A/N: I really hope this word count isn't going to be consistently this long. I'm... not sure what I'm doing to be honest. Sigh. Oh well. Let me know what you guys think.
"What were you thinking?!"
Jaune crossed his arms, setting his expression to stone as he looked out of the window of Saphron's car.
The two of them had gotten into the vehicle quietly, Jaune because he was trying his best to figure out a good way to not get murdered by Saphron, and Saphron trying her best not to make a scene.
All bets were off when the doors to the car shut though, Saphron instantly laying into Jaune.
"Saph..." Jaune tried for a gentler tone, hoping that it would in some way calm his sister down. It did not.
"Don't you fucking Saph me, young man!" Jaune winced as her voice rose higher and higher, heart sinking. He wasn't getting out of this one. "What have I told you? Every single day, every day, I tell you—what did I tell you?" The question was sudden, making Jaune jump. It was clear when she stopped speaking that she meant for him to answer. It was kind of unfair though, Jaune thought to himself. Why was it that she got to ask questions like that, and Jaune had to incriminate himself?
"But we needed the money—"
"Don't try to rationalize it," Saphron hissed, getting in Jaune's face. "Just because you get a little bloodthirsty doesn't mean you should be entering publicly broadcasted fights. Are you an idiot or do you just not think?"
"Neither!" Jaune backed away, throwing her heated glare back at her. "I didn't do it because I haven't fought in a while! You make me sound like an addict."
"Aren't you?" Saphron shook her head. "First you get in constant trouble for fighting in school, next you start getting into trouble for fighting out on the streets... I should've known that this was just the next step."
"Well what else am I supposed to do?!" Jaune roared, sick and tired of Saphron stabbing him with her barbed words. "You expect me to go from trying to survive every single fucking day to 'settling into school' and 'making friends'." Jaune jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "There are so many things that I had to do just to live, and you expect me to just shrug it all off and 'do my homework'?"
"No," Saphron yelled over Jaune, cutting him off. "But I expect you to at least try!"
"I HAVE!" Jaune slammed his fist into the already rickety table, one of the legs giving in with the force, papers spilling off of the table as it toppled. "But it's. so. hard." Jaune gripped his hair, turning away from Saphron.
"Math is impossible. The numbers barely make any sense." Jaune whispered, spinning around. "My teachers have told me to my face that I write like a ten year old." Tears spilled forward. "The only reason I even have a passing grade was because of those stupid history books that you made me read back then."
"How am I supposed to live like this?" He demanded.
"Would you rather be back at the camp then?" Saphron sprung back, crossing her arms. "Would you rather get beat half to death by Raven every single day then? Would you rather I constantly have to watch my back and make sure no one decides to—" Saphron cut herself off, continuing with her line of questioning. "I'm sure you would just love to go back on those raids and start killing innocent people again. Bet that'll sing to your blood."
Jaune grit his teeth, fists clenched to his side. "I don't want any of that." He said quietly, closing his eyes. "But what else am I good for?"
"You're asking the wrong question," Saphron scoffed, "It's not 'what am I good for', it's 'what can I be good at'?" Jaune rolled his eyes at the cheesy quote. "Don't roll your eyes at me. It's true. No one just starts off being good at something. Put some work into it, and things will change. It just takes time."
The soft voice that Saphron was using didn't help calm Jaune down at all. In fact, it only made the gnawing in his stomach worse.
"It's been three years already, Saphron. I don't think time's going to fix me being the school idiot."
"Not with that attitude you're not." Saphron pursed her lips. "No. You've never given this a chance. You've never tried at anything in school."
Jaune threw his hands up into the air. "Well, maybe it's because I've gotten used to having more life-threatening forms of motivation. It's kind of hard for me to take a bad grade seriously when it's just numbers."
"Sucks," Saphron spat out. "This is for your future. Or did you think that I like working all the time to pay for your schooling?"
