Work Text:
It started like any other day, with the celestial twins loudly bickering in the kitchen. Most likely over something trivial, that would be settled once breakfast was served.
Blood Moon was upstairs packing Sun's day bag, as it looked to him like his partner had been in too much of a rush or had simply forgotten to do so himself. Meanwhile, Solar was still in his room trying to force himself out of bed, which usually didn't happen until the smell of freshly brewed coffee and Sun's cooking hit him.
Neither of them felt any urgency to get between the celestial duo until the fight suddenly seemed to be getting louder. Blood Moon was the first to go check things out.
"Sun, relax! I'm just joking with you. You need to calm down before you wake the whole house up-!"
"I don't care, Moon! I'm not in the mood to deal with your sense of humor today!"
"Okay, okay. Maybe I shouldn't have started the day poking fun at you, but I was only trying to lighten the mood! If you're going to be all snippy with anyone today, shouldn't it be-"
"My light...?" Blood Moon spoke with caution, noticing immediately his precious partner's distress and the way he turned away as soon as he entered the room. He instantly registered the agitated twitching of Sun's rays and the more subtle trembling of his frame. He could've sworn he saw a glimpse of tears in those large, milky eyes before Sun turned his face away from his love.
Blood Moon glared at Moon with accusing suspicion, but the lunar bot met him with an annoyed scowl before also turning away.
"Sunlight...?" Blood Moon reached out a hand to try and soothe his distraught mate, but the moment his fingers grazed the pale yellow silicone of Sun's upper arm, Sun ripped himself away and made a run for the exit, where he collided directly with the solid wall of orange and brown metal that was Solar.
"Woah, hey man... you doing alright?" Solar carefully placed his hands on Sun's shoulders, but they were quickly shaken off.
"I just... I can't... I need some time to myself. I'm sorry... Can you tell Earth that I probably won't make it in today?"
"Y-yeah, man, of course. I can cover for you if you need it... Is everything-?"
Before Solar could finish his thought, Sun was already out the front door. The muffled whines of his frustration followed by the sharp hum of a portal activating were the sounds there before the total silence to signal that he was gone.
Solar turned back to face the lunar themed bots, giving Blood Moon a quick glance with a raised eyebrow before fixing on Moon with a judgmental frown.
"Alright, you wanna tell me what that was all about?"
Moon scoffed, pointing a thumb at the calendar on the fridge.
"Check the date, dude. It wasn't me..." Moon gave Bloody a passing look filled with distaste. "Sun's gonna be extra sensitive today, so it's probably best that we give him his space to get all his emotions out... You sure you're good to cover the daycare today?"
"Y-yeah, it's no issue, just... What's up with the date?"
"It's... July 16th."
Solar tilted his head in confusion.
"You know... July 16th..." Moon sighed, putting a hand on Solar's back to guide his friend out so they could talk more. "It's the day that one showed up..."
Blood Moon's eyes narrowed and he let out a low growl, but he remained rooted to the spot, not wanting to provoke a fight that might upset Sun even more. He could still feel the burn of Moon’s glare, but it was nothing compared to the cold feeling of being left in the dark by his love.
July 16th.
The date rang annoyingly in his head, making him hit and claw at himself as he tried to force some understanding of its significance, then it finally dawned on him.
The anniversary of his existence... was also the anniversary of everything Sun had lost. The worst day of his light's life ...and he was the cause of it.
Moon’s dismissive tone as he ushered Solar away only amplified the isolating guilt that suddenly settled in Blood Moon’s chest.
He wasn't a part of the family. As much as he tried and as much as Sun wished it, right now he was only a reminder of the very trauma Sun was currently fleeing. With a heavy sigh, he turned away from the kitchen and left the others behind at home.
Not that any of them would miss him.
He didn't want to deal with the judgment anyway, yet he couldn't face Sun's grief alone.
Without his light there to guide him through his troubled thoughts, there was only one other person he could turn to for help.
