A/N: Fire Emblem: Three Houses comes out today. Huh. It feels kinda surreal. Never thought I'd actually see Fire Emblem make a comeback to consoles. Well, I'm excited nonetheless! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter guys!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.
I do not own the cover image
Chapter 55: Malt
Yang had always been more than willing to help Shino and Beth while they stayed. It was the least they could do for them after all. However, that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about going into town. Shino had reassured her that most people in the town likely hadn't seen the broadcast of the Vytal Festival since scroll signals were usually just that bad out in the sticks, but the blonde brawler worried all the same.
But, when they actually got to town, the people actually paid them very little mind, despite the fact that she and Izuku were back in their hunter outfits. Granted, they also still had most of their bandages on, but she had expected a more... hostile welcome from the rest of the townspeople. Instead, they were simply treated with common courtesy.
It wasn't much, but it was so much better than a few of the other places they'd been to.
"Alright. This is where we get most of our meat," Shino said as she pointed to the butcher's shop, hidden in a secluded corner towards the middle of town. It was a small place, with square framed windows and a single oak door, with a wood sign hung above with a slab of red steak emblazoned for all to see. Despite the fact that she'd never seen the place before, Yang couldn't help but feel just a bit nostalgic.
The three of them entered and were immediately greeted with the smell of meat and an overwhelming change in temperature, suddenly going from pleasantly warm to offputtingly cold. It wasn't too much of a surprise though, since this was to be expected of a place that had meat long-term. At the counter was a large man with thick, muscled, hair-covered arms, a bald head, and a short but thick as hell black beard. The man wore a white apron stained with blood over a simple green shirt and dark blue pants, only serving to make him appear even more intimidating than he already was naturally.
"Hey there, Owen! How's the stock?" Shino said with her usual peppy charm, holding her good hand out in greeting as she approached.
Owen turned to the woman and, surprising both Yang and Izuku, suddenly had a huge grin spread across his face as he shook Shino's hand and gave a boisterous response, "Nearly filled! Yui's getting another buck to finish it up, so we should be good for the next month or two."
"Awesome! I was actually wondering if I could get this in addition to the usual?" Shino asked as she handed him one of the lists she'd been carrying.
"Certainly! But it will cost fifty Lien more," Owen said.
"You know we're good for it," Shino responded.
"You always are," the lumbering man said. Then, he saw her and Izuku towards the entrance of the shop and trying their best to look inconspicuous. "They with you?"
"Yeah. They're staying with us for a couple of days, and then they're headed off to Mistral," Shino explained.
"Ah!" Owen said as he left the counter and went to greet them. Another to note about the man in front of them was that he was tall, to the point that the crown of his head nearly touched the ceiling. "Hello there! I hope you'll enjoy your time in Malt. Might I ask your names?"
Izuku, despite his nervousness, introduced himself first, and Yang did the same just after him, though with a bit more enthusiasm than nervousness.
"Good names! Could I maybe interest you two in some sausages or steaks?" Owen offered.
"I think we'll be good on meat," Yang said, looking to Shino for confirmation.
"Yeah, the extra meat's for them. Sorry to rob you of a potential customer."
"No worries! So long as they're well-fed, I'm happy! Especially if my meat happens to help the matter!" Owen again said with a boisterous and easygoing nature that belied his appearance.
"I wasn't expecting this. I mean, he looks really intimidating, but he's just really... friendly. It's weird," Yang whispered to Izuku.
"... I guess this goes to show there's only so much people can learn from appearances," Izuku said.
"Yeah. I can still remember a time when people thought I was an airheaded bimbo. I mean, I'm not the smartest person in the world, or among our friends, but I'm certainly not stupid," Yang replied.
"I don't think I want to learn what happened to the last person who called you that," Izuku said.
"Well... they were already being kinda scummy, so..." Yang said as she remembered laying into the bitch who'd insulted her, Ruby, and their dad to the point that she couldn't hold back anymore and knocked a few of her teeth free.
It had been quite a day after that, resulting in the only suspension she'd ever had, and one of the few times her dad seemed disappointed. Understanding, yes, but disappointed too. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten into fights before that point, most of them had simply been off-campus, but she learned to not rise as easily to people's insults afterward. So long as they were directed at her. If anyone insulted her family or her friends within her hearing, there would be hell to pay.
