Chapter 6: Incidental Interim and Progression of Plan Pleasure.
It was a peaceful night of well-deserved sleep for the members of Team RWBY. They'd studied hard and finished the exams with exemplary marks. This was a moment to savour.
No longer would they have to spend countless nights cramming their brains full of study notes and knowledge that would vacate the space within a matter of moments. There was no more pressure to prepare for the arduous exams that had stumped and driven other, older students mad or worse. And there were no more classes to run for the rest of the semester! Just three weeks to spend however they see fit.
And right now, most students saw sleep as a matter befitting their spending.
The professors were being unusually lenient in letting them come to class when they have nothing left to teach for the term. They allowed students to come to class to spend time with friends, or prepare for the following semester, and even allowed them to roam the grounds or visit the town if they wished.
This was all at the behest of Professor Ozpin, of course. He realised how strenuous the last month or two has been, and that the students must simmer down, cool off. With a casual shrug and a sip of his favoured coffee, he allowed the student's to 'Do as they pleased', at the End of Exams Assembly.
And the three members of Team RWBY would be doing as they pleased right now – sleeping – had they not been awoken by a loud yell and the quiet shutting of the door. They shook themselves awake, sporadically,
"Huh, wha?" Yang slurred leaning over the edge of her coverless bed; in her fiery-heart orange tank top and dark shorts.
"Uggggghh! What is with the racket in here?" Weiss exclaimed from her tidy bed, grumbling into consciousness, lying in her ice-white nightdress, that she had many of.
"Wha? What's going on? Huh?" Ruby rambled as she sat up in her teetering perch, a fantasy book of Blake's flying across the room from when she'd fallen asleep reading last night, wearing her usual dark, Grimm singlet and polka-dot pyjama pants.
"Would you quiet down?! Some people are trying to sleep here!" Weiss yelled at her young leader, shoving a pillow over her head in order to get some peace and quiet.
"Sorry, Weiss! I'm just confused is all." Ruby whispered back apologetically,
"Oh calm down the two of you, we're all confused and slee-PPPPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Yang finished with a yawn. She flopped back onto her bed, and tried to return to her blessed dreams.
"Hgh, I'm sleepy because this cretin decides to stay awake at unbelievable hours with as many people as she can rope in!" Weiss replied, staring icy daggers through the bottom of Ruby's bed into her brain.
Ruby frowned at her partner's cold words,
"Why can't you ever be nice, Weiss?"
"I don't need to be nice, I'm tired!"
"Well so am I, but I still give you the courtesy of apologizing!" Ruby heatedly retorted.
Weiss scowled as she knew her partner was right, and that she was being rude unjustly. But really, she just didn't enjoy the reminder of how the two of them were trying to be better friends, and Weiss was the major obstacle.
She huffed to herself and folded her arms childishly,
"Enough." She commanded quietly, seething in silence. Ruby smiled gratefully, it was as close to an apology she was going to get from the cranky heiress, and was pleased to have this tirade end.
Yang rolled her eyes at them both, remarking how this was usually how their arguments worked out nowadays. She then flopped over the side of her bed and dangled down, trying to see if her partner was awake, and willing to brew some coffee since it seemed they wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
But for the other two, all that remained now, was returning to sleep without another disruption.
"What racket?" Yang had said from Blake's bed, the transition happening without the duo's notice.
'Oh right.' The Red and White partners thought.
"The scream and the closing of that pesky, creaking door." Weiss answered.
"Hm…" came Yang's reply, as she stepped towards the window and looked at the ledge.
"What's wrong Yang?" Ruby asked curiously. She and Yang had always been close ever since they became family, and so they could tell what the other was wondering with close precision, just from how they acted or spoke, or didn't. Right now, Ruby could tell that Yang thought something was wrong; and if that's the case, Ruby wanted to know whether or not something would attack, or be broken.
"Blake's not here, and we all heard the scream that woke us up…" she left open-ended. Not really needing to finish her thought.
This surprised the other two members of the team. Upon inspection it was true; Blake was missing and her bed was a mess. The two immediately sprung to their feet and searched the room fully. The mini bathroom, the closet, under the beds, the vent, anywhere.
Blake was nowhere to be found, and it wasn't like her to run off without telling them where she was going – apart from that one time, but she had her reasons. All was good after that one.
Whilst Ruby and Weiss began to panic at the possibility of her running away again – or worse happening to her – Yang was unusually calm. Even though it did frighten her with the venomous possibilities, she wasn't entirely worried. She'd gotten to know Blake better as she was her partner, and so trusted what she knew of Blake when looking for clues.
