Wow, the reception to the last chapter was absolutely fantastic. I was absolutely blown away by it. Thank you to every single one of you for your reviews and support. It truly means the world to me and you all have no idea how great it was to read all those reviews. We're nearly 300 comments! And we've reached one thousand reviews! All of that is thanks to all of you who read this story. So really; thank you all so much for your support, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Lunar light pierced through thin, foggy glass, casting a gentle, silver shine along the edges of her features. Stars decorated abyssal skies, plentiful in their numbers. Neon lights hummed with feeble strength just outside. There were few people congesting the streets, odd considering the nightlife in Vale was active, It could likely be attributed to most being near the more popular areas of Vale.
She absentmindedly glanced at the worn clock which hung on the far end of the wall, one in the morning already. She hadn't thought that she would go to an ice cream shop in the middle of the night, then again, there were many things she didn't think would happen tonight. The thought made golden eyes drag across the rather small ice cream shop, and land on the turned side of Jaune Arc. He stood with a pensive expression on his features, as his eyes dragged across a worn menu. She could see the purple bruise she gave him still clear on his cheek, as well as the various smudges and blemishes across his body.
Her nails bit into her palms.
The past hour had been… a blur of events which meshed together into near incomprehension. After their… altercation, they didn't know what to do. To say goodbye and simply depart for bed felt… wrong. It didn't make sense after everything. There were many things that needed to be discussed, the fact that it was a Friday night meant that they had time. So when Jaune suddenly blurted out the suggestion that they head into Vale, she found herself accepting before she understood his question.
They caught the earliest bullhead to Vale, and he brought her to a rather standard ice cream shop, barren of any patrons. He led her to a booth near the far corner. Once there he then declared that he'd get her something to eat, and she found herself too tired to argue against it. Jaune was stubborn, this was something she'd known about him for months, yet she never realized just how truly stubborn he could be.
A silence would stretch in his absence, leaving the raven haired woman alone with her thoughts. She had done her best to prolong the inevitable- but she could ignore the hauntings of her own mind for only so long before it consumed her whole. Ignorance had led her to where she was now; rejecting what was clear and pretending that the truth was deception. She pretended that her will had not been shaken, she acted as though everything had remained the same, and she ignored what she felt for him.
Doing so nearly led to his death.
The hand which had nearly carved out his throat throbbed. She had been a hairs away from killing the one man she cared for. And for what? To bask in the temporary thrill of domination? To take away the only thing which had given her a shred of happiness all her life?
Happiness.
Months prior, the thought of such a thing was a foreign emotion. She felt thrill in defeating those weaker than her, she felt a sadistic glee in the fear within Roman's eyes every time she threatened him. The knowledge that she had the power to do anything, and that no one could lord over her. She was free to do as she wished, a wolf among cattle.
Yet that feeling of domination paled in comparison to anything with substance, to anything… more. A single day with Jaune made her feel far more joy than every hour of domination that she's ever felt. It was an attempt to rectify what was perhaps… pain.
The self-reflection felt odd. Awkward even. It was like burying her hand within a bag of needles in order to find the pin she was looking for. It caused a sense of malaise to ring through her, it was discomforting, and even held a tinge of irritation.
But it was necessary if she wished to move forward.
She wondered if she would regret her decision, if she would think back on it as soon as Jaune was out of her sight. Such a fear in the end was completely unfounded.
Now, what only remained was the fear of what would happen to them both.
Salem would not forgive her, she'd attack as soon as she realized what was going on, and if she retained any control over the Grimm within her arm? It was safe to say she would not live for very long at all. She had to get rid of it, to escape the curse placed within her.
That was far from the only worry which plagued her. If she wished to actually change things, the headmaster would need to learn the truth, and as would… Jaune.
He deserved to know the truth. The question was just how much would she tell him?
The reason she came to Beacon? Salem? The Madame? Her past?
She never told anyone of her past, much less in detail. Could she afford to share her weakness? To show her wounds which had never healed? Wounds which still bled?
She had been so occupied with her thoughts, that she somehow completely missed Jaune's entrance despite his heavy gait. The blond knight slid into the booth smoothly, a fragile smile on his features- despite the bruises which still decorated his face. He pushed forward a massive, red ice cream cup, with various scoops of different flavors settled within. There was… a lot of ice cream, the round scoops themselves bulged out of the cup and looked like they were ready to topple over.
She stared at the sugary item, and then at Jaune as though he'd grown a second head. When she did so, his smile merely grew wider. "I know you're a bit of a secret sweet tooth, so I got you some extra."
Her amber gaze narrowed at him. "No, I am not."
"Uh yeah, you are." He shot back while attempting to hide his smirk, something which he utterly failed at. "-Every time we've eaten out you always stare at the dessert menu, and when I ordered that cake during the 'Fall Festival', you ate it in like, two minutes. It was… kind of cute"
The heat which threatened to crawl up her neck was only matched by the murderous glare which took hold within her gaze. The intensity was enough to make Jaune suddenly still, release a nervous laugh, and slowly lower his head down to his own ice cream.
