As the sounds of the pouring rain crashed against asphalt and concrete, the sight of running water trailing along the curb of the street, the two tired out runners found shelter under the short roof of a bus stop. The two panted quietly next to one another as they sat on the rough concrete under their shelter.
"Jaune," Blake spoke between breaths, sitting across from him, "I'm soaked." He heard her say, and he didn't bother to look up at her, trying to avert his eyes from Blake.
As Jaune stared down at his legs, he only nodded, "Yeah." He slowly spoke, he really didn't have the energy to hold a conversation as it were. Truth be told, Jaune was tired of this outing, it was already too full of awkward conversations, followed by even more awkward displays of false affection, and it was ending with them both caught in the rain.
It didn't help that they were both wearing plenty of white today.
Jaune in his white t-shirt, and Blake wearing her usual outfit, wearing white in the most inconvenient places she could be on her body. It was an uncomfortable thought, Jaune knew. But the sound of the rain hammering down on the city streets drowned out his thoughts, which he was thankful for.
As he looked out of their improvised shelter, Jaune noticed that the clouds only got darker, growing all the more imposing. But as he stared at the streets themselves, he noticed that street lights had begun to turn on, emitting an orange hue that contrasted beautifully with the dark sky. It was nice, he thought, a sight he never would have gotten to see on the frontier.
He did have to wonder, though, did it look this nice anywhere else in the city?
As for Blake, she didn't take as much joy in it as she could have. She was wearing drenched clothes, she was cold, and it didn't look like the rain was going to let up anytime soon. And it didn't help that her clothes clung to her a little too much, it made her feel uncomfortable.
But there was a bright side to that, and it was the fact that it was only Jaune with her. She couldn't imagine all the sorts of humiliation she'd have to deal with if Yang was around, making all sorts of dumb cat jokes about water. Although, the pouring rain really didn't make her feel all that good.
It really made her miss being home.
That feeling of knowing that if thunder had clapped loud enough, and if it left her disoriented, she had people to fall back on, those two being her Mom and Dad. Most of the time, it was her Dad since he didn't tease her about her problem with thunder.
Growing up, she remembered how great it was to be around her Dad. He was always making time for her and Mom, finding time between running a peaceful protest organization, along with running Menagerie's administration. Blake's father was a busy man, and she knew this, which is why she still couldn't believe that he could find time to spend with them. He could be dead tired, on the verge of collapsing, and he could always find a way to bounce back and deal with stuff around the house.
To Blake, her father was something beyond Human and Faunus, he was just something else. A creature with limitless stamina, an untarnishable work ethic, and an incredible list of morals. To Blake, he was an incredible Dad, to Menagerie, an Incredible Administrator. But to the White Fang, the people he did the most he could for?
He was a coward.
It left Blake feeling melancholic, the sound of the rain pitter pattering against the road didn't help the feeling go away, but it certainly did drown out any thought that had to do with the White Fang. She only wished that, well…
She wished she had left sooner, maybe then she'd be able to go home.
Jaune heard Blake let out a deep sigh, one not normally filled with its usual… Blake-ness, for lack of a better word. Jaune noticed over the week that they had been hanging out, finding time to get away from their teams, whenever Blake would sigh, she was normally annoyed, tired, or angry.
But this time was different, because it didn't sound harsh, or reluctant. It was quiet and soft, as though she was hopeless. Truth was, Jaune didn't know what he could say, what he could do, none of it. At the end of the day, he was just himself. He was no superhero, no wiseman with all the answers. Hell, he didn't even know what the problem was.
But he could.
Jaune swallowed that strange lump that started forming in the back of his throat as he looked up at Blake, doing his hardest to only stare at her eyes. It was easy to make eye contact since her eyes were so pretty, but that's also why it was so difficult to keep it, like a double edged sword.
"Not a fan of the rain?" He asked, trying to come off as carefree as he could, and failing.
Blake let out a hum as she averted her eyes from the city street, the gentle pitter patter keeping her heart rate low. As she stared back at Jaune, she shook her head from side to side, her wet hair flinging the occasional droplets of water. "Not really," she spoke in a low tone, bringing her knees to her chest before wrapping her arms around them. "It reminds me of home."
Jaune let his eyebrows furrow slightly out of concern, "Rough home life?" He asked, only for his eyes to widen, "Don't feel obligated to answer that if you don't feel like it." He quickly followed up with a raised hand, he didn't want to push her into talking about something he had no right knowing.
Blake let a small smile grace her face, she appreciated the concern, even if it was unfounded. She let out a light giggle, "No, nothing like that. Life at home was great," but as Blake spoke, her words escaped her mind as she stared back at the road, the small currents of water only getting faster as the rain poured that much harder.
"I guess I'm just homesick, you know?" He heard her say, her eyebrows tilted upwards as that smile she once wore fell from grace, replaced by a cheap imitation.
Jaune couldn't help but frown as he stared at Blake, the now wide, forced smile on her face only making a pit form in his chest. He let out a sigh of his own as he let the frown fall from his face, the sound of rain soothing him as he stared at Blake. He did have to admit, though, he never would've thought Blake would look so nice with her hair wet, staring out at the drenched city streets.
He tried his hardest to shake the thoughts away, and failed miserably. He was a guy, sue him. He wouldn't ever really act on his thoughts though, so it didn't matter. After all, that's all they were. Thoughts.
Jaune let out an awkward laugh as he tried to push on the conversation, "I get what you mean," he said as he ran a hand through his wet hair, "What I wouldn't do to eat my Mom's cooking right now." He muttered to himself.
Some nice, sunny side up eggs, a strip or two of fresh off the pan, sizzling bacon, a few slices of toast. He'd go home right now, running several miles in torrential downpour without stopping if he knew his Mom was making something to eat.