"If you don't like it, then stop doing it!" Jaune mirrored Saphron, crossing his own arms. "I didn't ask for this, and I didn't ask for you to take all of these jobs to put me through something I'm not good at." Jaune bat his eyelashes, putting out a sneer. "Oh, don't worry Jaune, you'll just have to go through school and then we'll be normal again. Oh no, these remedial classes are for you, so that your future can be brighter. Oh, I know we're always low on money and I've been eating nothing but bread sandwiches for the last week, but I don't feel like you getting a part-time job is necessary, Jaune." Saphron glared at Jaune as he dropped the mocking tone. "That's seems totally fucking fair."
"Life isn't fucking fair," Saphron said in a low tone, eyes flashing dangerously. "Get used to it. You're not eighteen yet, so as of right now, I'm still your legal guardian. And while you're under this roof and I am providing for you, you will listen to what I have to say."
"That's the thing though," Jaune argued, surging forward again. "You say that all the time, but when I offer to try and pick up some of the slack, you refuse! And then you blame it on me?"
"That's not what we're talking about," She shouted, face slowly turning red.
"Well it's not like I'm the only one talking about things that don't make sense," Jaune shook his head. "But if you want to get back on the subject, then fine! Yes, I went behind your back to enter a public tournament! Maybe a part of me did it because I felt cooped up, fine! But," Jaune took a step forward, rifling through his pocket. "The first thought through my mind was about you! Look at you! You look like you're about to drop! If I did a few of these and made sure to disguise myself, you wouldn't have to put in eighty hour weeks just for us to get by!" He shoved the envelope that he pulled out into Saphron's hands. "Look at how much they paid me and tell me I'm wrong. And that's for second place. I had to do something, and it was fine as long as I was CAREFUL!"
"But you weren't." Saphron didn't raise her voice. She held onto the money tightly, but didn't bother looking at it. She kept her full attention turned to Jaune. "Do you really think changing your name and putting on a silly mask would be enough to hide yourself? You don't fight like any other kid, Jaune. You really think that no one from the tribe would even think about watching something like this and making the connection? And that didn't even account for this last fight." She moved her hand up to her face. "Your little clever disguise fell off, Jaune. You think that wouldn't get noticed? You think that was fine, because you were being all subtle? You're sixteen, Jaune. Subtlety for you is thinking about what could be subtle and then kicking it into the ocean and doing literally the complete opposite."
"Grow. Up." Saphron punctuated each word, eyes boring into Jaune.
"And another thing." Saphron lifted the envelope and tore it in half, and again into quarters. "I would rather take another three jobs and keep us safe then have Raven back on our asses again." Saphron whispered the words, watching Jaune's wide eyes trace the falling scraps. "I'd rather die again then watch her take you back into that hell."
Jaune couldn't answer, the shock of Saphron doing something like that paralyzing him. She watched him for another moment before shaking her head in disgust, leaving the room and slamming the door to the bathroom shut.
Left alone, Jaune's anger was quick to dissipate, guilt flooding to take the place.
She was right about him being sloppy. There wasn't really a use wearing a mask if it was going to fall off during the broadcast. If that was the case, Jaune shouldn't have worn a mask at all. He sighed, slipping his fingers through his hair.
Still, most of his points were right. Sure, Saphron had her reasons for doing everything she did, but that didn't mean she had to shoulder the burden alone. Jaune could help. Jaune did help. Or should've, he thought, looking down at the torn check. The money would've been almost enough to pay for half a month's rent. Saphron had to have known that.
The fact that she tore it without a second thought?
Message received.
Jaune sighed again, heading to his bedroom. The only bedroom in the apartment, because they couldn't afford a two bedroom apartment. He went into the bedroom, while Saphron would have to lay on the mattress in the living room.
Yep, it's official.
He's an ass.
###
Jaune woke up to a scream.
Bolting upright, Jaune gripped the handle of his pillow knife tightly, vision slamming through his mind as the adrenaline started pumping, eyes darting back and forth in the dark room. Nothing.
