This chapter is dedicated to thefebruaryrose.

(A/N) I really like how this one turned out. I had so much trouble trying to figure out how I wanted to end this chapter, but after I began editing and read the beginning a few more times, I knew this was it. It easily sets up chapter 4, as well as sets the tone for the rest of Act 2. This is just… in terms of plot, this is PERFECT.

Also, given a few PMs I've received, I want to remind everyone that I update on the first of every month, with the exception of chapter 2.1 where I got distracted and forgot for a three days (I'm still sorry about that one).

With nothing else to say, enjoy this update Beautiful Hunters!

Act 2

Chapter 3

"It isn't that difficult Ruby, just pay attention and you'll get it," Grey told his temporary protege. After the event with Blake last week, specifically when Grey and Weiss joined in on the fight and Blake and a monkey faunus named Sun were having with Roman Torchwick, Grey had noticed something off about the whole situation. Ruby had came in alongside Penny, but when the pair jumped into the fray, Ruby's aura had spiked in an incredibly uncomfortable manner. It sent shivers down Grey's spine, partially because the heat of her aura was blazing so powerfully that it felt like millions of needles puncturing his arms, but mostly because it seemed to give her a temporary static buff. The way that white light surrounded her, her eyes glowing with resolve and determination… her eyes literally glowed! Grey was intrigued.

Looking back on it, he just couldn't figure out where or when this supernatural aura seemed to appear in her. The first time he had fought with her was when they had to fight off Torchwick during the robbery at Arsen and Son the day they met, but granted, Grey had been distracted at the time, so he realized he wouldn't have noticed it if it were there. Besides that was when they were fighting the grimm in the Emerald Forest, and yet after spending nearly a full day with her and Weiss behind enemy lines, he knew he would have sensed it, so obviously this was a recent change. Why was the night at the docks any different? Biting his thumb nail, watching her train, he could only confirm one thing. There was a potential there. There was something deep within her that she just wasn't tapping, and if she could just manage to draw it out, Grey believed she could easily find herself on par with Pyrrha. She could very well end up becoming the Vytal Festival Champion.

Grey circled around her, scowling under his eyebrows at Ruby who stood stock still in the center of the open gymnasium. It was the dead of night, free from any distractions. The lights were off, the pitch black darkness of the room blinding both of them, making them rely on every other sense except sight, a training technique used to practice certain semblances. Ruby would not move until Grey told her to. Standing in the center of the training arena, her scythe held at its ready position, she stood stock still and continued to feel her aura circulating through her body. She trusted Grey with her life, and if he told her this was how she would learn how to use that power he told her about, then she was going to hinge on his every word.

"It's hard, Grey!" she whined quietly, unwilling to speak above a whisper lest she break her concentration, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. You say 'raise your energy' like it's easy but how am I supposed to do that. I'm focusing my body and my aura but I don't want to do after that. Make it stronger? More potent? I don't know what that means!"

"Shhh, Ru," he whispered, stepping inside her guard, running his hand through her hair and pulling her forehead against his.

Normally, such a close proximity to him, her lips being so close to his that they tingled with anticipation, would have set her completely on edge, but this side of him, the way he lightly ran his fingers along her hairline instead of roughly passing against her scalp, speaking at such a low volume that only she would be able to hear him, it made her knees weak. It would usually make her heart skip a beat and make her want to scream, but now, she found herself comforted by his hold on her, having to resist leaning into him. This gentle side he showed her today, even though they were training, was like cuddling into a dozen blankets, next to a fire, with hot cocoa, a good book, a litter of puppies and kittens to snuggle up against and nap with. The effort it took to figure out how to power up for this new skill made her body stiff, her muscles tense with overpowering stress, but when he held her up close, her muscles relaxed and she found herself able to breath more easily, a pleasant warmth filling her.

"Right now," Grey continued, trailing his nails against the back of her head, "I'm just trying to analyze your aura when you manipulate your energy so I can see how I can better train you. If I can figure out how to open up the floodgates that are blocking you, then I can make you so powerful that even your Uncle Qrow back at Signal would bow to you." Grey grinned, picturing his old mentor complaining about her being stronger than him.

