Work Text:
Diiing!
Ugh, what now?
“Coming!”
Sunny let out a tired sigh as he moved towards the door, dragging his slippers onto the pavement while his stomach growled.
His legs were still sore from all the exercise that he had done the other day, he hadn't managed to take his usual nap earlier in the afternoon due to the weather being way too hot, it was already 8 pm, and he hadn’t had dinner yet!
Though that last one was probably his fault since he had been stuck for thirty minutes trying to settle on what to cook; only to then discover once he did decide, that he was missing the ingredients he needed; forcing him to go back to planning phase and restart his thinking from scratch.
And now, as if that wasn’t enough, here comes one more nuisance.
At least it must be something important for it to ring so late.
No, actually… That just makes it worse.
The thought of some serious visit made Sunny self-conscious about his current dishevelled appearance, so he quickly went on to dust off his shorts and attempt to straighten the folds of his t-shirt, trying to make himself look just a bit more presentable in the few seconds he had as he stopped in front of the door.
Once he opened it, however, nothing but the warm summer air greeted him. It was the middle of July, so the dim light of the sunset was still pouring from the horizon, painting the sky in a mix of orange and purple. The sight lifted Sunny’s mood a bit, and pretty quickly his annoyance was replaced by curiosity as he remembered why he was here in the first place.
Without leaving the doorstep, he took a brief look around. One glance left and one right, but no, not a soul to be seen. Though it didn’t take long for him to notice a flat cardboard box lying on the ground at the far end of his walkway.
Was that what he thought it was?
He sluggishly left the doorstep and walked over to it.
Yep, unmistakable.
Gino.
Sunny lifted the pizza box from the ground. It was a large one, usually made to be eaten by two people, and was still very warm, clearly just taken out of the oven. It emanated a… good enough smell that made his stomach give one more rumble.
Well, this was convenient. But who-
His thoughts were interrupted by two light taps on his right shoulder, that made him turn his head in that direction to be met, again, only by thin air.
Oh… so that’s how it was.
A small smile tugged at Sunny’s lips as he turned to his left as fast as he could, shifting his grip on the large box to precariously hold it with one arm while making a finger gun with his free hand to quickly point it at his aggressor.
But even though he did all that with a speed that surprised even himself, it was still too late for him, as a similar gun was already aiming point-blank at his chest when he turned around.
“Looks like I’ve got you this time, captain,” Kel recited dramatically with the proudest grin on his face.
Sunny would have liked to mimic the karate moves that the leader of the space pirates had used to get out of this predicament, but alas, he didn’t really have much freedom of movement with the big box in his arm, so he could only stand there and accept defeat.
“I guess this is the end then. Can’t believe you managed to surprise me,” he deadpanned.
“Hehe, I can be sneaky when I want to,” Kel smirked. “Pew.”
Sunny took a staggering step back, faking a stumble as he theatrically held his chest with his hand, making Kel chuckle.
After straightening back up, Sunny adjusted his grip on the pizza box and gave his friend a small smile. “What’s the occasion?” he asked while motioning with his head at the big duffle bag hanging at Kel’s side.
“Umm, well…” Kel clumsily started, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to not let anything slip. “Do we really need one? Let’s just say… Surprise sleepover!” he cheered while raising his fist in the air.
“Stop invading my house!” Sunny snorted, trying to contain a laugh.
“Oh come on! We haven’t had one in like… years,” Kel brushed him off. “Besides, are two houses with a thirty second travel time between them really two different houses if the people living in them are best buddies who see each other all the time?”
“Uhh…”
“Exactly! So let’s get inside, and sorry for coming this late. I was kinda busy all afternoon,” Kel said while gently taking back the box from Sunny’s hands.
“You came at the perfect time,” Sunny reassured as they walked back towards the door. “Just let me get my wallet and-”
“Oh no you won’t. it’s on me!”
“Kel…”
“Nuh-uh, I won’t let ya.”
“Kel…”
“Mm-mm.”
Sunny just rolled his eye, his lips still curved upwards.
After getting inside with Sunny in tow, Kel let out a relaxed sigh as he dropped his bag onto the small wooden cabinet at the entrance, to which Sunny took a curious step towards.
“Did you bring the game too?” Sunny asked as he moved his hand to grab the zipper.
“Of course I- Agh! S-Sunny!” Kel stammered as he yanked his friend’s arm away from the bag. “Yes I did bring it! Don’t go peeking into a guy’s stuff!”
Sunny just raised an eyebrow at him, his wrist still firmly in Kel’s grasp. “What’s so secret about it now?”
“Well… umm… there’s my sleepwear in there! Why do you want to look through that uh?” Kel tried his smuggest smile, hoping to throw Sunny off his trail.
Luckily for him, the look did indeed manage to catch Sunny off guard. “Oh… right. Sorry,” he quickly excused himself, as Kel let go of his arm.
Still, Sunny found it a bit odd. Kel had never been so jumpy about stuff like this, and that’s not the only thing different today. In fact, the weirdest was that Kel hadn’t given him a hug yet, not even a side one, and his hands were free before!
