Greetings, everyone! I'm coming at you with something special today. You see, Tumblr's doing a RWBY art challenge right now, but I know from experience that trying to do a fic a day only leads to stress. Instead, I decided to instead do something for Pride Month. In the face of all that's happening in the world, I feel that LGBT pride is more important than ever. So, I'm going to do an LGBT fic every week for the month of June.
I'd like to dedicate this one to my dear friend Nicodemus. He adores Martial Arcs, and is an out transman who is very dedicated to creating art for the trans community. His Tumblr is nightmaregaze, and you should totally check out his stuff! I'm with you, Nick. With art and writing, we shall continue to fight the good fight!
Note: This fic is about Jaune coming out as trans, so there are parts when he is referred to with female pronouns and his birth name, since the others don't know yet. The first chunk is from Jaune's POV, the second is from Ren's, and the third is mixed. I'm not trying to misgender. I'm only trying to be accurate concerning how the characters will think at the times shown in this fic.
Enjoy!
The night was cool and pleasant, and Jaune had a genuine smile on his face for the first time in a while. He ran a hand through his hair, once again marveling at the fact that he finally had it cut, as he had been wanting to do for a long time. Unlike the long, thick hair he had sported earlier that day, this was shorter and felt almost fluffy when he touched it.
In the bags he carried were several new pairs of jeans and some tee shirts he'd feel confident wearing without his baggy Pumpkin Pete hoodie overtop it. He was actually wearing one of the new pairs of jeans now. He hadn't been able to wait to get out of those leggings.
Looking at himself in one of the shop windows, he honestly thought that he looked nearly perfect. Nearly. Once the binder arrived, he'd finally be able to rely less on his hoodie and actually put some variety into his outfits when his armor was off.
Thinking of the binder reminded him of what his next step was going to have to be. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. I have to do it before the binder comes in, he thought. Otherwise, they'll just be confused. We're teammates, and friends. They'll support me.
More than anything, he hoped that Ren would support him. He also hoped that somehow, Ren would be just as attracted to Jaune as he was to Jeanne.
Jeanne was the name that was on Jaune's birth certificate, along with an F that didn't belong there as far as he was concerned. Throughout most of his life, he had remained quiet about his gender identity, even to his family. He was on a few LGBT support forums, but none of the people there knew him personally. Now that he was at Beacon, however, he felt that it was important for him to stop being afraid.
I'm training to fight Grimm and put my life on the line for other people, he told himself. I'd might as well do it as myself.
Still, he couldn't help but be nervous. He didn't doubt that Pyrrha and Nora would accept him. Pyrrha was his partner, and Nora was the type of person to take everything in stride as long as the person in question wasn't a jerk.
Ren was the one he was really worried about. It wasn't because he thought that his teammate was bigoted or close-minded, but because things were just a bit more complicated with their relationship.
He still remembered when he first met Ren in the Emerald Forest. The attraction he had felt for the smaller, gentle-voiced, quiet young man had been nearly instantaneous. His feelings only deepened with time as he learned more about his teammate: that his favorite hobby was cooking, that he practically raised Nora after they were both orphaned, that he enjoyed board games and pillow fights.
When Ren asked him to the Vytal Festival Dance at the beginning of the semester, Jaune had been honestly shocked. He had said yes, of course, but had debated for a long time about whether this would be the right time to come out. In the end, he kept quiet, wore a dress that he hated, and danced with Ren while trying not to feel too much self-loathing at just how feminine he looked.
Ren hadn't seemed to mind, as he asked to kiss Jaune near the end of the night. Jaune had accepted, even though he felt like a complete phony.
The kiss had been soft, gentle, and wrong. Wrong, because Jaune felt as if he was kissing Ren as someone else. This sense of wrongness only deepened as their relationship continued, and he knew that the only option was to tell his now-boyfriend the truth.
But, what if Ren didn't want to be with Jaune after that? What if he got mad because Jaune hadn't told right away? The last thing Jaune wanted was for their relationship, friendship, and the team dynamic to suffer.
His Scroll buzzed, shaking him out of his thoughts. He turned it on to see a message from Ren.
"You done shopping? Need one of us to pick you up?"
Jaune felt himself smiling. Ren didn't like to show it, but he worried whenever any of his friends went off by themselves after dark, especially Nora or Ruby. Even though he knew they were all capable of handling themselves, he still liked to keep tabs on them. Ever since they started dating, he became particularly protective of Jaune. Quickly, Jaune typed a reply.
"I'm good. Just decided to get a haircut on the way back. Nearly at Beacon now. 3"
Ren never used emojis, but had said before that it was cute when Jaune did.
"Okay. See you soon."
Jaune closed his Scroll, glanced once more at his reflection, and started toward Beacon.
….