Idiot.
He was not… entirely wrong. The first time she'd ever had a sweet was when she stole a minuscule amount within the Glass Unicorn. She remembered adoring it at the time- however it was the last she ever had until after she escaped. Since then, she occasionally enjoyed indulging from time to time. Though, the cake she had at the festival was the first in years.
She raised the plastic spoon to her lips, taking in the foamy sweet. The taste of banana and strawberry swirled within her mouth divinely, spiking her endorphins immediately. The foreign pleasure caused her eyes to roll shut, and nearly caused a slight moan to leave her.
She opened her eyes to spot Jaune watching her with a smile, before immediately averting his gaze upon being caught.
She was too tired to threaten him, and went back to her ice cream.
Minutes would pass in silence, as the two distracted themselves with their own thoughts. They both knew they were ignoring the inevitable- and that soon enough they'd need to discuss what happened just an hour earlier.
She would need to speak up first. That much was obvious. She had forged her path, she couldn't afford to have any second thoughts now.
"Oh, Hey." He suddenly spoke up, snatching away her thoughts for the second time that night. "There's a new Spruce Willis movie that came out like, two days ago. Want to come watch it with me?"
She blinked, once, twice, and a third time. After several months of close proximity with her, he would dare ask such a foolish question as that? The annoyed glare she gave him seemed to convey this well enough, for he gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck shyly.
"H-heh… yeah figured you'd have that reaction. I guess I could always ask Pyrrha, since Ren wouldn't go and Nora would never go anywhere without Ren…"
Pyrrha? Her eyes narrowed upon the mention of the name. "Your partner, yes?"
"Huh? Oh yeah." He lowered his hand, returning it towards his spoon. "Pyrrha, my partner. We haven't gotten to do much together recently. Guess I should probably make it up to her…"
It was no secret that Nikos held affection for Jaune. It seemed as though the entirety of Beacon knew of this except for Jaune himself. Even she knew; Emerald had tentatively brought up the subject and offered the idea of using it against the 'champion' should they ever need to.
The girl would jump at the chance of course. Alone in a dark room with him, all eyes directed at the screen ahead. She could utilize the opportunity to press her shoulder against his, perhaps slide her hand over his own. Maybe she'd forget to buy a drink and have to share his.
She wasn't sure how to describe the feeling which came over her. Like a fiery shroud which burned fiercely around her body. A pit within her stomach which contorted into thick lead. She's felt this in the past, a bitter feeling which she detested, almost comparable to the hunger she once felt within her youth.
"I'll join you." She found herself saying before she could stop herself. Jaune blinked at her in surprise, the confusion which clung at his features mirroring the emotion she felt inside herself.
"Huh?" He asked in bewilderment.
"What? Do you not want me to come?" She fired back, unable to keep the defensiveness from her tone. She crossed her arms beneath her chest, stature prickly.
"No!" He hurriedly yelled, only to wince at the look the shop owner shot him. "N-no… not at all." He repeated, tone lower, yet still anxious. "I just… I figured you'd say no from how you looked at me when I asked, you know?"
"And so you decide to immediately switch to another when I haven't even given you an answer?" She bristled with a raised brow, earning her a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh as he palmed his face and leaned forward on the table.
"So this is how you always felt, dad…"
"What?"
"Nothing!" He deflected, pushing himself back into an upright position. "But sure, I'd love to have you come with me. I can't remember the last time I went to see a movie. It's just been non-stop training for the past few months."
"There's nothing wrong with training. Had you not trained as hard as you did then…" She paused, close to bringing up their fight that night, but thought better of it. "-then you would have fared far worse against the Grimm at Lungree."
"Well yeah, sure. But don't you ever do anything for… you know, fun?"
"I don't need-"
"Oh come on," He interrupted. "Everyone needs to have some entertainment from time to time. We'd go crazy without it."
She was about to respond with a retort of her own, but paused. It was foolish to say she outwardly went out and did things for… 'fun.' Evernight Castle was not a place made for entertainment, consisting mainly of training and… dealing with the castles other residents. Since arriving in Vale she's felt subtle pleasures, though this mainly consisted of sadistic joy in strength and some time alone enjoying a glass of wine.
She doubted he would accept that as an answer.
She thought back to any form of entertainment she's enjoyed in the past few months, the fall festival, the night within Vale, training with Jaune.
How was it that he was present in every one of those events?
Seemingly taking her lack of a response as an answer in of itself, the blond sighed and leaned back within his chair. "We really need to get you out more…"
"Are you claiming that I'm reclusive?"
"Uh… well, kind of? I mean, you don't really seem to hang out with a lot of people…"
"The children within Beacon aren't worth the effort." She dismissed. "They can't even speak to me without breaking eye contact. They're either weak or hormonal."
"Heh. Yeah I guess you're right about that." He chuckled, a subtle smile widening on his lips. "Does that mean I'm worth the effort?"
