Disclaimer: RWBY and all affiliated characters/titles belong to Rooster Teeth, those wonderful geniuses.
Yang stooped low and retrieved her dropped fork from the floor, she turned it over in her hand, inspecting it for any obvious signs of dirt or grime and saw none so she returned it to her tray. She looked about the cafeteria, scanning for anyone she knew, anyone to sit with. She and Nora were well into their third week as a couple and hadn't spent a lunch period apart that entire time. Today Nora had some things she had to do with her team so Yang was on her own for lunch. It wasn't that she felt lost without her, or even uncomfortable in the absence of the energetic redheaded girl. It was just that she had slipped so easily into their routine that now being out of it felt slightly alien to her.
Usually they would grab their food and rush to the nearest spot of table they could find to wolf it down before any of their other friends arrived. That would leave the rest of the period open for discussion and chatter amongst themselves and any friends who had the period free to come spend with them. Lately, it meant that they could sometimes sneak away to a secluded corner or a luckily empty dorm room to have some personal time with each other, to ease the tension that built between them all day long. They didn't do it often Yang thought, only twice this week. Then she checked herself and realized that it was only Wednesday, they had snuck off together every day this week. Yang shook her head with a gentle laugh and looked for her little sister and team leader, she needed to spend more time with her.
A quick scan of the room revealed Ruby seated with Weiss off to one side of the hall, they were sitting with one another and chatting amicably. She hadn't so much seen her diminutive little sister, as much as she had seen the platinum ponytail of her partner bouncing back and forth while she talked. That girl's hair was visible from a mile away, not great for sneaking up on opponents. Watching the two talk Yang thought they looked happy. Ruby had said she was still having trouble bonding with Weiss, but if the two of them were sitting and talking like that, it had to be a good sign. For a moment she considered not interrupting the two, not wanting to intrude on their bonding, but then decided that it couldn't hurt. They were one big team after all and she needed to make nice with Weiss almost as much as Ruby did, so she headed over.
"What's up shorties?" Yang tossed her over loaded tray down, sending her fork clattering back to the floor and flashed them both a smile.
"Honestly Yang, do you ever behave with dignity." Weiss turned her icy stare on the blonde.
"You dropped your fork." Ruby reached down and scooped the utensil up from where it had fallen beneath the table and handed it to her sister.
"Oh thanks Rubes." Yang took the fork happily and speared a piece of meat, shoving it into her mouth. Weiss's mouth practically hit the table in shock.
"That was just on the floor. The dirty floor where all of our shoes go." Weiss shuddered slightly in disgust, "And you're eating with it?" Yang's eyes opened a little wider and she regarded Weiss with surprise. She swallowed the bite in her mouth.
"What? It's just the floor." Yang chuckled and looked at the fork, "It's not even dirty see?" she held it out and rotated it around for Weiss to see.
"This floor is absolutely disgusting, I even have trouble eating in here because of it. Just look." Weiss indicated the rather shiny laminate floor beneath them, "Think about how many dirty shoes and combat boots trod on this, and I have never seen the custodial staff properly clean it."
"Relax Princess. It's just a little dirt." Yang tried to give Weiss a smile but the girl shot her a disdainful glare.
"I will never understand how you two made it this far without me." Weiss raised herself from her seat and strode away.
"Where do you think she's going?" Ruby watched her partner leave and then turned back to her the table.
"I dunno." Yang looked after the heiress and then returned her attention to her sister with a chuckle, "How have you been Rubes? You two look like you're getting along better." Yang smiled and began eating again, adopting a pace that would let her respond without spitting food all over the place or mumbling unintelligibly through a mass of unchewed goodness.
"Oh yeah, we've been training together a lot lately and I think she's starting to see all the work I've been putting in." Ruby smiled hard, "Plus she had an issue with the actuator on her rapier the other day and I took it apart for her and fixed it and she said the revolver's rotation is even smoother now." Ruby's pride in her work was evident in her grin, she was nothing if not good with weapons.
"That's awesome sis', I'm glad the Ice Queen's warming up to you." Yang chuckled and Ruby let out a little giggle, there was the smile Yang knew so well.
