Chapter 5: The long march

Another chapter, yay.


He got up at the sound of his alarm clock, feeling heavier than he had before. It was a roving sensation through his stomach, as he felt it rumble, his eyes closing again, before he got up. Dressing himself was easier once he'd fully woke, but he went through the motions.

He was aware that his mother was seated at the dinner table already, looking a little tired, but not too out of shape. She had a frown on her face, with perhaps a smattering of concern in her eyes.

"Jaune, we need to talk."

He got himself a bowl of cereal and added a generous helping of milk to it. He set it down, as he realized that his alarm had gone off too early. It was still around five thirty, about half an hour before he was going to get picked up by Summer.

"What's the matter, mom?"

The look she gave him was tense, as if she were debating on what to say. "Are you and Summer's daughter really dating?" He frowned, not sure how to take it. "What I mean, honey… She isn't lying, is she?"

"Who, Summer?" His mother's nod confirmed the subject of who the 'she' was, as he stirred the cereal with the spoon. "No… I mean, Ruby did kiss me last night." His mother seemed to be relieved, as she gave him a look.

"That's… okay, I guess. How did it feel?" She asked, looking a little less sure.

"I know that you've got some issues, I went to the classes on how to deal with… well, you."

'You're not saying it, mom… It's got a name and I don't like the way you're tiptoeing around it.'

It was typical, but he was used to it. Summer saw him for what he was… Just a young man. "And it's important when you're in love to be clear… I don't want…" She sighed, rubbing her forehead and being deep in thought about what she wanted to say. "I don't want you to be hurt, sweetie. I love you, just as much as your dad does."

He never really spoke about it with his friends. Ruby could probably understand a little, but he knew that she was smart, but not socially apt. It was such a crude term in the current day but it fit. He'd never want to use it, though it was just something different about him.

It was how he was. It didn't make him anything else than just Jaune Arc, a young man who was about to have a brutal training session with a woman who looked at him as if he wasn't just a socially inept fool. Weiss did. It was pretty clear how she felt.

"It'll be fine, mom. The horror stories you've heard about parents sending their children off to their girlfriend or boyfriend and never returning are just horror stories." She cared for him in her own way, though he didn't always see it like that.

It felt a little off at times, though he knew that the rest of his family didn't think like he did.

'Sometimes, it's just best to keep your mouth shut.'

"I just worry. Your father occasionally has those moments where he's… a bit different." She smiled, hopping off her seat and then wrapping him in a hug. Due to Ruby's affectionate nature, he'd gotten over the instinctive flinch, but it still was a little different when his mother did it. "Honey, we love you. Summer Rose… She's a nice woman, but a young man with a divorced mother of two…"

He didn't care about Summer's divorced status. She looked at him like a woman should look at a man, according to the books that he'd read, the movies that'd been watched. It was a look of craving and yearning, with touches to her breasts, her mouth around his manhood and… weird feelings in his stomach.

"She's Ruby's mom, mom."

As if that made all the sense. To him, it did. To him, she was Ruby's mom and Summer at the same time. The worry on his mother's face didn't lessen, even when the door opened up. His mother must've informed Summer where the key had been hidden outside.

"Good morning, Miss Arc, and young maggot in training… Ready to go for a bit of a run after I've refreshed myself a glass of water?"

Summer's tone was lighter than yesterday, as she walked past them, taking a glass out of the overhead cupboard and then downing them. She'd been around often enough when returning Ruby, it seemed. "Mind if I borrow a few paracetamols? I sort of fell out of bed." His mother's sigh and the release from her clutches followed by the woman handing her a few pills. Summer's hands moved deliberately, another glass of water filled and then downed, together with the pills.

His mother hugged him again, as he heard Summer swallow once more, the crinkle of the plastic strip of pills enough, as the woman walked to the trashbin and threw in the emptied pill strip. "Gotta keep myself in shape, and with a busted head, that's not great." The smile on Summer's face was warmer now, as her eyes looked at him.

"I'll make him a man, you can trust me. Now that he's on the road to dating my little girl, I've got fewer worries." He sighed, as he didn't really know how to feel about that. Ruby was safe, Ruby was secure, but…. Did he really love her?

"That's good… So, young man… Are you going to make Ruby happy?"

