Crazy trouble with love part 9
Vernal and Jaune
Series: RWBY
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Ansel had once been a small, yet peaceful town, a town where people enjoyed the simple yet rare luxury of not having to fear the Grimm, nor have to live in a big city. At least, it had been.
All of that changed on a seemingly normal night when people slept without any worry. Suddenly, without warning, without fanfare, the peace had been shattered quickly and brutally, not by the grimm, but by bandits.
People screamed and ran from their houses as numerous bandits ran rampant, burning them and tearing apart anything in their way while ransacking the stores and homes.
"Take it all, take it all!" Laughed one bandit as he raced towards one home, only for a massive figure to slam into him. Before the bandit could understand what had happened, he was dead, his head taken off with a swift swipe of a large sword.
"You scum think I'll let you come here and destroy our home?" The figure roared, a massive blonde man with a short beard, decked in worn armor. "I'd rather die than let you lay a finger on any of them!"
"Dad!" Called a young teen with similar hair, running over to him with panic. "What's going on?!"
"Jaune! Get back into the house, we're being attacked by bandits!"
"Let me help!" He started, only for his father to shoot him a glare.
"No, you'd die, you don't have any training, no weapons, nothing! Just get inside and protect our family!" He ordered before running at another bandit, cutting him down on the spot without hesitation.
"Dad…" Jaune said, staring at the man as he cut through the bandits. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists, but before he could turn around and run back inside, two bandits stood in his way, making him pale.
"Well well well, looks like we got an idiot here, huh?"
"Seems like it. Hey, wanna give him a bit of mercy and save him from the Grimm?" The other asked with an evil grin.
"Don't know, he doesn't look like he'd last long."
Jaune grit his teeth, feeling insulted, not to mention worried given they were the only thing between him and his home. "Out of my way!"
"Hey, he's being kinda rude, how about we teach him some manners?" Chuckled the first bandit.
"A young runt really should learn when not to bite."
Jaune saw the two move towards him, leading to him doing something either really brave or stupid. He inhaled and ran at them, yelling as he tried taking a swing at one, but he easily backed away as he then swung at the other bandit, who just caught it and smirked.
"Nice try." before he squeezed, making Jaune cry out as he felt his knuckles start to hurt. "You really are a stipid little shit, aren't you?"
"Ahhh!" Jaune tried to pull his fist free, but it wouldn't budge as the other bandit moved over and knocked him over with the butt of his rifle, making Jaune hiss in pain.
"Wanna try again? If you beg, we might be merciful."
"Now how about you say sorry and I'll only shoot off one ear for being so disobedient?" Asked the bandit as he leveled a pistol against Jaune's head.
Jaune stared at the weapon, looked at the bandit, and gulped. He opened his mouth, but looked behind the bandit. "Dad!"
"Huh?!" the bandit whirled around, saw no one behind him, leading to Jaune tackling him to the ground and tried taking the pistol. "You little bastard!"
"Fuck you!" He spat, pulling as hard as he could before the other bandit moved over and tried grabbing him in a headlock, leading to Jaune gasping before he tried biting down on the arm as hard as possible.
"Just let go you little shit and take your punishment like a-" The bandit started when suddenly a loud bang went off, making all three stop in shock. Jaune looked down and saw the pistol he had been trying to wrestle away from the bandit he was atop had gone off during their struggle. The only problem was that when it went off it was no longer aimed at Jaune, instead it had been pushed to face behind him, right as Jaune started to feel a warm liquid pool on his back. "You….fuck."
Jaune felt the arm let go and turned as the bandit fell to the ground, hole in his chest bleeding out.
"You….you fucking shot him!" the bandit Jaune was on gasped, so shocked he unwittingly loosened his grip on the pistol.
Jaune shook his head, quickly holding it at the bandit's head as he tried to keep himself together. "Y-Y-Yeah! I did! That's what happens when you attack my home!"
"You little….look, how about you let me go, alright? I promise not to rob you after you let me go." The bandit offered begrudgingly, staring at the pistol and realizing the situation he was now in.
"No, I won't be fooled." Spoke Jaune, gulping as he kept the aim. "I know what you'll do. I let you go, you grab the gun, and then you'll kill me and everyone I love!"
"So what? You're dead anyway." The bandit remarked flippantly, surprising Jaune. "Any minute now another bandit will see us, kill you and everyone you love. At least this way you might, MIGHT, have a head start before we try to find you."
Jaune's eyes widened, screams around him still being heard as the man's words may have some truth behind them. Giving another look at the dead body and seeing the bodies of other people who had been killed made something in him come undone. He looked back at the bandit under him and narrowed his eyes. "You're right, someone MIGHT see us, but I won't be here." He pressed it right in between the man's eyes.
"Hey, wait, don't do i-"
CLICK
Jaune and the man froze in confusion before the man grinned, shooting his leg up and hitting Jaune in the crotch, making him groan and collapse. "You got balls kid, didn't think you had it in you." He chuckled as he picked up the pistol. "Thing is, you forgot to cock the gun idiot."
"No…." Jaune groaned as the man leveled the gun at him, cocking back the hammer.
"Say goodbye ki-"
"Wait." A new voice spoke up behind them, making the man freeze in fear. "Don't kill him."
"Y-Yes ma'am!" The bandit said quickly, the ruthless killer seemingly gone as the man nearly dropped his pistol in his eagerness to lower it. Jaune stared as a black haired woman strode forward, a group of bandits following behind her.
"Who…are you?" He got out while trying not to move too fast.
"Raven." The woman said simply. "You are coming with me, now. The rest of you round up everyone in that home behind him, but do not hurt them yet." She ordered as the bandits nodded.
"Wha- why? Wait, don't!" Jaune quickly said in confusion and fear as he saw several bandits rush forward towards his home, towards the rest of his family. "Leave them alone!"
"No." The woman said before she was suddenly in front of him and grabbing him by his hair. "Did you kill him?" She asked, pointing to the dead bandit behind Jaune.
Jaune didn't say anything, but he did try to pry her hand off, which just made her pull harder. "AHH!"
"Answer the question."
"Y-Yes!" Jaune let out.
"Good." She said with a smirk. "This will make things easier." She said as she began to march forward, practically dragging Jaune along with her.
He groaned in pain, the adrenaline not helping his cheek or groin as his mother and sisters were dragged from the home.
"Follow me!" Raven ordered as she marched forward. Soon Jaune began to hear screaming, the clanging of steel, but above it all he heard a sound that filled him with both hope and dread, the sound of his father roaring furiously as he fought on.
"Enough!"
The bandits halted, showing several of them holding his dad in place with chains wrapped around his body.
"I must admit, when I chose this place I didn't expect to find a huntsman living here, much less one as strong as you." Raven smirked. "This town is a nice break from what we're use to."
"What, a break from slaughtering innocent people?" He shot back in anger.
"It's a living, if we have to kill people we must. It's not like you have any qualms about it."
"I do it to protect my family! But I wouldn't trust a bandit to know what that's like."
"Well, that's a moot point, but I wonder, how far would you be willing to go for your family?" Raven asked calmly. "Would you give anything for them?"
"What do you mean?" he questioned, looking at her with suspicion.
"While I do admire strength, I can't turn a blind eye to the slaughter of my tribe. I have your family, I could kill them and then kill you, or there is an alternative." Raven said with a smirk. "With you and your family combined you equal roughly the number of men you've killed along with your son, and honestly we could especially use you, a veteran huntsman, don't you agree?"
"What?" the man went wide eyed at Raven. "You expect us to just join you? The very woman who would destroy our home? Never!"
"Well I think it's the best thing to do, that is unless you all want to die, the Grimm will be here soon, and we're sure a huntsman can handle himself, but his poor defenseless family?" she remarked looking away with the man glaring at her and clenching his hands. "The choice is all up to you."
"...if I go with you will my family be safe and taken care of?" He relented as Jaune and his siblings gasped.
"Of course." She said with a nod. 'It'll be annoying to have to keep such weaklings in the tribe, but if it means securing a warrior like him, it might be worth it.'
"..." He was silent for a moment before sighing in a mix of frustration and resignation. "Fine."
"Glad to see you picked right." She said with a smirk before turning to the rest of her tribe. "Alright, we got what we wanted, let's go!"
All of them cheered and started to grab the resources they've gathered during their rampage while Raven walked over to the man.
"You've made the right choice, the tribe will grow stronger with you in it, and your family will be protected. In fact, I will have my second in charge look after your son personally. VERNAL!"
"Yes Raven!" She called with a salute.
