"Sun."

Sun squirmed and let out a frustrated noise as he buried his face back into the crook of his elbow. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter as he tried to ignore the voice from above, with little success.

"Suuuuuun. Come on, we need to get up."

"Mmf," he replied as he took the pillow and placed it atop his head. He flexed the soft material around the back of his skull, and groaned.

"It's already noon. My parents probably think we're dead."

"Let them have some mystery in their lives, and let me sleep," Sun whined in a muffled voice from beneath the pillow. He tensed as he felt icy hands crawl along the muscles of his back, and up toward his left shoulder.

"I'd rather not. Besides, we need to talk a bit. I still don't feel right about how things were left last night."

Finally, Sun relented and pull the pillow from his head as he spun to lay upon his back. Blake shifted upon him and settled in once again atop his chest with a lazy smile and lidded eyes.

"Afternoon, beautiful."

"Hey, handsome," Blake shot back. "Are you really still that tired?" she asked with concern as she moved her hands back up to Sun's shoulder and began to undo his bandages.

"I really am that tired, yeah. Sorry," Sun admitted with a sigh.

"Again, stop that. You're good. I just want to know the truth. Are you okay?" Blake asked as she offered a kiss.

"Been better, but… getting there. Improving, now that you're back. I was so worried…"

"I know," Blake said as she placed a finger to Sun's lips. "I handled that about as badly as possible, but… pressure's building. For both of us."

"And it shows no signs of stopping," Sun agreed. "Can we just lay in bed? Together? Like… all day?"

Blake rolled her eyes, and reached to the half-finished platter of food on the nightstand. She placed the tray unceremoniously atop Sun's chest, and smirked as he tried to shift a bit to prop himself up with pillows while balancing the platter.

"There. Now, we never need to move again, until I ask you something uncomfortable and you pretend to need to pee," Blake teased.

"…I kinda do, honestly. It's a 'just woke up' thing, not an excuse thing. This time, anyway," he confessed as he took a cracker and popped it into his mouth. "How did it all go with Ilia, last night? Things were a little scattered when you came in."

Blake heaved a sigh as she picked up a cracker of her own and began to pile it with various toppings. "It was… not fun, to say the least. She basically did the same thing you did, but also threw in a bit of uncomfortable truth from our childhoods. We're… okay, again. It's nice."

Sun smiled, and yawned. "That's good to hear, honestly. She's good people, as far as I can tell… and I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. After all, I ended up with you."

"I… listen, Sun, one of the things Ilia was insistent about was the fact that both of you are trying your best for me. I want you to know that I'm trying, too. Trying to be better, and let you in, and just… fix myself. I have a lot of problems, hang ups, and just… complications," Blake said as she offered the stacked cracker to Sun. He accepted it, and took a bite.

"I mean, I'm seeing improvements every day," Sun reassured. "I knew you had it in ya. I'm just glad to see that you agree, instead of pushing back and throwing your hands up."

Blake's ears wilted as she stole a piece of sushi from the tray, and got to work on unwrapping his other arm. "I know, Sun. I know I used to be different, and not in a good way. I'm… actually more like myself than I have been in years, thanks to you."

"And… Adam's largely to blame for the period when you were lost. Right?" Sun asked carefully.

"…yes. And before you ask, no, I'm not ready to discuss it. I talked to Ilia a little bit, and I'm going to work through it with her, before I bring you into it. It's nothing against you, Sun, it's just… extremely personal, heavy, and… bad. Really, really bad," Blake warned as she took another piece of sushi.

Sun shifted the tray off of himself and back onto the nightstand as he sat up, and crossed his legs. "How bad are we talking, here?"

Blake eyed the platter longingly, and moved from her position atop Sun's legs to sit beside him. "Pretty bad. I have some… sexual… quirks that I don't want to talk about yet."

A hot blush made its way across Sun's cheeks as his tail flicked from side to side. "Like… uh, ropes? And stuff?"

"…I am going to slap you so hard in half a second," Blake warned as she looked away, her own cheeks ablaze. "No, Sun."

"Well what did you expect me think, when you phrase it like that!?" Sun whined.

"Just… no. I'm talking about things that make it weird for me to even consider, and yet… we end up with situations like getting topless while Ilia's in the room," Blake explained.

"Yeah, about that…" Sun began.

"No, not about that. That's the entire problem. I'm not comfortable getting into it, and I just… I need you to accept that sometimes, I'm going to do stupid things that don't make sense. I'm sorry for sending mixed signals, but it's just… like that. I'll elaborate as soon as I'm comfortable," Blake said as she flopped back onto a pillow.

"…okay," Sun replied, unsure. "I mean, I'll roll with the punches, and I'm cool with anything. I just hope that you feel comfortable enough to talk to me in time," he finished as he slipped off of the bed and into a stretch.

