They lay beneath the shade of a towering tree, the sound of the waves crashing gently in the background.
The race had left them breathless, though Nephis barely seemed winded.
Sunny groaned, stretching out his legs in the sand. "You're not human. You're some kind of- of aquatic nightmare. A damn fish."
Nephis let out a small hum, amused. "I like to think of myself as a shark."
Sunny scoffed. "Figures."
Silence settled between them, but it was a comfortable one. Nephis leaned her head against his shoulder, and without thinking, Sunny let his head rest lightly against hers. Their damp hair mixed together, silver and black.
They sat there for a while, simply enjoying the warmth of each other's presence.
"…What do you want to do in the future?" Sunny asked eventually.
Nephis hesitated for a moment, then answered, "I don't know. For so long, my only goal was to become strong enough to fulfill my promise."
Her voice was quiet, almost thoughtful.
"But now…" she trailed off.
Sunny waited.
She exhaled softly. "Now, I want to see what else life has to offer."
Sunny turned his head slightly. "And?"
Nephis hesitated again, before saying, "And I want you to be there with me."
Something in his chest tightened.
Nephis suddenly shook her head, as if dismissing the thought. "I don't know if I deserve any of this."
Sunny immediately pulled back, lifting his head from hers.
Nephis blinked as he turned toward her, his onyx eyes dark with intensity. Before she could say another word, he gently cupped her face, making her look at him.
"Don't say that," he said firmly. "You are everything to me, Nephis. More than anything in this world. I could die happily if it was with you."
Her lips parted slightly, her silver eyes wide.
For a brief second, there was only the sound of their breathing, the whisper of the ocean.
And then, without another thought, he leaned in and kissed her.
Nephis melted into him instantly, her fingers curling into his skin as she kissed him back.
There was no hesitation, no restraint,
Just the quiet, undeniable truth of how much they belonged to each other.
The world around them faded, and for that moment, there was only them.
----------
It had been a couple of hours since the beach. Nephis and Sunny were feeling a bit tired, and wanted to eat somewhere.
Nephis made the executive choice of choosing their home.
Upon arriving, Nephis let out a quiet sigh as she sank into the couch, her silver hair still slightly damp from the swim.
She looked… peaceful. Which was rare.
Sunny smirked as he closed the door behind him. "Tired?"
She cracked an eye open. "A little."
He chuckled, walking toward the kitchen. "You? Tired? The great, invincible Nephis?"
She huffed softly. "Even I can feel exhaustion, you know."
Sunny leaned against the counter, watching her from the corner of his eye. She truly did seem more relaxed than usual. It was nice to see her like this.
After a moment, he tilted his head. "Want a massage?"
Nephis turned her head slightly, peering at him. "…You give massages?"
Sunny shrugged. "I've picked up a thing or two."
She studied him for a long moment, then without a word , she shifted slightly, rolling onto her stomach to rest against the couch cushions.
Sunny blinked. "Is that a yes?"
Nephis nodded, her voice muffled. "Mhm."
He let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, then. Don't regret this later."
Rolling up his sleeves, he moved toward her, settling onto the couch beside her. He hesitated for a second before reaching out, his hands pressing gently against her shoulders.
Immediately, he felt the tension in her muscles.
"…Damn, Neph. You're way more tense[1] than I thought."
She hummed in response, not saying anything.
Sunny exhaled softly and started working his fingers into her shoulders, slowly kneading the knots out of her muscles.
As he continued, he couldn't help but admire the way she had let her guard down around him.
The Changing Star, who was known for leading the Dreamer Army and Surviving the Dream realm for over 2 years, was now under him as she relaxed by his messages.
A part of him felt… proud.
And maybe a little smug.
Nephis let out a slow breath, her body sinking further into the couch. "…This is nice."
Sunny smirked. "Told you. I'm full of hidden talents."
She didn't respond.
After a moment, he realized her breathing had evened out.
Sunny blinked.
"…Nephis?"
No answer.
He leaned slightly, peeking at her face.
She had fallen asleep.
He stared at her for a long moment, watching the steady rise and fall of her breath.
She looked… peaceful. More than he had ever seen her before.
His hand moved before he even realized it, reaching out to brush a stray strand of silver hair from her face. His fingers barely grazed her skin, but even that small contact made his chest tighten.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
Then he blinked, snapping out of it.
'What the hell am I doing?'
Shaking his head, he quickly withdrew his hand, clearing his throat.
'Don't be an idiot, Sunny. She's sleeping.'
With a quiet sigh, he carefully slid his arms under her and lifted her up, cradling her in a princess carry.
Nephis barely stirred, only nuzzling slightly against his chest.
Sunny swallowed hard and quickly carried her to his room, gently laying her onto the bed.
For a moment, he just stood there, watching her.
Then, before he could think too much about it, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"…Sleep well," he murmured, before turning away.
--------
With Nephis asleep, Sunny found himself restless.
So he did what he always did when he had too much on his mind - he went underground.
The training hall light was pressed on by a flick of the switch.
Saint was already there, standing motionless, her dark armor gleaming under the faint light.
Sunny smirked. "Come on. Let's see if I've gotten rusty."
The Shadow tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words. Then, without warning, she moved.
Sunny barely had time to react before her blade came swinging down.
A grin stretched across his lips.
Finally. Something to take my mind off things.
--------
Sunny smirked as he lowered the water bottle from his lips, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
He had spent hours sparring with Saint, pushing himself to the limit, and now he was feeling the strain in his muscles.
He used the various forms of sword techniques against Saint that he had learnt in the Dreamscape, hoping for any improvement in his Shadow Dance legacy.
The cool air of the apartment brushed against his bare skin as he stood in the kitchen, catching his breath.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement.
Turning his head, he saw Nephis standing at the doorway, her silver hair slightly tousled from sleep.
Her gaze was locked onto him.
Sunny blinked. "What?"
Nephis didn't respond.
Her expression was calm as always, but… her eyes lingered.
Sunny tilted his head. "Neph?"
Still, no answer.
And then it hit him.
His smirk widened as realization dawned.
"Oh," he said, deliberately running a hand over his toned chest. "I see."
Nephis' eyes flickered up to his, her face betraying nothing - except for the faintest hint of color rising to her cheeks.
Sunny chuckled, stepping closer.
"If you wanted to see more," he teased, his voice dropping slightly, "all you had to do was ask."
For a second, Nephis didn't react.
Then, smoothly, she stepped forward - closer than before, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
Sunny's teasing smirk faltered slightly as Nephis tilted her head slightly down to meet his gaze, her silver eyes burning with quiet intensity.
"…And if I did?" she asked softly.
Sunny swallowed.
Suddenly, he wasn't so sure who was teasing who anymore.
[1] now if i replaced this with tight then
nah kidding