'Damn it, she's smart, if she has someone watching Jaune then he can't escape, and he's a captive that they can use against me.' Thought the man as a brown haired girl ran over with a firm expression.
"How can I be of service, Raven?" She asked as Raven turned towards Jaune.
"I want you to personally look after this boy." She said as the brunette looked at him.
"Until we get to camp?" she asked curiously.
"No, until I tell you to stop, possibly forever." She said as Vernal paused in confusion.
"Uh, for what reason if I could ask?" She asked cautiously.
"Because I said so, that's why, he's part of the tribe now." Raven remarked, practically shoving Jaune towards her.
"Yes Raven." She said with a nod as she looked over at Jaune with slight disgust. 'He looks weak, and now I have to watch out for him?''
"Good, now then, let's move out, we're returning to camp." Raven ordered as Jaune gulped seeing Vernal's look at him as he and his family followed the tribe away from the destroyed home.
(Later)
"Welcome to camp, and your new home." spoke Raven as she stopped after the long trip.
"It's...uh...nice?" Jaune said as he and his family looked around the camp of rugged tents, flimsy shacks made from garbage, lean-tos, all surrounded by a large crude fence made of sharpened logs.
"It's still in need of improvements, but we make do." Raven said with a nod. "We have to be ready to abandon camp if the time comes to it, so we don't bother making anything permanent."
'Great, that means getting them all caught even if we DO get help would be pointless if they can get up and move that fast.' Julias thought as he looked around with a frown. 'It seems we're truly stuck here.'
"I'll personally show you where you and your family will be sleeping." She said as she led them deeper into the camp. "After that some of the tribesmen will show each of them their new job, we don't allow slackers in the tribe."
"She can't be serious." whispered one of Jaune's sisters.
"Do you want to question the crazy lady who just kidnapped us?" Whispered another.
"I'll show you where most of you will be sleeping. Your son will be sleeping with Vernal in her tent." Raven said as she strode forward.
"Wait, what?" Jaune spoke up with wide eyes.
"It's to make sure she can keep a close eye on you. Can't have you trying any escape attempts after all." She remarked flatly and coldly.
"If that's an issue couldn't we just keep him locked up?" Vernal spoke up, glaring at Jaune. 'Raven wants this idiot to sleep in my tent now too?!'
"Vernal." Raven glanced at the girl, making her stand up straight. "I already told you my orders, remember?"
"Yes Raven!" She said quickly. "Understood!"
"Good." she resumed walking with Jaune's father putting a hand on his back.
"Don't worry son, we'll figure a way out of this. We just need to bide our time." He whispered as Jaune nodded. "Just stay alive and stay safe for now, ok?"
"I'll try, but I don't know how." he muttered to himself as the realization sunk in that he not only killed a man, but he almost killed a second.
"Just do what they want for now, we'll be fine." His father promised.
"C'mon blondie, let's go." Vernal grumbled.
Jaune didn't say anything, just gave his family one more look who all looked worried, before following the girl as she led him away. He caught numerous other bandits staring at him with a few muttering.
"So that's Vernal's new boytoy, huh?"
"Think she'll break him?"
"I always thought she swung the other way, who knew?"
Said girl glared at them, making a few shut up while others smirked.
"I heard that punk took out Curt."
"Really? Not bad, though then again it was Curt, guy was a moron."
"Let's see if this rookie has the guts to last long."
Jaune tried to ignore the heckling as Vernal led him towards one of the larger and nicer tents near the center of camp and pushed him inside. He kept from falling over and looked around, noting targets held up with a sharpening slab, fur coats on the walls, and a decently sized bed.
"Alright Blondie, let's get one thing straight." Vernal snarled, walking in after him. "You are sleeping on the floor, you will not fucking touch me, and despite what those idiots say you are not my boytoy, you are not anything right now! You are a deadweight that I now have to drag around! Understood?"
"Uh….yes?" Jaune said in confusion. "So… what now?"
"Now nothing, I get to relax, train, and you will stay out of my way, got it?" She said with a huff, looking out of the tent towards the center of camp where a massive tent atop a wood platform lied.
"So….I'm just supposed to stay here?" Jaune asked, looking around in confusion as Vernal paused.
"No…. shit, Raven told me to keep an eye on you." She muttered, slapping her forehead and groaning. 'If I ditch him and make him stay here, she'll get upset and think I'm slacking off.' She thought, glancing back at Jaune. 'I don't want to look after this idiot though…'
Jaune glanced away when he saw her looking his way and cleared his throat. "Uh….so I'll just stay here and-"
"Nope, you're coming with me Blondie." Vernal groaned, grabbing the front of his shirt. "Keep up." before turning and started dragging him, making him almost fall over.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Where are we going?!"
"Wherever I want, now shut up!" She growled as she dragged Jaune along. 'Maybe I can sharpen my knives in front of her tent? She'll see I'm guarding this idiot and she might even thank me for doing a good job!'
"And that's why you'll overlook those who need to sharpen their skills." Raven told Jaune's father with her arms crossed. "Do I make myself clear?"
"As long as you understand me, if any of these hooligans lays so much as a finger on one of my children or my wife I will kill them."
"Which I can understand. Truthfully, we follow a simple philosophy here. The strong survive, the weak die. If they end up killed, then they weren't all that strong to begin with. Which is why with your experience, it'll improve the tribe's strength." She said with a nod. "That is why for now I am willing to overlook the rest of your family's weaknesses."
"And what sort of jobs will you make them do?" He asked with a frown.
"Simple things, we still need to eat, we still need clothes, tents, they can make those things and do simple tasks around the camp."
"So slave work."
"Well if you think they can assist by being warriors? I'd be more than happy to let them take up arms and help us with the dirty work." Raven added. "Though given their current strength I'd doubt they'd survive their first raid."
Jaune stared at them in shock as he heard this, turning to Vernal to ask if Raven was serious, only to pause in confusion as he saw the short haired girl staring intently at Raven. The glint in her eyes and the smile on her face made him look between her and the woman, while his father glared at the woman.
"...no, they can do things like that just fine." he grumbled.
"Glad to hear, now I'd get to work on your lessons, the sooner they improve the better." Raven remarked before turning to leave.
"Magnificent….she's great…." Vernal whispered to herself, unaware that Jaune was listening to her.
'She sounds like some fangirl with that tone.' Jaune thought as he stared at her in confusion. 'Weird…'
Vernal sighed as she saw Raven leave, then straightened up and froze as she saw Jaune was looking at her strangely. "What? What are you staring at?" she glared.
"I….nothing I guess?" Jaune said quickly, unsure what to say. 'Should I ask her about it… she has to keep me alive so it couldn't hurt, right?'
"You got something to say? Then speak up, or else." Vernal threatened.
"I,uh… I just saw you staring at Raven and mumbling about he-" Jaune started only for Vernal's eyes to go wide and have her arm shootout to cover his mouth.
"Don't ask, don't look into it, or else you'll find out just how fast your lower jaw can take to heal." She hissed, staring at him with rage, yet her face was starting to turn red.
"Mhhhmmm!"
"Do I make myself clear Blondie?!" She hissed as she removed her hand, with Jaune frantically nodding yes. "Good."
'What was that all about?!' he thought, his heart beating like a drum. 'She sounded ready to rip my face off!'
'I can't believe that Idiot saw that! Ugh I need to be more careful!' she thought before clearing her throat. "Look, I'll be sharpening my weapons. You just stand nearby and don't move."
"Ok, ok, you got it." Jaune sighed. 'Well that was weird, now I just have to stand around?' Jaune sighed as Vernal sat down, pulling out several knives and a small stone and began to go to work sharpening them. He looked around the camp, trying to see something to keep him distracted. 'Ok, that's a drunk guy… barrel…tent..is that a dead bo-no, no, just another drunk.' He thought before glancing back at Vernal. 'I wonder why she was staring at Raven… eh, I suppose I can wonder, it's not like she can read minds.'
'Sometimes I never get tired of seeing her in charge. It's the only thing worth anything around this place.' Vernal thought, a small smile making its way to her face. 'I just wish I could spend more time around her instead of watching the blonde idiot.'
Jaune kept his mouth shut as he kept standing there, occasionally glancing at Vernal sharpening her blades. 'Should I say something? This is kind of awkward…' He thought, glancing around. "So….how long have you been part of this group?"
"Since I was born, now shut up." Vernal snapped.
"Sorry sorry, just wanted to make small talk." He said, raising his hands. "No harm in that, right?"
"I said to shut up, I'm trying to concentrate!"
