Author's Note:
Hey everyone! It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Forgive the delay, but there have been a number of things that have been taking up my time. Everything from new hours thanks to another lock-down, to continuous internet outages, it has been as hectic as you can imagine. Furthermore, with these new hours, I naively believed that I could take advantage of free time at work to edit. Things are even busier than before, so my responsibilities take precedence.
I haven't been idle, however. During my "time off", I've completed the first draft of a new story, Project BICO, three chapters into the story after DDCT, Project JADA, and even started working on an legit novel, Wolven Nights. I'm sure some of you are wondering what the Hel am I doing, as I should be focusing entirely on DDCT. Fear not, I won't be going off the rails. I always complete a chapter of this story before giving the others some attention, so I won't be vanishing for months at a time.
One last thing before we start this chapter, I'd like to address my mobile readers. It has come to my attention that the app pings you with an alert whenever I update the story. I'm not perfect, and there are errors that slip past me and my editors. As I don't want this story to be the average, run-of-the-mill fan-fiction, I will not leave spelling or syntax errors to stain my work. Unfortunately, this means that every time I update the story to fix something, the app notifies you. This is an annoying oversight by the developers, and I do apologize for the inconvenience.
Anyways, I truly hope you all had a lovely holiday, and that the new year is starting off better than the last. Also, hello to all my new readers! Please enjoy your stay! Cheers, and Felix Sit Annus Novus!
Chapter XIV: Fireside Delights
It was now nearing seven in the evening as Team RWBY and JNPR were lounging together in Team RWBY's room. They had been deep in conversation as they waited for Team SSSN to make their return. After they had freshened up from the finals, the Vacuan team had told them to wait, as they said they had something planned so that they could all celebrate the conclusion of the tournament together. The first-years had extended that invitation to Team CFVY, however their upperclassmen admitted they had plans of their own, and had to regretfully decline. In the meantime, the eight Beaconites were waiting for the others to make their return, which was starting to get to some of them.
"Reeeeeen! I'm hungry!" whined Nora, shaking the green-clad boy gently. "Make me something!"
"We'll be eating soon; just be patient" he replied calmly, very much used to such complaints from the ginger. She moaned in annoyance, hanging her head in defeat, as Weiss and Blake were checking their Scrolls.
"What's taking your boys so long?" asked Yang.
"I don't know" replied the heiress, closing her Scroll. "Neptune said he and the others are already on their way, and should be here shortly."
"Unless they're monkeying around, which I bet Sun is."
The blonde's pun caused the others to groan, with the exception of one.
"She's not wrong" said the one, causing them all to turn to see that it was Sun himself speaking, hanging off the windowsill once again with Neptune right next to him. "Evening all. Sorry about the wait."
"It's alright" reassured Pyrrha with a smile.
"We nearly starved!" countered Nora.
"Don't worry; we'll make sure all of you will get to eat as much as you can" the Monkey Faunus assured.
"Let's go!" the ginger cried, jumping to her feet.
"Sure. You guys have a nice open place we can go to? Outside of course."
"Well, there's the roof right above this dorm" offered Jaune, not entirely sure what Sun was getting at.
"Perfect! See you top side."
With that, the captain and lieutenant pulled themselves onto the windowsill before reaching for the top of the window, and pulling themselves higher to continue their climb to the roof. As Sun climbed, the others noticed his prehensile tail was wrapped around the handle of a cooler, carefully carrying it with him. Following right behind the two were Sage and Scarlet, which it was now apparent were carrying large backpacks, but didn't appear to be all that encumbered as they followed their friends to the roof.
"We have things called stairs, ya know!" called Ruby, curiously pointing out Team SSSN's disregard for using the front door.
"Do you have any idea what they're doing?" asked Yang.
"No clue" replied Blake. "But I guess we'll find out."
The Beaconites all rose to their feet, and walked out of the dorm room, making their way to the stairs that led to the roof. When they arrived, they opened the door to see Team SSSN crouching on the ground, and setting up four separate portable barrel charcoal barbecues.
"What are you doing?" asked the younger Xiao Long.
"What does it look like? We're barbecuing" replied Sun, matter-of-factly.
"But why?"
"Well, after having eaten at that barbecue place, me and the boys decided that we weren't exactly satisfied with it, and we came to the conclusion that to celebrate the end of the tournament properly, we would show you all what a real barbecue is" he explained with a grin. "And the best way to do that, is for us to do it ourselves. Plus it's summer; you've gotta barbecue at least once a week in the summer."
"It's why we took longer than expected" continued Neptune, smiling apologetically. "We needed to grab all the essentials."
"Which are?" asked Yang curiously.
"Something that was greatly missing from the Beacon Dance" said Sun, before gesturing to Sage with his left hand. The equally bare-chested Vacuan opened the large cooler he had been carrying, revealing it was filled to the brim with ice, mixed with beer bottles and soda cans.
"Nice!" cheered the blonde, giving Team SSSN a thumbs up.
"We come prepared" Sun grinned. "We got a wide selection of meat and veg, and even some stuff for dessert. Also, I made sure to get something special for Blake."
The Cat Faunus blinked at him, not sure what he meant, as he nodded at Neptune who opened his cooler, displaying a fine assortment of fresh fish. Blake's eyes lit up like fireflies as her mouth instantly watered at the prospect of grilled seafood. Her reaction caused Sun's grin to widen, and cracked his fingers in anticipation.
"Right! Let's get to work, boys! If any of you want to give as a hand, you're more than welcome" he added.
"I think I just might" said Ren with a smirk. "One moment." He then turned for the door and left to procure his affaires.
"So what do we do in the meantime?" asked Jaune.
"Get everything we're missing: paper plates, cups, utensils, chairs, stuff like that."
"On it. Let's go!" cheered Nora, dashing for the door, joined by the others.
It didn't take the Beaconites long to return with all they would need for the celebratory barbecue. They had set up several chairs around a small folding table where the cooler full of beverages was appropriately placed. A couple of large beanbag chairs had been acquired as well, which no doubt would be made full use of by the couples present. Ren, having returned with what he required, was now squatting next to Sun and Neptune, helping them cook the large assortment of food they had bought. The amateur chef had brought his travel spice kit, a small treat he had gotten for himself after the completion of his first mission with Team JNPR. It was odd for him to have any form of disposable income, which was why it had taken him several weeks before making the purchase. His natural instinct was to save every Lien he earned, but after some coaxing from Nora, saying that he deserved to get himself a "little something", he finally bought it. Now with his share of the prize money transferred into his Huntsman's Treasury Account, a separate banking system handled by the academies for registered Huntsmen and Huntsmen-in-training, he was now tempted to purchase a very nice chef's knife set that came in a fine leather roll bag. He had seen it in the very shop he bought his spice kit, and it had taken him longer than he was willing to admit to pull himself away. Tempted as he was, he decided to wait a bit longer, as his education was what mattered and came first; first after Nora of course.