*
*
Blood Moon navigated the quiet, shadowed corridors until he reached the hidden space behind the daycare. As he pushed the door open, the sight of his younger brother was a welcome reprieve from the stifling atmosphere he had walked away from with Sun.
There Lunar was surrounded by his latest art projects along with some that looked to have been left behind by the children he watched over.
"Brother Blood! You're here!" Lunar chirped, his voice full of genuine warmth and excitement as he practically flew towards Blood Moon. "You here to hang out while Sun's working?"
The excitement quickly fading into concern the moment his optics landed on his brother's hunched form.
Lunar was always more observant than he lead on.
"Oh boy, what did you do this time? Did you track mud into Sun’s room and bed again?"
The joke did nothing to bring Blood Moon out of his funk. Instead, he stood there frozen by one of the art tables, his gaze locked onto a small, hand-drawn picture that he knew belonged to Dazzle.
The drawing showed her and Sun holding hands, their silhouettes bright and happy despite her adorably innocent depiction of her monstrous form. Blood Moon’s frame hitched, a heavy, hollow sound emanating from his vents as he tried to articulate the pain, but the words were caught in his throat.
Lunar’s expression softened, his childlike playfulness vanishing completely, replaced by a keen, observant intelligence brought on by an earned wisdom, his other siblings might've not recognized him for.
He stepped closer, following his brother’s line of sight to the drawing laid out on the table, and was able to piece together enough of the situation.
"Oh, Blood..." Lunar murmured. He reached out, resting a hand on Blood Moon's arm. "You... You're both having a tough day, aren't ya?"
"My awakening," Blood Moon rasped, his voice thick with self-loathing. "We were made to bring pain and suffering and...we succeeded. My light couldn't stand to look at me this morning... I am nothing but a reminder of that terrible day."
"You are... part of it, yes," Lunar said softly, catching his brother's gaze to ensure he was listening. "But things are different now. Sun doesn't blame you. He cares about you a lot and I know you care for him, too! You've come so far from the wild and heartless beasts Eclipse made you out to be... He's the one who made a perfect killing machine and thought it was a good idea to set it loose in the daycare... You're just as much a victim to his stupidity as everyone else!"
"...the pointy man... Eclipse??" Blood Moon questioned with equal confusion and disgust.
"Yeah, our good ole big brother, Eclipse," Lunar made a big show of his disdain with an exaggerated scowl. "He messed us both up in different ways when designing our codes, and all just to get back at Sun and Moon for not loving him enough or wanting to feeding his enormous ego... If there's anyone that should be here begging to Sun for forgiveness, it should be him!"
With those words, Blood Moon shot up, his large form looming over Lunar with an intense gaze that was made all the more frightening with his strange swirly eyes. "Would this work? Would this help my light smile again?"
"Uhhh," Lunar gulped, "I don't know if Sun would appreciate you murdering Eclipse as much as I would." He let out a shakey breath of relief as Blood broke his stare and began to pace around room, grumblingto himself.
Blood Moon paced the length of the room, his heavy claws tapping sharply against the floor as his vents hissed with frustration. "If he designed us this way... if he is the reason that I am a constant threat to the people my Sun care for, then he shall be the one who to fix it. There has to be a way to strip out this programming! To cure the monstrous code he created that day!"
Lunar watched him closely, his initial nervousness morphing into a frantic anxiety. He pushed himself up to step into Blood Moon's path and halt his circling.
"Hey, brother, look at me," Lunar said, his voice carrying an unexpected weight that immediately cut through Blood's agitation. "Eclipse hates us, remember? Do you really think he'd do to anything to help us just because you asked nicely?"
"Not nicely," Blood Moon growled, his optics narrowing into a sharp-toothed smile. His feral edge creeping back into his posture. "If he is the architect of this curse, then he will be the one to undo it...or he will regret the day he ever activated us."