'Detective Xiao Long is on the case of the cat-napper!' Yang couldn't help but exclaim to herself with a grin.
With that Yang began her search for stuff that may help in finding Blake. She reviewed the scene and what she could gauge:
Blake was absent, without any info or notification about where she may be. She was very polite and formal, and would never, ever, just leave without a given reason, or somebody knowing why it was. Despite the fact that she was very quiet, she always managed to say stuff. This didn't look right.
Her bed was tousled and disorderly, Gambol Shroud lay strewn across the top, forgotten. Yang picked it up, inquisitively. Blake was the most organised person she knew. She wouldn't leave her 'resting place' like that intentionally. Either she was forced to leave it like that – by abduction or otherwise ruthless venture – or she, for whatever reason, wasn't acting normal. Also, it smelt funny. Kind of like sweat and something else. What's more, she left Gambol Shroud behind. Whatever happened to her, it wasn't consensual. She would never leave her precious ribbon behind. Ever. Clearly something was wrong.
Her scroll was left beside her bed on the makeshift nightstand, so contacting her wouldn't be an option. Maybe she left something on there that could tell Yang something about what had happened to her. After skimming it a minute she found nothing useful for finding Blake (but if she did find her she'd have ample teasing material), and continued her detective work.
Her book was not on her bed, like it normally would be; but rather splayed on the ground beside it, like it was dashed aside. That was very unlike Blake. She cherished books almost as much as she cherished Faunus equality, or her own life, there's no way she'd do something like that. In class they once spoke about book burning riots, and Blake had almost cried. She hid it well, but Yang could see, she was on the verge of tears. None of this looked good.
It looked like Blake had left in a hurry, and without her wanting to do so. Although this was true, it was not for the reasons her teammates believed.
For the reason, sat right outside the door.
Yang began to look around more cursorily. There were no signs of a confrontation or dispute. Nothing was broken or worryingly out of place. Perhaps Blake's super ninja skills ended any possible damaging attack? Who knows? There were no sounds of a fight, and nothing looks like it had been messed with, so she probably wasn't in a fight.
Looking for more clues, the fiery blond peered out the window for any signs of a struggle or activity; on the grounds, along the ledge, anything. As she gazed, she examined what she knew.
The curtains were open and the window was closed. The ledge along the outside was neither chipped or smeared, or had any imprint whatsoever on it. There were no fleeting shadows in the distance, or along the visible roof, so it didn't seem likely.
However Yang didn't take any chances and opened the window to a chilling breeze, that frazzled everyone in the room.
"Uggggggh, the air's cold!" Ruby whined childishly.
"Oh stop it, you're not helping." Weiss replied, not feeling the cold as severely as her partner, though she wore less clothing.
Yang ignored them both and shimmed out onto the freezing ledge and lunged up to the roof in her ill-covering pyjamas. Yang barely even felt the cold, her passionate soul ignited within, hoping to find her friend. She reached the roof ledge and hauled herself over, easily.
She scanned the area for any signs of life, but the place was spotless, and absent of any fleeing cat-nappers or Faunus or any actual cats. 'Where could she be?' Yang thought, exasperatedly. It was becoming more nerve-wracking by the moment, and she found herself running out of ideas, and clues.
"Rats." Yang sighed and swung back down into her dorm room, and returned to Ruby and Weiss beginning a search party plan to find Blake.
"Ok, we'll round up our friends and sent them out in pairs-" Weiss began.
"And we need to be sure to check anywhere and everywhere Blake might have gone-" Ruby interjected.
"Before that, we'll issue them all a list of ways of how to find her-"
"Like her favourite spots; foods, stores, people she knows, other stuff…"
"And then we'll appeal to her sense of fraternity-"
"And then we could ask her nicely to-"
Although it seemed like a unanimous brainstorm of strategy, Yang knew they were both having two different conversations about the same thing, but just so happened to coincide nicely.
'Sooner or later they'll begin to say stuff that the other one doesn't agree with, then realise that neither one was really listening,' Yang commented passively, 'they're like an old married couple, honestly.'
With that she gazed at her partner's usual sleeping space, wondering where she was, or what she could be doing.
'I just hope she's ok…'
Just outside the door of Team RWBY's dorm, Jaune found himself in a very peculiar predicament.