It was a calm night in the JNPR dorm room. Pyrrha was working on homework while Nora sat next to her, contentedly eating from a bag of candy. Ren was sitting in his bed reading a book, occasionally glancing toward the door. As Nora finished her bag and started searching through her drawer for more, Ren gave her a stern look.
"You shouldn't eat so much sugar this late at night," he said, even though he knew his words would fall on deaf ears.
Nora rolled her eyes. "Okay, Dad." She saw her best friend glance at the door again. "Waiting for Jeanne to come back?"
Ren nodded. "She should be done by now."
Nora giggled, poking his cheek. "It's so cute how protective you are! She's a Huntress, remember? She can handle walking around after dark."
"Team CRDL has been giving her more of a hard time lately," Pyrrha pointed out. "Is that what you're worried about?"
"Partially," Ren sighed. "Also, she's been very distant lately. Have you noticed?"
Nora tilted her head while Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. Our rooftop sparring sessions have been much shorter lately, and she doesn't seem quite as focused as before."
"You're the one dating her. Has she said anything to you?" Nora wondered.
Ren shook his head. "No. I don't know how to ask her what's wrong."
"You could just try asking her," Nora said. "It only takes two words, you know." She leaned in to give her friend a quick hug. "Come on. You're not a super talky person, but just let her know you're willing to listen. That'll get her to open up."
"And if you're worried about her, just send her a text," Pyrrha added.
A small smile came to Ren's face. "You're right." He took his Scroll out of his pocket and started typing.
"You done shopping? Need one of us to pick you up?"
The response came surprisingly quickly.
"I'm good. Just decided to get a haircut on the way back. Nearly at Beacon now. 3"
Ren's smile widened at the heart emoji.
"Okay. See you soon."
Relieved, he shut off his Scroll and returned to his book while Nora went back over to Pyrrha. He hated being so worried all the time, but it couldn't be helped. Ever since the beginning of the year, it seemed that Team JNPR's leader was facing an uphill battle. From the fact that she got in using forged papers and had to hurriedly learn all she could about combat, to Team CRDL's relentless bullying, it seemed that she never got a break.
Ren wasn't sure when he started to have a crush on her, but was pretty sure it was during one of their sessions of Graveyards and Grimm. Jeanne was the Game Master, and everything about her seemed to come alive when she was narrating the story or voicing a villain that the players had to go up against.
He grew to love seeing her like that. Whenever she'd play guitar, try a new game, or geek out about the newest X-Ray and Vav comic, her eyes would light up and make her entire body seem to glow, as if her Aura was activated all the time.
A few weeks ago, when Ren (with much urging from Nora) had asked her to be his date for the Vytal Festival Dance, she had looked honestly stunned. Even when they went together and Jeanne wore that gorgeous white dress, she had acted as if she couldn't believe where she was. She also seemed as if she wanted to hide from everyone at the dance.
They left the dance floor early and walked alone in the courtyard, where Ren finally got up the nerve to ask to kiss her. It had been quick and unsatisfying. Even then, she had seemed distracted. Still, his feelings remained the same and they started dating.
He desperately wished that he could get through the invisible wall that seemed to be a permanent fixture between them. It was so strange, because he was used to being the more withdrawn one. How did he deal with someone who was seemingly a confident extrovert, but acted nervous or distant at random times, especially when in romantic situations?
The door opened, prompting him to close his book. In stepped Jeanne, sporting a new, rather short haircut and a pair of what looked like man's jeans. She paused in the doorway, smiling hesitantly at Ren.
"Hey," she muttered. "What do you think?"
"You look good," Ren replied, and he meant it. The short hair definitely suited her, and the jeans fit her in the same way her trademark baggy hoodie did: They didn't perfectly fit her form, but it seemed to fit her personality more than her leggings and tanks.
Jeanne's face brightened considerably, which caused Ren's own smile to widen. "Thanks!" she said, putting her bags down, kicking off her shoes, and moving to sit next to Ren on the bed. "You weren't too worried, were you?"
"No more than usual." Ren gently kissed his girlfriend, feeling her lingering smile on his lips.
Nora zipped over and promptly started playing with Jeanne's hair. "It's so fluffy!"
Jeanne snickered. "Careful, Nora. You're gonna make Pyrrha feel neglected."
"I'm perfectly fine," Pyrrha said, giving her friends and amused glance over the top of her textbook.
Nonetheless, Nora was at her side immediately, hugging her arm. "I like your hair too!"
"Thank you." Pyrrha gently brushed Nora's bangs out of her eyes. "I think I'm done studying."
"Yay!" Nora bounced onto the bed next to her girlfriend, snuggling cheerfully against her.
"They're so cute," Jeanne commented.
"Mm hm." Ren was looking at Jeanne, though, loving the fond expression on her face.
