The four of them walked over to the counter and in one smooth motion Dr. Oobleck vaulted over and put on an apron. When he grabbed what looked to be a cocktail shaker Shiro spoke up. "Dr. It was Alcohol that started this whole mess. The last thing we need is more of it."
Before he could finish speaking Oobleck had already used the set of metal cups to prepare four vanilla milkshakes that he had also passed out between the group.
Jaune and Shiro were unaware of what to do but after the Dr. and Professor began to drink theirs they chose to do likewise. After everyone had silently enjoyed the Dr. handwork for a few minutes. Port started talking.
"So your three teams all went missing after the battle in Vale. whatever happened to you?" the look on his face made them think that he already knew but he was just trying to get everything set in stone.
"We went out drinking with team CFVY," Jaune answered. Shiro was thinking about interrupting him but in hindsight Jaune had become the de facto leader of all three teams after his plan helped to save the day.
"Ah, I see" Port exclaimed, suddenly understanding what had happened to his students. Leaning in closer he added. "Drinking with team CFVY, and Coco in particular is either very brave or very foolish." returning to his posture the Professor continued. "Well then what next, what do you remember.?"
Jaune almost answered before he remembered his answer. He wasn't sure what the Professor would think of him waking up naked with two women. Port seemed to understand the look on his face and let out a mild chuckle. "Let me guess Ms. Nikos huh."
Looking down trying (and failing) to hide his blush Jaune muttered. "And Yang," at this Port gagged on his milkshake and after he managed to regain his balance and breath he looked at Jaune with eyes so wide that Jaune could actually see them. "Are you saying that you engaged in a night of debauchery with both Pyrrha Nikos and Yang Xiao Long?"
Jaune nodded slightly to give his answer which earned a loud cascade of laughter from the portly professor. "I am amazed that you have survived such an ordeal." Port boomed.
Jaune chuckled, still unable to match the professor's eyeline. "The bed sheets didn't." he said.
Port was about to burst into a second fit of laughter when the door opened and a tall thin man with long blonde hair walked into the room. He had a briefcase in his hand and when he saw Port he nodded saying. "Peter it's good to see you even while on official business."
Upon hearing his voice Jaune sat up straighter seeming to forget his hangover and turned around with an unusual level of grace. "Uncle Jedidiah it's about time you arrived, where you waylaid by customs again?"
Looking to Jaune Jedidiah dipped his head and said. "No, I encountered significant traffic in the city. It seems that half of a block has been destroyed near a major intersection. I heard something about a trigger happy grenadier from Beacon, here you are." as he spoke he set his briefcase on the counter and opened it up handing Jaune a set of papers and a very well crafted pen.
Jaune wasted no time in signing all of them and when he was done he handed everything back to Jedidiah and said. "I don't know where they are but my dorm is probably a good place to start, and please break the news gently."
"Of course sir," with a nod to Jaune and to Port Jedidiah left the room to tend to the rest of his duties.
"Who was that?" Shiro asked, he had never seen the man before but he had acted like he was in some way important.
"My uncle, he has papers that Yang and Pyrrha are going to have to sign."
Shiro's interest was further peaked and so when he looked at Jaune like he had three heads the stoic team leader continued. "Arc's are legendarily verile. The fact that none of us remember using any manner of contraceptive means that in all likelihood one of them is now pregnant. So Jedidiah is bringing them a set of marriage licenses and the other involved forms."
Even after Jaune answered Shiro was still a little confused and shocked. "What? Are you saying that you plan to marry Yang, AND Pyrrha?"
Jaune nodded still looking like he was trying to figure out the best way to handle his new situation. "And if they don't then we're all dead."
Shiro still looked confused so Jaune now a little annoyed elaborated. "My father is a despot and he will not allow anyone to carry Arc blood and not the name. If either of them refuses to sign the papers then he may very well send a team to kill them for refusing and me for failing to convince them."
Shiro was still processing everything when Jaune's scroll started to ring. He answered it and when the video loaded it was Jedidiah. "Good news then both signed the papers. Bad news your sister is crying her eyes out over someone named Shiro, would you like me to find him and…"
Jaune cut him off saying. "No need I am already dealing with the situation." as he spoke Jaune looked back to Shiro with a face that reminded Shiro that he wasn't off the hook but rather under a stay of execution.
"Very well I will report home within the day farwell" with that said the line went dead and Jaune turned back to Shiro giving him his full attention.
"Enough of my problems I still need to kill you for breaking my sister's heart" he growled sliding his milkshake away from him in order to avoid breaking it.
Oobleck interrupted, "there will be no need for that we have yet to hear what Shiro has to say about the matter."
With everyone's eyes now on his Shiro explained everything including what happened with Willow. By the time he was done Jaune seemed a little better but he still wanted to rip him apart so he wasn't super comfortable being within arms length.
