Chapter Text
"Hey, Sunny.."
Sunny looked up, his eye refocusing from where he had been staring blankly at the wall in front of him.
Kel was standing in front of him, a smile on his face that was only slightly strained, and eyes that were a little too narrow, which was progress compared to the last few months.
"How are you doing?"
Sunny didn't respond, only looking at Kel with a tired, barely present eye. He was tired, very tired, but he's been trying not to sleep as often, scared of what he would see in his dreams now that Headspace is gone.
His nightmares have gotten worse, and it's been rather difficult to try and be present in his day to day life; honestly, he doesn't think he's very good at it yet.
He's trying, though.
He's trying.
So after a long moment of awkward silence, where Kel's smile gets a little more strained and a little more dim, Sunny raises a hand with more effort than it honestly should take and moves it back and forth half-heartedly, in a 'so-so' gesture.
However, it makes Kel's smile just a tad more genuine, as he replies with as much enthusiasm as he can muster(which is still, all things considered, quite a lot), "That's good at least. It's progress, right?"
It takes a second for Sunny to process that that's another question that does indeed require a response, before he gives a small nod that's more his head starting to loll forward from his exhaustion.
Kel gives him a thumbs up, and cheers, "That's great, Sunny! I'm sure everyone else will be glad to hear that!"
At the reminder of the others, Kel falters, before his excited hands still at his sides awkwardly as he looks out the window, where the dusk is seeping through drowsily.
"Speaking of.." Kel starts guiltily, "I'm sorry, Sunny, I'm gonna have to head out soon. Is that alright?"
Sunny felt his chest restrict at the thought of being alone in this house at night, but even knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep a wink, he nodded again. Kel didn't need to babysit him, they're the same age, and he didn't want to impose by staying another night at Kel's parents house; They had let him sleep over some nights over the past few months, which he had been infinitely grateful for, but neither Kel nor Hero seemed particularly keen to sleep over at Sunny's house again, not that he could blame them.
Even now, Kel didn't go any further into the house than the living room, and occasionally the kitchen or the dining room.
He never went into the backyard, and especially not the stairs.
It was bad enough knowing the truth, it was another to have to see where it had happened.
Sunny didn't blame Kel or any of the others for not wanting to be near his house or the tree stump or the staircase.
(He just wished he didn't have to be near it, either. He just wished he was able to leave. But he knew he didn't deserve to. Mari didn't get to leave, either.)
At Sunny's nod, Kel looked undoubtedly relieved, but clarified as he grabbed his things, "Do you think you'll be fine alone? I'm sure Hero wouldn't mind if you wanted to stay over again."
Even as he said it, Kel didn't seem too sure of his own words, but stuck with it anyway.
Of his friends, Hero and Basil seemed to take the truth the worst. Or, in Basil's case, the fact he told the truth at all.
Aubrey had been mad, sure, but she had experience with feelings that can get away from you, with lashing out, with hurting others, with the bone deep regret that comes with it.
She had nearly killed Basil, after all, when she pushed him into the lake.
She had just been overwhelmed and desperate and angry.
She didn't mean to.
She had just wanted him away for a second.
The drop that came after would haunt her for the rest of her life, watching him get further away as he fell.
(He had been overwhelmed and desperate and angry.
He didn't mean to.
He had just wanted her away for a second.
The drop that came after would haunt him for the rest of his life, watching her get further away as she fell.
...Tragic, isn't it, how history may not repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes.)
She had understood, she had told him about a week after he had told them the truth, and she apologized for punching him when he had first told them, in that hospital room.
Kel had been upset, mad, but he had focused on comforting the others, on comforting Sunny when he had fallen to the floor at some indiscernible moment through it all, after Aubrey had hit him and then stormed out.
It was only, much later, that he and Kel had properly talked about it, or, well, as properly as Sunny was able.
A lot of their conversation was written, and neither really wanted to talk about it, but Kel was able to get the closure he needed and forgave Sunny quickest. Not too surprising, considering Kel's always been fast.
Hero, on the other hand... It took a very long time, especially compared to everyone else, for him to actually be in proximity to Sunny. When he was, he was cordial enough, displaying very little of his animosity outwardly, the opposite of Aubrey who was very vocal about her feelings on the matter despite her still being around Sunny.
But Hero, he avoided Sunny like the plague. When Kel would make efforts to reach out and include Sunny, Hero would somehow always have a reason to not be involved with whatever their plans were, and if Sunny and Hero were for some reason left alone together, Hero would quickly leave with some faux polite excuse.
It was only when Hero went to visit Mari's grave, and found Sunny already there, quietly mumbling with tears running down his face and shaking shoulders, that he started the silent reconciliation that pained Sunny and Hero equally, if their still stilted interactions said anything.
But there was effort on Hero's part, and even if Sunny didn't deserve it, he would try, too.
It's all he can do, now.
In spite of all that, Sunny could tell that his presence in the other household wasn't always wanted, at least by the brothers, so he limited the amount of time he spent there, especially for overnight expedites, no matter how much he wanted to be there.
With that in mind, he gave Kel a shaky thumbs up, and then a shooing motion, which Kel laughed at, slinging his now packed duffel bag over his shoulder and starting to head towards the door.
"Okay, Sunny. I'll be leaving, then. If you need anything, just text, got it? See ya!"
Sunny waved goodbye, which Kel flashed a peace sign back at, and then the door opened, and Kel stepped out, and the door closed.
Immediately, the house felt infinitely more oppressive, the sun tinted light shining through the windows nearly red in color, ominous in every way and eerily reminiscent of some of Sunny's hallucinations.
It felt foreboding, the shadow behind him lengthening drastically.
It felt like an omen.
Unfortunately, Sunny would find out just how accurate that was soon enough.