THIS CHAPTER WAS HELL TO GET THROUGH!

THAT IS ALL.

-Y.A.R.N.


Yang flipped through another page in the magazine she was reading only to sigh in annoyance. She turned on her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

Yang was frustrated.

In a way.

It wasn't too bad and to be honest it really wasn't unhealthy.

But she was frustrated, and said frustration had to do with her current boyfriend.

The goofy, lovable, charming, and kind white knight, Jaune Arc.

Yang was someone who usually had relationships on the express lane. They were usually quick and meaningless — if nothing else — really just a way to pass the time and suit her body's 'needs' at the same time. That had changed when she fallen for Jaune.

It was already different because it wasn't just dating or some fling to pass the time.

She fell hard — like ton of bricks to the ground hard. They had been dating for a month and Yang could honestly say she wouldn't mind it being like this for quite some time.

Jaune was just awesome like that.

Of course he was always happy to spend time with her or help her. Anything from even just listening her vent after a frustrating class or helping her write notes after Port's eternal lectures, Yang definitely enjoyed the make-out sessions, but of course she usually had at least 'seen' more at this point.

She didn't mean anything dirty (yet) but still, Jaune was supposed to be a hormonal teenager, the guy! Shouldn't he be pushing this? She was practically doing his job for him!

Seriously.

She wasn't obsessed, but it's just that WHY CAN'T HE TAKE HIS SHIRT OFF!?


Jaune sneezed loudly and rubbed his nose, "Oh, excuse me."

Ren who was sitting with him at a library table and going over some notes, nodded absently, "Yeah, yeah... Maybe someone's thinking about you."

June looked up from his homework,"What do you mean?"

Ren leaned back in his seat, "Oh it's an old rumor that someone is thinking of you whenever you sneeze."

Jaune laughed, "People would then be inhaling pepper and snuff Ren!"

Ren chuckled, "Makes people seem a bit desperate doesn't it?"

Jaune smiled, "Maybe we are, but maybe you're right. Begs the question, though, who's thinking about me at the moment."


Jaune slashed another robot and slammed his shield's edge into another. They both fell back and the buzzer sounded.

"Very good, Mr. Arc." Glynda Goodwitch said,

Jaune grinned brightly, "Thank you!"

He wiped some of the sweat off his forehead and began to unclasp his armor as he walked towards Yang, "I almost ran out of time! Glad those two rushed me at the same time."

He set his armor aside and began to pull of his jacket. Yang stared at him but he stopped at his orange shirt.

He turned to see Yang staring at him, "Um... Yang?

She blinked, "Why'd you take off your clothes?"

Jaune smiled crookedly, "Well it's kind hot in here, and I just finished my fight." He leaned back, "Ah~, the cold air feels awesome."

Yang internally growled but out loud, "Why not take your shirt off then?"

Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her, a playful smirk twitched at the edge of his lips, "While it would be nice in an awkward way, l don't want the girls to ogle me."

Yang sighed.


Ruby somewhat surprisingly, somewhat not surprisingly was the first to notice the slight frustration coming from her sister. She noticed it, but she didn't know where it came from. So without any real tact she decided to confront Yang about it.

"Hey sis!" Ruby said as she approached.

"Hi Ruby! What's up? Something you need?" Yang asked.

"Actually I was wondering what was bothering you, you seem kinda stressed."

Yang blinked and then laughed nervously, "What are you talking about little sis?"

Ruby pointed at her sister, "Aha! You were nervous!"

Yang glared, "No! I was not nervous!"

"Methinks doth sister protests too much!"

They bickered and fought until they both walked into the lunchroom. They saw their friends sitting at a table and looking over a pamphlet.

"Yang!" Jaune called out, "Look here, it says that the school is going to bring the classes on a beach hunt! Some sort of aquatic Grimm is harassing the shore cities, we get to pack beach clothes and stuff!"

Yang perked up, "Really?"

On the inside: 'YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!"

Jaune grinned, "It's almost a vacation, we can even use the grilling shack there as a base of operations!"

Nora grabbed Jaune in a headlock and practically sang, "Jauney knows how to grill and stuff so we'll be set to eat and smash Grimm!"

