"Holy shit Darren, I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous before." Nick stated from behind a textbook as he lay on his bed.
I let out a snarl of disagreement and adjusted the tie on my black suit with a grey dress shirt, black pants and dark shoes. "I never get nervous. I'm pissed."
"Well if you don't want to go through with this, then just cancel."
"I can't." I replied.
"Don't want to break her heart?" He asked with no small amount of surprise.
"Don't want to get kicked out of Beacon." I explained. "I tell her I'm not going out with her and there's not a doubt in my mind that she'll fabricate a story to get me expelled."
"Ah." My partner exclaimed, returning to the study material in his hands. Taking one last look at myself in the mirror to make sure the attire was suitable, I grabbed my scroll and wallet and the money inside that was sure to be depleted by the end of the night if Yang had any say in the matter before heading over to her dorm.
What the fuck were you thinking, Diskaden? You should've just won the fight fairly. You know damn well that your strength far surpasses anyone alive on this planet. I inwardly chastised myself. Soon, team RWBY's door was in front of me and I knocked only for Yang to open it within five seconds clad in the same dress she wore to the dance with the one exception being a pale yellow jacket to shield her from the coming fall winds.
Her face bore a pout and I grew inquisitive. "What?"
"And here I was expecting you to wear a pink suit." She declared, her pout turning to a grin.
"Yeah, real funny." I replied dryly. "Can we just get on with this?"
My blackmailer shrugged, took my arm in her own and proceeded down to the airship docks, winking at every person that we passed.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked exhaustedly.
"Meh, just trying to have a little fun." The blonde brawler declared. "That and trying to make you hate tonight as much as possible."
"Well, you're doing a damn good job." I snapped back as I quickened my pace and she had no choice but to follow suit, laughing quietly to herself as we boarded an airship and headed into town.
"You know, it wouldn't kill you to kick back and relax once in a while." Yang said with the grin still plastered on her face.
I slowly turned my head to face her and scowled. "Of all the things in this world that can't kill me, I think that actually be the one that might."
She merely kept smiling and punched me on the shoulder, hard. I let the gesture go as we then landed and she guided me towards our restaurant for the evening.
Upon our arrival, I could only shake my head and frown as Yang burst out laughing.
"I'm glad you think this is funny."
"Aw, come on! It was hilarious! You didn't seriously take me for the kind of girl that likes the high-end, upper class stuff, did you?"
I said nothing as she once again linked her arm through my own and pulled me into the burger joint. We entered and I looked at the menu on the electronic board above the counter. The highest-price thing they had there was forty-lien.
"So you decided it'd be funny to get me all worked up about spending every last cent I had and then come here?" I asked, struggling to keep my anger under control as she continued to chuckle quietly.
With a nod, we proceeded to the counter and placed our order. "One barbeque burger, large fries and large people like grapes soda." I told the man behind the register who gave Yang and me a strange look most likely due to our attire before tapping a few buttons.
"And for you, miss?"
"Two monster burgs, three large fries and four waters." Both the attendant and myself could only look at Yang as if she'd grown a second head. With a neutral expression, she turned to me and shrugged. "The water cancels out the salt on the fries." She explained.
"Um… okay." He said with a quick shake of his head, totaling up Yang's rather large request. "That comes to eighty-four ninety-nine." I handed over the appropriate amount of money and we took our seats in a table against the wall, waiting for the food as we sat across from one another.
"You're never going to eat all that." I declared.
Yang smirked back and shrugged off her jacket, draping it over the chair. "Oh, you'd be surprised how much I can eat before puking."
"I sincerely doubt that." I replied apprehensively.
Time passed in silence and the food still wasn't ready, most likely due to Yang's rather lengthy order.
"So where'd you learn to hit like that?"
"My dad taught me quite a bit but I also learned a few moves from my uncle who's been in more than a few bar fights."
"What about your mom?" I inquired. "Don't most mothers teach their daughters how to defend themselves?"
Yang's smirk turned to an expression of what looked to be actual sadness as she sighed and turned her gaze to the table. "No. My mom was just…never around. I grew up with only my sister, dad and uncle."
I folded my arms over my chest. "Hmph. Think you had it tough?" Her eyes looked into mine. "I'm adopted. My birth parents abandoned me and my adopted piece-of -shit father quite literally threw me out of the house when I was thirteen. Ever since then, I've had to scrape by on my own, putting myself through Signal without any financial or emotional support from anyone."
Her eyebrows slowly rose as I retold my story and sent a glare her way. "So don't think for a second that you had a rough childhood, Xiao Long. Least you grew up with people who actually gave a damn about what happened to you. If I died when I was fifteen, no one would give a single fuck. My funeral probably would've been the cops tossing me in the morgue to be cremated."
