Beta-Readers: Operator Blake (Ideas), Trance Sephiroth (Grammar)
Cover Artist: Makentsu
Chapter 10: Cookie Cutter
Beacon Academy
The next day…
Jaune and Yang were back on talking terms.
That was supposed to be a good thing.
They talked, but it felt… awkward, for lack of a better term.
If Blake didn't know any better, she'd say that the two of them were dancing around a really big issue.
Like liking each other.
The signs were there as far as she could tell. Awkward eye contact, nervousness in close proximity, and staring when the other wasn't looking just to name a few signs.
It was a bit of thing that she got from the books that she read. She wished everyone would stop calling it smut. It was artistic literature; how on Remnant didn't any of them understand that?
Getting back on track, that's what she could interpret from all the books that she'd read. It was a bad habit, she knew, to be using books as a guide to real life. The Faunus girl was a firm believer in facts and reality. That's how she'd been trained in the White Fang.
Yet she still read fiction.
She desired a better world, like the ones written in fairytales
She desired her own happiness.
Hypocritical much?
That wasn't all.
What that also meant however, was that she was trusting things that were made up in someone's mind because she lacked the very experience she was reading about.
So if she didn't even know how to handle events in her own life with certainty, tempered by her experiences, who was she to be judging Yang and Jaune? Who was she to stick her nose in their business? Who was she to tell them what to do?
Blake wanted to say that she was doing this to make sure that nothing wrong was going on between the two blondes. Knowing them, there were multiple ways things could go awry. They were a stark contrast, enough so that it baffled the Faunus girl how Yang hadn't put Jaune in the emergency room or how Jaune hadn't made Yang fall dead from boredom.
Yang was outgoing, Jaune was awkward. Yang was a go-getter, Jaune aired on the side of caution. Yang was lively, Jaune was quirky. The list of differences could go on, but nobody needed the list. It seemed straightforward.
Jaune and Yang weren't going to work out.
Then again, Blake was Yang's opposite as well.
Once again, hypocritical.
Blake didn't want to keep fumbling. She wanted to find out the truth.
That's why she initially joined with Pyrrha, but seeing the subtleties of the two blondes' relationship made the Faunus girl reconsider exactly what she was doing. She still wanted to know what was going on between them, but now for different reasons.
Although not driven by all the same reasons as Pyrrha, Blake didn't need the whole picture to see what Pyrrha was secretly afraid of happening.
It was a laughable sort of thing to expect from the two of them. Adding to the list of differences, Yang wasn't Jaune's type, and vice versa. It wasn't just that they weren't each other's type; there just wasn't any sort of chemistry between them.
Jaune was a punching bag and Yang was the person punching him for fun. It might be a cruel comparison, but it was the truth. Jaune had this sort of stubborn rule to not resort to anger, even if he and Yang weren't friends. It must be a drag, Blake thought, holding back who he really was, unless that was his true nature.
Yang got kicks out of Jaune, thankfully not in the literal sense. Besides, apart from a few interactions, Blake recalled that the blonde girl hadn't even tried to form a serious relationship with him.
So why now of all times? What had changed between Yang and Jaune that would make them different towards each other?
Blake then had another thought.
She was attempting to come up with every reason for the two of them to not be friends or romantically involved, but never had she considered if it might actually be a good thing that Yang and Jaune were friends or lovers or both. Would it be such a bad thing if, by some miracle, fluke, or mistake, the two of them became a couple? Would it be so wrong for Jaune and Yang to become that?
Romance stories often told of love that wasn't meant to be in many people's eyes, but yet still happened.
She chewed on her lip, pulling herself back into the real world. All this processing of events aside, she had another problem to deal with.
Blake stared at her scroll. Her screen was displaying the messaging app and her cursor was blinking. If she were to type a message, the recipient would be Pyrrha.
She'd been staring at it for a long time. She didn't want to resort to spying. It felt wrong, just like some of her White Fang dealings felt wrong. If she did it once, who's to say that she wouldn't be willing to resort to more unpalatable methods? That cycle was one that was hard to break.
She wasn't sure if she could handle it, even if it was applied to something relatively harmless like this. Especially when it came to friends.
Damn you Jaune and Yang for making our lives so difficult. If she had voiced this thought, she'd be growling. What are you two hiding?
