Chapter 7: Forging the self
Another chapter, another moment for you all to throw tomatoes at me and complain about how the characters here are weird.
Jaune woke up at six, as had been customary. Whether it was four or six, he snapped awake immediately, awareness roused completely by the time that he had finally rolled over and shut the beep of his alarm clock off.
It might have been a Saturday, but that didn't mean that the routine would be ignored. Summer had given the start, and he would finish it. As he filled his bowl with some oatmeal, he recognized that he'd had time to get himself ready, the shift in the pattern from yesterday's excursion with dad and his friends and his companions being dismissed. It was an odd thing, but it had been done for the family.
His sisters likely would be passed out until mid-morning, at the very least. Mom often had days where she slept in. He could hear the clicking of the lock, the small little sounds that accompanied the door opening up. "Good morning, Summer." The woman came up behind him, the smell that was familiar in his nostrils once more. She smelled like pine and eucalyptus today, on top of that natural scent of hers that was like strawberries and gunpowder.
"Good morning, little maggot."
The almost affectionate tone that she used for him was of course enough, as she embraced him from behind in a warm hug. He didn't feel too bad about that. It was bad when they started to squeeze. Just a light hug, comfortable and tolerant.
She slipped into the seat next to him, her elbow leaning on the counter, a soft smile on her lips as her silver eyes looked at him, a finger drawing a little circle on the table. She looked carefully up at him, her silver eyes warm.
"So… Did you have fun with your family yesterday?"
The question was a touch harder to ask. He looked away for an instant, unsure whether to talk about the advice that he'd been given by the big man. It wasn't something that had been cool or anything, but this was Summer, he wasn't… quite sure whether he could say it like that. Summer might know, but mom and his sisters had looked a little disgusted.
"It was alright."
It had been. She knew better than he did, he supposed. She'd been older than him, so she'd seen more things. With age came wisdom, or so Cinder had said. Cinder had said a lot of things. Sometimes not things that made him feel happy.
"Good, good… Now…"
The woman got up, walking to the refrigerator and opening it up, pulling a carton of milk from there, filling a glass with it after some brief searching. "I drink milk, ha-ha!" The amused tone of voice was much like Ruby. One of those little lines that she did whenever Yang looked particularly underdressed and flaunted what she had. He didn't really mind Yang not wearing much, but it made Ruby feel somewhat bad.
He wondered briefly how Ruby would be now. Weiss had come back and she had commented on it being a good thing. Was it a good thing that Weiss was coming back? He looked at Summer, who drank the glass in one go, her lips leaving a kiss mark on the glass, her eyes meeting his and a smile on her face.
"See something you like, private?"
The amused tone of voice was enough, as he cracked a smile. A little joke from her, undoubtedly to make it worth more to him. She was a good woman.
"I'd say yes, but I'd be legally obliged to say no."
He repeated what Saphron had said to her partner, when she'd been around. He liked Saphron the most of his sisters, though he knew that he loved them all.
"A tricky customer… Oh no, what will this older single woman do next? Next episode on the broad and the beautiful…"
The little flourish with a hand, as she nodded her head with some enthusiasm, his father coming down and spotting Summer there.
"Here to beat up my little tyke and make him into a stud of a man, Rose?"
The woman gave a grin, making the same gesture with the hand that his dad often did to those who were worthy of respect, no words spoken from the woman's side as she did so, her eyes glinting with that warmth that he would reserve for the familiar things in life.
"I'll make sure he'll be saluting you and have a beard growing on his chin, Arc. You'll be seeing him chew the bitches of the house out like a true-born Marine." The man gave a humoured smirk, as he nodded in some moderate acceptance of that image. Beards weren't nice. Shaving was better.
"Your old buds were at the Forever Fall place. Spoke for a bit with your ex-squad." His father looked a touch amused.
"Make him strong, girl."
Summer's expression was thoughtful, her eyes closed, as she hummed to herself something that sounded a bit like one of the tunes that his father occasionally listened to. "I'll make him into the best I can." The words were conviction-laden, as silver eyes looked at him.
"And… Don't worry. I'll make him run the drills so hard that he'll be coughing blood and sweating weakness."
It was an ominous proposition, he found. Knowing that Summer probably didn't seem to joke around, he smiled a little. He had been tested yesterday. Some exercise with Summer would do him good, he reckoned. His father's hand patted his shoulder. There was warmth within that hand, as the man did what he could. He didn't blame his father for being unable to take good care of him.