After he made sure that he couldn't hear any breathing besides his, Jaune slid off his ratty covers, bare feet hitting the carpet. Opening the door as softly as he could, he found Saphron leaning over the kitchen sink, washing her face.
Jaune scanned the living room to make sure there wasn't anyone else in the apartment before he cracked the door wide enough to step through, approaching his sister.
"You alright, Saph?" Jaune asked softly, touching her shoulder. She stiffened to the touch, relaxing quickly and hiding a sniffle, turning to give him a watery smile.
"Yeah. Just a nightmare." She waved a hand. "Go back to sleep."
Jaune hesitated, watching her shaky movements. Her eyes were blotched and teary, barely countered by the brave smile on her face.
He was an absolute ass.
Saphron froze as arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a warm hug. A second passed before she returned it, leaning her head against Jaune's shoulder. He'd grown so tall in the last few years.
"I'm sorry."
It was the first apology that either of them uttered today, and it was several hours after the fight, but it was a start.
Saphron didn't say anything, leaning against Jaune, waiting to see if he would continue. Jaune pulled away, eyes dropping down towards Saphron's neck.
It had been around six years since that day, and the scar had faded out a lot due to the time. It was still noticeable though, and stretched wide across her neck like a grim smile. Jaune was so used to it that he'd practically forgotten about it, except in times like these. It was the reason why Saphron was so fond of scarves and turtlenecks in the winter, and high collar button-ups in the summer.
And she'd gotten it because of him.
"You're right. I was reckless," Jaune admitted, dropping his arms to his side. "I shouldn't have done something like that. It's just..." Jaune let out a breath. "It's just I feel so useless here. There's nothing for me to do to help you, and every day I see you struggling, I feel worse and worse. It just got to the point where any amount of rationalization was enough for me to do something stupid. I'm sorry." Jaune repeated.
This time Saphron was the one to initiate the hug, shaking her head against his chest.
"Now you know how I felt back when we were with the tribe," She said, her voice vibrating across his chest. "I always felt like I was never doing enough, and that everything seemed to always depend on you." Her blue eyes peeked out to look at Jaune. "But now I get it." Jaune made a questioning noise in the back of his throat. "You don't have to worry about me so much, Jaune. You're time protecting me is over. It's my turn now."
Jaune looked at Saphron, emotions playing out on his face. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Being protected should've felt... bad, right? He didn't need to be protected. He had spent three years with Raven, almost dying over and over again, to make sure that he never needed anyone to protect him... right?
He wasn't sure if he could really agree with that thought when looking at Saphron's determined expression though.
Shoving the insidious thoughts into the back of his mind, Jaune smiled.
"Okay." He said softly, getting a brighter smile out of Saphron. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be completely useless. I'm still going to do my part-time job. We need the lien." His tone brooked no argument, but there wasn't one to be found, Saphron agreeing with him.
"Fine. But no more fighting. I don't want us to push our luck, on the chance that Raven didn't see that broadcast."
That condition was a little harder for Jaune to agree on. It was the best way for someone like him to make money, after all. But... Saphron was right. It was too much of a risk. Who knew what Raven would do once she found them.
"Okay. But with the semester being over, I want to take more hours. It can't hurt."
"Okay."
The two of them stood there, arms wrapped in each other as they reminded themselves that they didn't need to do this alone. They would get through this together.
###
Saphron stared at the mirror nervously. She twisted her head back and forth, making sure that her hair was in order. Which it was... kind of. It was a little limper than she would've liked, but maybe it was her imagination.
She didn't have much make-up, and it had been so long since she even tried to put any on that she decided to look up tutorial videos on her scroll, deciding after the third try to go for a minimal look, rubbing the streetwalker makeup that she accidentally applied the second go around.
Then came another ten minutes of staring into the mirror, wishing that the bags under her eyes wouldn't be so pronounced. It didn't help that she hadn't been able to get much sleep in the past few days.