"On sharpening your knives?" Jaune asked skeptically.
"Yes! Now either shut up or I'll MAKE you shut up." She growled.
"Are you sure you weren't concentrating on something else?" Jaune muttered, making Vernal pause.
"What are you implying Blondie?"
"Well, you had a weird look earlier when you were staring at Raven, and now we're near her te-" Jaune started as Vernal's eyes widened, her face heated up and she lunged towards him.
"Quiet!" she hissed, holding a knife up to his neck, making him stiffen up. "Do you want me to cut out your tongue just to keep you quiet? Just because I have to keep an eye on you doesn't mean I have to listen to you yammer on about things that DON'T concern you."
"Vernal." A voice came from behind the girl, making her freeze as she felt ice in her veins.
"R-Raven?" She said, quickly turning her head, her face still a bit red.
"What is going on out here?" She said, staring at the two. 'Red face…close…the blonde must have said something to her.' She thought when she felt a small wave of deja vu overcome her. 'They almost look like me and….huh.'
"I-I can explain!" Vernal pulled the knife away while Jaune rubbed the spot. "I was…just trying to explain that we can't let a single weapon go dull."
"It's fine Vernal, I know what really happened." Raven said, the short hair girl freezing in terror.
'No…no no no, not yet, not yet!' she thought, starting to panic.
"Thank the gods." sighed Jaune.
"Clearly he attempted to flirt with you, and due to your inexperience you resorted to violence when you were confronted with a new emotion." Raven continued, nodding her head. "It's completely natural, just try not to hurt him next time you feel this way, ok?"
Jaune and Vernal stared at her, speechless while Vernal felt her face turn brighter.
"T-T-That's not what happened, I swear!" She cried out in protest.
"Denial is how this process usually starts." Raven said, shaking her head. "Coming to terms with the emotions and learning how to be more honest makes it easier to endure." She said as she turned to leave. "Just be open to it, but don't give in easily, you are a proud member of this tribe, it will take more than a pickup line to seduce you, I'm sure."
"B-But Raven!" Vernal protested weakly as Jaune tried his best to hide a small smile.
"Enough, I have spoken." She said as she began to walk away. 'Maybe her watching the huntsman's boy will go better than I hoped?'
"But..but!" she bit her lip before whirling around to glare at Jaune who quickly lost his smile. "This is all your fault!"
"My fault?!"
"All you had to do was be quiet and just stand there! Not make Raven think there was something going on between us!" She groaned. "How could you mess up just standing around?!"
"Hey, that wasn't my fault, you're the one who started blushing and getting all worked up!"
"You couldn't stay quiet when told to!" Vernal groaned.
"If it's such a big deal just go tell her the truth then."
She gave an unamused look at him before walking away and dragged him by the back of his shirt. "Just shut up and follow me."
"Like I have a choice." Jaune muttered. 'Where are we going though?'
The two of them wound up at an open area with numerous training dummies on the side.
"...I'm afraid to ask, but what are we doing here?" Jaune asked carefully.
"God you're an idiot, we're here to train moron, or at least I am." Vernal grumbled. "I need somewhere to blow off some steam, and you're going to stand there and NOT say a word, do I make myself clear?"
"What? No way, uh-uh, I am not going to let you stab me!"
"No duh. Just stand over there out of my way until I'm finished." She demanded, pointing at a random corner.
"Yay, more standing around." Jaune sighed. He walked over to the spot and crossed his arms before watching Vernal pull out her knives and started cutting into and stabbing the training dummies with expert ease. Jaune watched, his eyes widening a bit as he saw her eviscerate dummy after dummy with ease. 'Wow…she's good….she'll kill me if I try to run, and I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her.'
'Idiot idiot idiot!' she thought, adrenaline pumping like never before. 'What was I thinking, I messed up in front of Raven, and now she thinks I care about Blondie!'
'Ok Jaune, just let her do her thing, and give her time to blow off steam. Maybe then you can actually talk to her like a normal human being. Might as well try and stay on good terms until I can figure a way out of here.' He thought as he looked around the training area before noticing a practice knife on the ground next to him. 'Well, if I'm here I might as well try to learn how to fight, right? It's not like I'm doing anything else.'
He went to grab it and moved over near one of the dummies in better condition, held the knife, and started taking several practice stabs into it.
Vernal sighed as she stared at her destroyed dummy, turned and spotted Jaune, and felt a fresh stab of frustration. "Damn it, I gave you one fucking job Blondie!"
"What?" He looked at her. "I'm not getting in your way."
"That's not the point, you're supposed to listen to me." She growled before seeing him stab the dummy and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, what are you even doing with that thing? I've seen children cut steak better than that!"
"Hey, I'm doing my best!" Jaune shot back in annoyance. "What else am I supposed to do? Throw it? Pull off some crazy jump before stabbing it in the dummy? I was never trained so I'm just guessing."
"Ugh, at least hold it right, like this." Vernal grumbled, holding out her hand to show how she was holding her knife. "Then, square up your shoulders and thrust forward, even you can't mess that up, Blondie."
"Uh, like this?" he took a stab forward, making her shake her head.
"No. like this…no, your footwork is wrong!" Vernal groaned, marching towards him. She grabbed him and faced him towards the dummy, pushing him into the correct position. "Now you stab the blade forward blondie, ok? One clean motion."
Jaune gulped at the closeness, but kept quiet as he tried to imitate it. "What about this?"
"Almost, now try again. Blondie." Vernal said.'Huh, maybe there's some hope for him…maybe I can take him on a raid if I train him up a bit more as a meat shield?'
Jaune tried again, slowly getting a better feel on how to use the knife with each stab.
"Alright, there you go, now that's how you stab someone Blondie!"
"Indeed it is."
Jaune and Vernal jumped, turning their heads to see Raven standing a little bit away.
"R-Raven! How long have you been there?" Vernal asked, jumping away from Jaune as if he was on fire.
"Not that long. Just long enough to hear your nickname for him." Raven smirked. "I can also see you're using the same trick I used when I was young, 'helping him learn to fight', I used the same trick on Tai to get closer to him as well."
"What?! No no no! It's not that! I was just showing how to actually use a knife so he's not a complete idiot!" Vernal protested.
"You don't have to lie to me Vernal, I know what it's like." Raven nodded. "I will admit you are going at this at a faster pace than I did though, I assume you two are truly infatuated with each other, aren't you?"
Jaune's face turned red while Vernal paled. "W-W-What?!"
"It's the obvious answer, you are two young adults, hormones running high, spending time next to each other, I suppose it was bound to happen. That and women in this tribe tend to have a preference for blondes." she muttered the last part. "Just don't rush things, it can end badly."
"R-Raven, this isn't what you think it is, I swear!" Vernal held up her hand. "It's just training, that's all!"
"Vernal, I know what I saw, don't take me for a fool." Raven said, her voice becoming cold.
Vernal gulped and nodded her head.
"Now if you want to train, that's fine, just don't let your hormones get in the way." Raven said sternly. "You two are sharing a tent, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time later to entertain each other in private, am I understood?"
'Kill me now!' Vernal thought as she nodded, her face red.
With that Raven walked away, Vernal's head slumping down as she groaned.
"So…." Jaune said after a few minutes, his face as red as Vernals.
"Not. A. Word."
Jaune took it seriously and kept quiet.
(Later)
"Really, I can just sleep outside, Raven will never know!"
"Forget it! If that happens and she finds out, I'll be in trouble. So we're just going to bear with it, but that's it." She grunted in annoyance. "Just so we're clear though, if you touch me I'll castrate you, understand?"
"Roger." he nodded quickly. "So… if you don't mind me asking, why does Raven think we're in love with each other?"
"Don't question her, Raven is always right!" Vernal snapped reflexively before pausing. "...most of the time at least."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" He asked in confusion. "She's clearly not right, I don't love you, and I'm fairly certain you'd stab me right now if you could get away with it, right?"
"You already know the answer." she gave him a blank look.
"Right, so why are you still defending her?"
"She's our leader! She's the strongest! Thus her word is law, her truth is the truth of the world, no more no less!" Vernal shouted, making Jaune back up a bit.
'Ok, so she's crazy and won't stand up to Raven…great.' he thought before Vernal walked past him.
"You'll sleep on the floor, now turn your head." She huffed as he complied. "If you look you lose an eye, got it?"
"Got it." He sighed. "Can I at least have a pillow?"
"Yes, lucky for you I keep extras." She said before something soft hit Jaune on the back of the head. "You can pay me back for it later."