In response she simply stuck a spoon of ice cream into her mouth. He gave her a doleful look, which she simply ignored. What? Did he think that he didn't matter to her? She wouldn't have done what she did if he didn't.
"No, I simply use you for food."
"But I haven't even cooked anything…"
"Then I suppose I have no use for you."
A laugh escaped him, not an overly loud one. It was small, short, and comfortable. She couldn't help but give in to the twitch at the corner of her lips.
They finished their ice cream in silence after that, simply enjoying the quiet shop for what it was. Soon after, Jaune got up to pay, but she insisted they split it, he accepted begrudgingly.
The roads were dimly lit, with feeble streetlights as the only source of illuminance to the otherwise dark streets. Stores and shop fronts were closed, silence reigned the hollow streets unlike the bustling areas of downtown vale. It was rather chilly as well, but not enough to be uncomfortable.
It was a rare occurrence for Vale to be silent, all too often the screaming streets followed her no matter where she went. It was… an enjoyable occurrence.
They walked side by side within the silence, shoulders the briefest distance apart. The bullhead dock was nearby, soon they would return to Beacon, soon the night would be over.
She wasn't quite sure if she wanted it to end just yet. Despite the drowsiness she felt within her body… her mind was unable to rest. She wouldn't be able to get any sleep even if she truly desired it. It had been an eventful night, and perhaps she would never admit it, but she didn't wish to say goodbye to Jaune just yet.
She internally chastised herself. She sounded clingy, pathetic even. Was this what he would turn her into?
She gazed towards the swaying ocean waters, almost as though she expected that to hold the answer she was after. They swayed and danced with rhythmic movements, but they held no answers for her.
They strolled alongside the harbour, following the rusty emerald railing which went on endlessly. Cinder's steps were silent despite her heeled footwear, while Jaune's heavy gait produced soft beats along the cobblestone path. She found that it oddly calmed her, as did the sight of the night sky. Countless stars appeared to gleam brightly within the eternal blackness of the night, while the moon; shattered and broken as it were, did the same.
They did not speak, and yet they did not need to. She felt his knuckles gently brush against her own, and against her better judgment, their hands naturally weaved together. She heard him make a sound of surprise within the back of his throat, but was quick to gently squeeze her hand as well. She took note of how his hand felt within hers, his grip was strong and yet gentle, completely encompassing her own hand with its size.
"Stop smiling." She grunted.
"I'm not smiling…"
"I know you're smiling, Jaune," She retorted, but there was no venom within her voice despite her tone. "It's big, foolish, and makes you look far too proud of yourself."
He did not respond with words, instead he silently gave her hand a squeeze. The gesture earned him no response, but she had to fight off the slight curve to her lips.
They continued like this, venturing through the harbour with their hands joined. The night remained stoically silent, while a particularly cold gust of wind blew against their bodies. She heard him wince at her side, and could feel his shoulders shudder next to her own. As if on instinct; heat flooded her body in warm waves, and yet unlike the raging flames of wrathful infernos, this was… subdued, softer. Like a warm fireplace, or a shining candle in the dark. She felt him relax at her side, and like a moth to fire… he leaned in closer to her body.
"Thank you…" He mumbled sincerely.
It was an almost alien experience, using her semblance for more than just destruction. For years, all she did was burn, destroy. To use it for something as simple as keeping a man warm?
It was strange, yet… she couldn't say she disliked it.
A curse suddenly interrupted her line of thought, she turned to Jaune with an expectant look, only for her to feel his hand suddenly tighten around her own. She didn't have the time to question what he was doing before the blond ran forwards and yanked her along with him.
"Jaune!" She hissed out, a rare moment where she was caught off guard. "What is the meaning of this!?"
"There's no time!" He yelled back. "It's like, nearly three! We lost track of time! The bullheads close at… ack."
He suddenly halted, resulting in her smaller frame slamming against the back of his own. She considered throwing him into the ocean for his transgressions, but instead followed his line of sight.
They were at the bullhead docks. The very much so closed bullhead docks.
"Crap." He muttered under his breath, a groan leaving his lips as he dragged a hand across his face. "Dammit… this is my fault. I'm the one who's from here. Sorry about this…"
"What's done is done." She spoke, dismissing his apology. "We'll simply have to deal with it. Are there any hotels here?"
"Uh, yeah but-"
"Good." She cut him off, eyes burning into his own. "Lead the way."
/-/
Cream-coloured walls and a beige roof made up the interior of a medium sized hotel. A grand chandelier hung sturdily at the center, Illuminating the main room with an amber glimmer. The polish of the tawny-colored floorboards possessed a warm lustre, enhancing the amber glow of the chandeliers' radiance.
It was made to look beautiful, crafted from the ground up to amaze all who looked within. It was far from the best hotel in Vale- barely scratching four stars- but it was more than enough to attract attention. Yet like a gemstone earned from blood, the sight left a bitter taste within her mouth.