The trio continued to cook for their friends while fending off a starving ginger. One grill was covered in drumsticks, wings, jalapeño poppers, and a nice row of chicken kebabs. The grill beside it was cooking peppers, onions, zucchinis, eggplants, asparagus, and corn. The third was working on the pork and beef: sausages, hot dogs, short ribs, thick cuts of pork belly, with its second level loaded with a couple steaks, a full rack of ribs, and pork and beef kebabs. The last barbecue was cooking the fish Neptune had quickly cleaned, which the more squeamish members of the group did their best to avoid watching. This grill, also having two levels, appeared as if it were a small fish market, as there was a very nice variety of fishes present. Fillets of salmon, yellow fin tuna, sheepshead, and blue marlin, as well as whole blue mackerel, trout, sea bass, greater amberjack, red porgy, and sand perch.
After a solid effort by the boys, dinner was finally served. It certainly appeared that they had made enough to feed an entire company, but after such an intense tournament, a dozen growing Huntsmen-in-training could easily devour it all in a single sitting. Nora was certainly ready for such a task, which Ren did his best to get her to eat slowly. The gracious praises from the Beaconites proved that the wait had been worth it, and that Team SSSN was not kidding when they said they could make better barbecue.
"This is actually really good" praised Yang, biting into a kebab.
"It's super good!~" added Nora with her mouth full.
"Told you" grinned Sun. "There's nothing like barbecue and a cold one on a warm summer's night; or whatever you call this weather. We would have made you a Vacuan delicacy, mole crab, but we couldn't find any here. Then again, even if we did, it would have cost and arm and a leg. Anyways, how's the fish, ladies?"
"It's not the usual way I enjoy my fish, baked cod, fish stew, and of the like, but it is very good" complimented Weiss, breaking a piece of marlin with her fork. Blake on the other hand, was over the moon. She was sampling the entire market, and looked happier than she had ever been; her bow twitching with joy.
"It's fantastic" she sighed happily. "You did a great job."
"As much as I would love to accept your praise, Neptune deserves all the credit" the Vacuan Faunus remarked, gesturing to his lieutenant with his thumb.
"Really?"
Neptune shrugged. "I may be scared of water, but I'm still a fisherman's son, and I still love fish. So, I know a few things. If I had more time, I would have also made some stuffed squid; it's one of my favourites."
Blake nodded in admiration, and turned to the Schnee heiress.
"You have my approval to date him" she said.
"Oh thank the Gods" Weiss replied, rolling her eyes. "I did not think I could go another day without receiving your blessing."
While she was being very sarcastic, there was still a bit of warmness that grew in her heart from having her normally somber friend approve of Neptune. She admittedly cared more for her friends' opinions than most of her family's, and they being positive, Blake's especially, was a good thing indeed.
"In all seriousness, this is officially the best barbecue I've ever had" Blake complimented, getting proud grins from both Sun and Neptune.
"Yes, o-fish-ally the best barbecue ever" punned Yang, causing everyone to groan safe for Blake.
"I'll let that one slide" she said.
"Don't you mean, swim away?"
"I take it back."
"But Blake, why?!"
"You know exactly why."
Yang whined like a sad puppy as her one chance at her friend approving a pun was snatched from her, causing the others to laugh at her expense.
After the main course had been graciously consumed, it was time for the dessert. Grilled peaches, pineapples, and bananas on a bed of ice-cream were enjoyed by all, though it would not be summer without a classic. With a stack of gram crackers, and a potentially unhealthy amount of marshmallows and chocolate from Ruby's personal stash, they began to make s'mores. This led wonderfully into a myriad of after meal activities. They began to swap stories of their homelands, funny or otherwise interesting adventures they had personally gone on, and as many jokes as they could think of. The alcohol being consumed only livened things, which was no doubt the very reason why they had bothered to bring so much of it.
On one of the procured beanbags sat Jaune and Pyrrha comfortably. Jaune had his right arm around her as she rested her head and right hand on his chest, cuddling sweetly. In front of them sat Yang and Ruby; the blonde enjoying her beer, while her sister was helping herself to a soda, as she had no interest in the alcohol, and Weiss and Blake wouldn't let her have any.
"Now this is what secondary education is all about!" cheered Yang, taking a sip from her bottle. "Drinking, partying, meeting cute boys..." her eyes scanned the roof. "Alright, I'm not doing so hot on that last one, but two out of three means I'm in the black."
"I managed to find a cute boy" commented the redhead, smirking proudly.
"Yes, well, to each their own" the blonde muttered into her beer bottle, eyeing the cute couple with vexation. It wasn't that Yang was so dismissive of Jaune due to her lack of attraction, but rather was annoyed that they were so lovey-dovey while she was still single. Furthermore, their inhuman level of self-restraint boggled her mind, which she knew she would have to get a full breakdown from them sooner or later. "Speaking of which, did you two finally go and make out after running off like newlyweds?"
The couple blushed at her question, but answered it without hesitation.
"No, we'll be waiting for our date before doing anything like that" replied Jaune.
"And when will that be?"
"Yes, when will that be?" echoed Pyrrha, looking up with a hint of excitement in her eyes.
"The day after tomorrow" the blond swordsman answered curtly. "I made a special reservation at a local restaurant that we'll go to for dinner after we catch a movie. I'm kinda surprised that I managed to get it, given it was day one of the tournament. Then again, I guess it's because of the timing I got it."
"Is that why you were running late that morning after getting your armour?" Pyrrha asked in realization.
"Yeah. Just wanted to do it right, ya know?"
Pyrrha smiled brightly at him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Yes I know. I can't wait."
Yang eyed them irritably for a moment, before carrying on with another question.
"So what are you going to do with your winnings?"
"Not sure yet. What about you?" Jaune replied.
"Thanks to the pot bonus, I can actually get that upgrade kit for my bike" Yang said grinning. "I'm looking forward to breaking some of my previous established land speed records."
"Please be careful" warned Ruby. "You remember how badly you crashed the last time? You broke your arm."
"I fractured my arm. And I walked it off pretty well" her sister corrected with a hand wave. "Plus, with the better traction I'll be getting from my new tires, I won't be crashing any time soon." The younger Xiao Long looked at her with complete disbelief, causing Jaune and Pyrrha to smile at their sibling antics. "And you, champ?"
