II: The Heat

To all of those who have Faved and Followed the story so far, you guys are great. Thanks for the attention that you have given my little story so far, I hope that this chapter is up to your expectations. Special shoutout to the reviewers, you guys really make my day.

So, we begin the second chapter of our three-part story. We find our heroes stranded on this mysterious island, as they must figure out a few necessities, we would see how their hearts open under the heat of the moment. Speaking of the heat, for those living on the West Coast, make sure to stay cool and drink lots of water!

Trigger warning for sexual content in this chapter.

The First act that they set out to complete, was fixing a grave into the sand. Taking two pieces of driftwood and using plant fibers as string, they tied one short piece and one long piece together forming a cross. It was for Penny.

The once cheerful girl, that he had euthanized was now truly dead. A small funeral service followed, it was only proper to conduct one in silence, dress was informal, but no one really complained about the accommodations. No one said a word to be exact, the act was carried out as abruptly and with as few words as possible, the word death seemingly being taboo. It was his idea, but she seemed to have sensed his intent and followed along. He picked up the sticks and string and had tied them together, while Weiss went off and picked up a collection of seashells and sad sandy rocks to form a grave. It was to be unmarked and without a tombstone.

They sat in silence on the narrow strip of grass that lay parallel to the sand and the jungle, working in silence as small rings made from a motley collection of the surrounding geography formed an empty mound. Atop of their hasty mausoleum stood atop two sticks of uneven length. They stared at their makeshift creation with contempt, it was a rushed job, but it was all they could do under the circumstances. Weiss held onto his shoulder sportingly, not speaking a word until their moments of silence had passed, fully understanding the weight now carried by both.

Jaune shoved the thoughts of Penny's demise to the back of his head, ignoring the encores to replay the scene within his mind. It was a shame that they never recovered her corpse, now it was just an empty hollow sign, not even a tombstone to mark it. But then again, he could not bear to see her lifeless eyes again, not for a third time, this time it felt permeant. Her hand on his shoulder felt like a comfort, but he still felt the burden on his chest. So, he set his mind on other things, other more pressing matters.

First order of business? Water. That was solvable, to say the least, albeit a tedious wait. They were both aware that Saltwater was not a suitable solution, transported from a fresh water-rich glacier to now a scarce island was not ideal. Taking the reins of their water problem, Jaune started stripping his tattered armor off, gold rims crashing softly into the sand, releasing dents onto the beach. Using what strength he had, he channeled his rage into his hands, bending the piece into an iron bowl, walking silently over to the sea, he let the salt contaminate his armor. The blue ruining what was broken, the sea pulling away at his pride. He had once worn his armor proudly, but now he barely felt worthy of even looking at it.

Glancing over to his partner, she was in the process of using dead twigs to form a pyramid. With one burst of red powder, she had created fire. A small grin of satisfaction emerged from her, pleased with her handiwork. Its bright glistening flame, allowed him to breathe a distracted look at their prospects…a good fire was the second thing on their list of priorities, their chances of living seemed brighter.

Then, he took his chest plate off and took his time, bending, pounding, and beating the chest piece into a much larger bowl. He used his fists, pounding into it with each strike, clutching onto its golden rims, he let loose hit after hit into the metallic plates, breaking it's form from a protective plate into a much large bowl. This was to be the condenser.

The armor was legacy, but from the moment that he had lied, that legacy had died. He was going to be the last of a long line of Arc's for what he had done, and those thoughts carried him to carry out this act of graffiti. Now, it was going to be good for one thing, surviving. Sorry Grandfather, your grandson was now using it to live vicariously. Sorry, father, he wanted to live up to your name, but now, here he is destroying your relics on a faraway island. Now the refuse lay upon these shores.

The system was now complete, his survival training would ensure that they would get to live for a few more hours at the very least, maybe a few years until his armor started rusting. The small bowl of water when placed above a source of heat was going to send water vapor rising, which was going to be collected by his chest plate container. What water was going to drip out was going to be collected in hastily grabbed leaf cups. Hopefully, the experiment was airtight enough for clean water to be formed. The average person could live a few days without food, but without water? That was death guaranteed.

He felt lighter, with his armor off his shoulders and chest, the weight no longer affecting him as he was liberated in only a black shirt drenched in sweat. It still felt improper to take the shirt off in the presence of a lady, but as he glanced over to her direction, she too had taken liberties with her clothing, having taken off the blue top that she had worn to keep her neck warm. The scorching blaze would see to it, but it was undeniable that the climate was leading to the swelling of sweat beads on his forehead. Perhaps, the cause of his insanity earlier was the heat.

