Work Text:
Basil’s house was completely quiet aside from the sound of his shuffling footsteps outside of his room. Aubrey sat on the floor of his room with Bun-Bun laying peacefully in her lap.
She expected this day to come. She didn’t know when or how, but one day or another, she knew she was going to end up getting kicked out of her house. Today just so happened to be the day her mother decided to freak out like she’s never done before. Which resulted in a beer bottle getting smashed over her own shoulder. Great. How fun.
After grabbing Bun-Bun in her good arm and rushing over to Basil’s house whilst bleeding out of her shoulder, he and Polly immediately took her to the hospital to get some stitches. Even though it was much earlier today, it still stings.
Naturally after that, she was not allowed to go back to her mother’s house under any circumstances. It’s not like she really wanted to, and she liked Basil’s house plenty enough, and she always liked spending the night with him, so it was a good place for her to stay.
Basil’s house is nice. It’s warm and cozy and has always felt like a second home to her. She can’t count how many times she slept over here when they were children, and how she always bounced on her toes while sprinting over to Basil’s house, because of how much more well put together it was than hers. No leaks to drip on your forehead at night, no broken floorboards to give you splinters, no garbage and glass strewn everywhere to give you an unlucky cut, just normal. It was her first exposure to a house that wasn’t half broken-down.
Even throughout the years passing, this place hasn’t changed since they were twelve… aside from the absence of Basil’s grandmother. But other than her being gone, it looks almost as identical as it was all those years ago. Same furniture, same walls, same photos, same everything.
A warmth spreads through her chest as she smiles. This house always made her feel safe. It didn’t have the sturdiest walls, nor was it the most spacious, but it always protected her when she didn’t have anywhere else to go. If there was anywhere in the world she’d want to call home, it was here.
She does remiss not having taken more of her belongings with her, though. Polly had to go out and buy Bun-Bun some food and use tupperware for his bowls for the time being. She also didn’t have anything to wear for the night. Most of Polly’s clothes were too big for her, and almost all of Basil’s were too small for her to fit into. They did eventually find an oversized shirt Basil liked to use as lounge clothes that fit her well enough, and Polly managed to dig through her laundry to find an old pair of shorts from when she was seventeen to fit Aubrey.
They’re either going to have to break into her old house to get her stuff back and buy her some new clothes. Despite the risk, and really not wanting to see her mother again, she was more inclined towards the first option. Polly and Basil were already expending enough of themselves by letting her stay here in the first place, and they didn’t need to go out and spend all that extra money on her.
It’s times like these where she wishes she and Basil were the same size. While it’s funny to taunt him for being short and ruffle his hair and hold photos above his head where he can’t reach, if she could just… share clothes with him, it would mean they wouldn’t have to do either option to get herself something to wear.
She didn’t know Basil had this oversized shirt until today. And honestly? It barely even fits her– She can’t imagine Basil walking around in this thing! It’s just a plain gray t-shirt, except it's massive.
The mental image of Basil walking around in the morning with such a long shirt does get a chuckle out of her, though. And plus, it was something for her to wear, at least. You could tell it was something Basil wore frequently, too, by how worn it was. It smelled like him too. That earthy, pungent scent that Basil’s carried since he was six and his grandmother first taught him how to plant a seed.
He probably used this shirt to garden when his overalls weren’t washed. That would explain the grass stain on the rim of the shirt.
The door clicked suddenly behind her as she turned around to find Basil in the doorway, also ready for bed.
“Uh, you can keep that shirt on until we find something else tomorrow.” Basil replied. “S-Sorry we didn’t have anything better!”
Aubrey snickered. “It’s fine, Bas.” She walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s not like my clothes are that much cleaner.”
Basil smiled nervously. “Um, yeah, I hope we can get them back soon… I- I don’t think any of grandma’s old clothes would fit you either.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like I’d want to wear any of that musty old shit that’s been collecting dust since last year.” Her expression fell as Basil looked away solemnly. “...Sorry.”
