Author's Note: Hey guys. While since I posted (work) bu I'll try to get my updates out more often. Anyways, enjoy!

Betas: yuvinile and noobalisious

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

"What is this place?"

"Some bar I came to with Crato to once."

"Is this the place you met that chick who had her way with you?"

"Damn, I was hoping you would have forgotten already. . ."

". . . Walk of sha—"

"Shut it!"

"…"

The two Slayers walked into the nearly empty club, checking past the bouncers and heading straight for the bar, each taking a seat and waving down the bartender.

"What's your poison?" the bartender asked.

"What's the hardest thing you got?" asked Lucian while Dante looked at the assortment of liquors and rums on the opposite wall.

"Some prime Atlisian Fireball Whiskey," answered the bartender.

"Two shots of that then," ordered Lucian.

"Are you trying to get me hammered?" asked Dante jokingly.

"One shot won't hurt," Lucian retorted. "Or are you a light weight?"

"Please, I could drink the entire team under the table."

"I'll take that bet."

"What will I win?"

"Cocky are we? Hm . . . how about I pick up the entire tab next time the team goes out regardless of where we go."

"You have that kind of money to throw around?"

"I was paid very well in my previous employment."

"Can't refuse an offer like that can I? Ok, deal."

"Hold on there, what do I get if I win?"

Dante gave him an amused look before smirking as he responded "You won't, so how about this? After every shot you can ask one question and I'll answer as honestly as I can. We'll keep going until you call it quits or I have to carry you out. Sound good?"

Lucian considered the offer for a moment. 'And here I thought it was going to be tough getting my answers.' He nodded.

Just then the bartender arrived with a large bottle full of amber colored liquid and two shot glass. He set them down and filled them to the brim, then he brought out a lighter and set the shots on fire. He then fished out two small straws and handed them to the duo.

Lucian stuck his hand out and covered the rim with his palm to extinguish the flame before quickly chugging the liquid down, a familiar burning sensation running across his throat. He glanced at Dante and watched as he took the glass and poured it straight into his mouth. He then opened his mouth to show Lucian that the fire was still lit, making him look like an odd lantern. 'Show off' Lucian thought as he watched Dante swallow the burning liquid, a small wisp of steam escaping as he exhaled.

"Ok, first question . . ." Lucian started. ". . . Does your semblance have a weakness?"

"Still curious huh? If you really need to know, yes there are two drawbacks to my semblance. One is that if I use it at its fullest, I expend my aura rather quickly. In most cases it isn't an issue since I have an abnormally large reserve and I've never really faced an opponent who could take more than two hits from my semblance but if the fight is prolonged I run the risk of burning out."

"…"

"Second is that I either use my semblance to fight or heal. When I fight with it, my healing is standard for our kind. That's why I didn't start my accelerated healing until Kiara stopped attacking. Whenever I use my aura to heal there is steam so if you see me healing and there isn't steam, then I'm probably running low."

"Ok then," Lucian said before he turned to the bartender and signaled for refills. Once they were ready, the duo drank them down though this time Dante didn't play around with the fire.

"Next question, what are you going to do about Kiara joining the pack?"

"You'll have to elaborate that one."

"You know what happens when an abnormally strong packs form. You lived it in that academy. Now you and Kiara are fully fledged adults, at a completely different level from your academy days. Any local packs will start to respond to you as a threat and it could endanger the students or you might attract the attention of any solo faunus who might want to join or take over the pack."

"Solos like you?" Dante suddenly asked.

Lucian stayed silent, thinking his next words over carefully. He could see the dangerous glint in Dante's eyes, feel the burning pressure his presence created increase in intensity. Even if they were teammates and loose friends at best, he knew that if he challenged Dante or threatened any members of his pack, Dante would respond without hesitation. Before he wouldn't have been so hesitant at the idea of possibly challenging him but after learning about how dangerous he could actually be, Lucian was no longer feeling confident about the possible outcome, since he would likely lose.