"Uh…how?" He asked in confusion.
"I dunno, just find a way, nothing in this camp is given away freely, you have to earn it one way or another."
"Vernal, I have nothing, you and your tribe literally stole everything I had, remember?" He sighed. 'Is she crazy?'
"If you're smart you'll figure something out." She huffed. "Ok, you can look now."
"Fine, but just know I don't really have anything to pay you back." Jaune sighed as he turned back around. Vernal had changed into a bathrobe with fur lining, making him gulp as she laid on the bed.
"Get some sleep, tomorrow won't be so easy like today." She said as she closed her eyes. "Tomorrow the real work begins."
"R-Right." He said, turning away, hiding a small blush on his face. 'Snap out of it Jaune, she's a crazy bandit keeping you hostage!' He took the pillow and laid down on the hard floor, telling himself in his head to ignore it all and try to get some rest.
(Later)
"Wake up Blondie!" Vernal shouted, startling Jaune awake as he felt her lightly kicking him.
"Ah! Who?! What?! Where?!" He cried out, lashing out blindly as he tried to orient himself.
"C'mon, get up, it's time to get to work!"
Jaune groaned and blinked, seeing Vernal in her old clothes as he rubbed his face. "What time is it?"
"Time to get up, duh." She said as she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let's go."
"Where?!" He cried out as he got up, feeling sore all over from sleeping on the floor.
"Outside, now." she remarked before dragging him by the shirt. "C'mon, we have no time to waste!"
"Verval, what is going on, what's happening today?!" Jaune cried out in confusion.
"We're going out to collect supplies of course. We do it to keep our camp maintained at all times."
"What? That's not urgent!" Jaune groaned in frustration.
"It is to me, we need to get a big haul to get back on Raven's good side! That and you also owe me for the pillow." She demanded as she kept dragging him through the camp.
"But I just woke up."
"We don't sleep in like some people, it makes us lazy." She said with a frown. "It may take awhile, but we'll drill those weak habits out of you one way or another."
"Great, I got up early so we can go look for nuts and berries." Jaune grumbled.
"What was that?" she pulled him up to her face.
"Nothing, nothing." He said quickly.
"Oi, get a room you lovebirds!" One bandit jeered, making the two realize how close they were to each other.
"Up yours!" she yelled as she dragged Jaune to the gates, the guards there opening it up for them to leave the camp. "C'mon, let's go Blondie." She grumbled in frustration.
'This is gonna suck.'
(Later)
"Come on, you're falling behind." called Vernal, holding an armful of wood, Jaune holding a bigger pile as he was trying to follow with his view blocked.
"I-I'd like to see you carry this much!" He grunted.
"I could, but we need to get your noodle arms bulked up if you're gonna be of any use."
"Hey! They're not noodles." Jaune protested as Vernal scoffed.
"You could have fooled me Blondie."
"I have a name you know." he grunted, almost tripping over a rock. "It's Jaune."
"If you want me to call you by your name you have to earn that right." She huffed. "Just count yourself lucky you're not known by a crappy name like shithead or dumbass."
'Yeah, real lucky.' He thought in frustration. 'My captor could be calling me a dumbass, aren't I just the luckiest guy in the world?'
Eventually they reached the camp with Jaune following Vernal to drop the wood over with the rest in the pile, making him sigh as he rubbed his arms. "Don't you guys have a wheelbarrow or something we could have used? My arms feel like they're about to fall off."
"We make due with what we have. If we don't have it, we make sure it gets here no matter what. We take what we can find and use. Besides, manual work builds character."
"Bandits care about building character? You guys kidnapped me and my family, and you burned down villages." Jaune said with a frown. "Where's the character in that?"
"Ugh, whine whine whine, can't you do anything else?"
"That depends, can you give me something not to whine about?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Knowing you, there's nothing I could do that you wouldn't bitch about." She groaned.
"Oh please, I'm not that bad!"
"Are you kidding? Everything you do you're either whining about, or messing up so bad that Raven thinks we want to bang each other!"
"Which is nuts!" he let out with a bright blush. "A-And maybe I wouldn't 'mess' up if you did a better job of showing me what to do!"
"Oh no you don't, you aren't blaming this on me! I just tell you to stay still, yet you're always talking or doing something else!"
"I'm not a statue! I'm just trying to learn and adapt since there's nothing else I CAN do!"
"You're here so your dad doesn't run away, idiot, staying alive is all you're supposed to do!" Vernal snapped. "All you've done is make my life difficult!"
"Oh please, it hasn't been that bad! We didn't even run into Raven out there, I carried the wood, what was wrong?!" He threw back, nearly getting up in her face as she put her hands on her hips. "You know, I've noticed something. Whenever Raven is around, you're all too eager to do what she says without saying a word back."
"Watch it Blondie, you don't know what you're talking about." She growled, her eyes narrowing.
"Oh, I really think I do." He threw back. "She says jump, and you jump without asking why. Do you have any ideas of your own, or do you just rely on her for everything?"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being loyal Blondie!" She growled, grabbing the front of his shirt.
"There's being loyal, and then there's what you are." he gulped. "The way you act, you almost come across as a…a…."
"A what? Spit it out, Blondie." She growled, her eyes narrowing. "Choose your words carefully."
"A….dog?" He said, readying himself to get punched in the face. 'Well, in for a penny in for a pound.'
"I hope you didn't need those teeth Blondie!" Vernal growled, pulling back her fist.
His eyes widened before ducking when she swung before turning and took off running.
"GET BACK HERE BLONDIE!" Vernal shouted, taking chase. "Get back here and take it like a man! You knew what you said, now take responsibility!"
'I said it! I said it! I just HAD to say it!' He thought, running as fast as he could. "C'mon, can't we talk about this?"
"NO!" she yelled while pulling out a knife and chucked it, nearly hitting Jaune as it cut his cheek and hit part of the wall. "YOU KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, STOP RESISTING!"
'I hope dad and the others aren't dealing with insane crap like this!' He thought, running as fast as he could.
"Come on! If you want to survive, you'll hold that with a real grip!" Called one bandit as Jaune's mother tried her best to hold onto a spear. "Yep, like that, now make sure to hold steady, ok?" He asked before seeing a blonde blur followed by a brown blur shoot by them.
"What was that?" asked the mom.
"Eh, I dunno, must not be too important."
Sapron grunted as she and her sisters sorted the clean clothes from the dirty ones while lugging a basket away. "This isn't any different than doing it at home."
"Yeah, I guess there's more clothes, but it's honestly not that bad." Said her sister with a nod.
"Come on, you rookies! You're not even trying!" barked Julias to several bandits with swords striking at logs. "I could cut through those logs with a toothpick compared to how long it's taking you!"
"W-We're trying!" One bandit grunted.
"Well keep it up! We're not leaving until every one of your logs are split!"
The bandits hacked harder at the logs as Jaune himself ducked behind a tent and held his breath as Vernal ran by. 'Finally…I lost her.' He thought as he let out a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing?" He heard a voice behind him, making him freeze as he turned his head to see Raven looking down at him. "Are you playing a game when you should be working?"
"I-I am!" he gulped, standing up quickly. "Me and Vernal just got back, you know, from getting some wood."
"Yet here you are hiding." She stated with a frown.
"I WILL FIND YOU BLONDIE, AND YOU'LL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! NO ONE CALLS ME THAT, NO ONE!"
He tensed up and broke out in a cold sweat as Raven raised an eyebrow. "I-It was nothing! Really!"
"Is that why you're hiding from her? Over nothing?" she crossed her arms with Jaune REALLY getting nervous. "Start talking, or else."
"I uh…may have gotten frustrated with her and called her something she didn't appreciate?" He said nervously.
'Called her something? Did he insult her?' she wondered. "What was it?"
"I uh…" Jaune started as he racked his brain. 'If I tell her that I called Vernal a dog she might just let Vernal kick my ass, and Vernal will literally kill me if she learns I told Raven that….' "It was…something that got her flustered and really red face!"
"Wait… did you call her beautiful or something along those lines?" Raven asked, pinching her nose and letting out a sigh.
"Yes! Yes, that's it." he quickly went with the guess without thinking. "I called her uh… the most beautiful yet stubborn woman on Remnant."
"I see, of course she would react like that… come with me, now." She sighed, standing up. "I'll put an end to her rampage now."
"Oh, really?" He asked, starting to feel like he was going to regret his decision.
"Yes. VERNAL!" she yelled, making said girl stop her rampage and run over.
