08. Dance with the Devil

"A teleportation Semblance, you say." It wasn't impossible for someone to have one, but she had never seen one before. "You are certain?"

"As sure as I can be, Master."

"And he defeated you?"

"Without my Maiden powers, I couldn't keep up with him." Cinder was angry, yet resigned. "But there is a weakness to his ability: he could only teleport to a specially made knife.".

It was a strange caveat, one that should not exist. Semblances were a part of one's soul. Aura should all be that is required for one to activate their Semblance. Naruto, on the other hand, required a weapon to do so.

"Continue observing him."

"It will be done, Master."

With that, her mission report to Salem was complete. Her spar with her mark had ended with an unexpected defeat. She was unable to go all-out given the nature of her Maiden powers, but she should have won regardless. Scorching Caress should have been more than enough for her to whittle down his Aura and prevent him from getting close.

That wasn't what happened. She thought superheated glass and sand would be able to keep him at bay. She didn't think the madman would dive straight through the heat, tank everything head-on, and pound her into submission.

"You're still not salty about the loss, are you?"

"Why would I be upset about that?" Sarcasm is unbecoming. Sarcasm is unbecoming. "You won fair and square."

She crossed her arms and looked away from him, sitting on the tree stump with her legs crossed. She was upset over the loss, but the pout was just another tool to pull him closer.

Naruto sat down beside her on the stump. A small ice cream cone was held out in front of her. Amber eyes twinkled.

"What… flavor is that?"

"Pistachio with dark chocolate chips."

She was never one for sweets, but she couldn't very well turn this down. A tentative hand took the cone from Naruto. She made sure he would be watching her as her tongue took an exploratory lick.

"Is it good?"

"Surprisingly."

The strange taste of the sweet treat kept her from outright teasing Naruto with any sensual shows. Hmm. Perhaps she'll add pistachio ice cream to the list of things she'll enjoy on a day off, up there next to a glass of wine.

Beside her, Naruto's demeanor changed. Friendly and perhaps a little cheeky became solemn, contemplative. She capitalized on it without a second thought.

"What's wrong?" This would be an opportune time to learn more about him.

"It feels like a lifetime ago since I last had ice cream." He stared at the cone in his hand.

"And when was that?"

"When my godfather fell in battle, I kind of lost myself for a while." He didn't pull away when she held it. "One of my teachers pulled me out of my funk with some sea salt ice cream and a long talk."

"Would you like to talk about him? Your godfather?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all." She offered him her best comforting smile. "I wouldn't mind hearing about someone who was so important to you."

A godfather who had left him alone since childhood? Gone when he needed him the most? Holding back information on his heritage? This godfather, this Jiraiya, had been a goldmine for Cinder.

"I had someone like that in my life once." She shared this information with him, hoping to bring him closer to her grasp. "I thought he would've been proud of what I did. Instead, he'd…" She let out a breathy sigh.

"You can tell me if you want."

So… she told him. Not everything. Just bits and pieces. Through it all, he didn't judge. At some point, she leaned against him, head on his shoulders.

"May I?" He gestured to her neck, where her choker lay.

"Why not?" she thought. No was no harm in showing him given what she already told him. Besides, it'll probably earn her some more sympathy points from her mark, make her job even easier.

"No one ever deserves that." The sympathy in his voice should've angered her, but the tingling touch of his fingers against her scars brought back horrible memories, ones she'd buried long ago.

"N-No! Don't!" She tried to pull his hand away, but he held it tenderly, lacing his fingers through hers.

"Trust me," he whispered.

It wasn't until now that she realized how dangerous Naruto Uzumaki was. Skills, speed, strength, teleportation? None of that held a candle to the allure of his soul.

Bright, beautiful, and pure, it drew her in. She should've said no. She should've pulled away and ran for the hills. Instead, she'd let her walls come down, just a little bit.

A calloused finger traced the Lichtenberg figures on her neck. Her breath came in shallow gasps, all the while, yet she dared not break eye contact with him. An eternity passed before her. Her fear stretched out the time in between until all she could focus on was the touch of his finger along what she considered to be an ugly, bygone era of her past.