"Just don't hurt him too much… The wife wouldn't appreciate that too much."
The man patted his other shoulder again. A touch that he wouldn't normally like, but it was better than some of the pokes and prods that he'd had before.
Summer's eyes looked into his, a watery smile on her lips. "I'll make sure that he's careful with his exercises. Mind if I keep him around for the night?" She was asking permission, for him. His father sighed, as he settled himself in the seat that Summer had vacated.
"Sure, it's the weekend... Let the kids have their fun, watch some movies or something..."
He wondered if Summer was going to do something with him again. She looked a little better today.
"I'll make sure to get something nice and artery-clogging for them. My daughters would love to have him around. I wouldn't mind a manly touch around the house either. Gotta have a strong man to hide behind whenever the enemy's at the gates, right?"
She winked at him, a soft little smile on her lips. He knew that she was genuine. She wasn't like Cinder, who had said that women always lied. Miss Salem had been right with some of her lessons in social etiquette, he supposed.
That things had gone so badly must have been the fault of himself. It wasn't that he was... bad, but they'd...
"Why the gloomy face, huh? C'mon, put a smile on those lips and let's get going, 'strong man'."
Summer's voice pulled him out of his memories. He smiled at her. Summer made sense, just as Mister Frank had. They could understand what it was like.
They didn't judge him for things. Summer was Summer and she was good. "Sure... I guess I'll have to pack some extra stuff... Should I just pack a bottle of shampoo?" The raised eyebrow from his dad was enough, as he clarified. Clarifying made a lot more sense.
"I shower whenever we come back from a run. Blake doesn't like my smell. She sprays the car when I've been in there." The excuse was valid, to him. Blake was a Faunus. He didn't know many Faunus, so who was to say that they didn't like the smell of him? They must have different senses.
"Ah... She's that Faunus girl, isn't she?" The man guessed, to which he nodded. His father was correct.
"She's got her... issues."
Summer said, as she leaned against the counter. The top that she wore was tighter around her breasts, with a single cut at the top to expose the upper part of her bra, her tongue sliding over her lips. "But I'll make sure that she doesn't take too much offense, Jaune... I'm going to keep my little Padawan safe. She's currently rooming with Yang again."
"As long as you don't cut down the younglings, Summer." He said. She smiled, showing her teeth.
"I'm an evil predator woman, muahahaha!"
She made a dramatic gesture, his father cracking a smile at her antics. Jaune saw much of Ruby reflected in Summer... or perhaps it was Summer who was reflected in Ruby.
"Here to defile your innocent body with the harsh labour of work! Work! Yes!"
His mother entered, an ill-amused look on her face. "Keep your daughter in check, Summer. I don't want to have my little boy be hurt because the girl couldn't keep herself under control. You remember, don't you?"
Summer's expression firmed, as she turned around and then rinsed the glass, her back turned, whilst she spoke. He saw her raise the glass to her lips, at least, seeing the arm rise, an audible swallow and an 'ahh' as she tossed something with her other hand, hitting the bin's open space in one go.
"I'll make sure to keep her tits contained, boss lady." The crude terminology didn't sit well with his mom, who frowned.
"She does wear a bra. Even whilst exercising." He commented, as Summer regarded him with an amused expression as she turned around. Her tongue was making a little circle around her lips, as she strode forwards, her hand touching his shoulder.
"Sure she does, sweetie... I'll make sure that you get a good session with her to bulk you up a bit. We're going to make you a man who's going to be making a lot of women very happy when you move to college." Summer was caring, as she let her fingers touch the space where his dad's hand had laid.
"We've got to be off... I'll bring him back home on Sunday, it'll just be a night out with the girls... Probably going to watch some movies, have a lot of complaining about straining muscles and the like... Yeah, funsies!"
His mother seemed ready to make it into a protest, so he started to move towards the door. His father held up a hand to forestall an argument, as his mother looked right and ready to get into one.
"I'll return him when he's a bit more manly. Work in progress, see you later!"
As they got into the car, Summer looked at him for a moment, the key turning in the ignition, as the engine rumbled to life. He could see the stars still out, her eyes looking at him with that expression. "Are you... okay?" She asked, turning the wheel to get herself out onto the road, the well-trimmed lawns looking dewy and misty in the morning.
"I'm fine."
He said, as she regarded him, the early-morning hour not having many people on the road. She seemed to muse for a moment, as he wondered whether he should make a comment to her about what he'd heard yesterday. His sisters had been too curious.