"Hey! I'm back," a woman's voice said as it echoed through the back of the shop. "I should be able to skin this thing pretty quickly, so let's get the buckets ready and-"
Her trail of thought stopped when she came to the entrance and saw the three guests. If Owen was nearly as tall as the ceiling, the woman who just entered barely stood above the display, being only a bit taller than Beth was. Her hair was black and hung in a short tail behind her head, and blue eyes studied them carefully behind a pair of rectangular glasses. On her back was a bow and a quiver of arrows, accompanied by a hunter's jacket and camo pants.
She looked like a proper hunter. Not of Grimm, but of game. Besides, it did usually take a special kind of person to go out and hunt for meat when there were literal monsters around and you weren't able to fight them off. It could be surprisingly easy to avoid them if you could stay positive. Something that didn't really come as easy to her these days, unfortunately.
"Those two yours, Shino?" the woman who they assumed was Yui asked their current caretaker.
"I suppose they are, at least technically. They'll be in town for the next few days," she answered.
"Ah. Anyway, you guys recovering alright?" Yui asked the pair. "You look like you took a few bad hits."
"It's nothing that can't get better," Izuku answered, Yang giving a coy thumbs-up that actually made the woman smirk.
"Well, I've kept you long enough. Take care!" Yui said to them as she waved over her shoulder, disappearing into the depths of the back as the sound of a knife being sharpened echoed through the shop.
It wasn't long afterward that Owen emerged with Shino's order. "Here it is. Give Beth my regards, would you?"
"Got it. Seeya around," Shino said as they exited the shop.
That was one errand of the few that they had to take care of in town. There was the matter of the vegetables they didn't grow on their farm: lettuce, broccoli, etc., a few seasonings that seemed a bit too expensive but were actually pretty fair priced considering... well, everything; and a couple of bouquets of flowers of varying colors.
That got Yang's attention. The meat and other foodstuffs made sense, but there were only two occasions that really came to mind when it came to flowers. Well, three, but you didn't usually buy flowers wrapped like that and just put them in a vase if you weren't a receiver.
"So... who're the flowers for?" Yang asked, a few of the bags dangling from her hands. A few feet away, Izuku was observing the town for himself, watching children pass them as they played their games and some of the townsfolk just... talking. He'd been pretty quiet for most of the trip, contenting himself with observing the goings-on of Malt.
Shino quickly answered, "They're for a few old friends of mine. Well, two of them are, at least."
"And the third?" the blonde brawler asked.
"... is for Beth," Shino said with a brief flush of pink dusting her scarred cheeks.
"Oh. So, you two are a thing?" Yang asked, genuinely curious now. She'd seen the glances that those two often gave to each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, but hadn't brought it up since it wasn't really her place.
"... yes... no... maybe... urgh, it's way more complicated than I want it to be," Shino admitted with a groan. If her good arm wasn't currently busy carrying the three bouquets, it probably would've been busied by rubbing her forehead.
"Is it though?" she asked.
"I'm not really sure. We've never really had a chance to talk about it all that much. I know I want it, but... I don't know what she thinks about this," Shino said. "I guess this is some stupid gesture that might finally help us get to the point of... discussing the possibility. Hopefully."
After a moment of hesitation, Yang put her hand on the older woman's shoulder, reassuring her as best she could. "Well, I hope things work out between you guys."
"Thanks. Guess you have some experience with this kind of stuff, huh?"
"... what?"
"You know. You and Izuku? Aren't you two..." Shino said, deliberately not finishing her question and letting the blonde brawler finish it herself.
Her face briefly turned bright red as she tried and failed to give an explanation, only giving out a quickly sputtered, "No! I mean... no, we aren't... 'together' together, but... It's-"
"-more complicated than you want it to be?"
"...touché," Yang replied.
After quickly checking over her shoulder to make sure Izuku was still distracted, the blonde brawler pulled Shino a bit closer and started to spill... well, a lot of things. "There... there were some points where we came really, really close to actually talking about it and where we could go from there, and even a few points where I just wanted to hug him really tight and tell him that he's really cute without having to be subtle or just grab his face and kiss him for as long as I could and dear Oum why does it feel so relieving to finally talk to someone about this?"
"Because sometimes stuff's easier when you're not the only one with the weight on your shoulders," Shino explained. "It was for me when I talked to Yui. It was kinda like I finally had someone to talk to about this kind of stuff."
"... that sounds nice," Yang said. Now she felt kinda like an idiot for keeping this bottled up. Maybe she could've told someone about this, so she wouldn't have felt so burdened? Maybe Weiss or Blake? Definitely not Ruby; her little sister couldn't keep a secret to save her own life. Especially not from Izuku. The two were pretty close friends back at Beacon.
