The sun had broken through the window blinds far before Blake had bothered to draw herself out of her warm, comfortable bed. The day called for her to wake up, rise and smell the roses and taste the sunshine on her skin, but her bed pulled her back until she heard the rapping of her mother on her door.
Blake followed through the motions, her mind elsewhere as she got dressed and prepared herself for the morning. She sat down at the table, nodding politely to her parents as Kali poured her a cup of tea. Sun was already sitting quietly and calmly, sipping his tea with careful anticipation as the regular burns to his tongue were avoided.
"Good morning, Blake." Ghira greeted as Blake gave a small smile and pulled her cup to her lips, cautiously pouring the steaming liquid into her mouth as she tested it's warmth.
"Good morning." Blake returned as she looked up at her father before resting her cup back on the table. She made busy work of pulling grapes and apples, other breakfast assortments adorned the table, and placing them on her plate.
"Did you have a good rest, dear?" Kali asked good-naturedly, her ear twitching as she tilted her head. Sun grinned and turned to look at Blake, anticipating her response, hope for the best sparkling in his eyes.
"Yes. It's nice to be back home." Blake acknowledged as she smiled at the familiar walls that closed the cool air around her. Memories flashed by and faded, disappearing in front of her eyes, despite her wish to cling to them.
"Any plans for the day? I'm sure some people would love to see you back." Kali reminded as she reached forward and patted Blake's hand. The touch was comforting, careful and gentle, and a feeling that she had many times before.
"I was thinking of going down to the beach. I haven't been there in a while, and I remember it being nice this time of year." Blake suggested, her eyes switching between glancing at her father and mother, carefully inspecting to gage a reaction.
"Oh. Well, that should be fine. Please do try to say hello to some of the people?" Kali said as Ghira frowned for a moment, the gears turning in his mind as he considered the situation. Blake never liked that look.
"I can send some help with you? Menagerie isn't the same as it used to be." Ghira said, disappointment and fatigue drowning his tone as he looked darkly at the window that provided an opening to the outside.
"I'll be fine, Dad. Sun can come with me." Blake assured, her eyes immediately widening as regret burned into her stomach and scorched her thoughts. Sun shrunk back from the lethal glare Ghira was casting him, threatening him with daggers that would cut through him with ease.
"Blake-"
"That'll be just fine." Kali cut off, shielding Sun and Blake from the wrath and the protectiveness of Ghira's paternal instinct. Kali gave Ghira a warning, stern look that pushed Ghira to a sigh as he looked down to the table.
"Very well." Ghira growled, clearly displeased by the threatening situation.
"Cool!" Sun cheered, joy and relief blessing his expression before he glanced at Ghira and lost the bright demeanor. Blake smiled and gave Sun a comforting smile, doing her best to assure him with the forced silence.
The morning faded and afternoon rose upon Blake much faster than she had expected. The sun climbed higher into the sky, bringing a burning heat that bore down on all those below it. Blake looked forward the sandy shore and the cooling breeze down on the beach. The shade of the waving palm trees that provided relief from the sun's shower of rays.
Kali had insisted on preparing their lunches herself, carefully devoting each part of their meal with love only a mother could. Blake waved behind her, casting a smile over her shoulder as they walked down the beaten path and down towards the beach. Sun gave Kali a bright grin and a cheerful wave before he turned around and faced in front of him, matching his stride to Blake's as they paced through the small village.
"Your dad still doesn't like me." Sun observed, his grin faltering by a small margin, disappointment flashing in his bright sea, blue eyes.
"He's like that. He'll come around." Blake said, an attempt at calming his nerves and bringing the usual brightness back to Sun's demeanor and smile. She reached down and took hold of Sun's hand, her fingers intertwining with his. Sun bent his head down to stare, wide eyed, at their locked hands before looking up to beam up at Blake. Blake tilted her head to look at him, her eyes meeting his in a loving shade of gold.
His smile could put the sun itself to shame.
"I sure hope so. I feel like I'm walking on shards of glass." Sun admitted as they walked side by side, arms swinging slightly by their connected hands. Sun didn't bother to notice the people looking at them, eyeing them curiously and trying to pinpoint the oddity of the couple.
"Don't worry. Dad's just protective. I'll sweep away the glass." Blake confirmed as she squeezed his hand lightly in her own, his hand fitting snugly, perfectly in hers.
Sun grinned, his eyes unable to hide anything from her attentive eyes. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, never hiding anything from those he cared most for. He was an open book, forever able to be read by everyone around him.
Blake envied that. Much more than she had ever anticipated.
She was always closed up. Walls built too tall and too strong, unbreakable and hiding everything that she wanted. She was comfortable with her tower of protection, of ending the closeness to people she didn't know she needed.
