Chapter Text
Laying on a patch of grass that was softer than it should be. The sunlight filtering through the leaves that overcast faint shadows. The breeze that came through the trees was fresh and countered the heat of the summer days in a perfect balance. Perfect. That's how Basil would describe this moment. As utterly perfect. His favourite part of the scenery had to be of course the boy that laid beside him. Quiet as the daytime, as the only sounds he made were the occasional soft sigh. His eyes closed and his dark hair brushed against his face gently and it made Basil regret not bringing his camera with him.
Basil acknowledged how special this moment was, it was not often that they both would have a week of cleared time to spend with each other. Sunny lived so far from the small town they both grew up in, and it was rare that he would be staying overnight at Basil's place. This meant that they were to spend the next few days with each other. It was nostalgic spending this time in the park. Beside a crystal blue lake that Basil thought so many years before, would never feel comfortable ever again. He supposed it was Sunny's presence that made him feel so happy.
Basil nudged Sunny's knee which was pressed against the side of his leg the entire time they laid there beside each other. Sunny hummed. "I'm really glad you're here, Sunny. I've missed you so much." He saw the other boy smiling. His eyes still closed with his face still resting peacefully as ever. Sunny reached for his hand and weaved their fingers together into a snug embrace. Basil smiled back even though the other couldn't see it. But they both felt, as Sunny rubbed his thumb gently against the side of Basil's hand. He did so very gingerly, but Basil still couldn't help the swarm of butterflies that fluttered all around his heart from the gesture.
Lately, Basil had noticed that Sunny had the tendency to be so impactful on him, more so than ever before, even in the smallest of ways. During their late night phone calls, it was always the way Sunny would say his name every time he picked up the phone. Basil could hear the way he would brighten up and he'd like to imagine that their calls were the highlight of Sunny's days. He hoped that that was the case seeing as it was always his reason for getting up in the mornings. He felt the magnetic pull that his heartstrings refused to stifle, once again, this very morning when he was waiting at the green, though faintly sun bleached, bus stop. His heart would patter away in his chest the entire time he waited for Sunny to arrive. His mind was fuzzy with the thought of seeing Sunny again. He longed to see his soft smile again, to feel the other hold his hand while they walked down the sidewalk together, to just be near him. Basil craved it so much when he was alone at night. Sometimes he would cave in and send Sunny a text late into the night just begging for him to come back to Faraway soon.
His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw that Sunny replied saying he was taking a week off work and they could meet up then. He lit up and nearly dropped his phone trying to tell Sunny how happy he was. He could easily recall how waiting for Sunny was the longest time he's ever spent sitting anxiously for the bus to arrive. His eyes fixed to the street just waiting to see the old, rickety bus turn the corner.
And when he finally saw it his heart began to leap in excitement. That jittery feeling only doubled when he saw Sunny gracefully descend the bus, his black hair was sleek and his eyes were bright, like he too was waiting for Basil with growing anticipation the whole ride there. The way they hugged will be forever stuck in his memory. That was until he felt that Sunny was carrying a backpack and he looked him up and down to see he had nothing else with him.
"Um, Sunny, where's your stuff?" Basil asked hesitantly. Sunny just gestured to his black backpack. "That's not enough stuff, Sunny! What're you going to wear for the week?" Basil said with worry. Sunny only shrugged and his quiet voice whispered out, "I'll just wear your stuff." The way he said it so casually made Basil face blush pink and make his chest grow warm. It was becoming more and more obvious that Basil was starting to become enamoured with the other. It made him blush to think about how often he would spend his time wondering what Sunny was doing in the big city. Just looking at the other next to him without a care in the world brought back all his memories from childhood. It resurfaced all the warm smiles they shared. All the sleepovers. Everything they ever did together and Basil felt himself becoming overheated from the warmth that all those memories brought him. Basil was forever grateful that Sunny not only forgave him, but accepted him back. Treating him with the same attention and care he's always shown for Basil.
It made Basil not take a moment they shared together for granted. He just wanted to show Sunny just how much his forgiveness comforted him. He always would be there for the other boy when he needed someone to help him through a tough time. Even though they were miles apart from each other, in two different places. Basil always stayed up when Sunny needed to vent. How Basil would show that he still cared for Sunny when he would memorise the other's schedule to make sure he always called him during his lunch break, as to not bother the other while he was working. How many times he would walk into Hobeez and find a trinket that he knew Sunny would like. Buying it to make Sunny smile, and also to have an excuse to visit his apartment.
"Oh!" Basil said turning away from Sunny letting the grass under him rustle from his sudden movement, "I forgot to give you this." Basil pulled out of his pocket a small pin that was black and white with a cat riddled with stars on it. Sunny's eyes widened and his smile started to crease more at the edges. The sight made Basil smile too even if his smile was always a little crooked on the left side. Sunny took the pin and reached over for his backpack, adding it to his growing collection of pins that Basil had given him over the years they've spent reconnecting with each other. "Thank you," Sunny said ever so gently. He never seemed to quite get used to speaking but it made Basil happy just knowing the other was trying.
