Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or anything related to RWBY / Roosterteeth

Author's Note: This story primarily takes place during Volume 2, Chapter 6 and 7. However, details about what Sun looks like have been used from Volume 4.

-Tyler

Seamonkeys Prom

Having been hanging out with his best friend, Sun, for the majority of the past week, Neptune was starting to realise things about his blond companion that he never has before in the years he has known him. The way his face lights up when he smiles or laughs. How his hands move, never staying still for too long, and the way his tail seemingly has a mind of it's own by always finding a way to brush up against Neptune when the two are sitting or standing close to each other.

The other day, Sun and Neptune had gone out to one of the coffee shops in the city of Vale. The evening light of the sun came through the windows and permeated the space. The lighting caught perfectly in Sun's hair and produced a halo effect around his head. Neptune had become aware of his friend's tail, that swayed back and forth like a clock that moved at a slower pace than the rest of the world, occasionally brushing against the inside of his leg before deciding to settle there. The constant contact was something Neptune didn't think that Sun would notice or think any significance of, but the blue-haired boy certainly did.

The Faunus boy would make up a life story for every person that passed by the large window that their table sat in front of, causing an occasional laugh from Neptune. Sun was hyper-immersed into every story he was telling; however, every now and then, he would take a break to take a sip of coffee. The amount of caffeine that the boy was consuming was bound to result in a burst of hyperactivity and an eventual crash later that night. Neptune tried to pay attention to each theatrical story but he was constantly distracted by a combination of things: That dorky grin that would spread across his friends face every time he thought of something that was funny and the monkey tail, that now had ran up and down Neptune's leg. Sun's mouth had a funny way of curving whenever he smiled and Neptune had always wondered how-

-"Hey! Neptune! Man, are you even there?"

Neptune heard Sun over his daydream and he tried to focus back into reality. The two boys were in the dorm room that they shared with Sage and Scarlet. The red haired pirate was out in the city with some old friends for dinner and Sage had gone out for a walk with one of the girls he was talking with. Neptune took a glance around the room and it was exactly what anyone would expect a room occupied by four teenage boys to look like. Countless articles of clothing were strewn across the floor, most of which were his fault considering he did own the most clothes. Comic books, text books, and regular books alike were littered in various places around the room. Neptune couldn't remember the last time it had really been clean. The large and lone window in the room was open, allowing a pleasant coolness to enter the room, as evening light painted the room with orange and pink hues. The coolness and the light tempted Neptune to return to the daydream paradise but he knew constantly thinking about what could be with Sun wasn't healthy.

"Nep, are you ever gonna answer me or are you gonna sit over here and be broody all night?"

Neptune batted away his friends hands instinctively. "Since when did you know what broody means?"

"Bro, I know some shit sometimes, and I still wanna know which shirt you think is better." Sun walked over to the one small closet that the two boys shared and pulled out two casual collared shirts. Neither of them were really appropriate for the dance but Sun was never dressed appropriately for anything, even remotely formal. "So what were ya thinking about while you weren't listening to your best bro?"

For a split second, he had no idea what to say. Neptune was a quick thinker and always knew what to say at every turn in a conversation but somehow, Sun Wukong had left him speechless. He couldn't tell his best friend that he had been thinking about how his mouth curved every time he smiled. He couldn't tell his best friend that he had been wondering how girls felt when he kissed them. Logically, he knew that there was no way that Sun would stop being his friend if he told the truth; however, there was always a seed or a voice of doubt that spoke to Neptune every time he thought about saying anything. Neptune finally settled on a reply that wouldn't incriminate him, "I was just thinking about how much I'm totally not gonna dance at this dance, and I think that black one's the best, " he mentioned casually

Sun laughed and put one of the shirts back in the closet. He put the other one down on the bed. The shirt was nearly a carbon copy of the one he had worn when they went down to that coffee shop. It was a plain black button that Sun would, without a doubt, wear halfway unbuttoned.

Sun put on a mocking voice,"Oh poor, poor Neptune, little baby can't dance." Sun couldn't finish the sentence with a straight face. The edges of his mouth curved into his signature grin.

"Dude, shut up." Neptune reached towards the head of his bed and grabbed one of the pillows before throwing it at Sun. He easily caught it and tossed it so that it landed back at the head of his friend's bed.

"It's alright Nep, not all of us were meant to dance." Sun patted Neptune on the cheek as if he was a child and bopped the blue-haired boy on the nose with his index finger. Sun made his way past Neptune and to the bathroom. "Bro, I still wanna hear what Weiss talked to you about earlier? Kay?" The boy slipped through the doorway and closed it behind him.

Neptune heard the shower cut on and let out a sigh. He walked over to the mirror that hung above the only dresser in the room. A reflection stared back at him as he replayed his awkward encounter with Weiss over again in his head.

Weiss Schnee had tracked down Neptune earlier that day and, in an incredibly formal tone, asked him to escort her to the dance in the true fashion of a girl who had grown up in Atlas as the heir of a dust empire. Neptune had met countless people who were a part of Remnant's wealthy class. He had grown up into that society and typically hated doing anything with those people, not because he had a problem with those who had money, but because the people who fell into that class often had little regard for anyone besides themselves. People like Weiss were the same people who had refused to let Sun into shops and made condescending remarks under their breath whenever a Faunus walked into the room.