Jeanne noticed his look and blushed. Leaning in, she softly pecked his lips. "Hey, can we talk at lunch tomorrow?" she whispered.
"Of course," Ren replied, masking the twinge of fear he felt. According to all I've heard, asking to "talk" rarely means anything good. Does this have to do with how distant she's being? Does she not want to date me after all?
He couldn't tell. She seemed happy enough, and her kiss before she retired to her own bed felt genuine. Reminding himself of all the times he would tell Nora not to stress unnecessarily, he eventually managed to get to sleep.
….
Jaune was barely able to pay attention in class the following day. Even when Cardin taunted him for dressing like a "dyke," he barely responded. He didn't miss Pyrrha having to physically restrain Nora, however.
"Come on! Let me at him!" Nora snarled. "I'll break his legs off and make him eat them raw!"
"Now, Nora," Pyrrha said, her calm voice barely betraying the rage she was feeling. "There are witnesses. You'd only get in trouble."
This caused Nora to pause. "Are you implying that we should do something at a time when there are no witnesses?" A glint entered her turquoise eyes and a very evil grin spread across her face.
"Nora, we're Hunters in training," Ren scolded. "We can't commit murder." Though, if I was a witness, I probably would conveniently forget what I saw. Honestly, if Jeanne wasn't so against making a scene with Team CRDL, Ren probably would have already done something stupid, like try to challenge Cardin to a fight.
The bell rang for lunch. Pyrrha and Nora headed toward the cafeteria. Ren looked up at his girlfriend, whose expression was that familiar, unwelcome look of hesitance. "Want to head to the kitchen? I can make us sandwiches. Everyone else will likely be in the cafeteria, so we shouldn't be bothered."
Jaune smiled, trying to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. "Sure."
They got to the kitchen, where Ren busied himself with what he could find in the fridge. He was silent, waiting for Jeanne to start talking.
Jaune took a steadying breath, grateful for Ren's patience. He ended up waiting until after the sandwiches were finished before saying anything. "So, there's something I need to tell everyone, and I wanted to tell you first, since, you know, we're 'together-together' now, as Nora would say."
"Okay." Ren sat down. A terrible thought occurred to him, and he couldn't help asking: "Are you sick?" His magenta eyes darkened with fear.
"What? No!" Jaune shook his head rapidly. "Nothing like that! I'm fine!" Crap, was he worried about that since last night? he wondered with a flush of guilt. "I mean, I'm physically healthy…"
Ren's brows creased with confusion at Jeanne's tone, but he didn't say anything else.
After another breath and a few bites of sandwich, Jaune continued. "Do you, uh, know what transgender means?"
Ren nodded. "Yes. That's a term for people who undergo an operation to change from male to female, or visa versa."
"Not quite," Jaune corrected. "There are trans people who have sex change operations, but the term refers to anyone who identifies as the opposite of their birth gender."
"I see." In that moment something clicked in Ren's brain. Suddenly, everything leading up to this point made sense: Jeanne's aloofness, her haircut, her clothing choice, how uncomfortable she had seemed during the dance while wearing that dress. Wait, I guess it's "he." Or is it? Is she coming out, or…?
"Well," Jaune continued. "I'm trans. I don't see myself as a female, I don't like the name Jeanne, and I want to get rid of these eventually." He gestured toward his breasts. "I ordered a binder online, and I plan on wearing it. I'm going to ask people to start referring to me with male pronouns, profs included."
He realized that his eyes were watering, and swiped quickly at them. "I'm going to be a Huntsman, and I don't want to pretend anymore. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before."
There was a pause as Ren digested this information. He thought back to how happy Jeanne had seemed when he liked her- his newhaircut and clothes. That smile, that lightness in those blue eyes was something Ren wanted to see more of. If this was what made Jeanne more confident and happy, who was he to argue? "What should I call you?" he asked.
"Huh?" Jaune blinked. He hadn't expected that to be Ren's first question.
"You said you don't like being called Jeanne. What should I call you?" Ren repeated. He didn't need to fake the calm frankness in his voice. He wasn't the least bit freaked out. Actually, he was more relieved than anything. His teammate wasn't sick, wasn't thinking of breaking up with him, and wasn't hiding some huge, horrible secret. As far as he was concerned, nothing was wrong.
"Jaune," Jaune answered, feeling a hopeful smile coming to his face. "I've been using it on online forums for over a year now, and I really like it."
Ren nodded. "It suits you."
"Thanks." Jaune rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "So, uh, you aren't mad?"
"Why would I be mad?" Ren asked. "Remember, I grew up with Nora. She didn't come out as bi until a little before Beacon, and I wasn't mad at her then. A person shouldn't come out before they're ready."
