My Savior - Suntan

Chapter Eighteen

When Kel properly woke up, he wondered why he felt so conflicted, and why there were tears in his eyes. He rolled over, trying to recall anything from last night. But he couldn't. He remembered a dream. A wonderful dream where he had finally kissed Sunny. Kel wondered if he should just start crying or celebrate that at least one Kel got what he wanted. Yawning, Kel sat up and looked over at Sunny. He laid perfectly still. Kel then started to get nervous. He couldn't tell if Sunny was breathing or not.

"Sunny?" Kel asked, his voice shaking slightly as he placed his hands on Sunny's shoulders, "Sunny?"

Sunny didn't stir, still laying still. Kel grew more panicked, shaking Sunny more viciously, placing his head on Sunny's chest to see if his heart was still beating.

"Sunny!?"

Sunny woke with a start, a panicked expression on his face, feeling cold sweat clinging to him and his clothes. His breathing was ragged and was still trying to get his head around what was happening and why a sobbing Kel had wrapped his arms around him and was buried in the crook of his neck.

"Sunny, you're okay!" Kel exclaimed, calming himself down as he looked at Sunny properly, "are you okay? You look really... panicked.. and not okay.."

Sunny looked up, concentrating on getting his breathing back to normal. What had happened to White Space? The world connected to it? Omori? Sunny thought, feeling panic rising again.

"Why don't we go do something today?..." Kel suggested anxiously, keen to distract them from what had happened mere seconds ago, "you up for anything?"

Sunny felt a bit sick at that moment, getting to his feet and swaying slightly as the room seemed to tilt. He staggered his way into the bathroom, feeling as though he was no longer in his body, just watching it. Sunny looked at himself in the mirror. Scruffy black hair, bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, crumpled clothes... then he saw the silhouette. Mari's elongated face stood close, her head contorted at angles no human should be able to turn to, her eyes no longer there, just gaping black holes - empty, stretched eye sockets. He collapsed to his knees, bringing them beneath his chin and gripping the sides of his head with his hands. He wished this would all go away. Disappear, a voice hissed at him, disappear. Sunny had often dreamed of White Space, the comfort it brought. How many times had he stabbed himself there?

"Sunshine..."

Sunny heard a faint whisper. He liked the voice that said it, wanting to go to it. His body felt heavy, exhausted.

"Sunshine, come here..."

He felt someone wrap their arms around him, bringing him close to their warm body. Sunny slowly felt himself coming back to reality, the tenderness of the person who had scooped him into their arms. Sunny let go of his head, letting his eyes drift lazily to meet the face of the person who had helped him. Kel.

"Let's go to Basil's, huh? How does that sound?" He asked soothingly, Sunny resting his head on his chest, breathing in. Kel's familiarity calmed him, letting him relax. His eyes roamed around the room for a while, realising Mari had gone. Sunny nodded.

Around an hour later, the two acted as though nothing had happened that morning, despite Kel being slightly more protective over him than usual.

"Ready to go?" Kel asked Sunny, despite the fact the two were already at the end of Sunny's pathway.

"We're already going," Sunny said, gazing up at Kel with a gentle smile playing on his lips.

Kel felt his heart twist, remembering his dream. But it seemed so real! He mourned the loss.

"Do you think Basil would be surprised to see us?" Asked Sunny, "should we have called ahead or at least told them?"

"It'll be fine! I mean, I never called ahead to say I'd be over bothering you, and you don't seem to mind," Kel laughed, but then anxiously added, "do you."

"No, I don't mind," Sunny smiled, "I enjoy your company, makes me feel safe."

Kel felt a flare of pride. He made Sunny feel safe. Well, I may not have vented to him about my own trauma, or kissed him, but at least he knows he's safe with me, Kel thought, stretching his arms above his head and swiping at the clouds in the sky.

"Race you," said Sunny suddenly, dashing off down the path, knowing the two of them were mere paces away from making it to Basil's door.

"Hey, no fair!" Scowled Kel, chasing after him, catching up with him mid-way down Basil's pathway, and scooping him up.

"Put me down!" Demanded Sunny, his cheeks red, "this was not part of the race nor is it fair."

"Wasn't fair that you had a head start, but here we are," retorted Kel, placing Sunny gently on his feet before closing his eyes and putting his hands on his hips like some sort of hero or pirate.

Kel grinned down at Sunny, one eye open. Sunny rang Basil's doorbell, the two of them shuffling their feet as they got into position of not just having raced part-way here. When the door opened, Basil stood there nervously, a few patches of mud on his overalls and soil on his cheeks and gloves.

"Oh, it's you guys!" He exclaimed, his nervousness seeming to vanish, "come in, come in! Sunny, I've got some plants to show you that would loom great in your garden!"

As Basil ushered them in, Polly entered the room.

"Oh, boys! How are you two?" She asked, smiling warmly at them, "it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hey, Polly," Kel exclaimed, waving at her, "We're here to visit Basil! And he just said he was going to show Sunny some flowers, and of course I'm joining."

The trio walked out of the room, chatting with each other, leaving Polly standing alone, smiling, gazing after them, before going back into the kitchen while humming to herself.