Lunar watched him for a moment. Some part of him wanted to enjoy the possibility of seeing Eclipse get what was coming to him, but another part felt a little bad...not for Eclipse of course. More so about possibly setting Blood Moon back in his progress if he were to lose control over his temper and things ending up violently.
"Well," Lunar crossed his arms, his tone doing nothing to hide his disappointment. "If you're going to go shake down our brother and demand he fix his mistake...then I probably shouldn't let you go alone. I think Sun would be upset with both of us if I let you maim Eclipse...as much as he'd deserve it."
Blood Moon didn't need to waste another second on details. Without even offering a verbal confirmation, he abruptly turned his large frame and bolted straight for the nearest exit with Lunar scrambling to catch up from being caught off guard.
*
*
The harsh, flickering lights of one of Eclipse's hidden workshops hummed to show the sharp-featured eclipse model hunched over a workbench, murmuring angrily to himself as he soldered together pieces of some sort of electrical board.
Blood Moon paused just overhead, hidden in a ventilation shaft, his optics narrowing into a predatory slit. He looked back at Lunar, a silent, mischievous spark flashing in his swirling eyes that completely contradicted the heavy angst driving him.
Lunar caught and matched his look with a more mischievous than deadly grin crossing his face as he raised his hands in a silent countdown.
Before Eclipse even had a chance to register the shift in the room's air pressure, the vent above his head was violently kicked open.
"SURPRISE, ASSHOLE!" Lunar shouted, as he fell with a theatrical flourish.
At the exact same time, Blood Moon lunged with terrifying speed and strength, slamming Eclipse flat against the floor with a loud crash of metal and shattered tools, pinning him instantly.
Eclipse choked out a startled gasp, his sharp rays flying outward in shock as he glared up at his uninvited guests. "WHAT THE FUCK-! GET OFF OF ME, YOU FREAKS!"
"Hey, is that anyway to greet your brother on his birthday?" Lunar smiled, enjoying getting a rise out of his former tormentor a little too much.
"Pointy man..." Blood Moon growled out with a dangerous and low tone to let the others know that he meant business.
"Easy there, brother. You want him alive if there's a chance he can fix things. Remember?"
"What the hell is going on you little traitor!? You bringing the monster here to finish me off?!!?"
"Don't tempt me. I'm actually here to help rein him in if things get out of hand." Lunar breathed a sigh, forcing himself to be a little more serious now. He placed a hand on Blood Moon's chest and gave him a soft push to ease off a little. "Look, we're here because we need your help -."
"No."
Lunar's eye twitched. "We-we're not even here for ourselves! We're doing this for Sun-!"
"Oh, for Sun? Then HELL NO!" Eclipse pushed himself up, sending the two smaller bots tumbling backwards. "Whatever's going on over there with him or Moon has nothing to do with me!"
"You... It has everything to do with you!! Our lovely one has suffered greatly because of your foolish actions!"
"Lovely??? SUN??-hhrrk" Eclipse's eyes narrowed and his face curled into itself with his disgust. He looked to Lunar for confirmation and who only returned his look with a scowl, but he got the answer he needed from furious expression, and the slight blush, on Blood Moon's face. "OH MY GOD THAT'S HILARIOUS! I knew Sun was desperate but a mindless cannibal?!"
Eclipse leaned himself up against the wall as he held himself laughing.
Blood Moon shook with anger, a low growl rumbled out of him but he didn't make a move.
"Alright, that's enough, Eclipse. Don't you realize what day it is?"
"Yeah yeah. It's the little monster's birthday or whatever. Happy birthday! Now, get the hell out of my workshop!" He lifted up a leg to kick the smallest bot out towards the exit.
Lunar just caught his slipper with his hands and pushed back, making Eclipse stumble backwards into the wall. "You dick, would you just listen for a sec!?"
Any fear he used to hold for their creator melting away and fueling his strength with pure, unadulterated hatred. Sparks of electricity emanated from his clenched fist that caught Eclipse's eyes, effectively quieting his taunting.