"Raven, is some-YOU!" She shouted, spotting Jaune behind her. "Ma'am, I'm sorry he bothered you, I promise I won't let him do it again."
"Oh he didn't bother me, but he did inform me of what happened." Raven said, making Vernal's eyes go wide and make the girl go pale.
"...he did?" She asked quietly. "Uh, that's…great."
"I agree. If I didn't hear it in fact, I would have been disappointed."
"Wait, what?" Vernal said, pausing in confusion. "Really?"
"Of course." She said with a nod. "I'm glad he is kind enough to be a gentleman, and I understand reacting the way you did, it's a strange feeling to be complimented about your looks for the first time like that." She said as Vernal's eyes widened and she stole a glance at Jaune.
Said blonde gulped and turned away.
"Uh, Raven." Vernal started. "What uh… what did he tell you?"
"Enough to know that you need to take the compliments while you can. Getting flustered over something like that won't help you in the long run."
"A…compliment.' Vernal said slowly, staring at Jaune directly. 'I'm gonna kill him. He's lying to her!'
"Yes, and I know it feels strange, but don't hurt him over it, you have to learn to accept compliments like that."
"But-"
"Did I stutter Vernal?" she cut her off with a frown, making Vernal freeze up and shake her head.
"No ma'am." She said quickly.
"Good, now take him and go, and get back to work, you two can deal with this later in private in your tent."
Vernal nodded as Raven walked away from them, giving her the chance to give Jaune the harshes scowl she could muster. "You…"
"In my defense, I had no other choice."
"I'm going to turn you into a porcupine."
"Please don't." Jaune said as he held up his hands. "Besides, would you rather I have told her what I originally called you?"
"Maybe then I'd have the go ahead to skin you like a pig."
"Oh c'mon, you're overreacting." Jaune said nervously. "It's not that bad that she thinks I called you the most beautiful woman on Remnant, right?"
Vernal's cheeks turned pink hearing that, Jaune quickly covering his mouth.
"S-Shut up! Don't try to weasel your way out of this!" she moved over and grabbed his shirt before dragging him off. "Come on. We're gonna go hunt for something tonight for dinner."
"Huh?! What the hell is big enough for us to get for the entire camp?!" Jaune cried as she shook her head.
"I didn't say the camp's dinner, just ours, we can trade any extra portions we have for goods… you're catching your own food." She growled, stomping away from him.
"W-Aw come on!" Jaune groaned. "I've never hunted before!"
"Then learn or die!" She snapped.
'I'd rather take the firewood.'
(Later)
"The mighty hunter indeed." Vernal laughed as Jaune scowled. "I never saw an idiot fail to catch a fucking squirrel before!"
"It was nimble!" he defended.
"Oh yeah, real 'nimble' when it was sitting on a branch, watching you try to climb up." She chuckled, a large elk draped over her back.
"So… you were joking about not giving me any, right?"
"Hell no. You wanna survive? Then you learn how to hunt and kill weaker animals to make it happen." She huffed, shaking her head.
"C'mon! Can't I just… buy a bit from you or something?"
"You still owe me for the pillow dumbass."
He groaned and leaned against a tree. "You really like holding a grudge."
"Why wouldn't I? You're lucky I'm not kicking your ass yet." She grunted as she set down the elk. "You're on thin ice for tricking Raven."
"Well…so would you." he countered. "I mean, what would she say if she sees I'm starving because I can't hunt anything down?"
"...Shit." Vernal muttered. 'Ok, so technically I need to keep him fed, but… I don't have to make it easy for him!' She thought as an idea struck her. "Fine, you want to eat? You'll cook for us."
"Cook?" He blinked in confusion, momentarily surprised.
"That's right, you want to earn the right to eat? Then put in some work, cook for me and you. I hunted the elk, so you're cooking it." she smirked. "That way you contributed somehow. Or is cooking a little meat too much for you to handle too?"
"No, I can cook, it's just… with what? What fire, what tools, wha-"
"That's not my problem, figure it out, and if you waste my meat by making it taste bad I'll kick your ass." She said smugly.
He gave her a blank look before sighing and walked off. "Fine, I'll see what I can manage."
'Ha! That'll show him, can't wait to watch him fail!' She thought smugly, leaning back with a grin.
(Later)
"Alright, should be ready in a minute." Jaune called as Vernal sat up.
'What exactly is this going to taste like? It smells ok, but then again it's hard to make meat smell bad…' she moved over and saw the meat cut up and hooked onto sticks with most of it looking a little charred. "Did you burn the meat?"
"Nope, I charred it a bit, it'll add a nice crunch and trap in the flavor." Jaune said with a grin.
"I'll be the judge of that." She said with a frown, pulling out her knife. She cut off a slice, speared it on her knife, and held it up. She looked it over with narrow eyes before taking a bite out of it and chewed. She froze as the flavor hit her, and glanced towards Jaune who was grinning smugly at her.
"So, what do you think?"
She swallowed the meat and glared back. "It's raw."
"Then why'd you swallow it?" He asked, feigning innocence. "If it's not good though I guess I can take it back to camp for you and see if I can trade it for some other food? Maybe a can of beans or two?"
"Hey! You already started a fire, it's already been cooked, so there's no sense in letting some of what you got done go to waste over some beans. Just be grateful it's not going to waste, but that's only because wasting food is stupid out here." She said quickly.
"Alright…. If it's raw, why are you cutting another slice off?" He asked as she glared at him.
"Shut up." She spat, looking away as she bit into the meat. "Also… you can have some I guess."
"Thanks…can I borrow a knife?"
She looked at him in silence before tossing one at his feet. "You better give it back afterwards."
"Trust me, I know what'll happen if I don't." He chuckled as he cut himself a slice.
'I hate to admit it, but he's good at this… note to self, never teach him to hunt so he has to cook for me.' Thought the girl as the two of them just ate the meat in silence.
As they ate Jaune glanced at Vernal, and for the first time since their encounter, he began to appreciate how she looked. 'I guess when she isn't trying to stab you she doesn't seem so bad.'
'Who knew this blonde idiot was good at something? And here I thought he would just be a good meat shield.' She thought as she reclined and took another bite of her meal. 'I suppose I got kind of lucky being assigned to watch him…. Though I'll die first before telling him that.'
"So, need me to cook anything else, or are you full?" joked Jaune.
"Shut up." Vernal snapped quickly before pausing. "...I suppose you can have a bit of my food tomorrow for breakfast if you cook it."
"You got a deal." He smirked. 'Alright… at least I get to eat… and Raven isn't here to get her pissed at me by claiming we love each other for some stupid reason or another.'
With that, after collecting what was left, the two headed on back to camp.
"So… what do we do with the extra stuff?" Jaune asked. "Technically I cooked it so… can I trade it for something?"
"Well I told you how trading works around here, didn't I?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "You have to get something to trade, but you also have to be strong enough to keep it from being stolen in the first place."
"So…that's a maybe?" He asked hopefully.
"A weak one." She huffed. "What would you even want anyway?"
"Well, a real bed for starters."
"That's it? What about an actual weapon to get good at with?" She asked in disbelief.
"Would you let me keep a weapon that I could kill you with in the tent while you slept?" He asked as she frowned. "Besides, my back is killing me, because someone only gave me a pillow."
"You still owe me."
"Hey! I cooked the meat, which you sure seemed fond of, remember? So I already paid that back." He protested.
"Nuh-uh, you paid me for the meal, nothing else!"
"You just wanna keep holding the pillow over my head, don't you?"
"Wow, Blondie figured it out, give him a prize." she gave a sarcastic clap with him shaking his head.
"I'm still gonna get a bed so I don't develop a hunch."
"Make it a small one, there's only so much room in my tent." She muttered. "And you're going to owe me extra for this!" She growled as she shoved the leftovers to him. "Just try not to fuck this up, alright?"
"Ma'am yes ma'am." He rolled his eyes as he walked ahead of her. 'Oh please, it's getting a cot, it's not rocket science.'
(Later)
Jaune and Vernal stared at a bed twice the size of her own, with the original nowhere to be found, silent as Vernal rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Blondie. Explain, now."
"It wasn't my fault…" He said, his voice weak, and he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Vernal or himself.
"I said, explain." Vernal snapped, glaring at him. "What is this thing doing in my tent?!"
"I really…so…" Jaune started, trying to find an excuse before sighing. "So… you remember how you went to take a small nap under that tree after telling me to go trade the meat? Well… I was asking around and Raven spotted me…"
"Oh gods no." Vernal groaned, shaking her head.
