Emerald

Emerald looked up at the shower head as the hot water hit her skin. She ran the razor up her leg for the final time when she heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"I am in the Shower," she yelled from where she was. Emerald got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. She pulled on undergarments, a baggy t shirt, and booty shorts her regular bedtime attire. She walked out of the bathroom water still dripping from her hair and rolling down her freshly shaven legs. She rounded the corner toward her bed and stopped in her tracks, Mercury was sitting on shirtless on her bed sharpening her pistol scythes.

"What are you doing," Emerald asked wrapping her hair in a towel trying to stop it from dripping all over her shirt and walking over to him.

"What does it look like I'm doing?,"

"I don't understand, since when do you help people voluntarily,"

"I don't know," He said with a sarcastic smile patting the space to him inviting me to sit down next to him. Emerald let herself plop down. Mercury looked at her, with his big gray eyes and began to analyze her. "What do you think of Beacon," he asked

"It's okay, I mean these kids are so lucky and they don't even know it. I was raised by Cinder I never got to go to school,"

"I did I went to grade school but never got this high when my sister got sick I had to get money and take of her care of myself . I always wanted to go Beacon, I guess now's my chance," Emerald was in a state of shock. For once her partner wasn't acting like a sarcastic, self righteous, d*ck.

"Since when do you talk about your past and how you feel, what happened to you ,"

"I guess fighting Pyrrha, gave me a near death experience and has me all deep,"

"You should do that more often , I like the caring open you a lot,"

"Well it would help you too Miss I don't share anything about my past,"

"I was the last of four children and one of three girls, I don't remember my parents and my older sister Amethyst and older brother Garnet I barely remember. My sister Opal said that Amethyst was so guilt stricken that she just lost her will to live she just slowly starved and dehydrated herself to death; Garnet ran away from the past just after Thysie's death. Opal took care of me until I was five till we met a girl Opal's age named Cinder Fall. She took us on and soon after that my Sister and her fell in love. We all lived together until I was 15 and my sister was killed helping Cinder raid a dust store." Emerald sucked in as much air as she could feeling so out of breath after that long narrative.

Mercury

Mercury looked up at Emerald the stone he was using to sharpen had fallen out of his open palm. He couldn't take his eyes of her as she leaned comfortably into the headboard of her bed he analyzed every aspect of her how her eyes were pink in the center or how one of her mint hair strands fell uneven to each other. She looked at him as if expecting a response but Mercury just sat there absorbing the information and looking at the beautiful girl who had spoken it.

"Hello Vale to Mercury," Emerald said placing the stone back in his hand and for a brief moment her hand lingered.

"Sorry Emerald, I was just zoned out,"

" Well now it's your turn," She bounced on her knees before dropping back onto her but.

"My Parents raised me until their marriage fell apart and my mom became a distant alcoholic and my dad skipped child support. My sister, Iridium, had to work extra hours; she became the breadwinner. She trained to protect herself, and had a distant, impossible dream of becoming a huntress. Then she got sick and we didn't have the money to help her so for a year I took care of her and took up her jobs, she passed away when I was fourteen. " He shook his head. He didn't like the raw display of emotions pasts it made him feel vulnerable.

"Mercury," He looked up at Emerald her eyes were big and dewey.

"What?"

"Were you worried about that fight today," Emerald had put her hand on his shoulder.

"You were worried,"

"No"

"You weren't the least bit concerned?"

"Please, I would pay to be the driver of your hearse," She snickered

"Oh really,"

"yeah" Mercury scoffed and went back to sharpening Emeralds weapons

"How sharp do you like these," He ask her. She extended her palm he placed the sickle in her hand she put it across her hand and gently squeezed it. Mercury winced afraid that the blade had cut her. Emerald pulled her hand away unharmed.

"Give it one more hour on this one and then start the other," she handed the sickle back to him he exhaled loudly. He had been working on that sickle all day in secret as a surprise for Emerald and she still wanted one more hour on it. Ugh, anything for Emerald. He would do anything for Emerald except stop annoying her. She sat indian style flipping through a book, she loved to read. So many books and classic rock CDs were hidden under her bed and she would always find an occasion to show off her collection. including when she was doing Homework.

"What are you reading," Mercury asked still looking down at his task at hand.

"War of Morals," She said without looking up from the red hardcover.

"What is that about, " He asked. Ahh retreating to small talk he thought

"It is about a soldier who comes back from war and struggles with his identity after he murdered so many,"

"That's cheerful,"

"What comic book are you reading this week,"

"I am not a liberty to say," Emerald rolled her eyes

"This is awkward," Mercury noted

"You said it," Emerald went back to her book and Mercury tried desperately to keeping her talking. He yawned it was nearing midnight and he had to get up but his own bed was so far away and so isolated he rather stay here near Emerald

"Will you read it aloud," Mercury moved up next to Emerald. She had now spread her legs out underneath the covers; Mercury climbed under the covers next to her with the sickle in his hand. he continued to sharpen as Emerald read aloud.

"Sergeant Rife kissed his wife the first time he had seen her in a year. She was holding a baby in her arms he had missed the the birth of his first child when he was overseas. He didn't realize that time still went on when he was there his normal life seemed nonexistent now here it was it felt like a dream, maybe he had died he thought that the whole time coming back is this real did I survive," Her voiced lulled on and the rhythmic hiss of the stone against the sickle rocked the both of them to bed.

Emerald

"What are you two doing," Cinders voice shook Emerald from a state of deep sleep. She felt Mercury's skin against her smooth legs . She rolled over and was looking right into Mercury's gray eyes. She had let herself fall asleep she should've woken up before Cinder and moved now she had gotten Mercury and her into hot water.