"I didn't know that Willow had these feelings if I had then I would have handled the entire incident better," Shiro finished hoping to placate the man who still seemed to want to expose his entrails to the outside world.
"I don't like it but you're being honest so I guess that I am gonna have to accept it. Just make sure you either let her down properly or you give all the love she is due. Anything in between and there is no force on Remnant that can save you from me."
Shiro nodded just as both his and Jaune's scrolls chimed. They answered them at the same time and were both greeted by very different sights. On Shiro's screen he saw Naomi who was sitting in Sun's lap as he fed her forkfuls of pancakes. (the only thing that Sun knew how to make.)
"Hey Shiro I'm gonna be back soon once we finish breakfast just wanted to let you know that I'm still breathing." with that she hung up and that was good since Jaune's scroll was the source of lots of yelling from the sounds of it Yang was unhappy about being told that if she didn't marry Jaune then she was going to be risking getting herself killed.
Jaune was for his part just taking the verbal lashing and nodded at certain parts. It was clear that he was getting more and more frustrated with every passing second but he was trying to be understanding. By the time that Yang was done Jaune looked at her and said. "What in the Hell makes you think that I wanted to marry you anyway. Hell if I could have had Pyrrha and gotten you out of the picture last night I would have."
With that he hung up in spite of the very loud gasp that came from Yang's line. "She's gonna be pissed." Shiro said calmly. He had known Yang for a long time and he knew that what Jaune had just done was a mistake. Yang was probably intending to raise Hell and burn everything between her and him.
"Yeah, and when she gets her head back and learns to treat me like a human being and not a verbal whipping post I'll deal with it." Jaune said. It was clear that he was planning to stay here until he was confident that he could handle Yang's wrath.
Thankfully he was now focused on Yang and not on Shiro so that was gonna have to be the closest thing to a win that Shiro was gonna get. He tried to escape when he felt a hand grab a hold of the back of his shirt collar. When he turned back Jaune was looking at him with the same lethal gaze he had been using for the past twelve minutes. "You have three days to sort your shit out and make sure that Willow knows where she stands. Any longer and you are dead."
Feeling the hand release him Shiro made a fact of leaving as soon as possible. The elevator felt like it was moving too slow but that was just Shiro's intense desire to be as far away from Jaune as possible.
He made his way to the training ring in the hopes that if he did some bag work then he would be able to think of what his next move should be. The world seemed so much simpler when it was just you and the bag.
He found that the heavy bag's were empty and thankfully so was the rest of the room. It seemed that the classes had been cancelled. Probably in order to allow for Beacon's senior students and admin to help repair the city.
He was most of the way across the room when he realized that he was being watched. Looking around he saw that the room was empty of all but him so he didn't think too deep on it. Instead planning to do his practice and move on.
While he was swinging round kicks he felt like he was being watched again. This time when he looked he saw Blake was hiding in the one of the corners. She was what he had felt before but she was still trying to be hidden.
Not wanting to poke an aggravated bear he went back to his strikes. After a while he heard Blake moving. He knew that if he was hearing her then she wanted him to. Turning around to face her. He saw that she had changed from last night something that he had not yet done. He also hadn't gone back to his room yet since the last he was there he found three of his classmates naked in a pile on Olivia's bed.
"We need to talk," she said. It was clear that she was still angry but about what he didn't know. Well not for sure. It was obvious that he had said something last night but beyond that he wasn't sure.
"What about?" even as he asked the question he knew that it was badly worded. He knew that she wanted to talk about but he had simply forgotten everything about the entire incident.
Sure enough she looked more than a little miffed at his question and answered. "Oh maybe the part where you vaguely talked about being in love with me and how you had your partner in your lap literally four hours later."
Shiro was about to answer when what she had said finally clicked. He had talked about being in love with her. That brought up the really good question. Was he?. He hadn't thought about it but he was going to have to if he didn't figure all of this out in the next three days then he was in for at least a world of hurt and at most a casket.
"Blake," Shiro asked, moving a little closer. "What did I say last night?"
Blake's cheeks darkened as she looked down a little. When she spoke she was quiet but Shiro was able to hear her. "You said that I was the most beautiful woman you had ever met. You said that in all the books you've read and all the words you've learned there was nothing that came close and that you would never be able to find enough words to show just how much you loved me."
Shiro had to fight to keep his composure. There was no real precedence for this. In all his years of life. (all seventeen of them) he had never given any kind of thought to what he was going to do if he told a woman that he loved her.
The scariest part was that the more he thought about it the more he remembered all of it. And the more he remembered all of it the more he believed every word of it.
All of the feelings from the night before came back to him at once. It was clear to him that he was in love with her. Blake was there for him when he was in the hospital. That was where he had begun to think more seriously about it. She was many things namely a mystery. Her past and her association with the White fang were murky at best.
