CHAPTER 7/ TUESDAY PART 3: YOU’RE AN EVERYTHING BAGEL AND I’M JUST A NOTHINGBURGER
Pairing: M/M
Content Rating: Explicit (18+)
Content Warning: (Tags)
Work: In Progress
Sunny hasn’t been doing so well in art school. He’s been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
Once in his room, Kel clutched his hair in frustration as he sank to the floor, his head buzzing with a flurry of emotions. He started taking deep breaths, doing the same breathing exercises that his parents had taught him to do when he was overstimulated as a kid.
Eventually, he was able to calm down, both physically and mentally. Leaning against the door, Kel stared up at his ceiling, watching the ceiling fan spin its blades as he gathered his thoughts.
This was supposed to go away two years ago.
That’s why I went through with it.
To make the pain stop.
Because I knew we would never be together.
But all it did was make me want to be with him even more.
So much so that I can’t hide it anymore.
After that night, I didn’t think that anything would change, but it did.
I tried to convince myself that things don’t have to change so that I wouldn't have to worry about ruining our friendship.
But I need to start being honest with myself.
Things can’t go back to the way they used to be because…
I don’t want them to.
Maybe that makes me selfish…
But I have to—I need to tell him how I feel.
…
…..
……..
But how the fuck am I going to do that?
In an instant, a light bulb went off in his head. Kel grabbed his phone from his locked and dialled up Hero’s phone number. If there was anyone who could give him some great advice right now, it was him. The phone buzzed twice before Hero answered the call.
“Hi, Kel!” his older brother answers, the usual warmth in his tone present. “I was hoping that you’d call me one of these days. It’s always nice to hear from you.”
Kel felt a tinge of guilt at that. It rang true that he hadn’t talked to his brother all that much ever since he moved out. Hero had called him a couple of times in the past, but Kel had never made the effort to contact him back, too busy with the hustle and bustle of life. He made a mental note to call him more often from now on.
“Hey, uh, t—there’s uh—I need your advice on something,” Kel stammers, suddenly feeling a little lightheaded.
Hero sounded concerned. “What is it?”
He takes a deep breath before spluttering out, “O—Okay, let’s say hypothetically, you um, were thinking of asking someone out—and it’s someone that you’ve known for years—like since you were little—and you don’t know how they feel about you but you kinda—sorta—think that they might like you back—how would you go on about it? Asking for a friend.”
It took a moment for Kel’s nearly incoherent babbling to settle in.
Then, much to his surprise, Hero starts to chuckle on the other end of the line. “Kel, if you want to say that you want some advice on how to ask Sunny out you can just say so.”
Kel gasps, his mouth agape. “H—How did you know that I was talking about him?”
“When do you ever not talk about Sunny these days? I’d be more surprised if you weren’t talking about him,” he teases, making Kel blush. “And you’re not exactly subtle when it comes to how much you like him either. I’ve had a hunch about it for years.”
“H—Hey, I’m plenty subtle!”
“You're far from it. If there was a book about what the opposite of being subtle looks like, it would have a picture of you next to it,” Hero teases.
Kel felt hot with embarrassment as he asked, “What gave it away?”
“There’s a lot of things that gave it away, but the most obvious one is that you two would sneak out together.”
Kel’s eyes were as wide as an owl’s. “Y—You knew about that!?”
“Mhm. Mari and I even followed you guys once. It was her idea.”
“W—What!? Why!?”
“Wouldn’t you be dying to know where I was going if I sneaked out in the middle of the night?”
“…Fair,” he mumbles after a stretch of silence. “What did you guys see…?”
“Well, we first saw you two sneaking off to Othermart. It took awhile, but eventually you guys came out with a whole bunch of things. Orange Joe cans, Hero sandwiches and bags of chips. You were carrying most of it because Sunny was already carrying the blue and white tablecloth we use for our picnics and a box with some rice balls inside. Mari saw him making them in the afternoon and asked him who they were for. He said that it was for his classmates but she didn’t really buy it. She actually called me that day saying that she thought it was related to him sneaking out at night. When I told her that you were sneaking out too she put two and two together, so that’s why she suggested the stakeout in the first place.”
“Nosy…” Kel comments, muttering.
If Hero heard that comment, (which he probably did), then he ignored it. “But at that point, we had no idea what you guys were up to, especially when you two headed to our old hangout spot. Mari was actually pretty worried about it because of the time Sunny almost drowned, and we even considered intervening—but imagine our surprise when Sunny laid out the tablecloth on our usual spot on the side of the lake for you to put all of your food supplies on top of it.
That’s when it finally clicked—you two were having a secret picnic together. Kinda like a date,” he recounts, adding that last part teasingly.
“…” Kel doesn’t respond to his brother’s teasing, but becoming one with the ground was very tempting at the moment.
It’s not like we could have picnics all the time. It took me weeks to save up enough money to buy all of the food that we needed. Luckily, Sunny chipped in often so we could have them more frequently.
Getting a kick at making his normally chatty brother silent, Hero went on, “Then, when you guys were done eating, you went back to Sunny's house and climbed into our old treehouse. We could hear you two talking a bit before it went completely silent. When the coast was clear we climbed up the ladder and saw the sweetest thing: you two cuddled up together in a pillow fort; asleep in each other’s arms. After that, we ended the stakeout there, but on some days, I heard you coming back to our room in the morning.”
Kel remembers those days as if it was yesterday, snuggled up in best friend’s arms. Being a night owl, Sunny would stay up playing on his DS above Kel’s head, or sometimes Kel’s would play with hair. Kel on the other hand had an arm draped around his waist to pull him closer, laying his head against his chest and listening to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat as his worries melted away. Sometimes Kel would even vent to him and tell him what was on his mind. Sunny always listened to him without any judgement.
