Chapter 4

Sun was rudely awoken from pleasant dreams of burgers, beer and bitches by what felt like a rather large cannonball lodging itself in his crotch. "Wakey wakey banana shakey!" Nora cheered.

"Agh...Nora…" Sun groaned. "Isn't it 'eggs and bakey'?"

"No, it's an actual banana shakey." Nora replied. She jiggled the cup in her hand for emphasis before taking a slurp and giggling. "I think I'm sitting on your phone."

"No Nora, that's just my penis." Sun corrected.

"Ah, I thought it felt a little small." Nora joked. She shifted herself so she was straddling his legs rather than sitting on his pelvis. Sun winced and reached below the covers to adjust himself. Nora beat him to it, tapping his bulge with her forefinger. "Boop."

"Hey!" Sun admonished.

"When you're done playing with mini-me, Pyrrha's cooking breakfast." Nora laughed. She held out the shake. "Here."

Sun grabbed the half-empty shake and Nora hopped off, racing back to the kitchen. "Her ass feels bigger than it looks." Sun grumbled. He sat up on the couch, finished off the shake, and got up to head for the kitchen. Still groggy, he lumbered in, meeting a sight that made him freeze. Pyrrha stood in front of the stove, tending to a pancake while wearing nothing but a loose singlet, panties and an apron. Nora stared at her from the nearby kitchen table. "Good morning sunshine!" He gasped.

"Oh, good morning Sun." Pyrrha said without looking away from her work. "Breakfast is just about ready. Do you like anything specific on your pancakes?"

"Uh...butter." Sun answered.

"Butter, you hardly knew 'er." Nora giggled. Pyrrha turned around to smirk at Nora, stifling a giggle of her own. Nora turned to Sun and gestured for him to take a seat beside her. As he did so she leaned in to whisper to him. "She does this every morning. Really wakes you up, doesn't it?" Sun huffed and shook his head in exasperation. He tried, and failed, to avert his gaze from the lovely chef.

After breakfast Pyrrha and Nora suggested Sun shower. They insisted that as their guest he had the first go. Pyrrha did check the bathroom first to make sure everything was clean and nothing...embarrassing...was out in the open. When Sun emerged after his shower, Nora dragged a very red Pyrrha in. While they were occupied, Sun busied himself tidying up. He folded up the blanket he had used, cleaned up the mess left over from movie night, then set about doing the dishes. Just as he was finishing up Nora and Pyrrha entered the kitchen.

"Hey, I cleaned up a little." Sun said.

"Oh, thank you." Pyrrha said. "You didn't have to."

"It's only fair." Sun shrugged. "Breakfast was awesome."

"Aw, look at him." Nora squealed. "He's being all domestic." She ruffled Sun's hair and hugged him. "What's for dinner hubby?"

"Order in pizza?" Sun said, more a question than a statement.

"You really know how to treat a gal." Pyrrha laughed.

"I do my best!" Sun declared.

"Which is why you can never hold down a girl." Nora teased.

"Oh, I can hold them down." Sun smirked. "'Course they tend to leave after, but that's cool. I'm not gonna' bitch. A fun time's a fun time."

"You ever wanted more?" Pyrrha asked.

"Of course I've wanted more." Sun confirmed. "But you know, my lifestyle isn't for everyone, and if they're not interested in living it I'm not gonna' drop everything for them."

"No one wanted life with a parkour instructor who is also a male model with chiseled abs?" Nora asked.

"Who sucks at cooking, doesn't like to travel, and gives most of his money to charity." Sun added.

"You do?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, a bunch of the kids we teach come from foster homes, orphanages, or just really poor families." Sun explained. "It doesn't feel right you know, seeing that and not doing anything about it. I grew up pretty poor, and in kind of a shitty neighborhood, so I know what it's like."

"What was your childhood like?" Nora asked.