An unnatural, soothing warmth radiated from the places he'd touched, spread out and along the length of her neck where she knew her scar stretched. At some point, their foreheads had touched, their eyes never straying from one another's.

"There," he whispered.

"W-What?" Her voice had come out meek, a horrid reminder to her of what she had felt like all those years ago.

"It's gone."

"Y-You lie."

"Look and see."

Cinder Fall had never reached for her Scroll so quickly before in her life.

x-x-x-x-x

"Aww. It's okay, sis. There's plenty of puppies in the sea."

"You mean fish, Rubes. Fish."

Yang was pouting in bed, hugging her pillow and mindlessly consuming some online media to dull the disappointment. She thought they had something going! Did he think she would just kiss him for no reason? No! She liked him. Then she just had to find out that he already has a date for the dance!

"Fish, puppies, guppies, same thing!" Ruby plopped down on her bed. "Well, why don't you show Naruto what he's missing out on? Pop on a dress and show up to the dance looking all fabulous."

"I was gonna do that anyways."

"I never thought I would see the day any straight man would reject the advances of Yang Xiao-Long," Weiss smirked.

"He didn't reject me, okay?" She tried to salvage every last scrap of her dignity. "He already has a date."

Three heads slowly looked up towards the other occupant in the room. They said nothing, but Blake knew what they were implying.

"I'm not the one he's going to the dance with," Blake stated, not even looking up from her book.

Weiss scooted closer to the two sisters, whispering conspiratorially. "You think he's going with Pyrrha?"

"Pfft." Yang shot down the idea as soon as she brought it up. "Invincible Girl doesn't have the balls to ask him out."

"Maybe he's going with Nora just for fun?" Ruby offered.

"And have Nora not go with Ren? Ruby." Weiss shook her head.

While her teammates were discussing and gossipping on who would be going out with Team NPLN's leader, Blake gave the idea some thought. The last few weeks have been spent with Naruto, going over his plans for what the White Fang and Torchwick had come up with. She hadn't even given any thought to the upcoming dance.

"Who are you going to the dance with?" she texted.

"Cinder," was his reply. She should've known.

"Yang's sad that you're not going to the dance together."

"I know. I'll make it up to her."

She stalked out of their dorm room with a pronounced frown. She still hasn't figured out if something happened between the two blonds on their date yet. Did they kiss? Go all the way?

Damn it all! She needed to get away from everything. The feelings, the temptations. Seeing him made her heart yearn for more, to relive that night over and over again. He made her forget, he made her feel better yet she hated the comfort he brought.

She didn't deserve it. She finally saw the bigger picture, at least, some portion of it. Every train she raided under the banner of the White Fang didn't hurt the rich aristocrats controlling the Dust, she only hurt the common folk who relied on the low prices and consistent Dust deliveries.

She wanted to blame him. That stupid jerk made her see. He made her feel things.

"What are you doing to me, Naruto?"

x-x-x-x-x

"Focus, Weiss."

"Right."

With a soft exhale, the Schnee heiress centered herself and held out her hand. A Glyph spawned in her hands, spinning noticeably faster than usual. Sweat gathered on her brow as the Glyph moved away from her hand. Glistening white ice was left in its wake, taking the shape of a broadsword.

"I did it." The disbelief was clear in her voice. "I did it!" She whirled around, completely forgetting about the broadsword in her hands. "I DID IT!"

In an act completely unbecoming of a Schnee, she dropped the sword and leapt at Naruto. Arms looped around his neck, she didn't even notice when he started spinning her around.

"I did it, I did it! Thank you, thankyouthankyou!"

Naruto laughed and held her as she continued to murmur her thanks. At some point, the weight of her actions finally caught up to her. Blood rushed to her face.

"I… I…" She didn't know what to say. Embarrassed? Try "mortified."

Naruto wasn't helping the situation. A roguish smile on his face, he leaned down. At first, she thought he was going to kiss her.

