"So," Sun's voice sounded gently, as if not to disturb blake, "To Atlas, huh?" Blake's eyes fluttered open, and she stared out over the balcony, the calming noise of Mistral's waterfalls in the distance. The sun was bound to set soon, and the two looked out at the mountains, with Blake leaning on the balcony, and Sun sitting on it. He didn't show any fear of tumbling off the edge. He certainly hadn't when he sat on the rails of the ship, pestering Blake to no end. She blinked, her eyes focused on the sinking sun.
"Yeah," Blake responded softly, crossing her wrists over the balcony. "It'll be interesting." Sun gave her a funny look, and she sighed, staring over the edge. "The people there… aren't the kindest, you know." Sun's tail flicked upright in attention, and Blake stifled a giggle. "No, ladies don't always like the tail, Sun." He rolled his eyes, and she let out a small laugh. It was a soft sound, similar to clinking a glass with a fork. Sun grinned, pleased that he had made her laugh, even if it meant embarrassing himself. He decided that she should laugh more often. Her smile faded, and her eyes returned to the generous display of nature and sky before them. "Ilia could tell you a little something about that."
"What… do you mean?" Sun asked, his tail moving from left to right. Blake knew it was pure curiosity, there wasn't really anything else it could be, but she knew it wasn't her place to tell the golden faunus about her friend's past. Those rights belonged solely to Ilia, and if she came to find that she trusted Sun enough to tell him one day, then Blake would look on in pride. "Blake?" She exhaled, calming herself. He had no ill intent. He had forgiven Ilia for stabbing him by pinching her. He could understand.
"I- Ilia has a past like all the rest of us, Sun," She commented, not minding if it was slightly cryptic, "I shared mine with you. She should be the one to share hers." He nodded, showing toleration that Blake didn't want to explain. Blake smiled to herself. The Sun from a few months ago would've pressed her for answers. He was really different, and it made her heart flutter. Not that she'd ever admit that, certainly not to Sun. "Maybe she'll come to Atlas. Part of me doubts it, though."
The gentle roar of the waterfall sounded close enough to the waves of Menagerie, and that fact relaxed Blake, despite the events that befell her home. Blake closed her eyes again and let the breeze dance around her face. Her sigh escaped into the wind, and for a moment, she almost forgot that Sun was there entirely. It wasn't until he spoke again that her heart skipped a beat. "You'll have to send me some pictures, or something," Sun suggested, stretching his arms above his head, "I never visited Atlas. Probably never will. So keep in contact," he smirked, giving her finger guns, like he always did. Blake blinked in surprise, her heart freezing for an instant.
"You're not coming?" She questioned, turning her whole body to face him. The phrase came out a bit more curious than she'd intended, she could tell by the look on Sun's face. His eyes had widened slightly, and his tail had frozen, when before it had been swishing, in constant motion. It was almost relaxing to watch his tail, sometimes, so the fact that it had ceased to sway put Blake at unease.
"N-no?" He responded, sounding rather unsure of himself. Even this couldn't give Blake hope. It was just Sun being Sun. Her nails scratched the balcony anxiously, and she felt her face heat. She turned her eyes down, examining her hand as if it was the most intriguing thing she'd ever seen. "I mean, I was thinking I'd go find my team, and help your parents with the new brotherhood, or something," he shrugged, clearly saddened by Blake's sudden silent mien.
Right. A team. He had a team. Blake couldn't help but admit to herself that spending so much time with Sun, although she had initially been against the idea, had resulted in her thinking of him as a team member. He certainly felt like one, after what they'd been through together. And now hearing all of this about Ozpin and the tale of the Maidens, it only seemed to bring the two closer. Sun had definitely been an anchor for the past week. Reuniting with her team had relieved her of so much pain and stress, but seeing as she'd been away for so long, interactions were still strained and awkward, especially with Yang.