Jaune was not accustomed to having a girl – an albeit very attractive girl – hug him before. Sure he'd been hugged by his mom and a couple of relatives, but, it wasn't the same. There was his one Faunus friend, who was a girl, who was a lot like Nora when it came to affection, but still that wasn't the same as this.
Blake was crying. For what he didn't know why. He immediately thought he'd done something to upset her, and the only knowledge he had of when a guy upset a girl and she started crying and got closer to him, she would then slowly start hitting him before attempting to beat him to death.
Jaune tensed at the prospect of a barrage of curt, fast punches, but was surprised to find she just cried into his shoulder, her body quivering with her sobs. He then immediately put his arm around her and comforted her as best he could. He'd seen guys in movies do this, so he'd just do as they did. It seemed to work out for them.
"Shh, Blake, it's ok… Don't cry, please, it's ok… There there…" he whispered to her.
What Jaune didn't pick up immediately, however, was that Blake was not crying because she was upset, but because she was happy. She'd never received kindness like he'd given her. Not as a child, rioting with her fellow Faunus, and not as a concealed Faunus who preferred solitude and reading and honing her acrobatic and stealth skills to eventually become a huntress.
As a Faunus, she was privy to abuse and scolding glares and venomous remarks for being who she is; and as a huntress-in-training she was accepted for what she can do, but was otherwise neglected in terms of love. Jaune knew of her dual-life. He is aware of both sides of her. Jaune knew her as two halves, and accepted her as one whole. He loved her all the same. Even in his own small way.
It may turn out to be nothing, but a sliver of hope had slipped into her heart, and ignited itself minutely, waiting to be evoked. 'It's not love, but it's a start.' Blake thought, smiling into Jaune's shoulder
His declaration was the first step (of many, Blake suspected) of alluring Jaune to mate with her, willingly. She did not want to force the issue, or pressure him into anything – that would be horrible, unthinkable – but, there was no way she would not lay with him. And if it was consensual, that would make her feel a whole lot better when it was all over.
What's more, it helped assuage her nerves about the situation. Knowing that he cares, now when she's still competent enough to think clearly, is best. She'd hate to steal something so valuable as love-making from him before he can decide what or who it is he desires for his first time.
Jaune pivoted and sat up on his knees, still keeping Blake's forehead in contact with his shoulder, and hugged her gently. The feel of his warm, firm arms wrapped around her brought her great comfort, and cooled her thoughts to the smooth temperature of a midnight oasis. She felt at peace, which was a lovely change from her recent behaviour and imagination.
Without warning Blake moved forward and sat Jaune back down by sitting in his lap, locking their embrace tighter. She enjoyed Jaune's large hands gently petting her unruly hair and slim back. She nuzzled into him a little, sharing the heat of herself with him, and Jaune reciprocated; a blush running to his face and chest at the gentle cuddling taking place.
He was willing to comfort her, but wasn't entirely well versed in situation practise like this. Or anything really. The moment was foreign to him, and so he just continued what he was doing. He spoke soothing words in a caring whisper, and gently, but firmly, rubbed her back. Blake tingled with the very welcome feeling of Jaune all around her. She revelled in Jaune's essence as her body quivered from her sobbing, and wished this feeling could last forever.
She knew of course it wouldn't, but right now, she felt entitled to wishes. After a long while her tears ended and her breathing returned to normal, but Blake stayed in the warm embrace. Then her mind began to turn more heated, and then she began to act.
She opened her eyes to see Jaune's broadened chest; well-defined after his months of rigorous training with Pyrrha, and just being a student at Beacon helped as well. Every day was an exercise in one way or another. He was finally learning how to keep up, and it showed. Blake brimmed with eagerness as she smiled into his shoulder.
She then began to examine her chosen-mate's physique: he was quite impressive. He wasn't huge or buff like Cardin or any of the veteran students who strutted around flexing like it was as necessary as breathing, but he was still very pleasing to look at. His arms and shoulders had become lightly toned and surprisingly powerful since his arrival to Beacon, and his thighs and chest gained a bit of alluring volume as well, that accentuated his slim physique. Blake couldn't see it, but she knew his abs and buttocks would be so excellent they would be simply irresistible.
She purred in delight.
Jaune held Blake until she relaxed from her crying and loosened his grip on her slowly, without her even knowing. As they stayed like this he began to calm down, and also cooled his instinct to feel her soft skin, and smell her hair. He had no idea what was wrong with him, it was possible the emotional moment may have affected him more than he realised.
