"Hey, hey! Slow down, Sun! You're going to pull something again! You're not in good shape right now!"
"Sorry, sorry," Sun acquiesced as he slowed his gait through the halls of the hospital. Neptune sped up to reach his side, and rested a hand upon his shoulder.
"She's not going anywhere just yet, so it's not like you'll miss her. Keep it together, man," Neptune said with a look of understanding.
"I know, I'm just… excited. Really excited. I want to see her smile, and… just be awake. We've got a thing going on," Sun admitted as he led Neptune around a corner and toward Ilia's room.
"Wait, a thing?" Neptune asked. "Not like… a side-chick thing, right?"
Sun stopped in his tracks, and resisted the swelling urge to smack his friend over the head with the bouquet in his hand. "No! Besides, she's not into dudes!"
"Oh… oh, yeah. My bad," Neptune admitted as they resumed their march. Sun shook his head with a sigh as they reached Ilia's door, and he raised a fist to knock against the wood. Neptune shifted his weight as he crossed his arms and looked at their surroundings.
"You think she's still in for tests and whatnot?"
"Gods, I hope not. I mean, I'll gladly wait, but… I don't want to lose the feeling I've got right now," Sun said.
"…Blake ever text you back?" Neptune asked with a hint of hesitance in his voice.
"…no," Sun replied, with much the same. He frowned slightly, but his lips turned up immediately as a familiar face opened the door.
Ilia stood with a slightly hunched posture, and her left arm in a cast. She wore a light blue hospital gown, and beyond her tired expression and arm, seemed to have made progress toward recovering.
"…hey, big bro."
"Hey, little sis," Sun returned as he scooped Ilia into a gentle hug. He squeezed tighter as time went on, until her face was mashed into his chest and she tilted her chin to look up at him.
"…the hell happened to your nose?"
Sun heaved a massive sigh and broke the hug as he self-consciously put a hand on the back of his neck. "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"
"It's kinda my thing," Ilia said with a wry smile as she turned to look at Neptune. "Speaking of ruining things…"
Neptune rolled his eyes, and offered Ilia a small smile. "If anything, I'm saving him from ruining it. It's nice to see you, Ilia. Really."
Ilia's cocksure expression faltered as Neptune approached and offered her a hug as well. She looked away slightly as he wrapped her in a leather-clad embrace, before ruffling her hair and stepping back.
"It's great to see both of you, honestly. It feels like I've been out forever, but also… like the attack on Haven just happened. Come on in," Ilia offered as she made her way back inside the room. Sun was the first to follow, and he offered her the bouquet. She gratefully accepted it, before giving the flowers a sniff.
"I know it's probably stupid, but I felt like I should," Sun said sheepishly.
"And I helped him figure out what to get you. Blue periwinkle for friendship, and monkshood for health," Neptune added.
"Wow," Ilia commented as she set the flowers upon the bedside table, next to Cinnamon's. "You would know flower meanings."
"It's all part of the charm," Neptune replied with a small bow. Ilia merely shook her head, and moved to sit on the edge of the hospital bed.
"So, how long was I out?"
Sun sat across from Ilia in his usual chair, while Neptune took up position on the window sill.
"This is day three. I… kinda stayed with you, for most of it," Sun informed.
"And didn't eat, sleep, or shower, like some kind of incredibly concerned barbarian," Neptune added helpfully.
"That explains the gross stubble. You need to shave, Sun. Seriously. Facial hair looks awful on you," Ilia said. "It's like a teenager who can't grow a beard trying to look like a farmhand."
"Thanks. Any other physical deficits you feel like pointing out today?" Sun asked as his tail flicked in annoyance.
Ilia pretended to ponder the question, and then shook her head. "No, I think that about covers it. But… seriously. Thank you, for… for everything. You probably saved my life… and I don't just mean the tree, either."
Sun merely looked Ilia over as she stared back, neither quite sure what to say. Neptune gave the pair an anxious look, and pressed his palms down into the window sill.
"…should I get out of here, for a bit? Let you two talk privately?"
Ilia shifted slightly and backed herself up along the bed to sit closer to the pillow and get a good view of both boys. "No. I'm not ashamed to say that, or anything else about Sun, in front of you. I mean it."
"Ilia…" Sun began, only for her to cut him off.
"I'm serious! More than even Cinnamon, you've been here for me, giving me opportunities and second chances I never deserved. I want you to know that even if I come off as a bitch sometimes, I notice and appreciate it. You're my hero, Sun," Ilia finished.
