Hey guys so, I realized my timeline was screwed up, and I hadn't been meticulous enough with my writing, so I'm going to clarify something. JAYE IS 20, BUT HIS BIRTHDAY HASN'T PASSED YET, SO HE'S STILL 19. INDIGO IS 23, BUT BIRTHDAY HASN'T PASSED YET, SO STILL 22. KAMINA IS 19, BUT BIRTHDAY HASN'T PASSED YET, SO STILL 18.
Chapter 25
'Oh, you look beautiful!' Yang bounced excitedly in her heels. Ruby wobbled precariously into the ballroom, scratching the back of her head. She was dressed in a simple red and black dress, black stockings, and high heels for once. She stuck her arms out to either side, attempting in vain to balance in her shoes.
'Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?' She groaned, wobbling over to Yang, who giggled at the raven-haired girl. Yang was dressed simply in a sleeveless, short white dress that ended just above the knee. Ruby glanced back at the door silently, and Yang's face turned concerned.
'Ruby? Is something wrong?' She called, and the girl turned back to face her. Ruby smiled at her older sister, shaking her head.
'Nope! Come on, let's go.'
Outside
'Stupid, dumb, neck trap.' Sun groaned, yanking at his tie. The faunus boy was dressed in a simple black button-up shirt, with his collar popped up, and had strangely enough tied his tie inside his shirt, rather than around the collar.
'I knew you'd look better in a tie.' Sun froze as a voice called our from behind him, and he turned, wide-eyed, to face it. Blake stood behind him, immaculately dressed in a dark blue and black dress. Sun stared, mouth slightly agape, at the sight, and was lost for words. Blake took him by the arm silently, leading him to the dance hall.
'So... does this mean we're going together?' The faunus boy asked, grinning hopefully at the raven-haired beauty on his arm. Blake smiled at him affectionately.
'Technically.' She mused 'But my first dance is spoken for.'
Jaye pulled into Beacon, stopping in the garage. He flinched slightly at the burst of yellow and orange that met his eyes, as the only other vehicle in the compound was Yang's bike. He stared at it quietly, shutting off his engine, and sighed at the dingy roof.
'What am I doing?' He muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. The alcohol had worn off during the ride, and he was fully sober at the moment. Therefore, he was now fully conscious of the arduous task ahead of him, and was silently punching himself for letting it happen in the first place.
He slipped into the elevator quietly, and banged his head against the wall on his way up. He groaned in frustration as he attempted to properly map out the way he was going to apologize to Yang and the others, and how to settle the issue. The fact that he wasn't totally in the wrong only made matters harder to deal with. Running a hand down his face, Jaye stared glumly at himself in the mirrored walls of the elevator. He punched it, thankfully not breaking it, and shuffled out the doors when they opened. He kicked their dorm room door open, to find it empty. No shit.
Jaye sighed in frustration and relief, chucking his bag into the corner and dropping across the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, cursing under his breath, and wondered if he even had a suit amongst his stuff to use. He rolled over, burying his face in his pillow.
'I told you she would come.' Yang mused, and Weiss nodded. The three girls of team RRWBY were watching Blake waltz with Sun on the dance floor, the monkey boy actually proving to be quite a good dancer despite appearances.
'Mission accomplished.' Weiss declared, and Ruby turned hopefully to Yang.
'So…what do we do now?' She asked, and the two girls shrugged, making their way off.
'Just have fun!' The blonde called back at her, and Ruby panicked as Yang walked away.
'Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?' She called, and groaned as the two girls ignored her. She waddled dejectedly on the spot.
'Stupid lady stilts.' She whined, and started as a voice rang out from behind her.
'Not enjoying yourself?' Ruby turned to face their white-haired headmaster as he approached her quietly. He smiled at her, and Ruby laughed nervously.
'Oh no! Everything's fine. I'm just not much of a dansey, pansey...dancey girl.' She admitted, and Ozpin tilted his head slightly towards her.
'Well, you can't spend your entire life on the battlefield.' He told the raven-haired girl, a knowing look on his face. 'Even if you may want to.'
'Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately.' Ruby replied, a look of annoyance cresting her small features. Ozpin watched the girl quietly, raising an eyebrow, and Ruby continued to glare at the dancers in front of her. He cleared his throat pointedly.
'If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked.' Ozpin mused, watching the pairs spin on the dance floor. 'Although, one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot.'
