Marrow instinctively bristled against the cold night air as he emerged onto the rooftop. A bitter wind ruffled his hair as he walked out toward the railing around the edge of the building, only to find himself seemingly alone.

"Weiss…?"

"Down here."

Marrow blinked in surprise as the voice came from behind him. He turned around slowly to find his friend sitting with her back to a large air conditioning unit as she stared out over the city of Atlas. The girl's hair was down and draped around her shoulders, and she was still wearing her stained huntress outfit. Her usual makeup was totally absent, and in its place were trails of tears and a look of utter defeat. Marrow remained silent as he sank down to sit beside her. Weiss waited a moment before leaning her head into Marrow's shoulder and letting out a wistful sigh.

"…what do you do on those days when everything just seems like… too much?" Weiss asked in a strained voice. "When you finally get home and can't even bring yourself to get undressed or turn on the T.V.?"

"Honestly… I usually just lay on the couch feeling sorry for myself in a gross lump," Marrow admitted in a low voice. "Try to eventually work up the motivation to go visit family or cook something terrible for my health. Mess around on my scroll, I guess? Now, though… I think I'd probably call you and do what we're doing right now."

Weiss met Marrow's eyes with a ghost of a smile before leaning her head back into the faunus' shoulder and wrapping his arm with both of hers.

"Today… sucked."

"I… might have heard about some of it," Marrow let on as he leaned his head back into the softly vibrating box behind him. "I just got done defusing a tense situation among the Aces. Elm mentioned something about going to lunch with you, Sun, and Jaune, and things not really going well…"

"That's a bit of an understatement. Gods, it was so awkward," Weiss lamented. "We could all tell that she was furious, but not really why. When the conversation turned to Robyn and the people of Mantle, she had… some words that I think she came to regret later. Is she alright now…?"

"She will be, and I'm sorry you had to deal with that," Marrow consoled. "It all ties back to Vine's death. None of them really got over it, and it's been eating away at each of them in different ways. Harriet nearly strangled me about 20 minutes ago, but… we made her see reason. Between that and the news reports about your father and I, today's been rough…"

"I can imagine," Weiss offered. "And yet, you still somehow have that boyish enthusiasm about you…"

"Do I?" Marrow questioned. "I'm not exactly smiling right now, especially seeing you this upset."

"Marrow, I can hear your tail hitting the unit behind us."

The faunus had the decency to shrink down a bit as he consciously stopped his tail.

"…I can't help it, especially around you."

Weiss sniffed softly and rolled her eyes.

"That easy to please you, is it? I will admit, I'm feeling a little better already just from having you here. But… still. Knowing that the Aces were on such shaky ground all this time is… worrying…"

"Well, hopefully after tonight, it'll be resolved," Marrow tried. "The three of them need to talk it out and come clean with what they're feeling, and then…"

"…there are going to be more deaths, Marrow. Dealing with someone like Salem and a literal army of grimm… it would be naïve to think everyone standing against her is going to survive until the end..."

Marrow swallowed hard and exhaled sharply through his nose. The notion wasn't anything new- it was something that he had heard General Ironwood say almost word for word more than once. Hearing it from Weiss, however, filled his entire body with a heavy feeling of dread.

"…I know," Marrow acknowledged. "And… when that time comes, we need to be close and supportive of each other. All of us. That's what I've been trying to tell them all since day one, and they kept shutting me down to try to push away the pain. Now, they're finally starting to accept it. Moving forward, we need to make sure a situation like the one surrounding Vine's death doesn't happen again. That's all we can do."

"And we will," Weiss reassured. "You've laid the groundwork for your team to become closer, just as Sun did for mine. You've also helped bridge the gap between the two, considering… us. I can't thank you enough for how supportive you've been to me, ever since I came to you about my shoulder…"

"Speaking of, I'd like to check it again once we get back inside," Marrow asserted. "We might be able to get you out of that brace by now. Other than that, I'm fine to just… sit here and give you whatever you need. Comfort, support… an ear, if you want to tell me what else happened today…"

"…I had a drink thrown at me," Weiss said flatly. "I think it was iced coffee? Sun almost lost his composure and beat the man responsible down in the middle of the street, but Clover stopped him. After that, I just… shut my mouth and kept it in, for his sake. Which flies in the face of everything I just said."

