The following morning Nora was still plagued by her memories, evident with how her usual exuberance had been replaced with a dull glare. She couldn't even bring herself to enjoy her morning pancakes, instead only toying with her normally favorite food.
"Okay that does it!" Jaune exploded, unable to sit through the silence any longer. Throughout JNPR's morning routine Jaune had been constantly stealing nervous glances toward Nora and Ren. "As your team leader, it is my duty to get to the bottom of this," he said rather boastful. "Nora! Ren…" he paused in attempt to pick his words. "Are you two finally…well you know, together?"
The way he emphasized the word 'together' made the gingers heart leap, thinking it to be surprise at Jaune's comment.
"Me and Ren?" she glanced toward the boy sitting next to her, who wore an equally confused guise. "No. Never," her words were then followed by an equally nervous laugh.
"I thought we had already addressed that Nora and I are just friends?" Ren added flatly. He didn't think the topic would be brought up again, especially so soon.
"Yeah, friends." Another nervous laugh from Ms. Valkyrie before her eyes fell to her fidgeting hands.
Jaune looked utterly dumbfounded. As if he had a wool pulled over his eyes. He was so certain, he had to be right. "But I saw you….you know".
Pyrrha took this opportunity to slap a hand over Jaune's mouth. "What Jaune means to say is that he found you two in a rather compromising position this morning."
Nora's eyes grew wide in horror as her cheeks surged with heat. Jaune had seen her curled up next to Ren in the boy's bed. It was no wonder why Jaune had jumped to such a conclusion. Nora looked for words to explain herself but only found herself fumbling over her words.
"Oh that?" Ren said. He on the other hand was less than phased by topic. "Nora had a habit of crawling into my bed when we were younger. It's nothing really." Without another word he returned to his morning meal.
"See Jaune, I told you there was a reasonable explanation," Pyrrha said, suggesting that the case was closed and for the blonde to pursue it any further.
"Dang it and I was so sure," Jaune said with a scowl.
Pyrrha placed a comforting hand on the boys shoulder and informed him that mistakes happen. In her peripheral, the warrior maiden spied a solemn look on the Valkyrie's face. She knew that look better than anyone, and she knew that Jaune hadn't completely missed the mark.
"You sure are lucky to have such a powerful aura," an older man said with a whistle. The man looked to be in his early thirties and wore simple clothing, aside from the star shaped badge that adorned his chest. He was the deputy that had come to adopt Ren. "Most people your age would have been Beowolf dinner."
A week after the incident where Ren had saved Nora from a Beowolf the boy was already off to a speedy recovery. Rigorous aura training that he had been receiving from his parents since a very young age had save him from more serious injuries. Yet, the boy was still prescribed proper bed rest and wasn't allowed to do much otherwise. Unless he wanted to incur the wrath of his self-appointed nurse.
"Lunchtime~!" Nora said in what would become her iconic whimsy as she set a tray of food at Ren's bedside. After the attack Nora had refused to leave Ren's side and Ren in turn refused to be parted from his dear friend. Thus leaving the deputy only one choice, he would have to adopt both children. "Now Ren, you have to remember not to overdo it. If you need anything you can count on me!"
"Yes Nora," Ren replied sounding exasperated but still smiled.
Nora returned the smile before poking the boy's nose. "Boop," she said with a giggle in her voice.
Aside from her growing attachment to Ren, Nora was making attempts to appear happier. She tried to portray herself as energetic and whimsical, not wanting to draw the attention of another Grimm. Though her sudden exuberance seemed to be wearing on Ren.
However, that wasn't always the case. There were times when her mood would falter and break, allowing her gloominess to slip through the cracks. It would always happen at night when all was still and Nora had nothing to distract her. Slowly the howls grew louder in her mind until they became a deafening roar. It was as if she was back on that day again with the Grimm, falling building and her mother. On those nights Nora did everything she could to block out the thoughts from her mind, most times failing.
"Ren," Nora would say between sobs as she approached the boy's bed. Without a question Ren would respond by raising the sheets to allow the girl access.