Their camp was located on the grassy knoll between the thick jungle and the golden beach, the shade providing comfort for their noon as tall palm trees sheltered them from the scorching star. A few paces away, but still within eyesight was the empty grave they had hastily made, he averted his eyes to look at only two subjects, the crackling fire before him and the sweltering girl beside him as he put his gaze between the two subjects.

"How's the water coming along?" She asked curiously, as he began placing the finishing touches on his water filtration system. The small metal bowl of saltwater supported above a dust fire would be a good while until they had aqua, but hopefully, he hadn't them doomed just yet with shoddy craftsmanship.

"Finger's crossed" He replied shortly, still kneeling in front of his system.

She walked up and placed her pure hands on his sweat-soaked black shoulder again, it was the third time that her hands had been placed on him; either out of concern that he was going to run again or out of genuine comfort.

"I'm not going to run again." He comforted her in response, although the tone could be interpreted curtly.

"I didn't say anything" Taken aback by his answer, she kept her hand on his shoulder although her grip relaxed, ignoring his comment. "But I think we at the very least need to talk about…what happened."

He then walked up to a tall trunk and let his legs stretch loose, he stared into the ocean listlessly taking her words into his mind, not his soul. His heart becoming one with the sea as he wanted to become one with the vast sea before his eyes, it was a staring game between all three of them, except they were staring at each other in a straight line, no one would ever see the loser blink. He wanted to be taken away by the sea once again, but that desire was no longer strong, his courage had returned and now he had to face the problems in a mind that was his own.

"Which part?" Jaune asked sheepishly this time, the events of the last two hours seemed to blur as if he had spent his life condensed in a bubble. The part where he had to end Penny? The part where they lost? Again. The part where he went delirious and sped into the jungle, only to be confronted with the visage of his dead partner? They could take their pick of the issues that he had and still wouldn't be any closer to solving them by sundown.

Sensing his guilt from the empty stares and the words that he had spoken earlier; Weiss went on the offensive: "I don't blame you Jaune. The powers went to Winter…and she did it…so that we could win." There was disbelief in both their minds as the words left her heart, the idea that Penny's sacrifice was so utilitarian in nature, deciding to sacrifice herself so that they could win, but they were here to live with the consequences of that robotic calculation.

"I still ended her life, her life still mattered to us…to me…and most especially…Ruby." At the mention of their non-present leader, both their minds drifted to her, if she had lived through the ordeal of the fall as they had too, then it was likely they were going to have to tell her of what had transpired above.

"Considering we made it ashore, I think it's safe to assume that they did too…" Her words trailed off at the sight of his pale reaction, the implications now coming in as a new wave of foam clawing away. The longshore drift deposited sediments, only adding to the weight felt on the beach. More sand to carry in their Winter boots.

The fire crackled on, and she took a seat beside him. Of all the positions that she could have taken she chose to be next to him, being parallel to him would've given him a head start. His mental state was still a strange matter, but she had to figure out if his sanity was still intact. While not a professional counselor, she was still intelligent enough to recognize the symptoms of combat-related stress. However, now she wasn't so sure, the puppet-like reaction that he had when he faced the chimera earlier was evidence of a deeper mystery.

The orange flames glistening on this bright afternoon, covered by a simple water system reminded her of a demonic furnace. It reminded her of the Apathy. The form of Grimm that relied on spreading emotions of apathy to lure its victims into a sense of idle death, leading their victims to atrophy into bones or lure them into their jaws and devour them whole. A flock of them had almost eaten them whole a few weeks back, and the wave of emotions that washed over them leading to their temporary depression was a frightful memory on the calming beach.

Their backs were now turned against a sinister force behind them, were they ignoring the dangers that laid behind them to look forward?

"I'm sorry…That I made you run after me…I don't know what came over me?" He apologized tardily, his voice still remaining strong and his gaze still looking into beyond the blue, trying to find the point where the sea split from the azure.

There was no changing his rigid stance, she looked at his calm expression, he hadn't even looked at her for the apology, and the lack of attention stung her lightly. Seeing his once cheerful demeanor now reduced to a fleeting phantom.

