Parallel Paths (SaMS RuinxSun Ship)

Done at Last

Sooooo... last chapter! So sorry we couldn't do more things like lemon. This ship seems more like a "let's take it slow", so there's none of that. DW, we have more stories planned with this. Just like Digital Delicacy, this one switches POV - Sun's POV this time. 

I remove my headpiece with a sigh of relief. All the children were finally gone. The last parent is very problematic, but I just smiled through it. That's all you can do sometimes. 

Earth giggles at my exhale. "Happy to be done?"

"Yeah. Love the kids, but they're a handful."

"I can agree." Earth sits behind the desk next to me. "Wasn't this Ruin's last day working at the daycare?"

My heart faltered. I had forgotten he wasn't working here forever. It's not like he's leaving - he'll be in the Fazcade - but I'll still miss the little moments in the daycare. The kids using him as a jungle gym until he topples over, or painting on little faces while biting his tongue, his eyes narrow with concentration. It's hard to notice things like that when you don't see someone often, but I've been noticing a lot about him recently.

I answer Earth's question with a less-than-enthusiastic groan. "Yeah..."

She seems to notice the change in tone. "Is everything alright with you two so far?"

I quickly nod. "Oh, yeah! Just..." I shrug. "I guess I still want him... like, here? Instead of in the Fazcade all the time."

"Well, you can still visit!" She was trying to cheer me up, which was nice, but it didn't do much when I already knew that.

"I know, but still. The kids like him a lot." 

Earth rubs her shoulder gently - a habit she's had ever since she was attacked by Bloodmoon and got that scar. I've only seen it a few times to check up on it, but it looks painful. She tells us it's not, though she winces sometimes. "I noticed that. They love his little skits."

"Who's skits?"

Earth and I both yelp and turn to the voice. Moon was standing by the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He must've napped, which is good considering I hear him up most of the night working. Ruin followed behind him, massaging his hands like he was applying lotion. The collar of his uniform is starting to ride down, showing the bruises from when Eclipse almost kills him. He doesn't seem to notice, though. He smiles nervously at me in greeting. 

I would have done the same to him, but Moon is giving me a death glare so I bit my tongue. I knew he would never hurt me like the old him would, yet I didn't want to push him. That look meant I did something he didn't agree with.

Moon looks at Earth. His voice is strained, his teeth clenched. "Can I grab Sun real quick? I need him for something."

Earth's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Uh, do you need a moment to calm down first? You seem-"

"I'm fine." He clearly wasn't. Ruin took a step back from him, his smile now faltering. "I need to talk to Sun."

Earth glances at me. I try to give her a look that says, I can handle it. She nods reluctantly. "Go ahead..."

Moon grabs my wrist - not hard enough to hurt, but I still flinch back - as well as Ruin's, and leads us to the ballpit.

Once there, he lets go and whips to look at me. His face is almost red with anger. "Mind explaining what you're doing with him?!" He gestures to Ruin, who mutters something I can't make out.

It wasn't hard to assume this was about dating. We hadn't told him yet, but he has eyes all around the daycare. He might've seen something. I try to narrow my eyes to hide my discomfort. "Mind explaining why it's a problem?"

"Oh, you know damn well why it's a problem."

"Who says we can't trust him?" I look at Ruin, who is suddenly fascinated by the ball of his hat. I knew he knew Moon wasn't fully trusting of him, so I wasn't nervous to speak my mind. "You're the only one who doesn't other than Monty."

"Sun, you know what he's done-"

"What the other him has done. That... thing in his head. We kicked that out months ago." I look back at my brother. He was the one who made that solution - that would act like a poison to whatever was in Ruin's head, even though we didn't know what it was exactly. He should know it wasn't Ruin himself. The fact that he didn't irked me.

His eyes narrow and his voice quiets. "Who says that thing's gone? Who said it even existed?! For all we know, he could have been faking the entire time."

I groan in annoyance, not bothering to bring my voice down. "Moon, please. You've done every test possible without killing him or doing surgery on his brain. We would know by now if he was still like that. Is there anything else you need to try?"

Moon scoffs but says nothing. 

"Exactly," I finish. 

His eyes go to Ruin, who was still rubbing the small ball on the hat. He looks up when he notices he's being watched.

"You," Moon growls. "If you hurt my brother in any way - physically or emotionally or whatever - I swear on my life I will find you and rip you apart. Got it?"

Ruin gulps nervously. "Y-yes, Moon."

"Good." Moon looks at me one last time like he's asking, "Are you sure about this?" I nod. He sighs before walking back to the security desk.

I quickly turn to Ruin. "I am so sorry about him. He's just protective. Don't take it personally."

He waves it off. "I understand perfectly," he says. "It-it's not your fault."

That didn't help convince me. I have a problem with finding ways to pin the blame on me. I have no idea why it was my fault exactly, but my brain claims it is. Maybe I should've told Moon sooner. 

Ruin must have seen my mind start spiraling, because he leans in and gives me a hug, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder. "It's okay," he murmers. 

I wrap my arms around his waist and nuzzle his hair with my face. "Yeah..."

His embrace was warm, his hair soft. the blond streaks were starting to fade, but I didn't want to tell him that. He would get embarrassed, and I wouldn't see his head for about a week. 

He doesn't pull away, and neither do I. Maybe no one else trusted him, but somehow I did.

Here's to hoping it can stay like this a bit longer.

Leaving it to you all to decide if this Ruin still betrays them or if he's good this time. This will be the last chapter in this book, and the last chapter in a while in general. I'll try to get on over the summer, but bc of fam drama it may be a while. Still working on stories while I'm gone, tho. Just not posting them :(. May the stars guide you!