Chapter 18
Rust's eyes snapped open when he felt hands pushing against his shoulders. Blinking and turning his head to spot the perpetrator, he made contact with the blue eyes of his partner.
"Sage, what-" Rust was interrupted when Sage hissed and held a finger to his lips. Holding up an arm he pointed in the direction of the other beds. Rust followed the finger to where it was indicating and…
Oh man… this was adorable.
On the other side of the room, where Asher's bed was, lay the forms of their teammate and leader. The two were still dressed in their evening wear and were sprawled haphazardly on Asher's bed in a tangle of limbs. Mauve was more or less on top of Asher, her lynx ears obscuring the brown haired boy's face.
Rust knew why Sage had shushed him, the two were still sleeping. Neither Sage nor Rust had seen them enter the dorm room the night before. The two boys had returned with their dates to their dorm and turned in almost immediately, trusting that Mauve and Asher were alright. Judging from the fact that they were still in their formal wear, Rust guessed that they collapsed onto the bed out of pure exhaustion.
Rust looked up at Sage again and grinned, receiving a similar grin from his partner. Extracting himself carefully from the covers to make as little noise as possible, Rust stood up with a stretch.
"Hey, Sage," Rust whispered. "Let's shower and get out of here… breakfast is probably being served already."
Sage nodded at his suggestion and they both went about their morning activities. Once both of them were showered and dressed in their uniforms, they slipped out of their room and headed towards the cafeteria.
Today was the day that first year teams would be receiving their first mission assignments. Thankfully, the event was scheduled later in the afternoon and classes were postponed, meaning that they had the morning to do as they pleased. Walking into the cafeteria, Sage and Rust collected their food from the buffets. Looking around the room they met the gazes of Teams RWBY and JNPR and moved to sit with them.
As they sat and began to converse, Rust snuck little glances at Pyrrha and Jaune. The two were sitting together and chatting amiably, but Rust didn't want to jump to any conclusions and cause an embarrassing situation.
"So, Sage…" Nora began, her voice muffled by the pancake half-sticking out of her mouth. "Who was that blonde you were with last night?"
"Honey," Sage said with a small blush. "Her name's Honey, why do you ask?"
"Just curious," she answered, still chewing. "She's also trying to get your attention!" Nora added.
Sage whipped his head around so fast he undid a crick in his neck he didn't know he had. Nora was right, Honey was sitting at a nearby table with her team. A look of relief flashed on her face when Sage noticed her, she gave him a small beckoning wave.
"Thanks Nora… back in a sec, Rust," Sage said.
Sage stood up from the table and made his way to Team VHLT. He was met with smiles from all four of them as he took a seat, facing Honey directly.
"Hey Sage! How are you!" Lavender asked in her usual bubbly tone.
"Good, thanks Lavender," he replied.
"How did you find the dance last night?"
"I had a great time!" he replied again, his gaze turning towards a smiling Honey. "What about you three?"
Lavender laughed as she remembered the night before, Teal just muttered under her breath.
"It was magical!" Lavender said wistfully.
"It was alright," Teal added, taking an opposite stance. "The only time the music was good was when the blonde guy in the dress walked in."
Lavender fixed Teal with an unpleasant look.
"That's all you remember?" She muttered.
"Hey now! I said the music sucked! My date was amazing!" Teal sprang out, salvaging the situation. Lavender gave Teal a smile, which Teal surprisingly returned.
"So…" Sage muttered, turning his attention to Honey and Vermillion. "How was your night Vermillion?"
"Good," the red haired girl replied, taking a bite of her food. "I'm glad Rust asked me to go, I was worried I would have to go alone."
"Yeah," Sage said with a smile. "He mentioned to me that he thought you were pretty cool… this was before we were all introduced."
Vermillion stopped to observe Sage for a moment.
"He did?"
"Yeah, he told me he was considering asking you for quite a bit."