"I will. I promise, Sun. I just need time, and… both of you, to help me through it," Blake admitted as she stretched out. "Go do your thing, then I'll check your wounds, and we'll sort out the day. I still want to focus on you, starting now. Seriously, this time."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sun replied as he made his way toward the bathroom. "Slow and steady."

Blake breathed a sigh and allowed herself a small smile as the door closed. "…finally steady."

"Oh, just open the damned gate and stop with the formalities. You can see us, can't you?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," the guard stammered as he offered one final, informal bow of his head. Cinnamon put her hands on her hips as she watched the large wooden doors be pulled apart by the sentries at either side, and let out a small huff.

"Honestly. Every single time, as though they need some sort of verification." She shook her head, and looked over her shoulder. Ilia stood a good distance behind, holding her weapon in her left hand, and her elbow in her right. "…are you coming, or what?"

Ilia's eyes immediately rose from the ground to meet Cinnamon's, though the difference was imperceptible to all around due to the ivory mask covering the upper part of her face. "Right. Yeah, of course. Just… thinking."

"Thinking about last night?" Cinnamon teased as she dropped her arms to her sides and began to make her way into the camp. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

"Hilarious," Ilia remarked as she moved to follow. The guards kept their eyes off the pair of them as she passed through the gate, and Ilia shook her head as the doors began to close behind them. "I'm just… worried."

"Worried? What, that something will slip? I've got it all under control, Amitola… or do you not trust me?" Cinnamon asked as she made her way toward Adam's tent.

Ilia swallowed hard, and shook her head. "No, I… of course I trust you. You have what's best for the Fang in mind, right?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Cinnamon retorted as she made her way up to the tent. She outstretched a hand to pull back the flap, but curled her fingers slightly away from the leather. Without a word, she turned on her heel and began to walk in another seemingly random direction.

"…Cin?" Ilia inquired as she once again began to follow the older woman.

"Keep up. We're settling this now," she replied shortly as she continued to walk. Cinnamon made her way to the edge of the compound, where two masked guards were working to load ammunition into two black crates. The pair looked up as she approached, and both froze at the sight of her facial expression.

"M-ma'am…?"

"Move," she commanded in response. "The last shipment you idiots sent to Kuo Kuana arrived wet, and useless. I'm inspecting this round personally, and if it happens again, you'll be answering to Amitola."

"Y-yes ma'am!" the pair replied in unison as they threw up salutes. The younger of the pair bowed his head in shame as Cinnamon once again put her hands on her hips. "It may be my fault. I may not have locked it, or… um…"

"I didn't ask for excuses. Make yourselves scarce," Cinnamon threatened as her spines twitched. The guards looked at each other nervously, and left to head deeper into the camp.

Ilia approached Cinnamon slowly, and moved to sit upon one of the crates before taking the opportunity to check their surroundings. "…well. No one around…"

"Do you want in on this, or not?" Cinnamon asked plainly.

"In on… what, exactly?" Ilia said as she removed her mask and held it in her free hand. She looked up at Cinnamon, who returned the gaze with narrowed eyes.

"Improving this chapter of the Fang. Let me be blunt with you- I'm working, slowly and carefully, to set Adam up for a fall. When he does, I'll be taking the keys to the kingdom. Sienna is going to fold to pressure just like Ghira did before her, if Adam doesn't get to her first. That part is just a matter of time. If you're with me, then play your role in the Fang, and when the time comes, you'll know when to jump in. If you're not… then keep quiet. Of course, I have a funny feeling that you're in. Otherwise, I wouldn't be letting you into the loop at all," Cinnamon finished.

Ilia's lip twitched into a frown as she lowered her voice. "…what exactly makes you so sure? Why do you think I want anything more than to get even with the humans, and accomplish what the White Fang pushes for in general?"

"I've seen and heard enough to support the idea," Cinnamon replied. "Besides, we have similar tastes in many things. For example, you've got an eye for fashion."

Ilia raised a brow. "An eye… for fashion…?"

Cinnamon folded her arms beneath her chest, and stuck a hip out to the side. "Yes indeed. I've always admired your approach of making simple things work. Black and gold looks good on you, Ilia. Black and gold always go together well, don't you think?"

Ilia's mouth suddenly began to feel very dry, as her shoulders stiffened. "I'd… say so, yeah. It's a classic combination."

"That it is. And yet oh so often, black tries to stand on its own, when it looks so much better backed up by something that glitters, no matter the occasion," Cinnamon said with a smirk. "It just warms my heart to see them together, over black and red. Such a tired, and quite frankly, unflattering look."

The echoes of quiet conversation around the camp filled the air as Ilia looked away, doing her best to look invisible without changing her skin color.

"…what's the matter? Cat got your tongue, Ilia?"

"Don't… hurt them," Ilia pleaded as she looked back up at Cinnamon. "Please."

