Let me go!” She yelled. Kim gripped harder on her torso while the others struggled to keep her arms bound. 

“Aubrey! You’re already getting in trouble enough as is, stop it!” The sound of Kim's voice seemed to calm her down a bit and she stopped fighting against them. One by one, they all let go of her, and she stood there like nothing had even happened. Like she didn’t just send a kid and his friends running to the nurses office. 

The immediate change in attitude was terrifying . And when she made eye contact with Basil he thought he was next, so he readied himself, but Aubrey only looked him up and down, scoffed, and was led off by one of the teachers who witnessed the fight. Not the reaction he expected. 

Basil jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. “You okay?” It was just Kim, but didn’t she hate him? 

“I-I’m fine.” He stuttered. He wasn’t. He really wasn’t. The complete and utter shock that he felt after what just went down made his whole body shake, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it now. 

“Are you sure? He called you some awful names.” She doubted. He knows. For as long as he can remember, people have called him those names. At first, he didn’t know what they meant, but after crying to his grandma about it so many times, she explained to him how derogatory the words actually are. 

Although she never pried into her grandson's business of sexuality, she wasn’t the type to ask or care. In fact, he can recall her telling him it was okay to like other boys, but now she was gone, so what was he to think? 

“I know…” He said weakly, and stumbled off to class. He wasn’t up for much conversation right now. Even if she looked like she had more to say, she doesn’t really care, right? She just pitied him this one time. Everything will go back to normal soon…

~

If his new normal consisted of the Hooligans knocking on his door a few days later with a cake that said, “Happy Birthday!” on it, he doesn’t know what to think.

“It’s… not my birthday.” Basil said. His birthday is in February, and it’s currently mid-September, but it’s the thought that counts at least? 

“Dammit! I told you guys we should’ve just put ‘Happy Day!’ instead.” Angel said. 

“The Maverick predicted that something like this would happen.” Mikhael said with a smug tone. 

“Shut the hell up Mikhael! I’d like to see you do any better.” Kim snapped. 

“I a-appreciate the gesture, but I’m so confused right now. W-Why is this happening?” Basil questioned them. The five of them squeezed their way into Basil’s house, placing the cake on his dining table. 

“It’s the Hooligan way of saying sorry!” Angel exclaimed. Charlie took the plastic top off and revealed that the sides had little frosted flowers on the side, a nice touching detail.

“S-Sorry?” He questioned. The cake smells of vanilla, Sunny’s favorite. He was more of a strawberry kind of guy, but he didn’t mind. Basil took a finger through some icing and licked it off; it was delicious. They’d used the good kind of icing, the sweeter thicker kind that Basil hasn’t had in forever. 

Sunny’s lack of sweet-tooth always made him feel bad when he couldn’t eat any cake, so on Basil’s birthday he would always request the more bitter kind. That way, everyone could enjoy it.

“Ahh, well… we haven’t been that kind to ya now, have we?” Vance said while cutting slices with a pie server he just so happened to have on him. Charlie delicately gave each and every one of them paper plates and slowly they gathered and sat ‘round the table. 

Basil was the last to sit down. He’s still a little confused, so… they’re apologizing? 

“We tried getting Aubrey to come, but she said she didn’t feel well…” Kim said, happily munching on her slice. Basil bit into his, it was fluffy and creamy, just the way he liked it. It didn’t taste store bought–did they make this specifically for him? 

“I-I see…” That was probably for the best anyway, she still seemed really angry at him. 

“The Maverick has noticed the increasingly tense energy between the two of you. Did something happen?” Basil really wishes Mikhael didn’t refer to himself like that all the time, it makes him cringe. 

“It’s uh- personal. N-Nothing bad.” He lied, it was quite actually one of the worst things he ever could’ve confessed, but he couldn’t tell them too. They were all just starting to warm up towards him, is it selfish to want to keep it that way? 

“I’m s-still a little confused. Are you guys a-apologizing to me, and why did Aubrey step in for me the other day?” Basil asked in between bites. The gang looked between each other before all glancing back at him. 

All eyes on me. How terrifying. He focused his gaze on the slice of cake and played around with his fork, “Of course we’re apologizing silly! We uh- none of us are very good with our words, so take this cake as a peace offering, eh?” Angel said. 

“I personally disagree with this, The Maverick is great with his words!” Kim slapped the back of his head, causing his lazily put on wig to fall off and expose his shorter black hair. 

“Hey! You know I do not associate with such hair color, Kimberly!” 

Kim cracked her knuckles, looking at him with a death glare, “You wanna call me that again asshole?” She threatened, but Basil could tell the two were just bickering, kind of like Kel and Aubrey used to do. Mikhael whimpered upon her assertive presence. 

Basil giggled, causing the group to lay their attention purely on him, “No need to feel like you can’t be yourself around me, Mikhael. I think black hair is lovely!” he opined. 

“In fact, it may be more charming than blond hair.” Mikhael put an arm over the table, leaning in his direction, and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Is that so?” He said, giving Basil the finger gun. 

“Please never do that again…” He requested with an uncomfortable smile. Mikhael looked a little sad from his rejection, but carried on eating another slice of cake.

“And for Aubrey…” Angel started. “We really have no clue, I didn’t expect her to get so violent as she did.” He said, a little daze-eyed. 

“I did.” Kim raised a finger, “That’s why I went to get you guys as soon as possible.”

“That’s not the thing though.” Vance chimed in. “She was doing swell after we begged her to stop getting suspended so often, but now she’s suspended for sticking up for Basil. You have to admit that it’s a little strange after the past few years.” 

“I think I know why she did it,” Kim said, adjusting her glasses. “but I can’t say, not right now…” 

Angel grabbed her shoulder, “Don’t worry Kimmy! You can tell us whenever you think you’re ready.” he said with a thumbs up. She looked a little fussed that Angel had used that nickname on her, but it proved to Basil that even the toughest people on Earth still have a soft and jelly-like inside. 

Whenever you’re ready.

Basil likes that phrase. It makes him feel safe, protected, cared for. They’re so lucky to care about each other so much, it makes him feel a little sad himself. He’s miles away from his best friend, and after Kel’s outburst Basil couldn’t get it off of his mind that he was upset at him right now.

Kel will talk about it when he’s ready, he assured himself. It’ll be okay.

~

“Basil! You have visitors.” A soft knock came from outside of his door as Polly called his name. 

Basil groaned and rubbed his eyes, usually he’d be thrilled to wake up early but he spent the week taking three big important tests in different classes and talking to Sunny late the night prior. Now it was the weekend, and he was dead tired. Still determined to be a good host to whoever was visiting however, he got dressed and combed his fingers through his messy bed-head.

The visitors turned out to be Charlie and Angel, an unsurprising duo but he had no clue what business they had with him. 

“Woah! You look like you just woke up.” Angel commented. Basil pulled out a dining chair and sat next to the two, “I did just wake up.” he emphasized. Polly placed a nice strawberry pancake breakfast in front of him which he quietly thanked her for and started eating. 

“W-What are you two doing here?”

“Wow! Can’t just stop by and visit the latest addition to the Hooligans? What. A. Shame, Basil!”

“I d-don’t think I meet the qualifications to be a H-Hooligan…” And their leader certainly wouldn’t be happy about it either. 

“Sure ya do! You’re our friend now, that’s the only qualification you really need to meet. Right Charlie?” He elbowed her and she nodded. Basil finished eating, crossed his arms, and looked at him with a raised brow, “So what’s your plan?” he asked.

Angel laughed and rubbed the back of his head, “Uhhh- plan? We have a plan. Right Charlie?” Charlie looked at him with a blank expression. 

“L-Look we were just going to kind of… hang out today. Help you with- what do you do? Gardening.” Basil continued staring at him with the same expression, he knows there’s some kind of alternative motive to this. 

“Okay, fine! Damn, who knew you could be so intimidating…? Everyone else is busy right now s-so you were a last resort kind of thing. No shame in that though! We’re here now.” There it was; a confession that he wasn’t the first choice, but a last thought. Because yeah, why would they choose to hang out with him? 

Basil wishes they’d fess up about being here only because they pitied him so much. Though the moment they shared a couple days prior was nice, it’ll only be that. A moment. Pretty soon, they’d go their separate ways, especially when Aubrey is back in the picture.

“I garden; yes.” Basil confirmed, scratching his chin. Although being kind of upset, he could use the extra muscle… The weeds have been growing a lot faster than usual, and he’s been putting it off for a while. 

“I c-could use the extra help with my plants. Th-Then I was g-going to go grocery shopping, make lunch, v-visit the lake at Faraway park…” He listed with his fingers. 

“Woah woah! How about we do it all one at a time?” Angel said with a tone that screamed, “What am I getting myself into?”

Charlie looked delighted to help, so Basil led the two outside back and instructed them. 

“I-I need one of you to clear these weeds, they’ve been bugging me nonstop the past month.” He glanced at the two and his gaze focused on Charlie, “H-Hey you look strong, Charlie. Would you mind…?” She nodded eagerly, put on some gloves Basil provided, and got to work. 

Basil's assumption was correct, she had a way easier time pulling them than he did. Even though he was stronger than the average person from having to carry heavy things all the time, he still had what he would call weak little nerd arms when it came to maintaining the weeds.

As he looked around at some of the hedges and flowerbeds, he noticed some overgrowth from stems and branches, and some of the flowers needed dead parts trimmed off. Something he’d been putting off for even longer was using his gardening shears after… the incident that last happened with them. He’d thrown out his old ones and got smaller, newer ones, but it didn’t shake the convicted feeling he got every time he held them.

Quickly, he went back inside to grab them, reassured himself that it would be okay, and directed Angel on how to use them. It was easy really, trim this branch, cut this stem, but it was the action of doing so that reminded Basil of that night. A horrifying feeling came over him, because what if he wasn’t just trimming a branch like he thought? He could be hurting someone, just like the night he hurt Sunny when he was supposed to be protecting him. 

He was having a hard time cutting through one of the thicker branches, so Angel snatched the tool right out of his hands and cut it for him, “Like this?” he asked. He mindfully and meticulously continued cutting off other overgrown areas, making sure not to accidentally cut off something that didn’t need to be. 

“Yeah. You’re doing good.” Basil said with a smile. I’m just glad I’m not the one using them to be honest.

With the two of them doing that for him, he could put his mind at ease and peacefully water his plants like he did every morning. Pansy's, marigold's, snapdragon’s… those only named a few of the very many different flowers he was currently maintaining. Once he finished outside, and made sure that the two would be fine on their own, he went back inside to water a few succulents, a few other flowers, and checked in on his cacti. 

One of his cacti, who he’d been referring to as his little pal, was finally starting to grow more. Even though he planted them all within the same time of each other, this particular one's growth had stunted quite a lot, causing it to become the runt of the group. But Basil liked that about it, he liked how it was different from the others. It made it especially unique and cute. 

The last thing he checked on were the newest addition to his plants, his lily of the valley’s. They were just starting to sprout, and he intended to keep them cared for inside until spring rolled around. The primary reason he wanted to go to the old hangout spot was so he could clean up and start caring for the area. And when that was done, he could plant the lily’s near one of Mari’s favorite trees, in her memory. 

It had always been weird to the others how Mari favorited one tree over the others, but Basil understood how she felt. Growing an emotional attachment to a plant was unlike anything else because contrary to most things, you could watch it grow. You observe how they provide for the nature around them, the tough rain and windstorms they fight to survive through, it feels just like taking care of a pet.

Basil remembers her always reading, talking, or flirting, with Hero near it. It was like her own little reclusive spot that she’d occasionally share next to the one she loved. At one point, she asked everyone to help her tie a rope and piece of plank around one of the thick branches to create a makeshift swing she could sit on. 

In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea getting Basil to help. When the six of them had to figure out how to tie the correct knot to make it stay, that’s when Basil found out about a noose. And from that day onward, the thought had never left his mind… The thought of the rope slowly but surely making its way around his neck, how it would feel to hang in the air, desperately trying to breath and call out for help, but nobody would come. Because he would be right where he needed to be. Dying. Dying. Dead.

He doesn’t blame anyone for those thoughts lurking and swarming his brain but himself; the thoughts of suicide , but if he could go back in time to make sure that never happened, he would, because maybe then he wouldn't have grown into the mess he is today.

He exited back outside and immediately Angel came running up to him with a guilty look on his face. “Basil! I accidentally cut one of your flowers in half. I’m sorry…” he held out the flower in which he was referring to, it was just a pansy. Then, he dragged him to the place in which it had been located. All that was left was its stem. 

“Man, I’m sorry Basil. I know you put a lot of effort into this kind of stuff!” 

Basil pulled out the stem and roots and then patted the ground, “It’s okay A-Angel, it’s your first time. I remember be-being all over the place the first time I h-handled gardening shears, hehe…” He inspected the work that he’d done. The branches and stems were almost perfectly trimmed, just a few stragglers here and there, but nothing Basil couldn’t handle. 

He beamed, “Thanks Angel! That helped a lot.”

He stood up and proudly put his hands on his hips, “Really? Wow! You’re so welcome Basil, I knew you could count on me!” He exclaimed. 

“W-What about you Charlie?” Basil asked. Charlie gave him a thumbs up and wiped off some sweat from her forehead, he bent next to her to inspect the dirt, “No wonder th-these kept growing back, I-I wasn’t getting deep enough.” Basil dug up a few spots Charlie had missed, which was easy to do. 

Basil remembers mistaking smaller weeds for grass all the time when he first started. “You guys w-were such a great help! H-How about I treat you to some lunch?” He stood up and dusted his hands off. 

Angel perked up immediately, “I say hell yeah!” He pumped a fist in the air and Charlie nodded. 

“Great! Small problem, I-I still need to run to the store for s-some things before we do that…” 

“Damn it, I forgot about that…” Angel slumped dreadfully. 

“Don’t worry! The payoff will be worth it.” Basil assured him with a wink. He wants to make the three of them something they could all enjoy, but Basil was a bit of a picky eater. He ate things that most people considered nasty, so it was quite hard to compromise on a meal with other people.

The three arrived at Othermart with hungry stomachs and set minds on Basil’s list, which wasn’t long. He only really needed vegetables, some seasoning, and other general cooking stuff, Charlie went off on her own to find some of the things that were listed, but the other two were sent off course when Angel stopped and tugged on his sleeve. 

“Oooo- Oooo- Basil! They have a new flavor of jawbreakers. Look!” Angel pointed at a banner that said ‘New Mango Tropical Twist Flavor!’ 

Basil gripped the shopping basket to his chest, “I m-mean go ahead, it doesn’t bother me.” 

Angel vigorously shook his head, “No no no no… you don’t understand the side effects of being friends with Kim and Vance! Miss Candince hates me! I’ve never even stolen from there.” he said, and trembled at the mention of the loud pink woman. Basil looked between his pleading face and the store, “And?” 

“And! I am asking you to accompany me. You’re a good kid, she probably loves you!” Angel put his hands together, “Please please please please-” 

“Okay okay, I-I’ll go in with you.” Basil caved. The way he begged for his company reminded him of Kel in a way…

Angel was correct about Miss Candice absolutely hating his guts. She didn’t say it, but the death glare and scrunched face she gave him stabbed right through his poor soul. She didn’t seem to mind Basil though. 

“S-So… Kim and Vance must really like candy enough to want to steal it.” Basil said as he watched Angel grab way more jawbreakers than he needed. At this point, his jaw might actually break.

“Uh-huh. Their parents made them lay off of it for a while, so they stole a bunch.” 

Basil thought for a moment, “What’s their favorite?” he wondered. 

“Errr, Vance likes cherry flavored things… Oh- they both love taffy!” 

“T-Taffy huh?” Basil said while tapping his foot. I guess I could get them some as a thank you gift. They didn’t have to make their apology so grand by bringing a whole homemade cake, but they did, and Basil would feel bad for leaving them empty handed. 

He wandered off towards the part of the store that had a ‘make your own candy bag’ section. He grabbed two bags and squinted his eyes, scanning the different types. Watermelon, cherry, cookie dough, there were so many to choose from, but now it was up to Basil’s inference skills to choose the correct kind. 

He started with Vance’s first, scooped in a thing of cherry for him, and browsed a little longer. Rootbeer float, raspberry lemonade, vanilla… those first two kind of scream Vance, right? And who doesn’t like vanilla? For Kim he put birthday cake, caramel, vanilla, and watermelon. 

Watermelon was just a hunch. On hot summer days, he’d sometimes catch Aubrey and Kim sharing slices of watermelon in the park together. Even though his relationship with Aubrey had been super rocky, he was happy for her, the two seem inseparable and were a cute pair. Not that he thought they were a couple or anything, but they always seemed unusually close…

He pulled himself away from those assumptions, it wasn’t something he particularly liked thinking about; other people's business. It’s not his place to speculate what old friends were doing with their lives nowadays.

Finally, he paid for his things and caught up to Angel, who made Basil stay by his side as he hesitantly approached the counter. Luckily, none of the employees, including Miss Candice, accused Angel of stealing anything, presumably just because Basil was following him everywhere.

The two met up with Charlie, who must’ve known Angel wanted to go to the candy shop, because she was waiting just outside with the vegetables Basil had on his list. He thanked her, quickly got the rest of the stuff on the list, and made it back to his house. 

“What exactly are you cooking?” Angel asked as Basil washed the vegetables in the sink. “W-Well, I was thinking since it’s chilly outside I’d cook something warm, l-like soup.” He said, drying them off. 

Knock knock.

A sound resonated from outside the front door. Another guest? But he wasn’t expecting anyone else today. 

The door opened itself revealing Mikhael, “Hello fellow followers of The Maverick! I have decided to bestow my gracious appearance upon the three of you.” 

Polly looked up from the book she was reading from the couch to look at Basil very confused. 

“Oh, hey Mikhael.” Angel greeted him with a wave, gaining a slightly annoyed face from him. Did he always just let himself in like this?

Mikhael averted his attention to Polly, “I do not believe we’ve met. What’s your name?” He asked with a flirty tone. Basil did not like that he was trying to make a move on his caretaker. 

“Polly.” She replied, shaking hands with him. 

“A very pretty name for a well defined young woman.” He said, smirking. Polly giggled, “Why thank you ‘ The Maverick’.” And he definitely didn’t like how Polly went along with it. He knew she only did it to tease Basil, it was completely humiliating to have her around sometimes… Especially now that he opens up more to her.

“O-Okay well! I was making us all l-lunch, so please Mikhael. Take a seat!” Basil interrupted them as soon as possible. 

Mikhael came up to the counter inspecting his work so far, “A seat? No no no… I can’t sit for this, I must help you in the best way I can!” He insisted instead. 

“My family is the best of the best! Since I learned to cook from a very young age I can only offer you the most divine cuisine.” More help? That would be nice seeing as Angel and Charlie seemed tuckered out from all their work in the garden. 

“Okay. C-Cut these vegetables into smaller bits for me, w-will you?” Mikhael gave him a salute and started at work. He cuts way faster than Basil ever could, probably because he has more experience, and puts him in awe at how fast he finishes. This would’ve taken him way longer if he weren’t here. He seasoned the boiling broth before putting in the vegetables and letting it set for a moment. Then, lightly stirred it. 

“Woah woah! You are making this way more difficult than it needs to be.” Mikhael grabbed the wooden spoon from him, “Let me show you the proper way to stir a concoction like this.” he gently stirred it in a more up and down motion than a simple round one, like Basil was doing. 

“This way, all of the vegetables will soak in the broth and cook evenly. It is the much faster and superior way.” He knows Mikhael hates associating with his family, but God did they do him a favor of teaching him how to cook. 

Basil smiled and took the wooden spoon from him, “Th-Thank you Mikhael! I value your help a lot.” he said, copying his motion. 

“You do? I mean- of course you do! I’m great at everything I do.” He said, trying to sound confident, but Basil can tell he was actually very flattered. It’s a little silly how the man who acted so full of himself got so flustered at the tiniest of compliments.

Everyone took a seat at the dining table, including Polly, and allowed both Mikhael and Basil to pour them a bowl of the soup they had just finished cooking together. Basil rolled his eyes when Mikhael insisted on pouring Polly’s instead of him. There was no way in hell that Basil would allow this to go on forever, so he took a seat right next to her to make sure he wouldn’t have the chance to make a move.

“Mmph- this is delicious! I don’t usually like vegetables that much, but you made me like them today, Basil!” Angel exclaimed happily while stuffing his mouth full. 

“O-Oh, thanks! It’s really not much though…” He dismissed. 

“Don’t say that hun, you did a fantastic job.” Polly assured him. 

“Hey! What about me?!?” Mikhael quickly cut in for her approval. She giggled, “And you too, Mikhael.” She teased. 

“M-M’lady! That name is forbidden! Do not listen to these slobs who call me by that!”

“Slobs? Who you callin’ a slob?” Angel said between chews, a bit of broth ran down his chin. 

“Eww, Angel! Where are your table manners?” 

“Oh I’m soooo sorry! I didn’t know Mr. Rebellious cared so much about table manners!” He sputtered. Charlie took a napkin and wiped Angel's face, the two of them must bicker a lot, Basil thought, considering they were pretty different personality wise. Angel tended to be more air-headed than most of the Hooligans, Mikhael chose to act stupid. 

“Peons! You must settle this.” Mikhael declared. 

“P-Peons…?” Basil questioned. His vocabulary is so expansive…

“Charlie! Basil! Tell him how disgusting he is!” Charlie only glanced at Angel and nodded slowly, then Angel looked at Basil, “W-Well you c-could be a little quieter when you eat…” he stuttered out truthfully. Basil has a thing about loud smacking and slurping noises, and has ever since he was a child. It makes his skin crawl, kind of like how nails on a chalkboard sound.

 Angel looked down sadly at his bowl; he would’ve felt bad had he listened to what he said. He still continued to slurp his food loudly, but Basil was too nice to say anything else about it. When they finished eating, Polly and Mikhael washed and dried the dishes together, insisting that Basil take a break. Mikhael started bragging to Polly about how many dates he went on the past weekend, and the other two sat on his couch. 

Angel had a hand on his stomach and hummed, “Man! You sure do know how to cook a meal, Bagel-Boy.” 

“B-Bagel-Boy?” 

“Yeah! You know, Basil… Bagel… Sounds pretty similar. It can be your codename slash nickname. Consider it a gift from me, the creative Hooligan!” Angel said. 

A nickname… Basil’s never been given one of those before. Quite frankly it was a dumb one, but why would he pass up the opportunity on such a chance? It made him feel a little more included in their friend group, even though this is all most likely temporary.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the four kids, and Polly, having casual conversations, mostly led by Mikhael. Basil decided to sit on the rug with Mikhael on the floor when there was no more couch room, but he was fine with it. The rug was pretty comfortable in itself, and he barely even noticed how bad his posture was since he’d been so fascinated by how much the other boy loved to talk. 

Most of the things he talked about, like getting in trouble with the police, saving kittens from trees, and how many girls he got were either dramatized or made up, but it made Basil think about how much creativity he must hold up there. He’s lucky that talking comes so naturally to him, Basil is the complete opposite.

“Oh! That reminds me of the day Basil came home crying because a police officer said hi to him and he thought he was getting in trouble. You are quite the silly boy sometimes, aren’t you Basil?” Polly giggled to herself as she recalled the memory.

“Haha, y-yeah. I guess I am…” Basil remembers that day, it wasn’t too long ago actually. Although it wasn’t as funny as Polly made it out to be. It happened last October, Basil was walking to school and spotted a police officer walking towards him nearby. He’d already been going through a rough patch, and knowing what anniversary October marks, he started to panic, thinking; do they know?

He skipped school that day after coming home crying. Yeah, it was a little silly of him, but can you blame him? You don’t expect big authority figures to be waltzing about in such a small quaint place like Faraway. It was completely justifiable to think they know something the community doesn’t.

A gleam of light hit Basil’s eye and he turned his head the direction it shined from. A sliver of light was making its way through the window curtains. He immediately jumped up from his spot. “U-Uh oh! I completely forgot I wanted to go to the lake to d-do a few things.” He panicked. 

Angel rocked up from his spot and stretched, “Oh yeah! I’m sure we can still do it.”

“I-I dunno… It’s getting dark and what I want to do requires a lot of w-work.” He narrowly avoided the topic of what he planned on doing. 

Mikhael also jumped up from his spot, “Not to fear Basil! Us Hooligans are great at hard work. Whatever it is, we shall prevail.” he said.

Basil's eyes glanced between them all and upon landing on Polly, she gave him a wink and thumbs up indicating that he should just accept the invitation. He fiddled with his fingers, “O-Okay. Why not?” He caved. He really wanted this to be a one person trip so he could have a little time to himself, but he had school tomorrow meaning he’d have to wait for next weekend to roll around, and he really needs a break.

Before they left, Basil grabbed the bag he always carried around and a few gardening gloves. It’s slightly chillier than it was last time they were outside, and the wind was blowing slightly faster causing Basil’s cheeks to feel a little icy and he shivered. 

“Feeling cold are you? Why don’t I allow you to take my jacket?” Mikhael so graciously offered. 

“I-I’ll be fine…” Basil smiled.

“Nonsense! I have three other jackets under this. Take one of mine, Bagel-Boy.” 

“Why are you wearing four jackets?” Angel questioned between laughs. Now that Basil took a closer look, he did look like he had a lot of layers on, “It’s not even that cold.” 

“The Maverick always comes prepared.” He said, striking a pose. As nice as it sounded, Basil still refused his offer. He thought it'd be a little weird because they weren’t really that close, plus, the weed pulling and cleaning up of the general area would probably make him all hot and sweaty anyway. 

They pushed through branches and bushes when they arrived at the entrance, something Basil’s always hated, but clearing it out would reveal the peaceful area to residents nearby, he liked how well hidden it was. Maybe he could just trim the branches back a little later? 

He sucked air through his teeth tightly when he felt a branch get caught on his hair and pull. Charlie noticed, helped him weave his way out of them, and even cleared the way up for him a bit. 

“Th-Thank you Charlie, what a gentlewoman.” Basil said with a thankful grin. She gave him a small smile and affirming pat on the shoulder and he could finally observe some of the damage that needed to be fixed.

Instead he immediately noticed someone off in the distance squatting down to the ground, and by the haircut, he could tell it was Kim. 

“Kim! Kimmy Kimmy Kim~!” Angel and Mikhael both sang out upon spotting her. She whipped her head around. 

“Dammit I told you guys to stop saying that!” She whined. Angel wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her in for a side hug, “Aww, come on Kimmy! You know you secretly like it.” he teased. 

Kim puffed her cheeks causing her face to turn red from embarrassment and anger, “I hope you both go to hell…” she grumbled.

Basil noticed she was holding a plastic baggie with some sort of meat inside, “W-What’s the bag for?” Kim perked up and shooed the other two off and away from her, 

“Watch and learn nerds.” She started shaking the bag and calling out something in a higher pitched voice and soon enough afterwards, a little black cat appeared. 

“Woaaaaah! Are you like a cat whisperer or something?” Angel said, fascinated. The cat looked a little apprehensive when surrounded by so many other people, but immediately ran up to Kim when it spotted her holding out some lunch meat. 

“I’ve been doing this for a few months, Volt’s been trained to have a good ear when it comes to lunch meat.”

“Volt?” Mikhael questioned as the cat happily chowed down on its savory meal. 

“I named him Volt cause; you know, his fur kind of sticks up like he’s been shocked.”

“Kim… you’re not supposed to name animals, you’ll get attached.” Angel pouted. 

“C-Can you not just take him home?” Basil asked. She shook her head, “Nah, Vance is allergic to cats. ‘Shame though, he’s a good cat.” 

When Volt finished eating, he looked back up at Kim and meowed, as if asking for more, and Basil caught sight of its face. 

“Hey he’s m-missing his left e-eye.” He pointed out. 

“Oh yeah, poor little guy. It wasn’t always like that.” Kim stroked around his eye gently, “He used to have both, came back one afternoon in the summer and it was missin’. Must’ve gotten into a scrap with another cat, huh?” She said, scratching it underneath the chin. 

Ironic. Basil thought. The cat reminded him of Sunny, its sleek black fur that stuck up at some parts, its missing eye, its love for meat. It was like Sunny’s recently longer messy hair that stuck up when Kel ruffled his head, his missing eye, and his unruly love for steak. It was kind of… cute. Basil’s face warmed up from just the thought of how excited Sunny would’ve been right now to see a cat. 

Kim picked it up and cuddled it gently to her face, which reminded Basil that he had a camera in his bag, so while the others were busy chatting and cooing at it, Basil quickly pulled out his camera, put in film, and snapped a picture.

Click!

Their attention was caught by the flash of his camera. “What was that?” Mikhael asked. Basil waited for the photo to develop, “I-I took a picture. Hope you don’t mind!” He said with a gleaming smile. 

He hasn’t used his camera in ages, it felt nice to hear the little click of the button again. 

“Oooo, can we see it? Can we see it?” Angel ran up from behind him and grabbed the photo curiously. 

He captured the four gathered around a smiling Kim and happy Volt. Angel has his hands on the cat's belly, giving it rubs, Mikhael is struggling to take off one of the many jackets he has on; he was looking a little sweaty, and Charlie was looking directly at the camera, giving it a shy peace sign. Usually, Basil would’ve liked it if they were all unaware of him taking the picture, but she was surprisingly photogenic. Another one for the books.

Well, it’d be his first one in a brand new photo album seeing as Sunny had his old one. Maybe it was a good thing to keep the memories separate though. 

“Woah, we’re so cute!” Angel says. 

“I’m not! Look at me, this is terrible!” Mikhael says, pointing at himself. “We must burn this immediately!”

“Gimmie that…” Kim snatched the photo out of their hands. “Huh, not bad. You really captured Mikhaels graceful energy.” She poked his side with her elbow causing him to squirm away from her and handed it back to Basil. 

“That reminds me, why’re you guys here anyway?” She asked.

“A-Ah, I was going to clear up the area of its weeds and overgrowth to make it a little prettier and t-they tagged along.” He stuffed the photo and his camera back into his bag and pulled out gloves. 

“S-So let’s get to work boys, and Ch-Charlie.” 

“Not gonna include me eh?” Kim rested an arm on Basil’s shoulder as he struggled to put his gloves on. 

“I-I didn’t bring enough gloves.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind getting my hands a lil dirty. This place could use some serious fixing up anyway. I was planning on-” She stopped herself mid-sentence and coughed awkwardly, “Er- nevermind. Forget I said anything.” she changed her mind.

About an hour of cleaning up the area passed and Basil was finally able to focus on the one spot he’d been dying to clear the most, Mari’s favorite tree. The old swing had fallen off, and made its new home under a bunch of fallen leaves and twigs. He picked it up to inspect it and a spider crawled up his arm. 

“Hey l-little guy, sorry for taking y-your home away from you.” It crawled on a finger he held out and let it down on the ground. 

“Hey.” Basil jumped and turned around to see Kim behind him and she chuckled. 

“Sorry for scarin’ ya. It’s just…” She sighed, “I’m sorry… about how I’ve treated you, we all are. I’m not good with this stuff, and I don’t know what’s happened between you and Aubrey, but we won't bother you like we used to anymore, ‘kay?”

It would’ve been a nice moment if Angel hadn’t picked up a giant stick and started chasing Mikhael in the back with it. While yes, he was smiling because of her apology, it was also because he couldn’t take his eyes off of their commotion in the background. 

“Angel! Put it down, you’re gonna mess up my beautiful complexion!” Mikhael screamed. Angel strategically swiped his blond wig off of his head and waved it around in his hand. “Come and get me~” 

Kim looked over her shoulder and crossed her arms, “Goddammit, those two…” she grumbled under her breath.

“O-Oh, I actually got you and Vance s-something as a thank you gift.” Basil held out a finger and searched through his bag for the umpteenth time today, and found the bags of taffy. 

“I don’t know what flavors you like, so I kinda j-just guessed…” 

Kim snatched both bags from his hands and licked her lips. “Damn! You really decided to spoil us. I…. I dunno what to say.” A genuine smile appeared across her usual annoyed face, “Thanks Basil.” and she stuffed them in her hoodie pocket. 

“Let’s get back to work.”

…

“Y-Yeah, okay… I’ll see you tomorrow t-too, Angel.” 

Polly heard the front door open and the sweet, shy, stuttered voice that belonged to no one else but Basil. An exhausted sigh escaped from his mouth as he approached her, “Welcome home Herb, I’m making one of your favorites; tofu stir fry.” 

His dirty and tired face turned into a more grateful and excited one, “O-Oh! Thanks but you could’ve w-waited till I got home to help. I really need to shower, sorry…” he said.

Polly pointed towards the bathroom with her wooden spoon, “Go go, I got this. No need to apologize.” Basil thanked her and thirty minutes later emerged out of the room with more casual clothes on and messy, slightly wet, hair. 

“Have a good time today?” Polly asked as he sat down with a plate of one of the finest delicacies she could make. Basil nodded and swallowed a bite of food, his eyes instantly lit up, “Y-Yeah I think so…”

“Weren’t those the boys who used to bother you?”

“H-How do you know about that?” 

Polly chuckled, “I’m not stupid, Herb.” 

Basil averted eye contact and silently chewed. “I don’t like h-how you played along with Mikhael’s flirting…” He mumbled.

 “Hehe, you know I only did it to tease.” She noted.

Basil firmly nodded his head in acknowledgment and gave her a dirty look, “Yeah! But it’s still weird! H-He’s a teenager and you’re a f-fully grown woman! It’s gross…” he griped. 

Polly frowned at his description of her being a ‘grown woman’ she was only in her twenties. “You’ll understand one day when you find yourself a nice pretty girl.” She mused, but instead of him playing along, Basil dropped his fork on his plate and stared widely and blankly at the table, like he was completely flabbergasted at what she’d just said.

“I-I think… I’m going to finish this in my room. Thank you, Polly.” He said monotonously. Confused by his sudden change in mood, she didn’t say anything until he was about to turn the corner to leave. 

“Basil?” He stopped in his tracks. “If anyone ever bothers you again, I’ll kick their ass.” She’s never cursed around the boy, so seeing him whip his head around, marginally shocked blue eyes landing on her, was quite humorous to say the least. 

He gave her a weak smile and turned back around to go to his room. When Polly heard his door slowly shut, she let out a sigh and rubbed her temples.

What am I doing wrong? 

Sometimes she and Basil shared these kinds of moments with no problem, but there was something that she couldn’t completely figure out about the boy. Something she was doing wrong to upset him every so often. 

She put her hands together, “Please, to whoever's up there, lend me your strength and knowledge…” she prayed.

…

There’s something wrong with him.

There always has been. Ever since Basil was a child he knew something was different. When he was left out of the play groups in elementary when he was a child, when he would rather read then play sports with the other boys, when he realized he never felt any sort of feelings or affection for a girl in his life.

Then he met Sunny, who was just like him. Or rather scarily similar to him. He also liked to read, was quiet, and listened quite well. He never cared about what the other boys said about Basil, Sunny was always glued to his side whether that be holding Basil’s hand, sticking his nose in the book he was reading, or asking questions about his favorite things, a warmth always filled Basil’s heart when the boy was around. 

But now; now he was alone. Alone with all these confusing and new feelings, and he couldn’t talk about them with anyone anymore now that his Grandma was gone. And Sunny, even though agreeing to read that one book Basil had been looking at, wasn’t interested in boys as far as he knew, so why would he care to listen to his ramblings? He only agreed to read it to be nice, Basil’s sure of it. 

He curled up into a tight ball on his bed, and cuddled against the big Kirby plush Sunny had won for him. 

Even after all these years, he still manages to tug at my heartstrings. Maybe the boys at school are right… Maybe he is just a stupid-

“Basil! Your dishes please!” Polly knocked and said from the other side of the door. 

He scrambled up from his place, “C-Coming!” his legs wobbled when he stood up since they had fallen asleep from him laying in the same position for so long. 

Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts, Basil. Your therapist would not like how you’re thinking right now.

Maybe one day, he’d wake up and this would be all one confusing dream, and when that day comes, he’ll finally be at peace.

Chapter Text

“Kel it really wasn’t necessary to-”

“Don’t worry about it man, every great artist starts somewhere, consider me your first commission!” Sunny gripped the wrinkled ten dollar bill in his hand harder, “If you say so…” 

“Loosen up a little, it’s just ten bucks.” Kel assured him. Sunny felt guilty for taking this away from him. Sometimes, Kel would occasionally attach photos and selfies to emails they send between each other, so when Sunny got the sudden urge to draw something other than cats and Headspace inspired art, he picked one of the many random photos of his dog and mailed it to him. Which of course he was very grateful for, going as far as to send a letter with ten dollars attached to it. 

He stated in the writing that he, “would feel bad not paying for something that must've taken so much time” (it didn’t) and that’s why he sent money along with it. Immediately upon seeing that he did this, Sunny called him to convince him to take it back, but he’s too stubborn to comply.

“So, how’s life?”

“Please don’t make me think about my life, Kel.”

“Woah! Okay edgelord .”

“I’m joking. I’ve been… fine.”

“Sounded very hesitant about that bud.”

“That’s because nothing interesting ever happens to me.” Sunny sighed, there really was nothing much to note about the past few weeks. Therapy’s been fine, orchestra has been well, sometimes on the weekends he would even help Mincy out at the shop. 

Kel seemed to lay back and relax from the other side of the phone, “I’m sure you have something to talk about.” 

Sunny thought for a moment, he hasn’t told him about his new friend Elaine has he? He actually enjoys her presence quite a lot. They’re both outcasts who don’t have any friends, and are the older kids of their grade. Elaine is a year behind where she’s supposed to be for unknown reasons. He never bothered to ask why; she never pries into his business on what a sixteen year old is doing in the freshman class. 

They even share the same lunch period, which Sunny didn’t know was an actual thing. At his old school, the whole middle school all ate at the same time, so he assumed it’d be the same for high  school as well. Elaine previously was eating by herself in the library, so Sunny invited her to join him in his little reclusive area.

“Why do you like it out here?” Elaine asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich. “I’m not saying it’s not nice, you just don’t seem like the type to be outside. No offense.” She gestured to his pale veiny hand. Sunny furrowed his brows, pulling a giggle out from the girl. 

“I like the flower beds.” He said. 

Elaine looked at him with a surprised glance. “Really? I didn’t take you for the flower type of person?” 

Sunny blushed slightly, “I-It reminds me of an old friend from my old neighborhood. H-He really likes gardening and flowers.” 

Elaine smiled, “Awww, you must really~ miss him, huh?” she said with some kind indicative tone in her voice. Sunny’s heart sped up, “What’s with the tone?” He questioned. 

Elaine giggled, twirling a fork in the air. “Ohhh~ nothing…” She nudged. Sunny lightly hit her arm, “Oh come on! I-It’s nothing like that!” he whined. 

“I didn’t say anything!” She said in a sing-song voice.

Sunny didn’t say anything for a while, which rallied her to say something. 

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with liking another boy. In fact I… I’m not into guys myself.” He looked back up to her to see her picking idly at her fruit, but not eating it. 

“You’re not?” 

She shook her head and smiled. “Nah, not really.” 

“Th-That’s cool.”

“Is it?” She asked, a little hopeful. Sunny nodded his head, shoving some broccoli in his mouth. 

“Yeah- I mean, I’ve never really gotten to talk about this with anybody before. Being…” He trailed off. 

“...Being gay?” Elaine finished his train of thought. “Uh-huh.” Sunny confirmed. A period of hushness passed between the two before Elaine reached her hand over to grab the chopsticks out of Sunny’s lunchbox. 

“Why do you carry these if you don’t use them?” She asked.

“My mom forces me to carry them. She doesn’t know I don’t use them.” Elaine turned the chopsticks in her hands so she could stab a piece of Sunny’s lunch meat. 

“Land ho!” She yelled, picking it up and then shoving it in her mouth. Her eyes sparkled as she continued to chew. “Wow! That’s delicious. What is that?”

“Negimaki.” He said with a slight accent. 

“Negimaki.” She repeated. “Man, I should ask your mom to make my lunch. She always makes you the best food.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” He told her.

But before Sunny had the chance to even open his mouth and tell him about her, a loud knock on the front door caught his attention. Actually, loud was an understatement, it was ear-piercing, and pretty aggressive too. He wouldn’t be surprised if Kel heard it from his end as well. 

“Hey I’ll be back.” Sunny said, setting the phone down on the kitchen counter. If whoever was knocking was a murderer, which he probably should’ve considered before whipping the door open, he definitely would be a goner, but luckily it wasn’t a rando knocking willy-nilly on his door. 

Instead it was Aubrey , looking irritated as ever, on his front doorstep. 

Her pink hair was quite faded, and roots were growing in as a dark brown. There were big bags forming under her eyes, suggesting that she hadn’t been sleeping well, and few band aids were scattered around her legs, which Sunny automatically assumed to be from her picking fights with other people. She looked him up and down with an annoyed look. 

“What?” She spat out aggressively when Sunny said not a word to her, which reminded him he probably should say something. 

“W-What do you mean what? You’re at my apartment! How-”

“Don’t ask any damn questions. Why I’m here is not your business.” Aubrey chewed out after putting her hand over Sunny’s mouth to quiet him. 

“I just need a place to stay, so you’re going to be my little host for the weekend, alright?” 

Sunny lowered her hand from his face, “Aubrey I haven’t seen you in months, at least give me a little time to process this!” 

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, “Right, okay… can I at least come in? I knocked on like two other doors before this and had some pretty awkward encounters.” Sunny hesitated for a second before widening the door to let her through. That’s when he noticed the large old and worn backpack she was carrying along with her. 

She looked around at the surroundings, “Nice place you have here.” she said, genuinely? Sunny couldn't really tell if that remark was sarcastic or not. 

“Not as nice as your old abode though huh?” She said.

He closed the door behind him and shrugged, “It’s fine… I’m used to it now.” It took a while getting used to the smelly and loud surroundings the city had to offer, but Sunny was used to it by now. 

The sounds of cars speeding down the clear night road and distant chatting that could sometimes be heard from the distance lulled him to sleep every night. He likes those noises, the noises of life. It reminds him that he’s still here, still alive. Though, he hates how she’s making small talk rather than addressing the issue here; wasn’t she still mad at him? Why is she not up in his face yelling and calling him a disgusting murderer right now?

Lily, who’d been napping in the living room prior to this, pranced her way into the hallway and curiously sniffed Aubrey.

 “Got yourself a new little fur-baby?” She bent down to allow Lily to sniff her hand, which gained an uncertain look from her. “I know I know. I probably smell like smoke and beer, don’t I?” She chuckled sadly and stood back up. Lily made her way over to Sunny, meowed, and then walked around his bare legs, which tickled from how fluffy and big she’s gotten. 

He wanted to drop everything just to pick her up and cuddle, but he remembered that Kel was still on the phone waiting for him. 

“I-I’ll be back.” He stuttered, and walked back to the kitchen. When he picked up the phone, he could hear distant Spanish speaking coming from the television. 

“Hey Kel.” Rustling was heard from the other side before Kel allegedly grabbed better hold of the phone. 

“Jesus Sunny! You scared me.” He said in a frightened tone. 

“Sorry… it’s just… something came up. I’ll have to call you later.” 

“Oh yeah, no problem! Talk to you later dude.”

“Bye Kel.” He put the receiver down and jumped when he turned around to see Aubrey stood behind him in the doorframe. 

“Sorry, did I interrupt you and Kel time?” She asked, slightly mockingly. When he didn’t say anything she tsk’d. 

“Why are you here? Why did you choose to come to me out of all people?” Sunny questioned. 

Aubrey sucked her teeth, “S’none of your business…” 

“Okay, well I do have the right to know how you got my address. The only one who knows it is Kel, and last time I checked, you haven’t talked to each other in months.” He said. 

“When’d you get so fucking blunt…? Look, I’ll tell you how I managed to find you after I have a drink.” She walked up to his fridge and opened it. “Grape soda… Grape soda… More grape soda. Where’s all your normal soda?!?”

“That’s… all I drink.” Aubrey stuck her tongue out in disgust. 

“Water?” 

He pointed to the sink. “We drink tap water.” Like most people do. Sunny wanted to add, but he restrained himself because he didn’t want to anger her more than she already was. She ultimately ended up deciding to drink one of the grape sodas, which Sunny was completely fine with. Yeah. It was one-hundred percent okay that she barges into his home and starts raiding the fridge of his comfort drink. Completely. Okay.

He tried to calm himself down with some of the breathing techniques Ms. Paige had taught him; in through the nose and out through the mouth… 

Aubrey made herself comfortable on the couch to which Sunny awkwardly followed and sat down next to her. She pointed in his direction, “That’s new.” she said, talking about his piercings. 

“Yeah.” He responded blankly. 

“Makes you look emo. Well, more than you already do.” 

Sunny looked away, slightly curling his lip. “Thanks?” He supposes that could be taken as a compliment. 

As she finished her last droplet of soda, she crushed the can and placed it down on the coffee table in front of her, “Sooo, let’s see…” She started, kicking and propping up her legs. 

“It started a few weeks ago, I was in my science class and overheard Kel asking Basil for your address. Basil said he didn’t have it, so Kel said he’d Email and ask you for it.” She started.

Sunny does recall Kel asking for his address a few weeks back, presumably so he could send Sunny a letter back after receiving his. And what do you know, today just so happened to be the same day he received one from him. 

“I just need to be out of Faraway for a while, you know how it is, the place’s an absolute shithole. You were my only option seeing as I have no other family to stay with.” She complained. 

“I don’t get it… Did you manage to hack into Kel’s Email or something?” 

A smirk came across her face. “Hey, I’m not done yet idiot, listen.” 

…

Aubrey was still pissed about what had happened the night prior, why was the world suddenly turning so against her? Even worse, it was a Friday, which meant she couldn’t just avoid her problems the entire weekend when the problem would be standing right in her own home. She needs to get out of this town, to stay somewhere temporarily until she’s cooled off. 

That’s when she spots Kel, talking to his dumb sports friends again. He turned his entire body revealing an Orange Joe to be in the side pocket of his backpack, and from then on, what Aubrey thought to be the perfect plan culminated quickly in her mind. She quickly sped-walk up behind him and snatched the drink from his bag. Luckily, no one saw since a bunch of kids were busy pushing and shoving each other to get out of the way, so step one of her master plan was a success. 

Every Friday, Aubrey always spots Kel going into the computer lab for his last period. At first, she had no idea why, but she quickly learned after spying on him so many times that he went in there alone to play games on the computer. What an idiot! Doesn’t he have something else better to do? Were her initial thoughts, but after a while she started feeling a little envious that he somehow had a free period to fuck around however he wanted to. Her last period was a bore, in other words English, so in the middle of the lesson she raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom.

“I’m so confused.” Sunny interrupted the re-telling of her story.

“That’s because I’m not done yet!”

Of course she didn’t go to the bathroom, she had something bigger that needed to be put into action. Throughout the day she’d been observing where Kel went and noticed that he spent the study period in the library that day, so that’s where she was heading; past the girl’s bathroom and straight into the library. The librarian didn’t notice her entrance, she was too busy putting up books in the back, so Aubrey pulled out the disgusting orange flavored coffee drink, planted it on a random table, and quickly made her exit back to her classroom; or rather the computer lab. 

The computer lab door was cracked open, as it always was, she turned the corner that was close by so he wouldn’t spot her, and putting on the lowest voice she could, she said loudly, “Who the hell left their Orange Joe in the library?” and waited. It wasn’t long after when she heard the door swing open and fast footsteps walk opposite of where she was. Success. So far at least. She hurriedly found the computer that Kel was using and went on his Email, “Let’s see…” she typed the word ‘address’ in the search bar and sure enough a conversation between him and Sunny came up. 

Sure, it didn’t highlight the exact part she needed, but shortly underneath that was an address given to him by Sunny. She pulled out a ripped piece of paper from her jacket and wrote down the address on the back; the front containing a stupid little drawing Angel had done during history class this morning, closed out of the tab, and swiftly made it back to class. 

Aubrey finished her story with a proud grin on her face, Sunny was a little shocked how quickly she was able to plan ahead. “How’d you know that would work?” He asked. 

Aubrey put her hands behind her head and relaxed further into the couch, “Kel’s a whore for Orange Joe. He’d do anything to get his grimy hands on one.” her comment made Sunny snicker. 

The sound of the front door opening pierced throughout the silence that followed shortly after, “Sunny, I’m home! Why is the door unlocked?” 

Sunny could hear his mother place her keys in her usual spot in the hallway. She then spotted the two in the living room, eyes lighting up, “Oh! Who’re you?” she asked.

Aubrey stiffened and sat up properly, “Ah- hello ma’am. Crap… Sunny, what’s your last name again?”

“Suzuki.”

“Right. Hey momma Suzuki, it's been a while.” Aubrey stood up and reached a hand, his mother’s eyes lighting up with recognition. 

“Oh! Aubrey? It’s so good to see you here sweetie. You look so different I hardly recognized you!” She chuckled, returning the handshake. 

Aubrey stuffed a hand in one of her jacket pockets and used the other to scratch the back of her head. “Yeah, got caught up in life I guess…” 

His mother nodded, “What’re you doing here in the city?” Aubrey’s eyes dilated in panic as she searched for an excuse.

“I asked her to stay over for the weekend since we haven’t seen each other in a while.” Sunny lied, prompting his mother to smile and clap her hands together. “That’s great dear. I’ll be starting dinner soon; we’re having your favorite~!” She excitedly hyped. 

Sunny thanked her and slowly pulled him and Aubrey to his room when she wouldn’t stop her rambling about how the flowers in Mincy’s shop were doing. He kept repeating, “Okay.” and, “That’s nice.” until the two nettled completely in his room and shut the door. Some scratching noises began shortly after, so he opened it to let Lily in as well.

“What’s, ‘I’ll Carry You By Dawn?’ Sounds like some nerdy shit.” 

Sunny whipped around to see her holding the book Basil suggested to him and snatched it out of her hands with distress. 

“I-It’s nothing, don’t ask about it!” His face warmed up. He’d completely forgotten to hide it back under his pillow again. It took him a while to start reading it out of fear he might enjoy it, so he just put it off for a bit. But after starting it recently, he couldn't stop. He enjoyed the fluffiness of it with the right mixture of drama and conflict; the contrast between the shy, nurturing prince and the quiet, cold, rebel prince made it all the better. It was becoming kind of a guilty pleasure.

Aubrey put her hands up in defense, “Okay okay, damn…” Sunny’s name was shrilly called out by his mother which made him sigh and grumble something under his breath. He left Aubrey in his room to do who-knows-what and see what her commotion was about. 

“I left my phone at the shop, do you think you can go by there quickly and get it for me?” She asked. Sunny nodded, eager to get some fresh air and smell the roses on his trip there, he’s always thought they smell the best. He didn’t let Aubrey know what he was doing, instead he slipped on his shoes and hid the book he was holding in the hallway hutch for after he got back.

The walk to the shop is rather short, but Sunny spent a good amount of time there smelling some of the flowers and having Mincy catch him up on some of the plant growth. She asked him how his own were doing, in which he told her were doing pretty well so far. They started to bloom not too long ago, and Sunny absolutely adored how they shined so beautifully in the light.

Sunny got back home and to his room to discover that the short-fused girl was nowhere to be seen, so he asked, “Where’s Aubrey?” He knows that she hasn’t left permanently considering her backpack was still laying in the same spot, untouched. 

The beeping of the oven indicated to his mother that it had finished pre-heating. “She said she was going on a walk for some air.” She told him, but Sunny had a gut feeling that Aubrey wasn’t actually on a walk somewhere. He thinks that he would've seen her on his way back. So with that conclusion he stepped back outside.

If I was Aubrey, where would I be? He thought to himself. The sun was already mostly settled in the horizon, so she couldn’t have gone too far, it could be quite dangerous getting lost in the city at night. Luckily, he didn’t have to investigate too hard when he heard a violent girlish cough coming from a nook outside of the apartment building. He turned the corner to see her leaned against the hard wall, cigarette in hand with slightly teary eyes. 

Sunny slowly slid beside her, also leaning somewhat on the wall. He didn’t expect to find her ruining her lungs, but he’s not too surprised she’s a smoker knowing her family’s history. She pounded a fist against her chest and caught her breath. 

“Don’t become a chronic smoker, Sunny. It’s awful.” Despite her warnings she took a big puff and blew the smoke out of her nose. He’s always wondered how it felt to smoke a cigarette; did it not tickle blowing smoke out of the nostrils? Sunny looked down at his feet, shuffling side-to-side.

“Do you have another one?” He asked. 

“Why? Ya wanna try it?” Aubrey asked. He shyly nodded and looked back up, she looked slightly surprised by his willingness, but pulled out one and lit it for him.  

“You know how to do it?” He shook his head, taking the stick in between his pointer and middle finger. 

“I’ll figure it out.” He said, putting it in his mouth. Sunny didn’t know how much smoke he was supposed to withdraw, so he ended up getting way too much in his mouth, resulting in a huge coughing fit. 

Aubrey slapped his back multiple times while having a good laugh. “You’re only supposed to inhale a little at a time. Damn, you really are a nicotine virgin eh?” She teased. Sunny looked at her stoically while he wiped away the burning tears that came to his eyes. His second attempt was a bit more successful, and after a while he relaxed into it a bit more.

“I uh- saw the little corner you guys dedicated to Mari in your living room. It’s… nice.” She voiced ambivalently, “I still still hate you, you know, Sunny?” 

He nodded, unsurprised. 

“I’d beat your ass, but you got a nice mother. Wouldn’t want to upset her more than she probably already is. Couldn’t have another one of her kids dying.” 

“That’s very reassuring seeing as we’re going to be sleeping under the same roof tonight, Aubrey.” 

“You bet your ass it is.” Sunny thinks she was trying to be intimidating, but he was a little relieved to hear that she in fact won’t be screaming her head off at him or snapping him in half like a twig. 

“You’ve gained some weight. I mean- you’re not fat. You just don’t look borderline anorexic anymore.” She commented, tapping some of the ash off her cigarette. 

Sunny did the same, “I guess, yeah. I’m not bruising as easily anymore.” He added. 

Aubrey turned to him with tired eyes, “You know, I am a bit glad that you’re the one with the photo album after what Basil did to it. I took another look through it before… You know, coming out here. It’s exactly how we left it.” 

Sunny immediately felt his heart drop, she still thinks Basil’s the one who inflicted the damage on his own photo album, the most precious thing to him? Why hadn’t he told her? Why did he insist on protecting Sunny for this long?

“D-Did Basil not tell you?” He said ominously. 

Aubrey blew more smoke out of her mouth, “What?” She said, a bit annoyed. 

Sunny gulped, “He didn’t do that. I-It was me.” he said, causing Aubrey to completely stop in her tracks, cigarette hanging loosely between her fingers. 

“I don’t r-really remember when and why I did it, I just know that I did, and that apparently Basil lied and said it was him, so you don’t have to blame him for that anymore. I-It was me.”

Silence . Too much silence. 

Time seemed to pass so slowly after confessing that. It was good to get off his chest, now someone else besides the couple of boys knew, but when that someone else was Aubrey… She finally moved from her place, flicking her cigarette on the ground and stomping it out, she turned to him with enraged eyes.

“I have cried because of you WAY too many times now, is that all you know how to do? Ruin people? Lie?!?” Her entire body shook with anger. 

Sunny shook his head and hands in defense, “No! I swear that’s the only thing I haven’t told you!” He said, although was actually quite unsure if it was. Knowing him and his memory, it probably wasn’t… 

“How the hell am I to believe you when every time we talk you manage to tell me something else I didn’t know?!? Did you even know I was hurting him, or were you too busy sulking in your room the whole time?” To be fair, she was right. Sunny had no idea what was happening in the outside world around him; he had no idea how badly of a situation he put Basil in. 

“You’re telling me I spent YEARS… bullying and tormenting someone relentlessly for something he didn’t even do?!? That’s… THAT’S SO FUCKED UP!” She screamed at him.

“I-”

“I don’t wanna hear goddamn excuses! Everything… It all means nothing now. So just leave me the hell alone, Sunny.” She said, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets and storming off the other way, now supposedly going on for an actual walk around the city for some air. 

Sunny wordlessly inhaled a few more puffs of his own cigarette to calm himself down, but after stomping it out exactly how Aubrey did, the existential dread crept back up to him. He didn’t know Basil would take the blame for this. 

Groaning aloud, he rubbed his teary eyes, “God! Why am I so dumb?” shakily, he lowered himself to the ground and uncovered his face and picked at his scalp, “I didn’t know… I didn’t know… I didn’t know…” He repeated to himself pathetically, but in his mind he knew that he was just a coward. Aubrey was right; all he did was ruin people, and he hasn’t even told Basil sorry for all the pain his stupidity put him through.

He walked back to his apartment, quietly opening the front door so his mom couldn’t hear him from the kitchen. Once he reached his room, he curled up into a ball in the corner of his bed and started to cry. Yeah, maybe it was selfish. Selfish to cry about something that hadn’t affected him up until now. He can’t even begin to imagine how much worse Basil must’ve felt during his years of abandonment. Guilt started enveloping his body, the kind that instead of being formatted into some kind of singular entity stretched across the corners of his room, and made him feel like he was falling and there was no escape.

The feeling of fluffiness blanketed his lap, and it was at that moment that he realized he was having an anxiety attack. By chance Lily was still in his room, and must have noticed his heavy breathing and messy crying, because she began to make herself comfortable in his lap, rubbing and licking his face, like she was telling him not to cry. 

Whoever said cats didn’t understand human emotions couldn’t be more wrong, because she became such a reliable emotional support animal for him. Every time he’d mope around she’d always manage to somehow pull him out of bed and make him feel better. This is the first time he’s cried in a while, which means it’s the first time she’s ever seen him cry, but he really didn’t expect this to happen.

He chuckled between sobs and rubbed her cheeks, “H-Hi Lily. I’m s-sorry you have to see me like this…” He weakly uttered. Lily gave him a curious meow and rubbed her face against his again, the feeling of her wet cold nose gave him a little shock. 

“Gross Lil…” He said, tapping her nose and then gently stroking her on the neck. This went on for a while as she kneaded her paws against his legs and relaxed. In time Sunny allowed himself to relax as well. 

A soft knock came from outside his door. “Sunny? Dinner’s ready.”

…

The food tasted a little bittersweet after his breakdown, but Sunny wasn’t the type to pass up a nicely well-done steak alongside some steamed vegetables. His mother had cooked enough for the three of them, but Aubrey didn’t end up showing up until the two were in the middle of doing dishes. The door closing loudly caught both of their attention, and she walked like she was struggling to even stand. 

“Welcome back Aubrey! We still have leftovers if you’d like some.” His mother greeted her, drying a plate Sunny handed her. Aubrey looked and frowned at the now cold food on the counter and shook her head. 

“Maybe next time.” She denied her offer, suggesting that she probably had already eaten somewhere else, there’s lots of places to choose from around the city.

“Oh! Sunny dear, let Aubrey sleep in your bed tonight. You can sleep with me.” 

Aubrey turned back around with a weary and uncomfortable face. “I can sleep on the couch, thanks.” She decided for herself, and walked off. 

His mother glanced at him with a confused face. “Is something wrong with her? Did something happen?” 

Sunny simply shrugged her off and focused on his chore of washing the dishes. With Aubrey now knowing the truth about the photo album, it would make the rest of her stay especially awkward unless they found some way to avoid each other. 

Tomorrow is another day. Sunny reminded himself.

Chapter Text

It’s Saturday morning, the next day of Aubrey’s stay. Sunny didn’t sleep very well, being too worried about what the rest of the weekend would entail between the two had kept him up all night. 

The sound of knocking on his bedroom door had scared the ever living hell out of him and violently awoke him from his slumber. He stood up from his bed with a fatigued body, he really does dislike it when his mother decides to scare him awake like this... 

Heart still slightly racing, he put his eyepatch on and opened the door, rubbing his tired eyes. “Good morning Sunshine!” She beamed brightly at him. 

“Mmm.. mornin’.” He slurred tiredly. Aubrey quietly snickered at the nickname and when Sunny glanced to give her a dirty look, she busied herself with her flip-phone. 

Surprisingly, she hadn’t just slept in the clothes she was wearing the day before, like she’d done many times in the past, instead she was changed into some black biker shorts and a worn, oversized band shirt, and if he’s not mistaken, it’s called Pink Floyd, some strange British rock band that was particularly popular in the eighties.

Sunny’s mother combed her hand through his hair, “I thought since we have a guest we should go out to the nearby diner, that sound nice?” she asked.

Sunny nodded and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change. He threw on some baggy shorts and a knit gray sweater; comfy and warm, but not too warm to make him sweat and overheat. It was nearing that time where the weather was nice for about two weeks and then would drastically drop in temperature. That also meant that seasonal depression was right around the corner for him. Yippee. 

After he combed through his hair and exited, he caught a peak of his mothers concerned face as Aubrey slipped her shoes on. She decided to speak up about it, “Do you not have something else to wear?”

“N-No ma’am, I’m sorry…” She said, throwing her jacket on and looking down in embarrassment. 

“Don’t be sorry Aubrey, I’m just a bit concerned is all…” Aubrey kicked her foot back-and-forth, and their conversation wrapped up there when they heard Sunny approaching. 

“You ready to go?” His mother asked. He nodded in response, and the three exited the apartment together. The two teens waited as his mother quickly made sure the door was locked, Sunny had a bad habit of keeping it unlocked, and walked along the morning-lit pavement. 

To keep himself from getting anxious, Sunny took his mother’s hand in his own and leaned against her as they walked, like he was still a small child. 

“Still hold onto dear old mom’s hand huh?” Aubrey poked, possibly to provoke him, but he doesn’t have the energy to care right now. 

“Sunny’s always been a mommas boy, haven’t you dear?” Sunny lowered his head and whined, causing his mother to roll her eyes playfully and ruffle his hair. “I know you’re not much of a morning person, but do be a little kinder to our guest and speak up every once in a while.”

“Sorry…” He said weakly, squeezing her hand apologetically. But in all honesty it wasn’t because he’s not a morning person, although partly the reason, he was just really hoping confrontation could be avoided until Aubrey cooled off a bit more. He could tell by the occasional loathing glance that she didn't plan on being too kind today.

They arrived at a small little diner they frequently visited on weekends, sometimes even inviting Mincy along on her days off. The owner was a nice middle-aged woman with a thick country accent named Rhonda. When they entered Sunny spotted her wiping down the counter, and automatically she turned her head towards the door when the loud bell chimed throughout the semi-busy restaurant. 

“Flip my flapjacks, it’s the Suzuki’s!” She exclaimed, pulling out a notepad as they sat themselves down in a booth. “Whaddya want, Maria? The usual?”

“Yes ma’am, you know me all too well.” The two shared a chuckle before she turned Sunny’s direction. 

“And for lil Sunny-Side-Up?” A nickname given to him when the woman realized how often he ordered eggs, but unusually he was craving something sweet today. He glanced at the section with the food on the sugary side. 

Pancakes… Muffins… Strawberry crescent roll…? That sounds like something Basil would enjoy… Sunny turned the menu in her direction and pointed. 

“Sorry, he’s not much of a talker today.” His mother told the older woman.

“That’s alright. Going for something a little more sweet I see. I like it.” She said, turing to Aubrey, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here young lady. What’s your name?”

“Aubrey.”

“Aubrey… What a lovely name. You know, my daughter would love your hair, she’s obsessed with the color pink.” She rambled. Despite how often she talked about her daughter, they’ve never actually met her before. Considering this was a family-owned diner, you’d think you’d spot the girl often, at least once throughout their multiple visits, but nope, her appearance and name was left a complete mystery. 

Aubrey coyly grinned at the comment and twirled a piece of hair around her finger. “Uh- thanks?” 

Rhonda smiled, “And for you?” 

“Uh- the sausage biscuit?” She sounded unsure of herself, but even if she changed her mind it was too late. The loud, country woman had already written it down and closed her notepad. “I’ll have it out shortly.” 

Still feeling tired, Sunny laid his head down on the table and swung his legs. 

“How long have you had your hair dyed?” He heard his mother speak as he closed his eye. 

“I’ve been dyeing it for the last couple of years.” She explained. 

So this isn’t a recent thing, she really went through with it as soon as she could, huh?  

“Your mother doesn’t care?”

“My mom… she doesn’t really care about anything I do.” Sunny opened his eye again when he heard shuffling from his side of the booth. His mother had grabbed both of Aubrey’s vacant hands and was rubbing her thumbs up and down them gently. 

“I think it’s lovely dear.” She said, “I remember Mari wanting to dye her hair purple and their father freaked out. I’m not really like that old-fashioned geezer though.” 

You took that away from her. They were supposed to dye their hair together when they were older. You’re disgusting. 

Sunny straightened his body back up, he didn’t expect such thoughts to invade back from the depths of his mind. Everything has been so quiet recently. The static and loud constant screaming of his active brain had calmed down quite a bit after being put on medications, and sure the occasional episode occurred, but they were never as clear and precise as this sudden intrusive thought was. This is something deeper and familiar.  

“Yeah… I remember making that promise to each other. That we’d do it together.” Aubrey’s voice cracked as if she were trying not to cry, she pulled her hands away to cover her mouth. 

“There–There was a lot we wanted to do together… S-She was like a sister to me.” 

This something, Aubrey’s something, none of it hadn’t truly left yet, had it? He could see it, it wasn’t like his or Basil’s, no. Hers bordered her body like fluffy, stormy rain clouds that constantly cried and stabbed her with sharp pellets of rain, and when it became too much, the lighting struck- 

“I just… I need a moment- excuse me.” She stood up and went to the bathroom. The lightning struck and electrified her desire to escape. Sunny leaned his arms over the table to rub his temples.

You left her in the dust when her dad left, 

“Sunny?”

then when Mari died,

“Sunny?!”

who knows what her alcoholic mother does to her own daughter. You’re disgusting and selfish.

“Sunny Suzuki!”

His teary eyes landed on his concerned mother, who blocked his body with her own so nobody could invade in on their conversation. 

“Hey.” She rubbed his arms, “Hey, what’s wrong?” Sunny shook his head, denying her an answer. Pushing her hands away from him, he hugged his arms around his stomach.

 I feel like I’m going to be sick, his dizzy head pieced a few thoughts together, but all he could focus on is how horrible he felt. 

“You don’t look well, Sunny. Neither of you do, did something happen between the two of you?” She asked. 

How did you know? Sunny signed, looking weakly and cowardly back up at her; she didn’t look angry like he expected her to. 

Instead, she smiled, thankful that her son feels slightly more comfortable opening up to her, “Mothers intuition.” she said, giving him a wink. “Look, Sunny…” Both his shoulders were grabbed by her lenient hands and tried to release the tension in his body. 

“I won’t force you to talk, but you can’t go the rest of the week without saying anything to her, or to me.” 

Sunny nodded in understanding, accepting the reality that maybe he couldn’t avoid the subject for the next couple of days. “You both have endured so much, and instead of blaming each other for that pain, why not face it together?” 

Because all the pain she’s endured is because of me , he thought, scratching at his head. 

“And stop doing that.” She forced his hand down, “People are going to think you have lice or something.” He was scolded. 

Sunny pouted a bit, it’s not like he willingly does it. It’s always been a subconscious thing he does when he’s thinking or anxious. 

Okay, he signed instead, because he really didn’t feel like getting into another argument, especially not with his mother. 

“Just promise me you’ll say something eventually. I can’t stand the thought of you becoming a little hermit crab again.” She lightheartedly booped his nose, “You’re a big boy now, you can overcome something like this.” She affirmed. 

Sunny slightly smiled, feeling a bit better, and pulled her into a tight hug, something he hasn’t done in a while. She let out a surprised sound and then giggled, hugging him back gently. “You’re going to be okay…”

The two pulled apart when they heard the shuffling of feet approach and Aubrey sat back down in front of them. She lowered her face, hiding behind her long bangs without a word. When the three got their food, they thanked the kind-spoken woman and began to eat.

Even when she hungrily bit into the savory and buttery biscuit she still refused to look up and acknowledge the awkward encounter from before. Sunny took a bite of his own rather large crescent meal and immediately melted into the flavor. The sauce combined with the comforting warmth of the strawberry sweet made the trip here completely worth it; maybe he’d even take Basil here one day to try it if he was lucky…

Sunny’s always been the slowest eater out of the group, so when he saw Aubrey dully messing with her fork and empty plate, he tore off a piece of his sweet and placed it in front of her. Her eyes shakily looked up at him, mouth agape and slightly surprised. 

It’s good. He signed, even though he knew she probably wouldn’t understand. She picked it up to inspect it and then glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“He said, ‘It’s good.’” His mother translated, leaning forward slightly and giving her thumbs up. With that, Aubrey hesitated before putting the sweet treat in her mouth and swallowing. Her eyes widened with fascination and she quickly ate the rest of it. For a moment the two shared some slight understanding, but Sunny knew that it would take a lot more than this to say “I’m sorry.”

They wrapped up their time there, giving the owner a quick goodbye, but his mother didn’t seem satisfied with how everything ended between them and had other plans, so she decided to take the two teens to her workplace, Dizzy Daisies. 

“You know Mincy, do you not Aubrey?” She asked. Aubrey nodded silently and slowly as she recalled who that was. 

“I have no idea when she moved to the city, but her family owns a flower shop! Isn’t that nice?” Still, she did not say anything. She only dipped her head down and crossed her arms, shivering in the cold late-morning air. 

The quiet chirping of the aurora crickets started to subside as they approached the small quiet flower shop Sunny had grown to love and hang out at often. The familiar chime of the bell echoed throughout the entire store, causing the short-haired girl to turn in their direction. When she caught eye of them, a radiant smile came to her face. 

“Oh! Ms. Suzuki, Sunny, and… Aubrey. Am I correct?” She walked out from being the register and smoothed her apron out. 

“How do you know my name?” Aubrey asked a bit defensively. Mincy reached out a hand, “You make quite the buzz around Faraway, there’s barely a single person that doesn’t know you.” she said, giggling lightly. 

Aubrey grabbed her hand, returning the gesture, and then shoved them back into her jacket pockets diffidently. “I see…” 

“This is where I work, part-time, but I’ve actually been thinking about working full time.” Sunny’s mother put her hands on Aubrey's shoulders, causing her to relax a bit and look around at the surroundings. 

“Are you serious? Ms. Suzuki, surely you would rather find somewhere else with a higher pay to work at…” 

She dismissively waved her hand at Mincy, “This place pays just fine when you’re only raising one kid and yourself, plus, I enjoy caring for the plants. Gives me something to look forward to everyday.” 

Sunny tugged on her sleeve and held up three fingers, “Right, three family members to take care of including Lily.” Sunny smiled, satisfied at her inclusion of his cat. 

Mincy started straightening up a few gardening tools that had been messed with earlier that morning, “That would be lovely Ms. Suzuki… I-Is that what you came here for?”

“Yes ma’am… I also thought while I talked with your father that you could show Sunny and Aubrey some of the new additions in the greenhouse?” 

Mincy nodded, pointing to a door on an off-hand wall. “Of course! He should be up in our apartment grabbing a cup of coffee, he’ll be happy to see you.” By that remark, she left the three kids alone to go do her own business. 

Sunny’s already seen the new additions to the garden, but he’s sure Mincy will have more things to say since he was on such short notice the day before, picking up his mothers phone and all. Mincy flipped the sign in the door to say closed just for the time being, and then turned to the two, “Let’s go see them.” she proclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly.

She led the two to the back where they grew flowers for bouquets and custom orders. It's mostly just a variety of different colored roses, seeing as they were a very common flower to request, but they also grew carnations, tulips, and orchids in addition to that. 

“Ahhh, when did this happen?” Mincy cocked her head to the side and frowned. Aubrey leaned over her shoulder, “This wasn’t like this yesterday…” Mincy picked up a pink daffodil that had fallen off its stem. Sunny doesn’t recall seeing them yesterday, but maybe he was too distracted looking and smelling the array of colorful roses.

Mincy turned around in her spot, noticing Aubrey's interest, “One of our regulars is a couple. They requested pink daffodils because they’re pregnant with a baby girl and are giving birth soon…” She said, Sunny approached, looking at the daffodils curiously. 

“Do you know what daffodils represent?” She asked him, in which he shook his head to. “They’re often the first flowers that bloom in the springtime. They indicate joy and happiness, and can also sometimes represent an unrequited love…” She explained.

“But they also symbolize new beginnings and rebirth. That’s why I suggested daffodils to them when they were conflicted on which flower to choose, because for most parents having a child is like a new start. Another chance at fixing the generational trauma we’ve all experienced.” Mincy turned back to Aubrey, carefully brushing some hair out of her face and placing the flower behind her ear, “And I just think they’re neat.” 

Aubrey gently stroked the flower that she’d placed in her hair gently, looking up at it with sparkling eyes, “Wow! It matches your hair! So pretty…” Mincy always knows how to fill the awkward silence up when she notices Sunny is a bit down. 

The girl had gotten used to him not speaking at some points in time, and having to make up for it by speaking for and to basically just herself. It’s amazing how quickly she adapted to learning Sunny’s habits and how she went about it so kindly and cautiously. In addition to his appreciation of her, the comment seemed to have put Aubrey in a better mood, because she started chuckling and gave Mincy one of her real , authentic smiles. 

“Maybe… Maybe I’ll request some of my own one day.” She said.

The walk back home was a bit less awkward, seeing the flower beds seemed to really cheer Aubrey up, and if he was being honest, it did to Sunny as well. Maybe because her explanations of all the flowers and details about how each individual one had been doing reminded them of the flower boy they both cared so deeply for, at least that was Sunny’s reason.

“I see you both saw the new daffodils, Sunshine, Aubrey?” The two simultaneously nodded. His mother reached out to run some fingers near the flower that was still in her hair, “They’re pretty, are they not? They go beautifully against your hair.” 

Aubrey’s face visibly reddened, “Mincy said that too...” She retorted.

 “Well it’s true.” His mother smiled, “I think everyone could use a little daffodil in their life, hm?” She suggested. 

Sunny doesn’t know if she’s actually referencing the actual flower or not. Maybe she knew the meaning from Mincy, maybe not, it wasn’t of much relevance. But if she did know what they represented however, it was quite the smooth comment to make, because for the first time in a while Aubrey gave a glance to Sunny; one that wasn’t filled with so much hate; one that wasn’t completely distraught, but also didn’t have much emotion in it. 

Sunny glanced back with a gentle stare and concerned furrowed brows. “I’m sorry.” He mouthed to her. She seemed to understand and bit her upper lip, not saying anything to him in return, but that was okay. Progress is progress

…

Everything went down at once that afternoon.

After returning home, Sunny’s mother went out to buy some groceries, leaving the two of them alone in the apartment to awkwardly avoid each other for the time being. Sunny just thinks she needs her space. 

For a while, he locked himself in his room doing nothing other than homework and the occasional sketch when he felt too distracted. Soon, he heard the front door close followed by the sounds of plastic bags rustling against each other. 

He had finally finished the algebra homework he’s been trying to hyperfocus on, and celebrated with relief that he had the rest of the weekend math-free, and was about to leave his room to help put some things up–that was until he heard talking coming from the living room. 

“I… I can’t take this.”

“Sure you can hun, I got it for you.”

“But, why…?” Aubrey's voice wavered. Sunny put his ear against the door. 

“Aubrey dear… you’ve been shivering all day, it’s gotten quite cold. All your clothes look so worn and torn up…” She confided. 

“I-"

“Are you doing okay at home?” 

“I-I’m doing well enough!” She tried to convince her. 

“Oh Aubrey, dear, you look exhausted.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine; I swear!” Aubrey choked out before breaking down into a sob. “I’m not deserving of this.” She cried out. Sunny cracked the door open just a bit so he could see what was going on. 

Aubrey was in hysterics as his mother gently comforted her with the gentle rub of the shoulders. “Shhh. Everyone deserves warm clothes.” She reassured her. When she repositioned herself, Aubrey came more into sight, and he could see her gripping a light pink sweater and some gray sweatpants. 

She rubbed her eyes, “I just… I’ve been such a horrible person to everyone. I don’t get it.” 

“Everyone makes mistakes throughout their lifetime. Those choices don't make you a bad person in the long-run.” She pulled the fragile girl in for a hug, making even more tears run down Aubrey's cheek and a sniffle escape from her nose.

 “If you ever need a home away from home, I will be that safe space for you.” 

Sunny closed the door, feeling as if he'd just invaded in on something very private between the two. There was more talking after that, but he didn’t have the audacity to listen any longer. It’s not his nice tender moment to share. Especially after he had ruined her other safe space–the church.

Shortly after he could hear Aubrey burst back into tears, the occasional hiccups following. He’s never seen or heard her cry this much; recently at least. Even when she was apologizing to them, saying how much she regrets being such a bully to everybody, she still restrained herself from letting herself cry so much. 

However, everyone has their limits, and her breaking point must’ve been how much kindness his mother was showing towards her, despite not seeing her for years, and her treating her as her own, something she hasn’t experienced in a while.

After what he thought to be the appropriate amount of time passed, Sunny came out of his room thirsty for a grape soda, and at the exact moment he re-entered the living room, Aubrey exited the bathroom wearing her new get-up. Her face looked a mess, and eyes were trembling with fatigue. 

“You…” She mumbled, slowly dragging herself up towards him. 

“You don’t know how lucky you have it.” She said, jabbing a finger against his chest. 

“Having such a supportive mom after what you did. Do you not understand how much deep shit most people would be in right now?!?” 

It wasn’t always like this . Sunny wanted to say, but he couldn’t force the words out of his mouth. 

After the incident, his parents were devastated. He thought everything would be fine after hearing his mothers words, “We’ll protect you, everything will be okay…” she had told him with a comforting hug. But it tore them apart faster than expected, and it broke his heart to see and hear their frequent arguing. Sure, their relationship has always been rocky, but no marriage is perfect right? 

When growing up, Sunny had always had a hunch that his father didn’t like him very much. Instead of playing sports and making friends like most young boys would, he preferred staying inside, reading books and sticking close to his sister. 

Multiple occasions passed where Mari would dress him up in girly clothes, allowing her to use him as her little real life Barbie doll, and he would yell at the two to take it off immediately, saying it would have an influence on him when he’s older. Almost a decade later and he still feels like it didn’t have an impact on him at all, just the bittersweet memories of spending time with Mari.

And oh God did he get worse when Basil started sticking around. Sunny’s mother had always been fond of the kind and soft spoken boy, and would argue with his father that he was a good influence on Sunny unlike the other boys. He wasn’t rude, rambunctious, and he genuinely just stayed to himself most of the time, he was the perfect match for Sunny. 

However, those qualities of Basil his father didn’t like. No matter how hard he tried though, he would never be able to separate the two. So yeah, there were some flaws in their marriage, mostly their conflicting views, but Sunny never expected the two to split up. He never expected his mother to actually take his side when she heard what his father had said to him.

“Get away from me, you’re not my son.”

It hurt to hear those words, the words of his disownment, because he still loved his father, how could he not? Sure he was a little strict, but didn’t every family have a member that was a little overprotective? His mother ended up filing for divorce, leaving the two alone to fend for themselves. After that day he's never spoken to his father again, let alone even heard from him.

“Are you just gonna stand there and say nothing?” Aubrey yelled. Sunny's body curled more into itself in response, causing her to shriek out of irritation and leave the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Sunny opened his own bedroom door, making sure to close it quietly, and leaned back on it. The fizzy sound of carbonation uproared throughout the room when he finally opened and took a sip of his soda. 

In hindsight, he thought, I probably should’ve known that they knew something based on their reactions . But how was he supposed to know? He was just a kid.

He swirled his drink around, catching a glance of a familiar figure reflecting itself in the metal of the can. Omori. He blinked once and he was gone, now staring at his usual older self. Tracing his finger against the sharp edge of the opening, he stupidly drew a little blood from the tip. He felt far too tense to leave his room, and had nothing to wipe it on within distance, so he resorted to putting his finger in his mouth, waiting and hoping that it would soon stop. 

Well what do you know? I still act like one.

…

Later in the evening Sunny was jump-scared by the sound of his door swinging open. When he looked over, Aubrey was standing in the doorway, narrowed eyes and crossed armed. She slowly closed the door behind her and walked her way up to him. 

“Alright you stubborn bastard, talk.” She demanded of him, sitting down next to him on the bed. “I… had a smoke and am feeling a bit calmer.” Sunny continued looking at her blankly, wondering if it was really okay to speak now or this was just a trap. Aubrey shook her head in frustration. 

“Look, I know you’re mute right now or whatever, but I… I’m done being angry at you, for now, I just wanna know what happened.” Sunny titled his head. 

“Between Mari and I?” His voice came out as a slight whisper, and running her fingers through her hair nervously, Aubrey nodded in confirmation. 

Sunny pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees and hugging himself tight. “You remember the recital we were supposed to do?” He asked. 

“Remember it? I basically memorized every note Mari’d played on that piano from how often she’d practice it.” She scoffed like she was offended he’d even asked. 

Sunny directed his gaze downward, “It started… because of that.” He said. “That day… I remember it so clearly now, the day before the recital.” He squeezed his eye shut in remembrance. 

“W-We practiced so much that week, I was so exhausted, especially then. I was angry, and s-so was Mari. She was so mad at me for not pushing myself as hard as she did when I kept messing up. I was so sick of her and everybody else's expectations, and didn’t even wanna do the recital anymore, so I threw my violin down the stairs.” 

Aubrey adjusted herself, sitting crisscrossed now on his bed. “After that?”

“After that she screamed at me, t-telling me I shouldn't have done that because of how much work everyone did into getting me it, and that she was so disappointed in me, but all I could th-think about is how badly I wanted out of there and to see someone– anyone else, so I pushed her to the side. At least… that’s what I thought.” Sunny breathing started to become uneven. 

“Everything happened so fast, and it was s-so loud… so so loud…” A familiar ringing began echoing throughout his mind, causing him to cover his ears in hope of it leaving. 

“B-Basil just so happened to be there. I-I swear we tried w-waking her up! S-Surely it was all a bad dream, we thought, but when she didn’t wake up, Basil… he just wanted to p-protect me.” 

Sunny looked back up at Aubrey with a terrified expression as he recalled, “Something… T-That’s when we both saw it, after we hanged her. B-Basil looked terrified, so out of curiosity I looked too and it…” He tried shaking the image out of his head, pressing harder down on his ears when he couldn’t even hear his own thoughts over how loud everything was.

“It was an accident, A-Aubrey. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry! Please forgive me-” 

A sudden sting fell upon his face as he was in the middle of recalling the horrifying experience. It took him a moment to realize that Aubrey had just slapped him. 

He grabbed at his cheek in pain, “Owww shit! Aubrey, that hurt!” He complained. 

Aubrey shook her hands in a panic. “Well you were freaking out it had me all freaked out! I didn’t know what to do!” 

“That doesn’t mean slap me in the middle of a panic attack!”

“Well what else was I supposed to do?!? It worked, didn’t it?” 

Sunny sighed, still rubbing his injured face, “Yeah, I guess…” He said. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah yeah I know, you’ve said it like four times already.”

“Can you forgive me?” He asked. 

Aubrey puffed her cheeks. “Not right now Sunny, I’m just… glad to hear that what happened wasn’t on purpose, I think.” She swayed back and forth in place. 

Sunny rubbed his slightly wet a runny nose with the back of his hand, “I’d never do something like that on purpose. No matter how mad Mari was at me, she’s my sister and I miss her so much… I think that’s why I pretended it never happened for so long.” 

Aubrey crossed her arms, “Yeah, and then you left little ole’ me to fend for myself after that idiot Kel found new friends and Basil turned me away from him. Thanks a lot Sunny.” Her tone being accusatory but also not demeaning. 

Sunny chuckled awkwardly, “I-I think I was delusional at some point, or more like know. Barley even recognized you or Kel when I first saw the both of you.” 

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Kel? Not so much. He still looks like the same dumb Kel to me.” 

Sunny fiddled with his fingers, “Yeah, but you have to admit that after four years it’d be a little hard-”

“Nope. Nuh-uh. He’s exactly the same. His happy-go-lucky attitude, his stupid haircut, his dumb smile, it’s exactly the same.”

“Is that why you’re so mad at him?” Aubrey’s smug look quickly faded as she looked at him with a puzzled face. “Huh?”

“Everyone around you–we all changed in some way. Whether that be physically or personality-wise, so that prompted you to want to change yourself as well. When Kel stayed pretty much the same… You got mad at him, did you not?” Sunny asked. 

“W-What are you talking about-”

“When Kel seemed to not change after Mari’s death, it upset you because you had already gone through the effort of changing yourself, just like everybody else did. You expected him to as well, but he was able to maintain his well… usual Kel personality and attitude. You’re jealous of his ability to stay the same.” Sunny said, not realizing that he’s over-analyzing the situation. It’s kind of a habit, being a listener and observer, and then analyzing a whole situation out in his head. 

Though, he never had the tendency to say these thoughts aloud. When he realized what words had come out of his mouth, he shook his head, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No you’re right.” She interrupted, scratching the back of her head. “You’re right, I’m just… I’m a big coward.” She admitted. 

“That’s not what I was getting at.” Sunny denied. 

“Yeah, but it’s what I am. I hate change, but seeing everyone around me leave made me think I had to. Seeing Kel get over it and make new friends so quickly pissed me off, and I guess those feelings never changed.” She said. 

“Of course things were going to be different, I knew that, but I didn’t know things were going to be that different. I thought we could stick together; up until you guys confessed the truth.” 

Sunny nodded, “Well, I-I’m here now.” He said. 

Aubrey punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Yeah you are, only when Kel managed to pry ya outta your house.” 

“You know, I’m sure there’s more to Kel than we know. He’s been acting strangely recently and I’m kind of worried about him.” 

Aubrey cracked her knuckles, “I’ll pry it outta him somehow, we’ve all got our cracking points.” She joked, but her mood seemed to drop a little. A sigh escaped from her lips, “Can I be honest with you, Sunny?” 

He nodded as she proceeded to lean towards him, “Like super honest? Like I haven’t told anyone this yet.” She asked. Sunny hesitantly nodded again as she backed away. 

“Why I’m here; you’re probably still curious, huh?” She nervously twirled hair around her finger. “I haven’t been… doing too well at home lately.” She said, which wasn’t shocking. Her mother had always been neglectful and mean spirited, and even more so when her dad left. 

“Something… happened. God this is so hard to say!” She said pulling hair in front of her face. 

Sunny leaned back in his spot, propping himself up with his hands. “It can’t be that bad.” 

Aubrey mumbled something from underneath her hair.

“What? I didn’t hear you.”

“I said I mmhmmhm…” 

Sunny stretched a leg out and nudged her with his foot. “What?” 

She jumped in her spot, looking at him disgusted, “Hey asshole! Get your feet away from me, gross!” 

Sunny giggled, pulling his leg back to himself, he’s glad to see her in a better mood and acting like her normal self again. Aubrey breathed in and out deeply, pulling her hair out of her face and smoothing it behind her. 

“I like girls.” She finally spoke up. 

Sunny’s eyebrows raised, “Huh?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I like girls. I’m a lesbian.” 

“Are you serious?”

“Why would I joke about something like that? Do you have a problem with it?” She accused. 

Sunny eagerly shook his head. “N-No I don’t! I just… didn’t expect you to say that.” 

“Yeah well… I’ve never said it aloud before.” She confessed. Sunny titled his head to the side. “Well… that’s fine. I don’t care.”

“Y-You don’t?” Aubrey perked up, causing Sunny to laugh while shaking his head. “N-No.” He reassured. 

“One of my new school friends is a lesbian, maybe you guys should talk.” He suggested. 

Aubrey looked at him with a twitching eye and jutted chin, “I have a girlfriend already! Just because we share a sexuality doesn’t mean we’ll get along, and knowing your brooding ass, she probably wouldn’t be my type anyway.” She lipped. 

“Ouch…” He said, pulling a pillow towards him. It looks as if she’d punch him any minute now. 

“Wait, did you say you already have a girlfriend?” 

Aubrey flushed, “You-”

“Oh no no, now I gotta know who it is!” Aubrey‘s shoulders slumped and she anxiously tapped her hands against her knees. 

“Well, K-Kim and I are… we’ve been… seeing each other recently. She’s my girlfriend, and has been for a few months.” She said, grinning. “I came home the other day and my mom was angry with me, not an uncommon thing, but she was accusing me of kissing Kim. Which, technically she isn’t wrong, but we’ve never done it in front of other people! So how could she know?” Her expression dropped into an angry glare as she recollected her thoughts. 

“What’s the big deal? Why is she so mad at you about that?” Sunny asked, knowing full well the reason, but still wanted to clarify. 

As expected, Aubrey gave him a death stare, “Are you stupid, Sunny? My mom’s homophobic, of course she’s gonna be mad at me for that! I tried denying it but somehow she’s set on herself knowing about us.” 

“Right… So what're you going to do?”

“Dunno… Deal with it I guess.” Aubrey reckoned. 

Sunny doesn’t like how down this conversation has gotten her, so he decided to diverge the topic a little big, “So, how is she?”

“Kimmy? She’s real great…” Her eyes softened. 

“I know she’s a little hard headed when you first get to know her, but when we started–you know… dating, she became a lot more softer. I think.” Aubrey combed through her pink hair and blushed, “I think one of my favorite things about her is her massive sweet tooth.” she said. 

“But I wish she’d stop getting fucking banned from that damn candy shop!” Her cheeks puffed out in annoyance and eyebrows furrowed.

“She’s always saying–Aubs, I got banned again! Aubrey, can you go get me some candy, I can’t go back for another week–like that’s not my fault woman! Candice just needs to ban her forever at this point! I can’t keep dealing with her temporary bans.”

Sunny smiled smugly, “Aubs? Kimmy?” he teased. 

Aubrey's face reddened and she started hitting Sunny lightly in embarrassment. “Sh-Shush! Shut up! I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this, I’m supposed to be angry at you right now!” He giggled furiously that it started to hurt his stomach, he grabbed at it in pain. 

Aubrey paused and propped herself up by leaning her hands back, “You know, I missed this. Talking to you and having fun together. I’m still pissed at you though, so don’t get too comfortable.” she sighed a relieved sigh. 

“Trust me, I won’t.”

“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, s’with the patch?” Aubrey asked, pulling at the strap of his eyepatch. “Isn’t it healed already?” 

Sunny shooed her hand away, covering it insecurely. “I-I just wear it when there’s other people around.” 

She pulled her hands to her side, “So you’re saying if I weren’t here, right now, it would be off?” she verified. 

“Uh- yeah? I guess so…” 

Aubrey smiled a smug smile, which Sunny knew had malicious intent in it. “Take it off.”

“Wh-What?!? Why?” 

“I’m not a pussy, I wanna see it.” She said, trying to pry Sunny’s arms away from his face. 

“Come ooooon. Let me see it! Let me see it!” Aubrey chanted. 

“O-Okay! Give me a second…” Sunny caved, and peeled the carefully stitched eyepatch Basil had given him off his face. 

He didn’t like to think about it too hard, but when Basil stabbed him in the eye, it left the hospital with no choice but to completely remove his right eyeball, leaving only the eye socket. It felt weird and took some time getting used to. In the mornings he’d rub at his eyes completely forgetting he was void of one, and the gross feeling of his eyelid flipping inward would send chills up his body and cause him to physically repulse, but he got a feel for it, and still is. 

“Well would you look at that.” Aubrey said, tracing the scar on his face with her finger. “Lil old Basie sure did a number on ya, huh?” 

Sunny chuckled awkwardly, “If you think that’s cool, take a look at this.” Sunny took two fingers and forcefully opened the empty eye socket open, showing the inside and flesh to the other. 

Aubrey stuck her tongue out in disgust, “Ew! That’s fuckin’ disgusting.”

“You were the one who said you weren’t a pussy.” He poked, shoving his face in front of Aubrey’s every time she’d peak out between her fingers. When he finally stopped, she lowered her hands from her face, “So can you like, I dunno, put a finger in it?” 

“That’s gross Aubrey, and no! I don’t wanna get an infection.” 

Aubrey pursed her lips and crossed her arms, “That’s so lame.” 

“You try getting your eye stabbed out and then touch the inside.”

“Okay, maybe I will.” The two laughed simultaneously. Although things are good for now, Sunny knows that there’s still a long way to go before she’ll forgive him, but he’s willing to wait and bear every single second if every moment they share can be like this again.

~

“You can’t just leave like that Aubrey…”

“I know, I’ll tell you next time.”

“Will you?” Kim asked, wrapping her arms around Aubrey’s waist. 

“Yes! God, you're so needy.” She said, laughing lightly while cupping Kim’s face with both hands. 

“I just wanna know if my girlfriend’s okay…” She said with sad eyes. Aubrey lowered Kim's head to kiss her forehead, and then lifted it back up by her chin.

“I’m okay now, I promise. And if I’m not, I’ll tell you.” 

Kim nuzzled her face into Aubrey’s shoulder and sighed, “I-I just worry about you Aubs.” 

“I know…” She said, rubbing her back comfortingly. After a while of the two being in each other's arms, Aubrey spotted a particular blond pass by. 

“Hey Kimmy, I’ll be back, I need to go talk to someone.” She said, backing away. She slowly let go of the others hand, watching her face soften and look up at her. 

“Okay, I’ll be waiting…” Her tone was soft-spoken and enamored. She crossed her arms and leaned herself against the brick wall of the school building. 

Sometimes after school the two would meet up behind the building just to talk. They’d usually talk about things they weren’t comfortable letting their other friends know, but it was mostly just the shared affection and mutual pining that ensued between the two. Not many people wandered around the back after school, so it was the perfect place and time for them to meet up at.

This particular Monday however, Aubrey was wondering what business Basil had back here. She quickly caught up, putting her hand on his shoulder to catch his attention and turn him around. 

His eyes widened, “A-Aubrey? W-What-” He stuttered out before dropping the books and papers in his hands. He bent down, gathering all his stuff together, Aubrey followed, helping him. “I-I’m sorry… I’ll get out of y-your way-” 

“No, stay. I wanna talk.” Aubrey insisted instead. Basil wobbly picked himself back up as she gathered the rest of his things, placing it in his shaky hands. 

“O-Okay…” He said. Aubrey observed his nervous blue eyes that darted between her and the ground before speaking, she took in a sharp breath.

“First of all I wanna start by saying that I’m still mad at you and Sunny, but I’m trying to be more… reasonable.” She explained. 

“Basil, I saw you as a brother, so when I found out what you did to someone I saw as a sister, I felt betrayed.” She knitted her eyebrows together, sighing as she shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. “If I were in your situation, I would’ve beat Sunny’s fucking ass, but I get that you just… wanted to protect him.” She said. 

Basil lowered his head, nodding slightly.  “I-I’m sorry.” He said. 

“I know.” She acknowledged, “I know how sorry the both of you are.” 

Aubrey swung slightly in her place, “And you know what sucks? I still can’t see you as anything else but a brother to me… we were always the two kids stuck without a sibling, and you were always there for me when I had nobody else.” 

“Aubrey I-”

“I just need a little more time, okay? Basil, please don’t disappear out of my life again.” She asked desperately of him. 

Basil tucked some hair behind his ear, giving a half-hearted smile. “I-I won’t.” 

Aubrey leaned forward to give him a gentle and reassuring pat on the arm, unlike many other times she approached he did not flinch. “I’ll catch you later, nerd.” 

“Haha… B-Bye, Aubrey.” He waved her goodbye as she turned her back to him, making her way back to her girlfriend. 

When she approached, Kim slammed her flip phone down and held out a hand, “Ready to go?” she asked. Aubrey nodded, taking and squeezing Kim’s warm and slightly smaller hand in her own. 

The couple started their path on their way home through the cold autumn wind, and clouds that looked far too heavy in the sky surrounded their every step. It was probably going to rain soon, Aubrey assumed. She never watched TV, due to her mom hogging it all the time, but based on how it smelt and how it’s progressively gotten darker within the past few days, it was the obvious thing to assume. 

“By the way, when’d you get those joggers? Every time I tell you to get yourself some pants you say no.” Kim asked, pointing below Aubrey's waist. 

“An old friend gave them to me.” Kim smiled, bringing Aubrey’s hand up to her face to kiss the back of it. “I’m glad. As much as I like looking at your legs, it’s getting cold outside, Aubs.” She teased, causing Aubrey to blush. 

“K-Kim.” She stammered, hiding her smile behind her sleeve. Kim perked up, “By the way, I got banned from the candy store again. Think you stop by for me real quick?”

“Wow, did you intend to butter me up just to use me again?” Aubrey bantered, not receiving the reaction from Kim she expected. Instead, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face towards her with a stern look. Both of her hands rose to Aubrey's face, and before she knew it, her lips were on her own. 

Sure, they’ve kissed multiple times, but never this openly before. It’s always been in some private, secluded area, but for the time being on this fine fall day, Aubrey didn’t care. She didn’t care if anyone saw them anymore, so she tenderly kissed her back before pulling away. Kim pushed her bangs out of her face so she could get a better look at her, “I love you, you stupid.” She said, 

“And I was going to tell you to treat yourself to those watermelon flavored Warheads you love so much…” the corners of her mouth uplifted into a small, sad smile. Aubrey looked back at her feeling a little dazed, “I was only joking Kim…”

“D-Don’t joke about something like that…” Kim pulled her in for a tight hug, “It makes me sad…” She whispered in her ear. 

Aubrey chuckled and hugged her back, “If it makes you sad, then I won’t.” She promised.

Chapter Text

Sunny lay unmoving and unspoken in his bed as he listened to the morning birds sing their usual song. A knock resonated from outside his door. “Sunny?” Somebody called for him again. He couldn’t be imagining it all again, could he? 

“Sunny… I’m worried about you.” Somebody called out in a desperate attempt to get him to speak; say anything. Do anything other than lay still like a rock on a hot summer day. 

“Sunny.” They said more sternly. “You haven’t gone to school at all this week. You can’t keep skipping.” 

School? Who cares about school? This week marked the day of the tragedy that befell on the Suzuki family all those years ago, “Sunny, I will make you come out. You have a therapy appointment today.” a tragedy that Sunny had yet to get over. 

The voice sighed, “Just… get some sleep, and eat well while I’m gone. I’ll force this door down if I have to.” 

The voice, the somebody, faded into the void of Sunny’s mind, and the faint slamming of a door could be heard not too long after. 

Sunny shifted in his spot, now laying on his side, and let out a big sigh–he’d stayed up all night crying again. He couldn’t help himself knowing what anniversary was approaching him. In the past, he never allowed himself to cry. 

Actually, he could recall only burying himself deeper and deeper into Headspace, not eating or drinking barely anything, but he could no longer do that now that Headspace was destroyed, and could no longer ignore the begging of his desperate mother outside of his door because this time, there truly was no escape from her–from anything. 

Sunny sat up in his bed with a vacant look in his eye. Ah, of course. It could be his mother and only his mother calling for him, he remembers. There’s no one else left for him here. 

He started pondering on if he should avoid coming out of his room for most of the day like he had been, but a loud rumbling from his stomach protested against that. It will not be the case, this time at least. He stood up, and wobbly pulled himself together after he realized he probably shouldn’t have done it so fast. 

The blotches surrounding his vision reminded him that he hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning, being too busy sulking and all. When he opened his door the fluffy sight that was Lily greeted him happily, wrapping around his legs and nudging his hand for a pet on the head. Sunny complied, feeling bad that she’d probably been waiting for him outside his door all this time. 

That’s right, I have responsibilities now, he thought. 

Before he made himself something to eat, he poured Lily something to eat and drink, and cleaned out her litter box, a routine he’d surprisingly gotten used to after the coming days. After that, he finally made himself a bowl of cereal after what felt like days of not eating. 

Rinse, cycle, repeat. He doesn’t think he can stand being locked up in his room anymore. Without a way of mildly entertaining himself everything felt boring. Everything looked boring. Everything was boring, and he couldn’t force himself to sleep anymore.

He was being stubborn, yeah. It would do him some good to go out, get some sun and socialization, and maybe it would’ve made him even feel a bit better, but every morning he woke up to the impending doom that didn’t allow him to peel himself away from his bed. 

All week he’d been doing things to keep himself busy and unable to think about it that hard, but avoiding it would only continue to make it worse. So admittedly, yes, in a couple of days it will be the anniversary of Mari’s death, but what can he do to make himself feel better about it?

Sunny looked up at himself in the mirror as he brushed the gross sugary feeling off of teeth. Well, as well as he could. His bangs were covering a lot of his view since he hasn’t had a trim in a while. As he set down his toothbrush, a thought crossed his mind. 

Why doesn’t he just trim it himself?  

He searched through the drawers, still debating on whether this was still a good idea or not. People do it all the time, right? Kel had a phase where he wouldn’t let anybody but himself touch and trim his hair, granted he wasn’t very good at it, but he was a kid. And Sunny’s mother used to trim their hair for them when they were younger, so it couldn’t be that hard, surely. 

After a frantic search of the drawers, he finally found the hair trimmers and carefully lifted them to his face. This is definitely what he needed right now–a change of pace.

He steadily started trimming his bangs to where he could properly see, and then hesitantly decided to trim the long side of his hair, making his ears more visible. Sunny made sure to do that technique where you hold the scissors vertically and cut like all the hairstylists do, wondering if he should cut off the slightly wavy and long parts of his hair in the back. 

He thought on it; if he did his hair would probably fall flat and look how it did when he was younger, so he decided to keep it there–giving him a slight and subtle mullet. When he decided he was done, he observed himself closely in the mirror, it’d probably look better if he showered for the first time in days.

