I'm having a real tough time deciding whether or not to make this M or not. I'll let people decide when I finish the chapter, but I don't wanna because it's just... ugh. I like the increased attention that T stories get. It fuels my dopamine to see that view counter go up ugh.
Warning: this stuff gets tense. And a bit disturbing.
Over the weeks that followed, something felt incomplete. Ruby seemed down, worried again. So did everyone else.
He wished he knew what it was.
Sunday, there was a study session between the two groups. Wynion didn't go. Jaune apparently didn't either, judging by the fact he was hard at work on his essays in JNPR's dorm room.
Monday, classes were normal. Ruby nearly slept through the lesson. Jaune handed in an essay.
Tuesday, Yang showed up to class hungover. Wynion worked on homework until 3:00 am. Got into another argument with Ozpin about his magic.
Wednesday, Ruby dragged him to a card game between the teams. She made sure to 'keep him in check'. Jaune didn't come.
Thursd-
"Well, I win!"
Ruby was being annoying again.
Saying that she-
"Wynnie, stop spacing out!" Ruby complained, petting his ears.
It wasn't so embarrassing to have her pet them anymore. In private at least. She had returned to her old habit of threatening to do it in public. Absolute scum. It just didn't feel right to-
"WYNNIE!"
"What?"
"Say that I, Ruby rose, am better than-"
Ruby was-
"If you don't stop spacing out, I'll make you regret it."
Fine.
"What were we talking about again?""
…
Ruby gave him a cold stare, "Wynion… One. Last. Chance."
"Okay…"
"Say that Ruby Rose," She looked at him expectantly.
"Ruby Rose…"
"Is better than me…"
"Is better than me…"
"Because she is-"
"Who teased you?" Wynion sighed, causing Ruby's posture to slump for just the briefest moment before her face flushed in embarrassment.
"Yang. Duh."
"... About?"
She looked away, "Many things."
"... Let's go down the list, school?"
"No."
"Your complete lack of social ski-"
"Wynion, you can't be the one saying that."
He laughed, "No, you don't have the right to talk about that."
"Nuh-uh, you don't have the right to be talking. I have Yang, Weiss, Jaune-"
"You haven't spoken to Jaune in weeks." He pointed out.
"..." Ruby turned away from him with a sigh, "Nobody has," And promptly whipped back around to face him with a fire in her eyes, "And even without Jaune, I'm better than you! I have more friends than you! I have better combat scores than you! And I..."
She leaned forward with a chilling smile,
"... I. Drink. Milk."
"You've been talking to Weiss too much." The pattented Schnee Superiority.
"Because she's my friend!" Her smirk was victorious. She was better than him.
…
Fuck.
Fuck…
FUCK.
She was better than him at EVERYTHING.
He didn't have anything for her. Nothing. Except his ears, she liked those, but that came with the consequences of having them too. And that was too much of a downside. No that wasn't true- he protected her. He protected her from that deathstalker. And that was it. He was useless absolutely useless and he knew it and how long would it be until they came for her as well it wouldn't be long it wouldn't he was scared he was so scared he didn't want to lose her he couldn't no she couldn't die she was a hero who would fucking die because he was careless and she knew it too she knew that he was useless and was just waiting for him to mess up so badly so she could laugh no what was he thinking she would never do that he should die for thinking she was like that because she wasn't like that she was different he didn't do anything wrong yet but he DIDN'T EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT AND HE COULDN'T BECAUSE HE COULDN'T BECAUSE HE WAS A STUPID ANIMAL WITH NOTHING AND HE WAS SO FUCKING USELESS AND THAT'S WHAT HE WAS
USELESS
USELESS
USELESS
Useless
...
useless
useless
wynion
useless
wynion
useless
wynion please
useless
wynion
useless wynion
please stop
useless wynion
please i'm sorry
useless mutt
stupid useless mutt
stupid- Wynion
usele- Please stop
us-
"Wynion, please I'm sorry!"