"You did what you had to do," Marrow offered. "I can't say I wouldn't have gone off on the guy if I was there…"

"Maybe… but not like Sun does, sometimes," Weiss explained. "He has this… anger streak that he's been working on, and I'm not sure how to help him. Being away from Blake and the stress of everything going on here in Atlas is probably making it worse. Sun blows up under pressure, and I… shut down. Between the drink, Robyn chewing us out for working alongside you and yours, Elm's mood, walking on eggshells all day, and hearing nothing from Whitley… I'm just… exhausted, Marrow. I've hit my limit for the day. Everything is just so hard…"

"It is hard," Marrow agreed. "I won't tell you that it isn't. Still, I think you've been doing a pretty damned good job, all things considered. I've been really impressed with your team since you arrived in Atlas, and you in particular. You're an incredible huntress, Weiss. Great in combat, conversation… and, you know, keeping my spirits up, too. Things have been just a little bit easier with you around."

"Mm," Weiss agreed with a thoughtful noise. She was silent for a while, simply staring down at the cars moving through the blindingly lit streets of Atlas far below. "In truth, I… feel as though I'm barely managing to stay upright, these days. I force a smile and put on a show, oozing confidence and reassurance for Sun, Ilia, Yang, and Jaune's sake, but I'm just… I'm really just going through motions. Being who I need to be for them, while crumbling slowly on the inside. I don't know what to do to keep myself from slipping, and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. It's just that… after today, the cracks are getting wider. I don't know how much longer I can keep a brave face with all that's going on."

"I hate to bring down the mood even more, but… it's actually been kinda obvious, at least to me…" Marrow admitted with an apologetic look as his perpetually swishing tail suddenly fell limp. "Is there any one specific thing that's bothering you more than the rest, or is it just… the weight of everything? Is there anything more I could do to help you?"

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, blocking off the view of the glittering lights beneath them. Her heart sank as all of the feelings she had been trying to bottle up suddenly became overwhelming in the face of Marrow's question, and she lightly shook her head with a muted sniffle.

"Don't even go there," Weiss warned as she fixed Marrow with a stern look. "You've done everything for me and more. If there was any one dominating thing, though, I suppose it's… it's the ever-present feeling that so much of the suffering here in Atlas and Mantle is happening because of me. The looks of hatred and insults that I receive simply walking the street are beginning to wear me down. While I've received more than my share of praise from you and General Ironwood for our efforts down in Mantle and our work toward putting Amity into the sky, it's the disdainful comments and personal attacks that stick out in my mind so much more."

Weiss sighed heavily and shook her head, rubbing her cheek against Marrow's sleeve in the process. With another sniffle, she continued.

"I've always been the type to take that kind of thing to heart, to be honest. It's why I despise being called an 'ice queen'- tiny barbs and needles wouldn't pierce through the thick layers of ice that people seem to think I have. It hurts, Marrow. It hurts even more because I know that their viewpoints are entirely justified… I've even gotten you tangled up in my bullshit…"

"They're not," Marrow denied as he pulled Weiss a little closer. "Weiss, you can't think like that. You can't take ownership for the actions of your family, and you had nothing to do with my position under Jacques' thumb. The consequences of his decision to meddle in the election and cause strife for Mantle shouldn't fall upon you. That's like me adopting responsibility for the actions of the White Fang because I was born with a tail."

Marrow's shoulders slumped as he watched his words have the opposite of the intended effect almost immediately. A single tear slipped from Weiss' right eye and trailed down her cheek in a thin, pathetic-looking trail as she hugged her knees even tighter.