He quickly cleaned himself up in the shower and dried off, pulling out the hair dryer for a faster fix. The hot air blowing out made him automatically close his eye so it wouldn’t dry out and give him that gross feeling that hit him afterward, occasionally opening it to comb through his hair. 

On his last attempt to completely dry it, he opened his eye expecting to see the same old normal bathroom he’s become accustomed to, but instead opened it to see the apparition of his own dead sister. 

His eyes widened in terror, “Aww, look at you! My little brother is growing up so fast!” she said, smiling and placing her hands on his shoulders. 

“You’re even older than me now, Sunny!” Sunny forced his eye to close again and shook his scattered brain to fix whatever had just broken in the depths of his mind, because he refused to face what he was seeing and hearing any longer. 

Hallucinations could sure be a bother... 

You’re even older than me now. Those words hurt to hear in what he thinks to be his brain’s attempt to cheer him up. Thanks a lot, Omori, this is surely his doing.

He finally looked back in the mirror, Mari no longer appearing behind him, and inspected his hair. A rare satisfied Sunny-smile appeared across his face. He looks different, but not too different, and another plus was that he could finally see. His gray eye stared back at him, the same ones that flashed with immense fear when he pushed Mari down the stairs. 

The days leading up to the recital, Sunny recalls the tired and constant intense look in Mari’s eyes when she would stomp around the house, anxious and irritated. He remembers the constant stress of her college classes weighing her down, even when their mother tried to chip in and help, most of the things she had to do were way beyond her skill level. 

That’s why she had to prove herself, prove that she was worth something at this recital. Because if she was doing no good in school, she could at least provide everyone with a sense of self with her beautifully played melodies, and with her favorite person no less. As the days went by however, she became more and more serious about it, no longer using it as an escape from work, but rather putting it in the same category. 

That’s why she snapped; that’s why she finally broke when Sunny pulled the final straw. He was selfish, that’s all it was. He didn’t listen to her when she was weeping about all of the work she put in for the two, and he didn’t listen when she admitted that she was struggling, because she was Mari–his big sister. She was supposed to be the perfect precedent of a person. 

He frowned, regretting every moment that he spent seeing her as only an example of what he should be trying to be like himself, and decided that he should get some rest for the time being.

…

“Sunny, I’m home!” Sunny was put out of the zone when his mother’s voice rang throughout the silent apartment that he’d been basking in. 

For the past few hours it had been nothing but him and the scribbling sound of his pencil as he worked on some art, not for school but in his own free time. He’s been struggling on a sketch he plans on painting in the future, but he can’t do that if he can’t even finish just a simple sketch. An uncomfortable frustration waved throughout his entire body, and it only worsened as time went on. 

A soft knock at the door sounded, “Sunny?” and then it opened, revealing his tired and worry-stricken mother. Her face immediately softened, “Oh my- Sunny!” She pulled him in a frenzied and relieved hug, but immediately pulled away to hold his face in her hands, her eyes shook with anticipation. 

“You-” She cut herself off in surprise, taking a look at his hair, “You cut your hair?” she noted. “When-When did you do that?” 

Sunny scratched the nape of his neck, “T-This morning.” He mumbled under his breath, now realized he quite literally hasn’t seen his mother in a few days, so she couldn’t have known when he did it. She stroked the back of his hair, like she still couldn’t believe that he was right here, in front of her eyes. 

“We’ve got to go to your appointment, are you going to be okay?” Sunny nodded, readying himself for the bright outside world again.

The car was still dangerously running when she managed to get him outside, like she wasn’t worried about someone just jumping in and taking the car, but she must be in a rush because she never took the car to work unless Sunny had therapy. “Sunshine…” She cut through the thick silence that fell over them when they had entered the car and drove off. 

“I’ve… I’ve heard you crying–at night. I-I know this week is tough for you, so let me know if there’s anything I can do for you…” Even though she sounded genuine, it felt like her words were just empty promises. This week is equally as hard for her as it is for him, surely it’d be best if they stay silent on the subject for now, right?

On that hand, that’s another reason why Sunny had decided to lock himself up in his room all week. As soon as October hit, he could see the life slowly fade from his mother's eyes as it approached closer and closer to Mari's death date. He couldn’t stand seeing her pretend that she was okay anymore, like she didn’t hold some kind of oppugnant feeling towards him.

They arrived to the familiar hospital smelling building, checking in as they normally did, but when Sunny was called in, Ms. Paige paused for a moment to look down at her clipboard, “Ms. Suzuki, I’d like you to join us for a moment.” she said. Sunny felt his heart drop, she isn’t going to try to make this a family therapy situation, was she? 

The two awkwardly sat down next to each other on the couch, awaiting Ms. Paige to finish chatting with another employee. 

“-Okay. Yes, thank you very much.” She sat down in her rolly chair, straightening up the papers in her hands and then proceeding to clip them on her clipboard. “Alright.” She started, adjusting her reading glasses. 

“Ms. Suzuki, Sunny, something has come to my attention regarding his condition that I can not ignore.” 

His mother nervously folded her hands on her lap and smiled. “I-Is everything okay?”

“Oh everything’s fine, I’d just like to recommend something, let’s see…” Her eyes were drawn to the multiple papers on her desk, and drooped in dread when she realized how much of a mess it was. 

“I’m sorry, let me explain while I sort through these.” Sunny tapped on his knees anxiously, not anticipating this. 

“I believe Sunny needs a psychological screening, I have a few local psychologists numbers on this list I made; that is if I can find it.” 

“I-Is there any reason in particular on why?” His mother asked, a bit confused. They both thought it was set that Sunny was fully evaluated. 

“Aha-! Here we are.” Ms. Paige snatched a paper and placed it in her hands, pointing to the different psychologists' names and numbers. “I’ve noticed some repeating patterns in your behavior, Sunny. And I believe it may be due to you possibly being autistic.” 

His mother gripped the paper out of suspicion, “A-Autistic? Are you sure?” she asked. Ms. Paige laughed lightly, “Well if I was sure, I would’ve majored in psychology, but I’m really not. I’m just saying it’s a high possibility.” 

Autistic? Sunny didn’t really know what that was, other than that it was a development disorder. 

“Can I ask what prompted you into believing this?” His mother respectfully asked. The blonde woman tapped her pen against her clipboard in concentration, “Before I list my reasons, can I ask if you remember at what age Sunny said his first word?” 

“I believe around when he was two, ma’am. Sunny had a harder time reading aloud and speaking when he was younger, his father just kept on insisting that he was a shy speaker…” 

Sunny remembers the constant reminder that his first word ever spoken was boy after Mari had showed him a few Captain Spaceboy comics. Of course he doesn’t remember any of this, but apparently she was so excited that she started reading to him more.

“I-I know I probably should’ve gotten it checked out more, but his father was a doctor, so I guess I just trusted his word.” She specified, and started to slowly rub at her temples. 

“I see…” Ms. Paige wrote something down, “Well, one obvious thing that stood out to me is Sunny’s inability to make friends easily and his awkwardness in social situations.” She began.

“Not only that, but it appears that he has a hard time reading the room and telling what other people are feeling, causing him to automatically assume the worst of the worst when it comes to his or others feelings and/or reactions.” 

Sunny blushed out of embarrassment, and averted his gaze down when he caught his mother glancing between him and his therapist. 

“That brings me to another thing, which is that a lot of autistic people are very passionate about certain things and repeatedly like to talk about them, which Sunny does a lot with the-what are they called? Ah! Yes… Captain Spaceboy comics.” She said, giving them both a humored look, “Even in the middle of his own therapy appointments.” she jested. 

Sunny squeezed his knees with his hands and kicked his legs back and forth. 

“Sunny, don’t kick the couch with the back of your feet like that.” His mother scolded, laying a hand on his legs. 

“That’s okay, Ms. Suzuki. Are you feeling understimulated, Sunny?” She asked, Sunny nodded in reply. 

The honey-eyed woman opened her desk drawer and pulled out one of the many fidget toys she had in there. This time, she handed him a snap and clip snake, one of his favorites. 

“You see, Ms. Suzuki, Sunny does certain things to help stimulate and calm him down. This can range from scratching the head, flapping the hands, rocking back and forth, to headbanging, hitting oneself, and chewing on the nails and/or cuticles.” She explained. 

“As long as they aren’t hurting him, these behaviors can help him feel calmer and may even help his attention span at some times.” 

He watched as his mother nodded in understanding, her face turned a little sad, “I’m sorry Sunny, I had no idea that’s why you did that.” She atoned, rubbing his shoulder. 

Sunny glanced up from his fidget toy and nodded, like he was telling her that it’s okay. For the longest time, he didn’t know why he behaved like this either, he never necessarily got bullied for it, but he could tell kids of his age were always very hesitant to talk to him, some even seeming straight up terrified of his demeanor. 

“Getting a screening would be necessary to confirm my suspicion, but I think it’s a very likely possibility.” She concluded, straightening up the papers in her hand again. “That will be all Ms. Suzuki, thank you, and please consider getting this checked out.” Sunny’s mother nodded, and was excused from the room. 

Ms. Paige waited a minute before striking up a conversation again, “It is to my understanding that this week is a tough week for you, Sunny. Would you like to talk about it?” She asked. Sunny’s eyes lidded with sadness and eyebrows lowered, he shook his head no. 

“Okay, how about we relax for a bit and color?” She said, sitting beside him on the couch and pulling out a few coloring pages. Sometimes she would have sessions where Sunny was allowed to let out his inner child since a lot of his early tweenhood was spent inside of his head. 

He looks forward to these kinds of days, it doesn't feel as pressuring to be in the same room as someone who's supposed to evaluate your every move when they’re just relaxing and not saying a word to each other. Eyes lighting up with excitement, Sunny grabbed a random page eager to get at it and smiled, she smiled back.

They could always talk about it another day.

…

Therapy was long over, and now Sunny sat unknowing what to do on the couch. 

“Yes. Are there any openings available? Next January? That’s fine.” His mother was on the phone after she’d called a few of the other psychologists. Most of them were booked up until the summer, and they were both quite eager to get it over with and get a diagnosis. 

“Sunny Suzuki, recommended by his therapist Paige Petinon.” Sunny whipped his head up at the mention of his name, did she finally find an opening? 

“Thank you, I will see you then.” She put the receiver back on the phone jack, “Well Sunny, I set up an appointment for the screening, but it won’t be until January.” she said, dialing another number. 

“Someone else tried calling, I’ll be another minute.”

She picked up the receiver again, listening to the loud ringing of the phone. The ringing suddenly cut off, and Sunny could not tell who it was that answered. 

His mothers eyes raised and glanced over to him, “Oh! Hello there, did you need something dear?” A pause. Sunny stuck his tongue out at her for avoiding saying a name. 

She smiled smugly, “That sounds like a lovely idea, I’ll let him know.” she said. 

“Okay, bye bye, Basil.” The mention of the blond’s name made Sunny stiffen and sit up straight in his seat, he became nervous when she placed the receiver down for about the fifth time and finally sat down next to him. 

“Basil called…?” He questioned quietly. She nodded, “Yes, he suggested we come down to visit Mari’s grave with him. But you can change your mind about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to visit it with him.” He was certain this is something he wasn’t going to back down from, they hadn’t visited it together since… well since her funeral. 

A smile came across her face, “I’m glad.” she said, pulling him in for one last hug. “Everything will be okay.”

~

Everything was not okay, or maybe he was just being dramatic, because Sunny has no idea what he’s supposed to wear on this kind of occasion. 

Firstly, he was meeting up with someone he basically committed a crime with–the person that suggested under extreme stress that they hanged his sister. And now, those same two people would be visiting her grave together for the first time in years, what audacity they had. But it’d also be wrong to completely avoid visiting it all together, so it wasn’t really a win-win situation either way…

“Sunny! Are you ready to go?” His mother yelled from another room, car keys jiggling shortly after. Sunny looked at himself in his body-length mirror, his hair was brushed back neatly, he was wearing black dress pants, a white long sleeved button-down, along with the typical black vest he wore when he was younger. He didn’t look too morbid did he? 

He exited his room, putting his hands in his pockets and pulled out the specially made hand stitched eyepatch. He put it on as he watched his mother open the front door, getting ready to leave. 

“Oh, there you are.” She said, “My little Sunshine…” her hands grabbed either side of his cheeks and she planted a kiss on his head. 

“This will be good, for the both of you.” She assured.

The ride over, Sunny watched as the sky slowly cleared itself of the previous night's rain clouds and the late morning sun peaked its way through. 

“It’s a pretty day, is it not?” His mother broke the silence. Sunny nodded in agreement–it was just like this that day as well. The leaves were changing into their usual beautiful colors, the soft crisp morning wind blew its usual song throughout the slightly cold autumn air, everything was perfect. 

Or, everything would be perfect if not for the traumatic association he felt on this kind of day. 

Before he knew it, they were pulling up to Basil's house, walking up to the front door, and knocking to let him know they were here. The door opened, revealing the blond, who was also slightly dressed up. He was wearing a dark blue blouse with similar slacks to Sunny, although a lot more flowy and long. 

“H-Hi Sunny, Ms. Suzuki, come in.” He greeted solicitously, smoothing his hands out on his pants. 

“Hello Basil, how’re you doing?” His mother asked as the two entered his place. Basil bit his bottom lip, “I’m doing okay… Thank you for asking.” he turned to Sunny, putting on a pained smile. 

“Hi Sunny… Y-You changed your hair! It looks nice.” He complimented him. 

“Thanks…” Sunny awkwardly accepted the compliment, unaware of the tension that was building up in the other boy's chest. Basil grabbed Sunny’s hand, pulling him along, “Here, b-before we go, I want to show you something.” 

He pulled him to his room, only letting go when he found what he wanted to show him; two flower pots that held lilies of the valley. 

“They’re for her, I thought… I thought she’d appreciate t-them, especially because they’ve grown to be such strong little plants!” He exclaimed happily. 

“I wonder if s-she’d be proud of how far my gardening capabilities have come…” He said a bit more solemnly, stroking the leaves of the eye entrancing flower. Sunny watched as the bulbs bounced up and down at his contact.

“I j-just want to move past this already… N-Not that I’m saying we should completely forget about it, we saw how that went last time…” He mumbled the last part under his breath, “I’m just tired of d-dealing with this alone, Sunny.” 

Sunny watched Basil's chest uneveningly rise and fall, as if he'd been itching to tell him this all this time. 

“You won’t leave me again, w-will you Sunny?” He asked, finally turning his head in Sunny's direction. His eyes were teared up, so Sunny automatically went to pull the delicate blond in for a tender hug, “I’ll always be here for you now, Basil. I’ll never leave you again–that was my first mistake.” he said. 

“Also,” The two pulled apart as he continued, “Mari would absolutely be proud of how far you’d come. Especially after having to deal with her dumb little brother.” 

Basil giggled, shaking his head and wiping away a few stray tears, “You’re not dumb.”

“I am a little bit.” Sunny said, pinching two fingers for scale. 

“But that’s not the point. I-I’m tired of dealing with this alone too, so until the day that the universe separates us comes, Basil Fey, I’ll always be by your side.” He assured him. 

Basil leaned forward, reaching for his side bangs to twirl between his fingers sheepishly. “Haha… I’m s-so happy to hear that.” He said. 

“H-Here–can you help me carry these?” Basil asked, carefully lifting up one of the pots, and placing it into Sunny’s hands, “Careful, it’s heavy.” letting go proved that to be correct. Sunny’s glad he braced himself beforehand.

“Sorry, I put r-rocks at the bottom so they wouldn’t get knocked over. I-I know there’s not very strong winds here in Faraway, but I wanted t-to be extra cautious for Mari’s sake.”

“It’s no problem.” Sunny lied, not wanting to seem like a weakling–he really should start gaining muscle. Seeing Basil pick them up so easily made him a little envious, since when did he become so strong? With this newfound strength, Sunny hopes that he uses it for other things, like standing up for himself when need be. 

“Are you sure? Y-You look like you’re struggling”

“I-I’m fine it's just… this shirt! It’s really tight…” 

Basil looked him up and down before giving him a satisfied smile. “If you say so.” 

Sunny’s mom was absolutely adoring of the flowers, praising Basil’s effort that went into caring for them. 

“I-It’s really nothing. T-These are beginner flowers, a baby could take care of them…” 

“Nonsense! Not as well as you can, Basil. They’re so pretty and full of life, how do you do it?” 

Basil blushed, “W-Well, lots of practice. Lilies of the valley are very unique plants–they’re one of the very few flowers that can actually grow under trees, which most can’t do because of the shade. They also need a moist environment, so watering and checking the soil daily is very important!” He explained, “S-Sorry, I went off on one of my rambles again...” he apologized. 

Shaking her head, “It’s okay dear, I work at a flower shop now. This could be very vital information for me to know.” she informed him of her recent employment. Well, more like not-so-recent employment. 

“Oh, that’s g-great Ms. Suzuki!” 

“Basil, you may call me Maria, we’ve known each other for well long enough.”

“O-Okay… Ms. Maria.” She giggled at the boy's politeness, as did Sunny. They shared a knowing glance; Basil’s always had a hard time breaking formalities. Hell, if they hadn’t introduced Hero by his nickname, he’d probably still be calling him Henry. He was so shocked when he found out his first name wasn’t actually Hero–what kind of parent would willingly call their son Hero?  He can’t really blame him though, nobody told him otherwise. 

The three finally arrived at the graveyard behind the church, meaning Sunny could finally be relieved of heaving the heavy flower pot around. 

“Careful lowering it down, Sunny.” Basil warned as they approached and set the two pots down next to Mari’s grave. He looked up at the inscription, ‘Our Dearest Mari – The sun shined brighter when she was here.’ it’s exactly the same as it was, although slightly more faded then when it was first grounded. 

Sunny awkwardly scooted over to where Basil was standing, gesturing his hand out when he saw how fidgety he was being now that he was no longer carrying the flower pot. Basil hesitantly accepted, giving him a nervous smile. Rubbing a thumb against his hand comfortingly, Sunny leaned in to whisper, “My mom’s going to have a lot to say.” 

She kneeled on her knees in front of her grave, putting her hands together in her lap. “Well Mari, it’s been another year. Maybe even the best year since your passing.” 

Sunny felt his mother’s hands pull him forward and out of Basil’s hand. Sorry, he mouthed to him as he also kneeled down beside her. 

“Because Sunshine’s here now! And he’s been much better now, haven’t you Sunny?” She said, wrapping her arm around Sunny lovingly and pinching his cheek.

Sunny groaned, “Y-Yeah…” he said. It felt weird speaking out loud like this because it feels like he’s talking to no one, though he knows he shouldn’t be thinking like that. There’s nobody else around to judge him, “I miss you, Mari–I’ll never stop missing you.” He started.

“I hope that even during the midst of the argument we had all those years ago… I hope you know that I love you, and I never stopped loving you. I’m sorry for never visiting…” Sunny’s voice wavered, vision becoming blurry.

His mothers hand easily patted his shoulder, “She knows honey. She knows…” she said without a doubt, “Because if she didn’t, the universe wouldn’t have brought us all back together again.” She glanced over her shoulder, pointing a finger at Basil to gesture him over. “Why don’t you join us?” 

Basil shook his hands in front of him, “A-Are you sure? I don’t want to ruin a nice family moment.” 

“You’re family too, dear.” She said, pulling a shy grin from him. 

“O-Okay.” He acquiesced. He too kneeled on the other side of her, thinking for a moment to decide on what he wanted to say. 

“H-Hi Mari… It’s been a while since I last came. I hope you don’t h-hate me for what I did…” He lowered his head, folding his hands together. 

“I’m in constant h-horror at what I did to protect Sunny, I-I hate that it came to that. B-But in a way, I guess I was mirroring something I wanted to do to my-myself, I’m so sorry…” Sunny saw a tear fall from his face and into his lap. 

“I never had a family. A-At times I was envious at how p-perfect you and Sunny had it, but I was wrong, wasn’t I?” Basil covered his face with hands to prevent any more from falling. “I-I just want you back…” He choked out, finally allowing himself to cry.

His body shook with each sob, and only began to calm when Sunny’s mother sympathetic rubbed his back–the same way Mari would, and the same way Sunny did in the hospital to relieve him of his stress. 

“Shhh, it’s okay Basil. We’re your family now…”

“I f-feel like I’m not de-deserving of that…” He was starting to sound like Aubrey from previous weeks prior, Sunny noticed. It must be hard growing up with absent parents for most of your life… Not that Sunny was any different, with his father being gone from the picture and all, but it was nothing compared to what Basil had to go through, nor was it to Aubrey’s. 

Sunny felt himself getting even more emotional, “B-Basil, I hate hearing you say that, and Mari would too…” he said. His mother nodded in agreement, “Nobody is born into a situation where they earn a family, Basil. It should be something they already have.” she said. 

“Whether you think you deserve it or not is irrelevant, we will always be your family.”

“Y-You’re too kind Ms. Su–Ms. Maria.” He quickly corrected himself. 

“I’m not too kind, I’m a mother.” 

Being too kind doesn’t exist–well, in most circumstances, Sunny thought. In this cruel world of despair, the best thing one can do is be kind, that’s what Sunny thinks. 

“Tell her about yourself recently.” His mother suggested when Basil managed to pull himself back together, like he was making regular small talk with a living moving person. 

“L-Like what?” Sunny asked.

“Like anything.” She said in an obvious tone of voice. A lightbulb went off in Sunny’s head, “Oh, I joined the orchestra, Mari. It’s nice–I’ve learned a lot then by just simply messing around with my violin.” He said. 

“You would’ve loved it… The teachers are really cool, and everybody’s really nice.” 

“Oh, you s-should play a tune on your violin for her n-next time we visit, Sunny.” Basil proposed, clapping his hands together. Really, he was just finding an excuse to listen to him play. Basil always loved listening to Sunny play his violin, especially when it was just the two of them. 

“I’m no good… but I guess I could try.” He said, rubbing the calluses on his fingers. 

“Don’t say t-that, I’m sure you’re great!”

“Not as good as some of the other ones in my class…” 

A thump on the head made Sunny snap his head up, “Now what do we say about comparing ourselves to others, young man?” his mother asked. 

Sunny rolled his eyes, “To not do it…” he said. She nodded, “Good. Now I’m sure you can find the courage to play your violin for her again someday, hm?” Sunny hummed in agreement, crossing his arms as he already started to think about what song to play. 

Mari’s favorites were waltzes–what is a good violin waltz solo that he could play…? As he was deep in thought, an apparent side-eye came from the older woman when he continued to say nothing more, “What else?”

“What else…?” Sunny repeated after being broken out of his train of thought, and scratched his head. He was unable to think of what he should say. This was supposed to be a peace of mind thing, but he wasn’t really at peace of mind when he was struggling to find the right words. 

“You’ve made new friends..?”

“I guess I have, yeah. All on my own as well…” Sunny relaxed further onto the ground, stroking his fingers across the smooth slate stone of her grave. 

“I always needed you there with me… But Elaine, Mincy… You remember Mincy, don’t you?”

“She remembered everyone's names, even if they didn’t remember hers.” Basil chimed in, gripping the fabric of his pants tightly. 

“That’s w-what made her so special…” His voice wavered with instability, “I th-think I need a breather. P-Please excuse me.” Basil precariously stood up, using his mothers hand as slight support, and rounded the corner of the church. 

“I do feel bad for him…” His mother stated with a small frown, smoothing out the dirt of Mari’s resting place in front of her. “I find it crazy that a parent can so easily let go of their child like that. All he needed was a little support in life, and then maybe things would’ve turned out differently…”

“I was still under the impression that you were still upset at him.” Sunny told her. She shrugged her shoulders. “He makes you happy, and people that make my Sunshine happy make me happy. And it’s not like I can wallow in the despair for much longer. He was twelve and suicidal, now he’s sixteen and depressed. What good would it do me?” 

Her hands gently stroked the base of the lily’s, “And whether he admits it or not, he is a caretaker. His presence always livened up the place when you two were younger, I can tell he cares for you deeply, and cares for Mari too.” She laughed weakly. 

“Yes, I get nervous when he’s around at times, but I can tell he never meant to hurt anybody–he just had a strong desire to hurt himself, and that desire ended up being projected onto Mari, like he said earlier…”

Sunny’s mouth hung open at her surprisingly wise and understanding point of view, “I just want everything to be normal again.” he said. 

An arm wrapped around to pull Sunny in for a side hug, gently, she stroked his long hairs, making him shiver at the ticklish gesture, “I know…” she said. 

“One day, you will wake up and think to yourself that what you’re experiencing is a normal day again. Please do not give up, Sunshine…” She begged of him. 

“You really worried me when you weren’t coming out of your room again.”

“I’m sorry…” He apologized, laying his head on her shoulder. 

A few minutes later, what sounded like a pair of footsteps approached behind them, so Sunny subconsciously turned around to see who it was–a fidgety Basil and Aubrey, who had what most would call an irritable look on her face, but Sunny’s knows now that it’s just her resting face. 

The corners of her lips tugged into a small grin, “Well, it really is you, Sunny. How’re you doing today?” She asked rather uncharacteristically, he could tell that she said it with much uncertainty in her voice. 

Sunny stood up from his place, “I’m fine… As fine as one can be on a day like this.” 

Aubrey nodded, nudging Basil. “I came here to visit her, and ran into Basil on my way here.” She wrapped an arm around Basil's shoulder, lightly shaking him back and forth, 

“It’s been a while since we’ve all seen each other like this, eh?”

“Y-Yeah, l-last time we were together was in the hos-” Dazed, Basil cut himself off with a cough. “Aubrey…” 

Aubrey stopped, not realizing that she hadn’t, and shoved her hands in skirt pockets. She looked nice, Sunny thought. 

She was wearing a black skirt that reached just above the knees, a pink cardigan vest over a black long-sleeved turtleneck, knee-high socks, and slip-on sneakers. It wasn’t totally unusual that she knew how to dress herself all nice and pretty, Sunny can recall her telling Mari that she wanted to be a fashion designer when she was older, and Mari always being supportive. Sunny just wonders if she’s given up on that dream… 

Her eyes followed his mothers as she stood up, “I’m so glad to see you three together and getting along again.” she said, her eyes tearing up in happiness as she pulled the three in for a group hug. Sunny would’ve appreciated it had he been the only one around, but Aubrey giving him a sly glance made him groan in embarrassment. 

“Mom…” He whined. They pulled apart, she grabbed ahold of his face and squished his cheeks to purposely embarrass him even further, “Awww, Sunshine! Am I embarrassing you?”

“Yes…” He mumbled. Basil giggled, prodding a dirty look from Sunny, he hates being babied like this… 

“You three must be hungry, how about I leave the three of you to visit for a bit longer and I’ll pick up a pizza from Gino’s.” She suggested. The trio unanimously agreed, and waited for her to leave to say anything further. 

Aubrey kicked a rock back and forth between her feet, “You two sure are dressed up.” she said.

“So are you.” Sunny said.

“Y-Yeah! You look s-so pretty today, Aubrey.” Basil complimented her, tugging a slight blush from the girl. 

“T-This old thing? It’s nothing much really.” She said, pulling down on the hem of her skirt. 

“He’s right though.” Sunny chimed in. “You always know how to dress so nicely…” 

“Yeah well, I learned it from the best.” She said, squatting down to Mari’s grave and tracing the inscription with her finger. “Augh, sorry. I’m not very good at this kind of stuff. I never know if I should act like I’m okay or totally depressed.”

“Just act like yourself, that’s all we really need.” Sunny said, sitting back down on his knees, the grass was surprisingly soft in this area, unlike the scratchy, itchy kind he was used to. 

“The three of us together again, hm? If you told me that a few months ago I’d be with you two at Mari’s grave I would’ve spat in your face.” She huffed, scooting near Sunny and tugging Basil down with them. 

“Y-Yeah, that s-sounds like you, Aubrey.” Basil said. Aubrey wrapped her arm around his shoulder again, this time giving him a gentle noogie on the head. 

“Heyyy, I’m trying to better myself.”

“Why do both you and Kel do that?” Sunny laughed at the sight, and pointed between the two. 

“Huh?” She immediately let go, curling her lip, “Don’t compare me to that goop, I basically invented the noogie!” a small annoyed heave escaped her lips, and Basil frantically fixed his messed up hair. 

Aubrey sighed into her place, grabbing both Basil’s and Sunny’s hand, “All I wanna do when I see you guys is hate you, but I can’t bring myself to do it.” she confessed, eyes becoming slightly watery. “I… I do hate you guys! Why did she have to go? Wh… Why did she have to die ?” She grieved, hands starting to shake. 

“A-Aubrey…” Basil mumbled sadly.

“You don’t have to explain yourself, I don’t mean that…” She sniffled, tears running down her face. “I’m just mourning.” 

Basil’s own eyes welled with tears, and he raised a hand to brush tears out of her eyes so she could see. Aubrey quietly thanked him, and silence soon transpired between the three of them. Although this was a comfortable silence–he and Basil both laid their tired heads on each of her shoulders after some time, and the grip on each of their hands became looser as she calmed.

She broke the silence, “You know, I pray sometimes. Not to anyone in particular cause ‘hell I’m not too religious. If anyone can hear me though, I hope it’s Mari.” she said, closing her eyes and allowing her hair to blow through the modest cold air. “What about you guys?”

“M-Me? I was never taught about religion when I was younger, so I-I guess I’ve never thought about it.” Basil said. 

Sunny thought for a moment, “My dad used to make us go to church every Sunday, but after Mari’s… passing, we stopped going. I never really developed an opinion about that uh- kind of stuff.” 

Aubrey chuckled, “Looks like we’re all in the same dilemma. Well, whatever God, if there is one, is up there, I hope they gave Mari the biggest piano hall there is.” 

Basil shook his finger, “Mari was graceful, but also humble, I think she would prefer a small and quaint library, with a corner dedicated to her grand piano.” he suggested instead. 

Aubrey turned her head to face Sunny, “What do you think, Sunny?” he lifted his head from her shoulder, “I think… as long as there’s a piano, and as long as she knows we love her, she’ll be happy.” he smiled. 

“Gah, you’re so corny.” She said playfully. 

“R-Really? I think it’s sweet.”

“That’s because you’re into corny things like love stories and classical music.”

“H-Hey! If you give it a try, y-you might actually like those things too!”

“Doubt it.”

“I know something even cheesier than those two things combined…” Sunny joined in, poking Aubrey’s side. 

“Sunny…”

“Aubrey.” He copied her, looking into her threatening eyes. 

“Don’t. You. Dare.” 

“I won’t! I won’t! I swear…” He said in a panic after the grip on his hand became tighter and tighter by the moment; he pulled it away and shook it in pain. He’d never actually out Aubrey for the fun of it, he just wanted to see her reaction to him calling her and Kim cheesy.

Basil leaned forward with a confused expression, “W-What’re you guys talking about? I’m so confused right n-now…” he asked. 

Aubrey waved him off, “You’ll find out soon enough…” she told him. 

Basil pouted, but before he could protest, “Kids, I got Gino’s!” his mother arrived back, holding a pizza box out in front of her as she walked closer. 

“Are you all ready to say goodbye?” She asked. Everyone nodded, paying their respects and saying their goodbyes separately, but Sunny stayed back a little longer than the others.

“I’ll be back again soon, Mari.” His face softened as he gently ran his fingers across the edges of her grave. “I promise.”

Chapter Text

A cold breeze whispered the message of an upcoming winter throughout the small town of Faraway. It wasn’t snowing, no–not quite yet, but if Basil could recall, I’d only be a couple of weeks until the entire town would be blanketed with snow. As he walked down his usual path home from school, he noticed that more and more people had their decorations and lights up to celebrate the upcoming holiday, and it wasn’t quite even December yet.

Holiday–a word that striked happiness and relief into most kids and adults. It’s a time to be with family and friends, have a day off work or a week off school, and with Christmas just around the corner streets and towns were busier than usual. That excitement–that happiness, reached everyone except Basil, who dreaded this frigid time of year. 

The earlier sunrises and sunsets only threw off his entire routine and gardening schedule, which caused him an increasing amount of stress now that he has to readjust. And he didn’t know if something was in the air, but he always got more depressed around this time as well. Maybe it was because of the fact that everything was so dead, and he didn’t have a garden outside to take care of. The gloomy feeling was nearing towards him, and he was already so tired of it. 

The holidays used to be a fun time when he had it to spend with Sunny and his family, and with the passing of his grandma, there wasn’t much left for him to do. Polly has a family, and he didn’t want to intrude on anyone's celebration, so once again he’d be spending it alone and solemn in his room. 

Basil gripped the straps of his bag tightly when another cold wind blew through and caused him to shutter. It sure would be nice to be snuggled up in his bed as of now… Maybe, in his spare time, he could find a new hobby–read more books? 

That reminds him that he still needs to ask Sunny if he’s read the book he suggested to him at the mall; or rather the book Sunny insisted he bought and read instead. He thought it was strange at first, but ultimately decided that he was just trying to find something to talk and get along about together, like they did in the past. A quick phone call today wouldn’t hurt.

Basil rounded the corner of the pavement to his house, but was quickly tugged back on the shoulder by a strong hand. He panicked, thinking it might be someone here to pick on him, but turned around to meet the eyes of Kel, who he knew didn’t realize his own strength sometimes. 

He quickly withdrew his hand, holding it up to eye level when he realized he’d frightened the smaller boy, “Woah! Sorry Basil, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He apologized. 

Basil simply laughed it off, thankful it wasn’t one of those bullies who had a fun time picking on him… 

“Y-You’re okay, Kel. Next time just call for me instead of sneaking up on me p-please.” He requested with an awkward chuckle. Kel didn’t know how much of an increasingly jumpy person he’s become, so he can’t completely blame him. 

He nodded, and scratched the back of his neck, “Yeah. Hey, can I ask you something?” Basil gestured for him to continue, watching as he struggled to maintain eye contact and instead focused on the shuffling and kicking of his feet.

“Man… this is a little embarrassing to ask, but would you want to come to one of my basketball games?” He asked, finally looking up to see Basil's reaction, who smiled warmly at him. 

“Of course! I-I didn’t even know you had started basketball season yet.” He said. Basil guesses the football team this year must’ve been especially awful, not that he keeps up much with sports and knows a lot about them, but he usually knows when something starts and something ends because of the other kids' non-stop chatter.

Kel seemed to perk up a lot, wrapping Basil into a tight hug, “Thanks a lot man! With my parents being too busy to come all the time, it’ll sure be nice to have someone there supporting me. Ooo–and maybe we can go get a bite to eat afterwards and celebrate my upcoming victory-”

“W-Wait, did you say your parents aren’t attending your games?” Basil gasped out in between breaths. He felt like he was being squeezed to death, but he didn’t mind too much. It was a Kel hug after all, the best of all. Well, that is besides… a certain jet-haired boy that is. 

Kel finally let him go, “Oh yeah. They’re busy with work or Sally, I get it! They have more important things they could be doing than coming to my games.” he insisted, voice wandering off a little sadly. Basil could tell it bothered him, but what does he know about parents and their ability to make time for their kids? 

“Ah, but are they not important to you? Surely you think th-they’d make time at least once…”

“Nah I understand, it’s no biggie.” 

If it was a big deal then you wouldn’t have such a sad look on your face. 

“ If you’re there that’s all I could ever ask for!” He said, giving Basil a thumbs up and forced a smile. Perhaps… he shouldn’t pry any further into this. Maybe it was as he said, and Basil was looking far too deeply into it. 

So he too forced a smile onto his face, mind still filled with worry and wonder, “I’ll be there, Kel.” he assured him he’d attend.

… 

It was a little bit later into the day, almost evening contrary to the already setting sun in the distance. Basil had finished his homework–an essay for English, leftover algebra work, you name it. School seemed to even worsen around this time of year too, with exams coming up and all, but he was determined to push himself to do better this year after barely passing with a C average last year. 

Now, his finger was hovering over the last digit of Sunny’s phone number; he was eager to talk to him, but didn't want to bother him if he was also busy revising for his own exams. Luckily for him though, he didn’t have to dial the last digit, because the phone started to ring, interrupting his contemplation. 

He answered it almost immediately, anticipating for whoever it was to speak up, “H-Hello?” 

“Basil… I’m glad you answered. How’re you?” It was Sunny’s voice. He didn’t even have to worry about interrupting him, It looked like he was already one step ahead of him. 

Basil sighed, relieved, “S-Sunny, hi! I’m doing fine… And you?”

“Same here. Hey, can I ask you a math question?” Sunny asked, noticeably chewing on something from the other side of the phone. Maybe a pencil? He always used to chew on them when he was younger. 

“Of course. Ask away.” 

Sunny explained his predicament with a pretty simple summary of what he was struggling with, a few early year algebra equations that consisted of letters and squared numbers. 

“They’re simple, really. You just have to get the hang of them.”

“...When did they add so many letters to math?” Sunny mumbled, getting a laugh out of Basil. 

“Just wait until geometry.” Sunny groaned, thanking Basil for his help and cooperation. 

Basil twirled the phone cord around his finger, “Well, if that’s all you needed I-I can go. Wouldn’t want to interrupt you-”

“What? No, talk to me.” Sunny insisted instead. “I didn’t call just to ask you for homework help and then leave. I wanna know how you're doing.” He said. 

“I told you I was doing fine.”

“How fine is Basil-fine?” He asked. 

Two can play at that game. 

“How fine is Sunny-fine?” 

The other boy exhaled through his nose deeply, “If I tell you about my day, tell me about yours?” 

“Deal.” Basil settled, bringing the phone with him to his bed. He laid down with the device setting directly on his stomach while he listened to Sunny ramble about his day. 

He talked about how he’s been learning a lot in sign language, and how he can’t wait to show him more of what he knows–Basil shared the same excitement. 

He also went on a rant about this one song they’ve been playing in orchestra that he absolutely hates. It was a little funny, hearing him talk so strongly about music, which was something he’d grown to love and learn again. He was using terms that Basil didn’t even know of like ‘triplets’ and ‘staccatos’ so he simply hummed every time Sunny would say “You know?” or, “Does that make sense?”

He didn’t know, and it didn’t really make much sense to him, but it was interesting to listen to. 

Sunny cut himself off at one point, “Lily, stop trying to knock things off my desk.” he heard him say distantly, like he had taken the phone away from his ear. Basil waited a moment before saying something. 

“D-Do you have someone over?” Basil asked, feeling a little sad that he may be infringing on his private time with someone else. Sunny seemed a little confused at first, “Huh? Oh, do you not know?” 

Basil felt the anticipation rise in his chest. “K-Know what?” 

“I have a cat now, her name’s Lily.” The tinge of worry that swelled in his heart immediately melted away, making him feel relieved. He sat up in his place, “Oh! N-No you haven't.” 

“That’s my bad. I must’ve thought I already told you at some point.” Sunny said, “She’s a really sweet cat. She’s just purposely bothering me right now because she has the zoomies.” his voice softened a bit. 

“The zoomies?” Basil mused with a smile. 

“Yeah. You know, when cats' eyes get all wide and big. Then they start running around the house and knocking stuff over for no apparent reason.” He explained, shortly followed by a crashing sound. Perfect timing Lily. 

“Man, she knocked off my pencil cup.” Some kind of shuffling came from the other side before it stopped and Sunny spoke up again, “Don’t look at me like that Lil, you know what you did.” the sound of something rubbing against the receiver started, turning into what sounded like purring. Loud purring. 

“She’s licking my face to apologize, but it’s too late, the damage is already done.” Basil silently enjoyed his narration of events, imagining how adorable Sunny and his little ball of fur must be right now. 

“Aww, but Sunny! She’s just a baby, she doesn't know any better.” he cooed. “Won’t you forgive her?” 

Sunny hummed in thought for a minute before answering, “I guess I could let it slide this once… But only because she’s so cute.” the pitch if his voice became slightly higher as he said that, like he was babying her.

“Anyway, tell me about your day now.” Sunny reminded him. 

Right, “My days n-nowhere near as interesting as yours,” Basil told him. “but let’s see… The yearbook is coming together nicely! I think…” 

That was right, Basil decided to try something new this year, putting his photography and designing skills to the test. It was a quiet and quaint class with not many people in it, and the teacher was a younger woman who didn’t force much out of Basil, unlike his other ones that basically forced him to speak in class. 

It was a nice safe space, his last class of the day, he felt less judged there for having a stutter, and his quiet presence was welcomed. Sometimes, he was allowed to get out of other classes just to take pictures of school events, which was his favorite part. He and a few of the other yearbook staff students would get together, helping each other get the correct aperture and lighting, which was mainly done by Basil. He’d blush at the compliments he received on his own photos, and the praise the teacher would give him for being so helpful. 

Angel was even in that class with him, surprisingly mellow as soon as he entered the room, and not to mention that he was pretty decent at taking pictures, mainly action shots–which were the ones Basil hated taking the most. Angel volunteered almost every single time to be the photographer for sports games, this year has only consisted of girls volleyball and football so far, but Basil wouldn’t mind volunteering for basketball this year if he could get a few good shots of Kel playing. 

The mention of Kel reminded him of his previous interaction, “Right… Kel invited me to attend his basketball game tomorrow.” Basil mentioned. 

“Are you gonna go? I know how much you hate crowded and loud places.” Sunny asked.

“I said I would, especially after he m-mentioned that his parents d-don’t even make time to go support him… It’s a little messed up, right?”

“What? they don’t?” 

Basil shook his head like he could see him, “No, he seemed a little sad about it, but played it off–saying they were busy all the time…” Silence fell over the two after that, there must be something going on between him and his parents, that’s why he’s been acting so weird lately. But Basil didn’t have the confidence to ask, so who could? 

“Oh!” An idea suddenly came to mind, 

“Why don’t you c-come down to support him as well? T-That is if it’s no trouble…” Basil continued twirling his finger around the phone cord like before.

“Sure, sounds fun. It doesn’t start until later in the day, right?” Sunny asked.

“I believe so, yes. Even if you ended up showing up a little late, I-I’m sure he’d appreciate it anyway.” 

Sunny hummed as a small meow resonated from the other side of the phone, “I’ve got to go, Lily is yelling at me to feed her.” Basil giggled as he listened to her meows get louder and louder, “Okay… S-See you tomorrow?” 

Sunny breathed out happily, “See you tomorrow.” 

Basil placed the phone down, setting it on his bedside table, and then plopped back down on his bed, running his fingers through his hair. He can’t help the feeling like he’s forgetting something…

He popped back up in his place, propping himself up with his hands, “The book!” he exclaimed to himself–the whole reason he wanted to call in the first place. Curse Sunny and his ability to distract him so easily…

“All well…” He mumbled to himself, laying back down and carding his fingers through his long bangs. I can always ask another time, he thought. 

Maybe it was for the best not to force it out of him, he may have not even read it yet, and he doesn’t want to pressure him into doing anything for Basil's own enjoyment.

He just hopes that if he does read it that he won’t mind the homosexuality in it…

…

It was the next day, a while after school had already let out. 

It was agreed later on in a different, shorter phone call that Basil would wait for Sunny at the bus stop since he didn’t want to walk alone, having to ride the bus alone was already enough, so he was currently waiting for him to arrive, fiddling with the zipper on his bag. 

The distant sound of a bus's air brakes infiltrated the silent streets of Faraway. It came to a screeching halt, and people started to pile off of it. He was surprised that there were so many people, but it was a Friday, so maybe it wasn’t so unusual since the weekend was short-coming.

When Sunny stepped off the bus, Basil immediately felt his breath hitch in his throat. He greeted him by pulling Basil in for a short hug, and then adjusted his plain black eyepatch to fit more comfortably. 

“Hey.” He finally addressed him, running his hand through his hair and ruffling it to look more messy. 

“H-Hi…” Basil replied back shyly.

He then gestured for the two to start walking, and as they did, Basil decided to not say anything more to him for the fact that he was completely encapsulated in the way Sunny was currently dressed. 

He had a black turtleneck on underneath a band tee that was definitely way too big for him, both being tucked into his plain black skinny jeans. Thanks to his slightly shorter bangs his studs were more visible, and he was also sporting what looked to be brand new black boots.

He looked–cute? No. That was the wrong word. When they were younger, Basil thought that Sunny was cute. The natural rosy blush that spread across his cheeks, the plumpness in his round face, those were features that were cute.  

Now, he had a more defined jawline, the rosiness on his cheeks was more subtle, and the natural eyebags made him look tired all the time. No… Sunny wasn’t cute, he was utterly attractive. 

“Basil?” He snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“A-Ah, y-yes?” Basil stammered, gripping the straps of his bag. He really hopes the darkness from the setting sun hid his flustered face. 

“Is something wrong?” Sunny asked, putting his hands in his pants pockets as they walked. 

“Wh-Why do you ask?” Sunny stopped in his place, taking Basil off guard by grabbing onto his wrist. 

He observed Basil’s panicked face, and pressed down on his skin, “You’re pulse… It’s fast, are you nervous about the game?” he asked.

Ah, so that’s what he was doing. 

Still, the coldness of his hand against Basil's hot body made him shiver, and the way he was looking so sternly into his eyes made Basil automatically nod, using the divergence as an excuse for the racing of his heart. Talk about homosexuality… he was completely panicking. 

Sunny led him to a nearby bench, pulling the knapsack he hadn’t even noticed off his back, and grabbed a water bottle out of it. “Here, drink this.” He said, holding it up to his face and pulling a scoff from Basil. 

“S-Sunny, I’m okay. I can drink things by myself you know…” He snatched the drink out of Sunnys hands, and downed the nice cold drink in almost less than a minute. 

“Jesus Basil…” Sunny chuckled. Basil ignored his comment, too focused on how his body cooled with each sip, and how he finally had the confidence to speak up on the subject, “You look… different.” he gestured towards him with his water bottle. 

“Y-Yeah. I thought I’d try out something new. Do I look stupid?” 

“W-What? No! It’s just very… you.” 

Sunny nudged his knee with his own. “Hey, what is that supposed to mean?” He said with a slight offended tone. 

Basil shook his head vigorously, “No no! I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I just meant it’s very fitting!” he said, distressed. Sunny chuckled again, giving him a bashful smile. “Thanks…” He thanked him.

The two sat in awkward silence before Basil finally stood up, pulling Sunny along with him. “Come on Sunny! W-We’re going to be late!”

They arrived at the school, entering the building that contained the gym. The sounds of shoes squeaking against the polished gym floor could be heard from a surprising distance, and the sight of people made Basil automatically cower behind Sunny. 

Sunny looked over his back, “Hey it’s okay. I’ll be by your side the whole time.” he assured. 

“Mmm… O-Okay…” He’s way more bold than he used to be, he noted. Maybe living in the city made him that way? There were bound to be way more people at his school than Faraway, that means more forced socialization. 

The gym was full of loud chatter and noises of the upcoming game, but the boys were more focused on finding a place to sit in the bleachers. Sunny spotted a fairly empty place, and took hold of Basil's arm to keep him stable on his legs as they stepped up further and further. 

When they settled in their spot, Basil took off his tote bag and set it next to him, and Sunny propped his legs up on the bench in front of him, his eye darting around before focusing in on something and relaxing, “There he is.” He said, pointing. 

Basil’s eyes also started to dart around, “I-I don’t see him.”

“That’s because you’re not looking low enough.” Sunny’s hand grabbed Basil by the chin, lowering his head down. “See? Down there, in the ponytail.” He let go when Basil's eyes lit up in recognition. 

“Ah, I-I see him! Hehe… He looks a little silly with his hair up like that.” He giggled. Sunny agreed, and just at that moment the game started. 

Neither of them were sports people, but they did know when someone scored and when there was a foul play. While Sunny was busy listening to the narration of the game before him, Basil watched as the coaches… passionately tried their best to intervene and do their overall job. He was just surprised by how much they were allowed to yell during the whole ordeal, not being able to tell if it was encouraging or extremely degrading. 

“Number eight, foul ball–Kelsey Desoto.” That caught both of their attention. 

“Huh. Does that happen often with him?” 

Basil shrugged, “I-I dunno. This is my first time at a basketball game.” Sunny nodded, and decided to drop it for now. That would be until another foul ball came from his name just a few minutes later. 

“Okay, that’s weird.” Sunny said.

“Y-Yeah, it just seems unlike him.” 

“Oh yeah, that too. I’m not talking about that though.”

“Hm?” Basil looked away from the game to see Sunny stood leaned over in his place, and glancing over the people who were in front of them. 

“Aubrey’s here. She’s coming up right now as we speak.” 

Oh, she actually came? 

“I-I didn’t mention it till now because I didn’t know if she’d come,” Sunny sat back down, glancing at him curiously. “but I ended up inviting her as well.” Basil told him. 

“I would’ve told you, but her response to my invitation was, a-and I quote, “I’d rather watch the paint on my wall peel off, because at least I’d get some entertainment out of it.” but then I mentioned you would be there–that seemed to p-push her a little bit.” Sunny snorted at the retelling of what she had said. 

“D-Didn’t want to get our hopes up just for her not to show up, but I’m glad she did! Now we can all be here to support Kel…”

Aubrey appeared into sight, giving them a big sharp smile. “Sup chumps.” She greeted oh-so-ever kindly, and slid her way to sit down next to Sunny. 

Her eyes flashed him up and down before she said, “You look edgier than usual.” and laughed. Sunny leaned forward in his place, eyes drooping with unamusement. “Hmph…” 

Basil rubbed his back, “Aww, it’s okay Sunny! Aubrey’s only teasing, you look great!” he assured him. 

The other boy groaned, throwing his head back, “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” 

“Don’t get your head in a bind, you look fine.” Aubrey said, punching him in the shoulder and gaining a whine from him. “Don’t be such pussy, Sunny.” She teased, rolling her eyes. 

“H-He is the baby of the group…” Basil reminded her. 

“Ack, grow some balls!” 

The loud screeching of a whistle caught the trio's attention, “Another foul ball from number eight.” 

Aubrey turned her head back to the others, “Another? Isn’t number eight Kel?” she asked. Basil nodded. “Yeah…” 

“Hah, I always knew that he sucked at basketball.”

“N-No, that isn’t it. I’ve w-watched Kel play basketball at the park. He’s better than this.” 

“What’s his problem then?” Aubrey questioned. Sunny scratched his chin, “It’s his parents…” he said. 

“Huh?” 

“He’s still upset that his parents failed to make an appearance again. And what about us? Does he even know we’re here? Has he seen us?”

“Wait, what the hell are you talking about?” Aubrey interrupted Sunny’s pondering to question him, “What do you mean he’s upset that his parents failed to make an appearance again.”

“W-Well…” Basil started, catching both of their attention. He tapped his pointer fingers together anxiously now that they were both staring intensely at him, “K-Kel mentioned yesterday that his parents are always too b-busy to attend his games. That’s why I invited you and S-Sunny… I thought it’d make him f-feel better if we were all here.” He explained. 

“B-But Kel hasn’t spotted us yet, and seems a little on edge about it. That’s what you were saying, r-right Sunny?” Sunny nodded, glancing back at the game sadly, and as did the others. 

There was an intermission for the players, who all gathered around their respective coaches. Kel approached the group with distress on his face, wiping sweat off his forehead and fanning himself while their team's coach… scolded him? At least, that’s what it looked to be. Aubrey grumbled something under breath, stood up in her place, and leaned forward with her hands cupped around her mouth. 

“KELSEY DESOTO!” She yelled from the middle of the stands, catching the attention of most of the families and other kids around them, but most importantly, it caught Kels attention. The sad and distressed look on his face lightened up when he noticed the three of them had come to see him play. 

Sunny gave him a small wave before Aubrey took a deep breath, “IF YOU LOSE THIS GAME, GOD SO HELP ME, I’M BEATING YOUR ASS LATER!” and yelled again. A few people looked at her with disapproving looks, a few others giggled. 

Kel waved happily back at the three and put on a determined face, giving her a thumbs up and giddy smile. He said something inaudible to a few other teammates and prepared himself for another rep. Aubrey sat back down in her spot, huffing. 

“He better not let this get to him… I’ll beat his ass.”

“As you said before.” Sunny sarcastically remarked. She grumbled something under her breath again. 

“Huh?” Sunny leaned towards her, curious about what she had said. 

“I said what’s the big deal anyway? It’s not like he’d perform any better with them here!” 

“But you have to think about it like this, Aubrey. When we were younger, they always made time for Hero’s extracurricular activities, or whatever he had going on. It must suck–feeling inferior to your older sibling…” Sunny said, voice trailing off sadly at the end. Neither Basil nor Aubrey would know what that’s like, both being an only child and all, but Sunny probably does, Basil thought. After all, he used to have an older sibling too.

Basil wishes he had the ability to rid of that pain, nobody should ever have to go through the feeling of being disfavored by your own parents. 

“S-Sunny..” Basil wrapped his hands around the brooding boy's arm–the sleeves of his turtleneck were surprisingly soft, “Are you okay?” he worriedly asked, wondering if the topic had upset him. 

Despite that, the other boy nodded, appreciative of Basil’s consolation. “Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine.” He inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, readjusting himself and running a hand through his hair again. “I’m just worried about Kel is all.”

…Perhaps a discussion for another time, Basil decided. He’ll never not be worried about Sunny’s perception of himself. 

After Aubrey rallied him on, Kel seemed to get back on his game, making shots left and right, scoring multiple points for his team, and most of all, he looked like he was enjoying himself. The Kel who was standing aloofly around before seemed to have disappeared, replaced with a happier more energetic Kel. 

Basil watched intently. He watched every time Kel would glance up to them after scoring, giving them a lopsided smile, he watched as Aubrey sat at the edge of her seat, screaming widely every time he would score, and he watched how a smile slowly formed on Sunny’s face. 

He… couldn’t take his eyes off him. Something about Sunny today was just so alluring. The way he laughed every time Aubrey would make a big deal about Kel or the other team scoring; it didn’t get old. The way he was leaned forward, head propped up with his hand… He just seemed so content at the moment, and Basil missed that… He missed seeing Sunny so happy. 

Once again, the ink-haired boy ran his hair again. Was that a new habit or something? 

Unfortunately for Basil, the private moment between him and just himself was interrupted when Sunny caught him staring. He quickly averted his attention to his hands, picking at a recent scab he’d gotten from cutting himself accidentally with a sharp-edged shovel. 

“Hey, don’t do that.” Sunny scolded him, shooing Basil’s hand away. Basil gave him a displeased look, he wouldn’t be satisfied until it’s been picked at. 

“What’s with the face?” Sunny chuckled. 

“I-I wasn’t done picking at that…”

“Exactly. That was my intention.”

“But i-it helps me c-calm down…”

“Annnnnd, it’s really bad for you. Give me a second…” Sunny reached back in his knapsack and pulled out a small… cork…? He placed it in Basil’s hand and looked at him, a little muddled on what he was supposed to do. 

“What’s this for?”

“It’s to help–what’s the name? Ah, I forgot, but it helps with skin picking.” He explained. 

“My moms been really concerned about me picking at my scalp, so we asked my therapist for alternatives and she recommended corks. They’re easy to carry around, and not distracting to others.” 

Intrigued, Basil started to pick at it, immediately seeing the appeal. It also gave the same sensation of picking at an unhealed scab, and better yet he wasn’t in pain while he was doing it. Sunny watched him pick and pick until finally speaking up again. 

He kind of leaned in, touching their shoulders together and lowering his voice, “You were staring at me.” 

“H-Huh?” Basil stopped picking, looking up at his unreadable face. 

“Before this, you were staring at me.” Sunny reminded him. Basil could feel his face heat up, “A-And?” 

“You looked happy. I’ve never seen you smile like that before.” 

“W-Was I smiling?” Sunny nodded, keeping eye contact. Intimidated, Basil felt like he had to give an explanation, not a complete one.

“I-I’m just happy to see you s-so happy; e-everyone smiling, it feels nice. I missed you so m-much… Welcome back, Sunny.” but also not a fabricated one. What he was saying was true, he really was glad that at least at the moment, everyone seemed content with each other. Excluding Hero…

Sunny suddenly pulled him in for a hug, relaxing his head in the crook of his neck. It tickled slightly because of his hair, but Basil didn’t mind, “I’m so g-glad to be back… I missed you too, Basil.” Basil sighed more into the hug, relaxing his head onto Sunny’s. 

He doesn't want to let go. 

A moment later, people on the Faraway side of the bleachers jumped up from their place, screaming and cheering wildly when a buzz from the scoreboard went off. It scared both of them out of the hug from how loud and close they were to it, but started laughing when they glanced back to each other. 

Sunny was caught off guard by Aubrey, who yanked his whole body up from his spot and yelled, “THEY WON!” over and over again until she tired herself out. 

“I thought you weren’t a fan of basketball.” Sunny raised his voice over all the chattering voices that surrounded them. 

Aubrey flipped her hair back, running her fingers through the top and combing out a few of her tangles. She shrugged, “I’m not, but man does it feel good to be on the winning side!” she exclaimed, her tone cocky.

As more and more people waved out of the room, the three of them could finally weave their way through the crowds of people, jumping off of the bottom of the bleachers and onto the hard wooden gym floor. Basil stumbled over someone's bag, so Aubrey took hold of his hand, telling him there was no need for pointless apologies because they need to, “Pick up their shit.” 

Most people were already cleared out, but the search for Kel still continued. Aubrey tapped her foot impatiently, “Where the hell is he?” she crossed her arms, “He sure does like taking his sweet-ass time!” she said.

About ten minutes passed before Basil spotted Kel finally emerging from one of the doors in the gym, dressed more appropriately for the colder weather outside. He eagerly ran up to them, waving and smiling like what Aubrey described to be an idiot. 

“H-Hey! Basil, Sunny, Aubrey… I-I can’t believe you guys all made it. This is awesome!” He turned to Sunny, holding up a hand for a high-five. He held one up stagnant in response, allowing Kel to high-five him as hard as he could. Aubrey pursed her lips, looking away with annoyance. 

“Yeah yeah, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m only here because Bagel-Boy invited me.” 

“S-Seriously, what is with everyone calling me that now…?” Kel laughed, pulling Basil in for a side hug. 

“Aww… Basil, this was your doing?” He asked with a smug smile and uplifted his eyebrows. Basil nodded, smiling at the ticklish feeling of Kel grabbing and pulling on his cheek, as if he were a small child. 

When Kel let go he asked, “Man, I’m super hungry. D’ya guys wanna go to Gino’s or something?” 

Everyone seemed to be on board, all except Aubrey. She made a disgusted face, “I’m sicka Gino’s! Let's go somewhere different.” she proclaimed, and led the way outside as Kel confusingly asked where else they could possibly go at this time of night. She only gave him a toothy grin, telling him to be patient.

They approached the parking lot, and she split off from the others, leaving them to wait for… whatever she was planning. Sunny and Kel were mindlessly chatting about whatever came to mind, and Basil pulled the half-picked cork out of his pocket, scratching at it again to ease his anxiety. 

“I like how you’re dressed. It’s totally your vibe.” 

“Thanks, Kel.”

“What’d ya do? Take advice from Aubrey or something?” Sunny shook his head. “Nope, this was all me.”

“Metal dude.”

“You know what’s gross though?”

“Huh?”

“My mom said I looked like my dad when he was in high school. I would’ve rather had my other eye stabbed out than have heard that.” Kel laughed, rubbing his cold hands together and breathing into them. 

“I can help you with that…” Basil brainlessly mumbled as he continued picking on the cork. He’d only realized what he’d said when he heard Sunny try to contain his laughter. His eyes widened, “W-Wait! I-I didn’t mean that!” he said, petrified that he had heard. 

“T-That was so distasteful of me! I’m so s-sorry!” Sunny only began bursting out in laughter, and held his side in pain. Basil puffed his cheeks, looking up at him with irritation, “S-Sunny, come on! It w-wasn’t funny!” he whined. 

The laughing boy wiped a tear from his eye, “Hehe… You’re hilarious, Basil.” he told him with an affectionate look. Before he could object any further, the beep of a car horn scared him, and he dragged his attention to the source of the sound. 

A beaten-up-looking red car approached the group, and came to a screeching halt. The window slowly rolled down, revealing Aubrey to be in the driver's seat, and admitting the sound of rock-music turned down to where you could only hear it by just a tad. 

“Get in bitches, we’re going to Denny’s.” She said. Kel pumped a fist in the air, “Hell yeah! Winner gets shotgun!” he opened the passenger seat door, wafting the heat from inside over Basil’s frigid body. 

He instantly melted at the feeling, legs automatically moving to the warm vehicle like a moth to a lamp. Sunny opened the car door, indicating for the other to go in first, and then shortly followed afterward. 

“Sorry ‘bout the mess, you don’t mind sitting in the middle, right Basil?” He shook his head, buckling himself up and then taking in the scenery around him. The seat to the left of him was taken up by a few cardboard boxes, and the right obviously taken up by Sunny. 

They were black, and had a surprisingly nice fabric feeling, there were a few soda cans thrown carelessly on the floor, and the whole car smelled like pine thanks to Aubrey’s pine scented air freshener. Basil relaxed, laying his head back and closing his eyes. Well, he did for about four seconds. 

Bump!

“Jesus Aubrey! Where the fuck did you learn to drive?” Kel exclaimed. “What was that?” 

“Reeelaaaaaaax. It was just a curb.” She said, turning the radio up a bit more. Basil leaned forward, observing Aubrey's position. The leg not being used to drive was dangerously propped up on her seat, shoring the one arm she had on the wheel up. The other hand was being used to adjust her gear shifts.

“A-Aubrey if you don’t mind me asking, d-do you even have your license?” Basil asked. The pink haired girl started rummaging through her dashboard, “Course I got my license! What do you think I am, a hooligan?” 

“Yes…” Sunny muttered to where only the blond could hear. They exchanged looks, and a plastic object was shoved in Basil’s face. 

“Here! There’s proof.” He flipped the plastic card over to face the correct side, and sure enough, there it was. A real authentic drivers license. 

Aubergine Williams. Height, 5’6. Eye Color, Hazel. 

Her signature was sloppy and half-assed, and she looked dead-eyed in her picture. He turned it in Sunny’s direction, who curiously grabbed it, “Did you mistake your license photo for a mugshot?” Sunny teased, handing it to Kel who also gawked over it.

“Daaaaamn Aubrey! You didn’t even bother dying your roots again for the special occasion?” he said, gaining a flick on the head from her. 

She snatched the plastic card from him, putting it back in her dashboard, “You’re both just mad I’m hot as fuck and can drive wherever I please!” Kel mumbled something inaudible, and Sunny sat back in his seat, bouncing his leg with anticipation.

“Hey Kel, I noticed your parents weren’t at the game. Do they ever make it to them?” Sunny finally asked. 

Kel shook his head, “Nope, they’re too busy to.”

“That’s a little fucked up though isn’t it? They’re your parents, they should be able to make time for you.” Kel waved Aubrey off, using the same excuse he used when Basil had asked. The subject obviously was making him uncomfortable, so the three of them dropped it for the time being.

They were entering busier territory, Aubrey began making bolder moves and swerving suddenly. Basil kept apologizing to Sunny, who he’d kept bumping into every time she would make a sharp turn, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he looked equally as terrified himself. 

This is it. I’m going to die here! We’re gonna crash, and we’re gonna die! 

Those were the thoughts that were screaming all throughout Basil’s mind, though you wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at him. Sunny hunched over, grabbing onto Basil’s knee for support. 

“A-Aubrey, are we almost there yet? I-I’m getting car sick…” Right, Sunny has a weak stomach. 

“Don’t throw up in my car! We’re like two minutes away you dork.” 

Basil lifted Sunny’s shaky body up, it was unbelievable how fast he went from fine to full on shaking and shivering. 

“How about y-you focus on something else, hm?” Basil suggested. 

“Tell us about that piece in orchestra you hate so much.” Sunny’s eyes lit up, like he was saying, ‘I thought you'd never ask!’ and Aubrey groaned, knowing she wouldn’t be able to understand anything he was saying. 

“Let me t-tell you about it, that song makes me hate my life.” He started, coughing into his elbow. He sounded like he was on the verge of vomiting.

“Violin parts are usually so straightforward and easy to play because we’re their melody, but this time around we’re the counterpart, which is sometimes harder than the melody. The amount of triplets that start on the up-beat actually makes me want to sob every time they t-tell us to get ready to play that god forsaken song.” He ranted, his voice slowly becoming more steady. 

Sunny furrowed his brows with frustration, “Ugh! It makes me angry just thinking about it!” He continued on with his brief rant, going into a little more detail then when he and Basil had spoken over the phone. He was using big musical terms that none of the three could really understand.

“What do those words even mean?” Kel asked, so he explained the meanings of the Italian words to them in depth, speaking even faster than before.

Basil was invested, to say the least. Unlike the others who were boredly listening in, he intently listened to his explanations and commentary on how his hatred for the song began, at first being eager and excited that they’d be playing a new piece, and then his utter disappointment and misery when they had learned the whole thing. Basil found it cute how passionate he was about the subject, just as if he were rambling about his plants, he could listen to Sunny ramble about music for hours.

“We’re here.” Aubrey finally announced, putting the gear in park. 

“Oh thank God… I didn’t know how much more of Sunny’s nerd crap I could take.” Kel sighed with relief, glancing back to Sunny. 

“Sorry Sunny, I know you’re eager to share about that kind of stuff and all, I just had no idea what you were saying!” He told him, unbuckling and getting out of the car to stretch his legs. Sunny frowned an unsatisfied but understanding frown.

“I-If it makes you feel any better S-Sunny, I was quite interested in what you were saying. Hehe…” Basil said, as Aubrey turned off the ignition and exited the car. She stood outside next to Kel, also stretching her legs and arms from the aftereffects of the ride. 

The other two quickly unbuckled, Sunny staying silent the whole way through, but Basil caught a glimpse of the smile that came to his face when he said, “You s-should talk about your hobbies more. I-It’s very easy to listen to you talk about something you’re so passionate about.” and then exited the car as well together.

If Basil’s being honest, he’s never been a big fan of Denny’s, or really any fast-food-esque type of place for that matter. He preferred the more authentic and better tasting home-brews that could be made in his very own kitchen, but it was late and dark, and Aubrey and Kel liked the food, so he can’t complain all too much. 

When they entered, they requested a booth, and were led to one in the back. Basil and Kel slid on the inside, shortly followed by Aubrey, who sat next to Basil, and Sunny, who sat next to Kel. They were handed their menus, and ordered their drinks. Basil scanned through the menu, feeling his stomach turn as he saw how greasy and fake the pictures on it looked. 

Kel put his menu down when they received their drinks, passing each one of them their straws and telling the waiter they needed more time. Basil watched as he peeled the tip of the paper wrapped around it, put it up to his lips, and blew the remains of the wrapper in Aubrey’s face. She snapped her head up in his direction and he snickered, pulling down on his eye and proceeding to stick his tongue out at her. In response, she dipped the tips of her fingers in her water, flicking water in Kel’s face. 

“Is the steak here good?” Sunny asked, not noticing their bickering, for his head was obstructed by the menu. 

“Seriously? You’ve never been here before?” Kel and Aubrey said simultaneously. He lowered the menu from his face, shaking his head. Aubrey shrugged, “Well I dunno, I’ve never had it before.”

“Neither have I.” Kel agreed. 

“Hmm.” Sunny thought for a moment, an insightful smile coming to his face, “What about you Basil?” 

“M-Me?” He questioned, “Sunny, you know I-I’ve never been here before, right?” 

Sunny rested his head on his hand, propping his arm up on the table. “Well, what are you getting?” 

“I don’t know yet.”

“I’ll tell you what I’m getting!” Kel chimed in, “I’m gettin’ their fried chicken meal, it’s the best!” 

Basil made a slightly disgusted face, “Mmm, fried things–especially from fast food places, usually make me sick.” 

“Seriously? What do you eat all day?” Aubrey turned her body to face him, lifting an eyebrow in curiosity. 

“A-Ah um- tofu? I like fruit and vegetables…” 

“Lame! You need to expand your horizons a little Bagel-Boy!” Kel exclaimed, sticking his nose in the air. Sunny bumped his shoulder into Kel’s, “Hey, I don’t wanna hear you bashing on Basil when you literally drink Orange Joe.” Aubrey snorted and began to laugh loudly when Kel frowned dramatically. 

In the end, Sunny landed on ordering the t-bone steak, Aubrey and Kel both ordered a fried chicken meal, and Basil chose the berry vanilla crepe meal. It sounded good enough, and he did love crepes. Their waiter wrote everything down on a notepad, assuring them that it’d be out soon, and left them with half-empty drinks. 

“What the hell is a berry vanilla crepe meal? Did you make that up?” Aubrey asked. He shook his head, pointing a finger near the bottom of the menu, “N-No, it’s on the menu, Aubrey…” 

“Color me stoked–it is.” Her mouth hung in a little “o” shape before her attention was stolen by Kel, who breathed heavily on the cold frosty window, fogging up the window and drawing a smiley face. 

“Guys look! Draw on the window with me.” A childish tone lingered in his voice as he fogged it up again, drawing a stickman version of himself. Sunny leaned over, drawing a cute simplified version of a fluffy cat. 

“Aww! It’s so cute!” Basil complimented, moving his finger to create little flowers around the other art. 

Aubrey scoffed, “Watch and learn nerds.” she said, squishing herself against Basil so she too could join in on the fun. When she was done she proudly sat back down in her seat, crossing her arm. Basil glanced up, looking at what she had done, and it was definitely… unique–or rather inappropriate. 

Sunny was the first one to say, “Aubrey, that’s a dick.”

“Yes.” She replied simply. Basil looked at her with unamused eyes.

“What’s with that look? I’m not artist’s like you guys,” She pointed between him and Sunny, “or… Kel.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means you suck at drawing.” She said straight-up. Kel whined in protest, “You have no right to say that when all you did was draw a dick on the window!” he complained too loud for comfort. 

Basil put a finger to his lips to shush him. The stares from neighboring families were making him uncomfortable, “Kel…” 

Their conversation was interrupted by their waiter, who had come to refill their drinks. Aubrey was the one to bring it up again after a certain period of time passed within their chatter. 

She stopped blowing bubbles in her drink, “Kel, are you really not bothered that your parents don’t make time for you?” it caught them off guard, especially Kel, who shifted awkwardly in his seat. 

“W-Why do you guys keep bringing that up?” He questioned. Basil put on a soft smile, trying to come off as comforting as possible, “We’re just w-worried about you is all. You s-seemed very on edge until Aubrey yelled for you.” 

Kel bit the bottom of his lip, “I was just nervous playing in front of you guys for the first time, that was all.”

“That’s a fuckin’ lie, Kel. You started playing better as soon as you realized we were all there for you.” Aubrey refuted.

“Were you worried that Basil had flaked on you?” Sunny asked, but he only laughed ridiculously, dismissing them all. 

“N-No! You guys are making some pretty stupid assumptions right now, hehe…” 

“B-But they’re not assumptions. You’re hurting because of them Kel.” For some reason, Basil’s words really seemed to push him over the edge, because it caused him to rub his temples harshly before yelling, “Well what do you three know?!? You all barely have anyone to call parents!” 

The diner went silent, and realizing what he said, his eyes widened and he covered his mouth, looking between their hurt faces. He had opened a wound that never had fully healed, and especially to Basil, it felt like a stab to the heart. 

When the distant chatting of other tables continued, Sunny was the first one to speak up again, appearing slightly calmer than the others, “Kel… You have issues with your parents, will you just admit that?” 

He stumbled over his words, before finally giving in and admitting, “F-Fine! Yes, I do have problems with them, but I was trying not to make them out to be a big deal. And I definitely didn’t mean what I just said to you three. I’m-” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m sorry. Especially to you, Sunny. Maria’s such a kind lady I-”

“ Kel. It’s fine. You can drop it with me.” 

“I-I mean… he’s technically n-not wrong in my case.” Basil said. “I have no i-idea what it’s like to have p-parents in the first place. I… I shouldn’t have s-said anything.” 

Aubrey put her hand on Basil’s shoulder to defend him, “Kel, why are you being so fucking stubborn? Obviously our situations are different from yours, but that doesn’t give you the right to bring up our own parents!”

“I-I said I was sorry…”

“Oh? Enlighten me Kel. Tell me about how sorry you are. Because it seems like that’s all you know what to say.” 

“Aubrey it’s-”

“NO! It’s not fine!” She cut Basil off, already predicting what he wanted to say. She jumped up from her spot and pointed an accusing finger at Kel, “You’re just like us. You’re suffering, so why won’t you just admit it already?!? Why are you so insistent on hiding from us?” 

“Because if I’m not the one making everyone feel better about the situation, then who will!?!” He too jumped up from his spot. 

“You think we don’t feel just as miserable as before? You’re not fixing anything, you’re just making it worse!” 

Kel’s face churned hurtfully, “You guys… think I’m making everything worse?” he asked with a dead tone of voice, and looked between the three of them as he plopped back in his seat. It seemed like that was his way of admitting that he felt defeated, because the Kel Basil knew would’ve fought with Aubrey until the very end. 

“Kel… When you don’t speak about your feelings, it makes us worry, you know?” Sunny told him, patting his shoulder. 

“Bottling your emotions comes in various forms. Anxious, angry, sad, you don’t even have to feel anything at all, it doesn’t matter how you present yourself on the outside, it’s what you feel on the inside that matters. You won’t realize what you’re feeling until you open that jar.”

“Careful Sunny, Kel’s too stupid to understand metaphors.” Aubrey sneered, shooting him a dirty look. Kel shook his head, “No… No, I understand.” he said, sighing and pulling his hair back with distress. 

“I didn’t realize… I didn’t realize you guys felt that way. Am I really that stupid?” 

“Y-You’re not stupid, K-Kel.” Basil said. 

“He’s a little stupid…” Aubrey mumbled under her breath, to which he ignored, “Just, whenever you’re r-ready, please talk to us about it. Okay?” Basil asked him.

Kel nodded, “I guess… I just never realized how unhappy I was. I spent so much time trying to make you guys feel better, and make Hero talk to me again that I completely ignored my own feelings.” he paused. 

“It’ll be okay eventually though, right? Everything will go back to how it was before, right?” He begged for them to answer and when they all looked at him with the same blank stare, he slumped in his spot. “I guess that’s a no…”

“Things being different isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Sunny said. “I mean, we can always make new memories together, we’re not kids anymore. And we’ve grown from our experiences–we’ve been brought closer together, I think…” 

Adding ‘I think.’ to the end made Sunny sound unsure, but it still managed to cheer up the usually happy-go-lucky boy. 

“Man, how are you so good at this?” Kel wondered.

“Months of therapy.” 

Kel laughed, scratching the back of his head and then glancing between both Basil and Aubrey. “Hey, I really am sorry to you both though. I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

Aubrey waved him off, “Ehh, fuck ‘em. My parents are a bunch of deadbeats anyway. We’ve all got mommy or daddy-issues huh?”

“I-I mean, how do I have issues with them if I don’t really know them?” Basil asked, nervously stroking the ends of his hair. 

“Ding ding, that’s exactly it.” 

She pointed at herself, “Deadbeat parents.” to Basil, “Absent parents.” to Kel, “Neglectful parents,” and then to Sunny, “and… Maria’s cool. Your dad though? He always scared the shit out of me.” she confessed. 

“My moms fine, but she can be a little overbearing sometimes…” 

After the brief dispute, things mostly went back to normal. Aubrey and Kel went back to their usual bickering, Sunny began drawing on a napkin, lifting it to show Basil every once in a while who would compliment him on it. 

“Basil.” 

He opened his eyes. Previously he had been laying his head on his arms, tired from the long day they’d had. When he did, he caught sight of a new drawing Sunny had done, so he tilted his head back vertically to see it better. 

It was a drawing of him, sleeping on the table. “Th-That’s me?” Sunny nodded. 

“You looked so peaceful, I couldn’t help myself.” 

For some reason that made Basil feel all warm inside. The way he drew him was so stylistic and cozy, and he even included the scars on his face from when they fought from months ago. It was a painful reminder, but his willingness to include them showed that he really was healing–slow and steadily. He handed it to Basil, who took it from him and observed it more thoroughly. 

“Th-Thank you Sunny.” He smiled–surely there were more interesting things he could’ve drawn, but the fact that he chose him made him feel special…

“Hey, lemme see!” Kel asked. Basil turned it in his direction. 

“Cool! Hey, Sunny! Draw me! Draw me!” 

“He can’t draw you because you can’t sit still for more than a minute, dumbass.” Aubrey said. The two argued childishly again, causing Sunny and Basil to give each other a look that was unsurprised in the current outcome. So he wouldn’t lose it, he folded the napkin with the drawing of himself carefully and put it in his bag, and a few minutes later their food finally arrived.

He hadn’t expected what he ordered to come with so much food, but to be fair that was his bad for ordering something without reading the whole description. He split his two eggs between Kel and Sunny, and gave his bacon to Aubrey, as he wasn’t really in the mood for either of those things, but kept his hashbrowns, and obviously the crepe. 

It was pretty decent, sweet, strawberry–all the things he liked about a crepe. Though, the edges were surprisingly crunchy, and unexpectedly made his teeth hurt. Everyone else looked like they were enjoying their meal though, especially Sunny, who had finally taken a bite of his steak. 

His eyes lit up, “Is it good, Sunny?” Basil asked. He nodded ecstatically, cutting off a piece for him and placing it on his plate. Basil took a bite, a little underwhelmed by it. It was the kind they fell apart easily in your mouth, and it tasted a little funny. 

“Mmm, it’s okay.” 

“Better than the microwaved steak I had for four years in a row.”

“E-fucking-xcuse me? Do you wanna elaborate on that?” Aubrey asked, horrified. 

Sunny laughed, shaking his head, “No, I don’t think I will.”

“We’ll have to take you to a real steakhouse one day, Sunny.” Kel said, punching him in the shoulder while munching on his chicken.

One day.

That’s right, this was only the beginning of their reunion–the beginning of making new memories together. There was way more to come, and Basil could hardly wait.

…

“Are you going to be okay a-alone Sunny?” 

They were back at the Faraway bus station, sun already being set in the big night sky. Kel had gone home, telling them that his parents would get angry if he stayed out any later, so the other two walked back with Sunny to wait for the bus. 

In response to Basil’s question he nodded, pulling something out of his pocket and holding it to where both Basil and Aubrey could see, “Yeah, my mom got me my own phone so I can call her whenever now.” he held up a new-looking BlackBerry phone. 

“W-Wow! You have your own phone now?” Basil exclaimed with interest. Sunny allowed him to take hold of his phone and ambiguously press the buttons. 

“Do you not have one of your own?” Aubrey asked him, he shook his head, “No. I usually use the r-rotary phone in my room.” 

“Damn! You still have one of those old things?” Basil nodded slowly, handing Sunny his phone back. It was inconvenient sometimes, yes–dialing the numbers took forever, but it did the job. Mostly…

The distant whooshing of the bus punctured the silent and peaceful air of Faraway town, and right on schedule, it came to a halt. The door opened, allowing a very few amount of people to get off and go to their destinations. Basil’s sure he recognizes some, but the dim streetlights of Faraway are doing them no justice. 

They exchanged goodbyes, and Sunny got on the bus struggling to untie the black earbuds he had shoved in his pocket. Eventually though, through the window, he saw him succeed in untangling them, plugging them into the headphone jack, and put the earbuds in his ears, presumably to listen to whatever kind of music he was into these days. 

Before the bus drove off for the city, he gave them one final wave goodbye, leaving the other two completely alone. 

“I’ll walk you home.” Aubrey insisted rather than asking. She had already started walking the way to Basil’s house.

“Sh-Shouldn’t I be the one walking you home? You are the girl after all.” he asked, catching up to her. Aubrey chuckled, wrapping an arm around his own to keep him close. “No offense Basil, but you’re more of the girl here than me.” 

“H-Hey! What do you mean by that?” He pondered. 

She once again gave him a signature ruffle on the head, “You’re wimpy. You don’t know how to defend yourself, or you just don’t want to.” she explained. 

“But that’s okay. You got big sis Aubrey to protect you!”

“I’m older than you…” he mumbled under his breath. He didn’t like his physique being commented on in such a way, but it was Aubrey, and she was quite blunt, so there’s nothing he could really do about that.

Still though, perhaps she was right about him. And it was a little comforting to feel protected by someone that he’d feared for so long; the very first person that had ever befriended him–it would be wrong to say he never missed her during the time they had spent apart. 

But big sis, huh? Basil could get used to that.

…

The next morning Basil awoke to knocking on his bedroom door, which was strange considering Polly was supposed to be out at her job early for the morning. He could tell just by how the sun shined through his window that it was a little after the time interval she would’ve left at. Maybe something happened and she was home again?

The sound of his door swinging open interrupted his sleep, “Wakey wakey sleepyhead!” 

He finally opened his tired eyes, groaning as he stretched his limbs out. Above him hovered two people; Aubrey and Kim. He shot up from his spot as soon as the drowsiness left his brain, confused on how they could’ve possibly gotten in. 

“Wh-What are you guys doing here?!?” He asked in a panic. Did Polly leave the door unlocked? 

“Relax Bagel, we picked the lock on your front door to come and wake you up! Don’t worry, the lock’s not that easily pickable.” Kim said, pulling him up from his bed and gesturing towards his dresser. 

“Now get dressed, we’ll be waiting in your living room.” The two girls quickly rushed out of his room, leaving him confused and concerned. 

“She… picked my lock?!” There was no use in questioning it now, by the look they had on their eager faces, they were definitely planning something.

He put on the baggy cargo pants his grandmother had gifted him on his last birthday, and held it up with a plain black belt he had laying around. Then, he put on a knitted sweater with a mushroom pattern to keep him extra warm in the slightly frosty morning air. The last thing he needed, his shoes, were at the front door, so after he grabbed his tote bag, he opened his bedroom door, pausing in the hallway when he heard the whispered voices of the two of them. 

“Are you sure you’re ready to tell them about this?” He heard Aubrey ask her. 

Kim sighed, “I mean, we haven’t said anything to anyone about it for months. Except when you told Sunny without my permission…” she huffed. A giggle came from the pink-haired one. 

“I’m sorry. Y’know, I needed to tell somebody . Sunny just knows how to conveniently keep his mouth shut.” They wanted to tell him about something that Sunny already knew? Or more importantly, who’s them? Him and… the other Hooligans?

Basil walked back to his door, opening it louder this time and closing it slowly so it would make a creaking sound. Obviously they hadn’t heard him the first time because he had opened it so fast and closed it to where the annoying sound that frequently emitted from it wouldn’t make a ruckus, and with that, he finally walked out of the hallway, grabbing himself a glass of cold water to wash down the grogginess in his throat and quickly shoved his tennis shoes on. 

“You ready?” Aubrey asked, towering above him. He nodded, standing up from his place and leaving his house to be unattended for the next few hours. He locked the door with the key he had on him, still wondering how Kim so effortlessly picked the lock on his door, and they began walking their way up towards the park. 

“W-Where exactly are we going?” Basil finally asked. Aubrey and Kim shared a look, 

“Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt telling him now, huh?” Kim said, bumping shoulders with her. Aubrey’s face softened, “Alright, alright…” she caved, turning to Basil. “We’re heading to the treehouse…”

“Th-The treehouse? Why?” 

“To fix it up obviously!” She smiled toothily, grabbing Kim’s hand and swinging it back and forth with her own. 

“We’ve already cleaned it out, mostly. Hey, did you know Mr. Eggplant was in there? I’ve been looking for him for years!” She said, grinding her teeth. 

Mr. Eggplant… Basil hasn’t been to the treehouse in ages. 

“Aww, you missed your stuffed toy?” Kim teased, bopping her on the nose. 

“Hey! Mr. Eggplant wasn’t just a stuffed toy. He was my childhood best friend…”

“Mhm.” Kim hummed. Aubrey pointed her nose in the air away from her, crossing her arms all fussily. Basil giggled at their display, they sure were close… 

They took the turn down the sidewalk, and came to a halt when they reached Kel’s house, which raised the question–how exactly would they get to the treehouse? They couldn’t cut through Sunny’s old house anymore, that would be trespassing. 

“H-How are we going to get to the treehouse?” He brought up his concern. 

“Well since we can’t go through Sunny’s old backyard anymore…” Aubrey pointed behind Kel’s house. “We’ve paved a new path behind Kel’s place.” She said, turning to him and smirking. “With permission of course.” The two pulled Basil along. 

“That reminds me, wh-where’s Kel?” Basil asked.

“Out with family or some shit.” Aubrey presumed, leading the way to a freshly cut pathway. Bushes and limbs were trimmed back to make the experience of walking through less of a hassle–it looked like they were laying down a path so it would stay that way, and they finally arrived at their destination.

The treehouse looked mostly the same, but what Basil didn’t expect is to find Vance and Angel working to make an already complete-looking balcony and stairs. 

Angel waved bigly at him, “Hiya Basil! You like what you see?” The work was surprisingly well done. The wood was smooth, the nails were straight, and it looked overall pretty stable. 

“W-Wow, you guys did this?” 

Vance nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. “We have been for a while.” He said, climbing down from the step ladder he was on. “Well Angel, whaddya say? You wanna test it?” Vance asked him. Angel nodded, but before he was able to step up the stairs, Aubrey yanked him back. 

“Woah! Last time he did that he sprained his ankle because it fell apart. Lemme do it.” Sprained his ankle? Ah, so that’s why he was on crutches a few weeks back.

“Awww, big sis Aubrey cares about me.” Angel cooed at her. She pushed him to the side with annoyance. 

“Shut up!” She yelled at him, and then steadily walked up the freshly made stairs, pressing her weight down on it to see how stable it really was. After confirming it was safe, she began walking down the steps, “Woah-” and leaned over the railing as if she had tripped and started to fall. 

They all laughed in unison, recalling how stupid Angel had been when he so recklessly stomped up the incomplete stairs. All except Basil, who could only recall that horrifying night almost every time he witnessed someone going up or down the stairs. Among their laughter, he shivered with anguish in his heart, because the harmless joke wasn’t something that he could so easily pass off. Anxiety swelled up in his chest, and he began backing away as his vision got blurrier and blurrier. 

“No no no…” He whispered to himself–this wasn’t the time to be having a breakdown. 

“I-It’s okay. Everything i-is fine.” 

“ Basil? Are you okay?” He couldn't recall whose voice was speaking to him, they were all starting to sound the same with his brain feeling so muddled. He shook his head, unable to speak words. 

“Woah dude, what’s wrong?” Something was hot against his face–he touched it. Tears . 

“I-” Still, he tried to force himself speak, but that only caused an intense pain to shoot through his body and he collapsed on his knees. “It… hurts.” 

There were people above him. Perhaps here to help him? “What hurts?” But he only felt the pain get worse each time someone spoke. He covered his ears, “G-Get away from me!” and yelled uncontrollably.

“Shit! He’s having a panic attack!”

“What do we do?”

“I can- I can slap him! That worked with Sunny one time.”

“You idiot! You don’t go around slapping people who’re in such a vulnerable state! Vance, get your water bottle.” 

“God dammit… If Sunny were here, he’d know what to do.”

“Well he’s not, so make do.” A soft-spoken and kind voice bent down to him, “Basil, I am going to put a water bottle in your hands now, is that okay?” he nodded, feeling himself salivate at the mention of water. 

Everytime he would panic, his throat and mouth would dry up to the point of it hurting. He avidly drank the cold liquid, and felt himself become a little more stabilized to the point where he felt like speaking, “I-I’m… sorry.” he apologized. 

How many times has this same scenario happened? Having a panic attack, or even just a low-importance anxiety attack, and needing someone to be there for him–bring water for him. He should be able to do that all for himself. He’s done it to Sunny countless times, and now them? They were the ones who should have the least amount of concern about it… 

“Hey man, we all have our ups and downs. What’s most important is that you’re okay!” Basil looked up to see the one who had given him the water bottle was Kim. 

“I hate to admit when Angel’s right, but Angel’s right.” Kim said. Angel stuck his tongue out at her, and she stood back up, offering a helping hand to him. 

“I don’t know what happened, but we’re your friends now, okay?” Basil took her hand in his own, wobbly standing on his own two feet again. 

“Even if we don’t fully understand, us Hooligans stick together.” She said, pounding a fist on her chest and winking. She backed away to allow him his space so he could readjust to his surroundings, and when everyone began speaking about the project at hand, “Basil…” a presence from behind approached him. 

He turned to face Aubrey, “I’m sorry about… Well, you know.” She apologized. “I wasn’t thinking and I-”

“It’s okay Aubrey, I know th-that wasn’t your intention.” 

She cursed herself, eyes narrowing with disappointment in herself, “Yeah, but I wasn’t thinking and ended up doing something stupid!” 

Basil gave her a pained grin, “W-We all do stupid things, Aubrey, w-we just have to try our best to learn from them.” he said. 

“Basil-” Their conversation was quickly wrapped up when two other familiar faces made their arrival. 

“Please hold your applause as I gracefully make my long-awaited entrance!” Mikhael and Charlie had arrived, holding a variety of different color swatches in their hands. 

“Bad timing Mikhael…”

“Oh Aubrey! It’s never bad timing when I’m here!” He said, turning to Basil with his signature smirk. 

“Basil my friend, how are you?” 

“I-I’m fine.”

“And lady Polly?”

“She’s fine too.” He said between gritted teeth. The others seemed to not notice that he clearly had a thing for his caretaker, or were choosing to blatantly ignore it. Once they confirmed that the new stairs and balcony were safe, they one by one stood atop and looked down upon the others over the balconies railing. 

Ah! This would be a great time to get out his camera, Basil thought. 

“How exactly did y-you all manage to do this?” He asked as a distraction method so they wouldn’t notice him rummaging through his bag. 

Vance explained to him how he had experience in this kind of stuff, being in the school's agriculture team, working a job at Fix-It for some time, and how he’s always had a passion for, ‘Creating something out of almost nothing.’

Basil found his camera and creeped his way up the stairs. As soon as everyone was in view, he snapped a photo.

Click!

Angel was the first to whip his head around to him, “Ooo! You have your camera? Lemme see! Lemme see!”

“P-Patience Angel, It’s developing.” Basil carefully removed the developing photo from the camera slot and fanned it in the air. Even though it technically did nothing to help the development of the photo, he still did it out of habit. 

When it finally did, Basil could finally see the display he had captured. First and foremost, the most prominent one in the picture was Angel, who had grabbed the color swatches and threw them all up in the air. Vance looked dreadfully at the amount of small swatches they’d have to pick back up, Mikhael had sat himself on the railing, (despite warning from Vance) Charlie stood right next to him making sure he didn’t fall off, and lastly Aubrey and Kim were close together, talking about something to each other that had been inaudible to the rest of them. 

That’s right, they should have something to say to them as a group, right? 

“Why don’t we take a snack break?” Vance suggested. Angel's eyes sparkled with excitement, “Woohoo! Snack break!”

“You can join us after you clean up your mess.” 

“Aww man…” He grumbled, but complied and began picking all of the color swatches he had thrown, as did Charlie. The rest of them went inside the treehouse, which was now empty besides the old wooden table they’d put in here so long ago, and a cooler. It was surprisingly clean. 

Vance began explaining how he’d had to replace some of the wooden panels otherwise their teenage grown bodies wouldn’t have been safely supported, which made since. If it had been abandoned for four years, surely some of the wood had eroded and grown mold over that period of time. 

They all grabbed a drink from the cooler, and two fresh cheese pizzas from Gino’s sat untouched on the table, reminding Basil that he hadn’t eaten breakfast. At this point, it didn’t matter how much grease was on it, he was just happy to get some food in his body. 

“So…” Aubrey began after everyone was settled, and slammed her hands on the table. 

“Since our color swatches aren’t here, we can’t get a better visual representation for it,” She looked between everyone in the group, “but have we decided what color we want to paint the accent wall?” she asked. 

“A-Accent wall?” Basil said, confused.

“Right, you don’t know…” She remembered. 

Kim chimed in for her, “Well, we wanted to paint this wall-” she pointed towards the back wall. “-a different color, but we’ve been struggling to decide what color to agree on.” 

“I still say pink!” Aubrey said. 

“No no, we need a more neutral color like blue… or green!” Mikhael inputted. Kim nodded, “I agree, blue would be nice.”

“Why don’t we do a more cheerful color like yellow?” Vance suggested instead. 

“Why not all?” Basil asked, catching their attention. 

“I-I mean, there’s no need to settle on just one, why don’t we make stripes of the rainbow?” He said. “Th-That way, everyone’s satisfied! We could do pastels, so instead of red it’s pink for Aubrey-” 

He began to list them off on his fingers, “Orange for Kel, yellow for Vance, green for Mikhael and I, blue for Kim and Hero, and…” he paused, eyes softening, “And purple for Mari.” he finished. 

Everyone was on board, and thanked Basil for his insight. “What about Sunny?” Aubrey asked. 

“Hm?”

“What color would Sunny want?” 

“Ah- Um- Sunny’s favorite color is black, and I don’t really think that’d fit in with the theme we’re going for. I think he’d be happy with whatever regardless…” Basil explained. She scoffed, “Predictable. Should’ve known his favorite color was still black.” cackled with amusement. 

The other two finally joined the rest for a bite to eat and they too were on board with what Basil had just explained. After picking out the appropriate colors for the accent wall, Angel was allowed to take and keep the rest for whatever unknown reasons he had. 

It was right before they were going to go back to polish a few finishing touches on the balcony that Kim coughed and asked for them all to sit back down. They all looked at them confused, but shrugged it off and sat back down anyway. Except for Basil, who hadn’t gotten up in the first place. The two of them seemed really on edge for whatever they were about to say. 

“What’s up Kimmy?” Angel asked, leaning and propping himself up on the table. 

“We just uh- we wanted to-” Kim looked to Aubrey, who gave her an affirmative nod. 

She smiled, seeming a bit more confident. “We’ve been meaning to tell you guys something r-really important, but hadn’t found the right time up until now, but-” She cut herself off again, rubbing her eyes in frustration. 

“Ack! Why is this so hard for me to say?” 

“Kim and I are dating and have been for the past few months.” Aubrey cut in. Basil felt his eyes widen.

“A-Aubrey! I wanted to be the one to say it.” Kim bemoaned at her. Aubrey laughed, pulling her in for a side hug. 

“You were taking too long. I wanted to just get it over with already.” She said. 

The whole group stayed silent for a bit before Angel inevitably scratched his chin with confusion and asked, “Wait… So have you guys like. Kissed and stuff?”

“Yes Angel.”

“You guys are like, a couple?”

“Yes. Angel.” 

A big grin came across his face, “That’s so awesome!” He exclaimed. 

“Two of my best friends as a couple? This is great, I’m so happy for you guys!” He exclaimed happily. Charlie gave a thumbs up of her approval, and Basil watched as all their faces lit up with excitement for the two. 

Mikhael was the next one to speak up, “I can not believe the two of you got together before I managed to get a girlfriend of my own,” He said, and then wiped an invisible tear from his eye, “but nevertheless, I am still happy for you!” 

“What happened to the Mikhael that was ‘smooth with the ladies.’” Kim air quoted him. He flipped his hair, “I have my eye on someone very special right now.” 

Basil coughed loudly and awkwardly, turning their attention away from him, “That’s nice Mikhael, b-but-” he clapped his hands together and glanced at Kim and Aubrey, “C-Congratulations! You two s-seem so happy together.” he said, smiling warmly. 

No wonder they seem so close, it’s because they’re dating. 

If they were together, that means they didn’t care about what the people of Faraway would think. Two girls together… That means–what would they think of two boys together? And Sunny knew? What was his reaction to this?

He shook those thoughts away for the time being, today was about them not the internalized issues Basil had with himself. Plus, he can always bring up the topic for another day. Lastly, Vance stood up from his spot with a big smile, and from behind wrapped his arms around both of them. 

“One of my best friends and sister together? This is just great!” He said, ruffling Kim’s hair. She giggled, “V-Vance…” and gently shooed him off of her so she could go back to holding hands with Aubrey. 

“We would’ve told you guys sooner, but you know how Faraway is… Word gets around fast, that’s why we waited until the treehouse was fixed. It’s a private area, probably even more private than the lake spot.” She explained, and looked up at Vance. 

“You won’t tell mom, will you?”

“F’course not Kimmy. Your safety is important to me.” He affirmed her. The rest of the group stood up, and Angel pulled all seven of them into one big group hug, “All right! Gay group hug!” He yelled. 

Basil was squished between Aubrey and Charlie, but he didn’t mind. It was the happiest he’s seen her in years. It must’ve been a big burden to hide their relationship for so long. 

When they broke apart, Aubrey picked Kim off her feet and exclaimed, “She’s my girlfriend everyone!” it was adorable–Basil couldn’t help but take a photo of the two. 

Kim was blushing embarrassingly in the picture as Aubrey held her up close and started kissing different parts of her cheek all over. The group all giggled in delight for the two, and soon after their exhibit of shared affection for each other calmed down.

When they went back outside to begin the cautionary work for the treehouse, Basil took many more opportunities to take pictures. 

In one he captured Charlie intently smoothing down the wood railing so they wouldn’t get splinters, while Mikhael once again sat on it, putting on a dramatic face as he was being yelled at by Vance to get off. 

In another, Angel had presented Kim with a–crown…? That he had made out of the carefully folded color swatches they had given him, (It was a little impressive how well it held together) and in one of his last ones, he had captured Kim on Aubrey’s shoulder, reaching upwards towards one of the tree's limbs. Basil didn't realize until it had developed, but Kim was trying to get a certain cat down from the tree. 

“Volt!” She yelled happily followed by an emphasized meow.  

Aubrey lowered her on the ground, and Kim happily held the cat up to her face. Its paw grazed her nose, “How’d you know we were over here?” she asked it, holding it up in the air above her. She began talking about how when the addition of the door, which Basil had no clue about, was added, they could add a cat door, and provide Volt with a place to stay. 

“Kimberly, we are not allowing that cat in there. It’ll get its fur everywhere.”

“But Vance! He’ll be cold in the winter time.”

“Nope.”

“But you’re on your medication! Please?” She begged, holding the cat up to where Vance could get a proper look of it. Volt meowed curiously and wagged his tail, 

“F-Fine! But you have to lint roll everything every once in a while.” Vance caved when Aubrey gave him a threatening death stare. She seemed to lighten up a bit when Kim was satisfied with their compromise, and brought the cat up the stairs to allow it to investigate the empty inside. 

It was when the two were finally alone that Aubrey walked up to him with something in her hands. “Hey Basil, take a look.” She said, showing him an old flip phone. 

“I thought since you don’t have one, you can have this old one. It’s been my back-up for years for when I got grounded, but you can take it.” She shoved the phone in his hands. 

“A-Are you sure I can have this?” 

She nodded, pressing a few buttons on it, “Sure. Look, I even reset everything for you. You have all the basic necessities, a couple of games for when you get bored, and…” She pressed the messages app. “I even have Kel and I saved to your contacts so you can message up any time. Pretty cool huh?” Basil nodded, pressing and testing out different buttons to see what they did. 

“I don’t have Sunny’s number yet, so you’ll have to get it from him yourself. But when you do, gimmie it so I can prank call him. Hehe…” She rubbed her hands together. Prank call… He wondered what exactly she had entailed if she were to really go through with something like that. Though, he didn’t actually want to be involved for whatever she was scheming. Sunny has enough reason already to hate him, but actively chooses not to… No need to give him another.

Hesitantly, he agreed to taking the phone off her hands and promised that he’d take good care of it. Not knowing how it worked still however, he asked Aubrey to teach him how to properly use it, to which she agreed, and they sat on the bottom of the wooden stairs together so he could get a better look. It was pretty straightforward, this button does, this icon opens this app, she even opened Tetris and taught him how to play. Basil was sure it would come handy for the nights when he lay awake, insomniac. 

“Oh! Before I forget.” She pulled out a cord from her jacket pocket. “Here’s the charger. Just plug it up into here and it’ll do the trick.” 

Overall, Basil would say that he’s had a pretty good couple of days. He’s gotten to talk and hang out with some of his closest friends, engaged in old hobbies again, and the news of the treehouse being fixed up was exciting. The road was rocky, but in the end, he’s bound to hit a few bumps on the way there.

Chapter Text

The hotness of the brewed coffee became more and more prominent and noticeable with each movement of Sunny’s cold, shaky hands. He’d been anticipating this moment all morning, and now was his chance to finally have a cup. 

It brought him childlike wonder that the weather forecast was wrong, and instead of snowing on the weekend like it was supposed to, it snowed a few days early. He hasn’t seen the snow fall this much in literal years, and walking to and from school in it proved it to be quite nice in the city–only downside being how stiff and snowy his eyelashes would get in the harsher winds, and sometimes it would get a little muddy on the sidewalks.

Now he was on winter break, and over that period Sunny has developed a taste for the bitter drink of coffee. His mother denying him the right to ever drink it only made him more and more curious to what it tasted like, so after she left for work, instead of pouring out the remaining liquid like he was supposed to, he’d heat it back up and have some for himself. 

At first he thought the taste was icky, but as time went on, he found that the warmth comforted him, and it really wasn’t so bad once you got used to it. So for the fourth morning in a row Sunny pulled out one of the mugs they had stored away and poured himself a cup. He started to feel the blood course throughout his veins again as he drank more and more, before this feeling almost entirely numb due to how cold it was.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, deciding to shoot Basil a quick text,

8:04 AM

Sunny: Hey, you up?

At first, it felt a little awkward to text his friends, being so used to calling them over the phone, but he soon realized being able to text back and forth was a helpful development in his relationships. 

