Jaune placed a hand over his mouth, trying in vain to stifle a yawn as he trudged through the courtyard of Beacon Academy early on a Monday morning. Could this be considered a walk of shame? No, probably not. Not for a guy at least. Double standard or not, Jaune was filled with immense pride as he made his way back to his dorm room after spending the night at Neo's place and having sex with her.

He was so tired, and it was way too early in the morning to deal with his upcoming classes. Normally being up at this time wouldn't have been much of a problem. It was the fact that he'd had to wake up extra early in order to take the earliest airship back to Beacon that caused his weariness. Well, that, and not getting enough sleep in the first place.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought, and the reasons for his current predicament.

It wasn't just the sex. As much as his eighteen year old brain loved the fact that he'd had sex with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, that wasn't the only reason he was exhausted. Yes she'd gone at it hard with him, on him, but even after all of that exhausting activity he hadn't been tired enough to fall asleep immediately afterward. No, as it turned out sharing a bed with someone for the first time wasn't just an amazing feeling, but an unfamiliar one which made sleep elusive for the huntsman-in-training.

Even after Neo had fallen asleep next to him, clinging possessively to his body even in her slumber, Jaune had remained awake. Some of it had been voluntary. After all, why would he not want to bask in the amazing afterglow of hot and passionate sex? Why would he not want to be aware and conscious of the gorgeous woman next to him for as long as possible? Why would he not want to drink in the feeling of having a soft and warm body draped around him, and his arms draped around her? He didn't want to close his eyes and fall asleep, because then he would miss the feeling of having her in his arms.

The involuntary parts came from the unfamiliarity of sharing a bed with another. He hadn't been free to toss and turn in order to find the most comfortable sleeping position. His freedom had been denied while Neo had clung tightly to him. As a result, sleep hadn't come easily even when he decided it was finally time for it, and as a result he'd only managed to get maybe around five hours of sleep before having to get up to make it back to Beacon in time for morning classes.

For now he still had some time to get back to his dorm and grab a quick shower and an even quicker breakfast before the first class of the day began. The former, while being absolutely necessary, came at only the greatest of reluctance.

Jaune pinched the front of his hoodie and pulled it away from his body so that he could smell underneath it. It still smelled like Neo's condo. It still smelled like her. His body smelled like her. Like her sweat. Like her lust. Like the fact that she'd came all over him for a second time, this time while he was naked too. He would have to wash that sweet scent away before the morning was through, and as much as he knew he needed to, still didn't want to go through with it. How could he after what they'd shared the previous night?

Well, perhaps there would be more nights. She certainly seemed to have enjoyed herself. He knew he did. Surely there would be more times in the future, right? She wouldn't just use him up one time and cast him aside so easily. Right?

As he pondered those thoughts he neared the student dormitory. Before he could enter it, however, a familiar quartet of girls emerged from the doors, already dressed in their school uniforms and ready to begin the day. Presumably on their way to the cafeteria for breakfast, Team RWBY ceased their chatter among themselves and focused on him. Their reactions ranged from happy to neutral at the sight of him, and it was the two sisters who greeted him first.

"Good morning, Jaune!" Ruby beamed, happy as could be early on a Monday morning.

Jaune raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Ruby."

"Just getting back, huh?" Yang wondered. Jaune himself wondered how she might have known that. He had told his team that he wouldn't be coming back the previous night, but had news spread to his sister team about his late night plans? "And where were you last night, mister?"

Okay, so they didn't know all the details. Maybe it would be better if they didn't. After all, a gentleman didn't kiss and tell. Or in this case, bang and tell. Then again, being the immature, eighteen year old guy that he was, he wanted to shout it from the highest rooftop at Beacon Academy that he, Jaune Arc, had done it with a beautiful young woman. Pride and tact battled within him, but in the end it was all made pointless when Yang followed up on her question almost immediately.

"Did ya get lucky, son?" she asked, a knowing smirk on her lips as she stepped in front of the rest of her teammates.

He didn't reply immediately, and his silence, or some other kind of non-verbal tell on his face, must have given the blonde girl all the answer she needed. Yang's expression changed, and her eyes widened in realization that her teasing joke had in fact, been correct.

"No way," she breathed. "You did, didn't you? Don't tell me you went down to that strip club again and hooked up with that Cotton Candy hottie."

Ruby blinked, confusion etched on her face. "Wait, what?"

Before Jaune could respond, Yang had taken him by the arm, linking one of hers around his, and began to pull him with her toward the cafeteria. "We so need to talk about this," she said, dragging him alongside her. "I need details."

Jaune's body followed willingly, but his words offered protest. "I kinda need to get ready for class."

"You need breakfast," she insisted. "I bet you're starving, aren't you?"

Well, she wasn't wrong. A night of strenuous physical activity would make anyone hungry.

Minutes later he found himself seated at one of the long tables, with Team RWBY seated opposite of him. Yang in particular sat directly across from him, and as Jaune began to cut through the pancakes which sat on his plate, Yang began her grilling.

"So, seriously. Did you go back down to the club? You were pretty tight-lipped about what happened a couple nights ago, so did ya get lucky then too?"