Sun shot a quick glance to Neptune, and found him sitting quietly as he offered only a small nod.
"I… Ilia, I don't know what to say to that," Sun admitted.
"Then don't say anything. Just accept it," she advised as she slid backward to rest her head on the pillow. "That would be good enough for me."
Sun experienced an entire range of emotions as he nodded, and pulled his scroll from his pocket to distract himself. A message from Blake awaited on the screen, and his heart skipped a beat as he opened it and read.
Where are you?
Sun replied as quickly as he could, and held his breath.
Ilia's room at the hospital. She's awake. What's going on? Are you okay?
The device vibrated as a reply came in, and Sun's stomach twisted into knots.
I am now. Long story. See you in ten.
"…you don't look happy," Ilia pointed out from her position atop the bed.
"Blake's on her way here. Something's wrong," he warned as he pocketed his scroll. "She didn't give specifics, but she's acting weird. I'm worried."
"Or, best case scenario, she could be trying to surprise you with something," Neptune interjected.
"Yeah, like a shirt. Seriously, Sun?" Ilia added.
"I have a huge bandage on my side, alright? And besides, I like a nice breeze! Is that a crime?" he asked as he let out a breath through his nose. His chest began to tighten a bit as he felt a quick pulse of anger, and stood up to begin pacing. "I'll get a shirt tomorrow. I promise."
"Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea, considering the meeting coming up," Neptune reminded. "Speaking of- Ilia, do you know when you'll be discharged?"
Ilia offered a slow nod as Sun finally stopped and braced his hands against the rail at the foot of her bed. "They said I could go home tomorrow morning, after they monitor me tonight. What meeting is this?"
"Ozpin… well, Oscar… Ozpin is the head of Beacon Academy, and he's got some kind of weird r-"
"I know who Ozpin is," Ilia interrupted. "Cinnamon told me everything Weiss told you, before she left. I'm caught up on what's going on with him, and the relics."
"Well, that simplifies things," Sun said with a sigh of relief. "He wants to hash out a plan with us, Team RWBY, Team JNR, and this Qrow guy that I still haven't met. If you're well enough, you should definitely come."
Neptune shifted uncomfortably, and Sun gave him a look. "Out with it."
"…should this Cinnamon person come, too? She sounds pretty important."
"Yes. Absolutely," Ilia answered as Sun raised a brow.
"I… yeah, I guess she really should, if she's gonna be helping us. Ilia, I'll leave contacting her to you. Ozpin might not be happy, but honestly, I don't care. We need all the help we can get," Sun said.
"Yeah, we do. I gotta ask, though… what's Weiss like? Is she as awful as I expect her to be?" Ilia asked as she took her scroll from the bedside table and began to tap out a text.
"Weiss Schnee is a perfect, if slightly frigid angel, and I will hear nothing of your accusations," Neptune answered as he hopped off the window sill.
"…he wants to bone her," Sun clarified as he folded his arms and leaned over the railing. "Real bad."
Neptune scoffed and put a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Excuse me, I want to love her. Passionately."
"That is… all sorts of gross. The less I think about you and anything to do with sex, the longer I'll probably live," Ilia said as she looked up from her scroll. "So yeah, she must be a total asshole if you're attracted to her."
"As much fun as bagging on Neptune is, let me step in real quick," Sun said. "Weiss is a good person. She was just born into bad circumstances, not unlike some other people you know, Ilia. Weiss is a Schnee in name only, and she actually came here to check up on me while I was watching over you. She practically tripped over herself to apologize for looking down on the faunus before, and she wants to stay friends."
"Well, that's good enough for me," Ilia said with a quick nod.
"See? Angel," Neptune stated again with confidence. Ilia rolled her eyes, and set her scroll aside.
"Still gross. Cinnamon will be there, tomorrow. She apparently already knows where you guys are staying," Ilia informed.
"Shocking," Sun replied. "She seems to know just about everything, when it suits her."
"That just makes her good at her job. Speaking of," Ilia added as the door opened once again.
Blake Belladonna strode into the room with purpose, and took a quick look around to survey the people inside before closing the door behind herself. Her hair was a messy nest of greasy strands, her clothes were rumpled and dirty, and she had bags under her eyes. Sun stood from his leaning position and immediately rushed to put his hands on her hips as she threw her arms around him.
