Good to see everyone here again so soon. I say that because of how much this story has kept me motivated. And seeing it become my 2nd most popular story I've ever written is pretty humbling. I'm doing my best to keep a steady pace, and this chapter is specifically for that. So is the break between school. Allowing for some quality time and progression. We'll see more effects of Cinder's capture after, so lulls in action and such are going to be at a low until then.
As always, thanks for reading. Don't be afraid to leave a review for any reason, I thrive off of them.
CHAPTER 4 - Healing for a Price
It was the final day of exams for Jaune, now a good two months of taking care of Cinder had elapsed for him. Even with the promise of information seemingly long gone in the face of content with her situation, not that Jaune would complain about her willingness to cooperate, he was still determined to get any sort of info before they left in a couple days. Ozpin had said that they were fine, and that might be so on the surface, but Jaune had a feeling from the eyes on his back he felt in passing from the Professor that, in fact, it was not so.
Jaune had been thinking nonstop about a lot of things since he brought Ruby along with him. Surprisingly, not much about how well they got along, Cinder finding what seemed to be a long-lost little sister in her. Ruby had even gone through the lengths to acquire a card and similar privileges to Jaune to be able spend time in the room without having to bother Jaune to let her in. And after a stern discussion with Yang on the safety of her sister, and another one-on-one without him in the room with Cinder, Ruby had been visiting just as much as Jaune.
It was more about what they talked about, how it wasn't info about Cinder's previous job, that kept Jaune thinking. He was curious what Cinder had revealed that would give Ozpin such confidence in letting her roam. Whatever it was, he knew that to get something like the whereabouts of the dust warehouses or the like that he would have to give something of equal value. His trump card, that he was confident would literally trump anything in the right placement, would stay on the wayside. He knew it would likely be needed to completely turn Cinder to their side, for now it would do with gentle pokes and prods.
In this case, an exchange of potential. Jaune was confident, through his constant training with Pyrrha in the mornings, classes and practice with endurance in the afternoons, and more training with Cinder in the evenings, that it might work. He wouldn't be offering something concrete, but it might be enough to be given what he needs before he himself gives her his offer.
The door creaked as he opened it for the nth time, "Hey Cin, I'm coming in."
Cinder looked up from her book, covering if with her knees as she slid them up to her chest. "Ah, Jaune, I see you refuse to comb your hair as usual."
Jaune ruffled his hair in response to her comment, "Yeah, well you know, just trying to be the rebel of us two."
"Right, " Cinder snickered, "I cannot fathom how such a muscular man can look like such a pig."
Over the recent weeks, Cinder had taken to forming her usual retorts and threats into a sort of insult sandwich. Where Jaune was the butt of a flattering, borderline flirtatious comment, that would end with his confidence lower than he entered the room with. He had a sinking feeling it was whatever books she had been stuck to for the period of time, hoping it wasn't the books that Blake also read. The occasional tag along that Blake did with Ruby didn't help his purposeful ignorance.
"I know, it's unbecoming of a future hunter." Jaune plopped on the bed, near Cinder's feet, and rested his head against the wall. "So, I've got a proposition for you."
"Do tell. I'm sitting on the edge of my preverbal seat." Cinder rolled her eyes, he could tell mostly at her own joke.
Jaune shifted a bit closer, now resting essentially on her feet, reaching to run his fingers along the injured foot of Cinder. She let it be after a slight jerk at the foreign touch, though his touches lately hadn't been sparse. It had healed enough to allow her to walk, or really limp gracefully, around. The short distance to anything had given her positive relations with her predicament. But Jaune could tell, just with a bit of hope and effort, that he could change it.
"I still am looking for information about your group, whoever you were involved with." Jaune began, rubbing the glued together toes and noting how even her toenails had burnt off, leaving it like a mold for some movie actor had failed. "In exchange, and in confidence, I want to try to heal some more of you."
Cinder's eyes widened, her book slammed shut with a squeeze of her hand, "Those are your terms? No caveats, catches, nothing?"
"I only ask you reveal what you can first." Jaune replied.
"I see," Cinder hummed, "Well, I can't deny I would like to accept. Actually, I will. Shall we begin?"