He and Aubrey would talk during their boring classes, and she also did the liberty of pulling the old, “Is your refrigerator running?” prank call on him–or at least tried to. Sunny had taken it literally, and had told her no. Like his refrigerator could suddenly grow legs and walk away, at least that’s what he initially thought. 

He was certain that she was trying to play some stupid trick on him, and in fact, she was, but he had completely turned the tables on her, leaving Aubrey completely dumbfounded at Sunny’s ability to evade every prank she’s ever tried to play on him.

After basketball practice, he and Kel would catch up with each other almost everyday, and for him and Basil… Well, they didn’t really have a set schedule on when they would text each other. It was at complete random most of the time, but it was a very common occurrence for both of them to be awake at the late hours of the night. 

8:05 AM

Basil: I haven’t been asleep this whole time.

Sunny checked the time, a little surprised, but he’d come to get used to the fact that Basil being up all night was a common occurrence.

8:05 AM

Sunny: One of those days?

8:06 AM

Basil: Mhm.

He feels bad for him because no matter how hard he tries, it seems like he’d never be able to get over his insomnia. It’s not a recent thing–it followed him throughout his childhood and now teenage years. Even after switching rooms, trying various medications, and even drinking sleeping tea it still affected him greatly to this day. It’s amazing how he’s able to get through a whole school day without any sleep sometimes…

“Sunny?” A figure appeared in the kitchen doorway, scaring him as he spit a little bit of his drink back into the mug. His mother had a scrutinizing look on her face as she crossed her arms and walked up to him, her hair looking a bit curlier than usual.

“Are you drinking my coffee?” she asked, setting the mail she had in her hand down on the counter. He hadn’t even heard her go in and out of the apartment! 

“W-Why are you home?”

“I told you that I was taking off today to finish some Christmas shopping, remember?” She reminded him, pouring herself a cup of coffee as well. 

That’s right, he remembers now, “Oh well…” he held his mug over the sink, prepared to dump it all out, “I can just-”

“Up up up. Don’t do that. That’s perfectly good coffee.” Confused, Sunny took a cautious sip while looking her directly in the eyes. 

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? You’re a teenager. I don’t expect you to listen to everything I say.” She chuckled, “Just don’t drink it at night. It’ll keep you up.” 

Sunny has always been confused about the sentiment that coffee was supposed to, “wake you up.” because he found for him that it did the opposite; instead calming him down, and making him feel tired. But still, he nodded his head yes if it meant he could keep drinking it.

She picked back up the mail, shuffling through it quickly before a particularly brightly colored letter caught her eye, “To the Suzuki Family,” she read, and then looked to Sunny. “From the Desoto Residence.” He curiously peeked over and set down his mug. 

She continued reading, “We would love it if you both could join our family on the twenty fifth to celebrate the holidays together.” she raised an eyebrow. 

“Bringing gifts is not a necessity, but if you would be ever so kind as to bring a dish of your own to contribute, that would be great. Please call the number at the bottom to give us an answer, thank you. Sincerely, The Desoto’s.” 

Her finger moved to the bottom, and turned the letter in Sunny’s direction. “Kel and Sally wrote you a little message at the bottom, isn’t that adorable?” Sunny glanced at the bottom,

Hey Sunny! Hope you can join us for the celebration, it’d be really cool if you could! -Kel 

He smiled, and then looked at Sally's messier, shorter message.

Hi Sunny! -Sally

She even drew a smiley face next to her name. 

“So, do you want to go?” She asked. He nodded. Of course he’d take the opportunity to spend the holiday with his friends, and he hasn’t seen Hero in forever. He wonders how he’s been doing… 

His mother exited the kitchen to call the number that had been printed at the bottom, and soon after the vibrations of Sunny’s phone caught his attention. 

He scrambled to pick it up, and before answering realized the called ID was marked as Basil, “Hey Basil, what’s up?”

“Hi Sunny.” Basil greeted him with a tired, croaky voice and a yawn. The sound of a door closing resonated from the other side. 

“H-Hey, did you get a letter fro-” He yawned again, “from Kel’s family i-inviting you to join them for Christmas too?” he was finally able to finish sluggishly. 

“Yeah I did actually.” Sunny confirmed, 

“That’s- That’s nice. Mmm, Kel and Sally even wrote on it. H-How cute.” he commented, the sound of shuffling paper followed, “This was a r-really nice thing of them to do.” 

“So assuming you’ve read the whole thing through, are you going?” He asked with hope in his heart. Basil hummed in thought for a minute before answering, “I dunno Sunny, I-I’d feel like I'm invading somewhere I don’t belong.” he said. 

“And if H-Hero’s there it’ll be especially awkward.” 

“That’s why you should go, we’ll be able to talk to him for the first time in months. Maybe even… explain the situation better than before.” Sunny said, taking another sip of coffee. Basil only sighed, groaning tiredly, “L-Let me sleep on it, o-okay?” he bemoaned. 

“Sorry, I-I know this is kind of a short ph-phone call, but I was too tired to text you about it...” He apologized. Basil did sound exhausted right now, so maybe it was for the best he left him be for now. 

Leaning against the countertop, “No that’s okay. You just think about it, okay? Sleep well Basil.” he wished him goodnight. 

“Mm, okay. Night night Sunny…” He replied, and hung up the phone. Sunny couldn’t ignore the twist he felt in his heart after hearing him say that. He just sounded so adorable…

“Sunshine, do you wanna come with me or not?” His mother popped back in the kitchen to ask. He nodded, eager to get outside and do something besides sit around all day, drawing or play video games. After he got dressed and shoved his shoes on he asked, “Who are we even shopping for?”

“I thought we’d find a little gift for Mincy, she’s been a big help to us over the past few months, hm?” They stepped out in the morning snow and could already feel his cheeks already becoming red with frostiness. 

“Is that all?” He asked. A smile came to her face, “I thought we could eat out somewhere new as well. Ooo, how about we go somewhere Italian?”

“You’re not gonna make me order something weird again, are you?”

“No Sunny, I learned my lesson trying to get you to try new things after you wasted a twenty dollar meal at that hibachi grill.” The two shared a laugh.

“But you’ve got to admit… it was a little gross.” She ruffled his hair, “I think, had it not been prepared right in front of you, that you would’ve enjoyed it.” she said. He pouted his lips with doubt. Was it that hard to believe that he was just really picky? 

“Aww, brighten up a bit Sunny. They won’t be making your food in front of you this time.” He grumbled as he got into the chilly car.

It was going to be a long rest of the week, anticipating such an event. He could hardly wait, but he also felt like he could throw up any minute now from how nervous he was. Surely though, things would go way smoother than they had at the hospital.

…

“What do you want for Christmas?”

“H-Huh? Why?”

“Dunno. Just curious…”

“S-Sunny, please don’t get me something. We all already agreed t-to not buy each other anything because it w-wasn’t affordable.” 

Sunny laughed, kicking his feet boredly in the air, “I’m not, promise. I’m just being nosy.” Basil hummed for a moment. “I want… I just want everyone to be happy.” He said with an audible smile. 

Sunny pursed his lips, of course he’d say something as indirect as that.

It was a few days later, just a couple more before they’d be driving on the icy road back to Faraway to celebrate the holiday with the whole Desoto family, and potentially more. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, and it seemed like the blond was feeling the same exact way, still not having an answer on if he were attending or not. 

That’s why Sunny was trying to slowly hint at it, push him in just the right direction to where he’d give one, but it looked like that wouldn’t be the case any time soon. 

“Aw come on Basil, that’s so cheesy…”

“I-I’m being serious though!”

“I know, that’s what makes it even cheesier.” Basil went silent and made a, “Hmph” noise that made Sunny giggle. 

“Basil…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going or not?” He finally decided to ask straight upwardly. He didn’t want to pressure him into doing something he didn’t want to do, but Sunny would be lying if he said he doesn’t think Basil’s overthinking it. His presence was requested and welcomed, it just wouldn’t be the same if everyone got back together again and he was missing. 

“Hm? Going where?” Basil replied smugly. He’s got to be messing with me now, “Basil.” he said more sternly, making the other laugh with mischief in his tone.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, but now I don’t think I want to give you an answer at all. I’ll leave it up to surprise.” he said, unusually confidently. He didn’t stammer over his words–not one time, and Sunny thought it was affectionately annoying that he was teasing him in such a way. Since when in the few weeks that passed did Basil become so sly?

He groaned, flipping himself on his back and running his fingers all throughout his hair, “I mean–you don’t have anything else to be doing that day.”

“You don’t know that.” 

“You said it yourself, Polly is going to see family. Don’t just lock yourself in your house all day.” Sunny said.

“Or… at least–if you do; I want to see you again before we leave.” he thought for a moment before landing on an idea, “Like… we could stay the night! If that’s fine with you.”

“S-Stay the night?” Basil repeated. 

“Yeah, we haven’t had a sleepover in years. It’ll be just us two. Fun, right?”

“T-That sounds like kiddie stuff, Sunny.”

“So? We don’t need to be kids to have fun.”

“Hm, I g-guess so.” 

“Is there some deeper meaning to you being so hesitant about enjoying yourself on a holiday.” He pried. Basil stammered a bit before answering, “It’s just the f-first Christmas that I’ll truly have no family to celebrate with, my G-Grandma being gone and all…” he said. 

“I’m afraid that it’ll s-show. I don’t want everyone t-to get all depressed just because I-I am.” He paused, “But that’s the th-thing, why am I even considering that my feelings are even relevant in the end? I mean-”

“You’re overthinking it.” Sunny interrupted him. “Basil, you think too much sometimes. None of us are going to be upset if you don’t feel overly-ecstatic the whole time. If you’re feeling depressed, that’s something we’ll all work through–together.” He reaffirmed him. 

“And it’s not like I’ll be the most put-together person there either. I haven’t celebrated Christmas let alone gone to a social event in four years.” That is what’s so particularly scary and exciting about the whole ordeal in the first place…

“So whether you go or not, I’m coming to your house and we’re having a sleepover afterward, damn it. Because who better else than my best friend to spend Christmas night with?” Basil giggled, making Sunny’s heart skip a beat, “S-So ambitious of you, Sunny.” he said. 

“Aw what the heck, s-sure. Why not? I could even m-make us something like… Oh! Hot chocolate.” 

“Sounds good.” He agreed, hot chocolate’s kind of like coffee but with additives… Right? He hasn’t had it in a while, but can vaguely remember how it tasted from way back when. 

“Mm, I’ve got to go Sunny.”

“Aw, why?”

“The plants… They’re calling for me. I-I slept in late again today and they haven’t b-been watered.” 

“How’re the lilies of the valley?” He asked to stall for time, he really didn’t want him to go, but he supposed he could always talk to Aubrey or Kel for the time being. 

“Oh, they’re doing great. Th-They’ll be nice and healthy just in time for spring.” He said followed by the squeaking of his bed. 

“I’d t-talk about them more, but you know I don’t m-multitask very well.” 

Sunny frowned, upset that he had to leave but understood. “Okay… But I’ll see you soon, right?”

“Hehe, yes Sunny. We’ll see each other v-very soon. Bye bye now.”

“Bye.” Sunny spluttered out quickly before he hung up on him, and after he did, he pondered on what he should do next. It was pretty cold outside, making staying under the covers sound like a pretty good idea right now. Perhaps he could take a short nap…

He closed his eyes for a second, actually, who knows how long? All he knows is that it wasn’t long-lived, he had made the fatal mistake of not locking his door, so his mother had the opportunity to burst right through his door with his clean laundry in hand.

“Wake up and look alive Sunshine! We’re having Mincy over for lunch very soon–she said she had something to show you.” and of course, the moment and all the joy he felt in his chest was ruined all at that very second. 

“Hnn, I don’t wanna get up…” He complained.

“Oh but you must, my love.” She said, pulling him out of bed and mumbling to herself in Japanese. He could only make out the word, ‘dirty’ which probably meant she was complaining about his room to herself again.

He groaned when she opened his curtains, letting the sun shine through and directly hit his face. “Mom…?”

“Yes sweetheart?” He opened his eye to see her picking up the dirty laundry scattered across his rooms.

“Can we stay at Basil’s Christmas night?”

“So like a sleepover? How cute. You haven’t had a proper one in years!” She said, squeezing his cheeks just to annoy him. 

“Mooom!” 

Maybe he shouldn’t disclose that Kel and Hero did technically sleep over at his house the last few days he was in Faraway… Hero did do all the chores he was supposed to do after all. He followed her out of his room when she gestured for him to get his trash and throw it away with the rest. 

“Did you talk to Basil about it?” 

“Yes.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said sure.” 

She rushed out of the bathroom with a whole basket of things to fold. “Then we could, yes. No staying up too late- Hey can you help me?” She spoke fast, letting the basket drop to the floor as her head rushed to do three other things at once. 

As Sunny was folding, Lily meowed, jumping on the head of the couch to remind them it was time for her bowl to be refilled. 

“Feed the cat… Feed the cat… Sunny! Stop what you’re doing and feed the cat.” 

“Why are you cleaning everything right before Mincy comes?”

“Because my musuko this place is a mess! She offered to check the plants and watch after the cat since we’re leaving so early on Christmas. That is a lot to ask of a person!” 

“What’s that gotta do with cleaning the house…?” He mumbled as he finished folding the last of the towels. “A clean house means clean intentions. Oh!” She saw how fast he’d finished and thanked him with a motherly kiss on the head. 

Picking up an impossibly extensive amount of towels, she pointed to Lily, “Now feed your cat.” 

Sunny complied, and somehow in a miraculous manner they managed to finish all the cleaning that desperately needed to be done before Mincy arrived and knocked on the door. She happily greeted his mother with a friendly handshake, and placed her bag down next to the couch once his mother convinced Mincy that she could handle making lunch just fine by herself. After all, it gave her and Sunny some time to catch up a little.

She talked excitedly about how she’s been practicing her clarinet, reminding Sunny that he should probably practice his own instrument, and complained about how easily her reeds had been chipping recently. She joked about her going broke from all the ones she’s had to buy recently, but they both knew that pretty soon it probably wasn't going to be a joke anymore. Sunny still can’t believe their directors charge three dollars each for one, but they have to make their money somehow.

Lily, who’d previously been eating, made an entrance, jumping right into Sunny’s lap and reminding Mincy that she had brought something, “Oh! Lookie here.” she said, grabbing a small knit sweater out of her bag–perfectly fit to an animal of her size. 

“I’ve been learning to knit, so what better than to knit a little sweater for sweet Lily here?” She said, bopping the cat gently on the nose. The design was quite adorable–a simple Christmas themed pattern that reached all the way around, and it didn’t look like it would completely suffocate her, like most cat accessories. 

“I made it extra big just for her because of how freaking fluffy she is!” She said, voice slowly becoming more childlike as she scratched the cheeks of Lily’s face. 

She meowed in protest when Sunny picked her up and lifted her two front legs, but stayed still as Mincy pulled the sweater over her head, and paws through the two openings. The fur around her neck scrunched up a bit, but in an adorable way, not an uncomfortable looking way. 

Mincy aw’d at the display when Sunny lifted her up above him, leaving her back two legs hanging in the air. She didn’t seem to mind, and even began to purr loudly as he set her back down in his lap. “I think she likes it.” He told her, who blushed gladly in return, and pushed her red glasses further up her nose. 

“If you’d like, I could knit you your own someday!” She offered. Sunny nodded, wondering if she could make him and Lily matching ones. A bit silly, yes, but he knows his mother would eat up the photo opportunities of the two.

When lunch was done, Sunny was curious about what the unfamiliar smell could have in store for them, and when he sat down, he was particularly confused on what exactly was in front of him. 

He poked at the sides of the bread, “This looks like a burger, but instead of buns you used bread.” he commented.

“It’s a patty melt.” His mother informed him.

“What in the hell is a patty melt?”

“Sunny! Language please! My goodness…” She scolded him. Mincy giggled, taking a bite of her food. 

“I went to the deli the other day and ordered one for the first time. It was delicious! So I thought I’d make us some of our own.” She said, placing down her own plate and sitting next to Sunny. 

“This is an unusually American thing for you to be cooking.”

“Pish-posh, just try it Sunny.” And so with her convincing he did, and it did taste like a burger, just a little greasier and toastier because of the oiled and cooked bread, but it did taste good in spite of his hesitancy. His mother thanked Mincy for offering to look after their house on Christmas day, and amidst their conversation was when it really hit him.

He’d be spending Christmas day with the whole Desoto family, Aubrey and Basil possibly, and on top of that would be staying the night at his best friend's house for the first time in years. He suddenly felt dizzy with anticipation. 

“Are you okay Sunny?” Mincy asked, noticing that he was becoming a bit dissociative. He nodded, “Yeah.” 

I think, He added in his head. 

He took another bite of his food; his impulsiveness really won over reason and thought this time.

~

“Sunny! Did you get the chicken karaage?” 

He picked up the large pot from the kitchen counter, it felt warm against his chest, and the smell made him feel ravenous even though he’d already had breakfast. 

“I-I’m coming!” He shouted back to his mom, struggling to carry it in his arms. He mumbled something under his breath, wondering to himself why they couldn’t just make something normal to bring like… tiny sandwiches or a pie. But of course, this was Maria Suzuki they were talking about, and she just had to go out of her way to be extra and show-offy.

He brought the pot out to his mother, who had already pulled the car out front and was struggling to get the ice off the windshield. Her hand waved him off towards the backseat, telling him to place it wherever as she was too stressed about scraping off all the ice. 

When he opened the car door heat blasted out, hitting his face and making him automatically gravitate towards the inside. His mother eventually yelled at him for letting the heat out after mindlessly standing with the door open for a minute, and told him that if he were ready he could wait in the car. 

So he did. He sat himself cozily in the warm vehicle, turned the radio up to where the cheesy Christmas that played was resonating throughout the whole car, and waited patiently, occasionally catching a glimpse of her frustrated face through the slowly melting ice. When she got in the driver's seat she cursed under her breath, apologizing to Sunny that he had to hear that from her. 

He wanted to laugh and tell her that he’s heard way worse come out of Aubrey's mouth, but he knew that she would not appreciate hearing that…

After a few minutes of warming up her shaking, cold body, she backed out and they began their careful journey back to Faraway. The two hummed nonchalantly to joyful music, cheering Sunny up a bit from before. He’s always in a grumpy mood when he first wakes up, and especially hates morning city traffic. Even on holidays, the roads seemed to never calm down.

As they got closer and closer to Faraway, Sunny only got more and more antsy in his seat–kicking his legs, playing with the moveable features of the car seat, which got on his mothers nerves constantly, but he couldn’t help it; he was that anxious. 

Instead of scolding him for wearing out the latch that made the seat go up and down, his mother instead squeezed one of his cheeks, “Aww, is my baby boy all nervous about attending a Christmas event for the first time in years?” she asked. 

Sunny slowly lifted the seat back up, giving her a stare dead in the eyes, well–stare in the side of the face. She was driving after all.

“Thank you so much for making me feel so much better about this whole situation, mother.” he deadpanned, pulling a laugh from her. 

The rest of the car ride employed brittle chatter to distract Sunny from the ever-so-slowly approach of the usual beautiful but now lackluster flora. Even though the trees were only twigs, and the grass was covered in snow, he could tell exactly where they were based on the placement of roads and the look of some of the houses. 

When they finally arrived to Faraway, Sunny was taken back to the winter days from before he’d locked himself away all those years–the snow shimmered just as brightly and was absolutely dazzling, it hurt his eyes just even looking at it. Compared to the more dirty, brown looking snow in the city, this felt more like home. 

Snowmen were lined out in front of people’s houses, a few kids and teenagers alike walked together with sleds in hand to the park, which was well known for having a couple of good mounds to sled down on, and overall the cozy feel that radiated from the town found it’s way back to Sunny’s heart.

The Desoto residence was as usual covered in festive decorations, their mother was crazy about decking out their house in decorations. They parked out in the street, and walked carefully in order not to slip on the ice covered concrete, potentially dropping the food they had prepared. 

Sunny knocked on the for his mother since her hands were preoccupied, and the one who answered the door, “Hey Sunny! Maria, come in.” was Kel of course. It was always him; he was always the most eager to see who it was. 

He gave Sunny one of his signature high-fives before being yelled at by his mother, “Mijo! Please help Ms. Maria with her things instead of dilly-dallying around!” 

Kel rolled his eyes, “Yes mama!” he said, grabbing the pot from her hands and rushing it off to the kitchen. Sunny’s mother gratefully smiled and relieved the tension built up inside her by taking a seat on the nice plush couch. She began catching up with Kel’s father–how the city life was, how her job was. Just normal and boring adult stuff that didn’t interest him.

Kel came back up behind Sunny, tugging his body around and pulling him in for one of his typical Kel hugs, “Hey bro, Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Maybe Santa’ll bring you a few inches height wise this year.” he joked, using a hand to measure the difference between their heights.

Sunny didn’t find it as humorous as he did though. “Thanks Kel…” He really didn’t like being reminded that he among everyone was the shortest of the group, Basil coming in close second. He swears he only looks taller because of his fluffy hair though–if only he could just gain a couple more inches…

Kel dragged Sunny around, taking the time to stop at their tree and point at all of the new handmade ornaments made by both he and Sally, “Oh! And this one was Sally’s first ever ornament she made.” he said, pointing to a popsicle stick that was decorated to look like a reindeer. 

“Isn’t it adorable?” Sunny nodded, tapping his foot in impatience for the others to arrive. 

“Where is Sally anyway?” He asked, deciding that getting to know Kel’s little sister might help distract him from all the worries building up inside of his chest. 

“Oh she’s taking a nap right now, she’ll be up soon though!” Kel said, placing one of the ornaments he had taken off back in its correlating spot. Sunny’s eyebrows sadly drooped.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get many opportunities to say hi to my lil sis!” he assured him, ruffling his hair. 

Kel’s mother yelled for him shortly after, gaining an apology from him for being so busy. Sunny insisted that it was okay, because quite frankly his mother was terrifying when she got angry, and took the empty space next to his own on the couch. 

He leaned against her and closed his eye, taking in her warmth and the scent of her perfume that smelt of–cherries? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was the kind that she always used, so he felt immediately comforted at the scent.

She eventually wrapped his arm around him, pulling him closer to him as she kept chatting with Mr. Desoto about whatever; he wasn’t really paying attention, and being tired from the road trip over didn’t help at all, so he quickly adjusted to the sounds around him, and was easily able to block out the conversations around him and from the TV in order to relax for just a moment.

Sunny thinks he may have fallen asleep for a bit, because next thing he knew his mother was tapping him awake. “Sunny honey, are you awake?” 

He wiped the grogginess from his eyes and lifted his head to see her smiling face, “...Hmm?”

“Aubrey and Basil are here, go say hi to your friends!” Sunny’s stomach dropped with slight excitement mixed with the anticipation he’d felt over the past few days. When he stood up to stretch, he spotted them standing near one of the many family picture displays observing it curiously, which reminded him that they probably haven’t been here in a long time either, huh?

He silently approached behind them, leaning in towards Basil’s ear, “So you did decide to make it after all?” he said in a low, gruff voice. Basil jumped and turned around to look at him a bit displeased, making him giggle with how upset he looked. 

Aubrey herself leaned in and said in a low whisper, “Damn right he did, I would’ve dragged him out of his room if he didn’t.” 

Basil put his hands together coyly, “A-Aubrey, please…” he uttered. They were both wearing festive sweaters–Aubrey wore a long skirt which fit her nicely, and Basil was wearing pants that looked way too big for him. 

When Basil turned his whole body to face Sunny, he noticed he had something in his hair. A holly, he thinks; he wouldn’t really know, but he did know that it looked quite cute against his soft, fluffy hair. 

Sunny reached out to touch it, “I like it.” was all he said, but even without much context Basil knew what he was referring to. 

“Th-Thanks! I would’ve brought one for everyone, b-but I did it on kind of short notice…"

“He’s saying that I rushed him when I picked him up from his place, but hey! Not my fault! I didn’t wanna come here alone, or late.” Aubrey said. Basil smiled, “That’s okay Aubrey, I-I know how excited you were for today.” 

“Hey, unfair Basil! Don’t spread such untrue and embarrassing lies…” She grunted with her lips pouted. She didn’t want to admit it, but she really must be happy that they’re all getting together again on Christmas for the first time in four years. Sunny recalls that her family never really celebrated holidays, and as the years went on, the worse it only got for her. 

Kel came out of the kitchen sweating and smelling like a mixture of many foods. He greeted the other two the same, thanking them for making it and letting his previously put up hair down from its ponytail. 

“Isn’t this great? We’re almost all back together again.” He said, pulling the three of them in for a hug. 

“That reminds me, when exactly is Hero gonna make it?” Aubrey asked. Kel thought for a moment before being reminded, “My mom talked to him earlier. He should be here in less than an hour.” 

Less than an hour. That was terrifying news, Sunny had barely any time to mentally prepare himself for his arrival, and after exchanging glances with Basil, it looked like he felt the exact same way. His pupils dilated with fear, making the blue in his eyes more prominent. 

Sunny grabbed his wrist, feeling and checking his pulse just to make sure this was all really happening, and that he wasn’t just imagining everything around him. After feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat for a moment, Sunny rubbed his wrist gently. It'll be okay, he said to him with his eyes, hoping he got the message. He felt as Basil calmed, pulse getting gradually slower, but the moment was interrupted by a loud whining sound. 

Everyone turned their attention to Sally, who was finally up from her nap, she sniffled loudly, holding a stuffed bear in her arms, “Papa, y-you said you would be there when I woke up. It was so dark, I-I was scared.” she cried, and rushed over to climb in Mr. Desoto’s lap. 

He held her close, rocking back and forth in place to calm the child, “I’m sorry sweetheart, we’ve got company over right now.” he soothed, and pointed towards Kel. He whispered something inaudible in her ear, causing her to giggle and nod. 

All the while, Sunny watched Kels face look lovingly at his little sister, but he could sense the slight jealousy he was feeling–irrational considering she was only four, but he still understands why he must feel that way. 

Once she was calmed, their father lowered her down, continuing the conversation with Sunny’s mother from before. Sally excitedly ran up to her brother, hugging her tiny arms around his legs, “Yay! Kel’s friends are here!” she cheered, and laughed as Kel picked her up into his arms. 

“Yeah! Do you remember their names?” He asked, turning her their direction. Sally pointed at Aubrey, “Ah… Aubrey? Aubrey!”

“Yeah! Good job Sal.” Kel said.

 “I didn’t know people could have pink hair!” Sally said, clapping her hands together excitedly. 

Aubrey leaned in towards her, “You can have any color of hair you want when you’re older.” she whispered, and watched Sally’s eyes light up. 

“Aubrey, don’t encourage her. My mom would pass out.” Kel remarked to her . Aubrey laughed maliciously, letting the toddler twirl her slightly damaged hair around a finger.

Once she was done, Sally turned to Basil, “Are you a boy or a girl?” she asked curiously. Sunny watched Basil wince with surprise at the question, but before he could say anything Kel did for him, “Sally! I told you before that he was a guy…”

“Boys can be pretty? I thought they had cooties.” Basil blushed at her remark, and was taken aback when she grabbed his hair. Luckily, unlike last time, she ran her small hands through gently, astonished how soft it was. 

“Ah- Um… Th-Thank you.” He stuttered, not knowing how to interact with the child. 

Kel shook his finger, “All boys besides me, Hero, and Basil have cooties. Sorry Sunny, I’m throwing you under the bus.” he said. Sunny crossed his arms, “Thanks Kel.” 

Sally pointed between both Basil and Sunny. “So, Basil and… Sun-Sun!” 

“Good job Sally! But his name is Sunny.”

“I like the name Sun-Sun better.” Basil and Aubrey snorted after whispering something to each other, Sunny looked at them curiously, raising an eyebrow, but they only retorted him with a mischievous smile.

“But why does Sun-Sun only have one eye?”

“Oooookaaay, I think that’s enough of that for now. How about you get your coloring book and color?” Kel suggested, giving her a little push in the right direction. She nodded, running towards their father to ask him to get it out for her. 

While she was distracted, he sighed, “Man, sorry about her Sunny, she hasn’t learned how to keep her mouth shut appropriately. She gets it from my mom.” he whispered the last part even though she was nowhere in sight at the moment. Sunny waved him off dismissively, “It’s fine.” he insisted. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s been asked that.

The four of them sat in the living room together, catching up and talking about how final exams were. 

“I don’t even study for them. I just look at the review for about two seconds before getting to class and hope for the best.” Aubrey said arrogantly, and licked her chapped lips. 

“A-Are you kidding? I study at least an hour a day the w-week before.” Basil responded. 

“Yeah? Well that’s cause you’re a nerd and like studying.”

“I d-don’t enjoy studying, Aubrey. I’m j-just responsible.”

“I can be responsible!”

“May I ask h-how exactly you got those dents in your car?” He brought up, leaving the girl in silence for a second. She crossed her arms, leaning her back against Basil’s shoulder, “No…” she grumbled. 

The other three laughed, collectively thankful that she didn’t crash into anything when she drove them a few weeks prior. 

“You guys should’ve seen how many parking tickets were in the front seat.” Kel said, trying the recreate the scene in his head and mentally recount however many he could remember, “Lets see… There were about one, two, three…” he started counting quietly to himself, concerning the rest from how long he’d been going on for. 

“Like sixteen, I think.” he finally said. 

“You’re exaggerating!” Aubrey insisted.

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am- Ouch!” Aubrey kicked him in the leg to get him to shut up. 

“Hey, that hurt!”

“Oh suck it up tough guy.” Before they could bicker any longer, the front door opened, and everyone's attention immediately snapped over to Hero, who’d finally made it to the occasion. 

He looked overall the same, maybe a bit more tired looking with more noticeable eyebags, but his hair looked freshly trimmed and stubble was subtly growing in. 

Unlike the rest of them, he wasn’t wearing anything festive–just a plain black shirt and long blue trench coat. Kel's eyes visibly brightened seeing his older brother for the first time in months, and both of their parents rushed to Hero’s side. 

“Oh mijo… Mi vida, you’re finally home!” Said their mother. She hugged him close, and grabbed his face, “Mwah mwah! Oh my, you’re so tall now! I can barely reach your face!” she pestered. 

“Mom…” He complained, eventually able to shoo them both off of him. After a quick greeting to Sally, and small chat with Sunny’s mother, Mrs. Desoto finally went back to the kitchen to finish up. 

“Oh! Woe-is-me, I see how it is. You can not even spare a single second alone for your own mother.” She had said right before. 

“Mama… you know it’s not like that.” 

When all was said and done, and Hero was able to drive her off of him, all of their parents gathered collectively in the kitchen to prepare for the giant meal they were about to serve. The room was tense and quiet, save for the scribbling sound of Sally’s markers–she seemed to be really into whatever she was coloring. 

Each one of them stood up slowly, following behind Kel, “Hero-” who pulled him in for a brotherly hug. It was a nice scene to watch unfold–the two finally reuniting after the long and busy days of college, and sleepless nights anguish and overthinking. Sunny saw Basil wipe a tear away from his eye; he could tell he was trying really hard to keep his composure.

When the two pulled away from each other, Hero glanced between the other three with an apprehensive smile on his face, “It’s good to see you all.” He said, and gave Kel a pat on the back. 

“And It’s good to finally be home. Merry Christmas.” 

Sally made it basically impossible to address the elephant in the room, being entirely too excited to see her big brother again. Kel and Aubrey were eventually able to distract her as she gave them a tour of her coloring book, leaving the other two available to have a chat with him.

“How are you two?” Hero asked, sitting down and patting the spot next to him on the couch.” They took their collective spots, “I’m well.” Sunny said. 

“I-I’m doing fine. Th-Thank you for asking, Hero.” Basil replied more properly. “How about you?”

“I’m doing okay.” Hero replied solemnly.

“How has therapy been?” He asked, confusing both of them.

“How did you know-”

“Kel told me.” He interrupted Sunny, stunning him in his place. It was unlike him to ever do something like that, but he supposes that he’s definitely still upset at the two. It kind of made Sunny a little scared if anything.

“I-It’s been going well.” Sunny stammered. Basil firmly nodded in agreement, “I-I think it’s been really beneficial for the b-both of us!” he said, fiddling with his fingers nervously. 

“I’ve learned a lot ab-about m-myself through it…” Sunny decided to cut in, it was obvious how uncomfortable Basil was. “Have you… sought out one of your own?” He asked him. Hero shook his head, face still blankly stoic; it shocked Sunny that he hadn’t. If anyone needed it right now, it was definitely him. 

“Hero I-” Sunny was cut off when Sally began to cry.

“I’m hungry!” she shouted, jutting out her bottom lip and stomping a foot on the ground. 

“The food will be ready soon!” Kel assured her, but she wasn’t satisfied with that answer, “I want food NOW!” she shouted again, luring her father out of the kitchen to take care of the situation. 

Once they were out of the way, 

“Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private?” Aubrey suggested they go elsewhere. She must’ve overheard their conversation and sensed the awkward tension.

“Where else would we go?” Sunny asked. 

“Oh you’ll see.”

She ended up taking the group to a path behind their house and straight to their old treehouse, except it didn’t look so old anymore. First of all, there was a balcony now, and instead of a ladder there were stairs installed. Aubrey explained how her and the Hooligans had rigged up to place to make it a better hangout spot, and rig it up they did. 

There was a functional door now, and the wood was replaced with firmer, stronger planks so their grown bodies wouldn’t put too much stress on it. On the inside, the back wall was painted with rainbow stripes. Their old table was still being used–underneath a plush rug was laid out to make the experience more comfortable. 

“Wow, this is awesome!” Kel cheered, flopping himself on the couch that was shoved in the corner, “Where’d you guys get a whole couch?”

“I know a guy.” Aubrey left it at that. Sunny was still amazed at the work that was done. There were pillows and blankets strewn everywhere, a shelf that wasn’t currently holding too many things, but there were a few books and board games dispersed on the different levels, and there were curtains installed on the window to block out the cold air. 

He glanced behind him to Basil, “Did you know about this?” He asked him. Basil nodded, “Y-Yes! I actually helped paint and decorate in my spare time. I h-hope you guys like it.” 

“It’s lovely, Basil.” Hero said with a genuine tone. Basil looked a little dismayed when Hero put his hand on his shoulder, but he forced on a smile, bending his head down uncomfortably. 

Aubrey plopped herself on the floor while everyone followed. The five sat in awkward silence for a few moments, sharing quick glances and awkward facial expressions. 

Hero coughed in his elbow, catching their attention, “A-Aubrey… How are you?”

“Alright,” She shook her head, “I’m not doing this small talk bullshit with you, Hero.” she spat. Her refusal seemed to take him off guard, “W-What do you mean?”

“Don’t act dumb, you know what I mean.” She scoffed, “I mean, all of you do. You’re just all too cowardly to say it.” 

Basil whimpered, lowering his head down to avoid eye contact. Kel looked at Sunny, quickly glancing between him and Hero. He was really hoping he didn’t have to be the one to break the ice, but it looked like that wasn’t going to be the case this time. Sunny slowly craned his neck towards Hero, who had his arms crossed and jaw clenched tensely.

“Hero…” Sunny said, His still vacant eyes landed on him, “We should talk… about, well. Everything.” 

Hero hummed in agreement. “There’s a lot to talk about.” 

“Oh thank God…” Kel had his hands together as if he’d been praying, and tried whispering that under his breath, but he’d been too loud. Aubrey elbowed him in the side to get him to shut up, and then waved for Sunny to go on. 

“First and foremost, I think Basil and I have a lot of explaining to do” 

So Sunny began what hopefully would be one of the last retellings of what happened. Hero listened intently, and Basil chimed in occasionally, telling them things that not even Sunny had heard himself. 

One of the most shocking things he said was that at one point he’d considered taking the blame for pushing Mari down himself, which greatly upset Sunny to hear. He may have been stupid, but he would’ve never allowed him to do something so life-ruining; taking the blame for both killing and hanging her. Sunny’s not a complete idiot. It took everything in him to not start crying when Basil began to tear up the more he went on, but he knew that he needed to persist. 

He continued talking; about how much Mari had been struggling with college classes; about how she gradually started to pressure and push Sunny over his limit time and time again. But Sunny doesn’t resent her for it, he just wishes he’d been more consciously aware why she was acting that way towards him.

Apparently, Hero had no idea how stressed Mari had been about her college classes, no one had. He fully believed that she was doing great based on how she acted during her final days, and he felt guilty for not seeing how much pressure she was putting on Sunny about the recital. 

“I… I was so blind to all of this. Why didn’t she say anything?” Hero asked himself, running a distressed hand through his hair. 

“Mari hid a lot of things from us. I wish I’d spoken up about it sooner…” Sunny said with regret tracing every bit of his voice.

“Dude, you couldn’t have known. You were like, twelve.” Aubrey said. 

“She’s right, Sunny. We don’t blame you for not speaking out on Mari’s behalf.” Kel said. Sunny looked between all of them; even though they all were looking at him with the same understanding expression, he still felt awful–terrible for not saying anything, but that regret will forever follow Sunny throughout his entire life, he supposed.

Hero still had the same shocked look on his face, “I just can’t believe I didn’t see any of this. I failed her, and I failed you.” 

Sunny shook his head, “You didn’t fail her, Hero. And you didn’t fail me either. I made my decision, and I’m facing the consequences of those actions. I was young and stupid, and now I’m older, and a little less stupid.” he said. 

“A-And I never wanted to make you believe th-that she would do something like that Hero, but at the time I felt like there was no other choice. I-I know that’s not a good excuse, but It’s the tr-truth. I’m sorry…” Basil chimed in, bowing his head in a respectful manner, “I-I hope you– all of you, can forgive us one day. I d-don’t want to fight this battle alone anymore…” 

Basil shifted in his spot when Sunny decided to lay his tired head on his shoulder, comforted by the fluffiness of his sweater. Even he himself didn’t really understand why he felt so touchy today. Maybe it was because he felt happy–truly happy about this whole situation. It felt more than great to have the truth finally told, and he was so relieved that this was going down smoother than he’d anticipated. 

He did have months to ponder on it, but Sunny still couldn’t have predicted how Hero was going to react. 

“Sunny, may I ask-” Sunny lifted his head as Hero began speaking again, “what exactly did you do cooped up in the house for all those years?” he asked as respectful as he could. 

Sunny glanced to Basil, who had a general idea about the world he created in his head, but he doesn’t think he can bring himself to tell anyone else about that at the moment. 

“I mostly just slept a lot.” He started. 

“Believe it or not, my mom did try to do homeschool with me, but it wasn’t working out. I’d never get any work done, and would constantly forget what I was doing… so eventually she let me drop out.” He explained. 

“I would do normal things sometimes. Like play video games, do chores, draw…” Sometimes he’d find real life inspiration in the games he played or think of ideas in the middle of washing dishes and incorporate it into Headspace. It was something he looked forward to the most; sad, he knows, but it was the only thing keeping him going.

“As you can imagine though, being cooped up for so long does make the inspiration drive lessen, so I started to sleep more and more throughout that time.” Basil nudged him with his knee, egging him to go on further about it, but Sunny shook his head. 

Not now, he signed to him. The others exchanged slightly confused looks but didn’t address it. 

“My therapist actually said that there was a high probability of me suffering from depressive amnesia.” 

“Depressive amnesia?” They all questioned in sync. 

Sunny nodded, “I um- I had a rough time accepting Mari’s death, so for the longest time I’d forgotten that she’d even passed…” 

“Is that why you looked so confused when you two idiots interrupted the sermon that one time?” Aubrey asked. Sunny pulled on his sweater collar, “Ahaha, y-yeah…” he confirmed. 

“She said it was impressive how I was able to overcome it by myself… Usually it requires extensive therapy. With how deeply depressed I was, I honestly don’t know how I pulled it off…” 

Basil rubbed Sunny’s shoulder, “You may not think so, but you’re st-stronger than you think, Sunny.” 

“Yeah man! If anyone was able to overcome it, it’d definitely be you!” Kel said encouragingly. Sunny lowered his head, grinning slightly. He really couldn't ask for better friends… 

Hero seemed a little dazed at the moment, but he couldn’t blame him. It was a lot to take in, “I… still have some thinking to do, but I trust you guys when you say you had no ill intentions. Thank you… for telling me all of this.” he said, folding his hands in his lap. 

“When you say you have some thinking to do, you aren’t just ghosting your problems again are you?” Aubrey asked, crossing her arms with suspicion, “Cause no offense Hero, but you have the tendency to do that. You… You did it to me. You didn’t even bother trying to stay in touch with me after you left for college. I was hurt y’know?” 

Hero’s shoulders slumped, “I didn’t even realize-"

“None of you could’ve known how I felt. I just-” Aubrey hiccupped between words, “I-I just wish someone would’ve been there for me.” she said, trying to not cry. 

“A-And Hero, I really missed you. I missed having a brother.” Kel said to pull attention away from her, “It felt like a nightmare without you here, and every time you’d tell me you were too busy to talk I felt so hopeless and alone…” he hugged himself close. “Aubrey’s right… I mean, you value your work and time way more than you value yourself. Have you ever stopped to think about how hurtful that is…?” 

You know when Kel tells you off that it must be bad, because Sunny hasn't seen him this distraught since the news of Mari’s death…

Hero considered their words for a moment before speaking up again, “I’m so sorry… To all of you. I’m supposed to be the adult here, but I’ve just been acting like a big child this whole time.” he said, laughing shamefully. 

“You don’t have to be a problem solver, Hero. If you’d just talk to us…” Sunny trailed off, opening his eye that had previously been closed from fatigue and looked to Basil for an answer. 

“I-If you’d just talk to us, we c-could all work through it. To-Together!” He said, hopefully clasping his hands together. Sunny smiled with satisfaction at his ability to finish his thoughts when he himself couldn’t. 

“And Hero… I think you need to see a therapist. We all do.” Sunny said. “That would be… for the best. The mature thing to do.” 

The group unanimously agreed; Kel would talk to their parents about seeing someone, Hero would seek out professional help in his area, Aubrey would ask for a doctor’s recommendation (when she was old enough to do it on her own), Sunny and Basil would continue seeing their current ones. 

It was truly a shame that Aubrey couldn’t even build up the guts to ask her own mother to get help, but she’s stated before that she doesn’t even take her to the doctor when she’s sick, so there’s nothing she could do about it at the moment… 

Hero stood up from his place, reaching a hand out to Kel, “Kel, I will be a better brother to you from now on. I won’t disregard my feelings for the sake of work.” and lifted him up from his spot, patting him on the shoulder compassionately. The other smiled at his willingness for change. 

“Basil, Sunny,” He addressed them next, prompting them to stand back up on their feet, “I want you both to continue being in my life. You’re both people Mari loved, and I feel like… we raised you together–all of you. It feels wrong to exclude you two.” He said. 

“Even though I’m still apprehensive about the two of you, I know Mari would’ve still wanted us five to keep being there for each other–to learn and become better people from our mistakes. I… I promise to see someone. About my grief.” Sunny tugged on the hem of Basil’s sleeve, smiling radiantly about how well this is going over for the two of them–he smiled back. 

“And Aubrey-” Hero bent down to her level, as she was still on the floor, covering her face with her hair and curled up into a ball, “I’m here for you now, Aubrey. It’s okay to cry. Let it all out…” he said. He was starting to sound really like a dad, and act like one with the way he started rubbing her back so carefully. 

Aubrey whipped her head up, revealing her teary eyes and red face, “I’m not crying! My eyes are just really dry from this weather!” she insisted. 

“Right…” Hero replied with an unbelieving grin. She shot up from her place, face flushing out of embarrassment, “I-I’m telling you! It wasn’t like that!”

“Awww, come on! Bring it in you guys!” Kel interjected, gathering them all together for one big group hug. It felt especially nice since it was so cold out. 

“Basil, your hair is tickling my- Achoo!” Aubrey sneezed. 

“Ew, gross Aubrey! You sneezed on my arm.” Kel complained, wiping his arm against her. She pulled away from the hug, trying to escape from him. 

“Don’t blame me! Blame Basil’s impossibly soft, fluffy hair!” She yelled at him, opening the door and running out. 

Kel grabbed Hero by the arm, “No fair! Come back here!”

“What does this have to do with me- Woah!” Hero was pulled along with him when he began to run after her. Terror flashed in his eyes when Kel started off impossibly fast, knowing that he would soon be winded. 

The other two began after them, walking fast to catch up, but halfway through the pathway back Sunny grabbed Basil's hand, slowing them down behind the rest. Although, he didn’t have to try very hard. Kel and Aubrey were still chasing each other, and Hero was shortly up ahead, catching his breath.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it?” He said in a low whisper. Basil shook his head, “I don’t kn-know what I was expecting. Probably-”

“The worst?” Sunny finished for him. 

“Yeah… Th-The worst.” He agreed, pulling his hand away to blow warm air into them. “Sunny, your hands are amazingly cold.” He said, so Sunny put his hands against his face, not being able to tell a difference.

“They are? I can’t tell.”

“That’s because your body temperature i-is low. Let’s hurry inside so you don’t get frostbite.” Basil grabbed his arm, inching him to move faster. Sunny never noticed up until now, but he squinted his eyes funny when he looked down at the snow. He snorted, causing Basil to shift his gaze onto him.

“Wh-What’s so funny?” He questioned.

“You’re squinting your eyes strangely.”

“Th-That’s because the snow hurts to look at, Sunny. Don’t be mean…” He pouted childishly, causing Sunny to laugh even further. Basil threateningly tightened his grip on his arm.

“S-Sorry! Please don’t snap my arm in half!” He apologized, gaining a confused look from Hero as they approached closer to him. 

“Who’s breaking whose arm?” He asked, pointing between the two. Basil shook his head with annoyance, “Nobody! Sunny’s just being dramatic…”

Eventually, Kel and Aubrey tired themselves out, and they finally entered back into the warm, heated house, smelling the aroma of food throughout the air. 

Sunny’s mother was the first to spot them, and rushed up to her son, “Sunny! Kids… Where were you all? Oh! You’re so cold dear.” she said after cupping his face in her hands–they were warm. 

“Mom… We just went to the old treehouse. We’re fine.” 

“But you must all be so hungry! Especially you, Hero. You drove so far!” 

Hero blushed, scratching his head bashfully, “It uh- Wasn’t too bad.”

“But you all must be so eager to get something warm inside your stomachs. Come sit, everything’s ready.” She said. “I made your plate already, Sunshine. I know how picky you are.” She pinched his cheek and then scooted them off to the dining room. 

Aubrey mocked her, also pinching his cheek, and ran off, eager to have something to eat.

The dishes were lined up neatly on the dining table, and there were luckily enough seats for all of them, Sally already being in her highchair making a mess of her food with her hands. Sunny spotted the plate his mother had made, and took a seat next to her, observing what she thought to be fit for his taste. 

The chicken karaage was obviously the most dominant thing on his plate, being the only thing that his mother had cooked, but there was also some kind of potato dish, turkey, and a roll. She also went through the liberty of making him his own salad bowl, but just seeing the amount of food on his plate was already giving him a stomach ache.

Basil and Aubrey sat down on the same side of the table, all of the Desoto’s taking the other side. Kel sat right in front of Sunny and pointed to his place, “Where are the enchiladas and empañadas man?!?” he asked like he couldn’t believe his eyes. 

“Not everyone has the same taste as you, Kel.” Hero said, taking a bite from his plate. 

“Eh, why don’t you try more of my cooking? This is authentic Mexican food, unlike those gross fake ones you find out in the city…” Mrs. Desoto insisted. Sunny felt bad for not trying a good portion of her cooking, and he felt like he couldn’t say no… 

“Even if you stuffed it in his face you couldn’t get him to try it. Sunny’s a picky little eater.” His mother chimed in thankfully, and he sighed out of relief when Mrs. Desoto seemed to get the message and move on, asking Hero about how college had been so far. 

Halfway through the meal Sunny was particularly interested in the rice that was on Basil’s plate. It wasn’t regular white rice like he was used to, it looked to be way more flavor-packed. 

Basil caught him staring and stopped himself mid-bite, “What’s on your mind, Sunny?” he asked. His face automatically flushed out of shame for being caught staring at another person’s plate. 

“I-Is that rice good?” He asked. 

Basil nodded, gesturing to it with his fork, “Would you like to try it?” he hummed, taking his own fork and took a small portion off of his plate. When he tried a bite, his mind was filled with instant wonder at how delicious it tasted.

“That is good.” He agreed, wanting more. 

“Ah, you like my rice Sunny? I’m so glad! Here-” Mrs. Desoto shoved the rice bowl in his face, “Have some of your own.” she insisted. 

This time, Sunny didn’t turn her down and instead filled the empty portion of his plate up with it.

After the meal Sunny felt like he couldn’t even move, and felt terrible that he couldn’t help clean up. His mother insisted that he go and sit down if he felt nauseous, worried that if he pushed himself that he would throw up, so Sunny sat on the couch, followed by Aubrey who also didn’t feel very well. 

She had eaten a lot more than she could handle after challenging Kel to see who could eat more rolls. She held at her stomach, groaning in pain and gloating about how she won. 

The conversation eventually shifted, and she revealed that she’d told Basil and the Hooligans about her and Kim, which Sunny was very grateful for. Keeping his mouth shut about it was hard when he felt the urge to joke about it at times. 

Eventually, the others joined them, and a movie was turned on by the adults to keep Sally entertained for the time being. With Sunny being sandwiched between Kel and Aubrey on the couch, mindlessly chatting about whatever came to mind, everything felt right again; comfortable; warm. He didn’t wanna leave their sides ever again, and as time passed a wave of sheepishness overcame him. Maybe he could take just a quick nap against Kel for now…

…

“Kel. How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t stack a plus four on our plus twos?!?” Aubrey yelled at him. 

“But it makes it so much more fun that way!"

“It says on the back,” Aubrey grabbed the Uno box, “You cannot stack a plus four on a plus two. What’s so hard about that?”

“Since when were you so adamant about following the rules? You’re only saying that because you don’t wanna be the one to draw twenty four cards! Ow-” 

Aubrey punched his shoulder, “Just draw the damn cards!” she said. Kel turned to Hero for an answer, who looked apprehensive. 

“Kel… Just play by the rules of the game.” He said. Kel rolled his eyes, mumbling something underneath his breath and dreadfully drawing his excessive amount of cards. 

“Uno.” Sunny said aloud before placing his card down.

His quick nap against Kel’s shoulder had turned into an annoyance with how much he shifted in his spot, so when he suggested they play games in his room to pass the time, Sunny was a little grumpy at first, but brightened up a bit when he got super into it. 

They’d gone through a whole game of Monopoly, which Hero had won miraculously. He claimed it was because he “didn’t keep his money on display like everyone else did” but they all referred to it as a miracle. 

Sunny can’t even count the amount of times he went to jail, and constantly swindled Kel into making trades that weren’t ethical. He had, “such a way with words” as Basil said. 

Next Kel pulled out Candy Land, which Aubrey was against playing until she’d immediately drawn the ice-cream card, getting a big headstart from the rest. She had won obviously, and rubbed it in everybody’s faces. Now they were playing Uno, one of Sunny’s favorite games. He enjoyed making alliances with the others and then inevitably betraying them in the end with his victory. 

As Kel was shouting for someone to change the color, he passed it onto Aubrey who changed it to blue. Sunny got Basil’s attention and turned his card in his direction. His mouth formed the shape of an ‘o’ before he started giggling. 

“Hey, they’re cheating! What’s so funny Basil, does he have blue?” Kel asked, leaning forward with distress. Basil shook his head, “No…” and changed the color to yellow, but he knew it wouldn’t matter anyway. 

Sunny placed down his card, a color-changing one, and said, “I win.” 

“Yay! Good job Sun-Sun.” Basil said, clapping his hands as Kel threw all his cards in the air. 

“Damn it! You two were definitely working together!” He accused, but Sunny was still stuck on the nickname he’d been given. 

“Sun-Sun…?” He questioned with a slight blush. Basil nodded, “Yeah! That’s y-your new nickname.” he said. 

“Yeah, Sally said it herself, Sun-Sun. ” Aubrey snorted. Basil cut in again, “We all have one now.” 

“All have one?”

“Well…” Basil thought for a moment, “Technically, Kel and Hero are al-already nicknames, and you g-guys have been calling me Bagel-Boy for some reason…” he trailed off, looking at Aubrey, “Aubrey is also a nickname I guess. I don’t th-think I could think of a different one.” 

Sunny smirked, “I do.” Aubrey whipped her head up, giving him a ‘don’t you dare’ stare. 

He continued on anyway, “Kim calls her Aubs-”

“SUNNY I swear to GOD!” She yelled, pouncing towards him to cover his mouth. Sunny laughed, kicking her off of him. Even if she tried, the damage was already done. 

It was like a lightbulb went off in Kel’s head, “Oh my God, why didn’t I think of that one! Aubs is a great nickname- Ouch!” she’s made Kel his next target, and the two fought with each other as Hero began cleaning up their mess, deciding to not get involved. 

Soon after their commotion, Sunny’s mom quietly opened the door, asking both Basil and Sunny if they could call it for the night. He looked down at his watch realizing it was already a quarter past ten, and the two agreed that they should probably leave soon. 

“Why’re you both leaving? Are ya some sort of package deal?” Aubrey joked, refusing to help clean up Kel’s mess. Basil straightened up the cards in his hands, “Aha… S-Sunny’s staying at my place for the night.” he said. 

“Aw sick man! Can I join?” 

“Kel you know mom won’t let you do that on Christmas night.”

“Aww man…” 

“I’d join you nerds but I’m sneaking out to Kim’s place after this.” Aubrey said. She’d built up the confidence to tell Hero and Kel that her and Kim were seeing each other in a romantic way; Kel seemed somewhat unsurprised, which was unusual, and Hero expressed how happy he was for the two. 

Now knowing that the two of them would be completely alone together made Sunny even more nervous than before, confused on why his heart felt like it was on fire, and the heat only rose to his face when they bid their friends farewell and got into the car together.

The ride over was only a couple of minutes, but it felt like a couple of hours with the way Sunny watched the other fall in and out of sleep. 

When they arrived at his house, Basil unlocked the door and flickered something on–not a lightswitch, but a switch that lit up Christmas lights that were strung up around the entire house. 

“Ah, I hope you don’t m-mind if I just turn these lights on. They’re pretty bright, but I can turn the regular lights on if you want.” Sunny’s mother placed the now empty pot she had brought on their kitchen table, “Nonsense Basil, it’s beautiful!” she said, giving him a smile. 

“I’m pretty tired as is, I’m guessing Sunny and I will be taking Polly’s room?” Basil nodded. 

“Why would I do that? I can just sleep with Basil.” Sunny suggested instead. She considered it for a second before pursing her lips, “Okay… but don’t stay up too late now, boys.”

“W-We won’t. I’ll make sure Sunny goes to sleep, hehe…” Basil assured her. She thanked him, kissing Sunny on the forehead and wished them goodnight. His guess is that she must be exhausted from how rowdy the Desoto household could get at times. 

Basil suggested he make the hot chocolate he’d promised Sunny, and so Sunny watched as he prepared everything they needed. 

“I like the lights. They’re festive.” He said, trying to make conversation. Basil grinned, “Thanks! Polly helped me put them up. Y-You know, I don’t have a tree, so this was the second best thing.” he said, putting milk in a pot and heating it on the stove. Sunny watched the fire flare intensely as he went to gather a few other things he needed. 

“I-I’m actually really happy you suggested we do this. I-It kind of feels like we’re kids again. Haha…” Basil said, grabbing a piece of hair and stroking it anxiously. Sunny leaned over the counter, catching his eyes with his own, “I’m happy too, Basil.” he told him. 

The colorful lights from overhead shone uniquely on Basil’s blond hair, cascading a rainbow across his entire head. Sunny wanted to comment on it, but he felt the strong sudden urge to use the bathroom. 

“I’ll be right back.” He told him. 

Being back in his bathroom felt a little strange knowing that the last time he’d been in here he had witnessed one of Basil’s panic attacks. He feels awful for not doing something at the time, but there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing he could do is be there for him now…

When he exited, Basil stopped him in the archway, placing the already finished drink in his hands. The warmth of the hot chocolate quickly warmed up Sunny’s cold icy hands, he leaned back on the archway and Basil joined him. 

“I-I hope it tastes well, It’s instant and store bought, b-but I tried to fix it up as nice as possible…” He said, kicking his leg back and forth and taking a sip. 

Sunny took a sip of his own and his eyes lit up, “No, this is really good. Thank you Basil.” He whispered happily, trying to not wake his mother if she were already asleep. 

“N-No problem.”

The two stood by each other in silence as Sunny ate a few of the marshmallows he sprinkled on top of some whipped cream, and sipped down the hot sweet liquid. At one point, Basil unexpectedly leaned towards Sunny, reaching his hand out to gently stroke his nose. 

The way his eyelashes so gently and tiredly fluttered on his nice soft pink cheeks was so entrancing to Sunny, and his freckles reminded him of the stars in the big Faraway night sky. He felt his face heat up even further when Basil retracted his hand slowly, and licked his thumb. 

“You h-had whipped cream on your face.” He said, backing away and continuing to sip on his own drink. 

Oh. 

Sunny suddenly felt a little embarrassed being so enamored by how keenly he was looking at him. 

“I’m glad everyone agreed to see a therapist.” He decided to change the subject, away from the intimacy that had just happened between the two.

“Y-Yeah. I know we needed it, b-but they need it just as much. I-I hope it goes well for everyone.” Sunny hummed in agreement, quickly finished the rest of his drink and washed the cup in the sink. He looked back at Basil to ask if he needed his to be washed and put up as well, but that’s when Sunny noticed something above him on the archway.

There was mistletoe right above where the two had been standing together, and they hadn’t even noticed. Perhaps because it was a little darker in the area, the only light source being the Christmas lights that surrounded the place. Instead of saying anything, he wordlessly walked back over to where he was and held his gaze with Basil as he finished up his drink. 

“Wh-What’s with the look, Sunny?” He asked apprehensively. Sunny stepped closer to him and wondered to himself; should he really be doing this? Was this a good idea? It is tradition to kiss whoever was under the mistletoe with you.

Despite his uncertainty, he slowly raised a hand to Basil’s cheek and stroked it gently. He watched as Basil’s eyes widened out of curiosity, and how his words seemed to get caught in the back of his throat. 

He didn’t back away from him however, so Sunny took the initiative to lean in and kiss his cheek. It was just a quick peck, but it was long enough to where he could feel how soft and warm the blonds cheek was. A fuzzy feeling overtook Sunny’s head; it felt nice . He’s never kissed anyone up until this moment.

When he pulled back Basil looked awe-struck, and that look he gave him made him realize what he had just done. Sunny coughed into his elbow and pointed upwards. 

“We’re uh- under mistletoe. So I just thought…” He trailed off, a bit embarrassed. Basil glanced up and seemed to understand what just happened. His big eyes darted down, “O-Oh! I forgot about that…” He said, tucking a bit of hair behind his ear.

“D-Doesn’t that mean I have to give you one as well?” He asked, attempting to cover a smile behind the arm of his big fluffy sweater. Sunny shrugged, “Only if you want to…” 

Basil quickly went to set down his cup in the sink and walked back up to him, looking a little timid. He gently cupped the sides of Sunny’s face with both of his hands, sending chills down his spine. Sunny inspected his insecure-looking face, not realizing up until now how beautiful Basil actually was. 

His eyes have always been the most appealing part about him–he could stare into them for ages, but he also didn’t want to intimidate him, so he glanced down at his lips, which were slightly parted. They were nice and pink, appearing soft like pillows of clouds on a nice fall day. 

A shock of warmth was sent throughout Sunny’s body when Basil finally stood up on his toes and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek as well. Score, so he is taller than Basil! Though, that wasn’t of much relevance now. 

Basil shyly pulled back, running a hand down Sunny’s chest and then, “T-There.” he jerked his hands to his side when he realized that he’d been lingering for too long, “Now we-we’re equal.” 

Sunny immediately missed the gentle touch of his hands against his body. It sent an electrifying feeling down his spine, though he didn’t really know why.

He didn’t say anything for a bit, making the other fiddle more than usual with his hands, “A-Are you tired? I’m pretty t-tired!” Basil exclaimed with a flushed face. 

He was obviously trying to avoid the topic at hand, but Sunny didn’t have the energy nor the confidence to talk about what just happened, so he nodded, and watched as Basil quickly walked to his bedroom door. 

Honestly, what did just happen? Sunny has no idea what came over him so suddenly, but all he knows is that… he didn’t hate it. In fact, he wouldn’t mind doing that again if he wanted. All he knows now is that something about his feelings for Basil has changed, and he can’t tell if it’s a good or a bad thing.

He followed shortly after him to his room, looking around like he hadn’t been in here before. It looked pretty much the same, save for a few new plants here and there. Basil was on his bed, moving some of the pillows and plushies off so they could both fit. 

“S-Sorry Sunny, there is enough room for the both of us, I-I just need to move all this stuff off.” Sunny took his shoes off, placed them near the door and chuckled about how much stuff he was throwing on the floor. This felt a little unnecessary. 

“H-Hey! Don’t make fun of me. I-I like cuddling something at night. It helps m-me sleep better…” He furrowed his brows sternly, grabbing the plush Sunny had won for him and holding it close. 

Sunny sat down on his bed, “I’m not making fun of you, I’m laughing about how much stuff you're throwing on the floor.” He said, “Y’know, I was thinking about starting back up my own collection of plushies.” and snuggled up against one of his pillows, grabbing a blanket to cover over him. 

“I a-always did love your excessive amount of plushies…”  Basil said, crawling up next to him. He towered above him, “Sunny, you’re not wearing that eyepatch to sleep, are you?” he asked. Sunny hesitantly nodded, making the other frown sadly.

“Y-You can take it off. I d-don’t mind.”

“It’s pretty nasty, I don’t wanna freak you out.”

“Why would it freak me out?”

“Because you-” He cut himself off before he finished that sentence, deciding it was for the best.

“Because I did this to you?” He finished anyway. Sunny didn’t say anything, so he continued on, “That’s exactly why I want to see it. L-Let me see what I did to you. Let me see how badly I h-hurt you, Sunny. P-Please, I need to know.” Basil said desperately. 

He was so close to him, able to feel his breath and body heat that radiated so nicely against Sunny’s own body, and he also sounded strangely adamant at the moment, so squeezing his eye shut, he nodded, pointing to his patch to indicate for him to take it off. 

Basil took the hint and carefully took it off of him–Sunny opened his eye again, watching him set it on his bedside table and observe the scar more closely. He was squinting his eyes so he could see better, the only thing lighting up his face being the fairy lights above his bed. 

Sunny felt his heart skip a beat when Basil began to run his thumb across the edge of the scar, “I never m-meant to hurt you, Sunny. I just wanted to protect you…” he told him, a glint of sadness flashing throughout his eyes. 

“I never wanted to hurt you either, Basil.” He said back, sitting up in his place. “But what matters is that we’re both here. We can protect each other now, okay?” 

Basil nodded, wiping at his slightly damp eyes, “I never want to harm you l-like this again. I’m so sorry…”

“Hey, look on the bright side. Now I have this sweet lookin’ scar.” Sunny said, pointing towards it. Basil laughed awkwardly, “Th-That doesn’t make it any better.” 

“Really? I think scars say a lot about a person.” Basil titled his head, “I-I mean, each scar tells some sort of story. In my case, I have a lot; self-inflicted ones… unintentional ones. I’m not ashamed of any of them.” He said.

“Of course I don’t really like being asked about them, but I think it shows other people how much I’ve had to endure throughout my lifetime. At the same time…” Sunny rubbed at his scarred eye. “I intend to hide them for the time being, because I’m still healing. I’m not ready for the whole world to see them yet, but one day I hope to have more confidence in myself and not care as much.”

Basil’s mouth was hung slightly open in thought, “S-Sunny…” he rubbed his own bare arm like he wanted to say something, but wavered for a moment, “N… Nevermind.”

“What?”

“It’s n-nothing important. I’m j-just impressed at your skill of making it feel like everything's going to be okay.” Sunny chuckled, laying back down in his spot and patting down the one next to him. Basil followed, hugging the plush he still had in his arms and holding eye contact with Sunny.

“We’re in control of our futures now, let’s make it a good one, okay?” Sunny encouraged, to which Basil nodded firmly to.

The blond yawned tiredly, “My future wants me to go to sleep.” he said. 

“Are you going to be able to fall asleep?” 

Basil yawned again, “Yeah probably. I usually sleep b-better next to other people anyway… You don’t mind if I keep t-the fairy lights on, do you?”

“Not at all.” 

Basil relaxed further into his spot, covering himself up with his blanket. “Th-Thanks. Night night, Sunny.”

“Goodnight Basil.” He said back with the intent of falling asleep, but he couldn’t with how much he still had on his mind. He’d kissed Basil; on the cheek, but still. It was a little weird, no? Kissing what you thought to be your best friend on the cheek. 

Basil shifted in his spot, making a slight noise. 

“Basil?” Sunny whispered, checking to see if he was still awake, which he wasn’t. Basil didn’t move or speak, like as soon as he’d closed his eyes he had fallen into a deep slumber.  

Sunny took the opportunity to observe his resting face, which was so peaceful. His mouth was slightly hung open, and he had the tendency to scrunch up against things in his sleep–he adored that about him. The same twist he’d felt in his heart a few days prior hit again, and his hand started to automatically gravitate towards Basil's. 

He hopes that when he wakes up that Basil won’t mind the proximity, but Sunny really needed this right now. Eventually, he was able to relax a bit and closed his eye in sheepishness. He’d been tired all day, why was it so hard to fall asleep now?

As his mind fell in and out of consciousness, Sunny’s thoughts continued to run wild, eventually calming down like a storm after a long day of rain.

What are you doing to me, Basil Fey?

Chapter Text

Today is New Years Eve; that was a fact. Which meant that tomorrow was Hero’s birthday; that was another fact.

In the past, their little friend group would get together at Faraway park to celebrate not just the New Year, but also Hero’s birthday. Mari would always bring a picnic basket filled with his favorite finger foods and a homemade cake that the rest would decorate with sloppily done drawings and messy handwriting, but it’s been years since they’d done something like that. At least, up until now.

So here Sunny was, back in Faraway for the second time this winter break, except this time he’d taken a bus here, with his mother so insistent that she work the shop on New Years. She only allowed him to take the bus if every ten minutes into the ride he shot her a text confirming that he was okay. 

Usually, he’d send her the message, “I’m alive.” and she would reply, “Glad to hear it!” every single time. Their messages consisted of this four, sometimes five if the traffic was bad, times in a row. It looked a little dumb to anyone who wasn't aware of the context.

After he’d arrived, Kel had gathered him, Aubrey, and Basil at the treehouse to discuss the matter. “You see, my parents are trying to make it all grand and a big deal since he’s finally turning twenty.”

Aubrey sighed, “God he’s gettin’ old.” she said

“But I can tell he really doesn’t want that. I thought maybe if we did something small for him, like something Mari did for him, it’d make him feel better.” Kel finished explaining. 

“Where’s Hero right now?” Aubrey asked. 

“He decided to stay a few nights at my grandparents, but he should be home tonight.” 

That’s right, their grandparents didn’t live too far from them. Sunny hasn’t really interacted with them too much, maybe the occasional hello whenever he just so happened to visit at the same time they did, but they seemed nice. Hero must be glad to just be out of such an obnoxiously loud household for the time being. Sunny and Kel can barely get an hour alone when they hang out together, he can’t imagine what it must be like just living there.

Basil nodded his head in acknowledgment, tapping his finger just below his lips in thought. “That’s a great i-idea Kel, but usually Mari would plan this days ahead. H-How would we pull it off now?” He brought up a good point, to which Aubrey pulled out her phone, “Here wait, I know some people.” and began typing away.

“It’s not the Hooligans, is it?”

“Oh suck a dick Kel, of course it is.” She replied, causing Basil to giggle, and soon after silence followed. It reminded Sunny of the same kind that he and Basil had shared on Christmas night, which wasn’t so long ago. The silence after they’d both kissed each other on the cheek. 

The next morning Sunny had woken up to an empty bed, which made him feel a little desolate, but he couldn’t complain all too much. Basil had woken up early to water his plants, and already had a breakfast cooked for both Sunny and his mother. She thanked him graciously, and after gathering all their things and exchanging goodbyes, they left. Not another word shared about what had happened under that archway; Sunny’s just concerned that he may have made it weird between the two. 

They’d greeted each other normally when he’d made it to his stop and caught sight of him, but beyond that they haven’t said much. Actually, it reminded him that he hasn’t said much at all since he’s gotten here.

“-Sunny?” A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“Wh- Huh?” he said with a muddled tone, looking to see who had been speaking to him. 

“Kel asked if you’d be willing to help me make a bouquet for the picnic?” He made eye contact with Basil for the first time in a while, who’d been the one talking to him in the first place. Sunny replied a simple, “Oh. Um… Mhm.” 

“Is something wrong man?” Kel asked, “You haven’t been saying much at all.” he pointed out. 

“S-Sorry. I guess I’ve just been lost in my thoughts is all…”

“Whatcha thinkin’ about? Ooo, is it anything to do with the surprise picnic for Hero?” Kel assumed, excited to hear his own thoughts on the matter. 

His face dropped a little when Sunny shook his head, “No it’s… It’s nothing important.” he disregarded. He was trying to not put much thought on it, but that was starting to prove impossible. If they got a moment alone today, maybe he could bring it up. Somehow…

Aubrey stood up, stretching her achy limbs, “Alright, meet spot’s at the lake. They should be there in five.”

“Aww man, why can’t they just meet us here?” Kel complained, lazily picking himself up. 

“Because, idiot, if we’re going to achieve something like this in such a short amount of time, we gotta meet in the middle.” She said in a matter-of-factly tone, and tapped her head in a mocking manner. 

The four of them walked through the surprisingly warm area to their old hangout spot. Sunny noted that the weather was almost too perfect for an occasion such as this. It wasn’t currently snowing, and shouldn’t be for the next few days according to the weather forecast this week, the wind had calmed down, and some of the ice was already starting to melt underneath the hot blazing sun. The perfect weather for Sunny to wear just his plain black turtleneck in. 

Although, he did feel uncomfortable at the ring of stickiness that was forming around his neck, so he tugged at the hem, trying to air himself out.

The last time Sunny had seen the Hooligans had been ages ago, and he hadn’t said much if anything at all. The only one of them he can recall talking to was Angel, and it had been a mistake on his behalf…

Aubrey greeted her girlfriend with a side hug and brash kiss on the cheek, which seemed to make Kel… uncomfortable was the wrong word, but Sunny couldn’t describe the look on his face as anything else. He didn’t catch him being the type of guy to care about the two of them being together, so perhaps it was the affection that made him make such a strange face? Or maybe, Sunny was just looking too deeply into it.

“Well well well, if it isn’t the guy who sliced my girlfriend's stomach open last summer.” Kim addressed him, holding out a hand for a handshake. Sunny returned it, blushing with shame. 

“Ah- Um, s-sorry about that…” He realized that situation had never really been brought up again until now. It was quite embarrassing to say, but he didn’t realize what he’d done until Kel took his knife away from him. It’d become instinct to him from the days spent in Headspace to just stab whatever was in his way. It was an in-the-moment kind of thing.

Kim chuckled, shoving her hand back into her hoodie pocket, “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” she said, leaning her head against Aubrey’s shoulder and glancing towards her. 

Basil leaned over to glance at Sunny’s face, gauging an aghast reaction, “Sunny… You did that?” he asked. Sunny averted eye contact with him, and nodded very slowly. 

“To be fair, I was harassing you at the time, Basil. He was trying to protect you.” Aubrey said. That, and she had mocked him for staying in the house for so long. At the time he was a bit offended, but her reaction was completely reasonable when he thought about it now. 

Basil looked at him like he didn’t know if he should be shocked or flattered, “U-Um, thanks?” he thanked him with uncertainty in his voice.

Pretty quickly, the other Hooligans started piling in one by one, and eventually the whole lot of them were here. Angel gave them all a high-five, Vance nodded his head in Sunny’s direction as if to say hello, Charlie gave them a shy smile, and Mikhael showed up, “fashionably late” in his own words, even though he’d made it right on time. 

Once they were all there and settled down, Kel explained the whole idea again to them. None of them were very close to Hero, but they know that this meant a lot to Aubrey if she were in on it as well.

So they settled on who would be doing what; Kim and Aubrey would work on the mini replica Hero sandwiches that Mari would make for him for picnics, Mikhael and Vance would work together on a quick and easy pasta salad recipe, which Kel said Hero had gotten hooked on recently, he and Basil would work on the flower arrangement, Charlie would join them to use Basil’s kitchen and bake chocolate chip cookies, a classic, and finally, Kel and Angel would work on clearing the area in which they planned to use of the snow, and find a thick enough blanket that wouldn’t get too cold and damp. 

It sounded like a solid plan, and everyone seemed to be equally on board with it. Sunny just felt a little disappointed that he and Basil wouldn’t be alone together.

Everyone and their assigned groups eagerly got together and started off for their tasks. Basil turned to him and Charlie, blowing warm air into his hands. Maybe Sunny should’ve bought him gloves for Christmas since his hands always seemed to be so cold. 

He entertained the idea in his brain before Basil spoke out, “What’s with the smile, Sunny?” and made him realize that he’d been subconsciously smiling at the thought. He almost said it in the same way as he did right before Sunny had kissed his cheek. 

What’s with the look, Sunny?

That sentence was permanently burned into his mind, but not only that, his intonation he’d used too. He wants to be closer, hold his shaking hands and somehow warm them with his own corpse-like temperature ones. 

But he mustn't if they were to get anything done, so he shook his head. “I’m just glad to see everyone working together like this.” 

Basil nodded in agreement, the three making their way to his house, “Yeah, everyone's super nice was you get to know th-them.” he said, gesturing towards Charlie. A shy blush came over her cheeks towards his comment, he had the tendency to do that. “Except, Mikhael does have a thing for Polly. It’s very uncomfortable.”

“A thing for her?” Sunny questioned, wanting him to go on further. Basil pursed his lips, causing his bangs to fly upwards just a tad. 

“H-He always flirts with her, asks about her. She plays along with it just to annoy me. It’s really embarrassing to watch…” 

Sunny chuckled, bumping his shoulder into his own, “Let him have his fun, he’ll get over her soon enough.” he said. Or maybe that’s what he was hoping would happen with Basil. He wanted to punch himself for even having the thought, but luckily he wouldn’t have to think about it for much longer. 

They arrived at the cute, quaint house that Sunny had grown quite accustomed to. Basil hastily unlocked the door–he sure was adamant about doing that everytime he left the house, even if it were just for a small amount of time. He didn’t have much of value if the thought was that someone were to break in, except for his precious plants, but better safe than sorry.

The door creaked when he opened it, the sound was unmistakable. It had a unique ring to it, one that bounced around Sunny’s head and let him know that he was here at Basil’s house specifically. A childhood sound that he treasures if you will. 

Maybe it was dumb getting so sentimental about something so insignificant and small, but he couldn't help getting so nostalgic every time he came here, and even more so when the creaks of the old Faraway homes sounded throughout the silent atmosphere of the town.

As soon as they entered the house they got to work. Well, after Basil helped Charlie get all the ingredients and necessary utensils. Sunny was hoping that maybe the two could work alone together in his room, and speak about the matter then, but nope. Basil wanted to work at the kitchen table just in case Charlie needed anything. 

So Sunny plopped down in one of the seats while Basil grabbed the flowers he thought would coordinate nicely together. He brought out white and red roses from his room, a few of the lilies of the valley, and a candle. Surprisingly.

It smelled of vanilla, one of Sunny’s favorite scents. He wonders if Basil did that on purpose, and even more so when he bent over the table slightly to light it, smiling in his direction to say, “Vanilla… your favorite.” Sunny doesn’t really know what to make of it, so for a while he sat in silence, watching Basil pick out the flowers he wanted to use. 

Once he was done with that, he began trimming the bottom part off to make it look neater, “Sunny, can you help me?” Basil asked, handing him his own pair of gardening shears. 

Sunny carefully took them in his unsteady hands, being extra weary of them since his last experience wasn’t so nice. Basil seemed to have not realized what he’d done until Sunny snipped his first end off a rose. 

“O-Oh God wait, you don’t have to do this! I-I completely forgot h-how it could be-” he cut himself off, remembering that Charlie was still in the room. 

“You don’t have to do this.” He insisted in a soft whisper. 

Sunny shook his head, “I agreed to help, so let me help.” he said. It would be good for him, he thinks. His fear of sharp objects was lessening, so this will definitely be good for him. After a while though, it felt like he was convincing himself more than anything.

Basil worked significantly faster than him, which wasn’t a surprise since he was a gardener and all. He eventually started on the arrangement, making it look all nice and neat. Sunny was amazed at how well his placement was. You’d think that lilies of the valley with roses would come off as a strange combination at first, but the meaning and context behind them were strong and thoughtful. 

Basil began explaining how these two flowers were often used for wedding bouquets, and that he’s never really tried coordinating the two together up until now. The way he worked was so well-done, and it was already coming out to be absolutely stunning. 

Sunny couldn’t help but admire it,  “You’re really good at this.” he commented, handing the rose he had over to Basil. He was almost completely done. “Thanks, you have good technique yourself.”

“Good technique? I’m just cutting the bottom of the stem.”

“You may not believe it, b-but some people struggle doing that, getting them all to the same length.” He said, “But you seem to have it figured out. Y-You’re using your thumb to measure out how much you cut off. It’s not a bad approach.” Sunny can’t believe he noticed something as small as him using his thumb to measure. He really is wholly attentive when it comes to this.

The noise of the cookie sheet sliding into the oven shifted Sunny’s focus, and he watched as Charlie set Basil’s kitchen timer for twelve minutes. sat across the table from them, observing Basil’s work so far, “What do you think so far, Charlie?” Basil asked as he filled up a few of the empty spots. When he was done, he slowly spun it around with his hands so she could see the entirety.

A thumbs up was given in approval from her, and Basil smiled in return, “It’s not coming out to be my best work, b-but I think Hero will like it.”

“What do you mean not your best work? It’s beautiful. You’re doing a great job.” 

“Haha, Sunny… You’re too kind” Basil said, shaking his head. “If you like them, I’m glad, but I-I am a bit disappointed in myself. I definitely could be doing this better. I-I have in the past…” The way he was speaking was starting to sound like how Mari did when they’d rehearse together, whether it be about her or Sunny himself, he didn’t like that. 

Charlie briefly interrupted their conversation to ask where the bathroom was, and once Basil pointed it out, Sunny continued on, “You know, instead of comparing your recent works to ones you’re really proud of, why don’t you compare them to ones when you first started?” he suggested, propping himself up over the table.

“That’s what I do with my art… Sometimes I think I’m regressing, so I flip through old art books to see how far I’ve come.” He said. “I know you can’t do that with your old arrangements because flowers… die, but I remember some of your early on ones. They weren’t near as good as yours now.” 

Basil furrowed his brows, deciding to spin the arrangement around once more. He continued putting a few of the trimmed flowers in. 

“N-Not that your arrangements from before were bad!”

“Oh I know… I was just inspecting it over again one more time.” He said, relieving Sunny’s worries that he made that face out of concentration rather than out of offense. With puffed cheeks and determination, Basil finally finished, and spun it around about six more times before putting on a weak smile, “Hmm, I guess you’re right. Y-Young me would’ve just ambiguously stuck them in here.” 

It wasn’t much, but it was something. Basil would probably never get over his self-confidence issues, no matter how much therapy and compliments he received from others. Sunny was taught to never say never, but he always thought that phrase was stupid. Nobody could say that to him when he says he’ll never be able to see out of his right eye again.

And that’s what it was. Basil is damaged, a part of him is broken and can never be fixed, Sunny understands that more than anything. All he can do is be the support he needs.

“Basil?”

“Mhm?” He hummed. Just then, Charlie emerged from the bathroom, ruining Sunny’s chance to say anything he had on his mind. It was far too intrusive and invasive to just casually bring up in conversation.

Damn it, think Sunny! 

He began stroking one of the rose petals, enjoying how soft it was between his fingers.

“Have you ever considered dying your hair?” 

Basil hung his mouth open slightly in thought, and propped himself up on the table as well, mimicking Sunny’s actions. “Nuh-uh, have you?”

“Yeah, I think you’d look good with a blueish-green color. Maybe mint…?” Sunny contemplating. His attention was caught by giggles from the other. 

Basil’s eyes softened, and he twirled a piece of side bangs with a finger, “I was talking about you . D-Dummy…” he teased. 

Oh.

This whole conversation was a little embarrassing now, Sunny could feel the tip of his ears heating up, “O-Oh… Me? N-No. No I haven’t.” he stuttered, refusing to meet his eyes. 

Basil laughed, tapping the table to get his attention. “H-Hey, tell me more. What makes you think I’d look good in that color?” He encouraged Sunny to go on, and it’s not like he didn’t know about Headspace, but he’d never gone into too much detail. He’d completely glossed over the fact that he imagined Basil differently.

Sunny lowered his voice, “You know when I told you about Headspace…?” Basil nodded, face becoming a little more serious. 

“Vaguely, yes.” 

Sunny put his thumb and pointer finger out, framing his face between them, “I don’t really know the reason, but I used to imagine you with that kind of color instead of blond. I just think it’d be neat…” he said, lowering his hand down. 

A big smile came on the other’s face, “Y-You’ll have to show me the color you’re talking about one day…” he said.

“I have it in my sketchbook.” Sunny blurted out without thinking. His eyes widened when Basil's interest seemed to be piqued, “Oh, you do? Can I see?” he asked. 

Sunny hesitated for a moment before giving in to his plea, praying in his head that he wouldn’t be too weirded out that he’d not only drawn him, but watercolor painted him in the full. 

Sighing in defeat, he reached down to the knapsack he constantly carried around, and pulled out his sketchbook. 

He flipped through the pages, trying to remember exactly where it was. Cats… More cats… Now he was getting into the territory of his flower painting phase. He’s really glad this is his so-called ‘other sketchbook’ , the one that contained less meaningful art to him. Not that Basil didn’t mean anything to him, he just thought it’d be weird to stick him in the one filled with vent and grotesque art, especially considering the drawing he’d done was pretty pastel and colorful.

With that thought in mind, he’d completely forgotten about the page full of Basil drawings. Some boredly sketched in class, others replicating real-time poses Sunny had managed to engrave in his mind… Like that one time Basil fell asleep on his shoulder in the hospital, or when they met up one weekend to do homework together and Sunny noticed that he always tapped his pencil against his chin to focus. Small, miniscule details that a normal person wouldn’t have really noticed. 

It meant he was getting closer to what he was looking for, but that also meant Basil had seen it. 

Sunny paused, looking up to see his reaction, “Ah- Um. Wow! Sunny, I’m flattered.” he fumbled with his fingers, cheeks reddening a tad, “M-May I ask what’s so gr-great about drawing me specifically?” 

“You uh- have a lot of good features.” He replied, “Especially your freckles. It’s one of my favorite parts about drawing you. They’re just so fun to dot on there.” and kept flipping through pages until he finally found the one he was looking for. 

“Here is it.” He turned the sketchbook more in his direction, letting him observe it more closely. 

Sunny had done a sketch of him sitting in a flower field by memory, and one day, he decided to watercolor it. He ran a finger across it, “I feel like the background colors are a bit too dull now that I look back on it…”

“This is…” Basil’s eyes sparkled with fascination, “This is b-beautiful, Sunny! I-I love it…” he grinned softly, “The dullness of the background helps m-me stick out more here. Wow, it feels weird saying that… Me…”

“I hope it doesn’t come off in a creepy way that I’ve drawn you so many times. I don’t wanna-”

“Sunny.” Basil scooted closer to him, giving one of his signature stern Basil-looks, “It’s not creepy, i-it’s really sweet.” he assured. 

“Y-You’re so good at art, I’m just confused on why you waste that talent on me.” 

Sunny frowned, that’s not what he liked to hear. “You’re not a-” 

His sentence was cut short by the beeping of the oven, letting them know that the cookies should be done. Charlie checked on them, and pulled the sheet out of the oven once she confirmed that they were ready. 

Basil shot up in his place, “Cookies are done?” he asked. Charlie nodded. He walked over to where they were, “They smell delicious.” he told her. 

Sunny was a bit disappointed that the moment had been ruined between the two, they’d just been in the middle of a conversation, but he’d be lying if he said the cookies didn’t smell awfully good. So he stood up too, and when they cooled he tried snagging one. 

A hand swiped at his own, preventing him from grabbing, “No Sunny, these are for the picnic. You can wait.” Basil scolded him. Sunny pouted, he didn’t like being told off by him like a child. 

“Why does Charlie get one?” He whined, but in people’s defense, he did still kind of act like one.

“Because she not only made them, but also isn’t going to be at the picnic.”

“So…?”

“S-Sunny… You’re very immature sometimes, you know that?” He could tell he was only joking around, so he decided to play along. 

He jutted out his bottom lip, “You’re so mean Basil, you’re just gonna let me starve?” 

“Not on purpose… Hehehe…” He snickered, swiping at Sunny’s hand again. “Jeez Sunny, at least wait for them to cool…” He glanced at Charlie, who’d finished the cookie Basil allowed her to have, “How are they?”

“Now you’re just doing it on purpose…” Sunny mumbled under his breath. Ignoring his complaints, the other two exchanged interactions–Charlie giving him a thumbs up in reply to his question, and Basil offering to help out finish the rest of the cookies.

With three of them helping, rolling the dough out into little balls went by a lot quicker. Unsatisfied that Basil deprived him of the right to eat one of the freshly baked cookies, Sunny tossed one of the balls of raw dough right into his mouth, which in hindsight, he shouldn’t have done.

“Sunny? Oh my God! What are you doing?” He hadn’t noticed that he was in Basil’s line of sight. Basil began to panic, telling him to spit it out.

 “Like, onto the pan?” Sunny asked between mouthfuls of dough. 

“N-No! Into the trash!” 

Instead of doing that, Sunny bit down on some of the chocolate chips, slightly overwhelmed by the sweetness, and swallowed it all. 

Basil gave him a horrified look, “Sunny! Weren’t you ever taught not to swallow raw dough?!?” Basil yelped out, flapping his hands as his face churned with disgust. 

“Oh… That’s so gross, Sunny. Don’t you know that it weakens your immune system?” Sunny shook his head. 

“W-Well it does! You could get sick with salmonella, or even worse, E-coli…” 

“Basil, you worry too much. Haven’t you heard of the phrase, ‘you only live once?’” The blond puffed his cheeks, firming his fists with frustration. “Uh, yeah! So don’t get sick and die on me!” 

Sunny wants to take him seriously, but he always looks so absurd when he’s angry sometimes, he couldn’t help letting out a laugh. 

“S-Sunny!” Basil whined, and began to give him a full-on lecture. He was half-listening to him talk about how the eggs made the dough dangerous to eat… he didn’t really know or care too much to be honest. He thanked whatever God that was up there when he stopped because he realized Charlie had been awkwardly rolling them out by herself, and began apologizing to her. As much as Sunny cares about Basil, he does have the tendency to overreact sometimes.

Pretty soon, they managed to finish both the flower arrangement and bake all of the cookies in a little over an hour. The three decided to relax on the couch for the time being, being exhausted from standing up for so long. Basil turned the TV on a random channel to indulge in, but after a while his eyes began to grow weary, and he curled up into a ball, pulling his legs to his chest. Probably spent the previous night restless and awake again, so he watched as the muscles in his eyelids slowly gave in, and he closed his eyes. 

Sunny observed his peaceful nodding off, how he slipped deeper and deeper into sleep. He watched as his mouth slowly fell open, and picked up on when his soft breathing became more prominent. Then, he remembered his words,

I usually sleep better next to other people.

Best not to disturb him, he deserved to relax for the time being. 

Basil’s body only sank backwards into Charlie's arm, which she didn’t seem to mind. Her focus was on the TV, invested in the current game show that was playing. 

With everything so quiet, it was no wonder Sunny was scared shitless when Basil’s eyes fluttered open, and he tugged on Sunny’s sweater saying, “I can hear them.” 

He just assumed that he was still delirious from a dream, “You’re awake now, Basil.” he told him.

Basil shook his head, “No, I know. I can hear them though.” he ominously said, holding a finger over Sunny’s mouth to keep him quiet. 

“I don’t hear anything.”

“Just wait.” Basil held out a finger in anticipation, and soon after, a knock on the door came. 

Kim and Aubrey came through the door, not even waiting for an answer. Little to say, Sunny’s mouth dropped, as he was completely dumbfounded at how he predicted her arrival. There was zero noise besides the TV, so there’s no way he could’ve, ‘heard them’ as he said.

“What’s up nerds? Kimmy and I finished early. You mind if we hang here?” Aubrey placed down a plastic container on the kitchen table, admiring the flower arrangement he’d put together. 

“Not a-at all, help yourself.” He said. 

“Wait, we’re just going to completely gloss over the fact that you timed her entrance? How did you do that?” Sunny asked in a low whisper where only Basil could hear. 

Basil giggled, “I'm psychic.” he said, giving Sunny wink and tugging on his sleeve even further. 

“Hey c-come on, make room for the lovebirds.” So Sunny complied, squishing himself against him to make room for the other two. 

Aubrey sat next to him, followed by Kim who said, “I wonder how the rest of them are doin’. Vance’s probably having a ball with Mikhael…” 

“If I know Mikhael, he’s probably yelling at him because he’s not stirring it correctly or somethin’...” Aubrey let out a chuckle. 

If he was being honest, Sunny was still stirred up at the fact that Basil had quite literally awoken from his sleep to say the most ominous prediction and it came true, perhaps he had some kind of intuition? Because honestly, there was no way he could’ve heard anything that was going on outside of the house.

Or maybe he did, and Sunny’s just looking far too deeply into it. He sure can be a sharp one sometimes.

A small shrug on the shoulder was given to him by the pink haired girl, “You guys did a pretty good job with the arrangement, Bagel, Sun-Sun.” 

Oh great, they really were going to use that humiliating nickname on him for the rest of his life. He’ll never live it down.

“Basil’s the one that did all the work, I didn’t really do much.”

“D-Don’t sell yourself too short! You helped trim off the ends and inserted a few here and there for me.” Basil reminded him. Still, he shrugged it off. It wasn’t like it was anything too impressive compared to what Basil did. Really, he’s the one who shouldn’t be, ‘selling himself short.’

The next group to arrive was Vance and Mikhael, or what Mikhael called them, ‘The Superiors.’ Vance looked exactly how everyone had expected him to look, pissed off and annoyed at Mikhael’s guidance and antics. 

Surprisingly, Sunny had overheard them saying that Mikhael’s a really good cook, which he guesses isn’t much of a shock in reality. He is from a family of a bunch of bakers after all.

There was no more room on the couch, so the remainder of them were being forced to sit on the plush rug below their feet. Basil felt bad, and offered to switch spots with one of the two, but they both denied, saying that it was fine. Sunny was entirely grateful for this, because Basil’s fairly warm. He hopes he’s not making it too obvious, but he was slowly snuggling up more and more against him, just as he’d done Christmas night. 

He forgot how it felt to sleep next to another person after Mari’s passing, and Basil’s just so soft and always has such a pleasant smell radiating from him. What he didn’t understand from that night however, was how hot he got when their skin made contact now. 

They were rare moments, but sometimes Basil would graze Sunny’s hand–on purpose or accident? He didn't know, but when he would, Basil would smile awkwardly in Sunny’s direction. Or of course when he scolds him and swipes his hand away. It’s usually only for a moment, he subconsciously wishes it were longer…

…And thoughts like those are probably ones that his therapist would consider intrusive; unwanted and uncalled for. Sometimes he wishes he could have her on speed-dial just to ask, “Hey, this a totally normal and standard thought to be having, right?” but he didn’t have the luxury of someone analyzing his every sentence and relaying back to him. 

About another hour passed of casual conversation between seven of them with no sign of Kel and Angel, but in the meantime he did get to learn a little bit more about the Hooligans. Such as how Kim liked cats like Sunny, but couldn’t own one due to Vance’s allergies to them. 

Mikhael would occasionally cut in with some of his dramatized stories, to which Kim would occasionally refute and tell it how it actually happened . He looked embarrassed each time this happened, which was unlike his usual attitude.

At one point, Basil turned to whisper something into Sunny’s ear, which had frightened him at first because he giggled breathlessly into it. When Sunny turned his attention towards him, Basil made a finger gesture for him to come closer. 

Their heads made little contact, “He acts all tough, but he’s actually a big softie.” he whispered to him. Anyone could’ve really guessed that Mikahel was like that, someone who tried to seem really calm, cool and collected on the outside, but totally different on the inside.

“He’s k-kind of like you,” Basil jabbed his finger on Sunny’s chest. “except without all of the arrogance and babbling. You act all cool and silent, but on the inside you’re all soft and kind.” Sunny could feel the heat rising to his face at the proximity. Why was Basil acting so intimate all the sudden, was he still weary from his short nap? He does tend to lose his stutter the more tired he is, and maybe that made him more confident? Sunny tried laughing it off, and ignored how his heart sped up at the thought.

“What are you two idiots giggling about?” Aubrey cut into their little circle, lowering her voice to where only the two of them could hear. Annoyed and still slightly flustered, Sunny replied childishly, “How stupid you look right now.” 

Basil awkwardly chuckled, “Ahah- That’s not what we were-”

“Oh yeah? You don’t think your edgy ass looks even stupider?” She played along, ramming a finger into his side to make Sunny squirm uncomfortably. He did so, and she let out a too loud for comfort laugh at his pain, gravitating everyone's attention to them. 

“Hey, you got something to say? Share it with the class!” Mikhael declared, thinking she was laughing at the ridiculously long story he was currently telling. 

Aubrey rolled her eyes, mocking him and a more high-pitched and exasperated voice. “Yeah, ‘cause you think we’re actually listening to what you’re saying? Butt out of our business, Mikhael!” She said. 

It seemed like Aubrey could bicker about just anyone the same way she did with Kel, but Milkhael especially. He did always have a way of getting on people’s nerves, so maybe it wasn’t that much of a shocker. Really, anyone that said anything even slightly stupid or conceited should be prepared to get into an argument with her, it’s like she started things just to start them these days.

Finally, after a few more insufferable minutes, their little squabble was cut short after Kel and Angel bursted through Basil’s door like they were ready to put out a fire. 

“Hola amigos, ¡Estamos preparados!” Angel shouted when they entered, putting his hands on his hips triumphantly. 

“Haha! Kel taught me that one!” They appeared exhausted and slightly sweaty, what had they been doing in the time they were gone?

“U-Um, can you guys p-please stop kicking the door open? The hinges are really old and about to fall off…” Basil asked apprehensively. Kel patted Basil’s shoulder apologetically, “Sorry Basil.” 

“Hey, where the hell were you guys? We’ve been waiting for hours!” Aubrey demanded to know, jumping up from her place and pointing an accusing finger. “This was your idea, you know? Did you just decide to ditch out on it?”

“What? No! I-”

“I even texted you, telling you where the rest of us were and you never even answered! Did you ignore me on purpose?” 

Kel shook his head, “This is all a big misunderstanding, we went to go get something-”

“Oh yeah? What's that, the time you wasted as we all so patiently waited for you two to get back?” 

“Aubrey, I know you’re upset, but let them talk, okay?” Kim soothed her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down on the couch to calm her down. Kel’s face churned with guilt, and everyone else seemed to feel as equally awkward and confused at her outburst. She had already been slightly riled up, Kel must’ve tripped the wire in her brain with his tardiness. 

Even so, she collected herself, crossing her arms with displeasure and waiting for his explanation. Kel looked to be a little fidgety having to stand up in front of everyone.“Okay, I swear there’s a good reason for this.” he started. 

“Yeah! Come on guys, don’t look so down.” Angel cut in, hyping Kel up by giving him an affirmative squeeze on the shoulders. “I know we went a little M.I.A for a bit, but hear him out.” 

Kel explained from the very moment the group had split ways, which was way unnecessary, and went into detail about how he and Angel had put in a lot of effort to make the area around Mari’s grave all nice and neat for Hero’s arrival. 

“Oh man, and you’ll never believe how hard it was to find a decent picnic blanket.” Kel said, which prompted Angel to unveil a blanket to the group. 

“I remembered that my sister made some of her own. Each year at Faraway park, she’d complain about gathering as a neighborhood to celebrate New Years because her feet always hurt, so she began bringing a blanket to sit on. And I’m sure you guys know what tradition that started…” Angel explained.

Right, Sunny had always wondered what started that tradition, and now knowing the source, it made a lot of sense. After all, it’s only human to get a little hazy on New Years, nobody wants to just stand out in the freezing cold for an hour and go home just to call that a good time. Some adults had their own special place where they'd go to drink alcohol, and left their kids and older ones to stay and watch the fireworks. 

Sunny’s mom never did that, his dad however… he could probably recall him going off to enjoy himself a few times. Eventually though, they stopped going every year, and when Mari was old enough, they let them go by themselves as long as they stayed within the friend group. You never knew what people were to get up to on New Years those days…

“This one’s special because it’s extra thick. She said no at first, but I totally swindled her into letting us use it!”

“He got on his hands and knees and cried.”

“Kel! Not cool man…” That seemed to cheer Aubrey up a bit, as she let out a little snicker, but immediately straightened herself back up with a more serious face when she saw Sunny staring at her with a smug look on his face.

“Anyway, after that I was like–hey, we still have some time to kill, didn’t Hero still own one of Mari’s picnic baskets? So we went to my house to look for it.” Kel went on. 

“When we couldn’t find it, I thought he may have taken it to college with him, but my mom said that our cousin Mateo had it in his storage unit. So it was this whole process of getting Angel to drive there and-”

“Kel, can you just get to the point?” Aubrey berated. 

Kel nodded, inhaling and exhaling deeply, “We found it. It took a while, but we found it.” he concluded. 

“I’m sorry for not answering. I just wanted everything to be perfect and got carried away.” He sulked. 

“The sentiment was really nice Kel, but y-you should've told us that you were going to go off somewhere.” Basil said, fiddling his thumbs back and forth. Kel sighed, scratching the back of his head, “I know I know, I screwed things up again…”

“You didn’t screw things up. When was Hero supposed to get home?” Sunny asked. When Kel shrugged his shoulders, Aubrey jumped up from her seat, “Then what are we just doing sitting around here? Kel, go get Hero. Sunny, Basil and I will put everything up in the basket.” she said, and turned to look at the others. 

“What are you still on your asses for? Hurry up, vamanos!” She referred to Sunny and Basil. 

Basil seemed a bit frightened by her authoritative figure, shooting up from his place immediately and stuttering out, “Y-Yes ma’am!” 

“And the rest of you? Out you vermin’s!” Mikhael looked offended, but knowing the situation and Aubrey’s attitude decided to stay quiet. 

“Ouch, not even a thank you?” Kim had joked as the rest of them were waving out of the house. 

Aubrey gave her an impish glare, “You know I don’t do those, Kimmy.” and then gave her a peck on the cheek goodbye, “But I do do those.” she said, causing Kim’s cheeks to turn a soft shade of pink. 

“Well I do, so thank you guys!” Kel ruined their moment by turning the attention onto himself, “Especially you, Angel. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s what bros do for each other!” The two exchanged some kind of handshake that included a classic Kel fistbump at the end, they both made explosion noises with their mouth. 

“Well they sure got close in such a short amount of time.” Sunny whispered to Basil as he stressfully packed everything into the picnic basket Angel had brought in. 

“I think it’s nice, K-Kel’s making friends with Aubrey’s friends…” Basil said, looking back over his shoulder to everyone, “Have a s-safe and good New Year everyone!” and waved goodbye. 

Once they were all cleared out, and Kel rushed out to find wherever Hero was, the three left to do the honor of setting everything up got down to business.

They finished in record time, putting enough food for all five of them, and were ready to make it out the door before, “Oh! I need my earmuffs.” Basil remembered how cold it would probably be. 

It was agreed between the three that Aubrey would go ahead with the plan and set up at the meet-up spot while Sunny stayed back with Basil so he wouldn’t have to walk alone by himself in the dark. So Sunny followed him to his room, watching as he searched through his dresser and landed on the perfect pair. 

“Sunny, would you like some? Your e-ears are going to be cold if you don’t cover them.” Basil asked as he adjusted his own perfectly over his ears. Sunny shook his head, “Unless you have a beanie, I don’t really like the feeling of earmuffs.” 

Basil unexpectedly nodded his head, opening his drawer, “I uh- I do. They have little ears on them though if that’s okay.”

“Ears?” Basil nodded again, eyes lighting up as soon as he found it. “Here.” 

He pulled it out and over Sunny’s head for him, making sure that he pulled the ends slightly over the tips of his ears. 

“There.”

Sunny doesn’t know what he was expecting, but he knew from the brief glimpse he caught of it that it was black. He turned around to his mirror, understanding what Basil meant when he said that they have ears on them. 

“Aw, so cute. They’ve got little cat ears at the top.” He said, flapping the tip of them with his fingers. Basil joined him in the mirror, “If you like them that much, y-you can have it.” he offered.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I a-always felt slightly embarrassed wearing it anyway. N-Not that you look stupid in it! It looks c-cute on you…” He confessed, quickly stumbling back on his words, “I-I mean! I-It’s a cute hat! Just, n-not something for me. My hair g-gets in the way.” he corrected himself. 

Sunny gave a little chuckle, wrapping an arm around Basil’s shoulder and pulling him close to his body. Basil's attention turned towards his hands, as he nervously fiddled with them. 

“Thanks Basil, I’ll treasure it.”

