AN: Hey everyone. I have something a bit special here. It's a fic I crafted to celebrate the legalization of marriage in the U.S. with a 4th of July feel.
So, this is my first fic with a gay pairing, and also my first fic with all gay pairings. Funny how that worked out. (Warning: you may not like the pairings, they're either the default 'popular' pairing like WhiteRose, or crack ships that I personally like.)
Onto why I wrote this. I have a personal connection with the Equality issue in my country. Many of my friends are either gay or bisexual, and I, myself, am a bit bi-curious. So, of course, I support LGBT and Marriage Equality.
More importantly, this is the first step towards equality and that's something worth celebrating. I felt it was appropriate to post this on the 4th of July because it's a prideful day for America, and I have even more pride for my country now that we are free to legally marry whomever we choose.
But, as Macklemore said in Same Love (the song I'm actually listening to while writing this, and I recommend you listen to it while reading), a law isn't going to change us. The Supreme Court ruling doesn't mean the fight is over. It's just the first step. I just hope that this little piece will contribute to the further acceptance and equality of everyone, everywhere.
So, please enjoy...
"Sun? Sun, I don't think this is a good idea." Jaune peeked through the window. Ren was just putting the finishing touches on the last batch of his and Neptune's joint culinary venture: Teacakes dyed to a prideful rainbow color and Honey Biscuits made with real granola.
Ever since the odd couple started dating, they had experimented with different Vytalian and Mistrali recipes. Which prompted Sun to steal said recipes, which also meant Jaune was dragged into the mess because Sun seemed to have a way with words that only Jaune was vulnerable to.
Jaune didn't know if that was a gift or a curse; probably the latter, for him at least.
The overly confident monkey-boy ignored his partner-in-life-and-crime's concern and continued to casually stretch, limbering himself up for their pseudo-heist. With a smirk, he easily answered, "Don't worry, it'll be simple. We just have to run in, grab the goods, and run out. Easy!"
"That's not the problem!" Jaune stage whispered, checking to make sure Ren was still focused on packing the Rainbowcakes in the container, "Those cakes are supposed to be for everyone. It's a special day! We can't just steal them!"
Again, Sun waved off his concerns. "We're not stealing them, we're just borrowing them." Jaune gave him an unconvinced frown, "Really! Everyone will get some. We'll just get first dibs, you know?" Sun flashed his winning smile, one that never failed to make Jaune blush and rethink his argument.
Jaune turned his eyes down, weighing the repercussions against the rewards. "I don't know... I still think-", Jaune looked back up for one last ditch effort to convince the faunus otherwise, but he had disappeared. Searching left and right, Jaune finally turned to look into the kitchen when he heard an exaggerated 'psst!'.
Sun sat, crouched, behind the counter Ren had previously been working at, apparently seeing his opportunity and ignoring Jaune to go in for the goods. He motioned for Jaune to follow him in, peeking over the counter to make sure neither Ren nor Neptune was in sight. "Hurry up and come on! They're gone. Let's get in and get out before they come back."
Sighing to himself, Jaune made what he assumed was the poor decision, and followed the mischievous monkey-boy inside. Walking quietly over, Jaune picked up the container holding the Honey Biscuits while Sun picked up the large, clear container that held the Rainbowcakes.
They made their sneaky escape back through the window, and started the run to their pre-designated rendezvous.
Or at least that's what they did in Sun's head.
In reality, Jaune was following Sun as he blindly sprinted through Beacon's surrounding brush.
"See!? Easy!" Sun gloated over his shoulder. Jaune felt indignant to his high and mighty attitude, but was too busy trying to keep up to voice his frustration.
Suddenly, a blue ball of electricity crashed into the tree in front of Sun, exploding and sending him flying back into Jaune's chest. The tree collapsed, nearly falling on the two unfortunate fools. Jaune would've been happy having Sun in his arms, if not for the plasma rifle barrel staring them down.