"I'm not ready! I'm not ready!"

It was a kiss, just not the kind she thought he would give. She felt his lips press against her forehead. She swore her heart would beat right out of her chest. Great Oum in the sky. Those canines look ready to bruise up her lips and mark up her neck.

"I knew you could do it."

"Naruto..."

"Weiss…"

"Naruto."

"Weiss! Weiss!"

"Huh!"

The dull, morning glow of her dorm room overlapped the sprawling Emerald Forest. Naruto's rumbling baritone was replaced by the sharp alto of one Ruby Rose.

"Wake up or we're gonna be late!"

She said nothing to her partner. She shortened her morning routines, only brushing her teeth and lightly fixing her hair. She left the room with Ruby right behind her, dragging her by the scruff of her cape.

"... Weiss! … choking!"

"Five more minutes," Weiss hissed quietly. "You couldn't have waited five more minutes to wake me?!"

"... But - ehk! - we'd be late!"

"It's Professor Port's class! His class could wait." Weiss instantly knew she'd said too much when the gleaming eyes of Yang and Blake showed up in her peripheral vision.

"Ohohoho! What did you see in your dream that's so important, huh?"

"None of your bee's wax!" Weiss huffed.

"Bet'cha it has to do with Neptune." Yang gently elbowed her partner, quirking her eyebrows suggestively.

Weiss bit the inside of her cheek. Don't respond. Don't respond. Why would she want that dorky, admittedly cute boy when the guy she wants is currently training her and has abs you can grind rocks on?

"... dying!" squeaked Ruby.

"You'll live," Weiss said dismissively.

"So it wasn't Neptune," Blake managed to steer the conversation back on track, much to her dismay. "Who was it then?"

Weiss didn't have to answer as the person of her dreams stepped out in front of them. Embarrassment took over the forefront of her mind. Apparently, you speak of the devil and he will appear. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone.

One particularly happy Cinder Fall was walking beside him. They weren't holding hands, but Weiss could tell something had happened between them. It was something she could barely pick up on given her family's training in reading body language, something essential for their aristocratic lifestyle. Even then, she could just barely see any hint of it coming from Cinder.

Naruto? Still as impossible to read as ever.

"Hey, Naruto." Blake was the first to greet him, smiling far more pleasantly than any of them had ever seen her, but there was a fragility to her smile that said something was quite off. "And you must be Cinder."

"I am." The young lady standing next to Naruto seemed pleasant enough though. "And you must be Blake Belladonna."

You couldn't cut the tension in the hallway with Crescent Rose even if you tried. There was something strained about the interactions between the two girls. She just couldn't quite place it, not even when she observed them shake hands and speak to one another. It only clicked when Cinder's hip bumped against Naruto's and the blond didn't do anything about it.

"Ohhh. Jealousy."

That's what she had been picking up from Blake. It made so much more sense given the angry way she'd stormed out of their dorm earlier in the week. Naruto seemed just a little too pleased with himself, though. That was… Oh.

"Shameless! Unholy! The audacity!"

"... and this is Weiss Schnee."

"Oh." Amber eyes blinked lazily, augmenting that sultry smile. "I thought I recognized that snow-white hair. Pleased to meet you. Any friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine."

"Skanky, homewrecking, man-stealing…" She couldn't very well say those things, so she settled for, "It's nice to see someone who can keep Naruto in line."

"I'm right here, you know."

"So you are." She smiled, shaking Cinder's hand. "You two look lovely together. I'm assuming you'll be going to the dance with him?"

"It's not something I would normally attend but he's managed to convince me." Cinder gave a look towards Naruto for the briefest second.

"He has that effect on people."

The sound of the bells ringing over the PA system startled Team RWBY into action.

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit!" Yang interrupted. "We're late! Sorry, Cinder, but we gotta go! See ya at the dance tonight!"

"Goodbye." The seductive woman waved them off, smiling all the while.

Weiss really didn't like her.

x-x-x-x-x

It was a novel experience for one Cinder Fall.