They started sneaking out of the house to meet up at the treehouse when they were just eight years old. It was the only place where they could cuddle without facing any potential scrutiny since they had once been caught cuddling in a pillow fort in Kel’s room while they were having a sleepover. It’s safe to say that it was one of the harshest scoldings that Kel had ever received from his parents.
But he couldn’t help it, he loved being held by Sunny, his best friend, the person he trusted with all of his heart. In the treehouse, Kel could be cuddled any way that he wanted to be since Sunny never objected to any of his requests. They would sleep next to each other, facing each other or even on top of each other. Kel was always the one being held. Though, Kel couldn’t really sleep on top of him anymore because he was too big, (or more so afraid of crushing Sunny with his weight ) which did bum him out a bit.
Huh. I guess we never grew out of that.
His older brother’s voice brought him back to reality. “Just be thankful that I was there to bail you out when our parents wanted to go into our room without you there. Same thing goes for Sunny with Mari.”
Kel’s jaw dropped. “HUH!?”
“How’d you think that you and Sunny never got caught? It wasn’t because you guys were being sneaky, that's for sure.”
“Wait a sec—If you knew that we were sneaking out, why didn’t you ever bring it up?”
“Even if I did tell you that you weren’t supposed to be sneaking out, would that really stop you?” he says knowingly.
Kel huffs. “Still, you could’ve told mom and dad.”
“If they knew what you were doing, especially since Sunny was involved, they would've sent you to boarding school,” Hero says in a much more serious tone.
Kel shrugs. “I would rather go to boarding school than get kicked out of the house.”
“I still can’t believe that they did that!” Hero exclaims, his anger palpable. “I never knew that they could be so heartless.”
“That’s just the way the cookie crumbles,” is all that Kel says before changing the subject. Just talking about it brought back some terrible memories. “Anyway, could you help me out with… y’know… asking out Sunny?”
“Of course! I’d be happy to give you some advice on how to ask out Sunny,” Hero says, now sounding much more cheerful. “I was actually wondering when you were going to tell him how you feel. He really makes you happy, doesn’t he?”
“W—well… yeah…” Kel admits bashfully trying but failing to suppress the soft smile that grew on his face.
I think that using any words to describe how he makes me feel would be a disservice.
I remember back in primary school, I didn’t have any friends. I always ate alone and played games by myself during recess.
I guess it’s because I was born… different.
And when you’re different, people never let you forget it.
That goes for being different in a ‘good way’ too.
When I was put on the basketball team in high school, suddenly everyone wanted to be friends with ‘the retard.’
But, Sunny isn’t like that.
Some people only like Kel the athlete.
Some people only like Kel the idiot.
Some people only like Kel the goofball.
But, Sunny likes… me.
All of me.
The good and the bad.
With all of his heart.
And I do too.
I love him just the way he is.
And that includes Omori.
We’re all different in our own ways…
But, I don’t feel so different around him.
I wonder if he feels the same way…?
Who am I kidding? Of course he doesn’t.
How could he ever like a defect like me?
Kel suddenly jolted out from his thoughts when heard the faint sound of footsteps.
Had Sunny come to see him?
But as Kel listened, the sound of footsteps grew fainter and fainter until he couldn’t hear them anymore, making his heart sink.
Get a grip. Of course he doesn’t want to see you.
“Kel? You okay?”
“Yeah…” Kel reassures before continuing hesitantly. “Hey, do you… do you think that Sunny feels the same way?”
“Who knows? The only way that you’ll ever find out is if you ask him yourself, which you definitely should.
If you love someone, then… you should tell them before it’s too late. The last thing I would want is for you to never get that chance,” he whispers a little mournfully, and Kel isn’t sure whether his brother’s words are directed towards him or not.
A sudden wave of protectiveness surges through him, wanting to ease Hero’s grief like had tried nearly a decade before. However, Kel stopped himself, knowing that he had never been the best at comforting people. Even though Hero was much better now, grief still flowed through his body, flooding his heart once and awhile. Hero had described it to him once by saying that it was like a wave: on some days it was high, and on some days it was low. And he could never tell what kind of tide he was riding until the day was over.
I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I ever lost Sunny. I mean, I know that I'd have to move on eventually, but… I don’t think that grief ever ends. That just means that I have to enjoy the days we have left together.
But, no matter how many days we do get together….
I don’t think they’ll ever be enough.
“So, when are you planning to ask him out?” Hero prompts.
“Before the end of spring break.”
“Where are you going to do it?”
Kel shrugs, but then remembers that Hero can’t see him. “I dunno.”
“Okay… what are you going to say to him?”
“Whatever feels right in my heart.”
“Kel… when exactly did you commit to asking him out?”
“About one minute ago,” Kel confesses, making Hero sigh.
“No wonder you called me! You don’t even have a plan for crying out loud!”
“Hey, I do have a plan! It’s just not a good one!” Kel argues. “That’s why I called you.”
“Well, before you start asking yourself how you’re going to ask him out, you need to figure out where you’re going to do it first. I’ll help you with the where part and leave the how part up to you. Finding the right place really isn’t all that complicated. All you need to do is pick a place that has sentimental value.”
“I got it! Hobbeez!”
“A place that’s private.”
“Hobbeez when it’s closed…?”
“Don’t commit a crime, Kel.”
“Our old hangout spot?”
“I’m pretty sure that doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Sunny’s old treehouse?”
“No. No crimes.”