On this pristine and natural beach, they held their emotions close to the chest. Yes, she felt fears and worries for their most recent loss, so much was unknown to them and each day would likely bring more uncertainty. If their thoughts weren't on the dead, the view would be paradise. A fresh wave came over bringing foam and a new sense of empathy between the two, it's swashing bringing a sense of calm and understanding to their failure.

"She won't blame you…I saw what happened too." She comforted him with blank assurances, just like the mystery that was behind them, what reaction would Ruby have when she learned of Penny's death? Would her dear heart be shattered once again? Or would she turn insane from the shock? Oh, it pained Weiss' heart to think of it so, each second spent apart from the rest of their team now seemed more and more like a blessing than a curse.

"I know she won't…Just can't wait to break her heart again" The second half was delivered so sarcastically bitter, it would've rivaled the taste of lemon extract. His concern for others was his strong suit, it made him such a strong leader, but now the bitterness in his tone was the cause of his fleeting prowess.

She didn't really know how to respond to him at that point, his spirits were nearing a breaking point. A desire to chastise him, slap him silly until he awoke from his seaside dream was an inviting thought, but she lacked the energy to do such a thing, all the adrenaline she had was spent from the last 72 hours of combat. She really didn't have the time or energy to be dealing with his puppy-eyes or slouched posture, as much as she wanted to help him, he was in no mood to let that happen. It was a bad move to split up, but reconnaissance was essential for their survival.

So she took one last look at her fellow knight. Poor Jaune, he was so kind, he was so sweet, but alas he was never the strongest out of their group. She wanted to throw her arms around him, comfort him and tell him that it was going to be alright. But, the truth was much better than hedonistic bliss, so she would bid him adieu. One last glance at his figure offered her a bleak look as he stared at his broken sword under the sheltering olive leaves, stroking the hilt of the sword with a longing gaze, the same gaze that he had when staring out into the deep blue sea. A gaze of loss, pain, and regret, was unbecoming of him, but there was little that she could say that would snap him out of his trance, damage beyond the physical had been done on him, and she had not the patience to wait for him to break out of it.

One last look upon her dress and figure, her sleeves were now showing as was her chest, perfect for the Summer weather. Were there any fears? Doubts? Guilt? For leaving the vulnerable catatonic man alone, perhaps, but Weiss was still somewhat confident that he wouldn't betray his word and ruin the trust she had for him just yet. He had only ever managed to surprise her and had never let her down…Well there was that one time when he tried to serenade her with a guitar, but even then…it had led to better things. A smirk formed on her petite lips, she never thanked him for what came next.

Such thoughts of their past occupied her mind as she walked along the beach, her clothes weren't perfect for the climate, and it was still undeniably sweltering for her. She had been raised in the frigid cold, so being in the heat was difficult for her. However, the cold could not excuse her temporary abandonment of the poor man.

Ugh…The younger her would've abandoned him and allowed him to die, but now she was here getting caught up in the world of pitying the sad beagle. She took out her Scroll and stared at the holographic information on her device, it read: 'No Signal' wherever they were, it was likely they were well out of range of any telecommunications network. Bringing up the search function was also useless, her device sarcastically telling her: 'Sorry, but no friends are around you now'. Damn Scroll, if she didn't still depend on it, it would have drifted out into the blue. So, calling her companions was improbable now.

Another sign of their distant locale was by one look upward into the bright sky above. While the occasional fleeting cloud would pass by her sight, the shattered moon above was nowhere to be found. It was a fact that they had clearly observed but chosen to move on from. A testament to human nature, on new and mysterious lands, their emotional troubles would take precedence over the beauty before their eyes…They were truly stranded and alone.

Despite the tranquillity of the sands, all she had around her was chaos. Even when 50 paces away from him, all her thoughts went back to the events surrounding him. The beach is uniquely situated, it acted as a neutral zone to the wild jungle to its east and the fierce seas to its west, a person walking down the middle of this Demalitaried zone would hear and see the chaos and violence on both sides, the present to their east and the future to their west. The middle laden with minefields and barbed wire was the present, one wrong move was going to set her to the pearly gates.

Perhaps there would be fresh crabs in the sea or even fish that swam too close to the shore. But the only weapon that she had was her rapier-revolver, and she wasn't keen on shooting their next meal with ice-laden energy. The answer to your troubles never lay in the future, looking ahead while the hands of the past still clasped onto you were only ever going to drag them further into despair. So, no more thoughts about how the rest of them were going to react, or ideas about seafood for now.