One tactic she found to work was to crawl into bed next to Ren. She couldn't explain it. Somehow being next to him made everything in her mind slowly drift away. As Nora laid next to him she didn't feel the creeping fear eat away at her. She didn't feel afraid. That fear was replaced by a warm sensation that bubbled from her stomach and into her chest. With Ren she felt happy and safe.
As the year past Nora seemed to drift further and further from that dark time in her life. With each passing day she became stronger, confident and the beaming individual she would always be. Then came the time where the two needed to pick their paths in life.
"So have you two finally decided?" the deputy asked. Though he spoke to both of them his eyes remained trained on Nora, knowing that Ren had long since made up his mind.
"I'll become a huntress," she said with a nod. "My mother was beautiful, strong and cared a lot about the people she protected," Nora continued, closing her eyes as recalled the memories of her mother she had kept close to her heart. "And I want to become a huntress just like her," she added with one final nod.
The deputy smiled, having accepted her answer. "Then I have gifts for the two of you for when you go off to begin your training. He produced two boxes. One, small and rectangular. The other, much longer and seeming to take great effort to move.
"Oh boy, I hope it's chocolate!" Nora said hastily tearing into her package.
"I don't think its chocolate," Ren replied, though monotone his voice still carried a chuckle.
It wasn't chocolate. Inside of Ren's box were twin green automatic pistols with blades that curved down. They were the pistols Stormflower, the boy's signature weapon.
Inside Nora's box was another test. The deputy's final test to see if she was actually ready to accept the life she was choosing. The moment Nora removed the lid she could feel her heart catch in her chest. Inside the box was her mother's hammer: Magnhild.
Nora's hand quivered as she reached for it. Trying to lift it she found it to be impossibly heavy, it carried more than just physical weight. Inside the hammer wasn't just steel, dust and components. This hammer also carried the memories of the Grimm assault on her home and the loss of Nora's very own mother. It was as if the hammer carried the very weight of her universe. Her heart raced as she gripped it, trying to lift it. Her fears all coming back to haunt her.
"Hey," a voice called her back as a hand rested on her shoulder. Nora turned to se magenta irises staring back at her. "You can do this," Ren said simply and in that moment Nora could feel her fear washed away. Replaced by it was the warm and tingling feeling she got whenever she was with Ren.
"Yeah," Nora nodded, now finding the hammer significantly lighter. "As long as I have you by my side, I can do anything."
This time it was Ren who booped Nora's nose, eliciting a small giggle. Nora's cheeks flushed red as her heart began to race as he stomach did flips. Nora wasn't exactly sure what, but she something was definitely happening.
"Earth to Nora," Jaune's voice called, shaking her from her memories.
Taken aback Nora shook her head of surprise. "Whatisit?IsitaGrimm?I'llsquashit!" she said, her voice coming out as a storm of words.
"No," Pyrhha assured. "You were just…starring," her teammate explained.
"For a REALLY long time," Jaune added with emphasis.
"Sorry," Nora sighed as she looked down at her plate, nearly untouched while everyone else had long since finished."
An additional helping of pancakes slid into her vision. Following the hand Nora, unsurprisingly, found it attached to Ren. He didn't explain himself, nor did he look up. He only continued to fiddle with the notes before him.
Pyrrha and Jaune exchanged a confused shrug, but Nora understood. She loved pancakes and Ren knew that. Days prior Ren had snagged the last helping for himself and had been quite defiant about it. This wasn't just Ren making up for that day, it was Ren trying to pull Nora out of whatever sour mood she had fallen into. One of his little things.
Nora sighed as took in the sight of her partner, stars in her eyes. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand, a wide smile on her face.
Nora wasn't sure how long these feelings of hers had been there, but she knew they had been buried inside of her for a very long time. Tangled up in a web of history that blended their relationship between friend and family. And somehow, Nora felt that his blindfold of their kinship Ren saw her the same way she did. Or at least she hoped he did.
"Ren~," she cooed, garnering the boys attention. "Boop," she said as she pressed a finger to his nose.