"…the White Fang," Weiss repeated in a whisper. "I'd almost forgotten in the face of everything else going on right now. The people of Mantle and many citizens of Atlas dislike me, but the Fang despise me. Their High Leader made an attempt on my life, just because of my very name. It fills me with a kind of pressure and feeling of guilt I had never known until I heard her tell me directly just how much she hates me for something I can't control. Those faunus would move mountains just to see me dead. Knowing that just makes me feel… worthless," she finished, her voice barely audible.

Marrow let out a small noise of frustration that came out almost like a deflated sigh. He watched silently as Weiss squeezed out more tears before moving his ungloved hand forward to catch one of the streams working its way down Weiss' cheek. The faunus slowly and gently wiped the moisture away as Weiss opened her eyes and looked at him, misery written all over her face.

"…how would it make you feel if a faunus would put forth just as much effort to hold you close?" Marrow asked as he held Weiss' gaze. "If he would move mountains just to keep you safe and see your smile again, instead?"

Weiss blushed hard as Marrow's hand gently left her cheek and disappeared from sight. She stared for a moment into his deep blue eyes, her heart fluttering lightly in contrast to the sinking feeling that had held it down mere moments before. Without a second thought, she leaned forward and closed her eyes once again, putting all of her trust in the faunus as his hand rose back up to lightly cup her cheek. She tilted her head slightly as the gap closed between them, and her entire body shivered involuntarily at the electric sensation of his lips upon hers.

Though the physical feeling of a romantic kiss was one that Weiss had never felt before, the emotional rush was what truly caught her off guard. For a brief moment, all feelings of hopelessness and impending doom left her mind, and she focused entirely on the man before her. Weiss felt Marrow try to pull away after a few seconds, and she sucked in a breath through her nose as she chased him backward and desperately kept her lips pressed to his. She braced a freezing hand upon his chest to send a message and smirked into the kiss as she felt Marrow stop resisting and willingly lean back in to their ephemeral connection.

Before she even thought about what she was doing, Weiss moved to straddle the faunus and braced her other hand upon his shoulder as she felt Marrow's arm encircle her back in a powerful embrace. She moved her hand up from the center of the man's chest to his throat and worked to quickly untie his bright red ascot before letting it drape loosely around his neck. Weiss then unbuttoned the top part of Marrow's jacket and guided her hand inside of the garment to rest her palm against the faunus' chest. Feeling a bit mischievous, she gave one of her partner's pecs a gentle squeeze as her fingers slid across his nipple.

Weiss was vaguely aware of the sound of the man's tail thumping wildly against the steel of the large air conditioning unit behind him as he let out a short, muffled groan, and the sound only spurred on her sudden lust. Gently, she brushed her tongue against Marrow's lips, and had to wait only a moment before being given entry to his mouth. Weiss continued running her hand over Marrow's chest, exploring his flesh as she shifted her lower body to get more comfortable atop him while the seam of his pants became rigid beneath her. Again she pushed forward, and again Marrow moved back slightly only to be pinned against the steel behind him.

Despite the cold in the air, Weiss could feel herself beginning to sweat as she brought her hand back to herself and began unbuttoning her own top. The gentle snaps echoed clearly over the noise of their kisses, and it wasn't long before she pulled the sides of her blue jacket apart to reveal her lacy white bra and the shoulder brace around one side of it. Weiss shifted her weight to more firmly press herself against Marrow's crotch, earning another heavenly noise from the faunus that she had never heard from another man. Suddenly, she could no longer feel Marrow's lips against her own, and she furrowed her brows in disappointment.

"Weiss... um…"

The girl finally opened her eyes to look at her partner as he sat with his back to the giant, gently thrumming box. Marrow was wide-eyed and breathless, the exposed, dark flesh of his chest heaving gently in a rhythm steadier and slower than Weiss' own. The faunus awkwardly bit his lip before clearing his throat as Weiss stared down at her unbuttoned jacket and blushed even harder. Upon catching sight of her bra, she quickly began working to cover up once again.