“Ahaha, I mean…” He trailed off, as if the words had been ripped straight from his throat. “W-We should go! I don’t w-want to upset Aubrey by being late.” He used as an excuse, gently pulling himself out of Sunny’s grip. 

“Ah, wait-” Sunny countered him by grabbing ahold of his wrist, “Do you remember earlier, when you said you were a waste?” Basil nodded bashfully, probably expecting what he was going to say next. 

“You’re not, Basil. You’re not a waste of anything.” 

Basil paused for a moment before deciding to approach closer to him. He put on a not-so genuine smile. “Okay, Sunny.” 

“I’m being serious. If you were a waste–if any of this was a waste, I wouldn’t be putting so much effort into making it all better.” Basil began laughing to himself, pulling his hand away from Sunny’s and wiping away tears that blocked the view of his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, S-Sunny. I’m not laughing a-at what you said, it’s just-” He began pulling on his earlobe for comfort, running his thumb across the earring he had in. “You can’t fix what’s already broken. Th-That’s just a fact.”

“I’m not trying to fix you, just let me be here for you. In any way I can."

“I can’t in-inconvenience you like that…”

“Basil I-”

“Can we lay off the subject for now?” Basil asked, sounding a little peeved. So with that off his chest, mostly, Sunny nodded. “Okay.”

Sunny’s confused about what got into Basil so suddenly, he knows he’s not one for accepting help and support from others, but he’s never seen him look so disdainful before. The walk to the graveyard was mostly silent, save for the occasional sneeze from Basil. 

He seemed to be shaky in the hands, so Sunny offered to carry the arrangement instead. 

“I-I’m sorry… Roses, for some reason, make me sneeze a-a lot.”

“It’s okay, I’ve got it.” Sunny assured him, and shifted the weight into his own arms. 

Quickly afterward, they arrived at the meet-up spot, Mari’s grave, and spotted Aubrey, who was impatiently waiting for them on the picnic blanket. She had it laid out in front of her grave, to where everyone could properly pay their respects if they wanted to. 

“There you two are.” She said, pocketing the phone she had in her hand. “Was startin’ to think that ya ditched on me.” Sunny lowered the arrangement of flowers on top of Mari’s marker, making sure it was nicely centered. 

“What’s with you and thinking people are gonna flunk out?” He said as he did so.

“What’s with you and that hat? What are those, cat ears?”

“Yeah. You know, I’m a cat now. Meow.”

“Okay, shut the hell up you fucking goober.” The two both let out loud laughs as Sunny sat himself comfortably on the blanket. It was super thick, and nice and soft. He expected to see Basil already sat down as well, but he was staring like a deer in headlights in front of him, at Mari’s grave. 

“What's wrong, Bagel? Come on, she ain’t gonna bite.” Aubrey joked, snapping him out of his sudden trance. He shook his head, rubbing the sides of his temples. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t k-know what got into me.” From the look in his eyes as he cautiously kneeled down and sat cross-legged next to Sunny, he could just tell that Basil was wallowing in self-guilt, something Sunny himself is trying to get over. Although, he was trying to focus on the good rather than the bad. 

It’s the New Year and Hero’s birthday. It’s the New Year and Hero’s birthday. It’s the New Year and Hero’s birthday.

That’s what was keeping him going for most of the day. It distracted him from the fact that they’d be having a picnic together as a friend group for the first time in years, and in front of his dead sister's grave no less. Sunny couldn’t tell if this was sweetly evocative or a complete slap in the face.

Despite his worries and doubts however, he definitely couldn’t question it now when he spotted Kel dragging Hero along with him. He had on his usual innocent smile, and Hero looked as confused as ever being pulled by the arm to an unsuspecting place. However, as soon as they approached closer, he seemed to understand immediately what was happening.

“Oh my God, you guys…”

“Tada! A specially made Mari-style birthday picnic, just for you. Jeez that’s a mouthful…” Kel presented with pride. He led him down on the blanket with him, sitting directly across from the other three. 

“This was my idea, but we all chipped in to help! Even the Hooligans.” 

Hero looked around, taking everything in. When his eyes landed on flowers, he immediately complimented Basil on his work and efforts, to which he of course put off as not a big deal. The typical reaction you’d expect from him. 

“Wait, I-Is this Mari’s actual picnic basket? It has her initial on the side.” Hero asked as they began pulling out the food they’d prepared. He was a bit taken aback when Kel nodded ecstatically. 

“Where did you find this? It’s been missing for ages.”

“You know our cousin Mateo’s storage unit?” Kel asked, already shoving one of the sandwiches in his mouth indecently. Hero nodded, making a pleased noise when Aubrey presented him with the pasta salad. She commented on how gross the dish was, exempting her strong hatred for ‘foods that combine other foods together.’ 

“Mmph, it was in there. Way way back in there! I didn’t know Primo Teo was such a hoarder.”

“Kel, if I’m being honest, I think half of the things in there are from his previous four ex-marriages…”

“Well he sure puts the whore in hoarder.” Aubrey busted out laughing at her own joke, followed by Kel who let out an obnoxious cackle. They high-fived each other, which was one of the first times he’s seen Aubrey willingly make contact with him in ages. 

“I found a therapist close enough to my uni. My first session will be next Tuesday.” Hero mentioned. Aubrey slapped his back in congratulations, making him spit out a small ‘oof’ from how strongly she’d done it. Sunny gave a thumbs up, he would’ve said more if he weren't currently stuffing his face so gluttonously, followed by Basil, who put his hands together happily. 

“Oh Hero, th-that’s great!” Basil said.

The icy wind howled an eerie tune throughout the air, making everyone shiver in their spot. Sunny realizes now that he probably should’ve worn thicker clothing, but he wasn’t one to really think ahead too far. If he looked around him though, he could feel his body warm from how happy everyone looked. So content and calm as they waited for the fireworks to go off.

In fact, he’d say Kel seemed a little too calm. Instead of his usual loud and fun mien, he was unusually silent. Especially after the mention of Kim. 

“Hey, thanks for doing this you guys. You really didn’t have to.” Hero had said. 

“Especially you Aubrey, I know you’d probably rather be with Kim since you’re a couple and all.” 

Aubrey waved her hand dismissively, “Eh, it’s not like we’re public anyway. The only ones who know are you guys, the Hooligans, and…” she paused, debating on whether she should go into what she and Sunny referred to as, ‘The Incident.’ 

“And…?” Hero questioned, unaware that she’d be talking about something kind of sensitive. 

She ran a hand through her hair, “And my mom. She uh… She didn’t take it very well.” 

Basil was the first to give his condolences, “Oh Aubrey, I’m s-so sorry. That’s terrible.”

“Well, it’s not like I willingly told her. She just… figured it out. I’m honestly still a little shaken up about it.” Hero put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it for her comfort. 

“Well, we’re here for you Aubrey. Like, if you ever need a place to stay to get away from all of it just… bug Kel until he lets you sleep in my old bed. Right Kel?” Hero said, looking to Kel, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he had his eyes focused on the ground in front of him, filled with some kind of emotion that Sunny’s never seen him with.

Hero nudged him with his elbow, “Kel?” he called out for him again. Kels eyes snapped back up to Aubrey, “Oh! Right…” he said, attempting to sound enthusiastic but ultimately not. 

Nobody decided to call him out on it. After all, it was almost midnight. Almost Hero’s birthday, almost the New Year. This was a time for celebration.

The gang intently watched Aubrey’s phone change times. 

Five minutes… Four minutes…

“You know, I’m really glad we’re celebrating together this year despite everything that’s happened.” Hero said to them all. 

Basil smiled in response, “W-We really couldn’t have done this without Kel. He really kn-knows how to bring us together.” 

“Eh, don’t get too sweet now. I can feel my teeth rotting already.” Aubrey said, pulling a giggle from the blond. 

“Aww, come on Aubrey! Won’t you admit th-that he at least played a partial part in our coming together?” 

Aubrey stuck her nose up in the air, crossing her arms. “Never gonna happen.”

Three minutes… Two minutes… 

“I hope that, no matter what happens this year, that we all stay close, as friends.”

“Ew, it sounds even worse coming out of your mouth, Sunny. At least with Basil it was expected…”

“A-Aubrey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re a corny bastard.” Aubrey laughed when Basil gave her a melodramatic pout. Hero made sure to reassure Basil that his sentimental values didn’t go unnoticed, and were sweet when their friends were in need. 

All it sounded like to everybody else though was a bunch of grownup stuff coming from his mouth, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Sunny could tell it was a little much for Basil. He covered his face in embarrassment, absolutely mortified at the words coming out of his mouth.

Sunny jumped when the sound of fireworks exploding began ringing throughout the neighborhood. They’d all gotten so distracted, that they forgot the short amount of time they had left before midnight. 

Aubrey turned her phone on, revealing the clock that had already struck midnight. “Well, happy New Year you guys.” She said, and then looked to Hero, “And happy twentieth birthday, you old bitch.” 

They all wished each other a happy New Year, followed by a birthday wish for Hero. Though, Kel wasn’t as avidly happy as Sunny thought he’d be. He kind of started mumbling things under his breath, and was continuously shifting uncomfortably in his spot. 

Sunny, knowing Kel’s lack of communication issues though, didn’t want to bring it up on the spot, so instead he laid his head on Basil’s shoulder, watching the array of colors fall throughout the star-speckled night sky. He always hates the sound of them, but they were nice to watch.

A hand pulled Sunny’s cheek. “Sunny, you’re not falling a-asleep on me, are you?” It was Basil, making sure he hadn’t made himself too comfortable on his shoulder. 

He shook his head, “I don’t think I could fall asleep to the sound of explosions anyway.” 

“Okay good, be-because I-”

“I did it Aubrey. I was the one that told your mom about you and Kim.” Kel blurted out within an instance. He looked relieved to have that off his chest, but equally as terrified when Aubrey’s eyes widened. 

“Excuse me?” She began grinding her teeth, and grabbed a fistfull of blanket in both hands. From how hard she was gripping, she’d probably be drawing blood from her own palms if not for the blanket. 

Kel wrapped his arms around him, lowering his head in shame. The sound of the fireworks were slowly settling down, the occasional pop beating deeply into Sunny eardrums. “Aubrey, please listen to me. It was a complete accident I-”

“Was it Kel? Was it really another one of your stupid, dumb mistakes that you make so often?” Aubrey spat. “Or do you really hate me that much?!?” 

That seemed to hit Kel like a dagger, he was struggling to find the strength to speak up. 

His voice came out as lost and breathy, “N-No! Aubrey, I would never do something like this on purpose. I swear, if you’d just listen to me-”

“Kel. I am so sick of your bullshit! I’m… I’m SICK of having to be involved in your little pity party’s because you don’t have the intelligence to think before you do anything!” She yelled, standing up from her spot shaking with anger. 

She stumbled a bit, luckily having Hero to help her get on her feet. “Do you know how much dignity I gave up just to be your friend again?” She began to tear up, which she cursed herself for, mumbling how she couldn’t let herself get emotional.

“When will you realize… When will you realize that your actions have FUCKING CONSEQUENCES?!?” She left that question to rot inside Kel’s ears; he was so pale, he looked as if he could pass out at any moment.

Of course, being the adult, Hero tried being the one to smooth things over, “Aubrey, Kel, I’m sure there’s something we can do to-”

“I don’t want something to be done… I just… I just want you guys to start being honest.” She staggered, “I-I need some air.” and stumbled off through the thick clouds of snow. By air, she probably meant a smoke break. If Sunny knew anything about Aubrey now, it’s that she always smoked when she felt stressed.

Sunny glanced around at everyone's confused and concerned faces. He felt awful for her, but he felt bad for Kel too. He seemed genuinely disappointed in himself, and was breathing pretty heavily. 

Hero began comforting him, telling him that it was going to be okay, that he could resolve it, but Sunny knew that even Hero himself was questioning those words. Things were completely unpredictable when it came to Aubrey. He’d been on thin ice, and he broke it, now all he could really do was drown. 

Sunny turned to Basil, “Should we…?” he gestured his head to where Aubrey had walked off. 

“...See how she’s doing?” Basil finished. Sunny nodded, and with the approving look from Hero that said, ‘We need a moment alone together.’ it was pretty much set in stone that they’d be running off to go find her.

Luckily to their relief, they didn’t have to search for too long. The moment they stepped away from the whole scene Sunny could smell smoke coming from the roadside. Lo and behold, there she was, cigarette in hand, and back turned to the church. It was a little inappropriate to be smoking so near a building, but nobody was here to tell her otherwise, and Sunny couldn’t care less in his opinion. 

The two approached steadily, trying to make the snow crunching under their footsteps less noticeable, but it didn’t really work, she noticed anyway. 

“Whaddya want, Sunny?”

“How’d you know it was me?” He asked, approaching slowly until he was in her sight of vision. She blew smoke out of her mouth, gesturing downwards with her cigarette, “The way you walk, I memorized it. You kind of have to when you wanna know what parent’s about to come scream at you for the next hour.” she said, inhaling another puff of smoke. 

“Though, it doesn’t really matter now…” she said. “Basil, I know you’re here too. No need to hide.”

“Oh, s-sorry.” He apologized, stepping slowly beside Sunny. 

“No need to apologize, you guys didn’t do anything… This time.” She snorted to herself, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, “Want one?” she asked Sunny. He nodded, and watched as she attempted to light it.

“That’s very bad for you, Sunny.” Basil said. 

“Oh so when Sunny does it, it’s bad, but when I do it’s fine?” Aubrey jested, finally getting her lighter to turn on and lit his own. 

Basil smiled, “N-No offense Aubrey, but I’m not surprised you smoke. I th-think I’ve caught you a few times now. Sunny on the other hand…” he titled his head, watching as he carefully inhaled the smoke, “H-Have you done this before or something?” Sunny nodded, to much of the other’s dismay. 

Basil's mouth dropped a bit, and he playfully hit him on the arm,“S-Sunny! Don’t make it a habit!” 

“I won’t. I just need a little pick-me-up after all that’s happened today.”

“You wanna try Bagel-Boy?” Aubrey asked. He shook his head, “No thanks. I-I think it would just make my anxiety w-worse…” he said. 

Aubrey hit her chest, “For chicks like me, this is the shit that calms ya down. Until you run outta them, then you get the shakes.” she let out a gross-sounding cough. 

“God this stuff is going to kill you.” Sunny told her. She smiled, “So what? I’d be better off that way anyway.”

“A-Aubrey you sh-shouldn’t say that-”

“Ah, calm down Basil, I’m just messing around. Big sis Aubrey would never leave you to fend for your lonesome self.” She leaned over Sunny to ruffle his hair. Basil complained a bit, but smiled at her sisterly affection towards him. 

Sunny couldn’t tell if the heat rising to his chest was because of the way Basil smiled or was his chest starting to burn from smoking. Still, he persisted with it, ignoring how he felt like he could throw up at any moment. 

Neither Sunny or Basil were the ones who brought up the Kel situation, but Aubrey herself, “I know I’m a bit… hypocritical. For saying that all to Kel.” She had finally brought it up, after a moment of awkward pondering. 

“How do you mean?” Basil asked, trying to warm his hands up by rubbing them together. 

“When I asked him when he would realize that his actions have consequences, I never really faced my own consequences for uh… For hurting you, Basil.”

“I think finding out th-the truth about what I did to M-Mari was punishment enough…” He mumbled. Aubrey rubbed the back of her neck, “I dunno. A few cuts to the face might make up for it.”

“Aubrey.”

“Kiiiiiiidding.” She drawled, blowing smoke out of her nose. “But seriously, you wanna know why I was so mad at Kel for being late earlier?” She asked. Both Sunny and Basil nodded. 

“Because he so often backs out of shit that he puts his mind on. He sets goals in his mind and when they become too much, he backs out of them.” She said. 

“I thought that maybe, again, he had left us to do his dirty work. Kel’s got the right intentions, but his willpower is so fragile sometimes.” She said, surprisingly diligent. 

“And now, with the addition of him being stupid, he’s a complete idiot.” She held up a finger, indicating that she was going to add more, “I mean, he even passed up the opportunity to be captain of the basketball team for God’s sake! What kind of idiot would do that? And get this, when I asked him why, he said just didn’t want the responsibility.”

“What? He did?” Sunny said, a bit exasperated at the fact he would do something like that. It’s been his dream since a little boy to lead a basketball team. Why in the world would he turn it down so suddenly? 

“I-I had no idea…” Basil said. 

“You couldn’t have, Kel didn’t tell anyone about it. I only overheard it from Cris one day in one of our classes we share.” She said, making a kind of peeved face. “I think she definitely has the hots for him. It’s so gross.” She stomped out her used cigarette, pulling another one out to light. 

“Kel’s too stupid to notice anyway, when has he ever made a commitment to anything in his life?” Aubrey grumbled.

“I mean, Kel’s r-really never shown interest in anyone before…” Basil noted. 

When Aubrey finally got her second cigarette lit, she relaxed into it, taking a puff before saying, “Neither have you.” which caught him a bit off guard. Sunny could tell by the way he wrapped his arms around himself. 

“W-What is that supposed to mean?”

Aubrey sighed, blowing smoke out of her nose again, this time out of amusement. She leaned forward to make eye contact with him, “Be honest with me Basil, are you gay?” she asked casually. 

He froze, body physically tensing up, “W…What?”

“It’s okay if you are, I’m just asking since you’ve never really seemed to show interest in having a girlfriend.” Does that mean he’s shown interest in having a boyfriend? Sunny would really like to know, but he could tell that the question was obviously making him uncomfortable, so he decided to cut in.

“Hey Aubrey, that’s not really a question you go around just asking people.” 

“I was just curious…”

“C-Can we m-move on and forget about it?” Basil asked. Sunny nodded, whispering to Aubrey that she can’t just butt her nose in people’s business like that, and joked that she was starting to act like Mikhael. She only rolled her eyes, making Sunny roll his back and shove a free hand in his pocket. 

He didn’t really expect her to say much else after that, but she let out a huge sigh, smoothing out her hair with a stressful taste, “Man, when can we ever do something without it going completely wrong?” she asked hypothetically. 

Sunny coughed, choking a bit on the amount of smoke he’d accidentally inhaled. Aubrey tried helping by slapping his back, which did work, but now understanding why Hero made the face he did when she’d done the same to him. 

Deciding that was enough for him, Sunny wiped his teary eyes and put out his cigarette, and nonchalantly flicked it into the street. “There’s always tomorrow.” he said. 

Aubrey stopped her raised hand in midair, “Tomorrow’s not always guaranteed.” she said, and then continued on smoking. 

Sunny hummed back, “We should probably get going back.” he said.

“Man, this is gonna be so awkward.” Aubrey complained. He didn’t really expect her to even want to come back.

“You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to.” Sunny said, watching as she kicked the snow in front of her. 

She shook her head, “S’Hero’s birthday I can’t just dip.” and groaned, slapped her hand on her forehead in frustration. 

“God! Hero’s gonna try to lighten the mood with his old person jokes.” She complained.

“I think they’re kind of funny… w-when I can understand them…” Basil cut in with his own take. Aubrey switched sides, pulling Basil under her grip for a proper noogie. 

“That’s ‘cause you're a huge nerd!” 

“Owww! Sunny, help!” He groaned, trying to break out of her grip. She eventually let go, putting her hands up in defense. 

“Okay fine. Go back to your little boy toy.” 

“A-Aubrey! That’s so immature of you t-to say!” She shrugged, playfully bantering with Basil by giving him a little shove and blowing a raspberry at him. He quickly refuted by chasing back after her, almost slipping on the ice a few times, leaving Sunny flustered at her comment.

He can’t tell what was worse, that Aubrey had implied that Basil was attracted to him, or that she just so happened to shove him right in Sunny’s direction.

Sunny can’t wait for this night to be over.

Chapter Text

Sunny didn’t sleep well following the nights subsequent to the Kel and Aubrey incident, he was obviously worried sick about the two since things had already been so brittle between them, and he was especially concerned about his standing with Basil.

All he could do for the next few days is hope that the hours passed by just as quickly as they left, and that soon he would be distracted from it all by school work. He would say something to them, he really would, but Sunny’s sick with their inability to make up on their own and talk it out, it was like they were kids again and they were having another one of their squabbles, except this time reason could not be talked into either of them.

Not that Kel was justified in any way, but Aubrey just refused to listen, and Kel seems unaware of his carelessness most of the time.

Sunny’s eyes were struggling to stay open. He didn’t want to sleep through the day, but it seemed like the best option at the moment. He’s starting to understand why Basil drifted off so often after the many restless nights of sleep.

His throat dried, and he swallowed dryly when his thoughts landed on the flower boy. Basil…

“Basil Basil Basil Basil.” He mumbled to himself repeatedly, making a popping noise with his mouth. He hasn’t spoken with him for a few days either, which was unlike him. They usually spoke everyday, even if it was to just check how the other was doing.

Just the thought of him was making Sunny sleepy–he was just always so warm, and Sunny desperately needed that to combat his shaking, cold body, even though he was under layers and layers of blankets.

It begged the question though; what does he really think of Basil. Surely, he would’ve grown out of the touchy with the best friend phase by now, but here he was, still just as attached to the hip as they were when they were children.

Sunny huffed, he didn’t want to be thinking of this right now, so he turned on his side to hug his pillow closely to his side. If he closed his eye for long enough, it almost felt like he had someone else in his arms.

Almost.

Today was not going to be a productive day, not with the way his body gave in to the melting feeling of his bed. He relaxed, steadying his breathing after slightly riling himself up. And soon…

He fell asleep. Oh how nice it would’ve been to stay asleep, but his brain had other plans.

Sunny could subtly feel the subconscious in his brain awaken, but not to the point of where he could open his eyes or move. 

Good God, Sunny thought. I’m not having another sleep paralysis episode, am I?

It's only happened once in his entire life, but the one time it did scared the living ever hell out him. It occurred a few weeks after upping his dose of antidepressants, Ms. Paige warned him that he might have a strange reaction to them, but he didn’t expect to be moderately traumatized.

An awful feeling it had been. Being forced to lay stagnant in his bed, the feeling of his muscles no longer coursing throughout his entire body; it was like everything was numb, but his senses had somehow been amped at the same time. 

And the worst part? There had been a disfigured version of Mari watching him in the corner. Not like he could do much, but he hadn’t expected for the entity to start moving… Over to his bed, dead vacant eyes staring into his own, and soon after, he began to choke. This messed up version of Mari had her hands wrapped around his neck, burning deeply into him just as they did the first time he saw this version of her back in the hospital.

Shortly after waking up, he began to cry, still somehow being able to feel the impaired hands around his neck, and woke up his mother like he was five again. But she was understanding, her natural comforting instincts kicked in at these moments knowing how to calm the boy down. Sunny was grateful for that.

So Sunny readied himself, completely expecting to be scarred once again and have to lay with his mother in her bed for the next few days just so he could feel safe again, but something different happened. He didn’t wake up in his room, stuck in place like he expected. Instead, everything was white… So bright.

Then he realized… He’d awoke on the ground in White Space, a dark shadow looming above him with pure white eyes that reminded him of the snow that was slowly on its way to melting. 

“Hello Sunny.” 

“Oh, it’s just you.” He recognized it to be Stranger with the way his voice sounded unrecognizable, like an amalgamation of every voice he’s ever heard screaming to be free from inside his head. 

“That’s not very kind. No hello back?” Stranger said, squishing Sunny’s face between his cold hands. Sunny ignored him, sitting up from his place and dusting himself off, “Why am I here?”

“Why are you here huh? Straight to business and no fun. Hmph.” Stranger sat down in front of him, pouting and crossing his arms. “Why are you here, hm? Well… I dunno.” He said, shrugging. 

Sunny scowled, “You’re in my head, you should know!” 

“I should know? You should know! You created me.” He said, jabbing a finger against Sunny’s chest. “Buuuuut…” he drawled out, “If I’m here that must mean you hold some kind of repressed feeling for lil ol Basil.” he said in a teasing manner, lifting Sunny’s chin to level with his face. 

“What? W-What’re you talking about?” Sunny denied, face heating up. 

Stranger scoffed, pushing him back harshly on his back and standing up–he put his hands on his hips as he bent over him. Sunny rubbed the back of his head and groaned in pain. “Oww, what the hell?” He complained. Even though this was all in his head he could still feel the physical attributes of his head slamming into the solid white floor, what a bother.

Stranger bent over, putting his hands on Sunny’s shoulder and pushing him down.

“H-Hey! What’re you doing?” Sunny yelled, feeling a hot bubbling liquid envelope him the more Stranger pushed. “Sending you to him . He’ll know what to do.” he responded ominously. 

It was as if the floor had gone from a solid to a liquid in seconds. He forced his eye closed the lower he went as it burned and swallowed him whole. The touch of Stranger’s hands eventually let go, and when he opened his eye all that surrounded him was gray. Darker, yet darker it got. Until eventually…

He was back in Blackspace. 

A terrifying place he never expected to be back in; could feel his body start physically shaking out of fear almost immediately. 

He forced his eye closed once again, tears forming in the corner. An overwhelming feeling caused him to start hyperventilating, “ I can’t do this, n-not again.” he mumbled to himself.

“There’s no need to be afraid, Sunny.” He heard a familiar voice tell him, “Not unless you’ve done something wrong again, which to my knowledge you haven’t.”

Sunny opened his eye hesitantly at the sound of Omori’s voice. Not exactly who he wanted to hear, but it was nice to have it be someone he knows rather than a stranger. 

Stranger… How ironic.

Omori was squatting down, looking curiously upon him, “Hello Sunny.” he said, intonation flat and unbothered, unlike Stranger’s–It sounded like he was almost screaming from how loud he spoke.

Sunny groaned, rubbing the back of his head once again. “Uuuugh… Whatever it is that you want, can you just make it quick?”

“You’re quite rude for someone trying to better himself.” Omori teased with a straight face, poking Sunny’s cheek with his finger. Sunny swiped his hand away, sitting and standing up from his place. His legs were a bit weak from how scared he felt, but he managed to balance himself out.

Omori waited for Sunny’s nerves to calm slightly before speaking back up, “Did Stranger send you here?” he asked, scoffing, “Can you tell him to stop sending his junk down here while I work?”

“Did you just refer to me as junk?” Sunny asked, glancing at the pile of miscellaneous things on the ground. Marbles, cards, stuffed animals… He was making a mess of the place with such kiddish items.

Omori ignored him, kicking one of the many marbles across the floor in annoyance, “I know he resides here now, but I’d appreciate it if he’d at least keep it tidy.” he complained, mouthing off something as he approached a black door. Similar to the ones when he…

He can’t do this, not again. 

“Why am I here?” Sunny asked, desperate to wake up from this terrible dream already. Omori slumped himself in his direction, “I assume because of this, yes?” he answered, gesturing towards the door.

God no.

Sunny recoiled, backing away slowly from the door. Omori didn’t seem surprised, “Do not be afraid, Sunny. Despite my uncaring nature, I’ll be here, by your side.” he said. His affirmation didn’t make Sunny feel any less scared, but it did make him feel a bit safer now he knew Omori wouldn’t be leaving his side.

Still though, this could be a trick.

“I’ve been assessing this door, trying my best to get rid of it, but nothing seems to be doing the job.” Omori explained. “Stranger said the energy radiating from it had been bothering him, so I took the liberty of eradicating it, nothing has worked so far.”

Omori traced a finger along the edge, “Can you feel it? The insecurity pouring out from the seams?” he asked. “Sunny, I can not do this alone.” He then lowered his head, “I need you for this.”

Sunny crossed his arms precariously, “You’re not just trying to get me to do your dirty work, are you?” he asked. 

Omori shook his head, “Unfortunately, I can not get rid of them by myself anymore, Sunny. I require your full cooperation.” he said. “Blackspace is a part of you now, something that no longer exists in the back of your brain. You’ve accepted it, and now you will suffer from it.”

Sunny pursed his lips, hesitating for a minute before, “Fine” he finally agreed. “What exactly do I have to do?” He asked as he and Omori grew closer to the door, he could feel a negative energy pouring out of it the closer they got. “You do nothing but stand and watch from a distance. I do not know what will happen to you if you enter.” Omori told him, slowly turning the knob. 

Sunny shivered at the thought of something potentially bad happening to him here of all places, and the way Omori annoyingly opened the door reminded him of his own mother.

It reached the point where he could see in; a room filled with broken light fixtures and dead plants. It reminded him slightly of Basil’s house, just a lot more dark and depressing.

“Hold this open. Do not come in.” Omori directed him, so Sunny took the doorknob in his hand, hesitantly as if were going to bite him. But nothing bad happened so far, so he relaxed a bit and leaned his body against the door. 

He watched Omori cautiously enter, his footsteps light and unrecognizable. He looked around like it was his first time in there, but based on their previous conversation Sunny knows it’s not. Omori’s eyes then lit up, well as much as they could for someone with dead, empty eyes, and he bent down to grab something.“My apologies, Sunny. This is in a different spot every time I enter.” Omori said, standing up with some kind of string in his hand. 

Sunny only realized it to be the plug of some Christmas lights strung up when Omori yanked on it, ripping down layers and layers of wallpaper and destroying the hanging plants. It would’ve been sad had not the plants been dead, and Sunny covered his ears at the noise of the shattered pots. “A warning next time?” He complained. 

But Omori ignored him once again, reaching up the back wall to continue peeling off the leftover wallpaper. What was unveiled was a scene similar to the one Sunny had on Christmas night at Basil’s house, this time almost an exact replica. However, once again the plants were dead, and the lights were dim and broken.

A figure similar to Stranger appeared under the archway, sticks and dried berries of a previous healthy plant hanging from above. However, he didn’t look exactly like Stranger, a more contemporary version to how Basil looked in current time. A bit taller, longer hair, knobbier knees… He was holding a mug in his hands. Just like he had been on Christmas night…

Omori approached this version of Basil, “Tell me Sunny, why is this the only thing that works?” and he leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Sunny wonders how many attempts he went through before he figured out he had to do that.

The figure's eyes visibly widened, “S-Sunny…” he stuttered uncomfortably, slowly backing away. “U-Um… I don’t th-think we-” He began to stumble over his words, breathing becoming more uneven within the minute. Omori carefully approached him, “What’s the problem?” he asked, tucking his hands behind his back.

“I-It’s just…” The stranger paused, “I didn’t know you felt that way…” he said. Hesitantly, he got on his tiptoes to give Omori one of his own–a kiss, like he was repaying him in some sort of way. Omori’s face remained blank, eyebrows slightly furrowing in frustration and confusion. 

When the stranger pulled away, he smiled sadly. “But Sunny…” He said. “You know this is wrong.” The grip on his mug became looser and looser in his hand and eventually, it fell to the ground. The pieces scattered around the room as it shattered, and the figure in front of him began to dissipate into dust.

Moments that felt like hours passed before the broken fragments began forming–combining to create one slightly taller version of someone he loved. The woman who abandoned him in his time of need, but also the one who protected him and herself from the truth.

“Sunshine, what has become of you…?” She asked in a scolding-like tone, but still managed to maintain a smile. One that was full of malice…

She bent forward, placing a hand on Omori’s shoulder, “You’ve confused me. You- You’ve disgusted me...” she said, grip becoming tighter and tighter on Omori within the minute. “Most of all, you’ve cost me so much for too long.” She retorted as her body began to melt in front of him. It began creating a scalding hot liquid on the ground, “Stay away from that awful boy…”

As soon as those hurtful words came out of what was left of a mouth, the room began to shake violently. Glass from picture frames fell to the ground and shattered, and Omori’s face churned with immense pain, “Close the door.” he directed Sunny. 

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, so close the door!” Omori shouted louder this time, so Sunny finally listened, slamming the door shut in front of him. The noises that were radiating from the inside went silent, and a few minutes passed before Omori finally emerged, gripping his arm in pain.

“God… Sunny, what is wrong with your brain?” He asked with a peeved expression. Sunny crossed his arms, “You tell me.” he said. “What was all that?”

Omori shook his head, rubbing his temples in frustration, “I can not tell you that, Sunny. I have no idea. But you should.” he told him like it was the obvious. Sunny has a good idea of what it all means, but in words it sounds a little silly, irrelevant even. So how did something so small manage to become something he buried within Blackspace?

“Even the smallest of things can become the biggest of problems.” Omori said, reaffirming his thoughts. Sunny’s mouth dropped a little, “How did you-”

“I am inside your head. I can hear your thoughts, Sunny.” He said, walking up next to him. Well that’s reassuring.

“My senses are telling me you would like to wake up… I guess I could let you go.” Omori said, pulling out something from behind his back.

A knife, Sunny automatically assumed. “W-Wait! What’re you doing?” He panicked, backing away slowly. 

Omori pulled the slightly rusty knife out, holding it by the blade end, “Do not worry, Sunny. It will only hurt for a moment.” he said. He held it out like he wanted him to have it, which was unexpected. The Omori he knew would’ve just straight up stabbed him. 

But since he was so insistent, and if it was the only way to get out of here… Sunny took the knife by the handle, observing how sharp it still was. He looked back up to Omori and gave him a, ‘do I really have to do this?’ face. Omori gestured with his hand to go on, “If you would like, I can do it for you.” he offered.

Sunny shook his head, determinedly to do this himself. So he turned the blade side towards his stomach, swallowing with fear.

I can do this. I can do this. I can-

With those thoughts in mind, he inserted the knife directly into his stomach. He cried out in pain as blood dripped down his hands and legs, and dropped to his knees from how weak he felt. I don’t remember it feeling this awful.

Tears streamed down his face as his vision became fuzzier and fuzzier, and when he was almost at a loss of full consciousness, Omori bent to his side, grabbing him by the chin so they could make brief eye contact.

He wiped away at the blood dripping from Sunny’s mouth, “Remember Sunny, do not repress what you can not get rid of.” he said. Sunny nodded, only slightly understanding what he meant since his mind was focused on other things at the moment. Such as how a slight ringing in his ears were growing louder, and how his vision faded more and more…

And eventually, he woke up in a pile of cold sweat, feeling sick to his stomach. 

So sick in fact that he felt as if he were going to vomit. So he shot up from his bed, rushing out of his bedroom and past his worried-struck mother who was sitting on the couch, reading something. 

“Sunny? What’s the matter?” She had asked.

But he ignored her, going straight for the bathroom, slamming the door behind him, and released the tension that was building in his throat. It burned and scratched, and he began to shake from the overwhelming feeling that was vomiting. Such an awful feeling.

He gripped his chest tight, trying to even out his breathing. A knock at the door, “ Sunny are you alright?” his mother called for him. 

No. 

“Please go away…” He mumbled. 

“What’s that? I can’t hear you… I’m coming in.” She told him; the door creaked open.

She’s not going to understand. She’s not going to understand. She’s not going to understand…

That phrase repeated over and over until her horrified face came into view. Of course her first instinct was to help him off the ground, find his balance again and lead him towards the warm couch instead of the cold tiled floor.

She repeatedly asked what was wrong, and to that he shook his head every time. If he explained it, she’d just be even more worried and confused. Her face turned frustrated with his lack of cooperation, but rather than bugging him about it for any longer she opted for taking care of the mess he’d made.

Sunny grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling and yanking at it so the awful headache he had would go away. 

She wouldn’t understand. Nobody would understand…

That’s right, he was all alone on this.

He has nobody.

~

Maybe not completely alone, he thought in the middle of one of his therapy sessions.

A few weeks have passed since the whole dream incident, he’d explained it in not too much detail days before, but well enough for his therapist to get the big picture.

She seemed to notice that he wasn’t telling the full story, trying to casually bring it up and use some of her therapist strategies to get it out of him. Sunny wasn’t stupid though, he noticed. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Ms. Paige nodded, “Are all the things I say in here confidential?” Sunny asked.

She raised an eyebrow, “As long as you are not saying anything life-threatening about yourself or anyone else Sunny, yes. Why do you ask?” she said. Sunny sighed with relief, if that was true, maybe he could bring up what’s been on his mind for so long. 

He inhaled a deep breath, exhaling through his nose and swung his legs back and forth anxiously, “Let’s say…” he started, pausing to see Ms. Paige staring curiously up at him.

“Hypothetically…” He hesitated, trying to gather in his head what he should say.

“You’ve got my full attention, Sunny.” Ms. Paige assured him.

Wow, did that sure make him feel any better about what he was going to ask, “You kissed your best friend on the cheek, he kissed you back…”

“You’ve lost me slightly, but do go on.” Ms. Paige seemed slightly amused, but held her composure so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

Sunny inhaled and exhaled deeply, not mentally prepared for whatever response she was going to give him. “And you didn’t hate it? Even though you’re both boys, isn’t that objectively wrong? I mean, how can I-”

Ms. Paige quieted him, putting a finger to his lips. She looked at him with sad eyes, “Sunny… There’s nothing wrong with liking another boy. Were you taught to think differently?” 

Sunny shook his head, “I wasn’t taught how to feel about it at all…” he said. “B-But I mean, I never said I liked him! W-We just kissed because we were under mistletoe!”

The woman in front of him was silent for a moment, and then started laughing, progressively louder and louder, “I-I’m sorry, it’s not you! It’s just…” she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, “You kissed someone, because of mistletoe?” 

Sunny felt mortified, “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do!? A-And it was only on the cheek!” he reminded her as she only seemed to become even more amused. But eventually she calmed herself down, collecting her thoughts, “Sunny, be honest with me, did you really just kiss this boy because of some silly old tradition?” she asked.

Sunny rubbed his cheeks, trying to think of any other excuse, “T-That’s what I thought! At first… but then he offered one back a-and…” he paused, breathing becoming a bit uneven. He pressed the exact place in which Basil had kissed him, “H-He cupped my face with his hands, a-a-and he had to stand on his toes to reach my face. God… it was adorable.” He said, trying to make the last part inaudible, but it seemed like she heard him anyway. 

She hummed, “Well, I’m sure Basil is just as disheveled about it as you are. You’re not alone on this.” she said, casually writing something down.

“How did you-”

“Sunny be honest with me, did you really not think that I’d figure it out?” She asked, rolling her eyes playfully. “I mean, just last week you were rambling on about how you finally surpassed his height, and now you’re saying a boy, who you referred to as your best friend no less, had to stand on his toes just to reach your face and kiss you?” 

She’s right, Sunny couldn't have made it any more obvious to her. Of course she would catch on! She’s a therapist for God’s sake, that’s her job!

Sunny let out a groan and buried his face in his hands. He sighed, “What am I going to do?” 

“Have you spoken to Basil at all?” She asked. Sunny nodded his head, “I-I have, but it’s a bit awkward… To be honest, I haven’t talked with him for a couple of weeks now.” he mumbled into his hands.

Ms. Paige tapped her pencil against her clipboard nonchalantly, “That’s unlike you.” she said.

“I know I know…”

“What do you like about him?” She asked. Sunny lifted his head, tapping on his chin with thought. Where to even begin?

Sunny lifted his legs to his chest, laying his chin on his knees, “I like it when he rambles about the things he likes. H-He thinks I get tired of it, but I don’t. His voice soothes me…” he said. 

“I guess that leads me to my next point. He has such nice features. H-His freckles, his big blue eyes, his gentle hands…” He said. “And I love when he puffs his cheeks when he’s thinking it’s- it’s really… cute…” Sunny lifted his gaze to the blonde in front of him, realizing he was basically gushing about him to his therapist of all people.

But then he came to an even worse realization, “Oh my God… I like Basil! In a more than normal way…” he shrieked, ruffling his hair in a panicked manner. “This is awful, this is awful, this is awful…” 

“Is it?” Ms. Paige inquired. He looked up to see her giving him an inquisitive smile.

Is it?

He doesn’t know. “What should I do?” He asked.

“You want my honest opinion, Sunny?” She asked. He nodded eagerly.

“Right now; focus on being there for each other as friends. You two still have a lot of trust building to do, say you were to get in a relationship with this so-called mystery boy.” She said with a wink. “If you can do that, maybe one day you’ll feel ready enough to try and pursue him. It’s too soon to know.”

It’s too soon to know. He supposes she’s right. Even though he wants to know what all these new feelings mean now, it’ll take a while for the whole spool to unravel, especially since his brain was so knotted with different emotions. 

“Ms. Paige?”

“Yes Sunny?”

“Thank you for letting me talk about this.”

She smiled, “Of course, it’s what I do.”

~

The conversation wouldn’t stop playing on repeat in his head.

Is it? Is it? Is it? 

Is it really so bad that he feels this way? He thought as he shifted in his spot. It caught his previously distracted mother's attention. He’s pretty sure that she's catching on. Not the whole ‘him being attracted to Basil’ thing, but she could definitely tell that something was off. 

“Sunny hon, are you okay? You look upset.” She asked.

He shook his head, “I’m fine…” he grunted out.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound like it…”

“Uuuuugh, stop nagging me.” He complained, pulling a blanket over his head. 

“Excuse me young man, but that tone of voice is unacceptable.” She scolded, almost in the same way that woman did to Omori…

He yanked the blanket back down, “I-I’m sorry…” he immediately apologized, afraid that if he didn’t that she would yell at him. But she didn’t, instead she smiled sadly, rubbing his arm comfortingly, “It’s okay Sunny, but you know I worry about you.” she told him. 

Then stop , he wanted to say to her, but he knew that would gain an unpleasant reaction. 

All these different thoughts and emotions going through his head, and not a single one he can say out loud. At least, not one he can say aloud without him being looked at like he was crazy. “I’m just tired…” He huffed, closing his eye to calm down the thoughts running through his brain.

“You’re always so sluggish, sweetheart. How about we start taking walks so you can get some sun?” She suggested. 

That sounds like a terrible idea. He replied in his head. With the amount of people on the streets and wishy-washy weather, so many things could go wrong. Some stranger could learn their routine, mug them, murder them. The weather forecast could be wrong and it could start snowing; a snowstorm. They could get caught up in it, get hyperthermia and die. Or–those two things could happen at once. What a delightful way to die.

“Sunny?” His mother snapped him out of his intrusive thoughts, looking at him curiously and innocently.

This is what he means when he says she’d think he’s crazy.

He nodded, “Yeah, that sounds nice.” he lied. What else could he say? 

When Mari would describe falling in love, she would describe it as having fireworks constantly going off inside her chest; an everlasting feeling that made you feel happy and fondness for a person. And as much as he’s fond of Basil, he was feeling none of that, instead miserable and anxious that he was feeling the wrong things.

Sunny wrapped himself further in his blanket, watching as the fire in their fireplace began to calm. Maybe it’s because we’re both boys, he thought, glancing at his mother. Her eyes were focused on the current channel on the television, putting down the book she was previously reading and becoming invested in the weather forecast.

Or maybe, Sunny considered, maybe it’s because we committed the same awful crime together.

And for the fact that he’d gouged Sunny’s eye out. Even Sunny has to admit that he still feels uneasy around the boy at times, in a fearful way yes, but also in a concerned one. He fears the possible outcome that he will abandon Sunny the way he did to Basil; that he will have one of his episodes when things are just seeming to go right. Because this was Sunny Suzuki and Basil Fey, bad luck followed them everywhere.

It was hypocritical to think the least, to be afraid of the pain he’s inflicted on other people, but it was how he felt. Despite all the pain, misery and guilt, he was certain to keep Basil by his side, no matter what.

You two still have a lot of trust building to do, say you were to get in a relationship with this so-called mystery boy.

He’s never even considered what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone, let alone Basil. But with the way his therapist said he talked so affectionately about him, it made sense that she’d thought he wanted that.

Want, want, want. That need pounded in his chest, itched at his throat and spiked his nerves. The simple words; I want you or I want this, didn’t come easy to him. Because what does he want? What does he need?

Sunny closed his eye, slowly dozing off on his mothers shoulder. I want to sleep. 

It was getting pretty late. Well, what he considered to be late anyway. Compared to his old sleep schedule, it was much healthier than it had been. Aubrey said that he goes to sleep at pussy hours… Not that he cares too deeply about her opinion, but she did like to call him at inconvenient hours to talk about the most irrelevant things sometimes. Maybe she knew it got on his nerves and was purposely doing it.

A knock awoke Sunny from his previous semi-relaxed mood, or rather overthinking one, and he nuzzled his head more into his mother’s shoulder, hoping that it was just some drunk again knocking on the wrong apartment door.

It’s happened a few times before, and each time consisted of her cussing them out in a foreign language she knew they couldn’t understand, which was mainly Spanish or Japanese, so that it’d scare them away. As she always said, “Make the crazy think you’re crazier.”

Sunny hadn’t even known she knew Spanish until a very obviously white, drunk male came knocking on their door one day and wouldn’t stop. Sunny casually listened, as he always did, and realized that she’d switched up when her yelling began to sound like Kel’s own mom…

Sunny would love to be fluent in many languages like her, but with everything else added on top, it seemed near impossible. She always told him to never give up, but giving up seemed so much easier sometimes…

Still, the knocking continued for a few minutes, and eventually the two got sick of it. So Sunny’s mother got up to answer the door, mumbling something crude under her breath.

He heard her harshly unlock and open the door, expecting for her to start yelling at whoever had been knocking, but instead he heard her say, “Oh! Hi there dear, come on in.” in an uncharacteristically cheery voice for someone who’d been so annoyed.

The sounds of quiet mumbling followed, and soon he locked eyes with who it was; it was Aubrey.

She was looking at him with a big sharp smile, and twirling her car keys around her pointer finger. “Heya Sunny.” She said, plopping herself down next to him on the couch. “I see you’re bright as ever.”

Sunny side-eyed her, “Haha. Very funny Aubrey.” he grunted, pulling the blanket he had over his body past his nose. People just love making that joke when he was in a very obviously bad mood.

“Oh don’t mind his attitude Aubrey.” His mother said, coming up from behind and putting her hands on Aubrey’s shoulder. “He’s just cranky because it’s his sleepy time.” She loudly whispered in her ear, gaining a giggle from the other.

“I’m not a baby.” He said. She made it sound like he was an infant or something.

“You’ll always be my baby.” She teased. 

Sunny groaned, “Aubrey, please tell me you came here to get me far far away from this place.” Aubrey blew some stray hairs out of her face, “Yeah actually.” she said. “How’d you know?”

Sunny whipped his head up, “Wait actually?”

“Yes actually. ” Aubrey rolled her eyes. “If that’s okay with you, that is.” She said, referring to Sunny’s mother. 

She tilted her head in curiosity, “Where is there to go so late at night?” she asked. Aubrey bounced her leg anxiously, “You… don’t know about the annual Winterfest that the city's Parks and Recreation department holds every year?” she asked. “You know? Bright lights, carnival rides; they’ve got a cotton candy stand that’ll make you anything in the shape of whatever. There’s lots of sh- s-stuff to do there.” She quickly caught herself when she remembered she was in the presence of an adult.

His mother seemed to not notice, to her luck, “I have not, no. How do you know about it?” she asked. Aubrey scratched the back of her head gawkishly, “Uh- my dad used to take me when I was a little girl. But I haven’t gone in years…”

“I see…” His mother nodded, smiling sadly. “I wouldn’t mind you prying him away from me then! What do you think, Sunshine?”

“That actually… sounds kind of fun.” Sunny considered for a moment before accepting his eventual fate. Even if he said no Aubrey would still manage to drag him out anyway.

Aubrey stood up, grabbing Sunny by the sleeve and pulling him up with her, “Alright then, go throw on something warm then Sun-Sun.” she said, a shit-eating grin appearing across her face as Sunny mumbled for her to shut up under his breath.

As Sunny struggled to put on his overly large letterman for extra warmth, he heard his mother ask Aubrey, “Do you need a ride?” to which she replied no to. Kind of a stupid question if you ask him–she very obviously drove here herself. 

Sunny remembered the beanie Basil had given to him. It wouldn’t be below freezing point tonight, but it’d still be nice to have warm ears at least, so he snatched it up from his desk, trying to mimic the way in which Basil pulled it over his head.

“You ready?” Aubrey asked him when he finally managed to get that and his jacket on. Sunny nodded. 

“Oh! Be safe will you?” His mother smothered the two with a hug. “Don’t worry mama Maria, I brought my bat with me! And mace…” Aubrey added under her breath. Sunny smirked, knowing that she had no idea about the pocket knife he’d ‘borrowed’ from a shop they went to not-so frequently. It’s just that, if he were to walk to and from school almost everyday, he might as well carry one.

That’s what he thought, but his mother was very against the idea for obvious reasons. He hasn’t been caught so far though.

When they managed to pry themselves away, the same beaten up red car greeted him when they made it outside. Sunny shivered at the thought of them getting into a bad collision. He wants to trust Aubrey, really, but she made it hard with the amount of dents she had. And when he sat in the passenger's seat, he realized Kel had in fact not been lying about the number of tickets.

They didn’t exchange much interaction on the way there, that was until Sunny had a question in mind, “Hey, why’d you not bring Kim with you?” he voiced, pulling out the pocket knife and spinning it between his fingers.

“Eh, we kind of got into a fight. Nothing big, but… It happens. I thought since you live near it you must’ve known ‘bout it.” She replied.

“But I didn’t.” Sunny said.

“But’cha didn’t. Really, do you still not get out of the house at all?”

“I do.” Sunny refuted. “I don’t like going too far in, it’s overwhelming.” 

“Weirdo…” Aubrey mumbled.

“Firecracker…”

“Hey! What the hell's that mean?” She raised her voice, Causing Sunny to chuckle. He tapped the base of his knife to his chin, “I mean, first Kel now Kim? Who else are you gonna get mad at…”

“We’re ‘boutta get into a fight if you don’t shut your fucking mouth. Is that what you want?” 

“No thanks, I think I’d rather continue to wake up at three AM to pictures of Bun-Bun in a makeshift rabbit bed with the caption, ‘Lil man’s chuffed.’ then get into another fight with you.” Sunny mused on. She snorted, “I know you secretly love when I send you stuff late at night.”

“Not really… You wake me up most of the time.”

“Boo-hoo, cry me a river why don’t you?” Sunny can’t tell if the arrogant words coming out of her mouth have any truthful intention behind them; he’d like to believe that they were just messing around though. Still, he wasn’t lying when he called her a firecracker, her temper sure does ignite like one…

When they arrived at the so-called ‘annual Winterfest’ he quickly realized that Aubrey wasn’t lying. The lot it was being hosted on was huge , and the lights were so bright that Sunny had to squint just so he could get a good look. 

“Is that a roller coaster? When did they have the time to make a whole roller coaster?” Sunny asked in awe. Aubrey struggled to find a parking spot, but was eventually able to spot a very narrow one that looked as if it could fit them. “They start planning this stuff months in advance. Seriously, how could you not know about this?” She asked rhetorically.

It took what felt like an hour, but Aubrey managed to safely park in the small inconvenient spot, and they both managed to squeeze their way out of the tiny space they had between them and the cars on either side. She grumbled something under her breath that sounded like, ‘city-goers need to learn how to properly park.’

It was free entry, suggesting to Sunny that everything–food, rides, booths, were going to be unreasonably priced. And his guess would be correct, “Who would pay that much for a corn dog? They’re not even that good…” he put out there as they passed through the area with a couple of food vendors.

Aubrey rubbed her eyes harshly, “Uuugh… Please tell me you didn’t come to complain the whole time.” she groaned. Sunny shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, “I mean–I was just saying. I could go to the store and buy a whole box of them for that price.” he said.

“Why do you get so stuck up on numbers?” Aubrey asked.

“...I dunno.” Huh, Sunny thought. Does he do it that often?

“Listen, just let loose a little, lift your spirits, and splurge. Your mom gave you money for a reason, use it.” Aubrey’s eyes glistened as they approached a more kiddish looking area, filled with different games and prizes. Afterward, she added on, “To be honest, she looked happy that you were even getting out of the house.” 

Sunny kicked a rock on the ground, “She probably was… Even though I’m back in school, I still don’t go out much.” he admitted. “So… Thanks. For um- getting me out like this. It’s something M-Mari would’ve done…” He didn’t know if the mention of Mari would upset her, but he was willing to take the chance if on the upside she took it as more of a compliment.

Aubrey shortly stopped in her tracks, a small grin appearing across her face and eyes fixated on her feet. She hesitated for a bit, “You’ve got a good mother, Sunny. Don’t forget that.” she said. He nodded; there was so much that could refer to subject wise, but he didn’t poke any holes into it.

So he quickly changed the subject, “Bet I can beat you in more games.” Sunny bet. A competitive glare came over her, “Oh you’re so on.” 

The two spent the first half of their time challenging each other, seeing who was better at this and that. They even started winning a couple prizes despite the allegory that carnival games were near impossible to beat. It was quite fun, and Sunny was coming more out of his shell as they went on running around the place. 

She was impressively good at the ring toss, almost nailing every throw. “How are you so good at this?” Sunny asked as Aubrey picked out pink stuffed rabbit for herself. They began walking to find another game to play, “Key is, throw it like a frisbee. Not too hard, and make sure to get it to fly and land flat.” she explained. “Ring toss booths hate me.”

“Yeah, and so do most driving instructors I’m sure.” Sunny joked. She thumped him on the back of the head, gaining a slight cry from him and stuck out her tongue childishly, a spring in her step appearing more noticeable than before.

After a couple rounds of darts Aubrey suggested, “Ooo, let's go get some grub now. I’m starvin’!” Sunny wasn’t particularly hungry, but he could tell by the way she held at her stomach that Aubrey was suffering from hunger pangs, so who was he to say no? Plus, he could always go for a snack. Or two…

“Sure, why not?”

…

When Aubrey said she was starving, she sure wasn’t kidding. She basically ordered a full course meal amidst the variety of different food booths. Sunny didn’t get much, just a soft pretzel and drink. 

They were sat on a bench since Sunny didn’t want to be anywhere near all the people in the food court, “Damn, is that really all you’re getting?” Aubrey asked between mouthfuls of food. For someone who had such a lean body, she sure ate like she was feeding a family of four. 

“I already ate dinner. I’m not that hungry.” He replied, taking small bites from his pretzel. The bread was nice and warm, and it tasted delicious. 

“You gonna have room for cotton candy? Cause… we definitely gotta go there.” She asked. Sunny nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Are you going to have room after you eat all that?” 

“Hey, get off my ass. I still have a growing body.”

“Wasn’t shaming you, just wondering…” Sunny said, taking a sip from his drink. Aubrey turned her whole body towards him, “Hey, what’re you gonna get when we go there?” she asked.

“What am I going to get? Eh, can’t I just get it and go?”

“Come ooon Sunny! Don’t be boring.” She lightly hit him on the arm, “You’ve gotta get it in the shape of something. Like… Okay, I know this is stereotypical of me, but like a cute rabbit!” she said. Sunny rolled his eyes, “You’re so cutesy for someone who carries around a nail bat all the time and beats people up…”

“Oh shut up already.” She hushed him. Sunny thought for a moment before deciding, “I’m not really that creative. Maybe I’ll just ask them for it in the shape of a flower…”

“Oh and I’m the girly one?” Aubrey joked. They both let out a laugh, “Sounds like something Basil would do.” she added on. The mention of Basil made Sunny feel like the air had suddenly been knocked out of him.

Basil…

“You know, he probably would’ve loved to come see this…” Sunny said. Aubrey nodded, “I… I actually tried to get him to come. But he wouldn’t answer my texts. And when I knocked on his door, nobody answered, so I decided to just leave him be for now.” she admitted. Sunny lowered his head sadly, he really hopes he’s doing well, especially since he hadn’t bothered checking up on him…

Aubrey sat up from her place, “Come on, we’re not gonna be here all night!” she tugged Sunny up from his place, insisting they already make pace to the infamous cotton candy booth she was so particularly excited about. Sunny didn’t mind, but was just shocked at how fast she ate.

And just like she said she would, she asked for the employees to create hers in the shape of a rabbit. It was pretty impressive, the way they so carefully sculpted and shaped the delicate treat for her. Sunny felt a little basic for asking for a flower, but nonetheless it was still cool; they made it in the shape of a rose.

They ended up at a small petting zoo area, admiring all the different animals. “Is that a pony?” Sunny asked when they passed by a particularly large fenced area. Aubrey leaned over it, “Nuh uh, that’s a small horse.” she said.

“Aren’t those the same thing?”

“No! They’re two different animals from the same family tree, Sunny. Go back to school.” 

“Go back to your hometown…” Sunny pestered, but Aubrey was squinting her eyes like she had seen something. 

“Hey, is that…” She began, and then quickly cut herself off. “It is! Hey look, Hero’s over there.” She pointed her finger in his direction, and sure enough, there he was, curiously looking around and walking slowly. Aubrey got his attention rather embarrassingly in front of the crowds of people, on purpose most likely, and his face uplifted when he spotted the two.

Hero hastily caught up with them, greeting them with a tired smile. “Aubrey… Sunny… What’re you doing here?” He asked. 

“Well, I live here, and Aubrey dragged me out of the house.” Sunny said, pointing his thumb in her direction. Aubrey grinned, “Well, you remember how I used to talk about coming back here when we were younger, right? I drove.” She told him. “The real question is, why are you here?”

The corners of Hero’s mouth timidly tugged into a small smile, “I wanted to visit the city before I officially left for college. And it just so happened this was all going on at the same time…” he said. “I would’ve brought Kel with me, but he didn’t seem up to it. Now I see that was for the best…”

He didn’t say it, but they were all thinking it; Aubrey and Kel’s recent dispute. God knows how she would’ve reacted in his presence. 

“I’m glad to have been able to see you guys again before I leave.” Hero changed the subject, “Are you guys having fun?”

“Eugh, you sound like my mom.” Sunny complained. Aubrey disregarded him, pushing him back with her arm, “Hey! Why don’t we all ride the rollercoaster together? Then we’ll have some real fun.” she suggested. 

“Isn’t Sunny afraid of heights?” Hero asked considerably. Sunny hesitated for a moment before saying, “Not that badly anymore.” which was half true. Never in his life has he ridden one because of his crippling fear of heights, but tonight he was feeling a little risky. “Plus, it could be fun.” 

“Alright! That’s the spirit Sun-Sun.” Aubrey cheered, punching him lightly on the arm. Sunny already immediately regrets this for some reason. 

“Ah, Sunny… If you’re feeling sick, please don’t throw up on me. This jacket was very expensive.” Hero said, and then quickly stumbled back onto his words, “I mean, not that I don’t care about your well being! It’s just…” He trailed off, face becoming slightly pink as a harsh icy wind blew against his face.

“Throw up on me and you get a fist in the face.” Aubrey threatened. 

“Sorry Hero, but you’re sounding like the better option right now.” Sunny said, cowering a bit as Aubrey cracked her fingers.

Hero darted between him and her, and lifted his brows bashfully, “Haha, f-fair enough.” he stuttered, silently hoping that he was joking.

…

The hours passed quicker than Sunny would’ve liked and now he was being dropped back off home, unlocking the freezing cold doorknob to his apartment. It’s as they say though, time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Hero had stayed with them for the rest of the time, which really wasn’t that long. Sunny did end up feeling a bit queasy after going on the rollercoaster, but more in an exhilarating way more than anything. He understands the hype behind them now.

When he entered his front door, he expected to just be able to kick off his shoes, relax back in his bed and fall asleep immediately, but his mother was conveniently still awake, watching a game show on the television. She looked like she was on the edge of sleep, barely being able to hold her eyes open, but her energy seemed to come back when she spotted her son. 

“Sunshine! Aww, come here watashi no ai…” She cooed, pulling him in for an awkward hug. He couldn’t do it back since her arms were trapped around his torso, but he really didn’t want to anyway…

When she pulled away, she looked up at him, Stroking his face with a mixture of concern and affection, “So… How was your little date?” she asked.

“H-Huh?” The question caught him off guard, so that’s what she thought was happening between them? How embarrassing… 

“It uh- That wasn’t a date mama…” He told her, but only gained a squeeze on the cheeks from her, “Awww, no need to be embarrassed honey! My baby boy went on his first date!” she only further instigated her point, making him feel super uncomfortable.

“I-I’m being serious! It wasn’t a date.”

“If it wasn’t a date, why would she ask you to come? She even called you a little nickname. Let’s see, what was it…? Sun-Sun?” She asked with a smile. 

Sunny huffed harshly out of his nose, lowering her hands from his face, “Because we’re friends? Also, they all call me that because they know how much I hate it…” he explained. “Plus, she already has a girlfriend.” He let the word ‘girlfriend’ kind of just slip out of his mouth, but decided to roll with it. He mentally hoped that this wouldn’t turn into some long-drawn out conversation.

His mother looked a bit surprised, and folded her hands in her lap when she realized how bothered Sunny was by her, “Oh! She does?” she asked. Sunny nodded, “Yeah… Does that bother you?” he asked. She laughed in response, shaking her head, “What bothers me is that you didn’t tell me sooner. I feel a little silly now.” 

Huh, this was going a lot better than he imagined.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” She asked out of interest. Sunny thought for a moment on how to describe her, “Her name’s Kim. Short hair, blue hoodies, red glasses…” was the best he could do. 

“Oh! Kimberly? What a lovely young lady she is. She offered to help carry my groceries home one day when the car broke down.” She recalled, a pleased smile coming across her face, “Tell her she chose well.” and tapped Sunny on the nose, finally standing up from the couch and turning the TV off. 

Before she closed the door behind her to her room, she looked back over her shoulder, “Goodnight Sunny.” and wished him a good night. He returned the favor, and when she finally shut the door, he collapsed onto the couch. The previous conversation ran through his brain over and over; does she really not care?

Her and his father really were almost polar opposites, how did they ever think getting married was a good idea? 

He sighed, slouching down in his spot, and pondered on whether or not he should have a very long-winded conversation with her relating to the topic he and his therapist went over from days before.

He perked up a bit when Lily jumped onto his lap and began kneading on his stomach. It tickled a bit, but he didn’t want her off of him, so began petting her soft fluffy body with both hands. Her purring calmed him, and eventually she settled down, putting him in a predicament where he knew he couldn’t move.

Sunny began humming one of the many songs they’d been learning in orchestra quietly to himself. Perhaps this was a topic for another day, he decided.

Chapter Text

Basil’s cheeks were dried with tears again. Not like he wasn’t used to it though, it’s just been so long since he’s consistently cried every single night, almost like he was a kid again.

It hit him like a train, all of the bottled up feelings and emotions. He could no longer deny how he felt, and the fact that Sunny and him hadn’t spoken in so long made it worse. How he craved to hear his voice again.

Oh, but how selfish that would be of him. The boy who hanged his sister wanted Sunny in ways he couldn’t even begin to describe, and he knew that there was absolutely no chance the feeling was mutual. They’d only been reconciled for about half a year, this was all coming back to him way too soon.

He felt like this when he was a child too, though he didn’t really understand why. Basil was matured now though, so he knew what each and every individual surge of emotion meant when shivers and shudders of giddiness and pain were sent down his body.

Well, almost all of them.

So Aubrey wasn’t wrong when she’d asked him that question last time they were all together, he just didn’t think she’d be that perceptive enough to notice. 

“You’ve never shown interest in having a girlfriend.” She had said. 

It was scary when he factored in that she said the word never. There were so many ways she could have phrased that, but she put it out there like it’d been something she’s been thinking about. Did she somehow know before he even did…?

What a mess this whole thing is. And he had just begun to get used to a semi-normal life. 

What a waste. 

Basil wanted to burst back into tears again just thinking about all of it, but didn’t when a soft knock on his door inaugurated itself into his scattered head. 

“Basil?” The sound of a soft-spoken Polly called out for him with concern, but Basil did not say anything yet alone move. The door is locked, she’d move along eventually.

At least he hoped. Some kind of shuffling came from the other side, and then…

Click.

His door creaked open eerily as Polly slowly stuck her head in. Basil sat up in his place, trying to hide the redness of his eyes and cheeks, “P-Polly?” he stuttered out. “How did you m-manage to open my door?”

She entered and sat beside him, gently interlocking eyes with the blond. She smiled, “Want me to be honest?” Basil nodded yes, “Your door is easily unlockable with the pick of a fingernail.” she confessed, holding up her thumbnail that was unusually longer than the rest. 

“I… I like to check up on you when you're asleep sometimes. Just to make sure you’re doing all right.”

“Oh…” Basil spoke softly, lowering his head shamefully. Polly crossed her arms, “You’ve been crying… What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing serious.” Basil tried to dismiss. Polly knew he was never a good liar though, at least when it came to these kinds of things. 

She gently reached out and cupped his hands in her own, “Come on, you know can tell me anything…” she affirmed him with a squeeze. But still, Basil stayed silent and avoided any type of eye contact with her.

She let out a sigh, “I’m sorry, Herb. I know you hate when I get nosy.” she apologized. Basil lifted his head to find her eyes glistening with sadness. “I just- I think about what could’ve happened to you if I didn’t just happen to stumble in your room, beginning of last summer…” Basil cringed at the mention, it was something she and him agreed to not bring up again. 

“And I know you hate it being brought up, I’m so sorry I sent you away instead of being there for you… I guess, being nosy is just my nature.” Her tone was genuine, unlike the other times she had said she was sorry. But those other times she’d hardly known the boy. Those other times she hadn’t been there for him, but his grandmother. He never expected her to choose to stay, but when she did he couldn’t be happier.

They’ve grown closer–talked more, joked more. He shares more personal things more often. “H-Honestly, you had good intentions, Polly, but I’m just not the type of person th-that’s able to heal that way.” He said, pulling their hands apart to wipe at his slightly damp eyes, “I… I forgive y-you for it, because I kn-know it was out of ignorance.” 

Polly’s smile was enormous hearing those words from him, and showed her gratitude by giving him the biggest hug he’s ever received from him. When she pulled away, Basil began nervously fiddling with his fingers, “I g-guess I’ve just been kind of down recently because it’s just that certain time of year…” he said. “Everything s-seems to go wrong just as it starts to go right… And it’s a little weird between S-Sunny and I right now.”

He hadn’t put too much thought into it, but Sunny was very obviously trying to avoid talking about the kiss they’d mutually shared on the cheek, which was fine with Basil. There’s nothing to talk about, because it had just been some silly Christmas tradition. But God the way Sunny had looked at him was so endearing, and how he’d let Basil do it back made him feel special for a moment.

But that’s all it was, a moment. Nothing more.

Polly tilted her head in confusion, “Weird how? Did the two of you have a fight?” he asked. Basil shrugged, “Something like that, n-not exactly, b-but I… I just don’t want to talk about it in too much detail.” he said. 

She seemed to understand, and then said, “It’s okay Herb, lots of couples go through this kind of thing.” unpromptedly. She immediately covered her mouth when she realized what she’d just said.

Basil gave her a puzzled look, “D-Did you just suggest that Sunny and I are d-dating?” he squealed diffidently. She giggled, nodded her head, “Are you not?”

“N-No! Oh my God… Th-This is so embarrassing.” He buried his reddening face in his hands, so much for not talking about their situation in too much detail. She had already been assuming something much more heinous…

Basil lifted his head to ask, “I mean, how d-did you know I even liked other boys in the f-first place?” He shook his hands in order to stay calm, not anticipating having this conversation so soon already. 

Polly lifted her hand to his shoulder, rubbing her thumb on it comfortingly, “Basil… It became a little obvious after the constant mention of finding a nice lady made you so uncomfortable that you had to leave the room.” she said. 

Well that made sense. It explained why she always brought something like that up–to confirm her suspicions and get it out of Basil himself. But her little slip up and confession was way less mortifying than if Basil would’ve had to do it himself, which he gusses he’s grateful for… 

“I’m s-sorry for not saying anything about that sooner…”

“It’s alright, it’s not something that’s very easy to talk about, is it?” She said, Basil hummed in confirmation. 

“Just so you know, no matter what, I love you unconditionally, Basil.” Polly assured him with a smile, bringing him great relief from within his chest. 

He laughed weakly as he returned the sentiment with another hug, “I’m glad y-you’re in my life, Polly.” he said.

She gave him a gentle squeeze, “I’m glad I chose to stay in it.” she returned with a smile.

~

In spite of everything, Basil had not been outside his house in quite some time, only the occasional glance outside at the dead roots and melting snow. It was as if it snowed heavily one week, and then the next everything began melting; clearing up to make room for the incoming spring, which was good. Exactly what he’d been looking forward to.

The day air was warm, and the sun was shining over the town in a light, playful manner. The dew from the melting snow became more prominent on bushes and trees whose foliage weren’t completely affected by the winter cycle, and the sidewalks were finally cleared of the ice.

So Basil decided it was the perfect time to go outside, smell the fresh air and have some time to himself. Even if it was wet and slightly muddy, there was a chance it could snow all over again, and he hated how delicate his vision was. It burned his eyes looking at something so bright and shiny, and that something just so happened to be named snow.

He packed a small bag of things such as his camera in case he caught sight of something interesting, and a few bite sized snacks in case he got hungry. That would be all, a quick visit to the lake so he could get some sun and nothing more. At least that’s what he hoped for.

Basil immediately realized upon approaching the secluded entrance that his plans were going to be derailed when he heard the distant noises of another person. He hoped it wasn’t some rando he didn’t know, or the homeless guy that occasionally camped out at Faraway park, but it was luckily neither. Instead, there stood Angel, Charlie and Mikhael around a skateboard. Mikhael seemed to be informing Angel deeply on the topic, and he looked to be very invested.

It wasn’t until he approached closer, footsteps crunching beneath him, that they noticed him. Angel waved to him, “Hiya Basil!” he greeted him as he usually did, with enthusiasm and excitement. 

Basil stepped closer to them carefully, putting on a soft smile, “Hi! It’s good to see you three…” he said. The last time he’d seen them was on New Years, and deciding to avoid the whole Aubrey and Kel situation, he hadn't talked to them in a while either. He’s sure they have a vague concept of what happened, they are close to Aubrey after all.

He was a bit frightened and awkward at the moment, scared that at any point his idea of a perfect day out would be ruined by the mention of the dispute, but they seemed unbothered. Too distracted by the task at hand to even think about bringing it up.

So Basil initiated further conversation, “What exactly are you doing?” he asked. At the moment, only one of Michaels feet was sitting atop the skateboard, moving it back and forth between him and the ground. 

“I’m getting a feel for the dirt around here. I’m sure you know already, Bagel, but the soil here is unusually sturdy and resilient. It makes for a great place to skateboard in private.” Mikhael explained. Basil did in fact know that, but it was still winter. He’d think that he would also know how stupid it’d be to try and attempt anything so ambitious when it was still damp.

“A-Ah yes, but it’s still-”

“Slightly snowy?” Mikhael automatically interrupted him. “Yes yes, I know. But I can not let my loyal followers down! Angel here asked for my guidance, I can’t simply just say no!” 

“Wouldn’t it be safer to do this on the sidewalk?” Basil questioned. Angel shook his head vibrantly, “No! ‘Cause what if I fall and a pretty passerby sees me? I can’t take that chance! My reputation would be ruined…” he pouted as Charlie gave him a disapproving look.

So he’d rather risk the chance of breaking a bone? Yup, that sounded like Angel. And Mikhael sounded just as pretentious as he usually did, so something interesting was bound to happen.

Good thing he brought his camera.

As Mikhael finally boarded the skateboard, Angel cleared his throat, “Not only is he charming, a good chef, and good-looking; he is also blessed in the art of skateboarding!” he said. “Now watch as The Maverick works his magic.” Angel added on. 

When it was between Angel being absolutely encapsulated by the way Mikhael ever-so-moved and them conspiring against each other in a petty yet playful way, Basil thinks he prefers the latter. Angel switched up pretty easily, but he is more of a follower than leader. Their friendship was confusing to Basil, but they’re both very complex people so he guesses it makes sense that it would be.

So he reached his hand slowly into the bag he’d brought, grabbing ahold of his camera when Mikhael started to demonstrate the proper way to board it to Angel, letting him mimic his actions to get a better understanding. It was only when Mikhael attempted to move that Basil pulled it completely out, ready to capture him in action.

Click! Thwomp!

At the same time his camera went off, Mikhael just so happened to be in the mid-process of falling straight onto the ground. As Basil pulled out the developing photograph, he smiled to himself. This was definitely going to be one of his favorites when he finally gets an album. Not that Basil thought it was funny that he busted his ass, but maybe it was a little funny…

“Mikhael! Are you alright man?” Angel reached out a helping hand, looking genuinely worried that he might’ve hurt himself. Mikhael groaned a little, holding onto his back, “The Maverick always prevails…” he mumbled out with pain, preparing to get back on the skateboard.

Basil quickly shoved everything away in his bag, “N-No, Mikhael, you shouldn’t overexert yourself” he said, grabbing onto his arm to pull him away. “You sh-should sit down. I can treat you all to lunch at my place.” He insisted.

Angel's eyes lit up, “Yeah! Listen to Basil, he makes the best bacon avocado fries!” he was basically drooling with excitement over the offer, grateful that their plans had suddenly drifted from what they had been doing in the first place. 

Mikhael raised an eyebrow, “Bacon avocado fries? My my, how eccentric. Not even I, The Maverick, have ever tried such a thing.” he said, his curiosity peaked. He looked to the others, eyes landing on Charlie, “What do you think, Charlie? Should Angel take a break from my excellent training?” 

“Angel hasn’t even done anything…” Basil mumbled under his breath to where no one could hear.  

Charlie nodded her head, putting her hands together happily at the mention of them being treated to a meal. Angel pumped a fist into the air, “Alright! Mikhael busting his ass turned out to be a good thing after all!” he cheered. 

“I did not bust my ass! I was simply demonstrating what you shouldn’t be doing as one performs the art of skateboarding!” Mikhael denied, trying to cover up his mistake. Basil giggled as Angel chanted, ‘Bacon avocado fries’ over and over again. 

“Demonstrating hm? The photo I took shows otherwise.” Basil smirked, pulling it back out. He’d perfectly captured Mikhaels panicked face as he fell to his demise. His hands were stiffly pulled against his chest, making sure not to break his fall and a hand in the process, smart thinking Mikhael. 

Mikhaels face pooled with dread, “H-Hey! This does not capture my natural essence of beauty! We must burn this…” 

“Hehe, you say that about e-every photo I take of you, Mikhael…” Basil said, handing it to Charlie and Angel to look and laugh at. 

Mikhael had luckily not tried to steal it away, like he had a couple times before. After discovering how upset it made Basil he had quit out of respect of his feelings and hobbies. The group quickly learned how he liked to capture their natural state, and came to appreciate that about his pictures. 

When they handed the photo back, Basil told him, “Don’t worry, I-I’ll make sure to put it in the back of the album. When I get another one…” he puffed his cheeks when remembering how many photos he had just piled up on his bedside table, no place to call home. It’s just been something he’d been putting off for a while…

“You know where we should be going back to?” Angel asked, eyes widening, “Your place! Demolishing those damn. Bacon. Avocado. Fries!” he proclaimed. Basil giggled, patting his shoulder affirmatively, “O-Okay okay, someone’s getting hangry… Let’s make haste.” he said.

As they were on the walk back to Basil’s house, Mikhael striked up a conversation, “You know, Basil, I could teach you how to skateboard one day. Very popular with the ladies.” he said. 

Basil actually started to consider for a moment- Would Sunny be into it? Was his first thought, making himself flush automatically. Not like Sunny’s opinion mattered or anything, this should be something he decides for himself…

Basil balled his fists and furrowed his brows confidently, “Ah to hell with it, why not?” he said rather out of character. He meant to say that in his head, but decided to roll with it.

“Woah! I’ve never heard Lil ‘Ol Basil cuss before!” Angel said with an amused smile. Mikhael wiped away a fake tear, ruffling Basil’s hair, “I’m so proud of you. Our little Bagel is growing up so fast!” he sniffled. Basil became physically disgusted at the sentiment, “Y-Yeah, don’t get used to it.”

He’s never to voice anything aloud like that again–like he couldn’t curse if he wanted to. He just chose to not… Most of the time.

Mikhael went on about the basics of skateboarding to Basil, repeating information Angel’s already heard with the way he would chip in and even try to finish some of his sentences. It might actually be a good way of transportation from here to there so he wouldn’t waste any gas if need be. A little convenient for any time but the icy cold winter.

In the back of Basil’s mind though, he knew he was secretly hoping that Sunny would be impressed by it if he took up the offer…

~

A few days later passed without another peep outside or word from the others. Everyone just needs their space, Basil kept telling himself, but it was just so lonely staying in your own head all day, how did Sunny do it for so long?

Basil seriously considered sleeping through the evening again as he ran his fingers through his hair out of boredom, but disregarded that when he heard a tantalizing knock on his front door.

Couldn’t be Polly, he thought to himself as he stood up, fatigued. She was at work. Obviously it couldn’t be Hero, and based on the knocking pattern wasn’t Kel either–he always knocked in a rhythmic pattern. And it definitely couldn’t be Sunny… Not only is he sure that the rift between them hasn’t magically disappeared, but he tended to knock considerably more softly, so with the process of elimination there was only one person it could be…

A slightly tainted smile greeted him from behind the door, and the pink hair that was once so bright and bold laid much more softly on the eyes with the passage of time. It was Aubrey, as he expected, but whatever could she want on a day like this?

“A-Aubrey?” Basil stuttered out. He tried his best to sound as surprised as possible. He knew by the way the sound of the knock hit his eardrums that it was her, but he did also know that she’d been trying to get him to come out of the house for a while.

How ironic… It’d been Kel with Sunny and now Aubrey with Basil. Only difference is that he cracked way easier.

“Buh-Buh-Basil! So you finally answer.” She said with finger guns, allowing herself entry by pushing her way through. “I mean seriously, I’ve been tryin’ to get a hold of ya for a couple of weeks now, what’d I tell you about disappearing on me?”

Basil closed the door behind them, “D-Don’t do it…” he answered softly. 

She nodded, rubbing the nape of her neck, “Look Basil… I’m not here to make you talk about whatever's been making you all stressy and locking yourself up because to be honest, I don’t wanna talk about my own either…” she said. “So let’s just hang out, okay? Just a cas’ day with my lil bro.” She punched him lightly on the shoulder in a sibling manner, and the words coming out of her mouth instantly relieved Basil. 

He believed her to be here to finally scold him about going silent and hiding away from the whole situation. Basil isn’t one to take sides, especially when it’s between Aubrey and Kel, and he’s not exactly the best at resolving other people's issues either. But he does understand why Aubrey’s so upset…

What he can’t figure out though is what other reason she would have for visiting, so he asked. “Listen Basil, I’m in a predicament.” She started, grabbing his shoulders and staring him dead in the eyes. “I’m having my photo retaken for my license and I can absolutely not look like a deadbeat in it.” 

“Ah- Um… That’s great that you’re having your picture retaken and all, b-but what does this have to do with me?” Basil asked. 

Aubrey’s eye twitched in stress, “I need my hair bleached and dyed again! I can’t go looking like… like this! ” she exclaimed, gesturing to herself. 

Basil still didn’t understand, “Who do you u-usually dye your hair with?” he asked with the tilt if the head. 

Aubrey twirled the dead ends of her hair around her fingers, “Kim usually… But I’m… giving her some space right now.” she said. “Come on Basil! I know this is asking a bit much, but if I could just borrow your bathroom for the next few hours and have you make sure it’s not all splotchy I-”

“I’ll help.” Basil interrupted her, not something he felt the need to do very often, but she seemed to be on the verge of panicking. 

Her face lit up as she grabbed on his wrist, pulling him along with her, “Ah yeah! Thanks Basil, you’re a lifesaver!” she said, swinging open the front door. He didn’t know where exactly they were going, but when they entered Othermart and approached the hair section, it was pretty obvious. 

He’d assumed she had what she needed already, classic Aubrey move to be dragging him into her shopping as well. 

She grabbed different shades of pink, asking which kind he thought would fit better, to which the one in question responded, “You’d look great in any color.” every single time. It made Aubrey roll her eyes, but Basil wasn’t kidding. Black, blond, pink… she’d look good in any color in his humble opinion.

Basil’s eyes landed on the green section of the colors, and immediately, he remembered what Sunny had asked him. 

“Have you ever considered dying your hair?” 

And Basil’s response, “Nuh-uh, have you?”

He continued scanning over the different hues and shades, remembering what the other had replied back, “Yeah, I think you’d look good with a blueish-green color. Maybe mint…?”

Basil subconsciously smiled, it was kind of… cute that he assumed they were still on the subject of himself when Basil had asked, “have you?” It made him blush a bit. 

But he caught himself almost immediately, and bit his lip from the memory to stop intruding on his thoughts. He was super unsure if he should do this, but Sunny thought it would look good…

Nope! He’s not going to make this decision based on Sunny’s opinion. He’s his own person, and besides, mint green is his favorite color. Just a coincidence that it was the same color Sunny just so happened to imagine him in, let alone paint a portrait of him. He was so very flattered, but did Sunny really think about him that much?

No no, there he goes getting his hopes up again. He shook his head, trying to reset his train of thought.

“Hm, that’s a no? Damn, I thought maybe this was the one…” Aubrey said, placing one of the boxes back. 

Basil stood up from his squatted position, “O-Oh no! I wasn't saying no to you! I um- I was kind of lost in thought.” he said. 

Aubrey picked back up the box, inspecting the back, “What's got you so up in the clouds Bagel-Boy?” she asked. Basil nervously tapped his fingers together, “I-I was thinking about… dyeing my own hair. M-Maybe…” he said. 

The other averted her eyes to him, and she looked him up and down multiple times, making him feel slightly anxious. He didn’t want to badger her with something so impulsive he’d thought up of anyway. “Of course i-it’s okay if not. I wouldn’t want to intrude-”

He silenced himself when Aubrey began to chuckle slightly, and gave him a reassuring pat on the back, “Dude, you’re pure-blood blondie. It’ll take way less time to do your hair than it will with me.” she said. 

She then crouched down to his height, “I did kind of notice you staring at the greens for a damn long time. You thinking about becoming a full-fledged basil?” Aubrey said, flicking a strand of his hair with her finger. 

He laughed a little at her joke, “Ahaha… U-Um, I was thinking maybe not a full head of hair? Maybe just part?”

“Ooo, so like an ombre?” Aubrey suggested, she scrunched the bottom of his hair with her hands, “Start from the bottom, and fade our way into the top!” Basil thought on it for a moment before landing on an answer, “Y-Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

So they finally got Aubrey her bleach, and their dye, and made it back to Basil’s place. Aubrey insisted on doing Basil’s hair first, but he thought it would be smarter for them to bleach her hair, and while they let it set do his own. They’d kill two birds with one stone–easy.

Aubrey quickly but carefully applied the bleach to her hair, making sure not to get it in her eyes. She’d occasionally hissed through her teeth, complaining that it burned in some spots, but she told him that was normal for her since she did have a few head wounds for reasons unbeknownst to Basil. He tried not to cringe every time she would flinch, he really hates seeing other people in pain.

Eventually, she was able to wrap it up, and got Basil to check for any spots she maybe had missed–there were a few, but he helped her patch it up. She concluded by putting a plastic bag over her head. “Helps keep the heat trapped inside and prevent it from getting dry.” She’d explained when Basil had asked why she needed it. 

“Although, I don’t think you’ll need it. Should be fairly simple to do your hair.” She said, clearing the sink space up and pulling up a chair they’d borrowed from the dining table. She directed him to sit, “Now, let’s get started.”

Unlike her, who bleached her hair while it was completely dry, Basil insisted she wet it at least, so she began rinsing it in the sink, gently stroking her fingers through his wet hair. She kept commenting about how smooth and soft it felt in between her fingers.

“Seriously! What kind of shampoo do you use to make it like this?” She asked in fascination. Basil blushed at the compliments, “I d-don’t use anything special, really! Just the coconut curls brand… I find that they bring out the curl in m-my hair more.” he said. 

Aubrey nodded, turning off the sink and squeezing the excess water out of his hair and made sure to be extra gentle, “Bleh, I really need to take better care of mine. Mine’s so dead…”

Basil thought for a minute, “I-I can help you. We can start by cutting your ends off when your hair’s d-done being bleached…” he suggested. Aubrey’s face lit up, “You’d do that for me?”

Basil returned it with a smile, “Anything f-for you, Aubs .” he said fondly. Aubrey gave an embarrassed smile and then flicked water in his face, “You big nerd…” she teased, acting like she wasn’t completely flattered at the sentiment. 

She then clapped her hands together, “Okay, dye time…” she said, wriggling her fingers towards the box. 

Basil finally sat up and rubbed his neck, he always hated leaning back his head for so long. It always gave him the worst neck and head pain. “Th-This isn’t going to burn, right?” He asked.

Aubrey shrugged, “It might a little. That is if it makes direct skin contact.” she said. Basil whimpered. “Aw come on, it won’t be that bad.” She encouraged as she mixed the dye together in a bowl. 

“This color is very… You. I can’t describe it. How’d you land on it?” She asked, very obviously trying to distract him from his worries.

Basil bit his lip as she began applying it to the roots of his hair. The smell was a bit overwhelming, so he sure is glad that they left the door open to air it out… “Ah S-Sunny actually suggested it. He said he used to imagine me in it…”

“You mean in that little fantasy land he used to dream up of?” She asked for clarification. Basil almost nodded his head, but remembered she was doing something very tedious to his hair at the moment. “Y-Yeah, you know about it?” 

“Not that well. He’s told me about it a few times when we’ve spoken one-on-one. It’s a little weird he spent those years imagining us rather than being with the real thing…” Aubrey bit her bottom lip as she worked. Basil swung his legs back and forth out of boredom, “I think It’s a little sweet…”

“Of course you do.” 

“N-No, I’m serious! I m-mean–think about it.” Basil had her consider, “He could've spent all those years in solitude forgetting about us, pretending we d-didn’t exist–pretending Mari didn’t exist, b-but he didn’t. He kept us in his thoughts, and it followed him into his dreams…” he elaborated. 

“I know it wasn’t exactly a healthy way of coping, b-but it proves, at least to me, that he still c-cared about us.” Basil said, “When I had lost all hope and believed h-he resented me, I was a little relieved hearing that he was just dreaming us up in different s-silly situations…”

Aubrey snorted, “Hah, of course you’d be the one to try to find the bright side of things. You are the sunflower of the group after all…” she said, nostalgia adorned her face as she began applying the dye to the lower parts of his hair. 

Basil giggled, patting his hands against his knees, “Hehe, I’m flattered, Aubrey!” he said. 

“Yeah yeah, don’t get used to it…” She said, and sighed. “Y’know, I can tell Sunny misses you… He told me that you two haven’t talked for a while.”

Basil perked up, “H-He does?” Aubrey nodded, “Look I dunno what happened, but if it’s because what happened with Kel and I, please-”

“It’s not! A-Aubrey, something… something stupid happened…” He mumbled. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. That word repeated in his head every time his mind drifted to Sunny. How utterly stupid to be daydreaming about him at a time like this, or at all.

“Well whatever it is, I can tell he wants to say something, but he’s too idiotic to do it.” She rolled her eyes, “We went to that yearly Winterfest thing together when he brought it up. I tried inviting you, but ya never answered the door.”

“S-Sorry…” Basil apologized. Now he feels awful, that could’ve been his one chance of patching things up with Sunny, and spending time with his friends would’ve been nice.

“Eh- it’s alright. It’s not like I’m any different…” Basil wondered if she was referring to Kim or Kel, most likely both, but he decided to ask about the former, “Um, sorry i-if this is a bit intrusive, but did something happen with you and K-Kim?” he asked.

Aubrey shook her head, “It’s nothing bad, I just…” she sighed, “I don’t wanna talk about it. I feel real bad.” she said. 

Basil hissed through his teeth when the dye made contact with an unhealed scab on his forehead. She mumbled an apology and continued, “I wanna make it up to her, but I dunno know what to do.”

Basil tapped his chin in thought, “W-Well, I’m not good in the romance area, but why don’t you buy her some of her favorite candy and take her out somewhere? I-I could even make an apology bouquet f-for you to give her!” he suggested. 

Aubrey toothily grinned, “You’ve always been a sucker for cheesy romantic plotlines, haven’t ya?”

Basil nodded, chuckling profusely, “Mmm, the only cheesy romantic plotline I want to hear about is how you two even got together.” he poked. “H-How long have you two been together again?”

“Next weekend will mark five months…” She said, proudly but sadly. She sighed, “You really want to hear the story, huh?” Basil nodded his head enthusiastically, crossing his legs in his place to prepare himself for the long-coming story.

“So, it was a bright sunny fall day, and I’d finally gotten the courage to make the first move…”

…

Aubrey woke up this particular fall morning confident and raring to go. Today was the day she was finally going to ask her out! Well, that was the plan if the things she even had planned went well, but why wouldn’t it?

She’d never deemed herself worth any sort of romantic relationship until she’d met Kim, and from that point forward longed to be by her side every day. And so finally, after months of mutual(?) pining, Aubrey was going to ask her out.

A day prior she’d asked Kim to have breakfast with her, and from there… From there she didn’t really know what to do, but she was sure she’d think of something! This was Kim she was talking about…

Basil put his hands on his cheeks, “Awww, you took her out on a romantic fancy breakfast?” 

Aubrey scratched her chin, “If you consider IHop fancy, then yeah…” she mumbled. Basil giggled, and gestured for her to continue.

So here she was in what she considered to be a cleaner version of her car–she took the time to throw away a lot of the trash. Wrappers, soda cans, empty fast food bags etc… She even topped it off with an air freshener that smelt of flowers. 

Said girl was awaiting Aubrey’s arrival outside of her house, a pinkish look dusting her face as the wind blew through her short hair. She gave an enthusiastic wave and beaming smile when she pulled up. 

Kim made herself comfortable in the passenger seat and sniffed the air, “Huh, it seems a lot cleaner in here than last time.” she said.

Aubrey put the gear in drive, “Well uh- thought I’d clean up a little. Get the fast food stench outta here.” she used as an excuse. Still, Kim only chuckled, gently tucking a piece of Aubrey’s hair behind her ear. Aubrey was able to keep her composure, but felt like she could lose control of the wheel at any moment. 

“Not going soft, are ya Williams?” Kim teased with a smirk. Aubrey only waved her off, “Me? Go soft? In your dreams…” she dismissed. 

“In my dreams…? So I’m totally dreaming that you’re not wearing your contact lenses right now?” Kim pointed out, completely taking the other off her guard. She didn’t think she’d mention it since she’s gone out without them a few times, but she totally knows that she did it for her this time. 

“It’s okay, you know I think you look pretty without them.” Kim flirted, causing Aubrey to inhale and choke on the gum she’d been chewing. So much for her newfound confidence, this woman was going to be the death of her, literally.

“In hindsight,” Aubrey interrupted her own story, “She probably knew what I was planning, she’s pretty perceptive.” she snorted, and carried on.

The look in her eyes as she continued could only be described as soft and adoring–excited even to tell this story to him for the first time. And he’s just glad to see her previous mood disappear as she passionately talks about herself and her girlfriend. Ah, young teen love.

“So our food comes out and you won’t believe what’s on Kim’s pancakes.”

Basil gasps dramatically, “Go on.”

“Maple. Fucking. Syrup. The exact thing we told them she can’t have!”

“I-I’m confused… What exactly in the syrup is she allergic to…?” 

“She’s allergic to corn syrup.” Aubrey elaborated. Basil scrunched his face. What a sad thing to be allergic to. Syrup, in his humble opinion, was what made pancakes pancakes! Not to be dramatic, but he’d rather die than have dry pancakes. 

Aubrey noticed his puzzled look and laughed it off, “Strange, I know. But anyway…”

It was just their luck that they’d get Kim’s order wrong, without fail! 

“Excuse me.” Aubrey addressed the employee, “She asked for no syrup because she’s allergic…” she told the woman serving them. 

Kim looked at her with knitted brows, “Aubrey…” she muttered under her breath. Aubrey put a finger to her lips, she is not going to let her tell them that it was fine as is like she usually did. Not when she could literally die.

Their server put on an understanding look and bowed apologetically, “I’m so sorry ma’am, I’ll be out another one soon.” they assured her, taking the plate in front of her away. 

Aubrey sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. “Man, I don’t wanna eat when you don’t have your food. It feels… wrong.” 

“You wouldn't have to feel bad if you just kept your mouth shut…” 

“Kimberly, I am not going to panic about not being able to find your epipen again and then proceed to basically stab you.” Aubrey said, shuddering. The last time she had to do that had been months ago. Kim had misplaced it in her bag and Aubrey really does not like needles, despite her being known for commonly carrying around weaponry. 

“Aww! I-I remember when we were kids that you would always come crying to m-me before having to get your shots.” Basil reminisced. Aubrey was sensitive as a kid, so almost every time she had to go to the doctors she’d run to Basil’s house in hopes that he’d be home. 

Basil would comfort her, give her reassuring hugs and pats on the back that she'd be okay. He even threw in a couple of facts about the kind of shot she was getting–the benefits and what not, just to make her feel extra better about getting it.

In the midst of remembering all of this, Aubrey pulled on his hair, “Hey! I have full control over your hair right now, just so you know!” she reminded him. 

Basil whined, “Ow! Okay okay…” he gave in, letting the previous bittersweet childhood memories become but just that again. A memory.

A few awkward minutes passed before Kim took her fork and stabbed one of the sausages on Aubrey’s plate, “Say ah.” she enticingly insisted. 

Aubrey could feel her cheeks warming intensely at the sentiment, “W-What’re you doing?!” 

“Feeding you.” Kim stated the obvious. 

“I’m not saying ah, weirdo.” 

Kim puffed her cheeks angrily, “Open your mouth, William’s.” she demanded, getting the other to immediately comply and open her mouth. Just like she said she was, she fed her, eyes lidded with affection. Aubrey covered her mouth as she chewed, embarrassed at what they were currently doing. 

Not like she wasn’t enjoying it, but this was all wrong. But she wanted to be the one making Kim all flustered, not getting all flustered herself.

“And, done!” Aubrey announced, slapping the brush she was using back down into the bowl of dye. “Well… Almost. You’ve gotta let it set for a while.” She pursed her lips and dug through Basil’s drawers, “But you know what you can do…?” she asked, struggling to find whatever she was looking for.

As she did that, Basil looked at himself in the mirror–she had outdone herself. Even though his hair was still wet and flat, he could tell when it dried that it would come out velutinous and vibrant. He couldn’t wait to see the results.

She finally pulled out a pair of trimming scissors, and let her hair that was stuffed in the plastic bag down as she ripped it away from her head, “You can trim my ends.” 

They switched spots, Aubrey now being the one in the chair, and Basil now combing through long, now bleached, hair with one of the excess combs he owned. 

“How much d-do you want off?” Basil asked, gently brushing through a knot in her hair. Aubrey held up her hand, using her fingers for scale, “Probably about… three fingers.” she said.

Basil held up three fingers at the ends of her hair, “Huh, I-I’ve never considered using fingers for measurement. That’s actually kind of… smart.” he said, beginning to trim off the very dead ends of her hair.

She clicked her teeth, “Little trick my dad taught me.” she said. “Seems to do the trick better than if you asked for a certain amount of inches.” 

Basil nodded, “C-Come on, you’ve got to finish the rest of the story…!” he reminded her.

“Right. Come on Basil, stop detouring me!” She exclaimed, rubbing her temple. “Where was I? Oh right…” She paused, inhaling a deep breath so she could finish out strong. “So after the less-than-adequate breakfast, I wanted to take her somewhere special. Cheesy, I know, but…”

A couple summer the two of them had been playing basketball against each other in a park, not Faraway’s, when Kim beat her in a game of horse. 

Aubrey had been hunched over, trying to catch her breath from how exhausted she’d gotten from standing out in the shimmering and scorching hot summer sun all day when Kim came up from behind her, slapping her on the back in good sportsmanship. “Nice try, William’s. Maybe you’ll win next time.” She’d addressed her as she always did, by her last name for some odd reason.

Aubrey pinched her fingers together, “Don’t give me that, I was this close to beating you.” Kim laughed, wrapping an arm around Aubrey’s shoulder, “You have energy and ability Aubs, but your posture is horrendous.” 

She arose from her place, blocking the sun from beating down onto her already overheated face, “Whaddya mean? My posture’s just fine!” Aubrey insistently shook her head. 

Kim snorted, pulling her arm away to fan herself, “Aubrey, you sit and stand like a shrimp. You have so much more potential than you think you do, you just don’t try hard enough.” she said, causing the other to scoff. 

Kim took her by the shoulders, “Seriously! Have you ever considered trying out for the baseball team at our school? You always carry around that bat, and I think you would make such a great addition. Also… we would see each other more after school.” she mumbled the last part, covering a smile that appeared on her face, “J-Just uh- think about it.”

Aubrey’s mouth hung open, dumbfounded at her suggestion as Kim shuffled away for a moment. Try out for the baseball team? Her? She’d never thought about doing that before, sports were always Kel’s thing, not her’s. 

She glanced back to Kim, who was now doing stretches on her achy limbs. Her amber eyes, her soft brown hair, the visible gap she had between her canine and… whatever the one to the left of it was called, when she smiled–she loved that about her. Aubrey loves spending time with her, she loves… her…?

It’s been an idea that had been boggling around in her mind for a while, but Aubrey never considered herself to be the romantic type of person. Ever since she met Kim though…

Said girl came running back up to her, holding out a water bottle, “Hey Aubs! You look like death, here.” she shoved it in her face unrelentingly. Aubrey desperately snatched it from her, taking a sip. Talk about looking like death, she sure as hell felt like it too.

When Aubrey finished she looked back at Kim thankfully, handing it to her and said, “I’ll uh- I’ll try out… For baseball this year.” 

Kim stared at her with wide eyes and smiled one of the biggest smiles Aubrey’s ever seen. “Hell yeah! That’s the spirit, Aubs!” She cheered, wrapping her arms around Aubrey’s body to give her a hug. “Yeah. N-No problem.” She stuttered back.

The skin-to-skin contact had made Aubrey blush deeply, and the smell of sweat mixed horribly throughout the air, but she still hugged her back, enjoying the natural warmth that radiated from her. 

Aubrey inhaled deeply, immediately regretting it, “Eugh, you smell like shit.” she commented. Kim’s laugh vibrated against her, “You look like shit.” she said back. 

The two eventually pulled away with Kim’s hands still lingering on Aubrey’s arms. She began pulling her along with her, “Come on.” she said. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”

Basil clapped repeatedly, careful not to accidentally stab himself “Ooo! I-I think I know where this is going!” he squealed. Aubrey whipped her head backwards, looking at him with a smirk across her lips, “Spill it then.”

Basil’s eyes glimmered with excitement, “You took her back to the same park to challenge her to another game and won. A-And as the prize, you asked her out.” he predicted. 

Aubrey gave a small chuckle, “Hah, I wish that’s what happened. You’re not completely wrong though.” she leaned her head back up when Basil guided his fingers through the ends of her hair.

“I-I think I’m done trimming. So uh- dye time…?” He said, smiling apprehensively. Aubrey observed herself in the mirror for a moment before a satisfied look appeared on her face. 

She shook her head, making the flow of her hair go back and forth, “Niiiice job Bagel-Boy, let's mix this shit.” she said, ripping open the pink hair dye she’d bought for herself. Basil didn’t notice up until now, but she’s chosen a lighter pink than her previous color, an almost cotton candy look to it. It was pretty, and when she began to apply it to her hair he could tell that it was going to really suit her.

“I did take her back to the same place, and I did challenge her to another game, but halfway through the game it started pouring rain.” Aubrey went on. “I was pissed because the weather said it would be clear all day, so we ran back to the car and… well…”

The two girls rushed back to Aubrey’s car, splashing through puddles of water that had already formed. When they made it to the beat up car, Kim began to pull on the passenger's door handle repeatedly, “Aubreyyyyy! Hurry up! I’m getting soaked!”

Aubrey fumbled with her keys, shoving them in the car door and unlocking her side, “I- I’m trying! Hold on!” she shouted through the loud rainpour. Finally, she clicked the button to unlock the whole car and jumped into the front as Kim did the same. 

The two stared at each other before Kim bursted out in laughter, attempting to clean her glasses off of the water. Aubrey, annoyed, squeezed her cold, wet hair, “W-What’s so funny?!” she asked.

Kim rubbed a tear away from her eye, trying to speak through her cackles but failing. She got to the point where she was somewhat audible, “Haha! I-It’s just–looks like the universe was totally on my side today!” she giggled. 

Aubrey crossed her arms, eyes stabbing daggers into the other girl, “Aw come on! I was totally kicking your ass!”

“I know, impressive, Williams. I didn’t expect you to get so much sportier within the span of a year.” Kim said, resting her arm against the console. “You did all that just to beat me?”

Aubrey puffed her cheeks, evading eye contact with the other, “Don’t take it to heart…” she said, nervously stroking a strand of hair. 

Suddenly, the hand she was using was ripped away from her, gently cradled in the hands of the other girl. “Aubrey. Look at me.” Kim said. 

When she did so, Kim was smiling like an idiot, an affectionate look in her eyes, “I’m not stupid, you know? Taking me out to breakfast and then bringing me back here to beat me at my own game?” she said, leaning in closer and closer. “You dummy, why didn’t you just ask me out like a normal person?”

Those were the words that Aubrey desperately did and didn’t want to hear. This was all supposed to be one big surprise! How and why did she always have her so figured out?

Aubrey lowered her head, “I thought you might say no…” she muttered. 

“Me? Say no to you?” Kim repeated in surprise. “No no no… I should’ve been the one worried about that! Aubrey you're… cool. I-I really didn’t think I had a chance…” She confessed, laughing a bit sadly. 

Aubrey paused for a moment, letting it all sink in, “I-I never really considered myself a romantic type of person, but ever since I met you… everything’s been so confusing.” she said, turning to face the other way. The hand that had been captured by Kim’s own became loose from her grasp, and used it to rub her arm with conviction. “I like spending time with you, Kim…”

A laugh escaped the others lips as she leaned forward to catch Aubrey’s eyes with her own, “I like you too Aubs.”