"If something's the matter..." Her voice sounded sad, as she exhaled thunderously. Her fingers tapped a small little beat onto the steering wheel, as they made a turn to the right.
"You can talk to me."
She understood. She knew well that the man named Barracuda probably had said something that was a bad thing. She was like Mister Frank.
"Thank you."
She smiled at him, a smile that made his heart beat a little faster. It wasn't the same smile as he had seen on the face of Ruby, but something different. He felt the stirring in his pants, as she focused back on the road, mumbling something to herself that he didn't quite catch.
"Yang was... nice."
He said, trying to make things better for the girl. Summer shouldn't be angry with Yang, mom might've said something about restraining Yang, and that wasn't good. Restraints were for when you were a retard. He didn't think that he was one, but Cinder had...
Miss Salem said that it was normal to think a little differently, after all. She'd been helpful, but Cinder was just... not nice. He didn't much like that, especially when she had laughed at him. That had hurt.
"She's nice, indeed." Summer said, her expression turning sad again, as if she knew something that he didn't. Probably a lot more, now that he thought about it. "We're... You're going to go and run to walk up a bit..." Her voice was a little distant, as she looked at the signboard, noticing that they'd gotten halfway there.
"And I'm going to have to send a little message to my girls to get something up for breakfast..."
She parked the car, going with him through some of the stretches. Her eyes were a little distant, as she seemed to merely shuffle through the motions, sending him out on a run. He did as he was asked, as she hadn't seemed to wish to change the schedule. It felt easier to run now that she had given him the order.
She was a little sad. It was not a look he liked to see on her. Whilst he moved, he kept that look in his mind, vowing that he'd do something to make her happier. She didn't deserve to be sad whilst he was around. She was Ruby's mom, and she was nice.
He saw her standing there, her eyes closed, breathing in and out, the phone to her ear. There was a slump to her shoulders, and her eyes closed, as her finger shifted a little over the phone, straightening it out.
"Summer?"
Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him, her tongue sliding over her lips. Her body moved, as she almost skipped to him, her arms wrapping around him with a happy sound coming from her throat.
"... mmer, I know that it's not the best time with things blowing up as they have." A woman's voice, much the same as Yang's, spoke from the phone, a soft groan coming from Summer's mouth, her body pressing up against him. Her hands grabbed a hold of him, as something hit the ground behind him.
Her lips were against his, as low groan coming from her mouth. "I mean, I don't want to... But you've got to understand, I've had to. Please... Take good care of Yang for me. I can't... I know that you're a good person, we've been friends for years. Please... Keep Yang safe."
The sound faded, as Summer's tongue invaded his mouth, her eyes looking into his own as she held him, her body leaping up against his own. She smelled of shampoo and of something else, as she broke the kiss, hanging onto him like some sort of weird barnacle.
"Summer..." He breathed out, feeling how he hardened as she rubbed against him. "Are you..." Her eyes were barely focused, as her tongue batted against his nose in a manner that he could assume to be teasing.
"No, you're going to never let me go."
She mumbled, as she slid down, her arms grabbing a hold of his shorts. "No... Not going to let you go, because I need you to..." Her breathing was against his shorts, as she seemed to freeze up.
The voice of the woman seemed to call for her, as she seemed to realize that she was ignoring her phone call. It was bad manners, he knew, to ignore someone you were on the phone with. "Silly calling at this time, of course... But Summer... I am so sorry." The woman let go of him, grabbing the phone and looking at it. He watched, as she placed it against her ear.
"It's okay... It's okay, you crazy bird fuck... We're... We're fine... Yes, yes..." The smile on Summer's face was beautiful, as she seemed to perk up. "We're fine." The words seemed to be as much for herself, and he could hear the woman's response.
"Thank you for doing this, for me... I'll have them register it and you can." Summer pressed the button, a low beep shutting the call off. Her eyes went for him, the forested path on which they'd parked being still abandoned, though he knew that people might be taking a long walk there in the afternoons.
"That was... that was my bestie." She mumbled, shaking her head a few times. She looked really sad.
"I've... She calls me sometimes. Can't do a single thing on her own, not like her brother."
Summer's sigh was deep, as she tucked the phone back in her pocket. It was the pocket where neither Taiyang or Qrow had their phone, so he supposed it must've been some sort of ritual for the members of that squad.
"Your husband was there. Mister Branwen said that I should get a pint from the old crow."
