I'm not dead! I am pretty sorry, but not super sorry. But that's just because I was in Alaska for awhile and that was dank and stuff. Anyways, this chapter was a bitch to write at certain points and at other times it just flowed perfectly for me and I got lots done. I'll keep this short, but there is discussion of sex in this chapter. I'm pretty sure that since you all know you are reading an M rated fic that you won't be offended, but if you are... you don't have to read it. Simple much? Anyways, here it is, Chapter Four of Connections!

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Thanks,

Court

When Jaune woke up, he was quite alone. Blake seemed to be in her bed, which he couldn't help but feel like was for the best. It would have been awkward to explain to the others. He turned around to the center of the room, he couldn't relax looking at a large area. He was met with a pair of lilac eyes less than an inch from his own. He jumped.

"Shit!"

Yang chuckled, "I forgot how cute you are when you're startled, Vomit Boy."

He sat up and Yang jumped up to sit next to him, their feet dangling over Weiss's empty bed. "Well thanks."

"So..." He didn't have to ask what she was talking about. She wanted an answer to her question. Jaune sighed. I really didn't need this kind of stuff this early into the school year. He couldn't get away from the question though.

"I, I think that we should get used to school before we jump into anything like this... I'm sorry." Yang shrugged.

"Did you tell Weiss the same thing?" He groaned.

"Yang-"

"I've got to admit that I'm a bit jealous, but I'm not going to kill either of you. Yet." She let the threat linger in the air. He could hear the shower going, presumably the girl in question getting ready for the day.

"How could you tell?"

"You've got strong fingertips. Weiss was nursing little bruises along her waist and I don't think she has even talked to another boy since we got here. Maybe Ren, but Nora has already got dibs."

"You're smarter than you let on Miss Xaio Long."

"Guilty. Now you should get ready. Classes start in 30 minutes." With that she brushed her lips lightly along Jaune's cheek and jumped down, thumping loudly on the wooden floor.

Jaune groaned and rubbed his eyes vigorously with the balls of his hands. He faintly heard something that sounded like 'breakfast' and heard a door slam. He opened his eyes to his freshly washed partner looking at him. He slipped off the bed and went to take a shower when Weiss stopped him.

"Yang said you had something to tell me?" She walked so close that he could see the slight silver diamonds in her irises and he was inhaling an intoxicating combination of chocolate, from her daily mug of cocoa, and vanilla, most likely from her perfume. Suddenly, they were kissing. The sparks had ignited something deeper within, warming them to the core. She pulled away to line his jaw with butterfly kisses and he took the opportunity.

"We should-" His breath hitched as she nipped at his neck and responded with a bite of his own on her collarbone.

She was panting, "What? Wait to get used to school to get involved romantically?" He reluctantly pulled away.

"Sadly." She pouted briefly, before looking up with a gleam in her eyes.

"We don't have to be dating. We can just ki-" Jaune slammed his lips back into hers, ecstatically grabbing her waist and squeezing tightly. She gasped and he pulled away.

"Sorry. Bruises." He caught her expression and hastily added, "Yang saw them." She nodded and drew him in again. Reluctantly, Jaune extracted himself and walked off to the bathroom. He grinned back at her. "You can join me if you want."

"I already sh-" She realized what he meant and rolled her eyes. Jaune laughed and closed the door.

When he finally emerged from the bathroom, he had five minutes until class. I guess that means no breakfast. He grabbed his textbooks and set off from Grimm Studies with a grumbling stomach. When he finally arrived at the class, he slipped into the only open seat, between Blake and the red-head that Weiss introduced him to the day of initiation. Which happened to be yesterday. Wow. He exchanged a quick smile with Blake and she slipped him a bundle of food with a smirk that he was all too familiar with.

"I love you so much." He muttered as he tore into the bundle. Pyrrha-that's what her name was-looked at them with surprise. Sneaking a quick look at Port who was going on a long monologue about beowolves from the sound of it, Pyrrha whispered to the two.

"How long have you been dating?" They had heard this question enough that they didn't spit out what they were eating or drinking at the time, though Jaune started choking with surprise. Blake let out a small chuckle and pounded Jaune on the back, clearing his throat. He coughed loudly, causing a few heads to turn their way. He waved them off and turned to Pyrrha, whose emerald green eyes were alight with amusement. Jaune smiled sheepishly.

"We're adoptive siblings. So...?" He looked at the cat faunus who looked equally perplexed with their relationship status.

"I trust him with my life."

"And I trust her with mine." Pyrrha smiled as Blake took Jaune's hand and squeezed it, causing him to smile back at her and give her a quick one armed hug.

"I sense there's a bit of a story behind this." She gestured vaguely to the two. Blake and Jaune shared a bemused look.

"You could certainly say that." Blake chuckled.

"We have ti- Why are we raising our hands?" Pyrrha looked at the front of the classroom, where an irate Weiss had her hand straight in the air. Port pointed at her.