He shrugged it off though. This was their first sleepover in five years after all. The ones last summer… didn’t count. So maybe it was just that.
“Come on Sunny. Don’t wanna have the pizza turn cold,” Kel called him as he walked into the dining room.
The two quickly set up the table, flat plates and colorful glasses on each side. Much to Kel’s dismay, he had completely forgotten to bring the sodas, though luckily Sunny had some at home. Quite a few types actually, and even Kel’s favorite!
Kel often wondered why his friend always kept some of that in the fridge if he didn’t like it. He was very thankful for it though, and he hoped he could return the favor as he opened the pizza box in front of Sunny after they had taken their respective seats, facing each other. The topping he had chosen was in fact Sunny’s own preferred one since when they were kids: that being sausage, bacon and ham.
Kel proceeded to grab the knife and swiftly cut the pizza into eight slices. “How many do you want?” he asked as he moved the box towards the other.
“Just these three,” Sunny pointed to the nearest pieces.
“Three and a half?” Kel proposed with a soft tone, to which Sunny just shrugged.
“I don’t get why some people say this pizza is ‘overloaded’. What does that even mean?” Kel spoke while he munched on the second one of his slices. “Pizza is nice on its own, and meat is just… good, so how can mixing them be a bad idea?”
“There are… infinite cases where that thinking doesn’t work,” Sunny said as he finished his first one. “And… I’m starting to see where they come from. There are too many flavours here.” He took a big sip out of his glass, pondering how to phrase the bomb that he was about to throw.
“Also… Gino isn’t that good.”
Kel stopped mid-chew, staring at him with a shocked expression for a long silent moment.
“Sunny, that’s high treason!” he exclaimed before loudly gulping down his food. “How can you say that after he’s been at the centre of so many parties!” Kel spoke in a hurt tone. “And honestly, I don’t get what’s wrong with it. You are just getting picky learning to cook.”
“It’s called acquiring taste,” Sunny said haughtily, making Kel shake his head.
“Yesterday Hero came over for lunch and we tried making empana…das,” Sunny said moving his gaze slightly upward, hoping to have gotten the name right.
“The only day that I couldn’t come and you decide to cook that?” Kel dropped himself sideways, his cheek squished against the table. “How cruel.”
“Sorry, we had been meaning to make them for a while,” Sunny said guiltily. “They didn’t turn out great though, I must have messed up somewhere. But we’ll surely try it again. You could even help us next time.”
“That’s… really not a good idea. Remember last time?” Kel grinned sheepishly as he got up again. “Besides, I’m happy enough with my role of taste tester,” he said while pointing his thumb to his chest.
“Your scores are too generous.”
“They’re not! Just because I also enjoy cheap stuff doesn’t mean that I don’t recognize quality when I taste it. Do you know how hard it was when college took Hero’s cooking away from me? I was devastated!” Kel paused before sighing, “Thankfully this year will be better.”
“How so?” Sunny asked curiously.
“Because this time you’ll be here!”
“I’m not that good.”
“Yet!” Kel chirped.
And honestly, to him Sunny’s cooking was already perfect. Even if from an objective view it wasn’t as good as Hero’s, it tasted… special.
“So, what you wanna do now?” Kel asked as he drank the last of his soda. “There should be Spaceboy in TV at this hour. Are you catching up with the latest seasons?”
“Mm,” Sunny nodded through the last bites of his pizza.
“We do that then? Or we play something?”
“Both?”
Sunny had… missed this a lot. Binge watching cartoons for hours into the evening, only to then stay up late even more, challenging each other at video games. Little things he and Kel had shared for years, but that he also feared he could never experience again.
And yet, after everything, here they were. And It was as if nothing had ever changed between them.
He didn’t remember exactly what he thought last year, when he saw each of his friends again. So much time had passed, and they all seemed so different.
Even Kel.
Sunny couldn’t deny that when he opened that door, one of the things he knew he had felt even through the fogginess of his mind was worry. Worry about Kel having changed, about him having become someone else, someone that Sunny didn’t know anymore.
But it didn’t take long for him to realize that it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Even in those three days.
And even now, more than ever with each passing month.
He could see that Kel was the same as he remembered.
He was still his best friend.
And Sunny found comfort in every small and seemingly insignificant gesture that he could recognize from back then. Like how Kel still stuck his tongue out when he focused; his whole body staying increasingly still the further their game went, except for the rapid mashing of buttons on his controller; or how he would then release all of that tension by furiously bouncing his leg up and down in between rounds, all the while relentlessly taunting him about how he was surely gonna beat him in the next match. And Sunny, as usual, would just keep winning almost every one.
But amidst all the nostalgia, Sunny could feel that there was something else. Kel was the same, yes, but also… more than that. Throughout all of this last year together, Sunny had begun to notice for the first time so many different sides of him, that he had never seen before.
Were they new? Or had they always been there and he was noticing them only now because they had been apart for so long? Honestly, which of the two it was didn’t matter to Sunny. The only thing he could focus on was the warmth that would insistently spread in his chest every time he discovered something new about him.
Sunny never thought that it could happen, but for the first time, instead of scary, he found changes to be… exciting.