Summer looked a little sad, clearly still affected by the divorce. He guessed that the split hadn't been fully amicable, even with the way that Ruby had spoken about how she knew that mom would bounce back again, just as she'd always done.
"Ah... Then I guess we should get you something to drink." Her eyes twinkled, as she got herself up to her full, and rather unimposing height. "Mister Arc..."
Her hands slid over his body, pulling the shirt up. "It has been a day since you've last been under my guidance..." Her nose bumped against his chest. "And already, you're asking questions..." Her tongue slid over his skin, tracing a trail over his flesh.
"I like you." The words made her freeze up, as she stopped. His hand brushed over her head.
"You're nice. You're warm. You understand me."
A whimper came from her throat, as she breathed out. "No, no... No, it's not... You're not supposed to..." He didn't understand why she would say that.
"Summer, I l-" Her hand shot up, pressing a finger against his lips. Her eyes looked up at him. They looked sad, perhaps a touch scared.
"No... No, this is... This is training too, yes..." Her smile was a little off, as her hand slid down, grabbing a hold of him. "It's going to be okay... Just... let me." Her fingers kneaded over his groin, letting him feel the pleasant sensation, his manhood already hard.
"Let me take care of you, and you can... and you can make Ruby okay... It's... It's better this wa-" His hand grabbed a hold of her hair and he raised her head, the look in her eyes somehow tender and weak. Not a look that he liked.
He bent down and kissed her on the lips. That was what was better. Kiss the sadness away. She whimpered softly, like a scared child would. He'd heard it before, from his own throat. It was a moment where his tongue pushed into her mouth, and she was kissing him. Forcing him down to the ground with a burst of strength, she crawled atop him, her lips locking with him.
Her nipples poked against the fabric of her top, her eyes looking into his. "It's... It's all for them. You're..." her breathing was heavy, her kiss continuing, as her hands roved over his exposed skin. His shirt was gone now, and he felt the dirt against his back. "You're going to be... better, yes..." A panting moan came from her lips.
"Summer, I like-" She shook, her head shaking.
"Hush, hush... No, don't speak... Let me... let me do this for you, sweetheart... Let me... yes..."
Summer's agile fingers pulled his shorts down, her breathing heavier, as her body scooted back a bit.
*There was erotic content here.*
As she pushed his shorts up after tucking him properly back into his underwear, her gaze met his again. Her cheeks were flushed as her tongue licked over her lips, the woman's gaze sliding up once more after she had affirmed that he was once more presentable, save for the bare upper body.
"What did you say, sweetheart?"
She asked, her silver eyes warm as they looked at her. He smiled at her.
"You're fabulous. You're... You're wonderful. That's how you say it, right?"
He tried to remember what the proper way was to compliment a person you liked. They'd... well, she had said that it was a good compliment.
She just looked. Something faded out of those eyes and there was no connection anymore, just a dull look. Her hand had frozen mid-adjustment of her hair, a lock teasing over her ear, slowly dropping again due to gravity. Her pupils slowly dilated, a tremor running over her lip.
"Summer?"
There was no response forthcoming, as he tried to get her attention. She looked bad, in a not good way. There was a response as he called her name, a smile on her lips.
"Yes, darling?" Her voice was lighter, happier, with a warmth that made his stomach flutter. "Ah..." She looked around as if she'd realized where they were. "I must've dozed off a moment. Raven would've had a fit if she saw me."
Her smile was warm, kissing his cheek. "You are wonderful too, darling." He thought for a moment that he should ask her to let him get up, her tongue trailing over his cheek. "We should... We should get to bed when we're home... Maybe hop into the shower, if Yang doesn't mind. Ruby will still be asleep, knowing that lazy girl. She's such an adorable child."
He wasn't against showering with her. That would be nice. Warm. Hot. "Summer, what about Blake? You've said that she's come around again earlier this morning?" She frowned at him. She looked sad again, before her eyes widened, slightly.
"Oh... Yes... Weiss and Blake."
Summer said the names as if trying to remind herself that they were around too, as if she had forgotten for a moment that they were in her house. He did that too with some people, especially when he was focusing on something else, and with names it was off at times. It had taken him a few tries to get the pronunciation for 'Weiss' right. "I guess it'll just be... a solo shower." The softness in her eyes as she looked at him.
"You make me happy."
Emotion, as her head turned away. A deep breath inhaled, as the woman seemed to process that. A shake of the shoulders, as the woman bit her lower lip.
