... I'm... not... running...

...you will...

...

...

...

... why must you hurt me, Blake?...

Another restless night for Blake. The scars never healed, and once again had her gasping in a cold sweat as she shot upright in her bed. That final night at Beacon never went away, and it showed no signs that it was going to anytime soon. That metal image of Adam Taurus was burnt into the back of her head forever.

It was no use going back to sleep just yet. Blake knew the only way she'd get back to sleep is if she cleared her mind, even just for a moment. Pushing off the covers and getting up from her bed, she ran her hand over her face and brushed away the sweat, tucking her hair out of her face. She needed a walk.

Thankfully, her spacious home in Menagerie allowed her to do that. As she stepped out onto the balcony, she looked out to the beautiful star lit skies. Even the broken moon offered some source of comfort. It was nice to have the space to herself at last. She could think of something other than the studying, or the mission goals.

Or her friends.

As nice as it was to be home again, Blake found the ears on her head folding when she thought back to what was left behind. RWBY. Her team. Her new family. She missed the way Ruby would wake everyone up with her optimistic cheering, or the way Yang would make her laugh and smile those times when she was down. She even missed the way Weiss would correct her when she made her coffee wrong.

But she couldn't go back. There was too much at stake. Not only did she need time away from it all after so many years of White Fang service, and another year as a Huntress, but she needed to be away from Adam. She couldn't risk their lives again.

At least, that was the intended plan.

The soft snores coming from the guest room reminded her that didn't exactly go the way she wanted it to. Whether she liked it or not, Sun Wukong was there to stay. Even after their initial dislike of him, Blake had managed to convince her parents to let him stay. She had to admit, it was some comfort to know he was there, even if it wasn't intended.

Maybe that was what she needed right now...

She turned to stare at the door leading to his room, ears folding once again. Would he get mad? She knew Sun well enough, and he seemed mellow and chilled out enough to listen to her if she was having problems. But to come to him in the middle of the night?

It was better than nothing. Holding her breath, she slid the door open slowly...

'He kinda looks cute when he sleeps...'

Blake smiled softly from the doorway. Already she felt relaxed, even just from the sight of Sun strewn across the bed with the covers barely over him. Menagerie was so warm, no doubt he was still getting used to the new climate. As always, the abs were out on display. At least now she didn't feel so guilty about looking.

But the draft coming from the door finally had him stirring. Blake ended up jumping when he rolled in her direction, and his eyes eased open. She quickly turned her back, hoping he hadn't quite seen her as she took one step-

"Blake?"

Too late.

Slowly she turned herself back around, looking toward him with an embarrassed expression. Shoulders raised, she crossed one of her arms over her chest. "H-Hey Sun..."

Groaning quietly, Sun blinked repeatedly as he looked around the dark room. "Hnn... It's still night, what'cha doing here? Is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's fine."

The folded ears gave that lie away, and Sun knew it. Right away he raised an eyebrow. "Blake... Come on."

Deeply sighing, Blake stared toward the ground instead. She bit her lip as she tried to think of the words to say. She was still scared of opening up, but Sun was always so insistent to help. No matter what, he wasn't Adam. It was time to accept that and let herself seek help again.

"I just... I couldn't sleep. S-So, I just dropped by, check on you... I dunno..."

Even if not much was said, Sun could read her easily. They'd been around one another long enough to know that. Blake couldn't open up well, last time they did it took a few days. But this was progress. Rather than force her to open up more, he offered another option. One that didn't involve words.

He budged to the far side of the bed, opening up space enough for her to lay by his side, patting the space to invite her over.

Right away Blake's ears perked up again. It was a strange thing to offer, sleeping in the same bed as him. But was it so strange? She'd always liked Sun's body, and even though she wasn't one for contact, she had to admit it looked comfortable. And maybe sleeping with someone else so close would help clear her mind of Adam.

In the end, she found herself accepting that help. She paced slowly toward the bed, climbing into the newly opened space and sliding up against his side. Right away she was met with the pleasant warmth of his body heat, and the softness of his skin. As she nuzzled against his chest, she found one of his arms lazily placing itself on her lower back.

It took a full five minutes before she finally spoke up again, very quietly.

"This... is actually really nice..."

Smiling to himself, he nodded gently, allowing his thumb to brush against her robe. "Yeah... It is, huh?"

Nodding in agreement, Blake let herself nuzzle into him further. It did feel nice to be against someone she liked so much, someone who was a fierce fighter who could protect her in the rare moment she needed it, yet someone so soft he could make her smile and comfort her. Maybe it was about time she let people back in again.

And as they both drifted back to sleep again, the image of Adam didn't resurface again that night.