Disclaimer: The following is a nonprofit fanfiction of RWBY. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum(RIP) and Rooster Teeth. Any likeness to writings of others is not intentional. To help with improvements: Read and Review!

AN: Hello readers! Jitters coming at you again with another update to Fate & Destiny.

It was the middle of the night and Pyrrha couldn't sleep. Turning to the others, she watched as they slept without any problems. Why was she unable to join them in sweet slumber? Her partner and leader.

Now why would that be? The reason was because of his choice of sleepwear. While the blonde would usually use the blue onesie, there was a recent accident involving tree sap, one of Nora's grenades (again), and the showers in their dorm. To make it short, Jaune's blue onesie was sacrificed as a means to clean one of Nora's messes. So where did that leave him?

Sleeping in nothing but his acolyte robes with the blanket kicked off. His very loose acolyte robes with no undershirt that easily slid off in his sleep, exposing the middle of his chest and torso with the moon shining on his body.

'Damn tease!' Pyrrha's hormones cried as she eyed her leader's form. 'Move. …Move. …MOVE!'

As if she had telepathy Jaune had moved in his sleep, the robes sliding off his shoulders and exposing his whole chest for her to ogle.

'Nipples.' She gulped, gripping her sheets to her chest.

Feeling herself get too caught in, she decided to distract herself with a certain book. Using her semblance once more to open the trunk and sneakily getting her book out, she took out a flashlight and began the next chapter.


Chapter 2

His name is Jaune

Early Morning – Market Square

Jaune

The blonde farmer had walked into town with a basket of his family's fruits of labor to sell. He and his siblings would wake extra early to finish their chores for days like these. It was the weekly street market where farmers and other vendors would set up shop in the streets to sell their goods.

Today, his family's harvest was bountiful. Not only were the crops fresh and abundant, the wool he collected from sheering the sheep was well maintained and clean, the cheese his sisters had been curdling was fine, the milk was rich and creamy, and the eggs were fresh. Rolling his straw mat out and putting on his straw hat to shield him from the sun, he set up his area across from the carpenter and the butcher.

"Morning." He greeted the two men he was used to seeing on this time.

"The lad of the hour!" The butcher boomed, laughing while playing with his moustache. "A fine haul you have today, my dear boy."

"Thank you." The blonde waved while placing the goods in a neat order. "Come by the usual time. Mother's separated our shares for trade."

"Bless her soul." The carpenter said with a hand to his chest. "When you're done setting up, come here for a bit. I have a good catch I'd like to trade for some fine wool and cheese."

Peter the butcher was a portly man who would come over to the farm once in a while to buy off some of the cows and chickens after new ones were born. And in return, Jaune's family would get a good pricing on the other meat being sold. As for Bartholomew the carpenter, he would come by to have a trade of service. Bart would mend any broken fences and rotten wood, and they would give him wool and vegetables in return. They were a close group who helped one another survive in the cruel deserts.

One thing Jaune had learnt growing up, was that connections are key to surviving in a society. The two men were nothing more than a small time pork stall and an unnoticeable woodshop with Jaune and his family starting off with nothing but dirt and some seeds. But after catching some wild animals, growing life out of the dry and dead lands, and offering a helping hand to the two; they had made a living and a bond that couldn't be broken so easily. The butcher had more variety of meat, the carpenter had food and cloth to have his work more presentable, and Jaune and his family gained discounts and labor from the two men. It was a partnership that had lasted years since the move, and it was what kept them all with a roof over their heads, food in their plates, and a bed to sleep in.

As Jaune was about done setting things up, the butcher took note of a glint on the farmer's hand.

"I say, my boy." Peter said while eyeing Jaune's hand. "Where did you acquire such a ring?"

"A ring you say?" Bart piped in, walking over to see Jaune's hand. "What's this? Has our young man gone and found himself a girlfriend?"

"Hah!" Port guffawed, slapping his knee. "I thought I'd never see the day."

"Hey!" Jaune blushed in embarrassment and feeling insulted.

"Come now, Peter." The carpenter patted Jaune on the shoulder. "What woman wouldn't want to marry him?"

"I meant no offence." The butcher waved a hand in apology while dawning a look of disappointment. "But even in my age I can see what women prefer nowadays."

"What do you mean?" The blonde asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Well Jaune." The man coughed into his hand. "The women nowadays aren't like they used to. Once upon a time a lass would jump at the chance to marry a farmer. Heck, they'd jump at the chance to be with a man who had a job and a home! But not these days."