It reminded her far too much of the Glass Unicorn, of her former life. She supposed it was poetic that they would stay the night here, as though fate itself played her for a fool. She supposed it was her fault for suggesting it in the first place, perhaps she didn't think it would still effect her as it did.
She ignored her surroundings and followed Jaune, who was too awed to pick up the subtle shift within her eyes.
"Wow… I can't believe a place like this even exists outside of downtown… imagine what the hotels are like there!" He paused in front of a piano, and for a moment he looked like he was about to take a seat.
Her hand gripped his arm before he could. "We should book a room, Jaune."
Her words had the desired effect, a red hue formed along his cheeks as he nodded his head. "Right, uh… sorry. Let's go."
At the front desk, a white-haired old man stood. He wore a well-ironed beige suit, and upon seeing them approach, he gave them a tired smile and turned towards the computer at his side.
"Hello there, Miss, Mister. How can I help you?"
"We'd like a room," Jaune responded, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry about coming in so late… the bullheads closed and this was the closest place. Do you guys uh… still happen to do check in's?"
"It's no problem," He waved off. "We're a chain, affiliated with 'The Red Thread.' Most chains allow twenty-four hour check in's."
"T-that's great!" Jaune replied enthusiastically, while Cinder suppressed the need to roll her eyes. Had he never been to a hotel before? "Thanks, erm-" He paused, eyes lowering to the man's name tag. "-Samuel."
The man waved him off once more, though he wore a smile on his lips. "It's no problem. I just have a few questions…"
They gave the man all the information he needed, thankfully it wasn't overly long. She didn't wish to stand at the lobby for much longer.
"Now then, how many beds would you two like?"
"One." She spoke, earning a stunned gaze from Jaune. Did he truly never consider the cost? She had no worries financially, but he would still need to pay more even if they split it. "We would like one, thank you."
The man smiled and nodded, though this time the smile seemed much more… playful. The connotations were obvious, and she didn't care enough to correct him, while Jaune was seemingly still too shocked or shy to do so.
They paid and were given their room card soon after. He gave them a playful smile on their way out. "Have fun you kids, but please mind the neighbors."
Perhaps she was feeling sadistic, or maybe she just wished to see how Jaune would react. Whatever the case, Cinder stepped closer to Jaune, placing her hand at the small of his back, as though she were leading a dog by a leash. Turning her head to face the man; she gave him a rather sly smile, only enhanced by a playful wink. "You need not worry, we will."
She turned her head before he could respond, and led the sputtering mess that was Jaune Arc to the elevators.
He was always so easy to tease, it was odd how she missed it.
They arrived at their room soon after, it was a rather small thing, but ultimately well-kept. It looked like a rather standard hotel room, with ebony floorboards and a basil coloured couch off to the side. Through what was perhaps the most pressing thing within the room was the king sized bed; its size more than enough to fit two people.
She found that the room itself did not cause much of a stir within her. Perhaps it was because she had never gone into any of the guests rooms, and slept within a worn storage room. Whatever the case, it meant she could keep herself composed.
"Have you showered?" She asked, turning towards the rather nervous looking blond. "I managed to before we left Beacon."
"Uh, no." He replied with a shake of his head. "I was able to change without anyone waking up but I didn't want to shower and risk waking everyone up."
"Then go," She responded with a roll of her eyes, he was far too considerate for his own good. "You smell like a forest fire."
"Doesn't your semblance literally make ash?"
She scoffed, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "Yes, but that doesn't mean that I would like to sleep next to an ashtray."
Jaunes eyes widened while his cheeks burned a bright vermillion red. He turned away from her and stalked towards the bathroom without another word.
Soon after, the sounds of running water would emerge.
She laid back upon the bed, amber eyes staring absentmindedly into the roof. The only sound being the bathroom's running water and her own heartbeat.
She had been distracted before, Jaune was always exceedingly talented at distorting her thoughts. They were ignoring the inevitable, ignoring what happened a few hours prior.
Once again, the thought process of what she should tell him returned, and if she even could tell him.
Normally, the thought of disclosing even the smallest amounts of her past was unthinkable. It revealed a time when she was weak, a mere rat to be thrown and discarded.
Yet with Jaune, she felt no such qualms about telling him.
It shouldn't surprise her. He was the only man she cared for, the only person to ever truly care about her. He was prepared to give his life in order to change the course of hers. He was the reason she turned her back on the plan of domination.
In spite of that, it still surprised her. How deeply he had affected her. Just how deeply he had cemented himself within her.
She felt comfortable with him, an odd sensation of…safety. It was a ridiculous notion, despite being a huntsman-in-training, Jaune was still relatively weak physically in comparison to those around him. At the end of the day she was far stronger than he was.
Yet, she felt safe with him.
The confusion swam within her mind. It wasn't just safety and being comfortable. It was… so much more. Warmth, need, trust.
What was he to her? Could she even truly place it into words? She never truly had a… 'friend' before this. But from what she knew of the word she didn't think she could call Jaune a simple friend.