"If you keep staring at your scroll like that, you're bound to melt a hole through it." Weiss sat next to Blake. "And since when were you and Pyrrha talking?"
"I wasn't talking to her." Blake shut off her scroll, putting it back in her pocket. "I was just fiddling around. I'm feeling kinda antsy right now."
"You? Antsy? That's a word I would never associate you to with." The heiress braced herself as Zwei jumped onto her lap. "Hello there, boy! Who's a good boy?"
Blake moved away slightly. "Yeeaaaaah… well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?"
"But when that first time happens, it leaves me questioning how there was even a first time at all." Weiss continued to pat Zwei. "Blake, I'm not blind. I know that you're worried about Yang, what her relationship with Jaune is."
"Was I really that obvious?" The question was part serious, part sarcastic. "I mean, yeah it's Yang, my partner, the sister I never had. Why should I care?"
"We're all sisters in arms. Don't forget that." It was the stern tone that got Blake's attention. "You got that?"
"Sorry. I forget that sometimes." Blake tried to play it off. "So what's your take on all of this? Them being friends and all?"
"If you'd asked me that question a few months ago, I'd say something's astray." Weiss placed Zwei back on the ground. "But that's just instinct talking; who am I to tell them what to do?"
"You don't sound too bothered by it." Blake search Weiss for any signs of disapproval. "I thought you might have something to say about it."
"As far as I can see," Weiss sighed and stared at her nails. "There's no real problem yet, so who am I to tell them what to do?"
"And the awkwardness between them?"
"Blake, you've yet to see what really awkwardness is like. Trust me, Jaune and Yang will get over it."
"So nothing at all bothers you about any of it?" Blake stretched her arms over her head. "Don't you care about team cohesion?"
"As I've said, they've worked it out, and I trust that the two of them will do their best to resolve the issue." Weiss shrugged in a rare gesture of uncaring. "Blake why are you so focused on this?"
To see Weiss so unconcerned, it triggered a calming effect on Blake. Maybe she was worrying too much about things that ultimately weren't going to ruin anyone's life, at least not that she could see.
"You truly believe that?"
"Believe what? That they're fine. I do, for now at least. Why, you don't?"
"… I don't know."
What was more important to Blake: worrying about something that may not have much consequence or putting trust into her partner and the leader of Team JNPR?
No, she didn't know.
But maybe everyone else did know.
(X)(X)(X)(X)
Pyrrha could hear Nora in the background, going on and on about how Ren wasn't paying enough attention to her, and how she really wanted to sock him in places that shouldn't be socked.
The spartan wasn't actually listening in that moment, but she knew from experience that this conversation was inevitable. Whenever the girls were alone, and the guys were out, Nora could launch into quite a tirade about Ren's obliviousness.
Pyrrha had no reason to complain because she felt Nora's pain. Jaune ignored her romantic overtures, no matter how hard she tried to get his attention. It was truly an atrocious thing, the first boy she had an interest in and he ignores her, even when no other girl cares for his advances.
Except maybe Yang. Pyrrha sounded like she was just conceding to this fact. Should I even be surprised that I'm never going to be seen like that to him?
"PYRRHA!" Nora's face was only centimeters away, and it worked to momentarily shock the spartan warrior.
With wide eyes, Pyrrha blurted out the first words she could think of. "I'm okay! I'm fine! I'm not drifting off!"
"You're a terrible liar, Pyrrha." Nora wagged her finger. "You might be able to hide things, but you can't lie."
Pyrrha opened her mouth, looking comical for five seconds, then returned to normal, having nothing to say in rebuttal to Nora.
"You got me."
"HA!"
Nora bounced around the room at incredibly inhuman speeds. A blur here, a blur there, and total chaos all around. Pyrrha made a mental note to check on Nora's sugar intake starting with the copious amounts of syrup that she poured onto Jaune's pancakes. Maybe looking into how her team leader made the pancakes would be a good idea too.
Still, with an expert eye, she grabbed Nora, and held her still. The shorter girl flailed around for a bit before returning to normal, or as normal as one like Nora could get.
"Now how about we start over again?" Pyrrha sat Nora down firmly, yet gently. "What were you saying?"
"What was I saying?" Nora looked lost for the briefest of times. "Wait, I remember! I was saying that I should be thankful that Ren doesn't even talk to any other girls besides you and me, at least not enough to have a relationship of any kind."