The desert before her was still barren, but where one saw infertility. Another saw ingenuity, the barren field before her was ripe for creation, it was the present and it was a gift. It was a rebellion of the innocent. It started with one kick, brushing up a wave of sand high up into the air, and with that kick channeled by an emotion of rage and joy.

Why? Because she could. The few times over the years that she had been to the beach were under the company of her bastard father and alcoholic mother or perhaps it would be accompanying her father and a cadre of company officials. Like thick walls that surrounded her, a prison of men that watched her every move as she tried to enjoy one of the simplest freedoms a person could have. Every time she had to go to the beach, she would see happy families enjoying an ice-cold treat, but she would walk down the avenues in chains. No more, here she was free to enjoy it all. Amidst the blue and emerald, where no civilization existed, the chains that once held her down were gone. No more little girl being monitored by armed guards and Balenciaga shades, or the cold piercing gaze of familial pressure to hold her hand, she was free.

For a brief moment, she forgot the past or the future, on the narrow stretch of land, where no man looked on her. A small grin flashed upon her face, kicking another gush of sand up again. The tips of her winter shoes covered in sand lifted up the beautiful collage of little golden droplets. Letting herself chuckle at the sight, a bemused smirk emerged. If only he could be as joyful as her. A weight was let go from her shoulders, her worries of the past gone, with only thoughts of a sad man still remaining in her head...How to save him?

One look to the left was the past. The ugly jungle and wild monsters rested there, it was better to let sleeping dragons lay, but the inconvenient fact was that in their world, dragons had to be slain. In her periphery, she saw a bunch of furry brown rocks hanging bunched up on a still trunk, its leaves swaying semi-violently due to the calm ocean breeze, the answers to all her problems lay within the jungle.

With one flick of her rapier, she sent a wave of blue lightning into the palm leaves, severing the connections with the fruits sending them falling towards the ground. Dinner was served. It wasn't a gourmet meal prepared by a chef of haut-culture standing, but the sweet nectar provided by nature was the delectable meal for them. It would be a shame if he was unwilling to eat them…No…He was going to eat, even if she had to force him.

By the time she had arrived back at their camp, the fires still burnt on. Her dress was ruined by the sandstorm earlier, but her spirits were held high and confident to face the challenge before her.

Among the tranquillity of crashing waves basking in the glow of a fleeting star, burning in bright golden orange passion was a broken heart, crying his heart in tears of scarlet, begging for forgiveness from ghosts. The scattering inferno at the center of their camp was their only source of warmth for the night, but the fire she had set up for them was neglected as the only recipient huddled himself for warmth under the growing darkness, with only the embers struggling to live. He was in frostbitten pain, despite her fire, as he still sat there underneath the palm tree, having become one with it. Jaune Arc was now part-tree as he sat there moaning, belittling, and crying.

The poor boy's face was a wrangled mess of emotions, his lips once straight as hardened stell now bent as a sad clown's frown; dead eyes now deader as they drained themselves dry, and his form still shaking as a landslide of emotions burst from the broken dam, untended by his custodian, left abandoned and alone with only his thoughts of penance to keep him company. "I'm sorry…I should've never even been there…Pyrrha…and now I've done it and killed Penny too…"

He hadn't noticed her, his head still focused on himself and his malicious deeds. "Why…Why did I have to sneak into Beacon, you did GrEat Arc! You managed to get yourself dragged into this damn war…and now look at yourself." The aberration within his heart was only growing larger and larger, but on the island, his soul was released.

"You get two people dead…" He said the last part silently, as he had run out of guilt to release.

Her heart was crushed by his confession, in dramatic fashion, the two pieces of woolly fruit clashed onto the beach letting an audible 'thud' alert the crying man of her presence. His sadness now replaced with shock, which slowly turned into indifference over her acknowledgment of his terrible deceit.

Where had his optimistic values faded too? She went forward with a calm look and spread her sandy kicks onto his salted mind, holding him tightly in her embrace. They became one with a single act, as she held him close to her chest, an impossible task typically due to the differences in their heights, but on the island what was once unlikely had happened. Weiss Schnee was now hugging Jaune Arc.

His breaths went from normal to calm, the burst of self-hating rage subsiding away into silence. A thought inside wanted to protest the treatment that he was now receiving from her, such kindness was not deserving. Her head beside his let him smell the salt, the sand, and the trees, it made him feel the touch of life again coursing through his veins as he felt seen and acknowledged.