"Just shut your face! Don't sit there and laugh at him when you're the one who screwed things up when you made him! You're the reason all those kids lost their lives that day so you should be the one trying to fix things with Sun!"
"What are you talking abou-" Eclipse's eyes widened with sudden realization. "No..No! I'm a different person now! We've been through this already! I'm not gonna go grovel to Sun for forgiveness about something that's in the past! He needs to get over himself and deal with his shit himself!!"
"Oh, don't give me that crap! You may have the others fooled with this fake new slate of yours, but I know it's all a lie! You don't get to move on and act like you're above the rest of us after everything you've done!"
"Shut up you little twerp! You have no idea what you're talking about! I didn't... I didn't know... I didn't think it would get so bad..." Eclipse's rays shrunk into his head, making a faint rattling sound sound as they shook in their casing. What may have been a hint of remorse was quickly snuffed out with anger and panic and his need to preserve his pride. "I may have set the little beasts loose but they're still the ones that did the killings and enjoyed every minute of it! I'm not the monster here, he is!"
Eclipse pointed to Blood, expecting a big reaction from the normally violent bot but was surprised to see how ...internal it was. Blood Moon was angry, but he didn't lash out. Instead he stood there with his eyes averted, clenching his clawed fists and looking as if he was deep in his thoughts. It made Eclipse uncomfortable, so he pushed past the two bots caging him in the room and walked out.
"Really!?" Lunar shouted as he chased after Eclipse. "Do you really believe any of that crap you and Earth probably feed each other during your fake therapy sessions?! Do you really think that you're any better than us with the stupid way you're acting right now?"
"Go away, Lunar. What do you two even want from me? Blood Moon's just another one of my failed attempts at getting back at Sun and Moon, except this one got way out of hand in a way that even I couldn't predict. I messed up! Is that what you want me to say??" Eclipse paused near to entryway to look back to the two following after him.
"We don't need you to say anything! Blood just needs you to fix his programming, so that he can have a normal life, and we'll be out of your metaphorical hair. Neither of us wanna be here with you any longer than necessary!"
"...What?" Eclipse whipped around, giving the two a skeptical look.
"It's true." Blood Moon stepped forward. "I am a danger to all that Sun loves... As long as I am cursed with this need for blood. I cannot return to his side until I am no longer a threat to his happiness." He growled to himself, as he lowered himself down to bow. "Pleaaassse..."
"Bloody.."
Eclipse sighed, rubbing his face from both frustration and discomfort. "Look, there's no 'cure' for what's wrong with Blood Moon. Even if I wanted to help, this isn't some glitch or error that I can cut out or correct." He grabbed Blood Moon by the shirt and pulled them into the workshop. Once in the room, he pull down Blood Moon's hood and plug them into a laptop, quickly displaying in his code on the screen. "It's the whole architecture of your programming. You're exactly what you were made to be... I can't fix this without rewriting it and making you into a completely different bot... this isn't even my code anymore, Ruin made it that much more a part of you when he brought you back."
Blood Moon stood frozen, the heavy whirring of his internal vents sounding like a dying gasp in the quiet workshop. His swirling optics stared blankly at the green lines of code scrolling across the laptop screen, the cold reality settling deep into his chest.
There is no fix for him. No hidden switch. The violence etched into his core wasn't a mistake, but his entire blueprint.
Lunar rushed to his side, hovering anxiously over his brother's shoulder. "Don't... don't give up, Blood. There has to be-!"
"There isn't," Eclipse spat, pointing to the screen with a sharp huff of irritation. "I told you, and now you see it for yourself. If you wipe the hunger, you wipe him. He wouldn't even be Blood Moon anymore."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Blood Moon looked down at his own heavy, clawed hands, the hands meant to tear and consume innocent flesh, realizing that every step he tried to take toward a better life was chained to a past he could never outrun.