Then again, maybe that was because he was hungry.
He heard Blake laugh at that, "I know, right?" He heard her ask as she looked back over to him, "My Mom used to make some of the best dishes with just some Fish, and a little bit of rice." Blake's voice filled with nostalgia, along with a twinge of mirth.
It was Jaune's turn to laugh now. This was nice, just being able to sit down and talk about stuff. It didn't have to be heavy, or tense, just things between friends.
It was progress, he thought.
"I've never really been one for fish," he said with a wobbly smile, and Blake only looked at him with wide eyes, eyebrows nearly caressing her hairline. "Well, maybe that's not true. I mean, I've never really gotten a chance at seafood." He reiterated in the hopes of not getting into a measuring contest of whose food is better. Not that he mentioned his favorite food, be he digressed.
At Jaune's backpedal, Blake's shock left her, replaced by understanding. "I mean, I personally really like seafood. The flavor, the taste, it just sits right with me." She spoke, only to follow up with a laugh, "But it didn't help that Seafood was all we had."
When he heard her say that, it reminded him of something. "Oh yeah, didn't Tukson say you lived out on the Frontier? Did you live out by the Northern Coast?" She heard him say, slightly tensing up. She kept a note in the back of her mind to whack Tukson upside the head next time she saw him. "I used to hear they got some nice, fat fish out there from Caravaneers."
Blake's smile wavered as she tried to find the words she was looking for, "Well… Not really." She started, "When I was living with my Parents, I lived on an island." She slowly explained, hoping not to give too much away, because if she told Jaune it was Menagerie, the jig was up.
Jaune let out a long 'oh' as he raised his head slightly, "That makes a lot of sense, what with all the seafood." Jaune said in understanding, the sound of the rain hitting the road nearly drowning him out. "What was it like?" She heard him ask.
She tilted her head to the side while quirking a brow, "What was what like?"
"Living on an island," he stated, clasping his hands together as he leaned forward, "It must've been nice, right? The warm sun, cool beaches, nice food, it had to be good living." She heard him finish, his voice filled with some form of idolization for her way of growing up.
In a way, she could understand it, but it was an oversimplified, romanticized view of it. When storms hit, it left disaster in its wake. It would take weeks to fix up some houses, and by the time their devastation was fixed, the occasional pack of Grimm or two would stalk near town, trying to entice enough fear in people to grow their numbers.
On good days, a patrol or two would thin their numbers and chase them off. On bad days, they'd have to deal with a long siege. Life on Menagerie was difficult on some days, but if they were lucky, everything would come up their way.
Blake let out a low hum as she let her arm fall to her side, crossing her legs as the smile fell from her face, "Yeah, it was… great." Jaune heard her mutter, her eyes trailing downwards towards the rough concrete floor beneath them.
Something about how Blake said it made Jaune not believe her. Maybe he did hit a bit of a sore spot after all. "What about you?" He heard Blake ask, to which he perked his head up, "Living on the Frontier, working off the land. Was it satisfying?"
Jaune had to think about it for a moment. Was it satisfying to work the fields for less than minimum wage, so as to make sure the rest of the town has food to eat? To go out and hunt with his father, looking for an Elk big enough to eat for the next week or so? To then skin said Elk, butcher it, and toss it in the freezer so that they didn't starve?
In a way.
But the truth was, it wasn't for Jaune. He enjoyed it, sure, but he wished for more out of life. To help people in ways that benefited more than just his town. He wanted to fight the Grimm, to clean up the frontier, if only so that people didn't have to walk out of the towns armed to the teeth. So that people didn't have to patrol the walls late at night, and collapse of exhaustion in the early morning.
Of course, when he asked his father to train him, his answer was always the same. It's too dangerous, he would say. Or that he had no chance in such a career. When Jaune then said he'd like to attend a combat school, his father shot it down fast. And when he tried to fake a signature to go anyway, his father had punished him severely for it.
If there was anything the frontier symbolized to Jaune, it was a lack of freedom. It was ironic, what was normally seen as the ultimate freedom to some, unchained by the norms of the Kingdoms, was in itself the chains that kept Jaune from independence.
Jaune let out an awkward chuckle as he brought a hand up to the back of his head, "Y-yeah, most satisfying way to live, no question about it." His voice was shaky and uneven as he let his eyes flit shut.
As Jaune let the back of his head hit the wall of their improvised shelter, he felt his shirt cling to his chest as he took slow breaths, the smell of the fresh rain providing a strange, albeit nice scent. But as Jaune rested his eyes, his mind dwelling on his home, Blake did something she normally didn't bother doing. Blake found herself staring at Jaune, not in a normal, observant sense, but in a more… She couldn't find the words to describe it.
But if you had asked her then and there, she could have found a hundred and one ways to describe how Jaune looked in a wet, wrinkled, white t-shirt. It left her a little bothered at how toned Jaune actually was, not so much so that muscle bulged out from beneath skin, but enough so that there was definition. She was surprised to see Jaune was in fairly good shape.
It was then that she had to remind herself that they were both training to be hunters, of course Jaune was going to be fit. And the fact that his hair was wet didn't make her want to think any less about his appearance.
Loathe as Blake was to admit it, even she had to admit that Jaune was a fairly decent looking guy. Not that she'd ever say it out loud, if only for her pride's sake, along with the fact that Jaune didn't need to go out and get a big head. But still, staring at Jaune the way he was, it left her uncomfortable.
She then heard him let out a sigh and quickly tore her eyes from his abdominal region, staring at his face until he opened his eyes.