"This is for Ruby and Yang, I won't..."
She mumbled, to herself as if to confirm it. He rubbed over her shoulder, like his mother did when he needed a moment to collect himself. She shivered at the touch, her head turning. Silver eyes looked at him. "This is..."
She closed her mouth, her gaze dropping down. Droplets fell from her chin. "This is enough, Jaune."
"But-" She placed a finger to his lips, her eyes looking into his own.
"Hush... I'm..." She was sad. Tears were coming from her eyes. He didn't understand. "I shouldn't..."
She was doubting things. It wasn't a good look on her, he thought. "You're someone who doesn't judge me." It was simple. She didn't think he was weird. She just thought of him like she thought of her daughter. Ruby might not... be with him, but she was still someone who was able to crack a smile and a dirty joke every now and then. He didn't always get them, but Ruby was precious to her.
"Perhaps..."
She got up, trying to gather her thoughts. He went for his shirt, which'd fallen into the dirt. Shaking it once or twice, he cleared it of the dirt, the faint afterburn of Summer's little exercise regimen and her pleasure still there.
He knew that Ruby liked a hug every now and then. He hugged Summer just the same way that she'd hugged him, from behind. A moan came from her lips. "Jaune... No." He let go. She didn't turn to him, taking a few steps forward, shaky. She leaned against the car for a minute, not facing him. Droplets of water fell onto the car, as she shivered. "We should get back to my home. Ruby would be happy to see you. I'm..."
She turned to him, her eyes a little watery. "I think I need to take a break."
"And, eh... the sex?"
He asked. She'd made a promise. Something in her eyes was powerful, as she exhaled. A bitter smile was on her lips, as she swallowed audibly, as if trying to return herself to the promise.
"Later tonight, sweetheart. I'll... I'll need to prepare, first."
Summer kept her promises. She always came through, no matter what. She could be trusted.
"Jaune... Jaune?"
Her voice sounded hesitant, as she spoke it the second time. "Can you... Hold me for a bit?" He did, holding her. She rubbed her face against his neck, mumbling something that barely made any sense. It was just a low whine, as she continued to move her head there in the crook of his neck.
"I still like you, Summer."
For some reason, that didn't comfort her as much as he thought. She just started to hold him tighter. Her mumbling started to increase in volume, the soft whispers of 'masters of our enemy, we are the saviours of my life, slowly trailing into the familiar ending. 'so be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!' was uttered with more conviction, as she swallowed heavily.
"I... I needed that hug. Thank you. You're..."
The woman's cheeks flushed, as she seemed to realize that she'd embarrassed herself. He did that too, sadly. He embarrassed himself enough, especially with Cinder's advice. Miss Salem had been nice enough to rectify some of the things, but that presentation had been horrible.
"You are just as important to me as Ruby is." It was true. Ruby was his friend, regardless of how much it hurt to see the girl he liked be with her as her girlfriend. Friendship did not change, because Ruby would be Ruby at the end of the day.
Her lips pressed against his own in a kiss that was almost chaste, as her hands rubbed over his back. His shirt still hadn't been worn. She looked at him and smiled bitterly. "I'll cancel training for today, and... and you get three hours with Yang. She'll work you over good, after you've had a shower... Sticky boys can't be around my baby girls... No, no..." There was a look in her eyes that spoke greater truths than her lips could ever do. They looked at him without judgement. Acceptance was in her eyes, as he went in for a kiss. She shuddered. He tightened the hug a little. She shouldn't be feeling bad.
"Jaune, I really... I need to rest."
She said, and he accepted that. She was enough for him, just to see her smile.
"Let's... let's get in the car, I'll kick Yang out of bed and you can get exercising, alright?" Summer sounded less confident, as her tongue licked over her lips. "Ruby likes you and..."
She stopped mid-sentence, closing her eyes. "And Yang doesn't know what she wants. She should stick to one thing, not... not..." The lamentation in the woman's voice was there as she laid her head in her neck, looking up to the bright blue sky.
"I like them." Yang was fun, when she was around. She was always concerned about Ruby, which was good. Ruby didn't need to be hurt. Sometimes, Yang made no sense, but that was generally how his sisters acted, so he attributed it to a sisterly thing. Sisters were a class on their own.
As they entered the Rose household thirty minutes later, a silent guardian sat there at the table, a set of golden eyes looking at him with a stare that followed him around. Feline ears twitched, their angling towards him some sort of instinctive defence, as he wondered once more how many nerve endings there were in her ears.