“Th-That’s not what I said!” Aubrey said in an embarrassed manner. 

Kim grinned, “I know,” and grabbed her by the chin, “but it’s what you wanted to say.” she teased.

All Aubrey could do was look at her, starry-eyed and needily. And all she could think to say to her was, “God, would you just kiss me already?” 

Kim’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she snorted in amusement, “Hehe, y-yeah. Okay…” she said. 

Before Aubrey knew it, the two’s lips were softly pressed against each other, and they began to exchange short and chaste kisses to each other. And the longer they went on, the more Aubrey finally felt like she’d found her home. Her heart sped up in an exhilarated way, and within each touch they exchanged she felt prudent, fuzzy feelings for the other. 

She tasted like candy, which wasn’t a surprise since she did like popping taffy in her mouth at random. And this was Kim they were talking about, that’s just what made it all the much more real. 

For the first time in a while, Aubrey felt true happiness, smiled a real smile. She doesn’t ever want to let this feeling go…

As Aubrey finished her story she also finished applying the dye to her hair. “So yeah, she might've been the one to kiss me first, but I totally beat her to the girlfriend question.” she said with pride. “Oh man was she pissed.” Aubrey snorted, and turned to Basil, “Hey, the dye should be settled in now, so let's wash it.”

They switched spots, and once again Aubrey threaded her fingers through his hair as she watched it. He was quite excited, but also nervous, to see how it came out. Though he wouldn’t really be able to tell once it was dry.

“Eww…” Aubrey vocalized, holding out her hands for Basil to see, “I look like a smurf.” she said. For some reason, she hadn’t put in gloves, which resulted in her hands becoming a bluish green color. 

“Your fault for not wearing gloves.” Basil said. She stuck out her tongue at him, “You’re lucky I’m finished with you.”

Basil stood up to look himself in the mirror and sure enough, the color was vibrant and beautiful. The ombre effect looked well done as well, even though he knows that the look of it will change when his hair fluffs back up, she did a fantastic job. 

Aubrey shoved the plastic bag on her head, “Well, now that we have all this time, you wanna hear about Kimmy and I’s first date?” she asked. 

Basil nodded enthusiastically, “Would I?!” 

…

“Aaannnd, that’s how I asked Kim to be my girlfriend, first. ” Aubrey concluded as she finished washing her hair. 

Her small story about their first picnic date in the secret hangout spot had ended up becoming a super long one with the amount of times they’d get sidetracked. But that was okay, Basil liked it that way. It felt more real in between them in a sense.

As she squeezed out the last remains of water from her hair, she guiltily looked up to Basil, “Speaking of uh- that... Sorry for… asking if you were gay in front of Sunny and all, and just in general.” She apologized, combing her hands through her tangled hair. 

Basil smiled with a pained expression, “I-It’s uh… It’s okay…” he said. Not like you were wrong, he added in his head.

Aubrey sighed, running a hand back through her hair, “But still, it wasn’t cool for me to just assume that just because you’ve never shown interest doesn’t mean-”

“Aubrey, you weren’t wrong. I'm gay.” Basil blurted out on a whim. 

She didn’t expect him to interrupt, so needless to say she was quite surprised. But his words slowly seeded its way into her mind, and a small smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth, “Well well well.” she said. “Look who was right after all.” 

Aubrey scooted over to him on her knees, placing her hands down on each of his shoulders, “Basil.” she addressed him.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Welcome to the gay club, lil bro.” She said with a wide smile, and pulled him in for a signature noogie. Basil giggled at the familiar ticklish feeling. He wonders if she has trouble expressing when she wants to hug and this is her way of showing it… So just to test, he found his way out of her grasp and pulled her in for a nurturing hug.

“What. Are. You. Doing…?” She asked as if it were a foreign concept to her. 

“Blessing you w-with my embrace.” Basil said, looking up at her deviously. 

She chuckled, wrapping one of her arms around him to return the favor and then stroked part of his damp hair. “Damn… Still not dry.” She cursed. “You know, I’m quite impatient when it comes to this.”

“Hairdryer?” Basil stated simply, already standing up and opening one of the cabinets to search. Aubrey followed with a wheeze, “Hehe, sure ya weirdo.” 

So the two spent the next thirty minutes or so mostly drying Aubrey’s now more pastel cotton-candy-like hair, and once she was up and done moved on to Basil. His was mostly dry already, just still damp in a few spots underneath, and it was still quite flat.

As he began to blow it dry however, it went back to its natural big, fluffy shape, and proved that the work Aubrey had done had paid off tremendously. The color somehow looked even prettier than before, covering most of his head but the top of his roots and a little bit below that to achieve the ombre effect.

He was absolutely fascinated by the way he looked now, like sparkles galore had taken over his vision and he couldn’t look away. 

He felt Aubrey’s breath hit his ear as she leaned in to ask, “Hey, wanna braid your side bangs?” to him. He whipped his head to look at her–does he ever! He remembers when she’d braid them all the time as a kid, but he never kept them in for more than a few hours since he found it embarrassing. 

But now he’s grown a little more, no longer completely embarrassed by his quote-on-quote 'feminine side’ even though it was something so harmless. 

So in response he eagerly nodded his head, grabbing Aubrey’s hand so she could work on it on his comfortable bed rather than his cold tile floors.

…

“Done.” Aubrey announced after only a few minutes. It was impressive how quickly she finished, but what was even more impressive is how well-done she made it look. 

She’d pulled out a handheld mirror to show him–how effortlessly she did it! Basil couldn’t braid to save his life, “W-Wow, I look…” 

“Totally awesome and cool? Yeah yeah, I know. I’m great at what I do.” Aubrey gloated. Her eyes began glistening with mischievous intentions, “Anyway, Sunny’ll totally be into it. I guarantee you he’ll say something like, ‘Wow, Basil… You’re totally an utter cutie now-”

“Oooh my God, sh-shut up!” Basil covered her mouth in a panic. “Ewww! Did y-you just lick my hand?” He expressed his disgust with her as she burst out laughing, falling backwards and hitting the bed with amusement. 

Basil leaned over to get her attention, “P-Plus, me and Sunny a-aren’t like that! You’re reading this all wrong…” he said, his face expressing some sort of rage. Though, he wasn’t actually angry, more embarrassed that she’d read him like a book more than anything.

“I’m not asking what you are, I’m just saying what you could be.” Aubrey sat up, speaking to him in a sort of mocking and teasing tone, “But sure, whatever you say, Bagel-Boy.”

“Hmph.” Basil pouted and crossed his arms. God did he want to curl up in a ball right now and did, this is humiliating.

“Hey, in all seriousness though, you should say something to him. I can tell the two of you want to break the silence, but you're both too damn stubborn and are suffering because of it.” Aubrey huffed a few hair strands out of her eyes and watched as Basil apprehensively considered it.

“You… should say s-something too. To Kel…” He mumbled out, immediately trying to go back on it after he realized it was probably a  bad time to bring this up, “I-I mean you-”

“Basil.” Aubrey voiced blankly, “Whatever you’re about to apologize for, don’t. It’s not your battle to fight.” she said. 

Not his battle to fight, huh? Basil’s been involved in so many things that weren’t his business, he was just assuming he’d have to take action on it pretty soon for this whole thing to resolve. Not like he was the best problem solver though…

Aubrey placed her hand on his arm, rubbing her thumb along it, “Basil… Thanks for being the best sibling figure I could ever ask for.” she said, bashfulness appearing across her face.

Basil smiled, returning the favor, “Th-Thanks for never giving up on me.” he lauded.

Chapter Text

Mincy set down one of the last display pots, huffing in relief as she did. When she was finished with the last round of her touch-ups she stood back, taking in the display of her work. “Finally… Oh, how I hate February.” She voiced to herself out loud. 

Hate is a strong word, but when it’s describing the month of love she thinks it’s appropriate. She works in a flower shop after all, one of the worst places to work when Valentine's Day was approaching. Not that she hates the money that she makes, but she sure does not like all the extra work and hours she has to put in.

Though, no matter how much she complains about it, she’ll always put the effort in to make a display that’s festive enough for her liking. Mostly consisting of roses and carnations, she enjoys changing up the window display every now and again.

Just then the bell rang throughout the silent shop, grabbing her attention away to the younger, raven-haired boy who’d stopped by for the second time this weekend. 

“Ah, Sunny! Come to volunteer again?” She asked him with a radiant smile, and noted that he was wearing his eyepatch today. He usually didn’t around the shop since he felt comfortable enough around her and didn’t see many people throughout the day, but something was different. Something seems… off with him, but perhaps it was just her imagination. 

With a scrutinizing look, he nodded, admiring the new display she’d made. 

“It’s pretty. Did you do all of this?” He signed to her. 

“Hehe, thanks! I did do this, all by myself!” She responded, turning towards the counter to grab something from beneath, “Here, you need your nametag. Can’t go around with it.” she said, gently placing it into his hand. He took it and hooked it on to his shirt, smiling softly at the little drawings the two had added. 

When Sunny got bored, he’d often pull out his sketchbook and start drawing whatever came to mind. Scenery, the flowers that surrounded the walls of the shop… Basil. He did that a lot; drawing Basil she means. It’s honestly adorable how much he admires him, she just wonders if there’s some other reason behind it…

Mincy’s not confident enough to pry into the others' business though, it’ll come in time.

In the meantime, she’s excited to show him some of the new additions they’ll be taking care of. So she grabbed him by the wrist, eager to drag him to the back. “Come on Sun! Let me show you some of the new additions…” She said to him, causing him to brighten up a little. 

Forgetting that she’d locked it, she shuffled through her keys until she found the correct one and unlocked the door. 

The smell of morning air and healthy flowers filled their noses as they stepped in. Mincy basically skipped over to the area she was referring to, showing off all the new additions they had to take care of. “I’m sure you know, but this is the special area. It’s where we take care of plants for people that can't look after them for an extended period of time. For a price of course…”

Sunny nodded, observing some of them more closely. It was mostly just succulents that were really hard to take care of and flowers that needed to be looked after while their owners were on vacation, but one in particular seemed to catch Sunny’s eye. 

“Ah, this one interests you, Sunny?” She asks, gently stroking the flowers wilting petals. He nodded, “What is this? ”

“This…” She turned it to where he could see the label and pointed at the name, “This is a gardenia.” She said. “A harder plant to take care of. The owner said she desperately needed help reviving it to its original state–awfully difficult flower to grow in an apartment, but if you have a strong will, it’ll survive.”

Sunny observed it more carefully, considering the fact that it was dying, and looked at it with fascination. “It’s beautiful, do you think It will live?”

Mincy nodded with a giggle, “Anything’s possible! All it needs is some extra care and it will survive! I’m determined.” she declared confidently. “I’m sure that the owner herself will come across struggles with it, even if I do end up fixing it, but that’s just what makes it more special. It’s okay that it’s a little different. That doesn’t make it any less beautiful!” 

Sunny looked at her with an unreadable expression, and almost seemed to want to speak with the way he opened and closed his mouth so apprehensively. He decided to keep quiet for the time being, “What do they mean?” he asked. 

“You mean what do they represent?”

A nod.

Mincy fished out a water spritzer from underneath, realizing that it probably needed more water. As she sprayed it, she tried remembering the exact meaning behind them. “They symbolize purity, gentleness and joy. It’s believed that they bring hope and peace to an individual.” She said. 

As she finished up and glanced back at Sunny, who was carefully studying each and every individual flower and its bud, Mincy recalled another one of its meanings, “It can also signify a secret love between two people.” she whispered with a giggle. 

Mincy noticed and picked up one of the flowers that had fallen off, placing it behind Sunny’s ear. “If you receive them from somebody, there’s a chance that person may have a little crush on you!”

Sunny grinned a small smile, looking curiously up at the flower. It’s quite big, but wilted, and the stem's pretty thin and dried up. Most likely the reason that it fell off in the first place… 

Sunny swiftly turned to look up at Mincy with big sad eyes. “Do you think–in a way, people are like flowers?” He asked. 

Mincy doesn’t understand where this sudden sentimentality is coming from, especially since Sunny doesn’t show his more so-called weak side as often, but who was she to question the unwarranted surge of emotion? 

“In a way… yes! I think so…” She replied, and leaned over the counter to hold her slightly fatigued body up. She definitely shouldn’t have stayed up so late the night prior finishing her leftover homework…

Mincy let out a sigh as her skin made more and more contact with the cold, solid steel surface, “I mean, we as people have to adjust to our surroundings–learn to live in certain environments. Not only that, but we grow and require close watched nurturing at some point, just like flowers!” she elaborated, watching Sunny raise his hands more shakily to sign this time.

“In that sense… do you…” A pause from him, as he collected his thoughts and steadied his breathing. “Do you think people can re-establish themselves and become a better version of themselves in the same way that flowers begin to die, but can be revived with just a little bit of care? He asked, folding his hands together with uneasiness.

Mincy held her mouth open in thought, “W-Wow. That’s… kind of deep, Sunny.” she said.

Sunny lowered his head in shame. “Sorry,” He signed, but Mincy shook her head and hands to quickly rebut, “No no! There’s no reason to be sorry!” she affirmed him. “I just… can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.”

This caused Sunny to lower his head even further and he slowly began retreating backwards. Mincy caught hold of his shoulders, deliberately making sure not to scare him away. “You know you can tell me anything… What’s got you so down, Sunny?” 

Sunny waited a moment, seemingly debating whether or not he should say anything. “I just…” He audibly grumbled to himself, pulling down on his cheeks and irritating his face. 

“Hey hey, there’s no reason to get frustrated. One sentence at a time, let me know what’s on your mind.” She told him, using a soothing voice to calm his spirits. He looked to take it well, allowing Mincy to lend him the helping hand he needed at this moment.

“Lately I’ve been discovering things about myself that I wouldn't have known had I never consulted anyone about it.” He started, “And while it’s a good thing, I can’t help feeling so alone.” and let out a sigh.

“There are some parts that can be fixed, and some that can’t. I know this, but a part of me is still convinced it can be. I keep running in circles and I don’t know how to stop.” He put more emphasis on his words the more he went on. Mincy’s never seen him look so genuinely stuck on something before.

“Well…” She thoughtfully tapped away at her chin. “Dead plants won’t grow no matter how much care you put into them, but you can always salvage the parts afterwards and create something new with them.” she said. Metaphors were her forte, and Sunny of all people should understand and appreciate them.

“I know you’re probably very confused right now, but you shouldn't worry so much about the things you can’t fix.” She told him, hoping she was leading him in the right direction. “Just embrace those parts about yourself–create something new out of it. There’s no need to be ashamed and scared of something you can’t fix.” She suggested. 

Sunny scrunched his face in thought. “Even when they objectively make me different from most?”

Mincy gave a little chuckle, “Even so.” and tilted her head inquisitively. “I’m sure you’d feel better about it if you talked with someone you trust more. Your mom, therapist, a friend…” She listed off. “How about it?”

He gave it thought for a moment before replying, “I think I’ve got it, yeah.” he signed, brightening up a tad with a soft smile. “Thanks, Mincy.”

“It’s no issue, really. You’ve really-” 

Mincy cut herself off when Sunny pulled her in for a hug, something he didn't do very often, and it was at this moment she knew that she’d said the right thing. Feeling accomplished, she proudly returned the hug back. 

A light laughter emitted from the girl, “Hehe, I-I was going to say that you’ve gotten really good at ASL in such a small period of time.” she commented as they pulled away. “I’m really proud of you, Sunny.” 

The boy blushed gratefully in return, not used to having been praised so generously before. “Thank you… I’ve been learning as much as I can in my spare time.”

“I can see that! It’s paying off tremendously.” She said, clapping her hands together. “Now, why don’t you say I show you how to make watercolors out of flower petals?” 

Sunny nodded eagerly, and she swears that you could count the amount of stars that appeared in his eye at the subject. So Mincy happily dragged him along with her as she gathered a few of the flowers that were worth using for the new activity.

“We’re going to need a lot if we want every color.” She told Sunny.

They ended up doing just that, and as soon as they wrapped up Mincy’s small lesson on how he too can make watercolor paint from just a few flower petals, he pulled out his sketchbook, anxious to get started.

Mincy looked curiously over to him, “So…” she began with a smile, “What will you paint, Sunny?”

~

Sunny was just inches away from hitting that damn send button on his phone to Basil.

He had a whole message written out, primed and ready to be sent, but the more he looked and read over it the more he realized how empty and emotionless it felt. 

Hey Basil, we haven’t seen each other or spoken in a while. We should meet up again sometime soon.

Yep, it definitely seemed weird now that he’s read it over for the fifteenth time. But what else could he do? He had everything planned out so carefully in his head, but carrying it out this way just seemed so… wrong.

He had three options; show up randomly on his doorstep and apologize profusely for not speaking to him for so long, text him this meaningless message, or worst of all– call and talk to him. 

The first one was a very obvious no. Not only would it seem desperate, but would be extremely awkward and inconvenient if Sunny chose a day he was busy on. He almost immediately ruled it out.

The second option seemed like the best, but now that he thought about it… he didn’t know what to do anymore.

Calling over the phone would require talking, talking requires opening his mouth and saying words, and that is something Sunny Suzuki hasn’t done since…

Since his autism screening results came back a couple days ago. It was just overwhelming being told all this new information, and while he knew it was very likely it would come back as positive, he was still surprised. Completely speechless so to say.

He felt better after vaguely speaking to Mincy about it, but she didn’t know the whole situation or why he was acting so strangely, and he didn’t want her to. However, when she brought up speaking with someone he trusted his mind only drifted to Basil. It was always and only ever him. 

Not to say he only wanted to see him just to get this burden off his chest, he does genuinely miss him. The way his mouth gapes in slight surprise right before he giggles, his tan soft skin, his frequent tangents… Needless to say, Sunny has it bad for the boy.

That’s why without another thought he dialed Basil’s number, clearing his throat and hoping that his voice didn’t sound as shaky and unstable as it did a few days prior. He almost fully expected him to not pick up, but then…

“Hello?” Basil’s voice put any doubts he had at rest, and the uncharacteristic confidence in his tone had caught Sunny completely off his guard.

“H-Hi Basil…” He whispered, curling his knees up to his chest. 

A giggle, one that made Sunny’s entire body burn with want. “Hi Sunny.” Basil replied, making Sunny wonder if he was enjoying this unusual shyer demeanor he was displaying over the phone. 

“How… are you…?” Sunny asked.

“I’ve b-been better, but I think I’m doing fine now. How about you?” Basil returned the question.

“I’m… okay.” Sunny sighed, feeling awful that he’d left Basil in such a bad state, “I’m sorry…” he apologized.

“What are you sorry for?” Basil asked.

“Not calling… sooner.” Sunny said.

Basil murmured in thought, “It’s- It’s fine, Sunny. I-I mean, I could’ve called at any time as well, but I didn’t…” he trailed off. “So I’m s-sorry too.”

“Shouldn’t be…” Sunny mumbled through the speaker. 

“Hm hm, why are you whispering? Is this some kind of secret call? Should I b-be whispering too?” He asked in a playful manner, gradually lowering his voice down to about Sunny’s level. It lightened up the mood and made him feel a bit better, probably just as he intended. Sunny put on a small grin and chuckled into the device, “No. My voice… It’s just a bit strained.” he said.

“Oh. S-Sorry for making you speak then…” 

“Basil shush, I was the one that called you.” 

A delicate silence followed, one that could be easily shattered by just the sound of one's own breath or heartbeat.

And it was, graciously by Basil himself. “Sunny. I missed you. A-And I’m sorry if that seems clingy because it’s only been a m-month, but-” 

“I really missed you too, Basil…” Sunny cut him off, not willing to listen to a long-worded rant about how utterly helpless he feels for feeling this way. Basil has a valid reason, he just never sees it through.

Basil made a small, almost squealing noise, “Y-You did?” he asked with a gulp.

“Of course. You’re my best friend.” I wish I could be more than that to you, he wishfully added in his head. 

“Oh, w-wow… Okay, well… I’m g-glad you called.” 

“Come see me.” Sunny blurted out almost immediately afterwards. He could tell it caught the blond by surprise, “H-Huh?”

“Come to the city… There's so much to see. I know it’s a long bus ride, but-”

Sunny cut himself short when a small laugh sounded from the other boy, “Hehe… It really h-has been a while, hasn’t it?” Basil voiced ambiguously. “I’ve got my license now, last week t-to be exact. I wouldn’t mind driving over there to see you.” He elaborated. 

Oh, Basil driving? He never really imagined him to be doing something like. But to be fair, he never imagined any of his friends driving, except for maybe Hero. 

“A-Ah, congrats on the license… Are you sure you’re willing to drive so far though?” 

Basil hummed, “Sure, I really want to see you. So… i-is tomorrow fine?” 

“Yes!” Sunny gripped his sheets and shouted in excitement, but simmered down when he realized how loud he’d been. “Tomorrow is great…” 

The sooner I get to see you the better.

An audible smile traced every crevice of Basil’s tone, “Al-Alright, well… I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

“I look forward to it…” He savored the sound of the blond’s voice, knowing what was to come next. 

“Heh, well b-bye bye for now, Sunny…”

“Bye Basil…” He listened as Basil shuffled the phone against his ear before hanging up. 

Soon after he collapsed backwards on his bed, curling his fingers around his phone as he gently held it in his hands. He had left his photos app open and caught himself looking at a few cheeky pictures he’d sneakily taken of Basil. It was just so easy when he was so photogenic…

Creepy… A little voice told him from the back of his head. You’re being creepy.

He quickly switched apps to his messages, finally ready to shoot Basil a text for the first time in a while.

Sunny: I can’t wait to show you around the city, there’s so much I want to show you.

Mincy’s flower shop, the local café he frequented, the frozen yogurt shop that served the best he’s ever tasted… Sure, it’s a little overwhelming at first, but you get used to it. And the people are surprisingly friendly.

He felt a vibration in his hands and looked at what he’d replied.

Basil: Thank you for inviting me. I’m so glad I get to see the city with you. :)

Sunny felt his heart ridiculously warm at the simple sight of a smiley face. He did it often, but it’d obviously been a while since the last time. If only he hadn’t been such a coward, this could’ve been resolved so much sooner.

No use dwelling on the past, Sunny thought. All I can do now is ensure we have a better future together.

~

“Where’re you going at such an hour?” A hissed voice asked as Aubrey almost successfully made it out of the house. Unfortunately for her, her mother had just so happened to stir awake from the couch the exact moment she opened the door to leave.

Aubrey closed the door so she wouldn’t let any cold air in and rolled her eyes, “I’m just going out, why do you care anyway?”

Her mother paused for a moment, most likely considering one of the many snarky comebacks she had in store. Her hungover and tired state made it seem impossible to come up with one on the spot however. 

“Don’t cause trouble, ‘cause I won’t be bailing you out next time.” She opted for. One of her go-to’s after Aubrey went to jail for smashing a stranger's car window that one time. She was just super angry that night, okay? Not like she did it out of her own free will! Her temper just frequently got the best of her…

But she refuses to be like that anymore, no. It reminds her too much of her mother, and as soon as she realized that she vowed that she’d work out her anger management issues, somehow… 

She likes to believe that it’s gotten better, and according to the hooligans, Kim especially, it has.

So in return, Aubrey scoffed, opening the door and slightly slamming it behind her as she made her way through the coldish air. It was only after she’d stepped in a small puddle of snow mixed with mud that she registered how stupid it had been to not change shoes, but she was already too far into this to go back. Instead, she complained under her breath and began scraping the excess off the sides.

“God damn it, I fucking hate February..!” Aubrey exclaimed to herself. These were her good shoes as well… Damn her mother for always finding a way to distract and ruin her life! She’s starting to think this whole thing is a sign to just clock in for the night and not go through with what she had planned. 

A few deep breaths and the will to push forward… That’s what Basil said kept him going when things were going south. Therapy probably helps as well–it definitely would help Aubrey’s anger issues. Not that she could access it though…

On the way to her destination Aubrey frustratingly began kicking a particular rock down the pavement, smoothing down its edges and rolling it between her feet. The sporty behavior she was displaying just reminded her of the task at hand.

She ended up taking Basil’s advice about Kim, except instead of flowers she convinced him to make her chocolates instead since she knew she wasn’t big on flowers. Basil willingly agreed, and the two had a ton of fun messing around and following his grandma's old recipe together. It was moments like those that Aubrey wishes could last forever.

As soon as they made up, the two of them discussed what to do about the whole Kel situation. Aubrey obviously didn’t wanna do anything too risky without consulting her about it first, and yes while she was quite upset at him too, Kim tended to be more sensible about things.

Since Kel had been so insistent that it was an accident, and he had no good reason to lie, of course Kim’s first solution would be to talk things out. Sometimes, Aubrey misses when her first reaction to everything would be to punch it, but she’s also glad Kim’s become the voice of reason when she needs it…

Today Kel had a basketball game, so her intentions were quite simple–she’d sit discreetly in the crowd, watching the man himself carry the entire team and win the game, then… she would catch up with him after, probably give him a piece of her mind, and then she’d let him spew whatever nonsense he had to say.

She soon arrived and sat beside a family of four and some annoying teenagers, too bad for her for arriving so late. The whole Faraway side was set on them winning, but unfortunately for them they ended up losing in the end. 

She could tell that Kel had been completely off his game, not like it’s entirely his fault, his teammates could pitch in every once in a while and not be so dependent on him. It made the competitive side of her angry for entirely different reasons, and it had been just her luck that she'd chosen a shitty day to do this on. Not only was Kel going to be bummed out from losing and most likely blame it all on himself, but being approached soon after by a slightly irritated Aubrey sure wasn’t going to make him feel any better.

So Aubrey watched and waited for the people to clear out. The players one by one went in and out of the locker room and at the same time she stagnantly sat in the same spot. A few of them that she was acquainted with greeted her, some better liked than others, but she was starting to wonder why Kel took so long compared to his teammates.

Aubrey ended up closing her eyes, resting her head comfortably against her hand as she waited for the door to sound once again, but she must’ve drifted off.

“A-Aubrey…?” Kel’s voice invaded her personal space and woke her out of her small self-indulged nap, causing her to shoot him a dirty look. Not what she meant to do, but she had been waiting for a while and was quite tired.

She sighed in relief now that he was finally here though, and stood up from her spot without a word. Aimlessly, she made her way down the bleachers, jumping to the ground right in front of Kel’s surprised face. “What… What are you doing here?”

Aubrey walked ahead, gesturing for him to follow her, “Walk with me, I need’a talk with you.” she said. 

They walked together in silence at first, but making it out of the building into the slightly colder air provoked Kel to clear his throat, “Exactly how long have you been here?” he asked skeptically. 

“The whole time.” 

“Oh… So you saw me lose…” He said pathetically, lowering his head as he spoke. 

Aubrey furrowed her brows, not really knowing what to say. “Don’t drown yourself in self-pity. It was a team effort. Your team lost, not you dumbass." She doesn’t really know why she’s trying to cheer him up. Maybe it’s Basil’s corny mouth or Sunny’s unusual way with words rubbing off on her. 

Kel dragged his feet to a stop, “Look, A-Aubrey-”

“Save it.” She cut him off, turning around to make eye contact. “Look Kel, I’m only here to get your side of the story ‘cause I’m being nice. So if you wanna make your point, make it now.” She said.

Kel scratched the back of his head, “O-Okay, well… where to begin…” he put thought into said day, trying to recall where to start.

All the while, he was nervously fiddling with his hands. Like, uncharacteristically nervous. It would make sense if it were anyone but Kel. He’s always been arrogant and calm when it comes to these kinds of things, not jittery and anxious. 

“It was a few months back ago, obviously, when we weren’t talking.” He finally started after minutes of insufferable silence. Aubrey tilted her head with peculiarity.  

“I went over to your house to talk and make up with you, but your mom just so happened to be in the yard taking out the trash.” He said, clearly remembering the day more as he went on. “I asked her if you were home and she said you’d run off with Kim.” He paused, taking in a deep breath.

“Then I… I mumbled the stupidest thing to myself. That it made sense since the two of you are together… And when she asked what I meant, I realized I’d spoken t-too loud.” Kel looked genuinely distraught, almost as much as the day at the hospital all those months ago.

“I-I really tried convincing her otherwise, Aubrey, b-but she kept assuring me–It’s okay… I’m more than happy to know this about her… How silly of her to hide something like that…” He repeated her words. “I mean–she even started to convince me that I’d done something good! But I knew… after all that time that I had made such a huge mistake.” 

Aubrey could only feel herself getting physically angrier, not exactly at Kel, but her own mother for manipulating him like that. She knows how easily molded his mind is! She even used to refer to him as the stupid one when they were younger, which was funny at first… but when she started calling Sunny the troubled one, and Basil the flamboyant one, Aubrey realized how much she genuinely disliked her friend group.

“Afterwards, she put on this smile . A-An empty one knowing what I know now. And she didn't say much, but she looked at me and…” Kel inhaled and exhaled deeply, hands shaking as he wrapped his hands around his arms. “She said, “Kel, thank you for looking after my daughter.” …patted me on the back, and went back inside.”

As Aubrey let everything sink in she only became more and more resentful towards her mother. She knew how awful of a woman she was, but this was taking it too far. 

“What a fucking bitch…” Aubrey said to herself, itching to pull out a cigarette and light it to stay calm.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

“I knew she was awful, but I didn’t think she’d do something so malicious to one of my friends…” She retorted. 

Kel perked up almost immediately, “Did you just refer to us as friends…?” he asked.

The realization hit her that Kel was thinking that their friendship was completely ruined, and it’s not like she’s not still angry, but… “Kel… You’re… my friend .” She gritted through her teeth. 

“Can you say it like you’re not completely disgusted by it?” Kel lightheartedly joked, trying to make himself feel better. Aubrey punched him in the arm, giving a good laugh before her face fell serious, “No.” she said with a dead expression.

“There’s just one part I’m confused by. How did you even know Kim and I were together?” Aubrey asked. 

“Ah- um- well…” Kel kicked his leg back and forth bashfully, “I uh- saw you two kiss back at the old hangout spot one time. A kid at the park lost their ball in all the overgrowth, so I offered to help. Just so happened to be near the two of you at the time being…” 

“So you’ve known this whole time and haven’t said anything?!” Aubrey asked, mouth hung open in slight betrayal.

“It’s such a sore subject! I dunno how to bring that stuff up!” Kel made his point, holding his hands up in defense as Aubrey accused him. 

“Jesus Christ you are such an idiot…” She uttered in annoyance as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Kel, would you start telling us shit more rather than just leaving to deal with it later?” 

“I mean, I can try…”

“Don’t just try, do! Good God you make me angry!” She loudly exclaimed. Yelling at him did make her feel a little bit better because of how thick his skull was. She hadn’t intended on doing that, but he just makes everything so difficult…

“Hey Aubrey.” Kel said, grabbing onto her arm.

“What?”

“Let me treat you to dinner.” Kel suddenly insisted. 

Aubrey scoffed, pulling her arm away in disgust, “Kel, I have a girlfriend!” she exclaimed, making him realize what he just implied. 

“Ew, I didn’t mean it like that! I meant… let me make it up to you. I haven’t eaten since lunch, and knowing you, you probably haven’t either.” He gagged at the simple idea of him hitting on Aubrey like that, “Good, because I was about to slap the shit out of you…” and she herself sighed in relief hearing that those weren’t his intentions.

She ran a hand back through her hair, “I could fuck up some-”

“McDonalds?” The two said simultaneously, Kel’s intonation being more of a question than an answer. But nonetheless he read Aubrey’s mind, giving a small grin as he pointed down the block, “There’s one not too far.” he said.

“I know.” Aubrey said. “I go all the time.” 

“Great.” Kel held out a hand, “So it’s a deal then?” 

Aubrey returned the favor, shaking his hand with slight aggression, “I’d never pass up free food.” she said.

As they began their walk to their destination, Aubrey bumped into Kel’s side to grab his attention, “Hey Kel?” she voiced ambivalently.

“Yeah?” 

“Don’t act like a fucking idiot anymore, okay?” She said. Kel grinned awkwardly, putting his hands in his jacket pockets, “I-I’ll try… Aubs.”

“Call me that again and I’ll slap you for real this time.”

“Sorry sorry, too soon…” Kel said as they shared a laugh. 

Perhaps Kim had been right. Maybe, just maybe, it was time for her to turn a new path and try out this forgiving thing every once in a while.

Chapter Text

The idea that Basil was just minutes away made Sunny’s stomach sick with different kinds of emotions. Some good, some bad, but all very overwhelming.

He’d made sure his room was clean all the while his mother did the same to the rest of the apartment. As she did that for what she liked to refer to as their “special guest” Sunny couldn’t help but pace around for minutes at a time. All day at school he has been anticipating Basil’s visit, and it was finally just about the time he’d be arriving.

He’s sure that the sound of his sneakers squeaking against the floor is driving his mother mad, and if not her definitely their next-door neighbors. 

“Sunny Suzuki! If you don’t stop dragging your feet against the floor right now young man, you're going to kiss your visit with Basil goodbye!” And there it was–she finally had enough of him. The door to his room swung open and the face of conviction confronted him, “What has gotten into you?!” she asked.

“N-Nothing! I’m fine! Everything’s fine…” He denied any sort of issue, but the amount of anxiety building in his chest proved otherwise. 

His mother let out a sigh, “Then would you please stop making that awful squeaking noise. It’s giving me a headache, you know how agitated that makes me.” she said, “I don’t want to be angry with a guest over…” and mumbled to herself as she continued her tidying up from before.

Sunny kicked his shoes off so they’d stop making noise, and gripped the sleeves of his sweater, digging his fingers into the thick fabric in hopes that it would calm him down. This isn’t a mistake, he knows this was the right thing to do, and the fact keeps repeating itself over and over in his mind. So why can’t he just chill out already?!

It’s times like these where the breathing techniques his therapist taught him would come in use, but unfortunately he couldn’t when the familiar soft knocking of the door resonated throughout their entire apartment. It was unmistakably Basil.

“I’ve got it!” Sunny shouted to his mother who always insisted on answering the door, but not this time. Unlike the other times, he was the first one to the door, maybe a little too quickly in retrospect, but he didn’t want to think about it too hard. This was just going to be a chill day with a friend… who he may or may not have the biggest crush on, but that's besides the point.

He was almost confident that he’d managed to calm himself down, but as soon as he opened the door everything inside him changed, and he felt the same flame from before reignite once again. 

Basil looks different. Not in a bad way so to say, but Sunny just simply wasn’t anticipating it. 

Such as, his hair is almost the exact color as it had been in headspace now. Not all the way, the top leading down was still very much blond, but it covered a good majority of his hair creating an ombre effect. And the sides of his bangs were in braids, framing his face nicely and making his sun-kissed, pierced ears more visible. Not to mention what he was wearing hugged him so nicely. The pink collared-sweater with a daisy pattern combined with the straight-legged pants was unbelievably cute, and it laid so gently on the eyes too. Sunny could feel his chest tighten within each passing second.

Basil is perfectly adorable.

“Hey.” He finally said to the boy after a few moments of inspecting his new look. Playing it completely cool when he knows the inside of him is internally freaking out. 

“Sunny, hi! May I come in?” Basil asked, as if he were unwelcome here. 

“O-Of course.” Sunny responded while moving out of the way–he wanted to punch himself in the face for stuttering, but he knew Basil would never judge him for something like that, not when he himself suffered from a stutter problem.

He watched as Basil entered, taking in the surroundings on all sides such as the pictures hanging on the wall, their console table, etc... That’s when he seemed to notice the shoe rack, and respectively took his own off, revealing his flower-patterned socks. 

God damn it, even his socks are cute! Sunny covered his mouth, trying to suppress an adorned smile. He should really stop staring at him like he’s some foreign animal. 

At that moment his mother stopped what she was doing to greet him, expressing her surprise at Basil’s appearance. “Oh my! Kirei kirei…” She exclaimed, taking Basil’s face into both her hands, “How pretty! What a pretty boy you are… Now when did you find the time to do this, dear?” she asked him, squishing his soft, rosy cheeks with her fingers.

“Ah- I did i-it recently, m-ma’am…” Basil stuttered out a reply, obviously overwhelmed by the amount of motherly attention she was showing towards him. Her smile was genuine, and tone was so warm that you could feel any problem melt away at the sound of it.

Sunny came up from behind, gently tugging Basil out of her grasp, “Mama, you’re smothering him…” he chided, enjoying the way Basil’s hand automatically gravitated towards his own. 

“Oh, how could I not! It’s so great to see you Basil. Welcome to our home! If you need anything you just let me know, alright?”

Basil nodded, disconnecting his hand from Sunny’s to respectfully bow as he did many times in the past, “Yes Ms. Maria! Thank y-you for allowing me over.” he thanked graciously. She giggled at his considerable mannerisms, expressing ‘what a modest boy he is’ to Sunny in a different language. Though, as she made her exit, Basil could tell it left him insecure not knowing what was said. 

Sunny bumped him with his elbow, “She called you a suck-up.” he joked, watching Basil’s eyes widen with slight dread. “She- Did I s-say something wrong?!” he worried aloud. 

A snort escaped Sunny’s mouth, “Kidding… She said that you’re so modest even after knowing us for so long.” he said, watching as Basil sighed in relief and looked at him angrily. “S-Sunny, you big meanie. You know I worry about the i-impression I leave on your mom…” 

“I don’t know why, she loves you.”

“Does she though?” Basil questioned. 

He let the question settle in the air for a moment before Sunny decided that they probably should speak in private. This was quickly becoming sensitive area… “Hey, let me show you my room.” He suggested, taking Basil by the sleeve and dragging him off with him.

Basil got to catch glimpse of Sunny’s new ball of sunshine first thing when they entered, Lily. She was laid asleep on his pillow, unmoved even at the sound of their footsteps. Basil’s face lit up at the adorable sight, and the look he gave to Sunny couldn’t be described as anything but charmed. 

“She’s so cute!” He exclaimed in a wondrous whisper, as if their voices would wake her from her deep kitty slumber. His eyes then traveled elsewhere, to the many posters of Captain Spaceboy and other franchises he’d recently gotten into, to the game console he had lying about, and lastly to his bookshelf that was filled with old books and trinkets he’s collected. Basil’s face seemed to soften at the sight of the open photo album displayed.

He traced his fingers around the edges of the book, “Ah, so this is where you k-keep it. I thought maybe you would’ve shoved i-it away in storage…” Basil confessed to thinking. 

“Why would I do that?” Sunny asked from behind, crossing his arms in order to stop the fidgetiness of his hands. Basil shrugged, “I dunno… These memories are nice but they’re also painful.”

“Is that why you gave it to me?”

Basil paused in his place, and then twisted his head back to him very slowly, “W-What?” he stuttered, looking him up with a sad and hurt expression. 

Sunny didn’t want to keep him hanging, “I-I just mean, you gave the album to me because it hurt to have and you couldn’t bring yourself to throw it away… It’s our life in pictures after all.” he elaborated. 

Basil’s slightly wet eyes drifted away from Sunny's, not confident enough to continue looking him in the face. “I… guess so, yes. B-But I also knew that… you would be happier with it.” He said with a sniffle. 

Sunny mentally slapped himself in the face for already upsetting Basil. He forgets how sensitive he can be, but he should also know better! So Sunny, not knowing what else to do, did the only thing he could think of and pulled Basil in for a hug. One similar to the ones he would give when they were children, similar to the one they’d shared at the hospital, and one he knew would calm him down, even in just the slightest margin. Because he is not letting Basil have another panic attack under his care.

Basil let his limp arms at his side for a moment before slowly lifting them. “S-Sunny…” He whimpered sadly as he wrapped his own arms around the other's body. His chest rose with anguish, and slowly but surely allowed himself to cry into Sunny’s shoulder, “You’re s-so mean, Sunny… I hate you…” he mumbled into him.

Sunny only hummed, rubbing circles into his back in hopes of comforting him.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean that…” Basil almost immediately apologized, making Sunny give out a chuckle. What a typical thing for him to do. He’s never known Basil as the mean type, it’s rare for this complete raw emotion to show. “I know Basil… I’m sorry.” Sunny apologized.

Basil let out a sobbed sigh, “Y-You didn’t say anything and I… I was so worried. A-And I feel so bad for assuming this, b-but I thought you abandoned me again…” he said between cries. His arms tightened around the boy in a protective manner, making Sunny squeeze back. 

“I should’ve called you… I- I’m the w-worst…”

“Stop saying that.” Sunny scolded him as he pulled away. His grip became tighter on Basil’s shoulder when he felt him become weak, “I was the one who made you feel like that, just because I got insecure about… stupid things.” he said indirectly. 

Basil rubbed at one of his eyes, “Th-Things?” he echoed him.

Sunny sighed and nodded in return, taking a spot on his bed. Basil sat next to him, rubbing his hand against Sunny’s arm for comfort, “Sunny, i-if something was wrong, you should’ve told me…”

“I didn’t want to worry you… You already have so much going on…”

Unexpectedly, Basil jumped forward, grabbing Sunny by the knees and looking at him sternly, “Sunny Suzuki, if something’s the matter, you tell me, okay? I care about you!” he declared with a sudden burst of confidence. Sunny can’t tell if it’s the proximity of their faces or how cutely determined Basil looked, but that, combined with the new color of his hair, made Sunny feel blanish and also a complete mess at the same time.

Basil retreated his hands in slight contentment, “S-Sorry, that was a bit much…” he apologized. 

“N-No, don’t worry. That made me feel better…” Sunny assured him, “I um… I’ve just felt kind of distant from everyone recently. And it’s nothing anyone did, besides maybe the whole Kel and Aubrey thing…” and glanced at him for confirmation.

Basil nodded for him to go on, curiously and absentmindedly twirling his hair around a finger.

“It’s just, well… I feel different from everyone else.” Sunny said, grabbing at his chest. “There’s n-no easy way to put this… but I’m autistic, Basil… A-And I thought getting the diagnosis would help me understand myself better, but I’ve n-never felt more alone…” He confessed, tears coming to his eyes.

Basil's eyes softened with understanding, and he gestured for Sunny to go on since he could tell he wanted to say more. “I just feel dumb, like this is something th-that was so obvious the whole time. It’s why I struggled so much making friends when I was younger, and why I was so stuck in my head all the time…” He said, placing a hand on his forehead and pulling on his bangs in order to keep his composure. “It makes me wonder… how did you ever tolerate me in the first place?”

“M-Maybe it’s because I’m not much d-different…” Basil said in a hushed tone. Sunny turned his direction and watched as Basil gently combed his fingers through his hair, twirling it around his dainty, shaky fingers in an even more anxious manner. “Oh Sunny… I haven’t been completely honest with you all.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Basil pursed his lips at the question, taking in a deep breath of air before speaking, “Whenever I was v-very young, I was diagnosed with the same thing myself… A-Autism…” he started very strong, taking Sunny completely off his guard, but he knew from his own experience that this was serious ground. 

“From the advice of my teachers, they noticed that I was different . So the school called my p-parents and well… you can figure out the rest.” His tone shifted sadly, and he folded his hands in his lap. “I always resented them for doing that and making me feel outcast. I already got c-called such horrible names, can you imagine what people would’ve said if they found out?”

Sunny nodded, “So you kept quiet.” and then Basil, a pained grin coming to his face, “So I did. I never told anyone f-for the sake of my own sanity. But it was so hard keeping quiet… When you came into my life it just… made everything better from how strikingly similar we are.” he admitted. “N-Not that the others don’t matter to me!” He quickly added on, face becoming progressively more red. 

Sunny chuckled, inching up closer to him, “Basil… we’re bad at this.” he said. 

“At w-what?”

“Communicating. This whole thing could’ve been avoided had we been honest with each other.”

“I guess so, yeah…” Basil mumbled under his breath, continuing to stroke the strands of his hair. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know Sunny…”

“Good.” Sunny stated simply, looking back to the photo album, the whole thing that had started this conversation in the first place. 

“Basil?”

“Yeah?”

“I never apologized for vandalizing your photo album. I’m sorry for that…” 

“Y-You’re alright…”

“No!” Sunny suddenly exclaimed, determined to do better, “P-Please, let me properly apologize.” he implored. This gave Basil an amused smile, and he nodded for him to go on. 

Sunny put his hands together and looked at him with a wide eye, “Basil Fey, I never want to make you feel the way you felt during all those years, and I’m so sorry that I defaced something that means so much to you.” he said. “So please, let me know how I can make it up to you?”

Basil grinned toothily, laughing as he did. “I f-feel like this is un- hehe… unnecessary, Sunny.” He said, containing his giggles behind a hand, “But I s-suppose if you take me to that café you always talk about, all will be forgotten…?” Basil suggested.

Sunny pouted. “I don’t like that word.”

“Okay then… All will be forgiven.” Basil corrected himself, playing into Sunny’s satisfaction. 

“That’s a start.”

A sudden nudge of fur rubbed against Sunny, indicating that Lily had awoken from her nap and had made her way over to inspect the new situation–that being Basil. A curious meow filled the silent room as she inspected and smelled the new unfamiliar boy. 

“C-Can I…?” Basil looked at Sunny, holding his hand slightly above the cat's head. Sunny only giggled, taking it into his own and guiding it along Lily’s soft, long fur. He showed him her sweet spots, which consisted of ear scratches and belly rubs. Basil absolutely melted at the sight, being considerate as his sunkissed hands gently rubbed her upper belly. 

“Aww, you’re just the cutest thing, a-aren’t you?” Basil sweet-talked her, and made Sunny's throat tighten. 

He’s never done that before. 

Even with Mewo, he never raised his voice to a higher pitch than it normally was when he would gush about how cute she was. It’s ridiculous how much of an effect this is having on him.

As he got more comfortable petting her, so did Lily, and she placed herself right into his lap. Basil was a bit surprised, but went straight back to squishing her cheeks and scratching behind her ears. 

Sunny felt his heart speed up as he continued watching the now mint headed boy stroke the cat in his lap so gently and thoughtfully, and began physically heating up at the sight of two of the most adorable things he’s ever seen just right in front of him. Adding the way Basil’s smile so gracefully laid across his face–he was lovely. A lovely boy and his best friend. That want inside of his chest began beating with passion, but he couldn’t say anything. Not now. Not when the two had just made up. 

Basil eventually noticed Sunny staring at him and laughed, “Aw, what's the matter, Sunny? Jealous that s-she’s taken a liking to me?”

I’m jealous of the cat more than you, Sunny thought as he leaned closer to Basil’s face. Basil gulped nervously in response, his hand still swiftly gliding down the cat's back and lulling her to sleep. 

He glanced between both Basil and Lily before he decided to speak again, “She really likes you.” he stated the obvious, and moved his hand to scratch underneath her chin. “Like father, like daughter I guess.” 

Okay, maybe he would take the chance of flirting, just a little bit. Because it was quite amusing to watch Basil get so flustered at what he just said. 

“Ah- you did t-take quite the liking of a cat when we were younger I guess. Especially when I read to you, y-you’d put your head in my lap and fall asleep sometimes…” Basil stumbled over his words as he recalled the memory. Not exactly what Sunny meant, but it was close enough anyway. 

“I see you took my advice.” Sunny mentioned to change the subject, and gestured to his hair. Basil smiled, fluffing it up, “Y-Yeah… It was uh, good advice.” he said. 

“It’s pretty.”

“Oh! Th-Thank you…” Basil blushed, “You aren’t wearing your… eyepatch.” he said back, causing Sunny to immediately cover the scarred eye with his hand. “Sh-Shit, I’m sorry! I must’ve forgotten.” 

Before he was able to rummage through his drawer, Basil grabbed his wrist in protest, “No! You don’t have to wear it. It's kind of refreshing to see you without it…” and moved Lily off his lap so he could move closer. He then ran a finger over the scar, “It’s healing q-quite well.” he observed. “Does it ever h-hurt?” Basil asked, then pulled his finger away. 

Sunny thought on it for a moment before answering, “I guess so, yeah.” he said with a shrug. “It stings occasionally, but I think that’s more of a psychological thing than physical.” 

Basil hummed and nodded back, “Right…” he uttered. 

Sunny popped up from his place and put on his shoes, gaining a small squealing noise from Basil as he grabbed both of his hands and pulled him up from his place, “Hey, no sulking. Let me take you out around the city!” he excitedly exclaimed as he led the two to the front door.

“S-Sunny, wait up, will you?” Basil called out as he frustratingly struggled to put on his left shoe, unlike Sunny who simply just slipped his on. 

“You two be careful!” Sunny’s mother shouted after Basil successfully put it on and closed the door behind them. He looked between Sunny and the apartment door, fidgeting nervously, “Ngh… S-Shouldn’t we tell her where we’re going?” he asked. 

Shook his head, “Nah, she knows I’m responsible.” he said with pride. Basil giggled and looked at him with a smug expression, “Okay Mr. Responsible, lead the way then.” he said, and held out a hand for Sunny to hold. So Sunny grabbed ahold and made sure his grip was tight enough that they wouldn’t be separated at any point. He’s kind of glad Basil insists on holding hands, because Sunny himself isn’t the best with crowds and directions.

The place they were going to was one he frequented often. After his little coffee addiction began, he found a place to visit after school to fulfill his needs and made his way around a couple times a week. It’s quite the cute-looking place, though despite being small almost always had a new employee facing him every week. He usually orders the same thing every time, but maybe he’ll get something different this time around…

Sunny felt Basil’s grip tighten from excitement, and followed as his arm stretched out to point out a random clothes shop across the street, “Hey, that name is in French!” he mused with squinted eyes.

Sunny’s mouth gaped slightly, “You can read that?” 

A nod from the boy, “Mhm! Maison Du Cœur. S-Short Translation for ‘Home of the Heart’” he said. “My uh- M-My grandmother spoke French, she taught me a little bit…” He then explained, bashfully lowering his head as they finally approached the quaint coffee shop Sunny always spoke about, they let go of each other.

“Wow, I can’t believe after all this time I’m still learning new things about you… Say something else.” 

“Ah- Um… I haven’t spoken it in a while. I’m k-kind of rusty…” 

“Aw, come on Basil! It’ll be fine.” Sunny encouraged him. “O-Okay…” Basil fiddled with his fingers as he found the correct words to say, pausing in his place as they reached just outside the cafés doors. 

“Um… Tu es un… beau garçon, Sunny.” He said, eyes jumping from one place to another as he struggled to remember correct pronunciation. It sounded legit enough though. Sunny felt himself get excited hearing Basil say such foreign words to him, “Fancy… What’d you say?”

“N-Nothing! Ah- Ahem… Nothing of interest.” Basil quickly refuted, face turning redder than a tomato. Sunny doesn’t understand, his pronunciation didn’t sound awful, what’s there to be embarrassed about? “Not fair…” He childishly retaliated as he opened the door for Basil, allowing him entry first.

The smell of coffee greeted them as soon as they walked in, and the ocean-like eyes of Basil widened at the sight of all the greenery. He yanked on Sunny’s sleeve with enlivenment, naming all the different plants he saw. “Ooo, and those are blue azaleas! It’s said in folklore that the blood of the cuckoo allowed for an azalea to bloom in different colors…!” Basil exclaimed. 

Cute. That was the only word that popped into Sunny’s head as he listened to Basil ramble on. He tried to listen as intently as possible, but his whispered voice was becoming a bit of a muddle as he stared more deeply at Basil’s face. The freckles scattered across his cheeks were strawberry colored, and the flush in his face became more prominent when he realized he’d been chatting Sunny’s ear off not-so-subtly. 

Basil caught glimpse of the smile on Sunny’s face, being half amused that the stares of nearby customers hadn’t been enough to indicate that he’d gone on one of his many infamous Basil rants again. He immediately simmered down, folding his hands together and looking away with slight embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry! I got a l-little too excited.” He apologized.

Sunny shook his head, “I like it… when you do that. It’s…” irresistibly adorable, he wanted to say. “...nice.” He went for instead. Knowing his ears are most definitely reddening by the way they burned intensely, he hopes that nobody he knows is around snooping into his business…

Basil’s eyebrows raised happily, and as Sunny soaked in the amount of euphoria that radiated from him, “D-Do you know what you’re getting?” Basil asked him the typical question one with extreme social anxiety would ask. He knows that he does it to ensure security, usually he’ll base his own order off his answer so as to not get overwhelmed by the amount of choices he had.

“Probably just a plain black espresso.” Sunny replied. 

To his surprise, Basil recoiled and stuck his tongue out, “Ew… Sunny, do you not g-get any additives?” Basil exasperated with a gag, causing the other to chuckle and shake his head. “Heh, no… Is that a problem?” 

“Yeah it’s a problem… You’re missing out.” Basil smirked.

“You’ve been hanging out with Aubrey too much.” Sunny said, playfully shoving at his shoulder. “I’m gonna order, you coming?”

Basil shook his head, “I-I need a minute. You can go on without me.” he insisted. 

So Sunny did just that, ordering his espresso with no additives and telling the cashier his name. Usually they would comment on it, but not today, thankfully. He hates when they strike up conversations he doesn’t know how to reply to, unless it was the old lady that would occasionally work here. She knew his mother from the flower shop, and sometimes gave him discounts, but it was some random stranger he’s never seen before, once again.

It wasn’t till Sunny’s own drink had been prepared and finished that Basil’s deep pondering wrapped up and he began ordering his own drink. “Hi, c-can I get an espresso with…” And just like Sunny expected, his order reflected his own. Though, he decided to not stay by Basil’s side and let him deal with it on his own–he wasn’t a kid anymore and seemed like he had it under control. Sunny likes the newfound confidence that Basil’s been showing, he wonders if it has anything to do with dying his hair such a bold color.

Or maybe he was just growing up, just as Sunny was doing. Either way, he's extremely happy to see him make his own decisions and control his actions.

Basil came back up beside him when he was finished. “Want a sip?” Sunny jokingly asked, shoving his cup into his face. The mint-haired boy pushed it away, “The day I try y-your coffee is the day I’ve been replaced with a clone, Suzuki.” he stuck his nose up cheekily.

Soon after Basil’s own name was called out and he went up to the counter to grab his drink. Meanwhile, Sunny decided to nonchalantly pull out his phone and investigate the buzzing he felt as he and Basil were walking the distance from his home.

It was a message from Aubrey.

4:05 PM

Aubrey: If you’re gonna take my brother out on a date, buy him something nice, will ya?

Sunny almost spat his coffee out–swallowing it through the wrong pipe and choking on it, he caught the attention of most of the people beside him. He placed his cup down on the table next to him to quickly shoot one back. 

4:14 PM

Sunny: we’re not on a date.

Aubrey: Sure you’re not

Sunny: how did you even know about him coming over?

4:15 PM

Aubrey: Sibling intuition

Sunny: …

Aubrey: God you’re no fun… Basil told me, duhhh

Sunny looked up at said boy, who seemed to be having a conversation with the worker giving him his coffee. He decided to shrug it off for the time being, deciding he was just being friendly.

4:16 PM

Sunny: if i were to get him something though… what should it be?

Aubrey: Hell would I know? Why don’t you treat him to food or something?

The frozen yogurt shop popped into his mind. Basil’s never been to one of those before. He looked back to the screen to send her a last couple of texts.

Sunny: got it, thanks aubs. (:

Aubrey: Do not refer to me with that smile ever again.

Sunny: whatever

Sunny: this still isn’t a date btw

Aubrey: Whatever you say, loverboy.

He rolled his eye and pocketed his phone, at the same time Basil finally was making his way over. Sunny’s arm was given a tug when Basil tried to inconspicuously whisper to him. “S-Sorry that t-took so long Sunny, I think the employee was fl-flirting with me?” Basil stuttered, taking a sip of the nicely brewed coffee he’d ordered. He then gestured behind him to a girl about their age. 

She looked nice–round face, kind eyes, brown braided hair. She bit her lip as she took the next person's order, eyes flashing between them and Basil and smiled when she noticed him looking.

Basil whipped his head back to Sunny, gripping his sleeve harder this time, “Eee, c-can we please get out of here?” he begged. Sunny nodded, seeing the desperate look in his eyes and picked his coffee cup back up. He may or may have not shot a look at the girl in question as he led Basil and himself out of the place, but not on purpose. It was completely instinctual. 

“She gave me her number on this napkin, b-but I’m not interested…” Basil whispered as they exited the shop. 

“Why not?” Sunny asked out of curiosity, the bitter drink warming his chest of his slight jealousy that someone had so boldly hit on him.

Basil tapped nervously on his coffee cup, taking in a deep breath and sighed, “I’m not… into women.” he blurted out, his voice wavering. A skip in Sunny’s heart instantaneously passed by, and the two simultaneously stopped in their places after a bit of walking. “Do you r-remember when Aubrey asked if I was gay?”

Sunny nodded–not like it was that long ago.

“She wasn’t wr-wrong about that…” Basil confirmed, and took another sip from his coffee. “I-I mean, I didn’t really want to say it at the time because I felt a bit embarrassed, b-but I’ve come to accept it. I think…” He said with uncertainty and an uncomfortable look.

Sunny hung his mouth open, trying to find the correct response. “So… You’re gay…?” Maybe that was kind of stupid to ask, but it was better to clarify he presumes.

Basil nodded, “M-Mhm. I hope that doesn’t pose a-as a problem...”

“Why would it?” Sunny asked, stirring his coffee around in his hand. He was trying to act as composed as possible, how was he supposed to act in this situation? He feels completely overjoyed that there’s a chance that Basil may actually reciprocate his feelings at some point, but he didn’t want to show it and make it obvious.

“It’s just… Your f-face! You were making a weird face…” He anxiously shook one of his hands causing the other to laugh. “S-Sunny, don’t laugh! This is serious…”

“Well,” Sunny started after calming himself down. “-if we’re being more honest with each other Basil, I…” He trailed off, then coughing awkwardly into his elbow.

I can’t believe the boy who made me realize I like the same gender is going to be the first one to know.

“I… like boys too. I mean- I like girls as well, b-but I like both! Does that make sense?” Sunny asked, to which Basil shyly smiled, “It does! Um- it sounds l-like the term you’re looking for is bisexual…” he referred him to.

“Bisexual…?”

Basil nodded, “It refers to people who are attracted to more than one gender.” he said, fingers wrapping around his cup more tightly. “I know because I did a little research… I tried convincing myself that I was that at some point, but surprise surprise. I’m not.”

Sunny hummed in response, looking at his reflection in a nearby window. “Bisexual… That sounds about right.” Basil smiled into his sleeve, “I’m happy to have h-helped, even if just a bit, Sunny.” he said. 

Sunny sighed out of relief, it felt like a weight had somehow been lifted off his shoulders, “You know, you’re one of the first people I’ve told that to.” 

“I a-am?” 

Sunny nodded, “What about you?”

“Ah, well P-Polly kind of figured it out by herself. Other than that, you and Aubrey are the only ones.” Basil said, continuing their walk to no place in particular. Sunny was rather relieved hearing that Basil was only interested in other guys. Even though he was mainly focused on rekindling their friendship, Sunny would be lying if he said he didn’t feel strangely possessive over him. 

”I’m glad you’re being more open about yourself.” Sunny told him. Basil smiled in return, hair falling from behind his ears with the gust of a slight wind. “You too, Sunny.”

Basil began crinkling the napkin even further than it already had been as the two approached a conveniently placed trash can. “I feel bad to j-just throw it away like this…” He hesitantly held it above the opening, and jumped when Sunny casually placed a hand on Basil’s back. “Well you wouldn’t want to lead them on either, right…?”

Basil nodded, giving a small pout as he watched the napkin drift downward into the void of other miscellaneous items of trash. “I think that’s the first time someones given me their number…” He mumbled under his breath. Sunny shook a finger to that, “Nuh-uh, technically I was the first one to give you a number.”

“Hehe, that doesn’t count, Sunny. We’re already f-friends…”

“Hey, just let me have this.” He played, watching as Basil’s face lit up as he began drinking the sweet drink in his hands. It made Sunny curious… What did it taste like? He knew Basil had always been kind of the sweet tooth, unlike him. Carefully, he leaned over and…

Took his straw in his own mouth and drank out of his cup. The flavor was much like his, but a lot sweeter, sending a shock down his body from the unexpected taste of sugar and syrup. Basil himself had held it out for him allowing for a better angle. Afterwards, “Did you like it?” Basil asked him for his thoughts.

Sunny only shrugged, not wanting to give in to Basil’s own opinion about how coffee should be made. “It was fine.” He said. 

Basil pursed his lips, tucking a piece of Sunny’s hair back. “Heyy, you’re lying. Your ears get red when you lie…” 

The one in question rapidly covered his ears, “Th-They do?!”

A gleeful laughter erupted from the other boy, “N-No! But now I know you’re lying.” he marveled in the display of Sunny angrily puffing his cheeks at him–he’d not expected him to pull something as ballsy as that. 

Smug bastard, Sunny thought to himself. I kind of like it though.

“Hey! Sunny!!!” A faraway voice called out for him, interrupting his slight Basil-entranced thoughts. He whipped his head around to locate whoever had yelled his name, and sure enough a girl about his age was jogging up their way, waving her hand around fruitfully.

That girl being Elaine of course, there were only a few possibilities, and Mincy was busy at the moment.

Sunny let out a slight chuckle when she almost managed to slip and fall on a piece of icy pavement, and Basil scolded him to not be mean, straightening him up almost immediately. Just something about his authority made Sunny want to listen.

As soon as Elaine caught up, and her breath, she looked between the two with sparkling eyes. “Hey Sun! Hey… you… Ahem- I don’t believe we’ve met.” Her high energy took hold of Basil’s attention, and he began to observe as she fidgeted back and forth in her spot excitedly. 

Elaine’s eyes narrowed, taking in all of Basil for herself. “Sunny, you didn’t tell me that you were friends with such a cutie. ” She teased with a wink. The comment flustered Basil, and his face turned almost as red as the shirt Elaine was wearing. 

“Elaine, don’t be weird.” Sunny told her, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Hehe! I’m just kidding around.” She said, leaning forward and reaching out a hand for Basil to grab. “But seriously though, I’m Elaine.”

“Basil…” He returned the handshake, voice cracking with nervousness. Elaine’s eyes shone with recognition. “Oh! So you’re the infamous Basil that Sunny just loves talking about!”

“E-Elaine…” Sunny whined.

“And he was right, your eyes are a lot prettier in person!”

“Elaine.” 

“He’s told me a lot about you. Like… oh! How your freckles remind him of the night sky. Or how, when you pout, he just thinks it’s the cutes-”

“Elaine! He sent a threatening tone to her through gritted teeth and looked at her with a menacing stare when she giggled in return, obviously enjoying how much she was nerving Sunny. Basil looked an absolute mess himself at all the new information being thrown about, and was trying to hide his now very obvious blush behind his sleeve.

“O-Oh, that’s nice… I’ve heard a little bit about you too. Not anything to th-that extent though…” Basil was very visibly flattered, and just like he always has, doesn’t know how to take it. Damn it Elaine! She’s becoming worse than Aubrey–at least she knows how to keep her mouth shut.

He needed to change the subject, and fast. 

“So, where are the two of you headed?” Luckily, Elaine did it for him. In her own typical, nosy way. 

“Th-That’s a good question. Where are we going, Sunny?” Basil asked, as equally curious. Now there were two pairs of big wonder-like eyes staring at him, both with two completely different energies.

“I was thinking that we should go to the fro-yo place… It’s not a long walk.” Sunny suggested, making Elaine’s face light up. “Oh! What a convenient time, they just changed the flavors this week.” She said, “Don’t get honeydew though, it is the absolute worst.” and then stuck out her tongue in disgust, but Sunny can’t blame her. Seriously, what kind of person would willingly get honeydew?

“O-Oh! I’ve never had frozen yogurt at all before…” Basil cut in with his own input, which looked to put Elaine in shock. “Whaaaaaaat?!? You’ve never had fro-yo before?? That’s a crime!” She exclaimed. 

“...Not the first crime I've committed…” Basil mumbled to only where Sunny could hear, pulling a surprised chuckle from him. He likes the dark-humored side Basil has, it’s scandalous in a way.

“Why don’t you lead the way…?” He then suggested to her. Elaine shook her open palms with negation, “I couldn’t intrude on your boys hang-out sesh.” she said. 

“Are you sure?” Sunny asked, he really wouldn’t mind if she joined them. Though if she continued to make embarrassing remarks, he might just have to threaten to expose her interesting music taste he just so happened to discover on accident one day. 

She nodded, insistent on not disturbing them, and gave Sunny a smug look in retaliation. “Mhm! I’ve got things to do anyway.” She said, looking towards Basil. “It was really nice meeting you, and seeing you Sunny.”

“Oh um- you t-too!” Basil replied, putting his hands together both happily and nervously as Elaine passed them by, heading in the opposite direction. But just as she was out of earshot with Basil, she whispered, “Good luck with your date.” to Sunny, and skipped off. 

So that’s what the look was for, Sunny thought. Did everyone they come across just automatically assume the two were on a date? God, did Basil think this was a date? He really only asked him out in a friendly way…

After a few moments of considerable silence, Basil swung his still-stuck together hands in a downward motion and said, “She’s nice!” in a simple manner, not realizing how unbearably annoyed Sunny was with Elaine at the current moment. 

“And an incredible nuisance sometimes…” He complained half-jokingly under his breath. Basil elbowed him in surprise and muttered a “Be nice.” to him in return.

This time, to prevent anyone from thinking that they're a full-on couple, Sunny took Basil by the wrist through the endless seas of crowds, which probably didn’t look any better, but it was an improvement in his mind. And the more he convinced himself this was less embarrassing and emotionally confusing, the more he began to believe his own lies. In swift motions, they arrived at the shop quicker than Sunny imagined, and lingered outside for a moment to read this week's new flavors posted on the window. 

Honeydew, Rocky Road, Cookies and Cream, and Strawberry Cheesecake. 

One of those is very much not like the other. Sunny almost thought Elaine was joking, but she very much was not. Upon seeing it, Basil stuck out his tongue in a disgusted manner, “Eww, I didn’t know she was serious.” he said as the two walked in. 

Sunny nudged him, “Don’t knock it till you try it.” he said as they grabbed two separate small bowls. 

“I’d like to see you try it then.” Basil dared him. 

“Challenge. Accepted.” Sunny said, pointing a finger on Basil’s shirt and then bopping his nose when he went to look down. 

“Big meanie…” He said in response, and Sunny laughed at him in an affectionate way.

In a typical Basil-like fashion, he immediately went for Strawberry Cheesecake, pulling down on the handle and matching the satisfying amount he wanted. It was so like him to choose that, so Sunny snuck up back behind him and whispered, “Strawberry? I see you haven’t changed a bit.” directly beside his ear. 

It gave him a little scare, as anticipated, and scoffed back. “Yeahhh, so what…? I l-like it.” He drew his words out as he watched the thick substance slowly pour out of the loud machine. “Is that so bad…?”

“No, quite the opposite actually. I like that about you…”

“L-Like what?” Basil asked, whipping his body around. Heat began itching at every corner of Sunny’s face as he watched the boy in front of him dip his finger in his frozen yogurt and take it into his mouth–his big blue eyes sparkling at the taste.

“I like that you… go with the familiar route. You do things that make you comfortable, like choosing what you eat.” Sunny explained to a confused stricken Basil. He debated on which flavor to get, then decided on Cookies and Cream since it was closest to vanilla, he thinks. 

“It’s predictable, but it’s you. And… I like you.” He added, giving him one of his genuine, rare Sunny-smiles. It wasn’t until after he stopped the fro-yo machine to his liking that he realized how that came out. 

“I-I mean, I like that about you! You always do what makes you and everyone comfortable. Th-That’s why I like being around you…” He went back on his words as he begrudgingly went to put a drop of Honeydew in his bowl, just out of pure spite that Basil had challenged him. 

The blond gave a little laugh, and cringed at the sight of the two flavors making contact, “You know, I-I was just kidding. You don’t actually have to g-get that…” he said.

Sunny shook his head, “No, now I’m actually curious what it tastes like. And I’m not getting much.” he everted, leasing them towards the toppings. Sunny wasn’t much of a toppings guy, but he knew as soon as Basil spotted strawberries he’d want to douse his own bowl with them, and that’s exactly what he did. 

“You know, Sunny…” Basil began as he finished up, popping one of the fruits into his mouth. “I… I like being around you too.” He confessed in a cherished tone.

That was enough to make the itching at Sunny cheeks a reality, and he could tell just by the burning of his ears that his whole face must be a red mess. He gripped the cold sides of the small bowl of fro-yo he was holding ever-so tighter, and made sure to evade any eye contact so he wouldn’t splutter out something he didn’t mean to. 

“Oh… Y-Yeah?” 

“Yeah. That’s for taking me here, S-Sunny.”

“It’s no problem… Ah- here! Let me pay for you.” Sunny offered as they went to weigh their things–a different way of paying for things than he’s used to but it makes sense he supposes. 

“I-I can pay for my own things Sunny, it’s fine!” Basil disapproved of this, and insisted otherwise. But Sunny’s mind had already been set on doing this for him, so he (gently) forcibly took Basil’s own bowl out of his hands, which he knew wouldn’t take much effort, and weighed them both together. 

“I brought you here Basil, let me pay for you.” He said, rummaging through his pocket for fifteen dollars, just enough for the both of them.

Basil puffed his cheeks angrily, but didn’t protest any further as Sunny handed the employee the money and collected his change. He tried his best to look annoyed by the gesture, but deep down Sunny knows how appreciative he is of it. After he took his first official bite he started off by saying, “Would’ve tasted b-better if I hadn’t mooched off of you…” just to poke fun at the other.

“You didn’t mooch off, I literally offered to pay for you.” Sunny said back, taking a bite of his own (the Cookies and Cream, not the Honeydew). It was just as good as he imagined, which made him dread taste-testing the other flavor even more. 

“Yeah, ‘cause you held me hostage…”

“I didn’t hold you hostage. I just… took yours out of your hand and didn’t allow you to have it back until after I paid. Nothing wrong with that.” Sunny chortled as they chose a secluded spot to sit down at outside of the shop. As nice as it was, it was a lot colder there than it was at the moment outside. Sunny could use the sunlight, and they just so happened to find a nice corner to sit down on, a few flower beds within reach. 

“Oh! Buttercups! How pretty…” Basil bellowed excitedly, intricately and lightly touching the petals. He tried to not be hands-on with flowers that weren’t his own, Sunny could tell he desperately wanted to touch them. “Did you know despite not having a very distinct fragrance, that buttercups are poisonous?” Basil asked, continuing to snack down on his frozen yogurt.

“Though, I don’t know why anyone would eat them… Th-They don’t taste very well, and can irritate the skin.” He went further into his explanation, his eyes still sparkling with want. “I’ve always wanted to grow some. They're not hard to take care of, I-I’m just afraid, with my sensitive skin, that they’ll do me more harm than good. It’s a n-nice thought though…” 

That came as a surprise to Sunny. Basil was the type to take care of any plant no matter how hard and inconvenient it may be. This was just simply unheard of, and quite sad with the envious way his eyes glossed over the pretty yellow flowers. He was afraid to even touch them too much…

So without a word, Sunny plucked one off of its stem, gaining a surprised reaction from the mint-haired boy. “Sunny! Y-You can’t do that! These aren’t yours–you could get in trouble…” He scolded him in a whisper, but contrary to that a smile appeared across his face as Sunny weaved it into one of his braids. 

“I know… But they’re pretty, and you like them, so it’s worth it.” 

Basil giggled in response, admiring how pretty they looked against his freshly dyed hair, and that encouraged Sunny to keep on going. 

“Heyyy, you haven’t tried the Honeydew yet…” Basil brought up, pointing to the frozen yogurt in question. 

“Fine, I’ll try it right now.” Sunny said, provoked. He stopped what he was doing with the flowers and scooped up the very small portion that he’d gotten of that horrendous flavor, and once he psyched himself up quickly stuck it in his mouth, taking in the flavor. It tasted as he expected, not very good, and he must’ve made a very obvious face because of it.

“That bad, huh?” Basil asked with a snicker. 

Sunny nodded. “It tastes like cucumber, but… watered down more somehow.” 

Basil took his own spoon, getting the last drop of the leftover flavor, and tasted it for himself. He too looked disgusted by the flavor, “You’re r-right, and I actually like cucumber. This is gross…” he said in an offended tone, like it had personally attacked him. 

They both shared a laugh, and Sunny went back to doing what he was before to Basil’s hair, enjoying how Basil even offered to feed him while his hands were busy. How utterly childish and slightly mortifying for him to be fed like this, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it, even just a little. Basil would first take a bite of his own fro-yo and then pick up Sunny’s spoon, lingering it in the air for him to eat. 

It was intimate, and made Sunny feel all soft inside, but he tried not to think too much about it–Basil was a kind soul. He’s just doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Hell, anyone would probably do the same for him, except maybe Aubrey. Although, Sunny wouldn’t weave flowers through anyone else's hair but Basil’s…

When he was finished, Basil happily fluffed out his hair, admiring how carefully Sunny had placed each one. His smile radiated a type of giddiness Sunny couldn’t describe, and asked, “D-Do I look pretty?” in the sweetest tone Sunny’s ever heard. Enough to make anyone’s heart palpitate faster than it already was.

Sunny nodded shyly, “U-Um, yeah! Do you want to see…?” he asked, pulling out his phone and clicking the camera app. Basil didn’t have much time to react to him taking a picture, but that made the photo all the more natural–his mouth in an ‘o’ shape of surprise and sunlight gleaming down on him as if Aphrodite herself had blessed him. Everything had been so much more painfully complex when Sunny finally realized that he’d developed a not-so subtle crush on the boy, but he wasn’t really complaining when the boy himself was just so endearing to be around.

He turned it in his direction after a bit of staring and watched him observe it for himself. “It’s so beautiful! Well done, S-Sunny.” He praised him as he finished the last drop of his frozen yogurt–now Sunny could go back to eating his own by himself, which was a teensy bit disappointing, but at least it was less embarrassing. 

Basil outstretched his achy legs in the same fashion a cat would and yawned, revealing his strong canine attributes. He then leaned over, holding his head up with a hand and scrunching his knees to his chest. “Sunny, can I ask you something kind of… p-personal?” He checked to make sure that was something he could do, and Sunny nodded in reply. It’s not like anybody was really listening into their conversation, and he wants to answer any question that Basil has for him.

“Do you ever… miss H-Headspace?” He asked, eyes lowering and gazing at the flowers beside them. “I m-mean, I know you said you’re glad to have gotten rid of it, but you still must have some sort of attachment, right?” He voiced ambiguously, rubbing his chin with thought. “You had everything there… Mari, friends, a place t-to belong. It can’t be easy to get rid of something like that so quickly and willingly…” 

Basil then met Sunny’s eyes, who was looking at him with so much endorsement that it was overwhelming. The mint-haired boy tried to laugh it off, flushing as he did, “S-Sorry! I’m just so curious sometimes… Like, h-how did the whole thing come about anyway? Or… Did you make the whole thing… just so you could forget?”

The question echoed in Sunny’s mind until he found an answer, “I think my attachment to it is fading. Sure, I miss how comforting it could be sometimes, but I always remind myself that those feelings and memories were fake… I’m much happier being here with the real you, and spending time in reality.” he said. “My imagination’s always been big, so I guess it was a matter of time before my brain began to materialize my memories and trauma. I-I never wanted to forget, but everything was so much easier if I just didn’t remember…” 

He suddenly had lost his appetite to finish the rest of his dessert, not like Basil was at fault, but it was a bit of a touchy subject. So he placed the bowl down, shaking a bit as he did. “It was… It was nice while it lasted.” He concluded. 

A comforting hand was put on his shoulder, “S-Sorry Sunny, I sh-shouldn’t have brought it up.” Basil apologized. 

Sunny shook his head in response, “No no, you’re just curious…” he assured him that it was fine with a pat on the shoulder back.

“It’s nice to have at least someone interested in what’s going on up in my brain, besides my therapist.” Sunny said, poking at Basil’s side and making him laugh, “Hehe- well, y-you just make it sound so interesting!” he responded between giggles. 

“I’ll paint a picture of it for you one day.” Sunny promised.

“Do you mean that literally o-or metaphorically?” 

“Which way would you prefer?” Sunny asked him. Basil tapped his hands against his knees in thought, “Whichever way is more comfortable for you.” he then told him.

Comfortable for him… Basil is far too considerate sometimes. Sunny leaned over, maintaining eye contact with him, “You know, I gave you the choice so I wouldn’t have to make it…” 

“Mmm, well I’m passing it back to you. You know I suck at m-making decisions Sunny…”

Sunny apprehensively scooted closer to Basil, laying his head on his shoulder, “Yeah, I know…” he said. It was getting dark already, and Sunny knows his mother will flip out if they don’t return by sundown, but he’s enjoying watching the sun set in the distance, even if it is being mostly blocked by buildings. The sky was a rainbow of red, orange and yellow, and the big fluffy clouds painted a beautiful picture in the sky. The same clouds that would soon produce more rain or snow in a few weeks.

After a tender moment of feeling the other's warmth against Sunny’s own body, “Basil…?” he called out for him again, watching as a load of people got off the noon bus stop. 

“Yeah?”

“We should probably get home before my mom freaks out.”

He felt Basil’s body vibrate with amusement, and then heard a gentle laugh escape his lips, “Y-Yeah, we should…” he said in return.

…

Sunny is not ready for Basil to leave–that’s all that ran through his mind as soon as they got home, were greeted by his mother, and ate a delicious dinner together. It felt like old times again, and he didn’t want it to end.

He knows it’s silly, letting nostalgia hit so deeply that it hinders his ability to see him go, but at this current moment–sitting on his knees with him on the floor, across from each other chatting away, made an hour feel like five minutes. And hearing those words escape from him, “I should probably get going.” made Sunny internally die inside a little. He couldn’t stop himself from grabbing onto him for dear life.

“Wait!” Sunny didn’t mean to yell, or sound so desperate, but in complete honesty he was. He was so so desperate to have him stay here, with him. 

“Is something the matter, Sunny?” Basil asked, concerned. 

Of course something's the matter, I can’t get you out of my head. Sunny would’ve said that if he was more brave, but he wasn’t, so instead, “D-Don’t go. Can you… Can you stay the night?” he asked him to stay put. 

Basil sighed heartily in response, “S-Sunny… we’ve both got school tomorrow.” he reminded him. 

“Then don’t go! I- I won’t go. We can skip and call in sick.” He suggested.

“Geez, I dunno… Your mom probably wouldn’t want that-”

“She won’t mind, promise! She likes you.” He negated his worries, finally letting go of the tight grip he had on his wrist as Basil took a seat across from him again. Shame settled in his chest as he watched Basil consider it for a moment, “I’m sorry… I just hate to see you leave since we haven’t seen each other in so long.” he apologized, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around.

Basil waved him off. “I mean… I wouldn’t mind, just- how would I-I stay over so unprepared?” He made a good point, but Sunny had all the solutions ready on the tips of his fingers. 

He jumped forward towards the boy to list just a few of them, “You can wear my clothes to sleep, we’re about the same size…! W-We have extra toothbrushes in the drawers that you can use, not to mention my mom kept the air mattress! So you, or I, could sleep on that.” 

The smile on Basil’s face just got bigger and bigger as Sunny went on about solutions, seeing how obviously determined he was to get him to stay, so he gave in eventually, “A-Alright alright! You’ve made your points, Sunny.” he said, tapping his fingers against the hardwood floor. “I could use a day off… That would be- really nice.” 

Sunny tried to contain his excitement, not so used to sharing such big emotions so frequently, and nodded as Basil looked as if he had more to say. “I’m a little relieved too. In all h-honesty, I hate driving at night. It g-gives me anxiety.”

“So, that’s a yes?” Sunny clarified. When Basil nodded, the biggest wave of relief washed over Sunny, and he put together his hands to repress the many emotions going through his brain as of now. He stood up frenziedly, opening his wardrobe to find him appropriate clothing. “All my shirts are kind of big so… sorry about that.” 

“I-I don’t need a shirt. I’ve got one under my sweater in case I got too warm.” Basil said, taking off his sweater and revealing a plain baby blue t-shirt underneath. “B-But… pajama pants would be nice…” He said as he peeled away the sleeves and threw the sweater to the side. Sunny turned back around, marginally embarrassed that he’d been staring, and began rummaging through once again to find Basil some bottoms to wear.

As he was, “Aww, hi baby! You’re so cute…” Basil began sweet-talking to Lily, allowing her to rub his face repeatedly while meowing complaints. 

Sunny found something adequate for him to wear, and looked at his cat deliberately. “Don’t be tricked by her cuteness, she’s doing that so you’ll feed her.” He warned Basil, tossing him the piece of clothing. 

Basil threw it around his shoulder, giving Lily one last cheek rub before he stood up, “Poor thing. Is your daddy not feeding you?” he asked her as if she could understand. He gained a passionate meow in return, and Lily then circled around Sunny’s leg, fur tickling him. 

“You’re acting as if you didn’t see me feed her when we got home…” Sunny pouted, and crossed his arms in protest.

Basil giggled as he twisted the knob to his door, “I-I’ll be right back. I’m going to change and… get these flowers out of my hair.” he said, and closed the door behind him. 

When he was sure that Basil wouldn’t hear him, he looked down at Lily and mumbled, “You’re really lucky… You know that?” to her. She tilted her head, and strutted over to where Basil had tossed his sweater, giving it a sniff before placing her paws on top of it. 

Sunny decided that he probably wouldn’t want cat hair all over it, and moved her aside. “Bad cat… This isn’t yours…” He scolded her, and began folding it for him. 

I should probably put this in his bag so he doesn’t forget it.

So Sunny snatched it from off the ground, placed it on his bed, unzipped the main zipper and placed it inside. A small crinkle sound made itself known, so in fear that he’d accidentally crushed something inside, and pure curiosity, he picked the article of clothing back up to inspect what had made the noise. 

It was only an envelope, now slightly bent because of his carelessness, but he was relieved it wasn’t anything important such as a photo he had stored away or what-not. He sighed, placing the nicely folded sweater back and atop of that the envelope. But before he zipped it completely, he realized something–it had been addressed to Basil, not a complete surprise, but it was the return address that caught his eye.

The Fey Residence.

Sunny had to sit down. The Fey residence? So that means… this envelope is from his parents? And if not, a close relative at least. It's already been opened, all Sunny has to do to confirm his suspicions is peel back the flap and then discreetly put it back how it was. He turned the envelope around, hovering his fingers over it. He was so close to doing it but…

He couldn’t. Because that would be an invasion of privacy, and he respected Basil too much to do something like that. He’d… talk about it whenever he was ready.

Sunny sighed, dropped his hands in his lap and ran his fingers across the edges of the envelope. But why would his parents contact him, why now? It just doesn’t make sense to him. Maybe it's an early birthday card? His birthday is this weekend, so that seemed like the most logical explanation. But what if he was wrong? What if they contacted him to-

“Hey Sunny, th-thanks for letting me-” The sound of Basil’s voice made him jump, and the way Basil’s eyes looked at him, trickled down to his hands and then back to his face was completely mortifying. His mouth stayed dropped as he stagnantly stared at the other from the doorway.

Sunny now realizes how bad this looks, “I… I didn’t read it! I didn’t read it I promise…” he tossed the envelope away from him, letting it fall to the floor, and frantically scooted back in his spot. His motions were so panicked that his foot caught against his sheets, making him slip backwards and hit his head on the wall. He cried out in pain, gripping the back of his head and cursed loudly. 

“S-Sunny! Are you okay? You’re not c-concussed, are you?” Basil rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulders to keep him upright. 

A tear formed from the pain in the corner of Sunny’s eye, and he laughed at Basil’s overdramatic concerns. “I-I’m fine Basil! I’m not concussed…” 

“But that sounded like it really hurt! Do you n-need ice!?” 

“No, p-please just give me some room…”

“R-Right…” Basil backed off, giving Sunny his space and picked up the envelope from off the ground. He looked at it with a sort of bitterness, “You know, i-if you did read it, it’s fine…”

“I didn’t!” Sunny repeated for the third time. “I was putting up your sweater for you w-when I saw it, but I never opened it!” 

Basil smiled weakly, putting it back in his bag and zipping it up with slight aggression. “But… you must’ve seen who it was from. Right?” Sunny nodded as Basil climbed into his bed, sitting right next to him. 

“My parents… send me a birthday card every year. U-Usually it doesn’t mean anything, b-but this year they wrote that they were going to come back to Faraway to celebrate with me, and that they have a surprise for me...” He explained, voice cracking a bit. “I haven’t seen them in years , w-what possibly could they want from me to hold off on all their traveling to visit? I-I’ve been worrying about it for days, a-and I…” He buried his face in his hands.

Sunny realized that at this point he was crying, so he pulled him in for an awkward side hug. “I don’t know what to do…! What i-if they make me move away?” Basil’s voice was muffled, but he could still understand him between that and all the hiccups. What was one to say in a situation like this? 

“Well… This is a good opportunity to introduce all your friends to them. Maybe when they see how happy you are in Faraway they won’t want you to leave. If that’s the case…”

Basil lifted his head, looking at Sunny with a pout, “Y-You think so?” he said, sniffling. 

Sunny gave him a smile, pulling him closer to him, “Yeah… I mean, it’s worth a shot, right?” he supposed. His entire body got hot when Basil nuzzled his head against Sunny’s shoulder, resting his knees against the other’s legs and grabbing at his shirt. This was really intimate, even for Basil.

Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out. Don’t-

“I’m sorry for being so dependent on you… Sunny.” Basil interrupted his train of thought.

“D-Dependent?” Sunny stuttered, confused. 

Basil nodded, “It’s just… I can’t imagine a life without you in it. I j-just got you back, I don’t want them to rip this all away from me…” he made clear, lifting his head to look directly into his eyes, “I can’t lose you again, Sunny…” 

Sunny gulped nervously, were their faces drawing nearer? “I-I can’t lose you either, Basil…” He said back. His heart was pounding so fast, he swore he could faint at any moment, and the rising sultriness in his body only made everything worse. The skin-to-skin contact… Basil’s fluffy hair brushing against him… His lidded, blue eyes that looked at him all destitute… It was all too much for him. 

A knock and creak of his door was enough to make the two tear away from each other in seconds, the tension immediately disappearing when his mother came in to curiously ask Basil if he was heading out soon. 

She saw how cozily dressed he was in Sunny’s clothing, making her question the two even further. With not much persuading, Sunny was able to convince her to let them both skip school the next day so the two could have a sleepover. What can he say, the woman has a soft spot for his son’s friends. He could probably get away with much worse if it involved one of his friends in the picture.

Like murder, for example…

As she went to go get the air mattress from her closet, Basil seemed to notice something sitting on Sunny’s desk. He grabbed it, holding it in front of him, “H-Hey, this is the book I recommended a few months back! …Ever get around t-to reading it?” he asked. If it had been anyone else but Basil, Sunny would be super embarrassed to be caught reading such a thing, but since it was just him he didn’t mind. In fact, he was a little euphoric to have someone to talk to about it. 

“Yeah, I did! Oh man was it good! It had just the right amount of tragedy, comedy and romance mixed in. I-I’ve never read anything like it before.” Sunny jumped from his place, facing Basil with excitement. “I mean… It even helped me figure myself out a little bit. It’s not everyday you read something with two guys as the love interests…”

Basil nodded with the same enthusiasm, “I-I know! Isn’t it great? I c-can write you down some more recommendations if you’d like me to!” he said, clapping his hands together. Sunny grabbed a piece of paper, a book and pencil, led the two back to his bed and shoved everything into Basil’s lap. He immediately got down to writing, even explaining some of the plots for some of them. 

“Okay, so this one's really good because it’s about these two childhood best friends who’re being reconciled in college after years of not speaking-” Not only were his explanations interesting, but his voice was so soothing to listen to. It’s easy to get lost in it, and catch yourself spacing out just to the sound. He was also just glad that Basil was acting like himself again after the little parent fiasco. Sunny’s worried about it, but it’s not like he could do anything but support Basil in any way he could. 

He must’ve drifted off, because next thing he knew, Basil was poking him awake at the cheek. 

“Sun-Sun, you still listening?” The use of a nickname made him jolt awake even more, and he nodded in response. Basil let out an airy laugh, “I hope I’m n-not that boring to listen to.” he said. 

Sunny shook his head. “You’re not, please continue…”

And continue he did, all up until his mother came back in with the air mattress and asked for help setting it up. Once they were finished, she ruffled Basil’s hair and said, “You’re probably going to need some extra pillow and covers huh? Don’t worry, momma Suzuki’s got it.” to him. He winced a bit at the affection, but looked grateful nonetheless. 

While she did that, Sunny had other plans. He slid down towards his TV and clicked the on button. Then, he looked at Basil with a smirk, “Wanna stay up all night playing video games?” he asked, grabbing his controller. 

Basil faked a dramatic gasp, and put his hands on his hips. “Sunny!” He said with conviction, raising a brow. “You know me so well.” 

The two chuckled in unison as Sunny scooted over on his conveniently big bean bag to make room for him. He knows that Basil won’t mind being so close, from what happened before and all… And Sunny’s glad he got the guts to ask him to stay, because having him here, his cheek leaning against his shoulder as he watches him play and voice sparkle with curiosity as he points out something, is all he could’ve ever wanted. It’s comfortable, it’s perfect, and it’s them.

“Hey Sunny?” Basil called out for him.

“Yeah?”

“You suck at this game.” He jested with a snort. 

Sunny pinched his arm. 

“Owie… You're so mean, Sunny!”

“It’s what you get for being a bully.” He said back, dying for about the tenth time on a level he’d been stuck on for weeks.

Basil puffed his cheeks, snatching the controller out of his hands, “L-Let me try!” he insisted. Sunny knew he would get frustrated almost immediately, and he could tell with each wrong move he made that he was trying hard to keep with cool composure. What an infuriating adorable sight to behold.

His face got red with anger, and eventually he shoved the controller back into Sunny’s hands in defeat, “O-Okay… It’s a lot harder than it looks.” he admitted. Sunny put on a gloating smile. 

Yup, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chapter Text

Watching Basil pace around so stressfully on his loud, creaky floorboards was equally as nerve-wrecking if anyone else had been in his place, and, for the record, isn’t something one should be doing on their birthday of all days.

February eighteenth, today’s Basil’s seventeenth birthday, and the first one Sunny’s been able to celebrate with him since the incident. He’s happy to be here for him on such a special yet fraught occasion, but Sunny would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about meeting his parents for the first time. 

Not like he’d be alone, Aubrey and Kel were here and surprisingly, Hero was able to make it out for the weekend as well. Sunny is extremely nervous about the impression he’s gonna leave on them–the entire friend group for that matter.

Aubrey, whose body was sprawled out on the couch, finally had enough of Basil’s nervous pacing and incomprehensible ramblings that vaguely consisted of, “They’re going to take me away…” and “They’re gonna hate me…!” plus the hundreds of other variations, and shot up from her place, taking Basil by the shoulders and shaking him uncontrollably. 

“Hoooly fuck Basil chill out! I can feel myself breaking out from the amount of stress leaking out of your pores right now!” She yelled in his face. Not in a mean way, but it made Basil squeal with fear. 

“Aubrey, I don’t think you screaming in his face is going to make him feel any better.” Hero said, prying her away from him while Sunny did the same with Basil, leading him to the couch to sit down. 

“Aw, come on! I was only trying to help!” Aubrey retaliated, tapping her foot impatiently.

“You can help by lending a hand cleaning the mess you and Kel made in the kitchen.” Hero said, pointing to the load of utensils and dishes they’d use to bake Basil’s cake, that was currently cooling off on the stovetop. He turned on his foot towards the other in question, arms crossed. “That means you too, Kel.”

Kel had been playing on his handheld gaming system this whole time, unaware and/or unbothered by the whole situation. The sound effect of him dying and losing the level he was on made him throw his head back dramatically and groan. “Awwww maaan, but I’m soooooo close to beating this level! Why can’t you get Sunny to help? He’s not doing anything.”

Hero looked at him sternly and nudged his eyes over to indicate for him to look. Kel craned his head, seeing that Sunny was in fact doing something. That something being helping calm Basil down and steady his breathing. He kept repeating “Just breathe.” and “You’re going to be okay, you’re doing great.” over and over again to calm his nerves, and rapidly soothed him by petting his back. Kel knew by the looks of them, and Hero’s serious face, that he’d have to stop what he was doing to help clean up.

“Ay… Dios mío.” Kel complained, but cooperatively got up to do what he was told.

 A smile of satisfaction came across Hero’s face and Kel and Aubrey began to listen to what he was saying, but it immediately turned into annoyance when they began bickering about who does the washing and who does the drying. He decided to ignore them and let them work it out on their own, and in the meantime, went over to where Sunny and Basil had been seated. 

Basil’s eyes looked more dilated than they had before when he was in panic mode, Sunny had managed to calm him a significant amount. Hero took a seat next to them, “Are you sure you want to go alone, Basil?” he asked.

Basil nodded, bouncing his legs with anticipation. “Y-Yeah… I won’t be completely alone. Polly is c-coming with me.” 

“I just thought maybe you would need someone to turn up the charm meter.” Hero suggested, to which Basil shook his head promptly in return. “N-No. The last thing I want them to be is charmed when I’m trying to get them to l-leave as soon as possible.” he said, rubbing his fingers along his scalp, “Oh God… What if they move back in with me and dismiss P-Polly?! This is bad… This is really b-bad-”

“Basil, breathe. You’re being unreasonable and stressing yourself out over situations you made up in your head.” Sunny told him, rubbing a thumb into the other's palm. 

“S-Situations that might come true! Oh G-God, this is t-too much…!”

“Basil, there’s really no need to be worrying dude. They’re gonna love you man, and us! And if they don’t, they got hella issues.” Kel said, begrudgingly drying a couple bowls they’d dirtied up.

“Kel, language.”

“Santurrón…”

“Yeah. Your parents are gonna loooove us and Kel’s stupid haircut.” Aubrey interrupted, flicking water in his direction and straight at his face. Kel reached into the sink himself and splashed water all over her shirt. “Hey! Mom said I look handsome, no matter what. And even if the lady did kind of butcher it…” He yelled back.

Kel’s hair is a mix between being wavy and curly, and the woman had obviously no experience dealing with that kind of texture. His hair was slightly shorter than normal since she’d wet it and cut straight across, Kel was too nice to say anything though. Didn’t stop his mother from giving the lady a piece of her mind. He has a few stragglers sure, but Sunny doesn’t think it looks that bad.

“You dumbass, you got water all over me!” Aubrey yelled at him.

“So what? You’re wearing a black shirt!” Kel yelled back.

“I’m still wearing it, I barely even got any water on you!”

“Well you started it! What’s your prob-”

“Would you two be quiet?!?” Sunny shrieked uncharacteristically. He covered his mouth with regret for being as equally as loud, but their bickering while Basil was on the verge of having a panic attack was not only annoying, but completely selfish. Specifically Aubrey’s bickering.

He stood up from his place on the couch, inhaling and exhaling deeply to keep his composure. “Kel, get Basil a glass of water. Hero, take his place and I’ll take Aubrey’s. And as for Aubrey…” He paused, trying to think of solutions to her current problem.

“I-I have an extra shirt you can wear. S-Second drawer and to the left, it’s g-green and your size.” Basil suggested, still rocking back and forth in his place. 

Aubrey grinned in relief, nodding him off as she walked away. “Thanks Basie~” She warbled, making the mint-headed boy give a nervous smile in return.

Sunny sighed in relief, thankful that their fiasco had been solved, and went to finish off the last of their dishes. Kel did as he was told, making small jokes every now and then to make Basil feel better, which made Sunny’s face relax and body loosen up hearing him speak with a little more ease. Hero noticed this, and smiled at him as he nudged Sunny with his arm. 

“You know, you’re starting to act a lot more like Mari.” He told him, making Sunny blush in return. “Uh- I… I am?”

“Yeah. Taking action and responsibility like that, it’s something she would’ve done. I’m… I’m proud of you, Sunny.” 

I’m proud of you. 

Sunny could just tear up at the statement, but he didn’t allow himself to since he didn’t want to lose his composure. It was just a compliment from someone he’s looked up to since he was a kid, no big deal. It definitely meant more to him now knowing what they’ve all been through together. 

“That means a lot to me, Hero…” Sunny said, voice wavering from the overwhelming attempt to not cry. Hero dried a hand and used it to ruffle Sunny’s hair, “No problem kiddo.”

“Ohhhhhh, gross!! Hero called you kiddo, he’s gone full dad mode!” Kel bantered loudly, sticking his fingers in his ears. “Quick, cover your ears! You’ll be infected by his words…!”

“Aww… Kel, I think it’s kind of sweet. They’re bonding~” Basil purred, holding his hands to his heart as he found the exchange very sweet. Sunny wasn’t having it though, “Argh! Would you guys be quiet? You ruined the moment…” he whined. He’d begun to wish that there were walls separating the two rooms…

“Sun-Sun, are you… embarrassed?” Basil egged on.

“Well well… Look who’s in a better mood…” Sunny chose to ignore him and his smug attitude.

“Haha, Sunny’s totally embarrassed!” Kel pointed towards him, leaning back on the armrest of the couch and laughing obnoxiously. 

“I-”

“Who’re we humiliating right now?” Aubrey cut whatever Sunny had to say off, now changed out of the wet shirt she’d been in. She began rubbing her hands together maliciously, “Ooo, it’s Sunny. It’s gotta be Sunny!” 

“It’s totally Sunny dude.” Kel confirmed, prompting the duo to highfive and exchange knowing looks. The boy in question groaned, helping to finish the last of the dishes and finally dried his slightly damp hands, “You guys always rip on me ‘cause I’m the youngest…”

“Hey Kel, you remember that one time at the playground?” Aubrey asked, wiggling an eyebrow.

“Oh, do I ever!” He replied.

Sunny rubbed his eyes, knowing what was coming next, “Fucking Christ…” he mumbled under his breath. 

Aubrey set up the scene, it was late in the noon with no other kids around and summer vacation had just let out. Sunny had this thing where he liked to go to the park by himself sometimes just to… space out–get lost in his own world. He had a habit of mumbling aloud to himself, and it had been just like any other hot summer day.

The scene being recreated in his head was a dramatic on-the-spot marriage and reunion between the two lovers Sweetheart and Captain Spaceboy, since that’s all he was interested in at the time, similar to the one in headspace he’d had so long ago. 

“Hahaha! Oh man–and he didn’t even see up because he was laying stomach-first in the swing, swaying back and forth while reciting cheesy wedding vows!” Aubrey said, letting out a cackle. Kel batted his eyelashes, “Oh Sweetheart, I can’t live without you! You were wrong for putting an end to this, because nothing can ever come between our love like this-”

Sunny covered Kel’s mouth, who was laughing louder than ever. “O-Okay you guys, that was actually really embarrassing for me!” he said. Aubrey wiped away a tear from her eye, “Oh- Oh Sunny, haha! You’re just so easy…” she said, not being able to calm her nerves. 

Basil put on an innocent looking face, “Mmm, I think Sunny’s had enough n-now guys. Leave him alone…” he said with an amused smile. 

“Hey, you started all this in the first place.” Sunny reminded him. 

“Hm? I didn’t start this.” Basil maintained his innocence, stroking his hair with care.

“Well fine. You initiated it.” Sunny corrected himself. Not even Basil could deny that, so he returned Sunny’s fussing with a giggle that turned into full-on gleeful laughter. 

Sunny couldn’t stay mad at that cute face with a laugh as pure as that… He felt his heart soften watching Basil become progressively more flushed with joy, and bit his lip with want .

Aubrey must've noticed him staring so fondly, because Sunny felt a nudge in his side and was greeted with a shit-eating grin. “Uh-Oh. Someone’s in looo-”

“Sh-Shut up…” Sunny grumbled in a scowl. Luckily, they were standing far enough away from everyone else to where they couldn’t hear the exchange. Didn’t change the fact that Aubrey had very obviously figured out Sunny’s thing for Basil. His face got even hotter with the mixed embarrassment and the sound of Basil’s joyous laughter, damn him for being paler than the white sandy beach. He probably looks so ridiculously red right now.

Hero let out a hearty laugh, finishing up the last of the cleaning and patted Sunny on the back. “Ah, it’s okay Sunny. We’ve all got our moments. You just… happen to have a big imagination.” He assured him. All of this attention was making him wish he’d stayed in headspace…

As Kel and Aubrey recounted another memory from their childhood, the front door luckily was unlocked and opened by Polly, who’d gotten off of work early to drive Basil and herself down to the airport. She popped her head in and asked, “Ready to go, Herb?” 

Basil looked as if he were about to throw up, but nodded as he unsteadily stood up anyway. 

“You sure you don’t need a cig to like, chill out?” Aubrey asked, in a more serious way than she had when she’d first arrived to witness Basil freaking out. 

Basil shook his head as he did before, “Aubrey, n-no offense, but the smell is awful . I imagine the t-taste is much worse.” he said. 

Aubrey shrugged, “Suit yourself…” she said, like he was at a loss. 

The group wished him good luck and goodbye, giving him their last drop of encouraging words before Basil hazily waved them off and exited the house. As soon as the door clicked close, Aubrey glanced at her watch, “Alright, we don’t have much time, but the Hooligans should be here soon with the decorations and gift we made for him.”

“Decorations? Didn’t Basil say we didn’t need to go all out?” Kel questioned. 