"Do it...do what you must."
"WOAH! HEY! HANG ON!" Lunar slammed the laptop shut and got into his brother's face. "Did you actually listen to what he said, Blood!? This is a full reset we're talking about...wha-what would Sun think?"
"I am doing this for Sun... there's nothing I wouldn't do to end his suffering... He will be much happier with a different mate. One who never harmed him..."
Lunar looked to his former brother for any other solution but saw no help offered there. He turned his gaze back to the broken yet determined look on the crimson bot's face and sighed. "Jeez... Why do I have the dumbest people on the planet to call my family?" He raised a hand up high and gave Blood a hard smack to his forehead.
"AH! LITTLE MAN! WHAT THE-"
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO SUN!??!" Lunar massaged his hand to hide the pain from the hard slap he delivered. "Sun and I may not be the closest, but even I know him well enough to know that he hates when people make decisions for him! If you do this, you'll be treating him just like the old Moon did!" Lunar shot Eclipse a deadly glare and motion for Blood to follow him. "Coming here was a mistake... I'm sorry, Blood. We'll... we'll figure something else out. Okay?"
Blood Moon looked down in shame, knowing very well the complicated feelings his light had over his late brother's actions up to his death. He'd sooner eat his own arm than be compared to him. It pained him to know how close he came to repeating those same mistakes.
"You're right... I cannot fix what has happened...and I cannot make decisions without speaking to Sun first... thank you, brother." Blood Moon smiled at his smaller brother before unplugging himself and raising his hood back up. The two made their way to the exit, leaving Eclipse alone in his workspace.
Eclipse sat down at his desk with his arms crossed. His eyebrow and rays twitched with a strange irritation at the others' departure, that he couldn't quite place the reasoning for.
"Whatever..! Tell Sun to keep his domestic issues to himself then! I've got enough of my own stuff to deal with without you guys barging in with all your drama!"
...
...
* * *
Sun was far from the noise of the daycare on an overgrown hillside where the memories of July 16th were permanently carved into the earth. His day was spent in quiet mourning at each individual grave of the children he failed to protect.
The wind rustled through the tall grass, carrying the crisp scent of pine and the moisture from the sprinklers earlier in the day. He sat himself at one of the benches provided for guests with his hands resting limply in his lap and his rays drooping in sorrow. He stayed like that for a long time, lost in his grief, until the faint sound of a crunching leaf broke the silence.
Blood Moon lingered a few yards back, half-shrouded beneath the shadow of a tree and slightly hidden within a taller patch of grass. His hood was pulled low, casting his face in darkness with just his swirling optics illuminated. A sight that would've been frightening to anyone besides Sun, who could see the nervous, uncertainty behind those eyes.
He had tracked Sun here, driven by a desperate desire to see his light, but now that he was face-to-face with the grief he had helped cause, every rehearsed word or action vanished completely from his mind.
He didn't belong here. He didn't deserve to be there with Sun. He knew that. But he couldn't bring himself to turn back, either.
With slow, deliberate steps, Blood Moon closed the distance. He didn't speak. He simply lowered himself down beside Sun, while leaving a small yet noticable gap between them, as he sat with an uncharacteristically small posture.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The tension hung thick between them, charged with the ghosts of the day's events and the permanent weight of Blood Moon's unchangeable programming.
Slowly, hesitantly, Blood Moon reached out a large, clawed hand, with his palm up, and rested it on the space between them. An invitation, and a quiet admission of his own helplessness in what to do.
Sun stared down at the hand for a second. He saw the sharp talons, the dark crimson plating, and the undeniable reminders of what Blood Moon was built to be. But then he saw the slight tremor in the massive fingers, the complete lack of malice, and the profound sorrow radiating from the red-and-white bot beside him.
With a shaky breath, Sun lifted his own hand and slid his fingers into Blood's, gripping tightly.
