Sunny and Aubrey's Heart-Throbbing Love life

How it began

Sunny put his knees to his chest, shifting a little closer into the shade of a tree within the secret hangout area. He inhaled deeply, taking in the peaceful scenery. Their checkered red-white picnic mat was set up near the lake, crumbs and stains littering the empty plates and bowls set up. Mari sat there together with Hero, a smug grin on her face as she said something Sunny couldn't quite hear, causing Hero to turn red and look away with an embarassed smile. Further away, a fast-running Kel was keeping a good distance away from an angry Aubrey. Ah... Aubrey. The sun shining on her bright pink hair cast her in an angelic glow, her anger doing little to dampen her beauty. Oh, how Sunny wished he could hug her, taking in her scent. How he wished they could lie on the couch with each other like how Hero and Mari did at Basil's 12th birthday party. How he wished they could spend time basking in the shade of a tree with each oth-

A sudden flash of light broke Sunny's train of thought.

Sunny jolted out of his daydream, his head whipping over to Basil. A polaroid reeled out of his camera. Basil gave Sunny a smirk. "Sunny... That little crush of yours... it seems to have only grown over the years, hasn't it?" He removed the polaroid, giving it a quick look over. Sunny vehemently shook his head 'no', before he felt the blush catch up from his ears to his face, causing him to bury himself into his knees. "Take a look, Sunny."

Sunny peeked his eyes out from his knees, taking in the photo – himself, sitting up against a tree, his normally locked jaw drooped slightly open, a dreamy expression on his face. He almost saw stars shining in the eyes of the picture of himself. Basil continued, his smirk getting wider. "Have your feelings for her really not grown at all?" Sunny's blush intensified, as he once again frantically shook his head 'no'.

"Ah, that's a shame." Basil said, his smile slowly turning to a tiny frown. "I actually took a few pictures of Aubrey earlier. She looked so cute in them!" Sunny's head shot up from his knees, his eyes widening. "But I guess you don't really want to look at them anymore..." Basil pretended to stand up and walk away.

Sunny grabbed firmly onto Basil's sleeve as he began to stand. Sunny's face flushed crimson, as he pursed his lips before opening them once more. "...Please..." his soft voice drifted out, almost inaudible. "...let me see them."

Basil sat down, give Sunny a wide smile as he leaned into him. "Hehe! Sorry for teasing you, Sunny. Here, have a look!" As Sunny pouted, Basil pulled out a set of polaroids from the pocket of his overalls...

......

"-and I swear his eyes started to sparkle. I didn't want to say anything so as to not ruin his moment, but he's definitely still in love!"

The setting sun cast a red glow around the park. Sunny, Aubrey, and Kel were a ways ahead on the path to Hobbeez, with Hero tailing them not far away. As Basil finished recounting his tale, Mari nodded with a small grin, fully invested in the story. "As for Aubrey..." She began.

......

Aubrey and Mari were in Mari's room, in front of the vanity set. Mari ran a brush through Aubrey's hair, earning a smile and a sigh from the pink-haired girl. The smile unchanging, Aubrey furrowed her brows slightly, thinking before breaking the near-silence. "Mari, can I trust you with a secret?"

Mari replied with a warm smile. "Of course!" She said, continuing to straighten Aubrey's slightly messy hair.

Aubrey shifted nervously on the stool, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "For the past... few y-" Aubrey cleared her throat. "-Months now... I... I've been getting a strange feeling in my chest when I see... this boy." Mari's smile grew wider, putting the hairbrush down on the vanity as Aubrey flushed deeper. "E-every time I see him smile, I feel like holding him close and never letting go. When I'm with him I feel like the day is brighter, and it kinda makes me... happy? And on the days I don't see him, I feel sad, like I'm missing out on something." Aubrey covered her red face. "Is it what I think it is...?"