Kel groans, dejected. “I’m stumped! Maybe—maybe we should just forget—“
“Hey, chin up, Kel. Don’t get cold feet,” Hero says encouragingly, which makes Kel perk up a bit. “What about the place where you guys met each other? We weren’t at our house when Sunny and Mari first moved in, so that could be a good option.”
Kel frowns thoughtfully. “I think you’re onto something. Let’s see… We first met when… Sunny was trying to run away. I found him on a bench in the middle of the forest.”
Hero lets out a small gasp. “You mean the love bench?”
“The love bench…?” Kel echoes, puzzled.
You can read the rest of chapter 7 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
CHAPTER 6/TUESDAY PART 2: WAKEY WAKEY, EGGS AND BAKEY
Pairing: M/M
Content Rating: Explicit (18+)
Content Warning: (Tags)
Work: In Progress
Sunny hasn’t been doing so well in art school. He’s been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him…
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
If I lost you, I’d lose a piece of me too.
Those were the words Kel heard from Sunny just as he was about to fall asleep. It caused warmth to pour in his heart like tea into a cup. Nonetheless, he ignored the feeling and managed to drift off to sleep eventually, figuring that he would just forget about it in the morning. However, the wet dream that followed that night had made it difficult, even though he was used to those dreams by now. He had been having wet dreams about his best friend for a while now, but it was happening more frequently lately, and he knew why.
Quite a while ago, Kel had done something that he had not been proud of afterwards. Now, these dreams plagued him almost every night, serving as a reminder of his sin.
When the morning rolled around, he got up early, unable to sleep after the dream he had. Mostly because of a certain… problem that he quickly took care of in the bathroom. Then, as he was brainstorming about what to cook for breakfast, he thought about the favour that he had entrusted Sunny with last night. Normally he’d never tell him something like that out of the blue. Whether it was because he was too tired or was caught in the heat of the moment, the fact remained that he had dumped his emotional baggage onto him.
So, he couldn’t help but think…
Had Sunny agreed to help him out of pity?
If that was the case, then he’d feel guilty for burdening him like this.
That’s when an idea struck him.
Maybe If I cook him something that he likes everyday, it’ll sweeten the deal. The last thing I want is for him to see this as a chore. And It’s the least I can do for him after he agreed to help me.
So that’s exactly what he did, opting for bacon and scrambled eggs. It did seem like a pretty basic choice, but Sunny liked simple things (which may or may not include Kel.) Though, while Kel was cracking the eggs he realized a little too late that there wouldn’t be enough portions for two people. On a whim, he decided to run all the way to Othermart while the eggs were still cooking (which wasn’t his proudest moment) because he had his heart set on surprising his friend with his favourite meal. Plus, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, running would make him forget about what happened last night and the dream that coincided with it.
But even as he came back with the eggs and finished making breakfast, he still found those things lingering in his mind. That’s often what happened when he tried not to think about Sunny, whether it was how he always seemed to know what to say whenever he was in a tough spot or how he’s just as much of a goofball as he is (in his own endearing way.) Every time he tried to throw away his feelings, they would just come right back to him like a boomerang.
Even though he often liked to faint innocence by merely saying that it was admiration, knew what this feeling was. Love. Kel’s love for him was like a flame, warming on the surface yet capable of igniting a blaze if not kept in check, while Sunny’s love towards him was more akin to a gentle breeze, familiar yet elusive compared to his own feelings.
Because of this he had tried to put his feelings behind, knowing that he would never have a chance with him. At least, he thought so until Sunny had uttered those words to him. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but was it normal for a friend to say that kind of thing to another friend? Maybe Sunny just meant it in a brotherly way.
Though, the way that Sunny had continued to caress Kel’s hand while he was “asleep” didn’t feel very brotherly at all.
It caught Kel by surprise. Sunny was never the physically affectionate type nor the romantic type. Actually, he couldn’t remember Sunny ever showing any interest in the girls in their classes or Aubrey (but who would like her?) though Kel’s memory was a little iffy when it came to childhood memories. Plus, Sunny hardly ever talked about his love life, always saying that it wasn’t his priority and that it would distract him from his studies. In all honesty, Kel didn't think that Sunny was interested in romance at all, but he was more than happy to be proven wrong.
Still, Kel didn’t know if Sunny was even into guys. He had always figured that he was straight, but then again, Sunny was a very private person. Despite being friends with him for years, he still felt like an enigma to him, which both pained him and fascinated him a bit. Besides, it’s not like he had ever outright said what his sexuality was before, so that was a gamble that he was willing to take.
Maybe I’m just being delusional, but a guy can dream, can’t he?
For a long time the older man had wanted to make a move on him, whether that be flirting or be a bit bolder with his touches, but he had always put it off. Now seemed to be his golden opportunity, and yet he was still hesitant to do it. Knowing the type of household Sunny was raised in, Kel wasn’t sure how the artist would feel about his advances.
As much as I want us to be closer…
If I pull him too close…
Then… he’ll pull away from me forever.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. Sitting on the couch, Kel turned his attention towards the door of the living room as it opened. His best friend stepped into the room, wearing his trademark clothes, and his black eyepatch on his right eye. He had a frown on his face, which didn’t go unnoticed.
Kel's eyes lit up at once. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? Didja sleep well?”
“I… guess so,” Sunny mutters somewhat awkwardly, closing the door behind him.
Noticing his tone, Kel frowns in response, but he decides not to question him about it. He knows how touchy Sunny can be, as if yesterday wasn’t already proof enough. But something definitely seemed to be troubling him. Kel always wanted to help him in whichever way he could, hating to see him suffer alone, but when it came to Sunny, that wasn’t his decision to make.