'Or a twisted ankle.' Ruby muttered, dropping her gaze to the floor, and Ozpin smiled gently at her.
'It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds.' He justified to the girl, his gaze falling to the two faunus on the dance floor waltzing together. 'But it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget.'
Ruby let her gaze fall back to her friends, scattered around the ballroom. She smiled quietly, taking in the meaning of the words, and smiled wider. She glanced over as the door opened, and her face fell slightly as the doors opened to reveal Mercury and Emerald, walking together into the hall. Ruby turned her gaze back to the ballroom, and sighed as the black-haired boy that was the source of their troubles still remained nowhere to be seen.
Jaye coughed, brushing powder off his face. He'd managed to dig out an old suit he'd bought a few years prior that thankfully still fit (the pants were a little tight), and tried his best to clean off and iron it. He held the items up critically; there were a few little issues here and there, especially an obnoxious stain on the collar that he hoped no one would notice. He slipped on the blazer, buttoning it, and made his way down to ballroom.
He pushed the doors open, faltering slightly as he did so. As the doors swung open, Yang glanced up from her position at the entry counter. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in recognition. Jaye swallowed nervously, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. He stepped forward slowly, descending the steps to her, his heart pounding with every step he took. Yang blinked a few times, shaking herself out of her stupor, and busied herself scrolling down the list. She stopped at his name on the sheet, and flinched slightly as she felt a hand on her arm. Yang glanced up, her eyes meeting Jaye's, and for a moment time stood still. Yang stopped, mouth slightly agape, and Jaye stared back at her nervously. He let his hand trail down her arm, taking her hand in his.
'Would you uh…like to dance?' He asked, smiling sheepishly. Yang stared at him for a moment longer, and wordless checked his name off the list. She turned silently, smiling gently at him, and looped her arm through his. Jaye grinned at the blonde, internally sighing with relief, and the pair made their way to the dance floor. They started a slow waltz, spinning in time to the music, and Jaye pulled the nervous girl closer to him.
'Hey…' he breathed, and Yang stared at his collar.
'Hey to you too.' She whispered, focusing on a spot on his collar where a little splotch of powder remained. She wiped it away with a finger, letting her hand fall back onto his shoulder. They waltzed in silence for a few moments, awkwardly glancing up at each other, occasionally meeting eyes.
'I haven't forgiven you, you know.' Yang muttered, averting her gaze. Jaye sighed, shaking his head.
'Well, I'm not apologizing.' He declared, and Yang shot him a glare. Jaye shrugged non-committally, ignoring the glare, and she sighed in frustration.
'We're never going to get past this, are we?' She mused, and Jaye chuckled, locking eyes with her.
'No, we are not.' He grinned at her, and Yang rolled her eyes. They continued in silence for a little while longer, still stealing glances at each other. Yang finally locked eyes with Jaye, smiling brightly at him.
'I guess in the end we haven't really made up yet huh?' She asked, and Jaye shrugged.
'I guess we haven't…but at the same time we kind of have?' He stared up at the ceiling inquisitively, and Yang giggled at his look of deep thought. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. She snuggled into his neck, and Jaye smirked, pressing her close to him.
'We're both just too stubborn, aren't we?' She breathed, and Jaye chuckled.
'Tell me about it.' He laughed, swaying to the music. They remained interlocked till the song ended, content just to share in each other's company. When the song changed, Jaye took Yang by the hand, leading her off the dance floor. They stopped by the punch bowl where Jaune and Ruby stood, awkwardly avoiding the crowd.
'Jaye!' Ruby squealed, throwing her arms up, and Jaune waved awkwardly as they approached.
'Hey Ruby. Hey Jaune.' Jaye greeted, grabbing a cup. Yang smiled toothily at her little sister, seizing her in a crushing embrace. Ruby squeaked in annoyance as the air was forced out of her.
'Owwwwww…what was that for?' She coughed, and Yang giggled into her hair.
'Nothing~!' She sang, bouncing after Jaye as he made his way out to the balcony. Ruby rubbed her chest breathlessly, staring after the pair as they made their way out.
'Well, at least they made up I guess.' She grumbled, straightening up. Jaune sighed, glancing at Weiss, and Ruby returned her attention to the dejected blond.
'So she beat you up?' Jaye asked, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as Yang shot him a death glare.