"I am not an Ice Queen." Weiss stomped her foot from where she stood off to Ruby's side.
"Oh I'm sorry Snow Flake," Yang said sarcastically, "I didn't mean to offend the royalty." Weiss jerked her hand forward, holding a fork out to Yang.
"Here, I got you a clean fork so you don't have to eat like an animal." Yang reached forward and accepted the fork gratefully from Weiss.
"Aww shucks, thanks. I could almost kiss you." Yang laughed and Weiss turned away in indignation.
"Oooh Yang. I'm gonna tell Nora," Ruby stuck her tongue out at her older sister with a giggle.
"Nora knows she's got me by the hair, don't worry." Yang laughed and switched the new fork to her right hand, leaving the old one discarded to the side. Ruby gasped at her expression.
"That bad huh?" Ruby asked as Weiss retook her seat.
"Yeah," Yang chuckled a little nervously, "She got me hard." Yang smiled and looked down at her food happily, "I don't even know how it happened, I just sorta fell for her." Yang looked back up at the pair across from her.
"Are you hiding a secret romantic in there?" Weiss craned her head back and forth, as if trying to see something Yang was hiding, "Because if so, you're doing a pretty good job of it." Ruby laughed more openly and playfully pushed at Weiss's shoulder.
"My sister is plenty romantic, didn't you hear she and Nora are trying to help Blake out with her man problems?" Ruby looked back to Yang, hoping for some sort of confirmation.
"Where did you hear that?" Yang gave her little sister an inquisitive eye under which Ruby withered.
"Umm… uhhh… no where." Ruby's eyes darted up to meet Yang's which were still boring into her and then back down to her lap, "From Jaune." Yang sighed in realization.
"Nora can not keep a secret at all." Yang laughed in resignation, "Oh well, I guess the cat's outta the bag," Yang shot them both with little finger guns and wiggled her eyebrows, Ruby sighed and shook her head and Weiss failed to suppress a groan.
"Yang, are you ever serious?" Weiss looked up from pinching her nose to meet Yang's jovial grin.
"I am very, extremely serious about two things." Yang leveled a grimace at Weiss and held up two fingers, "My hair," she pulled back on one finger with her opposite hand, "and eventually finishing this lunch," she pulled back the other finger and Weiss groaned again. Yang fell to devouring her food and Weiss turned to Ruby with a resigned shake of her head.
"So what's going on with Blake?" Ruby had returned to her usually over energetic self watching Yang and her partner joke with each other.
"Oh, just that she has a crush on Sun, that Faunus boy that helped us fight the Atlas mech. She was having trouble asking him out or whatever and so she asked Yang and Nora for help. They tried taking them out for a like double date to hint to Sun that Blake liked him but they had to leave really early so I don't know if it worked." Ruby plowed through the entire explanation in a single breath and then sat there with a little smile on her face, happy to divulge a secret.
"Ruby, thasch shoo not cool." Yang muffled out of her full mouth. Ruby's little smile faded again to worry and then back to a smile when Weiss rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I wouldn't tell a soul Ruby. We are all one team so we should all know, but I promise this secret will stay with me." Weiss gave Ruby a rare warm smile that made Ruby brighten up even more. Ruby pulled out her scroll.
"Weiss can I take a picture with you?" Ruby slid in beside her without waiting for an answer and lifted the scroll. She hadn't unlocked it yet and Weiss's eyes fell directly on the time displayed on the screen.
"Ruby. We are gonna be late." Weiss practically screamed in shock. Ruby's eyes flew open even wider than usual as she saw the time as well.
"Ahh I totally forgot we have to be in Oobleck's class early today." Ruby pocketed the scroll and looked down at her and Weiss's mess from lunch, "I got this, don't worry, we won't be late." Ruby started babbling, doing more to psyche herself up than to reassure Weiss. There was a flash of rose petals and the trash vanished, seconds later Ruby reappeared next to Weiss, "Okay, okay let's go. Bye Yang." Ruby grasped Weiss by the wrist and there was another flash of petals that trailed away down the hall. Yang watched the two depart and listened to Weiss's frantic screams as Ruby towed her along at inhumanly high speed, Yang laughed.
