Sun's head seemed to throb in time with each click of Winter's heels as the woman made her way down the brightly illuminated hall ahead of him. Weiss walked alongside her older sister, though her heels landed in their own rhythm, adding a staccato element to the unwelcome noise and making the hairs on the back of Sun's neck stand on end. He brought a hand up to rub at his forehead as he grimaced and closed his eyes to try to squeeze away the pain. A light knock on the arm from a cold, metallic fist caused Sun to open his eyes, and he shook his head to chase away the stars in his vision as he gave Yang a weary look.

"Hang in there, big guy. We're almost in the clear, and the hard part's over for today," the blonde insisted. "You did good back there. A lot better than I would've done."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You filled him in about Raven and the relic pretty concisely," Sun pointed out. "I appreciate you contributing without losing your cool."

"Yeah, well, the losing my cool part will come later, once I can get that asshole in the motorized chair alone," Yang threatened. "I'm not letting that go… and I'm also not letting my status as a criminal from the Vytal tournament stand."

"I'm sure Ironwood will help clear that up," Sun replied. "Now that we're certain of what went on, I'm sure Ironwood can pull security footage from Haven that shows Mercury and Emerald doing their thing. Or at least… I hope he can."

"Putting a lot of faith in that man," Ilia said coldly from her place behind the pair. "Too much, if you ask me."

"What's wrong with trusting General Ironwood?" Jaune asked in a curious tone. "He's giving us a place to stay, at the very least."

Ilia rolled her eyes and huffed, before blowing a hanging strand of hair out of her face.

"Yeah, that's all well and good, until he starts demanding things from us that we're unwilling to do. Were you paying attention to the language he was using? He was very safe, and you handed him direct control over us in a heartbeat, Sun."

"That's… not what I got out of it," Sun protested as he turned and began to walk backwards while facing Ilia. "He did say he wants to hear our thoughts on things, and I don't think he's the type to just… push us around and be unreasonable."

"Really? And where do you think Clover got the stick in his ass from?" Ilia asked as she narrowed her eyes. "He probably pulled it right out of Ironwood's and shoved it up his own. Seems to me like he's second in command, and that doesn't bode well for us."

"I am second in command," came a cold voice from behind Sun. He turned to find Winter glaring daggers at Ilia as she stood before a metallic door with Weiss at her side. "Clover would be third, and his attitude comes from the fact that he takes his job and any orders he receives from General Ironwood very seriously. So do I, for that matter, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from criticizing him in my presence. You may think whatever you'd like about his intentions, but the general is under a lot of pressure- far more than you know. His words are safe and calculated for a reason."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Jaune began, "I think… I think we're all just exhausted, and to Ilia's credit, she's been… well, her leaders haven't exactly been trustworthy or reliable. Adam and Cinnamon both turned on her, and I'm s-"

"I can defend myself," Ilia insisted as she folded her arms across her chest and took a defiant step forward. "But he's right, and I don't want to hear that 'that's what I get for allying with the White Fang.' At least, for a while, we accomplished something. We stood for something. I had no other options after your father's company cost me my parents, so don't even think about judging me and my decisions," she finished, her voice trembling along with her shoulders.

Winter drew in a long, echoing breath through her nostrils as she looked down at the smaller girl with narrowed eyes.

"…Winter, please don't be too hard on her," Weiss requested as she tried unsuccessfully to catch her sister's eye. "Ilia is a good person, and I've seen how dedicated she is t-"

"I, too, can defend myself," Winter interrupted as she raised a hand in Weiss' direction to cut her off. "Ilia Amitola- it isn't my place to judge you, nor would I, given the circumstances. While the White Fang is clearly our enemy, I can understand your reasoning for joining them, and knowing the general as I do… so will he, once you two speak privately. As for my father," she spat, "our only connection is blood. I left the Schnee dynasty in all but name the moment I turned 18, and never looked back. We don't speak, he's cut me off financially, and I've pledged my life to the Atlesian Military over his pathetic little stolen empire. The loss of your parents falls squarely upon his shoulders and his alone, and you have my sincerest apologies for your circumstances. I hope he pays dearly for his crimes, and I'll be right beside you when the time comes to administer the justice he so clearly deserves."

Ilia merely stared for a moment, her expression softening before she finally looked away, her cheeks tinted slightly pink.