…
Tears.
Wet.
Some were hers.
They were mostly his.
…
Wow. He was shaking.
Hah.
Really shaking.
Like, bad.
She was hugging him again, and he was still shaking.
Stop shaking.
Just stop.
Stop.
"S-s-s-sor… s-sor-ry… fo-fo-f-for…"
"I-I… I didn't mean to hurt you…"
"R-R-R-Ru-R-ub-by… pl-pl-ea-ple-ple-ase…" Wow. Great speaking. Just wow. Really pathetic, the audience is clapping.
haha.
…
"... Ru-by…?"
"Yes?"
"... P-plea-se… d-don't…"
She felt warm. Nice and safe. He liked warm, nice, and safe. It's good.
"... do-n't… l-eave me…"
"I promise I won't."
…
Thank you.
…
He just stayed there, where it was warm and safe and nice.
…
And he was useless.
He couldn't pass her in combat.
Not even in grades.
Or anything else he tried.
But there was one thing left that he hadn't tried yet.
Friends.
Honestly, he didn't see the need for friends, he had Ruby. But that didn't mean he couldn't be useful there. He could help her become friends with others, which was the reason why he was currently studying his newest curriculum.
And it was hard.
The next day, he spent the whole afternoon around campus and attempted to practice the art of making friends with strangers.
Painful.
Utterly. Painful.
The students ignored him.
And he just slaved away, trying to impress them enough for them to take an interest in him so he could practice the art of friendmaking.
What a waste. How was Ruby so good at this? How did she become friends with him?
…
She annoyed and pestered him into liking her.
…
The only problem being, most aren't as desperate for actual friendship as he was. Or as desperate as he is to keep his friend.
He shook his head and returned to the dormitory- Ruby was hanging outside his door. He couldn't talk to her now. She was probably there to talk to him about yesterday. He didn't feel like discussing his failures as her friend now, even if it was just to reassure him that he wasn't a failure.
Because the truth was, he just hadn't fucked up enough yet.
He needed time alone.
Oh god.
Wasps hurt.
He was so lucky to have gotten so few stings, but agh… ow…
He needed some time to think, the roof was a safe bet, his team was sure to be sleeping now, and no one was willing to be up there all night waiting for him. He groaned as he climbed the stairwell- he stayed up past midnight to get Cardin's wasps, he hoped the bully would be satisfied with six. Yawning as he opened the door-
Huh?
What was Wynion doing here?
The silver-headed faunus looked at Jaune over his shoulder from his precarious position, seated at the edge of the building, legs dangling off the edge of the roof.
…
Jaune sat down, leaning against the wall as far away from the edge as possible. Neither of them said a thing.
…
"... Did you get stung by some bees or something?" Wynion broke the silence first.
"Uh, Rapier wasps."
"Sounds painful."
"Yeah…"
And the awkward silence came again…
What was he doing here? Did Ruby send the faunus to check on her failu- fellow team leader?
…
"So… Are Rapier wasps worse than normal wasps?"
"I- I dunno. I've never been stung by a regular wasp."
He screamed like a newborn when he got stung. It was so good that he was alone-
Loud rapid flips came from the direction of the faunus.
"Uh…" Wynion trailed off, "H-how was your day?"
Jaune sighed, "Don't force yourself to act interested."
More flipping.
"You… can. Tell me whatever is- ugh, on your mind?" Jaune curled up and pressed his head into his knees.
"Wynion?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you get such convincing papers?"
…
"The papers… Ruby doesn't believe me, but they're real." Jaune shook his head in disbelief, "I've heard that neither Ruby or Yang have ever seen you at Signal." The knight countered.
"And that's true," Wynion sighed, "What I mean by real is that they're official, and not fake in any physical way, not that those papers don't lie." Jaune perked up at that.
"Wait, what? Where did you get them? How did you get-"
"Why are you so interested in my papers?"
The blonde hesitated, "It's… personal."
