Chapter One

"Hello, my darling."

The voice sent a jolt of terror through Blake's chest at the sound of the emotionless phrase that always brought her back to hell. He couldn't be here. There was no way he found her already.

She couldn't see, even with her Faunus traits, as if she was being blindfolded. Her panic spiked, causing her to whimper and attempt to move away, only to find herself paralyzed. As the blinder was removed, her vision was occupied by Adam's face, red aura pulsing as if he was preparing to unleash his semblance. The blade still invaded her midsection, causing paralyzing pain and fear to flood her mind.

"I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

A muffled scream bubbled up in her chest, being sucked back into reality as the dream ended. Sun was shaking her lightly, attempting to wake her up. Her body was drenched in sweat and her heart pounded in her chest. Slowly, she sat up in bed while Sun remained standing.

Sun looked at her apologetically. "My bad, seemed like it was a hell of a nightmare."

Blake took a deep breath, looking over to smile at Sun. They'd only been on this ship together for a day and she really was trying to make the best of it. "That's okay," Blake said softly. "You just got here?"

He shrugged. "I got caught up in watching the stars. Besides, I didn't expect you to offer to share your cabin with the stowaway."

"The captain was willing to give you a room if there was an empty one to show his gratitude. You're lucky he didn't throw you overboard once he realized you didn't pay on a fully booked ship," she said, glaring at him.

"Boat woulda sunk if I hadn't showed up," Sun said, dusting his shoulder cockily.

"Yeah, sure, Sun," Blake said, smiling at him.

Silence fell between the two Faunus. Sun looked to Blake, noticing how her body trembled and her breathing was erratic. "Hey, you okay?" he asked quietly, reaching over to touch her shoulder gently.

Blake jumped at the touch, smacking his hand away lightly. "I'm fine."

"It must have been some dream, huh? Wanna talk about it?"

She cringed, wishing he would have just let it go. "No, I don't."

Sun sighed, sitting down beside the mattress. "Come on, Blake."

"Sun." Her voice was raspy, like she was struggling to speak, and her gaze avoided her companion's. "Please, don't push this." It wasn't a request, but a command.

Guilt hit Sun's conscience like a rolling boarbatusk. She sounded so hurt and her feline ears folded over in response to the clear discomfort weighing on her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," she said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while."

Sun coiled back, standing to leave the cabin. "Yeah, sure."

The moment the door closed behind him, Sun heard a heavy sob from the other side. It was obvious she'd been fighting the emotion even before he left. He wanted to go in and find out what was going on, hold her until she had no tears left, but he knew that she would never allow that kind of vulnerability.

From the bed, Blake's breathing heaved as she fought back the memories torturing her mind. That slicing blue eye, the red hot aura of intimidation, the terror. Even before the Fall of Beacon, Blake was no stranger to Adam's abuse. In their partnership through the White Fang, and their romantic partnership, he was a controlling authoritarian. Emotional abuse was slung at her daily, had stooped to physical abuse dozens of times, and even touched into sexual on a number of occasions.

The injury and trauma she sustained at the Fall only worked to agitate the aftermath of the years of abuse she suffered. To think that she brought Yang, her best friend, into that hell. It killed her inside. She couldn't keep putting Yang at risk by staying and, frankly, she just wanted to see her family and to go back to a time before her innocence was so irreparably shattered.

All of this was her fault.

She was too much of a coward to stand up for herself. If she were stronger, she could have protected Yang.

And now Sun had followed her. The last thing she wanted was for someone else to get hurt because of her. How was she supposed to protect them if they didn't allow her to?

It was unclear how long she sat there, sobbing into her arms, unable to contain her emotion, but it felt like hours.

By the time she left the cabin, Sun was standing by the side of the boat, talking with a small group of women. He confidently assured them that Grimm that large didn't interact with ships often, trying to ease their worry. From Blake's perspective, it was easy to see that the girls were flirting with the gifted young Huntsman, but he seemed entirely unaware. A chuckle came from Blake as she rolled her eyes and walked closer to where Sun was standing. The girls seemed to dissipate almost immediately upon her arrival, like they wanted no association with her at all.

Good, keep away so I can't get you hurt too. Blake cringed at the thought and took several deep breaths to right her state of mind once more.

"Feeling better?" Sun asked, leaning against the rail of the ship while they stared out at the ocean that passed by.

"I told you, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I'm sure you've had them as well," she said, hoping to deflect the question, and the conversation, entirely.

"I can't remember a single time that a dream put me in that state. I know you better than that."