"I see… be right back," Vermillion said, rising from her seat. Honey and Sage watched as she walked her way over to Rust, tapping him on his shoulder to get his attention. The two spoke inaudibly for a moment before Rust stood up, the two of them walking out of the room, chatting to each other.
"I know what you just did…" Honey spoke with a smile.
"You do?"
"After you two dropped us off Vermillion told us that she was really impressed with Rust… she was worried he asked her out of last minute desperation… was what you said true?"
"Of course," Sage replied. "He admitted to me that he found her interesting, he was already considering it beforehand."
"And you just confirmed to her that Rust might be interested in her," Honey spoke with another smile.
Sage responded with a smile of his own.
"The guy helped me out… he helped our other teammates out… it was the least I could do," Sage admitted.
The two fell into comfortable silence for a moment before Honey spoke up.
"Hey Sage," she asked. "Since we have a free morning, do you want to have that 'Duty Calls' match we were talking about?"
"Only if we do 1v1" Sage grinned.
"You're on!"
The two stood up and bid farewell to Lavender and Teal. As they were approaching the cafeteria exit, Sage looked up at the clock and saw that breakfast service was almost over.
"Hang on a second," Sage said, gesturing for Honey to stop.
"What's up?" The green-eyed girl asked.
"Do you mind if I drop some food off to my teammates? They're still asleep, I think… and breakfast is ending soon..."
Honey nodded in affirmation and followed Sage to load up two styrofoam containers with breakfast food. In addition to the food, Sage collected a cup of coffee for Asher and some tea for Mauve, Honey electing herself to carry the cups. He and Honey made their way to his dorm, Sage motioning for Honey to keep her voice down. Balancing the containers on one arm, Sage gently turned the handle and crept into the room, gesturing for Honey to follow him.
Mauve and Asher were still sprawled on the latters bed, still sleeping but starting to shift a little more. Sage noticed Honey stare at the two in surprise before breaking her gaze away. Sage placed the containers gently on the dorm's desk, pausing for a moment before pulling out some stationary and a pen. He wrote a simple message explaining the food and set it neatly on the containers.
Turning around to face his friend/possible girlfriend, Sage made a motion for her to follow as they crept out of the room. Honey only felt comfortable to talk once the door had been gently closed.
"Those two are so cute!" she half-whispered, a gleam in her eye.
"Yeah," Sage admitted with a smile. "I'm surprised they're comfortable enough to be doing that already, they only got together days ago."
"Speaking of getting together…" Honey muttered under her breath with a nervous shake.
Sage's heart skipped in anxiety when he heard her say that. Admittedly, he had already agreed to set up another date with her after the dance. He was still shocked though, Honey seemed pretty reserved and that was brazen for her…
Sage grappled with himself for a moment as he weighed his response. He had once bemoaned about his bachelorhood to Rust a few weeks back… and opportunity had come in the form of a beautiful girl with shared interests… even if she was a little awkward at times.
Oh what the hell…
Sage gave Honey a smile and watched her visibly relax.
"That sounds good to me…" Sage replied.
Honey smiled and stepped forward, surprising him when her arms gently wrapped around him. He shrugged and wrapped his arms up around her shoulders as a response. The two stood still for a while before Honey pulled away, looking up at Sage with a pleased expression.
"Alright… now it's time to humiliate you at video games!" She spoke with a grin.
"You're on!" Sage grinned back.
The two made haste towards her residence where they could play in relative peace. The two were oblivious that the two comatose people in the dorm were just beginning to stir…
A short amount of time later…
A small groan slipped from Mauve's lips as she began to shuffle around, feeling a warm presence below her. Opening her gunk filled eyes and raising her head, Mauve looked down at the still sleeping form of Asher.
She couldn't help but blush when she saw the position they were in, sprawled in a tangle of limbs atop his creased bed sheets. Mauve didn't know what time they actually got to bed last night, but it must have been in the morning judging by how late they slept in. Thankfully, all classes were postponed for the away missions, or they would have been severely late.