Neptune didn't think that the girl with white hair was a bad person because she had friends like Ruby and Yang. Anyone that could pass Yang's terms of friendship had to be at least a halfway decent person. Not to mention that she was on the same team as Blake, and Sun hadn't stopped talking about how amazing it was to meet another cool Faunus just minutes after jumping off the boat. Neptune saw past the high society veneer that Weiss had and saw that she was kind of cool; however, there was still a problem with going to the dance with her. He didn't want to go to the dance with her. Neptune wanted to go to the dance with somebody that he knew, with somebody that had been there for him. Neptune wanted to go to the dance with somebody that was funny, warm, and kind.

. Neptune phased out of his daydream and saw that his reflection was still staring him square in the face. Neptune knew why Weiss asked him to the dance. He was attractive and there wasn't really a doubt about it. It wasn't cockiness or over-confidence, even Sage had bet that Nep could get the most numbers from the most girls in one of their nights out in Minstrel. There also wasn't a doubt that Weiss was pretty, but Neptune couldn't say that he felt that way about her. Weiss held herself in a way that made you think she owned everything, but Neptune found it more appealing when someone could relax and not take themselves so seriously.

The Ice Queen was confident in who she was through and through, the only things Neptune was confident about was his appearance and intellect. He knew that he wasn't the best fighter and sometimes he freaked out whenever he got close to water. The boy with blue hair covered up everything he was insecure about with his looks, his clothes, and a sense of humor. He didn't tell people his fears, his insecurities, or his vulnerabilities to anyone; however, there was one exception. An exception that had blond hair and a monkey tail.

Sun turned on the shower and stepped away so that the water could warm up. He turned towards the counter that harbored a disarray of hair and skin care products, combs, a pair of hair dryers that belonged to Scarlet and Neptune, and 4 different tubes of deodorant that reflected the style of each member of the team. Sun couldn't understand how someone could use everything that was laid out on the counter every day. The most the Faunus boy ever did most comb his hair and even that wasn't always a guarantee.

The large, white tiles that were on the floor and wall made the bathroom feel cold and clinical. In contrast, the lone window let in a small amount of the same warm pink and orange light that had painted the bedroom. Sun let his toes feel their way through the threads in the charcoal rug that lay on the floor. The shower let out a familiar and comforting drone of water hitting porcelain and glass.

Sun went back to the shower and held his hand out to test how warm the water was and he felt the heat before his hand had touched the stream. He stepped into the shower and let the hot water run through his messy hair and over his body. The cascade helped to release the stress and all of the thoughts he had been harboring from his walk back to the dorm with Neptune the other day.

Sun and Neptune had been walking back from one of the coffee shops in the city. They had only been in the city for a week but Sun had learned from first hand experience that the sidewalks were always packed with people. Shopfronts and streetlights began to light up as the sun began to touch the horizon. The sounds of laughter and bits of conversation drifted by as Sun weaved his way between people. He reached a street corner and turned around to watch the tall, lanky nerd he had been friends with for as long as he can remember.

Neptune had trailed slightly behind the boy with a tail with occasional bouts of "excuse me" or "I'm sorry" when he ran into someone. A small smile stretched across Sun's face because to him, Neptune wasn't the overwhelmingly cool and unapproachable Adonis that others made him out to be. To Sun, Neptune was the lovable boy next door who would do whatever it took to help one of his friends. Neptune had always been there for Sun and he only hoped that he returned the favor every chance he got.

Sun had been looking towards the monolithic structure of Beacon when he felt Neptune run into him. Despite his smaller size, Sun remained steady as Neptune stumbled backwards. The Faunus boy stretched out his hand and his tail to keep Neptune from falling. Sun's hand found Neptune's own outstretched hand and Sun's tail wrapped around the other boy's waist.

"Dude, why'd you stop?" Neptune asked after he had freed himself from Sun's tail and achieved a fair distance between himself and the boy with blond hair. Neptune's head blocked the view of the sun and left Sun in a shadow. Blue hair stood in contrast to the light hues of the sun that gave the city a romantic haze.

For a split second, Sun's entire world slowed to a crawl. It slowed down in the same way that it had when he met first met Blake. It slowed down in the same way in the same way it had when he had his first kiss. In front of him was the boy who he admired for being so kind, so thoughtful, and so compassionate. For the first time, Sun saw how beautiful Neptune was. His beauty was more than an exterior quality, he had a golden heart and Sun didn't know if he looked so good on the outside because of who he was on the outside or vice versa. Sun had always thought that Neptune was attractive. There wasn't a singular doubt, but it wasn't until that very moment in time that the boy with blond hair and a monkey tail had realized that he felt something for his best friend that he didn't feel for most of the girls that he dated.

Sun's words came slower than they usually did, "I had to wait on your slow ass, I wouldn't want my best bro to get lost in this big city all by himself."

"Sun, I'm not the one who would get lost," the words rolled effortlessly off of Neptune's tongue because he knew he was right.

"Yea, whatever Nep," Sun let out with a laugh in an attempt to normalize his emotions and thoughts. The two boys set their sights for Beacon's campus once again and as they walked Sun had felt his head pound and pulse. In that moment, the shorter of the two boys had wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Sun still couldn't tell if his headache was from all of the caffeine or if it was from a sudden rush of feelings for and thoughts of his best friend, and he wasn't entirely sure that he was ready for an answer.

Sun didn't know how much of Neptune's fancy shampoo he had used or how long he had been standing there but he knew it had been long enough for two things to happen. The first thing was that his entire body had developed crimson splotches from the hot water. The second was that Neptune was banging on the door that separated the main space of the dorm from the bathroom.