Jaune chuckled despite his slightly strained position, "Yes, Nora I will definitely cook, but can you let go now?"

Nora let go and turned to Ren - who smiled indulgently - Ruby immediately began to ask on the specifics of the trip, to which Pyrrha answered, Yang and Weiss were looking over the pamphlet, Blake was reading her book, and Jaune sipped his soda.


Yang was ecstatic.

Finally, her chance.

She was humming as she packed. Yang stuffed her suitcase full of beach clothes and other necessities for a beach setting. The other members shared slightly bemused and confused looks as she sighed happily as she slammed her suitcase shut.

"Um... Yang? Not that it's bad, but you seem pretty pleased about this. Any particular reason?" Blake asked.

Yang shrugged, "It's been too long since I've gone to the beach."

Ruby tilted her head to the side, "You never used to be this excited about beach trips before..."

Yang shrugged, internally scheming, "Maybe I am just in a good mood."

Weiss shook her head but shrugged, "Sure."

Yang fell into step beside Jaune as they made their way to the buss that would take them to the dustplanes, "So killer, you ready to party at the beach?"

Jaune grinned, "Totally! I got my swimming gear and everything! I even bought some shades!"

Yang leaned in and whispered in a seductive tone, "So... Killer... You anticipating more than fighting an aquatic Grimm? After all you getting to see all of your sexy teammates and girlfriend in bikinis parading around in front of you..."

Jaune flushed and shook his head hard, he obviously hadn't been thinking of something like until exactly this point.

"W-What? N-No! I wasn't! How...I mean no!" Jaune sputtered

Yang pouted and whimpered, "Aw...I though you wanted to...I guess you don't think I am attractive enough..."

Jaune waved his hand frantically, "No! It's not like that, I mean you are fantastically beautiful! I didn't mean to say that I didn't want to see you! I definitely do!"

Yang brightened and smirked, "Oho, getting eager are we?"

Yang laughed at his beet-red face while he tried to put his hood up to hide it.


As Jaune sat next to Yang on the dustplane, he drummed his hand on his knee as he kept his eyes closed, "Just keep my eyes closed, and just keep em closed. Just keep my eyes closed, just keep em closed. Just keep my eyes closed, just keep em closed..."

Yang looked at him, he had been pretty quiet, "Uh, Jaune? Are you alright?"

He smiled, "I have medicine in my pocket but I am trying a new technique to control my nausea, trying not to see the landscape."

"How does that work?"

Jaune smiled without opening his eyes, "Well, I looked into it and motion sickness usually happens when your brain gets to opposing signals, your body is saying you're not moving, but your eyes are saying you are. So by cutting off one my senses, essentially I should be fine."

Yang laughed, "That's just like you."

Jaune pouted, "Yang~" he whined, "You don't know how it is to be motion sick!"

Yang chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder, and Jaune rested his head on hers.

"Still." He said, a smile playing on his lips, "I'd deal with it so long as you're willing to help."

Yang smiled.


"Wow." Was the first word Jaune said as he stared at the beach.

Perfect description.

The sand was a pearly white and the waves lapped gently into the shore. For all intents and purposes it was THE perfect beach. There was a small shack that had a sign labeling it as the sea and salt grill house.

Nora cheered and ran towards it almost as soon as she saw it.

Jaune looked around, "Maybe the changing rooms are in the shack as well..."

Yang nudged him and grinned, "Excited?"

Jaune blushed and looked away.


As it were, Jaune was correct and soon the team was changed into their beach clothes.

Yang almost punched someone in frustration. June was wearing swim trunks and a white shirt over a black armor-weave singlet that covered his entire torso and went down past his shirt's sleeves and his short's hemline.

So Yang was again out-of-luck, though she supposed she could admire the skintight material which outlined his chest and abs quite well. Not to mention she got a kick out of seeing his mouth drop open and his gobsmacked expression in seeing her in a bikini. He flushed and murmured something about making food before running back to the car. She sipped a drink as she watched Jaune grilling some food while he hummed. Occasionally he would glance over and scan the water, looking for the Grimm. After grilling up all the food, he sets a plates for everyone and sat down in a lawn chair and began to eat. Jaune kept his eyes up as Yang snuggled into his chest in her yellow bikini, and Jaune was mumbling about how she was looking 'fetching'.