His mother's eyes flashed with a hint of concern, as he hesitated.

'Am I?'

He wondered about that. Could he make Summer happy? He doubted that, fully. "Maybe? If she wants to. I mean, I think she's great, but… " He wasn't convinced that Ruby really loved him. What if he was just a diversion whilst Weiss got her bearings?

"Summer, a word… Jaune, go to the car. I'll have to talk about something with your trainer here…" His mom was getting one of those thoughts in her mind. She'd always been careful, even when his dad said that things would toughen him up. His sisters loved him, in their own ways.

He walked to the car, following his mother's order. It had been an order because his mom had looked stern and serious. He wasn't the greatest at finding out about some things, he knew, yet his mother had always been able to send him to bed if he'd been different.

Summer joined him nearly ten minutes later, her expression a little muted, yet with a brightening smile on her face as she looked at him. "I'm not supposed to make you feel too stressed, Jaune. Your mother was… well, she was just like mothers. I'd give the boy that fucked my little Yang an earful too if he came around. Though I think it's more a cat that I should hit with the spray bottle..."

As they rode towards the forested part that'd become their impromptu running track, Summer was quiet, contemplative. He might not notice such a thing normally, but it was something that he'd found due to his closeness to her. Her silver eyes were losing focus at times, yet she pulled over at the spot where she parked the car before.

"Mom didn't say that you should quit, right?"

Summer looked at the steering wheel for a minute, seemingly barely hearing the question, her expression wistful, as she breathed in deep. "She's… She's uncomfortable. I understand how she feels." Those eyes met his own and he felt the stirring in his pants, that hardness rising, as Summer's eyes locked onto his own. They looked away, some emotion in them that he couldn't quite decipher.

"Jaune, you're the nicest young man that I could wish for with Ruby, but…" The woman sighed. "But we should get going." There was a hesitation that had been breached, as she got out. The light blue top and the shorts that'd been the same as three days before looked perfect, as she did a few stretches, which he accompanied her in.

"We're doing a five mile now… You should be able to handle that much, loverboy."

The smile on Summer's face was enough to bring her youthful womanliness out, as she started with getting ahead. The sight of her butt bouncing with every step was another incentive, as he felt himself improving already. She was just here to train him…

After they made their way back to the car, Summer sat him down in the grass, leaving him to do some stretches whilst she watched, her eyes observant. There was a loneliness in her that he felt, much in the same way as Ruby had seemed so lonely when he'd first ran into her.

"Alright, now that you're limbered up…" She came closer, putting her hands on his wrists, as if to guide them and freezing up. Her eyes looked at him and her face came close. A shudder went through her, as he stiffened in his shorts."Hah… ah…"

Her breathing deepened and her whole body shuddered, her tongue licking over her lips. "We should… just… let me get those arms all flexible." It wasn't something that she seemed to have planned, as she let go and then pulled his arms back, feeling a knee against his back. "Just… let me…"

He felt her tug, a low popping of some of his joints, as well as a burning sensation in his shoulders. The knee let go and he felt his arms be released, as her hands wrapped around his waist. Something reminded him about... Scapular... something? Her head laid against his back again.

"Was the date… nice?"

"It was fun." He said, her voice sounding dead. "Ruby is fun, but…" Her hands slid a little lower, rubbing over his groin. "But, Summer…"

"Hmmhmmm?" Her fingers were already busy with the button, as she stopped. "Are you… okay? With me?"

Her hands stopped and she suddenly moved back, as if flinching away. "Of course, Jaune." Her voice was surprised as if she'd not realized that she'd think of it in any different way. "You're perfect for my little Ruby." He turned around, seeing that she was looking at her hands.

"It's not… It's not the thing, is it?" Her bittersweet smile was painful to see, as she looked at him, his manhood erect against his underwear and shorts. "I know mom probably told you about it, and…"

"Jaune, no matter what you may be wired as… I've done enough wiring myself to know that you're a good boy, a good… a good man." Her voice was understanding and kind, as she came closer, her hands brushing over his chest, rubbing over his nipples. "I'm… I'm so happy for you to love my little Ruby. I'm so afraid…" Her voice was a soft whisper, her fingers sliding over his side. "So afraid that she's going to be broken…" The plea in her voice, the eyes that were moist, and he leaned down, in order to kiss it alright.