Jaune grinned, smiling ear to ear at her response. "Great! Let's get started with this foot, or would you rather we start somewhere else? It'll just take a good amount of concentration and time, so get comfortable."
Cinder sighed, "It would be best that you start with the foot. Then I can kick you if you try anything funny."
"Well, I can promise you that as great as I'm sure I'll make them look. Your feet'll never be enough for me to try something funny." Jaune said, grabbing the subject of their conversation and placing it on his lap. He waited for Cinder to snuggle into her backrest of pillows until he moved it a bit more. "So, do you plan to hold up your side of the bargain?"
"Of course, I am attempting to practice this integrity shtick you have. It's effectively inconvenient." Cinder said. Jaune gestured for her to continue, popping the top to some healing cream he had grabbed from Ren and rubbing it on the wound. He would take whatever he could get, and that anything was some plant magic this time. Cinder paid no mind to his actions, or at least he tried not to notice the raise of her eyebrows and twitch of her foot as he spread the cream. "Anyways, yes, I would think I'm still quite knowledgeable on a few of the White Fang's hotspots."
"And that would be?" Jaune asked.
Cinder lightly kicked him with her free foot, "Patience. I swear, no class. Shipments are smuggled through the docks every thirteenth of the month, so do with that what you will."
"Anything else you're willing to give?" Jaune said as he typed notes on his scroll.
"Yes, there is." Cinder replied, grabbing the scroll from his hands. "Here, here, and here are the major dust houses. If you aren't a nimrod, you'll hit them at the same time. And if you're smart you'll get your Schnee friend to coordinate with her father and Ironwood. Alas, I'm not the one at the top any longer. So my instructions might fall on deaf ears."
Jaune smiled, "That's plenty of stuff. I appreciate it, and I'm sure that Professor Ozpin will too."
"More will come if you prove your worth Arc." Cinder stated.
He was pretty sure that meant 'I'll tell more when you prove that I can trust you more'. Like a reasonable eighty-seven percent sure.
There was no telling if his plan would work. And it was fueled off of the hope method. If it succeeded, with some real practice and carefulness, Jaune had a chance to fix the big things. Like scarring, functionality, and most importantly: Cinder's eye. If the clash of grey and fiery amber eyes that greeted him every time he entered the room were entrancing, he couldn't imagine what two piercing amber eyes would do to his willpower.
Jaune rubbed his hands together for good measure, "Okay, lets give this a go. Get real comfortable, I'm putting just about all my aura into this and I've got easily three times as much as the average hunter."
"Humble." Cinder giggled.
The process almost began, but Jaune realized a little late that it would be hindered. "Uh, Cinder? It's going to be a bit hard to work through the scars if you're wearing jeans, maybe put a pair of shorts on?"
Cinder blushed, no better way to describe what Jaune saw, "Yes, well, that might help. Allow me to change myself into something more accessible for you."
Nothing would look bad on Cinder, that was a simple fact Jaune knew. The jeans and sweatshirt she had donned for their current meeting took no beauty off. But, if any could be added, the black hotpants and crop top definitely awakened something in him.
Jaune cleared his throat, eyes darting around just about everywhere but Cinder. "Yeah, that'll do just fine."
It didn't take long for Jaune to get into focus once he put what was in front out of his mind, and well, back into it. His goal was Cinder, the small metallic clicks of the air conditioner and Cinder's light breathing in and out were his only company next to his thoughts. The flow of Aura around and in his body were envisioned in his mind's eye, and instead of concentrating his aura to harden in a specific spot, he established an output. It would funnel the aura in a concentrated spot, conglomerating Cinder's and his aura into a natural steroid infused aura boost of healing.
Most hunters and huntresses could focus their aura onto specific body parts, allowing for harder hits to them. Some, more advanced could expel it in short bursts, most common through their feet for inhuman speed. Jaune had looked for the past few weeks through these techniques, theorizing that, with his semblance, he could apply the same idea. A few failed attempts on himself, realizing he couldn't just try it on himself, Jaune knew that he wouldn't convince anyone on either of the teams to attempt first stage aura melding. So it left a trail by fire with his primary subject.