The vindication from her warmth began elevating his spirits from the idle hatred that had spewed from him, his self-hatred gradually fading away into pure calm, as still as the sands that stirred in front of him. At the present, his face was flushing back to tranquillity under her soft pillowy arms.

Under the tree, he had expected to have been hated, to be marked with disgruntled remarks at his existence and his piss-poor fighting ability. The failure that they had just been inflicted was done by his hand, now that train of thought faded away just like his golden armor. By her winterly warm hands, she was choosing to heal him from his distress.

"Weiss…What…Why?" He asked still confused by her caring act, he had never known her to be one to show affection, especially to him of all people. His deeds no matter how well-meaning had led to their continued loss, if anything she of all people should shun him, pelt him with disgust and scorn.

"You idiot, their deaths weren't your fault" She muttered quietly, her words reaching into his left ear filling his canals with soothing essence. Letting him out of her grasp, Weiss looked at his sheepish visage with forgiving love.

Which was then swiftly shattered by her slapping him on the head with a quick stroke. "But…If you ever run away from me when I tell you to stop, I will skewer you." That was the Weiss that he knew and loved, the one whose skin too cold to hold, but a dormant fire burning underneath her scars.

"I promise" This time, like all the other times before he was going to follow through.

"I brought dinner" She gestured towards the coconuts left before their feet.

Giving a small sniffle to recall the tears he had given, he looked at them with malnourished optimism. "Thanks"

The outer shells were carved out by the remains of his sword, revealing both a core of milky white meat and a tub of sweetish-looking water of the greyish variety. Like she had expected, it was not the high-class meal that she had grown up with, but it seemed temperate and fair for the setting. He on the other hand looked at the meal as if it were given to him by a patron saint and sipped the liquid inside thirstily.

"Thanks for the food." He said in a quiet tone, still somewhat unsure about his recent revelations.

"You're…welcome" She returned awkwardly, in response to the normalcy they were beginning to return to. Taking a sip of her own meal, its sweetish water and white meat providing her with benign sustenance.

Rather than suffer in silence anymore, he decided to come clean. It wouldn't have been the first time that his deepest secret as such had been revealed to others, he had done so before and it was the best policy. Pausing for a moment, he looked on towards the darkening sea, the glimpse of an orange semi-circle reminding him to speak before she had gone away too. "I cheated my way into Beacon." He confessed.

She seemed to take the statement with a neutral tone and was as calm as the currents. "Why?"

He had expected to be asked a question of 'how?' and her to be in shock, but it seemed as if she was perceptive enough to have had such thoughts. "You knew?"

"It crossed my mind…once or twice" She admitted, spooning another bite of meat out with her hand. "But…you just confirmed it."

"Heh…Yeah…I guess…I did it to live up to my family…" He answered, looking sheepishly at his locus being revealed. "Two generations of warriors and they end up with me, you could bet grandpa was disappointed. That was until…they heard I got into Beacon."

Weiss looked on at him with a small glitter of understanding, admiration, and distaste, a peculiar summer drink, but it was the one in her palm as she listened on to his story. One that held kinship to her. Boy tries living up to the family name, but he wasn't as capable as he wanted to be, so he decided to risk his life and cheat his way to live up to their expectations. But oopsie, now he gets people killed, so he keeps on fighting thinking he could still do good.

Family, bloodlines, and genealogies. She too was trying to reclaim control of the Schnee name, decades of brutal capitalistic practices had corrupted what was once a prestigious energy-providing company into a name synonymous with monetary slavery. Yes, she too went into the world with expectations of defending her bloodline, just like he had. They were more alike than she had ever thought of.

"Who else knew?" She asked as he had reached the point of silence.

He looked at the question with some thought "Well…Cardin for a start."

"Wait…Cardin? As in Cardin Winchester? Your old bully?"

"Yep…" He answered sheepishly. "That's the one, he found out and made me his errand boy for a few weeks." Recounting the days when he was a simple whipping boy made him more embarrassed, and a wide shameful grin appeared.

He continued on "Anyway…Yang recently found out…Ren also knew, so I guess it's safe to assume that Nora also knows…and Pyrrha…" Trailing off as he reached her name, Weiss turned her head to the right and looked at him with nurse-like concern, at the mention of her name.