"Very well Ms. Schnee. Go prepare and when you return, you will face the mysterious beast!" Weiss stood and walked towards the door but stopped to talk with the three at the back of the classroom.

"Thoughts?" She pointed at the crate that Port had pulled out of a large utility cabinet. Jaune shrugged apologetically.

"I'm a tactical genius. If I knew biology and all this other stuff, I'd be a general in the army right now." He chuckled but Blake recognized the off timing of his joke that implied it wasn't really a joke. He'd done that when they accidentally broke the couch when they were 16. She had to ask him what that was about later. Weiss rolled her eyes and looked desperately at the other two. Blake shrugged.

"If I had to give a guess, it'd be a boarbatusk." Pyrrha nodded and grinned at the faunus.

"Exactly, the crate has the correct dimensions for that or a beowolf and it would be next to useless to have a one on one spar with a beowolf since the only threat they have is when they are in packs. Plus it smells like a boarbatusk." She wrinkled her nose at the musky smell. The rest of the group gagged at the brutal smell. Weiss ran out and Jaune followed her five minutes later, excusing himself.

He finally caught up to her as she exited their room. "Weiss!" She didn't face him.

"What!" It was more of a statement than a question. He caught her as she tried to storm past him.

"Whoa there Ice Princess. Talk to me." She jutted her chin out in defiance.

"Why? And don't call me that." Jaune felt a wave of protectiveness.

"Because I'm your partner! It's my job to make sure you're in tip top shape in and out of battle. Now talk." Weiss glared at him and tried to push his hands away, but found herself pushed against the wall before she could get very far.

"Let me go." She was quivering in anger.

"Talk to me first."

"Let. Me. Go."

"Talk to me."

"Jaune."

"Weiss."

"I need to get to class."

"Then talk to me."

"Dammit! Fine."

"I'm going to let you go. Don't run or you won't get one of these for awhile."

"One of what?" He kissed her, pushing her against the wall. She was about to deepen the kiss when he pulled away, his hands pinning her to the wall at arms length. She whimpered, her voice quivering.

"Fine." He let her go and she leapt at him but before she could find his lips, he stopped her.

"Weiss!" He warned. She punched him in the chest and gave up.

"Dammit! I don't know how to kill a boarbatusk!" She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. He couldn't stop his hand from cupping behind her head and pushing her closer to him.

"Well what do you know about Grimm? Armor wise."

"It's white and their non-armored hide is dark."

"There you go. You can figure it out from there." He let her go and walked back to Port's class.

"There you are! Where were you?" Blake looked at him with wide eyes, which was the equivalent of her hanging onto him with worry. Jaune shrugged and pointed at the front of the classroom where Weiss was preparing to fight the assumed boarbatusk. Pyrrha looked up curiously.

"What'd you tell her?"

"Nothing. I just helped her realize that she knew how to beat it." As he finished talking, Port opened the crate and, true to Pyrrha and Blake's guesses, a boarbatusk burst out of it and charged Weiss. Quickly, Weiss summoned a glyph in front of her and as the boarbatusk ran over the mark, it was launched up on a trajectory for the back wall. Before it hit, Weiss held up her left palm and barked a quick word, causing an icicle to shoot out and impale the creature to the roof, black blood dripping onto the desk of Professor Port. Blake and Pyrrha gazed at the creature of Grimm thoughtfully, as though they wanted to try their strategy, while Jaune's attention was focused on Weiss who was calmly listening to Port rave about her potential. She glanced at him and caught his smug expression and rolled her eyes before paying attention to Port again. He clapped her on the shoulder and sent her back to her seat.

"Well class, that was a remarkable display of skill. Homework, explain why and when boarbatusks are most dangerous in the field, due next class. Dismissed." As the rumbling in the classroom grew, Weiss joined Jaune, Blake and Pyrrha as they departed for their next class with a certain Professor Ooblek.

When they arrived, Weiss let out a groan of annoyance as she saw who was talking to Ooblek. The latino boy from before was in a heated discussion with the professor about dust and the difference between refined and nonrefined dust. At least that's what Weiss said when they asked her about the conversation that she was hanging onto. They sat down next to a blonde girl who Weiss seemed to know and seemed to actually kind of like named Annabelle, Jaune thought. Jaune wound up next to a dark haired boy who was watching the latino who was apparently Leon talk with the professor. Eventually Ooblek sent Leon back to his seat and started class.

"Hello and welcome to History of the Vale. I am Professor Ooblek and I will be your teacher for this semester..." As Ooblek droned on and on, Jaune felt his eyes closing as if weighed down by small lead weights. Beside him, the raven haired boy was in the same boat, being lulled into sleep by the lightning quick voice of Professor Ooblek.

He was suddenly woken by a sharp jab into his rib-cage and blearily looked up at the disapproving face of his partner. Next to him the blonde had woken the boy who had also fallen asleep with a sharp, "Percy!" Percy jolted awake, grasping at his pocket and when he didn't find what he was looking for, glanced up the the girl who was holding a golden pen. He groaned.

