Ruby Rose remained silent as she laid flat upon the grass, her arms behind her head. The back yard of the safe house was mostly silent, save for the occasional sound of movement within the living room. As activity continued to die down, the young girl found herself content to simply stare up at the shattered moon in silence as her mind continued to race between unpleasant thoughts.
"Hey, Ruby. Room for two?" a familiar voice asked from a short distance away. Ruby tilted her head back to catch an upside-down glimpse of Jaune's sneakers. She smiled slightly at the sight and returned her head to a resting position as she brought her arms down to overlap upon her stomach.
"Sure thing, Jaune. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better," the lanky boy admitted as he lowered himself to sit, and then recline with his head next to Ruby's. He looked at her sideways, as his legs trailed opposite of hers. "Between the fight at Haven, and now, our new… 'orders', I'm starting to feel a little small."
Ruby turned to catch Jaune's eyes, and gave him a weak smile. "I know what you mean. Things haven't really been coming up Ruby lately."
"No," Jaune agreed. "No, I guess they haven't. I'm really not sure how I feel about… what's about to happen, actually. Oh, no… I wasn't ready, yet…"
"Huh?" Ruby asked in confusion as she craned and twisted her neck to follow Jaune's gaze. Another set of legs came into view, and she found the sight somewhat unfamiliar until she looked farther upward. "…oh. Um… hi, Sun!"
"Hey," Sun greeted. His voice totally lacked the enthusiasm that he had intended to instill it with, and he looked down at the pair with something resembling regret.
"Hi. Can we help you?" Jaune asked, the tension in his tone and posture nearly palpable.
"That's actually what I wanted to ask," Sun replied as he hovered awkwardly above the reclining teens. "Could I… sit, with you guys? I want to talk about some stuff. If you want me to go away, I will. I mean, I can't imagine you two are thrilled with me right now…"
"Sun, hey, don't do that," Ruby instructed as she sat up and turned to face him. Jaune followed suit, and dragged himself into a cross-legged position. "If it's about taking charge, and putting us on teams… I'm glad someone did. Professor Ozpin didn't have a plan other than just starting to cut people loose, and you stepped in as a great leader when we needed one. We'll be okay, even if the teams are kinda… um…" Ruby trailed off, looking sheepish.
"…sucky?" Jaune offered.
"…mmyeah," Ruby agreed with a guilty grin.
Sun let out a defeated noise as he visibly deflated. "Guys, I'm really sorry, and I want to talk to you about changing things around… especially now that Weiss wants to travel with me. Ruby, that means that you'd be the only one from your team in your squad, just like Jaune," he commented as he gave the other boy a quick glance. Jaune's lip twitched in annoyance, and Sun lowered his eyes again as he finally sat down.
"…oh," was all Ruby said as she pulled her knees into her chest. "I… guess it makes sense, though. I can already see why everyone is where they are, in your plan."
"Can you?" Sun inquired. "I'm no great leader, and I'm definitely not qualified to make snap decisions over the two of you. I feel like I just swooped in and uprooted everything, to the detriment of both of you."
"You did," Jaune agreed as he began brushing his fingers through blades of grass, his attention focused firmly on the ground. "But, if I had the courage to step up and shout down Professor Ozpin like you did… I probably would have made the same decisions."
"You… would?" Sun asked as his tail snaked back and forth through the grass.
"Me too," Ruby offered. "Listen, Sun, I don't think either of us blame you for doing what you did. Not really. It's pretty plain to see that your idea is good, and anyone thinking it through would have pitched the same one, or something similar. So… we're not mad at you, we're just… upset at the situation. Or at least, I am," Ruby said as she glanced over at Jaune.
"…yeah," Jaune replied tersely. "That."
"I know it's not a great time, right now," Sun began, "but… Jaune, I'd actually like you to come with my squad. Ilia's going to be joining us, and whatever you did to her helped her recover a lot faster. I already owe you, and I appreciate the time and energy you put into healing her. I know it's horrible for me to ask again so soon, but… I'm worried that she's going to get herself hurt by being too overzealous. I'd really appreciate it if you'd join us, alongside Weiss."
Jaune heaved a mighty sigh, and ripped a few blades of grass from the lawn to ball them in his gauntleted fist.
"…yeah. Of course. I still won't be with Ren and Nora, so…"
"Jaune," Ruby admonished. "That isn't really Sun's fault. It's about balancing the teams, and… I don't know. I hate this. I hate all of this," Ruby admitted as she slid her legs out straight and rested her elbows on her knees, only to cup her forehead with her hands.
A horrible twist of guilt began to knot at Sun's stomach, and he drummed his fingers along his thigh. "I'll… Jaune, I'll find a way to swap us around. Maybe if I go with the Black Claw and keep Ilia with me, Ren and Nora could go with you to Atlas, and Yang could go with Ruby, or…?"