An audible rustling of leaves followed behind them, it came from within the jungle and a thick black shadow moved, no, thrived within it. She who was not named, as few had ever met her and lived. The guilt machine behind them moved under the cover of the chilly winds that swept through the trees, camouflaging its movements. She was intelligent make no mistake, it sought out those strong with guilt and weak wills and entrapped them to her grasp. That was how she consumed her prey, as the tail brought out faces close to the victim, leading them to their knees as she moved in for the kill. The last thing her victims ever see would be her yellow feline eyes, starring intensely at them as if a barrister at court.

"That wasn't Pyrrha." Reassured Weiss, chalking the rustling of leaves behind her to the changing tides.

"I know…but whatever that thing…that Puma…and that snake was…it made me feel things…a strong sense of guilt…and when it told me to run to it…that was all I could do." He paused, collecting his thoughts again. "She…no…IT told me what I wanted to hear…It told me that I was a failure, and made me think that…if I was never her partner…or if I was somebody else…someone better, then we might've won…I know…it's stupid to think of it this way…it's survivor's guilt talking, but you can't help but think this way when you're the one who's a bottom feeder and the one who…survives."

At his flagellant-like confession, her mouth widened agape. Then she steeled herself, and looked furious with him, slapping him was considered, but she was tempered. "DON'T you DARE, think that way." Shocked even by herself at her outburst, she calmed herself. "Jaune…you may not be the best fighter that we have…and yes, you did cheat into Beacon, which was foolish, to say the least. But, you have helped us, and you were good at it. I know you feel their deaths…both Penny and Pyrrha, I do too….but don't for a second forget the good that you do…you've saved us… I included…many times." Her comfort ended with a well-placed finger at the center of his black undershirt, spot-on in the middle of his chest.

Her words pierced him as if she had speared him upon a holy cross, and he took in her steadfast looks, her white locks that shuddered with absolution. All the words she had just said were moving him onward and back into reality, he could now see the ocean in front of him calmly, the fog from the jungle fading away with each passing moment with her by his side. It looked dark, but not grim, the faint purplish light fading into yesterday still held a tinge of…relief.

Then he turned his aperture over to his determined partner, in her eyes were glints of frustration overshadowed by a pang of fear and concern. She too had seen the same losses as he had, the same memories and the same futures that they once had were gone from their hands as well. But now, the fading sun was opening a new window for the two of them, and this time rather than run back into the past, he was going to jump forward…with her. "I won't…And I promise you…I'll keep on living…stronger and better…"

At his promise, she clasped her hands with his, a vow from him carried matrimony-like quality, for it took heartbreak to ever break his promises. "It's a promise then." She said sagely.

Their simple meal of white meat and sweetish water was finished abruptly as it was neither filling but adequate, washed down by another drink, the saltwater turned fresh had finish distilling. The taste was horrendous and still had a tinge of algae within the concoction, but it was watery enough to be considered water, a small comfort.

The trees rustled unnaturally again, as no wind stirred.

"That thing…it's still out there," Jaune stated, starring into the Avocado darkness. His broken sword still on his hip.

"It's a monster of guilt…I think" Whispered Weiss.

"Yeah…It's like the Apathy…but…the thing doesn't look, Grimm…" He further added.

"I suspect it's part of the island's natural biodiversity."

"Why?"

"Because it bleeds…and if it bleeds then...I think it's still much more sentient than we give it credit for." She stated kindly.

The implications of the beast were that it held sentience, but when push came to shove they were going to have to face it, the guilt machine that lived in the jungle of past memories was prowling behind them, but first, they needed rest for the night, and so the two sat under the cover of a tinder and palm tree.

Weiss looked up and saw his rigid jawline, their faces in proximity now as she had her head resting upon his broad shoulder. He looked down and saw her natural beauty as well and time slowed to a point, the only sign of movement came from the mysterious stars above. They were truly off the beaten path and alone, with only her flame to guide them through the night.

Jaune looked down and realized that she was sitting so close to him, even resting herself on his left shoulder, her hair let down was a sight to behold, a silvery waterfall hiding the illustrious Shangri-La. She had saved him, or at the very least bought back a sense of much-needed normalcy to his pained life, and he wanted her…in his arms.

They were both tired and needed a much-desired break. Their heads moved in closer and closer, their eyes feeling the heat of the moment radiating from the climate or perhaps their hearts pushed lips together like magnets. Under human flame, shadows of two lips intertwining like snakes played in a manatee theatre. A desire to grow closer to his savior pulling him to her petite lips, now pressing up against his in this spur of the moment and she thought his taste was sweet as did he. Their breaths now pressed up against each other and were breathing each other's gasp. Both hearing the audible gasps for air from their nostrils.

