Chapter Text
Everyone stared at Keno. The woman looked at the man, who circled back to the truck’s right side. “Are you a relative of hers, or a volunteer?”
“Volunteer. I’m her boyfriend’s boss. I run a restaurant in the city, and I have a spare room to use. Her boyfriend literally lives across the street from me.”
The woman pursed her lips before returning to the car to make a call. After that, she returned. “You’ll have to fill out some paperwork back at the office tomorrow and have a home study be performed. The girl’s last month of schooling will also need to be planned out; they won’t allow her to switch right at the end.”
“That won’t be an issue. Office address?”
Keno was given a slip.
“This process should at least take a few months, in terms of the legality being signed by the government. The home study and background check shouldn’t be long after you’ve completed the paperwork.”
“Alright, but after that, she’s indefinitely moving in. I’m positive that you’re aware nobody trusts any of you.”
“Out of character for me to say, but yes. I’m quite aware.”
The woman stepped back. “We expect to see you tomorrow at 9:30 AM. Don’t be late.”
Getting back in the car, she started it and backed out, driving off on route towards the DSS office.
Nobody really had a clue on what to say. Keno went from saying he had no faith in himself to a 180° going, ‘nah, I’d care for her’ .
“Keno… Y-You…” Sunny didn’t know what to say either, as much as he also knew. Aubrey stared at the man, puffy eyes staring at the back of his head.
“A-Are you… S-sure… I can s-stay…?” she whimpered. Keno turned to her, nodding. “Mhm. I ain’t got a problem with it, lass.”
“Even B-Bun-Bun…?”
“Yep.”
A sob. The girl was relieved. She held onto Sunny, who was still trying to formulate words. “Thank you…” she whispered.
Sunny forced himself to speak. “Are you sure this isn’t too much on you, Keno…?”
“‘Too much’? No. Not at all; I mean that.”
“You’re really brave.” Kel was the first amongst the others to break the silence. Kim nodded in agreement, and so did Hero. Basil shut his eyes. “Thank you… Thank you for doing what I couldn’t…”
Sunny remained fixated on the man. He could trust Keno, but… could he deal with Aubrey?
“I… guess we start packing Aubrey’s things together?” Vance asked. The man nodded. “I’ll take it from here. The rest of ye, uhh… do something. Sunny, take Aubrey away from here. She needs to recuperate.”
“I’ll help you out,” Hero offered. Kim perked up. “Me too…”
Vance chuckled. “I may as well join too.”
Keno blinked.
Well, at least it would get done quicker.
Sunny nodded, taking Aubrey by the hand and leading her to the park. She trudged along with him, sniveling still. Kel almost went after them, but Basil grabbed his shoulder. “Not now, Kel…” he softly spoke.
A sigh. “Alright… I’m… Hey, sir,” he called over to the man, “you hungry or anything? I can see if one of the stores is still open.”
“No thanks,” Keno replied. He was going through his truck, looking for bags to use. Kel shrugged.
Polly had said nothing the entire time, but she was still there. Watching everyone prepare for the move. Ignoring her like she was now an untouchable.
She felt it was deserved. She was really harsh on Aubrey.
She watched Keno give Hero, Kim, and Vance a heavy duty garbage bag each.
The four entered the dilapidated home, grabbing the belongings of a traumatized girl.
She would hopefully find peace in the city.
------------------------------
Aubrey took a seat on the swing. Sunny joined her. The girl was more or less the same as she was back at the shack.
“Sunny…”
“Yes, Aubrey?”
“Will I ever be free…?”
“Free…?”
“Of… pain…”
Sunny stared off down the road, fingers coiled around the swing’s chains. “I want to say yes, but… I don’t know. Realistically, I can’t know.”
“...”
“But I would like to think that the day you get to rest will arrive in due time. Maybe Keno adopting you is a step in the right direction. I’d hope so, anyway.”
Aubrey choked a sob. “I didn’t wanna kill her, Sunny…”
“I know…” Sunny sat up and walked over to the pinkette, hugging her tight. Once more, the girl was crying.
She was broken. It hurt.
All Sunny could do was hug her. Aubrey wept into his chest.
The blood stain on the floor brought back unpleasant memories. Nonetheless…
“Alright, you pack of young runts.” Keno was using the tone he usually had when telling his employees the game plan of each work day. “We're gonna grab anything Aubrey may need as well as things of possible sentimental value. Right off the bat, I’m giving the job of collecting clothes to the girl with the funny hair.”
Kim tried her best to make a straight face. “One, I’m the only girl here.
Two, that’s rude.”
“What? It is kind of funny.”
“ And? You’re the one whose hair looks like a chain.”