Sun, however, didn't seem scared in the slightest. In fact, it seemed like this was a normal occurrence for him.
"What the hell, Neptune?! You could've killed me!" Sun motioned to the destroyed tree sitting peacefully to his left. A leaf landed on his nose, and he blew it off before continuing, "Not cool, man."
"But I didn't, did I?" Neptune smirked, shifting his rifle back into it's naginata form.
"Not the point!" Sun's cry fell on deaf ears as Ren stepped out from behind another tree with his Stormflowers armed and ready.
"Then we'll get to ours. Where do you think you're going with my Teacakes?" At Ren's words, Sun clutched the container of treats closer to himself.
"And my Honey Biscuits!" Jaune's sweat dropped as Neptune pointed his naginata in his direction. He looked to the boy sitting in his lap, who nodded decisively. Jaune mentally groaned.
Just as Ren and Neptune began to advance, they jumped to their feet and sprinted in separate directions. Jaune headed for the school building, hoping to lose any pursuers in the tight spaces and throngs of students.
He gave one look back at his unwanted partner-in-crime-but-much-needed-partner-in-love-and-life, getting nothing but a reassuring wink in return. His vision was filled by the magenta fury that seemed to emanate from his teammates body, making him speed up his haste.
He ducked and weaved, avoiding everything from passing students to non-lethal rubber bullets. Some were not as lucky, and the hallways were filled with yelps and howls of pain as those lesser gifted with aura were pelted by a hail of rubber rain.
As he turned the last corner before the gardens, he chanced a look back. Ren's arms pumped in an utterly efficient display of determination. Determination to destroy him if he didn't hurry and got the Honey Bisuits to where they're supposed to go.
He pooled his aura into his legs, taking a running leap to clear the hedge wall to the gardens. His landing strategy had yet to be refined, so his knees buckled under his weight and he tumbled into a heap on the well-trimmed ground.
"Jaune!?" A familiar voice questioned. Jaune groaned to acknowledge the question, but kept his face in the dirt, still trying to rub feeling back into his legs. He heard Ren land behind him, followed by the distinct sound of his heels grinding into the dirt.
Curious, he looked back to his teammate-turned-pursurer. Ren stood still, as stoic as ever, but he was covering his eyes with his weapon. Now confused, Jaune turned to where he heard the voice before, and also covered his eyes quickly.
Nora, for a reason Jaune didn't bother trying to guess, was hiding behind Pyrrha as she wrestled to get her shirt on. Pyrrha was blushing, whether it be from seeing her girlfriend topless or getting caught doing the indecent acts that the action implied was a mystery. Jaune heard Nora giggle in the modestly embarrassed way she did when she was caught with her hand in the jar, both literally and figuratively.
"Hehe, sorry... you can look now!" Nora called to them.
Jaune uncovered his eyes and saw Pyrrha rubbing her arm in her own embarrassment, and Nora rubbing the back of her neck apologetically. She had finally managed to put on her BOOP shirt, now with a crudely painted, but pridefully recognized, equal rights flag over her stomach. The rainbow shining in the night's twilight made Jaune smile, almost making him forget what he just stumbled into.
A picture of Sun, in a suit, complaining about 'neck traps' and smiling in his easygoing way flashed by in his mind, and his own smile widened.
Pyrrha must have taken his smile the wrong way because she immediately began explaining her whacky girlfriend's lack of upperbody attire. "Jaune, Ren, it's not what you think! We were waiting for everyone, and Nora wanted to take her shirt off because of the heat and-!"
"Pyrrha!" Ren said, slightly more stern than usual, but nowhere near the level he used with Nora. Pyrrha understood what he meant; she was rambling and needed to stop.
Shutting her mouth, she waited for one of them to continue. Ren closed his eyes, let a breath he was holding out through his nose, and locked his murderous gaze on Jaune yet again. He walked, slow and purposeful, towards Jaune.