Her molten honeyed eyes raised from their downcast state, soon seeking out the bathroom door. He was hidden from view, and yet she could still imagine him clear as day within her mind. He had grown tremendously since their first meeting, in not only mentality but in body as well. It caused her to truly examine him within her mind. Were his eyes always such a deep shade of blue? Like a ciel coloured gemstone, or an ocean's depths. She took note of his other features; the sharpening of his jawline over the course of his training, the smoothness of his peach-coloured skin, and the softness of his lips. She pictured his hair; a flaxen gold which moved with each of his motions, like living sunlight. His shoulders had become broader, stronger. His arms thicker, his back wider. She wondered how he looked underneath the cascading waters of the showerhead, body bare, skin raw and wet.
She stopped herself before her mind could wander further.
No, Jaune was not just a friend.
She's… cared about others in the past to a degree. Yet the way she cared about him was… different, incomparable to previous emotions.
She thought back to their kiss, one at the cusp of midnight, and another just before the grimm invasion of Lungree. Both moments had been done unconsciously- she chose to ignore them and gave excuses as to why they were done, and yet now… when she thought back to the warmth which spread along her lips, the desire which churned and bottled at her chest.
It was far from accidental.
The sudden twisting of a doorknob and the opening of the shower door cut away her thoughts like a hot knife through butter. Jaune strolled out of the bathroom, blonde locks damp against his temple, cheeks flushed red. He wore the same clothes as before, bar his hoodie, leaving him in only a short sleeved shirt.
She had been so occupied with her thoughts that she hadn't even heard the water cease.
He smiled at her, running a hand through his hair. "Heh, guess you were right. That did feel pretty nice." He chuckled, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles. "Definitely feel better after that…"
"Jaune," she interrupted, a hint of finality within her tone. Acceptance in a way, of what she believed- knew- she felt. Of her knowledge that this would be the night everything changed.
Twin orbs of swirling cerulean raised to meet her own. They were nervous, considering her tone, perhaps even afraid.
She hoped he wasn't afraid of her.
"Mmmph?" He questioned, doing his best to sound casual. "What's up?"
"I…" She paused, hesitation worming its way within her, the knowledge that this would be her last chance to stop.
She stomped any trace of that feeling away.
"I wish... to tell you more about myself." She swallowed hard, picking away at the hem of her sleeve. "About my childhood, why I am... the way I am."
The effect her words had was immediate. Jaune made a sound somewhere between a choke and a gasp. In an instant his once curious, and worried eyes became laced with bewilderment.
"I… uh, are you… sure? I mean, you don't have to Cinder." He emphasized. "I know you probably feel bad, and yeah I guess I am curious about everything… but I know how guarded you are about things and-"
"I am very certain, Jaune." She suddenly cut him off, words firm. "This is something you deserve to know, something you need to know."
She stared hard into his eyes, searching for any emotion which told her to stop. Deep pools of eternal sapphire merely stared back at her, open, without judgment, with warmth. She often wondered how he could always look like that, yet she remained unaware that her eyes often reflected the same emotions when she gazed towards him.
"Well… alright." He suddenly spoke, lips spreading into a reassuring smile. He took a seat upon the bed, a comfortable distance between them. "You can begin whenever you're ready, Cinder. Take your time."
A heavy breath departed from her lips, while a thick chill ran across her spine; as though someone had placed solid ice against her neck and dragged it down her back. She swallowed the lump at her throat, pushing away any nervousness which clouded her mind. The feelings of uncertainty and nervousness were emotions she despised, they were familiar to her despite the power she possessed.
It was time to set herself free.
She sat up, hands settling upon her lap. She was nervous, deathly so. She hated it, but she was close to doing what she should have done a long time ago.
"I do not remember my mother or father. My earliest memories were within an orphanage." She began, words shockingly calm. "I was told my mother was a whore and my father a criminal or huntsman. Despite this, I don't know if any of those things are true, I have no knowledge of either of my parents."
The sympathy within his eyes was palpable, but not pity. He seemed to know she would take offence to such a thing.
"The orphanage was not an enjoyable experience. I was disliked by the other children, I was angry and constantly got into altercations with them. The orphan keeper did not like me either, he was a… disciplinary man. His methods were not the kindest."
Her memories of the orphanage were scarce, but they began the tale of what was ultimately her fall.
"At the age of twelve, I was adopted by a woman. I cannot remember her name… however I was to call her Madame." She paused, a breath exhale leaving her lips. "From that day onwards, I became a slave."
Jaune's eyes widened.
The dam was broken, and the words left her lips like a flood soon after. She spoke of her starvation, she spoke of her beatings, the collar which binded her will and made her a submissive pest. She spoke of the years she suffered, she spoke of her hatred, her anger, her bloodlust, and her weakness.
She spoke of Rhodes, the hope that was given to her like a candle in the darkness, and how that fragile fire was snuffed away.
She spoke of the first person she killed.
The daughters, and the mother, and Rhodes.