“...”
“That’s… kind of racist, Kim…” Vance spoke. “Mister… uhh…”
“Formalities unneeded. Just call me Keno.”
“Keno… alright. I’m gonna help grab Aub’s other essential things. You need anything, just call. Aight?”
“Alright…”
The siblings headed off to Aubrey’s room, leaving the two men to do whatever else needed to be done. Keno peered into the hallway. “There’s a door past a couple boxes… gonna need to put in some man power.” He marched over, cracking his knuckles.
Hero watched the older man for a moment, then trailed him, opening his mouth. “Sir?”
“Yeah?”
“You said you had no confidence in yourself. What made you say yes?”
Keno paused for a moment.
“...Sunny’s done something for me that I’ll never be able to repay in what time I have left as a bipolar man. This is the best thing I can do for that young man.”
Hero blinked. “He… what?”
The bigger man pressed a hand against the huge box blocking the way to the room of Aubrey’s mother, refusing to look the college student in the eye. “Gave me the strength to fight my way out of the dungeon. Made me see reality.” His voice grew weak. “Do you know… Do you know what it’s like to be trapped in your own mind?”
“...I do, Keno… I do…”
“...the night he came to me I can’t explain in a way that makes sense. But he… he saved me…”
Hero said nothing to that, but the message was received. The restaurant owner pushed the boxes out of the way, opening the door. He had a mission to fulfill.
------------------------------
“This town… will feel empty without Aubrey…” Basil admitted to Kel as the two stared off into the sky above. The jock nodded. “It was usually her and her new friends that made it a little more lively around here. Sure, we got the usuals like that couple, Mincy, and the homeless at the park, but it… doesn’t feel right. Aubrey was a part of our group, you know?”
“Yeah… I… wonder how Kim is going to cope with Aubrey being gone… The others, too…”
Kel picked up a rock and tossed it into the woods. “She still tried being close to Aubrey. I wonder if she liked her.”
“More than likely. She’s about as queer-coded as you can get… aside from me. Hehe…”
“You’re… queer?”
“It took you that long to figure it out?”
“...”
“Back to the topic at hand…” Basil sat on the sidewalk. “I hate to say it, but… Polly has absolutely pissed me off. I don’t even feel like going back home because of her.”
“Basil…” Kel sat beside him. “I’m mad too, but… you can’t just not go home!”
“I know… but still… That… that Keno guy spoke my mind for me at that moment. I feel nothing but disappointment right now.”
Kel wrapped an arm around Basil at his shoulder. “Basil.”
“I know…” A single tear left the twink’s eye.
Kel thought for a moment. “...I’ll accompany you back home once Sunny and Aubrey leave with that man. I know you’re angry with Polly, too. Just… try your best not to dwell on it.”
“...”
Basil sniffled, and nodded.
Aubrey took a deep breath. She was about to have to quit her jobs.
Sunny accompanied his girlfriend throughout the likes of Gino’s, OtherMart, and Fix-It. She’d make her sad march to each office to explain her situation to her bosses. The ex-hermit waited, trying to imagine what life for Aubrey in the city would be like.
Of course Keno wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But Sunny couldn’t help but worry.
On the bright side… Aubrey would get to be close to him.
The pinkette walked out of the last of the plaza’s employer offices. “I’m done… I wanna go… to the lake… one more time…”
Sunny stared at her.
“I’m not gonna kill myself, Sunny… I just wanna… see it one last time…”
“...alright…”
The couple slowly headed to the park, straight for the secret hangout spot. Aubrey held tightly onto her love’s hand, and as soon both reached their destination, the girl took a seat on the picnic blanket.
“...Haha…”
Sunny wrapped his arms around the girl. “Memories?”
“Mhm… I remember… so much from this single place… Remember when we all came here to swim that one day, and a spider scared you into the water…?”
“Yeah…”
“I… don’t know what I’d be doing now if you had drowned…”
Sunny held onto her tighter. Now wasn’t the time to think of morbid what-ifs…
“Aubrey?”
“Yeah…?”
“When we go home… I’m gonna take you somewhere cool tomorrow. I’ll be trying to help out Keno tomorrow, so it might be a little late in the day.”
“Mhm…”
Aubrey snuggled into Sunny’s arms. She tried taking a deep breath. It was hard.
“Sunny… I love you…”
“I love you, too…”
------------------------------
“Not a damn thing in here. Just… liquor.”
“Unfortunately…”
Hero and Keno had looked all around the room of Aubrey’s deceased mother. There was nothing of real interest. However, both did find an oddly clean white dress in the closet.
“I’ll… nab this. Aubrey could want it.”