"I plan on donating it to the local Starseeker chapter. I have enough money saved from my Mistralese combat circuit days to live comfortably, in conjunction with the money that I will make as a Huntress. I was putting money aside so that my mother could take things easier and perhaps even retire sooner than planned, given that she is still working. Granted, she adores her career so much that she might never retire. In any event, I consider Jaune to be my real prize" she explained, a tad more honestly than usual, possibly due to the beer.
This obviously did not go unnoticed by Jaune, as it went straight to his ego, but it caught the attention of Yang as well, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"So if that's the case, does that mean that the real prize is you making him go down on you or something tonight?"
The couple's faces flushed deeply, as did Ruby's, who was now choking on her cherry soda.
"N-No!" gasped Pyrrha, clutching onto Jaune. "If we haven't even kissed yet, then why would we do that? Honestly, why does everything have to be so sexual with you?"
"Hey, if I was made to wait for so long, I'd be demanding my man to. And don't give me that look, Arc! You're nowhere near as pure as her, so don't pretend that you haven't been thinking about it. If you were in her boots, you'd want a celebratory blowjob."
"We really shouldn't be talking about this stuff with kids present" deflected Jaune referring to Ruby, doing his best to suppress some rather erotic images from materializing in his mind.
"We're all underage here, technically, so what's the issue? Plus, she's heard worse."
"It's not like I had a choice" groaned the red-hooded captain, not comfortable in the least in discussing such topics. "Whenever you would have sleepovers with your friends from Signal, you'd make me hang out, and you'd always bring up that stuff."
"One day" Yang sighed hopefully, rubbing her little sister's head affectionately.
To save the embarrassed Huntsmen-in-training from dying from Yang's dirty mind, Ren had decided to join them, seating himself on a borrowed cushion beside the aforementioned pervert.
"You took your time" Jaune remarked.
"Sorry, I was exchanging recipes with Neptune" Ren explained, holding up a small notepad before putting it away in his jacket pocket. "These will be very interesting to try, though some I will not make. They eat strange things in Vacuo."
"Such as?" asked Pyrrha.
"Bats and cave beetles."
The other four leaned back in shock, as neither ingredient would ever be considered edible to any of them. Just then, a large collection of cheers erupted from the other side of the roof, causing them to turn and look. Team SSSN, along with Nora, appeared to be in the middle of a drinking game, with Blake and Weiss spectating. Jaune then noticed that his friend had a worried look on his face, with his eyes fixated on the laughing ginger.
"You OK, man?" he asked.
Ren looked back at him and shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm...fine" he replied, clearly not. "I'm just a bit worried about Nora."
"Is something wrong?" asked Pyrrha.
"Well...no...but she's taking part in their drinking game and...she's never had alcohol before. I'm just worried that she might over do it."
"We're all friends here. We'll stop her if she goes overboard" reassured Yang. "Though, she can really knock'em back. You sure this is her first time having booze?"
"Absolutely."
Yang laughed. "She's really becoming my favourite person. I need to take her drinking with me next time I go clubbing." Ruby then held out her hand, causing her sister to look at it in confusion, then up at her. "What?"
"Give me your keys" she instructed.
"I'd never ride drunk, Ruby!"
"I know, but I'm a lot more scared of dad than I am of you, so better to be safe than sorry."
"I love how the younger sister is the more responsible child" remarked Jaune with a grin, sipping his beer.
"Brat" Yang squinted, earning herself a raspberry from Ruby. It was then that a series of girlish giggles caught their attention, just to see a rosy-cheeked Nora walk over and plop herself on the pillow next to Ren. "Well someone looks happy. How did it go?"
"I wooon!~ Hee hee!~" the ginger giggle, smiling from ear to ear.
"What did you win?" asked Pyrrha.
"The drinking game. I beat Sun who's supposed to be the best drinker on Team SSSN, so I'm just that good."
"Don't get too full of yourself, Valkyrie" interjected Yang. "I ate too much to join in, but you'll have to face me before claiming you're the best drinker here."
"Any time!~" Nora replied eagerly, leaning onto Ren.
"I recommend we have some real fun and play 'Never Have I Ever'. We can have our one-on-one, but next time we're all together, we need to play that one."
"I don't know what that is, but I'm all for it!~"
Nora was genuinely unaware of the most notorious drinking game that roamed college campuses the world over. Huntsmen academies were no different, and while neither she nor Ren knew of it, the sober of the pair noticed the face Ruby made at its mention, and he made a mental note to be wary of such a game.
As the others began to talk, Nora became fixated on something else. She squinted at her friends cuddling comfortably on the beanbag, and she suddenly was overtaken by the desire to know if they were as comfortable as they looked. Her eyes bounced between them and Ren, as the little gears in her head, well lubricated with several different types of beer, began to turn. The shyness and fear that gripped her when having the thoughts she was currently having, were heavily dampened by the cheeriness brought about by her first experience with alcohol. A single desire began to grow in her chest, one that she wished for but could never act on, and usually turned it into something else. Now however, she had no plans on holding back. Without any warning, she wrapped her arms around Ren's midsection, and tightly hugged him, burying her face in his chest. This caused the others to look at her in surprise, though none of them were as surprised as Ren himself.
"Well now, this is an interesting development" smirked Yang. "So! You two AREN'T dating, right?~"
"N-No" swallowed Ren, his cheeks flushed. "N-Nora is just a very huggable person." While this was true, no one was inclined to believe that was the explanation to her sudden embrace. This was confirmed with what Nora said next.
"Mmmm...Renny you smell good" she moaned, snuggling further into his chest. Ren's entire face turned red, swallowing audibly, as this was unventured territory.
Jaune, Pyrrha, and Yang's faces also lit up, but for obviously different reasons, and excited smiles spread across their faces. Ruby's expression was much more subdued, but was equally happy, as even she thought the pair made a cute couple, and wondered why they weren't together already.
"Suuuuure. Nothing going on here" Yang remarked, before leaning in so that she was level with Nora. "Nora~, did you get jealous of Jaune and Pyrrha, and wanted to squeeze your Renny?"
Ren's heart was now beating like a spastic on a war drum, nearly afraid of what the ginger would say given her level of intoxication. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on where one stood, the only sound Nora made was an ever so gentle snore, as she had made herself very comfortable, and drifted off to sleep.
"Awe, she's all tuckered out."
"I-I'll take her to bed" managed Ren, wanting to get away from the situation, but also wanted to make sure that his now vulnerable partner was safe. He slipped his left hand under Nora's knees and his right hand on her back, and picked her up with less difficulty than he thought he would.