She moved away, as she looked at him with conflicted eyes. "No… No kissing. Not… Not now." Her eyes were fearful, for some reason. Her eyes never really strayed to his face. "Let's…" She exhaled deeply.

"Let's get another run going, shall we? Clear our head a little." There was a firmness in her voice that had been absent, as she started to jog… before starting to sprint. He trailed behind her, her steps almost as if she were fleeing from him. He accepted it. She was training him.

Sweat soaked their bodies as they returned, having opted for the hilly path, Summer's stamina greater than his own, yet the woman seemingly tense. As he pulled the shirt off and then squeezed it, a few droplets dripped onto the ground.

Someone pushed him against the car, Summer's eyes caught for an instant, as her body rubbed against his own. Her nipples were hard and rubbing against her flesh, as her fingers slid over his body. Her tongue slid over the sweaty skin, as she held a firm grip on him. The saliva continued, until she reached the abdomen, sliding up again and licking over one of his nipples. "Hmmhmmm…" A low, sultry moan, as she bit her lower lip.

"Tonight, Jaune… I'll… I'll make Ruby and Yang go out…"

There was a need in those eyes, as her hands slid down, cupping his manhood. "And then… Then I'm going to make you perfect for…." He supposed that she'd say Ruby, but she hesitated.

"You'll be great, no matter what."

It was a simple need, as he brushed his hand through her hair, the wet strands sticking to her heated flesh. He felt tingly, as her head moved up and she kissed him again, her legs planted on either side of his hips as she near-damn crawled atop him. "We shouldn't… Ach…" Her body was so warm, as she pulled away, shaking her head.

"You can do this, Summ… remember, it isn't over until it's over… You won't get the… No…" The shaking of her head stopped, before she firmed herself up. "Arc… Come on…" She seemed to lose that energy, her eyes dulling a little more. "I need to get home… This headache…" The woman rubbed her head, getting into the car again.

"Are you okay?" He asked once he got into the passenger seat, her eyes glancing to the rear-view mirror for an instant, as she adjusted it a little with a hand.

"It's okay, hon. I'm… I'm super."

She giggled a little, though he found it a little off. It wasn't like the giggles of his sisters when they'd gotten him into a dress, or the giggles that the girls in his class made when he'd boned up another attempt to get Weiss to date him.

"Do you need help with something?"

He asked, the look in Summer's eyes changing little, still somewhat morose and saddened.

"No, I… I'm okay. It's okay, Jaune. Today is just… It's enough, alright? I'll give you… I'll make sure that you have a good time tonight."

The smile on her lips was almost shy in nature, as she fired up the engine, the engine rumbling into activity. A thrill went through him.

He could feel excitement bubble, as he noticed the phone that Raven had called on yesterday lie in the small compartment at the front. He picked it up whilst Summer drove, checking out the model. Grey and with a screen that was cracked, the battery seemingly drained. 'Do they still have chargers for this thing?' He wondered. A charger was laid in the back of the glove compartment, seemingly modified to charge in the car.

He turned it around and saw the note that'd been taped with tape to the back – R. Branwen, Team STRQ.- The handwriting wasn't Summer's, it was way too scratchy for that, the pen bolder than Summer's touch.

"Do you need this charged?" He asked Summer, a jumpy response as the woman noticed the phone, her eyes dilating for a brief moment. Her focus returned after a moment.

"Put that back, please… It's… it's not yours."The request was easily done. He put it back where he'd found it, knowing that it was her property.

'It should be charged, though…'


As they arrived at the Rose home, he caught sight of Yang going through her training routine, her muscles in action already as she did a few jabs and thrusts with her hands, going through the motions as fluidly as she could. At the sight of them, Yang grinned, strutting over to them.

"Hey there, Vomit fella… Gotten real sweaty with my mom, haven't you?" The look on Yang's face was teasing, even with Summer giving her daughter a look of minor displeasure. "What's with the sour face, mom? Your little cute son in law not good enough for you?"

Yang was a tease. He didn't always get what she was hinting at, but she was a good young woman who cared. "What, are you interested in running your fingers over his chest and riding him, daughter of mine?" Summer's comment was definitely a bridge too far, as Yang's eyebrows rose.