It had been about two weeks since the argument, and each day was filled with paranoia. Saphron jumped at shadows all the time, and barely interacted with anyone outside of work. And the nightmares.
Saphron let out a breath, trying to stave off the memories of the latest nightmare that she had.
She was helping no one like this, and it was frustrating. She was supposed to be stronger than this. She was stronger than this. It was just...
Saphron inspected the gash on her neck, touching it gingerly with a finger before wrapping it up with a scarf.
For once, she was glad that it was wintertime.
Saphron thought back to the first time Jaune and her arrived at Argus. It had been so long since Vernal had cut her throat that she had forgotten all about it. After all, the tribe knew what had happened, and it wasn't like Saphron had gone very far away from the camp until they left for Argus.
She had been quickly reminded about her glaring scar when the first passerby did a double take after looking at her, eyes glued to Saphron's neck.
She was quick to cover it up after that.
"You look good."
Saphron turned, finding Jaune leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.
"You don't need to butter me up, Jaune." Saphron turned her attention back towards the mirror, wishing that she had something to darken her lips a little. "I'm a mess," she sighed, her head dropping. Maybe she should cancel.
Warm hands touched her shoulders, kneading them slowly. Jaune always seemed to know exactly how to bring Saphron to a more stable mood. She didn't know what she would do without him.
Which was another reason why her nightmares could never see the light of day.
"You're beautiful, Saph." Jaune's voice was as warm as his hands, Saphron spotting the encouraging grin on his face as her head rose up. "I think I might have to make sure this lady friend of yours behaves properly after seeing you," he teased. Saphron swatted his hands away, laughing.
"I don't think that's something the younger brother needs to say."
"You're right," Jaune said grimly. "That's something every brother needs to say."
Saphron rolled her eyes, her attention turning back towards the mirror. She wasn't able to get more than a glimpse before Jaune slid in from of Saphron, breaking her line of view. "Alright, no more obsessing. You're fine. I've been waiting to use the bathroom for the last hour. Out."
She let herself be corralled out of the bathroom, Jaune reassuring her one last time that she looked fine before shutting the door, locking it, and the only mirror in the apartment away until he exited.
Saphron had a feeling that Jaune wasn't going to leave the bathroom until her, gulp, date came knocking.
Taking a deep breath to try and counteract her nerves, she tugged the light blue blouse straight, adjusting her glasses and making sure that she had on everything that she intended to have.
The knock on the door came sooner than Saphron was prepared for, making her jump, freezing on the spot. The paralysis held her long enough for a second round of knocks to come through, spurring her into action before Terra could form the wrong idea.
Saphron made sure to open the door as calmly as possible, emitting a practiced smile for the girl on the other side of the door.
"Hey, Terra."
Terra was wearing a blazer over a dark blue t-shirt, a small smile on her face as she brushed one of her locks away, tucking it behind an ear.
"Hey there, Saphron." The two of them exchanged a ginger hug, which definitely didn't help Saphron's butterflies.
That's where the conversation ended, really.
The two of them looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak while wondering if they should say something.
The bathroom door opened behind Saphron, Jaune strolling out casually, letting out a yawn.
"Oh, what's this? I didn't know you had company, Saph!" Jaune let out a gasp, breaking the tension between the two girls.
"You need to work on your acting skills, Jaune." She shot back towards her brother, crossing her arms. "Jaune, this is Terra Cotta. Terra, this is my idiot of a brother Jaune," She teased, getting an offended gasp out of him. Terra let out a chuckle, holding out her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Jaune. I've heard a lot about you."
"All horrible things, probably," Jaune grinned, shaking Terra's hand. "Most of them probably true," he admitted.
Terra let out a thoughtful hum. "From what I've heard, you're a talented boy with an understanding of dedication and hard work."
"Now I know you must be talking to a different sister," Jaune laughed, shaking his head. "I don't think Saphron knows how to compliment me."
Saphron decided to jump into the conversation, raising an eyebrow at Jaune. "That's laying it on a little thick, don't you think, Jaune?"