"If Blake thinks you stood her up because of how long you've spent in the shower, I will dye your tail blue," Neptune's threats reached Sun's ear as he turned off the water and jumped from the shower. Sun's thoughts and emotions were still hazy but he was sure that even though he wouldn't let most people come near his tail, Neptune touching it wasn't the worst thing that he could imagine right now.

Neptune knew that Sun wouldn't take long in the shower. The Faunus boy could get ready and get to class in under 7 minutes. He also knew that Sun wouldn't wear a tie unless somebody picked it out and put it around his neck for him. The hum of water pushing through the pipes accompanied Neptune and his thoughts.

Neptune stepped into the closet that he and Sun shared. He had already picked out his own tie, a thin and plain black one, and had it hung on the doorknob. Picking out what Sun would wear shouldn't be too hard, the shirt had already been decided and the tie had to be just as simple. Neptune ended up deciding on a tie that looked nearly identical to the one he had picked out for himself; the only difference being that it was white.

The shower's hum continued as Neptune stepped out of the closet with Sun's tie in hand. Neptune picked his black tie off the doorknob and began to tie it around his neck before he could see himself in the mirror. He set the white tie on the dresser to free up his other hand. His hands intertwined with the fabric in fluid motions that only come from years of practice. The folding and twisting of expensive silk brings memories of his father with it. His father's voice was smooth and deep as he walked Neptune through the process, kindly and gently correcting him whenever he would make a mistake. His father's smile that was filled with pride after Neptune tied it by himself for the first time.

Neptune focused back on his reflection in the mirror and the happiness that he felt turned into grief. It had been three years since he and his father had last been together. It had been three years since he and his father went out on that boat. It had been three years since he and his father got caught in that storm that came out of nowhere.

Neptune watched his father's relaxation and happiness turn into determination as he tried to guide the boat back to shore through the monstrous waves. The boat wasn't meant to handle anything close to what was happening. Waves tore through the vessel and making it to shore seemed impossible. Even now, Neptune doesn't remember much after the hull fell apart. They both jumped from the boat and swam. Neptune's arms and legs cut through the water, he went as fast as he could. His heart was racing faster than anything he could imagine. He made it to shore after what seemed like ages. His eyes darted around as he searched for his father in the ocean and on the beach. He called for him, trying to make his voice louder than the crashing waves and pounding rain. Tears and rain blended together on his face. It wasn't until several weeks later that a search party found the body several miles from where Neptune had landed on shore. His father's leg had gotten caught in a length of rope that was attached to a piece of the boat. It had been three years since the funeral. It had been three years since Neptune had stepped on a boat or gone near water.

The blue-haired boy's eyes had welled up with tears. He hadn't truly cried since the funeral when he and his mother held each other in an embrace that carried more emotions than can be conveyed with words. He and his mother were never the same. He felt frustrated with himself, he went through this every time he tied a tie. It was exhausting being unable to forget what happened and knowing that he couldn't change it. Taking another look at himself in the mirror, he tucked all of those memories into the furthermost corner of his mind. He wanted to have a fun time tonight and more importantly, he wanted Sun to have fun and Neptune knew that the boy with blond hair would constantly be worrying about him if he showed any negative emotion.

A sharp ringing from his scroll pulled Neptune from his haze. He pulled the device from his pocket to see Yang's picture on the screen and felt terrified when he saw what time it was. Saying a silent prayer, Neptune answered and put the scroll up to his ear.

"Neptune, where the hell are you and Sun? You two were supposed to meet us at our dorm twenty minutes ago," The blonde girl's anger leaked through her calm tone.

"Shit, yeah, Yang, I'm sorry. We're leaving now. We, uh-,"

"Honestly, I don't care why you're late. It was one thing for you to say no when Weiss asked you. But I swear if Blake gets her heart broken because Sun didn't show up, I will punch both of you in the throat," Yang delivered her threat with such finality that Neptune knew that she would follow through.

"I know Yang, just keep Blake busy until Sun and I can get there," The tanned boy let out a sigh as he ran his hand over the back of his neck out of stress and fear of being punched in the throat.

"Yeah, I can do that," She said as her harshness dissolved into something slightly melancholy, "Neptune, Blake deserves to have fun tonight. She's been pushing herself too hard lately and I- I can't stand to see her like that," Yang hung up and the scroll beeped to indicate the end of the conversation. Neptune couldn't help but feel that he and Yang were in similar situations. She was so fiercely protective of her and her voice softened when she said that she couldn't stand to her pushed to past her own limits. It was all reflective of how he talked about Sun, reflective of how he cared for Sun, and reflective of the hope for their friendship to develop into something more.

Neptune walked to the bathroom door. He knocked on the door loud enough to be heard over the shower, "If Blake thinks you stood her up because of how long you've spent in the shower, I will dye your tail blue."

Flipping through his scroll while waiting for Sun, Neptune leaned against the wall. Not even a minute passed before Sun came bursting out of the bathroom in true Wukong fashion. His blond hair was still damp. A shade of red spread across the blue-haired boy's face as he pretended to still be looking at his scroll and not looking at his friend who didn't even bother to put a towel around his waist. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Neptune to feign disinterest as Sun continued to search for a pair of jeans that were relatively clean.

"These'll do, I guess," Sun mumbled as he pulled on a pair of light wash jeans. The jeans fixed the problem of no towel but it didn't fix the streams of water that worked their way down his chest and abs. Neptune had seen those abs plenty of times and he appreciated the view he got when the two were walking together or even during a fight. Neptune pulled his eyes away and back to his scroll.