Jaune let a melancholic smile form on his face, much to Blake's confusion, "I'll be honest, I don't miss being on the Frontier as much as I thought I would." He started, his eyebrows pointing upwards as he felt his chest tighten slightly, "Being on the Frontier was different. Out there, things were difficult. Do you have any idea how much people would kill for a chance to walk down a street and see a place selling food for cheap? And for that meat to be authentic, and not Maggot infested?"
Blake had to admit, she normally didn't think about what colonies on the Frontier did. Then again, not a lot of people did. There was a bit of a stigma surrounding the idea of colonization outside of the Kingdoms, most colonies would barely survive a few years, quickly leaving dilapidated ruins, old settlements reduced to naught but ash and cinder.
"Was it fulfilling? In a way," he spoke, his voice sounding strained, his eyebrows furrowed as a sickly expression took hold of his face, "But it's why I'm here, you know?"
Blake let her brows lower in confusion, she didn't understand. "What do you mean?"
Jaune felt his stomach churn slightly, but pushed on, "If things were easy on the frontier, I wouldn't have bothered trying to be a Huntsman." He muttered, his clasped hands turning a stark white from the pressure, "I would have picked anything else out there if Grimm weren't a problem. A doctor, or maybe a teacher, a guard if I felt like it. But because of the Grimm, I figured it was the best way I could give back, you know?" He choked the latter half of the sentence out, a wobbly, uneven smile resting on his face. "I mean, sure, family legacy and all, but I wouldn't bother upholding it if it wasn't convenient." She heard him mutter the last part beneath his breath.
Blake didn't know what to think, seeing Jaune the way he was. So used was she to seeing Jaune as nothing more than a goofball, someone who only made mistakes and laughed afterwards, only to learn nothing and repeat them. But to hear him talk the way he did, to see him like this left a pit in her stomach, a knot forming in her throat. They were friends, after all. Of course it was going to hurt her seeing him like this.
Then why was it that she was trying to justify her thoughts?
Blake discreetly shook her head before standing up and sitting down next to Jaune, much to his surprise. But what surprised him even more was what followed.
He felt Blake's slender arms slink around his neck before pulling him close, drawing his head, ear-first to her chest, the sound of her heart gently thumping could be heard. It was slow and serene, and Jaune quickly found himself swept away by it, the sounds of the rain quietly tapping against concrete becoming nothing more than accompanying instruments that made up the orchestra which Jaune heard. Jaune let out a breath as the lump that formed in his throat disappeared, his heart rate beginning to match up to that of Blake's, and he became all the more aware of the sound of her breathing.
They were deep and slow, and he could feel her chest rise and fall as his head rested gently in her embrace. Her hold was firm, but not forced. If anything, it was comforting. And before he knew it, he had subconsciously began following the way which she breathed, forgetting whatever it was they could have been discussing.
"I'm sorry," he heard her mutter, much to his silent confusion, "I didn't mean to make you mention something you were so uncomfortable with." Blake quietly spoke, and Jaune felt a chill go up his back as he heard her words.
Jaune slowly tore his head away from her before sitting up properly, the difference in their height had never seen so irrelevant as they nearly sat eye to eye, Jaune only being slightly taller. Jaune let out an awkward chuckle as he looked down at her slightly, making sure to maintain eye contact, "Hey, you've got nothing to be sorry for," he started, waving a hand in front of him, "I just kind of spiralled out of control for a second. I didn't mean to spill my heart out like that."
As Blake looked over at him, her previous look over concern unchanging, Jaune let out a chuckle, "I must have looked pretty pathetic, huh?" He rhetorically asked, almost resigning himself to his own answer.
She let out a sigh as she looked up at him, "Jaune, you're human. There's going to be days where you just spill your heart out, whether it's to yourself, or to others. What matters is that you don't let it influence you when everything's done." She spoke before jostling his shoulder with her left hand, "Besides, you don't look pathetic. You do, however, look soaked." Her voice filled with amusement.
Jaune couldn't help but laugh at her final comment, "I mean, so are you. Human, I mean." He started, "It's honestly kind of scary how much you have that whole emotions thing figured out. If I had to be like that for longer than a week, I don't think I'd last." Jaune spoke from the heart, he didn't think he could do half of the things Blake could.
She was very patient for someone their age, and she never really raised her voice to make herself or her opinions heard. She had a way with words that made you know just about everything she was feeling. But right, she felt different to be around. Like that normal, blank facade was put away.
Blake laughed loudly at that, her shoulders shaking as she tucked her arms against her chest, her eyes clenched shut as her voice rang out, bouncing off the three small walls that comprised their shelter.
"I don't get it, what's so funny?" Jaune asked curiously, his right eyebrow quirked slightly as he tilted his head.
Blake only laughed harder, much to Jaune's surprise. He didn't dislike it, though. Blake's laugh was like one in a million, it was warm and boisterous, which was a stark contrast to Blake normally, but he really liked that about her laugh. Truth was, Jaune couldn't stop smiling as he watched her shoulders shake as she gripped her abdomen, laughing as she went. He didn't know what it was, but he just wanted to hear more of it.
Of course, that soon came to an end as Blake wiped away droplets of water from the corners of her eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh so hard." He heard speak through shaky breaths, still letting out the occasional laugh as she tried to breathe.
There was irony in Jaune's words, ones that Blake hoped he would never recognize. That, and despite her very stoic demeanor, there were certainly times that Blake's temper had slipped on her. Why, she could think of several times in the past 24 hours that she had. Jaune had a very high regard for her, it seemed, and while she appreciated it, it was horribly misplaced.
And there was also the fact that she wasn't human, but that wasn't as funny to her.
Although, as Jaune stared at her, an easygoing smile resting on his face, he let out a hum. "I just wish I was in on the joke." He spoke in a carefree manner.