Jaune crawled backwards until his back hit the hedge wall, and Ren stood imposingly over him with his weapons at his sides. Jaune was internally debating whether he should just give the stupid biscuits back and force Sun to forgive him later. He heard the distinct 'click' of Stormflower's chambers being loaded, and decided right then and there.
He flung his arms forward and presented the Honey Biscuit container to his terrifying teammate, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to avoid seeing his grim demise if it came to that.
"I'm sorry! It was all Sun's idea, please don't kill me!" He sat in silence, still presenting the container, for a few agonizing seconds before he heard Ren sigh and Stormflower return to the mechanism in his sleeves.
The box was lifted from his grasp, and Jaune felt the weight of impending doom leave with it. He let out a breath of relief. He may have sold out his boyfriend, but at least he had the chance to make it up to him. Seriously, death because of a few Honey Biscuits? Screw that!
He reopened his eyes, watching Ren inspect the deliciously glazed, granola-filled bars of goodness. Despite all the rough treatment, the Biscuits seemed to have stayed perfectly organized, which was confirmed by Ren nodding his head in approval.
Ren held out his hand, his offer of forgiveness, and Jaune took it. As he was hauled to his feet, he heard choked complaints and shouts coming from just beyond the hedge.
"Hey guys!" Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Jaune all turned to the source of the new arrivals.
A blaze of blonde hair emerged just as a muffled curse escaped the lips of Jaune's equally unfortunate boyfriend.
Yang threw Sun down near a lone tree in the clearing. She was followed by the rest of Team RWBY, carrying blankets and snacks, and Neptune with the Rainbowcakes happily tucked under his armpit. They ignored Sun's grumbling of being manhandled, and proceeded to lay down the blankets and set up a picnic.
Jaune, being the fortunately unfortunate boyfriend of the mischievous monkey-boy, walked over to calm Sun down. Ren and Neptune handed out their cakes and biscuits, Weiss and Ruby sat on the pearly white blanket to snuggle close and wait for the celebration, and Yang sat against the tree with Blake in her lap, both happily reading the same book.
Jaune got to the tree and stood under Sun, who had taken to hanging by his tail. Rubbing the back of his head, Jaune tried to give a smile that was both apologetic and reassuring. Sun looked over to Jaune, grumbled something about him being the worst accomplice ever, and looked away bashfully.
Neptune walked over and offered the teacakes to the two sulking boys. Sun's wide smile returned and he whooped, taking two cakes in each hand and flipping onto the branch of the tree to sit and eat. Jaune also took two cakes, thanking Neptune as he set the container down and took a seat next to Ren, who had also decided to lean against the tree.
Jaune brought the first cake to his mouth, and bit into thin air. He was bewildered until he looked up and saw Sun silently laughing to himself, holding his cake in his tail. Jaune frowned in disappointment, until he was surprised by Sun's tail hanging in his face, presenting the cake.
Jaune smiled and took his first bite, fed to him by the greatest gift he had ever received. The mix of the sweet frosting and squishy sponge texture was heaven in his mouth. Ren's practice with Neptune had definitely paid off.
"The show will be starting soon!" Weiss' call broke Jaune from his sugar induced daze, and he noticed that night had descended.
He hurried up into the tree, determined to watch the sky with Sun. He took a daring leap from one branch to the one Sun was on, and lost his balance. He flailed before starting to fall, only being saved at the last second by Sun grabbing his hand and pulling him onto his lap. He looked up to Sun, with a cake held in his mouth and the other two still being held by his left hand and tail, and blushed. The arm wrapped around Jaune's waist tightened, and he fixed his position so he was facing toward the sky beyond the Initiation Cliff in an attempt to hide his face.
Sun chuckled at his embarrassment, and rested his chin on Jaune's head, making sure to eat the Teacakes without dropping crumbs in his hair. He swallowed the first two cakes whole, and wrapped his now free tail around Jaune's waist, a universal sign of faunus affection.