“Uh, duh! Basil says that every year! But Mari always insisted we do it for him anyway.” Aubrey said, searching through a bag she’d brought. “We’re not going crazy, just a few balloons, some streamers and a birthday banner. It’ll be lowkey but festive.” Her eyes landed on something, and she snatched out a bag of mint balloons.

“Plus, it’s all his favorite color~ Trust me, he’ll love it.” She said, wiggling the bag in front of her. “Now, who’s decorating his cake?”

The four looked between each other, eyes being passed one to another it seemed like all of them had an idea in mind. Well, all of them but one–Sunny.

“Nose-goes.” The other three chanted in unison, touching their noses at a rapid speed. 

“Dammit! That’s not fair, you guys all know that I’m the slowest one at that!” Sunny childishly complained. 

“Rules are rules.” Aubrey stood her ground.

“Why can’t Hero do it? He’s the one who spent his whole life around sweets and cooking!” 

“Uh- no offense to you Hero, but Hero sucks at decorating.” Kel said. Hero waved him off, “None taken, It’s true.” he said. His attention drifted hopefully to Sunny, “You and Mari used to decorate cakes and cookies all the time together, you’d be perfect for the job.”

“Hehe- yeah, and aren't you super into art?” Aubrey brought up. “You spent most of your time as a kid drawing in that crusty ass sketchbook that seemed to have an endless amount of pages, surely you can do something similar on a cake.” 

Her mentioning brought a slight wave of nostalgia and made him realize that they all brought up a good point. Sunny had the most experience out of all of them because of his sister's obsession with baking and his own experiences in the arts. He just hates admitting when they're right.

“Plus,” Hero began, “I really think Basil would appreciate you doing this for him. You two are the closest after all.” he said. From behind the other two boys, Aubrey smirked, silently making kissing faces to further mock him. Sunny furrowed his brows, annoyed, but looked back to Hero with a small pout and nodded. 

“Fine.” He agreed. “But I’m only doing this for Basil.” 

“Of course of course…” Aubrey said knowingly, and ripped open the pack of balloons. “You two, help me blow these up.”

“I-I’ll try, but I don’t have my inhaler on me…” Hero said, hesitantly taking one and staring at it. 

“Good God, can you not just–you know… breathe?” Aubrey joked, inhaling deeply to blow into one. Kel was already on his second one having an athlete's lung and strong love for bumping them around like a volleyball. Hero gave her a dead stare, intimidating her to a degree. 

“Right… Asthma jokes. Not funny… You could die… Sorry.” Aubrey apologized.

While they did that, Sunny took the now cooled off cake and slipped it out of the pan onto a sheet Hero had laid out to decorate. 

Where to even start? Sunny asked himself. He had plenty of colors to pick out from since Kel went completely overboard at the grocery store. He decided to start with a pale green they had mixed out–very Basil-esque, and he’d write the wording with a darker green on top.

He spread out the smooth buttercream icing atop, enjoying the simple way the butterknife gracefully slid across the round, circular surface. It would’ve been a peaceful moment for him had the sounds of desperate breaths of air being taken from behind him been out of the equation. At one point, Hero had to take a break, and came over to look at Sunny’s handiwork thus far.

“See, look at how smooth that is already. You’re doing great, Sunny.”

“Yeah yeah… It’s the decor part that’s making me nervous. What am I supposed to do…?”

“Flowers! Duh!” Aubrey shouted, proceeding to purposefully pop one of the balloons to scare the shit out of Kel. 

“Aubrey! What the hell!” He said, grabbing one of his own and popping it straight back in her face. 

“Knock it off you two! You’re going to pop all of them at this rate…” Hero scolded them, running back to rip the balloon Aubrey was about to pop out of her hands. “You can pop them all you want afterward.”

“Uuuugh, whatever fun police.” Aubrey groaned in his face.

At this point, Sunny had tuned them out, nervous about the outcome of the lettering. It was just three simple words, ‘Happy Birthday Basil!’ but it felt like so much longer as soon as he started. He attempted to fancy it up by curling some of the letters and connecting them, but Sunny’s never really been good at cursive. 

His eyes were glued to the pipe, and posture was one like a shrimp. It wasn’t the prettiest work, but Sunny thinks he did an okay job after not working with icing for years on end.

He wiped a cold sweat on his forehead that had formed from the muscles in his body burning from terrible posture, but he was only beginning. He still had a border to do, flowers to intricately dot on as Aubrey had suggested. 

Sunny sighed with anticipation, the front door swinging open at the same time and making his heart sink. He jumped only to see that it was a few of the Hooligans with the rest of the decor, and the sinking feeling he felt subsided immediately.

Aubrey greeted Kim with a side hug and took the gift bag out of her hand. Angel was alongside Charlie, holding a roll of string to tie onto a few of the balloons. “Charlie can tie a perfect knot, isn’t that right Charlie?” He had exclaimed, bumping her with his hip. Maybe not good wording around who were still shaken up about knots, but everyone knew his intentions were clean.

Vance had the banner folded in his hands and was currently chewing on a candy cigarette. Aubrey joked and asked him if he’d prefer a real one, and he responded with, “Not now.” It made Sunny wonder, did Aubrey get everyone she knew addicted to these things? 

Sunny brought it up in a playful way, trying to word it as nicely as possible so she wouldn’t rain hellfire on him for being insensitive, but luckily she only laughed–explaining that, “Vance was the one to get me hooked on these things!” and not the other way around. 

They didn’t stay for long, the four were informed beforehand about the whole situation, but they did chip in to help just the tiniest bit. Vance helped Hero put the banner over the hallway archway, Aubrey and Kim taped pale blue streamers she’d pulled out of the bag in her hand to the dining table to give it a more “birthday” feel, and hung them around just in general. Charlie helped to tie string on the ends of the balloons, Angel and Kel deciding on where to put them. Everything was going smoothly.

Smoothly for a situation that was completely chaotic and unanticipated, smoothly for a group that often got so sidetracked. Which reminded Sunny, he himself was getting sidetracked watching everyone else do their part. He had a cake to decorate. Unfortunately.

Sunny got back to work with the icing and in no time had the border completed. The next thing on his agenda was the cute little flowers, some resembling daisies, tulips and roses. He even drew on a few bigger sunflowers for him, just for the irony of it all. His hard efforts ended up paying off, receiving various compliments from Hero and Kel about how nice it looked and how Basil was going to love it. Meanwhile, Aubrey rummaged through the gift bag Kim had handed to her.

“You guys wanna see the Hooligan and I’s gift? It’s totally gonna beat all of yours.” She said, tone oozing of cockiness. While Kel called her a liar and told her not to get ahead of herself, they all gathered round the table to see the gift in question. 

She pulled out a forest green book that had ‘Basil’s New Memories’ imprinted on the front in silver. Its shell was cushiony and soft, and opening the inside revealed a page that had his name written in the middle in cursive, and around that various simple drawings of flowers, plants and other greenery. 

“Charlie did the calligraphy and drawing, she’s way better at it then any of us.” Aubrey said, smoothing the page out with her hand. Around was a colorful display of hand written out messages from each of the Hooligans. 

Angel’s writing was in a pale blue, and Charlie’s in yellow;

Hey Basil, this photo album is going to be super cool and full of life when you get it, I can’t wait! Make sure you put all the pictures of me in the front! :D -Angel

…I hope you like it. -Charlie

Kim’s writing was in a darker blue, and Vance’s in red;

Thanks for being my sneaky link for sweets and candy, you treat me well. You’re the coolest Basil I know. ;P -Kim

Kim took what I wanted to say… But seriously, thanks for being a friend. -Vance

And lastly, Mikhael’s was written in a dark green color:

I want YOU!! to know that this was mostly MY IDEA! Because despite THE MAVERICK lacking any kind of empathy towards anyone, you are my greatest skateboard student and also, a very great close friend. ~THE MAVERICK

Skateboard student…? Since when is Basil learning to skateboard? Sunny shook his head, setting the book down. This was actually… a very thoughtful gift, Sunny was impressed to say the least.

Just as he was about to ask if they could write something, Aubrey pulled out a pen and handed them each other coordinating colors–Sunny of course getting a black. “Alright nerds, think of something to write with the short amount of time we have left, and make it count. This s’going to be his new pictures forever home.” She said, gripping her pink pen tighter as she led it down on the paper. She wrote it close to where Kim’s was.

Basie, you’re the best little brother I could’ve ever asked for, and I can’t wait to see all the nerdy shit you do in here. Never change, lil bro. -Aubrey 

Kel went next, the orange on the paper almost being as obnoxious as his large messy handwriting.

Hey Basil! Didn’t really know about this gift until last minute, so I don’t really know what to write. Just do what you love, alright? ~Kel

Hero was tossed a bluish-purple color, almost violet if you squint hard enough. He tapped his chin in thought with the object, clearly putting a lot of thought into it. 

Basil, I know you’re going to make this album just as special as the last. Mari would be so proud of you, I know she would. -Hero

Some of them were short and sweet, and others long and meaningful. Sunny’s stuck between being his usual shy self and just writing a few nice words, or going all in on it.

A hand hit his back lightly, and Hero’s encouraging smile greeted him from behind. “Hey, you look distressed. Whatever you write, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” He assured him. Aubrey jumped in from the side, catching Sunny’s gaze with her own. Her eyes were wide with mirth. “Yeah! He’ll looove anything you write–especially since you- Augh!”

Sunny had elbowed her in the stomach. Not too hard, but hard enough to cut her off and get her to stop talking. Not expecting it, Aubrey grabbed at her stomach in slight pain. “Oww! That actually fucking hurt!” She wheezed.

He leaned over closer to her face, “Then keep your damn mouth shut…” Sunny warned with a threatening tone. A satisfied smile came across Aubrey’s face, “You didn’t deny it~” she pointed out.

“Aubrey, I know you think that you know what’s going on, but you don’t.” A lie, but a harmless one nonetheless. “So please shut up before I stab you again with the pocket knife I have.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes, “Fine… What’s up your ass today?” she asked, face then lighting up with realization. “Oh wait… I know what.” 

Her implication made Sunny flustered, she’d seized the opportunity as soon as one could be taken and laughed hysterically when he caught on. She wasn't making any of this better, but Sunny could at least applaud her for the improvised comments she's coming up with on the spot.

Kel and Hero exchanged equally confused looks as Aubrey shouted out, “Last one, I swear!” to him, giggling uncontrollably. 

But back to the task at hand–Sunny knows Basil could get home any second now, so he had to write his thoughts into words fast. Easier said than done. So Sunny hovered the blank pen over the paper, catching his thoughts like they were fish and putting them into sentences. When he finished, he was quite proud of the final product. 

Basil, just know that wherever you are, and whoever you choose to be, just know that we’re all here for you on every step of the way. You mean so much to us, don’t ever forget that for as long as you live. -Sunny

Coming right from the heart, exactly how Basil likes it–honest and straight to the point. After reading over it a couple of times he realized he’d written out the longest message, which he was both secretly embarrassed about and pleased with. He knew Aubrey would comment about it later though…

For the time being though, the gift was crappily shoved back in the bag and put to the side, and the cake Sunny had decorated had been transferred to a big plate and placed in the center of the table by Hero. Now all they had to do was wait.

The four were startled by the rattling of the doorknob twisting open kind of frantically and straightened up to see Polly sticking herself in. She quickly admired the work they’d done and aw’d, but then was reminded of the reason she’d come in first. 

They all gathered around her as she spoke in a slight whisper, “Basil is… freaking out. He won’t show it, but I can see it in his eyes.” she said. “So please, don’t do anything that will make him worse.” 

All of them “yes ma’amed” her in unison and sat around the table, casually waiting for their short arrival. Sunny bit his nails anxiously. What if they hate me? What if they don’t approve of Basil being around us anymore? What if-

His endless questions of worry were interrupted by a voice, and then another one, and then the opening of the door. Basil came in first, followed by a woman just older than Polly by like a decade, and then a man who looked to be just slightly older than the woman.

That man and woman being his parents of course.

But now, Sunny could definitely see where he inherited his looks from–both of them were objectively good-looking for their ages, and it made Sunny wonder if Basil will be a real looker when they’re a lot older from now. 

Though Sunny’s getting ahead of himself.

His mother had the same bright blue eyes and blonde hair as Basil, though her’s was very long and maintained, and had a slight wave to it. She’s just above the height of her son, and overall very thin and frail-looking. 

His dad on the other hand was tall, maybe just a tiny bit below Hero, and had very messy, brown hair that stuck up like Basil’s. Though, like Basil, he was also pretty lanky, had darker blue eyes, and completely clean-shaven as well.

They all stared for a moment before his mother clapped her hands together at the sight of all the work they’d put in before arriving, “Oh! How lovely…” she exclaimed, putting her hand on Basil’s shoulders. He flinched slightly, but let it linger. “Your friends made you a surprise party… How fun!” 

Basil looked around at everything, a slight apprehensive look beginning to drown him out. But as soon as his eyes landed on the table and made eye contact with them, his expression softened and he was able to speak. He walked over to the end next to Sunny, smiling at him in particular. “Yeah… This is n-nice. Thank you guys.” 

He knows that was directed at everyone, but the look he gave him made him feel like it was for him. Or maybe he just wanted it so bad that he’d imagined it. One way or another, Sunny’s just relieved he didn’t get upset at them for sprucing up the place a bit.

Expectedly, Hero was the one to push himself out of his chair and introduce himself first, shaking each of their hands and telling them it was nice to finally meet the parents of one of their good friends. Kel was the next one to jump in the conversation and shook a lot more energetically and immature than his brother, but he, just like Hero, was still equally charming. Just in a different way.

Basil staggeredly walked to Sunny, using his shoulder as support for his own body, “I’m g-gonna… pass out.” he mumbled in his ear as he plopped in the chair next to him. Sunny chuckled, grabbing his shaky hand for comfort. “Please don't. We don’t want another hospital incident…” He jested, pulling a chuckle from him.

Aubrey stood up, slapped Basil on the back gently and whispered something inaudible in his ear. Sunny couldn’t hear what, but it visibly made him appear flustered, and he buried his face into his hands. 

Sunny rubbed his shoulder for attention, “Hey.”

“Y-Yeah?!?” Basil breathed out in a panic, eyes wide as he waited for his next words. Sunny gestured up, “Should Aubrey and I… You know.” 

Basil glanced over his shoulder, realizing what he was suggesting and popped up from his place. “Right!” He exclaimed, leading the two over to introduce them. Both Hero and Kel stepped to the side, stopping whatever they were saying so that he could speak. 

“U-Um… This is Aubrey.” He stuttered out. Sunny watched as Aubrey forced a smile. “She’s… She’s the girl that I s-said is like a sister to me.” He said shyly, obviously very prepared by the flattered punch in the arm he was going to get from Aubrey. Basil gave a little giggle in reciprocation, and then watched as she reached her hand out to greet the both of them. 

“It’s uh- great to finally meet you.” Aubrey said, a little intimidated by them. They struck up a short conversation–his mother complimented her hair, asking if she’d done Basil’s as well. Aubrey flushed, nodded yes to her question, and to many of the other ones she and his father had for her. They were mostly small, irrelevant questions such as, “How are you?” or “How did you two meet?” Things that bored the hell out of Sunny.

But when it was his turn to be introduced, he was way more alert than he had been listening. The other three had run off to help Polly make lunch, and even if they were just a few feet away, Sunny was kind of glad that it was just him and Basil. Two pairs of eyes staring at him was well enough…

Basil wrapped his hands around Sunny’s arm before he spoke, “Th-This is Sunny! He’s my best friend and lives in the city…” he said Sunny shook their hands in greeting. He was surprised by his mother's unexpectedly strong grip she had.

Mrs. Fey nodded, “Sunny… Yes, the artsy one?” she presumed. Sunny looked at Basil with a slight pout, “The artsy one?” he questioned.

Basil shrugged, “Hehehe… Well, h-how else was I supposed to describe you?” he laughed carefreely. “It’s a compliment, d-don’t worry.” He assured. 

“Ah the city, huh? Do you like it out there? I remember it being quite pleasant for the short amount of time we stayed there.” Mr. Fey asked him, stroking his chin with wonder. Sunny gulped nervously, not really wanting to continue the conversation but also not wanting to be rude. “It was… an adjustment. I miss Faraway sometimes, but I’ve gotten accustomed to it.” 

Mrs. Fey leaned to his height, her blue eyes staring curiously at Sunny’s face. “You are a very young, handsome man.” She complimented with a smile, then tracing her thumb just below the scar Basil had given him months back. 

Sunny hadn’t worn his eyepatch today, it was on full display.

“But whatever happened to your eye, dear? This looks like a painful scar…” She expectedly asked.

Basil choked on air, and desperately broke the two away in hopes of ending the conversation. He tried to play it off by laughing very forcefully, “Well that’s enough of that! Th-The food should almost be done, anyway, shouldn’t it Polly?!” 

Polly looked back with a thumbs up, “You bet’cha.” she confirmed. 

A big wave of relief came over Basil when his parents decided to lay off the topic and keep to themselves for the time being. His eyes gleamed apologetically towards the other boy, “Sunny, I am so sorry. I had no idea they were going to-”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Sunny told him. 

“But I’m going to worry about it! W-What if it gets brought up again?! What if-”

“Basil. Enough with the what ifs.” Sunny said, grabbing hold to his wrists. “I know you’re scared… and confused, but let’s just have a nice lunch, eat some cake, and it’ll be over before you know it.” He comforted, rubbing a thumb over his skin. “If they say anything, I’ll do my best to respond, and if it gets brought up again, I’ll make something up. Okay?”

Basil opened his mouth to protest but quickly drew back. Sunny understands why he’s so on edge, but he won’t enjoy himself if he lets them get to him, and he wants him to understand that. Eventually after some pondering, Basil nodded, “Okay.” and agreed to let it run its course.

Basil led the two to the table and sat directly beside each other in case he felt another panic attack coming on again. He feels awful for having his glued to his side the whole time, but Sunny kept assuring him over and over that it was okay and that he didn’t mind. If they were being honest, he wanted to be by Basil for his own comfort.

Sunny briefly caught eye contact with Basil’s mother, who then smiled at him apologetically. He didn’t really know what to do, so he waved and smiled smally, then quickly whipping his head down and focused on his fingers. He tried spacing out, which partially worked. Every now and then though, he’d catch snippets of the conversations happening around him, and was becoming slightly overwhelmed from it all.

A nudge was given to his shoulder, and he looked up to see Aubrey staring down on him. He looked around to see that Basil had gotten up and was bringing plates with the food they prepared for both of them. A ruffle of the head was given by Aubrey to him, “Hey, lunch is ready and you’re making the birthday boy get it for you?” 

Sunny shook his head and hands, “N-No! I didn’t hear that-”

“Don’t worry about it Sunny.” Basil interrupted, placing his plate in front of him. “You looked l-like you were in your own little world. I didn’t want to interrupt that.” He said with a wink. Sunny doesn’t know what he’s implying, but appreciates the gesture, and the food especially. He hasn’t eaten since last night, and is desperate to get something in his system before he passes out from hunger. 

They’d made turkey sandwiches, all with their preferred toppings and chips on the side. Sunny’s simply consisted of turkey, some kind of cheese and lettuce, they understand how picky he is, and plain potato chips on the side. He tried not to make it too obvious how ravenous he is, and bit off a corner of the sandwich.

Hero did the honors of giving Basil’s parents their plates, and they thanked him for his kindness. Kel scooted up to the table and rolled his eyes, knowing he was just trying to impress them, and sat across from Sunny. “He’s such a people pleaser.” Kel mumbled to him, taking a bite out of his sandwich. 

The rest of them took their seats as well, eating in mostly silence. Eventually though, Mr. Fey got interested in Hero’s college life, asking him about what he was studying, and was very impressed that he’d chosen to pursue being a doctor. 

“Biology was always my favorite subject in highschool, I think that’s when I knew when I wanted to do something in the medical field.” Hero said, answering one of their many questions they had. Aubrey snickered, jabbing Sunny in the arm with her own. “He’s such a fuckin’ nerd…” She mumbled to him.

“You could say that again…” He said back, but still admiring how passionate Hero was about the topic. He looked excited to have someone ask about it, which was nice. Hero was usually so calm and collected, he didn’t really talk about himself too much. 

But the peace and buoyancy of the conversation was derailed when Mrs. Fey laughed lightly at one of the comments Hero had made, “My my, you’re so organized and charming! Have you landed yourself a girlfriend yet?”

If any of them were gripping forks, they definitely would’ve been dropped in a dramatic fashion, but the only sound that was being made was silence. Hero opened his mouth to answer, but quickly stopped himself. Kel and Aubrey were both looking at each other, clearly not wanting to get involved in something that’s not their place to be in, but were still sweating with anticipation. 

Basil’s automatic reaction was to cover his mouth in shock, and stare blankly at the table in fear–all the while, Sunny had no idea what to do. He and Hero made eye contact, and Sunny shook his head as if to say no. Call him selfish, but he really didn’t want his dead sister being brought up at the table, and if they pushed any further, definitely didn’t want Basil’s parents to find out about his and Sunny’s involvement. 

Hero nodded, appreciative of Sunny’s subtle response, and put on a weak smile as he answered, “No ma’am, I’m just focusing on work for now.” to her. A sigh of relief washed over them all, and Basil craned his body to Sunny, setting his forehead against him to whisper, “Thank you…” into his ear very shakily. 

Sunny grabbed a hold of the hand that was under the table, intertwining their fingers together, “Of course…” He whispered back, assuming that he’d seen his plea to Hero to not say anything too risky. As much as he'd love to move on and have it be something to talk about, the subject being brought up to Basil’s parents who obviously had pretty high standards was terrifying, and just more anxiety for Basil to endure. 

His parents glanced their direction with confused looks on their faces, but Polly immediately caught on, shook her head and put a finger to her lips. Even though she wasn’t aware of the truth, she still had a good understanding and the dignity to know when to be quiet about certain things. Basil’s parents on the other hand obviously did not. It’s probably out of pure curiosity for missing such big events in their son’s life, but that’s their fault for being absent for so long, and not caring to visit even on holidays.

Eventually they let go of each other, eating mostly in silence for the rest of the time. Polly would obviously make conversation with them about where they’ve been traveling and such–even going so far to ask why they were back, which they said was an answer for later. Sometimes Kel would piss off Aubrey by chewing too loud and she’d shoot him a dirty look. And other times it was silence. Complete, awkward silence that couldn’t be filled.

Among the silence, Mrs. Fey looked around at all the plants surrounding the area, admiring how pretty and green they were. “Oh Polly, you’re doing such a wonderful job keeping Irene’s plants alive.” 

Irene being Basil’s grandmother. Though, everyone was confused at the comment that she’d made. Polly dabbed her mouth with a napkin before she spoke, “Actually, I’m not…” she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Aubrey tapped her hand forward in a kind of upset way, “Actually, Basil takes care of them.” she corrected. 

Basil’s parents whipped their heads to the boy in question, looking at him with a questioning expression. He swallowed dryly and nervously, nodding to confirm that it was his doing. 

His father wiped his hands off, “That’s a bit of a girly hobby, but I suppose it’s better than you going off to be rouge and rebellious.” he said. 

It’s his passion, not just a hobby, Sunny said in his head, slightly upset at the comment. So what if gardening is quote-on-quote, girly? Basil enjoys it, and that’s all that matters! Honestly, what is their issue with it?

“Yes, it’s nice you’re keeping them alive for her.” Mrs. Fey joined in. 

“He’s not just keeping them alive, Basil grows his own and is totally awesome at it!” Kel shouted between bites, causing Hero to scold him about talking with his mouth full. Basil looked like he wanted to bang his head against the table, but physically restrained himself from making a scene. 

“I see… You don’t do anything more active like sports, Herb?” Mr. Fey asked. Basil shot him an angry look. “Don’t call me tha-”

“I do!” Kel jumped up, waving a hand in the air. “But, I don’t get it… What’s so wrong with gardening? He gets plenty of activity from it, and it actually makes him pretty strong.” He continued, unaware of how tense the situation was becoming. A smile appeared across Kel’s face as a lightbulb went off in his head, “Like this one time, Basil asked me to carry a watering can, and it was WAY heavy. And-”

Aubrey covered his mouth, “I think you should be quiet Kel.” she sternly told him, eyeing towards how mortified Basil was with the growing pinkness of his cheeks and shakiness of his eyes, and how dissatisfied his parents looked for him dedicated so much of his time to taking care of flowers. 

Kel immediately went silent and face turned cold when he realized everyone was staring at him in a not very good way, and sat down in his seat with his arms crossed. Aubrey was shaking with anger, but was doing her best to contain it. Sunny knew that she could pop at any moment if this kept going on, and wouldn’t be surprised if she did…

Hero, trying to be the problem solver, exclaimed, “Well, everyone looks to be done eating! Why don’t we move on to cake for the time being?” and at the same time, gathered up everyone’s plates in an attempt to seem courteous and lighten up the mood. It worked a little bit, but of course it would. Who wouldn’t get happy at the idea of eating cake?

Sunny slid the cake in front of Basil, which had originally been out of range and sight from him, and let him admire the amount of detail that went into it. He instantly lit up and smiled widely, leaving Sunny glad that he took up the task of decorating it. 

“W-Wow! This is so pretty…” Basil annunciated, excitedly clapping his hands and swinging his legs back and forth. He obviously didn’t notice the slightly discontented faces on his parents face upon seeing it, probably thinking it was too girly , but Sunny could give less of a shit what they think. He’s just happy to see Basil so enthusiastic about something, even under all this stress and pressure.

“Yeah yeah… Kel and I baked it for ya, Sunny decorated it. Isn’t that right, Sunny?” Aubrey said with a teasing tone. Sunny wanted to wipe that smirk off her face, but was distracted from how impressed Basil looked with him. 

“Y-You actually did all this? F-For me?” He asked. Sunny slowly nodded his head, cheeks slightly puffed from the unwarranted attention, “Do you like it…?” he asked. 

“Of course, it’s so… me themed! Y-You’re so talented…” Basil grinned at him coyishly, making Sunny blush like crazy. He feels a little weird getting so heated in front of everyone, but he couldn’t help it with the admirable way Basil was looking at him.

“Y-Yeah. It uh- was no problem really.” Sunny bashfully rubbed the back of his head. Hero came back up from the counter with a server, “Mmm, that reminds me. Didn’t you say you had something else you wanted to do, Sunny?” he asked, simultaneously reminding Sunny in the process. 

He scrambled up from his seat, “R-Right! I did.” and walked over to where he’d stored his case. His violin case. 

Not technically his, the school’s of course, but close enough.

Basil hasn’t heard him play any music on it since he and Mari were supposed to play in the recital, so he decided that as a surprise he’d play the Happy Birthday song for him. It was quick and easy to learn, and didn’t take much memorization as it did muscle memory, so it was an achievable goal and not out of the question as Basil’s birthday had been approaching. 

As he unzipped and pulled it out, he watched as Basil’s parents looked at him all impressed, making Sunny feel slightly giddy that he’d managed to do so, and also how Basil’s face turned from excited to ecstatic. Sunny playing the violin is one of his favorite sounds, and so to finally be able to hear that again after years of not was like a blessing.

Sunny began plucking on the strings, trying to see if it was tuned correctly–sometimes the pegs would shift slightly if he swung his case around too much or was on a bumpy bus ride. “I know it’s kind of been a while since you’ve all heard me play, but I wanted to do it on a special occasion…” He explained, looking over his shoulder to Basil. “And I think this is fitting…”

He played a few tuning notes to check his tone, and as soon as he was ready looked around at the others, “You can uh… sing along if you’d like.” Sunny told them, preferring that they did so he’d feel less pressure, and just relax into it. 

Hero had brought over a singular candle for Basil to blow out since seventeen was a bit excessive, and as soon as he safely lit it looked to Sunny with a thumbs up. 

Now Sunny hadn’t been exactly nervous up until now, but now with all eyes on him–looking, expecting, waiting for him to begin it felt like everything was collapsing. He doesn’t want to disappoint his friends. He doesn't want to disappoint the three pairs of adult eyes bearing directly into him. And most importantly, he doesn’t want to disappoint Basil.

Not that the song suddenly became something hard for him to do, a child could play it, but the simple concept of playing the instrument that got them all here in the first place for the first time, for those very same ears, was terrifying .

But Basil was smiling so softly at him, expectedly even, and Sunny just couldn’t back down at that face. And so with the simple breathing exercises, he persisted with his plan and began playing.

He was a bit shaky at first, but as everyone joined in with him, he got a lot more confident. Even adding extra vibrato to a few parts. 

Happy birthday to you…

Happy birthday to you…

Happy birthday dear Basil…

Happy birthday to you…

As the song ended, everyone cheered and clapped as Basil blew out the singlar candle in a flash, and he too began to clap as he made back eye contact with Sunny, smiling as he set down the instrument. He had a slight blush dusted across his cheeks, “U-Usually I’d be quite embarrassed with you guys singing to me, but th-that was really pretty…”

“Yes, that was quite pretty…” His mother agreed with a grin. 

Now it was Sunny’s turn to get all embarrassed, “W-Well, it really isn’t a hard song. A child could play it… I’ve played much harder ones than that.” he said, zipping his violin back away in its case and setting it down next to his seat. It hurt slightly watching Hero slice downward on all the hard work he’d done, but once he received a piece of the sweet delicacy, he was no longer complaining. Kel and Aubrey had outdone themselves, somehow making it even fluffier than he could imagine. 

“Well,” Mr. Fey started, thanking Hero once he was handed his own plate. “Do you have any other songs memorized?” He asked. “Violin parts are my favorite of the orchestral instruments, I would sure love to hear some more.”

Sunny thought for a moment, and besides scales, the basic lullabies and folk songs you learn as a starting point, he didn’t have much to show off. The only song he had completely memorized… was the one he was supposed to play with her.

So he shook his head, “I’m afraid not, Sir. I-I wish I’d brought my sheet music if I’d known that was the case…” he responded. 

“Ah that’s fine Sunny, there’s always n-next time.” Basil nudged him with a smirk, obviously wanting to hear more from him. Sunny burned up at the contact, and sunk lower into his chair to avoid any questions about the red appearing across his face.

The air seemed to lighten up a bit, Sunny’s ability to play the violin seemed to really impress and sway Basil’s parents in a better mood. The group actually began to joke around for a moment, listen to stories about their travels and the places they’d been. Though, a slight resentment still wrung around Sunny’s heart–that they were having all these nice trips and fond memories without their own son. But Sunny couldn't complain too much, because if they’d brought Basil along, the two surely wouldn’t have met, and Sunny doesn’t even want to imagine a different universe without him.

He could tell that it too was slightly stinging at Basil, hearing that they shared no worry about his well-being. And it seemed to hit him hard at the mention of their business trip in Japan, a place Basil has dreamed of visiting since they were very young. Ever since Sunny had informed him how beautiful the place is, the scenery, the views, the plants, it had been a place Basil excessively talked about wanting to visit. Sunny himself had only lived there for a year, when he was baby, but he does recall him visiting his grandparents a couple years before being introduced to Basil, and it was quite lovely.

It’d been during cherry blossom season too, something his mother talked about wanting to see again year after year, and after saving up enough money and PTO time, they were able to travel. Just once, but that’s all Sunny really needed to appreciate the beauty of the small country. 

“Hey Sunny, you lived in Japan didn’t you?” Kel asked, already getting a second serving of cake as Sunny only halfway finished his first. “Yeah for like a year when I was a baby. Then we moved around the U.S a lot… Until we finally landed in Faraway.” He said with intentions of shrugging it off.

“Maaan, of all the places, here?” Aubrey said, picking around at her plate. She’s not a big fan of the small chunks of strawberries, so she tries eating them separately from the actual cake.

“I know. Awful, right? All those years of having to deal with looking at you… Just terrible.” Sunny joked, pulling a loud laugh from Kel, a slightly amused smile from Hero, and snort from Basil when Aubrey’s jaw dropped at the comeback. Sunny could tell she wanted to snap back, but settled for a cheeky flipping of the finger when Basil’s parents weren’t looking. 

“Awww, he’s only joking Aubrey. Sunny loves us, he’s just too shy t-to admit that moving here was the best thing to ever h-happen to him.” Basil teased, eyeing towards the boy in question. Sunny must’ve had icing or something on his face, because the next thing he knew Basil was dragging a thumb above his lip, telling him that he was so clumsy sometimes. 

Sunny nervously coughed after that, and tried to calm the beating of his heart, “Best thing? I mean… I guess it’s up there…” 

The five friends shared a laugh at Sunny’s apprehension and coy attitude. Basil in particular seemed to be mildly entertained by this, swinging his fork around between his fingers while looking at Sunny like he wanted to say something, but their peace was quickly interrupted by Basil’s parents when his father cleared his throat to catch his attention, and waited for Basil’s mother to start speaking. She quickly caught on, and straightened herself up as she said, “Basil, we’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” 

Basil looked up at them strikingly, knowing that whatever they were here for was about to come out of their mouths, straight up and honestly in front of everyone. A terrifying thought, really, but if it wasn’t serious enough to go to speak privately about, maybe it wasn’t as bad as they thought. Sunny put his hands together under the table, silently praying that was the case.

Mrs. Fey laid her arms across each other on the table, leaning closer to Basil, “Listen.. Now that you’re eighteen and probably looking into college, we wanted to offer you to maybe… settle down with us. Move out to Toronto and experience new things with us.” she said with a smile. “What about it?”

The whole table went silent, eyes landing on Basil as the words processed in their minds. The audacity they had to do this in front of everyone, and not to mention they got his age wrong? It put Sunny into shock, and he can’t even begin to imagine how Basil feels right now looking at how blank his face is right now. They were definitely intruding on something they didn’t need to listen to.

But of course, someone in particular always had to make their thoughts known. “Are you serious?” Aubrey broke the silence, voice upset and face churning with disgust. Mrs. Fey glanced at her with surprise that she’d spoken so out of turn and disrespectfully, but intended to stand her ground. 

Her voice came out calm and gentle, “I know this is probably… hard for you to hear being Basil’s friend and all, but you must understand that this town doesn’t hold potential for newly grown adults.” she said, turning towards Basil. “I just want what’s best for you, Basil. You’ve grown so fast and I-”

“What’s best? What’s best?!? He’s not even eighteen, he’s seventeen. Are you telling me you don’t even know the age of your own son!?” Aubrey shouted as she shot up from her seat, an open palm gesturing to the boy in front of her and voice picking up with anger and resentment. Sunny knows that it’s hard to find a reason to particularly like Basil’s parents, but she had no right to be angry for Basil, this is his battle to fight, not hers.

Mrs. Fey covered her mouth in slight shock, realizing that this conversation should’ve been pushed off for another year. “We- …We got the years mixed up?” She questioned her husband, who seemed just as muddled. Then, she focused her attention back to Basil, who looked to be completely dissociated from being put on the spot like this. “Basil, I’m sorry. But you have to understand that we just got confused… Our offer still stands the same.” She said, laying a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. 

Basil still didn’t say anything, instead he shrugged his mother off of him and stared her down with a hurt expression–at the misunderstanding or because Aubrey had stepped up to escalate the situation, he doesn't know. And at the same time, Hero was trying to get Aubrey to back off, but she wasn’t having it.

“Oh, so that’s what this whole trip is about, huh? You don’t visit for years and then you come, at the wrong time mind you, just to rip him away from his home?!” She slammed her hands down angrily, and gripped the edge of the table, turning her knuckles white. “To Canada of all places?!?” 

Basil’s father stood up as well, not taking too kindly to this. “This is an offer, not a command , mind you.” He repeated her own words, “And this has nothing to do with you in the first place.” then turned to his wife. “I told you we should’ve talked in private.”

“Private my ass, Basil is our family too-”

“You need to sit you and your vulgar attitude down.” Mr. Fey said with a stern tone of voice. When she continued staring at him with a coarse look, Hero stood up too, grabbing her by the shoulders to bring her back to her senses. “Aubrey, calm your breathing and sit down. You’re letting your anger get the best of you. This is not our business to be-”

“Oh shut it, Hero. You can’t tell me that you’re not upset too.” Her eyes gazed over to the rest of them. “All of you! Aren’t you fucking upset?!?” She shouted, looking around at the others who were awkwardly terrified at the sight in front of them. Sunny couldn’t get a word out, Kel simply stared down to not engage with her, and that seemed to enrage Aubrey even further, making her curse under her breath.

Mrs. Fey stood up, wrapping an arm around her husband’s and shaking her head in disbelief. “Goodness… Why did you have to go around making friends with such foul mouthed people, Basil?” She asked him. He hung his mouth open with the intent of saying something, but snapped it close in fear of upsetting either party that had their eyes glued to him.

“Tch…” Aubrey pushed Hero off of her, and stomped towards the front door, slamming it behind her when nobody backed her up–for good reason though. Once they were sure she wasn’t coming back, Basil's parents excused themselves and escorted their son along with them to Polly’s room so they could speak privately. 

Disbelief at how quickly things could go downhill was the only word that could describe the situation. Polly tried to lighten the mood by saying, “That could've gone worse.” but nobody was having it, especially not Sunny, who was mad that Aubrey once again made a situation that didn’t need to be difficult, difficult.

Hero sighed, running a hand through his hair as he mindlessly stepped around, “I should go talk to her… Let me-”

“No.” Sunny cut him off, standing up with a bit more insistence than he intended. “I want to talk to her, so let me.” Hero looked at him with surprise, “Are you… Are you sure? You know how she is when she’s angry.” he wanted to make sure. Sunny nodded, already at the same door Aubrey had slammed just minutes ago. “Yeah, I’m sure.” 

Finding her wasn’t hard, the ground was still slightly covered with snow and even then the mud made it easy to trace her footsteps to the back of Basil's house. 

She was leaning her back on the wall with her arms crossed, similar to how she did when she’d invited herself to stay at Sunny’s apartment unannounced–another time she’d inconvenienced him. A slight mumble could be heard, but whatever she was saying was immediately put to rest as Sunny approached. 

“What the hell was that?” Sunny asked, standing his ground as he stationed himself in front of her. She looked at him with a scowl, “The hell was what?” she questioned.

“You know fuck all what I’m talking about Aubrey.” 

She grunted bitterly, “I said what I had to.”

“You didn’t have to say anything. You need to go back in there and apologize.” 

A pause from the girl as she readjusted herself, looking back at him with piercing eyes, “And why the hell would I do that?”

Sunny was going to lose his mind. But he was better than that–than her. 

“Aubrey, you don’t apologize for anything that you do, and I know it’s hard because you can’t get help, we all get upset and angry, but the difference is that we don’t let it control our actions. All of that was completely unnecessary.” He calmly explained despite his frustrated attitude. 

“Maybe you should let it control you… I don’t want those deadbeats taking him away.” She huffed, looking away.

Sunny could slowly feel himself get a bit heated and angry that she wouldn’t listen, but it was pretty typical of her to do something like this, if she would just…

“If you really cared about him, you’d be angry too…” Aubrey mumbled childishly.

That was enough to send Sunny to his breaking point. 

“You think I want any of this either!? Damn it Aubrey, I just got him back! I don’t want this any more than you do, but what choice do I have to make?! We’re not his authority figure, not his parents, and sure as hell aren’t Basil! This isn’t up to us…!” Sunny yelled, a little bit surprised at himself for being so loud, and even seemed to take Aubrey off guard from how genuinely frightened she looked by him.

His ears burned from how upset he was, and he sighed as he dragged his hands over his face in stress. “Do you remember when you said that you know you’re a hypocrite?” 

A nod received from said girl in question. 

“Then stop being one. You told Basil to chill out about something he had every right to be anxious about, but Aubrey, you need to chill out.” He groaned out. “You’re always making things more difficult than they need to be. You won’t listen to this; you won’t consider other people’s feelings about that.” Sunny’s motions became more swayed and animated as he riled himself up.

“When will you learn that not everyone in the goddamn universe thrives from being so angry all the time? And not to mention that I haven’t heard a single apology leave your mouth for anything that’s happened in the past…” He rubbed his eyes as he continued to finish the thoughts that had been piling up, “I want to believe that everything's different, but it’s hard when everything keeps going back to square one…”

A few beats of silence passed as Aubrey dwelled on what he’d said. Sunny swore that for a minute that she was going to go off on him, but her posture straightened up, and face softened apologetically as she sighed deeply. “Shit…” She mumbled. “Fuck… Goddammit!” She cursed herself out, kicked a rock that was near them. “Damn it, I hate saying this but… Sunny… You’re- You’re right…” She finally confessed, rugged attitude seemingly disappearing.

She breathed in and out using techniques that Sunny himself used, and nodded towards the shorter boy in front of her. “A-And Sunny, I… I forgive you for what you did.” 

Sunny tilted his head in confusion, and Aubrey readied herself to elaborate, “I forgive you, for what you did to Mari… and I forgive Basil too, though I know I should be telling him that.” she said, whipped her down to the side and downward in slight shame. “And I’m sorry… for…” A sniffle escaped her nose–Sunny watched as she went to wipe it away. “I’m sorry for being such an awful person to you.”

Sunny’s mouth hung open a bit before he spoke, “What brought this up so suddenly? The forgiving thing I mean…” he asked.

Aubrey used a knuckle to hide a tear that had rolled down her cheek, “When I pushed Basil into the lake, I felt so guilty. I thought he was going to die, and I stood there doing nothing just because I was so shocked at what I had done.” she began. “And everyone… Everyone’s acting like it’s fine or it didn’t happen, and this is not fine… because it’s the exact same reason I couldn’t bring myself to forgive you, or forgive myself.” She said, covering her mouth and stifling a choked sob.

“I can’t believe it took you yelling at me to make me realize this. Fuck this is embarrassing…” She complained, saying the last part under her breath. “I try to act tough, so I let my anger get the best of me, but the truth is Sunny… I’m soft. I cry almost every single night because I’m scared of the person that I’ve become, and I don’t know how to deal with this anymore…” 

“Aubrey… I had no idea that’s how you felt.”

“It’s not your fault, I never said how I felt about anything.” She said with a sad smile. “I thought… standing my ground would make me look stronger–come off as assertive, but I’ve just been a big asshole this whole time, haven’t I?” 

Sunny rubbed the nape of his neck, “Asshole might be a bit of an understatement…” he mumbled, making Aubrey laugh faintly. “But, Aubrey… If you just need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me. It’ll be like when we were kids; you’ll talk, I’ll listen… but this time, I’ll tell you what you need to hear. Straight up and honestly. Even if it’s not very nice…” 

Aubrey chuckled, raising a finger to cover her smile, “You’d do that for me? Even though I’ve still been consistently awful to you guys?” she questioned unbelieving. 

Sunny reached out a hand like they were making a deal, “Just because you do bad things doesn’t make you a bad person.” he said. “And plus, what other choice do you have?” 

The girl in front of him snorted at the cheesy line, and took Sunny’s hand into her own. Instead of a simple handshake though, she ended up pulling him in for a hug, one of the first she’s ever willingly given him since the incident. It was nice, but Sunny felt like he was going to pop from how strong her grip was.

“Au…brey… I’m going to suffocate…” He managed to choke out, and gasped for air when she finally let go. She let out a regretful chuckle, “My bad, I forgot how fragile you are.”

“I’m not fragile, you just have the strength of a goddamn gorilla…” 

Aubrey’s mouth dropped open as she thought of a response, “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Do you?” Sunny immediately snapped back, turning off to walk back to their situation. 

Aubrey smiled, side-eyeing him proudly, “Touché.” she said, yanking him back by his collar to prevent him from walking off, he let out a choke. “And hey, Sunny?”

“Yeah?” He turned around, receiving a light punch in the arm from the girl. 

“I’ll stop teasing you about your very obvious… homoromantic crush on Basil.” She said, flicking his fringe upwards. Sunny’s cheeks flushed a dark red, and stuttered embarrassingly in a hushed whisper, “I-I don’t h-have a crush on Basil…!”

Aubrey snorted, “Right! And I don’t have pink hair…” 

“Aubrey, s-seriously! If you keep joking around like that, Basil’s going to catch on and-” He cut himself off, realizing he was about to confirm her suspicions. When he didn’t continue, she leaned in with a smug grin, elbowing him. “And?”

Sunny shoved her away, “Nothing! Sh-Shut up…” his whines were drowned out by Aubrey loud, obnoxious laughter. And even though it was mortifying, he was glad to have the old, slightly annoying but charming Aubrey back. 

Footsteps approached from behind the corner of the house, Hero appeared, “Hey uh… you two aren’t tearing at each other's throats, are you?” he asked, sighing with relief when he saw the two chuckling.

Aubrey whipped around with a worried face, “Hero! Did I- Did I fuck it up?” she asked.

“F- Mess what up exactly?” Hero abstained himself, preferring not to swear to keep his modesty at bay. Aubrey impatiently crossed her arms, “You know what I mean, dumbass!” she snapped, flinching at her own words. “Shit! Sorry… I didn’t mean that.” She apologized.

Hero let out a small laugh, “I know you didn’t Aubrey, It’s fine.”

“It’s not-” Aubrey huffed to the side, “It’s not fine.” she grunted.

Hero looked back to Sunny, “Woah, did you actually manage to talk some sense into her?” he asked, knowing that just a few minutes ago she wouldn’t have apologized for the crude name.

“Jesus Hero, I’m right here! You could’ve just asked me that.” Aubrey said, expression turning shy. “But… yes… and it only took Sunny yelling at me once to realize how much I’m dragging us all down.” 

“You aren’t dragging us down.”

“Hero, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I don’t like liars.” The taller man frowned in response. “So just tell me–did I fuck it up?” Aubrey asked again.

Hero thought for a moment before cutting to the chase, “Polly took Basil’s parents to a nearby hotel they could stay at, since they don’t really have their own vehicle and all.” he explained. “They talked to Basil–no idea what they said, but he seems better now.” 

Aubrey nodded with a muddled frown, advising him to continue. “To be honest Aubrey, you messed up bad, but Basil’s the forgiving type. I’m sure we can work things out since it’s just the five of us now.” He said.

A moment of consideration and a few footsteps past the man in front of her followed before, “There’s no we in this Hero, I’ve got to own up to this and work it out by myself.” she said, looking back to Sunny. “Can you uh- walk with me. I don’t want to enter alone…”

Sunny nodded, quickly catching up with her. 

Upon re-entering the air became thick like sludge from a muddy pond, and the silence was insufferable the very second she’d swung it open. Kel looked like he’d been consoling Basil before, but the quick motion of his neck snapping upwards and his frantic pace as he stood back up, almost slipping when his socks caught on the floor made Kel back off. 

The smaller boy pulled both Sunny and Aubrey into a tight hug, mumbling apologies and pressing his face between the two of their shoulders. Eventually he let go, speaking another apology for that as well, “I-I’m so s-sorry! I didn’t know they were going to be so open like that. A-And they insulted you to your face Aubrey…”

“I kind of… deserved it, Basil. I’m not sayin’ they weren’t wrong for what they did and said, but I exploded, like I always do, and made everything worse.” Aubrey said, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets as the trajectory of her intentions slowly drifted out of her mouth. 

“Aubrey I-” 

“Damn it Basil, please let me do this for you…” Aubrey interrupted him with another hug, this time just the two of them. Hero followed entering shortly after, making a face that definitely suggested he’d chosen the wrong time to waltz in. Sunny made a “c’mere” motion with his hand, and awkwardly scooted the two over to their couch, next to Kel. 

“What’s happening?” Kel asked. Sunny glanced back, seeing how they were still embraced with their faces planted on each other's shoulder, and hearing the faint whisper of their conversation. 

“They made you upset.” Basil said.

“I always get upset, even over the stupidest things.”

“You had a r-right to be upset with them this time…”

“I didn’t have the right to step in.” Aubrey said, pulling Basil back from the shoulders. “Basil, I’m sorry… I’m not good at apologies, but I think I’d like to be.” She said. 

A small, enthused laugh escaped the other. “This is a start then…”

“I think you should also stop being so forgiving, so don’t forgive me for any of the things we’re about to talk about. Dwell on it.” Aubrey posited. “I’d like to do something else first.”

Basil inquisitively tilted his head, blue eyes softening like an ocean after a long stormy day. “Y-Yeah? What is it?”

Aubrey squeezed his shoulders harder, unwilling to let go of him. “Forgiving you…” She said with a wavered voice. Sunny heard a choked noise from Basil, most likely out of surprise and confusion.

“I forgive you and Sunny for what you did to her. After shoving you into that lake, how could I not? If Hero hadn't been there, both of you could’ve died–and all I did was stand there like a coward…” She said with a sob, a few tears running down her cheeks. “A-And I would be a hypocrite if I said that wasn’t exactly what happened with Mari…”

Basil lifted a thumb to wipe a few off of her reddening cheeks, “Aubrey… Shhh, it’s okay.”

“Hey, what did I just say about saying that?” She scolded, making the two laugh with no apparent reason. But there was a reason, they finally understood each other. After years of hate, resentment, anger, it was all over. The two–no, all three of them finally understand each other and can bond over the shared feelings of fear and panic they felt. They’re no longer separated from that wall of discombobulated understandings.

Sunny turned back to Kel, a happier expression in his face seeing Aubrey take what he said seriously and to the heart. The thought of her changing her attitude and coming to the realization never crossed his mind, but he’s glad now that he kind of lost his shit back there. Who knows what would’ve happened had he not.

“She’s growing up.”

…

There was a lot of crying, and Sunny means a lot.

He knew Basil was a cryer, and Aubrey when she was tinier and younger, but what he thought about her in current times completely changed after being able to hear her sobbing from just the other room.

Not that Sunny was an eavesdropper, but when they both decided to talk together in Basil’s room he was a bit curious. Him and Kel moved further down the couch to be able to hear the faint conversation and make whatever they could out of it, shushing Hero when he ever so moved his foot against the hardwood floor.

“You know sticking your nose in their business probably isn’t what they want right now.” He said after Kel had shushed him for about the third time.

Sunny had been hanging off the end of the couch with Kel hovering ever so slightly over him, afraid that if he stood up that they would hear his squeaky shoes make their classic annoying noises that could be heard down from across the other side of the school when they were younger.. He plopped down in his seat to look at Hero annoyed in response. “Hey, it’s not like we’re right up against their door! And plus, the walls here are so thin that you can probably hear them from where you are too.” Kel responded in the quietest whisper he could manage, which wasn’t quiet enough. 

Hero didn’t say anything, letting them continue their non-malicious “listening in” as Kel preferred to call it. In time Basil’s door opened, making a noise similar to a groaning man and alerting the two prying boys to return to their respective positions they were in before. The two sibling-like figures were an obvious mess, but seemed better and a lot happier after they’d had a good talk and cry… Cries. Plural.

Aubrey even ended up, considerably, apologizing to Kel for snapping at him so easily just because she thought he was brash and futile at times, coming to the realization that he’s just trying to de-escalate what had become an unnecessary problem. Kel understood too now though that he couldn’t just say whatever was on his mind at the moment without thinking–something that had gotten not only him but all the others into trouble at some point or another.

Sunny’s glad they could reach a mutual understanding of each other's actions, though he knows that there is still tension between them that needs to die down and resolve on its own. It seemed like everyone was doing their own apologizing today, all but Hero, but he didn’t really do anything per se. Except for when…

What Kel confessed to Sunny when they’d visited Mari’s grave a couple days before moving out for the city. Though, to Sunny’s knowledge, that wound has already been patched and they’d forgiven each other. He’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t still worried about Kel, he seemed really hurt by the retelling of that memory, and for a split second Sunny swore he saw a flicker of depression seep into his dark brown eyes. 

But he knows he can’t let his suspicions get the best of him, everything is slowly resolving itself, and it’s also Basil’s birthday for God’s sake! 

Sunny stood from his spot, slowly moving himself beside Basil as Aubrey and Kel went back and forth about who was in more of the wrong all those times they’d had a dispute. It was typical of them to argue over something so trivial. 

“Hi.” Sunny said simply, looking in Basil’s direction. His face was tear-stained and dry from dehydration. Basil looked at him with a  smile in response, licking his chapped lips in hopes of them staying wet. “Hi…” He said back.

It reminded Sunny of the first time the two had met. Mari, Hero, Kel and him had been together in the old hideout spot at the park, prepping for a picnic, and Aubrey had come running through the foliage with the blond being dragged by the hand behind her. Sunny didn’t know it at the time, but the flush in his cheeks every time the new boy in their group would smile and giggle at Hero and Mari’s awful puns was definitely because he thought he was cute.

Sunny hadn’t said a word the whole picnic, as he usually did, but Basil had sat down next to him, waving shyly at him with a small smile. Sunny had waved back, and the rest of the time was spent with occasional glances at each other. It hadn’t been until they were packing up–Basil dropped something and had gone to pick it up, but Sunny was already a step ahead of him, picking it up for him and handing it to him. 

His ears turned a scarlet red when the boy's fingers brushed over his own, and in that moment Sunny was finally able to form his thoughts into words. “Hi…” He whispered quietly. 

Well, not exactly what he was going for, but it worked.

Basil’s pretty doe eyes had widened in surprise hearing the voice of the younger boy for the first time, and he had carefully put what was given to him back into his pocket. “Hi.” He responded.

And that was the beginning of a very long and rocky friendship, but Sunny wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Present day Sunny realized his thoughts had drifted off, and he hadn’t said anything for quite some time. “You, feeling better…?” He decided to ask.

Basil nodded, “Very much so.” he said.

“You look dehydrated.” Sunny pointed out matter-of-factly. Basil looked away coyly, shoving a piece of hair behind his ear and revealing his pearl earrings that had originally been stowed away by his thick hair. “I’m a l-little dehydrated, yes…” 

Sunny knows all too well what he wants to say to flirt with the boy in front of him, that maybe they could connect their lips together in hopes of resolving his problem, but he is definitely not being that forward. In fact, Sunny thinks he’d about die if he said that to Basil, or if he could just take a peek at his thoughts .  

So instead, like a normal person, he just grabbed him a water bottle from the fridge and tossed it his way, scrunching his face amusingly when Basil downed it within the blink of an eye. He’s always had a quick way of drinking his water, almost like he spent the last couple days stranded in the desert. 

Aubrey cut in with her two cents, “Hey Basil! Why don’t you open the gifts we got you?” she said, snatching the empty bottle out of his hands so she could shoot it into the bin across the room. She silently celebrated and pointed an accusing finger at Kel, saying that she could make the shot unlike his yammering about how she couldn’t.

“Y-You all got me… gifts?” Basil questioned as Kel went up and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Uh, duh! It’s your birthday, and you’re our friend!” He said. “Now come on, you’re gonna love them.”

The group collectively got their set of gifts and gathered at his couch. Kel insisted on going first, giving him an unwrapped gift that only had a ribbon tied around it. He apologized for being a bad wrapper, but Basil didn't mind, he was too excited about the new threads and needles Kel had gifted him for his cross-stitching, a hobby he’d apparently recently picked up.

Hero went next, gift carefully and neatly wrapped up unlike Kel’s. As Basil tore away at the paper and began flipping through the thick binder that had been given to him, Hero explained how he and Mari started making their own custom cookbook years back, and that he’s still been adding on ever since. 

Basil’s eyes welled up with tears when he came up on a slightly yellow page labeled, “Mari’s Chocolate Chip Cookies” and shook his head in disbelief. “H-Hero, I can’t t-take this. Th-This belongs to you.” Basil insisted.

Hero had only waved him off, telling him that he wants him to have it, and that he knows almost all of the recipes by memory anyway. Basil thanked him relentlessly, and promised that he would put it to good use whenever he could.

Sunny decided in his mind already that saving Aubrey's gift for last was for the best, so he unveiled what he was holding behind his back, a square gift wrapped in brown paper that had a ribbon hanging off of it.

He shoved the gift into Basil’s hands, “It’s… It’s fragile, so be careful with it.” he warned. Basil took that into great consideration as he tore the paper off, revealing a small glass painting Sunny had done for him. He observed both the front and the back with fascination, baffled about how Sunny had done it.

“It’s a glass painting of a bunch of your favorite flowers.” Tulips, buttercups, hyacinths, peonies… “I-I thought it might look nice on your dresser or framed on your wall. I hope you like it…” Sunny said, looking away shyly to not gauge his reaction.

Though his plan hadn’t worked, Basil had jumped up from his spot to hug him, rather intimately if you ask him, and said, “I love it! H-How did you even do this?” when he pulled away, inspecting it thoroughly once more. If the burning on his cheeks wasn’t embarrassing enough, the way Aubrey looked at him with a straight face, making a zipping motion with her mouth and throwing away the key made him feel worse that someone had figured out Sunny was very into the birthday boy.

Sunny took the painting from him, tracing his finger along the glass, “I-I had to paint it backwards. See, usually you start with the background details and move your way forwards, but with glass paintings, it’s the opposite.” he explained, watching Basil’s face light up with inspiration. 

“Ooo, Sunny, that’s s-so cool! Promise you’ll show me how to do it one day?” Basil shook his hands with excitement, asking the favor with big stars in his eyes and a slight pout on his lip. Sunny knew that pout–it’s how Basil gets someone to do something for him, which is unfair if you ask him. How’re you supposed to say no to that adorable little face?

Sunny chuckled, nodding in agreement. “S-Sure, but put that pout away. You know I would’ve said yes without you persuading me anyway…” Basil looked at him like he was being convicted, and puffed his cheeks that he’d been slightly figured out. Sunny knows he means well, he just wants to see his process, but when he tries his little malicious tricks on him it just makes him want to…

Sunny’s not even going to finish that thought, and luckily he doesn’t have to when Aubrey sets her gift a bit too loudly on the kitchen table and loudly clears her throat. 

“Ahem… Basil? You’ve still got one more thing to open.” She said, a hand leaning against the table and the other on her hip. Everyone collectively gathered back at the kitchen table for the umpteenth time today, piqued for his reaction. Basil was obviously very demure about all eyes being on him, and slowly tore the tissue wrap out of the bag. Once his eyes landed on what was stored away, he was immersed with what it was, and quickly tugged it out at the bag.

“Is this…?”

“A new photo album.” Aubrey finished for him, grinning as Basil ran his hand over the soft, custom-made outside of the book. “Hooligans and I made it ‘specially for you. All that handiwork is Charlie’s. She’s uh, super good at this kind of stuff…”

Looking at it again, it was very obvious that it had been sewed together by a pair of diligent and cautious hands. Since the front was cushioned the text could be easily, and impressively, sewn in cursive; even Sunny wouldn’t have the patience for that, and a few sunflowers were adorned onto it too. Simple, but a cute design among the clean threads and cuts.

The group awaited words from Basil, who was gushing over the thing in his hands and touching it like he didn’t believe it was real. Kel eventually got too hyped and impatient, and told him to flip open the inside.

So Basil followed up, opening the spine for the very first time and laying his soft adoring eyes on the page in front of him. Kel excitedly pointed to his little message he wrote. “We all wrote you messages, look! There’s mine!” He exclaimed. Basil’s eyes shifted around the page, reading each message carefully. He giggled as he read Mikhael’s messages shaking his head as he mumbled, “Skateboard student…” under his breath. 

When he got to Sunny’s, he could tell, because Basil’s face softened and pretty blue eyes looked up to him. He smiled toothily towards his way, one that radiated a strong thankfulness for the thoughtfully written words being conveyed on the paper, and closed the book shut when he finished reading. 

Basil swayed as he hugged the gift to his chest, happy to have each and every one of them as a friend and by his side. “Th-This is such a kind gift…!” He said, glancing at all of his friends with a huge smile plastered across his face. His affectionate gaze landed on Sunny as he said, “Thank you… I-I’m so grateful for all of your kind messages…” a light undertone of coquettishness tracing his voice.

Sunny knows he meant it to everybody, but the way Basil said it, eyes only on him, made him feel special–blushy in the face when they didn’t break eye contact.

It was only until Kel suggested they watch a  movie that the slightly romantic tension was broken between the two, and the whole group settled down on the couch, arguing on what kind of movie to watch. When they settled on horror, Sunny assured Basil that he could bury his face away in his shoulder when he was scared as a slight joke, and laughed when Basil said he wasn’t a little kid anymore.

And while he might not be, Basil sure did seem like one when he actually did shove his face against Sunny, though on his chest, and whimpered when a slightly frightening part came up. 

Not that Sunny minds, he just hopes he can’t feel how rapidly faster the gesture was making his heartbeat go.

…

Sunny entered the now familiar bedroom he’d grown accustomed to calling Basil’s, now comfortable with a quick change of clothes as it grew darker. The two didn’t exactly eat dinner, which his mom would scold him relentlessly for, but they’d eaten plenty of the cake and ice cream together after the rest of their friends left. Not exactly the healthiest thing, and he knows Basil especially gets sluggish after a lot of sweets, but it was definitely worth it he thinks.

He was glad Basil offered for him to stay over, because even if he wanted to go home it was quite late, and he was very tired. Which meant they’d be sleeping together again, but Sunny’s trying to not make it weird…

He crossed his arms as he made brief eye contact with Basil, and slowly took his spot next to him on the bed. Basil groaned aloud as he lost the tetris game he was playing on his phone, and snapped it shut.

Sunny laughed at his frustration, “Long day, hm?” he voiced. Basil nodded, rubbing a crook in his neck, “Very,” he replied simply.

Sunny nudged him in the shoulder, “You’d feel better if we went to sleep.”

“Argh… I’m not tired.” Basil insisted, like he had been for the past hour. Eventually, they’d both suffer from a sugar crash, but Basil was not giving in, and so far all he wants to do is either pace around the room or distract his hands with something.

“Still?” Sunny asked in surprise, sweeping his fringe back with a flick of the head. “I told you we should’ve just ordered a pizza…”

Basil kicked his feet and stuck out his tongue in disgust at the mention of pizza, “Eugh, as much as I enjoy hanging out with Kel we always go to Gino’s. I don’t wanna see pizza f-for like… a year.” 

“Yeah, that sounds like Kel.” Sunny mused with a chuckle, calming himself when Basil’s face seemed to drop for seemingly no reason. Sunny stared in his direction before grabbing his attention, “Hey, are you okay…?”

Basil jumped, slightly frightened out of his thoughts, “O-Oh! Yeah, I’m fine…”

“You are a super bad liar.” Sunny told him. Basil smiled weakly, backing down from the lie, “Alright, you caught me. I-I was thinking about my parents, and their offer…” he confessed.

“What about it?” 

Basil hummed in thought for a moment, “Just the… pros and cons of moving.” he answered. 

Sunny shifted his body, gifting his attention towards the boy beside him. He then criss-crossed his legs and used both his arms and hands to stabilize his head in place. “Well… Tell me them?” he asked.

Basil pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth tugging with equivocation. “Pros,” He stated ambiguously. “I get a change of pace, start a new life somewhere different… I get to meet new people, make new friends, and I have a v-variety of school options.” He said as he cranked his neck forward and folded his hands in his lap. 

He met Sunny’s eyes as he said, “Cons,” brows lowering sadly and tone shifting with melancholy. “I lose everything I have here. Everything I ever know and love, I’ll no longer have… I’ll lose Polly, my friends, and most of my plants...” He grimaced grievously at the last part. “But worst of all… I’ll lose you.”

Sunny’s heart panged hearing him speak like this, “You won’t lose me, Basil. Or any of us for that matter if you chose to move…” he assured him, locking his hand on Basil’s face and squishing his cheeks between his fingers. “Dumb dumb, we can still call and text.”

“Itsh not the shhame.” Basil replied a little unclearly due to Sunny squeezing him, preventing him from speaking properly. Basil blew a raspberry, causing Sunny to fake gag at the amount of spit he got on him and wiped his hand on the bed. Basil sighed, mirroring his position by resting his head on his hand and continued to stay quiet.

“Well… what’re you thinking right now? About moving?” Sunny finally asked.

Basil breathed deeply out his nose, “Sunny… I don’t want to move to Canada, but I-I’m not going to tell them outright no when they gave me till the end of school to decide.” he said.  

The two stayed silent, a comfortable one despite the uncomfortable conversation they were having. Sunny would hate for Basil to move away, but it’s his choice and he’s determined not to influence that. He began thinking about what had happened earlier in the day, with Basil’s parents and how they were so braggy about the multiple lives they lived, while meanwhile his son was living one of the most repetitive and suffering ones. Basil’s eyes had become dull in that moment, and Sunny just sat there without a word.

He wants to atone for that.

“Hey.” Sunny caught the boys undivided attention. “When we’re older I’ll take you to Japan... Promise, just the two of us. We can uh… stay with my grandparents if they’re not dead already. I’m not really sure to be honest…” He promised, scratching his head with slight regret at the sudden conversation shift. He’s not really sure if this would make him feel any better.

Basil knit his eyes together in amusement, chuckling at the morbid comment, “Sunny, that’s awful.” he said.

Sunny grinned at the sight of his genuine smile, “Well, their fault for not visiting. And ours too I guess…”

Basil scooted himself over nearer to Sunny, pressing his side into his own. “That sounds nice though… I’d really like that.” He said, tracing circles into the fabric of his bed. “So just the two of us? No Kel o-or Aubrey?”

“Why? Do you want them to come?”

“Hah, as much as I love them, Aubrey gets snappy when she’s in a confined area for too long, a-and Kel is restless and loud. Th-They’d probably kill each other on the plane before we even reached our destination.”

Sunny’s mind was content imagining these simple and slice-of-life situations with Basil, happy that the conversation shifted to something more heartfelt and fun. It also seemed like Basil was finally being put at ease, which meant the little ruffian could get some sleep like he needed. 

But before Sunny could even suggest laying down, Basil tugged on his sleeve for attention, slumping over onto him. “What you wrote–in my new photo album, it means a lot to me…” He said, snuggling his head against Sunny’s shoulder.

God this boy is going to kill him if he keeps acting like this.

“I meant every word of it.” 

“I know.” Basil said, turning his head slightly and tracing his finger along Sunny’s chest. “You’ve always had a big heart… You’re s-sweet Sunny, even when you try and act all tough in front of me.” He said, eyes lidding with exhaustion.

Sunny must be dreaming. He gave his own arm a pinch, flinching in slight pain but not enough to where Basil would concern himself with. And when he confirmed that this in fact wasn’t a dream, it made everything so much more unbelievable. He knows Basil gets extra affectionate when he’s tired, something to do with needing someone near him to relax, but usually it just ensued with him falling asleep against the shoulder, and as he drifted into slumber he would mumble his words to where it was almost inaudible.

But this? This isn’t inaudible, and as much as Sunny tries to convince himself Basil’s just being touchy because he needs sleep and warmth, the more it’s becoming unlikely to reason against.

“Sunny,” Basil said through a yawn, using the hand he’d lifted to his mouth to card his fingers through Sunny’s fringe repeatedly. “-you should cut your bangs, I can barely see your eyes through them.” 

Sunny’s entire face burned a scarlet red, “D-Don’t you mean eye? I don’t exactly have anything to look at in the old righty.” he joked, swallowing nervously when Basil leaned in closer to inspect his face. 

“Right…” He said, inspecting the scar more carefully than he did in the past couple of times by shifting onto his knees. He frowned as he always did, and then wrapped his arms around Sunny’s neck, pulling him in for a strangely positioned hug. But Sunny didn’t protest, doing the same around his torso and patting his back.

“You’re very huggy today.” He commented, grinning at how Basil’s hair tickled against his cheek. 

“I need it after t-today. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all. You’re warm…” Sunny said, melting into his gentle grasp. Basil’s chest rose giddily as he heaved his whole body weight into Sunny, knocking him down on his back. 

Basil’s bed engulfed his sides comfortably, and the boy above him pulled apart from the hug, hovering over him with his hands planted on either side of him. A smile enveloped his face and hair swayed with the movement of his head as his gentle eyes laid upon Sunny’s. Adoration was the only word that could describe how Sunny was feeling; it felt like he was in heaven and Basil was just an angel waking him up from purgatory, but this was real life he was talking about.

Something similar to arousement shifted inside of Sunny’s gut when Basil smiled, laughing breathlessly against his face, as they were so close in proximity. He really wishes his body would stop betraying him, but Basil also needs to stop being so damn pretty all the time. Which was impossible because he’s just naturally very attractive…

“Do you remember w-when we would kiss each other’s wounds better as kids? Every time either one of us got the tiniest scratch or the scrape of the knee, we’d always be by each other’s side to make it stop hurting…” He reminisced, energy slowly drifting from his eyes.

In fact, Sunny does remember that. Since a child Mari had always kissed his wounds “better” to get Sunny to stop crying, and it seemed like Basil picked up on that pretty quickly after being introduced to the group. As the two grew closer, and began spending time alone together, Basil had felt the need to mimic Mari’s action when Sunny cut his finger gardening with him one day, since the sight of blood put him at risk of a panic attack. 

“S-Sorry, I see Mari do that sometimes, so I thought it might help c-calm you down…” Basil had explained his reasoning, but Sunny felt like there was no need. He really appreciated that small act of kindness towards him.

Ever since that day the two have always given each other pecks on their cuts and bruises, and it was never weird because they were both just small children showing the other that they cared about them.

This was different now though, they’re not little kids anymore. They’re developing adults. Sunny doesn’t know if he can ignore the butterflies in his stomach for any longer. The voices screaming in the back of head wouldn’t pipe down every time they grew near each other, and the mention of that memory was making Sunny flushed in the cheeks.

“I do remember…” Sunny replied. “We were so stupid, thinking that it worked…” 

Basil let out a snort and shook his head with hilarity, “Y-Yeah, it was more of a comfort thing than anything. B-But it was nice knowing that… someone cared for me.” he said, pulling Sunny’s bangs back to get a better look at his face. Sunny made a mental note to trim them as soon as he got home.

Basil cupped the right side of his face with his calloused, but also somewhat soft, hands and traced his thumb in circles below the bottom of the scar he’d left on Sunny. A convoluted look came across his face as it always did, and lidded his eyes as he spoke, “It should've been me…”  he whispered. 

“What…?”

“I should’ve been the one to get hurt, not you. Y-You didn’t deserve this…” Basil specified, eyes gleaming sadly. Sunny could only shake his head as he started back into his guilt-stricken face. “Basil… Neither of us deserved this, it just happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now.” Sunny told him, expecting him to pull away from the current situation, but surprisingly didn’t.

Basil stayed silent as he dwelled on it, looking as if he was thinking long and hard about something. And eventually, that look turned into a face that resembled someone who had thought of an idea or invention they wanted to share with the whole world until they had no one else to tell it to.

But instead of words, there were only lips, pressed tenderly against Sunny’s scar, the soft, pink ones that Basil hadn’t used to touch him since long before. A rush of euphoria sent shivers down Sunny’s spine, feeling those pretty lips that he so desperately wanted against his own against his skin again, and didn’t move an inch as Basil pulled away, a satisfied smile on his face.

He breathed jaggedly out of his nose as he said, “There… just like when we were kids…”

His heart was racing, but as they were sharing a mixture of confused and warmhearted glares the distant sound of a door opening and closing distracted the two from what just happened, which Sunny may or may not have been silently grateful for. Basil had backed off from his space on the bed upon hearing it, “Polly’s home, I’ll be back in a moment. J-Just want to talk to her.” he said, brushing himself off.

Sunny nodded in understanding, and as soon as Basil shut his bedroom door he too sat up from where he had been laying and buried his burning face in his hands, squealing silently about what had just happened between them.

All kinds of thoughts were racing throughout his mind, and all he was set on is that this didn’t have to affect anything they had as friends. They’re friends, and always will be, and Sunny’s sure that Basil didn’t mean anything by the action with such a childish reason behind it. That it had only been a sweet recalling of something they used to do in their childhood years

He’s trying his best to ignore it, he really is, so he can focus on rekindling his and Basil’s friendship, but it was becoming really hard to focus when Basil would find every way in the book to encapsulate Sunny with his words, touch and looks…

Just don’t do anything you’ll regret, he kept reminding himself.

Sunny stood from his place, walking to where Basil had stored the glass painting for the time being, and picked it up. He inspected it over once more–he’s pretty proud of his work. It took a lot of agonizing hours, blood, sweat and tears, but he got it done. And Basil loved it. 

But Basil had yet to notice the two small gardenia’s Sunny had painted in the left corner, in courtesy of its symbolism. In courtesy of his feelings…

Sunny wonders if he’ll ever end up noticing.

Chapter Text

Summer is approaching way faster than Basil would like, and while yes, the break did sound nice about now, he only had two more weeks to decide whether or not he’s going to move somewhere completely different and start new. 

Basil’s parents were actually starting to become more present in his life with the almost daily phone calls, but if he was being completely honest it was starting to get annoying. He knows he shouldn’t be complaining about it, but it just feels like a cheap tactic to make up for lost time, and the constant nagging of wondering if Basil had made up his mind yet didn’t make it any better. If he was being frank, it was provoking him just to take that much longer to answer them.

“Is Aubrey paying you to do this?”

A voice had snapped Basil out of his current trance and train of thought. In recent times, Basil’s been cross-stitching more often than he thought he would, and he found that he actually liked it quite a bit. It was frustrating at some points, but when he needed to forget about everything else in the world stressing him out it was relaxing, and calmed his nerves when he needed it the most.

He looked up from what he's been working on, a portrait of Bun-Bun that Aubrey had no idea he was making. He hadn’t asked if she’d wanted it, but he felt like he needed to repay her for the surprise photo album she and the other Hooligans put together for him.

The boy who had asked was seated directly next to him on Basil’s bed, looking curiously down at Basil’s working fingers and up at his face when he got particularly stumped. Sunny came to visit, as he usually did, with the intention of staying the night–the third time it will be happening at Basil’s house. And while Basil was excited about the company, it just seemed like something weird happened every time they stayed at his place.

The first time, it had been a kiss on the cheek under mistletoe, and the second time, it had been Basil’s own stupid decision to kiss Sunny’s scar to show that he was sorry in his own strange, Basil way. The decision had been on a whim, and being under the influence of a sugar crash and having the biggest crush on the dark, brooding boy didn’t help in any way either.

Neither of the two incidents had been brought up since they’d happened, which was totally fine by Basil. He knows that there’s a logical, yet fickle, explanation for Sunny kissing him on the cheek because of a silly Christmas tradition, and he can only hope that Sunny knows that kiss on the scar was meant to be an apology. Completely normal and platonic things that a couple of boy best friends definitely do on the basis. 

So yes, Basil was nervous, but he doesn’t want Sunny to know that, and is doing his best hiding it.

Basil shook his head in response to his question, “No, Aubrey d-doesn’t even know I’m doing this for her.” he said, looking back down to get back to work. He got a couple stitches in before adding on, “Just felt like being nice…”

Sunny slumped over on his hand to observe closer, replying, “When are you not nice…?” and causing Basil to stab himself with the needle. It’s not that he meant to twitch at the compliment, but recently any praise or acts of kindness from Sunny was making him all warm, inside and out.

“Ahhh- shit!” Basil exclaimed, grabbing at his finger in pain. He covered his mouth with his other hand when he realized he’d accidentally cursed, “Sorry! Aubrey’s really been rubbing off on me.” he apologized. 

Sunny only giggled in amusement, opening Basil’s bedside drawer and grabbing the bandage wraps he kept in there. Delicately, he wrapped Basil’s bleeding finger and ripped the bandage with his teeth when he’d gotten enough off the roll, something that quite embarrassingly made Basil rub his knees together in a worked up fashion.

His whole body heated up from the smallest little touches. To when Sunny took Basil’s hand in his own—to when he set it down back in his lap, saying, “All better.” in a sweet, innocent tone. Basil likes these moments they share together, and it was uncommon for Sunny to ever show any sort of friendly affection, but Basil was just a little confused on one part.

“How did you know I keep bandages in there?” Basil inquired after inspecting Sunny’s handiwork, which was actually quite well done for being someone who so frequently had someone else patch himself up as a kid.

Sunny’s eye widened a bit at the question like he hadn’t been expecting it, “I rummaged through your drawer earlier when you weren’t in here.” he confessed, hiding a slightly embarrassed blush behind his arm.

Ah, that’s why. Basil had caught him snooping again. 

“Sunny! First it’s my bag, now my drawer? Why have you been so nosy recently?” Basil asked, setting aside his hoop and needle for the time being. He really didn’t mean for that to come off in a scolding way, but Sunny did invade his privacy by doing that. Though, he was touched that he’d remembered such a small and trivial item that had been inside his drawer.

Sunny folded his hands together and set them in his lap, tapping his thumbs together as the color red appeared visible on his ears. “Sorry, I dunno what’s gotten into me recently. It’s just…” He sighed, turning his whole body towards him, “Basil, I’m gonna miss you if you leave.” he finally admitted. 

“I mean in the end it’s your decision to make, if you want to go and live with your parents I understand, b-but I’ll miss seeing you. And I certainly don’t want this influencing your decision…” He elaborated. “I haven’t said anything because I was scared you would base your decision on what I thought, but it’s really been bugging me–not saying anything about it…”

Basil felt his heart warm at the sentiment, trying to think of a response to assure him that his feelings are valid. “S-Sunny, it’s okay that you feel that way. I’ll really miss you If I decide to leave, b-but please remember that I still haven’t made up my mind, and that your opinion won’t change that.” He said, referring back to the mental pros and cons he’d made in his head.

Overall, his parents were–nice? Yes, being absent for most of his life certainly tainted his impression of them, but they didn’t seem like bad people to him. The real question was, would he really be willingly to give up everything he has here to start a new life with them? Basil hates the cold, and the snow after the temporary joy of experiencing it for a couple weeks wears off, and Canada can snow up for six months at a time. That’s six months that Basil couldn’t enjoy outside, gardening or simply just taking a walk without his eyes feeling like they’re about to burn off.

Sunny interrupted his pondering by lowering his head onto Basil’s shoulder, “I’m glad…” he whispered, smiling with contentment. “Please make the decision that will make you happy, Bas…” 

“B-Bas?” Basil stuttered at the sudden new nickname given to him, wondering what had prompted him to think of one.

“Yeah,” Sunny confirmed, and lifted his head for a moment, “is it okay if I call you that?” he asked. 

Basil nodded, “Y-Yes, I like it! It’s… nice.” he said. In fact, it was way more than nice. A nickname from Sunny was like a gift from God himself–it made him feel special like he never has before. How funny that something as simple as a nickname can get him so elated like this…

Sunny lowered his head back down, smiling, and the two went silent. This prompted Basil to want to continue on with his cross-stitching, but the warmth of the other boy laying on him proved to be quite the distraction. It had been going well, but now he kept fumbling around with the needle, stabbing it in all the wrong places. And it wasn’t like Sunny noticed, his head was completely face down. 

For the time being, he decided to leave it be and set it on his bedside table, saving the work for later. Basil sighed as the warmth of his best friend radiated stronger and stronger the longer they stayed like this, and even laid his own head slightly atop Sunny’s. 

Eventually, Sunny shifted to the side, inhaling and exhaling deeply, “You smell nice.” he said, a lift of the head indicating to Basil to lift his own, “That’s creepy Sunny, did y-you just smell me?” Basil asked with a pout, a little appalled at his choice of action.

Sunny shook his head, tapping a finger on his chin. “I didn’t really have to try, it’s a very strong scent. You smell like… like coconut.”

“T-That’s the type of shampoo I use…” Basil confirmed, twirling his hair around a finger shyly.

Sunny smirked, “Fitting…” he said. 

“W-What does that mean?” Basil asked.

“It means… that it’s very fitting for you to use something that smells sweet.” He slightly elaborated. Basil squinted his eyes threateningly, still a bit confused on if he should be flattered or not. But when Sunny took a piece of Basil’s hair into his hand, tugging on it slightly and mumbling, “Makes me wanna take a bite out of you…” under his breath, Basil knew he was definitely teasing him. 

Basil whined, waving Sunny’s hand off of him and pouting, “D-Don’t tease me! That’s mean, Sunny…”

Sunny shook his head in response, laughing at Basil’s ridiculous assumption. “I wasn’t teasing you, I-”

At that very moment, the door to Basil’s room swung open, making the two jump in their places and revealing a very hyped up Kel. “Guuuuuysss! Whatever plans you had planned today, be prepared to drop them!”

“Jesus Kel! Ever heard of knocking?!?” Sunny asked, gripping his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. 

“How did y-you even get in here!?” Basil asked with a horrified shriek. He knows for a fact that he locked the front door since it was only him and Sunny at the moment, and his question was answered when Aubrey came running in afterward completely out of breath as she shoved a bobby pin into her hair. “Fuck Kel you’re fast…!” She exclaimed. 

The most interesting part about the two though is that they were in swimwear–Kel in obnoxiously loud orange colored trunks and Aubrey in a pink, frilly two-piece that revealed a small, black snake tattoo resting on the side of her stomach, something she hasn’t mentioned at all even after all this time.

“And… you know… Sunny’s right. You’re going to get punched in the face one day for doing that.” She exasperated between staggered breaths, wiping a line of sweat off of her forehead. Kel pouted apologetically, “I can’t help it! I’m just so excited…”

Sunny stood from his place, “Okay, two things.” he started. “One. Aubrey, when did you get that tattoo?” He asked, awaiting her answer. 

Once she caught her breath, she patted her palm on the place it was on her stomach, lowering her eyes ambiguously. “Right… this old thing.” She stated. “Got it when I was fifteen. Used to know a guy that did tattoos on minors that did this one for free. He uh, obviously got caught one day. Haven’t heard from him since…” She explained simply, parting her fingers so that it was visible again. 

Basil inspected it closely from his spot, impressed by how clean the lines were for being done by someone who had done it completely free of charge. He swung his foot from side to side, smiling up at her, “It’s pretty, and suits you..” he said, satisfied with how the compliment made her blush. 

“Gee… Thanks Basie…” 

“And two.” Sunny interrupted their little exchange, focus changing to Kel. “Why are you guys wearing swimsuits? None of you own a pool.” He asked. 

“Becaaaaause…~” Kel sang with jazz hands, “We’re going to the beach!” 

“T-The beach?” Basil repeated. 

“The beach.” Aubrey chimed in, crossing her arms proudly, “My idea.”

“Jeez, I mean… I’d love to go to the beach, but it’s almost six o’clock. And I didn’t pack a swimsuit!” Sunny said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Come on, you can’t say no! We’re already dressed.” Aubrey said, gesturing herself and Kel up and down. Kel nodded, “You can borrow one of my old ones!” he said, observing the width of Sunny’s hips. “What are you like… a thirty? Thirty two…?”

“I don’t know Kel, I haven't been to the beach in five consecutive years. ” Sunny reminded him.

Basil nodded in agreement, hugging his knees to his chest, “Neither have I…” he added on sadly. The group went silent before Aubrey put her hands on her hips, huffing a piece of hair out of her face. “Okay… awkward, but we’re kind of doing this for Hero in celebration of him finishing college for the time being. Not to guilt you guys into coming but…” She trailed off, nudging Kel in his side to finish her sentence.

Kel lit up, “Right! He just got home yesterday, and it’s been a while since all five of us have been in town and visited the beach. It’ll be fun, promise!” he pledged to them. 

Kel has such a unique way with his words that was so genuine that Basil just couldn’t say no to him. Even though he and Sunny originally planned to have it be just the two of them, it would be nice to get out of the house for once and soak in the sun, or what was still left of it in the sky. Sunny made eye contact with him, nodding that he was on board with the idea if Basil was. 

So Basil quickly arose from his spot on the bed, and clapped his hands together. “O-Okay! Sounds fun! What about you, Sunny?” 

The boy in question smiled, shrugging his shoulders, “I mean, I don’t want to sit around here without you. Plus, it could be fun…” he agreed. 

Kel threw his fist in the air celebratory, and used his string grip to drag Sunny off with him, “Hell yeah! Come on Sunny, we’ll find you something to wear.” he cheered as the other boy craned his neck to mouth, “Help me.” to the other two before the front door had slammed behind them. With that decided, Basil began rummaging through his dresser to find his old swimming trunks, that quite honestly probably still fit, and a shirt he wouldn’t mind getting wet.

As he did, Aubrey slumped her way up from behind, “So… we didn’t interrupt you two making out or something, did we?” she teased. Basil flushed at the question, squeaking when Aubrey squeezed his shoulders and nested her chin on him. 

“A-Aubrey, it's n-not like that at all between us…” Basil insisted, continuing to search through his excessive amount of clothes. Aubrey only continued to pester, bopping him on the nose, “You liiiiiike him~ don’t you?” she continued. 

Basil shrugged her off of him, shoving his dresser close when he found what he was looking for. He turned around and gave her a pout, “A-Aubrey… Shuuuut uuup! ” he drawled out, covering his face behind the fabric when she began laughing. There was no use in hiding it from her anymore, she’d figured it out months ago now.

Ever since then, when he, Sunny and Aubrey would hang out, she’d raise an eyebrow at him every time Basil laughed a little too hard at one of Sunny’s jokes… or smirk when she noticed Basil flinching at Sunny’s touch. Still, she’s never verbally said anything. Until now.

“Come on Aubrey! I really want to d-drop it right now.”

“I don’t”

“I know you don’t!” Basil exclaimed, waving his hand for her to turn around so he could change. She took the hint, and then threw her head back slightly as she groaned. “Uuuughhh! Basil, I don’t get it! Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” She questioned. 

“It’s not th-that simple…” He replied as he changed shirts. “Aubrey, I-I know you mean well, but Sunny and I are just friends… And I don’t want to ruin that! Not when I have no idea what he’s thinking…” He slipped on his old swimming trunks with ease, relieved that he wouldn’t have to borrow any of Kel’s... interesting ones. “And y-you know Sunny, he’s unreadable most of the time.” He concluded.

Basil paused, looking back up at Aubrey, “You can turn around now.” he said. 

She did as she was told, inspecting his overall look. And when she didn’t say anything, Basil got nervous and started twiddling his fingers together. “D-Do I look stupid?” 

He was wearing sage green swimming trunks that had outlines of yellow hibiscus flowers patterned on and a plain white shirt, making sure to wear light colors so the sun wouldn’t soak into them as easily. But now that he was being stared at, he feels a little ridiculous.

Aubrey vigorously shook her head, “Nuh-uh, sorry I… spaced out there for a bit.” she put on an apologetic smile. “It’s just, what’s with the shirt?” She asked.

I was afraid this would be brought up, Basil thought. It’s not something he is necessarily comfortable talking about, and quite frankly he was heavily insecure about the reason he feels like he has to cover up. So he bit his lip and pulled knots into his shirt, trying to think of something vague to say.

“I… don’t like to not wear one.” He responded simply. He almost wanted to slap himself for being too vague, but didn’t when Aubrey frowned at him, “Sensitive area?” she asked.

Basil nodded, “Sensitive area.” he echoed her, grateful that she had not decided to pry any further. Aubrey was smug when she wanted to be, but recently she’s been a lot more sympathetic and patient with people, and Basil was extensively happy for her that they’d made peace all those months ago. It wasn’t exactly water under the bridge, but at least the storm had come to a calm in one way or another.

She went for a side hug, rubbing Basil’s bare arm with her palm. “Come on.” She said, leading them off. “You need a nice relaxing evening on the beach.”

…

The car ride over was loud, and felt longer than it actually was, but it always felt like that with Aubrey and Kel’s ability to get so rowdy and fired up within such a small period of time. It’s not a long ride, really, but the combination of loud conversations and Sunny’s bare skin brushing up on him every time they hit a bump in the road was completely overwhelming.

Basil felt a tug on his sleeve, causing him to turn to the boy next to him. “Hey Bas, you okay?” Sunny asked, worry tracing his tone. 

Basil had been trying super hard not to look at him, mainly because he was in very bright yellow swimming trunks that didn’t match his aesthetic at all and he didn’t want to laugh, but also because he wasn't wearing a shirt–something he’d never really done before when going to the beach. It was… new to see Sunny confidently showing off some skin, and was making Basil feel some sort of way. 

Not that he was staring too hard! But Sunny had gained some weight, which was great… He was basically skin and bones before, now at least he has some strength and chub on him. Basil wanted to say something about it, but that would definitely be creepy, wouldn’t it? 

Basil sighed, pulled down on his hot cheeks. If you told him an hour ago that he’d be narrowly avoiding having a gay panic attack… Actually, he’d probably believe you. Sunny could make him like this even with a shirt on. 

“Basil?” Sunny called out for him, tugging harder and harder on his sleeve to get his attention.

“H-Huh? W… What?”

“I asked if you’re okay. Should… we have stayed home?” He whispered the last part so nobody else but them could hear, and that’s when Basil realized his internal monologue had completely made him disregard what was happening in reality. He eagerly shook his head no, “O-Oh! God no, I’ve been itching to g-get out of the house. I think I'm just a little carsick.” he lied, slightly.

The motion of the car was kind of making him feel a little woozy, but that would wear off soon now that they were approaching closer to the sandy beach. Basil smiled comfortingly, “What about you?” he asked. 

“Me?” Sunny questioned with the tilt of his head. Basil nodded, awaiting his reply. He sat back in his seat, thinking of how to put his feelings into words. “I’m… excited. I mean, I haven’t been to the beach in forever. But I’m also nervous for the same reason.” He said. “And… You know my thing about water.” He added on afterwards. 

Basil grimaces at the mention, remembering that Sunny’s last experience with water was… not so nice to say the least. Kel had been a little stupid to send Sunny of all people to save Basil out of the lake, since he knew of Sunny’s history with water and almost drowning, but he also just wasn’t thinking since it was such an in the moment situation.

It’s not that Sunny couldn’t swim, unlike Basil who actually couldn’t. In fact, Sunny is actually a pretty decent swimmer. He just freezes up when it comes to deep, doubtlessly caverned waters, and shaken with intense fear when he’s out all by his lonesome. That’s why he so easily allows himself to be swallowed up, because he doesn’t even realize he’s drowning until it’s too late. Literally and figuratively.

That’s why Basil thinks he’s slightly grateful for him. Because with his fear of water, and Basil’s inability to swim, the two were shallow end buddies, never daring to go further than what reached past their knees.

But differing from Sunny, Basil wasn’t afraid of water–just distasted the deep end and all the glory it got. He’d scooted his way along the side of the pool before, but nothing more than that.

An assuring hand automatically reached out for Sunny’s. Basil interlaced their fingers, pulling their hands into his own lap and grinning as encouragingly as possible. “Sunny… It’ll be okay. I’ll be by your side the whole time.” Basil told him, rubbing a thumb into the other’s palm. “You won’t have to be afraid, I’ll protect you…”

“B-But you can’t swim. What if I get swept away?” Sunny expressed his worries, face already breaking a sweat from anxiety. Basil glanced over at Kel, who was in a heated conversation with Aubrey about which Captain Spaceboy comic was the best out of all of them, which was going nowhere with the comics' many renditions and side series, and then back to Sunny. “Then we’ll just get Kel to rescue you. He’s a strong swimmer, hm?” Basil hummed with a smile.

When Kel supposedly didn’t hear him, Basil cleared his throat loudly and stated, “Right Kel?” grabbing his attention away from Aubrey.

“Whaddya say?” Kel asked, oblivious to the conversation that had been going on beside him. 

“You’ll rescue Sunny if he gets swept away by the ocean, right?” Basil said, his tone soft and insistent. Kel scoffed like the question didn’t even need to be asked, “F’course! Sunny, I will totally be your knight in shining armor if you need me to be. Since Basil can’t swim and all.” he agreed, flexing his arm muscles to show off.

Sunny smiled condescendingly, and craned his head back to Basil, “On second thought, I think I’d rather you just keep a good eye on me.” he changed his mind, causing Aubrey to burst out laughing at Kel's dismay. Basil joined in, giggling lightly but also feeling kind of flustered at the fact that Sunny trusts him that much to make that call. 

What a confusing boy he can be sometimes, but it was kind of sweet the way he said it…

It’s up to Basil to help him face his fears. Let’s just hope Sunny chose wisely.

When they finally parked and unbuckled from their cramped spots, they all basically sighed in relief at the fresh, saltwater air hitting their faces and gentle breeze that whispered sweet, salty nothings throughout the place. It was quite refreshing back in a place like this so they could all relax and have some fun, and everyone knows that Hero and Kel are going to have their classic sandcastle battle to see who can construct the best one. It was usually always a very close tie, but with one member of their group gone it would do away with the tiebreakers they’d have.

Aubrey tied her long hair up into a bun, and then looked at Kel, “Race you there.” she said, readying herself as they laid foot on the soft sand. 

“Oh, you’re so on.” Kel accepted her challenge, and next thing Basil knew the two were off, running towards the shore and knee deep into the water. The two splashed and kicked at each other, smiling and laughing as the waves knocked against their bodies. 

It was a nice sight to witness, but the other three decided to find a place nearby to settle down at. Hero had brought an umbrella and chairs with him that they were currently heaving around, and Basil offered to carry the bag of towels and snacks he had packed for the road. 

“They really haven’t changed a bit.” Hero said as he set up their umbrella, smiling at their usual childish endeavors. 

Sunny nodded his head in agreement, grateful for the shade that was now being provided, and squeezing out an excessive amount of sunscreen to put on himself. “They’re going to get so sunburnt…” He said, tossing the bottle to Basil who, surprisingly, caught it in a fumble. Sunny turned around, back towards Basil, “Get my back?” he asked.

Basil nodded, squeezing the substance onto his hands and rubbed it in as quickly as possible, watching as Sunny shivered when he ran his hands up his spine. 

“That tickled…” Sunny complained, turning back around when he was finally done. Basil laughed, spreading the lotion on his own body. “Heh… I didn’t know you w-were so ticklish, Sunny.” He teased as he applied it on his face.

Sunny pouted, taking Basil in his hands and rubbing his thumbs and palms against his cheeks and forehead. Basil froze up, allowing him to do whatever he was doing but also internally freaking out at the contact and close proximity he had on him. When Sunny looked satisfied, he smiled again, “There, now you’re all rubbed in.” he stated.

Basil tucked a few hair strands behind his ears, blushing at how serious and caring he’d been. He mumbled a small thanks to him and waited until they were finished setting up to even suggest that they go near the waterline. 

Hero had gone on ahead without them, making sure that Aubrey and Kel weren’t out there drowning each other, so it was just the two of them at the moment. Sunny gulped nervously, eyes drifting dazedly from Basil to the ocean, “It’s… a lot deeper looking than I remember…” he whispered, intending for him not to hear that. 

But Basil had picked up on it, and saw the color slowly drain from his face the longer he looked. So to calm him down, he locked both their hands together, blocking his view of the dark waters, “Sunny, look at me.” he instructed, meeting eye contact with him and slowly backing up to the shore. 

“Do you trust me?” Basil asked.

“M-More than anyone else.” Sunny stuttered, flinching slightly when the water finally hit their feet. He went to look down, but stopped when Basil pulled their bodies closer together, forcing him to stare him directly in the face. 

“Then trust I’ll protect you, Sunny. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I-I’m not going to let you get hurt…” Basil told him, squeezing his hands in assurance. He then smiled softly at him, “You’re doing so good. We’re already ankle deep in the ocean!”

“We’re what?!?” Sunny shouted, whipping his head down and going weak in the knees. “Oh- Oh my God! I’m going to pass out…” He swore, grip loosening on Basil. 

This just made Basil’s grip stronger on him, balancing Sunny out as he struggled to keep himself up. “S-Sunny! It’s okay, you’re going to be okay…” He soothed.

“Y-Yeah…?” Sunny asked in a slight whimper, a small tear forming in his eye. 

“Yeah…” Basil assured, using a finger to swipe it away. “Yeah. It’s okay… I-It’s not as scary as you think it is…” He kept assuring him, and slowly, Sunny’s heavy breathing became evened out. The wind blew beautifully the boy's soft, black hair, exposing his face and allowing for the sun to lighten up his still bluish skin. 

Sunny’s main focus was on Basil–how he was swaying back and forth in a way that comforted him, and how impressively brave he was being for him right now. Basil smiled and giggled as the waves almost knocked them down a few times, warming his cheeks and chest furiously with the want to tell him just how much he loves and appreciates the boy, but at the moment no current thought was being put into words. Not even the coherent ones. 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Sunny managed to squeak out. Basil laughed, pulling him along a little deeper until their shins were covered completely. “I can! Isn’t this nice, Sunny?” He asked. 

Sunny hummed in response. “I guess so, yeah… The water is… nice and warm.” It sounded like he was trying to find a reason to feel good about this, and convincing himself that everything was going to be fine in the process. And before Basil could say anything else, he got jumped on from behind by a certain individual.

“Woah! You actually convinced him to get into the water. Nice job, Bagel.” Aubrey hugged his shoulders from behind, pulling on his chubby cheeks to embarrass and annoy him. But Basil was too focused on the boy in his hands to pay attention to her antics.

She eventually got bored, shifting to Sunny’s side and pressing her fingers all over his side, “ So courageous!” she mocked Basil’s voice, doing a surprisingly good impression of him. “Are you ever going to stop clinging on to him for dear life though?”

“Yes! …Eventually.” Sunny mumbled.

“Eventually… In a few years.” Aubrey said, crossing her arms. Sunny furrowed his brows, suddenly pulling his and Basil’s hands apart to point an accusing finger at the girl. “You think I can’t do it? Well, look! My hands are completely Basil free!” He yelled over the sounds of the ocean, and shook his empty hands in front of her face. That had obviously provoked him, whether it was intentional or not.

Sunny paled significantly when he realized he was off his “training wheels” and now standing in the ocean on complete free will and with nothing stopping him from being swept away. Surprisingly though, he didn’t gravitate back to the mint-haired boy beside him, and gawked at Aubrey’s smug face. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” He asked.

Aubrey snorted, nodding slowly, “Yeeeeahh… It’s how I get Mikhael to do the stupid shit he does, but in this case, I was helping you.” she said, scratching her chin. “At least, I hope it came off that way…”

Sunny punched her playfully in the shoulder, “You’re an ass… but yeah, it did help.” he divulged, looking back at the spot they’d set up. “I-I think I’ve had my fair share of being in the water though. I’m going back to the shade…” 

“I-I’ll come with you!” Basil exclaimed. 

“Are you sure?” Sunny raised a brow to that. 

“Yeah, don’t you want to come and chill with Kel, Hero and I?” Aubrey asked, pointing to a slightly further and deeper part of the ocean they were at. Hero and Kel were jumping over and riding the waves like a wave pool at a waterpark, and while that seemed nice, he didn’t want to risk going out so far–and didn’t want to leave Sunny by himself. 

Basil shook his head with a smile, “No offense, but your guys’ definition of chill is a little much for me.” he denied her request, pinching his fingers together. “Thanks though. Sunny and I can place bets on who's going to beat the other in water wrestling from a far…”

Aubrey shrugged, “Suit yourself.” she said, slugging her way over to the two brothers. She surprise tackled Hero from behind, celebrating that she's actually scared him after some of her many attempts in the past.

“...You don’t have to come with me.” Sunny insisted as the two stepped back onto dry land again. 

“But I want to. And I know you want me to too, you’d be lonely without me, hm?” Basil asked in a slightly jiving tone. Sunny hung his head, looking away shyly, “M-Maybe a little…” he admitted. 

Basil grabbed onto Sunny’s hand, pulling him closer to his side and swinging their hands together in a swaying motion. “Sunny, you are very brave. I’m so proud of you.” Basil told him, smiling gently his way.

Sunny puffed his cheeks embarrassingly and blushed deeply, “I-I didn't really do anything… Y-You were the one that was brave.” he denied, clinging to his side like a moth to light. Still, Basil kept his ground and insisted that Sunny had grown a lot since his last experience, and it was true.

Usually, the very sight of water made Sunny sick to his stomach, and now as the two laid out a couple of towels to sit down on and bury their feet in the sand, Sunny had allowed himself to be taken into the very waters he once despised. It was great progress, and Basil couldn’t be happier for him.

Expectedly, the water wrestling between the two most turbulent people began shortly after he and Sunny had settled on the ground and felt the sand sow through their fingers and toes.

Aubrey had gotten first move, keeping Kel under her grasp for a few seconds before being thrown off underwater. If it had been when they were children, Kel would’ve used the unfair advantage of pulling Aubrey's hair. But now that he was older, and his own hair was way longer than it’d been in childhood, he understood that his actions would be repaid exactly as he’d given it. Because shortly after being slammed underwater, Aubrey had miraculously found a way to do the same to him. 

“My bet’s on Kel. Aubrey's got the spirit but Kel has the athletic advantage.” Sunny observed, taking their mini competition very seriously. 

“Kel tires himself o-out too quickly. When Aubrey’s riled up, she’s definitely got the advantage. Nice try, b-but my bet is on Aubrey.” Basil retaliated, copying the rubbing of his chin like Sunny did. He looked a little funny when he was in deep thought.

“What do I get when I win?” Sunny asked.

“If you win.” Basil corrected. “But… I dunno. W-What do you want? Money?” He asked.

Sunny snickered, “Boring. Come on, it’s gotta be something better than that.” he reiterated. 

Basil thought for a moment before landing on an idea, “I win, you paint me something of my choice. You win, I-I’ll cross-stitch anything you want.” he suggested. “Sound fair?”

“Better than a couple of dollars. You’re on.” Sunny agreed to the terms, focusing back in on Aubrey and Kel in the distance.

Though, they both knew that their little challenge was going to be prolonged from how much energy both parties were showing. So out of boredom of waiting, Sunny began tracing his finger through the sand, ostensibly turning into nothing but lines and mindless, indulgent squiggles. Basil was at peace watching him relax so freely, but tensed when he drew something a little more ominous into the sand. 

It… was definitely something–he was incapable of describing it. All he knew how to distinguish from the piece of art is that it had one, singular, long and ominous eye smack dab in the middle. And Sunny seemed distressed as he finished it up, like he didn’t have any control of what he’d done.