"You don't," Blake snapped back, annoyed once more. The guy really knew how to pry. She hadn't meant to lash out at him, but her nerves were still frayed.

Sun glared at her suspiciously. "What is it? After everything we've gone through, everything you've already told me, what could be so awful that you won't clue me in?"

"It isn't important, Sun." Her fists clenched as she grew increasingly angrier. "I didn't ask you to follow me here."

"I was worried about you! If you knew I was tailing you, you would have run off again."

Blake flinched at the implication. The dark voice constantly in the back of her mind echoed louder, "Running away again?" It was almost like the activist was breathing right down her neck, whispering with his lips against her ear. She fought to act normally while her body remained on high alert.

Sun wasn't ignorant to her internal turmoil. He didn't know what was bothering her, but he could see in her eyes that it was tearing her apart inside. "I only wanted to help you."

"I don't need help!" Blake bit back, glaring at him. She felt the tickle of tears welling in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. It should have bothered her to be retaining eye contact while she was so visibly vulnerable, but her actions were out of her control. "I just wanted to be alone."

A heavy sigh left Sun's chest as he felt his good nature coming back to bite him. Avoiding eye contact, he turned to go lay down for a bit. He knew how to take a hint.

Several hours went by before Blake left the deck. She owed Sun an apology, but she'd needed the time to restabilize herself. Opening the door, Blake noticed Sun sleeping shirtless diagonally on the bed, limbs sprawled about haphazardly. His mouth was hanging wide open and the tip of his tail was twitching periodically between breathy snores. The sight made Blake smile. After all, he was safe and sleeping soundly.

Though she'd never admitted it, the cat Faunus had strong feelings for Sun. It wasn't a secret that they'd been drawn to each other from the moment they met and her feelings had become far greater than friendly. That scared her. She couldn't imagine being in a relationship with him and remaining happy. Her only other relationship had been so toxic that she wasn't even sure if she could participate in a healthy romantic relationship. Even if she was able to, she knew that Adam would always be watching and it would put a huge target on Sun's back. It wasn't worth that risk. That was the reason she left him in Vale in th I'm e first place. Now, if she was found, she wouldn't be his only victim.

Walking quietly into the room, she reached into her tiny bag, removing a book from its confines. The soft clanking stirred Sun from his slumber, causing him to sit up quickly, turning his attention to Blake.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she assured.

"It's fine, I shouldn't spend the whole day sleeping. I'll get rusty. I can watch out for Grimm on deck for a while."

"You can stay, if you'd like. I'm sure we'll know if one of those things come by again. I'll only be reading, I won't disturb you."

"I'm more worried about bothering you, to be honest," Sun admitted, smiling awkwardly at his counterpart.

Blake's ears folded down again in discomfort. "It's no bother."

"Forgive me for not believing that," Sun said, grabbing his button up from the head of the bed. "You've been a bit abrasive since you found me."

"I really didn't mean to be. I apologize," she said, avoiding meeting his gaze. "I know you don't mean any harm."

"Then tell me why you've been like this."

"I—" Blake paused, clenching her fists. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"That's better than 'I'm fine'," Sun said, moving over to make room for her on the bed.

She took the hint, sitting down beside him. They spent a few long moments in silence. Blake wrestled with her thoughts relentlessly. Everything that had happened left her so raw. Yang was the only one she'd ever told about everything Adam had done. The shame of her actions, and the consequences, was so crippling that she never allowed herself to open up. She didn't want him to see her differently, but she wanted so badly to be open with him.

"I'm still afraid," Blake said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hand dropped to the newly healed wound on her stomach as pain ripped through the area again.

"Of what, Blake?"

Her chest tightened and she lost her breath as she tried to think of how to answer his question, as if oxygen had suddenly become toxic. "I—"

"You're shaking," Sun said, reaching over to grab a hold of her hand, only to be swatted away defensively once again.

"Please, don't touch me right now," Blake requested, keeping her gaze down.

Sun took the mental note before trying to talk with her again. "What are you afraid of?"

She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to clam up again. "I told you about the guy who started the precedent in the White Fang of wearing masks, right?"

"Yeah, dark guy."

Blake took a heavy sigh and the shaking in her hands only seemed to become more severe. "Adam used to be my partner. We worked together in the White Fang for several years, and we also had a personal relationship. My entire life was built upon standing beside him. The White Fang brought us together, but I became so infatuated with him that I didn't see what he was doing."

Sun sat, listening attentively. Blake had never opened up quite like this, at least not about her personal life.