"Holy shit." She whispered. "That's…wow. Didn't think you had any kind of reason as to why you were being an ass."
I chuckled without humor and threw my arms outwards. "Surprise."
A few seconds later, several employees came by carrying our orders and placed them on the table. With a nod of thanks from Yang, they departed and I immediately dug in.
"Now that that sob story's done with, let's eat!" I said with a mouthful of meat and barbecue sauce.
Her earlier demeanor now forgotten, Yang dug into her monstrous meal with vigor I'd never seen before. She bit down on the large burger that featured two meat patties, lettuce, pickles, ketchup and onions like it was a small cookie and consumed it within five minutes, only stopping to take a drink of water and a few fries. By the time I finished my one hamburger, she'd gone through two orders of fries, both burgers and three and a quarter bottles of water.
"How often do you eat like this?" I inquired, taking a handful of fries into my own mouth.
She shrugged back. "About three times a month."
I cocked an eyebrow and shot her a doubtful look. "How the hell do you not have a gut the size of a goliath?"
"It's cause I keep in shape, buddy boy." She declared, patting and flexing her bicep in example.
I shook my head in reply and finished the last of my meal as Yang's food quickly diminished shortly after. We then took the airship back to Vale and I walked her back to her dorm.
"You know, you're a tough one to understand, Yang."
"Yeah? How's that?"
"You constantly flip between angry and sarcastic, you eat like a pig but look like a supermodel and you get people all worked up because you think it's fun."
During my explanation, I'd almost failed to realize that the blonde in question had stopped in her tracks a few feet behind me. Turning around, I could see her eyes slightly widened and a wide smirk growing on her features. "What?" I asked.
"Sorry, I think I might've just heard something crazy." She said with a shake of her head. "Uh, what did you say?"
"You eat like a pig?" I repeated, confused.
"No, not that. What did you say after?" She asked, the smirk stretching across her entire face now.
"You get people worked up because you think it's fun?" I offered, to which she shook her head.
"Not that." Yang said with folded arms. "You, Darren Falsteen, said I looked like a supermodel. You actually complimented me."
My next breath nearly caught in my lungs as she pointed out that fact and I recalled my earlier slip-up. It wasn't something that I even consciously said; it just came right out of the blue.
Trying to maintain my composure, I merely shrugged. "Yeah, so?"
She shrugged back and proceeded back to her dorm. "Nothing. I just can't wait to tell the whole school how the guy who's known to be the biggest dick happens to have the hots for little ol' me." She called back.
I could only stand there, mortified at the fact that if she did what she claimed, my reputation would be completely tarnished.
"You've made a grave mistake Diskaden." Dad said, hovering alongside me as I walked back to my dorm.
"I know, father. But these people will bow under my rule." I vowed.
"Good." He paused.
"Is everything alright?" I asked.
Out of my peripheral vision, I saw his red eyes go up and down like they did when he nodded. "Of course, my son. However, I must inform you that our timeline has changed drastically."
I stopped and gave him a curious look. "How drastically?" I whispered.
"So much so that the events that will lead to your rule will be coming very soon."
Dad's words made my blood run cold. I was supposed to be a fully trained huntsman with my strength at its summit when I faced the beast he would unleash took form and attacked. Knowing his power as King of the Dead and God of the Underworld, this unknown creature would surely decimate me if given the chance.
"I-I-I'm not ready!" I protested quietly.
"Then be ready!" He thundered back. "Train yourself harder and hone your skills until the time comes." Realizing I had no choice in the matter, I slowly nodded back with a sigh. "Excellent. Until we meet again, Prince of the Dead."
"Goodbye, father." I whispered back as the black smoke marking his presence faded away once again. With a sigh, I returned to the dorm, changed into my sleepwear and passed the night away with dreams of facing my nemesis plaguing my thoughts.
For the next week, I trained my body harder than ever, sparring against all three of my teammates at once, occasionally sneaking into the Emerald forest to practice using my semblance and getting my bone warriors to obey more complicated commands.
As a result of the preparation, both body and mind grew exhausted. Focusing in class began a difficult experience and I found trouble in staying awake during Port's long-winded lectures. Usually I was able to pay attention to every minute detail of his speeches but now it was very different. My eyelids slowly began to close until I caught myself at the last second and stifling back a few yawns also became a regular thing.
Oddly enough though, Yang seemed to be interested in my condition and stopped me in the hall as I was headed to the gym for another after-school workout.