"…thanks…"

Winter upturned her nose slightly before turning to face the door and swiping a keycard in the reader beside it. The metallic halves slid open with a shuffling sound, and the woman made a beckoning motion with her hand before folding them both behind herself as she continued to walk.

"Try to remember that while Atlas may be the military and technology capital of Remnant, its residents are still people. We aren't all as cold and unfeeling as we may seem. Weiss is a good example of that, that I'm sure you're familiar with."

Weiss offered her friends a sheepish smile as Sun returned the gesture and gave her a nod.

"You've got that right," Jaune chimed in. "Weiss has been amazingly helpful, and a great friend. We all appreciate having her around."

"Oh, stop," Weiss order with a blush as she once again moved to stand at Winter's side. "Really- it's nothing."

Winter rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Learn to take a compliment, Weiss. Anyway, this hall is where you'll all be staying. I'll have keycards made and bring them around to you shortly, but until then, don't leave your rooms. Otherwise, you'll be locked out."

The woman gestured to a long hall, within which were several other sliding doors. Once again, she swiped her keycard into a reader, and waited for the door to open before stepping inside and waving the crew along. Inside of the door was a rather spacious penthouse apartment setup, with a central living room and four doors. Two were beside each other, another was alongside the kitchenette on the perpendicular wall, and a final, double-paneled door stood near to the entrance in the small hallway leading to the living room.

"These apartments are where you'll be staying. Each has two bedrooms, a bathroom, main room, kitchenette, and closet. Basic food, clothing, and other provisions are already here, but customize the spaces as you see fit. The Aces and I live in similar setups in the opposite hallway, though they are slightly different, and upgraded. Divide yourselves accordingly," Winter ordered.

"I guess it would make the most sense for Jaune and I to take this one," Sun offered. "With us being guys, and all?"

"Doesn't really bother me either way. I'm no prude," Yang said with a shrug. "But the fact of the matter is, these are built for two, and there are five of us. That means one of us is left living alone, no matter how we slice it."

"I'll be fine alone," Weiss offered as she folded her hands before herself while keeping her expression neutral. "I mean… unless someone else would prefer to be solo. I'm honestly… somewhat used to it."

The group paused to let anyone else volunteer, before Yang raised a brow.

"Are you offering that because you want to be alone, or because you don't see another option? Honestly, I'd be alright with the three of us sharing, while I crash on the couch. You don't have to take one for the team."

"We could rotate the couch," Ilia suggested. "Seriously- none of us should be alone, in times like these… and moving forward, things are probably just going to get worse. Let's all bunk across the hall from the boys, and we'll figure it out. Not like we can't put a bed in the living room, if it comes down to it."

Weiss' eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she nodded softly.

"I would absolutely be willing to rotate. Thank you…"

"…offered an Atlesian penthouse in the most expensive building in all of Remnant all to yourself, and you're more interested in running over capacity and having someone sleep on the couch," Winter said in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned, we're practically family at this point," Sun said, only to earn nods from his companions.

"Yeah," Jaune echoed. "We're here for each other, even if it means things get a little awkward, from time to time."

Winter offered the boy a small smirk, before shaking her head as she turned to leave the apartment.

"…then maybe there's hope for us yet. I'll return shortly with your keycards, and information for you regarding the remainder of the week. Ladies, this way. I'll unlock your room for you."

Sun watched the girls disappear back into the hallway, before letting out a massive sigh and allowing his shoulders to droop.

"Well, man. Time to explore, and make this place feel lived in."

Jaune merely nodded, and turned to walk deeper into the penthouse.

Sun lounged upon the couch in the central living room, a pillow over his face and his shirt, shorts, and Ghira's armor discarded next to the furniture in a heap. Despite covering his face, the boy kept his eyes closed anyway as he tried to desperately fight off his migraine. While the pills he had found in the kitchenette had certainly taken the edge off, a lingering, painful buzz remained in the front of his skull. The penthouse had been quiet outside the muffled noise of the shower echoing through the bathroom wall, though that, too, was suddenly silenced. Sun shifted slightly upon the couch as he waited in silence, and didn't bother getting up as he heard the bathroom door open.

"All yours, man," Jaune called out into the room. "Sun? You still here?"

"On the couch!" he called as he raised a hand to be visible over the backrest.

"Oh! I… didn't wake you, did I?" Jaune asked as he plodded around the perimeter of the living room.