No matter how hard he tried to get close, Sunny always kept him at arms length.
“Well, hope you’re hungry, cause I made some good ol’ bacon and eggs just for you! And I made the eggs scrambled, just the way you like them! Consider it as a thanks from me to you,” he says, gesturing to the plates of food on the table he moved in front of the couch.
Oh—get this—I ran out of eggs while I was making them so I ran all the way to Orthermart to get some more. Not to brag but it only took me like—three minutes!” Kel adds, definitely not hoping to get a laugh out of him.
Instead he receives a sigh. “Don’t tell me that you left the stove on.”
“C’mon, you know me better than that! I obviously lowered the temperature first,” Kel said half jokingly, not wanting to admit that he had been forgetful again.
The last thing he wanted was for Sunny to see him as an idiot.
“How generous of you,” Sunny mutters distractedly as he takes his seat on the far left side of the couch, leaving a considerable gap between them.
Okay, so I guess that joke wasn’t a winner, but whatever’s on his mind is really getting to him. I mean, why is he sitting so far away from me?
“You want something from me, don’t you?” Sunny said suddenly, looking at him with a narrowed eye.
“Hey, I’d never ever do something like that!” Kel rebukes exaggeratingly, putting his hand over his heart for dramatic effect, even though he wanted Sunny to laugh earlier.
“Really? If I remember correctly, you made me go to Jolly Rodger’s Summer Camp because you said that you would only read your Cap’n Spaceboy comics there instead of lending them to me.”
“Nice try, but I technically didn’t force you to go with me, y’know. You just decided to tag along. And besides, look how it turned out? We had a great time! You’re gonna have to come up with something better than that, Cap’n,” Kel says playfully, sliding closer to him to boop his nose.
For a few seconds, Sunny froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
Then, he turned away, and Kel could’ve sworn that he was blushing. “I wouldn’t say a great time. The showers were broken and we had to bathe in a lake.”
“Shower schmower,” Kel then adds with a mischievous smile “Pirates wash up on shore anyway.”
A small chuckle manages to slip from Sunny’s lips, as if ambushed by a “Kel joke”, making his friend grin in response.
Sunny’s one and only weakness. PUNS!
“You’re not funny,” Sunny played it off cool, quickly regaining his composure.
I think you beg to differ, Cap’n.
“Besides, there was no other way to make you go. And I sure as heck didn’t want to go without you! Summer camp was only fun because—“ Kel quickly stopped himself, running his hand over the back of his neck. “A—Anyway, y’know, this isn’t how people usually respond to a great deed done like this.”
“You’re right, you didn’t run to Othermart while leaving the stove on and risking burning the entire house down in vain. What can I do to repay you for your negligence—I mean service, Kel?” It was hard to tell since his voice was monotonous, but Kel could hear the playful edge in his tone.
Looks like he’s humouring me, not that it bothers me or anything. I’m just glad that he’s in a better mood now. Something was really eating him up earlier.
But now that he’s feeling better, I think I’ll mess with him a bit~
You can read the rest of chapter 6 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Sunny hasn't been doing so well in art school. He's been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him...
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
After that, Omori quieted down. However, Sunny felt his presence slither back into the back of his mind. Now that he had broken his alter’s rule, the terms of their deal no longer applied. This meant that he would be free to interfere as much as he wanted, whether he liked it or not.
But Sunny wasn’t going to stop him this time around. He actually agreed with him, finding his words to be a reality check, no matter how hurtful they were. Besides, he knew that everything Omori did had his best interest in mind. Protecting him had always been Omori’s objective, and if this is what he had to do in order to fulfill that, then so be it.
Regardless, the dream still felt surreal as it lingered in his mind. He hadn’t had a lot of wet dreams in his lifetime, but none of them had ever involved another guy before, let alone one of his friends.
It must’ve not been half bad, judging by the fact that I fucking came.
But… he wasn’t gay, was he? He used to have a crush on Aubrey when they were kids. He was a straight man. Always has been, always will be. His parents made sure that he understood from a young age that being anything other than that was wrong and would tarnish the family name. For as long as he could remember, they had always been prideful about these kinds of things.
Time and time again, they would give him the cold shoulder whenever his grades weren’t up to par with their standards or whenever he wasn’t composed in public. It always stung whenever he would seek out their attention or try to hug them only for them to ignore him and push him away.
However, usually this type of behaviour would stop once he corrected himself. They always told him that they only wanted what was best for him and that emulating their own academic successes was what they considered to be the best way for him to live a prosperous life.
With that reasoning, it made sense why he couldn’t step out of line. He was confined to match them stride by stride.
Despite this, Sunny never spoke out against them, witnessing through his sister what would happen if he ever did. He remembered it like if it was yesterday. Mari was having a heated argument with their dad, regarding her feelings for Hero. Prior to the argument, Sunny had always assumed that his dad was aware of her feelings to a certain extent.
He vividly remembered each and every single threat his father had hurled at her. Ever since then, he’s never once tried to speak out against them. Even to this day.
After all, his mom was the only person he had left. He didn’t want to lose her too.
Even as he got up and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower, Sunny found himself adrift amidst a sea of thoughts. Once he arrived at the door, barely felt his hand touching the cold doorknob.
***
Sunny opened the door to the bedroom. It was dark outside. Owls were hooting and crickets were chirping. His parents had just gone out to get some groceries.
Mari was lying on her bed with the table lamp turned on next to her. She was reading one of the manga she had bought in Japan before they immigrated here, most likely one that had romance.
She had always been a big fan of the romance genre, which made sense given that she was a hopeless romantic. Romance was pretty much the only thing she read as far as Sunny knew. And he was well acquainted with most of her novels and manga.