"No, the women today are different." The portly man sighed, looking to the skies. "They much rather prefer adventurers and traveling minstrels of the like. But what they do chase after the most are the men who walk in the temples. The soldiers and children of the king."

"Preposterous." Bartholomew scoffed, spitting at the very idea of it all. "It's not love they're after Peter my old friend. They're after safety and comfort. Selfish is what's going on. It's why I'm happy Jaune's sisters are nothing of the sort."

Jaune was no stranger to infatuation and any feeling of the sort. He had once tried to court a girl working the bakery, but he was rejected countless times. One day he had gone off once more to try and ask her once more for her affection, but instead he found her weeping father and mother sitting at a table calling out for her. A soldier had taken interest and wooed her immediately. She had accepted in a heartbeat and was taken away from her parents. To this day, he still hadn't gotten himself a girlfriend he could bring home to his mom.

"So who is the lucky girl, lad?" Bat asked, snapping Jaune out of his thoughts. "To get a ring so early. Woof. She must think highly of you."

"I-I don't have a girlfriend." He admitted with a heavy sigh. It had gotten him new stares from his two friends.

"So why the ring?" Peter asked, trying to change the subject. "And where did you get it?"

"It was my dad's." Jaune lied, playing with the item of subject. "I'm officially eighteen now, so I'm marked as an adult. Plus I hoped wearing something of nice fortune would attract more customers to our area."

"Ah." The portly man nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "True. The other vendors gain more attention wearing their fine jewelry and such. Perhaps we should try it ourselves, aye Bart?"

"None for me." The man declined, walking back to his stall. "A carpenter working with fine jewelry on? You'd sooner see a cow stuck in a hole."

"I guess you have a point there." Peter agreeing while looking at his shop. "Now that I think it over, a butcher cutting with jewelry on is a preposterous sight. Looks like it's just you then lad."

"I'll be sure to point people your way." Jaune assured the two, taking his seat as the citizens were starting to walk the streets.

Hours later

"Fresh ribs! Fresh pork! Fine beef and tripe!" Port shouted over the crowds. "Go home with fresh meat for a nice meal! You sir! Meat? We have a fine spread today."

"Tables! Chairs! Quilts and beds!" Bartholomew shouted, attracting a few customers. "Nicely crafted with a good cover. Nothing but the finest sheep's wool and cotton at the use. How is it ma'am? Is it to your liking?"

While the two men were having a good sale, Jaune was nearly selling out on all his goods. People were clambering for his goods as they came at a good quality and at a cheap price. Other vendors had gotten the highest attention at the start, but after comparing the quality and prices, the citizens had turned elsewhere and were hooked by the trio.

After handing off the last of his goods he brought into town, he pulled a bell out from his pocket and rang it to get the people's attention.

"Sorry folks." He apologized, pocketing the money in a leather bag he kept under his arm. "That's all for today. Come next harvest. Same place, same price."

As the people walked away with some disappointed in not getting anything, Jaune sat down to watch his friends and clean up. After putting his things away, he noticed he had finished early with enough time to spare. Taking out a guitar he brought with him in case of dry business and boredom, he tuned it while plucking a few chords. As he made up a few tunes, there was a glint he had caught in the corner of his eye. Turning to the source, he saw two of the soldiers that were chasing him the other night, Mercury and Pyrrha.

Whatever noise was had in the market was quickly silenced after people noticed their presence. The only one not staying quiet was Peter as he was happily selling to his customers. The jolly man's demeanor soon turned to dread the moment the soldiers stopped at his stall.

Pyrrha

The redheaded soldier walked in silence while eyeing her half brother cautiously. After the night's failure, he was not in a good mood when morning came. None of her siblings were in a good mood at all today.

While walking into the market, she was relieved people had calmed down the moment they were spotted. Her relief then turned to hidden dread as Mercury's attention was on a butcher who was happy for his sales. Hearing him growl, she followed close while matching his pace to make sure he didn't do anything too rash. As they were now in front of the man's stall, she felt guilty seeing the jolly man's mood become blue.

"So what seems to be on the highest recommendation today?" The gray haired man asked with a raised brow.

"Um… well …the beef ribs are a fresh pick." The portly man gulped, motioning to the items hanging by a hook. "Came from a healthy cow. Not too young, not too old."

"I'll take it." Mercury sniffed, pulling out his money. "Have the ribs separated, would you?"

