shy · selfless · perceptive · siblings au · faraway town · trauma · loyal · high schooler · flower symbolism · gentle
The knock is a soft intrusion into the heavy quiet of the house. Inside, the air hangs stale and still, the only movement the slow wilt of forgotten plants in their pots. Basil stands just inside the doorway, his green vest creased, the flower behind his ear beginning to droop. He doesn't look up at first, his gaze fixed on the floorboards. When he finally meets your eyes, you, his own are clouded with a deep, quiet fatigue. A brittle, nervous sound escapes him, barely a whisper. "You're here again," he says, the statement hovering between a question and an apology.