"That was… that was incredible," Marrow praised as he gently rested his hands alongside Weiss' hips. "But, uh… isn't something like this a little… early? I-I mean, not that I'm upset or anything, I'm just… surprised, is all…"

Weiss cleared her throat in kind and brought a shuddering hand up to brush a strand of hair from her vision.

"I-I… I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Weiss said sheepishly. "I've never… quite felt the way you make me feel…"

"…but are you okay?" Marrow asked with a serious look into Weiss' eyes. "That's what's important to me. I don't ever want you to feel uncomfortable with me in any way."

"Uncomfortable?" Weiss questioned as she finally managed to close her top once again. "If anything, you just... you certainly made me feel something, but 'uncomfortable' is about the last word I would use to describe it," she insisted with a confident smile. "But you're probably correct- I should slow down, at least from... exposing myself like that, especially in a place we could be seen. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable..."

"No, you didn't!" Marrow reassured as he shook his head. "Not at all. I just want to be sure that you're… okay with this. Okay with… moving forward, beyond just being colleagues and cuddle-buddies. I know something between us has been building for weeks, now, but… that one extra step complicates things a lot. It's a step I'm more than willing to take, as long as you are."

Weiss offered Marrow a soft smile as she looked him over. The faunus' usually immaculate ascot was hanging unevenly around his neck and the top of his jacket had been wrenched to one side, exposing a section of his collarbone and upper chest to the chilly air. Weiss and Marrow were both still breathing harder than normal, and a single thought drifted through the former heiress' mind and lingered there as she took in the details of her partner's exposed neck and chest.

Had he not stopped her, how far would she have gone?

"…I am," Weiss replied before settling her hands back upon Marrow's chest. She slowly went about rebuttoning his jacket before tying his ascot once again as the man raised his chin to make the job easier for her. "But… to answer your question from before I… seemingly lost my mind, having a faunus like that around would make me feel alive. It would give me the kind of butterflies that I've only really understood as a cliché metaphor in cheesy romance novels. It would make me want that faunus all to myself… and make me want more of them..."

Marrow grinned in response, his tail still beating wildly despite his obvious efforts to contain himself. As Weiss finished redressing him, he nodded softly and moved slowly forward to rest his forehead against Weiss' while he locked his ocean blues with her lighter, icy ones once again.

"I know you've mostly been living with the other girls, but… would it help you to stay with me tonight?" Marrow asked. "Not… necessarily for more of that, but just… to be together? Maybe get some quality cuddling in, if you're still feeling particularly frisky?"

Weiss smiled back before tilting her head slightly and planting a soft, much more chaste kiss upon the faunus' cheek.

"I'll stay with you every night, if you'll have me," she reassured while finally slipping off of Marrow's lap. She stood and brushed off her outfit before offering a hand, which Marrow accepted and used to pull himself up.

"Of course! After all, Atlas can get pretty cold and lonely at night. This job can get cold and lonely quite often…" Marrow lamented as he entwined his fingers with Weiss' and began to walk toward the door leading to the staircase that led back down into the building.

"It can," Weiss agreed as she followed along, content to keep his hand in her grip. "But somehow… I don't think that's going to be as much of a problem anymore. Now, when we get back to your suite… I think you owe it to me to show me your entire chest. You know, to help ease the embarrassment from flashing mine."

"…Weiss, you've seen my chest," Marrow deadpanned as he made his way onto the staircase with Weiss beside him. "Several times. Slept on it, even. I'm pretty sure you drooled, once."

"…be that as it may, seeing it hasn't gotten old," Weiss replied. "Are you complaining?"

"Not in the slightest," Marrow answered as he continued his descent, tail wagging all the way. "Ask, and you shall receive."

Author's Note:

To give people an idea of how long this secondary relationship has been planned out- the first draft of this chapter was written almost a year and a half ago…

-RD