Hello humans! This is just a random idea that kept bugging me until I eventually gave in and wrote. Just so you know, I won't continue it until volume 4 of RWBY comes out, because I can't plot much until I know what the heck is supposed to originally happen (if I do continue it). This is set after volume 3, during team RNJR's as-of-yet-unknown adventures. For Seven Deadly Sins, this'll be before the ten commandment stuff happens. This is all set in Remnant.
I own nothing at all. I'm just a humble little fanfiction writer amusing myself and trying to improve my writing skills so one day I might create masterpieces of my very own.
Peace and quiet was very pleasant, Ren decided, turning the page of his book. Nora had gone off to who-knows-where, talking about needing to investigate something, maybe? He wasn't totally sure. She would be back soon, so he planned on enjoying his book and the quiet while he could. Thankfully, Ruby and Jaune seemed to agree that quiet was the way to go, both silently entertaining themselves.
Sadly, silence never seemed to last when ones best friend was a certain red head.
"Hey!" he heard Nora call out from a distance, disturbing the serene quiet, "Hey, Ren! Do you want a kid?"
"Wait what?!" he squeaked, jumping a few feet in the air and sending his book tumbling into the snow at his side. His gaze fell onto Nora, who was skipping towards him, dragging a figure along after her… who was also skipping. The other figure had shoulder length magenta hair framing a feminine face, and golden eyes shielded by a pair of glasses. His expression was one of detached contemplation.
Ren stood up, dusting dirt and snow off of his clothing, and sighed, "Nora, where did you find him?"
Nora came to an abrupt stop, yet somehow the person with her managed to stop just when she did. "He was in the forest! OH! Do you think Jaune will let us keep him?! Jaune, pleeeaaaaase?! You can't say no to this adorable face here, can you?!"
She grabs the boy's face, holding it next to her own and staring at Jaune with her best puppy-eyed expression. The boy, his face totally emotionless, used his free hand to make a peace sign by his head.
Jaune hid his head in his hands, groaning, "Ruby, I don't think I can handle this right now…"
"Okay, Jaune. Ready?" Ruby replied, jumping up and grabbing the blonde leader's arm.
"Wait, Rub- AAAAAYYYYYYYYY!" and with that, the two disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of rose petals.
"Aw, they left. I guess that means we can keep this cute little guy, then!" Nora squeals, wrapping her arms around the boy in a monster's embrace.
Ren sighed again, picking up his book and wiping off the snow, "I'm still confused as to how he became my kid."
"He looks just like you Ren!" Nora announced. The boy turned his gaze to Ren, leaning forward as if studying an interesting specimen, one hand on his hip, and the other adjusting his glasses.
The boy then straightened, coming to a conclusion, "While it is true our facial features share a few similarities, I do not believe that we look the same. In fact, there are several differences I can pick out."
Ren rubbed his head as Nora barked, "Do not backtalk your mother!"
"I do not have a mother," the boy replied in an emotionless tone.
Nora's eyes went wide, and her arms were thrown around him once more, "Oh, you poor baby, I'll be your mother from now on, and Ren here will be your father, okay? We'll feed you and hug you and take you on missions and love you forever and name you Greg!"
"Hm. Actually, my name is Gowther, though it will do no harm to call me Greg if you wish." the boy responded.
Nora smiled, unfazed, "Oh, then, I guess I'll just name you Gowther, then! Oh oh oh, I have to tell you everything! Like about the fact that Ren's pancakes are the absolute best and that Ruby has an older sister and that Ren hates it when you drink all the syrup and that we aren't supposed to talk about Pyrrha and-"
Ren put a hand on her shoulder, a nonverbal order to stop, before turning to the boy, Gowther, "I'm really sorry about this. She just gets a little… excited, sometimes. You are under no obligation to stay."
"I am aware." the boy replied, before his golden eyes then locked on the book in Ren's hand, "May I see that book?"
Ren handed the book to Gowther, watching as the boy sat down without a word and began reading.
"Ren, he's a bookworm just like you." Nora remarked, grabbing Ren's arm, "You're such a good influence! I knew you would be! Not that I'm not a good influence, but you're just better, you know?"