And so they all enjoyed the snacks, with the cakes and biscuits being passed out amongst everyone, and RWBY quickly devouring their picnic. The minutes ticked by, and they chatted about the happy times, and the sad times. Times they were discriminated against, and times they were accepted for who or what they are.
They all talked about how, just a few days prior, the first step was taken. The first step towards equality. The sort of equality that didn't just affect humans or faunus, but everyone. The right to freely love who you want and be accepted under the law.
It was only a step, but it was the first. The start of something new, of something better, and that's what really mattered. The ten of them reminisced of the time they met, to the time they all became friends, to the times they shared joy and sorrow, and ended with thanking any and all deities who had blessed them with such great friends and lovers.
Jaune closed his eyes and snuggled back into Sun's chest, listening to the blissful laughter of his friends around him, and counted the seconds until the fireworks came. He heard a distant pop, and a gasp from Ruby. He opened his eyes to watch the white light travel to the peak of the stars and explode, filling the night's sky with a large fiery flower of rainbow colors.
They all cheered, for everything from the fireworks to the pride they had for their country, to the pride they had for themselves. To be accepted, by at least a margin of the world, is a great thing. Jaune knew this just as much as everyone surrounding him, and he was just as thankful.
Struggling to meet his father's standards, and failing to impress even his youngest sister was crushing, but not as crushing as the secret he had been keeping ever since he was in middle school.
He snuck a peek at Sun from the corner of his eye, his smile shining just as much as the fireworks reflecting off his eyes.
He wasn't going to hide it anymore, he was going to tell them when he got home. Acceptance or not, family is family, and Arcs don't lie, especially not to each other.
Sun caught his gaze, and looked down to meet it. They shared a brief communication of some unseen feeling, maybe love or maybe fear, but still took comfort in each other. As the fifth or so firework exploded, filling the sky with yet another angelic rainbow light, they kissed. Not for the first time, and certainly not the last.
It was their vow, their promise to each other, to be there through rain and sleet, bad times and good times, and infinitely worse times, always there for each other, and to never let go.
They all made that unspoken vow when they were with each other. Whether it was Weiss helping patch things up between Yang and Blake, or Nora and Pyrrha fighting and making up, they all promised to be there as friends, lovers, and family in everything but blood. The ten of them had a bond like no other.
That bond was unbreakable. That love was unbreakable. And they proved as much the day they got married with someone of the same sex, under scrutiny, but surrounded by love.
Love is love, and hate is hate. Nothing more, nothing less. It's that simple.
And right now, right here, love won.
Love will always win.
AN: Congratulations to everyone, both gay and straight, who is getting married, or has gotten married. Please, have a happy life together.
And to all those straight folk who are a little confused about homosexual relationships, remember: we kiss the same way you do, we snuggle the same way you do, we love the same way you do. There is no difference. Love is love, and no amount of homophobic hate is going to change that universal fact.
Happy fourth of July, and have a gay day.
Ships sailed: Bumbleby, WhiteRose, Ocean Lotus (Ren x Neptune), Anti-Hero (Sun x Jaune), and Champions Cudgel (Nora x Pyrrha; cool name courtesy of my wonderful beta Maxaro).
Svenska är skit: har du någonsin varit kär i en person av samma kön som du? Det kan vara en kändis. (Have you ever been in love with a person of the same sex as you? It could be a celebrity.)
As I mentioned before, I do find both men and women attractive. So, it is with a heavy heart that I say I have never had romantic feelings for a man before.
That's not saying much though, because I haven't been romantically attached to anyone besides a total of two women in my life. One was when I was in kindergarten, and I know that sounds weird but I swear I had true feelings for my first crush, and the other was my first true love, who I met about three years ago.
Before anyone asks, no, she didn't feel the same, and I understood that I had no chance. On the bright side, we're both best friends now and I get to flirt with her friends to piss her off. It's always fun to piss your best friend off. But, I digress.
Short answer: No, but that doesn't mean I'm not open to a relationship with a man. I do prefer women though. They're much more fun to talk to, in my opinion.