"There is that." Pyrrha smiled. "If only Jaune would be like that too."
"Worried that there's more going on with Yang?" Nora jumped back to her feet. "I know this has to be bugging you in some way!"
"It's bugging me in a lot of ways." Pyrrha's fingers lightly brushed against her bedsheets. "It shouldn't though. I don't have the right to tell Jaune whom to pursue."
"If that's the case, then why bother worrying?" Nora tilted her head to the right. "Shouldn't you just say 'Good luck?'"
"I…" That was a fair point, but fair or not, she wasn't ready to give up. "It just doesn't make sense. I've been there for Jaune ever since we came to Beacon, and now Yang comes into the equation and seemingly acquires his friendship instantly."
"You know that's not how it works, Pyrrha." Nora made a face. "Just stop and think about this for a second."
"Is this experience talking?" Pyrrha let herself relax into a lazy leaning position. "Or is this something else?"
"Experience, duh. Look at me and Ren." Nora looked amazed at Pyrrha, even frustrated. "Friends since childhood? Ring a bell?"
"Sorry. I forget that sometimes." Pyrrha shook her head.
"And besides, if you really want to pursue Jaune, isn't it a good idea to actually actively try and make that relationship happen?"
"I was thinking that it was the guy who made the first move." Pyrrha replied. "I thought that's how it worked."
"Pyrrha, it's Jaune." Nora took ahold of Pyrrha's shoulders. "Wake up! He ain't gonna make the first move! You should know that."
"Touché." What else could she say? "But can't I hope?"
Besides something of desperation.
Pyrrha closed her mouth when she got a look at Nora's stern expression.
"Why did you fall in love with Jaune to begin with?" Nora swept some hair out of her eyes. "What's that brain of yours telling you?"
"I developed feelings for Jaune because…" Pyrrha thought about it a moment. "...because he was my first friend, the person who knew me as Pyrrha Nikos, just another girl in life."
Pyrrha looked Nora in the eyes, and the bubbly bomber motioned for her to continue.
"I can have a conversation with him that's not about my career, my championships, everything that the media says about me. I know that it might not sound like much, but coming from a person who had virtually no friends to begin with, it was enough for me. It gave me a happiness that I hadn't felt in a long time."
"Yeah, I guess I can get behind that." Nora still didn't look satisfied. "I guess…"
"You sound like you were expecting more." A queer look settled on Pyrrha's face. "Were you expecting more, Nora?"
Nora looked at the floor as she thought about Pyrrha's response. The seconds crept by sluggishly as she did, and to Pyrrha, it was the worst feeling. The fact that Nora had nothing to say, positive or negative, wasn't helping.
"Well, when you're friends with someone, or you love them, or whatever," Nora explained, "You know things about them, do things with them, trust them with secrets. Talking is good, but you've got to talk about the right things. You got me?"
"Jaune and I train." Pyrrha found her voice. "He trusted me first with the secret about his falsified transcripts. I'm trying to help him become a better huntsman. Isn't that a start?"
"Aha!" Nora lightly booped Pyrrha's nose. "There's the problem! The relationship isn't mutual."
"Come again?" Pyrrha tried not to pay attention to the finger in her face.
"You know stuff about him, but he doesn't know anything about you really." Nora began pointing in random directions. "And training is what everyone does in Beacon. It's not unique to you two. And not to mention that you are a bit, uh... overprotective."
"What… what are you saying, Nora?" Pyrrha felt that she already knew the answer.
"Beyond your partnership with Jaune and besides a few sticky situations, neither of you really know each other well." Nora looked unhappy about having to explain it. "Come on, Pyrrha. Keep up."
Pyrrha felt her lips quiver a bit. "I… never considered that."
"That doesn't mean all is lost." Nora did a light smack to Pyrrha's cheek. "If you really want Jaune badly, then talk to him more. Get to know him more. You're friends, that's true, but now it's time to take the next step."
"But… how?"
"For starters, talk more." Nora bounced to the door. "See what you two have in common. You know, talk about family history, what you guys can bond over, that sort of thing? Get it?"
No, apparently, Pyrrha didn't get it.
(X)(X)(X)(X)
"I don't know, Ruby." Yang held her head in her hands, breathing deeply. "We talked, but now I feel more confused."
"Well, maybe you're overthinking this too much." Ruby chimed in with her solution. "Sometimes Yang, you've got to stop thinking so complicated and look to the things that are simple."