Ruby opened her eyes when what he just said sunk in. Remembering what he said earlier about when he first learned about this hidden power, she couldn't stop herself from breaking her concentration and punching him in the chest.

"Grey! You told me that it hurts you when I do this!" Ruby scolded him, "Don't tell me you've been sitting here in pain this whole time!" The lights turned on suddenly after Grey used a shield to flick the power switch, then backed away from his much smaller and physically weaker friend with a saddened look creasing his features, his hand rubbing the back of his neck tightly.

"It uh…" he tried to explain, hoping she wouldn't be too mad, "It comes and goes, usually in small amounts." Ruby rolled her eyes and sheathed Crescent Rose, then took Grey's hand commandingly and pulled him over to the bleachers where they had set their bags.

"We're taking a break," she said flatly, "That's an order from your team captain, OK? Don't be so considerate next time. Being nice is one thing, but being too nice is going to kill you." Grey didn't argue. He wouldn't have been able to convince otherwise if he tried.

Somewhat violently, she threw him into a seat and plopped herself into his lap, making him grunt from her missile like landing, and reached into her school bag, digging through for a few minutes. The grip he had on her earlier, the tender way his fingers traced along her body had made her go insane, wanting nothing more than to close the distance and kiss him to try to alleviate that lustful feeling in her chest, but sitting in his lap was no big deal. This way, she was in charge. She controlled the situation, and it helped that she didn't really have to look at him either. After a bit of searching in her bag, she pulled out a pair of long and thin boxes. Grey's eyes lit up, Ruby smirking cockily.

"Are those what I think they are?" Grey asked excitedly.

"Yep! Authentic bento boxes!" Ruby claimed, opening one and handing the other to Grey, "It took me forever to find a good weeaboo store in the city that sold these, and even longer to figure out how to make those Japanese dumplings you like so much. What do you think?" Ruby pulled out a pair of chopsticks and expertly used them to scoop some rice into her mouth, tipping off Grey precisely how much time she spent on this project of hers. The girl lacked any coordination whatsoever with anything other than weapons, even her handwriting being chicken scratch. She would never have been able to use those that well without practicing with them for hours. Causing a squeak to break from her lips, Grey snaked his arms around her waist and gave her a vice like hug that nearly broke her ribs.

"You're a straight up combat addict, you can cook Japanese cuisine, and even bought me an actual One Punch Man bento box?" Grey listed off incredulously, "You're a woman after my own heart, you know that? Keep this up and I might have to marry you eventually." Grey grinned and broke into his meal, continuing to play the part of an otaku by shouting "itadakimasu" and diving straight into the dumplings he knew Ruby had worked so hard to get just right for him. Naturally, Ruby knew he was joking about the wife comment, but that didn't make her reaction any better. Marrying her? Woman after his own heart? She was internally screaming.

Baka, Ruby thought to herself, sadly nibbling on an asparagus stalk. Mentally, she berated herself for creating a stereotypical scene from a bad shoujo anime, but at least this way should enable her crush on Grey a bit more.

"So, you never told us why you kept Blake's secret for so long," Ruby said after half of her box was gone, referencing the White Fang fiasco last week. Grey paused while putting a scoop of rice in his mouth.

"I didn't?" he pondered.

"No," Ruby confirmed, shaking her head after taking a sip of an energy drink, "You were going to in the morning, but we were running late for class and got distracted, and then I guess we forgot about it." Grey nodded, stirring his food around in a contemplative quirk, thinking about how to explain it.

"Basically, I just figured it didn't seem right for me to tell you guys," he said, "Blake trusts us with her life, right? Once I figured out she was a cat faunus, which is really cute by the way, I love cats-" Ruby saved that information for later "-I realized that if she hadn't already told us, then it wasn't something I should even approach. I kind of regretted figuring it out really. Regardless, I decided that it wasn't really my place to say anything, and that she would hopefully tell us when she was ready. If she wanted to tell us, she would have, you know? To me, telling you guys that she was a faunus would be like me telling Weiss about that time in third grade when you-" Ruby jumped out of his lap, turned around, and pressed both of her hands to his mouth in a blind panic, effectively silencing him.