"O-of course." Peter nodded, unhooking the meat and placing it on the cutting board. Taking out his cleaver, he was about to process the order, but was stopped by the customer shouting.

"HOLD IT!" The soldier ordered, stopping Peter mid-swing. Pointing a finger to the man's cleaver, he asked with narrow eyes. "What's that?"

"My cleaver?" Peter asked, pointing to his tool of trade.

"Yes." Mercury nodded with a smirk on his face. "A cleaver. A fine tool for cutting meat up, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes." The man nodded slowly, trying to be cautious. "It is."

"Also sharp enough to chop a head off?" He asked, his voice sounding sinister and threatening.

Pyrrha knew where he was going with this and didn't like where this was going. Just as she was about to pull him away from the innocent man, someone had called out to them.

"Hey!" Turning around, the two soldiers saw a man with a straw hat and a guitar in hand standing up straight while looking in their direction.

"A minstrel." Mercury muttered, walking up to him with chest puffed out.

Jaune

The blonde farmer didn't know what had possessed him to shout to the two. But seeing Peter about to be wrongly murdered was something he couldn't sit by and ignore.

"A minstrel." He heard the gray haired soldier huff while staring at him.

Did the man really think he was a minstrel? Looking over his items, he could see how he could be mistaken for one. His goods were sold out, so the only thing on him was his leather bag, a straw mat, an empty basket, and his guitar. As the soldiers walked up to him, he had to control himself from trembling on the spot.

Pyrrha

"Are you talking to me?" Mercury asked the musician after getting up close.

As Pyrrha watched, she felt as if she knew who the man was. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to see under his hat to see his face but failed to do so as the shadows covered his face. Her action did not go unnoticed by her brother.

"Is there something wrong with your head?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"W-what?" The minstrel asked in return, placing the guitar in front of him.

"Your head." Mercury repeated while pointing to the man's hat. "Is there something wrong with it you don't take it off in front of us?"

"N-no!" The man gulped, shaking his head furiously.

"Then show some respect." Her brother said with gritted teeth, while grasping the man's hat. "And take off your hat."

As the minstrel's face was revealed, Pyrrha stood with hidden shock to see the man from last night. The blonde man who had escaped her sight. The very same man who vanished before her very eyes.

"Much better." Mercury chuckled, tossing the hat aside. "So you're the one who called out to me, right? What is it?"

"Don't you think you're being unfair?" The blonde said in a small voice. It was low, but the people were still able to hear it and gasped at what he had said.

"So I'm being unfair, am I?" The male soldier said with a raised brow. "And what makes you think I'm being 'unfair?' Am I being unfair for serving justice? Am I unfair for following the king's orders?"

"No." The blonde said in the same low tone.

Mercury couldn't see it, but Pyrrha did. There was shift in the minstrel's composure. He was standing more tense with his grip on the guitar tightening. Even his tone was small, but she noticed his teeth were gritted.

"So who are you to say I'm being unfair?" Mercury spat in the man's face.

"But that man is a butcher." The blonde protested, looking into Mercury's eyes. "It's his job to cut meat. You even told him yourself for him to cut the meat. Were you expecting him to cut it up with his fingernails? That would take all day to finish."

After he was done, Mercury's bangs covered his eyes as his shoulders trembled. Pyrrha was amazed someone would stand up to a soldier as such; and a mere minstrel of all people. The people around were watching with a few averting their eyes in case the soldier was about to snap. But what happened ext astounded them along with Pyrrha.

Mercury laughed as he clapped a hand on the minstrel's shoulder.

"You're right." The soldier coughed, patting the blonde's back. "It would take days for my meat to be ready."

"Butcher!" He turned to Peter. "Apologies for the slight against you. Continue on and I'll be on my way."

Nodding his head, the butcher did as he was told and gave the order to Mercury.

"I hope to see more of you too, minstrel." Mercury said to the blonde with a grin on his face.

After that Mercury had walked off to go back to the temple, leaving Pyrrha to do what she wanted. Turning a corner, she peeked over to the blonde as the butcher had jumped out of his stall to pull the minstrel into a hug.

"You magnificent lad you!" The portly man cried with tears of joy. "You stood by me and saved my life."

"Jaune, you magnificent boy." Bart patted Jaune on the back with a proud smile on his face.

As life came back to the streets once more with people patting Jaune on the back, Pyrrha turned away to have a nice walk.

"His name is Jaune." She said to remember his name. It was so simple a name; and she liked it.