“Fu- but I wasn’t even-!”
“You were.”
Kel slumped down, resting back with his elbows on the floor. “How are you so good at this? I have like… double your playtime,” he scoffed, gesturing with his hand to the game console. It was his, and yet he was getting utterly demolished.
“You won a few before,” Sunny giggled.
“Yeah, three out of… twenty?” Kel mumbled, “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you are holding back on me. It doesn’t count if you do that.”
“It still does!” Sunny protested, but he couldn’t hold back a snicker. Even if he was starting to feel his eyelids heavy, today it seemed especially easy to win. Unlike him, Kel was wide awake and energetic as usual, but he also seemed a bit distracted, as he would often take a glance to his left, towards the clock hanging on the wall.
Kel shot him an unimpressed look, though Sunny didn’t catch it as he suddenly let out a big yawn.
“Tired?” Kel asked with a cocky smile.
“A little,” Sunny replied while rubbing his eye.
“Didn’t you have your usual ‘sleep session’ a few hours ago?” Kel said while making air quotes.
“I tried… but it was too hot. A-and even then… those are just little naps.” Sunny replied embarrassed. Even after a year, his sleep schedule was still all over the place.
Kel shook his head good-naturedly before looking at the clock again.
23:43
“Just a few more?” Kel asked as he gripped his controller again. “Or are you scared of losing your title?” he grinned.
Of course, after three more matches, Sunny still held firmly onto his title.
“Not that move again,” Kel whined as he let himself drop down onto the floor, lying on his back and draping one arm over his eyes.
Sunny could only chuckle at the sight, “You should have dodged… or shielded… Jumped even,” he said as he got up from the floor and went to turn off the console. “You just got greedy again,” he finished as he turned his head back towards his friend, who was still lying limp on the floor, unmoving.
Sunny sighed as he walked over to him.
“You don’t have to be so dramatic about it,” he bent down to pat Kel’s knee. But the other continued to refuse to move, his eyes still hidden as he turned his head sideways to the left again.
23:59
“Kel… come on, even I don’t fall asleep like that.” Sunny was starting to get confused. He quickly noticed though that his friend was beginning to shake a little. Clearly trying to hold back a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Sunny asked unimpressed.
00:00
Only then did Kel remove his arm from his face, turning his head to look up at Sunny from the floor and smiling from ear to ear. “You really didn’t remember.”
Sunny rose a confused eyebrow at him, and then almost got startled at how quickly the other sprang up to his feet. Kel just looked at him for a moment, before spreading his arms wide and beaming brightly.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNNY!”
“Wha-?” was the only thing that the shorter boy managed to let out before being lifted up into a giant hug, his legs swaying a little as Kel spun him around in one… two full circles before letting him back down.
“I…” Sunny tried to find his words, but even without them a tiny smile was spreading on his face.
“We figured you had forgotten about it,” Kel snickered.
“It’s not that I don’t remember the date…” Sunny tried to defend himself. “But I didn’t even check it today and I just… haven’t thought about it for a while.”
“A big looong while it seems,” Kel chuckled. “But that. won’t. do.” he punctuated by shaking his finger back and forth in rhythm. “No one should spend their birthday alone Sunny. And that’s why I wanted to stay with you the whole day! From now to tomorrow’s midnight!” he exclaimed raising both arms in the air. “I-if you don’t mind that is,” he quickly added shyly.
But his doubts didn’t last long as Sunny suddenly threw himself at him for another hug, making him giggle as he took a step backwards from the impact.
“Thank you,” Sunny mumbled against his chest.
“Hey now, there’s no need for that,” Kel spoke softly. “Oh, right! You are also officially invited to your birthday party, 4 pm, at… my house. Then again, my house’s your house so… yeah,” he added with a snort. “I hope you’re excited, cuz everyone else sure is.”
“But… is it really ok? I didn’t prepare anything…” Sunny said with a frown as he let go of the other.
“Sunny, it’s your day. You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Kel said as he placed his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “We’ve got everything covered,” he winked.
That made Sunny’s expression soften once more. “Was that why Hero looked so nervous when he saw me?”
“This morning? Yep, he told me he bumped into you on his way back home from the store. Hmm, I really wonder what he wanted to prepare with all those cake ingredients…” Kel said while scratching his chin, making Sunny chuckle.
“And guess what’s in there,” Kel grinned while motioning with his head to his duffle bag near the door. And even if Sunny tried not to show it, Kel could almost see cat ears perking up on his head.
“Shouldn’t I wait for tomorrow?” Sunny asked knowingly.
“It’s already tomorrow!” Kel said as he dashed over to the bag, lifting it up and coming back to put it on the short table in front of the TV. He quickly opened the zipper and pulled out a thin package of orange wrapping paper.
“Here!” he announced while offering his present with both hands.
Feeling it a little, Sunny noticed that it was pretty soft, not a rigid shape; his lips already curving upwards slightly as he took a good guess at what it could be. He could feel Kel’s excited eyes on him as he carefully removed the ribbon and started to open the package, revealing what was inside: a dark purple basketball jersey, sporting the same design in white detailing that adorned Kel’s favorite one.