Knowing she was in dire need of a shower and a change of clothes, Mauve began pulling away from Asher, moving slowly so as to not wake him. Her efforts were thwarted when his strong arms wrapped tighter around her lower back. Mauve sighed when she realized the inevitability of having to wake him. She tapped the side of his cheek gently with her hand.
"Asher… hey," she muttered into his ear.
Slowly, Asher's eyes cracked open to the sight of his girlfriend's face, mere inches from his.
"Hey," he replied with a smile. Asher hummed and closed his eyes when Mauve leaned forwards and pressed her lips to his. In a few moments the grogginess began to clear from his head and he realized the position they were in.
"Oh," Asher muttered as he pulled away. He turned his head to look down the bed, seeing his arms wrapped around her waist. "We didn't uh… do anything did we?"
Mauve rolled her eyes. "Other than intensely making out until the early morning… no," she replied.
Asher nodded and removed his arms, allowing Mauve to get up off of him. Asher felt a little cold when her weight lifted off his chest, she had taken the pleasant warmth with her. Asher watched Mauve stand up and stretch, her purple dress wrinkled from their sleeping arrangement.
"I'm going to go grab a shower," Mauve said before looking down to sniff her dress. "We should probably turn these clothes over to laundry… I hope I can wear this again…"
Mauve walked up to the dresser to grab some casual clothes before heading to the bathroom. He saw her smile briefly at him as the door closed, a smile he returned.
With little to do until Mauve was done, Asher stood up and stretched. Committing to Mauve's suggestion he stripped off his now wrinkled suit, leaving on the undershirt and pants until he could properly shower. Asher didn't need to sniff his own armpit to tell whether or not he smelled like death.
Asher's attention was captured by the presence of two styrofoam containers on the desk, a small slip of stationary on top. Moving towards the containers he plucked the small paper off and read it's contents.
Hope you guys slept well, Rust and I are hanging with Team VHLT, breakfast was almost done so I brought you some stuff. Also included is a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, hopefully it's not too cold by the time you wake.
-Sage
Smiling to himself at his friend's thoughtfulness, Asher made a note to thank him later. Opening one container Asher spotted some classic breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, and hash browns. The contents were still hot and Asher put the lid back down to keep them that way.
Reaching forward and grabbing one of the cups, he determined it to be coffee by its smell and began sipping it. The caffeinated beverage doing wonders to help him wake up fully.
Asher heard a door open and shut and whirled around to face his girlfriend, her hair still wet from the shower. She was clad casually in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Mauve noticed the containers and cup that Asher was holding.
"Did you make a run to the cafeteria?" she asked.
"No, Sage left a note… says that he and Rust are out and that breakfast service was ending soon." He replied.
"Oh… that was kind of him," Mauve spoke, a look of understanding crossing her features.
"Come on… no sense in it getting cold, I'll shower after we eat. Sage even brought you some tea!"
The two grabbed their containers and drinks and sat down on Asher's already messy bed to eat. Once they had cleaned out the packages they tossed out the garbage. Asher stood up to grab one of his black hoodies and a pair of jeans and left to shower, leaving Mauve alone on the bed.
Mauve heard the sound of water rushing and knew that Asher was already showering. Leaning against the headboard of his bed she pulled her scroll from her pocket and checked her messages, jolting in surprise when she spotted an indication for a missed call… from her father.
Mauve felt a pang of guilt when she saw the voicemail indication, tapping on the "call" option to speak with him. They had last spoken a week ago, more just to catch up than anything else… but so much had happened since then!
Mauve knew that she should be honest and tell her father about her and Asher. She was a little worried about how he would respond to her dating a boy, but she had told him nothing but good things about her partner.
Mauve was interrupted from her thoughts when the scroll beeped, indicating a successful connection. Mauve brushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear as her father's smiling face popped up on screen.