"I know, but we're dating, so it's a little more…" Jaune shrugged. "We got together when you thought I was a girl, and I wasn't sure if you were straight, and it feels almost like I lied to you, you know?"
"You're telling me now, aren't you?" Ren reached across the table to touch Jaune's hand. "I'm honestly not mad, and you didn't lie to me. You weren't lying when you said you liked me, right?"
"Of course I meant that!" Jaune said, feeling a slight thrill when Ren touched his hand. He…He's okay with this. He's not angry or disgusted. I mean, I knew Ren would never be a jerk about something like this, but still… "So, do you still want to…?" he trailed off uncertainly.
"Keep dating you?" Jaune nodded, and Ren smiled gently. "Yes. I never really thought about dating men, but I'm not against the idea. I guess I was never really attracted to a man before now. You're still you, so nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned."
Jaune felt a lump rising in his throat, and a few more tears found their way down his cheeks. Ren was adjusting so easily to calling him a man. And he was still attracted to him! He couldn't believe just how lucky he was. "I… That…" Jaune paused to wipe his eyes with his free hand. "That means so much coming from you, Ren. Thank you."
Ren squeezed Jaune's hand. "I'm just relieved that it's something like this," he admitted. When Jaune tilted his head, he explained. "You seemed so distant ever since the dance, and I wasn't sure why. I didn't know if you were regretting kissing me, or if something was wrong involving your family, or if you were having trouble with school."
"Jeez, I'm sorry!" Jaune said, glancing downward. "I didn't know you were so worried…"
"Well, I'm not really good at getting my thoughts across sometimes," Ren admitted with a sheepish smile.
Jaune let out a laugh. "That makes two of us!"
Ren found himself chuckling along with him. For a moment, the two sat there, their hands touching as they laughed quietly. Finally, Ren stood up and circled the table. "Is it okay if I kiss you, Jaune?"
That request, combined with the use of his true name, caused Jaune's heart to thud loudly. Speechless, he could only nod his head and close his eyes in anticipation. When he felt those petal-soft lips on his, everything finally felt right with the world. He reached up to cup Ren's cheek and pull him closer, smiling into the kiss as Ren placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
Ren felt his mind go momentarily blank. This kiss felt so much better, so much more real than any of the previous kisses they had shared. There was no hesitance in Jaune's movements, no invisible wall between them. He wasn't holding back. It was like Ren could feel his happiness in his very Aura.
Jaune, feeling bold, swiped Ren's bottom lip with his tongue. Ren let out a surprised noise, but ultimately let his boyfriend in. Their tongues brushed shyly against each other, then withdrew. The kiss ended with both of them blushing heavily.
Ren pecked Jaune's wet cheek once before moving back. "I may slip up a few times," he warned. "I'm used to referring to you as a female and using your birth name, so I apologize in advance."
"It's okay," Jaune assured him. "I'll let you know if you say the wrong thing by mistake."
"Thank you." Ren smiled. "Do you plan on telling the others?"
"Well, I want to be completely out, so yeah." Jaune touched Ren's hand, which was still on his shoulder. "I'm a lot less scared to tell them, now that I know you're okay with it."
"They should still be at lunch," Ren noted. "Would you like to tell them now?"
Jaune considered this, then shook his head. "Nah, I'll probably wait to tell them during dinner. Can we just sit in the lounge till lunch is over?"
"Of course." Ren took care of cleaning up their plates, then followed Jaune into the common room. He sat down next to his boyfriend, resting his head on his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh as a warm arm wrapped around him. "Thank you for trusting me, Jaune," he murmured.
Jaune brushed his lips against Ren's forehead. He couldn't stop smiling. He felt totally ready to tell the rest of his friends. He even felt ready to start telling his professors his preferred pronouns and name when the time came. "I should be thanking you," he said earnestly. "You're amazing, Ren."
"Not really," Ren replied. "I'm just accepting you as you are. Isn't that what friends, teammates, and boyfriends are supposed to do in the first place?"
Jaune hugged Ren closer, squeezing him tightly to show his gratitude, since his throat was closing up again. They remained on the couch for the rest of the lunch period, then walked to their next class hand in hand. Feeling Ren's cool, smooth palm against his was more than enough to bring an extra spring to Jaune's step. When Ren noticed and graced him with another one of those beautiful, shy smiles, he knew that everything would be okay.
By tomorrow, all of Beacon would know Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR. And he was ready for everything that would come with that.
I'm seriously considering making this a twoshot, with the second chapter being about Jaune dealing with being an out transman and progressing with his relationship with Ren. I'll leave it up to you guys. Would you like next week's thing to be an update to this fic?
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Also, I recently started a fanfiction-writing blog. It will have a glossary of fandom terms, writing advice, top 10 lists, prompts, and more. Feel free to check it out at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.
Peace out!