"Why do I get the feeling I've heard that somewhere?" Yang lifted her head up. "Sounds like something I heard from a movie. Or maybe some old person told me that."
"Can you just take what I say and roll with it?" Ruby put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "I'm trying to help here."
"And I'm thankful." Yang smiled and let her hand fall onto Ruby's.
"No you're not." Ruby playfully smacked Yang. "Otherwise you'd do as I say."
"I'm your older sister." Yang pointed out. "You do what I say."
"And I'm your team leader." Ruby retaliated. "You do what I say."
"When you can beat me in fair combat," Yang lightly flicked a bit of Ruby's hair, "Then we'll talk about me following."
"Don't underestimate me, big sis." Ruby gave her best evil look. "I'll bite you where you least expect it."
"As long as my face is kept intact." Yang mock-shielded herself. "I need it to keep the boys coming."
"Yeah, yeah, laugh at me, why don't ya? One of these days Yang, the boys will be looking my way."
Two sisters grinned like idiots at each other. They could look like the most ridiculous people in the world and neither of them could care in the least.
"When that day comes, they're gonna get it." Yang wrapped a protective arm around Ruby. "I'll be there to ward them off."
"But in all seriousness." Ruby slipped from Yang's arms. "What are you going to do about Jaune?"
"What a buzzkill." Yang separated from Ruby with a pout.
"Yang?" Ruby demanded pointedly.
Yang's lips were only slightly open, but the blonde was certain that Ruby could see her clenched teeth. So much to think about, so much to consider, and so much to decide.
I wish Jaune was here.
No, wait, she didn't wish he was here. He'd just make things worse. Damn Jaune and his… being Jaune.
"Do you already know the answer and don't want to admit it?" Ruby's question only made Yang bristle.
"Ruby" Yang's heartbeats accelerated slightly. "Don't."
A look of realization crossed Ruby's face.
"Are you crushing on Jaune?"
"DON'T!" Yang shouted.
"What's wrong with that?" Ruby gave a noogie to Yang. "C'mon it's cute."
"First off, it's only been a week since I've gotten to really know him." Yang pushed Ruby away. "Second, I don't crush on anyone. And third, it's Jaune."
"And what's that suppose to mean?" Ruby sounded like she could become hostile with the wrong words. "'It's Jaune?' What does that mean?"
"Jaune's…" Yang tried to look for the words to say. "He's… look I can't tell you."
"Why not?" Ruby glowered. "Something bad about him?"
"It's between me and him." Yang looked around them. "I'd rather not talk about it unless he was here and said yes."
"Secrets already." Ruby switched to an amused now. "Man, you guys are serious."
"No, we're not." Yang fought back a roar of anger. "Look, that's not it, okay?"
"Alright, alright." Ruby fought back her giggles. "Don't get your smock in a bunch. I'm just messing with you."
"If you were anyone else, Ruby, I'd clobber you."
"That's why I do it, because I can."
"ANYWAY," Yang drawled out, "The point is that there's no hard feelings, but now we don't know what to do now."
Ruby settled down into her spot on the bench and held her head against her hands. This looked like one of her thinking modes if Yang had to guess. The silver eyes closed, remained so for some time, then opened again.
"Okay, if you want an idea, I've got one."
"What is it?"
"Take this." Ruby reached into one of her pockets. "This will most definitely solve your problem."
A crumpled piece of paper was all that Ruby gave to Yang. The blonde took it, regarding it with caution. After unfolding it, its contents were made clear.
Yang looked surprised.
"This?" Yang's jaw hung loose. "Why?"
"Because it will work."
"Are you sure about this, Ruby?"
"I'm sure, Yang. I'm sure. Look, at the very least, it'll break the ice, get you two going again, but knowing Jaune, I'm sure he'll take it."
If there was ever a time that the two of them were going to get serious, it was about this, because Ruby was now entrusting Yang with one of her most valuable things. Only once had Yang been allowed to see it, and honestly, she thought that she'd never see it again.
But if there was one thing that Ruby was right about, it was that this was going to work, no problem. Yang would stake her own life on it.
All she had to do was follow the instructions.
(X)(X)(X)(X)
Jaune maintained his jogging pace as he circled around the tower again. This was his seventh lap, and he wasn't feeling any sort of exhaustion. He was getting better at this endurance training.