"Do we really have to go to this stupid dance, Cinder?"

"You don't have to," Cinder shrugged.

"Oh, good!" Emerald stared, confused. "Uh… Cinder? Why are you still picking out a dress?"

"I said you didn't have to go." She pulled out a long, black dress.

"But you have to?"

"I wouldn't say that, necessarily."

Cinder didn't want to admit it, but she wanted to go. Not for her mission, but as a way for her to thank Naruto. She owed him that much.

"Makes sense," Emerald shrugged. "Fox-boy's gonna be there. Might as well woo him and bring him to our side."

"Correct."

Well, it wasn't completely correct, but she wasn't going to give Emerald even the slightest hint that she would be doing this for anything other than duty. To do so would be to lose her control on both her and Mercury. With their plans getting closer to fruition, she would not risk it. Not now.

"If you don't intend to stay, take a Bullhead to the safehouses." Cinder stepped out of the bathroom, changed and ready for the dance. "Stay there for the night."

"What?" Emerald blinked. "You think you could work that quickly?"

"Are you doubting me?"

"No! Of course not."

She was. Cinder knew it. As easy as it should've been to tempt Naruto over to their side, the teen had far more self-control and willpower than she expected. Regardless, she was still going to complete the mission. She just had a personal reason to see it completed sooner rather than later.

"Then I will see you in the morning."

Cinder stalked her way through the halls of Beacon alone. She had intended to approach Naruto's dorm and surprise him herself. However, Fate had other plans. Standing out on the floor's balcony was the one she was looking for.

She approached him, her heels clicking softly on the carpeted floor. There was no need to announce herself; he was aware of her regardless if she made a sound or not. All the while, she took in his appearance. Gone was the banal Beacon uniform. Instead, he'd donned a suit of pure white. Beneath the setting sun, his golden hair glowed like an angel's halo. The irony wasn't missed on her.

"Tonight, I will make this angel fall."

"You'll make me blush if you stared any harder."

She held in a soft gasp when he looked back at her. Those blue eyes, the same ones she had lost herself in this morning, roamed over her, taking in everything from the swell of her chest to the flair of her hips.

It excited her. She had never seen this possessive, sinful side of him.

"You look beautiful," he complimented.

"Don't I always?" she purred.

"Heh. That's true." There it was. That little nervous tick. "I uh… I think you're missing something though."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"This."

Her breath hitched as his fingers brushed up against her neck once more, pushing her hair aside. She caught a glimpse of what he had been holding in his hands before it was out of sight. The familiar soft click of a choker snapped her out of her stupor. Unlike her choker, this one was adorned with a white rose, contrasting her dark color scheme.

"You thoughtful boy." Her heels gave her just enough height to wrap her arms around his shoulders. "Normally, this happens after the dance." She stepped into his personal space, shivering as his hands settled on her waist.

"What does?"

"This."

He was surprised when she kissed him. Cinder surprised herself when she didn't pull away after the first five seconds. When she finally did, she was tempted to go back in for seconds. Definitely not his first kiss.

"Now," Cinder purred, pressing herself against him, "how about that dance you promised me?"

x-x-x-x-x

"Oh my!"

"They look so good together!"

"Two halves of a whole!"

"You mean like the Yin-Yang sign?"

"Mm! They balance each other out!"

Pyrrha was quite sure one of her molars just cracked under the pressure she was putting it under. As much as she hated the chatter around her, they were right: those two did look good together. White suit, black dress, black tie, white rose.

"Sensei looks so cool!" Ruby gushed.

"They kind of look like a couple I would see at one of the Schnee Company's fundraising events," Weiss admitted.

"Damn it," Blake and Yang sighed.

"It's not fair," Pyrrha pouted.

"It isn't," Yang sighed. "How do you compete against that?"

Pyrrha understood the girl's complaint. Yang had come in a simple white sundress, one that was very fitting for her, but compared to the stunning pair out there, it seemed plain in comparison. The other girls of Team RWBY weren't much better. They looked sweet, innocent when compared to the veritable goddess on the arm of their mutual friend.