Jaune had indeed not divulged details about his little birthday blowie he'd gotten from Neo. His lips had been tight. Almost as tight as Neo's lips had been around his dick that night. However now as Yang began to put two and two together, the picture it was painting was becoming all the more clear now to his fellow blonde friend.

Meanwhile Weiss' face soured, but not for the information Yang was asking about. "You took my Neptune to a strip club?" she asked Yang.

The other girl shrugged. "Oh relax. It's not like he did anything. Apparently Jaune's the only one who got any that night. A lap dance and something in one of the private VIP rooms. So tell me, lover boy. What went down that night? Or maybe I should be asking who? You or her?"

She was surprisingly on the money there. What, and who, had gone down, was her. On him. But not before she'd gotten off on him. Literally. Still, he was unsure if he should be discussing this sort of thing with his friends, and especially in public like this. Then again, that immature and petty part of him felt that it would feel pretty good to let Weiss know that not only was he over her, but he'd replaced her.

"Not only is this crass conversation completely inappropriate for breakfast," Weiss said, leveling a finger at Yang. "And not only am I disappointed in you dragging my boyfriend to a... strip club..." The last words were spoken softer than the rest. Weiss was clearly embarrassed about uttering them, and definitely did not want others to hear her doing so. Then, surprisingly, that finger turned toward Jaune. "But it is also completely irresponsible for you to be out all night at one! What were you thinking, Jaune?"

Was Weiss lecturing him? It was one thing when she tried to be the team mom for her own team, but Jaune definitely didn't need her doing so for him. He was his own man, and she had nothing to do with him. She'd made sure of that herself. Maybe letting his former crush know that he had gotten lucky with a hottie like Neo would be okay after all.

Jaune shrugged, looking down at his breakfast as he spoke. "In my defense I didn't go to the club last night," he said. His next words came with a small smile on his lips. "I went to her place."

Stunned silence permeated the table, and Jaune glanced up to gauge the girls' reactions. Weiss' face twisted in stunned horror. Yang's eyebrows rose, a smirk still plastered on her lips. Ruby seemed worried, while Blake wore a neutral expression.

Yang let loose a long whistle before she spoke. "Damn. She invited you back to her place off the clock? Looks like you might have shown her a good time at the club rather than the other way around."

He had, in fact. Even though she'd basically used him as a masturbation aid, apparently it had made enough of an impact for her to want to spend more of her free time with him. Not just for sex, either. They'd played video games for hours. Jaune had found himself enjoying his time with Neo even before they'd been intimate. She was fun. A lot of fun. He hoped that she would text him for some more fun, and it didn't even need to be the naked kind either.

Jaune shrugged once more. "I mean, maybe. We had a really good time last night too. She's a lot of fun to be around."

He couldn't help but smile when he thought about her. The devious little pranks she played on him while they gamed were just one example of how much fun she could be even when they weren't doing anything sexy. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Things like sitting on his lap and licking his cheek were definitely suggestive, but they were more to mess with him than turn him on. Not that they didn't have that sort of effect on him too...

Yang sighed, shaking her head softly. "Oh gods, you're in love with a stripper, aren't you?" She turned to Weiss next. "See, Weiss. This is what happens when you reject a man as harshly as you did. He turns to naked ladies and falls in love with them. Not that I can blame him. That girl was stacked."

"Do not pin this on me!" Weiss yelled.

Yang was indeed wrong about that. What Yang was correct about on the other hand, was that Neo was absolutely stacked. However, Jaune had to correct one little detail about Neo and her profession.

"Actually she's not really a stripper," he told her. "She was just there for amateur night."

Weiss scoffed. "Oh like that really makes it better."

It did in his eyes. Right or wrong, he was glad Neo wasn't a professional stripper. For it to be more of a hobby, or a creative expression of oneself, or even just to make a little bit of extra cash on the side, was something Jaune could understand.

"So you really hooked up with her last night?" Yang concluded. "She called you over to her place and you spent the night. Damn. I gotta say, way to go, champ."

He hadn't admitted as much, but at the same time he wasn't going to deny it when Yang had guessed correctly. So he hadn't done anything wrong, really. It wasn't his fault she was so perceptive.

"Thanks," he offered softly, the smile still brimming on his face.

"So when do we get to meet her?"

"Do we want to meet her?" Blake asked, speaking up for the first time in the conversation.

"We do not." Weiss answered.

"I kinda do," Ruby offered.

"And I totally do," Yang agreed, tilting the voting in favor of yay. Not that it was a vote period, it's not like they all had to agree on whether or not they wanted to meet Neo. "And don't worry about it, Weiss. Just because Jaune's got eyes for someone else now doesn't mean you have to hate on his new love. Who knows? Maybe they could even teach you and Neptune a few things, if you know what I mean."

Jaune knew what she meant, and that was a hard no. He was still so new to it himself that he wouldn't even know how to go about doing what Yang was saying.

Weiss glared at the blonde girl, and it was a stare cold enough to freeze the very blood in Jaune's veins. "If you 're insinuating that I'm jealous because he finally got some girl's attention, you couldn't be more wrong. Neptune and I are fine. There's nothing wrong with taking things slow and being classy. Maybe you should worry about your own love life for once, Yang, rather than meddling in those of all your friends."