Argent Tempesta was a handsome older man, his namesake predicated on the thick silver locks on his head. His face had become more wrinkled with age but he still possessed a strong jaw and defined bone structure. His eyes were a piercing amber, the source of Mauve's own…
"Mauve!" he called, his voice warbled slightly by the scrolls speakers. "I was worried about you! You normally pick up… not forgetting about dad, are you?"
Mauve smiled warmly before responding. Her father had been a constant rock in her life, an emotional bastion she could always rely on. "I'm sorry dad! I got to bed really late last night, I didn't see the missed call!" she replied.
A look of concern crossed her father's face.
"You got to bed late… that's a bad habit Mauve," he chided gently.
"Dad, you don't understand," Mauve huffed. "I normally get to bed on time… last night was the Beacon dance."
"Oh!" Her father reacted, another look of concern appeared. "So… did you go with anyone…?" He asked in an even tone.
Mauve felt a blush heat up her cheeks.
"Well dad, I've been meaning to tell you…" she muttered. "Do you remember my partner?"
"Asher, wasn't it?"
"That's the one… well, he and I started dating recently… we went together," she admitted.
Argent had a stony look on his face, nodding lightly. "I see… how 'recent' was this?" he asked.
"Literally a few days ago…" Mauve answered. "It happened after we last spoke… I was planning to tell you but there was so much going on!"
"Are you happy?" Argent asked softly.
"Yes," Mauve replied. "He's a really great guy…"
"May I speak with him?"
Mauve felt her pace quicken at her father's request. She knew that her dad would want to speak with her new boyfriend, probably to level some form of threat. Mauve wilted a little and felt her ears press down to her head.
"Maybe later dad… he's in the shower right now, it's not very fair to him," she muttered.
To her surprise, Argent smiled and nodded.
"Fine… I'll let him off the hook for now. But I want him to call me tonight so we can speak! Is that reasonable?" Argent asked with a serious look.
Mauve nodded in confirmation, she felt a little bad for pushing Asher into this, but it was inevitable… this at least gave him time to prepare.
"Look dad, I've got to go… could I text you later?" She requested.
Argent looked disappointed but nodded.
"Very well… goodbye Mauve, I love you."
"I love you too dad…" Mauve replied with a smile, ending the call and watching the screen go blank.
Asher was probably almost done with his shower, she could speak to him then. Suddenly, Mauve felt a draft from the windows and shuddered. She looked down at her attire and realized something heavier might be needed. Raising herself off the bed and heading to the closet, Mauve opened the doors and was greeted with an assortment of jackets. Mauve considered grabbing one of her sweaters before noticing one of Asher's extra hoodies.
Well, she did tell him that she would start stealing his clothes…
A few minutes later…
Asher sighed as he stepped out of the steamy bathroom. His hoodie and blue jeans felt clean and comfortable against his now spotless skin. He moved a hand to smooth back his damp hair.
As he strolled out of the small bathroom he was greeted with the sight of his girlfriend on his bed. It wasn't her location or the textbook she was flipping through that interested him. Rather, it was the black hoodie that was concealing her graceful form.
"Well," Asher spoke with a smile as Mauve looked up at him. "Guess your doing what you said you would… stealing my clothes."
Mauve smiled and slid off his bed, standing to her full height to give him a better view.
"How do I look?" she asked.
Asher owned a few different hoodies, most of them being identical and black; replacements in case his combat outfit was ruined. It was one of these spares that Mauve was currently wearing, completely identical to the one he currently wore. While the hoodies fit him perfectly they looked longer and baggier on Mauve as a result of her shorter height and smaller build. The hem of the hoodie reached below her waist and covered the shorts she had on, almost as if she was wearing a short dress.
"You look hot," Asher replied, a blush spreading on Mauve's cheeks. Asher watched as she held up the hood and inhaled deeply, her eyes closing.
"I will maintain that you sniffing my clothes is a little weird," he muttered.