Blake's smile quickly turned to a smirk, her eyebrows shooting upwards as she stared at him, "I don't know, maybe it's best if you don't." He heard her say, her voice the most playful he'd ever heard it. Maybe the rain made her think differently. "After all, a girl's gotta keep some secrets."
Jaune snorted at that, "If only the wonderful Blake Belladonna wasn't so made up of secrets." He sarcastically remarked, running a hand through his hair for the sake of being dramatic. "Oh, but who am I but the lowly frontier boy, raised from nothing, to be among the oh so illustrious Lady Belladonna." He spoke in an over the top, faux posh accent, much to Blake's amusement.
Blake cleared her throat before placing her left wrist on her forehead, letting her hand dangle as she leaned on Jaune, "Oh, but this simple frontier boy who has done so much for his community must work twice as hard for the secrets of a lady. For if a woman is to let all men know her secrets, any chance of courtship is lost." Blake replied with her best refined voice as she could, and Jaune could barely hold back his laughter.
"Then I'll make sure to work for it." He spoke lowly, and in a way that made Blake feel a tingle run up her spine.
Although as Jaune looked down, a smile still plastered on his face, he'd be the first to admit that his eyes wandered. They drifted away from Blake's face, subconsciously drifting downwards. The sight itself very quickly left Jaune uncomfortable. He had forgotten they had both been wearing white.
Although, Jaune didn't think Blake would be one for purple lace.
Jaune quickly shook the thoughts from his mind, looking away from Blake and staring out of their makeshift shelter, the sight of a bright light flashing in the dark clouds. His ears were a deep red, and felt as though his face was far warmer than it had any right being.
Blake was confused by his reaction, had she done something wrong?
Although, before she could ask, she heard Jaune clear his throat as he placed his left hand along the back of his neck, "So uh, is it just me, or is it starting to get a little nip- cold! I uh, yeah, cold."
It took Blake a blink or two before it hit her as to why Jaune was being the way he was. She felt her face burn up as she crossed her arms over her chest, blankly staring into the side of his head as he looked away. "Yeah, it's really chilly." Blake spoke monotonously, and Jaune flinched as he realized just how much he messed up.
That entire friendly atmosphere that the two of them had been building over the past half hour? Yeah, that was gone, right up in smoke.
Although, as Jaune looked out of the bus stop shelter the two of them had been using, he was surprised to see a clothing store down the street, no more than a block away. How was it that neither of them had noticed it? Then again, they did spend the better half of the last hour talking about themselves to one another.
The sight of bright purple and pink neon lights flashing off of the sign that hung above the door intrigued Jaune. Jaune let out a hum as he slipped his left hand into his pocket, his funds feeling light in his hand as he brushed his thumb along the edges of the cards of Lien. If he had to guess, he had a little over 40 Lien left.
Hopefully he could find something cheap.
"I'll be right back." He muttered as he picked himself up off the ground before running out into the rain, the sound of water splashing beneath his sneakers as he rushed along the sidewalk.
Blake furrowed her eyebrows as she stuck her head out of her improvised shelter, "Where are you going?" She yelled out, the only response she got was the sound of water splashing as the rain poured down heavily. It really was raining cats and- Blake had to facepalm at her own thought.
She really needed to stop being around Yang so much.
She let out a breath as she leaned back against the thin wall that made up her rain cover, Jaune really was a special kind of idiot. She couldn't figure out what was going through his head half the time, and when she did know what was going on, it only upset her. Maybe it was a bad mesh of two different personalities, she thought. He did tend to get along better with someone like Ruby.
Blake toyed around with the idea, Jaune and Ruby? Yeah, she could imagine that being some kind of thing in the future. Well, that is, if Pyrrha wasn't gunning for Jaune first. She didn't know why, but she just had a feeling that Pyrrha wouldn't take that sort of thing lying down. Granted, she hadn't really seen her younger leader take interest in their Blond classmate, but there was just something that lingered in Blake's mind that figured it could happen, at some point or another.
Why was she thinking about Jaune's possible relationships? The obvious answer was that she was bored, or that she was trying to find ways of distracting her of how cold she really was. Or maybe she was just genuinely interested in Jaune's possible relations.
She did have to admit, it would be funny to see Jaune try to articulate his thoughts to a girl that wasn't her. Blake knew that there was absolutely, positively, no way that either of the two of them could ever get romantically interested in one another. Why, that would be like mixing oil and water. Or a cat and a full bathtub-
She really needed to stop being around Yang.
But going back to topic, Blake thought it would be funny to see Jaune flustered. Mostly because she wanted to see what would happen when that big, dopey smile got wiped from his face. Granted, she did see it, but she meant it in a more emotional environment. What happened just moments ago didn't count, it shouldn't have. After all, it's not like the scene had been all that emotionally stimulating.
Caught in the rain, in the middle of one of the largest cities the world has ever known, talking about their lives before training, and their goals for the future. And then her comforting Jaune when he just unraveled in front of her. Nope, absolutely nothing romantic there at all.
And if there, on the off chance, was something romantic there, she tried to ignore it.
"Oh no." She muttered to herself, her face heating even more than it had before. She really hoped Jaune would take his time before coming back, at least then she'd have a moment to compose herself. But that hope quickly died as she heard the sounds of rapid footsteps and water splashing. This was it, she thought, this was how she died. Of sheer embarrassment.
As the sounds of footsteps grew louder and louder, she watched as Jaune poked a head through the opening, a shaky smile plastered onto his face, "Hey, so I managed to get some stuff for pretty cheap." He spoke as he walked into their makeshift shelter, "The bad news is that I'm flat broke. Oh, and the bus won't be coming too, I guess."