'She didn't beat me up. I just didn't want to fight her, that's all.' Yang insisted, pouting, and Jaye chuckled aloud at the girl. Yang kicked him in the shin, and he stifled his laughter, rubbing the bruised spot. Yang gazed out over the horizon, resting her chin on the back of her hand. She glanced sideways at Jaye, who was watching her quietly.
'Quit staring, creep.' She jabbed, and Jaye smiled.
'Guilty as charged. Sorry, couldn't help it. You look beautiful in a dress.' He complimented, stepping closer to her. Yang smiled inwardly, eyeing him in turn.
'Thanks. You're not too bad yourself.' She replied, and Jaye grinned at her.
'I know right? Aren't I fetching?' He boasted, tugging his collar down and assuming a supermodel pose. Yang rolled her eyes, punching him in the arm.
'Hey, I only said you didn't look too bad. Never said you looked good.' She shot back, laughing at the look of mock horror spreading across his face. She stepped closer to him, stopping an inch away from his face. Jaye grinned back at her, the same self-assured, slightly cocky smile she'd come to love. She took his hand in hers, and he cupped her face gently. She placed a hand over his, pressing it into her cheek, snuggling into it. She gazed at him, lips parting slightly, and Jaye closed the gap between them. He pressed his lips to hers, gently and a little hesitant, for a long moment. They broke apart for air, her breath tickling his lips, and he kissed her again. Yang pulled away, her eyes fluttering open.
'Took you long enough.' She whispered, touching her forehead to his. Jaye chuckled gently, letting his hand fall to her waist, and Yang pulled him into her chest.
'Well…it took a while to sort things out. Indigo and I we…we talked about it.' He reasoned, and Yang shook her head.
'Have you really?' She asked, and Jaye looked at her, confused.
'What do you mean? We sorted it out.' He cocked his head to the side, and Yang turned away from him, leaning over the balcony rail.
'Do you love me?' She asked after a moment, and Jaye started slightly, his breath catching in his throat.
'Of course I–' He began, but Yang cut him off.
'I mean do you really love me?' She stood up straight, squaring up to him. 'I can tell how strongly you feel about me. But is that feeling love for me, or your desire to separate yourself from your demons?'
Jaye opened his mouth slightly, but no sound came out. He froze, staring at the blonde, and he raised a hand to her slowly. He shut his mouth, letting his hand fall back down.
'I don't know.' He admitted, staring at his feet. Yang watched him silently, tears welling up in her eyes, and Jaye turned to the balcony, gripping it tightly.
'I–it's complicated. I can't say I don't love you, neither can I say I don't love Indigo. But at the same time, it's thanks to our situation that we chose not to be together. I can't say that it's because I love you more therefore I chose you, because I don't know how I'd feel if things were different. If things had never become as twisted as they are, if our lives had never been jolted out of place, this may never have happened.' Jaye ran a hand through his hair in frustration, and Yang gripped her arm tightly.
'Kamina's death ripped our lives apart. It caused so many things to change, it changed me so much. At the end of it, you can't just tape it all back together and call it perfect again. That puts a gap between us, one that we can't bridge just because Kamina's piece was put back.' He spoke quickly, nearly tripping over his words, and Yang placed a hand on his shoulder.
'Then, wouldn't it make more sense for you all to work it out together?' Jaye stared at the blonde girl sullenly, and Yang smiled at him brightly, but a little sadly.
'You guys are back together. Yes, there's a piece missing, but in the end, it's better than what it was before. If they mattered that much to you, then you should go back to them.' She reasoned, letting her hand fall from his shoulder. Jaye turned away from her, staring out at the dormitories across them. He shook his head, straightening up in determination.
'No. We made our choices. If I can't even hold true to what I decided, then there's no point to it.' He declared, locking eyes with Yang. Yang gazed back at him, mystified, and Jaye balled his hands into fists.
'That world we came from? It takes things from you. Things you can never get back. Some things I never even had in the first place. But here? This is a place where I can experience what it's like to just live. Here, I don't fight to survive; I fight to protect the ones I care about. I never want to go back to where we were, no matter how precious those people are to me. Indigo, Kamina, Damian, they've decided to stay in that bloody, pain-filled world. I don't want to live there anymore.' He took Yang by the hand, pulling her closer to him.
'In the end, Indigo chose to stay there. As much as I love her, and as much as we love each other, we're taking two different paths in our lives. Should she ever come over, maybe things could be different. But odds are that she won't, and I won't abandon you over a simple maybe.' He squeezed her hand tighter, and Yang smiled gently at him, resting her hand on his chest.