"What is it, Xiao Long?" I asked tiredly.
Still dressed in her school uniform, she folded her arms over her chest and sent me a look of frustration mixed with slight concern. "What the hell are you doing?"
I raised an eyebrow and pointed to the duffle bag under my left arm. "Going to the gym, what's it look like?"
She shook her head in response. "No, you're doing more than that. Don't think that I haven't noticed you starting to nod off in class, Falsteen." She declared, that trademark smirk still not present on her features. "You're pushing yourself way too far and I know from experience that can kill."
I sighed back and tried pushing past her but she stopped me with a sharp jab to the chest, sending me to the ground.
Astonished at my lack of anticipation of the strike and my inability to block it, I could only lay there as my attacker gestured to me with a hand. "See, if you weren't so damn tired, you probably would've blocked that hit and sent one back twice as strong straight back at me, right?"
I gave a grunt and got back on my feet. "Why do you give a shit about what happens to the biggest asshole in the school?"
The blonde brawler shrugged back. "I guess it's because I believe everyone should relax every once in a while. I'll be at your dorm at five and don't worry about wearing a suit this time." She said, walking past me.
"Wait, what?!" I called back. She didn't answer and instead continued walking.
What is she scheming? I wondered, making my way down to the gym where I spent half an hour and the remainder of my strength for the day before showering and going back to my dorm where I gazed longingly at my bed wondering if I should have a nap but instead chose to study; a task that proved futile when my head hit the desk from lack of sleep.
I awoke with a start when a loud knocking at the door roused me from my dozing off. "Yo, anybody home?!" I heard Yang shout from the other side. I got up from the seat at my desk and opened the door.
"Yes, someone is home." I replied as she stood in the hall dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a yellow tank-top with a movie in one hand and a bag of microwave popcorn in the other. "What-what the hell is that?" I said, gesturing to the DVD.
"This is one of the greatest comedic films in history, something guaranteed to make anyone crack a smile. Even you." Yang replied, walking into the dorm as she searched the storage closet for something. "Where's your team?"
I shut the door and took a seat in my chair again with a tired breath. "Nick and Marie in Vale, probably on a date and Dree's… I have no idea where she is."
"I assume she's the leader?" Yang asked, still rummaging around in the closet with her back turned to me.
"Yeah. What are you looking for?"
"Projector. Found one in our dorm and JNPR's so I'm going off the assumption that everyone has one." And much to my surprise, after another minute of searching, she rolled one out on a small trolley and put in the movie after heating up the bag of popcorn in the dorm's kitchen.
"Why are you doing this?" I inquired again.
"Because, I think that everyone-"
"Should have the chance to relax, I know." I interrupted, shooting her an exhausted look. "But why for me of all people? I'm sure there's tons of other students going through the exact same thing as I am, so why don't you help them?"
The timer on the microwave went off and Yang quickly retrieved the buttery snack before lying in my bed as the movie began, her eyes glued to the wall while she replied. "It's because one of my friends did the exact same thing you're doing now and nearly destroyed herself in the process." She said in a serious tone. "While I'm sure others are going through this, you're taking it to the extreme and I can't just sit back and watch someone destroy themselves when I can help." She chuckled to herself. "I guess lil' sis is rubbing off on me."
Too tired to argue, I merely decided to go along with Yang's 'help' as she called it and watched the movie.
I will admit, there were more than a few times when I had to hold back a chuckle but the movie's finale caught me completely off guard and I just lost it. Clutching my stomach, I fell out of my chair as Yang laughed either with or at me, our mirth filling the air with a pleasant feeling I'd never experienced.
After recovering from the unusual outburst, I wiped away a tear of mirth from my eye and gave Yang a grateful smile. "Thank you. I really think I needed that."
She smirked back and threw her arms out. "Wow, a thank you from the Darren Falsteen. Talk about things that happen once in a blue moon."
I shook my head still smiling as she crumpled up the empty popcorn bag and threw it in the trash before heading out the door. "So you're going to take it a little bit easier, right?" She asked with her voice taking on that serious tone again.
I nodded. "I'll try." She returned the gesture and started back to her dorm before I called her name. "Would you… do you wanna…" Why the fuck is this so hard? "Would you like to do this again sometime?"
She turned around with an amused expression. "Do what exactly?"
"Just hang out? Just the two of us?"
She held a hand over her mouth in a useless attempt to hide a laugh before replying. "Sure, just give me a text when you want to go out." My blonde rival said before turning on her heel and disappearing from my view.
Go out? As in… dating? I thought, leaning against the doorway. I mean… I guess it can't exactly hurt.