He wasn't pushing it though, far from it. While was he was paying attention to what was in front of him, whenever he could, his thoughts wandered.
He'd messed up. Really badly.
The situation had definitely improved, but there was still something wrong. It was like he couldn't look Yang in the eye and have a proper conversation with her anymore. Knowing that she too felt the same way didn't really make him feel better. If neither of them could talk like this, then a friendship was going to be tough under any circumstance.
It wasn't like he wanted to avoid the issue, but with the lack of knowledge of how to deal with the situation he was in, avoiding it was so tempting.
That thought was obliterated before it could take root, which left him at a loss.
Jaune was many things, but he was no lady's man. That hadn't stopped him from trying though. It was strange to think that there were so many attractive girls at Beacon and yet he'd settled for Weiss first. In retrospect, he might've been smitten with her because she seemed so unattainable.
And isn't it like me to reach for something I can't have? Jaune really had been more and more sarcastic over the past week.
But Weiss was the past.
For better or for worse, he was attached to Yang now. Seeing as the two of them shared a physical relationship, it felt wrong to him to be looking at other girls. It was his old-fashioned side talking for sure, even though he'd already had sex before he'd gotten married. Even if they weren't committed emotionally, Jaune couldn't bring himself to think about any other girl apart from Yang.
It would feel like a betrayal, something he would never do to his friends. Especially the one which he shared a close relationship with.
A slight buzzing in his pocket caused him to slow his pace. Coming to a complete stop, he reached for his scroll. When he opened his screen to see who was calling him, he was very surprised to see that it was his twin sister.
Then he realized what this call was. Like he'd told Yang before, he hadn't let his sisters know that he was attending Beacon. His parents said he'd have to deal with the fallout that was going to happen when they found out.
Why had they taken so long to figure it out? Or was there something else going on?
"Joan." Jaune instantly answered the call.
"Jaune." Her voice made him smile.
"What's up?" Jaune felt a bit of nerves get to him. "Not that I don't appreciate the call, but I thought you were-"
"Why did you leave home?" That tone was one of someone speaking from a very hurt position.
He had to choose his next words carefully. Very carefully.
That wouldn't stop him from standing up for what he believed.
Courage. He was learning that more and more.
"You know why." Jaune didn't need to spell out what he meant.
"Jaune, we've had this discussion before." Joan pushed her bangs aside. "Let's not be children here. So I ask again. Why?"
For the first time, Joan looked directly at the screen, seeing his sister sitting at her desk at home, her and Jaune's shared room visible. It made him think of all the things he missed at home, the things that he was comfortable and familiar with.
His father's cooking, his mother's musical voice, his sister's rowdiness, all things he missed so much.
Joan's blue eyes became visible again as he pulled out of the memories. "You know why we didn't want you going, Jaune."
Jaune frowned. "You didn't think I could do it."
"That's not it." Her voice was defensive. "We were just trying to make sure that you weren't going to get yourself killed. We wanted you to be safe."
"And there's the problem." He sighed. "When you don't let me choose, I'll never get to live my life to the fullest."
"Jaune, have you seen the scars that father has? There's a reason he didn't want you going, you're his only son."
"Yet he wishes me a happy life." The boy almost scoffed. "If he wants me to be happy, then he'll let me choose my life and let me deal with the consequences."
"Don't you get it? It's not about you."
"Then what is this about?"
It might be understating the problem, but this back and forth conversation was a game. Jaune hated it because he knew that sooner or later, someone was going to say something they would regret. No amount of reason was ever going to convince Joan, or anyone in the family that this was the life for him, the life he wanted in spite of everything that came with it.
They loved him so much and yet couldn't trust him enough to become a huntsman. They said that what training he did have wasn't going to suffice, and he'd agree with them on that part. Yet here he was, a student just like many other kids. Not the best, but no longer as bad.
That had to count for something.
"Jaune, what do you think would happen if you died?" Her bringing that up was something Jaune knew to expect. "How do you think we'd all react?"
"What, so Scarlett can be a huntress, but I can't?" There was point to be made, and he was going to make it. "Tell me how that works."
"That is different." Joan didn't back down.
No, Jaune didn't believe it was any different. He knew this to be fact because there was only one son and brother in his family, and as a result, he was babied.