Yet Sun broke the tower. Shattered it and tore it down completely. She didn't expect to be glad for it.
The beach greeted them with open arms, spreading it's palm tree doors and cooling them with the shade that drew above them. The sand was warm, despite their shielding footwear, spreading heat throughout their bodies as they paced out onto the sand.
"This is a lot better than Vacuo. It's only sand there, no water." Sun reminisced as he let out a deep sigh at the sight of the waves rolling up on the shore. Calming and peaceful, everything their lives hadn't been, recently. Their lives were overrun with destruction, with memories of Beacon and everything that happened.
With the guilt.
Yet Blake had pushed forward. She needed a little help, curtesy of the monkey faunus she was standing with, their fingers locked together as they looked beyond them at the sea they had managed to make it off of.
Despite the lack of mobility and efficacy, Sun placed their blankets down underneath the wide shade of the palm trees one handed. Blake had almost pulled her hand out, the slight movement had been ceased by Sun's assuring eyes and his slightly tightened grip on her hand, unwilling to let go just yet. Blake smiled and relaxed her hand further into his grip and let him continue his business of attempting to adjust the blankets and place the basket down.
"Are you going in the water, Blake?" Sun asked as Blake sat down on the towel and tied her hair up to avoid the offending stray locks running into the sand. Although tied, her hair was still somewhat loose around her head, providing a slight pillow as she laid down on her blanket. Sun laid down next to her and grinned, his eyes taking in her minimal changed appearance.
"I'm not sure. I've never been a huge fan of water." Blake admitted, her lips pursing slightly as she stared up at the palm tree waving down at her. She turned her head slightly to glance at Sun, his bright, golden hair bright as always against the darker towel.
"Aw, water's great! It's nice and cool on hot summer days, fun to play around in!" Sun cheered, his arms extending upwards, grabbing at the rays of sunlight breaking through the leaves. Blake chuckled quietly, the reaction so very Sun, and she admired his optimism and enjoyment out of so many things.
"I might go in. I didn't bring a swimsuit, though." Blake informed as she lowered her gaze to the bright blue sea in front of them, enticing her to get swallowed by it's cool and refreshing surface.
Sun grinned, undeterred by the lack of swimwear, his expression contorting into a slightly thoughtful frown.
"Well, we have towels! If you go on the water, we could dry off before we get back to your parents!" Sun offered as he looked at the cat faunus. Blake picked at the edges of her bright, yellow towel, observing the material and considering her options.
"I don't know." Blake paused, her eyes scanning over the vibrant fabric beneath her. Sun reached across the small space between them and placed his hand on top of hers.
"You don't have to, we can stay on the sand." Sun said calmly, his hand patting hers gently, comforting and warm like a cozy blanket. Blake smiled and looked towards Sun, instantly finding his sea blue, eyes. Calmness washed over her, the waves comparing nothing to the peace that swallowed her when her eyes met his. He was everything she wished she could be, but it made her all the more grateful when she realized that she was given him for a purpose.
He was her lifeguard. He pulled her out of the water when it rose too high. He kept her in the waves to help her recover and fight the warring seas of her past.
"You can go, Sun. I don't want to hold you back."
"You never could, Blake." Sun admitted as he stared into her golden eyes. They were more relaxed than he'd ever seen them. They were darting around the area, expecting and awaiting the arrival of someone who sought to end her, to wound her, to break her.
Blake pushed herself so she was sitting on her blanket, Sun quickly mimicked the motion as he awaited her next action. Blake's eyes glazed over the white foam that surfaced on the ocean, pushing itself against the sand, leaving it's mark where it had beached before retreating back to the safety of the sea.
"Let's go. It's been a while since I've been in the water." Blake raised an eyebrow and pulled off her white coat, revealing her black crop top beneath. Sun grinned, completely ecstatic to be able to play around in the water again. He pulled off his white vest, exposing his torso entirely as he stripped his footwear next to the towel. Blake pulled off her boots, placing them underneath the palm tree to avoid them scorching her when she returned to them.
"This is going to be great! I love water!" Sun proclaimed as he stared eagerly after the refreshing water in front of them. Blake chuckled lightly as her hand reached out to take hold of Sun's. Sun beamed at her as they walked side by side to the shore and let the water run over their legs and relieve them of the sun's heat.
Sun kicked a small splash of water at Blake, the cat faunus gasped in shock as the cool water hit her bare shoulders. Frowning playfully, Blake reached down with her free hand and cupped a tiny bit of the ocean in her grasp and tossed it at Sun. Sun laughed as he turned his face away to avoid the sea water getting into his eyes.
"You started it." Blake pointed out as Sun grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes as he bent down to feel the water on his finger tips.