"Yeah… so I told her I was trying to get a bed and that you told me to go get one with the meat and… well she said she had the perfect thing…then she took the meat and told me to go see my family and that she'd have it delivered while we were gone…" Jaune said, staring at the massive bed in disbelief.
"Oh no….she must have thought we were going to share it." Vernal groaned, feeling like she wanted to die. "She thinks we're in love, then she hears about how I sent you off to go get a bed… oh god…"
"Well, look at it like this, plenty of space to keep apart, am I right?" Jaune joked nervously, trying not to look at her.
"Blondie, you fucked up big time… if this was from some random idiot I'd burn it, but it was a gift from freaking Raven! We're stuck with it now!" she huffed before pointing at him. "But know this, you stay on YOUR side, or you'll feel just how sharp my knives can be, got it?"
"Crystal!" He said quickly, gulping as she glared at him. 'I guess it could be worse, she could have stabbed me.' He thought as Vernal huffed and laid down on the massive bed.
"At least it's comfortable… huh?" She muttered as she felt something plastic poking her on the back of the neck. She reached behind her neck and found something partially hidden under one of the pillows, her eyes going wide as she held it up to see a row of condoms.
Jaune's eyes widened seeing them, his face turning pink. "T-Those aren't mine, I swear!"
Vernal just stared at them, frozen as her face heated up. "Oh no, no no no no no!"
"W-We can just hide them, just forget about it! I'm sure they were just uh… put there by someone else? Maybe by who Raven got to move it?"
"J-Just shut up!" she cried, tossing them across the hut. "Not a word!"
"G-Got it!" He squeaked nervously. 'Could this get any more awkward?!'
"Now let's just go to sleep, and not say a single word about those." She said, crossing her arms. "J-Just keep to your side, or else!"
"G-Got it!" he nodded, moving to the other side and made sure not to touch her as Vernal was blushing up a storm.
'T-This is getting out of hand! Raven has us literally sleeping together now?! W-What if she demands we go further?! What if those condoms were from her?! What if she was trying to order me to…to….no! She wouldn't….right?' pondered the girl. 'Maybe…I should talk to her and try to get this settled for good.' She thought, nodding her head. 'I-It's not going against her, it's just… clarifying some things.'
"N-Night…" Jaune said, trying not to stare at Vernal.
"Night…" She said, closing her eyes. 'Tomorrow this love thing ends once and for all!'
(Later)
"Ok, I'll do the talking. It'll make things easier if it comes from me." Vernal clarified as she led Jaune to Raven's tent. "If you say anything out of turn and mess this up she may punish us both."
"Works for me, anything to clear this whole thing up." Jaune sighed, rubbing his back where Vernal had 'gently' pushed him off the bed when they had woken up closer together than when they had gone to sleep.
They reached the front with Vernal poking her head in and saw the woman meditating. "Uh, Raven?"
"Ah, Vernal. What is it? Is the bed not sufficient?"
"Uh…about that." She cleared her throat as she walked in, followed by Jaune. "We came here to…talk."
"Talk? About what?" Raven asked, sitting crossed leg on a pillow in front of a low table. "Is something wrong with Jaune? Do you need a bigger home? What's the issue?"
"It's….It's not right." she got out with a gulp. "We found the…things, in the bed. We didn't use them mind you! I mean, nothing happened!" Vernal let out before taking a deep breath. "The truth is, that all of this is a mistake. Me and him? It's not what you might think it is."
"Vernal…. Are you questioning my judgment?" She asked with a cold tone, making the short haired girl freeze. "I know what I've witnessed, I know what I've been told."
"I-I know you know!" she quickly spoke up with a nod. "But…it's just that…"
"It's not true!" Jaune piped up, making them turn to him. "Look, it's all been a huge misunderstanding."
"You stay quiet." Raven snapped with a frown before turning back to Vernal. "A misunderstanding?"
'Come on, say it! You can't falter when you've come this far!' She thought, trying to summon the courage to tell Raven the truth.
"Are you telling me that you've been lying to me this entire time?" She asked, narrowing her eyes with a frown.
"No! Er, I mean, it's just…please Raven, all of this is a misunderstanding. I am NOT into this idiot like you think I am!" Vernal said, gesturing towards Jaune. "H-He's idiotic, weak, ignorant, he can't do anything right and, and….blonde!"
"She's loud, crash, headstrong, and crazy! I'm pretty sure she'd kill me if you didn't tell her to keep an eye on me from day one! And what do you mean I can't do anything right? You sure seemed to enjoy the meat I prepared."
"Shut up!" Vernal shouted at him. "Just because you're a good cook doesn't mean you're useful damn it!"
"Yes it does!"
"Enough." Raven said, holding a hand up. "I see the issue now." Raven said as she nodded her head.
"Really?" Jaune asked in surprise as Vernal relaxed.
"It's the same issue I...I mean, someone else once had regarding someone they cared about, you're afraid to commit to that feeling." she remarked while crossing her arms. "In that case, I have the perfect solution to make it easier on you two."
"No, that-" Vernal started, only for Raven to cut her off.
"Silence. By the powers invested in me, as chief of this tribe, I now pronounce you two husband and wife."
"WHAT?!" Vernal and Jaune shouted in shock with wide eyes.
"There, problem solved, you're welcome." She said, standing up. "Now you two can stop beating around the bush and properly deal with your emotions."
"B-B-But Raven! It's not like that!" Vernal protested, making the woman narrow her eyes.
"Are you questioning me Vernal?" The woman stiffened up and gulped, shaking her head no.
"Vernal, say something." Jaune whispered to her. "Do you really want to be married to me?!"
"No, but you don't disrespect Raven!" she whispered back in a hiss.
"Well choose now, marriage or disrespecting her!" Jaune hissed back. "She won't listen to me, she'll only listen to you!"
"Uh, Raven?" Vernal started, clearing her throat. 'It's now or never damn it, I have to, I have t-'
"Yes? Is there a problem?" She asked, turning back to Vernal.
"Well, uh, there..." she trailed off, glancing away.
"Spit it out Vernal, what is it?"
"I...just wanted to say thank you." She sighed as Jaune groaned.
"You're welcome, now go enjoy your honeymoon." She said with a nod. "You two can relax for 72 hours, understand?"
"Yes ma'am." She said with a nod as she and Jaune turned and made their way out of the hut..
"Smooth one Vernal, smooooth." Jaune said sarcastically as Vernal let out a groan.
"Shut it." she frowned.
"I have a good reason not to. Now we're officially stuck together." He groaned as he shook his head. "My parents are going to freak out when they hear this."
"Don't be so dramatic. They might actually be happy you landed the first girl ever in your life." she chuckled, punching him in the shoulder.
"Sure, sure, they'll be happy their son was married against his will by the tribe that kidnapped us. They'll be thrilled." He remarked while rolling his eyes.
"Shut up!" She growled, shaking her head.
"Hey I have a right to point out how you completely caved!" Jaune argued. "You didn't even try to protest, you just thanked her!"
"And like I said, you DON'T argue with Raven! So get used to this because there's no changing it!" She groaned as Jaune shook his head.
"No, that's crazy! We can fix this!" he tried to reason. "We just make it clear this is one huge misunderstanding."
"It's too late, Raven's word is law." Vernal groaned. "I'm stuck married to the biggest idiot in remnant!"
"Says the girl who's whipped." he grumbled, looking away.
"Eh?! What did you just say ya punk?!" She growled, glaring at her 'new husband'.
"Just the truth is all." He shrugged before Vernal grabbed his collar and yanked him down to stare him in the eyes.
"You want to rethink that?"
He gulped seeing her glare and held up a hand. "Uh...nothing?"
"That's what I thought." She grunted before letting go.
'Great, I'm sure this will go over REAL smooth with the others.' He thought, scanning the crowd before pausing. 'Wait… maybe they don't have to know? It's not like we have to tell them, right? Besides, who would even tell them?'
"Hey fellas! Vernal and her boytoy tied the knot!" Yelled one bandit walking past them.
"What? No way!"
"Yeah! I heard Raven do it, I guess those two fell head over heels for each other!"
"Damn it!"
"Ha! Pay up!"
"Ugh… stupid bet…"
"Wait, Jaune got married?! AND HE DIDN'T INVITE US?!"
"Shit! I'm gonna go hide!" Jaune quickly told Vernal before bolting the other way.
"Oh no you don't, you can't just escape like that!" She shouted back, following him. 'I may be married to this moron, but I still have to keep an eye on him!'
Sadly this worked against them. When his family came by and saw him running from Vernal, they assumed they were playing hard to get with each other.