Sun slowly dragged the pillow down from atop his face and looked over at Jaune with a weary expression, only to find the boy wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His blonde hair hung in damp curtains almost down to his shoulders, and his build was slim, though somewhat muscular. Jaune was also blushing furiously and looking away, which Sun suspected had something to do with the fact that he was only wearing a short pair of boxers.

"Nah. I'm so tired, I don't think I could sleep," Sun explained as he dragged himself up into a sitting position. He lowered the pillow atop his crotch to provide additional covering, and then offered the other boy a shrug. "I've just been… thinking, I guess. Or trying not to think. Letting my mind wind down, but it doesn't seem to want to stop spinning."

"Yeah, I get that. All of that," Jaune replied before hesitantly walking to the couch and sitting beside Sun. "I know that Ruby and I weren't exactly thrilled with the team placements back at Qrow's house, but… you're doing a great job with all of this. Really."

"You guys say that enough that I'm almost starting to believe it," Sun explained as he set the pillow down and stood up into an overhead stretch. The scar on his torso ached as he twisted from side to side, and he found himself rubbing it without really thinking about the action. "I'm just trying to keep us all safe and sane. And… maybe happy, too, if we can get there."

"Well, General Ironwood does want us to take a few days off," Jaune pointed out. "I, for one, fully intend on taking him up on that offer."

"Yeah, me too," Sun agreed as he walked around the couch and headed toward the bathroom. "I will admit, though, it feels nice having a definite, concrete goal with no questions about what lies at the end of it. Gather gravity dust, get the coliseum floating. Simple enough, even if it ends up being a huge pain in the ass."

"I'm sure it will be, with our luck," Jaune replied with a shrug. "You showering?"

"Yeah," Sun replied as he opened the bathroom door. "There are some spare Academy uniforms in the closet, in all different sizes. Knock yourself out."

Sun closed the door behind himself and shuffled out of his boxers immediately. He let the cloth garment drop off harmlessly before stepping out of it and walking up to the mirror, which was still partially covered in fog. The boy gave his face a cursory glance, only to find that his eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles beneath them, his nose was still slightly tilted and ugly as ever, and his formerly scattered patches of stubble had formed into a full, light, chinstrap beard.

"…priority one tomorrow- buy a razor," Sun muttered to himself before shaking his head and heading for the shower. He opened the adjoining cabinet and grabbed himself a washcloth and towel, before slinging the latter over the nearby waiting rack. Then, he slid the glass door shut behind himself and sighed heavily as he turned on the water, only to close his eyes as immediate warmth cascaded down into his hair and began to work its way down his body. He let out another sigh of content as he felt himself become entirely drenched, and then got to work on cleaning himself.

Somehow, despite the clear safety of the shower and pleasantly soothing aspect of the water, Sun found himself unable to truly relax. Try as he might, the boy couldn't fight back the tension and anxiety that recent events had placed squarely upon his shoulders, and he found himself growing more and more frustrated with the notion. After having a quick internal debate, he closed his eyes and redirected his thoughts to a more pleasant place. Slowly, he curled his tail around the front of his body and let the tip begin to rub lightly against himself as he continued to use his hands to scrub elsewhere.

He could see her easily, and with a little more effort, the memory of their room at Qrow's house became crystal clear in his mind. He could remember the date and time, as well as her every word to him as she slowly climbed atop his waist to straddle him, her rear pressing teasingly against his stiff lower body.

"Just relax," Blake insisted as she curled her fingers into the flesh of his chest, digging her nails in and leaving small indents. "Do what feels natural."

He leaned up to kiss her, only for Blake to artfully dodge his efforts and drag her tongue up along the side of his neck and around to his cheek. A rough shove brought his back down to the mattress once again before Blake lowered her head and placed her mouth around one of his pecs to bite lightly at the flesh.

"B-blake," Sun said breathlessly as he rested a hand upon her shoulder.

"Shh," the girl replied as she slid her chin down his body, trailing a clawed hand alongside it. "You're mine, now."

Sun couldn't find it within himself to protest as Blake ran her tongue along a part of him that a girl had never touched before, and he instead let out an unfamiliar noise of pleasure as his breath hitched in his throat. Her mouth enclosed him entirely as she began to bob, and Sun pressed his head backward into the pillows as he could feel his breathing becoming erratic.

"Blake," he repeated, barely able to believe what was happening. "I… I love you."

Blake rose with one final, torturously slow lick before replacing her mouth with her hand as she worked a protective sleeve into place upon him.