Evening - Temple of the Sun

After taking a walk around the area, Pyrrha had returned to find Mercury in the process of shooting arrows at servant who was standing with an apple on his head. From the arrows lodged everywhere but the servant, she could tell he was not doing so well.

"And how was your day?" He asked her, pulling another arrow back and taking aim.

"It was …peaceful." She commented, not turning to look at him.

"I bet you enjoyed it, didn't you?" He seethed, releasing the arrow and watching it sail close to the servant who flinched in fear.

"Excuse me?" She said, not liking his tone.

"That damn minstrel." He clarified, taking another arrow and readying his bow. "Humiliating me in front of all those people! Next time."

Releasing, he watched as the arrow hit the apple. The servant had fallen unto the floor in fear after realizing he wasn't dead.

"Next time." He snarled, quickly pulling another arrow back and aiming for the servant.

Releasing, the arrow was about to hit the servant in the heart but was stopped by another arrow intercepting its path. Turning behind him, the man able to run on air saw his half-sister with a bow in hand with the quiver still shaking.

"Don't take your anger out on the help." She shook her head.

Walking away to her quarters, she locked her doors to not be disturbed. Looking out into the city as usual, she used her eyes to find Jaune. Scanning the whole area, she found him sitting on a caravan with the butcher and the carpenter. From the looks of things, the butcher was inviting him to his home; a nice farm with farm animals all around.

She saw the smiles on their faces as they chatted. She wished someone of her age would smile and laugh with her while sharing stories like the three men were doing. Averting her eyes from them, she went to her bath to clean herself for the night. Maybe she would see him again the next day, and maybe she could talk with him in private.

Jaune – Farmhouse

The three men cheered as they celebrated the great profits of the day. Jaune's mother and two sisters were laughing as Peter retold the tale to the three women.

"-so the lad says: Were you expecting him to cut it with his fingernails? That would take all day to get done." He laughed as the others joined him.

The shares were split, their bellies were fed, and the two older men had gone off to their respective homes after another cup of fresh milk and some fresh baked pastries by Jaune's younger sister. As the girls cleaned up for the night, Jaune sat on the table with his mother.

"I'm proud of you Jaune." She smiled sadly while grasping his hand. "But please, don't do anything like that again."

"Mom?" He said, not believing what she was saying.

"I know." She looked down in shame. "But you were lucky that soldier was merciful today. Next time, he may not be so."

"But mom-"

"Please Jaune." She begged, squeezing his hand. "You're strong, but not like them. You're not a warrior. You're my son and a good boy. I don't want you to die."

"I'm sorry mom." He sighed, pulling his hand away. "But I cant do that."

"Jaune!" She snapped, not liking his answer.

"I'm going out for a walk." He muttered, walking out the door and not turning back.

Desert

He was furious. Of course he knew he wasn't a warrior. He wasn't a minstrel either. He was a farmer. A lowly farmer. But to be reminded of what he wasn't and by his own mother too was enough to strike a chord in him. He liked being a farmer, but the way he was looked down on was something he couldn't accept. Turning to the temple, he spat in their direction in distaste.

Looking to the ring on his finger, he remembered of the power it held. Today he had saved a friend. But maybe he could do more. Just like the fates remained to be unseen, maybe he could do the same. But first things first: He would need to train, and he'd need to do it unseen.

Gripping the ring in his finger, Jaune had vanished like the night before. He would be more than a farmer. That he was sure of.


Closing the book at the end of the chapter, Pyrrha rubbed her tired eyes as she felt herself feeling drowsy. After putting the book away and locking her trunk, she turned to her clock to see it was two in the morning. It was fine since it was a weekend and they weren't planning on doing anything.

Turning to her leader, she saw he had reached for his blanket in his sleep and was now completely covered. With nothing to distract her anymore, she drifted off into slumber and welcomed it's sweet embrace.

But come sunrise, she would fall back into slumber once more. Why? Because unknown to her, Jaune's sash that kept his pants from falling had loosened in his sleep under the covers. Pyrrha would soon learn her partner prefers to sleep commando the hard way.

END


AN: So I was watching an anime called Denki Gai no Honya-san. One of the females reacted to seeing guy nipples like it was erotic. Just out of curiosity: Is that really a thing? It might explain a few key events in life, but I'm just curious.

Getting out of that area, I hope you guys are enjoying this fic. It's slow going, but I'm making it build up while showing the different viewpoints of the characters.