"OK! That's enough!" She shrieked. Grey nodded, grinning under her eyes coyly, and she pulled her hands off of his mouth, settling them on his shoulders, his own on her thighs, and Ruby unsettlingly realized that she had ended up straddling his waist. An aggressive blush grew across her cheeks. It was almost painful how aware of the proximity she was, where if he just kicked his leg up once, or if she decided to lean in a bit further, that this situation would quickly turn from affectionate to… something else. Her heart was pounding in her chest. They were alone in the gym at midnight, but in that precarious setting, reality seemed to be even more altered than before. Even Grey looked uncomfortable by the position. He didn't mind her sitting on his lap, but the way she was towering over him made him shift uneasily. Both of the pair quickly realized with a start how much they were beginning to crave closing the distance, but it was Grey who made the final decision.

"Shutting me up with your hands this time?" Grey asked, a sly smirk growing on his face, choosing that making off color jokes would be better than giving into the tension, "That's disappointing. I was expecting another kiss." Ruby's blush grew so hot that her face might as well have melted off, which is a situation she would have rather prefered over that one particular reference he could have possibly made. She jumped out of his lap and grabbed Crescent Rose. Grey panicked and straightened in his chair, ready to dodge the death sentence that he thought was coming, but the girl ended up jumping back in the ring and looking back at him.

"Can we get back to training now?" Ruby pleaded, attempting to ignore anything else Grey might have said after that, and fortunately, he just shook his head and jumped to his feet to join her.

The pair returned to their training, Grey getting the feeling of needles shooting him up again as he watched Ruby's off white aura blaze the minute she took her stance. He took notes on the progress. He watched as her aura reacted to everything he did, memorizing the cause and effect of his instruction, and formulating a plan to try to release the energy that was lying within her. However, both of them were unaware of the eyes that were on them. From the windows, a lone figure wearing a long and dark trench coat, a tricorne hat on his head, and a crooked saber sheathed on his hip watched the two of them with silent glee, and fervent anger. Pulling a demonic mask over his mouth, he disappeared in a flash of red energy, leaving a wet puddle of goop in his spot. As he left, the stranger knew one thing, and one thing alone.

His master would have to be made aware of this.

(...)

Yang loved the school's community showers. The bathrooms that were built into the dorms were good and all, but being right next to a small cabin filled with four other people made it feel cramped with no real sense of privacy, yet fortunately the administration had the foresight to install a bathhouse just down the hall just for that reason. It was perfect for someone to just chill out and relax in the steam, and since no one really used it anyway, even better if someone needed a more specific kind of release. Yang was just heading back to the dorm from such an event. A towel wrapped around her torso, a tote bag filled with her 300 lien worth of hair products carried at her side, she stormed back into the RWBY Cave while singing a song to herself about how sexy she was, only hesitating for a moment when she saw Grey lying pathetically in the middle of the floor.

"You OK, dude?" she asked him, stepping over to the dresser next to her and Blake's bunk. The guy was normally upbeat and energetic, constantly moving around and trying to keep himself busy, but right now, he was sitting upside down against the bookshelf, his legs propped up against the structure, a deep frown etched on his face.

"Peachy," Grey claimed bitterly. Yang scoffed.

"Grey, don't joke around," she demanded, crouching next to him, "What's wrong?" Grey looked at her downtrodden.

"Promise not to laugh?" Grey asked. Yang smirked at him, prepared to deny any guarantee that she would hold back her fury, but one look at him and she decided against it. Whatever was on his mind was serious, and it was really bugging him. Yang scowled and turned her back to him.

"No peeking," she said simply, and dropped her towel without bothering to cover anything as she dug in her drawers. Grey's eyes went wide for one second. Knowing Yang, she was probably trying to nonchalantly give him a show, but he turned his head away anyway, preferring to be respectful. He'd rather decline her attempt at seduction than risk watching her prance around nude and getting his skull bashed in when he broke her trust.