Sun had finally pulled the shirt off the bed and put it on. Neptune's face began to return to it's normal shade as he put his scroll back into his pocket. Sun put on his white sneakers and stepped in front of the mirror and checked himself out. He quickly ran his fingers through messy blond hair. He buttoned his shirt more than he normally would, leaving a relatively small amount of his chest exposed.

"Alright! Man, I'm ready to go!" Sun said as he took one last look at himself in the mirror. Neptune slipped to the closet door and grabbed the tie he had picked out for Sun before moving to stand next to him in front of the mirror.

"Dude, you're not ready to go," Neptune let out a small laugh as he rolled his eyes.

"Whadda ya mean, Bro? I've got pants and a shirt. I'm so ready!" Sun expressed with genuine confusion. The boy's eyes widened out of fear as Neptune brought the white tie in front of his face. "Dude no way, there's no way I can put that thing on, even with my tail."

"Ya, I know, which is why I'm gonna tie it for you," Neptune swung the silk around Sun's neck despite his groans. "It's a formal dance, Sun! You have to," he said as his fingers flowed with the fabric and he looked into his best friend's eyes in order to keep those negative memories of water and his father at bay.

Sun hated the neck trap but he didn't mind Neptune being so close to him. Neptune stared into his eyes as he explained what he was doing with the piece of cloth, but the words faded away. Sun's head and emotions were fuzzy because his teammate was looking at him like he was the world. Neptune had always made the Faunus feel like he belonged and that he was worth something.

The two boys stood reflected in the mirror, closer to each other than they had ever been outside of a fight. Perfect blue hair stood in stark contrast to the mop of blond. Sun's hands and tail were still. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to feel.

Despite Neptune's hands being slightly shaky, he had finished the tie and had stopped talking. The silence that fell across the room was deafening. Sun usually never stopped talking and didn't like the quiet, but even with the twisting he felt in his gut, he wanted to stayed in that moment with Neptune forever. As all good things, that piece of heaven that Sun found in eyes as blue as a storm-ridden sea didn't last long enough.

A sharp ding from Neptune's scroll broke the moment. Sun watched as he pulled out the scroll and read the message.

"Shit, Yang has stepped up her threats. If we don't hurry we're gonna end up in a pit filled with Ursas," Neptune reported with a sense of fear as he rushed to the closet, pulled out his suit jacket and put it on.

"Oh, shit, yeah we better hurry," Sun agreed as the two boys bolted from the room and towards the dance hall.

Once out of the building that housed the dorms, the boys ran on walkways lined with lampposts that light their way. The night air was cool and as it came in contact with his skin, Sun even more alive than he usually did. The sound of crickets and running water from fountains mingled with the heavy breathing of the two huntsmen. The Faunus stole glances at his best friend's face whenever the light illuminated it. Sun's feet continued to carry him but his mind remained fixated on Neptune.

Sun had always thought that Neptune using whatever he put in his hair so that it would look messy on purpose was the most pretentious thing that a human being was capable of, but in that moment, he loved that light blue undercut with at least 3 different hair products in it. His jawline look liked it had been sculpted from marble. Sun's eyes drifted from his jawline to the tuxedo he was wearing. The blond-haired boy knew that he would probably never wear anything like that, but it looked good on Neptune and he knew that. It fit in all the right places in all the right ways. Sun felt himself blush as his eyes continued to travel down his friend's body. His gaze landed on Neptune's ass.

Sun felt himself begin to blush and he began looking forward again. The night air combatted the heat on his face but did nothing for the headache that was coming on. To add to his mounting list of problems, the Faunus felt a twisting in his gut. He attempted to focus on his feet pounding the ground in a consistent rhythm hoping the either of the sharp pains would dissipate. The discomfort caused Sun to slow down. He fell behind Neptune before stopping entirely. He hoped that taking a moment to breath would ease everything. He leaned against one of the lampposts lining the path.

Sun could see Neptune turning around and running back to where he stood. The boy with blond hair closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on the sound of crickets and his friend's footsteps frantically approaching. Opening his eyes, he saw Neptune standing in front of him, looking slightly worried.

"Dude, are you okay, 'cause you don't look so- you don't look so good, man," Neptune said with a slight stutter. Dark blue eyes stared into Sun's bright ones. The headache had subsided and the twisting gut turned into something closer to butterflies. This new sensation in his stomach was intensified by the presence of Neptune's hand on Sun's bicep.

"Yeah, Nep. I'm fine. Just whatever I ate earlier isn't really agreeing with my stomach," Sun lied. He pushed himself off of the post and back to the center of the walkway and continued walking.

"I swear if you throw up on Blake-,"

"I'm not going to throw up on Blake," Sun countered back, "Let's just not run the rest of the way. Or I might throw up on you," he laughed.

As the two boys slowly continued their walk in silence, thoughts swam through Sun's head. He knew that he liked Blake. She was really cool and she was another Faunus. She smelled nice and was so mysterious. Stronger thoughts, feelings, and memories of Neptune sliced through the images of Blake and Sun. Neptune was his best friend. He had been there through everything. He had been there every time some asshole wanted to start shit. He had been there. The two boys knew nearly everything about each other. Neptune had never opened up to someone about his insecurities or his vulnerabilities until Sun. Sun didn't let anyone know about how awful his childhood was. He had never told anyone about how much it sucked to feel as if you had to steal from unsuspecting tourists in order to feed his mother who was too weak to work. The day his mother died, Neptune was the only one who noticed that Sun wasn't acting normally and asked what was going on. Sun broke down and cried in the taller boy's arms for what seemed like hours. That happened before Neptune's dad died, but he still understood or, at least, he had pretended to. He worked through his grief and Neptune never stopped listening. Past all the history, Neptune's compassionate nature often amazed Sun. The boy with blue hair seemed to care about everyone. He refused to not help someone, often times for better or for worse. Sun could've stayed in his own head with thoughts of his best friend for the rest of time if he hadn't been pulled back to reality by the sound of Neptune's voice.

