Chapter 17

The rustling of fabric was heard throughout the room as the three male members of Team MARS got changed for the dance.

Asher slipped into the charcoal grey blazer and dress pants he had bought two days earlier, repurposing his school uniform for a white button up shirt, red tie, and the black dress shoes. Sage and Rust had not bothered to buy a suit for the occasion and instead stuck with their Beacon uniforms, which were dressy enough as it was.

Seeing that Beacon was open to student self-expression, the school uniforms had different trim options to suit the taste of the wearer. Sage had selected the dark green trim option when he purchased the uniform. Rust had instead opted for a dark orange tone, the closest colour he could find to his namesake. Asher had chosen the red trim option, knowing that it would compliment his last name.

Mauve was the only member of the team absent from the dorm. This was because she opted to change in the bathroom instead, living with three boys meant a constant need for privacy.

"Sage" Asher began as he adjusted his belt. "You never told me about this 'Honey' girl, what is she like? Assuming she actually exists…"

Sage rolled his eyes at Asher's bad joke. He opened his mouth to speak but Rust beat him to the punch.

"She's cute! Our boy Sage bagged a looker!" Rust grinned at his brown haired friend.

Asher made a circular motion with his hand, indicating that he needed more information.

"You'll see her there at the dance tonight, she's got blonde hair, green eyes, and freckles… plus she'll be with me, if that's any proof of her existence." Sage grumbled.

Asher considered pushing the joke further but decided against it, instead flashing Sage a smile.

"So? When will you introduce us?" Asher asked.

"Dunno," Sage mumbled back. "She's really nervous around new people, we went for coffee two days ago and it was a little while before she was speaking casually with me… I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Rust shrugged in agreement.

"Yeah… I remember speaking with her a few times when I was getting to know the team… nice girl, but very nervous." Rust added.

"Speaking of girls," Asher asked. "Rust… do you have a date?"

"Oh yeah! What? You think I spent all this time playing matchmaker and wasn't looking out for myself?" Rust asked incredulously.

"Who?"

"Her name is Vermillion, she's the girl with the fire sword I fought last combat class. She's the leader of Honey's team… it's how we met." Rust answered.

Asher cocked a suspicious eyebrow.

"So what? It was a two birds with one stone situation?"

Rust looked pensive for a moment, eyes flicking between the floor and Sage before he answered.

"When you put it like that it makes me sound desperate… Vermillion's pretty cool and I've been considering asking her for a little while now."

"Eh, fair enough" Asher grumbled.

"Say Asher, speaking of matchmaking…" Rust began. "When is your good buddy Rust going to get a rousing 'thank you' for being the love doctor? Sage already gave me one!" He finished with a wink.

Sage nodded in agreement while Asher just leveled a glare at him.

"You mean like when you forced me and Mauve into those situations?" Asher hissed.

"And it worked!"

The conversation was interrupted by the noise of the bathroom door opening, accompanied by a whoosh of wind. Mauve stood in the doorway wearing her purple dress and a pair of simple black ballet flats. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail and instead hung free, cascading down her back in a river of silver and purple. Her lynx ears were standing up, the little tufts pushed down to look more neat

.

Asher took in a sharp intake of breath when he saw her, being suddenly reminded of how damn lucky he was…

"You ready?" Mauve asked with a head tilt, eyes sparkling.

"Of course," Asher replied with a smile. He then turned to face his two other teammates. "Sage, Rust… we'll see you guys down at the dance."

The new couple waved goodbye as they walked out the door, Rust and Sage returned the waves.

"So," Rust began after the two left. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Sage replied, a quiver present in his voice.

"Nervous?"

"Oh yeah…"

"Mmm, don't be… just don't say anything stupid and you'll be fine." Rust finished, slapping a supportive hand on his friends shoulder.

The walk to Team VHLTs dorm room took a little over ten minutes, given that they were in a completely different residence building. Rust and Sage took the elevator and approached the door, Rust reaching forward and rapping gently.

The door swung open and they were greeted with the sight of Honey. The short blonde girl had opted for a sleeveless gown, coloured a light blue colour and trimmed with white.

Honey looked good… she looked really good… she struck an almost royal appearance.

"Hey!" Rust called out. "Were here for you two… is Vermillion here?"

"Coming, coming" a new voice called out, Vermillion rounding the corner. It was clear that she wasn't ready yet, indicated by the earring she was still trying to put in. "There you two are! Lavender and Teal have already left…"

"Who are they going with?" Sage asked.