"I… I wanted to let things progress on their own naturally, you know?" Grey started, Yang silently listening as she put on her bustier, "I was hoping that eventually me and some cute girl would just transition into a romantic relationship on our own, but with this whole dance thing happening in the next few months, I realize that if I don't end up asking someone out, she's probably going to be snatched up by some other hot shot and I'm going to end up spending another school year alone. I've just… never really been good at that. I can talk to girls just fine, but actually making a move is… horrifying to me." Yang bit her tongue so she wouldn't snigger at his cuteness. Grey? Afraid of girls? Was he kidding? With his love of combat and his beastly fighting style, this was too adorable.

"And this has nothing to do with Ruby?" Yang asked intently. Grey's breath hitched in his throat.

"Dear, God, she told you?" Grey sputtered. Yang smirked and chose to ignore the reference.

"You do know that if you want a girlfriend, sitting around doing nothing isn't going to get you one, right?" Yang asked honestly, picking her shorts off the floor, "Who are you interested in, anyway? There are a lot of cute girls around Beacon. Is it Velvet? She's gorgeous, and that accent? Damn. I know you've been spending a lot of time with Team CFVY anyway, and I doubt that Coco is your type." Yang grinned maliciously at him, subtly trying to get him to reveal his crush on her sister, "I would just love to see how Coco would react if you hit on her though." Grey glared at her, but he had to force his smile down because the thought was admittedly pretty hilarious.

"Honestly, Coco scares me to death," Grey joked, "You know how collapsable weapons are still pretty much the same weight even in their smaller form? That purse of hers? It's a gatling gun the size of a horse. Could you imagine if I just said something wrong and she slapped me? Sorry, Blondie, but I spend enough time in hospital beds." Yang chortled at him, but then got a very devilish idea.

"Hey, I have a serious question for you, K?" Yang said, sitting next to him now fully clothed, "You have to work with me here. I wouldn't ask you something like this lightly, but I trust you enough to make this suggestion. K?"

"Speed dating the entire team?" Grey teased, running his hand up Yang's leg, taking advantage of her brazen flirtiness, but yelped when she pulled his finger back until it was just about to snap.

"Grey, normally I would love for you to feel me up and get me hot, but I really need you to listen," Yang chided.

"Yeah, OK, you have my curiosity," Grey whimpered.

"Good," Yang said smiling, "I was actually thinking that you should ask Ruby out." Grey went silent for a second, feeling so tense that the shock from Yang's suggestion radiated through the entire room. Yang gulped back her nerves. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Sure, she kind of said it on impulse, but that was only because she thought it was a good time to try to push the bet in her favor, not to mention that it was clear Ruby liked him and that she wanted her sister to be happy. Gambling aside, they would make a great couple. Seeing Grey freak out though made her worry that she just messed everything up. Suddenly, Grey turned to look at her with the most dumbfounded look on his face.

"OK, you had my curiosity but now you have my attention," Grey grunted, rolling over and beginning to pace around the room while playing with his hair, "Ruby is great and all but she's like my little sister or something, and our team leader, and dating inside the team just creates a lot of drama, and aren't you her big sister? You shouldn't just go around hooking her up with random guys and everything. I'm not saying she's not… well… pretty, or anything, but like… Why are you trying to hook us up, anyway? You've been flirting with me all year. Where's this coming from?"

"Hey, it's just a thought, man," she said, spreading her arms dismissively, satisfied with his answer, "I do love your body and all, but I care about my sister's happiness way more than my own. You guys would totally make a great couple, and I'm not the only one who thinks so either." Grey raised his eyebrow. "Pyrrha and I were talking about how you guys are happiest when you're together. As her big sister, I can tell you I haven't seen that genuine of a smile on her face than when she looks at you, and if I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure she has a crush on you anyway. In fact..." Yang's voice became distant, her eyes looking thousands of yards away as they glistened sadly. "Ever since our mom died, she's always been running. It's how her semblance works, I know, but she's always run from good things in her life, and puts on a really energetic exterior so she doesn't get close to anyone like she did Summer, and doesn't have to deal with the pain when they leave. She… I see her with you, and I can see that she actually lets herself be happy around you."