Past Basil would’ve left him be, allowing for him to just scratch it out and ignore something that was bugging him, but he wasn’t past Basil anymore. He was refreshed into someone who knew how to ask the hard questions when Sunny wouldn’t automatically just tell him about it. 

So he laid a hand on Sunny’s shoulder, pressing his thumb down against his skin in a soothing manner. “I-If you don’t mind me asking Sunny, what is that exactly?”

Sunny paused, debating whether or not to just shrug it off and bury what he had done in the sand. When he decided not to, he leaned into Basil’s side, frowning quite hard. 

At first, Basil thought he’d made a mistake asking, but when Sunny finally opened his mouth to speak he was proven wrong. “It’s Something. I call it… Something.” He commenced, staring at it quite bitterly. “Because… I never really knew what it was. I just knew that when I saw it, my head began hurting. All the guilt I felt came flooding back, even though I couldn’t really recall why I felt that way.” He explained further.

“When I saw Mari… hanging for the first time. I saw it. In the corner of my eyes it would taunt me, make me feel like I was crazy. It got worse when I isolated myself, so I began sleeping more often to get it to go away.” Sunny then kicked the sand to erase the drawing he’d done, leaving slight remnants of the markings on the ground. “Worked for a while. Eventually though, it started following me in my dreams–like a pest. I can’t get rid of it, even now… sometimes, I think I catch a glimpse of it in the corner of my eye.” 

“S-Sunny… I had no idea…” Basil consoled, rubbing his warm hands against his somehow frigid arm. Sunny smiled through his hurt expression, “It’s okay, most of the time it’s just my bangs in my face.” he jested, trying to lighten the mood. When Basil obviously wasn’t having it though, Sunny pursed his lips, regretful about how openly blunt he’d been about this.

But Basil also felt regretful–that Sunny had experienced these things because of Basil’s own actions. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t experienced his own hallucinations as well. Hell, that had been the whole reason he stabbed Sunny’s eye out, and he knows that. They shared this struggle together, and way more than Sunny thinks he knows. So, was it okay to…?

Basil glanced off into the distance to Aubrey and Kel, who were still going on about with their play fighting. With their energy, they could be on this for a while. 

Basil shifted towards Sunny, pulling his knees up to his chest and asking, “C-Can I tell you something I haven’t told anyone else…?!?” with wide eyes, and volume that was a little too loud. Sunny didn’t seem put off by it though, and nodded for him to go on. 

And that was that–confirmation that he could speak on something he hated to think about, because the information he wanted- no, needed to tell somebody was driving him insane just keeping it to himself.

Basil pinched some sand off the ground, feeling the grain between his fingers, “L-Last summer, when I tried to… kill myself. I-It wasn’t the first time I’ve ever tried. A-And it wasn’t the first time I had tried that summer either.” he got out, but not without choking up. 

A tear he hadn’t even felt forming rolled down his cheek, and regret began building from deep within his chest–upset that he’d taken the light off of Sunny’s issue with his own. “S-Sorry! I sh-shouldn’t have cut in with my own problems! Not when you-”

“I wanna hear what you have to say. Please continue Basil…” Sunny interrupted him, leaning his body weight into Basil’s entire side, but also kept his head up so he could intently look and listen to him properly. His willingness to listen to him made Basil more at peace, but it didn’t make what he was going to say any less terrifying to talk about. 

So with a pause, Basil began explaining. Explaining how, he too, used to cut himself– deeply on his upper thighs, hips and stomach, and that’s why he always made sure not to wear anything too short in fear that his scars would show. It also made his decision of covering up with a shirt make more sense to Sunny; if those scars he was forced to face every day were to show to anyone else but him he’d break from shame, and wallow in the disappointed looks he just knew he would receive from others.

Basil’s voice was shaky, uneven as he tried to keep his composure. But the more Sunny told him that it was okay to cry and be upset about it, the more he let those walls down. It wasn’t like he was sobbing, but he was crying enough to the point of his nose being stuffed up, and embarrassed when Sunny repeatedly went to wipe his tear stained face and eyes so he could see. Sunny didn’t seem to mind too much though, and his soothing endeavors made Basil feel a lot better in sharing this information.

Cutting on his thighs was just the beginning, and admittedly something he had done even before meeting Sunny with the sharp gardening equipment his grandma used to own. It was an on and off thing; one month he’d be completely cut free and the next he’d be bleeding rivers down the bathtub. Basil had only begun doing it on his hips and stomach the more he got bullied about his feminine physique, but when he met Aubrey and was introduced to all her friends… the cutting ceased for a while, and he felt more confident in himself.

Of course, when Mari died, it’d only worsened again, and at the beginning of last summer, he’d accidentally slit so deeply into his lower stomach that he’d had to go to the emergency room for blood loss. If Polly hadn't been visiting that night and heard him crying with pain, he would’ve died.

Fatigued, and a little dehydrated from the tears, Basil laid his head down on Sunny’s shoulder, hugging his hands around one of his wrists so he could feel his pulse for comfort. Once he found it, he relaxed a little. “Polly sent m-me to a psych ward when I got discharged…” Basil said. “I don’t blame her too much, but i-it really didn’t help being locked away like that with people I didn't know. People who’d done much worse stuff than me.”

“Basil, what you did was pretty bad. And I don’t mean that in a lecturing way, I mean that in a, “I care about you because you’re my best friend” type of way. Don’t undermine your problems.” Sunny inputted, unaware of Basil’s intentions. 

“I mean- Sunny, people get put in those places for m-more than just hurting themselves or attempting suicide.” Basil said, twisting at the beach towel they were sitting on. “Some people there were kinda cray… B-Being around kids my age who’d intentionally hurt other people or animals, I was so out of place there…” 

“What kind of person would hurt an animal?” Sunny asked, slightly upset. Basil clicked his tongue, jabbing a finger his direction. “Exactly. Even if I h-had tried, I didn’t really get on with anyone else there. And it was always freezing everywhere you went! T-The socks were nice though…”

Sunny chuckled, relaxing into Basil’s shoulder and flicking his bangs out of his face, “You didn’t try to… I dunno? Meet a nice guy?” he teased, nudging him on the shoulder. 

Basil stumbled over his words at his inquiry, wondering what made him think he’d ever flirt with someone he didn’t know! “S-Sunny! N-No…! I barely spoke to anyone, what makes you think I was going around striking up conversations with guys…?!?”

Sunny shrugged, “I dunno… If I didn’t know you like I do now, and I was seeing you for the first time in the ward, I’d think you were pretty cute despite the circumstances…” he said with a grin on his face. And regardless of his serious tone and lack of smugness tracing his body language, Basil was convinced he was definitely teasing him. 

He pushed Sunny off of his shoulder, not too harshly but in a rather offended manner, and scoffed “S-Sunny! You’re just saying things now… A-Are you trying to make me feel better?”

“Is it working?” Sunny asked.

A quick pause.

“A little bit…”

“Good.” Sunny stated, crossing his arms with satisfaction, face churning into different kinds of emotions in the span of just a few seconds. “Basil…?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for telling me this–entrusting me with something so sensitive. And I… I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Sunny said sincerely, pausing briefly before deciding to relate his own experiences to him. “You know… the first time I cut myself, it wasn’t even on purpose.” He lowered his gaze to his right wrist. “I was eleven, and accidentally broke one of our grandmother’s old vases we had. I tried picking up all the pieces really fast before anyone was home, and next thing I know,” He made a cutting motion from his wrist down his forearm. “I’m cut.”

The setting sun cascaded brightly onto Sunny’s conflicted face, and the swift wind carried the sound of his sigh directly into Basil’s ears. “Usually I’d be freaked out by the blood and cry, but I didn’t. Unlike all the other times I’d hurt myself, this time had been so blissful, I felt relief. And after I got scolded relentlessly for hours by my dad when he found out about the vase.” He paused, regaining his composure as he swallowed dryly. “I dug out one of the really sharp pieces out of the trash that night and did it again. This time on purpose…”

He concluded his statement with a story, surprising Basil on how clearly he could remember when and how he began self harming. In Basil’s honest opinion, he couldn’t remember when or how he’d begun–it had just become such a daily routine that he never bothered breaking.

“We have a lot more in common struggle-wise than I thought we did, Suzuki.” Basil observed, resting his arms and hands atop of his knees. “I like that. E-Even if it isn’t exactly a pleasant thing to have in common, at l-least I don’t feel so lonely.” 

Sunny smiled, placing his hand atop of Basil’s hand. “...You make me feel less lonely, too.” He said, attempting to intertwine their fingers, but quickly pulled away when a roar of screams erupted from the distance and divided his attention towards it; Basil did the same.

It had been Kel, who’d been overtaken by Aubrey in their challenge.

“Damn it Aubrey, you’re a girl! I should easily be able to beat you!” Kel shouted.

“Language!” Hero yelled back as he made his way out of the water and back on land. 

“Yeah, and stop being sexist, Kel! Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t take you like a man!” Aubrey snapped back. 

It was back and forth between the two for a while, but while Basil was relieved that nothing bad had happened, he was also focused on the fact that he’d won the bet.

“Alright, art boy, I think it’s time for you to a-admit I was right.” Basil said, pointing his nose snobbishly in the air. Sunny leaned in close, “Not a chance… but you should probably start thinking about what you want me to paint for you.” he said.

Basil thought on it for a moment, curling a finger and tapping it on his chin. “Check in with me later, I’ll p-probably have an answer.” he suggested. Sunny nodded, turning to a cooler they’d brought full of drinks and some watermelon, and grabbed a grape soda. 

Even though he’d been previously gloating about it, Basil had been secretly hoping he lost so he could make something for Sunny. He did so much for Basil in the past few months, who was he asking for his undivided attention and time again?

But luckily, Basil had an idea of what he could do for him. He could still cross-stitch something, and since he seemed so adoring of the piece he’s doing of Aubrey’s bunny, he’d probably like one of his own pet.

Basil couldn’t exactly recall what his cat looked like off the top of his head, but by chance he had taken a picture of Lily laying on Sunny’s chest, asleep, while Sunny’d also been sleeping. He’d gotten the opportunity after spending the night one weekend and happened to wake up at the perfect time. The sun had been brightly shining through the window conveniently as well–it was quite a cute picture.

Though, he has yet to put it in his photo album… He likes carrying it around to look at when he misses him. 

On second thought, maybe he should put it in the album. The idea of that was starting to sound pretty creepy in his head; having a picture of his best friend he took unknowingly just to carry it around. Basil was starting to feel a bit guilty, he should probably show Sunny when they get back home…

In the next few minutes, Hero was already in front of them drinking a bottle of water and cooling off under the umbrella, followed by Kel, who was still spouting comebacks at Aubrey, and she who followed suit.

“Hero, your brother is insufferable. How did you ever live with him?” Aubrey asked in a complaint, letting down her long pink hair. It was still slightly damp.

“Haha… Well, I guess you just get kind of used to his yapping after a while.” Hero said with a laugh, gaining an unpleasant protest from the boy himself. 

“You guuuuuys! I’m right here!” Kel whined, stomping his foot like a child. “Hero, You’re just mad I always make better sandcastles than you. That’s why you’re siding with Aubrey, isn’t it?”

“Always is a little pretentious, Kel. You know I have more experience being the older one.” Hero reprimanded him, one of the few times you’ll hear him engage in a dispute ever. 

Kel crossed his arms, raising a brow in defense. “Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re better!” He whipped his body side to side as if he were looking for something. “In fact, I challenge you to see who can make the better one right now!” Kel declared.

“Oooooo, aaaaaaaaahh…” Aubrey whooped, as Hero stood right in front of Kel and smiled cockily, “Challenge accepted.” he agreed.

Aubrey rubbed her hands together menacingly, absolutely stoked for this showdown. The three of them moved a little off in the distance, finding the perfect spot to begin their work at. Basil was shocked at how much energy they had after they’d just swam, and same with Sunny, but he thinks it would be rude to keep to themselves this whole time, since they could do that all they wanted back home.

“We should probably go over there and cheer on Kel, he looked d-distraught after being beaten up by Aubrey.” Basil suggested. Sunny chuckled, standing up from where he was sitting and holding out a helping hand to him. Basil accepted it, surprised by how effortlessly he pulled him up. “You’re probably right…” Sunny admitted.

The duo made it to where Aubrey was, sitting on either side of her and listening to her hype up Hero as he carefully worked on what he was doing. She’d wrapped an arm around Basil’s neck, giving him a noogie in the process. “Finally decided to join us, huh?” She said as Basil giggled relentlessly. “Come to see Kel get destroyed?”

“A-Actually I was here to cheer him on, no use in indulging in y-your little squabble you’ve got going on.” Basil said, tapping his fingers together and resting his body against Aubrey’s as her grip around him loosened.

Kel smiled happily, “Thanks Basil! It’s nice that at least someone has my back!” he said, empathizing his words towards Aubrey, who only rolled her eyes at him. 

“I-I have everyone’s back. You just seem like you really need it, Kel…” Basil clarified, not wanting to get on Hero’s bad side since he, yes, took this very seriously.

“Ya hear that Kel? He’s pitying you!” Aubrey said upon an assumption. 

“Awww, Basil. I thought we were brother bonded there for a second!” Kel said, pouting enormously and grabbing at his chest like he’d been betrayed.

“I- uh… I w-wouldn’t really say it’s pity, per se…” Basil said, unconvincingly.

Aubrey pulled Basil in for a protective side hug, “You don’t have to sugarcoat it. Plus, Basil and I are the ones that are bound by souls. Your brotherly bond, or whatever you have, is nothing compared to what we have.” she said, a little dramatically. Hero couldn’t help but let out a snort, immediately straightening up and getting back to focus. When he was doing something, he was really into it and often didn’t like distractions. He didn’t seem to mind too much right now though.

Sunny cut in, seemingly provoked by Aubrey’s last statement, “Hey, leave Basil alone, you’re embarrassing him…” he said, grabbing one of Basil’s hands possessively. “Or you’ll regret it.” He then threatened.

Basil doesn’t know why–a full blown lie, he does know why, but having Sunny protective over him for a change was quite… appealing. The way his face looked at Aubrey wasn’t jealousy exactly, but rather envying that Basil was all over her instead of him at the current moment. It made his heart all jumpy, and any sounds and arguments they were making barely passed into and out of Basil’s ears because he was too busy being encapsulated by how intense Sunny looked.

He wants to conclude his panicking about the small outcome this has caused, but can’t when the hand of the other boy kept squeezing him every time he’d say something along the lines of, “ I’m his best friend.” in retaliation for whatever Aubrey was saying.

It would be a lie to say he could get used to this, because Basil doesn’t think he can. Seeing Sunny so watchful of him was new, and not a side he ever expected seeing.

As he regained his sobriety, Basil glanced back at the progress the two brothers had made, an arm still around his shoulder and hand still grabbing onto his own. And what would you know, they had actually made a significant amount of progress while he was stuck in his head freaking out.

Maybe Basil would consider giving beach days a second chance from now on.

Chapter Text

It was only a few more days until summer break for Basil and after all that thinking for months in end, he’d finally made his decision.

Perhaps he was delaying the inevitable with his answer, trying to find some single excuse on why moving could benefit him in some ways, but the cons outweigh the pros by a landslide, and there was simply no reason for him to even consider moving away from Faraway. His parents were already out of state the day he’d told them that he was staying behind, a little too eagerly if you asked him, and Basil has yet to say anything to his friends about the whole thing.

He was waiting for the perfect moment to tell them, or perhaps just let them figure it out themselves when they realized he’d never made the move, and after Sunny and Mincy suggested that he, Kel, Hero, and Aubrey attend their school's graduation, Basil had figured it was none other than the perfect time to tell them he was staying. Their high school started and ended earlier than Faraway–Basil was a little jealous that Sunny was already getting off for the summer, even if it was just a couple of days before him.

Mincy was graduating, and even though none of them were as close to her as Sunny was, Sunny had mentioned that the orchestra would be playing their graduation music from the pit, so they all agreed to attend simply based on that fact alone. Not that Basil didn't care personally about Mincy graduating, they had grown closer with the amount of times he’d visit the city and go with Sunny to spend time at her shop, but he couldn't speak personally for the others.

So Basil finished buttoning up his plain white button-down and tucked them into his black slacks as all these thoughts rushed through his mind. He’d had some time to prepare what he was going to say since the occasion didn’t start until a little after seven, but Basil was still super nervous about their reactions after anticipating this moment for so long. Sure, while their reactions might not be bad, there’s a possibility that they’ll ask numerous questions about the whole thing, some being ones he may not want to talk about, and along with that his reasons for choosing to not leave with his blood family.

He has no problem listing those; he has friends here, a found family, a nice garden that could be (mostly) maintained year-round, but he also has Sunny here… Someone he wouldn’t be able to stand to lose again. They were lucky to only live just an hour away from each other at best if the traffic wasn't awful, but thousands of miles? Basil wouldn’t know what he would do if he couldn’t hear, see or touch Sunny or any of his other friends in person for months on end, even if they all did manage to somehow stay in touch.

Despite his shy and introverted nature, Basil relied heavily on physical communication and doesn’t get touchy so easily with new people. Even now, the only people he was really close with were Sunny and Aubrey, who both gave surprisingly good hugs and had nice laughs for one being so quiet natured, and the other being so spunky and loudmouthed. Basil loves all his friends with all his soul, and he’s not playing favorites, but everyone has those that they are more bonded to.

As those thoughts subsided, the distant honking of a horn could be heard from just outside his house, indicating to him that Hero was here to pick him up. They could've all driven themselves, except Kel who for the life of him could not pass his test, but they decided to carpool together to save gas. Or, in Kel’s wise choice of words, it was “more funner.”

Immediately after opening the door to Hero’s car he was greeted by the sight of Aubrey, who was the only other one in the back. Her outfit consisted of a similar white button down and a long, black skirt that reached to her ankles. The natural eye color of brown was exposed for once, and those same eyes glanced Basil up and down–she scoffed in disbelief, “Jesus Christ, did we all wear the same thing?” she asked as Basil allowed himself to settle on the left side of the backseat. He titled his head in confusion, asking, “What do you mean?”

Aubrey gestured to the two in the front, “We’re all wearing the same goddamn dress shirt! Hero’s just got his jacket over it…” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “Hero, take me back home. I’m changing.”

“I’m afraid not Aubster, we’re going to be late if I turn back now.” Hero said in an amused voice, firing the car back up and heading in the direction of the city. In response, Aubrey huffed, crossing her arms and kicking her feet angrily on the back of Kel’s seat. Basil quickly advised her to stop if she wanted to avoid conflict in the car, so she obliged and made up for it by grumbling how embarrassing this was. Eventually though, her slight anger had subsided and she threw a piece of gum in her mouth.

To be frank, Basil absolutely despises long car rides unlike some people, who found driving to be a fun activity or something to kill time with. Unless Basil’s the one driving, and sometimes even then, he can’t stand the smell of the rubber flooring and vinyl wrap that surrounded them. It without fail gave him a headache, and with that followed intense carsickness. 

Halfway throughout the ride Basil was fighting the urge to complain about a migraine coming on, but being a nuisance to them all was the last thing he wanted. However, luckily he was distracted with a statement from Hero, “Hey Basil, I’m a little surprised you didn’t make a bouquet for Sunny. I’m sure he would’ve liked that a lot.” he said with a slight jesting tone.

But what was supposed to be a lighthearted conversation starter turned into a pool of dread in Basil’s heart. “W-What? What do you mean?” He questioned him. Hero glanced in the car rear view mirror, “Don’t you know?” he asked. “It’s tradition to bring a bouquet for musicians after their concert.” 

Basil furrowed his brows frustratingly, feeling sick to his stomach. “R-Really?” He scrutinized further, feeling stupid for not knowing such a thing. Look at him! He’s the flower boy and yet he didn’t know about what sounds like a very common thing for people to do after concerts. And even if it wasn’t technically a concert, Sunny was still putting effort into playing with the orchestra.

Hero nodded, focusing his gaze back on the road. “Though I was only joking, you’re not required to bring him one. Especially because this technically isn't a concert.” 

Basil’s naïveté to this fact only made him like a complete idiot, and he never thought he’d say this, but he wishes Hero had kept his thoughts to himself. “This i-is bad…” He began to panic, biting down on his nails nervously.

“Hey, what’s the big deal? They would’ve just sat on Sunny’s windowsill and wilted anyway.” Kel said, turning his whole body around to face the two in the back. 

“Because I’m Basil! The flower guy! Sunny’s probably expecting at least me to bring him some flowers for the occasion. That’s like–my thing!” Basil shrieked while fanning himself, he was suddenly feeling very hot. 

“Relaaaaax, Mincy owns a flower shop. We’ll stop by there, pick up the nerd a bouquet and that’ll be that.” Aubrey chimed in with her resolve, smacking on her bubblegum before blowing a huge bubble in Kel’s face. With pettiness in his heart, Kel used a finger to pop the enormous wad of gum in front of him, and grossed out by his “Kel germs,” Aubrey rolled down the window to spat it out. As she slowly rolled it back up, an eye twitched as she gave Kel a death glare.

When the sound of the wind grazing against the car had been sealed away, Kel finally opened his mouth again, “How do you know Mincy has a flower shop? You don’t even talk to her.” he questioned, prompting Aubrey to kick the back of his chair. “Mind your fuckin’ business Kel…”

“Hey! Just because you have the upper hand here doesn’t mean you can get away with kicking my seat you big jerk!” Aubrey kicked his chair even harder, causing him to flail upwards and hit his head on the roof. Admittedly, it was a little funny, but Basil held back a laugh when Kel cried out in pain and began bickering with Aubrey.

“All right you two, cut it out. I’m trying to focus on driving here…” Hero nervously tapped his fingers on the wheel.

 Kel rubbed his head, “Tell that to her! She’s the one kicking my seat!” 

“Kel, please don’t provoke her…” Hero insisted with a frustrated smile. Kel scoffed and crossed his arms, “Qué maldita pendeja…”

“ Kelsey.”  

“Huh?”

“I know what that means.” 

“I’d be kinda concerned if you didn’t…” He quietly mouthed back. When Hero didn’t say anything back, the car fell silent once again, the only sound being the faint noise of the radio. It was a little awkward, and plainly not like Kel to be mouthy, but it wasn't any of Basil’s business. He was more focused on the fact that Aubrey had brought up a good point about just buying a bouquet for Sunny at Mincy’s flower shop. It wouldn’t be as special, but at least he could personalize it if he wanted to. 

So when they were approaching closer to the small, quaint shop of Dizzy Daisies, Basil directed him on where to pull over and asked what the most common flower for this kind of occasion was to Hero.

The obvious answer was red roses, which in all honesty Basil should’ve expected, but as he entered the store he questioned whether or not he should pick just red roses. For simplicity and time's sake though, that’s what he told the employee, watching as he painstakingly took his time making literally the smallest bouquet in the world . An actual flourished and decorated one would’ve taken too long, and seeing how it took so long for the employee, whoever this random was, to do this small one made Basil thankful he hadn’t asked for a bigger size.

At some point, he was about to ask to just do it himself, but maintained his patience and watched as he eventually finished it. It wasn’t the most professionally done one, but that was fine. Basil could fix it in the car.

Right before he paid though, Basil asked for three white roses separately, deciding that he could just figure out the placement himself, and then finally paid for all of his things in record time.

Or, it would have been record time if the guy working had a few more brain cells in the old noggin. 

“What took so long?” Kel asked impatiently, glancing to his wrist at an invisible watch. 

“Yeah, and no offense to whoever did that, but that’s a little… Messy.” Aubrey referred to the flowers in his hands, trying to sound as nice as possible. Basil plopped back in his seat, stressfully fumbling with the roses. “Slow employee. I have no idea who that guy was, b-but that doesn’t matter! I can fix this!” Basil expressed manically. 

Within the short time span, he was miraculously able to fix how it looked and place the three white roses he’d asked for in the center of the bouquet, being elegantly cushioned around the red ones that were originally the only one’s incorporated. Aubrey had been watching his every move the whole time, intrigued by this frenzied side of Basil she rarely saw and celebrated with him when he’d finished. It warmed Basil’s chest that she’d actually shown somewhat care towards his situation, but he had no time to waste getting all sentimental.

The four of them eventually found their way to the auditorium, and if you ignore how unbelievably huge the school was, it was as if they weren’t just lost in the twists and turns of the hallways! Luckily, they’d made it on time and exactly where Sunny’s mother had reserved spots for them. 

When she caught sight of them, she waved them down, smiling softly at them and grabbing Aubrey’s hand in particular, telling her how beautiful she looked. Basil supposes that she’s like a second mother to her seeing as Aubrey’s own didn’t do such a good job being there for her, and when she caught eyes with Basil, she smiled even more gently towards him. 

“Ah! I was afraid you four weren’t going to make it.” She’d expressed quietly as Basil sat beside her, bouquet still in hand. “W-We may have got… distracted.” He confessed with the slightest bit of shame tracing his voice. The graduation process had already started, but it was nothing much to pay attention to right now.

Maria, which was still so strange to call her instead of Ms. Suzuki in Basil's humble opinion, glanced down at his bouquet, eyes glistening with consternation for a split second before she brought her motherly look back up to him. “Ah yes, for Sunny?” She assumed, and Basil swears that for a second a cognitive smile came across her face when she saw the three white roses. Perhaps though; it was his imagination. The implication and meaning behind them weren’t exactly the friendliness, but they didn’t mean anything rude either.

No, they meant something far beyond that, and Basil doesn’t know why he didn’t consider the fact that Sunny’s mother works with flowers for a living now when he was thinking it through.

It was too late now.

Basil nodded shyly, cheeks developing a soft glow to them, “Ahaha… Y-Yes ma’am. I thought h-he might like them.” he stuttered like a fool. A fool in love nonetheless.

She chuckled in response to his nervousness, tracing her thumb across the petals and then lifting her hand to tuck a stray hair away from his face. Afterwards, she lightly rubbed his cheek like she often did to Sunny in the mornings, “Oh sweetie, I’m sure he will…” she assured him, causing the flush in Basil’s face to worsen.

Even if Basil had wanted to have a better relationship with his parents, he’s sure it couldn’t have gotten any better. While his relationship with Polly still may be a little strained, it’s better than it was, and while he’s still unsure of how Sunny’s mother thinks of him…

That smile that she wore on her face, was it genuine? Looking now it seemed like it was, and even if it wasn’t, she was still trying so hard just for his sake. That was way more than his own parents would’ve done.

As he was stuck in his thoughts, the orchestral music that was promised by Sunny started playing, pulling him directly out and back into reality. So Basil paid his attention towards the stage and names of all the seniors being called out, which was an overwhelming lot, clapping a little louder when Mincy was up on the stage–her usual bubbly personality presenting itself. And even though Basil couldn’t see their school’s orchestra, since they were in the pit, whatever that was, he swore that he could hear the distinct sound of Sunny’s pretty violin skills. Although it could just be all in his head, he liked to believe the sound he was focused in on was him.

Despite Sunny’s decision to play the violin again, it was still a rare occurrence for him to one–have it on him, and two–play for anyone at all. It was kind of cute how embarrassed Sunny got when he played for anyone separate from his school’s orchestra, but it was also a little saddening that the confidence he had to play in the past had worn off into something that was way more hesitant and insecure. Of course, Sunny doesn’t have to play the violin; Basil hopes that he doesn’t feel forced at any point and is actually enjoying it this time around. 

Applause rang out as the senior class was announced to be officially named graduated from Bluewoods High School, which ironically was the first time Basil’s heard the actual name of the school, followed by cheering from happy family members and crying from overjoyed parents. Silently, Basil is grateful he attends a smaller school, because the amount of chatter and yelling around him was overwhelming and can only be traced back to the fact that so many people live around and attend this school.

Fortunately, Sunny’s mother informed them that they were going to meet Mincy and some of her family in a different spot that wasn't so rowdy, relieving Basil of his anxiety rising even more. 

A soft but firm grip greeted Basil’s hand from beside him. He turned to face Aubrey whose attitude had changed into something a bit more contented, and smiled in his direction. She lifted her left hand, which to his surprise was encased with Kel’s, “If we’re gonna match, might as well stick together, yeah?” she said, her tone almost childish–innocent even. 

Basil smiled gingerly at her, nodding with affirmative ease as the three squeezed their way through the crowd led by both Hero and Ms. Maria. The two adults chatted over all the loud sounds, speaking of Hero’s high school graduation and how much his own parents had wept at the sight of their first-born son becoming a free bird. Sunny’s mother engaged cheerfully, recalling how nervous Mari had been about graduating herself and watching as slowly her son was becoming the same way. It was a little sad seeing as Mari never got to finish school, but the fact that her existence wasn’t a sore subject any longer made Basil feel like things really are changing for the better.

When they arrived at the meeting spot, Basil was immediately greeted with a very fidgety Sunny standing and hiding behind Mincy, who was talking to a few older people he assumed to be distant family. The black haired boy's tension in his body softened as his mother cupped his face, kissing his forehead lovingly to tell him he did a good job, and nested within the side of her body with a hug as a cat would do with their owner. 

He seemed surprised as his attention shifted to his friends, face glowing energetically as Kel tore away from the others to hug him brotherly and tell him how awesome they’d sounded. Hero chimed in shortly after congratulating Mincy, telling Sunny how glad he was to be able to finally hear their school’s orchestra play, and Aubrey agreed with them, saying that even though she couldn’t see him she still thoroughly enjoyed the music. And once everything was said and done with them, it was finally just him and Basil left alone to talk to each other.

As Basil got a better look at him, he realized that Sunny was wearing a tuxedo, minus the tie or bow, and looked really nice and done up. He also lacked an eyepatch, leaving his scar out for just anyone to see, but if he wasn’t concerned neither was Basil. 

A light blush dusted across Basil’s face as he chuckled amusingly towards him, eyes capping upwards, “A tuxedo? H-How fancy…” he mused.

Sunny smiled, abashed, and tugged on his shirt collar as his whole body heated up. “Y-Yeah. My mom made me wear it.” He stuttered. 

“You look cute… Or wait! M-Maybe that’s not the best word to use.” Basil stumbled across his words, face reddening from slight distress, “Nice! Y-You look nice…” he finally settled on. At the same time, he held the bouquet up to the taller boy in front of him, gesturing for him to take them. “F-For you. I thought you might like them.” Basil exclaimed, fumbling with his fingers since he no longer had anything in his hands to mess with.

Sunny’s mouth gaped with bewilderment, eye dazzling fondly at the flowers, and admired the bouquet before catching Basil’s eyes with his own. He could’ve sworn that something intimate was caught in Sunny’s admirable look, but brushed it to the side as he was pulled in for a friendly hug. “Thanks Bas, I love them…” He said into his ear softly. 

As much as Basil would’ve liked for the moment between the two to continue, it couldn’t, and didn’t when there were more important things happening around them. For the first time, Basil got to meet Mincy’s father, who was unexpectedly very funny, and a few other family members that came to watch her walk the stage. And as the chatting between them all continued, Basil couldn't help feeling a little out of place, like he wasn’t meant to be here at all.

He wants to push the feeling back deep within his gut, but that would only make the beating of his guilty heart faster and wrang with a gross feeling of muck. Basil realized that he couldn’t announce his choice to stay here amidst all the chaos, because this event wasn’t about him and that would be so selfish .

Sunny seemed to notice his uncomfortableness, and began dragging them away without even asking to a nearby bathroom. 

“Sunny, s-someone’s gonna notice that we-”

“Basil...” Sunny interrupted without even giving him a chance to get out what he was going to say, and pulled him in for an embrace. Basil’s back hit the bathrooms cold tiles and he shivered; Sunny buried his chin in the crook of his neck, “Something’s bothering you. Talk.” he demanded. Not in a mean way, but it definitely made Basil feel the need to crack already.

He reddened, partially because of how close together their bodies were but also because Sunny had read his feelings like an open book, and cared enough to confront him about it, and after some consideration, he subtly expressed what was on his mind as they somewhat separated their skin-to-skin touch. “I d-don’t want to leave… So I’m not leaving.” He stated clearly, watching as Sunny’s face seemed to struggle to comprehend. 

“The bathroom or Faraway?” He eventually asked to clarify, grinning since even he knew that was a dumb question. Basil pushed a hand on Sunny’s chest, amused by his ways of getting him to cheer up. “You know what I mean, dummy…” He bantered, sighing out of his nose. 

Basil felt the tight knots from deep within his chest loosen a bit, “Sunny, my parents are already gone, they have been for a f-few days.” he confessed. “They… They don’t want me, I realize that now. B-But I think… I think that’s okay. Because I don’t want them either.” 

“Basil, did your parents leave you without even considering if you wanted to go with them?” Sunny asked, a concerned and stern stare greeting him. He shook his head in response, “N-No! I chose to stay here. I just think a p-part of me wished they cared enough about me to want to stay.” he clarified, lowering his head sadly. “But th-that was stupid. I’m an idiot for believing that they actually wanted to change…”

Sunny encased Basil’s face between his hands, “It’s not stupid to want your parents to want you, they’re the idiots for leaving you behind so easily.” he said, expression shifting reverently. “I want you Basil. I… I couldn’t be happier hearing that you’re staying here with us, and I’m sure the others will too–if that was what you were worried about.” 

Basil wiped away a few small tears that had begun trickling down his face, and simpered as he laughed sadly, “S-Sunny… You know me so well, s-sometimes it scares me.”

“I have to. You don’t make it easy to give you the help you need and deserve sometimes.”

“Deserve huh? You’re a bit of a flatterer, Sunny. That’s w-what my therapist’s for…”

“Basil it’s not flattery when I tell you that you deserve help. You’re too humble sometimes…” Sunny frowned, pulling him back into the embrace by his waist, “Let me be here for you. Nothing has to be fixed, just let me feel your pain like you’ve always felt mine.” he muttered breathlessly into his neck. 

Streams of tears ran down Basil’s cheeks as he rested his hands on Sunny’s back, indebted at his insistence to be there for him; emotionally supporting him in every step of the way. He almost feels a tinge of guilt, but didn’t when he remembered his therapist's teachings of self care and acceptance of other people's help. 

As he cried his last bit of tears out, and apologized for getting Sunny’s suit wet, the only thing he could focus on was how sincere he was being towards him–petting his cheek, telling him it was okay… Sunny had told him that he wanted him, but was it in the same way that Basil wanted Sunny?

“S-Sunny…” He called out, grabbing a handful of his shirt collar and gently twisting at it. “I… I-” Basil could barely get words out, “I-I lo…” and considered if what he wanted to say was even worth it right now.

“I l-love how much you care about other people. E-Especially me…” He settled for instead, not willing to take the risk while he was in such a fragile state. “You’re s-such a good friend, Sunny. How can I ever thank you for that?”

Sunny’s face had fallen with a sullen dissatisfaction at what he had said, hoping that it had only been more. Though he was sure Basil didn’t notice since Sunny remained as self-assured as before. “Don’t.” He told him simply and honestly. “What you can do is tell everyone about your choice. I know you’re anxious, but it’s okay. After all… it’s not like they can have a negative reaction about you choosing to stay.” 

At this, Basil nodded firmly, swayed by his wondrous words. “When you talk like that, I s-start to believe you may be right…” He conceded, disengaging their tangled together bodies. And even though they were now physically separated, the emotional connection they had grew even stronger as they regrouped with the rest of their friends.

…

The next time the topic was brought up was outside, in a semi-empty parking lot as the group chowed down on some ice cream Kel suggested they go order. The place was a little sketchy, and for an ice cream place was open quite late, but Basil was enjoying his strawberry sundae that he ordered, and Kel was definitely more than euphoric to have been able to order a banana split. Sunny had ordered a small vanilla cone that he was still somehow eating despite ordering forever ago, Hero got a chocolate dipped cone, and Aubrey a caramel ice cream pop. 

Four out of the five of them were matching in similar dress shirts since Sunny took off his suit jacket–the rest of them tried to convince Hero to do the same since they might as well embrace it, but he refused. Not because he was embarrassed, he kept insisting, but because he was “cold,” even though it was over seventy degrees. 

Basil finished up his last lick of ice cream before he began speaking, and also waited for Kel to finish up a story about a recent sports game that he’d gone to. He cleared his throat, drawing their attention towards him, and with all eyes on him Basil began fanning himself from how hot he was feeling. “Ah- um… S-Sorry I just wanted to say that… Geez, is it hot out here, or is it just me?!?” 

Sunny rolled his eye, glancing up at the others, “Basil’s staying in Faraway.” he said on his behalf. 

Basil was a little bit disappointed that he couldn't say it himself, but who was he kidding? He probably would’ve ended up asking Sunny to help him out there anyway…

Kel immediately hopped forward, getting up in Basil’s face, “Y-You are? You really mean it!?” he asked in excitement. But before he could respond, Aubrey yanked him away and out of his personal space, “Kel, give him some room, you’re making him nervous.” she scolded, looking hopefully up into his eyes. “But are you really?” 

Basil nodded, holding his hands to his chest tightly, “Y-Yes…” he confirmed in a hushed voice. “I made up my mind a w-while ago, but I was too s-scared to tell you guys. I’m sorry…” 

Hero gripped one of his shoulders reassuringly, “Basil… did you think we would be upset at you choosing not to move away or something? There’s nothing wrong with you choosing to stay.” he asked. 

“I-I don’t know! I th-thought maybe because no one was telling me what I should do th-that you all wanted me gone… I-I’m sorry…” Basil apologized, gasping when he was pulled into a side hug from both Aubrey and Kel.

“Dude, of course we want you here!” Kel told him. Aubrey nodded in agreement, wiping a happy tear that had formed in the corner of her eye away, “Basil, we didn’t say anything because it's not our decision to make. I totally would've said something if I'd known you wanted us to…” she sniffled. 

Happy tears welled up in Basil’s eyes as he indulged in his friend's warmth, placing a hand on either side of their faces. “Y-You guys are the best…!” He beamed, laughing as the two held him close. 

As his vision blurred, Basil could see as Sunny crossed his arms and smiled at him, radiating an, “I told you so” energy. He wants to thank him for saying what Basil couldn’t for him, but he definitely already knows based on the way he was looking at him.

Through laughter and tears, Basil eventually calmed himself, collected with the fact that he’d, or rather Sunny, finally informed them all that he was staying. They all seemed thrilled about the fact rather than ambiguous like he thought they’d be, and that just made him happier. A feeling of being wanted washed over him–something he hasn’t felt in a very long time. 

As the group concluded their time there, elated that Basil chose to stay in Faraway, they gathered themselves in the car for the trip back home. Well, Sunny’s wouldn’t take too long, but in the time it’d taken to arrive at his apartment he was already fast asleep on Basil’s shoulder, slightly drooling. 

Aubrey, who was on the other side of Basil, leaned over and prodded Sunny’s cheek. “Ewwww, you’re just letting him drool on you like that?” She asked as they were almost at their destination. Basil giggled when the poking she’d done had made Sunny shift, containing a smile behind his palm, “I-It’s kind of cute… He’s so sleepy.” Basil quietly cooed, gently trying to shake him awake, “Sunny, wake up…” he whispered.

The boy asleep on his shoulder didn’t budge–most likely awake and aware of what he was doing when he closed his mouth and wrapped his hand around Basil’s arm tighter. It was a bit frustrating but at the same time adorable. As Hero pulled up as close as he could to his apartment door and parked, he turned around from the driver's seat and nudged Sunny harder than Basil had, “Come on sleepyhead, one of us is going to have to carry you if you don’t wake up.” he said half-jokingly. 

“Well it’s not going to be me, you’d catch me dead before carrying a man in my arms.” Aubrey crossed her arms, hmphing a little too aggressively. Kel whipped around, “I’ll do it! Sunny weighs like, what? A hundred pounds?” 

“Kel, you’re going to hit his head on something out of carelessness.” Hero expressed straight up and honestly. 

Basil tapped his thumbs together, “I-I’m too small to carry him…” he mumbled. In all honesty, Basil probably could carry him from all the muscle he’s gained from working in the garden, but that was too embarrassing… Plus, he’s a little petty that Sunny’s refusing to wake up and trying to get someone to carry him inside instead.

A sigh was heaved from the tallest of the group, “I’ll carry him if you’ll unlock his door for me, Basil.” Hero volunteered when it became apparent Sunny wasn’t going to budge. So Basil agreed, pocketing the key to his door out of Sunny’s back pants pocket and then watching as Hero pried him out of the vehicle. His limbs were flimsy as if he were completely asleep, but Basil believed that there had to still be some kind of consciousness inside of him, aware that they were doing his dirty work. 

He managed to unlock the door without too much noise, leading Hero towards his room. His mother was nowhere to be seen, meaning she was probably already asleep, so they became more cautious to not potentially make a ruckus and scare her awake. As Hero laid him down, he made sure he was covered properly and didn’t have any arms or legs hanging off the side, and patted his hands together as a dad would.

Once he was done, Hero looked around a bit at his new room, commenting about how much he’s grown out of his old one and into his new one. When he began to walk out, he told Basil to make sure to lock the door back when they left, and right as he began to leave Sunny’s room such as Hero did, a small, tired voice called out for him.

“Basil… No, don’t go…” Sunny said, rubbing his eye's tiredly as he sat up slightly in his place. “Stay.”

A knowing grin came across Basil’s face, confident in the fact that Sunny had been taking advantage and if not humored by the fact that they were willing to carry him inside his own home. 

Basil bent down on his knees next to his bed, “Sunny… I can’t. I’ve got school in the morning.” he susurrated, and inhaled sharply as Sunny used his last bit of strength to pull him up and in his bed right beside him. He waited for Basil to adjust himself, “Look, comfy… You don’t wanna leave.” he murmured under his breath. “Come ooon! Lay down…” He continued to whine.

Basil was awed about how much Sunny continued on with his antics, determined to get him to sleep overnight for some mysterious reason, and if he did his calculations right, Basil would just have to wake up an hour earlier to make it to school. Not that it matters too much since he only had a few more days left and he was done for summer. It really wasn’t a bother to him, especially when he had Sunny begging to sleep with him–his stomach churned knowing that they’d be sleeping in the same bed. A twin sized one nonetheless. 

He heaved a sigh, looking down towards Sunny’s face that was mostly relaxed. His eyes squinted open as Basil stood up, “O-Okay… But I have to l-leave early! I can’t skip school for you again, Sunny...” he caved. A satisfied smile came across the other’s face, “Deal. I’ll walk you to the bus stop tomorrow.” he agreed. 

Knowing that, a slight blush came to Basil’s cheeks as he informed the other’s he would be staying the night, slightly derailing them, but they didn’t seem to mind. Aubrey in particular seemed like she had her suspicions but kept quiet, and bid him an ostentatious farewell. He waved them goodbye as they pulled out and away, and quickly shot himself back inside, locking the door in fear of being watched and targeted in the middle of the city's dark night. The area wasn’t known for its dangers, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Basil left his shoes out by the front door, and undid a few of his buttons to his dress shirt to make sleeping in it a bit more bearable. It was a complete mystery how Sunny managed to sleep in anything like he was now, still fully clothed minus his shoes, but he’d always been the type to fall asleep when and however he pleased. 

Basil on the other hand? He had enough trouble getting to sleep as it is. “Sunny, I’m not sleeping in these pants, they’re v-very uncomfortable.” He stated once he’d entered back into his room again, crossing his arms and raising a brow when Sunny had made grabby hands towards him. The other frowned, putting his hands behind his head as he pouted, “Then just take them off.” he suggested.

His proposition made Basil gawk, spewing empty and meaningless sounds in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “T-Take them off? I’m not sleeping in m-my underwear with you!” He stuttered, a rosy look dusting his entire body as Sunny arose entirely from his spot to look him up and down. 

A blank stare greeted him from across the room, “It’s only weird if you make it weird. We’re both guys, who cares?” 

Basil scoffed, surprised by how calmly he could say such a thing, “I-If you’re so inclined t-to insist such a thing, then y-you do it!” he yelped as quietly as possible, voice cracking the more this adverse conversation went on. What he didn’t expect was for him to shrug, and actually start unbuttoning and unzipping himself so casually. Before he could successfully undress himself though, Basil intervened, covering his eyes the more agitated he got.

“Stop! D-Don’t actually do it! I was just kidding…” He exclaimed, relieved when he heard Sunny zipping himself back up and uncovered his eyes–that tonight still maintained their purity, and decided to just rummage through Sunny’s dresser himself. “I’ll just wear s-something of yours…” He said, avoiding the top drawer on the assumption that it was just socks and other garments he owned.  

Sunny raised a brow when he’d picked out a pair of plain black shorts, “I didn’t say you could wear that.” he said in a badgering tone, and Basil, who had grabbed another pair for Sunny to wear, threw it directly in the other’s face and put his hands on his hips in an authoritative manner, “D-Don’t be a jerk and dress decently for bed, Suzuki!” he scowled.

He seemed to get the message, standing up and turning around to undress just as Basil was about to do the same. The relief of his legs being freed from those long constricting pants was wonderful, and when he glanced over his shoulder to see that Sunny looked to be the same, he smiled as he mindlessly folded and placed them on a random surface. He kind of can’t believe he got swayed into staying over again, but Sunny was Sunny, so he also wasn’t shocked that he had been. 

Sunny was the first to crawl back to bed, making enough room for Basil’s smaller frame to fit, and gestured tiredly towards the spot. Hesitantly, Basil complied by laying down, back facing towards him. They were close, bodies pressing up against each other as he’d expected, so when Sunny wrapped his arms around Basil’s torso he wasn’t put into too much surprise. Still, the fact that they were snuggled up against each other was enough to make the butterflies in Basil’s stomach flutter faster than they had been before.

A faint, “Night Bas…” followed by the sound of soft snoring could be heard and felt reverberating off his own body from behind him, leaving Basil in disbelief from how fast he was able to fall asleep. Sunny’s always been the type, but the way anyone could just immediately fall into a deep slumber as soon as their head hit the pillow was a foreign concept to Basil. 

Or at least it was, until tonight. It was almost an immediate transition–one moment Basil was asleep, and the next he was waking up in the middle of the night with Sunny still clung to his back. 

Groggily, he searched for Sunny’s alarm clock and read the time– three o’clock in the morning. 

That means that Basil’s already been asleep for about five hours, which was unlike him. Usually, he’d twist and turn for a couple hours before finally finding rest and falling into an uneasy sleep, but this time around, with the comfort of Sunny cuddling up against him, he almost immediately fell asleep with ease, and didn’t feel as restless as he usually did. Which got him wondering, did having Sunny wrapped up all around him cause this? And even so, why? What psychological reason could there be for this?

His eyes lidded from exhaustion, bored out of his mind as his brain searched for answers. Because in the end, did it really matter? He doesn't need explanation for every little change in his body, nor should he worry about it either. And as these thoughts subsided and before his brain shut down completely, he wheezed out a small cough as the grip around his waist got tighter, realizing that Sunny was becoming more and more erratic-like in his sleep. 

“Basil…” He mumbled with an uneven breath, legs thrashing from side to side, and head buried as far as possible into Basil’s back. 

“Sunny?” Basil called back, trying to crane his neck around to look back, but it was hard with all of the weight that was being forced down on him. The heat he was emitting was becoming unbearable, almost suffocating, and when a sound similar to weeping began pouring helplessly out of his throat, Basil pried out of his grasp immediately.

His chest was unevenly rising up and down faster than it should be for a sleeping person, and tears were pouring out the corners of his eyes, soaking the pillow he was laid atop of. He looked so paralyzed with fear, even if his eyes were closed and he was just having a nightmare–it was undeniable that Sunny was having a panic attack. 

As gentle as he could be, but also completely frantic, Basil attempted to shake him awake so he could calm him down. “S-Sunny, wake up… You’re just having a bad dream, you’re going to b-be okay!” He assured him, not sure if he could hear him or not. 

The more Sunny went on like this, not waking up, the more unpredictable his movements were becoming–pulling at his own hair, kicking his legs like he was trying to run away, and when his tears started to dry up on his cheeks, he finally began waking up. Far from peacefully, but his demeanor changed as he realized Basil was by his side, trying to calm him down. 

A blush of embarrassment and confusion at the situation settled on Sunny’s cheeks, pupil darting all over the room before landing on his previous cuddle buddy, “B-Basil…?” he stuttered.

In return, Basil smiled ambivalently, short-winded as Sunny threw his body around him for a comforting hug. “Y-Yeah, it’s me, you’re awake…” He reassured him, using his hands to massage Sunny’s scalp. The boy looked like he could about fall asleep in his arms, even if they weren’t in the most comfortable position, but suddenly parted away–squeezing Basil’s cheeks, pulling them from every angle, and even sticking a finger in his mouth.

Basil bit him as a fight-or-flight response, marginally regretting it when Sunny shook his pointer finger in pain, but also not when that had been such a weird first thing to do after waking up from a nightmare, “S-Sunny! That was your own fault! Y-You know I bite!” Basil yelped. The darker boy let out a small laugh, nodding in return, “I know. That’s why I did that, to make sure you’re real…”

“Are- Are you okay? You s-seemed very distressed… Were you having a nightmare?!?” He questioned with concern. Sunny only frowned, sadly glaring into the other’s pretty eyes, “B-Basil… I’m- I’m sorry…” he apologized. 

Basil titled his head in confusion, “F-For what?” he asked. 

“For dragging you into this… Shit! I’m such an idiot.” Sunny exclaimed, eyes watering as he stifled a few sniffles. “I-I made you stay here even though you’ve got school tomorrow, a-and just because I was selfish and didn't want you to leave.” He muttered, obviously very angry and upset with himself. 

“Sunny, what are you talking about?” Basil shook his head in disbelief at what he was hearing, this abrupt change in attitude taking him off guard. 

“I… I’ve been having really bad night terrors recently. They’re so realistic, and scary… I haven’t been able to sleep, and having you with me makes me feel safe. You’re comfortable–I feel so comfortable with you around.” Sunny confessed, scrambling his hands through his longish black hair. “I just wanted to be able to sleep again, b-but I just ended up waking you up and m-making you a part of them…” 

Basil hummed, taking one of his hands into both of his own, and rubbed his thumbs into his palm to relax him. “Did you think I wouldn’t have left if I wanted to? Sunny, I don’t sleep at night, what makes you think tonight was any different?” 

Sunny whimpered guiltily, squeezing his hands in reply, “Because you were asleep. You…” he held back a chuckle as he began saying the next part aloud. “You snore kind of loudly…” 

“Oh my God, I-I do?!” Basil gawked, face churning out of mortification and covering his expression with his arms. As discomfiting as that was, he was still glad to hear Sunny laughing after what looked and sounded to be such an awful dream, and while he wanted this to last, he knew he should ask about the inevitable. 

“If you don’t mind, Sunny… what exactly was your dream about?”

The humored and delighted face he wore downturned into something distressed, and Sunny seemed to think about it carefully before coming to an answer. 

A hard swallow followed before his speech, “I was… hurting you. Badly. Even though you were begging me to stop, I kept going even though I didn’t want to.” he said, quickly deciding that leaving it off like that was a bit concerning. “It’s not always like that! U-Usually my mind fixates on something and j-just… you know? Messes with me!” He said, hands frantically shaking. “B-Basil… I didn’t- I wouldn't… I would never hurt you like-”

“Shhh…” Basil shushed him, indicating for him to turn the other way. Sunny followed as he was asked, and sighed in bliss when Basil hugged their bodies together as they laid back down. “I know Sunny. That’s why it’s a night terror . L-Let’s go back to sleep, and you just relax, yeah?” He suggested to take his mind off of things. Sunny hummed shyly, curling into his grip now that he was the one being coddled instead. 

This, in all honesty, is a super not friendly thing to be doing to your best friend, and most likely unheard of happening between two almost young adults when their relationship was completely platonic, but Basil couldn’t care less anymore, nor could he contain the affection he wanted to share with him. He’s extremely touch depraved, as is Sunny, and having him in his arms like this was one of the most satisfying feelings he’s ever had.

Plus, perhaps their relationship wasn't completely platonic–at least Basil had something going for the boy, but in fear of ruining their friendship, he would nourish these moments they got together like this, further engage whenever the chance arose, and just simply not say anything more that could complicate things. Things are fine as is, why ruin that?

This time with Sunny in his arms, allayed and cared for as he rubbed his back, Basil fell asleep after a good amount of time and stayed like that for the rest of the night…

…When the next morning rolled around, Basil woke up empty handed of Sunny and completely alone in his bed. He was slightly disappointed by that fact, but too fatigued to even care too much, and eventually realized that his scent still lingered on the blanket he was snuggled up in. However, right as he was about to fall back asleep with his senses focused on how nice his bed smelt and felt, a small voice and gentle poking greeted him. 

“Basil… Wake up sleepyhead.” The voice greeted him, poking continuously down his side. Basil squirmed out of reach, lifting his eyes to see Sunny peering over at him. Seeing that he was now awake, A toothy smile came across his face as he leaned down closer to his face.

“Mmmh… W-What time is it?” Basil asked with a groan, confused how Sunny was able to manage to wake up so early and seem perfectly functional. 

“It’s half past six. I let you sleep in a little…” Sunny replied, unwinding Basil’s little cocoon he had going on with his blankets. “Come eat. Mom made you breakfast and I made you your favorite kind of tea…” 

Basil moaned in slight protest, but perked up at the mention of one of his favorite drinks. He sat up, eyes sparkling with appreciation, “You made oolong jasmine green tea?” he asked with a wide grin. Sunny laughed at his excitement, “Yes… Come on now.” Sunny ogled, pulling Basil up from his spot and leading him to the kitchen.

The smell of freshly made pancakes was spread all over the house and directly up Basil’s nose, making for a welcoming breakfast. Sunny broke away for a moment to greet Lily, who had meowed at the presence of their arrivals, and began rubbing at Basil’s ankles. It was very apparent that she was fond of him, though he had no clue why, and often when he slept over, Sunny would get jealous when she’d choose to sleep with Basil instead of him. It was kind of cute, both Sunny and the cat, that he was so jealous of Basil in that case.

Or perhaps, he was jealous of the cat? Now that Basil knows how cuddly Sunny is in bed–something he feels like he shouldn’t have discovered, but did anyway. But at last, this was only wishful thinking. 

Basil chimed sweetly as a mug of his favorite tea was placed in his hands, sundrops hitting his tongue as he began sipping down. He hummed in pure happiness as he continued his way to their dining room. 

Sunny’s mother greeted him, pushing his bangs back to make better eye contact with him. “Good morning Basil! Did my Sunny make you stay overnight?” She asked, slightly ruffling at his hair. “Aww, don’t worry about him… he gets pretty lonely here without you…” She added on, a flushness coming to her cheeks as she grinned a genuine smile. Sunny stomped in, an embarrassed expression appearing across his face, and rosy red on his ears, “M-Mom! Stop it!”

“Oh dear! You heard me…” She expressed in a fakeish surprise, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. 

“Of course I heard you, I’m just in the other room…” Sunny said with a pout, fighting a hug from his mother but eventually giving in, and allowing her to wrap her arms around and cradle his head to her chest, “Ohhh, my baby boy… One day, It’ll be you walking across that stage. You’re growing up too fast…”

Basil silently watched the exchange, settling down at the table and eating on the pancakes specially made for him. Sunny managed to shoo her off of him by saying, “Basil’s going to be late if you hold us up any longer!” and sat down dreadfully next to the mint haired boy. Ms. Maria tapped her long fingernail against the wooden table, shouting, “Isoge! Eat fast then, boys.” to them before exiting the room. 

The two ate in awkward silence for a while before Basil had caught Sunny staring at him with soft eyes, and observed as he quickly looked away. Not wanting to let this slide, Basil nudged him with an elbow to gain his attention. “Miss me, huh?” He teased.

Sunny grumbled, jutting his lip as he buried his face behind an arm, “Yeah… So what?” he mumbled.

“So nothing, I miss you all the time too…” Basil admitted, tilting his head in his direction, and watching as Sunny struggled to hold back a gratified grin. He attempted to hide it by stuffing his face with a portion of his breakfast, but Basil knows what he saw.

An abrupt awakening and short breakfast later, Basil was in Sunny’s room choosing out clothes to wear, since he didn’t exactly have the time to go home and wear his own, but this made for a very interesting look on him. Sunny still had his old khaki shorts, explaining to him how he could now actually properly fit in them. Beforehand, the shorts were quite large and loose on him, barely hanging on his waist by a thread last summer, and they happened to be precisely Basil’s size.

The shirt choice however, was… interesting–oversized, black, edgy. He was basically drowning in the fabric and wondered if this is how he looked in it, how did Sunny? Basil squinted his eyes with equivocacy and bit his bottom lip with distaste. The image of a band he’s sure he’s seen Aubrey listening to was printed on the front, and just as he was going to say something about it, Sunny appeared behind him in the mirror, adjusting how it fit on him. 

He hummed, folding it upwards and slightly tucking it in for him, “Hmmm, good fit?” he said, slightly sarcastically. An embarrassed look appeared across Basil's face as he gritted his teeth, “S-Sunny… This is way too big for me.” he said through them.

“It’s comfortable though, is it not?”

Basil nodded slowly–hugging his arms to revel in the softness of Sunny’s clothing, and enjoying how the smell of citrus lingered on them. If he wore this to school he’d undoubtedly get questionable looks and maybe even questioned by his friends, but he doesn’t really have a choice at the moment.

“It’ll have to do.” Basil said, smoothing his hands over his chest. From his choice of words, Sunny looked slightly offended, but not enough to be actually upset, and shrugged as he dragged the two to where they’d left their shoes and eventually out of the house. 

Basil hadn’t even bothered taking the clothes he was wearing last night with him, determining that picking them up at a later date would be easier than carrying them around all day. The only other belongings he had on him were his flip phone and earbuds he’d recently gotten to listen to music to fall asleep to and pass the time. He didn’t listen to anything in particular, mostly just instrumentals, but it got him thinking about what exactly Sunny had been listening to these days. 

“So… Taking music recommendations f-from Aubrey?” Basil started a conversation, inquiring him about his music taste. As they began walking down the sidewalk together even further, the amount of people on their feet and in the roads began to increase, which wasn’t a surprise since it was a work day. In reply, Sunny had scratched the back of his head, and kicked a rock that was loosely scattered on the ground into the void of the open road, “What makes you assume that?” 

“Because, I recognize this band's name from one o-of Aubrey’s playlists she's tried to get me to listen to. I’m not… too big on loud music though.” He explained, tracing his fingers over the big textured letters displayed over his chest. “But you’ve got good taste, so maybe I will g-give their songs a listen.” 

Basil’s enthusiasm made Sunny ameliorate in an instance, and the swaying motions of his excited hands made a prominent point, “They have a lot of variety, I think you might like their slower and softer songs and sounds…!” He bellowed, wrapping his arms around himself when he realized how loud he’d gotten, and lowered his head as well as the tone of his voice. “I mean… only If you want to…”

Basil nodded, giggling with two fingers covering his lips, “Hehe, you’re p-pretty adorable when you get passionate about music…”

“Adorable…?” Sunny repeated, ailed by his word choice and reddening by his confidence. 

“Huh? O-Oh, sorry… poor word choice?” Basil asked, entertained by how flustered he looked. “Is… cute better? Sweet? Charming…?” He questioned coyishly. Sunny bumped shoulders with him, purposefully trying to make distance between him and the boy to his side, “Al-Alright, you can shut up now.” he bewildered, agitated by his antics. 

Basil went to the extent of extending his hand, grabbing onto Sunny’s wrist and pulling him back to his side, “Aww, come on now… Don’t wander off, I’ll g-get lost… You wouldn’t want that now, would you?” he asked, an amorous tone still tracing his voice. An annoyed noise erupted from the other boy as he flicked his wrist to where he was the one holding Basil’s hand instead, and tightened his grip to where he’s sure they won’t get separated. 

“There, that better…?” Sunny asked him, to which Basil shyly nodded since he’d been outwitted. And once that interaction was done and over, the rest of the walk was filled with silence, minus the city ambience. They’d occasionally bump shoulders which really wasn’t all a big deal, Basil just felt awful that his inability to walk straight might be a slight annoyance. Sunny kept assuring him that it was okay; he always did. 

Once the two arrived at the bus stop it wasn’t long before the bus itself had arrived and Basil had to depart from the other. Sunny looked somewhat upset by the fact that he had to leave, but sought out a smile as he fared him goodbye. Basil did the same, smiling smally his way as he said, “I’ll see you again soon, Sunny.” and saw his way off. 

He made sure to choose an empty window seat so he could wave him goodbye as the bus took off for Faraway, settling down lethargically and comfortably in the surprisingly soft seat. Once he was about halfway through the ride, Basil dozed off for a while, quietly groaning before fully processing that he was awake and slept through the other half of the ride–and had arrived at his stop. 

A short walk later and he was at the place he dreaded going to so often, happy that summer break was just a few days away and would be out of school in just a year. As he passed by the faces of the people he often passed by in the hall, he got a few questioning and confused looks on the sudden change of appearance, which would usually bother Basil, but he didn't have the energy or willpower to even care at this point, so he walked right by with the same expression he’d had on when he’d arrived.

And it was only a matter of time before he ran into Aubrey at their usual meeting area–or, to word that better, until Aubrey ran into him. There were intense bags under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept and/or was extremely stressed out, and she was more fidgety than usual. A word hadn’t even been spoken out of her mouth before she began dragging Basil off somewhere, grip tight and eyes darting from place to place in a frantic manner. 

“H-Hey, Aubrey! Wh-Where are we-”

“Shhh!” Aubrey shushed him, pulling him towards and inside the women's restroom against his will. He tried to protest since he doesn’t belong in there, but his attempts were unsuccessful and ignored as he was trying to pull away. 

The unpredictable girl in front of him locked the door to the entire bathroom behind them, which in all honesty; Basil had paid no attention to the lock on those doors. He didn’t even know that a lock to the entire bathroom existed until now, and awed at the way she cried out while kicking in the stall doors to make sure they were alone. Once she confirmed that they were, and splashed water on her face as she caught her breath, Aubrey’s natural dark eyes met Basil’s, filled with anguish and slight anger. He whimpered, fearing that she may be upset with him, but right as he was about to ask, Aubrey exclaimed, “Holy shit! Is that Sunny’s shirt you’re wearing?” and her entire attitude softened.

Basil opened one of the eyes that he’d forced closed to take a look at her, who still looked quite upset, but ultimately he knew it wasn’t towards himself.

“U-Um… Yes? I stayed overnight with n-nothing on me. Did you expect me to re-wear something that hadn’t been washed?” He raised a brow towards her, slightly anxious by the way she was pacing around in her spot. Something had clearly happened, and it wasn’t good.

She grinned wittily at him, deciding to hold back the teasing about his deathly obvious crush he had and instead tried to come off as more serious since what she was trying to explain was important. “Hey… We’ll talk about the gay stuff you guys did later.”

“We will not because nothing happened!” Basil insisted, flailing his arms around intensely. Aubrey shook her head, catching her own gaze in the mirror beside her as she laughed at how ignorant Basil could be to Sunny’s feelings. Of course she couldn’t be the one to get the two to realize they’re just dancing around the inevitable, the two pining idiots had to come to that conclusion themselves. 

Basil snapped his fingers in front of her face, “H-Hey! Aubrey, why the heck are we in the women’s restroom? You know I can’t be in here!”

“Relax, we’re not going to be in here for long.” She told him, tapping her foot anxiously. “Plus, what I need to talk to you about is super private, I didn’t want any peepers in on this. So I’m only going to say it once.” she said. With that, Basil composed up a bit, following her lead as Aubrey leaned over on the counter and got closer so she wouldn’t have to speak so loud. 

“...Listen Basil, something… happened last night in the car after you left. I mean- not immediately after, but let's just say–I’m glad you weren’t there to witness it.” Her ominous whisper ricocheted throughout the empty room, and emphasis shifted from carefree to cautious in the matter of seconds. 

“Everything was fine and quiet for a while, then we stopped at a gas station because Hero was running out of miles.” Aubrey began setting up the scene, sighing as she recalled the night prior. A slight glaze over her eyes made itself known as she made eye contact with him, “Basil, I’ve never been more frustrated with Hero in my entire life. I-I didn’t even know it was possible to be so pissed at him!” she shouted, rubbing a crook in her neck.

Basil shook his head in disbelief, not following what she was trying to say, “W-What happened? You two didn’t have an argument, did you?” he asked, searching for an answer. 

Aubrey awkwardly laughed it off, meeting his eyes again, “Well… it wasn't exactly me he was arguing with.” she said, “Hero snapped at Kel for… Well, I’m not going to say it was something stupid, because for once, I’m kind of on Kel’s side…” She mumbled the last part. 

Meanwhile, Basil couldn’t believe his ears; Hero? Snapping at Kel? It was unheard of for him to lose his temper. “H-Hero’s… mad at Kel? A-And I wasn’t there to… to-”

“Basil, whatever stupid shit you’re about to say, don’t say it. ” Aubrey advised, covering his mouth and muffling his speech. “This is not some weird butterfly effect that if you were there, things would be different–they wouldn’t. Don’t go blaming yourself because you chose to go cuddle up with Sunny all night instead of going home and potentially “fixing” this problem. This is not your fault! You understand that?” 

Her pushy tone made Basil want to understand, so he nodded, knowing deep down within he still feels a tinge of guilt for, in Aubrey’s words, “Choosing to go cuddle up with Sunny all night long.” instead of the latter, and he’s sure she can sense that tinge of doubt and guilt within him. Though, because he remained silent, she removes her hands from his face and begins explaining in detail what happened last night.

~

…The bright street and car lights shone annoyingly into Aubrey’s astigmatic eyes, and the rumbling of the half-assed made road grew louder by the second. 

It had been about thirty minutes after they’d left for home, and she had been in and out of sleep the whole ride. Traffic was thinning out, and for the most part, the ride was silent save for the Christian radio music playing in the background. The first voice to break the silence was Hero.

“I have to make a quick stop for some gas.” He announced, the blinkers sounding their way into the nearest gas station. Kel seemed to be stirred awake after a mostly silent car ride and lightened up at the news, “Sweet! Can I go inside and get some grub?” he asked.

Hero scrunched his nose in confusion, “Ah- Kel you’re basically an adult now. You don’t have to ask me if you can spend your money.” he said, pulling into an empty gas slot and leaving the car without another word. Aubrey expected Kel to do the same, but instead he’d asked if she wanted anything. She’d shook her head no, feeling the vibrations of the car door closing once again throughout her entire body, and stretched herself across the entire backseat, sighing pleasantly.

It wasn’t long before Hero was done, and it wasn’t long before Kel had come back with whatever snacks he’d bought. To awaken Aubrey from her fabricated slumber, Kel tapped something cold against her arm, which had been a drink he bought for her since he noticed that she hadn’t drank anything since that afternoon. Aubrey was doubtlessly thankful since she herself hadn’t realized how thirsty she was, and sat up again so she wouldn't spill anything on herself or Hero’s car.

From there until they arrived back home was supposed to be smooth sailing–it wasn’t but maybe twelve minutes away from Faraway, but a certain topic had been brought up by the eldest of the three.

That being Kel’s apparent therapist he’s been going to for a few months, something Aubrey hasn’t heard of until recently. It wasn’t exactly abnormal of Kel not to speak of things that are personal, but lately he and Aubrey had become quite close and have maintained a pretty good and comfortable friendship with each other–to the point that they know secrets about one another the rest of the group doesn’t. 

It wasn't a big deal, so why was Aubrey’s stomach bothering her like it was?

She further adjusted herself upright in her seat, leaning over on their armrest for a better angle and continuing to sip on her canned drink, “Kel, what therapist are you seeing?” she asked, genuinely curious. 

“Ah, that’s right, I haven’t bothered to ask their name yet.” Hero was reminded, smiling his way. “So?”

Kel looked to be physically riled up by the mention. “Ah- Um… Y-Yeah, so…” He couldn't even form a coherent sentence, which was sign number one that Kel was lying, but she didn’t believe that he pulled off lying to Hero for that long. Aubrey shifted forward in her seat, ignoring Hero’s warning to buckle up and instead trying to make complete, honest eye contact with him. 

Kel didn’t budge. “Kel, please tell me you didn’t forget your own therapist's name.” Aubrey said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but when he continued shamefully evading any sort of eye contact or answer, Aubrey had a sneaking suspicion that she should’ve kept her mouth closed. When Kel was called out on something, he couldn’t continue the gig–lying’s something he’s never been really good at.

“I may have lied… to you Hero. About seeing someone about my troubles.” Kel admitted, clinching painfully at his stomach. He tried to awkwardly laugh it off, “I-I didn’t mean for it to go on for so long, swear! I guess I just… never got around to it?” he connoted as a question to himself. Aubrey slumped backwards in her place, stunned by Kel’s ability to try and make light of the situation as he always did. But soon, that hopeful smile he had that Hero wouldn’t be upset would be wiped away when he looked back up to his brother.

Hero made sure to pull over before what was about to occur, which annoyed Aubrey because they were only minutes away from home, and she really didn’t want to be in this situation this late at night. 

“Kel, you lied about seeing someone about your issues for four months…?” Hero asked, calm but obviously seething with anger. He was articulate, assertive to make himself clear. Kel gulped nervously, nodding slowly, indicating that he already had begun to regret fussing up so easily. “I-I mean, I wouldn’t really call them issues . More of like… inconveniences?”

“Kel, do you have any idea how that makes me feel?! You LIED to me about such a serious subject! Have you even talked to mom and dad about it? Tell me, and be honest for once…!” Hero yelled, causing Kel to flinch in surprise.

“Hey, lay off him man! He’s probably just afraid that your parents won’t believe him and that they’ll say he doesn't need one!” Aubrey cut in with her own input out of pure experience, Kel quickly nodded in agreement, “Y-Yeah! Hero, you don’t understand-”

“I understand well enough that you still act like a child. You’re scared they’re going to say no? Kel, you sound like a little kid!” Hero exclaimed, hand gestures becoming frantic. 

Instead of backing down and telling Hero he was right like he usually did, Kel actually snapped back, “You don’t understand anything at all! Of course you aren’t afraid of telling or asking them anything!” 

“Kel, what are you talking about?”

“In case you haven't noticed, you're the favorite! They actually listen to you!” Kel yelled back, pointing an accusing finger at him. Hero looked offended and dumbfounded at him, like he couldn't believe his ears, “They listen to me because I’m responsible! You’re constantly doing things that you’re told not to do, and off at places where you were told not to go!”

“You’re acting like I’m supposed to be a saint, can I not live my life a little!?” Kel screeched, causing everyone in the car to go silent. The argument between them was going nowhere, so Aubrey cut in again with her own two cents, “Hero, maybe if you actually opened your eyes for once you’d understand why-”

“Aubrey, there’s nothing else for me to understand , and this has got nothing to do with you in the first place. Do you always have to be involved in every little thing?!” Hero raved at her unapologetically. So, not being able to stand just sitting there watching Kel get ridiculed and being ridiculed herself, she opened the car door, widening it with a kick. 

“You want me out of the situation? Fine! I’ll fucking walk home and the pitch darkness! Have fun arguing about this for the next few hours!” She directed towards Hero sarcastically. Before she’d slammed the door, she heard Hero going to speak again, and was thankful she didn’t have to listen to it. 

Not even a minute passed after she'd begun walking home through the thick grass, she heard her name being called out, turning around to see Kel chasing after her. “A-Aubrey! I can’t let you go off alone. It’s dangerous.” he yelled out. 

Aubrey crossed her arms, “Well, I’m not going back in that car.” 

“Well me neither, I’ll walk home with you.” Kel insisted, pulling out a pocket knife. He flipped up one of the hatches, pressing on a flashlight so that they could see.

“You have a pocket knife that turns into a flashlight.” Aubrey stated as a fact, astonished. Kel smiled her way, scratching the back of his head bashfully, “Pretty cool right? I made it myself.” he said as they began to walk together. Hearing that Kel had managed to pull together the brain cells to pull something off like that was impressive, but Aubrey would never admit that.

“You are… so stupid sometimes.” She settled on saying. Kel laughed lightly in response, “You say that, but I think you’re just secretly impressed by my mad skills.” he gloated, flicking his hair as Mikhael would. Aubrey bumped shoulders with him, embarrassed that he had her slightly figured out, “Shut up…” she mumbled.

The walk there was mostly silent, and what would’ve taken then just a few minutes was turning into ten since the two had to be careful with where they stepped. The grass provided habitat for snakes, and even though they both knew the street, it was still hard to see. Once they reached a straightaway path, Aubrey glanced up at Kel who was in very deep thought. Though, feeling her stare, he snapped out of it, giving her an assuring grin that he was okay.

She puffed her cheeks in suspense, and heard Kel sigh kind of sadly, “I know what you want to say, and just so you know–it’s okay.” he said. Her hair whipped his arm as she snapped her head to glare back to his side–he didn’t seem too bothered however. 

“H-How did you-”

“You have the classic, “I wanna apologize but I don’t wanna say anything” Aubrey face on right now.” He interrupted her, “What happened wasn’t your fault, I hope you know that.” 

“And I hope you know that… I really am sorry.”

“Aubrey, you didn’t know. Honestly, it’s my fault I didn’t tell you about lying to Hero.” He said, flipping the flashlight up in the air and catching it repeatedly. “You know how it feels though; to be constantly rejected by your parents?” 

“Of course I do… Everything I do is a mistake in my mother’s eyes. Me being born? A mistake. Her only daughter turning out to be a lesbian? A mistake. Even when Mari… “committed suicide” she told me it was my fault for not seeing the signs.” Aubrey said. She couldn’t count the number of times she’s called her or her decisions a mistake on her hands–she couldn’t ask anything of her because in her eyes Aubrey’s already taken so much away from her. 

Kel patted her on the back in an attempt to comfort her, “Yeah… Th-That’s rough, buddy.” he muttered, not knowing what to say to that. They understand each other to an extent, seeing as both their situations were different within their few similarities, but he obviously didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Kel. Stop. You suck at this.” 

“Haha, yeah… I know. Would it help if I talked about my own experiences?” 

“Yes. It would help A LOT knowing what the hell is going on with you.” Aubrey expressed, preparing herself for whatever Kel’s going to say. 

He seemed apprehensive at first, making small, unsure noises like he didn’t know where to start. And still fiddling with the makeshift flashlight in his hand, he decided to just start raving, “I just feel like no one in my family takes me seriously, y’know? Like I’m supposed to be their comedic relief and their sweet sunshine child.” he started, dragging his feet to a stop. “Well I’m not, and I think that’s what’s making me want to rebel. I’m just really really bad at it. I mean, worst I’ve done is staying out a few hours after curfew. I’m not good at it like you are…”

“You can’t outdo the doer, Kel.” Aubrey cut in, rolling her eyes at the lack of rebellion resting within his body. 

Kel threw his arms up, “I know!” and then groaned in complaint. “And then there’s Hero . Perfect, always respectful Hero that they constantly ogle over. I mean, they talk about Sally more than me for God’s sake!” He yelled out, putting his hands together and bowing his head to apologize quickly for using his name in vain. 

Aubrey snickered at the gesture, not in a judgy but amused way, enjoying how much pent up anger he was finally letting out. “What you’re suffering from is called, “Middle Child Syndrome” Kel.” She told him, holding up a finger to make a point. 

He seemed discombobulated for a moment before finally understanding what she was trying to say, “Even before Sally was born, I was still left out a lot… I had my time when I was younger, and it went to waste.” he said, running a hand through his curly hair. “I know my family loves me, and I love them, but I feel… I feel like they’re looking at me through rose colored lenses.”

Aubrey tapped her foot, thinking for a moment before a lightbulb went off in her head. “Wanna do something super-totally-not crazy to me but probably will be to you?” She asked. Kel nodded excitedly, following her pace as Aubrey began walking a different direction away from home, “I need that.” he confirmed.

“I don’t wanna go home, you look like you’re dreading the hell outta going home–let’s go stay at that cheap motel that’s down the street.” Aubrey suggests, picking up some speed with Kel hastily at her side. “I know the owner, she’ll give us their nicest room.” 

This fact seemed to energize the tall, tan boy, “Ooo, I call sleeping on the couch!” he claimed with a raise of the hand. Aubrey rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time again and punched his shoulder, “You can have the couch, you fucking weirdo.” she teased.

And so, for that singular night, the two friends shared an understanding of each other, and Aubrey witnessed a side of Kel she’d never thought possible. It was refreshing, seeing him open up, but for how much longer was he going to continue to lie for his and others sake, and start taking action against the obstacles that present themselves to him?

Well, not that Aubrey could talk, but she thinks that’s what Sunny or Basil would’ve thought had they been there. She herself doesn’t really know why she’s so mushed out all the sudden–perhaps it was her improved anger issues and communication skills? Or, what she hopes it to be, the effects of being buzzed out on sleep medication she’d taken prior in the car, which was supposed to help her pass right out when she got home in bed. 

Either way, what she never expected was how stupidly angry Hero got–how blind he still is to things happening around him. It seems as if everyone has broken their promise to better themselves and are back to square one, but Aubrey refuses to revert back to the angsty teen tears she once had, and also refuses to try and “fix” any of these problems going on within the group. 

Aubrey’s a fighter, not a healer, and resolve was for everyone else to figure out among themselves. She just hopes to God Hero doesn’t blow up her phone asking where the two have gone for the night…

“Hey Aubrey, you awake?” Kel called out for her as she’d been on the verge of unconsciousness. Annoyed, she grumbled, and shifted in the squeaky bed she was laid in, “No.” she replied.

Kel let out an airy laugh, half expecting that from her. “I never said thank you for sticking up for me. So… thanks, for doing that.” He said gratefully.

…A beat passed between them as his words settled Aubrey’s mind. 

She’d never been good with “thank you’s” or saying “you’re welcome” before, but the day would've presented itself anyway. She’d just not expected it to be today.

As Aubrey wearily shut her eyes so she could fall asleep again, she let out the faintest, “You’re welcome.” that she hoped couldn’t be heard over the AC unit blasting through their room. Based on the small satisfied noise he made however, Kel definitely heard it, and appreciated it.

Chapter Text

“Aw, come on Sunny. I’m really no good at it anymore…”

“You don’t join orchestra to be good at it. You join it for the fun of it.” Sunny said in a slight trill tone, causing Elaine to roll her eyes dramatically and mumble “nerd” under her breath. She was pettily shoved in the shoulder by the other, but laughed it off humorously.

“Do you even remember what instrument I used to play?” Elaine then asked him.  

If by a whim he could somehow manage to remember something they talked about months ago, that would’ve been great. Unfortunately, Sunny’s memory was just that awful. “Hmm… The oboe?” He guessed randomly, hoping it was either right or that she wouldn’t be too mad about him not remembering. 

Her eyebrows raised slightly in response and half nodded in his direction, “You’re actually… pretty close. But no.” and then shook her head completely. “I played the flute for a while before quitting. I just kind of… stopped one day. I wasn’t a very fast learner and all around not very good at it.” Elaine reminded him, half smiling. “I’ve gotta admit though–fun instrument when I did manage to play correctly.” 

Sunny hummed in understanding, continuing their walk home down the hot summer pavement of the city. “Been there, done that… But wouldn’t it be fun, next year? You wouldn’t be alone at lunch while we’re on school trips anymore. Plus, we’d have all our classes together.” He pointed out. His step pattern shifted as he hung his head and began avoiding cracks in the sidewalk, like he and Kel did as kids. 

“You’re just trying to get me to join because Mincy won’t be there anymore, aren’t you?” 

Bingo, there it was. 

Sunny’s ears turned red at the correct accusation, and frowned as he once again remembered Mincy would no longer be there by his side during school. Maybe it was… too soon to say, but he looked up to her like a big sister. She was always the calm and supportive one before concerts and competitions, and her composed nature made it easy for Sunny to feel like things were going to be okay, even when he’s completely freaked out. 

Now though, she’s gone, and he’s still here. It was like he was losing family all over again, and a building pressure pounded from within the back of his mind when he realized he’d be truly alone for the rest of his school years. Elaine was a good friend, but not exactly the levelheaded type.

She was like if Aubrey had never experienced the grief of losing a loved one and instead grew up to be a perfectly normal child. There were discreet similarities between the two but also major differences. For example, Elaine doesn’t swear like a sailor, but she does like to tease Sunny about being in love with his best friend.

Nodding with slight hesitation, Sunny mumbled out a small, “Maybe…” before turning his attention back up to her. A tiny, amused grin tugged at her lips as she realized she’d been right on the money, and a whole pep in her step appeared prominent in her walking pattern afterward, which was quite aggravating to say the least. What a cleverly annoying person she could be sometimes. It’s like when Sunny reads her like a book, she’s already read twenty of his.

“Seriously though, it’s not about talent and skill, but about whether you enjoy doing it. You seem like you miss it, don’t you?” He inquired. 

The pompous look she had softened into something more agreeable, “Yeah, sometimes…” Elaine mumbled. “I mean- hey… Why do you seem so adamant about this in the first place…? You’re always nerding out about waltzes and music in general so passionately, but I can’t seem to figure out why. So, why?” She asked plainly.

Elaine’s curiosity made Sunny go silent for a minute as he tried to piece together what he should say. She seemed to almost go back on her words like she finally understood she’s stepped on sacred grounds, but didn’t as he tried to give an answer. 

“Let’s just say… Someone very dear to me had a big appreciation for music, and made me find that appreciation for it too.” He said inconspicuously. Though, his phrasing made her think it was a certain someone else, “Oh! An old crush? A now crush? I bet it’s Basil, isn’t it?” she assumed, face lighting up with pure interest.

Sunny vigorously shook his head, “N-No… Nothing like that.” he said, craning his head upwards to the sky. 

Big fluffy clouds were painted everywhere, meaning that a thunderstorm would probably soon follow. That was okay though, Sunny likes the rain, and especially the smell that followed afterward. 

“...A family member that’s already passed on.” He’d eventually mumbled out, feeling a slight regret that he had brought this topic up. Luckily, they were getting close to where he lived, so this conversation and day of hanging out together would be over pretty soon.

Elaine gasped, and covered her lips like it’d been something to come directly out of her own mouth, but he can only assume that she felt terrible for saying something a bit insensitive. “Sunny… I’m sorry that I…” Her voice trailed off as all words became jumbled in her throat, and thoughts from beforehand shifted into something more empathetic. “I get it now–why you’re so compassionate about music. Losing… whoever it was must’ve been hard…” She sympathized, hands dropping to her side.

“It was. And it was even harder regaining my love for something that reminds me so much of them, you know?” Sunny illuminated. “But I don’t want to think about that anymore when I play, and you shouldn’t be so afraid of failure when the whole purpose is to make mistakes and learn from them.”

Elaine smiled, “I have a tiny feeling this isn’t about playing an instrument anymore…” she interposed on the last part. Sunny bit his bottom lip apprehensively, preparing for what she says will be a small intervention but instead a whole series of spiels and speeches, but he’s saved from that when the opportunity for a subject change appears in front of his very eyes.

As the two approached closer to Sunny’s apartment building, he noticed a particular green car sitting vacant in the distance, and immediately identified it to be Basil’s. His pace automatically picked up at the sight. 

Elaine, who is already having trouble keeping up, “H-Hey! Sorry, was that too invasive?” questioned his change of speed. 

He shook his head, “No, it’s just… That’s Basil’s car.” he answered, pointing directly at it. 

“Awww, he came to give you a surprise visit.” Elaine cooed, batting her eyelashes. The suggestive attitude she had immediately convoluted as Sunny was unphased by her comment and instead squinted his eyes to see better. The sun was reflecting harshly against his vision, but it was without a doubt the car Basil drove. The type and model? He couldn’t tell you, he wasn’t a car guy, but all he knew is that it was definitely his.

“He… didn’t tell me he was coming over.” 

“Again, surprise visit. ” 

Sunny shook his head, “No… Basil isn't the type to do that.” he replied, looking behind him as he advanced even faster to his apartment door. He has kind of a bad feeling about this…

“I’ll see you later…!” He shouted back at her like she’d been a mile away. 

Elaine was unbothered by his sudden departure, and nodded for him to get a move on. “Uh-huh, buh-bye!” She said back cheekily, and continued on to where her own apartment building was located.

Sunny struggled to fish out his key for a moment before deciding to try twisting the knob, inevitably finding out it had been unlocked and his fiddling had been a waste of time. Cold air hit his face instantly as he entered the air conditioned room and shook off his loose shoes. 

As he usually did, he shouted out that he was home to alert his mother, and as he rounded the corner to his living room was basically attacked into an embrace. The impact knocked all the air out of him, but looking down and seeing blond to green colored hair confirmed his suspicions.

Sunny laughed, hugging Basil back since he didn’t want to leave him waiting, “Well hello to you too.” he jested after not a word between them had yet to be exchanged. Slightly abashed by his own actions, Basil nudged himself off of Sunny’s chest, a weary expression coming to his face. 

“S-Sorry! …Hi, Sunny.” He apologized and then greeted him. After pulling his arms out and away from the other, Basil squeezed his hands apprehensively, like he didn’t know where to place them, and tucked them behind his back with an awkward stance. “I um- Sorry for the sudden visit. I heard from y-your mom that you were out with Elaine.”

Sunny pursed his lips in an ‘it’s no problem’ kind of way, “You’re good, but is everything okay? Usually you’d text before coming over…” he asked, concerned. 

“Haha… A-Am I that predictable?” Basil questioned before quickly moving on. “It’s just… Something happened- with A-Aubrey a couple of nights ago.” He got straight to the point with a wavering voice, and went weak in the knees. 

“I don’t kn-know exactly what , but I just remember waking up to loud sirens outside and…” His words fell off, and instead of continuing what he was trying to say, he cried a small sob and covered his face. 

Confused and wanting more answers, Sunny took a grip on his arms and pushed his thumbs down into his soft skin. “Hey, hey… Try to calm down, alright? He said, tugging him over to the couch and leading the two to sit down, hoping that he wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack. 

“Do you know if she’s okay?”

“No damn it! I don’t…” Basil choked, desperately clearing his face of any tears that might’ve been astray, “She won’t answer calls or texts … Kim says th-that she’s locked herself up in her house–which, don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy to hear that she’s still okay a-and home… but we don’t know if she’s actually okay . You know!?” he rambled, sniffling intensely afterward. 

Sunny nodded, he saw this as weird and unlike Aubrey in any aspect since she was usually such the opposite of a homebody. “Of course I know… You’d think out of all of us, she’d at least answer to you. ” 

“I came to get you because I thought th-that if we were all there that she’d want to talk to us, but I realize now that was a selfish thought. I-I’m sorry, Sunny… You don’t have to be involved in this, but I thought I should at least tell you in person…”

“It’s not selfish, you’re worried about her like any other person would be.” Sunny assured him, rubbing comforting circles into his back to calm him down. “Regardless of what you think, I’ll come back to Faraway with you. You came all this way anyway.” 

“Sunny… I’m so sorry for troubling you w-with this.” Basil apologized again.

“I don’t mind, really. You can stop apologizing.” 

“I’m sorry… I mean-” Basil’s insistence on always being apologetic made Sunny laugh, and his discombobulated face would be cute if he didn’t look so sad. He tried turning Basil’s frown into a smile with his own two fingers, but was greeted with a disapproving noise and stopped immediately. 

“Come on, Bas, It’ll be fine. Really.” Sunny tried encouraging him once again as he stood up, and pulled Basil along afterwards. His shaky, warm hands greeted Sunny’s cold ones, causing a pleased shiver to shoot throughout his entire body. 

“This is not how I imagined seeing you again…” Basil mumbled, referring to when they’d last exchanged goodbyes. 

“Well, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.” Sunny said, tugging him along so he could ask his mother if she was okay with him leaving. “Hey, and try not to look so morbid. ‘Cause otherwise my mom won’t let you leave until she knows what’s wrong.” He whispered to Basil as they proceeded into the dining room.

It was late afternoon, which is usually when his mother would sit at the dining table and read, so that’s where he assumed she was during all this time. And knowing her, Sunny was right. Like always, she had her reading glasses on, sat at the end of the table with a leg crossed atop another as squinted eyes glanced over pages of the book she was reading. 

She didn’t even look up from it when she began speaking, “Ay, Sunny. Come here.” she commanded, a finger wriggling from his to her way. Sunny immediately listened, scooting up to her side and quickly scanning over the words her bookmark was underlining. Even after using his context clues and occasionally looking at the back while she wasn't reading, he still couldn’t figure out what this book was about…

Finally finishing the page and bookmarking it, she closed it shut and took a quick look over to Basil, who attempted a small smile, and then back to Sunny, who looked down at her with a question tracing his face. 

“I know what you’re going to ask.” She said plainly, eyes flashing between him and Basil for a split second. “And my answer is… be safe. Alright?” She asked of the two, standing up from her seat and placing a kiss on Sunny’s forehead. 

“How did you… know?”

“We… talked. Before you got home.” She told him, tilting her head to the one in question. Basil fiddled nervously with his hands, nodding in confirmation as Sunny slowly looked back over to him. 

Sunny remained quiet for a moment, holding onto his mother’s arms in a disconnect to grip the reality of the situation. There was such a high possibility that things weren’t going to be okay like he keeps telling himself, but he can’t stay negative for his and Basil’s own sake. There has got to be a reasonable explanation for all this, because if there wasn’t, all the work that had gone into rebuilding their friend group would be shattered within seconds. 

Just please be okay, Aubrey.

With that manifesting in his mind, “We will.” he affirmed her that they would stay safe, and attempted to affirm himself that this was all just one big misunderstanding.

The opportunity to ask more questions about the situation presented itself in the car. Though, Sunny just hopes it’s not going to stress Basil out talking about it. He’d been very vague with what he’d said such as; How does he know sirens in the middle of the night have anything to do with Aubrey’s sudden shut-in behavior?

So Sunny asked him, irresolute about the decision, but luckily, Basil had managed to pull himself together and answer in complete, audible sentences. 

Apparently, word gets around fast in Faraway, and neighbors spread word of an ambulance parking outside of her house, paramedics rushing in to assist whoever had needed help that night. Aubrey herself allegedly hadn’t been taken in by them, with confirmation from Kim, but it begs the question on what actually happened. Even if she wasn’t the one that was hurt and needed help, she could still be at risk of hurting herself, and that was the scariest part about this whole thing.

Aubrey was tough, but she’s soft on the inside–like a watermelon if you thought about it ironically, so it’s not unbelievable to think she could crack like one too if pushed off the edge. However, Sunny hasn’t yet grasped the whole situation yet, so maybe he shouldn’t think such conclusive things.

The first stop they made when they arrived at Faraway was not her house. Instead, Kel and Hero’s place so they could travel in a group, and it must’ve been pre-planned, because Kel came straight out of the door not even a minute after arriving. Almost like they’d been on cue.

And as if he wasn’t expecting Sunny to be there, he opened the passenger seat’s door, a surprised expression coming across his face, “Oh! Hey Sun. You’re… here.” Kel exclaimed, smiling at him. “I didn’t expect that. You drag him out of the house?” He directed towards Basil.

Basil nodded, looking apologetically towards Sunny, “U-Um…” he stammered, looking behind Kel like he was searching for someone and lowered his voice, “Sorry Sunny, but could you sit in t-the back?” he asked.

Sunny crossed his arms, a confused brow being raised in his direction, “...Why?” he asked in a skeptical manner. 

“Oh dude, he still doesn’t know?” Kel questioned, pursuing his lips and swinging back and forth. A snippet of the sun would make an appearance every time his shoulder moved a certain way, blaring directly into Sunny’s face. While it was a bother, he had more important things to worry about. 

“Know what?” He asked, persistently.

Kel took a quick glance over his shoulder, leaning over with his hands tapping against the roof of the car in a random rhythm, “Hero and I may have kind of gotten into an argument a couple weeks ago, and it may be super awkward between us right now.” he narrowly explained.

“A-Argument’s selling it short–it’s more of a full on fight…” Basil cut in. 

“Okay, does anyone have anything else to add on before we move on?” Sunny awed, overwhelmed by all the things he’s missed. The three were quiet, seemingly having nothing to add on before…

“Oh! Aubrey cut her hair short.” Kel remembered. “Not like Kim short, but it’s a little bit past her shoulders.” 

“She stopped straightening it too. Her natural wavy hair is s-so pretty…” Basil added, stressfully stroking a piece of his own hair as the apple of discord was brought up into the conversation. Sunny took another moment to think about all this, heaved a sigh as he unbuckled in defeat, and took the liberty of climbing over the seat to get in the back. At first, he sat himself behind Basil, but-

“Nuh-uh, behind Kel.” He wagged a finger at him, and directed him elsewhere.

“Jesus Christ… Are you two social distancing or something?” Sunny mumbled sarcastically as Kel took his previous spot. Kel sighed pleasantly as he settled down, blasting the AC unit. “Dude, we literally have a whole sheet separating our sides of the room. The only time we see each other is at dinner, or whenever our parents force us to spend family time together.” He said as he crossed one leg over the other, enjoying the privilege of being in the front.

So that was a yes, Sunny concluded. 

A few minutes later the other brother was up and out of the door to their house, unquestionably taking the backseat behind Basil. Sunny made abrupt eye contact before quickly looking away, focusing his attention straight ahead. Though, he really wishes Hero could've sat on his bad side. That way, at least Sunny couldn't see him stealing glances his way in his peripheral vision. 

“Hello Sunny, It’s good to see you.” Hero said in the most fabricated voice possible. It was impossible to tell if he was trying to act nice because of the Aubrey situation or because he and Kel were within one foot of each other.

“Y-Yeah, good to see you too…” 

Either way, Kel, who’d previously not been able to shut his mouth, had gone completely silent, making the air feel so thick that you could probably cut the tension with a knife.

Thus, the task at hand was to be put in motion–the task being convincing Aubrey to come out of her house.

A short ride over and the four were outside of the car, Sunny and Basil being relieved that they finally had the chance to stretch their legs, and the other two completely quiet as they overlooked her house. It looked exactly the way it had last summer, maybe just a little dingier? He couldn't tell.

“So, should I start throwing rocks at her window?” Kel broke the silence with a suggestion, ready to get on his knees to search for a few.

“H-How about we don’t throw rocks, potentially breaking a win-”

Kel hadn’t bothered listening to what Basil had to say, picking up the smallest pebble Sunny’s ever seen and throwing as hard as he could at the upper window where Aubrey’s room is. His athlete’s strength made the small little thing sound like a much bigger one had been thrown against the glass.

“Hey Aubrey! Don’t be a loser and come out!” Kel shouted, rethinking his choice of words and then quickly adding on, “…Of the house I mean!”

Hero scolded him with a nudge on the shoulder, “Kel! That’s such an incredibly rude thing to say!” he told him off in a whisper. “Not to mention you are being way too loud right now… You’re going to disturb the neighbors!”

“You would know that we talk like that to each other all the time if you ever took time out of the day to hang out with us.” Kel snapped back as they approached her front door. Their bickering obviously didn’t go unheard since they were both being kind of loud, and at the same time, Basil began breathing in and out repeatedly to calm himself. 

“This is fine… Everything is fine.” He kept mumbling to himself, twisting his shirt at the chest like it hurt. 

Sunny honestly can not believe how much of a mess these three, or well, four, have become in the short span of time that he last saw them. But it was also completely in character. Maybe living in the city made everything feel so fast.

His hand met Basil’s and cautiously interlocked their fingers together. He lifted their hands up, placing his other atop Basil’s to provide a sort of comfort to him. In almost an instance, his intense blue eyes softened and looked fondly towards Sunny. 

Or maybe, things were really moving just that fast, and he was here to witness none of it.

They approached closer to the two squabbling brothers, Sunny getting in between their petty arguing, “Hey, here’s a bright idea; why don’t we knock on the door?” he gestured dramatically to the front door, ears flushing a light pink both because of the heat and because Basil is currently leaning his whole body weight against him.

Hero pointed an open palm towards him, side eyeing Kel in the subtlest way he could, “Yes, what a mature way of going about things, Sunny.” he said, a slightly mocking tone tracing his voice.

In response, Kel furrowed his brows furiously, but before his fist had the chance to even make contact with the door, it swung open in one swift motion.

“If you idiots are gonna argue, at least take it inside…” A familiar voice greeted them, groggy, but amused at the sight of them.

Aubrey’s entire figure appeared in the frame of the door, body being drowned in a huge blue hoodie that looked like one of Kim’s and skintight shorts to compensate since it was deathly hot outside. Her hair looked exactly how both Basil and Kel described it, pulled back in a half ponytail, and eyes had heavy eyebags underneath. Overseeing the small smile she was forcing across her face, she looked miserable, tired, and overall confused seeing them all appear on her doorstep so suddenly.

Basil had been the first one to cry out in surprise and pull her in for a bone-shattering hug. His overly-emotional senses made her jolt like she hadn’t expected it, and in return to his worries, she carefully hugged him back. 

“There there…” She awkwardly comforted, patting him on the back as his incomprehensible mumbling continued. Her brown eyes met Sunny’s, “Hey, what’s wrong with Herb?” she asked.

“What’s w-wrong with me? Aubrey! You shut yourself in your house after an ambulance a-allegedly showed up at your place in the middle of the night! W-What’s wrong with you?” Basil gasped when he spotted a small cut on her face, grasping her face within the palms of his hands. “What is this!? Are you hurt?”

“Basil, I think you’re overwhelming her…” Hero said, tapping on his shoulder to tell him to back off. 

Aubrey’s eyes widened like she hadn’t even seen him, but everyone knew that she had, so it was weird how unimpressed she’d sounded when she said, “Oh, you’re here?” to him. Sunny shook it off for the time being, watching her pat Basil on the back one last time before relaying the boy back to him. 

Sunny swears he spotted her winking, but decided shake that off too and not think about it.

“But damn, word really spreads fast here in Faraway, huh?”

“We don’t have anything better to do than gossip to be honest.” Kel jested elbowing Aubrey lightly. She snorted in return, moving out of the way to allow them entry, “Alright, get inside you sweaty animals.” she said, graciously. 

Inside was… different so to say. Such as–the air smelt of a fakeish lavender scent, which made sense after Sunny spotted an air freshener plugged in the corner. The floors were clean, as clean as peeling and rotting wood could be, and the random trash and laundry that once scattered the floor was, mostly, cleaned up. It was… random so to say; since Aubrey or her mother had never shown any interest in even cleaning up the mess that used to be their home, but a nice change of pace now that the scent dominating the air was no longer alcohol.

Speaking of alcohol, “Thirsty?” Aubrey presented them with a variety of it. Vodka, whiskey, rum, bourbon, etc… She even had some wine bottles out. 

“A-Aubrey, please tell me you haven’t been d-drinking yourself to death-”

“Relax, they're not mine.” She cut Basil off, rolling her sleeves up as she stowed the bottles away in a lower cabinet. “I was just… Y’know. Cleaning up.” She said, looking back over her shoulder for a response.

“Did you… clean the whole place up?” Sunny asked, shivering slightly at the temperature–it felt like a freezer in here. A humid, cold freezer. “It looks less…” He started that sentence, quickly trailing off as he tried to find the correct word.

“It looks less trashy, that’s what he’s trying to say.” Kel straight up admitted, making himself comfortable on the couch. Hero went to tell him off once again for being so blunt and rude, but Aubrey seemed to pick up on this.

“Chill your tits before you yell at him, Hero, Kel’s not wrong about that to be completely fair.” She’d quickly intercepted before he had the opportunity to allow his brotherly instincts to kick in. “I uh- did actually. I hope the place looks better.” Aubrey says as she goes to take the spot next to Kel, tucking a small strand of hair behind her ear bashfully. 

Sunny couldn’t help but follow as Basil took refuge next to Aubrey on the couch's arm since there was only room for three people, and with the way Kel and Aubrey sat sprawled out, that narrowed it down to two. 

“It does l-look better than before.” Basil agreed, with a forced smile. He was trying to nonchalantly play off how jittery he was from both the chilled goosebumps tracing every inch of his skin and his anxiety. After a beat of silence he added on, “But I think we’re kind o-of beating around the bush on why we’re here…” 

Aubrey sighed, pulling a bottle of some unknown liquid out of the pocket of her, or rather Kim’s, hoodie and loosened up the more she drank up. She made a drawled out ‘ah’ sound as she finished up her sipping, and straightened up her body to make room for Hero to sit beside her, since he’d originally just been standing in front of the old-fashioned TV awkwardly. The sounds of shuffling and old fans that vibrated like they’ve been running for months on end were the only things that filled the room for a while. 

But eventually, with a leg crossed over the other, Aubrey let herself speak. “You wanna know what really happened?” She asked, voice trying to come off as loud but instead shaky and unconfident–two things that Aubrey never really allowed herself to be in order to maintain her strong arrogance and tough aura. 

“We wouldn’t be here if not…” Kel mumbled under his breath, barely audible.

Aubrey tsked, a small grin threatening to appear on her mouth before she shut her eyes tight and frowned as she recalled the nights prior. “Ah, um…” She started with a jumble of words, clearly uncomfortable by them all staring at her while she found the words. It took a while, but she eventually came to a start. 

“I was a-asleep the other night, and… and-” That start didn’t last very long though. She’d quickly covered her mouth, cursing herself for stuttering while wiping away at her eyes that fluttered open–glazed over, yet dry of tears.

Fanning herself from the flushness of her body, she promptly admitted that, “This is kind of a lot.” and bursted into a loud sob that surprised the lot of them. It had been sudden, but she was allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of the people she cared about and vice versa, something she didn’t do a lot. With the way she was sobbing profusely too, it seemed like she’s been holding it in this whole time.