"Duh…" Vermillion fixed him with a flat look. "They're going together!"

"Wait… those two are dating?" Sage asked incredulously.

"Yeah… you wouldn't know by looking at them… Lavender acts innocent and Teal is rough around the edges… they've made it work… somehow," Vermillion muttered as she finally popped the earring in.

Sage suddenly remembered the presence of Honey and felt a little bad that she had been left out. Turning away from Rust to let him speak with Vermillion, he faced his date for the night.

"How are you?" Sage asked with a smile. "You look really good!"

Sage witnessed a blush spread across Honey's face at the simple compliment.

"Thank you," she spoke quietly. "You look really good too."

"Wanna head down to the dance?"

"Absolutely."

Sage held out his hand like a gentleman for Honey to grasp. Honey blushed again as she took it and the two walked out the door.

This left Rust and Vermillion alone in the room together.

"Alright" Rust muttered as he held up a hand. "Ground rules… I know I'm a hot hunk but no handsy stuff, alright?"

Vermillion responded by rolling her eyes.

"No promises…"

Vermillion was dressed far more casually than Honey. She had opted for a red tank dress that reached a few inches above her knees. Instead of flats or pumps Vermillion was wearing the red sneakers she always seemed to have on. Her long red hair had been done into a neat braid down her back, clearing the strands away from her blue eyes.

Rust looked her up and down before making any comments.

"I feel a little overdressed…" he muttered.

"You look a little overdressed… those pants tight on you?"

"Uh yeah… how did you know?" Rust answered.

"Tall people problems… I can relate," Vermillion replied, cocking a hip as she did so.

"C'mon… everyone's waiting for us," Rust said, holding up his large hand.

Vermillion clasped his hand gently in hers and they both walked out the door.

Sometime later…

So far, Mauve was glad that she bought this specific dress. The entire crowd was a sea of black and white gowns.

Her own attire was the only splash of colour she could see… other than Nora and her particularly loud getup...

Asher blended in pretty well in his own right, the charcoal grey of his suit looking almost black in the dim lighting of the ballroom. The choice of music for the event was fitting, a gentle rhythm of violins and piano notes that played from a stereo set near the stage.

Mauve had to admit that Team RWBY did a pretty good job planning this thing…

"You alright?" asked Asher, noticing her glassy eyed gaze.

"Yeah," Mauve replied, shaking her head to clear away the last of her thoughts.

The two continued to slow dance, bodies pressed close together by the throng of students around them. They were engaged in a simple waltz, feet moving towards and away from each other with surprising harmony.

Mauve never knew that Asher could dance… but she didn't know he could bake until he told her… he was full of surprises.

"I never knew you could dance," Mauve spoke softly.

"Yeah… I learned when I was a little younger… my parents told me that I needed to know in case I was ever invited to a social event… keeping up appearances for the family and all that." Asher answered, his foot sliding forwards in the waltz.

Mauve pulled her foot back to prevent a collision.

"What about you?" Asher asked. "You've always been graceful... but I never knew you were a dancer…"

"My father and mother used to dance all the time," she answered him. "But after she passed he started teaching me… always said it was a good pastime… suppose he was right."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, when I started down the path of a huntress he insisted we keep going with it… it was very useful for training balance and strength… skills I was going to need."

They stayed silent for a moment after their hushed conversation, bodies swaying in rhythm to the music.

"I do that a lot…" Mauve muttered.

"Do what a lot?" Asher asked, concern in his eyes.

"Talk about my past… never realized until now… I do it incessantly…"

"It would only be incessant if it was unwarranted, most of the time you have a reason."

"Still… I think it's time for me to start leaving it behind… the bad memories."

"Maybe… just don't forget where you came from." Asher mumbled. "Tell you what… how about we make a pact to let the past be the past… you don't bring up Mistral and I won't bemoan my parents… focus on the future and all that."

Mauve fixed Asher with a wry smile.

"What movie did you pull that gem of a line from?"

"From my heart…"

"Is that an old movie? Or is it coming out soon?"

"Hilarious…"

Mauve stuck her tongue out at him before stopping to consider his proposal.

"Deal" she spoke softly.

The two continued their dance, picking up the pace as the song sped up a little. Asher couldn't help but stare into Mauve's eyes as they swayed. If he looked closely he could see little specks and flecks of gold in her amber eyes… had those always been there? He liked them, it brought more colour to her already mesmerizing gaze.

Asher remembered that he and Mauve had never properly kissed. She had planted one on his cheek two days ago… but that one was on the cheek, it didn't count.