A couple more words were exchanged before Jaune looked at his worn-out watch, announcing that it was about time for the two of them to leave and let him have the apartment to himself.
"Oh and Terra?" Jaune called out, stopping them one more time. "I'd like her home before midnight, alright?" He was mostly joking, but the two inch blade that he seemed to have procure out of nowhere was enough of a message. Still though, Terra acted in good faith, giving in a salute and a quick 'yes, sir' that Saphron wasn't quick enough to stop.
"You didn't have to play along," Saphron said as the two of them approached the parking lot.
"It's alright," Terra said happily, "He's worried about his sister. It's cute."
"I-I guess it is," Saphron stuttered, unsure of what else to say.
The two of them chatted a little bit while they were in the car, Saphron asking where they would be heading for tonight, as what little they had planned beforehand was just a time, what to wear, and where Saphron lived so that Terra could pick her up.
"Oh, it's just someplace to eat. You like seafood, right?"
Not liking seafood wasn't really an option for Saphron. After living near a river for three years, that was one of her main ways of feeding herself, when it wasn't her trying to save some of her own cooking before the tribe would eat it all.
Knowing what they were going to be eating emptied out some of her apprehension. Eating was something Saphron was pretty comfortable with, as long as the place wasn't too... expensive...
Saphron's stomach coiled right back to where it was before when Terra pulled towards a parking lot, finding herself in front of a building that already sounded more expensive than she could afford.
"There... wouldn't be a smaller, homier restaurant in the back that we're going to, is there?" Saphron asked weakly, getting a blank stare from Terra.
"What?"
Saphron bit her lower lip, tearing her gaze away from the building. "Never mind. It looks like quite the, uh, place there."
She didn't know if Terra didn't pick up her hesitation or just ignored it, but the older woman nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, it's amazing here. Lots of fresh food, great service. One of my favorite places to eat, really."
"Oh..." Saphron couldn't think of what to say, the building looming over her as she stepped into its shadow, feeling tiny.
Entering the restaurant didn't help, the place looking well kept and well run, which wasn't something that Saphron would complain about. The carpets looked like they were cleaned regularly, and none of the servers looked like they hated their job.
It was kind of surreal, to be honest.
Still, Saphron followed Terra to a table, opening a menu and trying her best not to get a heart attack when she read the prices for the food.
Holy moly.
How much was the shrimp cocktail?
And Terra ate here regularly?
Saphron was beginning to feel a little out of her depth here.
Finding the cheapest thing on the menu, Saphron asked politely for a water before folding the menu away. Terra ordered a diet soda of some sorts and asked for an appetizer, something that Saphron could've sworn was more expensive than the entree that she was going to be getting.
A few minutes went by before the server placed their drinks down, asking if they were ready to order.
Making sure that Saphron was good, Terra ordered something that sounded like shrimp in pasta, but expensive, asking for a glass of wine as an accompaniment.
"And I'll, uh, have the house salad." Saphron could feel Terra's gaze on her. "With ranch, please," her voice falling quieter.
The waiter shuffled away, leaving the awkward silence between the two girls.
"That's an interesting choice for an entree," Terra said casually, eyes carefully watching Saphron. "I thought you liked seafood."
"I do..." Saphron said, not sure what that had to do with ordering a salad.
"I'm just surprised that you would order something with no seafood in it, is all," the remark sank a little close to home, Saphron's shoulders falling a little.
"Uh. I guess I was just in the mood for something lighter is all."
Terra hummed, Saphron unsure of what it meant.
"You know," Terra said quietly, brevity lost in her voice. "You don't have to worry about the prices. I'm paying. "
Saphron sat there, uncomfortable.
"I-I know. Thank you. Um. But I'm fine. Really," She squeaked.
The two ate in silence after that, conversation stilted and unsure as they tried to find a comfortable spot to latch onto.
The meal lasted far longer than Saphron could handle, and she had to try not to let out a sigh of relief when the server delivered the check.
