As the Seasons Change and the Flowers Bloom (A Sunflower fanfic 🌻)

Christmas Presents and Panic Attacks

A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter is a bit shorter than originally intended but I no longer have access to my computer. Updates are going to be extremely slow from now on until I fix my computer. I'm very very sorry! I may re-write this chapter once I've got my computer BTW, anyways, enjoy!

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Sunny stretched and let out a yawn, ah, Christmas morning. It had snowed all night but now all that was left was an ankle deep layer of the white powder to decorate the town. They had already done presents with Kel's parents, now it was afternoon and he'd decided to go get Basil so they could all spend the rest of the day together. He almost stumbled, recalling their conversation from yesterday. Basil seemed so lonely. Sunny pursed his lips, he had never really thought about Basil's family before but... the dark empty house looked like it was used to being in that state. Basil hadn't even bothered to turn the lights on, a habit it seemed. The thought made Sunny's chest clench. He knew what that was like. He'd spent four years in that lonely hell, had Basil done the same? He knew Basil went to school but he doubted that would satiate his loneliness. This thought turned into a new one, where were Basil's parents? Every time he'd asked when they were kids Basil had told him that his parents were on a business trip, but what kind of business trip could last this long? There was no way there wasn't something else going on. Sunny didn't want to push Basil's boundaries but he wanted to ask him about it. Sunny was broken from his thoughts as he turned the corner to Basil's street. Right. Now wasn't the time to think about this. It was Christmas, they should enjoy the day.

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"Shh," Basil gently brought his finger to his lips, "You gotta be quiet or you'll ruin the surprise. Here."

He placed the two bowls in the box and carefully closed it, making sure he had poked an adequate amount of holes in it. He felt excited at the silence that came afterwards, hopefully it would stay quiet long enough for him to get to the house at the very least. He lifted the box, careful not to jostle it's contents, and set it in the bag full of presents.

Polly smiled from the couch, they'd already shared their presents. Basil's gift to her was an old picture of them ice skating together, him still a bit clumsy on the ice. His grandmother had taken it for them since she couldn't skate. In the photo Polly had consolidated her usual two braids into one, a pink beanie over her head and a thick wool jacket zipped up tightly around her. Her gloved hands were outstretched to a stumbling Basil as his white earmuffs hung off his head slightly and he was mid scramble, reaching for her as she laughed. He'd cleaned the photo and framed it. He had told her he was sorry it wasn't a lot but she had cried when she saw it. Her gift to him ended up being a sun lamp. He'd been upset about his plants dying during the winter so she had figured it may help a bit. He'd seemed to like it.

"I can't believe you got that for Sunny." Polly giggled.

"What? Is it bad?" A look of concern shot over Basil's face.

"No, No. I think he'll love it." She smiled. "I'm just surprised you had the money for it is all."

"Oh, yeah haha." Basil smiled. "I've been selling my flowers, remember?"

She nodded but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Before Basil could react, Polly was bounding over to the door and opened it.

"Oh hello Sunny!" She smiled.

"Hello Polly." He stepped inside at her gesture and smiled at Basil. "Are you ready to go?"

"Uh-Uhm yeah! One sec!" He stood in front of the bag, picking it up in such a way that Sunny wouldn't see its contents very well. "Let's go."

Sunny smiled and nodded, "Bye Polly, merry christmas!"