"Hey, girls." Pyrrha could feel her knees weaken beneath that beaming smile. She assumed the feeling was the same for Team RWBY. Well, the majority of Team RWBY.

"Sensei!" Ruby fluttered around the pair, smiling and cooing over their appearance. "You two look so amazing!"

"Thanks." He patted her hair, smiling as the young girl hugged him. "You all look lovely tonight."

"Not as nice as you and your date," Yang laughed. "Damn it, Whiskers. Why'd you gotta make it so difficult?"

"Difficult? What do you mean?"

"I- Mm!"

"What she means," Blake intervened, covering up Yang's mouth, "is how hard it is to look good when you and your date look like that."

"Sorry," Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I'll make it up to you." Cinder's hand on his shoulder turned his attention back to his date.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." She planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Have fun with your protégés."

Pyrrha's hackles nearly rose and blood was almost spilt right then and there. She saw the sway in the girl's hips. She saw the over-the-shoulder smirk and half-lidded eyes she gave Naruto, catching him mid-stare.

"I saw him first!"

"You know, you stare any harder and Cinder might think you're trying to steal her man," Yang teased, draping an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders.

"So what if I am?!" Pyrrha screamed in the sanctity of her own mind. "I am not! How could you even accuse me of such a thing?"

"Uh huh." That sly grin on Yang's face told her it wouldn't be the last time they had this conversation.

"Weiss." Both Yang and Pyrrha froze at the soft, guiding voice Naruto used. "You should go talk to her."

"Her?" Weiss crossed her arms and looked away from the blond. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You should go talk to her," he pushed. "You could stand here and pine or go up there and talk to her." Naruto cupped her cheek, gently forcing her eyes to lock with his. "Take it from someone who has lost more than my fair share of family members: cherish every moment you have."

Weiss said nothing back, though her eyes continued to oscillate between Naruto and whoever this "her" was they were talking about. They could practically see the resolve in her eyes, resulting in a resolute nod.

"Could you… walk me to her?"

"No, he's not going to walk you to- of course he is! He's Naruto!"

"Sure!"

Pyrrha's eyes never left the two as they walked off towards the upper floor. Was it too much to ask that he walked her like that? Maybe, since he was taken.

The redhead chewed on her lips. Should she have acted sooner? She'd waited too long, she knew that. Half of Team RWBY had already gone out with him on a date and she hasn't even gotten some time alone with him yet. That little kiss on the cheek was a good start, but she wanted more!

"Am I being too greedy?" she thought. "I'm not right?"

"I'm gonna go drown my disappointment with punch," Yang sighed.

"I will join you," Pyrrha announced.

Blake just followed the two of them without another word. Ruby didn't know what the disappointment was about, but she knew better than to ask. Yang would just dodge the question anyways.

With Naruto and Weiss, the walk had been quiet, save for the mutterings of their fellow students and Beacon's visitors. They paid it no mind.

"I don't think I can do this," Weiss suddenly spoke up. "I'm not ready."

"Weiss!" Naruto's hiss scared her out of her panic. "What are you afraid of?"

"I-"

"She's your sister," he continued softly. "From what I can see, you two love each other. Just… talk to her. She misses you as much as you miss her."

"Che," scoffed the heiress. "If that was true, then she wouldn't have left me."

"Idiot." Naruto flicked her forehead.

"Ow!"

"I know you blame her for leaving you behind, but can you really blame her for trying to find her own happiness?" Naruto shivered. "Besides, she's been glaring at me this whole time. Probably thinks I'm a two-timing bastard."

"Well," Weiss didn't say anything, but she thought it, "she's not exactly wrong? But it's not like you're even doing it on purpose, you stupid idiot." She tightened her hold on his arm, drawing comfort from his presence.

"C'mon." Naruto ushered her forward. "I hate being dressed up in a monkey-suit, but I hate getting fitted for a new one even more, so let's go before my suit finds out how sharp that blade of hers is."