'I'm happy to hear that. But at the same time, it pisses me off to know that that's the only reason you chose me over her.' She told him, waggling a finger in his face. Jaye chuckled, shaking his head.
'I guess we just haven't had enough time together. I'm not sure how I feel about everything just yet, but I want to work this out. Together, I mean. If you're alright with that then…' He trailed off, glancing at her hopefully. Yang laughed aloud, throwing her head back, her blond hair swaying in the gently breeze. She kissed him gently, wrapping her arms around his waist and locked him in a tight embrace.
'Gladly!' She replied, jubilant, her face truly lighting up for the first time that night. Taking him by the hand, she led Jaye back inside, laughing all the way. She paused in the doorway, turning back to face him.
'But that means you're going to have to tell us, ALL of us, everything that happened to you.' She declared, and Jaye scratched the back of his head nervously.
'Well…I guess so. It's not like I was really hiding it anyway, it's just you never asked, so I never said.' He let his hand fall back to his side, and Yang grinned widely at him. He sighed in defeat, grinning back.
'Is that so?' A haughty voice called out from behind him, and Jaye started, turning to face the voice. The white-haired heiress stood, hands on her hips, behind him, flanked by the two other members of his team. Ruby grinned widely at him, her eyes nearly sparkling with jubilance, while Blake stood cross-armed, eyebrow raised, watching him. Jaye sighed, shaking his heads.
'Well, time to spill my guts out for the fourth time today. I swear, any more of this and I actually will die.'
Across From Them On The Dormitory Rooftops
Indigo sat quietly, watching the group on the balcony. She fished a small silver locket out of her cloak, with a purple orchid flower on it, and she clenched it in her fist. She glanced over her shoulder as an orange fox boy approached her from behind.
'You doing okay?' Kamina asked, plopping down next to her. Indigo stared at the pendant wordlessly, and Kamina scratched his ears awkwardly.
'Yeah…stupid question. Sorry.' He apologized, and Indigo shook her head.
'No–no…it's alright. I just need some time, that's all.' She dropped the locket back into her cloak, and Kamina dropped a hand over her shoulders.
'Well…I know you guys made your choice, but aren't you still having regrets over it?' He asked, and Indigo rubbed her eyes. She turned back to the balcony, but it was now empty, with no hint of the dark-haired boy in sight. She turned her gaze back to her feet, and hugged her knees to her chest.
'Sort of…but it's been made. He chose to live that life, and I chose to stay where I am. Those choices were what ended it. I promised myself I wouldn't regret…but–!' Indigo choked, covering her mouth with her hands, and Kamina cleared his throat loudly.
'Well, Jaye's the kind of guy who knows what he wants. And if this is what he wants…then you know he wouldn't give it up for the world.' He reasoned, staring up at the sky. Three stars hung quietly, hovering close to each other. One star hung just a little away from the other two, inching ever so slightly closer to a cluster of stars that bundled together in a beautiful huddle, lighting up the sky above the academy. Kamina sighed, closing his eyes as Indigo spoke.
'Yeah, you're right. That's why I love him in the first place. I just need some time to accept everything.' Indigo smiled sadly at her hands. Her slim, small, blood-stained hands.
'I envy him you know, for being able to find the courage to escape that world, without knowing that there would be a place for you to go if you did.' She whispered, turning her gaze upwards to the stars. 'I couldn't do it. I still can't. Maybe one day I will. But for now, I'll just be happy for him from here. From this distance.'
Kamina observed her quietly, and Indigo smiled at him. He pulled her into an embrace, pressing her face into his chest as she cried gently. Kamina turned back to the sky, watching the stars. He glanced again, and as he did, the little star in the middle seemed to move ever so slightly back towards the pair. He blinked, and suddenly he wasn't sure, but he smiled up at it anyway, gently stroking the auburn-hair in his arms as she cried her heart to pieces.
Hope ya'll enjoyed this. The chapter after next is going to be the reveal of team RHKD's backstory, don't worry I summed it up pretty short, and hopefully you can have a better understanding of what Jaye's life has been like before now. The next chapter will delve a little into Pyrrha and Jaye's relationship. I always thought it would be interesting to have a similar character to Pyrrha, someone who is just as skilled and powerful, but comes from a completely different life and background. I want to explore the distinction between nature and nurture a bit, and show how events shape a person, rather than how they were born.