"Slept well?"
Summer asked, grabbing a glass and starting to fill it with water. She was fiddling with something in her other hand. He avoided hearing Blake's response as he walked to the upstairs, deciding to head for the shower. The sound of water was absent, so he figured that he'd have the liberty of the shower, knocking once. There was no response, and he found the bathroom to be unoccupied. A fresh set of underwear and a towel were placed on the sink, as he grabbed the shampoo that had been set there. He quickly showered, making sure that he was sparkly clean, before he dried the shower out and then wandered downstairs. Blake and Summer were seated at the breakfast table, Summer buttering up a slice of bread, a big jam pot set beside her.
"Nice shower?"
The woman asked, as Blake stared at him with a look on her face that he couldn't identify. He met that gaze, as he always did. Her lips pressed tightly together.
"It was warm."
That it had been. He felt happier whilst he was clean. Being dirty was gross and should never be done. Personal hygiene was important.
"Good moooorniiiing!"
Ruby's chipper voice was there as she and Weiss joined them at the breakfast table, Weiss looking at him with a look and a firming of her lips pressed together, her eyes locked at his face. There was something in that look of hers, a distaste or a displeasure that he didn't seem to have noticed.
'Well, that's pretty obvious now that I know that she's a lesbian.'
Saphron didn't like men, so she became gay and married a woman. That was the simple fact of the matter. If Weiss didn't like men, she wouldn't like him. She was like Saphron. Probably a good friend, but nothing more than that. Logical to his reasoning.
"Good morning, Ruby." The cheerful hug netted him a glare from Weiss, whose expression soured even more, Ruby's hug lasting for a moment as she mimicked her mother's style of hugging. Summer's hugs were nicer.
"We got back together! I hope you don't mind."
He did. She looked so happy to be with Weiss again that it went against the urge to scream at her. She wouldn't respond well to that. He didn't like screaming. Yang might get upset. He didn't want to make people upset with him.
"No, not at all. Did you sleep well?" He asked, though her eyes dimmed a little.
"But I still like you, Jaune!" The glare from Weiss increased in strength. Ruby just continued onwards, as if she were missing the glare entirely.
"We're buddies!"
He supposed they were. What else could they be? She was his friend, she was a good girl and a smarter girl than he was. She had went up several grades, after all. He wasn't like his older sister, who had managed to get a scholarship for... someplace that he didn't really remember the name of. She was smarter than Ruby. Theoretical physicals? He hadn't paid much attention to when she'd explained it to him. He had been absorbed in a game.
"That doesn't change, Ruby."
He smiled. Blake scoffed softly, turning her head away. He didn't know what her issue was, though he banished that thought from his mind.
"Go up, rouse my wayward blonde daughter from her sleep, Blake."
Summer said, pushing one of the jam-covered slices of bread to him.
"Eat up, little man. Show me who the real tiger of the Arc household is."
She looked like she'd gotten over her sadness, which was a good thing. Seeing other people sad always made him feel responsible.
"You're the one who's always making people around you sad, Jaune... Take it from me... They don't care about you. You're a freak, someone who can never empathize with them... Noooo. When you're my age, everyone is going to laugh at you and point."
He closed his eyes, trying to banish the phantom voice of the unpleasant talk that he'd had. It had been a bad match-up, his parents had told him, the system not quite designed. Miss Salem had apologized to his parents personally after Cinder had been... Well, he supposed that it had all ended well. His sisters had looked a little upset. His father had said that he shouldn't have been a wimp. He hadn't liked hearing that.
Yang emerged, wearing a fluffy set of slippers and a pink pyjama. A bleary look was on her face as she settled herself down, her eyes going to him before she recognized him, a blink and then a glare. "Not a word, Arc." She mumbled, as she tightened the pyjama a little. Her generous assets were contained once more within the pink shroud of destiny, as she turned to her mother.
"Mom, I-" Summer looked at her. "I just woke up. You can't just shove it on me again, mom." The look of those silver eyes intensified, as Yang sighed. "Alright, I need to do some of my own training too... Blake, you up for getting a third in our little gig?"
Blake's lips were pressed tightly together, as she looked at him. That stare was met with his stare, before the girl looked away. It was a sign of her care, he would imagine. She must be looking at him because she disliked him, or else she wouldn't make that face.