Mauve just rolled her eyes and smiled. She turned and flopped back onto his bed, grabbing the book that she was reading before. Asher shrugged and moved to join her, lying down gently beside her and putting his back against the headboard. Mauve shifted so she was closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder. Asher noticed that it was the Grimm Studies textbook she was reading, a subject he currently had no interest in.
Asher fumbled his hand around on the nightstand and picked up the television remote. Pointing it at the wall he clicked the "on" button and watched as the holo screen blinked into existence.
"-break in at the CCT tower last night left multiple injured guar-" was all Asher heard before a pale hand intercepted his, clicking the "off" button. Asher looked down in surprise at Mauve, her book in her lap and her piercing gaze directed at him.
"We need to talk…" she muttered.
"Oh?" Asher asked.
Mauve's gaze flicked away in discomfort for a moment.
"I uh… told my father about us… he wants to speak with you via scroll call tonight."
Asher felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't consider that starting a relationship with Mauve would also involve getting into the good graces of her father. Asher knew how his parents would react when they inevitably found out he was dating a faunus girl. They would be livid and launch into a tirade filled with racist remarks, not that he gave a shit about their stupid opinions...
But Mauve's father… how was he going to react?
"Don't worry!" Mauve assured him. "I've told him plenty of good things about you! Chances are he just wants to give you a warning… typical dad stuff."
Asher sighed to himself.
"Any pointers you can give me?" he asked. Mauve smiled in return, nodding lightly.
"Of course, I can tell you all about him! I said that you would call him tonight, that should give you some time to think." Mauve replied, but she spoke nothing further.
"Are you uh… going to tell me?" Asher asked, a little confused.
"In a bit… can we just sit for a while?" Mauve spoke softly.
Asher responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. He felt her relax against him and she squeezed her head between his shoulder and his neck, her soft ears rubbing against his chin. The two sat in silence for a bit, happy to relax in each other's presence.
An idea suddenly sprang into Asher's head. "Hey," he began, getting Mauve's attention. "Were supposed to be attending that mission ceremony this afternoon right?"
"Yeah… and then missions begin tomorrow, what about it?" She responded.
"I'm just thinking… we won't have a lot of free time during the mission…"
"And?" She inquired, her eyebrow arched.
"Well… were alone in the dorm for the next few hours," Asher spoke with a nervous smile.
For a moment, silence reigned...
Mauve finally responded by maneuvering her way out of his grasp. She quickly threw one bare leg over his to straddle him, using her hands to push him firmly against the headboard. Asher had been taken completely by surprise…
"Wha-" Asher began before he was silenced, Mauve pushing a solitary finger against his lips.
"Your right," Mauve spoke with a suggestive smile. "Any suggestions?"
"Hardcore makeout session?" Asher grinned.
"Pff… you have such little tact…"
"Well-"
He was silenced again when Mauve surged forwards and slammed her lips against his, rattling the headboard. Asher hummed when he felt her tongue begin to prod against his lips, he parted them to allow her entry.
They had tried Mistralian kissing the night before… while the feeling had been strange at first they both admitted to enjoying it.
Asher relaxed and let her explore his mouth, knowing that trying to duel her with his own tongue was a hopeless battle… a lesson he had learned last night. Their relationship was only a few days old but they had jumped leaps and bounds. While most would consider these developments to be rushed, Asher and Mauve were already comfortable with each other long before they began dating.
The last few days had been a whirlwind of bottled-up passion, something that Mauve and Asher were keen to keep experiencing.
Feeling a little brave, Asher blindly reached a hand forwards. He found his target quickly, grasping and lightly squeezing Mauve's rear. He felt her gasp into his mouth and she pulled away, regarding him with a surprised expression.
Asher felt a spike of nervousness, worried that he had gone too far.
"I'm sorry!" he sputtered. "I won't do it if you're not comfortable with it, I just thought-" Asher was silenced when she put her finger to his lips again. Asher watched as a barely contained grin spread across Mauve's face, her eyes playful.