Blake leaned forward, her eyes bulging from their sockets, "What, why?" She yelled out, and it was Jaune's turn to have his ears ring.
He flinched slightly as his ears finished ringing, "The lady at the desk said that the storm wasn't going to let up, and the city doesn't think Public Transportation will make it through." He said as he took a seat next to Blake, a large white plastic bag being held in his hand.
She let a sigh as she let her head fall, "So, that's it? We're stuck here until the rain lets up?" She quietly asked.
Jaune only laughed at her resignation, much to her confusion, along with some annoyance. "Not exactly," he said as a genuine smile crawled onto his face, and as he reached into the bag, he pulled out an umbrella. "I'm sure we could walk back to Beacon. It'll take a while, sure. But hey, at least you won't be alone, right?" She heard him ask.
A few hundred thoughts bounced around Blake's mind, most of them sharing one very similar theme. Her and Jaune under an umbrella, walking for miles under the sound of heavy rain as she had to cling to him in the hopes of not getting wet again.
She would rather walk back to Beacon in the cold and alone.
Blake let out a long 'uh' as she stared at the umbrella, "I don't know, Jaune. Maybe we should just stay here? At least then we won't get caught in the wind." Blake hoped to appeal to Jaune's sense of logic, if only to avoid whatever horrible things her mind could conjure.
But instead of seeing Jaune's expression change to one that would indicate thought, his smile grew wider, a twinkle in his eye shining brighter, "Ah, but that's why I bought…" He spoke slowly as he dug through the bag before pulling out… two hoodies? "These!"
In his hands were a pair of matching grey hoodies, one a fair size larger than the other, but still. As Blake looked at the hoodies, then back at Jaune, she quirked an eyebrow, to which he laughed. "They had a sale on matching hoodies." He calmly explained.
But Blake had one last card, her ace in the hole. She just really didn't want to play it. She felt her face flush once more as she looked away, "There isn't anywhere for us to change." She spoke quietly, not even bothering to mask her embarrassment. She didn't want to say it, why did he make her say it!
Blake wanted to die. She wanted to crawl into a hole in the middle of nowhere and die.
Jaune felt a bit of blood rush to his face, but he cleared his throat and pushed past it, "Well, that's why I bought this." He muttered as he pulled out… a towel.
Blake gave up.
She let out a deep sigh as a shadow casted over her eyes, "Fine, give me the hoodie." She quietly spoke as she stretched out a hand.
This was a victory for Jaune in a way, because once she put on that hoodie, things wouldn't be… weird around both of them. Both of them wearing white clothes had made Jaune feel extremely uncomfortable, especially because of how Blake's clothes had clung to her shapely form and how- he was going to stop thinking right there. God, what was wrong with him today?
Jaune was trying so hard to be the bigger person, but man was it difficult when he was in the last parts of his teenage years, and when his hormones were through the roof. So, he figured that if Blake wore something that covered everything up, all of the weird thoughts about his friend would go away, right? At least, he hoped.
He was going to have a rough night tonight, wasn't he? He hoped not, because he'd like to sleep without thinking of his friend in a weird way.
Although, as Blake held the hoodie in her hand, she looked back up at him with her normal, deadpan expression, "Jaune, I'm quickly going to make something abundantly clear."
"Okay?"
"For every glance you take at me while I'm changing is an extra life you lose." Blake's voice came out cold, and a chill ran up his back as he looked her in her very serious eyes, which were narrow and lifeless.
Jaune wanted to say how he only had one life, but he didn't want to throw the only one he had away. As far as Jaune knew, silence was the best response.
With that, Jaune opened the towel and turned his back to Blake, using the towel as a means to cover the only opening to the bus stop.
Although, as Jaune held the towel, he could hear the sound of clothes dropping and crumpling behind him, to which he instinctively swallowed a knot forming in his throat. He wasn't going to look back, he knew that much, but wow was his poor teenage brain going the speed of light right now.
And all of that was happening because he knew that Blake was most likely wearing little to nothing behind him. He didn't like that thought, or how intrusive it was. It left him standing in front of her as tense as… well, something tense. He didn't know, that wasn't not something his mind dwelled on! That fact alone made Jaune really reconsider everything that Blake said moments ago.
Truth of the matter was that Blake wasn't actually all that bare behind him. She quickly took her top off and exchanged it for the hoodie and put it on before anyone actually had a chance to see anything, which was nice. She then took a pair of baggy tracksuit pants from the back and threw those on, the hoodie covering enough so that she didn't feel exposed while she changed. The hoodie was also very warm, which was a welcomed change. The sleeves were a little long though, but she could bear with it.
And so, she left her wet clothes on the concrete for the time before tapping Jaune on the shoulder. "Alright," she started, her voice even and calm, "I'm done. You can turn around now." He heard her say, which did wonders for Jaune's rapidly beating heart.
He was just glad that was over.
Although, as he turned around, letting the towel crumple beneath him as he let his grip slip, he saw Blake wearing the baggy grey hoodie he got her, which fit her far nicer than he'd like to admit. It was baggy enough that things didn't pop, but not nearly baggy enough to hide Blake's figure. It was just sort of cute.
Jaune mentally slapped himself, he really needed to get a hold of himself. It didn't matter if she was cute, at the end of the day, she was still Blake. When all was said and done, they were both still just the means to an end for one another, and while Jaune certainly may have appreciated Blake's company, any sort of strange thoughts needed to go.
Besides, even if he did develop any weird thoughts or feelings, they'd never get reciprocated, right? So what was the point in setting himself up for failure? He already did that with Weiss as it were, and the only reason he did that was because it just became part of his routine. Well, that and because he'd at least wish he had a chance.