But he had never seen her read that manga before.
You can read the rest of chapter 5 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
CHAPTER 4/WELCOME TO DREAMSCAPE: I’VE NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE UNTIL THE DAY THAT I MET YOU
Pairing: M/M
Content Rating: Explicit (18+)
Content Warning: (Tags)
Work: In Progress
Sunny hasn't been doing so well in art school. He's been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him...
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
Welcome to Dreamscape, Dreamer.
Dreamscape is the natural evolution of Headspace. In Dreamscape, there are no rules. No one tells you how to think or how to feel, what you can or can’t do, and decide what is right and what is wrong.
Kel was nothing but a blur in front of him. Everything was in grey, black and white. Sunny could feel the tiles of a wall pressing against his back, a strong grip on his hips, and some pressure on his crotch. He took the time to scan his surroundings, always being both eyes accessible whenever he dreamed.
They were in a bathroom, a club bathroom; brought to life by hazy, white neon lights. One of the linear fluorescent lamps above them lazily flickered on and off. The floors had chequered tiles and the walls had eyes drawn onto them.
As everything starts to becomes clearer, Sunny realizes that the blue in front of him wasn’t Kel from his dreamworld. He still had his clothes from the real world, the only difference being that he was black and white just like everything else. Did that mean..?
Sunny looked at his shirt. He wasn’t wearing a tank top. He was wearing his usual outfit, in black and white of course.
Okay, so he wasn’t in Omori’s dream…
Once the blurriness completely vanished, Sunny met Kel’s eyes, only to immediately be pinned underneath his gaze. He shivered as Kel’s eyes devoured every inch of his body, like if there was something worth salivating, worth feasting, and worth savouring.
Sunny unconsciously licked his lips, intoxicated by their close proximity. His eyes trailed down to Kel’s enticing lips.
Oh god…
What would kissing Kel feel like?
No—you shouldn’t entertain that idea, a vague, distant voice in the back of his mind argues.
Would his lips be soft..?
No—thinking like that is bad.
Would it feel good..?
No—stop it. What’s wrong with you?
Sunny’s head hung low, feeling hot with shame. He shouldn’t want to kiss him.
That—That would be—
Suddenly, Sunny feels fingers under his chin. His head is tilted up and he’s reacquainted with Kel’s gaze and smile, their faces inches away from each other.
“You don’t have to be shy, y'know,” he whispers, his soft brown eyes brimming with affection. Oh, how Sunny would do anything to live within the warmth of Kel’s gaze. “It’s just me.”
Sunny’s heart skips a beat.
Those were the same words that Kel had said when they first met.
The warmth that those words brought were able to quell the voice, yet shame still weighed down on his shoulders. He really shouldn’t indulge in his curiosity, but it was more powerful than him.
For as long as he could remember, Sunny ruled his emotions with an iron fist, never allowing them to step out of line. He had to remain stoic and composed at all times. It’s what was expected from him. How he was raised.
To act otherwise would be “putting a stain on the family name.” His father used to hit him over the head with it as a kid. Even as an adult, his father’s words still had a chokehold on him:
“Suzukis don’t raise their tone, Sunny.
Suzukis don’t goof around, Sunny.
Suzukis don’t cry, Sunny.
Suzukis don’t get scared, Sunny.
Don’t get dragged around by your emotions, Sunny.
Shut them down before they get to you.”
For his entire life…
That’s all Sunny’s been doing.
All he’s ever done.
Run away from his feelings.
But what he felt for Kel…
What he had been feeling for the last few months…
While too profound to be expressed…
Was too significant to be silenced.
Feeling a burst of courage from the confession, Sunny captured his lips, eyes fluttering shut. Kel groaned and tightened his grip on his hips before starting to grind against him. With a rush of adrenaline sweeping him off his feet, Sunny gasped at the contact, allowing Kel to slip his tongue inside. Sunny’s thoughts melted into each other as Kel started to suck on his tongue, causing sparks of bliss to ignite a fire in his body. He couldn't breathe as his heart beat wildly, enthralled by a passion that could not be tamed.
The world spun around him, slowly crumbling apart, Sunny’s hands frantically scrambled up to grip onto Kel’s broad shoulders to keep from slipping away with it, unable to tell up from down and left from right. He starts to rock his hips against Kel’s bulge, seeking to chase the elusive sensation that came roaring to life inside of him.
However, the haze lifts as Kel stops and pulls away. Sunny chooses to ignore the pathetic whine that leaves his throat.
His heart drops as Kel frowns. “You’re kinda stiff. And I’m not talking about your—”
“I get the idea!” Sunny huffs, hurt. Was the kiss bad? “Just tell me what I’m doing wrong. And don’t sugarcoat it.”
Kel lowered himself and started to nuzzle his neck. It wasn’t a flirtatious gesture; it was a soft, soothing, and loving gesture. It made Sunny’s heart melt. It’s only then that he realized that he was trembling.
“Relaax, Captain. I don’t bite. Unless you want me too,” Kel purrs, playfully nipping his neck before eagerly starting to grind against Sunny again, causing his breath to hitch.
Letting his words soothe him, Sunny eventually stopped trembling and mellowed out. Afterwards, Kel latched onto his neck and began to suck the tender flesh. Sunny threw his head back into the wall, letting out a long, loud moan, much to his embarrassment.
“Damn, you’re even louder than me,” Kel teases, chuckling.
“Please don’t point it out,” Sunny mumbles, understanding the irony.
“Why not? I’m into it!” Kel reassures enthusiastically. “Keep doing that.”