"Would you like to go now?" Basil asked. Sunny nodded before sitting up. Spades of grass clinging to his tussled hair. Basil chuckled lightly and started to brush them out with his hands. He stopped when he saw that Sunny tensed from the feeling. "I'm sorry! It's just there's grass in your hair and I was trying to get it out," Basil said quickly. He could see that Sunny's ears were red. "Oh," he replied and he nodded his head for Basil to continue. Basil began to pet his hair as delicately as he possibly could the entire time, his hands were shaking from how soft Sunny's hair was. "Okay, then, all done," Basil said as he placed the strands of grass down. Sunny started to stand up. Basil followed suit, with their hands still being held between. As Sunny helped him up.
Basil smiled shyly at the boy in front of him. He was about to thank Sunny for helping him up when they both heard someone call out to them, "Hey! Is that you, Sunny? Oh my gosh, it is!" Basil looked over Sunny's shoulder to see Aubrey approaching them. "Ah, it's so good to see you again, Sunny!' She said cheerily as she wrapped an arm around Sunny's shoulders and pulled him into a close side hug.
Basil felt himself going completely still. He knew that she had recently reached out to Sunny a few months ago looking for forgiveness for her years of silence as she processed the truth. Though, it still shocked Basil to see her act so affectionately. He didn't know they were on hugging terms, especially so quickly too. Seeing her smiling and touching him so carelessly brought a nasty burning feeling in Basil's aching heart. He could feel himself shrinking in her presence and he wanted to get away from her. Though the thought of leaving Sunny kept his feet rooted to the ground. Her sharp smile as she looked towards Sunny so proudly was what kept Basil froze in his tracks. His mind screamed at her contemptibly for even being next to Sunny after ignoring them ever since they were dispatched from the hospital all those years ago.
Though, his mind went absolutely still when Basil looked to Sunny's face and saw that the other looked rather pleased to see her. It made Basil sick to his core seeing them like that, but he forced himself not to let it show on his face. Though he could feel his eyebrows creasing with tension from the sheer amount of worry he felt when Aubrey's piercing gaze finally landed on him. "Oh, Basil," She said it bitterly. His name was sour on her tongue, and hated by the sound of her voice. Basil didn't know what to do and he felt fear creep all around him. He suddenly realised he could not remember the last time he was this close to her.
"I didn't know you were here. Are you guys hanging out, what's going on?" She asked, her eyes narrowing with an air of accusation pointed at Basil. Sunny nodded and the movement made his hair brush against the side of her face. Basil couldn't explain how that simple touch made him even more worried than he already was. Suddenly all his hatred for Aubrey resurfaced and he tried his best to not let it show how much he wanted to yell at her. He knew doing so would be dangerous. She had stopped bullying him outright for the past few years, though a part of him felt like she was just waiting for a reason to lash out at him anyways.
"I-I mean, y-y-y-yeah..." Basil said shakily and she rolled her eyes like what she saw she demeaned as utterly pathetic. "I don't get it? Why do you keep hanging out with him? It doesn't make any sense," Aubrey said fixing her gaze on Sunny who was still close beside her. She sounded very confused more so than angry now. Basil hated how her sudden and causal change in vocal tone, made his heart drop and his stomach flip with anxiety. She seemed to really want to understand Sunny, but where was all that sympathy when it came to Basil? He knew he messed up but Aubrey making it so obvious that she would never accept him ever again, crushed his heart dearly.
Sunny turned to her and slowly stepped back from her grasp, "He's my best friend. I forgive him." Aubrey's mouth twitched like she was about to say something snappy, though she failed. Only managing to drop her jaw in shock. Her words stumbling in her throat for a while and her cheeks red with frustration. "I worry for you Sunny, a lot. I get you. But I seriously think you're making a mistake being around him! I'm not gonna tell you what to do... I guess, it's not really my place. But don't say I didn't warn you. I'll always look out for you, you know that, right?" She said with caution and sympathy mixed in her voice. Sunny nodded and she smiled gently before putting her hand on his shoulder. Basil wanted to scream and he felt his eyes beginning to burn with tears. The two of them turning to blurs through Basil's watery vision. He tried to turn away and keep it hidden.
The last thing he wanted was to give Aubrey another reason to think he was broken. Basil harshly rubbed his eyes and swallowed the burning, irritated lump in his throat. He could push through this. He wasn't that weak anymore. He wanted to slap himself for being so emotional all these years later. Maybe Aubrey was right... maybe he really didn't change all that much, and is still the pathetic loser who panicked and had breakdowns over everything and nothing. When Basil turned back to them with his emotions stifled and out of view, he realised that they were walking away from him. Aubrey's arm once again around Sunny's shoulder. She was laughing at something he couldn't hear as they were too far away from him. Sunny seemed content, though he was too far for Basil to read his expression well. It made his heart break seeing the distance Aubrey created between Basil and Sunny. Seeing her walking away, stealing his best friend. After years of silence from her. It just wasn't fair.