Jaune discreetly shook himself from his thoughts as he looked at Blake, a smile stretched across his face, "Hey, that's a good look for you." He said as he gave her a point, and he meant it too. Then again, maybe Blake just looked good in everything?
He watched as her eyebrows shot upwards as she looked down at herself, holding her arms out in front of her as she inspected herself as best she could. "Well," she started, truth was that she really didn't like the look, it was comfortable, yeah, but it didn't really work on Blake. But as she looked into Jaune's eyes, a strange joy in them that no con man or serial liar could replicate, she couldn't bring herself to express those thoughts. "At least it's warm." She let a hint of mirth slip into her voice before back into her normal monotony.
Jaune smiled a little harder as he heard her response, "I'm glad you like it," he started, now there was only one more thing left to do. As he picked the crumpled up towel off the concrete, he held it out in front of him, "Now it's your turn."
As Blake looked at the towel, she let out a sigh. She knew why Jaune needed to be obscured, she did, she just wished that she wasn't the one that had to do it. Granted, Blake was being a hypocrite, and she knew that, and promptly ignored it.
Blake took the towel from Jaune and stepped past him, holding it out so that the entrance was obscured.
Jaune didn't waste any time tearing the wet shirt from his back, mostly because of how uncomfortable it left him. After that, he quickly threw the grey hoodie over his bare chest before swapping his blue jeans out for the black tracksuit pants he bought himself. That cold feeling that Jaune had felt for the greater half of an hour was replaced by one of comfort. If only he'd seen that store earlier.
After quickly patting himself down, along with taking his possessions from the pockets of his jeans, placing them in his new tracksuit pants, he gave Blake a quick pat on the shoulder. "Alright, I'm good now."
In response, Blake only folded the towel and set it down next to the wall to her left before stepping deeper into their impromptu shelter. "Okay," she started, turning to look at Jaune, who was now wearing the exact same clothes as she was. He looked good, she thought, but it wasn't exactly anything new for her to see. The only difference in Jaune's style of dress now, in contrast to his normal style, was the tracksuit pants. "So, what now?" She asked.
Jaune's only answer was him picking the umbrella out from the white plastic bag, shaking it slightly as a smile rested on his face. "You want to go for a walk in the rain?" He sarcastically asked, which only got an eye roll from her.
Blake let out a sigh as she used her left hand to gesture towards the opening, "After you."
He let out a breath as he made his way over to the opening of the bus stop, pointing the umbrella outwards before opening it, the sound of the rain tapping the fabric of the umbrella adding a final piece to the symphony that was the downpour.
With that, he stepped outside, holding the umbrella tightly in his hand. After a moment of standing under the umbrella, he looked around the streets, which were just as devoid of life as they had been an hour ago. But as he looked back into the bus stop, he used his left hand to wave Blake in, "Come on out, it's nice and dry."
Blake really didn't want to get under the umbrella with Jaune. There was just this weird, tight feeling in her chest that urged her not to do it. That, and both of their clothes were still on the floor. She made use of the time that she had to throw both of their clothes, along with the towel, into the white bag before picking it up. Afterwards, she then the smaller, black plastic bag and gently placed it atop their wet clothes. Their books were surrounded by plastic, she thought, so there was little point in fearing they'd get wet.
Blake let out a sigh as she picked up the white plastic bag before stepping out of her shelter and under the umbrella with Jaune. That horrible, tight feeling in her chest just kept growing tighter. Something had to be wrong with her, there had to be.
Jaune couldn't help but smile a little wider as Blake stood next to him, the sound of the rain quietly thumping against the umbrella making him feel calm. "Welp, off we go." He muttered to himself as he started walking, Blake matching up with his pace.
As the two walked down the street, street lights emitting their orange hues along the sidewalks, he could hear Blake take a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Her face looked as even and unfeeling as always, despite how Blake actually was. Maybe she was taking in the sights?
He certainly wouldn't blame her, it was fairly nice. Large skyscrapers lined with even more windows, the sight of rain drops sliding down the glass could be seen from any angle, orange street lights lined their path as the sight of rain drops hitting small puddles along the street could be seen.
It was Jaune's turn to take a deep breath as they walked. He couldn't describe the feeling that he felt, all he knew was that it just felt… right. If that made any sense. Not that it really mattered, because if Jaune knew what it meant, then that's what counted. He could hear the sound of water lightly splashing beneath his footsteps as he walked shoulder to shoulder with Blake, but as he turned to look at Blake, he noticed she just looked off.
The way she walked next to him was the big tick. Her face was as neutral as ever, but the way she walked was stiff, almost mechanically so. Her arms were stiff, barely swinging by her sides as she took long, slow strides next to him, her hands clenched into fists. He really hoped she still wasn't mad at him for earlier, especially after the whole thing with his slip up.
Truth was, she had already moved past that. Well, somewhat. Her thoughts dwelled more on the fact that her and Jaune were standing a little too close. But if she wanted to create a gap between them, then all she'd accomplish would be getting her right shoulder wet. So, Blake did what she always did when she found herself uncomfortable, and grit her teeth and toughed it out.
It didn't help that her heart was beating too quickly, or that only moments ago, the two of them had been wearing what were essentially see through clothes. Or the fact that Blake's realization of just how off the whole situation felt. Caught in the rain with no one to get them, having conversations in full length about their lives, and then having that weird intimate moment, followed by an even more awkward moment. It went like clockwork, and Blake wasn't blind to it, but did she honestly wish she was. And that's not even mentioning what felt like the pièce de résistance for Blake.
To top all of it off, they were having a quiet walk along Vale's empty streets, their only company being the sound of the rain and the feeling of the wind brushing against the back of their heads. The only thing between them and the rain being little more than a normal sized umbrella, barely large enough for one person, let alone two.