Come to think of it, Yang had never really expressed interest in anyone around her. Sure, there were plenty of guys out there interested in her, but she hadn't returned the favor.

"The single life's the life for me," Yang said dismissively, brushing aside the barb Weiss had just sent her way. "And if something comes up along the way, I'll deal with it then. For now though I'm more worried about being the most badass huntress I can be. Right, Ruby?"

Ruby, like her sister, was also very single. Unlike Yang, however, Jaune had never really noticed any attention coming her way. Being on a team with three older and insanely attractive girls would probably do that.

"Yeah!" she agreed enthusiastically, and the two sisters shared a fist bump. "My first and only love is my weapon, and I spend time with it every day."

Jaune smiled. The heat had seemingly been taken off of him now, and had devolved more into a lighthearted argument between Weiss and Yang. Yang did bring up a valid question, however. If, or when, should Jaune introduce Neo to them.

He blinked. Wait, what even was she to him? What was he to her? Could he even call her his girlfriend? Were they dating? Or had that just been a one night stand? Seeing how the first night had been paid for, he couldn't really consider that anything real. Last night, however...

It seemed like Neo had enjoyed herself. Almost as much as he had. It hadn't even been all about sex either. She'd invited him over to hang out and play video games, and that wasn't something you did with someone you didn't want to spend time with. You didn't just game with someone you didn't care about, right?

Then there was the way she cuddled and clung to him after sex. It seemed to indicate to the young man that she wasn't just interested in hooking up and kicking him out when she was through with him. She'd held onto him possessively until early in the morning, when he'd had to replace his body with that of her massive stuffed ice cream cone in order to stop her from grabbing hold of him in a half-asleep state. The only way to sate her need to snuggle had been to make her hazy brain think that it was still him she wrapped her arms around. That had to count for something.

Should he ask? If so, when? The next time they texted? The next time he saw her in person? Would he even see her again? Or had the previous night indeed been a one time thing? Jaune didn't know the answers, and probably wouldn't for some time. He could only hope that Neo hadn't just wanted a taste of him, because he definitely wanted a lot more than one sampling of her.


Neo's morning shower had been immensely satisfying and refreshing. Her body had been filthy, smelly from the previous night's sweat and sex. She should probably wash her sheets while she was at it. It was a good thing she didn't have a job, or at least not a conventional one. She'd have all day to do the things that needed to be done.

Thinking about it, in a way she would be living up to the fake job she'd told Jaune she worked if she did some laundry today. She was a house cleaner, after all. It was true, from a certain point of view. She cleaned homes... of their possessions. Sometimes she cleaned banks of their money. Stores of their valuable and expensive merchandise. She was absolutely a cleaner! It was just that most of that 'dirty' merchandise found its way back to her or Roman's places. That was how she was able to afford a beautiful and spacious condominium in downtown Vale.

Jaune's reaction to the selfie she'd sent him before her shower had been priceless. She could only imagine the look on his face the moment he'd seen it, but the words alone had been enough to satisfy her devious side.

Neo! I can't look at this in class!

Poor boy. She bet he wanted to. He wanted to so badly. However, with people likely sitting behind and all around him, he couldn't risk sneaking peeks of the cutie on his scroll. Maybe he'd have to excuse himself for a little bathroom break in order to take care of the urges she'd doubtlessly flooded his body with. That kind of power and control over another person was nothing short of intoxicating to the girl. She definitely needed some more time with the boy, and not just because she liked messing with him. Despite his inexperience, he'd been very enjoyable and satisfying the previous night. It helped that she'd been in control the whole time, but if nothing else he was an excellent mount to ride until she'd found her own satisfaction.

Neo walked around that condo right now, a bowl of cereal in her hands as she moved from the kitchen to the living room. A little bit after ten in the morning now, it was time to waste the rest of the morning away doing one of the many things she loved. Sitting on the couch, eating cereal, and watching cartoons.

It was a privilege she'd never been afforded back when she'd been Trivia Vanille. Growing up the daughter of a wealthy, and not to mention corrupt politician, things like the cereal that normal children ate was beneath her. Stupid and mindless children's cartoons were beneath her. Eating anywhere but the dining room table was beneath her. Now, however? Neo did what she wanted. She ate what she wanted. She watched what she wanted. Took what she wanted. Spent her time with who she wanted. She had finally achieved ultimate freedom, and possessed the ability to do whatever she liked. Or in the case of Jaune, whoever she liked.

Pulling her legs up on the couch and sitting cross-legged, Neo happily munched down on the sugary cereal, the bowl resting in her lap while she began flipping through the TV channels with the remote in her other hand. Today's brand was the ultra sweet Sugar'n'Spice brand of cereal, and the balance of sugar and cinnamon appealed to the young woman on more than just a flavor level. Like her, it was both sweet and spicy. Neo walked the line between being able to be a complete and total sweetheart, and a dangerous and ruthless criminal. At night with Roman, she could crack some skulls and leave men bruised and bloody if they got in her way. Here and now at home, she was just an innocent little flower enjoying breakfast and watching morning TV.