“We can finally match!” Kel cheered, no longer able to contain his excitement. “You are getting better and better, so I thought that this was needed.”
“My legs would like to have a saying in that,” Sunny quipped. “They are still all sore from the other day.”
“That’s only a good thing!” Kel retorted. “Especially since you were almost winning.”
“You were holding back,” Sunny said before shooting him a smirk of his own. “It doesn’t count if you do that.”
“It does,” Kel replied in a soft tone, making Sunny playfully roll his eye as he held the shirt in front of him.
“It was a bit hard to find… especially in your size,” Kel quickly added, earning himself another look. “This design isn’t so popular anymore, guess people want to look all serious and stuff,” he noted with a shrug.
“So… you like it?”
“Hmm, I mean… I appreciate the gesture but…” Sunny started in a suddenly serious tone, beginning to examine the shirt from up close with exaggerated attention.
…
…
…
“Of course I like it! I love it!” Sunny smiled while draping the jersey over his torso to briefly see how it looked before raising his head again.
“Y-your face,” he tried to stifle a laugh, as Kel was looking at him with wide eyes, completely frozen. Though that didn’t last for much longer.
“AAHH SUNNY!” Kel beamed while quickly stepping forward to close the distance with his friend. Sunny could only yelp, failing to duck away in time as Kel swiftly wrapped an arm around his neck and started giving him a rough noogie. “You are so mean! I felt my heart shattering for a moment there!”
“Aargh stop it!” Sunny groaned between laughs while trying in vain to push Kel back.
“You gotta apologize first!”
“O-ok OK! I’m sorry!” Sunny managed to let out, making Kel ease up his hold so that he could slip away.
It took a moment for Sunny to catch his breath from the giggles, before looking back up at Kel and immediately stepping towards him again, latching onto his arm for the third hug of the day.
“Thank you.”
“You said that already,” Kel whined playfully. “But that’s not the only thing I got you, you know,” he said as he wriggled his arm from Sunny’s grasp and turned once more towards the bag on the table.
“Keeel…” Sunny sang in a scolding tone while he folded back the jersey and set it aside. “This was already enough.”
Kel simply ignored him and slowly pulled out of the bag a rigid black cardboard box. He looked at it for a moment before offering it to Sunny with a softer expression.
Sunny eyed it curiously as he took it in his arms, and after slowly removing the box lid, his smile quickly turned into a wistful one.
Inside there were six colorful pinwheels. They looked of a higher quality than those they liked when they were kids. The colors on these weren’t plain over all the surface, but instead showcased multiple tones, alternating between petals, and were even decorated with some gold and silver highlights.
“The storm last week must have thrown off the other ones right? One even ended up in my backyard,” Kel explained. “So I thought about getting some new ones. These should be a bit sturdier, and the details are nice.”
“Mm… they’re really pretty,” Sunny spoke quietly as he carefully moved them in the box. “But you didn’t have to buy them all on your own.”
“I wanted to though,” Kel said quietly. “It’s nothing really.”
Kel waited for a moment longer, seeing that Sunny was still gently shuffling the items in the box, before speaking up again.
“Wanna go and put them up?”
Only the repetitive chirping of crickets accompanied the sounds of the boys’ slow footsteps on the grass, as the two walked through the backyard towards that place that had imprinted itself in their minds for so long.
As usual, Kel remained just a step behind Sunny, letting him approach the tree stump at his own pace. Only once he had reached it and sat down crossing his legs did Kel do the same, putting the box a little to the side.
Sitting there still brought up a whirlwind of feelings in them, but they weren’t all unpleasant anymore. Two different memories overlapped in that one singular point. It was the place where they had all lost each other, and the one where they swore to never be apart again.
It was Aubrey who insisted to keep going there to remember it as the place of their promise. The first time had been a little over a month after Sunny and Basil got discharged from the hospital; it was then that she came up with the idea to plant all of their old pinwheels there. She removed hers from the middle, and instead stuck both Hero and Mari’s in two little holes at the centre of the stump while the remaining four were placed in the grass around it.
She thought that while a dreaded memory could never be forgotten, maybe a new one could also be built on top of it. A cherished one, that would help them accept and move on.
Sunny found it hard at first, but eventually, he discovered that she was right. The nightmare gradually began to lose its hold on that place, until one day he found that it had faded almost completely. Now the most important thing left there was the symbol of their bond.
“Basil’s is still standing,” Kel smiled as he reached to pull out the plain green pinwheel from the ground. Unlike all the others, it had somehow managed to remain firmly in place even through the storm that had passed through. It was still pretty battered though, as it creaked once Kel tried to give it a spin with his finger, before laying it at his side.
“Oh, and you found Hero’s,” Kel said as Sunny offered him the blue one that had been thrown off just a little to the side of where they were currently sitting. Kel took it and laid that one too on the ground next to Basil’s. They would just put them in the box after placing down the new ones.
“Should we search for the others?” Sunny asked while looking around himself for the remaining pinwheels.
“Maybe in the morning would be better. We could use a bit of sunlight to search,” Kel noted. “Not all of them might be this close. Like I said, I found one in my backyard the day after the storm. Yours actually,” he added with a tiny smile.