After an uncomfortable silence, Aubrey spoke up again.
“Okay! Bed time! Right!” Aubrey instinctively stepped towards Basil’s bed, just as he stepped towards it as well.
Both of them stopped immediately upon registering each other’s movement. Basil froze dead in his tracks as a small pink flush rose on his cheeks as Aubrey stared at their current predicament.
Basil’s room only had one bed.
And Polly was taking up residence in the other one in Basil’s grandma’s old room.
“I’ll just–” Aubrey squeaked. “I’ll go sleep on the couch!”
“Wh- no!” Basil hastily got in front of her as she tried to exit the room. “I’ll take the couch, y-you can have my bed!”
“Dude, it’s your bed. You can have it.” Aubrey replied, crossing her arms.
Basil put his hands up in front of himself. “N-No, you deserve to have somewhere nice to sleep after the day you’ve had!” He laughed nervously. “Please, I insist!”
“Basil, I’ll be fine,” She retorted back. “plus, your couch is longer and it’d probably fit me better anyway.”
“B-But my couch is all stiff and scratchy!” Basil responded urgently. “You’ll hurt your back, or you c-could irritate your stitches!”
“But–” Aubrey failed to articulate another argument against that. “I don’t want you to hurt your back either, idiot.”
“I’ll be fine, really! The couch isn’t… too bad.” Basil rubbed the back of his head, betraying the fact he was completely dreading how his back was going to feel after he woke up tomorrow.
Aubrey rolled her eyes. Self-sacrificial Basil, as always. She grunted, not really having any further way to argue against him, but also not wanting to let him sleep alone on the couch.
Wait, alone?
A smirk grew on Aubrey’s face.
“I think I have a way to solve our current issue.” Aubrey boasted confidently.
“Uh, really? I’m fine with the couch, honestly–!” Basil yelped as Aubrey grabbed his hand and tugged him onto his bed with her, the two of them landing on the small mattress.
“There,” Aubrey panted. “Problem… solved.”
Basil let out a high pitched squeak as his entire body locked up, his face as red as a poppy’s petals.
Aubrey’s face promptly burned a sweet pink as she looked up at his face, before ramming her head into his shoulder in order to not look at him, and to cover her own flushed expression.
Why did she think this was a good idea?
She couldn’t bring herself to speak, it was so awkward. Basil lied still and rigid underneath her body as she was considering just apologizing and bolting out of his house and never coming back. But that would make this more weird. Maybe. So she stayed laying on top of him.
It would’ve felt nice to be this close to him if both of them weren’t so nervous about it.
The two of them breathed out of sync as the night droned on outside. There was no sound but the silent chirp of crickets in the summer and the occasional rustle of leaves. Polly was likely asleep by now, so she can’t save either of them from this by calling Basil to do something for her, or by walking in and forcing Aubrey to shove herself off of him, lest she assume they’re doing something scandalous.
But that wouldn’t happen. So she stayed silent. She couldn’t find any excuse to move away, so she didn’t. Part of her didn’t want to. Despite how flustered they both are, she can’t deny how comforting it felt to be pressed against his body like this after the day she’s had.
She doesn’t know how long the two of them laid awake before Basil slowly wrapped his arms around her. Aubrey locked up– wanting to run, scream and cry and do anything to get these hands off of her. To get those hands off of her.
But… as he wrapped his arms around her, it didn’t feel like those hands anymore. The hands that gripped her arms and threw things at her. The hands that curled into fists at a slight irritation. These hands were different. They were Basil’s, and unmistakably his.
They weren’t going to hurt her… they couldn’t hurt her.
They felt nice around her. Like somebody was defending her, and she wouldn’t have to be the one to protect herself, because they would protect her this time.
Aubrey leaned into the embrace, wedging her own arms under Basil to cuddle against him further. She sighed contentedly as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
“...G’night, Basil.” She muttered drowsily.
“G-Goodnight, Aubrey.”
They both fell asleep in each other’s embrace.