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Spare time was something of a distant dream for Wilt. No second was left free, and his hand was never unoccupied. Usually, it was never an issue, while he never got anything of material value for his laborious chores, he was rewarded with a smile, which meant more to him than any amount of cash. Unfortunately, his reputation for being excessively selfless cost him his time watching the basketball match on television, and as a die-hard fan of basketball, Wilt was obviously crushed by this; His inability to say no is what made him lose his own leisurely joy.
A few minutes after he brought the perpetually commanding Bloo the bowl of chips he so longed for, he was quick to hurry out of the living room. At face value, it would be impossible to tell him apart from his ordinary self, a toothy smile - though a little less wide - was plastered across his face, and his long strides were full of life. Strolling through the corridors, greeting each face whether he recognized them or not, it was so hard to read his true feelings. But, fortunately for the self-negligent Wilt, his beloved friend knew him inside and out.
------
Your heart fluttered as you skipped through the halls, mind fixated on one thing and one thing only. Basketball! You wouldn't perceive yourself as someone who heavily involved themselves in sports, it was never exactly your forte, but every time basketball came on television, it was as if a sudden impulse forced you to drop what you were doing to immediately glue your eyes onto the screen. If it weren't for Wilt, and his evident coaxing trying to get you into basketball, you wouldn't have watched the entire basketball match that came on this afternoon! You were right in the middle of folding some laundry in the living area, the TV's idle buzz serving as good background noise while you slowly gathered fresh garments into neat piles, until suddenly, the obnoxious, but recognizable voice of a reporter cried out the words 'Basketball!', and you were empty-handed in the blink of an eye.
You had watched the entire thing, start to finish, and of course - no doubt, Wilt had done the same, you could practically see him in your minds eye making the journey to come meet with you, to discuss who won. who lost, and your opinions on the overall match. Someone like Wilt, who was known for being an expert at all things basketball, would definitely have a few remarks on this thrilling game. You were so engrossed inside your brain that you failed to see the incoming Wilt, only when you bumped into a pair of lanky legs did you acknowledge him at all.
"Wilt!" You gasped out, you were so breathless it was ridiculous. "I was looking for you, you saw the game, didn't you?"
Wilt looked a little agitated, his smile faltering slightly, he stayed silent for a couple of moments before averting his gaze from you. "Yeah, about that..." He began, his posture slightly hunched. You knew before he could finish his sentence that he did not see the game, but you also knew that that wasn't by choice either.
You paused to frown, shaking your head in pity and also disappointment. You knew you should've expected this if you weren't there to say 'no' for him, or at least compel him to do it himself, but knowing he wouldn't even say no even when faced with missing his favorite sports match felt greatly worrying to you, what other things did he do for people that came at the expense of his own unhappiness?
"Wilt, you can't do this anymore." I held a steady gaze on his one eye as I spoke, hoping it would show my seriousness. "You haven't had a single day where you just relax in what, years?!"
He seemed guilty of that, the expression he wore looked like one of a scolded child. "But, people need me."
His attempt at justifying his self-negligence only made you feel sorry for this poor imaginary friend. You'd been at the Foster's Home for a while, around 2 years or so; You had to admit, after a while you stopped telling yourself it was just you and your reluctance for living in a new household that made you shy away from the idea of being adopted, but the fact that being adopted meant losing your friendship with Wilt. From the day you arrived he was quick to wait at your hand and foot, maybe a bit more so to you than anyone else, as you were new and all. That first impression is what made you think so warmly of him, but also what made you realize he was considerably more vulnerable than the others.
You were still right about that all this time later, and you had reached your limit of seeing your friend used by everyone else without second thought.
"Wilt, tomorrow, you're gonna spend the entire day with me." That was a pretty bold request, only a second after you said that did you realize. You blushed a little, hesitant to continue eye contact with the now-startled Wilt.
"Oh..? That sounds like fun... but why?" His tone sounded off, which embarrassed you even more, causing you to hunch your shoulders, as if trying to bury yourself away.
"Look, you'll see why tomorrow." You blurted out, quick to end this conversation. I made my finalization of the date when I turned quickly on my heel and scooted off, leaving him no room to ponder my request,
You hoped tomorrow you could show Wilt just how much he missed out on everyday.
------
It was a new day, and you were slow to arise from your bed. Yawning, you stretched your arms, then legs, and tilted your head back onto the headboard of the bed. You had some stuff planned for today, you had formulated a few ideas on what to do last night, only a couple of hours before bed, and you were pretty pleased with your ideas. Your shared bedroom was directly besides Wilt, to your left, so once you heard the sound of heavy footsteps and the door creaking open, would you know he's up.