"I was a little surprised… but I didn't say stop…" she admitted, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
Asher grinned and reached his hand out again, making contact with and squeezing her firm behind. He looked up and watched Mauve react by shuddering and biting her lower lip. She said nothing as she surged down and smashed her lips onto his, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth again.
Asher grinned and let her take charge, continuing to hold and squeeze her rear. He moved his second hand forwards to join his first, hearing Mauve groan into his mouth when he applied pressure.
Suddenly she pulled away again, sitting back a little to regard him with a hungry look.
"I get to grab yours later…" She grinned.
Asher responded with a stupid smile and nodded, she wasted no time in moving forwards and continuing their fierce lip-lock and he grabbed her again in the same spot. He hadn't expected her to make such a demand, but it was only fair… he got to touch hers after all…
'I could get used to this…'
At roughly the same time…
Thankfully, it was a nice sunny day with clear weather. It was perhaps a little warmer than usual, but Rust was raised in a sweltering desert, heat bothered him little.
The large boy had been surprised when Vermillion approached him in the cafeteria, asking if he was available to talk. Rust had quickly agreed and the two left, what excuse did he have to reply "no?" Classes were postponed for the time being and Vermillion's humour meshed pretty well with his, she was fun to be around!
The two of them were currently walking and talking through the Beacon gardens, no real destination in mind.
Rust had the suspicion that Vermillion wanted to be more than a friend, but these were just suspicions. So far he had observed her watching him carefully whenever she made a joke for a reaction. She had also developed the habit of tucking her hair behind her ear whenever he turned to face her.
"So, Vermillion," Rust began. "You mentioned that your older brother went to Atlas, what made you decide to come here?"
"Well, I qualified to attend Beacon, which was a big incentive. To be honest though, Beacon was certainly better geographically speaking… close to home and no tundra…" Vermillion answered, kicking a stray rock on the path into the bushes.
Rust nodded at that, coming from an extreme environment and knowing the suffering it brought.
"What about you Rust? Why didn't you go to Shade?" Vermillion questioned.
"I considered it… I was fast tracked on this career path, a spot at Shade was already guaranteed. But I knew Beacon was prestigious and thought that I would try my luck… and whaddaya know!" Rust replied.
Vermillion blinked in confusion at his answer.
"You were fast tracked? How?"
Rust looked down for a moment, he had shared his upbringing with Sage… but that had been a night filled with raw emotions. Perhaps sharing such sensitive information with a relatively new friend was a bad idea…
But then again, he could always omit some stuff…
"Well," Rust chewed his lip before continuing. "I come from a pretty impoverished background… one day I ended up unlocking my aura in an accident. Theodore, the headmaster of Shade, took notice of me and had me trained… I was years behind and it was brutal… but I got out of that town." Rust finished, hoping that Vermillion would be satisfied.
Vermillion nodded at his answer, but Rust could tell she still had questions. Thankfully, Vermillion seemed to notice his discomfort and back off, much to his relief.
Silence settled between the two for a moment before Vermillion piped up again.
"So… Sage and Honey… you think they have a shot?" Vermillion questioned with a grin.
"Absolutely," Rust replied without hesitation. "I admit… she's a little reserved and Sage can be anxious… but they have a lot in common."
"And?" Vermillion pressed further.
"And' what?"
"What did Sage say about her? I told you all about how Honey gushed back in the dorm room, what did he say?" She clarified.
"Well, I wouldn't say he 'gushed' but he said a lot of good things."
"Like?"
"Sage told me he finds her quirks endearing… his words, not mine. And… he's a teenage boy so it was inevitable, he finds her attractive." Rust admitted.
Vermillion rolled her eyes.
"Men…" she muttered.
"Amen sister."
The two chuckled and continued walking, passing by a beautiful flower mural.
"Speaking of attraction…" Vermillion muttered. "What do you think about me?"