Turning to one of the cartoon channels, she found a show had just started. Her eyes widened at the colorful character front and center.

The New Adventures of Pumpkin Pete and Friends? she thought. Is this new?

The show may have been new, or at least one she'd never seen before, but the character was very familiar to Neo. Pumpkin Pete, or at least his adorable little face, had been plastered on Jaune's hoodie. And Jaune, being her little bunny rabbit, embodied that logo himself. Now she found herself watching a cartoon with the mascot as the main character?

She definitely needed to buy some or those Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes the next time she went to the store...

With the opening scene finished, the show switched to its theme song. It was as catchy as it was obnoxious, and Neo couldn't help but stare at the TV screen while she chewed on her cereal.

"Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete."

She hated it, but she couldn't look away.

"And his friends, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

And his friends, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

And his friends, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

And his friends."

Neo swallowed her food. Well, this is gonna be in my head all day, she thought with a sigh.

"Ad-ven-tures, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Ad-ven-tures, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Ad-ven-tures, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Ad-ven-tures."

It was too much. Too much even for her. Changing the channel, Neo turned it to the dullest, most boring, and worst possible thing she could imagine in order to counteract the effects of that inane song. The twenty-four hour news network, VNN.

Oh thank the gods for Lisa Lavender's botox-filled face.

Free of that mindless song, Neo sat back and tolerated the mindless talking heads as they discussed the recent White Fang rally which had taken place in the city. Never one to care about politics, probably as a result of her childhood, Neo continued to shovel sugary cereal into her mouth while those on the screen rambled on and on about things she didn't care about.

At least, until the story was over and they moved onto something a bit less heavy.

"And for all you history fans out there, we have some exciting news. A rare and valuable collection from Mistral has made its way to Vale, and starting today will be on public display at the Vale Museum of History. Countless priceless artifacts from the last royal dynasty of the former Kingdom of Mistral will be included, and some of the pieces are hundreds of years old."

The broadcast showed countless items which would have been used or worn by royalty. Jewelry, clothing, even a walking cane. They were pretty, Neo had to admit. But history was terribly dull, and she couldn't care less about who had owned them or where they came from. That sort of pretentious, high society crap was exactly the kind of thing she abandoned when she gave up her birth name.

"Wow, that collection sure is beautiful," Lisa's co-anchor, some dull man in a dull suit, said while trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Oh they sure are. I'm going to have to get down there myself to check them out."

Neo rolled her eyes. News anchor conversation was the absolute worst. They weren't funny, clever, or creative.

Still, better than that song. The song that Neo began to hum in her head as her head began to bop from side to side to the rhythm of it.

She shook her head a moment later. No! Must resist dumb rabbit song!

With her mouth full of cereal, a bit of milk came out of her lips when she'd shaken her head, causing it to run down her chin and onto her tank top. Ugh. What a pain. Whatever.

Dumb rabbit song. It reminded her of Jaune in the best way. While not dumb, he was kind of dopey in an endearing way. He was innocent. Wholesome. The exact opposite of her. And what did they say about opposites attracting?

An idea struck Neo as she cleaned her chin of milk. What would the opposite of wholesome do in a situation like this?

Grinning wickedly, Neo scooped up a spoonful of milk and put it in her mouth. Then, rather than swallowing, she purposefully allowed a little bit of it to slip out of her mouth, coating her lips and chin in white. The rest of it pooled on her tongue, and reaching over carefully she grabbed her scroll and held it up for yet another selfie. Opening her mouth to show off her tongue, she snapped a picture that saw strategic parts of her face and mouth painted white with milk. She examined it, and a few seconds later had typed out a message to Jaune, sending it along with the picture.

Can't wait for the real thing, read her message alongside her smiling face showing off a tongue full of white.

Setting the bowl on the table, Neo kicked her legs excitedly as she silently laughed at the suggestive selfie. Harmless fun at the expense of others was always such a thrill. She loved having a brand new person in her life to share that joy with. Her big, beefy bunny was just the kind of dork who would accept her teasing with open arms.

Still, he was at school and she was at home. Any and all teasing for the foreseeable future would have to be done over the scroll. That was so lame.

Collapsing sideways onto the couch, Neo laid there staring blankly at the TV. What should she do? It wasn't even close to being the afternoon yet and she was already bored. She could watch more TV. Play some video games. Go back to sleep. Maybe get a part time job?

She snorted a laugh at the thought. Yeah, and Roman will run for city council.

She could head down to Junior's club and see what the twins were up to. She hadn't seen Melanie and Miltia much in the past three years or so. Their paths only really crossed when there was business between Roman and Junior. Even after everything that had occurred between them all those years ago, they still managed to put aside their differences and their pasts for the sake of business. Maybe she could reminisce with the twins about old times back at Lady Beat's academy.

Then again she'd been the primary reason the academy had been shut down, so maybe they wouldn't be so willing to be friends.

