Pronouns: They/Them
Basil's Pronouns: They/He
Warning(s): mentions of blood and death, grieving
The person Basil's based on gave me this idea, so you can blame them if y'all get hurt by this
Spring had finally rolled around which meant I got to spend more time out in the garden and it also meant I could spend time with Basil, my best friend. The fox boy had shown up at my house four years ago and followed me to castle Dimitrescu when I started working there as a maid, always keeping me company whenever I was sent outside to do something.
Today had started out normal; I woke the lady and guided her to breakfast. After breakfast, I walked with her back to her study before she dismissed me, allowing me to go out to the garden. It was only when I reached the garden that I knew something was off.
Basil usually greeted me around this time, bringing me a random flower he would find on his morning walk before the two of us would hang out until your lady called for me. Today, he was nowhere to be found. After about ten minutes, I grew worried and headed inside, pacing the halls as I waited for my lady to call for me. I was glad, for once, when she called for me — allowing a distraction from my racing mind.
I brought her a glass of wine and stayed at her side with my head bowed as I awaited her next orders. "You don't smell like that fox boy today."
Her comment made me tense up, my fingers fiddling with my skirt. "H-he didn't show up today, my l-lady."
Her piercing gaze immediately landed on me, blood-red lips curling into a frown. She knew how much he meant to me — how I viewed him as a little brother — and she knew how worried I was. With a soft sigh, she gently set her wine glass down, placing a gloved finger under my chin and turning my head to face her.
"Do you know where he lives?" I nodded immediately, swallowing hard. "Then you may go look for him, I can smell the worry rolling off of you. Take this, the lycans won't attack you if you have it."
She handed me a metal rose, watching me graciously accept it with a slight bow. "Thank you, my lady. I'll be safe and return as soon as possible."
With that, she dismissed me. I took off down the hall after I shut her door, stopping at my room to grab the pistol she allowed me to buy — knowing I'd only use it on actual threats and not her or her daughters. Before I was out in the garden, a pair of cold arms snaked around my waist, pulling me back.
"I heard," Daniela whispered, worry lacing her voice. "Be safe and return to us, [Y/N], okay?"
"I promise I'll return, lady Daniela," I whispered, taking off towards Basil's cabin when she let me go.
When I saw their cabin, I slowed down. No candles were lit, nor was his fireplace, and the door was shut. Everything seemed normal, but something was definitely off — something made me cautiously open his door. Inside was a mess and it made my heart squeeze. He would never let his cabin get like this — they were too clean for this unless something was very wrong. I raced through the destroyed cabin to reach his bedroom. I saw his form leaning against the wall of the connecting bathroom, a single candle burning to barely illuminate their slumped-over form.
"B-Basil?" I called softly, my entire body feeling like lead when I tried to move. "Basil, are you okay?"
A soft groan came from his form and I rushed to his side, gently pulling him into a nervous hug. When my hands touched them, I immediately pulled them back at the feeling of a warm and sticky substance, my eyes widening when I noticed blood. A quiet sob left me as I cupped his cheeks, tears pricking my eyes as his hazel eyes slowly opened to meet my [E/C] ones. Their lips curled into a weak smile, a hand lifting to cup my cheek.
"I'm... sor...ry..." His smile faded and his eyes fluttered shut again, body slumping into my arms.
"Basil..." I whimpered, gently shaking their body. "Basil, come on... you gotta wake up."
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I held him closer, soft sobs and whimpers leaving me. Once my tears had stopped, I carried them to their bed and grabbed a shovel before going outside to dig him a grave. A while later and I had officially buried my best friend, planting flowers on his grave before heading inside and changing out of my maid's outfit. Once I was changed into the clothes of mine that they kept in the cabin from when the lady would allow me to spend the night with him, I made the trek back to the castle slowly, making sure I had gotten rid of any trace of me crying.
When I got back inside, Daniela was immediately next to me, a curious gleam in her eyes. "Is he okay?"
"Y-yeah..." I lied, not even bothering to look at her. "He's just sick... He's resting."
I didn't even let her say anything more before I walked off, heading towards my lady's study to return the metal rose. With a knock, followed by the lady permitting me, I slowly opened the door and held out the rose to her.
"Thank you, my lady," I whispered when she took it, forcing a small smile. "They're resting, it appears that they caught a cold."
My lady stared at me in silence for a minute, making me shift under her gaze. She turned her gaze back to whatever she was writing, leaving me to just stand and wait for her next order.
"I can tell when you're lying," She stated after a while of silence, not taking her eyes off of what she was working on. "I don't like when the help lies to me. And I don't appreciate my significant other lying to me either."
"I'm sorry, Alci..." I whispered, staring blankly ahead, my brows creasing as the image of Basil flashed in my head.
"So, what actually happened?"
My jaw clenched at her question, anger filling my veins as the image of my best friend seemed to be burned into my memory. Her gaze was felt on me as my head tilted down, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. A gloved hand was placed on my shoulder and I flinched away, tears pricking my eyes again.
"M-may I be excused for the day?" My voice cracked with each word, making my girlfriend pull her hand back.
"Little kit..." She breathed out, clearly pulling herself from mistress mode and into concerned girlfriend mode.
"Please," I begged, locking my tear-filled eyes with her concerned ones.
When she gave me a slight nod, I took off. I didn't want to head to the room I shared with Alcina, I knew that'd be the first place any of the residents looked and I just wanted to be left alone for now; needing to process what I had seen. By the time I stopped running, I found myself in my old room — the same room Basil would stay in whenever winter was too bad for them to stay in their cabin. I slowly pushed the door open, cringing slightly at the loud creak before I walked in.
I shut the door behind me, blankly staring at the bed before making my way over to it, the tears I had held back now falling once more. The scene replayed in my mind once I reached the bed, causing me to collapse onto it and pull a pillow to my chest, his scent still lingering. I stayed there for hours and cried until I eventually fell asleep.
When I woke up, I noticed a tall figure making its way to the bed before kneeling next to me, worry shining in her gold eyes. "Little kit... What happened to Basil?"
The question brought tears to my eyes once more and I sat up, throwing my arms around her and burying my face in her neck. She gently lifted me, moving to sit on the bed and placing me in her lap to gently rub circles on my back. I didn't cry like I thought I would, the sorrow in me simply squeezing my heart. Once I was calm enough, I pulled back slightly, a single tear sliding down my cheek.
"H-he's dead..." I sniffled, hearing buzzing get closer to the room we were in. "He died in my arms... I buried him outside of his cabin."
The sound of buzzing stopped and my attention turned to the door, the daughters appearing out of their fly swarms with their concerned, gold eyes trained on me. My girlfriend pulled me closer, letting my head rest on her chest. The daughters entered the room, Daniela being the one to speak up first.
"Can you take us to their grave?" She asked hesitantly, fidgeting with her sleeves. "We want to bury them closer to the castle, to make it easier for you to visit them."
"Dani..." I whispered, a sad smile on my face. "I think they'd love that."