“Would it fit her?” The college student took a good look at it. Keno just shrugged. “I dunno. Y’all have known her for longer than I have.”
Upstairs, Kim and Vance had loaded all they could into the bags. Clothes, necessities, other things like the 3DS and SpaceBoy poster, etc. All they had now was Bun-Bun’s nest.
And Bun-Bun itself.
Issue was… the rabbit didn’t remember Kim or Vance super well. It was also still quite terrified from the events prior.
Kim tried getting the timid fluffball to come to her. It wouldn’t move: it stayed under the bed, shivering.
“Bun-Bun… come on…” the delinquent groaned.
The rabbit only stared ahead.
“Try a treat,” Vance suggested.
With a sigh, Kim grabbed the bag of treats on Aubrey’s table and pulled one out, sitting it next to the bed and scooting away. The rabbit perked up, slowly heading for the pellet. Kim’s eyes lit up as the lagomorph sniffed and began eating the treat. Bun-Bun raised its head, staring at the girl.
“Come here, Bun-Bun…” she said in a gentle voice.
“Hiss!!”
The rabbit dashed back under the bed. Kim’s jaw dropped. “Rabbits can fucking hiss?!” she whispered.
“Everything ok up here?” Hero called, slowly climbing up the ladder.
“No. Kim’s trying to catch the rabbit,” Vance spoke for her. Hero’s head popped up, and he caught sight of the situation at hand. He grimaced. “Not sure how to help…” The college student looked down below. “Keno, you know anything about rabbits?” he called down below.
“Not a thing,” the older man called back.
“Ughh… well… thanks for trying…” Kim moaned.
Hero stared at the treat bag. “You tried those?”
“Yeah…?”
“Just keep doing what you were doing, then. An animal isn’t going to immediately gain trust in you from one treat.”
“...”
Kim grabbed another treat and put it under the bed this time.
It was going to take a while…
Keno had finished grabbing the rest of Aubrey’s clothes and was heading for the truck to put the bag away. Kel and Basil made entry into the living room. “Hello,” the former said, “we felt like coming to check on you.”
“Ey…?” The man raised an eyebrow, “we’re pretty much almost done. Just need to get her rabbit and take her bed apart.”
Basil’s eyes lit up. “Can I… help…?”
Keno stared at him.
“...I… suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Hope you have enough grains.”
Everyone began climbing up the ladder. The adult stared at the scene before him in awe.
Vance had caught Bun-Bun, and was now petting it ever so carefully. Kim looked defeated, sprawled out on the floor.
“Job completed.”
“...”
Keno climbed back down the ladder. “Come bring the lagomorph to the truck. I’ll start the AC for it. Need to grab my tools, too.”
“Gotcha.”
Vance lowered the shivering rabbit down to the native’s huge hands and climbed down the ladder to accompany him, taking the rabbit back and heading outside. Basil and Kel ascended the ladder to help with Aubrey’s bed.
“Oh! Hey, you two!” Hero was a little relieved to see the two of them. Kel glanced towards Basil. “He and Polly aren’t on speaking terms right now…”
“Oh…” Hero frowned.
Kim poked Basil’s calf. “Babil…”
“Eh?” The blonde stared down at her.
“Don’t be too mad… She worries about you, you know…”
“...”
Kel started pulling the sheets off the bed, setting them in one of the bags. He and Hero lifted the mattress, preparing to push it down the hole.
“Oi. Have neither of you heard of a window?” Keno’s voice interrupted both of them.
“Come on! It was gonna be quick!” Kel fussed.
“And so is putting a rabbit in a car.”
The jock sighed, allowing the restaurant owner and candy addict 2 to climb up the ladder. Hero patted his brother’s head as Keno sat the toolbox on the floor.
“Any other volunteers?” He asked. Hero stepped forward, and so did Basil. Kel joined the fray after pushing the mattress down the hatch. “I’ll grab the bed parts and throw them on the back of the truck,” Kim said.
“And I’ll hand them to her,” Vance added. Keno nodded.
“Alright… let’s go.”
Sunny’s old house. According to Kel, one person moved in, but was rarely seen there. The overgrown lawn more or less made it look like nobody lived there at all.
“I miss this place,” Sunny spoke softly, “My flat is cool, but… you know…”
Aubrey stared at the window above.
“Sunny…”
“Yeah?”
“Would you… ever move back to Faraway…?”
Sunny shrugged. “I’d probably live at the beach or go to a more suburban part of the city. Faraway would be nice, but… I’d like to check on mom and Keno every now and then.”