“Mm… ok,” Sunny hummed as he turned to look at the contents of the box once more.
“Let’s take turns,” Kel said as he grabbed his new shiny orange pinwheel from the box, rolling it a bit between his fingers before firmly sticking it into the ground on the right side of the stump.
In a few moments, all but one pinwheel got placed down one after the other. It was Sunny’s turn to put the last, but as moved his hand to grab it, he stopped midway.
“Can you… place that one?” he muttered quietly.
Kel looked at him for a moment before lowering his eyes wistfully. He took out the purple pinwheel from the box, but didn’t move to stick it down yet. He instead reached for Sunny’s hand, taking it into his, and gently pried his fingers, before placing the pinwheel in his palm.
“Together?” he asked softly.
After a moment of hesitation, Sunny nodded lightly and adjusted his grip, taking the stick between his fingers while Kel moved his own hand to cover Sunny’s.
Slowly, they stuck Mari’s pinwheel into one of the small holes in the tree stump, right next to Hero’s, and with that, all of them had found their place again.
“Kel… do you think that she… would be happy that we are all together again?” Sunny asked without looking at him.
Kel’s eyes widened slightly. For just a few seconds, a hurt expression appeared on his face at the memories that flashed in his mind.
He had tried in the past to wonder what Mari would want for them.
He swallowed, letting those thoughts drift away before looking up at the clear sky above them.
“You probably hear that all the time,” he said in a low voice.
“Yes… everyone says that. Always,” Sunny sighed quietly.
“But we can never know… right?” Kel turned to him with a melancholic smile.
Sunny slowly nodded, still staring at the pinwheels in front of him.
“I had missed you… so much,” Sunny started. “This past year… being with all of you again… has made me so happy. Maybe I had just forgotten… but I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before.”
“Then… if that’s really what you feel, I…” Kel took a deep breath, “I really do believe… that she would be happy too,” he said in a soft tone while placing his hand on Sunny’s leg, making him finally turn and meet his eyes.
Sunny just stared for a moment, focusing on the warmth of Kel’s hand. Looking at him, he found himself unable to hold back a smile, but then… why were his eyes starting to sting?
He didn’t want to find out right now. So he ignored the ache in his heart as he traced a finger under one eye and then the other, catching himself before fully breaking down in front of his friend.
“I’m really excited about tomorrow… or, um… today I guess,” he managed let out with a chuckle.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Kel smiled warmly as he gave his leg a squeeze. “And I am too! About today, about tomorrow, the day after that, and the one after that one!”
Sunny snickered, but he found himself agreeing. Even if it had taken a lot, he too had begun to look forward to the future once more. Somehow, it always felt easier to do so when he pictured Kel being there with him.
Both boys looked at the pinwheels for a bit longer, enjoying the peaceful silence before Sunny let out another yawn.
“Maybe we should get ready for bed… Sleepyhead,” Kel said with a grin.
Sunny shot him a… pretty tired-looking glare. But he still went on to get up first, grumbling a little. “Yeah.”
After Kel’s turn, Sunny swiftly slipped into the bathroom. His shorts were now all dirty from sitting on the grass so he decided to just throw those along with everything else into the laundry basket. He then went on to wash up and put on his sleepwear, his favorite summer pyjama to be precise, that being a completely black tank top. Sunny always liked how comfy it was, and luckily it still fit him after years; it just wasn’t as loose as before. After pairing it up with some grey shorts, he moved to the sink to wash his hands before carefully removing his prosthetic and running that too under the water to clean it.
Looking at the fake eye in his hand, he wondered if he should keep it on this time. He really didn’t like to sleep with it, as it would get dry and itch him in the morning, but maybe it would be better to bear with it just this once.
What would Kel think if he saw him without it?
Sunny sighed, looking up at the mirror in front of him. Noticing how his hair was still all ruffled from the noogie he had received earlier made him smile a little, but it quickly faded when his gaze focused on the ugly scar that adorned the right side of his face.
Would Kel be disgusted by it? He would surely find it unpleasant to look at, and even worse, the sight might bring up some bad memories in him. Sunny knew they had all seen him that night, when they found them in the bathroom. The thought made his stomach twist, he really wanted to spare Kel from reliving that image.
But Sunny also didn’t want to hide from him. He had already told him that he didn’t sleep with the prosthetic when he had asked, and Kel was extremely good at remembering even the smallest details of their conversations, as he would sometimes bring them up again months after having them. If he kept the eye on Kel would surely ask about it, and suddenly wearing an eye patch would bring the same result since he hadn’t used one in a long time.
Sunny lowered his head, staring at the droplets of water that slowly flowed into the drain.
He should just be honest with him. He could already hear in his head what Kel would say. He too wouldn’t want him to hide, in fact, he would probably scold him for worrying too much.
Sunny put down the prosthetic on the counter, his hand lingering on it a few seconds before finally leaving it there.
He then looked up at the mirror once more.
Seventeen.
Should he set some resolutions for the next year?
No, wait, that was something that people did on New Year’s… while wishes were on birthdays…
Right?