Of course, the other two haven't exactly been around for the last few months, but it still would've helped.
Shino gave her a warm smile and said, "Well, whatever's next for you, I wish you luck with your guy."
"Same to you with the redhead," Yang replied, a cheeky grin spread across her lips.
"Erm... hey, Shino?" she finally heard Izuku ask. Shino was a bit startled, not used to Izuku's bouts of observant silence, but she did turn to face him. "Who's that guy?"
The man he was referring to sat at the edge of a bar without a drink, leaning back in his chair with a wide-brimmed hat atop his head. Otherwise, he wore a dark blue military jacket and cargo pants, with a black, neck-length beard flecked with grey stripes. Yang couldn't see his eyes, but she somehow knew that they were somehow tearing into her, scanning her for every weakness she might have. If they were in combat, the man would've acted upon those in seconds.
And the guy had hardly moved. And he was just that terrifying.
That was when Shino saved both her and Izuku from dying of fright by quickly flashing a smile and saying, "Oh, that's just Sharpe. He's an old vet from the Great War, but he's still one tough bastard. Had a few spars with him, actually."
"He's that good?" Izuku asked, the gears visibly turning in his head as he waited for his question to be answered.
"Better. You'd think I'd have to go easy on him, but it was actually the other way around. He's honestly that good with a rifle, and even better with a cavalry saber. Scarily good..." Shino recalled with a shudder. "I wouldn't take him up on a spar anytime soon. Especially while my arm's broken."
"Wait... Sharpe... Sharpe... I could've sworn that I've heard that name before..." the green-haired inheritor muttered to himself.
Actually, Yang thought the name was kinda familiar too. But the only real time she could think of was one time during history class when Oobleck was going full speed and went through several battles in meticulous detail... within an hour. That had been a hectic day, to say the least.
Wait...
"... is he... that Sharpe? Richard Sharpe?!" Yang asked in realization.
"Yeah. He's never made a big fuss of 'protecting his identity,' but he does prefer the quiet life to a hectic one. I wouldn't bring up his history around him. Just treat him as another person from Malt, and you'll get on fine," Shino said. "C'mon. We should be getting back now."
That was not the explanation that either Yang or Izuku had been expecting. There was a legendary soldier in their town, the one who'd almost singlehandedly turned the tide of the Great War on Mistral's turf to Vale's favor, participated in so many legendary battles it would take a day to name them all, and even came up with so many advanced and out of the box tactics that some were still adapted used by various militaries to this day. And he was just... sitting around? In the middle of Mistral?
That was... a tough pill to swallow, but Yang could understand why he'd want to at least enjoy some quiet. The military weren't looked upon as highly now that hunters were the norm to protect people from Grimm. Hunters used to be few and banded together to survive, but now, following the end of the very war soldiers like Sharpe had fought tooth and nail to win, they had taken over the popular consciousness.
But that was neither here nor there. Hopefully, she and Izuku would be able to speak with Sharpe at least once before they left Malt and headed for Mistral-
And then something caught her eye. Yang hadn't been paying as much attention to her surroundings when they'd first entered town, but now she clearly saw a couple of bikes on display, one red, one green, and one yellow.
It was that last one specifically that caught her attention, because it had a very similar build to her old Bumblebee bike. The design was similar but refined in a way that she'd only dreamed of perfecting herself. All her mechanic senses were going off. Holy crap, she already loved this bike. How did it run? What was the fuel rate? How smoothly could she go at certain speeds?
So many other questions like that just popped into her brain as she felt herself just seconds away from actually drooling over the bike in front of her. However, she did manage to stop herself as she remembered the fact that they didn't have nearly enough Lien to either purchase or maintain something like a motorcycle, no matter how badly she wanted it.
With a resigned sigh, she turned and continued after Shino to the homestead, with Izuku waiting to greet her as they continued down the old, worn dirt path together, an unspoken tension between them.
(a few hours later, the Pine farmstead, Oscar's POV)
Dinner seemed to be fairly normal, for once. After the first two nights of awkward silence, Izuku and Yang had actually started talking about a few things. It was mostly simple stuff, like how everyone's day was and how their days went, swapping stories of that sort.
Tonight, though, Yang was going on and on about this bike she'd seen earlier, wondering about its possible specs and speed and a whole bunch of technical jargon that he couldn't hope to even begin understanding. Izuku just looked at her fondly as he slowly ate his own meal while Yang only stopped to eat hers in short bursts.
"You should be eating as well, Oscar. You'll need it after all that exercise earlier this afternoon," the elder voice rang through his head.