Neither of them pulled away. They simply sat together as the quiet minutes ticked by, the world around them fading into a still, peaceful stillness as the time slipped past them in silence.
"I'm sorry..." Sun rasped, finally breaking the silence.
Blood Moon was lost for words, just looking at Sun with wide, confused eyes.
"I shou-...I shouldn't have left you all like that this morning..."
"My light.. there is nothing for you to apologize for today. It was... We should be apologizing. My brother and I... We had no idea the cost of our actions from that day. We killed without thought or remorse...and worst, we mocked you for the pain and fear you felt..."
Sun was silent. He pulled his hand back, and held himself as he trembled and let out a few tears. Blood Moon had a pained expression from this but decided to continue.
"You offered us, many times, peace and a better path to walk, and we still chose to torment you. It wasn't until I knew what such loss could feel like, did I... I didn't deserve your kindness then...and I don't deserve your forgiveness now..."
"Bl-blood..."
"You needn't say anything... For I've made a decision... One I thought it through greatly..." Blood Moon stood and moved to kneel down in front of Sun, looking up at him to show the seriousness of his words. "There is nothing I can say or do that can fix what I had done to you...or to Dazzle. You would do so much better with someone new. Someone who could never fathom hurting you in such a way in the first place. I considered it. I considered becoming that person...Resetting myself..."
Sun shot up from his seat, with new and furious tears in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Blood Moon put a hand to his mouth and gave him a look to say that he wasn't finished. Sun let out a breath and Blood eased him back down to sit, while petting and rubbing at his arms to help soothe his nerves.
"The tiny Moo-er Lunar talked me out of this. Told me how selfish and foolish that would be, and he was right. I cannot run from my past and I cannot leave someone else to repent for my actions. So I decided... The only thing I can do now is give myself to you." Blood Moon took a hold of Sun's hand again, in an act to show his devotion. "From today on, until my battery runs dry and after that, my life will be yours. I will devote myself to your happiness and protection. And I will extend that protection to the cub, Dazzle, as well."
"Bloody..! I-I-I-!," Sun glowed a bright red. Blinding and beautiful, like the real blood moon that his partner loved and was named for. He jumped up from out of his seat and slipped past Blood to start nervously pacing. "Do-do-do you even know what you're saying?! What this sounds like?!? If-if someone were to walk by, it-it would almost look like-!"
"Like what?" Blood Moon followed closely in tandem with Sun's pacing. Unsure of what to make with the change of atmosphere.
"L-like a...like a proposal..."
"I am proposing-"
Sun stopped suddenly, making Blood walk right into him. He quickly turned his head, with his rays pulled in, looking down at the shorter bot who returned with a confused expression that didn't quite communicate that he understood the severity of his words.
"I am proposing...an exchange. A life for a life. Though, I have only one to offer, I will give it you for as long as I am able!"
"N-now you're making it sound like you'd be my servant..."
"If that is what my star desires," Blood Moon rumbled playfully making Sun glow even brighter and hide his face. Misunderstandings weren't uncommon for them so they always made sure to ask each other questions. "What did you think I had in mind?"
"I-I thought...this was almost starting to sound like...a marriage proposal.." Sun squeaked, with his face still hidden behind his hands.
"Is there a difference?"
"Yes-YES!!!" Sun sputtered out in high pitched tone that startled Blood enough to stumble back. Sun gave him a guilty look and took his hand to lead him back to the bench. "I don't... want that, Blood. I don't want you feeling like you need to be with me out of some pity or obligation or whatever. I want us to be equal in this. A good relationship requires that I give myself to you as much as you do for me. Do you understand?"
"..."
"... Bloody?"
Blood Moon sat there in contemplative silence for a moment, occasionally tilting or scratching at his head. "I see..." He no longer had his other self to discuss things with but his thought process was probably the same as he hummed and nodded to himself before coming to his conclusion. "Yes. This is acceptable. I accept this proposal."