"Look, if you want to debate about my decision to come to Beacon, then at least wait until spring break." Jaune couldn't care less if he was begging. "I'm not having this conversation on a scroll call, okay? It's not the right time or place."
"...fine, but the next time that you're home, you will talk to all of us."
She hung up before he even got a chance to say goodbye.
I'm sorry, Joan, but this is who I am. I don't need to be a hero. I want to be a hero. I will become one. If I have to make mistakes and fall down and get hurt, then so be it.
(X)(X)(X)(X)
Jaune had a forlorn look on his face all the way back to the dorms. When his teammates asked about it, he told them what happened. They instantly moved to cheer him up. Pyrrha offered words of support, Nora provided an energy boost, and Ren tried to keep him from being overwhelmed.
He'd felt better after his team's pick-me-up.
He didn't see RWBY for the day though, mostly due to his team keeping him occupied. It felt good to have a second family that actually supported him and encouraged him.
The rest of the day was spent working on assignments, training, and all the usual fun on the weekend, though Jaune did note that Pyrrha seemed to look at him very strangely, like she was trying to disassemble him piece by piece to figure out something.
He didn't pry though. He had a feeling that it wasn't for him to know.
Instead of eating in the cafeteria, JNPR took their food into their dorm and ate all the while discussing plans for the upcoming week, which wasn't very much to begin with. Just the usual assignments, the usual classes, maybe a few more exchange students, nothing that they hadn't seen before.
Jaune wasn't sure when it happened, but soon, it was nighttime and they were all dead asleep.
It was some time later when he awoke. It was dark out, and there was still another eight hours before he needed to be getting ready for class.
The blonde heard a light growl, and he reached for his stomach. It would seem that he hadn't had his fill of food.
A midnight snack was in order.
Carefully making sure he was dressed appropriately, he quietly slipped out, waiting a moment to make sure his teammates weren't following him, then headed for the cafeteria. No one was out, and it was long past curfew time.
But if one knew Beacon well enough, one would be able to walk about like it was daytime on school grounds. The reason Jaune knew this was because Ren was often about at these times, and the only reason he did that, was because of Nora's obsession with pancakes.
After hearing about that, Jaune didn't need any further explanation, and just accepted that in the event that Ren wasn't there to attend to Nora, either he or Pyrrha had to make sure she didn't go crazy from pancake withdrawal.
That sounded even weirder when he said it in his head.
It really hadn't occurred to Jaune that he could be using this info to his own advantage as well, at least not until late into the first semester when he was studying for finals so much that he neglected to eat at meal times. Then he was hungry at night just like he was now.
Keeping to the shadows and trying to recall some of Ren's moves and tricks, Jaune slowly made his way to the cafeteria. He opened and closed the doors without so much as a whisper of wind coming through.
He wasn't expecting anyone else to be there. It was also because he was tired as well that he failed to see the dim light that came from within the kitchen as he entered.
There's Yang. His mind registered the presence.
…
Wait… there's Yang.
It was this moment of realization that prevented him from making any more noise. She hadn't yet spotted him standing in the doorway with the door still being held open by his hand. She continued to work on what she was doing.
The lighting could be better, but Jaune was still able make out Yang working with a bowl of something. She was mixing it contents vigorously. On a nearby table, there sat a tray of what looked like cookies, and if he had to guess, freshly-baked too, judging by the smell coming from them. There was another tray, but this one topped with something pinkish-red. Was that frosting?
Confusing? Just a bit.
"Yang?"
She whipped around to face him, and if her expression was anything to go by, she wasn't expecting anyone, especially not him. He might even say that this was the most scared he'd ever seen Yang. Not even during their fight when he had the advantage, did she look this scared.
"Jaune!"
Yep, he'd definitely caught her in the act so to speak.
Jaune wasn't quite sure what to think now. For one thing, he wasn't sure why Yang felt that him catching her like this was such a bad thing. Who didn't like cookies? Better yet, who didn't like the ability to make cookies?
Take it slow, Jaune. No sudden moves. No jokes. Just be yourself. Get through this, and maybe you'll still have a relationship.
So he moved to stand near to her. She looked even more frightened now that he was up close.
"Did you make these, Yang?"
"...yeah." She looked ashamed. "I did."
"For who?"
"W-what?"
"Who did you make these for?"