He wiped away the stinging tears that fell down his cheeks as the Faunus had cried her anguish out to him. He was no good when somebody else began crying, because him and his stupid conscience couldn't allow anybody to cry while he was alive and breathing. He's always been like this, and had never managed to grow out of it.
He was glad Blake had stopped crying and would like to get some answers, but he thought it could wait. They were both immensely tired. He breathed in deeply and gazed down briefly at the young woman before him.
Jaune caught Blake with her eyes wide open and staring at his arms and body all around with a rosy blush on her cheeks and his own face took on a blush several shades darker.
'So she's doing it too, huh?' Jaune thought wistfully. While he was unfamiliar with people taking an interest in him, he knew what it was others were staring at. He did, of course, see the physical progress he's been making, after all. It is his body.
Ever since he's started to take his training seriously, more and more people have been looking at him during and in-between classes and at lunch and dinner. He was used to people staring; whether from gossiping or not, but this was completely different. Almost the opposite. Before people looked at him with pity, now people looked at him with interest and surprise. Quite a lot of the guys would check him out and be surprised with what they see, and some would even compliment him on his efforts. That was strange.
But then Jaune would often catch girls – who used to cat-call him when he was walking with Pyrrha or Ruby, or who teased him for not being as strong as their boyfriends – staring intently at him while his back was turned, or when he'd bend over to pick up something for somebody else in the cafeteria. Once or twice, Pyrrha had done so too, but managed to cover it up before anyone could actually call her out on it. He could've sworn Yang and Ruby, and possibly even Nora had done so as well. But that was probably a trick of the light that he saw when he was half-way upside-down. Still, that too was strange.
But now Blake? The silent blade? The mysterious, knowledgeable Faunus-in-hiding Huntress-to-be? 'Black Panther', as he often referred to her, but only in his own head – for fear of being mutilated by the Faunus girl and The Snow Angel – was taking an interest in him? That was really strange.
While it did perplex him, Jaune smiled in spite of himself. He had his friends to thank so much for, and would be remiss to think, even for a second, that any of his advancements were self-directed or self-caused. His friends and teammates had done so much for him without asking for anything in return (usually) and he wouldn't be around if it weren't for them. They've sculpted him – both physically and intellectually – into a deserving hunter-in-training worthy of attending Beacon Academy. More or less.
Or at least that's what the others keep saying about his progress. He still thought he was a slug compared to their brilliance. While true, they were brilliant, he had indeed been made quite competent by his team and friends, and could not be more happy or appreciative. It's also kind of why he doesn't call-out on any of his friends he caught looking or making comments or being rude against him. They've helped him immeasurably, he's not going to get upset or pushy when they decide to be a little malicious. So far as he's concerned, they can do what they like to him, he was that grateful.
If only Blake knew that, she may have found her venture much less taxing.
While he was ok with the idea, it was still weird to be here doing this so Jaune attempted to speak to her,
"Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr~"
Jaune went wide-eyed and stared at Blake's contented face, her cheeks a blossomy pink. 'Did she just purr?' Jaune asked himself. He swallowed the lump in his throat that materialised as suddenly as Blake's purr had, and spoke in a constricted voice,
"Blake?"
Yang sat on Blake's bed agitatedly, listening to her sister and her partner argue about how neither of them had listened to a word the other had said,
"How could you not have heard me? I explicitly stated-"
"I was listening, I just didn't really absorb what was said-"
"How could it be that you ever got anything done? If you can't absorb a simple set of instructions-"
"I just ramble on without really listening, you know that Weiss, so just calm-"
"Every time Ruby! Every time! It's amazing we ever get anything done."
"I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP!"
Yang sighed, pumping her leg up and down against the floor, her anxiety building as time passed without any action being taken to find her partner. They've been going on like this for ages. A good ten minutes she'd say.
She dropped in on the argument as they were discussing what they should do to find Blake, and just so happened to slip in what could've happened to Blake, and then found herself solely responsible for the train-wreck that ensued. Yang tried once again to try to steer it towards leaving the dorm room to actually find Blake,
"Hey guys, shouldn't-"
"Ruby, you are the most… GAH! You're an infuriating person you are!" Weiss screeched more than she's ever done so before.
"I'm only trying to help, why are you being so difficult? All I did was make a few suggestions, and you didn't even hear what I had to say!"
The two were right in one another's faces, glaring each other down like feuding Grimm, hands on their hips and one another poised for action. Yang huffed angrily as her hair began to glow with her omnipotent power. If these two didn't stop soon, things were going to get ugly.
'I can't take this anymore!' Yang screamed in her head.