"Yeah, but now it's war!" Sun declared, a teasing tone drowning his voice as he splashed Blake again. Blake squealed as droplets of water sprayed her, wetting her hair and her skin as she ducked away from the attack as best as possible, but refused to let go of his hand.
"Okay, monkey boy." Blake teased as she kicked the surface of the water and sent the liquid up and onto his neck and chest. Sun gave a short shriek as the cold water crawled up his skin and dripped down his front.
"Wow! That is cold!" Sun breathed, registering moments later that Blake was laughing so hard that she almost fell over. Sun grinned despite his own slight discomfort of the sudden freezing attack.
Man, she was beautiful.
Her face adorned with joy and a true happiness that Sun had been trying to spark since he'd met her. Her beauty was unchallenged and unattainable by any other person.
"You should've seen your face." Blake chuckled, still recovering from her recent lack of oxygen from the sigh of Sun's reaction. A light blush burned itself onto Sun's cheeks, spreading like a virus to his neck and ears, as slight embarrassment crawled to the forefront of his mind. Blake ceased her laughing, her face still red from the onslaught of laughter , and the lingering tips of a bright smile still on her visage.
"Just means I'll need some payback?" Sun challenged, little seriousness in his voice as he tilted his head, carefully gaging her reaction as she hummed and rose an eyebrow.
"I don't know. You did start it." Blake pointed out as she backed away slightly, anticipating the returned fire from the monkey faunus. She didn't let go of his hand, still tying herself to him and providing little exit or mobility to dodge, but she was too comfortable to slide her hand out of his.
"You continued it." Sun pointed out as he raised his foot dangerously, threatening her with a splash that would undoubtedly rival her last blow. "And I'll end it!"
With a good, forceful kick, water spout up, rising higher in the air than either of them had really anticipated, and rained down on the cat faunus. Blake gasped, the cool liquid soothing her hot skin but freezing on impact. Blake looked down at her appearance, water marks stained her clothes and her hair was dripping droplets down her back. Slowly, she turned her head to look up at Sun.
His face was priceless.
Shock had taken truest form on his face as his free hand covered his mouth and his eyes were widened to the point of popping out of his skull. She could see the regret that flashed in his eyes, giving Blake some satisfaction that he hadn't meant it to be that big.
It did feel nice, for a brief second. Before she was freezing.
With now both of them soaked to the skin, Blake stared at Sun for a moment before tugging him towards her. Sun let himself get pulled towards the cat faunus, willingness coursing through his veins as his body was brought towards her.
Least to say, Sun wasn't expecting her to kiss him full on the mouth.
His body ceased moving, the gears in his mind falling apart as he processed what was going on. He had to be dreaming, or something. This certainly wasn't happening.
Yet he felt her lips on his and he was floating higher than any cloud in the sky. Blake pulled away before Sun could work his brain to return the kiss and she smiled at him.
Right before shoving him into the water.
Sun was quicker on his feet than seconds ago, his hand tightened it's grip around hers and she was pulled face first into the water after him. Although she landed on top of him, the wave that saw the fallen couple could smell the opportunity and washed over them. Leaving them both incredibly soaked.
Sun grinned at her, his hair somewhat flattened on his head as he helped her up and he brushed the sand off of his back and jeans. Blake giggled at his appearance, observing the sand that still dusted in his hair and clung to the locks as the dampness invited it to stay.
"I guess we needed those towels." Blake hummed as they walked back onto the beach and towards their warm and dry and towels. Sun grabbed his towel up, shirt and sneakers, not even bothering to put them on to avoid getting them wet too. Blake did the same with her own garments and placed the towel around her shoulders before reaching back out to grab his hand.
Sun eagerly stepped forward and slid his hand into hers, the feeling familiar and cozy. Sun walked alongside her, glancing at her for a few moments as his towel hung around his neck.
"Sorry."
"About what?" Blake rose an eyebrow, genuine curiosity blinking back at him as she strode back towards her parent's house. Sun looked at the ground, sheepish and slightly unwilling to meet her gaze.
"Pulling you into the water, soaking you..." Sun trailed off, biting off an incredibly embarrassed groan as he forced himself to look up and find her eyes. "And not kissing you back."
Blake stopped, the movement ceasing both of them as her firm grip kept Sun was walking without her. Sun turned to face her, red adorning his visage as he looked at the cat faunus for a moment. Blake's eyebrow lowered and a kind smile pulled at her lips.
"It just means you'll have to make it up to me next time." Blake hummed as she kept her grip and moved away, slightly pulling Sun along with her. Sun's eyes widened as realization hit him harder than a grimm.
"Yeah! I'm down for that!"