"Blake! What happened? You look terrible…"
"Yes, well, that's what happens after spending a night in jail," she explained as she pulled back from the embrace. The room went silent as Neptune's mouth fell agape, and Ilia raised a brow. Sun merely looked Blake over, and tried to focus more on her words than his perpetual headache.
"You… what?"
Blake ran a hand through her messy hair and moved to sit down in Sun's chair as he took up the spot next to her.
"Well… Mom and I spoke to a bunch of higher-ups in the police department about the Black Claw. They really don't like where this is all going, especially after the attack on Haven, and they're resisting us pretty hard. Two days ago, Mom and I stayed in a hotel so that we could just go back and forth and work on negotiations. Yesterday, the cops started to get aggressive, and we were detained overnight while they ran an investigation as to whether or not we were involved in the attempted assault on Haven. That's why I haven't been answering you. They took my scroll."
"They can just… do that?" Neptune asked in disbelief.
"They can do whatever the hell they want. We're just faunus, after all," Ilia sneered as she waved a hand dismissively.
Sun's scowl deepened as he listened, and his voice became laced with ice. "…they literally threw you in jail because you're a faunus."
Blake frowned as she put her hand atop Sun's, and tried to soothe him with her voice. "Yes, but I'm fine, now. It's been taken care of, a-"
"That's not the point!" Sun cut in. "That's disgusting!"
Ilia nodded her agreement as Blake shook her head. "Sun, Haven was just attacked, and we could have been involved."
"Yeah, and if Haven had been attacked by humans, would they have started just detaining random humans in Mistral, who tried to help? No? Then why did they detain you?" Sun pressed. Blake fell silent as Neptune rubbed at the side of his face. Ilia leaned forward in bed, and looked over to Blake.
"This kind of shit is exactly why the White Fang still exists. This is what it was supposed to be about, and prevent. Adam perverted it, but Cinnamon's going to put us back on track. You can't tell me that the system works as it is, Blake."
"I never said it did!" Blake retorted. "It's just no use getting angry over it when it's done, and we have other things to worry about!"
"It may be no use, but I am angry," Sun seethed. "And once we get everything else sorted, I want answers."
"Trust me, I do, too, but we need to be peaceful about it. We need to show them that we can interact civilly and belong in society. What you're doing right now is exactly the kind of thing that's going to cause them not to listen," Blake warned.
"And what am I doing?" Sun spat.
Blake pressed her lips to Sun's cheek in a gentle kiss, before pulling back. "You're shaking. You're working yourself up into something you're just barely keeping contained, and letting it all get to you. I need you to calm down, Sun, before this escalates. There's nothing we can do about it right now."
Sun pulled a face at the accusation, as Ilia gave him a pointed look.
"Anger is a useful tool, especially in situations like this. It's a great motivator. Let him be pissed, if he's pissed."
Suddenly, Sun stood up and let his arm slip from Blake's grasp.
"I… don't feel so good. I think I need some air."
Neptune nodded, and made his way over to Sun to clasp a hand around his arm.
"You need food, water, and sleep, too. How about I stay with Ilia for a few more hours, and you and Blake go cuddle it up for a bit? You could both use some rest."
Blake stood as well, and offered Neptune a nod and contented smile. "That would be very much appreciated, right about now."
"Yeah," Sun agreed. He moved over to Ilia to give her another small hug and kiss on the cheek. She repeated the gesture with Blake, before reclining back into her pillow.
"Even I can see that Neptune's right. Get some rest, you two, and I'll meet up with you tomorrow."
"Will do. Heal quickly, Ilia," Sun said as he looped an arm around Blake's waist. His hand spasmed as he rested it upon her hip, and he bit his bottom lip.
"See you two. We'll make this all work, somehow," Blake added as she and Sun exited the room and entered the hallway. Without missing a beat, she turned herself to face Sun fully. "Are you alright? Seriously."
"You know I'm not," Sun replied. "The extent, though… we'll cover that tomorrow. For tonight, can we just rest, and enjoy each other's company? I've missed you a lot."
"I've missed you, too. Come on. Let's go get cleaned up," Blake offered as she took his hand. Sun allowed her to guide him down the hall, and took several deep breaths to calm himself along the way.
Almost immediately upon returning to their room within the safe house, Blake rolled off her dress shirt and tossed it upon the bed. Sun locked the door behind them with his tail, while he used his hands to finish sending a message on his scroll.
"There. Neptune's gonna have to room with someone else tonight. This one's all ours."
"I almost feel bad," Blake replied as she stretched her arms behind herself. "But then again… it's been too long since we've been able to just… cuddle, you know? Away from everyone, doing our own thing."
