Flesh & Bone (OMORI AU)

Chapter 10: Love is in bloom

Sunny awoke with the sun gently poking through his window, shining on his face. He slowly opened his eye, sitting up and rubbing his face. His door was slightly open, and Mewo was gone. Maybe Mari had checked on him and never closed the door. Or maybe she let Mewo out, she got annoying when she was in one place for too long. Sunny climbed out of his bed and stretched his arms. He then realized he slept in his clothes from yesterday, which not only had a blood stain, but stains of mucus from how much he had been crying. Gross. He pulled his sweater and undershirt off and searched for something more comfortable and clean. While he was at it, changing into a pair of jeans might be nice, especially since he expected himself to leave the house at some point during the day. Pulling on a black sweater and grey jeans, he slipped on his loafers, yawning as he did so. He still wasn't sure if what happened the past two days was real or not. He'd have to wait and see. Walking out of his room and closing the door behind him, he decided to actually make himself look nice for once. He didn't want Mari to worry about him more than she already had been. He began brushing his hair in the mirror, and spotted some black hair in the drain of the sink. Long, black hair. Sunny felt a pit in his stomach looking at it, as it reminded him of the loose hair that stuck to his old violin. 

She probably just cut her hair. It's fine. Don't think about  it too much..

Sunny thought to himself, finishing with his hair. He put on a new eyepatch, which he hadn't changed it in two days. It was always a bit painful to take off, since he was still healing. His eye had to be removed due to the iris being damaged when he was stabbed. He also had a gash over his eyelid that needed to heal. So he slowly peeled it off, wincing a bit as the gauze stuck to his eyelid. That's what he got for wearing it for too long without changing it. Thankfully, he didn't bleed. He began to re-apply a new patch, gently rubbing the ointment given to him on his cut. This was also painful, but he had slowly gotten used to it. Putting the bandage over his eye, he then grabbed a medical eyepatch and put it over to secure the bandage in case it fell off. He then looked at himself, sighing. He hated how he looked. He always had, of course, but he hated looking at himself even more. He felt ugly. Sighing, he closed the medicine cabinet and walked out of the bathroom, heading downstairs. 

As Sunny approached the living room, he heard a faint humming, and the sound of sizzling on a pan. He smelled bacon. Mari was cooking. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited as he approached the kitchen, looking to see what he assumed to be Mari..? She looked older. Like how she was supposed to look. And he was surprised that she was taller than him. He didn't say anything and just stood there, watching her cook, until she noticed him. 

"Oh, good morning Sunny! I hope you don't mind if I make you breakfast." 

"I-It's okay.."

"Also I know what you're thinking. It's weird. But I managed to change how I looked, since y'know, the whole spirit thing? Also, I cut my hair. What do you think?" Mari fluffed her hair with one of her hands.

"It looks really good on you.." Sunny smiled. That explained why there was still hair in the drain. 

"Go head to the dining room, I'm almost done. We also have to prepare for Hero; He should be arriving in the next hour. So Kel told me."

"Kel called you?"

"Oh, no he came over to check and remind me. He got pretty freaked out though. It was kind of funny." Mari chuckled. 

Sunny chuckled with his mouth closed, walking to the dining room and sitting in the chair he usually sat in. Though, it had been a while since he had a proper meal... He had trouble eating since Mari had passed. It just didn't taste the same. But he had hope for Mari's meal. Maybe things would change. He shifted in his seat, looking at the old photos on the wall in front of him. Normally they upset him, but for once seeing him and Mari in the past made him happy. 

"Breakfast is served!" Mari smiled, gently passing Sunny a plate of bacon, sunny-side-up eggs (his favorite, funny enough), and toast, which had his favorite brand of jam; Life Jam. 

Mari sat down across from him with her own plate, beginning to cut into her eggs. She then looked at Sunny, who was staring at the plate with a small smile on his face. But he was crying. 

"Sunny, are you okay? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"No... this is perfect..." Sunny wiped his eye and stabbed one of his eggs. She hadn't given him a knife, for good reason, so he simply cut the egg with his fork. He hesitantly took a bite. Expecting a dull taste in his mouth, he could actually taste the flavor of the yolk, and the salt and pepper Mari put on the egg. He continued taking small bites while sobbing. 

"Are you okay?" Mari asked sympathetically, worry on her face. 

Sunny smiled, nodding, and looked at her. "I just... It's been so long since I could taste food like this... Everything I've eaten since I was twelve just lacked what it had before you passed..." He rubbed his eye. "Something simple like eggs and bacon tastes like the best thing I've ever eaten.."

Mari smiled back at him. "I'm really glad to hear that... Also, you need to eat more. The first time I actually took a look at you I got so worried. You're so thin..." 

Sunny chuckled nervously. "I um.. I didn't see the point in eating, so I didn't. And whenever I got hungry, I'd just throw it up. My appetite has gotten better since I left the hospital but.. I haven't experienced this in so long.."

"You're quite a chatterbox now, aren't you?" Mari giggled. 

"Huh?"

"You never used to talk this much, even with me! Not even with your crush~"

"M-Mari I don't like her like that anymore.." Sunny blushed, taking a bite out of his toast.

"Oh? So who do you like now?" 

"Nobody." Sunny said with a blank expression on his face. That was a big fat lie. 

"I can read you better than anyone else. Just spill the beans."

Sunny looked away, still blushing. "It's just that... I thought I only liked girls.."