"My god…it's true?" Julias asked in shock, trying to process what he was seeing.
"I didn't think my baby boy would find someone here."
"Let alone in under a week." Muttered Saphron.
(Later)
Jaune took several hacks away at a dummy, working up a sweat as he had been at this for two hours, Vernal herself eating an apple while sitting on the sidelines. "Ugh…could you at least tell me if I'm doing this right?"
"Nope." Vernal called, taking another bite of the apple.
"And here I thought I was the 'lazy' one." he muttered.
Unknown to the two 'lovers' they were being watched from afar by a very confused Raven from a nearby tree.
'This is how they're spending time together? Even during their honeymoon they didn't act very close, not anything like me and Tai…why?' she pondered. 'I gave them time to work things out and be more honest. Do they just find this enjoyable after being officially married? That makes no sense.' She thought as she racked her brain, trying to come up with an answer when an idea hit her. 'Maybe… yes, it must be, Vernal and that boy must be shy, they don't know what to do, nor have a reason to… maybe I can fix that?'
With that she went into her room to find some items that might help her. 'Ok, let's see if we can't get these two to accept reality, they should be arriving at their tent soon.'
"Oh man, my arms are killing me." groaned Jaune, dragging himself into the hut.
"Agreed." Vernal groaned.
"Why?! You didn't do anything!"
"I had to deal with your whining, duh." She said as Jaune groaned.
"Vernal."
"AH!" she jumped, whirling around to see Raven enter. "R-Raven!"
"Vernal. You and your husband have been acting distant with each other lately." Raven started, deciding to get straight to the point. "Which is why I've come here to help fix that."
"T-That's not necessary, really, there's a simple reason for that!" She protested.
"I already saw the way you two spend time together, and to be perfectly blunt, you two lack passion."
"Passion?" Vernal asked, starting to get a bad feeling about what else Raven had to say.
"Yes, I know both of you are inexperienced, but practice makes perfect."
"Practice?" Vernal let out in a small squeak with her face heating up.
"Yes, now I do have some things that may help you two, I'll be loaning them to you for now, keep them in good condition." She said holding up the bag. "That being said, it doesn't hurt the relationship to be closer to each other during normal activities."
"Uh…what exactly are those?" Jaune asked, pointing at the bag warily. 'Please don't let it be weird sex stuff, please don't let it be weird sex stuff…'
"Relationship books my husband and I used, along with my own personal notes on how to make sure your partner stays in line and is loving and affectionate, and how to be affectionate."
'Oh thank the gods.' thought Jaune and Vernal as she accepted the bag.
"I expect you two to read them and be using the material by the end of the day." She said with a nod. "I also included a gift in there as well."
"Uh, thank you Raven." Nodded Vernal.
"You're welcome, I wish you two luck on your marriage." She said as she turned to leave.
The two watched her and looked inside the bag before pulling out one of the books.
"Best ways to keep the fire burning in bed?" Jaune read with wide eyes.
"H-How to make your lover submit?!"
"Best positions to keep going all day?! H-How are these relationship books?!" Jaune cried out, his face beet red.
"Oh no. If Raven expects us to use these, that means….she wants us to…"
"S-She could have mixed up the books!" Jaune protested, trying his best not to stammer. "M-maybe one of them actually is a relationship book?!"
"You heard her, these ARE them!" Vernal cried out, pointing at the books, nearly hysteric. "T-T-This can't be happening, it can't be!"
"Vernal, just calm down, calm down!" Jaune said, looking through the bag. "R-Raven mentioned her own notes about being in a relationship, she has to mean something other than sex!"
Vernal quickly reached down inside the bag before pulling out a folded note and looked to see what it read. "Don't be afraid to be weak around your partner…and being submissive in bed can be fu-"
"Ok, so one of them was a bust, there's more in here!" spoke Jaune pulling another one out. "When being rough, make sure to have a saf-OH COME ON!"
"THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE!" Vernal screamed, full on hysterical as she tore through the notes desperately, like a dying man looking for some kind of escape. But with each one she looked, it was all related to what they dreaded.
Jaune paced back and forth as Vernal banged her fist on the floor with a groan. "Ok, I got an idea. We lie and tell her we ...took her advice. That way we're safe and she doesn't make it more weird."
"W-We can't lie to Raven!" Vernal said, falling onto the bed. "I-I'm gonna have to… I didn't think it would happen like this!"
"Oh come on! You can't be serious on doing-" Jaune started before pausing, remembering that Vernal's unwillingness to stand up to Raven landed them in this situation in the first place. "I-I'm going to go…visit my family quickly!" he bolted out of the hut and sprinted as fast as he could.
"O-Ok…" Vernal said, staring at the hut door blankly. 'It's over… I-I need to speak to Raven… maybe buy time, o-or something!' she quickly ran out herself and bolted for Raven's hut with said woman feeling satisfied.
"That should help them. Finally progress can be made between those two." Raven mused, leaning back. "Huh… that felt kind of nice, perhaps I should visit Tai later, see if we remember anything from those books?"
"Raven!" Vergal rushed in, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "I need to talk to you."
"Vernal? Ah, I'm going to guess you left your husband to read the books, correct?" She asked as the girl quickly sat down in front of her.
"About those. And about Blo- I mean Jaune. We need to talk, and I mean a real one." She said, staring at Raven. 'I can't back down, not now, not with everything at stake!'
"Alright. I'll start. I'll admit, I didn't expect this outcome when I chose you to guard Jaune."
'Neither did I.' thought Vernal with a groan.
"But I admit, after seeing what's happened because of it? I'm impressed." She said with a small nod, making Vernal freeze and feel like her brain short circuited.
"What?" She asked, stupefied.
"Yes, I know this is all new to you, and out of your comfort zone, but I am impressed… no, that's not quite right, I am proud of you." She said as Vernal's mouth fell open. "Because of you two getting together Jaune's family has become more comfortable in the tribe, they are getting used to staying here now. I never thought this would happen so soon."
"P…Proud?" Vernal muttered.
"Yes, extremely." Raven nodded. "I will admit, I'm even finding myself hoping that you will give Jaune and his family another, more permanent reason to stay in the tribe, one that will boost our numbers with strong warriors…if you get what I mean."
Vernal gulped as she nodded. "You mean…me and Jaune….tonight?"
"Preferably, but I suppose I can understand if you want to wait a bit to familiarize yourself with the books I gave you."
Vernal gulped before shaking her head. "I-I mean we could read through them before the days over and see what happens, if you feel that would be better."
"That would be ideal, but at the end of the day it's your decision, I've been told some couples take longer to get to that point, but I'm guessing those couples are weaker, don't you agree?"
"Absolutely." nodded the woman right away.
"Excellent. So what else did you want to discuss about Jaune?"
"That….I plan on getting him to master the sword before next month." She said quickly. "H-He has shown a lot of potential with weapons, he just needs more training, or do you think he should have a different weapon?"
"No, I think it makes sense. I've learned the Arc's are well equipped with swords, so keep it up." She nodded. "Also, out of curiosity has Jaune revealed anything about his family, specifically his parents?"
"Like what?"
"Well, any hint that they may be… adventurous." Raven admitted. "You're not the only one in the tribe who has a preference for blondes."
Vernal stared at her leader with surprise, but managed to shake her head. "Uh, no. I haven't heard anything like that, but I could find out after we're…done."
"Excellent. I'll leave you to it, and remember, I'm proud of you Vernal, you've gone above and beyond for the tribe." Raven nodded, patting her shoulder.
"Thank you Raven, I'll keep at it." she nodded with a smile before leaving the hut and felt full of energy. 'She's proud of me, she's proud of me, SHE'S PROUD OF ME!' She thought giddy as we cut to Jaune groaning as he sat next to his parents.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do. It's like a never ending game of tag that never ends." He groaned, holding his head in his hands.
"It's a complicated situation son." remarked Julias.
"How? It's just Vernal who won't say no to Raven, and I'm stuck right there. For a leader of a tribe, how can someone be so….thick?"
"She rules the tribe through strength, I'd wager anyone who's ever questioned her didn't live to tell the tale." Julias shrugged. "Thus you have a woman who in her mind has never been wrong, and acts as such."
"How we're not dead yet is honestly a miracle." His mother sighed, laying a hand on Julias' leg."It's been quite the shift living here."
"Yes…strangely enough, it's not nearly as bad as I expected."
"But what am I gonna do? I mean…I can't do that with Vernal!"