“Mm…”
Sunny held his partner’s hand tightly. “Speaking of Keno… we should check back on him and the others. He’s probably done”
“Alright…”
------------------------------
“So, uhh… What exactly do you sell?” Vance asked as the two adults and two teens worked on taking Aubrey’s bed apart.
“Chicken wings and pies.”
“Woah. That's… a combination.”
“Who doesn’t like wings or pies?”
“Uhh… my professor…?” Hero interjected. Keno frowned. “Let me guess, they’re a vegan teacher.”
The student shook his head. “No. I’m studying to be a doctor. The teacher is ver-”
Keno pulled from under the bed and pointed at him. “Then I’mma have to call you ‘Doctor Hero’.” The younger man blushed madly. “W-What?! I haven’t even finished my second year yet!”
“And you’re still dedicated! I’m VERY aware how rough that course must be, so you get my personal seal of approval!” The restaurant owner returned to the bed’s underside to finish the deconstruction. Kel just winked at his brother playfully.
“I wonder if I’ll ever open my own place one day,” Vance commented, “but as of late, I’ve been interested in cars and stuff. You know, generic things.”
“My close friend contemplated being an auto mechanic once. You could go for that and make a pretty penny.”
“What is he now?”
“My restaurant’s line lead. He’s looking for a way to become an entertainer. Might become a YouTuber or something.”
Vance smirked. “Does he play games?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve heard let's play channels are all the rage right now. He could aim for that.”
Basil looked outside. “Oh… hey. Sunny and Aubrey are back.”
Indeed they were! The couple was heading for the truck, Sunny accompanying Aubrey to the back. The girl opened the door, seeing Bun-Bun and returning to her previous emotional state. She climbed into the truck, holding her pet close and petting it.
“You must’ve been so scared… I’m sorry…”
Basil had to stop himself from crying. He looked away.
In due time, the bed was taken apart. All the parts were brought outside to the truck alongside the mattress and bags, loading all on the back. Keno and Hero put a tarp over the belongings from Aubrey’s room and held it down with rope.
Sunny climbed into the backseat where Aubrey was. He rolled the window down to wave to his friends.
“You’ll come back every now and then, right…?” Basil asked.
“Yeah…” Sunny responded. “I will.”
Keno looked over the group. “Thank you all for your help. It was… really nice to meet you all.”
“Heh, don’t sweat it. You’re a pretty cool guy yourself,” Kel complimented him. Vance nodded in agreement.
Keno smiled a little. “Young doctor?”
Hero flinched. “Y-yeah…?”
“If you ever need a good meal, don’t be afraid to swing by. I’ll cook ye something.”
“...t-thank you…”
Keno started walking to the driver’s seat, but a hand grabbed his. Kim looked up at him, eyes full of hope.
“Lass?”
“Please… take good care of her… I want to… trust you…”
“...”
The man patted the girl’s head. “I’ll do me best.”
“Thank you…”
Basil came over and hugged Kim tightly. Keno gave a farewell nod before walking over and climbing into his truck. “Y’all ready?” he asked.
Sunny nodded. “Mhm.”
Aubrey sniffled.
“Then here we go.”
The truck pulled out of the road, everyone waving to the trio. Keno punched in his home’s directions on the GPS, ready to begin the trip home.
------------------------------
Ahijah stood with his arms crossed in the parking lot. He gave Keno a dirty look as he hopped out of the truck.
“Alright, motherfucka. What’s going on?”
Keno opened the back door to reveal Aubrey. Upon seeing the bandages on her head, Ahijah ate his words.
“Oh, shit. ”
“Yeah. She’s gonna be living here till she can support herself in the future.”
Aubrey slowly climbed out of the truck, holding Bun-Bun. Sunny followed. After unlocking his front door, Keno began pulling the tarp off of the truck. “Can you help me reconstruct the bed frame right quick?” he asked Ahijah, looking in his direction.
“Naw,” the other man jokingly replied, walking over and helping with the tarp.
After unloading everything into the spare room, Keno and Ahijah got to work. Sunny sat Aubrey down on the sofa, the girl letting the rabbit go to get used to the new environment. It scurried off into the kitchen to the left, looking for a place to hide. Aubrey sank into her lover, staring at the ceiling. “...so he lives here… in this small place…” she muttered, taking a deep breath.
“Yeah. It's small, but humble.” Sunny pulled out his phone to text his mother that he was back.
[Sunny] 10:19 PM
Hey, mom. I’m back. Keno and his friend are assembling Aubrey’s bed. She’s going to be living over here from now on.
He expected his mother to be asleep by now. It had been a pretty long day.
In a single minute, his mom responded.
[Mom] 10:20 PM
Oh, thank goodness she has a place to stay! It's close by as well!
