A/N: Well, hello and welcome to chapter four. Warning ahead of time, I've been really fucking mad about certain bullshit going on in one of my other fandoms, so if I seem really irritable in any review responses, know it's not your fault. It's the other shit that's got me worked up.
Also, while I do appreciate the one reviewer who pointed me to Coeur's Relic of the Future as an idea for how to build their relationship…I admittedly had something more along the lines of Wayward Guardian and Daughter by AzureGigacyber on AO3 xD. Not all at once! But something like that is what you can expect in the future.
The Thief's Knight
Summary: He took pity on her, and decided to take her in off of the streets. Being her knight in shining armor wasn't something he planned on.
*Chapter 4*
Saphron was ecstatic at having a chance to see her adorable little brother again. He was always regarded as the baby of the family, and she was definitely worried when he finally moved out of the Arc family home to live on his own in Vale; for the first few weeks he was settling in, Saph and her wife Terra were constantly over making sure he didn't starve to death by accident. They only stopped because Jaune insisted he was fine, and they believed him. He was doing really well by himself, being one of Vale's finest.
Even if his boss was a drunk.
Saphron had met Captain Qrow Branwen a few times at several parties, and she still couldn't understand how the hell he became the Chief of Police when he seemed to be drunk constantly. She was beginning to think that he was bribing the Vale Council to keep his position.
She dismissed that idea. Qrow had made his dislike of Vale's Council very clear in the few times they spoke; he often groaned about how they were nothing but a bunch of corrupt fat old men looking for ways to put more lien in their pocket rather than protecting the interests of the people.
She was just thankful that she didn't have to deal with Qrow drunkenly calling her at three in the morning trying to flirt with her. Saphron made it quite clear to him that she wasn't interested in men, regardless of how attractive they were. Besides, Terra was everything she wanted in a woman. Warm for snuggles, a great cook, and one hell of a kisser.
Terra was finishing up putting their baby Adrian to bed, and she quietly shut the door to the room before giving the blonde a kiss. "So, what did Jaune want?"
"Nothing much." Saphron returned her wife's kiss with a wink. "I just have to grab a few old clothes of mine for something he needs. I can't imagine why. Unless he's pranking his boss as a sort of late April Fool's Day joke." 'Why do you need girl clothes, Jaune? What the hell are you doing?'
"It's the middle of summer…" Terra let out a sigh and rubbed her temples.
"I know. Tell me about it. It's been one hell of a hot one, too. Can't remember the last time I was this hot and sweaty," Saphron complained.
"Last night. Our bed." Terra winked.
"I meant a time that didn't involve us having sex." Saphron rolled her eyes playfully. "You smartass."
"You love it."
"That I do." The blonde grinned and gave her wife a gentle smack on the rear. "Maybe when I get back I can show you just how much I appreciate it, hmm?"
"Kinky." Terra's eyes grey slightly hazy, and she pushed her glasses up to prevent them from falling down her nose. "I look forward to it."
"Sorry. You'll have to wait. I'll be back." Saphron blew her a kiss and headed on out with a few bags worth of clothes from her teenager days.
The drive to Jaune's house was mostly uneventful, apart from yet another goddamn traffic jam thanks to a truck driver trying to go under a bridge that was too low. The blonde let her head crash into the middle of the steering wheel, accidentally honking the horn in the process. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
She managed to turn onto one of the many side streets to get around the worst of the congestion, and she sped to her brother's house.
Jaune was waiting for her by the door, nonchalantly sipping a cup of coffee and talking with someone on his scroll. As she approached, he sent a friendly smile her way and ended his call. "Hey, Sun, I'll call you back later, alright? I got a little business to take care of, man. No, I don't have a 'booty call'; it's my sister. Shut up, Sun."
He shook his head and slid his scroll into his back pocket. "Hey, Saph. Good to see you again."
"Likewise." Saphron waited for him to place his coffee down on a small glass table before she gave him a massive hug. "Aw, so good to see you again, baby bro~."
Jaune's face started to turn red, not from embarrassment but from having his lungs utterly crushed by the affectionate bear hug he was getting. He tapped Saphron's shoulder frantically, pointing to his mouth. "Air…!"
"Oof. Sorry, bro." Saph grinned and let him go, chuckling as he gasped for breath dramatically. "Oh, come on, I didn't give you that hard of a hug, Mr. Policeman."
Jaune rolled his eyes and stood up straighter, slicking some of his messy hair back. "Not funny, sis. Do you have the clothes?"
"Yep!" the blonde replied cheerfully, dumping three bags into his hands. Jaune caught them before they could hit the floor and split open, and Saphron's curiosity got to her. "You never told me why you needed them, baby bro. Usually you're not so secretive."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that." Her brother scratched the back of his head, inviting her inside. "It'll be much easier for me to show you than explain it."
Saphron's eyebrow rose. She was definitely curious now, more so than before, and she followed him inside. The large TV was on, and sitting on the leather couch with a big bowl of pasta was a young girl with medium-dark skin and dark red eyes. Her mint green hair was tied into a ponytail, and she looked up in a mixture of both shock and slight fear at Saphron's arrival.
Jaune noticed it, and he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Emerald. This is my sister, Saphron. Saph, this is Emerald."