So, as Kel left more and more hickeys, Sunny’s thoughts became mud, slipping through his fingers before he could even grasp them. Words spluttered out of his lips, mostly composed of “oh fuck” and “fuck yes.” His babbling spurred Kel on, making him dig his fingers into his hips and pick up speed, increasing the friction. Arousal flooded his senses, drowning out everything else. The coil in his stomach got tighter as lazily began to grind his erection against him.
This felt good.
Kel felt good.
He felt good.
You can read the rest of chapter 4 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Sunny hasn't been doing so well in art school. He's been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him...
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
Sunny was sulking. His feet were sore after walking for what felt like hours. To make things worse, he had forgotten to grab his things after he stormed off. Luckily, Kel had grabbed them for him. However, Sunny didn’t thank him, let alone apologize for his actions when they reunited, giving him the cold shoulder. After that, Kel had a kicked puppy look and was much quieter than usual.
Currently, they were in Kel's room, which was much more spacey now that Hero had moved out, and Sunny had to quell his delight as he saw the pile of blank canvas lying on the floor on the other corner of the room. Right now, Sunny was lying down on the bed, reading one of Kel’s Captain Spaceboy comics while Kel was playing video games.
Even as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Sunny still couldn’t let it go, rambling in his head.
Who does he think he is? I didn’t ask for a lecture. What am I, five years old? I can take care of myself.
What’s his deal anyway? And why was he looking at my cuts? Well, it was more like a glance, but did he really think that I wouldn’t notice? Look who’s underestimating who now.
Sunny clenched the comic. He had always been self conscious about his scars. At one point it had gotten to bad that started to get repulsed by his own reflection.
He remembered Kel saying that he thought that they look cool a couple of years back, but of course he’d say that. Since they were kids, Kel had accumulated tons of scars on the palm of his hands, arms, knees, and thighs because he kept falling down on the cement during his basketball practices.
“Well, I have a ton of scars and you don’t think I’m gross based on that do you?”
“That’s stupid. Why would I think that?”
Kel grins. “Exactly! So why wouldn’t that apply to you too?”
The memory sweetened Sunny’s mood a little. Still, it didn’t have anything to do with what we were talking about. So why stare?
Frowning, Sunny sets the comic book down and lifts his arms in the air, observing the old scars. There were lots of them scattered across his pale skin; short ones, long ones, some shallow, and some deeper than others.
But they all had one thing in common.
They had been Sunny’s doings.
Does it have anything to do with how he was looking at me earlier? I’m probably just imagining things, but he looked kinda guilty.
Sunny hums, lowering his arms back down and picking the comic book back up. All he did was ask if I was lonely, and when I said no, he got all mushy and sentimental about it. Must’ve triggered something in him. Some kind of memory…
Add that with a glance at the cuts on my arms and you got one hell of a mystery. Nothing I can’t figure out though, Sunny muses somewhat smugly, gazing at his friend. He was laser focused on the game, sporting that big stupid grin of his. Kel’s easy to figure out most of the time.
As if he had heard his thoughts, Kel paused the game. As their eyes meet, Sunny feels a shock, giving his heart a jumpstart. He quickly hides his face behind the comic, his ears burning.
Anyway… my cuts, loneliness, guilt and the past. That’s what I’m working with. Logically, the only past that Kel could be remembering specifically was while I had hikikomori for four years.
But how do those four relate to each other? How do I connect the dots..?
Without a moment to spare, Sunny starts to dig deep into his memories. The ones from the moment he left his house and reconnected with his old friends.
Seeing Kel for the first time in years…
Kel apologizing to him and Aubrey…
Saying that he was a bad friend…
Wishing that he’d acted sooner….
Suddenly, realization struck Sunny like lightning.
Does he blame himself..?
Just like that, the fire fueling his anger gradually fizzed out, like a flame slowly dying out. As the red haze began to clear, the art student came back to his senses. At once, Sunny felt a stab of guilt; shame bleeding out from his heart.
Great, now I feel like an asshole. Looks like I owe him an apology. I might not be athletic, but I sure do love jumping to conclusions.
“—ny?” Kel says, pulling Sunny from his thoughts. “Are you even listening?”
“…”
“I said that it was getting late and that I’m gonna turn off the lights,” Kel repeated cautiously, averting his gaze. “Do you want to keep reading?”
“No.”
“Are you tired?” Kel sounded relieved.
“Yes.”
“Do you, uh, want me to leave?”
“No.”
“Can we sleep together? Y’know—in the bed?” Kel stammers.
“You can do whatever you want, I don’t care,” Sunny answers, and Kel knew that it was just his way of saying yes.
Kel’s expression brightens. He gets up before heading over to the light switch and turning the lights off. Sunny scoots over to the right to give him space as Kel lies down next to him, shoulder to shoulder, with a loud squeak of protest from his bed as it was forced to endure his weight.
“Hey, Kel?” Sunny whispers, glancing up at him.
Kel meets his gaze. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry for lashing out at you earlier. What I said was definitely uncalled for. I don’t want you to think that I don’t value you, because I do. You mean a lot to me.”
Kel smiles, the moonlight lighting up his face. “It’s all good. I was definitely being too pushy. I’m sorry. I just wish you told me what’s going on in your head.
I’d never force you to tell me anything if you don’t want to, but, when the time comes, just know that I’ll always be there to hear you out.”
Sunny hums. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I don’t know if you can relate to any of my problems.
I’m not underestimating you or anything, but it always seems to be smooth sailing for you,” he says honestly.
“I wouldn’t say that, heh heh. To be honest, right now, I’m pretty scared,” Kel admits, his voice wavering.
