Chapter Text
Basil doesn’t remember exactly when he first met his new friend. He likes to think to himself that maybe he’s always been there, hiding in the background and watching shyly. But Basil’s pretty sure the first time they speak is about two years after Mari’s death. Aubrey’s gang had cornered him and roughed him up, and Basil had managed to find an escape into the forest surrounding the park. He finds a small clearing, different than their secret hideout. Basil never knew this little clearing was here. There seems to be the burned down remains of a house here, only half the bricks left, everything else gone. No one will look for him here, and that’s comforting, right now. After all, everyone hates him. Kel likes him, but Kel’s friends think Basil is weird, and so Kel has to separate the times he talks to Basil versus his friends so he doesn’t have to choose. And so Basil is left with only his bedridden grandmother and his caretaker who he doesn’t really know how to talk to. That’s all the real support he has.
Basil doesn’t want to make anyone feel bad with his tears, so this structure seems like the perfect hideout. It’s pretty dirty inside, but he finds a good spot to sit down. And from there, Basil just lets himself sob and cry and whimper, a beaten up animal nursing it’s wounds.
‘It’s going to be okay, everything’s going to be okay.’ He tells himself like always, but Something is gripping him harder, telling him that things will be this horrible forever. The idea makes him sob harder, and that’s when Basil feels hands on his arms— gentle and comforting.
“Shhh…” Someone whispers, and pulls Basil into their grasp. Basil struggles at first— but the hug is so warm and sweet. It’s just like the hugs Sunny used to give him as a greeting every-time they saw each other for the first time in a day. Basil can’t help but give into it, sobbing into this mysterious person’s arms. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you. I came to help.” This person has Sunny’s voice, and speaks in soft, clipped sentences, just like Sunny.
Basil pulls back as fast as he can. Could it be—? Did Sunny come back to save him?!
The boy in front of him has Sunny’s face and body— every thing about them is exact. That is, except the coloring. This person has bright white hair and eyes.
“S-Sunny?” Basil asks softly, tears returning.
“If that’s who you want me to be.” The boy says neutrally, exactly like Sunny. But he smiles warmly at Basil. “I’m a friend. I’m whoever you need me to be.”
Basil is taken a bit aback. “Oh…” He looks down. Their hands are still joined. “We’re friends…?” He asked, soft and confused. Was it that easy? He didn’t quite understand what was going on. He didn’t quite feel all there. Everything felt soft and fuzzy.
“Mmhm. Best friends.” The Sunny-look alike replies with that same heart-melting smile— though maybe it’s only heart-melting to Basil because it’s Sunny’s smile.
“I… I’d like that… but… I should probably give you a nickname.” Basil decides to just go with whatever’s going on here. This is the first person who’s ever wanted to be friends, and Basil is absolutely desperate for comfort.
“Why? I thought you wanted me to be Sunny.” The boy asks curiously, tilting his head in a catlike manner again.
“I-I… I do… but Sunny… I don’t think he’s coming back. And if he does, it’d be confusing to call you both Sunny.”
The white-colored lookalike nods in understanding. “Okay. I’ll be Sunny but better, then. Do you want to give me a new name?”
“A-ah…” Basil isn’t sure about names. He doesn’t usually give names to things. “How about just… Cloudy? I’m sorry that’s so dumb-“
“I like it.” The lookalike tells him firmly. “It’s the first gift you’ve ever given me, so of course I like it.” The newly named Cloudy smiles warmly again. “You’re really tired though. I can tell. Let’s rest for a little while.” Cloudy sits down and pulls Basil into his lap. Basil jolts but can’t resist the warm touch. It’s so nice, after years of nothing but pain…
Basil relaxes into his new friend’s arms, and lays his head on his shoulder, letting himself be held like he’s precious. Crying seriously tired him out… he’s so sleepy.
“Don’t worry, Basil. I’ll make you a nicer place to rest soon. I’ll protect you. Oh, and… one more thing.” Cloudy tells him softly.