Sunny wasn’t really sure. So much for his ‘outstanding memory’.
Though, even if it was like that, it wouldn’t hurt to set some so…
Year’s resolution: try to… have a bit more confidence. Yeah, that was a good one.
As for a wish… That’s a bit harder. How can one decide on just one wish?
Well, that can wait. He still has… a few hours before blowing out the candles.
Maybe he could try to just list some hopes for now.
…
He hoped… that he could be happy… that he could continue to be together with all his friends… that his mum could have it a bit easier at work… that the stray kitten he saw the other day could find a family…
Weren’t that too many already?
Ugh, he was way too tired for this.
After staring at his reflection for a moment longer, Sunny gave it a challenging look.
He straightened his posture, raised his arms, took a deep breath…
And flexed.
It was a little thing that Kel sometimes made him do after finishing one of their basketball games. Sunny almost died of embarrassment the first time Kel asked him to do it, insisting to give it a try together to “see how it feels”. And even after a few more times, it always made him feel very silly. He had gotten healthier yes, but there really wasn’t anything about his body to brag about, still as skinny as ever. But even so, if Kel decided that it was one of those days he wouldn’t stop nagging him until he gave up and complied.
Still, Sunny couldn’t deny that he kinda liked it when Kel showed off like that, and so after a while, he started finding the ritual endearing, and even began looking forward to it. It was just another silly thing that brought them closer together, another little moment they could share, and the beaming smile that Kel always gave him in return would make his heart flutter every time.
A similar albeit much smaller and sleepier smile crept his way up Sunny’s lips right now, as a little stir of confidence grew inside of him.
That was the purpose of the gesture after all.
Closing the door behind him, Sunny made his way back to the living room. The lights had been turned off, so the TV was now the only source of it in the room, which, in Sunny’s personal opinion, was the only acceptable atmosphere for the late stages of a sleepover. Kel had left it with the audio almost muted on a sports channel that was currently broadcasting a baseball match, and now he was fiddling with a window’s curtains, seemingly undecided with how much he wanted to leave them open. He had already changed into his pyjama, which as expected was just another tank top, red this time, and a pair of shorts, only… quite shorter than those he was wearing before, barely coming down to his mid thigh.
Sunny just stayed still.
He looked… really good, as usual. But unfortunately, the butterflies in Sunny’s stomach gave away to other feelings, as doubts about his own appearance crept their way into his mind again.
His hand started to move instinctively to cover the right side of his face, but before he could reach it and hide the source of his shame, Kel was already turning around.
“So Sunny we might have a prob-”
Sunny nervously clenched his hands at his sides, trying his hardest to keep eye contact. He felt as if Kel’s gaze was piercing through him. But he could only stay still and wait for the worst now right? Maybe not, maybe he could excuse himself for a second, go back upstairs and-
“Hehe, don’t tell me it’s the same one from years ago?” Kel asked in a low voice.
It took Sunny a moment to realize what Kel was talking about. “Oh, t-this one?” he stammered while hooking a finger into the hem of his tank top. “It’s not… It’s just similar,” he said quietly.
Kel raised an eyebrow skeptically, before scanning Sunny up and down once and letting out a snort. A sly grin appeared on his face as he slowly stepped forward to close the distance with him.
Sunny gulped silently as he felt his cheeks getting warm, but he still managed to keep it together and stand his ground as Kel stopped just a few inches away, looking down at him teasingly.
“What?” Sunny tried to sound as indifferent as possible, even if his words came out quite a bit more high pitched than he had intended.
Kel’s grin just widened even more as he raised a hand up, towards the right side Sunny’s face…
And pulled his ear.
“You’re lying,” Kel gloated with enough smugness to make the other freeze completely.
That was one of the newer things about Kel that Sunny had yet to learn how to deal with. Only after a second tug did he snap out of his thoughts and swat away Kel’s hand, who just chuckled in return. Sunny narrowed his eye at him. “What makes you believe that?”
Kel’s smile softened as he took a step back before moving one leg towards Sunny’s.
“You put one leg behind the other,” he punctuated by giving a light tap to the side of Sunny’s ankle with his foot.
“And?”
“Aaand… I know you. You always stand like that when you’re lying. You think I didn’t notice?” Kel proudly put his hands on his hips while Sunny just stared at him.
“Come on Sunny, who else if not yours truly would know? We were partners in that!” Kel beamed. “Like when we would swear that it couldn’t pooossibly have been us who took the cookies before the right time, or when we would promise not to sneak out at night for like… the fourth time that month.”
Sunny opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of any comeback, so he lowered his head with a defeated sigh.
He really was worrying about nothing wasn’t he?
…
But more importantly! Has it always been so easy for Kel to read him!?
Sunny slowly raised his head, stealing a furtive peek at the other, from Kel’s legs up to his torso.
“I liked the rainbow one,” he muttered quietly, pointing at his friend’s tank top.
“Well, I did too, but it doesn’t fit anymore.” Kel said with a cocky smile. “Hasn’t for a while actually. Cuz it seems one of us had to do all the growing for both.”