It's not exercise, Oz, it's training. I get plenty of exercise working on the farm, Oscar argued as he began on his own plate. Earlier in the afternoon, Oscar had felt the need to practice some form of fighting. It had been weighing on his mind ever since he'd nearly been mauled by that Grimm, and he really didn't feel like being in that kind of situation again without some way to defend himself. His aunts' policy on the matter had always been 'if you can see a way out, run like hell,' but that wasn't going to work forever. So, he'd decided to start practicing how to fight, properly this time.
That was where that particular afternoon happened. It was... rough, to say the least. It wasn't as though he couldn't hold his faux-sword correctly or he didn't know the most basic of basics; swish, swish, stab wasn't exactly all that complicated. It was more so the fact that he couldn't quite get his coordination right. No matter how many times he tried, he always felt as though he could've been better, faster, more agile, stuff like that. Half the time he didn't even know where those thoughts came from. The other half was usually Ozpin briefly critiquing and then encouraging him in equal measure, like a teacher often would a particularly troubled or struggling student.
"Oscar?" Beth suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" the hazel-eyed boy replied reflexively as he suddenly realized that he'd stopped eating his food and began staring at it as he'd gotten lost in his own thoughts. Son of a- how the heck did this keep happening?! He was a self-proclaimed daydreamer, but still!
"How was your day?" the red-haired woman asked again. Surprisingly, there wasn't even a hint of annoyance in her voice. Which was surprising to him, since Beth sincerely hated to repeat herself for any reason.
However, Oscar chose to ignore this for the moment and simply went on with the simple explanation of his day. Tending to the crops, reading, going through the forest, etc. While it did seem as though Beth was only humoring him, she didn't interrupt him, so he didn't stop until he was finished.
The night from there was also fairly standard. Kota, as per usual, finished first and went off to his room to be alone, leaving his dishes in the sink to be washed. He and Beth were on dish duty that night, so they did as they normally would and cleared the table of plates before washing them. Oscar was cleaning them, and Beth was drying them.
It always seemed as though Beth was just a few sentences away from catching on to what was going on with him. He'd tried not to act all that out of the ordinary, and he seemed to at least have Shino unaware as to the fact that he was currently sharing his mind with one of the most accomplished hunters and headmasters in all of Remnant sans All Might, but Beth had always been warier. Even cleaning dishes with her felt like a huge gamble.
Still, if the red-haired woman had anything to say to him, she didn't bring it up.
After they were finally done with all of the dishes, his fingers still wrinkly and somewhat damp from how long it had taken, Oscar announced to the quieting household, "I'm going for a bit of a walk."
"Be careful," Beth said, briefly cutting off her conversation with Shino. "And if you see any Grimm-"
"Run like hell for the homestead," Oscar finished with a smile on his face before closing the door behind him. He had a brief moment to wonder whether those two were finally going to get together, but he buried it among his other thoughts. Specifically, what this 'walk' would actually entail.
"While I'd normally advise against training at night, this is an exception. I'd forgotten just how time-consuming farm work can actually be," Ozpin said, giving his approval to this strategy of his.
I know. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but I'd rather feel like I'm making progress than just... monotonous busywork, the hazel-eyed boy agreed as they reached the same place he'd been practicing earlier. His faux sword was right where he'd left it, leaning against the back-end of a tree and ready to be swung. It was a crude thing, a simple old broom handle that was nearly the same length as a longsword. There were indents where wood had met tree trunk, and a few splinters on the furthest edge where the point would've been. It may have been crude, but it was all he had to practice with at the moment.
That and the thing was way heavier than it looked to be. It was even heavier than some of the hoes they had back in the barn! Even gripping it with both hands didn't reduce the effort it took to hold it steady. It was good practice in itself, though, and after about an hour and a half of practice earlier in the day, he was able to hold it steady without any noticeable shaking.
And so, Oscar began. A horizontal slash, diagonal slash, stab, and repeat. For the next few minutes, this was all he did, only taking the briefest of moments to take a breath and then go at it again full-force.
Once that was over and done with, Oscar decided that he was going to try that combo once again. It hadn't exactly gone well the last few times, but something about this time felt-
WHACK!
CLATTER!
… the exact same. The exact. Fucking. Same. He had dropped his faux sword not even two steps into the combo. Great! What a perfect start!
"Again, you need to let your wrists be flexible but not weak. Swordplay isn't all about 'might makes right.' It's even moreso about dexterity and reaction," Ozpin told him for what felt like the twentieth time. Hell, considering how many times he'd tried and failed that technique, it may well have been the twentieth time.