"Mom, no… No. I don't do that with guys. They can look all they want but… This body's exclusive!" Summer snorted. It wasn't a pleasant sound.

"And then you'll have six cats and live out in the woods like your mother does…" The snide comment was enough, as Summer's face changed to something a little more approachable. "Take a shower first, Jaune… I've got to talk with my little sunny dragon…"

He did as she asked. He came upon Ruby as he ascended the stairs, the girl giving him a smile. "Hey Jaune… I've spoken with Weiss. She's not… she's not mad at me. She never really can be… Things are going to be okay." The hopeful look in her eyes was enough, as she leaned closer.

If she was her mother, he'd be expecting a kiss by now, but he knew that Ruby wasn't like that. "You smell… Hit the shower, you silly goof. Let's play some Mario Kombat afterwards, okay?" He smiled at that, as he entered the bathroom, entering the stall. Hearing the door open after he'd turned the knobs on, he paid it little mind.

The door opened. "I've put a towel on the rack for you…" Summer's smile was soft, as her hand smacked against his rump. "Just… Relax a little. Get the sweat off." Her voice was tempered, as she exhaled softly, trying to keep herself under the control that she so prized.

"Of course, Summer." She was the mom of his best friend. A woman who cared for her daughters and didn't want to do anything to hurt them.

"That's a good man."

Her voice was grateful, even after he'd gotten himself a fresh set of underpants on after exiting the shower, still remaining in his mind as that pleasant moment when Summer had said such kind things.

"Alright, Jaune…"

Yang's voice was in his ear the moment that he came out of the bathroom, seeing the sporty girl stand there with her yellow top, her face looking serious and strict. "Mom said that you've got the day off, but that you have to spend it with me for a bit. Something about 'toughening you up a bit'. Means that I've got a new best buddy, yay."

"But Ruby said that we should play some Mario Kombat…" He mumbled, Yang's face stiffening lightly in that smile.

"We're going to exercise for a bit. Don't worry… I won't take it out on you like Cardin did." The frown on Yang's face was enough to make him remember the time that Yang had just beat the guy senseless when he'd tried to bully Ruby. One strike, right to the face. One Cardin down. It had been a sensation of victory, of revenge.

As Yang led him towards her private domain, he saw the sandbag hang from the ceiling, next to a badly made up bed and several of the girliest things that he'd seen.

'Bright pink skirts…'

"Those are Blake's, in case you were wondering." Yang said, her voice not too happy with his gaze lingering at the skirts.

"Now… Get the gloves on. Mom's given me about an hour or two to work your upper body muscles, and I'm not going to do a bad job."

Yang was an able instructor, as he was given a crash course on how to throw a punch, her voice coaching him through the motions, watching with her gaze strict as she saw every punch land.

'That's better…'

"Alright… If you keep improving like that, perhaps I might teach you a bit more about how to have fun with some bags, eh?" The teasing wink was enough, as he got at what she was referring to.

"Don't you have Blake?"

He asked, Yang's head nodding, the top that she wore raised lightly, the straps adjusted as she did.

"Doesn't mean that I can't have some fun. Blake's nice, but she's… very picky. Ruby is too, now that I think of it. Don't take it to mean that I'm like, madly in love with you, that's more Ruby's gig, but I'm not… y'know? A girl's got needs and you're the guy who's helping around the home… Took a bit for me to get used to how you are but, I mean, after what they did when you… No offence, but..." She floundered at the end, uncertain of what to say to make it up. It had started off well with the sentence that started as a flirt, but then it'd crashed and burned.

He winced at the memory. It had been supposed to be a speech. He'd prepared everything and then everything had gone wrong. The words that they'd shouted at him had left him to flounder, never quite finishing it. It'd been one of the moments that'd made him retreat further into his safe space, with only Pyrrha remaining there to support him.

Pyrrha was so nice. She said that she could understand, to not let it bother him too much. She liked him, just the way that he was.

She might just be toying with him, but that was okay. Ruby wasn't a bad girl. Summer liked him too… "It's… I don't judge you for that. It's okay. Blake can't understand, because she doesn't have a sister who's…" Yang tried to smile, as she tried to make excuses.