"I mean, it wasn't too bad." Sun shrugged. "My mother never had a job, and my dad was in and out of a job. Even when he had one it didn't pay much so money was always tight. Sometimes it wasn't even enough to put food on the table, but we made due. My parents were really cool, always supportive and all that, so I guess I don't have much to complain about. We lived in a rough neighborhood with a lot of crime and gangs and shit, but I stayed away from that. Then, just before I started high school, my dad got a good job. We had to move to Vale, and we still didn't have much, but money wasn't super-tight anymore. I didn't have to worry about if I would get to eat or not, and I actually got to wear new clothes instead of donated stuff."

"How'd you end up with the business and house?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, I met Neptune in high school." Sun replied. "He was rich as shit. Never really cared about money though. After we graduated we moved into the house...his money...and lived the bachelor life. One day I told him about the parkour gym idea. He wasn't athletic, kind of a nerd really, but he knew a good idea when he heard one. With his cash...again...we set up the place. He worked the business side while I ran the classes. The thing took off, we hired our friends to help, it was great. Then when he died...he left everything to me. I gave a lot away to charity, friends, family, just kept what I would need. I like to think he'd be proud, but when I gave all that away...his ghost was probably shitting itself. 'There goes Sun with his not understanding money again.' Ah well, it all worked out I guess."

"That's a really inspiring story." Nora said. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"I guess I never thought it was that interesting, didn't think you would either." Sun answered. "I was poor, now I'm not. The circumstances are different, but your story is pretty similar."

"I guess so." Nora shrugged. "I feel like mine's a lot more depressing."

"Probably." Sun laughed. "Still worked out for you."

"Hey Pyrrha...you never told us what it was like for you growing up." Nora observed. "You're such an angel, I bet it was like a fairytale."

"Nora, maybe we shouldn't…" Sun started.

"No, it's alright." Pyrrha cut in. "I suppose it's only fair for me to tell you what my childhood was like."

"If it's too painful…" Sun said.

"Painful?" Nora gasped.

"My upbringing was...painful." Pyrrha sighed. "My parents never wanted a girl. They treated me poorly. My mother never had a nice thing to say and my father was...f-far less pleasant." She cringed at the memory. "Then my brother Alexander was born. They loved him. It was good for a while, they were too busy with him to pay any attention to me, but they never forgot to remind me I was unwanted. Then my brother started to treat me like they did. I don't really blame him, it's what he was taught. I played a lot of sports in high school, mostly to get away from home, and it turned out I was pretty good. I got a full scholarship for college, and left my family forever. I met Glynda at university, and the rest is history."

"Wow...that's...awful." Nora said with tears in her eyes. "You're such a nice person. It's not fair."

"I'm over it." Pyrrha shrugged. The tone of her voice and look in her eyes made that statement seem of questionable truthfulness. "Besides, it worked out fine. I met you guys, all our friends. Now life is really great."

"If you ever want to talk about it…" Sun offered.

"I've talked about it plenty with Glynda." Pyrrha said. "There's no sense in me bringing you guys down over it."

"Well, this turned really depressing." Sun sighed.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha sighed.

"Hey, how about we do some gardening?" Nora suggested. "That always makes me happy?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Pyrrha said, seemingly shifting out of her melancholy. "You're welcome to join us Sun."

"I'd love to." Sun agreed. "I always wanted a garden like Nora's."

Sun had little faith in his own gardening skills, and Nora clearly shared his doubts. While Nora watered the flowers and Pyrrha weeded, Sun was tasked with clearing up fallen leaves and petals. Once that was done he would mow the grass.

"Hey Pyrrha." Nora called.

"Hmm?" Pyrrha asked, turning to face her. She was met with a sudden blast from Nora's hose. She gasped, shaking the water from her face and hair. "Nora…" Nora blasted her again. Pyrrha spluttered while trying to respond, receiving a third blast before she could recover. "That's it!" Pyrrha charged at Nora who sprayed her during the approach. The pair grappled for the hose, nozzle wide open spraying them both as they struggled. Nora squealed and giggled while Pyrrha grunted with effort, unable to overcome Nora's brute strength. Finally Pyrrha hooked a leg behind Nora's and tripped her. Nora released the hose as she fell onto her back, allowing Pyrrha to take control. She mercilessly blasted Nora in the face as Nora cackled and spluttered, slapping weakly at the stream of water before giving in and covering her face. "Now who's on top?"