Sitting back up, Neo reached for her cereal bowl and began stuffing her face with Sugar'n'Spice again. She was almost done with it, and wanted to finish it off before it got too soggy. Wow. What an exciting day this was turning out to be.

Neo breathed a sigh through her nose. Whatever. Guess I'll just stay here for a while. At least until-

The buzzing of her scroll interrupted her thought, and Neo jolted up to grab it. She was eager to see Jaune's reaction to her pseudo-lewd picture.

Her heart dropped when she saw it was from Roman. Not that she hated Roman or anything, but still...

Good morning, Neo. How cultured are you feeling right now?

Neo stopped chewing. She was sitting on her couch half naked with her chipmunk cheeks stuffed with cereal and milk dribbling down her chin. How cultured was she feeling?

Very, came her totally honest response. Why?

It was no big deal for Neo to wear a mask for a night. That was half of what made her Semblance so great. She could be anyone she wanted on a whim. A police officer to throw the scent off of Roman while he made his escape. A secretary to get inside of a corporate office building. A student in order to access a school campus.

She blinked. A student? A school campus...

That one would have to be revisited another time.

However when it came to being cultured, the mask wasn't even necessary. She could play that part from memory. She'd lived a cultured life once. All she needed was a different colored hair and she could wear heels and a dress as well as any high society bitch. Eighteen years in the Vanille household would do that to a girl.

Roman's reply came a few seconds later. How would you like to take a little trip to the Vale Museum of History?

Neo frowned. Her thumbs typed out her genuine feelings a couple of seconds later. Boring.

Then again, it would get her out of the house for a while. On top of that, outings with Roman were never boring. Maybe he had a plan in mind? Something fun planned for the day?

I just saw the most wonderful little story on the news this morning. Apparently there's a priceless collection of jewelry at the museum on display starting today.

What a coincidence. So that was his game, huh? It was certainly different from the typical bank robberies they were used to.

I saw that too. Didn't think you would care about a bunch of old bedazzled junk.

Roman wasn't the type to appreciate history either. He'd grown up a street rat. He'd made his name hurting and robbing people. While he was incredibly savvy and street smart, he wasn't educated in the same way Neo was. And even though she was, she still didn't have an appreciation for history the way other educated people might.

A certain item caught my eye. It might not have a gun built into it, but a certain walking cane would look quite good at my side, don't you think?

So he wanted the cane? Whatever. She was down if he was. However, there was one condition.

I want something too then.

She had no idea what kinds of items were there, having only seen brief glimpses on the TV, but if she was going to make the effort to pull off a museum heist, she wanted to make it worth her while too.

Anything you want. I'll pick you up then. How does noon sound?

Noon. Still over an hour away. Enough time to get ready, but still too much to alleviate her boredom. Oh well. That would just have to do.

That's fine.

Neo hummed as she stretched her arms out over her head. Her day had gone from no plans to heist plans in a matter of seconds. Not that it bothered her or anything. For a girl like her who lived in the moment, things changing on a whim was just part of life. Anything less would be tedious and dull.

Her scroll buzzed again, and Neo grabbed it to view Roman's response. Instead...

NEO! came the all-caps reply of Jaune.

Her lips curled into a grin and she silently cackled at his response to her picture. He'd finally managed to see it, and she could just picture the wide-eyed face he'd made while reading the message she'd sent with the selfie.

Yeah that's right, you'll be screaming my name too.

She'd already managed to make him do that once. The sound of Jaune moaning her name in the throes of passion was music to her ears. Sighing forlornly, Neo rested her head against the back of the couch. Today might end up being a Jauneless day unless she could convince him to come over again at night.

Then again who knew what else Roman might have planned for the day? Casing out a place like a museum in broad daylight took time. Coming up with a plan on the fly also mattered. It was better than doing it at night, when sneaky activity would be very conspicuous. Better to blend in with a crowd and use her natural talents to make a clean steal rather than try to do everything under the cover of darkness.

With breakfast finished and plans in motion, Neo brought her bowl back to the kitchen and deposited it in the sink. She still had to get dressed, do her hair and makeup, and prepare for the day ahead of her. Criminals like her may not have worked real jobs, but the jobs they did needed complete and total preparation. Neo was no slacker when it came to her work. She did it extremely well, and this latest job would be yet another example of that.


That tongue. Those lips. Those perfect, pink, white-covered lips.

Those eyes. Those beautiful, mismatched eyes.

That fist?

Oh crap.

To say that Jaune had been distracted for most of the day would be an understatement. How could he not have been after receiving not one, but two suggestive pics from Neo?

His daydreaming, as a result, had consequences. This particular one came in the form of Yang Xiao Long's fist connecting squarely with his jaw during a training match in Miss Goodwitch's class.

With a cry equal parts pain and surprise, Jaune was sent flying backwards, hitting the ground and rolling for several feet before his body finally came to a stop. When it did, a loud buzzer sounded overhead, signaling the end of the match. Not that he'd stood much of a chance of victory against Yang in the first place, but he at least would have liked to have gone out with some dignity.

He hadn't, and it was all because of Neo. Not that he was complaining or anything, but still. She was the reason. She was the reason for a lot of things the boy was feeling these days...