“Really?” Sunny was in disbelief.
Kel sighs. “Yeah, about the game. It’s the finals, and as team captain, they’re all counting me. And there’s this little voice in my head that keeps telling me: What if I let them down? What if I can’t do this? What if I can’t do that?”
Kel curls his hand into a fist and starts to tremble. “Who am I kidding, I’ll probably screw things up like I always do. Maybe they’re better off without me.”
Sunny hadn’t even said anything. It’s almost like he wants me to agree with him. He must be really freaking out. I’m not really good at using my words to cheer people up, but…
Sunny gently brushed his hand against Kel’s to get his attention. Kel’s hands were rougher and enormous when compared to his own. The palms, battered with scars, showed off their resilience after surviving Kel’s many falls and his over-enthusiastic handshakes could definitely snap anyone’s wrist in two if they had weak bones.
It takes a bit of coaxing, but Kel slowly starts to uncurl his fist, starting to notice Sunny’s tender strokes. Once there’s enough room, Sunny slips his hand in Kel’s before intertwining their fingers together, feeling the heat radiating from his palm. He could feel Kel’s hand quivering like a leaf and he gently squeezed his hand in solidarity, before starting to run his thumb over it. It takes a while, but Kel’s trembling gradually fades away.
I don’t know anything about comforting people. But what I do know is that Kel likes holding my hand.
Kel gently squeezes Sunny’s hand. “Could you do me a favor?”
You can read the rest of chapter 3 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Sunny hasn't been doing so well in art school. He's been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him...
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
Sunny jolts awake in his seat as the bus stops with a loud screech. Stifling a yawn, he sluggishly wipes off the sleep from his eye and looks out of the window, instantly mesmerized by the orange evening sky, lit by the dazzling golden rays of the setting sun.
The art student briefly scans the decently crowded bus station, surprised that he hadn’t been dropped off on the side of the road or something.
Since when did Faraway Town have a bus station?
Looks nothing like the last time I visited…
The sound of shuffling feet and other people grabbing their bags sucked Sunny back into reality. He grabbed his backpack and suitcase, and eventually exited the bus.
Once outside, he only took about five steps away from the bus before a familiar shout stopped him in his tracks.
“Hey, Sunny! I’m over here!”
Sunny turns to his right and catches a glimpse of Kel through the crowd. He slowly makes his way towards his friend, each step sending a spark of excitement throughout his body. His anticipation surged like a tidal wave, and he was swept away by glee as he finally reached the other man.
Kel hadn’t changed that much since the last time he visited him, still rocking his orange basketball uniform, although in a larger size since he had outgrown the previous one, and the mullet he had grown out with a man bun at the back.
Regardless, something immediately caught Sunny’s eye. Kel’s right arm.
He still has it…
While he was visiting Faraway Town two years ago, Kel had asked Sunny to draw a sketch of a sick tattoo for him to wear. He drew the stars and constellations of Neighbor’s Room from his headspace, making the Big Yellow Cat the focal point since he knew that Kel loved animals.
Sunny was apprehensive about showing his sketch to Kel at first, thinking that it wasn’t up to par and whatnot, but as soon as he saw the wonder in his eyes, it filled his world with a burst of color, turning everything from gray to vivid. Kel’s had the design for over two years now. It covered up most of his right arm.
“I can’t believe you’re here! It’s—It’s just—” Kel takes a step forward but quickly stops himself. “Can I hug you?”
“Ye—”
In a flash, Kel pulled him into a bear hug, knocking the wind out of him. Sunny briefly takes notice of his strong build but is more preoccupied by how tight he was holding him, as if he never wanted to let him go. Kel didn’t even need to say anything, because the hug already told Sunny everything.
I leave for two years and he misses me that much? Glad I’m not the only one who feels that way…
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips as Sunny quietly hugged him back, gently nuzzling into his shoulder. Ever since he had his growth spurt a few years ago, nuzzling had become his new favourite way of expressing his affection towards Kel, especially when they were cuddling. Sunny had always been a cuddle bug. Ever since he was a kid. Not that he would ever admit it, of course.
The hug lingers on for a while before Kel slowly pulls away.
He grins. “C’mon! Let’s catch up at Gino’s! There’s so much stuff that’s happened since you visited a while back. I’ll explain it to you on the way there, Captain!”
Sunny’s heart skips a beat. Ever since a few years ago, for whatever reason, Kel had given him that nickname. He didn’t mind, though. He found it to be endearing.
Even though Sunny didn’t know why Kel called him Captain, he guessed that it had something to do with the fact that Kel often confided in him about his problems over the phone and seeked out his advice and input, which apparently mattered to him a lot as Sunny would soon come to realize.
One day, too curious to resist any longer, Sunny asked Kel why he called him that. His friend simply told him that whenever he had a problem, Sunny was the first person he would turn to.
Because he was one of the only people who would bother listening to him.
Now that he thought about it, they did talk to each other on the phone a lot. It happened so often that, despite trying to isolate himself from his friends, Sunny looked forward to Kel’s calls every day.
Often, their conversations would result in a greater understanding of themselves, each other or the world around them.
Consequently, their bond deepened, even though Sunny strongly denied it.
But the main reason why Kel called him Captain was because whenever things got tough, he knew that he could count on Sunny to help him. Sunny was his anchor, keeping him grounded in reality and preventing him from going off course towards his anxieties.
“You always know how to steer me in the right direction, Captain!” Kel’s old words echo in his mind, making his heart soar.
As they walked towards Gino’s through a new street on a sidewalk, Kel delivered on his words and talked Sunny’s ear off about how practically everyone they once knew had moved on to other places.