"You are, you are!" Nora yelled.

Pyrrha ceased the drenching, holding the hose like a freshly fired gun, dripping water instead of smoking. "And don't you forget it." Pyrrha smirked. "Ugh...now I'm all wet."

"One of my favorite phrases!" Nora cheered.

Pyrrha chuckled before looking at Nora who lie on the ground breathless and grinning before her, Nora's white shirt rendered sheer by the water. "Nora, you're not wearing a bra." Pyrrha sighed.

"Well duh, I'm at home." Nora shrugged as she got to her feet and brushed herself off.

"You're wearing a white shirt." Pyrrha added.

"It's hot outside." Nora explained.

"Nora, I can see your breasts." Pyrrha finally said.

"Hmm…" Nora looked down. "Oh, awesome! Hey Sun, enjoying the show?"

"Just pretend I'm not here." Sun said, trying his best to ignore her.

"Come on Pyrrha, let's give him an encore." Nora suggested. She pushed herself up on her toes to kiss Pyrrha. Pyrrha briefly reciprocated before remembering herself and pulling away.

"Come on, let's get changed." Pyrrha said.

"Naw, spoilsport." Nora grumbled.

"Bedroom, now." Pyrrha commanded.

"Yes ma'am!" Nora exclaimed as she snapped to attention. She sprinted into the house.

Pyrrha shook her head in exasperation and looked to Sun. He had a stupefied expression on his face. They shared a chuckle before Pyrrha headed inside after Nora. "I need to come by more often." Sun laughed once he was alone. He went back to tending the lawn, finishing his work before Nora and Pyrrha returned. Sun decided to explore, walking around the carefully tended garden. It had always been one of his favorite places in Vale. He would probably never make it to Mistral, so this was as close as he would get to visiting one of the locations of Auric Fist. The beautiful garden was more than enough to satisfy such desires.

"Lunch is almost ready!" Nora called from the door.

"That's why you were taking so long." Sun said. "I thought you were banging."

"Who says we weren't?" Nora giggled.

Sun headed in, washed up, and sat down just in time for Pyrrha to slide a plate in front of him. It held a burrito and some rice. Having worked up a serious appetite from working, he quickly began devouring the meal. "So, you like the garden?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful, like something out of a Spruce Lee movie." Sun replied. "I appreciate it even more now, knowing how much work it is to maintain it."

"It's not easy, but it's totally worth it." Nora declared.

"It's really peaceful too." Sun added.

"Would you like to meditate with us after lunch?" Pyrrha offered.

"Meditate?" Sun asked.

"We go out in the gazebo and meditate a lot." Nora explained. "I did it all the time even before we started dating."

"You...meditate?" Sun gasped. "I didn't think you could sit still for five seconds."

"Normally she can't." Pyrrha admitted. "I was surprised at first, but out there in the garden Nora can be quite tranquil."

"I guess I could give it a shot." Sun shrugged. "Never really tried meditation before."

"Oh, it's super easy." Nora said. "You just empty your mind and sit there, thinking about everything and nothing."

"Sit there thinking about nothing?" Sun laughed. "I think I can handle that."

Sun and Pyrrha sat cross-legged beside each other in the gazebo, Nora in front of them grinning excitedly. "Okay Sunny Jim, ready to experience a higher state of consciousness?" Nora asked.

"I guess." Sun shrugged.

"That's the spirit!" Nora cheered. "Now, the most important thing to do is to drive out all distractions. We're cleaning our minds of unnecessary thoughts and attuning ourselves with the simplicity of nature. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Let go of your conscious form, let your body relax. Focus on the sounds and sensations around you, the cooling wind rustling through the trees, the birds calling, the sound of your own breathing. Let all that ails you drift away, leaving your mind clean and pure."