"And? There's no problem in liking boys either. Remember when I spoke to you about that when you were little? I like Hero, but I've also found women attractive too."

"Yeah.. I remember.. It just feels off to me. I liked Aubrey for so long, and to suddenly like someone again, especially a guy, it feels silly."

"It's not silly!" Mari giggled. "You're a teenager. It's normal to feel like this! That's how I felt when I was around your age at least. Awkward, figuring myself out. To be honest, I still have to figure myself out since I missed so much."

Sunny nodded, still faintly blushing as he picked up his bacon. He always picked up single piece of bacon and ate around the sides. He had done it since he was little. 

"Soooo... Who is it?" Mari smirked. 

"I-I um.."

"Lemme guess... Basil?"

"Um, no..."

"Well the only other person I can think of is Kel, unless you met someone new?"

Sunny was silent, his blush deepening. 

"Ooooohhhh okay! That's so cute~" Mari smiled. 

"I-It's more recent... um...."

"Yeah?"

"Kel was the one who tried checking on me the whole time. And one day I decided to come out. I didn't want to be alone anymore. He's matured a lot and... I think he looks nice.." Sunny looked away, mumbling into his palm. 

"Aww...I'll keep this secret between us, okay?"

Sunny smiled a little, nodding. He then flinched. There was a knock on the door. He instantly knew who it was based on the knock. It was Kel. 

"Speak of the devil." Mari chuckled and walked to the front door, opening it. 

"U-Uhm so Hero uh.... He got here earlier than I thought... He's in my house and he wants to meet Sunny soon. He told me the reason he came was to check on Sunny and Basil." Kel ran a hand through his hair nervously. 

"Oh. Well, that's okay. Um, should I do anything or?" Mari asked. 

"I don't know eheheh... He's gonna freak out either way. I'd say just stay in the other room until we explain to him-."

"Kel! Sunny's home?" Hero shouted, getting closer to the house. 

Sunny looked at Mari, who then went into the dining room to hide for a while. Sunny came out of the room to say hello to Hero. Once he saw him he smiled. 

"How are you doing, Sunny?"

"Good." Sunny smiled a little. But it was an awkward smile. 

"How's your eye? Or, lack thereof.."

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt as much."

"That's good!" He then looked around, realizing how clean the house was. "Dang, did you clean the house all by yourself?"

"Um-" Sunny started. Kel gave him a look to start explaining. But he didn't know how to say it. 

"Someone else did it.."

"Oh, they did a really good job.." Hero looked around, then looked at the couch, which was still a futon. "Oh, did someone stay over last night?"

Sunny began sweating, playing with his sleeves. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Kel eventually spoke up, though he also looked nervous. 

"So Hero... um... We have a guest. But, you know them... Um.." Kel scratched his cheek anxiously.

"Oh really? Who is it? Is it Betty? I know she's a friend of Sunny's mother." 

"Uhhhhh.........." Kel could see Mari peering slightly from the kitchen.

"What? Is it personal or something?"

Kel looked down, chuckling nervously, while Sunny stayed quiet, hunching over a bit. He then mumbled something under his breath, Hero raising a brow. 

"What did you say?" Hero tilted his head slightly. 

"Mari is here..." He said quietly, shrinking into his sweater. Hero paused, then started laughing. 

"If you're trying to make me feel better about everything, its okay! I'm not mad at you, Sunny."

"I'm not lying." Sunny looked at Hero, dead in the eyes. He sounded serious. Hero's smile faded. 

"What do you mean?"

Kel looked at a wall nervously, and could see Mari walking out from the kitchen in the corner of his eye. He had never felt so anxious before. He felt panicked, scared of what Hero would do. But Mari slowly walked into the living room, a nervous look on her face. She was practically tiptoeing in. She smiled awkwardly, and Hero's eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly in shock. He blinked multiple times, and shook his head. 

"Okay this really isn't funny-."

"Hero..." Mari slowly walked closer, Hero tensing up. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It's not a prank.. It's really me.. Sunny brought me back... It's actually quite funny, really.." Mari laughed a bit, Hero staring at her, tears forming in his eyes, his cheeks burning red. 

"M-Mari..?" Hero reached out slightly and Mari ran over to him, hugging him tightly, beginning to sob with him. Hero pulled her close to his body and closed his eyes as he cried, resting his chin on Mari's head. He pulled away slightly. "But how?? How did you-." He looked at Sunny. 

Sunny looked up at Hero, fidgeting. "A spell I found online..."

Hero held his head with one of his hands as he cried, laughing a bit as he looked at Mari. "And look at you.. You're all grown up.." 

"So are you.." Mari smiled, rubbing her eyes with a small laugh. She didn't hesitate to press her lips softly against his, which caused him to flinch, turning a bright red as more tears fell down his face. 

Kel smiled softly. He was happy that his brother was taking this better than he expected. He then looked at Sunny, who still looked anxious. He frowned a bit, giving him a look as if to ask if he was alright. Sunny looked back at him, shrugging, before looking down. Not only was he nervous to tell Hero that Mari was back, but he also felt.. some sort of jealously. In the pit of his stomach. What was he jealous about? His sister and her boyfriend were happy! Was he jealous because... No. He couldn't be. He didn't want to bring it up. Sunny tried to compose himself as he looked at Hero and Mari, who were looking at each other intently as they cried tears of joy.