The girl was noticeably thin for her age; Saphron was willing to bet she couldn't have been older than fifteen or so. Her dark green pants were littered with rips and tears, and the blonde dropped down to show the girl she wasn't going to hurt her or anything. "Hey. I'm Saph. Jaune's my dorky little brother." She winked.
"Hey! I'm not a dork!"
"Uh, the X-Ray and Vav posters you had in your room beg to differ."
"The Mad King was a cool villain! You can't deny that!"
"Yes I can. He got defeated by two idiots because he was overly confident in his supposed 'cunning genius' and got cocky. That's not exactly cool, Jaune."
"…he trapped a cow in the floor of his house?"
"Again, not cool. Insane, definitely. But cool? Nope." Saphron made sure to pop the 'p'.
"She's got a point," Emerald added quietly. "That does seem…well, crazy." She was able to pick up that Saphron wasn't someone who would do any harm, for her overall posture relaxed a little. However that uneasy look still lingered in her gaze.
"Not you, too." Jaune let out a groan of mock defeat, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter. "My sister and adopted daughter teaming up against me. I wish I was able to see this happening. What on earth shall I do to combat this unfortunate tragedy?"
Saphron laughed. "See? You are such a total dork. And adopted daughter? You actually took her in?"
"Yeah." Jaune nodded. "I found her earlier today after I got a call about a break in. Poor girl's been living on the streets for too long, and I decided to do something about it instead of being like these other people who don't bother acting when they hear the cries of the downtrodden."
"How'd it go at the Council?" she asked.
"Screw them." Jaune scoffed. "You and I know how hard it is to adopt in Vale, when the Council's nothing more than fat old men looking for more ways to line their pockets with the peoples' money and screw us over."
Saphron winced a little. She and Terra had one hell of a time trying to win custody of Adrian after Terra and her boyfriend broke up. The courts eventually ruled in their favor after three long grueling months, and though they still got to keep the little bundle of joy, it was still something that weighed on Saph's mind; they were very close to losing a child due to the corruption of the kingdom and she didn't want that pain wished on anyone, let alone her own kin.
"Jaune, be careful," she warned. "The council may be greedy, but they're not stupid. Once word reaches them that you've taken in a child, they'll be on your doorstep in a heartbeat."
"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing," Jaune replied, plopping down on the couch next to Emerald. "Are you hungry, sis? There should be something in the fridge if you want."
"Got any coffee made?"
"Fresh batch. Finished making it only five minutes ago. Espresso roast."
The blonde made a beeline for the kitchen, bringing out a pair of laughs from the new father-daughter duo. "COFFEE~!"
Unknown to most (apart from Jaune and Terra), Saphron had a very passionate love for coffee. It was, in her eyes, the delicious nectar of the gods that gave her the energy to go to work every day and not scream in frustration at people's stupidity. There was even a shrine dedicated to the goddess of coffee in the living room of the Cotta-Arc house.
Terra didn't think anyone could be so passionate about coffee before they met.
Saphron grabbed a mug from one of the cabinets and poured a cup, letting the delicious scent of freshly brewed coffee waft up her nose. Her mouth watered in want, and she added her usual three spoonfuls of sugar and a slight dash of milk. One quick stir later, and it was ready.
The taste was simply divine, and she savored every sip.
Saphron carried her cup back into the living room, and she saw that Emerald had finally been brave enough to take a peek at some of the clothes she brought over. In her hands was a knee length lime green dress that matched her hair, and Jaune flashed her a grateful smile. "Thanks, sis. You're a real life saver, you know that? I'll go out shopping tonight to pick up some essentials, but this is a big help."
"Aww, you are certainly welcome, baby bro~." Saph smiled and gave her little brother a wet sloppy smooch on the cheek.
Jaune let out a disgusted noise and wiped his face, glaring at her. "Sis! Come on! Why do you keep calling me that!?"
"Because it is true." The blonde grinned. "You are always the baby of the family, no matter how old you get. Better suck it up and get used to it, bro."
"You suck."
"Love ya too, Jaune."
Jaune could only sigh in despair, and Saphron checked the time on her scroll. A picture message from Terra flashed across it, and she began to blush. Her wife had sent her a rather steamy nude with the caption, 'Come hither, dear,' and she let out an awkward chuckle.
"Well…I better get going." She gave Emerald a friendly smile before heading on out. "It was nice meeting you, Emerald. Keep my dorky brother in check for me, will you?"
Emerald nodded, and Jaune gave her a hug. "It was nice to see you, Saph. And thanks again."
"No problem."
Saphron was in a hurry, knowing what was waiting for her back home. Terra was going to get it.
Jaune sighed and slumped down in the couch next to Emerald. The young girl was looking at the door where Saphron left, and after a few quiet seconds she piped up. "Well…she seemed nice."
"Yeah, she is. She was always the most protective of me, too." Jaune reached forward to ruffle her hair, and he was glad that she didn't flinch away from him this time. 'Take it little by little, Jaune. You have a long way to go.'
"So, how about me and you do some shopping in an hour or so? We can pick up some of the little things for you then."
"Sounds great."
Well…off to a good start, at least. He just hoped Sun was able to keep Qrow from doing anything stupid while he was gone.
A/N: And we're done for this one. Again, sorry this fic takes so long. I would love for it to be in the bi-weekly slot that it was originally supposed to be, but as you all know, my schedule got majorly fucked.
C. Strife #5371