"GUYS!"
"QUIET!" came the younger of the duo's cry.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" came the icy decree of the heiress. Yang was effectively silenced and sat back in the funny smelling bed, her glow gone and her hesitance took over. 'Maybe Blake can wait a little longer…' she amended, reconsidering the damage that she could accidentally cause.
With that one last outburst, Weiss stood up straight, huffed and spoke softer than she had for the last few moments,
"Look, Ruby this is getting us nowhere."
"I know Weiss, but I was worried about Blake so I-"
"I get it, Ruby… Truce?" she offered hopefully. Ruby smiled weakly and nodded,
"Truce." Weiss nodded back and the two turned to Yang.
"So what's the plan?"
"Me? The two of you had it covered, why am I-"
"Because you caught most of what we said, and since neither of us can be trusted with devising a plan…" Weiss ended on a lilt, hoping that Yang could control the situation.
"Well, ok, let me just get it all down in my head…" Yang said, trying to stabilise her thoughts to list what had been said. Her memory was excellent, so she just had to scrounge around for a bit.
"Right, well, while you do that, we'll get dressed." Weiss added, turning to her uniform-like dresser system.
"Right." Ruby agreed, crouching to get out her own Combat Skirt apparel.
"Right…" Yang added, limply scrounging around for her brawler clothing. 'Oh boy.' She thought with a sigh.
Back outside Team RWBY's dorm, Blake turned her head up to peer into Jaune's sapphire gaze, lightly flicking her bow against his chin in the process. He looked deeply confused, and actually a little scared. Blake has seen that expression before, many times. Each one bringing with it a painful reminder. But she ignored that completely, for now she wished to know what it was her Dear Jaune wanted from her,
"Yes, Jaune?" she uttered deliberately slow, her eyes half open in an enticing attempt at offering a little extra promise to her loving male. She noted how close their faces were and had to bite back her urgent desire to capture Jaune's lips with her own. She reached up and twiddled with a strand of hair that blocked her view of his gorgeous eyes. She swore she could let go of life's worries and just swim in the vastness of his cerulean orbs he called 'eyes'. They were stunning.
Jaune was more so confused by this action of hers,
"Are you feeling ok?" he asked concernedly.
Blake took her time in peering into Jaune's eyes, and made a very intense connection; thoughts whizzed through her head of Jaune making love to her and staring into her soul with those bottomless blue eyes. It made her tingle all over, and especially in one place.
She shook herself lightly from the thoughts to say,
"Just fine, Jaune, thank you."
He looked at her eyes as well; large golden irises shrouded and clouded like the gaze of a blissful child. This was unusual. Her eyes were normally sharp and cunning, or calm and scrupulous, but never before had he seen them unfocused as they were now. This worried him about her,
"Are you sure? You're not acting like you normally would."
Blake was taken-aback by her man's statement and she found that she was indeed not acting as she normally would, which she swiftly disregarded as her Heat acting up. But when she dwelled on that last thought she did a double take of her status. She was acting differently.
She was wrapped around Jaune like a Snugg-let; the annoying close-fitting blankets that also allow for people to use remotes or read a book without leaving the warmth of a blanket. Her senses were going haywire in absorbing… everything about Jaune. And her body was just… She didn't even want to think about what her body was doing.
Suffice to say it was amazing and terrible at the same time.
The close contact and the emotion of the moment must have accelerated her Heat temporarily. Her Heat was becoming stronger, and more clever it seemed. It had overpowered her during a moment of weakness regarding ITSELF, which means it will begin re-influencing her mind rather than just section her out until the deed is done. And she'll be otherwise powerless to stop it.
"Sorry." Blake said as she peeled herself away from Jaune and sat back down on the cold wood floor of the Hall, the time of night aloft in the cosmos and the usage of a formal plan becoming less and less likely of being used at all.
'Well, at least I got touch down.' Blake amended in her head.
Blake fixed her hair a bit and regarded Jaune like he was an unexpected visitor, speaking as softly as she dared,
"I'm just… dealing with a lot of weird stuff right now, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you…" she spewed out apologies like a crippled Dust-Plane spews out smoke, or like a Grimm that had it's intestines ravaged by a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe – like Gambol Shroud for example.
"Yeah, no, no it's fine." Jaune complacently, but confusedly remarked. Blake did not want to move too quickly with her impromptu plan, and she tried to diffuse what she'd built herself to venture through. Jaune returned to looking at the foot of his dorm-room door – doing as he'd promised and waited for her to speak when she was ready.
