Chapter Text
It all came spilling out that day.
Shock, rage, hatred, painted on his closest friends’ faces. He remembered quite clearly, the tears streaming down his face, the painful freedom and release crushing his heart.
They stood back, apprehensive, repulsed.
Except Kel.
Sunny only remembered, cutting through the heartache, was warmth like he had never felt before, arms wrapped around his frail body. Sunny only remembered sobbing into someone’s chest, his tears soaking into a basketball jersey.
Aubrey followed. Then Hero. It wasn’t forgiveness, but something close.
There were a lot of tears that day.
-
Sunny opened his eyes to the sound of a million notifications on his phone. Half-asleep, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and opened it, the intense light of the phone screen blinding him.
Through squinted eyelids, he saw it was Kel, doing his regular ‘mental health checkups’.
Fuckopath: Sunny
Fuckopath: Sunny
Fuckopath: Suny
Fuckopath: r u still sleeping get up
Fuckopath: Sunny
You: What
Fuckopath: Its that time of week again
You: Where
Fuckopath: Ice cream place
You: We’ve been there twice already
You: It’s winter as well
Fuckopath: So?
Fuckopath: Good palce
Fuckopath: The chcoltae there is to die for
Fuckopath: *Chiciolate
Fuckopath: *Choclate
You: Fine, ice cream place
Fuckopath: *Chocalote
You: When
Fuckopath: YES
Fuckopath: 2:00 pm
You: k
Sunny sighed. He rolled off the bed and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth — His mother had instilled that habit in him (nightmares of his teeth falling out still haunted him, though those were the tame, ‘normal’ ones). It was already 1:30, and getting to the ice cream place would take a good twenty minutes.
He threw on his favorite hoodie — a gift Kel had gotten him for his 18th birthday — and put on his black eyepatch. He opened the door, sending a quick text to his mom that he would be leaving. The chilly winter air stung his face, his breath turning to mist. Sunny’s pace was brisk, as it always was, as he navigated the city towards the ice cream parlor.
Kel was the only one who remained a close contact from his old friend group. Aubrey, though she went to the same college, only messaged him from time to time, holding short conversations (usually about school and whether he was being bullied or not), and Hero… did not.
Sunny, as it turns out, was an academic genius if he tried — Only, Mari had given him unrealistic standards, lessened motivation and an inferiority complex. He had barely scraped by high school and managed to get into college, which had been a huge ego boost.
In college, he had met a few people he considered acquaintances, but Kel was still his only close friend.
As for Basil… Sunny’s mother, for obvious reasons, did not want her son interacting with another boy who had stabbed his fucking eye out. However, Sunny managed to convince her otherwise (with begging and quite a bit of manipulation which he was still slightly guilty about), they didn’t meet much anyway. While Sunny had his phone number, neither of them seemed to be willing to text first.
He knew for a fact that Kel was still in regular contact with Basil. He somehow managed to hold together the entire group, for which Sunny was ever thankful. If he hadn’t gotten him out of the house that day… Well, Sunny would probably be six feet under by now.
Sunny suddenly felt someone yank his hood, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Woah there, you nearly walked right past me!” Sunny turned around, unamused. Kel stood at the entrance of the ice cream shop, letting go of the hoodie and smiling ear to ear. He was wearing a thick, comfortable-looking orange hoodie.
“Lost in your thoughts again, Sun?”
“Don’t call me that.” As they entered the store, hearing the bells clink which signified their entry, Kel placed his elbow onto Sunny’s head, using it as an armrest.
“...motherf…”
“Sorry, force of habit.”
“You aren’t even stopping!”
“Yep, I merely justified my actions.”
Sunny silently resigned to his fate. Kel guided them to the counter, before asking Sunny, “Flavor?”
“Vanilla.”
“Oh, come on, vanilla’s boring!”
“Exactly. I’m boring.”
“No, you’re not. You’re edgy. No self-deprecation allowed here.” Kel sighed at Sunny’s signature stubbornness, turning to the lady behind the counter. “One large chocolate and one small vanilla, please,”
“That’ll be… ten dollars.”
The pair both pulled out their wallets at the same time. There was a moment in which they froze, staring each other down, silently testing each others’ resolve.
Sunny spoke, breaking the silence. “I concede. We’ll split the bill.”
Kel scoffed. “You call that a concession? I’m paying.”
“Absolutely not!”
“I’m paying, and that’s final.” Kel beat Sunny to the punch, placing down the ten dollar bill first, being closer to the counter. When Sunny started to object, he simply grabbed his arms and shoved his wallet back into his pocket. Kel accepted the ice cream and forced the vanilla cone into Sunny’s hand.
“...Fuck you.”
“I love you too, buddy. C’mon, let’s go outside.” The pair left the sanctity of the store and walked into the chilly city air. They sat on a city bench, brushing off the powdered snow.
“K-Kel… I don’t think it’s the b-best time to eat ice cream…” Sunny chattered, continuing to lick the ice cream despite his words. Kel was somehow already done, having wolfed down the large chocolate in record time.
“Are you cold? Well, I’m fuckin’ burning up here.” Kel threw the cone wrapper into the nearest bin, before tearing off his hoodie. He draped it over Sunny’s shoulders, wrapping it around him like a blanket.
“Won’t you be cold?” Sunny said, concerned. Kel was wearing nothing but a basketball jersey, in almost freezing conditions.
“I’ll be fine,” He said, idly placing his hand on Sunny’s head. “I’ve always had a high temperature tolerance, in both directions.”
Sunny smiled gratefully, taking a bite of his ice cream and pulling Kel’s hoodie tighter around himself. Kel started to stroke his hair, petting him like a cat. He noticed Kel staring at his face, seemingly starstruck. “Whaddya looking at?”
“Your smile. I’ve always loved your smile. I know Mari did as well.” Kel said. “Your smile is pretty.”
Sunny’s smile became melancholic. He gazed back into Kel’s brown eyes, his face turning a slight shade of red. “You know, I could say the same for you.”
“Hey, this is your mental health checkup, not mine!” Kel chuckled. “Oh right, weekly bear hug!” He threw his arms around Sunny, who gladly accepted the warmth and human contact.
Sunny said nothing, a small smile gracing his lips.
“Would you look at that, it’s nighttime already.” Kel said, breaking the hug. “See you next week, Sun-sun. Oh, keep the sweater; I have way too many others at home!”
He sat there for who knows how long afterward.