The drive home was just as quiet.
Parking gently, Terra let go of the steering wheel, hands placed on her lap. Saphron sat there as well, not sure of what to do.
Should she hug her? Kiss her?
Hearty handshake?
Deciding to cut her losses, Saphron decided to just get out of the car, hand on the door handle before she heard a loud click of the doors locking.
She froze, every muscle tensing.
"Sorry," Terra said softly, Saphron spotting the wince as she turned around. "I just wanted to say something before you left and I wasn't sure how to get you to stop from leaving."
"Just saying something would've been fine." Saphron said stiffly, slowly relaxing. "Locking your doors isn't the best idea, to be honest."
Terra let out a self-deprecating laugh, scratching the top of her head. "I'm sorry."
"'S fine."
Terra pushed up her glasses, trying to gather her thoughts.
"First off, I just wanted to apologize." She began. "I wasn't thinking about you at all when I set up this date, and I ended up making you uncomfortable. That wasn't the intention." Closing her eyes, she let out a sad sigh. "This is kind of my first date in a while with a girl, and I was a little excited and jumped the gun."
Saphron nodded, the beating in her chest subsiding as Terra spoke. At least she knew and acknowledged what had happened. It was impressive, really.
"I...I like you, Saphron." Terra chewed on her lower lip, glancing away momentarily. "I think you're a cool girl, and you've got a cool head on your shoulders from what I've seen. I know this wasn't the best first date but... maybe you could call me?" Terra finished weakly, her smile just as soft.
Saphron sat there, stunned that Terra thought that way of her, let alone wanted to try again. Still...
There had been so much on her mind during the date, and that wasn't even counting everything that happened during the date.
"I... I'll think about it," Saphron allowed, running her hand through her hair. "It's just... this wasn't bad. I'm just... I don't have much," she admitted, although that wasn't a shocker to anyone sitting in the car. "and seeing someone spend that kind of money on me is kind of surreal. And I don't really know if I'm really ready for this, this stuff," Saphron gestured around her. "I've got a lot on my mind, and I don't know if I can really give you the full attention that you deserve at the moment. I'm sorry."
Terra nodded.
"I understand. If you change your mind... call me?"
"I will," Saphron said.
Watching the car pull away, Saphron dropping the mask, letting the frown show on her face.
It hadn't been the greatest date in the world, but at least Terra was trying, and willing to try again. What was Saphron so hung over about? She worked a lot of hours, but she could still find time for a date every once in a while. Jaune was sixteen now, and could generally take care of himself, when he wasn't being an idiot and entering publically broadcasted tournaments. And then there was...
No. There wasn't any reason to think of her right now.
Saphron locked the apartment door behind her, pulling the scarf off and throwing it on the couch, making a mental note to clean up later. Kicking off her shoes, Saphron paused, opening the door to Jaune's room and finding a lump under the covers. As quietly as she could, Saphron went up to the bed, sitting down gently and listening to Jaune's deep breathing as he slept.
"You do realize it's barely nine o'clock, right?"
The lump stopped breathing for a second before Jaune gingerly peeled the covered away from his face, his blue eyes almost glowing in the semi-dark room.
"I just didn't want to get in your way." Jaune shrugged. "There's only two reasons you're coming home so early from the date, and I wasn't sure I wanted to be involved in either two."
Saphron slapped his shoulder, rolling her eyes even though she knew he couldn't see it.
The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, Jaune playing with the edges of Saphron's hair while Saphron sat there with her eyes closed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jaune asked quietly. Saphron let her shoulders rise and drop slowly.
"Not much to talk about. It was... a date."
"Well don't overload me with details now." Jaune didn't bother ducking Saphron's hand, letting it smack him in the shoulder. "Come on, Saph. Details."
"Why do you want to know anyways?" Saphron asked gruffly, pulling up one of her knees and resting her chin against it. "Need something to hold over my head for the next few days?"