"No," Jaune stated emphatically. "I need to get over this. Like Ruby said, I shouldn't be angry at you. I can't just keep relying on Ren and Nora to keep me from…" Jaune shook his head, and let the grass in his fist fall back to the Earth as he cast his hand out in a frustrated motion. "…I need to be stronger."
"You are strong, Jaune! Most people never would have made it this far!" Ruby consoled as she scooted closer to him.
"Ruby, just stop," Jaune warned. "I've got a lot on my mind, and I feel like I'm going t-"
"Hey, man," Sun interrupted as he gave Jaune a look full of concern. "If you really want to keep the teams as they are, then we'll be together. If you want to talk privately once it's just our group in the house, or on the train to Argus, I'm willing. You know, to have another guy friend who could maybe help you with what you're going through?"
Jaune hesitated, before his expression twisted into some grotesque mixture of disgust and uncertainty. He stood up abruptly and dusted off his jeans, all the while avoiding Sun's eyes.
"…maybe. Keep the teams as they are. I need sleep. Sorry for being so… cranky," Jaune offered before stomping his way to the living room door, and slipping back inside the safe house. Ruby flopped backward with a dramatic sigh as Jaune disappeared from her view.
"…don't blame yourself. Jaune has a lot going on right now. Cinder said some things to him that really got under his skin."
Sun slowly turned to align himself with Ruby, before settling gently into the grass beside her. "I do. And… is he still talking about Pyrrha? Has he made any peace with it?"
Ruby furrowed her brows, and returned her gaze to the moon above. "He still hasn't fully accepted it, but there's more to his mood than that. He feels like a terrible leader. Just like you do, apparently."
"Difference is, I know I'm a terrible leader," Sun countered. "Jaune didn't abandon his team to try to chase a girl he fell for."
"…Sun, when we were all working to defend Beacon together, he literally ran after Pyrrha on a suicide mission to help her fight Cinder. He told Ren and Nora to hold the line with the rest of us while he ran off with her to potentially… not come back. You two aren't so different," Ruby explained.
Sun's arms suddenly felt incredibly cold, and he rubbed at the flesh beneath his rolled-back sleeves. "I… had no idea. I really should talk to him. See if we can't make each other feel better."
Ruby continued as though he hadn't said anything, and kept her eyes skyward. "You two aren't the only ones who feel like dead weight, you know. At Haven, I barely had a chance to contribute before I passed out, and my team had to divide to protect me and the relic. If you want a good example of a leader not really helping a situation, you've got that. It's all because of these stupid eyes," Ruby spat with an uncharacteristic sneer.
"Maybe you can learn to use them. Maybe your body's still learning," Sun offered hesitantly.
"…yeah. Maybe," Ruby agreed halfheartedly. "But the point is, despite our shortcomings, our teams still look up to us. Weiss still lets me call the shots, Ren and Nora treat Jaune like the tactician he is, and Neptune and Ilia seem to adore you, as far as I can tell. The three of us might all feel like we're just flailing in the wind, here, but they believe in us. Right now, I'm also going to choose to believe in you."
"Even though I'm separating you from Yang, and the others?" Sun asked.
"Even then. Knowing Yang is okay again and having Weiss travel with you is good enough to keep me going forward. I've got plenty of inspiration, including convincing Raven to help us out, and explaining to her how much she really hurt Yang. The only thing is… I don't know that Jaune has much left to fight for. Cinder didn't even remember who he was, apparently, and that crushed him. Now, she's gone, and he feels like his entire quest for vengeance was just… pointless. He needs direction, and hope," Ruby finished.
"Then I'll do what I can to give it to him," Sun replied. "I promise. We're all one big team, and even if we'll be separated for a while, I'll find it in me to help lift him up. Have a good night, Ruby."
Sun stood and brushed himself off quickly, before beginning to head back inside.
"Sun, wait. Please," Ruby asked as she spun and sat up to face him. "I… I was asked not to tell you this, but…I really, really, really feel like I should."
"…what is it?" Sun asked. His heart sank as he realized what the statement was likely about, and he braced himself for the worst.
Ruby fidgeted slightly and clasped her hands together. "Blake… told me that she feels like she should go with her mom, to help establish the Black Claw, instead of with you. She doesn't want you to know, because she's planning to just keep it bottled up and travel to Atlas because she's worried about you… but the way you look at her tells me that if you found out about that, you'd feel awful. It looks like you two are really in love, so… um, I think you should talk to her and work this out, instead of just letting her make the decision for you?"
The sickening sensation crawled upward from Sun's heart to his face, and he felt his cheeks tingle slightly as the words sank in. "Thanks, Ruby. I'll… deal with it."
Sun said nothing more as he reentered the home, and made his way for the front door.
Hours passed before Sun came into the safe house once again. He slowly pushed the front door open and slipped his shoes off near the door before beginning to walk slowly down the hall. A quick glance at the clock in the living room told him that it was just after midnight, and he cursed under his breath at the idea of staying out so long. Sun quickened his pace slightly until he reached the room he shared with Blake, and cracked the door only to find the lights out and a figure in the bed.