"Hey," Asher asked, getting his date's attention. "When we started dating a few days ago… that night after the training session. You know what would have happened if our team hadn't interrupted us, right?"

"We were going to kiss," Mauve spoke bluntly.

"It just occurred to me that we haven't yet…" Asher muttered, fighting back a nervous tinge.

Mauve looked up and down his face for a moment before a small smile graced her features. "Well, I suppose we'll have to fix that then."

The two looked at each other before beginning to lean in. Thankfully, nobody was there to interrupt them this time as their lips gently pressed together. Asher hummed to himself as they held the action for a few moments, her lips were soft.

After some time the two pulled away, neither of them were experienced with kissing… it had been a new adventure for both of them.

Mauve fixed Asher with a smile as they pulled away from each other. "It was nice…" she whispered.

Asher cracked her a grin. "Who said there could only be one of them?"

With a look of realization dawning on her face Mauve pushed forwards and pressed her lips against his again. A few moments became many moments and Mauve decided to prove her commitment to the lip-lock by taking her hands off his hip and shoulder and flinging them around his neck.

They got some weird looks from the crowd, but whatever.

At the same time…

Sage hissed to himself as Honey's foot pressed down on his again.

"Sorry," Honey whispered, a horrified look on her face.

"It's alright!" Sage responded, giving her a smile despite the pain in his foot.

The awkward couple had run into a roadblock right away when they realized that neither of them knew how to dance. After some fumbling and tripping Sage suggested they just copy the nearest couple, a solution that had proved fruitless so far.

Sage was very happy that Honey had accepted his offer for coffee the day they met. He had mentioned to Asher that she was far more open in one on one conversation, but the crowds of other dancers left her quiet again.

Still, he had learned a lot about her and she had learned a lot about him. Honey was one of five siblings from a family in Vale. Of her five siblings she was the only one who had chosen the path of a huntress. She enjoyed video games (the same ones as him actually), long walks, occasional reading… She wasn't as awkward towards him anymore, perhaps because they were now more familiar with one another.

"I wanted to thank you…" Sage began.

"What for?" Replied Honey, her green eyed gaze flicking towards him.

"When you said you liked my ears… that's never happened to me before," Sage admitted.

Honey gave him a look of shock.

"Seriously… never?"

"I grew up in Mantle… things aren't the nicest up there for guys like me."

"Thats stupid!" Honey muttered with surprising force.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Sorry… it's stupid that people think that way… decided to put you through that." She clarified, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

Sage nodded in understanding as they continued to flounder around, not even close to looking like their peers.

"Hey Sage?" Honey asked in a soft tone.

"Yes?"

"Even after the dance is done… I don't suppose you'd like to go out again?" she asked nervously.

Sage gave her a little smile.

"Are you asking me out?"

Honey's gaze flicked around nervously for a moment.

"Well… yeah."

"That sounds great! I'd love to!"

Sage witnessed Honey breathe out a sigh of relief, she relaxed into his arms. How long had she been waiting to ask that? Poor girl…

"Besides…" Sage began with a grin. "I haven't seen you play Duty Calls yet… you and I still need to '1v1'… if you're as good as you say you are…"

Honey glared at him and smiled, a competitive gleam in her eye.

"You're on!"

Sage laughed and they continued to dance. That was until Honey surprised Sage when she leaned forward suddenly and planted a gentle peck on his cheek with her lips. Sage didn't know how to respond to this, he felt a blush heating up his face. Honey was no better, the redness of her cheeks clashing with her hair and eyes.

There was still some awkwardness to sort through, but they could work it out…

Also at the same time…

"-okay, now slide your foot back as I slide forwards."

Rust obeyed the command.

"Now slide to the side with your other foot and bring them together."

Rust obeyed the command again, the instructions allowing him to form a decent waltz.

"Now you're getting it!" Vermillion called, a proud smile on her face as she looked up into his.

"And you're not going to get any flat feet!" Rust answered.

Vermillion gave him a flat look.

"I'm pretty sure a lack of dancing skill isn't contagious…" she drawled.

"I uh… meant that I wasn't going to step on your-"

"I know what you meant!" She chortled, a slight snicker followed this.

The two continued to dance for a while, Rust occasionally stumbling and having to remind himself of where to put his feet.

"So," Rust began. "Tell me about yourself…"

Vermillion gave Rust a curious look before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Well… I grew up in a small village outside of Vale."