"We are who we are, Yang. We're just two people who geek out about stuff, who aren't great at social stuff. I'm just the dumb one, Ruby is the smart one. We both went to the classes. She because she had trouble adjusting, me because I had to." He knew that very well. His grades had suffered, but Ruby was smart enough to coax him through some of the problems. Ruby had advanced a few grades.

"Hey, bud… Don't put yourself down, alright? Mom's a bit happier with you around the house… It helps that she's no longer…" A shadow passed over Yang's face, as she sighed. He couldn't quite determine the melancholic emotion on her face.

"Your mom cares for you much, you know?"

He said, knowing that Summer had said so multiple times. Summer cared for Ruby and for Yang so much that it was her task, in her mind it seemed, to ensure that he was prepared for them. It made sense, yet it felt awkward.

"Yeah, ever since my biological mom…" He nodded. He could understand that. Summer had shouted at the woman yesterday, and the woman sounded like a real piece of work. "Ah well… Just don't go sticking your little pogo stick in my sister yet, buster. She's just getting over the break-up."

"Yang, I don't think she's that much into me."

It had felt different… Ruby had been nice, pleasant. Her kiss was nice, but it lacked a certain spark.

"You'd be surprised, Jaune. Love isn't rational. It's passionate and fierce and it hurts like a bitch." Yang rolled her shoulders, as her eyes went down. "See these? Lumps of fat. Not great for stuff, but they make me look killer in a bikini. Ruby doesn't have these. Mom doesn't have these… But I do. I learned to fight to protect myself, dad was real on point with that."

She had a very nice full chest. Yang was beautiful, nobody would ever deny that.

"It's not that I don't… hell, I trust you. You're the type of shy dude who'd blush and stutter for a while before a girl gave him a handie…" The look on her face was exasperated, her fingers threading through her loose blonde locks. "But don't do that to my little sister, yet. If she wants to, that's okay, but…"

Yang rotated her arm, giving a punch to the sandbag, which rocked. "Force yourself on her and I'll be using your balls for practice and I'll not go easy." It was the big sister instinct, he guessed. His sisters had been in and out of love, and they'd all had their fair share of horror stories about the guys that they had dated. He'd heard more about what some guys liked than during the health classes that they'd given to him in the second year of high school.

"I'll make sure that she's okay. I'm… Yeah, you know me. The goofy guy who always tries to help his friends." Yang looked at him before throwing him a towel.

"Rub yourself off and put it in the hamper. The deodorant's on the left shelf, dad left some. You wouldn't want to smell like strawberries, right?" He smiled, knowing that she meant well. He wiped his upper body off, the feeling of being active making him feel better about his life. It was

"Hush, or you'll be calling me dad." Yang shook her head, barking a soft laugh as she imagined that.

"When pigs fly, Arc. Now piss off, I need to get changed and get a shower. Mom told me to get you fitter and in shape because she needed a bit of a rest."

Yang was a good young woman. A bit high-energy, but she'd played a few games on the console with him and Ruby from time to time.

"Aye aye, Yang." He sighed, knowing that he'd overspent his welcome with Yang. He knocked on Ruby's door after he'd put on some deodorant, his shirt back on, thankfully dry still.

"Ruby?" He knocked again, hearing someone stumble a little, before the door opened up. Happy silver eyes met his own as she smiled at him broadly, her glinting eyes lifting his mood.

"Jaune! Do get in!" He caught sight of a bag that had the Schnee brand label on the side, half-opened with a few white bra's tucked within. It must be Weiss' bag, if the looks of it was like that.

"Mom told me that she'll be up with a few drinks in a bit. Yang really put you through some moves, didn't she?" Ruby's eyes were bright and happy, as she smiled. He liked that about her. She was normal, to him. A bright little sunny girl, who never judged. He never judged her either.

The gaming console was already set up, with a controller set to the side. "Sit down… oh… Can I sit in your lap?" Her voice was light, her cheeks blushing. She looked comfortable, as he sat down.

"Sure." She sat down without another sound, her butt pressing against him. "It's nice… Weiss said that she wasn't mad… I mean, I told her about our little time at the movie… She's going to come back." Her happy voice was soothing, as his arm wrapped around her waist. She smelled a little like Summer, undoubtedly because they used the same shampoo.