"Yang Xiao Long is the winner," their professor declared. She stepped into the middle of the fighting arena, and gestured to the victor first. "Miss Xiao Long, a fine job as usual. Keep up the good work, and continue to hone those punches of yours."

The blonde girl smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Miss Goodwitch's gaze then turned to Jaune, who had by now picked himself up off the floor. "And Mister Arc, do try and keep your focus while in the middle of a fight. I don't know what could be so important that you would space out while facing a girl who could literally knock your head off, but always keep that head of yours in the game. Understood?"

What could be so important? How about a beautiful girl like Neo all but saying she wanted to suck him off and swallow his load? That would be pretty damn distracting to anyone with a pulse.

Jaune nodded this time. "Yeah. Understood."

"Good. Dismissed."

With the match over, both Jaune and Yang traveled back to the arena tunnel which led to their respective locker rooms. He was just happy the match was over. Very few people could go toe to toe with Yang and expect a victory. He could count the number on one hand. Or maybe just one finger.

Yang hastened her step in order to come next to Jaune as the two walked. "You alright?"

He nodded again, offering his friend a small smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You did look seriously distracted there at the end," she said, echoing their teacher's words. "Everything okay?"

He appreciated her concern, and gave Yang an even bigger, genuine smile. "Yeah," he affirmed honestly. "Couldn't be better."

Yang held his gaze for a few seconds before a smile of her own crept up on her lips. "Oh yeah? Does this have anything to do with you know who?"

His mouth erupted into a full-blown grin now. How could it not? "Yeah," he agreed. "I've been texting her today."

"Aw, well isn't that just the cutest thing," she cooed. "I'm glad things are working out for you. Honestly I still can't believe you hooked up with a chick you met at a strip club. I mean not that she's a stripper or anything, I remember you saying that. But still. It's just weird from you to go from liking a girl like Weiss to... well..."

To the girl who gave me a lap dance, he mentally finished for her. Yeah, Jaune could absolutely understand just how big of a jump he'd made from Weiss to Neo. Weiss was the epitome of class and grace, while Neo... well, there was nothing wrong with Neo. She wasn't a downgrade. She wasn't any less of a person than Weiss was. However...

He could never see Weiss riding him or anyone else until he was bucking and squirming underneath her, screaming her name while she milked him dry.

Neo was a devious and mischievous girl. She was like a little gremlin or goblin. She used underhanded tactics to win at video games. In place of words, she used suggestive smiles and flirtatious eyes to get him going. In bed she was an animal, but afterward she was a sweet and innocent little cuddle bug. Her sweet and spicy sides were like two sides of the same coin, and she was the very best of both worlds.

"She's really great," he wound up saying to Yang's unfinished thought. "I'll have to ask her if she wants to meet you all sometime."

"Definitely," Yang agreed. "Might be a little weird, seeing how I've seen her fun bits, or at least most of them. Damn," she breathed. "She's got a killer body. Textbook definition of a shortstack."

Jaune looked down as his smile threatened to split his face in half. You have no idea how amazing her body is. But I do.

He'd felt it. Grabbed it. Squeezed it. Tasted it. She was amazing. Every part of her. And now, for some odd reason, she'd set her eyes on him. Not just for a one night stand. Not just to use him and lose him. But she seemingly wanted more from him. She wouldn't have texted him like she had this morning if she didn't.

He definitely needed to get in touch with her and ask her out. Now that Jaune had gotten a taste of her he was hooked. He needed more of his Neo fix.

"Welp, I'm gonna get changed," Yang said once they'd reached the doors to their respective locker rooms.

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Sounds good."

She reached for the door, pushing it open before stepping inside and disappearing. Jaune did the same on his side, and stepped back into the locker room and made his way toward his. He would need to change back into his uniform for the remainder of today's classes.

Before that, however, now that he had a little bit of privacy...

Jaune fished his scroll from his pocket and opened it up. Going straight to his messages, he opened up his conversation with Neo and stared at the pictures. He'd gotten three in total so far. One of her in the bathtub. One when she'd just woken up this morning. And one with her tongue covered in milk asking for 'the real thing'.

She had to know what she was doing to him. She absolutely had to. She also had to be doing it completely intentionally. She was enough of a troll to use her own body as a method of getting to him. If her goal was to get him to think about her all day during classes, she'd absolutely succeeded. A part of him wondered if this was some sort of payback for having to leave her so early in the morning. He'd done so in order to attend class, but now he couldn't even focus on those classes because she was constantly on his mind.

After getting his fill of her tantalizing cleavage and underboob, Jaune began to type out a message to her. He wasn't content with just teasing messages and pictures. He wanted to see her again, and soon.

Hey, would you ever want to go out somewhere sometime?

It was as vague of a proposition as they came. Somewhere. Sometime. No destination. No set time. Just... throwing it out there. Hoping that she would say yes.

With the message sent he figured that he had some time to get changed before she would see and reply to it. That was why it came as a surprise that he heard his scroll buzz as soon as he'd removed his armored breastplate from his chest.

Sure, came her reply.