Her fingers had coiled around the hem of her dress, nails biting into cloth and cutting into skin. Her knuckles throbbed, her hands twitched. The once calm and emotionless demeanor she held whilst she recounted her story gradually crumbled. She felt hatred coil like a dense ball within her core, knotting and tightening like a spring. She felt the nervousness, the sadness, the desperation. She was drowning.
She wanted it all gone.
"Y-you don't have to continue," A weak voice choked out, it took her far too long to realize it was Jaune. "I… I know this is hard Cinder, this is… gods…"
"No," she spoke, shaking her head past the clouds which had formed. "I can continue, I must."
Forcing away the emotion, she continued.
"After Rhodes attempted to arrest me, and his… his death. I left, for six months I wandered Atlas. Eventually I managed to stow away on a ship, I ended up in… mistral. From there I met another woman, she trained me to be stronger, to not be weak."
A truth mixed in with a lie, she could not tell him about Salem just yet. If he would even accept her after this.
She was a killer, after all. A monster.
"In all the days I have lived… not one good thing has happened to me." She raised her head, amber eyes finally landing on Jaune's face for the first time since she had begun speaking. His brows were knit firmly, blue eyes a dark, indescribable wave. His face was a clash between emotions, all emotions she couldn't read. "That is… until I met you."
She caught the widening of his eyes, and the pained expression which overtook him.
"You are the first good thing that has ever happened to me."
Silence filled the air, a thick tension too deep to cut. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, and yet it felt as though it were an eternity. In that stillness, in that void, every fear she held began to push forth. He now hated her, he now saw her as a monster, a beast. He would look at her with contempt.
The sound of shattering glass burst through the noiselessness, like a tidal wave within a pond. Her eyes snapped towards the origin of the sound, a broken vase and a TV controller told her all that she needed to.
Jaune was standing, his face as red as a maiden's flame, body pacing in frustrated steps, fingers coiled into tight fists at his side. The emotion on his face was unmistakable.
Pure rage.
"What the fuck?!" He roared, a thick vein popping at his temple. He waved a hand in front of him as though he was trying to clear out smoke. "That… that's ridiculous!" He shouted. "Wrong!"
The fear which clouded her took hold, wrapping around her heart with a vice-like grip. Every breath she took sent a wave of pain throughout her body, like a blade digging into her lung with every shudder.
She shouldn't have expected him to care for a monster.
"How could he do something like that to you? How could any of them!?"
Pain would be substituted for confusion. She raised her lowered head, shocked eyes meeting the enraged face of Jaune Arc. He stood with his chest heaving, face red with anger, shoulders and figure entirely chest. Yet all that rage… didn't seem to be directed at her.
"What the fuck is wrong with Atlas? How was she able to even do this in front of so many people with no one caring? The only person who tried to do something just… just turned on you!" He shook his head angrily. "He knew what she was doing… What did he expect you to do? Just… take the abuse, let her take away your whole future? She was treating you like an animal, Cinder." He dropped his head, jaw clenched tightly. "I'm… I'm so sorry that happened to you."
What…?
She had expected him to understand her pain, but still condemned the actions she took. She took away a life, three lives to be exact. She was the one to slaughter the Madame and her daughters, she killed a professional huntsman.
It was the first step she took to becoming what she was, her first act of darkness.
So why did he not blame her?
"I don't understand," She spoke up, voice barely above a whisper. "I killed them. Why aren't you condemning me?"
He sighed, anger slowly dissipating in the face of her question. "Look, I… killing them wasn't the right thing to do, I get that, especially Rhodes. I won't pretend that it was the right thing to do. But… I can't get upset at you for something like this, she enslaved you Cinder." He spat the word out like a curse, features contorting with disgust. "-She abused you for years, all without a single person stepping up to do anything. You weren't even a teenager when she took you in. So for years you were starved, hurt, abused and nobody… did anything. And finally- when someone tries to do anything to help… they do it in the worst possible way. Rhodes taught an abused child how to fight and then got surprised when you lashed out. Then he just… attacked you. Why would he even do something like that?"
The shock hadn't worn off by the time he had asked her his question. The fears she had weren't just wrong, they were foolish.
He did not think her a monster, at least… not yet.
"I don't know why." She answered truthfully, eyes downcast. "For years I thought about it." As much as she hated doing so. "I believe that Rhodes was a man focused on the law above all else. Whether the law was flawed or proper… he always believed it to be what all should follow. He aided my dreams to leave- but never aided me in leaving directly. He condemned the Madame, but never lifted a hand against her." Cinder paused, lips pursing in what looked to be frustration. "I don't think he wished to kill me, likely only to put me through trial."
"Like that would've done anything." He retorted. "She owned a fancy five star hotel and was pretty influential within the area. If she managed to abuse you for years without anyone doing anything, did he really think that you'd get a fair trial?" He asked rhetorically. "I won't pretend I know anything about the law but… I don't think they'd give you a second look. To them you'd be a misguided orphan kid who killed an upstanding woman and her innocent daughters." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Rhodes would've left you to rot."