"Then don't. If you're not ready, you're not ready Jaune… but I have to ask, do you really hate being with her?" Julias asked, looking at Jaune intently.
"Well….I wouldn't say hate exactly." he looked down at his lap. "I mean, I tolerate her way more than before."
"So you truly don't care about her at all?" His mother asked, making Juane pause.
"I… it's complicated." He said weakly, looking away.
"Well here's a way to make it less complicated. Do you get shy and nervous when the two of you are so close to each other?"
"Well… yes, kind of, but only because the situation is awkward!"
"And why is it awkward? Given the circumstances wouldn't you two just be annoyed by this situation and nothing else?"
"Well….ok, you got me there." Jaune huffed. "I mean… it's not like she doesn't have her rare moments I guess..,"
"So in a way, spending so much time with her hasn't been so bad, huh?" His mother chuckled as Jaune's face kept heating up.
"It's not like that, really!" He said, turning away. 'At least… I thought it wasn't?'
"You sure son?"
"I…it's complicated." He groaned. "I mean, I don't know how to feel about a girl I was forced to stay with who was never really into me."
"Well, it is complicated, but when is life ever simple? Love is also something that is never simple either." Julias sighed with a small smile. "It comes in the most unexpected way sometimes."
"But how does that work if the girl is quick to do whatever Raven says?" Jaune groaned. "How do I know it's real, or if it's her just desperate to please Raven?"
"You can't, but is that concern enough for you to ignore your feelings for her?" His mother asked curiously. "I think you should give her the benefit of the doubt."
"Maybe…" Jaune sighed, shaking his head. "I'll think about it… out of curiosity how are you guys doing?" He asked, trying to momentarily forget about his Vernal issue. 'I guess I can talk to her about it when I get back to the hut.'
"Surprisingly, pretty good. Training these rookies on how to use weapons the right way has made me think that maybe my new calling in life could be as a teacher since I am getting up there in age." He said with a chuckle. "I'm also trying to teach them some morals as well as fighting skills, ideally I can keep them from going on another raid one way or another."
"Me and the girls have dealt with a few pervs when doing some of the chores, but we've learned how to deal with them. Such as where to squeeze them that would make them wish they were dead." Smiled his mother like it was no big deal. "All in all I have to say we're doing surprisingly well here."
"Really? No…real big issues? Nothing I should be worried about?" jaune asked cautiously.
"Surprisingly no, there was one attempt, but apparently most of the bandits draw the line at getting too… forceful unwillingly, who do you think taught us where to squeeze?"
Jaune gulped and subtly crossed his legs together. "Good point."
"Now then, I think you've kept your wife waiting long enough, don't you agree? I bet the poor girl is practically comatose with those 'gifts' Raven gave you two."
Jaune blushed at the joke and quickly stood up. "I, uh, I'll talk to you later."
"See you later son, and remember, happy wife, happy life!" he called as Jaune ran off. "How long until we're grandparents?"
"We'll have a new bundle of joy by the end of the year at this rate."
Back with Vernal, she sat on the bed, rubbing her knees as she waited for Jaune to come back. 'Ok, you can do this… no, you WILL do this, you're Vernal, right hand woman to Raven, she's proud of you, you can't mess this up!' She thought, glancing at the books and notes.
The flap opened, showing Jaune, panting and trying to get air in his lungs. "Ha….ha… sorry about disappearing, I just went to see my…parents…" He said, trailing off as he saw Vernal waiting quietly on the bed in her robe. "Vernal?"
"Jaune?" she looked him in the eyes with a blush. "I think…we should make it happen."
"M-Make what happen?" He asked, his face heating up.
"Going to bed…THAT way I mean." She said, her face beet red. "I-I think we should really give it a try."
"Uh…you…you mean holding hands, right?" he guessed, inwardly hoping it was that silly excuse.
"I-It's a bit more than that…a lot more." She said, slowly gesturing to the books. "After talking with Raven, I think I…we, should just go ahead, and accept this. I mean, at this point if we don't do anything, who knows what else she might do for us."
"Vernal, don't you think that's rushing things?" He asked, gulping nervously when he heard Raven was involved. "W-We can start out with hand holdings, and maybe think about that stuff for later?"
"I thought of that, but think about it. Raven is not going to wait any longer. Meaning if we try that, she might do something extreme. Given who she is, she'd go so far as to get others involved because she thinks our 'passion' is dying." She said, shaking her head. "At least this way… we can control it? She's already giving us stuff like that, do you want to wait and see what she'll try next?"
Jaune paled, briefly imagining several bandits brought in by Raven and explaining they'll help spice things up, making him slap his cheeks and shudder. "No, I don't wanna imagine what that woman comes up with next."
"So you agree. This is our best chance to avoid this." She said, awkwardly patting the side of the bed next to her.
Jaune gulped and moved over, sitting down next to her. "Vernal… I don't want to do this unless you're sure. I… think I might…" He started, unsure how to phrase it. 'I need to tell her… I don't want to do this if it's just to stop Raven.'
"Yeah, I'm sure." She nodded slowly.
"Would it help if… well… would it be easier if I…happened to tell you that I actually do… care for you?"
Her eyes widened, staring at him with an open mouth.
"Yeah… I'm still trying to figure it out… I don't know when it started but… crazy as it is to say I think I actually do care about you Vernal, and I…well I really don't want to do anything you don't want to do because of that…" He stammered, trying to keep it together. 'I didn't think I'd have to do this so soon!'
'He likes me….he likes me?!' She thought, her brain feeling like it was breaking. 'How, why, HOW?! How does he… why would he like someone like me?!'
"So…if you want us to do it….I want it to be because you want it, not because of Raven." He said, quickly weighing his options before putting a hand on her shoulder. "So… what do you think?"
"I…I…I…" 'The blonde idiot likes me? Really?! I….damn it!' she gulped and grabbed the front of his shirt with a glare. "I think you should man up and show me what you've got. Cut loose on me and show me how much you've grown."
'There's the Vernal I know.' He thought as she yanked again, tearing his shirt off. "I'm going to guess that's a yes then?"
"Of course it's a damn yes! Now are you going to sit there yapping or kiss me you blonde idiot?"
Jaune smiled before leaning in and pulling her into a kiss. 'I hope she takes that as a yes… I guess this is really happening… this is definitely not how I imagined my first time.'
Vernal kissed back, pulling him back onto the bed while sliding the robe off as the camera panned away from the hut. Anyone nearby would soon hear the sounds of grunts and groans, leading to word traveling very fast on what was happening.
'I knew those two just needed a push in the right direction.' Raven thought smugly, hearing the sounds close by. 'I wonder if I can convince Jaune's parents of having some fun?'
(Timeskip)
"Vernal…I can't…keep going…" panted Jaune, bare naked as Vernal bounced on his cock with more energy than him.
"Don't quit on me yet! We're not stopping until I get knocked up."
"I…don't think… that's how that works!" Jaune groaned.
"Then I guess we'll have to keep going until I wring your balls dry." She smirked. "After that you're going to have to work more on your endurance training Blondie!"
"If I survive." he groaned, her bouncing getting faster as he grabbed at her ass. He tried to thrust up with each bounce, making her moan louder and louder.
"Keep it up you blonde stud, don't you dare slow down again!"
"No promises!" He groaned. 'I don't know who's going to give out first, me or the bed!'
(Timeskip)
"Well Vernal, I can safely say you exceeded my expectations." Raven said proudly, sitting in front of Vernal and Jaune. "You've gone above and beyond for the tribe."
"Thank you Raven." Smiled the girl, currently holding a baby in her arms while having a swollen belly and having a third one held in a pouch on her back while Jaune was holding two bundles himself.
"Yeah…I didn't know it was possible to have quadruplets…I thought it was a myth." Jaune said in amazement.
"I told you my method worked." Vernal said smugly.
"Yeah, riding me like a horse for a whole day sure is the go to method." He remarked sarcastically.
'I see he has something in common with his father. If all the Arcs are like this, the tribe is guaranteed to grow.'
"So, what did you need us for?" Asked Jaune.
"I was hoping I could see if Vernal would be interested in officially being my chosen successor." Raven said with a nod.
"S-Successor?"
"Indeed, you're strong, loyal, I can think of no one better to replace me in the future."
Vernal opened her mouth, but she was completely speechless. Jaune however spoke up.
"I think she's onboard." He said with a small chuckle, leaning over to close his wife's mouth.
"Good, glad we got that out of the way." Raven said with a small smile. 'I'm glad I was right in choosing a strong successor and finding her a good, strong husband.'