"He would tell me every day about how worthless my parents were because they left the cause and how it would be a shame if I were to leave him too. He slowly wore me down, planting bombs in my self esteem and conditioning me."

"I thought that was the worst it would get. Once he became the High Leader, everything would go back to normal. He would be loving and sweet again and bring equality for our people. I was wrong."

"About two years before I left, he started to hit me as a means of discipline. He told me that my job wasn't to talk, it was to fight for his cause. There were at least two occasions that warranted medical intervention after I made him angry. I didn't stand up for myself because I knew I had let myself be put in that situation."

"I left because he started to bring his new temper into…" Blake paused, a heavy blush falling over her cheeks. "More intimate activities and I knew I had to get out. I was so done with senseless violence."

Sun's eyes grew wide as he realized what Blake was actually saying. "He… you're saying he…?" Sun couldn't even get it out.

"He took advantage of my trust. He's a bit older than us, so he always had the edge on me when it came to size, strength, and power. I was young and stupid."

His heart hurt for Blake. Sun didn't realize what that bastard had put her through.

"When I saw him at the Fall of Beacon, I didn't even know what to do. I nearly froze up completely. Having him be the one to cut both Yang and I down was devastating. I can't go a single moment without thinking about it."

"I'm sorry, Blake, I didn't know."

"I didn't want you to know. I don't really want anyone to know."

"But, that isn't your fault, Blake."

Blake rolled her eyes. "It is. I sat by and allowed it to happen. I didn't establish my boundaries."

"That doesn't give him the right to hurt you."

"I didn't give him a reason not to."

"Blake," Sun said, his tone forcing her gaze to meet his. Behind his eyes wasn't the normal happiness and brightness, but sadness and pain. "You shouldn't have to give him a reason not to do something like that."

Tears welled in her eyes as her gaze met Sun's. Behind those blue orbs of his was concern, compassion, but worst of all, pity. That realization made her immediately break the visual contact, making her more angry with herself than ever. "After everything I've done, it's the least of the punishments I could have been given."

"Don't say that," Sun said, his voice stern instead of his usual happy tone. "You didn't deserve to be treated like that, no matter what you did."

"I've killed people, Sun, and assisted in it too. I stopped counting just how many have become victims of mine. He didn't kill me," Blake insisted, glaring at the boy.

"What he did was worse. I couldn't imagine being betrayed like that, even in my worst nightmares. For him to have done that, he had to be really messed up in the head. No one deserves that."

"You don't know that, Sun. You're naive."

"No, you just have gone through hell and to think that you believe it's okay for a man to take advantage of you makes me wish I'd crossed paths with him at Beacon."

"You don't mean that."

"Have I lied to you before?" he asked, his tone softening and lifting.

Blake's eyes darted back up to Sun's face. Though he still looked sympathetic, it looked far more genuine than before. Sure, he was always a nice, truthful guy, but the way he was looking at her made her feel something she hadn't felt under a man's gaze in a long time: respected.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet and broken.

Sun was visibly confused by the question. "Why what?"

Emotions crawled up Blake's throat, causing her to suppress a sob, though it wasn't all that successful. "Why don't you see how pathetic I am? I'm used and deserve to feel guilty, but you act like you don't see it? Are you that blind?"

"I don't see it. I see you, Blake. You're my friend and I don't want you to feel this way. You shouldn't feel guilty and you definitely shouldn't see yourself as 'used'. You're incredible, and it isn't your fault that he abused you like he did," Sun said, speaking sternly and with a sharp accent, obviously growing more angry with the way she'd been treated.

"Don't say that, Sun."

"I will say that. You're amazing, everything I'd ever hope to…." He stopped, biting his tongue.

Blake's eyes widened as he looked away, a soft blush exploding over his cheeks. There was no way. Why her?

"Sun, what are you saying?" she asked, her voice soft and breathy. Though Blake was fairly sure what he was saying, she needed to hear him say it, because she couldn't believe it. After everything she'd been through, why would he possibly have any kind of attraction to her?

Sun took a deep breath, followed by a heavy sigh. "This isn't a good time to talk about this."

"What?"

"I refuse to take advantage of you too, Blake."

She felt the heat rise to her cheeks rapidly. He really liked her, or was at least attracted to her. This was a dream come true for any girl.

"I'm sorry," Sun said, looking over to smile at her sympathetically. "I didn't mean to get so worked up."

"It happens to the best of us."

The sun had set, so the cabin grew dark as the pair of Faunus sat in silence on the bed.