"I'm sure you will" remarked Yang with a mischievous grin, only causing Ren to be even more uncomfortable.
"C-Can someone open the door, please?"
Ruby, being the quickest and the most sober, got to her feet and walked with the flustered cook to the door to the roof, and opened it for him.
"Ya know, I didn't think there could be a couple worse than you two, but they've got you beaten in spades" Yang said with a hint of admiration in her voice.
"What do you mean?" asked Jaune.
"It was obvious as fuck Pyrrha was into you, and it took you till the Dance to figure it out. Those two are clearly in love with one another, but they haven't pulled the trigger. I don't get it" she expressed, downing the rest of her beer.
"What? Those two aren't together?" asked Sun in shock, putting the beer cooler down beside Jaune and Pyrrha's beanbag chair, before jumping over and sitting in front of it. "You've got to be shitting me."
"No, she's not" Blake confirmed, sitting beside him. Yang then noticed that the girl no longer had her ears tied with a bow.
"It is a rather maddening situation" added Weiss, joining the group with Neptune.
"They have...things to work out" said Pyrrha, looking up at Jaune, who took an uncomfortable sip of his beer.
"Such as?" asked Neptune.
Everyone's attention had now shifted to the blond captain of Team JNPR, which caused his sip to turn into a downing, until the redhead cuddling him tapped his chest. He removed the bottle with a recognizable hollow chime, and licked his lips before speaking at last.
"We've talked about it–and I'm not gonna share what we talked about in private. I respect Ren too much to just start spilling my guts" he defended.
"Yeah, but is he into her?" pushed Sun.
"Are you into Blake?"
"Then what is he waiting for?" the Monkey Faunus demanded, eyebrows raised. "Or her for that matter?"
"Reasons" Jaune and Pyrrha said in unison, showing they understood the situation best, and that the details were private.
"And we're back where we started" Yang groaned, rolling her eyes. "All this beating around the bush makes me thirsty for another beer. Pass me one will ya, Blake?"
The Cat Faunus nodded and turned around to open the cooler, as something caught the eye of the Vacuan captain. This seized Yang's attention, and an amused smirk spread on her face; a twinkle of mischief in her eye.
"Stop staring at Blake's ass, Sun!" she teased.
"What? I'm not" he defended calmly, his eyes darting to Yang then back to Blake.
"Suuuure."
"I'm not! I'm looking at this" Sun doubled down, reaching at something on Blake's person and pulled. In his hand was a long black tail that had been tucked into the girl's clothes. Blake, who had frozen in embarrassment at Yang's accusation, now knelt up right as she felt Sun's grip.
"You have a tail?" Weiss said surprised.
"Of-Of course I do!" Blake shot, almost offended, as she hastily handed her teammate her beer with cheeks turned pink. "I couldn't go walking around with a tail hanging out while pretending to be Human, could I?"
"Fair enough. I'm just glad you're finally all here now" Yang said honestly, popping the top off the bottle with her thumb.
"Same. You're a lot prettier without the bow" added Sun with a roguish grin, causing Blake to blush further.
"I think the bow is cute, but maybe now you can put it on your tail" offered Ruby.
"Ha! That's something kids do" Blake remarked, actually laughing at the notion. "I used to do that when I was a kid. One time I even put as many as I could so when I ran, I looked like a kite."
"Oh that's adorable. Please tell me you've got a photo of that somewhere" Yang hoped with a laugh.
"Uh, probably in an album at home" Blake replied, though she had no intention to rush and retrieve a copy of it.
The young Huntsmen-in-training began to carry on with their conversations, eager to share more stories. However, one of them was distracted by a thought that had slowly grown over the course of the past few minutes.
'Where's Ren?' Jaune mused, realizing that his friend had been gone for far longer than he assumed he would have. What could be keeping him?
λΛλ
When Ren had left with Nora, he carefully made his way back to their dorms. He would have had trouble opening the door to Pyrrha and Nora's room, if the ginger hadn't maintained her grip on him. He opened the door with his right hand, and flipped the light switch with his elbow, illuminating the neat dorm room. Well, neat safe for the bed to the right which wasn't properly made, giving Ren the accurate assumption that it belonged to Nora. He of course knew which it was since the start of the school year, but it was nevertheless a stark difference to how Pyrrha kept her half of the room. He walked over to the bed and gently laid Nora onto it, making sure that her head was properly resting on the pillow. This was a more difficult task than he assumed, as she had attached herself to his right side, and given that her bed was against the right wall of the dorm, he had to climb onto her bed. Unfortunately, he quickly realized that the task had only grown in difficulty, as she hadn't lessened her grasp on him, and he was now unsure if he could even free himself.
"Nora?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb her, but knowing that he needed to wake her in order to leave, as he was nowhere near strong enough to break her grip. "Nora, you need to let go."
The girl only moaned softly in her sleep, showing that it would take much more to rouse her from her slumber. Ren tried to shake her gently, and when that failed, decided to try and pull himself free; again, gently. This had the opposite effect, as Nora's grip tightened, not wanting to lose what she had wanted for so long. Ren swallowed, now knowing that he wasn't going anywhere, which left him with the realization that he would have to sleep, or at least lay beside her, until her grasp finally loosened. The current issue with that plan was that he was now pressed up against the wall of the dorm, and it was far from comfortable. Perhaps if he was careful, he could roll over without hurting or disturbing her. Seeing no other option, Ren put his plan into motion, and slowly rolled himself and Nora so that he could lay beside her with some level of comfort.
It then made itself apparent that Ren had not entirely thought through his plan, as while he had succeeded in lying on his side next to her, the sleeping ginger was now resting on top of his chest, pressing her body onto him. To make matters worse, or better, depending on one's point of view, Nora moaned happily in her sleep, finding this new sleeping position preferable, and nuzzled her pillow contently. Ren on the other hand, could feel his heart pound in his chest, which was a large contrast to her slow and steady breathing. He then became aware of the scent of strawberry pound cake, which after a couple of moments he realized was coming from her hair. Was that her shampoo? He didn't know they made such a product, but despite his situation, he could not stop a smirk on his face from growing, for of course Nora would buy a shampoo that smelled like cake.
That moment of comedy allowed the raven-haired boy to calm himself somewhat, and also noticed how the girl sleeping beside him was ever so gently snoring. Had she always done that? And if she did, when did it become so cute? He examined the peaceful expression on Nora's face as she slept, and felt a warmth in his chest that he couldn't describe.