Grey began to grumble to himself, pacing slowly as Yang began to touch more and more on emotions that he was constantly trying to avoid dealing with. She could see that this wasn't something he wanted to talk about, and quite frankly, talking about super mom for even a second made Yang want to shut down herself. Still, even though she had to win that bet, she really wanted to help Grey and Ruby get together for other reasons. She wasn't lying when she said they were happy together. If nothing else, Yang wanted to help Grey understand his feelings for Ruby because she cared about him, not just for that beautiful kitten in the bunk below her.

"You could always ask Weiss out?" Said kitten suggested when she jumped into the dorm from the window, "No offense to Ruby or Yang, but I think that you and Weiss would be better off together." Yang and Grey both jumped in surprised.

"Blake!" Yang gasped, "What the heck?!"

"Ruby and Grey have this kind of peaceful, harmonious relationship," Blake explained, completely oblivious to what they were scared off, "And they're both really comfortable with each other, and that's fine, but Grey and Weiss have this kind of soft spoken passion, like just standing next to each other makes them want to dance and scream how much they want to be with each other, and that tells me that their feelings for each other are purely romantic and really strong, and not just created from their friendship. Not that that's bad either, it makes some very great relationships, but while Ruby and Grey make each other happy, Grey and Weiss push each other to be their very best without even meaning to. Just being in the same room makes their best qualities stronger."

"No, I meant why did you come in from the window?" Yang cleared up.

"Oh, that? I've been really into climbing lately and since the window was open, I thought this would just save time."

"Been into climbing, huh?" Yang teased, smirking, "I wonder where that came from?" Blake was about to chew her out for being jealous of Sun again, but was shot down.

"Back to the matter at hand, ladies," Grey spoke up, deciding that selfishly becoming the center of attention wouldn't be too rude given the topic, "Why those two, though? I'm friends with every girl in this school, but Weiss and Ruby? What made you think of them? Why not Velvet or Emerald in that team from Haven?"

"Because we see the way you look at her, so it's pretty obvious that Weiss is the only girl that could ever make you happy," Blake offered.

"No! Ruby would! Weiss is way too much of a tsundere for someone as sweet as Grey!" Yang screamed, offended, "He already has feelings for my sister!"

"I have feelings for Weiss, too," Grey said a bit too nonchalantly, "I have since I first saw her. Or have you been living under a rock this semester?" Blake and Yang both turned on him with wide eyes, going silent for a bit until Grey's jaw dropped after he understood what he just said.

"What?!" Blake shouted, "Why are we just hearing about this now?!"

"Wait," Yang followed up, "What do you mean you have feelings for her 'too'?"

"Uhh…" Grey stammered, licking his dry lips nervously as he tried to think of something quick, "Hey! How about you two? How about the three of usl go out? We can go catch a movie, get some dinner, maybe stay up all night reading and making out afterwards? What do you say?" Blake and Yang just sat there laughing at him at his suggestion. It wasn't the kind of embarrassed humor someone normally gets when getting treated so lasciviously, but the kind of amicable chuckling that told Grey they weren't at all taking him seriously. Fortunately, the dorm's door swung open just in time for Grey to avoid any other intimate questions.

"Yo," he said to the newcomers.

"Yo, yourself," Ruby said through a giggle of her own, covering her mouth. She was up to something, the other three realized, and the headgear made it clear exactly what that something was.

"What's up with the cat ears?" Grey nodded his head up to the younger girl's where a fuzzy red costume prop, similar to Blake's natural ones but even more fluffy, was wrapped around her skull. Happily, Ruby took the band off and presented it to him, unaware of Blake fondling the edge of her katana angrily.

"You like them?!" We got one for everybody so Blake would feel more welcome in the team after what happened!"

"It's stupid," Weiss said as she sat on her bunk, her arms crossed, but stealing a glance at Grey to check out that low cut to his white button down and how it made his neck and jawline seem so strong. She wanted to jump over there and… do… something.

"And offensive," Blake agreed, "Yang, could you tell your sister-"

"I want to try!" Yang cheered, jumping over and ripping her own golden pair out of the bag that Ruby unceremoniously tossed to her, then gently placing them through her voluptuous mane, "Ohmygosh! This is so great! Grey!" She turned to her fellow pugilist, but he had already put his slate colored ones on himself, making Yang gasp happily. "Dude." Blake's authentic version of the costume folded back against her head in frustration.

