Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was typical for Basil to be out in his garden on a Saturday morning, pulling up weeds and humming to himself. Sometimes, it was typical to discover small creatures such as bunnies nesting in the shelter of his plants, or feeding on his vegetable patch, which he never really minded. Sometimes, he would deliberately plant carrots for the bunnies, as much as Polly would shake her head and sigh fondly. He knew she wasn't too keen on the idea of food going to waste, but it wasn't a waste to him, and he was grateful his caretaker respected that.

It was not, however, typical to find a person in his garden. 

Basil had just walked outside, a shovel in hand, ready to prune his roses in preparation for spring, when he discovered a trail across the grass where the dirt beneath had been disturbed, as if something had been dragged over it. Curiously, he followed the trail around the corner, jumping in shock at what he found.

There, right below his rose bushes, was a boy, face down in the dirt. His hair was unkempt and darkly coloured, and he wore funny clothes unlike anything Basil had seen before. But that wasn't what caught Basil's attention. His eyes instead rested on the boy's back, where a pair of white-feathered wings were sticking out, one bent unnaturally.

It had to be a costume, right? But how did this boy get here? 

“A-Are you okay? U-Um…” Basil rushed over, finding that his hands were shaking. The boy didn't respond.

Cautiously, Basil rolled him onto his side, trying not to cause any more damage to the wings than there already was. He flinched a little as he noticed a small spatter of blood on the bent one. 

The boy, who looked to be about his age, was cold to touch, but still breathing. It had been a cold morning, and though the sun was out now, Basil was sure it wouldn't have helped much in the shade where this boy was. 

He started to doubt the boy was wearing a costume when he noticed something above his head, floating without anything visibly holding it up.

“Is that… Is that a halo?” He whispered to himself. “I should c-call the police, or ambulance…” But, he realised after he had muttered the words, if this boy truly did have wings and a halo… He couldn't imagine his fate. It might do more harm than good to turn him in to the authorities. 

“Please, wake up… Y-You can't stay here like this, it might not be safe…” Basil tried to shake the half-human creature awake - he was hesitant to believe it was an angel or anything of the sort - to no avail. 

Basil bit his lip. Grandma was bed-ridden right now, and Polly had left to get groceries earlier.

Without a second thought, knowing Polly's car could turn the corner and pull into the driveway any second, Basil scooped the unconscious winged boy up in his arms, being careful not to touch his wings, and brought him inside. The boy was lighter than Basil expected, and Basil was used to heavy lifting, so it wasn't a struggle. He carried bags of potting mix home all the time, back before Polly was around to offer him lifts.

Basil carried the boy into his bedroom, quickly nudging the door shut with his hip. He grimaced at the amount of soil on the boy's body and clothes, but tried to ignore the thought as he carefully placed the boy on his bed. He could always wash his sheets, but he might not get another chance to help this boy. He looked to be in bad condition, from the lack of consciousness and the broken wing, though Basil took note of the fact that the rest of his body seemed to be unscathed.

Quietly, as to not wake his grandmother, Basil tiptoed to the bathroom, where he retrieved a bucket and a washcloth. It wasn't realistic to sneak the boy into the bathroom and wash him, so a cloth and some warm water would have to do for now. As he left, he pulled a towel from the rack. He paused when he reached his bedroom door, half expecting to open it and find nobody there, for it to all have been some strange dream. But alas, as he entered, the boy hadn't moved an inch from where Basil left him.

Basil sucked in a breath as he carried the bucket with the washcloth over to his bed, folding the towel and putting it by his bedside afterwards. The boy didn't stir as Basil wrung the water from the cloth, then gently wiped the dirt from the boy’s face. There was a lot, and Basil was surprised to see how pale the boy was beneath it. It didn't take too long for his face to be completely clean, though Basil decided this boy would have to handle washing his hair by himself when we woke up… Which Basil sincerely hoped he would. 

He hesitated, seeing the dirt on the boy's hands and clothes. Should he…? Don’t be silly, Basil, he told himself. The clothes were torn and filthy. There was no way the boy would be comfortable in them. He also noticed while carrying the boy that they felt rather moist, which wouldn't do any good. He didn't want the boy to catch a cold on top of his injuries.