"If you want to." The Faunus admitted, her gaze turned away. "For you..." The rest went unsaid, as Blake sighed deeply.
"Let's get at it, then..."
He did as Yang instructed. The punches and the shifting from defence to offence and the sparring against her with a set of sparring pads whilst Blake watched, occasionally taking the lead and adding to it. Her glare got worse, the more he was around Yang. Yang smiled encouragingly at her, before she shook her shoulders, her hair loose. It looked pretty, if you liked blondes. He had plenty of blondes at home, so he wasn't sure whether he did. Yang was nice enough, even if she didn't make perfect sense.
"Alright, mama Yang's going to get a shower... Blake, you want to join me?"
The stern look that Yang gave him was enough to warn him that he wouldn't be warmly received if he did something such as peeking. Yang hadn't needed to tell him. Girls were scary when you had one shower and they all needed to do their best to get clean in the morning.
"I'll stay here... keep an eye on him." She did that a lot. Staring at him. It had gotten worse the more that he'd started to hang around Ruby at Summer's home. There was something in those eyes that he didn't quite understand.
"Don't maul the guy, kitty... We need him intact. If you want to jump his bones, do wait for me." The look that Blake sent at Yang was fierce as the Faunus hissed lightly, Yang's amused laugh enough.
"Rawr, kitty... Keep some of that fire for when we're out on a date, Blakey."
The blonde left, and his gaze returned to Blake. She met his gaze, unflinchingly. Like an animal, she didn't even blink, before she did. He blinked as well, and he saw her in motion.
"Stop that."
Her voice was pinched, her undercurrent of anger almost visible within it. There was something in those eyes that did not stop, that would not give in to the situation, as he tilted his head. "Stop it!" The hiss was angry, as she looked at him. Her golden eyes were almost catlike, her ears pointed straight up. The cat ears, not the human ones. Important distinction, for some. It didn't matter much personally to him whether someone had a tail or not. People were people, regardless of what they looked like.
"Why?"
Her irritated sigh was a sign that he was treading on grounds that were dangerous, so he asked anyways:
"Do you hate me?"
"You're not normal. You don't... You don't act like the other humans do. They will stop, but you... You won't stop!" The angry words came out, and he watched her, as she looked at him, before she pressed him against the wall, the 'thud' sound fairly loud.
"You're not stopping! Stop looking at me... Stop... stop... stopit..."
She took a deep breath, shuddering. Her eyes blazed as they met his and then she was planting her lips against him, a kiss that was passionate and frenzied, as she continued to meet his gaze. She pulled away. "You two... Stop it... You can't stop looking... Why do you always... ah..."
"I would suggest that you do not rape a young man in my household, Blake." The voice of Summer came from the side, as he realized that Summer had entered the room.
"There are some bounds of propriety, and I would rather not have my dear daughter's heart break when she finds you eying her boy..." There was something dangerous in that voice, as he realized that Summer's eyes were colder and distant, not much heat in them, yet with a wave of cool anger simmering in their depths.
"He always does it! His scent sends my blood into flame. He can't stop... You can't understand..." There was something in her voice that was helpless, as Summer looked at the teenage Faunus catgirl.
"I smell really bad, don't I?" It might have been the wrong thing to say, as Blake exhaled with a hiss.
"No. You smell like Yang. Strong. Unbending. It's... It's... ach. Fuck..." The cuss wasn't usual for her, as she shook her head. "I love her, but... fuck."
"She's not enough for you, is she?" Summer's voice was deadly and soft, as the woman pulled Blake away. Blake flinched at the grip, as her skin turned paler around Summer's iron-like grip.
"Stay away from him for a bit, Blake..." The words were laden with a tone of 'You shan't do this' deep inside it. It was the same tone that his mother had taken when she'd heard about the little thing with Cinder. It was one of the times when she'd shouted loud enough to make his ears hurt.
"I'll... I'll go and talk to Yang."
Blake drooped off, before Summer tapped his shoulder. He was a little confused. Blake was supposed to dislike him, not... like him?
"Are you okay?"
The question that was asked was simple, yet he knew that it was more intricate than she'd let on. Summer was concerned for him. That made her even better. He could hear Blake's opening of one of the doors, as Yang's voice was heard inquiring about who it was that dared to enter the bathroom of the great Yang Xiao-Long.
"I'm... I'm..." He was confused. Did that mean that Blake liked him as Summer and Ruby liked him? Was this just some sort of biological quirk?