"Okay we're not too late, hopefully Yang will settle with two throat punches as punishment," Neptune said in defeat. It had taken them forever to get to the dance hall and whatever episode Sun had certainly didn't help their time.

"Yeah… Hopefully," Sun muttered with a preoccupied mind. In the past few days, Sun had seen his best friend in an entirely different way that he had a week ago. The simian Faunus was carefree, but the Adonis with a pretentious light blue undercut had wrecked his demeanor without saying a word. He knew he was bi, but Sun never thought he would be hit so hard by a crush on Neptune. As he walked into the dance hall, immersing himself in colorful lights and loud music, Sun had one last thought on his mind: Neptune had dominated so many of his thoughts since meeting Blake. The only thing that she was and he wasn't, was a Faunus. Did Sun's infatuation with Blake merely exist because she was a Faunus?

Heavy bass and synthesized vocals roared as Neptune entered the dance hall. Multicolored lights and various party decorations transformed a plain space into a spectacular display. Peach and mint green balloons hung from crystal chandeliers, larger bouquets of the same balloons had been attached to the multitude of dark wood columns that stood beside each large window and upheld the second floor balcony. Silk banners formed a network of pink fabric that splayed across the ceiling. A large version of Beacon's insignia inlaid into the floor at the center of the room sat as a reminder of which school had been gracious enough to host the Vytal Festival.

Couples and friends danced on the allocated dance floor to the upbeat songs that blared over speakers around the room. Other groups and individuals rested at the tables, enjoying a refreshing drink, or sat and stood by the line of chairs edging around the walls. It would've been difficult to notice the students without noticing the various chaperones dotted around the room, the most regal and prominent of being Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, and General Ironwood. The three stood close to the entrance and watched over the room with a detached air. The other two chaperones, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck, didn't have the same regality that the main trio did but they were noticeable nonetheless.

Sun had already found Blake and was charming his way back into her good graces. Yang had seen Neptune before he had seen her and made her way from her position at the welcoming podium towards him. She wore a white princess dress with matching heels.

"Damn, Yang. You look great," Neptune meant the words, but they came out with the same inauthentic tone that his parents used to use when they talked to the other adults at their ostentatious parties and dinners. He winced as Yang glared at him with lilac eyes that scared him more that the ocean.

"Oh My God, don't worry Neptune. I'm not gonna punch you or Sun in the throat tonight," Yang broke the awkwardness with a genuine laugh. She took a breath and glanced over to where Sun and Blake were talking. The blond Faunus was laughing and Blake had a small smile on her face. Neptune assumed that Sun was probably laughing at his own joke. After watching the couple, Yang spoke again, "Blake seems pretty happy right now, so everything's fine, ya know?"

"Yea, Sun seems to be having a great time too," Neptune responded. He was happy that Sun was happy, but his words had a hint of dejection to them. Yang picked up on the layered emotions and the way that Neptune's eyes lingered on the two Faunus.

"Neptune," the blonde spoke with friendly concern. Neptune's head flipped back to Yang and met her eyes once more. This time the lilac eyes didn't scare him, they harbored worry. "What's up?" She wanted him to talk, to spill whatever was weighing on him and preventing him from enjoying the night.

"What? Nothing," Neptune lied only the way someone who had been doing it their whole life could. He formed his signature perfect smile to strengthen his defense against anyone who wanted access to his emotions.

"Don't give me that shit," Yang tone had turned from concerned friend to worried parent. She took the blue-haired boy's hand and pulled him from the doorway to an empty table near the welcoming podium. The two sat down and the dragon pressed Neptune once again. "What is going on?" She spoke slower and applied emphasis to 'what'.

"Yang, I swear nothing's wrong," Neptune's faux resolve remained strong. The concern was kind; however, he wished to remain a closed book.

"Bullshit," she said emphatically. Yang took a moment before speaking again, in case he wanted to talk without further prodding. He didn't, so she continued. "I've seen how you look at Sun whenever you think nobody's looking at you. You look at him like he's the world, Neptune. You can't tell me that don't feel something for him," she spoke tenderly. Her eyes never left his.

Yang talked about his feelings for Sun as if she had experienced the same thing with someone else. He had been convinced that he wouldn't talk about it with anybody for a while but, with lilac eyes that held a multitude of emotions that most people would never have the misfortune to experience and with sheer determination, she cracked him.

"Okay, fine, maybe," Neptune looked away from the Huntress. He sighed heavily, not entirely sure that spilling his guts to Yang was a great idea. "Maybe… I have feelings for Sun." He spoke his feelings into existence. Once the initial words spewed from his mouth, he couldn't stop himself from continuing to bare his feelings toward his best friend to her. "Maybe I really, really like him. I know he's into Blake, and I shouldn't…" His voice trailed off as he scanned the crowd to watch Blake and Sun again.