He chewed at the inside of his cheek before carefully unbuttoning the boy's… He wasn't sure what to call his clothing. It wasn't exactly a dress, but something like an intricate and long shirt perhaps? Once all the buttons were loose, he slid the article of clothing off the boy's arms and found that there were some buttons at the back, making it easier to avoid touching the boy's wings. When the shirt was off, it became clear to Basil that this boy was definitely not a human. The wings had to be real. They came straight from his bare back. Trying not to overthink that, Basil kept the boy on his side and wetted the cloth once more in the warm water, before doing his best to clean his back, arms and chest. 

He decided to leave the rest up to the boy when he woke. For now, he pulled his blanket over the sleeping angel and stood back.

Basil was in the bathroom replacing the muddy water when he heard a crash from his bedroom. He jumped, dashing out and back to his room in time to find the boy slumped on the floor holding his head. The boy looked up at him with an apprehensive glare, but said nothing. 

“O-Oh, please be careful!” He rushed over, gently reaching for the boy's arm. “You're hurt… Please let me help you up.”

“Unhand me,” The boy demanded, and Basil quickly let go. “Who do you work for? You're… A mortal.”

“Um… Yes.” Basil nodded slowly. “I don't- I'm unemployed…?”

The boy narrowed his eyes. 

“You… I don't kn-know what happened, but I found you in my garden. You were in a terrible state, and I couldn't just l-leave you there, so…”

Finally, the boy's expression loosened a little. He groaned.

“W-Well… Here is your, um…” He handed the angel his clothing. “It looks a little… I could lend you some of my clothes, although we would have to figure something out for your wings…” 

The angel took what he was handed and glanced down at it, before meeting Basil's eyes. “You're telling the truth, mortal?”

“Y-Yes! I don't really know what's going on, but… All I did was bring you inside and try to clean off some of the dirt. And my name i-is Basil.”

“Basil.” The boy repeated softly. He spoke as if he had never spoken to anyone before.

“Um… I'm sorry for scaring you. I just want to help. Can I ask your name?”

The angel hesitated. “...Sunny.” He didn't give Basil a chance to respond before standing up and heading straight for the door as if Basil weren't even there.

“Wait! Y-You can't go out there… Your wings… You… They might hurt you or d-do something to you…”

Sunny hesitated, his expression unchanging. He didn't take any more steps forward, but Basil still continued. 

“People don't… don't see people with wings every day.”

“I'm not a ‘people’. I'm a celestial being.” Sunny corrected shortly.

“... So, like- like an angel?”

He gave a curt nod. “I will not be seen by anyone. Your ability to see me is… an oddity.”

“D-Do people not usually see you?” Basil asked, to which Sunny shook his head.

“... You are not to tell anyone what you saw today. Though, I doubt anyone would believe you if you did.”

Basil looked at his feet. “Okay… It was nice to meet you, Sunny. I-I’ll be praying for you. I hope your injuries aren't too bad…”

Sunny didn't respond. Basil stepped aside, and Sunny took his leave.

His timing, however, was unfortunate. As the angel approached the front door, it swung open. 

Polly dropped her groceries (and her jaw) in disbelief.

Chapter Text

Polly rubbed her eyes, looked at Sunny, then looked at her hands.

“...Did I die? There's no way. I must have… gotten into an accident. I must be a ghost. Are you here to take me…?”

Sunny just sighed dramatically, and despite his own lingering shock and disbelief, Basil had to stifle a laugh.

“Polly… You're alive. Um… This is Sunny.”

Polly didn't seem to have realised Basil was present until he spoke. She looked at him, blinked, then picked her grocery bags back up and shut the door after herself.

“Oh, goodness. I apologise. I… I must be really tired. It's nice to meet you, Sunny. Any friend of Basil's is welcome here. Your wings look so real!”

Sunny tilted his head a little bit. Polly probably sounded as if she'd completely lost it to him. “They are real.”

Polly just laughed and walked straight past him, heading for the kitchen. Sunny raised an eyebrow at Basil, then shrugged.

“Um… Bye, S-Sunny.” Basil murmured, suddenly feeling shy. He was under the impression that he may never see this boy again, as much as he wanted to. He decided that he was going to do everything he could to remember Sunny.