If Blake had to put it in layman's terms, she would have to call it Beautiful in the worst way possible. At least, for her. What was between her and Jaune could just barely be called a friendship, since the two had known each other for little more than a week, their only incentive for being around one another being the fact that they were each other's way out.
When Blake had proposed the idea of using one another as the means to an end, she certainly hadn't expected anything like this. The most she expected was maybe hiding out in Jaune's dorm room, if only to duck out of being with her team for an afternoon. Now, don't let her be misunderstood, she loved her team, really she did. But there were just some days where they were too much.
And yet, there they both were, stuck in the rain after spending what felt like the entire afternoon with one another, walking the streets of Vale after buying a couple of books.
Blake felt like she should be taking notes, this could make a killer book.
Then again, that's where her problem stemmed from. For a relationship that was supposed to be very fake, things felt a little too real way too soon.
Although, as Blake was very deep in thought, the sound of thunder cracking through the sky rang out through the streets of Vale, the origin of said thunder was close, because it even had Jaune's ears ringing slightly. But as Jaune walked on, he felt Blake lean into him, her breathing quick and shallow.
What may have been a minor inconvenience for Jaune was deafening for Blake, the only thing she could hear was the sound of ringing as a pit formed in her stomach, and she could barely find her balance as she leaned on whatever was closest to her. Her stomach tossed and turned as a horrible bile touched the back of her throat, burning as it tried to crawl up her body.
"-okay?" She could hear Jaune's words, muffled as if he was screaming through several layers of thick concrete. But she felt an arm wrap around her, a hand lightly touching her right shoulder before giving her a quick shake.
Jaune had to push down that horrible feeling that began to grip at his heart, he didn't know where to begin. One second, he and Blake were walking quietly through the streets of Vale, and before he knew it, she was gripping onto his hoodie for dear life as she leaned on him, her breathing shallow and quick.
Jaune was a horrible liar, so he wasn't going to mince his words, he was worried. Is this why Blake was walking so stiffly moments ago? Was she having some sort of medical problem? But what if it wasn't medical? What if it had to do with some kind of mental trauma? Jaune would admit that he didn't know enough about Blake to be sure about any of them, but he knew that he would try to help in some way or another.
All he could do was pull her closer as he stopped walking, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. It's not like anyone was there to object to them just leaning on each other, so it didn't matter. And if there was, Jaune would have a few choice words in his mind.
As the ringing in Blake's ears slowly began to subside, she could barely hear the sound of a rhythmic drumming. It was loud, but slow, and as she leaned into whatever was supporting her, the loud ba-dumps brought her quick and shallow breathing down.
Jaune watched as Blake's chest slowly rose and fell, her eyes screwed shut and refusing to open. He gave her another quick shake as she leaned against him, "Blake? Are you okay?"
His voice managed to pierce through the horrible, high pitched whining sound that made up most of Blake's hearing ability, but she couldn't understand it, and only responded with an incoherent mumble as she blinked a few times, trying her hardest to regain her vision. But everything she saw made up a mix of grey and orange smears and blobs.
Jaune took the time to observe their surroundings, and further up the street was a plot of grass with a large tree growing. It looked dry enough, he thought, and it really looked like Blake needed the rest. So, he did what he thought was right, dragging Blake as best as he could without getting either of them too wet, holding the umbrella high as Blake's grip on his hoodie grew tighter.
It also didn't help that Blake had some fairly long nails. Sure, they didn't pierce his hoodie, but they were certainly uncomfortable, especially since they were digging into his chest. But he pushed aside the thought as he trudged down the street, ushering Blake as he went.
As the two finally got under the tree, Jaune set the umbrella down, figuring that it was dry enough. With that, he urged Blake to sit against the tree, lowering her until her back touched the bark. But she wouldn't let go of his hoodie, nor would she stop using him as support. Her face was contorted and tense, and she looked as though she was in horrible pain. He did the only thing he could think of that wouldn't worsen this scenario, and he sat down next to her, leaning against the brown bark.
It was uncomfortable for Blake, especially since she couldn't even see half of the things in front of her. But the only thing she could make out was a blob of grey, along with a little bit of beige and yellow, the sounds of the rain pitter pattering returning slowly. She felt groggy, as though she got hit in the face by a flashbang point blank. But at the same time, she also felt at ease, almost like she was leaning on a big pillow. Then again, for all she knew, she was leaning on a big pillow. After all, it's not like she could tell the difference right now.
The large, white plastic bag slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, not that it mattered since it was right next to her. But with her hand free, she rubbed her eyes as she pushed down that terrible, nauseous feeling once more. After a moment of letting her eyes adjust, she very clearly noticed that they were not at all in the place she'd heard the thunder. Her eyebrows furrowing as a crease formed between them, she went to shake her head, but felt something soft along the left side of her face.
She took a moment to blink before inching away from… whatever it was she was leaning on. As she sat herself upright, she felt herself begin to wobble slightly, "Woah, easy there. It's not a race, take it slow." She heard a soft voice speak quietly into her ear, the feeling of the warm air brushing against her left her sent goosebumps along her arms.
Not good.
As she felt her sense of balance slowly come back to her, taking slow, deep breaths as she went, she looked up and found herself staring into a pair of very familiar cobalt blue eyes. "How are you holding up?" She heard Jaune ask warmly, a small smile resting on his face.
Truth was, he was just happy to see his friend alert and oriented again. Had she been out for any longer, he might have ended up calling for an ambulance or something. Then again, with the weather being the way it was, he wasn't even sure if one would come if he called.