"Must have been a quiet life…"

"It was, other than the occasional grimm attacks of course. The place needed some proper defenders and I wanted to be a huntress… that's how I decided on my career."

"Do you have any family?"

"Well other than my parents I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My big brother decided to go to Atlas instead, guys a big military geek," she answered. "So what about you Rust? What's your story?"

Rust took a moment to gather his thoughts, deciding to have some fun.

"Well you know… simple stuff really. I grew up in the harsh sands of Vacuo… by the time I was three I was massively ripped and laying down beatings on any grimm that would cross my path-"

Rust was suddenly cut off.

"Woah there… am I dancing with Rust Zephyr or Peter Port?" She snarked. "The real story please!"

Rust cracked a grin at his red haired partner. He had to admit that he found her constant snark and jabs to be endearing.

"Fine, I grew up in a large industrial town in Vacuo… Truthfully, I was six feet and shaving daily by the time I was twelve."

"Seriously!?"

"Yep... I have two younger siblings, brother and sister. Those two are an absolute terror but I wouldn't ask for anyone else…"

The two were cut off when the music cut out, the sounds of giggling and laughter popping up all around them. The pair turned to look around in confusion before they spotted the object of everyone's interest.

Standing in the ballroom was Jaune Arc, clad in a gaudy white dress and standing in front of his partner.

"Hmph… finally," Rust muttered as he watched Jaune finally get a hint and take Pyrrha's hand. "Took him long enough…"

Vermillion cocked a red eyebrow at him, blue eyes looking quizzical.

"You know this guy?"

"Oh yeah, my team hangs out with his all the time," Rust answered.

Suddenly, the smooth music was replaced with a blaring EDM beat, the entire mood of the room shifting suddenly from low to high energy. Rust watched in amazement as Team JNPR strode forward as one and began to deliver a dance routine way too good to not be choreographed!

So that was why Team JNPR was "busy" these last few weeks and stayed in their dorm room! Asher even swore to him that he heard Ren yelling, and screams of frustration come from the room, although he wasn't keen to peek his head in.

All around the ballroom couples adapted to the new beat. Rust spotted Mauve and Asher in the crowd, easily standing out due to Mauve's purple dress.

'Holy shit' Rust thought with his mouth agape. 'Asher can dance?'

Asher was moving with surprising rhythm and timing, a small circle clearing around him and cheering him on as he pulled off a backflip. Suddenly, Asher reached into the crowd and pulled out Mauve, her lynx ears standing upright in surprise as she joined her boyfriend in the circle.

Mauve did a surprisingly good job keeping up with him, even being twirled or spun a few times by the grey eyed boy. Asher- to his credit, did the best he could to accommodate her into his routine.

Rust heard a whistle sound next to his ear, he turned to face an impressed Vermillion.

"Your friend can really move!" She called out over the roar of the music.

Rust nodded in agreement and his attention was caught by his own partner, who was standing maybe ten feet away with Honey. What Sage perhaps lacked in rhythm he made up for in effort, he and Honey were doing the robot with each other. It wasn't the worst choice of dance for a techno song and was admittedly quite cute to watch.

"What about you?" Vermillion called out again, pulling his attention away from his partner. Rust gave her a grin and took her hand, leading her further into the crowds to show her just how capable he was.

Later…

Eventually, the techno music ended and the ballroom music picked up again, ending the rave that had gripped the room for quite a while. Asher and Mauve watched as couples began to file back onto the dance floor, picking up where waltzes were left off.

Asher hadn't had the opportunity to let loose like that for a while, Mauve being able to almost match him in speed and intensity had been icing on the cake. They weren't sitting because they were tired though, Asher had tried to do the worm and on his third "wiggle" landed hard on his hips…

Yeah… the mood kinda died there… as well as any chance of him having kids...

Mauve had noticed the extreme pain he was in and offered to sit with him at one of the tables, an offer he readily accepted.

Asher observed his friends and teammates dance from a distance. He saw Blake far in the corner doing a little dance with a handsome monkey faunus. Asher and his team had come to know him as Sun, he was a pretty nice guy, even if he was a little too enthusiastic sometimes.

Further in the distance he could spot Rust dancing with a girl he assumed was Vermillion, his assumption being made off her vibrant red hair. She was a tall and beautiful girl with fair skin, only a few inches shorter than Rust, which was saying something.

Just off to the side was Sage and Honey. He recognized her from the small description Sage had given him back in the dorm room. He couldn't hear what they were saying but their dancing was far better than it used to be. As they spun around Asher spotted a big smile on Sage's face.