In the back of his mind, Jaune had a feeling since he had first saved Cinder that he would only ever be able to execute what he was trying with her and her alone. The puzzle pieces didn't fit otherwise. Cinder was literally ingrained in his aura, his fiber since their encounter. He could feel it as his golden aura entwined with her fire aura, the rainbow of colors that resulted wrapped around the whole foot of Cinder.
It was looking good, feeling good too. Jaune wasn't going to be complacent, and made the split decision to continue up the leg. Hearing no complaints from his counterpart, he slowed himself. There was no time to think about how smooth the unaffected skin was, the way his hand could wrap easily around her ankle, or the subconscious want to drag his hands up and down them. No, he was to focus on the healing, nothing else.
The theory was quickly turning into factual evidence, as the rugged parts of the leg turned smooth literally underneath his hands. It was working, not perfectly, but working nonetheless. A quick glance at his work could tell Jaune that many sessions would be needed, which meant more time with Cinder, and that in of itself didn't seem too bad. He looked up to Cinder and gave a big smile of encouragement, receiving a small smirk in reply.
Jaune made it to the knee, continuing to take his time and put as much effort as he could, pouring all his aura onto Cinder's body. Wait, all, as in everything. He had none left, and using all, past the red, usually resulted in one thing; passing out. Which he did, directly onto Cinder's chest.
It wasn't like Cinder didn't know that Jaune had no intention of faceplanting himself into her breasts. She was logical, and had it been anyone else they would have had worse burns then her. Yet with Jaune, it was like the warmth that had filled her from the healing was still there. It compelled her to rest her hand, running her fingers through it. The silkiness calmed her, and she sighed in content.
Cinder had asked herself, and Ruby, frequently why she had even arrived at this second chance. The first half of her life was spent being told she was no better than the scat dotting the side of the toilet bowl. The latter half had been filled with proving that her first half hadn't affected her the way it had, climbing her way to the inner circle of Salem to know full well that she controlled all the variables.
That had been false. She saw that nothing she had known was even close to what reality dictated. Did she deserve the situation she was in? Fed properly everyday, in no immediate danger, with legitimate aquai-friends, friends that cared. Cinder still could debate no on her question, but after the constant barrages of yes from the one lain on top of her she was starting to lean toward the same answer.
She smiled as she parted the blonde knight's hair with her uninjured hand, not noticing the door to her room slowly opening.
"Hey Cinder! I came to-"
Cinder snapped her head up, stopping her motions. It was Ruby, the snotball.
"Uh, I'll come back another time."
Ruby went to quickly close the door, but Cinder caught her attention with a few snaps of her fingers. "This stays between us, do you understand Ruby Rose?" Cinder gestured with parted fingers between her eyes and toward Ruby, flitting them back and forth. "Or they will never find your body, capiche?"
"Mhmm!" The scythe wielder rapidly shook her head up and down, sprinting out the door.
Any problems that could arise would be dealt with swiftly. In time of course, Cinder was busy enjoying her moment. And would for as long as she desired.
As I will always say, I appreciate the amount of traffic and support this story is receiving. Apologies for any mistakes that I have been producing, I tend to crank out these things past midnight and gloss over any red squiggles to check. I tend to shy away from any editors/beta readers because I am extremely bad about updating my stories on a time crunch. So, for some stories I've written it's been a literal year between multiple chapters which isn't fair to them. So auto correct and edit will have to be acceptable for now.
Some of you might be wondering why Cinder is so quick to trust, late to act so sinister like she does in the show. As I've shown before, and stated a bit, she hasn't built up to that point yet. No murder sprees, no innocents killed in the crossfire, just a helpless girl that never got a second chance. Do I try to bring out those tendencies in little things like the way she talks, acts, and thinks, sure.
I just think that Cinder's never known a kind hand, and I theorize that putting herself in the position she's in, well, for lack of a better comparison, she would grab onto Jaune's kindness like a dog drowning downriver onto a stick. She's dealt with enough liars to know who's fake and who's not. It's something so foreign its like a mirage, but you would still walk towards it even if you weren't sure too right?