For a long time after they had left Kuroyuri, Nora had been plagued with nightmares. On many nights, when Ren would keep first watch so that they wouldn't be caught sleeping in a farmer's barn or somewhere else they weren't welcome, he would see her begin to toss and turn in her sleep, a painful expression of fear on her face. He had tried speaking to her about it, but she would dismiss it, saying that they were nothing but bad dreams and would stop eventually. Of course, they hadn't, and Ren knew she was trying to act brave as to not worry him. But worry he did, and during one night, where the nightmare was so terrifying that he could see tears falling down her cheeks, glistening in the moonlight, Ren decided to take action. He placed his hand on her forehead and activated his Semblance. After a few seconds, Nora had stopped crying and laid still, her heavy breathing slowing into a deep and steady rhythm. This would be a near nightly ritual for Ren, more grateful than ever that his abilities could be useful in making her feel safe, even if he wasn't physically strong enough to defend her on his own. He carried on bringing her turbulent mind at ease for months, until slowly but surely, her nightmares began to subside on their own, granting Nora more restful sleep, a much brighter smile, and a great deal of peace of mind for Ren.
Reminiscing of the past brought about a mix of emotions for him. Firstly, it brought out a sense of accomplishment, as nearly a decade of struggle and toil had finally carried them to their goal of becoming Huntsmen. Nearly a year had passed since they entered Beacon, and were now students with friends who cherished them. It was more than either of them could have wished for. And secondly, it brought out the painful realization that they were no longer children. Ten years had indeed gone by, with so much having changed since they were young, and how much they had grown. Their life experiences had forced them to grow up far faster than anyone else their age, but it nevertheless blew his mind that a decade had passed them by.
The growth that was currently blowing his mind was Nora's, as Ren just realized that with the way she was sleeping on him, he had a clear view of her cleavage. His heart leapt into his throat, and it took a rather forceful swallow to push it back down. How could things go from zero to ten so quickly? First he had his breath taken away by seeing her in a dress for the first time at the Beacon Dance, then it was the playful teasing from his friends about them being a couple, then there was Nora drunkenly hugging him and saying he smelled good, and now he was in her bed cuddling with a stunning view down her top. Not knowing what else to do, Ren decided to activate Tranquility to calm himself, albeit a rather unorthodox utilization of it. Humorously it did work, and after a few moments deactivated it, returning his gaze to the dozing ginger who was none the wiser; which was certainly a good thing as his eyes unfortunately dropped again to her cleavage.
He kicked himself mentally, as it felt so inappropriate to look while she was sleeping. He felt bad enough for constantly sneaking glances at her legs as it was, so ogling at her breasts was even worse. He obviously knew that he couldn't simply use his Semblance continuously in this situation, thus he needed to focus and try to get some sleep. It hadn't been the first time they had slept like this; they had done it rather regularly when they were younger. Of course, when puberty set in, they naturally and without discussion, stopped cuddling together. And now, as young adults, those reasons were even more apparent. They weren't dating, thus being in her bed like this felt inappropriate, despite the conversations he previously had with Jaune that she had feelings for him. He still felt undeserving of her affection, not until he sharpened his skills and closed the distance between their strength levels.
Ren sighed through his nose, knowing that he would be up all night if he continued to wrestle with these thoughts unabated. But what could he do?
"Ren..." Nora suddenly mumbled softly, which the Huntsman-in-training felt more than heard. His heart jumped right back into his throat, fearing that something less that desirable was going to occur. The ginger shifted her sleeping position slightly, nuzzling his chest again like a tired kitten. "...s'more pancakes please...and syrup..."
Nearly instantaneously, the lump in his throat dissolved, and he now needed to fight the urge to laugh. Even after eating enough for three, plus dessert, and nearing two liters of beer, she was still dreaming of food. He gazed at her warmly, as her adorable and peaceful expression soothed him even more effectively than Tranquility did.
"As much as you like" he said softly, letting his head sink into the pillow, but maintained his loving gaze, so that she would be the last thing he would see before drifting off to sleep. She very much was, and the couple had the best night's sleep they had ever had.
λΛλ
Things had slowly wound down on the roof. Sage and Scarlet were in the process of dousing the barbecues so that they could be cleaned, as they had drawn the short straws. The second beanbag was being occupied by Sun and Blake, who were now cuddling in the same manner as Jaune and Pyrrha. Blake was sound asleep, curled comfortably against the other Faunus as he gently stroked her hair, gazing at her with just as gentle of an expression. The others were still sitting together, where Weiss was now watching the Faunus couple with a tender look in her eyes, smiling a small but content smile.
"Look at those two" she remarked, causing the others to shift their attention to the couple.
"Pretty cute, aren't they?" Neptune complimented.
"I've never seen her so at peace; even in her sleep" the heiress continued, the tone in her voice showing her concern and relief for her friend. "I knew that she liked him far more than she was letting on."
"Oh Hell yeah" Yang added. "You just realized that?"
"Well no, but she's more reserved than I am" countered Weiss, before shifting her gaze to Sun. "And Sun...he really loves her, doesn't he?"
"Yup" smirked Neptune proudly. "He can't stop talking about her, bragging about her, trying to make her laugh and smile. I've never seen him so head over heels before. He normally never pays the girls that fawn over him more than a wink or a nod; for Blake, he's gone all out."
"Wait, is Blake Sun's first girlfriend?" Yang asked in bewilderment.
"As far as I know" the blue-haired lieutenant informed. "And I've known him since we were eleven so..."
"Whoa..." the blonde breathed, with her teammates having the same expression on their faces.
"I believe we may have misjudged Sun's integrity" Pyrrha commented, though a pleased smile grew from learning of the Monkey Faunus' restraint, already noticing it throughout the tournament.
"I was already gonna kick her ass if she wasn't going to pull the trigger, but now!" Yang took a swing of her beer and sighed in annoyance. "She's been a bundle of nerves ever since the White Fang's been getting hardcore; well, more hardcore than usual. I had to convince her to come to the Dance and go out with Sun, so she could enjoy herself and relax. I had a feeling in my gut, and it turns out I was 100% right; he was exactly what she needed."
The others smiled in agreement, as Weiss looked at her Scroll and gasped when she noticed the time.
"Good Gods, it's already two in the morning!"
"The night is still young" grinned the blonde.
"We probably should call it a night" Jaune remarked, cracking his neck.
"We're out of food, out of beer, and full of memories; sounds like a good place to wrap up if you ask me" added Neptune.
"Fine; bunch of quitters" the elder Xiao Long whined, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised how many you put away, Weiss."
"I can handle my alcohol just fine" replied the Atlassian matter-of-factly. "In fact, I rather enjoy beer, and I have a list of favourites from home. If we manage to find any of them here, I would be more than happy to share."