"Hurt them? You know my rule, Ilia. We only came to blows because they entered my home. I wouldn't do anything untoward, unless they started it. You really need to relax," Cinnamon commented as she moved to sit upon the other crate, next to Ilia.

"Relax? You want me to relax?" she nearly screeched, her palms sweaty against the plastic of the ammo case. "What exactly do you think you know? What are you planning? Why does everything you say read like a threat, Cin?"

Cinnamon kept her eyes straight ahead as Ilia addressed her, and narrowed them slightly with displeasure. "Because to someone, it always is," she replied as she stood back up again. Ilia opened her mouth to retort, only to be interrupted by a male voice from mere feet ahead of them.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my two leading ladies."

Cinnamon took a breath as Adam smirked and scooped her into a one-armed hug, his other hand tight around the sheath of his sword as always. Ilia grit her teeth as she watched the spectacle, and shivered as Adam tilted his head to suggest that he was looking at her through his mask.

"…you look unwell, Sister Amitola. Is something wrong?"

Cinnamon answered for her as she pushed away from Adam, while keeping her hands on his sides. "You know how she is, with storms. It's just a lack of sleep," she lied as she gripped Adam's chin and pulled him into a kiss. Ilia stood, and crossed her arms to rub at her biceps.

"It's… yeah. That's all," she agreed.

Adam sighed heavily and shook his head. Ilia got the distinct impression that he was rolling his eyes behind the mask as he looked away from her and back to Cinnamon. "Still, with the thunder. Get over it. You're not a child."

"…yes, sir…" Ilia replied dejectedly.

"Lighten up, baby," Cinnamon chided lightly as she rested a hand onto Adam's chest. "We all have our weaknesses."

"Weaknesses that need to be culled. Things are about to get far more serious, and there's no room for stupidity like that in the coming weeks." Adam cast his eyes back to Ilia, and sneered. "Sleep on the ship, while you can. We're heading out to Kuo Kuana."

Ilia moved to slip her mask back onto her face to hide her widening eyes, as Cinnamon spoke.

"No, Adam. We're not."

"…excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" Adam replied as he stepped back from Cinnamon.

"What that's supposed to mean, baby, is that you've had me cooped up in Kuo Kuana for over a month, now, alone, with the odd call to check in and nothing more. I'm not going straight back there when this is the first time I've seen you in weeks. What exactly is so pressing that we need to head there now?" Cinnamon demanded through narrowed eyes.

Adam hesitated, and cleared his throat with an uncomfortable frown. "I… have a problem there, that I need to deal with, sooner than later. You should know that the Belladonnas are now aware of our activities at Beacon. They hold considerable sway over the people of the village."

"And we planned for that inevitability. We hold even more sway that they do in Kuo Kuana… and the Belladonnas aren't even aware of it, yet. I'm not hearing anything that says we need to be there today," Cinnamon retorted. "Can't you and I have one day to ourselves, before we go causing trouble? Ilia isn't the only one who's exhausted right now."

Ilia looked uncomfortably between the pair as Adam seemed to consider Cinnamon's words.

"…you're tired, too? You've never once complained about slowing down, or…"

"Well, I'm complaining now," Cinnamon said through clenched teeth. "Come on. I want some time with you, alright? The Belladonnas can wait a day. Just one," she cooed as she traced a finger from Adam's chest up under his chin.

"…fine," Adam conceded with a heavy sigh. "One day."

Ilia cleared her throat. "I-I can go, ahead of you two. Just tell me what you need me to do, and I'll get everything set up and ready for your arrival."

"Hm," Adam considered, only to be cut off as Cinnamon turned to face Ilia.

"Why don't you go and make sure the ship is stocked, instead? Double check the work of the crew, and then get some rest… or see if you can find someone to make your night as explosive as ours will be," Cinnamon said with a meaningful look.

"Explosive? You spoil me," Adam chuckled as he kept his eyes on Cinnamon's back. She kept her own locked with Ilia's, and offered a small smirk.

"That's right. Explosive."

"I'll do that," Ilia confirmed with a purposeful nod.

"Good," Cinnamon replied. "And… wear something nice, if you go for it. Not green. In fact, I'd cut green out entirely. It doesn't suit you. Make sure you keep blue and red in mind… but leave them well alone."

"…am I missing something?" Adam asked as he looked between the two women. "I think she'd look alright in green."

Cinnamon rolled her eyes as she moved to stand beside Adam and slipped a hand around his waist. "Because you have no taste, or idea what's good for you."

"I picked you out, didn't I?" Adam countered as he offered her a smug look.

"…exactly my point," Cinnamon replied as she watched Ilia slip off toward the main gate. "Totally clueless."

Author's Note:

If ever I open a restaurant, I'm calling the name 'The Stacked Cracker' right now.

Next update is on Saturday, the 6th.

-RD