That still didn't stop his retort, however. If you could demonstrate exactly what you mean by that, I would gladly follow an example.
"If that were possible at this point in time, both of our lives would be much easier," Ozpin admitted.
It was easier for him to follow an example than listening to someone talk about stuff. Oscar thought it was why he hated lectures in school so much. Beth used to say his mom hated them too, with a passion.
"Do you... need help with that?" a voice said from behind him.
Briefly caught unawares by this sudden presence, Oscar swung around with his faux sword in hand... only to see that Izuku was standing behind him, his weapon over his shoulder and a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
"Oh! Erm... hey... there..." Oscar managed to get out.
"Is that seriously all you can say?" Ozpin asked in his resting sarcasm voice. It felt a little more deliberate at that moment, but that was beside the point.
I can't help it! He was my favorite competitor in the festival and now he's standing right in front of me! It's like meeting a celebrity! Oscar replied as he tried his best to keep his excitement in check. What should he say? Izuku was responsible enough to follow him out here, so would he tell his aunts? Could he ask for help with his swordplay? Should he ask for help with his swordplay?
Then again, he did offer...
"Actually... if it wouldn't be too much trouble..." Oscar said with tentative hesitation. "I've been having some trouble with this one combo-"
"You're locking your wrists, so you can't make the proper movements. And you're afraid that you'll drop your weapon," Izuku predicted.
"That's... actually what I was struggling with," Oscar answered.
"It can be a bit before you wrap your head around the concept, but it's best to have a loose but still firm grip on your sword. The mid-point between too hard and too soft when it comes to longswords and such," Izuku said as he held out his hand for Oscar's faux sword. The boy handed it over quickly, watching the green-haired hunter test its balance with a single hand- just how strong was he? The test swings almost made him seem like Izuku was playing with a twig when he could barely keep it upright.
"I'm not sure I understand..." Oscar admitted. Seeing him use it in the manner he was had given him a few ideas about where he went wrong, but he still couldn't see the root of the problem.
"Well... for example: you should keep a firm grip on the handle," Izuku said as he walked up to the tree Oscar was just using as target practice, "And faster blows should come from your elbow, not your shoulder," he said as he prepared to strike.
Then, thought slowed, a blow faster than anything Oscar had yet made suddenly came from the opposite side and stopped only a hair's breadth away from the trunk of the tree. The air dispersed in a dull boom, kicking up a small gust that actually moved through his hair.
"Now you try," Izuku said, quickly easing out of the stance and handing back the faux sword. Despite his nervousness, Oscar did as he was asked, following Izuku's example and-
WHACK!
Okay, he'd have to learn exactly how Izuku was able to stop his strike just before making contact with his target, but... wow, it was so much easier now!
"Awesome! You're a natural," Izuku congratulated with genuine happiness.
"Thanks!" Oscar said. "Erm... please don't tell my aunts?"
"Hm? Why... don't you want them to know? Aren't they hunters?" Izuku asked.
"I mean, they used to be. They didn't want me to get involved with all of this, but... well, I just didn't want to feel that helpless again," Oscar explained.
After a moment of silence, Izuku gave a simple nod. "I won't tell them. I doubt they'd bring something like this up anyway.
"But," he said firmly. "If they do happen to learn about this, you shouldn't try to deny it. Put your cards on the table and maybe you can come to a compromise. Alright?"
"Yeah, that sounds fair," Oscar agreed.
And so, with his faux-sword once more hidden, the two began to make their way back to the farmstead, Oscar's confidence firmer than ever before. Maybe, one day, he could actually help people with that skill set. But that was for another day.
(Izuku's POV)
Izuku had to admit, he had no idea how he was going to strike up a conversation with this boy. Sure, he'd just give him advice on swordplay, but he'd basically just adjusted one of the lessons Shoto had given him when he was struggling with his grip. He still wasn't really a people person, despite the fact that he'd been taking steps to improve his social skills, but man it was hard to start a conversation with someone who was still somewhat a stranger.
Not to mention the fact that he might have two souls. Urgh. Okay, enough of that Izuku. Focus. What do you think he'd be interested in talking about?
... well, he did have a pretty sizable interest in swordplay. And hunters... wait, now that I actually think about it, he's kinda like me. That's... wow, it feels so weird to see this from the outside. But hunter stuff isn't something you can really bring up in casual conversation. Well, I mean, I can't without going into a tangent- and I'm rambling.
Oh! I could try that!