Each Alpha breed had particular traits associated with them. The Red Lions were known for their absolute strength and fortitude. Lucian knew no amount of training would allow him to match Kiara's strength. Then the Grey Wolves have stamina and speed allowing them to travel vast distances or fight for extended amounts of time without worrying about tiring. If the stories he'd heard were accurate, then the Dragons had vitality and vast amounts of aura allowing them to adapt to essentially anything. He guessed that Dante had trained at a rate that would have killed anyone else to obtain his levels of speed and strength.

"I may be a solo but I don't have any interest in your pack," he replied evenly, his tone never wavering. 'I don't even know what kind of alpha you'll turn out to be . . .'

"Why are you solo anyway?" Dante asked, his eyes remaining fixed on him. "There is no way a faunus as strong as you hasn't been searched out by a pack."

Lucian sighed as he looked at his empty glass, painful memories stirring in the back of his mind.

"I was in a pack . . . but I left for personal reasons. Let's leave it at that for now," he answered.

"I won't push it out of you . . . you can tell me whenever you feel like it. As for my pack, if anyone tries to hurt them I'll deal with them. If someone wants to join . . . hm . . . I'm honestly not sure," Dante said with a shrug.

He gestured to the bartender for another refill, this time lighting the shots himself with a tiny silver flame burning at the end of his index finger. They both took the shots in unison, the clang of glass ringing out as they set the glasses down. Lucian could feel the lightest numbing beginning to form in his fingers, his throat and windpipe burning with the expensive drink.

"Ok, now that we got some of the serious stuff out of the way, let's get to what we came here for but I warn you, some of my questions may seem odd," he said.

"Ask away," Dante replied.

"Ok, did you have something with Kiara before?"

Dante eyed him for a moment before he looked away and sighed. "Around the end of our junior year, Kiara and Orion went into an open relationship since they were butting heads more than usual. I was also rather 'open' relationship wise so at one point we sort of fooled around. . ."

"And . . .?" Lucian persisted, his curiosity peaking.

"One thing lead to another and well, it happened."

"Oh come on, more details than that."

"You sound just like Yang," Dante sighed. "We snuck out one night, went skinny dipping and fucked until the sun came up. Happy?"

"Didn't think you had it in you," Lucian joked. Dante smirked while flipping him off.

"Anyways, afterwards we decided that in the end we wouldn't work out, at least not romantically anyway. We were very close though and that's when I started seeing her as a sister. She could strut around naked and I'd be fine."

"Define close."

"Changed in front of each other, confided any worries, sometimes slept together. . ."

Lucian raised an eyebrow at that.

"Actually sleeping, you ass!"

Lucian chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender.

"She used to have nightmares. . ." Dante added softly.

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Abusive stepfather and a mother that wouldn't believe her," Dante answered curtly.

"Why didn't she handle it herself? I'm sure an Alpha like her wouldn't have had a problem dealing with a Beta or Gamma, since it was a step-father, meaning that her mother was the Alpha."

"Because her step-sister, Chui, wouldn't be able to bare choosing between her father and sister regardless of how cruel he may have been. That's why she wanted to leave home and stay as a pack after graduation," Dante explained.

"Oh . . . I see," Lucian said, his ears dropping down as he thought about how sad that was. Faunus are very susceptible to being abused by those close to them. Loyalty to blood-relations and hierarchy could incapacitate a faunus from defending themselves meaning that running away was often the only course of action.

"What . . . would you do . . . if you found her stepfather now?" Lucian asked cautiously.

Dante looked at him, his eyes momentarily flashing silver, as he answered. "Teach him what hell really is like." His voice was colder than ice as his killing intent surged for an instant before it disappeared. Lucian heard the bartender stumbled, shocked and confused from what he had felt. Even Lucian had to admit he felt a shiver run up his spine, Dante's killing intent carrying unrestrained wrath and bloodlust unnerving even him. 'Definitely not someone I want to get into a fight with.'