"I hope no one comes onto the beach today..." Jaune murmured thoughtfully as he snapped out of his Yang-induced daze, "It'll be difficult to locate the Grimm and protect potential civilian casualties..."

Unfortunately, the beach soon had filled up, people made their way to the shack to change and eyed the young teenagers eating and chatting. Many men cast lustful glances at Yang, Nora, and Pyrrha while the women chose to ogle the males in the group. Jaune picked up his sword and strapped it to his back, "I'm going to go for a walk, see if there are any indications of the grim prowling the coast."

He set off and was almost immediately approached by the beach-goers. Yang clenched her fists and her eyes flashed red as some of the bolder placed a hand on his shoulder trying to direct him to their groups.

Ruby noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Relax, sis. Jaune is better than that, besides he cares for you too much."

At that moment, some men swaggered up.

"Hey babe," One of them said as he leaned forward, "Why are you fine women sitting with this one pink-haired kid? Wouldn't you rather be around some more able-looking men?"

Pyrrha sighed in annoyance, Yang rolled her eyes, and Nora had a deceptively sweet smile belied by the fury seething in her eyes.

Ren was - oddly enough - the one to respond, "Considering I know multiple ways to break someone's bones, and this is the best chance to get paid for a vacation I am going to get, I really am not in the mood to deal with someone else's prodding at me, can you go?"

One of the men stood up to the threat, "I doubt that."

Ren sighed and glared at him, "Please tell me you're not about to try to fight me."

The man straightened and puffed out his chest, "What if I am?"

Ren sighed and set down his food, "Nora watch my food."

The entire motion that knocked the man off his feet and knocked him out barely took two seconds, Ren moved under his guard he had hastily thrown up, smashed an open palm into his lower jaw and spun, slamming a back kick into his stomach that sent him flying.

Ren lowered his stance and gazed at the man's friends, "Well?" He inquired tilting his head at the other men.

They quickly walked off and Ren settled back in his chair with a slight satisfied smile.

Nora was about comment when Jaune's shout of "Grimm in the water! Everybody out!" cut her off.


As much as Jaune enjoyed sitting and chatting with his friends, he had more pressing matters to attend to, there was a Grimm that was killing and hurting innocent people and leaving families to grieve.

Jaune was going to kill it, nothing got away with that.

As soon as he got up with his sword and shielth strapped to his back and was about to make his way towards a slightly rocky cliff when he was - for lack of a better word - mobbed. Or at least it felt like it.

"Hey would you like join us?" One asked.

"Yeah it would be awesome if you could!"

"Please, I can show you a much better time! I have a few friends who really want to meet you!"

Several questions/arguments of this nature were directed his way before he managed to slip away from the group with a few apologies about needing to be somewhere else. He jogged to the cliff without trying to make it seem like he was running away he climbed the rocky side and perched himself on the edge watching the beach-goers as the play and splashed in the water. Jaune scanned the water when he noticed a large dark shape lazily drifting towards the swimmers. He grasped the handle of the sword and stood up, getting ready to asses if the shape was a threat. It stopped when it was about 15 yards away. He tensed and glanced at a teen who happened to be swimming when she glanced down and before she could even yelp out a half cry she was tugged under the water.

Jaune drew his sword and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Grimm in the water! Everybody out!"

Jaune leapt of the ledge and dove into the water; his aura glimmering like a star. He quickly scanned the murky depths around him and saw the girl kicking and struggling against a dark tentacle that had wrapped around her midsection and was dragging her deeper. Her body's struggles were growing weaker and small bubbles were slipping past her gritted teeth as she desperately tried to pry off the tentacle.

She was drowning.

'NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!' Jaune roared in his mind.

He swam furiously and shot towards the girl at almost unbelievable speeds due to his aura boosting his speed and momentum. He reached the girl and slashed at the offending limb trapping her. Jaune severed it in one ivory colored slice and even through the now red-filled murky water he heard the howl of rage and pain. He shot back up to the surface with the girl weakly clinging to his neck. As they broke the surface she gasped and sputtered.