With the goal of bonding a little more with her sister and the continual effort of melting the Ice Queen's heart a little out of the way Yang breathed a sigh of relief and continued to enjoy her food. She couldn't believe that Nora had blabbed to her team about Blake's deal with Sun but figured that in the end it was probably just fine. Yang was sure that everything had gone great between her partner and the boy after they had left, but assuming it had been a secret, she had not had a chance to discuss it with the quiet girl yet. Yang glanced around the cafeteria, she didn't expect to see anyone, Blake was undoubtedly in the library or hopefully with Sun, and Nora was definitely still busy with her team but it couldn't hurt to check. She did see the Headmaster, Professor Ozpin roaming between the tables, giving polite nods to students who realized he was there and just quietly making his way around. That was weird, he didn't usually come around but it could be to check in on the transfer students, or maybe something had drawn his attention down here. Who knew what that man was thinking. Yang kept looking around and found one of the last things she was in the mood for, Cardin Winchester approaching her table. Yang slid her tray forward slightly and went to stand.
"Well, well, and where's your 'girlfriend'?" the emphasis he put on girlfriend put Yang on edge. She knew the boy was rude and an imbecile, but what was he thinking coming up to her like this? He knew she would floor him with a single blow if she felt like it, and insulting Nora was the fastest way to get her in a dangerous mood. "Is she off in detention for not shutting up in class again?"
"Don't even start with me Cardin." Yang leveled an angry gaze at the boy, she had been having such a nice lunch and she was not in the mood to deal with him right now.
"Oh come on, I just wanna watch you two make out a little." he made kissy faces at her, "Or do you wanna put on a show for me in the gym again?" Yang's blood boiled and she clenched her fists.
"You disgusting, little, pervert." Yang could feel the heat rising in her limbs and she knew her eyes must be hazing over with red. She felt her aura building up in her fists subconsciously, preparing to knock the foolish boy's head clear across the cafeteria.
"What's wrong? Are you getting mad?" Cardin jutted his face out towards her, mockingly, "Not gonna hit me are you?" He recoiled in mock fear, putting his hands in front of his face and then laughing at her, "Go for it." Yang squeezed her right hand and felt the knuckles pop under the pressure, that was it. Her eyes widened as she prepared to leap over the table and destroy the fool but then she saw Professor Ozpin, watching the two of them curiously. She couldn't beat him down right in front of the headmaster. Yang took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She closed her eyes and forced her aura down, trying to channel as much Ren as she could. She inhaled again and slowly let it out, opening her eyes and easing her fists loose.
"Just screw off Cardin, you're not worth my time." Yang slowly returned to her seat, keeping her eyes down. She knew that if she looked up and saw that smug face of his again she wouldn't be able to stop herself, she wasn't sure how she had managed it the first time.
"Aww it's okay. You're just all soft now 'cause you're not with a man." Cardin pounded his chest in what Yang assumed was supposed to be pride, "C'mon, I can show what it feels like if you forgot." Cardin leaned forward and planted both hands on the table, tilting his broad shoulders across the surface, towards Yang. That was all she could take, Yang jumped to her feet and felt her aura return with a fury. The feel of it rushing to fill her limbs as familiar as waking up and much more exhilarating. Whatever Ozpin thought of her, she didn't care, she was gonna put Cardin down, now. She heard the familiar crunching noise of knuckles connecting with cheekbone and looked up to see Cardin laid out on the floor opposite her. The shock and surprise cooled her anger instantly and she turned her head to see who had punched him out. Standing there was a beautiful, grinning redhead, smile stretched from ear to ear and chuckling happily to herself.
"Oh he deserved that," Nora clenched both fists and flexed her arms in front of her in excitement. She looked over to Yang and her smile grew, "Sorry, I know you probably wanted to do that but I just had to." Yang laughed but then caught sight of Ozpin over Nora's shoulder. He was approaching their group, no hurry in his step, but moving with definite purpose. He had his cane clenched in both hands behind him, held horizontally out to both sides. Yang's laughter turned to a frown and Nora cocked her head to one side, "Oh I'm sorry. You can punch him next time, or uhh I'll still take you on an adventure but you don't have to make me pancakes, or I'll make you pancakes except I don't know how really, Ren always makes them." Nora started trying to rattle off as many ways to appease Yang as she could until Yang pointed solemnly behind her and she turned, "Oh," Professor Ozpin reached the pair of girls, and the unconscious boy, and looked slowly at each member of the group.
