Work Text:
Sunny opened the front door, walking inside. Behind him, the afternoon sun shined bright.
“Welcome back!” Basil called from the kitchen.
Sunny walked over to the table, setting down the bag in his hand. In it were a few groceries they had forgotten as well as a few other things. He also set down a pizza box he had grabbed on his way out. Half pepperoni, half veggie. For a guy who loves plants so much, Basil sure does eat a lot of them.
“So did you get everything we need?” Basil asked.
Sunny nodded.
“Thanks.” Basil sighed. “I can't believe I forgot to grab milk when we were there.”
“It's like… the number one typical grocery.”
Sunny giggled as he put it in the fridge. He then grabbed two plates for the pizza. The chair scraped against the floor as he pulled it out from the table.
After sitting down, they opened the pizza box, breathing in the tantalizing aroma of excessive amounts of grease and cheese.
Grease was Gino's specialty.
They ate quietly, Sunny finishing his half of the pizza in the time Basil took to eat one slice.
Sunny licked the grease off his fingers before wiping them with a napkin.
His eyes suddenly widened. “Oh!”
He fished through the shopping bag, pulling out a book.
“I got this too.” He held it out towards Basil with a smile.
The newest edition of Captain Spaceboy.
Basil set his plate down and examined the cover. It featured Captain Spaceboy’s pirate ship stranded on an unknown planet and surrounded by green aliens.
“It looks a bit… generic.” Basil said.
“Hmpf.” Sunny’s cheeks puffed out. “You just don't understand.”
“Okay sorry.” Basil smiled. “Did you want to read it together?”
Sunny nodded, already scooting his chair closer. He set it on the table between them.
As he opened the book, he held one side and Basil held the other. Passing each page between them as they read.
They had always spent their Sundays like this. Every time a new chapter would release, Sunny would go out to buy it, hurrying home so they could read it together.
Basil smiled.
For how little Sunny talked, one might think he’d prefer to be alone, but it was quite the opposite really — he never liked to be alone, hated it, in fact.
It always seemed that Sunny found comfort in simple presence, and gave that back to others as well.
Even a small moment like this — sitting side by side with a book, quietly turning pages — seemed to matter more to him than reading alone.
He was always there — a quiet hand when the days got rough. Whether to listen or just sit with.
He rarely spoke, but when he did he somehow always had the perfect words. Never a generic “I’m sorry” or “That's rough.” It was always something so… unmistakably him. Even just a single word would wash away Basil’s worries, giving him a moment where he forgot the world outside even existed.
And he was never an absent listener. Even when silent, even when cliff-faced as usual, it was always easy to see that he was listening. That he cared. That he heard every word of every single rant or ramble.
In moments like this, Sunny always felt perfect.
Basil exhaled slowly.
Sunny glanced at Basil — Basil nodded back.
They flipped the page, the stiff paper stood up awkwardly. Basil pressed it down with his thumb.
Basil didn't even pay attention to it — he was never a big fan of comics. Nothing wrong with them of course, they just weren't his thing. He'd rather garden, or scrapbook, or just relax instead.
But Sunny always looked forward to it. And by now, Basil did too.
It was the one time Sunny’s expression seemed to flow freely, unbound from his usual cliff-faced nature.
He'd scowl when a character he disliked appeared.
He'd purse his lips when Captain Spaceboy was in a rough spot.
And then light up when he escaped.
Basil liked seeing Sunny be expressive. His pouts, scowls, and most of all his smiles.
He ran his finger along the side of the book, feeling the rough texture of the stacked pages.
Of course, Sunny did smile elsewhere.
In fact, his smiles had only grown more frequent — and more obvious — the more time they spent together. A fact Basil was still wrapping his head around.
Those small, subtle smiles were still Basil’s favorite. Smiles just for him. Because of him. Despite how unnoticeable they might be to others… to Basil, they held the world.
The ones that made his heart melt and his chest flutter.
That were almost too bright to look at.
A smile he'd lost himself in time and time again.
“Basil?” Sunny said.
Basil jumped slightly, snapping back to the present. “Y-yeah?”
He quickly turned back towards the comic book. Captain Spaceboy was fighting some alien with three heads.
“You done with the page?”
“Yeah, sorry.” Basil kept his eyes on the book.
Sunny hummed in response, keeping his gaze on Basil for a second longer than necessary.
The page turned.
Basil wasn't looking.
His eyes were caught up on something else — Sunny.
His silky black hair was always just a little messy, falling between his eyes and brushing the top of his nose.
His one glossy eye, that still held the same sparkle it did back when they were children. Back before…
Basil glanced at the eyepatch over Sunny’s right eye. And the scar that peeked out from under it. A permanent reminder of what he had done. His chest tightened.
He shook his head.
No. That was the past. Things were different now.
Sunny looked at him. Their eyes met.
Basil’s breath caught.
He paused.
“S-Sunny?” Basil whispered.
“Yeah?”
Basil looked down, heart pounding out of his chest. “Can…”
His fingers curled. “Can I…”
He glanced back up, catching the glimmer in Sunny’s eye. The glimmer in his eye… and the subtlest smile.
Just for him. Soft. Sure.
Like it was permission.
Basil shakily raised his hand, brushing Sunny’s hair behind his ear. Then resting it on Sunny’s cheek.
Sunny smiled silently.
Basil scooted to the edge of his chair, leaning in slowly.
Their lips met so gently it almost felt like they didn't — and yet the whole world seemed to soften.
Their hearts raced in perfect sync.
Sunny’s arms wrapped around Basil, resting on his shoulders. Fingers brushing against the fabric of his shirt.
Basil’s hand found itself on the back of Sunny’s head, holding him close like the world would end. Threading through his silky hair.
They broke apart slowly, hesitantly, eyes opening just to stay locked on the other's. It felt like years, but wasn't long enough.
They breathed slowly, the heat still lingering on their faces, the sensation still tingling on their lips.
Their arms stayed around each other, like they were glued in place. Like even the thought of leaving was impermissible.
Sunny leaned forward, putting his full weight on Basil as he collapsed into him. It was warm and heavy, but Basil didn't mind.
Basil sighed, content, smiling as he gently ran his hand across Sunny’s back.
“We never finished the comic.” Sunny noted.
“Oh. Yeah.” Basil glanced at it, forgotten on the table. “Can we just… finish later?”
“Mhmm.” Sunny hummed, melting further into Basil.