"B-Bl-Bloody, did you even hear me?! Don't you think that's a bit fast for us!? We haven't even been official to my family for that long!! What are people gonna say!? What will Moon think!? No, this is moving way too fast!" Sun began to babble. He kept going between hiding the bright, redness of his face and fanning himself from the steam that sprayed out from his neck joints from his overworked fans.
"I don't think it is." Blood Moon spoke softly as he took a hold of Sun's hands from his face and held them in a way that was both gentle and reassuring. "I have no desire to spend my days with anyone else. Nor do I desire to be anywhere without you or young Dazzle. Is there much more to this marriage-thing?"
Sun whined. Wondering to himself how Blood Moon's logic could lead him to treat this matter so simply.
"I... I'd be asking a lot from you... Dazzle. She's just a kid. She needs structure and stability in her life and from her guardians... I can't ask you to stick by me while I'm still figuring out this mess I call my life!"
"You are not asking me. I have already accepted a life at your side. Children, messes...and your family included... Will you accept me?"
Sun hesitated for a moment before leaping forward, wrapping his arms around Blood, who happily returned the affection with loud, rumbling purrs. He gently scooped up the lighter bot and gently placed him onto his lap so they could cuddle on the bench. Sun snuggled into the hold, nodding and rubbing his face into Blood's shoulder, overwhelmed by a mixture of sobs, hiccups, and laughter that burst out of him.
It all started as such a bad day, with him feeling too sensitive and not wanting to take everything out on the people around him. He could never have guessed how differently things might have turned out. It was all so overwhelming, yet it felt right. Maybe it was his exhaustion, or the way Blood Moon's warmth and his purring seemed to chase away any worries he held in his body, but Sun felt calm in his arms. He looked up, ready to end the day and go home with his partner, until he caught sight of an onlooker, standing by the tree where he had found Blood Moon earlier.
"Eclipse?" Sun rasped, his voice dry from all the weeping he'd done already.
The tall bot wordlessly gestured for him to approach, giving Blood a head shake when he tried to follow. "We need to talk."
Sun stepped closer, turning back for a moment to give Blood Moon a reassuring hug and then sneaking him a quick peck on the cheek when he wouldn't let up on his growling. He walked over to Eclipse with slow, cautious steps, unsure of what the former villain might want with him.
"Eclipse...what are you doing here..?"
"Here." Eclipse tossed him a tool that was around the same size and heaviness of a wrench that wasn't recognizable to Sun, given the confused expression he gave, to which Eclipse sighed and pinched the flat bridge of where his nose was on his faceplate. "It's a fazwrench, or at least one that'll work on the lil monster if you ever need to fix him... don't say I never did anything for you." He turned himself away to leave but was cut off with Sun running into his path.
"Wha-what!? No!! I don't want this! What is wrong with-!?"
"The gremlin and the little traitor already came to me earlier looking for some kind of cure for his bloodlust. I told them that there wasn't a cure for what's wrong with him without a full reset so I can rewrite his code..." He paused, giving Sun a chance to say something and then continued with a shrug when the only thing he got was a look that was equally incredulous and furious. "They said something about how the brunt of the blame for that day falls on me and how I should be the one making things right with you... Now, I'm not saying that I agree with them... but there you go. A modified fazwrench that ought to work on the body that freak designed."
Sun looked down at the tool in his hands with disgust and tried to break it. After a few seconds of only hearing some snaps and groans from tension, he lit up his hands with bright flames, focusing the heat to soften the metal enough to squash and make it useless.
"Thanks...are we done here, then?" He waved it a few times to help it cool down and tossed it back to Eclipse who took a single step back to avoid it.
"Whatever, screw me for trying to be helpful, I guess..." Eclipse's rays flickered with irritation, clearly not satisfied and itching to say more. "You know... not that I care about your fucked-up love life or anything, but if you ever decide to get it fixed, I can make him better... a bit softer and cleaner. Just like you. I could even make him a girl, since you used to be so obsessed with proving your 'straightness,' weren't you?" He sneered mockingly at Sun, twisting his air quotes to really jab at his former enemy.