Sunny didn't say any kind of goodbye, but simply left, shutting the door behind him. Basil sighed. Some part of him knew that he wouldn't have any chance of being close to a real angel, though a small part also felt disappointed. Sunny didn't seem all too interested in knowing him.

“...So,” Polly started, approaching Basil where he stood, carrying a mug of hot tea. “How did you meet Sunny? I can't say I recognise him..”

“...I don't even know, really. I went outside, and he was just… there.”

“Strange boy…” Polly said, sipping at her drink.

Less than a minute later, the front door opened abruptly, crashing against the wall loudly. Sunny stood in the doorway, his face just as blank as before.

“Careful with that, please.” Polly said calmly. 

“My wings. They don't work anymore.” Sunny said bluntly, not giving Polly any acknowledgement. He stared straight at Basil, almost as if it was his fault.

“Yeah… Uh… Do you want to l-look in the mirror?” Basil offered. “Your wing looks kind of… Bent?”

Sunny didn't speak, just approached Basil. Feeling intimidated, Basil turned around and led the way to the bathroom, assuming that Sunny was following. Thankfully, when he opened the door and looked back, Sunny was right behind him. He pushed past, staring into the mirror, and spread his wings. One was looking… Basil wasn't sure how angel wings worked exactly, but it was pretty obvious it was broken.

“C-Can’t you use your… Your angel powers to fix it?” Basil immediately felt stupid as Sunny shot him a look and said nothing. “Okay… You're not very talkative. Point taken.”

Sunny just sighed. “I'm not supposed to be in your realm at all. Not physically. There's only so much I can do.”

“U-Um… Forgive me if this is a silly suggestion, but… If you need… You could stay here until your wings recover? I won't t-tell anyone, although I think Polly might need to know the truth…”

Basil felt relieved as Sunny seemed to consider his suggestion rather than ridiculing him. Perhaps the angel was just blunt, and Basil could imagine it must be stressful for him to not be able to fly.

“...I was injured when you found me, yes?” Sunny asked after a while. 

“That's… That's right. You were covered in dirt, and had a few cuts and scrapes. I hope you don't mind that I tried to clean you up a bit…”

Sunny held out his arms, and Basil was surprised to see that the injuries were already fading. “I heal a lot faster than mortals. But it would have taken longer if you hadn't tried to help. So this means that I am indebted to you.”

“Oh, that's okay! Really, you don't need to repay m-me. I just did what anyone would have done. I c-couldn’t just leave you there.”

Sunny shook his head. “I shouldn't have required your help in the first place. Where I come from, it is something of a law. One good turn deserves another. So… I shall stay here until I figure out how to properly thank you.”

Basil thought that Sunny’s way of speaking was unusual, though kind of endearing. “Great! I'll do a-anything I can to help you get better. I… I don't know how effective my medicines could be for your wings, but… I can certainly try!”

For the first time, Sunny's expression softened.

“H-Hi, Polly… Can we talk?” 

Basil had emerged into the living room to find Polly sitting on the couch staring into space, still clutching her mug. She looked over at him absently, and he noticed the circles beneath her eyes - had she really convinced herself that it was purely her exhaustion that led her to those conclusions? Basil wasn't sure if it was really a good idea to go through with this - but Polly patted the couch beside her, and Basil sat down.

“So… About Sunny… Um…”

Polly looked at him patiently. He had to admit, he respected her for always listening, as awkward as it could be sometimes to be around his caretaker. He had never really agreed with the idea of having one in the first place, though his grandmother was admittedly growing more and more frail.

“His wings and halo… You s-saw the halo, right?”

“I thought I did, but… I wasn't sure. How does he make it look so real?”

Basil took a deep breath. “It's… It's not a costume, Polly. I don't know much, but I know that for sure. I think he is a fallen angel. He was- He was in the garden when I went out there this morning, and he was unconscious and cold, so I brought him inside and tried to tend to him. His wings are definitely real, I saw for myself.”

Polly blinked. “...You're not usually the type to joke, Basil.”

“You're right. I'm not. I know it's confusing… I'm a little lost, too…”

Polly thought for a moment. “... Who do I call to handle this?” She rubbed at her temples, breathing slowly and heavily, like she was trying to control it. “I trust you, Basil, I do. But it is a lot to take in.” She laughed humourlessly.