"She could never stay angry with you for long, Ruby."

Ruby's little hum was the only sound she made as she got herself comfortable. He hardened against her butt, her head turning, as a shy smile came to her lips.

"She's… She's a sweet girl. She accepts me... But…" Ruby sighed, leaning forwards a little. That rump of hers slid up and down his groin, stimulating it with sinful seductiveness.

"I just want us all to get along. You, Weiss and me… Blake and big sis…" The shy smile on her lips, as she turned around. "Kiss?"

He wondered whether he should, as she turned around and then brushed her lips against his own. The door opened, the click of the grip, and Ruby's head turned around, her hair brushing over his cheeks.

It wasn't much of a kiss, yet Summer stood there, holding a tray with some cookies and two glasses of milk. "Milk and cookies, for the brave little soldiers." The woman smiled, setting the cookies down. "I'll be downstairs, doing some paperwork. If you kids need something…" Her eyes seemed to grow dull, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at him… or at Ruby. It was hard to tell.

"Just give me a shout. Yang will be busy trying to look 'swole' or something, so she's going to be busy." Summer's eyes lingered on him, her hand ruffling her daughter's hair, as those eyes looked at him. "Hmm…"

"Thanks mom!" Ruby's chipper smile was enough, as she took a glass and then sipped it. "Weiss is coming back tomorrow! We've made up." The little wince that Summer made was definitely not intended to be shown to her daughter.

"That's… That's nice, Ruby. Are you… together with Jaune as well?" Ruby looked at him and smiled, before she looked thoughtful.

"Hmm… I'll think about it. He's my bestie and she's my bestie… We'll make it work!" The words hardly registered, as she'd kissed him. He watched Summer's sympathetic twist of the lips. He felt a little numb.

"That's good. Friends should be… friends. Tai… Your father had a way about him that just made all of us into the best of friends. Until Raven left us…" Ruby's smile didn't flag.

"Everything's fine. Jaune's getting better under your training, isn't he? He'll be happy to help." He smiled at Summer. She looked like she needed a smile. He got one back, one that was warmer than the one before.

"Everyone who needs a hand can depend on an Arc."

The saying that his father had drilled into his sisters' head and a double helping for him, came to mind. Summer smiled at him.

"We're having Chinese for dinner tonight. I'm sure that we'll have a great time."

Summer's eyes were on him the whole time. Her promise to him, about… things. Intimate things. She wanted it to be perfect.

"Of course, mom." Ruby said, before she nudged him. "Come on, Jaune! I want to be Pepperoni today! You can be Pistachio!" The names of the characters were based on some of the Noontendo games that'd came out earlier, but Ruby's choice for Pepperoni was pretty much based on her like for the long cloak that the character wore.

As they gamed, he started to forget, as Ruby's excited little sounds took over and he looked at the screen. Yang joined, nearly an hour later, taking a third controller with her, the three-way melee continuing on the screen. For a 2d fighter, it was still an interesting combat scheme.

Ruby had moved out of his lap when Yang had knocked on the door and hadn't sat down in it again. It was their little thing, the kissing. Yang adding her own 'That's so unfair!' at times when her character was thrown out of the combat ring just added the tension.

It felt comfortable. Homely. Not stressed.

Summer came around with another tray of sandwiches, as they started on their third game of Remnant Versus Earth: Strategy Incorporated. Summer's blouse was a little opened, the bra below visible, undoubtedly due to the heat of the land. "I'll be out to the store for a bit. I need to pick up some more painkillers." The look on Yang's face was a little tense as her mom said that, even as Summer smiled sweetly at him. "Don't do things to the boy that I wouldn't do, Yang…"

"Mom!" Summer laughed at Yang's embarrassed tone, the girl flushing a little more at the insinuation. "I'll watch over them, no problem."

"Your mother would be proud of you for being such a good sister." Yang's face was a little tense as she took a deep breath, Summer giving the three of them a little wave. "I must be off… You kids better leave the house standing when I return."

"I need to go to the bathroom for a moment." Yang mumbled, getting up and walking to the door. He heard the bathroom door open and shut, as Summer left the house. Ruby turned to him and then leaned closer.