"God, you're such a dick." Sun flipped him off, looking back to check on Blood who was still sitting on the bench with his legs swinging from anxious boredom. To the surprise of Eclipse, Sun turned back to him with a big smile, even laughing a bit to himself. "Thanks, but I'm gonna stick with the Blood Moon I have now...I really like this one."
"You're fine with cozying up with a mindless animal that's one skipped meal away from going on another murder spree in your daycare?"
"Watch it! He's more to me than that to me! Much more now that..." Sun found himself getting flustered again. Remembering the conversation he was having before, but shook his head to refocus on the annoying bot before him. "Y-you really don't see it , do you? How much he's already changed? How much he's still trying to change! I love him, just the way he is, and I'm not going to let you make either of us feel bad about it!"
"Easy there." Eclipse put his hands up to placate Sun. He was genuinely surprised to hear the normally meek and passive bot get upset enough to defend someone like Blood Moon, though he supposed that it wasn't so out there considering the yellow idiot's blind loyalty to his late brother. Something a loner like Eclipse certainly couldn't relate to...
"You know..."
Eclipse was snapped out of his thoughts, remembering where he was and who he was talking to.
"If you really think about it... You being such a terrible villain, sort of played a huge role in bringing me and Bloody together."
Sun snorted at the disgusted look Eclipse shot him.
"What? It's true! You tried to make my life a living hell, from the whole Roxanne fiasco to framing me for the massacre. And while you did succeed for a time... by some strange, cosmic justice, you also gave me something irreplaceable.." Sun let out a soft, almost breathless laugh as Eclipse’s disgust deepened, the former villain looking almost ready to vomit or scrape his faceplate off.
"Irreplaceable?" Eclipse echoed, his voice dropping into a dry, disbelief-filled rasp. "You are completely out of your mind. He is a walking hazard, Sun. A ticking time bomb."
"Maybe," Sun replied softly, his rays moving in a gentle pulse as he looked back toward the bench. Blood Moon was still sitting there, now tracking their conversation with his intense stare, making sure that Eclipse wasn't causing Sun any distress. "But he's learning. He wants to be better. Which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for anyone else in my life."
Eclipse scoffed, crossing his arms and snapping his head away. "Whatever. Just don't come crying to me when he eventually snaps. Enjoy your little happily-ever-after with the butcher, then."
"I will... thanks, Eclipse..."
Eclipse turned on his heel and activated his portal, disappearing into a sudden, static-filled tear in the air that snapped shut a second later, leaving behind no trace of his visit.
Sun stood alone for a moment, taking a deep breath to clear away any doubt the other tried planting into his head. Strangely enough, the heavy, suffocating weight that he would've normally felt on this day felt... lighter. No, the pain of the past hadn't vanished, it probably never would, but for now, it wasn't the only thing waiting for him in the future.
He squeaked when he suddenly felt a pair of large arms wrap around his waist, pulling him backwards into a tight hug.
"Is everything alright..? The pointy man didn't harm you, right?" Blood Moon growled softly, nuzzling his face into Sun's back.
"No, he didn't." Sun whispered, letting himself melt into comfort he was being given. He let his eyes flutter shut, just letting himself enjoy the moment before he noticed the time on his internal hub. "The daycare's closed, and Dazzle should be waking up by now... She'll be hungry and wanting to play all night again."
He turned his head to look over his shoulder and back to his partner, but Blood Moon was quick in his excitement. The crimson bot scooped him up, seamlessly swinging him around and onto his back in a piggyback carry.
"Let us not keep her waiting then!" Blood Moon beamed a sharp-toothed smile and started to sprint forward with a laughing Sun on his back. Both eager to see the child they've grown to care for deeply.