Additionally, the town had been expanding over the four years that Sunny had moved away, with the placement of new schools, streets and neighborhoods as the population steadily increased over time, alongside the development of new businesses and infrastructures in order to attract tourists in the hopes of growing the town’s economy. Even the plaza had seen a major expansion and was more like a giant mall now.
Sunny couldn’t believe his ears. It was basically a whole new world. How could so much change in so few years?
Before long, they arrive at one of Gino’s diners, the one closest to the bus station. Kel had also informed him that ever since the business had transitioned from a restaurant to a diner, the brand had grown popular among tourists and locals alike and became Faraway Town’s flagship fast food joint. So, naturally, a couple of them were scattered around the increasingly bustling little town.
Immediately, the diner logo's striking red and blue neon sign captivates the artist. Sunny stops abruptly, causing Kel to stop shortly after. His friend takes a couple of steps back to stand back next to him as Sunny puts down his backpack, takes out a pencil and sketchbook, and starts sketching the logo.
Kel doesn’t say anything as Sunny sketches out the logo, which Sunny’s thankful for. As much as likes to talk, Kel knows when to stay quiet. However, Sunny still feels his gaze on him, which makes him more jittery than he’d like to admit. He sketches faster as a result.
“Take your time. We’re not in a hurry or anything,” Kel reassures him.
Sunny lets his words soothe him. He slows down and eventually finishes his sketch. Kel catches a glimpse of it.
His jaw dropped. “It’s…”
“It’s okay, I guess.”
“Okay!? Dude, it’s fucking amazing! You gotta give yourself credit where credit is due!”
“You’re only saying that because we’re friends.”
“No, I really meant it! I mean, to draw that in like one minute is super hard. And I would know, because I tried doing it a bunch of times.”
Sunny doesn’t know if he should believe him. After all, Kel was really easy to impress. And it wasn’t that incredible or anything. The longer he looked at it, the more he could spot the imperfections.
“I can hear you thinking, dude,” Kel teases, chuckling. “It’s kinda funny.”
Sunny snaps his head up and opens his mouth, about to retort.
But Kel speaks first before he gets a chance, eyes gleaming. “Captain?”
“What?” he huffs, irked.
“Remember me when you’re famous, okay?” Kel says sweetly, his gaze full of warmth, catching his friend by surprise.
Sunny isn’t sure whether Kel was oblivious to his annoyance, or had intended to say that all along.
The worst part is that it’s working.
You can read the rest of chapter 2 here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
CHAPTER 1/THE CALL: WITHOUT YOU IN MY WORLD, THE SUN FORGETS TO SHINE
Pairing: M/M
Content Rating: Explicit (18+)
Content Warning: (Tags)
Work: In Progress
Sunny hasn’t been doing so well in art school. He’s been lacking inspiration as of late, so, for Spring Break, he decides to go back to Faraway Town in the hopes of reigniting his creativity. He spends the week with Kel and makes him his muse, but he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
Not to mention the lucid dreams he keeps having about him…
OR
Sunny accompanies Kel on his day-to-day activities during Spring Break in order to get some ideas for his paintings.
Laying down on his bed, Sunny stares at the clock. It was currently 5:00 pm.
He had finished his last class two days ago on Friday. He remembered his classmates chatting enthusiastically about what they were going to do during Spring Break as the class neared its end. Some talked about traveling with their friends while others talked about visiting their relatives.
All of these conversations made him feel lonely to say the least. He wished he had a family to go back to…
And it’s not that he couldn't visit his old friends or anything, he just didn’t see any reason too when calling them was much more convenient. Living far away from them didn’t help his case either.
Plus, the twenty year old hadn’t made any new friends since the three years he’d attended the art school. It’s not like no one ever tried to approach him, or that he hates everybody per se, but his shyness did make it difficult at times. Actually, the few times that people did start to get close to him, he was the one that ended things before anything could happen.
He didn’t want to get too attached.
He had already been burned once and he refused to put himself through that agony again, to expose himself on a silver platter, only to be devoured by the harsh, cruel world.
He would do anything if it meant that his heart wouldn’t get ripped to shreds like so many years ago.
And that’s partly why he didn’t talk to his old friends as much as he used to.
In the end, his actions had resulted in isolation once more.
Nevertheless, he didn’t let that saddening reality bother him. He had bigger fish to fry. Ever since a couple of weeks ago, his motivation and ideas have been steadily reaching a decline, and so have been his grades.
He didn’t understand what he was doing wrong. He was working himself to the bone yet his efforts were fruitless.
Maybe that’s part of the problem…
He didn’t remember the last time he ever left his dorm, except to buy food and necessities, or when he needed to go to class, which always freaked out his roommate. So, perhaps a change of scenery would do the trick.
Sunny contemplates this for a bit. Would that be enough? He’s been outside plenty of times before and it never felt that spectacular. He’d heard many times that nature was a great way to generate ideas, but he personally didn’t see the appeal. He found it boring.
A change of scenery alone wouldn’t be enough to jumpstart his creativity.
He wasn’t fond of the outdoors…
Sunny’s gaze drifted over to his desk. There was a little black wooden cat standing on the edge.
But he knew someone who was.
Someone that’s boisterous….
Always had sun-kissed skin…
And could find beauty in unexpected places.
Sunny turns towards his iphone, lying on the bed next to him, staring at it for a couple of heartbeats. Slowly, he grabs his cellphone, unlocks the screen and dials a phone number. The phone rings for a few seconds.
tangentwithtanner
titsay
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gummygunk
dailybridgerton
areudirty
vaporwave
kaledo-art
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dededos