So, as Izuku prepared to speak, he asked the hazel-eyed boy, "I noticed your home has a lot of books to choose from. Got any recommendations?"
"... er... I mean, we've got a lot. I've got Daylight Hunters, The Chronicles of Red Cloak, A Ballad of Ember and Frost, a bunch of other fairy tales like The Girl in the Tower, the Maiden Chronicles, the Wanderer Series, some books on farming... there's... well, to be honest, there's way more than I'd be able to reasonably list without actually thinking," Oscar said. He did seem as though he was genuinely excited to be talking about something that was probably near and dear to him: reading.
"I was actually wondering if you had any volumes for... Duality? I think that's what the series was called," Izuku said, recalling one of the various series that Blake liked to keep up with, sans her... smut. A brief synopsis was that it was about someone who, due to a series of circumstances, possessed within him two souls. Eventually, the souls would either have to come to a point of reconciliation, or fight until one of them remained dominant over the body they shared. He just hoped that Oscar would read between the lines.
Oscar's hand went to his chin for a moment, and after a few moments, he said, "I think so. I've got most of them, and they're a pretty good read. Not one of my favorites, but entertaining nonetheless."
It didn't seem as though there was anything to read into with that reaction. He seemed intrigued by his choice in book series, but if he had any other reaction than mild interest, he didn't show it.
Eventually, they managed to get all the way back to the homestead, where Beth was waiting at the door, a patient but deadly gleam in her eye. She didn't scold or criticize Oscar, however, and simply gave him a stern 'go to bed.' The hazel-eyed boy quickly obliged and let his feet echo up the stairs, his redheaded aunt giving a slight smile.
"That boy will never stop being curious," Beth said.
"Yeah. But his wanderlust only grows with every year," Shino said, stepping to Beth's side and putting herself within rather intimate proximity to the shorter woman.
"... maybe we could take a trip to Mistral?" the redhead offered.
"And get dragged along for every Lien we have to be spent on hunter memorabilia? … I'll admit, it actually sounds kinda nice. I haven't even been to the city for so long. I have no idea what's changed!" Shino replied excitedly.
"It's like a whole new adventure," Beth said as she subtly leaned her head into Shino's arm. The taller woman, while a bit surprised at first, gradually leaned her cheek down to the top of Beth's head.
And now I'm intruding. Okay, just slowly back away... slowly... light steps, light steps...
Luckily, none of the boards beneath his now bare toes gave way to his weight, so his movement was made without a creak to be heard. Once he managed past the entryway, he saw Yang leaning against the wall as she went through a few screens on her scroll.
She was probably trying to check the news and communications possibilities again. They'd tried the same thing before only a few days ago, but it proved to be fruitless once Beth told them about Malt's damaged com tower. It sucked, but as it was currently, they had no line of direct communication with either Mistral or their friends; at least for the moment.
"Hey you," she said as she turned her scroll off, briefly tucking it into her pocket.
"Hey you," Izuku replied. He felt his heart skip a beat at that. Was he doing this right?
"So... I'm not gonna sleep for a little while," Yang said as her back left the wall. "You wanna watch stars with me?"
"I'd be happy to. It sounds nice," Izuku said.
That was also when the two of them heard Beth ad Shino making their way upstairs and only heard a single door open. The implications of that were fairly clear to someone who was even as dense to romance as Izuku was, and he and the blonde brawler both gained a bit of a blush at it for the briefest of moments.
"Well... let's leave them to their... alone... time..." Yang awkwardly said as she led the way through the side door. They emerged into a patch of land filled with grass that sheened silver with half-full moonlight, with an oak wood picket fence a ways around to mark the place as part of the homestead.
"I never noticed that they had a thing for each other," Izuku said absentmindedly as they sat down on the porch, both of their bare feet dangling over the edge. The grass was barely far enough away to keep from tickling his toes.
"I had my suspicions, but I didn't know for sure until Shino talked about it earlier," Yang said.
"Is that what you guys were talking about? Back in town?" he asked.
"Erm... yeah," Yang said with a bit of hesitation. Izuku wasn't dumb, they'd obviously talked about something else as well. That didn't mean he knew what though. That and he'd been distracted by Richard freaking Sharpe being in town and just... observing them. It was honestly a little unnerving.
"... I actually never learned what happened to Bumblebee," Izuku said, recalling both her long staring contest with the mechanic's shop window and her excited rambling about the bike she'd seen. It was honestly adorable.
"Not surprised. Didn't exactly come up a lot," Yang replied. "Wanna hear about it?"