"Tell him that you like him, you idiot. He is your best friend. He's not going to be freaked out because you like him. You can't spend forever bottling up your feelings and emotions because you have this idea that everyone else would be better off without them. You don't know how he will react. You've gotta take that chance. Trust me, Okay?" Yang put her hand over Neptune's as she finished her passionate plea. A moment passed as the music turned softer, romantic piano tones. Couples began slow dancing, each sharing a special moment that made Neptune's heart ache. He saw Sun and Blake begin their own dance. The two held each other gently as Blake rested her head on Sun's shoulder.

"I really appreciate what you're doing, Yang. I really do. But, it's not that easy," Neptune delivered his remarks with abject emptiness. He rose from his chair and brushed past Yang, making his way to one of the large, curved staircases that led to the second floor.

"Neptune," Yang desperately said, in hopes to prevent him from leaving.

"It was nice advice, you might want to take it yourself. You and Blake would be cute together. I think she feels the same way about you," Neptune eyes drifted to the ground before looking back at the Faunus pair. Before turning and leaving, with an air of finality, he said, "I guess we have in common that we have a crush on our best friend. But I think that you can have a different outcome than me."

Neptune ignored Yang's protests to stay downstairs and enjoy the night with her. He made his way up one of the staircases. At the top, he turned around and watched all the couples slow dancing. Each pair moved as one being. He couldn't help himself from taking one more look at Sun. He hadn't expected to make eye contact with him. It would have been easier to walk away if he hadn't seen eyes that held the sky in them. He ripped his eyes from Sun's by turning around and walking out of a large door that led to one of the outdoor balconies.

As Sun entered the dance hall, he saw Yang at the welcoming podium. She was busy talking to Ruby about how adorable she looked and Ruby was complaining about how much she hated the heels she was wearing. He scanned the room, hoping to find Blake before the two sisters finished talking. He got lucky and saw the other Faunus sitting at a table on the far side of the room and made his way over to her.

She was wearing a black dress and a deep blue bow. She brought her head up, causing her eyes to meet with his. She stood as Sun came closer.

"I'm like really, really sorry that I'm so late. I don't know what happened. I promise. I'll make it up to you tonight," Sun spoke quickly, without breathing until he finished. He couldn't read what Blake was feeling and his tail twitched out of nervousness. He brought his hand up to brush through his hair on the back of his head. He took his eyes away from his date and looked towards the floor. "You're not mad at me, are you?" Sun asked apprehensively.

"No, I'm not mad Sun. I'm just glad you showed up. Even if it was close to 30 minutes late," Blake spoke flatly. The monkey broke out into laughter, partly from relief and partly from Blake's sass. The noisy laugh caused the cat Faunus to form a small smile.

"So, what have you been doing all night?" Sun questioned. He hoped that Blake hadn't been wasting her night while he had been daydreaming about Neptune. As he thought about the blue-haired boy, he glanced over at him. He saw Yang sitting with him in what looked to be a very serious conversation. His look was short before he pivoted his head back towards the cat.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," She offered after a brief moment of silence between the two. Blake was naturally pensive, but she seemed to enter a deeper realm of thought than normal.

"About…?" Sun responded anxiously. He was afraid of whatever she was about to say.

"About how I feel about certain people. About what would happen if I was honest with those people about how I feel. I know that nothing bad would happen, but I'm not entirely sure that the outcome would be positive," she spoke analytically. As if everything she did had to have some positive effect in her life and the lives of others.

"I have a hunch that this is gonna lead us to one of those moments where we talk about how we feel and that junk," Sun reasoned. He felt a twinge of exasperation. He didn't really want to talk about his emotions, but he had to be honest with Blake and with himself.

"You wouldn't be wrong," she added with a sigh. She took both of Sun's hands in her own and raised her eyes to look directly into his. Her mouth opened to begin speaking again but the blond-haired boy spoke first.

"Okay, so the last few days have been kinda crazy for me, ya know? I've been doing a lot of thinking too, well it's not really thinking, I guess. It's been more like daydreaming. Like, my brain won't let me stop thinking about this certain person. And when I'm with- this person, I sometimes get these headaches and get butterflies in my stomach," he began.

His tail made the nervous motions that his hands could not. He pulled his eyes away from hers. Sun took a large breath before beginning again. "I don't know, I mean I've never really had these feelings for anybody, let alone for this person. Like, don't get me wrong, Blake, you're really great and everything. You're smart, and you're really pretty. Just generally, all around, you're really cool. I just can't help but feel that the only reason we're in this weird relationship zone, and the only reason I really asked you to the dance is because we're both Faunus…." He trailed off. Nervousness transferred from his tail to his words. His laid back facade fell as he stumbled over words and sentences. "I mean, it's been great hanging out with you but, for some reason I felt like I had ask you out. Now, I'm kinda realizing that I like you more as a friend and I don't want to mess that up by forcing some romantic thing. Especially when I have feelings for somebody else," Sun confessed tensely. He brought his eyes back Blake's, expecting to see despondency or rage. Instead, he saw a level of understanding. "You aren't upset?" The monkey questioned.

"No, Sun. I'm not. I'm relieved honestly. It makes it easier for me," she replied, far calmer than Sun. Blake's tempo was the antithesis to the simian Faunus. "I think that you're right about the two of us feeling obligated to date because we're both Faunus, and you're not the only one who has been having some confusing feelings," she assured him. Her amber eyes pulled from his and shifted focus to the pair sitting across the room. "I feel as if I haven't let myself feel something for someone for such a long time but, I'm ready to try now. I've found someone who is warm and supportive. They're wonderful and I've never been happier with someone in my life," she made known. Her eyes filled with joyous tears as she let out a small but genuine laugh. She took one hand away from holding onto Sun and brought it up to her face to wipe away the water that had pooled in her eyes.

