Chapter Text
Sunny leans his head against the car window and sighs, watching the scenery pass by in boredom. The view doesn't interest him at all and it makes another sigh of frustration fall from his lips. Everything is so dull and uninteresting, why did they even have to move here?
His mother catches his eye in the rearview mirror and smiles, undoubtedly noticing his distaste.
"Aw, come on, dear, don't hate the town already," She says lightly, amused. "I know you don't like change, but this place will be good for you, you'll see."
Sunny turns his head back around with a frown, not optimistic in the slightest. The sight of their new home appears into view soon enough though and Sunny lifts his face from the window glass to peer at it lazily, only mildly curious.
It looks decent, Sunny will give her that, but he still prefers his home back in the city. It wasn't bigger, but it was nicer, a lot more cozy than some random, spacious house in the middle of nowhere.
His mother pulls in the driveway and Sunny doesn't waste any time before existing the vehicle and stretching out his limbs. It was a long car ride, something he refuses to experience a second time unless it means they're leaving. He doesn't usually mind long drives, but when they signal a complete upheaval of his life like this one did, he does.
Even though it's early in the morning, both of them are far too exhausted to begin unloading things from the car just yet, so Sunny grabs only what's necessary and makes his way to the front door, which his mom has just opened.
He sets Mewo's cage on the ground as soon as he steps in, unlocking it and letting her roam around as she pleases.
She yawns and ambles out tiredly, curling up on the floor and going right back to sleep instead. Sunny pets her head affectionately, doing his best to suppress the wave of melancholy he feels. Mewo is more Mari's cat than his, but his sister had insisted he bring her with him, worried he might get lonely all by himself. He appreciates the thought, but it just makes him miss her more.
He wishes she could've come with them, but he's already made his peace with the separation, even if he hates it. Mari's gone off to college, and a house like this wouldn't be beneficial to her anyway. It's too big, and the stairs are...not suited for someone in her condition.
He sighs, pushing the thought from his mind as he stands up and glances around, eyeing his surroundings with a scrutinous gaze. Most of their furniture is already set up, courtesy of his father, and he's thankful for that. It makes the place seem a bit more comfortable, even though he knows it will never truly feel like home.
Sunny heads up to his room after everything is taken care of, curious to see what it looks like. It's plain and simple thankfully, with only the bare minimum decorating the space there. It doesn't bother him in the slightest, he doesn't plan to customize anything while he's here, so the quaintness is just fine with him.
The only thing he doesn't like, however, is that there's only one bed. He's gotten so used to sharing with Mari that the view is strange. It's a reminder that he's all alone now, and while he has always been more reticent in nature, the feeling is painful.
Well, atleast it's quiet.
Knock Knock
On second thought, nevermind.
Sunny rolls over in the bed and groans, momentarily muffling a scream of frustration into the pillow. They just moved here, who could possibly be knocking at the door already?
Nevertheless, he gets out of bed and painstakingly makes his way to the front door. His mother just left to go get groceries so he's the only one in the house right now apart from Mewo.
Sunny swings the door open, just the slightest bit irritable, and is immediately greeted with the sight of a boy holding a tray of baked goods, which by the smell of it, appears to be muffins.
The stranger is tall, to the point where Sunny has to crane his neck up to look at him, and his skin is tanned and flushed with sweat, like he's just been exercising recently. He's a little bit scruffy looking, but the smile on his face is warm and friendly, if not just a tad too enthusiastic.
"Hey, neighbor!" The other boy greets brightly, a big, beaming grin on his face. "My mom wanted me to give you these, said it would be a good welcoming present, you like chocolate chip right?"
Sunny blinks owlishly and nods, trying to keep up with the torrent of words flowing from the other's mouth. The stranger hands him the baked goods happily and Sunny struggles not to drop them as he does so, not expecting the sudden weight.
"Anyway," His new neighbor continues, tone light and energetic. "It's nice to meet you, man! It's not often someone new moves here, town's kinda small, you know?"
Sunny stays quiet, a bit overwhelmed at the other boy's lively personality, which is entirely unfamiliar from what he's used to. He doesn't know what he should say, and his mind fumbles over the words.
Thankfully, his neighbor does all the talking for him.