"Sure!" Izuku said.
The next several minutes were filled with Yang's grandiose tale of the fate of her beloved motorcycle, Bumblebee, and how it had made a valiant sacrifice in the battle against Torchwick's mech under Vale's main highway. It allegedly blew the mech right onto its ass, allowing her to lay into it before he started firing rockets everywhere and she was forced to bail. When the fight was over, she tried her damnedest to save what little she could of the bike, but alas, it was good for nothing but scrap in the condition it was in.
Despite the ridiculousness of the actual story, Yang managed to make it surprisingly emotional, and Izuku shed a quiet tear for the bike. Rest in peace, Bumblebee. Your sacrifice shall not be forgotten.
After that, there was a bit of a lull and a silence between the two of them. A comfortable one that they'd been finding themselves in more and more often when they finally ran out of things to talk about. But, of course, silence often caused his mind to wander, in order to fill the void that would otherwise be left in its wake.
He didn't have to think long to think about what they had to talk about. The state of their relationship. The tension between them, both emotional and sexual, was getting to be damn near unbearable, and now that they'd been in such close proximity for so long...
"Yang," Izuku said after several silent moments.
"Yeah?" the blonde brawler asked, her own hands placed behind her.
"I... we need to talk about... about this," Izuku said as he shifted his weight to turn his full attention to her, gesturing from himself and then to her. The implication was clear. Yang quickly followed his example, shifting her seating in order to face him properly. This would probably be one of the most important conversations they'd have for the foreseeable future. It deserved nothing less than their utmost attention.
"... yeah," she quickly agreed, though hesitation was still present in both her gaze and her voice.
"Before... Yang, before I got to Beacon, I was a mess. I could barely talk to anyone, and I'm still struggling with that aspect of my personality. You... dear Oum, you helped me in more ways than I think I deserved. A lot of our friends helped too, but you were one of the ones who helped the most. I admired you. I admire a lot of people, but you always managed to grab my attention. The dumb jokes that always made me laugh, the spars we'd either win or draw, your mechanical tangents that were always so adorable to watch... and then... before I really knew what this feeling was, I... I think... I-"
But as Izuku tripped over the very words coming out of his mouth, struggling still to feel confident enough to say what he'd wanted to say for so long, he felt a gentle hand touch his cheek. Yang simply gave a small smile to him, the one that he'd really only seen when they were alone like this. She didn't say anything, and made no move to stop him from continuing. She just gave him the reassurance to keep moving forward.
"... I... think I fell in love with you. I'm honestly not sure when it happened, but now... I think I know for sure. I'm in love with you. And it's okay if you don't feel the same way. I'll be alright if that's the case. Besides, I still don't think I'm worthy of-"
And that was when, rather suddenly, she pulled him close and lightly pressed her lips to his. The sensation was nothing less the euphoric. Her lips were soft, almost velvety in texture, only reinforced by her slowly moving closer. Izuku had frozen from the shock of the fact that the girl he'd just admitted to loving was kissing him. Yang then moved even closer, her hand moving from his cheek to his shoulder to gain leverage and sending pleasant sensations through his entire body. He subconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist and back and let her straddle him, her own arms moving from his shoulders to wrapping themselves around his back.
He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but the involuntary movement of their hips against each other had caused the kiss to break. His eyes fluttered open to see Yang violet eyes staring back, and filled with care.
"Please... don't say you're not worthy. I care about you Izuku. I... love you. Dear Oum, it feels so good to finally say that," Yang said as she pressed her forehead into his. "I love your messy hair that I can never fix. I love your tangents. I love that big ol' library of a brain you've got up there. I love those damn eyes I can lose myself in. But more than anything else... I love your kindness. Despite everything, you still have that same kind nature you did the first day we met. And I'll never stop loving it. I love you too, Izuku. I love you too."
And then, Izuku shed unironic tears of happiness. They were slow, and came at a trickle, but he didn't want them to stop. He whispered, not expecting to receive an answer, "What did I ever to do to deserve you?"
Yang chuckled lightly at that. "Easy. You tripped on your own two feet."
Izuku chuckled back. "Considering us, I guess that makes sense.
"... do you think... we moved a bit too fast back there?" he asked.
"... yeah. I'm sorry, you were being so honest and I got scared and I... didn't want to wait any longer," she explained.
"No, no. It's okay. I... actually liked it," Izuku admitted.
"... but?" Yang knowingly asked.
"But... we should take this... slow. Figure out how this'll really work when we reach Mistral. Maybe go on an actual date," he said.