It was too much.
It was all… too much.
It was the first time she'd ever disclosed with another her truth, her life. She pushed away her doubts and readied herself to kill the only connection she'd ever been given. She closed her eyes and bared her skin, she was bleeding out, but rather than tear at her wounds, he offered to let them heal.
Her fingers fisted at the hem of her clothing. Her head pulled forward, gaze piercing her lap, vision slowly becoming blurred.
The emotion which welled up inside her was indescribable. It was sorrowful yet filled with raw relief, confused and yet elated. She readied herself to be discarded, and was shocked in being embraced. She could feel the fire which burned hotly within her core, and yet that was overshadowed when he looked at her; eyes bottomlessley blue, filled with genuine warmth, filled with emotions she couldn't yet describe.
Eyes like amber gemstones glistened with moisture in the light. Thick, wet tears formed at the corners of her eyes. They did not descend quickly like a waterfall, but instead dragged down her cheeks like a leaky faucet. She could taste the saltiness in her mouth, feel her eyes burn. Her shoulders shook, her breath hitched with raspy breaths, and her chest ached.
She had forgotten what crying felt like. It burned her eyes and made her nostrils feel tingly. It was like a broken dam, a release of anguish. Humiliating yet cathartic.
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her against his strong chest. She shook against his frame but made no move to pull away. He was like a rock, hard, unmoving. No matter what she threw at him, he endured.
She did not deserve his kindness, not when she had come so close to snatching away his life. She did not deserve his care, not when she planned to attack Beacon and take away everything he cared for.
"I'm not good for you, Jaune." She gasped out, words steady despite her tears. She wouldn't let herself fall that far. She needed to keep at least some of her pride intact. "I'm not worth all of this."
"You don't know your worth." He whispered right back, words gracing her ears, breath meeting the nape of her neck.
"A huntsman should not sympathize with a killer."
She could feel him shake his head against her. "You're more than your past." He spoke, voice firm. "You can save, I know you can. I've seen you do it, you saved me, you helped save all those people."
"You don't know what I've done."
"I don't, but I have faith in what you can do, in what I've seen you do."
He was insane, that was the only thing she could come up with to explain any of this. No one else would have gone this far, no one has fought this hard, Rhodes didn't.
Not even she fought this hard for herself. Instead she hurt others, for it was better than being the one who was getting hurt. She burned and claimed that domination was all she wanted.
"Why…?" She couldn't help but ask. "Why are you doing this?"
He didn't respond, not for several seconds. But she felt him shift behind her, strong hands angling her body to sit sideways in comparison to his own. She could look at him now if she turned her head. At this distance she could smell his scent, she could count every individual hair of his eyelashes. She was sure he could feel every ragged breath that left her lips brushing his cheeks, see the moisture which clung to her skin.
The expression he wore was conflicted, and yet it only grew in worry once he saw how her own pathetic face looked. He gave her a small smile, a reassuring smile, one that told her everything was going to be okay. He raised his hand to her face, fingers brushing away the teardrops which still clung to her skin, caressing her cheeks with a gentle touch.
"Honestly? For a while I didn't know." He admitted with a light laugh, a laugh which graced her eardrums like a soft harmony. "I mean… for a while I guess I just did it because I thought that you just… needed a friend. Because it was what a huntsman should do, but…" He paused, the smallest sigh leaving him. "For the last month or so… I guess there's been more to it."
"I don't understand," She breathed out. "What do you mean?"
The conflict within his eyes only grew, like a great storm crackling across the sky. His brow furrowed and his lips pursed in what looked to be thought.
"I guess… I should just show you."
She was going to ask him what he meant, but when she tried, her lips did not move.
For they were too occupied with something else.
Her first thought was… softness. She felt like she was being swallowed by a thick cloud, or being embraced by irresistible heat. She sat there, amber eyes wide, and with warmth rolling from her chest and descending down her stomach like a rolling wave of fire. She could hear her heart pound within her ears, reverberating like a tolling bell, shaking her entire constitution with every ring.
His lips were pressed against her own.
They had graced her lips in the past, been embraced by her own with burning vigour.
And yet… it had never felt like this before.
His mouth was soft, strong, wet. He claimed her mouth with needy desire and yet a gentle touch, as though he was trying to comfort her through the use of his addictive lips. His hands had cupped her face, fingers gently caressing her skin, sending cold shivers across her cheeks and an electric feeling of pleasure across her scalp. He was so close, his hypnotic scent invaded her nostrils, his every touch set her skin aflame like a match on wood. He parted his lips, and took her bottom lip within his mouth like he was welcoming a guest. And despite how gentle the movement was, she felt as though she had been struck by a wave, one which silenced every thought that had been on her mind. She could only focus on how soft he felt against her, how his sheer presence overwhelmed her senses.
It was a declaration, a wordless one which showed her how he felt without the need to announce it freely. The realization made her melt against him, for she realized that what she felt was returned. That the feelings he had slowly caused her to feel were not the foolish ramblings of a weak girl.