Blake took a moment to inch away from Jaune, his arm pulling away from her shoulder, not being to look him in the eye. "I'm fine," Blake spoke, putting her stoic facade back on display, her voice monotone and low. "Sorry, by the way."
Jaune couldn't help but quirk a brow in response, "Sorry for what?" He asked as he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his new hoodie.
"For blacking out, I guess." Blake fumbled her words, much to her own surprise, along with Jaune's. "I just- I'm not good with thunder." The way she hesitated to speak, in contrast to how her voice was monotone, almost brought Jaune to laugh. Almost.
Jaune let out an 'oh' as his eyebrows shot up, "I would've never guessed." She heard him say. In a way, him not being able to guess was a good thing. It meant that she had hidden her Faunus features well enough. Then again, having Jaune be the baseline to the average person's observational skills wasn't fair. To the average person, she meant.
Blake let out a hum as she looked out towards the street, "Yeah, well, keep it to yourself. It's not exactly something I wanted people to know." She muttered.
Jaune let out a breath through his nose, placing a hand on Blake's back, "Hey, my lips are sealed."
Blake couldn't help but let out a sigh as she stared ahead, watching the rain pour onto the city streets. What a mess, she thought. The entire trip had been one whole mess of awkward feelings and weird moments. It left Blake fatigued beyond belief.
But something kept gnawing at her conscience. Something she had to say.
"Hey?"
"Yeah?" She heard Jaune respond, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
She swallowed that weird knot that wanted to form along her trachea, "Thanks for looking out for me." She spoke calmly.
Jaune only smiled as he slinked an arm around her shoulder, giving her a light shake, "Hey, what are friends for?" She heard him rhetorically ask. "Besides, you would've done the same for me. At least, I think you would."
That was an interesting comment, Blake thought. Was Jaune being optimistic about how far Blake would actually go for him, or did he actually have that much faith in her? After all, it had only been a week, how much faith in her could he possibly have?
But even if she would or wouldn't, Blake was actually happy that Jaune had called her a friend. It wasn't like one of those silly moments in a book where a character's heart would jump out of their chest, it wasn't quite something so big. It was a serene feeling, one that brought her mind to a slow crawl, like she didn't have to overthink things. It was nice.
Blake couldn't help but laugh a little, even if she felt a dull ache begin to form in her forehead, a throbbing feeling beginning to take place behind her eyes. "Right, well I think it's about time we get back to walking, Jaune." Jaune heard Blake speak, her voice sounding warm and inviting to him.
"Do we have to?" Jaune started as he slumped against the tree, "It's dry here. Besides, it's not like we need to be at Beacon right now. We could just, you know, take it slow." Jaune suggested, eyebrows raised with a wide smile on his face, the sound of the rain tapping against concrete and asphalt accompanying his words.
She did have to admit, the spot beneath the tree was nice, and it did keep the dry. It wasn't cramped like the bus stop either. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. It was open, and they had plenty of room for movement if they needed it.
"Well," Blake drawled out, she wanted to say no, if only to end her time out, but the way Jaune looked at her, how his eyes shined as he expected her answer, leaning forward as he waited, she couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Fine. But not too long." She spoke, rolling her eyes as Jaune pumped a fist.
"Great!" He yelled out, not bothering to mask his joy. With his free hand, he reached past Blake's lap and pulled the white plastic bag closer to himself, drawing the smaller, black bag from it. From within the bag, he pulled out two of the same book, "I don't suppose you're in a reading mood?" He asked rhetorically, almost as though he knew what she'd say.
Blake quirked a brow at that before gesturing to the street in front of her, "Right here, under this tree, in the middle of Vale? Even though it's raining cats and dogs?" Blake didn't even bother to cringe at her own use of the figure of speech. "I don't see why not."
Jaune let out a chuckle as she took one of the two books from his hand, her hand lightly brushing against his own, but neither of them paid it any mind.
And so the two spent their time reading the new books they had both gotten, making use of funny voices from Jaune, along with a near expert narration from Blake to make what felt like an hour long reading session turn into a long running comedy show. They had to stop every once and a while to laugh at a scenario, or an improvised line or two, cracking jokes as they went.
Eventually though, their session came to an end, as all things do. The rain had eventually cleared up enough for them to properly walk back to Beacon, and walk back they did, joking and laughing the entire way.
Maybe Blake had been overthinking everything? Maybe Jaune had just gotten sucked into the moment? These were thoughts they both had as they walked back to Beacon's campus.
And I think that about covers everything. I hope that I've managed to follow up well on the last chapter, and successfully delivered something that was worth waiting for. Because let me tell you, this was something that had me a little stressed out about, always feeling like I butchered the pacing, or fucked up some tone, or whatever else I could be feeling.
But honestly, after a couple of re-reads, maybe a rehash or two, I think it feels pretty good. And that's what matters most to me.
Also, Jesus H. Christ, you fellas really did just blow this story up to 250-ish follows. Well I'll be damned. Thank you for all the continuous support, and I hope to continue entertaining and pleasing. Please follow, favorite, and review if it tickles your fancy. If it doesn't, no harm, no foul, I'll still be writing this until it's over or until I stop having fun, and you'll probably still be seeing this float around if you sort by Update Date. But it tends to help catch peoples' eyes if you follow and favorite, and I think it'd be neat if more people liked this.
But hey, no pressure. On you, or me.
Now then, a little encrypted message for my boys.
THUNGER BENIS :DDDDDDDDDDDDD
WELCOME TO THE BRUHZONE
BRUH
BRUH
"BRUH"
Praise be to T.D. And buy Leonid Afremov paintings. Seriously, they're really cool, look them up.
Now then, Buenas noches, y que tengas un buen sueño.