"It's going to be just perfect, Jaune."

Words that her mother had used, as Ruby's silver eyes looked into his own. Her lips pressed against his own, as she hugged him. Her smaller arms wrapped carefully around him, the feeling different from the emotion that Summer put into it. "We'll all be together again, Weiss is coming back… Blake is coming back too and we've got that little thing…"

"Mom will be happy, and dad…."

Ruby's lips pressed against his own, her arms pulling his head down a little as her tongue slid into his mouth, the feeling of her tongue tracing against his own like an endearment, a low groan coming from his mouth.

She was certainly evoking a response, as her hands brushed through his hair, her eyes closed, as her breathing picked up. She broke the kiss a moment later, licking her lips. "I like you, Jaune. You were my first real friend, one who didn't look at me like I was some sort of kid."

"Ruby, I-" The clearing of a throat came from nearby and he found that Yang had returned.

"That's very touching to hear… But not in the bedroom. I'm the oldest here, so I'm going to be watching you."

Yang's voice was a little like his mom's, but there was an emotional breathiness to it that sounded like she'd had some difficulty with getting the sentence out. He noticed those little quirks of speech.

"Ah, it was just a quick kiss? I kiss you too, Yang!" The image was hot, but not as hot as the thought of kissing Summer again.

"Not like you were trying to just eat his face, Ruby… A peck on the cheek is more than enough for me, but for this big bad boy… I'm watching you, Arc." The big bad sister was out, and he wondered briefly whether this was what she had intended all along, but he didn't dwell for too long on the thoughts.

"If you think that's alright." He mumbled, not sure how to answer that sentence.

"Yeah, I do." She said, her voice not even sounding ashamed of her own thoughts. "I think it's more than normal for a big sister to watch her younger sister's boyfriend to make sure that she isn't going to be getting with a kid. Remember the Malachite twins? Never heard from them again after they'd gotten knocked up." He understood, somewhat. Yang was just trying to protect Ruby from unforeseen consequences. He didn't think that they were dating, though.

Ruby was… It was likely that she was using him in her own way. It was saddening, but he didn't want to lose one of his best friends.


After dinner had been laid out on the table and Summer had given him a look, there was the faint ringing of the phone. "I'll get it." Summer said, her eyes meaningful as she looked at him.

"Yum!" Ruby's excitement was really showing through in her actions as she started to put the spoons into the containers that had spoonable contents, doing the prep work, the containers steaming.

Summer emerged a moment later. "Jaune, sweetie? It's your sister." He blinked, as he got up. Yang looked at him for a moment before patting him on the side, seemingly in encouragement.

'What could… wait, which sister?'

He took the phone, the audible laughter that was being suppressed already cluing him in as to who it would be from his older sisters. "Sooooo… How's my little nugget today, huh? Imagine my shock when I came home to find that you've been hanging with Miss Rose and her daughters…"

Someone in the background was starting to complain about her taking too long, his mother taking the phone. "You are to come home at nine. Your father said that we are going out tomorrow." The words brooked no argument, as he looked at the phone, his expression falling. "It's one of the few times where the whole family is back together, Jaune. You've got holiday now, so I'm sure that Summer can miss you for a day." The woman was assured, even with his eyes flickering back and forth. "I'm sorry, Jaune. I know you don't like the surprise, but your father…"

"I got it. Thank you, I'll let them know."

This was unexpected. He took a moment to rearrange his priorities. It wasn't something expected, but…

"See you soon, Jaune."

The words were spoken with love. His mother's voice was warmer when she said those words, recognizing a faint hint where he saw it. He became aware that Summer was standing close by, the phone located in the living room.

"Mom said that we're going out tomorrow, so I can't do the training with you." He saw Summer's face fall for a moment before it firmed up, a broad smile on her face as she came closer, getting into his personal space.

"That's okay." Her voice was a little light, perhaps a touch hurt. "We'll… We'll make tonight special, won't we?" She pressed a light kiss to his lips, her eyes pleading. They looked like they were in pain, and he soothed that pain. He could understand it and not understand it at the same time.

"I'm to be home at nine. Mom said we're going out tomorrow with the whole family."