And that she had a declaration of her own.
She arched against him, mouth hungry and unwilling to let him set the pace. She ignored the surprised sound he made, and instead allowed her hand to snake behind his body, fingers grabbing fistfuls of his flaxen locks. She needed to pull him closer, pull him further.
Her teeth sunk into his bottom lip, earning her a startled gasp somewhere between surprise, pleasure, and pain.
It only beckoned her forwards.
Her hand met his chest, she pushed against him and toppled his body over, pinning him firmly against the bed. Her hands roamed his upper body, nails dragging across his collar bone, fingers framing the hard lines of his frame. He made a sound against her lips, and it only caused the heat which burned in her core to burn hotter.
Their lips separated, heaving breaths mingling together. She caught sight of his blue eyes, they were dark like an ocean's depths; dark, filled with desire.
She was sure her eyes mirrored his own.
He tried to speak but she silenced him with another passionate kiss, her body dragging across his. Their mouths moved in unison, a wordless declaration, and a wordless acceptance.
"H-how long?" He gasped once their mouths separated, his eyes a clear mixture of giddy joy and lustful need.
"Too long." She snarled, frustration at their separation evident. Her hand caressed his face. "I was a fool."
Jaune grinned up at her. "Maybe a littl-ow!"
She smirked at the red lines which ran down his collar bone. "You speak as though you did not take equally as long."
The smile he returned was infectious. "Yeah, I guess I am a little dumb."
She couldn't help but bask in the warmth which spread across her body, to enjoy his presence against her own. It was not a permanent solution; they would need to speak more of her past, and one day soon… she would need to tell him of the full truth, of Salem, and of who she truly was, or used to be
To tell him now would mean that he may place himself in danger, that the reckless fool would try to stop her from doing what she would have to do. The headmaster would need to learn of her involvement, and with half of the maiden power within her… she did not favor her chances of surviving.
A strong hand on her cheek pulled her away from thoughts of witches and death, of wizards and destiny. She gazed down at Jaune, who laid there with a worried expression on his features.
"Is everything okay?" He asked. "You looked a little… out of it."
She took his hand in her own, pulling it away from her face.
"Yes," She smiled. "Everything is perfect."
She lowered his body back down to his own, where his warmth would calm her mind, where the beating of his heart would sing her to slumber
Everything was perfect.
Well well, after 17 chapters and 100k words, they're officially together. I'm happy to have finally reached this milestone, and it's because of all of you, so thank you again to all of this.
I'm probably going to get questions about how much cinder told him and how important it was. No, she did not tell him about Salem, but that is for a very good reason.
For one, character wise it could've gone either way with her telling him or not. The reason in story is because of the fact that telling Jaune can easily result in him stopping her from what she plans on doing and because his life may easily be placed in great danger if he's reckless with the information. While MY reasoning is because it would've been a bad decision writing wise.
Besides the fact that simply telling him NOW of all times would greatly undermine everything that happened before, it would also result in simply too much happening too soon. Yes, Jaune WILL learn of Cinder' original plans, but doing so now would result in things simply bad for the story. Besides that, it would've completely swallowed the narrative. This is a Romance story and a character study of Cinder first and foremost, with action as a secondary thing as a simple byproduct of the story. RWBY currently struggles because of the fact that the plot of 'oh no Salem! Oh no Salem!' Completely eats away at everything and makes character interactions hard to properly do when everyone is focused on impending doom. Every Jaune/cinder interaction from this point onwards would have been affected by cinder telling him of her original plans, and that's something I simply don't want to do (yet).
Now, in regards to cinders backstory and jaunes reaction. I was rather conflicted with this. On one hand, Cinder did kill three people and confessed to it. On the other hand, Cinder killed someone who was effectively a slave master who abused her throughout her childhood, and who she had to kill to escape. and Rhodes- a man who was complacent with this and was going to likely place her through trial. Does anyone REALLY think cinder would've gotten a fair trial? In ATLAS? If the system there is so messed up that someone is able to blatantly own another person, then imagine what the Justice system would've done to cinder? She would've had the book thrown at her. Especially considering the Madame is seemingly influential enough.
Jaune understood this well enough, and besides that; he's dabbled in breaking the law in the past. We see him freely suggest stealing an atlas airship and he even used illegal means to get into beacon. Obviously I doubt he'd ever murder someone in cold blood while in character, but I doubt that he would be immensely up in arms if someone had to kill in order to get freedom. Especially considering he is bias- Jaune has very strong feelings for cinder, it's going to naturally make him more inclined to understand her reasonings. It's why he's so angry- a person who he cares so much about suffered this much.
Besides that, I blame CRWBY for making Rhodes this big of a doofus. I tried to give him reasoning and logistics for why he is the way he is- and I think it came out okay.
Wow this was a big AN, sorry for rambling lol. But the chapter itself is still 8k words even without it, so I hope you all enjoyed reading it.
I hope you all have a pleasant Saturday,
That's all, folks.