Jaune blinked. Wow. Really? That quick? That easy? He felt as if a load had been lifted off his shoulders, and his body was reinvigorated with fresh energy. Neo had said yes! She'd said yes! She wanted to see him again!

But now that she had said yes... what should they do? Where should they go? Was she the type who'd want to go out and see a movie? Go out to dinner? Or maybe she'd just want to stay at home and play video games? He admittedly didn't know all that much about Neo and her interests yet.

He knew that she was a house cleaner. That she stripped on the side for extra cash. She was a gamer. So that covered some of the basics. He would definitely need to get to know more about her on this upcoming date of hers. However, first he needed to figure out where they should go...

There's a tea parlor in the city I like. Let's go there.

And just like that the decision was made for him. A tea parlor, eh? So she liked tea? That was something new and interesting he'd just learned about her. Maybe he should ask Blake to educate him a bit on tea before going so that he would have something to say about it.

His thumbs typed furiously on the keypad as he texted his reply. Sounds good. When would you like to go?

Jaune was giddy with excitement. Here he was at school, and rather than getting changed and ready to resume classes, he was texting with his... well, what even was Neo to him? Girlfriend? Friend? Friend... with benefits?

You didn't fuck and cuddle with just a friend. However, they'd only just met and he definitely couldn't say that they were dating. So by default that would make them friends with benefits, right?

If that was the case, that would be okay. However, Jaune was a bit of an old-fashioned guy. If he was being honest with himself, he'd love for Neo to be his actual girlfriend. He'd love to actually be dating her, rather than just sleeping together. That was just another thing he would need to bring up with the time was right.

Busy today, was her reply. Jaune felt his heart sink a bit, but he understood. She had a life too, and he didn't make up the entirety of it. Just like he had a life of his own, and she didn't consume all of it. Him being here at school rather than with her was proof enough of that. How about tomorrow? You free after school?

Free after school. It sounded so sweet and innocent. Like a high school romance. However, so far their encounters had been anything but innocent.

Yeah. Want me to stop by your place, or meet you at the tea parlor?

And just like that he had his date. Jaune beamed with happiness as he stared at the screen, eagerly awaiting her reply.

Meet me there. I'll give you the address. Five good for you?

Five would be perfect. Professor Port's class ended at four, and after that he had nothing but time and freedom. Well, other than homework, but when it came to Neo he would gladly put that off for later.

Five works, he confirmed.

A few seconds later he received a reply, but not in the form of words. Neo had texted him a smiling emoji. One grinning with as much mischief as her own smile possessed, and with slanted eyebrows which Jaune could only describe as threatening. Well, it wouldn't be the first time Neo had threatened him with a good time...

Opening up his own list of emojis, Jaune found one of his favorites. A bunny head, reminiscent of Pumpkin Pete. With wide and innocent eyes, he knew it would contrast Neo's own choice of faces.

Her response was immediate. This time she sent one with wide open eyes and a mouth hanging open in shock. What followed immediately afterward was a seemingly frantic string of text.

Mine mine mine mine mine!

He didn't know what she meant by that, but it filled his heart with warmth nonetheless.

Realizing that he'd spent minutes texting Neo, Jaune knew he had to actually start getting dressed back into his school uniform. As much as he wanted to text the girl all day and night, he still had classes to attend.

Besides, he could text her later. He would have the entirety of his afternoon and evening. Hopefully she would be just as eager to resume the conversation as he was.


An elderly couple opened the doors to their parked car and entered. The man placed his walking cane in the backseat, while the woman clutched her purse tightly on her lap as she took her seat. As the doors closed and the engine roared, the true natures of the two seemingly innocent museum-goers were revealed.

Pink crystalline shards fell off of them like shattered glass, dissipating once they hit the car's seats and floor. And, like with their bodies, the truth of their seemingly mundane possessions was shown to be anything but. Safely away from their rightful home, an ornate cane gilded with gold and encrusted with precious gems was revealed to be lying in the backseat.

And in Neo's lap rested a silver tiara which had caught her eye. Stealing the items had been a breeze for a woman who could be anyone. As such she'd been able to pose as a security guard, knock out a real one, steal his credentials, and then disable the place's security system. Her Semblance had also allowed her to leave fake copies of the stolen items on their display podiums. By the time anyone figured out what had happened she and Roman would be long gone and safe at home.

As Roman made his way carefully and patiently, not to mention legally through the downtown Vale traffic, he cast a sideways glance at the loot which rested on his partner's lap.

"So a crown, eh?" he questioned. "What made you pick that out?"

Tiara, Neo mentally corrected him. Not that a man like Roman would know the difference. He'd grown up a poor and uneducated thief on the streets. Not that a proper education would do him much good in his line of work. Street smarts were all that were needed for him, and he had those in spades.

She shrugged. Honestly she had no real reason for choosing the silver headwear. It just looked pretty. She had grabbed it on a whim. Much like many of her decisions in life, it had been an impulse one. Planning for the future wasn't Neo's forte, and that had worked out so far in her life.

Roman shook his head amusedly. "I suppose all women fancy themselves queens," he surmised. "And now you finally have a crown to prove it."