I have dinner made for you. Has Aubrey eaten yet?
Sunny looked up at Aubrey. She was fast asleep, snoring softly. The ex-hermit started to get up, but the grip Aubrey had on him tightened. She had immediately woken up.
“No…! Don’t leave me here…!” she wailed. Sunny’s heart skipped a beat. Seriously?
Ahijah’s head poked into the small living room. “Y’all good?” he asked. Sunny looked down at Aubrey. “I was going to get her some food. She hasn’t eaten yet… I don’t think…”
To confirm the claim, Aubrey nodded her head. Ahijah frowned, and ran back to the bedroom to tell Keno. In mere seconds, the home’s owner was off the bedroom floor and now standing in the living room.
“Why hadn’t ya told me, lass? I would’ve started cooking for you!”
“...”
“Come…” Keno motioned for the girl to get off the couch and follow him. She didn’t, only when Sunny stood and took her to the kitchen did she. The man opened the large freezer, looking at the varying meats that he had.
“Hm… You like lamb, Aubrey?”
“Never had it…”
“You’re about to.”
Keno pulled a pack of mutton ribs from out the freezer and got to work, defrosting them in the microwave and, after thawing the meat out, grabbing several herbs, spices, milk, cheeses, and veggies as well as a box of pasta. “You gonna eat with us, Ahijah?” he’d call. “Nah, Diamond’s got somethin’ cooking,” the childhood friend would reply.
Sunny sat Aubrey at the table in the kitchen and held her hand, rubbing her back. Her stomach growled.
“Sunny…”
“I’m going to grab dinner from home right quick. I’ll be back, ok?”
“Sunny…!”
Sunny gave her a gentle kiss, then headed out. Aubrey shivered, dangerously close to crying once more. Ahijah walked into the kitchen, looking at her.
“You eat Keno’s cooking once, and you’ll be wanting more for the rest of your life. Trust me.”
“...”
Keno was oblivious to the scene behind him now. He was too busy swinging his knife all over the counter, keeping an eye on the pasta that was now boiling from time to time. Aubrey paid him no mind; she froze.
She felt completely naked without Sunny right now.
“...Sunny… Sunny…”
Ahijah raised an eyebrow. “He’s gonna be back, ain’t he?”
“...Sunny… Sunny…”
The man heaved a sigh. He looked towards Keno. “What exactly happened?” he asked. Keno put down the knife and looked back. “A fuckin’ mess.”
“Yeah, no shit. Her head’s got a big ass bandage on it. What happened?”
“I’ll… tell you later. I don’t wanna make the lass’ mood any worse.”
“Alright…”
Keno turned back to his cooking. Bun-Bun slowly crept towards the laundry room entrance, watching the man. Just who was this stranger that abducted it and its owner? He looked intimidating!
Aubrey covered his face as Ahijah sat down. “I guess we’re finishing the bed after you finish cooking?”
Keno nodded. “Yeah. We’re just about done, so it won’t take long after this. Need to wake up early, though. Got a mission formulating in my head for Sunny.”
“Sounds like a-”
“S-Sunny?” Aubrey stared at Keno, who gave her a quizzical look. “He’s coming back, Aubrey. Just give him a few more minutes.”
“...”
By the time the chef had finished the food (some lamb parmesan), Sunny had finally arrived. Aubrey ran towards him at full force, ignoring the fact that Keno was plating her food and went into yet another fit of crying. Sunny sighed, sweating nervously. “Mom made me eat at home and shower… She suggested that I spend the night with her. At least once.”
Keno shrugged. “If you can fit… Just no funny stuff, lad.”
Ahijah whistled and widened his eyes at the couple. Keno bopped his friend on the head.
“Don’t worry about that…” Sunny directed Aubrey to the table. She sat down, not saying a word. Only hungrily eating once Keno put the food in front of her. After that, both men headed for the bedroom to finish their work. Sunny continued to accompany Aubrey at the table, up until the dish was finished.
The bed was finished.
Keno put Bun-Bun’s nest in the laundry room, treating the lagomorph like a feline. Aubrey took a quick shower, and Sunny put different things up around the room, such as the SpaceBoy poster. Ahijah left for his home, yawning loudly.
The couple united in bed. Keno sat on the toilet, trying to plan the day ahead of him.
Go to the office.
Take care of Aubrey’s schooling.
Send Sunny on a mission.
???
At this point, his life was going to change. But he’d develop more findings along the way.
And he was welcoming of the idea.
As he exited the bathroom, he watched the couple sleep together. He smiled.
Keno entered his bedroom, closing the door and crawling into bed.
Unbeknownst to him, and unintentionally, Keno had just unleashed hell on earth.