Blake's Heat mind then bombarded her with endless torrents of imaginations and ideas and comments she found very lewd and unbelievably expansive.
Jaune was just trying to wrap his head around what just happened, it was so bizarre. Blake was acting seriously strange, and jumping about both physically and emotionally. Like the gentleman he always is, he sat in wait for when she'd be feeling better. The two sat in silence for a long moment.
While Jaune was always a perfect gentleman (at least he thought so) he did want to gain some progress for his troubles. So he then tried to move the situation along, seeing as how they'd both like to go to bed.
"Are you feeling better?" Jaune asked concernedly, after about seven minutes of silence; his mouth pulled in a wondering frown.
Blake turned stiffly to glance at him and frowned as well, doing so because it saddened her to see him upset. Why was it the man she has chosen to lay with is sad? Was it something she had done? Or something she hadn't? Hmmm… She then wiped the frown from her face because it caused Jaune to frown even more, and soon it would become an endless cycle until something drastic needed to happen.
'And that wouldn't really be a bad thing…' Blake thought. She stifled her clean/dirty thoughts once more and then composed herself enough to answer.
Her dirty/clean mind then threw out something and it gave her pause. She considered doing what was suggested and found nothing wrong with it, so then followed up on it. She leaned her head to lay on Jaune's shoulder,
"Yeah I'm feeling better." She replied calmly. This reassured Jaune and he smiled brightly to see that his friend was feeling better again. Blake was happy to have assuaged her urges for contact and reassured her man- her friend that all was well. The two sat in silence once more.
The two seemed to be in a cycle of being in each other's presence in silence. But this time it was calm and pleasant.
In the silence Blake pondered about her current situation, and it made her laugh at how incredulous it was. 'This is not going at all how I imagined this going.' Blake thought, shaking her head in amusement. 'But it could be a worse… The plan is gaining progress, and Jaune is proving to be a… pleasant choice. Hahaha.' Her soft chuckle escaped her lips and Jaune, for once, said nothing. Blake looked at him and wanted to hear his voice once more. It wasn't asking for too much and would satisfy her… for now.
Within the dorm room, Team RWBY had cobbled together a quick-smart plan to search for their teammate from Yang's recitation,
"So we'll go wake up the other Team across the hall-" Yang began to list to her teammates, all fully dressed and combat ready.
"Check." Said Ruby enthusiastically holding a pail of water.
"Affirmative." Said Weiss with her beloved blade set to 'Dust Ice" on the spinner.
"-Then we brief them on the situation; Ruby you won't panic, and Weiss you won't shout-"
"Yep."
"Sure."
"-Next we tell them our game plan and how to find Blake; her favourite spots, her favourite classes, foods, books, tuna dishes, whatever-"
"I've got the maps!"
"I have the lists."
"-After that we group up and search Beacon then Vale-"
"Team 1 will check the school."
"Team 2 will head out to the nearest Dust-Plane to head to the city."
"-And Team 3 will go tell the Teachers what's wrong." Yang said flatly.
"You may not like it, by they can definitely find her faster than we can." Weiss stated matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, haven't you seen, they monitor us…" Ruby added conspiratorially, spinning around to catch any one of the monitoring devices the teachers have in place.
"Yeah, whatever." Yang shrugged as she wracked her brain for the rest of the instructions.
"After that, it should be all hunky-dory. You both ready?" Ruby said with determination that one might not think was possessed by the young woman. Driven by the determination her two remaining teammates nodded, and did their last checks of their weapons.
"So, why're you up so late?" Blake wondered, still sitting oblivious to the turmoil she's caused behind the door she sat at.
Jaune chuckled nervously before he said, "I was on my way to bed after a late-night training session." His lopsided grin returning as if it never left. She mentally grumbled at how his insides weren't turned against him right now, and allowed him to relax. But at the same time she marvelled at how the world lit up when his teeth shown through his smile; however briefly.
"Oh." She responded, lamely.
She then thought that was too weak to leave as a response, and so she added on,
"Gee, Pyrrha seems to ride you pretty hard."
She didn't mean it the way it came out. The words escaped her mouth before she could even register what she was saying. She went wide-eyed in shock when she understood what it was she'd said and then mentally strangled herself for being so stupid.
Jaune however was oblivious to the real meaning behind her words, and answered with a chuckle,
"Yeah, she does, really hard, but she knows what's best for me."
Blake on the inside froze in realisation before was laughing her head off, while the Blake on the outside was struggling down a fierce blush.