He reached over and filled up the glasses, since the bartender looked too dazed to walk over, and gave Dante his drink. They knocked the shots down before Lucian continued.

"Ok, so why were you banging your head against the wall earlier?" he asked.

Dante scratched his cheek nervously before answering. "Well, I was with Athena, Kiara, and team RWBY just after Port's lecture. They were making plans to head into Vale later in the day and Athena asked me what I thought about it but the minute I looked at her smile, I got all heated up so I booked it."

"Heated up? Like . . ." Lucian glanced down to emphasize his point.

"I didn't stick around to find out," Dante deadpanned.

"And you have no idea why you reacted like that?" Lucian asked somewhat sarcastically. 'Dude, you can't be this dense.'

Dante's blank stare answered his question. Lucian whistled as he reached for the bottle. "Next shot now," he ordered. They quickly took their shots.

"Be honest . . . what do you want to do when you see her?" he asked.

"Hold her close, protect her, and take away any pains or worries . . ." 'Holy Oum . . . he's a love struck puppy!' Lucian thought as Dante paused.

". . . And?" Lucian continued.

" . . . Kiss her . . ." Dante whispered as he looked down.

"Louder please . . . my hearing isn't what it used to be."

"Kiss her," Dante said slightly louder.

"Come again?" he said in an annoying tone.

"Kiss her, embrace her, tear off her clothes, and feel her nails dig into my back as she screams my name!" Dante nearly shouted earning a few looks from some of the other customers.

Lucian couldn't help but grin at that, finding Dante's blatant honesty very entertaining. He poured the next round and chugged it down before continuing.

"If you have these feelings, then why don't you do something about it?" he asked.

"Because . . . I'm already with someone and I don't know if these feelings aren't more than just physical desires," Dante answered in a crestfallen voice.

'Dude . . . you are arrow through the heart, nailed to the spot, head over heels in love' Lucian thought as he looked as his leader.

He poured another round.

"What is the girl's name and why are you with her?" he asked.

"Her name is Amber, she is a local to Vale and works in a small clothing store not too far from here. She is this cute little brunette with almond eyes and fair skin, classically shy and sweet."

"And you are with her because?" he persisted.

"Well, at first it was just a nice night and dinner. Then we went to the movies and she sort of started it but I'm the one that finished it with a kiss after our date."

"Ok but that isn't an answer. Why are you with her?"

"Because . . . she isn't like us," Dante answered. Lucian gave him a questioning look, unsure what he meant by that. 'What? Is it that she isn't a faunus?'

Dante continued. "Lucian, you know as well as I do that those of us in the Slayer programs are monsters. We have all killed someone innocent at one point and our lives are full of loss, darkness, and horrors. Unlike me, she is innocent and kind, she doesn't have the weight of sins we carry on our shoulders . . ."

Lucian started to understand what he meant. At one point he had wondered if he could find someone to be with, a reason to let go of his lifestyle and find peace. It was childish hope. He knew that once someone goes through their experiences, the memories and pains will follow along. He has heard and read many cases where war veterans or retired hunters ended up alone since their partners could not handle the scars, whether emotional or psychological, and thus left them.

He looked at Dante for a moment before he asked a sudden question. "Dante, have you ever loved someone?"

Dante wasn't expecting that question at all, nearly knocking over his glass as he turned to look at him.

". . . I don't know . . ." he answered softly.

"Why?" Lucian asked sternly.

"Because, I've spent most of my life keeping others away, never fully trusting anyone," he answered.

"What about Kiara? You may not have any romantic interest in her but I could tell you two do love each other. Are you telling me that you never loved her as more when you were in a pack together?"

"If I did, I never realized it. When the attack happened, after watching Chui die, all I could think about was making sure no one laid a finger on Kiara. To be perfectly honest, I still didn't think I was that attached to them or feel like I had any special feelings for them but the moment she was in danger, I snapped."

Lucian poured another round.