"Hush, you." She jabbed him on the side. "You look dashing. Don't ruin it by calling it a monkey-suit." Credit where it's due, he did make her smile and relax.

"Hah! Are you hitting on me, Ms. Schnee?"

"N-No!"

"I'm just teasin' ya." Naruto led her up the stairs, right past Professors Port and Oobleck with neither of them bothering to stop him, too lost in their own conversations. "You don't look so bad yourself, your Majesty."

She blushed prettily under the comment, but held her tongue from embarrassing herself. So, she settled for pinching him on the inside of his arm and huffing.

All the while, General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin had been speaking quietly to one another in the soundproof glass balcony reserved for the supervising adults. Weiss's sister, like Naruto had mentioned, had been staring at the pair the moment Weiss had taken his arm. A distasteful sneer flashed across her face.

Knock knock!

"Were you expecting someone, Ozpin?" asked the General.

"Ah." Ozpin smiled. "I knew this would happen eventually, so in a way? Yes." He called out towards the door, "You may come in, Naruto, Ms. Schnee."

"Hey, Headmaster." The teen nodded a greeting to the man. "General Ironwood."

"I'm assuming you are here to play family therapist?" the Headmaster asked rhetorically.

"Eh~. That's stretching it." He gently pushed Weiss forward. "Just here to get a family reunion going."

"Specialist." The strong voice of Ironwood snapped Winter to attention. "You may take the night off."

"Sir?"

"Go ahead." He tilted his head towards the pair standing by the door. "Enjoy your night off with your sister and her boyfriend." The reminder about Weiss's escort turned Winter's hesitation into protective malice.

"Yes, sir."

"He's not my boyfriend! He's taken!"

"Hmm," Ozpin hummed, smiling to himself. "If memory serves, you are attending the Dance as Ms. Fall's date, are you not?"

"Yup. Speaking of which, I just came here to get these two Snow Queens to start talking to each other again." Naruto saluted them. "Can't keep a pretty lady waiting!"

Neither Winter nor the General were ready for Naruto to disappear from right before their eyes. A quick glance down below reaffirmed their suspicion. Naruto had practically teleported to Cinder's side by the serving table.

"So he was the boy you spoke of, Ozpin." Ironwood's voice had changed from stern, yet relaxed to a contemplative, almost suspicious. "And you are sure he could be trusted?"

"He is more than trustworthy." Ozpin shook his head. "He has already done more for me, for Beacon, than any other student, be they a freshman or a senior."

"Naruto?" Weiss questioned. "Really, Headmaster?"

"Yes, Ms. Schnee." Ozpin nodded. "The information, although privy to a few, will be shared with you and your Team in due time. We didn't wish to burden you with the knowledge so soon so you could enjoy the Dance."

"Are you sure, Headmaster?" Weiss pushed the matter, hoping to put off her reunion with her sister just a little longer. "Naruto had been training me and my team! We-" Ozpin held up his hand.

"It's quite alright, Ms. Schnee. Yes. While Naruto had been training Team RWBY and you will, indeed, be essential for the events that are to come, they will not come to pass for quite some time. So please," he gestured towards the dance down below, "enjoy yourselves."

"If you're sure, Headmaster." Weiss glanced nervously at her sister.

"Quite." He nodded. "Go on. It's not every day one reunites with a family member." Just as they were about to leave, Ozpin gave them one last bit of advice. "Oh. Specialist Schnee?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Refrain from provoking Naruto." Ozpin smiled, gesturing towards the dancing teen down below. "As strange as his relationship with your sister and her team may be, he only has the best intentions. Do not believe he is trying anything unsavory against your sister."

"I will keep that in mind, Headmaster Ozpin." Winter bowed in acknowledgement before following Weiss out of the overlooking balcony.

"Were you concerned for the boy or for my Specialist?" Ironwood asked.

"Your Specialist."

The sincere, resolute answer only made Ironwood more concerned. Was the boy truly trustworthy? Could he be a spy, playing the long game? Too many questions, not enough answers.