"T-t-thank y-you fo–" she began.

"You can thank me later! We need to get out of here!" Jaune yelled as he swam for the shore as the waves began to get larger as something began to rise to the surface.

Jaune stumbled onto the shore and deposited the girl in the surf and told her to run.

He didn't expect the kiss on the cheek that brushed dangerously close to his lips.

He shook his head as if that would clear it of the cobwebs that were forming and turned to face the rising tide.

What came was a massive salamander-like monster.

A Leviathan.

Red lines that seem to pulse with lifeblood swirled in intricate patterns all along it's back and arms, yellow markings were speckled and dashes in the gaps, a bony face plate was connected to the lower jaw, covering the soft fleshy junction that usually would have been vulnerable was a strip of bone. Two vine-like tentacles whipped at the air and with a slight sick sort of fascination he saw one was bleeding from being cut off. At that point his team ran up behind him and he shifted into a battle stance.

"Okay everyone, Weiss can you see if you can keep it on the surface by trapping it in some ice. If you can drag it onto the shore, do it. The last thing we need is for this thing to retreat into the deep to lick its wounds. Nora, you're going to have to play support in this because you won't be able to use Magnahild, even waterproofed it simply doesn't have the capability to be versatile underwater. Same goes for Yang, Blake, Ren, and Ruby. You simply don't have weapons that will work underwater they are mechanical. Weiss and I are probably the only ones that do and I am damned sure Weiss doesn't want to get wet at all."

Weiss huffed, but didn't deny the accusation.

"I'll draw it in, Weiss you need to create the ice for me to run on obviously it will attack, and we have to hope it'll fly into a frenzy rather than be logical. I'll run around it and try to piss it off enough to follow me onto the beach, then we all nail it."

No one was pleased with that, especially Yang, but there was no time to dwell. The twin tentacles on its back stabbed forward with deadly precision and shot towards them. They scattered as the two limb blew a cloud of sand into the air. Jaune ran towards the surf and jumped before he could touch the water's edge. Weiss spun aside and swept her blade over the edge of the water, a blue glyph glowing with frosty power. Ice began to crackle to life like water racing over a rock. By the time Jaune had touched the water, it was already ice and he was running. The beast's red glare fixed on him and its tentacles whipped towards him. Jaune rolled to the side and felt the ice begin to crackle harshly under his feet. Jaune didn't waste any time and sprinted forwards, throwing himself into a jump over one of the flailing limbs trying to pierce him. He landed on the creature's eye and did the first thing that came to mind.

Stab it.

The Grimm howled and thrashed plowing into the field of ice and shattering it into drifting island of the dust made icebergs. Jaune withdrew his weapon from the bloody mess he had made of its left eye and scrambled up the monster's head trying to reach its less armored torso.

He didn't make it.

The monster threw it head up and Jaune was flung into the air, his body flailing wildly. He eyes widened and his stomach flipped in his abdomen as he looked up (or was it down? His mind seemed to be unable to know direction at the moment…) and saw the monster's mouth wide open and it teeth gleaming in the reflective water and shining sunlight.

Jaune fell back under gravity's control towards the open maw.


Yang was mentally cheering when Jaune stabbed the monster in the eye. Then Jaune began to scramble up the face-plate while trying to keep from stumbling sideways.

Then it all went to hell.

The Grimm flung its head up and opened its mouth, and Jaune eyes widened as he began to fall back towards the mouth. Yang screamed a warning just as the mouth clamped shut around the boy, shrouding him from view.

There was a beat of silence as the monster swallowed audibly.

There were several cries of horror and rage.

One rose above them all.

Yang screamed in pure rage as her aura flared and the sand melted into a slick glassy substance that broke as Yang leapt from the bank and began to sprint across the rapidly melting ice, firing blasts at the monster that had just ate HER Jaune. The monster barely registered the blast exploding against its skull as it jerked slightly sideways.

It was going to die.

Yang was going to kill it. Brutally. She would rip it apart with her bare hands.

Halfway across the cracking plane of ice she skidded to a stop as the monster began to howl again and writhe as though it was in intense pain. She recoiled as a part of its back bulged like a balloon before deflating again. More bulges appear and grew closer to the face.