"Um…" Weiss spoke up, hesitantly picking up the bag and revealing a white version of the accessory with a pink innard, "Maybe… Maybe I'll try it, too, since everyone else is. Just for a little bit. I guess it can't hurt, right?" Blake rolled her eyes, finally giving up and burying her face in her pillow. Yang, Ruby, and Grey watched with anticipation as Weiss slowly switched out her tiara and hair clip, letting her hair drop gallantly to her waist, and shifted the headband so it seamlessly fit into her locks. Ruby inhaled sharply, highly pleased.

"You look beautiful, Weiss!" she praised. Weiss crossed her arms again and glared menacingly, but bit her tongue when Grey's swashbuckling grin spread across his lips.

"That. That right there. That is awesome," he encouraged, "Now all you need to do is act the part!" Ruby and Yang agreed with him, egging the rich girl on, leaning in towards her face imploringly and ignoring Blake's wailing groan behind them until Weiss gave into their peer pressure and rolled her eyes. She gave them one last disappointed look, then she flicked her wrist up much like a kitten would and gave a soprano pitched mrow. Grey bent over the desk holding his chest with a loud hnnnggg! Yang and Ruby squealed loudly and began jumping around the room, Yang squeezing a pillow to her face and kicking her legs wildly, and Ruby rolling on the floor screaming 'so cute" over and over. Grey's voice sounded like it was being strangled when he spoke. "That was… That was too cute. I'm dead. I'm dying. Goodbye world." She smiled victoriously.

After a few minutes, Blake had accepted that she had no control over this and tried to express her disapproval to Yang on her bed. While they were chatting, Weiss and Grey tried to finish some homework at Weiss's desk, but Ruby continued to behave as a cat, being surprisingly dedicated to the bit. She sat on Weiss's bed and licked her 'paws,' then rubbed them through her hair, not caring that this messed up the style, and occasionally meowing to remind everyone that, yes, she was still a cat. After a bit of being ignored, she started meowing annoyingly loud. Blake started shooting her junior dirty looks with every noise, but Ruby insisted on continuing. After the fourth whine, Grey leaned over the back of his chair so his head was dangling upside down, and asked her politely to be quiet so he and Weiss could finish the essay they had been putting off, but just as a normal cat would, Ruby promptly ignored his request and curled up in his lap, sitting sideways. She wrapped her arms around his neck, crossing her legs at the knee, and nuzzled into his neck. Something was off, though. He was far more tense than normal, and Ruby figured that it would be OK to break character for a second to check on him.

"Hey, are you OK?" she whispered to him lowly enough so no one else would hear, even Weiss who was right next to them, "You look like you're going to be sick."

"I'm OK," Grey whimpered.

I am most definitely not OK.

"I'm just…"

Come up with something! Anything! Whatever you say, just… say it with confidence.

"Turned on by cat girls!" He concluded with a grin.

Really, Grey? Really? Whatever, just work with it.

Ruby cackled loudly, unable to control her reaction at something like that. How could she not laugh? It was hilarious! Not only did she figure out Grey's kink by pure accident, but he actually admitted it to her, while she was acting it out, and while she was sitting in the very precarious position on top of his most important weapon. Not to mention he admitted it with such vigor. He was adorable! There was no way she was going to let this opportunity pass by without taking advantage of it, so without any hesitation, she shifted her position, switching from sitting on his thigh to straddling him like last night and clawing at his chest like a scratching post. Making a noise as close to a purr as she could get, she closed her eyes and rubbed her head against his, nuzzling into the crook of his neck, nudging his chin, and the shockwave this sent through Grey's body was so strong, the arms on the chair broke because he was gripping them so hard. His entire body was rigid. His senses were so heightened and his adrenaline was pumping so hard that his widened eyes were unable to blink, and his jaw clenched shut.

Watching them go at it, Weiss's eyes burned into Ruby's skull, attempting to will her head to explode, even breaking her pencil since she was squeezing so hard out of anger. Get off of my senpai, get off of my senpai, get off of my senpai right now!