"No offence Weiss, but I always thought rich people drink wine and stuff" commented Ruby.
"Well...yes however..." she paused, an unpleasant memory flickered in her mind "I'm just not that fond of wine."
"Fair enough" said Yang rising to her feet, joined by her sister. "Gentlemen, that was truly the best barbecue I've ever had. You guys know how to party."
"Oh you haven't seen nothing yet" Sun replied, though careful not to speak too loudly. "Things get far wilder in Vacuo. You'll have to see it to believe it."
"Alright, you've talked me into visiting" she grinned, stretching.
The students quickly cleaned the rooftop, making sure that it looked as good as they found it. The trash was tossed in garbage bags separated from what could be recycled, and the Beaconites began to bring the furniture inside. Sun picked up Blake bridal style, carrying her to her room, and carefully laid her on her bed, not wanting to wake her. Team SSSN then finished packing up their gear, said their goodbyes, and headed back to their lodging, as Team RWBY joined Blake and got ready for bed. Jaune and Pyrrha were outside of their rooms, holding each other in a tight hug, not wanting the night to end.
"I could really get used to this" Jaune admitted.
"Me too" Pyrrha giggled, smiling more brightly than ever. "You make a very comfortable pillow. I fully understand why Nora got so jealous."
Jaune chuckled. "I'm gonna tease Ren about that if he's still up."
"It might be a bit late for that, but I won't stop you."
The blond leaned back so he could look at the redhead and smirked.
"You're going to tease Nora about this too, aren't you?"
Pyrrha's eyes darted to the left and she lightly bit her bottom lip.
"No..."
"You're such a terrible liar" he laughed, and kissed her on the cheek.
"I'm sorry" she laughed. "We'll talk more about our date tomorrow, right?"
"Of course."
"Alright. Good night" Pyrrha said with reluctance, kissing him on the cheek.
"Night."
The couple finally broke apart and opened the doors to their respective rooms. Jaune entered and closed the door behind him, whereas Pyrrha found a surprise waiting for her. In Nora's bed was the ginger sleeping with Ren, which answered her question as to where the raven-haired boy had been all this time. They appeared so peaceful as they slept, very much like Sun and Blake had been, and she didn't have the heart to wake either of them. As quietly as she could, Pyrrha exited her room, and walked over to Jaune's, knocking on the door gently. It only took a moment or two for him to answer, and was slightly puzzled as to why she had already returned.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Um..." Pyrrha began, trying not to laugh at the situation. "Ren isn't with you, is he?"
Jaune blinked in mild surprise. "Yeah he isn't. I was just about to text him."
"There's no need. I found him in bed with Nora in our room" she explained, but quickly gave him more context as the blond's eyes became the size of dinner plates. "N-No! Not like that. From what I can gather, Nora's hug was far stronger than Ren thought, and he wasn't able to free himself, which certainly explains why he didn't return to the party."
Jaune nodded, now understanding the circumstances, and began to laugh through his nose.
"Oh I'm not gonna hold back teasing him tomorrow" he remarked, getting a giggle from Pyrrha.
"I have no doubts" she smiled, before giving him a more nervous look. "I don't want to wake them, so..." her eyes descended in shyness as her cheeks began to turn red, "w-would it be alright if I spent the night with you?"
Jaune felt his face become hot, and only increased in temperature when her large emerald eyes met his azure, causing him to swallow.
"Y-Yeah, of course" he replied nervously.
"A-Alright, I'll just get my pyjamas" Pyrrha informed. "I'll be right back." Jaune nodded and watched her go, before finally closing the door.
'FUUUUUUCK!' he shouted in his mind, very much not prepared for this. He quickly began to look around his room, becoming overly critical of its state of cleanliness. After brushing his teeth, he began to try and make it as proper as he could.
His heart soared into his throat when he heard another knock on the door, and tried to calm himself as he opened it. Pyrrha, equally nervous, entered his room, holding her brown pyjamas to her chest.
"May I use your bathroom to change?" she asked timidly.
"O-Of course" Jaune replied, unable to hide his bashfulness. "I'll change out here in the meantime."
The redhead nodded and walked to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her, allowing the blond to face palm in embarrassment.
'All I have is my full-body PJs!' he mentally groaned. 'It's the dorkiest thing ever. I can't just sleep next to her in my boxers, though. Shit, how do I not have even a spare t-shirt to wear?'
Knowing that he didn't have the luxury of complaining, as Pyrrha would come out of the bathroom at any moment, he quickly peeled off his clothes and threw on his pyjamas. He caught himself in the full length mirror, and frowned at his reflection in shame. Here he was, trying to grow up and be a man, and yet, he stood in an oversized onesie that made him look like a baby. It tended to be colder where he was from, so it was natural to own long johns and other forms of thicker pyjamas, not to mention that he didn't exactly have the time to properly pack for his trip to Albion. He now knew exactly what he was going to spend a portion of his winnings on; a new and less embarrassing wardrobe. His head quickly snapped to the right as he heard the bathroom door slowly creak open.
"A-Are you dressed?" Pyrrha asked timidly.
"Y-Yeah" he replied, his heart racing.
Pyrrha opened the door fully, revealing herself in her brown two-piece pyjamas, and her long red hair let down. Jaune felt his heart beat even faster, and he hadn't expected her to look so cute. It was the first time he had seen her with her hair down, and while it was a tad odd, he couldn't lie and say she didn't look beautiful. Pyrrha noticed his gaze, and shyly moved some of her hair behind her ear.
"I'm sorry that they aren't the cute type of pyjamas" she apologized, as she too did not own a more fashionable pair of nightwear.
"You look great" the swordsman confessed. "They look really cute on you–I mean, you look great in anything but yeah, super cute so don't worry."
His praise wasn't nearly as suave as he wanted, but it was entirely honest, which Pyrrha fully realized, and smiled coyly as her cheeks reddened.
"Thank you, Jaune" she replied. "Yours are cute as well."
"Y-You don't have to pretend to like them..." he said quietly, rubbing the back of his head.
"...I thought you were cute in them when I first saw you that night before we became a team" Pyrrha confessed softly. Her words caused her captain's heart to skip a beat, learning that she had been checking him out since then.
"Th-Thanks" he managed, swallowing. "S-So um...I guess you can use Ren's bed. I doubt he'd mind."
Pyrrha felt her heart drop slightly, as she had been hoping for some other arrangement. Perhaps the effect of the alcohol hadn't yet worn off, for she decided to make it known to the blond that she had different plans.
"Actually, I thought that maybe we could share yours..." Her eyes met Jaune's, and a bit of pride flickered in her heart when she saw the suggestion caused his eyes to widen. "...unless you don't want to."