Jaune didn't bother dignifying that with a response, sitting up on the bed, wrapping his arms around her side.
"Come one," He repeated gently, "You'll feel better once you get it out."
His gentle tapping finally found her weak spot, the dam breaking loose. Saphron tried her best to deliver what had happened without bias, having to stop a few times to try and gather her thoughts. But Jaune was right. She did feel a little better.
Jaune sat there and listened attentively, giving her his full, undivided attention. Jaune was always a good listener, after all. It was a role that he feel into easily, having done it a hundred times before.
"So," Jaune said slowly, making sure that he had the full story. "At the end of the day, you guys went out to eat, you brought up that you were uncomfortable with going to such an expensive place, and she apologized and was hoping for a second chance." He paused. "Right?"
Saphron wasn't sure she liked how succinctly Jaune put her night together, but couldn't really find anything wrong with the summary. "Basically," She agreed.
He let out a small sound, expression thoughtful in the falling light that shaded the room.
"Are you going to call her?"
Saphron shrugged helplessly, one hand rubbing her arm. "I don't know. I don't think so." She bit her lip. "I—she's interesting. And I'm sure if I hadn't made things awkward, we would've had a decent conversation. But... there's just..."
"Vernal?" Jaune interjected, bringing Saphron springing off of the bed.
"What?" Saphron gaped, surprised by the sudden mention of the blue-eyed girl's name. "What gave you that idea?" She crossed her arms, glaring at her brother. "She has nothing to do with this."
Jaune raised an eyebrow, his expression saying otherwise, but he knew that trying to push on that subject wouldn't result in anything. If there was anyone more stubborn than him, it was his sister, that's for sure.
"Then what?" He prodded gently, turning her away from the touchy subject. Vernal let it happen, glad that she didn't have to open that can of worms.
"I just—I don't think it would be fair to her. I work a ton, and any time I'm not I'm trying to make sure that we're alright," She gestured to the both of them. "And I don't think it's fair to her for me to try something serious."
Jaune didn't answer right away, eyes steady on her.
"I think you should give it another try."
Saphron blinked at that.
"What?"
"I think you should call her," Jaune repeated, swinging his feet off of the bed. "You know, I can take care of myself, right?"
"I didn't say anything about you," Saphron let out a weak excuse, knowing that she spoke too fast when Jaune made a sound of exasperation.
"Please. Don't think I don't know you, Saph." Jaune crossed his arms. "I know you want to do everything you can to make me happy, but do you really think I'm happy with watching you work yourself into an early grave?"
"Well—"
"The right answer is no, Saph," Jaune said, throwing his arms up. "Look, I understand how much you care about us. And I know that we're strapped on lien. We're always strapped on lien. That's why I'm working this job. You didn't force me to," Jaune raised a hand, stopping Saphron from going into another guilt trip. "I wanted to. Because I want us to work this out." Jaune gave Saphron a grudging smile. "Besides the itch to bash some heads in, I really do like this version of normal. "
Saphron wasn't sure what to say to that.
"Do you like Terra?" There was the question that really mattered. Jaune knew that this was the answer that mattered the most, and watched Saphron play it through in her head.
Things were tough, but things could definitely get worse. That was why the two of them had to try their best to be on top of it. Sure, that meant that they both had to do things they hadn't ever planned of doing. But they did it so that they could find their version of normal.
Saphron nodded slowly, finding her answer. "Yeah," she whispered. "I think I do."
"Then go for it," Jaune shot back, smiling at his sister.
"What's the point of working so hard for this life if you're not going to live it?"
Saphron's eyes widened, before she let out a chuckle.
"Who the hell taught you to be so wise, Jaune?"
The blond boy grinned toothily. "Well, Raven sure as hell didn't." Saphron let out a snort of amusement.
"You're damn right about that one."
A/N: Hey, I'm pretty sure this is the first chapter I've done for this story that didn't have any physical fighting. A lot of emotional fighting, sure, but hey, baby steps.