Vermillion slowed to a stop as she said this, Rust kept walking for a moment, his mind frozen by shock. Rust whirled around and adopted the best neutral expression he could. Vermillion was standing still and watching him for a reaction, her hands were wrung together by her hips, an indication of anxiety.
Rust legitimately didn't know how to answer. He had to admit that Vermillion was a lot of fun to be around. He enjoyed her casual treatment of the Beacon dance, seeing it more as an opportunity for fun rather than a stiff affair. Also, her brand of snark had grown on him…
While Rust had grown to like her as a friend, he couldn't discount the potential for something more. Besides, he had spent so long playing matchmaker with his friends… maybe this was his chance to help himself.
Still, he could have a little fun with it…
Rust dropped his neutral facial expression and Vermillion bristled, awaiting a response. Rust tapped his chin and smirked before finally answering.
"I'm gonna cut right through the bureaucracy here. Are you asking me out?"
Vermillion shifted slightly in discomfort.
"Well… yeah."
"Theoretically, if I say yes, will you show me an incredible night to remember?"
"What?" Vermillion replied with a confused blink.
"I mean… you'll pick me up, you take me to a great restaurant, you'll pull my chair out for me, we feed food to each other like every romance movie… ever, and then we finish the night with a romantic walk?"
Vermillion's confused gaze vanished and was replaced with a dry look, she gave him a punch on the arm.
"Jerk," she muttered, Rust laughed in response. "But seriously, what's your answer?"
Rust looked pensive again, but this time he was actually mulling it over.
"Alright, I'm game." He finally replied.
"Your 'game?' What kind of answer was that?" Vermillion snarked.
"The honest answer."
"So… are we a thing?"
"Guess so…" Rust finished. He held out a tanned hand for her to shake. Vermillion closed the gap and grasped his hand with her own, giving a surprisingly firm shake.
The two stood in silence for a moment before Rust sighed.
"That was kind of lame… how about this?" He said, holding out his long arms for a hug. Vermillion said nothing, just stepping forward to close the gap so he could wrap his arms around her, a gesture she returned.
The two stood silent for a while before finally breaking apart and continuing their walk.
"But seriously though, you want to go to dinner once our missions are done?" Rust asked with a smile.
Vermillion grinned. "Thought you would never ask!"
Several hours later in the afternoon…
Sage and Rust were standing in the massive auditorium where Ozpin's speech was about to commence. The two had already split with the members of Team VHLT and were in their teams designated location.
But where were Mauve and Asher? Asher was pretty laid back on most things but was usually pretty punctual. Mauve on the other hand had always been insistent on proper timing and professional etiquette. It was pretty odd that neither of them had shown up yet…
Deep down, in a much dirtier part of his mind, Rust was wondering what the two were doing all morning. Neither he nor Sage had had any contact with the other half of their team thus far, neither had answered their texts…
"So," Rust said. "How did it go with Honey?"
"Great! We uh… agreed to start dating… officially, or whatever," Sage replied with a grin.
"Nice man! Perfect timing too! Vermillion and I-"
Rust was cut off by the voice of their leader.
"Here we are! We're not late are we?" Mauve called.
Rust whirled around to face her and… oh… oh man. From appearances alone Rust knew he had plenty of ammunition for teasing.
Mauve and Asher looked absolutely disheveled. Mauve's normally pressed uniform was wrinkled and the fabric was bunched at odd angles, as if somebody had been yanking on the cloth…
Asher's uniform was in a similar state, his tie off-center and loose around the collar, as if it had been pulled. The state of his male friend's hair also did little to wash away the dirty scene playing in Rust's head. Asher's fair hair was normally a little messy, but it looked like a rat's nest now, with tufts sticking up at strange angles. Mauve was no better, her usual ponytail was off center and poorly tied. One of the strands she normally kept loose was longer than the other.
Asher was also wearing a white and black neckwarmer, which was odd considering the day's warm temperatures.
"Woah," Sage gasped as he took in their appearance. "What the hell happened to you guys?"
Sage received two sheepish looks in response.