"I-I do!" he replied, more quickly and loudly than he planned, which he kicked himself mentally, for as it made him seem eager for something that he knew was too early for them to take part in. "I mean, cuddling to sleep with you is something I've wanted to do for a while."
He kicked himself again for being too honest, but quickly felt much better when he saw Pyrrha give him the coquettish smile he brought out of her when they flirted during their private training sessions.
"Me too" she said. "It's something else I'd like to get used to."
Jaune's ego got another boost, and he wasn't able to stop himself from grinning.
"Same here."
The blond could have sworn that Pyrrha's eyes just twinkled, but he wasn't able to get a long enough look to know for certain, as she turned to place her clothes and other effects on the dresser. What Jaune did have a chance to examine was the young Huntress-in-training's rear, which while the pyjamas were long and concealed nearly all of her body, they were rather tight in that particular region. It was far more curvaceous than he had thought, though it had by that point been left entirely to the imagination, as her clothing did not compliment it as much as it did her legs. Immediately he kicked himself again, realizing what he was doing.
'Now is really not the time' he warned. 'These damn PJs are too tight to take risks!'
He managed to recover just as Pyrrha turned to face him.
"S-So. Which side do you prefer?" he asked, not knowing how to exactly go about all of this.
"I'm fine with either" she replied, noticing that he was shyer than she was; which only made him cuter.
"R-Right" he said, and pulled the covers back, getting into bed and laid on his ride side so that his back was too the wall and facing her. Not being able to think of anything to say, he asked "Care to join me?"
Pyrrha felt her heart flutter when he said that, but managed to remain composed, and without speaking, shut the lights before entering his bed, pulling the covers over them. They stared at one other in silence, unsure of what to do next. It was the simplest thing to everyone else; however, as they had no experience of any kind, they were overthinking every action. Jaune was wrestling with it especially harshly, as he now felt that the ball was in his court.
'C'mon, you're the man here. Be one and take charge' he ordered himself, and swallowed the lump forming in his throat before speaking. "Can we cuddle like we did at the party?" he asked.
When she nodded, Jaune wrapped his right arm around her, and pulled her close, instantly feeling the warmth and shape of her body against his. The scent of her hair, a mixture of cinnamon and pepper that was even more intoxicating than any of the beer he had consumed, filled his nostrils, and made his heart beat strongly once again. Pyrrha instinctively rested her head and hand on his chest, and could both hear and feel his rapid heartbeat. It caused her to smile, as knowing she had this level of affect on him was a rather humbling compliment as a woman. She sighed in a relaxed manner, as this new sleeping arrangement, was even more comfortable than it had been at the party.
"I can very much get used to this" she admitted, causing Jaune to quickly laugh.
"Damn right" he replied, feeling himself relax at last. "Maybe we should swap dorms, since it looks like Ren and Nora want to get used to it too."
"That goes against school policy" Pyrrha informed, before a small mischievous smile emerged from her lips. "...pervert."
"H-Hey!" he began, ready to defend himself, but quickly realized he had been baited, as the redhead began to giggle.
"I'm sure we'll have time to discuss it in future" she said before kissing him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Jaune."
"Goodnight, Pyrrha" the blond replied, squeezing her with his arm, and causing her to melt into him.
It wouldn't take long for either of them to fall asleep given how comfortable they were, and they certainly would have, when after a minute or so of silence, it was broken.
"Jaune..." Pyrrha said softly. "Are you awake?"
"I can't fall asleep that fast, even after training with you" he chuckled. "What's up?"
She remained quiet for a few moments before responding, causing the blond to begin to worry for what she had to say.
"...I'm sorry."
Jaune blinked at this, and he looked down at her, but wasn't able to see the face she was making. He wished he could, as her eyes were always the best way to see her true intentions, though the tone of her voice was enough to give reason to worry.
"About what?"
"Keeping things secret from you, making you worry like I have, hurting you by throwing you against the wall...I'm so sorry..." she apologized in a small voice, clutching onto his pyjamas. "You spoke of honesty and trust, things that I value greatly, and I've failed entirely in keeping to my own principles. There's no excuse for it. I'm sorry..."
"Pyrrha..." Jaune gasped softly, pulling her closer with his hand grasping her shoulder. "You don't need to apologize for that; you did it already."
"But it isn't enough" she countered, refusing to look up at him. "You said so yourself that it was killing you to see me as I was, and no doubt it made you feel helpless and stressed. If the roles were reversed, I would have felt even more depressed than I did waiting for you to notice my feelings–"
"Pyrrha" Jaune cut in strongly, sitting up and causing her to look at him. "Yes, it drove me nuts seeing you so worried and glum, and yes, I hated not being able to help you, but you already apologized, and promised to tell me the truth. Don't tell me now" he said quickly, seeing her lips open, "it's really important right? What you've been dealing with?"
"...Yes" she replied slowly, looking deep into his serious but gentle azure eyes.
"And you will tell me, right?"
"Yes. There are a number of things that I need to address and take care of, but I vow to the Gods that I will–"
"Then" the blond said with a smile, silencing her with a finger on her lips, "I'll wait patiently till you're ready. Like I said during the tournament, it's my time to wait. Do what you need to do, but never forget that I'm here for you, no matter what. If I can't trust you with whatever it is you're dealing with, then how are we supposed to work together, let alone date?" He moved his hand over to her left cheek and cupped it gently, pressing his forehead lightly against hers. "So please, stop apologizing, Pyrrha. There's nothing for me to forgive in the first place, but if it helps, then I forgive you completely. OK?"
Pyrrha gazed deeply into his eyes, feeling her heart beat stronger from both his tender words and touch. Part of her was certain that his understanding was due to his ignorance to the truth, but the other part of her was falling deeper in love with him due to his patience. How much he had matured these past weeks since the Dance. It continued to take her by surprise, though it was coming forth more and more often. She certainly loved it, as it not only soothed her, but showed how resourceful of a man he truly was; the man she always knew he would become. And yet, a small and selfish part of her, hoped that he would never lose all of the boyish charm she loved so much. Nonetheless, his words gave her the peace of mind she needed. She had been able to put the truth about Cinder out of her mind to enjoy her evening, but like many times before, when she tried to sleep, her doubts would return. The day would certainly come that she would be summoned by the Order, either for her to take on the holy charge of the Fall Maiden, or to be informed that she would no longer be needed as a candidate. Either way, she would petition to be allowed to tell Jaune the truth, as she would not betray her principles again.
"OK" she replied with a smile, and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "Thank you, Jaune. I'll try not to make you wait for too much longer; by the end of the semester at most. Let's get some sleep."