If there was ever a time for a first time, this was it. In the week and two days of their changed relationship, she had never once shown obvious signs of hesitation or conflict. Most of the time with her, it was an easy, straightforward answer. That was something the two of them seemed to do with each other quite well.
This was the first time she hesitated to speak the truth.
But they had an agreement with each other to be honest, and Yang remembered that well "They're for… you."
"...me?!"
"Yes."
All at once, their entire situation became clear to him. She must feel as awkward as he did concerning what had to be the unspoken things between them. She was the first to take a chance and do something for him.
Something that he didn't feel that he deserved.
"I can't take this Yang." He shied away. "I-"
"Yes you can." She looked hurt.
"No, I can't." He shook his head violently.
"Yes, you can." She was now glaring daggers.
(X)(X)(X)(X)
Yang set down the bowl of frosting and reached for a finished cookie. She wasn't about to be denied, not when she knew had much to lose if their relationship didn't continue. She was in too deep now to just back down.
She tried to shove the cookie into his mouth. Once he knew the taste, there was no way he was going to deny her.
Her cookie didn't reach his mouth; he moved his head to try and stop her, and in the process, she smashed the cookie against his right cheek. He looked startled, and so too did she. Withdrawing her hand, she looked absolutely appalled at what she did.
As she drew back, she blinked, then saw Jaune again, but this time with a complete mess on his face, still wearing his look of surprise.
She held her breath, waiting for him to do something, anything. His silence wasn't a pleasant thing.
Then he laughed.
Now she looked confused.
"Jaune?"
His response wasn't with words, but instead, he reached into the frosting bowl with his hand and with lightning-quick speed, he painted her face with the strawberry frosting.
The strangest part?
He wore this shit-eating grin.
Now he was laughing harder.
She realized what he did.
She'd just gotten creamed. Literally.
"Oh, it is so on, Vomit boy."
She grabbed a handful of frosting from the bowl, and moved to splatter him good. Jaune tried to shield himself, still laughing deeply, getting it some of it on his face and his arms. He tried to retaliate by thrashing his arm and flicking the frosting back to Yang. She ducked, still holding the bowl in her hands, she let her covered hand form into a fist. His hand found hers, and he swung her around before roughly flipping her onto her back.
He moved to straddle her and wrenched the bowl away, drenching her hair in the process. She spluttered and pushed him off. He might be having sex with her, but nobody messed with her hair and got away with it.
Nobody.
She moved to pin him to the ground, and with some effort, reached for another plain cookie.
"Now. Eat. It." She shoved it into his mouth quite gracelessly.
He made muffled sounds in return as he struggled to chew. He still had that look on him, the kind that she thought suited him in this moment. He took at least a minute to fully chew it.
"Well?"
"It was good."
"Just good? Not great? Not fantastic?"
He gazed at her, looking like a complete mess. Frosting in his face, in his hair, on his arms and body, and bits and pieces of cookie on his lips and cheek. She gazed at him, looking just as bad as he did. Apparently, her hands weren't the only thing that frosting got on.
He tried to get up, and she used her strength to keep him down, her hips swaying a bit in order to tease him.
"Ah ah ah." She moved so her body was parallel with his. "Didn't Ruby teach you anything about me, Jaune?"
"Never mess with the hair." He smiled weakly. "Too late for regrets."
"But it's not too late for punishment." Again, she intentionally moved her body in order to get his attention.
And it was working.
"This is so not fair, Yang." Jaune's protests were for naught.
"Too bad." She leaned so that his face was close to hers. "I like it when you're squirming under me."
His arms had moved to her back, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers. She didn't waste any time and responded to him. His kiss was light and fluffy. She followed up with the tone that he set.
What happened next occurred subconsciously. They'd moved from the floor to a counter. Yang found herself propped up on the edge of the nearby table as they continued to kiss. He tasted of the frosting. This combined with his soft lips made for a very enjoyable melding.
Then their lack of breathing made them pull apart eventually, though only by a small amount. Heavy breathing and panting, eyes beaming into one another, and hearts beating just a little bit faster.
"Yang, you didn't need to do this."
"But I did, Jaune."
"Why?"
"We didn't fully make up."
"So I guessed, though I thought we did."
"So did I, but we had that awkward phase, and I felt that I had to do something to make up for… it."
"Yang, never feel obligated to do anything for me."
