Fallout and Future

Chapter 18: Beach Episode

Beta read by spooky and UdonPuddle on AO3.

i forgot to upload this yesterday lol

thanks for 100 votes. especially that one person that left a vote on every single chapter, you are very cool /gen

---

"Hello, Mari." Sunny placed the lily of the valley onto the headstone, then clasped his hands in front of him. The early morning fog made it impossible to see more than four feet in front of him. His eyes felt as heavy as ever. He had slept soundly the previous night (unfortunately without Basil: this time, they kept to their own sides of the room), but it never felt like quite enough. At least he hadn't had another nightmare.

"I'm... here again. I know it's been too long. Sorry." Sunny averted his gaze.

We are talking to a literal gravestone and don't want to look at it. You're pathetic.

"I wanted to visit earlier, but I was scared. I... I haven't really planned any of this out," Sunny confessed. "I guess I'm visiting you to just... apologize? And see you, and tell you about what's happened."

First time independently visiting the grave of the sister you murdered, and you didn't even think about what you wanted to say to her.

"I started seeing a therapist. Moved away. I mean, I started seeing the therapist after I moved away. I think I've been getting better—a little, at least. I-I mean, I managed to come back here..." Mari would celebrate an 'accomplishment' like this so much. "I wanted to see the others again, and see you. To say I'm sorry—to everyone. I-I am- I'm so sorry." Sunny closed his eye and bowed his head. "It'll... I don't think anything I do will ever be enough. But I'm trying."

God knows we've been trying.

He opened his eye again. "...I... I hope you're proud of me. Or that you can be, one day."

Sighing, Sunny put his hands in his pockets, feeling the burn of the cold steadily ebb away. He closed his eye and listened to the rustling of the leaves in the winter wind. Not a very verbose apology, is it?

"Sunny!" He heard a familiar voice calling out to him from outside the graveyard. Sunny turned to find Basil jogging toward him, waving a little. The boy slowed to a halt a few feet away, not seeming too out-of-breath. Uncertainty colored his face. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He gestured at Mari's grave.

"No, I finished talking to her. I'm sorry I didn't leave a note; I didn't think you'd wake up so early," Sunny explained, striding up to Basil. The two of them fell in step, walking towards... somewhere. He didn't know where Basil was leading him.

"It's alright." To his credit, Basil seemed genuine. "I was just looking for you because Aubrey called. Apparently, Kel was supposed to tell us yesterday, but Hero planned a trip to the beach!" His small smile faltered. "You don't have any plans for the next few days, right?"

"No." He overestimates your plan-making abilities. Severely. Sunny took one hand out of his pocket and grabbed Basil's, pulling the boy a little closer to him as they walked. Like when they were young, it felt like second nature again. Sunny turned to face his best friend, still on his right side so he could see him with his functioning eye. Light pink dusted Basil's face.

Must be cold.

...It looked good on him, though.

"When are we supposed to leave?" Sunny continued. It took Basil a second longer than usual to respond, but-

"Ah... uh, we're supposed to leave in two hours."

"I see."