"And don't try to keep an eye on him." The silver haired immortal shook his head. "He's far more aware and capable than any soldier you have in the Atlesian military."

"Ozpin," Ironwood frowned. "You don't truly believe-"

"Were it anyone else," Ozpin interrupted, "this would only be said in jest." The Headmaster shook his head. "But that boy. He grew up in the military of his home, James. Your soldiers might be the best of the best, but I doubt even they could hold up against someone who has fought off armies and could disappear in the blink of an eye."

x-x-x-x-x

"So…"

"So…"

Weiss chewed on her lip, using the pain to center herself and keep her anxiety at bay.

"How have you been?" Winter ventured.

"Good. Good." Weiss twirled her hair in her hands. "How about you?"

"Good," Winter nodded. "I've been recently promoted to Field Specialist." The older girl coughed into her hand. "How has Beacon been treating you?"

"Good!" Weiss cringed immediately. "Well, not the school itself. Just… my friends." Weiss gestured to her team on the first floor from the overlooking second floor walkway. "I… I learned a lot more from them than I ever did from any of my tutors or even the professors here."

"What do you mean?" Wide eyed, Winter stared at her little sister.

"They taught me… how to be a better person." Weiss smiled. "They taught me to see the world, they taught me how to grow up."

Winter tracked where her sister was looking. For as much as she was talking about her team and how much they meant to her, her eyes were following a single individual.

"And this… Naruto?" Color blossomed on Weiss's cheeks. "What is he to you?"

"Um… Ah…" Weiss continued playing with her hair, trying to find the right answer to her sister's question. "Someone really important to me."

"Hm. I see. And what makes him so important?"

Let it be known, Weiss Schnee could be petty when she wanted to be. A small Glyph sprang to life on her shoulder, drawing out a gasp from Winter as a crystalline Nevermore stepped through, perching onto Weiss's shoulder like a faithful companion.

"Does that answer your question, sis?"

x-x-x-x-x

The dance had been quite entertaining, a rather shocking thing to experience given the pristine, pedestrian nature of it. Slow dances, quiet conversations. Not much occurred, yet Naruto had done more than enough to keep her amused.

"I give 'em one week. Two weeks, tops."

"Why?" She eyed the smiling couple. They looked too sweet, too happy for it to be a two week affair.

"He's been eyeing every girl above a C cup since the dance started." Naruto smirked. "He's not even that subtle about it."

She laid her head on his shoulder, eyeing said couple every revolution they made. The first few times, she caught nothing. Every time after, she saw little movements. Tiny, little glances that he kept glancing over to any other girl besides the one in his arms.

"Wandering eyes don't make for a broken relationship," she fought.

"No, but cheating does." Naruto hummed and whispered into her ear the next bit. "He's been pounding her best friend for at least two months now."

Oooh. She did not see that one coming.

"Beacon is far more entertaining than I ever thought it would be," Cinder murmured, smiling devilishly as she sought out any clue that would hint at this affair.

"Maa maa~. Shall I walk you over and introduce you? You seem awfully interested in him."

"Oh no." Cinder's hands slid up from his shoulders to his neck. "You are far more interesting."

"Oooh. I am?"

"Yes," she purred, pressing close to him until their lips were nearly touching, "you are."

They stayed like that, swaying with the music. Neither of them moved away from one another when the music stopped and the clapping started.

"I am going to kiss you now," she declared as the next song began, "so don't you dare move away."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

AN: I know some people might dislike this Cinder, but fuck it. I have to write something to give her some more depth and character than just Salem's lapdog. Like, I'm upset Cinder was just the sexy femme fatale from the series and nothing else. Just drops the bomb about her background in VOL. 8, but never even built up on it. Like, she froze when Mercury or Adam touched her shoulder once and nothing else ever happened again.

Here, I want to make her a foil for Satsuki. Both have been betrayed and walk the path of darkness. Satsuki had Naruto throughout the majority of her journey, yet she turned away from him. Now, Cinder, who is seeking him out, is going to get his undivided attention.

Well, nearly undivided attention.