…
Stargazing always calmed him down, plus it was fun. The stars were so different in Vale-
"You're the missing component."
Jaune blinked, "Huh?"
"All week, something has been missing that's been weighing on not only Ruby's mind, but both teams as well, though team JNPR was definitely more affected by your loss."
"Stop making it sound like I'm dead. Though…" He groaned and stared at the moon, "It wouldn't make a difference anyways."
He closed his eyes, it was nice up here. Maybe it would be better to sleep on the roof, he wouldn't have to deal with those disappointed eyes of his teammates when he woke up.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jaune looked to his left to see Wynion sitting down next to him.
"I thought you didn't care about-"
"I have no idea what the hell is happening with you, kid," Kid? Kid!? I'm older than you! "But whatever's going on- Ruby's not happy about it at all. So spill."
The blonde faker considered it. Was there anything the pickpocket could do? He doubted it. Besides, his papers were already in, making it irrelevant even if he could get the same kind of papers Wynion did.
"... There's nothing you can do." Jaune admitted with a strained sigh.
"Rubern, page ninety-three, 'Talking about the troubles that ail the individual can be a powerful tool,'" Wynion recited. Jaune stared at the boy who just shrugged, "If Blake is allowed to quote books, so can I."
…
What the hell, he was already screwed, how much worse could it be with another person knowing his secret?
"I'm… I'm a failure…" Jaune started to speak, "A-and, I'm a failure who just couldn't accept that fact,"
And he continued, "So instead of accepting that like I should have, I… I… did the stupid thing and tried to fight it. I failed the test for Beacon, I never went to a combat school, I just purchased fake transcripts and by some miracle, I passed initiation,"
The words spilled out of his mouth, "And then I snapped at Pyrrha when she was just trying to help, Cardin found out about my secret, and now he's ordering me around and blackmailing me with it and I…"
He looked away from the other boy, and took a deep breath, "I always wanted to be a hero. My parents always told me stories about how my ancestors were heroes and stuff… And I wanted to be just like them, but I can't."
He couldn't help the bitter laugh that bubbled up in his throat.
"Because I'm never the hero, I'm just a fucking damsel in distress…"
He willed the tears to not fall. He couldn't cry, not now. He had to start being somebody at some point, even if it was only occasionally his lowest. The faker couldn't bring himself to look at Wynion.
Flip.
Flip. Flip. Flip.
"... Relate to the other person, huh?" Jaune looked back at Wynion, baffled at his comment. The wolf faunus simply snapped the book shut and met his gaze.
…
"Once upon a time, there was a wolf," The faunus broke away from Jaune's stares and gazed up at the stars. "The wolf was hurt-"
"Wynion, what are yo-"
"The wolf was hurt," Wynion narrated forcefully, "A lot. All he ever felt was hurt. And one day, he met a kind fox. A bit of a trickster, but he was nice to the other animals he met. So he offered the wolf some food. The wolf accepted, but wasn't satisfied with what he was given so he forced the fox to go hungry and took the fox's portion."
He was silent for a few moments.
"The next day, the wolf found the fox. The fox was living off stealing from others, so the wolf… persuaded the fox to teach the wolf how to steal as well. So the two lived together, the fox did most of the work, and gave most of his food to the wolf. To make sure he wouldn't run, the wolf went along with the fox on his- ah, 'hunts'. Which was probably where the fox started to get his ideas…"
Jaune couldn't help but peer at the silver haired boy curiously.
"The two lived like that for a while, and the fox's resentment grew each day. So one day, the fox proposed to the wolf to go steal from a… a 'barnhouse'. The thing about this place though, was that it not only was guarded, those who guarded it especially hated animals."
He was getting a bit uncomfortable, he had an idea of how this story was going to end, and had no clue why Wynion was telling him this.
"The wolf agreed, and the two of them went to raid the place. The fox was probably counting on the wolf's greed, because when he saw the food in there… Well, he got distracted, and didn't notice when the fox slipped away and set off a firecracker. The guards quickly found the wolf, clutching a box of cereal… So they punished him for his gluttony, and filled his belly with stones."