"How much does Amber know about you?" he asked before downing the drink.

"I'm a hunter that does special training," Dante replied easily, his glass already empty.

"That's it?" Lucian asked incredulously. "She doesn't even know you aren't human?"

"No."

"Ok then . . ." 'This might sting but I think he should hear it' Lucian thought as he chose his words carefully. "You want an honest opinion?"

Dante glanced at him for a moment before slowly nodding.

"You are with her for shallow and almost idealistic reasons. She doesn't know anything about you and she probably wouldn't even be able to handle the truth. If you never tell her, then your relationship will be a lie and it won't end happily. Honestly, I think you should break it off soon before it gets complicated," Lucian said.

"That delivery was cold, don't you think?" he replied sourly.

"You are a big boy, suck it up."

Dante smirked at that, getting that Lucian was trying to be helpful. After a few moments of silence Lucian stood up and waved the bartender over. He paid for the drinks and gestured for Dante to follow.

As they walked out Dante muttered "I won."

"What?" Lucian asked.

"We said that if you called it quits or I had to carry you out, it meant I won. You just called it quits by deciding to leave," Dante said with a grin.

"Fuck," Lucian groaned, already fearing just what kind of shenanigan Dante would try to make him pay for later on.

"Hehe, how about this? I know a good café near here. I'll treat us to some coffee and we can walk back to Beacon."

"Why walk?" asked Lucian.

"I'm not in any rush," he replied as he started for the coffee shop.

Lucian chuckled at his laid back manner but couldn't disagree that a coffee sounded nice so he started walking beside his leader, enjoying the quiet companionship they were forming.

"I wonder why he ran off like that."

"Am I the only one who saw steam coming off him?"

"I didn't see anything."

"Gotta learn to be a little more attentive there, Rubes. Don't want to be as slow on the uptake as Ice Queen, do you?"

"Hey!"

"Why don't we just ask him later?" suggested Blake.

'This is really funny. I can't believe he got flustered so easily! Athena, you have to tell me your secret later' Kiara mused as she watched team RWBY try to decipher Dante's actions over milkshakes. After Dante had bolted and she stopped laughing her ass off, she and Athena sent team RWBY off to their next class while they planned the trip to Vale. They decided on taking the girls for a stroll and finding a decent ice cream shop. They happened upon a small shop called Aunty Betty's Creamery and settled down to enjoy some milkshakes, the house specialty.

Now she and Athena were silently watching the girls bicker back and forth on what had transpired this morning. She hadn't asked Athena if she knew what had happened at the time since she was fully aware of exactly what happened to Dante. 'Behold, the infamous Silver Demon. Doesn't even break a sweat when in a fight but loses it when the girl he likes smiles at him' she thought sarcastically as she continued to listen to team RWBY debate.

"Maybe he felt light headed," Ruby suggested innocently.

"I don't think that's much of a reason to run away without properly excusing himself," Weiss said testily.

"Hey Athena, what do you think it was?" asked Yang, the other girls focusing on her now.

Athena fiddled with the straw of her treat before answering, a faint blush forming. "I'm not. . . exactly sure. All I did was smile at him and he just blushed and ran."

Kiara started to giggle at that, amused to see that Athena was obviously trying to dodge giving an honest answer. Everyone looked at her, confused as to why she was giggling.

"Sorry, it's just too funny," she said.

"What is?" asked Athena, her cheeks deepening in color.

"That he blushed because of you and you know it. He got all cute and shy because you smiled at him. That's why he ran," she explained.

"W-What? Are you sure about that?" Athena asked incredulously, her cheeks starting to turn bright red.

"Duh!"

"But I've smiled plenty of times at him and it's never happened before," Athena defended.

"Easy. Something happened last night didn't it?" she asked knowingly.

She had met up with Dante and Athena right outside their dorm and the moment they got close she could smell them on each other. She didn't say anything at the time, not really wanting to annoy Dante so early in the morning lest she risk him grabbing her ears again. Still, it was unmistakable that the two had been in contact for an extended period of time.