Yang readied to move back, was it some sort of attack?

Then a white light shone through it tightly clenched teeth as the monster howled and blood began to flow out of its mouth. A loud metallic creak sounded and Yang watched in disbelief as a large white fire-pulsing gauntlet and white pulsing sword began to shove the mouth open by brute strength.

Then she saw him, and her heart leapt into her throat.

Jaune was covered in mucus and blood, some of the blood was his – obvious by the multiple tears and cuts from the teeth – but most was the monster's, Jaune teeth were gritted and he was sweating; his eyes were screwed shut as he attempted to hold the gargantuan mouth open. His clothes had torn, revealing red lines from where the monster's teeth had no doubt grazed him as he fell. He opened his eyes and his white aura pulsed more violently around him.

He looked like a hunter.

A damn fine hunter.

"You… freaking… monster…" Yang heard him grind out past his teeth, "Let… me… OUT!"

The last word was punctuated by a roar and an aura enhanced shove that threw the jaw of the beast open wide enough for the monster to roar in discomfort. Jaune seized that moment of freedom and threw himself forward into the water. He submerged for a second before he shout out of the water landing on the same patch of ice that Yang was on.

At least he was clean now.

"Hey…*pant*…Sunfire…" he mumbled stumbling towards her.

She grabbed him and glared at him, "You will never do that again or so help me Monty I will beat you into paste."

With that she made her way across the broken shards of ice and deposited him on the beach. He lay there drained. The monster on the other hand had decided it had stalled enough and it began to swim at a high speed towards the surface. Jaune gritted his teeth and forced his stressed out body to move and his head to think clearly.

"You guys need to get ready to trap it!" he glanced at the heavily panting Weiss Schnee.

His eyes narrowed, 'Dammit. That ice field must have taken a lot out of her.'

"Weiss can you trap that thing with a glyph or some dust."

Weiss grimaced, "Yes but that's going to be it, after that I just won't be able to do any more."

Jaune smiled weakly, "Then we need to make it count… Everyone, Weiss is going to trap the Grimm on the beach! Step back and wait for it then we all deliver as much power into a single shot as possible!"

This time the plan worked out just fine. And the monster howled as one hunters and five huntresses blasted the same area with enough power to probably level a building.


Later in hotel that the exhausted teams were staying in, Yang was realizing that despite this entire trip. She still hadn't seen Jaune even shirtless. She groaned audibly and rolled over only to see Ruby staring at her an inch from her face. Yang yelped and scooted back.

"Okay Yang seriously, what is going on? You been irritated all week and now you're pissed. We even managed to beat that dirty grimm."

Yang sighed, "It's nothing."

Weiss spoke up, "If it was nothing, you wouldn't be so annoyed by it."

Blake asked, "Is it about what Jaune did?"

"More like what he didn't do…" Yang grumbled under her breath.

"Hm? What was that, sis?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing!" Yang said.

Everyone stared at her, not fooled by her shaky rebuttal.

She huffed and crossed her arms, "I am not pissed about anyone!"

Blake smirked, "So it is someone?"

Yang slapped her forehead, "Godammit."

"Soooo… who is causing you all this strife?" Weiss said, "It has to be Jaune."

"He said he was sorry about the monster eating him. Besides, he can't have planned that, it's a miracle he is alive." Blake said critically.

"It's not that! Though I am still pissed about that too." She mumbled the last bit.

"Is he not paying attention to you?" Ruby asked, an eyebrow raised as she opened a pack of cookies and picked on up, "He could only stare at you on the beach…"

Yang pinked a bit at that, "It's not that…"

"Is he acting weird?"

"Did he forget an important date?"

"Maybe Yang is losing interest?"

"He's probably not up to her standards."

"True, maybe he is too plain. She probably wants to let him down easy."

Yang just about exploded into fire from that last one, which was not at all the issue! Of course she hadn't noticed all of her teammates giving her a sidelong glance, trying to push her.

"I JUST WANNA SEE JAUNE NAKED, OKAY?!" she yelled.

The silence after that was deafening.

Then the door open and Jaune burst in, "I heard screaming, is something wrong?"

'GODDAMIT!' Yang screamed in her head.