He was always the first up out of the 3 other imaginary friends he shared a room with, which you couldn't help but find endearing, it was 5:40 AM too, meaning he'd probably be awake sooner or later.
As you stirred in the comfort of your bed, you let your mind wander, mostly on things related to Wilt. He was unbelievably kind, so selfless it was unreal, you'd never seen someone so willing to help before, it was like a breath of fresh air with all of the clashing personalities in the Foster Home. When thinking about him, you couldn't help but feel your face burn up a little, and your heartbeat grow faster. It had been like this for a year by now. You'd been denying liking him in 'that way' for what felt like forever, it always felt like nothing would come of revealing your feelings to him. But maybe it was time, and hopefully he felt the same way.
Just then, you heard footsteps, footsteps followed by the recognizable sound of what you'd describe as 'shoes squeaking on a basketball court's floor'. Your heart shot out of your chest as you already figured out who it was, Wilt was awake! You nearly stumbled over your own feet trying to hop out of bed; cautious as to not wake the imaginary friends you shared a room with, you tip-toed out of the room with haste, it was fortunate you didn't need to change, you wore the same outfit everyday.
You felt amused when you realized you were spot on with your guess, nobody ever gets up this early aside from do-gooder Wilt. It wasn't a shock to see him so groggy, his eyes lidded and his body limp and lifeless, it was almost sweet to see.
"Good morning, Wilt." You greeted, giving him a small smile as your hands fidgeted. He seemed startled to hear such a chirpy voice from beside him, but he quickly adjusted his posture with a bright smile.
"Good morning to you too!" The smile he held was so wide it was hard to believe he only woke up a moment ago. You returned a slightly wider smile as you stared up at his one eye.
"I assume you're going to do stuff around the house before everyone else wakes up, huh?" You began, eyes fixed on his own, You knew you'd hit the nail on the head with this line, but this was mostly because you had awoken quite a few times to the sound of shoes scuffing against the ground, and Wilt's hurried breath as you assumed he was jogging up and down the halls. Quite a few times you'd gone to check what he was doing; mostly it was ordinary cleaning, things he'd overheard were growing dusty the day before, or dishes that needed to be washed. You always longed to go assist him on these tasks, but by the time you gathered enough courage to offer, he was into the next room cleaning another shelf or floor.
Today, you had beat him to it.
"How'd you know?" He laughed, a quick flash of satisfaction spreading over his face. It must've felt good someone noticing your good deeds.
"Oh, I hear you in the mornings most days." You admit with the same friendly smile. "This time, let me help, okay?" You would've preferred to offer to do all the chores, but you knew that he'd quickly refuse and urge you to go to bed, so you wanted to start off slow.
"Oh no no no, you don't have to at all!" He started, waving his hand in objection. You anticipated this outcome, and knew how you'd handle it.
"I want to! I feel like you're always busy doing something, so I want to spend some time with you alone." You hoped your offer seemed innocent enough, aside from the accidental devious tone to the last part of your sentence.
A barely noticeable change in red flushed over what you'd assume were his cheeks, if you didn't know any better, you'd say he looks the same, but you could recognize the slightly altered tint on his face.
"Really now?" He chuckled, his smile becoming more of a sheepish grin. "I suppose that would be nice."
Relief washed over you as he beckoned you to walk besides him, everything was going smoothly! You gave yourself a gleeful smile as you took your spot besides Wilt. Surprisingly, only now did you realise just how tall Wilt was, each long stride of his was equal to about 5 of your steps, and you really had to crane your neck to even catch a glimpse of his head. Despite this, he was still just as cute to you.
------
You couldn't say it was the most exciting few hours. It was idle work which required a lot of exertion, plus you were very haphazard and struggled to keep up with Wilt's pace. If it weren't for Wilt's soothing voice and gentle conversation you were sure you wouldn't have been able to continue with the other planned activities. Wilt was always good at talking - even though you were lolling around laundry rooms and drying silverware, he managed to hold a rather engaging conversation. Most of it was exchanging things about yourselves, and then going off from there, branching onto different topics you both enjoyed. It did make the work far easier, and the 2 hours seemed to fly by. You were so lost in conversation with Wilt you nearly forgot about breakfast!