"Don't be so naive, Sage," Rust grinned. "Two hormonal teens left alone in a dorm… what do you think happened?"
Mauve gave Rust a murderous look, Asher just blushed.
"No way!" Sage sputtered out. "You guys didn't-"
"No we didn't!" Mauve snapped. "I'll admit things got out of hand… there's no point in hiding the obvious… but it did not go that far," Mauve hissed.
"Hey now!" Rust almost sang. "As long as you two remember to wipe down and disinfect the room afterwards… there's no shame!"
That line elicited a quick burst of laughter from Sage. Now both Asher and Mauve were sporting murderous looks. But he wasn't done pressing this further...
"Say, Asher… that's a really nice neckwarmer," Rust pointed out.
Asher looked terrified.
"Ye-yeah," he replied. "Thanks."
"But it's such a nice, warm day," interjected Sage. Rust felt a swell of pride for his partner, clearly seeing the potential for teasing this situation had to offer. "Maybe you should take it off…"
"No, I think I'll keep it on…" Asher muttered. Mauve was growing darker and darker shades or red as she stood next to him, a horrified look on her face.
"And what would you do if I came forwards and plucked it off?" Rust grinned. "Are you hiding something?
"Sh-shut up," Asher stuttered.
Sage gave Rust a grin, which the big man quickly returned. The two were going to continue their assault when Professor Ozpin's voice rang out, silencing the auditorium.
Thankfully, Ozpin's speech had been relatively short, a quick address that recounted the history of the Great War. Mauve, who clearly didn't want to get stuck in further interrogation, darted forwards once the speech concluded to address her team.
"Mission board… let's go!" She shot out, moving far faster than humanly (or faunusly) possible. She at least had the courtesy to yank Asher along with her, even though her boyfriend's semblance could get them there far faster than her legs alone.
Rust watched as his teammates hastily retreated, his thoughts interrupted by Sage.
"What the hell was he thinking?" Sage chuckled. "Did he really think no one was going to ask?"
"I wonder how many hickeys she gave him!" Rust chuckled. "Still though, we should give it a rest… I don't want them angry with us."
Sage nodded in agreement before tapping his shoulder to catch his attention. Sage gestured over to the other side of the room, where Vermillion and Honey just happened to be standing.
Honey gave a wave and a smile to Sage, which caused the wolf boy to blush.
"Ugh," Rust groaned. "Come on man…"
"What?"
"Watch this," Rust muttered. He turned to look at Vermillion and held up a pair of finger guns, making a clicking noise. Vermillion watched this gesture and returned one of her own, making identical finger guns before offering Rust a smile.
Sage looked confused, Honey did as well.
"What was that?" Sage questioned.
"Vermillion and I are like you two… except cooler!" Rust grinned.
"Wait… you two are together?" Sage gasped.
"Yes… but that was decided upon a little while ago… we're going to dinner after the missions!"
"Congratulations!" Sage cheered for his friend. He decided to stay quiet about his involvement back in the cafeteria.
With a final wave at their girlfriends Rust and Sage turned to maneuver through the crowds and find the rest of their team. The search didn't take long, Mauve and Asher were crowded against one of the mission boards, clearly weighing their options.
"So!" Sage called out to get their attention. "What's the plan?"
"Well," Mauve said in reply. "We have two choices… one is two assist the local police in Vale, the other is to handle a grimm infestation near a local village."
Rust looked in between his teammates, suppressing a snort when he spotted Asher with his neckwear.
"How about the grimm infestation?" Rust offered. "It's been a long time since any of us fought them!"
Rust watched his team nod in agreement.
"Well, it's settled then," Mauve muttered, tapping "MARS" onto the screen to secure their mission choice. "We ship out tomorrow…"
Rust couldn't help it…
"Should Sage and I find another place to sleep tonight?" Rust snarked.
Rust was met with a facepalm from his partner and two identical snarls from the young, handsy lovers. This was going to be a great trip…