With that Nora shut her eyes. Sun glanced at Pyrrha who shot him an amused grin before closing her own eyes. Nora's goofy smile faded into a placid grin, the excited tension in her shoulders gradually melted away, until the Nora sitting there scarcely resembled the hyperactive ball of energy Sun knew as his best friend. Sun had heard a lot about Ren over the years, but until now he had never been able to picture the calming, peaceful demeanor Nora had described him as having. It really made Sun think, how could he compare to the man that taught Nora to relax like this? Nora, the most excitable, free individual he knew, was now sitting completely still, barely a hair moving out of place.

Perhaps the whole not thinking idea was pretty good right now. Sun closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as Nora had instructed. He focused on the world outside his vision, the gentle wind washed over him like a wave, he could almost feel the tree leaves fluttering in his stomach...his stomach? "Uh-oh." Sun groaned. He cursed the delicious lunch as his stomach bubbled and he felt a new pressure forming. Of all the times he needed to cut one, in the midst of a search for inner peace was among the worst of them. This was not a tiny little fluff that he could let seep out with the hope that the wind would carry it away. It was growing by the second, and he began to strain to hold it in. He did not know what god to pray to and there was no time to think it over.

BrrrrrrrRRRRRRRT!

Sun wanted nothing more than to die right that moment, to not have to face the repercussions of what he had just done. A long and painful silence reigned before a snigger sounded from his side. Opening his eyes he saw Nora staring at him, red faced and wide-eyed. Looking to his right he saw Pyrrha fit to burst, hands covering her mouth as her whole body shook. "Uh...excuse me…" Sun sighed.

Pyrrha broke, laughing uncontrollably, followed shortly thereafter by Nora who began rolling around the floor of the gazebo, holding her stomach as she cackled. Pyrrha's laugh was so harsh it came out more as a long, drawn out wheeze, and she could barely suck in breath. Sun buried his face in his hands, feeling the heat of his growing blush. "I never thought to...bring a bugle to meditation!" Nora laughed.

Pyrrha almost recovered, only to lapse into another fit of painful laughter. "I...ow...I can't…" She said breathlessly through unstoppable laughs. "I can't...hng...Sun...damn you!" Pyrrha's laughs turned to sobs and Sun found himself praying to whatever deity would listen to just make it all end. His dream had become a nightmare. If he opened his eyes and found he was suddenly in his underwear he would not have been shocked. Horrified to be stuck in the cruel reality, he groaned loudly and fell onto his back, again hiding his face in his hands. He felt a hand slap weakly at his chest, and turned to a bleary-eyed and giddy Pyrrha grinning at him while chuckling. "Oh bless you Sun, you adorable goof."

I guess it's not so bad. He thought.

"Wait 'til Yang hears about this!" Nora giggled.

Sun sighed. "Damnit."

Further meditation was not going to happen. Pyrrha was stuck with giggle fits and Nora had lost all that tranquility Sun had so recently observed. For his part, Sun was far too embarrassed to find inner peace. So the group headed back inside for part two of their Spruce Lee movie marathon.

"Okay, now sit next to each other." Nora instructed. Sun and Pyrrha sat on the couch. "Closer." They inched closer to one another. "Closer." Again. "Closer!" Sun and Pyrrha moved right beside one another. "Perfect!" With a running leap Nora catapulted herself into the air, landing across their laps.

"Gah!" Pyrrha gasped. "Easy Nora!"

"At least you didn't land on my balls this time." Sun sighed.

"Come on guys." Nora said. She reached up, grabbing either of their faces and pushing them closer together. "Relax, snuggle up."

"You okay with this?" Sun asked.

"Nora won't let us watch the movie until we do." Pyrrha shrugged.

Sun leaned toward Pyrrha and she toward him, resting their shoulders against one another's. "Happy?" Sun asked.

"See, isn't that better?" Nora asked.

"It's alright." Sun shrugged.

"Good." Nora smiled. "Now let's watch!"