Asher finally looked to his right where Mauve was sitting next to him. Like him she was quietly observing the dancers, she had one pale leg crossed over the other and her hands in her lap.

"Hey Mauve," Asher began. "You want to head outside for a bit? It's kind of warm in here."

Mauve gave him a smile and a nod as she stood up. She reached down to offer him a hand but he assured her it wasn't necessary. She gave him a flat look in response…

"I'm pretty sure you destroyed your genitals with that dumb move you pulled… just take the hand!" She demanded.

Asher grumbled and accepted her hand, rising up to his feet. Admittedly, there was still some discomfort but nothing that would keep him from walking.

The two ascended the staircases to reach the balcony. The space was thankfully devoid of the crowds below, a few couples dotted the area, probably having the same idea Asher did. Heading for the balcony wall the two took a seat on the stone. It was a very nice evening and there was also a cool breeze, which was always welcome.

'Wait a sec… cool breeze' Asher thought as he turned to look at his partner. Mauve didn't look cold, but it was the gentlemanly thing to do…

Mauve noticed Asher slipping off his coat and arched an eyebrow.

"Are you about to do what I think you're about to do?" She asked dryly.

Asher responded by holding up his coat and averting his gaze.

"M'lady," he mocked.

"You're such a sap!" Mauve laughed.

"Fine," Asher muttered, a tone of fake-hurt in his voice. "If you don't want it then…"

"Give it here!" Mauve snapped, snatching the jacket out of his hands and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Oh, I'm the sap?" Asher snorted.

Mauve responded by holding up the lapel and breathing in deeply, inhaling the scent of the cloth. Asher just gave her a confused look in response to the strange display.

"Mhmm," she muttered. "I'm going to start stealing your clothes and wearing them now…"

"Why?"

Mauve gave him a half-lidded look.

"Because you smell good, that's why… plus that's what girlfriends do apparently? We steal your clothes..." She answered.

'Girlfriend' Asher thought to himself, content that he could call her by that label. Asher couldn't believe how damn lucky he was with the situation he was in. Mauve had so many qualities that he loved… her strength, her skill, her intelligence… even her temper, as volatile as it could be, he found endearing.

She certainly wasn't lacking when it came to looks either, something he had already admitted to her. Even now, perched on a wall with his coat on her shoulders she looked seraphic. The beautiful dimensions of her face didn't require excessive makeup, her pale skin tone suiting her perfectly. Her silver hair shone in the light of the shattered moon, the purple streaks in it adding even more flare to the river of silver. Her exposed arms were defined… not in a brawny way... but agile, lithe and powerful. What about her legs? The two limbs were coiled with tight muscles, coated with a layer of smooth, unblemished skin. Asher was a whole head taller than her but her legs still seemed impossibly long.

"Like what you see?" Mauve suddenly questioned, a playful look in her amber eyes.

"Yes," came Asher's immediate reply.

Mauve blushed and the two sat in comfortable silence for a while. Asher finally chose to speak up. "Hey Mauve… that day in the library… did Rust stay with you to speak about us?"

"Yes," she replied. "He never told me Sage was doing the same with you… just that he was keeping you busy... he made me admit my feelings."

Asher nodded.

"When I was with Sage, I asked him what I should say to you… but I never found the chance to say it." He trailed off.

"I'm listening."

"Sage asked me what I like about you, I told him that although we don't argue much, we're really different in a lot of ways and on a lot of issues… you know what I mean?"

Mauve responded with a smile.

"I know," she began. "I said something similar to Rust… while we do get along we've butt heads along the way… I like that… you make me think hard about every situation… the world makes more sense when you're around…" she spoke softly.

"I'm glad we feel the same way," Asher spoke with a smile.

"Likewise," Mauve agreed before a new thought came to her. "You're a good kisser you know…"

"Really? I'll be honest… it was my first time."

"Mmm, mine too… but despite our mutual lack of experience I thought it was pretty good."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Asher said with a smile.

Mauve was feeling a little brazen, besides, they had already kissed twice…

What was the harm in doing it some more?

"I'll be blunt…" Mauve began.

"What else is new?" Asher snarked.

"Shut up and kiss me…"

Asher sprang off the wall immediately, Mauve doing her part by gently standing up and leaning in. Within moments their lips were pressed together again, with no indication of them coming apart anytime soon. Mauve wrapped her arms tightly around Asher's neck to pull him closer, she felt his arms snake around her lower back.

Their mutual lack of experience didn't matter… they had all night to experiment.