…
"A month later I went back to the place where we would sleep, and I found his note. I hope you finally had your fill."
A lone tear slipped from his eye as he balled his fists, and continued on.
"It was strange, for some reason I thought we were friends. Even though I took his food away, put him through hell, for some fucking reason, I thought we were freinds. I had no right to cry, but I was crushed by that note- even if I knew I deserved those words."
It was a full minute before he spoke again.
"So I went back to life as normal. Stealing from people, surviving, hating myself. But then I found a hero, a little red riding hood," Jaune glanced at Wynion's face, it had a smile, "Her name's Ruby Rose. She's a friend, and my hero. And for some reason, she's helped me, protected me, talked to me. Fuck, even ate cookies with me."
He laughed and finally looked back at Jaune, "I've done my best to help her, this time like an actual friend. But I'm…" His smile disappeared, "I'm bad at it. So when I got the chance to enroll in Beacon, I latched on to it. Even if I've done fine so far, I have no clue how to be her friend. So instead, I'll help her be a hero. And one day, when she's in trouble- I'll be her hero and save the day. I just..."
The light wind was the only noise that could be heard.
"... Just wish you could actually do it?"
Wynion just smiled and stared off into the distance.
"Can…"
"...?"
"Can we…" The faunus shifted uncomfortably, "Can we be friends now?"
"... Huh?"
"Th-the guide said that if we bond over something we have in common, it encourages friendship!"
...
What?
Jaune couldn't help his laughter. Tension had just piled up as he spoke, and after all that, he just wanted to be friends?
"... I- sure… Do a lot of people make friends this way?"
"I don't know. Yet."
They sat in silence in the company of the moon.
"I think I needed this. Talking with a real friend. After running around for Cardin so much."
"... Glad I can be of use."
"We're both awkward, aren't we?"
"Speak for yourself kid, I have instructions on how to make friends, you don't." Wynion held up his book titled: Rubern's Guide to Making Friends (Ages 7+).
"Hey! I've read that book too!" He narrowed his eyes as Wynion rolled his.
"Jaune, let's make the friendship official."
"How?"
"The last step in making a friend is- while optional- a sign of friendship. Chapter eight, page one-hundred and four."
"What's a sign of friendship?"
"It can be anything. An agreement, an object, anything as long as it encourages the two to put effort into it."
"Hm…" Jaune thought for a bit, "What about a deal?"
"A deal?" Wynion echoed in confusion.
"One day… We won't be sidelined or villains, or anything of the sort. No matter how long it takes," The aspiring knight leveled his gaze at the thief, "One day, we'll be the heroes. No matter what it takes."
Wynion held an infectious grin, "I think that'd be fine with me."
The two slept well that night, together on the roof.
ALRIGHTY THEN.
I didn't originally plan for Wynion's little panic attack with Ruby, but hey. Shit happens.
You can probably tell how much fun I had writing this chapter. YEEEEEEEAAAAAAH!
Whew... I guess that's goodbye T, and hello M. DAMNIT.
Ah, well.
I said Nora would be the first other friend, I lied. HAH!
So to answer a few questions before they start:
Yes, that book Wynion's reading is a scam. No seven-year-old has lexicon advanced enough to understand it, and the author didn't even try hard.
Yes, the story is why Wynion never shoplifts except on rare occasions, just steals money to buy things leagally.
No, there is no Jaune x Wynion. Get your head out of the gutter. We are lewding Ruby, not Jaune. And before you ask, no, that joke does not hint torwards lemons. I think. I don't think I'll be writing it in unless I feel that there is enough storytelling advantages in there. NGL though, I admit the one about getting your rocks off is a pretty strong reason.
Yes, I am a cunt for that joke in the author's note last chapter. We already discussed this, keep up.
And finally no, this idea was not planned out from the very start, but started soon after.