"Miss Xiao Long, you did very well controlling your anger. I saw what was happening and frankly, I was worried for Mr. Winchester." he turned to Nora, "Ms. Valkyrie, you stood up for someone you care about and acted without hesitation, that is very commendable." he inclined his head and gave her a slight smile. Then the Professor twirled his cane in an easy circle and poked at Cardin's midsection with the end. Cardin groaned and sat up slowly, shaking his head and rubbing a hand on his face where a bruise was already starting to form. "Mr. Winchester, you acted quite deplorably and were then unable to defend your actions. You require much more discipline and training if you ever hope to become a true Huntsman." Cardin raised his other hand and began to retort but Professor Ozpin turned deftly back to the girls and he fell silent, "Ladies, enjoy the rest of your day and do remember to enjoy every moment together. You're headed for a dangerous life and need to cherish those close to you." He gave them both a polite nod and, twirled his cane back against his back and strode away peacefully. Yang and Nora were both grinning and watching him leave.
"Wow, that was soo cool." Nora raised her fists to her chin and trembled with excitement, "Can you believe that?" she spun to face Yang.
"Yeah, I guess he's a pretty cool guy. I mean he did let Ruby in two years ahead and all but that was awesome." Yang smiled and looked away from the departing Headmaster just in time to see Nora flying towards her. She threw her arms out and caught the airborne redhead as she came vaulting over the table with a giggle.
"I mean it, you can punch him next time." she gave Yang a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Oh you can try." Cardin had staggered to his feet again and apparently failed to lose any of his bravado. Yang and Nora both swiveled their heads and furrowed their eyebrows at him. He shrank a little under the combined gaze.
"Leave right now before I come over there and make you." Yang let her aura loose again, still bottled up from her earlier anger. The visible effect was immediate, her signature glowing hair and a sudden distinct red tint to her eyes flashing into existence. Cardin backed down and turned with a flick of his head.
"Whatever, you got a lucky punch." he walked away from the pair, shoving his hands in his pockets. They watched him leave and Yang slowly let her anger fade.
"Hey Yang, you're uhh, you're kinda squishing me." Nora squeaked out from where Yang was holding her. Yang looked down and saw that she had indeed crushed the girl against her in her anger, flexing her arms and pulling Nora tight against her in her fit of rage.
"Oh," she chuckled slightly and loosened her grip but didn't let her go, "Sorry." she laughed again kissed Nora on the forehead and then set her down.
"It's okay, I kinda liked you all Yangry." Nora poked her in the nose.
"I think I'm rubbing off on you too much." Yang laughed and bit playfully at her finger as she pulled it back, Nora giggled.
"It could never be too much." Nora wrapped Yang in a tight embrace and Yang squeezed her back, "Do you have any food left? I'm starving."
A/N - And Cardin's creepy leering in the Gym comes back to haunt us...or to haunt him? Well, he definitely wound up much the worse for wear. I hope you all enjoyed it, I thought it was a fun chapter. I like writing things from Yang's perspective like this but it has felt like a whole lot of Yang lately so I thought we could try and have the other characters just do a lot in front of Yang this time and see how she feels about it all.
Also, I have now planned this story out through it's last chapter. So yes, this story will have a last chapter, but don't worry, we're nowhere close yet. Not even a little bit. But it will have an end and around the time that it ends is when I'll be starting up "Friends and Loved Ones" so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime I am looking for some other fun one-shot stuff to do just for giggles. So if anyone has a particular ship they really really like just let me know and I'll see what I can do. I'll do some pretty weird stuff but no absolute crack ships, nothing with Zwei or Kevin the Dragon and I like to avoid putting the 'adult' characters with the 'non-adult' characters but I'm not totally against it.
A thanks here for my constant readers and supporters Boombox94, Dongyrn, Allen Ramsey II, and NobleMeta, you're all the best. Thanks for your support. Thanks for reading everyone, the next chapter will be up on Saturday.
-Zach