“Mm?” Basil looks up blearily.
Cloudy smiles that warm, soft, loving smile. “Keep me a secret, okay? It’s okay if it accidentally slips out, but I want to be alone with you for as long as I can. You want that too, right?”
Basil nods, because it’s true. He’d never admit it, because he loved his friends but… he always wanted to be alone forever with Sunny. And now… he has a chance for something close to that. “O-okay… I’ll keep you a secret. Will you be there wh-when I wake up?” He asks.
“Mmhm. And when you fall asleep, too.” Cloudy whispers. “I’ll always be with you. Forever and ever.”
Basil finally smiles, really smiles, for the first time in two years. “That s-sounds really nice…” he hums, and cuddles further into the other, completely relaxing, and for once falling asleep with no trouble.
—
Basil finds himself in the same nightmare he always has. Mari’s body, hanging, eye open through her hair—
Hands go over his eyes. “Don’t worry.” Sunny’s calm voice whispers. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll make it go away. I’ll save you. I’ll make it all better. Are you ready?”
Basil nods, shakily, gripping the hands over his eyes.
“One… two… three.” Sunny takes his hands off his eyes, and instead of a body in front of him, Basil sees an endless meadow of wildflowers.
“See?” Sunny’s voice whispers, and Basil turns to see that it’s actually Cloudy. “I saved you. It’s all better now. I made it go away.” His clipped voice tells him, sounding subtly proud of himself. “Come, look.” He pulls Basil by the hand, and there is a soft bed, perfect for the two of them, nestled in between all the wildflowers. Basil’s camera and photo album sit on an end table next to the bed.
“Ta da. I made us a place to rest.” Cloudy says in complete monotone, though there’s a hint of warmth. “We can come back here all the time.”
Basil smiles with adoration at Cloudy. It’s wonderful, what he’s made for them. Basil’s heart is thumping hard, just looking at him.
Basil has always had a humongous crush on Sunny. He still has the flower ring Sunny gave him from when they were little and Sunny proposed to him because he was a kid who only understood that marriage was something you did with someone you wanted to be with forever. But Sunny had locked himself away, had defaced his photo album, had abandoned Basil... And… here was a boy that embodied all the best parts of Sunny, making him a place to rest and saying he wanted to be together forever. It was all of his childhood dreams come true. So of course he accepted when Cloudy invited him into the bed.
They laid together, snuggling, limbs intertwined, just like they used to when they were kids having sleepovers and Sunny snuck into his bed to cuddle up to him every time without fail.
Maybe if Basil was in a healthier headspace, if he had an actual support system, he would have thought it was too good to be true. But Cloudy came at a time where Basil felt like he was going to break and shatter into a million pieces. Right now, Cloudy’s unconditional support was the only thing he could really rely on to keep him going. Cloudy was the only thing standing between him and Something’s maw of sharp teeth right now. And Basil let himself be saved by this mysterious figure, and didn’t question it.
Basil was exhausted from holding onto the truth for so long, of enduring Aubrey and the town’s hate too. So at least this time, as he slept, he rested in Cloudy’s arms and let his protector bear the weight instead. They didn’t need to say anything. It was totally comfortable silence, just like they had so long ago.
Eventually, at some point, Basil asked if he could talk about the flowers he was growing. Cloudy nodded eagerly, eyes shining with interest.
So Basil finally was able to talk to someone about something he liked again, completely at ease. He talked for what felt like hours, first about flowers, and then, he just started talking to Cloudy like he was Sunny and they were catching up after two years. At some point Basil broke down about how much it hurt for Sunny to leave him, and Cloudy apologized and said he’d never leave again, ever.
It made Basil so incredibly happy, because it was exactly what he needed to hear. It was exactly what he wanted to hear.
And eventually, Basil went quiet again, voice hoarse from crying, and just rested again in his arms. Nothing else needed to be said.
Finally, Basil felt at peace. As long as he had Cloudy, it would be okay.