"That sounds nice," Yang replied. "And... Izuku?"
"Mm?"
"I've processed... most of what you told me in the forest," she said. "And what I said before still stands. It doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you, Izuku Midoriya."
"I love you too, Yang Xiao Long," Izuku said, relishing how good it felt to say that. Yang was right about that.
"Can I kiss you again?" she asked.
"As many times as you want to," he replied.
And then, their lips reunited once more under the half-moon. It was softer, more sensual, yet just as passionate as their first. Not for the first time, he wished they could stay there for as long as they could. And they did.
(meanwhile, somewhere on the outskirts, Muscular's POV)
Let it be known to all that care to listen that Muscular was not a patient man nor the planning type. He left that to the people with more brains than he while he smashed into everything he could. It was basically a hammer vs scalpel situation, and he was the former.
Unfortunately, however, he could not currently do what he was best at due to the insistence of his boss, Salem, who was currently contacting him via this very creepy-looking horror of a Seer Grimm. It was small, with a spherical body that was covered with bone-like plates, along with red tentacles that ended in white, bony spikes and a single eye. Still, he had no choice but to listen to the voice it carried. The woman had saved his life more than once, after all.
"I still don't get it. If I go down there now and get the drop on them while they're still wounded, I could end this right now," Muscular tried to reason. He wasn't wrong, and it would be a much easier battle than it would be otherwise.
"And you'd walk right into a village that has managed to survive for fifty years under the duress of both bandits and Grimm attacks with minimal help from their country's capital," Salem answered back. "Wait for the... opportune moment to strike. So that you attack may have the maximum effect."
"But-"
"Am I made clear, Muscular? Or do I have the need to repeat myself as I often hate to," she said, her tone as cold as Atlesian ice. If he was the hammer, and someone like that Watts fellow was the scalpel, then Salem was simply the one who could wield them both. It was terrifying to see in action.
"... transparent, 'mam," he replied, the only thing outdoing his lust for blood being his respect and fear of the woman speaking to him. He didn't know which feeling was heavier. But he would not disobey. He would wait. And when he finally got to put on his serious eye again...
… it would be a fun day indeed.
A/N: And that's a wrap for this one! Man, that took way longer than I wanted it too. I'm currently typing the last part of this chapter out the-day-of, so I'm sorry if this feels a little rushed. I just got back from a trip to Colorado, and I was pretty busy while I was there and barely had any time to write. I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless! Also, before you guys start wondering, Richard Sharpe is not an OC. He's actually a fictional character from the historical fiction series that was named after him: Sharpe. It's actually pretty good, and I highly recommend it.
And now:
Review Responses:
U-nohoo: Well... yeah, I honestly read it like that too sometimes. It's kinda weird.
Thunder Dragon: Well, I hope this chapter made things a bit brighter for you guys!
Kaiser Dragon: Indeed they have been! I just hope that this chapter was uplifting as opposed to... well, everyone suffering.
Phoenix Wizard: Yeah. Sun'll be in a bit of a dark place for a while, but he can move past it. It'll just take time and effort.
Uruk-Hai: Yeah, I did not go easy on him. He'll be alright, eventually.
Also, thank you for reminding me. It was pretty hectic for a while, and I added an addendum to the main story idea, and it should be located near the bottom. Let me know if you wanted to add or change anything regarding that.
Odin's Eye: In a way. You'll have to wait and see. And yeah, Sage is super dead. Sorry to anyone who liked him, but... well, that's how the dice fell.
King Ceasar Jr: Yeah. They'll get through this, eventually.
Madmagusmax: Well, it might not have made you laugh, I think this chapter was definitely more positive than the last one.
DD Lore Nerd: Into this one! Hopefully, because if it didn't I'll have to go searching for a new supply...
Gojifreak: Yep. I hope this one makes up for what happened last chapter.
Mecha Manda: They shall. But not all of the White Fang are evil, some of them are just misguided. Some of them are trying to do the right thing, they're just going about it the wrong way. It happens more often than we like to admit. Example: the top brass are mostly fanatical (sans Sienna Khan, who at least has some sense), but some of their grunts are pretty hesitant about exactly what they're doing.
Leviathan's Heir: Yep. I've never liked bullies either. But I can see why the White Fang ended up the way it is right now. Does that excuse their actions? Never. But it does give an explanation as to why they act the way they do. Also, that's actually a pretty good and poignant quote. Nice.
Midgardsormr Jr: That it is.
Black Fang: I do!
Next Chapter: Aug. 16th
Seeya in the next one!