His heart had been open to her, from sad puppy-like eyes to his confident front had been seen by her. He had seen her calm and healing presence, but also in her blue eyes was a new rebellion that had been found in her heart. Weiss felt his hands move up onto her neck, his burly arms stroking her nape and onto her pale locks, tumbling backward onto the sandy grass, with him on top.

If they had been here on better terms, perhaps a five-star resort would be waiting for them not too far away.

Their heads moved like magnets caught in a black hole of titillating attraction, their eyes indicating to each other the all-clear. What followed was human passion, a force that was primal and forgotten in the face of repressed advancement, but on the beach that night they found the stresses of combat elevated into oblivion and replaced with a primal force of release. Tired emotions flowed away with sore muscles and the sweet taste of pomegranate lips followed with their rashness. Not a syllable saying 'no' was ever uttered, their heads in the night sky, caught in the moment.

Jaune found himself kissing her clumsily, it was not a kiss goodbye this time, but a kiss of want. He had wanted to be with Weiss Schnee months ago, and now upon the shores of castaways she was kissing him back as he held her arms around his waist too, moving his shirt off his chest, responding in kind to her encroachment, he moved his hands away from her head and reciprocated in kind to her white top. She tasted of sugar water and he tasted of badly distilled seawater, a combination of roughness and sweetness origination at the epicenter of the stage. Jaune made sure to remove her garments carefully, rather than rip off her only dress in barbaric fashion, but he still found wanton desire in wanting her bare skin exposed.

Weiss closed her eyes, as her partner took the straps of her white top off her, bringing the lines of white cloth down by her side, exposing her smallish bosom. Both chests now laid bare for the other to see under faint orange and black light, flickering to reveal their heroic bodies in the darkness. Below, Jaune saw her proudly embarrassed sculpture, its chiseled shape ruined by a thin scar further adding to her seductive nature, an asymmetry to complement asymmetry. Likewise, she could now see what was beyond his final layer of clothing, revealing a chevalier body shape and a lean shape, causing her to turn her head in trained subtlety and seduction, letting Jaune catch only the left shade of her face, another scar. Despite being privy to seeing her from the side, he still found her majestic, like an exotic art piece.

His finger reached the scar on her abdomen, left there a few months ago from a deadly encounter, he had helped heal with quick efficiency. Now he traced the scar from top to bottom, making her wince in slight embarrassment. She shot him with a glance of shame, asking him to stop his gaze on her wound, and he reciprocated by moving his gentle lips towards her chest, kissing her prized front lovingly. She winced and moaned as he sucked on her breasts, with inexperienced tenderness, moving from left to right with his mouth, bruised fingers healed by magic as he fondled them dearly, sending her blood to pump in excitement at the stimulus and attention to his actions, as clumsily as he was, he found the rights spots to feel and it was heating her body. His tongue swirled around the mounds with brutish care, licking them as if he were an infant, the teenage hormones within them triggering hardening and moistening reactions.

A swirling excitement swirled in their pounding hearts, the taboo of it all was dragging them down into the cold below, so they held on closer to each other for warmth. His hands and fingers electrifying and titillating her in sinful passion, as he pressed on with his attack, with her wrapping long arms around his neck and forcing another kiss. The Die was cast now, too late to pull away from, there was only forward.

He knew what to do next or so he thought, this was their first time, so he hurriedly moved his hands down to reveal his weapon as did she unveil her sheathe. Jaune Pulled his jeans down in frantic motion, his hands pushing them off his legs and tossing them aside, he was Fully erect from the foreplay, as was she from his hands tracing all over her goddess-like figure. However, he looked unsure of pursuing their current course, the stars above were pointing them towards this path but the currents surrounding them were still, it would take their courage to press on. She darted to the sands for an answer, they responded by reminding her of the momentary freedom that she had only experienced mere moments, the path was clear and she looked at him with eyes of blue sapphires and embarrassed permission. Her skirt was flipped over, revealing her long slender legs connecting at a singular hidden spot, a pair of hands gently removed the flimsy piece of undergarment off her legs and were placed aside, Weiss felt the cold draft now opened by her exposure, but his imposing figure above her kept her focused on what was to come.