You made sure to sit besides Wilt during breakfast too, or close if nothing else. He usually sat in the middle of Eduardo and Coco, and you weren't about to persuade them to move, you were more than happy listening to them talk while also chiming in every now and then. Wilt made great effort not to forget about you either, unless it was your firm gaze on him which reminded him of your presence. Either way, he was more than happy encouraging you to add your own opinion to their conversations, and to be honest, it felt good.
Breakfast went by without any issues, aside from the few times Wilt got up to grab someone something, or to pour refills on drinks. Watching him do that only made you nervous, biting your lip as you gawked at the poor Imaginary-friend pacing back and forth. Was your plan already failing so early in the morning? You realized you had been holding your breath for the majority of breakfast, letting out a large sigh when dismissed from the table.
It was time for the next activity! As soon as Wilt got to his feet, you scooted over closely to him, unable to control the beam spread across your face.
"Wanna play basketball, Wilt?" You blurted out, scuffing your heel against the ground as you awaited an answer. You examined his face closely, he seemed almost shocked by the request, but that quickly dissolved into a wide smile.
"Are you sure? You don't often play basketball..."
You scoffed while simultaneously shrugging. "Maybe now's my chance to start!"
He seemed pleased with that answer, his lanky red body visibly relaxing as he held out a large hand, welcoming you to walk with him to the basketball court outside. You were more than happy taking his hand in yours, though the size difference was evident to the both of you.
Once you made it out into the court, Wilt was quick to turn on his heel and grab a basketball, but you were quicker, and stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait! I'll grab it." You exhaled, running in the same direction Wilt had. You didn't hear a response from the imaginary friend, and it made you slightly anxious. Perhaps you were being a little bold...? Biting your lip, you hastily grabbed a ball and returned to Wilt, who seemed like a statue stuck to the ground. You flung the basketball at him, and that seemed to snap him out of his trance, as he caught it with little effort, bouncing it absentmindedly on the ground as a smile returned to his face.
"I'll go easy on you, 'kay?" He announced, juggling the ball from hand to hand almost thoughtlessly. You nodded bashfully, returning the smile and reaching your hands out for the ball.
You played for what seemed like forever. His enthusiasm was undying as well as his stamina, his long legs granting him an advantage against you on the court. You could certainly tell he was going easy on you, you could tell the exact moment he felt as if he were moving too fast, and the way he quickly paced himself to give you an opportunity to catch up. Despite the way he accommodated to your speed, you lacked the skill to play efficiently. Even though you constantly fumbled, his everlasting patience never seemed to falter, it almost seemed like his smile grew a little wider when the ball slipped from your hands or it bounced wildly out of the court. Each time you seemed worn out, he'd quickly drop to his knees and ask if you were okay, to which you'd insist you were when he grew a little persistent with asking.
He took some time to teach you techniques too, pausing mid game to guide you through the best moves to perform when faced with a certain obstacle. Some times when he'd instruct you, he'd gently hold your hands to reposition them correctly, or to move them in a certain way, you couldn't deny the blush that painted your cheeks when he held your hands a little too much. The excessive blushing even led him to ask if you were well, which made it worse.
But deep down, you hoped, very very dearly, that he was enjoying this as much as you were. A few times this morning, you'd began to doubt your intentions with this entire 'relaxing-day-for-Wilt' thing, and questioned if it was truly for Wilt, or just to fill your selfish desire of spending your belated alone time together with him. The more you spiraled down this rabbit-hole, the more nervous you grew, your palms sweat and your face burnt up. Was this all a subconscious ploy to have Wilt all to yourself? Were you taking him away from important duties just so you could be with him?
Fortunately, when you found yourself deep in these worries, it was almost like he knew exactly how to drag you out, without even knowing you were stuck at all. He'd suddenly talk about how lucky he felt spending time with someone as kind as you, and how perfect this day seemed. It made you feel all better again.
By the end of your basketball session, dusk was creeping over the sky above and the clouds parted to reveal the sun sinking in the sky, casting a beautiful radiant orange and red sunset. It painted the floors in a golden light, gracing the backyard with a wonderful serenity. Both you and Wilt had taken a seat by a bench that overlooked the court, sitting in a comfortable silence as you looked aimlessly ahead.
"I have one last thing I'd like to do with you, Wilt." You muttered, almost reluctant to break the tranquil quiet.
"Really?" He replied, his tone echoing yours.
"Mhm, let's go to the TV room for it."
---
You and Wilt were plunked comfortably in the couch ahead of the TV, the remote control in your hand. You were most excited to show him this, though to anybody else it seemed like the most uneventful activity of the day. Flicking through the different TV channels and settings, you managed to find exactly what you needed.
