Chapter Five

Hey guys, another chapter. Enjoy!

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Velvet groaned as she was brought out of her dreamless sleep. She stretched out her arms and her arched her back eliciting several satisfying pops from the stiff bones. She opened her eyes and gasped lightly. The morning light showed through the gap in the trunk they hid in, the rays casting an orange glow on Cardin's sleeping face. He actually looked peaceful, which was a relief from all the times she saw him tossing and turning in his sleep. Looking at him now, without the sadistic smile he used to have, or the furrowed brows he used more often lately, he looked . . . handsome. Velvet shook that thought from her mind. I didn't matter how handsome he was. He's still Cardin, the one who bullied her. Her eyes snapped back to the boy sleeping across from her when he began to stir. His eyes opened up and it took him a moment to notice her. When he did, his brow narrowed slightly, disheartening her. At least he didn't have the sadistic smirk. One step at a time.

Deciding it was best to get going soon; Velvet stood up from her spot and left the tree they slept in. She covered her eyes with her arm for a moment, allowing them to adjust to the light. She looked back to see Cardin struggling to rise, leaning on his mace to get to his knees. Looking around, she noticed a large branch lying on the ground nearby. The rabbit Faunus ran over to it, picked it up, and ran back. Cardin looked up at her as she approached. She held out the branch for him.

"Here, take this. It'll help," she said with a small smile. He didn't do anything at first, just eying her suspiciously for a moment. Eventually, he grabbed the branch from her and rose to his feet. He didn't say anything to her and Velvet's smile slowly fell from her face.

"Thanks." She looked up to see Cardin's face turned away from her. He began to walk past her, leaning on the branch to cope with his injured leg.

"We should get moving. We don't want whatever the hell that thing was to catch up with us."

Remembering the creature from last night brought no argument from Velvet. They began walking further into the forest, keeping close attention on what direction they were heading lest they go the wrong way again. They walked in silence. Whether it was awkward or not was up for debate. Cardin was fine but Velvet was struggling to find something to break the silence. Anything!

"So . . . it didn't seem like you had any nightmares last night." Okay, maybe not anything. Cardin didn't respond, he just kept walking. Now it was definitely awkward.

Okay Velvet, think of something that won't make him mad.

She looked to him again.

"You never finished telling me about your mother." Silence.

Okay, that didn't work.

Her ears perked up as she thought of an idea. If he didn't want to talk, maybe he could listen.

"A few years ago, back during my initiation, I used to cover my ears."

Cardin hesitated with his next step but it was so short, it wouldn't have been noticeable if you weren't looking at him. Velvet was looking at him.

"I used my dad's old beret. My ears were tucked in so no one could see them. It was uncomfortable having them hidden but I powered through it. After I joined team CFVY, Coco found out about my hat. She took it from me and wouldn't give it back. She did the same with Fox's sun glasses. She told us, 'You two are good people and shouldn't be hiding yourselves.' To this day I still don't regret letting her take my hat."

She was lying of course. You don't let Coco do anything, but he didn't need to know that. Satisfied about the break in silence, Velvet continued to walk. Cardin on the other hand was still thinking on what she said to him. Coco looked after her team like a mother bear. Was his team like that? Sure they were all friends, but Cardin couldn't remember one time where they helped each other like that. For the thousandth time he remembered that incident in the Emerald Forest. Sure he had forgiven them for running but he still thought about it. Then he remembered their fight with Nikos. They had worked well enough together and managed to hold her off for a little while. Other than that there was nothing they really did together as a team.

Except bully others.

He stopped walking. Was that really all they did together? Torture others? Looking over at the rabbit girl walking in front of him, he couldn't help but feel something tear at him. She helped him, hell she saved him! What did he do to her? Pulled on her ears and call her a freak. Even now, she was trying to talk to him, help him. It didn't make sense!

By this time, Velvet noticed Cardin had stopped walking. She turned to him with worry on her face.

"Cardin, is something wrong?"

Now she was worried about him, what is wrong with this girl?!

"Why did you keep doing that?" he said to her. She cocked her head in confusion.

"What do you mean-"

"Don't patronize me," he interrupted her. "Why do you keep helping me? Why do you keep trying to talk to me, to be nice to me, it doesn't make sense!"

She frowned at him.

"So what, you want me to be mean to you?"

"At least that would make sense! Just what crap are you trying to pull?!"

Her frown deepened and her brows narrowed.

"It's not crap!" She yelled at him. "Look at where we are Cardin! We are in the middle of nowhere with who knows how many Grimm between us and Beacon! Do you really think me being mean to you will get us anywhere?" She took a breath trying to calm herself. "Look, we need to work together if we're going to get through this, so it's best that we don't argue."

"No we don't."

"I'm sorry?"

"We don't need to work together. You could have left me; you could have gotten out of here by yourself. So why are you helping me?" She looked at him for a moment, her face for once stern and confident.

"I told you before Cardin. I'm a huntress, it's what I do." She turned away from him and began walking again. Before he could start after her she continued. "And I would never leave another hunter behind."

He sighed. Her answer was not helping him. Looking at her retreating back, he began walking after her.

Might as well get home first.

That idea about Velvet's beret and Fox's sunglasses does not belong to me, it was made by someone on tumblr. The idea that the beret belonged to her dad was mine for whatever that's worth. Sorry that the chapters short, things will pick up soon, I swear. Waiver, if you will.

Waiver: Please review!