"Wow! You guys look like you're having fun over there!" Yang called over, looking up from the fighting game on her phone just long enough to torment them. In response, Ruby mewled at her sister, but the oppressed face Grey was sporting, seeing him just begging Yang for help with her little sister, gave the blonde an idea. He wanted help, right? Why not do the complete opposite? "Actually, you guys look really cute together." Yang took a picture and sent it to the other four in the room. They all checked their phones to see the position from the older girl's angle, seeing Ruby's face inches away from Grey's as she worked her hands through his hair, Grey's hands holding her thighs for support, and realizing with a start that if anyone saw this picture out of context, they could easily assume something else was going on. Ruby squeaked.

"That's my new background," she decided tritely. Grey cleared his throat, shifting his weight in an effort to be more comfortable down below.

"Hey, Ru? Do you think you could maybe…?" he asked politely, but Ruby instead wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pushed her head against his one more time.

"But I'm so comfortable," she complained. Yang mentally thanked her sister for her stubborn cravings for cuddles because she was making Yang's plans so easy for her. It was all just lining up perfectly.

"Hey, here's an idea, Ruby?" Yang mentioned playfully, her mind filled with all kinds of conniving ulterior motives, "Why don't you kiss him?" The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees in the room when Weiss heard that, and all of existence seemed to shut down, the room going silent, but the crashing of that drama bomb Yang just dropped screaming loudly at each of them. Gravity even seemed to have crashed down on them at the suggestion. For a second, even the color in the room drained from sight, turning into a black and white movie. Weiss was screaming in her mind. A loud screech was shooting from her toes up and up her spine to the tips of her hair. Blake thought she heard lightning outside and the earth beginning to shake, but judging by the sight of Sun in a jester's outfit in the corner, pointing and laughing at the girls, she figured this was a rage induced hallucination. Yang didn't even care.

"Wh- what?!" Ruby squeaked, "Yang! You… you can't… you can't be serious!" The younger girl's face grew bright red and she could attempt to cover it up out of fear.

"Ruby's right, Yang! That's just absurd!" Weiss chimed in, crossing her arms indignantly, "That isn't something you can spring on a girl without any warning, and just bringing it up out of the blue like that removes any kind of intimacy or surprise. It kills the moment, you dolt!" Weiss was blushing. Everyone could see Weiss was blushing just as hard as Ruby was, but unlike the latter's childish theatrics, Weiss was taking the more powerful, bitter route to deal with the butterflies in her stomach and the envy tearing away at her heart.

"What?" Yang shot back without any hesitation, crossing her arms with a fiendish smirk, as if the response was prepared, "Do you want to kiss him too, Ice Queen?" Weiss's eyes went wide.

"That- that's not…" she tried to speak, but just couldn't find the words. Unfortunately, Blake found them for her, taking advantage of the opportunity Yang had just given her.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," she said, glancing at Yang who surprisingly just smiled back at her with a nod, almost as if she appreciated that defensive tactic in their game. It had to be an act. There was no way she could support this idea. This was clearly psychological warfare to make Blake question her actions and doubt if this was a good idea or something that would blow up in her face. She wouldn't give Yang the satisfaction, though. Blake decided to double down instead. "I want to see if you guys can recreate the kiss from Ninjas of Love 2 when Hitomi confessed her love to Jackson. You guys act just like the characters so it seems like it would happen naturally." Now, for the big finish, she thought. "Kissing is no big deal, either. Watch."

Without any warning, Blake sat up from her side of the bed, originally sitting heel to head with Yang, and planted a kiss right on Yang's lips. Yang was caught unprepared and off guard. She didn't move, or even breath for the first few motions of Blake's lips, but then her own fell into sync automatically with her attacker's, taking turns leading and caressing the soft skin of the other girl, one hand gripping their fingers into the bibliophile's hip for support. It wasn't long, though. About three seconds went by until Blake pulled away from Yang with a small tug on the blonde's bottom lip.