"You look around my age, I think...which would be great if you were, It'd be nice having another friend around," The other boy exclaims excitedly, but then his words trail off and a sheepish smile crosses his face. "Oh yeah, my name's Kel by the way! What's yours?"
"Sunny," He replies nonchalantly, already knowing the reaction he will receive.
As if on cue, Kel's eyebrows raise, and a hint of amusement appears on his features as his eyes roam over his frame curiously, likely taking in his dark clothes and gaunt, pale face. Sunny can't say he's surprised at the response, but it's beginning to get a little tiring, honestly.
To Kel's credit, he doesn't comment on Sunny's name being a stark contrast to his quiet, gothic disposition, nor does he make a remark about his eye-patch. Instead, he just changes the topic, not put off in the slightest.
"Hey, are you doing anything right now? I could show you around town if you want!" Kel offers cheerfully, putting his hands in his pockets. "There's not much to do around here, but there's still some cool places to go to."
Sunny looks at him flatly, making his disinterest known. He knows he made the wrong move though when Kel's smile dims and his expression falls slightly.
He frowns, feeling a faint flicker of remorse. He can be cold sometimes, but he's not an asshole, and he doesn't like being rude to people who haven't done anything but be nice to him.
"Sorry," He apologizes sincerely, embarrassed. He brushes a hand through his hair awkwardly and tries to salvage the conversation. "I didn't mean to sound so dismissive, I'm just...tired...I guess."
Kel's smile softens and he nods his head understandingly. "No, yeah, I totally get it. Moving from the city to a small town like this must be so boring, too. I know I'd hate it, and I live here!"
Sunny's lips quirk upwards at that, forming a ghost of a smile. As annoying as it is, Kel's boisterous, carefree attitude makes him feel better. He doesn't know why, but the other boy is almost like a ray of sunshine, able to cheer someone up without any effort at all.
"You can still show me around though," Sunny agrees belatedly. The words make Kel grin and pull him forward, eagerly guiding him down the street.
Sunny immediately shrugs him off, but he keeps his expression light and amused as he follows after him at his own pace, letting him know that he's not upset over it.
It turns out that the town is just as small as Sunny anticipated because it doesn't take long at all for Kel to show him around, and before long they're at the residential pizza place, which he's already forgotten the name of.
Kel babbles endlessly all the while, telling him everything there is to know about the place, seemingly able to carry the whole conversation by himself. Sunny just hums every now and then, content to remain quiet and let the other talk. Kel doesn't appear to mind his silence, which is good because Sunny has never been a talkative person, and he isn't about to start now.
"Oh, Sunny, I just remembered. Are you going to school around here?" Kel asks in between mouthfuls, looking at him curiously.
Sunny nods. As much as he doesn't want to attend school here, he'll have to, and he's been dreading it ever since he realized they were moving.
Kel's expression brightens at that, but thankfully he swallows before talking again. "That's awesome, dude! I'll show you around school tomorrow, and who knows, maybe we'll even have some classes together."
Sunny makes a noise of aknowledgment, appreciating the gesture. It'd be nice to have someone he knows there, especially considering how introverted he is. He has no plans to make friends anytime soon, but if Kel wants to stick by him, then he isn't going to tell him no.
"Cool, I'll come get you in the morning. It's a short walk so we don't need to take the bus."
Sunny nods for a second time and waits for Kel to finish so they can head home. He was already drained from the drive, but now he's thoroughly exhausted and eager to go back to bed.
When they reach their houses, Kel bids him goodbye with a small wave, and heads inside. Sunny enters his own home and locks the door behind him.
His mother is home by now, of course, and smiles when she sees him.
"Ah, I was wondering where you were!" She muses, going over to ruffle his hair. "I saw you walking home with our new neighbor. He seems like a sweet boy, doesn't he? Maybe you two will be friends, it'd be nice if you got out of the house more, dear."
Sunny shrugs. He's neutral about the other boy so far, and only time will tell if that friendship develops or not. He's never been the type of person to warm up to others quickly, and sometimes people are better left as acquaintances anyway.
Surprisingly, Kel stays true to his word about walking him to school, because when it's time to leave the house the taller boy is already waiting for him outside.