"Trust me, I do know. I think that might be part of what's wrong, lately," Sun agreed as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Blake reached around herself and undid her bra before flinging it off atop the sheets and turning to face Sun without a care in the world.
"Maybe… but I'm still worried about you. Really worried, if I'm honest. You can't let this build up and keep eating away at you, Sun. It's not healthy. We've got to break through this, and you've got to lean on me."
Sun hesitated for only a moment before standing and approaching Blake, to take her hand. "I know. After we make this big plan with the others, we'll… get into it. Are you getting in the shower…?" he asked before giving her a peck on the lips.
"I am. Sorry for being so… quick about stripping down without warning," Blake said with a smirk.
"Oh, you don't need to apologize. It's kinda nice," Sun joked as a pink tint took up residence on his cheeks. He looked down as he felt Blake's hands near his waist, and found her undoing his belt.
"It is, isn't it? You know, I really don't mind being like this, around you. I trust you, Sun. More than anyone else," Blake said as she let his buckle come undone. Sun froze for a moment, before stepping out of his shoes and allowing his shorts to fall to the carpet in order to stand in his boxers before her. A whole new kind of tension coursed through his body as his own shaky hands found their way to Blake's belt, and he began slowly undoing it.
"…and you're sure this is… something you want, right now? Because before, there were times that… well, you would do things like this, and…"
"I know," Blake interrupted. "This is different. Go ahead," she encouraged as she, too stepped out of her footwear. Sun slowly and carefully lowered her pants to the floor, revealing her small black thong. His breath hitched as he stood straight once again and looked Blake over in her almost fully unclothed state.
"You… you really are beautiful, Blake," Sun managed to say with a hard swallow. She smiled, and moved forward to press into Sun's chest. Blake rested her cheek against his skin for a moment, before planting a heavy kiss on the side of his neck.
"Thanks, Sun. You're incredibly handsome. Care to join me?"
Sun felt his brain start to melt as Blake pressed her chest to his and looked up at him.
"Join you? Like… um, i-in… the shower?"
"…in the shower," Blake confirmed as she stepped back. Without so much as another word, she rolled off her thong and used her foot to place it atop the fallen pile of clothing, leaving nothing to Sun's imagination.
Sun's cheeks burned and his breathing quickened. He found himself unable to tear his gaze from Blake's body as the tip of his tail spasmed wildly behind him. Finally, he looked at the floor and grasped the waistband of his boxers before pulling them down and following suit to discard them atop his shorts. When he was finished, he looked back to Blake and offered her a nervous smile. Her own held far more confidence, and a genuine adoration as she looked him over.
"…so. This is us," she commented.
"I… y-yeah, this is… I guess this is us, isn't it? Like, the 'us' that nobody else gets to see…?" Sun tried as his tail curled itself around one of his calves.
"Exactly," Blake replied with a nod. "It's okay to be uncomfortable, but… I adore you, Sun. Even if there was something embarrassing about you, and…" Blake chuckled as her eyes flicked downward for a brief moment, "trust me, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about, I wouldn't judge you. Let's get used to this, one step at a time. If you're ready."
Sun let out a nervous laugh at Blake's comment, and ran a hand through his hair. "I uh, yeah! I'm… I'm totally ready. I could… you know, get used to this."
"Well, then let's go and get started," Blake offered as she approached and took his hand. "Get my back?"
"Of course," Sun said with a nod. Blake offered him a smile, and he returned it as he led her to the shower, his tail swishing all the way.
Author's Note:
"So you mean to tell me this story will end when RWBY officially ends as a series?"
Not necessarily, but in a good way- if RWBY ever just fizzles out without getting a proper ending, I'll continue beyond that. What You Stole will get a full resolution, regardless of whether or not canon does. The only reason I'm waiting on Volume 7 to release before writing the WYS version is to see what moves Rooster Teeth has up its sleeves in terms of setting for Atlas and flow of events. Speaking of flow of events, I should probably let some people down gently now- Cordovin and the Apathy grimm will not be in this story's version of Volume 6... but they will absolutely show up in the future. Cordovin will likely show up in 7 or 8, here, and as for the Apathy, I have a few different ideas that I'll continue to refine as time goes on. They'll likely be playing a bigger role, here, and may show up somewhere different than the farm.
Next update on Friday. It's one of the longest chapters thus far, and hugely important for the direction of the rest of Volume 6 and potentially 7.
-RD