"You're welcome, and I guess we should. There're some things I need to do tomorrow. Goodnight, Pyrrha" he replied, returning her kiss, though they held their gaze for a few moments more before he rested his head on his pillow.
Both secretly wanted a proper goodnight kiss, but not even the situation they were currently in, with several bottles of beer in their systems, did they wish to go against the plan. They both wanted to do this right, and if Sun of all people could be a diligent gentleman, respectfully waiting for Blake to return his courtship, then they could wait two more days.
It only took a few minutes for sleep to find the couple, and they drifted off into the most restful doze they ever had.
λΛλ
In the captain's quarters aboard the KAASVeðrfölnir, General Ironwood was still awake, going over the field reports provided by all the commanding officers involved in the defending of Vale. It was the least romanticized part of warfare; the countless pages of paperwork that were required to be filled and filed accordingly, so that everything was done in the proper manner. This of course was particularly cumbersome for the Huntmaster, who not only had to go over the same reports for Huntsmen, but also that he needed to modify what exactly went into these reports. Ironwood may be both the General of the White Army and Huntmaster of Ýdalir Academy, but he wasn't a dictator with unrestricted power. The ordering of thousands of troops and dozens of armour, aircraft, and seacraft, required proper explaining to the Council; especially given that the Council wasn't contacted for the requisition of such a displacement. His peers in the Valian Army were in the same boat, and had been secretly coordinating so that all their reports matched to avoid suspicion. Of course, given that Ironwood was acting by Ozpin's orders, the Atlassian General took extra care to assure that the Order and their actions did not come to light in any official reports. This had become common place ever since the Order had been re-established, and he had become rather good at it. He only hoped that in future, the Council, past, current, and future, would not take it so personally when they were finally informed of how they had been going behind their backs for so long.
After scanning the form on his screen for the fifth time to make sure everything was in order, he saved the document before closing it, and leaned back in his chair. He shut his eyes for a moment, satisfied with his work, and contemplated on the events of the past week. Failing to capture or kill Adam Taurus was a great shame; not only for the sake of Atlas, who wanted revenge for what he and the White Fang had done, but his head would give Ironwood's actions more credence, and cause the Council to reluctantly forgive his bending of the rules; if they wanted to stand a chance at re-election. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the antique grandfather clock that sat in his quarters. It was a beautiful timepiece, with its cabinet made of a dark cherry wood, and polished brass dial, pendulum, and weights between two columns. Above the clock dial was a golden moon dial with the constellations on a blue background, just below well crafted dental work. He watched the large hand of the grandfather clock touch the six, and heard the beautiful Westminster chime fill the quiet room. It was too late to enjoy one of his favourite cigars, which was perhaps a good thing as tomorrow was going to be another long day. Sighing, Ironwood rose from his chair and began to undo his uniform as he walked to the bedroom beside his office. He would meet with his brothers to plan their interrogation of Torchwick, which he was expecting to be far more informative than their previous attempts.
At the foot of his bed slept a large Old English Sheepdog laying on its left side, paying no notice to the General moving around him. Such dogs normally had a long grey double coat, while this one had a much shorter one, clearly due to it being recently trimmed. This now allowed deep scars to be visible on the dog's right side, traveling all the way up to its head. The right ear was missing, leaving nothing to the imagination that the poor beast had been in some form of accident. Nonetheless, the scars had long since healed, indicating both the age of the animal, and its hardiness. James looked down and smirked at the old dog, one able to show such desperate need for his attention, but also pay no notice of him despite not seeing each other that entire day. He found him sleeping when he arrived to begin his paperwork, and he hadn't left his bedroom the entire evening. Chuckling to himself, he threw his uniform over his old leather wingback reading chair, and pulled back the covers.
As he lay on his bed, his eyes rested on a photograph held in a golden picture frame that sat on his bed stand. In the photo, stood a younger version of himself without any grey hair, and his right arm around a shorter ginger-haired woman. At their feet were two Sheepdog puppies, roughly six months old, sitting happily with beautiful white and black coats, which was before their usually began to turn grey. The adults had their hands on the shoulders of a little girl, who looked no older than ten, with short, rather curly ginger hair with a small ahoge on top, and had a pink bow on the back of her head. She also had bright green eyes, light skin, and freckles, all complimenting her adorable smile as she held onto the hands of the adults.
Ironwood stared at the little girl's face, his breathing becoming uneven, forcing himself to close his eyes.
'Semper fidelis...'
Author's Note:
So there are a number of things to touch on.
Firstly, you get fluff! And you get fluff! And you get fluff! All of you get fluff! Yes, I am aware that there is a great lack of pairing fluff in this story, but there is a reason for it. I've gone out of my way to build these couples properly, and it will all pay off in the end. That being said, I had a lot of fun writing this :)
In that vein, let's talk about Ren and Nora. Every time I go over and edit scenes involving these two, it makes me more and more angry as to what CRWBY did and is currently doing to them. For the record, I am not going out of my way to include these scenes out of spite. I don't watch a new episode, then write them as a response. These moments are what I've had in my mind for many years, and just wanted to bring them to life here. Take Nora drunkenly hugging Ren for example. That is a reversing of a scene from my full rewrite where Jaune and an OC get Ren drunk for him to admit his deeper feelings for Nora. I just took that scene and retooled it for this one.
Despite it being Boop fluff, as you could clearly see, I wanted to show more about their relationship, as well as their past. While I know there are issues with making sense of Ren and Nora's past, as a much easier and logical option would have been to let Ren's parents live, there is a lot you can do with the canon. I wanted to show more of what Ren truly feels for Nora, and how much he wants to protect her. The show may be trying to ruin them and their relationship, but from what I've been able to see from other fan-fics, the fans know who Ren and Nora truly are. More moments like these to come.
And now for the elephant in the room; the final scene of this chapter. I had a bit of trouble writing it, if I can be transparent. Not that I didn't know of what to write, but rather how much to reveal. I originally wanted to leave little hints, but never overtly say it. However, on redrafts, I began to realize that given it affected the story, and it's important to James' character, I decided to make it clear. So, to be unambiguous, yes; James is Penny's "father". As to why I made this change; it's simply that I interpreted that to be the case years ago when Penny mentioned her father. Of course we now know who her "father" truly is, but since I tapped at V4, I created my own canon. Also, I like having characters with similar fairy-tales interact in RWBY, so having Pinocchio be the child of the Tin Man, made me smile. It goes much further of course, but I can only show so much. Take the hints I have provided, and ponder.
And with that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Buckle up, because things get nuts from here on out. Cheers and see you next time :)