"Woah… Blake, who is it? But, like only if you wanna tell me or whatever," he stammered. He was afraid that eventually Blake's patience and kind nature would wear thin.

"I'll make a deal with you, Sun. I'll tell you if you tell me," she responded.

"Okay, uh alright. On the count of three, we'll both say who it is," he prompted. A heavy sigh escaped his body as the two Faunus agreed to share their secrets.

"One," Blake began the countdown with confidence. A moment of silence passed before Sun continued it.

"Two," he finally countered. He knew that this was the right move but, it was difficult for his voice to follow the directions from his heart.

"Three," they said in unison.

"Yang- Neptune," their words overlapped in excitement fueled by revealing the truth. The two Faunus broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Oh my god, I don't know how I never noticed you and Neptune," she said, amused.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sun asked with genuine confusion.

"Sun, the two of you like each other so much but you're both too oblivious to realize that the other person feel the exact same way," she stated forcefully in hopes of getting in through his thick skull.

"I don't think you know what you're talking about on this one, Blake," he responded with a laugh, his hand running over the back of his neck once more.

"Of course I know what I'm talking about. You just don't see it because you've been too busy covering up your own feelings to notice how anybody else feels," she snapped, speaking from personal experience. Shutting down your emotions was a decent defense mechanism but it left one unbelievably blind and, ironically, defenseless. "Neptune's been staring this way looking like a lost puppy ever since you got here. Not to mention that there's palpable romantic tension every time you two are in a room together," Blake finished her argument. Her voice remained firm, but caring.

"Okay, so you might have a point," Sun admitted his tendency to be oblivious to how other people feel. He was going to continue but Blake broke her usual social form and interrupted.

"Of course I do. Which is why we're both going to make a promise to each other." The cat faunus intertwined her fingers with his in a form of platonic intimacy. "You're going to go tell Neptune how you feel and I'll go tell Yang how I feel," she spoke with determination.

"Okay." Sun could feel a smile form as he heard the music switch to a romantic piano melody. He used his fingers intertwined with Blake's to pull her closer and put his other arm around her waist. "I'll do that after we dance once. I mean, I am still technically your date and I feel like I owe you at least one of these." His words turned into laughter as the pair spun into the middle of dancing couples. Blake's laughter joined Sun's as they swirled.

Blake rested her head onto Sun's shoulder. It felt nice to finally be so close to another person outside of a romantic context. The cat faunus would've stayed in that moment for a while longer had she not picked up on Yang's desperate voice slightly peaking above the music. Her eyes found the blonde across the room. Neptune had brushed past her and was making his way to the second floor.

"Sun," she spoke strong enough to break the moment. Blake returned her eyes to Sun as Neptune made his way up the stairs. Sun continued to twirl the pair until Blake had her back to both Neptune and Yang.

"Sun, Neptune's leaving and I think now's the time to tell him how you feel," Blake said as she planted her feet to stop the pair from spinning. In response to Blake's words and solid stance, Sun looked up and his eyes followed the guy with a light blue undercut as he made his way up the stairs.

As Neptune reached the top of the staircase, the two boys made eye contact. Sun was immobilized. He wanted to run to his teammate but Neptune's eyes conveyed so much pain and heartache. Just as Sun was about to run up that staircase, the other boy broke eye contact. The monkey faunus broke away from Blake.

"Yeah, yeah. I think now's the time," his voice was distant. He didn't make eye contact with Blake as he spoke. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the second floor. He started towards the staircase, weaving between dancing couples. He didn't know what he was going to say when he caught up to the other boy. Sun just wanted to be with Neptune and to fix the pain that welled in those Mistrali eyes.

Neptune found himself outside. He was on a large, rounded balcony that overlooked Beacon's campus, mainly a lush green space that was centered around a sizeable fountain. Tall garden lamps illuminated the area below. The balcony itself was decorated only with several large potted plants that followed near to the balustrade. A myriad of stars offered a divine backdrop.

He walked towards the far edge of the balcony and could barely hear the music that continued to play inside the dance hall. Leaning against the railing, Neptune took in the silent scene of the commons below him. The quiet beauty didn't help him control how he was feeling about Sun. He released a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. It didn't work. In the moment, he felt something more than the slight embarrassment and dull sadness he had been experiencing for the past few days. He felt angry, angry at himself for developing feelings for his best friend. He was angry at Sun for making him feel that way without even meaning to. He was angry at himself, again, for being mad at Sun.

His overwhelming sense of anger caused tears to well up in his eyes. They would've fallen from Neptune's eyes and onto the stone railing if the enormous door behind him had not opened. He quickly wiped away the ghost of his emotions and composed his signature cool front. Even though his eyes were dry, he didn't turn around to see who was there. He was sure that whoever was there would leave soon enough. Neptune was wrong.

"Nep, hey man," His best friend's delicate tone nearly broke the facade the boy with blue hair was maintaining. Despite Sun still being there, Neptune refused to face him. "Can I talk to you about something?" The blond Faunus had moved closer to him but there was still an arms distance between the two guys.

"Yea, dude sure. What's up?" Neptune finally turned around and acknowledged his friend's presence. He took a deep breath again to steady his emotions. It worked this time. A single hand ran through his light blue undercut, returning it to a purposefully messy state.