Before Basil could respond, he noticed Polly was looking up behind him, and followed her gaze. Sunny was peering around the corner of the doorway from the hall.

“... Hungry. What kind of foods do mortals eat?”

Polly still seemed to be in disbelief, but… Basil could see that she was trying. She took a moment before standing up. 

“How about I make us all a nice chicken soup? I think we'll all feel a little better on a full stomach.”

Basil shot her a grateful smile. “Sunny, will you tell me more about your world while we wait?” He suggested, standing and gesturing to his bedroom door. Sunny hesitated, then nodded slowly, and the two boys went into his room, leaving Polly to it. 

As soon as the door was closed, Basil let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. “I told her the truth, but… I think we should wait until we ask if you can stay here. B-But don't worry! Even if she says no, I'll f-find a way to hide you, or something. I… I can't let you get hurt, now can I?”

“How old are you?” Sunny asked, completely disregarding everything Basil had just said.

“Um… I'm sixteen. You?”

“...Only fifteen. Turning sixteen soon.”

Basil shifted uncomfortably where he stood, as Sunny casually went and sat on his bed like he owned it. 

“Can I ask… How did you end up there? In my garden, I mean.”

“I fell.” Sunny shrugged. 

“Well… I think I gathered that much, yes.”

“Don't remember. One minute I was following my duties, and the next, I was waking up here.” He glanced down at the bed beneath him as Basil frowned.

“What kind of duties?” He asked.

“Guardian duties.” Sunny explained nonchalantly. “I am the Guardian of Faraway Town.”

That was when it hit Basil. A memory. 

“Oh, that's right! I remember seeing your name on the guardian statue by the church.” Basil had to admit, he hadn't paid all that much attention to the church, though his friend and neighbour, Aubrey, was rather interested in it. “My friend Aubrey swore up and down that it used to say something else, though. Was it Mary, Marilyn…? I can't remember what she said.”

“Mari.” Sunny corrected shortly. “My predecessor and teacher. And… My older sister. It is… quite unusual that a mortal would take notice of that.”

“Haha, yeah…” Basil scratched at the back of his neck. “What's it l-like being a guardian?”

“It is my duty to protect and aid all creatures in my town,” Sunny said. “Things like returning lost items and helping out the townsfolk. A lot of them don't realise that the guardian is responsible, though many make the assumption and are benevolent.”

“Wow… Sounds like hard work.” Basil admitted. He wondered whether Sunny had ever helped him, without him realising. “I hope I didn't cause you any trouble.”

Sunny didn't acknowledge Basil's words, but instead asked, “Where are your parents?”

“Oh…” Basil fiddled with his hands, making his way over to sit beside Sunny on his bed. “I live with my grandmother, and Polly is my caretaker.”

“And your answer to my question?”

Basil gulped. “R-Right,” He started. He figured it would be wrong to deny the village guardian an answer. “Um… They aren't from here. They left to j-join The Empire. I think they might even be of importance there. Grandma says it was a horrible decision, but she's glad they left me with her instead of bringing me into a place like that.”

Sunny seemed to flinch at Basil's explanation. “Your parents… They're a part of The Empire? That is horrible. Part of my role as Guardian is to protect the village from such evil.”

Basil nodded. “I'm not proud of it. I'm just… I'm just glad I'm here.”

“You are not like them,” Sunny observed.

“You th-think so? Thank you…”

The winged boy nodded. 

Basil could never forgive his parents. The Empire was feared all around the world, taking over anything and everything they wanted. They were the reason monsters roamed outside of town without consequence, making it dangerous to travel, even to nearby villages. How his parents could excuse the violence and hatred spread by The Empire was beyond him.

“Polly is about to knock and tell us that the food is ready. No more questions for now.” Sunny said, which, ironically, only left Basil with more questions. But just as the angel said, within the minute Polly knocked on the door. Basil followed Sunny out of his room in silent pondering.

He wondered how this boy happened to end up specifically in Basil's garden. He wondered if there was more to the story. For now, he would have to keep an eye on Sunny, and he planned to do that.