Ren rolled his eyes, sitting back down. Only Nora could turn a completely normal day into this. How did she even manage to find Gowther? He was probably the only other person around for miles in every direction.
He really needed a nap. And a steaming cup of coffee.
Eventually, as the sun began setting on the horizon, Ruby and Jaune made their way back to their camp. Ren was dozing, and Nora was chatting to the boy she had found in the forest. Even though he was reading as she was doing this, he didn't appear annoyed in any way.
"Jaune, Ruby, you're back!" Nora yelled, bouncing up and tackling the two of them in her version of a hug. As soon as they were free, Ruby and Jaune walked over to the boy reading Ren's book.
"So, hi, um… I'm Jaune Arc, nice to meet you, I guess." Jaune said awkwardly, holding out his hand. "So Nora kidnapped you, huh?"
"No, I chose to follow her." the boy said, closing the book carefully, "I am Gowther, Goat's Sin of Lust. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"That's… interesting…" Jaune trailed off, unsure of what to say to this odd boy sitting in front of him.
"And, um, my name's Ruby, Ruby Rose." the cloaked girl added, rubbing the back of her head uncertainly.
The golden eyes studied her carefully, a flash of light appearing between them for a moment, before he murmured, "Huh."
"So, you four are heading to Haven from Vale, which has been destroyed, seeking information on those who were behind everything. Perhaps I can provide assistance to you, while I search for my comrades." Gowther said, standing up gracefully.
"Comrades?" Ren asked, while Ruby and Jaune looked surprised.
"Yes, comrades. The other sins, Elizabeth, and the leader of the order of scraps disposal." he replied, "We seem to have been separated, though I am not sure how."
"Are these guys your family?" Nora asked, eyes wide and sympathetic.
Gowther slowly shook his head, "No, I am not bound to them by blood ties."
"Oh! So they're you teammates! Your family-that's-not-really-your-family-but-you're-still-really-close-so-they-might-as-well-be! We'll help you find them! You can count on us!" Nora announced, saluting Gowther.
"Teammates? I suppose so. We were all working together to achieve a common goal." he commented, looking thoughtful.
"Let's go find them, Ren!" Nora ordered, picking up her best friend from where he was sitting and beginning to skip, easily carrying him bridal-style. Gowther began following after the pair, leaving Jaune and Ruby behind.
"Wait! We weren't leaving until tomorrow… Why does this always happen to me?" Jaune groaned.
"We can't let my poor little baby be without his precious teammates any longer, Jaune! It's terrible!" Nora cried, burying her face into Ren's chest. Ren just sighed.
"Nora, can you put me down now? I'll make pancakes, and we can leave tomorrow. I'm sure Gowther can wait a little longer." Ren said. Immediately, he was dumped to the ground, Nora bouncing back to the camp.
"Why didn't you just say so?!" Nora asked as Ren stood up again.
So Ren ended up making pancakes. How predictable.
"Didn't you say that we aren't supposed to drink all of the syrup earlier…?" he heard Gowther say. He looked up to see Nora finishing off the last drop of syrup in the container, licking her lips happily.
"No, I said that Ren hates it when I do. Still totally worth it, though." Nora sighed, falling backwards and laying down as Ren glared at her.
"Oh. But that is odd. I thought lovers avoided angering one another whenever possible." Gowther replied, a curious expression on his face. Ren was pretty sure his heart stopped beating right then.
"Oh, um, it's not like that. We aren't… 'together-together'…" Nora corrected, voice quiet for once. Ren was still frozen in shock, unable to say a word in his defense.
Gowther considered this for a moment, "But you are both in love with one another, are you not?"
"What?! No-I-But-" Nora attempted, before going quiet. The smell of burning pancakes hung thick in the air.
Finally, Jaune broke the silence, "... Well. This is awkward."
Poor Ren. He's just having a day. He so wasn't ready. I plan on continuing it after volume 4 starts, though no guarantees. My muses might hate me then and decide to write something completely different.
Don't question how Ren made the pancakes... It's probably possible...
Thanks for reading!