‘Watch me as I find you a new one’ Sunny thought to himself while giving his friend an unimpressed look. He now knew what one of his presents for Kel’s birthday would be.
Though he will definitely have to ask Hero for the specific size. Since he could see that even the one that Kel was wearing now was clearly screaming for help as Kel broke out in one of his biggest, groaning full body stretches, standing on his tiptoes and squeezing his eyes shut, making the fabric ride from his hips, up and past his belly button. The movement was so exaggerated most people would think it was theatrical, but no, Sunny had seen it enough times to know that it was simply how Kel usually stretched.
It would always leave Sunny wishing for another hug afterwards.
“Whew… as I was saying,” Kel started, still shaking his arms a little. “I searched around and I… don’t think we have enough blankets to build a pillow fort, even if we destroy your bed. And I’m… not sure if it would be nice of me to go to my house to get some.”
“Everyone already asleep?”
“Yep, at least if Sally isn’t keeping them up late again. She’s a little pest you know?”
Now it was Sunny’s turn to grin smugly, and Kel instantly knew what was coming. “Yeah yeah, I know what you’re gonna say.”
“Wonder who she’s getting that from,” they both said in unison, only to then break out in giggles.
“I know you all too well,” Kel sighed after catching his breath.
“Hey, I do too,” Sunny smirked, crossing his arms.
Kel’s smile wobbled. “Y-yeah… you do…”
…
“So!”
“I think it would be best for you to just sleep in your room,” Kel said while looking around. “I don’t mind taking the couch.”
“In what kind of sleepover do people sleep in different rooms?” Sunny asked, arms still crossed.
“Heh, you’re right,” Kel murmured, scratching the back of his neck. “Theeen… you can take the couch and I’ll sleep on the floor, I just need a pillow.”
…
“What?” Kel asked since Sunny was still staring at him, completely still.
“We can… both use the couch?” Sunny replied monotonously as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, motioning with his hand to the aforementioned nap nest.
“Umm… I don’t know Sunny… You definitely don’t wanna bunk with me,” a timid grin formed on Kel’s face. “I think that… I would hog all the space… a-and I snore… and maybe I-“ but he stopped himself seeing Sunny’s unchanging and unfazed expression.
Dang it, he really didn’t know what to say when Sunny gave him the silent treatment.
“Ok, ok… But don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
Turns out, they could not fit on the couch.
Lying one on each side was awkward, and as much as both boys secretly hoped it would, not even staying side by side managed to work, be it back to back or spooning, as one of them would be just a half turn away from rolling off.
Sunny sat up cross legged, letting out an annoyed huff and closing his eye, as if focusing on deciphering an extremely complex enigma, while Kel was sitting beside him in the same position, a tiny frown on his face.
This was getting discouraging. Kel was grateful that his friend wanted to make him comfortable too, but he still felt like he was the cause of this trouble. He looked around at the couch a little more, trying to calculate the space they had, then he turned to Sunny… and then to the couch again.
“Umm, m-maybe it’s best if we…” but instead of finishing his sentence he abruptly wrapped his arms around Sunny in a quick motion, a feeble yelp the only protest that the other managed to let out before Kel dropped himself down with his back onto one armrest, bringing Sunny down with him, slotted between his legs and with his head resting on his chest.
“T-there… that should do it,” Kel chuckled sheepishly. It was a spur of the moment thing, but now he was starting to get embarrassed. He just hoped that the dim light in the room wouldn’t be enough for Sunny to notice any furious blush spreading on his cheeks if he raised his face to look at him.
“Sunny?”
The smaller boy played dead for a moment longer before stirring over the other with a small grumble. “It wasn’t always this difficult… Now you really do take up all the space.” he added with a giggle.
“Told ya,” Kel chirped playfully. “I-I’m serious though, I can still take the floor if you want.”
“Mm, no need. I’m comfy,” Sunny emphasized by lightly rubbing his cheek on Kel’s chest. “You’re like a warm pillow.”
“Sunnyyy… Downgrading your best buddy to furniture, it this all I am to you now?” Kel whined, raising his hand dramatically to his forehead even if the other wasn’t looking.
“Yes,” Sunny simply mumbled.
“Well two can play at that game…” And even if Sunny didn’t see the mischief on Kel’s face, he certainly felt it in his voice as the other slowly spread and raised both arms and legs around him.
“…And you are like a small plushie!” Kel gushed as he clamped down, making Sunny let out a feeble squeal. “The perfect size for hugs and cuddles!” he giggled as he used his whole body to squeeze his friend tightly against him, locking his ankles over Sunny’s legs and rocking from side to side.
Sunny didn’t even try to wriggle free. He was too tired to pretend a fight, which he wouldn’t win in any case, so he just decided to enjoy the moment and let himself be crushed tenderly. Though since Kel was expecting some kind of playful protest or annoyed whine and none came for a while, he just… slowly and awkwardly stopped, much to Sunny’s disappointment.
The awkwardness didn’t last long though, as Kel let out a snort seeing how cozy Sunny still looked lying on top of him, his eye closed, completely unbothered.
“Rating?”
“Nine.”
“Only nine?” Kel pouted. It wasn’t like he could really complain though. Sunny had never given such high score.