Athena's blush deepened even more as the girls eyed her, waiting for her answer.

"Well . . . after we got back, he had been rather quiet so I was going to go to bed when he hugged me from behind," she said nervously.

Weiss and Ruby gasped while Yang and Blake leaned in more, fixated on knowing what happened.

"We stood there for a while like that, just enjoying the quiet. Then I turned around to look at him an—"

"Where were his hands?" Kiara interrupted, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway.

"Still around my waist," Athena answered sheepishly. Some of the girls blushed at that. 'Really? Blushing at hearing that? You guys are more innocent than I thought. We'll have to fix that later' Kiara mused.

"Then?" she continued.

"After a few more minutes, he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek," Athena answer, her lips forming a faint smile.

"Ahh . . . look at you getting all cute and smiley too!" she teased, making Athena blush even more.

"I wonder how long it will take before we catch you two in the middle of something again," commented Yang before Weiss reached across the table and smacked her on the shoulder.

"Don't be so brash!" Weiss said indignantly.

"Again? What were you two doing?" asked Kiara, not aware of the past event.

"Oh you are going to love this!" exclaimed Yang, ignoring the glares from her teammates. "We walked in on Athena straddling Dante on their sofa."

Kiara gasped as she looked at Athena, the latter who was shrinking with embarrassment.

"That's not the best part. Dante had his hands cuffed above his head and Athena was running her hands down his stomach," Yang said with a shit-eating grin.

"How did that happen?" Kiara asked excitedly.

Athena fiddled with her hair as she answered. "We were talking and then he just stopped mid-sentence about something. . . He wouldn't say whatever it was so I tackled him down and whined for him to tell me while I formed crystal cuffs on his wrists. . . He still wouldn't break so I unzipped his sweater and tried tickling him but it didn't work. That's when they walked in. . ." she finished as she covered her face with her palms in embarrassment.

"Huh, that's pretty bold of you Athena," Kiara joked.

"Ok, can we change the subject now?" Athena asked hastily.

"Fine, fine. Then let's start heading back to Beacon. It's nearly 7 pm and we have class soon," said Kiara as she chugged the last bit of her chocolate milkshake. She instantly regretted the decision, a brain freeze striking her not a moment later. Some of the girls giggled as her eyes squeezed shut and her ears flattening down, waiting for it to pass.

"Oh my gosh, you guys look so cute when your ears do that!" Ruby cooed at Kiara.

Kiara looked at the little redhead, noting the classic look in her eyes. 'She wants to pet my ears, figures' she mused as she thought back to what she had discussed with Athena. They had spent some time talking about themselves and also Athena filling her in on what has happened recently. She had said that Dante has had a soft spot for Ruby in particular ever since he helped her deal with a team issue during the first official day of classes.

Looking at her now, Kiara could tell why Dante had that soft spot. He may have been cold to others back in Othrys but he never once picked on the underclassmen. In fact he was rather nice to them and if they came to him for help or advice, he would give it. He may have been hated by his fellow seniors since he defeated most of them but many of the first and second years looked up to him, idealizing his strength and kindness.

Ruby acts just like some of those underclassmen from back then. Young, energetic, and looking to grow as a person and huntress. Exactly the kind of person Dante always helped. That and she was downright adorable meaning Dante probably couldn't even get angry with her if he tried.

She smiled to herself, thinking back on this happy times. She then glanced at Ruby, the redhead still focused on her ears. She gently sighed as she leaned down slightly, allowing for the shorter girl to reach comfortably.

Ruby gave her a questioning look, unsure whether it really meant she had permission.

"It's ok Ruby, I don't mind. Just don't be rough, ok?" she said softly. The other girls took notice and watched silently.

Ruby nodded slightly before slowly reaching up and gingerly trailing one finger on the side of her ear. Her ear twitched occasionally, the contact tickling her slightly. After a minute or so Ruby retracted her hand before jumping excitedly.