Unfortunately though, neither of them share any classes, so when the bell rings, they part ways, heading off in the opposite direction.
Sunny walks through the hallways mechanically, lost in a daydream. He tends to drift off when he's bored, mind wandering elsewhere, so he's not paying attention to the people shuffling in front of him, which almost makes him stumble into someone.
He looks up reflexively, snapping out of his thoughts with a surprised jolt.
"I-I'm sorry, p-please excuse me," The person he just bumped into stutters, clumsily readjusting the books in his arms before scurrying away hurriedly.
The stranger leaves before he can respond, and Sunny watches in stunned silence as he does so, briefly catching a glimpse of bright blue eyes and honeyed blonde hair before the stranger disappears entirely, like he was never even there to begin with.
Sunny stands there motionlessly for a second, trying to process what just happened. However, he must of stood there for a moment too long because the late bell rings a minute later, signaling the beginning of class.
It's only his first day and he's already late to first period. Fuck.
He makes his way to class, even more miserable now that he's late, and ignores the heavy pounding of his heart. If he focuses long enough, he can just barely make out the faintest scent of flowers in the air, something soft and sweet.
He dismisses the thought. It must just be his imagination.
When Sunny reaches his designated homeroom, he lets his face fall flat, walking in silently. He keeps his posture nonchalant, which comes easily to him, and lets the teacher introduce him to the class. He offers his own introduction in turn, as is expected, and heads to his seat afterward with no small amount of relief.
Thankfully, no one pays him much attention, although he does get some interested and curious glances from a few of his classmates, likely wondering why he wears an eye-patch over his right eye.
Sunny ignores the stares, used to them by now, and sits down. He retrieves everything he needs and arranges it all on his desk, prepared to follow the lesson.
It's in that moment that his eyes land on someone familiar, and his breath catches in his throat instantly, heart beginning to beat faster.
It's the boy from earlier.
Even though his body is turned towards the teacher, Sunny can still make out a few of the mysterious stranger's features. He's small, small and thin, with a delicate frame and soft, peach-colored skin. His golden, fluffy blond hair shields his face from view, but Sunny knows it's pretty. It has to be, every other part of him is beautiful, after all.
Suddenly, he can't wait for class to end.
He wants to look at the other boy's face, admire the sight of him, and maybe ask for his name in the process. Sunny never initiates conversations, but he thinks he would if it meant he could listen to the smaller boy's undoubtedly lovely voice.
He even has a tiny little flower clip in his hair. Pink, too. How cute.
Sunny makes sure his expression is carefully blank before he shifts in his seat to face the person next to him.
"Who's that?" He asks casually, keeping his tone purposefully neutral. "The boy with the flower in his hair."
His classmate turns to him with a look of amusement. "The neighborhood whore?" He laughs, lips quirking up at the edges.
Sunny stays quiet, gazing at him coolly with an air of feigned disinterest. He doesn't want to make it look like the answer matters to him, but the derogatory term makes his interest pique violently.
His classmate looks thoughtful for a moment but then shrugs. "Who knows? He never talks to anyone or says anything, he's a freak like that. I'd avoid interacting with him if I were you, unless you're into that kind of thing, then go right ahead. He won't say no."
Sunny suppresses the slight wave of anger he feels at that, frowning imperceptibly as he turns back around in his chair, wondering why he even cares in the first place. The boy with the flower in his hair might be cute, but he's just another stranger to him, a random face he'll forget about eventually.
Nevertheless, Sunny finds his thoughts drawn back to him against his will, unable to stop the flare of curiosity from lingering in his mind. He doesn't know where the cruel nickname came from, or if it's even accurate, all he knows is that he's suddenly overwhelmingly intrigued by the pretty boy with stars in his eyes.
For better or worse, some of those questions get answered a few weeks later.
As the days pass by, Sunny becomes familiar with the gossip that pervades the halls, the hushed, secretive whispers, and the obnoxious, overly obvious giggling and shushing. It's all meaningless to him, until one day he overhears something that captures his attention immediately.
There's a rumor going around school. About a boy who gets on his knees for anyone who asks, who never says no, but always cries afterwards. About a boy who's completely worthless aside from the pleasure that he can provide others.
And Sunny?
Well, Sunny just wants to find out if the rumors are true.