Indeed she did. Neo lifted the tiara and placed it on her head. Pulling down the passenger-seat mirror, she examined herself in it, tilting her head and judging how she looked while wearing the precious Mistrali artifact.

Damn, she looked fine.

"Now all you need is a throne," Roman continued. "Hate to say it though, but I don't think we'll be able to steal one of those right out from people's noses. Not even with your Semblance."

Neo nodded in agreement. However, she didn't need to steal a throne. After all, she already had one.

His name was Jaune.

Whether it was sitting on his lap while gaming or riding him in the bedroom, Neo had made it quite clear who was on top in their budding relationship. Not that she would be opposed to trying out different things, but when it came to a throne she could think of no more comfortable seat than on her new boy toy.

Neo couldn't help but be giddy over the fact that Jaune had actually asked her out. They would be meeting together for a nice trip to her favorite local tea parlor and eatery, the Laughing Dog. Jaune had been the one to take the initiative this time, and something about that made her unreasonably happy. Normally she was the one in control. That was fine. She liked it that way. However, the fact that Jaune had been the one to make a proposition to her meant that he was absolutely hooked on her. He couldn't just wait around for her to ask him back to her place for another night of fun. He wanted her. He craved her. It was the kind of power which Neo got off on. Figuratively and literally.

Then there was that adorable little bunny emoji he'd used. He really was just all about those rabbits, wasn't he? Her comparison for him was apt and accurate, and he seemed to be unwittingly doing all he could to amplify it.

It brought her back to that infuriating song from this morning. A song which Neo couldn't help but think back to when she thought about Jaune. A song which she couldn't help but think about Jaune when she heard it in her mind.

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete.

Neo's head bopped back and forth to the ridiculous tune, her hands gently slapping her thighs to the beat that only she could hear in her head. She quickly earned the attention of her driver, who glanced over at her again while she played the song for herself over and over again in her mind.

"What are you doing?" Roman wondered. "What song is that?"

They said that misery loves company, and since Roman had been so considerate to ask she would oblige him.

Fishing her scroll from her pocket, Neo opened up her MeTube app and searched up the Pumpkin Pete theme song. Turning up the volume to one hundred percent, she let it play for the man. She would happily hear the song again if it meant making him a victim just like her.

"Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo,

Pumpkin Pete."

The change in his facial expression was priceless. In a matter of second's Roman had gone from blank and neutral to some combination of irritated and disgusted. After only a couple of verses he'd broken, and taking one hand off the wheel he began to blindly swipe at Neo. More specifically, at her scroll.

"Turn that crap off!" he demanded. Neo pulled away from him, protecting her scroll from his prying hand. She silently laughed at his expense as she watched him frantically try to stop the noise at its source all while continuing to try and focus on the road. "I'm serious!"

After a few more seconds Neo decided to be merciful and stopped the music. She saw how even after it was finished playing, Roman wore a scowl on his lips, and both hands squeezed the steering wheel as he made his way through the city.

"Why would you do that?" he grumbled. For funsies, of course. "How do you even know that song?"

Neo tapped the side of her head with a single finger.

Roman sighed. "Well great. Now it's going to be stuck in my head all day too."

She shrugged again. That wasn't her problem, now was it?

"Such a brat," he muttered.

Maybe so, but she was his brat. They were partners in crime, and she knew that not only would he not be able to be so successful in some of his most daring schemes without her, but he would in fact be long dead if not for her. Neo had saved Roman's life once upon a time, and it had been the birth of a beautiful friendship and partnership. That's why he would put up with her selfish and chaotic nature.

Roman turned the car radio on in the vain attempt to get something new playing in his head. Neo knew all too well that this would fail. It may be a temporary distraction, but when he was alone and nothing was playing, the song would return to him. Just as it did with her.

A fairly uneventful car trip followed, and Roman dropped Neo off in front of her condo building. Disguising her tiara as a purse once more, she stepped out and practically skipped into the building and elevator.

What a fun and eventful day it had been. She'd gotten a new accessory. She'd had fun with Roman. She'd messed with Jaune. And she'd made plans with the boy. Neo couldn't wait for the next day. She couldn't wait to sink her nails even deeper into her adorable little bunny. Figuratively and literally.

As the elevator doors closed, the last thing anyone on the outside would have seen would be her grinning lips.


Author's Note: A small break in the action here. More Jaune and Neo togetherness next chapter.

Something I want to say right now is that this story won't be following the typical and canon RWBY timeline. This is something I wish I had decided to do years ago in my writing. Not every story needs to follow volumes 1-3 to the letter, and this one won't. Otherwise you just end up having to try and build your story around a bunch of pre-determined events which have nothing to do with the story you're trying to tell. Like, here's the "docks" chapter of the story. Here's the "painting the town" chapter. Or the "Mountain Glenn" chapter. Cinder doesn't have to be at Beacon infiltrating it to set up the downfall. Roman and Neo would still be operating in Vale without Cinder, and that's what they're doing here. The Beacon students can just have a normal school year without all of that drama, which, let's be honest, leads to the current mess of a story RWBY suffers from.

Anyway, with that being said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. As always, thanks for reading.