The look on her face was sad, but she closed her eyes and nuzzled against him.

"I'll wait then. It was like that with Raven as well…" Her head turned away, as she seemed distraught. He thought she was, feeling a sadness from her. "Don't worry… I'm… I'm going to make you a respectable man."

A soft sound, as she breathed in. "Let's have a nice dinner with the girls, dear." Silver eyes focused and were shrouded for an instant as she blinked. "Yes…" Her tongue slid over her lips. "Let's have a nice dinner, all together." The sad smile on her lips didn't comfort him, as she led the way.

"I'll bring him home, mom."

Yang said whilst she pricked one of the dumplings onto her fork. The smell was good, albeit a little too spicy for his nose. "I did it yesterday too, so I might as well go pick up some new eh… stuff. I've got an address for that in town, so…"

"Ah, it's okay, I can do it. Home at nine, as he should be." He glanced at the clock. It was seventeen minutes before the clock would strike eight. Yang's eyes looked at him with that look that said in less words than were needed that she'd want to have a chat. Undoubtedly it was about the kissing.

"I'll do it. I need to tell him off about smooching my little sister anyways…"

That made sense. It was eight when he got into the car, Yang having magicked up a driver's license from somewhere. He was fairly sure that he'd get the lessons himself, if dad could afford it.

"So…" She started, as the car rumbled, Yang's body in motion, her left arm resting on the car door's part, the window open to let the summer heat dissipate. "I don't have anything against you and Ruby, but…" She sounded concerned, as she exhaled. A pack of cigarettes came out, a lighter flicked and the stick ignited, as she slowly blew out the smoke.

"No funny business, please…"

The car moved, as she exhaled. She went below the speed limit, just cruising with the car rumbling. Her eyes were a deep lilac-purple colour, as he wondered briefly about why she smoked. As a health-focused individual, she might wish to keep her lungs intact.

"Why do you smoke?" Yang's head turned, the cigarette between her lips glowing in the dim light of the car.

"Because it's a good stress reliever. I only smoke a pack a month… Not enough to go and impact my breathing, but it's a way to relieve stress when Blake goes on her little bitch-fits… Seriously, I wonder about her sometimes, she's like 'Humans oppress us' and the moment afterwards she is like an affectionate housecat…" That was probably not information that Blake would like him to know. "Sometimes, I wish I could be a bit like you, not to let stuff like those emotions bother you. Would be nice."

"I do feel emotions, Yang."

The was one of the worst misconceptions that he'd heard the most. Just because you were wired just a bit differently because of the way your brain was formed during gestation, did not mean that you were like a robot. His mom had been older when she'd given birth to him, but they all loved him just the same. He preferred not to think about it. Miss Fall had said to him that there was nothing wrong with him, that people preferred not to think about what made people special.

"Yeah, but you don't feel them like we do. That's why Blake gets the heebies around you…" That was true. Blake just didn't like him much, probably because he had asked her once whether the cat ears were fully capable of hearing or not.

"If you say so…"

He mumbled, before he noticed something. Whenever Yang took a drag on her cigarette, her eyes slowly seemed to light up, turning a deeper red colour.

"Summer has a bone to pick with your mom, doesn't she?"

Yang blew out the smoke through her nostrils, letting the smoke curl up. She didn't respond. A look of conflicting emotions came to her face.

"She got a call from your mom yesterday and was pretty out of it for a while afterwards… Did it really hurt when she left?" Yang's eyes left the road and met his, an angry look on her face.

"This conversation ends now." Yang said, her voice and tone deadly calm, a bitter expression on her face. "I know that you've got that whole issue, but this is not a conversation I want to have right now, nor do I want to have it with you."

He supposed that it wasn't something to be talked about. He could take a hint, even though Yang seemed to think that he didn't.

He got out of the car, hearing Yang give a mumbled – "See ya later, Arc." – before she continued, driving off, no doubt to get that fix.

It would all be okay. It wasn't a conversation to have with Yang, after all. He might ask Ruby about it.


Yeah… some things are just not spoken about. Summer's hurting about when Raven left, Yang's hurting about when Raven left…

Messy things, divorces. Hurts more than just the guy you're with. Gave a few more hints about why he perceives the world as he does. It's just not mentioned by name.