She felt aroused, his attacks on her exposed nipples had caused her heart to pound and thrill, she was ready for him…

Press on he did. As the tip of his member entered her chamber for the first time. The tip of his penis brushing past her lips, their heads buried into each, their senses tracing each other's figure, as Jaune trusted into her, Weiss placed her hands over his muscular figure, her own lighthouse in the dark and she traced her way through the dark, grasping onto his abdomen.

She then knew a new kind of pain, one that was followed by grunting and the rush of his member. Weiss Schnee had known the pain of the flesh, each time it tasted bitter but this time it was sweeter than berries. Like a pulsating heatwave, shimmering and shaking slightly by the tense heat, her heart rate pumped higher as she felt his member enter her, moving in and out with the length of his member brushing her lips slightly in unprotected motion. For Jaune, it felt like a warm blanket enveloping him as well, the moistened walls of her most private place titillating his own arousal.

He came into the experience as unwieldy and inexperienced as she was. She had held her dignity intact for the family name, but now she was free to do as she pleased, and he went into her with the force of an uncontrolled animal, or perhaps she was one as well for partaking in the act. She could feel herself breathing wildly, his bulge seemingly bigger than expected, as he went into her with the force of an elephant, looking down she saw the point of connection, a long pale rod entering into her causing her to arch her head back, buckling her senses. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, how he would brush past the lips, just before each thrust a small gap of cold, and then he would warm her up again with pain and comfort.

Moving in and out of her upon the bed of white clothes was no substitute for a bed-chamber, but he was giving it his all. His hands placed on the sand for stability, letting his lower half act on his behalf, every time he thrusted his lower half into her, a warm and moist sensation enveloped him, titillating his own appendage with a subtle sense of euphoria as he brushed her walls. Taking a risk, he moved his hands onto her waist, grabbing her thin figure causing her to let a pig-like squeal.

The small shriek made him look down upon her disheveled hair, and he found the motivation to kiss her passionately. Holding their lips in a tight embrace, while he still kept on pushing deeper and deeper into her opening. They could feel emanating from their connections, both from the top and the bottom. Jaune held onto her waist, and kept pounding at a steady pace, pushing himself by her desperate gasps of air, she spoke nothing, nor did he, the two were truly lost in their lust. Her right leg rested on top of his left shoulder, the sand on the tip of her toes dropped away with each act, Weiss could see him stressed over the motions, his lips wound tight, with all concentration focusing only on her. She could feel him hitting places that she never knew could feel so tender, places that she had only ever heard of as taboo were being struck by him, causing her to clench in her own anticipation of what was to come.

The little gasps and breaths they each made fueled each other to move on, edging themselves in an infinite loop of excitement, caution was thrown to the summer wind.

The moans and pants they made pushed them closer and closer to the edge, with each passing moment exciting them to greater euphoria until finally. His face twitched in release, his mouth wide and shocked at his completion, and a rush of seafoam flowed into her chamber, leaving her stomach warm and tender from the coming sea. Weiss could feel herself reaching the heavens, as she herself climaxed along with him. Both looked at each other eyes wide in shock at the end of their dance, with only each other to comfort themselves. The whole event had lasted barely ten minutes, but it had been the most intense ten minutes of their eventful lives. As if shocked from the event that had just transpired spontaneously, Weiss laid there on a bed of sand and white as he kissed her on the cheek, as if he was saying 'good night'.

He moved his upper mass from her, and Weiss found herself sleeping on his lengthy arm. Both now panting out of breath from exhaustion, their little bout had taken the wind out of their lungs.

As she felt his warmth leave her, she felt his hand holding onto her. She grabbed their clothes and used them to cover their bodies as makeshift blankets, pondering the implications of their carnal act as he laid beside her falling into blissful slumber, tired by the day's activities. His panting leading her to one embarrassing conclusion as she looked up.

Oh my…I just slept with Jaune Arc…

The stars were laughing at her now.

Once again, I hope you, my audience enjoyed this chapter as we have one chapter remaining to conclude the story.

I do hope that the pace that this story is not too rushed, so far that this has been my biggest concern for writing for this story is concerns over the pacing that it takes.

Honestly, first time writing a smut scene, so I hoped it wasn't too bad?

Please leave a comment if you think there were areas for improvement, it's honestly my first time writing smut; or leave a Fav if you guys liked it.

The final chapter will be released next Monday at 11 AM EST.