But the past was past and Shiro knew better than anyone that just because you came from unclean roots that you couldn't become more. His father used to be a bandit, a Professional. Highwayman. That was until he and his sister were both picked up by Ozpin when they tried to rob him.
The rest of the bandits abandoned them when things went south, Even their own mother. After that Ozpin took them in and practically raised them. It was for that reason that Qrow had such a deep loyalty to the old man. He was the nearest thing that Qrow had to a father.
His aunt went back to the bandit life but his father didn't. Qrow had done a lot of things wrong but that didn't change the fact that he was at his core a very different person from when he was trying to hold up anyone that he could.
Shiro was brought back to the moment when Blake began to awkwardly shuffle her feet in front of him. She was waiting for his response. She needed to know if he really meant what he had said or if that was the booze talking.
To be honest he didn't know it was moments like this that terrified him. He could pretend to be as bold and confident as his father but when it came to matters of love and family he was the fool me twice sort.
After his mother had died giving birth to him his father had fallen apart. That left Shiro's uncle Tai, and credit to him he did most of the leg work in raising Shiro. One day an older man was playing chess in the park that Shiro, Yang, Ruby, and Tai were visiting.
His last opponent had walked away moments before and even though Shiro was only nine he was curious enough to try and play. He had learned the rules from one of the books his father brought him. That was one thing that his father was always good at. Even though he wasn't a big presence in Shiro's life he always made sure that Shiro had a healthy supply of books.
"Hello, my name's Shiro, can I play with you?" The man looked over at Tai and nodded at him. For some reason Tai seemed unhappy about Shiro playing chess with the man but he had settled for keeping an eye on him.
Reaching his hand down the man said. "Hello Shiro, my name's Odin of course you can play." As they played they talked. When the topic of family came up Shiro said that he didn't see his father much. He then explained that the man he was here with was his uncle.
The news was as shocking as Shiro thought it would be. Instead the old man looked at him with crimson eyes and Shiro would always remember what he said. " It only takes a boy to have a child, it takes a man to raise someone else. Your uncle is a good man. But don't think your father doesn't love you. I know better than most that sometimes you love someone but you can't bring yourself to act on it." he leaned in a little closer and continued. "One day you will find yourself on the edge of a cliff. You have to jump and fly in order to reach real love. And the question will be. Do you jump for love and risk falling. Or will you take a step back and stay safe. Never finding family but never falling."
Those words played back in Shiro's mind as he looked at Blake. This was the moment if he jumped for love or stayed for comfort. He wasn't certain but there was always a little bit of doubt in life. The jump was still there he may have a chance but the longer he stayed silent the further away it got.
He looked her in the eye and jumped.
…
Jaune was fairly confident that Yang had cooled down enough to be talking which was good since that was all he was waiting for. He left Fort Port and made his way to the training room. He sent Ruby a text about which training room he was in and set about preparing the ground for the upcoming battle.
He lowered the room temperature by twelve degrees and "borrowed" some water dust from a nearby locker. Just as he was getting into position Yang opened the door.
She was already on fire as she started at him. He stood his ground and just as Yang swung at him he lunged back and threw the water dust in her face. The fire in her hair activated the dust that then put out her hair.
It also sent a wave of cold water down her back which was just the distraction Jaune needed. He rushed in and yanked his right hand down on her left shoulder while he ducked under her now lifted right arm.
He locked his hands around her waist and kept moving in the same circular pattern around her stepping his left foot around and in front of Yang's left leg before he popped his hips and arched his back throwing Yang through the air and landing on her side with Jaune quickly rolling her onto her back straddling her stomach as he dug one of his elbows into the side of her neck.
He froze when he heard her whimper. She was trying to hide it but she was in an immense amount of pain. That pause was what she seemed to be waiting for since she cracked her right hand into Jaune's face and tried to buck her hips to get him off.
Instead he countered the transition by yanking one of Yang's arms forward and rolling her onto her stomach. Taking care to sink both of his feet inside of her legs to keep her from standing up. He wrestled one of her arms behind her back and pinned it into a hammer lock.
He leaned down before deliberately growling into her ear. Based on the little he remembered about Yang from the night before she didn't like to lose but wasn't too stubborn or proud to submit when she knew she was beaten.
When she stopped fighting he let go of her arm but didn't get off of her instead he asked her. "Are we gonna talk now or do we need to keep fighting?"
He knew that it was humiliating for her but that was the point, she needed her ego checked. She had charged in like he was supposed to let her beat him. That wasn't going to happen.
She didn't use her words but she did nod so he made a compromise. Letting go of her arm and rolling off of her he asked. "Alright so what are you really mad about?"
Yang sat up and answered. " I don't like being told that I have to marry someone or die, is that such a hard thing to understand?"