"But a little pain is nothing compared to the benefit of it."
Blake was sure she'd implode if Jaune dared to say even one more thing.
And if that wasn't enough Jaune added on,
"It's tough, but I'll take what I'm given."
Blake was practically a split-personality disorder patient at this point, she was so conflicted. She was on the verge of laughing like a maniac outwardly while she also didn't want to respond in any way. Jaune of course hadn't seen her adverse reaction and continued on, wistfully oblivious,
"You know my dad says-"
"STOP."
Jaune turned to look at her beet-red face and guessed that he had done something wrong, and maybe he should probably stop talking,
"Alright I'll stop." He said, defaulting to apology.
Blake didn't mean to be rude, she just had to stop her mind from exploding. Blake then got the feeling that she'd screwed up and should leave before the situation gets worse. 'I've done enough for one night.' Blake thought.
Jaune, however, just thought she was trying to make conversation; something that was strained by their lack of interaction and experience with one another. Jaune thought it would be best if he just came clean and spoke to her honestly about their situation.
She made to get up when Jaune spoke,
"Look, Blake, I know that you and I are… not great friends-"
"Don't you dare say that." Blake sharply reprimanded. Jaune was taken-aback,
"What's wrong?"
"We're excellent friends, you and I, Jaune. Never forget that." Blake spoke with cold eyes, trying to implant the notion that, he and she are not supposed to be opposed. That would make the… spectacle especially difficult.
"Are we though?…" Jaune began, casting his gaze downward. Blake was silenced. She had seen this look of resignation many times before, but did not want to see it this close to home. This close to love. She sat back down. That's when Jaune began to speak with a renewed, buried vigour,
"It's not like I don't want to be friends, I just…" he took a moment to breathe deeply, steadying his reply,
"…I would like us to be better friends." He ended quieter than when he began. Blake was saddened by his words. In hindsight, it was true, he and she were not great friends, but they were both great people, who were friends. But that didn't exactly equate as it should have. He was forlorn for friendship, and it felt like, to him, that Blake was just starting to open-up.
Everybody else of the two Team's RWBY and JNPR; plus some other individuals, he'd managed to form a connection with, become friends. And of those closest to him, Blake was the last one to become a true friend.
'A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet. Well then how come my friend is still basically a stranger?' Jaune thought exasperatedly. He glanced at her form once before turning away again and continuing his thoughts,
"Blake, let me be the first to say that I think you and I need to work this out."
Blake was honestly not expecting this.
Blake hardly trusted herself to answer at this point and so tilted her head, like a quizzical cat. Jaune continued, huddling into himself,
"You and I, I and you, us. I don't like not knowing you enough Blake. Or you knowing me enough. I tell myself it's fine, it'll work out, but really, all I can do for you is sit here and watch as something torments you, and there's nothing I know I can do to make you feel better about it." Blake's eyes widened as it dawned on her what it was he was saying. It was true. Neither one of them really knew anything about the other one. And that was just… sad. She frowned as she agreed, subconsciously, that he and her did not, and do not, get along.
"It kills me to see you suffer, Blake… I cannot forgive myself for it." He said, carrying a great weight upon him that resonated in his voice. Blake looked down at the floor as she was ashamed by knowing she was causing somebody as pure and kind as Jaune pain. She was beginning to think that she shouldn't even be mating with him at all. It clearly was not going to work, he and she just weren't compatible. She began to think of a way to back out of her plan, and this relationship too.
But that's when Jaune surprised her,
"I think, you and I, should start spending more time together." He said resolutely, staring her bravely in the eyes. Blake was stupendously surprised by this. And it showed. Her expression was pretty funny; Jaune would have laughed if he weren't dead serious.
On the outside, she was surprised, shocked even. But on the inside, she was electric. A window of opportunity has presented itself, blind-sided her even. And a windy spark had flown in through it and re-ignited her fire within like a towering inferno. Her plan was going to fall into place if she was quick. But she mustn't be too quick. She has to handle this just right otherwise he might retract and be even harder to cajole into mating.
Her mind was made up, and she waited for the moment to strike.
She did however deliver an answer, her libido caged with the promised man promising time to her,
"Doing what?" she said softly, trying so hard not to pounce on the first suggestion.
Jaune shook his head to show it didn't need context, "Doing whatever, but you and me, I'd like to better friends."
Blake tilted her head once more,
"You'd like a Team of Better Friends?" Jaune could only shrug to this. He looked away for a long while, and Blake became a little antsy. She needed it, badly, but she needed to play it properly. One wrong move, and the game was finished.