"What? I just sat down to a plate of my mom's cookies." Jaune noticed that Annabelle was trying to be annoyed but had a faint smile playing on her lips. Percy noticed and grinned.

"I see that smile, Wise Girl. You know you love me."

"Not enough to teach you a lesson. I'm partnering up with Weiss for this project. That leaves you with Lancelot here." Jaune looked up at his nickname. Weiss nodded when he silently asked if he was going to be with Percy. He groaned.

"What's the project then?" The Blonde laughed.

"No idea." Percy groaned.

"Fine. We'll ask Leon and Reyna." The two girls walked off as Jaune rubbed his eyes blearily with the palms of his hands. Percy shook his head and got up and returned with a pair of tanned teens, one of who was the hyperactive Leon from before. He was tinkering with something that was glowing with the color of ice dust, the pale blue reflecting off of the welding glasses he wore on his forehead. The girl behind him walked with something of a noble grace, her onyx eyes harder than stone that were fixed on Jaune with suspicion and a single braid over her left shoulder.

"Jaune, this is Leon," he gestured at the grinning boy who waved enthusiastically, "and this is Reyna. You guys, this is Jaune. He's a good guy so stop with the glaring, Rey." Reyna glared at Percy.

"Don't call me that kelp head." Leon grinned and wrapped arm around the girl.

"Yeah, only I can call her that." Reyna rolled her eyes but had the ghost of a grin on her face. She elbowed Leon, earning a whiny "Queenie!"

"What do you need help with guys?"

"Everything." They sighed in false disappointment.

Leon and Reyna turned out to be an amazing help. They had already almost completed the project due to Reyna's great memory and the sheer speed that Leon could do everything, so they were able to help Percy and Jaune finish quickly and when they turned the completed assignment into Ooblek, the professor dismissed them and they chuckled at Weiss and Annabelle who was actually Annabeth who were still working on there project, earning a few dirty looks from the pair of girls. Leon called her that, much to her chagrin, so Jaune was under the incorrect impression that she was named Annabelle.

Jaune noticed that Blake and Pyrrha were no longer in the classroom, so he sent a quick text to Blake asking her to meet him in the forest that they first met in. She replied, asking him to meet her on the roof and directions on how to get there. He excused himself from the three people with him and went up to the roof, climbing to the highest level of the level and hopping out a window that was roof level and following the roof to were Blake was. He tried to sneak up on her but she turned around and fixed him with her angry stare. He stopped sneaking around and walked up to her, opening his mouth to utter a greeting but she beat him to the punch.

"Why didn't you mention that you were offered an army position? You didn't even have to come here!" Jaune gestured at the roof, asking her to sit with him as he sat down. To his surprise, Blake joined him.

"Because it was my- our dream to go to Beacon. I didn't want to give that up."

"Why?"

"Do you even need to ask that question, Blake? We both know the answer and I know for a fact that you would've done the same for me if our positions were reversed."

"I-I need to hear it." Jaune smiled gently and brought Blake into a one armed hug.

"Because we have always been there for each other, because I trust you more than anything, anyone or even myself, because we've done everything with each other and I want to keep it that way. But more than anything it's because I love you." He looked over at the faunus who had tears in her eyes and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you too, Jaune." They sat there for awhile, happy as they looked over the school that was awash with the auburn colors of the sunset. Blake picked her head up from his shoulder and pecked him on the cheek. He smiled back at her.

"Jaune?"

"Hmm?"

"I-i'm going into heat in the next month." Their cheeks flushed deeply.

"Y-yeah?"

"And I... want you to, y'know, help me with it?" Blake couldn't take it, she cast her gaze down to the roof top. Jaune lifted her chin gently and kissed her on the lips. She could taste the orange candies that he used as mints on his lips. She smiled from the familiarity. He drew any and pressed his lips against her forehead and took her head in her hands, looking to her eyes.

"Of course Blake. I mean, it's not like we are new to this." She bit her lip.

"But we're going to be in the dorm. Weiss and Yang might hear us and then they'd be really mad." Blake knew that Jaune had something with both of them. She could tell, the way their gaze lingered on him when he was not paying attention. It was similar to how she looked at him and she knew it.

"We can get a hotel room in Vale. It's not exactly prime tourist season right now or in a month, so we could get a nice room and do that jazz there. Probably during a weekend, so we don't have to get up early." Blake nodded. The last time they did it, they had school the next day and they were super late and had somehow played it off as a late-night movie marathon.

"Penthouse? With a view?" Blake smiled up at him and he grinned back.

"There's my kitty cat. And of course. The scholarship from the academy left me with quite a bit of cash of my own since I didn't pay a cent, so I could easily pull the Queen's Suite in the Turbinsky."

"You better deliver, it's rude to get a woman's hopes up and not deliver."

"Then I'll make reservations for each weekend next month when we get down."

"Speaking of that, should we?"

"Nah. Let's skip lunch. And Battle Tactics."

"We should still go to Battle Tactics, we need to get our preliminary rankings."

"Stop making sense."

Their laughter echoed across the rooftop.