"But I'm your friend, and that's what a true friend does: do things for their friends. And don't say it's your fault when I'm to blame too."
"Yang, you clearly don't know me well enough." Jaune slid his hands to his sides. "Have you ever known me to ask for anything in return?"
"...no." She couldn't recall a time like that. "I haven't."
"That doesn't mean I don't appreciate what you're doing." Jaune gestured to her work. "It means that as much as I like this, our bond is more important. I value our actual connection more than anything else."
"It's never that simple." Yang hands dug into the edge of the table. "You don't just say that. People give each other gifts. They do things for each other. They owe each other. You do something for each other in return."
"Yang, do you think I'm normal?"
If he asked that question a week ago, she would've no doubt answered with a definite yes. That was long gone; faced with the question now, she couldn't say for sure if he normal or not.
"I… don't know what you are, Jaune."
"… haven't we established this, Yang?"
"But we still don't have an answer." Yang exclaimed while raising her hands into the air. "Neither of us has a damn clue what we're doing. We don't know what we want from each other. We don't know where we're going. We don't even know ourselves what we want. It's not something you just know about. It's something that you-"
She stopped, as something clicked inside of her mind.
Jaune looked at her with that same look of realization.
"Figure out, learn from experience." Yang breathed. "Son of a bitch, when did I get so stupid?"
"When did we get stupid." Jaune corrected her.
"Okay, so maybe I wish this was easy." Yang settled down. "I mean, c'mon, don't you?"
"I get it, Yang, but do we need to know the answers now?" He lifted one hand to hold one of her hands. "It's been a week. Do you have any regrets?"
"It's had its ups and downs." Yang lit up slightly. "But I wouldn't take any of it back."
"And don't you think it's a little too early to be getting into the drama? Whatever happened to enjoying the moment?"
"Maybe, but I recall that it's best to be a big thinker too, know the big picture, plan ahead? Sound familiar?"
"Sure." He looked admittedly deflated. "I guess this is one time where I'm not thinking things through."
"Cut yourself some slack." Yang patted him on the shoulder. "It was good to talk about it. We should do that more."
"You think that'll work every time?" He asked.
"Better than ignoring each other." Yang shrugged. "Would you rather be yelled at and know the truth or not talk about at all and never know for sure?"
"I'd rather be yelled at."
"I thought so."
"No more awkwardness then."
"Ditto. Now help me eat these cookies."
"I thought you said they were for me." He pulled her closer.
"I made them." Yang put her hands to his chest. "I think I deserve a little bit of reward for my effort."
At this comment, Jaune picked up a cookie with frosting and held it up for Yang to chew on, and she did. It tasted delicious.
Then she saw Jaune eat the other end of the cookie. It was almost cheesy what he was attempting to do, but Yang realized that in spite of how much it was cheesy, she let it happen, even welcomed it.
It was a bit of an effort, but when there was no more cookie between them, they devoured each other's' lips.
"Too... romantic... for you?" Jaune asked in between lip locks.
"I'll... let it... slide... this once." Yang replied back between breaths. "And... don't you ever... tell anyone."
"Like I'm going to tell anyone about this?" Now that sounded like a smartass voice.
"Let's hope you keep secrets as good as you've been doing so far." Yang put a finger to his lips
"Can we just skip to the good part?" He sounded impatient. "Not to rush this along, but I kinda want to go to bed?"
"Boys." Yang chortled into their kiss. "So impatient."
Before I say anything, allow me to give my eternal thanks to all of the people who support this story. I've hit a huge milestone; I've gotten over 1,000 followers and 780 favorites for one story. That's a big first for me, and it'a all thanks to you readers.
I take full responsibility for being lazy and having a bit of writer's block, but now I'm smiling like a moron at the results. As an author, I can say that if you're grinning at your own work, that's very good.
Anyone feeling extremely sappy? I know I was, but don't think that just because they made up easily once means that it'll be that easy the next time around. Oh no.
So what did you guys think? Romantic? Too romantic? It's so sweet I think I'll hurl? Not at all romantic? Let me know.
A special thanks to my two beta readers, Operator Blake and Trance Sephiroth for their help.
A special new thanks to Makentsu, the cover artist.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and remember:
"Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation."
Michael Jackson
Here's the link to the cover art.
makentsu . deviantart art . com (SLASH) art (SLASH) Winter-Dragonslayer-630368720
PEACE!