"They are so soft and adorable!" she squealed.

Kiara giggled at how happy the little redhead was and watched as she hopped out the doors, Weiss, Athena, and Yang following close behind leaving Blake standing beside her.

"What's up?" asked Kiara, knowing that something was on the cat's mind.

Blake looked hesitant to answer, probably looking for the right words to speak her mind.

"You don't need to be so nervous. It's not like I'm going to hurt you and we are now in the same pack so just tell me whatever," she said calmly and in a friendly voice.

Blake seemed to settle down. "Is it ok for you to let her pet your ears so casually?" Blake asked.

"Hmm . . . well is there anything really wrong with it? I gave her consent and she was gentle just like I asked."

"Yes but isn't it much letting someone you just met pet your heritage like some random animal?" Blake said in a cold tone.

Kiara studied Blake for a moment, the cat starting to shrink back thinking that she overstepped.

Kiara sighed before responding. "Haven't you considered that we treat our heritage much like some overly valued treasure? It perfectly fine to be proud of your faunus features but treating the curiosity of others as disrespect or dehumanization doesn't really do any good."

Blake looked taken aback by Kiara's remark, her own bow flattening down as she took a step back.

"I know most humans tend to treat our features with disgust or disrespect but that doesn't mean we should treat the kind and genuinely curious ones like the rest. I believe letting them feel them for themselves helps remove a veil over their eyes, showing them that these ears are real, they are part of my body, and there is nothing wrong with that," she said in a soft yet firm voice.

"I never really thought of it that way. . ." Blake replied. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I did."

"Don't worry about it. If you hadn't then I would have been able to tell you how I feel about it and understand your own perspective." Kiara said as she gently placed her hand on Blake's shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

Blake smiled back, relief evident in her eyes. Then the two walked out together, lightly jogging to catch up to their friends heading for the transport.

"So is the teacher always late?" asked Kiara.

"Sometimes but she is usually punctual," replied Thantos.

"I wonder what's keeping her?" asked Crato as he twirled a switchblade in his hand.

"Dante, entertain me," she whined, her boredom getting the best of her.

She had heard a few things about Nyx, mostly bad, and was really curious to see what she is like but they have been in the class for over half an hour and the professor still hasn't appeared.

"I'm not here to entertain you Kiara. Learn to be patient," Dante grumbled back, his head slumped over his arms as if he was trying to take a nap.

Kiara was seated behind Dante and Athena so they were the closest ones for her to mess around with. She looked at Athena and was about to ask if she wanted to play rock-paper-scissors again but then decided against it. For some reason Athena was really good at that game and kept winning. Right now she seemed to be doodling something one a spare piece of paper but she couldn't tell what.

She wondered whether now would be a good time to tease the love-struck partners but it didn't look like it would be as funny as she had previously hoped. The Slayers had met up in the dorms and Dante was far more relaxed around Athena, not blushing when Athena smiled at him though he did instantly smile back. She wondered what had happened in the time he had been gone but would wait for later in the night to ask.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the door to the classroom suddenly slammed shut, the noise making her jump. A women in mostly black leather and a trench coat, her dark brunette hair pulled into a ponytail, as she leaned against the front desk, a small file in her hands. The Slayers stayed quiet, waiting for the professor to speak.

"Slayers . . ." Nyx began ". . . it looks like you runts are about to be put to good use," she said as she waved the file.

"About time!" Crato said as he put away his knife.

"What do we got?" asked Dante, no longer looking like he was trying to sleep.

"Just your first mission," Nyx answered as she opened the file, all the Slayers leaning forward excitedly. 'Great! First class and already down to business' Kiara thought as she focused on Nyx.

Author's Rant: So, getting to some more action and developments. I liked the bit between Kiara and Blake to show a difference of perspectives. Let me know if you have any comments about that little exchange. Next update should be out soon, so until next time!