"…Blake?" Sun tried in a breathy whisper as he stepped inside and gently pushed the door closed.
"I'm awake," came the conversational response. "You don't have to whisper."
Sun's eyes adjusted quickly to the dark as he began to unroll his sleeves, and finally tossed his shirt and pauldron over a nearby chair. He then got to work on undoing his massive belt before slipping off his shorts, and depositing them atop the seat.
"Gotcha. Sorry I've been gone, I just… needed some time to think about… stuff."
"It's okay," Blake replied, unmoving from her spot beneath the covers. She kept her gaze on the wall across from herself as Sun moved into bed beside her and cradled her back. "I… kinda did, too."
Sun snaked a hand around Blake's stomach as he pressed in close to her bare back, and trailed the other hand along the curvature of her hip. The total lack of fabric along her smooth skin caused him to blush slightly, though any thoughts of her body quickly faded as his mind began to nag at him once again.
"I spoke to Ruby. She told me that you want to go with Kali."
"…of course she did," Blake said, her voice full of disappointment.
Neither of the teens said a word as the wall clock continued to tick quietly. What felt like days passed before Sun tightened his grip upon Blake, and planted a gentle kiss within her hair.
"…I think… it's okay."
"Sun, no, I can't," Blake insisted as she turned on her side to face him. "The reason I didn't want her to say anything is because I need to be here for you, and I know that, b-"
Sun pressed a soft finger to Blake's lips, and gave her a sympathetic look. "You need to be there for Kali, too. For our people. Your blade helped rally Kuo Kuana to actually get up and do something about Adam, and your voice could help sway them out from under Cinnamon. Going to Atlas… you're just asking for more discrimination, and suffering. I'll carry that burden for both of us, and come out smiling when I get to see you again. I've been thinking about this for hours, and… if your heart is really telling you that with Kali is where you need to be for a little while, I want you to follow it."
"It's not my heart, Sun. My heart is begging me to stay with you, support you, and be your rock like I promised I would. It's my brain that's the problem," Blake said as she shook her head. "I would feel awful going with Mom. You need me, Sun… and I need you."
"And we'll have our time, together, once immediate problems are taken care of," Sun insisted. "I'm building a support network to help me deal with things. So far, it's… it's helping, a little, and making me feel like I can at least function. Neptune and Ilia are being great, and I tried meditating with Yang, this morning… after forgetting last night. She's been surprisingly cool toward me."
"That's good, but still," Blake pressed, only for Sun to kiss her forehead.
"I'm okay, for now. We both know that if you come with me, and the need to help Kali is nagging at you, I'm going to get worried and obsess over helping you. I want you to follow your instinct, Blake, and I'll keep it together until we can hook back up with the rest of the team. Please, trust me?" Sun requested.
"…you know I do. That isn't fair," Blake complained.
Sun pressed his forehead to Blake's, and sighed. "None of this is. Let's talk about it more tomorrow, and make a final decision with clear heads."
"Okay, but… just so you know, Mom's planning something for the three of us to do in place of a proper funeral for Ghira, tomorrow. He's already been cremated, and it's going to be small, but… I know it hit you really hard, Sun. Maybe even harder than me," Blake said.
Sun gave Blake one final kiss, and pulled her in to rest her head against his neck. "Maybe, but let's not make it a contest. Let's just be here for each other, in whatever time we have left before the mission. Goodnight, Blake."
"…goodnight, Sun. Please try to sleep."
Sun merely grunted, before closing his eyes. Despite making an honest effort, his racing mind kept him wide awake.
Author's Note:
As a heads up, the final chapter before the hiatus will be 64. I wrote it last night, and it is one hell of a chapter.
"Just curious, did you ever get writers block while writing this, like how did you push through and manage to push out high quality chapters regularly?"
No writer's block, though I will admit that there were several chapters where Point A and Point B existed, but I just decided to wing it for the events in between. Sometimes, entire chapters just came out of nowhere, which is partially why this has turned into an over 218,000 word beast by the time the hiatus hits. My writing process is actually incredibly simple- come home from work, decide if I'm happy with the gap between the next update and the number of chapters ahead I am, and if not, throw on some ASMR and write.
Honestly, this entire story was born out of frustration with canon over shoving Sun off to the side, likely because too many characters would be onscreen at once if he, Neptune, and Ilia stayed around. I'm one of those people who cannot stand Bumbleby, to the point that I think it makes both Blake and Yang much less interesting, despite loving both of them individually. Those two things combined were motivation enough to start this story and keep it rolling. I have a lot of frustrations with canon, and even some with how this story is shackled to it in some ways, since it started in Volume 4. That particular problem is something I intend to address once we hit the hiatus. If you think this story is big, just wait until you see what's coming next.
If anyone has any other questions about this story, specifics about RWBY, or writing in general, I'd be happy to answer!
-RD