As for Sunny, well… it was another lie. Nine out of ten would mean that there could be a snoozing spot that he would like more that this. And that… was impossible. He knew that much.
“You mind the TV?” Kel asked. “I would have put something else but there wasn’t anything interesting.”
“No,” Sunny replied. The sound was barely audible and he wasn’t even facing it anyway. “I actually like leaving it on sports channels… It’s the most sleep inducing thing you will ever see,” he added after a moment.
“Can’t really argue with that,” Kel chuckled before shifting slightly in his seat to get comfortable.
“I really missed this,” he sighed fondly while resting his hands on Sunny’s back.
“You still need my company to not be scared of the dark?”
“Aw… you still remember that?” Kel whined, embarrassed at the memory of their first sleepovers.
“Yes,” Sunny craned his neck upwards a little to look at him. “You even tried to make it look like you were the brave one offering your company to help me not be scared.”
“Was I that unconvincing?”
“No, I overhead Hero and Mari talking about it.”
“But you still went through with it,” Kel noted.
Sunny remained silent for a moment, before lowering his head and closing his eye once more. “I was a little scared too.”
Sunny thought that staying like this would have made him nervous or at least a bit tense, but he soon found out that it wasn’t the case. Maybe it was just the drowsiness, but he was feeling himself relax by the minute.
The firm arms draped over his back were a comfortable weight, and Kel’s thighs would occasionally give a gentle squeeze around his waist when he shifted in his seat, the motion also making his leg hair tickle Sunny’s calves in a way that he… didn’t really mind. The warmth wasn’t unpleasant either, as the temperature in the room had already somewhat lowered. They would for sure wake up all sweaty in the morning, but for now it was ok.
He was starting to feel himself drifting off, lulled by the feeling of Kel’s chest rising and falling peacefully under his cheek with each soft breath he took. Even with the TV still on, the voices emitted from it were so faint that Sunny couldn’t get a word in, especially not when something much closer blocked them completely.
With his ear directly over it, Sunny could feel every beat of Kel’s heart.
It was a nice sound.
Sunny focused on its steady rhythm, and after a few moments, tried to listen to his own.
…
He hoped that one day they would match.
Uh, that was a weird one, the sleepiness was surely getting to him.
Still, he went back to listening to Kel’s, finding comfort in its unchanging tempo.
And yet, after a few more minutes, he noticed that the beat was getting slightly quicker, and then again even more after another moment. Together with the movement of Kel’s chest, its pace was getting faster… and faster…
“Sunny… I…” Kel whispered silently, his voice strained.
“Mmh?”
Sunny felt Kel’s breathing becoming uneven, his heart now drumming intensely in his ear.
But it only lasted a few seconds, and before long he started to feel Kel taking slower and deeper breaths. Sunny smiled a little, feeling himself getting lifted and lowered along a bit more than before with each Kel took. Though he still wondered what could have gotten him so worked up.
“I… um… I forgot what I wanted to say,” Kel spoke quietly.
“That’s so you,” Sunny replied softly, turning his face to look up at him again. A motion that he noticed made Kel tense up for some reason.
“H-hey! At least I’m not the one who forgot his own birthday!” Kel replied quickly, though the snark in his voice seemed a bit more forced than usual. Maybe he was getting sleepy as well.
“Thank you for reminding me,” Sunny mumbled drowsily while wrapping his arms around Kel’s lower back, settling into his position for the night.
“That’s the third time you’ve said that,” Kel sighed.
“I mean it though,” Sunny said before suddenly letting out grumble.
“What it is?” Kel asked curiously.
“I can’t hang out all day with you. I have a session in the morning,” Sunny said annoyed.
“Hm, I remember, don’t worry about it. I’ll meet you as soon as you finish,” Kel said while rubbing the other's back with his thumb.
“Can we go for a walk right after?”
“Where do you wanna go?”
“...Dunno.”
“I want to walk Hector,” Sunny added groggily.
“You know you don’t have to ask permission for that. That puppy loves you,” Kel snickered quietly. “He almost tackled you last time. I think you’re quickly climbing the ranks of his favorite people.”
“Did I already-“ yawn, “surpass you?”
“Don’t get cocky now,” Kel smiled as he gave his friend’s hair a quick ruffle.
“Oh, you haven’t seen it yet, but he is quite good at catching a frisbee. Wanna try that out at the park?” Kel whispered after a while.
“Hm,” Sunny replied distantly.
Hearing his tone made Kel realize that Sunny was finally dozing off. His lips now slightly parted as he breathed softly.
And people always reminded him that he could fall asleep easily.
Careful not to disturb his friend, Kel wiggled one last time into the couch to get himself comfortable as well, lifting one hand from Sunny’s back a bit higher, onto his neck.
He couldn’t wait to see Sunny smile when everyone surprises him at the door.
Or his embarrassment when Hero lights the candles and they all start singing.
Or even before that, how startled he will be when Hector inevitably jumps into him the second he sees him.
Kel chuckled at that last image.
Hehe, yep, Hector really did love Sunny.
And the big furball certainly wasn’t the only one.