For a while, it seemed like she was mumbling sentences about nothing in particular as Hero tried to calm her down with simple breathing exercises. Basil automatically went into protective mode, rushing and kneeling on his knees in front of her to comfort and reassure her that everything was going to be okay; which was honestly something everybody in the room needed to hear today and at this current moment.

But through big tears and lofted, uplifting messages from the eldest and most timid of the group, there seemed to be one thing she wouldn’t stop repeating; and repeated until she was finally audible amongst the sobbing.

“Can you repeat what you said but more clearly?” Basil calmly asked her, barely holding on the tips of her fingers after squeezing intently to let her know she would be heard.

Aubrey sniffled, puffing her tear stained cheeks in aggravation that none of them could understand her, “I said that my mother tried to kill herself !” she yelled, yanking out of his grip to cover her face. “Do you get it now? My mother almost died without a second thought of how it would affect me, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life…!”

…A moment of silence followed, tension thickening in the room once again within an instance. Everyone’s face dropped at the news; a hand slapping over Basil’s mouth in conviction like he’d regretted asking her that question in the first place. But it was only inevitable that they’d discover the truth about why she locked herself away in an uncharacteristic manner, and it didn’t take much or too long for someone’s good interest to come forward. 

“Aubrey… Are you-”

“Before you even ask that question Sunny, I don’t want any of your pity. I don’t want you to tell me that it’s going to be okay, and I don’t… I don’t want to hear the same things that the old Christian women down the street tell me…” She interrupts him in an exhausted tone. “That everything happens for a reason… Please, d-don’t tell anyone else about this, I-I can’t deal with that…”

“B-But Aubrey… how have you been dealing with this? ” Basil asked, rubbing her knees with sadness crashing like waves in his eyes. “I mean my God, this is s-such a big bomb to drop. I can’t imagine how it feels for you…”

“Basil’s right, Aubrey. What do you think locking yourself up is going to do? You need to talk to us, or at least to one of us.” Hero told her, eyes locking into hers. 

Aubrey seemed a little put off and maybe even slightly annoyed by his maturity, which Sunny can only assume is connected by how defensive she got over Kel. But situation upon situation piling atop of each other, and now this? Sunny understands her reaction, and Hero shouldn’t expect her to know how to act or respond to something so traumatic so quickly for that matter.

“Or at least tell us if we can do anything for you.” Sunny added on, itching to get in on the conversation again. 

Aubrey only shrugged, unsure of what to say, “There’s not really much you can do for me.” she said. With that out in the open, the tension only became thicker the more everyone sat on it. 

There’s not really much you can do for me. 

It was… Hard to hear that there was really nothing to be done to help her through this. Nothing at all; but that was just simply the reality. He can’t tell her that she’s wrong and that she knows deep down there is something that can be done, because deep down, there’s not. 

Basil had described to Sunny his attempt as scary, but also as relieving knowing that his pain would soon be short-lived when they’d had the time to talk it over. It had been a very distressing and hard thing to hear and listen to, but necessary in the path of recovery. Sunny felt a void of emptiness after that conversation, and if he had to guess, Aubrey was feeling that same emptiness.

“I was… asleep, as I said before.” Aubrey eventually started again, heaving a huge sigh and resting her forehead in a hand. She used the other to hold onto Basil’s like they were children and took comfort in it. “I woke up, and… I had no idea. I just had this… burning, sunken feeling, you know? Like something bad was gonna happen.” 

Sunny nodded when she looked specifically to him, most likely acknowledging how he’d similarly had a weird feeling waking up in the middle of the night last summer just to discover Basil’s own attempt…

“It was fast… Everything happened so fast.” Aubrey choked back a sob, “I didn’t know what was happening, I just knew something was happening. And I’d discovered my mom convulsing like she couldn’t breathe on the couch…” her eyes diminished coldly, and pupils slowly dilated. “Ambulance gets here… Next thing I know, she’s gone…” She then momentarily explained, jerking her hands back to her side.

Basil flinched at the sudden disconnect of their hands, but seemed understanding that she needed her space, “Did you… Did you ever find out what was wrong with her?” he asked. 

Aubrey nodded in response, “Drug overdose.” she put simply. “She had some pills with opioids in it. Downed what she had left in the bottle… I’m honestly surprised that she’s alive.” 

“And what about now?” Kel asked, referring to her very obvious lack of presence. He’d been quiet up until now, probably to process that someone he, kind of, knew had almost passed in such a way. That was sort of just his grief process.

“Now?” Aubrey echoed the question, brows raised with stiffness. “Now, she’s in rehab. Not only for the pills, but also because of the large amount of alcohol in her system. She can’t raise a kid like that.” Her emphasis made it clear that she probably wouldn’t be back in Faraway for a while. “But what am I supposed to do? Continue living here like everything’s fine?” 

“What do you mean by that?” Hero asked, concerned face piercing towards her. It was almost always like he didn’t have a damn clue in the world what was happening around him anymore. Either unaware or perhaps just playing plain dumb because he doesn’t want to believe anything coming out of her mouth. It wasn’t like Hero to do something like that though, so maybe he really was just that confused at what she was getting at, unlike Sunny who knew . And as he knew that, he also knew that his turmoil and inquisitiveness would irritate her to an unpredictable extent.

As Sunny expected, she seemed to get riled up by that, jumping from her spot and pacing around the room while erratically scraping at her scalp, “Fuck! Don’t you get it ? I can’t live like this anymore!” she yelled, causing almost all of them to flinch. All but Basil, who seemed to be in either deep thought, or complete shock.

“Everyday is something new… Yet everyday feels the exact same . H-How is that even possible?!” She asked rhetorically, inhaling sharp breaths like she was trying to prevent a panic attack. “What am I gonna do…? W-What if they take me away…? You guys shouldn't b-be here to see me like this… Not like-”

“You can live with me!” A voice exclaimed, that voice being Basil. All of the group's attention was turned to him as he stood up front to Aubrey, pulling her in for a consoling hug. 

“Aubrey… I can’t stand seeing you like this. I-I know this is sudden, and maybe a little stupid… and I know it won’t fix anything but I don’t want to hear you talk like this.” He said, tightening his arms around her, “Live with me… I can get you the help you need. I can help you through this. We can w-work something out, I promise …” and let his voice trail off like a loose cannon.

Aubrey’s mouth gaped like she was at a loss for words, appreciative tears rolling down her cheeks. She grasped desperately onto Basil’s shirt, hugging him back firmly. 

“...You’re all idiots for coming here.” She finally said through her tears, squeezing Basil's shoulders earnestly as they separated. “Especially you… For thinking you could ever help someone as hopeless as me.”

“I-I guess that means I’m an idiot then…” Basil conjectured. And despite how it sounded, Aubrey was smiling, wiping away the heavy tears that were still lingering on her as she nodded vigorously. 

“Fuck it… Sure, why the hell not? I-I don’t have any other choice…” She agreed to his proposal, laughing through her pain and looking back at the other's. A look of confliction flashed on her face for a moment as she realized their exchange had been watched by the other’s rather intensely, and softened her tone. “I appreciate you guys coming over to… check on me, but I think I need a little more time alone.” She quietly said before whispering something into Basil’s ear. 

Basil nodded in response to whatever she’d said and mouthed quietly back to her–most likely something about their current situation, and when that was said and done, they all saw themselves out in understanding, preparing themselves to leave her alone for the time being. 

However, right before they were all out the door, Hero seemed like he had something to say to her. His voice was very faint and soft, but Sunny has good hearing and a knack for being nosy. 

“...If you ever need help… moving out anything. Or just anything at all, I’m here for you.” He’d whispered in hopes of no one hearing his attempt at what sounds like him feeling in debt and apologetic towards her.

Though, her reaction didn’t seem very impressed or thankful at all, “Thanks Hero… but I think I need space right now.” she replied back, a little louder than he had been.

“You know I didn’t mean what I said those couple weeks back, right?”

“But you meant what you said to him, didn’t you?” Aubrey interjected, causing Hero to go silent. At this point, she was well aware that Sunny was listening in, brown eyes darting back behind the taller one in front of him and his curious endeavor. She didn’t bother calling him out for it–Sunny was ever-so grateful for that since he was really behind and out of the know.

“Hero, I dunno what’s going on with you recently, but it’s not my problem. So please leave so I can be alone.” It was almost like Aubrey had cued for Sunny to get out of there with the final look of warning she gave him, so he did just that and got the hell out of there and out back in the blazing hot sun.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest when he was grabbed on to by a frantic voice, “Sunny!!” but it’d only turned out to be Basil again.

“Basil! Y-You scared me…” Sunny yelled out in surprise, watching the smaller boy in front of him fidget nervously in his place.

“S-Sorry, but… Did I… Did I sound stupid in there?!” He asked.

“What? No… Not at all, why?”

“I just feel like… I feel like I sounded dumb in there!” Basil shrieked, tapping his fingers together. “Did I- Did I do the right thing? I mean… I read the situation correctly, r-right?!?” He asked, eyes spiraling from both worry and a heat stroke. He fanned himself repeatedly in hopes of cooling off, but somehow the motion made him lose his balance, and Sunny was having to drag him back to his car. 

He took the liberty of snatching Basil’s keys to turn on the car and blast the AC unit when they were both situated inside. He was a little annoyed when Kel asked if he could get out of the front again, “Can you uh- wait…? Just a minute?” so he very kindly asked him to wait. Just until Basil was okay.

The faint sound of the radio played as Basil leaned over on the steering wheel, arms crossed and forehead pressed against them as he sickly looked to the floor. It wasn’t long after the car cooled down that he began to speak very faintly.

“God, this is a mess…” Was the first thing he said as he repositioned himself to face Sunny. “When it’s yourself… It’s like–no big deal, huh? Just another of those awful thoughts eating away at you.” He whispered, painfully. “But when It’s someone you love… Someone you care about… I-It makes me sick to my stomach.” Basil shuddered, gripping his hands achingly tight on the steering wheel. 

“...You caught it too?” Sunny asked.

“H-How could I not? History’s repeating itself, just with another person.”

“Sorry if I’m interrupting something here, but what exactly are you guys talking about?” Kel asked from the back. 

The two in the front exchanged knowing and concerned looks before Basil slowly craned his whole body around, eyes capping sadly. He traced his fingers against the fabric of the seat as he spoke, “It’s just uh… A-Aubery; she’s starting to concern me with the way she’s speaking.” he said, inconspicuously.

When Kel still looked confused, tilting his head at what he said, Sunny turned around too, trying to explain as vaguely to him as possible what the two were talking about. “Aubrey’s displaying… suicidal behavior, Kel.” He said. “Basil and I caught on… That’s why Basil spontaneously asked her to move in with him.”

“Oh God… I c-couldn’t just leave her alone like that…” Basil wailed, tears welling up in his eyes. “I-I didn’t know what else t-to do…”

“Aubrey’s… suicidal?” Kel repeated in disbelief. 

“B-But she’ll be fine! Aubrey’s tough… And she’s got us to be there for her.” Sunny said, placing his hand on Basil’s shoulder. “Most importantly, she’s got Basil.” 

Basil promptly nodded, “Y-Yes! Polly and I can work something out with her mother w-when she’s well enough for visitors. Perhaps she will be more sensible after everything that's… happened…” he reasoned with himself. 

Kel still seemed like he was taken for a loop, eyebrows furrowing in a knot as he licked his chapped lips. “Guys… Am I… Am I oblivious?” he asked, nervously pulling down on a few coils in his hair. “I-I mean I’ve been told it before, but I never really listened until…” He stole a quick look to Aubrey’s house, and back to the other two boys in front of him. “I didn’t pick up on any of that in there.”

Sunny and Basil exchanged perplexed looks on behalf of him, unsure of what to say until one thought of an acceptable response. “Kel, you’re not oblivious. Just…” Sunny has tried continuing on his sentence, but couldn’t find the right words.

“Slow?” Kel finished for him.

“Kel you’re not-”

“It’s okay, you can say it. My parents tell me I'm slow all the time.” Kel interrupted Sunny with a nonchalant shrug. 

“Well th-they shouldn’t, Kel…” Basil chimed in, engaging in the conversation as gently as possible. “Look, Kel. You’re just… unfamiliar and uninformed about some things, and that’s okay. You could s-say that I’m oblivious when it comes to sports because I still don’t know what a foul ball is… But you don’t, because I’m just… ignorant.” He explained as best as he could.

Still, Kel hung his head kind of sadly, focusing his gaze on his hands that interlocked with each other. “Ignorant still isn’t a very nice word…” He muttered barely enough for them to hear. 

“Well sometimes we can’t describe ourselves in just positive words. Sometimes there’s other words that fit the bill, even when they’re not necessarily good.” Sunny elucidated, jumping when a knocking on his window had made a loud noise.

It had only been Hero, indicating for Basil to roll down the window so he could tell them that he was, “Taking a scenic walk.” instead of riding with them. Though, most likely he was trying to avoid any confrontation or conversations such as the one he had just interrupted, and on top of that–avoid Kel. 

“About time he took a hike…” Kel had quietly mouthed from the back when he knew the window had been rolled up completely.

Sunny sighed deeply as he watched Hero disappear in the direction of the church, probably to visit Mari, and buried his face in his hands as silence overthrew them. 

Basil really was right. What a mess this whole thing was indeed…

~

After dropping Kel off at Othermart at his request, Sunny decided to hang back and stay with Basil for some time longer. For how long he didn’t know, and if this was an overnight thing, that either, but it was getting late. At this point it might as well be. 

Right before proposing that question as a possibility to Basil however, he wanted to do one last thing. Which was checking up on Aubrey. 

Sunny was a bit surprised that Basil hadn’t wanted to come along, but he’d explained it as, “If she wants her space, I’ll respect that. You talking to her is your own business.” which had made his decision make a tad bit more sense. He also still seemed very shaken up about the whole thing–seeing her again would probably make it worse. So in the dawn of the very late evening, Sunny walked down the sidewalk to Aubrey’s place to check on her one last time before he (inevitably) left.

After a good few respective knocks she still hadn’t answered the door, and not to say that Sunny was a pessimist, but he would be lying if he said he hadn’t been even the slightest concerned. Luckily, after a few minutes passed, some shuffling came about and the door creaked open as it did before, Aubrey revealing herself once again.

“I thought I made it pretty clear on what I said earlier.” She said as soon as she answered his knocking. Though, Sunny couldn’t tell if she was serious or even just maybe slightly joking around.

“I just… Thought I should check on you before I left.” Sunny told her, pulling on his collar in an attempt to cool himself off. Even during the colder hours, the heat of Faraway compared to no place else as far as he could tell. If it weren’t for that very fact too, Sunny doesn’t think Aubrey ever would've let him back inside. 

Seeing as he came back over just for a check up though, she chose generosity and moved out of the way. “Get in before you melt on my front lawn.” She said, and Sunny praised the lords that he didn’t have to walk back, even if it was a very short walk.

Silence filled the air as the two exchanged glances, awkward shuffling landing the two on the couch–sat across from each other. Unlike Sunny, who had his legs pulled to his chest, Aubrey’s legs were a bit more spread out as she stared at him from the other end, eyes blinking slowly and warily. It wasn’t until she whipped back out the same mysterious concoction from before and began gulping it down that Sunny had the guts to say anything.

“What is that?” He asked, curiously pointing towards it. 

Aubrey held it up, raising her eyebrows at it like she was surprised. Then, she gestured towards him with said bottle. “Soda and booze. Why?” She smirked, turning it around in her hand and extending it forward. “Did you want to try?” 

Sunny hung his mouth open, opening and closing it hesitantly like he didn’t have an answer yet. Does he?

Scoffing, Aubrey pulled it out of his face and took another sip, “Y’know, I don’t blame you for not. It’s awful for you, and Basil would be up your ass ‘bout it.” she said. “Though, you’d probably like that, don’t you?”

“A-Aubrey, this is no time for… teasing. L-Like that.” Sunny said, caught off guard and flustered. He hid his reddening cheeks from her with a hand, mumbling something like, “And I never said I didn’t wanna try it…” 

She gave an eyebrow raise to the boy in front of her, skeptical if he’s genuinely interested or just feeling pressured into trying it. “You sure? I mean, a glass or two of this won’t be so bad, maybe just loosen your tight attitude up…” She considered carefully, swirling her drink around in a circular motion. “But… Well, y’know. Basil’ll be pissed at ya. Your mom seems like the type that would hound you if she somehow found out.”

Sunny shook his head, unsure of what has come over him and why he’s so sure about this. “I don’t care… I just won’t let it happen.” He insisted, and with a bit more consideration, Aubrey slowly got up from her spot to grab a glass from the cabinet, snatched a half empty bottle of rum and a new bottle of off-brand soda, and handed it back to Sunny as she settled back into the position she was before. 

He was confused by this, unsure of what to do, and held the glass he was given between his knees to stabilize it. In a dazed manner, he decided to voice his concerns outloud. “What do I…? Do I pour the rum then the soda?” 

“No dumbass, you want a bigger soda to alcohol ratio for an alcohol virgin like you. Pour however much drink you want, then add a bit of rum.” She instructed, closing her eyes as she relaxed into the rubbing of her own neck. “And sorry for calling you a dumbass. I didn’t mean that…” 

Sunny was a bit shocked at how loud the popping noise was when he took the cork off the bottle of rum, face flashing in a pleasant surprise before he accepted her quick passing apology. “I know Aubrey, no offense taken. Trust me…” He said, finishing up his own drink and taking a quick sip. His face flashed with a whole different set of emotions as he set aside the other two things, and chest burned as the distinct taste of alcohol settled on his tongue.

Aubrey laughed at his reaction; an honest one for once, and wiped a tear that’d formed in her eye, “You’ll get used to it. It’s way better than drinkin’ it straight from the bottle.” she assured him, trailing off sadly as she took another swing. 

“I know I kind of… lied to Basil, but I just didn’t want him worrin’. He’s gonna worry himself to death one day.” She said. “I mean, technically I’m not drinking myself to death, but I have been drinkin’. Sometimes with a soda, but sometimes… Sometimes by itself too.”

Sunny nodded, taking a reluctant sip of his drink, “Basil… He just cares a lot about you. You know that, right?” he asked. Aubrey nodded her head in acknowledgement, facing her gaze away in a guilty manner. “I know that… Do you think I don’t?”

“Aubrey, I-”

“Tell me why you’re here.” She immediately interrupted him, looking damningly towards him. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Sunny reiterated.

“No, I mean the real reason, Sunny.” She emphasized, chugging down the last bit of her drink. She immediately got back to work making another one as soon as Sunny handed her the stuff. With the liquid pouring unreasonable amounts out into her own personal bottle, she stared threateningly at him until he finally answered.

Sunny heaved a sigh, before he quickly drank the rest of his own drink and copied her–this time putting a little bit more rum in it since he felt like he was going to need it. “I just… I mean- what happened with you, Kel and Hero?” He revealed the underlying reason he was here through a question. “You and Kel are like, super close now, and Hero’s been acting weird about you two. Did you do something to upset him?” He asked.

Aubrey shook her head, cringing as she recalled what had happened a couple weeks prior, “Not really…” she said, leaning slightly over in her place and fidgeting with her hoodie’s sleeve. “But… Do you know what it’s like having trouble asking for help, even when you really need it…?” 

Sunny nodded, prompting her to continue.

“That’s basically Kel’s situation. He needs help, but he won’t admit it, and he won’t ask for it either ‘cause he’s scared. And why wouldn’t he be? His parents scare the living hell out of me too…” Aubrey put out, jutting her lips bitterly. “So he lied to Hero about seeing a therapist and got found out because I asked him some stupid question. I tried defending him, but that only made Hero angry at me, and now everything’s just kinda awkward when it comes to him… But don’t let that ruin your friendship with him, you only just got it back.” She explained, surprisingly diligent.

Sunny absorbed all this new information, slowly thinking of what to say about this. He knows he doesn’t have the full rundown on what exactly took place, but it was enough to explain all the weird behavior recently. 

“Hero’s been acting awkward, all the time, and rightfully so. He does possess the information of his girlfriend’s brother being responsible for murdering her.”

“Sunny- com’on. You didn’t murder her, it was an accident.” 

“Murder or accident, I still killed her. There’s no light way to put that, is there?” Sunny attested, dark eyes looking her way. “...My point is; he’s been on edge ever since I confessed to it last summer, and it seems like it gets worse every time we see him. I wish… I wish he would talk to us. I never know what’s going on with him.”

“Me and you both, buddy.” Aubrey agreed. “Him and Kel have some issues that need to be worked out, but I can’t really blame them. ‘Cause so do I.”

“Yeah, but your situation is different. You’re going to get-”

“Help? That I didn’t ask for or deserve at all?” Aubrey sucked through her teeth. “The only reason I’m getting help in the first place is because my mom is half dead and Basil feels bad for me. I don’t-” She cut herself off when she began choking up, wiping away at her glossy eyes. 

“ I shouldn’t be receiving help before Kel does, I don’t think it’s fair…” She stated, taking a quick swing straight from the rum bottle. "Fuck! I can’t tell if I’m getting emotional because of the alcohol or because I haven’t had enough.” Aubrey then exclaimed after she had a couple more gulps, looking at the bottle as if it had betrayed her. In the meantime, Sunny had been finishing up his second glass of the mixed drink and snatched the bottle out of her hands. 

She seemed confused at what he was doing up until he began pouring purely just rum into what he was drinking out of. “You wanna find out?” Sunny asked, a bit too confident since he knew he made some sort of a face when he started drinking again, but Aubrey had been right. The alcohol was loosening him up–making it easier for him to say what was on his mind.

So since there wasn’t much left, Aubrey set aside what had been her jug of soda and rum and began drinking straight from the bottle to match his energy. Though, as she swung it from side to side between every sip she’d take, her energy became somehow even more solemn than it had before, and her voice was wispy and hushed. 

“Sunny… Don’t let my bad decisions influence you.” She said, sighing when the other tilted his head at her. “Y’know this is, or at least was, a bad idea, right?” Aubrey asked.

A sharp pain erupted in Sunny’s chest, and he could start feeling his head get physically fuzzier every time he drank. Hopefully, that’s only temporary. “Yeah… Yeah, I know.” He responded. “But… But who better than- wait. No… Who better than you- than you to make bad decisions with?” Sunny embarrassingly stumbled over his phrasing.

“Are you fuckin’ okay?”

“Man… I dunno. I think it’s starting to finally hit.” Sunny mumbled, craning his head backwards. “At least I'm getting used to the taste.” 

Suddenly, Aubrey crawled forward like she had something to say. Granted, she made sure to leave some space between them, Sunny almost felt crushed against the arm of the couch by her actions. His senses could also just be incredibly sensitive right now though…

“Do you remember when I told’ya that I cleaned up this whole place?” Aubrey asked after she captured his attention, serious intentions tracing her face with a tone of voice. Sunny swallowed dryly, nodding his head as he hardly recalled the short conversation they’d had when they first entered. It’d been so brief that he could’ve almost forgotten about it, but not when the transformation of the before and after had been so drastic.

The girl in front of him hummed, face stoic as she confessed that she had lied about that, and that it’d actually been her mom to clean up the place. At first, this seemed insignificant to Sunny, and he assumed she only lied at the time to avoid the subject of her mother or that she simply just wanted credit, but when he asked why her reason was much darker than he expected.

“I thought it was strange, how she was running around the house frantically cleanin’ those few days like her life depended on it. But then I realized… her life did depend on it.” Aubrey commenced, bouncing her leg anxiously. “You know how some people give away things to love to people they love right before they end their life?”

Sunny nodded.

“Agh… As much as I hate saying this, I think this was the one last good thing she wanted to do for me…” She said, hanging her head sadly. “The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I-I know we don’t exactly… get along, but she’s still my mom, and I love her just the same as I resent her.” 

Sunny went silent, traveling his tongue over his teeth in contemplation, “...Geez Aubrey. That was actually kind of deep and insightful.” he replied, causing her to laugh lightly in return. 

“Was it? Maybe the alcohol’s good for somethin’ then…” She guessed. An ambiguous look dropped across her face, “Don’t get used to it though… I’m still debating whether or not my decision that night was even the correct one.”

“Of course it was, you saved her life Aubrey.” 

“That’s exactly what I mean!” Aubrey abruptly yelled, a little too loudly. “She didn’t want saving… She wanted to be at peace, and I took that away from her… Part of me wishes I had waited a little longer so she could’ve had that, but the other is grateful because now I won’t be whisked away to live with my dad.” She explained, downing the last bit of drink she had left. “I haven’t seen or heard from him n’years, how fucked up is all of this…?”

Sunny could see where she was coming from, but he hated seeing and hearing her speak like this. No matter what she or anyone else thinks, she made the correct decision. That was that. Even if the morality of it was a bit twisted, Aubrey still willingly chose to save her mother’s life. As much as she may hate herself for that, she would’ve definitely hated herself a ton more had she not done anything…

Yet, Sunny was at a loss for words and conflicted on what he should say about the matter. He’s not exactly the comforter type, but he knows that people appreciate his willingness to listen and the way he respectfully allows for them to speak–Aubrey being one of those people. He's never really needed to respond for her to understand what he thinks or feels, but he’s feeling a bit inclined to because of how she was speaking about it.

However, when he went to say something, Aubrey put her finger to his lips like she was one step ahead, “Nuh-uh, don’t you say shit because you feel like you need to. I see that face.” she shut him up before he even had the chance to speak. “Whatever you’ve got to say, it’d probably not make me feel any better anyway…”

“A-Are you sure?” Sunny asked, wanting to make completely sure that she wasn’t bluffing. 

Instead of irritatingly repeating herself though, she put on a lopsided smile and nodded. “Yeah… Let's talk about somethin’ else, this is getting me down.” She suggested.

So the two did exactly that instead of dwelling on Aubrey’s current predicament–talking about whatever came to mind and their opinions on random subjects. It was genuinely probably one of the most comfortable times Sunny’s ever felt talking to her and being around her in general. Aubrey herself seemed amused every time he would crack a joke, laughing like it was the funniest thing she’s ever heard even when it wasn’t that funny, but overall she was acting real. Not fake like she does when she’s feeling insecure or defensive, but honest like she’s actually allowing herself to be vulnerable for once.

Eventually, silence befell them, and they’d managed to finish half of another bottle of rum together. At this point, Sunny felt almost completely out of it and had started just drinking the lukewarm soda to “sober up” in Aubrey’s words, whatever that meant. She didn’t care to explain.

Aubrey aimlessly hung her hand in the air, wiggling her fingers in front of her face like she was fascinated. “Mmm, y’know what I miss?” She asked.

“What?” Sunny curiously tilted his head for an answer, but he received no answer in return. Only a small look of regret that she said anything in the first place.

“...You’re gonna laugh.” 

“Won’t, I swear.” He promised her, prompting Aubrey to grin toothily, and lean closer to Sunny like she was telling him a secret, “I miss… snuggling with Kim. S’been like… a week too long since we last did that” she whispered reluctantly. And just as fast as he promised, Sunny broke it when he began giggling. 

Aubrey pushed him away, slapping his shoulder in an offended manner, “Fuck you man! You said y’wouldn’t laugh!” 

“I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing because what came out of your mouth was surprisingly sweet.” Sunny conveyed to her, purposefully poking at her. “You snuggle other women? Sounds pretty gay Aubrey.” 

The other rolled her eyes at his banter, nailing him in the shin as best she could to shut him up, “Okay, nitwit! How ‘bout you tell me what your deal is with Basil then, huh?” she put forward, menacingly waiting for an answer. As Sunny drunkenly stuttered over his words, Aubrey shushed him as something else popped in her head. “Oh! Oh! And since he won’t tell me, what’d you two get up to when he spent the night at your place a couple weeks ago?” She inquired.

Sunny would say he was mortified, but this was touché at its best. He taunted her, and her back. He wouldn’t exactly call it dirt, but Aubrey’s probably hoping it's something dirty…

“God Aubrey, you’re so nasty!”

“What? I didn’t say anything…”

“Whatever. If you wanna know I’ll tell you some details, but swear on your life you won’t say anything.” Sunny asked of her as they adjusted their positions. 

Aubrey crossed her heart, “What's said in my casa stays in my casa.” she swore to him, and silently mumbled something about getting Kel to stop rubbing off on her. 

So with that in mind, more than a couple drinks still running through his system, and a curious audience, Sunny explained as best as he could that Basil agreed to staying over when Sunny had asked. He deliberately left out some details that made him sound like an idiot, like how he’d almost undressed and insisted on sleeping in their underwear to his childhood crush, but still included parts that amused him. Such as how Basil threw shorts in his face when Sunny was refusing to cooperate–small details like that.

“I fell asleep fast, so I can’t remember too much from when I was holding him, but he was warm and soft… Like a big stuffed animal but better.” He gushed, feeling himself heat up at the thought. “I-I had a bad nightmare that night too, and he woke me to calm me down… Afterwards, he held me in his arms, and-” He cut himself off when he met Aubrey’s eyes, a smug look on her face. 

“And?” The pink-haired girl made a gesture for him to keep going, and as embarrassing as this was or at least would be when he was back in the right state of mind, it also felt incredibly satisfying to get this off his chest.

“Aubrey… I’m so in love with Basil.” He confessed, holding his hand over his heart dearly. “I wish I could just kiss his stupid pretty face already…”

“Why don’t you just tell him that?” Aubrey asked, suggesting the obvious with a straight face, “You guys are basically perfect for each other.” she said, connecting her fingers together to demonstrate that they were a perfect fit for each other.

“I don’t wanna ruin what we have if he doesn’t feel the same…” But in all honesty, Sunny wasn’t seeing it like she was. How could someone as great as Basil like someone as mediocre, at best, as Sunny?

So Aubrey took the liberty of elaborating, “You’re into cute, small and sweet guys who have a kind of feisty side to them, and he’s into punk, brooding and emo guys who have a soft side to them. Not to mention you guys are bonded for life after comittin’ a crime at the ripe ol’ age of twelve.” she added on the last part as a kind of joke, but was cautious of Sunny’s reaction. Then, she deadpanned, loosely letting her hands fall into her lap as she clicked her tongue. “I think you know what I’m gettin’ at.” 

Suddenly, Sunny doesn’t want to be discussing his sexuality and attraction to Basil any longer, but he'd be kidding himself if he even thought about dismissing Aubrey’s point. He hasn’t ever bothered asking Basil what type of guys he was into, but if anyone would know it would definitely be Aubrey. Although, he also considers the fact that she could be fibbing just to give him the confidence to make a move on him.

But the fact that this potential lie was actually kind of motivating him… Call him a drunk idiot, but he kind of believes her.

At the same time this conversation was about wrapping up, his body was overwhelmed with exhaustion as well, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from sleepily lidding. Aubrey looked about the same, her responses becoming shorter and drier the longer this went on. Her head laid against the cushion of the couch, slowly sinking in the heavier her body became. These were all the last minute details he could remember before he shut down.

And ironically, the last thing he could remember saying to her was, “I’ll keep that in mind next time I try romancing him up.” before he passed out from how tired he was.

…

He wishes he could’ve remembered the next morning as a blur, but after everything that’s been happening, it was only fitting that something else bad was going to happen. 

Not that he’s saying the initiation of drinking until the two passed out wasn’t part of his idea, in fact, drinking straight from the bottle was entirely his idea. But maybe if he was a little smarter and planned ahead earlier, he could’ve avoided everything that took place next, but Sunny was a complete idiot–there’s no saving that.

Sunny had been dreaming; he couldn’t tell you what of. Maybe it was a nice dream? Or maybe it was a nightmare? Shortly thereafter though, it didn't matter what kind of dream it was, because it was interrupted by persistent knocking. 

Unconfident, desperate, anxious… Those were the words that described the sort of energy radiating from a conscious person to a half-conscious brain. And Sunny can’t tell why everything was so suddenly loud to the ears and hurtful to his head, maybe it was one of those hangovers that Aubrey was mumbling on about last night? All he knew is that he just wanted it to stop…

Eventually, it did stop like he wished, but it was followed up with shaking. Sunny was being shaken. 

Shaken for what reason? Well, in his logical decision he decided he was being shaken awake, so he finally opened his eyes–not without a loud groan, and found that it was morning after he traveled to Aubrey’s house. Most importantly, and dreadfully, though, a very angry presence was standing above him. 

Basil, who had ended up just letting himself in, was obviously furious with them, spitting questions Sunny’s way but giving up when he wasn’t responding. In his defense, he honestly couldn’t process anything that was happening a few minutes after waking up. Everything was way too overstimulating and fuzzy, making it hard to hear or listen, and his vision took forever adjusting to the new environment. 

Sunny did end up coming to his senses sooner or later, and that’s when he caught a small snippet of what Basil and Aubrey had been saying back and forth this entire time. Her supposedly being experienced with this and all, she recovered way faster than Sunny had and began bickering with the boy towering above both of them.

“Basil relax, this was one time-”

“One time? One time, Aubrey? One time can turn into countless of times! Do you know how awful this is for your body?!? You’re torturing yourself by being like this! N-Not to mention now you’ve roped Sunny into it, and-”

Basil’s scolding was cut off, when Sunny grabbed onto his wrist a little more aggressively than he’d intended and pulled him over to face his direction. It was then that he spotted tear stains on his cheeks, and more threatening to roll down welling up in his eyes. He looked frightened by the action, eyebrows knitting together like he was confused, but allowed for Sunny to keep his firm grip on him. 

“Please don’t blame her…” He said, loosening his grasp and speaking in a low voice. “It was my idea too. She warned me, but I didn’t listen.” 

Sunny’s confession only seemed to make the boy over him even angrier, but he doesn't think that just based solely on the way his eyes started burning into him, no. Basil also did this thing where he would clench his jaw, tighten both of his fists, and turn red when he was furious about something. Even if he didn’t say it, Sunny could always tell. Because Sunny knows Basil.

The other was at a loss for words at this point, blue eyes darting between him and Aubrey like he was debating what to say. In time, he shook Sunny’s hand off of him and turned Aubrey’s way, “We are talking about this later when I am home, understand?” he made himself clear through sharp intonation and a pointed finger. 

She looked genuinely at attention when they were finished up with each other, “Y-Yeah… Yeah, okay. I understand.” promptly nodding and quickly agreeing to whatever he had to say. It was almost like Basil was the bigger one for a second, because Sunny doesn’t think he’s seen Aubrey look so afraid of him until this moment.

A sharp gulp echoed through the room when it was Sunny’s turn to be addressed, the same stern look that looked down on Aubrey greeting him. Basil looked like he had a thousand things he wanted to say right now, “And you… Your mother must be worried sick, I’m taking you home. We’ll talk on the way there.” but he didn’t say anything related to what happened. Not here, not while Basil was making sure he could walk and was stable, and not even when they were in the car.

Well, at least the halfway point in the car ride was silent, consisting of an angry Basil driving home a sulky, still achy Sunny that focused his attention outside. No music played in the background, the two were sitting in complete and utter silence. Minus the traffic noises and humming of the car.

“So… Are you going to tell me what happened?” Basil eventually mustered up the courage to ask a little more than halfway through the car ride. His dark pupils quickly glanced between Sunny and the road as he awaited an answer.

Sunny only shrugged, still refusing to look at him, “Dunno… We started talking, got bored, and that was that. There’s not much to tell.” he summarized very poorly. This seemed to aggravate Basil, because he bit down on his lip and began peeling off excess skin like he did every time he was stressed or even slightly aggrieved. 

“Sunny, I know there’s something more to it than that and you’re not telling me.”

“There really isn’t, I swear! I’m being honest…”

“When you lie, you mess with some part of your shirt.” He told him, whipping his head to his right when they were at a stoplight. “Sunny, look at me.” Basil began pleading, so Sunny complied, bitterly scoffing at him. 

“I’m not falling for that trick again.”

“But I’m not lying. Look, you’re doing it right now…” Basil pointed out how he was currently twisting the hem of his shirt. Was he doing that this whole time? Did he really do that every time? Damn Basil for knowing him on such an equal scale…

“What is wrong? Tell me… I know you wouldn’t have done that with Aubrey if you were in the right state of mind because you know how s-stupid and dangerous that is.” Basil said as if he was completely sure of it, tenderly grazing Sunny’s fingers with his own and grabbing his hand so he’d stop messing with the fabric he was gripped onto. 

“I know you care about your well-being, and Aubrey’s too…. So tell me, why did you do it?” 

Sunny would’ve been completely tame had he not added on the last part. 

Why did you do it?

That was a phrase Mari and his parents had repeated several times throughout his childhood. Sometimes, yes, he did deserve the scolding he would receive from them, but other times he was just being a child. It was normal for him not to know why he did something.

And when it came for the day before the recital, that phrase, “Why did you do it?” was all that Mari said in regards to his smashed violin. The days after she died, that phrase was the only one he would hear from his father and then get scorned for having no answer, and the days after his father left them for good… That was when his mother finally asked him the same thing. 

So Sunny couldn’t help but shove his hand away in a defensive state, “W-Why do you even care so much? What do you have to gain by knowing why I did it??” and whined like he was a child again.

Basil was dumbfounded by this, previously softer expression gradually becoming heated again, “W-Why do I care? Sunny, I’m your friend, and I’ve already lost you and Aubrey once! I have nothing to gain from this because I care!” he yelled back, gripping his hands harshly on the steering wheel when he had to continue driving. It made for an awkward angle as they argued, but it didn’t stop either of them.

Sunny crossed his arms opposingly, “You’re not my mom. You don’t have to care this much…” he mumbled, hissing in pain when his head began stinging for what seemed like no reason, but was definitely the after effects of the alcohol.

Basil gave him an offended groan in reply, “You’re right Sunny, I’m not your mom! Your mom would’ve been WAY angrier at you for drinking and smoking than I am right now!”

“We didn’t smoke.”

“But you have in the past.”

“So what?

“So what?!? Sunny, do you know the long-term effects of what that can do to you? Do you even know how badly medication mixes with that kind of stuff? You’re still only sixteen!” Basil was fuming as the two arrived at their destination. He hastily parked in front of Sunny’s apartment, and finished his statement with a furious stare from his end.

But Sunny wasn’t listening to what he had to say, and blurted out one of the stupidest things he could've and now has said on an impulse. 

“How come you didn’t care about me this much when I didn’t come out of my room for four years straight?!?” 

…Sunny automatically covered his mouth in shock of him saying that, already immediately regretting not only inconveniencing Basil like this, but also hurting him in the worst way possible. He could only watch as the look of betrayal bruised Basil’s face and cut deep into unhealed wounds. No words of apologies would escape from beyond his lips. All Sunny could do was wait for whatever he had to say about his foolish comment.

“S-Sunny, you don’t think I cared then?” Basil lowered his head, fixing his gaze on his fiddling fingers, “I waited so long for you every single day… When your mom wasn’t home or Kel wasn't at your door, sometimes I’d knock and sit at your door for hours because I cared.” he told him with watery eyes. “B-But you didn't know that, did you? Did you even c-care about me then?” 

Within an instance, Sunny’s whole demeanor changed seeing him so emotionally distressed, and reached a hand out to touch him. “Basil, of course I-”

Basil pulled away from him, causing the other to flinch and pull his hand back. “I don’t w-want your validation, Sunny. Please just… I want you to get out of my car and leave me alone…”

Sunny did just that without another word, because what was there to say? He’d completely messed up with Basil to the point that he didn’t even wanna see or talk to him as of now, which he had every right to do. But it still hurt to hear and catch glimpse of his car taking off back home because it only confirmed it to be even more true. 

Before he entered his place, he managed to calm himself down enough and dry his slightly wet eyes to where he wouldn’t get as many questions. His mother obviously wanted to know where he’d been upon entry and why he didn’t contact, but Sunny had already thought up the excuse on his way over. 

He was at Basil’s house, his phone died with no charger in sight, and he desperately wanted to take a shower, which worked on her well enough to get her to stop trying to smother him to death like she did every time he spent the night somewhere.

The first thing he did was take a shower like he said he would, and brushed his teeth of any remaining smell of alcohol, because Sunny could not go through disappointing and upsetting another soul he loved–not after what just happened. 

Even after cleansing himself he felt dirty. Dirty for different reasons though. For how he’d unfairly used a forbidden card against Basil, and dirty because he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know why he did any of this.

Secondly, he laid motionless in his bed until he fell into a very uneasy sleep. Not that he was using sleeping as an escape from this, he was actually and genuinely very tired, but even there the question followed him. 

Why did you do it?

Sunny thrashed, a darkness of uncertainty overtaking his mind and body–void of any answer. 

He doesn’t know.

Chapter Text

The following weeks were pretty uneventful; full of self-pity Sunny knows he shouldn’t be feeling and lacking any contact from Basil whatsoever. It’d be easier to feel this way had their argument been any different, but the circumstance has Sunny in a bubble of regret and shame that he cannot leave, and refuses to. At least for the time being.

A few days ago, Kel suggested they hang out, which Sunny could only assume was because of the interlude among their friend group. As nice and peaceful as the solitary was, it could also be deafeningly lonely, so Sunny couldn’t have been happier to see another person after all this time.

It was his first time properly being over in his new apartment, which would usually consist of both parties awkwardly shuffling around the new environment, but Kel walked right in like he already knew the place. Save for the, “Woah, you still have this?!?” and, “What plant is this?” because he was trying to engage himself with the environment around him, he was pretty familiar with most of the things they owned already.

On top of that, Sunny’s mother was eating up the attitude Kel showed at dinner, adoring how much he loved her cooking. Sunny really wanted to break it to her that Kel would be amazed had she just placed a plain bowl of white rice in front of him, but he also doesn’t want to let her down since they rarely had guests over.

Tonight they were having the meal they always had when they were either low on money or lacked the ingredients to make anything else. A safe food so to say–steamed broccoli and carrots, sliced beef (or any other meat for that matter), and white rice. 

“Sorry it’s not much dear, but we love it around here.” Sunny’s mother jested, lightly ruffling Kel’s hair as she placed down their plates of food in front of them.

Kel smiled a big grin, hungrily looking at the display in front of him. “It’s no problem, ma’am! You always make the best food.” He said, helping himself to the delicacy almost immediately. He hummed in a pleasant way, swallowing happily before he spoke again. “Wow! This is delicious!” Kel exclaimed before inhaling another bite. 

Meanwhile, Sunny had been picking around at it. Not in a way that suggested he hated it, though admittedly he is just a tiny bit tired of it, but he was more-so lost in his thoughts. He’s sure his mother noticed too, but he can’t be so sure when she’s sitting on his bad side and he can’t actually see her face. 

She ended up nudging him to receive his attention, looking complacent with herself, “As polite and flattering as ever! Maybe we should have you over every night. It would sure help get rid of leftovers.” she teased, chuckling softly before taking a bite out of her own food. 

It was moments like these where Sunny almost felt completely frozen in time because of how uninterested he was in the conversation and topic, but it wasn’t their fault. 

He was lost in his thoughts like always, a burning desire beating within his heart growing stronger every time he thought about Basil. How much he loves him–how much he hurt him. People have noticed his change in attitude since the event. His mother. His therapist. Even Mincy seemed to notice how down in the dumps he was since he officially started working part-time at the flower shop.

Oh, that was right. Sunny has a job now, and is making money. He has for a while, but how weird is it that someone as socially conscious as him is already putting himself out in the real world? Maybe that’s part of the particular reason he’s never brought it up to anyone…

Sunny looked back up at his mother, half-listening to her as she bombarded Kel with questions about how his summer has been so far. Kel answered vaguely, leaving out the parts like what happened with him and Hero, and obviously what happened with Aubrey. Mostly, he seemed bummed out that he kept failing his drivers tests. Though, Sunny would be too if he lived in the hellhole that was his house.

Not to say that his family weren’t nice people, they were just… overwhelming. Sunny would want to be able to drive as far away as possible too if he was in his living conditions.

“Sunny? Are you okay, honey?” His mother soon directed her attention towards him, a slightly concerned look greeting him as he craned his neck slowly to the right. She gestured to his untouched plate, “You haven’t eaten anything, is something the matter?” 

Something is the matter, but it shouldn't be blocking his ability to eat or feel hungry. Sunny’s still a light eater, but not as light as he used to be.

Nonetheless, the hole in his heart outweighed the emptiness in his stomach–he can’t just bring himself to eat, and he can’t bear to continue sitting here like everything’s fine as well.

Sunny stood up from his spot, forcing a smile so she would stop worrying herself, “O-Oh… I’m fine. I guess I’m just still full from all the snacks Kel and I ate earlier.” he mustered out. Not technically a lie, they had eaten a good amount of chips and whatever else they could find laying around, but that was junk food. Food that didn’t fill him up very much in the first place and food they had eaten hours earlier. Lying was easier than admitting how lonely and guilty he felt though.

As he began to see himself out of the dining room, he picked up his plate and told her that he’d wrap it up and save it for later, expecting that conversation to be over. Before he was completely out of her sight however, his mother called out his name once again.

“Sunny?” 

He turned around, looking into her glistening eyes with a stoic expression. For a moment, he thought she might confront him about this grumpy and unusual attitude he’s been showing, but-

“You have work tomorrow, eight o’clock. I just thought I’d remind you.” She told him, still seeming a bit befuddled by his decision, but didn’t say anything in protest. Perhaps to let him face the consequences of his decision later like a real adult, or maybe because she didn’t want to make a scene in front of Kel? 

Either way, Sunny nodded, quickly putting on a grin to show his enthusiasm. He likes working, he really does. However, recently the flower barn has been reminding him of a certain flower boy dear to his heart…

“Yeah. Sounds great, mom.” 

He doesn’t know what he’s going to do about this feeling forming in the back of his throat every time he lies, but what he does know is that he’s definitely going to regret skipping a meal later tonight.

…

“Helloooooo? Earth to Sunny?” 

“...H-Huh? What?”

“I asked what video game you wanted to play next. Geez man, you’ve been real spacey lately. Did something happen?” 

He and Kel were sat in his room on the air mattress they set up earlier. Usually, Sunny would insist on sleeping on this God awful, uncomfortable thing when it was anyone else, but Kel could literally sleep in a bathtub if he wanted to, so he had the liberty of claiming his own bed tonight with zero problems.

Sunny was the one to suggest they play video games together, just to get his mind off of things, but that had failed. It wasn't stimulating his brain enough to get his mind off of anything, and every time Kel suggested they switch games when he got bored, it would remind him of the way Basil would get frustrated with Sunny for “cheating” at whatever game they were playing and ask to switch as well. Even when it wasn’t competitive, the boy still miraculously found an excuse for how he was hazing him.

Yet another reason he likes Basil so much.

Sunny looked back up at Kel with a blank expression, tone droopy and monotoned, “Oh, sorry. I’ve just been… in my head a lot recently.” he told him, placing down his controller and letting a huge sigh release from his chest. “Not in the Headspace kind of way though, more like I’ve been thinking too much.” 

“You wanna talk about it?” Kel asked, putting his own controller aside and laying his arms over his legs in a lazy-like manner. “I’m always down for discussion man…” He added on with a lopsided smile. 

Admittedly, his act was making Sunny feel comfortable enough to open up about something that’s been bothering him for days on end. He had Aubrey since she was involved in the whole thing, but he tried not to bother her too much since she needs the space, and her advice was pretty impractical anyway. How is he supposed to “Just apologize.” when he can’t figure out how to? Sunny needs to know how to make it up to Basil, not just spew empty meaningless apologies towards him.

They say actions speak louder than words, but as of now, Kel’s affirmations made him lose the angsty attitude for a minute so he could reminisce on what to do.

“It’s just… Basil and I had… we had a fight, and it's really been really hard without him and not knowing how he’s doing.” Sunny finally admitted, kicking his foot out on the rug in front of them.” “He’s mad at me, for good reason, and I want to apologize. I just have no idea how to go about it…” 

Kel seemed to think for a moment, eyebrows furrowing in deep thought. As though he came to an answer, and realizing that he’d been making a face in the first place, he grinned encouragingly, using a hand to shake Sunny’s shoulder. 

“I hear you, but it’s normal for people to get into disagreements and fights. Especially couples, so uh- it’ll work itself out, I’m sure of it!” 

His words of encouragement started off promising, but as soon as he added on the last assumption, Sunny choked on his own air. He couldn’t form words for a solid two minutes, and when he could it came out as a flustered stutter.

“D-Did you just call Basil and I a couple?” Sunny asked, face flushing a dark scarlet. He least expected Kel of all people to pick up on something so… something Kel would definitely not pick up on. 

The tanner boy looked back over at him with confusion, and then realization. “Oh! Are- um… Are you not?”

“N-No!” Sunny exclaimed, causing the other to chuckle with hilarity. “Did Aubrey say something to you?!”

“What!? Aubrey? No, why would she?” Kel expelled in perplexity. He seemed thrown for a loop until he noticed the implication and began chuckling again. “Oh! She noticed too, huh?”

“Noticed what? B-Basil and I aren’t a couple!” Sunny shouted as quietly as he could. It was late, and he definitely doesn’t want his mother eavesdropping on this mortifying conversation if woken up…

Bashfully in reply, Kel began scratching the back of his head. “M-My bad dude. You two are always just so close and cuddly together I just kind of assumed…” His words trailed off for a moment. “I mean, you do like him though, right? You seem pretty head-over-heels for him…”

“I-!” Sunny stuttered out in a shriek before calming himself down. What an awkward conversation to be having. However, here he was, having this conversation again with Kel of all people. He’s super tempted to ask what head-over-heels means in his eyes, but knowing him, Kel will probably tell him without him even having to ask.

Persistently, Sunny shyly avoided eye contact, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, “Is it… obvious?” he asked.

This question seemed to get Kel hyped, like he’s been waiting to talk and ask about this since forever. “Oh man, so damn obvious! I didn’t wanna automatically assume you were into guys-”

“I swing both ways, Kel.” Sunny corrected.

“Right… But after everything started to piece together in my mind it made so much sense. How does nobody else notice?”

Sunny groaned, instantly regretting his choice of egging this on. It’d be a lie to say he wasn’t curious on how obvious his crush on him was though, so to get to his main point again, he asked him to quickly summarize this so they could end this conversation already.

So Kel did, or at least tried. He listed off surprisingly small things that shocked even Sunny himself with how subtle they were. Such as, how Sunny refuses to make eye contact with anyone for more than maybe a minute without getting uncomfortable, but can make it with Basil minutes on end with no problems, and how he teasingly likes to play with Basil’s hair when he thinks nobody’s looking. Sunny would be wrong in that case–Kel was looking. 

Most embarrassing of all though was his last point, “Also, I see you checking him out sometimes, Sunny. You’re not slick.” Kel winked, laughing as the paler of the two scoffed and shoved him away to save what little dignity he had left.

“H-He’s a cute guy! So what if I observe his face longer than what’s considered normal sometimes…?” 

“I’m not talking about his face, I’m talking about his body, Sun.”

“...” Sunny didn’t say anything, but he did stare him down in a threatening manner if he dared to say anything else.

“You’re into curvy people, huh?” Kel inquired, realizing that sounded a bit out of context if he didn’t elaborate. “I mean- I’m not personally checking him out, Basil’s just very noticeably curvier than most guys, you know?” He made a curved motion with his fingers to emphasize his point. “Actually, of course you do. You- mmmphfh!” 

Sunny shut Kel up by smothering him with a pillow, ears burning up and mood dropping significantly lower than it had been before. His heart was pounding in his throat as he swallowed dryly, knocking Kel onto his back and somehow holding him down long enough to muffle most of his laughter. The sound was driving him crazy knowing why he was being so loud, and he intended on quieting him right up.

But it wasn’t like Sunny hadn’t noticed either, he did admittedly check Basil out sometimes. Just a quick glance up and down to satisfy his want to stare, and not in the creepy way. He’s just… a teenager experiencing new things and feelings, and as a teenager he just so happened to notice what a nice figure his best friend has.

So much for the intervention. Kel was just as, if not worse than Aubrey was. He didn’t even know that was possible!

“Kel, s-shut up! You know this whole conversation started because Basil and I aren’t on good terms right now, right?” Sunny yelped, removing the pillow face so he wouldn’t suffocate. 

The position he was in as he escaped Sunny’s pillow wrath forced him to look upwards, a flash of guilt appearing in his eyes for a moment as they stared at each other intently. Although, the smug look he was wearing from before hadn’t tinged in the slightest. “...I mean, it’s like I said before, right? People get into arguments. They blow over eventually.”

“Yeah, I guess… but I really hurt him this time, Kel. I don’t wanna half-ass an apology and make him even more upset.” Sunny sighed, burying his forehead in a hand. “Adding on to that, I haven’t even tried to contact him these last few weeks, vice versa…”

Kel slapped Sunny’s arm with the back of his hand, still laying down as his other hand mindlessly stroked through his curly hair. Sunny looked down at him upon this reaction, gauging what he was going to say next. But knowing Kel, that was near impossible.

“Dude, there’s your issue. I’ll tell you what; I bet if you go down to Faraway and show Basil how sorry you are things’ll start shmoovin between the two of you again.” Kel insisted, crossing one leg over the other and bouncing it as he thoughtfully guided his eyes towards the ceiling. “Take him out somewhere nice. Just to show him how sorry you are, then you can properly apologize to him. It’ll be like a date, but more friendly than romantic.” 

Sunny sat on it for a moment, stroking his chin attentively as he considered that.

In hindsight it doesn’t sound like such an awful idea. Better than Aubrey’s repetitive and unhelpful advice she’d offer even when Sunny didn’t ask for it. He knows she’s just trying to encourage him to end the awkward strike between the two, but it really wasn’t as encouraging as she thought it out to be.

That being said, Kel really does have a knack for fixing things between people. Too bad he doesn’t take his own advice to fix things between him and Hero.

Sunny laid down beside him, tucking his arms behind his head as he tried mirroring the others position, “You know what, Kel? That actually isn’t a bad idea.” he replied. Afterwards, he let out an amused chuckle, letting the two relish in silence before he quickly added on, “You’d think with the way you talk that you already have yourself a girlfriend.” 

Kel scrunched his nose in a distasteful manner, quickly shooting up from place and adjusting his sitting position. He looked uncomfortable, so Sunny tackled the opportunity to get him to talk about maybe what’s been up with him these last few months.

He too sat up, gritting his teeth together, “S-Sorry… I mean partner, I dunno who you’re into.” and apologized for automatically assuming. That only made Sunny realize that Kel himself hasn’t really talked about potential people he might actually be into though. Not when they were young, and not even now when they’d soon be adults.

But it was best if the man spoke for himself first.

A small simper formed on Kel’s lips as he shook his head. “Nah man, you’re good… That just reminded me about the other day…” He ominously left off his sentence there, not bothering to continue finishing as he ran his hand back through his hair. It seemed like he always did that when he was confronted about something or stressed about anything in particular–something he’s done since he was a kid.

Sunny let him gather his composure first, as he spotted how unevenly his chest was rising, and waited for the ever-so unpredictable Kel to begin speaking again; or perhaps maybe not at all. And as the fifty-fifty chance rang loud in Sunny’s mind, standing by to see which side of the coin Kel would flip, his questions were answered.  

Kel looked apprehensive, a wavering breath being exhaled as he tried to push his anxieties aside. That being said, he’d chosen to actually speak up for once in his life.

“It’s just… Cris asked me out the other day. I can’t stop thinking about it.” Kel finally confessed to him. 

That was honestly one of the last things he expected to come out of his mouth, but Sunny doesn’t get why that’s making him feel so down in the dumps. What was so bad about that?

“Well… That’s good, isn’t it? Don’t you like her?” Sunny questioned. 

Now, it wasn’t a complete given that Kel was into Cris like the way she was, “so obviously down bad for him” as Aubrey would put it, but they were good friends. Kel would mention her in passing conversations occasionally, and sometimes would deny requests to hang out because he already had plans with Cris. 

But to Sunny’s surprise, Kel shook his head. 

“Haha… No? I uh- turned her down. I mean, she’s a pretty girl and super nice, she’s just… not my type.”  Kel said, a crimp in his mood making itself obvious when he frowned for one of the first times today. “I don’t think I really have a type.” 

Sunny doesn’t quite understand what he means by that. He doesn’t have a type, but turned down one of the most compatible girls with him? That doesn’t make sense…

“If you don't have a type, then why did you turn her down? Doesn’t that mean you just go for anybody?”

“No Sunny, you’re not getting it.” Kel said, rubbing his hands together and folding them in his lap in frustration. Sunny’s lack of understanding was obviously something he wasn’t anticipating as he usually understood things pretty well, but the tables have turned for once, and Kel was going to have to explain what he was getting at.

He looks like he’s dreading that.

“Let me put it this way; I’ve never had a crush on anyone like you do on Basil. I’ve never enjoyed the thought of being with anybody like how Aubrey enjoys being with Kim.” He stated very clearly, pausing for a moment of consideration. “And… I’ve never loved anybody like how Hero loved Mari… Does that make sense now?” 

Kel was clearly hurt as he admitted all this, one hand resting on his kneecap and the other twisting rapidly at his chest. It was like he was mimicking how he feels on the inside on the outside, some kind of guilt seeping into his aura. “I’m… I’m nothing. I’m empty.”

Sunny shook his head, laying an encouraging hand on his shoulder, “Kel, you’re not nothing . You’re obviously something with the way that you’re feeling. We just don’t know what that is yet, and that’s fine.”

“So you don’t think it’s weird?”

“What?”

“Me not… wanting to be in some kind of relationship?” Kel elaborated. 

“No. Most people aren’t in one for large parts of their life, why should you deciding to make that permanent weird?” Sunny asked with a raised brow. 

Kel shrugged, laughing as he loosened up around him and recalled a few incidents regarding such a thing. “Heh- I dunno. My parents always tell me to find a nice religious girl that’ll be a good mother to my future children… Gross.” He faked a gag, or did he? It might’ve been real, actually. 

“That’s all they want you to look out for in a girl…? Geez, that’s so old-fashioned…”

“They’re old-fashioned. At least they got Hero to give them grandchildren. Hero’s great with kids–Sally loves him.” Kel concluded, biting his bottom lip in a slightly remorseful manner. Him feeling that way must be the reason he’s had such a hard time relating to the rest of his family. Sunny does recall him wishing he was more like his brother when he was younger, but that’s only because he thought Kel was jealous.

Now, a whole new door has opened. One with a whole new meaning. Does he regret not abiding by how his parents want him to feel?

“Honestly Kel, forget your parents. The way you feel matters too, they can’t change that about you no matter what.” Sunny made sure to let him know, giving him an encouraging shake like he so often did to him. “Besides, kids are mean and gross anyway… Then they turn worse once they’re teenagers. Yeah, no thank you.” He then grimaced.

Kel squinted humorously at him, letting a loud chuckle out at Sunny’s expression. “Whatever beef you’ve got with five-year old's and teenagers, leave me out of it.” He joked along with him, slightly cheered by his spiel, but just then, a certain word ended up slipping out of his mouth. 

“And I don’t hate kids, but the way my parents talk about it makes me… depressed.” He ended up admitting.

Creases appeared across Kel’s face when he seemed convicted by his own words. He unconvincingly recovered, a pained smile coming to his face. Though, it was obvious to anyone that it was faux.

“Sunny… I think I’m depressed.” Kel finally confessed with the same smile plastered over his lips. 

The way he confessed to such a thing was eerie and sorrowful, but something he’s needed to admit to for a very long while. Something that finally has escaped from the vault of his mind and off his lips. Finally.

It’s never an easy thing to admit when you’re in a depressive state, and Kel was particularly stubborn about that. It was disgusting how awfully proud Sunny was to hear those words come out of his mouth, because he knows this has been eating away at Kel like crows to a farmer’s crop, but he couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of relief he got as the boy finally came to that realization.

Seemingly bewildered and dazed by this, Kel grabbed Sunny by the arms, eyes burning with desperation. “H-How do I fix that? How do I get rid of it?” He implored for an answer, and an answer he would get. Sunny’s been waiting for this moment.

“Well, you did the first step, which was accepting that there’s something wrong.” Sunny said, grabbing ahold of and squeezing the arm wrapped around his own back. “And the next step is to ask for the help you need… After that, all the steps are for you to decide, Kel. It may get better, it may get worse, but you have to call the shots.” 

Kel's mouth gaped open, expecting that answer from him but still being disappointed by it. No matter how much he tried to prepare himself to hear it, he didn’t want to accept it as his only option, but what else could he do?

“That’s… going to be hard considering how my parents are about these kinds of things.” Kel winced at the thought of even saying anything about it to them, and sadly lowered his head. 

Sunny felt bad that he could do nothing to help him, or had nothing else to add on to his lackluster advice, but Kel was going to have to convince them one way or another that he was depressed and needed actual support and therapy. If he doesn't receive it now, he could genuinely become so much worse than he already is…

“Persuading them is going to be hard, but you know what’s best for you. They’ll realize that eventually and be sensible enough to listen to what you have to say, and I think they are. Or at least can be.” Sunny presumed. It wasn’t much, but it was all he could tell him to encourage him on. With the way Kel looked so conflicted though he started to wonder if he should’ve sounded way more confident in himself.

But his sentiment didn’t go unappreciated by Kel, whose previous mood had been uplifted since his tough to tell confession by just a margin, “I like that attitude, Sunny.” he beamed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to shake his whole body in a hug. “You know, usually I’m the one who’s being positive. It’s weird to have it the other way around.” 

Sunny whined in protest to the rapid movement, feeling himself grow dizzy from the lack of nutrition in his system being tested by Kel’s wit’s, “I-It’s no problem… K-Kel.” he stuttered out. As soon as the grip around him was loosened, he rubbed his forehead as to aid for the massive headache he could feel coming on, but Kel hadn’t noticed that.

Instead, he enthusiastically stood from his position, stretching achy legs and arms, and looking down upon Sunny with an eye closed. “Hey, can we raid your kitchen? I’m hungry!” He asked to change the subject for the time being, excitedly extending a hand to help him up when Sunny nodded in deprivation. He was starving.  

Kel was way ahead of him when Sunny stumbled after him into the kitchen, horrified by how much of their snacks he was pulling out of the cabinets, but also chuckling since it reminded him so much of when they were younger. He was lucky Sunny was running on a completely empty stomach, because he usually would feel the need to step in and tell him to snack responsibly at these late hours of the night. 

Sometimes, letting your responsibilities run free was necessary though… 

At least, in this instance anyway.

When they gathered almost half of his pantry they immediately got to work on eating themselves to death. Among the crunching of chips and losing of games echoing repeatedly throughout the room was one and one thought only bouncing about in Sunny’s mind; Basil. 

Or at least Kel’s suggestion on how to make it up to him. It wasn’t a bad idea, really. That’s why he couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation from before to culminate the perfect way to go about it in the very near future.

But he also remembered what else had been said in the previous conversation, ears burning and eyes darting over to glance over at Kel trivially. 

He’d really known this whole time and decided not to say anything? 

This’ll definitely be going down into one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, especially if Basil ever ends up finding out…

~

The days in Faraway were only growing hotter, but that didn't stop kids from playing at the park or adults from taking the scenic route to pick up groceries.

And it certainly didn’t stop Aubrey and Kim from meeting at their usual spot by the lake.

Even though Aubrey was in the jean shorts and a tank top cropped so short it might as well be classified as a bra, she was sweating profusely, and was relieved when she reached the shade of the many trees roofing the hangout spot. Like always, Kim was there anticipating her arrival, standing atop something in the distance that Aubrey couldn’t quite make out.

Whatever it was though was quickly abandoned when Kim spotted her, running up and embracing her like it’d been weeks since they’d seen each other. Aubrey thought the same thing last week, but that time it actually had been weeks since she last saw her, and not because she was ignoring her or because the two had an argument. They agreed that Aubrey should settle herself and her situation with Basil before she did anything too crazy, and that was going pretty well in her humble opinion. 

When they pulled apart, Kim rested her hands on Aubrey’s side, pinching her lightly when she least expected it and laughing when she squirmed.

Kim looked flirtatiously towards her despite her girlfriend’s very obviously unpleasant face, “You look hot.” she told her.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, “Yeah, it’s fuckin’ sweltering outside.” she stated as if it was obvious.

Kim shook her head, intertwining one of their hands together and tugging her along to where she was previously situated. She smiled, short hair swaying with the tilting of her head, “You misunderstood. I meant you’re hot. ” she emphasized. 

When her intentions came to light in Aubrey’s eyes, she poorly covered the flattered smile and flushed face with a hand and mumbled into it. “At least you’re enjoying the view as much as that old guy that sits on the bench almost everyday does…”

“What’d he do this time?” Kim asked, protectively squeezing her hand.

“Whistle… Had a dog with him though, so maybe I’m just exaggerating in my head how it went down.”

Still, the cracking of knuckles caught Aubrey's attention. She turned Kim’s way to assess how angry she looked, which was pretty furious. 

Her eye twitched as she pummeled a fist into her palm, “I’ll kick his fucking ass!” she exclaimed, determined to stand her ground for her. Usually, Aubrey would be totally down to cause a little bit of trouble, but he was an old man. He’d die soon anyway.

“Don’t bother, it’s not worth the jail time.”

“Goddamn pedo…” Kim grumbled. 

Aubrey appreciates her passion, but lately she’s been trying to avoid trouble. For her own and Basil’s sake. The poor dude gave himself a heart attack worrying about her enough, he doesn’t need to experience the scare of bailing her out of jail like she’d often do to her mother. General restraint and lots of patience was something she’s never been good at, but was at least working on.

That conversation was wrapped up as Kim seemed to get excited about something else in their path. 

“Oh! Aubs, check this out!” She spoke as she jogged backwards, stumbling over her feet when she lost her rhythm. Then, she boarded a skateboard Aubrey had no idea she owned and began scooting back and forth in the dirt, careful to not hit a rock. 

Aubrey eventually caught up, panting as she tried to catch her breath. She let out an airy laugh in amusement, “I thought you said you weren’t gonna let Mikhael “persuade you into switching sides.” What happened to that?” she questioned. Kim crossed her arms, furrowing her eyebrows angrily as she stood menacingly on top of the board she swore not to lay a finger on. Or more like a foot.

“I wasn’t! But then he had to get all cocky saying, “Ooh, I bet I can learn how to kickflip faster than you ever could.” and that pissed me off! So here I am.” She explained, jutted her chin into the air with annoyance. 

“And how’s that going?”

“Oh, actually pretty good. I think I’m pretty close to pulling off.” Kim said thrillingly. “There’s plenty of videos online teaching you how to do lots of shit. I don’t need the help Mikhael gives to Basil and Angel.” She scoffed, remembering how insistent he was that he teach her something she could easily learn herself. 

Aubrey hummed, entertained by the little rivalry they had going on. Usually, she'd be all for shitting on Mikhael, but Basil seemed to have a good time every time those three hung out together, so she couldn’t be too harsh on him.

“Pretty close, huh? Well, you better hurry just in case Mikhael gets his head out of his ass and actually beats you.” Aubrey teases. Kim leaps off her board and places both her hands atop the pink-haired girl’s bare shoulders, a determined look flashing in her eyes. “I swear I can do it! I’ll prove it!”

Aubrey is then taken slightly aback when Kim leans forward to place a tender kiss to her cheek, pointing towards her as she readjusts herself into position. “This one’s for you, babe.” She said with a cocky smile.

Aubrey couldn’t help but give a chuckle, proceeding to back up when Kim warned her she ought to. Now, she knew her girlfriend was just a beginner and was still learning, but least expected her to eat shit by the way she was gloating.

Alas, saying that ‘this was for her’ before attempting a kickflip was not the best idea, because she did not get to enjoy the sight of Kim successfully pulling it off. Instead, she got to enjoy the sight of her unsuccessfully flipping the board all the way, tripping backwards, and eating shit. Aubrey would hold off on fake applause and laughing until she knew she was okay though.

As if she knew her intentions for approaching, Kim smiled as she rubbed her tailbone and even chuckled to let her know she was fine. “I’m good! Caught myself with my hands.” She assured her.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, again, bending down to her level anyway, “You’re not supposed to catch yourself with your hands, Kimmy.” she said, reaching around and digging into her back pocket. “Let me see them.” 

Kim yanked her hand forward, palm out of sight to the other and shrugged it off, “Minor bleeding.” she dismissed. Still, Aubrey was persistent when she finally landed on the bandages she now always carried around courtesy of Basil. 

Since he always seemed to be patching Aubrey up every time she returned home, she decided just to carry her own around so she could do it herself on the go and he’d worry less. It worked, for the most part. Even when she tried to hide it, Basil would eventually notice and ask about bruises and cuts she got all over her body, but it wasn’t her fault that she liked rough housing around, exploring through thorns and branches, and climbing as high as she could in the trees. It was refreshing and reminded her of when she was a kid.

Aubrey took hold of Kim’s hand, tilting it forward so she could properly patch her up. She wasn’t wrong, the bleeding was pretty minor, but she’d feel better with the cuts covered up.

“Basil’s really rubbed off on ya.” Kim commented on exactly what had been on Aubrey’s mind, swinging her knees side-to-side as the now short-haired girl wrapped bandages between her thumb and pointer, and all around her palm.

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” Aubrey asked, softly speaking as she was unsure what she meant by that.

“No no, it’s good. You’re like… a sexy housewife stitchin’ me up after a long day in the fields.” Kim explained with a smirk. 

Aubrey smiled rosily, ripping the bandage roll with her teeth when she was satisfied with the amount and moving onto the next hand, “Were you always openly this bold?” she asked. 

Kim chuckled at that. “Maybe we’ve both changed.”

“In a good way.” Aubrey said, standing and pulling Kim along with her.

“In a good way.” Kim reiterated with a nod. She experimentally squeezed her fists, gaining her gusto back as she observed Aubrey’s handiwork. “Hey, this kind of looks sick as fuck. Thanks Aubs.” 

“You’re welcome for the look and for stopping your bleeding.” Aubrey emphasized, crossing her arms as Kim contemplatively stared at the skateboard in a questionable manner. She seemed like she got an idea, and Aubrey just knows it involves her.

It wasn’t until Kim whipped her body around with a question tracing her face that her intentions came to light. “Hey, let me teach you how to skate.”

“Are you kidding? You can barely do it yourself.” Aubrey scoffed, appalled by the suggestion. She was slightly interested in learning, but, with all due respect, Kim was not the best person to be teaching this.

The girl persistently shook her hands in denial, “I can ride it! I just can’t do many tricks on it yet.” she cinched on. “Come on… First lesson–at least let me teach you to balance?”

Aubrey tried reasoning with herself in her mind, but seeing Kim pout with her typical puppy-dog eyes swayed her completely. Hesitantly, she nodded her head and smiled when Kim cheered out so excitedly from their agreement. Pretty soon, she was being instructed and told what to do by the elated brunette to maintain a good balance.

“You’re just gonna want to place a foot right here. It'll lift up this other side, but that’s okay because you can just-” Instead of words, Kim showed her by using other foot to slam the other side down back on the ground. In a showy way, she lifted her hands up, “-and adjust.” and quickly hopped off to guide the other. 

Usually, Aubrey wouldn’t be afraid of the whole getting hurt shtick, it’s something she’s endured multiple times before, but when it’s something with wheels there’s something so… disorienting about it. Like she doesn’t have control. 

Don’t get her wrong, it’s not every single thing that has wheels that makes her nervous. She got the hang of driving pretty fast, but that was because she wanted to get the hell away from her house whenever necessary, but things like bikes, scooters, etc… 

It takes her a long time to be comfortable.

She has not even expressed this fear to Kim herself, and gulps nervously that her anxiety is obvious by now. Aubrey has only placed the first foot down and was about to chicken out–something she absolutely hated. Being cowardly meant she was weak, and Aubrey wasn’t weak. All those years of being tough, enduring Mari’s death, her dad leaving, her mom screaming and hitting. She wasn’t weak then.

So why now?

Luckily, to her surprise, Kim doesn’t seem to poke around at this lingering tension, and instead hugs her from behind. She must’ve felt how tense she was, because Kim soon turned her attention to Aubrey’s ear, whispering an encouragement to her.

“It’s okay to be scared, Aubrey…” She mumbled.

Aubrey snorted, trying to laugh it off like it was nothing. “Scared? I’m not scared, just-”

“Nervous?” Kim finished for her, swaying the two’s bodies as a sudden gust of wind blew by. “It’s okay to be nervous too, I get nervous all the time.” 

It seemed almost unbelievable.

“Well, you do a really good job at hiding it. When have you ever been nervous about something?” Aubrey mumbled, leaning her head back and resting her neck against Kim’s shoulder. That was when she met compassionate eye contact with the one behind her, who’s since lifted her own head so she could see Aubrey’s expression as she answered the question. 

“When I was dyeing your hair for the first time, I thought I was gonna fuck it up and ruin everything between us.” Kim began. Aubrey laughed, replying, “Even if you did, I still would've loved you…” as she allowed her body to relax, expecting her to end it there.

But to her avail, Kim continued just to make her feel even better about this whole thing, “During baseball practice, when I’d bat and you’d catch, I’d get so nervous when you’d whisper goofy shit to me.” she brought up, instantly causing a wave of nostalgia to wash over the two. “Not because Coach Hayes would yell at us to shut up… I was scared to mess up in front of you.” 

“Kim…” Aubrey called out with a small, feel-better grin. That made her realize just how much she missed baseball season at school. Although, maybe not school itself.

“And when you asked me out for the first time, did you really not think I was nervous then?”

“Okay! Geez, I get it…” Aubrey uttered, loosening herself from her grip since that memory was a bit embarrassing. Still, she said all she needed to get the girl to straighten up a bit. Not all the way, but with the way Kim left her hands loitering on her hips let her know that she was safe and in good hands.

“Don’t let go.” Aubrey urged, hovering her other foot just above the other side.

“I won’t.” Kim secured her worries once again.

And with that, Aubrey copied the swift motions that she’d witnessed earlier, knees wobbling as she actually managed to get on top of the thing and balance. Kim expressed how proud she was, making her want to roll her eyes at how corny it sounded, but she knows she’s just trying to make her feel better and perhaps even distract her from the uneven weight laying down in her chest, and it was working.

That was until Aubrey not only heard but spotted rustling coming from the entrance of the hangout spot. Usually she’d just pass it off as an animal or maybe even the wind, but Aubrey was feeling so paranoid today that it felt like she wasn’t even herself.

But also, general curiosity was a part of that reason too.

She unevenly stepped off, apologizing to Kim about how unsettled she felt lately when she saw how disappointed she looked by their time getting cut short. Kim insisted she understood anyway.

“If you’re sure about it, go check it out. That just gives me more time to practice and impress you later.” She’d told her, smug and arrogant as always when she flirted with her. The sentiment never failed to make Aubrey smile, but this time her grin didn’t last for very long because of the circumstances.

Aubrey made sure to slowly creep out of the exit to their hangout spot, making sure there weren’t any grubby kids or other general passerbyer's around to see her. She’d been so careless in the past. Well, her and the other Hooligans–they’d end up just threatening anyone who found out about the place, and they were trying not to do that anymore.

There wasn’t anything too suspicious, just the usual amount of sweaty teenagers playing basketball, kids climbing on top of the monkey bars and swishing sand in their friends eyes, and a singular family hosting a picnic near the entrance of the park. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

She almost dismissed the whole thing so she could continue where she left off with Kim, but the figure of a particularly tall, brown-haired boy caught her attention. It was Hero.

He seemed like he was in a hurry, but not anymore on Aubrey’s watch. She quickly jogged up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and tugging him to face towards her. For a second, a look of discernment came across his face, but Hero quickly put on an act and smiled as if he had no idea Aubrey had even been here. 

“Oh! Hello Aub-” Hero was immediately cut off with a cry as Aubrey took him by the ear and dragged him off somewhere they could talk more privately. She ignored the strained ow’s spilling out of him and strange looks they received as she led them to an empty corner of the park, and released him when she made sure they were completely out of anyone’s earshot. 

Aubrey crossed her arms as Hero looked at her questionably, rubbing his ear in pain, “Aubrey, I-”

“What is your problem?” Aubrey asked, angry and confused by his casual attitude. “Lately, you’ve been acting just so… So stupid! Like you’re not twenty fucking years old and avoiding not just me, but all of us ever since you got home.” She gritted her teeth, wiggling her fingers bitterly when he failed to give any kind of response. “There’s so much I wanna say, but I guess I should just mind my business, shouldn’t I?”

Hero was conflicted. On one end of the spectrum he doesn’t have to listen to whatever she has to say and deal with everything he has going on on his own, but on the other he wants to hear what Aubrey has to say just in case it’s actually worthwhile. Plus, he did make a promise to her that he’d be there for her just last summer. Whatever she has to get off her chest, he’ll listen. 

“Aubrey, whatever you want to say, you can say it.” Hero said with a nod, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I’m sorry I haven’t been the best person to be around lately, but I hope I can make up for that…” and then flashed her a smile.

A smile that Aubrey found to be false and full of lies. Though, she tried not to let that get to her too quickly. Inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, she found her peace before she could even think of where to begin. 

It had been a while since the two had some one-on-one conversations, Aubrey felt like she barely knew the man anymore since he spent so much time to himself unnecessarily studying or working part-time so he could pay off his tuition, which was fine. He’s an adult. But it was also just sad. Why overwork yourself so much during the summer break?

“Why are you cooping yourself up and slaving away over work instead of hanging out with us?” She asked, arms falling to her side limply in defeat. “When you got home from college, I was so happy because I thought we’d all get together more often, but ever since summer started, everything's been going downhill.” Aubrey admitted with a sigh. 

Maybe she was a fool for bringing any of this up, Hero’s grown now, the other’s have changed alongside her, of course things are going to be different than her expectations. It just would’ve been so great if for once something went how she expected it to.

Maybe that was just a selfish way of thinking though. 

“If it’s not too much to ask… I just- wanna know why things are so different. I wanna know why you’re so suddenly hard on Kel, and yourself.” Aubrey said, puffing her cheeks as she looked away, “I’m… I’m worried about you, Hero.” she added on under her breath. 

He had surely not expected that to come out of her mouth. Here Hero was anticipating a lengthy rant about her own problems, which would be completely understandable. Aubrey has been going through a lot lately, he wouldn’t blame her for taking her anger out on him since Hero has barely spoken to her at all this summer, but she’s been worrying about Hero and Kel this entire time. Once again, he was the oldest, yet he wasn’t acting like it.

Aubrey accepted Hero’s decision to give her a hug because God forbid she needed it. The notion still stood that he was like everybody’s bigger brother, she couldn’t bring herself to say no and stay mad because he was obviously going through a rough patch of his own. However, if he stayed insisting that nothing was wrong Aubrey swore in her mind to drag the cat out of the bag from him. 

“Goddammit, Hero… Say something.”

“Aubrey…” Hero muttered, his voice cracking slightly. As they separated, he kept a brotherly grip on her shoulders, an appreciative expression laying gently towards her now knowing how she feels about all this. “I’m going to tell you something that nobody else knows, is that okay?”

Aubrey nodded, confused and turned away by how genuinely upset Hero sounded. He usually always tried to be the bigger, better person, no matter what; even if it costed his own feelings and emotions.

So what could be so damning that he let his walls down like this?

Hero’s hands remained lingering on her, eyes quickly darting down and back up in shame. He seemed super hesitant about what he was going to say, grinding his teeth and making an insufferable sound along with it. Aubrey wanted to tell him to hurry up, but she remained patient. 

“I… I almost failed my last semester of med school this year, Aubrey.”

And that learned patience rewarded her.

She was bewildered by what he said, almost like the words that came out of his mouth weren’t real. Really, she wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it, because when has Hero ever not been the perfect golden child that consistently brought home the perfect, golden grades?

“What?”

“It’s like I said, I almost failed. Mind you I um-” Hero took his arms back to his side, rubbing the nape of his neck, “I managed to pull it together and pass. Not with flying colors or anything, but I was really close to failing, and I suppose that’s why I’ve been so hard on myself, and Kel too. I just don't want him ever having to end up in the position that I’m in… But, I’ve not really been doing a good job at that either...” He explained in a lengthy manner, not stopping to take a breath since he gravely needed this up and off his chest.

Aubrey’s hands shook like she couldn’t believe it, turning them into fists to make it less obvious how astonished she was at his ability to keep quiet for so long. This was very much a sensitive subject to Hero, and, even though she wanted to be upset because that excuse seemed so faulty, she couldn’t bring herself to feel like that. Because the excuse sounded exactly like something that would transgress Hero off the rails.

He’s tried so hard to be perfect. Perfect in his parents eyes, perfect in his friends eyes, perfect in Mari’s eyes… And, up until Mari’s death, Aubrey always considered him that way. 

Obviously not anymore, but she knows he still strives to maintain the perfect scores, grades, and attitude to appease those around him. It’s just… surprising seeing him being so vulnerable like this.

“What happened?” Aubrey asked, quiet but serious. 

Hero stroked his fingers along the fabric of his sleeve, finding it hard to keep eye contact since he was so ashamed of himself, “When I first started talking to you guys again, that December, and striving to be there for you all, I started to get behind.” he said. “I tried juggling my social life, school, and work, but it was hard, and the balance I had before when I was isolated and focused was shattering before me.” 

He sounded sad, not regretful, but sad. Aubrey didn’t know what to say, but she didn't have to say anything when he continued. 

“I love you guys more than anything in the world though, so I didn’t stop being there when anyone needed me… or picking up the phone when something happened. I don’t regret it, but I know the people around me will make me feel that way if they ever found out.” 

Aubrey grabbed his arm, tears welling up in her eyes as she gave him an aggressive squeeze, “Hero I’m not going to make you feel that way. None of us will except for the people who don’t see beyond the face you put on for others sake.” she grated her words in pain and empathy for him. 

“Like my parents?” Hero immediately named, hissing through his teeth when he finally came to the realization that their standards for him might be a little ridiculous.

“If that’s who came to mind so quickly, probably.” Aubrey agreed, smiling as she pitifully watched the display unravel in front of her. He was finally realizing it though, and that was good.

Hero’s eyes were empty as he said, “I’m a bad brother…” and body went limp as he said the unthinkable. 

Aubrey shook her head with furrowed brows, “Hero, you’re not a bad brother, you just think you are because you’re afraid.” she said, elaborating further when Hero looked questionably towards her. “Someone… Someone told me something similar once. Do you wanna know who?”

“Who?”

Aubrey wanted to laugh, “Your own goddamn brother.” she confessed, face reddening remorsefully as she recalled the circumstances. “He told me that, a couple of years ago when I became a… not-so-nice person.”

“Kel told you that? To your face? ” Hero gawked, holding a hand over his heart in shock when Aubrey nodded in confirmation. He never would've guessed that Kel would have the guts to say that to her, especially after their awful fallout.

“I was picking on this random kid I didn’t know, and he intervened. I don’t remember exactly what happened, but that I do remember, because it stuck out to me.” She recollected. “He told me, “Aubrey, I know you’re not a bad person, you just think you are because you’re afraid.” and that pissed me off. But it pissed me off because he was right… And maybe that’s the case for you too.”

Hero seemed to consider her rendition of Kel’s words, but after a moment he refused to accept as just that. “I may be afraid like you said Aubrey, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still a terrible brother to Kel. You don’t even know…”

“Know what?” Aubrey questioned persistently when he trailed off.

Hero hesitated for a second, “You don’t even know how I treated him after Mari died.” he mumbled.

Aubrey’s face dropped at the mention of Mari’s death, lowering her head but lifting her eyes towards him, “And how did you treat him after Mari died?” she asked.

“I didn’t treat him like anything.” He said with a sad chuckle. “I was so depressed- so caught up in my own emotions that every attempt he made to make me feel better only made it worse. And, like I did just not too long ago, I snapped at him one day when I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“I… I may not understand why now, but I understand back then. You were grieving! ” Aubrey shouted an excuse. She still doesn't understand how so many things are still going unsaid between everybody. They’re supposed to know everything about each other. They were supposed to know everything about what happened between now and the day of Mari’s death because they all promised each other that they wouldn’t lie anymore.

Collectively, the group has had so much time to discuss their grief and trauma that it seemed near impossible that there might be anything they don’t know about one another. However, with each passing day, that belief started to fade from Aubrey’s mind, and she started to wonder if they were all just strangers getting to know each other again. It was becoming unbearable to deal with.

“So was he.” Hero calmly answered back, grabbing one of her hands with both of his own and holding it towards her at a slight angle, “And do you know who my parents rushed to comfort that night?”

“Who?” Aubrey echoed him from moments earlier, sounding just the slightest bit more upset and desperate.

“Me… They didn’t even look at him.” He let go of her and once again shoved his hands into his pockets. “I got everything together for him that day, but I also… I also started making excuses for my parents when they didn’t deserve it at all.” He scoffed at himself, clearly upset that he let things in his family fall apart like this from beneath his very nose. 

“Aubrey… Who do I choose?” He then asked, scrambling to wipe a tear away from his eye.

Hero made a small ‘oof’ sound as he was tackled into a tight hug, and laughed with a melancholy tune in his voice. “You don’t have to choose… Make the decision that’s best for everybody.” She endorsed, letting her grip grow loose by the second, “I know you’ll choose correctly, you always do.” and pulled away with slightly glossed over eyes. She tried not to look at him, but failed.

However, she probably would’ve failed regardless, because right as she was going to walk away, Hero grabbed her arm to ask her one final question, “Aubrey?”

“What’s up?”

“Do you think Kel will listen to me? After everything I said and did to him? After being such a horrible brother to him?” He asked. 

For a moment, Aubrey considered. She didn’t want to say yes because she knows how often Kel complains about feeling like the underdog. She knows that Kel visits Basil’s, and she presumed now also her place so often to get away from everything, but she also knows that he loves Hero. Through his anger and confusion, Aubrey knows Kel just wants his brother back.

“I did, didn’t I?” She said, carefully removing his hand off of her. Although not completely, Hero seemed to be satisfied with this answer enough to back off and nod like he’d think about it. It was still unreal to Aubrey that for once she was the one acting as the adult in the mess of things, but she guessed she could behold her mother for that. 

Ever since that day, and ever since Basil went off on her for being so irresponsible, she was changing little by little. Let alone that be her appearance, or personality, it’s a good change, she thinks. To have someone to look up to and go to for advice… she's never been in that position to be that person before, only the other way around. And while there was so much pressure, there was also relief there. Relief that she’s somebody people can trust.

Never in hell would she have guessed that person to be Hero, but here they were, and where they stood was pretty clear now.

“Thank you, Aubrey… You’ve grown a lot, and you’re a good person. You always will be.”

Hero’s final message made her stop in her tracks and hands shake with nervousness and gratitude. She knows that Hero can’t see them since her back is faced towards him, but she still does what she can to hide it. Dubiously, the palms of her hands rubbed against each other as an ache formed in her chest and appreciation rang from his words. Aubrey wants to believe that, but the future is never certain, nor is it always bright.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Lets just hope he’s right about her.

~

Sunny inhaled and exhaled deeply, preparing himself for what was about to come. For a while, the passing scenery on the bus had distracted him, but now that he’s arriving at his destination, his chest is churning with anxiety and burning like it’s on fire.

Now that he was on the way to Basil’s place by foot he began regretting the choice of his ware, cheeks flushing both from the oppressive heat and the embarrassment he felt from how long it’d taken him to make it up to Basil. 

He ended up deciding to take Kel’s advice just a couple days later after his visit, and while he was psyched to see him, he couldn’t get too excited since Basil very much might slam the door in his face or not answer the door at all. He didn’t come across as the type to do anything so harsh, but Basil had admittedly changed a lot from what he portrayed him as in Headspace, anything was possible.

As Sunny approached the quaint house the shrinking and tight feeling in his chest only worsened, but with the lift of a shaky hand he knocked loud enough for him to hear at any point in any room. He hoped that Basil was actually home. He should be since his car was out front, but it was still very common for people to walk from place to place since it was such a tight-knit community.

Sunny’s worries are quickly put at rest, and also made worse, when the door swung open with a loud creak.

“Aubrey, I told you that you don’t have to knock any-” 

Basil is cut off on his own doing, mouth dropping as he took in the sight in front of him, that sight obviously being Sunny. 

For some reason, he was wrapped in a blanket like it was the middle of winter, and hair strewn into a low ponytail that was absolutely adorable on him. Adding on to that, it looked like all the lights were off in the house since Sunny failed to spot a single one that was on from what he could see. 

Basil’s usual soft blue eyes sharply glared towards him, at a loss for words like it’d been years since they’d last seen and spoken to each other even though it’d only been a few weeks.

Although, he definitely knows what that feels like already.

Sunny managed a smile, his anxieties coming to a halt as he mustered up a “Hey…” to him and nothing else. There’s just so much to say, and so much that’s on his mind, where is he to start? How is he to choose? 

“Sunny?” Basil said, shocked and voice sounding groggy. Before either of them could get out another word however, Basil broke into a coughing fit, unable to restrain himself as he almost toppled right over. He was lucky to have Sunny there, because otherwise he would’ve been on the ground instead of his best friend’s arms.

Sunny held on to him gingerly, hands shifting to help him keep his balance. Basil’s gaze looked so dazed as he got back up on his feet, and a sour expression followed as Sunny gently pushed back his bangs to feel his temperature. Sure enough, he was burning up. 

“You’re unwell.” He stated as a fact, one that he definitely already knew. 

A pout formed across Basil’s lips as he answered with slight sarcasm, “A s-simple “How are you?” would do…” he muttered. Although, what he said went in one of Sunny’s ears and out the other, he was more focused on how weak he looked and sounded. 

“Are you home alone?” Sunny asked, appalled when Basil nodded. He shouldn’t be here all alone, he barely seems to be able to manage himself! “Where’s Polly? Someone needs to be here to take care of you, Basil. You look like you can barely even stand.”

Basil pursed his lips, cheeks warming up at being babied by someone he was still kind of upset with. He has yet to hear an apology, and now he’s just shown up on his front door unannounced? “S-Sunny… I c-can take care of myself, thank you very much-” 

“I know that, but we all need a little help sometimes. Let me take care of you until somebody else is home.” He insisted, worried for his own wellbeing. Basil wasn't the type to be sick or get sick, but when he was he acted more rash about if he could handle things or not. Most often that would be him continuing work in the garden and exhausting himself for the day, Sunny has seen it again and again. 

Basil wobbled hesitantly in his place, hands gripping the blanket he miraculously still had on in the heat. “O-Okay…” He quietly agreed, moving out of the way and flicking on the main room lights. 

Sunny followed, closing and locking the door behind them, and took a seat on the couch beside Basil. The boy shivered as he let down his hair, wrapping the band around his thin wrist before fluffing back up his golden locks. Lastly, before another word was spoken, Basil shrugged the blanket off his shoulders, revealing what he was wearing.

It was the shirt Sunny loaned him.

A small smile came across Sunny’s face as he gave him a gentle tug at the hem, “Hey… This is my shirt.” he pointed out.

Basil looked up at him, biting a lip in contemplation before he responded, “It’s a… comfortable shirt.” and glanced down as Sunny continued pulling at the fabric. “I-I can change and give it back as soon as it’s washed! I didn’t mean to keep it for so long, but…” He squealed, trailing off as he met eyes with the other.

Sunny shook his head, “Keep it. I don’t need it.” he said, trying to think of a subject change so Basil wouldn’t keep trying to persistently convince him to take it back. Conveniently, that’s when he noticed how he held his stomach like it was hurting from hunger pains, something Basil would do ever since they were small, young children.

“Are you hungry?”

At first, Basil shook his head, but when Sunny lowered his head towards him and eyed at him suspiciously, he began nodding instead. 

“That’s great- I mean, that’s not great… but I can cook for you.” Sunny proposed, folding his hands together in his lap anxiously. This was in fact perfect. If he couldn’t take him out somewhere to eat, what better than a home cooked meal? Basil would be into that, and they could always talk afterward.

“Cook.. for me?” Basil repeated, tilting his head curiously. “S-Since when do you do that…?” 

Sunny kept their eyes locked as he stood up, wiping a bead of sweat that had formed. Maybe wearing a black hoodie wasn’t the best idea in this type of weather… Luckily though, he had a tank top underneath that he’d worn just in case this happened. “Hah, I’m not that helpless, Basil.” Sunny tried lightening up the mood, unable to gauge his reaction as he lifted the piece of garment over his head.

“U-Um, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it that way.” He heard Basil apologize, and then caught sight of him fiddling in place nervously as he finally pulled the fabric over his face. Basil’s glare followed Sunny’s hands as he went to tie a knot around his waist, which was admittedly a little awkward, but eventually he decided to break the suffocating silence.

“Y-You look… well.” Basil blurted out, a very obvious flush appearing across his cheeks as he realized that’d come out of his mouth. “Not that I w-was staring, but you’re just noticeably more toned than you w-were last summer!” But even so, Sunny failed to notice it as one that might be deathly enamored by him because they’ve yet to make up at all.

Instead, he smiled his way, ignorant to that fact and fanning a hand as to cool himself down, “Do I…?” Sunny questioned. “I’m glad… I’ve definitely been eating more and-” Before he went on though, he realized that he was kind of just talking about himself at the moment, and that’s not what he came here for. He came here to make it up to Basil and apologize sincerely, but now he also had a new goal. Which was to make sure Basil was properly taken care of.

“What are you hungry for?” He ended up asking to change the subject instead. With the way these conversations were flowing, it almost felt like they were back to being almost complete strangers. Strangers who just so happened to know each other so well, but Sunny supposes it’s like that when you antagonize someone by using the past against them. He’s glad Basil’s not screaming at him, but Sunny half-expected more passive aggressiveness. At the moment, he looked and acted so timid–like he’d been in the wrong. None of this was right.

“Um… Whatever you want.” Basil responded considerably. Unbeknownst to him, Sunny wasn’t going to take that as an answer, no. He bent down to his level, stealing Basil’s eye contact away from the floor for a moment while he once again repeated the question, “What do you want, Basil?” he asked again.

This time, Basil took the hint of Sunny’s insistence and gave a straight answer. “Do you… Know how to make miso soup?” He asked with a sniffle. It only sounded like his congestion was getting worse. “Hero and Mari always came over and made miso soup for me e-every time they found out I was sick.” He remembered, biting a thumb in anticipation. “That’s um- not too much to ask for, is it?” 

Sunny shook his head, once again pushing Basil’s bangs back in order to feel his temperature. Somehow since he last felt, it’d only gotten hotter, and his mannerisms had become irregular like he was dizzy from the high fever. 

“Lay down.” He ordered him as he kneeled back up from his place. Basil looked slightly offended by that, “Lay down? B-But I can help!” 

“No you can’t.” Sunny said, raising a brow in his direction when Basil wobbly stood up from his place.

“W… Yes I can!” Basil shot back at him, angrily furrowing his own eyebrows as his entire face turned red from provoked exasperation. “I’ll show you, I’ll-”

Sunny was shoved backwards by the weight of Basil’s body, albeit not very hard, but Basil was struggling to hold himself up and almost fell forwards for the second time today. Sunny, again, was there to catch Basil by the arms, holding him close as he felt the shakiness in his body worsen. It was unbelievable how sickly this boy was.

Basil looked up, a thankful but also irritable expression greeting the other. He reached a hand out to touch Sunny’s face, stroking his cheek with his fingers. “Wow… There’s two of you right now. Th-That’s probably not good.” He said, following Sunny’s lead as he got back on his feet.

“Now will you listen to me?” Sunny asked, gently forcing Basil back down on the couch so he could get some rest before eating. If he was too nauseous, he might throw everything up.

“I’m not listening to you .” Basil said, pointing a finger at him in an accusatory way while doing exactly what Sunny asked. He curled up sideways as he found comfort that way. “I’m just sleepy… Y-You’re lucky I’m so tired or else I’d hand your ass to you in the kitchen.” 

There was the passive aggressiveness he was expecting. Sunny didn't expect the cussing and phrase that was definitely influenced by Aubrey, but it was there, and it was honestly a little funny whenever he cursed since it sounded so unnatural coming out of his mouth. Although, Sunny is a bit confused on why his previous shy demeanor changed so suddenly.

He’s completely out of it, that’s why he’s not acting right, Sunny thought. His sudden mood changes and lack of self-awareness, combined with his fever… He’s probably in complete shock with Sunny’s sudden arrival and doesn’t know how to express it. Basil’s body is just naturally running its course until he gets his sense of reality back. 

So Sunny patiently smiled, playing along with him for a bit while he searched his cabinets for medicine. “You’d hand my ass to me, huh? I didn’t take you as the competitive type.” Sunny stalled, carrying a conversation so he wouldn’t fall asleep. He had spotted the way Basil’s eyes were falling tired, it was only a matter of time.

“Well… people change.” 

“Yeah? When did you start cursing?”

Basil gasped dramatically, covering his mouth like he hadn’t even noticed. It was at this point that Sunny finally found some liquid medicine he knows Basil’s going to want to spit right out, and grabbed a spoon along with it. 

“Oops… Don’t tell Polly, she’ll be mad if she finds out.” Basil said, cheekily giggling behind his hand. His giddy mood didn’t last for long though.

Sunny kneeled down on his knees, pouring the disgusting concoction right in front of Basil’s eyes, which turned out to be a mistake, because he retched at the sight of it and immediately sat up with sealed lips. Sunny tried urging him to open up, but the boy only stubbornly shook his head. 

After a bit more bickering, Sunny pulled a move that Mari used to do on him when they were younger, “If you don't take it, I’ll tell Polly her sweet little Basil has a foul mouth.” and tricking him had seemed to do the trick. Sure, it was a bit childish, but it worked. Basil obediently swallowed two spoonful's after that with no complaining, and laid down as Sunny asked him to. 

The last thing he did to ensure Basil’s recovery was laying a cold, wet towel over his forehead. Basil seemed to not see the point of it, but it was something they’d done in Sunny’s family since forever, so he was insistent on doing so. To top it off, he laid his blanket down for him to use if he felt cold, observing how his face slowly relaxed and blond bangs dampened from the droplets of water dripping down his head. He almost looked…

“Sunny…” Basil called out, tugging at the hem of the shirt he was wearing. His eyelids were barely open and was nasally breathing in and out as he got one last thing out, “Thank you… For taking care of me.” he said, sounding genuine. 

He almost looked at peace. 

Before Sunny got to work on cooking, he watched as this peaceful face of Basil’s turned into a sleeping one–eyelashes fluttering shut, mouth slightly gaping… It was one of Sunny’s favorite looks on him knowing he was getting the sleep he needed. He hopes the medicine will have already been in effect by the time he wakes up, because he really wants to talk to a Basil that’s aware of what’s going on around him. 

Miso soup really isn’t that big of a hassle to make. Actually, it’s one of the first things Mari actually taught Sunny to make when he was younger. They’d come up with the idea to surprise their parents with a traditional, homemade meal after they came home from work, so that’s what they ended up settling on. Of course, Mari ended up doing most of the work, but Sunny retained most of the information and had recently re-learned since he made dinner for his mother most nights. 

It generally didn’t take that long to cook miso soup either, ten minutes minimum and maybe fifteen max, so Sunny was very slow and quiet with his preparations so Basil could sleep. Occasionally, he’d steal a glance away from whatever he was doing to check on him and make sure he was breathing, like he was a child or hurt animal or something, but Sunny couldn’t help it. 

He got an overwhelming sense of protectiveness as soon as Basil agreed to be taken care of. Maybe part of the fact was because he felt like he needed to make it up to him, but also because… he loves him, and hates seeing him in this state.

Basil was probably out for an hour, which was perfect because Sunny had been moving at a very slow rate. At some point, he had to convince himself to be reasonable when he had to cut up the vegetables Basil had available, because, while Sunny had gone through and is still going through the intense therapy he needed, he still has an irrational fear of kitchen knives and cutting himself by accident.

Pocket knives? No problem. He carried one around, actually, wherever he went, but kitchen knives? They still gave him the heebie-jeebies because of… Certain incidents of the past. However, today he was able to conquer, or in other words tolerate, using a kitchen knife simply because he needed this done soon. 

Just about the time he was finishing up was when Basil had started thrashing side-to-side in his sleep, failing to find a comfortable position and groaning out loudly as he lifted himself up. He wiped at his hazy vision, proceeding to leer Sunny’s way as he approached him with the food he asked for.

“Sunny…” Basil called out. Not in a confused tone, but more of a ‘why are you still here’ one. Though, he was undeniably starving. Sunny could hear the noises coming from Basil’s stomach as he sat down next to him, stirring the soup around aimlessly while it cooled, and he hadn’t hesitated to take a bite when Sunny held up the spoon to his face to feed him. 

After a few more bites, Basil seemed to get the life back in his eyes and asked Sunny if he’d stop feeding him and let him do it himself, to which he agreed to. Sunny was slightly embarrassed he’d tried to coddle him like Basil was a child, he hadn’t meant to, but he was glad to see how much he was enjoying his cooking. He’s sure part of the reason was because Basil most likely hadn’t eaten anything since he woke up, but Sunny’s slightly hopeful that it’s also because it tasted good.

Basil set his spoon down, sniffling through his nose and grumbling something like, “I feel so gross…” under his breath as he blinked slowly. His gaze turned away to Sunny, a questionable look appearing in his eyes, “A-Aren’t you hungry too?” he asked.

Sunny shook his head, “I had a big breakfast.” he told him. Basil didn’t seem to believe him, because when did Sunny ever eat big meals? However, he dismissed it and set aside his own bowl for now. 

Immediately, Sunny straightened his posture when Basil gave him that look. The look he always gave when he was about to bring up something serious. The boy across from him had a sad, conflicted expression on his face. One that made his nose crinkle and forehead strain like he was trying to think of what to say.  

Basil rubbed both knees together in an anxious manner and asked, “Sunny… Why did you come here?” to him.

“I um… w-wanted to make it up to you.” Sunny quickly replied, threading his fingers together.