Basil saw Sunny turn his head slightly over his shoulder to peer at him. His face pressed with worry and his eyebrows scrunched. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he kept walking to Aubrey's pace. Soon they were both out of sight, moving through the trees and leaving Basil all alone. There were no more holding back tears now. Basil wanted to laugh at how unlucky he was, to think that today was going to be the best day ever with Sunny. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Aubrey had to put him in misery. He stayed there, still as ever, not saying anything. His mind racing far too much with horrible negative feelings, so quickly he couldn't even process all of it. Instead all he really understood was, "He left me so easily. He left me so easily. He left me so easily. He left me so easily!"
Basil stormed off. Quickly going back to his house, not even bothering to look for Sunny. He could feel snot pouring down his nose and he knew he probably looked really foolish with his ugly cries. Though he was too hurt to care. He rushed into his house, ignoring Polly's greeting, and went straight to his room. Slamming his bedroom door shut behind with a slam that warned Polly not to talk to him until he calmed down.
Basil immediately fell onto his bed and grabbed his pillow to muffle his screams into. He knew he was probably being dramatic, though he would be lying if he said that screaming out his frustration didn't make him feel better. He didn't know how long he laid in bed crying but it was long enough for him to hear his front door opening somewhere down the hallway. Aubrey's cheery voice was so loud he could hear her from outside telling Sunny to take care and call her if he needed anything. As if he could ever need anything from her. Sunny did perfectly fine without her annoying presence. Basil wanted to kick him out of his house just for standing next to his bully. Though the thought of sunny crying and having nowhere to go... or worse end up going to Aubrey's house to spend the night, made Basil feel even worse than he already felt. He sighed his face still pressed down, and smooched deeply into his pillow with red eyes and a pink leaky nose. Basil rubbed at his eyes and curled in on himself even more.
He could hear the door opening and he was prepared for Sunny to complain about his bad attitude over what was seemingly nothing. Though from what he heard from the doorway wasn't annoyed or irritated, but a quiet voice that spoke with care and compassion, "Are you okay, Basil? Did I do something wrong?"
Basil just shrugged, not even bothering to turn over to see him standing in the doorway probably with a sad, somber expression on his thin lips. He could hear Sunny close the bedroom door behind him, and slowly making his way to Basil's bed sitting on the end of it gently, as though he was trying not to scare the other away. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you," Sunny said his voice shaky like he really was scared. Basil pressed his eyes closed roughly and bit back another whimper that threatened to escape his mouth. Was Sunny really still scared of Basil after everything they've done to make amends? Basil hated the idea that Aubrey might be right... maybe Sunny should stay away from him. Maybe Basil was horrible beyond forgiveness.
"Go away, Sunny!" He mumbled bitterly into his pillow. Sunny slowly got off the bed and Basil could hear his shoe tap the wooden floorboards as he made a step towards the door to give Basil his space. Basil could feel the weight being lifted from his bed and it only made his heart race faster and the tears return to brimming in his already puffy eyes. Basil quickly sat up in his bed and looked to Sunny with wide eyes and a small frown, "W-w-wait! N-n-n-n-no, I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean it. P-p-please come back."
Sunny sat back down on Basil's bed gingerly and gave him a small smile. It only made Basil feel worse for getting mad at him only a few minutes ago. "I-I'm sorry," Basil repeated. His eyes were cast down to his lap. It was too much to look up to Sunny.
"It's okay. What happened?" he asked, his voice still as soft as it always was. There wasn't a trace of anger. He was still being nice to Basil. He was still trying to be a good friend and it made Basil feel awful for getting mad in the first place. Why couldn't he be as considerate as Sunny? Why couldn't he just suck it up? Why was he so stupid all the time? Why couldn't he be as perfect as Sunny?
"I-I-I-I-I'm so sorry!" Basil cried out and he could feel the tears rushing down his face again. He felt so weak in that moment, and he wanted to disappear. Though, at the same time he wanted Sunny to get closer to him. To comfort him. Even if he didn't deserve comfort for being so dramatic. Basil was about to ask Sunny to leave again. Even though it would hurt to see the other walk away. No, because it would hurt to see him walk away. Because Basil felt like he deserved to be alone for acting so entitled.
Before he was able to say anything, Sunny gently put his hand on the side of Basil's face and caressed it. Wiping away Basil's free flowing tears so patiently. Basil's heart melted, and he felt like he was loved. And suddenly Basil wanted Sunny more than he's ever wanted him before...