"It's okay..." She said, as she leaned in. With his back still against the wall, it was a closeness, as she leaned against him. "I'll make sure that she won't do that again."There was a tone of certainty in the woman's voice, as she looked at him. "Got to make sure that the man of the house isn't stolen by the cat, right?"
Her smile was brittle, as he saw something in her eyes, something that defied explanation. Pain, sadness and something else, as she leaned up and pecked his cheek lightly. "I won't let her steal you from m-... my Ruby." She sounded convinced, even though he was sure that Ruby might have something to say about it as well.
"It'll be okay. Ruby is a big girl."
Summer nodded, as she pulled away, taking a deep sigh.
"She is. So is Yang. She's gotten so big, darling... Sometimes, when I see her, it's like looking at... It's like..."
She floundered, seemingly lost. "It's like..." There were tears.
Jaune put his hand on her back, rubbing over it. "It's okay." Her words did not temper him, as she pulled away. "It's okay, it's... It's okay. Just like... Just like when we were..." She mumbled, closing her eyes and seemingly feeling a little sad again.
She was not okay. It wasn't okay and he wanted to help her. She turned, looking at him with a bright smile on her lips. "I'm going to give you the night of your life... I've got... I'm... I'm going to make you love it, sweetheart." Her kiss was passionate, as her hands stroked over his stomach.
"See you later, darling." She kissed his lips lightly, before she parted, her fingers giving a little wave.
He felt confused. He felt uncertain. He didn't like that feeling one bit, so he went for Ruby's room. Knocking once, he waited for the girl to come, the door opening up and the bright and cheery smile of one of his best friends warmed his heart. The confusion faded a little.
He felt better. Summer was... She was just a little sad. She'd feel better soon and then she'd make sense again. Blake made no sense at all, but that might just be a Faunus thing. Saphron had said something about them being hell to date, but that might have been a figure of speech. He wasn't sure whether to imagine Blake as some sort of cat demon.
"Soooo... We were thinking, another game of Monster Mashers VI!"
Ruby's cheerful tone was at odds with Weiss' look, Ruby catching on. "Oh? Not Monster Mashers VI, Weiss?" The girl adjusted her look slightly.
"It might be... amusing."
The smile on Ruby's face was bright, just as Summer's was when she was in her good mood. He hoped that Summer wouldn't be too upset with him. He didn't want to make her upset, just like his mom had gotten upset when she'd heard.
"Don't take that to mean that I like you, Arc."
The defensive tone was enough, as the cool blue eyes of Weiss Schnee met him.
"It's logical that you don't."
The statement was true. Weiss' eyes blinked. She looked askance at Ruby, who blushed.
"He knows, Weiss. He's my male bestie."
The girl flushed, as she fixed him with a look.
"Not a word, Arc. Not one word, or else gott im himmel won't be able to put you together. I'll make what Fall did a pleasant memory in comparison." Her words were angry. He could understand that emotion.
"You're a lesbian. That means you don't like men. That's okay." The look on her face did not change. "My sister is like you too. Not so blonde, but she's married to a woman named Terra. Marble wouldn't stop making the jokes for a week. We got over it soon." It was natural to make jokes. Marble just made extremely bad ones. He still loved her as a sister, though.
"Good. As long as you know that if you blab, I know who to blame." Ruby looked pleadingly at him.
"Let's not fight, guys... Peace is good. Peace is fine..."
Weiss smiled, affectionately nudging her girlfriend. Jaune supposed that it was like that, yes. A girlfriend. Something that he'd never be able to get, probably. Weiss had been... nice to think about. She'd smiled nicely.
"You actually think that you're something impressive, Jaune? Take it from me, you're nothing. A freak whose mind is wired with spaghetti string, unable to really know what it's like to be human. A woman who'd like you has to be sick in the head, just like you."
It was true. He'd heard it before, but she hadn't laid it out so blatantly. It was what it was, and it was embarrassing. It was what it was, even though word of his status had spread.
'At least Ruby and the rest didn't treat me badly. They are nice. Ren and Nora never cared. Pyrrha wasn't even ruffled one bit.'
Summer had understood. Summer always understood, because she felt like him. There was something about her that just pulled at him, something that he felt like… home. She could be trusted. She was a little sad, sometimes a little lost in thought… But she was trusted.
She wanted what was best for her daughters. He could trust her words, right?
Bring some popcorn for the next chapter, because seals are getting popped and things are getting corny!