"See?" Blake claimed casually, turning to the other three in the room while being completely unaffected by what she just did. Yang, on the other hand, was lying limply against the sheets, her head hanging loosely off the side of the bed, her eyes lifeless like a ghost's and line of drool spilling from her lip as her face burned pink. She passed out. Ruby and Weiss looked at each other trepidatiously after the shock had worn off, then nodded, coming to the same conclusion.

"No," they said simultaneously. Grey shook his head at Blake disappointedly, but noticeably happy.

"Jeez, it's about time you two got together." he said, disapproving of her actions. Blake's face felt hot and she began to freak. This backfired.

"I still don't want to do homework!" Ruby whined, jumping off of Grey's lap and slapping the ground childishly, throwing a tantrum, "Can't we just watch a movie instead?" Grey wanted to say no, he really did. He tried his hardest to keep his focus on his assignment, but Ruby was giving him the cutest puppy eyes he had ever seen, and just couldn't keep his composure. He looked at Weiss apologetically.

"Well?" he asked with his voice laying on the subtext of "help me" very thickly. Weiss surprisingly didn't even hesitate. Perhaps, she knew she wasn't going to win the argument, or more likely, with Yang and Blake chatting in the corner, and with Ruby and Grey not even caring anymore, she knew she wasn't going to be able to get any of her work done. She slapped her books closed and dug through some files on her laptop.

"Fine, but I'm picking the movie," she declared.

Ruby cheered and hugged her partner, thanking her profusely. Grey shook his head with a small smile, proud to see how well they had been getting along for the past few weeks, and created a nest at the end of the bookshelf, filled with blankets, pillows, cocoa, and plenty of salty snacks that he dug out from under the cot he had moved into the room. Ruby even grabbed her comforter off of her bed and wrapped herself into a burrito. Weiss and Yang took their place on either side of the punk, Blake choosing instead to stay up with her book while enjoying the white noise, and after Grey had finally set up Weiss's laptop to the TV, he dug his way into the spot between his two lovely friends who wasted no time curling into him. Even with these inexplicable, debilitating feelings for them that he couldn't quite handle just yet, he knew they would always be his friends. Crushes, and potential mates, maybe, but always friends.

Looking back on it, it twisted his stomach how things had progressed this year. He didn't even know Ruby existed before she beat up Torchwick in his grandfather's store, and they had quickly became part of the other's brood, and now, she was cuddled up against him, her arms wrapped around his waist as she fell asleep against his chest. As for Weiss, it wasn't any secret he had a small crush on her in the beginning of the year. He never hid it from anyone and was surprised to find out that Yang and Blake didn't even know about it, but he knew that was because that crush didn't last long after he found out how mean she could be. However, after spending half of the year with her and finding out more about her, she managed to worm her way back in his heart and he found himself holding her just as tightly to him as he was Ruby, the angel distractedly resting her head on his shoulder eating popcorn while being fully engrossed in the noir romance she chose. He wasn't going to deny it any longer. Excitedly, and with no small amount of fear, he finally accepted his feelings for them. Glancing over at Yang and Blake, the former leaning against the latter's leg that she slyly dangled over the edge of the bed, and remembering what Yang had said about Pyrrha, he had the funniest feeling that he was the last to know about this. He picked up his scroll, taking care not to wake up Ruby.

Hey, Pyrrha? He typed expertly with one hand, the other gently playing with Weiss's hair, I need to talk to you later. Coffee? A few minutes went by before he got a response.

I need to talk to you, too. Weiss and Ruby? She replied.

Yep. Jaune?

… Yes.

Grey smiled to himself. Maybe it was time to enact that plan he made with Ren.

(A/N) So, like I said, this chapter perfectly sets up the tone for the rest of Act 2. I know it's a bit lackluster compared to some of the other ones, but by no means is this a filler chapter because it still sets up some very crucial story elements for later down the line.

Speaking of which, I told you guys in the first chapter that this story is primarily a Weiss x Ruby x OC romance revolving around a major conflict within the world of Remnant, and knowing that, I have something for the next chapter that you can all really look forward to- ACTUAL PLOT! Not just this fluffy, cutesy goodness, but something real and tangible that you can hold onto in addition to this beautiful romance.

See you guys in the next update! Have a good month on the Path!