"I thought you'd come with us," Blake mentioned somberly, unable to deny that her heart hurt from his denial. Sun let out a humorous puff of air, prompting Blake to turn to him again, leaning her chin on one elbow. When he saw that she was serious, her cat ears flattened in annoyance, he frowned, melancholy, with his hands falling limply to his side.
"You said you didn't want me around," he said, "Multiple times, actually." He pointed to his face, reminder her of the multiple times that she'd slapped him. Looking back, she felt incredibly guilty for that. "And I haven't seen Scarlet, Sage, and Neptune in a while, so I just thought that if you didn't want me around… you know," he paused, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, sheepishly, "Maybe they would."
"You're so wrong, Sun," she whispered, knowing he didn't hear. The tips of her ears drooped slightly. "I told you. I didn't want you around because of Adam." His name sent a shiver down her spine, admittedly. "And I haven't stopped worrying about him hurting you and my friends. He already has," she made eye contact with him, "And it's not even that simple." Silence ensued, and Blake could tell from Sun's eyes that he was surprised. "It's- whatever. If you want to go back I understand, but-" she inhaled sharply, her breaths choppy and short, "What if I need you around?" It sounded ridiculous, saying it out loud, for all of the times that she'd told Sun to go away, to leave her alone. But it was true, and now was the best time to say it.
Sun raised an eyebrow, but once he saw that she was not smiling or laughing, he nodding to himself. He had been waiting so long to hear her say something of that sort, and he wasn't nearly as elated as he thought he'd be. Not that he was disappointed, it certainly did make his heart skip a beat. "Okay," he said, feeling the back of his neck heat up. He smiled when he saw that Blake was blushing, and it broke the tension. "Well. Atlas it is."
Blake smiled to herself, the expression made of pure joy. Her ears flicked upwards as she was alerted to him speaking again. "I probably would've ended up following you anyways," he assured, "Maybe it would be less creepy, though." She giggled, and he felt his heart soar. "Go where you need to. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth."
Blake's request that followed was a quiet promise, asking for commitment, but phrased in a much more poetic manner. Of course it was. She was Blake Belladonna. "Like morning follows night?" She challenged.
"You won't have to fight alone, I swear. Like morning follows night," Sun promised, placing his hand over one of Blake's unconsciously. Her ears turned outwards, and her face went pink. Sun's tail flicked to an alert position, and he chuckled awkwardly under his breath. Blake hadn't pulled away yet, so he took that as a good sign. Blake was truly too stunned to move. Her mouth was opened slightly, and she could feel her face growing hotter by the second. Yet, neither of the two pulled away.
If you'd asked Blake why she did the actions that followed, she would've sworn that she had no idea what she was doing. In the moment, however, she was very sure of herself. Very sure of herself leaning against the golden, simian faunus. Very sure of the moment she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. Before she could turn to leave, she found Sun's tail curling around her waist and pulling her to his side.
What she wasn't so sure of was how to react to Sun gently taking her face between his hands and pulling her into the sweetest kiss. The gesture was so direct that it took Blake a while to respond, but once she did, she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to dip her backwards with the additional support from his tail. He curled around her, as if he were protecting her, and Blake, admittedly, felt as if she was soaring. Sunlight practically emitted from him, and he was the light that she needed in her life. He was the morning that followed her night. These thoughts came crashing down upon her like rain as she gently pulled back after what had felt like an eternity. She had never felt so free. It made her forget her situation. He was right there, so therefore, she had nothing to be afraid of.
Amber eyes met ones as blue as the sea, and Blake's lips curled into a small smile. Both were silent, the only thing audible being their soft breaths and the gentle roaring of the waterfall in the distance. The breeze tossed Blake's dark hair in various directions, but Sun smiled.
The sky had turned to various colors, at this point, at the sun was no more than a sliver skimming the horizon. Blake was the one to turn and leave, although she knew Sun would be following her eventually. He'd promised after all. Like morning follows night.
Only now she knew what those words were truly supposed to represent.