Jaune leaned back before responding. "You'd be right but I can tell there is something else bothering you about this. The only thing that my father cares about is the name and I am fairly certain that Jedidiah told you that. If you wait for a few months and it turns out you aren't pregnant then I can probably talk my father into letting you go from the family."
"So," he said. "What's really bothering you?"
Yang seemed to think about it for a few seconds before she answered. "I'm scared, when I was born my mother ran away, when I was five my second mother died. Ever since then I have been trying to keep from getting attached to anyone."
Jaune reached out a hand and set it on her shoulder. "I have to apologize," Yang seemed a little confused by this so he explained. "When you called me I said some things that I didn't really mean. I lost my temper and I lashed out at you and you don't deserve that."
Yang was even more confused but now it was her turn to talk. "What are you talking about? Everyone knows that you're in love with Pyrrha, I was just a drunken fling."
"No you're not." Jaune responded. "I Love Pyrrha because she understands me. She is the only one who really does. But you, I love you because you are everything I wish I could be. You're powerful, beautiful, funny, and free. I'm strong but I'm bitter, rigid, and frankly have less freedom than a slave."
Yang was speechless. She knew that everything else Jaune had said was important. But Jaune had just said that he loved her. And he meant it, Jaune was many things but Yang had never known him to lie.
There was something about hearing those words that changed a part of Yang. For all of her life she had been worried about loving somebody who was going to leave her and now sitting in front of her was someone that had just opened the door that she was avoiding for all this time.
She wanted to say that it wasn't going to last but Jaune seemed like he was the kind of person to simply not die until he was willing to. She wanted to say that she didn't love him but she knew what she was feeling. It was what she had felt before when she would come home from school and see Summer waiting for her, it was love.
She had every reason to love him and in a way she had loved no one before. All she needed to do was act. And dammit if she was anything it was bold.
…
Blake was in the middle of fighting with Shiro's jacket when her scroll rang. She was going to ignore it but then Shiro's rang too so they both answered. It was Weiss and Ruby respectively, there was a lot of screaming but what could be heard was that Qrow was fighting with Weiss' big sister.
They both took off running. Blake was faster but when she got there she had no way to actually stop the fight. Shiro on the other hand had an excellent plan. He walked in between them both and watched as they both stopped mid swing. He wished that he could say that he did that just to end the fight and not for the sake of looking like a badass in front of Blake. But that would be a lie so he simply wouldn't about it.
Instead he looked at his father and said in a frankly disappointed voice. "What is wrong with you? Why the hell are you fighting with an Atlesian hunteress." Qrow didn't seem to answer so Shiro turned to Winter. He had never met her before but if Weiss was anything to go on then she was furious about something. "And you I understand that he can be an ass but I already know that he didn't start this fight. All you had to do was walk away what is your problem?"
Winter looked at him and then back to Qrow. "I think you've done enough damage to my family so stay away from Weiss. If you don't then I won't be so merciful" she spat before walking off with Weiss.
When Shiro turned back to Qrow something looked wrong. He looked like he normally did on Shiro's birthday. It was the happiest and saddest day of Qrow's life. The birth of his son and the death of the love of his life. Something that Winter had said brought up memories of Shiro's mother.
Without a word Qrow walked off probably looking for the nearest bar. Shiro thought about going after him, he hated seeing his father like this. Qrow was never a mean drunk. He was a sad drunk. Then he thought better of it. Shiro also learned that trying to help his father was a bad idea.
A hand landed on his shoulder and he instantly knew who it was reaching up and interlocking his finger's with Blake's
"Was that your father?" she asked.
"Yeah, or what's left of him." Shiro answered.
"What's his problem with Weiss' sister?" she continued.
"I don't know. He doesn't talk about his life before I was born. Everything I know I was told by my uncle." As he spoke Shiro turned to look Blake in the eye. He needed to set his personal problems aside. He had more important things to take care of. "Blake my father is an issue that I don't have time to explain so instead I am just going to move on with my day and hope for the best. So would you like to go to the dance with me?"
Blake had forgotten about the upcoming dance then again it seemed that everyone else had since in all honesty the answer was obvious and didn't take her very long to give. "Yes, I will." she said, trying not to blush too much.
Once he had his answer Shiro choose to leave as soon as possible to contain his excitement. It was odd since he was almost certain that she was going to say yes but he was still trying not to laugh and jump around after her answer.
He was walking back to his dorm when he noticed something on the floor. It was a scarf more to the point it was Yang's scarf and right next to it was one of Jaune's boots. Further inspection revealed a trail of clothing that led to a public restroom that was locked and had very distinct sounds coming out of it.
Opting not to press further and find out just what they were doing Shiro turned around and headed back in the direction of his room. The dance was a week away and he wanted to make sure that he had something to wear.