The uppermost edge of the sun peaked above the horizon at 6:49 AM, bathing Beacon Academy in a pale golden light. At exactly 6:50 AM, Taiyang Xiao Long fluttered his eyelids open, the early morning rays passing unobstructed through the windows of his dorm.

“Rrrmpf,” Tai grunted, subvocally, as the dawn dragged his slumbering ass into consciousness. He squinted his eyes, some subconscious part of his brain trying to remember what day of the week it was. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that it was Monday - because Monday meant class, and if he was seeing sunrise then he’d obviously slept through an alarm - before the rest of his mind caught up. The reason he was oversleeping on a school day was the same reason the curtains hadn’t been drawn last night.

They’d just come back from a mission. To STRQ, that had and always would mean a celebration. And the faculty of Beacon Academy had long since stopped expecting that their resident wunderkinds would show up to class the next day.

It was no credit to his skills as a Huntsmen that it took Tai over a minute to realize that there was someone else in his bed with him.

Raven Branwen stirred slightly, having trapped his arm with her body. She was facing him, half-hidden by his blanket, her hair splayed radiantally around her. Her eyes were still closed, but Tai knew she wasn’t asleep, not fully. The rhythm of her breaths had changed, little puffs of air from her nose falling gently on his face.

Something melted a little in Tai’s heart.

“Hey Raven, good morning,” he murmured, keping his voice barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes. That piercing red gaze no longer terrified him as it first had. He was actually kind of in love with it.

She’d drooled a little in her sleep, judging by the moist spot on his pillow. (Why did he find that so cute?)

“Hey,” she breathed back, her voice sounding scratchy and raw. She rolled over, reaching blindly over the side of the bed for the water bottle she’d left out. She took a few inelegant sips, flushing out the worst of the dryness in her mouth.

Raven set the bottle back down but didn’t roll over, so Tai slipped an arm over her hips, burrowing his face in her hair. It had an inimitable musk to it, treated only by the water of ravines in their last week in the field. He was kind of in love with it, too.

“You fell asleep here,” he observed, feeling Raven shuffle slightly beneath his arm. “That’s a first.”

Tai kissed the nape of her neck, prompting Raven to roll back over, their faces an inch or two apart. She was wearing a loose black camisole, below which were a pair of Beacon-branded sweat pants. He’d never seen her asleep in anything else. Tai himself wore only a fresh pair of boxers, which allowed Raven to rest a pale hand on his chest.

“I guess I did,” she conceded, adjusting her weight on the mattress. She and Tai had ‘slept together’ more times than either could’ve counted, just never with the actual ‘falling asleep’ part. Most of that had been the result of their roommates, which Tai understood. But even on those nights that Summer and Qrow were away, Raven had always trekked back to her bunk, leaving Tai to revel in the afterglow of their lovemaking alone.

He’d expected nothing different last night. Their respective partners had been stuck tying up loose ends in the countryside, giving Raven and Taiyang the suite to themselves. They’d been given pats on the back by Ozpin, and heartier back-slaps from their classmates and colleagues. Another successful mission, another day saved. Raven had produced some Vacuoan wine, locked the door, and they’d both lost themselves in the triumphal high.

The sex - from what Tai could remember - had been pretty great. He was, after all, a teenage male, and everything still new and exciting. Alcohol and post-coital bliss carried him into unconsciousness, those damn drapes still un-drawn.

He’d expected to wake up alone, trudge down to the cafeteria, pick up some breakfast for the two of them, and maybe be rewarded with a kiss when Raven finally awakened. Maybe they’d have time for a quick roll in the hay before the rest of STRQ returned (a boy could hope), but they’d probably just enjoy a quiet day of doing nothing. Lots of laundry.

Now…

“You’re nice and warm,” Raven stated, as if she had to justify her staying to someone.

“And your feet are freezing,” Tai fired back, adjusting the blankets draping the both of them.

Raven snorted. “You weren’t complaining last night,” she said wryly, nuzzling just a little closer. Her hand drifted south from his chest, feeling something firm between his legs.

“Oh, heh, morning wood,” Tai mumbled, eyes lidding slightly as Raven brushed over it. He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her lips.

Raven closed her eyes, kissing back, her hand leaving his erection to slide around his back. They pressed each other tighter, bathing in the pleasurable warmth of their companions.

The two finally parted. “Still sleepy?” Tai asked, brushing a few black strands out of Raven’s eyes. “Or do you feel like getting some food?”

“Food sounds good,” Raven answered, though her head hadn’t left the pillow. “Just… in a bit.”

“Gotcha.” They slipped apart a little, Tai’s eyes drifting to the ceiling. “I love this feeling, you know. Just lying in bed in the morning. Nothing to do, nowhere to go.”

“Yeah,” Raven agreed, allowing Taiyang to drape an arm over her again.

Tai combed his fingers through Raven’s hair. “Kinda wish it could stay this way forever.”

Raven’s eyes drifted closed. “Me too.”