"Then show me," she replied seductively before climbing atop him and lowering herself down upon the boy with her hands planted firmly upon his chest. Again, she began to bob up and down, though with her entire body.

Sun finally opened his eyes and began to move with her, following her rhythm as she smoothly rose and fell atop him. In time, she dipped in for a kiss, and he met her lips with a furious passion as the speed of her pounding down into his waist increased. He bucked and writhed wildly beneath her as he felt himself approaching a release, and he broke the kiss as he stared up at her body. Her modest, yet perfectly curved chest, the silky feeling of her thighs rubbing against his hips, the adorable, almost whining noises she made as they both approached…

Sun curled his tail around himself one last time before he felt a familiar, throbbing sense of the inevitable. He squeezed and ran his tail up and down himself as his mouth hung open and he released all of his tension in a long, pulsating, cathartic orgasm. Unable to hold back, Sun cried out in a shuddering, entirely too loud moan before he remembered where he was. Almost immediately, his eyes flew open and his breathing stopped as he paused, listening for any reaction from Jaune and hoping against hope that the other boy somehow hadn't heard him.

After what felt like ages of waiting and straining to hear over the pounding water from the showerhead, Sun finally let out his breath in a series of panting gasps. He hurriedly used his washcloth to clean off the shower wall before wringing it intensely under the water to try to banish all evidence of his indulgence into the drain. A shame hotter than both the water and his enticing reverie washed over his entire body, and yet, he did feel far more relaxed after the event. His legs trembled slightly as he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, and he did one last check of himself to make sure that nothing undue was clinging to his person before drying his hair and wrapping himself in the waiting towel. Seemingly unable to muster the courage to go back into the living room, Sun ended up merely lingering near the door.

"It's fine," Sun whispered to himself as he shivered. "It's fine, and he didn't hear you. Everything's cool…"

Sun bit his lip and grasped the doorknob before heading out into the living room once again. To his horror, Winter Schnee was standing in the kitchenette next to Jaune. His friend was dressed in an incredibly smart looking Atlas Academy uniform of rich purples, and he wore an absolutely furious blush that told Sun everything he needed to know about the situation. Suddenly, the faunus felt like dying on the spot as he looked at the pair.

"Ah, perfect timing," Winter said, seemingly unbothered. "Your keycard is on the coffee table, and tomorrow, you will all be receiving new, state of the art scrolls, courtesy of General Ironwood."

"O-oh," Sun said sheepishly as he walked around the couch and picked up his card. He looked it up and down with an intense interest as he kept his eyes off the others in the room to the best of his ability. "Thanks!"

"Mm. On that note- the general wishes to meet with you, specifically, tomorrow morning. Does 10 A.M. work for you?"

"Me?" Sun asked as he looked up. Under Winter's gaze and given the situation, he somehow felt even more naked than he had been in the shower. "Just me?"

"Just you," Winter confirmed was a nod. "You are, after all, the leader."

"Yeah," Sun agreed before clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am. 10 is fine."

"Excellent. I'll leave you boys to it. Get some rest- you look like you need it," Winter said offhandedly as she made her way to the door.

"Yes ma'am!" Jaune replied enthusiastically while avoiding Sun's eyes. "Have a pleasant evening!"

Winter made no effort to reply as the door slid shut behind her. Immediately afterward, Sun locked eyes with Jaune, and made a pleading expression.

"Please tell me she didn't hea-"

"No, she came in seconds aft-"

"Dude, it totally wasn't what it sounded like, I dropped a shampoo bottle on my foot a-"

"Sun," Jaune said as he held up both hands in a sign of surrender, only for the faunus to fall silent. "It's… it's fine. I get it. Really. I… honestly thought about doing it too, and I don't mind. If we're going to be living together, situations like that might happen, every so often. Just… maybe next time, not in the shower that we both have to use…?"

Sun's tail nearly twisted itself into a knot behind him as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"…yeah. Sorry, man. I'll… scrub everything, before tomorrow morning. I mean, I cleaned up, but I'll go ahead and disinfect the whole shower anyway. My bad…"

"Yes, please," Jaune replied before coughing into his hand. "And after that, let's pretend this never happened."

"Yeah," Sun agreed. "Yeah, that would be great…"

Author's Note:

If you thought Neptune being a habitual nudist was as awkward as this story was going to get, boy do you have another thing coming.

-RD