"I know you were very disappointed about missing the game..." You began, making a great deal to make eye contact with Wilt as you spoke.
He looked clueless.
"and I know you still really wanna see it..."
Not even a flicker of realization flashed across his face.
"Lucky for you, Wilt. I record shows when I want to rewatch them."
With that, you glanced back at the television screen and with a single button, brought the game on TV. The one he missed. He was sat still for a moment, a faraway look on his face as he stared ahead at the screen, he stayed this way until he heard the word 'basketball' on the screen; coincidentally, it was the exact same part you heard.
"No way... you can't be serious?!" He exclaimed, his face matching the joy in his words as he turned excitedly to you.
"It's not as good as watching it live, but it's enough, isn't it?"
"Oh man..." Suddenly, you were scooped into his arms, so effortlessly you could've been mistaken for a plush toy. He gently cradled you as he embraced you, muttering near silent 'thank-yous' and apologies for putting you to such trouble. You felt your entire body burn with not only embarrassment, but endearment. A fond love for the imaginary friend that held you to his chest in gratitude. He kept you tight against his chest for ages, almost to the point you doubt you'd breathe comfortably again, but he pulled back eventually with a sheepish smile on his face. Your whole face was flushed red, but you didn't do much to hide it as you studied Wilt's face. He was so overjoyed he looked as though he may cry, and it was apparent he was holding back another big hug.
"You really did a lot for me today, huh?" He spoke in a way as if he was undeserving of your kindness, which made your heart ache with pity. "Helping me with chores, playing basketball with me, It also feels as if I haven't been... as busy with other people."
"Well, that was the plan." You admit with a small smile. He returned it, but just as wide.
"I know."
"You knew?"
"Well, ever since you helped me this morning, I knew. Nobody ever helps me out like that."
You stayed silent for a moment, dumbfounded. You couldn't believe he knew this entire time! You were almost afraid to continue eye contact, giving him a fleeting glance before fully locking eyes with him. Your heart was burning with a certain kind of want for him, something you'd felt for most of the time you'd hung around him today. You shuffled uncomfortably, averting your gaze as you repetitively clenched and unclenched your hands. He could sense something was up, but he did the right thing of keeping silent. It was the perfect chance, alone in the TV room, the only light being the paused basketball match on the television.
"Wilt?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something?"
He nodded, and you faced your head to the side.
"It's just, for a while now I've really, really, really liked you. Not in a friends way, but more in a crush way."
He didn't say anything, but listened patiently.
"I've had a crush on you for a long time. I always thought you were really nice and sweet; very cool, too. I haven't ever seen someone play basketball as well as you, not even the people on TV."
The more you admit, the more flustered you became, but also the less he reacted to your confession.
"I wanted to spend time with you today not just for me, but because I wanted you to relax." You fiddled with your hands before inhaling. You held the breath then exhaled. "I love you so much, Wilt, I care so much for you and... I really... really want to be your girlfriend, if that's okay with you."
After a couple moments of hesitation, you decided to peek at his expression. You were glad you did, because you'd never seen his face so full of love and affection.
"Of course it's okay with me."
You were about to react, you weren't sure with what, but you were dragged out of your thoughts when he picked you up and placed you on his lap. You didn't even need to communicate what you wanted, as you both knew what you wanted. Stabilizing yourself on his shoulders and sitting on your knees, you craned your neck to kiss him directly on the lips. Almost like planned choreography, he dipped his head at exactly the same time, and you had your first kiss with your dearest friend, Wilt. It was everything you had ever wanted, it was warm and loving, it was everything to you. You held the kiss until your neck ached and you had to slump back down onto his lap, but you were pleased, and so was he. He used his mobile hand to gently lay your head against his chest, raising his knees upwards so he could envelop you in his body.
He softly rubbed your back as you sighed contentedly against the imaginary friends chest, it all felt so surreal.
"I've liked you for a while too, but I didn't have the heart to say anything." He confessed with a slight chuckle. You giggled too, knowing you were stuck in the exact same situation.
"You were always helping me say 'no' when I couldn't, or doing the chores for me."
"You really didn't know how much it all meant to me."
He rocked you back and forth, his fingers caressing your upper back as your eyes lidded.
"I can't believe I didn't confess sooner." You scolded yourself aloud, but you only earned a soft laugh and quick protests.
"I should've confessed sooner."
Truth is, it didn't matter now. You were still in his arms right after kissing him, and he was rubbing your back while admitting his love for you. It didn't matter if this had come earlier or later, you would've still ended up this way.
"Want to watch the match together now?"
"Of course."