Jaune than said in a voice heavy with assuredness,
"If there's anything you need me for, I'll be there for you." He said, looking deep into her eyes and implanted another toe-hold on Blake's heart.
"I'd like you to know that, but there's more." Blake's ears perked at this. It was her way of saying 'Go on' among trusted friends – or her teammates and Team JNPR. Jaune took one last resolute breath and said,
"We should do something tomorrow. Just you and me. Get to know each other, become better friends."
Blake found this far too good to refuse,
"Yeah. I'd like that." Blake smiled sweetly, and Jaune smiled back. On the inside Blake was a virtual thunderstorm. She had done it! She's secured Jaune for an entire day! A perfect chance to enact her fantas- plan for Jaune in regards to her natural desires.
Blake was beginning to plan all the fun they could have 'getting to know each-other' when Jaune tacked on to his last statement,
"Plus, we have three weeks before Semester Holidays, so… we've got plenty of time."
Blake thought about what he said, "Yeah, yeah we do." She said, her thoughts going far and wide to fit in three weeks' worth of juicy, amazing, unbelievable things for them to do.
But there was enough time for that, later. For now, they both needed rest.
"I look forward to tomorrow, Jaune." Blake smiled brilliantly.
"So do I." Jaune smiled, although weighted by his tiredness. Blake stood up and hoisted Jaune up after her, feeling the wondrous ripples of his arms all the way from her hand. Blake tried to change the subject in her head to allow Jaune to leave and have his hand back, and quell her Heat-influenced voice while she was at it,
"Goodnight Jaune. And see you tomorrow." Blake said regally. Jaune bowed gentlemanly,
"Mmmm, good evening my good madam, and I hope to see you tomorrow for… uuuh… Fun Stuff." Blake chuckled at his poor attempt at an aristocrat voice.
"Bye Sir Jaune, Knight of the Vomit Table."
"Hey!"
"Hahahah."
They both smiled at one another and turned to go to their respective dorm rooms.
That's when Blake just remembered something vitally important,
"Hey Jaune?"
"Hm?"
She stepped closer to the blond knight, got up on her tippy-toes and kissed Jaune chastely on the cheek. On the corner of his mouth.
With the final checks of their equipment complete, Team RWBY minus the B were ready to set out on their search.
"Everybody's ready, let's go!" Ruby proclaimed energetically.
"YEAH!" Yang cried, ready for adventure."As you lead."
Weiss added and turned the door knob and opened the door to the hall.
"Thanks, Jaune, for being there. Even when you didn't know how to be."
He giggled nervously and blushed deeply from his outburst. Blake giggled at his giggle. When he composed himself enough he said, in a lacking voice,
"Yeah, anytime." With a shrug and a scratch of his neck. "Not for the kiss, but for, you know… Being there." He then closed the door firmly, stood wondrously for a minute or so, and then waded over to his bed and fell upon it, extremely exhausted from his full day. 'Boy it feels good to rest.'
You better enjoy it Jaune, you're going to need it. For Blake remained outside, in a daze of her own imaginings and expectations; all of which was filled with Jaune.
The ebony-haired Faunus turned to her dorm room's door and peered at the base of the wall in front of her, her mind cast further from her surroundings,
'Touch, Taste, Sound, Sight, Smell. All done.' Blake mentally whispered.
"Target acquired." She muttered to herself, with a wicked grin.
Weiss, Ruby and Yang opened the door, and found a very peculiar sight.
Sorry for the late update. But look, extra-long chapter!
Odds are I won't be updating in the next couple of weeks, school's going to become more demanding as I disregard it to follow my imagination of the Faunus and the Knight. I'll update as often as I can, but, school takes priority. Sorry guys :(
Also, my sister gave me a cover image, which is good considering I certainly wasn't going to make one. (Although she doesn't read the story, just giving peripheral support) It's good, it suits the story well-enough, but it isn't exactly what I was hoping for. But it's still cool to put a face to this story.
Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to roosterteethfanatic for being awesome for considering my work awesome enough to be in the 'Best of RWBY Fanfictions' community. That is seriously tremendous, and only after 2 or 3 chapters in. That was a serious boost to my self-esteem.
If you haven't had a look at the community, you should. It's the quickest way of discerning the 'Best of…' without having to trawl for yourself.
I also took the liberty of re-uploading a few of the previous chapters, fixing a few things that would make it better.
Have a good life.