Chapter 1
It was the day after the Grim attack in the city and Velvet was lying under a tree, enjoying the sunny day. She found herself thinking of Cardin, as was her habit these days. Sure he can be a jerk, but he is pretty cute, she thought to herself. She felt a smile forming on her face. "Mm. If only he was a bit nicer," she whispered softly.
"If who was nicer?" The strong tones of Cardin's voice startled Velvet.
"U-Uh, n-no one! I definitely wasn't thinking of you." Velvet stammered out, quickly standing.
Cardin laughed, but it wasn't a cruel, mean laugh. It was a sweet, warm one that made Velvet's heart melt.
"So who were you thinking about?" he inquired.
"N-no one special." Velvet blushed, hiding her face.
"Okay," Cardin replied, dismissing the matter. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, motioning toward the base of the tree.
"Um, sure, I-I guess," Velvet stammered, blushing again. She sat down next to the tree and Cardin sat close enough that she could feel the warmth of his arm.
"I want to apologize to you," Cardin said after a few moments.
"H-huh?"
"For being mean to you. For hurting you. I just wanted to look tough in front of my team; I did things I regret now."
"I-it's fine," Velvet stammered, stroking her long ears.
"No, it's not. I don't ever want to hurt you again. I don't want anyone to ever hurt you again." He murmured, softly stroking her ear. "It's so soft, I didn't notice that before."
Velvet blushed and leaned into him. "It feels good when you do that," she mumbled.
Wordlessly, Cardin wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. He softly kissed the ear he had pulled on the semester before. They sat together like that in silence for a few minutes.
"Cardin, why are you here with me?" Velvet inquired.
"Because of you. When I heard about how you did against the Grim yesterday, I realized something. I wasn't being a good huntsman. I should be protecting people, but instead I have been hurting them. Even Jaune was out there. During that whole thing, I sat around and did nothing. I ignored it. I didn't even try to help. When everyone got back, exhausted and worn out, it made me think back to when I was home. Grim had attacked a nearby village, and I was too young to go and help. But when I heard about the devastation that was caused, I promised to do my best and help everyone I could. I remembered that I broke that promise."
Velvet hugged Cardin tight. "But why are you here with me?"
Pulling her in close, Cardin whispered, "Because I adore you. After pulling your ear, I started noticing you more. I saw how you were, and I started to like you."
Velvet blushed deeply and buried his face in Cardin's chest. He wasn't wearing his armor, and his body felt so firm. Velvet blushed again. "I like you too," she mumbled into his chest.
"What?"
Velvet looked up and looked him straight in the eye. "I like you too," she said more clearly.
Cardin pulled her closer so that their foreheads touched. "I was afraid you wouldn't," he whispered softly.
They both closed their eyes and sat there in silence. Without a word, Velvet found his lips with hers. This kiss sent a shock through her whole body, making her tremble. It was better than she could have ever dreamed.
Breaking the kiss, Cardin stood up and reached out a hand to Velvet. "Come," he said. "Let's go to somewhere more private."
Velvet's whole body tingled. Taking his hand and standing up, she leaned into him and placed her hands on his chest. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll go anywhere with you."