"Uh, I, I kinda realized something earlier," Sun began. His tail twitched and his hands wrung themselves. He took a breath and paused. To Neptune, it felt as if, for once, Sun had no idea what to say. "Blake and I were, like, talking about how the only reason we decided to come to the dance together is because we're both Faunus. And about how we don't really like each other in a romantic sense. We think it's better if we just stay friends instead of trying to force some kind of relationship that'll get both of us hurt," the blonde boy took another breath to begin the next portion of his declaration; however, Neptune cut him off.

"Sun, did you really come up here to tell me that?" His words were jaded and dripped with pain. Neptune's jaw clenched as his arms folded across his chest. "You could've left me out of your love life, man. I don't always want to hear what's going on with you," his voice broke as the words left his mouth. Hearing his own voice crack broke the tough exterior he had put up. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath. Tears threatened to fall once more and Neptune turned to face the green space below.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sun asked with uneasiness. Neptune was even more afraid to speak than he was before. If he opened his mouth now, it would be impossible to stop himself from telling Sun how he really felt. It would be impossible to stop the ugly crying that would follow shortly after. "Neptune?" The monkey Faunus continued his concerned questioning.

"Do you have any idea how hard all of this is for me?" He started, already regretting his decision to speak. A shaky breath filled his lungs before he continued, "it's just really hard for me, sometimes."

"What's hard?" He started. "Neptune, I'm confused. Just tell me what's wrong. Everything's okay, man." Sun took a step forward as he poured out reassurances. A gloved hand reached for Neptune's shoulder and as it landed, the blue-haired boy stopped breathing. The momentary contact was all it took for the emotional dam to break.

"Seeing you with other people and knowing that I'll never get to be that person," Neptune had spun around and his words unleashed onto his teammate like a tidal wave. He continued, "Constantly knowing that you will never love me in a romantic way fucking kills me, Sun." His breath began to shake again. "Even if you aren't with Blake, there's always gonna be another girl that you want to tell me all about." Neptune's words became distorted as tears began to stream down his face. "I know that I should be able to deal with my feelings and I told myself that I was just going to keep my mouth shut, but damn; it's honestly so exhausting keeping up this lie." His words hung in the air as a moment of silence formed and stretched between the two boys. The stillness of the night infuriated Neptune further, "Damn, Sun. Say something!"

Sun finally started to try and speak. He was still processing Neptune's lament and his thoughts formed slowly, "Shit, Nep… I'm- I'm, uh, real sorry that I ever made you feel that way and I'm sorry that I never noticed how you felt until now," his voice trailed off. He wrung his hands and took a deep breath before continuing, "But, I know that I've been really dumb. I've also been really afraid because, ya know, I- I realized a few things over the past week, well, really one thing," he was quiet. The world seemed to shrink. In that moment, there was nothing that existed outside of their conversation. "I really like you Neptune, like, in a romantic way," Sun admitted. Another deep breath passed through him and as it exited his body, he began to laugh due to the sheer relief of admitting how he felt.

"What the hell, Sun? If this is your fucking idea of a joke? It's a really bad one at a really bad time," Neptune spat out. He was hurt because he never thought that Sun would make a joke about his feelings. Even after being called out, he continued to laugh. "Forget it, I'm headed back to the dorm. Have fun with Blake, or whoever, you asshole." The Mistralian pushed off of the concrete railing and past Sun.

His laughter had stopped and the Faunus moved fast. He grabbed Neptune's arm as he moved past. Sun didn't pull or hold on too hard. He simply left his hand on the blue-haired boy's bicep. Neptune knew that he could move if he wanted to, but something kept him in place. The boys' faces were inches apart. Two sets of eyes were locked on each other. A moment of tense silence passed before Sun finally spoke softly, but firmly, "It's not a joke. I swear, Nep."

Despite the height difference between their mouths, Sun closed the space. Neptune saw his best friend move up towards him, but he was surprised when their lips met. His eyes remained open shortly before melting into the kiss. Sun's lips were soft and they fit with Neptune's own perfectly. The speed at which they kissed increased as Sun's hands hands found the blue-haired boy's hips and pulled the two people closer together. Neptune's hands moved over the other's shoulders and through his hair. A monkey tail had wrapped around Neptune's left leg.

Sun's cologne was strong, but Neptune didn't mind as he savored every second that he was surrounded by it. The vanilla base tones mixed with the scent of fresh cut grass that came from the green space below the balcony. The odor of spilled alcohol drifted from the party but he didn't let that ruin the passionate moment of heaven that he had with Sun.

Time returned to its normal flow as Neptune finally pulled away to catch his breath. Sun's hand had moved from his waist and now had a firm grip on the lapels of his suit jacket. Neither of them said anything. The music inside the dance hall had switched to something more upbeat and with bass tones strong enough to be heard outside. Heavy and slow breathing came from both of the boys as they each processed what had just happened.

Neptune broke the silence after what he felt was a respectable period of mourning for their parted lips. "Fuck," he let out on an exhale.

"Yeah," Sun responded between slightly labored breaths. "So, uh, what do we do now?" the blond boy said with a soft laugh.

"I think that this means," Neptune trailed off as his hand moved down Sun's shoulder and to his hand where the two boys allowed their fingers to intertwine. The intellectual picked back up again, "we can still probably catch a slow dance later, if we're lucky. And we'll worry about everything else another time." The pair moved together towards the door that led inside.

Neptune knew that not all of his problems were solved, but having his best friend completely by his side would make dealing with everything else easier.