She shot out of bed and to attention. Cinders glare could kill everyone on this planet and it was directed at them. Emerald quickly stole a look at her partner he looked totally at ease how was he so relaxed then she noticed it his hand was outstretched palm facing back , What was he signing her to do. she stared at him blankly as Cinder droned on. Mercury was moving his hand closer and closer to her. What was going on she was more stressed than ever and Mercury just made it worst . She started at him looking confused, he rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand and squeezed it, all of a sudden a wave of relaxation swept over her. She squeezed back, he looked at her and gave her sweet smile.

Cinder smacked them both across the face then left the room. Mercury waited for her to walk completely out them door before running to the bathroom and bringing a wet towel for Emerald face.

"Here I don't think it will fix that situation," Mercury said gesturing to her face. Emerald rolled her eyes as he placed the cold towel on the red hand print.

"Well so what did it feel like to be scorned by your idol," Mercury teased

"So far fine but I could use a partner with better jokes,"

"You love my bad jokes,"

"Maybe a little," she admitted. Mercury burst out laughing.

"I am sorry I didn't get up sooner I could of switched beds and we would have never gotten in trouble ,"

"I don't think either of us was going anywhere," He said handing Emerald the wet rag. She pressed it to his his cheek. He looked at her lovingly, she blushed and looked down at his feet. There was a knock at the door the two of them froze.

" I'll get it," Emerald said with a half hearted smile as she broken the moment of dramatic silence by walking to the door. Ruby stood in the doorway.

"Hi" she said bouncing on her toes. Emerald didn't understand why was Ruby here?

"hi" Emerald said confused

"Emmy, who is it," She gritted her teeth, shut up Mercury.

"You left this at the fights yesterday," Ruby said handing Emerald a scroll. She opened it, it was Mercury's.

"Thank you Ruby," Emerald said with a half hearted smile as she closed the door. Mercury came up behind her.

"You idiot," She huffed under her breath

"Why am I the idiot,"

"you left your Scroll at the fights imagine if someone had read through it."

"But they didn't and even if they did all would find is some of our dirty jokes and maybe some personal reflections," Emerald held back the snicker bubbling in her throat.

"why were you so upset about me asking you who was at the door,"

"I don't know where we stand and I don't want any rumors flying around," Emerald paused and Mercury looked down at the ground Emerald broke the few seconds of silence. "Where do we stand!?"

Mercury looked at her for a good thirty seconds before answering

"Where do you want us to stand," he practically whispered

"I want us to be more than partners, more than friends," Emerald admitted.

"Then that is where we stand," Mercury said softly before kissing Emerald.

Mercury

Mercury stood up from the bed and went to get dressed he watched as Emerald buttoned up her blazer over her plaid skirt and knee high socks. Underwhelming that is was Emerald went for this blend in with crowd stuff, but still she stood out. Her latte skin, mint hair, and crimson eyes made her look too exotic. She was always getting eyes when she walked into a room. He kept it simple and also went for underwhelming, Cinder however probably never heard of underwhelming. She outshone them both of her face always ways was covered in all sorts of make up trying to make herself look school age. She walked with confidence and this aura of arrogance when she walked up everyone seemed to feel the need to step back and let her through.

Mercury looked at the door through the mirror, waiting for it to open and Cinder to storm in once again but no the door stayed shut . He sighed Emerald was using a tiny bit of foundation to cover up the slight bruise that Cinder's blow had caused. Then, she walked next to him classes would start any minute now and they would start their usall wallflower sit and observe routine. They would lean next to each other against a wall and judge people as they walked by and make up stories about their petty stupid lives.

"Are you ready," Emerald said slinging a messenger bag over her shoulder and tossing free the one strand of mint hair that got trapped under the strap.

"Yeah," Mercury said pulling his backpack on and walking to the door. She walked up next to him and grabbed his hand. What the day held was uncertainty, but through the day they had each other. She opened the door and she walked in front of him her hips swaying rhythmically with each step. They got to class just in time, they chose seat far in the back so they wouldn't be noticed. Cinder entered five minutes late with such dramatic flare that all eyes were swept onto her

"Way to keep a low profile," Huffed Mercury. Emerald sighed

"Somethings never change," She whispered,

Cinder sat on the row opposite them and shot them an I am watching you two look. Her glare boring holes into their souls. He felt Emeralds hand grab for his hand desperate plea for help. Mercury accepted grabbing her hand beneath the desk.

Half way through the class Cinder left. She didn't seem to care that she was making a scene. While Mercury and Emerald worked their asses off for this stupid plan. Well, he thought it was stupid but to Emerald it was gospel and he would do anything for her. By the last class Emerald had a glazed over look in her eyes and her mouth hung open her pencil hadn't moved for since the beginning of class. Mercury poked her she blinked suddenly and looked at him.

You okay he scribbled on Emerald's blank notes sheet

Fine just thinking she scribbled on the paper next to his. She began to doodle in the margin. Her drawings were actually pretty good she flipped the page over and turned her torso toward him. Emerald had this gleam in her eyes as she moved the pencil between her fingers and stared at his face she brought the note book to her lap and bent over working on the sketch by the time class was over she had finished. Emerald thrusted the notebook out with a self confident smirk. Mercury looked at it; it was a picture of him sitting in his boxers on her bed, brow furrowed as he stared intently at the pistol sickles. That is amazing he thought and looked up at beautiful Emerald leaning over anticipation.

"What do you think," She asked

" I think it is better than stick figures," he smirked.